Faithfulness in the Unseen: Trusting God's Timing
Summary
Today’s teaching centers on the unseen moments that shape our faith and destiny, drawing from the story of Samuel’s calling in 1 Samuel 3. Samuel’s life is a testament to the power of persistence, faithfulness, and the willingness to serve even when results are not immediately visible. Before Samuel became the prophet whose words reached an entire nation, he was a boy serving quietly in a corrupt environment, under Eli’s failing leadership, in a time when “the word of the Lord was rare.” Yet, it was in these hidden, uncelebrated moments that God was preparing him for his calling.
Samuel’s story is inseparable from that of his mother, Hannah. Her years of barrenness, her rival’s taunts, and her repeated, tearful journeys to the temple were all unseen acts of faith. Hannah’s persistence—her decision to keep going to God even when her prayers seemed unanswered—laid the foundation for Samuel’s own perseverance. She wept, but she went up anyway. Her faith was not just in the outcome, but in the God who hears, even when the answer is delayed.
This narrative challenges the cultural obsession with instant results and visible success. Most of what is truly valuable in life—whether in faith, relationships, or service—grows in obscurity, often without immediate evidence. Like the songwriter who cuts his own grass for the satisfaction of seeing instant results, we long for visible progress. But the most significant spiritual growth often happens in the seasons of waiting, in the “not yet,” in the repeated acts of obedience that no one else sees.
God’s timing is perfect. What we perceive as delay or silence is often preparation. The “due season” will come, but our role is to remain faithful, to keep sowing, serving, and worshiping, even when we don’t see the fruit. The unseen sacrifices, the prayers prayed in private, the acts of service done without recognition—these are the seeds that, in God’s time, will bear fruit not just for us, but for generations to come. The call is to trust God in the waiting, to worship in the unseen, and to believe that He is working in all those times we didn’t see.
Key Takeaways
- Faithfulness in the Unseen Seasons
True spiritual maturity is forged in the hidden places—when we serve, pray, and persist without applause or immediate results. Samuel ministered to the Lord in obscurity, and Hannah kept returning to God in her pain. These unseen acts of faith are the foundation for public fruitfulness. [17:43]
- God’s Delays Are Not Denials
Hannah’s years of unanswered prayer were not wasted; they were preparation for a greater purpose. God’s “no” or “not yet” is often a setup for a “yes” that is bigger than we can imagine. What feels like divine silence may actually be God positioning us for something beyond our current understanding. [34:27]
- Persistence Shapes Destiny
Samuel’s ability to keep returning to Eli, even after repeated confusion, was rooted in the persistence modeled by his mother. Real faith is often as simple as “go back”—to prayer, to service, to hope—again and again, even when nothing seems to change. This persistence is what shapes our destiny and prepares us for God’s call. [40:31]
- The Value of Serving Where You Are
God honors faithfulness in less-than-ideal circumstances. Samuel served under Eli, in a corrupt system, yet God used that season to mature him. Our willingness to serve and worship in places we wouldn’t have chosen is often the very thing God uses to prepare us for greater influence. [18:31]
- Worship Is What We Do Until Due Season
Our responsibility is not to control outcomes, but to worship and serve faithfully until God’s appointed time. The “due season” belongs to God; our part is to keep doing good, trusting that He is working in ways we cannot see. The unseen moments of worship and obedience are what make us ready when God calls. [46:53]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Baptism Celebration and Invitation
[01:16] - Series Recap: God Calls Twice
[02:15] - Introducing Samuel’s Story
[05:25] - The Grass-Cutting Analogy: Visible vs. Invisible Results
[10:21] - The Value of Unseen Efforts
[13:19] - Samuel: Heard by God
[14:56] - When You Don’t Recognize God’s Call
[16:02] - Serving in Difficult Places
[18:31] - Faithfulness in Unchosen Seasons
[21:50] - The Rarity of God’s Word and Our Attention
[24:32] - God’s Patience in Calling Us
[27:23] - Encouragement for “Not Yet” Situations
[31:17] - Hannah’s Pain and Persistence
[34:27] - The Power of Unseen Prayers
[38:37] - Weeping, Yet Going Up Anyway
[40:31] - The Simple Faith of Going Back
[46:53] - Due Season and Lasting Impact
[53:18] - Worship in the Waiting
[56:38] - God Prepares Us in the Unseen
[57:57] - Final Encouragement: Wait on the Lord
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: All Those Times You Didn’t See
*(Based on 1 Samuel 3 and the story of Hannah and Samuel)*
---
### Bible Reading
- 1 Samuel 3:1-10
(The calling of Samuel in the temple, his response, and the context of God’s rare word in those days.)
- 1 Samuel 1:6-20
(Hannah’s persistence in prayer, her pain, and God’s answer.)
- Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
---
### Observation Questions
1. In 1 Samuel 3:1-10, what was Samuel doing when God called him, and what was the spiritual environment like at that time?
[See [16:02]]
2. According to the sermon, what were some of the challenges Hannah faced year after year as she went to the temple?
[See [33:34]]
3. How many times did God call Samuel before he recognized it was the Lord, and who helped him understand what was happening?
[See [25:05]]
4. What does Galatians 6:9 promise to those who keep doing good, even when they don’t see immediate results?
[See [44:30]]
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think God chose to call Samuel in a time when “the word of the Lord was rare”? What does this say about God’s timing and preparation?
[See [21:50]]
2. The sermon connects Hannah’s persistence in prayer to Samuel’s persistence in responding to God. How might unseen acts of faith in one generation impact the next?
[See [41:28]]
3. The pastor said, “Most of the efforts that you make in your life that are the most valuable will be the least visible at first.” Why is it so hard to keep going when we don’t see results?
[See [10:21]]
4. What does it mean that “God’s delays are not denials”? How can we tell the difference between God saying “no” and God saying “not yet”?
[See [43:52]]
---
### Application Questions
1. The sermon talked about serving and being faithful in places or seasons we wouldn’t have chosen, like Samuel serving under Eli. Is there an area in your life right now where you feel “stuck” or unseen? How might God be using this season to prepare you?
[See [18:31]]
2. Hannah “wept, but she went up anyway.” Is there something you’ve been praying for or struggling with that makes you want to give up? What would it look like for you to “go up anyway” this week?
[See [38:37]]
3. The pastor used the analogy of cutting grass for instant results, but said most spiritual growth happens in the unseen. Where do you find yourself wanting instant results in your faith, family, or work? How can you practice patience and faithfulness in the “not yet”?
[See [06:41]]
4. Samuel kept going back to Eli, even when he was confused. Is there an area where you need to “go back” and try again—whether it’s prayer, serving, or a relationship? What’s holding you back?
[See [40:31]]
5. Galatians 6:9 encourages us not to grow weary in doing good. What is one “good” thing you feel called to keep doing, even though you haven’t seen the fruit yet? How can the group encourage you in this?
[See [45:08]]
6. The sermon said, “What you do until God moves is worship.” How can you make worship and obedience a part of your daily routine, even when you don’t feel like it or see results?
[See [52:29]]
7. The story of Hannah and Samuel shows that our unseen sacrifices can impact generations. Who in your life might be affected by your faithfulness, even if you never see the results?
[See [47:12]]
---
Closing Prayer:
Ask God for the strength to be faithful in the unseen, to trust His timing, and to keep sowing seeds of faith, even when you don’t see the results right away. Pray for each other’s “not yet” situations and for the courage to “go up anyway.”
Devotional
Day 1: Faith Grows Strongest in Hidden Places
True spiritual maturity is often cultivated in the quiet, unseen moments of life. When you serve, pray, and remain faithful without applause or immediate results, you are building a foundation that will support future fruitfulness. Samuel’s early ministry was marked by obscurity, and Hannah’s persistent prayers were private and painful, yet these hidden acts of faith were crucial to their eventual impact. Your unseen efforts are not wasted; they are the soil in which God’s purposes take root.
In seasons when it feels like no one notices your faithfulness, remember that God is preparing you for a greater purpose. The work done in secret is just as important as the work done in the spotlight. Keep serving and trusting, knowing that your faithfulness in these unseen seasons is shaping your spiritual character and destiny. [17:43]
“Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” (Matthew 10:16-18)
Reflection: What is one faithful act you can commit to doing consistently this week, even if no one else sees or acknowledges it?
Day 2: God’s Silence Often Prepares a Greater Yes
Periods of unanswered prayer and apparent delay are not signs of God’s absence or denial. Hannah’s years of barrenness and persistent prayers were not wasted; they were a preparation for a calling far beyond what she could imagine. When God seems silent, He may be positioning you for a breakthrough that requires patience and trust. What feels like a “no” or “not yet” is often a divine setup for a “yes” that will exceed your expectations.
Instead of growing discouraged in the waiting, lean into the truth that God’s timing is perfect. Your prayers, even when they seem unheard, are powerful and effective in ways you cannot yet see. Trust that God is working behind the scenes, orchestrating circumstances for your good and His glory. [34:27]
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Reflection: Identify a prayer or dream that feels delayed—how can you trust God’s timing today instead of pushing for immediate answers?
Day 3: Returning Again Builds Unshakable Faith
Persistence is a spiritual discipline that shapes destiny. Samuel’s repeated return to Eli, despite confusion and uncertainty, was a simple yet profound act of faith. This persistence was modeled by his mother, Hannah, who kept going back to God in prayer despite years of silence. Real faith often looks like “going back”—to prayer, to service, to hope—again and again, even when circumstances don’t change.
This kind of persistence is not about stubbornness but about trusting God’s faithfulness and timing. It prepares you for the calling God has placed on your life. When you feel like giving up, remember that your willingness to return and keep seeking God is what shapes your future and aligns you with His purposes. [40:31]
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Reflection: What is one area in your spiritual life where you need to “go back” today—whether in prayer, service, or trust—and how will you practically do that?
Day 4: Faithfulness Thrives in Unchosen Circumstances
God honors those who serve faithfully even in difficult or less-than-ideal environments. Samuel served under Eli’s flawed leadership in a corrupt setting, yet God used that season to mature and prepare him. Your current circumstances, no matter how challenging or unappealing, can be the very place where God shapes your character and equips you for future influence.
Instead of resisting or resenting your situation, embrace the opportunity to serve and worship faithfully where you are. This willingness to be faithful in unchosen seasons is a powerful testimony and a vital part of God’s preparation process. Trust that God is working through your faithfulness in these moments to build something lasting. [18:31]
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
Reflection: How can you shift your perspective to see your current environment as a place to serve God faithfully, and what is one practical way to do that today?
Day 5: Worship Sustains Us Until God’s Due Season
Our role is not to control outcomes but to worship and serve faithfully until God’s appointed time arrives. The “due season” belongs to God alone, and our responsibility is to remain steadfast in obedience, trusting that He is working in ways unseen. The unseen moments of worship, prayer, and service are what prepare us to be ready when God calls us into new seasons of fruitfulness.
Worship is not just a Sunday activity but a daily posture of trust and surrender in the waiting. When you feel forgotten or stuck, choose to worship anyway, knowing that God is present and active even when you cannot see it. This faithful worship in the waiting shapes your heart and aligns you with God’s perfect timing and purpose. [46:53]
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Reflection: What is one way you can cultivate a heart of worship today, especially in moments when you feel like God’s timing is delayed?
Quotes
I wish serving God was like cutting grass, that's what I wish. I wish serving God preaching sermons was like cutting grass. I wish I could watch sin go down lower while I was preaching to you today. You know how powerful that would be if I could see your your shame going down like grass just cutting it down just mowing down all of the bad mindset as you cutting grass don't Don't some of you wish that parenting and raising kids was more like cutting grass, come on where I could see that that I took that bad attitude and I cut it down. [00:09:27]
Most of the efforts that you make in your life that will be the most valuable will be the least visible at first. Most of the efforts that you make in your life that are the most valuable will be the least visible at first. This is contradictory to every cultural impulse that we have that encourages us to post every time we work out. If you post every time you work out as proof that you work out I don't think you're working out right. [00:10:28]
In the text that I read you from 1st Samuel 3:10 it is one of those amazing moments in the life of a prophet named Samuel. Samuel of course would go on to be the prophet that would anoint the first king of Israel whose name was Saul. He would also anoint the replacement for Saul whose name was David because while Saul was the people's choice David was God's choice. And when Saul was anointed to be a king he didn't even want to be a king. [00:11:17]
Before Samuel went on to do all of the great things that we would see him do, he was doing stuff that nobody saw in a situation that he didn't want to be in, and because he was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli God was able to honor his service even though the situation he was in was not the situation he would have chosen to serve in. I'm saying this just in case you hate your job, I'm saying this just in case you hate your apartment and your landlord. [00:18:10]
Samuel was able to minister to the Lord and the Lord was able to mature him because as he ministered to God God matured him and sometimes where you want to be and where you are don't match but there is a ministry where I am if I will do what I'm called to do where I am and I know what I'm talking about because this is not the first church that I served in. I served in a church before this church that was falling apart that's right. [00:18:59]
I decided that as we are planted in this church we will make a decision that while we were here even if we hate it here in certain ways even if there are people trying to get in our heads and get in our ears and tell us that you know if we just angle and position like this I think that was our moment with God where God was seeing could he trust us with you, and I'm not saying I'm perfect baby but I got that one right I got that one right. [00:20:20]
The ministry that we have today is largely connected to all those times you didn't see where we could have done something that we shouldn't have done and didn't do, all that from verse one and Samuel isn't even in the lion's den yet he's just ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli and the word of the Lord watch this was rare in those days. [00:21:24]
The Bible says the word of the Lord was rare in those days not because he wasn't willing to speak but because he couldn't find people who were willing to listen wow wow, when God finds one person who will listen to him, really listen to him watch what he can do. The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli and the word of the Lord was rare in those days there was no frequent vision. [00:21:54]
It's never been easier to have the Bible in your ear right like right now I could be listening to 1st Samuel 3 and you wouldn't even know it but it's what's in your other ear. I had that on noise cancellation that was a really weird experience just now I couldn't hear anything ain't it like that got the word of God in one ear the world in another wow, the word of God in one ear yeah yeah and a constant feeding frenzy on my phone in the other. [00:23:10]
For everybody who is frustrated because you feel like you didn't get it right the first time, watch what God is willing to do to call Samuel. The Lord called Samuel and said and and he said "Here I am." and ran to Eli who was the priest who was his authority who was the only one he knew to go to and said "Here I am for you called me." But Eli said "I didn't call you lie down again go back to bed you need some melatonin boy get get some sleep." [00:24:27]
There are some things in your life right now that before God can do externally what you want to see him do externally there are some things that you have to learn internally so that you can hear God so that they can hear you so that you can get it on the inside so that God can do it on the outside. There are some things that we are waiting for God to manifest and God is waiting for us to mature because the Bible says that he was just a boy. [00:26:19]
He was a called boy but just a boy he was an anointed boy but just a boy he was a boy brought from a barren womb but he was just a boy but he was more than a boy because he was a boy that God had appointed to be in a place that God had assigned him to do a task that God had appointed at a time that God had designated now in the meantime he does not yet know the Lord but that does not mean that he will not know the Lord. [00:27:11]
The one who spoke the word of God to the entire nation started out not yet knowing the Lord and watch this he didn't yet know the Lord even though he lived in the church, he did not yet know the Lord even though he served in the tabernacle, for the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him and the Lord called Samuel again the third time how many times will God talk to somebody that he wants to call as many times as it takes. [00:27:54]
It really doesn't matter how fast you can run it matters how much faster God is to get to you and bring you back I'm calling somebody back today I'm calling somebody back today back to your right mind back to your first love back to your original intended design back to it cuz God said "I'll call you back I'll call you back I was trying to get your attention but you didn't listen I'll call you back I was trying to get your attention but you ran to drugs to stuff the hole that you should have filled with me but I'll call you back." [00:29:01]
If you fast forward to the time that we read about in 1st Samuel 3:es 1-1 Samuel is a boy now not a baby so eventually God gives Hannah what she asked for a baby but she had to take the baby back to the temple and dedicate him to the Lord because that's what she vowed she would do if God gives me a boy I'll give him to you Lord I'll let him serve you so after she had weaned him she took him and she put him there in Eli's temple which she knew was corrupt but she had no other choice. [00:34:40]
If you were to see Hannah go into the temple at this point in her life you would see a proud mother mother of a future prophet her bumper sticker would have said and you would have seen her with her little ephod that she had made for him oh he's growing up so much here's the new ephoda and and you would have seen her going to the temple and sacrificing and being blessed and seeing her boy but what about all those times you didn't see, when Hannah went to the temple year after year after year. [00:36:31]
Hannah wept but she went up anyway, listen to me this might be the word to snatch you out of despondency, this might be the word to shake you out of lethargy is that Hannah wept but she went up and God did not silence her enemy but she went up anyway and God did not give her her prayer request but she went up anyway and she went up weeping and she went up and and and while she would go up she would weep and when she would get there she would weep but it went on year after year and she went up. [00:37:14]
I see a picture in this text of a woman who was willing to keep coming back, even if I don't see the thing that I asked God for I'm going back not by sight but by faith and I see a picture of every person who is in this church right now feeling unrecognized feeling insignificant feeling like life is not cutting grass and you are sewing seed and you are not seeing anything right now I want to remind you that you can go up weeping you can go up hurting you can go up confused. [00:37:59]
Sometimes real faith is just as simple as go back go back go back go back you go back and do it again you go back and love them again you go back and serve again you go back and drop it again you go back and pray again you go back and thank him again you go back and you go back and you go back and you go back y'all getting the point because Samuel learned how to do this through something that a woman did that he never even witnessed. [00:39:00]
Her persistence led to his purpose the only reason he had it in him to go back to Eli no matter how many times it took I heard you call I'm coming back go back and lie down I'm coming again go back and lie down where did he get the persistence to keep coming back like that because he had a mom because he came from a womb that was barren and every time she tried to have a baby she couldn't and every time she tried to conceive she couldn't but she kept crying out to God and she cried until she conceived. [00:39:29]
I think sometimes the greatest faith in your life is that you come back from temptation when God doesn't take the temptation away but gives you the grace to stand up under it, I think it's when you pray for God to send you the relationship and he doesn't and you press into him that much deeper, I think it's when God asks you to change the other person's behavior and he doesn't so you change your approach, I think it's when you ask God to take the strain off of you and he doesn't so he puts the strength in you. [00:49:21]
What I loved about it and why I called you out here is I want all of them to get a picture of their life to realize that it is what you did until this season that made you able to do what I just called you to do in this moment, so it's wonderful it's wonderful it's a great picture cuz you're doing things right now that seem insignificant you feel all alone right now you feel like it doesn't matter right now and you cut the grass and it grows back higher and you go "God why am I even bothering?" [00:56:14]
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