Latest / Rise and Thrive with Dr. J. Nicole Podcast / PT. 2 FAITH IN THE FURLOUGH : When Pride Brings Pause

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PT. 2 FAITH IN THE FURLOUGH : When Pride Brings Pause · Rise and Thrive with Dr. J. Nicole Podcast

• 0:17
  Welcome back to Faith in the Furlough.
• 0:19
  I am Doctor J Nicole, and today we are talking about something
• 0:22
  that isn't always easy to hear. And that's how pride brings
• 0:26
  Paul's. If you've been impacted by the
• 0:29
  furloughs, you may feel like you're paying the price for the
• 0:32
  decisions made at levels of leadership far beyond your
• 0:35
  control. And in some ways, you are right.
• 0:39
  That's that's a reality. But here is the good news.
• 0:42
  Even when leaders stumble, even when nations get humbled, God is
• 0:47
  still in control and he's still working things out for his
• 0:52
  people. Daniel 4, verses 30 through 33
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  tells us, Is not this the great Babylon I had built as the royal
• 1:01
  residence by the mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?
• 1:06
  In that moment, Nebuchadnezzar's Kingdom was taken from him and
• 1:10
  he lived like a wild animal until he recognized God's
• 1:15
  sovereignty. Here's the truth,
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  Nebuchadnezzar, he really thought that his success was
• 1:21
  because of his strength, his wisdom, his power, and God had
• 1:26
  to press pause on his reign to remind him.
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  I am the one who raises up kings and brings them long.
• 1:34
  Now think about our modern day administration.
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  Sometimes lead with pride. Administration sometimes lead
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  with pride, promising that they alone can fix things, that their
• 1:48
  plans will save the nation. But history and the Bible tell
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  us the same things over and over again.
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  Pride comes before the fall. Going to say that again for the
• 2:00
  people in the back. Pride comes before the fall.
• 2:06
  So when a furlough happens, when paychecks pause, it's not always
• 2:10
  because of something you did wrong.
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  Sometimes it's a ripple effect of leadership being humbled.
• 2:17
  But here's the key difference. Nebuchadnezzar lost everything
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  for a season. You don't lose God's hand in
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  your life, even in this fall. So if you're watching this and
• 2:27
  you're feeling angry, maybe even better.
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  I see you, I get it. It's valid.
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  And I want to remind you, God's humbling of leaders isn't about
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  him punishing his people. It's about realigning nations.
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  And in the middle of that process, his people are still
• 2:48
  covered. You are still covered.
• 2:51
  You might feel like your life is on pause, but God is using this
• 2:55
  very season to protect you, to sharpen you, and remind you that
• 3:00
  your provision does not come from man.
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  It doesn't come from the administration.
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  It doesn't come for the organization or government
• 3:11
  agency. It comes from His house, the
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  House of God. So here's something you could do
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  this week. Instead of asking why is this
• 3:21
  happening, try asking God, What is it that you're trying to
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  teach me in this pause? And I want you to keep a journal
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  and write one thing each day that you've learned or notice
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  about yourself in this pause, in this furlough season.
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  OK. So it could be patience,
• 3:40
  resilience, or maybe even realizing how creative you can
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  be with less. By the end of the furlough,
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  you'll have a testimony book of God's faithfulness during this
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  pause. Nebuchadnezzar was restored
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  after he looked up and acknowledged God and believed
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  this nation. And I believe that this nation
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  and your personal situation can be restored too.
• 4:08
  We must fix our eyes upward now. Let us thank the Lord.
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  We know pride can bring leaders and nations long, but we also
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  know that you are merciful. Cover every person impacted by
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  these furloughs. Provide resources.
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  Strengthen your faith. Show up in their lives, Father.
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  Allow their lives to be proof that you are real and that you
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  cover and you take care of yours, Father God.
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  Show them that even when human leaders fail and falter, you
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  remain faithful Father God, and you are a good, good Father, and
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  you are our perfect provider in Jesus name, Amen.
• 4:51
  All right, so if today's message gave you even an inkling of
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  peace, I want you to share this with a friend or a coworker
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  who's also walking, who's also walking through this further.
• 5:03
  And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss Episode 3,
• 5:06
  Captivity but Not Defeat. And remember, a furlough may
• 5:11
  pause your paycheck, but it cannot pause God's purpose.
• 5:15
  I'll see you next time.