Hey Mama,
Do you need a Miracle in your life?
Do you need a breakthrough in your marriage, with your children, in your business?
Do you need CLARITY on which way to go? What to do next?
This episode unpacks the answer!... the SECRET to your victory!
I can’t wait for you to listen, but I also want to encourage you to go back and listen to episodes 9 and 10 FIRST so it will catch you up on some previously discussed SUCCESS PRINCIPLES from the Book of Joshua.
This passage of scripture is GOLD, as we, as Christian entrepreneurs, look to the Word of God to be a “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” on the journey.
P.S. This is a BEAUTIFUL worship/prayer set that you can put on when you're ready to be still and seek God's presence. This has been a blessing to me and I wanted to share it with you too, as I referred to in this episode.
Listen Here > https://youtu.be/QYhap63b-kw
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michelle5Hiatt
Email: hello@nourishingmichelle.com
Full Episode Transcription:
0:53
I want to read a review really quick from "Bishop, Stacey". She said "Michelle Hiatt, you are a joy. This is a mama who does life well but she is also super transparent in the struggle. She's crazy good at so many things and not afraid to ask for help where needed. It's such an encouragement to be in her presence and see her family unit at work. I'm inspired by how she lives with such purpose and intentionality. Her one-liners are relatable and quotable, so you are in for a treat with this podcast."
1:19
Goodness.. girl! Thank you so much for leaving this review! I truly appreciate the kind words and the support it means so much. So guys, spread the love, leave a review, it would mean the world to me, and share this to lift somebody up today, you're going to love this conversation.
1:41
Welcome back to the nourishing mompreneur podcast, where we get encouraged and empowered as we pursue our greatest potential within the walls of our home. Hey, Mama, my name is Michelle Hiatt, and I'm so thankful you're here. Do you feel like your life is good but something and you feel unfulfilled? Do you feel stuck in the trenches of motherhood exhausted and working so hard but feeling like you're getting nowhere? Do you have big dreams? You're holding your heart but you've been living strong? Are you motivated for more, but don't have the clarity or the courage to do anything about it? Do you want to discover God's best and see if it's really possible to be an excellent wife and intentional mother and be successful in business? All for the glory of God as a wife of 16 years a homeschooling mom of five and an entrepreneur. I know exactly how you feel every bit of it. I truly believe that the most important work you will ever do is within the walls of your home and that there's purpose in every season. If you are a fellow business-minded mama with a heart for home and a love for Jesus let's process this journey and grow together.
2:44
Hey there, so I want to pick back up in the book of Joshua and share with you the absolute key to your breakthrough. This message is for every single believer seeking more of God in your life because we know that out of Him all blessings flow. So if you haven't had a chance yet, go back and listen to episodes 9 and 10. We're talking about the importance of living ready and getting prepared to walk in the promises of God in your life and then over in episode 10, it's insanely crucial content really for any mom wanting to raise your children, the next generation for success. So don't miss these.
3:21
Start in that order if you can, but I want to continue with this episode. The next piece of the Israelites journey as they cross over into the Promised Land. God has been giving me some fresh revelation from the book of Joshua and showing me how there are principles for a successful transition in this passage of Scripture. As we take a look at God's ways for his people. I pray that we can understand more of his heart for us because after all, we're His people, we're His children too. God is a God of order and honor and as you press on towards your purpose, let this be an encouragement to you. Alright, so let's get started.
3:59
I want to start by reading Joshua 3 to you. It says "Early the next morning, Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River where they camped before crossing." I'm in the New Living Translation by the way.
4:14
So, "Three days later, the Israelites officers went through the camp giving these instructions to the people. When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them since you have never traveled this way before. They will guide you. Stay about a half a mile behind them keeping a clear distance between you and the ark."
4:39
As I was preparing to cross over into some changes in my own personal life, some major business transitions, some new territory, this passage stuck out to me big time. Are you in any kind of transition in your life? Maybe you're in a family transition? Maybe you're in a business transition? Maybe your kids are transitioning into adolescence. I'm over here raising my hand raising the roof over here. I don't know. Right, raising the white flag who knows? Or maybe you're just moving forward, you're ready to go deeper walking in your identity and your God-given purpose. Wherever you are, today's conversation is really for the everyday journey but particularly, it's empowering for those of you facing some kind of shift change or transition in your life. You see the Israelites were instructed to follow the Ark of the Covenant. We could almost stop here and just say enough said like, like period, end of story because this is everything.
5:39
When you see that the ark of the covenant represents the very presence of God. You can see why this is so so important and foundational. There is no movement, there is no crossing over. There is no victory. There are no miracles outside of the presence of God. The key to getting from one side to the other, from where you are to where you're going is to follow the presence of God. It's that simple. God wants to move you, He wants to do big things in your life. Where you are is not where you're going to be. But how are you going to get from here to there? It's God's presence. He's going to lead the way.
6:28
How can you pursue His presence? How can you put Him first in your life? These are good questions to ask ourselves. We've got to stop worrying about how we're going to get from here to there, our goals, our plans. Yes, we can make our plans but He's going to ordain every step. We've just got to follow Him. Keep your eyes on Him. Don't worry about your blessings about the things you want, the things you need, about the future, too far ahead. Just seek Him, when you seek His face, when you seek Him for who He is, you will get where you need to go. You will have all that you need on the journey. He will be the answer to every question that you have every challenge that comes your way, every circumstance or obstacle that you need to get through and get around.
7:14
I thought this was another interesting fact that I pulled out of the scripture was that they were to keep a distance behind the Ark of the Covenant. It actually said stay about half a mile behind them keeping a clear distance between you and the ark. Initially, I would have thought that this was because the ark was so holy and they needed to keep their distance, but I actually think it's because God needs to clearly be leading the way. He does to know who's in charge. I don't know about you, but do you like to be in control? I may or may not be raising my hand over here. But you know, we need to remind ourselves if you have control any of your nature, which we all probably have a bit of that. We need to remind ourselves that God is in control. It's funny with kids. I'm thinking of my one of my sisters-in-law, she has she's got a real like kind of quiet peaceful personality and when her oldest who is 18 now, when she was two, she has a real strong like in charge personality and she used to have to tell her two-year-old like, look at her and be like "I'm the mom." She'd tell her like, "I'm the mom." There is order and authority like I just mentioned, and sometimes God needs us to know like, "Hey, I'm actually God, I'm actually in charge here. Let me be on the throne of your life. Let me be in control."
8:35
For me, it's not so much an issue of following the ark. It's more of an issue.. I don't know issues, the right word- challenge, whatever. The challenge is more of like trusting His timing because it's hard to be patient and my determined, ambitious side would want to catch up or even outpace God. You cannot rush the Spirit of God because there are valuable lessons in each step. If God is working something out in your life, you can't rush Him. When you're ready, God will lead you to the next thing you've got. God will. Let Him lead the way, just trust Him, but not just trust His ways and follow Him, but trust His timing, trust his pace, sometimes you might move fast. Sometimes you might move slow, but follow him and keep that distance so that you know the position of your heart and that He is on the throne.
9:28
Why? Why is this so important? Well, because the Bible says "since you have never traveled this way before they will guide you." You won't know where to go or how to get there. If you don't follow the arc. If you don't seek God's presence. When you're entering new territory, how are you going to know? We don't want to be lost in life. We don't even want to be wandering. If we follow him. He's going to lead us where we're supposed to go. He is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
10:00
Alright, I'm going to go back to Joshua here. Reading from the Bible now, (Joshua 3:9-16) it says "The Lord told Joshua when you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there. So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth will lead you across the Jordan River.
10:35
Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe, the priests will carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touched the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream and the river will stand up like a wall. So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan and the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season and the Jordan was overflowing its mace. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed onto the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho."
11:25
The key to success, to growth, to progress, moving in God's purposes, is to let the presence of God lead the way because His presence precedes the miracle. God's presence precedes your miracle. Back in January of this year 2021, I felt the Lord call me to fast to do a 21 day fast, actually which is so crazy. Something that I would never normally do. I would never normally attempt to do that. I wouldn't want to do that if I didn't absolutely know that I was walking in obedience to God and that He had clearly told me to do that. This was in a time where I was really burnt out and weary and I had already kind of designated this time set it aside as my time air quotes "my time," a time for me to rest and refresh, but God made it clear to me that this was going to be His time, this was going to be a time of consecration, a time to set apart so that I could be set apart for the purposes that He's called me to so that I would have the strength to continue.
12:34
This fast it was just really a mile marker on my faith journey, but it was something significant. Before the Israelites follow the ark. I read it before but I'll read it again before they followed the Ark, before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land the Bible says. "Then Joshua told the people, purify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you." Most versions say to consecrate which the definition says "to make or declare sacred to devote for a purpose or with deep dedication." Part of the process is purification, is consecration. If you're needing a breakthrough about something in your life if you're about to do something new, something big, something unknown. I just want to plant the seed that fasting is a wonderful way of consecrating yourself to God.
13:28
I'll do an episode sometime in the future, about what I learned from my 21 day fast because it was quite an experience, but I will say that it wasn't exactly a life-changing experience. There were a lot of things that I prayed for during that time that I didn't see happen during my fast. However, it was part of my preparation. And you know, it's been after my fast as I began to move forward, that's when the breakthrough started to come. Much like the Israelites, they purified themselves, they consecrated themselves in preparation before their big cross over, before their miracles, before walking into the promised land, into the promises of God. So again, I just want to throw that out there. We can talk more about it in another episode in the future, but, um, consider fasting, consider as a way to deeper surrender in your transition to deeper prepare and consecrate yourself to increase your faith to activate your spiritual strength for what is to come.
14:29
After my fast I'll be honest, I was struggling. One of the things I was struggling with was my health. You see the fast I did the fast for spiritual reasons it was not for health purposes, but we are one body you cannot separate your mental, emotional, spiritual connection from your body. It's all connected. So I was addressing spiritual things I was really doing the fast for the Lord, but it affects your body too and so after the fast, it really brought to the surface some body image issues some things that just were undealt within my life when it comes to food, my relationship with food, my identity with my physical state, if you will, and I was just floundering around. I don't want to get too deep into this because I could rattle on and on there was just so much that God was teaching in the struggle and so much I learned but I was floundering around with my food specifically bouncing back and forth from kind of fasting to binging and the thing was is that everything I ate gave me a migraine. I was so discouraged. I was actually really mad about I was like "What the heck God, I just did a 21 day fast." And part of this was you know, obviously I'm cleansing my body. I'm cleansing my vessel. I'm making myself available. I feel like I should feel amazing physically I should be thriving in my health and everything that I ate, it didn't matter what I ate, how clean it was. I was just getting migraines chronically and it was miserable and I was really, I was frustrated about it, I'm like what the heck this is like, this is my reward. But, I trusted Him.
16:10
And another major breakthrough, I'm just gonna throw this out there too, another major breakthrough that did not happen during my fast was in an area of forgiveness. I was struggling to forgive someone in my life, someone close to me, and it was a deep wound. I was struggling so hard I could not break free of it. Even when I was doing all the things all the right things I understood in my head, everything and I was walking out forgiveness but I just could not completely break free from this. I was holding on to something and I was praying about it faithfully during the course of my fast but I just could not get released in this area. So I'll do another episode at some point again on forgiveness because it is so important to our walk in our relationships with others in our walk with the Lord. It's absolutely pivotal. But it was actually the last day of my fast the last day of my 21 day fast I ran into this person and my heart kind of sunk because I knew that I was still hurting. I was still holding on. So frustrating, so frustrating. But, in faith I continued, I continued to believe for healing, continue to believe for a breakthrough in this relationship.
17:23
So I ended my fast and it was probably a week or two later, I went to the gym one morning and I was just feeling heavy. I was feeling a little bit discouraged. Again, I came off of this fast 21 day fast and for a couple of weeks. I was oh I have to tell you another episode. There's just so many things but I was floundering I was kind of bouncing around. I was really dealing with a lot of testing and a lot of spiritual warfare. I didn't realize it in the time I was like what is going on but that was what was going on. So I was kind of in this place of struggling and wrestling. I came home from the gym and I ended up just crawling right back in bed. And I came across this worship session on YouTube. It was worship and prayer is about an hour long and I just wept. I just laid in bed and I cried the entire time. And I can't explain it. I wasn't doing anything. I didn't even understand why I was crying fully, but something was happening deep in my spirit. I was being released. Finally, I was like I gotta get up. I went to the gym. I'm laying in bed crying. I got kids, I got school like we got things to do. I got kids waiting on me. So I got out of bed I jumped in the shower, and I finished the YouTube video in the shower and I just stood there in the water. I mean, I just could not stop crying. And the episode this worship prayer session ended up with a prayer for healing. And I just in that moment received God's healing and I literally felt myself, I just felt healing rush over my body and I just chose to claim it, to receive it, to walk in it and after that, the migraines were gone and the crazy thing is that I immediately had this love in my heart towards this person that I was struggling to forgive fully. Since then there's been complete restoration to this relationship. But listen, this is only God out of a place of receiving God's love, intimacy with Him, and I'll be honest, I don't even like that word. I grew up in church my whole life. And whenever people say that word intimacy, it's just weird. It just creeps me out. It just sounds awkward. It sounds so weird. Like how do you connect intimacy with God?
19:35
But I'm understanding that more and more and I've heard it defined and this is probably the best way to explain that word is "into me see," letting God see us, letting him see into our hearts, having that deep, deep connection with him, just entering into the presence of God. But out of that place, out of that place of just receiving His love, out of that intimacy with Him in the presence of God, I saw breakthrough in my life. I experienced physical healing, and a miracle in a relationship that literally felt impossible. It was then that I fully understood that God's presence precedes the miracle. It's out of that intimacy that miracles flow and you don't have to try for it. You don't have to work for it. You don't even have to walk for it. The priests in the Bible they just stood in the water of the Jordan and when they stood in the water, it parted. The presence alone is what activates faith and miracles in your life. It's all about Him.
20:43
Joshua 3:17 continues, it says "Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord's Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground."
21:00
Maybe you need to stop trying so hard. Maybe the key is actually just giving up. That's where I got especially with this relationship situation. I was like "God, I give up. Like I'm over it. Like I'm so tired of trying to forgive and doing all the right things and not getting anywhere, like I'm just I'm over it like I give it to you, like almost in disgust, like, I quit. I quit God." And it was out of that place that God moved. Just sitting or standing, trusting God to do the work. That's the answer. You don't have to try so hard. In my situation, I didn't do anything to heal myself. I didn't do anything to restore a relationship. It was all God, but I positioned myself in His presence. I don't know how or when, but I know that God is the answer to everything. Just seek His presence and don't move until He's done with you. But what does that even mean?
21:58
This is a question I just want to ask because I think this is something that you know, I've been a believer my entire life. My father has been in ministry, I went to Christian school, I went to a youth group I went on missions trips. Gosh, church, Bible studies, Sunday school, the whole thing- you name it, but not until just recently am I really understanding deeper the presence of God where I'm becoming a presence person and understanding more of my identity in Him. Not just being a good Christian, but being an empowered believer, just a different walk, a different level. God has been leading me in this so I'm just taking you along on the journey. There's so much more and I know I'm just skimming the surface but I just want to let you in because I know that this is where we're at. I think that as a body of Christ this is a time to be presence people to seek more. But what does that even mean? What does that even mean to seek His presence?
22:54
I've heard that said my whole life. And I've always thought oh, we you know you pray more. You read the Bible, this and that. What does that even look like? Let's talk about that for just a second and I'll just try to share with you a little bit about what's been helping me experience this more in my own life. This is the amazing thing about it all. God's presence is inside of you. You are the tabernacle where His spirit dwells. The secret to letting him rule and reign and lead in your life. The secret is in surrender. It's all about positioning your heart. It's not just about following Him, following the Ark of the Covenant, following His presence. He actually lives inside of you. That's the crazy thing. It's in you. It's just positioning your heart it's in that surrender. One of the things that's helped me tap into this place like never before has been through worship and prayer. I'm going to leave in the show notes the actual specific worship prayer session that activated this time of miracle that I just talked about when I was laying in bed crying, this is what I was listening to and it's just anointed and it's beautiful and there's many, many of these. It's called, I think it's called Nashville Legacy Prayer Room. We'll have to I'll put it in the show notes so you can see one of them. But there's plenty more but it is a beautiful thing just to sit and be still just to soak in His presence. When you're laying down when you're resting. If you wake up in the middle of the night or taking a shower, anytime you can just be still and position your heart to receive His love and to meet with him. Put this on, it's a beautiful thing that just facilitates that process and that relationship, that intimacy.
24:41
So God's presence is your victory. Seek Him, follow Him and let Him do what only He can do. His presence is within you. And our God is the same God yesterday, today and forever. He's the God of miracles, if He can park the sea by the touch, if the priest could part the sea by the touch of their toes in the water, if God could do that through them, He can part your sea by His simple touch. We just need to touch of God, we need a fresh touch of Him. And again, it's not anything that you can do. It's not anything that you need to work for. It's really just about receiving from Him.
25:29
When I was fasting I remember I didn't feel well. I was physically like feeling bad. Most of the time. You know, my husband was fasting too and he felt amazing, but of course he would. I was just like in bed like oh, I don't feel good. I have no energy. Anyways, I spent a lot of time just laying down and I told God, I was like God I'm praying for these things in faith, but I refuse to work for these things. I refuse to strive for these things. Like whatever you do it's going to be all you, I'm just making myself available. I'm creating space for you. So don't overcomplicate the process. Don't overcomplicate the process of entering into His presence. Just be still, just receive from Him. Just position yourself. Position your heart to let him love you. Your success is in the surrender. Your success is in your surrender. Refuse to move without him.
26:31
God we just pray today and we just, God we just want you, God. We just want more of you. God, we're desperate for you. We need more of you in our life. We don't want to walk alone. We don't want to be lost. We don't want to move ahead of you. We don't wanna move outside of you, God. We just want more of you, Lord. Help us to seek your presence, God help us to follow your lead to work and move in your timing to keep you on the throne of our hearts, the throne of our lives God, where we submit to you. We take our past, we take our future, we take everything Lord, and we just lay it at your feet, we surrender it to you, God. Lord, I thank you above all that your Spirit lives in us, that we don't have to chase you down, we don't have to strive for you. We don't have to work for you. That you live within us. Fill us God. We exalt you, God. We ask for more of You, Lord fill us today. Give us a fresh revelation of who you are in us. The power, the victory, that's already there that's already ours, Lord, may we claim it, may we walk in it. Lord, we pray for miracles. Lord, I pray for the mom listening today Lord, whatever she needs in her life God, Lord heal her right now in the name of Jesus. Whatever miracle she needs, whatever breakthrough she needs God, you are the answer. And in this moment, Lord, I ask that you would just give her miracles, Lord, that they would flow out of her obedience to you and have a sweet, sweet time with you, Lord. Give her intimacy like never before. Wrap your arms around her may she feel your heart, your love for her, your presence God. Thank You that You are moving us deeper that you're crossing us over into greater purposes as we seek and we surrender to you God. Fill us with more of you today. Thank you God. Thank you. Amen.
Hey Mama real quick, before you run off and do all the things, if you found value in today's conversation it would mean the world to me if you left a review on my podcast. I know you know how precious time is. The biggest thing that you can give me for taking the time to share on this podcast is to leave a written review. This helps me on my mission to encourage and empower others who are pursuing their greatest potential from home.
Head over to iTunes and scroll down to the bottom of The Nourishing Mompreneur Podcast to rate and leave a super quick review to let me know what spoke to your heart. AND if you're feeling a little extra today, take a screenshot of today's episode and tag me on social. I value your time so much and appreciate you connecting with me. Find me at NourishingMichelle.com/connect
