July 1, 2025
a deal goes south, a team member quits, or the dollars don’t add up to what you want. That's when the instinct is to take charge and get out of the suffering season quickly. Lamentations 3:28-30 has a different take. Written in the ashes of Jerusalem’s fall, these words are poetic and meaningful.
The “it” laid on you is that season of suffering, the heavy weight pressing down—a tough stretch that tests your grit. Sit alone in silence, the prophet says, when this trouble weighs you down. Put your mouth in the dust—humble yourself as low as it gets, face to the ground, surrendering pride. Let the insults pile on, the opinions of critics or the sting of failure, and still hold fast.
Why? Because even in that low place, “there may yet be hope.”
This is a call to trust God’s hand when everything feels broken, to wait for His mercy right in the middle of the mess.
I’ve been there. A big deal I was chasing that fell through. My own missteps and poor choices. Acting on gut only made things worse. When I’ve paused, prayed, and carried the load a bit longer, God showed me paths and opened doors I didn’t even know were there.
Think of the account of Joseph in the book of Genesis. His own brothers betrayed him, and sold him into slavery like nothing. He didn’t curse them. He stayed faithful—slave, prisoner, servant. God raised him to power in Egypt, using him to save nations, and even those same brothers, from famine and death.
He told them, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” — Genesis 50:20, ESV
Your struggles can be ground for God’s plan. As believers, we hold on to this: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28, ESV
Great leaders know waiting can be stronger than acting. Sometimes, silence is your loudest act.
1. Pause First
Pray and reflect before you respond to trouble. Ask God for wisdom, “who gives generously to all without reproach” — James 1:5, ESV
2. Get Counsel
Share your burden with a mentor or friend you trust. (Proverbs 15:22)
3. Check Your Heart
What’s driving your fear? Power, money, status? If it’s pride, choose the opposite. God’s ways are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9)
In your trials, holdfast. Your pain is not the end—it’s a place where God’s shaping His purpose. God sees every step. He’ll lift you in His time, not for your glory, but for His.