How to Keep the Faith, God Hasn't Forgotten About You

Have you ever felt like life hit you from every side — and God went silent? 💔
 In this episode of the She Thrives Podcast, host Dominique Chantel walks us through Job Chapter 2, showing how to keep your faith when the battle gets personal.

Even when pain touches your body, when prayers seem unanswered, and when people closest to you can’t understand — God has not forgotten you. His silence doesn’t mean His absence. This episode will help you anchor your soul, strengthen your faith, and find peace in the middle of the storm.

🌸 Inside This Episode (I.A.A.M Model):
✨ Inspiration: Learn from Job’s perseverance and discover how God refines our faith through trials.
💬 Affirmations: Declare life-giving truths — “God’s grace is greater than my grief.”
🌱 Application: Practical steps to worship through pain, choose gratitude, and see God in silence.
🕊️ Meditation: A guided moment of peace and prayer to remind you — Even here, God is with you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the She Thrives Podcast. I am so excited to be here with you today. I just want to thank you for taking the time out to watch, to listen to your girl. My name is Dominique Chantel, if you don't know, and it is such an honor and a privilege to just be here and to present this information to you and to have you just walk through the different seasons of life so that you can thrive through every one of them. So I actually am creating a community of women who are committed and devoted to wanting to learn how to thrive through every season of life, whether it's your winter season, your spring, your summer, your fall season. We are thriving through each season. So I help you identify the season that you are in and use the resources, resources that you have to thrive through that season of life. Okay. And to teach you on what you should be doing in that exact season. So I just want to invite you to the community. Do me a favor at the bottom, there's a ticker down there. Go to my website, dominiqueschantel.com, and sign up. It's a newsletter, however, it's going to have information that's going to be sent out for the community. So I want you to be the first to get the information. So yes, we already have women in the community, but I am actually, this is the official launch of the community. So I want you a part of it. So subscribe to that newsletter on my website and to get more information. For those of you that have been rocking with me for so long, for it says let love be your guide. Thank you, thank you so much. So this podcast has had three iterations. So one was Let Love Be Your Guide. The second one was the Dominique Chantel show. And now this is season four of my podcast. And it's she thrives. So again, teaching women how to thrive through every season of life. So if that's you, subscribe, like, and share this with as many people as possible. I'm trying to help as many women as I can. And if you know a woman, if you are a man, right, you have a sister, you have a spouse, you have a girlfriend, and you want her to thrive through every season of life, listen, check your girl out. Okay. Um, I'm the woman for the job. Okay. I actually actually um enjoy um podcasting, I enjoy inspiring people, I enjoy helping people get from where they are to where they need to be. So that's what we're doing today. So, again, if you know of a woman who needs this information, share my podcast with her. It's called She Thrives. Okay, I'm so excited. So, today, let's go ahead and jump into this episode. Today, I am talking about how to keep your faith. You know, God hasn't forgotten about you, sis. Um, I know a lot of times and seasons that we walk through when God is silent, we feel that he's forgotten about us, but he hasn't. He hasn't forgotten about you, and I want you to know that today. So, today's episode is about how to keep your faith and that God has not forgotten about you. So, first I want to go ahead and um talk about how I actually walk through and present information in my on my podcast, and so it's similar to how I do on my app. Um, shout out um to Coach Tiffany um Santana. She is just so amazing, and so thank you, thank you, thank you, um Coach Tiffany. Um, so the first thing is the I am model, right? And so it's you're gonna get inspiration. I'm gonna start off with the inspiration, then we're gonna go to our affirmations, then we're gonna go to application. I'm gonna walk you through how to apply it to your life, and then we're gonna meditate. I want you to meditate on the word, okay? And this is how my app is set up. So this is great. So if you um like this flow, definitely go and download the app, okay? All right, so let's go ahead and get into it. So, again, welcome back. I'm so excited to have you. Um, so we're talking about um, we're walking through the entire book of Job. And so in Job 2, we see something um about Job that happens that Job loses everything. And you go if you haven't watched the first episode, go back and watch um the first episode when Job loses everything. Um, you know, in today's society, it's like losing your house, your cars, you know, he lost his cattle, um, he lost his children, he lost his family, and so through that, he really had to take a step back and think about some things. And so in Job 2, we see something that's both painful and powerful, though. So Job has already lost everything. So again, his family, his finances, and his future, right? And so just when it seems that things cannot get worse, y'all, okay, the pain gets really, really personal. Have you ever felt like that? So Satan strikes Job's body from head to toe with swords, okay. His wife questions his faith. So his friends are in silence and they don't even know what to say. So have you ever been there, right? When the storm doesn't stop, when your prayers feel unanswered, and the people closest to you do not understand your pain, and they even may be talking about you. Job was there, okay? So it's nothing new. So in this chapter, um, God reminds us that faith isn't proven in comfort, it's refined in crisis, and when the pain goes deeper, his presence does too. And so, what I found, even in my own life and in my own walk, as I'm walking through this certain season of winter, um relationally and um emotionally, right? Um, so I find that um a lot of people, even people around me, don't understand um the season that I'm walking through. And sometimes people can be cru and say things that aren't helpful to my situation. And so I want you to know that this is normal. People will say things, they will do things that are um, they can be out of their character, and but you have to know that God is refining you within this moment, within this crisis, okay, and God is pushing you to get closer to Him. Let me tell you what I've done. Um, I have put reminders in my phone, and I've been doing this for the last, I want to say, six to eight months. Um, I put reminders in my phone. So in the morning, I spend time with God, um, about 15 minutes just meditating on the word, getting quiet and um being with him in his presence. Midday, I have a reminder in my phone for midday, and then in the evening, I close my night out with um God and just reflecting on who he is. So that brings me back to the center and it brings me back to alignment with him. And so it's been very helpful in my walk, especially during this winter season of my life. So if you are going through the winter season of your life like me, sis, come on, you have got to align yourself with God and get in his presence more. So I would encourage you to do that, okay. Um, the scripture that I want to focus on that is inspiration for us is shall we accept good from God and not trouble? Job 2 and 10. So, what this says is that you know, God is gonna always be God, but we have to know that the same God who gives us the good is gonna be the same God who sustains us when we're going through seasons of life. I want you to catch that. The same God who sustains us, like when everything is going good, he's the same God that's gonna sustain us when everything is going not the way we want it to go through seasons of life. Okay, so keep that in mind. So, even here, um, Job trolls that trust in God, you know, he believed God's character did not change, and we have to believe that as well. So, let's talk about the affirmation, some things that are gonna anchor you to help you get through this season. So I want to really lean into this because although our situation is much like Job, and I know right now mine is, um, so it doesn't negate the truth or it doesn't take me away from my truth, but I can repeat affirmations, God's truth, over my situation. And so I'm gonna let God's word anchor me in this season, in this winter season of my life, um, that I'm going through relationally, right? I'm in the winter season of my life, and so here are some of the things. Um, when life cuts deep and the silence was heavy, let your soul declare what your spirit knows, okay? Even when pain touches my body, my soul will stay anchored in God, even when pain touches my body, my soul will stay anchored in God. So this is the first affirmation, and this is so important because it's important that we be honest with God, it feels painful, it doesn't feel good. Matter of fact, it feels heavy, it's overwhelming, right? And so we have to, you know, let our minds understand that we are sitting in truth, um, but we are professing God's truth back over our lives, so we have to stay anchored in his truth. I will not let misunderstanding silence my faith. So this is really key because there are seasons of life when we're going through certain seasons, we may mistake it as something else. And God's like, No, I was just building you in this season. Um, this is your winter season so that you can again you can reheal some things in your life that need to be healed, that you can reset and that you can focus and that you can think of strategy. Maybe you're in the winter season of your life where you need to get some plans in place. Maybe you need to start preparing, maybe there's preparation for something that you've been holding off doing, maybe you've just gone through a breakup. Whatever it is, this is your time to reset and focus on him and lean into his presence. Okay, next. Um the third, even in silence, God is near. My waiting is not wasted. Listen, has God been silent? Do you think and feel that he has been silent? God is near, it says he is close to the brokenhearted, and he is with you today, and this weight is actually strengthening you because if you like me, I'm like, okay, this weight is drawing me closer to him and making me lean on him, and it is strengthening me and him, and so um, but it's not wasted though, you know. Um when walking through seasons of life, again, they are just that, they are seasons, they are not meant to destroy you. Matter of fact, they can't destroy you. Um, seasons are meant to refine you, to bring you closer to God, they are meant to restore you, they are meant to give you time to process things, and so um, I'm gonna do uh I'm um I'm gonna have to drop an extra video for those who are subscribed about the different seasons of life and how we walk through them because that's what I do in my community. I help women thrive through every season of life, and I'll break down what every season means and how you can thrive in it, okay? Um, so next, sorry, I got off on a tangent, but um, your waiting is not wasted. Um, and then God's grace is greater than your grief. Woo! That's a word. His grace is greater than your grief. Um, so you may be grieving right now, you may be grieving a loss, loss of a job, um, again, heartbreak, loss of a loved one, um, just the loss of a pet, loss of anything significant that you held on to. I want you to know that God's grace, his grace is greater than that grief. But God is like, bring the grief to me so that I can hold it. And I always say that, God, I'm bringing this to you because you can do more with it than I can. And so that's what I do. So the fifth thing, the fifth affirmation that I want you to speak over yourself and over your life is what I'm walking through will one day witness God's glory. Right? What that means is that God is gonna get the glory for any and everything that you are currently walking through. No circumstances temporary, seasons fade, weeping endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. You can't bank on that. So, because seasons change, again, we have to know that our God is keeping us through each one and that he is good. He is good, he's a good guy when we're in our winter season, and he's a good guy. We're in our spring season, and we were in the summer and in the fall. So, thank you, God, for being a great and sovereign God. So, I want you to repeat these whenever fear or doubt, try to speak louder than your faith. You know, these aren't just words, but they're weapons, okay, that you can use to fight the enemy when you're feeling that doubt creep in. All right. So let's talk about the application. So, how can you apply this to your life? You know, how can you thrive through the test? How can you thrive through the test? Now let's talk about how to live this out. Um, because faith isn't just about what we say, it's how we stand. Um, here's how Job's story helps us thrive when life hurts. We have to be honest about our pain. Okay, we definitely have to be honest about our pain. Um this was the hardest thing for me because I was taught to not talk about my feelings. I was taught to just be optimistic, be happy, um, and your situation will go away, it'll change. But the more I did that, the more I felt like things weren't getting better, they weren't changing. I felt really I felt down. I'm trying to give language to the way I felt. I felt like nothing was moving in my life. I felt stagnant. I felt that's the word, I felt stuck, I was stuck in my feelings. Have you been there? Because I wasn't honest about my pain. Again, God can do more with your feelings, your emotions, with your authenticity than you could ever do, and so it's important that you bring that to him. So bring the pain to him. You know, Job didn't hide his suffering, he sat in his ashes, broken, raw, real, you know, you don't have to pretend because God already knows, okay? He knows that you are not okay, so he can handle your honesty, and he meets you in your truth. God meets you where you are, and that's the beautiful thing about our God. So instead of running from your pain, bring it to God. Um, write out prayers, cry out your questions, and let him sit with you there. The best thing that I have done is journal. I've been starting to journal um in the evening time and sometimes even in the morning. But it's so cathartic. Um, it helps me process my emotions, it allows me to get things out, it allows me to say things that I want to say to people or to myself or that I can't. And so the best thing that you can do is get those emotions out, but bring them to God, give them to him because he wants to sit with you in your pain. So do that. Next, don't let people's words define your worship, sis. Let me tell you, Job's wife saw him to curse God and die. So sometimes the voices around you won't echo faith, but you must. Again, sometimes the voices around you will not echo faith, but you must. And it's sometimes the people's people closest to us that really cause us to not stand firm on our faith. Have you ever had somebody especially close to you say, Oh, um, you can't do that? Or um what you think that's gonna happen for you? It's like, yeah, I think that is gonna happen for me. You know, just because you think it's not gonna happen for you, but it is gonna happen for me. And so we have to really be careful about who we allow in our circle. Again, knowing the season that you are in, I'm gonna always go back to this. In your winter seasons of life, you must have a community of people that are around you that are speaking faith over your life, not fear, that are speaking restoration, that are saying you're gonna be restored, that are speaking the promises of God over your life, not people who are fearful, who are stagnant, who are discouraging. You know, um, we need faith partners, people who we are in battle. When we are in battle, I know who to call my prayer partner. Matter of fact, one of my best friends is my one of my prayer partners. I know who to call. I call her because I know when I go to battle, when I'm encountering spiritual warfare, I need somebody that's gonna profess God's word over my life and over the promises that he gave to me. So I need somebody to go to battle. Like, what's up? You know what I'm saying? We don't need any people who are gonna be negative, discouraging. Like, I already know my situation, right? Um, especially during the winter season of my life. I know um there are things that I need to do in terms of budgeting, in terms of my finances, but I need your encouragement. It's worth right now, okay? Being a Christian single woman, walking the walk and just journey that God calls us to um with abstaining from sex, like that's a whole nother topic that we can talk about. Um, it takes work, it takes the laying down every day of my desires, right? To do what God has called me to do so that I can respect my body and know that it's a temple, right? It's not that I don't have the desires, I have to lay them down and not let them overtake me. So those are the type of things that I was just giving an example that again, when people, the people around you, they will influence your life so much, your environment is important, and so that's a whole nother episode, too, in itself, and we will get to those as well. So I want you to know that during your winter season, I would even argue during your winter season and during your spring season, those are the most important, like crucial moments um in your life where you have to have people who are going like battle buddies with you, like faith partners um with you to know, to encourage you. Okay. So um let me get back to um to the next point, and that is um remember that silence is not God's absence. Again, God's silence is not his absence. So um Job's friends sat in silence, you know, and God seemed silent too, but heaven was not sealed. God was watching, working, and preparing restoration. So when you don't hear God, look for him in the small things, a verse that comforts you, a moment of peace, a reminder of his faithfulness because he's there. Um the whole thing about God being silent is oh no, Job's friends is what I wanted to say. If you look at the story of Job and if you really examine that story, his friends were not the best of friends. Like they came, they criticized, they tore him down, they um judged him. I said, Lord, let me never be that type of friend. And if I do begin to be that type of friend, convict me. Because not once did his friends pray for him, but they came to tell him what he had done wrong or that he had done something wrong because God had judged him so badly that he had taken everything away from him, but his friends were so finite and so stuck on again. I feel like religious-minded, right? And when I say religion, I'm talking about they were just stuck on the whole thing about, you know, you're being punished because of this, because you did this. You know, that doesn't always mean if somebody's going through something, mean punishment. God uses adversity to grow things in people as well and to refine people. So we have to be careful. But going back to my point, being a great friend, I said, may I have friends that will pray for me? And that's my prayer for you, sis queen, that you will have friends that will pray for you when you are going through, that you will have friends that will come and intercede for you and love on you and pray God's peace over your mind, pray God's peace over your family, pray God's peace over your finances, right? Over your emotions, that your emotions are regulated. Have them type of friends in your life now, because I'm telling you, for a friend that I can go out with, I got a friend that can pray to. So you need to make sure that you have friends that will pray with you and be with you in those seasons because that is so important. Okay. Lastly, let's go ahead and get into our um meditation. So we are resting in the promise of God, and we want to take a moment. I want you to breathe, and I want you to inhale peace because that's what God gives us, and that's what He gives you and me. And I want you to exhale the pressure to have it all figured out. You don't need to understand this season, you just need to trust the one who holds it. Close your eyes and reflect on this truth. Even here, God is with me. Even here, I am not forgotten. And even here, his plan is unfolding. So I just want to pray. Father, when pain feels endless and silence feels heavy, draw near to me. Lord, remind us that you are working even when we can't see it. Teach us to trust you deeper, to worship you through tears, and to find strength in your presence. And Lord, we surrender this season to you, knowing that restoration is already written. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen. Listen, if you enjoyed this podcast, I'm asking that you share it with a woman. Um, I want you to follow. Um, sis, remember, even when life hurts, you are still thriving. God has not forgotten about you, and this season is not forever. He is building strength, faith, and testimony inside of you. If you need daily encouragement, um, prayer, and affirmations, download the Dominique Chantel app. You can find it. Um, go to my website, www.dominekschantel.com. You can download it on the Apple store, the App Store on iOS, and on Google Play Store on your Android. Okay. Um, again, if this episode blessed you, share with another woman who needs help today because we thrive best together. Again, I'm creating a community of women for us so that we can thrive through every season of life. Until next time, listen, keep standing, keep trusting, keep thriving because God is not finished with your story. I love you. Bye.