Believe & Speak

Our Bibles contain tons of examples of God helping his people snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. Both Gideon with his tiny band of warriors and Jehoshaphat with all the fighting men of Israel were outnumbered. Then there’s David with his sling shot aimed at a giant and the early church with their prayers lifted on behalf Peter in prison. All of them were ill equipped. But God delivered them from their enemies. He showed up for them, and he will show up for you.

Today’s declaration is as true for you as it was for Gideon, Jehoshaphat, David and Peter. I encourage you to believe and speak the truth about your ability to destroy the enemies of God with the authority of the Lord. Why surrender to a hopeless situation when you can declare the truth in Psalm 118?

God is indeed for you. No matter who is against you, your enemies are no match for God. The secret to overcoming them is found in the Bible stories I mentioned earlier. Gideon and Jehoshaphat inquired of God and then followed God’s counterintuitive plan of battle. David considered Goliath miniscule compared to God. The early church cried out to the only one who could rescue Peter, and God surprised them in the middle of their all-night prayer vigil.

When you walk in the authority of the Lord, you can win an unexpected victory. You can conquer mighty foes. You can look in triumph at those who hate you knowing that God is for you and will help you. Take refuge in the Lord. He has promised to shield and defend you. His strategy may not make sense, but it’s better to trust in him than anyone or anything else. When you’re in distress, feeling surrounded or under attack, remember the authority you have been given as a believer. There’s power in the name of Jesus. You will have enemies in this life. You will have people who hate you. Jesus warned us of this inevitability. But by the power of God’s love, you can overcome evil with good.

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This week's scripture: Psalm 118:5-12

Psalm 46 has been on my mind and in my heart a lot lately. I take great comfort reading Psalm 46 when my cage is being rattled and the ground around me is shaky. Maybe you’re familiar with this part of verse 10: “Be still and know that I am God.” What a beautiful command. Be still. That’s hard to do in troubling times. If you’re like me, you want to do something. I think Psalm 46 has been on my mind because I’m the one who needs to be repeating the phrase that I’ll be asking you to repeat with me today.

I’m tempted to read the whole of Psalm 46, but I’ll put a link in the show notes to an episode I did more than three years ago based on its first seven verses. Today, I’ll start with verse 7 and read to the end because God wants us to redirect our focus from the craziness around us and fix our eyes on him.

The beginning of Psalm 46 talks about how we don’t have to be afraid even if the earth gives way, the mountains fall into the sea, and the mountains quake. One of the verses I just read talks about the Lord bringing desolations on the earth and the verse right after it says God brings wars to an end. In other words, whether the disasters are natural or manmade, the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. That promise in Psalm 46:7 is repeated word for word in verse 11. It’s as if God wants us to know that we know that the Lord Almighty is with us as our fortress. You and I can know that we know that the strong and mighty presence of God is trustworthy.

In the previous episode, I spoke of wars and rumors of wars, floods and famine, and other disasters. I encourage you to listen if you missed it. It’s no wonder there’s talk lately about the end of the world. If you’re still in your 40s or younger, you didn’t grow up like I did with the looming threat of nuclear war. After all these years, we’re talking about nuclear war again. That’s some craziness right there. I remember learning a couple of crazy concepts in my political sciences classes in college. One of them was called MAD, for “mutually assured destruction”. The other was NUT, which stood for Nuclear Utilization Theory. Like I said. Crazy. But God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” That’s Psalm 46:10. Write that down, my friend. Write this one down too; Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” In a mad world that’s gone nuts, you and I don’t have to be afraid. Let’s keep our eyes on the one who has promised to keep us in perfect peace.

 

Episode 13: Episode 13 - Bible Teacher | Author | Shawna Marie Bryant

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This week's scripture: Psalm 46:7-11

No matter what TikTok and Twitter have to say about Easter eggs and bunnies, they cannot negate or erase the truth about Easter. Jesus died and rose again to pay for the sins of the world and cancel our debt, reconciling us to God.

The fifth chapter of Romans has a lot to say about justification through faith and gaining access to the grace and peace of God through Jesus Christ. Today’s episode is focused Romans 5:7-11. In verse 11, Paul mentions boasting in God. I love that! Expressing our gratitude for the goodness of God is one way we can boast in Him. Today’s declaration boasts about what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Hearing the word “justified” reminds me of how Billy Graham used to say that being justified means it’s just as if I’d never sinned. If you’d never sinned, you wouldn’t fear the wrath of God, would you? You’d have no reason to expect judgment to come down on you like fire and brimstone. Romans 5:7-11 explains that those who have been justified by the blood of Christ, can declare that it’s just as if I’d never sinned. If that’s you, then empower your tongue with this truth:

I will never forget when I was in my 20s and heard about a former classmate dying unexpectedly. I was with others who knew her from school and one of them said, “It goes to show that you need to make sure you’re right with your Maker because you never know when you’re going to meet Him.” I was too young and insecure at the time to make the most of that opportunity and ask if they knew how to be sure they were right with God. The book of Romans has the answer. We don’t get right with God through good deeds or righteous behavior. Christ is the one who reconciled us to God. Paul wrote that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, if—while we were still God’s enemies—we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more shall we be saved through his life! No wonder Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

We have plenty of reasons to boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we not only received reconciliation but also grace upon grace, peace with God, and hope in the midst of uncertainty. With all the talk about wars in Ukraine and rumors of wars in Taiwan, with all the talk about floods and famine, tornadoes and climate catastrophes, with all the talk about the end of the world and the coming judgment of God, you and I can rest in the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding. We have no reason to fear the wrath of God. Instead, we can boast in God with a boast like this:

I have been justified and saved from God’s wrath.

I’d appreciate it if you’d take the time to give this podcast a 5-star rating and also text a link to this episode to a friend who needs to know they’ve been justified and saved. Your tongue has power. Use it for good.

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This week's scripture: Romans 5:7-11

If ever there was a valley of the shadow of death, it’s what the disciples faced on Good Friday. If ever there was a table prepared in the presence of enemies, it’s what Jesus did on Easter Sunday. The death and resurrection of Jesus forever disarmed the powers of hell. Today’s episode falls days before we celebrate the redeeming love of God, which—according to Psalm 23:6 is also a pursuing love. If you look over your shoulder, you will see the goodness and mercy of God following you.

I would not have considered reading Psalm 23 the Wednesday before Easter if I hadn’t read it right before writing this episode. Kristi McLelland invited readers to turn to that beloved Psalm in the final pages of a Bible study she wrote called Gospel on the Ground. I just completed her study and spent time thinking about what she taught regarding the Hebrew word for “follow” in Psalm 23:6. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (NKJV)

“Follow” might have been translated like this: Surely goodness and mercy will chase me down all the days of my life. To help us visualize this chase, Kristi quoted a couple other Old Testament passages that use the same Hebrew word that appears in Psalm 23:6 as “follow”.

Genesis 14:14-15 says, “When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them…” (NIV)

Exodus 14:9 says, “The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea...” (NIV)

Imagine if Psalm 23:6 went like this: Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me, chase me, and come after me in order to overtake me.

Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn the world. He came to seek and to save His lost lambs. The goodness and mercy He displayed on the cross still pursues us today. My friend, rest in the arms of your good shepherd. He has promised to lead you, restore you, comfort you and protect you. Happy Easter!

Bring encouragement to someone who needs to lay down in green pastures beside the still waters and rest in the promise of God’s goodness and mercy. Share this podcast and/or a link to my website: www.shawnamariebryant.com

This week's scripture: Psalm 23

Today’s declaration is a wonderful reminder for those of us who more readily identify with a paper plate rather than with the fine China reserved for a special occasion. Today’s declaration is designed to remind you that you’ve been crafted by God with extraordinary value and significant purpose.

Our declaration today is a conditional claim, so rather than declaring “I am” we will declare “I can be”. I hope you’ll remember that with God, all things are possible. Pause to consider the condition to actually being a “special utensil”. You must keep yourself pure. That may seem hard for you, but God has already taken care of that for you. But 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, “God has united you with Christ Jesus… Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.” (NIV) In other words, God makes us holy. God makes us pure. And God makes us able to be special utensils that He can use for every good work.

When we were united with Christ through our confession of faith, we were purified and made holy. God nailed our sin to the cross and washed us clean. God did the impossible by making us holy and pure. We stay pure by remembering and applying 1 John 1:9, which says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV) We do the confessing and God does the purifying. God wants to use you to accomplish good and honorable work. You are not a common, ordinary, everyday utensil. God has made you pure and He has great plans to use you. So, trust that God has made you pure and trust that you can stay pure through confessing and repenting from sin.

If you enjoy the sound of my voice on this podcast, I think you’ll enjoy listening to me read my book to you. It’s called Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance, and it’s available on my website, shawnamariebryant.com and on Audible.

 

Link to Audible: Longing to Belong by Shawna Marie Bryant - Audiobook - Audible.com

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This week's scripture: 2 Timothy 2:20-21

When I was a teenager, a local Christian band sang a song with a country swing that went like this: “Touchin’ and agreein’ as You commanded us, oh Lord. Believin’ and receivin’, all gathered in one accord.” I can’t remember the rest of the lyrics, but for some reason the catchy tune from decades ago has invaded my brain and won’t go away. So, I pulled out my Bible to see where “touching and agreeing” came from and find out if it really was a command.

In Matthew 18:19, the New International Version uses the phrase “agree about anything” rather than “as touching anything” like King James. The New King James Version says “that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

From a literal standpoint, the words “about” and “concerning” are more accurate, but I love the poetry of the King James in light of the context. The verse right before Matthew 18:19 talks about binding and loosing, and the verse right after it talks about two or three gathering in the name of Jesus. Binding and loosing Touching and agreeing. Gathering and praying. What a beautiful picture that brings to my mind!

I don’t see a command in Matthew 18:18-20, but I do see a promise. Praying with another person about the concerns that weigh upon us not only brings unity around the circle of prayer, it also unites us with Jesus, who has promised to be in our midst as we agree in prayer. So, here’s what I want you to do. Find a friend or two this week and tell them about what’s concerning you. Then join your hands and bow your heads. Bind up every wicked scheme of hell and loosen every spiritual blessing from heaven. Jesus will enter into your midst and open His hand to you, and you’ll discover the truth in this week’s declaration.

Did you know that you can also hear me in a much longer format than this podcast? I received my quarterly royalty statement from Audible last week, and it reminded me that I have an audiobook that you might not know about. I read something like 200 pages as I narrate my book Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance. So, if you enjoy the sound of my voice, I think you’ll really enjoy listening to me read my book to you. That book—Longing to Belong—was the catalyst for this podcast, and it’s filled with declarations of truth worth repeating. And I hope you’ll repeat them because your tongue has power. Use it for good.

 

Link to Audible: Longing to Belong by Shawna Marie Bryant - Audiobook - Audible.com

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This week's scripture: Matthew 18:18-20

Obedience isn’t easy, but it IS possible. Today’s declaration contains a promise that—no matter how much we struggle to live right and do right—we absolutely CAN obey God. His divine power at work in us makes the impossible possible.

What is a godly life? Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says a “godly” life is well-pleasing to God and is characterized by a Godward attitude. It denotes pious, devout reverence for God that is manifested in actions. Living that way sounds impossible to me, but God has given me everything I need for living a godly life.

God seems to be pushing a theme in my life lately and it’s this: God’s grace empowers us to live right and covers us when we fall short. 2 Peter continues this theme. God’s grace means we can share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption. God’s grace means we can grow more and more godly even if we stumble from time to time. Peter wants us to know that failure to grow comes from forgetting that we’ve been cleansed from our old sins, which is another way of saying we haven’t embraced God’s grace.

Living a godly life starts with devout reverence for God. The actions that manifest this godliness will naturally follow if we remember the grace of God and make every effort to respond to His promises. So, let’s thank God for cleansing us of old sins. Let’s thank God for His grace. Let’s thank God for giving us everything we need to live a life that is well-pleasing to Him. We are not perfect, but we are blameless in the sight our God because of the redemptive work of Jesus. Hallelujah!

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This week's scripture: 2 Peter 1:2-10

Nicodemus was extremely well read. He knew the prophecies in our Old Testament and he knew history. But he was baffled by the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. He struggled to believe what he was seeing.

The New Testament was written in Greek, and the Greek word for Spirit can also be translated wind. While I don’t think Jesus and Nicodemus were speaking Greek the night we can read about in John 3, Nicodemus’s confusion with what Jesus shared is clear. Jesus was calling Nicodemus—like He calls you and me—to faith without sight. Can you believe in something as hard to pin down as the wind?

I have been walking with God for decades. The more I get to know Him, the more mysteries I discover. God is far too complicated to figure out. He’s far too big to put into a box. He’s far too powerful to contain in my brain. And that’s a good thing. 1 Corinthians 2:11 says, “No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.” (NLT) Isaiah 55:8 says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (NLT)

I may never understand God’s way of doing things, but I know He is compassionate and loving. I know He is trustworthy and good. I know He exists. So, I will hold on to what I do know and let go of chasing after the wind. God has promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him and if we call to Him, He will answer. He may not answer our pressing questions, but He will answer our call in one of His many great and mysterious ways.

Thank you for listening to my podcast. I invite you to follow my written words too by signing up for my newsletter at www.shawnamariebryant.com

This week's scripture: John 3:1-8

The familiar story of Jonah and the big fish inspired today’s declaration, and I believe speaking it will empower your tongue with truth. Jonah turned away from God, spent three days in the belly of a fish, was vomited onto the shores of the city he did not want to go to, and then reluctantly preached to its inhabitants who he hated. Some say this Bible story shows that our God is a God of second chances, which is true. But this story also shows us He is a God of unconditional love.

When my small group was working our way through this story, my husband called out something I’d never noticed. He said, “God loved Jonah or he wouldn’t have provided that plant.”

Stunned, I said mumbled to myself, “God loved Jonah. Jonah!” That seems obvious because God loves all his children, but God actively loved a prophet who was grumbling. Steve pointed out that God saw that the shelter Jonah had built for himself wasn’t good enough, and so he provided that leafy plant.

Wow. God loved Jonah, an angry, disobedient, grumbling man who hardly deserved the shady plant, let alone the loving correction of Father God, who also sent a worm to teach Jonah a valuable lesson.

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This week's scripture: Jonah 3:10-4:9

The story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet is what inspired today’s declaration, and I believe speaking it will empower your tongue with truth.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and so I decided to focus on Jesus’s actions prior to the last Passover he shared with his disciples. The promise in this week’s declaration can get lost in the surrounding revelations about the betrayals of both Judas and Peter. But the promise in our declaration can definitely be found in the verses I’m about to read, and that promise is for us as we enter into this season of Lent—the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter.

Lent is meant to be a time of prayer, fasting and giving. Many people choose to give up something for Lent, but Lent isn’t solely about sacrifice. It’s also about giving. I remember as a child in Sunday school, we would receive a little box on Ash Wednesday that we would fill with coins and return to the church on Easter Sunday. In addition to giving money, you and I can also give our time. Let’s ask God for opportunities to serve him by serving others this Lent. Our humble acts of service will not only bless the ones we serve, we’re in for a blessing as well. I’m not saying you have to wash someone’s feet between now and Easter, but let’s follow Jesus’s example of humble service, and then watch how God pours out his blessings both through us and over us.

Thank you for listening to my podcast. I invite you to follow my written words too by signing up for my newsletter at www.shawnamariebryant.com

This week's scripture: John 13:1-17