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Faith in the Waiting: Strength When Silence Feels Long · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

• 0:44
  Hello, everyone. It's a Friday edition of Half Faith Let It Begin.
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  Don't forget, this Sunday, I will be back at the church doing a new sermon called
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  God's Not Done With You Yet. It's this Sunday.
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  It's at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Go check out my TikTok, my Facebook account.
• 0:59
  We'll be streaming simulcast live at 10 a.m. I'll be on five minutes early.
• 1:04
  Okay, so Friday, how do we close our Friday? Well, quite simple.
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  It's called Faith in the Waiting.
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  So, let's see, how do I start this? We can definitely close out another week
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  together by doing something more powerful. So I want to talk to you about something
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  that every single one of us faces. The waiting season.
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  Waiting is one of the hardest parts of faith. Whether it's waiting for an answer.
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  Oh yeah, waiting for an answer. I've heard that one many times.
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  A breakthrough, a healing, or even a sign.
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  We've all been there. sitting in the silence, wondering if God is even listening.
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  Maybe you're in that place right now. You've prayed, you've believed,
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  you've done everything right, and yet nothing seems to be moving.
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  Nothing is moving forward. So you feel stuck, forgotten, maybe even a little bit of abandonment.
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  But I want to remind you today, God's silence doesn't mean he's absent. He's still working.
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  Even when you can't see it, he's still moving.
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  Even when it feels like nothing's happening, he's still working.
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  He's still faithful, even in the waiting.
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  There's a verse that I've been holding on to lately, and I've said it many times
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  before, but today it means more.
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  Isaiah chapter 40 verses 31. But those who hope in the Lord will never,
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  excuse me, let's start that over.
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  But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. There it is.
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  They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
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  They will walk and not be faint.
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  That verse doesn't say who's getting immediate answers will be strong.
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  It doesn't say that those who have it all figured out will soar.
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  It says that those who hope in the Lord,
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  hope. Not in your circumstances, not in your timing, but in the Lord.
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  Because you see, when you put your hope in Him, even in the stillness,
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  something starts to shift inside of you.
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  God renews your strength while you wait. He teaches you patience. He builds your faith.
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  And He reminds you that your story is not over yet.
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  It's just unfolding. You know, waiting waiting can feel like,
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  we can feel like, let's see, a dessert, or maybe the desert.
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  Yeah, can't be a dessert because a dessert sounds too good.
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  It's definitely like a desert. It's dry, it's quiet, it's endless.
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  But even in a desert, there's purpose.
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  And in the desert, God strips away distractions. He removes the noise so we
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  can hear his voice more clearly.
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  He teaches us to depend on him instead of our own understandings.
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  When everything feels like it's on a pause, God might be preparing your next step.
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  He might be strengthening you for something greater.
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  Or he might be using the waiting to reveal what really matters most.
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  I know this for a fact because I've learned that the waiting season,
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  as we put it, isn't punishment. It's preparation.
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  You see, God doesn't waste time. Every moment you spend waiting is a moment
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  he's using to shape your heart, your character, and your faith.
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  Maybe right now you're waiting on an answer about your health.
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  A job, or your family, or maybe your calling.
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  Yeah, I know that mine took a long time, but when it hit, man, I knew.
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  You might be tired, frustrated, or ready to even give up.
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  Don't give up. Remember this, God hasn't forgotten you.
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  He hears your prayers, every single one.
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  He's not ignoring you. He's preparing the perfect timing for your breakthrough.
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  So think about Joseph in the Bible. He spent years in prison for something he didn't do.
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  From the outside, it looked like God was silent.
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  But in reality, God was setting the stage for Joseph to step into his purpose.
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  And that's what faith in the waiting looks like.
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  Trusting that God is doing something even when you don't see anything.
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  When you feel like giving up, I want you to remember the truth. This truth.
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  God's delay, well, let me put it this way. God delays are not his denials.
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  His timing is never off. He's never early. He's never late either.
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  When he's quiet, he's teaching. When he's delaying, he's developing.
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  And when he finally moves, you'll see why the waiting was worth it.
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  So instead of asking God when, start asking, God, what are you trying to teach
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  me while I wait? Because the question.
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  The question that shifts into a better perspective can turn frustration into faith.
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  Think about that today. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for the waiting.
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  Even though it's hard, we trust you.
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  You're working your ways that we can't see. So Lord, renew our strength.
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  Remind us that hope in your, well, hope in you never disappoints.
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  Help us to be patient, to be faithful, and to believe that your timing is perfect.
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  For those who feel forgotten, whisper to their ears that you are near and that
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  you're waiting not to be wasted.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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  Thank you for joining me on Have Faith, Let It Begin podcast.
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  Remember that even when it feels like nothing's happening, your faith in the
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  waiting is never in vain.
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  God is still working and his plan is still in motion.
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  So have a blessed weekend. Don't forget this Sunday, November 16th,
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  I'll be sharing a special message entitled, God's not done with you yet.
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  You don't want to miss it. And as always, don't let anyone steal your joy because
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  you matter and never forget. Have faith.
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  Let it begin. Talk to you soon.