1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: In the month of April, we are hosting the Everyday 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: Prayers for Gentleness book Club on the podcast to celebrate 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: our newest release, We're So Glad You're here today. The 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 2: author of our new book and mom of three, Christy Thomas, 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: will lead our devotion in prayer to challenge us and 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: encourage us on our journey to grow in gentleness. To 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: learn more about Christy, our new book, and the Million 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find 16 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: a link in our show notes. After a brief word 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: from our sponsors, will pray together for our children. 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: First. 19 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 3: Peter two, verses twenty one to twenty three, He says, 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: for to this you have been called because Christ also 21 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 3: suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you 22 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 3: might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 3: was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, 24 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 3: he did not revile and return. When he suffered, he 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 3: did not threaten, but continued in trusting himself to him 26 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 3: who judges justly. My face grew hot with shame as 27 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 3: I cradled the phone, listening to the woman on the 28 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 3: other end calling me out for things I didn't even 29 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 3: remember doing. The criticism felt unwarranted, and the shock of 30 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 3: twenty minutes off criticism caused me to start bawling. My 31 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 3: husband came to investigate, took the phone from me, and, 32 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: after a short conversation with the other woman in which 33 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 3: he told her never to speak like that to me again, 34 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 3: he slammed the phone down. I was shaken. I'd been 35 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 3: insulted before, but never to this extent. Jesus knows exactly 36 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 3: what it feels like to be criticized and insulted. When 37 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 3: Nathaniel first met Jesus, he wondered if anything good could 38 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 3: come out of jesus hometown of Nazareth. That's from John 39 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 3: one forty six. Pharisees criticized Jesus for disobeying their interpretation 40 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 3: of God's law and accused him of being in league 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 3: with the devil that was in Matthew nine thirty four. 42 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: During his rigged trial, Jesus was mocked and insulted by priests, politicians, 43 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 3: and soldiers. Jesus understood rejection, rudeness, and disrespect, but instead 44 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: of pushing Nathaniel away, Jesus complimented him see John one 45 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 3: forty seven. For that, Jesus taught those who misunderstood him. 46 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 3: He kept on driving out demons and healing the sick, 47 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 3: and he rebuked his disciples for their own thirst for vengeance. 48 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 3: During his trial, Jesus stood his ground, quietly taking the 49 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 3: insults and mockery that came at him. Because Jesus was 50 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 3: fully human, this must have been just as hard for 51 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 3: him as it would be for you and me. Hebrews 52 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 3: four point fifteen says, we do not have a high 53 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 3: priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but 54 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 3: one who's been tempted in every way as we are. 55 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 3: Yet without sin, Jesus could have lashed out, but instead, 56 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 3: as it says in One Peter two twenty two to 57 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 3: twenty three, he committed no sin and no deceit was 58 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 3: found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, 59 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 3: he did not retaliate when he suffered, He made no threats. Instead, 60 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 3: he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Jesus isn't 61 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 3: our only biblical example of responding to criticism with gentleness. 62 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 3: When David's son Absalom tried to take his father's throne, 63 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 3: David and his family fled along the way they passed SHIMIAI, 64 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 3: a man who was related to the previous king. SHIMII, 65 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 3: threw stones at David and his entourage, cursing them as 66 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 3: they went past, saying, as it says in Second Samuel sixteen, 67 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 3: the Lord is paid you back for all the blood 68 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 3: of the House of Saul, in whose place you became king, 69 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 3: And the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your 70 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 3: son Absalom. Look, you are in trouble because you are 71 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 3: a man of bloodshed. One of David's men was deeply 72 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 3: insulted and begged his permission to cut off me eyes head. 73 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 3: Rather than allowing his vengeful soldier to have his way, 74 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 3: David told him leave him alone and let him curse me. 75 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 3: The Lord has told him to. Perhaps the Lord will 76 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 3: see my affliction and restore goodness to me instead of 77 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 3: Shamai's curses. Today Tewod Samuel sixteen, David and his family 78 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 3: and friends simply kept walking as SHIMII continue to curse them, 79 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 3: throw stones, and kick up dust at them. Both David 80 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 3: and Jesus trusted themselves to the one who judges justly, 81 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 3: placing their need for retaliation in the hands of the 82 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 3: gracious judge instead of trying to take. 83 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: It on themselves. 84 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 3: You and I can also trust God to defend us 85 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 3: when appropriate. We can lay down our defensive responses to 86 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 3: criticism when we allow God to be the judge. 87 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: I hope you. 88 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 3: Haven't been verbally cursed or accused of being in league 89 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 3: with the devil, but I guarantee you'll feel insulted, slighted, 90 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 3: or outraged at some point in your life. But if 91 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: we want to truly grow in gentleness, we have to 92 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: learn to be gentle in the little things before we'll 93 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 3: be able to be as gentle as Jesus with a 94 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 3: big enemy. Oh and the end of my story. My 95 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 3: husband didn't think got anything to apologize for. But the 96 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 3: next time the woman called, I swiftly apologized for the 97 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 3: things I realized I actually had done the courageous gentleness 98 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 3: the Holy Spirit gave me in that moment completely disarmed 99 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 3: her and turned our relationship around. Choosing gentleness allowed for 100 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 3: the power of God to move in my relationship. Let's 101 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 3: pray together. Jesus, thank you for suffering for me and 102 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 3: leaving an example so I can follow in your steps. 103 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 3: Please help me to keep my retorts and insults to 104 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 3: myself and reshape my mind so I can completely trust 105 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 3: myself to You who judges justly in Jesus' name. Amen. 106 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 2: As part of our book called this Month, we are 107 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 2: making all of the wonderful perks of our paid Patreon 108 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 2: members available at the free tier. That's right. The daily 109 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: devotionials in written form, bonus materials, special previews, and more 110 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 2: free to you this month only. See the link in 111 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 2: our show notes are on our website to get connect. 112 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 113 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 114 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor upon you and give 115 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 2: you peace.