Every Stop Has a Purpose
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
I mentioned yesterday in my devotional that I had the opportunity to go visit my son in Bible college and decided to take the train back home. One thing you quickly notice on a train trip is that the journey includes many stops. Some stations are busy and full of activity, while others seem small and quiet. As passengers, we sometimes wish the train would simply keep moving so we could arrive at our destination sooner.
But those stops are part of the journey. The railway schedule includes them for a reason, even if the passengers don’t fully understand why the train has to pause along the way. I have to admit, for me personally, those stops can sometimes feel frustrating. When the train slows down and sits at a station longer than expected, it’s easy to start thinking about the time and wishing we were already moving again. In those moments it can feel like a delay, almost like a waste of time, because all I want to do is reach my destination. Yet the reality is that every stop is built into the journey for a purpose, whether the passengers understand it or not.
Life can feel like that sometimes. We have a destination in mind and a timeline we would prefer. Yet along the way God allows unexpected pauses—seasons of waiting, setbacks, or circumstances that slow us down. In those moments we may wonder why the journey has stalled.
The truth is that God’s plan includes the stops as well as the movement. What feels like a delay to us may be preparation in God’s hands. He may be shaping our character, teaching us patience, or arranging circumstances we cannot yet see. Every station along the journey is part of His purpose.
If you find yourself in a season where life feels paused or delayed, remember that God is still working. Trust that even the stops in life are part of His plan to bring about His greater purpose.
"For I know that my redeemer liveth, And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" — Job 19:25
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.
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