“You have been traveling around this mountain long enough. Turn north.”
—Deuteronomy 2:3
Have you ever felt like you’re walking in circles?
You pray for change. You try to create new opportunities. You even consider starting fresh somewhere else. But no matter how hard you push, you keep finding yourself in familiar territory—same lessons, same frustrations, same scenery.
It’s like you’re circling a mountain—desperate to move forward, yet somehow stuck in place.
When “This Isn’t It” Becomes a Pattern
Maybe you’ve said it:
“This isn’t it. This isn’t where I’m supposed to be.”
And yet, for some reason, the doors you want to open stay closed. The ones you try to force don’t lead where you hoped. It makes you wonder: Am I fighting against something… or Someone?
The truth? Sometimes the resistance you feel isn’t from the enemy. It’s from within—pushing against God’s plan because it doesn’t look the way you imagined.
The Wrong Words Keep Us Circling
Here’s the thing: your words matter. The things you say about your situation can either help you lean into God’s purpose or keep you fighting Him.
When you speak out of frustration—
“I’m stuck here.”
“This will never work.”
“I just need a fresh start.”
—those words don’t bring clarity. They set you up to resist God’s process.
The wrong words will have you feeling like you’re in a prison—relentlessly trying every key you can find to unlock doors God never asked you to open.
And here’s what’s sobering: God doesn’t give anything that isn’t good, but He may allow you to step into directions He never intended. Even though He is God, He gives you a will that can override His best for you.
The Right Questions Lead Us Forward
But what if we shifted the questions we’re asking?
The wrong questions will keep us circling:
- “Why can’t I get out of this?”
- “When will this be over?”
- “Why does God keep me here?”
But the right questions will lead us forward:
- “What is God trying to teach me in this season?”
- “Who does He want me to impact right where I am?”
- “What in me needs to grow before He can move me?”
- “Am I resisting God’s best by clinging to my own plan?”
There is power in asking the right questions—because they turn our hearts from frustration to focus, and from resistance to surrender.
Israel Wanted a King
Israel’s story in 1 Samuel 8 is a cautionary tale. God was their King and had a perfect plan to lead them, but they insisted on having a human king—just like the nations around them.
“But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We must have a king over us. Then we’ll be like all the other nations.’”
(1 Samuel 8:19–20)
God gave them what they asked for: Saul. He looked the part—tall, impressive, and strong—but he wasn’t God’s best. And their insistence came with consequences.
This reminds us: just because we’re persistent in asking doesn’t mean the thing we’re asking for is God’s will.
Not My Will, But Yours
Jesus showed us another way in Luke 22:42. In the garden, facing the cross, He prayed:
“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
This is the picture of full surrender.
When we say we’re followers of Christ, our lives, our money, our wills, and our desires no longer belong to us. They all must be willingly submitted to the authority of Jesus. Some areas seem easier to surrender than others, but in those harder places, our words can either work for us—or against us.
Circling No More
I know this because I’ve been there too. For years, I didn’t stay put long enough to let God finish what He was trying to do in me. I thought moving on would fix it. But now I’m learning that staying doesn’t mean being stuck—it means letting God prepare me for what’s next.
There comes a moment when God says, Enough. It’s time to stop circling.
The Invitation
This week, take a deep breath and pray the words of Jesus:
“Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Rest in His plan.