“Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown.” – Søren Kierkegaard
“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” - Lamentations 3:26
We can all relate to the feeling of being in a place in life where it just doesn’t feel like things are happening for you — maybe just stuck in an endless loop of “will things ever change? will I ever get to that place I know I want to be at?”
Last week’s newsletter focused on the truth that God really loves small beginnings.
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” - Zechariah 4:10
We saw that 1) God starts small. 2) God works quietly. 3) God grows us slowly.
And I want to encourage you a little more with this topic. Hope that’s okay…
Are you okay with years of small, quiet waiting?
Sarah and Abraham waited decades for a child that God had promised.
Moses spent 40 years in the desert tending sheep before God called him back to Egypt.
David was anointed king as a teenager but went back to the pasture and spent years running for his life before he ever wore a crown.
Joseph had prophetic dreams in his youth — but betrayal, slavery, and prison came first.
Jesus Himself lived 30 years in quiet obscurity before performing a single miracle.
Paul waited almost 14 years after his conversion before his first official missionary journey.
Long stretches of silence. Seasons of being hidden. I bet each of them had floating questions in their heart of “how long?…”
Every delay was a part of the formation — not a waste, not forgotten.
Here are 6 short encouragements for you tonight about what God is doing in your small, quiet season:
1. God refines your identity in the small, quiet seasons.
Jesus lived three decades of hiddenness before His ministry began. David was shaped in the fields long before he held a throne.
In the quiet, God is more focused on who you're becoming than what you're producing.
What piece of your identity is He anchoring in you through the trials you’re facing right now?
2. God restores your soul in the small, quiet seasons.
Psalm 23 (and pretty much any other “restorative passage”) doesn’t take place in a stadium — it takes place in still waters and green pastures.
Look around and assess what environment you’ve been intentionally placing yourself in. Does it feel like a Psalm 23 type of place?
The small, quiet place is where your inner life catches up to your outer one.
Have you considered yet that God currently has you in a small, quiet season to graciously recover you from whatever you had to walk through in the last one?
3. God prepares your purpose in the small, quiet seasons.
Before the Red Sea parted, Moses spent years in obscurity. Paul spent time in the wilderness before writing a single letter.
Small, quiet seasons often hold the blueprints for your next assignment.
Have you been making the time and space to listen and look around for what He may be leading you to next?
4. God draws near in the small, quiet seasons.
When the noise and activity fades, we often realize He’s been present all along.
Perhaps the Father just wants to be with you — and this small, quiet season is His best arena to grab your attention and give you His affection.
How might the Holy Spirit be revealing His nearness to you right now?
5. God clarifies your desires in the small, quiet seasons.
In the stillness, distractions fall away. You begin to see what you truly long for—not just what others expect of you.
God uses quiet moments to purify your desires and align them with His heart.
What have you realized you actually want during this season? (“Commit your ways to Him…")
6. God strengthens your resolve in the small, quiet seasons.
Godly character grows deep when the audience is gone and the soil is soft. This is also where walking in faith becomes less about feelings and more about follow-through.
What area of your life is He training you to trust even when there’s no visible reward?
Presence Practice: Ask for Simple Confirmation
Make space right now to close your eyes before you close out this email.
And ask God: "However you think is best for me, will you confirm to my heart and mind that you are in fact doing something in this small, quiet season?”
By the way…
So many incredible stories coming from the first couple weeks of camp across our ministry. Most of you reading this far were a part of it at some point. Will you take a moment to pray for us?
Thank you so much again for reading these.
Taylor Jervis
Tyler, Texas
June 8, 2025
PS - if this was in any way valuable to you, will you:
1) reply and let me know?
2) forward it to a friend who would be encouraged?