Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms

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Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms episodes

October 05#195. The Christmas Story We Don’t Usually Hear: Faith, Suffering & Surrender | Matthew 1-2 + Luke 2
The Birthday that Changed the World Podcast Episode regarding December 25th.
We often picture the birth of Jesus as peaceful, beautiful, and serene.
But when we read Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2 carefully, we discover something different.
Jesus' arrival was miraculous—but it was also dangerous, disruptive, humble, and difficult.
Mary faced the possibility of public shame. Joseph had to surrender his reputation and plans. Jesus was born in profoundly humble circumstances. Simeon warned Mary that sorrow would pierce her own soul. Wise men arrived seeking the newborn King, Herod responded with murderous jealousy, and Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to protect their child.
And yet, through every unexpected circumstance, God was faithful.
In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox meditates on the birth and early childhood of Jesus through Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2. As Christian moms, we often research, plan, protect, and hope for the best for our children. But the Christmas story reminds us that faithful parenting does not mean controlling every circumstance.
Sometimes following God means surrendering our expectations and trusting Him when His plan looks very different from ours.
In This Episode, You'll Discover
Why Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the King of Kings and promised Messiah
The significance of Matthew's genealogy and the women included in Jesus' family line
How Jesus' name means “the Lord is salvation”
Why Joseph's obedience is such a powerful example of faithfulness
What Mary's willingness to surrender her reputation can teach Christian mothers
Why the Christmas story may have been much less comfortable than our traditional nativity scenes suggest
How God used Caesar Augustus and a Roman census to fulfill His promise that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem
Why God repeatedly used humble and unexpected people to announce and honor Jesus
What Simeon and Anna reveal about recognizing God's salvation
The possible significance of the gifts of the wise men
Why Herod's response demonstrates the world's opposition to the rightful King
How God protected Jesus by sending Mary and Joseph to Egypt
What Jesus' childhood teaches us about wisdom, growth, obedience, and favor with God and people
How Christian moms can surrender the desire to perfectly control their children's circumstances
Why our ultimate goal in parenting should be children who place Christ on the throne

The King Who Came in Humility
Matthew begins by establishing Jesus' royal credentials.
He traces Jesus' genealogy through Abraham and David, demonstrating that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's covenant promises and the rightful heir to David's throne.
But there is a remarkable contrast.
The King of Kings leaves heaven and enters the world in humility.
The One who owns everything is born into poverty.
The One who deserves worship is rejected.
The One who is worthy of a throne is laid in a manger.
The One who created the world becomes Emmanuel—God with us.
This is the pattern we see throughout Scripture: God's purposes don't always look impressive by worldly standards.
And that matters for mothers.
We can spend enormous amounts of energy trying to create the perfect circumstances for our children.
We research.
We plan.
We protect.
We worry.
We try to anticipate every possible problem.
But Mary and Joseph remind us that faithfulness is not the same thing as control.
Mary: Surrendering What You Can't Control
Mary's pregnancy brought her extraordinary privilege—but it also brought enormous uncertainty.
She knew what God had told her.
She didn't know exactly how everything would unfold.
And now, as Jesus' mother, she would experience circumstances no mother would choose.
She would give birth in humble surroundings.
She would watch strangers arrive to worship her newborn Son.
She would hear Simeon tell her that a sword would pierce her own soul.
And eventually, she would watch Jesus suffer and die.
Mary couldn't control the circumstances.
But she could remain faithful.
That is an important lesson for Christian moms.
Our calling is not to guarantee our children's comfort. Our calling is to faithfully point them toward Christ.
Sometimes God's work in our children's lives will look different than we expected.
Our children may face disappointment, difficulty, rejection, or circumstances we desperately wish we could prevent.
We should protect them from what God calls us to protect them from.
But we also have to resist the temptation to make comfort and control the ultimate goals.
Jesus Himself entered the world through suffering and humility.
Joseph: Obedience When It Costs You Something
Joseph is another beautiful example of faithful obedience.
When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he intended to divorce her quietly because he was a righteous man who did not want to expose her to public shame.
Then God intervened.
An angel told him that Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that he was to take Mary as his wife.
Joseph obeyed.
He accepted the social consequences.
He surrendered his reputation.
He took responsibility for a child who was not biologically his.
And later, when an angel warned him that Herod wanted to kill Jesus, Joseph immediately obeyed again and took his family to Egypt.
Joseph's example challenges us:
Are we willing to obey God even when obedience makes us look foolish to everyone else?
Christian parenting begins with parents who are willing to surrender themselves to Christ.
The Christmas Story Wasn't Comfortable
Our Christmas traditions can sometimes make the birth of Jesus look almost effortless.
But Scripture gives us a more complicated picture.
Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem.
Jesus was born in humble circumstances.
Shepherds arrived after receiving an angelic announcement.
Simeon and Anna recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah.
Wise men eventually came seeking the King.
Herod responded with murderous jealousy.
Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt.
And after Herod died, they eventually returned and settled in Nazareth.
This wasn't a simple one-night story.
It was a series of moments in which ordinary people had to keep trusting God.
And perhaps that's one reason the story is so encouraging for moms.
Mary and Joseph had to walk by faith one step at a time—just as we do.
God Uses the Humble
One of the themes running throughout these chapters is God's tendency to elevate the humble.
Look at the people He draws into the story:
A young woman from Nazareth
A carpenter
Shepherds
An elderly man named Simeon
A widowed prophetess named Anna
Poor parents bringing the least expensive sacrifice
Foreign wise men coming from the East

The world's powerful ruler, Herod, responds with fear.
But the humble recognize the King.
This is a beautiful reminder for Christian mothers that faithfulness is more important than appearing impressive.
Your ordinary work matters.
Your quiet obedience matters.
Your prayers matter.
Your willingness to serve your family matters.
And your children don't need a mother who looks impressive.
They need a mother who knows and worships Jesus.
Simeon: Blessing and Sorrow Can Coexist
Simeon recognizes Jesus as God's salvation:
“For my eyes have seen your salvation.”
But then he tells Mary something difficult.
Jesus will be opposed, and “a sword will pierce through your own soul also.”
What a reminder that God's blessing does not always mean the absence of pain.
Mary's greatest earthly blessing—being the mother of Jesus—would eventually become the source of unimaginable sorrow as she watched Him suffer.
Yet God's plan was still good.
This is an important truth for mothers who are walking through difficult seasons.
A difficult circumstance is not automatically evidence that God has abandoned you.
Mary's story shows us that God's presence and God's purposes can coexist with suffering.
The Wise Men Worship the King
Matthew then introduces the wise men who come searching for Jesus.
We don't know exactly who they were or exactly how many traveled to see Him. Scripture simply tells us that they came from the East, followed the sign God provided, and eventually found Jesus.
And their response is striking:
“They fell down and worshiped him.”
They brought costly gifts:
Gold, fitting for a king
Frankincense, associated with worship
Myrrh, pointing toward suffering and death

While Herod is threatened by the arrival of another king, these foreigners rejoice.
They recognize what others refuse to see:
Jesus is worthy of worship.
Herod: When the World Rejects the King
Herod had been appointed “King of the Jews,” so the announcement of another king threatened everything he wanted to preserve.
His response was not worship.
It was violence.
Matthew's Gospel repeatedly emphasizes this tension: Jesus is the rightful King, but many reject Him.
That remains true today.
Following Jesus means recognizing His authority over our lives.
And as Christian parents, we aren't simply trying to raise children who are nice, successful, educated, or well-adjusted.
Our deepest desire should be that they recognize Jesus as King.
What Jesus' Childhood Teaches Us About Parenting
Luke 2:52 gives us one of the most beautiful verses to pray over our children:
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
Four areas stand out:
Wisdom — May our children grow in understanding and discernment.
Stature — May they grow physically healthy and strong.
Favor with God — May they learn to love, obey, and delight in Him.
Favor with people — May they learn to love and serve others well.
And Jesus Himself provides the perfect model.
Though He was the Son of God, He willingly returned to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph and was submissive to them.
The Lord of the universe humbled Himself.
That should shape how we think about both parenting and discipleship.
Biblical Parenting: Don't Make Comfort the Goal
One of the most challenging questions this passage raises for Christian moms is:
What if I'm trying too hard to make my children's lives easy?
Mary and Joseph didn't have an easy road.
Jesus didn't have an easy childhood.
And Scripture never promises that faithful families will be protected from every hardship.
Our goal isn't to engineer a painless life for our children.
Our goal is to raise children who know who is worthy of sitting on the throne.
That means we can pray for protection without making protection our god.
We can pursue wisdom without demanding control.
We can prepare our children without believing we can guarantee their outcomes.
And we can trust that God is able to work even through circumstances we would never have chosen.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan, these chapters are an important reminder that the Bible is one unified story.
The promises made to Abraham.
The covenant with David.
The prophecies of the Messiah.
The promise of a Savior.
The hope of God's presence.
All of it is moving toward Jesus.
And now that we're reading the Gospels, we're watching those promises unfold.
As you read Matthew and Luke, don't simply ask, “What happened?”
Ask:
What does this reveal about Jesus?
What does this reveal about God?
What does this reveal about faithfulness?
How should this change the way I live in my home?
And perhaps most importantly:
Am I willing to surrender my plans to the King?
You can surrender your children, your plans, and your future to the King.
We often picture the birth of Jesus as peaceful, beautiful, and serene.
But when we read Matthew 1–2 and Luke 2 carefully, we discover something different.
Jesus' arrival was miraculous—but it was also dangerous, disruptive, humble, and difficult.
Mary faced the possibility of public shame. Joseph had to surrender his reputation and plans. Jesus was born in profoundly humble circumstances. Simeon warned Mary that sorrow would pierce her own soul. Wise men arrived seeking the newborn King, Herod responded with murderous jealousy, and Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to protect their child.
And yet, through every unexpected circumstance, God was faithful.
Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
19 min
October 02#194. Come and See: Jesus, Mary, John & the Beginning of the New Testament | Luke 1, John 1
The New Testament is here! After walking through all 39 books of the Old Testament in our chronological Bible reading plan, we finally turn the page to the Gospels and meet Jesus in His earthly ministry.
In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox begins the New Testament by studying Luke 1 and John 1 and reflecting on the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah.
Luke introduces us to Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and Mary—the humble young woman who responds to God's extraordinary calling with, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.” We see God's faithfulness to His promises, His heart for the humble, His use of families to accomplish His purposes, and His plan to send a Savior.
Then John introduces us to Jesus in a completely different way: “In the beginning was the Word.” Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and the Messiah who came to dwell among us.
And throughout these chapters, one invitation keeps appearing:
Come and see.
Come and see who Jesus is.
Come and see what God has done.
Come and see the Savior who has finally come.
In This Episode, You'll Discover
Why Luke wrote his Gospel and his desire for readers to have certainty concerning the things they have been taught
What Luke's Gospel reveals about Jesus' compassion for the overlooked and marginalized
How God used Zechariah and Elizabeth's family in His redemptive plan
The connection between John's birth and the prophecy at the end of Malachi
What Mary's response teaches us about humility, surrender, and obedience
Why Mary's Magnificat reveals her knowledge of Scripture and God's covenant promises
How God used Mary and Elizabeth to encourage one another
Why being filled with the Holy Spirit repeatedly leads to worship throughout Luke
The theological emphasis of John's Gospel
Why John calls Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”
Seven names or descriptions of Jesus found in John 1
Why John the Baptist points away from himself and toward Jesus
The repeated invitation to “Come and see”
What these chapters teach Christian moms about worship, humility, motherhood, family, and faithfulness

Luke 1: God Uses Humble People
Luke begins his Gospel by telling us why he wrote it: so that Theophilus—and everyone who reads it—might have certainty about the truth of what they have been taught.
Then Luke brings us into the story through two families.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are described as righteous and faithful, yet they have experienced years of disappointment and barrenness.
Mary is a young woman from Nazareth who receives an announcement that will completely change her life.
Neither story unfolds according to human expectations.
But God is faithful.
The angel Gabriel tells Zechariah that John will prepare the way for the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy we just encountered in Malachi:
“And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children…”
Then Gabriel comes to Mary with an even greater announcement: she will give birth to the Son of God, the promised King whose kingdom will never end.
Mary's response is remarkable:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Mary doesn't respond by demanding control over the situation. She surrenders herself to God's purposes.
What Mary Teaches Christian Moms About Surrender
Mary's calling came with a cost.
She was willing to surrender her reputation, her plans, her expectations, and her future to God's purposes.
That makes her response especially meaningful for Christian mothers.
Motherhood requires surrender in countless ways. Our children, our homes, our schedules, our plans, and even our hopes for the future can tempt us to believe that we need to control the outcome.
But biblical motherhood begins with recognizing that we belong to the Lord before we belong to anything else.
Mary didn't know every detail of what God would do.
She simply trusted the One who had spoken.
And she declared herself His servant.
What would change in our homes if we approached our own lives with that same posture?
“I am the servant of the Lord.”
Elizabeth: The Gift of a Woman Who Believes You
One of the most beautiful moments in Luke 1 happens when Mary visits Elizabeth.
Mary has received an extraordinary message that would have been difficult for others to understand. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, responds with joy and affirmation.
She doesn't compete with Mary.
She doesn't question God's plan.
She rejoices.
For Christian women and mothers, this is a beautiful picture of how we can encourage one another.
We need women who will point us back to God's Word, remind us of His faithfulness, and rejoice when we see Him working.
Who are you encouraging in her walk with Christ?
And who has God placed in your life to encourage you?
John the Baptist: Preparing the Way for Jesus
John's birth fulfills the promise made through Malachi.
His calling is not to draw attention to himself but to prepare people for the Lord.
That becomes a powerful picture for Christian parenting.
Our children are not ultimately ours to shape according to our own image or ambitions.
They have been entrusted to us so that we can point them toward Christ.
John's life reminds us that our calling is not to make ourselves the center of the story.
Jesus is the center.
Our parenting, our marriages, our homes, and our daily lives can all become places where we say:
Come and see.
Come and see who Jesus is.
Come and see His goodness.
Come and see His faithfulness.
Come and see the One who saves.
John 1: The Word Became Flesh
After Luke's detailed introduction to the birth of Christ, John takes us all the way back to eternity:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John wants us to understand something essential:
Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem.
He existed before creation.
He is God.
He is the Creator.
He is the Light.
And “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
This is the heart of The Dwelling Place.
The God who has always desired to dwell with His people came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
He didn't remain distant.
He came near.
He came to save.
And He invites us to know Him.
Seven Names of Jesus in John 1
John's Gospel gives us a rich theological introduction to Jesus. In this chapter, we see Him identified as:
The Lamb of God
The Son of God
Rabbi
The Son of Man
The Messiah
The King of Israel
Jesus of Nazareth

Each name gives us another glimpse of who Jesus is.
He is not merely a teacher whose example we admire.
He is the Savior of the world.
“Come and See”
One phrase stands out throughout John 1:
“Come and see.”
Andrew hears John the Baptist identify Jesus and begins following Him.
Then Andrew tells his brother.
Jesus calls Philip.
Philip finds Nathanael.
And the invitation continues:
Come and see.
That is the invitation of the Gospel.
And it can become the banner over our lives as Christian women.
Instead of trying to convince everyone through our own strength, what if our homes became places where people could encounter the reality of Jesus?
What if our children could look at our lives and hear:
Come and see.
Come and see the God who forgives.
Come and see the God who is faithful.
Come and see the God who meets us in weakness.
Come and see the Savior who gave Himself for us.
What This Means for Christian Moms
These opening chapters of the New Testament remind us that God loves to work through families.
He worked through Zechariah and Elizabeth.
He worked through Mary.
He worked through Joseph.
He used John the Baptist to prepare people for Jesus.
And He continues to work through ordinary families today.
Biblical parenting isn't ultimately about creating perfect children or perfect homes.
It's about creating a home where Christ is known, worshiped, followed, and proclaimed.
That means our children don't need mothers who pretend to have everything together.
They need mothers who know where to go when they don't.
They need to see us humble ourselves.
They need to see us repent.
They need to see us worship.
They need to see us trust God's Word.
And they need to hear us continually point them toward Jesus.
Come and see.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan, these chapters are a beautiful reminder that the Bible is one unified story.
The Old Testament wasn't a collection of disconnected stories.
The promises God made to Abraham, David, and Israel were moving toward their fulfillment.
The prophecy in Malachi prepares us for John.
The promises concerning David's throne point toward Jesus.
The covenants and promises of the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Christ.
And now, as we begin the New Testament, we get to watch those promises unfold through the life of Jesus.
So don't simply read these familiar passages as stories you've heard before.
Come and see.
Ask God to show you something about Himself.
Ask Him to deepen your understanding of Jesus.
Ask Him to transform the way you worship.
And then let that transformation spill over into your home.
Key Scriptures
Luke 1:37 — “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:38 — “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:46–47 — Mary's worship: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Luke 1:68–69 — Zechariah praises God for visiting and redeeming His people.
Luke 1:76–79 — John will prepare the way of the Lord.
John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word…”
John 1:14 — “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
John 1:29 — “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:46 — “Come and see.”
A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father,
We are filled with gratitude that You are exactly who You say You are and that You do what You promise to do.
Thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Your Word.
As we begin the New Testament, give us eyes to see Jesus, ears to hear Your Word, and hearts that are willing to surrender to You.
Make us women who recognize our weakness so that the strength of Christ can be displayed through us.
Make our homes places where our children can see Your goodness, Your mercy, Your holiness, and Your faithfulness.
May the banner “Come and see” wave over our motherhood, our marriages, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and everything we do.
Draw our children to Yourself.
Convince them of Your goodness.
Strengthen them to walk faithfully with You.
And may our lives continually point away from ourselves and toward Jesus—the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, and the One who came to dwell among us.
In Jesus' name, amen.
📖 Keep Reading With Us
The New Testament has begun!
If you've been following The Dwelling Place chronological Bible reading plan, keep going. The next chapters may be familiar—but pray that God will give you fresh eyes to see Jesus.
Come and see.
He's here.Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
17 min
October 01#193. The Word Became Flesh: Finishing the Old Testament & Beginning the New Testament!! Congrats!!
You made it through the Old Testament! 🎉
After reading all 39 books of the Old Testament, tomorrow we begin the New Testament—and there is no better way to make that transition than by pausing to celebrate what God has revealed about Jesus Christ throughout His Word.
In this special episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox celebrates the completion of the Old Testament portion of the chronological Bible reading plan and looks ahead to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
John 1 reminds us that Jesus was not simply a man who appeared in history. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus was with God in the beginning, He was God, and all things were created through Him.
As we move from Malachi into the Gospels, we can look back and recognize that Jesus was present throughout the story of Scripture. The Old Testament continually points forward to the long-awaited Messiah.
And tomorrow, we finally begin reading about Jesus’ earthly ministry in the New Testament!
In This Episode, You’ll Discover
Why completing the Old Testament is worth celebrating
How Jesus is revealed throughout all 39 books of the Old Testament
Why John begins his Gospel by pointing us all the way back to creation
What it means that Jesus is the Word who became flesh
A brief overview of the intertestamental period between Malachi and the birth of Jesus
How Greek language and culture helped prepare the historical setting for the spread of the Gospel
The Septuagint and why the Greek translation of the Old Testament mattered
The Maccabean Revolt and the political changes leading up to Jesus' birth
How synagogues, Pharisees, and Sadducees developed before the time of Christ
Why the four Gospels are different from one another
The unique emphasis and audience of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
How the Gospels reveal Jesus as fully God and fully man
Why tomorrow's reading begins the New Testament—and introduces us to Jesus

Jesus Throughout the Old Testament
One of the beautiful things about completing a chronological Bible reading plan is being able to look back and see the unfolding story of redemption.
From Genesis to Malachi, Scripture continually points us toward Christ.
As the Name Above All Names poem reminds us:
Genesis: Jesus is the ram at Abraham's altar.
Exodus: Jesus is the Passover Lamb.
Leviticus: He is the High Priest.
Numbers: He is the cloud by day and pillar by night.
Deuteronomy: He is our city of refuge.
Joshua: He is the scarlet thread.
Judges: He is our Judge.
Ruth: He is our Kinsman Redeemer.
1 & 2 Samuel: He is the trusted Prophet.
Kings & Chronicles: He is our reigning King.
Ezra: He is the faithful scribe.
Nehemiah: He is the rebuilder of what is broken.
Esther: He is the faithful protector of His people.
Job: He is our Redeemer who lives.
Psalms: He is our Shepherd.
Proverbs & Ecclesiastes: He is our Wisdom.
Song of Solomon: He is the Bridegroom.
Isaiah: He is the suffering Servant.
Jeremiah & Lamentations: He is the weeping Prophet.
Daniel: He is present in the fiery furnace.
Hosea: He is the faithful love of God.
Joel: He is the One who gives the Holy Spirit.
Obadiah: He is our Savior.
Jonah: He points us toward God's heart for the nations.
Nahum: He is the righteous Judge.
Habakkuk: He is the One we wait for in faith.
Zephaniah: He is the Lord mighty to save.
Haggai: He is the restorer.
Zechariah: He is the fountain of cleansing.
Malachi: He is the Sun of Righteousness who brings healing.

As you look back over your own Bible reading, what stood out to you?
Perhaps you saw Jesus as the God who sees you. Perhaps you saw His faithfulness, mercy, holiness, wisdom, justice, or patience in a new way.
Take some time today to reflect on how God has changed your understanding of Him through His Word.
From Malachi to Matthew: What Happened?
After Malachi, there is a period of roughly four centuries without the prophetic books we find in Scripture.
But God was not inactive.
The intertestamental period was filled with political, cultural, and religious developments that shaped the world into which Jesus was born.
During this time:
The Persian Empire gave way to Greek rule.
Alexander the Great spread Greek language and culture throughout the region.
The Old Testament was translated into Greek in what became known as the Septuagint.
Alexander's empire was divided among his generals after his death.
The Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms competed for control.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes severely persecuted the Jewish people and desecrated the temple.
The Maccabean Revolt eventually led to a period of Jewish independence.
Roman power eventually took control of Judea.
Herod the Great ruled Judea when Jesus was born.
Synagogues and religious leadership structures developed throughout the Jewish world.

So although the prophetic voice had grown silent, God's purposes had not stopped.
He was preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah.
Four Gospels. One Savior.
Tomorrow, we begin the New Testament—and we begin with four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are not four different Jesuses. They are four Gospel accounts that present Jesus from different perspectives and to different audiences.
Matthew: Jesus the Messiah and King
Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the promised Messiah and rightful King.
He repeatedly connects Jesus' life to Old Testament prophecy and highlights His place in the line of David.
Mark: Jesus the Servant
Mark moves quickly and emphasizes Jesus' actions and ministry.
Jesus is presented as the suffering Servant who came to serve and ultimately give His life for others.
Luke: Jesus the Savior of All People
Luke emphasizes Jesus as the Son of Man and highlights His mission to seek and save.
His Gospel especially emphasizes that the good news of Jesus extends beyond the Jewish people to the nations.
John: Jesus the Son of God
John begins before Jesus' earthly ministry—even before creation:
“In the beginning was the Word.”
John's purpose is clearly stated in John 20:31: these things were written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we might have life in His name.
And tomorrow, we begin reading it.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you've been following the chronological Bible reading plan, don't rush past this milestone.
You just read 39 books of the Bible.
You watched God's promises unfold. You saw Israel's faithfulness and rebellion. You encountered kings, prophets, judges, priests, exiles, restorations, suffering, judgment, mercy, and hope.
And throughout it all, God was preparing the way for Jesus.
As moms, we can sometimes feel pressure to simply get through the next chapter, the next task, or the next day. But God's Word invites us to slow down long enough to recognize the bigger story.
We aren't simply teaching our children Bible stories.
We're teaching them the story of God's redemptive work—and pointing them to Jesus.
The goal of biblical parenting isn't merely to raise children who know Bible facts. We want our children to know the God revealed in Scripture, to recognize their need for Christ, and to understand that the whole Bible tells one unfolding story of redemption.
So celebrate today.
Then open your Bible tomorrow.
The Old Testament pointed forward to Him. Now we get to walk with Jesus through the Gospels.
Key Scriptures
John 1:1–5 — Jesus, the Word, was with God and was God from the beginning.
John 1:14 — “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
John 1:12–13 — Those who receive Christ and believe in His name become children of God.
John 20:31 — The Gospels were written so that we might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in His name.
Malachi 4:2 — The coming Messiah is described as the “sun of righteousness” who brings healing.
A Prayer for the Beginning of the New Testament
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness.
Thank You for the privilege of studying Your Word and for the 39 books of the Old Testament that reveal Your perfection, glory, patience, mercy, and faithfulness.
Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ.
As we begin the New Testament tomorrow, give us eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that are soft and receptive to what You want to teach us.
Even if we've heard these stories many times before, reveal Yourself to us in fresh ways. Strengthen our faith and transform us through every moment we spend in Your Word.
And Lord, let the peace of Christ become the foundation of our lives and something our children can see in us.
May our study of Scripture not simply give us more information, but may it deepen our love for Jesus and strengthen us to raise children who know and love You.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Tomorrow: We Begin the New Testament!
You made it through the Old Testament. Now the waiting is over.
Tomorrow, we begin the New Testament and turn our attention to the long-awaited Messiah—Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.
If you've been following along with the Dwelling Place chronological Bible reading plan, don't miss the beginning of this next part of the journey.
Open your Bible tomorrow.
He's here.Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
17 min
September 30#192. The Refiner's Reflection: Malachi's Lesson for Christian Wives and Mothers
What if God’s love for you isn’t always the kind of love that makes life easier—but the kind of love that makes you more like Jesus?
Today on The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, we reach the final book and final day of our Old Testament chronological Bible reading plan! Malachi brings the Old Testament to a close with a powerful message about God’s covenant faithfulness, spiritual compromise, marriage, parenting, holiness, and the refining love of God.
After centuries of God's faithfulness to Israel, His people have once again become apathetic and disobedient. Through a series of questions and answers, Malachi exposes their hearts—and reminds them that God does not merely want outward religious behavior. He wants His people to love Him, honor His Word, and walk faithfully with Him.
For Christian moms, Malachi has especially important lessons about biblical parenting and Christian marriage. God calls us to put His Word on our lips, guard our hearts and spirits, honor our marriage covenants, and faithfully point our children toward Him.
But Malachi ends with something even greater: hope.
The Old Testament closes with God's people still waiting. The promised Messiah has not yet come. John the Baptist has not yet appeared. The Sun of Righteousness has not yet risen.
The story isn't finished.
And that makes this the perfect place to turn the page to the New Testament and meet Jesus.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover
Why Malachi's message was necessary before 400 years of prophetic silence
How God's refining love differs from the passive love our culture often expects
What Malachi teaches us about spiritual leadership in the home
Why Christian moms should seek to have “true instruction” on their lips
God's design and purpose for marriage
What it means to guard your heart and spirit within marriage
How God can use difficult circumstances to refine us into the image of Christ
Why the refiner's fire is actually a picture of God's loving presence
How Malachi points forward to John the Baptist and Jesus
What the final verses of the Old Testament reveal about God's heart for families
Why the Old Testament ends with unresolved longing—and why that's good news
How Christian moms can wait faithfully for God when His promises aren't yet fulfilled

God Loves His People With a Refining Love
Malachi begins with a statement that God's people apparently struggled to believe:
God loves them.
Their response is essentially, How have You loved us?
Their circumstances and spiritual condition made God's love difficult for them to recognize.
But throughout Malachi, we see that God's love isn't merely sentimental or permissive.
God's love is refining.
He loves His people enough to confront their sin, expose their hypocrisy, and call them back to Himself.
That is an important truth for Christian mothers.
We often think of love as making someone feel comfortable, protected, or happy. But biblical love sometimes requires confrontation, correction, perseverance, and the willingness to endure discomfort for the sake of someone's holiness.
God doesn't simply want His people to feel loved.
He wants to make them holy.
And He does the same work in us.
What Kind of “Messenger” Are We?
Malachi means “my messenger” or “the Lord's messenger.”
And Malachi's message to the priests is essentially: This was supposed to be your purpose.
They were supposed to teach God's Word faithfully and lead God's people toward Him. Instead, their teaching had become corrupted and their worship had become careless.
But as New Testament believers, we have an incredible identity.
Because of Jesus, we are described as a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
That gives mothers a beautiful picture of our responsibility.
As we disciple our children, what is on our lips?
Are we teaching them God's truth?
Are our lives consistent with the truth we teach?
Are we walking in peace and uprightness?
Are we helping turn our children away from sin and toward their Savior?
Malachi 2:6 gives us a picture worth praying over:
“True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.” — Malachi 2:6 (ESV)
What a beautiful description for a Christian mother to desire.
God Cares About the Health of Our Marriages
Malachi 2 turns from spiritual leadership to marriage.
God confronts His people for being unfaithful to their spouses and reminds them that marriage is a covenant.
Then comes a striking statement:
“And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring.” — Malachi 2:15 (ESV)
Marriage matters because faithfulness in marriage is connected to the spiritual formation of the family.
A healthy marriage provides an important environment for children to see what covenant love, sacrifice, repentance, forgiveness, and faithfulness look like.
But this passage should never be used to burden women who are experiencing marital brokenness or to imply that a difficult marriage means they have failed their children.
Scripture itself gives us examples of people who faithfully followed God despite the spiritual failures of their families.
Our children's ultimate hope is not a perfect marriage between their parents.
Their hope is Jesus.
For those experiencing separation, divorce, abandonment, abuse, or other painful circumstances, God's heart is not to shame the wounded. He is the God who cares for the widow and the fatherless and who draws near to the brokenhearted.
Guard Your Heart and Your Spirit
One of the phrases that stands out in Malachi 2 is:
“So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless...” — Malachi 2:16 (ESV)
That command reaches deeper than outward behavior.
We can sometimes do the right thing externally while our hearts are filled with bitterness, resentment, disappointment, or anger.
And God sees the heart.
This is one of the hardest parts of Christian marriage—and Christian motherhood.
We can say the right words while internally rehearsing everything that is wrong with our spouse.
We can serve our families while quietly becoming bitter.
We can look faithful on the outside while our hearts are drifting from the Lord.
Malachi reminds us that God wants more than outward compliance.
He wants our hearts.
And thankfully, He doesn't simply command us to become pure through our own effort.
He provides His Spirit to transform us.
The Refiner's Fire
Malachi 3 contains one of the most beautiful pictures of God's sanctifying work:
“For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap.” — Malachi 3:2 (ESV)
A refiner heats precious metal to remove impurities.
The goal isn't to destroy the silver or gold.
The goal is to make it pure.
And Malachi says that God will “sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
There is comfort in that picture.
God does not throw us into the fire and walk away.
He is present.
He knows exactly what He is doing.
And He knows when the refining work is complete.
As Christian moms, we may desperately want God to remove a difficult circumstance from our lives or our children's lives. But sometimes the better prayer is:
“Lord, what are You producing through this?”
God's goal is not simply to make our lives comfortable.
His goal is to conform us to the image of His Son.
Romans 8:28–29 reminds us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him—and defines that good as being “conformed to the image of his Son.”
The refiner's fire is ultimately about reflection.
Is Christ becoming more visible in us?
The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise
Malachi also reminds us that God's refining work isn't the end of the story.
For those who fear His name:
“The Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings.” — Malachi 4:2 (ESV)
The Old Testament closes by pointing forward.
The people are still waiting.
The Messiah hasn't arrived.
John the Baptist hasn't yet come to prepare the way.
The promises haven't all been fulfilled.
And that is exactly how the Old Testament is supposed to end.
We are supposed to want more.
We are supposed to ask:
Who will fulfill God's promises?
Who will finally accomplish the restoration His people need?
Who will rescue His people from their sin?
Turn the page.
Jesus is coming.
“He Will Turn the Hearts of Fathers to Their Children”
The final verses of the Old Testament contain a beautiful promise:
“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” — Malachi 4:6 (ESV)
What a fitting conclusion for a Bible podcast for busy Christian moms.
God cares about the hearts of families.
He cares about reconciliation.
He cares about parents faithfully leading their children.
And He cares about children knowing and honoring Him.
For moms praying for restoration in their families, this verse gives us words to bring before the Lord.
Pray for fathers to turn toward their children.
Pray for children to turn toward their parents.
Pray for reconciliation where there has been distance.
Pray for God's Spirit to work where your efforts cannot.
And most of all, pray that your family would turn toward Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament Is Finished—But the Story Isn't
Today we reach the end of our Old Testament chronological Bible reading plan.
And Malachi leaves us waiting.
Waiting through silence.
Waiting for the promised messenger.
Waiting for the Messiah.
Waiting for the Sun of Righteousness.
That waiting is important because it reminds us that God's silence is not God's absence.
For 400 years, God would not send another prophetic book.
But He had not stopped working.
His providence was still moving history toward exactly the right moment.
And then, in God's perfect timing, the New Testament begins.
The waiting is almost over.
Jesus is coming.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
As you finish the Old Testament, take some time to reflect:
Where might God be refining me right now?
Am I resisting a difficult circumstance that God may be using to sanctify me?
Is “true instruction” on my lips as I teach and disciple my children?
Does my life reinforce the truth I am teaching my children?
Where do I need to guard my heart and spirit in my marriage?
What bitterness or disappointment do I need to surrender to the Holy Spirit?
Am I trusting God with the spiritual condition of my family, or am I trying to control what only He can change?
What Old Testament promise am I most excited to see fulfilled in Jesus?
Where do I need to remember that God's silence does not mean His absence?
How can I help my children experience the anticipation of looking forward to Jesus?

Key Scriptures
Malachi 1:2 — “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
Malachi 2:5–6 — The covenant of life and peace; true instruction; walking with God.
Malachi 2:15–16 — God's purposes for marriage and His call to faithfulness.
Malachi 3:1 — The messenger who prepares the way.
Malachi 3:2–3 — God as the refiner and purifier.
Malachi 4:2 — “The Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings.”
Malachi 4:5–6 — The promise of Elijah and the turning of fathers' and children's hearts.
Romans 8:28–29 — God's purpose to conform His people to the image of Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 — Believers as “a royal priesthood.”

A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father,
We are grateful that You are a loving Father. Thank You that You love us with a refining and perfecting love.
Forgive us for the times we question Your methods because Your work doesn't feel as gentle or comfortable as we would like. Teach us to trust Your purposes even when we don't understand what You are doing.
Lord, as we train and teach our children, put true instruction on our lips. Make us faithful messengers of Your Word. Help us walk in peace and uprightness so that our lives point our children toward You and away from sin.
Guard our hearts and our spirits. Where there is bitterness, disappointment, hurt, neglect, or apathy in our marriages, bring Your Spirit to work. Give us humility, faithfulness, repentance, and sacrificial love.
For families experiencing broken relationships, we ask for healing and restoration. Turn the hearts of fathers toward their children and the hearts of children toward their fathers. Be near to those whose families do not look the way they had hoped.
And Jesus, thank You that You are our Refiner.
When we walk through difficult seasons, help us remember that You have not abandoned us. Purify us. Sanctify us. Make us increasingly reflect Your character.
As we close the Old Testament, thank You for every promise that points us toward You. Thank You that the story is not finished.
We are waiting for Jesus.
And we know that He is exactly who we need.
In His name we pray,
Amen.
Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
13 min
September 29#191. When Your Kids Don’t Follow What You’ve Taught Them | Nehemiah 10–13 & Psalm 126
Have you ever taught your children what is right, watched them make good progress, and then felt discouraged when they seem to do the very opposite of what you’ve taught them?
As we finish the book of Nehemiah in today’s episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, we discover that even after God’s people renewed their covenant and committed themselves to obedience, they soon returned to the very patterns they had promised to leave behind.
Nehemiah’s frustration may feel familiar to Christian moms. We work diligently to teach our children God’s Word, establish rhythms of faith, and guide our families toward what matters eternally. Yet we cannot control the choices our children make—or guarantee that the seeds we sow will produce immediate fruit.
In Nehemiah 10–13 and Psalm 126, we’re reminded to keep pursuing faithfulness, to lead with both conviction and self-control, and to trust God with the harvest.
As we approach the end of the Old Testament, Nehemiah’s unfinished story also leaves us longing for the promised Messiah. The restoration God’s people needed could not be accomplished through renewed promises alone. They needed Jesus.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover
What Nehemiah teaches us about leadership, perseverance, and dependence on God
How moms can balance long-term spiritual goals with the immediate needs of family life
Why our children’s disobedience can feel so discouraging—and how to respond faithfully
What Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem reveals about the human tendency to wander from God
How to address sin without allowing frustration to control our words and actions
Why the unfinished ending of Nehemiah points us toward Jesus
What Psalm 126 teaches us about sowing in tears and waiting for a harvest of joy
How to keep investing in your children’s faith when you cannot yet see the fruit

The Both/And of Biblical Motherhood
Nehemiah is often studied for his leadership skills. He understood God’s call, planned carefully, delegated effectively, addressed opposition, and continually depended on the Lord.
But his leadership also required him to attend to immediate problems without losing sight of the larger mission.
That balance is familiar to moms.
We have long-term goals for our families: raising children who know and love the Lord, cultivating faith, and helping our children grow in wisdom and obedience. At the same time, we must address the “dashboard lights” that appear in everyday life—the conflicts, questions, struggles, and patterns that need our attention.
We cannot simply ignore the issues right in front of us because we have a larger goal. Nor can we allow every immediate problem to distract us from the direction we are heading.
Biblical parenting requires both faithfulness to the long-term work and wisdom in the moment.
Nehemiah’s example encourages us to keep our eyes on the road, pay attention to what needs repair, and continually seek God’s help.
When Your Children Don’t Follow What You’ve Taught Them
In Nehemiah 10, the people make a covenant to obey God. They commit to honoring the Sabbath, supporting the temple, and living according to His commands.
Yet when Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after an extended absence, he discovers that the people have broken their commitments.
The temple has been compromised. The Levites have not been properly supported. The Sabbath is being disregarded. And the people have returned to practices they had explicitly promised to avoid.
Nehemiah had helped lead the people toward renewal, but he could not ensure their continued faithfulness.
For Christian moms, this is a sobering reminder: we can faithfully teach and train our children, but we cannot make their hearts obedient.
We may establish good routines, teach Scripture, model repentance, and provide loving correction. But our children remain responsible before God for their own choices.
When they disobey, we should not give up on the work of parenting. We should continue to teach, correct, encourage, and pray—while remembering that only God can transform the heart.
Addressing Sin With Conviction and Self-Control
Nehemiah responds forcefully when he discovers the people's disobedience. His actions raise important questions about righteous anger, leadership, and the way we confront sin.
Scripture does not explicitly evaluate every detail of Nehemiah’s response, so we should be careful not to treat all of his actions as a pattern for Christian parents to imitate.
We do know that biblical leadership cannot simply ignore persistent sin. At the same time, Scripture calls us to be slow to anger and to exercise self-control.
This is an important distinction for moms.
Our frustration may be understandable. Repeated disobedience can be exhausting, especially when we have invested so much time and care in teaching our children. But our response must still be shaped by God’s Word.
We can hold firmly to what is right without allowing anger to govern our words or actions.
As we move into the New Testament, we will continue to see Jesus as the perfect standard for holiness, truth, and righteous leadership.
An Unfinished Story That Points to Jesus
Nehemiah ends on a note of disappointment.
The wall has been rebuilt. The people have renewed their covenant. The temple has been restored. Yet the people still turn away from God.
The return from exile was not the complete restoration God’s people ultimately needed. Their renewed commitments could not solve the deeper problem of the human heart.
The Old Testament leaves us waiting for the promised Messiah—the One who would fulfill God’s promises and bring the lasting redemption His people needed.
That longing makes the transition to the New Testament especially meaningful.
As we prepare to begin reading about Jesus, we remember that our hope is not ultimately in our own ability to lead perfectly, our children’s ability to obey consistently, or our family’s ability to keep every commitment.
Our hope is in Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah and the One who fulfills God’s saving purposes.
Psalm 126: Sowing in Tears, Reaping With Joy
Psalm 126 offers a beautiful picture of hope after hardship.
The psalm celebrates the Lord’s restoration of Zion, remembering a time when laughter and joy replaced sorrow. Yet it also includes a prayer for further restoration:
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” — Psalm 126:5 (ESV)
The image is of a person who goes out to sow seed while weeping, carrying on with the work even in sorrow. The promise is that the one who sows will return with joy, carrying the harvest.
Motherhood can feel like this.
We teach the same truths again and again. We pray for our children. We correct, encourage, forgive, and begin again. Sometimes we see encouraging growth. Other times, we wonder whether our efforts are making any difference.
Psalm 126 reminds us that we can continue sowing faithfully even when the season is hard.
This is not a guarantee that every child will respond to our teaching in the way or on the timeline we desire. Rather, it is an encouragement to persevere in the work God has given us, trusting Him with what we cannot control.
You may be sowing in tears today, but your labor is not hidden from God.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
As you finish Nehemiah and Psalm 126 in your chronological Bible reading plan, consider these questions:
What do Nehemiah’s leadership and perseverance teach me about faithfully serving God?
How can I balance the long-term spiritual goals I have for my family with the immediate needs in front of me?
How do I tend to respond when my children repeat behaviors I have already addressed?
Am I correcting my children with both conviction and self-control?
Where might I be tempted to measure the success of my parenting by what I can see right now?
What does Nehemiah’s unfinished story teach me about our need for Jesus?
Where am I currently sowing in tears?
What would it look like to keep faithfully investing in my children while entrusting the harvest to God?

Key Scriptures
Nehemiah 10:28–29 — The people commit themselves to follow God’s law.
Nehemiah 12:43 — The people rejoice with great joy as they dedicate the wall.
Nehemiah 13:11 — Nehemiah confronts the neglect of God’s house.
Nehemiah 13:14 — “Remember me, O my God, for good.”
Psalm 126:1–3 — Remembering the joy of the Lord’s restoration.
Psalm 126:5–6 — The promise of reaping with joy after sowing in tears.
James 1:19–20 — Being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Galatians 6:9 — Not growing weary in doing good.

A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father,
Thank You that Your Word is honest about the challenges of leading and teaching Your people. You know how easily our hearts wander, and You know how discouraging it can be when our children do not follow what we have taught them.
Give us deeply rooted patience as we train and guide our children. Help us not to be shaken when they disobey, ask difficult questions, or seem unresponsive to Your Word.
Give us wisdom to address the issues right in front of us while keeping our eyes on the eternal work You have entrusted to us. Help us to correct with conviction, speak with patience, and exercise self-control even when we feel frustrated.
When we are sowing in tears, remind us that You see us. Help us to persevere in teaching, praying, loving, and pointing our children toward You—even when we cannot yet see the harvest.
We confess that we cannot change our children's hearts. We entrust them to You, knowing that You are faithful and that our hope rests in Jesus.
Thank You for the promises You have fulfilled and for the promises we still await. As we begin the New Testament, fix our eyes on Jesus, our Messiah and our hope.
In His name we pray, amen.
In Your name, amen.
Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
14 min
September 28#190. The Joy of the LORD is Your Strength + Where Deep Faith is Really Grown | Nehemiah 5-9
What if some of the circumstances we most want to protect our children from are actually the very circumstances God may use to deepen their faith?
In today’s episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, we continue our chronological Bible reading plan in Nehemiah 5–9 and take a closer look at Nehemiah’s remarkable character, leadership, integrity, and fear of God. Living in the Persian Empire, Nehemiah developed qualities that challenge us to consider how God shapes His people—even when they are not living in what we would consider the “ideal” spiritual environment.
Nehemiah’s example leads us into a deeper question about biblical parenting: Are we sometimes more focused on creating ideal circumstances for our children than we are on trusting God to sanctify them wherever He places them?
Nehemiah 5–9 reminds us that God is faithful in abundance and in suffering. He uses difficulty, correction, obedience, His Word, and even seasons of hardship to refine His people and draw them back to Himself.
And perhaps one of the most encouraging reminders for Christian moms is this: we don't have to control every circumstance in our children's lives. We can trust the God who knows them better than we do.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover
What Nehemiah’s leadership and integrity reveal about the fear of God
How Nehemiah responded when God's people were exploiting one another
Why Nehemiah refused to be distracted by his enemies
How to recognize distractions and temptations that can pull us away from God's work
Why Nehemiah prayed, “O God, strengthen my hands”
What the completion of Jerusalem’s wall in 52 days revealed about God's power
Why the people rejoiced when they understood God's Word
How holiness and joy belong together
What Nehemiah 9 teaches us about God's faithfulness and Israel's repeated rebellion
Why seasons of suffering can become instruments of sanctification
How Christian moms can surrender their children's circumstances to God
Why we don't need to create a perfectly protected environment for our children's faith to grow

Nehemiah: A Man Shaped by the Fear of God
Nehemiah's character is striking.
He demonstrates compassion, generosity, diligence, courage, discernment, integrity, and leadership while living among the Persians. In Nehemiah 5, we see him confront wealthy Jews who were taking advantage of their own brothers and sisters during a famine.
Rather than using his position and resources for himself, Nehemiah provides meals for 150 people and their families.
His explanation for his different approach is especially important:
“But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.” — Nehemiah 5:15 (ESV)
The fear of God shaped Nehemiah's decisions.
That gives Christian moms an important question to consider: What is shaping the character of our children?
We may be tempted to think that the right school, neighborhood, friendships, activities, or opportunities will guarantee spiritual growth. But Scripture continually reminds us that God is the One who works in the hearts of His people.
Our responsibility is to faithfully teach our children God's Word, model obedience, pray for them, and point them toward Christ. We cannot manufacture their sanctification by controlling every circumstance.
“I Am Doing a Great Work, and I Cannot Come Down”
Nehemiah's enemies repeatedly attempt to distract him from the work God has given him.
Four times they call him away.
His response?
“I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” — Nehemiah 6:3 (ESV)
If you've ever tried to accomplish something as a mom while being interrupted again and again, this scene may feel surprisingly familiar!
But there is a deeper lesson here. Nehemiah understood what God had called him to do, and he refused to allow repeated distractions to pull him away.
Eventually, his enemies resort to deception and even attempt to manipulate him into disobeying God's commands.
Nehemiah sees through the scheme and prays:
“But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” — Nehemiah 6:9 (ESV)
There is wisdom here for Christian mothers. We don't need to respond to every distraction, accusation, fear, or pressure around us. We can ask God for discernment and strength to remain faithful to the work He has actually given us.
The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength
Nehemiah 8 gives us one of the most familiar verses in the book:
“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV)
But the context is important.
The people had heard the Word of God and realized how far they had strayed. They were grieving over their sin.
Yet the leaders instructed them not simply to remain in sorrow. They were to celebrate, share with those who had nothing, and recognize that the day was holy.
The people rejoiced because they understood the words that were declared to them.
Holiness does not have to mean a joyless Christianity.
As Christian moms, we want our children to take God's Word seriously—but we also want them to associate knowing God with joy, delight, worship, celebration, and life.
What memories will our children carry from their childhood?
Will they remember Bible reading as something they had to endure? Or will they remember the joy of discovering God's character together?
Will they remember conversations about Scripture as lectures? Or will they remember a family captivated by the goodness of God?
Our homes can be places where our children see that obedience to God is not merely an obligation. It is a source of deep joy.
Nehemiah 9: Remembering God's Faithfulness
Nehemiah 9 gives us a sweeping summary of Israel's history.
The people spend a quarter of the day reading God's Word and another quarter confessing their sins and worshiping God.
As they recount their history, a pattern emerges:
God is faithful. His people are faithless. God is merciful. His people repeatedly rebel. God disciplines them. They cry out. God delivers them.
Again and again, God demonstrates that He is:
Faithful
Gracious
Merciful
Slow to anger
Abounding in steadfast love
Ready to forgive
Faithful to His covenant

Even when Israel enjoyed abundance, they often became comfortable and turned away from God.
And yet, even in their rebellion and suffering, God did not abandon them.
This is the thread that leads us into one of the most challenging applications of this passage for Christian moms.
What If We Don't Need to Give Our Children the “Ideal” Circumstances?
As moms, we naturally want good things for our children.
We want them to have good friends.
We want them to have godly influences.
We want them to have opportunities to thrive.
We want to protect them from suffering.
But Nehemiah's story—and Israel's history—reminds us that God can use circumstances we would never choose to accomplish His purposes in our children.
Nehemiah himself developed remarkable character while serving in a pagan Persian court.
God was not limited by Nehemiah's environment.
And He is not limited by our children's environments.
That doesn't mean we stop exercising wisdom as parents or become indifferent to harmful influences. Biblical parenting includes discernment and protection. But it does mean that we can surrender our illusion of control.
We don't have to believe that our children's spiritual health depends entirely upon our ability to engineer perfect circumstances.
God is their Father.
He knows what they need.
And sometimes the very difficulty we desperately want removed may become a place where their roots grow deepest.
The Refining Work of Suffering
Nehemiah 9 doesn't minimize suffering. The people acknowledge the hardship that came upon them because of their rebellion.
But they also recognize God's faithfulness through those difficult seasons.
This gives us a different perspective on suffering.
Instead of asking only, “How can I get my child out of this?”, perhaps sometimes we can also ask:
“Lord, what are You doing in my child's heart through this?”
That doesn't mean we stop praying for relief.
It means we can pray for God's purposes to be accomplished even when the circumstances don't change.
For Christian moms, this can be an enormous act of surrender.
We can faithfully parent our children without believing that we have to control every detail of their lives.
We can hold our children with open hands.
And we can trust the God who is merciful, faithful, and sovereign.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
As you continue your chronological Bible reading plan, consider reflecting on these questions:
What characteristics of Nehemiah stand out to me in Nehemiah 5–6?
What does Nehemiah's “fear of God” teach me about biblical leadership and integrity?
What distractions most often pull me away from the work God has given me?
Do my children associate God's Word with joy and delight? Why or why not?
Where am I tempted to believe that I must control my children's circumstances in order for them to thrive spiritually?
What difficult circumstance might God be using to deepen faith in me or my children?
How does Nehemiah 9 change the way I view God's discipline and mercy?
What would it look like for me to surrender my children's future more fully to God?

Key Scriptures
Nehemiah 5:9 — “Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God...?”
Nehemiah 5:15 — Nehemiah explains that he acted differently because of the fear of God.
Nehemiah 6:3 — “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”
Nehemiah 6:9 — “O God, strengthen my hands.”
Nehemiah 6:16 — The surrounding nations recognized that the wall had been completed with God's help.
Nehemiah 8:10 — “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:12 — The people rejoiced because they understood God's Word.
Nehemiah 9:17 — God is “ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Nehemiah 9:33 — “You have dealt faithfully, and we have acted wickedly.”

A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father,
Your Word reminds us again of who You are. You are merciful and loving, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. You are faithful even when we are faithless.
Thank You that the joy we find in Your presence is our strength.
Lord, I pray that our families would be marked by joy and delight in You. May our children look back on their childhoods and remember that some of their sweetest moments were the times we spent focused on You.
May they remember conversations about Your Word, worship, prayer, traditions, meals, and celebrations that reminded them of Your goodness.
When we experience seasons of abundance, help us not to forget You. Keep our hearts from becoming comfortable and turning away from You.
And when You allow difficult or sanctifying seasons into our lives, give us open hands. Help us trust You with ourselves and with our children.
Give us wisdom to parent faithfully without trying to control every circumstance. Help us remember that You know our children better than we do and that You are able to work in every environment, every hardship, and every season.
May we trust Your loving kindness.
Jesus, thank You that You were anointed with the oil of gladness. May our delight in You bring You glory.
In Jesus' name, amen.
In Your name, amen.Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
15 min
September 25#189. Building While Battling: What Nehemiah 1–4 Teaches Christian Moms in a Culture War
The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Nehemiah 1–4
What does rebuilding a broken city have to do with motherhood?
More than you might think.
As we continue our chronological Bible reading plan, we begin the book of Nehemiah and discover a leader who was called to an enormous task in the face of opposition, exhaustion, discouragement, and seemingly impossible circumstances.
Nehemiah had to rebuild Jerusalem's broken walls while facing enemies who mocked, threatened, and opposed the work. The people eventually worked with one hand while holding a weapon in the other—building and protecting at the same time.
For Christian moms, that picture can feel remarkably familiar.
Every day, we're building: feeding our children, caring for our homes, educating them, driving them where they need to go, and discipling them in the truth of God's Word. At the same time, we're aware of spiritual and cultural influences that threaten what we're trying to build.
In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Nehemiah 1–4 and explores prayer, perseverance, biblical motherhood, spiritual opposition, leadership, and what it means to remember that God is great and awesome—and that we don't have to do this work alone.
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
The historical setting of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem
Why Nehemiah's position as the king's cupbearer was one of tremendous trust
How Nehemiah responded when he learned about Jerusalem's broken walls
What Nehemiah's prayer teaches us about confession, God's character, and dependence on Him
Why Nehemiah waited and prayed before taking action
How God gave Nehemiah favor with King Artaxerxes
What it means that “the good hand of my God was upon me”
How Nehemiah responded when his enemies mocked and opposed the rebuilding
Why the people had to build while simultaneously preparing to defend themselves
How Nehemiah's leadership can encourage Christian moms
Why biblical motherhood requires both physical care and spiritual investment
How to persevere when the work God has given you feels overwhelming
Why we need to remember the Lord rather than becoming intimidated by opposition
How Christian moms can build a strong spiritual foundation for the next generation

Nehemiah Begins With Prayer
When Nehemiah hears that Jerusalem is still in ruins, his first response isn't to immediately make a plan.
He weeps, mourns, fasts, and prays.
His prayer acknowledges God's greatness and faithfulness while also confessing the sins of God's people.
Nehemiah understands something important: before he can begin rebuilding the walls, he needs to turn his attention toward the God who called him to the work.
And Nehemiah doesn't pray for only a few minutes and then move on.
Four months pass between Nehemiah 1 and Nehemiah 2.
The burden remains.
When the opportunity finally comes to speak with the king, Nehemiah is ready to act—but he has already spent significant time bringing the situation before God.
For busy Christian moms, this is a beautiful reminder that prayer isn't something we do after we've figured everything else out. Prayer is part of how we prepare to obey God.
“The Good Hand of My God Was Upon Me”
One of the repeated themes in Ezra and Nehemiah is God's hand upon His people.
When Nehemiah finally asks the king for permission to return to Jerusalem, he recognizes that the favor he receives is ultimately from God:
“And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.” — Nehemiah 2:8, ESV
Nehemiah's confidence isn't ultimately in his leadership ability, his position, or the king's resources.
His confidence is in God's providence.
The same God who placed Nehemiah in a position of influence also gave him the opportunity and resources to accomplish the work.
“Let Us Rise Up and Build”
When Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, he doesn't immediately announce everything he plans to do.
He first surveys the damage.
Then he tells the people what God has done and explains how the king has supported the work.
Their response?
“Let us rise up and build.” — Nehemiah 2:18, ESV
The work begins.
But so does the opposition.
Sanballat, Tobiah, and others mock the Jews and question whether they could possibly accomplish what they have set out to do.
Nehemiah doesn't allow their ridicule to determine whether the work is worth doing.
He keeps building.
Building With One Hand and a Weapon in the Other
Nehemiah 4 may be one of the most relatable chapters for Christian moms.
The opposition becomes serious enough that the people must prepare to defend themselves while continuing the work.
“Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.” — Nehemiah 4:17, ESV
They were building and battling.
Working and watching.
Providing for the needs of the community while protecting what they were rebuilding.
And that picture can remind us of motherhood.
Biblical Motherhood: Building and Protecting
Motherhood often feels like an endless list of practical responsibilities.
We feed our children.
We clean.
We do laundry.
We teach.
We drive.
We make appointments.
We manage school.
We care for physical needs.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, we're also called to disciple our children and point them toward Christ.
We're building something that we hope will endure beyond our own generation.
But we're also aware that our children are growing up in a culture that may challenge or contradict biblical truth.
So what do we do?
We build.
And we stay spiritually alert.
We pray.
We teach Scripture.
We model repentance.
We point our children toward Christ.
And we remember that we are not sufficient for this task in ourselves.
Just as Jerusalem's walls could not be rebuilt without God's provision and protection, we cannot faithfully disciple our children through our own strength.
“Remember the Lord Who Is Great and Awesome”
As the people become intimidated by their enemies, Nehemiah gives them a simple command:
“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome.” — Nehemiah 4:14, ESV
Notice what Nehemiah doesn't tell them to do.
He doesn't tell them to pretend the opposition isn't real.
He doesn't tell them that the work will be easy.
He tells them to remember the Lord.
The enemies were real.
The danger was real.
The exhaustion was real.
But God was greater.
That is an important message for Christian moms who sometimes feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising children in a complicated world.
We don't need to pretend the challenges aren't real.
But we also don't need to forget how great our God is.
Building for the Next Generation
The people rebuilding Jerusalem weren't merely repairing stones.
They were restoring protection for a community and future generations.
And that gives us a helpful picture of biblical parenting.
You may feel like you're simply making dinner, correcting behavior, reading another bedtime Bible story, driving another child to another activity, or answering the same question for the hundredth time.
But faithful motherhood is often built through small acts of obedience repeated over time.
You may not see the finished “wall.”
You may not know what God will do through your faithfulness.
But you can faithfully build today.
And you can trust God with what comes after you.
When the Work Feels Impossible
Nehemiah and the people faced a task that was genuinely beyond their own strength.
There was too much rubble.
There were enemies surrounding them.
The workers became exhausted.
The wall was enormous.
Yet they continued.
This doesn't mean Christian moms should simply work harder until they collapse.
Nehemiah also demonstrates the importance of prayer, discernment, cooperation, wise planning, protection, and shared responsibility.
We aren't called to do everything.
We're called to be faithful with what God has actually entrusted to us.
And when we're overwhelmed, we can ask God for wisdom about which battles to fight, which tasks to prioritize, and where our energy should be spent.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan or looking for a Bible podcast for Christian moms, Nehemiah 1–4 offers rich encouragement for the work of motherhood.
When the work feels overwhelming:
Pray first.
When you don't know what to do:
Seek God's wisdom.
When the opposition gets loud:
Remember the Lord.
When you're exhausted:
Don't assume you have to do it alone.
When the task seems impossible:
Remember whose work it ultimately is.
And when you're faithfully caring for your children day after day, remember that God sees the seemingly ordinary work of building a home centered on Him.
Key Scriptures
Nehemiah 1:4–11 — Nehemiah's prayer and confession
Nehemiah 2:8 — “The good hand of my God was upon me”
Nehemiah 2:18 — “Let us rise up and build”
Nehemiah 4:6 — “The people had a mind to work”
Nehemiah 4:14 — “Remember the Lord who is great and awesome”
Nehemiah 4:17–18 — Building while remaining prepared for opposition
Psalm 127:1 — “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain”
A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father,
You are great and awesome, and we praise You that You are with us in the work You have called us to do.
There are days when the opposition feels greater than Your favor upon us. There are days when we are exhausted, overwhelmed, and unsure how we're going to accomplish everything in front of us.
Help us remember You.
Give us discernment to know which battles to fight and which tasks You have actually called us to do. Help us not to waste our energy trying to accomplish things You have not entrusted to us.
Strengthen us to faithfully care for the physical needs of our children while also nourishing them spiritually. Help us to pray for them, teach them Your Word, and point them toward Jesus.
When the culture mocks our faith, keep us from fear. When motherhood feels overwhelming, remind us that we don't fight alone.
Thank You that Your Spirit strengthens us for the work and that our sufficiency isn't found in ourselves.
Unless You build the house, our labor is in vain.
So we ask You to build our homes, guard our families, and use our ordinary faithfulness for Your glory and for the good of the generations that come after us.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are our strength, our sufficiency, and our salvation.
In Your name, amen.Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
14 min
September 24#188. Know It. Live It. Teach It. How Ezra 7–10 Encourages Christian Moms
The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Ezra 7–10
What would it look like to set your heart to study God's Word, obey it, and teach it to your children?
As we continue our chronological Bible reading plan, we return to the book of Ezra and meet a man whose life provides an incredible model for biblical faithfulness. Ezra was committed to knowing God's Word, living according to it, and teaching it to God's people.
In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Ezra 7–10 and explores God's providence, the importance of biblical literacy, obedience in a culture that pulls us away from God, and the responsibility Christian parents have to pass God's truth on to the next generation.
Ezra also confronts a difficult and complex situation involving Israel's intermarriage with surrounding peoples. This passage requires careful attention to its historical and covenantal context—and it reminds us why we should never build our theology around one difficult narrative passage without considering the whole counsel of Scripture.
For Christian moms, Ezra's example gives us a simple and powerful pattern:
Know God's Word.
Obey God's Word.
Teach God's Word.
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
Why Ezra 7:10 is such an important model for Christian moms
What it means to set your heart to study God's Word
Why knowing Scripture must lead to obedience
How Ezra's faithfulness influenced an entire community
The repeated reminder that the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra
How God moved the heart of a Persian king to support His purposes
Why God's favor doesn't mean a life without difficulty
How Ezra and the returning exiles sought God's protection on their journey
Why Ezra responded with grief and repentance when Israel compromised
The complicated issue of intermarriage in Ezra 9–10
Why Ezra 9–10 should be understood as a narrative passage within its unique covenant context
What the passage teaches us about the influence of culture on future generations
Why Christian marriage should be entered into with a desire to faithfully follow Christ together
How moms can begin discipling their children in God's Word right where they are

Ezra 7:10: A Model for Christian Moms
One verse captures Ezra's approach to Scripture:
“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” — Ezra 7:10, ESV
Notice the order:
Study.
Do.
Teach.
Ezra didn't merely accumulate biblical knowledge.
He didn't study Scripture simply to win theological arguments.
He didn't teach others truths that he wasn't attempting to live himself.
He first set his heart to know God's Word, then committed himself to obeying it, and then taught it to others.
This is an incredible model for motherhood.
We don't need to wait for a quiet house, a perfect schedule, or a season when our children are older before we begin studying the Bible.
Even if you can only read a small portion today, set your heart toward God's Word.
What we learn, we can practice.
What we practice, we can model.
And what we are learning from Scripture can become part of what we teach our children.
You Don't Have to Wait Until Your Kids Are Older
Motherhood can be exhausting and all-consuming. It can be tempting to tell ourselves that we'll become serious students of Scripture someday—when the babies sleep through the night, when school gets easier, when the children are more independent, or when life finally slows down.
But there will always be another season.
Ezra challenges us to make God's Word a priority now.
For Christian moms, Bible study doesn't have to mean hours of uninterrupted study every morning. It can mean faithfully opening God's Word in the middle of a demanding season and allowing Scripture to shape the way we think, speak, parent, and live.
We study God's Word so that God's Word can change us—and then we can pass that truth to our children.
God's Hand Was Upon Ezra
The phrase “the hand of the Lord” appears repeatedly in these chapters.
God's hand was upon Ezra.
God's hand protected the returning exiles.
God's hand moved the heart of a foreign king.
And yet God's hand being upon His people did not mean their journey was easy.
They traveled a long distance carrying valuable silver and gold and faced the possibility of enemies and ambushes along the way.
The lesson is important:
God's presence does not promise an easy life.
Instead, His presence gives us reason to trust Him in the midst of difficulty.
Ezra and the people fasted and prayed for God's protection. They recognized that they needed Him.
That is a lesson we can model for our children as well.
God's Word in a Culture That Competes for Our Hearts
By Ezra 9, the returning Israelites had once again compromised with the surrounding culture.
This was especially serious because Israel's history was filled with examples of God's people being drawn into idolatry and away from wholehearted worship of Yahweh.
Ezra's response wasn't casual.
He grieved.
He confessed.
He humbled himself before God.
And he interceded for the people.
As Christian parents, we should pay attention to this response.
Our children are growing up surrounded by influences that compete for their hearts and attention. Biblical parenting isn't simply about controlling those influences. It is about forming children who know God's Word and understand why faithfulness to God matters.
That begins with us.
Ezra 9–10: A Difficult Passage About Marriage
Ezra 9–10 contains one of the more difficult passages in the book.
The returned Israelites had married women from surrounding peoples, and Ezra and the leaders determined that these marriages had to be addressed because of the serious spiritual compromise and idolatry that had characterized Israel's history.
This passage should not be used to suggest that divorce is generally acceptable or that Scripture teaches Christians to abandon an unbelieving spouse.
Ezra 9–10 is a specific narrative describing a unique covenant situation in Israel's restoration after exile.
The broader teaching of Scripture about marriage must also be considered. In the New Testament, Paul specifically addresses situations in which a person becomes a believer while already married to an unbelieving spouse and instructs the believer to remain faithful to the marriage when the unbelieving spouse is willing to stay (1 Corinthians 7:12–16).
The larger principle we can take from Ezra is the seriousness of spiritual compromise and the importance of faithfully following God.
It also highlights why God's people should take marriage seriously and seek a spouse who will encourage faithfulness to the Lord.
What Does Ezra Teach Christian Moms About Biblical Parenting?
Ezra's example gives us a beautiful picture of what biblical parenting can look like.
We want our children to know God's Word.
But knowing Bible facts isn't the ultimate goal.
We want them to:
Know God's Word.
Love God's Word.
Obey God's Word.
Live God's Word.
Teach God's Word to the next generation.
And that begins with our own hearts.
Our children are watching what we do with Scripture.
Do they see us turning to God's Word when we're anxious?
Do they see us seeking biblical wisdom when we don't know what to do?
Do they hear us confess when we've sinned?
Do they see that God's commands matter even when obedience is difficult?
Do they see that knowing Christ is more important than fitting in with the culture around us?
These everyday moments are part of biblical discipleship in the home.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan or looking for a Bible podcast for Christian moms, Ezra 7–10 is an invitation to move beyond simply reading Scripture.
Set your heart to:
Study it.
Do it.
Teach it.
You don't have to be a Bible scholar to disciple your children.
You simply need to be a mom who is willing to open God's Word, learn from it, obey it, and share what you're learning with the children God has entrusted to you.
The goal isn't perfect motherhood.
The goal is faithfulness to Christ.
Key Scriptures
Ezra 7:6–10 — Ezra's knowledge of God's Word and commitment to study, obey, and teach it
Ezra 7:9 — “The good hand of his God was on him”
Ezra 8:21–23, 31 — Fasting, prayer, and God's protection
Ezra 9:5–15 — Ezra's prayer of confession and repentance
Ezra 10:1–4 — Hope and repentance following Israel's faithlessness
Deuteronomy 6:4–9 — God's command to teach His words diligently to our children
1 Corinthians 7:12–16 — Faithfulness within marriage when spouses have different beliefs
A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father,
We acknowledge how difficult it can be to live in purity and holiness when we are surrounded by so many cultural influences, distractions, and interruptions.
Protect our time with You. Give us wisdom to know how we can honor You with our priorities and seek You first.
Help us to be like Ezra—to set our hearts on knowing Your Word, obeying it wholeheartedly, and teaching it faithfully to those around us.
Help us as moms to disciple our children in Your truth. May they see Your Word shaping the way we live, speak, make decisions, respond to sin, and love others.
Protect our marriages and help us to honor the covenant we have made with our spouses. Teach us to love sacrificially, faithfully, and in a way that reflects Christ's love for His church.
Thank You for Jesus, who perfectly modeled sacrificial love for us. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who equips us and enables us to obey Your Word.
May our homes become places where Your truth is known, lived, and passed on to the next generation.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
14 min
September 23#187. When God Turns Everything Around: Hope and Providence in Esther 6–10
The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Esther 6–10
See the difference a day can make!
In Esther 6–10, everything begins to change. Haman goes from anticipating Mordecai’s destruction to publicly honoring him. The man who built gallows for Mordecai is executed on them himself. Mordecai receives Haman’s position and authority. The Jewish people go from facing annihilation to experiencing deliverance and celebration.
And through it all, God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther—but His providence is everywhere.
In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Esther 6–10 and explores what this remarkable story teaches us about God’s sovereignty, His faithfulness, waiting on the Lord, courage, sacrifice, and trusting God when we cannot see what He is doing.
For Christian moms, Esther offers an important reminder: God may seem hidden, but He is never absent. And when we are raising children in a culture of instant gratification, we have an opportunity to teach them to patiently wait for God, trust His timing, and place their hope in Him rather than in immediate circumstances.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
How one night of insomnia became a turning point in God’s providential plan
The dramatic reversal of Haman’s plans against Mordecai
Why Esther’s second feast was an important part of God’s timing
Esther’s courage in risking her life, position, comfort, and prosperity to save her people
How Haman’s plot against Mordecai was completely reversed
Why the original Persian decree could not simply be revoked
How God provided a way for the Jewish people to defend themselves
The origins and significance of the Jewish feast of Purim
Parallels between Esther and the Exodus story
How Esther points us toward the greater sacrifice of Jesus Christ
Why God’s apparent hiddenness does not mean His absence
How Christian moms can teach their children to wait patiently on God
Why our ultimate hope cannot be found in earthly comfort or circumstances

When God Seems Hidden, He Is Still Working
One of the most remarkable features of Esther is that God’s name is never mentioned, yet His fingerprints are all over the story.
A king cannot sleep.
He happens to ask for the royal chronicles to be read.
The account of Mordecai saving his life happens to be the one that is read.
Haman happens to arrive at precisely the moment the king is considering how to honor Mordecai.
And the gallows Haman built for Mordecai ultimately become the instrument of Haman’s own judgment.
None of these events are presented as random accidents. Esther reminds us that God can be faithfully working even when His work is hidden from us.
That is an important truth for moms to remember when we don't understand what God is doing in our families, our circumstances, or the lives of our children.
A Complete Reversal in 24 Hours
Haman's pride leads him to believe that the king's honor must be intended for him. Instead, he is commanded to publicly honor Mordecai.
Then everything Haman has worked to obtain begins to disappear.
His position is lost.
His home is given to Mordecai.
His authority is transferred.
And the gallows he prepared for Mordecai become his own place of execution.
The book of Esther repeatedly shows God reversing circumstances that seem completely hopeless.
The lesson isn't that every difficult circumstance will turn around within 24 hours. Rather, Esther gives us a reason to trust the God who is sovereign over circumstances we cannot control or understand.
His timing is not always our timing—but He is faithful.
Esther Was Willing to Risk the Palace
Esther's courage becomes even more striking when we consider what she stood to lose.
She was not merely risking her life when she approached the king.
She was risking her position, her comfort, her security, and the privileged life she had been given in the palace.
Esther had a choice: hold tightly to the comforts of the palace or risk everything to obey God and serve His purposes for His people.
Her willingness to sacrifice points us toward the far greater sacrifice of Jesus.
Christ willingly left the glory of heaven and laid down His life to rescue and redeem us.
The story of Esther ultimately points beyond Esther herself—to the God who saves and to the Savior who gave everything for His people.
What Esther Teaches Christian Moms About Waiting
One of the most important applications of Esther for mothers is learning to wait well.
We live in a world of immediate answers, instant communication, fast technology, and constant entertainment. Our children can easily learn to expect immediate gratification.
But Scripture teaches us something different.
God's people are repeatedly called to wait for Him.
Sometimes we pray and the answer doesn't come immediately.
Sometimes we cannot see what God is doing.
Sometimes the circumstances seem to be moving in the opposite direction from what we have asked God to do.
Esther reminds us that we can trust God's providence even when we cannot yet see His plan.
As moms, we can help our children learn that faithfulness is not measured by how quickly God changes our circumstances. We can teach them to pray, obey, wait, and hope in the Lord—even when rescue is not instantaneous.
Teaching Our Children to Hope in God
Biblical parenting is not simply about teaching our children how to behave well when life goes their way.
We want to raise children who know where their hope belongs when life is difficult.
Esther gives us an opportunity to talk with our children about questions like:
What do we do when God seems silent?
Can God be working when we don't see Him?
How do we respond when we have to wait?
Is our hope in God—or in getting the outcome we want?
What comforts are we tempted to hold onto too tightly?
Are we willing to obey God when obedience costs us something?

These are lessons our children need not only to survive childhood, but to walk faithfully with Christ throughout their lives.
From Esther to the Gospel
Esther is ultimately a story of God's faithfulness to His covenant people.
The deliverance of the Jews echoes themes from the Exodus: God's people face destruction, God raises up a deliverer, their enemies are defeated, and God's people celebrate His deliverance.
The celebration of Purim became a yearly reminder of God's faithfulness.
And the story points us toward an even greater deliverance.
Esther risked her life for her people.
Jesus gave His life for His people.
Esther entered the presence of an earthly king on behalf of others.
Jesus came from the glory of heaven to reconcile sinners to God.
Esther's story reminds us to trust God's providence. The gospel reminds us that God's greatest act of redemption has already been accomplished through Christ.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan or looking for a Bible podcast for Christian moms, Esther 6–10 is a powerful reminder that Scripture is not merely a collection of stories about people from the past.
It teaches us how to live today.
When you can't see what God is doing, trust His providence.
When you have to wait, trust His timing.
When obedience costs you something, remember Christ's sacrifice.
When circumstances seem hopeless, remember God's faithfulness.
And when you're raising children who want answers immediately, use those moments to teach them that the God who works behind the scenes is worthy of their trust.
Key Scriptures
Esther 6–10 — God's providence and deliverance of His people
Lamentations 3:22–23 — “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Esther 4:14 — Esther's calling to act for the sake of God's people
Esther 7:3–6 — Esther's courageous appeal before the king
Esther 9:20–22 — The establishment of Purim as a celebration of deliverance
Matthew 6:34 — Jesus' teaching about trusting God rather than worrying about tomorrow
A Prayer for Christian Moms
Heavenly Father, we praise You that the absence of Your name is never evidence of the absence of Your involvement.
You are faithfully working even when we cannot see what You are doing.
Help us to hold the comforts of this life loosely and place our ultimate hope in You rather than in earthly blessings. Teach us to walk patiently and trust You when the wait seems long.
Give us wisdom as we raise our children. Help us teach them to wait well on You, to trust Your goodness when rescue is not immediate, and to hold firmly to their faith when they cannot yet see the outcome.
And help us remember the greatest evidence of Your faithfulness: Jesus, who willingly left the glory of heaven and laid down His life to restore us to the Father.
May our families learn to trust You—not simply because You change our circumstances, but because You are faithful.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
12 min
September 22#186. When God Seems Hidden: Trusting God’s Providence in Esther 1–5
The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries
What do you do when you can't see what God is doing?
The Book of Esther is one of the most fascinating books in the Bible because God's name is never mentioned—not even once. Yet His providence is everywhere.
In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Esther 1–5 as part of our chronological Bible study and looks beyond the familiar Cinderella-like version of Esther to the much more complicated—and beautiful—story of God's sovereign protection of His people.
Esther was a young Jewish orphan who was taken into the Persian king's harem and eventually became queen. Mordecai uncovered a plot against the king. Haman rose to power and plotted the destruction of the Jewish people. And Esther was faced with an impossible choice: remain silent or risk her life to approach the king.
Through every seemingly random circumstance, God's fingerprints can be seen.
And that is an important message for Christian moms.
Sometimes God seems hidden in our circumstances. We don't understand what He is doing. We can't see how He could possibly use the difficult situation in front of us for good.
But God's hiddenness is not His absence.
The story of Esther invites us to trust the sovereign God who is working even when we cannot see His hand.
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
Why the Book of Esther never explicitly mentions God's name
How God's providence is unmistakable even when He appears hidden
The surprising historical and cultural background behind Esther's rise to the throne
Why Esther's story is much more complicated than a simple Cinderella story
What we know about Esther's Hebrew name, Hadassah
How Esther's circumstances reveal God's sovereignty and timing
Why Mordecai's discovery of the assassination plot was far more significant than it initially appeared
The connection between Haman and the ancient conflict between Israel and the Amalekites
Why Mordecai refused to bow to Haman
How Haman's plan threatened the entire Jewish people
The significance of Esther's famous words, “If I perish, I perish”
Why Esther called for fasting before approaching the king
How Esther demonstrates courage and wisdom in an impossible situation
What Esther teaches Christian moms about trusting God when He seems hidden
How we can help our children develop a faith that trusts God's goodness even when they cannot see what He is doing

Is God Hidden in the Book of Esther?
Esther is unique among the books of the Bible because God's name is never explicitly mentioned.
At first, that can seem strange.
But perhaps that is precisely the point.
Throughout Esther, we see a series of events that could easily be dismissed as coincidence:
Esther becomes queen.
Mordecai happens to overhear a conspiracy against the king.
The conspiracy is recorded in the royal chronicles.
Haman rises to power.
Esther is in the palace when the Jews are threatened with destruction.
Mordecai urges Esther to act.
Esther receives favor from the king.
None of these events, by themselves, announces, God is doing this.
But when we step back and see the entire story, God's providence becomes unmistakable.
God's name may be hidden, but His hand is not.
That is a powerful lesson for seasons of motherhood when God seems strangely quiet.
Esther Is Not Quite the Cinderella Story We Remember
Esther's story is often presented as a beautiful young orphan who receives a year of beauty treatments, becomes queen, and saves her people.
But Scripture gives us a much more sobering picture.
Esther was taken into the king's harem. The young women were not simply contestants volunteering for a royal beauty pageant. Esther was brought into a system controlled entirely by a powerful pagan king.
The circumstances surrounding her position as queen were complicated and deeply troubling.
And yet God was sovereign even there.
This doesn't mean that evil becomes good or that sinful actions are justified because God eventually uses them.
Rather, Esther reminds us that God is powerful enough to work through circumstances He never approves of.
What looks like a devastating detour in our lives is never outside the sovereign knowledge of God.
God's Providence in the Details
One of the most remarkable examples comes at the end of Esther 2.
Mordecai discovers that two of the king's officials are plotting against him. Mordecai tells Esther, Esther tells the king, and the men are punished.
Then the event is recorded in the royal chronicles.
And that's it.
For now.
Mordecai receives no immediate reward.
No promotion.
No public recognition.
No obvious evidence that this act of faithfulness will matter.
But God is setting the stage for what comes next.
Later, that seemingly insignificant detail becomes enormously important.
This is one of the great encouragements of Esther:
Faithfulness does not have to produce immediate results to be significant in God's plan.
Christian moms know something about doing things that seem insignificant.
A conversation.
A prayer.
A Scripture lesson.
An apology.
A meal.
A bedtime routine.
A correction.
A thousand ordinary acts of faithfulness.
We may never see what God does with them.
But that doesn't mean they are wasted.
Haman, Mordecai, and the Battle Over Worship
When Haman is promoted, he expects everyone to bow before him.
Mordecai refuses.
The text tells us that Mordecai was a Jew, and his refusal ultimately becomes the catalyst for Haman's plan to destroy the Jewish people.
Haman's hatred grows from one man refusing to give him the honor he demands into a plan for genocide.
The conflict reminds us that faithfulness sometimes puts God's people at odds with the culture around them.
Mordecai would not bend the knee.
And Esther would eventually have to decide whether she was willing to risk everything to stand with God's people.
“For Such a Time as This”
When Mordecai learns about Haman's decree, he sends word to Esther.
She initially hesitates because approaching the king without being summoned could result in death.
Mordecai responds:
“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14, ESV
Esther responds with courage:
“If I perish, I perish.” — Esther 4:16, ESV
These words are familiar to many of us, but they become even more powerful when we understand the circumstances surrounding them.
Esther doesn't know how the story will end.
She doesn't know whether the king will extend the golden scepter.
She doesn't know whether the Jewish people will survive.
She simply chooses faithfulness in the situation God has placed before her.
That is often what faith looks like.
Not knowing the outcome.
Not having all the answers.
Simply taking the next obedient step.
What Does Esther Teach Christian Moms?
Esther gives us an important perspective for motherhood:
We don't have to see God's entire plan in order to trust Him.
There may be seasons when you wonder:
Why is God allowing this?
Why isn't He answering?
Where is He in this situation?
What is He doing in my family?
Esther reminds us to look for God's fingerprints even when we cannot immediately see His hand.
God may be working through circumstances you would never have chosen.
He may be arranging details you don't yet understand.
He may be preparing something that will not make sense until much later.
And sometimes, like Esther, our calling is simply to be faithful with what is directly in front of us.
Helping Our Children Trust God When He Seems Hidden
One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is not the promise that life will always go well.
It is teaching them that God is good and trustworthy even when life doesn't go well.
Our children will eventually encounter circumstances they cannot explain.
They may pray and not receive the answer they wanted.
They may experience disappointment, loss, injustice, sickness, or uncertainty.
If their faith depends on always seeing God's activity, it will be fragile.
But if they learn that God's character is trustworthy even when His purposes are hidden, they can develop a much deeper faith.
We can teach our children to say:
“I don't understand what God is doing, but I know who God is.”
That is the kind of faith Esther invites us to cultivate.
Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms
If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan, Esther gives us an important glimpse into the lives of Jewish people who remained in the Persian Empire after the exile.
As you read Esther 1–5, look beyond the dramatic story and watch for God's providence.
Ask:
Where do I see God working even though He isn't mentioned?
What circumstances seem coincidental but may reveal God's providence?
What does Esther teach me about courage?
What does Mordecai teach me about faithfulness?
How does Haman's pride contrast with humility?
What does this story reveal about God's protection of His covenant people?
Where might God be working in my life even when I cannot see it?

Most importantly, remember that the Bible is ultimately about God and His redemptive plan, not simply about finding ourselves in every story.
Esther points us toward a God who faithfully preserves His people and accomplishes His purposes—even when His presence seems hidden.
Key Scriptures
Esther 2:17 — Esther finds favor with the king and becomes queen.
Esther 2:21–23 — Mordecai uncovers a conspiracy against the king.
Esther 3:5–6 — Haman's hatred of Mordecai grows into a plot against the Jewish people.
Esther 4:14 — “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:16 — “If I perish, I perish.”
Esther 5:1–2 — Esther courageously approaches the king and receives his favor.
A Prayer for Moms When God Seems Hidden
Heavenly Father,
Thank You that You are sovereign even when we cannot see what You are doing.
When our circumstances are confusing, remind us that Your silence is not evidence of Your absence. Give us eyes to recognize Your fingerprints in the ordinary details of our lives.
Help us trust You when we don't understand Your plan.
Give us courage to obey You with the circumstances and responsibilities You have placed directly in front of us. Help us not to demand that You reveal the whole picture before we take the next faithful step.
And Lord, help us teach our children to trust Your character even when Your purposes are hidden from them.
For the moms carrying heavy burdens today—concerns about their children, their health, finances, marriage, work, or an uncertain future—give them an unwavering confidence in Your goodness.
Thank You that You are not an unapproachable king.
Because of Jesus, we can approach Your throne of grace with confidence.
Help us walk in obedience and faith, bringing glory to the true King, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Keep studying God's Word, Mom. Even when you can't see God's hand, you can trust His heart.
Resources Mentioned:
Entrusted With a Child's Heart
Full-Circle Discipline Resources

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary
18 min

About Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms

From the publisher's feed

Moms are the busiest people we know! We're equipping Christian moms to dwell with Jesus and then to parent based on the wisdom of The Bible. If you're looking for a way to be consistent in looking to the Word of God this year, join us to make your home all about HIM! This podcast is sponsored by Entrusted Ministries and aligns with the "Entrusted with a Child's Heart" study for moms. Entrusted offers Scripture-saturated resources for churches, home groups, and individuals.

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