Moments of Growth, Insight, and Praise

Most evenings, I open my devotional mostly out of routine—but instead, I always find revelation!

Isn’t it amazing how certain words, scriptures, or reflections appear at just the right time? Not a day earlier, not a moment too late. It’s as if God had been holding onto that particular verse or message, waiting for the exact moment I’d be ready to receive it. I don't always see it right away. Sometimes I come with questions—quiet ponderings, even doubts. I know we are told to not have these, but we are human and being transparent and honest I do. Like I would think most of us do, sometimes without realizing it or meaning anything bad by it. But the answer is there, hidden in plain sight. In a verse I’ve read a hundred times before. In the few lines of a devotional. In the quiet whisper of my own soul finally aligning with God’s voice.

And that’s where the growth happens—not always in the clarity, but in the asking.

I’m learning that insight doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it waits for me to slow down enough to hear it. It’s in those quiet spaces, between the chaos and the checklist, that He speaks most clearly. Often, it feels like divine serendipity—the right scripture, a single line in a worship song, a gentle nudge in prayer.

Since an early age, I always find deep peace in my favorite verse:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my Righteous Right Hand." – Isaiah 41:10

It reminds me that I don’t need to strive for every answer or wrestle my way into understanding. There’s comfort in knowing I can be still—completely still—and yet still grow, still receive, still be transformed. To know I am not alone. He is our strength. He takes away those fears, that silent and detrimental doubt that likes to try and creep in.

But then there are the other moments—the ones that shake me awake. The moments where worship music floods the room and its as though heaven itself is singing louder than my doubts. I find myself swept into the melody, hands lifted, voice raised, heart wide open, sometimes tears flowing. Some songs move me not because of their musicality, but because the Spirit rides on every note. My soul remembers truths. In those moments, God is not distant—He is present, tangible, close.

The ones that truly have an impact no matter when I listen to them includes “Walking Free” but Micah Tyler (especially the music video), “Honestly We Just Need Jesus” by Terrian, “Preach” by Ryan Stevenson, “When I Fall” by Katy Nichole, “What An Awesome God” by Phil Wickham, and “My Own Little World” by Matthew West, but I mean the list could just go on.

It is a beautiful rhythm of faith. The quiet mornings or evenings with devotionals that seem to read my mind, the deep questions that lead me to surprising answers, the stillness that calms my chaos, and the music that makes my spirit dance.

If you’re reading this and you’re in a season of waiting or wondering, don’t be discouraged. Keep showing up to your devotionals. Keep asking the hard questions. Keep listening to worship and the word. The answers don’t always come how we expect them, but they come. Sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once. And sometimes, they were there all along waiting for your heart to notice.

The following links are instrumentals I like to play when diving into my devotional along with some of the songs mentioned above. If you have time now, maybe you can check them out for yourself.

-          https://www.youtube.com/@BlessedMomentYT

-          https://www.youtube.com/@divinerhythm8386

“Walking Free” https://youtu.be/gVnMUkohE1o?si=lelIcbep-yRBAWWC

“What an Awesome God” https://youtu.be/1AnSHYjQ3tc?si=UnXcfYPLOUI0DJ0A

As a Christmas gift from my mother last year me and my husband were given a daily devotional for the year: "Strength for Today for Couples" 365 devotionals. Once we immediately started using them I explored further and found two others. One directed at Women and one directed at Men and got these for me and my husband separately. And just because we will finish them after a year does not mean we cannot continue using them. That way we have gentle reminders of what we previously read, and it provides us with a fresh and possible different perspective on the scripture another time around!