The Quiet Place with Sherri Youngward

Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. In Psalm 12, David expresses the drastic contrast between the fallen words of double-hearted people and the pure words of God. “Refined” describes the purifying process of a refiner, who heats metal, takes away the dross, and is left with a pure substance. Have you ever crossed a creekb...

Psalm 8:3-4 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers-- the moon and the stars you have set in place-- what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? I love how David expresses what I have felt at the edge of the sea or underneath a blanket of stars — when there is an immediate adjustment to my perception of my size, and to my perception...

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. On January 1st...

Psalm 139:3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. "And art acquainted with all my ways - All the paths that I tread; the whole course of my life. All that I do, in all places and at all times, is fully known to thee." Barnes As I reflected on the whole course of my life, I wanted to share the story of my second birthday, which happened when I was eighteen ye...

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. Last week, we looked at God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ as an infant. This week, we will move ahead to God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ as a grown-up. I will share Scripture that gave...

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. What comes into your mind when you think of the face of Christ as an infant? Who among us would choose to come into the world the way He did? Even as an infant, He challenged the way of the world and the way...

“Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed.” Oswald Chambers Our understanding of grace deepens over time, doesn’t it? Though the very first time we experience God’s grace seems like it would be the most impactful, still over time there is a tenderness that grows and grows. I suppose it’s because our relationship with Jesus grows a...

This week, we are revisiting a favorite episode. We hope you enjoy going back with us. Psalm 142:3 When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. In this episode, we will look at Psalm 142, which David wrote in an actual cave. There is much to learn from David in that room without a view.   This Psalm met me recently and helped me identif...

James 2:5  Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? As people who love and follow God, we can be both poor and rich at the same time.  Poor means: helpless, powerless to accomplish an end, needy, lacking in anything. In this episode, I will highlight the Source of our r...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails— F.B. Meyer w...

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. FB MEYER wrote: "God’s nature is not specially characterized by faith, because there is no uncertainty with his perfect knowledge; nor by hope, because there is no future to his eternal existence. But God is love; and to love is to resemble Him." Though returned love is wonderful, often our gre...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 9.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. This is the last episode of The Restore Project . I will go over some themes we’ve looked at in this series, kind of like when you skip a rock a...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 8.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:1-3 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. In this episode, we will look at the Lord, our Shepherd, as our Guide...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 7.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. As I was preparing for this episode, I was particularly struck with the love and heart I have received from those who have prepared tables for me. Their ex...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 6.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  Sometimes I expect way more from my human self than I have to give. I fight it and want to be more...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 5.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:1-2 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. In this episode, we focus on how Psalm 23 reveals the symptoms of our soul and leads us toward the cure. When I read that “quiet waters” can be t...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 4.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." When trying to understand a word, I often list its antonyms. For "abundance," these might be: want, lack, need, poverty, and inadequacy. In Ezekiel 34, God lists the failures of the bad shepherds who mistreated His flo...

(If you previously listened to this episode and thought it sounded familiar, you were right! We had a technical glitch, so this is a fresh version with the real episode for this week.) Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 3.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 2.  (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:1-3 The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. David painted scenes we can see. You don’t always realize y...

Welcome to The Restore Project —a series centered around Psalm 23.  Here is Session 1.   (Feel free to listen in any order.)  Psalm 23:1-3a The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; This week, I am beginning a series inspired by Psalm 23. I’m not trying to pull the Psalm apart from the view of a s...

Psalm 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. If you’ve been following along in real time, you know I’ve been working behind the scenes on a new series. This series is called The Restore Project and is centered around Psalm 23. Though the series officially begins next week, I wanted to give an introduction—a prequel of sorts.  In this episode, you will hear my heart for this series. I’ll...

This week, we are revisiting a favorite episode while I work on an upcoming series. This replay was suggested by Erin S. Psalm 19:1 The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. Are you in a hard season? Give your eyes, ears and brain a breath of fresh air, and remember we are on our way to something greater.  Let His reminders in the sky lift you out of the...

This week, we are revisiting a favorite episode while I work on an upcoming series. This replay was suggested by Elizabeth F. Psalm 36:5 Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. When a songwriter wants to express something huge and meaningful, they think of the biggest things they can… mountains, galaxies, the ocean. In this episode, we will look...

This week, we are revisiting a favorite episode while I work on an upcoming series. This replay was suggested by Stefanie R. Genesis 16:13 Then she (Hagar) called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; Barnhouse wrote:  “We must be triumphant exactly where we are. It is not a change of climate we need, but a change of heart.” In this episode, we will look at how a mistrea...

This week, we are revisiting a favorite episode with a few additional thoughts. We hope you enjoy going back with us. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Last week, I shared about my friend, her husband, their five kids and their cat, and how they took a road trip in their RV.  My friend Gina s...