Gratitude for God’s Work Behind the Scenes

What if the delay you dread is actually protection you can’t see yet? We open Exodus 23:23–33 and trace God’s promise to guide His people into the land “little by little.” That one phrase reframes the impatience we feel when life moves slower than our plans, revealing a wiser pace that builds capacity, character, and courage for what’s ahead.

We walk through the backstory of Israel’s journey and draw a straight line to modern pressures: careers that won’t accelerate on command, health battles that stretch longer than expected, and prayers that seem to linger unanswered. Along the way, we get practical about faith. Hebrews 11 defines it as assurance and conviction, not vague optimism. James 1 teaches joy in trial because steadfastness is formed there. Together, they invite us to thank God for what He has done, notice what He is doing, and trust what He will do—whether or not it looks like our version of the plan.

A moving personal story of walking through a parent’s cancer grounds the theme: sometimes the strongest sermon is lived in a hospital room. We talk about inviting God into impatience, recognizing spiritual battles we can’t see, and shifting focus from outcomes to formation. And because the holidays can amplify stress and grief, we share five simple practices to stay anchored: find a support group, keep one life-giving activity, set realistic expectations, use deep breathing to reset, and carve out a few minutes daily for something meaningful.

If you’re craving a calmer heart and a clearer path, this conversation offers both theology and tools. Press play to rediscover gratitude for God’s quiet work, learn how to wait without wasting the wait, and find hope that grows “little by little.” If this encouraged you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Transcript

Setting The Theme: Gratitude In Trials

SPEAKER_09 0:00

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Journey Out Podcast. Happy holidays.

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_09 0:07

It is the holiday season. We're super excited to be with you guys for the holiday season and talk about something that we feel is going to be super impactful for this Thanksgiving season.

SPEAKER_04 0:18

So And not on Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_09 0:20

But the holidays are looking for what are you thankful for?

SPEAKER_04 0:25

Well, what what are you thankful for?

SPEAKER_09 0:27

All right, let's find out.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

I know some people tried to add it hard yet, but I was good. I didn't know it was on my mom and daddy on the show. Journey Out, Journey Out Podcast. Welcome to the Journey Out Podcast.

Reading Exodus 23:23–33 Aloud

Israel’s Backstory And Context

SPEAKER_09 1:26

So I know today we wanted to talk about gratitude for God's work behind the scenes. Yes. And we thought it fitting because we talk about a lot of different things on this podcast that we go through on a day-to-day basis, that we know families and caregivers and all these people go through on a day-to-day basis. And I think it was just important for us to talk about gratitude for God's work when we don't necessarily see what He's doing. Right. Right? Exactly. And so we have an anchor scripture for that, okay? So it is Exodus 23, verses 23 through 33. So 10 verses, okay? I'm gonna read them to you. All right. So stay with me, okay, as we go as we go through this. All right, so it says, When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and he will take sickness away from among you. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days, I will send my terror before you, and I will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you, and I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. I will not drive them out before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you have increased and possessed the land, and I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. Okay, so that was a lot. So let me just give you guys a little backstory of what we're talking about here as we're going through Exodus. Again, this is Exodus 23. So just a recap from Exodus 1 to 22, right? The first thing is the Israelites are slaves in Egypt under Pharaoh, right? God then raises up Moses to lead them out of bondage. Uh through ten plagues, God shows his power and delivers the Israelites from Egypt. Then, because of that, that marks Passover as their freedom, and the Red Sea is parted for their escape. In the wilderness, God provides manna, quill, and water for their survival. The Israelites face their first battle against the Amalekites, which is a hostile nomadic tribe that attacked them from behind, and they win as Moses holds up his hands in prayer. Then at Mount Sinai, God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses and the laws for holy living and how the Israelites should live, right? And then lastly, God begins shaping Israel into his covenant people, setting them apart to walk in his ways. So in chapter 23, he's kind of going over the laws with them, telling them how uh, you know, they should live holy now that they have been uh saved from Pharaoh in Egypt, right? And so in this piece, he's talking about taking them to the promised land, right? And what is going to be like for them to get to the promised land, what they should do, right?

SPEAKER_04 5:09

And so So let me ask you.

SPEAKER_09 5:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 5:12

Okay. So when you read Exodus 23, 23 through 33, what stands out to you most about God's promises and the way he chooses to fulfill them?

SPEAKER_09 5:24

I think the biggest thing that I see here is his intentionality and his patience. And I don't think it's really patience in him fulfilling all of these things. I think I see his patience and his intentionality with us. Right. Because if we know that if for those who may not know the story, it took the Israelites 40 years to get to get to the promised land. God laid out everything that they needed to do to get to the promised land.

SPEAKER_04 5:58

So he was he was intentional? Intentional and instructions, his instructions and his protection through that whole time. Exactly. Right? Uh so he's he's, I guess you could say, deliberate on his promises and how he wanted to be.

SPEAKER_09 6:15

Very much so, very much so deliberate. And we all we we know now that it actually could have taken, I think they say about seven days or so, it could have taken them to get to the promised land, but it took them 40 years, which is in those 40 years, he was intentional and molding and shaping them to be who they needed to be to withstand and be able to thrive in the promised land. And I think we see, I think what I see most is his intentionality and his his patience.

SPEAKER_04 6:46

Right. And so even though they wanted to get to the promised land and they were complaining, and they and and Moses had to deal with a lot of things and trying to lead the people promised land, uh God knew, hey, if I give you this land right now, you're not gonna be ready for it.

SPEAKER_09 7:02

You're not gonna be ready for it.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

And you're not gonna be ready to defeat what's in the land.

Delays, Readiness, And Being Molded

SPEAKER_09 7:07

Okay preach, preach. All right, go ahead. Okay, so to me, from this what we just read right now, how do you think we learn to be thankful, even when God delays what we think we're ready for?

SPEAKER_04 7:23

I think it's it's shifting your focus. Shifting your focus what what you think is being withheld from you to what God is working out in you. Because again, just like we said, when you think you're ready for something, right? God already knows that, hey, if I give you this, oh yeah, you want a Fortune 500 company.

SPEAKER_06 7:47

Right.

SPEAKER_04 7:49

I can give you that Fortune 500 company tomorrow, right now if I want to.

SPEAKER_06 7:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:54

But giving you that right now, you're not capable to withstand that. You're not capable to capable to maintain that.

SPEAKER_03 8:01

Right.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

It probably is gonna even do you more harm than good at this point.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:06

Until I mold you, shape you.

SPEAKER_09 8:11

The pruning.

SPEAKER_04 8:12

And take you from where you are now to who I called you to be.

SPEAKER_09 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:17

So that's that's that's that's one of those things to where uh uh a delay is not a no.

SPEAKER_09 8:25

Right, right. Right. And I think I think we can learn to be thankful in those delays when we understand that we don't see the big picture.

SPEAKER_04 8:35

Right, right.

SPEAKER_09 8:35

You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04 8:36

Like we can't see the big picture.

SPEAKER_09 8:38

We we can't. Like we we serve a God who is all-knowing and all-seeing. We only we only know five minutes ago.

SPEAKER_04 8:46

Right.

SPEAKER_09 8:46

We we I don't know five minutes from now.

SPEAKER_04 8:48

I mean, and then I know we can plan and we can use analytics to forecast.

SPEAKER_09 8:53

And that's good.

SPEAKER_04 8:54

That's great.

SPEAKER_09 8:55

That's good as we should. We should plan and we should work the plan always, but we have to understand that we are working according to his will. And we have to see understand that we don't see the big picture. So, like, even he mentioned in the scriptures, uh, he says that uh, and I will send the hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.

SPEAKER_04 9:18

But hold on. Before you go to that, did the did the Israelites know that there was hornets in the land?

SPEAKER_09 9:24

No, he's saying there's people in the land.

SPEAKER_04 9:26

Right, but right, but I'm saying, but did the Israelites know that?

SPEAKER_09 9:29

That there is people in the land?

SPEAKER_04 9:31

Right.

Little By Little: Why God Moves Slowly

SPEAKER_09 9:31

No, so they don't, so the Israelites don't know what they're coming to at this point. Right. They don't know what the promised land is looking like, where where they're going. All they know is God is going to go there. But he's t God is gonna take them there. Right. But he's telling them there are these people, the Canaanites, the Hittites, Hittites, these people are in this land. And I'll say one of the people. I have to remove these people from this land in order for you to gradually take it over. But here's the thing there's so many of them, and not so many of you. Right. If I sit send you to this land, you won't succeed at this point. But also, you probably are not prepared for the battle that they're gonna bring forth towards you.

SPEAKER_04 10:10

Because you're not ready.

SPEAKER_09 10:11

Ready.

SPEAKER_04 10:12

You're not ready and believe.

SPEAKER_09 10:14

We have to see the bigger picture. The bigger picture is he wants us, he first and foremost, he wants what is done uh through us to glorify him. Him, right. That is first and foremost. We can't glorify him in a situation that we ain't even called to yet.

SPEAKER_04 10:30

So being not being ready mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.

SPEAKER_09 10:35

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 10:36

Right? So you he put you in that place and you're not ready to handle what comes with that.

SPEAKER_09 10:42

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:43

Wow.

SPEAKER_09 10:43

And it goes to this. So in verse 30, God talks about little by little, I will drive them out before you. I kinda as we read it, you know, we kind of get a good understanding. But what do you think God, why do you think he works in that little by little way sometimes? Why not just give it all to us? Why do you think he works like that?

SPEAKER_04 11:06

Well, again, just like we said, we're not ready, right? And that's pruning, that's shaping, that's molding. Uh um, giving it to us could be dangerous.

SPEAKER_09 11:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:20

And I'ma flip that. Why do you think he used to us by little by little?

SPEAKER_09 11:24

Well, two things. To I think to show his wisdom and to show that he cares for us. Wow. But because again, us as humans, we think we know what's right for us. But again, we don't see the big picture and we don't know the plan. We're moving according to how we feel, not what we know. And so his wisdom and his love for us, he presents things little by little so we don't harm ourselves.

Inviting God Into Impatience

SPEAKER_04 11:56

So as a parent, as a parent taking care of their child, yeah, we want nothing but good for our child. Right? Sometimes our children think as they grow up and be teenagers, that they know it all, that they got it all figured out. Right. But the parent is there saying, no, don't go this way. Let's try it this way.

SPEAKER_05 12:18

Right.

SPEAKER_04 12:19

But the child already, teenager in their mind, no, I'm just gonna go this way because that's what it is.

SPEAKER_05 12:25

Right.

SPEAKER_04 12:26

So as our father, God, is that that is in heaven, he knows what's best for us.

SPEAKER_05 12:31

Right.

SPEAKER_04 12:32

He knows, he knows that we're we are immature. We're not mature enough to handle this right now.

SPEAKER_06 12:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:42

You know, hey, uh, I can give you a car right now, um, sweet 16, oh, you want a car? Ah, Daddy, no. Daddy's saying I don't think you need a car.

SPEAKER_05 12:50

Right.

SPEAKER_04 12:50

But you, I want a car. My friends got a car, they driving, uh, but I don't think you need a car. You decide to drive your friend's car and you wreck your friend's car. Because you weren't patient enough and you thought that you had the maturity.

SPEAKER_09 13:09

But but just think about that. Just think about what you're saying. Because even you or parents in general, as human beings, because you've been through teenage years, you've been through adolescent years, you've been through those years, you're able to have the wisdom enough to be able to say, I've been here, this is what got, this is what happened to me. I don't want you to go through that. Let's try this lane. Right. Even you as a human, and you're not perfect.

SPEAKER_04 13:40

I'm not perfect. No, no. Parents aren't perfect.

SPEAKER_09 13:43

Right?

SPEAKER_04 13:43

It's no, it's no, it's no uh how-to book when it comes to raising a kid.

SPEAKER_09 13:49

Exactly. It's not. And so even, and there's there's scripture on that. Where it's even as if you as humans can give your child good things, how much more, right? There's scripture that's based on that. So if even we know that as we grow older, we're seasoned and there's wisdom, just think about our our father who created us. How much more wisdom and love and care that he has for us. And so he presents things little by little. So that way, let me tell you something.

SPEAKER_04 14:16

So he presents things little by little because he wants us to prosper.

Unseen Battles And Trust

SPEAKER_09 14:21

And if we got it too soon, God forbid, it would be detrimental to our health, to our mindset, because again, remember, we're born with sin nature. Pride is a thing, right? Greed is a thing, like there's so many things that we're dealing with. Right. And so I I love that. But I think essentially that it just shows his wisdom and it doesn't care for us. Right. But how can essentially we shift our perspective? Because that delay, we're impatient. We we like, okay, I'm ready for it now. I think I can do it now. How can we shift our perspective from impatience to gratitude when things aren't happening as fast as we think they should?

SPEAKER_04 15:04

Um, let's say, let's acknowledge what you feel.

SPEAKER_09 15:08

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_04 15:09

Acknowledge what you feel in in that time and in that moment. But invite God into it.

SPEAKER_08 15:17

I love that.

SPEAKER_04 15:18

All right, so I'm gonna read this. Impatience often comes from disappointment, fear, or a sense of being forgotten. Invite God into your situation.

SPEAKER_08 15:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:28

God doesn't reject those prayers, He meets us in them. So, with whatever situation you're going through, whatever you feel that you've been impatient about, and I know I'm not a patient person. I'm not a patient, no, I'm not a patient person. But I I have learned to practice patience.

SPEAKER_08 15:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:54

Because just because I can do it at the drop of a dime, that don't mean it's the right time. Yeah. That don't mean it's God's timing.

SPEAKER_09 16:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:06

So I have learned in though in being patient in whatever situation I'm going to to seek God in prayer.

SPEAKER_09 16:12

Right. Right. Right.

SPEAKER_04 16:13

And help and let Him come into that situation to figure it out.

SPEAKER_09 16:18

Yeah. And I think, I think it's easier said than done, right? Yes, it is. Because again, we are only, we want the best for ourselves as well.

SPEAKER_07 16:28

Right.

SPEAKER_09 16:29

We are only human. However, I think it's important for us to remember that we aren't the authors of our own lives. And I feel like when we take that seat, when we take take that pen and start trying to write our own story, I think the impatience comes because we're not aligned to the wheel.

Faith Defined: Hebrews 11

SPEAKER_04 16:49

So so thank you for saying aligned to the wheel. So that we're taking over the wheel. So when we start doing it ourselves because we're impatient, we we drive in the car.

SPEAKER_09 17:03

Right.

SPEAKER_04 17:03

But guess what happens? We go as far as we can.

SPEAKER_09 17:07

And we get the case.

SPEAKER_04 17:09

And we stop. Yeah. And now we're in this situation to like, oh wait, God, I need you to take the wheel. I need you to drive this. Yeah. Because we get in the situation.

SPEAKER_09 17:19

Right. Honestly, feel like we are the authors. Okay. Okay. I think. Okay, so let's just think about this passage that we just read, right? Right, right. Literally, God was the GPS system.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

He is.

SPEAKER_09 17:41

But I'm talking about even to the Israelites at the time. Right, right. Yes, he is all the time. He we sometimes, it just it depends, right? I don't always know where God is guiding me. I don't always know.

SPEAKER_04 17:54

Why are you saying that, okay? You don't know. And I think that's why people take the wheel.

SPEAKER_03 17:59

Right.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

Because when God has a purpose for your life and that passion that's in you to do what God is calling you to do.

SPEAKER_06 18:11

Right.

SPEAKER_04 18:13

He's not gonna give you the step by step to go like that. What he wants you to do is walk out on faith.

SPEAKER_09 18:27

Exactly. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 18:29

Trust him.

SPEAKER_09 18:30

And just think about this. He literally broke the whole thing down for them. Wow. He broke the whole thing down for the Israelites to the I'ma take these people out, I'm gonna do these people out. I'm gonna, I'm not gonna do it in a year's time, so don't expect it within a year, expect it after that time, but I'm gonna drive these people out, I'm gonna send some hornets, y'all ain't gonna miscarry no children no more. We're not gonna do it. Like he literally told you the whole game plan. And so even the Israelites who got the whole plan, who knew the whole plan, could not follow through.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

Wow.

SPEAKER_09 19:04

How much harder is it is for us today?

SPEAKER_04 19:06

So, so wow. So do you think today, and I know we probably getting off a little bit, but do you think today, if God gave us the plan, told us what was gonna happen step by step, the trials that we're gonna go through, the adversity, the the mountains that we're gonna have to climb. So-and-so may stab you in the back, a person that you love is gonna die. Do you think we will sign up for that?

SPEAKER_09 19:41

No. But see, that's why he does things little by little, the wisdom and the care. Because he because he knows if we knew the plan and what it took to get to the plan, we would back out right now.

SPEAKER_04 19:54

All right, thank God. I love you.

SPEAKER_09 19:57

We would back out right now because we mentally in our minds, we feel this is too hard, this is too much. But we gotta remember we're going through things so he can equip us. He is building up our character and our steadfastness to be able to get through this to go to the next.

A Personal Story: Cancer And Courage

SPEAKER_04 20:13

But with that, he's building our faith.

SPEAKER_09 20:17

Come on. Come on.

SPEAKER_04 20:19

He's building our faith, he's building our walk to trust him. And I know through my journey, the things that we have gone through in the business and in life, period.

SPEAKER_08 20:32

Right.

SPEAKER_04 20:33

I know I couldn't made it.

SPEAKER_08 20:35

No other way.

SPEAKER_04 20:36

No other way. No other way. But God.

SPEAKER_08 20:38

No other way.

SPEAKER_04 20:39

And my so when something comes up now, listen, it's hey.

SPEAKER_09 20:43

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

You know, my faith and my trust is in God. Wow.

SPEAKER_09 20:46

So it brings up, okay, with you standing up talking about faith, right? Okay, it brings up the question of him working behind the scenes for me. Because in this passage, he says things like, I will prepare the way, I will block them out. So what does that say about how involved God is in fighting for us? Which is often behind the scenes. We don't see that. But what does that say about God really fighting for us and handling our battles?

SPEAKER_04 21:21

He got our back. Plain and simple.

SPEAKER_09 21:24

Right. And I think I think what it I think also too, we what we see is okay, I'm gonna pray to God about this. And because I believe and I have faith, I know he's gonna hear me, he gonna work it out. Day one go, day five go, day ten go, 30 days, and you like he didn't he ain't doing nothing. But what we don't see is that there is a spiritual war going on daily that we do not see. It's kind of like uh us, right? Right we have employ employees that work for us, right? Employees and staff that work for us. We have like the the core office staff team, right? But then we have uh staff that goes out in the field and they're seeing all these clients, right? Okay, we have equipped, trained, oriented, we've talked, signed on, employed a bunch of caregivers, and we've sent them out to go and do the do their work.

SPEAKER_04 22:32

Right to serve, yes.

SPEAKER_09 22:34

But on the backhand, they don't see what's going on. All the calls we gotta make, all the c all the things that go on on a day-to-day basis, all the headaches, all the the crying, all the blood, sweat, and tears that is put in from the staff, from us. Like they don't see that. All they know is I've been told and equipped to go out and do this, and that's what I'm doing. It works the same exact way.

SPEAKER_04 22:57

It's like a movie.

SPEAKER_09 22:58

It is.

SPEAKER_04 22:59

When we go to the movies to see our favorite movie, whatever that may be, you're seeing a finished, polished product. Always, but you're not seeing what went on behind the scenes to create that finished, polished product.

God’s Will, Not Ours

SPEAKER_09 23:15

Right. And so most times we have to remember we're only seeing the outcome.

SPEAKER_04 23:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 23:20

We're not seeing the process. Right. And so the faith part is I'm going to pray and bring this to you.

SPEAKER_04 23:27

Right. And trust.

SPEAKER_09 23:29

And trust that I know my father in heaven is going to take care of me.

SPEAKER_04 23:33

Whether I see it's happening today, tomorrow, or not.

SPEAKER_09 23:36

And no matter when he gives it to me, I know that he is fighting on my behalf.

SPEAKER_04 23:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 23:43

And he's doing things unseen.

SPEAKER_04 23:46

And he's working on me. Through this process, I am learning about more who I am.

SPEAKER_09 23:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:57

And who God calls me to be.

SPEAKER_09 23:58

Right. Wow. So we're talking about faith.

SPEAKER_04 24:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 24:03

How can we express gratitude during those seasons where we are facing a bunch of obstacles or we have silence and we're exercising that faith.

SPEAKER_04 24:15

Faith anchors us when circumstances don't make sense.

SPEAKER_06 24:20

Right. Right. Right.

SPEAKER_04 24:22

And when everything feels certain around us. That faith is the anchor for me.

SPEAKER_06 24:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:27

When I'm uncertain, listen, I done did everything I could do to try to figure this problem out.

SPEAKER_06 24:33

Right.

SPEAKER_04 24:33

And no matter which way I'm looking, because right now I'm driving the wheel. I can't find a way out of it, right? Right. So my faith in situations that I have been in is that, hey, God is working behind this thing, He's doing this.

SPEAKER_05 24:50

Right.

SPEAKER_04 24:52

For me.

SPEAKER_05 24:52

Right.

Eternal Focus And Everyday Gratitude

SPEAKER_04 24:53

And for good. Now, during that uncertain times, faith keeps us from being swept away by what is visible. So, example, what's going on in the news today? Right? What's visible? What's visible? We talked about snap benefits.

SPEAKER_09 25:12

Government shutdown.

SPEAKER_04 25:13

Government shutdown. We talk about people getting laid off, all these companies laying off people, right? So that is visible right now.

SPEAKER_06 25:23

Right.

SPEAKER_04 25:23

So let's change my focus. What is God doing behind the scenes?

SPEAKER_06 25:30

Right.

SPEAKER_04 25:32

So my faith can waver in what is being seen.

SPEAKER_06 25:37

Right.

SPEAKER_04 25:39

Man, these people doing this time that's being laid off still have to provide for their family.

unknown 25:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 25:46

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:47

Thanksgiving coming up.

SPEAKER_06 25:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:49

The snap benefits that's been cut.

SPEAKER_08 25:52

Some people are going hungry.

SPEAKER_04 25:54

Or going hungry.

SPEAKER_06 25:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:56

So my faith and my trust in God is what's keeping me from not being swept away from what I visibly see. Because I know he's working.

SPEAKER_09 26:11

I think, I think, too, we have to really understand what faith is. Break it down. Because I think sometimes we kind of confuse, confuse faith with just with hope, really. Because we hope God will do this. But that is different from faith. Right. And so the scripture that I love when I'm when we're talking about faith and like really trying to understand what it is, Hebrews 11 breaks it down tremendously. I'll read that for us. Hebrews 11, 1. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It goes on to say, by faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Then it goes on later to say, and without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

SPEAKER_07 27:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 27:13

It's assured, it's done. It's assured. Faith is knowing that the things that are not seen is happening, right? It's assuring that God is doing what he said he will do. That is faith.

SPEAKER_04 27:29

Because his word can't come back void.

SPEAKER_09 27:30

It can't come back void. So that's faith. It's knowing that God's gonna do it. And it's saying, okay, because I know that he's gonna do it, I'm gonna understand that I'm not gonna be able to see what he's doing.

SPEAKER_04 27:42

Matter of fact, it probably gets worse before it gets better.

SPEAKER_09 27:45

Right. And it's it's just knowing through it all, it's gonna get better. I might have some hard times, but it is assured that it will happen. I just won't see it. And that is, we don't normally see it till after the fact. Right. Usually. If we are remembering what we're praying for and what we're believing for, I'm I'm gonna share this real quick.

SPEAKER_04 28:08

It's probably a little off subject, but my mom was diagnosed with cancer. What a year ago or something.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:15

And my faith was hit hard, man. It was hit hard. We got the diagnosis, and I, you know, this is saying how we say it's easier said than done. When when trouble, when circumstances, when life start life and in me I knew what to do. Hey, I'm finna pray. I'm gonna give it to God. But I couldn't speak it.

SPEAKER_08 28:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:57

I couldn't. I couldn't do it.

SPEAKER_08 29:03

Yeah, yeah.

James 1: Joy, Trials, And Steadfastness

SPEAKER_04 29:05

And I know better than anybody what I think what to do, right? Yeah. So I mean, I'm it's coming to my head. You need to pray. You need to do this. And I just couldn't yeah, I couldn't get it out. Yeah. I couldn't, I wasn't feeling it per se. I wasn't there, even though my spirit was saying, so I went to visit her. She stayed some months in the hospital doing chemo. And I was visiting her. And as I go visit her, I mean I'm crying at home and everything. And I go visit her, so I'm like, okay, I got to keep a strong face. And she's happy.

SPEAKER_08 29:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:50

She's reading the word, she's devotional.

SPEAKER_08 29:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:54

She's in there by herself pretty much, and I'm visiting her.

SPEAKER_06 29:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:01

And she's keeping me going. Probably she's not aware of it. But her faith had to it strengthen my faith to start praying.

SPEAKER_09 30:15

Because what's likely stopped you is the fear of what if he don't.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

And you know what? And that's the fear of the not yet, right? I can I can I can I can you know what I I can take I accept that. But I I don't I don't know. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_09 30:37

Because guess what? Because guess what? There's nothing, there's nothing more telling than how we react when he doesn't do what we asked. And let me tell you something. That's because we are not the authors of our life. If if you prayed and you did, right?

SPEAKER_04 31:03

But eventually.

SPEAKER_09 31:04

Right. Yes. But what if you prayed and he didn't do it? How do you stay strong and encourage doing those things?

Five Holiday Stress Tips

SPEAKER_04 31:13

Let me tell you. If if I prayed and he didn't do what he did, that didn't mean that he can do what he did.

SPEAKER_09 31:28

Come on.

SPEAKER_04 31:29

That don't mean that he couldn't do it. That means his will be done.

SPEAKER_09 31:36

So and I think I mean I mean I think that it just goes back, that's how we anchor our hope and our thankfulness in that not yet, or that delay, or that not right now, or that you we have to understand everything is not a coincidence. Right. Everything happens because he wills it to happen. Though it's hard to love someone and be there and watch them go through chemo or watch them go through cancer.

SPEAKER_07 32:10

Oh, you're Alzheimer's.

SPEAKER_09 32:12

Right. Alzheimer's disease. Or you're dealing with someone who has autism, or you though it is hard, we have to one, remember that he's working, but we have to remember this is according to his will. Because we also have to remember, he said a lot in this scripture, right? He said, I will blot them out in 2323. He says, When my angel goes before you in 2323, I will take sickness away in 2325. I will fulfill the number of days 2326, and I will send hornets 2328. Little by little, I will drive them out 2330.

SPEAKER_04 32:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 32:51

We have to understand that He is controlling all things.

SPEAKER_04 32:58

Not my will, God, but your will be done.

Blessing, Sharing, And Closing

SPEAKER_09 33:00

He is controlling all things. And we have to remember that again, that bigger picture. God, let me while while I have this chance, let me steward what you have given me. How can I bring glory through this through this cancer? How can I glorify you? My grandmother strengthen your faith because she stays strong. She glorified him in your eye.

SPEAKER_04 33:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 33:26

Like, hey, can pop if she's good, I'm good.

SPEAKER_04 33:29

So so You know what I'm saying? So do this.

SPEAKER_09 33:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 33:34

That's a good idea.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

With a family member dealing with cancer, Alzheimer's, uh surgery, passing. Yes, it's horrible. Yes, it's hurtful. Yes, we probably won't understand it in that moment. But remember this. Let's shift your focus.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:59

To his will and what he's working in you.

SPEAKER_01 34:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:03

And it don't feel good.

SPEAKER_09 34:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:08

But he's our father.

SPEAKER_09 34:10

Right.

SPEAKER_04 34:10

And and he wants what's best for us.

SPEAKER_09 34:12

And we have to remember his truths and his promises. We have to lean on those when things aren't going according to how we feel they should go. Or when we want deliverance from something and it's not coming as soon as we want it to come, right? Right. So we have to remember that.

SPEAKER_04 34:28

But let's go here.

SPEAKER_09 34:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 34:30

All right. As we celebrate Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_06 34:33

Right.

SPEAKER_04 34:33

How can we cultivate a deeper, more lasting gratitude? Not just for the blessings we can see, but for God's sovereignty, protection, and perfect timing.

SPEAKER_09 34:47

I think most of what helps me cultivate kind of a deeper, more lasting gratitude, is keeping my eyes focused on eternity. Because if I remember that all of this is fleeting, that there will be no hunger, there will be no sickness, there will be no depression, there will be a time where we are joined with him without all of these things, it helps me to remember like God, even though you are still God. You know what I'm saying? So if when I keep my eyes on eternity, keep my eyes fixed on him and his truths and his promises, I'm more grateful for what I have. Again, I'll cherish these moments and my and the people that are close to me more because I understand it won't always be like this. You know what I mean? And so I think that's always important just to remember what he's doing behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_04 35:45

And cherish this. Yep, for sure. Cherish this, yes. Uh the wealth, we are here just for a moment in time, right? Uh we are here to do God's will on earth.

SPEAKER_05 35:57

Right.

SPEAKER_04 35:57

Serve his people, love his people, right?

SPEAKER_05 36:00

Right.

SPEAKER_04 36:00

And praise and worship him. Right. Right. Uh so this holiday season, what we want to do is cherish these moments. Be thankful for these moments. Uh some people that are dealing with not having family members this holiday season.

SPEAKER_05 36:18

Right.

SPEAKER_04 36:18

Uh, you now you have with the flights and cancellations and things that's going on, people won't be able to be with their family. So let's cherish the moments that we do have for our family. Right. And I'm gonna I'm gonna do this, say this also. Why is it important to thank God not only for what he's done, but also for what he is doing and will do, even if we can't see it yet?

SPEAKER_09 36:45

Because I think he exercises your faith. Because if you're thankful for what he's already done, but you're praying and hoping for something to to be delivered from something, right? You thanking him in advance is showing that you are assured that he's going to do what you've prayed for, right? It's essentially it's essentially like the scripture, faith without works is dead. Thanking him is part of the work. Right. Right? And then it's acting and moving according to I know he's going to provide this. And we have to also be comfortable with it not looking the way we want it to look when he provided.

SPEAKER_04 37:29

Well, I listen, I have Wow Starting a business, I have a vision of what I think it should be or what I want it to be.

SPEAKER_06 37:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:48

In that process, everything I thought so far, it's not how I envisioned it.

SPEAKER_06 37:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:58

But it's perfect.

SPEAKER_06 38:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 38:02

My vision that I thought it was was perfect. Right. Right. But the way God delivered it is even better. That's wow.

SPEAKER_09 38:08

And and and and I think also, too, when we say like he like he will provide, it's assured that he's doing something, right? Doesn't always mean it's gonna be it's gonna feel good when he with whatever he delivers. You can pray for peace, and that might mean people in your life fall away.

SPEAKER_04 38:32

Well, I guess that means it probably be a storm before the peace.

SPEAKER_09 38:36

Exactly. And so we gotta understand that it's not gonna always feel good. Right, but he still answered that prayer. And it didn't come in the package you want. Right. It didn't feel like you wanted it to feel. It probably was not as exciting and it could have been. But again, we have to understand that he sees the bigger picture.

SPEAKER_04 38:56

So, why is it important to thank God not only for what he's done, but also for what he's doing and will do. Thanking God for the past builds trust.

SPEAKER_06 39:09

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 39:10

Thanking God for the presence builds awareness.

SPEAKER_06 39:15

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 39:16

Thanking him for the future builds hope.

SPEAKER_09 39:20

Oh, I love that. Oh, you aware that you can't do it. You need him. You get what I'm saying? And it's trusting that he done it before he'll do it again.

SPEAKER_04 39:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 39:31

And it's hoping that when I ask for it in the future, it's gonna be delivered. I love, I love that you say that. And I was flipping through the through my Bible because I kind of want to close. I want to close with this because at the same, at the same time, I think it's important that we that we understand this. And so what I'm gonna read is James, uh, James 1, verses 2 through like four or so. But it says the the title, which is so good of this, it says testing of your faith. It says, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Again, faith is having the assurance that he will do it even when you don't see it. And when we are going through trials and tribulations, when we want to be delivered from something, we have to know and remember that he is working behind the scenes. And we have faith in that. Don't doubt him. Because when you doubt him, you like the raise of the sea. You don't know what's coming. He says, but ask me, and it will be given unto you. And so I think we have to remember that we just have to put forth the effort and have faith and ask God for what we need. But remember, he is working it out behind the scenes. So regardless of the time frame, regardless of how it looks.

SPEAKER_04 41:26

So be thankful for the circumstance.

SPEAKER_09 41:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:31

Be thankful for the situation. Cut it all joy and have gratitude when that time comes that you know God is working behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

Yes. It's the holiday season right now. Um, not that you have to wait till the holidays, but we have five tips to help manage stress during the holidays, and we've kind of wanted to share that with you.

SPEAKER_01 41:55

Uh, the most important thing is to reach out to a support group. Find others that are going through the same issues so that you can feel like it's not just me, and also to discuss the different areas of the grief, whatever you're going through, because that grief looks different for everybody. It's not the same. And then two, is to continue with the activity that brings you happiness. If it's walking, if it's reading, if it's uh a playing the board game, whatever it is, continue to do that.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

Some other techniques, thank you so much, Ruby, that we also uh want to mention is set realistic expectations. You are not superman or superwoman, and you don't have to save the world. Do something small, just one step forward per day, and that just might be getting up and getting dressed for the day. So make a realistic expectation for yourself. Another one that people dismiss all the time, and this is, you know, we do it when we have children as women, it's breathing, a breathing technique. Sometimes you can feel in your entire body when you're stressed. Everything tenses up and you start to have shallow breathing. But taking the deep breath in through your nose, blowing it out through your mouth, as silly as that might sound, can help to decrease your stress immediately, help to reduce blood pressure. Um, and then you can kind of think better. And also, we also always say, do like Ruby said, do an activity that you enjoy some kind of way. Carve out five minutes, two minutes, three minutes if you have to go into a restroom and close the door to do something you like. That might be listen to one of your favorite songs, that might be watch a funny video, that might be take a power nap for five minutes if it's possible. But make sure that sometime throughout the day, every day, you carve out at least five minutes to do something that's meaningful to you.

SPEAKER_09 43:58

Well, I hope this episode blessed you guys. It blessed me out at least I'm a crybaby, as y'all know. This isn't the first time. Um, but I hope this episode blessed you guys. And I hope this holiday season you're able to find gratitude in the things that normally you don't feel too thankful for. Right. Circumstances that you don't feel too thankful for. And then I pray, pray, pray that you're able to thank God even in the midst of it. Yes. And you're able to anchor into Him this holiday season, have your family around, give them this episode, share this episode with somebody that you know that may be going through with something that kind of needs that extra pull to say, hey, God got you. And he does. It does. And so I thank you guys for listening. Please like, share, subscribe, and join us back for the next season of the Journey Out Podcast. Happy holidays, and we love you guys. Yeah.