A Focus More on the Cost than the Fruit
It's been a while since I've shared a word specifically to the pioneers. I've been feeling this really deeply. Many pioneers have been in this process of looking at the fruit of their yes and what it has accomplished in these past few years. I've done the same thing, too. I have looked back at the road that my family and I have been on, the things that we've accomplished, and what the Lord has done through us. Is this what you have been doing?
It's only normal to also look at the things that were difficult and painful, the warfare, and the cost of the call. I think this was a very common theme this last year, where the focus had been more on the cost than the fruit.
I remember releasing an encouragement last year about how there are seasons where it feels like you're seeing the cost more than you're seeing the fruit. For these last few weeks, I've been having a conversation with the Lord about this. I told Him that I felt like the Israelites coming to the Promised Land, pulling out their stones of remembrance, remembering all the things that God had done. I was looking back through the words God had given me, the things and situations He had led my family and me through.
"And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, 'When your children ask their fathers in times to come, "What do these stones mean?" then you shall let your children know, "Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground."'" (Joshua 4:20–22 ESV)
The Stones Were a Testimony
You see, the stones were a testimony, and in times where we see no testimony or fruit, we have to remind ourselves of something God did. I believe we're in one of those moments where we have to do that again.
It's also been a season where I personally feel like I've been unable to look past the pain, the difficulty, and the shipwreck moments as well. It's been one of those seasons where it's like trying to reconcile the two: "God, I know You led us in this direction, in this way, but I feel like the cost and the difficulty have outweighed the testimony."
I know that sounds terrible to say it like that, but it is real, and I want to be honest on here, because this is for so many pioneers right now who are saying to the Lord, "I give up. I give up. This isn't going anywhere. This isn't making sense. My yes isn't leading me to what I thought it was meant to lead me to. It isn't bringing the breakthrough I thought it was going to bring."
A lot of pioneers are really weighed down right now. You've been wearing so many hats for so long, toeing the line for so long, barely keeping your head above water, while constantly releasing encouragement and help to other people but feeling like you yourself are drowning. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
You've come into 2026, and the battle has been raging all around you in culture, on social media, and in the Church. It makes you just feel like you're out of your depth. It makes you feel like "what is the point of this?" You feel like you're in an uphill battle. People are warring against you. There's constant slander and robbery on every side. You're constantly putting out fires, dealing with red tape, delays, and constant warfare.
Remember the Long Game
But here is the word of the Lord for you: Remember the long game. Remember the long game.
I keep being reminded of Abraham and Sarah. Their lives were all about the long game. They were the pioneers who sojourned, who left the place of safety to go and do what others wouldn't do. They weren't just thinking about the next moment, or even the next season. It was the story of their lives that enabled them to be the forerunners of faith that they were.
They were barren all the way to the very end, until they gave birth to the promise. Their names were changed from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah, and it still didn't feel like anything actually changed around them.
In Hebrews 11:11, Sarah—clearly not having the faith—had to attach herself to God's faith in order to see the miracle come to pass.
"By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised." (Hebrews 11:11 NASB1995)
I believe you're in a moment like that right now. If you don't attach yourself to the long game, you will lose hope. You will fall into discouragement and give up. Especially right now, as things are noisy around you, it's easy to want to give up. It's easy to see that things are in a lull. But this lull is actually a moment when God is doing some deep work in you and around you right now. It's the moment when God is about to show Himself strong on your behalf.
While in intercession over the pioneers these past few weeks, the Lord kept leading me over and over to Psalm 27, where it says, "I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13–14 NIV)
What Has This Even Accomplished?
The Lord kept leading me to Hebrews, where it speaks about the heroes of faith. They continued to stand, and it produced a legacy, like Jacob who wrestled the angel of the Lord until daybreak and he prevailed. God began something new through Jacob because he prevailed.
Now, let me get really honest and really personal for a moment. One of the biggest costs for my family and me in following the Lord out here is that we've had to let go of orchestrating and managing our lives. As a man, as a husband, that's been something for me that's taken a lot of surrender.
We haven't ever been able to choose where we live. We haven't gotten to choose the surroundings around us. We've had to sacrifice many things that many people take for granted, such as friendships. We've been isolated for so long, our family scattered all over the world. I can't even tell you the depths of grief we've had to experience by saying goodbye to people and friends and family over the years to follow the call of God, only to look at it and go, "God, what have You even accomplished through this?" (Photo via Unsplash)
I believe many people are feeling that right now. Many pioneers are saying, "Lord, what has this even accomplished? What has this even done?"
I keep hearing the Lord say the same thing to my spirit: "I see the long game when you don't. Hold on, and let Me finish what I started through you. Let Me finish what I started through you."
Now let me prophesy this, because I believe this is what you're about to see in 2026, in a year where the noise is about to get noisier. I feel like the call of the pioneers right now is to reattach yourselves to God's goodness for your lives, for your families—even amidst the struggles that you're going through—and say, "Lord, show me the long game. Show me the vision. Show me what You're doing. Speak hope into my life."
I know what the problem was. When you got discouraged and you wanted to give up, you detached from God's heart and His goodness. You detached from the narrative that led you onto this path in the first place, and it led you to hope deferred. Even right now, that's breaking.
Pioneers, you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
I pray this over your lives this week: You are forerunners of faith. You're the tide-turners. You hold and wield the keys of authority for your generation. You are beginning the legacy where generations before you forfeited, and you're stepping into a place of fruit that you can't see right now.
Pioneers, don't give up. Stay for the long game, in Jesus' name.
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Nate Johnston
Everyday Revivalists
Email:Â everydayrevivalists@gmail.com
Website:Â nateandchristy.co
Nate Johnston is a prophetic voice and worshiper who has a heart to see sons and daughters unleashed into passionate friendship with God and an effective supernatural lifestyle. Through his ministry school, "Everyday Revivalists," he leads people from the basics of the gospel through to being sent and released into their mission field, as well as championing and raising up emerging prophetic voices around the world. His burning cry and desire is to see the Body of Christ become a beacon for the lost by raising up a generation that walks in the love and power of God, representing Him well. Nate and his wife Christy have three daughters, Charlotte, Sophie, and Ava and live in Orange County, CA.
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