PAUSES

Anchor Scripture: Habakkuk 3:17–19

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.”

When Nothing Seems to Be Happening

There are seasons when the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vine. Seasons when the things we hoped for are yet to happen, our plans seem delayed, and we find ourselves in a valley. Habakkuk describes such a season in Scripture. Yet, in the middle of everything that seems to be going wrong, he makes a decision: to rejoice in the Lord.

Sometimes, we become so consumed by what is not working that we forget to look at the things that are. We may feel like wallowing in our disappointments, but we must learn to rejoice, even when things are not going as expected.

Rejoicing does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means recognising that God is still worthy of our joy, even when our circumstances give us reasons to feel otherwise.

A Pause Is Not a Stop

You need to understand a pause is not necessarily a stop. Sometimes, what matters most is what we do in the pause. We have to learn to process the season we are in. Who are we becoming through this experience? What are we learning? What needs to change?

Realise that God is not silent in difficult seasons. He is always willing to listen to us. Even in seasons when we do not seem to have answers, we can always come back to Him. In our pauses, God gives us the opportunity to return, to seek Him and to pay attention to the things that truly matter.

Growing in the Waiting

God is not against giving good things to His children. He is happy to always give. But when His promises seem delayed, we must not immediately conclude that He is punishing us.

Sometimes, whether we receive what we have been asking for or not, we discover that we have become better through the waiting. This does not mean God always uses afflictions to make us better. But different seasons of waiting can shape us in ways we may not immediately recognise.

God is always with us in difficult seasons. He is not as concerned with our timelines as we sometimes are. He is interested in what we learn, how we grow and who we become through the different experiences of life.

God Is Working in All Things

The Bible reminds us that God works in all things for the good of those who love Him. There are things we go through that require us to grow up. Certain experiences that we will go through in life will mature us. They teach us patience, change our perspectives and help us understand things we may not have understood before.

We may not always enjoy the process, but we can become better as we mature through it. It is important to remember that our lives are not simply about the things we want to achieve. God has a purpose that is bigger than ours. We may have our own projects, plans and expectations, but we must remember that we are God's project too.

Rejoicing in the Pause

So, what do we do when we find ourselves in a pause?

We rejoice in the Lord.

We set our eyes on the things that are still working. We remember that God is present, even when things seem quiet. We talk to Him, process our experiences and allow ourselves to grow through the season.

We must not allow the absence of visible progress to make us think that God has abandoned us.

A pause is not a punishment. It is not the end of the journey.

There is still purpose in the waiting, and there is still joy to be found in God.

Like Habakkuk, we can learn to rejoice even when the fig tree does not blossom. Our joy is not dependent on everything going according to plan. It is rooted in the God who remains faithful through every season.

You may be in a pause, but your life has not stopped. God is still at work.

Reflection

What has this season of waiting been teaching you about yourself and your relationship with God?

Are you so focused on what is not happening that you have forgotten to rejoice in what God is doing?