Obedience That Breaks Walls | Girls Gone Bible

Summary

Podcast Summary: Girls Gone Bible – "Obedience That Breaks Walls"

Episode Information:

• Title: Obedience That Breaks Walls
• Hosts: Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma (Girls Gone Bible)
• Release Date: June 27, 2025
• Description: Hosted by Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma, Girls Gone Bible explores all things Jesus and life, emphasizing imperfect girls serving an absolutely perfect God.

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Introduction to Obedience and Testimonies

Timestamp: 02:02 – 05:29

The episode begins with Angela and Ari sharing impactful testimonies that highlight the power of obedience and prayer in transforming lives. Angela recounts an encounter at Sprouts where a woman experienced complete healing from PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) after praying with Ari, stating, “[Ange, 02:02]:... 'she has not experienced PMDD since that night.'” This miraculous healing underscores the profound impact of faith and obedience to God's guidance.

Ari adds a personal touch by sharing her Aunt Barbara's lifelong dedication to prayer, emphasizing the enduring power of consistent intercession: “[Ari, 05:16]: 'She has been praying for me since I was just a kid.'” This underscores the theme that persistent prayer and obedience can lead to remarkable outcomes.

Deep Dive into the Book of Joshua

Timestamp: 10:00 – 43:33

Reading and Contextual Analysis: Angela introduces the primary scriptural focus of the episode: the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho from the Old Testament. She emphasizes Joshua's exemplary obedience compared to other flawed leaders, noting, “[Ange, 14:54]: 'Don't go back to the very thing God delivered you from.'” The narrative centers on Joshua's unwavering faith and obedience to God's unconventional battle strategy, which ultimately leads to the miraculous collapse of Jericho's walls.

Obedience Without Understanding: Angela and Ari discuss how God's instructions often defy human logic but require steadfast obedience. Ari reflects on personal obedience challenges, saying, “[Ari, 26:50]: 'God is not here to make me win or to make them win. It's actually all about us serving God.’” This highlights the belief that true victory comes from aligning with divine will rather than relying solely on personal strength or understanding.

Application to Modern Life: The hosts draw parallels between the Israelites' march around Jericho and the listeners' daily battles. Angela explains, “[Ange, 27:21]: 'God's presence in your own life leads you, and you literally do nothing except let him fight on your behalf.’” They encourage listeners to adopt a posture of humility and worship, trusting that God will dismantle their "walls"—be they personal struggles, unhealthy relationships, or mental health issues.

Personal Reflections and Encouragement

Timestamp: 43:33 – 60:23

Overcoming Personal Jericho: Ari shares her personal "Jericho" moment—times when she felt stripped of support and had to rely solely on her faith. “[Ari, 53:17]: 'Jesus literally left the 99 and came to get me.’” This testimony reinforces the message that obedience and reliance on God can lead to profound personal breakthroughs, even in the darkest times.

The Importance of Not Comparing: Both hosts caution against comparing one's faith journey to others', emphasizing that God's plan is unique for each individual. Angela notes, “[Ange, 56:25]: 'He will show you what you're supposed to do,'” encouraging listeners to focus on their own relationship with God rather than striving for others’ paths or successes.

Rejecting Prosperity Gospel: They address misconceptions about obedience and success, debunking the prosperity gospel by clarifying that obedience to God isn't a guarantee of fame or wealth. “[Ange, 57:23]: 'It's not worth doing anything through our own selfish ambition,’” highlights the importance of aligning one's desires with God's will, even if it means foregoing worldly success.

Final Reflections and Blessings

Timestamp: 60:23 – 66:40

Angela and Ari conclude the episode by reiterating the significance of maintaining a "secret place" with God—a dedicated time for prayer and relationship-building. Angela shares her personal struggles with maintaining this discipline, emphasizing accountability as a key benefit of their podcast community: “[Ange, 62:26]: 'It's such good accountability for me to be like, excuse me, remember what you just said.'”

They bless their listeners with Words of Peace, reinforcing their commitment to supporting their audience in their spiritual journeys: “[Ange, 66:31]: 'May the Lord bless you and keep you. May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.'”

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Key Takeaways:

1. Radical Obedience: True obedience to God often requires stepping into the unknown and trusting His unconventional methods, as demonstrated by Joshua's leadership.

2. Power of Prayer: Consistent and fervent prayer can lead to miraculous transformations and reinforce the strength of faith.

3. Personal Jerichos: Everyone has personal struggles or "walls" that seem insurmountable, but trusting in God can lead to their ultimate collapse.

4. Avoiding Comparison: Each individual's faith journey is unique, and comparing oneself to others can hinder personal spiritual growth.

5. Rejecting Prosperity Gospel: Obedience doesn't equate to guaranteed worldly success; instead, it aligns individuals with God's greater plan for their lives.

6. Maintaining a Secret Place: Dedication to personal prayer and relationship with God is essential for spiritual resilience and obedience.

7. Community and Accountability: Being part of a faith-based community provides mutual support and accountability, enhancing one's ability to remain obedient and faithful.

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Notable Quotes:

• “[Ange, 03:19]: 'I heard another testimony from a friend... she left her dream place because she listened to Girls Gone Bible and chose Jesus more than her relationship.'”

• “[Ari, 05:16]: 'That makes me so. The power of prayer. I know, I was thinking... showing how powerful prayers are.'”

• “[Ange, 13:32]: 'Don't go back to the very thing God delivered you from.'”

• “[Ari, 26:50]: 'God is not here to make me win or to make them win. It's actually all about us serving God.'”

• “[Ange, 27:21]: 'God's presence in your own life leads you, and you literally do nothing except let him fight on your behalf.'”

• “[Ange, 56:25]: 'He will show you what you're supposed to do.'”

• “[Ange, 57:23]: 'It's not worth doing anything through our own selfish ambition.'”

• “[Ange, 62:26]: 'It's such good accountability for me to be like, excuse me, remember what you just said.'”

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Conclusion:

In "Obedience That Breaks Walls," Girls Gone Bible delves deep into the themes of faith, obedience, and the transformative power of God's presence. Through scriptural analysis, personal testimonies, and heartfelt encouragement, Angela and Ari inspire listeners to trust in divine guidance, maintain unwavering faith amidst challenges, and embrace obedience as a pathway to overcoming life's most formidable obstacles. This episode serves as a compelling reminder that with God, no wall is too high to overcome.

Transcript

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[Ange]

So I put on this shirt today and the button popped off and it didn't make me feel that good about myself.

[Ari]

My all those buttons would pop up, pop off if I had that shirt on.

[Ange]

I know, it was really. I'm like, I go, what does this say about me? Hi, guys. I'm Ange.

[Ari]

And I'm R. That was. And I'm Ari.

[Ange]

What? That was a little down.

[Ari]

I don't know.

[Ange]

Do you want to say it today?

[Ari]

No, you can say it.

[Ange]

Okay. Hi, I'm manj. And I'm Ari and this is Girls Gone Bible. We are a faith based podcast where we talk everything from spirituality to mental health to relationships. And we love Jesus so much here. We love reading the Bible every single episode. Hopefully we open this Bible because the Bible is way more impactful than anything we could ever say. But we're so grateful that Jesus would give us the opportunity to come on a podcast and. And talk to you guys and talk to each other. So what's up?

[Ari]

What's up?

[Ange]

Do you want to hear something? What? So I'm at Sprouts the other day, I'm with John and this girl, I said something, I needed help. I was asking John to help me with something and I'm like, something, something. I need the Girls Gone Bible balance sheet. I said something like that. And this girl turns around and goes, oh, my gosh. I was like, hi. And she was like, oh, my gosh. I have to talk to you. I can't believe this. I can't believe this. I came to your guys, San Diego, and like, you guys called out, you know, you guys were calling out healing, and you called out something to do with, like, pcos or like, reproductive, like, female issues like that. And she said, and then Ari prayed over me. And she goes, I went into that night, I had such bad pmdd, which is premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is basically when your period makes you really, really depressed. It's really heavy. It's really just, like, awful for women. And a lot of girls have to get on, like, antidepressants because they're just so. Their mood and their feelings are out of control. And she said she left that night and she's has not experienced PMDD since that night. Yeah. In San Diego. Yeah. And you prayed for her. So it was.

[Ari]

When did this happen?

[Ange]

Like, two days ago.

[Ari]

Oh, my gosh. That is so cool.

[Ange]

Yeah. And it was really. And then I heard another testimony from a friend of mine who has a friend of a friend of a friend. Right. All through the grapevine, this guy was dating this girl and he. Whatever. They're like, in, like, a regular worldly relationship. And he moves her into this beautiful home. It's her dream home. They live in la. They're so happy, they're so in love. They're obviously, like, dating the world's way. All of a sudden, this girl starts finding Jesus. All of a sudden, this girl starts watching a pod. It's called Girls Gone Bible.

[Ari]

It's called what?

[Ange]

It's called Girls Gone Bible. And she's making her boyfriend. She's making her boyfriend watch our podcast. Like, she's making him like, she's going to him with the Bible, reading him scripture, being like, isn't this the coolest thing you've ever read? And he's like, I have no idea what is happening to you. All of a sudden she tells him, I have to move out and I can't be your girlfriend anymore. Because basically I listened to these two girls who opened my eyes to fact that I can't live with my boyfriend. She moves out of her dream place. She moves out and literally, this guy is so mind blown and is like, now he wants to know about Jesus because he's like, I just gave this girl everything. And she didn't want it because she wanted Jesus more.

[Ari]

Oh, that's what you call a Girl walking in obedience. I know.

[Ange]

I want to call her. I don't know who she is.

[Ari]

Wait, how do you know that she wrote to you?

[Ange]

Oh, a friend of my friends. Yeah, One of my friends told me that someone called her and was like, who are these girls who made my girlfriend leave? Isn't that crazy?

[Ari]

Well, if you're listening. And you. And that's you. We are so proud of you. There is nothing better than hearing those stories.

[Ange]

Isn't that crazy? And you prayed for that girl, and she. And Jesus healed her of pmdd. That's huge.

[Ari]

That is so awesome.

[Ange]

Yeah.

[Ari]

That makes me so. The power of prayer. I, I. You know, I was thinking. Remember how I was telling you about my Aunt Barbara? So I don't. Can I tell that?

[Ange]

Right?

[Ari]

I don't know if I've never shared this, but my Auntie Barbara, she's my, she's my grandmother's sister, and she is the most devout Catholic. She's dedicated her whole life to the Catholic Church since I was. No, she's not a nun, but she's lived in purity. Her whole life. Like, her life is just to the church. She serves at church. She helps the homeless. Like, that's her whole life. She's a saint. And, like, growing up, I, she would always talk about God and stuff, but she's been praying for me since I was a little girl. And how crazy is it that I'm in ministry now? My Auntie Barbara has been praying for me since I was just a kid. And so I, it just goes to show you how powerful prayers are. Don't ever stop. Stop praying for people. Little kids. Yeah.

[Ange]

Yeah. I pray for my nieces and my, my niece and my nephew so much that they would just grow up to know Jesus. And, like, sometimes it's almost hard to pray because I'm like, there's so little. No, no. Pray for them. You're literally here because of Auntie Barbara. It's crazy. That's crazy.

[Ari]

It's crazy. So don't stop praying. Even if you don't see changes, you'll see. You'll start to see little changes when you keep praying fervently.

[Ange]

Auntie Barbara, really quick. Do you want to hear the funniest thing ever?

[Ari]

Yes, I do. I better laugh hard because I need it.

[Ange]

It might not be the funniest thing ever. It's more cute, but. So my mom calls me this morning. She goes to Jesus.

[Ari]

Oh, she did.

[Ange]

She goes to Jesus Image last night. And I'm just praying for her as she's in there. Like, I know she's there. And so I'm just praying that God would encounter her in a way, because, like, my mom doesn't live for herself. My mom lives for her kids. She lives for everyone else. So, like, I don't know if my mom's ever even prayed for herself. Like, I don't know if she's ever been like, lord, like, I. I want you for myself. Like, you know, she really does live for everyone else.

[Ari]

She's so selfless.

[Ange]

You're a lot like her, if I'm honest. Because the next thing I'm about to tell you, I said, there goes Hari. She goes. She's like, yeah. She goes. And an. She goes, this is going to sound so weird. Like, it's embarrassing. It's so weird. She says, I was at Jesus image, and. And it's so beautiful, and I love it. But then I. I got jealous that everybody else was with Jesus too. And I go, mom, that is the cutest thing I've ever heard. And she go. She's. We're crying, laughing, but, like, both getting touched by God. Because I was just like, oh, she experienced such a profound, like, intimate thing, just her and Jesus. And she said that she went home to her crucifix in her room, kissed it and goes, it's just me and you, right?

[Ari]

But wait, why she said that? Because, like, she was watching everyone.

[Ange]

She just felt jealous. She's just like, I thought, he's my dad. Yeah. Like, you're my dad. Are you? She couldn't. And so. And ar's experience that. And when I first started following Jesus, I would be like, I don't. Like, I didn't understand that every. He was for everybody. I was like, you're mine, though. I thought, like, you love me. And he's like, I love everybody.

[Ari]

I know, because I'm an only child on my dad with my dad. And so anyone that goes near my dad, I'm like, get. Like, if my dad had a girlfriend, I think I'd have a real problem with it. I always have since I was a kid. And so I get so jealous while.

[Ange]

Ari's using the restroom. I wanted to tell you guys, oh, my gosh, it's so weird talking to you without Ari here. I wanted to tell you guys. What was I gonna say? I just said that, and then eight different things came to my mind that I want to tell you guys. Foreign. Let's be honest, you guys. Most of us didn't learn the deep stuff in school. We got quick facts, vague overviews. And skipped over the parts that actually mattered. But here's the thing. Time and tech may have changed the world, but truth. Truth has not moved. That's why we've been loving Hillsdale College's free online courses. Yes, more than 40 of them, all completely free. You can study the works of C.S. lewis, the rise and the fall of the Roman Republic, and the US Constitution, or you can dig deep into the heart of scripture. Personally, I think you would all love the Genesis story because it's not just about reading Genesis. It's about understanding it as a literary and spiritual foundation. You'll explore the complex relationship between God and man, what happens when that relationship breaks, and how reconciliation begins. It's deep, it's beautifully done, and it's free. So right now you can go to Hillsdale Edu GGB to enroll. There's no cost, and it's easy to get started again. That's Hillsdale Edu to register or click the link in the show notes. Hillsdale Edu GGB all right, guys, let's talk about something no one warned us about. Your hormones. Because they're not just about your cycle. They affect your mood, your energy, your skin. Literally everything. And the system behind it all. It's called the endocrine system. And guess what? It's overwhelmed. Thanks to stress, processed foods and environmental toxins, most women's hormones are completely out of balance. So here's what makes Flow different. O Positive teamed up with Dr. Jessica Shepherd, a board certified OBGYN, to create the first ever endocrine support powder made just for women. It's called Flow Endocrine Superfood Powder. And it's not your average supplement. One scoop a day mixed with water is packed with science backed ingredients that support your entire endocrine system. Hormones, cortisol, gut, health, skin, mood, sleep. All of it. And yes, it actually tastes good. It's a light strawberry lemonade that makes your daily routine feel like a treat. And after just a couple of weeks, you will notice clear skin, better sleep, and great energy. It's like your body finally gets what it's been asking for. Take proactive care of your health and head to oh positive.com GGB or enter GGB at checkout for 25% off your first purchase. That's op o s I t I v.com/GGB for 25% off. So you guys, today we are so excited for this episode. I don't think that I've actually ever had more fun studying a story than pretty cool. Guys, you heard it Here. First we're reading from Joshua, chapter six. We're taking it back to the Old Testament and we're reading about Joshua, an incredible man, an incredible leader, and the story of Jericho. We'll get there. So before Ari and I start with the reading from Josh, Joshua, basically the whole story is about radical obedience. It's about obedience. And I have a devotional, as you, a lot of you guys know, Ari and I wrote a devotional. It's called out of the wilderness 31 devotions to walk with God through your hardest seasons. And we love our devotional, we really do. We love your guys response and reactions. We love when you guys tag us in the stories, reading the devotional, showing us your prayer, what you're laying down, what you learned, it is like one of the most rewarding things about all of this, I think.

[Ari]

Yeah, it's those stories. I'm like, every time I click on, I'm like, I can't believe this. Thank you for the comments on YouTube too. Please keep commenting on what you're enjoying, what chapter you love most. Like, we love reading all the comments. It's so, it's awesome.

[Ange]

It's just really rewarding for us to know that because we know, we love it, right, because it's about Jesus and we love Jesus. But to know that it actually has an impact on you guys means the world to us. So I have a devotional. It's day 17 in the book and it's called don't go back to the very thing God delivered you from.

[Ari]

Can you just repeat that one more time?

[Ange]

It says don't go back to the very thing God delivered you from. And so in this devotional I talk about, I write about Moses and the Israelites. Moses was the appointed leader that God had lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness and into the promised land. And a lot of you guys know this story with the Israelites. They were just very disobedient. They were very unhappy in the wilderness. God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Right? They were slaves in Egypt. And God was literally taking them into the promised land that flowed with milk and honey. And it was just going to be a beautiful life for the Israelites. But they had to go through a wilderness season, a wilderness period, and a two week trip through the wilderness actually ended up taking them 40 years because of their disobedience, their dissatisfaction, and because they wanted to go back to slavery. And so I want to read you guys a little bit out of this. This one's about a boy and I Know that we all love those boy. Well, I've actually. I've never. We don't talk about, you know, I love everybody. We never. It's never like anything weird.

[Ari]

Yeah. Like, we love all of our ancestors.

[Ange]

We love all of our ancestors.

[Ari]

I absolutely love them.

[Ange]

They're amazing. They're amazing.

[Ari]

God bless them. No, we seriously love them.

[Ange]

Seriously.

[Ari]

Let's them right now.

[Ange]

I was about to say, should we call them?

[Ari]

Let's call them.

[Ange]

Okay, listen, don't go back to the very thing God delivered you from. This is a story about a relationship in my life that was really toxic and that I couldn't let go of. That I even ended at one point. I ended it multiple times and I went back. Okay, okay, yeah. Who did you think? No, no, no. This one is about a relationship that I kept going back to. And so I'll just read you a little part. It says, a few years ago, I got into an unhealthy relationship. Only three months in, I saw that the relationship had become very controlling and was on its way to becoming downright toxic. It hadn't gotten there yet, but the writing was on the wall. I saw it, and I heard God asking me to trust him. I heard God asking me to trust him. So I listened. Acting in obedience to God, I ended the relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn't stick to my decision. Since I was very isolated in my faith. I wasn't strong enough to stay away from the toxic guy. I felt lonely and anxious, and I missed him terribly, so I took him back. Instead of my loneliness driving me to God, I bought into the lie that God couldn't provide the comfort, love, and confidence I needed. Adversity had hit, and in the heat of the moment, I surrendered to my flesh. And then I basically talk about how the guy and I got back together and what I thought was gonna happen, what God spoke to me, that was gonna happen, actually did. It became really toxic, really unhealthy, really miserable, and just really, really bad. And I said, I spent the next six months in what felt like hell because I chosen to ignore God because I didn't trust God's will for my life. What could have been six months of discovering a stronger relationship with Jesus and developing my faith became six months of sadness, uncertainty, and fear. Yeah, and we'll come to this a little bit later. So, I mean. Yeah, you heard it here first. We'll continue that on later. Being obedient to God is the most important thing we can do. Right, ladies?

[Ari]

Right, ladies?

[Ange]

Right, ladies. Do you want to start? Have A little bit of reading today, and I want you guys to lock in. I want you to pay attention. I don't want your mind to wander. I don't want you to watch the podcast and be on your phone like, this is such a beautiful story.

[Ari]

Can we all try to, like, together? Because I'm speaking for myself. This is one of my biggest issues right now. I'm dealing with. Can we all try to make a pack that we're not going to be on our phones as much?

[Ange]

Yeah.

[Ari]

Can we set, like, an alarm? Can we. What's that app that you have?

[Ange]

Ugh, I don't know.

[Ari]

Brick. There's a. There's an app called Brick where it basically sets a time limit. So maybe we should all get on Brick.

[Ange]

Let's do it.

[Ari]

And try to memorize scripture more than we're scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. Can you make that path?

[Ange]

I really like that.

[Ari]

Let me know if you're with our path.

[Ange]

So Joshua is one of the most incredible leaders of the Old Testament. Joshua is the man that was chosen by God after Moses. So you guys know Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, but he didn't actually lead them into the promised land. Moses died with that first generation of Israelites who never made it into the promised land land because of their disobedience. And then so God raises up Joshua, who is appointed and chosen to lead them into the promised land. And Joshua, his character is just marked by radical obedience and submission to God. And the best thing about Joshua that I love so much, that I realized through studying this scripture is that he's one of the only, if not the only leader in the Old Testament that begins well and he finishes well. Go read the Old Testament. Every leader is either bad the whole time, or they start out well, but then they get corrupted by greed or lust or power or just. They're just flawed. They're so flawed. And not that Joshua is not flawed, but he really. He was obedient. He was obedient. And we're going to talk about this city called Jericho. So Jericho was one of the oldest cities and was inhabited by the Canaanites. And Jericho was this city with this massive wall. The entire city, it was 25ft tall, 20ft deep, wide. It was 25ft. It was 25ft high and 20ft wide.

[Ari]

25.

[Ange]

I keep saying depth.

[Ari]

It was wide.

[Ange]

It was 25.

[Ari]

It was just pretty wide.

[Ange]

Yeah, it was really wide. It was very wide, very thick, very tall. And basically the Canaanites were like, okay, we Saw God part the Red Sea. We got. We saw God do win all these wars, but we've never seen God come over a wall or tear down a wall. Like, God is not that type of God. And so they thought that their wall around Jericho was way stronger than God could ever be. And they had no idea the God that they were dealing with. The victory of Jericho is one of the most iconic moments in Israel's entire history because they won over Jericho. They completely conquered the city of Jericho, but not by military strength, but it was a profound theological statement about God's presence and God's power. And the whole point of this is teaching us all because, yes, this is an ancient story from a long time ago, but it is applicable to our lives today. Because God is not actually asking us to fight our battles the way that we think he is. He's not asking us to take down our own strongholds. God tears down strongholds. He tears down walls. Not through us fighting, but it is divine authority, human obedience, and waging war through worship. It is about fighting with worship. We're so excited.

[Ari]

One thing about Joshua, I think you're talking about how he was able to be obedient from the beginning and finish well. You see Joshua, how he was able to see the mistakes of the Israelites, see them. They kept looking back, they kept making mistakes, and he learned from them and he did better. I love that. So I think it just, I, As I was reading that, I just. I hope you guys will continue to listen to how we were in such darkness, continue to listen to our mistakes and learn from it and not keep doing it.

[Ange]

That's so good.

[Ari]

So I hope we can be that for you. Because as I. When I was reading about Joshua, I was like, I hope they can wash us like Joshua and finish well and not keep being like the Israelites staying stuck in bondage.

[Ange]

I love that. I actually love that. Start at this little part here in Joshua 5, just the very end of it, because I think it. I was reading from Joshua 6, and then I just went up a little bit and I realized this is such an important part of this story. It's Joshua 5, verse 13. So basically, before Joshua ever receives the instructions on how they were going to take down Jericho, God sends a messenger, sends a person. It's like a figure. It's actually called a theophany. It's a. A figure that's basically a earthly manifestation of God, but it's not even a real person, but it, like, looks like a person. And it says, when Joshua was Near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, are you friend or foe? And in another translation, he says, are you for us? Are you for our enemies? And the person's. The figure's response is so clear. He says, neither one. He replied, I am the commander of the Lord's army. And this is such an important moment for Joshua because he was waiting for instructions on how he was going to gain victory over Jericho. But God purposely sent someone to let him know, hey, actually, I'm not here for your cause. I'm. God is not here for Israel's cause. Israel must align with God's holiness. The whole point, like, this moment, completely reorients Joshua's posture in thinking, okay, actually, God's not coming here to make me win or to make them win. It's actually all about us serving God. Like, it's about establishing hierarchy. Like, what's first, what's priority? And it's our worship to God and everything. So if you're in a situation, I just know so many people who are like, I need God to back my dreams. I need God to back my stuff, my podcast, my ministry. I need God to, like, bless what I already put my hands to. And God's looking at them like, what are you talking about? I'm going to bless my will for your life. Like, start looking to me first as opposed to looking what you can do. And then it says, at this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. I am at your command. Joshua said, what do you want your servant to do? This is how you get victory over something, this posture of humility by saying, what do you want me to do? Every victory of your life will begin on your face in front of Jesus, completely humble before God. And it says, the commander of the Lord's army replied, take off your sandals for the place where you. For the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did as he was told. What a beautiful moment.

[Ari]

It's one of that is. It's so powerful.

[Ange]

It's such a powerful moment of just being, like, that figure, refusing to answer his question, like, are you for us? Are you for our enemies? I just think, like, prosperity, charity, gospel, like, does that a lot where they're. You're like. They're like, God's got your back. And it also makes people feel like, okay, if he has my back, then he doesn't have anybody else's back. Yeah, like, he has my back more than their back. And that's just not the truth. His main intention is for his will to prevail, for us to carry out his will. He's actually not here to like back up, you know what I mean?

[Ari]

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites.

[Ange]

Lights.

[Ari]

No one was allowed to go in or out. But the Lord said to Joshua, I have given you Jericho its king and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day, you are to march around the town seven times with the priest blowing the horn horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse and the people can charge straight onto the town.

[Ange]

So good. So what we have here, Joshua and his people, the Israelites, they're basically going to walk around the town of Jericho. Imagine this, this is a battle plan, plan that completely defies any logic. Like it doesn't make sense. They're like, imagine these people are sitting there waiting for like an incredible plan of attack. How are we going to conquer this town? How are we going to tear down these walls? Like what are we gonna do? And God's like, you're gonna take these things, you're gonna take the Ark of the Covenant with which symbolizes my presence, and you're gonna walk around in silence, blown trumpets for six days, one time a day for six days. And then on the seventh day, you're going to walk around it seven times blowing these horns, blowing these trumpets. It doesn't make any sense. And there's a point to it. There's a point why it doesn't make sense. How often are in your life have you noticed God doing things that don't make sense?

[Ari]

Yeah. Never thought he would choose me to preach the gospel. That doesn't make any sense.

[Ange]

Right, exactly. Because he wants us to know that only he can do it.

[Ari]

So Joshua called together the priests and said, take up the Ark of the Lord's covenant and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn. Then he gave orders to the people, march around the town. And the armed men will lead away, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.

[Ange]

And what's really significant about this, so since the Ark of the Covenant symbolizes God's presence, imagine this, it's like everything is intentional. When you read the Bible and you see little details, you ask, why? What's the point? What's the meaning? The Ark of the Covenant, which is God's presence, goes before the people. So imagine this. God's presence in your own life leads you, and you literally do nothing except let him fight on your behalf. But the point is that it's God's presence leading you forward. You be quiet, be still, and know that I am God. And you let God fight.

[Ari]

After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the ram's horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched, and the ark of the Lord's covenant followed behind him. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the ark with the priests continually blowing the horns. Do not shout. Do not even talk. Joshua commanded. Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout out. So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. But real quick, I just wanted to say, you know, when he says, do not shout, do not even talk. Sometimes, like, in our obedience, we are to stand still. That is one of the biggest parts of obedience. Like, we stand still and wait, and sometimes we want to go, go, go. But God wants us to rest until he says go.

[Ange]

Exactly. We are literally meant to obey while God fights.

[Ari]

Yes. Yes.

[Ange]

On the seventh day, the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time, they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people shout out, for the Lord has given you the town Jericho, and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. I love this moment so much. When it says, joshua commanded, the people shout. And I just feel like this really shows the power of the spoken word. Our voices become an instrument of God's power. What are you saying? What are you speaking when you're anxious? Are you saying scripture out loud? Are you declaring healing over yourself when your thoughts are running rampant? Are you saying, hey, I take these thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ? I just. There's so much power in the words that we say. And that when we see the enemy doing something, when we see things going weird, when we see that our thoughts are not even our own thoughts anymore speaking, and like, it's literally just the power of the spoken word, it's the most powerful thing that we have is to speak to these things. Recently, you guys, I feel like I went through a period. Period of time where I stopped, like, speaking over myself the way I used to. It almost felt like religious. I feel like the enemy can really, as you're on your faith journey, remember the things you did at first. Like, Revelation talks about, Remember what you did at first. Because as we mature in our faith, I think sometimes we let go of the things that God told us to do in the beginning because we think we're just more advanced now. Like, for me, I just felt like I stopped. Stopped declaring things over myself. I stopped, like, casting anxiety out because I thought it was, like, real. Too spiritual. I don't know. But I recently. Or I would just, like, let myself keep having bad thoughts, and I just let them be there and accept them. I've spent the past few months being like, I will not tolerate bad thoughts.

[Ari]

No.

[Ange]

I will not tolerate this tormenting anxiety. I will not sit here and let Satan have, like, complete power over my mind. So I speak and I make it.

[Ari]

Stop just doing this walk. I'm just like, I. I'm not letting the enemy have my mind anymore. I can't believe how long I've let. I believed the lies and I've spoken over myself. Yeah, like, oh, I'm. I'm just not good enough. Like, no, like, do not speak that over yourself.

[Ange]

Yeah. There's so much power in the spoken word. If you're going through something, if you're being tormented, if your mind is going crazy, if you're having anxiety, speak out loud. Literally, last night, I'm on the phone with John, and I, like, walked into my house, and I've always been like this since I was a kid. Like, I get kind of scared at night. It's a thing that I need to overcome. But I, like. He and I are praying on the phone over the phone before bed. And as I'm praying, I feel like the darkest. And this is not me. Like, you know, over spiritualizing anything, I literally feel a dark presence. And this doesn't happen every day or all the time, but, like, it was so obvious. I felt like a dark presence. It felt like it was, like, right here. And I'm like, trying to pray, and then I'm, like, seeing scary images in my head. And it was just fear. It was like the enemy attacking me with fear. And I'm just like. I continue on with the prayer that I'm praying. That has nothing to do with what is happening around me right now. And then finally I stopped and I was like. And I started rebuking it and I started speaking to it and, like, telling it to leave and that, like, I'm not going to accept this and stop. And then John starts praying in tongues, and then we're both, you know. And it was a really great moment, but I spent a couple of minutes with the fear inside of me and being silent about it, like, no, speak.

[Ari]

Yeah. You have to fight.

[Ange]

Yeah.

[Ari]

Verse 17. Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction or yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred on the Lord and must be brought to his treasury. I love this so much. There's a couple things I want to talk about. I love Rahab because. Because it shows that. I just. I honestly. You read that Rahab is a prostitute and God uses her and then ends up saving her and her family. And it just goes to show you that you're not too far gone, that you don't have too much of a past, that it's never too late to come to Jesus with obedience and faith. Like, she came to him in obedience into faith. And I read later about her that Jesus comes through her lineage. She was the mother of Boaz.

[Ange]

Yeah.

[Ari]

Just shows you that you're not too far gone, no matter your past. And I love that. I think that's so powerful.

[Ange]

Yeah. Rahab basically made a covenant with God. Rahab believed in the God of Israel. And so God honors faith like. He honors faith. He honors loyalty. He honors, like. Yeah. If anyone tries to hold your past against you, just know. Just know that God does not care who you are, where you come from. If you have faith, if you're loyal, if you have fidelity to God, the God of the Bible, he'll honor that.

[Ari]

Yeah. And I think that just. I just love that because so many people feel like they can't come to God because of their past. And he's just like, come as you are. Come as you are.

[Ange]

Hey, look at us. We have a whole podcast.

[Ari]

Yeah. Literally. And I just love. Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Real. When God gives you specific instructions, you move. And it's not just lay down one or two things. He's saying lay it all down. And that could be if he takes away sin. He's not telling you to just cut one or two things out. He's saying get rid of it, lay it behind you. Because it's not, it's not that I'm going to destroy you, it's going to destroy you. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. And trust me, we lived the world. There's nothing that comes good from it. And so take it from two girls that lived in darkness for so long.

[Ange]

I love that it says so when you guys read the Old Testament, when you read about the Israelites, there's two types of ways you can read. I mean there's many types of ways, but one, there's like expository reading where you read the Bible in a way that's like you're not trying to just apply it. It's not topical reading, you're not just trying to apply it to your life, but you're actually looking at the context in which, which the scripture was written. The people, the author, the time, the place. So if you read this like in an expository way, you see, like the Israelites are the Israelites, they're going through this. And yes, there are lessons to learn, but we focus on Israel as Israel of the time. But then if you look at scripture in a way that's like applicable to your life and both are important, we want to read scripture contextually and then we want to read it in a way that applies to our own lives. And when you read the Old Testament, you can literally replace Israel with yourself. Like we are Israel. We are the unfaithful, disobedient Israel who consistently fell, consistently worshiped idols, consistently turned our backs against God and loved another thing, and then repented and then begged God to come to us and save us. And then God comes and delivers us. Like literally the entire Old Testament refers and points to Jesus. Because there's an overarching narrative in the entire Bible and it's Jesus. It's the redemptive nature of Jesus Christ who comes once and for all to deliver us. Verse 20 says when the people heard the sound of the rams horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly the walls of Jericho collapsed and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords. Men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats and doc, donkeys and donkeys. And this moment where it says suddenly the walls of Jericho collapsed. I read some really, really great commentaries while studying this and I wanted to read you guys. In Joshua, chapter 6, verse 20, it says, on the seventh day after the seventh march, the people shouted out and the walls fall flat. And the Hebrew. And the Hebrew term used t better be saying that, right? Taka suggests a total collapse, possibly inward. Doesn't make any sense, indicating divine and not human destruction. So somehow, some way, the. The walls didn't even fall just like, down. They didn't fall on the outside. They fell on top of the people to even further aid the Israelites in. In their conquest. The narrative of this is clear that this is God's doing. Like, the whole point is for us to know that God did this. And then Robert L. Hubbard Jr. Wrote, God deliberately chose a method that ruled out Israelite credit for the victory. This is not a triumph of Israel's might, but of God's power. Us sitting on a podcast is proof of God's power. It's just crazy. The two stories that we told at the beginning of this episode. A girl being healed at a gb, GBG GGB Live podcast, is literally so God can show off and say, I took these two girls who should not be doing this, and I'm gonna heal people through this ministry, you know?

[Ari]

Yeah. You know what else I love about this story? The key thing in here, I think, too, is on the seventh day and seven is the word of completion. Don't give up till God finishes his completion. And sometimes that may not be the sixth or seventh lap. Like, don't give up. I love that it talks about they had to do it one time, then two times, then three times, then four times. And so much on my personal journey, it took a while. And so many people give up on the second, third lap. They're like, oh, I've been obedient. I've laid my life down. I have. I've. I've been doing this thing, but I don't. And God's not answering my prayer, so they just walk away. And so I hope this story gives you some hope of keep going, don't give up on the sixth lap. Look at them. They kept going. They kept doing things when they couldn't see, when they didn't know it was going to happen, and then, boom, it happens.

[Ange]

I love that you say that so much. That is actually such, such, such a good point. Because imagine, like, okay, fine, God wanted to make a point that only he. It was like a supernatural fall of the wall. But why did he have the Israelites go around seven times? He could have still made his point having them go around once. But it's to build faith. It is to, like, exercise obedience when it's annoying anybody watching ever have to be obedient. And it's a little annoying. Like, we should all be joyfully obedient. But the truth is, sometimes it's annoying to be obedient. A lot of the times you don't want to. A lot of the times, man, you just wish God would just act right now without making you do all this stuff and go through all these things. But you have to understand one thing, and I know we say it all the time. He is producing something in you, forming himself within you through your obedience. And I just want to say I love that God doesn't just give in and do everything for us when we want him to. I love that we get to join in his suffering. I love that we get to be painfully obedient sometimes. Like, it's just that it makes the reward that much sweeter. Like, it makes it that much better, you know?

[Ari]

Well, and it also tests our humility, right? Tests our ego. It tests our pride. And that's a lot of the time. I mean, what they had to do was crazy. They had to march around with rims and horns and all these things.

[Ange]

Me at the show.

[Ari]

Oh, yeah. Let me tell you this real quick. Angela at the shows, she goes through the. What is it called? The aisles. And she anoints every single seat. And there's probably 2,500 seats. So she be anointing every single seat. But I will come out and be like, ang. And she'll be like, I'm just walking around like Jericho one more time.

[Ange]

Yeah. I can't even imagine what those theaters workers, what they think when they see me walking around, because, right. It's like, it's obviously, I'm not doing anything. It's not a religious thing where I have to do that. It's just symbolic. And it's like my version of washing feet where, like, I'm just doing something that symbolizes to God. Like, you know, I love this story. And, like, may it manifest in my life. I'm not doing that because I have to. It's not like a weird ritual. I just love it. It puts my heart in a good place of, like, we are conquering this city. We're. Jesus is conquering this city. Jesus is conquering this land or this theater. And I walk around that theater completely silent, though. And so the sound people, the light people, they're all sitting there watching me go around seven times. And then on the seventh time, I start praying. In tongues, really loud because it says shout, so I have to do it. It's so funny.

[Ari]

But, yeah. No, this story really is such a good description of humility and how God will sometimes have you walk in obedience to say, do you have a little bit of pride? Do you have a little bit of ego? Because it just comes like, them walking around. It's like, I know nothing. You know better than I do. Okay, I will follow. I will walk around this thing seven times. And so I know for me, with my obedience, it's helped me put down my ego. Go. It's helped me learn humility.

[Ange]

I think I just. It's on my heart right now, so maybe somebody needs to hear it. I think, like, Ari and I have both learned this in our journey. One of, like, the greatest acts of obedience is treating people the way that Jesus would treat them. Even when they've hurt you, even when you're mad at them, even when I'll speak for myself. Like, I don't want to be nice to someone when they've upset me. I don't want to be nice to someone. It is the greatest, greatest challenge of your life to wash somebody's feet when you feel really hurt by them or you feel really offended by someone and to still show up. It is a lifelong journey. I don't know if anybody will ever get it completely right. But, I mean, what an act of obedience. So if you're watching this and you know, you have a family member or you have a friend or your spouse, and, like, they really have hurt you so badly and you don't want to treat them the way that Jesus wants you to treat them, I would encourage you to step out and be so obedient, radical, painful, costly obedience, and, like, treat this person the way that you know you're meant to treat them and see what happens in your own heart. It's not about that person. That's what we've learned, right? Like, it's not even. You're not doing it for the other person. It's for you. It's for you.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

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[Ari]

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[Ange]

And then we're going to go to verse 26. It says @ that time Joshua invoked this curse.

[Ari]

Wait, hold on. 26, okay.

[Ange]

May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn and son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates. So the Lord was with Joshua and his reputation spread throughout the land. So in this moment where he literally puts a curse on anybody who tries to rebuild the walls of Jericho, this is such a profound moment, which, by the way, it's a prophetic word that's later fulfilled in First Kings, chapter 1634, under the rule of Ahab, they rebuild the wall of Jericho when they're never meant to. And basically the curse functions as a warning that you are not to rebuild anything that God has torn down. You're not to pursue anything that God has removed from your life. You are not meant to long for the things that God has brought you out of like the Israelites did. Like I just think this is such a profound moment. Like may it be a warning to all of us. Not in a way like it's curse like new witchy and whatever, but may it truly. Like throughout scripture, God constantly talks about moving forward. You see so many people who really fall because lots of wife, the Israelites, so many people who are looking backwards. And you read Philippians 3 and it talks about like pressing on forward towards the things of Christ. Like we leave the old in the past and we press on fixing our eyes on Jesus. This is a warning to all of us that like there's just no point in trying to rebuild the things that God already tore down.

[Ari]

That's great. You know, that's beautiful.

[Ange]

Do you have anything to say on that specific part?

[Ari]

No. That was beautiful.

[Ange]

Every single one of us has a Jericho. Every single one of us has something in our lives that is hurting us, that is weighing us down, that it's either it could be a mental health issue, it could be a sin that you just can't get rid of. It can be a broken heart, it could be a physical illness, it could be infertility and not being able to have children. It could be your self worth and feeling you're just not good for anything. And it's just a stronghold in your life. And what you need to realize through reality, reading this book, through reading Joshua about he, through hearing this story, is that you're actually not meant to fight it. You're meant to worship Jesus. You're not meant to wage war through any way other than worship. Whatever you're facing, whatever you're battling, if you just go to the feet of Jesus and give him everything. I'm not saying it's going to happen overnight, but like that's where you start. You start in worship. You start with giving Jesus everything. You start with giving him your full, undivided, devoted affection, devotion. And like, yeah, I'm just. Everybody has a Jericho and God is the one who brings down Jericho, you know?

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

What do you think your Jericho is?

[Ari]

I was thinking about that. I feel like a little bit of my Jericho was when. Yeah, just my journey of when everything got stripped from me. And I would say my Jericho was like when my family thought that I had completely lost my mind and because I would just sit in that church all day and I would worship and the days where it felt like I was like walking up a hill with bruised feet, like that's how it felt. Like I could not see the end, like it hurt Every day, so much. But I kept showing up, and I think that was kind of my Jericho, and I didn't even know it. It's not like I was being obedient because I wanted to be obedient. I came to the end of myself. Like, Jesus literally left the 99 and came to get me.

[Ange]

Yeah, he did.

[Ari]

So sweet. But, you know, now that I look back, it was like I didn't know obedience. I was so new, but I knew that he loved me. I knew that he. I knew that he was with me, and I just kept showing up, and it was, it was like the, his love, like, it was so compelling that it made me want to be obedient. And I think that's the start of obedience for people. You don't just start being obedient and then God provides. No, you have to know the love of God, really understand Jesus and know he is Father, he is a friend, he is a gentleman, he chases you, he again leaves the 99 to come and get you when you're at the bottom of the pit. And then when you really capture that, you're like, I want to live for you. And so that's, I think that was my Jericho really spending an insane amount of hours every day in that church and crying out and then laughing and then learning. And I spent months just doing that. And everybody thought I had lost my mind. They really did. And I was like, I don't care. I know. I, I, I feel so loved, and I feel there's something and so in that he showed me the way, you know?

[Ange]

So beautiful. It's so beautiful. I love your story so much, but.

[Ari]

I think something I wanted to talk about, too, right now is sometimes obedience. I think we can compare ourselves to one another. And so, like, you could look at me and Angela and you could be like, oh, well, they have this, so maybe I'll have a podcast or I'll be a ministry. And yeah, I just think, like, people think if I'm obedient, I'll be successful and I will prosper. And I feel like when God doesn't bring you that thing that you want, all of a sudden you're like, well, is there a God? And that's what makes people go the other way. But God doesn't promise that you will always heal. Like, look at Paul when he says, I have a thorn in my flesh. There's things that I still haven't been healed from. And so, so everybody's path looks different, but the path that he has for you will be the Best path for you. And so comparing ourselves to, well, she has this. So I want to try to be like her or because we're not all meant to be podcasters, we're not all meant to be nurses. Sometimes we want to be a doctor, but God has called you to be a mother. Sometimes we want to be in ministry, but that's not the plan that God has for you. If it is in his will, it will be. But you have to get to the point where it's like, I thought I wanted these things from myself, but take it. Show me what you want me to do. I don't want to live out of my own will because that's how we be become stuck. But so much we can just be comparing ourselves and start to go on this whole other path because we want it. We want what somebody else has.

[Ange]

That's so good.

[Ari]

That's why surrenderance and being obedient. He will show you what you're supposed to do.

[Ange]

I'm so happy you said that because that's also so anti prosperity gospel. Because everybody thinks that if you believe in Jesus, he's going to make you feel famous, rich, successful, and give you everything you've ever wanted. And that's just not the truth for everybody. It's really not. That's actually not what he came to do. He gave. He came to give you life. And if you really think about it, for a lot of people, fame, success and money would actually be really bad for them. And that's something probably not everybody wants to talk about because some people don't have the character to. To carry those things like you're. That's just. He never promised that. That's not a promise in the Bible that I'm going to make you fam, rich and successful and prosper in whatever career you choose for yourself. No, he says, I have plans for you that are to prosper you and not to harm you. But it begins with his plans.

[Ari]

Yeah.

[Ange]

And so this story with Jericho about how literally in Joshua 5, where the figure came to talk to Joshua and Joshua asks, are you here for us? Are you here for the enemies? And he goes, I'm not here for either of you. You're here for me. Actually, you're here for the Lord. Like, I'm just so happy that you say that because you're Jericho. Somebody's Jericho might be your career, your calling, your purpose, and you are fighting to the death trying to make something happen. But there's just no grace. The longer you walk with Jesus, the more obedient you are, you begin to realize where the grace is. That's what I've began to orient my life around. Where's the grace? Not saying that things can't be hard because there can still be grace on something and it be hard. Life is hard. Things are hard. But you know, when you walk with God long enough, you know where the grace is. You know, when you're in something, we've done things, we've spoken at places, we've gone to events and notice. I don't think that there's grace here because we don't feel right. It doesn't feel right. There's no grace.

[Ari]

And.

[Ange]

And I'm not saying that things are easy when there's grace, but there is an effortlessness to it where God is like breathing into something because it's his will. So I just would encourage every single person that if you're. If you keep trying, trying, trying, trying so hard and you're aware that your motive might not be completely pure in it. And I know that could be really hard to admit or acknowledge. It's one of the most important things you'll ever do is be like, why do I want this thing so bad? Is it because I love Jesus so much and I feel he's called me to it? Like, I'm telling you guys right now, if tomorrow I felt, and this is a promise, if tomorrow I felt like God no longer called me to be a podcaster, you will. I will never be in front of a camera again. That is where I'm at in my life and in my faith, because I understand it's not worth it. Yeah, it's not. It's not worth doing anything with through our own selfish ambition, you know, because that.

[Ari]

And that's relationship with Jesus. Jesus, when you make your heart, his heart, you, that's. I think that's the beauty of it. You don't have to strive and stress and worry all the time.

[Ange]

Yes.

[Ari]

Because you really do realize that his ways are so much better than your ways. Like, I remember being so stressed out all the time. Like, I need this, I need that. And when I watch what he did in my own life, I'm like, all those things that I thought I wanted, that I was striving for, that I was on my hands and knees crying for. Actually, that wasn't like, thank God that I didn't get that stuff. So it's like, his promises are always good. His promises are, I will be with you. You won't stay in the valley. I will walk through it with You. You don't stay in it. I am making a way in the desert, in streams, in the wasteland. He says, I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.

[Ange]

So.

[Ari]

So his plans could look completely different than the plans you want, but I can assure you that it's the best thing for you. So God knows way better than you do to know his will and to know the obedience, like Angela said earlier, it takes relationship. It takes worshiping, it tapes, sitting. It takes sitting in the secret place. There are so many things that I should have done, but I didn't because. Because I sat and I stood still. And that's what I love about this story, is they stayed quiet, they stayed silent till they were ready to shout. You know when you're ready to shout and to move, when God tells you. And the way to hear God's voice is to sit. It's intimacy with him. That's how we become obedient. It says in Hebrews 5 or 8, even though Jesus was God's son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. And so if you are in a season of hard times, heartbreak, delay, you can't break a habit. Take it as a blessing, because it is in those moments of suffering that you become hungry and your eyes open, and that's where dependency flows in and you cling onto Jesus. And that's how you learn obedience. I know suffering can be so hard sometimes, but it's in those moments where you can. You keep going. You keep saying yes. In the moments where you just want to keep saying no. You keep worshiping in the moments where you can't even lift your head off the pillow. And in those moments, that's where we're refined and purified, and that's when the breakthrough happens. So if I can just tell you one thing. Do not give up. Do not stop being obedient. Do not stop worshiping him. Do not stop crying out, and do not stop showing up in the sea. Secret place. He sees you, he hears you. And his promises always remain true. So just keep going. And you, at the time when the Lord is ready, he will prevail through you.

[Ange]

And as Ari said about the secret place, you guys, I think we're going to spend the next maybe six months or ten years reminding you guys every episode about the secret place. Because we can't live without being in the secret place. We can't live without spending time with. With Jesus. This morning I had a little bit of a drive on my way here. The best Thing about this podcast is accountability. I cannot say something new to you guys that I'm not doing myself. And it's truly like this pod. It's just such an incredible accountability partner. Can't say something to them that I'm not doing myself. So if I'm going to tell you guys every week to spend an hour or two hours with Jesus, but then in, I wake up in the morning and I'm with him for 10 minutes and then I feel like an inkling to go run errands and do the things that I want to do. It's such good accountability for me to be like, excuse me, remember what you just said. And like this morning I had a little bit of a drive to come here and I was supposed to wake up at six so I could spend like an hour and a half with Jesus and my alarm goes off and I go, oh, he loves me. Oh come on.

[Ari]

He's in.

[Ange]

He's right here. I can sleep for another hour and a half. Me, you guys. Sleep is everything to me. Sleep is everything to me. I love it so much. I love sleeping in. I would sleep until noon every day if I could. She would. I love it. It just makes me happy. And literally I just felt, I just knew, like my heart was like, get up, get up and do the thing that you preach all the time. And then so I got up, made a coffee and I just felt so good and I had that time. So this is your reminder that when you want to sleep in that you, when you want to get up and go start your day and do these things or make plans, are early. Do not compromise your secret place. Make it a non negotiable that you will get in that closet or that prayer room or your bedroom or wherever it is in your car for an hour and you spend time with the Lord and let him change your entire self and change your whole life.

[Ari]

Seriously.

[Ange]

And maybe I'll just read this. So from our devotional, I'll just read this last little part where cuz I love that moment about the curse of building, rebuilding the wall of Jericho. I wrote in here that my heart aches for those who stay in unhealthy relationships, including my younger self. Even when all the signs are screaming leave. There may be numerous reasons why we stay in these less than God's best for us situations. Perhaps we grew up in an environment where a certain behavior was normal and we allow this type of behavior from our significant other other because it's simply all we know. But one of my favorites of God's promises and a practice of the Christian faith is the renewal of the mind. I pray for every single one of my dear friends in situations like the one I described about being in a toxic relationship. And I pray that God divinely intercedes and has his way. In your situation. You are so much stronger than you think. And just because you've lived your whole life accepting certain behavior behaviors does not mean you have to continue. I have so much faith in you and the God that is in you. And so every single one of us who are Jericho is our family patterns, our historical trauma, the way we were brought up and we just can't get over it. We just can't let God renew our minds. We just can't let him rip out these bad behaviors. Today is your invitation to let Jesus in. It's him who tears down the wall of Jericho. It's him who lays the wall completely flat on enemies, which is, by the way, the demonic. It's not like real life enemies. Invite Jesus in to rewire your brain so you stop trying to go back to the very thing that God delivered you from. Because I know it's. It can feel so impossible, but it's not. Nothing is impossible with God.

[Ari]

Love you guys so much.

[Ange]

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he turn his face towards you and give you peace.

[Ari]

Shalom.

[Ange]

Shalom. Shalom. We love you. If you love chilling mysteries, unsolved cases.

[Ari]

And a touch of mom style humor.

[Ange]

Moms and Mysteries is the podcast you've been searching for. Hey guys, I'm Mandy. And I'm Melissa. Join us every Tuesday for Moms and Mysteries, your gateway to gripping, well researched true crime stories. Each week we deep dive into a variety of mind boggling cases as we shed light on everything from high school to whodunits. We're your go to podcast for mysteries with a motherly touch. Subscribe now to Moms and Mysteries. Wherever you get your podcast.