Latest / Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast / Why do we avoid the big issue by creating another one?

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Why do we avoid the big issue by creating another one? · Jessi Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast

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  Jessi Morgan: Hello, hello.
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  Jessi Morgan: You're listening to Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 22.
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  Jessi Morgan: This week's devotional is titled why Do we Avoid the Big Issue by Creating Another One?
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  Jessi Morgan: Let's go.
• 0:11
  Jessi Morgan: Hi.
• 0:16
  Jessi Morgan: I'm Jesse Morgan.
• 0:16
  Jessi Morgan: I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior.
• 0:25
  Jessi Morgan: Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hawk Podcast.
• 0:29
  Jessi Morgan: This is a weekly devotional.
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  Jessi Morgan: I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier.
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  Jessi Morgan: It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born, four months early in 2023.
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  Jessi Morgan: Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me.
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  Jessi Morgan: On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives.
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  Jessi Morgan: My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through.
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  Jessi Morgan: So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together.
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  Jessi Morgan: Let's all pray within.
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  Jessi Morgan: Why do we avoid the big issue by creating another one?
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  Jessi Morgan: Key verses for today Basically, the book of Esther Esther 4.14,.
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  Jessi Morgan: Philippians 4.6-7.
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  Jessi Morgan: Hey everyone, jessie Morgan, here I found a journal entry from when my daughter had her big surgery in the NICU on December 28th 2023.
• 1:38
  Jessi Morgan: And I feel like now's the perfect time to share what I was feeling, what I was going through at the moment.
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  Jessi Morgan: So real talk, before I even begin, I struggled with this week's devotional, not because I didn't have anything to say, but because life just got in the way.
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  Jessi Morgan: Work's been crazy and things at home have been a bit challenging, especially with a baby who's figured out she can almost crawl Yay, fun times.
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  Jessi Morgan: Plus, we've been running around with my daughter's checkups as well, from pediatrician to her six other specialists.
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  Jessi Morgan: So yeah, it's been a lot, but I'm committed to this podcast and I hope you are all committed to diving into the word of God with me.
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  Jessi Morgan: Anyways, the timeframe of this journal entry was around Sage's surgery and I happened to be studying the book of Esther such an amazing book, by the way.
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  Jessi Morgan: You all probably know the story right.
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  Jessi Morgan: Esther was a young Jewish woman who became queen of Persia and ended up saving her people from a plan to wipe them out.
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  Jessi Morgan: This plot was cooked up by Haman.
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  Jessi Morgan: Wipe them out.
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  Jessi Morgan: This plot was cooked up by Haman, a top official who hated the Jews, but Esther's cousin, mordecai, got wind of this and asked her to speak to the king.
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  Jessi Morgan: Here's the thing, though Esther couldn't just approach the king.
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  Jessi Morgan: This was a custom thing If she approached the king without being summoned, she could be killed, and it had been 30 days since the king had called for her.
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  Jessi Morgan: Wow, what a marriage.
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  Jessi Morgan: So you can imagine her hesitation.
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  Jessi Morgan: But when Mordecai dropped this powerful line, that's one of the most famous verses in the Bible.
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  Jessi Morgan: I think this is what really got to Esther.
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  Jessi Morgan: Esther.
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  Jessi Morgan: It says Esther 4.14, for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.
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  Jessi Morgan: And who knows, but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.
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  Jessi Morgan: Basically, he was telling Esther that she was queen for a reason, god's reason.
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  Jessi Morgan: She was caught up in the customs and her own fears that she almost missed the bigger picture.
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  Jessi Morgan: The lives of her people were at stake.
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  Jessi Morgan: She was focusing on the smaller problem of breaking a rule when there was something so much bigger going on.
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  Jessi Morgan: Ever been there?
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  Jessi Morgan: Focusing on your own little issue when there was something so much bigger going on?
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  Jessi Morgan: Ever been there Focusing on your own little issue when there's such, when there's like, a bigger issue at hand?
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  Jessi Morgan: Yeah, I've been guilty of that too, like when Sage was about to have her shot surgery On December 28th 2023,.
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  Jessi Morgan: She had the surgery because, being born four months early, her body wasn't absorbing spinal fluid properly.
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  Jessi Morgan: If we didn't take care of it, it could have caused some serious neurological damage.
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  Jessi Morgan: But instead of focusing on that, a few days before the surgery, I was completely caught up with something so minor getting a hurricane-proof window installed in her nursery.
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  Jessi Morgan: I wanted to make sure her room wouldn't be disturbed later on, so I was obsessing over it.
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  Jessi Morgan: I got the installation set up, but when the guy came, the window was too small and we had to reorder it.
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  Jessi Morgan: I was so angry and frustrated and that's when I felt like God was speaking to me.
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  Jessi Morgan: He said Jess, don't worry about the window.
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  Jessi Morgan: He said, just like Esther, who at first was more focused on her own life rather than the lives of her people.
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  Jessi Morgan: Once Esther understood what was at stake, she asked Mordecai and others to fast and pray before she approached the king.
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  Jessi Morgan: That's what fasting is to me Removing distractions so we can focus on our devotion to God.
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  Jessi Morgan: It's not about the food.
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  Jessi Morgan: It's about removing anything that takes our focus away from him, especially during a tough situation.
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  Jessi Morgan: So why do we do this?
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  Jessi Morgan: Why do we let distractions take our focus off the real issue?
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  Jessi Morgan: Because it's easier.
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  Jessi Morgan: Facing the bigger challenge is scary, so we get sidetracked by smaller, less important things.
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  Jessi Morgan: Here are two ways to avoid creating distractions and excuses that I'm really trying to live by these days.
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  Jessi Morgan: Number one seek God first.
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  Jessi Morgan: Talk to God like you would a close friend.
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  Jessi Morgan: The more we connect with him, the easier it is to bring the real issues to him, instead of creating distractions to avoid them.
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  Jessi Morgan: Number two remove distractions.
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  Jessi Morgan: Fasting doesn't have to be about food.
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  Jessi Morgan: Like I said earlier, it's about removing anything that pulls you away from God, whether that's TV, social media or even certain people.
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  Jessi Morgan: Distractions delay blessings.
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  Jessi Morgan: I'll give you an example.
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  Jessi Morgan: My aunt Glenda fasted in a pretty unique way when she was battling breast cancer.
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  Jessi Morgan: She didn't tell anyone for a long time because she didn't want their pity or negativity.
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  Jessi Morgan: That would have been a distraction from her faith in God's healing.
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  Jessi Morgan: By keeping her focus on him, she was able to block out the noise and today she's healed.
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  Jessi Morgan: Love you, aunt Glenda.
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  Jessi Morgan: So I want to leave you with this Are you creating distractions to avoid the bigger challenges God wants you to trust him with?
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  Jessi Morgan: Don't let Satan use those smaller issues to distract you from your faith.
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  Jessi Morgan: Esther realized that saving her people was the real priority.
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  Jessi Morgan: I realized that Sage's surgery was far more important than a window.
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  Jessi Morgan: In every situation, no matter how big or small, we need to pray, trust God and focus on what really truly matters.
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  Jessi Morgan: Let's not forget Philippians 4, 6-7.
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  Jessi Morgan: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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  Jessi Morgan: Love you all, amen.
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  Jessi Morgan: Let's pray.
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  Jessi Morgan: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.
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  Jessi Morgan: Lord, father, we bless your holy name.
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  Jessi Morgan: Thank you so much for this amazing devotion today, where we really need to keep focusing on the bigger challenge at hand and putting our trust and faith in you so we can get through it, and not creating these distractions that Satan wants us to really harp on.
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  Jessi Morgan: And when we do that, we're blocking our blessings, we're blocking the opportunity to see you work in such amazing, mysterious, miraculous ways.
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  Jessi Morgan: Father, be with everybody who's listening on this podcast.
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  Jessi Morgan: Let them continue to have a great week.
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  Jessi Morgan: If they're having a challenging week, comfort them, lord, but just know that they understand that everybody on this podcast listening understands the love that you have for each and every one of them.
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  Jessi Morgan: Father, we love you and we praise you in Jesus name.
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  Jessi Morgan: Amen.
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  Jessi Morgan: That's it for this week's podcast.
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  Jessi Morgan: I pray that these devotions encourage you to focus on and lean into God daily.
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  Jessi Morgan: If you found value in this episode, please consider sharing, leaving a comment or leaving a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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  Jessi Morgan: For more information or to get in touch, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhomecom.
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  Jessi Morgan: You can also find me on Instagram at jessimorganlife.
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  Jessi Morgan: Until next time.
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  Jessi Morgan: This is Jessi Morgan praying off.