Are You Picking Up What God Is Putting Down? - Episode 5

What if the change you've been hoping for doesn't start with finding all the right answers?

What if it begins with a question?

Hey, I'm Melissa, and this is my question for you.

Each week we pause long enough to listen for one question,

the kind that brings clarity,

connection, and peace.

And today my question for you is,

are you picking up what God is putting down?

Foreign.

Have you ever prayed for a sign and then missed it when it came?

Maybe you've said,

God,

show me what to do,

and then scrolled right past the text,

the sermon clip, or that small conversation that was the answer you asked for.

Maybe you've been hoping for a fresh start,

a new job, a relationship,

a clear sense of purpose.

And God quietly began shifting things,

but it didn't look the way you expected.

Sometimes he closes the door and we stand there knocking until our hands are sore,

never noticing the open window that's right beside us.

I've been there.

I prayed, God, please move,

only to realize later that he already had.

He just moved differently,

subtly,

quietly,

perfectly.

Have you ever looked back and thought, oh,

he was there the whole time?

When we slow down long enough to notice,

we see that God rarely shouts.

He invites.

And that invitation has been echoing through scripture from the beginning of time.

In Isaiah 43:19,

the Bible says,

see, I am doing a new thing now. It springs up.

Do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Notice the tents.

I am doing not. I will someday,

but I'm doing it now.

God is already at work.

The question isn't if he's moving,

it's whether we perceive it.

This truth shows up so beautifully in the story of Mary Magdalene.

She was one of Jesus's most devoted followers,

a woman who had once been tormented and broken,

but who found freedom and new life through him.

She had watched him teach,

heal, and love people others ignored.

And then she watched him suffer and die on the cross.

Her whole world shattered.

Everything she believed seemed lost.

A few days later,

Mary went to.

The tomb to grieve, to honor him.

To be near him one last time.

She arrived early in the morning, and the stone that sealed the tomb had been rolled away.

The body of Jesus was gone.

She ran to tell the disciples, and then she came back,

heartbroken and confused,

standing outside the tomb in tears.

While she was crying,

she saw someone standing nearby, but she didn't recognize him.

She thought he was the gardener. And then Jesus spoke her name.

Mary.

Just one word, but that was all it took.

In that moment,

she realized the truth he was alive.

The miracle she longed for had already happened.

She just hadn't recognized it yet.

How many times have we done the same thing?

How many times has God been standing right in front of us,

already answering prayers? We've been begging him to hear,

but pain,

fear or disappointment blurred our vision.

That's why Psalm 119,

verse 18 says,

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

It's a simple prayer,

but it's powerful.

God, open my eyes.

Because sometimes what needs to change first isn't our circumstance.

It's our sight, our vision.

And maybe that's where you are.

You've been praying for direction, but the map is already on the table.

You've been asking for peace,

but noise and hurry keep drowning it out.

God's already placing hints of his faithfulness around you.

Small reminders, daily mercies,

tiny sparks that say I'm here sometimes. The miracle isn't new provision.

It's new perception.

So let me ask you again.

Are you picking up what God is putting down?

Where might he already be working in that unexpected delay in the no that actually protected you?

In the quiet peace that keeps showing up when it shouldn't?

And here's the deeper question.

Are you willing to believe that he's already moving,

even when you can't yet see the finish line?

Friends,

I don't want you to miss this.

God isn't waiting for the right conditions.

He's already writing your story,

one unseen.

Line at a time.

This week,

pray simply,

God,

open my eyes to what you're already doing.

Then slow down long enough to notice.

Pick up the blessings, the nudges,

the gentle reminders he's placed along your path.

Because when you start recognizing his movement,

you'll walk with more peace,

more gratitude and confidence.

Not because everything's perfect,

but because you know he's present.

So this is the end of our time today,

but I really hope it's just the beginning of your time with God.

This reflection encourages, encouraged you.

Please share it with someone who needs the reminder that God has not forgotten them.

And don't forget to follow so you'll have encouragement waiting each week.

Next week, we'll keep asking the questions that help us notice his presence right in the middle of everyday life.

Until then, keep your eyes open and keep asking the questions that matter before you go.

If you'd like to take this week's question deeper, download my free reflection guide at myquestionforyou.com It's a simple way to pause journal and invite God into your week and when you download it, you'll also join my mailing list where you'll receive my weekly email series called this Week's A Quiet Invitation.

It's a short weekly encouragement that I send out by email.

So if today's episode spoke to you, head on over to myquestion4you.com or just send me a quick DM and I'll send you the guide giving you encouragement for your spirit and wisdom for your walk.