Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast
Jessi Morgan in 2023 had a traumatic experience that shaped how she views life and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has laid it on her heart to share her experiences and inspire others to put God first in every aspect of their life like she finally did in hers. Having her daughter born 4 months early really made Jessi lean on the Lord for comfort and guidance. And today she stands here starting her own 10-15 minute podcast focusing on weekly devotionals about what God can do for you and what He's done for her.
Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast
The Unexpected choice can be Messy
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Ever wondered if God could use the very things others overlook about you? In this deeply moving examination of Judges 3, we unpack the remarkable story of Ehud – a left-handed deliverer from the smallest tribe in Israel who single-handedly freed his people from oppression.
We begin by drawing a surprising parallel between the gore in Jurassic Park and the graphic biblical account of Ehud's confrontation with King Eglon. While both might make us want to look away, there's profound spiritual significance in facing uncomfortable realities head-on. The story reveals how Ehud's left-handedness – a characteristic often pitied or dismissed – became the strategic advantage that allowed him to conceal a weapon where guards wouldn't check. What others saw as a disadvantage, God used as the perfect qualification for extraordinary purpose.
Key Passages: Judges 3:12-30
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Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 53. This week's devotional is titled the Unexpected Choice Can Be Messy. Study of Ehud. Let's go. Hi. I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hot Podcast.
Speaker 1:This is a weekly devotional. I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born, four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scripture, to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within. The unexpected choice can be messy. Episode 53, key passages 3, 12 through 30. Hey everyone, I'm going to take it back for a minute. Take it way back 31 years ago.
Speaker 1:Anybody remember the legendary first of its kind visual masterpiece, jurassic Park? Be honest, it's still one of the best movies ever made. At least I think so. For those who may not know, it's about a billionaire who creates a theme park full of clone dinosaurs on a remote island. Billionaire who creates a theme park full of cloned dinosaurs on a remote island. A group of experts is invited to check it out, but things quickly spiral out of control when the dinosaurs escape their enclosures. From there it becomes a full-on fight for survival as the guests try to outsmart these prehistoric creatures, or dinosaurs. It's just so action-packed.
Speaker 1:But there's one scene I still, to this day, can't watch. It's the one with Samuel L Jackson. His character goes missing and the main leading lady in the movie ends up cornered after a velociraptor attack. She backs into the corner and, boom, an arm drops on her shoulder. She turns around and it's just his arm. That's it. The rest of him was bitten off. So gross. I still cover my eyes every time. That moment comes up, every single time, and then I'm good for the rest of the movie. Anyways, that same feeling, that mix of like oh, my goodness, this is wild and kind of like don't want to look moment reminds me of the Bible story we'll be covering today, which is, in my opinion, one of the most gore-filled I've ever read, and it's the second half of Judges, chapter three.
Speaker 1:This week we're focusing on Israel again falling into sin and, as a result, they end up under the rule of Eglon, the king of Moab. But God raises up another deliverer, a judge named Ehud. Let's read a few verses that set up the stage right. So Judges 3, 15 through 17,. It says Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord and he gave them a deliverer. Ehud, a left-handed man, gave them a deliverer. Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gerah the Benjaminite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon, king of Moab. Now, ehud had made a double-edged sword, about a cubic long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man. So here's the scene Because Israel was under Moabite control, they had to regularly bring tribute, which is a kind of tax or an offering usually the best crops, silver goods of Israel, and Ehud was the one sent to deliver the tribute.
Speaker 1:He gave it to the king. And then he left. But then he turned back around. Wait, why go back? Right? So let's read on.
Speaker 1:Judges 3, 19 through 20 says but on reaching the stone, images near Gilgad, he himself went back to Eglon and said near Gilgad. He himself went back to Eglon and said your majesty, I have a secret message for you. The king said to his attendants leave us. They all left. Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said I have a message from God to you. As the king rose from his seat, boom. That's when it all happened.
Speaker 1:Ehud reached for his hidden sword or dagger in his right thigh. Only a lefty could have pulled this off without suspicion and stabbed the king right in the belly, right in the stomach. So in Judges 3.22, it says even the handle sank in. After the blade and his bowels discharged, ed Hood did not pull the sword out and the fat closed in over it. That is gross. The bowels spilled out. It's a scene I wouldn't even want to see in a movie. No, thank you. After that, ed Hood quietly slipped out, shut the door behind him and left. The king's attendants thought that the king was using, you know, like the restroom, like seriously. So they waited and waited until eventually they came in and found him dead. Meanwhile, ehud had returned to Ephraim, rallied, the Israelites blew a trumpet and led them to battle. God delivered them victory over Moab and there was peace in Israel for 80 years. That's a lot.
Speaker 1:A lot happened in that little passage, but let's break it down, the key things that really stood out to me this week and how it really applied. So number one Ed Hood was left-handed. Back then, being left-handed was seen as a disadvantage. Even now people find out that my husband, for example, is left-handed and act it like it's some kind of hardship. They'll say, oh, he's left-handed. That must have been tough growing up. Hopefully Sage isn't left-handed it's like a little pity party every time. But my husband, he's crazy talented. He was an incredible basketball player, especially for his size and position, and the only thing that stopped him from going pro was injury. That's it.
Speaker 1:The overlooked can be basically used to do the. Ehud being left-handed was exactly what was needed to carry out the plan. Only a left-handed man could have reached for that sword in the moment without being detected. It was strategic, it was intentional and God used that unique characteristic of Ehud to save a nation. So here's that lesson, or here's the takeaway I want you to think about from this first point. So if there's something unique about you, something people tend to overlook or pity, don't let that define you. That very feature may be what God wants to use the most.
Speaker 1:Number two sometimes the right path is messy, let's be real. That whole stabbing scene was violent, messy and kind of horrifying. But here's the truth. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't neat, it's hard, it's ugly. The gore in that story represents something deeper. It's the sin, the brokenness, the oppression being dealt with and cut off.
Speaker 1:The king was described as a very large man and that represents more than just a ruler. He symbolizes how overwhelmingly an intimidating sin or the enemy can feel. But if you don't deal with it and if you don't cut it off, it will consume you. This took me back to the Jurassic Park scene. I always want to look away at this scene, but spiritually God calls us to look right at it. Look at the sin, look at the mess, face it, acknowledge it, then cut it off and walk away. You can't heal if you don't want to face it.
Speaker 1:And number three go back when no one else will. Ehud went back alone After 18 years of the Moabite oppression. How many Israelites had the courage to go back and confront that king Zero? Except for Ehud, a man from the smallest tribe looked down on for being left-handed. He went back. Sometimes God calls you to go back and confront something no one else will, to step into a situation everyone else would run from. Ehud could only do that because the Spirit of the Lord was with him. And today we have the same power, the same power available to us through the Holy Spirit. So listen to that Spirit, obey his voice. God will stand with you when you face things others wouldn't even dare to, and he will lead you to victory, just like he did with Ehud. And he will lead you to victory just like he did with Ehud.
Speaker 1:This story about this judge just really opened my eyes in so many ways. It reminded me that the right path isn't easy. Always you might be underestimated, you might be looked over, but at the same time, someone else is overlooking you. God sees you. He sees you always because he made you and he made every single feature of you unique and special, and he did that because he's going to use it in some way. He's not overlooking your potential, not for one second. And just remember that anything that makes you stand out, god put it there and in the end, if you seek him out, if you are covered with the spirit, if you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, god's going to use that amazing characteristic that you have and the way that he needs to use it, and that's all that matters. And Ed Hood, being left-handed, is a perfect example of that. Take your left-handed feature and make it the most amazing, unique characteristic that you have that you could use for the glory of the Lord.
Speaker 1:Let's pray, heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this study of Judges. It has just been such a blessing for me already, and I know the listeners out there are feeling the same way. Father, we thank you so much for this study of Ehud and being a left-handed judge that delivered Israel and it resulted in 80 years of peace. Lord, he had such a different, unique feature and all of us have different unique features as well, and we just have to understand and learn how to use it to glorify you. And if we are filled with the spirit, if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, the Holy Spirit will be there to comfort us, guide us and direct us, and we thank you so much for that. Lord. We thank you for this study. We understand things get messy, situations are not easy and it can be ugly, but when we have you by our side, lord, we can do anything, and that's what this story really represents. Father, be with everybody listening this week. We love you and we praise you in Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 1:Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. Also, if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhomecom or find me on Instagram at jessimorganlife. Remember God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him Until next time. This is Jessi Morgan praying off. Jessi Morgan Devotions behind the scenes, starting right now. Hello and welcome back to Behind the Scenes. I'm Jessi Morgan.
Speaker 1:Today I just wanted to touch base really quick on some thoughts that I've been going through. This has been a really tough like two or three weeks for me and my family. I'm not going to get into the details of it, but it's been just challenging and it's been mentally exhausting because I think, as humans, we immediately think about all the possible scenarios, what we can do to fix it. How can we fix it, what does it look like, what you know, what are the next steps? And sometimes you have to just stop and you have to seek out the Lord and you have to dig into some of the ugly, mistakes, messes, situations that you're dealing with. You can't cover your eyes, you know, and just avoid it. You got to walk through it, you got to deal with it and I think right now that's what I'm going through and it is hard, it is not easy and if you are going through the same thing but something that's so challenging, I just want to encourage you that I am going.
Speaker 1:I can relate and many people can relate, and what you have to do is you have to cut off that negativity. You got to cut out the people that say they're your friends and they're really not. You got to cut out the negative coworker that's just not supportive. You got to cut out maybe some of the shows that you watch that just make your mind think a different way than you should. Shows that you watch that just make your mind think a different way than you should. You got to cut out the negative, cut out the ugly gore, just like mentioned in this study with the King of Moab and how he died. You just have to cut out the bad in order to get to the good, and sometimes you have to face things that are really challenging, that you don't want to face. And as long as you have the Lord by your side, as long as you're grounded in the word and you seek out the Lord daily and know that he is going to deliver and have the faith he's going to deliver, he will be there for you.
Speaker 1:Today I got hit with, I will say, tons of just ridiculous bills back from when my daughter was in the NICU. I'm talking about I got bills today from 2023. And I'm like what is this? And some got sent to collections, which is insane because I never got a letter about it, and they said, oh well, we got the wrong address. And I'm like well, how am I supposed to know? You got the wrong address from the hospital. So somebody in the hospital messed up and put my wrong address and I didn't get a bill for a year. Now it's in collections, so I dealt with that.
Speaker 1:Today. I dealt with some other bills. Everything had to do with my daughter's hospitalization and that's such a sensitive subject for me anyway and I just felt like Satan was just getting at me. I was already having a tough couple of weeks with some things and then that gets plopped in my lap today. So that was just like my moment. That was just. I was breaking a bit, but you know what, in the end I God was just there. He prevailed, he was there for me. My parents, just out of nowhere, showed up at my house and I wasn't in the best of moods, but having my mom there, I cried in her arms and that was the most. That was just great support that I needed. And then I came home and my husband just came home. He was so helpful. He just went and got some things for us. He got me dinner, he just was so nice and the night ended really well and in a way that I was able to reflect even more before.
Speaker 1:I brought this podcast to you and I'm just so thankful for this platform and I hope that this encourages you. If you're having a tough time, god is there for you. Situations will be messy, it will be gory, it will be hard. Nothing comes easy, but if you have the Lord by your side, anything is possible. That little left-handed feature that everybody's overlooking, god didn't overlook. He's going to use it. So just be encouraged. Love you all Till next time.
