All In, All Yours: Stepping Into God’s Peace and Promises by Heidi Lee AndersonSample

Obstacle #6: Time

What are you waiting on today? Maybe for your house to sell, for your spouse to land a job after losing one, or for a positive pregnancy test after miscarrying? Waiting is painful, whether you’re hitting all the red lights, the wi-fi is slow, or your toddler decides to dress herself.

The Israelites waited a long time to get where they wanted to go: the Promised Land. Not only did their parents extend their wilderness stay for forty years, but it wasn’t like this group of Israelites stepped into the Promised Land and immediately unrolled their welcome mats, settling in to neighborhood block parties.

No, we followed their footsteps as they waited in faith for walls to come down, floodwaters to part, enemy armies to lie defeated. Safe to say it was a grind to get here. And while it was only seven days of a Bible-reading plan for us, they had to wage war “for a long time to accomplish this” (Joshua 11:18, NLT)—totaling about seven years!

But now we see every step mattered.

Every battle held purpose.

And every victory expanded their claim on the God-given victory.

If they had stopped where the Jordan River flowed, they never would’ve known the land overflowing with milk and honey. If they had grown complacent at Jericho, they would’ve missed out on all God had for them in the southern country. And if they had given up in the central region, they would’ve forfeited the monumental high of reaching the hills in the north.

The same is true in our lives. God is sending us out with a purpose, and every season matters. But battles take time. We may wish for the microwave solution or the Roku remote of life to ­fast-forward through the boring, hard parts.

But if there’s one thing God repeats time and time again, it’s to not become discouraged in long-suffering. He is with you, He has a purpose, and He gets the final word.

In other words, in Christ, victory is always a-comin’.

Hold on to that when you face the raging waters of chapter 3 or the defeat of chapter 7. You may not see any indication of help around the corner, but there’s a chapter 11 of victory for your story too.

God is still working all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), and you, too, will see it with your own eyes. But it’s on you to go all in, full of faith, and in due time, you’ll see it become all yours.

Last travel tip: God will use it all to get you where you need to go.

If you've enjoyed this reading plan, you can read more from Heidi Lee Anderson in the 100-day devotional, All In, All Yours.