Uncertainty about the future, unanswered prayers, and dreams that haven’t taken shape yet can leave you wondering whether your ordinary, everyday faithfulness really matters. Scripture reminds us that God may be preparing us for something we cannot yet see.

Noah spent years building the ark before a single drop of rain fell. In the same way, God often calls us to prepare, obey, and remain faithful without showing us the full picture. The small things we do each day—our work, responsibilities, relationships, and acts of obedience—can be part of a much larger purpose. We may want the big answer or the completed dream, but God is often strengthening our character and our faith through the seemingly mundane tasks right in front of us.

Highlights:
What Isaiah 54:2 teaches us about preparing for what God may be doing
Why obedience sometimes requires faith before we understand the outcome
Lessons from Noah’s years of faithful, unseen preparation
How God uses ordinary and seemingly small tasks to prepare us for greater responsibility
Why we should focus on faithfulness today instead of needing to know what comes next
How seasons of waiting can strengthen our character, trust, and obedience
Remembering that what seems insignificant to us may have a much greater purpose in God’s plan

Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter.

Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword

Do you want to listen ad-free?

When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! 

Sign Up Today!

Full Transcript Below:

Strengthening Your Stakes: Preparing for What Only God Can See

By Hannah Benson

Bible Reading:
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2 ESV).

God often does things we don’t expect.

As I read Isaiah 54 the other day, God showed me that He will often tell us to prepare for things He’s bringing us. In this passage, He tells a barren woman to expand her tent and strengthen her stakes for a family she doesn't even have yet. Our job isn’t to know the why but to prepare in obedience even when we don’t know what we are getting ready for. All we can do is walk in obedience even when we don’t know where the obedience will lead.

It reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. When they went to meet the bridegroom, only 5 of the virgins took extra flasks of oil with them before they departed. The other 5 foolishly didn’t. They didn’t prepare.

Or in Genesis 6, when God commands Noah to build an ark. Do you think Noah might’ve thought it a bit strange, the command to build an ark when there wasn’t rain anywhere in sight? Not to mention the earth had never flooded before. Undoubtedly, the idea would’ve been a foreign concept to him.

But Noah chose to trust God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Hebrews 11:7).

I’m in a season right now where I don’t know where I’ll be in the next year, the next few months, or even next week. All I can see is what God has placed in front of me right now.

Think about it.

Noah didn’t build the ark in a day. It took decades of waking up, grabbing a hammer, and building one plank at a time. He didn’t see a drop of rain for years. He just saw the single wooden plank in front of him each day. He had to wait years for God’s promise and prophecy to be fulfilled. Perhaps Noah began to wonder if it would really happen or if he’d heard wrong.

When we think about Noah, we often envision the completed ark. But what we don’t see are the 50-75 years of backbreaking labor, years of faithfulness before the first drop of rain ever fell. He had to be faithful in the daily, ordinary tasks of building the ark before he ever fully understood the why of the assignment.

We are called to be faithful in the little things (Luke 16:10).

Think about it.

Noah spent more time building that ark, without seeing any results, than some of us have even been alive. Certainly more time than we’ve probably ever spent on a project.

Do you think Noah knew the full weight of the task he’d been asked to undertake?

Yet if he hadn’t trusted God’s word spoken to him, none of us would be here.

God used Noah’s faithfulness to save the world. If he hadn’t built the ark, his family would’ve drowned. If his family had drowned, the earth would have been wiped out, which means none of us would be here today.

Wow.

That’s pretty weighty to think about. 

In Luke 12:48, Jesus tells us that to whom much is given, much will be required.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

While we might not be asked to build an ark that will preserve the population from dying out, we are asked in Matthew 28:19 (ESV) to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us.

Even if we are not called to save people physically, we are called to point them to the One Who can save them spiritually.

We often find we want the “much” more than we desire the “little.” We want the completed project, the fulfilled dream, the clear future, but God tests our hearts in the “little.” He looks at how we handle what He has already given us. We are called to be faithful in the small tasks we may consider “mundane” (answering an email, studying, folding laundry).

Think about it.

Remember God says that to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

Perhaps God keeps us in seasons of quiet, daily preparation because if He gave us the big platforms or massive answers to prayer before our character was tested in the small things, the weight of the responsibility would crush us. And how important those “small” things are even if we don’t realize it!

We may find it hard to believe when we’re folding another load of laundry or washing dishes, but remember Noah probably couldn’t fully imagine the importance of each part as he built the ark, one piece of wood, one layer of pitch and tar at a time.

Pray with me: Dear Father, thank You that Your plans are better than anything I could imagine. Forgive me for the times I lose sight of that. Help me to remember Noah’s decades of unseen faithfulness, and give me the strength to fulfill every task, no matter how mundane it may seem, with a heart of worship. Teach me to obey Your voice even when I don’t understand the why behind the assignment. I trust that You are preparing me for whatever You have next. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Uncertainty about the future, unanswered prayers, and dreams that haven&rsquo;t taken shape yet can leave you wondering whether your ordinary, everyday faithfulness really matters. Scripture reminds us that God may be preparing us for something we cannot yet see.
Noah spent years building the ark before a single drop of rain fell. In the same way, God often calls us to prepare, obey, and remain faithful without showing us the full picture. The small things we do each day&mdash;our work, responsibilities, relationships, and acts of obedience&mdash;can be part of a much larger purpose. We may want the big answer or the completed dream, but God is often strengthening our character and our faith through the seemingly mundane tasks right in front of us.
Highlights:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>What Isaiah 54:2 teaches us about preparing for what God may be doing</li>
<li>Why obedience sometimes requires faith before we understand the outcome</li>
<li>Lessons from Noah&rsquo;s years of faithful, unseen preparation</li>
<li>How God uses ordinary and seemingly small tasks to prepare us for greater responsibility</li>
<li>Why we should focus on faithfulness today instead of needing to know what comes next</li>
<li>How seasons of waiting can strengthen our character, trust, and obedience</li>
<li>Remembering that what seems insignificant to us may have a much greater purpose in God&rsquo;s plan</li>
</ul>
Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to <a href="https://newsletters.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword">The Good Word,</a> LifeAudio&rsquo;s free weekly newsletter.
Sign up at <a href="https://newsletters.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword">LifeAudio.com/thegoodword</a>
Do you want to listen ad-free?
When you join&nbsp;Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors&mdash;resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/subscribe/?utm_source=subscribe_page&amp;utm_medium=YDBV&amp;utm_campaign=YDBV_PLUS">Sign Up Today!</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
Strengthening Your Stakes: Preparing for What Only God Can See
By Hannah Benson
Bible Reading: &ldquo;Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes&rdquo; (Isaiah 54:2 ESV).
God often does things we don&rsquo;t expect.
As I read Isaiah 54 the other day, God showed me that He will often tell us to prepare for things He&rsquo;s bringing us. In this passage, He tells a barren woman to expand her tent and strengthen her stakes for a family she doesn't even have yet. Our job isn&rsquo;t to know the why but to prepare in obedience even when we don&rsquo;t know what we are getting ready for. All we can do is walk in obedience even when we don&rsquo;t know where the obedience will lead.
It reminds me of the parable Jesus told of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. When they went to meet the bridegroom, only 5 of the virgins took extra flasks of oil with them before they departed. The other 5 foolishly didn&rsquo;t. They didn&rsquo;t prepare.
Or in Genesis 6, when God commands Noah to build an ark. Do you think Noah might&rsquo;ve thought it a bit strange, the command to build an ark when there wasn&rsquo;t rain anywhere in sight? Not to mention the earth had never flooded before. Undoubtedly, the idea would&rsquo;ve been a foreign concept to him.
But Noah chose to trust God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Hebrews 11:7).
I&rsquo;m in a season right now where I don&rsquo;t know where I&rsquo;ll be in the next year, the next few months, or even next week. All I can see is what God has placed in front of me right now.
Think about it.
Noah didn&rsquo;t build the ark in a day. It took decades of waking up, grabbing a hammer, and building&nbsp;one plank at a time.&nbsp;He didn&rsquo;t see a drop of rain for years. He just saw the single wooden plank in front of him each day. He had to wait years for God&rsquo;s promise and prophecy to be fulfilled. Perhaps Noah began to wonder if it would really happen or if he&rsquo;d heard wrong.
When we think about Noah, we often envision the completed ark. But what we don&rsquo;t see are the 50-75 years of backbreaking labor, years of faithfulness before the first drop of rain ever fell. He had to be faithful in the daily, ordinary tasks of building the ark before he ever fully understood the&nbsp;why&nbsp;of the assignment.
We are called to be faithful in the little things (Luke 16:10).
Think about it.
Noah spent more time building that ark, without seeing any results, than some of us have even been alive. Certainly more time than we&rsquo;ve probably ever spent on a project.
Do you think Noah knew the full weight of the task he&rsquo;d been asked to undertake?
Yet if he hadn&rsquo;t trusted God&rsquo;s word spoken to him, none of us would be here.
God used Noah&rsquo;s faithfulness to save the world. If he hadn&rsquo;t built the ark, his family would&rsquo;ve drowned. If his family had drowned, the earth would have been wiped out, which means none of us would be here today.
Wow.
That&rsquo;s pretty weighty to think about.&nbsp;
In Luke 12:48, Jesus tells us that to whom much is given, much will be required.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
While we might not be asked to build an ark that will preserve the population from dying out, we are asked in Matthew 28:19 (ESV) to &ldquo;Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,&rdquo; teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us.
Even if we are not called to save people physically, we are called to point them to the One Who can save them spiritually.
We often find we want the &ldquo;much&rdquo; more than we desire the &ldquo;little.&rdquo; We want the completed project, the fulfilled dream, the clear future, but God tests our hearts in the &ldquo;little.&rdquo; He looks at how we handle what He has already given us. We are called to be faithful in the small tasks we may consider &ldquo;mundane&rdquo; (answering an email, studying, folding laundry).
Think about it.
Remember God says that to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).
Perhaps God keeps us in seasons of quiet, daily preparation because if He gave us the big platforms or massive answers to prayer before our character was tested in the small things, the weight of the responsibility would crush us. And how important those &ldquo;small&rdquo; things are even if we don&rsquo;t realize it!
We may find it hard to believe when we&rsquo;re folding another load of laundry or washing dishes, but remember Noah probably couldn&rsquo;t fully imagine the importance of each part as he built the ark, one piece of wood, one layer of pitch and tar at a time.
Pray with me: Dear Father, thank You that Your plans are better than anything I could imagine. Forgive me for the times I lose sight of that. Help me to remember Noah&rsquo;s decades of unseen faithfulness, and give me the strength to fulfill every task, no matter how mundane it may seem, with a heart of worship. Teach me to obey Your voice even when I don&rsquo;t understand the why behind the assignment. I trust that You are preparing me for whatever You have next. In Jesus&rsquo; Name, Amen.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

The Crosswalk Devotional

Strengthening Your Stakes: Preparing for What Only God Can See

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/471a6d14-d8ec-4c28-9bc3-b4bf0138877d/transcript