Trusting God in the Pause

“Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

‭‭-Ezra‬ ‭4‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Lately I have been in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, and full disclosure, this thought is inspired by my daily Bible reading in the First5 app. I will say that every season and every study, it is literally exactly what I need. Even just this morning I was reading and just shouted out with joy that I could not believe how God was using this study to give me exactly what I have needed in this season. Isn't He just so faithful like that?! I'm so grateful!

This whole study has been on rising and rebuilding, and I wrote down some words a few weeks ago that I wanted to share on the blog today for anyone who may fee like you are in a "pause" season.

A little historical context to this verse: after returning from exile in Babylon, the Israelites began rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, but strong opposition and political pressure forced the work to stop for years. This wasn't the end of the story though. God later stirred leaders and prophets to call the people back, and the rebuilding resumed. What looked like a dead end was actually a divinely appointed pause, held in place only until God's timing was fulfilled.

Sometimes it feels like the work God has called us to do comes to a complete halt. And sometimes, that halt seems to come out of absolutely nowhere.

Why does this happen? There are many reasons, but here are a few:

• Simply, life happens

• Opposition arises

• Fear creeps in

• Disappointment sets in

• Distractions pull us away

There are seasons when everything seems to stand still, all the while the world keeps moving around us. It seems like you are running in slow motion while everyone around you is moving at full speed.

But here’s the truth: God has the final say over the plans of our lives. Yes, we must steward what He has given us. We have to. But sometimes we find ourselves trying to steward things He has never asked us to, or we have a word that needs time to develop, but are in such a hurry that we start the work out of it's proper season. When things don't come to fruition as quickly as we anticipated, we fall into deep discouragement, confusion, and frustration. This is when we start treating the pause like a complete cancellation. We lose hope, and we lose vision for what God has for us. One of my favorite lyrics from a song says "night cannot whisper away what He said in the light.” We cannot allow the dark of night seasons to whisper away from us the words that He spoke when everything seemed light.

In this passage above, the rebuilding of the temple was paused for a time. But it did not end there. I heard recently someone focus in on the word “until” in this passage. Oh my friends, there is an until that is coming, because our story always ends in victory in the Lord, whether on this side of Heaven or the other. So, in this passage, there was a pause.

And then, everything resumed.

That word “until” truly changes everything.

When I read this, here are a few questions I asked myself, that I invite you to ask yourself:

1. What in my life feels like it’s on pause?

2. Why might it be paused?

3. Am I focusing more on the delay, or on God’s timing?

   
   

I have been trying to challenge myself to focus less on the “why” things may have been paused or focusing on the length of time of the pause, but to fix my eyes on the “until." The moment when God says it’s time to move again. And ultimately, to keep my eyes fixed on the Author of time, way more than fixing them on any of the things I am longing or hoping for. That is where the ultimate peace and victory lies.

When I stop fixating on the pause, I dig into deeper questions that I personally find far more meaningful:

• What season am I in right now?

• Is this a season of pause or a season of movement?

Scripture suggests this pause may have lasted around 15 years! And if I’m honest, there are some things in my life that have felt like they’ve been on pause for a long time. But maybe the focus isn’t meant to be on how long it’s been.

Because when God resumes something, He brings it to completion. He makes it clear. He opens the doors. He brings the external harvest. But even now, there is a deep internal fruit that can be produced day in and day out as we choose to put Him first in every single season.

So today, I’m making a shift that I want to invite you into as well, if you have felt the pause:

• Stop measuring the length of the pause

• Start preparing for the moment of resumption

• Trust God’s timing over your own understanding

  
  

In this season of pause, the best thing you can do is:

• Rest in God’s Word

• Revisit His promises over your life, your family, and your ministry/work

• Stay spiritually ready, even in the stillness

Even if it feels like a pause, just know it’s not the end. I have a friend who says "if it's not good, it's not the end." And it's so true! Even if what we see in front of us is hard, we know there is a greater reality that awaits us. One day we will join all of Heaven where all of this heartache will be no more. Until then, we contend for Heaven on earth even on the days when we can barely see what's right in front us. We have faith in what we can't see. One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 4:18, "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

My friends, I believe there is a “resume” coming, and we want to be ready.

Prayer: Lord, keep my heart, mind, soul, and spirit ready for the moment You say “go.” Prepare me in the waiting, strengthen me in the stillness, and align me with Your timing. In Jesus’ name, amen.