Author of "Entrusted with a Child's Heart", Betsy Corning, describes how the character of God can give us hope and peace even in the most tragic of times. She explains how the Word of God gives us eternal hope, even in the death of a young one. Pointing out instances in Scripture that guide us to believe in the age of accountability, she reminds us to hope in the God of all comfort.

Scripture Referenced:

Hebrews 13:8

Isaiah 40:8

2 Samuel 12:15-23

2 Samuel 18

Numbers 32

Ezekiel 18:4

Matthew 25

Book Series: Christian Heroes Then and Now (George Muller)

They're the joyful agains our children.

2

Shout on the swings, the exhausting

agains of cooking and laundry and

3

the difficult agains of discipline.

4

So much of what we do

as mothers is on repeat.

5

So what if we woke up with clarity,

knowing which agains we were called to.

6

And went to bed believing we are

faithful in what matters most.

7

We believe God's word is

the key to untangle from the

8

confusion and overwhelm we feel.

9

Let's look up together to embrace a

motherhood full of freedom and joy.

10

Welcome back to the Again podcast.

11

My name is Stephanie Hickox, and this is

brought to you by Entrusted Ministries.

12

Today you'll have the pleasure

of listening to the amazing

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author and founder of Entrusted

Ministries, Betsy Corning.

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She wrote, Entrusted with the Child's

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in the thick of it leading moms

to apply the word in their homes.

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Ever since she's a wealth of wisdom

and experience, and I get to call

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her my aunt, which means that I

often ask her the deep questions

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that I hesitate to ask of others.

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In this episode, we're going to get into

a lot of the heaviness that's going around

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in the world and often close to home.

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Betsy will point us to find comfort

in the word of God surrounding issues

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such as when a child dies or where do

we even find the age of accountability

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in scripture, she uses the word

of God to bring us hope and peace

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in a world that is truly chaotic.

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We will continue to encourage you

to press into the Lord Jesus Christ.

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He is our only hope.

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If you are wrestling with deep

pain, be encouraged by the purposes

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and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

29

And Betsy, you and I both hosted

events recently, although yours was

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for a much larger group of people.

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Can you tell us a bit about your

Bible study format and how you

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prepare food for such a large group?

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Just any tips you have for moms

for making hosting as simple

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and delicious as possible.

35

Betsy: Oh, well that's

a surprise question.

36

Well, we have a, a small group and we

had ministry fair this weekend, so we

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added about another third, , people.

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Wow.

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So we're up to just a little

over 40 if everybody came.

40

Which is a little overwhelming in some

respects because for seating purposes,

41

for hearing, and, that doesn't count.

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, A handful of children that come,

but we like to provide dinner.

43

At the beginning, which is really fun.

44

It's a lot of fellowship.

45

And so I brought the meal

yesterday, but I just bought two

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large pots of white chicken chili.

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Mm.

48

Which is very easy to make and delicious

and lasts a couple extra days in

49

the fridge if you don't use it up.

50

But we like to divvy it out.

51

We have a lot of single

people come and mm-hmm.

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Maybe they're coming straight from work.

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So, we provide that meal for them.

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And like I said, I brought

apple cider donuts and chili.

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Somebody else brought a plumb tort

and, people might just add as they

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feel like it, they don't sign up.

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We just have the main things , sort

of between the hostess and I.

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It's not at my home.

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And, it really works great

because we have some fellowship

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before, and fellowship after.

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And, you can just hear

the buzz around the room.

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The little kids get a dinner and mm-hmm.

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it's a great time of fellowship.

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Sounds like acts right.

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They devote themselves to fellowship,

to the breaking of bread into prayer.

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That's beautiful.

67

I am logistically having a

little bit of, a situation to

68

work around in my small group.

69

We have 14 women now and.

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Maybe eight of us have been together

for several years, and then we

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just had some new ladies added,

and so we're knitting them in.

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What's tricky is we all

want to be together.

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We know each other deeply.

74

We want the follow up to prayer requests.

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But prayer requests the heck part of it.

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Even if we say, okay, get out a note

card and write down your prayer request

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and then share it with the group.

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It can take 45 minutes to an

hour to get around the circle.

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You've been in ministry a long time.

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Logistically, what are your

tips for, helping women?

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Know each other well, but also

be efficient with prayer time.

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Well, last night I think we had

about 30 people, so that's once,

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because we do leave 15 minutes

at the end for prayer and mm-hmm.

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We allow people to state

their prayer request.

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Simply, and then we assign, so

and so would you pray for this?

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Or, who would like to

pray for this person?

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And last night the prayer was

just beautiful because people.

88

Are not rushed and we just had

a really great time of prayer.

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I feel like that's how we really wanted.

90

Mm-hmm.

91

Wanna do it.

92

Mm-hmm.

93

We've done different things over

the years and, when we've taught and

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trusted, I've made just little names

of all the children involved with

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all the parents in the whole group.

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And sometimes there's, 40 children

and we put them on a little colored

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card and we lay them on the floor.

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And we get down on our knees

and we pray for all those little

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names on the map, which is sweet.

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That can just be very, focused in on the

children and what they're going through.

101

Mm-hmm.

102

Other times I've seen before an Entrusted

class starts and they're praying for the

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day, a different, little focus perhaps.

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But the moms are there with their little

children because they come first and

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they're gonna be the leaders for the day.

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Mm-hmm.

107

Their children are there, there early, and

they wanna have a prayer time for the day.

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And I just love this visual.

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The little kids, the little toddlers

climb on their mamas and they

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sit on the floor and they just

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nestle in.

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And the moms pray for the day.

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And it's not like anybody's

running after children.

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The children just love to hear,

pray prayers of their moms.

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I really love that.

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When I do the moms group.

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We do have them write their requests

down on a card, then share it

118

with somebody else who will pray

over that for the entire week.

119

And then come back so that we're

not taking up all the small group

120

time in a mom's ministry class.

121

Right.

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Because those prayers are sort of

very much focused on the theme of

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the lesson . we really zero in on

those and we spend that prayer time

124

specifically focusing together,

but prayer brings people together.

125

Mm-hmm.

126

It gets people to know you more deeply

and our whole point of Entrusted, not

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our whole point, but one of the very.

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Major points is that women start to

let themselves be known in a group and,

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feel cared for and truly cared for.

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. People are praying for their

needs and following up.

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And that's sort of the

tapestry of Entrusted.

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We see week to week how that is

growing and when people see them

133

praying for each other week after

week, they feel that connection deeply.

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Right.

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I really love the prayer

prompts that they guide you.

136

'cause sometimes we can be so zoomed

in on what's happening right before us,

137

but to be thinking, am I consistently

praying for the sanctification and

138

the salvation and the character growth

and all of those things in my home.

139

I really appreciate the

focused prayer prompts.

140

We just did start to say, okay,

well, we're gonna have to divide

141

into two groups maybe once a month.

142

We'll stay together we did try something

a couple weeks ago that I loved.

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I read through a book on praying

the word, which has been my favorite

144

way to pray for a long time God,

you give me the words to pray.

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You tell me what I should be asking

for and praying his word back to him.

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But we went through Psalm

23 and I had each woman pray

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like we stopped line by line.

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And I let them pray for what they

needed, and it was amazing just

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in that one chapter, how almost

every request fit in there.

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Lord, help me to see , that you are

everything that I need and shaped my

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desires to want you more than anything.

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And it was amazing.

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Whether it's a conflict with a neighbor

or with a family member or needing

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stamina in discipline, it was just

everything was covered there and it

155

was a really beautiful time of prayer.

156

I think everyone in the room had

a tear in their eye by the end.

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I love the verse from Hebrews

13, eight that says, be content

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with such things as you have.

159

Mm.

160

For he himself has said, I will

never leave you nor forsake you.

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I came across that many years ago and

just sticks with me to this day is that

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Jesus is enough and all that I need.

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if everything in life

is taken away from me.

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I still have him and he will

never leave me nor forsake me.

165

So that gives me chills

right now to think about it.

166

And there's times in our life when

trouble will come and we feel like

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we really need to live that verse,

but the Lord will see us through.

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And I feel that so many

young people need to know.

169

The Lord will see you through the

difficult circumstances of life.

170

Mm-hmm.

171

I just finished one of the

autobiographical sketches of George

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Mueller, and if we're familiar

with him at all, he was actually

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Prussian, but he came to great Britain

and he was not a believer at all.

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Right.

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But the Lord grabbed his heart and

reshaped it into a heart of flesh.

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And spirit, and he began a lifelong

devotion and discipline of prayer

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that I really, really loved.

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He was wholly devoted to the Lord and

trusted the Lord so completely that

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I see the depth of his discipline.

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It is really a lesson to me that the

depth of his trust on the Lord, he

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didn't ask for things for himself at all.

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He talked about how the Lord is so able.

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To provide.

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He didn't need to ask

anybody but the Lord.

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And then when the Lord did provide, and

he'd wait, and sometimes things would

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get so skimpy and so down to nothing.

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And then the Lord would provide

in such a magnanimous way, and he

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would be so thrilled and so grateful

to the Lord and he would do this.

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His whole rest of his whole life and start

three orphanages for destitute children.

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Destitute, meaning they'd lost both

of their parents and their life was

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going to be living on the streets or

going to a debtor's prison . and took

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them with his goal to teach them in

the word and give them a purposeful

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life and just his prayers though are

the things that really impacted me.

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How he really believed, I

can be content in all things.

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And living through some difficult things.

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Taking care of a thousand,

children, it's amazing.

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I love that.

198

And the detail of his prayers, It's

undeniable that God was in it because

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he was praying so specifically and with

such faith and I, I started listening

200

to the biography last year, with my

kids, Christian Heroes Then and Now I

201

can link that in the show notes, but when

you were reading the initial chapters,

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I'm like, oh, yep, he was a stinker.

203

You realize the depravity, what he went

from selling his school books and I

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think his seminary school books, right.

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To Go Gamble and quite the

transformation the Lord did in him.

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Yes.

207

A total 180.

208

Mm-hmm.

209

And being so self-centered to

really caring about little children.

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Infants and all the way up.

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It's absolutely inspiring.

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Yes.

213

So Do we have the faith to

pray those specific prayers?

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And even when we are in seasons of need,

do we see it as a blessing that our kids

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get to see God's faithful provision?

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And I've been in those seasons where

you're just collecting the manna and.

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To say thank you so much,

Lord, that we are in a season

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of complete reliance upon you.

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I'm in a food share and every time the

food comes in, I'm like, look guys, look

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what the manna that the Lord provided.

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And one week we got all of this chicken

and I'm like, oh, there's Quill this week.

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But I am, I'm so thankful that he is a God

that daily meets us with what we need and.

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What I've experienced is nothing

compared to these orphans, but it does

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feel desperate sometimes, and the Lord

has grown my faith and my kids' faith

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through those times are provision.

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Certainly the Lord does bring

us through desperate times.

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Those are our learning times and

those are our times of seeing his

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faithfulness and understanding,

uh, where we can share with others.

229

The Lord will see you through,

he will see you through.

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Just trust him.

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Implicitly and rely on him.

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And I like that.

233

Mm-hmm.

234

That's what George Miller did.

235

He Entrusted himself and his

mission, his ministry to the Lord

236

and the Lord provided for it.

237

And of course, we can also think of

some of the events of last week for a

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young man, Charlie Kirk, who devoted his

life implicitly to his ministry and to.

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All people really.

240

Mm-hmm.

241

To sharing a message and opening

a dialogue with all sorts of

242

people that they could come and

understand and know that they're

243

welcomed into the family of God.

244

he really was a testimony

of faith to all of us.

245

I think we are all very, very shook

about what happened and I think.

246

The reaction of the people says it all.

247

Mm-hmm.

248

You know, it was Charlie's love for

people that we see, the people , who

249

his heart are in tandem with his mm-hmm.

250

Um, still care about people and their

responses to pray and to seek the Lord and

251

to trust the Lord through difficult times.

252

Mm-hmm.

253

And, when your heart isn't that

way, you only can respond in anger.

254

'Cause you don't have another

way you don't have another.

255

outlet you can only vent.

256

So we pray for people that feel trapped

in that, that would love to understand

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the love and encouragement of the Lord.

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I was talking with the woman last night

and, she was saying that she's the

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only person in her family who believes.

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And of course, that was one of

our prayers that we're praying

261

for her unbelieving family.

262

And isn't it amazing how the Lord

reaches in and touches the heart of one?

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But for his purposes and his glory,

so that others may come to believe,

264

and I hope many people will come

to believe through this incident

265

and see the true heart of this man.

266

But this woman was saying that even in

her workplace, people will say, how come

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you always have a smile on your face?

268

Mm.

269

Like, what's the matter with you?

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It's because.

271

I love the Lord and the Lord loves me.

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How can you not be happy about that?

273

My husband always says, you should have

a smile on your face every single day.

274

If you're a child of God.

275

It's just a wonderful thing to behold

and to know, and to know that he

276

will be with us and never forsake us.

277

Mm-hmm.

278

Charlie, of course, is in the

presence of the Lord right now.

279

Yes.

280

We're grateful for that and mm-hmm.

281

He's left a baton for a

lot of people to carry on.

282

Absolutely.

283

It made me think, you know, you can

die living a life of mediocrity.

284

Mm-hmm.

285

And comfort and complacency.

286

You can even die in sin or you can die

courageously speaking for the Lord and.

287

Obviously this week showed us

even though the Lord will never

288

forsake us, horrible things happen.

289

And yet we are promised

eternity with him if we believe.

290

And what more valuable thing

could you do than just live

291

a life of courage for Christ?

292

And one of my favorite Charlie Kirk quotes

that I've come across is I'm much more

293

concerned with what God wants of me.

294

Than of what I want from him, If we can

be all transformed into that perspective

295

that when we go to his word, we're

seeking, God, what are you asking of me?

296

Not what can I get for myself

today, even though he does

297

feed us with that daily bread.

298

I really long for our generation

of moms, for my kids, for

299

that to be what overcomes us.

300

Jesus, how can I serve you today?

301

That's one of my favorite Uncle David

quotes that when he says, every day

302

is a day, to wake up and put your

feet on the ground and serve the Lord.

303

And you can see the joy of

people who have that mindset.

304

versus fear or anger for living a

life for yourself where you have no

305

idea what might be coming your way?

306

Well, when, when you live like that,

when you don't know the Lord and you

307

don't have anybody to trust for your.

308

Greater good who will take care of you

through any sort of circumstance, who

309

is ultimately the hope of your eternity.

310

And has proven it by coming to earth

and raising from the dead and you know,

311

that that is what he's prepared for us.

312

And newness of life and you don't

have that, then you have to figure out

313

every single thing about your life.

314

Mm-hmm.

315

And you have to put it in a particular

order and it has to go smoothly.

316

And if one.is

317

out of alignment, then you have to figure

out how you are going to get it back in.

318

Mm-hmm.

319

And it's a striving, it's an

absolute exhausting way to live.

320

It's a fearful way to live.

321

And there's so much peace and joy in the

Lord that I wish people could have that.

322

You know, we do go through hard things.

323

Mm-hmm.

324

And not to minimize that at all,

but when you have that understanding

325

that the Lord will see me through.

326

You can go through some difficult things,

and I know some people right now that

327

are going dear friends of mine, and I

do ache for them and I grieve for them,

328

but I know, and they know that the Lord

will see them through and, and he will.

329

Mm-hmm.

330

And even last night in our group,

sadly, and this is a difficult

331

thing to share about a family

relative of somebody in our group.

332

But their youngest 18 months old

disappeared out in their little farm

333

they looked and looked for him for

hours and eventually found him in

334

some water and he had passed away.

335

He had died.

336

it was so hard to hear this last

night and to pray for this family, but

337

praise God that they know the Lord.

338

And the mother said that that morning

she had prayed some verses from Isaiah

339

and she'd even written them down saying

the grass withers and the flower fades.

340

But the word of God.

341

stands forever.

342

And she had.

343

Planted that in her own heart.

344

Just few minutes before that

little boy went missing, and then

345

she said they looked for him for

hours, but they realized he was

346

already in the arms of the Lord.

347

And so when they were fretting and fearing

he was already safe in the arms of God.

348

But something like that is so horrific.

349

We can barely comprehend what that

would be like to have to endure.

350

horrible.

351

Mm-hmm.

352

Horrible.

353

Mm-hmm.

354

Horrible to think that we

could lose a child physically.

355

Mm-hmm.

356

Worse to think we could

lose them spiritually.

357

Right.

358

And so as mothers, we tenderly look

at the hearts of our children also.

359

And how they can be receptive to knowing

the truth, to knowing that contentment,

360

that comfort, that understanding and that

hope that Jesus will be with us forever.

361

So if you think of that, and I

love how the Lord does this, he

362

has a way of bringing these things

to mind and, we can always be

363

praying for those people Absolute.

364

During the day.

365

Absolutely.

366

So think of this sweet family.

367

who's lost their child I often

think of what Peter said to Jesus,

368

you know, to whom shall we go?

369

You have the words of eternal life.

370

And when life is absolutely

devastating and you think, Lord,

371

how did you let this happen?

372

We're like, who else

is offering any answer?

373

We serve a God that we may

not understand his ways.

374

They are higher than ours.

375

It can be incredibly painful.

376

We're not spared from the pain

of this world, and yet we're

377

promised eternity with him, and

378

nothing else, no other theory,

no other religion can offer us

379

hope in the midst of deep pain.

380

even in the pain, to whom shall we go?

381

How difficult would it be to handle

something like that without the Lord?

382

Right.

383

Then you may be shaking your fist at

the Lord and saying, I don't believe you

384

exist or whatever, but we know he exists.

385

We know he's loving.

386

And we know that he has his ultimate

purposes, his eternal purposes in mind.

387

And we entrust our very lives to

him and our lives of our children.

388

of course we know that a child

goes immediately into the

389

presence of the Lord, yes.

390

Will you share a little bit

more theologically about

391

the age of accountability?

392

And we know from David in scripture,

so if you could just give us that

393

encouragement of why can we have

that confidence when a child dies?

394

Well, I think, the most common story

is when David, sinned with Bathsheba

395

and they were expecting a child.

396

And, the child was born Ill, and

I'm, going on memory here a little

397

bit 'cause I didn't read this this

morning, but David was just beside

398

himself praying for the life of this

young boy, and I believe it was a boy.

399

And he wouldn't eat.

400

He couldn't do anything.

401

He was just praying, Lord, spare this

child, spare this child so much so that

402

his servants were concerned about him.

403

Mm-hmm.

404

Like he needs to eat.

405

He is just distraught.

406

But then the child did die

and the servants are like,

407

well now what's gonna happen?

408

He's gonna go over the edge.

409

He will harm himself.

410

David then got up.

411

cleansed himself and went to

eat, and his servants said,

412

how can you respond like this?

413

And he said, well, I know where

my child is, and I know that

414

someday I'll see him again.

415

He will be, resurrected

to newness of life.

416

And with the Lord.

417

And, he didn't say those

words specifically, but he

418

said, I shall go to him.

419

He cannot come to me.

420

Mm-hmm.

421

Not come back to earth,

but I shall go to him.

422

And what a sweet, sweet promise.

423

Fast forward many, many years when

David is in his very last years

424

of life one of his sons Absalon.

425

Decides well my, my father is

in a weakened condition and

426

perhaps I can have the throne

after all, I'm the next in line.

427

Mm-hmm.

428

But the Lord had said,

no, Solomon will be.

429

The next king and David had prepared all

of the things to make the temple and the

430

Lord said, you will not make the temple

because you were a man of much bloodshed.

431

So Solomon, you will be the one.

432

And Solomon meaning peace.

433

So David said, I've got

all of these provisions and

434

it's really, really amazing.

435

The lengths that David went.

436

He was like, oh.

437

Everything's ready.

438

All you have to do is press the button.

439

Mm-hmm.

440

And promise me you'll do it.

441

Do it.

442

Just like I said, do this, this, and this.

443

And Solomon was the guy.

444

Mm-hmm.

445

Well, before David died his

son Absalon wanted the throne.

446

So he had a big rebellion and he took

David's commander of his army and a

447

number of other people and his counselor

and all of these things, and they set

448

to exile David from the palace, and

David did have to flee the palace.

449

Absalon went up on the roof of the

palace and had relations with some

450

of David's concubines, which is in

effect saying I am now the king.

451

So by saying that, that was no question

about absalons plans and tactics.

452

But David said, do not harm my son.

453

He is in rebellion.

454

You need to go after them, but

do not harm my son, Absalon.

455

And of course we know that Absalon

was riding through the forest, and

456

the forest killed more people than

the actual fighting, which I feel

457

like is the Lord's providence because

you don't really want this civil war

458

going on between basically relatives.

459

But Epson is riding through on his mule

and his hair gets stuck in the crook

460

of a tree and a lot, a lot of hair.

461

And then Joab comes and, murders him

while he's stuck there and has some other

462

people also thrust the sword through him.

463

So David finds this out and

is absolutely beside himself.

464

And cries.

465

And cries and cries and absol.

466

Oh, absolutely.

467

My son.

468

Absolutely.

469

Absolute.

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Oh, that it would be me

instead of you and very upset.

471

And people are like, why are you so upset?

472

He was rebelling against you.

473

He was, you know, squashed the rebellion.

474

And he said, he didn't say,

because he cannot come back to

475

me, but I will go to him mm-hmm.

476

Near the heart of his son that they

wouldn't be reunited in heaven.

477

And he was just completely distraught

over his spiritual destiny.

478

So, those are some really interesting

ways the Lord reveals in his word.

479

The things that we can rely on, the things

that we can be assured of, just that

480

all through the scriptures doesn't need.

481

He progressively reveals more and

more about himself and his ways.

482

I've thought about how just with the evil

of abortion and God cares about every

483

life in heaven are there just going to be

little babies walking around everywhere?

484

I dunno.

485

Oh, maybe, I dunno if they'll be walking.

486

Maybe we'll be able to

take care of babies.

487

I don't know.

488

I don't know how that will

all come down, but mm-hmm.

489

We know that they're in heaven.

490

Mm-hmm.

491

We know that we will recognize

them and we'll know them.

492

What an interesting concept

because I also worked with a lot

493

of disabled children , physically

disabled or children with autism.

494

I looked at one gal one day, she

would always hold her breath.

495

We would have to put her hips

back into the socket, which

496

is just a horrible thing.

497

She would hold her breath

and she wasn't able to speak.

498

And I just would look at

her and just think someday,

499

well, I'll see you in heaven.

500

Mm-hmm.

501

And you'll be running and

your hips won't slide out.

502

So some days she'll, they will be able

to bear weight and she'll be running

503

and it'll be neat to see her again

and, these children will be in heaven.

504

So we talked a little bit about the

age of accountability and honestly, I

505

could go on and on and on about that.

506

Mm-hmm.

507

But the Lord has said, we can

remember back to, numbers where

508

he said anybody from the age of

20 down will enter into the land.

509

This is a fascinating theological concept.

510

Okay.

511

See the Lord, these people.

512

We're so afraid for their children.

513

All of the spies came

back and said 12 spies.

514

Two came back and said, no, we're good.

515

Caleb and Joshua, we should go in.

516

We should take the land.

517

And the other people were, no, there's

giants in there and we can't make it.

518

Even though the land is the land of

plenty, there's like, they had to carry,

519

you know, grapes on a big sticks between

two guys and, it's a land flowing

520

with milk and honey, a great place.

521

But, their fear overtook them and that

fear spread through all the people in the

522

camp and they said, no, we can't go in.

523

'cause we're afraid for our children.

524

How are we gonna go in

there with our children?

525

And this is one of the sweetest

things I think about the Lord.

526

He cares for your children.

527

He cares for those itty bitty ones.

528

He cared for that little baby

boy all by himself on the farm.

529

He cares for all of them.

530

He takes them in his arms, he holds them.

531

He loves them so immensely.

532

He says, unless you come to me like

a little child, you're not able to

533

come, come to him with the softness

of heart, with the tender humility

534

, and he loves that because actually

we are his little children, right?

535

Mm-hmm.

536

John says that in his, in his gospel,

little children, little children,

537

he calls us little children.

538

He said, well, I'm gonna prove to you

that the children are safer than you.

539

I'm gonna take care of the

children since you don't trust

540

me to take care of the children.

541

Only the children are going in.

542

I think that is a huge, huge lesson.

543

Now, of course, we take precautions.

544

Mm-hmm.

545

We don't have our five-year-old

walk to school, six blocks

546

where we can't see them.

547

Although you could do that.

548

Mm-hmm.

549

I was little.

550

But you wouldn't do

that these days at all.

551

But so we take precautions.

552

We're not unwise, we're not uncaring.

553

We're loving, we, we watch out for

our children, but we know that we have

554

somebody that watches even more than we

can and who cares for them and he let

555

all the ones from 20 on under come in.

556

And can you imagine a couple

million people died in the desert?

557

That had to be something.

558

Mm-hmm.

559

That was a lot of funerals.

560

Yes.

561

Before they went in and so

there's that mercy of God.

562

Because you needed some

little bit older people.

563

Of course, Caleb and Joshua went

in, they were the older ones.

564

'Cause you need some guidance.

565

You need some older experience

but the Lord did that.

566

And, I think maybe he had

some leniency up to 20.

567

I don't know.

568

There are certain points in the

Bible where it's very clear that

569

the children, small children.

570

Immediately go into the arms of God,

their sin isn't counted against them.

571

Although we must not make any mistake

that they do have a sin nature.

572

Mm-hmm.

573

We're all born with a sin nature.

574

Ever since the fall of Adam

and Eve, every person is born.

575

But immediately God provides the

hope, even for them to say that

576

the Messiah will come through you.

577

The person that will reverse

the curse, will come through

578

your seed, the righteous seed.

579

And of course Eve must have thought

with every child, will this be the one?

580

Will this be the one?

581

Right.

582

And um, and sadly enough, the

first would kill the second.

583

Lots of turmoil and dysfunction as

a result of the fall and the curse.

584

But we know that God does not.

585

A child's sin against them.

586

They're sin nature.

587

Because they don't really

have an understanding of that.

588

The moral maturity of a child is

around 12 or 13, and that's when the

589

Jewish people did their bar mitzvahs

and their bats mitzvahs for girls.

590

Mm-hmm.

591

So that was sort of an understanding of

now they understand, they can understand.

592

Mm-hmm.

593

Where I'd say probably

between 12, 13, and 20.

594

The Lord knows.

595

The Lord knows if this young disabled

person that I had who couldn't speak.

596

I think that if you cannot understand

that the Lord cares for you, and

597

your life has value and significance

for the glory of God in a way that

598

we might not understand completely.

599

They're a dignified person.

600

And we treat them with dignity.

601

That's the sanctity of life.

602

The sanctity of life isn't

just about not aborting babies.

603

The sanctity of life is about

the dignity of the individual.

604

Mm-hmm.

605

No matter who that individual is.

606

No matter who that individual is, right?

607

Mm-hmm.

608

Yes.

609

Either we agree with them or not.

610

They have honor in the sight of the Lord.

611

Yes.

612

Mm-hmm.

613

They're made in the image of God,

and for that reason, for that reason

614

alone, we should give glory to God

because our image and love, the

615

verse for Ezekiel 18, it says, all.

616

Souls belong to God.

617

So doesn't that make us look

differently at the individual?

618

Yes.

619

And that's why motherhood is so

important to the Lord, right?

620

Yes.

621

Because he sees all of the little

things that we do for our children.

622

They.

623

Mattered to God.

624

I don't wanna take a passage out of

context, but when I read Matthew 25,

625

when Jesus says, whatever you do unto

the least of these, you do unto me.

626

And when you feed them and when you

clothe them, hopefully the prison one

627

doesn't apply to our motherhood ever.

628

But, um, just that tenderness

of when we care for others.

629

That the Lord is honored by all of

that service and that transforms

630

motherhood when it goes from being an

unseen, monotonous, mundane, day in,

631

day out, cooking, cleaning to a wow.

632

I am serving image bearers.

633

And hopefully all of this is gonna add up.

634

That the Lord would bless them

and sanctify them and save them.

635

What more could we want in life?

636

Yeah.

637

The Lord creates a bond between

fathers and their children and

638

mothers and their children, and it

is a bond that is really unspeakable.

639

It's hard to describe.

640

It's like, you know, you would give your

life for that child as soon as you see it.

641

You're so connected on

such a deeper level.

642

And then the Lord says, now I want

you to take the next 18 to 20 years

643

and guard and guide that soul.

644

But that soul becomes a child of

God that they know about me and

645

that they, worship the one true God.

646

What a special thing,

mothers have that privilege.

647

And dads too.

648

If you are thinking, wow, there was a

lot of things that I heard today and

649

I just wanna have more of a biblical

understanding of what God calls

650

parents to we would encourage you to

take Entrusted with a child's heart.

651

Number one, because we want you to

understand what the Lord has called

652

you to so that you can be the mom he

called you to be, but also that you

653

could do it in a group of moms and not

do it alone because we do need that

654

fellowship and that encouragement, and we

found that this is really the best way.

655

That we can figure out our biblical

and personal convictions and even

656

our personal preferences is to

be sharpened by other believers.

657

So we encourage you to go to our website,

www dot Entrusted Ministries dot com.

658

On our studies page, we

have the Study for Moms.

659

We also have a couple's book that

has new videos for couples, and

660

that's great to get your husband

on the same page at home as well.

661

We are so grateful for you listening

today, and we know there's a lot of

662

heaviness in this world, but we pray

that you seek the nearness of the Lord

663

and that you feel him with you and

experience his comfort in all things.

664

We know you're busy, mama.

665

So we are truly grateful you joined us for

this episode of again, if you're looking

666

for more information about building your

home on the foundation of Jesus Christ,

667

head to www dot Entrusted Ministries

dot com to learn more about our study

668

for moms Entrusted with a child's Heart.

669

This scripture saturated study

has blessed families around the

670

world, and we want it for you too.

671

Before you go, I want to pray this

benediction over you from Second

672

Thessalonians one 11 through 12.

673

We're rooting for you to this end.

674

We always pray for you that our God

may make you worthy of his calling and

675

may fulfill every resolve for good.

676

And every work of faith by his power

so that the name of our Lord Jesus

677

may be glorified in you and you

and Him according to the grace of

678

our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

679

Amen.

680

Until we meet again.