Joy Found Through Faithful Waiting

Joy When You Feel Forgotten. There are seasons when life leaves you feeling overlooked, unheard, or stuck in a long wait you never asked for. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1 shows that even when God seems silent he is still moving. Their experience reveals how joy can begin long before the circumstances change and how God sees what others miss. This message invites listeners to rediscover hope in the God who remembers.

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2285086/episodes/18274897

Key Points

1. God Sees Your Faithfulness
    Luke 1:6-7
    Faithfulness is never wasted. God sees the quiet obedience and steady service that others overlook, and joy grows from trusting his unseen work.
2. God Hears the Prayers You Stopped Expecting Him to Answer
    Luke 1:11-13
    Old prayers still matter to God. Even when hope feels gone, God continues to work and answers in his perfect timing.
3. God Can Bring Joy in Unexpected Ways and Unlikely Situations
    Luke 1:18-20
    God often surprises his people by working through moments that seem impossible. The delay becomes part of the preparation.
4. What Their Story Means for Us Today
    Real joy does not come from perfect circumstances but from the character and presence of God. Seasons of waiting can become places where God is quietly shaping what comes next.

Personal Stories from Pastor Chris

Pastor Chris shares how God unexpectedly led his family back to the Iron Range and arranged the sale of homes on the same day, showing how God works behind the scenes. He also tells the story of a student who longed to share her faith and later found that God had been preparing her for the perfect moment to do so.

Notable Quotes

“Bible joy is a deep and steady gladness that comes from knowing and trusting God, not from how life feels in the moment.”
 “God hears the prayers you stopped expecting him to answer.”
 “Living for Christ is an adventure. You never know what God is about to do when you stay faithful.”

Actionable Takeaways

• Revisit one old prayer and bring it before God with renewed trust.
 • Stay consistent in the quiet habits of obedience that no one sees.
 • Ask God to show you one new step you can take while you wait.
 • Begin each morning with the prayer: Here I am, Lord. Use me today.

Scripture References

Luke 1:5-25
 2 Timothy 3:15-17
 James 1:2-4
 Psalm 37:4
 Philippians 4:19
 Hebrews 13:5

Keywords Paragraph

This episode explores themes of waiting, unanswered prayer, disappointment, and renewed joy through the account of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25. It highlights faithfulness in long seasons of silence, the hope that comes from trusting God’s timing, and the quiet ways God works behind the scenes even when life feels overlooked or forgotten.

Challenge

Choose one place in your life where you feel forgotten and bring it to God this week with fresh trust that he sees, hears, and is already working.

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The WELL Faith Podcast shares practical, Bible-based messages from Pastor Chris Teien to help you worship, encourage, learn, and love in everyday life. A new message is released every Sunday. Episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are replay episodes from previous years. Find resources at ChrisTeien.com and Rockwell.Church in Virginia, MN, and follow and review the podcast on your favorite listening platform.