Watching for the Morning: 90 Devotionals for When Hope is Hard to Find

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