¶ Welcome to Your Encouraging Podcast
Well , we're so glad you decided to listen to your encouraging five-minute podcast . My name's Eric , this is Heather Hi , and we are here to encourage you over the next five minutes to inspire you in some way to lift your day . If you need more encouragement at the end of the five minutes you can always listen again , or you can listen to your encouraging WPER .
That's Virginia's home for encouragement . If you're outside that area , you can download the app . Just search apps . Wper is what you're looking for .
So if you've ever prayed or maybe even pleaded with God , only to be met with silence or , maybe worse , an answer you didn't want . Eric and I are awfully glad you're here , yeah maybe that's where you are right now .
Maybe you've been asking God for healing , for reconciliation , for a breakthrough , and the heavens just feel closed . Well , if that's , you take a deep breath and know that you are not alone .
And let's start with something painfully honest . God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we hope , and when he doesn't , that can shake us ?
Yeah , it can , and that can lead us to think of things like you know does God really care ? Did I do something wrong ? That's usually my go-to .
What did I do wrong ? What did I do ?
And is God ? Is he still good ?
Well , I mean , these are very real , very really human questions . But today we want to sit with you in that space , if that's where you are . We do not want to rush past that pain and we certainly don't want to fling Bible scriptures and quotes at it and just move on . We want to remind you of something true .
God's goodness is not dependent on him giving us what we want . We know , I know that's not easy to hear , especially when you've been praying for something that feels right or maybe is even necessary . Yeah , Like when we're praying for the life for something that feels right or maybe is even necessary .
Yeah , like when we're praying for the life of someone that we love , or maybe for a door to open that feels like it should open .
Yeah , but here's the mystery of God that we , you know as humans , forget His ways are higher than ours , yeah .
And his vision stretches far beyond what we can see . God sees the full picture .
He does .
And sometimes , when we feel like it's a no from God , it's actually a deeper , wiser yes to something we're not able to even understand or maybe even see just yet .
Yet Key word . Yet there's a passage in Isaiah 55 that says my thoughts are not your thoughts , neither are your ways my ways , declares the Lord . As the heavens are higher than the earth , so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts .
Okay , to be honest , even to me sometimes that can feel like a really frustrating answer , because as humans , we want clarity , we want answers , but God invites us into something better than clarity or answers . He invites us to trust .
And that's easy to trust God when the answer is yes or the answer we want . But real faith grows in the waiting and the silence in those places where we wrestle with disappointment and yet choose to believe that God is still good .
So think about this . Even Jesus , the son of God , he was crying and he was praying for something that he wanted , and it seemed like a logical prayer in that position , Father , if there's any other way , please let this cup pass from me . But then , realizing that God's got it all planned out , jesus said yet not my will , but yours be done .
That's such a beautiful picture of surrender . Jesus knew pain was coming . He also knew the Father's will was ultimately for good , not just for him , but for you and me for redemption .
So when God doesn't answer our prayer the way we want him to , it doesn't mean that he doesn't like us or that he has abandoned us . It means he's doing something that we don't yet understand , something better , something deeper .
Now , that can be hard , believe me , eric and I both know , but it takes trust in the face of disappointment , trust that the no or the not yet is actually protecting you from something you can't even see , or something you don't even know yet .
And maybe he's positioning you for something incredible . You know , think about it . Maybe this is leading to growth or to freedom that you wouldn't have developed any other way , because we're just not able to see the big picture from our perspective .
Now look , even if you don't see the purpose yet , or maybe even if that pain is still raw . Remember this , whisper this truth to your heart God is still good , he is still kind , he still sees you and he's still working , even in the silence and the disappointment .
If you're carrying disappointment , if you're grieving a prayer that hasn't been answered the way you hoped , bring it to him . He can handle your questions , he can hold your pain .
Yeah , and then , while we wait for answers , we could all rest in the truth that his love never fails . God's goodness isn't just something he does . That's who he is .
We thank you for spending these few minutes with us . If this has encouraged you , sure it was someone who might need it today . If you need more encouragement , Virginia's home for encouragement , Again , that's WPER . If you're outside that listening area , you can always download the app . Just search WPER .