Watching for the Morning

Have your tears lasted more than a night as you’ve been watching for the morning? Does the waiting feel too hard and God too distant?

Waiting, watching, hoping – these words describe how Vaneetha lived for years, after her once-comfortable life dissolved in front of her. She pleaded with God to fix her situation and stop the pain in the midst of an escalating illness, the death of a child, and an unwanted divorce. But instead of doing what she asked for, God gave her something even more wonderful. He offered Himself.

This devotional will help you find hope in whatever you’re facing today as it grapples with the inevitable questions:

How do we embrace the present moment with its pain and imperfections instead of just waiting for our problems to disappear? How do we live with uncertainty, trusting that God is doing something beautiful in what appears to be an empty silence? How do we wait for God, satisfied in him alone, without insisting on the outcome we want?

These 90 devotions are for anyone who is waiting in the dark, wondering when life will get better. Some reflections will encourage you to press on, some will help you process your losses, others will make you laugh, and still others will show you the gift of lament, in both its grittiness and grace. Ultimately, they’re all intended to draw you closer to the God who is always for you – who is nearer than you know and loves you more than you can imagine.

Weeping may last for the night but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

1. Opening Credits
2. Dedication
3. Introduction
4. Chapter 1: Beauty in the Broken
5. Chapter 2: Responding to Suffering
6. Chapter 3: Does God Feel Cruel?
7. Chapter 4: God Is in All Things
8. Chapter 5: The Gift of Psalm 139
9. Chapter 6: When the Detour Becomes the New Road
10. Chapter 7: What If the Worst Happens?
11. Chapter 8: Will God Really Provide All That I Need?
12. Chapter 9: Watching for the Morning
13. Chapter 10: Grace for the Moment
14. Chapter 11: Believing God Has a Purpose
15. Chapter 12: A Look into My Personal Journal
16. Chapter 13: Are You Tired of Waiting?
17. Chapter 14: Do Not Fear
18. Chapter 15: Dandelion Grace
19. Chapter 16: Shattered Dreams and Shaken Faith
20. Chapter 17: Do I Appreciate Sustaining Grace?
21. Chapter 18: Do You Realize That You Are in the Middle of Your Story?
22. Chapter 19: Ask God for Whatever You Need
23. Chapter 20: The Power of the Word
24. Chapter 21: Rock-Solid Comfort in Any Affliction
25. Chapter 22: Have You Been Disappointed with God?
26. Chapter 23: Can We Control God through Our Obedience?
27. Chapter 24: A Format for Lament
28. Chapter 25: Even in the Darkest Valley
29. Chapter 26: The Greatest Turn in Scripture
30. Chapter 27: You Are Not Missing Out
31. Chapter 28: Does Grief Frighten You?
32. Chapter 29: Being Rescued from Fear
33. Chapter 30: The Ache of Unfulfilled Longings
34. Chapter 31: Why It’s Better to Have a Trouble
35. Chapter 32: When We Are Worried about the Future
36. Chapter 33: The Loneliness of Suffering
37. Chapter 34: How to Live When You Know You’re Dying
38. Chapter 35: Do You Wonder If God Cares?
39. Chapter 36: How to Pray When Life Falls Apart
40. Chapter 37: Knowing the End
41. Chapter 38: Giving Thanks When We Don’t Feel Like It
42. Chapter 39: Redemption May Be Closer Than You Think
43. Chapter 40: When All Hope Seems Lost
44. Chapter 41: Dealing with Regret
45. Chapter 42: When Life-Giving Bread Tastes Like Stale Crackers
46. Chapter 43: Can We Find Joy When We’ve Lost Everything?
47. Chapter 44: Does Your Situation Feel Impossible?
48. Chapter 45: Can We Be Honest about Our Pain?
49. Chapter 46: God Has Not Forgotten You
50. Chapter 47: The Mystery of Healing
51. Chapter 48: I Never Want to Forgive at First
52. Chapter 49: What’s the Point of Suffering That No One Sees?
53. Chapter 50: The Reason Not to Fear
54. Chapter 51: When We Need the Comfort of Others
55. Chapter 52: The Despair of the Wilderness
56. Chapter 53: I Am Letting the Tears Fall
57. Chapter 54: What Story Are You Telling Yourself?
58. Chapter 55: Is Your Faith Greater Than Your Fear?
59. Chapter 56: How God’s Word Delivered Me from the Pit
60. Chapter 57: Lighten My Load or Strengthen My Back
61. Chapter 58: If I Only Knew Why
62. Chapter 59: In the Furnace of Affliction
63. Chapter 60: The Agony of Waiting
64. Chapter 61: Trusting God in the Painful Present
65. Chapter 62: God Knows What I Need
66. Chapter 63: Bad Theology Blames the Sufferer
67. Chapter 64: Praying for Only One Outcome
68. Chapter 65: Can I Find Peace in Pain?
69. Chapter 66: Do You Wish You Had Accomplished More?
70. Chapter 67: Dependence Is Grace
71. Chapter 68: Finding Hope in Depression
72. Chapter 69: Weeping with Those Who Weep
73. Chapter 70: The Fruit of the Wilderness
74. Chapter 71: What Truths Do We Cling to in Suffering?
75. Chapter 72: Embrace the Life You Have
76. Chapter 73: What Desolation Looks Like
77. Chapter 74: Keeping Your Eyes on the Lord
78. Chapter 75: When We Can’t Imagine Living Like This
79. Chapter 76: Is Our Hope Centered on Healing in This Life?
80. Chapter 77: What Are Your Temptations in Suffering?
81. Chapter 78: Do the Next Thing
82. Chapter 79: Can God Use Our Broken Dreams?
83. Chapter 80: Letting God Speak in the Silence
84. Chapter 81: How Suffering Ties Us to Christ
85. Chapter 82: Choosing Gratitude
86. Chapter 83: The Griefs That Don’t Wear Black
87. Chapter 84: The Gift of Failure
88. Chapter 85: What If Harm Comes to Me?
89. Chapter 86: Incomparable Glory
90. Chapter 87: How Can We Possibly Rejoice Always?
91. Chapter 88: Spring Is Coming
92. Chapter 89: Our Days Are in God’s Hands
93. Chapter 90: Heaven Will Gloriously Overshadow Our Pain
94. Closing Credits