“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse underscores the importance of God’s Word in guiding us toward purity.” – Psalm 119:9.    Ezekiel 36:25–27

Over twenty-four times in the gospels, Jesus said, “follow me.” When Jesus says “Follow me,” it’s far more than a simple invitation to walk behind Him. And it’s more than Bible study. It requires transformation: aligning our lives with His teachings and example, and embracing His values as our own. It signifies a willingness to leave behind old ways and habits and be entirely shaped by another’s example. We should strive to do what Jesus does well. At the top of that list is a Jesus kind of love.

Jesus loved unconditionally. Jesus was frequently associated with and cared for marginalized individuals, including the poor, sick, lepers, women, and those considered outcasts by the religious leaders of His time. He demonstrated compassion and offered healing and fellowship to those often rejected and overlooked by society. Jesus loved every one of His followers, pouring into them day and night despite their flaws.  And He loved sacrificially. Love is a choice. God chose to become a man and, as a man, He chose to hang on a cross so that we could be saved. So it makes sense that as apprentices of Jesus we should be known for our love, as He was known for love.

The teaching of Jesus is so clear, you almost wonder why we don’t follow it. Imagine a world in which people loved like Jesus loved. Imagine if Pharaoh had walked a path of love, loving the Hebrew people instead of making them slaves. Imagine how the exodus story may have turned out differently. Imagine if the people of God in the Old Testament had walked the path of love, loving God and each other. Imagine if the religious leaders who sought to destroy Jesus had walked in the path of love and loved Him rather than hated Him. Now imagine if Jesus had practiced hatred instead of love. Imagine if Jesus had lashed out in vengeance rather than reaching out in love at the cross.

Imagine, in 2025, if all Christians in the world had the character of Jesus. Imagine if we were imitators of Jesus, so that through our lives, actions, and relationships, others would see Jesus in us. Imagine how things could be different now if we all walked as Jesus walked, in the way of love with everyone.

The world desperately needs that kind of love. Love is more than something you feel; you choose by keeping your eyes and heart focused on Jesus’ example. God’s Love is for everyone. Does that mean your combative neighbor? Yes. Your estranged sibling? Yep. Your micro-managing boss? Yes, it includes them, too.  Everyone we encounter is someone that God loves and Jesus died for.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does “loving like Jesus” mean to you personally? 
2. How does Jesus’ love differ from other forms of love? 
3. How can we ensure that our actions and words reflect the love of Jesus?
   

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command… This is my command: Love each other.” – John 15:12-14, 17.

It must be important if Jesus repeated it three times. Jesus frequently discussed love. He emphasized loving God and one’s neighbor as the two greatest commandments. He also spoke about loving one another. In the Christian life, a believer aims for love. That’s the goal.

The journey of Jesus from the manger to the grave was a journey of love. We read the life of Jesus and are amazed at what He did, at what He said, at how He relayed the truth of God and the Kingdom of God. We sit back and study the scriptures to see what will happen in the future. We try to figure out God’s will for our lives. We go over it and over it again and here is the simple truth: Loving God means loving others.

Matthew 22:35-40 shows God’s greatest two commandments for our lives are to love. Love is our highest purpose. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

The ability to love is a crucial element of an apprentice’s spiritual growth because it reflects a transformed heart and a deeper relationship with God. Developing love is not just a matter of feeling but also of actively choosing to serve others and demonstrating Christlike qualities in our actions.

So, if you are a real estate agent and love as a real estate agent,  you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. If you are a nurse and use your work to love, you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. If you are a musician and use your music to love others, you have fulfilled your God-given purpose. And, if you are retired and use your spare time to serve meals to the homeless, and it’s done in love, you have fulfilled God’s greatest purpose for your life.  Love is the goal.

We miss the point when we focus on what we do as our purpose. It’s not about what we do as much as it is about how we do what we do. Do we do it in love? All things must be rooted in love to be rooted in God. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says:  “If I could speak all languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had a gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

Following Jesus is a life of love.

Discussion Questions:                                      

1. What does it mean to love God? How can we practically express our love for God in our daily lives? 
2. What does it mean to love one another? How does this love manifest in our interactions with family, friends, and even strangers? 
3. How does the concept of “God is love” impact our understanding of love in general? 

“The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” – Psalm 32:8-9

The best life is the life lived with and led by God. But while it makes absolute sense, we often grapple with the idea. We are instinctively planners who like to have control over our schedule, but at the same time, we also know the world is unpredictable and often out of our control. That is why God should be the One leading us and why Psalm 32:8-9 is so fitting.

The Psalm 32 passage tells us that He will guide us along the best pathway for our lives. But immediately following this promise, the Lord gives us a necessary warning in verse 9, “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” It uses the imagery of a horse or mule to represent those who are unteachable, stubborn, and resistant to guidance. It is here that David ends the psalm by saying: “But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:10-11 NASB). God wants to guide us in the way we should go, but our response to His guidance determines our experience of His guidance.

Consider the metaphor for a few seconds: God has a barnyard of followers from the newly saved to the mature Christian. They are all different, but God loves them all and cares for them. He tells them where to go. He supplies a barn for their protection. Many of the mules are easygoing and compliant, but one mule is shortsighted, stubborn, and challenging to work with. This mule can’t seem to get with the program, so he has a bit and bridle put in his mouth, is hitched to a truck, and is dragged stiff-legged and snorting to the barn. That is the opposite of willingly letting God lead you.

Willingly letting God lead means surrendering your will and control to His guidance, trusting in His wisdom and plan for your life. It involves recognizing your limitations, seeking God’s direction through prayer and the Bible, and trusting that He will guide you in the right direction.

But letting God lead your life involves more than passive trust; it requires active engagement, resilience, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. Many Christians believe that letting God lead their lives means waiting passively for His intervention. They think that God’s will will be done without any action on their part simply because they are relying on Him.

It can’t be sugar-coated. Letting go and trusting God is a messy process. If it feels hard, you’re not doing it wrong. If it were easy, I doubt many of us would truly learn. It wouldn’t stick. Going through hard things the hard way makes us stronger. No quick fixes. No magic formulas. It takes time and practice to choose to trust over and over again. Solomon demonstrates that in Proverbs 16:1-9: “We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed…We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our step.”

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to you to say that God is leading your life? 
2. How can we become more open and receptive to God’s leading in our daily lives? 
3. What standard stumbling blocks prevent us from trusting God’s guidance? 
4. How can we cultivate a more trusting relationship with God, knowing He is always leading us? 

Summary: Maturing in our walk with Jesus is a journey of growing closer to Him, developing a more Christ-like character, and living by His will. This process involves continuous learning, seeking God’s guidance, and allowing Him to transform our lives. It is a matter of experiencing union with God to the point where God is part of every aspect of our lives and mirroring His love for others.   

Many Christians believe that spiritual growth is mostly about learning more information. The truth is, spiritual growth is not just knowing more about Jesus. Spiritual growth is not just doing more for Jesus. Spiritual growth is living more like Jesus. God wants you to look and act like Jesus. “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2.6). Ephesians 4.13 says, “…measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Romans 8.29 says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.…”

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way you are. He wants you to grow up to live just like Jesus. Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen automatically or is it instantaneous. 2 Peter 3:18 says: “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….” It takes time to grow; it doesn’t happen quickly. No living thing comes to maturity instantaneously. You can take no shortcut or instant pill to accelerate your spiritual growth. It takes an intentional pursuit, and it’s a continual process to reach maturity in Jesus.

Spiritual maturity requires discipline: 1 Timothy 4:7 says: “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.”  It is through our daily obedience and discipline of working out the principles of our faith that we experience spiritual growth. It starts with surrender.   

We surrender all of life to Jesus by obeying God no matter what. We die to ourselves, die to our agenda and plan for our lives, and submit to God’s. Jesus is on the throne now, and we obey God no matter what happens. We do and say what He would do and say. Surrender is saying, “God, I will give You everything,” and allow Him to change your life.

Your faith and life in Jesus are meant to grow. God works in different people in different ways. Some people grow rapidly, while others grow slowly but steadily. Our focus should not be on comparing ourselves with others, but on comparing ourselves with Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the Bible describe our union with Christ? What are some of the key images or metaphors used to illustrate this? 
2. In what practical ways can you grow in your union with God? What spiritual disciplines can help you deepen this connection? 

Summary:  The illuminative way emphasizes intentional spiritual formation and becoming an apprentice of Jesus. It involves cultivating daily practices and habits that lead to transformation, moving beyond mere belief into a life shaped by Jesus’ way.

In today’s social media culture, it’s easier than ever to follow someone whose teaching we appreciate and value. With the click of a button, we can like, comment on, or share with others what information or understanding we have received.

But there is an enormous chasm between the ease of following someone on social media and following Christ. Following Jesus presents several challenges, including personal sacrifices, external opposition, and the need for constant spiritual growth and self-reflection. Following Jesus can lead to misunderstandings, criticism, or even persecution from those who don’t share the same faith or values. Life as a follower of Christ is not always easy. There can be periods of difficulty, hardship, and suffering that require faith and resilience.

Following Jesus is a commitment to live in alignment with His teachings, values, and example, ultimately seeking to embody His character and mission. It’s a lifelong journey of learning, growing, and transforming into someone more like Him. It starts with illumination. It begins with understanding.

Today, when someone is talking about being a “learner,” they are typically referring to a student. Students, by definition, take instruction, internalize information, and use it for a test or in conversation. But the Bible has a different take on being a “learner,” or disciple. When the Bible speaks of learning or being a disciple, it refers to something closer to apprenticeship. In Jesus’ day, being a disciple of a rabbi was the pinnacle of achievement. It’s what every young boy growing up would want to be. From a young age, they would start memorizing the entire Torah, or what we think of as the Old Testament, in hopes that they would one day be qualified to become a disciple. If they made it through the process and were picked to be discipled by one of the rabbis, they would follow them everywhere they went.

If you were a disciple, the goal was to spend as much time with your rabbi as possible to learn as much of their teaching as possible, and become as much like them as possible. They had to walk where they walked, do what they did, and teach like they taught. They were being equipped to be a rabbi on their own one day. They were in training as an apprentice. That’s much different than classroom learning as we think of it today.

So when Jesus called someone to be His disciple, He was calling them in that context, with that cultural understanding. Following Jesus does not mean sitting in a classroom and memorizing information. Following Jesus means walking where He walks, doing what He did, and teaching what He taught. Disciples of Jesus are not supposed to learn information simply; they are supposed to apply information to their lives in a way that leads to understanding and transformation.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does following Jesus require a personal cost, and how do we calculate that cost? 
2. In what ways does following Jesus require a total commitment, similar to how we commit to other important things in life? 
3. How does the idea that Jesus came for everyone, including those we find difficult to love, affect our understanding of following Him? 

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” This verse underscores the importance of God’s Word in guiding us toward purity.” – Psalm 119:9.    Ezekiel 36:25–27

In the TV series Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe apprentices himself to people who perform dangerous or disgusting jobs, ranging from rattlesnake catchers and zoo cleaners to road-kill collectors. Mike performs difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the job’s current employees. When asked about the worst of the dirty jobs, Mike said one of them is a sewer inspector. “Aside from sloshing through a sea of human waste, the inspectors encounter, among other things, roaches the size of thumbs and rats the size of bread loaves. Mike said, “It’s hot, dirty, and too smelly to describe.” After that experience, cleaning your skin and mind takes a lot of work.

God views righteousness through the lens of His perfect, unwavering standards. Our righteousness is like the filthy rages that Mike sees in the sewers. Isaiah 64:5-8 says, “You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”

Our hearts need daily cleansing. We must ask God for forgiveness for the day’s mistakes, grumblings, and negative attitudes. Whether harboring bitterness toward a coworker who let us down, losing my temper with our children, or lashing out in response to a Facebook post, we frequently fail to live up to the standard of godliness we strive for as apprentices of Jesus.

Over and over, the Bible describes how to receive cleansing from God through the saving power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

The purgative way is the first of three stages in the spiritual life, focusing on cleansing the soul from sin and its consequences. This stage involves practicing disciplines and the goal is to cultivate a love for God and a willingness to follow His will, with a focus on humility and dependence on God’s grace. As we move through this phase, we develop a disdain for things that go against God’s will. Regularly confessing sins and seeking forgiveness is a crucial part of this stage.

Purgation (cleansing) leads to a deeper connection with God. It’s about intentionally turning away from sin and developing a deeper love for God.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to be cleansed in a spiritual sense? 
2. How does the concept of cleansing relate to the work of Jesus Christ? 

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:1-5.

The year was 1488, and a man named Domenico Ghirlandaio was an Italian Renaissance painter in Italy. A young, thirteen-year-old boy became his apprentice.  Ghirlandaio had trained many apprentices, and all learned similarly—by watching and listening closely to him, paying attention to his direction and guidance, copying masterpieces to learn colors and strokes, and learning the ways of the trade. Ghirlandaio’s young thirteen-year-old apprentice, Michelangelo, certainly learned his trade well. He went on to paint the remarkable frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, completed the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral, carved his famous Pietà and David statues from marble. It all began with a good apprenticeship.

The message of Proverbs 2 is to be an apprentice. It is a call to listen to the voice of truth and learn the standards of how life works in the world created by God, broken by sin, and redeemed by Jesus. It is a call to trust God, pursue truth, and do the work.

Jesus calls His followers to more than a casual or nominal relationship with him. He calls them to be His disciples, or apprentices, learning from Him day in and day out, becoming like Him and able to do everything He commanded. “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). An apprentice soaks up any teaching and learning from the person they are apprenticing under. In the same way, followers of Jesus learn by apprenticing themselves to Jesus. They learn to live their lives as Jesus would live them if He were living their lives as they apprentice themselves to Him and train to be more Christlike.

Apprentices train through practicing spiritual disciplines such as worship, study, prayer, fellowship, solitude, silence, and fasting. Spiritual disciplines work by helping the disciple form new habits that change their character, ultimately resulting in automatic, Christlike responses.

Training for Christlikeness, being saturated with God’s love and grace, and attending to the care of our souls will result in a character that reflects Christ to the world. Choosing to be an apprentice to Christ means being devoted to Him, loving Him, and following Him.

In short, becoming an apprentice of Jesus, or discipleship, is a journey of learning and growing like Jesus, not just believing in Him. It’s becoming like him through daily practices, spiritual disciplines, and intentional living. This involves being with Jesus, becoming like Him, and doing as He did.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is the concept of apprenticeship new to you?
2. Why is an apprenticeship important? How is it useful?  

Summary: This devotional explores the idea that recognizing and accepting our limitations can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and God, ultimately fostering humility and reliance on His grace. By acknowledging our human frailties, we can learn to depend on God’s strength and find a renewed appreciation for His limitless love and provision.

We all have limitations. That’s part of being human. Society encourages you to transcend your limitations—to break down or leap over barriers to get where you are trying to go. But the whole gospel of “you can do anything” and “transcend your limitations” is usually false.

We face limits in our bodies, minds, and jobs every day. We experience roadblocks in our relationships. We reach the end of our talents.  And we regularly run into limitations of our character in those temptations we can’t seem to resist. Limitations, though often seen as obstacles, can be part of God’s plan and lead to a deeper relationship with Him. By embracing our limitations and recognizing them as an invitation to rely on God’s strength, we can experience a richer, more fulfilling life.

These trials and limitations we face each day can prompt us to draw closer to our heavenly Father. When we practice the way we mature and become more like Jesus, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 sums it up nicely: “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.”

This passage encourages us as we walk through life’s trials and struggle against the limitations that seemingly hold us back. Daily surrender to the Lord’s plan as we walk through our days will help us follow Jesus and stay on the path He lays before us, even if it looks different than what we expected and we don’t feel up to the task.

These verses tell us that our limitations have become His invitation. I Chronicles 16:11 says, “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.” and Psalm 73:26 adds, “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Jesus is asking us to invite Him into our limitations. They don’t have to be something to cover up or conquer, but are an invitation into deeper fellowship with the God who understands and loves us.

Discussion Questions:

1. What limitations prevent you from achieving or becoming?  
2. What lesson or truth might God be trying to teach me through this limitation? 
3. Limitations can bring us closer to God: agree or disagree, and why?

Summary: Cultivating a deeper relationship with God through regular prayer and reflection is critical to following Jesus. Prayer is a conversation, a way to connect with God’s presence, and a means of experiencing His power and guidance.

Passion, that strong and driving enthusiasm for a particular activity or interest, is a powerful force in life, helping us to find purpose, motivation, and overall well-being. It can be the spark that ignites a career, fuels a hobby, or even motivates a lifestyle change. Passion provides the energy, focus, and drive necessary to overcome challenges, persist through difficult times, and stay focused on your goals.

As Christians, we should have a passion for prayer. Having a passion for prayer means experiencing a strong desire and enthusiasm for engaging in the practice of prayer and viewing it as a significant and fulfilling act of communication with God.

For some, passion and prayer come together in the form of “bold” requests: requesting divine intervention and believing that God can and will intervene in the regular course of the world that would not (or could not) have occurred otherwise. In other words, a miracle. We look out over our cities, over the continents of this world, and we ask God to do something only He can do. Or we ask God to quadruple the size of the church this year. There’s nothing wrong with seeing a need, looking ahead, and praying big. God sized prayers are a good thing. But among the God-sized prayers, there should be an internal focus on our relationship with God and our desire to improve our relationship with Him continually.

Found within the Psalms is a rich collection of heartfelt expressions to God, ranging from praise and joy to lament and plea for help. They offer a diverse vocabulary for prayer, helping individuals connect with God in various circumstances.  Psalm 63:1-8 says, “God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live,  lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper,  I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.”

This passage expresses David’s intense longing for God, comparing his desire for God to a thirst for water in a desert. He describes his need to experience God’s presence, power, and glory. He finds satisfaction in God’s love and praise, and trusts in God’s protection and guidance. He expresses the satisfaction he finds in praising God and remembering God’s goodness. David’s response wasn’t to withdraw and pull away from God amid trials. His response was to draw nearer to the God who was always there, right by his side. It was to remember His love and faithfulness and lift up praise.

Having a passion for prayer may be simply spending more time in prayer. Maybe it means cranking up a worship song and singing praises to Him. Perhaps it means sharing with a friend God’s faithfulness in your life. All it requires is passion and commitment to connecting and communicating with God.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can I incorporate prayer into my daily routine, making it a regular part of my life rather than just something I do on Sundays? 
2. What specific changes can I make this week to prioritize seeking God through prayer? 
3. How can I overcome the obstacles currently hindering my prayer life, such as distractions, a busy schedule, or feelings of unworthiness? 

 “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD” ― Psalm 27:14.

Most of us struggle with impatience. We have all experienced choosing the wrong line at a store. You arrive at the checkouts and see that one line is much longer than the other, so you join the shorter one. But, before long, the people in the bigger line zoom past you, and you’ve barely moved towards the exit. Even though it’s a 50/50 chance, we always seem to choose the slower line. You probably remember times when you were impatient with God. We tend to resist anything that causes us to wait. This is especially true today, for we have been accustomed to instant gratification.

Impatience is a part of who we are, and as a result of that, ultimately at the bottom of impatience with people and circumstances can be impatience with God, because we do believe that He does control the events in life, and He lets us choose the wrong line amongst other things.

God wants us to rid ourselves of impatience, and it can’t be done unless we learn to wait on God. God is telling us to idle our motors when we want to strip our gears. And God says, “Wait patiently for the LORD.” But we’re not very good at waiting, we prefer the human timetable when we should be fitting into God’s timetable. Learning to trust God’s timing in our lives is one of the most important lessons we can learn when following Jesus. God has a timetable for everything that happens “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NASB).

We often find ourselves in seasons of waiting. We may be waiting for a breakthrough in our careers, for healing, or for an opportunity to open up. It is in these moments of uncertainty and anticipation that our character is refined, and our trust in God deepens. Waiting teaches us patience, perseverance, and the importance of surrendering our desires to God’s perfect plan. It reveals our dependence on Him and invites us to seek His guidance and wisdom. Instead of allowing impatience and frustration to overshadow our purpose, use the waiting period to grow closer to God and cultivate the qualities necessary for effective leadership. It is during the waiting that God often molds us into the person He wants us to be.

We need to remember that God’s timing is impeccable and His ways are higher than ours. Let us seek Him wholeheartedly, trust in His faithfulness, and take comfort in knowing that He is working behind the scenes, orchestrating every detail according to His perfect purpose.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you like to wait? What makes waiting so easy or difficult for you?
2. When you think of the word wait in connection to your relationship with God, what comes to mind?
3. When have you had to wait as a part of God’s will in your life? What was the end result of waiting on the Lord? What happened in you?