The Glow That Guides You

Staci Rudolph: Hey there, True Girl! Staci Rudolph here, fresh off another True Girl Pop-Up Party in California! You gotta get to one if you can! We’ve got two more coming up in Texas and Wisconsin. The True Girl Pop-Up Party is a whole weekend with you, your mom, and me and Dannah! I’m leading worship with my friend Kasey Rae Brown. And Dannah’s teaching with Shani McKenzie. Go to MyTrueGirl.com to learn more and get tickets.

Okay, the reason I brought up the True Girl Pop-Up Party is because we do a little live Q&A at the optional add-on afternoon experience. And one of the questions that’s coming up is this:

“Who’s the girl that does the announcements for the podcast?”

So . . . Claire? 

Claire Black: I’m here, Staci!

Staci: Well, tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Claire: Sure.

My name is Claire Black. I’m seventeen years old. My family and I are a part of a travelling ministry called Life Action. We share the love of Jesus in churches and help people say yes to what God has for them. Honestly, that really starts with what we’re talking about in this season of the podcast: wondering at God’s Word.

Staci: That’s cool! So traveling a lot, how do you do school?

Claire: Great question. I’m actually homeschooled, and I really enjoy it. 

Staci: Any favorite hobbies?

Claire: I really love to draw and paint.

Staci: Nice! Let me throw a question at ya that we get a lot: “What’s your favorite Bible verse and why?”

Claire: That would be Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
whom should I dread?

This verse really helps me remember that God is always there for me.

Staci: That’s awesome. Okay and how about this, “How did you become a part of the podcast?”

Claire: Well, when it was still just an idea, Dannah was working with the Director of Audio and Video at Revive Our Hearts, Hugh Duncan. Dannah really wanted the announcer to be someone closer to the age of your True Girls. Hugh knew I’d recorded some things before, so he asked if I would do it, and I was so, so very happy to say yes! At the time, I think I was thirteen years old. And the rest is history, as they say!

I’m so happy to be a part of this. I just love getting to help girls dive deeper into knowing God.

Staci: Thanks, Claire! Well, how about we do a podcast!And from now on, tell ‘em who you are. They want to know.

Claire: Welcome to True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. I’m Claire Black. 

Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us, one drive at a time. You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus! But this season . . . no seat belts needed. You’re trading the car ride for a hayride with Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph.

[Tractor]

That tractor is headed straight to a cozy bonfire under the stars.

Have you ever been in the woods when the fire dies down, and suddenly it’s hard to see through the darkness? That’s what it can feel like when you lose sight of God’s Word in your life. The world gets confusing, and you can’t find your way. In this episode of the True Girl podcast, you’ll learn why your love for God’s Word must keep burning bright.

Dannah and Staci will continue to Ignite the wonder of God’s Word by studying some verses in the longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119. It’s all about having a passion for God’s Word.

But before we get started: remember last episode? We learned how we keep that passion burning bright, and we discovered that when we don’t have a desire to read our Bibles, we can pray for it. We asked God to light a spark in our hearts for His Word as we studied this verse: “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” That’s from Psalm 119, verse 18.

Well, we’re going to start every episode the same way this season—asking Him to help us see the wonder in His Word. So let’s pray right now.

God, sometimes we open our Bibles and don’t really see anything amazing . . . but we want to. Would you open our eyes and help us notice the beautiful and unexpected things in your Word? Fill our hearts with wonder as we read—help us be surprised, inspired, and changed by what we find. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Okay, True Girl. Grab your Bible and your marshmallow stick. It’s time to “Ignite the wonder.”

Here’s Dannah Gresh, out at the Gresh farm to start episode 2 of season 19. This one’s called The Glow That Guides You.

[Crackling fire & night sounds]

Dannah: Will ya look at that? Fire! Chris actually did it!

Staci: (laughs) He actually did. I’m not gonna lie. I had my doubts after last time.

Dannah: Me too. Poor guy. He worked harder than a raccoon trying to open one of Farmer Bob’s tied down trash can lids. But here it is . . . a real, live, cozy campfire.

Staci: And it smells so good. I cannot wait for the rest of the True Girl team to show up—s’mores, cider, glow sticks. This is about to be a whole vibe.

Dannah: Oh yeah, a hayride with Farmer Bob, singing with Staci, s’mores . . . I can feel it already.

Staci: [coughing] Uh, wait. Whoa! [coughs again] Do you see that?

Dannah: [coughs lightly] Do I?! Smoke. Lots of smoke!

Staci: Chris warned us about this! Wet wood!

Dannah: Yep. He told me that when the wood’s wet, it takes extra energy for the fire to burn off all that moisture. And until it does . . .

Staci & Dannah: Smoke city!!

Dannah: (chuckles) Well, this might not be the Pinterest-perfect campfire moment yet. But you know, this actually reminds me of our faith.

Staci: Ooh, I see where you’re going.

Dannah: Well, first, I’m literally going to the front patio until this smoke settles down. [laughing, coughing

It’ll be a while until everyone gets here, and they may need help finding us out here in the woods. 

Staci: I’m with ya! [still coughing, laughing] Only problem, I can’t see. Between the smoke and the dark, I mean . . .

Dannah: Watch out for this log seat. Just follow my voice. I’ll get you there.

Step left to go around that tree—good. Now straight. Careful, there’s a stump. Oh, good.

Staci: I feel like I’m on a blindfold obstacle course. 

Dannah: Okay, so the garden shed should be to our left . . . yep . . . almost there.

Here we go. We’re outta the smoke. I see the lamp post, and the front patio. Rocking chairs and hot cider are straight ahead, my friend. 

Staci: Whew! As long as I followed your voice, I didn’t bump into a thing.

Dannah: Exactly. And you know what? That’s a perfect setup for today’s verse. Let’s grab a rocker!

Staci, here’s my Bible. I had my devos out here this morning. I’m actually gonna have you find and read Psalm 119:105.

You read it, because these lights are a bit low for my eyes!

Staci: I got you! 

Dannah: Before you read, let’s zoom out and look at the context of Psalm 119 a bit. 

Staci: Okay.

Dannah: Let’s talk about something really cool about how Psalm 119 was written. First, you should know it’s a poem, but not like the ones you write in school. It’s Hebrew poetry, which means it often uses two lines that say similar things in slightly different ways. The second line helps explain or expand on the first one. You’re going to see that in this verse we’ll look at.

Now, when you read Psalm 119 for the first time, it might feel kind of repetitive—like it keeps saying the same things over and over about God’s Word. And honestly, some people might even think it’s a little boring. If your pastor stood up on Sunday and said, “We’re going to read all of Psalm 119 together,” there would definitely be a few people who might secretly think, Whoa—that’s going to take forever!

Staci: We’d need s’more breaks just to make it to the end of Psalm 119!

Dannah: But here’s why it repeats so much: the writer wants us to really get it. He’s just intent on writing it until we do!

Staci: So basically, Psalm 119 is like your mom saying, “Clean your room. Clean your room. CLEAN. YOUR. ROOM. Until you finally do it.”

Dannah: Kinda like that. Okay, let’s zoom in on Psalm 119:105. Listen for that repeating style. It says: 

Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

Staci: Okay, hold “thy” horses, Dannah Gresh. Did we just slip back a few centuries or something?

Dannah: Ah, that would be just a few decades. I learned that verse in the King James Version when I was a girl.

Staci: How about we give this version a shot. It seems like a better fit. This is the New Living Translation.

Dannah: My favorite, really. 

Staci: So you’ve mentioned, ok, Psalm 119:105:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.

Yeah, I see what you mean there, Dannah. That second line just says the first line in a different way.

Dannah: Yeah, sort of. But let’s look a little closer

The psalmist isn’t talking about a literal road, but he’s comparing our lives to walking down a road. And the Word of God made his steps clear for that road. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet.”

The psalmist would not know where to step without the guidance of God’s Word. The Bible can help us walk the way God wants us to walk.

It’s a lamp for our feet. Let’s think for a moment about that. “A lamp for our feet.”

Staci: Hmm, well, it sounds to me like God’s Word lights up just our next few steps. It doesn’t give us a giant spotlight on our whole future, just enough light for the next step.

Dannah: You’re hot on the trail of something really important, Staci!

Staci: So if I want to keep walking safely, I have to keep my lamp lit every single day.

Dannah: Exactly. You can’t just read your Bible once a week and expect it to guide your whole life. You need it for every step. 

Staci: And if you don’t, you’re basically out here wandering in the woods at night, bumping into trees.

Dannah: Or tripping over log seats at the fire pit.

Staci: So we need to open God’s Word every day. Even a little bit—one verse, one prayer—can keep the light shining on our path.

Dannah: Okay, so we’ve talked about how God’s Word is like a lamp for our feet—helping us see just enough for the next step. But the verse doesn’t stop there. It says, “and a light for my path.” How might that be a tad different, even though it’s similar?

Staci: Wait. So if a lamp shows my next step, what’s a light for my path?

Dannah: Go for it.

Staci: I think it’s a bigger picture kind of light. The “lamp” helps me step safely today. The “light” helps me stay on the right path tomorrow and the next day and the next.

So the lamp’s like my flashlight shining on the ground right in front of me, and the light’s like the moon lighting up the whole trail ahead?

Dannah: That’s so good, Staci! I love that! God’s Word does both—it gives you wisdom for today’s step and shows you where your life should be headed.

Staci: That’s actually so cool. It’s not just about knowing what to do right now—it’s about knowing where you’re going.

Well, I’ll be a toasted marshmallow, Dannah Gresh! It clicked! I got it!

I do believe I was just “surprised and filled with admiration” for that Bible verse. Does that mean I was filled with wonder!

Dannah: Sure sounds like it, Staci!

You know, Staci, I have a real-life example about how this Bible verse showed up in my life. Let’s zero in on what it means for us in real life.

Staci: Bring it home for us.

Dannah: Okay, so I was on my way to the True Girl Pop-Up Party in California, and I was in a hotel . . . and hungry! The hotel had this little food bar next to the reception desk, so I went there hankering for a pizza.

Staci: Late night craving?

Dannah: No lunch.

Staci: Got it. So was the pizza good?

Dannah: I don’t know. It was closed.

Staci: Oh, what a bummer!

Dannah: It was, but the weird thing was that the lady at the reception desk just ignored me. I couldn’t tell that it was closed, and she didn’t offer. I finally asked, “Is the food bar open?” She literally rolled her eyeballs and said, "Obviously not.” This woman was just oozing with some kind of anger. It was unbelievable really!

I was a little surprised at how mean she was. But I asked where I could get some lunch. She told me, “Across the street,” and walked away. Well, I walked all the way across the street, and it was closed. I just was getting madder, by the moment. I wanted to go tell that lady she sent me on a wild goose chase. I really did.

Staci: Yeah, that’s what I’d want to do too.

Dannah: But then I remembered what the Bible says. Like Proverbs 15:1 tells us, "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare."

Staci: So God’s Word helped you know what to do—stay gentle. Don’t be harsh back. Right?

Dannah: Exactly. That was my next step. The lamp for my feet told me: don’t respond in anger. Stay quiet and gentle.

Staci: And the light for your path?

Dannah: The bigger picture is kindness. I want my life to reflect Christ’s kindness—even in hard moments. And let me be honest, trying to find a pizza at lunch isn’t a really hard moment, but my heart needed controlled. His Word became a light, a lamp for the path I was on that day. It told me to take steps that didn’t include harsh words, that didn’t make tempers flare, and that even included, reflecting Christ’s kindness. 

So, what I decided to do was give her $20. Well, I think God put it on my heart to do that. I was able to order some hot water or coffee at the reception desk. So, I ordered some hot water for a tea bag, and I felt God directing me in that moment to be kind to her. I wondered if maybe people had been unkind to her all day long and that’s why she was in such a grumpy mood.

Staci: That’s so good. It’s not easy, but it’s clear. God’s Word guided you through the steps of your day in that hotel!

You know what that reminds me of? When you guided me through all that smoke and darkness back at the fire pit.

Dannah: Oh, yeah! You couldn’t see a thing back there, but as long as you listened to my voice, you didn’t bump into any trees.

Staci: Or trip over one of your giant log seats.

Dannah: That’s exactly how God’s Word works. It’s His voice guiding us—step by step, verse by verse—so we don’t stumble in the dark.

[car horn beeps]

Staci: Oh, someone’s here for the campfire!

Dannah: And we haven’t even sampled the hot cider yet.

Staci: Yeah, but the party’s officially starting!

[Car stops; doors open and slam shut]

Hey guys, good news! I brought marshmallows. Bad news . . . I already ate them.

Dannah: And this is why we hide the snacks.

Claire: Sounds like the bonfire’s about to get lively! But before we join in, let’s pause and remember why we’re here. This season is all about letting God’s Word light up our lives—one step at a time. We want God to ignite wonder in you for your Bible!

Here’s today’s “Ignite the Wonder” pro-tip: Don’t let your Bible collect dust—it’s your daily spark to keep the fire alive.

Even if it’s just a few minutes and a few verses, read it every day. A fire won’t stay active without feeding it with logs. And your wonder for God’s Word needs to be fed consistently. 

Lord, thank You for giving us Your Word as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. I’m thankful that it’s helped me make decisions in my life. Please help us to use it when we don’t know which step to take next, and give us a desire to open our Bibles every day and follow where You’re leading, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Next time on the True Girl Podcast, the fire on Dannah’s farm is still glowing, but the night is getting darker. There might be even something out there in the dark!

But God’s Word gives comfort when life feels scary. Discover how His promises bring comfort, even in the darkest moments.

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

*Offers available only during the broadcast of the podcast season.