<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Delta 7: God's Elite: Delta 7: Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[⚔️ Delta 7: Women — Warriors of faith walking in God’s Spirit. Presence, wisdom, strength, counsel, and fearless devotion to Christ.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/s/delta-7-women</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!71xO!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc491e2c-551e-4d31-9911-a5f5d11edd70_1024x1024.png</url><title>Delta 7: God&apos;s Elite: Delta 7: Women</title><link>https://delta7.substack.com/s/delta-7-women</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:32:45 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://delta7.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Matthew T. Adams and Michelle Adams]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[delta7@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[delta7@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Matthew T. Adams]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Matthew T. Adams]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[delta7@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[delta7@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Matthew T. Adams]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[April 13, 2026: Obedience Will Expose Where You’re Still Holding On - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: God will reveal what you are still gripping tightly when He asks you to release it.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-13-2026-obedience-will-expose</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-13-2026-obedience-will-expose</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:00:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/24804b8f-e5a5-4a9e-b046-8e65b2c3f01e_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are places in my life where I thought I had already surrendered something. I had prayed about it. I had talked through it. I had convinced myself I had let it go.</p><p>But then a situation would come up, and my reaction would tell a different story.</p><p>That is usually how I recognize it.</p><p>Not in what I say, but in what rises up in me when a nerve is touched.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>What you struggle to release often reveals where obedience has not fully taken place.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.&#8221;<br>Psalm 55:22 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There have been times when I said I trusted God with something, but when I was challenged, I felt it immediately. That tightening inside. That need to step in, fix it, or take control again.</p><p>That is where I have had to be honest.</p><p>Because surrender is not just something I say.</p><p>It is something that shows up in how I respond.</p><p>I have seen this most clearly in my family. I love deeply, and with that comes a strong desire to protect, to guide, and to make sure everything turns out well. That has always been part of who I am.</p><p>But there have been moments where that crossed into control.</p><p>Not in an obvious way, but in subtle ways. Wanting to step in too quickly. Wanting to manage outcomes. Wanting to make sure things unfolded the way I thought they should.</p><p>And when things didn&#8217;t, I felt it.</p><p>That uneasiness.</p><p>That pull to take it back into my own hands.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Trust is easy to say when things are steady. It is tested when things are not.</p><p>God has been patient with me in this. He has shown me, gently but clearly, that holding on too tightly does not bring peace. It brings stress.</p><p>And that stress is not coming from Him.</p><p>It is coming from me trying to carry something He never asked me to hold onto.</p><p>There have also been areas where I held onto past hurt longer than I realized. Not because I wanted to stay there, but because I had not fully released it. I thought I had moved on, but certain situations would bring it right back to the surface.</p><p>That was a sign.</p><p>Not of failure, but of something still unfinished.</p><p>God does not expose those places to shame us.</p><p>He exposes them so we can finally release them.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.&#8221;<br>James 4:10 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Humility has been a big part of this for me. Being willing to admit, even to myself, that I had not fully let something go. That I was still holding onto it in ways I did not want to see.</p><p>That is not always easy.</p><p>But it is necessary.</p><p>Because partial surrender still leaves you carrying weight.</p><p>And I have learned that God is not asking me to carry it halfway.</p><p>He is asking me to release it fully.</p><p>There is a freedom that comes when I finally do. Not because everything around me changes, but because I am no longer trying to hold together what only He can handle.</p><p>That is where peace settles in again.</p><p>There may be something in your life right now that you thought you had already surrendered. But if you are honest, you still feel that pull to hold onto it. You still feel that need to control it, manage it, or protect it.</p><p>That is where God is inviting you deeper.</p><p>Not to take more from you.</p><p>But to free you from what you were never meant to carry.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of women walking boldly with God.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>What you hold onto reveals where you still need to trust God more deeply.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Ask the Lord to show you if there is anything you are still holding onto.</p><p>Be honest with yourself.</p><p>Where do you feel that pull to control or protect?</p><p>Take one step today to release it back into His hands.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Let it go.</p><p>Trust Him with it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know the areas where I say I trust You, but still hold on underneath. You see where I try to manage what belongs in Your hands.</p><p>Help me to fully release what I have been carrying. Give me the humility to recognize it and the courage to let it go.</p><p>Teach me to trust You more deeply.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of women walking boldly with God.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-13-2026-obedience-will-expose?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-13-2026-obedience-will-expose?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-13-2026-obedience-will-expose?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 12, 2026: Obedience Will Stretch You Beyond What Feels Safe - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: God will often lead you beyond your comfort zone to grow your trust in Him.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-12-2026-obedience-will-stretch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-12-2026-obedience-will-stretch</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:01:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/366d87b2-908b-4055-9a3d-80a660fb5f84_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are places in life where I feel steady. I know what to expect. I know how to respond. I know how to carry myself in those situations, and there is a sense of ease in that. I don&#8217;t have to think too hard. I don&#8217;t feel exposed. I don&#8217;t feel unsure.</p><p>And if I&#8217;m honest, I like staying there.</p><p>But that is not where God has done His deepest work in me.</p><p>The moments that have shaped me the most are the ones where I felt stretched. The ones where I didn&#8217;t feel completely ready. The ones where I would have chosen to stay where it was comfortable, but something in me knew He was asking me to step forward anyway.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience will often lead you into places that feel uncomfortable, but that is where trust is strengthened.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There have been times when I could see what felt safe and predictable right in front of me, and then there was another direction that felt uncertain. Not wrong, just unfamiliar. And that unfamiliar place is usually where I hesitate.</p><p>I start asking questions.</p><p>Do I have what it takes for this?</p><p>What if I don&#8217;t handle it well?</p><p>What if I step into this and it doesn&#8217;t go the way I think it will?</p><p>Those thoughts come quickly. And if I stay there too long, I will talk myself right out of obedience.</p><p>I have done that before.</p><p>I have stayed where it felt safe, even when I sensed God nudging me to move forward. Not in big dramatic ways, but in quiet, everyday moments. Times where I knew I needed to step out in faith, but I chose to stay where I felt in control.</p><p>And every time, something in me knew I was holding back.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.&#8221;<br>2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That verse has helped me recognize the difference between caution and fear. Caution can be wise. It helps you slow down and consider. But fear keeps you from moving at all.</p><p>And fear has a way of sounding reasonable.</p><p>It tells you to wait.</p><p>It tells you to be sure.</p><p>It tells you to stay where things feel manageable.</p><p>But obedience does not always feel manageable.</p><p>There have been moments where I stepped into something that felt bigger than me. Conversations I didn&#8217;t feel prepared for. Decisions that required me to trust God more than my own understanding. Situations where I couldn&#8217;t see the full picture, but I knew enough to take the next step.</p><p>Those are the moments that grow something deeper.</p><p>Not confidence in myself.</p><p>Confidence in Him.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.&#8221;<br>2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That has become real to me over time. God does not wait until I feel fully ready. He meets me in the middle of my willingness. When I step forward, even if it feels small, He fills in what I lack.</p><p>I have seen that in my own life. Times when I thought I needed more strength, more clarity, more certainty before I could move. But what I really needed was trust.</p><p>Trust to take the step in front of me.</p><p>Not ten steps ahead.</p><p>Just one.</p><p>There may be something in your life right now that feels just outside of what is comfortable. Not completely overwhelming, but enough to make you pause. Enough to make you second guess whether you should move forward.</p><p>That is often where obedience lives.</p><p>Right on the edge of what feels safe.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of women walking boldly with God.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Growth in faith happens when you move beyond what feels safe and trust God in the process.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Identify one area where you feel stretched right now.</p><p>Not overwhelmed. Just stretched.</p><p>Take one step in that direction today, even if it feels small.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Step forward.</p><p>Trust God.</p><p>Let Him meet you there.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know where I feel comfortable and where I hesitate. You see the places where I hold back because I want to feel safe and in control.</p><p>Help me to trust You beyond what I can see. Give me the courage to step into what You are calling me toward, even when it feels unfamiliar.</p><p>Strengthen my faith as I follow You.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of women walking boldly with God.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-12-2026-obedience-will-stretch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-12-2026-obedience-will-stretch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-12-2026-obedience-will-stretch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 11, 2026: Obedience Will Ask You to Speak When It’s Uncomfortable - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Obedience sometimes requires you to speak truth with love, even when everything in you wants to stay silent.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-11-2026-obedience-will-ask</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-11-2026-obedience-will-ask</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:01:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1c520b97-4ab6-48b9-9a9f-b86b08075567_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have spent most of my life avoiding hard conversations. If something felt uncomfortable, I would pull back. If I sensed tension, I would stay silent. It wasn&#8217;t because I didn&#8217;t care. It was because I cared too much about keeping peace. I wanted people to like me. I wanted relationships to stay smooth. I didn&#8217;t want to risk being misunderstood or causing conflict.</p><p>So I kept my mouth shut.</p><p>And for a while, it felt like the right thing to do.</p><p>But over time, I started to see what that silence was actually doing inside of me.</p><p>It wasn&#8217;t bringing peace.</p><p>It was building resentment.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience requires you to speak when God says speak, even if it feels uncomfortable.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Speak the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.&#8221;<br>Ephesians 4:15 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There were seasons where I would replay conversations in my head over and over. I would think about what I should have said. I would rehearse it, refine it, adjust it, and still never actually say it.</p><p>I convinced myself I was keeping peace.</p><p>But I wasn&#8217;t.</p><p>I was avoiding obedience.</p><p>Because there were times God was prompting me to speak with honesty, and I chose silence instead.</p><p>Not because I didn&#8217;t know what to say.</p><p>But because I was afraid of how it would be received.</p><p>Afraid of hurting someone.</p><p>Afraid of being misunderstood.</p><p>Afraid of what might happen next.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That fear is subtle. It doesn&#8217;t always feel like fear. It feels like caution, like wisdom, like &#8220;waiting for the right moment.&#8221; But I have learned there is a difference between waiting on God and holding back out of fear.</p><p>One is obedience.</p><p>The other is avoidance.</p><p>I have lived both.</p><p>And I can tell you this. When I hold things in, it does not stay contained. It shows up in other ways. It leaks out in my tone. It comes out as frustration. It builds into resentment. And eventually, if I don&#8217;t deal with it, it comes out stronger than it should have in the first place.</p><p>That&#8217;s not how God designed it.</p><p>He didn&#8217;t call me to silence when truth needs to be spoken.</p><p>He called me to speak it the right way.</p><p>There have been moments where I finally stepped into that. Where I said what needed to be said&#8212;not harshly, not emotionally charged, but calmly and clearly. And those moments were not nearly as destructive as I had feared.</p><p>In fact, they were often the beginning of healing.</p><p>Because truth, when spoken in love, does not destroy relationships.</p><p>It strengthens them.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Better is open rebuke than hidden love.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 27:5 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That verse challenged me. Hidden love sounds safe. It sounds kind. But when love stays hidden behind silence, it doesn&#8217;t help anyone grow. It doesn&#8217;t bring clarity. It doesn&#8217;t bring healing.</p><p>It just stays buried.</p><p>And I have learned that buried things don&#8217;t stay buried forever.</p><p>They come back up.</p><p>So now, I ask God for something I didn&#8217;t used to ask for.</p><p>Not just peace.</p><p>But courage.</p><p>Courage to speak when He tells me to.</p><p>Courage to say what is true, without trying to control how it is received.</p><p>Courage to trust that obedience matters more than comfort.</p><p>There is something in your life right now where you know you need to speak. Maybe it&#8217;s a boundary. Maybe it&#8217;s a truth you&#8217;ve been holding back. Maybe it&#8217;s a conversation you&#8217;ve been avoiding.</p><p>And you&#8217;ve been waiting.</p><p>Waiting for it to feel easier.</p><p>Waiting for the perfect moment.</p><p>Waiting for the discomfort to go away.</p><p>But obedience does not always wait for comfort.</p><p>Sometimes it moves right through it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of women walking boldly with God.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Silence is not always peace. Sometimes obedience requires your voice.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Ask the Lord if there is something you need to say that you have been avoiding.</p><p>Write it down.</p><p>Pray over it.</p><p>Then ask Him for the right words and the right timing, and be willing to follow through.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Speak the truth.</p><p>Do it in love.</p><p>Do it in obedience.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know how often I choose silence because I want to keep peace. You see where I hold things in instead of speaking what is true.</p><p>Give me discernment to know when to speak and when to be still. And when You ask me to speak, give me the courage to do it with love, clarity, and confidence.</p><p>Help me trust You with the outcome.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of women walking boldly with God.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-11-2026-obedience-will-ask?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-11-2026-obedience-will-ask?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-11-2026-obedience-will-ask?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 10, 2026: Obedience Will Interrupt What You Had Planned - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: God&#8217;s direction will sometimes disrupt your plans, but His way is always better.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-10-2026-obedience-will-interrupt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-10-2026-obedience-will-interrupt</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:02:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/51b72de3-4144-483f-bf23-2ed1c4c908fe_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are days when I start with a clear plan in mind. I know what needs to get done. I have it laid out in my head, and I feel settled moving in that direction. I like that feeling. I like knowing what the day holds. I like having things organized and moving forward without interruption.</p><p>But life does not always stay on that track.</p><p>And I have learned that sometimes it is not life interrupting me.</p><p>It is God redirecting me.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience means being willing to release your plans when God leads you in a different direction.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There have been many times when I had a full day planned, and something unexpected came up. A conversation I did not anticipate. A situation that needed attention. A moment where I felt prompted to stop what I was doing and focus somewhere else.</p><p>My first reaction is not always flexibility.</p><p>It is resistance.</p><p>I start thinking about what I am not getting done. I think about how it shifts everything else. Disruptions stress me out, and there is an urgency to get things back on track.</p><p>But I have learned to pause in those moments.</p><p>Because not every interruption is a distraction.</p><p>Sometimes it is direction.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Committing my plans to the Lord does not mean everything will go exactly as I outlined. It means I trust Him enough to adjust when He leads me differently.</p><p>That has not always been easy for me.</p><p>I like structure. I like order. I like knowing where things are going. When something shifts unexpectedly, it can feel like things are getting off course.</p><p>But I have seen over and over that God&#8217;s course is not the same as mine.</p><p>There have been moments where I took time for someone when I did not plan to. A conversation that seemed small at first but turned out to be exactly what was needed in that moment. There have been times I felt prompted to stop and pray for someone when I would have normally kept moving.</p><p>Those moments matter.</p><p>But I would have missed them if I stayed locked into my own plan.</p><p>I have also seen this in bigger decisions. Times when I thought something would go one way, and God clearly redirected it. At first, it felt like a setback because things were not lining up the way I expected.</p><p>But looking back, I can see His hand in it.</p><p>He was not taking something away.</p><p>He was guiding me toward something better.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.&#8221;<br>Isaiah 55:8 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That verse has grounded me in moments where things did not go as planned. It reminds me that my perspective is limited, but His is not. What feels like an interruption to me may be intentional direction from Him.</p><p>That changes how I respond.</p><p>Instead of tightening my grip on my plan, I have learned to hold it more loosely. Not carelessly, but with a willingness to adjust when God leads me differently.</p><p>That does not mean I abandon responsibility.</p><p>It means I stay sensitive to His direction.</p><p>There is a difference.</p><p>There is something in your life right now where things may not be going the way you expected. Plans may have shifted. Things may feel off from what you had in mind.</p><p>Before you assume it is a setback, take a moment to ask if God is redirecting you.</p><p>Because sometimes obedience is not about staying on your plan.</p><p>It is about following His.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>God&#8217;s direction may interrupt your plans, but it will never lead you off course.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Look at something today that did not go according to your plan.</p><p>Pause.</p><p>Ask the Lord if there is something He is showing you in the shift.</p><p>Be willing to adjust instead of resisting.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Hold your plans loosely.</p><p>Follow God closely.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know how much I like to have things planned and settled. You see where I resist when things shift unexpectedly.</p><p>Help me to trust You in those moments. Give me the awareness to recognize when You are redirecting me, and the willingness to follow without resistance.</p><p>Teach me to walk in obedience, even when it interrupts what I had planned.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-10-2026-obedience-will-interrupt?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-10-2026-obedience-will-interrupt?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-10-2026-obedience-will-interrupt?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 9, 2026: Obedience Will Challenge Your Need to Be Understood - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: You can walk in obedience even when others misunderstand your intentions.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-9-2026-obedience-will-challenge</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-9-2026-obedience-will-challenge</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:01:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/91ca99ba-6fb5-406b-9967-bcdfe7150910_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There have been moments in my life where I knew I was doing what God was asking me to do, but it did not come across that way to others. That has never been easy for me. I want to be understood. I want people to know my heart. I want people to believe that what I&#8217;m doing makes sense.</p><p>But obedience does not always come with agreement.</p><p>And it does not always come with understanding from others.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience is not dependent on being understood by others. It is rooted in being aligned with God.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?&#8221;<br>Galatians 1:10 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There is something in me that wants to explain myself. If I make a decision, I want people to understand why. If I set a boundary, I want it to make sense to them. If I respond differently than expected, I want to clear up any confusion right away.</p><p>That desire is not all bad.</p><p>But I have learned it can become a weight if I am not careful.</p><p>Because there are times when God asks me to do something that others may not fully understand. Not because it is wrong, but because they do not see what He has shown me. They are not walking through it the same way I am.</p><p>That is where the tension shows up.</p><p>I have faced this in relationships where I needed to step back or respond differently than I had before. It was not about pulling away emotionally. It was about walking in obedience to what God was showing me.</p><p>But that shift was not always received clearly.</p><p>There were moments when I felt misunderstood. Moments where I could sense that others did not fully see my heart behind the decision. And my first instinct was to try and fix that.</p><p>To explain more.</p><p>To soften it.</p><p>To make sure they were okay with it.</p><p>But I have learned that I cannot always bring someone to full understanding.</p><p>And I am not responsible for doing that.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That verse has helped me recognize where I was getting pulled off track. When I focus too much on how others are responding, I had the tendency to start adjusting what God asked me to do just to keep things comfortable.</p><p>And that leads me right back into misalignment.</p><p>There have been times I did that. I softened something I should have held firm. I explained something beyond what was needed. I stepped back from a decision because I wanted to avoid being misunderstood.</p><p>But each time, I felt it.</p><p>That quiet check in my spirit.</p><p>That sense that I was moving away from what God had already made clear.</p><p>Obedience does not always come with affirmation from others.</p><p>Sometimes it comes with quiet confidence between you and the Lord.</p><p>That is where trust grows.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;For we walk by faith, not by sight.&#8221;<br>2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Walking by faith means I do not always see how everything will unfold, and I do not always receive confirmation from those around me. But I can still move forward because I know where my direction is coming from.</p><p>I have also had to remind myself that God sees my heart fully, even when others do not. He knows my intentions. He knows my desire to walk this out in a way that honors Him.</p><p>That has been enough.</p><p>Not always easy.</p><p>But enough.</p><p>There is something in your life right now where you may be holding back because you want to be understood first. You want to make sure everyone is on the same page. You want to avoid confusion or tension.</p><p>But if God has already made it clear to you, then your responsibility is not to secure everyone else&#8217;s agreement.</p><p>It is to walk in obedience.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Obedience is not measured by how well others understand you, but by how closely you follow God.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Think about an area where you have been hesitating because you want others to understand or agree.</p><p>Be honest.</p><p>Are you adjusting your obedience to avoid being misunderstood?</p><p>Take one step today based on what God has shown you, not on how others may respond.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Do not wait for understanding.</p><p>Walk in obedience.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know my desire to be understood. You see where I hesitate because I want things to feel clear and settled with others.</p><p>Help me to trust You more than I trust the approval of people. Give me the confidence to walk in obedience, even when it is not fully understood by those around me.</p><p>Keep my heart anchored in You.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-9-2026-obedience-will-challenge?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-9-2026-obedience-will-challenge?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-9-2026-obedience-will-challenge?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 8, 2026: Obedience Will Stretch You Past What Feels Natural - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: God will often lead you beyond your natural tendencies to grow you into who He&#8217;s calling you to be.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-8-2026-obedience-will-stretch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-8-2026-obedience-will-stretch</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:01:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/64e6275c-e661-45ce-bdcd-aa7035a24198_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are parts of my personality that feel very natural to me. They have been there for a long time. The way I respond, the way I process, the way I handle situations, especially when things feel uncomfortable. Those patterns feel familiar, and because they are familiar, they feel safe.</p><p>But I have learned that what feels natural is not always what is obedient.</p><p>There are times when God will ask me to step outside of what comes naturally to me, not to make things harder, but to grow me into something better.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience will often lead you beyond what feels natural so that you can grow into what is right.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.&#8221;<br>2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>I tend to stay quiet when I feel uncomfortable. That has been my pattern for most of my life. I do not like conflict. I do not like strife. I do not like the feeling of tension between people.</p><p>So my natural response is to pull back.</p><p>I tell myself I am giving it time. I tell myself I am processing. I tell myself I am choosing peace.</p><p>But I have learned that sometimes what I am actually doing is avoiding what God is asking me to step into.</p><p>There have been moments where I knew I needed to speak, but everything in me wanted to stay silent. Not because I did not care, but because I did. I did not want to hurt anyone. I did not want to create distance. I did not want to make things worse.</p><p>But obedience does not always align with what feels comfortable.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Whoever fears the Lord walks in uprightness, but he who despises him is devious in his ways.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 14:2 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That verse has reminded me that obedience is not about following what feels easiest. It is about walking in alignment with God, even when it stretches me.</p><p>I have also seen this in how I handle my emotions. When I feel hurt, my tendency has been to pull inward. I think about it. I go over it. I try to understand it on my own.</p><p>That feels natural to me.</p><p>But it has not always been healthy.</p><p>God has been teaching me to bring things into the light instead of holding them in the dark. That means speaking when I would rather stay silent. That means asking questions instead of making assumptions. That means giving others the opportunity to respond instead of deciding on my own what they meant.</p><p>That stretches me.</p><p>There have been times where I could feel that resistance. I knew what the right step was, but it did not feel natural to take it. It felt unfamiliar. It felt uncomfortable.</p><p>But I have learned that growth often feels that way at first.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.&#8221;<br>Romans 12:2 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Transformation does not happen by staying in what feels familiar. It happens when I allow God to reshape how I think, how I respond, and how I walk things out.</p><p>That does not mean I get it right every time.</p><p>There are still moments where I fall back into old patterns. There are still times where I stay quiet when I should speak or delay when I should move.</p><p>But I recognize it more quickly now.</p><p>And when I do, I have a choice.</p><p>I can stay where it feels comfortable.</p><p>Or I can step into what God is asking, even if it feels unfamiliar.</p><p>Every time I choose obedience, something shifts. It may not be immediate. It may not be dramatic. But there is a strengthening that happens.</p><p>I become a little more aligned.</p><p>A little more steady.</p><p>A little more willing to trust Him over what feels natural to me.</p><p>There is something in your life right now where God may be asking you to step outside of your natural response. It may feel uncomfortable. It may feel unfamiliar.</p><p>But that does not mean it is wrong.</p><p>It may be exactly where He is leading you.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Growth happens when you choose obedience over what feels natural.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Identify one area where your natural response is not aligned with what God is asking of you.</p><p>Be honest.</p><p>What feels easier, and what is actually right?</p><p>Take one step today that moves you toward obedience, even if it feels uncomfortable.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Do not default to what feels natural.</p><p>Step into what God is asking.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know the patterns I fall back into when things feel uncomfortable. You see where I choose what is familiar instead of what is right.</p><p>Help me to trust You enough to step beyond what feels natural. Give me the courage to walk in obedience, even when it stretches me.</p><p>Transform my thinking, my responses, and my actions so that they align with You.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-8-2026-obedience-will-stretch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-8-2026-obedience-will-stretch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-8-2026-obedience-will-stretch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 7, 2026: Obedience Means Letting Go of the Outcome - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: You are responsible for obedience, not the outcome that follows.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-7-2026-obedience-means-letting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-7-2026-obedience-means-letting</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:01:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/50dda25f-4228-48e9-b62b-d020a9c5f5cc_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are moments when I know exactly what God is asking me to do, but what holds me back is not the step itself. It is what might happen after I take it. I start thinking through the possible responses, the reactions, the consequences. I want to make sure it will turn out well. I want to make sure it will be received the right way.</p><p>And if I cannot control that part, I hesitate.</p><p>I have learned that this is where obedience gets tested in a deeper way.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience requires you to release control of the outcome and trust God with what follows.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There have been many situations where I delayed doing what I knew was right because I was focused on how it would turn out. I would think about the conversation, the decision, or the step I needed to take, but my mind would go straight to the result.</p><p>How will they respond?</p><p>Will this make things worse?</p><p>Will this create distance?</p><p>Will this backfire?</p><p>Those questions can feel very real. And if I am honest, they have stopped me more than once.</p><p>I like things to be steady. I like relationships to feel settled. I like knowing where things stand. When something feels uncertain, I tend to slow down and try to manage it.</p><p>But obedience is not about managing outcomes.</p><p>It is about responding to God.</p><p>There have been conversations I knew I needed to have, but I waited because I did not know how the other person would take it. I wanted it to go well. I wanted it to lead to understanding. I wanted it to strengthen the relationship.</p><p>But sometimes, even when you handle something with care, it does not go the way you hoped.</p><p>That used to discourage me.</p><p>It made me question whether I should have said anything at all.</p><p>But God has been faithful to show me that my responsibility is not how it is received.</p><p>My responsibility is whether I was obedient in how I delivered it.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.&#8221;<br>Colossians 3:23 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That has shifted how I look at these moments. I am not doing this to get a certain reaction from someone. I am doing this because God is leading me to do it.</p><p>That does not remove the discomfort.</p><p>There are still times I feel that hesitation rise up. There are still moments where I wish I could control how everything will unfold.</p><p>But I cannot.</p><p>And I was never meant to.</p><p>I have also seen this in the way I handle my family. As a wife, as a mother, and now as a grandmother, there is a strong desire in me to protect, to guide, and to help things turn out well for the people I love.</p><p>But I have had to learn to release them to the Lord.</p><p>That has not been easy.</p><p>There have been times where I wanted to step in and fix things, to steer outcomes, to make sure everything would be okay. But God has gently reminded me that He loves them more than I do, and He is fully capable of leading them.</p><p>My role is to be obedient in how I love, how I speak, how I respond.</p><p>The outcome belongs to Him.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>Trusting Him means I take the step He is asking me to take, even when I cannot see how it will unfold. It means I release the need to control the result and rest in the fact that He is in control.</p><p>That is not passive.</p><p>That is active trust.</p><p>There is something in your life right now where you may be holding back because you are focused on the outcome. You know what the right step is, but you are trying to make sure it will turn out the way you want.</p><p>That is where obedience gets delayed.</p><p>You do not need to have the outcome figured out.</p><p>You need to take the step.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>You are responsible for obedience. God is responsible for the outcome.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Identify one area where you have been holding back because you are focused on how it will turn out.</p><p>Be honest.</p><p>Are you trying to control the result?</p><p>Take the step God has already shown you, and release the outcome to Him.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Do what God said.</p><p>Leave the results to Him.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know how often I try to control what happens after I take a step. You see where I hesitate because I want things to turn out a certain way.</p><p>Help me to trust You with the outcome. Give me the courage to be obedient in what You are asking, and the peace to release what follows into Your hands.</p><p>Teach me to walk in trust, not control.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-7-2026-obedience-means-letting?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-7-2026-obedience-means-letting?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-7-2026-obedience-means-letting?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 6, 2026: Obedience Will Ask You to Speak When You’d Rather Stay Silent - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Obedience sometimes means speaking truth when silence feels easier.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-6-2026-obedience-will-ask-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-6-2026-obedience-will-ask-you</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:01:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/35802bdb-58a7-4d46-b53b-3a27f1504d82_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are moments when I can feel the tension rise before I ever say a word. My first instinct is not to step into it. My first instinct is to stay quiet, to let things pass, to avoid stirring anything up. I have always wanted to keep the peace. I want people to feel comfortable. I want relationships to stay steady.</p><p>But I have learned that silence is not always peace.</p><p>Sometimes it is avoidance.</p><p>And there is a difference.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Silence can feel like peace, but obedience sometimes requires you to speak.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.&#8221;<br>Ephesians 4:15 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>I have spent a lot of my life choosing silence when I felt uncomfortable. If something bothered me, I would hold it in. If something needed to be said, I would tell myself it was not the right time. I would wait, thinking the feeling would pass or the situation would resolve on its own.</p><p>Sometimes it did.</p><p>But many times, it did not.</p><p>Instead, it stayed with me. I would think about it over and over. I would rehearse what I wanted to say but never actually say it. I would try to understand why that person had hurt my feelings without ever asking them directly.</p><p>That pattern does not lead to peace.</p><p>It leads to buildup.</p><p>There were times it came out in ways I did not intend. A sharp response. A frustrated tone. An outburst that seemed too strong in the moment. And then I would feel discouraged, wondering why I handled it that way.</p><p>But the truth was, I had been holding onto it for too long.</p><p>God has been very faithful to show me this over the years. Not all at once, but in moments where I knew I needed to speak and felt that hesitation rise again.</p><p>That hesitation usually sounds reasonable.</p><p>You tell yourself you do not want to make things worse. You tell yourself it is not worth bringing up. You tell yourself you are choosing peace.</p><p>But when God is prompting you to speak, staying silent is not peace.</p><p>It is disobedience.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.&#8221;<br>James 4:17 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>That verse has stopped me more than once. Not in a harsh way, but in a clear way. It reminds me that obedience is not just about avoiding wrong actions. It is also about following through on what God is asking me to do.</p><p>Speaking truth does not mean being harsh. It does not mean reacting emotionally. It does not mean saying everything you are thinking. It means being willing to say what is needed, in the right way, at the right time.</p><p>That takes dependence on the Lord.</p><p>Because left to myself, I either say nothing or I wait too long and say it the wrong way.</p><p>I have had to learn to pause and ask, &#8220;Lord, is this something You want me to say?&#8221; And if the answer is yes, then the next step is obedience, not delay.</p><p>That does not mean it feels easy.</p><p>There have been conversations where I could feel my heart beating faster before I even started. There have been moments where I did not know how the other person would respond. There have been times I worried it would create a rift instead of understanding.</p><p>But I have also seen what happens when I follow through.</p><p>There is clarity.</p><p>There is honesty.</p><p>There is a different kind of peace that comes, not from avoiding the situation, but from addressing it in a way that honors God.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The truth will set you free.&#8221;<br>John 8:32 (ESV)</p></blockquote><p>I have seen relationships strengthened because of it. Not every time, but more often than I expected. When truth is spoken with love, it creates space for real connection instead of surface-level peace.</p><p>And even in the moments where it is not received well, I am no longer carrying what I was trying to hold in.</p><p>That matters.</p><p>Because I am not responsible for how it is received.</p><p>I am responsible for how I respond.</p><p>There may be something in your life right now that you have been holding in. You know what needs to be said. You have thought about it. You have felt it. You may have even prayed about it.</p><p>But you have not spoken it.</p><p>That is where this becomes real.</p><p>Not in what you are thinking.</p><p>But in what you are willing to say.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:<br><a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B">https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B</a></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Obedience requires truth, even when silence feels easier.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Ask the Lord if there is something you need to say that you have been holding back.</p><p>Do not rush.</p><p>Listen.</p><p>If He brings something to mind, ask Him for the right words and the right timing.</p><p>Then follow through.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Do not hide behind silence.</p><p>Speak with truth and love.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know how easily I choose silence when I feel uncomfortable. You see where I avoid what needs to be said because I want to keep the peace.</p><p>Give me the courage to speak when You are prompting me. Help me to speak with love, not emotion, and with clarity, not fear.</p><p>Teach me to trust You with the outcome and to be faithful in my obedience.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-6-2026-obedience-will-ask-you?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-6-2026-obedience-will-ask-you?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-6-2026-obedience-will-ask-you?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 4, 2026: Obedience Will Cost You Something - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Every act of obedience requires letting go of something that feels easier to hold onto.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-4-2026-obedience-will-cost</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-4-2026-obedience-will-cost</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 08:00:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2424df7e-e9f6-4e88-8528-320cc34922da_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are moments when following the Lord is very clear, but not very convenient. I have walked through seasons where I knew what obedience required, and I also knew what it was going to cost me. It was not confusion that held me back. It was the weight of what I would have to release in order to move forward.</p><p>I have learned that obedience is not just about what you do. It is also about what you are willing to let go of.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience will ask you to release something, and until you do, you will feel the tension of holding onto both.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;And he said to all, &#8216;If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.&#8217;&#8221;<br>Luke 9:23 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There have been times when I held onto things longer than I should have, not because I believed they were right, but because they felt familiar. Letting go meant stepping into something unknown, and that has never been easy for me.</p><p>I like to know what I am stepping into. I like to understand how things are going to unfold. I like to feel steady before I move.</p><p>But obedience does not always give me that.</p><p>There have been relationships where I needed to change how I showed up. Not because I stopped caring, but because I needed to set healthier boundaries. That was not easy. I did not want to hurt anyone. I did not want to be misunderstood. I did not want to feel like I was pulling away.</p><p>So I stayed the same longer than I should have.</p><p>I said yes when I needed to say no. I stayed quiet when I needed to be honest. I allowed things to continue that I knew were not aligned with what God was asking of me.</p><p>And over time, that created a quiet strain inside of me.</p><p>Not because others were doing something wrong, but because I was not being obedient to what God was showing me.</p><p>Letting go in those moments felt like loss.</p><p>But it was not loss.</p><p>It was alignment.</p><p>I have also seen this in the area of forgiveness. There were hurts I carried because I felt justified in carrying them. Letting go of that felt like I was excusing what happened, and that did not sit right with me.</p><p>But forgiveness is not about saying something was acceptable.</p><p>It is about releasing what was never mine to carry in the first place.</p><p>When I held onto it, it weighed me down. It shaped how I saw people. It influenced how I responded, even when I did not realize it.</p><p>When I released it, even when it felt incomplete, there was a lightness that followed. Not because everything was fixed, but because I was no longer holding onto something God had asked me to surrender.</p><p>Obedience often comes with a trade.</p><p>You release control, and you receive peace.</p><p>You release comfort, and you receive growth.</p><p>You release what is familiar, and you step into what is right.</p><p>But that trade is not always easy in the moment.</p><p>There is a tension that shows up when you are holding onto something while also knowing God is asking you to release it. You feel pulled in two directions. One part of you wants to stay where it is safe. The other part knows you cannot stay there and remain aligned with Him.</p><p>I have learned that the longer I hold onto both, the heavier it feels.</p><p>Because I was never meant to carry both.</p><p>God does not ask me to follow Him while still gripping tightly to what He told me to let go of.</p><p>There is something in your life right now that may feel like this. You know what God is asking. You understand the step. But you also know what it will require you to release.</p><p>That is where the decision sits.</p><p>Not in what you know.</p><p>But in what you are willing to surrender.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>You cannot fully follow God while holding onto what He has asked you to release.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Ask the Lord to show you what you have been holding onto that He has already asked you to release.</p><p>Be honest about it.</p><p>Take one step today toward letting it go, even if it feels uncomfortable.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Release it.</p><p>Trust Him with what follows.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know the things I hold onto for comfort, even when You are asking me to release them. Give me the strength to let go of what is no longer aligned with You.</p><p>Help me to trust that what You are leading me into is better than what I am holding onto. Teach me to walk in obedience, even when it requires surrender.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-4-2026-obedience-will-cost?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-4-2026-obedience-will-cost?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-4-2026-obedience-will-cost?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 2, 2026: Obedience Requires Movement, Not Intention - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Knowing what God said means nothing if you do not act on it.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-2-2026-obedience-requires-movement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-2-2026-obedience-requires-movement</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:01:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a9247e7a-ba3e-49b5-ac2b-b63307a48897_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are places in my life where I have been very aware of what God was asking of me, but I stayed in the thinking stage far longer than I should have. I would pray about it, reflect on it, even agree with it&#8230; but I would not move on it. I told myself I was being careful. I told myself I wanted to do it right. But if I am honest, there were times I simply did not want to step into what obedience was going to cost me.</p><p>I have learned that intention can look a lot like obedience on the surface. You can feel like you are doing something because you are thinking about it, praying about it, or talking about it. But there comes a point where God is not asking for more consideration. He is asking for movement.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Intention without action is not obedience. It is delay that feels spiritual but keeps you stuck.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.&#8221;<br>James 1:22 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>I have always been someone who processes things internally first. I want to understand what is happening. I want to think through how it will affect others. I want to make sure I respond in a way that reflects Christ well.</p><p>That is not wrong.</p><p>But it can become a place where I stay too long.</p><p>There have been times where I knew I needed to have a conversation, but I kept putting it off. I would think about what I wanted to say. I would rehearse it in my mind. I would even pray for the right words. But I would not actually sit down and say it.</p><p>I convinced myself I was preparing.</p><p>In reality, I was avoiding.</p><p>Because once I speak, I cannot control how it will be received. I cannot guarantee the outcome. And that has always been something I have struggled with. I want things to go well. I want peace. I want understanding.</p><p>But obedience is not based on outcome.</p><p>It is based on response.</p><p>God has also dealt with me in the area of forgiveness in this same way. I knew I needed to release certain things. I knew holding onto hurt was not helping me. I knew His Word was clear about forgiveness.</p><p>But I kept waiting until I felt ready to do it fully.</p><p>I would say I forgave, but I would still revisit the hurt. I would still carry it in my thoughts. I would still protect myself emotionally in ways that kept distance between me and the other person.</p><p>That was not full obedience.</p><p>That was partial release.</p><p>And it kept me tied to something God was trying to free me from.</p><p>There is a difference between acknowledging what God said and actually living it out. One stays in your head. The other changes how you walk.</p><p>I have seen this in smaller daily decisions as well. Things like setting boundaries. There were times I knew I needed to say no, but I said yes anyway because I did not want to disappoint someone. I knew I needed to step back, but I stayed engaged because I did not want to seem unkind.</p><p>I told myself I would deal with it later.</p><p>Later usually meant more frustration, more exhaustion, and sometimes even resentment that I had not been honest in the first place.</p><p>When I finally started acting on what God was showing me, even in simple ways, things began to shift. Not always externally right away, but internally there was a steadiness that came from being aligned with Him.</p><p>I did not feel torn in two directions anymore.</p><p>I was not carrying the weight of what I should have done.</p><p>That is what action does.</p><p>It closes the gap between knowing and doing.</p><p>And that gap is where a lot of unnecessary struggle lives.</p><p>God&#8217;s Word is not meant to sit with us as information. It is meant to move through us as action. When I stay in the place of knowing without doing, I end up feeling stuck, even though I have clarity.</p><p>Clarity without movement leads to frustration.</p><p>Movement, even when it feels uncomfortable, leads to growth.</p><p>There is likely something in your life right now that you have been sitting on. You know what the right step is. You have thought about it more than once. You may have even talked yourself into taking action at some point.</p><p>But you have not moved yet.</p><p>That is where this becomes real.</p><p>Not in what you know.</p><p>But in what you are willing to do with it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Obedience is measured by movement, not intention.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Identify one thing God has already made clear to you.</p><p>Not something new. Something you already know.</p><p>Take one step today that moves you into action, even if it feels uncomfortable.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Stop thinking about it.</p><p>Start doing it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know the places where I stay in my thoughts instead of stepping into action. You see where I delay what You have already made clear.</p><p>Help me to move in obedience, not just agreement. Give me the courage to act on Your Word, even when I feel unsure or uncomfortable.</p><p>Teach me to be faithful in what I do, not just in what I understand.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-2-2026-obedience-requires-movement?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-2-2026-obedience-requires-movement?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-2-2026-obedience-requires-movement?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[April 1, 2026: Obedience Begins Before You Feel Ready - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Obedience often begins before comfort, certainty, or readiness ever show up.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-1-2026-obedience-begins-before</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-1-2026-obedience-begins-before</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:01:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1359dd94-e9fb-44dc-a95c-b173d9348b01_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are seasons where the Lord makes something clear, but everything in you wants to wait. Not because you are being rebellious, but because you are trying to make sure you get it right. You want to understand it fully. You want to feel settled about it. You want to know that when you take that step, it will not create more problems than it solves.</p><p>I have lived in that space more times than I can count.</p><p>I do not naturally rush into things. I tend to slow down, think it through, and hold back when I feel unsure. I have always wanted to keep the peace, to avoid conflict, to make sure everyone is okay. That part of me has shaped how I respond when something feels uncomfortable. If I am not careful, I will stay quiet when I should speak, or delay when I already know what needs to be done.</p><p>What I have had to learn is that obedience does not wait for comfort to catch up.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Obedience does not wait until you feel ready. It begins when you trust God enough to move anyway.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.&#8221;<br>Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>There have been many moments where I knew exactly what God was asking of me, but I did not feel ready to step into it. I wanted a little more clarity. I wanted to feel stronger. I wanted to make sure I would handle it well.</p><p>That is where I tend to pause.</p><p>Sometimes that pause looks harmless. It feels like wisdom. It feels like I am being careful. But I have learned that there is a difference between seeking the Lord and procrastination because I am uncomfortable.</p><p>I have a pattern. When something feels tense, especially in relationships, I tend to stay quiet. I do not like conflict, and the feeling of tension between people. I would rather smooth things over than address them directly.</p><p>So I hold things in.</p><p>I rehearse what I would say. I go over it again and again in my mind. I try to make sense of why something happened the way it did. I create explanations without ever asking the person directly. I sit with the hurt, trying to process it on my own.</p><p>And then, eventually, it leaks out.</p><p>Sometimes it comes out in frustration. Sometimes in silence. Sometimes in a way that surprises even me, because it has been building for longer than I realized.</p><p>That is what happens when I delay obedience.</p><p>God has asked me more than once to speak, to address something, to handle it in a way that reflects Him instead of avoiding it. Not harshly. Not emotionally. But honestly and with grace.</p><p>When I ignore that, I am not protecting peace. I am postponing it.</p><p>I have also had to learn this in the area of forgiveness. There have been hurts I wanted to hold onto, not because I wanted to be bitter, but because I felt justified. I wanted time. I wanted space. I wanted to feel like I had worked through it enough before I let it go.</p><p>But forgiveness is not something I arrive at when I feel ready.</p><p>It is something I choose because He told me to.</p><p>And every time I have chosen to release it, even when it felt incomplete, God has met me there. He has been faithful to heal what I could not fix on my own.</p><p>The same has been true in other areas. Decisions I delayed. Conversations I avoided. Steps I knew I needed to take but kept putting off because I did not feel prepared.</p><p>What I have learned is that waiting for readiness often becomes an excuse that sounds responsible.</p><p>But it keeps me stuck.</p><p>God does not ask me to lean on my understanding. He asks me to trust Him. That means there will be times I move without having everything figured out. There will be moments where I take a step and still feel unsure.</p><p>That does not mean I am doing it wrong.</p><p>It means I am walking by faith.</p><p>I have seen over and over that clarity often comes after obedience, not before it. When I finally take the step, something settles. Not because everything changes instantly, but because I am no longer resisting what God has already made clear.</p><p>There is peace in that place.</p><p>Not perfect circumstances. Not complete understanding. But alignment.</p><p>And that is what I want more than anything.</p><p>If I am being honest, there are still areas where I have to remind myself of this. Times when I catch myself hesitating again, wanting to wait just a little longer.</p><p>But I come back to the same question.</p><p>Am I going to trust what He said, or am I going to wait until I feel ready?</p><p>That question has helped me move forward more times than I can count.</p><p>There is likely something in your life right now where you already know what the next step is. It may not feel comfortable. It may not feel clear all the way through.</p><p>But if God has already spoken, then the next step is not more waiting.</p><p>It is obedience.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Obedience grows when you stop waiting for readiness and start trusting what God has already said.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Think about one area where you know God has already spoken to you.</p><p>Be honest.</p><p>Have you been waiting to feel ready, or have you been avoiding what feels uncomfortable?</p><p>Take one step today that moves you into alignment with what He has already said.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>Do not wait for the feeling.</p><p>Move when He speaks.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Father,</p><p>You know the places where I hesitate. You see where I hold back because I want to feel ready before I move.</p><p>Help me to trust You more than I trust my own understanding. Give me the courage to take the steps You are asking of me, even when I feel unsure.</p><p>Teach me to walk in obedience without delay, and to trust that You will meet me in every step.</p><p>In Jesus&#8217; name, Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, forging faith, and equipping the next generation of warriors.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-1-2026-obedience-begins-before?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-1-2026-obedience-begins-before?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/april-1-2026-obedience-begins-before?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 31, 2026 - When Discernment Renews Your Mind Daily - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how daily renewal of the mind anchors our emotions, decisions, and responses in God&#8217;s truth instead of our feelings.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-31-2026-when-discernment-renews</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-31-2026-when-discernment-renews</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f17ee342-a5d4-4770-95c8-1943f69dfbd5_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is something I have had to learn over and over again.</p><p>Discernment is not a one-time decision.</p><p>It is a daily practice.</p><p>There have been days where I felt steady, grounded, and clear. My thoughts were aligned. My emotions were calm. My responses reflected wisdom. And then there have been other days where everything felt off.</p><p>My thoughts were scattered. My emotions were louder. My reactions felt closer to the surface.</p><p>Nothing externally may have changed that much, but internally, something had shifted.</p><p>And I began to notice a pattern.</p><p>On the days where I felt grounded, I had spent time with the Lord first.</p><p>On the days where I felt reactive or unsettled, I had usually moved into the day too quickly without that time.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment grows when we consistently renew our minds in God&#8217;s truth instead of relying on how we feel.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Romans 12:2, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Romans 12:2 has become an anchor in my life.</p><p>It reminds me that transformation does not happen by accident. It happens through intentional renewal.</p><p>For me, that renewal has looked like creating space with the Lord before anything else begins. Sitting quietly. Opening His Word. Allowing His truth to settle my thoughts before the noise of the day has a chance to shape them.</p><p>There have been seasons where I tried to carry discernment into my day without first anchoring myself in Him.</p><p>It did not work.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Psalm 119:105, ESV</p></blockquote><p>Without His Word leading me, I tend to rely on what I feel.</p><p>And what I feel is not always stable.</p><p>There have been mornings where I woke up already carrying emotion from the day before. Thoughts still lingering. Feelings not fully resolved. And if I moved straight into my day without bringing those things to the Lord, they followed me into every interaction.</p><p>They shaped my tone.</p><p>They influenced my responses.</p><p>They quietly guided my decisions.</p><p>But when I took the time to sit with Him, something changed.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Colossians 3:2, ESV</p></blockquote><p>My perspective shifted.</p><p>What felt heavy began to settle.</p><p>What felt confusing became clearer.</p><p>And what felt overwhelming became manageable.</p><p>This is not about perfection.</p><p>There are still days when I feel off. There are still moments when my emotions rise quickly. But I have learned that I do not have to stay there.</p><p>Discernment gives me a way back.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Colossians 3:16, ESV</p></blockquote><p>When His Word is present in my mind, it becomes a filter for everything else.</p><p>It helps me recognize when my thoughts are drifting.</p><p>It helps me realign when my emotions begin to take over.</p><p>It helps me respond from truth instead of reacting from feeling.</p><p>And over time, that daily renewal begins to shape everything.</p><p>Not just my thoughts.</p><p>But my responses.</p><p>My relationships.</p><p>My peace.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Daily renewal of the mind anchors discernment so our thoughts and responses remain aligned with God&#8217;s truth.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Begin your day tomorrow by spending intentional time with the Lord before anything else, allowing His Word to shape your thoughts.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You do not have to be carried by your emotions or shaped by the pace of the world around you.</p><p>God has given you a way to remain steady.</p><p>Today, commit to renewing your mind daily. Let His truth lead you, and trust that discernment will grow stronger as you stay anchored in Him.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, help me renew my mind daily in Your truth. Guide my thoughts, steady my emotions, and strengthen my discernment so I can walk in Your will with clarity and peace. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-31-2026-when-discernment-renews?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-31-2026-when-discernment-renews?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-31-2026-when-discernment-renews?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 30, 2026 - When Discernment Helps You Respond Instead of React - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment transforms our reactions into thoughtful, Spirit-led responses.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-30-2026-when-discernment-helps</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-30-2026-when-discernment-helps</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:01:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2deef587-4f48-42ed-98a5-8e0db76c50a7_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is a difference between reacting and responding, and I have lived on both sides of that difference.</p><p>For a long time, I did not realize how quickly I was reacting internally.</p><p>Even if I stayed quiet on the outside, inside thoughts were swirling around in my head. I would feel something, interpret it, decide what it means, and come to a conclusion before I ever slowed down enough to ask if what I was thinking was even true.</p><p>And once that internal reaction took hold, it shaped everything.</p><p>It shaped how I felt. It shaped how I spoke. It shaped how I saw the person involved.</p><p>I was not responding to truth.</p><p>I was reacting to what I thought was happening.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment slows us down so we can respond with truth instead of reacting to assumptions and emotions.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;The one who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 14:29, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Proverbs 14:29 makes something very clear.</p><p>Haste is not wisdom.</p><p>When I react quickly, especially emotionally, I am often operating on incomplete information. I am responding to how something feels in the moment rather than taking the time to understand what is actually happening.</p><p>For me, that has often looked like internal reactions.</p><p>I may not say anything right away, but I begin building a narrative in my mind. I decide what the other person meant. I interpret their tone. I assume their intentions.</p><p>And without realizing it, I have already reacted.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 14:15, ESV</p></blockquote><p>Discernment interrupts that process.</p><p>It steps in and slows everything down just enough to ask, &#8220;Do I actually know this is true?&#8221;</p><p>That question has been important for me.</p><p>Because many of my reactions were not based on truth.</p><p>They were based on assumptions.</p><p>There have been moments when I felt hurt or frustrated, and my instinct was to immediately form a conclusion about the situation. But when I paused and brought that moment to the Lord, I began to see things differently.</p><p>Sometimes I realized I had misunderstood.</p><p>Sometimes I saw that I did not have the full picture.</p><p>Sometimes I recognized that my emotions were stronger than the situation itself.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 18:13, ESV</p></blockquote><p>This verse has helped me understand the importance of slowing down.</p><p>Responding requires listening.</p><p>It requires patience.</p><p>It requires a willingness to wait until clarity forms instead of jumping to a conclusion.</p><p>And that is not always easy.</p><p>Waiting can feel uncomfortable. Silence can feel uncertain. But I have learned that those moments are where discernment begins to work.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;In quietness and in trust shall be your strength.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Isaiah 30:15, ESV</p></blockquote><p>There is strength in slowing down.</p><p>There is strength in not reacting immediately.</p><p>There is strength in allowing God to guide your response instead of letting your emotions take control.</p><p>For me, this has been a process of learning to pause.</p><p>To take a breath.</p><p>To bring the situation before the Lord and ask for clarity before I respond.</p><p>And when I do that, something shifts.</p><p>My words carry more weight.</p><p>My responses reflect truth.</p><p>And my relationships benefit from it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment transforms quick reactions into thoughtful, truth-based responses.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>When something triggers you today, pause before forming a conclusion and ask the Lord to help you see the situation clearly.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You are not called to react to every moment. You are called to respond with wisdom.</p><p>Today, slow down. Let discernment guide your thoughts, your words, and your actions. And trust that God will meet you in that pause with clarity and peace.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, help me slow down before I react. Give me discernment to respond with truth and wisdom, and guide my thoughts so they align with what is real and not just what I feel in the moment. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-30-2026-when-discernment-helps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-30-2026-when-discernment-helps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-30-2026-when-discernment-helps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 29, 2026 - When Discernment Teaches You to Stay Soft Without Losing Strength - Δ Delta 7 Women ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment helps us remain soft in heart while standing firm in truth and boundaries.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-29-2026-when-discernment-teaches</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-29-2026-when-discernment-teaches</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:02:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8363e266-236c-4501-8c1f-0535762af34b_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For a long time, I thought I had two choices.</p><p>I could stay soft and risk getting hurt again.</p><p>Or I could harden my heart and protect myself.</p><p>And if I am honest, I have lived on both sides of that.</p><p>There were seasons where I stayed too soft. I overlooked things I should have addressed. I gave more than I should have. I allowed situations to continue that were quietly wearing on me because I did not want to cause friction the relationship.</p><p>Then there were other seasons where I felt the need to protect myself, and I pulled back too far. I became guarded. Careful. Less open. Less willing to trust. It felt safer, but it also created distance in my relationships.</p><p>Neither of those places felt right.</p><p>One left me drained.</p><p>The other left me disconnected.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment allows us to remain tenderhearted while standing firm in truth, so we are neither unguarded nor hardened.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Ephesians 4:32, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>That word tenderhearted has become very meaningful to me.</p><p>It does not mean weak.</p><p>It does not mean passive.</p><p>It does not mean allowing anything and everything into your life.</p><p>It means your heart remains open to God, even while you walk in wisdom with others.</p><p>For me, this has been a journey of learning balance.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 4:23, ESV</p></blockquote><p>Guarding my heart used to mean pulling back.</p><p>Now I am learning that guarding my heart actually means staying aware. Staying anchored. Staying connected to the Lord so that my responses come from Him instead of from fear or past hurt.</p><p>There have been moments when I have felt the temptation to shut down again. To build that wall. To protect myself by disconnecting emotionally.</p><p>But I have learned that when I do that, I am not just protecting myself from others.</p><p>I am also limiting the work God wants to do in my heart.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Psalm 51:10, ESV</p></blockquote><p>God is not asking me to harden my heart to stay safe.</p><p>He is asking me to keep it aligned with Him.</p><p>Discernment helps me recognize when I am leaning too far in either direction.</p><p>If I am becoming too open without wisdom, it gently corrects me.</p><p>If I am becoming too guarded out of fear, it calls me back.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 16:23, ESV</p></blockquote><p>There have been situations where I needed to set a boundary and still remain kind. Situations where I needed to speak truth but not from a place of frustration. Situations where I needed to stay open in my heart while also standing firm in what I knew was right.</p><p>That balance does not come naturally.</p><p>It comes from walking closely with the Lord.</p><p>Discernment keeps my heart from drifting into extremes. It keeps me grounded in truth while still allowing space for grace.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment keeps the heart soft toward God while strengthening it in truth and wise boundaries.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Ask the Lord to show you where you may be leaning too far toward being overly open or overly guarded, and take one step toward balance.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You do not have to choose between being soft and being strong.</p><p>God is forming both in you.</p><p>Today, let discernment guide your heart. Stay tender. Stand firm. And trust that God will teach you how to walk in both truth and grace.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, teach me how to keep my heart soft without losing strength. Help me walk in truth and grace, and guide me with discernment so I do not drift into fear or imbalance. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-29-2026-when-discernment-teaches?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-29-2026-when-discernment-teaches?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-29-2026-when-discernment-teaches?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 28, 2026 - When Discernment Heals the Need to Be Liked - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment frees us from the need to be liked so we can walk in truth and obedience.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-28-2026-when-discernment-heals</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-28-2026-when-discernment-heals</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 08:01:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f9fab0e7-0890-43ed-a3a2-524b88d8f6a8_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This one has been deeply personal for me.</p><p>For much of my life, I have wanted to be liked.</p><p>I wanted people to feel comfortable around me. I wanted relationships to feel smooth. I wanted to avoid tension, avoid misunderstandings, and avoid anything that might cause someone to feel negatively toward me.</p><p>So I adjusted.</p><p>I softened my words. I stayed quiet when I should have spoken. I said yes when I should have said no. I carried things I was never meant to carry, all in an effort to keep everything feeling peaceful on the surface.</p><p>But what I have learned over time is this.</p><p>Trying to be liked by everyone will eventually pull you away from being obedient to God.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment frees us from the need for approval so we can walk in obedience to God with clarity and peace.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Galatians 1:10, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Galatians 1:10 is one of those Scriptures that gently but firmly exposes the heart.</p><p>There is a tension between wanting to be liked and wanting to be obedient.</p><p>And for me, that tension has shown up in quiet ways.</p><p>It has shown up in conversations where I knew I should speak but chose not to. It has shown up in decisions where I felt the Lord leading me one way, but I hesitated because I was thinking about how others might respond.</p><p>It has shown up in moments where I adjusted myself just enough to keep things comfortable.</p><p>But over time, that pattern began to create something inside me.</p><p>Disconnection.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 29:25, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That verse helped me recognize that the need to be liked is often rooted in fear.</p><p>Fear of rejection.</p><p>Fear of misunderstanding.</p><p>Fear of not being accepted.</p><p>And when fear is driving my decisions, I am no longer walking in discernment.</p><p>Discernment brings me back to a simple question.</p><p>Am I responding to God, or am I reacting to how I want others to feel about me?</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Romans 14:23, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That has been a quiet but powerful correction in my life.</p><p>There have been moments when I knew exactly what the right response was, but I hesitated because it might create tension. And in those moments, I had to choose whether I was going to act in faith or remain in fear.</p><p>That choice has not always been easy.</p><p>But I have learned that obedience brings peace in a way that approval never can.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.&#8221;<br>&#8212; 1 Thessalonians 5:24, ESV</p></blockquote><p>When I trust God with my words and my actions, I do not have to manage every reaction around me. I do not have to carry the weight of how others perceive me.</p><p>I can walk forward in quiet confidence, knowing that I am aligned with Him.</p><p>Discernment reminds me that my responsibility is obedience, not approval.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment breaks the need for approval by anchoring our identity in obedience to God.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Notice one moment today where you feel the need to be liked, and choose to respond in obedience to God instead of adjusting for approval.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You are not called to shape your life around being accepted by others. You are called to walk faithfully with God.</p><p>Today, let discernment guide your decisions. Choose obedience over approval, and trust that God will establish your steps with peace.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, free me from the need to be liked. Help me walk in obedience to You with confidence and clarity, and teach me to trust You with every response around me. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-28-2026-when-discernment-heals?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-28-2026-when-discernment-heals?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-28-2026-when-discernment-heals?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p><p>n</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 27, 2026 - When Discernment Breaks the Cycle of Emotional Shutdown - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment helps us recognize and break the pattern of shutting down when emotions feel overwhelming.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-27-2026-when-discernment-breaks</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-27-2026-when-discernment-breaks</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:02:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ce768d73-a59a-4598-8e65-b9d7a0c61fe9_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There have been seasons in my life where I did not explode.</p><p>I shut down.</p><p>When emotions became too heavy or too complicated, I did not always know how to process them in the moment. Instead of speaking, instead of sorting through what I was feeling, I would quietly withdraw.</p><p>On the outside, it looked like calm.</p><p>But inside, it was distance.</p><p>I would disconnect from the moment, and take my mind elsewhere. I would stop talking. I would build a quiet wall around my heart so I would not have to feel everything all at once.</p><p>At the time, it felt like control.</p><p>But it was not control.</p><p>It was protection.</p><p>And while that protection may have felt necessary in the moment, over time it created distance in my relationships and confusion in my own heart.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment helps us recognize when we are shutting down so we can stay present and respond with truth instead of withdrawing in self-protection.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Psalm 34:18, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Psalm 34:18 reminds me that God does not step away when emotions become overwhelming.</p><p>He draws near.</p><p>But when I shut down, I often do the opposite. I withdraw. I disconnect. I create distance, not only from others, but sometimes even from the Lord.</p><p>There have been moments where I could feel myself pulling back internally. I was still physically present, but emotionally, I had stepped away.</p><p>Discernment has helped me recognize that pattern.</p><p>It has helped me notice the early signs. The quiet tension in my chest. The urge to stop engaging. The desire to retreat instead of process.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 4:23, ESV</p></blockquote><p>Guarding my heart does not mean shutting it down.</p><p>It means staying aware of what is happening inside it.</p><p>For me, shutting down often came from feeling overwhelmed. Too many emotions at once. Too much anxiety. Too much fear.</p><p>And instead of slowing down and bringing those feelings to the Lord, I would try to escape them by disengaging.</p><p>But discernment has been teaching me a different response.</p><p>Instead of withdrawing, I pause.</p><p>Instead of disconnecting, I bring what I am feeling to God.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Psalm 55:22, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That has not always been easy.</p><p>Staying present in uncomfortable moments requires courage. It requires trust. It requires a willingness to feel what is happening instead of avoiding it.</p><p>But when I stay present with the Lord, something begins to shift.</p><p>The overwhelming feeling begins to settle.</p><p>Clarity begins to form.</p><p>And I no longer feel the need to disappear inside myself.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Psalm 46:1, ESV</p></blockquote><p>He is present.</p><p>Which means I do not have to leave.</p><p>I do not have to shut down to survive the moment.</p><p>Discernment helps me recognize that I can remain engaged, even when things feel difficult, because I am not walking through it alone.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment reveals emotional shutdown patterns so we can stay present and process our feelings with God instead of withdrawing.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>When you feel the urge to shut down today, pause and bring that moment to the Lord instead of disconnecting from it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You are not called to disappear when emotions rise. You are called to remain present with God in the middle of them.</p><p>Today, let discernment guide you. Stay engaged. Stay aware. And trust that God will meet you right where you are, even in the moments that feel overwhelming.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, help me recognize when I am shutting down. Give me the courage to stay present and bring my emotions to You instead of withdrawing. Guide me into clarity, peace, and truth. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-27-2026-when-discernment-breaks?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-27-2026-when-discernment-breaks?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-27-2026-when-discernment-breaks?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 26, 2026 - When Discernment Reveals What You’re Really Feeling - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment helps us identify what is truly happening in our hearts instead of reacting to surface emotions.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-26-2026-when-discernment-reveals</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-26-2026-when-discernment-reveals</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:01:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/714b5096-55c7-4615-87a4-4e9bb6623ea0_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There have been many moments in my life when I thought I knew exactly what I was feeling.</p><p>I would say, &#8220;I&#8217;m just frustrated,&#8221; or &#8220;That didn&#8217;t bother me,&#8221; or even, &#8220;I&#8217;m fine.&#8221;</p><p>But if I slowed down long enough, I realized that what I was calling frustration was often something deeper. Sometimes it was hurt. Sometimes it was fear. Sometimes it was insecurity. And sometimes it was simply exhaustion that I had not acknowledged.</p><p>For a long time, I did not take the time to look beneath the surface.</p><p>I would move quickly past what I was feeling and either suppress it or react to it. There was very little space in between to actually understand what was going on inside my heart.</p><p>And when I do not understand what I am feeling, I cannot respond to it with wisdom.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment helps us look beneath surface emotions so we can respond to what is true instead of what is immediate.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!&#8221;<br>&#8212; Psalm 139:23, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Psalm 139:23 is a prayer of invitation.</p><p>It is an acknowledgment that we do not always fully understand our own hearts, and that we need God to help us see clearly.</p><p>There have been times when I reacted quickly to something, only to realize later that my reaction was not really about that moment. It was connected to something deeper that I had not taken the time to process.</p><p>Discernment slows that process down.</p><p>It creates space for honesty.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The purposes of a man&#8217;s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding will draw them out.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 20:5, ESV</p></blockquote><p>This verse has helped me understand that what is happening inside my heart is not always obvious at first. It takes time. It takes quiet. It takes a willingness to sit with the Lord and allow Him to reveal what is beneath the surface.</p><p>For me, that has not always been comfortable.</p><p>There have been moments when I realized that what I was feeling was not just about the situation in front of me. It was tied to past experiences. Past hurts. Patterns that had been forming over time.</p><p>And instead of wanting to sit with that, my instinct was to move past it quickly.</p><p>But discernment does not rush.</p><p>It gently reveals.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 4:23, ESV</p></blockquote><p>Guarding my heart has meant more than protecting it from others. It has also meant paying attention to what is happening inside it.</p><p>When I ignore what I am truly feeling, it does not go away. It simply finds another way to surface later.</p><p>Sometimes in my tone.</p><p>Sometimes in my reactions.</p><p>Sometimes in the way I withdraw.</p><p>But when I bring those feelings before the Lord, something shifts.</p><p>Clarity begins to take the place of confusion.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach.&#8221;<br>&#8212; James 1:5, ESV</p></blockquote><p>God is not asking me to figure everything out on my own. He is inviting me to come to Him honestly.</p><p>To say, &#8220;Lord, I don&#8217;t fully understand what I&#8217;m feeling right now. Help me see it clearly.&#8221;</p><p>And when I do that, He is faithful to guide me.</p><p>Discernment allows me to respond to truth instead of reacting to what is only on the surface.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment brings clarity to our emotions so we can respond to what is true instead of what is surface-level.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>Take a few quiet minutes today and ask the Lord to show you what is really going on beneath any strong emotion you are feeling.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You do not have to rush past what you feel, and you do not have to react to it immediately.</p><p>God is inviting you into a deeper awareness of your heart.</p><p>Today, slow down. Let discernment guide you beneath the surface, and trust that God will meet you there with clarity and wisdom.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, help me understand what is truly happening in my heart. Give me discernment to see beyond surface emotions, and guide me into truth so I can respond with wisdom and clarity. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-26-2026-when-discernment-reveals?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-26-2026-when-discernment-reveals?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-26-2026-when-discernment-reveals?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 25, 2026 - When Discernment Keeps You from Reacting Emotionally - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment helps us slow down emotional reactions so we can respond with wisdom instead of impulse.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-25-2026-when-discernment-keeps</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-25-2026-when-discernment-keeps</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:02:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8a981479-6830-45e8-a648-aef15e8294cb_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I used to believe that if I felt something strongly, I needed to respond to it quickly.</p><p>If something hurt me, I felt it deeply. If something felt unfair, I carried it heavily. And when those emotions rose up, there was a strong pull inside me to do something with them right away.</p><p>Even if I didn&#8217;t speak out loud, I reacted internally.</p><p>I would start building a case in my mind. I would replay what happened. I would assign meaning to it. I would begin to form conclusions about the situation and sometimes about the person involved.</p><p>And by the time I reached the end of that internal process, I was no longer responding to what actually happened.</p><p>I was responding to the story I had created around it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment slows emotional reactions so we respond to truth instead of reacting to assumptions.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.&#8221;<br>&#8212; James 1:19, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>James 1:19 has become a steady anchor for me.</p><p>Quick to hear. Slow to speak. Slow to anger.</p><p>That is not how my natural response has always worked.</p><p>When something triggers me emotionally, my instinct has often been to move quickly. Even if I remain silent outwardly, internally I am moving fast. My thoughts are racing. My emotions are building. My perspective begins narrowing until I feel like I understand exactly what just happened.</p><p>But over time, I have learned something important.</p><p>Fast reactions rarely lead to wise responses.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 14:29, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That verse has helped me recognize that slowing down is not weakness.</p><p>It is understanding.</p><p>Discernment gives me space between what I feel and how I respond. It creates a pause where I can bring my thoughts and emotions before the Lord instead of letting them drive my reaction.</p><p>There have been many moments when I have had to stop and say, &#8220;Lord, help me see this clearly.&#8221;</p><p>Because what I feel in the moment is not always the full truth.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?&#8221;<br>&#8212; Jeremiah 17:9, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That Scripture reminds me that my emotions, while real, are not always reliable on their own.</p><p>They need to be anchored.</p><p>Without discernment, emotions can lead me into assumptions. They can cause me to believe something that has not been confirmed. They can push me toward reactions that I later regret.</p><p>But when I slow down and bring those emotions to the Lord, something shifts.</p><p>Clarity begins to replace confusion.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The one who is patient shows great understanding.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 14:29, ESV</p></blockquote><p>There have been times when I wanted to respond immediately, but instead chose to wait. I stepped back. I prayed. I allowed my emotions to settle before I spoke.</p><p>And in that space, I often saw things differently.</p><p>Sometimes I realized I had misunderstood the situation. Sometimes I recognized that my reaction was stronger than the situation required. Sometimes I saw that what I felt needed to be processed before it was expressed.</p><p>That is what discernment does.</p><p>It slows us down just enough to see clearly.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment creates space between emotion and response so wisdom can lead instead of impulse.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>When you feel a strong emotional reaction today, pause before responding and bring that moment to the Lord in prayer.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You do not have to react to every emotion the moment it rises. God is inviting you into a slower, wiser way of responding.</p><p>Today, let discernment guide your pace. Allow space for clarity before you speak or act, and trust that wisdom will meet you in that pause.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, help me slow down when my emotions rise. Give me discernment to respond with wisdom instead of reacting in the moment, and guide my heart into truth and clarity. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3><br>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-25-2026-when-discernment-keeps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-25-2026-when-discernment-keeps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-25-2026-when-discernment-keeps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 24, 2026 - When Discernment Teaches You When to Stay Silent - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment helps us know when silence is wisdom and not avoidance.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-24-2026-when-discernment-teaches</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-24-2026-when-discernment-teaches</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:01:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/86c59b44-2b01-4f31-a7ed-b27be19c994e_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Silence has always been complicated for me.</p><p>There have been many times in my life when I stayed quiet, but not for the right reasons. I stayed quiet because I did not want conflict. I stayed quiet because I wanted to keep the peace. I stayed quiet because I did not want to be misunderstood or risk someone being upset with me.</p><p>On the outside, it looked calm.</p><p>But inside, it was anything but peaceful.</p><p>I would carry the weight of what I did not say. I would ruminate about it later. I would replay the moment, wondering if I should have spoken up. And the more I held it in, the more anxiety I felt.</p><p>Eventually, that pressure would come out, but not in a healthy way.</p><p>It would show up in my tone. In my frustration. In sarcasm or distance. And sometimes, when it had built long enough, it would come out all at once, leaving everyone around me wondering what just happened.</p><p>That kind of silence was not wisdom.</p><p>It was avoidance.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment teaches us the difference between silence that protects peace and silence that suppresses truth.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Ecclesiastes 3:7, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Ecclesiastes 3:7 makes something very clear.</p><p>Silence is not always right, and speaking is not always right. There is a time for both.</p><p>For a long time, I leaned too far in one direction.</p><p>I chose silence even when I should have spoken.</p><p>Not because it was wise, but because it felt safer in the moment.</p><p>Discernment has been teaching me to slow down and ask a different question.</p><p>Why am I staying silent right now?</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 18:17, ESV</p></blockquote><p>Sometimes silence is wise because we need more understanding. We need to listen. We need to allow space for the full picture before responding.</p><p>But other times, silence is not about wisdom.</p><p>It is about fear.</p><p>There have been moments when I knew I needed to say something, but I hesitated. I would feel that check in my spirit, that quiet nudge from the Lord, and still choose to remain quiet because I did not want to deal with the consequences that might follow.</p><p>And every time I did that, my stomach would knot up.</p><p>Because I knew I was not walking in obedience.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.&#8221;<br>&#8212; James 4:17, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That verse has been both convicting and clarifying for me.</p><p>It has helped me understand that staying silent is not always neutral. Sometimes it is a missed opportunity to walk in truth.</p><p>But discernment also protects us from the opposite mistake.</p><p>Speaking too quickly.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 10:19, ESV</p></blockquote><p>There have also been times when I have spoken out of emotion instead of wisdom. Times when I let frustration lead instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my words.</p><p>That kind of speaking does not bring clarity.</p><p>It brings damage.</p><p>So now, I am learning to pause.</p><p>To ask the Lord, &#8220;Is this a moment to speak, or is this a moment to be still?&#8221;</p><p>That pause has become important.</p><p>It is where discernment begins to work.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment reveals whether silence is protecting peace or avoiding truth.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>The next time you feel the urge to stay silent, pause and ask the Lord if your silence is coming from wisdom or from fear.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You are not called to live in silence out of fear, and you are not called to speak out of emotion.</p><p>God is teaching you to walk in wisdom.</p><p>Today, let discernment guide your response. Speak when He leads you to speak. Be still when He leads you to be still. And trust that He will give you clarity in both.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, teach me when to speak and when to stay silent. Give me discernment to recognize the difference, and help me walk in obedience with both my words and my silence. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-24-2026-when-discernment-teaches?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-24-2026-when-discernment-teaches?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-24-2026-when-discernment-teaches?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[March 23, 2026 - When Discernment Keeps You from Overexplaining Yourself - Δ Delta 7 Women]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s Focus: Learning how discernment helps us speak with clarity and confidence without feeling the need to justify every decision.]]></description><link>https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-23-2026-when-discernment-keeps</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-23-2026-when-discernment-keeps</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michelle Adams]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:02:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/50e9ff0c-b57b-400c-816e-f9618d225eec_1600x855.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There have been many times in my life when I knew what I needed to say, but I did not feel comfortable after saying it.</p><p>Even when I gave a clear answer, something inside me would keep going. I would add more explanation. More reasoning. More detail. I would try to make sure the other person fully understood my heart, my intentions, and my reasoning behind what I had just said.</p><p>And if I am honest, it was not always about being understood.</p><p>It was about wanting to be accepted.</p><p>It was about wanting to avoid any misunderstanding or disappointment. I wanted the other person to be okay with my decision, so I would continue talking, hoping that if I explained enough, they would agree with me.</p><p>But what I have learned over time is this.</p><p>Overexplaining is often rooted in insecurity, not wisdom.</p><div><hr></div><h3>BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT</h3><blockquote><p>Discernment teaches us to speak clearly and simply, trusting God with the outcome instead of trying to manage how others respond.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>SCRIPTURE</h3><blockquote><p>&#8220;Let what you say be simply &#8216;Yes&#8217; or &#8216;No&#8217;; anything more than this comes from evil.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Matthew 5:37, ESV</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h3>THE LESSON</h3><p>Jesus&#8217; words in Matthew 5:37 are both freeing and confronting.</p><p>There is a simplicity in them that removes the pressure to perform in our communication. When I say yes, I can let it be yes. When I say no, I can let it be no.</p><p>But for someone like me, who has struggled with wanting to keep the peace and be understood, that simplicity has not always felt natural.</p><p>There have been times when I said no, but then immediately began softening it. I would explain why. I would add context. I would try to reassure the other person that I still cared, that I was not rejecting them, that I was simply responding to the situation.</p><p>And in doing that, I would slowly begin stepping away from the clarity of my original response.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Proverbs 29:25, ESV</p></blockquote><p>This verse has helped me understand what is happening in those moments.</p><p>When I feel the need to overexplain, it is often because I am more concerned with how the other person feels about me than I am with simply being obedient to what God has placed on my heart.</p><p>Discernment brings that into the light.</p><p>It helps me pause and recognize that I do not need to manage someone else&#8217;s reaction in order to be faithful.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?&#8221;<br>&#8212; Galatians 1:10, ESV</p></blockquote><p>That question has become important for me.</p><p>When I answer honestly, it often reveals whether I am speaking from a place of confidence in God or from a place of insecurity.</p><p>There have been moments where I have felt the Lord gently nudge me to stop talking. To let my words stand. To trust Him with the outcome of the conversation.</p><p>That has not always been easy.</p><p>Silence after a clear answer can feel uncomfortable, especially when I am unsure how the other person will respond. But I have learned that staying in that silence is often where peace begins.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.&#8221;<br>&#8212; Isaiah 30:15, ESV</p></blockquote><p>There is strength in quiet confidence.</p><p>Not in shutting down. Not in avoiding conversation. But in speaking what is true and allowing it to stand without trying to control how it is received.</p><p>Discernment helps me recognize when I have said enough.</p><p>And when I trust God in that moment, I experience a deeper sense of peace than I ever did when I tried to explain everything.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><p><br></p><div><hr></div><h3>PRINCIPLE</h3><p>Discernment allows us to speak with clarity and stop, trusting God instead of overexplaining to gain approval.</p><div><hr></div><h3>DAILY ACTION</h3><p>The next time you give a clear answer, pause and resist the urge to add unnecessary explanation. Let your words stand.</p><div><hr></div><h3>THE DAILY CHARGE</h3><p>You do not have to earn understanding through endless explanation. God has already given you the wisdom to speak clearly.</p><p>Today, trust Him with your words. Say what is true, and allow discernment to guide you in knowing when to stop speaking.</p><div><hr></div><h3>PRAYER</h3><p>Lord, help me speak with clarity and confidence. Teach me to trust You with how my words are received, and give me discernment to know when I have said enough. Amen.</p><div><hr></div><h3>COFFEE AND CALLING</h3><p>It&#8217;s amazing how God turns a simple message into a movement. If this word stirred your spirit, help us keep speaking truth, strengthening families, and equipping the next generation of women to walk in wisdom and discernment.<br>Support the mission here:</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Buy Me A Coffee&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/MyR2B"><span>Buy Me A Coffee</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-23-2026-when-discernment-keeps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-23-2026-when-discernment-keeps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://delta7.substack.com/p/march-23-2026-when-discernment-keeps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://delta7.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Delta 7: God's Elite! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>