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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, hello.
You're listening to the JesseMorgan Devotions for the
Christian Heart Podcast, episode54.
This week's devotional istitled Best Defense Dominant
Women Study of Deborah.
Let's go.
Hi.
I'm Jesse Morgan.
I used to just share home decorand renovation tips on social
media, but now I'm sharingsomething even closer to my
(00:21):
heart my journey and love forJesus Christ, my Savior.
Welcome to the Jesse MorganDevotions for the Christian Hot
Podcast.
This is a weekly devotional.
I started back in May 2024, butthe inspiration for it came
much earlier.
It was rooted in a faithjourney that began when my
daughter was born, four monthsearly in 2023.
Through that challenging time,god worked in ways that truly
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amazed me.
On this podcast, I sharepersonal stories of faith, woven
together with scripture to showjust how incredible God's word
can be in our everyday lives.
My hope is that through thesestories, you'll be encouraged,
uplifted and reminded of God'slove and presence, no matter
what you're going through.
So I invite you to spend lessthan 15 minutes with me each
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week as we reflect on thesedevotionals together.
Let's all pray within.
Best Defense Dominant WomenEpisode 54, the Study of Judges,
featuring Debra.
Hey friends, welcome back tothe podcast, okay, okay.
So I've got a childhood storyfor you today, not the most fun
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one, but it definitely turnedinto a positive experience.
Still, I wouldn't want torelive it ever again.
So picture this I'm in maybesixth or seventh grade and my
mom signs me up for a week-longbasketball camp at the youth
center up the street from ourhouse.
I did not want to go, like Iwas begging her, please don't
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make me go, mom but she insistedit's good for you, jess, you
need this Now.
Listen, I was not intobasketball, never had been.
I just enjoy watching it on TV.
My dad drops me off and Irealize real quick it's a co-ed
camp but there are only twogirls total Me and another girl
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who ends up in the younger agegroup.
I was about 12, so I got placedwith the 11 to 14 year old
group.
That meant I was the only girlin my group surrounded by loud,
competitive boys, can you justimagine?
And y'all, I had no basketballskills, could barely dribble,
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didn't know all the rules andthe coaches all athletic guys.
I felt so out of place.
I made mistakes.
Some kids even fussed at me.
That first day.
It was rough.
Lunchtime comes, I grab mylunch pail and I head outside
like everyone else, but no onewants to sit with me.
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So I walked into the girl'sbathroom, sat in a stall and ate
my lunch alone.
It was lonely.
Honestly, it was just really.
I felt pathetic.
But I went back that afternoon.
I kept trying.
I didn't have the technique,but you know what I did have
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Speed, without even realizing it, I could fly up and down the
court.
One time on a fast break, a kidpassed me the ball and I made
the easy layup and defense.
I was on people like glue.
I didn't let up.
Day after day I kept showing up, still ate lunch in the
bathroom, still felt out ofplace, but I kept playing hard
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and by the end of the week weplayed in a tournament.
Our team came in second placeoverall.
I started all five gamessurprised.
The boys even started arguingfor me to guard certain players
and lead fast breaks.
Then came Friday award time.
They handed out trophies MVP,best offensive player, all the
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usual ones and then theyannounced best defensive player
for the entire camp and it wasme.
I was stunned.
Even the boys clapped boys whohadn't said a word to me all
week.
Afterwards I asked one of thecoaches you really think I had
good defense and he said yeah,man, you were like the glove.
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At the time I didn't know whatthat meant, but now I do.
Gary Payton, legendarydefensive player the glove was
his nickname.
I earned their respect.
They still didn't want to hangout with me or anything, but the
energy had shifted a bit andthat meant something.
Well, what I want to go through?
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Well, basically, would I wantto go through that again?
Absolutely not, but I was proudof myself, proud that I showed
up, pushed through and held myown Defense.
Isn't always glamorous, butit's gritty, it's bold, and that
week so was I.
Girl power, right.
Which brings me to this week'sdevotional, judges 4 and 5.
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We're really going to focus inon Chapter 4, but this
devotional really features two,two, might I say, incredible
women Debra and Jael.
At first, I'll be honest, Istruggled to connect deeply with
the story, but that changedwhen I met Jael.
Her part in the story totallyreframed how I saw Deborah.
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So here's the setup Israel isbeing oppressed again.
So here's the setup Israel isbeing oppressed again and God
raised up a judge named Deborah.
But she's not just a judge,which was interesting.
She's also a prophetess, wise,spirit-filled, chosen by God to
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lead and speak his truth.
God gives Deborah a word for aman named Barak.
He's supposed to lead Israelinto battle against Caesarea,
the commander of the enemy thatis oppressing Israel, but Barak
hesitated.
He says he won't go unlessDeborah goes with him to tell
Israel to fight.
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And Deborah replies okay, I'llgo, but the honor of this
victory won't go to you, it willgo to a woman.
Interesting verse there andback then that was huge.
Women weren't seen as warriorsor leaders.
But God, he had other plans.
So they go into battle andIsrael wins.
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Caesarea, the enemy commander,flees on foot.
He ends up at the tent of awoman named Jael.
He thinks he's safe because herpeople have an alliance or you
know they're in good, they'reusually in good relations with
him.
You know they're in good,they're usually in good
relations with him.
And he.
Caesarea asks Jael to hide him,give him water and stand guard.
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And she does until he fallsasleep.
Then Jael grabs a tent peg anda hammer and drives it through
his skull.
You heard me?
The peg went through his skull.
I know graphic, but that's howIsrael's oppression ends At the
hands of a woman.
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God used her boldness to finishwhat Deborah started.
Between Deborah's leadershipand Jael's fearlessness, we get
a powerful truth God uses womenboldly, strategically,
powerfully, and guess what?
He still does to this day?
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That week at basketball camp, myteam had me guard the top
shooter every game.
It was exhausting, but I roseto the challenge.
Even the MVP, the best boy inthe camp, had to work hard
because I was guarding him.
Back then I didn't realize theweight I was carrying.
But now I look back and think,wow, I was killing it a bit.
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My husband would be very proud.
He was a basketball playeractually.
So anyways, as women to continuethe story, as women we hold a
special place in God's kingdom,his team, we are part of the
team, and sometimes he calls usto step up, to lead, to carry
the weight, not because mencan't, but because he chose us
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to.
That's not something to shyaway from, it's something to
praise God for.
So let me ask you this Are youready, man or woman, to take the
shot when God calls on you, orare you willing to come off the
bench and let someone else stepup if that's what the moment
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requires?
Either way, it's about honoringGod with our role and going for
that.
And one.
Let's pray, heavenly Father.
Thank you for the boldness ofDeborah, thank you for the
encouragement of JL, thank youthat the Bible shows us not just
the beautiful but the brutaltruths too, because life isn't
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always clean and pretty.
It's messy, it's hard, and yetyou show up in the middle of it
all.
Help us to trust you when thebattle looks bigger than us.
Give us the strength to step upwhen you call and the humility
to sit down when it's not ourturn.
Use us, men and women, tofulfill your purpose.
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Lord, let us be ready, bold andobedient.
Father, we love you and father,we praise you in jesus name.
Amen, till next time.
Well, that wraps up this week'sepisode.
I hope these devotions help youdraw closer to god each day.
If this episode encouraged,please share it with someone who
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might need the same message anddon't forget to subscribe so
you never miss a weekly episode.
Also, if you feel compelled,leaving a nice review would be
so appreciated as well.
For more information or toreach out, check the show notes
or visit jessimorganhomecom orfind me on Instagram at
jessimorganlife.
Remember God's timing is alwaysperfect.
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Keep trusting him Until nexttime.
This is Jessi Morgan praying onJessi Morgan Devotions behind
the scenes, starting right now.
Welcome back, welcome back.
(10:48):
This is jesse morgan um behindthe scenes.
And today I just wanted toreally focus in on I am woman,
hear me, roar, you know.
So we know this is like a girlpower type of devotional, with
two dominant women that god usedto deliver his nation, save the
nation of Israel.
But what I also wanted to justlook at that really struck me
was Barak and how God went toDeborah to send a message to
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Barak that he is to lead Israelinto battle against Caesarea.
Who was he is to lead Israelinto battle against Caesarea?
Who was, you know, oppressingIsrael?
And the fact that he toldDeborah you need to come with me
to tell the soldiers this.
And the fact that she said tohim well, since you know, you're
doing this, the victory will beat the hands of a woman.
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And I know in scripture itdoesn't mention his response to
that, but clearly he was okaywith it and I interpret it as he
accepted that and he was finewith that.
And what a person, what a man atthat time.
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Who's supposed to be leading anarmy against a massive enemy of
Israel?
Who's supposed to be leading anarmy against a massive enemy of
Israel, who clearly was awarrior himself, probably, and
he still wanted Deborah by hisside.
He still wanted a woman by hisside, and I don't think he cared
that she was a woman, he caredthe fact that she was filled
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with the spirit because she wasa prophetess of the Lord.
And I just really admire thatof Barack and how he understood
his place and how he felt betterhaving her by his side and he
was okay with a woman beingbeing credited with the victory
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of defeating Caesarea and nothim.
And that just speaks wonders tothe faith of, of, uh, of Brock,
in my opinion, and how hevalued two women and he really
could have been jealous.
You know, in scripture doesn'ttalk about it, but I just feel
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like, since scripture is nottalking about it, it wasn't
relevant and scripture doesn'ttalk about it, but I just feel
like, since scripture's nottalking about it, it wasn't
relevant and it wasn't, itwasn't important and I'm
thinking that it just wasn't afocus for God, it wasn't a focus
for the story, it wasn't afocus for Brock.
So I just think that that's soamazing and whenever you know
women, men, we have tounderstand our place within
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God's plan, not within society.
Okay, I'm talking about inGod's plan and understanding
that God will use you whenneeded.
And it doesn't matter yourstatus, doesn't matter the sex
Doesn't matter, your class leveldoesn't matter the money you
have, doesn't matter yourdegrees, it doesn't matter at
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all.
All that matters is that youhave the faith that God is
looking for.
You're a child of God and he'sready to use you because you
have a specific strength, youhave a specific characteristic
that he made for you and he'sready to use it.
And I think us, as Christians,understanding our place when our
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peer, when our sister, when ourfriend, when our brothers, when
our husbands, when our wives,when our you know coworkers,
when someone else has to takethe realm and take the spotlight
, we're okay with that and we'renot offended because they're
the ones that are taking thelead, us as a woman, us as a man
, us as you know, whatever,sitting in the backseat a bit.
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We have to be okay with thatand as Christians, we have to
support our fellow Christiansthat are in the spotlight at the
moment.
That is going to be known forthe victory, that's going to get
that success, that's going toget that attention.
But that doesn't mean thatyou're not going to be rewarded
for the obedience of supportingthem.
That doesn't mean that God'snot going to use you one day.
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He is, he will, as long as youstay faithful and you stay the
course.
So I just encourage you today,like remember that about Deborah
and Barak and Jael and the factthat Barak as a man, as a
warrior, was okay with lettingtwo women dominate this victory
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for Israel.
So just remember that guys,just be encouraged.
Love you guys, love everyonewho's listened.
Thank you so much for thesupport.
Have a blessed week Till nexttime.
Jesse Morgan praying off.