Jadon Engle
Going into the new year, I sense the Lord deepening our surrender to His plan, not by just faith alone, but through drawing from the well of all the good He has shown us in the past. My wife and I moved down to Kingsport in June of 2025. With the big change, there were a lot of uncertainties, some that even caused discouragement in what the Lord’s plan was for us, and this time of uncertainty almost gave us a feeling of second-guessing if this was His plan to begin with. We both didn’t have jobs, we moved into a townhouse we had never seen in person, and we came with very few friendships. However, a few months later, I can take a step back and reflect on all He has done and all He has blessed us with. I cannot begin to comprehend how much His Hand has been in our lives. Providing jobs, housing, community, and a great church that desires us to seek His Presence and go deeper with Him.
It is so easy for us to forget where the Lord has taken us and what He has delivered us through. In the hard seasons, waiting, and uncertainty, it is too easy to feel abandoned by the Lord and just as easy to question if He really has a plan for us. This can make our willingness to surrender to Him questionable, which is exactly what the enemy desires. His hope is for us not to choose God and fall into fear and frustration, leading us to follow our own plan, putting our faith in ourselves, and not in the One who has delivered us in the past.
The Scripture that I am drawn to can be found in Deuteronomy 8:14-16,
…then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
When you find yourself walking through your own desert—much like the Israelites in the passage above—remember the Lord’s invitation: do not forget all that He has done. Don’t let the uncertainty of the future tarnish the reputation of God’s faithfulness shown to you from the provisions of the past.
Listening Prompt
Take a few minutes and ask the Lord to remind you where He has been faithful before. Write them down and spend some time telling Him how grateful you are.
