Theme of The Day: The Quiet Power of Staying Put
Wednesday lands in that weird spot again.
You’re deep enough into Week Two that the shine has completely worn off. Far enough from Monday’s restart that motivation feels like a distant memory.
Close enough to the weekend that you’re already calculating how many more days until you can finally breathe.
But here’s what makes this Wednesday particularly brutal: you’ve been here before.
Last Wednesday, you pushed through the middle. You survived the lonely grind. You kept going when everything in you wanted to stop.
And now you’re back. Same day. Same struggle.
Same internal battle about whether any of this actually matters.
Last week, you could tell yourself it was just one hard Wednesday.
This week, you’re realizing hard Wednesdays might be the pattern, not the exception.
That transformation doesn’t mean the middle gets easier. It just means you get more experienced at enduring it.
Most people bail right here.
Not because Wednesday is impossible. Because the thought of endless Wednesdays feels unbearable. They can handle one hard middle.
But multiple hard middles? That’s a commitment level they didn’t sign up for.
So they quit. They tell themselves they gave it an honest try. Two full weeks. That’s more than most people do. Surely that’s enough to prove this isn’t sustainable.
Except it’s not enough. Because transformation doesn’t happen in two weeks.
It happens over dozens of weeks. Hundreds of days. Countless Wednesdays where you choose to stay put when leaving could have made more sense.
Today’s theme is about the unglamorous power of simply not quitting. Of showing up in the middle again.
Of choosing Wednesday number two when Wednesday number one already took everything you had.
Bible Verses of The Day: Morning Study
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 New International Version (NIV)
Meaning of Deuteronomy 31:8 and How to Apply It
Moses is speaking to Joshua before Joshua leads Israel into the promised land.
Joshua’s facing something terrifying—taking over leadership, entering unknown territory, and shouldering massive responsibility.
Moses doesn’t minimize the challenge. He acknowledges it’s hard. But he promises something crucial: God goes before you. He’s with you. He won’t leave. He won’t abandon you.
The words “never leave you nor forsake you” mean God won’t drop you, won’t desert you, won’t walk away when things get difficult. This isn’t temporary support. It’s a permanent presence.
“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” addresses the two main Wednesday feelings. Fear of what’s ahead. Discouragement about what you’re facing right now.
This Wednesday morning, you’re scared this will never get easier. Discouraged that you’re back in the hard middle again. Wondering if you can actually sustain this for the long haul.
Moses says God goes before you. Whatever Wednesday throws at you today, God’s already there. He’s not surprised. He’s not unprepared. He’s ahead of you, making a way.
Apply this by remembering you’re not facing Wednesday alone.
God didn’t bring you through last Wednesday only to abandon you this Wednesday. He hasn’t left. He hasn’t gotten tired of your struggle. He’s right here, right now, in this hard middle with you.
Say: “God goes before me today. He’s with me in this Wednesday struggle. He won’t leave me. He won’t forsake me. I don’t have to be afraid or discouraged.”
Pray: “God, I’m scared and discouraged this Wednesday. But You promised to never leave me. Help me feel Your presence in this hard middle. Help me trust You’re with me even when Wednesday feels lonely.”
Bible Verses of The Day: Afternoon Study
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
2 Chronicles 15:7 New International Version (NIV)
Meaning of 2 Chronicles 15:7 and How to Apply It
A prophet named Azariah is speaking to King Asa and the people of Judah. They’re in the middle of spiritual renewal, trying to turn back to God after years of wandering.
“Be strong” means exactly what it sounds like. Don’t weaken. Don’t give in. Don’t let the difficulty make you quit.
“Do not give up” is the critical command. Keep going. Keep showing up. Keep choosing faithfulness even when faithfulness feels pointless.
“For your work will be rewarded” is a promise. Not “might be” or “could be.” Will be. The work you’re doing matters. The Wednesday effort counts. The showing up in the middle produces something real.
By Wednesday afternoon, you’re questioning the reward. You’ve worked hard for almost ten days straight now. Two full weeks of commitment. And honestly? Nothing looks that different.
The prophet says your work will be rewarded. Not immediately. Not always visibly. But certainly. Keep going. Don’t give up. The reward is coming.
Apply this by pushing through Wednesday afternoon instead of checking out.
The afternoon is when you mentally quit while physically staying present. You’re there but not really there. Going through motions but not fully engaged.
Don’t do that today. Be strong. Stay engaged. Your Wednesday afternoon work matters just as much as Monday morning work, even though it feels less significant.
Say: “I’m being strong this Wednesday afternoon. I’m not giving up. My work will be rewarded even if I can’t see the reward yet.”
Bible Verses of The Day: Evening Study
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
Luke 16:10 New International Version (NIV)
Meaning of Luke 16:10 and How to Apply It
Jesus is teaching about faithfulness. He’s saying something radical: how you handle small things reveals whether you can be trusted with big things.
“Very little” means exactly that. Small stuff. Ordinary days. Unremarkable Wednesdays. Things that don’t feel important or impressive.
“Can also be trusted with much” shows the progression. Small faithfulness qualifies you for larger responsibility. But you have to actually be faithful in the small things first.
The opposite is also true. “Dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” If you can’t be faithful when it doesn’t feel significant, you won’t suddenly become faithful when it does.
Wednesday evening is when you evaluate whether today mattered. It wasn’t dramatic. Nothing breakthrough happened. Just another Wednesday of showing up and doing what you said you’d do.
Jesus says that matters enormously. Faithfulness in very little—in ordinary Wednesday—qualifies you for much. But only if you’re actually faithful.
Apply this by celebrating Wednesday’s small faithfulness.
You showed up. You stayed engaged. You didn’t quit in the middle. That’s not nothing. That’s building something significant even though it doesn’t feel significant yet.
Say: “I was faithful in very little today. This Wednesday wasn’t impressive, but I was trustworthy. That’s building capacity for larger things I can’t see yet.”
Rest tonight knowing the second Wednesday is done. You made it through the hard middle twice now. You didn’t bail when Wednesday repeated. You didn’t quit when the pattern revealed itself.
That proves something. You’re not just enthusiastic. You’re committed. You’re not just motivated. You’re faithful.
Those qualities matter more than motivation ever could because they survive past the point where motivation quits.
Tomorrow’s Thursday. You know what Thursday brings now. The threshold before the weekend. The temptation to coast because you’ve made it this far.
Don’t coast. Press through.
You’ve proven you can handle repeated Wednesdays. Now prove you can handle repeated Thursdays.
Not because it feels good. Because faithfulness in very little qualifies you for much.
God’s still with you. He hasn’t left. He’s not discouraged by your struggle. He’s building something in you through repeated ordinary days that feel insignificant but are actually foundational.
Stay put. Keep showing up. Trust the process even when the process feels endless. Because the quiet power of staying put when leaving makes sense is transforming you more than you realize.
Say This Prayer
God, thank You for this Wednesday. Thank You for the reality check that transformation requires repeated hard middles, not just one.
You go before me. You’re with me. You won’t leave me or forsake me. Help me believe that when Wednesday feels lonely. Help me trust Your presence when the middle feels impossible.
I want to be strong today. I don’t want to give up. Help me push through Wednesday afternoon when checking out feels easier. Help me stay engaged when disengagement seems justified.
Thank You that my work will be rewarded. Thank You that Wednesday effort matters even when I can’t see results yet. Help me trust the reward is coming.
Help me be faithful in very little. Help me understand that ordinary Wednesday faithfulness qualifies me for larger things.
Help me not despise small days that feel insignificant but are actually foundational.
This December, help me embrace repeated hard middles.
Help me understand transformation doesn’t mean Wednesday gets easier—it means I get stronger at enduring it. Help me stay put when leaving makes more sense.
I didn’t quit last Wednesday. I’m not quitting this Wednesday. Not because I feel like continuing.
Because I’m choosing faithfulness over feelings. Because staying put has a quiet power I’m learning to trust.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.