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
Why are you bargaining with God?
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Bargaining with God is a subtle trap many Christians fall into without recognizing its implications for our faith journey. Through the story of Jephthah in Judges 11-12, we discover how unnecessary vows and conditional prayers reveal our struggle to fully trust God's character and goodness.
This powerful biblical account mirrors our own tendency to negotiate with God rather than trust Him completely. When we pray, "Lord, if you just do this, I'll do that," we're placing limitations on what God can accomplish through our conditional faith. The victory is already in motion not because of any deal we might strike, but because of who God is.
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Key passages Judges 11 & 12
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Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 58. This week's devotional is titled why Are you Bargaining With God? The story of Jethah. 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. Why are we bargaining with God? Judges 11 and 12. Jephthah Hello, hello everyone. Welcome back to the podcast.
Speaker 1:I'll be honest, this has been one of the tougher weeks to really get focused and figure out what I wanna talk about. But you know what? In the end I had this awesome conversation with my mom. I shared with her what I'd been studying and it was like God just laid it on right on my heart through her. So shout out to my mom Thanks, mommy, I love you. Anyway. So you know, I've come to the conclusion that the book of Judges is wild, like truly wild, and in all my years of going to church I realized now that Judges is one of those books pastors just don't go deep into. Well, you know, basically, you know we hear a little bit about Deborah, definitely about Samson, but rarely do we dive into the full messiness of it. And let me tell you it's one of the most intense, raw and honestly gruesome books of the Bible. The lessons in it though tough but needed, especially for us as children of God. You know navigating this life. So this week's story it's hard, but it's real and it's eyeopening and in the end it's so relatable. I truly hope it blesses you the way it blessed me this week.
Speaker 1:But first I want to, you know, start with a little personal reflection, a story my mom shared that just stuck with me this week. Some of you may know that my dad played professional football. He played for the Miami Dolphins for 10 seasons and he was a two-time national champion at the University of Alabama in college and he was a first-round draft pick to the Dolphins and he was a defensive back. He was a beast Shout out to you, daddy. So now, a lot of athletes you know my dad being at the time, you know he was a pro athlete they have some setbacks, they have some injuries and I truly believe that without some of the injuries my dad you know dealt with, his career would have looked very different. But God still blessed him so much, even in those setbacks, and it was the right path he was supposed to take. So just to say that. But anyways, my mom was telling me this story this week.
Speaker 1:I wasn't born yet, but it was very early in my dad's career. He was having at the time maybe like his third year, second year or fourth year possibly. He was having an all pro year, like a pro bowl level season, and during a game he was chasing down a receiver. The guy got past him and as my dad tried to slow him down. He reached out for him. My dad stuck his foot out a little bit and the player rammed into his leg. Just, he had excruciating knee pain. My mom was sitting in the stands, of course, saw it and saw it happen and, you know, immediately she prayed Lord, please let it just be a sprained knee, just a sprained Lord. And guess what? It was a sprained knee, but it was bad, really bad. My dad was out for weeks. He missed a huge chunk of the season and he had to kiss that. All pro year away it was gone. And my mom said something I'll never forget when she shared this. She said Jess, I don't even know why I prayed that, why did I pray for a sprained knee? Why didn't I just say, lord, I pray that he's completely fine. I trust you. I thank you in advance. That Don is protected and healed, lord. And that right there hit me because it ties so perfectly into what I was studying this week in Judges 11 and 12.
Speaker 1:So let's dive into the story of Jethah. Jethah was a warrior, a mighty warrior, but his story starts in rejection. He was the son of a prostitute and his half-brothers drove him out of the family and out of the city. He ended up living in exile, surrounded by a group of basically rebel type men. Yet Israel was in trouble again when the Ammonites came to attack. Those same people who pushed Jephthah away came running asking him to lead them. And something powerful happened.
Speaker 1:In Judges 11, 29, it says then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. God anointed him, empowered him, chose him flaws and all to lead the people to victory. But here's where things take a turn. Before the battle actually began, he was already filled with the spirit. Mind you, jephthah made a rash vow to God, he said. In Judges 11, 30-31, it says and Jephthah made a vow to the Lord If you give the Ammonites into my hand, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. Verse 5,. Now, mind you, he didn't need to say that, but he offered this vow to the Lord. God had already filled him with his spirit in 1129. The Lord had already chosen him. The battle was already in God's hands.
Speaker 1:But Jethah, maybe out of fear, maybe out of desperation, thought he had to like bargain with God. Thought he had to, like bargain with God. And when the battle was won and Jethro returned home, guess who came running out of the house to greet him? First His only child, his daughter, dancing. She was playing tambourines. She was rejoicing, she was happy that they won the battle. And just like that, the vow came back to haunt him. He tore his clothes. He was so upset and it was honestly. If you keep reading it in scripture, it's very hard to read, to be honest, and in my opinion and I think you could probably agree it's one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of scripture. In my opinion, he lost her, he lost the future he dreamed of, he lost a piece of himself. His daughter was sacrificed, and all because of a vow he never needed to make.
Speaker 1:Just like my mom said in her story, why bargain, why try to soften the blow instead of trusting completely? Why limit what God can do with our safe prayers per se or our desperate deals? Jetheth's story reminds us that God doesn't ask us to bargain with him. He asks us to trust him fully, boldly, without conditions. If he's called you, he's already equipped. You Think about that. If he's anointed you, the victory is already in motion. You don't need to negotiate with God, who's already promised to take care of you. He did that through sending his son, jesus Christ, take care of you. He did that through sending his son, jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Think about it.
Speaker 1:So, this week, if you're facing something you know heavy, if you're praying for a breakthrough or feeling the urge to make some kind of deal with God, pause. If you're in a situation where you're like Lord, if I can just get through this day, I'll go to church more. That's that's something you should never, ever pray for. You need to breathe, you need to pause, remember Jetha, remember my mom's story, and choose instead of and choose instead. You know to pray boldly and trustfully Instead, you know to pray boldly and trustfully. God is so good, my friends, not because of the bargains we make, but because of who he is. Let's pray, heavenly Father.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for this amazing lesson. Thank you for the book of Judges. What a powerful and eye-opening book it is. It is such a tough read, lord, but so rewarding because of the life applications you've placed throughout it.
Speaker 1:God, help us to continue growing in faith. Teach us to trust you more deeply, not to bargain with you or try to earn your approval with deals or empty promises. That's not what being your child is all about. Lord, I thank you for even when we mess up, even when we fall into the trap of trying to negotiate with you. You are so gracious, lord. You forgive us and you still walk with us. We love you, we praise you, lord, and I lift up every person listening right now. Be with them this week. Thank you for your presence, thank you for your word, thank you for unfailing love. Thank you for that unfailing love. We love you, lord, and we praise you in Jesus name. Amen, god bless and until next time.
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 on Jessi Morgan Devotions behind the scenes starting right now. Hello, hello, welcome back to Behind the Scenes with Jessi Morgan. So really quick this week.
Speaker 1:I think this study was just. It blew me away a little bit with Jetha and obviously the you know. Him having to sacrifice his daughter after our necessary vow just blew me away. But that's so relatable, you know. I mean, how many times have we as people, I've done it too. Oh Lord, please, if you just let me get on the highway to get home, lord, I promise I will pray more every morning. I will go to this and this and do this at church.
Speaker 1:Like, I mean, there's just so many things that and you know what that is You're literally bargaining with God and you're hoping that if you give something to him, he'll give something to you in return, when God doesn't want anything from you in return. He just all he wants is your heart and he wants you to trust him. That's it. And it amazes me how we try to negotiate faith, and it's honestly in everything in our lives.
Speaker 1:I mean people are trying to negotiate their relationships, their marriages. I mean you know I might say something that might kind of piss people off, but a prenup, in my opinion. I mean, if you have a prenup, that's, you know, that's your thing and I, you know I'm going to respect it. But just think about it. I just it really hit me like a prenup is a type of negotiation. It's a, it's a bargain with your you know, with the person you're about to marry, and so it's basically saying that you don't have full trust in the relationship. If you had full trust you wouldn't need a prenup. Am I right? Am I wrong? I mean, let me know. But that's just, you know, something to think about. You know I don't look down on people with prenups. That's not my thing. It just really hit me while I'm doing this study. But that's a type of negotiation.
Speaker 1:When you are trying to get something from someone and get something back in return. That's bargaining. That doesn't mean you're trusting that person and so you know we have our relationship with God. How can you say that you trust God to work things out when you are praying to him like that? You're like Lord, just let it be a sprained knee. Like my mom said, that's bargaining, like that's not having faith that God's just going to take care of it. And like I said last week's lesson, you know you got to pray in advance for what you want. You have to manifest the blessing that you want from God, which means you have to speak in faith that it's going to happen. You have to praise God in advance that it's already going to happen. If you can't do that, then you're bargaining. You're not, you know, living in faith just point blank. And everybody's I know people are guilty of that. I'm guilty of it. I did it a week ago, you know. So I'm on here to just hopefully, if I can be that mirror for you so you can reflect and realize that you got some things to work on with your faith and relationship with God. I'm here for it because I have to. I need that too. So I just come to you with that focus for the week and hopefully this really blessed you as much as it did me and Jetha.
Speaker 1:I encourage people to read the story. There's a lot more in it. I mean he was a very diplomatic judge. I mean he tried to negotiate with the king of the Ammonite king to not invade Israel. He gave them the full history story as to how Israel earned that land, why they deserved the land, why they were given it in the first place by God. He tried to give a whole history story in his negotiation with this king and the king ignored it. And then, of course, they had to go to war and God was with Jephthah and Israel and they defeated the Ammonites.
Speaker 1:But there's a lot of layers to Jephthah. I mean, he was born from a prostitute. Imagine how alienating he was Not the cream of the crop, for sure and God used him. So there's just so many lessons within Jephthah and I just encourage you to read through them and I'm so excited for next week we're going to touch on the remaining few judges and we're going to get into Samson, and I know people are excited about Samson and just my interpretation of it. We know the story of Samson, but you know what? Me reading it like this, I feel like I'm going to get a lot more from it and I'm so excited to share my perspective and my view on it and I hope that you get your own point of view on it and it blesses you as well. Thank you so much for listening again. Remember I have that cool sub stack now Subscribe, get the devotional application, questions and everything, and I'm just excited to keep sharing the word of God with you. God bless, till next time. Jesse Morgan praying off.
