January always carries that quiet pressure to move.
To figure things out.
To name goals.
To get oriented for what’s next.
Even when we tell ourselves we’re resting, something in us is already leaning forward.
But this week’s Scriptures gently interrupt that impulse.
“And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ — Exodus 33:14 (ESV)
What strikes me every time I sit with this verse is the order of it.
God doesn’t start with direction.
He doesn’t outline the next steps.
He doesn’t explain the plan.
He offers presence.
And with it, rest.
That feels especially important at the beginning of a new year.
There’s a temptation in January to assume we should already know where we’re going — or at least be actively trying to figure it out. But this promise reminds us that rest doesn’t come after clarity. It comes from staying close to the One who is already here.
I’ve learned (slowly) that I can rush emotionally even when my calendar looks quiet. I can be still on the outside while internally rehearsing what’s next, what needs attention, what I should be preparing for.
This week feels like an invitation to notice that — without judgment.
What if we didn’t rush past presence in search of answers?
What if staying where God is became the starting place, not a pause button?
God’s promise here isn’t, “I’ll show you the way and then you can rest.”
It’s, “My presence will go with you — and I will give you rest.”
Rest isn’t the reward for getting it right.
It’s the gift that comes with staying.
So this week, I’m paying attention to where God already is — not where I think I need to be.
I’m noticing what happens when I stop asking what’s next and let myself stay with what’s already been given.
No pressure to move forward.
No need to explain anything.
Just presence.
And rest.
This week, I’m not rushing toward what’s next. I’m staying where God already is.
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If this reflection encouraged you, would you take a moment to:
– Pray — that Faith in the Fog finds its way into the hands of those who need its message of hope and healing and that I listen to God’s voice in all that I do.
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