The Family Disciple Me Podcast // Discipleship Starts With a Conversation

March MISSION Madness: The Story of Harriet Tubman: Faith, Courage, and the Pursuit of Freedom // Galatians 5:1

• Tosha Williams for FDM • Season 5 • Episode 24

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What does it take to change the course of history? Join Wendy Hickox and me, Tosha Williams, as we highlight the extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman, a woman whose profound trust in God empowered her to relentlessly pursue freedom - and not just for herself but for many. Harriet's daring escape and heroic missions on the Underground Railroad exemplify not just her bravery, but her unyielding belief that she was chosen by God to lead others to freedom. Her legacy is a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have when driven by faith, courage, and a commitment to freedom.

As we honor Harriet's remarkable pursuit of FREEDOM in this podcast, we are inspired look at what the Bible says about FREEDOM in Galatians 5:1:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

Harriet wasn’t just fighting for physical freedom—she was fighting for the freedom God intends for all of us. Christ has set us free so we can live courageously, boldly, and on mission for Him.

So, after we learn Harriet's story, let's spend some time with Jesus and see what He wants to say about this through this Devotion-Driven-Discipleship conversation guide about Galatians 5:1.

Also, you can learn more about Harriet's amazing story in this blog at https://familydiscipleme.org/march-mission-madness-harriet-tubman-freedom/

This March MISSION Madness and always, let's live crazy amazing lives for Jesus, in His freedom for our own lives and for the sake of others!!!

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.

Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Speaker 1:

Welcome to March Mission Madness, where this month we're highlighting heroes of faith who lived with crazy, amazing lives for Jesus, no matter what the cost. Hi, my name is Tasha Williams and I'm here in my co-office with my good friend, wendy Hickox. Again, welcome, wendy. Thank you so much for having me again. I love that we get to talk about the lives of these amazing, godly women this month.

Speaker 2:

I am excited to dig in this month to these women's lives so that we can turn around and share it with all those that are entrusted to us. Their stories, their examples, their determination for what they did for Jesus.

Speaker 1:

That's right, and today we are highlighting somebody really special. Her name is Harriet Tubman, and she is one of the boldest, most faith-filled women in history. She risked everything to lead others to freedom. She has a fascinating story, wendy, and when I think of Harriet Tubman, I think of the verse Galatians 5.1. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.

Speaker 2:

And she believed God was guiding her every step. She once said I always told God I'm going to hold steady on you and you've got to see me through. Her story is one of faith, it's of courage, it's obedience to God's call.

Speaker 1:

We're going to talk about that in this podcast episode. We're going to talk about the mission that she lived out as we go through this March Mission Madness collection of conversations. But before we dive in, let's take a moment to listen to this podcast intro, then we'll be right back.

Speaker 3:

Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast. If you have a real relationship with Jesus, then you're in the right place to be encouraged, challenged and blessed as you seek Him, speak Him. The mission of the Family Disciple Me ministry is to inspire devotion-driven discipleship, which is something we believe every Christ follower can do. Discipleship starts with a conversation, so let's get going with that right now.

Speaker 1:

Oh, wendy. So here we are, and let's set the stage for Harriet Tubman's life. She was born into slavery sometime in the 1820s in Maryland. She wasn't just a witness to injustice, though she lived it.

Speaker 2:

She was forced into hard labor as a child. I mean I can't even imagine, as an elementary school teacher thinking of children in hard labor. I mean she endured horrific abuse, Again something that is close to my heart. To look at these children that I deal with each and every day, to know that a child was enduring really difficult abuse. She even suffered a traumatic head injury that left her with lifelong pain and seizures, that's right.

Speaker 1:

Injury that left her with lifelong pain and seizures that's right. You know, Wendy? My understanding is that she got that head injury because the slave owner was beating slaves and she was trying to help protect another slave. Isn't that amazing? I don't know how old she was. I don't know all the details of that event, but in her early days of life she was already looking out for other people.

Speaker 2:

It's almost like foreshadowing of what was to come in her life at such a young age. I mean, she had visions and dreams after that time that really she believed were from God, speaking to her and guiding her towards freedom, even at that young age.

Speaker 1:

And so we could say what the enemy meant for evil, and certainly beating slaves is horrific evil beyond what we can even imagine. But even in the terrible injury of that, god used it for good and he gave her a heart and a mind that was so sensitive to him that she was able to literally follow his voice to freedom. And it makes me just think.

Speaker 2:

I mean, she heard that voice at such a young age. She was familiar with it already. She knew what his voice sounded like. So when it came to those hard decisions that she was going to make along this journey, she was familiar. She knew what it sounded like. So when it came to those hard decisions that she was going to make along this journey, she was familiar. She knew what it sounded like. She took a leap of faith and she escaped slavery around 1849. I cannot even fathom what she was going through at that time.

Speaker 1:

But here's what makes her story so powerful and, honestly, Wendy, it makes me wonder about her mama. I wish that we could know more about her mama and her grandma. But when Harriet escaped to freedom, she could have stayed there in safety, but instead she chose to go back and rescue other people. Over a dozen times she returned and she rescued at least 70 other enslaved people through the Underground Railroad.

Speaker 2:

I don't know about you, tasha, but I tend to lean towards comfort. When I get comfortable, well, I sit down and I am comfortable, because it seems so very infrequently that we get that moment where we're just calm in a cozy place, kind of like your closet right here.

Speaker 3:

It's a little cozy, it is cozy.

Speaker 2:

But instead of staying in that comfort, she chose to go and help others, and I believe it's because she heard that voice. She had trained her mind.

Speaker 1:

That's right. She had trained her mind to be keen to hear the voice of God and I believe she knew that scripture. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. And she had found her freedom and she had deep, deep faith in God, and so she went back to rescue family members and friends, and maybe some she didn't even know, but she brought them to freedom like she herself had experienced.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I read once that Harriet said I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.

Speaker 1:

That's incredible. We watched the movies of that time period. In fact, there is a movie about Harriet Tubman, which is amazing. I loved that movie and you see the circumstances that she went through to not just escape but to help other people escape, and for her to say she never lost a passenger off her train.

Speaker 2:

That's amazing. Well, and you and I both know that wasn't luck, it wasn't a coincidence, that was God's hand of protection over her life.

Speaker 1:

That's right. And through his hand of protection over her and through her faith, Wendy, so many others were blessed.

Speaker 1:

Just the thought of that brings chills and is such a legacy of faith for us to follow, because where is it in our lives? We may not be leading people on the underground railroad, but when God helps us. Well, let me back up. When God brings us into freedom, then he leads us to help others find freedom as well, and as he guides us, then we're able to guide them, and the blessing that he gives us, we're able to bless them with that.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. I know for myself and my school. Our mission statement is all means all. We bring every student, not just a certain type of student, but all means all. And I really believe that Harry Tubman was living that out that all means all and that's what Jesus wants. All, not a few, not a couple like you're comfortable. No, he said go get all.

Speaker 1:

That's right. That's right, which really to me is a reminder of seek him, speak him. Because if all means, all that means that when I spend time with Jesus and I seek him in his word, when I hear his voice, then he wants me to turn repairman who comes to my house, or the Airbnb guest that I talk to, or the person at the grocery store or the Uber driver. All means, whomever God places in our path, that he wants us to speak into them, about him.

Speaker 2:

That's right and she didn't just stop him. That's right and she didn't just stop. I heard once that she said.

Speaker 1:

I said to the Lord I'm going to hold steady on you and I know you will see me through that sounds like a song.

Speaker 2:

It's exactly what you were just saying with that. That's the epitome of seek him, speak him. What you just described her words in that is seek him and speak him.

Speaker 1:

She sought God in her prayers, she saw him and heard him in her vision, and then she literally spoke him into other people's lives by leading them to freedom. I believe that she carried a small pistol on her because it was either go forward to freedom or go back to death, because slavery was death, and so she wasn't going to shoot anybody, but she was determined enough that she was going to help them realize the consequence of if they chose to give up, if they chose to quit on their journey to freedom. A fascinating story.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. She had this crazy courage, a courage that I think we all could learn from, a courage that we could all glean just a little bit of light. I mean, really, when we talk about her story I feel inept to even talk about it. What she suffered, what she went through, but I know that I can look at it today and say, wow, that courage.

Speaker 1:

She had crazy courage. One time she hid in a swamp for weeks, for weeks, can you imagine? She was hiding in a swamp, trusting God to provide. And it wasn't just about escaping, it was keeping all her people safe there with her in the swamp, trusting God every step of the way. She saw freedom as a God-given right, one worth fighting for she once said, God's time is always near.

Speaker 2:

He gave me my strength and he set the North Star in the heavens. He meant I should be free.

Speaker 1:

And even after slavery ended, Wendy, she kept living out that freedom and helping other people be free as well. She worked to care for the sick. She fought for women's rights. She lived such an extraordinary life because she believed in freedom in every sense, physical as well as spiritual, which reminds me of our theme verse that goes along with her life yes, Galatians 5.1,.

Speaker 2:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Speaker 1:

That's what we're called to do, wendy, as we're talking about this March mission madness, we're not looking at just taking care of ourselves and receiving our own freedom. We want to help others find it too. Jesus has set us free, so the question is are we helping others experience that freedom as?

Speaker 2:

well, it also makes us think about are we living in the freedom Christ gave us? Are we helping others find true freedom in Jesus.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes it's really hard to do that, wendy. It's hard to help others find freedom when maybe they're a little bit like some of the slaves that she was trying to lead for freedom, that they got scared or overwhelmed or fearful about going forward and they were going to quit, they were going to stop. And yet, if we're going to follow in the tracks and the testimony in the godly legacy of Harriet Tubman, I think that we keep working for others' freedom, even if in the moment, they're not interested in it. If God's entrusted them to us, then we keep fighting for their freedom every step of the way.

Speaker 2:

Yes, you know, Tasha, I'm thinking. I really feel like Harriet Tubman's story is a reminder that living for Jesus is bold, radical and costly. But in all of that, Tasha, I actually really believe it's worth it, and I believe that Harriet Tubman would say it's worth it. So here's the challenge for all of us how can we live with Harriet's courage?

Speaker 1:

Well, maybe it is by standing up for what's right, even when it's hard. We can think of a thousand ways that applies right, absolutely. Maybe it means trusting God when the path is unclear and that visual of Harriet leading her friends and family on the Underground Railroad well, talk about an unclear path, but trusting God. She just helps me see that so much more clearly. But also I believe that courage means sharing the gospel boldly. It means that we don't just seek him, we turn around and speak him. Harriet wasn't afraid to talk about God. She wasn't afraid to live for God. She wasn't afraid to vocalize the visions that she saw, how she heard his voice guiding her and the way she shared freedom, speaking boldly. Well, I want to be that kind of woman in my life.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. I know I do as well. I think Harriet wasn't afraid to follow God, no matter what was the cost. And you know what, tasha? That's what I want. I want to not be afraid to follow God, no matter what the cost. And even more than that, I want my children to follow God, no matter what the cost. I want them to see what that looks like, and not just my children, all those that are around us, yes, All those that God has entrusted to us.

Speaker 1:

You know, Wendy, this is such an amazing life example of well our theme, March Mission.

Speaker 1:

Madness because it's crazy to the world. It's foolishness, going back to our overarching key verse for this series it's foolishness to the world to live for Jesus, and yet it is the power of God. So, for all of us, I just want to say a prayer asking the Lord to help us to live. Crazy, amazing, bold, courageous faith for him. Jesus, you see us. Yes, lord, you know our strengths, you know where we're great on the court of life and you also know our weaknesses. You know the places where we struggle, where we fumble, where we mess up.

Speaker 1:

God, we want to live our lives for you and we want those that you've entrusted to us to learn how to better live their lives for you, because of our lives. So we turn our eyes to you. You are our Heavenly Father, you are our greatest friend, you are the Prince of Peace. But, god, I kind of like thinking of you in this particular March March Mission Madness series. I kind of like thinking of you as our coach, our guide. Thank you for leading us, for cheering us on, for teaching us, for showing us what it means to live with bold, courageous faith for you. We love you, lord. I pray encouragement over every single person listening to this episode in your name, for your glory, for our good and for the good of all of those that you've entrusted to us. Amen, amen. Now go with God, be encouraged, lean into the conversation guide in the show notes and don't just seek him, but turn around and speak Him into the life of someone who matters to you.

Speaker 3:

We'll see you next time, ministry, as well as word about our soon-to-be-released app. Sign up to be the first to know at FamilyDiscipleMeorg. Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, help us get the word out by leaving us a review on your favorite podcast platform. God bless you, friend. Now go seek Him. Speak Him.