Celebrating 50 Years of Faith: A Spiritual Jubilee Journey

Today I - Tosha Williams - mark a 50-year anniversary of faith that began when I was just four years old. Join me as I reflect on the incredible milestone of walking with Jesus for half a century. This episode is about my 'spiritual Jubilee,' a biblical tradition that has guided my last twelve months. Journey with me through the profound experiences and unexpected joys, like the serendipitous gift of my granddaughter named Jubilee, that have marked this sacred passage of time.

Throughout this episode, I'll share my past five decades with Jesus - - - but the story's not over. The best is yet to come. Whether you're new to faith in Christ, are considering it, or have your own decades-long journey, let's spend a few minutes together. Here’s to 50 years of faithfulness and the promise of what the next 50 years might hold.

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Often, in posting a podcast episode, we provide written devotion-driven-discipleship content. For this week, we encourage you to dive into this one your own. Spend some time with Jesus meditating on the truth in the following verse, Joshua 1:8. "Seek Him" using the three questions as guides. Ask Him to speak to you through His Word, and listen to what the Spirit of the Living God says to you. Maybe even write down what He impresses on your heart. Then, remember, with the Family Disciple Me ministry, "Seek Him" always leads a Christ-follower to "Speak Him." Share with someone else what God is showing you.

Here's the first Scripture highlighted in this episode:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:9)

SEEK HIM: Devotion is Meeting with God in Our Own Lives!  Let's spend some time with the Lord asking Him these three questions about this Scripture verse:

• WHAT:  What is God saying through this Scripture? 
• WHY:  Why does this Scripture matter?
• HOW: How does God want us to respond to this truth?

SPEAK HIM: Discipleship is Making God Known to Others! Let's share with someone else what God is showing us.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.

Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fifty years ago today , I gave my life to Christ.
I was a very little girl.
I was just four years old.
I'd only turned four years oldthe month prior.
I didn't understand everythingabout salvation, but I
definitely understood my needfor a Savior.
I said a sinner's prayer and Icommitted my life to Jesus, led

(00:25):
in those things by loving godlyadults who wanted me to know
Jesus like they did, thatlife-changing, eternity-altering
choice was five decades agotoday.
I know that makes me seemreally, really old, but in light
of such a huge milestone,starting 12 months ago, leading

(00:46):
up till today, I've beencommemorating my own personal
year of spiritual jubilee and oh, what a celebration God has had
in store for me.
I want to share with you aboutthat, and I also want to tell
you about, as I conclude 50years with Jesus, what I see for

(01:06):
the next 50.
So will you stick around forjust a moment and come right
back?
I want to share just a littlebit more about this story with
you.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast.
If you have a real relationshipwith Jesus, then you're in the
right place to be encouraged,challenged and blessed as you
seek Him, speak Him.
The mission of the FamilyDisciple Me ministry is to
inspire devotion-drivendiscipleship, which is something
we believe every Christfollower can do.

(01:40):
Discipleship starts with aconversation, so let's get going
with that right now.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
In the Bible, jubilee is the celebration that begins
in the 49th year leading up toits conclusion at 50.
Leviticus 25 talks about theyear of Jubilee.
Isaiah 61 references it as well.
In ancient Israel, jubilee wasa joyful year when freedom was

(02:09):
proclaimed, when prisoners wereset free, when hope was restored
.
There is so much that waswrapped up within Jubilee.
My understanding is that modernIsrael no longer celebrates
this amazing Jubilee event, butthat didn't prevent me from
having my own Jubileecelebration.

(02:31):
As I've walked through the last12 months of my spiritual
Jubilee, I've been ready forwhatever God wanted to do in and
through and around me.
My eyes have been wide open tosee what he had in store for me
in the 49th year as I walktoward today, my 50th spiritual

(02:53):
birthday.
Well, way back when I was ateenager, I read this verse in
God's Word.
It says this book of the lawshall not depart from your mouth
, but you shall meditate on itday and night.
When I read that promise thatGod gave ancient Israel, I

(03:21):
decided to take it for myselfand to do what God's Word said
and, what's more, to find out ifHis promises were true.
Decades later, I can say withabsolute confidence that God is
indeed true to His Word.
I don't claim great prosperityor success, but I have seen the

(03:44):
goodness of the Lord so fastforward till today, to the
completion of Jubilee Turned out.
God has had so many seriouslyunexpected, joyful surprises in
store for me during my Jubilee.
So many presents, not the leastof which is a granddaughter

(04:06):
named Jubilee, not the least ofwhich is a granddaughter named
Jubilee.
It's almost inexplicable to me,this story that her parents, my
son and daughter-in-law theychose Jubilee's name before they
even knew what this year wasfor me.
That's not a coincidence.
That's God's sovereignty as heweaves together all the threads

(04:26):
of our lives.
Fifty years ago, when I gave mylife to him as a little
four-year-old, he already knewhe was going to weave into my
story this gift of a grandbabynamed Jubilee and so much more
during my year of Jubilee.
Who could have thought it?
Gift upon gift, grace upongrace, so profound, so

(04:50):
significant were God's presenceto me throughout my spiritual
Jubilee in the last 12 monthsthat, honestly, I feel like that
God Almighty has beencelebrating this 50-year
milestone with me Himself, this50-year milestone with me

(05:11):
himself, that long, long ago,four-year-old, life-changing,
eternity-altering choice, choiceto follow Jesus that has
affected the entire trajectoryof my whole life.
And now, as of today, as I'mrecording this podcast, I've
faithfully walked with God for50 years.
50 years, five whole decadesthat's a long time, don't hear

(05:35):
me wrong.
I've faithfully walked with Godfor 50 years.
Not perfectly I don't claim tohave been perfect on this
journey at all but I can sayI've been faithful, I've walked
with God.
And now, today, as I celebratemy 50th spiritual birthday with

(05:55):
Him, this is my declarationToday, as I begin my next 50
with Him I'm going to keepwalking with Jesus, the enemy of
our souls.
Well, he can keep his bribes,his flatteries, his temptations,
his accusations, hisself-focused offerings.
He can keep all that.

(06:16):
He can have it.
I don't want it.
I've lived my life with Jesus,for Jesus, for 50 years now, and
I'm going to keep living thislife for him.
As that really familiar worshipsong says, you can have all
this world.
Give me Jesus.
He is my one thing, he is mymain thing, he is my purpose, my

(06:39):
identity, my reason.
As I end this Jubileecelebration and celebrate this
50-year mile marker, I'm notgoing to back down and rest on
my laurels.
I'm not going to relax and takeit easy now because I've put in
50 good years saying well, I'vebeen there, done that.
No way.
My spark for Jesus was lit whenI was four years old and the

(07:04):
fire has grown greater andgreater throughout these past
five decades.
From here, I intend to go outlike a bonfire.
I will charge the gates of hell, I will shout from the rooftops
, I will go after every prodigal, I will proclaim the name of
Jesus, I will holler in thevalleys and I will sing it from

(07:27):
the oceans Jesus is the greatking.
Of course I'd have to live to108 to celebrate another
spiritual jubilee.
I recently heard about afriend's parents who are that
old, so I guess such isn'tentirely impossible.
I think it would be super funto be an ancient old woman

(07:47):
telling hergreat-great-great-great-great
grandkids about the great king.
Still, regardless of what Godhas in store for me for my next
jubilee, whether it's here inthis world or in the throne room
, here's what I've decided Jesuswill be the word on my breath
until my last and thenthroughout eternity.

(08:10):
So with that, whoever you are,wherever you are along the way,
whatever point you're at on yourspiritual journey, whatever
brought you to this podcastepisode today, I implore you to
join me in this.
Living for Jesus is the bestlife, it's the only life, it's
the true life, it's the mostfulfilling life.

(08:32):
I can say without reservationthe words of Isaiah 12, verse 2,
god is my salvation.
I will trust him, I will not beafraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, ismy strength and my song.
He has become my salvation.
I invite you in meditating onthis scripture, I invite you to

(08:58):
seek him, speak him through thisscripture.
I invite you to walk alongsideme, with me in the days and the
weeks and the months to come.
Join me in devotion-drivendiscipleship conversations.
Keep joining me here at theFamily Disciple Me podcast or at
the coming later this yearFamily Disciple Me app.
I'm so excited about that.

(09:19):
Join me on Family Disciple Mesocial media or at
familydisciplemeorg as we rollout more content.
Join me in Seachem School as weget that started later this
year.
I'm excited to tell you aboutthat in the days to come.
The thing is, when we do thisjourney together, we can be

(09:40):
encouraged in what God does inand through around us.
As I celebrate, you get tocelebrate, and as you celebrate,
I get to celebrate, andtogether we seek Him, speak Him
and we experience all that Godhas in store for us.
Here's the thing my Jubileeyear has been awesome.

(10:02):
Yes, it has.
It has been the mostsignificant, meaningful, special
year of my life.
God's gifts have been beyondcompare and I am so humbled and
honored that the God who keepsthe universe spinning and who

(10:22):
gives life and breath toeveryone, that he took the time
to shower me with so muchgoodness during this significant
celebration year.
Yet on this day, my 50thspiritual birthday, I can say
with all confidence I absolutelybelieve the best is yet to come

(10:46):
.
So let's do this together.
Let's seek Him, speak Him,let's meet with God and make Him
known.
All glory to God in Jesus' name.
Let's be encouraged to continueto walk with Him.
God bless you friend.

Speaker 2 (11:05):
Thanks for joining us in this podcast episode.
You can find the matchingconversation guide in the show
notes.
To get the latest updates aboutthe Family Disciple Me ministry
, as well as word about oursoon-to-be-released app, sign up
to be the first to know atfamilydisciplemeorg.
Also, if you enjoyed thispodcast, help us get the word

(11:27):
out by leaving us a review onyour favorite podcast platform.
God bless you, friend.
Now go seek Him, speak Him.