The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries

What happens when following God doesn't lead to the life you expected?

In today's chronological Bible reading, Stephanie Hickox walks through Jeremiah 41–46 and explores a difficult but deeply encouraging question: What should our expectations be when life is hard, our prayers aren't answered the way we hoped, and faithfulness costs us more than we anticipated?

Jeremiah's story reminds us that God's presence is not a promise of an easy life. Sometimes obedience leads to sacrifice, disappointment, uncertainty, and suffering. But through it all, God Himself remains our hope.

And that truth has profound implications for Christian motherhood.

In This Episode

Stephanie explores:

• Why Judah's remnant appeared to sincerely seek God's direction—but ultimately refused to obey it
• What Jeremiah 42 teaches us about seeking God's will with a surrendered heart
• The danger of asking God for direction when we've already decided what we want to do
• Why God's people chose earthly security in Egypt instead of trusting God's supernatural protection
• God's repeated warning: "Do not fear... for I am with you"
• How God sees the motivations and intentions of our hearts
• Why God's patience and persistence in calling His people to repentance reveal His character
• The shocking response of Judah's remnant when they continued worshiping the Queen of Heaven
• Why outward religious reform doesn't necessarily mean inward heart transformation
• Baruch's honest cry: "Woe is me!"
• What God teaches Baruch about unrealistic expectations and seeking "great things" for himself
• Why following Christ may be much harder than we expected
• How Jeremiah and Baruch demonstrate faithful endurance even when obedience doesn't result in comfort
• How these chapters challenge us to examine our own expectations for marriage, motherhood, family, home, and life
• Why our ultimate hope isn't a comfortable life—but the presence of God and the glory of Christ

Are We Really Willing to Obey God?

One of the most sobering moments in today's reading happens when the remnant approaches Jeremiah and promises:

"Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God."

It sounds wonderful.

But when God gives them an answer they don't like, they reject it.

They had already decided they wanted to go to Egypt. They wanted safety on their own terms.

And that raises an important question for us:

Do we seek God's will because we're willing to obey—or because we're hoping God will approve what we've already decided?

As Christian moms, it's easy to do the same thing.

We can ask God for wisdom about our children, marriage, finances, education, technology, friendships, or family decisions while quietly hoping He will confirm the answer we've already chosen.

Jeremiah reminds us that true surrender means being willing to obey God even when His answer isn't the one we wanted.

When Motherhood Doesn't Look Like You Expected

Perhaps the most relatable portion of today's reading is Baruch's cry:

"Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest."

Baruch had faithfully served Jeremiah for years. He had written God's words, endured opposition, and remained beside the prophet.

And yet eventually he reached a point where he wondered:

Is this really how my life is going to go?

Can you relate?

Maybe motherhood doesn't look like you expected.

Maybe your marriage doesn't look like you expected.

Maybe your children are struggling in ways you never anticipated.

Maybe the sacrifices you've made haven't produced the results you hoped for.

Maybe following Jesus has cost you more than you imagined.

God's answer to Baruch is striking: stop seeking great things for yourself.

That isn't a cruel rebuke. It's a loving correction of his expectations.

God doesn't promise Baruch an easy life.

He promises him life and His faithfulness in the midst of hardship.

Our Expectations vs. God's Glory

This is where Jeremiah becomes profoundly relevant to Christian parenting.

We can quietly build expectations around our children:

• My children will always make wise choices.
• If I parent faithfully, they will respond faithfully.
• My family will look a certain way.
• My marriage will become easier.
• My home will finally feel peaceful.
• If I sacrifice enough, life will eventually become comfortable.

But Scripture doesn't promise us those things.

Our calling isn't to create the life we imagined.

Our calling is to glorify Christ with the life He has actually given us.

That changes the way we approach motherhood.

Instead of asking, "How can I make my family turn out the way I want?" we can begin asking:

"Lord, how can I faithfully represent You in the circumstances You've entrusted to me?"

Run to God First

The remnant of Judah was terrified.

They wanted protection.

And God Himself told them:

"Do not fear... for I am with you to save you and to deliver you."

Yet they chose Egypt.

How often do we do something similar?

When our children are sick, do we pray first—or immediately reach for every other solution?

When we're overwhelmed, do we run to God's Word—or our phones?

When we're worried about our children, do we entrust them to the Lord—or try to control every outcome?

Earthly wisdom isn't inherently wrong. But Jeremiah challenges us to consider where we run first.

The God who says, "I am with you," is worthy of our first response.

What Does Faithfulness Look Like When Life Is Hard?

Jeremiah and Baruch didn't receive comfortable lives because they were faithful.

They received difficult assignments.

They experienced rejection, hardship, imprisonment, displacement, and grief.

And yet they kept going.

Their lives remind us that faithfulness is not measured by comfort.

Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is simply keep obeying God today.

Keep praying.

Keep opening His Word.

Keep loving your children.

Keep disciplining with grace.

Keep speaking truth.

Keep surrendering your expectations.

Keep trusting that God's presence is enough.

Because our hope isn't ultimately found in getting the life we wanted.

Our hope is found in Jesus.

A Word of Encouragement for the Weary Mom

If you feel like you've been laying down your life more than you expected, this episode is for you.

If motherhood has required sacrifices you didn't anticipate, this episode is for you.

If you're disappointed by your circumstances, your children, your marriage, or even yourself, Jeremiah 41–46 offers a better expectation:

Christ is worthy of your whole life, and His presence is enough.

We may not understand everything God is doing.

We may not receive the circumstances we hoped for.

But we can pray, as Paul did, that our greatest hope and expectation would be that Christ is glorified in and through us.

And that is a beautiful legacy to leave our children.

Today's Chronological Bible Reading

Jeremiah 41–46

Key Scriptures

• Jeremiah 42:5–6 — Willingness to obey God's direction
• Jeremiah 42:10–12 — God's promise of protection and presence
• Jeremiah 42:19–22 — The warning against going to Egypt
• Jeremiah 44:4 — God's persistent call to repentance
• Jeremiah 45:2–5 — God's message to weary Baruch
• Matthew 16:25 — Losing our lives for Christ
• Philippians 1:20–21 — Christ glorified in our lives

A Prayer for Moms Who Are Disappointed

Stephanie closes by praying for moms who are struggling to surrender their expectations for their marriages, parenting, homes, appearances, and futures.

She prays that we would learn to run to God's strength first, surrender our own agendas, and desire above everything else that Jesus Christ would be glorified in and through our lives.

And she prays that our children would see that kind of surrendered faith in us and learn to treasure God's glory above the temporary pleasures of this world.

Listen to The Dwelling Place

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms from Entrusted Ministries is designed to help Christian moms read and understand God's Word through a chronological Bible reading plan while discovering biblical wisdom for everyday motherhood.

If you're trying to stay consistent in Bible reading while raising children, join Stephanie as she walks through Scripture and connects God's Word to the realities of Christian parenting, biblical motherhood, family life, and faithful discipleship.

You may not get the life you expected. But you can have the presence of the God who never leaves you.

Commentaries Most Consulted: Moody, MacArthur, Matthew Henry

Habakkuk: Faith When You Can't See the Fruit | Biblical Encouragement for Moms

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries

What do you do when you are faithfully following God—but you can't see the results you're praying for?

In today's chronological Bible reading, we turn to the book of Habakkuk, a short but powerful book about questioning God, trusting His sovereignty, and learning to walk by faith when circumstances don't make sense.

Habakkuk begins by asking, How long, Lord? He sees injustice and wickedness and struggles to understand why God seems to allow it. But by the end of the book, Habakkuk's circumstances haven't necessarily changed—his perspective has.

He learns to rejoice in God not because everything is going well, but because God Himself is good, sovereign, faithful, and worthy of worship.

And that is a lesson Christian moms desperately need.

In This Episode

Stephanie walks through:

• Why Habakkuk's questions sound so much like the questions we find in Job and the Psalms
• How God can be completely holy while allowing evil to exist
• Why God's statement, "I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told," isn't originally a promise of blessing but a warning of coming judgment
• The meaning of "the righteous shall live by faith"
• How Habakkuk 2:4 is used in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews
• What the five woes against Babylon reveal about the sins God hates
• Why Habakkuk's final prayer is such a powerful picture of faith
• What it means to rejoice in the Lord when there is no visible evidence of a harvest
• How God can give us strength to endure circumstances we could never handle in our own strength
• What Habakkuk's message means for Christian parenting and motherhood
• Why faithful parenting often requires us to keep making deposits into our children's lives without immediately seeing fruit
• How we can trust God with our children's hearts, choices, and future
• Why "the righteous shall live by faith" is a message for moms who feel weary, discouraged, or unsure whether their faithfulness is making a difference

When You Don't See the Fruit

Motherhood requires an enormous amount of faithful endurance.

You make the meals. You teach the lessons. You correct the behavior. You repeat yourself. You pray. You discipline. You apologize when you get it wrong. You start again.

And sometimes you wonder:

Is any of this making a difference?

Habakkuk reminds us that faithfulness isn't dependent upon seeing immediate results.

Just as Habakkuk declares that he will rejoice in the Lord even if the fig tree doesn't blossom and the fields produce no food, we can choose joy in God even when the "harvest" we're hoping for in our families isn't visible yet.

Our confidence isn't ultimately in our parenting techniques or our children's responses.

Our confidence is in God.

"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength."The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

One of the most important verses in Habakkuk is:

"The righteous shall live by his faith." — Habakkuk 2:4

Stephanie explores how this single statement becomes foundational to the New Testament's teaching about salvation and Christian perseverance.

It is quoted in:

• Romans 1:17 — the righteousness of God is revealed through faith
• Galatians 3:11 — we are justified by faith rather than works
• Hebrews 10:38 — God's people are called to endure and not shrink back

For Christian moms, this means we don't have to manufacture our own strength. We are invited to trust God, depend on Christ, and persevere in faith.

What Habakkuk Teaches Us About Parenting

One of the most encouraging connections in today's reading is the reminder that faithfulness doesn't always produce immediately visible fruit.

You may be diligently teaching your children God's Word and still see stubbornness.

You may lovingly discipline and still have to correct the same behavior tomorrow.

You may pray for your children for years without seeing the answer you hoped for.

That doesn't mean your faithfulness is pointless.

Motherhood is filled with thousands of seemingly ordinary acts of obedience—another conversation, another meal, another correction, another prayer, another opportunity to demonstrate sacrificial love.

We make the deposits. God produces the harvest.

And even when we don't understand what He is doing, we can trust the God who entrusted our children to us.

God's Strength for Faithful Moms

Habakkuk ends with one of Scripture's most beautiful pictures of steadfast faith:

"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD."

Not because the circumstances are easy.

Not because the harvest is visible.

Not because Habakkuk understands everything God is doing.

Because God is God.

Stephanie compares this to the remarkable mountain deer referenced in Habakkuk 3—the kind of animal able to navigate steep and seemingly impossible terrain.

That's the kind of faith we want God to produce in us: the kind that makes people look at our lives and wonder,

"How is she doing this?"

Not because we're extraordinary, but because Christ is strengthening us.

A Bible Study for Moms

If you're following along with The Dwelling Place chronological Bible reading plan, today's episode is a wonderful reminder that chronological Bible reading isn't simply about checking chapters off a list.

As we read Scripture in context, we begin to see the larger story of God's character, His judgment, His mercy, His sovereignty, and His redemptive plan.

And ultimately, we learn to trust Him more.

Today's Reading

Habakkuk 1–3

Key Scriptures

• Habakkuk 1:2–4 — Habakkuk's cry over injustice
• Habakkuk 1:12–13 — God's holiness and Habakkuk's questions
• Habakkuk 2:4 — "The righteous shall live by his faith"
• Romans 1:16–17 — righteousness through faith
• Galatians 3:11 — justification by faith
• Hebrews 10:36–39 — endurance and faith
• Habakkuk 3:17–19 — rejoicing in God despite circumstances

A Prayer for Moms Who Are Waiting for the Harvest

Stephanie closes today's episode by praying for moms who are faithfully loving, disciplining, teaching, and praying for their children but aren't yet seeing the fruit they long for.

We pray that our families would be marked by holiness, selflessness, perseverance, and faithful endurance rather than instant gratification—and that our lives would point others to the strength and love of Jesus.

When you can't see what God is doing, you can still trust who God is.

Resources Mentioned

Entrusted With a Child's Heart — Stephanie mentions this resource from Entrusted Ministries as a tool for bringing biblical truth into everyday parenting and helping moms focus on what truly matters to God.

Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard — an allegorical novel inspired by Habakkuk 3:19 and the imagery of God giving His people "feet like the feet of a deer."

Listen to The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms

If you're a Christian mom who wants to read the Bible consistently, understand Scripture in context, grow in biblical wisdom, and apply God's Word to motherhood, join Stephanie as she works through a chronological Bible reading plan.

Subscribe to The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries and continue reading through Scripture with us.

You don't have to see the harvest to be faithful today.

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries

What do we do when our children make choices that disappoint us? And how does understanding the incredible mercy we've received from God change the way we parent?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox finishes 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles as we continue through our chronological Bible reading plan. As Jerusalem falls, the temple is destroyed, and Judah is carried into exile, we see both the devastating consequences of sin and the astonishing mercy and sovereignty of God.

And even in the darkest chapters, Scripture points us toward hope: God's ultimate plan was never thwarted. He was preparing the way for the day when He would come to dwell with His people—not merely in a temple, but through Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us.

Along the way, Stephanie draws a powerful parenting lesson from God's mercy: when we remember how much God has forgiven us, we're better equipped to respond to our children's failures with grace, patience, and faithful discipline.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What happens when Judah finally experiences the judgment God has been warning about for generations
• Why the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon's temple was so devastating
• How 2 Chronicles 36 reveals God's persistent compassion toward His people
• Why God's discipline doesn't mean His plans for His people have failed
• The remarkable mercy shown to Jehoiachin at the end of 2 Kings
• How remembering God's forgiveness can transform the way we discipline our children
• Why our children's failures can become opportunities to model grace rather than respond with impatience
• How God used even pagan kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus to accomplish His sovereign purposes
• Why the 70-year exile fulfilled God's Word through Jeremiah
• How the ending of Chronicles points directly toward the coming of Christ
• What it means for God to truly dwell with His people
• Why the presence of God should be something our children see beautifully modeled in our everyday lives

When Your Child Disappoints You

One of the most personal parenting applications in this episode comes from the mercy shown to Jehoiachin.

After reading about the wickedness of Judah's kings, it's striking to see an undeserving king receive kindness and favor.

And it raises an important question for us as mothers:

How does remembering God's mercy toward us change the way we respond to our children's sin?

We know our children's behavior can be exhausting. Disobedience, selfishness, disrespect, bad decisions, and repeated failures can wear us down.

But we're not parenting perfect children.

And we're not perfect mothers.

When we regularly remember the depth of our own sin—and the depth of God's grace—we can discipline our children without forgetting that we, too, are recipients of radical mercy.

Grace doesn't mean ignoring sin or removing consequences.

It means correcting our children as people who desperately need the same Savior we do.

God's Discipline Doesn't Mean His Plans Have Failed

The destruction of Jerusalem could have looked like the end of God's promises.

The temple was destroyed.

The city was burned.

The people were exiled.

But God's purposes had not failed.

God's plans for His people cannot be thwarted by their sin, rebellion, or circumstances.

That's an important truth for Christian moms, especially when we look at our children's lives and don't see the spiritual growth we hoped for.

We faithfully teach.

We pray.

We correct.

We model repentance.

We point them toward Scripture.

But ultimately, God is the One who works in their hearts.

We can entrust our children to Him without pretending that their choices don't matter.

The Lord Has Always Desired to Dwell With His People

The destruction of the temple makes the title of this podcast especially meaningful.

Throughout Scripture, we have watched God make His dwelling place among His people:

• In the garden
• In the wilderness
• In the tabernacle
• In Solomon's temple
• And ultimately, in Christ

The temple was never the final destination.

The story was always moving toward Emmanuel—God with us.

And through Christ, we can now draw near to God.

That is the greatest treasure we can give our children—not a perfect home, a successful life, or comfortable circumstances, but a mother who genuinely walks with the Lord.

Our prayer should be that God's presence would be so beautiful in our lives that our children would want to walk with Him too.

Finishing 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles!

There's another reason this episode is special: we're finishing 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles!

If you've been following along with the chronological Bible reading plan, you've made it through another major portion of Scripture.

Together we've completed:

Job → Genesis → Exodus → Leviticus → Numbers → Deuteronomy → Joshua → Judges → Ruth → 1 Samuel → 2 Samuel → 1 Kings → 2 Kings → 1 Chronicles → 2 Chronicles → Proverbs → Ecclesiastes → Song of Solomon → Isaiah → Hosea → Amos → Obadiah → Jonah → Micah → Nahum → Zephaniah

And we're getting closer and closer to the New Testament—and to focusing our eyes on Jesus.

Bible Reading for This Episode

📖 2 Kings 24–25

📖 2 Chronicles 36

If you're following along with the Dwelling Place chronological Bible reading plan, read these chapters alongside today's episode as we continue seeing God's story unfold in its historical context.

Questions for Christian Moms to Consider

1. When my children disappoint me, do I respond primarily from frustration or from an awareness of God's mercy toward me?
2. How can remembering my own need for grace change the way I discipline?
3. Am I trusting God with the parts of my children's lives that I cannot control?
4. What does my everyday life communicate to my children about the value of God's presence?
5. Would my children describe my relationship with the Lord as something beautiful and desirable?
6. How can I intentionally model repentance, dependence, and worship in front of my children?

A Prayer for Moms

Lord, remind us of the mercy You have shown us when we become impatient with our families. Help us remember that we are recipients of grace and that we cannot take credit for the sanctifying work You are doing in our own lives.

Teach us to discipline our children faithfully while extending the same mercy we have received from You.

And above all, make Your presence beautiful in our homes. May our children see mothers who genuinely love Your Word, seek Your presence, repent when we fail, and delight in walking with You.

Thank You, Jesus, that You are Emmanuel—God with us.

Keep walking through Scripture with us: The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms helps Christian moms read the Bible chronologically, understand Scripture in context, and discover how God's Word applies to everyday motherhood.

If you're looking for a Bible podcast for busy moms, chronological Bible reading plan, biblical parenting encouragement, Christian parenting wisdom, or help studying the Bible as a mom, this episode is part of an ongoing journey through the whole story of Scripture.

Because what moms do over and over matters to God.

Friend, you don't have to parent perfectly to parent faithfully. Keep bringing your children—and yourself—to the God who is perfectly faithful. Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

What happens when people repeatedly hear God's warnings but refuse to listen? And what can Jeremiah's decades of faithful ministry teach us about parenting children who don't always respond the way we hope?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Jeremiah 37–40 and Psalms 74 and 79, bringing us to the devastating fall of Jerusalem. After decades of warnings, Judah finally experiences the judgment God had promised.

Yet even in the middle of destruction, we see God's faithfulness, His protection of those who trust Him, and a powerful reminder that our faithfulness is not measured by whether our children always make faithful choices.

As Christian moms, we can sometimes feel responsible for every decision our children make. But Jeremiah's story reminds us that we can faithfully teach, warn, pray, model righteousness, and entrust our children to the Lord—while recognizing that they have hearts of their own.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Judah's destruction should not have come as a surprise after decades of God's warnings
• What Jeremiah 37:2 teaches us about listening to God's Word
• Why King Zedekiah repeatedly sought Jeremiah's counsel but refused to obey God's message
• The incredible story of Ebed-Melek, the Ethiopian who rescued Jeremiah from the cistern
• What happened when Jerusalem finally fell to Babylon
• Why Jeremiah's faithfulness mattered even when his message was unpopular
• How the destruction of Jerusalem points forward to the new covenant and Christ
• What Psalms 74 and 79 teach us about grieving devastation while continuing to trust God
• How we can praise God even when circumstances are painful
• A parenting lesson about not confusing our children's choices with our effectiveness as mothers
• Why we should prepare our children to walk faithfully through suffering rather than promising them an easy life
• How the presence of God—not perfect circumstances—is our greatest treasure

When Our Kids Don't Listen

One of the most encouraging parenting lessons in this passage is actually found in Judah's repeated refusal to listen.

God had been communicating clearly and persistently. Jeremiah had faithfully delivered His Word for decades. The people had been warned again and again.

And still, they didn't listen.

That reality can be sobering for mothers.

We can teach our children God's Word, establish boundaries, correct sinful behavior, pray with them, model repentance, and lovingly remind them of what is true—and they can still make sinful choices.

Our children's disobedience does not automatically mean we have failed as mothers.

Our calling is faithfulness. We cannot control the hearts of our children.

This doesn't mean we become passive or stop disciplining, teaching, or correcting. Instead, it frees us to parent from a place of faithful obedience rather than fear and guilt.

When Following God Isn't Popular

Jeremiah's message wasn't exactly crowd-pleasing.

He repeatedly told the people something they desperately did not want to hear: surrender to Babylon because God had appointed this judgment.

Because Jeremiah spoke the truth, he was accused of treason, beaten, imprisoned, and thrown into a muddy cistern.

Yet Jeremiah remained faithful.

That gives Christian moms an important question to consider:

Are we more concerned with our children's comfort and approval—or with helping them know and follow God's truth?

Faithful Christian parenting isn't ultimately about producing children who look successful, happy, or impressive.

It is about faithfully pointing our children toward Christ.

The Fall of Jerusalem and the Hope of the New Covenant

Jeremiah 39 brings us to the horrifying climax of Judah's judgment. Jerusalem falls. The temple is burned. The walls are broken down. God's people are carried into exile.

After all the descriptions we've encountered throughout Jeremiah, the devastation is difficult to read.

And yet, this destruction also points us toward something greater.

The temple would not remain God's ultimate dwelling place.

Through Christ, the veil would be torn, and God's people would become His dwelling place.

The story of Jeremiah ultimately points us beyond Jerusalem's destruction toward the new covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The God who allowed His people to experience judgment was also the God who was preparing a way for redemption.

Finding Hope in Psalms 74 and 79

Psalms 74 and 79 give us a glimpse into the grief surrounding Jerusalem's destruction.

There is devastation. Confusion. Anger. Loss.

And yet the psalmists still cry out to God.

They remember who He is.

And Psalm 79 ends with a beautiful commitment to praise God from generation to generation.

Even when everything around us feels broken, God is still worthy of our worship.

That's a lesson worth passing on to our children.

We don't need to teach them that following Jesus will protect them from disappointment, suffering, loss, or hardship.

Instead, we can teach them something far better:

God is worthy of our trust no matter what happens.

A Parenting Encouragement for Christian Moms

Your children will experience disappointment.

They will make choices you don't understand.

They may reject advice you've given them.

They may struggle with sin that you've warned them about repeatedly.

And there may be seasons when you wonder whether all of your teaching is making any difference.

Jeremiah reminds us that faithfulness doesn't guarantee immediate results.

So keep teaching.

Keep praying.

Keep correcting.

Keep modeling repentance.

Keep pointing your children toward God's Word.

And keep entrusting their hearts to the One who knows them better than you ever could.

Your responsibility is not to control the outcome.

Your responsibility is to faithfully steward the children God has entrusted to you.

Questions for Reflection

1. Am I measuring my effectiveness as a mother by my children's behavior?
2. Where might I be tempted to prioritize my child's approval over faithfulness to God's Word?
3. How can I teach my children that following Jesus doesn't guarantee an easy life?
4. What trials have taught me that God's presence is more valuable than comfortable circumstances?
5. How can I help my children develop a deep trust in God's purposes when life doesn't go according to their plans?

Bible Reading for This Episode

Jeremiah 37–40 and Psalms 74, 79

If you're following along with The Dwelling Place chronological Bible reading plan, open your Bible and read these chapters alongside this episode as we continue walking through Scripture together.

Keep Studying the Bible With Us

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms is designed to help Christian moms consistently get into God's Word, understand Scripture in context, and apply biblical truth to everyday motherhood.

At Entrusted Ministries, we want to help moms move beyond simply knowing about the Bible and learn to live out God's Word in their homes.

If you're looking for a Christian Bible podcast for women, a chronological Bible reading plan, biblical parenting encouragement, or practical Christian parenting wisdom, we'd love to have you join us for the next episode.

Because what moms do over and over matters to God.

Friend, you don't have to parent perfectly to parent faithfully. Keep bringing your children—and yourself—to the God who is perfectly faithful.Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

What if your child’s disobedience isn’t a reflection of your parenting? What if, instead of growing weary over every wrong choice, you could entrust your children to the God who is faithful to pursue, discipline, restore, and do good?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Jeremiah 31–36 and explores some of the most beautiful promises in the book of Jeremiah—including the New Covenant, God’s promise to restore His people, and His desire to do good to them.

After so many chapters of judgment and rebellion, Jeremiah 31–36 gives us a breathtaking glimpse of God’s steadfast love, faithfulness, discipline, mercy, and future hope.

And for moms, these chapters offer an important reminder: we can faithfully teach, train, discipline, and pray for our children without believing that every choice they make is a measure of our effectiveness as parents.

In This Episode, We’ll Explore:

• Why Jeremiah’s purchase of a field while sitting in prison demonstrated incredible faith in God’s promises
• The beautiful promise that God would make a new covenant with His people
• What it means that God promises, “I will give them one heart and one way”
• Jeremiah 32:17 and the reminder that nothing is too hard for God
• Why God’s discipline of Judah was not inconsistent with His goodness
• How the New Covenant points us ultimately to Jesus Christ
• The biblical connection between listening and obeying God
• Why our children’s disobedience doesn't necessarily mean that we have failed as mothers
• How to continue faithfully parenting when our children make choices that grieve us
• Jeremiah 33:3 and the importance of understanding familiar Bible verses in their context
• The contrast between Josiah and his son Jehoiakim and what it teaches us about parenting and our children’s choices
• Why we can have hope for our children without placing our hope in our own parenting performance
• How Jeremiah 31–36 can encourage weary Christian moms to persevere

📖 Key Scriptures in This Episode

Jeremiah 31:10–14 — God promises to gather, shepherd, comfort, and satisfy His people.

Jeremiah 32:17 — “Nothing is too hard for you.”

Jeremiah 32:40–41 — God promises to give His people one heart and one way, put His fear in their hearts, and rejoice in doing them good.

Jeremiah 33:3 — “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Jeremiah 33:14–16 — The promise of the righteous Branch from David and the coming King whose name is “The LORD is our righteousness.”

Jeremiah 35:13–15 — God repeatedly calls His people to listen, receive instruction, and turn from their evil ways.

Jeremiah 36 — The contrast between Josiah's humble response to God's Word and Jehoiakim's rejection and destruction of the scroll.

❤️ Encouragement for Christian Moms

One of the most encouraging parenting lessons in this passage is found in something that doesn't happen.

God faithfully instructed His people. He warned them. He sent prophets. He called them to repentance. He patiently communicated His truth.

And they still rebelled.

That reality can help us release the burden of believing that our children's choices are always a referendum on our parenting.

We are called to faithfully teach our children God's Word, establish loving boundaries, discipline them, model repentance, and point them toward Christ. But our children have hearts of their own.

Josiah was a faithful king, yet his son Jehoiakim responded to God's Word with shocking arrogance. Their example reminds us that even faithful parents cannot control the hearts of their children.

That doesn't mean our parenting doesn't matter. It means we don't have to carry the responsibility that belongs to God alone.

So if you're weary today, take heart. Keep teaching. Keep praying. Keep modeling faithfulness. Keep bringing your children before the Lord—and trust the God who loves them even more than you do.

🌿 The New Covenant and Our Hope in Christ

Jeremiah's promises ultimately point us toward something far greater than Judah's restoration from exile.

God promised an everlasting covenant, a transformed heart, a people who would know and fear Him, and a righteous Branch from the line of David.

That promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

As Christian moms, our ultimate hope isn't that we will parent perfectly or that our children will always make wise choices. Our hope is in the Lord who is our righteousness.

And that changes the way we parent.

We can faithfully persevere without fear.

We can discipline without despair.

We can pray without pretending we control the outcome.

And we can entrust our children to the God who promises to do good to His people.

🙏 In This Episode's Prayer

Stephanie prays for weary mothers who are faithfully parenting day after day. She asks God for wisdom to discern which battles matter, endurance when parenting feels exhausting, and faith to trust Him even when a child's choices don't match what they have been taught.

She also prays the promises of Jeremiah 32 over our children—that they would have “one heart and one way,” fear the Lord, remain faithful to Him, and experience His goodness.

📚 Go Deeper

If you're reading through the Bible chronologically with us, this episode is part of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, where we walk through Scripture and look for what God's Word teaches us about knowing Him, loving Him, and faithfully living for Him in the middle of everyday motherhood.

And if you're looking for practical help applying biblical principles to your parenting, learn more about Entrusted With a Child's Heart, a resource designed to help moms bring biblical truth into everyday parenting.

Friend, you don't have to parent perfectly to parent faithfully. Keep bringing your children—and yourself—to the God who is perfectly faithful.Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

Does Jeremiah 29:11 mean that God promises us an easy life?

Many Christian moms have heard the familiar words, “For I know the plans I have for you…” But what if we've been applying this beloved verse without understanding the difficult circumstances in which God originally spoke it?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Jeremiah chapters 25–30 and takes a closer look at Jeremiah 29:11, biblical interpretation, God's promises, and what it means to faithfully follow Him when life doesn't turn out the way we expected.

And Stephanie shares a rather memorable honeymoon story involving a missing hammock, a disappointing buffet, a broken-down speedboat, a Bible caught in a tropical storm, and a very long ride home—all to illustrate the danger of believing promises that sound wonderful but don't actually deliver what we expected.

The same principle matters when we're teaching our children about God.

Following Jesus does not guarantee smooth sailing. But God does promise that He is faithful, that He is working according to His good purposes, and that ultimately our greatest treasure is dwelling with Him.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• Why God repeatedly called Judah to listen and obey His Word
• How many opportunities God gave His people to repent before judgment came
• Why Judah's 70 years of Babylonian captivity mattered
• What Jeremiah's message teaches us about biblical obedience and parenting
• Why God still calls His people to faithfully live and serve even during difficult circumstances
• The danger of false prophets who promise peace without repentance
• The story of Jeremiah's yoke and what it teaches about surrendering to God's will
• Why we need to be careful about taking familiar Bible verses out of their historical and biblical context
• What Jeremiah 29:11 actually meant to the Israelites in Babylon
• How to distinguish between the original meaning of a passage and its application to our lives today
• Why God's good plans don't necessarily mean an easy, comfortable, or pain-free life
• How the cross of Jesus gives us the ultimate picture of God's ability to bring redemption from suffering
• How Christian moms can avoid teaching their children a prosperity-gospel version of Christianity
• Why we should prepare our children to expect faithfulness—not necessarily comfort
• What Jeremiah 30 begins to reveal about God's future restoration of His people

What Does Jeremiah 29:11 Really Mean?

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most quoted verses among Christians:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

But who was God speaking to?

He was speaking to Israelite exiles living in Babylon.

They weren't being promised that their circumstances would immediately improve. In fact, God had just told them that their captivity would last 70 years.

Many of them would never return home.

And yet God told them to build houses, plant gardens, marry, have children, multiply, seek the welfare of Babylon, and pray for the city where they lived.

Their hope wasn't found in an immediate change of circumstances.

Their hope was found in God.

That's an important distinction for us as Christian moms.

Biblical Hope Doesn't Mean an Easy Life

It's tempting to tell ourselves—or our children—that if we follow God, everything will eventually work out the way we want.

But Scripture doesn't make that promise.

Following Jesus can involve suffering, disappointment, persecution, financial difficulty, relational struggles, illness, grief, and seasons that last far longer than we expected.

God's goodness doesn't mean that every difficult circumstance will disappear.

Instead, God uses even difficult circumstances to make us more like Christ and ultimately brings His people into the fullness of His presence.

The cross is the greatest example.

When Jesus died, it looked like hope had been completely lost.

But God was accomplishing redemption through what appeared to be the greatest tragedy.

God's good plans are often bigger than our definition of “good.”

A Lesson for Christian Parenting

This is especially important when we're raising children.

We don't want to accidentally teach our kids a false gospel that says:

Follow God and He'll make your life easy.

Instead, we can teach them:

Follow God because He is worthy.

Obey Him because He is good.

Trust Him when you don't understand.

Expect Him to be with you in difficulty.

Remember that your greatest treasure isn't comfort—it is Christ.

That kind of faith can withstand disappointment.

Teaching Our Kids to Listen and Obey

One of the repeated themes throughout Jeremiah is the importance of listening to God's Word and obeying it.

God repeatedly warned Judah. He sent prophets. He called them to repentance. He gave them opportunities to turn from their sin.

They refused to listen.

As parents, this gives us a helpful framework for biblical parenting.

We can clearly communicate God's standards to our children, give them age-appropriate expectations, and lovingly hold them accountable—not because obedience earns God's love, but because God's Word is good and His commands lead us toward what is true and life-giving.

And we can model this ourselves.

Our children need to see that we're not merely asking them to obey God's Word.

We're learning to listen and obey Him too.

Don't Give Your Children a False Gospel

One of the most important parenting applications from this episode is this:

What kind of Christianity are we presenting to our children?

If we teach them that God exists primarily to make them happy, comfortable, successful, or prosperous, what happens when suffering comes?

They may conclude that God has failed them.

But if we teach them from childhood that Jesus is worth following even when obedience is difficult, they can learn to cling to Him when life doesn't go according to plan.

We can teach our kids that God's presence is better than comfort, His Word is more trustworthy than our feelings, and His purposes are better than our plans.

Jeremiah 29:11 and the Christian Life

Jeremiah 29:11 was not a promise of smooth sailing.

And neither is the Christian life.

But it is a beautiful reminder that God has not abandoned His people.

He knows His plans.

He is faithful.

He gives His people hope.

And ultimately, He brings His people home to Himself.

As moms, that's the hope we want to pass down to our children.

Bible Reading

This episode covers:

Jeremiah 25–30

If you're following along with a chronological Bible reading plan, this episode will help you understand Jeremiah's prophecies within the historical circumstances surrounding Judah's exile and Babylonian captivity.

Questions for Reflection

As you listen, consider:

• Am I teaching my children that following God guarantees an easy life?
• Do I trust God when His plans don't look like what I expected?
• Am I more committed to my children's comfort or to their faithfulness?
• Do my children see me listening to and obeying God's Word?
• Have I taken any Bible verses out of context because I wanted them to promise something God never promised?
• How can I teach my children that Jesus Himself is our greatest treasure?

A Prayer for Christian Moms

Heavenly Father, help us to be women who listen to and obey Your Word. Teach us to trust You when circumstances don't look the way we expected. Keep us from giving our children a false gospel filled with promises of earthly comfort and prosperity. Instead, help us teach them that You are worthy of our complete devotion, even when following You is difficult. Fix our eyes on Jesus and the cross, where we see that You can bring redemption even when all hope seems lost. Help us raise children who trust You, love Your Word, and believe that dwelling with You is our greatest treasure. Amen.

If you're looking for a Bible podcast for busy moms that helps you understand Scripture in its context while applying God's Word to motherhood and family life, join us here at The Dwelling Place.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

Jeremiah 19–24: Raising Kids Who Know God, Not Just Religion

What does it really mean to know God? And how can we raise children whose faith goes deeper than religious habits, church attendance, or simply knowing the “right” answers?

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Jeremiah chapters 19–24 and shows how these ancient warnings speak directly to Christian moms and biblical parenting today.

Jeremiah continues confronting Judah over their rebellion against God, their oppression of the vulnerable, their rejection of God's Word, and their dependence on false prophets who promised peace when judgment was coming. Yet in the middle of these sobering chapters, we find a beautiful promise: God would raise up a righteous King from the line of David—the Lord our righteousness.

As we study Jeremiah, we're reminded that biblical parenting isn't simply about teaching our children religious behaviors. We want to raise children who know God, love His Word, recognize truth, stand firm when following Jesus is difficult, and have compassion for those who are vulnerable and oppressed.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• Why God used the broken pottery in Jeremiah 19 as a picture of coming judgment
• The persecution Jeremiah experienced from religious leaders
• What Jeremiah's lament teaches us about following God when obedience is painful
• Why Jeremiah could continue speaking God's truth even when others rejected his message
• The difference between a religious leader who tells people what they want to hear and a faithful messenger of God's Word
• What God's commands to the kings of Judah teach us about justice, compassion, and caring for the vulnerable
• Why God repeatedly mentions the fatherless, widows, foreigners, and oppressed
• What it means to truly know God
• The fascinating prophecy concerning Coniah/Jeconiah and the line of David
• The promise of the coming “righteous Branch” and how it points us to Jesus
• Why Jesus is uniquely qualified to reign as the righteous King
• Jeremiah's warning about false prophets
• How Christian moms can teach their children to evaluate teachers, podcasts, books, influencers, and messages according to Scripture
• Why our children need more than inspiring Christian content—they need to know God's Word for themselves

Raising Kids Who Know God

One of the most beautiful challenges in this passage comes when God says of King Josiah:

“He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me?”—Jeremiah 22:16

Knowing God isn't merely intellectual. Knowing God changes the way we live.

When we understand God's character, we should become people who care about the things He cares about. That means biblical parenting involves teaching our children not only to read the Bible and attend church, but also to love their neighbors, care for the vulnerable, stand for what is right, and treat others with compassion.

Jeremiah's message challenges us to ask whether our children's faith is becoming something they genuinely own—or whether we're simply teaching them a list of Christian practices.

Teaching Kids Biblical Discernment

Jeremiah also gives Christian parents an important warning about false teaching.

The people rejected Jeremiah partly because they didn't like his message. The false prophets, meanwhile, offered messages of peace and reassurance that sounded much more appealing.

That is still a valuable lesson for our families.

Our children will encounter countless voices telling them what is true—through social media, YouTube, podcasts, books, teachers, celebrities, influencers, and even religious leaders.

We don't want to teach our kids to simply follow the most popular Christian voice.

We want to teach them to know God's Word well enough to recognize what agrees with it.

That means helping our children develop a biblical habit of asking:

“What does Scripture say?”

When Following God Means Standing Alone

Jeremiah knew what it meant to obey God when obedience brought rejection.

He was mocked, persecuted, imprisoned, and opposed—even by people within his own religious community. Yet he continued to proclaim God's Word.

That's an important lesson for our children.

We can't promise our kids that following Jesus will always make them popular. But we can teach them that faithfulness to God is worth the cost.

Jeremiah's life gives us an opportunity to pray that our children will have the courage to speak truth with humility, remain faithful when they're misunderstood, and trust that God's presence is greater than the approval of others.

Jesus, the Righteous King

After confronting Judah's wicked kings, Jeremiah gives us a glorious glimpse of the King who would come:

“I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”—Jeremiah 23:5

And then comes the name:

“The Lord is our righteousness.”

Jeremiah's message doesn't end with wicked kings, false prophets, judgment, and failure. It points us toward the perfect King and Shepherd—Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the righteous King who does what Judah's kings could not. He is the Good Shepherd who cares for His people, and He is the One whose righteousness we desperately need.

As moms, we don't simply want to raise “good kids.” We want to point our children to the perfect Savior who makes sinners righteous.

A Prayer for Moms

As you listen, consider praying:

Lord, help me raise children who truly know You—not children who simply know how to practice Christianity. Give them a deep love for Your Word, courage to stand for truth, compassion for the vulnerable, and discernment to recognize false teaching. Help me model these things in my own life. Keep me from being captivated by popularity, personalities, or platforms, and make me captivated by You and Your Word. Thank You that Jesus is our righteous King and that we can trust Your promises. Amen.

Bible Reading

This episode covers:

Jeremiah 19–24

If you're following along with a chronological Bible reading plan, this episode is part of our journey through Jeremiah as we continue studying God's Word in its historical context.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries

What happens when obedience to God doesn't produce the results we expected? In Jeremiah 13–18, we see a prophet who faithfully served God for decades while facing loneliness, persecution, discouragement, and seemingly little fruit.

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox explores some of Jeremiah's most memorable illustrations—including the ruined linen loincloth, The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries

What happens when obedience to God doesn't produce the results we expected? In Jeremiah 13–18, we see a prophet who faithfully served God for decades while facing loneliness, persecution, discouragement, and seemingly little fruit.

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox explores some of Jeremiah's most memorable illustrations—including the ruined linen loincloth, the tree planted by water, and the potter and the clay—and considers what they teach us about wholehearted faith, biblical parenting, and trusting God when life feels like a drought.

Jeremiah's ministry reminds us that faithfulness isn't measured by visible results. Sometimes God calls us simply to trust Him, sink our roots deeply into His Word, and remain faithful even when we cannot see what He is doing.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• The meaning behind God's unusual command for Jeremiah to bury a linen loincloth
• Why the ruined loincloth was a picture of Judah's relationship with God
• How Judah's spiritual pride and stubbornness had made them “good for nothing”
• Jeremiah's struggle with discouragement, loneliness, and unanswered expectations
• What Jeremiah 15 teaches us about finding joy and delight in God's Word
• How to remain faithful when obedience doesn't produce the results you expected
• Why Jeremiah's calling was particularly lonely—and how God remained faithful to him
• The powerful contrast between trusting in human strength and trusting in the Lord
• Why Jeremiah 17:7–8 is such an encouragement for Christian moms walking through difficult seasons
• How spiritual drought can actually drive us to sink our roots deeper into God's Word
• What “the heart is deceitful above all things” means in the context of Jeremiah 17
• How understanding our own weaknesses can help us show greater grace and patience toward our children
• The connection between Jeremiah 17 and Psalm 1
• What Judah's neglect of the Sabbath reveals about trusting God's provision
• The significance of the 70 years of exile and Israel's neglected Sabbath rests
• Why God's picture of Himself as the potter and His people as clay gives us a powerful perspective on surrender
• How Christian moms can learn to trust God's design for themselves, their families, and their circumstances

🌳 When You're Walking Through a Spiritual Drought

One of the most encouraging passages in this reading is Jeremiah 17:7–8:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water…”

The tree doesn't avoid the heat. It doesn't escape the drought.

It simply has deep roots.

And because its roots reach the water, it doesn't have to fear the circumstances around it.

That's a beautiful picture for Christian motherhood. We can't guarantee that our children will make wise choices. We can't control our circumstances, our culture, or the results of our obedience.

But we can continually send our roots deeper into the Word of God.

When life gets hard, our trials can become opportunities to discover that Jesus really is enough.

💧 Biblical Parenting: Teaching Our Children to Sink Their Roots Deep

Jeremiah's message gives us an important reminder for parenting: we cannot make our children's hearts trust God.

But we can faithfully point them toward the One who can.

As moms, we want to model what it looks like to seek God's Word when we're discouraged, to trust Him when circumstances don't make sense, to repent when our hearts wander, and to speak words that are “precious and not worthless.”

Our children need more than Christian rules and behavior modification. They need to see parents who know, love, trust, and depend upon the Lord.

And perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give them is the example of a mother whose roots go deeper when the drought comes.

🏺 The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah's visit to the potter's house gives us an important perspective shift.

The clay doesn't determine what it should become.

The Potter does.

God is sovereign over His creation, and we are called to surrender ourselves to His purposes. That includes learning to receive God's design for our lives rather than constantly wishing we were someone—or somewhere—else.

For moms, this can be especially challenging.

What if God's invitation isn't to control every outcome, but to trust the Potter?

📖 Scripture in This Episode

• Jeremiah 13
• Jeremiah 14
• Jeremiah 15
• Jeremiah 16
• Jeremiah 17
• Jeremiah 18
• Psalm 1
• Matthew 26:41

Key Scriptures

Jeremiah 15:16 — “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

Jeremiah 17:7–8 — “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord…”

Jeremiah 18:6 — God as the Potter and His people as the clay.

❤️ The Takeaway for Moms

You may be in a season where you're faithfully obeying God but wondering why you aren't seeing the fruit you hoped for.

Jeremiah's life reminds us that faithfulness is not the same thing as visible success.

Keep going.

Keep eating God's Word.

Keep sinking your roots into Christ.

And when the heat comes, don't be surprised if God uses the drought to grow something beautiful in you.

Listen to The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms

If you're looking for a Bible podcast for Christian moms, a chronological Bible reading plan, help staying consistent in Scripture, or encouragement for biblical parenting and Christian motherhood, The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries will help you walk through God's Word and apply its truth to everyday family life.

Subscribe and continue studying the Bible with us as we journey through Scripture together.

Jeremiah's ministry reminds us that faithfulness isn't measured by visible results. Sometimes God calls us simply to trust Him, sink our roots deeply into His Word, and remain faithful even when we cannot see what He is doing.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• The meaning behind God's unusual command for Jeremiah to bury a linen loincloth
• Why the ruined loincloth was a picture of Judah's relationship with God
• How Judah's spiritual pride and stubbornness had made them “good for nothing”
• Jeremiah's struggle with discouragement, loneliness, and unanswered expectations
• What Jeremiah 15 teaches us about finding joy and delight in God's Word
• How to remain faithful when obedience doesn't produce the results you expected
• Why Jeremiah's calling was particularly lonely—and how God remained faithful to him
• The powerful contrast between trusting in human strength and trusting in the Lord
• Why Jeremiah 17:7–8 is such an encouragement for Christian moms walking through difficult seasons
• How spiritual drought can actually drive us to sink our roots deeper into God's Word
• What “the heart is deceitful above all things” means in the context of Jeremiah 17
• How understanding our own weaknesses can help us show greater grace and patience toward our children
• The connection between Jeremiah 17 and Psalm 1
• What Judah's neglect of the Sabbath reveals about trusting God's provision
• The significance of the 70 years of exile and Israel's neglected Sabbath rests
• Why God's picture of Himself as the potter and His people as clay gives us a powerful perspective on surrender
• How Christian moms can learn to trust God's design for themselves, their families, and their circumstances

🌳 When You're Walking Through a Spiritual Drought

One of the most encouraging passages in this reading is Jeremiah 17:7–8:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water…”

The tree doesn't avoid the heat. It doesn't escape the drought.

It simply has deep roots.

And because its roots reach the water, it doesn't have to fear the circumstances around it.

That's a beautiful picture for Christian motherhood. We can't guarantee that our children will make wise choices. We can't control our circumstances, our culture, or the results of our obedience.

But we can continually send our roots deeper into the Word of God.

When life gets hard, our trials can become opportunities to discover that Jesus really is enough.

💧 Biblical Parenting: Teaching Our Children to Sink Their Roots Deep

Jeremiah's message gives us an important reminder for parenting: we cannot make our children's hearts trust God.

But we can faithfully point them toward the One who can.

As moms, we want to model what it looks like to seek God's Word when we're discouraged, to trust Him when circumstances don't make sense, to repent when our hearts wander, and to speak words that are “precious and not worthless.”

Our children need more than Christian rules and behavior modification. They need to see parents who know, love, trust, and depend upon the Lord.

And perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give them is the example of a mother whose roots go deeper when the drought comes.

🏺 The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah's visit to the potter's house gives us an important perspective shift.

The clay doesn't determine what it should become.

The Potter does.

God is sovereign over His creation, and we are called to surrender ourselves to His purposes. That includes learning to receive God's design for our lives rather than constantly wishing we were someone—or somewhere—else.

For moms, this can be especially challenging.

What if God's invitation isn't to control every outcome, but to trust the Potter?

📖 Scripture in This Episode

• Jeremiah 13
• Jeremiah 14
• Jeremiah 15
• Jeremiah 16
• Jeremiah 17
• Jeremiah 18
• Psalm 1
• Matthew 26:41

Key Scriptures

Jeremiah 15:16 — “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

Jeremiah 17:7–8 — “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord…”

Jeremiah 18:6 — God as the Potter and His people as the clay.

❤️ The Takeaway for Moms

You may be in a season where you're faithfully obeying God but wondering why you aren't seeing the fruit you hoped for.

Jeremiah's life reminds us that faithfulness is not the same thing as visible success.

Keep going.

Keep eating God's Word.

Keep sinking your roots into Christ.

And when the heat comes, don't be surprised if God uses the drought to grow something beautiful in you.

Listen to The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms

If you're looking for a Bible podcast for Christian moms, a chronological Bible reading plan, help staying consistent in Scripture, or encouragement for biblical parenting and Christian motherhood, The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries will help you walk through God's Word and apply its truth to everyday family life.

Subscribe and continue studying the Bible with us as we journey through Scripture together.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

Jeremiah 6–12: The Ancient Paths, Religious Hypocrisy & Biblical Parenting

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms | Entrusted Ministries

What does it look like to truly know God—not simply participate in religious activities? In Jeremiah 6–12, the prophet Jeremiah confronts Judah’s religious hypocrisy, exposing a people who worshiped in the temple while continuing to oppress the vulnerable, pursue idols, and live in rebellion against God.

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Jeremiah’s powerful temple sermon in Jeremiah 7, helping us understand why God’s judgment was righteous and why outward religious practices can never replace wholehearted obedience.

As Christian moms, this passage also challenges us to consider how we are discipling our children. Are we teaching them to simply check spiritual boxes—or are we helping them know, love, and follow the Lord?

Jeremiah reminds us to return to the ancient paths, seek the wisdom of God's Word, care for the vulnerable, reject cultural idols, and build families whose worship flows from hearts devoted to God.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• Why Jeremiah’s temple sermon is such a powerful warning against religious hypocrisy
• Why simply attending church or participating in Christian activities cannot substitute for obedience to God
• What Jeremiah 6:16 means when God tells His people to seek the “ancient paths”
• How Judah was trusting the temple as a kind of spiritual “good luck charm”
• God's command to care for the sojourner, orphan, and widow
• The devastating consequences of allowing pagan worship and cultural influences to shape God's people
• What Jeremiah teaches us about biblical parenting and discipling our children
• Why parents must be careful not to teach children a checklist of Christian behaviors without teaching them to know and love God
• How we can evaluate whether our families are becoming more like Christ or simply looking like the culture around us
• Why Jeremiah 9:23–24 tells us what we should truly boast in: knowing and understanding God
• How idols made by human hands contrast with the living and everlasting God
• Encouragement for moms who feel overwhelmed by the endless stream of advice about parenting, food, health, culture, and family life
• Why returning to Scripture can give us clarity, wisdom, and the peace of the ancient paths

A Powerful Word for Christian Moms

One of the most beautiful challenges in this passage is found in Jeremiah 6:16:

“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”

As moms, we can easily become overwhelmed by the constant stream of advice telling us how to raise our children, what they should eat, how they should learn, what media they should consume, and how our families should live.

But Scripture repeatedly brings us back to something much simpler: know God, love God, obey His Word, and teach your children to do the same.

The goal isn't perfect Christian parenting. The goal is raising children who know where to turn for wisdom—and ultimately know and love the Lord themselves.

Scripture Mentioned

• Jeremiah 6
• Jeremiah 7
• Jeremiah 8
• Jeremiah 9:23–24
• Jeremiah 10
• Jeremiah 11
• Jeremiah 12
• Deuteronomy 6
• Psalm 46
• Psalm 119
• Hebrews 11:6

Key Takeaway

Don't find your security in religious checklists. Find your security in knowing, loving, and dwelling with God.

Jeremiah's message is sobering, but it is also deeply hopeful for Christian moms. God's Word gives us a clear path when the culture around us becomes confusing. We don't have to imitate the world or be overwhelmed by every new parenting philosophy. We can return to Scripture, walk in the good way, and teach our children to do the same.

Listen & Study the Bible With Us

The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms is designed to help Christian moms stay rooted in God's Word through a chronological Bible reading plan, biblical teaching, prayer, and practical encouragement for motherhood.

If you're looking for a Bible podcast for women, a chronological Bible study, Christian parenting encouragement, biblical parenting wisdom, or help staying consistent in reading the Bible, join us as we journey through Scripture together.

Subscribe to The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries and keep studying God's Word with us—one passage at a time.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox introduces us to Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet,” whose five-decade ministry called God’s people to repentance in the midst of spiritual compromise, cultural pressure, and coming judgment.

As we continue our chronological Bible reading plan, we’ll see Jeremiah’s heart for God’s people—and God’s tender, faithful heart toward His people. Jeremiah’s message is sobering, but it also offers moms a powerful reminder: God alone is the fountain of living water, and nothing the world offers can satisfy our souls.

Jeremiah was called by God while he was still young, and his ministry would span the reigns of five kings of Judah. He faithfully proclaimed God’s Word even when his message brought sorrow, rejection, and persecution.

This episode is especially for mom ears alone as we consider Jeremiah’s piercing description of sin, idolatry, spiritual compromise, and the consequences of turning away from God.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Jeremiah’s call to ministry and what moms can learn from his willingness to obey God despite his youth
• How God intimately knows and appoints His people for His purposes
• The meaning behind Jeremiah’s name and his connection to the priestly town of Anathoth
• Why Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet
• Judah’s spiritual unfaithfulness and pursuit of other sources of satisfaction
• The powerful picture of God as the “fountain of living waters”
• What it means to dig “broken cisterns” that cannot hold water
• The danger of trying to follow both God and the culture around us
• Jeremiah’s call for God’s people to repent and return to the Lord
• How our hearts can become spiritually hardened or complacent
• What it means to “break up your fallow ground”
• How parents can help their children become good soil that receives God’s Word
• The importance of teaching our children that worldly pleasures provide only temporary satisfaction
• Why biblical parenting requires more than outward obedience—it requires hearts that treasure God
• How Jeremiah encourages us to remain faithful to God even when the culture around us is moving in the opposite direction

A Powerful Picture for Christian Moms

One of the most memorable images in Jeremiah is the contrast between living water and broken cisterns.

God describes His people as having forsaken Him—the fountain of living water—and attempting to satisfy themselves with cisterns that cannot hold water.

That picture challenges us to examine our own hearts.

Are we looking to Christ for our joy and satisfaction, or are we allowing comfort, possessions, entertainment, success, approval, or the pleasures of our culture to compete for our affection?

And as Christian moms, we have the opportunity to help our children recognize the difference.

The goal isn't simply to raise children who know the right answers. We want to cultivate hearts that love God's Word, seek Christ, recognize the emptiness of worldly pleasures, and remain faithful when following Jesus is difficult.

Jeremiah and Biblical Parenting

Jeremiah's message gives Christian parents an important reminder: we cannot simply teach our children to avoid the sins of the culture—we must teach them to love the God who is better than everything the culture offers.

Just as Jeremiah called Judah to return to the Lord with their whole hearts, we can continually encourage our children to seek God wholeheartedly.

We can pray that they would become good soil—receiving God's Word with joy and refusing to allow the pleasures and pressures of this world to choke out their faith.

Scripture Highlight“My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Jeremiah 2:13

Bible Reading

Today's episode focuses on:

• Jeremiah 1–5
• Jeremiah's calling and ministry
• Judah's spiritual unfaithfulness
• God's call to repentance
• The “fountain of living waters” and “broken cisterns”
• The call to break up fallow ground

A Prayer for Christian Moms

In this episode, Stephanie prays that we would be quick to repent, tender toward God's Word, and faithful to remain devoted to Christ rather than being shaped by the culture around us.

She also prays that our children would recognize the emptiness of worldly pleasures and learn to seek God as their true source of joy, satisfaction, wisdom, and hope.

If you're following a chronological Bible plan, studying the Bible as a busy mom, or looking for encouragement in Christian parenting and biblical motherhood, this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms will challenge you to examine your own heart and ask where you're looking for satisfaction.

God is the fountain of living water. Nothing else can satisfy.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary