{"id":304464,"date":"2017-04-14T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/day-to-day-with-god\/"},"modified":"2017-04-14T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T15:00:00","slug":"day-to-day-with-god","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/day-to-day-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Day to Day With God"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Susan Yates talks about making a conscious choice to trust God each moment of the day. Yates, a mother of five grown children, remembers her first Christmas as an empty-nester.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-04-14.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"25.33M","filesize_raw":"26555942","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[5060,4681],"podcast_series":[8202],"cwp_profile":[3057],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304464","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-growing-in-your-faith","tag-trusting-god","podcast_series-risky-faith","cwp_profile-susan-yates","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/304464\/day-to-day-with-god","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304464\/day-to-day-with-god","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"O0O2ICmbGJ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/day-to-day-with-god\/\">Day to Day With God<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/day-to-day-with-god\/embed\/#?secret=O0O2ICmbGJ\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Day to Day With God&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"O0O2ICmbGJ\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Susan Yates talks about making a conscious choice to trust God each moment of the day. Yates, a mother of five grown children, remembers her first Christmas as an empty-nester.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-04-14.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>One of the riskiest things we are called to do, as followers of Christ, is to admit to other people when we\u2019ve messed up and to seek and grant forgiveness. Here\u2019s author and speaker, Susan Yates. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve had to say to my husband and to my kids: \u201cYou know, I shouldn\u2019t have done what I did,\u201d or \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have said what I did, and I need to ask you to forgive me.\u201d\u00a0 I can\u2019t think of a <em>single<\/em> time when I felt like doing that. I mean, I want to be right\u2014I\u2019m the wife \/ I\u2019m the mother. We go to one another, asking for forgiveness, not out of feelings, but out of obedience. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Friday, April 14<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey. I\u2019m Bob Lepine. When was the last time your faith was put to the test, and you had to do something risky in order to believe God?\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk about that today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tStay with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. We have a co-laborer, who is with us in the studio today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>We do. Susan Yates joins us again on FamilyLife Today. Susan, welcome back. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Oh, it\u2019s great to be back with you guys. It\u2019s always so much <em>fun<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You and Johnny have been on our speaker team\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Oh, now, wait. You called him Johnny?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s because\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Susan calls him Johnny, but does anybody else?\u2014nobody else calls him Johnny. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Anybody who went to college with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>How about the kids?\u00a0 The kids\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>They call him, \u201cDad.\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes, that\u2019s right; okay\u2014alright. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Anyway, they\u2019ve been on our <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> marriage conference speaker team for now\u2014what?\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Twenty. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014twenty years\u2014and just are a great gift to, I think, our nation. They give leadership in a key church\u2014if not <em>the<\/em> key church\u2014in our nation\u2019s capitol\u2014right next to it\u2014in Falls Church, Virginia. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSusan has written a number of books\u2014the latest of which is <em>Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger than Your World<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSusan, I forgot to ask you the question that I was going to ask you on an earlier broadcast\u2014so you\u2019re not going to get out of it today. [Laughter]\u00a0 I want to ask you the question\u2014speaking of brave, courageous faith:\u201d In your life, you\u2019ve made a lot of brave decisions. What\u2019s the most courageous thing you\u2019ve ever done?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>This is going to be a very unusual answer, Dennis; because I don\u2019t have an <em>exciting<\/em> story to tell you in which I found myself brave. I think the reality is walking with God, moment by moment, each day, when I would rather \u201cdo it myself.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think the older I\u2019ve gotten, the more I\u2019ve been humbled to my desperate need for Him and choosing <em>this<\/em> moment \/ choosing <em>this<\/em> day, to trust Him rather than trying to problem-solve. We, women, are great problem-solvers, trying to fix everybody\u2014my husband, my children, my grandchildren\u2014trying to do it all myself; but <em>rather<\/em> making a conscious choice: \u201cToday, I want to trust You <em>in the moment<\/em>\u2014in the moment\u2014and not spend all my energy worrying about the what-ifs of tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And Susan\u2014those who go to The Falls Church Anglican, which John gives leadership to\u2014and you and he have served them faithfully now for\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>\u2014since 1979. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Wow! I mean, amazing. People who go to church with you\u2014they would go: \u201cOh, come on, Susan, you really do struggle with that?!\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Yes!\u00a0 I think all people do if we are really honest. We struggle with a moment-by-moment walk with Jesus. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, obviously, in the big crises, which we\u2019ve <em>all<\/em> experienced, we\u2019re so desperate, we <em>run<\/em> to Him; but what do we do in the day in and day out?\u00a0 Do we just sort of put Him on the shelf and think, \u201cI\u2019ll handle this one, Lord\u201d?\u00a0 That\u2019s not what He wants. He is our loving <em>Daddy<\/em>\u2014He wants us to <em>run<\/em> to Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, I have a four-year-old grandson. When I pull into his driveway, he\u2019s out the door\u2014he\u2019s running to me. He\u2019s <em>so<\/em> excited to jump into my arms. He can\u2019t wait to see what I\u2019ve brought him. [Laughter]\u00a0 I think that\u2019s how God wants us to be toward Him\u2014running to Him, jumping into His arms\u2014the vision \/ the visual of Him waiting to bless \/ waiting to bless us. We don\u2019t live like that, because we think we can do it ourselves. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You say, in your book, one of the hindrances to faith is that our circumstances are bigger than our God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>That is <em>so true<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>There was a book written, back in the mid-\u201850s, by J. B. Phillips called <em>Your God Is Too Small<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat was really the premise of the book\u2014people don\u2019t believe the right thing about who God is and what He is capable of doing. We shrink Him down to a human-sized God instead of being the Lord God Almighty, who is worthy of our trust. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>That\u2019s so true. And sometimes\u2014I have a chapter in the book on perspective\u2014and this is one of my <em>favorite<\/em> things that I feel like God has taught me over the past several years\u2014and that is how to have a larger perspective of exactly who He is. Let me give you an example. Have you ever found yourself saying: \u201cNobody understands \/ nobody really cares. Nobody knows how I\u2019m feeling about such and such and such and such\u201d?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then, we go to Hebrews, Chapter 2 and Chapter 4\u2014the last few verses of both of those chapters\u2014and we find a description, and I\u2019m paraphrasing here\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014that: \u201cWe don\u2019t have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but One who has been tested and tempted in every way that we have; yet, without sin. Therefore, we can draw near the throne of Christ with confidence.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tA number of years ago, I began asking myself: \u201cOkay; Christ, where in Your life\u2014it says here very clearly that You have experienced every feeling that I will. Where in Your life did You experience this?\u201d\u00a0 Have You been betrayed?\u2014perhaps, by a man \/ perhaps, by a girlfriend, who you thought was keeping confidences but betrayed you; perhaps, by a child or a parent?\u00a0 \u201cJesus, where in Your life did You experience the <em>agony<\/em> of betrayal?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt doesn\u2019t take long to go back to Judas\u2014the most obvious\u2014whom He poured His life into for three years, who betrayed Him; or even Peter, on whom He was going to build His church\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014who, at a crucial point in His life, said, \u201cI don\u2019t even know the guy!\u201d\u00a0 Jesus understands what it feels like to be betrayed\u2014it\u2019s <em>painful<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOr have you ever felt: \u201cI\u2019ve ruined my kids!\u00a0 I\u2019ve ruined my kids!\u00a0 I\u2019m the worst parent in the world\u201d?\u00a0 I love to tell young moms and dads, \u201cYour ability to ruin your child is not nearly as great as God\u2019s power to redeem them.\u201d\u00a0 But you know\u2014even Jesus understands <em>that<\/em>. Yes, He wasn\u2019t married; but really, if you think about it, His twelve disciples were, in a sense, His children. Of the twelve, He had Peter, James, and John\u2014His closest buds. So, He knows what it\u2019s like to feel like a failure. They just fell apart when He was crucified. And even before He was crucified, when He asked Peter, James, and John to come into the garden to pray with Him, they couldn\u2019t even do that\u2014they fell asleep. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOr here is another one. I have a <em>hard<\/em> decision to make: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cNobody understands how difficult this decision is. Nobody can empathize with me.\u201d\u00a0 Sometimes, we look to our spouses to empathize, or our friends, or our parents or in-laws; and then, we become critical because they just don\u2019t get it. When what we need to be <em>doing<\/em> is going to Jesus and saying, \u201cWhere in Your life did you face this on a decision?\u201d\u00a0 Back to the Garden of Gethsemane\u2014when He prayed: \u201cLord, if there is any other way to do this, show Me. Yet, nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done.\u201d God called Him to go through with the crucifixion. He <em>knows<\/em> what it\u2019s like to be in the agony of a difficult decision. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, all of this is to say, \u201cTake the promises of Hebrews, because it will <em>enlarge<\/em> your perspective on <em>how much<\/em> God loves us and how much Jesus went through for us.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is what begins to give us a <em>bigger<\/em> picture of God which, then, enables us to trust Him with our issues; because He <em>alone<\/em> really gets us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>You know, Susan, what you\u2019re talking about there is practicing the presence of God in the midst of facing difficult circumstances and believing the right thing about God\u2014not believing a lie\u2014that He is there, that He does understand, and that He does care. He invites us, at that moment\u2014in fact, Barbara and I were talking about this the other morning\u2014He invites us to cast our cares on Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe said, \u201cIsn\u2019t it interesting He used the word, cast?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cCast your cares\u201d\u2014toss them, let go of them. Open your hands, take your fingers, pry them off of the issue you\u2019ve got, and pitch it to God, saying, \u201cGod, You said, \u2018Cast your cares on Me, because I care for you.\u2019\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTherein lies the seed of faith, where you begin to exercise that over and over and over again; and you can begin to handle tough issues in your life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs I was reading your book, I was thinking about different types of risks that we face in applying this faith. I thought of three, and I just want you to comment on all three of these areas. One is personal risk taking\u2014around a job \/ a relationship\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014maybe, moving or something that is unsettling. The second is relational risk taking, where we have to demonstrate faith in a relationship, where we\u2019re going to tackle something that\u2019s really tough with somebody we really love. That\u2019s an enormous risk as well. Then, the third that I thought of, as well, Susan, was spiritual risk taking, which is stepping out and trusting with God with a major issue in your life that you\u2019ve got right now that demands your faith in Him and not in your circumstances. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, let\u2019s go back to the first one\u2014personal risk taking. How have you exhibited faith, Susan, in stepping out \/ trusting God in personal issues that you faced?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Well, many, many different times\u2014but let me tell you a story about my friend, Jane, who had a major personal risk in trusting God. Jane was seminary-trained. She\u2019d been on the mission field her whole life. She\u2019s an <em>amazing<\/em> woman \/ married an amazing, Christian man\u2014raised several children. They were, by all appearances, the perfect Christian family to those around them until, one day, when Jane found out that her husband had been unfaithful\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014before they were married, right after they were married, and for all of the years since they had been married\u2014many, many, many times. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBecause of his profession, he travelled a lot; and his employers became involved. He was sent away to different treatment centers for his problem. Jane couldn\u2019t tell anyone what was going on, and it was <em>devastating<\/em> for her because she had \u201cdone everything right,\u201d\u2014she had been a good girl. They had lived an exemplary life. Yet, it was all a lie. Her world <em>crashed<\/em>. Jane faced two risks\u2014she faced the risk: \u201cCan I ever trust my husband again?\u201d\u2014but an even <em>greater<\/em> risk was: \u201cCan I ever trust God again?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn the end\u2014I tell her story in more detail in the book\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014but in the end, she went for a long walk with the Lord, many months after this had been going on and the family had been in counseling, where she just fell on her knees and said: \u201cGod, whatever\u2014I don\u2019t understand why this has happened. I don\u2019t know why, but I choose to trust You.\u201d\u00a0 That was a moment of courage. It didn\u2019t take away the pain\u2014there is still a lot of pain \/ there is still tremendous healing that needs to take place\u2014but when she went before the Lord and said, \u201cI choose to trust You,\u201d she began to get a sense of peace. It doesn\u2019t negate the pain, but God\u2019s <em>peace<\/em> wraps its arms around the pain. <br><br>That was a very big personal risk for her. It was also really a relational risk\u2014she\u2019s still with her husband. They are still going through a tremendous amount of counseling, but her faith in Christ is <em>so deep<\/em>\u2014. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014I just love to hang out with her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And Susan, you kind of touched on this with that story; but relationships are fraught with risk. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>That\u2019s right!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I mean, the only way to play it safe is to not have any friendships \/ not have any family relationships. That\u2019s the way a lot of people are moving today, because there is a lot of risk in relationships; but at some point, we have to learn how to ask for forgiveness \/ grant forgiveness. We have to learn how to, maybe, have an intervention in a family member\u2019s life. All those represent relational risk taking. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And it doesn\u2019t take adultery for somebody to be looking at a spouse and going, \u201cCan I trust you again?\u201d\u00a0 There are all kinds of ways that we violate trust or can violate trust in a relationship. And I think we find ourselves looking and wondering if we can trust one another to go the long-term. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>That\u2019s so true. I think it\u2019s really helpful to distinguish between forgiveness and trust. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGod calls us to ask for forgiveness and to grant it. I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve had to say to my husband and to my kids: \u201cYou know, I shouldn\u2019t have done what I did,\u201d or \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have said what I did, and I need to ask you to forgive me.\u201d\u00a0 I can\u2019t think of a <em>single<\/em> time when I felt like doing that. I mean, I want to be right\u2014I\u2019m the wife \/ I\u2019m the mother. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe go to one another, asking for forgiveness, not out of feelings, but out of obedience\u2014that\u2019s the first step\u2014but forgiveness does not automatically restore trust. Trust has to be earned, and it takes a <em>long<\/em> time for trust to be repaired. Healing is not automatic either, but what opens the door to healing is the going and asking of forgiveness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd quite honestly, our children, one day in their marriages, are going to need to know how to forgive. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf they don\u2019t grow up in a home, where they see us going to one another, confessing our sins, and asking for forgiveness, they\u2019re not going to know how to do it one day when they are adults. So, it\u2019s a crucial\u2014I think it\u2019s probably the most crucial ingredient in the family. If someone were to say to me, \u201cWhat is the most important thing in the family?\u201d I think it\u2019s that of forgiveness. It\u2019s also the most difficult. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>There is not only personal risk taking and relational risk taking, which you just talked about; but there is, also, at the core\u2014there is the essence of spiritual risk taking, where you step out in faith to do something important to trust God in spite of your circumstances. There is a story you tell about your daughter, Libby, who received what has to be some of the most crushing news a young wife can possibly hear. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Boy! That was a hard time for us, Dennis. You are right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne of the things that has helped me in seeing how much bigger God is than I presume Him to be\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014is what I call \u201cThe Principle of the Other.\u201d\u00a0 It comes from the verse, Jeremiah 33:3, which says, \u201cCall unto Me, and I will show you great and mighty things that you do not know.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo often, when we pray, we expect God to answer: \u201cYes,\u201d or \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 When He answers, \u201cNo,\u201d it\u2019s always the love no; and sometimes, it\u2019s: \u201cWait.\u201d\u00a0 And in the wait, there is a silence. What I have learned to do\u2014in times of being on wait\u2014is to adopt what I call \u201cThe Principle of the Other,\u201d which comes from that verse in Jeremiah. I say: \u201cOkay; God, what is something <em>other<\/em> that You want to teach me?\u00a0 You\u2019ve got my attention about <em>one<\/em> issue. Broaden my view of You and teach me <em>something<\/em> else.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur daughter, Libby, and her husband McLean had an opportunity to really put this principle to work as their issue was the inability to conceive. With shots, they were able to have one child; and they desperately wanted more. But when Libby went to the doctor to try to get pregnant the second time, she was told that her ovaries were that of a 45-year-old woman; and she was 30 at the time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe likelihood of being able to conceive was very small. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey had prayed for another child. They began to consider Ethiopian adoption. They went to the Lord, simply, and surrendered their plan for what they thought their life should look like to God\u2019s plan, which was even better. Ultimately, they were <em>shocked<\/em> when she found out she was pregnant with quadruplets. That was a big shock!\u00a0 [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>No doubt. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>No doubt. And here is what she wrote once God took them through this <em>whole<\/em> process: \u201cWe prayed for a baby and got a deeper marriage. We prayed about an Ethiopian adoption and got a <em>stronger<\/em> community. We continued to pray for one more biological baby, and we are having quadruplets. We\u2019ve been amazed at God\u2019s leading.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWe have learned to ask boldly and surrender completely. And we pray that we will continue to do so as this adventure continues.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd you know, Dennis and Bob, they have to continue to do this; because it\u2019s one of the quads, who is six, who has just gone through a liver transplant. So, as we grow in Christ, it\u2019s really all about surrender. It\u2019s far easier to surrender to a God who has become <em>bigger<\/em> and more <em>known<\/em> by us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And you pointed out, throughout your book: \u201cAll of life is one long journey of walking by faith.\u201d\u00a0 Hebrews 11:6 says, \u201cAnd without faith, it is impossible\u201d\u2014I want you to think about that for a second\u2014\u201cAnd without faith, it is impossible to please God.\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019s spelled it out. What does He want us to do?\u00a0 Surrender, trust Him, and walk by faith. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe may not be blessed with quadruplets. [Laughter] The answer may be, \u201cNo,\u201d\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Susan: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014or it may be the Ethiopian adoption; but what God wants us to do is, as we wait\u2014to keep on believing the right thing about Him and to keep on trusting Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, and part of that process is learning to believe that God\u2019s answer to your prayer is the better \u201cYes,\u201d than the one that you asked for. A lot of times, we go in prayer and we say, \u201cLord, this is what I want.\u201d\u00a0 God may say, \u201cNo,\u201d and we\u2019re disappointed; but God\u2019s \u201cYes,\u201d\u2014we learn later\u2014was a better answer than the \u201cYes,\u201d we were asking Him for in the first place. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>This<\/em> is where we have to learn to trust the character and the goodness of God. It\u2019s a part of what you point us to in the book that you\u2019ve written that\u2019s called <em>Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God<\/em> <em>Who Is Bigger than Your World<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got copies of Susan\u2019s book in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. You can go, online, to request your copy; or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY. The website is FamilyLifeToday.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me also mention that your book that you wrote with Dennis\u2019s wife Barbara, which is called <em>Barbara and Susan\u2019s Guide to the Empty Nest<\/em>, has just recently been revised and expanded and is out as a brand-new book. You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com for information about <em>Barbara and Susan\u2019s Guide to the Empty Nest<\/em> as well. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com; or call if you have any question or if you\u2019d like to order by phone\u20141-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, this weekend is obviously a significant weekend for all of us who are followers of Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s the weekend that we set apart annually to contemplate the death of Christ and to celebrate the good news of His resurrection\u2014that death is finally defeated and that there is a way to eternal life, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. That reality undergirds everything that we\u2019re about, here at FamilyLife. We believe that spiritual foundation is the only stable foundation on which solid marriages and families can be built. And we appreciate those of you who partner with us to make this ministry possible. You\u2019re helping us reach more and more people in helping us address the subject of how the gospel message actually makes a real difference in all of your relationships\u2014including your marriage and your parenting. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe also believe that, when it comes to the subject of financial giving, your first priority, as a Christian, ought to be to give to your local church; because it\u2019s your local church that is the primary place where your spiritual life is going to be built. We also believe that, when it comes to financial giving in support of ministries like ours, your first priority ought to be giving to your local church. We believe your local church is the primary tool God will use to help strengthen and equip you with your walk with Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs you are able to give elsewhere, we\u2019d like to ask you to consider enabling us to provide practical biblical help and hope to more people throughout the world than ever before. That\u2019s what your donations are making possible today. You can donate, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com. You can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate; or you can mail your donation to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; and our zip code is 72223. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd with that, we\u2019ve got to wrap things up for this week. I hope you and your family are able to worship together and celebrate the resurrection of the Lord in your local church this weekend. And I hope you can join us back on Monday when we\u2019re going to look at the most important priority we ought to have as parents; that is: \u201cHow can we help our children thrive spiritually?\u201d\u00a0 We\u2019ll address that subject on Monday. I hope you can be here for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2017 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/304464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304464"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=304464"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=304464"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=304464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}