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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match Limited by state law not available in all states. Hello everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee and Ice. I, I am your host, Ali Yost. It is a joy and honor to be here with you guys. Happy Wednesday. We have never said that before. Happy Wednesday everybody. We did not have to wait another week to see each other and I am so grateful for that. And honestly I didn't give much context to why we're doing this. I just kind of made an announcement in the beginning, just kind of like dropped a bomb on you guys last week saying hey, and by the way, we're going to be back sooner than you think. See you on Wednesday. And like didn't give any explanation. So the reason why we're doing two episodes a week is because I just wanted to. That's it, just wanted to. And honestly this has been something that I've been wanting to do for quite some time. Me and my editor Katie, we've been going back and forth being like, okay, realistically like can we do it? Like it like it really is like a two man show over here. Like we don't really have. It's just us putting on the show. So it's exciting. But also we're like, can we do that? And so any other time that we've really tried to do it, there just was not a grace for it. Okay. So I feel like there's a grace now I am a little bit scared cuz I'm like, I just hope that it's not too much for everybody, especially Katie. I just love Katie and I want to make sure she's taken care of and she's okay. But yeah, anyway, but I'm just like once a week is not enough. Once a week is not enough. I miss you guys. Sometimes the weeks feel so long for me where I'm like, oh my gosh, is it, is it freaking Christ with coffee on ice Friday yet? Like, I just, I've loved what we've been doing here and I've loved the routine of it. We've been doing this for three years. So I'm like twice a week. What's twice a week? You know, so here we go. We're starting it now. Wednesdays and Fridays. Now you guys will always be able to expect episodes from this podcast. And I'm very excited for it. I'm anticipant to see what the Lord does. And, yeah, it's all very exciting. Growth is exciting, but also kind of intimidating because then there's also that part of me in my brain. But like, thank you, Jesus, that it's in our weakness when we literally have nothing else to say where your holy spirit moves the most. But I would be lying if I said that, like, thoughts didn't cross my mind of, am I gonna be able to talk that much. Like, at least up until this point, I've only had to come up with, like, four things to talk about every month. Now I'm gonna have to come up with eight things to talk about every month. And that sounds like a lot to me, but it's not a lot to God. God's got something to tell us all the time. He never runs on E. So I may. But as long as, you know, as long as we're listening to the Holy Spirit, he'll always have a message for us. He'll always have something to say, which I'm very grateful for. So thank you, Jesus. God, we pray. Have your way with this podcast. Holy Spirit, move. God, I pray that. I guess we're praying now. Hello, God, I pray that you have your way with this episode today. Lord, I don't really know what to expect, but I am expectant, Lord. We are expectant together, Jesus, I lift up my friend on the other side of this podcast, God, and I pray abundance over them. Jesus, I pray overflow of your spirit of joy. God, I pray for breakthrough in the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, I pray that if there have been any ways that they have been worrying about finances or how they're going to pay the next bill, God, I thank you that you are taking care of them, Jesus, that you say in your word that you are their provider, Lord, and so we pray for that in the name of Jesus. God, I also lift up their health to you, Lord, if they're having any health issues, any complications, if the doctors are telling them, yeah, we don't really know what's going on or we're not sure what this is. Lord, I just pray complete healing in the mighty name of Jesus. I plead the blood of Jesus over them. If they have a family member, God, that is sick or has been diagnosed with some type of terminal illness or cancer, Jesus, we just rebuke it in the name of Jesus and we plead the blood of Jesus. God, we thank you for the blood of Christ. We thank you for the blood of Christ, that it redeems, it heals, and it restores, and it makes us new. Lord, we ask that you just wash us clean. God, we repent of our sins today. Lord, we ask for an opportunity for repentance. That if there's anything that we need to be just bringing to you any ways that we've been operating in that have not been ways that you've wanted us to live by. If we've been leaning on our own understanding, God, if we've been independent in our own ways, Lord, we're asking for freedom today. We're asking for your freedom. Thank you, Jesus, that there is freedom available to us every single day, regardless of the circumstances. We pray for your joy, the joy of your holy spirit. God, where asking for the fruit of the spirit in the name of Jesus. Lord, I thank you for what you have planned today. And I bless this episode. I bless my friend on the other side of this episode. I bless their families, God. I bless their bloodline. I bless their future, Jesus, their future babies. Like, whatever that looks like, God. I just pray for them and I bless them in the name of Jesus. I pray all these things. Amen. Amen. Okay. Oh, okay. I'm not really sure where that came from, but here we are. Anyway, very excited for today's episode. And honestly, I'm just gonna put myself on the chopping board as I always do, because this is how. Oh, have you guys noticed this is weird, right? Okay, we're back on a Wednesday, which is already kind of funny. And I don't have our typical. We're gonna. We're gonna put it on the screen here, though. This is all of our new merch that we launched just a month ago. I'm very excited and proud of it, including our glass tumblers that I use every ep. I don't think I've ever gone a single episode without using my glass tumbler. And nothing went wrong this time. Okay? It didn't shatter. I didn't put it in the dishwasher this time and ruin it. Been there, done that, learned my lesson. I just. It was just one of those days. I needed. I needed. I needed a massive cup of coffee and I needed to put, like, 18 pounds of ice in it. And the truth is, is those tumblers are the appropriate size of what you should be having in a day. And I couldn't have the appropriate size. I needed double. So I guess this is just my sign to myself that next time we're gonna make a bigger one. So for the days that you need an extra. Pick me up. You need to put a little bit more ice in there. I don't know. I just. I love my ice in my coffee. And I. I made myself a bigger coffee today, and I was like, this is not gonna fit in my cute tumbler. I love my Tumblr. Listen, we love her. We do. But I needed more. Is that my. The ASMR for the day? Oh, it's good. I put chocolate protein collagen in it and I also put creatine in it. I've been taking creatine for the last, like, two weeks just hoping to get jacked. Just kidding. Not really. Hence why I also needed it to be a little bit bigger because I just. I was putting a lot more ingredients in it. And then we've got almond milk in here. We've got some monk fruit to sweeten it, so it's sugar free. If it were up to me, though, y', all, I would be having a freaking salted caramel sweet cold foam iced vanilla latte with cinnamon on top. But I can't, so. But this is good. Anyway, I won't do it again, though. That's weird of me. That's weird of me to not use our glass tumblers. I've been using. I've been using my timer a lot more on my phone lately, and I never really used my timer. Why is this so far away? Hey, I've never really used my timer on my phone like that. You know that you're on the app on your phone. A timer to time yourself. I've been doing that a lot because my time management sucks. It sucks. I swear, I give myself more than enough time and then I'd be dilly dallying. I am a professional dilly dallyer. I will think that I have all the time in the world, and I will think I'm being so productive and so on time. And then I look at the clock and I spent way too much time doing whatever the heck I was doing. I was taking my sweet time. It's bad. It's toxic. And I think I'm trying to unlearn it. Is that if I am not in a stressful, awful, high pressure environment like fight or flight, if my nervous system isn't skyrocketed to the ceiling, I'm not productive. Something's wrong there. I don't know about that, Al, but it's true. Like, if I. If I'm not in a situation where I only have 10 minutes to get ready, I'm not productive. Give Me an hour to get ready. I'm still not ready in an hour. So something's got to change. We got to stop Dilly Dally. Why is it one extreme to the next? Why is it Dilly Dally or die and die is like. I literally feel like I'm. I'm under the str. I am under so much stress, I feel like I'm going to die. Why is that the only circumstance that I'm productive? I mean, it. It's like. Like, Ally, are you okay? The answer is no. That is why I came to Christ three years ago. I was really not okay. I'm still really not okay, but at least I have him. Oh, and you know what else I learned today? Okay, guys, I fear that this episode is already gonna be giving. Like, just dumping. It's not gonna be giving. Listen, if you came back today expecting what we've been doing the last few episodes, I don't think that's the vibe today. I'm. I already can tell. We're only, like, 10 minutes in, and your girl. What was I even gonna say? Oh, man. Yeah, I don't even remember what I was gonna say. I need another sip of this. Anyway, enough about me, guys. How are you doing? Seriously, how are you guys doing? I really love you guys, and I'm super grateful for you. Can I say, it's been really fun. Oh, I'm gonna say this. It's been so fun lately because. Well, first and foremost, I've been getting out of the house more. Yay, Ally. That's really good, honey. That's normal human behavior. Get out of your house. So I've been getting out of my house more. And with that, I've actually been meeting a lot more of you guys. Like, actually, almost every time I leave the house, I get to meet somebody who's like, ally, I listen to your podcast, and I'm like, hey, that's so fun and cool and awesome. And so anyway, that has been so fun for me. I've loved meeting you guys, and I just love you guys, and I love my job, and I pray that I never, ever, ever stop doing it because it's so much fun. And. Yes. Anyway, that's a fun update is I've been able to meet more of you guys. Please, if you see me in public, say hi. Disclaimer. I think I've concluded that I'm definitely super awkward, though. Why do I do that? Why do I get so awkward? I can't tell you how many times I've left. Let me. Can I Be honest. Listen, if you're somebody who's listening and you've had an inca. If you've. You've, like, had a conversation with me in person, you came up to me and you're like, allie, crazy. Coffee got ice. And I went, ha. Thanks for listening. Love you. Like, I. I genuinely don't know why I get so awkward. I get so awkward. I think I just don't know what to do with the fact that, like, there is somebody standing in front of me that knows a lot about me. I technically don't know you, and so I just don't know how to engage in a dynamic like that. I don't. I don't think I do good. Okay. Do well. I don't think I do well with it. Feeling like I don't know what it is actually. Just. Actually, it could be a lot simpler. I'm making it complicated. It could really just be like, hey, sister. Hey, sister. Sister in Christ. Love you. Thanks for listening. Where are you from? What do you do for a living? Love you. Tell me about what the Lord's been teaching you. But, like, why do all of those questions literally leave my brain as soon as. As soon as I talk to one of you guys? Any, like, basic communication skills out the window for me? I don't know, Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you guys don't feel that way, but if you do, if you felt like it was awkward, trust me, it was a lot more awkward for me. And it wasn't because of you. It was because, unfortunately, all the things going through my brain is now. What do you say? Now what? Okay, listen, we're all just doing our best. Okay? What's the point of this episode? Ali, get to it. Right. Okay, so something I wanted to ask you guys, and if you're. Listen, this isn't a test, so there is no passing or failing this. If there was. Okay, yeah, I'm gonna stop doing that. Okay, Sorry. The spirit just convicted me of. I'm just like, really? I'm low key. Like, my biggest hater, and I need to stop doing that. Okay. Okay. Jesus, help me. Oh, I'm fine. I was having a thought today as I was walking and running around my kitchen, and I had the thought. And the thought had said, well, the thought was like, I believe that God loves me, but. But I'll really know. Like, I will really know he loves me when I am finally a mom one day. And then I didn't like how that sounded. Like, as soon as I thought it, I was like, but why can't you believe that he loves you that much right now, even though he hasn't made you a mom yet? I just think, like, being a mom, being a mom is, like, legitimately my. My biggest dream ever. Like, I just. I just want to be a mom. And you know what? Like, I know there's got to be so many of you guys that relate to that. And I want to have compassion for people who are even in marriages and they've been trying and they haven't been able to have a child. And I just. I bless you and I pray for you. And I know that the Lord is going to come through for you. I know that he's going to come through for you. You are going to be a mom. I pray that for you in Jesus name. I actually genuinely pray for that, Lord. I intercede on behalf of my sister on the other end of this podcast, Lord, and I pray fertility in the mighty name of Jesus, God. I pray for a miracle, Lord, that if there is anybody who is listening right now who has been having problems conceiving or has been experiencing miscarriages, Jesus, I just ask that you redeem that part of their life, God. Redeem it and make it beautiful. Lord, I thank you that you say in your word that you take what is ashes and you make it beautiful. You bring beauty out of ashes. And so I pray that in the name of Jesus right now, God, Amen. I bless you. The Lord is going to redeem that part of your life. He will. He's faithful and he loves you so much. But I am not married, and so having children isn't an option for me at all. And, yeah, that. That thought crossed my mind and I was like, I don't like how that sounded, Al. Like, it sounded like, I am not convinced. I'm not convinced that God loves me on, like. Like that, like, unconditional love. Like that. Like massive, massive, explosive love. Unless. Or like, I won't feel that until I receive this thing in my life. Does that make sense? I don't know if any of you guys relate to that, but I just. I feel like. Yeah, I just feel like there's some things that need to be revealed in that because obviously that's revealing a part of my heart that's like, there might be performance. Talk about taking a test. Like, if I don't pass the test of pleasing God or being faithful enough to him, like, he loves me now, but he, like, I'll know that he really is pleased with me and, like, really, really loves me when those things come in to my life. You know, when I do finally get married and I'm able to have children and I get to be a mom, and I get to sit there one day and stare at a baby, that's like a part of me and a part of my husband. Like, I have no idea what that feels like, and I can't wait for it. But it saddened me for a second that I would have a thought of, like, it's in that moment that I will believe that God loves me unconditionally. And here's the thing. There is nothing wrong with feeling like. Like, kind of like that, whoa, like, God, you really love me when he comes through for us and breakthrough comes into our lives. Sorry, I don't even understand why I'm getting so emotional right now. Like, that's okay. I believe I will still feel that when I'm holding my child one day and I'm gonna be like, jesus, you are so faithful. You love me so much. But I don't want that to be the measure of my belief in how much God loves me. Is that making sense? Anyway, I was, like, so stoked about how I did my makeup today, and then I gotta go ruining it by crying in every single episode I record. It's fine. No, I genuinely didn't expect that. Sorry. And so, yeah, I want to talk about that. If you don't relate to that, I want to know in the comments below, tell me what you did to overcome that, because I think I'm still. And you know what? It comes in, ebbs and flows. Like, there are days where I am so, so, so, so, so convinced that Jesus loves me more than anything else in this world. And then there are other days where I am not as convinced. And maybe that's also normal, you know, Maybe that's a part of the journey. It's like we're just not always going to feel so solid and convinced and sold out at the fact that Jesus is obsessed with us every waking moment of every day. And that's okay. But I would like to say I would love to get to a place where I. I believe that more times than not, I would like to believe that Jesus loves me and is pleased with me just as much now as he would be in that moment when I finally get to hold my little baby. I also would really love to read something to you guys. Sometimes we catch ourselves thinking, I'll really feel God's love when this specific thing happens. But God's faithfulness isn't just in the breakthroughs we hope for his love is already present in the waiting, in the unseen work, and in the daily grace he gives. Think of Romans 5:8. God shows his love even while we're still waiting. Faithfulness isn't just about answered prayers. It's about his presence every step of the journey. Sometimes we unconsciously link God's love to certain milestones, like becoming a parent or hitting a financial goal. But his love isn't conditional on outcomes. It's steady in the process, whether we're waiting, growing, or even facing setbacks. So while answered prayers do reflect his faithfulness, his love is also found in the simple daily companionship, his peace, and the strength he gives us even before any breakthrough. Also, before we even got into that, I forgot to do our little. I'm. I'm all just going to blame it on the fact that it's Wednesday today and it's not our typical. It's not our typical programming. That's what I'm going to blame it on, because I didn't introduce you guys to our Christ. We have our Bible here and our. And our coffee on ice, but it's just not in our typical Tumblr. Okay, I already covered that part. But first and foremost, we have our Christ with us. We have our Holy Bible. I would love to. You know, we're not going to be doing necessarily a Bible study as we've been doing the last few weeks, but obviously we always want to back up everything that we're talking about with Scripture. My goal on this podcast is that everything that we talk about is anchored in truth, which is the word of God. So we have that with us today. We have our Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So, you know, sometimes when I'm like God, I really wish I could physically hold your hand. This is the. This is it. This is the physical. This is. This is the closest thing we have to physically having God, because it is Him. I do sometimes wish it was in the shape of a hand so I could actually hold his hand, but that's okay. I'll just hold it and hug it. Aside from hugging it, though, you should be reading it. That's mainly what it's for. Not just to hold hands with it, but to read it. It's from Hosanna Revival. It's this beautiful butter. I have no idea at this point if it's back in stock. You guys should check. Let me know, because it was sold out for a little bit. It could potentially definitely be back in stock. But we are reading the NLT translation. So if I am referring back to scripture, it's going to be the new living translation. That's what I read. That's what I like. That's what I love. And yeah, also, if you're interested, you want the same Bible or you want to shop, host Santa Revival? They have beautiful, beautiful Bibles. Journals. I love their journals, actually. They are so gorgeous and aesthetic and amazing. I love having them by my bed stand. I love having them at a coffee shop because they're just so cute and they go great with everything you have. I do have a code with them. It's my first and last name. Aliost. Done. Okay, so let's actually just talk about that. Let's talk about that very thing. The concept of just measuring God subconsciously. Maybe measuring God's love or how much he may be pleased with you based off of breakthrough versus believing that he has that same unconditional, passionate love for us. Already I have some notes that I'd love to share with you guys. So the subtle lie isn't usually God doesn't love me. Most believers would never consciously say that. The subtle lie is, I know God loves me, but I'll really feel loved when he gives me what I've been praying for. That's a much deeper conversation. That's a conversation I think worth having today. Cause if it's crossing my mind as I'm walking around my kitchen and it just, like, hit me out and, like, just literally came into my brain and I was like, that doesn't sound right. That also doesn't sound like the character of God. That doesn't sound like God's voice. And that doesn't sound like who he says he is. So our hearts often create an equation. And I think, honestly, we probably do that more times than we realize. But there could be an equation that we've created subconsciously in our mind or in our hearts, that an answered prayer equals God loves me. And I fear I've created that equation in my own heart. Because why in the world would I even have a thought like that if that wasn't actually how I was operating or seeing God? Unanswered prayers, then equal. Maybe I'm forgotten. Maybe he isn't listening. Maybe I didn't have enough faith for me. My equation, I think, has been unanswered. Prayer equals he's not pleased enough with me. Or like, unanswered prayers equals, you know, actually, that was it. That was it. I think it's. He's not pleased enough with Me. Or, like, I. I haven't become exactly who he wants me to be. Now, granted, I do trust his timing and I believe that if I was supposed to be a mom right now, I would be a mom. So there could be some truth to that of like, yeah, I mean, I'm probably not a mom right now because God's like, yeah, it's not time for you to be a mom yet. But also, maybe I need to. Maybe I need to remember that it's not just me. Like, it could also be certain. It could be so many other things. As to why I'm not a mother right now. It's not because, I mean, I don't know the answer. One day, maybe I'll have more clarity as to why. But right now, I don't actually really know the answer as to why I'm not yet. But I think I'm so quick to looking inward and being like, okay, so what am I not doing enough of? Where God doesn't believe that I'm ready or capable of being a mother yet. But, like, there actually could be so many other parts to that equation. I know that there are. I mean, if that's the truth, then that's the truth. Like, if God was like, actually, yeah, you're not really ready for motherhood yet, cool, fine, I can accept that. Lord, grow me. But I would like to think that it's actually more times than not that there's a lot more puzzle pieces behind the picture of God's timing than we realize. And it's not as simple as just one final statement that I've been telling myself or believing or hearing in my mind. That's like, yeah, you're not a mom right now yet. Because God doesn't think you're ready to be a mom yet. You don't have what it takes to be a mother yet. Yeah, you don't. You don't have the patience yet. Like, if you had a kid right now, you probably. You wouldn't be that good of a mom anyway. Like, it's those thoughts, and it's like, that could actually not even be the full truth or any of the truth. The truth is, is like, maybe God has a specific time, day, place. Like, there is a time that he wants that child to be brought into the world. And. And it actually has nothing to do with me and my capabilities of being a mother. I look way too much inwardly, like, at myself, as if there's something God isn't pleased with. And that's why the breakthrough hasn't happened. That's why these certain things. That's why I'm not a wife yet, you know, that's why I haven't gotten that, like, quote, happily ever after. Which I think that even leads to another kind of, like, false subconscious equation that's been in my heart of, like, if God is making me wait, well, the reason must be that something is wrong with me. Like, I'm not doing enough, or I'm not there yet there, whatever that even means. But, like, if God is making me wait, that equates to something's wrong with me. But when you look at Scripture, that's actually not the primary pattern. God's timing is often connected to a much bigger story than one person's readiness or worthiness. Here are some possibilities that are biblically consistent to consider not as certainties about any specific situation, but as ways to broaden our perspective. So, and I honestly think that's what the Holy Spirit has planned for us today, Jesus. Thank you, God. I pray for a broadened perspective. Lord, let us not continue to have perspectives. If there are areas in our life where we are just zoning in on one thing, which is typically ourselves, help us to have a bigger perspective of all that you could be doing right now, and that it's not just a simple answer of there could be something wrong with us, or that we don't please you, or that you don't love us enough. Help us expand our minds to the possibilities of what you could be doing right now. And in that, I thank you, God, that it actually takes pressure off of us. Amen. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to thought patterns like this, okay, if you relate to this, is God is orchestrating thousands of details you simply can't see. A child isn't just born into a moment. They're born into an entire web of relationships, circumstances, locations, opportunities, and history. If God is sovereign, he's not only thinking about your timeline, please. He's thinking about your future spouse's timeline, that child's life, future friendships, future teachers, churches, neighborhoods, even future generations. One yes. Affects countless lives. Isaiah 55:8 through 9 says, and actually, let's just read it straight from the word of God itself. Hold on, I don't want to read it from my screen. Oh, thank you, God. You're so kind. Isaiah 55:8,9. It says, My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. AKA God sees way more than we do. And we can't even think, fathom, or try to comprehend all that he's considering when it comes to the timing of our lives and when he brings breakthrough to our lives. Another thing to keep in mind is that God's timing is often about history, not just individuals. So throughout scripture, God acts at very specific moments. And we see that in the Bible time and time again, even the timing of Jesus coming into the world. Jesus didn't simply come when Mary was ready. Actually, Jesus came at a time that was like the most inconvenient for Mary. She wasn't even married yet. She was simply just engaged to Joseph. So. And that made everything really, really complicated for her because she then had to explain to Joseph, hey, I'm pregnant. Didn't cheat on you, though. Hear me out. The Holy Spirit impregnated me. I know, crazy concept. It's never happened in the history of ever. So you really gotta believe me on this one. But God literally put a baby in my tummy. And not only that, but the baby is going to be the Messiah who's then going to overcome the world and redee all of mankind. Can you imagine? Homegirl is a literal virgin. She's never been intimate with her husband. So it wasn't actually Jesus came at a time that she was really not ready. So talk about, like, readiness. That immediately debunks any kind of theory that we could have in our minds about like, oh, well, God will bring the breakthrough when he believes I'm ready. Like, sure, yeah. But also like, no. There are times that God probably moves in our lives when we're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I didn't, I'm not ready for that God. Wait a minute. No, this is bad. This is actually really bad timing. Who are we to say whether God bringing something in our lives or maybe taking something out of our lives is good timing or a bad timing? His timing is always good timing because he knows best. So that's actually like such a cool perspective to keep in mind is. It's, it's. We can't actually measure breakthrough based off of readiness or worthiness, because even for Mary, Jesus didn't simply come when Mary was ready. Jesus came at the fullness of time. He came at the perfect time. He came right as God intended him to come into the world. Galatians 4:4. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son. That phrase suggests God was coordinating world history, not just one family's circumstances, which I'm sure at the time, Mary was like, hey, this is really not a good look for me and my family. Is Joseph going to accept me? Is he going to leave me also? By the way, I know for a fact that the people of my community are not going to accept me. There's no way they're going to buy it. They're going to think that I am unclean, that I am dirty, that I am unfaithful, that I am sinful because I had sex outside of marriage. I cheated on my partner. But it wasn't just about the circumstances of Mary and Joseph and their family. God was seeing the history of mankind. And I think that, like, oh, Lord, this is so convicting. Thank you, God. Lord, we need your conviction. Actually, it, like, brings us back down to earth. I feel like without God's conviction, like, I crash outs and Minty bees, mental breakdowns will just happen. Believe it or not, it's actually in God's conviction that I am, like, leveled back down to earth. And I go, oh, I don't need to be crashing out right now. You're right, God. I'm sorry for believing that. Like, I don't know about y', all, but I. I need to be convicted by God. Okay? Lord rebuke us if he did that for Christ's coming. It's reasonable to believe he cares about timing in our lives, too, even if we don't know all the reasons. The third thing to keep in mind is that God may be preparing circumstances rather than people. And so that is a perspective that I know I would love to keep in my brain, is that it's not just about God preparing me. It's not just about God preparing, which I know he is. Of course he is. But it's not just about God preparing me. It's about him also preparing circumstances. Like, the entirety of it. Right. So sometimes we assume preparation always means God is fixing me. Hello. That's me. Hello. That's literally me. That statement is what I have been believing. Sometimes we assume preparation is always just God is fixing me. He's preparing me. He's creating me into the. Into the version that he wants me to be when that day comes. Yes, but also. No, it's not just that. Preparation can also involve circumstances. Perhaps he's arranging where you'll live, your future spouse's career, finances, medical, timing, support systems, community opportunities that will bless your future family. None of those imply you're inadequate. Oh. Another thing to remember is that your future child has their own story with God. Right. Okay, let me Just stop making everything about me. It's not just about our stories with God. It's also about, and I know this is a lot about, like having a child, but I just pray by the Holy Spirit that God gives you the wisdom where you fill in the blank. Okay, if this isn't a topic that you relate to, I pray that it speaks to you in the ways that you can relate to it, like fill in the blank. But the truth is, is that your child isn't simply an extension of you. They're someone God knows and loves. Their birthday generation, culture, friendships and opportunities all become part of the story God writes in their life. That doesn't mean every detail is predetermined in a simplistic way, but it does remind us that God's extends beyond us, even to the people who are involved in the situation. Okay, for my situation, it's my future bean. It's my future babe. Another thing to keep in mind is that God may be weaving together generations just as he has up until our lives. He has weaved together each generation up until you. So he there's a good chance that that's exactly what he's continuing to do. Throughout Scripture, God's promises often span generations. He repeatedly introduces himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our lives are connected to people before us and after us. Sometimes what God is doing isn't just about this generation. It's about the next one too. Waiting can have purpose without being punishment. I need that highlighted in bold and underlined. Waiting can have purpose without being punishment. This is an important distinction in the Bible. Waiting is rarely presented as evidence that God is displeased. Often it's simply part of walking with him. It's actually literally just a part of the experience of walking with God. Think of Abraham as an example. Okay, waiting decades for a son. Abraham and his wife waited decades for God to finally fulfill his dream of being a father. Joseph waited in prison. David waited to become king. Elizabeth waited many years for a child. Their waiting wasn't proof that God loved them less. And actually all of these people in the Bible, it was very clear that God was so pleased with them and he loved them very much. And so again, the Bible debunks that gross equation that's been in my mind or maybe some of yalls of like waiting equates to punishment or God being displeased with us. It's actually not true. Even in the book of Job, we've seen how Job suffered and had everything taken from him. And even in that he was one of the most faithful servants of the Lord. He loved God so much and was a faithful man of God. Like, truly feared the Lord. And he went through all of that suffering and waited for God to deliver him from that. And it's like, yeah, no, there. There was no shot in he double hockey sticks. Can I be saying that on the podcast? Oops. But seriously, there was no shot that we could look at that scripture and be like, yeah, he just. He just. God just loved Job a little less, I think. I think he was really displeased with him. He wasn't happy with him. No, we saw behind the scenes, actually. We saw what was happening in the spirit. We saw the way that the enemy had gone to God and was like, you know, he's only faithful because he has all these riches and he's thriving in life. I bet if you take. If you let me take all of this from him, he's going to turn his back on you and he's not going to love you anymore. Job only loves you because of all that he has in his life. And God knew what was in Job's heart. And God was very pleased with Job and was like, okay, go ahead and test my son. You can't lay a single freaking hand on him, though. Don't touch a hair on his head. But go ahead, take the things that would be considered wealthy from his life, like his health was taken from him, his relationships were taken from him, his cattle, his wealth, like, everything. His children, everything that probably gave him joy aside from God himself, was stripped from him. And because God knew what was in Job's heart and knew that Job would still love God regardless of what he was going through. God was just as pleased with Job in the beginning as he was in the middle of it, and also the end. And then God restored Job's life and gave him even more. So, like, we would never read that book and be like, yeah, this is what you get. This is what you get, God. God was really unhappy with you, Job. No, we saw the truth of what was happening. It had nothing to do with the measurement of God's love for Job. And so as that was just as relevant for Job's story, it is just as relevant for our story today. It's the same. It should never be a measurement of how much God is pleased with us or loves us based on the waiting, the suffering, the confusion, you know, when things go wrong in our life. Like, it's not God putting us in time out. It's not punishment from God. This is A really good one too, guys. I think this is worth remembering as well. Well, it's just that these two things aren't the same. And I think, yeah, I think even I myself have gotten this confused where I've believed that these are the same thing. But God's yes and God's when are different questions, and they're different. So just because God says yes doesn't mean that if it doesn't come when we expected, or even when he says yes, like, even in Abraham's circumstance, like God promised him so many sons that he couldn't count. He compared it to the stars in the sky. That's how many descendants Abraham was going to have. So God said yes, but it wasn't for a very long time that it was when Abraham received his first son, Isaac. And so sometimes I think we can get yes and when like, like blurried and they merge together, where it's like as soon as we hear that yes from God, that we're like, okay, so where's the breakthrough, though? I don't understand. I thought you said yes. If something hasn't happened, we assume the answer must be no. But often Scripture shows God saying yes long before he says no. Can anyone relate to that? Oh, my gosh. I've heard God say yes about desires and things in my heart so many times. But when so much time passes, I really do start to wonder if it was actually a yes. Because when time starts to go by, even years, I'm like, okay, but you said yes, so are you. Maybe it's a no, because I don't understand why it's had to take so long. If it was a yes. Why would God tell me yes five years before the breakthrough? That doesn't make any sense. And I think that, like, that gap can definitely feel really confusing sometimes. But it shouldn't. We shouldn't just immediately assume that. Because there's a big gap between God saying yes and then God delivering the very thing that we've been praying for and we heard him confirm means that he's changed his mind or that he says no. Now we tend to collapse three different answers into one. When we pray, we usually think God has three yes, no, and wait. But emotionally, our hearts often interpret weight as no. For example, if I were really meant to get married, I'd be married by now. If God really wanted me to be a mom, I'd already have a baby. If he wanted this ministry to grow, it would have happened already. Notice what's happening in those statements. Okay, we're assuming that because it hasn't happened yet. It must not be God's will. But not yet and not ever are completely different answers. And I think, like, when we try so hard to understand God's timing, especially in the waiting, like, that's the time that I think we get the most confused with God's timing and probably even gaslight ourselves a little bit is in the waiting. That's the time where things can get really fuzzy. Because in the waiting, there's just so much opportunity for, like, other thoughts to come into our minds. And again, like, we make these subconscious equations in our hearts where we're like, okay, so this, you know, carry the two divided by three equates to, okay, he changed his mind. You know, when there's so much time in between those things of, like, feeling the confirmation of the yes and then it actually coming through, there's a lot of opportunity even for the devil to come in and to try to convince you that God has either forgotten, changed his mind, he's not pleased with you. You're not doing enough. He's punishing you. There's a lot of time for things to get a little fuzzy. And so I think the biggest opportunity in that time is to continue to just be anchored in the truth of what God says in scripture. Like, if it wasn't for scripture, in the waiting, y', all, I think we all would lose our minds forever. I lose my mind in, like, moments. But praise God for the word of God and the reminder of what he tells us in scripture. Because if it wasn't for that, I actually would lose my mind and never find it again. It'd be gone. It grew legs and it walked away, and it didn't come back. It's on vacation in Florida. I can't find it. Like, that's what would happen to my mind. It's gone. Okay, we get it, Ellie. But, like, I. I don't know what I would do without the word of God. And we need to remember to stay anchored in truth, because if we don't, it's really easy to start wavering, and it's really easy to start believing those weird thoughts and, like, false belief systems that come into our minds and our hearts as we are patiently waiting on the Lord. Even if we just talk about David right now. King David, okay, The story of David is so. Is like, actually a perfect example, one of the. A perfect example for what we're talking about because David, okay, David was physically anointed to become king of Israel by the prophet Samuel. I think this is in the first book of Samuel, he was physically anointed to be king. As he was still a full blown shepherd boy out of the lineup of all of his brothers. He was chosen and anointed to be king, but then had to wait to actually become king. Can we all just for a second, I actually have chills. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I love you. Can we imagine how confusing that had to have felt for David? I'm sorry, but if I'm going to get anointed by prophet Samuel, okay? He asks the father of David to line up all of his sons. And what's really awesome about the story of David too is that all the brothers were like, low key. I think they were like already soldiers of some sort. Like they've already, they've already fought in battle, or maybe they've already been preparing for battle. Don't quote me. Someone in the comment section knows more than me. But they were more capable on the outside. They looked more qualified to become king of Israel than David ever would have. David was kind of like the least qualified guy in the lineup of his brothers. Like, he was just the shepherd boy. His job was to shepherd the flock of sheep. And then also he was a musician and would like play music and sing for the current king of Israel. So like, that's crazy. So he is anointed to become king and then he waits and he doesn't become king yet. What are you talking about? God? First off, why bother even anoint me? Why did you do that? You just got my hopes up. If I were David, I would have immediately expected the next morning to have woken up being king. What are you talking about? What are you talking about? Why would you anoint me to become king? To then make me wait? Why not just do it at the moment I was supposed to become king? It's the mystery of God, guys. I don't know. We just, we. We cannot try to predict. And now obviously we, we get to see, like, we get to read all of David's story. And we go, ah. And not even just David's story, but then the story of the Messiah coming into the world. And then us today. Like, we get to see everything unfold after that. David didn't. He was living in his circumstances right at that point. There was no, like, history in the future that he could see yet he was just right here, a shepherd boy anointed king of Israel, which is crazy. And then just waiting. That's it. His only option was to just trust where God had him at and that God had a bigger plan out, even outside of David. It was about the lineage of how the Messiah would come into the world, and then also the fate of humanity. What do you mean? If David had known all of that, but he didn't. So, anyway, just like, imagine how confusing I would be. So deeply confused, if I'm being honest, if that happened to me, God essentially said to David, you are going to be king. And then he went back to tending sheep. And then later, David is running for his life. He hides in caves. He was pursued by Saul because then Saul wanted to kill him. If you guys don't know, honestly, this makes me want to read the story of David again. I got to read it again. We've got to read 1st Samuel. But he was running for his life. The current king of Israel was. Was literally trying to kill him. And so from a human perspective, his circumstances looked less and less like someone chosen to be king. Like, imagine I'd be like, lord, I don't. I think you lied to me or you changed your mind. Like, I'm sure David was probably like, yeah, you. You must have changed your mind, because what am I doing hiding in caves right now, fighting for my life? Like, what. What is going on that I am now having to run around hiding? I. I am being hunted to be killed right now. You must have, like, something went wrong. We took a detour, and you didn't tell me God. But God's yes had already been spoken. And that's the truth. And I'm gonna say something bold, but I believe this about the character of God. God will never revoke a yes. I think that when God tells us yes about something, a yes is a yes. He does not take away his yes. Like, if God's going to commit and say, yeah, I'm coming through for you in that way, he's going to commit and he's going to come through because he's faithful. He's not a liar. He keeps his word. And so it might be confusing on how we get to that yes, okay, there's dips and flows and ups and downs and valleys and mountains, but he's gonna come through on that yes. We've often judged God's character by the calendar. Sometimes we measure God's faithfulness by asking, has it happened yet? But maybe a better question is, has God ever stopped being trustworthy? That is a genuine question we have to ask ourselves when we are questioning whether God has forgotten about us, whether he's changed his mind, whether he's pleased with us, whatever that is for you. The question that we need to ask ourselves is, I think it's better to root ourselves in the truth of, like, okay, but what has God proven His character to be up until this point? Has he been trustworthy to you until this point in your life? And if you can answer that question and say yes, then you can believe that his character has not changed and he will continue to be that same trustworthy and faithful God to you that he's been up until this point, that he will continue to be, even in your waiting until you finally get the breakthrough of what you're waiting for. The calendar may say, still waiting, but God's character hasn't changed. And there's a difference between delay and denial. I think that's another one worth kind of diving into, because I think sometimes when there is. And I want to even put air quotes in delay, because I don't even. I don't believe the word delay exists in the vocabulary of who God is, because I feel like a delay, a delay implies it's late. It may be delayed to us, you know, from when we asked and when we received the yes to when he delivers it. But delay and denial are not the same thing. And I think a lot of times we really do believe that, like, if there is a delay, we are being denied by God and we're being rejected by God. Or again, there's like, this feeling of, like, I must not be pleasing him enough right now. But those aren't synonyms. Delay simply means fulfillment hasn't arrived. Denial means it isn't coming at all. They're very different things. We don't always know which we're experiencing. And Scripture doesn't encourage us to assume either one prematurely. Instead, it invites us to trust God even when we don't know. That's why waiting requires faith. If we already knew the outcome in timing, trust wouldn't be necessary. And that is such. That's a classic, right? That's something that I think I even. That was like, one of my earliest revelations that I had with the Lord when I first came to Christ. And I was, like, learning more about the character of God and experiencing his presence and his love and who he was and was like, faith in God. I don't know why, but I just got like, this, this, this. I got a picture of, like, a little pastry dish. Although it is bacteria, which I don't like, but maybe it's. Maybe it's pretty bacteria. Like, it's rainbow colors and stuff. But I'm just like, it's. It's in the. The pastry dish of waiting, timing, trials, suffering, pruning. Like in that time where God is growing us and he's challenging us to be patient. He's like, will you trust me in this time? It's in that time that faith grows. And I, like, saw a picture of all this really colorful, pretty something fungi growing in this pastry dish. But it's faith. And the truth is, is like, we will only have more faith in the times that we are being challenged the most, when things aren't going our way, when. When we don't know what's happening. Like in the unknown is when our faith will grow the most. It's in the time that we are waiting where our faith will grow the most. And that's such a cliched thing to say, but it's. It's cliche because it's true. It's been true since the beginning of time. Like, there. There is no point to having faith in God if we are not in a season where we truly have no idea what's going on and we don't have answers. If we had all the answers, we would require no faith. And there are some really beautiful things that come out of having the opportunity of strengthening our faith with God, putting things in our life like. Like a season of waiting for breakthrough, where maybe you've heard God say yes, but you haven't seen the yes come to life. It's in that time that there are so many beautiful things that actually come from us being able to grow in our faith, in our reliance of Jesus. I think one of the most beautiful things that you can get in that time is dependency on Jesus, which then equates to intimacy with him, which equates to experiencing more of his love and his comfort and experiencing just more of the fruits of his character. And when we experience more of the fruit of God's character, we then get to extend that to other people. And it's like this outpouring and overflow of the character and love and goodness of God that we then get to share with the world. But the only reason we have the opportunity to share that kind of love, which is a different kind of love. It's a different kind of compassion. It's love. Like the definition of love is God. God is love. So to be able to pour out a love that is so set apart from any other love in this world, we have to experience it first and to have encountered it first and not just one time, but like many times in our life. And so it doesn't Just take, like one encounter with God to be like, yeah, okay, I've experienced the love of God, and now I can just outpour the love of God forever and ever. It's a continual journey of mountaintops and valleys, of experiencing God's love even deeper. And it's in those times of waiting. It's in those times when nothing makes sense at all. You don't have a single clue. And the minute that you think you have an idea and then everything starts crumbling around you and falling apart and you realize you actually don't have a single clue, it's in that time that you actually get to experience more of God's love, faithfulness, and grace for your life. And so if you've prayed a prayer to God recently and you've asked him, lord, I want to have more faith in you, Just don't be surprised if that means that you could potentially be walking into a season that requires you to grow in your faith and your dependency on God. And if I am just going to confess one more thing here as we talk about all of this is I, I think also just the truth is that I've realized that I sometimes put expiration dates on God's promises. And I think I do it subconsciously. I don't even think I realize that I do it. But I just, I think when I hear a yes from God, like how I heard a yes from God, that I will be a mother one day in my brain, I thought, surely by the age of blank, I'll be a mom. We do it all the time. And it's like God didn't confirm that part. He didn't say when. He just said yes. And so that's something I want to work on, is I don't, I don't want to put expiration dates on something that I am not. I'm. First off, I'm not worthy to touch that. Who am I taking an expiration stamping sticker thing that you put on, you know, that they put on groceries and stuff or on your fruit. I don't know what am I talking about? But, like, you know, do you see it? Like, who am I to be like, oh, yeah, thanks, God, you got that promise. And I put the stamp. Who do you think you are, Ali? That's not how this works. You are not the one to determine when that expires. Only God can do that. This is just an example, is a maybe a prayer. Something that you said to God is like, okay, God, once this thing happens, if this doesn't happen by 30 years old by the time I'm 30, by the time I'm 35, by next year, then maybe it was never for me. But, like, where did we get those deadlines? Is that coming from comparison to other people's timelines? Like, who told you that? When did that happen? God never gave you those dates. He didn't say by 30. So why are you putting by 30 then? And I think a lot of times, like, our disappointment isn't because God broke a promise. He doesn't break his promises. But in our mind at that time, right? Like, if we're like, okay, God told me that I was going to be blank, so hopefully, I mean, surely it will happen in the next three years. I'll be 30 years old. And so by then it'll happen. And then you're there and it hasn't happened yet. And then you're like, God broke his promise to me. But, like, once you realize that you were the one who actually put that timestamp there and he didn't, and then you realize that you're actually not disappointed in God. Like, your disappointment, it shouldn't be on God because He never said that. Like, your disappointment in God is because you think he's broken a promise that he never made. He didn't promise you by this time. He just promised you the very thing. And so it's because we attached our own timeline to something God never timed that we're disappointed and we feel abandoned and that he doesn't love us. We did that to ourselves. God didn't abandon us. He didn't stop loving us. He didn't forget about us. He didn't change his mind. We did that. Can we read just a quick little story from the Bible? It's in the Book of John. It's the raising of Lazarus. Okay. This is a story that a lot of us Christians know already. If you don't know this story, perfect, I'm gonna read it to you. If you do kind of know this story. Perfect. I'm gonna refresh you if you know it word for word. I love that for you, that's incredible. Either way or anyway, we're gonna read this really quick because I think that this is also very relevant to what we're talking about with timing and Jesus's timing. Okay, so we're in the Book of John, which is one of the books of the Gospels, and we're gonna read. Should we read the entirety of. Yeah, we'll read the whole chapter 11. All right. Chapter 11, verse one. So there was a man, a Man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, lord, your dear friend is very sick. Who. Lazarus was actually a dear friend of Jesus. Okay? So Jesus was already very familiar with Lazarus and loved him very much. Okay? And the sisters, like, he's like, these are his friends. But when Jesus heard about it, he said, lazarus sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. At the time, a statement like that would either be very confusing, or if I were Mary or Martha, I would just assume that Jesus would save his life and that Lazarus wouldn't die, right? So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, let's go back to Judea. I love what this scripture says. It prefaces before anything else, it says, so although Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. So even in that, it says, Jesus staying where he was for the next two days instead of going to Mary, Martha and Lazarus in that moment was not a measure of Jesus's love for them. At that time, we didn't realize why Jesus was, quote, delayed, why he wouldn't just immediately go, these are his friends. He loves Martha and Mary and Lazarus. But there was a bigger picture. There was a picture. There was a bigger plan at play here, but they just didn't see it yet. So Jesus said to his disciples, let's go to Judea. But his disciples objected. Rabbi, they said, only a few days ago, the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again? Jesus replied, there are 12 hours of daylight every day. During the day, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of the world. But at night, there is danger of stumbling because they have no light. Then he said, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But now I will go and wake him up. So that's an interesting thing to say. Jesus says that he's sleeping, but he's going to go and wake him up. The disciples said, lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better. They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping. But Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there. For now you will really believe. Come let's go see him. Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, let's go too and die with Jesus. None of them had any idea what Jesus was actually up to. Does that sound familiar? Does that sound like us? Even the disciples at the time, they literally thought that Jesus was on his way to get stoned to death. Because the last time that they had gone to Judea, that's what happened. All the disciples were like, jesus. They literally tried to kill you the last time you went there, and you're gonna go back. And so now they think that they're being all like, faithful, high and mighty, being like, let's go with Jesus and die with him. No one has a single clue what God is doing. It was true then, and it's true right now in our lives. No clue. But that's okay. We follow him anyway. So verse 17. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to counsel Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus told her, your brother will rise again. Yes, Martha said, he will rise when everyone else rises at the last day. Okay, can we talk about that for a second? First off, can we just imagine, oh, can we just imagine the betrayal? Mary didn't run to where Jesus was. She stayed home. So if I were to predict this isn't like hard stone truth right now. Okay, this is just me using my imagination, as I think we honestly should with reading the Bible sometimes, because obviously the Bible is so packed with so much, but there's also so much more that isn't being written. But like, if I were Mary, who, by the way, Mary was the one John prefaces this, that pours out her most expensive perfume on Jesus's feet and wipes his feet and cleans them with her hair. And in Jewish culture at that time, a married woman's hair was generally considered something private. It was common for married women to keep it covered in public as a sign of modesty and respect. While customs varied somewhat by region and circumstances, uncovering or loosening one's hair publicly could be viewed as deeply intimate or socially inappropriate. So when Mary let down her hair to wipe Jesus feet, she wasn't performing an ordinary act of Hospitality. She was offering something deeply personal and humbling. She was, in a sense, saying, nothing. I have not even something as precious as my dignity or reputation is too valuable to lay before you. I also believe that in that act, like, that was the most intimate. I don't know why this made me cry. That was the most intimate gesture and moment that Mary could offer Jesus. So not only that with her hair, but then also her, like, taking her most expensive perfume. Like, that was her act of being like Jesus. You have all of me. You have all of me. You have my everything. You have my dignity. You have everything of me. Like, have it all. That was her way of being like, I want you to have everything of me. And so imagine that kind of dedication to Jesus that Mary had. Like, if we're just gonna specifically talk about Mary. And by the way, this isn't the same Mary that gave birth to Jesus. This is a different Mary. I just wanna make that clear. Imagine the devastation, confusion, and betrayal she must have felt in those four days of Jesus not showing up. Like, they sent out a message and told Jesus and said, hey, our brother, your dear friend is about to die any moment now. And Jesus didn't come. Like, in my mind, if I were Mary, I'd be like, am I chopped liver to Jesus? Like, I thought he was my guy. Like, I thought that was my Lord. I thought that was my Savior. I thought that was my creator, my dad, my comforter, my provider. Like, the one who redeems. Like, I thought this was the Messiah. I laid everything out for him. I poured out everything to him. I mean, I sacrificed my dignity, my honor, everything. I gave it all to him. So, like, if I were Mary, I'd be thinking about all of these moments that I. That I had just laid everything at his feet. He can't even show up and save the life of my brother, whom he also loves. Like, I thought. I thought that Lazarus was your friend, Jesus, and you just let him die. Martha, at this moment, you know when Jesus was like, yeah, your brother's gonna rise again, no one is understanding yet what Jesus is saying, obviously, because even Martha is like, yes, Jesus, you're right. He will rise again. He will rise with everyone else at the last day, meaning the end times revelation, what we just read last week and the week before. But, like, that's what she's talking about. And Jesus is like, martha, that's not what I'm saying. And so this is the first time that Jesus ever performs a miracle of actually physically raising someone from the dead. And that is why in the beginning, Jesus said. And he actually said it more than once. He said, lazarus sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this, aka, in simpler terms, Lazarus, his fate is not ending in death. And because of that, it's going to give me more glory, which means it's going to reveal even more. So that I am the Son of God. I am the Messiah. Because no one else on earth has successfully been able to bring anyone from the dead. And no one else will in the history of ever. Only by the Holy Spirit, by God himself, is anyone raised from the dead. And so that's what Jesus was saying. He said, it's not going to end in death, but he didn't promise that Lazarus wouldn't die. And then Jesus actually makes it clear again to the disciples, and he says, I'm glad I wasn't there. For now, you will really believe. Come and let's go see him. That was Jesus's way of saying, actually, I'm really glad I wasn't there to just simply, like, restore Lazarus health. Because, I mean, sure, yeah, that's a miracle, but you guys have seen me do that before. You've never seen this before, though. And so it also was, like, boosting the faith of the disciples and everyone else around who's going to witness this. Of like, oh, my gosh, you are. You are literally the Messiah. You are the Son of God. How did you do that? This guy's been dead, rotting in a tomb for four days. And so, yeah, spoiler. I'm sure we all know what's Jesus does. Well, Jesus spoiled it. He said it before, but he raises him from the dead. Okay, so then Martha says, yes, you're right. He's gonna raise like everyone else at the end times. And Jesus is like, no, honey, that's not what I'm saying. I love you. But Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never, ever die. Do you believe this, Martha? Yes, Lord. She told him, I have always believed you are the Messiah, the son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, the teacher is here and wants to see you. So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her Leave so hastily. They assumed she was going to Lazarus grave to weep, so they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him and he was deeply troubled. Where have you put him? He asked them. They told him, lord, come and see. Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, see how much he loved him. But some said, this man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying? Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. Roll the stone aside, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible. Jesus responded, didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe? So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me. But I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me. Then Jesus shouted, lazarus, come out. And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, unwrap him and let him go. So from that story, okay, we can probably conclude that from again the sisters perspectives is that God was late. They both said it. They both were like God. If you were only here, Lazarus wouldn't have died. And they then learned that it didn't matter on whether Jesus had arrived then or decided to arrive days after. He had the power to bring Lazarus back to life. And so Martha and Mary had interpreted his delay through a lens of absence. But Jesus wasn't absent. He was still loving them. He was still aware. He didn't forget about them. He didn't forget about Lazarus. And he was still working toward a greater purpose than they could yet see. They couldn't see all of what God was planning for that moment. And so it wasn't that Jesus had forgotten, or that he was running behind or he was late, or that he made a mistake. That story doesn't mean every delay has the same outcome. And we shouldn't assume God delays for identical reasons in every situation. But it does remind us of an important truth. God's timing and God's love are not in competition. A delay may be deeply painful, but it is not by itself evidence that he has withdrawn his affection from us. I think that that is an invitation for all of us to let the cross, not the clock, be the truest measure of God's love. It's the cross, not timing. It's the cross that tells us who he is. And the clock only tells us that we are still waiting. So I think that is where we're going to end the episode for today. I actually might even listen to this episode myself a couple of times because I. I needed every minute of that. Thank you, Jesus. He loves you and his love, his faithfulness. Like, you are not at the forefront of his radar. Like you are on his radar. You are at the top of his to do list. Like, he is committed to you and your life. And I think a lot of times it's easy for us to just, like I said, like, zone in on that one thing and forget that there's so much more that God has planned behind the scenes. And he's moving around a million things. Timing is not a measure of his love for you and it's not a measure of whether he's pleased with you or disappointed in you. Okay. I love you guys. I'm really proud of you. And we get to see each other in two days. Like, what the heck is that about? I'm so excited. I'll see you guys on Friday. But before we go, can we do something cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like Jesus? I love y'. All. Thank you for being here. I'm proud of you. Jesus loves you so much. I'll see you on Friday. Okay, bye. Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my. My big idea for the commercial. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for a 12 month plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. See terms.