The Quiet Place with Sherri Youngward

Psalm 27:13-14 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Do you have ways, places, and perhaps people who help you see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living? Seeing carefree birds soar and hop on branches helps me...

Philippians 4:6-9 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. As a literal guard watches for suspicious behavior, we may see suspicious behavior in our own hearts and minds. This behavior may show up as...

Matthew 12:7  And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. Do you remember old cartoons or commercials where there would be a little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other shoulder?  Some call that little devil “the critic.” It’s the voice that criticizes everything you do — you aren’t good enough, you don’t pray en...

Psalm 18:1-2  For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. In thi...

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 mistreated servant, a woman at a well, a short man in a tree, a fisherman, and some lady in Northern California were transformed by...

Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. When I was new to faith in God, I joined a young adult’s group and learned Psalm 1 as a song. It was in the King James Version, word...

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 e...

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...

1 Peter 5:7 -casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. The word “care” means - anxiety, care that brings disruption to the personality and the mind.  David Guzik wrote: "At their best moments the religions of ancient Greek culture could imagine a God who was good. Yet they never came to the place where they believed in a God who cared. The God of the Bible - the God who is really...

Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. While I recorded this episode, the rain began to fall, so I set the microphone by the window and captured the rain along with the brave birds still singing. This may be my favorite background music. We will look at how David reached for the mercy of the morning during a troubling time.  I will read to...

This week, we are revisiting a favorite episode. We hope you enjoy going back with us. Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Charles Spurgeon wrote: "The believer is appointed to be a lighthouse to others, a cheering lamp, and a guiding star." Sometimes light blazes like the sun and sometimes it is as delicate as starlight. John 8:12...

Hebrews 7:19b but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. Andrew Murray wrote: "It is indeed possible for us to dwell all the day in the enjoyment of God's love and fellowship. It is a life-state He has entered into, has opened to us, and lives to keep us in." In this episode, I will share what I’m learning from the book of Hebrews about the...

John 16:27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. The Greek word for love here is philéō. Philéō means warm affection or friendship. It’s wonderful to know and learn of God's love. But there is something extra personal about knowing He likes us too. In this episode, I will share a recent example of how God used an inju...

Psalm 104:12  The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Psalm 104 is the nature-lover’s psalm. It is the psalm of nature viewed by the eye of faith, and he that learns to look rightly on seas and mountains, on beasts and birds, on sun and moon and stars sees God in all things." In this episode, I will talk about the way God gives...

Psalm 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. In this episode, I will share the true story of how the episode scheduled for last week ended up in podcast prison. It’s true, it was pulled by the “authorities” hours before it was to be released. I’ll tell yo...

Psalm 61:3-4  For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. What do we do when things are out of our control? Whether health issues, finances, circumstances in the lives of those we love, or people who are hard to love, we all face things outside of our control. And what do we do with what is h...

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. I read this verse in multiple versions and three words stayed the same: “every spiritual blessing.” In this episode, I will share a real-time quest to find spiritual blessings in the midst of a very loud morning here in my...

Ephesians 3:18-19  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. This is the last episode in the "We Take Our Turns" series.  You can’t...

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,  “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  John 1:29   In the last episode, I shared a real-life story of how I learned to come to the cross. There, even in the face of condemnation and shame, I found a place of refuge and acceptance. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there was a backstory to this story. I...

There is therefore now no condemnation  for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1  The voice of the accuser isn’t polite and shows no pity. Often the “evening wolves” visit when we are most vulnerable.  In this episode, I will share a real-life story of how I was helped during nighttimes of ongoing condemnation and shame. The help I learned has stayed with me and is a weapon when fear, doubt,...

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? We were created so the scent of a pine tree or the song of a bird can transport us back to a place, a truth or a feeling.  Jesus said, “Look at the birds” so when we do, we might remember how much He values us. Jesus said, “Do...

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17 ESV He isn’t always in the quick rescue.  Instead, like the deepest of friends,  He gets soaked in the storm with you.  In this episode, I will look at God as the Friend Who loves at all times. He braves the storm with us. He draws near when our heart breaks. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we can fear no evil. He is with us....

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. LEAN: In its simplest meaning, it refers to leaning on things for support. Matthew Henry wrote- We must trust in the Lord with all our hearts, believing he is able and wise to do what is best. Those who know themselves, find their...

Ephesians 3:17 TLB And I pray that Christ will be  more and more at home in your hearts,  living within you as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep  into the soil of God’s marvelous love In this episode, I will continue some thoughts about Christ being at home in our hearts. I was eighteen when I asked Jesus into my wreck of a heart. And He didn’t hesitate. (I tell the story in episode 8...