It seems the world has been in a state of confusion and conflict for a while now. it's been about 18 months since the health crisis began and it seems to have brought up so many more areas of conflict for our country and the world at large. How do you wrestle these issues to the ground? How can we stand up for peace and unity amidst the strife? In this episode, co-hosts Renée and Theresa address what remains amidst confusion and conflict and how we can focus during these ever-shifting times.
It seems the world has been in a state of confusion and conflict for a while now. it's been about 18 months since the health crisis began and it seems to have brought up so many more areas of conflict for our country and the world at large. How do you wrestle these issues to the ground? How can we stand up for peace and unity amidst the strife? In this episode, co-hosts Renée and Theresa address what remains amidst confusion and conflict and how we can focus during these ever-shifting times.
Boy, there's a lot going on in the world. And it's been 18 months since March of 2020, till September that all of this confusion has gone on. And actually it was probably before that, with the crazy election that we had. But we're here to tell you how you can navigate that and how God can be in the center of it all and still bring you peace and joy in these crazy times. Welcome to episode 69 of the well-versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller and
Speaker 2:Theresa Morgan. You see Renee and I come to you week after week. And our hope is to share our faith by sharing our life's journeys in the victory that we have experienced time and time again,
Speaker 1:See what we've experienced and what we work on every single day is a relationship, a very special relationship with our creator, the one who made each of us and made the entire universe. But before we get started, we have to plug into that. We have to invite this God into our space, right? This very minute, we do that by closing our eyes and asking him to show us open our ears, to allow us to hear and open our hearts, to hear what he would have to say today. We do that for 20 seconds and we're going to start that right now.
Speaker 3:[inaudible]
Speaker 1:That said, that's 20 seconds. If you've listened before, you know, I'm going to encourage you to grow that time, to grow that still time, it will make all the difference. Especially in these times, I was talking about in the beginning where it seems like craziness. I don't know about you, but I don't even want to turn on the TV. I don't want to watch the news and I don't watch the news, but there can be joy in this space. There can be peace in these times, regardless of what's going on out there, because it's all about what's going on inside each one of us, the God that we believe brings peace, that passes all understanding Theresa. And I just love that amidst all this exterior strife, that seems to be whirling around with what is happening predominantly with this virus that gripped the world. We can still have peace. We can still know that there is a God that cares about each of us. So individually that we can actually have a deep, deep relationship and friendship with him. I love being his friend. I love being his child,
Speaker 2:Absolutely Renee. And I really appreciate that. You honed in and said this God, that cares. You know, it reminds me of the first scripture I'm going to bring up today in it's first, Peter five, seven, God says through the apostle Peter, he says, cast all your anxiety on him for, he cares for you. Wow. You know, the strife, the confusion, all that is going on in the world, Renee, it brings anxiety, right? It brings undue concern or do concern. I mean, all of these things we have to be concerned about, but that brings in anxiety. That brings strife. And so what are we supposed to do? Well, cast our care on the Lord, right in John chapter 16, verse 33. And I'm going to read this from the amplified Bible today, Rene and Jesus is talking and he says this, I have told you these things so that in me, you may have perfect peace and confidence in the world. You will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer, take courage, be confident, sir. And an undaunted for, I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you in have conquered it for you. Wow. So Jesus, of course in his truthful ways is tapping us, right? That in this world, there are going to be trials in distresses and tribulations, but we can take heart. We can have confidence knowing that God cares, and God is at hand to make certain that the things that we tend to stress about that we no longer need to. So if we're concerned about sickness, we can know, we can go to the scriptures that say he heals all of our diseases. We can look at Exodus 23. It says he blesses our bread and water and take sickness and disease from us. So our faith Rene brings us confidence. That God's word is true in that we can sail through life confident knowing that he who promised is faithful.
Speaker 1:You know, Theresa can't tell you is, you know how many times I've read that scripture, John 16, verse 33, and boy, how profound it spoke to me today. You know, I have to just hit on it again. You know, I've the word says, I've told you these things like this is Jesus talking to his deposit and saying, you know, I've been hanging around with you. I've been your friend for a long time. I think about you and me, Teresa. I bend your friend a long time. And you know, Renee, we've talked about these things. I've told you these things. So that Jesus is saying in me, you may have perfect peace and confidence. Like this is why Theresa you and I do what we do. So that in, in us, I mean it edifies and lifts us up just to when we talk about this, but we're telling the world through this podcast, these things so that in Jesus, they may have perfect peace and confidence because it goes on to say, and I love this today because again, I've, I've read this so many times when we're going, you know, when we have an issue in our life, but in the world, you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration like, you know, God is telling us that. Unfortunately, my humans, my beautiful children, my beautiful humans, the world is such that this is going to exist, but be of good cheer, take courage, become certain and undaunted. Meaning, you know, have faith in me, have faith in me for I've overcome the world. And that I think Theresa sums up everything that we try to do. Every issue that I try to wrestle to the ground with my analytical mind and say, I don't understand God. I don't understand Jesus. How can these things be? When people that I trust and know, and love one says, this one says that, do this, don't do this. And yet, at the end of the day, if I don't lift my eyes to the Hills from where does my help come, my help comes from the Lord creator of heaven and earth creator of the universe. I just I'm. I'm reeling right now because this is so beautiful, um, that he says at the end of the day, just look to me and, and wrapping in Theresa, the whole faith word that we talk about so much that we just, each as individuals have to come to this place of faith. That is, you've said so many times is a free gift. And it's, uh, it's something that we, it's a, it's an action word. I love that. We call it an extra word and we have to exercise that faith in these times, especially. Wow. I know I rambled on Theresa. So maybe this time you can, you can pick out the nuggets, but this is such a beautiful verse.
Speaker 2:It sure is. Renee. And what I love about scripture is that we can take it to the bank, right? As the slogan says, we can trust that every is the Bible says every jot and tittle recorded in God's word will not fall to the ground. He upholds his word. The Bible says, as we have talked about time and time again, he will watches over his word to perform it. It does not return void. So very simple, a very simple practice is to say, what am I anxious about? Am I confused? Do I need direction? What God's word says in the first chapter of James, he gives wisdom liberally to all who asks. I think I'm going to ask God today for some wisdom. And then God gives the wisdom. So life becomes interacting with the God of the universe. And that is how faith, right? That is how our safe grows. Because as we say, Rene week after week, Romans 10, 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. The holy spirit who resides within our spirit, he's faithful like a wonderful assistant in an operating room who gives the right instrument, right? Scalpel, please do the doctor who gives the right instrument. The holy spirit gives us the right scripture to stand on in. Then he not only assists us when we put it in our mouth, when we study it, when we meditate on it, but then he brings it to pass in our life. And it's through the trust in God, transaction by transaction, that all of a sudden the confidence comes in. This is what I believe in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 verse. One is talking about Rene. Faith is it's the substance. It's the confidence. Another translation says, it's our confidence. Faith is our confidence of things. Hope for faith is the evidence of things not seen. I believe in the Greek, it actually says faith is the title deed. So we know Renee that we own our respective homes because why we have the title deed to it. We can produce it. Well, that's what faith does. We see it in the scriptures. And we cast either that care on Jesus, where we follow his wisdom, we follow his instruction. And all of a sudden that thing that we, that we are believing for takes place. So Renee, let's try to bring it down to some practical experiences. So right now I'm in the process of building a new home and selling mine. Well, there are some challenges in the sale of my home that we're working through. And so I have been asking the Lord for help in the Lord is bringing legal help. He's bringing construction, help. He's bringing the wisdom that I need to go forth with not only the sale of my old, my present home, but then also he's assisting it. Everything that has to go on in the building of a new. So I'm engaging my faith daily. When I come to something that seems to be, uh, an enigma. I say Lord wisdom. And all of a sudden the contractor or the subcontractor would say, Hmm, that was a little problem. But you know what? We figured it out. And I say, thank you, Lord. So every day our faith is translated into practical action steps in then time after time, month after month, year after year, we know how much he loves us because Renee, you and I look back and say, my goodness, look at all. He has done. Hebrews 10 23 says, hold fast. Our confession of faith for he who promised is faithful in you and I, Renee can stay up all night long talking about all of these transactions, where we saw it in the word, we believed it. We meditated on it. We spoke it in. It happened right in that brings peace and confidence. Not only in the present moment, but also what's happening in the future. God is on the throne. He is not wringing his hands over COVID-19. He is not wringing his hands over political biases. He is not wringing his hands over anything. He knows what is going on. And he is bringing all things to the point where he's going to bring it in. In that Rene, I rest in my confidence is not in the world. My confidence is in
Speaker 1:The Lord, almighty Teresa. I love where all of that is heading. And this back to this idea of faith and, you know, we said, faith is an action word. It's a muscle. We need to exercise. And we do that by exactly what you said, seeing God in the things, opening the word of God, asking for help, getting the word of God to line up with what's happening in our lives. And then we see very clearly, but I also am envisioning this God up there with this motherboard or mothership or mother computer, where he actually has. We know the word says a plan for each of our lives and he is making sure that your plan, if you're, if you're tapping into him, if you're being still with him, if you're meditating on the word, if you're inviting, I love the word invite. If you're inviting God into every transaction of your life, he then executes Theresa's plan. Then he comes over here and he executes Renee's planning. And our little finite human minds cannot fathom that. We can't even fathom how computers work. Some of us coming, some, some technology experts certainly know how it works, but maybe Steve jobs, those kinds of guys, or Ilan Musk in his rocket ships, they understand a little better, but nobody, no science, no doctors have mastered this human body, which is the most magnificent of all God's creations, right? But science is trying to figure out what this God did. It's just all evidence to me that at the end of the day, someone like Renee, I have to stop and say, fate is the bottom line. It comes down to surrendering. And knowing that I don't know that I will not have all the answers that I cannot possibly think like God thinks and be God, I have to trust that God lives in me and that I can tap into him. I can develop this relationship. And then when things happen, that seem, well, why was this okay for Teresa? And it's not okay for me? Theresa's plan. Isn't my plan. Theresa's plan is not what God has for me. And the things that happen in my life that get worked out to grow my faith, to grow my relationship with God are individual to me because God made me and he knows what I need to grow my faith. He knows what I need to go deeper in a relationship with him. And that's the surrender that I work on and come back to Teresa every single day that surrender that, wait, wait a minute, Renee. There's just only so much that is going to be revealed to you at any given time. So
Speaker 2:It's beautiful Rene. And you know, I'm going to come in, I'm going to undergird what you're saying with scripture, because that is the foundation for how we trust. Right? You know, you're talking about the God has a plan for each of our lives, Jeremiah 29 11, right? He has a plan and purpose, a good plan read the next script scripture. And it says, and when we search him with, uh, when we seek for him with all of our heart, when we search got out, we will find him. So there in lies, the daily surrender, the daily surrender I am going, if I am going to seek God, I'm surrendering to him. I'm surrendering to that perfect plan and will that he has for our life. I'm surrendering to what his word says. And when we, we can still feel anxious and still navigate through the waters, the faith. I'm going to read a few scriptures and let the truth of this, of these words, how to bathe your soul today. You know, first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 57 says, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. So through our Lord, what does that mean by putting our faith in the word of the Lord, by putting our faith in Christ, not only what he's done for us in his redemptive work, but what he is currently doing for us in what he's going to do in the future for us. So I like to say, thank you, Lord. I always have the victory through you. And you know, I can sweep. I can say that over and over. And before, you know it, Renee, that anxiety starts to leave because trust in faith rises up into, into my entire being second Corinthians chapter one verse 20 says for all the promises of God in him in Christ are yes. In, in him, amen to the glory of God through us. So, wow. I thank you father, that I'm needing wisdom in this particular situation. I thank you that your word says in James, you give me wisdom, liberally and without reproach. I thank you. Second Corinthians father says your promises are. Yes and amen. I thank you. I always have the victory. Romans 8 37. Thank you. I'm more than a conqueror through you. Who loved me? So all of us sudden I meditating in my focus is on God, in his word. And all of a sudden Renee I'm like, what am I concerned about it anymore? God is faithful. He's taking care of it. He's working wisdom. Not only through my contractors, through my attorney, through my realtor and before you know it, I rest, I rest in my faith and time after time again, Renee time and time again, God is so faithful. Hebrews 10 23, hold fast by confession of faith. That's what I do for he who promised he is faithful. He may take time. It may take time. We can't rush God, but it comes a victory comes to pass every single time. Renee, God does not and will not fail.
Speaker 1:So, so true. And I love that. You reminded us how to, what we call tree and what we've talked in. Other episodes about pray the scriptures. So that's exactly what you were just doing. But that reminder too, that you gave us the scripture on earlier this session, he, God watches over his word to perform it. So what saying to us is do exactly what Theresa just did read those scriptures that you want to come to existence in your life that you want manifested in your life. Read them, say them out loud, talk to God about them because he's watching over his word to perform it. It's almost like you had to put all the, the words in a book, the manual so that we could work on that and have boundaries to what, what our words are, what we're saying, because it's those words that he's performing. So if we just go back to the book, we just go back to the word. That's all we have to do. It's that simple. And he will, like you said, eventually at some point when his timing is right, when he sees it fitting into our plan, whatever, all those things are. Again, you always remind me, Theresa Renee, his word cannot go void. He cannot go against what it says in the book. So it will happen whether we see it in our lifetime or not will happen.
Speaker 2:It actually does Renee. And I love to bookend my prayer with these scriptures. So this again is so practical. If I'm believing for something I say to the Lord father, I thank you. I thank you. You've given me wisdom. We're going to use that one for instance, I thank you in James chapter one, you say you're going to give me wisdom, liberally without reproach father. I thank you. Your word says in Ephesians three 20, that you do things exceedingly, abundantly beyond what I could even ask. So I know in my heart, I'm asking for wisdom, she's going to go above and beyond. And then I say, and I thank you father. At the end of my prayer, I say, I thank you. According to Isaiah 55 11, that your word will not return void to you in according to Jeremiah, one 12, you're watching over it to performance and I'm telling you listeners, you pray like they had a new put God, if you will, to the test, he loves that. He loves that. I would be remiss if I did not share this testimony again, Renee, um, I've I shared it in, I think one other episode, but I'm feeling led to share it again today. You know, I was believing for healing for my dad when he was on the earth healing from multiple myeloma. And I prayed for my dad for two years, I read the healing scriptures. I believed the healing scriptures. They were always there. They were in my heart. I have so many beautiful healing scriptures in my heart. And I would lay hands on dad and pray for him. All of the things the Bible says to do, my faith was taking action in. Do you know, after two years, when we went down to the myeloma cancer center in little rock, Arkansas in my dad had the final consultation with the doctors. They said, what cancer totally gone, totally in remission. And the Lord spoke to my heart and said, I, where does not return it? I watch over a to performance. Wow. Is it w it was so life changing for me. And it's a testimony that we believe God for his word to come true. We don't put God in a box. We don't tell him how to do it. We don't tell him when to do it. And I have to tell you those two years that I, when I would see my dad, when I would talk to him on the phone, those two years were the most beautiful two years of my dad's relationship. My dad and I, our relationship grew faith grew, and my dad did leave the earth. Some years later, it's through natural, not this right. God had healed him from, from the cancer. It was not the cancer, the memories that were born in the two years, Renee, that I was praying for my dad, those precious memories are in my heart. And when I look back and think about my dad, I think about those precious times of prayer and how close we got. So I think God, that, that time was the loud because I can be very joyful. I live my life very joyful, knowing that my dad is in heaven with the Lord. That it's just a time situation. I'll see him again. But those memories hold me fast and content in the Lord did that.
Speaker 1:That's so great. That's a great place to leave all of us that we're going to be with him and together with the ones we love forever and ever. I love that Theresa and the foundational scripture of this podcast, Theresa, where it all starts is with this book that we get all these scriptures from. And what is that scripture?
Speaker 2:That's absolutely right. Renee Romans chapter 10 verse 17. Faith comes by hearing
Speaker 1:And hearing by the word of God. Thank you for listening to the word of God today. We love here. Did you know that you could subscribe, rate and review this channel and receive a well-versed woman journal in the mail. Go ahead and do that. And we will send you a well-versed woman journal. Also the show notes. They include all the scriptures that we talked about. In this episode, you can download them there, right within your podcast app, that you are listening. Just click on the details button, and it'll take you down to the show notes. And last but not least, you can join us in our Facebook community called well-versed woman. Just ask to join and we'll approve you. And you can converse with us more right in that Facebook group. So until next week we
Speaker 2:Love you. Bye now
Speaker 3:[inaudible].