All believers find themselves here at some point: in the middle, doing the hard work of trusting the faithfulness of God. Not the beginning of the storm when everything changes, and not the ending where everything is restored, but the long stretch in between. As we close this series, you can catch up here.

"In the middle".... This is the space where:

• your prayers feel unanswered,
• your heart feels tired,
• your faith feels stretched,
• and your circumstances refuse to move.

It’s the place where Job sat—in the ashes, with more questions than answers, holding onto a God he didn’t fully understand but fully trusted. In the space where he could discover once again the faithfulness of God.

If you’re in that middle place today, hear this: you are not stuck. You are being shaped.

What God Does in the Middle

The middle seasons are not wasted seasons. They are the places where God does work you cannot see yet—steadily, faithfully, intentionally.

In the middle, God teaches you to:

• see honestly — not pretending the pain isn’t real, but also not letting it define everything.
• listen deeply — letting His voice guide you more than your emotions or fears.
• receive humbly — allowing Him to correct, comfort, and shape your heart.
• trust steadily — believing His promises more than your present circumstances.
• stand expectantly — knowing He restores before you even feel restored.

This is the path of spiritual maturity.

This is the path Job walked.

This is the path Jesus walked in His own hours of sorrow.

This is the path God walks with you.

Between Brokenness and Wholeness

The middle is an uncomfortable place because it lives between what was and what will be.

Between:

• brokenness and wholeness,
• loss and rebuilding,
• ashes and restoration,
• lament and praise.

But it is also the place where God’s faithfulness shines brightest.

You may not see the finished house yet—but the Builder is already at work.

Just as your illustration shows: the insurance has called, the check is in the mail, the rebuild is guaranteed. But today you’re standing in the ashes. The promise is sure, but the process is still unfolding.

And God is faithful in both places—the promise and the process.

The Faithfulness of God in Your Middle

Job discovered something profound:

• That same God is faithful to ou.
• He does not abandon you in the ashes.
• He does not forget you in the waiting.
• He does not overlook you in the confusion.
• He is forming, strengthening, comforting, and preparing you—even now.

God was not only faithful at the end when everything was restored—He was faithful in the middle when nothing made sense.

Scriptural Foundations for God’s Character in the Middle

1. God sees and knows your heart

• Job 1:8 – “Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’”
• Psalm 139:1–4 – God knows our thoughts, our paths, and even our words before we speak them.

2. God is present even in suffering

• Job 2:9–10 – Job acknowledges his suffering but still maintains his trust in God.
• Isaiah 41:10 – “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.”
• Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

3. God corrects with love and for our good

• Job 42:1–6 – Job responds to God’s correction with humility, acknowledging God’s wisdom and repenting.
• Hebrews 12:5–11 – God disciplines those He loves, not to punish, but to train us in righteousness.

4. God restores and rebuilds

• Job 42:10–17 – God restores Job’s fortunes, health, and family after the trial.
• Joel 2:25–26 – God restores the years that the locusts have eaten.
• Psalm 23:3 – God restores our soul and leads us in paths of righteousness.

5. God’s faithfulness is unshakable

• Lamentations 3:22–23 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
• 2 Timothy 2:13 – If we are faithless, He remains faithful.
• Job 1:21 – Job worships even in loss: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

6. God invites us into trust and dependence

• Job 13:15 – “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.”
• Proverbs 3:5–6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; He will make your paths straight.

7. God provides perspective beyond circumstances

• Job 38–41 – God responds to Job’s questions by revealing His majesty, wisdom, and sovereignty over creation.
• Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

So What Do You Do in the Middle?

You stay close, keep listening, keep surrendering, keep trusting.

You keep showing up with your whole heart—even when it’s tough, even when you are looking at the ashes and waiting for the check to come in. Let God meet you there - not only to bring you out, but to transform you. 

Even in the middle.

Join me next week for a new discussion on the blog and on the podcast - and visit connectmentoringnetwork.org for more resources! 

I hope I didn’t present Job’s friends as the picture of healthy godly friendships – they made some mistakes, as we all do.  However, Job did keep them around.  That’s a lesson in itself, isn’t it?  We don’t get “done” with people, even though seasons may change. We can learn a lot of lessons from Job's friends. (you've heard the saying, "Sometimes there's a blessing, sometimes there's a lesson" - let's take the lesson from Job's friends today!)

If you didn’t read last week’s blog post, better catch up here. Come right back after you read it and let’s continue this conversation!

Job’s friends get a bad rap, but I honestly think that they meant well, and there are even lots of words they say that are true –

“God is famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to His surprises” 5:9

“what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you” 5:17

“Does God mess up? Does God Almighty ever get things backward?” 8:2

“God will set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes” 8:6

“God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend” 11:7

I do think the friends mean well, but it is almost as if they are speaking without the experience of deep pain.  They want to point out God’s goodness, but then immediately connect Job’s troubles to Job’s behavior. They cannot seem to understand why these things would happen when a God whom they know as good is on the throne.  They’ve got to explain it away by calling Job’s test a punishment. It’s as if they want to plug God into a “if you’ll do this, He’ll do that” formula, but life isn’t that simple.

This is my opinion, but I wonder if Job’s friends tried to explain God in this way to protect themselves.  Their theology did not leave space for struggle or grief. In their experience, if you were “good”, then God protected you and these things didn’t happen. Seeing Job in this situation had to punch a hole in that for them - “if this could happen to Job, it could happen to us… No, it must be that Job did something wrong and made God angry…. Job, just repent and get your life back….” That was the “safer” explanation. 

We make these same mistakes in our ministry, leadership and friendships today sometimes. Job’s friends do a few things wrong here: 

• they jumped to conclusions without considering the full scope or hearing the whole story - their conclusion was that Job must have sinned, and that his present circumstances were a punishment 
• they over-spiritualized Job’s pain, turning a moment that called for compassion into a lecture on morality
• they assumed insight without asking questions, without asking clarifying questions or seeking to understand his experience

What was needed in the moment for Job was presence.  He needed the comfort of a friend more than he needed answers or solutions for his situation, and they moved too quickly. 

There’s a reason Scripture calls us to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). It’s not just about sympathy—it’s about entering someone’s sorrow long enough to reflect the compassion of Christ. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is simply sit still beside someone who’s hurting. When we show up with listening ears and a soft heart, we mirror the gentleness of Jesus, who never rushed people through their pain but met them right in the middle of it.

In leadership and ministry, this takes humility. It’s not easy to resist the urge to fix, explain, or quote a verse that ties everything up neatly. But real friendship and godly care don’t demand resolution—they offer presence. When we slow down long enough to listen, we are communicating, “You’re not alone. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m staying.” That kind of love ministers more healing than any well-meaning advice ever could. Job's friends did stay - let's give them credit for that!

When leaders move too quickly, we risk replacing empathy with advice, and presence with analysis. True ministry begins with careful listening, humility, and the patience to let God’s truth unfold rather than rushing to conclusions. Job’s friends missed an opportunity to minister peace to Job in his troubles. How painful it must have been for Job to listen to this as he grieved.

Sometimes friends are trying to help, and don’t know how to do it – forgive them.  Sometimes friends don’t know how to help, so they ignore the situation (and possibly you) altogether – forgive them. Don’t shy away from relationship, using past hurts as an excuse.  Trust that the relationship will give you the opportunity to grow, and the Lord will fill in the blanks.  Even when there must be a loss of relationship (sometimes it must be), trust Jesus to give you the continuity of community that you desire.

For now, Job is still in the middle. I want to hang out until we see his restoration, don’t you?  Let’s come together on Thursday as we continue this conversation on the podcast, and come back to the blog next week as we continue this series on the blog!

“Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be. For He, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to His prerogatives as God’s equal, but stripped Himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, He humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death He died was the death of a common criminal” (Philippians 2:5-8 Phillips)

(I love the Phillips translation! Try reading the Bible in a translation that is new to you - it will give it a fresh take!)

“Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be”

Jesus’ motivation, His very existence, His entire purpose for coming to earth was to redeem and rescue.  He said Himself, “For the Son of Man himself has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life to set many others free” (Mark 10:45 Phillips).  His constant motivation was love. What if this was the litmus test for our actions as well?

Check your attitude this morning: Let Christ Himself be your example.

1. Is love your continual motivation?
2. Are you more interested in serving others than in serving your own purposes?

I have to ask myself these questions daily.  I find myself in situations daily where I have to make a decision separate from the inclination of my flesh.  I find myself daily evaluating what is best for me vs what is best for the people within my sphere of influence.

Sometimes the required action is mutually beneficial - sometimes the required action does not seem beneficial to me, so what do I do?  I trust the Lord to love me as I follow His example in loving others. I trust Him to take care of me as I take care of others. I leave behind the scarcity mentality.

It’s not exactly 100%.  As much as I want everything to be black and white, right and wrong (I find comfort in the boundaries), there’s gray.  You pray and do the best you can. You ask the Lord to test your motives and reveal your heart. You ask Him to search you and know you.  Even Jesus took care of HImself - He went to the garden alone. He took the disciples away for a rest. He slept in the boat before the storm.  He fasted and was separate, always doing what the Father asked Him to do. Take this as an example, not an excuse.

If I choose SELF over OTHERS, then I am not trusting the Lord. If I choose SELF over OTHERS, then I am not loving as Jesus loved. Loving like Jesus loves means that I come in second.

“For He, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to His prerogatives as God’s equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man”

It’s significant to notice that Jesus never claimed the rights due Him as the Son of God.  Reading His life years later, we might not complain had Jesus moved into His comfortable house and taught at the local church, teaching people how to minister and sending them out, but never leaving His own town. We might think, “Well, that’s what the boss does.  The general himself doesn’t go out into the front lines…” and then in our twisted way of thinking, we would have concluded that leadership was a place to arrive at, and that the “harder work” will come to an end at some point.

I did think when I was younger “well, when I have more money”, “well, when I am finished with school”, “well, when we have a larger church”, “well, when fill-in-the-blank-here”, THEN I will have arrived, THEN I won’t have to work so hard, THEN, life will be easier.

You see the downward spiral there?  Jesus knew, God knew, that one day in our society centered on SELF, we would misinterpret Jesus and think there was a place to arrive at, some place where it would be okay that our own needs came before the needs of others, to a place where it was okay for us to be comfortable and supervise.  That would not do - so Jesus made sure that He took on all the wonders and all the hardships of being human, and didn’t lay claim to any “rights” He may have enjoyed as the Son of God.

It’s important to note the why: why did Jesus lay aside His prerogatives as God’s equal?  I think two things:

He knew Who He was, and He knew the behavior of others would not change His identity.  

I also think that insisting on His rights, driving home the point that He “was God’s equal and therefore” wasn’t the main thing.  The main thing was to reconcile people back to God. The main thing was to demonstrate the love and the heart of the Father, the main thing was to serve and be served, the main thing was to communicate

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19 NKJV)

In order for people to receive salvation and experience the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, they were going to have to also understand that He was God’s Son, sent as a substitute for their sins.  But that wasn’t the gateway to Jesus’ message: "God loves you, God wants you free, God wants you healed, God wants you whole - and if I can effectively reconcile you back to God, you’ll know that I am truly sent from Him”.  His motivation was love for these lost people, these sheep without a shepherd.

My first career was teaching music in elementary grades. My point in teaching music was not to make sure that the kiddo’s know that I am their teacher - I never taught a lesson on who I am. However, as I stay on message, they figure it out and they begin to trust me. One day they’ll dance at their wedding or sing a lullaby to their child, and I’ll have a small part in that.  And that’s literally nothing, so insignificant in comparison to Jesus’ purpose, it’s embarrassing to even mention it. For Jesus, the most important thing was communicating His purpose, not promoting His position.

If we are going to love people like Jesus loved people, we’re going to have to figure out what the most important thing is and stay on that - and the most important thing is not us.

Maybe loving like Jesus loves requires laying aside my “rights” or promoting His purpose over my position for the benefit of others.

“And, having become man, He humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience”

Look at this, it’s not going to be popular:

Humble: 1. having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.

2. of low social, administrative, or political rank

So being humble is having a modest view of your own importance (Jesus was the very definition! Who is more important than He is? Who had a more modest view of Himself than He did?) OR actually being of low rank.  

I guess it’s the same as the last point - but if you have to move out of the way in order for someone to see God, move out of the way.  If you have to work hard for the greater good and at the end of the day no one noticed or even knew, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that God sees you - and He is the reason you are working anyway.  

And being seen by the Lord?  Wow, what an amazing treasure that will be! <3 

Please read Revelation chapters 19, 20, 21 and 22. I can't believe we're about to be finished!  Last 4 chapters - come on back and let's visit one more time.  What's your highlight?  If you finished the year with me, I'd sure love to hear from you!

"His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself" Revelation 19:12

It's so precious to think that Jesus has a Name that has never been profaned in the mouth of a human.  This Name is saved only for the ears of the redeemed.

The beast from chapter 19?  I think it's the little horn from Daniel 7.  Daniel 12 is referenced in Revelation 20:4-6.

"But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" Revelation 21:22

Now the tabernacle of God will be with men.  The work which started back in Exodus 25 will be complete.  The holy of holies would now encompass every believer - not restricted to a few.  There's no temple, because the Lord IS the temple.  We'll have full access to His glory.  How perfect, how beautiful.  What a gift!

"Even so, come Lord Jesus" Revelation 22:20

Thank you, my friend, for this year together!

<3

Please read Revelation chapters 15, 16, 17, and 18.  One day to go - it's unbelievable, really!  Come on back and let's visit a little bit!

The bowls are judgements, full of God's wrath. Please, please keep in mind the character of God that we have spent a year learning: God is kind, God is patient, God is loving, God is just. Nothing He does is without purpose. Everything He does is to draw us back to Him. Apply 1 Corinthians 13 (the "love chapter") to the Lord - read it with His name in place of the word "love", it will be a great comfort and blessing today.

" 'For in one hour such great riches ^[a]came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance" Revelation 18:17

"In one such hour such great rushes came to nothing". Listen at how the Phillips reads: "They even threw dust on their heads and cried aloud as they wept, saying, “Alas, alas for the great city where all who had ships on the sea grew wealthy through the richness of her treasure! Alas that in a single hour she should be ruined!”

Life, time, truly is fleeting. Lord, help me to set my heart on what will last, on what truly matters.

Please read Revelation 11, 12, 13, and 14. Revelation in under a week is a little crazy - but the entire Bible in a year? We've covered a lot of ground together!  There's so much in here - I'm glad we've been honest this year about the blog being to short to dig in deep.... I'm just going to point out a couple of things - what stood out to you as you read today?

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer." Revelation 12:7-8

In chapter 12, the battle described here is prophecy - it hasn't happened yet. The "woman" is Israel, the "child" is Jesus, the "dragon" is the devil. As we saw in the Old Testament, when the angel Michael shows up, he is there to protect Israel.  He is Israel's guardian.

"Time, times and half a time" (12:14) means three and a half years.  Everything has a prescribed time period - the Lord has a plan and means to protect His remnant. What seems long to us is not long to Him, He has a purpose.  It's kind of funny - when we describe time, it's always "running out" or "going".  For the Lord, time is always coming.

"And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months" Revelation 13:5

Do you remember Daniel 7? I think of that when we read 13:5. If you have time to go back, go back - I'm probably beyond my word count already!

"I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth." Revelation 14:2-3

I love any description of worship in Revelation - we get a small glimpse of heaven. If you miss anything else, highlight those passages for sure!

Please read Revelation 7, 8, 9, and 10 today.  What is your take-a-way today?  Come on back and share an insight!

The "sealed" represents many things - another debate I'm not getting into!  Let's just stay faithful and close to Jesus, folks.  Walk just as He walked (1 John 2:6 - still great advice!)

"he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them" Revelation 7:14 NKJV

We're read about these people before, the ones described in Revelation 7:14-17.  Do you remember these people from Daniel 12? I think it's God's desire to see this Scripture fulfilled in an entire generation, everyone to fill the earth with His glory.  Let's make it our mission to participate in this coming to pass!

"I went to the angel and said to him, 'Give me the little book.' And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.' Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter" Revelation 10:9-10

I think its important to note the change: the book was sweet in John's mouth, bitter in his stomach. I think this is how the truth can be if we don't apply it correctly and share it with others: sweet at first, but bitter if we reject it OR sweet at first, but bitter if we try to keep it to ourselves.

 

 

Today, we are powering through Revelation - our last book!  Today, please read chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6.  Again, nearly impossible to comment on much of anything in a short blog post - we could spend a year in any one book of the Bible all by itself, let alone the entire work in one year!  I'll point out a few things, and you find a few things too.  We'll get through it!  Come on back and let's visit!

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.' ” Revelation 4:1

"After" is referring to the previous vision ("these things" that he saw in a vision).  John is "looking" in a vision, and sees a door.  It's interesting that he goes straight from one vision into another.  As soon as one closes, he looks for the next one immediately.  There doesn't have to be a delay - God is always speaking to us.

“You are worthy,  O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

The Phillips translation describes this passage as "the ceaseless worship of Heaven".  I love that. I relate this verse to so many others: Psalm 19:1, Psalm 115:1, Isaiah 6:3, 1 Corinthians 10:31 - the Word is consistent throughout.

"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood, Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation' " Revelation 5:8-9

So much symbolism in Revelation - it can be hard to keep up.  The bowls represent prayers, harps represent worship.

In chapter 6, the 7 seals represent a series of judgements that will be part of a period called the Great Tribulation.  I'm not going to enter the pre-tribulation/post-tribulation debate - I'll just going to do my best to be ready!  (Someone once said to me, "I'm gonna keep my nose clean if it takes both sleeves! 😉 Amen!). Stay close and trust the Lord!

 

5 days to go - at this point, every day feels like a milestone, a final countdown.  Wow - we are going to finish together! Please read Jude, and Revelation chapters 1 and 2. Revelation in 5 days?  Crazy - there's no way to hit it all in a short blog post.  Sometime, let's dig deeper together - but for now, dig in deep for yourself!  Draw circles, make highlights, underline, pencil in question marks or exclamation points - read and come on back, share some of your notes with me!

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" Jude 20

Build yourself up.  That'll preach - we have to be able to do this for ourselves, not wait on someone else to read or pray or study or seek God for us.  No "second hand relationships" here!  I remember back to our Old Testament days, and Moses speaking to the children of Israel: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it" (Deuteronomy 30:12-14, emphasis mine).  I think about Paul and the people with the unknown god, telling them "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27, emphasis mine). What a gift to see the Bible as a whole, all themes and truths so tightly connected.

"on some have compassion, making a distinction" Jude 22

It's so important to know your intended audience. The only way to effectively minister is through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Make a distinction.

"And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last' "Revelation 1:17

Jesus ALWAYS brings peace.  He ALWAYS casts out fear.  What are you afraid of today?  Bring it to the Lord.  Compare it to His power.

As we go into the 7 letters, there's a pattern to take note of, each has these elements:

Statement about Christ

Description of the church

a promise at the end

 

I love a promise at the end - you and I have one too.

 

Merry Christmas!  359 days together, wow!  Take a minute from the festivities to read 1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5, 2 John 1, and 3 John 1.  Knocking out 3 books today!  (Maybe visit Luke 2 while you are here as well, just for Christmas' sake!) What stands out to you today?  Come on back and let's visit!

I can't put all of 1 John 4:7-19, but LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! Read it again for me, slower this time 🙂

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." 1 John 5:21

1 John 5:21 makes me think of Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness".  We need to keep ourselves from anything that would take first place away from Jesus (anything that takes first place in your life over Christ is an idol).  This is an ACTIVE stance, not passive.  We cannot only move away from the idol, we have to move toward God.  Pressing on toward the goal!

Let's go ahead and finish Matthew 6:33: "and all these things shall be added unto you". All the things.  What comfort and joy <3