This was my 200th Soul H2O Devotion!!! In order to Celebrate I ran a contest and gave away 3 signed copies of the Soul H2O Devotional.
“Since we are living by the Spirit,
let us follow the Spirit’s leading
in every part of our lives.”
~Galatians 5:25 NLT
In the last month I’ve had it good…I was taken to not just one, but two major league baseball games!
The first was a Toronto Blue Jays game {my favorite team} with all my family. Now that was an extra special time, bordering on a miracle, I mean how often is everyone in your family available? Last week we got to see a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park because my athletic hubby won two tickets for the longest drive at a golf tournament. This baseball lovin’ girl was so happy…as you can see!
HOLD ON THIRD
In the spring I had a dream where I was playing baseball. I saw myself running from second base towards third, looking to the baseline coach for direction; do I keep running to home plate, or do I stop? Since I kept waking up seeing myself on third base, I knew it was more than a late-night-pizza-dream and felt it was God wanting to speak to me.

As I prayed, the Holy Spirit whispered Hold on Third.
From my years of playing baseball, I knew what this meant and I didn’t like it.
My personality doesn’t like this sort of message. I want to hear “Run home baby, run home!” I believe there will be a time where I look and I see the coach motioning me to keep running, but today’s not that day. It’s not that time.
So often in life, we want to keep running the bases, not paying attention to or even listening for the direction of our coach. We can see what’s ahead and want to go for it but there’s no way we can see that a right-fielder is throwing the ball into the catcher and will take us out if we don’t hold up. This play would be happening behind our back, but the third-base coach would have a clear view of the whole field from his vantage point.
We have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so we know when to hold and when to run. Just like a baseline coach who has a better visual of the field, God knows the times and seasons of our lives better than we do; so we need to trust him.
TRUST HIS TIMING
When I had the dream, the enemy wanted me to feel defeated, but I had to remind myself that God didn’t say “Go back to second or quit the game”; He simply said Hold on Third.
Sometimes you have to strategically hold on third, to get the run.
God’s pause is to prepare you for His purpose!
Abraham was 75 when God gave him the promise of having a child…
He was 99 when Isaac was born. That’s a 24 year pause.
David was anointed as king… 20 years before he wore the crown.
Joseph had a dream of ruling…
He had more than a 20 year pause before he was made Prime Minister of Egypt.
The Bible is filled with stories where God started doing something in someone’s life and then there was the pause. God seemed to tell them to, Hold on Third for quite a long time; often to the point where it seemed like their promise would never be fulfilled… but God is faithful to His word. His “delay” is not His denial.
[tweetthis]God’s pause is to prepare you for His purpose! Trust His Timing.[/tweetthis]
Prayer
Father…I thank You for the way You direct us. You speak to each of us in a language we understand if we open our ears to hear. You spoke to me in baseball terms; I ask you to speak to my friends in whatever ways are close to their hearts. Speak to them through dreams and visions, whispers and words, in unexplained ways that are confirmed by Your Word. Help them stay in step with You Holy Spirit, so a greater work can be accomplished through them. I ask this, In Jesus Name…Amen
[tweetthis]God’s “delay” is not His denial. Trust His Timing.[/tweetthis]
- Galatians 5:25
- Philippians 1:6, 10
- John 6:63
- Philippians 2:12
Thanks everyone for entering the contest and I hope you love the books!
~Sherry
xoxo
Published: August 21, 2017

Thank you for the reminder.
You’re very welcome Beth 🙂
~Sherry
xoxo
Enjoy your devotionals. I seem to be fighting the same battles & the timing for those is so right on. Encourages me to keep going when I want to give up. Thanks
Flora,
Glad we’re tracking together and helping each other to stay the course.
~Sherry
xoxo
Would be a true blessing to win a copy! Lots of love always!
Tiffany,
Well I just put your name on a ballott 🙂
~Sherry
xoxo
I love this analogy. I know just who to share it with! Have a great week!
Donna,
That’s encouraging to hear. I didn’t see your linkup today my Soul Sista. Did I miss something?
~Sherry
xoxo
Congratulations! Now I want to go see how many posts I’ve done! It’s never occurred to me to look at that statistic. Thanks for sharing your joy!
Oh, I actually never thought about how many posts I’ve done in total. That’s just 200 of my Soul H2O Devotionals. I can’t imagine how many posts you’ve written 🙂 Thanks for you congratulations Michele! You are a sweet cyberfriend <3
~Sherry
xoxo
Such s great word! Sometimes a pause is God’s way of keeping us still long enough to get a fresh word!
Lorraine,
That is a great point. I’m trying to fully discern what this “pause” is to look like. Ascertaining what things I am to keep doing (hold) and what I must stop. Praying for fresh manna along the way. Thanks for stopping by!
~Sherry
xoxo
Ta Da! Keep following your posts every since hearing you in Sylvan Lake, Alberta! Your giftings have blessed me!! Thank you!
Marlene,
So great to hear you’ve stuck with me 🙂 That was such an amazing retreat! I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Sherry you are such an inspiration and I enjoy reading your blogs and reading the first book that you wrote. I keep going back to it to get me through some of the rough days. Thanks again and God Bless You my friend!!
Heather,
You’re such an encourager! So glad to hear that Water In The Desert continues to be a source of refreshing to you.
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Sherry so many of your post minister to me or confirm something God has spoken to me. Today’s post is significant as I feel I am to stay put in a certain area of my life and wait for God. A part of me has been wanting to do things my way because it has been ‘way too long’ from when He spoke to me about something and it coming to pass. Your mention of Abram, Joseph and King David have encouraged me to wait till His timing is here. Thank you for your posts….I read them every week though I do not comment all the time. God bless you.
Betty,
We really have been tracking together for the past four years. I’m so glad God is using the posts to speak directly to your heart <3
I'm adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Thanks so much for your encouragement every week. They always seem to arrive at the right time for me.I have been truly blessed by your thoughts .
Alice
Alice,
It’s so nice to hear from you. You’ve been a reader and cheerleader of my writing/books for a long time now. I appreciate your kind words. Glad to hear they’re boosting your faith 🙂
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Thanks so much Sherry . Love to hear from you every week .
You are an encouragement to me .
Alice
Thanks Alice 🙂
I was looking for the Lord to talk to me this morning and I found this in my email! Awesome msg! Our Good God inspiring us through your devotional to keep up! This hit my heart: his ‘delay’ is not his denial.
Thank you Sherry x sharing with us, I truly appreciate your honesty. May the Lord keeps blessing your Ministry.🙏😊
Ana,
So glad to hear that this devotional spoke so clearly to you. Love hearing from you 🙂
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Beautiful encouragement, Sherry. Your words resonate as this is a hot topic between the Lord and me lately. He’s faithful to teach, patient to wait. My favorite portion above is probably this: His “delay” is not His denial. Amen! #coffeeforyourheart
Kristi,
So glad your visit left you encouraged. I love how God speaks right to our circumstance in the middle of our “work”.
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Hi Sherry,
How fun that you go to see all those games (I love baseball too!) and how fascinating that you gleaned wonderful wisdom and insight from your dream. Reminding us of the timeline God works in (not ours) is always inspiring and sometimes pausing and holding is the wisest thing we can do. Sending love to you! xo PS. Congrats on the 200th!
Valerie,
We are such #soulsistas Thanks for your encouragement again 🙂
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
I want to hold on third….umm…never. Great analogy. Love that you got to go to 2 games!
Sarah,
Glad you get my heart…and glad I got to got to the games too! I love baseball.
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Love this reminder! Thank you for your encouraging words!
Nicole,
Thanks for stopping by. Glad to be able to encourage another encourager 🙂
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Great analogy! “Holding” is challenging and all of our insecurities and fears seem to rise to the surface. Holding on third seems to be the space where I learn the most about God’s love and care for me though…and yet we think He is looking for the homerun.
Aimee,
You’re words ring true in my life. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
Sherry, I love that God kept waking you up with same dream. He’s so good to us…so involved in the details of our lives. He’s the reward; we’re so blessed. Love this little testimony and look forward to reading on the other side of it too, and seeing what God does with this holding time. Thanks for sharing, friend, and congrats on post #200! Woohoo! 🙂
Brenda,
Woohoo is right! Trying to learn to celebrate even the small accomplishments 🙂 Thanks for being such a great cheerleader to so many of us bloggers.
I’m adding your name to the ballots.
Be Blessed & Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo
It is so very hard to hold on third. I feel stuck and unsure. But God always knows best.
Debbie,
I understand oh so much how difficult it is to hold on third. The danger of getting stuck is real, we need to be like the apostle Paul; content in every season of life. We also need to live like the Israelites who had to life for decades on hold and then run when God told them to GET READY! Check out this blog post of mine on that if you are interested or need some more encouragement to live content.
Get Ready For God to Amaze You! https://sherrystahl.com/get-ready/
~If this doesn’t make a link you can just search GET READY in the search bar on my blog page.
I’ve added your name on a ballot.
Be Blessed & Refreshed!
~Sherry
xoxo
Congratulations on 200! The Toronto Blue Jays do their spring training close to where I live.
“His ‘delay’ is not His denial.” What an encouraging word, Sherry!
Crystal My grandparents “Snowbird” area was right around there. Grampa loved going to Dunedin. So glad you’re encouraged. I’m glad to be back blogging and linking up with you.
Be Blessed & Refreshed!
~Sherry
xoxo
I love it when God speaks through dreams. It’s helpful. Congratulations on 200 devotionals! Wow! 🙂
Kelly,
Thanks for your congratulations 🙂
Be Blessed & Refreshed!
~Sherry
xoxo
I’m glad you enjoyed the baseball! And this is a great reminder of why it’s so important to wait for God’s timing.
Lesley,
Doing my best to wait. Stopping everything for a month was the first test. Praying I listen to Him as I navigate what HOLD ON THIRD means each day.
Be Blessed & Refreshed!
~Sherry
xoxo
Hi Sherry! Congrats on #200 for you! I love baseball too–I’m a Cardinals fan. The analogy of “hold on third” is perfect for me right now, as I wait in my career for the next step. I also get encouragement from the stories of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, who all had long wait times. Also Jesus was 30 before his public ministry began. Look at what God did through them after their seasons of quiet preparation! I’m sure he’s doing the same for both me and you. Blessings to you!
Sarah,
Well, from the amount of comments and emails I don’t think we’re alone. God has a bunch of us holding up on third (that base is loaded, lol). I will be praying that there will be exponential growth and an abundant harvest as we allow Him to trim us back.
Be Blessed & Refreshed!
~Sherry
xoxo
I shared your post on Twitter and Facebook too!
Hey Sarah, thanks for letting me know. I’m going to check and see if we’re Facebook Friends yet? I know we’re connected on Twitter already. Thanks for sharing! That’s 6 ballots for you girl!!!!
Be Blessed & Refreshed!
~Sherry
xoxo
Congrats on your 200th!
Thanks Tanya 🙂 Your ballots are cast!
~Sherry
xoxo
Thanks for sharing Sherry! I am sitting in the middle waiting for that victory. Trying to daily encourage others to keep following Jesus as they wait for his direction. Love you!
Carol,
We’re tracking together girl. Praying for you to keep strong IN THE MIDDLE so you see the victorious end 🙂
Much love,
~Sherry
xoxo
How wonderful it is that you pray for us, that we each we hear and be in step with the Holy Spirit. What a blessing we have in Him.
We have such a blessing in Him and each other! Thanks for stopping by Kelli.
~Sherry
xoxo