How can we apply God’s promises to our daily lives? Are God’s promises conditional? What does it mean to be a child of God? What are some key promises found in the bible? Are God’s promises for me? How can we be sure God will keep His promises? What‘s more important than getting a life-changing handle on what God has promised you specifically? Expect this podcast to help you know who you are...REALLY & to help you live fully believing God‘s promises to you...REALLY.
Episodes
Thursday Aug 11, 2022
Thursday Aug 11, 2022
Well, hey there!
Welcome to episode #117 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, where it's all about knowing and believing God's promises. Because that's where the life-change really takes place!
When you know in your knower that every single one of God's promises is true, you'll never want to go back to a life of doubt and wondering.
This week on the show we are looking at a couple of verses from Psalm 27, which was written by David.
Verses 1 through 3 read like this in the New Living Translation:
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
Verse 1 is a kind of call to not be afraid - no matter what.
He is our light. He is our salvation. He is our fortress. He will never stop protecting us from danger.
He will enable us to see clearly as He leads us. As our salvation, he rescues, delivers and protects us.
Nobody and nothing get to you outside of the Savior's permission. We see ample of evidence in the first few chapters of the book of Job. The enemy wanted to do far more to Job than he actually did, but was not allowed to because God stayed his hand. When God says, "This far and no farther," even our enemy Satan listens and obeys.
God has His hand on the thermostat of your life, and it will never get hotter than His hand allows.
When you forget this, you give the enemy access that God does not want him to have in your life. Doubting, or even simply failing to remember or call to mind what god has promised in His Word is just a hairs breath away from giving in to fear.
Fear screams loudly and gives the enemy a seat at our table. Once he sits down with us, he does what he always does: lies and lies and lies some more.
But knowing our God decides what does and does not happen to us, well, that takes away the devil's seat at the table of our life. It pulls back the chair and sees him to the door.
It keeps his fear mongering at bay and reduces it to dust.
Jesus sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies, it says in Psalm 23.
But it doesn't say our enemies are dining with us. So let's not accept anything less than our Savior giving us rest and peace in the midst of our enemies and our hard situations.
When your enemy comes to attack they will stumble and fall, it says in verse 2.
Let this remind you that God sees what is happening, and God cares.
Rest assured that God's got His hand on the thermostat and His eye on your circumstances, and He is always, always good.
Get a free ticket to the summit I'm speaking at next week here:
Take the quiz "Which of God's Promises is for You?" via this LINK.
Grab a copy of "The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional" via Amazon
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
A very special episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show coming to ya today.
I had the chance to interview my dear friend Kerry Beck about a special event coming up in just a couple of weeks - Homeschool Super Heroes Week.
Now, don’t run and hide or tune out just because you heard me say the word “homeschool”.
There are some things in this podcast episode that are beneficial for all parents and even grandparents, and there are some pretty awesome freebies available too.
Kerry hosts this online event every year right at the tail end of summer and part of why she has it in late August is so that parents and grandparents can get a jump-start on the school year (whether that includes home education or not!) Her heart is to equip parents and grandparents who are Christians to train up the next generation to put on their “Bible glasses” and view the world through a Christian point of view.
It’s the time of year when families start thinking about fall Bible studies and jump back into family devotionals after the more relaxed summer months.
The world in which we are currently living is very different than the world was 100 years ago…or even 10 or 15 years ago!
It’s important to recognize the signs of the times in which we live, and to work diligently and with focus on training our children and grandchildren in the ways of the Lord.
This summit is designed to that singular end.
And the way that Kerry treats her audience is remarkable and unique, and it is always the highlight of my year to work with her through her events. I’m sharing Kerry’s vision for Christian families with you today on the podcast because I would be a really lousy friend to you all if I didn’t! She is offering a caring, encouraging, Biblically solid environment to her people via her email list and her Facebook group - so if you could use some encouragement in a safe, warm, welcoming place as you grow in your walk as a Christian parent, then this event is for you.
In addition to the speakers at this week-long online event, Kerry is opening up a prayer room so attendees can share prayer requests, pray for one another, and be prayed for. Is that not the best idea ever?!? Who doesn’t want to have access to a prayer room as we head into a brand new school year?!?
So, yes, there will be workshops that focus on homeschooling - but there are also going to be workshops on parenting, discipleship, prayer, and loads of encouragement for moms and dads.
There will even be a daily superhero of the faith that parents and grandparents can do with their kiddos. As believers, we have a Christian heritage and getting a little snippet of info about that to pass along to our children is truly amazing.
The keynote speaker will be talking about the importance of Christian communication and the art of communicating well.
And if you are a grandmother who is raising and / or homeschooling your grandchildren, Kerry offers regular ideas, resources and encouragement for you. (Also, if you are serving in the Church in any type of children’s ministry, many of the ideas and activities she shares will work well in that environment, too.)
This year she has several speakers focusing on special needs in children, and she is thrilled to be able to offer several workshops that can be of help to parents of special needs children.
There will also be the opportunity to ask questions for the speakers, and get those questions answered. For me, as an extreme introvert, when I would travel to a conference or convention, I would sit in the back, take lots of notes, and skedaddle immediately at the end of the workshop. But having the option to ask questions via an online summit takes all the “people-y” parts of a traditional conference out of the equation. So if you are like me, and you don’t usually ask questions when all the people are around, then this type of setting is for you.
And Kerry has made different options available to attend the summit, even with a totally free option. (If you can afford free, then you can afford this event!) Even if you are on a tight budget, and who isn’t in our current economy, there is an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy way to enjoy the summit.
Visit Kerry's website here:
Get a free ticket to the summit here:
Friday Jul 29, 2022
Friday Jul 29, 2022
In this episode from the vault, Jan shares several verses from God's Word along with an important reminder that God is in the promise keeping business, and He has every intention of keeping His Word to you.
Happy Listening!
#FromTheVault
Take the quiz "Which of God's Promises is for You?" via this LINK.
Today I am going to read a bunch of Bible verses to you and let the promises of God sink into your heart, into your mind (which changes the way that we think and that, my friend, changes the way that we live).
God keeps all of His promises so I want to encourage you today to live like you know He is keeping all of His promises to you. To your family. To your local church. To the church all around the globe.
Okay, so let’s dive into God’s Word and get some encouraging news in our ears, in our thoughts, shall we?
First let’s start with some powerful and hopeful words that Jesus spoke. I am quoting the NLT for today’s podcast & let’s look at Mark 12:27 - Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
It is so, so important to remember, when we are making the big bold decision to really, truly believe God’s promises - to live a believing life - that we don’t base our belief on anything outside of the Lord. We aren’t mustering up more faith. We are simply deciding that we will believe what the Bible says to us. And so, this verse is just a great reminder that you don’t have to make God’s promises work out in your life, in your kid’s lives, etc. Nope.
There are actually many, many things in this life that are impossible - for man. For humans. For wives and for moms and for employees and for church members. Humanly speaking, there is gonna be stuff that is just not possible. But not with God! Aren’t these words from Jesus incredible?
Think for just a moment about what our Savior is actually saying to us. But not with God. EVERYTHING is possible with God.
So bring God into everything, then!
Never intentionally leave Him out of anything. You want the God who makes the impossible, possible doing all the things in your life, am I right?
Get a sense of Jesus, today, looking at you intently and reminding you, firmly but with great love and compassion, that it isn’t about mankind's ability to make this thing fly. Because God makes everything possible.
Psalm 37:23 (NLT) says this - The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Oh wow - what a verse! What hope! What assurance! This is quite a promise!
He is promising that He will direct your steps. And guess what? You can pray this verse over your loved ones, your co-workers, your spouse, your aging parents, your neighbors. And also, pray this over yourself.
Lord, direct my steps. I know my righteousness and any godliness within me is thanks to Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So Father, bless me and direct each step that I take. Stop me when I am near a misstep. Thank You for this promise of Your guidance and direction over my life, from now until my last breath.
It says that He delights in every detail of our lives. So guess what that means for us? How does that relate to us living in total belief that God’s promises for us are absolutely true and are being realized on the daily? Well, take every little and every big detail of your life to God in prayer. You can do that! You should do that! He cares so much - talk to Him. A lot! Often. All of the time. And remember, keep on remembering, He delights, not tolerates or endures or notices, but delights in every detail.
Oh this is a great promise. And a great prayer verse too.
Quick side note here - anybody else feel kind of like we are on the verge of just a huge prayer event in the West? Like people are going to start praying individually, as married couples, families, in small groups, church settings, at work, on college campuses, gathering among neighbors - online even. To pray. I have a sense this is on the horizon. If you feel that way too, listen to the Lord as to what He is calling you to do as part of that, I guess prayer movement you might call it? And keep track of, write down, memorize, put in your phone verses that you can have at the ready at any moment to pray. Praying God’s promises is really amazing. Like, will leave you amazed again and again.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) says - So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
A lot in that verse. First, God says to be strong and courageous and that sentence ends with an exclamation point. So - let’s just do what He says to do! Be strong. Be courageous. Exclamation point. I am guessing you have one or more parts of your life right now, at this point in time, where you can apply this. So go ahead and apply. Be strong. Be courageous. How? By resting in the Lord and knowing in your knower that He is going to keep His word.
Don’t be afraid. Think on Jesus and the fear dissipates, really it does! Do not panic before them, it says. Well “them” of course refers to their enemies. Don’t panic before your enemy.
And here is the reason why you don’t need to be afraid, don’t panic, be strong and courageous. For the Lord your God WILL PERSONALLY go ahead of you. Boom. Mic drop.
When God says He WILL do something, He most assuredly will. You just be about the business of believing He will do all He has promised to do. Let Him be about the actual doing of it.
He will personally go ahead of you.
How’s that for a promise that can give you some big time faith?
And the verse ends with this - He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
I’m going to say that once more - He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
He won’t. That’s that.
Revelation 21:4 (NLT) - He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying of pain. All these things are gone forever.
This is such a wonderful verse for us. I’m not going to deep dive into anything specific today - but we have had quite an 18 /19 or so months, all around the world. This verse is a balm for those who know Jesus. It’s key. It’s mission critical to remember there is a day coming when all the tears will stop. No more death or sorrow or crying or pain. Gone forever. I don’t even need to say more about this verse, this promise from Revelation, except that it is for those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If you don’t, you are welcome to email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com and I will reply. It’s so important to know Him, not know of Him, not just attend church, but really know Him. Not talking religion here. But true relationship with the Son of God, Jesus. I really do welcome you to contact me. Totally confidential and non judgmental. Just offering Jesus and how to have Him as your best friend forever.
Last verse today - Luke 1:37 (NLT) For the word of God will never fail.
Short and sweet. Doesn’t need explaining. No need for commentary. Just know that this is absolute and unchanging truth.
For the word of the Lord will never fail.
Anybody else need to know that today?
Take that thing, big and scary, and hold it up next to this verse, Luke 1:37. Does one seem bigger and one much smaller?
For the word of the Lord will - never - fail.
It won’t. It just will not.
Lord bless you today. I have prayed for you, all who listen to this episode, and I am going to continue to pray for you.
Live a life sold out for Jesus, a die hard for His promises, and just see what God might do in and through a life lived like that.
Find me on instagram @janlburt or on Facebook in the prayer group - Praying Through the Storm - and I have a book, a devotional, available on Amazon - The Power of God’s Will - 40 Days of God’s Promises - with verses that have the word “WILL” in them. God does what He says He will do, and He never doesn’t do what He has said that He will do.
Praying Through the Storm online prayer retreat group
Grab a copy of "The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional" via Amazon
Stay up-to-date and sign up for my email list at JanLBurt.com
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Prayer Is...
*Asking & receiving
* Enjoying being in our Father's presence
* Laying our burdens down & receiving Jesus' peace
* Interceding for others ~ for their benefit & God's glory
* Fighting the good fight of our faith
* Worship & praise & thanksgiving
* The most powerful force in existence
* There will be no prayer in heaven; the only praying we will ever do is here.
Keep prayer as one of your top priorities this summer, into the fall, and the coming winter.
When you neglect your prayer life, the rest of your life reaps the results of that neglect.
Here are some verses you can study to learn more about the importance of prayer in the life of a Christian.
* Nahum 1:7 * Psalm 33:18 * Romans 4:21b * Colossians 4:12b * 2 Kings 19:16a * James 4:2 * Philippians 4:19 * Genesis 18:14 * Matthew 15:26 * Luke 18:1 * Proverbs 30:5 * John 17:15 * Psalm 18:28b * Jeremiah 29:13 * Proverbs 3:6 * John 15:5 * Ephesians 3:20 * Philippians 4:13 * James 1:5 * Proverbs 2:6 * Isaiah 40:10 * Matthew 11:28-30 * Romans 8:31 * Psalm 86:7 * Psalm 65:5 * James 5:16 * Psalm 142:3 * Hebrews 4:16 *
Enroll in the Psalm 91, Pray It & Believe It Course here
Get your copy of A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents here
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Psalm 91 Course - Psalm 91 - Pray It & Believe Course with Jan L. Burt
Well hey there, hello to you today. So glad you’re listening to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. Today we are looking at some Bible verses that will encourage us in our praying.
Prayer is, I’ve heard it said, the language of heaven and for us right now, while we are living on this planet as we await eternity, prayer is how we talk to God. And in our prayer time, we hopefully make sure to be still before the Lord, quiet ourselves and listen. God will absolutely speak to us from His word, and His Holy Spirit is our counselor, so we want to be sure we are reading the word with a heart posture that listens to what the Word of God has to say, and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that His sheep would know His voice and the voice of another they would not follow (I believe you can read that in John chapter 10). So that indicates He intends to speak to us. Which means we need to be good at listening, right?
As we dig into some verses today, I hope they bless you and encourage you in your prayer life. Our God is a prayer answering God, and that is something to get excited about.
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. This is episode number 113.
The first verse I want to share with you today is from the Old Testament book of Nahum. Nahum chapter one, verse seven. I’m going to read it from the NLT. It says -
The Lord is good,
a strong refuge when trouble comes.
He is close to those who trust in him.
So the first thing I notice here is the statement, not the question, the stated fact that the Lord is good. Is. Present tense. He is good, today, right now. Whatever may be going on, God is good. Don’t forget that. He never ceases to be good, in the right now present moments of your life. And He won’t stop being good any time soon.
And because we know He is good, we can believe this verse when it promises that He is a strong refuge when trouble comes. And that He is close to those who trust in Him.
Look, if you tell me point blank that God is closer to those who trust in Him, then I want to be as close to Him as possible. If my promise is that the Lord will be a strong refuge when trouble comes, then I need to a) know that and b) believe that and live in the light of that truth when trouble comes into my life.
I cannot set up a world without trouble. Trouble is part of life here on earth. But there is so much hope in this one verse, isn’t there? The Lord is good, and that’s so hopeful! He is a strong, not a weak or wimpy or mediocre, but a strong refuge, a place of safety and security and strength, when trouble comes. And He is close to those who trust in Him. So, let’s get as close as possible to our God and trust Him with everything we’ve got.
Psalm 33:18 is another verse I want us to look at today. I’m going to stick with the NLT for this verse too and it reads like this:
But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
So the promise here is pretty clear, and honestly I love it when it’s this blunt. What has God promised? That He watches over those who fear Him, He watches over those who rely on His unfailing love.
What do you rely on during the course of a typical day?
That second cup of coffee? Encouragement from your spouse or significant other? Endorphins after your workout? Netflix to “not think about anything” after a long day? A glass of wine? (for my mom, it was black coffee and a smoke break and maybe a soap opera or two). Raw cookie dough is never gonna be able to offer us the hope that the Lord does. I know that you are already aware of that - but it can be helpful to say it out loud. You know how it gets kind of worrisome when they start saying the quiet part out loud? Ya know what I mean by that? When the “bad guys” (whoever the bad guys are in any given scenario) start to say loudly and with boldness and authority what they are going to do, saying out loud the part of their plan that is so bad it usually is only whispered about, when they start saying those things out loud, well, it’s another devil at another level, ya know? And sometimes when we say out loud the things that we know to be true but we don’t like to say out loud because it isn’t the cleaned up, prettied up, gussied up part of our lives as people who love the Lord - sometimes when we say the quiet part out loud, we get a little bit bolder. We get a bit more confident in what we believe, in what God has promised, in our praying, in our witness for Jesus, in our heart to love others well and to recruit for heaven. I mean, that’s kind of what we are to be doing, right? Have you seen the hoodies that say Heaven is my home - I’m just here recruiting? I love that! God’s Word tells me so much about who He is, and since I am going to spend forever with Him, I want to know the Bible as a way to know Him well before I step into eternity. And I want to remember that this world is not my permanent home, I am a pilgrim on a journey to my real home and I want to bring as many people with me as possible. When we say certain things out loud, we refocus and get bold about the things that matter most. People, my friends, people matter the most because they live on forever, in one place or the other. In heaven or in hell.
So when I say something that maybe seems like it should be whispered or kept nice and quiet and tucked away, when I speak it a little louder for the folks in the back, maybe that’s a good thing. Raw cookie dough, the smoke break, red red wine, Netflix binges, longer and longer vacations, the new boat, the new car, the new cellphone, the new wardrobe, losing ten pounds, winning that long-standing argument, the big bonus check or the new house can never be for you what the Lord alone has set Himself apart to be. He wants you and me to rely on His unfailing love. And He anchors that to this promise, and it’s a whopper of a promise, this promise to watch over us. God watching over you. His eyes are on you, He never removes His gaze from you, He does not sleep or slumber. He’s got you. Don’t jump past how amazing this promise really is. Rely on Him. The other stuff, some of it isn’t even bad stuff - but it’s not God sized stuff. It’s gravy, and that’s nice and all, but it’s not the meat and potatoes of life. Don’t sit around with a mug full of runny gravy when God has prime rib waiting for you. And if you’ve ever had really good prime rib, you know what I mean. Relying on Him and walking in this blessing of being watched over, at all times and in every situation, that’s the good stuff of life.
And when you pray, rely on the Lord. Take your burdens to Him in prayer and leave them there as if you really believe He is going to do something about all that heavy stuff. Relying means something, right? Rely on Him as you pray, and leave your prayer time unburdened because you’re not relying on yourself or on anyone other than the Lord God Almighty.
I’m going to share one more verse now, and it is from the book of Romans, which is in the New Testament. Romans 4:21, now this is actually the second portion of a sentence that began in verse 20, so if it sounds like I am reading part of it, well, I guess I am.
This time I am going to read from the Amplified.
being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised
When you pray, be fully convinced that God has the power to do what He has promised. Now I’m not saying this is easy, at least maybe not at first, but the more you pray with this as your core belief, that He isn’t lying to you about these promises because it is impossible for God to lie, that He isn’t withholding good things from you because His word says that you will yet see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, when you pray as a man or a woman or a child who is fully convinced that God has the power to do all He has promised, and He has that power, oh yes indeed, you will be praying differently.
Ever hear someone who prays out loud and you just think, “Whoa!” They have so much faith. They seem authoritative when they pray!” They may be praying in belief, in reliance, in trust, with the authority that comes from Jesus. We don’t have authority to tell the devil nothing on our own, but when we pray in His authority, for His Kingdom to come and for His will to be done right here on earth just like it is in heaven, we are using the authority He gave us and we are using it rightly. You can pray for people to be healed of physical illnesses, and not just for the head cold. For cancer, for blindness, for heart issues, lung issues, not just for hangnails and the things that seem “safe” to ask for healing about. Pray for people to come to know Him personally so they can be freed from the ravages of a life of sin and have eternal hope that changes everything. Pray for God to open doors for you to speak into the lives of those who need to know about God. Pray for blessings at work so you have a platform to talk about the goodness of your God when people ask you (and some places, they gotta ask you first about your God or your faith and then you can answer them…well, pray for that.)
And when you pray, stay fully, not partially, but fully convinced that God has the power to do what He has promised. It’s His promise, it’s His word, so just ask Him to do what He said He wants to do. And be thankful when you pray. A thankful heart, an attitude of gratitude, is so valuable in the sight of God and man. Don’t you prefer to be around thankful people a bit more than super grumpy cranky complaining people? Silly question, isn’t it?
Okay, that is just about it for this episode, but I do want to leave a couple of things with you here as I wrap this up.
Prayer is big, it’s not just by rote at bedtime or before dinner. It’s so big, it’s this incredible gift God has blessed us with. Prayer is asking, for sure, and also expecting an answer. So it is asking and receiving. Nobody went to Jesus in the Gospels and asked and then just didn’t expect an answer. Nobody asks their boss an important question and then walks out of the room expecting nothing in reply. So prayer is asking, but don’t forget that you ought to expect an answer. This is the Living God you are talking to, and I doubt He wants you to leave your prayer time expecting little to nothing from Him.
I have a whole lot more about prayer that I could mention, but I will get back to that in the next episode and share some more verses with you. And if you would like to enroll in the audio course on Psalm 91, Pray It and Believe It, you can do that at app.hiro.fm/channel/psalm-91-pray-it-believe-course-with-jan-l-burt
I’ll put the link at the top of the show notes for easy access.
Pray big today, and remember our God is in the prayer answering business and His love for you knows no bounds. Ask Him for what you need. Pray for others who need what only He can give. Pray for your church family, for your pastor, for your children and your spouse and your coworkers and your neighbors. Pray. Rely on Him. See Him do great things in your midst because you took the time to pray.
See you next time!
Grab a copy of "The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional" via Amazon
Wednesday Jun 29, 2022
Wednesday Jun 29, 2022
Grab the eBook "So Long, Guilt & Shame" here
& sign up for the audio course "Psalm 91 - Pray It & Believe" here
Well, hey there! Hello hello to ya today.
Thanks so much for joining me for this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. Today we are going to look at a really amazing verse from the Old Testament book of Esther, and a verse from the New Testament as well. The Bible tells us we are to be doing the work of spurring one another on toward love and good deeds. I’m hopeful that the podcast today is gonna do just that. It’s so very important for you to know that you are not a mistake, you are not here by accident, but that a very intentional God who loves you so incredibly much has purpose for you, for your life, for your days upon this earth. So, let’s chat about that.
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. This is episode #112.
So here we are, summer of 2022, and the book of Esther, specifically chapter four and verse fourteen, has been on my mind. You probably know this verse, it’s on artwork, social media posts, t shirts, it’s been everywhere like Johnny Cash, ya know? It’s very encouraging, this verse, but first I want to share with you a verse from the book of Acts that goes hand-in-glove with Esther 4:14.
Acts 17:26 says this - From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.
And that’s from the CSB.
So, from Adam, way back at the very beginning, that would be the one man God made all mankind from. And God chose our appointed times and the boundaries of where we live. You hear people say I was born too late and in the wrong land, but actually that’s not possible if we believe this verse.
The NKJV reads this way - And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.
God determined you would be living in this part of the world at this point in time. It’s very precise, very exact. He chose the boundaries of our dwellings.
You weren’t born at the wrong time. You weren’t born in the wrong part of the world. The right here and the right now, this is where God has you. He is perfect in all of His ways, we sing that as a worship song, but let’s make sure we live like we believe that He is perfect in all of His ways. And all, means all, right?
Esther 4:14, from the Amplified and then I’ll read it from the NLT -
For if you remain silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]?”
14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
It’s the second half of this verse that I was going to focus on today, but ya know reading it, the first half is crucial. If you remain silent, if you keep quiet, at a time like this…oh it is just so easy for me to kind of play it safe, I guess. To not be quite as bold and direct as I should be. Not talking about being a loudmouth, lipping off, just uncorked all the time. No, I mean when I know the Lord is leading me to write a certain post with some things that are harder to talk about, and rather than try to pretty it up to appeal to the masses, to keep people as comfortable as possible, He wants me to be more direct. Like, this is what the Bible says, So this is what I am going to share. When I fight against that, I do what this verse mentions. I’m trying to remain silent in a way when I want to kind of obey His leading, and kind of talk about that subject matter, but so vaguely that it’s not totally clear what I’m talking about. Knowing the will of God should not be akin to nailing jello to the wall. If He has stated something clearly in the Bible, in His book, His word, then it’s as clear as it needs to be. I can handle it well, I have to be loving and gracious and led by the Spirit of God, but I can’t refuse to do what He says to do, and say my refusal is because I’m trying to be loving and gracious. Truth and love, justice and mercy, these are things that are mentioned side by side in the Bible, and if He is urging me to talk about something in this moment, because this is the era in which I am alive, and I don’t do it… He can just as easily work out His will through someone else. It’s just crystal clear in this verse, and I need to stop dodging the hard things He asks of me.
I’ve heard it said that God is not sentimental, and we often are. He is more willing to move a Saul along and raise up a David while we can hang on to Saul when God has moved on. That’s convicting! And it’s convicting because it’s often true. I’m not convicted of things that aren’t true. That’s not how conviction works.
Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this? And for this very purpose?
Who knows? Well, our God knows. Those two sentences moved Esther to action and everything changed as a result. You may be the one to say the words that spur someone on to the greatest action of their life, or you may be the one who takes action that changes things for, in the case of Esther, an entire nation.
Does this maybe sound a bit like our culture in the US?
It sure does.
What’s your role? To speak with boldness on issues that will move someone else to do the scary, but right, thing? Or do you need to be encouraged by someone’s words and out of that encouragement will be borne your bravery, your actions that will impact others far beyond just your own corner of the world?
We aren’t here at this moment in time by accident. This is not by chance. We need to know that God is involved in the details and the specifics of our lives, and that He is well aware of what’s taking place, what’s shaping up, in the places where we live. ARe we praying about our role in this world? Or are we praying and asking God to bless us in this world? Not wrong to ask for Him to bless us, He loves to, His word is super clear about that. But are we asking how we can bless others and honor Him in our current culture? Taking a hard stand based on God’s word can be tough, but doing it in a way that is vulnerable enough to let people see who you really are, it can be hard to do. We have the New Testament as a guide for how to do the hard stuff of ministry. And as disciples, we are commissioned, not asked if we feel like it if we get around to it sometime before we leave this planet could we maybe…no, that’s not what it means to be commissioned. We are under orders from the boss, we are not our own bosses anymore. Our lives are hidden with God in Christ Jesus. We are not our own, we were bought with a price, and that price was the precious blood of Jesus.
He has the right of way in our lives. We are to yield to Him. So, He put us here at this time. In this country. And this stuff, specifically Roe v Wade, is happening right now. Would you be willing to pray about this moment in time, what’s happening now and what will happen in the coming months? It’s not my place to tell you what to do, that would not line up with yielding to the Lord. But the Lord did put it on my hard to cover this subject on the podcast.
I am going to share a bit of my personal testimony, and then I’d just like to pray for our country.
I was very, very liberal. Really like intensely liberal. Not raised in a Christian home, but raised by a single mom who was a feminist. She wanted her girls to be feminists too. She really thought it was going to help us, protect us from some of the hard stuff she endured and honestly she was rebellious against her parents and didn’t want to follow them in their walk with Jesus. My siblings would all agree with that, all six of us, and that’s not me dishonoring my mom. Not at all. She would have told you that straight up, just as she told so many people that very thing. So my husband and I, we live in Wichita and way back in the early 90s there was what is known as the Summer of Mercy. You may have heard of it. Wichita was, for quite a long time, the abortion capital I believe of the world. And that summer there were protests and they were intense and all summer long, like the main highway through the middle of town they had it blocked if you couldn’t drive, it was all summer. And one day while driving my car, my husband was in the passenger seat and he leaned over and he tapped the horn in support of the protestors, the pro life people. I went off. I mean, really went off. We were on the opposite side of the city from our home, our apartment, and I very nearly threw him out of the car and left him there. I was enraged. How dare he use my horn in my car that I paid for to support something I, an extreme feminist who was pro choice, I mean it was a long rest of the day. Because I meant it. Well, fast forward about a year and half later, the Lord had been working on my heart, doing all kinds of things, and that’s another story for another day, or a lot of stories I mean I was pretty hard hearted, really dug in, so it wasn’t just bam I saw the light. No. I was just a mess, way too hard for one moment to impact me. But about 18 or so months later, in a different apartment, I was watching a tv preacher. And I prayed for forgiveness for all my sins, and I really wanted to be forgiven, I did not choose my way anymore, I chose Jesus and I surely did mean it when I made Him Lord of all my life. I fully yielded the right of way to Him when I prayed that day. As soon as I finished that prayer, like boom said amen, I did a total 180 degree turn around in my thinking. One of the biggest things that I instantly thought differently on was this issue, a woman’s “right” to choose. All those years of being so dug in, so hardened, just vanished in one split second. Gone forever.
People who knew me then were pretty shocked. I was so different in how I thought, and subsequently the way I lived, the way I spoke, every big and every little thing was impacted, I had people tell me they knew God was real because how else could I change so dramatically, so instantly?
I just knew in that moment how my thinking on this issue had been so far off from how God views this issue. I understood what child sacrifice is to Him. How it breaks His heart. For the mother and the child, and the fathers too. I’ve never had hate toward women in this position, which is another sign that God did a powerful transformative work in my life. But I have had grief and prayed so much over this really terrible terrible evil, and it is an evil, you may never listen to me again because I just said that abortion is evil. I did not say women who have had abortions are evil or unforgiveable so that’s not what I said. The actual act, it is truly evil. God did not so totally and instantly change my mind because it’s not a big deal. My mind, my thinking, changed because God changed it. And I am not a one-off. What God thinks on a matter is really the end of the matter, and when we ask Him to change our thinking so that we follow Him as disciples, right we are the followers not the leaders, when that change happens, it is because He made it happen. I could not have changed myself. The Lord did it.
That’s my personal change of heart about this very relevant right now in June of 2022 issue. I have prayed so much for the unborn, for the women in this country who are so hurt, going through such difficult times, for all those who have been wounded by having abortions, that the church Jesus’ church would be a safe haven and a place of hope and healing for them. Yeah, I’ve prayed. I’ve prayed. And a few days ago, I stood in awe.
Not everyone feels like this is a hopeful moment. But it is. It is. Keep it hopeful for those who need hope! And you are allowed to rejoice and thank God for this miraculous change. This kind of thing does not happen. And it did happen. In the 49th year it happened. And what’s the 50th year according to the Bible? The year of Jubilee. Thank God for what He has done, is doing, and will do. And ask Him what you ought to do in this moment in time. You are not here by chance. He may well have something for you to do that will reveal His love and His hope to those who need it so very much right now.
Thanks for listening today, and thanks for praying today.
Our nation needs to be covered in prayer.
We need Jesus. We need more and more Jesus in America right now.
God bless you.
Friday Jun 24, 2022
Friday Jun 24, 2022
Well, hey there!
Thanks for checking out The Burt (Not Ernie) Show & this special episode with a release from the vault!
I hope it blesses and encourages you today & reminds you that the Lord's promises to you are sure, certain, steadfast and guaranteed.
Be sure to sign up for my email list at my website, JanLBurt.com, and get "The Runway" in you inbox as a way to be encouraged, renewed & refueled. I'm cheering you on as you live out God's good plans for your life!
Enjoy this special episode from the vault!
~ Jan L. Burt
~ ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE 32 ~
Acts 2:39 - The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.
When God gives us something that we can grab hold of & hang on to & believe Him for individually (as in, just for us as His dearly loved child) it's terribly comforting. It's very personal.
When God gives us as His whole body, His whole Church, a promise, that's just plain beautiful.
And when God gives us promises that are generational - as in, for those who will come after us (specifically our children and our grandchildren and so on) --- well, that is something else entirely!
When you spend time in prayer for your children - which I hope happens every single day - don't fail to utilize and make the most of the promise from this New Testament verse. I want to encourage you to use this verse in your beseeching (and if your prayers aren't exactly "beseeching" the Lord for specific things for your offspring, I guess this is your challenge to make sure they become "beseeching" prayers!). Please be willing to pray God's Word back to Him on behalf of your loved ones. Don't miss this!! It delights Him when His children know His Word and speak His Word in prayer. Praying in this manner reveals that we believe His Word is true. It reveals our faith in Him when we pray His promises in belief.
Ask God to give you specific promises for your children. And be sure to write those promises down where you will see them often and pray them often.
Be sure to put them down in ink, not with a pencil. God's promises are not able to be altered or erased, so don't treat them as if they might be "erase-able" by writing them down with lead rather than with ink, if you get my meaning.
Have you ever met a kid who just sort of keeps on this type of rant: "But you promised! You said you would do that! You said! But you said...!!!"
Believe it or not, we need to behave a bit more like this in our prayer lives and a whole lot less timidly. (God's Word tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in our time of need --- check out Episode #1 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show to hear more about that verse from the book of Hebrews).
We need to become more importunate in our praying.
Let's look at these words from Jesus when He taught His disciples about prayer:
Luke 11:5-10 (NLT) - Then, teaching them more about prayer, He used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this - thought he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you as for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
Luke 18:1-8 (NLT) - One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," He said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!' " Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?"
Definition of IMPORTUNITY: persistence, especially to the point of annoyance --- shamelessness --- lack of modesty --- urgent request
In the King James Version, Luke 11:8 uses the word IMPORTUNITY where the NLT uses the phrase "shameless persistence".
This is, my friend, how the Lord Jesus TAUGHT His disciples to pray. And it is how He wants us to pray.
*** Quick Side Note for Those Who Do Not Have Children ***
You are a child of God. There is nobody - and I do mean absolutely nobody! - on the outside looking in when it comes to the Kingdom of God. I want you to take it from me - take this from me right now and don't set it down somewhere...take it and hold on to it, please! - You are not an outsider. You are absolutely and insider in God's Kingdom. You matter. Did you hear me? I said, YOU MATTER!!! Having or not having children does not mean you matter more or less - and this podcast episode is a promise for those who don't have children just as much as it is for those who are parents. Remember, you matter! There are no outsiders in God's family. You truly do matter. Ask the Lord to lead you to godly friendships, to places where you will not feel as if you are on the outside looking in, but are on the inside inviting others in to join you. Don't give up hope - pray to the God of all hope to give you a place where you can know you belong and not feel as if you are merely tolerated. Don't resign yourself to staying on the outside and looking in longingly...that is not what Jesus died for. Never forget, you matter!
Now, let's take a look at the remainder of the promise in this verse.
This promise is for all whom the Lord our God will call.
There is a sense of the future tense in this verse. This is for all who will ever be called by the Lord. And we know that He wants everyone, as in all of mankind, to be saved and none to perish, so He is calling out to everyone. We can pray big prayers based on this promise!
Pray God's promises and pray them again tomorrow and then the next day and just do not stop praying!!
God's promises are for you ... & for your family... & for your circle of influence. So pray that way, believe this promise because it is 100% the truth.
Friday Jun 17, 2022
Friday Jun 17, 2022
Jan will be speaking several times at The Homeschool Mom Summer Summit - you can grab your ticket to this online event HERE (and there is a 100% free ticket option - WOOT WOOT!)
In the New Testament book of John, we find several places where Jesus used "I Am" statements. These verses reveal to us who He is, and offer us tremendous hope as we discover what God has promised to us, His dearly loved children (see 1 John & Ephesians 5).
In this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, Jan shares a true story from her grandfather's gardening days that serves as a reminder that God may very well surprise us when we follow His lead and make the changes He is calling us to make. The end result of our obedience is often as unique and unexpected as spicy tomatoes!
Shutting doors, as well as opening them, is His role for us as disciples of Jesus - and this episode will remind you to stop fretting about a door in your life that is swinging shut. He knows what He is doing and is always trustworthy!
Jan is the author of the new book “A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents” & the audio course "Psalm 91- Pray It & Believe"
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Homeschool Mom Summer Summit Info
Jan is the author of the new book “A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents” & the audio course "Psalm 91- Pray It & Believe"
Well hey there, thanks for checking out the podcast today. In this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show we are concluding our look into the promises we discover in Psalm 37, an awesome psalm penned by David (and I really do mean awesome, that’s an accurate word to describe Psalm 37).
Today we are going to look at just one verse and I’d like to share a bit with you from C.H. Spurgeon and E.M. Bounds. Ready? Let’s jump in.
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. I’m your host, Jan L. Burt, and this is episode number 109.
Psalm 37, verse 37 - from the Amplified and the CSB.
Amplified says this: Mark the blameless man (who is spiritually complete) and behold the upright (who walks in moral integrity); there is a (good) future for the man of peace (because a life of honor blesses one’s descendants).
Isn’t that a remarkable verse?
There are so, so many times when I just am flat in awe of how much is packed into one single verse from the Bible. It literally astounds me!
There are answers for us in all the things we face daily. And regarding this verse, I’m going to share how one verse can literally change the course of our lives. My hubby and I, we had quite an experience some years back. Now, I’m not going to dive into details because, according to what the Apostle Paul lays out very, very clearly in the New Testament, sharing details just is not right. So, in a broad and very generic sense, we had a situation and it involved our work in ministry. Things got difficult, went kind of sideways, you might say. I’m not gonna say we were right and someone else was wrong but I will say that we were deeply hurt by all that took place. This was on the heels of my mothers death, just boom right on top of that. We knew the Lord wanted us to handle this time with decency that would bring honor to His name. That was far more important than “winning” or than being understood or any of that kind of thing. And honestly, the body of Christ is precious to the Lord, and we really truly did choose to simply be silent, bite our tongues, and rather choose to be totally misunderstood and possibly even slandered and maligned rather than put some kind of a mark on God’s big C church. The bride of Christ is to be spotless upon the day of Jesus’ return, right? We did not want to put any kind of spot where Jesus says, “Keep that spotless.” Basically, we applied the words of Psalm 37 verse 37 here in the Amplified. We wanted to walk in moral integrity, we wanted to be the man, and the woman, of peace and to live a life in honor, in spite of our own feelings and hurts and mourning and all the things that come with hard times. And if you did not know this, being a disciple of Jesus comes with hard times! Some of those hard times involve fellow Christians. I feel bad sharing that with you if you did not already know that. And if you’ve been on the other end of those sorts of hard times, let me tell you that I am so sorry, and I wish it were different, but please please do not walk away from the church or from Jesus, no matter what. And no matter how things shook out, even if there was like a fit of anger and words were said, by you or by others, that you wish you could take back, even if you shared too much with people (because when we are really hurting and start to talk, it can come out like a torrent, like a flood, and things can come out that are so far beyond what we ever intended to share… our pain needs to come out, and the Lord is always always there to listen as we just share honestly with him, David did it all the time we find in the psalms) but if you maybe went too far in what you said and it became gossip, guess what? There’s grace for that! And healing and God’s goodness and His great love. Don’t let any of those things keep you from the Church or from the Lord, please. We can’t always be perfect, or why would we need a Savior? But we are being sanctified continually, so we can expect to get better and better and become more and more like Jesus. So, there is no condemnation here on this podcast - because who am I to condemn someone when there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So, in this case, we bit our tongues and felt like we would rather be misunderstood than to even hint at causing any type of division or gossip or anything like that, and we were in grief, so we knew our words could become a flood pretty quickly, so we kept quiet. And you know what? God has done such a healing work in us, for us, and for those around us. It has been one of the most incredible seasons of our lives, these last several years, and I could have totally missed it had I not stayed close to Jesus, taken my heart heaviness to Him first and foremost, walked through it by staying in the Church, and just simply believing that if God put it in His word, I could trust it to be the best way for me to live out this hard place in my life. My husband, he handled it even better, like a bazillion times better, than I did. God’s word, it works. It does what it says it will do. Because God keeps all of His promises. He never fails, and He never will. And so, His word never fails, either.
If you are in a hard place right now, and especially if that hard place involves other believers, can I encourage you to stick super duper close to the Lord? Like, He should be your oxygen. Always with you, a breath away, your life source. And stick with the Church, because it is His Church, it is His body, we are the bride of Christ. Do that today. Just for today, don’t live in the yesterdays and don’t fret about all the possibilities of your tomorrows. For today, stick close to Jesus and stick with His Church. Then, do it again tomorrow. Expect the Lord to bring healing and comfort as you stay in His word, spend time in prayer, and as you keep believing that the body is your good place, these are your people, and you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Here is that same verse from the CSB.
Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the person of peace will have a future.
A bit shorter than the AMP, but it drives the point home well, doesn’t it? Take a look at some people in your life, in your world, find some Christ followers who live well. Who you could say handle things rightly, would fit the description of being blameless. Not perfect, that isn’t what this means - but how they doin’ at living life in those hard places? How’s their tongue? Find the people who mind their tongue and honor the Lord in the hard places. And also in the sweet spots. Some people don’t end up on the struggle bus until they start to do well, and then, well, it’s all downhill from there. Am I right? So watch the blameless and observe the upright. And emulate them! Learn from them! Take a lesson, and heed it! For the person of peace WILL have a future.
There’s the word will, four little letters that just make me smile. Because when God says will, He really does mean it! He will do all and every bit of what He has said He will do. The person of peace will have a future. There’s the promise for us. Be a person of peace, even when it seems hard and you would be justified to just let fly! Be a person of peace, because then you will have a future. The AMP says there will be a good future for you and your descendants will be blessed, so that’s like a heaped up kind of blessing. We need to go after those, and grab hold of them. Blessings upon blessings, well those promises are worth a bit of tongue biting, aren’t they?
Now I’d like to share a word or two from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I have this wonderful study Bible with sermon notes from Spurgeon, and boy does it learn me a lesson or two!
Spurgeon says regarding Psalm 37, “I feel no chains in my religion, for I am free, and no one is more free. He who fears God and is wholly God’s servant has no chains about him; he may live as he likes, for he likes to live as he ought. He may have his full desires, for his desires are holy, heavenly, and divine. He may take the full range of the utmost capacity of his wishes and desires and have all he needs and all he wishes, for God has given him the promise, and God will give him the fulfillment of it.”
He was referencing verse 4, which says: Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
Isn’t that greatly encouraging? God isn’t telling you to stubbornly will yourself to hate what your flesh loves. He is telling you that He aims to help you put to death any and all sinful desires, what your flesh loves, and He has amazingly good things in its stead. He gave you the promise, and He will also give you the fulfillment of said promise.
God is, by nature, a chronic giver. He will give you what He has promised, and He wants you to believe Him for it.
And I’d like to end this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show with some words from E.M Bounds. Mr. Bounds wrote so much on the subject of prayer, and I love the intercessory work of the Church, so let’s just look at a couple of things he said.
“The providence of God reaches as far as the realm of prayer. It has to do with everything for which we pray. Nothing is too small for the eye of God, nothing too insignificant for His notice and His care. God’s providence has to do with even the stumbling of the feet of His saints. “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” Psalm 91:11 -12 His care reaches to the smallest things and has to do with even the most insignificant matters that concern men. He who believes in the God of providence is prepared to see His hand in all things that come to him and can pray about everything.
“While God’s providence is over all men, yet His supervision and administration of His government are particularly in the interest of His people. Prayer brings God’s providences into action. Prayer opens the way when it is shut up or hampered.
“It has to do with food and clothing, with business difficulties, with interposing and saying from danger, and with helping in emergencies at opportune and critical times.
“We have an impressive lesson on divine providence in the case of Elijah when he was sent to the brook Cherith, where God actually employed the ravens to feed His prophet. He was an interposition so plain that God cannot be ruled out of life’s temporalities. Before God will allow His servant to lack bread, He moves the birds of the air to do His bidding and take care of His prophet.”
Okay, so that was a long quote.
But wasn’t that good?
Have you considered prayer in this way? That you are inviting God to step in and via His providence change things, intervene in the big things and the little things, remembering that nothing is too small or insignificant for His care? Such a great reminder when it comes to the why behind our praying. We pray because we believe our God hears and answers, right? We want to experience His care that reaches to the smallest things! And so, we pray. And we can pray about everything. Prayer brings God’s providences into action. It opens the way. Oh that we would pray as much as God would have us pray! How would our world, and even the entire world, be changed? We will never know until we set to work at praying! Want to live the miraculous like Elijah did? Pray for it, in the big and the little. Not just for the healing from cancer or for a job for the unemployed, but for daily bread in a way that just boggles the mind and shows off who our God is (like bread delivered by ravens) and for a heart willing to be the only one who saw that daily provision from ravens beaks (like Elijah), and that if the brook dries up, the God to whom you pray will speak to you about where to go next… even if it is to a place and a person quote / unquote outside of where you think the provision will come. He takes care of His own. Pray big, bold, daring prayers - and pray those prayers even over the small things, the daily things. Why? Well, why not? Why not look and expect to see the hand of God at work in the dailies? Some of your greatest blessings, some of the praises from your lips, may come in response to your prayers for the things you often think of as small.
Okay, that’s all for episode 109 - and I’d like to mention that I am a speaker at the upcoming Homeschool Mom Summer Summit. I’m speaking three times at the summit, but I will also be going live in the summit facebook group several times, like a minimum of three times, and I’ve got some giveaways and lots of stuff as part of this. So if you homeschool, if you know any homeschoolers, check it out. Link is in the show notes and also I’ll make sure I have that easy to find on my website, which is just my name, Jan middle initial L Burt dot com.
I’m speaking on these three topics:
Character Training That Lasts a Lifetime
Managing The Mayhem
A Time of Encouragement for You, the Homeschool Moms
I would be so honored to have you check it out and listen in to my workshops. I’m always so blessed to be able to love on the homeschool community, and honestly if any of these sound interesting to you even if you don’t home educate, please take a look at this summit. There is a free option, and it allows you access to the summit sessions on a daily basis, so you’d want to take a look at each day’s offerings and then pick a couple to watch / listen to on that day. It’s an online summit, which is nice. And I for sure has some tech issues with my recordings, so as always, I keep it very very real because it’s not a contest, it’s just life. Let’s do life together, cheering one another on, and get on with the tasks God has entrusted to us.
Check out that link and sign up, share it with friends, and have a beyond blessed day today.
I’m thankful for you, and I am praying for all the podcast listeners. Thanks for being here.
See ya next time for episode 110!
Bye bye!
Thursday May 26, 2022
Thursday May 26, 2022
Jan is the author of the new book “A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents” & the audio course "Psalm 91- Pray It & Believe"
Well, hey there! Welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show - where the promises of God are what we focus - you know, knowing what God’s word says is one thing, and believing what God’s word says is another thing and I really love it when both of those things come together and we both know what the Bible says, because Biblical literacy is so incredibly important, and also believe what the Bible says. When we believe God's promises, and we begin to pray in accordance with those promises, amazing things take place. Both in us and around us.
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. This is episode number 108.
Continuing our look at the promises God gives us in Psalm 37, today let’s read verse 34 and then skip down a bit to read verses 38, 39 and 40. I’ll be reading from the Amplified today and I am thinking I may share from my Spurgeon study Bible in the next episode, because between C. H. Spurgeon and E. M. Bounds, I learn so much. But the real benefit of learning something isn’t about the learner knowing that something, but about the learner sharing that something with others. (Which may be a good bit of encouragement to somebody today… what do you know a lot about that you could share with others? I mean, even if you think your subject matter is only interesting to a tiny, very niche group of people, well the beauty of living in this social media age is that through hashtags, you can share that good stuff with just the right people and bless them - so, that’s an aside but maybe it will bless somebody today).
Psalm 37, verse 34 Amplified -
Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
Waiting isn’t my favorite. But the older I get, the more I embrace the wait. I can look at it as an annoyance, or as a time of expectation. And when I live expectantly, it yields really good things in my life. God’s blessings are always worth the wait. And His promises to us are worth the wait. Because God’s promises are for sure His promised blessings. So while waiting may not be my favorite, receiving the blessing of the Lord kind of is my favorite.
Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way.
So while we are that waiting season, sitting there in the waiting room, He wants us to keep His way.
What does that mean?
Well, simple version: it means to do what He says. That’s obedience, right? And as a mom, I can tell you that delayed obedience, angry door slamming having a fit obedience is not really obedience that parents want. Like, you might do what you were told to do but you also might end up in a whole new bunch of trouble from the slammed doors and the yelling and all that. Parents know what I mean. I’ve said this before, but it isn’t gonna hurt to say it again. Don’t be a bratty child of God. He loves you too much for that. Love Him back. Obey Him. What He says, that you do.
And then, He will exalt you. Let that play out however He chooses. David became king of Israel, first the king of Judah and then of the entire kingdom, all of Israel. He was obedient. He waiting with expectation and he kept the Lord’s way. I’m not going to be a queen, but I will receive some level of inheritance from God. That’s the promise, and I really do believe this promise.
Now this verse also says that when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. Again, I cannot say specifically what that will look like in your life, or in my life, but there’s a promise here. Jesus said that nothing hidden will fail to be brought out into the light. This is just something God brings about as part of His character, His nature, who our God simply and totally is. It will happen, and you’ll see it. But I do want to encourage you to be a forgiving person, to pray for those who have hurt you or wronged you. To put them securely in the Lord's hands and let Him do His will, and you be quick to forgive and not to let any root of bitterness begin to take hold. Any bitter pill to swallow, maybe we should just spit out and not swallow it, ya know?
Let’s read verses 38 through 40 now, and I’m still reading from the Amplified.
As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be cut off.
39
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.
40
The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
Now these are the final three verses from this psalm, this is how David closes out this powerful portion of Scripture.
He tells us, like not the only time David says this, that transgressors will be completely destroyed. I’m not in David’s head, so I can’t say for certain, but he had a heart for people, he wasn’t heartless, I mean he is known as a man after God’s own heart, but he wants the reader to understand this. Time doesn’t stretch on forever with no accountability. When it’s time to pay the piper, you gotta pay. (And if you don’t know that story, about the pied piper and the children and what the cost was for what the people in that community wanted… yeah, it’s interesting. Paying the piper is usually very unpleasant.) There will be a time when the transgressor, the one who is not going to honor the Lord with his or her life, who is going to go their own way and damn the torpedoes kind of thing… a time of the Lord’s dealing with them always comes. The future of the wicked will be cut off. Those two words, cut off, tell us everything we need to understand about the way God will deal with the wicked. He wants all men and all women to come to repentance, to know His son Jesus, and to step into eternity under the blood of the Lamb. That's God’s will, and it is made clear all over the New Testament and frankly all over the Old Testament too. God is patient and He is so loving, but He cannot just ignore wickedness and transgression. David is honest in stating this, but David is not unloving or cruel. Honesty is not always cruelty, no matter what current culture says.
Now David contrasts this for the righteous, and as followers of Jesus, our righteousness is in Christ alone. Here’s what he says, and this is our promise, it is contrasted with what is coming for the wicked. The righteous will receive salvation from the Lord. He is their refuge and their stronghold in times of trouble.
Does that not bring you big time comfort? What a promise! You and I, we get to have God be our stronghold in our times of trouble. And our refuge. It does not get better than that when you’re facing something hard. This is real world, walking around doing your daily life, comfort and hope here. God’s promises are not for some floaty on a cloud kind of life, which who has that anyway? God’s promises are for the life we are actually living. He cares, and because He cares and is so attentive, He has made promises. Our job is to believe the promises. To believe Him. In my course on Psalm 91, this is something I talk about. The work of believing, and it is work, but it’s the work Jesus said the Father wants us to do. So, let’s do it. Let’s do the work of believing.
Now, let’s look at verse 40. The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
Do you need some rescuing in any part of your life right now? Then this is for you. He helps and rescues - both those words, both verbs, are in the present tense. It will happen in the moment that you need it. Not just in the past and not just for the future. For now. Right now.
He rescues from the wicked and saves them.
Don’t need to add a whole lot to that because it is as plain as day. The only way it wont’ be true for us is, honestly, if we refuse to believe. If we, by our lack of belief, basically imply that God is lying. He’s not - spoiler alert! He’s not. And He won’t, no not ever.
And why does verse 40 say God rescues and saves us from the wicked? Because we take refuge in Him.
This ain’t automatic. AUTO matic it is not. We have to take that refuge. Claim it, take it, believe it. I am taking refuge in God in the midst of this hard situation. My heart failure diagnosis? Oh, yeah, I daily take refuge in God. I live, I dwell, in His presence. I decide to be much with Jesus, talk with Him in prayer throughout the day, I read the Bible daily and I have a journal I keep notes in and when I pray, I ask for the things that are there on the page of my Bible. I choose to believe what the Word of God says over and above anything else, anything the Cleveland Clinic team asyas, Gods’ Word is over that. The test at the electrophysiologist shows this - I gotta take refuge in my God and believe that His Word is the final Word. God’s say is the final say. So I’m not ever sitting around lecturing people on an issue that I don't really understand. I know what it means to live on God’s promises. I know what a medical sort of death sentence is, I’ve heard those words difficult and tricky to treat, best to try and manage quality of life over the next few years. Sobering words, right? But God’s Word needs to be the most sobering of all. His truth is the actual, eternal truth. You and I, we can live as if that’s our reality or not. I hope you choose to live in a state of refuge in your God, because then you get the promise of being rescued and saved and helped. This works, my friend. Living a believing life works. Ask me how I know. God doesn’t have some special blessing on me that makes this all work out for me. Nope. This is for all His children, and 1 John says that that is what you are, His dearly loved child. Take that refuge in your God and get these blessings because the blessing of the Lord changes everything.
Thanks for spending this time with me today on The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. And if you’d like to check out the Psalm 91 audio course, the link is in the show notes and my prayer is that is doesn’t just encourage you, but that it changes you because the Bible, because Jesus, that’s life changing and why not your life? Why not?
I’ll be back here for episode 109 next time - thankful for you, see ya then. Bye bye.
Jan L. Burt is an author, speaker, podcaster, homeschooling veteran, mother to five, and has been happily married to Tony for thirty years. She served in youth ministry alongside her husband for twelve years & has led several Bible studies for women as well as hosting two online prayer retreats.
Jan is the author of the new book “A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents” & “The Power of God’s Will – 40 Days of God’s Promises Devotional” (available on Amazon) & “The Once-A-Year Homeschool Planner” (a multi-grade, multi-subject planning system) – which can be found at JanLBurt.com. She has also been a regular contributor to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Find Jan Instagram: @JanLBurt or at her website JanLBurt.com or at her YouTube channel, “God’s Promises for You with Jan L. Burt”.