Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener
podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend And
I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend Right
now I'm recording this episode at a little bit
of a different time than I normally do usually
y 'all it's more like in the morning and when
I'm Really like energetic and ready to go and
honestly all I'm recording this at like 8 30
at night. I'm drinking my tea. I'm like laying
down. It's kind of a vibe And I don't know Where
this episode is gonna go, but that's the fun
part, right? That's the fun part of This podcast
is we just let the Holy Spirit guide the conversation
and there has been a topic on my mind really
heavy today y 'all and that is God is good even
when your circumstances aren't now at my church
right now we're reading through the book of Job
we're going through we just started this plan
where we read the whole Bible in two years right
and we're gonna read all of the Old Testament
in 2026 in all the new testament in 2027 and
we're reading it in chronological order which
means we started in genesis but we've stopped
part way through and we're reading the book of
job um in the book of job in all honesty all
it's not one of my favorites it's actually like
a really hard read for me and i think part of
it is because part of me relates to job like
i understand the suffering um the pain y 'all
y 'all know a bit of my past and honestly there's
suffering now like in my present time um and
it's like it's a hard book for me to read because
it's like y 'all 35 plus just chapters of hardship
and suffering and and then when you start getting
like closer to like chapter 40, you know, that's
when God's like laying in at Job and educating
him a bit and then you do see like God's redemption
of Job, but it's a hard read. It's like 30 plus
chapters of just like suffering and misunderstandings
and it's hard and it's not one of my favorites.
Y 'all know I've said before my favorite books.
I love the book of Jonah. That's one of my favorites,
y 'all. I love the book of Jonah. I love the
story of Hannah and Panina and first Samuel.
I love Stephen, which is a short one, you know,
like where Stephen was stoned. I love Paul. Paul
is one of my favorites in the Bible, y 'all.
But the book of Job, this is a thorn for me when
it comes to reading it. But it was really timely
that I'd been reading it. I really needed to
hear that God is good no matter your circumstances.
And interesting enough, y 'all, I volunteer in
a kid's ministry, right? And I was leading a
kid's ministry today. And that was something
that I was talking to the kids about in my small
group with them. where i was telling them and
as i was saying it out loud to them i knew it
was something i needed to hear right and as i'm
laying in bed tonight thinking about it i'm like
this is something that the people listening to
this podcast episode need to hear is that god
is good even when your circumstances aren't because
our feelings are constantly changing right how
we feel about our lives is constantly changing
how we feel about our appearance is constantly
changing how we feel about our job how we feel
about our relationships how we feel about this
one day we're super happy and super secure the
next day we might be a little bit sad we might
be a little bit anxious like Our perspective
and our views are constantly changing and that's
why we're told in scripture that the heart is
deceptive. Like God doesn't tell us to like navigate
the world by our heart. We're supposed to lean
not on our own understanding and trust in the
Lord with all our heart. We're supposed to trust
in the Lord in his ways. You know, the heart,
our feelings, our emotions are not meant to be
like our guideline and our decision maker. feelings
can be identifiers right or indicators you know
if we're feeling fearful or anxious or something
like that that might be identifying something
you know those feelings are out of nowhere you
know sometimes those feelings come from believing
lies of the enemy sometimes but sometimes those
come from past traumas they come from like dangerous
situations fear worry anxiety that's often an
indicator of something right so it's not saying
that we ignore our feelings completely and that's
not saying that our feelings are irrelevant our
feelings should never be taken as truth right
um and that's the way i was kind of explaining
it today to kids was like saying you know like
It's really easy and again y 'all I needed to
hear this and someone else needs to hear this
today It's really easy to just like lean into
the life sucks Because sometimes that's honestly
how we feel, right? Sometimes we feel like this
bad thing's never gonna end or I'm seeing the
same day over and over again. I'm so bored with
my life. Maybe that's what you're feeling is
like you're so bored with your life or maybe
you're in a waiting season and you're sick of
waiting or maybe it seems like everything keeps
hitting the fan or you don't understand why you're
suffering. Maybe your relationships are taking
a hit. Maybe your friendships are taking a hit.
Maybe you feel lonely. However you feel, it's
so easy. To come into agreement with those thoughts
right because oftentimes when we're going through
it we start having thoughts of like God doesn't
care and God's angry at us and this is never
gonna end and this is never gonna stop and I'm
speaking to y 'all as someone who We knew from
a young age from a young age. I had depression
and like mental health problems like when I was
like 13 y 'all I was like I remember I was in
seventh grade and that was mostly what was on
my mind was I was Thinking about not being here
anymore. So it started at a really young age
when I was 14 I had attempts of not being here
anymore You know it and it was clear to the people
around me that I had mental I was depressed I
had like my mental health was in the toilet.
We've talked in past episodes about how I saw
Coping and just like I I drank and smoked just
to detach, you know, like I am someone who I
I know firsthand what it's like to come into
agreement with those thoughts and to just Spiral,
you know when I was in my early 20s at my college
campus at my psychologist there they you know
diagnosed me I had PTSD Anxiety and panic disorder
because I was having constant panic attacks like
it was so bad y 'all I thought I was gonna pass
out I couldn't breathe like I could I never I
For a while like I wouldn't even go in stores
because every time it would be just a mess I
had Really bad like really bad Sleeping like
I never slept like they had to put me on such
heavy sleeping medication just for me to be able
to like Catch a couple hours. I had an eating
disorder It was really it was really bad so like
I'm speaking to you all as I first -hand experience
of I know what it's like to have the thoughts
get like really bad like I know what it's like
to feel lonely like I know what it's like to
feel like it's never gonna end I know it's like
to feel like there's no answer I know what it's
like to feel all of those things and keep in
mind like the majority of that when I was feeling
that that was Before I gave my life to Jesus
y 'all know I grew up in the church I was baptized
and everything but my heart was far from the
Lord and then I left the church as a teen and
You know, I started that mental really having
mental health problems as a preteen You know
went into my 20s and then you know after that
diagnosis I think it was like a year and a half
later I fell into new age and all of these things
and when I gave my life to Jesus I remember him
telling me that I needed to give up my smoking
and my drinking At that time I was just smoking.
I wasn't really drinking anymore. I hadn't drank
in like a year But I remember like kind of pleading
with the Lord of this is how I cope with my depression
and my anxiety and this is how I like Sleep like
what do I do now? Like I've never been able it's
never been fixed before. I remember telling the
Lord I was like I've tried therapy. I've tried
the medication like What do you expect me to
do without this and I remember Jesus just saying
like I have I remember in prayer just feeling
like he was telling me I have something better
for you and I didn't know what that meant but
in denying the flesh and giving that thing up
because you know the Lord revealed to me it was
an idol and it was causing distance between me
and the Lord and I was one of those people who
I couldn't just have a drink for me like I just
had to completely let it go and be okay with
that and I did And Jesus gave me a peace that
surpassed all understanding. Like it wasn't like
all of a sudden I was never anxious again or
was never sad again. But when those feelings
started coming up, I took them to the Lord and
I saw just how much authority Christ had over
these thoughts and these feelings. And I started
taking these thoughts captive and making them
obedient to Christ, which that's in Corinthians,
I believe. And it was amazing the night and day
difference of when I started getting my strength
from the Lord. and when I stopped taking my feelings
as truth because that's the thing y 'all what
I realized the running problem I had ran into
with the depression anxiety was I was coming
into agreement with a lot of those thoughts right
when I would start having those thoughts of like
it's never gonna get better and this is who you
are and this is what people think about you and
all these things and I would just accept it and
then it would make me sad and then it would make
me anxious And then when those thoughts start
coming up, I start saying, okay, well, what does
God's word say? Because I know that this intrusive
thought is saying like, I'm not good enough.
But when I, when I hold it up to God's word,
I'm precious. God knows every hair on my head.
Before I was born, like before he informed me
in the womb, he had a plan for me. And it immediately
cast that down of like, I'm important to God.
Or when I have that fear that's like, this thing
is never gonna end, it's never gonna end. Remember
that God, when you humble yourself, God exalts
the humble. And that if I submit myself to Him,
He's gonna take care of me. God will fight for
me. I need only be still. So when these thoughts
start coming, instead of coming into agreement
with them, y 'all, instead of coming into agreement
with these words, hold them up to the Word of
God. That's the instruction though that we're
given right is to Take these thoughts captive
because these these thoughts set themselves up
against the knowledge of God When the enemy is
coming at us with those thoughts because those
thoughts aren't from God When they're you know,
either produced in our own head or their whispers
of the enemy a lot of times the enemy is whispering
those things y 'all and We just accept them as
ours. There's some things that we're blaming
ourself for, some thoughts that aren't even our
thoughts. And I think that's like a whole other
conversation for another day that we'll dive
into. Sometimes they're whispers of the enemy,
trying to plant seeds of doubt and fear and worry.
And I encourage you today, you who are listening
to this, instead of coming into agreement with
those thoughts, instead of coming into agreement
with those things and just accepting them as
true. Hold them up to the word of God and cast
them down. Make them obedient to Christ. Because
if they don't align with the word, the truth,
they're crushed under his foot. Amen. So as I
was saying, y 'all, it's really easy. to come
into agreement with that stuff right it's a lot
easier to just instead of like going through
the process of like okay i'm gonna take this
and make this thought captive and obedient to
christ and like i'm gonna rebuke and i'm gonna
step into the authority sometimes honestly and
there are some people who don't like to admit
it feels better to just wallow in pity like self
-pity and sadness and it's important that we
feel our feelings right But it's also important
that we don't forget who God is and sometimes
I'm speaking from experience y 'all I've had
times after giving my life to Christ when sometimes
those sad thoughts or those anxious thoughts
come the fear and it keeps hitting me even though
I'm making it I'm taking these captive and making
them will be up to Christ they keep hitting and
There are times before when I've literally like
kind of cried out to God and said God just let
me be sad like So it's draining doing this it's
draining like trying to just keep the faith But
we know and I believe it was Paul who said this
in scripture like be prepared to fight for your
faith like And I'm trying to think of the wording
y 'all and it's slipping my mind, but it's like
We need to endure until the end right which means
that sometimes I think I had this belief when
I was really new in Christ as I thought like
That was the hardest thing was just giving my
life over to Christ and like it was gonna be
kind of easier from there Like I wouldn't have
to can that's the word contend for the faith
I didn't think I was gonna have to contend for
it and now I understand what that means, you
know contending for the faith is when you have
These intrusive thoughts is when you have this
warfare when you have these different things
going on and you're tempted to say I'm I'm tired
of fighting for the faith I'm tired of like casting
these thoughts down. I want to just give in to
the sadness and self -pity and just whatever
and I'm here to say like don't be ashamed like
whoever you are listening to this episode today
if you've been feeling that way of like just
wanting to give in like don't feel ashamed like
I know me personally like there was a little
bit of shame where I was like god delivered me
and did all this and like he's using me there's
podcasts there's all these things i should be
i shouldn't be saying this to them like when
i would have those moments of like god like i
know this isn't what i'm supposed to do but like
i feel like just sitting in my sadness and like
i just feel like crying and crying more and listening
to sad music and even crying more but then a
part of me would feel shame be like you know
that's not what you're supposed to do like you
know that you're not supposed to come into agreement
and just accept it. You know you're supposed
to contend for the faith. But you know the interesting
moment is those were the times when I learned
that it's not about my strength. It's about the
strength I can get from God. And I wasn't always
perfect in those times, but I really learned
to submit, like to take it to God and to say
like, I can't be strong. Like it's not about
my own strength. It's not about my own understanding.
Like I need you to strengthen me. I need you
to get me through until tomorrow. I need you
to give me a piece. I need you to help me through
this because like my mind can't do it right now,
God. Like my body can't do it. Like it actually
brought me closer to him. It's interesting how
God can use that suffering. God can use everything
for your good. We see that in the example of
us with Joseph in the Bible Where he says what
the what y 'all meant to harm me and he's speaking
about his brothers What the enemy meant to harm
me what y 'all did to harm me God used for my
good God can use anything for the good of those
who love him Look at look at how Jesus is. Jesus
was literally crucified the ultimate suffering
but there was good that came out of it because
it paid the debt for us and actually integrated
the Gentiles into being able to be children of
God as well opened up the door for a whole lot
of people it did so many things Jesus did so
many things by suffering so yeah y 'all it's
a lot it's a lot easier to come into agreement
with these things it's a lot easier to not contend
for the faith in the short term but someone needs
to hear this today and I want to be thoughtful
with the way I word this the ground that you
give to the enemy you're gonna have to like fight
for it back with God so just like don't give
it away in the first place interesting enough
that's something I had written down on a piece
of paper that I remember hearing from a sermon
like a while back and I believe it was Bobby
Chandler who said that and it really stuck with
me because there are things that the Lord delivered
me from such as like I don't have the crazy panic
disorder now like I used to He delivered me from
addictions. He delivered me from connections.
But the important thing with deliverance is you
don't go back, because the deliverance is God
removing you from that place, right? But then
he also has to replace your... you have to allow
him to work out that desire to go back out of
you like for example the Israelites God delivered
them from Pharaoh's hand from Egypt but once
they were in the wilderness they wanted to go
put themselves right back in the bondage they
were delivered from they wanted to go right back
to it because the space they were in was uncomfortable
and unknown to them And there's sometimes when
God will like deliver us from a situation and
I'm speaking from experience because I'm someone
who's done it Where you put yourself back into
that thing that God delivered you from for whatever
reason Maybe that new space he has you in is
uncomfortable or it's unknown or it's not as
easy as you thought it would be and just like
how the Israelites they said well you know at
least in Egypt we had meat at least in Egypt
we had this it's like yeah but you had pain and
suffering you were in bondage this is just wait
until God gets you to the promised land this
is the wilderness man but they couldn't stick
it out through the like they didn't want to stick
it out through the wilderness and I think someone
listening to this needs to hear this today That
like what you Give to the enemy like you're gonna
you're gonna have to go through that deliverance
again. You're gonna and do you really want to
in the most loving way I can say this and I pray
that this is I want to be thoughtful with the
way I word this because I'm someone I know what
it's like to be going through the suffering Where
it's like you don't really want to hear a lot
of what like you want to hear the things that
make you feel good about being sad and upset
you don't really want to hear the motivational
stuff you know um that's important that someone
hears this today that like it's really easy to
come into agreement and everything but keep in
mind what you're giving up when you come into
agreement right um like for example if you've
been living a life of sobriety You're going through
that pain and that suffering and you know alcohol
Marijuana is your way of getting by and getting
through And you're hitting that point where you're
about to go right back into it Remember how much
God had to do to deliver you from it Remember
that deliverance process remember the gratitude
you had for him what he did and just remember
that like if you fall back into it yes God will
help you get out but it's gonna be a fight again
Either you fight for your current sobriety or
you're gonna be fighting to get sober again and
keep your sobriety And that's just one example.
There are a million different things out there
Maybe you're someone who's been delivered from
like a sexual addiction Maybe you're someone
who's been delivered from gossip. Maybe you're
someone who's been delivered from unforgiveness
Maybe you're someone who's been delivered from
being like a workaholic like keeping yourself
busy Busying yourself worldly things instead
of like God Maybe it's new age. Maybe it's I
don't know what it is, but when we're suffering
and There's all these thoughts coming to mind
tempting us to come into agreement with them
Like the enemy starts with your mind do y 'all
get that Like our our decisions that we make
and our choices like our brain is The control
mechanism for our body our brain tells our hands
to go Your brain is what tells you to get in
that car and drive to the liquor store. Your
brain is what tells you to pick up that phone
and start scrolling on those websites you shouldn't
be on. Your brain is the one that picks up that
phone call, picks up that phone and makes those
calls to pick up all those extra shifts when
you should be just, I don't even want to say
distracting, but filling your time with being
in God's presence instead. Working on sitting
in his presence You're maybe doom -scrolling
for hours is your thing That's the thing I felt
convicted about before is the dopamine hit from
just doom -scrolling and keeping your mind distracted
You can't be sad if you're distracted Y 'all
that's the reason why and that's not truth You
can't you can distractions only like divert your
mind but when that distraction goes away you're
still gonna be sad and upset but that's like
the the way that's like one of the gosh you guys
can tell I'm recording this late at night you
can late for me you can hear the tiredness in
my voice my brain's starting to slow down but
that used to be one of my mottos is like well
if I'm distracted I can't feel it or if I'm not
sober I can't feel it and I was one of those,
I didn't want to feel my sadness and I didn't
want to feel my anxiety and I didn't want to
feel those things because I saw like how bad
it was when I allowed myself to feel those things
before I, you know, this was long before I had
given my life to Jesus where I saw that when
I would try to just feel those emotions and sit
in those emotions I was really self -destructive
and honestly I would say like in my teenage years
and then even going into my mid 20s, like my
early 20s, you all know I've been sober for years
now. I could probably be God, but I'm glad that
the Lord gave me a different coping mechanism,
which is Jesus Christ. It's all I need is Jesus.
Jesus isn't a coping mechanism. Jesus is a solution
That's the difference is like Jesus was heart
surgery for me and these other things were just
band -aids but for me I went to these things
because like If I wasn't if it helped me dissociate
and if I was dissociated, I wouldn't have to
think about my current situation I wouldn't have
to feel my current situation and I actually Part
of me for a while believed that that actually
kept me here longer that if I didn't have that
To turn to like I don't know how I would have
done just on my own with my thoughts And I know
God and his timing and revealing to me that all
I need is Jesus But I'm really I'm here today
empathizing with y 'all I know sometimes I'm
speaking that word of voice, but today I'm empathizing
and saying I understand what it feels like to
be like wanting that distraction or feeling like
that distraction or that coping mechanism is
the only way but I'm here today just reminding
you guys that Jesus is the way these other things
are band -aids and eventually like how Jesus
was talking to the woman at the well he is the
living water and if you drink from him you'll
never thirst again These other things you're
gonna be thirsty again, you're gonna want more
You're gonna desire more it's not gonna be enough
and like I said once you go into that thing God
already delivered you from now It's not just
a fight for your faith. It's not just a fight
to stay delivered. It's a fight for deliverance
and being delivered But I want to go back to
this to all of Even with what you're going through
right now what you're feeling whatever is going
on in your life that doesn't change God's character
No, no, honestly, it might change the way that
you feel your feelings might fluctuate But remember
our feelings aren't true and that's something
that you know, I was telling the kids today is
When you're when you're sad and when you're upset
Like just when you're when you're suffering and
when you're going through it That's the perfect
time to read the Bible Because what what we see
in the Bible is we see God's character We see
who God is and we're reminded because honestly
when we're not in the word and like when we're
just sitting there guys like and thinking about
and we're just trying we're getting hit with
all these thoughts and all these feelings and
making taking them captive and making them obedient
to the to christ um we can sometimes start to
lose sight of who god is what god's capable of
what his word says and we can start to believe
the lies of the enemy right so it's important
to stay in your word it's important to stay in
the bible Because when you're going through when
you're having those emotions, right? The feeling
like God doesn't care or God isn't gonna deliver
That's when it's important to get in the work,
right? And we can see times where God cares and
where God delivers We can see with Job even after
that long period of suffering God still restored
him You know someone listening to say you need
here God does care And God does love you and
just because he appears to be silent doesn't
mean that he's not working doesn't mean that
he's not cooking God is all -knowing. He is planned
for everything. He is not surprised by what's
going on And notice how job felt like God was
silent that whole time. He kept saying like just
tell me what I did Tell me what's wrong like
he felt like he wasn't hearing from God And we
see like at the end of Job where God speaks to
him and we see that God never left him God never
left him And God loved him and sure God corrected
him but God also restored him and I want this
to be your encouragement today y 'all when you're
going through these things find comfort in God's
Word Find comfort and prayer to Him. Take your
raw emotions to Him. Because He already knows.
He already knows what you're feeling. He already
knows what you're thinking. You can't hide it
from God. You can't lie to Him. But get in His
Word to be reminded of His character. Maybe you
need to be reminded of the things that He doesn't
want you to do. Maybe you need to open up the
Bible and read about the works of the flesh.
you know there's works of the spirit there's
fruits of the spirit but there's also works of
the flesh they're listed off you know that one's
in obviously new testament i believe it's in
one of paul's letters again y 'all oh that tiredness
is catching up with me tonight but um yeah maybe
you need to hear today that that thing that you're
tempted to go back to that coping mechanism maybe
you need to read up on the works of the flesh
maybe you need to be reminded that that thing
is idolatry maybe you need to be reminded that
that thing is something that god doesn't approve
of maybe you just need to be reminded that like
if you already feel like you're far from god
now slipping back into that thing or going back
into that thing produces more separation because
we know that the wage of sin is death and we
know that god god turns away from sin right like
he isn't in the presence of sin so when we're
Consistently like when we go back into that willful
sin Christ loves us. God loves us But that puts
a bit of distance between us and him, you know
So maybe you need to hear today to like Open
up God's Word before you say yes to go back into
that thing What does God's Word say about it?
And maybe you're like You know, I know me sometimes
when I want to go back into that and I hear what
does God's Word say? There's a little part of
me that get might get at those times angry and
frustrated because the flesh The flesh wants
to sin the flesh wants to cave the flesh wants
to act on feeling and on emotion We know from
reading the Bible that the flesh and the spirit
are enemies what the spirit wants to do The flesh
doesn't want to do what the flesh wants to do
the spirit knows we shouldn't be doing So, you
know when you when your flush is wanting you
to cave and wanting you to do that thing and
your spirit saying no No, no, we're not doing
that. We can't do that. This is what God's Word
says your flesh gets a little irritated Right
like you can feel sometimes like the anger or
frustration kind of stirring up in you Because
you know that you're called to deny your flesh
But someone someone's needing to hear this today,
and I know I'm needing to hear this today of
like God's character is never changing God is
the same today tomorrow forever and ever He was
the same in the Old Testament. He was the same
when he created Adam and Eve. He was the same
when Noah was here. He was the same when Jonah
was here. He was the same when Paul was here
and converted. He's the same now character is
the same and just because our situation changes
doesn't mean like God doesn't change and just
as good as God was when you're it's really easy
to say God is good when you feel like you're
winning and you're up on the mountaintops and
you feel like kind of unstoppable and like feel
like you're on a winning streak and like it's
just life is sunshine and rainbows it's really
easy to say God is good glory be to God but God
is also good when you're walking through the
valley of the shadow of death God is also good
when you're at that low point God is also good
when you're on that on that boat and it starts
storming and you need God to calm the storm God
is good when you're on your way to that place
and all of a sudden there's mountains in between
you and that place God is good when the opposition
arises. God is good when it doesn't go the way
you expected it to. God is still good. And someone
needs to hear this today, and we learn this through
the book of Job, that, you know, yes, we see
it throughout the Bible that sometimes there
is suffering due to disobedience. We see that
with the people in the book of Jeremiah, right?
They're bound and... Their enemy overtakes them
because they refuse to repent and they refuse
to humble themselves before God we see consequences
in that way right suffering that comes through
consequences through poor decision -making and
disobedience You know, we see for example like
in the book of Ezekiel Where you know, there
are people who anger God and frustrate God like
we know that There are people who are turned
over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh.
We know that through reading the New Testament
I believe that was a prayer that Paul had So
we know that sometimes suffering, you know consequences
of disobedience but there is also sometimes where
We don't we suffer and we don't know why and
it's not due to being a bad person or being disobedient
or having hidden sin And that's the perfect example
with the book of Job. All his friends were so
quick to think, well, he's suffering because
he's a bad person. He has hidden sin. He's making
excuses for his children and like just all these
different things. When actually the reason why
it started was because God was so proud of him.
He said to Satan, isn't my servant Job awesome?
He doesn't curse me. He doesn't turn his back
on me. And Satan was like, well, of course, of
course he's worshiping you and praising you.
You've given him everything he wants. If you
stop protecting him. If you allowed him to suffer,
he wouldn't worship you, he wouldn't praise you,
he's only praising you in the sunny weather,
he's only praising you on the mountaintops. Get
him in a valley and watch him switch up. So God
allowed him to go through the valley to prove
to Satan that Job wasn't going to switch up.
God trusted him so much, had so much faith in
his faith. Sometimes we're suffering not because
God's angry or we're disobedient sometimes We're
suffering and I and I can't I can't say that
I know every reason why we suffer I can't say
that I see every reason of why I've had to suffer
at all But we know that sometimes that that suffering
is a testing of our faith We know that our faith
has to go through the fire That's how our faith
is proven just like gold has to go through the
refiner's fire our faith has to go through the
fire We know that faith produces endurance and
the steadfastness Like that the suffering produces
endurance and steadfastness We know that suffering
can be used actually to further God's will and
to align things look at Joseph Joseph went through
a lot of suffering a lot of suffering his brother
sold him into slavery and then when he's in slavery
he says no to adultery like he tries to stay
away from it so he gets lied on and put in prison
like he went through a lot of suffering but God
used that Place him where he needed to be Because
he met that person in prison that one day I was
gonna tell I believe it was a Pharaoh at the
time that he interprets dreams Look at Daniel.
He was suffering right in a way if he was taken
away from his homeland and brought to Babylon
as I believe he was a teenager Never to go back
home again That might be seen as suffering right
to live in the enemy's land your entire life
But we see that God eventually blessed him You
know because he interpreted dreams and he had
a high position and he was used to speak God's
word and prophesy and Talk to King Nebuchadnezzar
Sometimes God will use that suffering to teach
you to grow something in you to develop something
in you. I mean look at Look at David. He was
anointed king and then sent back to be a shepherd
boy. He had a waiting period. That could be viewed
as suffering, having to go back. Look at how
Saul was attacking him for years coming after
him, trying to stab him with spears and chasing
him out. He had to leave. He was hiding in a
cave at one point. That's suffering. And it wasn't
because God, it wasn't because he was all disobedient.
God anointed him to become king because he was
well pleased with him. He was like, yep, this
is the one I want. I like David's heart right
here. This is the one. Our suffering isn't always
because we've done something wrong. Our suffering
isn't always because God's anger upset at us.
and know that even if you are suffering because
God is angry or upset at you, I've been through
that. When I was a new age, I had my back draw
on the Lord and God allowed me to go through
suffering. Number one, He wasn't very pleased
with me. But even though He wasn't very pleased
with me and allowed me to go through suffering,
He used it for my good because He used it to
get me to fully submit and surrender my life
to Christ in a way that I never have before.
Devote my life to him He turned my pain into
testimony to glorify him the suffering I went
through is now like a testimony So no, maybe
I'll need to hear this today too that like you're
not always suffering because you've done something
wrong So when you look at someone else who calls
themselves a Christian suffering Don't be so
quick to say they have hidden sin or they're
doing this or they're doing that. You have no
idea why God is allowing them to suffer. You
have no idea what their next season may look
like. Which is why we should be guarding our
mouths. In the most loving way. Guard, guard
your mouth. Guard your mouth. Some may need to
hear this today. See other people suffering or
see other people going through it? Stop being
so quick to say God's angry at them. They're
a sinner. They're doing this. They're doing that.
Because the next season you might see God is
actually really well pleased with that person
And he's not exactly very happy when you like
speak death or bear false witness Slander one
of his children. He doesn't really care for that
So whoever you are listening to this podcast
today, I know we have a large variety of I have
a lot of different people on different parts
of their walk. I pray that wherever you're at
on your walk, this encourages you and helps you
today of remembering that like your feelings
aren't facts. That God's Word is. And God's never
changing. His character isn't changing. His purpose
for your life isn't changing. How he feels about
you, it isn't changing. That thing being a sin
isn't changing. The works of the flesh don't
stop being works of the flesh just because of
how you feel But that God is good and he'll give
you the strength And remember y 'all that like
even if your situation isn't good God still is
And if you're going through suffering if you're
in a valley right now Sometimes it just helps
to flip the perspective and one thing that's
really it really helps me and I'm not saying
I'm perfect at it But when I'm in those suffering
periods y 'all look at it as this is an opportunity
to worship Despite what you're going through
like this is an opportunity to worship In a valley
It's really easy to worship on the mountains.
It's not as easy to worship in the valley, but
there's still something for you to be grateful
for today. The fact that you have accepted Jesus
as Lord, the fact that you know the gospel is
something to be thankful for because not everybody
does. Like there are people out here today who
are rejecting Jesus, who are mocking Jesus. There
are people who refuse to hear. And think about
just how blessed you are that it's penetrated
your spirit. The Word of God hasn't taken root.
If you can't think of anything else to be grateful
for, be grateful that you know Jesus. Be grateful
that you know Jesus. And worship Him. There's
something that one of my pastors at my church
Said this past summer when I was doing we have
a week of like serving where it's like mission
work basically in the community and One of the
pastors said it's really hard To be like angry
sad upset ungrateful and praising at the same
time So when you're going through it, even even
if it's rough Start praising God because you
can't be both you can't be in the state of praise
and gratitude and worship and also like at the
same moment be ungrateful and Angry and upset
and that's not saying that those feelings might
not come back later That's when you take them
to the Lord, right? I pray y 'all that this episode
has blessed you and again, I'm sorry for I've
been tripping over my words a little bit. Y 'all
can tell it's getting late. I already took like
my nighttime vitamins. I have like vitamins I
take before bed and they make me like a little
sleepy and I've had like my chamomile tea just
to kind of like relax me. It's nice in the winter
to drink my teas and I'm laying down so this
is like of course the combination for sleepy
talk. I hope you guys have a wonderful week and
that this episode has blessed you in a way. And
I do ask that you hit subscribe wherever it is
you're listening to this episode. And I'll talk
to you guys soon. Have a wonderful week. Bye
guys.