March MISSION Madness: The Story of Harriet Tubman: Faith, Courage, and the Pursuit of Freedom // Galatians 5:1

What does it take to change the course of history? Join Wendy Hickox and me, Tosha Williams, as we highlight the extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman, a woman whose profound trust in God empowered her to relentlessly pursue freedom - and not just for herself but for many. Harriet's daring escape and heroic missions on the Underground Railroad exemplify not just her bravery, but her unyielding belief that she was chosen by God to lead others to freedom. Her legacy is a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have when driven by faith, courage, and a commitment to freedom.

As we honor Harriet's remarkable pursuit of FREEDOM in this podcast, we are inspired look at what the Bible says about FREEDOM in Galatians 5:1:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

Harriet wasn’t just fighting for physical freedom—she was fighting for the freedom God intends for all of us. Christ has set us free so we can live courageously, boldly, and on mission for Him.

So, after we learn Harriet's story, let's spend some time with Jesus and see what He wants to say about this through this Devotion-Driven-Discipleship conversation guide about Galatians 5:1.

Also, you can learn more about Harriet's amazing story in this blog at https://familydiscipleme.org/march-mission-madness-harriet-tubman-freedom/

This March MISSION Madness and always, let's live crazy amazing lives for Jesus, in His freedom for our own lives and for the sake of others!!!

______________________

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):
Welcome to March Mission Madness, where this
month we're highlighting heroesof faith who lived with crazy,
amazing lives for Jesus, nomatter what the cost.
Hi, my name is Tasha Williamsand I'm here in my co-office
with my good friend, wendyHickox.
Again, welcome, wendy.

(00:20):
Thank you so much for having meagain.
I love that we get to talkabout the lives of these amazing
, godly women this month.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
I am excited to dig in this month to these women's
lives so that we can turn aroundand share it with all those
that are entrusted to us.
Their stories, their examples,their determination for what
they did for Jesus.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
That's right, and today we are highlighting
somebody really special.
Her name is Harriet Tubman, andshe is one of the boldest, most
faith-filled women in history.
She risked everything to leadothers to freedom.
She has a fascinating story,wendy, and when I think of
Harriet Tubman, I think of theverse Galatians 5.1.

(01:06):
It is for freedom that Christhas set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do notlet yourselves be burdened again
by the yoke of slavery.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
And she believed God was guiding her every step.
She once said I always told GodI'm going to hold steady on you
and you've got to see methrough.
Her story is one of faith, it'sof courage, it's obedience to
God's call.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
We're going to talk about that in this podcast
episode.
We're going to talk about themission that she lived out as we
go through this March MissionMadness collection of
conversations.
But before we dive in, let'stake a moment to listen to this
podcast intro, then we'll beright back.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
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.

(02:13):
Discipleship starts with aconversation, so let's get going
with that right now.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Oh, wendy.
So here we are, and let's setthe stage for Harriet Tubman's
life.
She was born into slaverysometime in the 1820s in
Maryland.
She wasn't just a witness toinjustice, though she lived it.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
She was forced into hard labor as a child.
I mean I can't even imagine, asan elementary school teacher
thinking of children in hardlabor.
I mean she endured horrificabuse, Again something that is
close to my heart.
To look at these children thatI deal with each and every day,
to know that a child wasenduring really difficult abuse.

(02:58):
She even suffered a traumatichead injury that left her with
lifelong pain and seizures,that's right.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
Injury that left her with lifelong pain and seizures
that's right.
You know, Wendy?
My understanding is that shegot that head injury because the
slave owner was beating slavesand she was trying to help
protect another slave.
Isn't that amazing?
I don't know how old she was.
I don't know all the details ofthat event, but in her early

(03:25):
days of life she was alreadylooking out for other people.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
It's almost like foreshadowing of what was to
come in her life at such a youngage.
I mean, she had visions anddreams after that time that
really she believed were fromGod, speaking to her and guiding
her towards freedom, even atthat young age.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
And so we could say what the enemy meant for evil,
and certainly beating slaves ishorrific evil beyond what we can
even imagine.
But even in the terrible injuryof that, god used it for good
and he gave her a heart and amind that was so sensitive to
him that she was able toliterally follow his voice to

(04:10):
freedom.
And it makes me just think.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
I mean, she heard that voice at such a young age.
She was familiar with italready.
She knew what his voice soundedlike.
So when it came to those harddecisions that she was going to
make along this journey, she wasfamiliar.
She knew what it sounded like.
So when it came to those harddecisions that she was going to
make along this journey, she wasfamiliar.
She knew what it sounded like.
She took a leap of faith andshe escaped slavery around 1849.

(04:34):
I cannot even fathom what shewas going through at that time.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
But here's what makes her story so powerful and,
honestly, Wendy, it makes mewonder about her mama.
I wish that we could know moreabout her mama and her grandma.
But when Harriet escaped tofreedom, she could have stayed
there in safety, but instead shechose to go back and rescue

(04:59):
other people.
Over a dozen times she returnedand she rescued at least 70
other enslaved people throughthe Underground Railroad.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
I don't know about you, tasha, but I tend to lean
towards comfort.
When I get comfortable, well, Isit down and I am comfortable,
because it seems so veryinfrequently that we get that
moment where we're just calm ina cozy place, kind of like your
closet right here.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
It's a little cozy, it is cozy.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
But instead of staying in that comfort, she
chose to go and help others, andI believe it's because she
heard that voice.
She had trained her mind.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
That's right.
She had trained her mind to bekeen to hear the voice of God
and I believe she knew thatscripture.
It is for freedom that Christhas set us free.
And she had found her freedomand she had deep, deep faith in
God, and so she went back torescue family members and

(05:56):
friends, and maybe some shedidn't even know, but she
brought them to freedom like sheherself had experienced.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yes, I read once that Harriet said I never ran my
train off the track and I neverlost a passenger.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
That's incredible.
We watched the movies of thattime period.
In fact, there is a movie aboutHarriet Tubman, which is
amazing.
I loved that movie and you seethe circumstances that she went
through to not just escape butto help other people escape, and
for her to say she never lost apassenger off her train.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
That's amazing.
Well, and you and I both knowthat wasn't luck, it wasn't a
coincidence, that was God's handof protection over her life.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
That's right.
And through his hand ofprotection over her and through
her faith, Wendy, so many otherswere blessed.
Just the thought of that bringschills and is such a legacy of
faith for us to follow, becausewhere is it in our lives?
We may not be leading people onthe underground railroad, but

(07:03):
when God helps us.
Well, let me back up.
When God brings us into freedom, then he leads us to help
others find freedom as well, andas he guides us, then we're
able to guide them, and theblessing that he gives us, we're
able to bless them with that.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
Absolutely.
I know for myself and my school.
Our mission statement is allmeans all.
We bring every student, notjust a certain type of student,
but all means all.
And I really believe that HarryTubman was living that out that
all means all and that's whatJesus wants.

(07:41):
All, not a few, not a couplelike you're comfortable.
No, he said go get all.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
That's right.
That's right, which really tome is a reminder of seek him,
speak him.
Because if all means, all thatmeans that when I spend time
with Jesus and I seek him in hisword, when I hear his voice,
then he wants me to turnrepairman who comes to my house,
or the Airbnb guest that I talkto, or the person at the
grocery store or the Uber driver.

(08:10):
All means, whomever God placesin our path, that he wants us to
speak into them, about him.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
That's right and she didn't just stop him.
That's right and she didn'tjust stop.
I heard once that she said.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
I said to the Lord I'm going to hold steady on you
and I know you will see methrough that sounds like a song.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
It's exactly what you were just saying with that.
That's the epitome of seek him,speak him.
What you just described herwords in that is seek him and
speak him.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
She sought God in her prayers, she saw him and heard
him in her vision, and then sheliterally spoke him into other
people's lives by leading themto freedom.
I believe that she carried asmall pistol on her because it
was either go forward to freedomor go back to death, because

(09:18):
slavery was death, and so shewasn't going to shoot anybody,
but she was determined enoughthat she was going to help them
realize the consequence of ifthey chose to give up, if they
chose to quit on their journeyto freedom.
A fascinating story.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
Absolutely.
She had this crazy courage, acourage that I think we all
could learn from, a courage thatwe could all glean just a
little bit of light.
I mean, really, when we talkabout her story I feel inept to
even talk about it.
What she suffered, what shewent through, but I know that I

(09:55):
can look at it today and say,wow, that courage.

Speaker 1 (09:59):
She had crazy courage .
One time she hid in a swamp forweeks, for weeks, can you
imagine?
She was hiding in a swamp,trusting God to provide.
And it wasn't just aboutescaping, it was keeping all her
people safe there with her inthe swamp, trusting God every
step of the way.
She saw freedom as a God-givenright, one worth fighting for

(10:21):
she once said, God's time isalways near.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
He gave me my strength and he set the North
Star in the heavens.
He meant I should be free.

Speaker 1 (10:32):
And even after slavery ended, Wendy, she kept
living out that freedom andhelping other people be free as
well.
She worked to care for the sick.
She fought for women's rights.
She lived such an extraordinarylife because she believed in
freedom in every sense, physicalas well as spiritual, which

(10:55):
reminds me of our theme versethat goes along with her life
yes, Galatians 5.1,.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do notlet yourselves be burdened again
by a yoke of slavery.

Speaker 1 (11:09):
That's what we're called to do, wendy, as we're
talking about this March missionmadness, we're not looking at
just taking care of ourselvesand receiving our own freedom.
We want to help others find ittoo.
Jesus has set us free, so thequestion is are we helping
others experience that freedomas?

Speaker 2 (11:28):
well, it also makes us think about are we living in
the freedom Christ gave us?
Are we helping others find truefreedom in Jesus.

Speaker 1 (11:39):
Sometimes it's really hard to do that, wendy.
It's hard to help others findfreedom when maybe they're a
little bit like some of theslaves that she was trying to
lead for freedom, that they gotscared or overwhelmed or fearful
about going forward and theywere going to quit, they were

(11:59):
going to stop.
And yet, if we're going tofollow in the tracks and the
testimony in the godly legacy ofHarriet Tubman, I think that we
keep working for others'freedom, even if in the moment,
they're not interested in it.
If God's entrusted them to us,then we keep fighting for their
freedom every step of the way.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yes, you know, Tasha, I'm thinking.
I really feel like HarrietTubman's story is a reminder
that living for Jesus is bold,radical and costly.
But in all of that, Tasha, Iactually really believe it's
worth it, and I believe thatHarriet Tubman would say it's
worth it.
So here's the challenge for allof us how can we live with

(12:44):
Harriet's courage?

Speaker 1 (12:45):
Well, maybe it is by standing up for what's right,
even when it's hard.
We can think of a thousand waysthat applies right, absolutely.
Maybe it means trusting Godwhen the path is unclear and
that visual of Harriet leadingher friends and family on the

(13:06):
Underground Railroad well, talkabout an unclear path, but
trusting God.
She just helps me see that somuch more clearly.
But also I believe that couragemeans sharing the gospel boldly
.
It means that we don't justseek him, we turn around and
speak him.
Harriet wasn't afraid to talkabout God.

(13:28):
She wasn't afraid to live forGod.
She wasn't afraid to vocalizethe visions that she saw, how
she heard his voice guiding herand the way she shared freedom,
speaking boldly.
Well, I want to be that kind ofwoman in my life.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
Absolutely.
I know I do as well.
I think Harriet wasn't afraidto follow God, no matter what
was the cost.
And you know what, tasha?
That's what I want.
I want to not be afraid tofollow God, no matter what the
cost.
And even more than that, I wantmy children to follow God, no
matter what the cost.
I want them to see what thatlooks like, and not just my

(14:08):
children, all those that arearound us, yes, All those that
God has entrusted to us.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
You know, Wendy, this is such an amazing life example
of well our theme, MarchMission.
Madness because it's crazy tothe world.
It's foolishness, going back toour overarching key verse for
this series it's foolishness tothe world to live for Jesus, and

(14:35):
yet it is the power of God.
So, for all of us, I just wantto say a prayer asking the Lord
to help us to live.
Crazy, amazing, bold,courageous faith for him.
Jesus, you see us.
Yes, lord, you know ourstrengths, you know where we're

(14:55):
great on the court of life andyou also know our weaknesses.
You know the places where westruggle, where we fumble, where
we mess up.
God, we want to live our livesfor you and we want those that
you've entrusted to us to learnhow to better live their lives
for you, because of our lives.

(15:17):
So we turn our eyes to you.
You are our Heavenly Father,you are our greatest friend, you
are the Prince of Peace.
But, god, I kind of likethinking of you in this
particular March March MissionMadness series.
I kind of like thinking of youas our coach, our guide.
Thank you for leading us, forcheering us on, for teaching us,

(15:39):
for showing us what it means tolive with bold, courageous
faith for you.
We love you, lord.
I pray encouragement over everysingle person listening to this
episode in your name, for yourglory, for our good and for the
good of all of those that you'veentrusted to us.
Amen, amen.
Now go with God, be encouraged,lean into the conversation

(16:03):
guide in the show notes anddon't just seek him, but turn
around and speak Him into thelife of someone who matters to
you.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
We'll see you next time, ministry, as well as word
about our soon-to-be-releasedapp.
Sign up to be the first to knowat FamilyDiscipleMeorg.
Also, if you enjoyed thispodcast, help us get the word
out by leaving us a review onyour favorite podcast platform.
God bless you, friend.
Now go seek Him.

(16:44):
Speak Him.