Chapter 7: Ep 3: Girl God Got You: Psalm 37 of Trust and Provision and Faith Declaration

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Hello, and welcome back to Diary of Black Women, the podcast where we dive deep

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into faith, life, and incredible ways God moves in our lives.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and I'm so glad that you are here with me today.

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We are in our final episode of Girl, God Got You, Stories of Unseen Miracles and Provision.

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We're going to continue with our final episode of today's episode.

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We're going to delve into Psalms to see how King David trusted in God's provision and protection.

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And even in his most challenging times, this will remind us that no matter how

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much we face or no matter what we face, face.

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God is faithful and his provisions is always on time. So settle in, grab your Bible.

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We'll be in Psalms 37 today.

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Keep it nearby. And let's explore how God's unseen miracles and provisions are

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at work in our lives today.

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So thank you so much for joining me today. So let's get started.

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So good. So good. So good. So Psalms 37 is really one of my favorite Psalms.

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When things get tight for me, I go to Psalms 37, Psalms 91. We know we always run a Psalm 91.

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So Psalms 37 and Psalms 91.

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Psalms 37 I like because it's very comforting, but also if you read it,

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it tells you what God would do to the enemies, right?

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You always want to know, Lord, what you're going to do to those enemies.

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But I don't know if we're going to cover that today, but today we're going to

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probably focus on his provision, his timing, his care for his righteousness,

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his support, his faithful provision.

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And we're going to just learn how to trust in God's timing and his faithful

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support for his righteous.

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So let's go. So in Psalms 37, David's filled with wisdom and counsel for those

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who are striving to live righteously in a world that seems unjust.

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This Psalm contrasts the fate of the wicked with the security of the righteous.

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So when you read it, you'll read it. It'll be like, this was going to happen

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to the bad. It's going to happen to the good.

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And when you're in one of those moods where you need to know what's going to

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happen to someone who did you wrong, this is one of those Psalms.

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And I think that's why I read it. I was in my day, I had some drama going on

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and the Lord gave me Psalms 37 and Psalms 91.

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Psalms 91 is very comforting, you know, but Psalms 37 is a fighting Psalms and

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it's very supportive in what God will do to your enemies, right?

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And so we want, and Psalm 91 has some fighting in it too, but Psalms 37,

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oh yeah, it's a long Psalms.

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So don't get me wrong, it's a long Psalms, but you read it and you can get your righteous anger going.

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And so I want to just get to Psalms 37.

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Okay. And it says throughout Psalms 37, we see a reoccurring theme.

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The righteous are called to trust in the Lord, to commit their ways to him and

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to delight in his commands.

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This Psalm assures us that God is faithful, that he sees our needs and that

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he will provide for those who live in accordance with his will.

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So let's take a closer look at these verses and these themes.

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So we see here, the key is that at least in all of, we talked about Abraham

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in episode one, episode two, we had Joseph, Episode three, we're Psalms 37.

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Psalm 37, the connection is that when we trust in God, then he is faithful and

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just to provide and give us and provide for us, right?

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And so he's always looking for that trust in him.

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You faithful to God, he is faithful to you, right? So let's go to Psalms 37, 1 verses 1 through 5.

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Like I said, I read them in groups, but just take time and read them.

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Yeah, read them. Just read Psalms 37.

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So Psalms 37, 1 through 5, it says, trusting in the Lord's provision.

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It says, do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong.

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For like the grass, they will soon wither. Like green plants, they will soon die away.

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Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

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Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

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Commit your way to the Lord.

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Trust in him and he will do this. You see this first set of Psalms, what is God asking us?

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He says here, fret not, but then he focused in, he says, trust in the Lord and do good.

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Take delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord and said, and he will do this.

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These verses remind us that our focus should not be on prosperity of the wicked,

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but rather on trusting in the Lord and doing good.

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These promises here is profound. If we delight in the Lord and commit our ways

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to him, he will provide for us, giving us the desires of our hearts.

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His passage encouraged us to this passage encouraged us to place our trust in God's provision,

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knowing that he is fully aware of our needs and in his faithfulness to meet them.

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I love this because it starts out with what you should be looking at.

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A lot of times right away when we're looking at it says, do not fret because

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of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong.

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And a lot of times when we're going to Psalms, I remember I went to Psalms,

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someone that did me wrong.

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And I said, whoa, and God has a verse for that.

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Come on now. God has a verse for that. And right away, he says,

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don't even look at what they're doing to you.

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Take your focus off of what they did to you. And then he says,

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swoop, swoop and put your focus on me.

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Keep your focus on me. Trust in the Lord and do good.

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He says, take delight in the Lord. It says, commit your way to the Lord.

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Trust in him and he will do it. So take your eyes off of what other people are

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doing, what the evil is doing, what they think they're getting away with it.

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I always say evil has a deadline. Their time is limited.

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So they're going to act up, but you keep your eye on the Lord and he will do this.

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It says, these verses remind us that our focus should not be on the prosperity of the wicked,

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but our eyes should be on the Lord. God is fully aware of what we need.

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He is fully aware of what we need. Trusting in the Lord involves more than just belief.

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It requires us to actively commit our ways to him, to live out our faith in

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tangible ways, and to find our joy in his presence.

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This kind of trust brings peace and security, even when the world around us

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is filled with uncertainty.

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And so no matter what's going on around you, you just have to block all that

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stuff out and just put your focus on the Lord.

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He tells you right away in verse 37, 1, fret not, fret not. Don't look at them.

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Don't care what they're doing.

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Just don't worry about them. Just focus on me.

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Just focus on me. Let's go to Psalms 37 verses 7 through 9.

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And it says, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

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Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

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Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

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Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. Do not fret, it leads only to evil.

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For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

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Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

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These verses emphasize the importance of patience and trust in God's timing.

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In a world where it's easy to become frustrated or disheartened by the success of those who do wrong,

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Psalms 37 encourages us to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for his justice and provision.

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Anger and worry only leads to more harm, but those who place their hope in the

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Lord are promised a lasting inheritance.

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This passage teaches us to focus

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on God's eternal promises rather than the fleeting successes of others.

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By trusting in God's timing, we can rest assured that he will bring about what

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is right and just in perfect timing.

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And what I realized in this is that, you know, as Christians,

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we always seem like we're like a day late. You ever notice that? Like we're a day late.

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People are prospering around us and we're like a day late. We seem like we're struggling.

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We don't have it going on. But then a time comes, and I think it's the season

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that we're in now, where the evil has reached an end.

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Evil has reached an end. The stuff that we thought we wanted and the people

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who we had probably put by accident, like, wow, we like this style, we like what they wear.

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We didn't know what they were doing behind these closed doors,

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right? We didn't know the evil that was being stirred up behind these closed doors.

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We didn't know what these stars were selling their soul out for to be in these positions.

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But we as Christians, we kept praying and fasting, doing what God would have us to do.

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You know, wanting the best, but not willing to sell our sold off for the best.

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And now we're seeing what even in the churches, even in every industry is,

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is got some exposure going on.

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But those who keep their eyes on the Lord, those that keep their eyes on the

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Lord, God said, we won't be ashamed that we will get double for our trouble.

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Right. And so we just got to keep our focus on the Lord because we're seeing

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some things that even in our lifetime that we didn't think that we would see,

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but God is showing us that as we focus on him,

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he's going to show us who was faking and shaking, who was real and who was not.

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You know, doesn't it make you focus more on him?

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You know, it's a little distracting because we're going like,

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dang, We didn't know. We didn't know.

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You know, I had to clean out my library with some of these books of other pastors that have failed.

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I was like, you know, a little leaven leavens the whole lump.

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So, sorry, I'm just going to go back to my basic foundational roots and just

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start from all over and refresh my spirit because, you know,

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I don't want to be left behind. Hello.

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Right. So let's go to Psalms 37, 18 to 19. The Lord's care for his righteousness.

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The blameless spend their days under the Lord's care, and their inheritance will endure forever.

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In times of disaster, they will not wither. In days of famine, they will enjoy plenty.

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Here we see the beautiful promise of God's provision for the righteous.

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Even in the times of disaster or famine, those who are blameless,

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those who live in accordance with God's ways, are assured of his care.

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This doesn't mean that the righteous will never face hardship,

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but rather that God will sustain them through every trial, providing that they

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will not only survive, but thrive.

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This passage is a reminder that God's care for us is constant.

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Even in the most difficult circumstances, our security is found not only in

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our circumstances, but in our relationship with the Lord.

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When we trust in him and live righteously, we can rest assured that he will

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provide for us in every season.

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So it's so important to know that God cares for the righteous.

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And he says, it says, in the days of famine, they will enjoy plenty.

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In the days of famine, they will enjoy plenty.

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He tells us in Psalms 37 and 1, fret not that those who do evil.

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But then he tells us in verses 18 to 19 that he cares for the righteous.

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And so you want to make sure that you keep your eyes on God and just wait patiently

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for him. because he does care for his own.

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Let's go to Psalms 37, 23 to 24, God's guidance and support.

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The Lord makes firm the steps of those who delight in him.

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Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

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The verses provide reassurance that when we delight in the Lord,

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he will guide our steps and support us along the way.

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We may find challenges and stumbles at times, but we are never abandoned.

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God's hand is always there to uphold us, to help us get back on our feet,

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and to continue to walk in his path.

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This passage is an encouragement to trust in God's guidance.

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Even when the road is tough, our journey of faith may not always be smooth,

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but we can be confident that God is with us every step of the way,

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guiding and supporting us through all life's ups and downs.

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So we can trust in God's care for his righteousness.

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We can trust in God's timing. We can trust in his guidance and his support.

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And most important, go with me to Psalms 37 verses 25 to 26.

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One of my favorite verses says, I was young and now I am old,

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yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread.

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They're always generous and lend freely. Their children will be a blessing.

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These verses reflect on the enduring faithfulness of God to his people.

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David the psalmist shares from his life experiences, they has never seen the

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righteous forsaken or their children left in need.

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This testimony speaks to the consistency of God's provision,

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the righteousness who trust in the Lord and live generously,

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experience God's blessings, not just in their own lives, but also extending to their children.

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This passage challenged us to live generously, trusting that God's provision is more than enough.

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When we align our lives with God's principles of generosity and faith,

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we can be confident that his provision will always be there,

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both for us and our future generation.

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So we never see our seed begging bread. I love that.

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I've never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

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So God said he watches over us even in that generational blessing.

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And so even if your child is, they're working hard, right?

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But they ain't out begging for bread.

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That God blesses our generation as we are being faithful to him. How powerful is that?

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Can you do it for your children? Be faithful to God for your children.

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A couple of points I want to cover is trusting the Lord.

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The verses that we explore today in Psalm 37 repeatedly call us to trust in

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the Lord, especially in times of difficulty.

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The trust is not passive. It's an active decision to place our confidence in

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God's care and provision.

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Even when life is challenging, we are encouraged to commit our ways to the Lord,

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to delight in Him, and to wait patiently for His timing.

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Trusting in the Lord brings peace, even when the world around us is in turmoil. Wow.

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In what areas of your life is God calling you to trust him more fully?

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Are there situations where you're tempted to worry or take matters into your

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own hands rather than resting in his provision?

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Psalms 37 encouraged us to release our anxiety and trust that God is faithfully guiding our steps.

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Living in faith. Psalm 37 also teaches us about living a life of faith and righteousness,

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knowing that God would not forsake his people.

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The righteousness are described as those who trust in God, do good and live generously.

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These psalms remind us that our faith should be lived out in our action.

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Is how we treat others and in our trust in God's provision.

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When we live this way, we reflect God's love and faithfulness to the world around us.

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Consider how we can apply these principles to your daily lives.

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Are there areas where you can step out in faith and trust God more deeply and live more generously.

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God promises that we can commit our ways to him and we can live and we can guide

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and he will guide and provide for us.

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So God is here is challenging us in two different ways.

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Like one, can we trust him more fully?

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You know, is there ways that we can say we can trust him more fully? Can we be like Abraham?

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Can we let go of some things he's been telling us to let go of?

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You know, Joseph, can we let go of some bitterness and get involved in some reconciliation?

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And in Psalms, can we just put our eyes on Jesus and not be so concerned about

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how God's going to pay our enemies back?

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Can we focus on that generational blessing where we never seen the righteous

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forsaken or his seed begging bread?

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You know, how can he guide us better?

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God wants to kind of lead and guide us better. So let's just take a moment here

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and let's reflect on how God can do more.

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Because he says, girl, God's got you. But where can he get you if you're just

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still holding on to everything?

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Where can you let go and allow God to just do what he does? I like to say this,

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do what he's famous for, right?

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So let's take a moment and reflect on what we learned in Psalms 37.

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These verses offer profound encouragement for anyone seeking to trust in God's

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provision and guidance.

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How do these scriptures speak to your current situation?

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Are there areas where you need to commit to your ways to the Lord more fully?

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Where can you trust God and his timing rather than your own?

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I encourage you to spend time meditating on this psalm throughout the week.

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Let the promises of God, cares, and provisions sink into your heart and allow

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them to guide your actions and decisions.

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Trusting in the Lord is a journey. And as we continue to place our confidence

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in him, he will be faithful to unfold in our lives.

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So as we close this segment, I want to go over to our decrees.

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I was going to make this another episode, but I want to just go ahead and close

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it out with these decrees.

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And so these declarations of faith is really about when we declare God's word,

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we're just speaking what God says, but we're speaking it in faith.

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And so we're speaking in faith because we're speaking it in faith,

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right? So when we declare God's word, we're not just speaking empty words.

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We're aligning ourselves with the truth, who God is and what he has promised us.

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So declarations help us renew our minds, build our faith, and reinforce the

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reality of God's presence and power in our lives.

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They remind us of his faithfulness and keep our focus on his ability to provide

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and sustain us in every situation.

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And so I want to go over these declarations of faith. There's five of them.

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And so we're going to start in Acts 6, and this is decree of seeking God's direction.

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And it says, and you can repeat after me or just listen and just receive it by faith.

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It says, Lord, I seek your direction in my life.

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Like Paul on the road to Damascus, I asked, what would you have me to do?

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Guide my steps and lead me in the path you have prepared for me.

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I trust in your wisdom and in your path for my life.

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So just as Paul sought God's direction after his encounter with Jesus,

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we too must seek God's guidance in our daily lives.

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This decree is reminded to continually ask God for direction,

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trusting he will lead us in the right way.

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And so that's found in Acts 9, 6.

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James 1, 3 through 18, decrees of steadfast faith during a trial.

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So I decree that my faith will remain steadfast during trials.

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I know that the testing of my faith produces perseverance.

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I will not waver, but will stand firm, trusting that God is refining me and

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bringing me closer to the image of Christ.

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James reminds us that trials are opportunities for growth in our faith.

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This declaration encouraged us to stay strong during difficult times,

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knowing that God is using these trials to develop our character and faith.

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Habakkuk 1, 2, 1-4 decrees of expecting God's response.

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I stand and watch and wait for your response, Lord.

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I know that your timing is perfect, and I trust that you will answer in the

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way, your way, in your time. I will write down your vision and make it plain,

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believing that it will surely come to pass.

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Habakkuk teaches us about the importance of waiting on God and inspecting his response.

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This decree is a declaration of trust in God's timing, his faithfulness to fulfill this promise.

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James 117, a decree of trust in God's perfect gifts. I declare that every good

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and perfect gift in my life comes from above and from the Father of lights.

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He does not change like shifting shadows. I trust in your provision,

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Lord, and I'm grateful for the blessing you have bestowed upon me.

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This declaration is based on the truth that God is the source of all good things

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in our lives. It encouraged us to acknowledge his provision and trust in his unchanging nature.

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And the last one, decree of approaching God with confidence.

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I boldly approach the throne of grace and confident that I will receive mercy

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and find grace and help in my time of need.

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I thank you, Lord, that Jesus is my high priest who understands my weakness

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and intercedes on my behalf.

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Hebrews reminds us that we can approach God with confidence because Jesus, because of Jesus.

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This decree is powerful affirmation of our access to God's grace and mercy and

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a reminder that we can bring our needs before him with full assurance and his love and care.

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So as we close this segment, I want to encourage you that the declaration is

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part of your spiritual practice. You know, speak them loud.

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You can create your own. Take the scriptures, your favorite scriptures,

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and create declarations of faith.

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Speak them boldly.

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Memorize. It's a good way to help memorize scripture too. And just begin to

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allow God's word to become more in our hearts and our mind. And they align with the word.

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And we will begin to see his power at work in our lives.

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Remember, declarations are not just about positive thinking,

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but they're about speaking the truth of God's word over your life,

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standing on his promises and trusting that what he said he will do. Remember, God got you.

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And how do you know he got you? Because we build our faith on his word,

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and then we declare that word over our lives, right?

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That he's guiding us, that he's protecting us, he's providing for us,

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and he's giving us strength to face every challenge with confidence and faith.

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So let's close out our final episode with prayer.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for the power of your word and for the truth that

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it brings into our lives.

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Help us to speak your word with confidence, to declare your promises over our

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lives, and to trust in your provision and guidance.

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As we make these declarations, Lord God, as we trust in you,

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according to Psalms 37, May our faith be strengthened and our hearts be aligned with your will.

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We thank you for being faithful, for hearing us, and for being at work in every situation.

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We trust in you, Lord, and we commit our lives to your hands. In Jesus' name, amen.

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As we wrap up this segment, I hope you're encouraged to start making declarations

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part of your daily routine.

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Remember, there is power in the words you speak. We saw that with Abraham.

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When Abraham knew he had to sacrifice his son, he says what?

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He says, the Lord will provide a lamb.

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And he just spoke in faith. We saw Joseph. Joseph was determined that he didn't

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bring up any of the negative stuff that happened to him when he was sold into savory.

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He said, this is what God, what you meant for evil, God meant for good.

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The words change when our relationship with God change.

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So we want to be rooted in God's truth, speak life, speak faith,

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and watch how God moves in our circumstances. right?

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Thank you for joining me today on Diary of Black Women Podcast, our devotional series.

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Stay tuned for more episodes where we will continue to explore God's word and

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how he works in our lives.

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And always remember, no matter what, girl, God got you.

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Until next time, keep declaring God's truth over your life. Keep walking by faith.

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Keep trusting and obeying God. Keep forgiving and reconciling.

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And this is Connie Morris signing off. Be blessed and we'll see you next time.