EVERWEST DEVOTIONAL #11 | Prepared in Stillness

Scripture

“‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.’” – Matthew 13:3–9 (NIV)

Reflection

When God called me to leave my job and pursue Everwest full-time, the timing made no sense to me. I had a clear plan: keep my stable job, work on Everwest at night and on weekends, and eventually transition ONLY IF the business needed full-time attention. It seemed wise, secure, and low risk. But as I’ve found out, God had other plans.

When He said “quit,” I felt I had to obey, even though it meant stepping into uncertainty. Everwest hadn’t launched yet and before there was product to sell it wouldn’t require the time and energy of a full-time job. One of my biggest worries was simply, what now? How would I stay busy? As someone who’s naturally wired to move, to work, to produce, the idea of stillness felt unnatural.

Now, five months later, I see exactly what He was doing. God wasn’t calling me to inactivity; He was preparing the soil. He’s used the quiet months, the space that I thought would feel empty, to fill me with His Word and His presence. Through months of spending time in Scripture, prayer, meditation on His word, and stillness, He’s rooted me more deeply in Him than I’ve ever been before.

In this parable from Matthew chapter 13, Jesus describes four kinds of soil: hard paths, rocky ground, thorny patches, and good soil. Each represents the heart’s condition when it receives the Word. Looking back, if I had clung to my old job and tried to balance both worlds, I would have been like the seed that fell among thorns or on rocky ground, busy, distracted, half-rooted. My faith would have sprouted quickly but withered under pressure, choked by worry and the pursuit of comfort.

But God, in His timing, called me into stillness well before launching Everwest, before any success it may have, before the security that it may provide, so He could till the soil of my heart. He’s clearing out the stones of pride, the thorns of self-sufficiency, and making room for His Word to take deep root. He’s gently uprooting the expectations, ambitions, and assumptions I carried about how worldly business should operate and what I wanted from it. He’s replacing them with discernment, dependence, and a sensitivity to His Spirit. What’s felt like inactivity is actually preparation. God aligning my heart so that Everwest can be led by His Spirit, not me. Now, my prayer is not for speed or scale, but for obedience, that this business would move only at the pace of His voice and according to His will, producing fruit that lasts.

God often uses seasons of stillness to prepare our hearts for what’s ahead. If you find yourself in a pause, waiting for direction, clarity, or the next step, consider what God may be rooting in you. What distractions, ambitions, or self-reliance might He be removing so He can take deeper hold? Before God produces fruit through our lives, He almost always does deeper, unseen work within us. Trust the stillness. Let Him prepare the soil of your heart so that when He moves, your life can be led by His Spirit and built for His glory.

Application

• What kind of soil is your heart right now? Hard, distracted, shallow, or ready for growth?
• Are you willing to let God slow you down so He can deepen your roots?
• What thorns like comfort, ambition, or control, might be choking gout what He's trying to plant in you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for meeting us in the quiet and doing the deep work we cannot see. Help us to trust You in seasons of stillness, knowing You are preparing our hearts for what’s ahead. Remove what doesn’t belong, root us firmly in You, and lead our lives by Your Spirit, not our own desires. May everything we do bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If there’s someone in your life who might be encouraged by this, or future devotionals, please share it with them or subscribe them here. You can also find past devotionals here.

- Jake Bunz, Founder

PRODUCT LAUNCH COMING SOON 🤠