A LETTER FROM THE PASTOR
I think back to 2010. My business was struggling. My rent was more than I could justify spending, so I made a hard decision to move my printing company to a new location. I found a building that I liked, but the owner wanted to sell and not rent the building. I asked him if there was any way that he would change his mind? He told me that he would think about it overnight, but could not see a way that his mind would be changed but, we agreed to talk the next day. I prayed that night and then got up early the next morning and drove to the building with the intention of praying for a while.
I pulled into the parking lot, put my car in park, closed my eyes and said “God, if it is your will that I move my business here, please let the owner change his mind.” As those words left my lips, my phone rang. When I answered, the words I heard were: “Dan, I don’t know why I am doing this, but I am going to agree to rent the building to you for up to 10 years. You tell me what you need, and I will get it done.”
What a way to start a morning! It is a moment that I will never forget. I had a need and I prayed a simple prayer and God came through. That is just one of many ways that I have seen God work in miraculous ways in my life. I wish I could say that everything with my business went smoothly from that moment forward, but it did not. There were many rocky years ahead, but through it all, God was still working.
There are seasons in life when God's hand is easy to see. Prayers are answered quickly. Doors open unexpectedly. Blessings seem to flow freely. During those moments, faith comes naturally because we can clearly see what God is doing.
Then there are other seasons. Seasons when the answers don't come as quickly as we'd hoped. Seasons when growth feels slow. Seasons when we pray, wait, trust, and wonder if anything is happening at all. Seasons when it seems like God is silent. Those seasons of life are also very familiar to me. We don’t like to talk about these seasons like we do the good ones, but they are just as real, and we all go through them.
If you find yourself in a good season of life, rejoice. Thank God for this time! If you find yourself in one of those hard seasons, I want to encourage you today with a simple but powerful truth: God is still working, even when you cannot see it. One of the greatest challenges of faith is learning to trust God not only when He is moving visibly, but also when He is working silently.
Think about a seed that has been planted in the ground. After it is buried beneath the soil, there is often a period of time when nothing appears to be happening. Day after day, the ground looks exactly the same. There are no visible signs of growth. Yet beneath the surface, something remarkable is taking place. Roots are forming. Life is developing. Strength is being built. What appears to be inactivity is actually preparation.
Many times God works the same way in our lives. We pray for healing, and while we wait, God is strengthening our faith. We pray for direction, and while we wait, God is
developing our character. We pray for breakthrough, and while we wait, God is preparing us for what is coming next. We want God to move now, but often His answer is not yet. What we often perceive as delay is actually divine preparation.
The Bible reminds us in Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."
Notice that the promise is not simply that those who receive immediate answers will have strength. The promise is for those who wait. Waiting is not wasted time when God is involved. Waiting is often the place where God does some of His deepest work within us.
Waiting is the place where roots grow. Waiting is the place where faith is built. Waiting is the place where trust strengthens. Waiting is also hard. In the waiting, remember that this season will not last forever, but this too shall pass.
Joseph spent years in a prison cell before stepping into the palace. David was anointed king long before he ever wore the crown. Abraham waited decades for the promise God had given him. Again and again throughout Scripture we see that God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.
Perhaps today you are waiting for a prayer to be answered. Maybe you are believing for a family member to come back to God. Maybe you are praying for healing, restoration, provision, or direction. Perhaps discouragement has begun to creep in.
Be encouraged. God has not forgotten you. God has not overlooked your prayers. God has not abandoned His promises. Just because you cannot see movement does not mean God is absent. Just because you do not have all the answers does not mean He has stopped working.
One of the enemy's favorite tactics is to convince believers that nothing is changing. He wants us to focus on what we cannot see and what we do not have, rather than on who God is. But our confidence has never been in our circumstances. Our confidence is in the character of God. He is faithful. He is trustworthy. He is good and He is working all things together for our good, even when we cannot see it.
As a church family, we have much to be thankful for. We have seen God's faithfulness time and time again. We have witnessed lives being impacted, hearts being renewed, and growth taking place. Yet I believe God is not finished with us. In fact, I believe He is preparing us for even greater things ahead.
There are seeds being planted right now through prayer. There are lives being touched through simple acts of kindness. There are people who are searching for hope and are about to discover Jesus. There are prodigals who are closer to coming home than they realize. There are breakthroughs developing beneath the surface that we cannot yet
see.
The work of God is often most active before it becomes most visible. So don't give up. Keep praying. Keep worshiping. Keep serving. Keep believing. Keep showing up. Keep trusting.
Galatians 6:9 gives us this wonderful encouragement: "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Notice the promise: we shall reap. The harvest is coming. The breakthrough is coming. The answer is coming. The season will change. Until then, we must not give up. We must remain faithful.
As we move forward together, may we continue to trust God in every season. Whether we are celebrating mountaintop victories or walking through valleys, we can rest in this assurance: God is still working. And because He is still working, we still have hope.
My prayer is for the Lord bless you, strengthen you, and encourage you this month. Thank you for being a part of the Calvary Church family. The best is not behind us—it is still ahead of us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, keep your faith strong, and remember: God is still working.