In Aimed & Ready, you emphasize that the seasons of delay, silence, loss, and backward movement can actually be forms of divine preparation. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I wrote this book to address a need I kept seeing in people’s lives. Many Christians know how to celebrate seasons of success, blessing, and prosperity, but often lack a framework for navigating hardship, uncertainty, delay, and disappointment. Over the past six months, this burden grew strongly in my heart, and I felt compelled to put into words the hope and perspective people need during difficult seasons.

The core message of the book is that when life doesn’t make sense, there is still purpose, hope, and destiny available when we choose to trust God and surrender our struggles to Him. Rather than seeing trials as endings, I want readers to recognize that something beautiful may be forming just beyond the present challenge.

I also wanted to provide prophetic encouragement by exploring the emotions people experience in seasons of stretching, waiting, discomfort, and shaking. The book not only acknowledges those feelings but also offers insight into why we experience them and how we can respond in faith.

One of the key metaphors I use is that of an archer pulling back an arrow. The Archer’s aim is never careless. Although the pressure of being pulled back can feel intense, it is actually preparation for forward movement. In the same way, I believe God often uses seasons of tension to position us for growth, blessing, and His greater purpose.

Ultimately, the book challenges readers to rise in courage, break limiting mindsets, and step confidently into God’s calling. I want people to understand that their trials can transform them and become a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness.

When did the bow-and-arrow metaphor first come to you, and why did it feel central?

The book really began with one simple thought: your pullback is a setup for your comeback. That idea immediately gave me the picture of an archer with a bow fully drawn back. What feels like strain is often actually alignment, and what looks like a setback may be God positioning you for greater impact.

In a world where many people feel like targets, I wanted to remind readers that God didn’t create them to be victims of circumstance—He crafted them to be the arrow. Sometimes the pullback isn’t the end of the story; it’s the beginning of something greater. That’s why the bow-and-arrow metaphor felt so powerful and fitting for this message.

A major theme in the book is surrender. In God’s Kingdom, surrender is never defeat. In His hands, surrender becomes strength, stability, and precision. It allows your life to go farther than human effort alone ever could. Many people think surrender means losing control or identity, but I believe the opposite is true—it places your life in the hands of Someone who knows you completely and sees further than you can see.

Just as an archer never draws back an arrow without intention, God never allows seasons of waiting, silence, or tension without purpose. He sees the obstacles, opportunities, and timing that we often cannot. Sometimes what feels like delay is really a divine reset to align our trajectory with His greater vision.

Ultimately, the message of the book is that every arrow finds its meaning when it yields to the Archer. When we surrender to God, our lives can move with greater clarity, purpose, and precision toward the calling He has set before us. This book, along with its devotional workbook, is designed to help readers grow stronger in the tension, realign with Heaven’s purpose, and step confidently into their God-given destiny.

How can readers tell the difference between spiritual stillness and spiritual distance?

One of the key messages I wanted to communicate is that trust in God must always be the foundation of faith. There are seasons when God can feel distant, but often that sense of distance comes because something is clouding our perspective, or because the answer we’re looking for is not yet visible. It doesn’t mean God has moved away.

I also talk about stillness, because stillness is not the absence of God. I describe it as a holy hush—an intentional choice to silence the noise around us so we can hear, see, and discern what God is doing in that moment. Rather than being empty, stillness can become a place of deep intimacy with Him.

When people feel distance from God, they often assume He is far away or hard to reach. But that is never His heart. God desires closeness and a relationship with His people. Scripture asks, What can separate us from the love of God? and the answer is clear: nothing.

So any feeling of separation is not a truth we should accept, but often a perception shaped by fear, disappointment, or misunderstanding. The reality is that God remains near, loving, and fully present—even in the quiet seasons. My hope is that readers come to see silence not as abandonment, but as an invitation into deeper trust and intimacy with Him.

How do you respond to readers who feel that their pain has no visible outcome?

One of the important truths I explore in the book is that while difficult seasons can feel confusing and unclear, we must be careful not to let that drift into fatalism or hopelessness. Just because we cannot see the outcome doesn’t mean there is no purpose or direction. Often, it simply means the perspective belongs to Someone greater than us. As I say in the book, the archer sees what the arrow cannot yet perceive.

That perspective changes how we view our battles. What looks like an obstacle may actually be the very thing God uses to launch us into what He has already prepared. Your Goliath may not be there to destroy you—it may be the catapult into your next season of purpose and victory. That’s why I encourage readers not to be afraid, but to trust God completely, because true breakthrough happens when His power is behind what He has placed in your hand.

My prayer is that this book would saturate people with faith and hope, bring their hearts into alignment with God, and strengthen their confidence in His purpose. If someone is in a season of waiting, stretching, or feeling hidden, I believe this message can be a real lifeline. It is designed to help readers rest again, realign with God’s perspective, and trust His heart in a fresh way.

​
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Nico Smit | Amazon

Professional Endorsements by: Gary Heyes, Ryan Laubscher, Chelsea Hagen, Elaine Tavolacci, Joshua Sawiris, Ada Boland and Melvain Donyes