Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
10 17 2025
When Good Things Get in the Way of God Things
Have you ever been waiting for something from God? Maybe you’ve prayed for it, even pleaded with God—but the silence is deafening. You start to lose wind in your sails, and before long, your faith feels tired. You still believe, but you’re not expecting anymore. You just keep going through the motions…
busy doing good things, but not necessarily God’s things.
I’ve been there. Recently, as worship began on Sunday morning, I felt the Lord whisper to my heart:
“No, I have not gone silent.
But you are too busy doing good things.
Too busy being busy—
Instead of pausing and expecting my response.
Get off the merry-go-round and be still before Me.
There is your breakthrough, your solace in the storm.
Stop. Selah. Be still.
From the striving, the singing, the writing, the doing.
Put me before you first.
I am as near as your next breath,
as close as your beating heart.
Wait on Me…with expectancy,
with hope and faith that I am here with you.”
Those words pierced me deeply, because I realized: I had been so busy doing good things,
writing, serving, even ministering… that I’d stopped waiting on God’s voice to lead the way.
I just knew what to do…so I did it.
But scripture says: “Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” – Lamentations 3:25
These verses remind us that stillness is not inactivity—it’s trust in motion.
It’s a refusal to run ahead of God. It’s the faith to stop striving, to rest in the middle of chaos, and believe that He’s already working on what you’ve been praying for.
I know this. I know you know this, but are we living its truth? Peace isn’t the absence of problems.
It’s the presence of Jesus in the middle of them.
If peace only came when everything aligned…when no one was sick, no bills were due, no relationships strained… then peace would always be postponed until life looked perfect.
But the peace of God is alien to this world because it lives right inside the storm.
It’s not found in the Shangri-La version of faith…where everything is easy and fixed…but in the assurance that He is with us, even when nothing seems fixed at all.
You know… “I WILL NOT BE MOVED BY WHAT I SEE!” 2 Cor 4:18 says it crystal: Why don’t we have at least this one memorized? “…for we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. While not an exact quote, the sentiment aligns with themes found in Psalm 62:6 (“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be moved”) and
Psalm 16:8 (“I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
Jesus told the disciples in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
The peace of Christ doesn’t erase the storm; it anchors your soul through it.
Maybe you’ve been busy doing the right things for the wrong reasons—serving, giving, helping… yet wondering why you still feel drained, stressed and even abandoned. Maybe you’ve been doing things God never asked you to do. We’ve been busy doing, but he just wants us to sit with Him until He says go.
Sometimes, we fill our lives with “good” to avoid the silence where God wants to speak.
But He’s not found in the noise. He’s in the whisper.
He’s not impressed by your pace. He’s drawn by your pause.
The Lord is saying to someone today: Oh, besides me!
“Slow down. Sit with Me. Expect to hear My voice again.
I’m not done with your story…I’m in the middle of it.”
I want to encourage you with God’s word. The exact place I want to direct you when you hit that wall. Isaiah 30:15 says it best: “In quietness and trust is your strength.”
Strength doesn’t come from doing more…it comes from being still long enough to hear more.
Peace isn’t when the storm ends…it’s when His presence fills the boat.
So stop striving. Stop trying to fix everything by yourself.
Be still. Wait on Him with expectancy.
Because faith isn’t passive—it’s the confident belief that God is already working,
even when we’re standing still.
And in that stillness, you’ll find what you’ve been missing all along:
Not the absence of problems, but the presence of peace.
A Prayer for Stillness
Heavenly Father,
We confess that we’ve often filled our days with good things —
but not always God things.
We’ve run ahead of You, talked over You, and tried to fix what only You can restore.
Today, we pause.
We breathe.
We remember that You are near … closer than our next breath,
and faithful in every silence.
Teach us…Teach me… to wait with expectancy, not anxiety.
To believe that Your still, small voice is enough to guide my next step.
Let Your peace, that surpasses all understanding,
guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Still my striving, Lord,
and awaken my listening.
In my waiting, let me find not delay, but a divine appointment.
Not distance, but the deep comfort of Your presence.
I rest in You now … our peace, our promise, our portion.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Fearlessly Courageous Testimonies
We’d love to hear how the Fearlessly Courageous ministry has touched your life or the life of someone close to you. Please take a moment to share your story with us at Dennis@fearlesslycourageous.com …whether it’s a moment of clarity, comfort, or unexpected blessing you’ve experienced through this ministry. Your testimony could inspire others and help me understand the impact we’re making in our Courageous community.
