The Next Right Thing: Choosing Trust and Contentment One Small Step at a Time

I remember staring at my email, refreshing the screen again and again, waiting for a response that never seemed to come.

I had prayed over that opportunity. I was convinced it was the next right step. But days turned into weeks, and the silence was deafening.

I began to question myself.

Did I hear God wrong? Did I do something to mess this up?

Slowly, the Lord began to show me something important: sometimes God’s silence is not rejection. It is redirection. The waiting was not punishment or failure. It was formation. It was where He was building trust, not just giving direction.

When Waiting Feels Like Falling Behind

Waiting can feel like standing still while everyone else is moving forward. You scroll, you see progress. You hear stories of open doors. Everyone else seems to be stepping into the next thing.

Meanwhile, your story feels stuck in the middle of "not yet."

It is easy to wonder if God has forgotten you or if you missed something along the way.

But Scripture reminds us that waiting is not wasted.

Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." Waiting requires strength, courage, and a steady heart. God is not withholding good from you. He is teaching you to trust Him as the Giver of good.

Waiting Is Not a Pause. It Is Preparation.

God’s timing is not a punishment. It is preparation.

The waiting season is not a holding cell. It is holy ground.

It is where God teaches a contentment that does not depend on circumstances and a faith that does not collapse under delay. In waiting, God shifts our focus from the outcome we want to the One who holds every outcome.

Psalm 145 reminds us: "The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made” (Psalm 145:13, NIV).

God’s goodness is not reserved for those who appear further ahead. His faithfulness is for you, right here, in the middle of the waiting.

He is not asking you to figure out what comes next.
He is inviting you to trust Him with this step.

The Next Right Thing Is Often Small

Sometimes the next right thing is not a big move.
Sometimes it is something quiet and unseen.

The next right thing may look like:

Choosing peace instead of panic. Choosing gratitude instead of grasping. Choosing worship instead of worry.

Waiting becomes worship when we shift our focus from the outcome we want to the presence of God who is already here.

God Is Still Working

Philippians 1:6 reminds us that "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion." God does not abandon what He starts. If He has led you this far, He is not done.

If your heart feels suspended between what has been and what has not yet arrived, remember this: the God who holds time is not late. He is cultivating depth, patience, faith, and peace in you, and these things are formed slowly and intentionally.

You are not behind.
You are becoming.

Prayer

Lord, help me find contentment not in what is next, but in who You are. Teach me to trust Your timing and to see this waiting season as sacred ground where You are shaping my heart. Remind me that You are faithful, loving, and near. Amen.

Meet the Author
Reanna Hoffman

Reanna is a writer, speaker, coach, and host of the Not Just Waiting Podcast, where she equips women to wait well and actively pursue Jesus in every season. A former teacher who followed God’s call into new adventures, Reanna is passionate about reminding others they are seen, valued, and deeply loved by God. Whether she’s writing, coaching, or baking something sweet, she believes the Lord is the best adventure guide—and she’s just getting started.

Connect with her on Instagram here.