Teachable Woman Podcast

Reverends Michele Owes and Diana P. Cherry

Confidence – Part 3

[00:00:00]

Rev. Michele Owes: Welcome. Welcome back to The Teachable Woman podcast. We are elated, excited, just overjoyed to be with you today. I am Reverend Michelle Oates. I am with the one and only Mrs. Reverend Deanna P. Cherry, and together we are teachers of good things. Mrs. Cherry, please say hello to our podcast family.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Hello, podcast family. You've been doing a good job praying for us because we've been able to get the podcast back on a pretty regular schedule. So we appreciate that, and we're going to continue ministering to you today. So be blessed as we share.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. Mrs. Cherry, we have been talking about confidence. The beginning of our confidence that God wanted us to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, and we're partakers with Him [00:01:00] if we do this. And then also in John, 1 John 5:14, it says, "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us."

And so we talked about the fact that the confidence that we want to have is in the Lord, and we don't want to be, quote, "self-confident." We don't want to be overconfident. We see that in our government officials these days. There's a level of bravado and there's a level of, "I can do anything I want to because I am who I am."

And that is not being confident in the Lord, nor is it allowing the Lord to be your confidence. It is heady, it is high-minded, and that's not the kind of confidence that the Lord wants us to have. Mrs. Cherry, help us out here.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: It's amazing that you started in 1 John 5:14 [00:02:00] because I was going to r- mention 1 John 3, 18 and 19. My, my little children, love not the world, but verse 19, "And hereby we know that we are of truth and shall assure our hearts before Him." In other words, our hearts are going to be confident.

Rev. Michele Owes: if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and He knoweth all things. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence towards God."

Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: when we have confidence towards God, verse 22 says, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." And so it's amazing God had both of us coming out of I John, you in 5, and me in 3.

Rev. Michele Owes: Krista.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: It’s encouragement for the listeners. And the thing is that if we [00:03:00] feel, that our relationship with God is out of kilter, it's that our own hearts are condemning us and God wants us to examine and find out. He's a God of all confidence. He's a God of all patience. He's a God of all love. So why are we shaky? Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: It's not God, because remember, God changes not. So there's something h- is happening in us whereby our hearts don't assure us. So if we're having a problem trusting God, believing God, or, having confidence in God, then we probably need to examine self and find out what happened to cause us to have that, that feeling of uncertainty, 'cause God hasn't changed.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: change. So if something's gone wrong, let's examine ourselves and don't blame God for it.

Rev. Michele Owes: [00:04:00] Amen. Amen. life sends, I want to say challenges and curve balls. Things that we are unfamiliar with, things that we don't know. And when we try to wrap our heads around those things and try to work on solving those things ourselves, it pulls us away from the confidence that we have in Him. If we can start with Him and say, "God, how do you want me to attack this problem?

And how do you want me to address this? And what would you have me to do?"

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: You can

Rev. Michele Owes: those are the beginnings of making sure that how we address a situation demonstrates that we have confidence in Him and not ourselves. And I will be the first to admit there have been many a day that I have felt as though I could handle a thing and didn't even ask God, "What do you want?

how do you want to address this? What do you want me..." Like my mind worked it out, and here we go. Not at all what [00:05:00] God was thinking, what He wanted done. And so that's when you find yourself going down the rabbit hole. I'm going to let you know how that happens. That happens when we believe that something is simple and we can do this.

I'll just do this and I'll just do that, and that's not how God wanted it handled. And in confidence in Him gives us an opportunity to admit that God's way is better. First of all, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. So if we thought we worked something out, there is a better way because His ways are not ours.

If we thought that our thoughts were good on this thing, there is a better thought that God has about it. And so if we always aim for the better, I think we'll be in a-- we'll save ourselves some time, we'll save ourselves some frustration.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: We'll, we'll save ourselves some energy because when we move forward to solve a thing the [00:06:00] way that we like to, it takes time, it takes resources, it takes energy.

And it always takes more time than we thought, more resources than we thought, and more energy. And it was because we were trying to solve it and not allowing the Lord to do

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So true. And, that, that's one of my favorite scriptures, by the way, in 1 John 3. And it's one of the things that, I do often is examine myself.

Rev. Michele Owes: And if I feel just a little out of kilter, I'm like, "Where did I go

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes. Yes. I know that His position hasn't changed, so what's up with me?

Rev. Michele Owes: I think that both of us have the s- same type of testimony because both of us are widow women, and, we had strong husbands that we relied on heavily

Yes. Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: and now we, we sometimes, we feel like we're alone. We're human beings, and we feel like we're alone. those are the [00:07:00] times that you and I, in discussing, we've really had to learn that's the time you trust God more.

That's the time that you just, you know, more or less say, "For Him I live. For Him I die. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I'm not going to change. I'm going to stick with

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I've been taught, f- with what I've learned." And I happened to come across a message that my husband... It's not even the message he taught.

It's the notes that I took from a message that he taught, and it was a message entitled, It's a Good Thing. And he us about the fact that when things don't look good, that they're still good.

Rev. Michele Owes: When we have those preconceived judgments, things are still good. And so his point number one in this message was, always good news when, whatever the situations are, whether we think they're good or not, it's still good news.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And so what we have to do is trust [00:08:00] God. So he said it's good news when things are pleasant.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: easy for us to relate to

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: It's good news when things are challenging to us, and it's good news no matter what we face. It's good news when we have unpleasant times, and it's good news when God is silent.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: think for me, that's the biggest challenge, 'cause I shared a story with you before we came on live. I think sometimes my biggest challenge is, God, you s- I used to almost hear you, verbally say things or audibly say

Rev. Michele Owes: yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And now, are you? And so when I found this message, it was like my husband was speaking to me from heaven because He said it's good news when God is silent because God is working things out

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: good.

Rev. Michele Owes: job when God is silent, our job [00:09:00] is to, according to my husband's teaching, be still,

Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: be patient, and be hopeful. And that's what confidence is. So when God is quiet, He knows, He sees, He hears. He just ain't doing what we want Him to do at that precise moment in time.

Rev. Michele Owes: And that is the truth

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So God is still God, whether things are good according to how we think good, whether God is silent or whether He's actively doing something and we're at the apex of our everything in the natural being met. let's be mindful of the fact it's good news when God is silent.

Rev. Michele Owes: He's working out things for our good. So we have to be still, be patient, and be hopeful. Fully expect to receive what He has for us. Have a happy anticipation of good, that whatever comes is going to be good, it's going to have a beneficial effect.

Yes. Yes. [00:10:00] Yes. Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: then have confidence in the end out-

Rev. Michele Owes: I'm happy.

God really does work things out on our behalf, and I think that Reverend Oates and I finding that out Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: and more. And God works things out for us in ways we could not have

Rev. Michele Owes: No.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: of,

Rev. Michele Owes: have not have hoped for.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: For the most part, we wouldn't have had nerve to hope for some of the things that God does.

Rev. Michele Owes: Because our thoughts, you are absolutely right, and I'm so glad that you brought that up because I was going to share something similar t- to that, in that when we don't know what to do or when God is silent, it is not time to make up something. It's not time to force yourself into an answer or a situation because of the little bit or the lot of scripture that you know.

When God is silent, we are to be still and know that He is working on our behalf. And that be still part is the part [00:11:00] that challenges us to no end, because we want to be doing something, right?

and so understanding that God is always working on our behalf, and you sharing just now that the way that He works things out are ways that we can't even imagine these things.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So how much the more then that we should not allow Him to work it out and just understand that however it works, we know it wasn't us 'cause it works out too well, right?

So we can't-

he'll work it, he'll work it out in ways that we couldn't even have thought of.

Rev. Michele Owes: Right?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: to my left because on my wall I have a sign that says here, right here in my kitchen where I happen to be sitting today, "Be still and know that I am God."

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So now I have that posted. I have an opportunity to see it every day. I have an opportunity to read that scripture every day of my life, 'cause every day of my life at some point I come in this kitchen. But yet [00:12:00] there are times that I fail to be still,

Rev. Michele Owes: Right?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: and I sure enough don't think that I know what is going to happen.

Rev. Michele Owes: by that, of course, I don't know, but I don't trust that God knows and he's going to work it

Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And I can read it, I can quote it, but what we have to do

Rev. Michele Owes: Live.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: actualize it in our lives. Be

Rev. Michele Owes: yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: be patient, be hopeful.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah. And sometimes we have to talk ourself into that. we have, "God, I know that you're able. God, I know that you have told me to be still and I can be still in you. I have confidence in you." Sometimes we, as David did, he encouraged himself in the Lord. You've got to bring those scriptures up in your mind and talk yourself into what you know you're supposed to be doing with the Lord, because at the moment you're not there.

It's I know that I'm supposed to be still right now and know, but I want something done right now, Jesus. I, but I [00:13:00] know that you're God and you're going to move when you're ready, but I still want something done right now, Jesus. But we have to just talk ourselves into it. We just--

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes,

Rev. Michele Owes: I'm going to be still and know because you have told me that, and your track record, God, is just remarkable.

You have never failed. You have never forsaken me. Your arms are outstretched still. I know that you're working it out on my behalf. Even if it doesn't look like it's my behalf, it is still my behalf. I know that all things are going to work together for my good because I love the Lord and I am called according to-- You just gotta talk yourself into it.

Encourage yourself in the Lord.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: You really do. I tell you, when everything else fails, when the whole world has gone crazy, you really do. I think I believe for women, difficult to quiet our minds down to the point where we can be still, the point-- to the point where we can be patient, to the [00:14:00] point where we can actually... To me, being hopeful resting in God,

Rev. Michele Owes: resting in who He is, resting in what He said, resting in, in, in our past relationships with

Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: He did it before, He's going to do it again. And I think a lot of times when you are as we are, we live alone, I think it's a little bit more difficult for us to do that.

But on the other hand, we're also ministers of the gospel, we teach other people these things.

Rev. Michele Owes: then it's, to me, I have to be a first partaker.

Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I have my little issues, but I have to be a first partaker of the fact that I gotta shut up, be still,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I gotta be patient. He's patient with me,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I just be patient that He's going to work it out?

And then have full confidence that God is God, He's always going to be [00:15:00] God, and He really does have our best interests at heart. that takes, takes having a good relationship with Him,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: in that relationship with Him, as my husband would say, making your knower know that y- that He knows.

He knows, He cares, He hears.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: to convince ourselves that the scripture hasn't changed. He's still God. still God all by Himself.

Rev. Michele Owes: And why can't we trust Him?

Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Again, it might be because our hearts have not assured us that we can,

Rev. Michele Owes: yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: nothing to do with God. It has to do with something on the inside of us.

Rev. Michele Owes: I agree with that. and I also believe that there is a major contributing factor, which is the society in which we live and the way that things happen in the society in which we live. And when we look, when we look [00:16:00] about and even those who are considered in leadership who should be living to a higher standard, when we find that there's no truth in the land, when we find that people are untrustworthy, when we find that men are very disappointing, when we thought maybe there was something there and we dug a little deeper and found out that it was the empty wagon.

When we find these kinds of things, we, we juxtaposition ourselves to protect ourselves, if you will. And then we believe that, how we're thinking because we know that the way other people are thinking is just not sound, then we develop what we consider our sound model of thinking, right?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: not sound if we exclude the Lord. It's not sound because this is not the first time in the history of human society that there's [00:17:00] been a leadership that has been not of leadership quality. I'll put it that way. This is not the first time there's been a bad leader in a nation. They've written about it in the history books.

Rev. Michele Owes: But the people being able to survive, questionable leadership comes from the degree to which the people will trust the God who created them and sustained them

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: us back to this point, that our confidence has to be in the Lord. Now, Mrs. Cherry and I don't want you to misunderstand our message.

Rev. Michele Owes: We're not saying that you cannot know what your abilities are. We're not saying that you cannot, be well with the skills that you have and know whether you are able to do a thing. Can I get up and out of this chair or do I need a walker? Or, can I write this proposal or can I work this job?

Can I meet the requirements for employment? We're not saying [00:18:00] that we cannot utilize the skills, talents, and abilities that God has given us with an assurance that He's going to see us through. We're s- we're not saying that. But what we are saying is don't throw ourselves before the confidence that we have in the Lord who's going to be the one who sees us through.

Because whatever gift, talent, or ability that you have, He made it possible. You didn't make it yourself. You didn't make you. Although you may have been the person sitting in the classes for all the lessons for if you're an expert level musician, doctor, lawyer, dancer, artist, teacher, whatever it is God has given you the ability to do, He gave it to you.

Now, your, you being in the class, you doing the work, you taking the steps necessary to become those things, you had to be present. [00:19:00] It's your faith without works is dead, but you put some works in there to work with your faith, so it is all good. But what we are saying is that life can be challenging no matter what state you're in, whether you're married or unmarried, whether you are divorced or widowed, whether you are male or female, whether you are employed or unemployed, whatever your status in life is, and there are so many others that there could be We still need the same God.

We still rely on the same creator and sustainer, and we should rely on Him to lead and guide us into the better way, right?

I met with someone earlier today, and one of the things that they s- they were sharing with me that they were in their 40s and, he says, "It seems like my wife and I, we work through these things and, as soon as we get over one hurdle, another one comes."

He [00:20:00] said, "And every time I feel like I can just breathe, something else comes up." And, I just told him, I said, each hurdle that you're making it over is preparing you for the next one." there's a better level of preparation. There's a learning. There's some growth that took place in getting over the last hurdle that gets you ready.

So let us not think that life is going to be quiet and easy because we're Christians.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: right. Yeah. One of the things a- about being in this flesh is that we all face the same kinds of challenges. And, sometimes, Reverend Owens, we can face or we can allow ourselves during pleasant times to have the most difficult challenges. Because sometimes when things... When we're on a roll Oftentimes we tend to forget about

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: those

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And li- like you said earlier, we'll tend to give ourselves credit for, "Look at what I did." And [00:21:00] so it doesn't matter whether you are living in, uh, this particular t- moment of your life, whether things are pleasant, whether they are unpleasant, whatever it is that you're going through. We can challenge...

We can have a challenge to our confidence in God regardless of what state we're in. How many times have you looked at a person or counseled with a person and they seem to, in your opinion, they have everything going for them, they are bent out of shape? And you're looking at them like, "Oh my God, if I had life like that, I wouldn't have a thing to complain about."

But we would. I would.

Rev. Michele Owes: We would

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: so I think that it's important for us in maintaining our confidence in God, I think it's important for us to realize that no matter what state or stage we're in, whether it's a great successful state or whether it's a time of challenges, we can [00:22:00] still allow ourselves to have a compromised confidence in God. So it's not the state, it's not the change. Again, it's us, and our hearts are not assuring us. It has nothing to do with God. God is there. He's just waiting for us to come to our little peewee senses and acknowledge Him in all of our ways to give an- Him an opportunity to direct our path. rest assured, state you might be in right now, you can still have a challenge in terms of having total confidence in God,

Rev. Michele Owes: you can still experience like, "Where is God?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I don't hear a thing from Him." He's waiting for you to be still.

Rev. Michele Owes: waiting for you to be patient, He's waiting for you to remain hopeful. Don't lose your confidence. Keep that, confidence, that beginning confidence, keep it. It says steadfast. That means unwavering. Keep it solidly based [00:23:00] on God and His goodness and what He has done and what He will do and what He, is doing even at this point.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Keep it straight and narrow. Keep focused on God. And if we can learn to do that, would have so much more peace.

Rev. Michele Owes: Nie

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: We would not have so many strokes and heart attacks and illness, illnesses and things like that. So Just be aware of the fact that we can lose our confidence regardless of the situations that we're in, and all of us have to do the same thing. have to be still,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: patient, be hopeful because God really is working together things for our good. Might not look good, might not smell good, might not feel good but we have to keep confidence that in the end it's going to be good because my confidence is in God. And,

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I just want us to be encouraged that all have [00:24:00] struggles, we all h- have challenges, key to it is just trusting God.

The key to overcoming is just trusting God, knowing that God is, knowing that He's able, knowing that He hears,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: that He sees, knowing that He will provide for us, knowing that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And you could just get a little litany of a mantra like that. God, I know that you are.

I know that you care. I know that you're

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Just talk to God and work through it, but never question His ability. We don't have a problem that's too big for God. Never doubt ability, and let us always keep our confidence, our hope in Him, and God will come through. He will answer, and I'm really talking to me

Rev. Michele Owes: we're learning from it, so keep talking.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: God is, as I say almost every podcast, God is the same yesterday,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah[00:25:00]

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: and forever. And that is our confidence, that He changes not.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. we left with First John 5 and 14, and this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask according to His will, He heareth us. I'm going to tie that into our 37-second prayer. In that 37-second prayer we say, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." If we'll remember to pray that the Lord's will is done.

Father, I want your will to be done in this situation. God, I'm asking that your will be done on my behalf. God, I'm asking you to intervene. I'm giving you permission to intervene so that your will can be done. And then don't get mad at God when His will happens because it may not be the answer that you were looking for, but it is His will for that situation.

[00:26:00] And ultimately you will figure out why at that time. Mrs. Cherry and I were just talking before the podcast about how we can be praying for something to happen and waiting on something to happen and do what needs to be done for it to happen. But God can delay it because He knows that there's something else coming down around the corner of our lives and it's going to be more important to us then than it is when we're asking for it.

And so we just have to know that He's working everything out, for our good and according to His will, and that has to be enough

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes. Yes. It's no way for us to know what's best for

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: God made us, and He knows us. He knows everything about me, about you, about all of us, and His will really is best for us.

Rev. Michele Owes: And God, when we rest in God, sometimes God will do things that just bless our

Yes, he will

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Like [00:27:00] I was telling you the situation with me. just, you gotta be kidding. God, really? You did this for me? Oh my God. It is so awesome. But we have to trust Him. have to have confidence in Him. And always remember, in all of your ways, Proverbs 3, in all of your ways, acknowledge

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: all of your

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: of your decisions,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: to your children, your finances, in all of your ways, acknowledge Him

Rev. Michele Owes: and He will direct our path. But we have to be still, patient, and remain hopeful.

Amen

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: until the end, and God's got it.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes, sir

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: really does. I know we say this. People tell me all the time now that I'm in college, "Oh, Miss Sherry, you got this." And I feel like saying, "I no got nothing." I ain't got nothing, It's hard. But people like to say that, but I can say with full confidence, God's got it.

Rev. Michele Owes: me. He's got this college degree. [00:28:00] He knows when I'm going to get it. He knows if I'm going to walk across the stage. He knows everything, so I'm just going to rest in

Amen.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: can't do nothing without Him.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. I love that, and this is a excellent place to end this podcast. We look forward to being able to, commune with you again. We pray that what you have heard will minister to your heart and mind, and be sure to subscribe, to our podcast. Share it with others. Listen, re-listen, and share. We love you.

We'll see you on our next podcast

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Love you and God bless you