Perhaps this offers a bit too much insight into my reading—and viewing—preferences, but this week, while reading Jesus Calling, a single word flashed through my mind: BOLO.

Sarah Young writes: “Knowing that your future is absolutely assured can free you to live abundantly today… Instead of approaching the day as a blank page that you need to fill up, try living it in a responsive mode, being on the lookout for all that I am doing.”

BOLO. Be On the Lookout. That phrase has been quietly shaping my awareness for the past five years, and once again it led me straight to Isaiah 43.

God often seems to use Jesus Calling alongside Our Daily Bread to reinforce a message at just the right time, and this moment was no exception. I was on a school break, enjoying a rare unscheduled day. Young’s words felt like permission—permission to let the morning linger, to resist the urge to fill every hour with productivity. That is no small gift when most days are divided into strict blocks of classes, meetings, and appointments.

Still, it was the next thought that carried the deeper impact. Almost instinctively, my mind returned to Isaiah 43. It’s a powerful passage in its entirety, but this time it was verse 19 that echoed in my heart: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (NLT)

Are you familiar with this passage? If not, I encourage you to pause and read it. And if you carry your own story connected to these words, I’d love for you to share it in the comments. For now, let me share a glimpse of mine.

I’m not certain when Isaiah 43 first became one of the Praying Promises cards tucked into my box, but I distinctly remember moments when God used this passage to ask me to Pay Attention—to BOLO:

• A handwritten note beside a journal entry in 2021.
• A nudge in 2023 while reading about student‑athlete success, prompting me to share Isaiah 43 with a colleague stepping into a new university role.
• The very next day, Isaiah 43 appeared as the featured passage in Our Daily Bread.
• Later that same day, I encountered it again—this time in notes from Cherie Hill’s book Empty (even in the NLT translation!).
• Over a year later, Isaiah 43 surfaced once more in Our Daily Bread—on the same day I drew that specific prayer card—and only days after I had shared the passage in a faculty devotional in 2024.
• And once again this week, woven into a heartfelt message by Eric Gilbert, serving as the anchor text for a sermon series in 2026.

Perhaps I now better understand why my dad made a habit of writing dates in the margins of his Bible—to trace the patterns of when God asked him to be on the lookout. Sometimes we don’t know what God will use as a Moment of Impact, and we don’t want to miss it. That requires searching for what He is already doing—and choosing to join Him there.

But what happens when the passage is shared, the timing is unmistakable, and the message feels undeniably from God… yet nothing seems to follow? What do we do when what we thought He was calling us toward suddenly disappears, leaving uncertainty in its place? In that space, do we cry out for answers like David in the Psalms? Do we keep BOLO‑ing for Isaiah 43 and that Something New? How do we cope when there is no Cognitive Closure?

For now, this story is still unfolding as I continue the search for my God‑Given Space. But rest assured—the Isaiah 43 saga continues. And I remain on the lookout.

References:

Gilbert, E. (2026, March 8). The storm within: How Jesus calms the storm of anxiety. 3Trees Church, Campbellsville, KY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEYK9Eu56Lw

Hill, C. (2012). Empty. (Living full of faith when life drains you dry). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. [Kindle version].

Patton, K. (2023, January 4). “New Vision.” Our Daily Bread. Retrieved from https://odb.org/US/2023/01/04/new-vision

Peterson, K. (2024, August 13). Behind prison bars. Our Daily Bread. Retrieved from https://odb.org/2024/08/13/behind-prison-bars

Young, S. (2004). Jesus calling: Enjoying peace in His presence. Thomas Nelson.