What Inspired Me? Podcast Transcript:
What inspired me to write Embracing Joy: an 8-Week Transformational Bible Study of Habakkuk?
I’m Jean Wilund but It’s All About Him! Welcome to a fun place to get serious about Bible study.
So the question of what inspired me to write a Bible study on Habakkuk is one of the most common questions I’ve received about Embracing Joy. Maybe you’re curious, too.
Honestly, I never planned on writing any Bible study ever because of James 3:1.
I can still remember where I was sitting back in high school when I read James 3:1 for the first time in my New Living Translation Bible. It says,
“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
James 3:1
That verse terrified me, and right there I vowed that I would never ever to teach the Bible. I would believe it, but I would never teach it.
As I matured, I realized that never telling anyone about what the Bible teaches doesn’t honor God. Besides, I couldn’t keep it in. But I wasn’t going to teach the Bible formally. Just in casual conversation.
God eventually moved me out of that mindset and into teaching the Bible to women and children, and even creating a website and writing online articles for Revive our Hearts ministry.
But in the back of mind, I still determined that I would never ever write a Bible study for publication.
I can delete articles off of my website. So can Revive our Hearts. But a book is out there. I can’t track every copy down and buy them all back if I taught something horrible about the Bible or about God.
So, while I’d be thrilled to write a non-fiction book or a novel, no way would I ever agree to write a Bible study.
But because of Covid, things changed. Well, really, because of God, who orchestrates all things.
Because of God, I found myself on an unexpected path.
When Covid hit in 2020, someone mentioned that Habakkuk was the perfect book for our times.
I’d read it many times as I’ve read through the Bible for years, but I’d never done a study on it.
I remembered it as the book where God’s people lose everything but, hey, “Yay, God!”
I decided to read it again and see why it was perfect for our Covid days.
When I read Habakkuk again, I had to agree. It really was a book for our day. And every time I listen to the news, it’s getting even more fitting.
But I still had no plans to write a study on it.
Shortly after, my pastor asked our women’s ministry to plan a four-week Bible study. We decided we would like to teach the women how to study the Bible using a book of the Bible.
I mentioned Habakkuk since it only has three chapters and we had four weeks. We could introduce the three-step Transformational Bible Study Method in the first week, and then teach one step a week using a chapter a week.
Plus, Habakkuk would be a great encouragement to the ladies in these terrible, stressful times of Covid.
When I mentioned the study to my friend and author Lori Hatcher, she said her church wanted a 4-week women’s Bible study, too. She asked if I’d be willing to teach Habakkuk but not as a study on how to study the Bible, but as a study of Habakkuk.
I agreed and began to dive even deeper into this wonderful book.
The ladies and I at Lori’s study were overwhelmed and overjoyed as we dug deep into God’s Word through—and to—Habakkuk.
An Unexpected Invitation
Later, Lori’s publisher, Our Daily Bread Publishing, asked her if she’d ever thought of writing a Bible study.
Lori writes fabulous devotionals. She’s got a great series I love called the Refresh series. (I’ll put a link in the show notes for you.)
But Lori told Our Daily Bread, “Nope, I haven’t thought of writing a Bible study, but my friend Jean just taught one at our church on Habakkuk, and it was wonderful.”
And to my delight and surprise—but also terror—Our Daily Bread reached out to me, and they released Embracing Joy: an 8-Week Transformational Bible Study of Habakkuk in September 2023.
Writing this study was one of the most challenging and enriching experiences of my life.
It was challenging because I’m still terrified of James 3:1. I’m going to be judged more strictly because of teaching. But that’s why I had pastors and Bible teachers’ give the study a thorough theological check even before Our Daily Bread put it through their theological editing process.
It was also challenging because I had an extremely short deadline, but this deadline was a blessing because to meet my deadline I had to study and write all day, every day except Sundays and special days like birthdays.
Being continuously night and day nearly every day immersed in Habakkuk deepened my understanding and faith much more than I even anticipated.
I believed Habakkuk when he said that even though they would lose everything to Babylon, he rejoiced in the Lord and took joy in the God of his salvation. But deeply studying Habakkuk uncovered so many transformational truths and revealed how God’s Word moved Habakkuk from panic to praise and from confused with God to confident in the Lord.
If we do what Habakkuk did, we will rejoice in the Lord today and every day no matter what our future holds.
Even if our knees wobble, our faith and our joy in the Lord will not.
Do you want to know what Habakkuk knew?
Study the book of Habakkuk. Or get my Bible study Embracing Joy and study it with me. (The link for the book is in the show notes.)
Thanks for joining me today. If you like what you heard, share it with others. Hit the subscribe button and write a review on your favorite podcast app. Until next time, remember: I’m Jean Wilund. But It’s All About Him!
Show Notes:
If you want information about studying or purchasing Embracing Joy: An 8-Week Transformational Bible Study of Habakkuk, visit my Embracing Joy page.
