Broken

Seeds Day 14 Gloriously Broken: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Why were Paul and Silas praying and singing?

2) Why was the jailer so quick to fall on his knees before his prisoners?

3) What does this story reveal about God’s authority versus human authority?

Acts 16:25-40

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.

35 When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”

36 The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So, come out now and go in peace.”

37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”

38 The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town. 40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.

Original Intent

1) Why were Paul and Silas praying and singing?
The circumstances for their worship is unimaginable. There exists no earthly reason why these two should be awake at midnight, and certainly not found praying or singing. Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching Christ as Savior, more so, the pair had been beaten by professionals in public punishment. Bruised, bleeding, quite likely suffering a broken rib (or few), twisted appendages, loose teeth, swollen eyes, or a concussion, this was the time for a doctor’s care, washed wounds, medicine, nourishment, and rest. Yet these men received none of it. Shackled in a small, dank cell, where the world would surely expect groaning and complaint, Paul and Silas were continuing the work they had been commissioned with, the very work that had landed them in prison in the first place: worship. Their obedience to travel to a new city to share the gospel was an act of worship, obedience to boldly preach was worship, and though their scenario was now different, it did not determine their obedience to continue in worship. This obedience to the Lord was not a heavy-burdened duty to perform. They were not singing because they “had to”. No! They prayed and sang out of love for the One who had freed them for eternity; earthly chains and sufferings held no long-term threat to them. (Psalm 118:6, Matthew 10:28)

2) Why was the jailer so quick to fall on his knees before his prisoners?
One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin for the purpose of bringing a lost soul into eternal salvation. Without this conviction from the Spirit, no one would repent from their sin, we are too in love with ourselves as ruler over our lives. (John 16:8) Anyone who turns to Jesus for salvation does so because the Holy Spirit has convicted them of their sin, shown them the perfect righteousness of God, and convicted them of a coming judgement when only those names found written in the Book of Life will enter eternal life. (Revelation 3:5, Revelation 17:8) For this jailer to repent, the Holy Spirit was convicting his heart of his own sin. As Paul writes in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The Spirit uses His “sword”, which is the Word of God, the Bible, in His conviction as by its penetrating cut, the thoughts and intentions of the heart are discerned. (Hebrews 4:12) Paul and Silas were not praying with random words or singing meaningless ditties to pass the time, they were praying Scripture and singing God’s living Word. (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 42:8) They were preaching even in their worship. The Holy Spirit had been preparing this jailer’s heart, and when he was confronted with the truth of Scripture paired with the faith of the beaten disciples, he knew he needed this same salvation.

3) What does this story reveal about God’s authority versus human authority?
Scripture teaches over and over that never once are we forsaken, alone, or unloved by the God who died to save us from ourselves. (Romans 8:37-39, Romans 5:6-8) His authority rules and reigns over all things (Matthew 28:18), even when we don’t perceive it. Nothing is beyond His control and ability to redeem. The Lord was with Paul and Silas as they preached, giving them words and boldness. He was with them as every blow was struck to their bodies. He was with them in that prison cell, growing their faith and dependence on Him, even as their human bodies ached with wounds. His Spirit stirred inside them, causing them to hunger for deeper connection with Him as His constant invitation to pray to Him was open. Paul and Silas responded to the Spirit working inside them, just as had been their growing habit since He took up residence within them at their conversions to faith, and they prayed and sang for all to hear in the middle of the night. Jail cell and prison bond and beating would not stop them from sharing Hope because God’s authority trumps all of man’s authority and perspective.

Everyday Application

1) Why were Paul and Silas praying and singing?
It is not in the fine, easy-going scenarios in life where our faith is proven genuine. Rather, it is when our freedom is gone, our life hangs in the balance, and despair threatens to pull us under when our true heart is revealed. Do we believe God is good even in the dark? Do we believe He is worthy of worship when our plans have slipped through our fingers? Will we worship when the music has faded from our souls and we no longer feel like praying? There, there in those darkest moments is true worship born while faith grows. What was true in the light remains true in the dark; the Lord will never forsake (Deuteronomy 31:6), never abandon (2 Corinthians 4:9), is forever faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and always good (Psalm 136:1). Because His character is permanently unchanging, we can worship in the midst of tragedy. This passage doesn’t record these men as jovially laughing and carrying on, making light of their situation. Perhaps they were providing needed comic relief to each other, but just as likely, they were weeping while they worshipped and prayed. Sisters, this story is for us! Regardless of your scenario, whether it’s dark or light, shadows or sunshine, we have more than enough reason to obediently, from a heart of love, worship the Lord!

2) Why was the jailer so quick to fall on his knees before his prisoners?
Think on how your personal journey to surrendering your life and will to Christ’s. When did you see yourself as impossibly lost because of your sin? How did the Holy Spirit use Scripture to point you to the righteousness of a Holy God who loves you? Whose faith did God use to set before you an example of genuine life-change. Take some time in the next few days and write that person or persons a note expressing gratitude for the way they lived out their faith as it impacted you. Be in prayer as you think of all those you may never even know about being influenced (or potentially influenced) by your faith lived out. What if your worship preached the gospel? What if Scripture was on your lips when the Cheerios spilled and you prayed Scripture as you walked through conflict with your spouse? Suppose it was worship that flowed out when you got that email or heard that gossip that hurt? Only the sovereign God knows what He will accomplish through your obedient worship!

3) What does this story reveal about God’s authority versus human authority?
Sisters, all seemed dark for these men, but God’s power and authority were hemming them in behind, before, and on all sides. His power was not dimmed by their suffering or the darkness of their circumstance, it shone all the brighter. As testament, the Lord sent an earthquake so violent it broke their physical chains and awakened the jailer from physical sleep so he could wake up to real life in the spiritual realm. God’s authority at work again over sin and death in the story of the jailer. An earthquake is one thing, salvation of a soul for eternity is another entirely. Through His incredible sovereign power, the Lord used a physical occurrence of an earthquake to bring about a spiritual encounter with one jailer and his family and it was recorded for centuries that you and I might read it and be encouraged. I wonder what ordinary things He might use through your willingness and mine to reach those around us, rescuing them for eternity just like the jailer.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Our Current Study Theme!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Seeds Day 13 Gloriously Broken

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:16-40
Esther 3:7-11
Psalm 13
Psalm 119:57-64

Seeds, Day 13

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Paul and Silas were no strangers to trials. They knew suffering, intimately. They could relate.

Can you picture them there in the prison at Philippi?

The night dark, the cell damp and cold. Their bodies were bruised and bleeding. Surrounded by criminals and shackled in chains, their future appeared nonexistent. They had what most of the world would consider every right to be discouraged.

Their bodies? Broken.
The God they worshipped? Invisible.
The Savior they loved? Ascended.
Imprisoned and abandoned; to the world, they appeared completely alone.

Their physical reality was bleak.

They could see the way the bruises colored their skin and feel the pain from the beating they had received. They could see the walls that held them and the authority who watched over them. They could see the other prisoners surrounding them. They could see how their lives could be taken at any point.

And still, they believed.
And still, they sang.
And still, they worshipped.

They could see the dire situation they were in with their physical eyesight,
because they were men.
But they were men who were also followers of Jesus,
so they could also see the situation with spiritual eyesight.

The jailer at Philippi was a man, too. He had seen the way these two men had been thrown into his care. No regard for their lives was expressed, and he had been charged with holding them captive with his other prisoners. They should have been discouraged, but the way they were singing…it almost seemed like they had hope. To him…

Paul and Silas were prisoners.
The god they worshipped was impotent.
The savior they loved was dead.
Imprisoned and abandoned, they were completely alone.

His perception was simple.

He could see how their bodies were injured. He could see they were ordinary men. They looked like any others he might pass on the street, save the tattered rags that clothed their bruised bodies. He could see they appeared to be lucid and aware of their situation.

And yet, they believed.
And yet, they sang.
And yet, they worshipped.

When the earthquake shook the prison and the jailer realized there was nothing to keep the prisoners in place, he was ready to die rather than face his failure.

But God saw things differently.

God saw the jailer needed a demonstration of His love. He knew Paul and Silas would follow His lead, even in their suffering. He saw they would worship Him, even though. He saw the family of the jailer, and wanted to invite them into His family through salvation and the spirit of adoption.

Paul and Silas? God placed them in that prison for this purpose.
The God they worshipped? He was with them every moment.
The Savior they loved? He used their suffering for His glory, as a means to offer salvation to the jailer and his whole household.

When we find ourselves in a place we might call suffering,
are we using our physical or spiritual eyesight to view the world around us?

Do we subscribe to feeling abandoned and alone, or are we looking for what HE is doing?
Do we cut ourselves off and focus on ourselves, or are we being Jesus to those around us?
Do we become discouraged and angry that we are uncomfortable, or are we saying “yes” to Him and choosing to bring Him glory in our darkest hours?

Truth, Sister?

Our suffering isn’t about US at all, not really. Suffering is the opportunity He gives us to BELIEVE that He is exactly Who He says He is and that He will do exactly what He said He would do, and to LIVE that reality in a fallen world.
Our suffering will bring Him glory and create space for Him to work through us.

And that, sister?
That’s a vision worth living for!

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Cross Day 8 Simon Of Cyrene

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 27:30-37
Mark 15:16-23
Luke 23:23-33

Cross, Day 8

The crowd around me jeered and chanted as the bleeding convict before us struggled to carry the heavy wooden cross. I couldn’t quite glimpse him, but based on the fury and fear contorting the faces nearest him… I was pretty sure I didn’t want to. He must have stumbled, because the volume increased to a roar as bodies surged toward him with intensity.

My own pulse quickened as I ushered my sons ahead of me away from the scene.
“Hurry, boys, hurry,” I urged.

“You!” A soldier’s gruff voice cut through the air like a scythe. Suddenly, a heavy hand landed on my shoulder forcing me to stop. My heart dropped. I stood still for a moment, then turned to face the armor-clad guard. I met his stern gaze with silence.

“You will carry his cross.”
His words forced their way out and hung in the air between us like a dare.

I considered arguing with him, but seeing the tension of the soldier’s face, I could see nothing good would come of it. I took a slow breath and nodded, then turned to face my sons. Confusion and worry shone through pale faces and wide eyes. I tried to assure them with a smile as I shrugged my pack off and handed it to them, then pulled them in for a quick hug.

“Follow along, but stay back,” I whispered. “I don’t want you in the thick of this.” They nodded, dark eyes trained on my own, but their concern was evident.

“This way,” barked the solder.

The crowd parted as he turned, and I followed him the fifteen or twenty paces back to the prisoner. As we drew closer, I could see that blood had dripped from the cuts on his face and back, staining his brightly colored robe. The crimson fluid trickled down and mixed with the dirt on the street where he knelt.

I stepped closer, bending down to grasp the heavy wood beam. As I lifted the cross from his shoulder and transferred it to my own, he stumbled at the sudden release of weight and clutched my shoulder to steady himself. At the touch of his hand, heat roared down my arm and across my back. Startled, I thought, this man has power!

For the first time, I sought a glimpse of his face. He straightened and as his gaze met mine, I finally saw him. The noise and chaos around us fading, and I found myself transfixed.

Long, dark hair framed a kind, broad face. His jaw was firm, but not overpowering. A straight nose pointed to a full mouth. The blood dripping down his face did nothing to detract from the piercing, intellectual eyes which peered kindly at me. Captivated, I noticed their color was more amber than brown, more golden than green.

Gentle, I thought. His eyes are gentle.

He wasn’t smiling, but I knew instinctively that when he did, it would be with his whole being. Tanned skin spoke of days, weeks, and months spent outdoors. The calloused rough hand resting on my shoulder made me wonder if he’d ever been a carpenter.

“This man is innocent!”, my spirit cried out.
My eyes filled inexplicably with tears, and I opened my mouth to say something to him, anything. But the words wouldn’t come.

“Simon, it’s alright,” he strained, squeezing my shoulder gently.

My eyes widened. His voice was like the sound of rushing waters, and I gulped back the sob suddenly threatening to cross my lips. I didn’t even question how he knew my name, because I had known from that first touch he knew me.
Not just my name, but who I was.
My history, my present, my future.
My thoughts, my secrets, my sin.

He knows me.
My mind roared. How does he know me?! And what does that mean, innocent?
There is no such thing! That is why we bring a sacrifice. That’s why we follow our traditions, why our priests intercede for us. It is our way! It is THE way! It’s why I’m here now, for Passover.
The sacrifice is required as payment for our sin.

His gaze lingered, his eyes filling with compassion as he watched a single tear escape down my cheek. He nodded once, then turned and began to walk away.

Wait. Compassion? For me? My thoughts whirled and crashed against one another in a frenzy. As he limps the road to his own execution…? Nothing made sense. And yet, he IS innocent.
I shook my head to clear it.

Who IS this man? And why must he be crucified, when he is innocent? My mind continued to turn as I wondered. I blinked furiously to hide the tears and hefted the heavy cross up higher on my shoulder. Then, with my thoughts still racing, I followed him.

I studied the way he moved quietly through the crowd. His body, bleeding and bruised, moved with a stately grace that conveyed complete calm, in stark contradiction to the chaos surrounding him. Men and women crowded in, shouting insults with raised fists. Some even spit at him. Others shoved and pushed struggling for a clear view.

Through the din, the sound of a woman crying caught my attention, and I turned to glance back. She covered her mouth to stifle a sob, and I watched as another woman put an arm around the first. Several others walked with them, also weeping. Some cried silently, while others wailed and clutched trembling hands together.

The prisoner stopped suddenly, and turned to address them.

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children.
Look, the days are coming when they will say,
‘Blessed are the women without children, the wombs that never bore,
and the breasts that never nursed!’
Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

His words rang with authority I’d never known, and again I was struck by the almost musical quality his voice carried. The women behind me fell silent as he turned away, and I felt a trickle of sweat drip down my back. We trudged up the final hill, and my own labored breathing filled my ears. Finally, the guard held up a hand, and our grim procession halted.

“There!” the soldier gestured.

My stomach dropped.
Twin crosses protruded from the earth into the sky on either side of the space where he pointed, and as I squinted I realized I could see the limp form of a man hanging on each.

The lump in my throat grew bigger still, and my gaze returned to the prisoner in front of me.
He nodded, and my knees buckled.
Everything within rebelled at the thought of what would surely happen to the man with the voice.

NO, my heart thrummed tautly. HE IS INNOCENT!

As if they possessed a life of their own, my hands reached up and grasped the heavy, wooden cross from my shoulder, dropping it to the ground. As the weight was lifted from my body, I felt a different sort of heaviness filling my chest.

The soldier shoved me and I stumbled backwards.
Four slender arms grasped my waist and legs, and as my sons clung to me, the tears began to fall. I pulled brown, curly-haired heads close, burying their faces in my chest. Sobs finally tore their way out of my throat as my ears registered the sound of two mallets hitting their mark and thick nails pierced flesh and wood. Unable to tear my eyes from the man with the voice, I watched the first soldier hold the man’s feet together as another soldier began to hammer a third nail.

And still, he didn’t beg. WHY DIDN’T HE BEG?
And still, he didn’t stop them. WHY DIDN’T HE STOP THEM?

A woman’s shrill wail cut through the air as the mallet pounded one final time, and the soldiers lifted the cross, sliding it in the waiting hole. I swiped my forearm over my face to clear the tears, willing myself to stand as I forcibly pulled my boys away from the grim scene. Their tear-filled eyes searched my own in shock, and though I searched for comforting words, I found none.
I glanced back over my shoulder one last time and my gaze fell on two perfect feet, pinned to rough wood.

For some reason, I could think of nothing but the way his calloused hand felt on my shoulder.
The sound of his voice.
The warmth in his gaze.

I wept, and pressed forward. “Hurry, boys, hurry.”

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Awaken Day 13 Awake My Soul

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 91:1-4
Psalm 94:16-19
Romans 8:31-39
Hebrews 4:14-16

Awaken, Day 13

Her back against the wall of the dark corner, she slid to her knees. Forehead met floor as she clenched her arms tighter around her waist, trying desperately to muffle her cries. Despite her efforts, the roiling within couldn’t–wouldn’t–be contained, and her keening echoed in the emptiness around her.

Barely able to string words into thought, she flung a desperate plea to the heavens.

“I can’t do it anymore.
It’s too big, too hard, hurts too much.
I can’t.”

Never had the Throne of Mercy seemed more distant. The disappointment He must surely feel thundered in the silence, its weight crushing.

Exhausted, her sobs spent, one final whisper escaped her lips:
“ . . . help . . .”

Into the void, He spoke.

“My sweet girl,
I
am
here.”

She felt a hand on her back, and instantly her frenetic shaking ceased. Lifting her head, squinting through her tears, she saw Him. There. In her dark corner, His other hand reaching out to smooth damp hair from her face. He was there.

He pulled her into His lap, encircling her in the strongest, most gentle embrace.
Peace began to creep into her soul . . . until she remembered.

Remembered what had driven her to this place of desolation.

Overwhelming troubles.
Mountains she had tried again and again to scale, only to fail and fall and crumble.

Or perhaps rejection.
Barbed reminders that she didn’t belong, wasn’t good enough,
and therefore was destined to be alone,
piercing her soul until she was too wounded to stand.

Or injustice might have flung her into this pit,
blindsided and bleeding.

Whatever the root cause, its oppression began to close in again.
Hopeless, she cried out, “I don’t know what to do!”

“Beloved,” He murmured, shattering the encroaching darkness, “it’s time to worship.”

“Worship?” she echoed in confusion . . .

Dear sister, perhaps her puzzlement reflects our own?

Surely heartfelt hymns of praise spring from mountaintop moments,
not deepest, darkest valleys.

And yet, His Word shows us
life and hope and peace
in the midst of
death and hurt and despair
are found in the place of worship.

Praise . . . when it hurts.
Speaking truth we know and believe . . . when we don’t feel it.

When the giants of OVERWHELMED and FEAR and FAILURE loom large before us,
He reminds us:

He is the One Who created our universe (Psalm 95:1-5).
Whose dominion is absolute and glory is all-surpassing (Psalm 97:2-6).
Who performs wonders on behalf of His beloved (Psalm 99:1-3).

He is bigger, stronger, and victorious over
the obstacles we are powerless to surmount on our own.

When the bitter seeds of rejection begin to wither our spirits,
He uproots their lies with His hope-full truth:

We are intimately known by and called to belong to the flock of our Maker (Psalm 95:6-7).
We are deeply loved and faithfully cared for (Psalm 98:3).
We are His (Psalm 100:3-5).

We are never alone: we are the little sheep of His pasture,
created for and belonging to Him, always.

And when the devious cruelty of another leaves us
suffering, despairing, and crying out for vindication,
He is our justice:

He alone is Judge, and His faithfully righteous words speak joy into our aching souls (Psalm 96:10-13).
He sees the truth and will judge fairly (Psalm 98:9).
He loves justice (Psalm 99:4).

He promises to end our story with justice,
turning the wicked intentions of man against us to good,
for the glory of His name.

Truth begets life.
When we are helpless and hopeless in the place of deepest pain,
speaking the truth about our God revives our dying spirits.

Because the truth is, He is still worthy of our praise.
When we are overwhelmed, alone, wronged,
He is still God.
He is still good.
He is still for us.
And if God is for us, what can stand against us?

Remember that thing, that ugly hurt that drove us to our dark corners?
The truth we access in worship is because of who He is, because of His crazy love for us, He’s got that thing covered.

Drawing in a deep breath, she paused for a moment, biting her lower lip.
In a barely audible whisper, she began, “You are my God. You made me, and I. Am. Yours.” Words of life spoken in her own voice built her courage.

Stronger, now. “I come to You with thanksgiving and praise. Thank you for all that You are, and for being here with me now.

“You are my way through. You are my Good Shepherd and I belong to You.
You are my justice and my vindication.
You are good, and Your faithful love endures, forever.”

The mountains still rose before her.
The pain of brokenness with man remained.
But her Guide was at her side.
His very presence was salve to her wounds.

Slipping her fingers into His, she stepped forward, her soul awakened to deep life.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Awaken Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Awaken!

Awaken Day 9 Song In The Night: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Song In The Night!

The Questions

1) What is the psalmist’s circumstances and emotional state?

2) What is the tone of the psalmist’s questions in verses 7-9?

3) What is the transition point for the psalmist? What is he remembering?

Psalm 77

I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
2 I sought the Lord in my day of trouble.
My hands were continually lifted up
all night long;
I refused to be comforted.
3 I think of God; I groan;
I meditate; my spirit becomes weak. Selah

4 You have kept me from closing my eyes;
I am troubled and cannot speak.
5 I consider days of old,
years long past.
6 At night I remember my music;
I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders.

7 “Will the Lord reject forever
and never again show favor?
8 Has his faithful love ceased forever?
Is his promise at an end for all generations?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah

10 So I say, “I am grieved
that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will remember the Lord’s works;
yes, I will remember your ancient wonders.
12 I will reflect on all you have done
and meditate on your actions.

13 God, your way is holy.
What god is great like God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you revealed your strength among the peoples.
15 With power you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 The water saw you, God.
The water saw you; it trembled.
Even the depths shook.
17 The clouds poured down water.
The storm clouds thundered;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
lightning lit up the world.
The earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way went through the sea
and your path through the vast water,
but your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Original Intent

1) What is the psalmist’s circumstances and emotional state?
Asaph, the author of this psalm, was one of three Levites whom David had assigned to be a singer in the Tabernacle. Our modern-day correlation might be a worship leader. Despite his leadership position, Asaph wrestled heavily for an extended period with a heaviness that sapped his delight and joy. Depression had settled around Asaph, wearying him with chronic emptiness, wracking his mental, emotional, and physical state. He couldn’t find comfort, even though he called on the Lord for relief. His spirit was weak within him, even though Asaph meditated on God. We have no reason to believe that Asaph was only “going through the motions” of seeking after God, but that his heart truly was seeking after God. This was a time of true desperation for Asaph, he found solace in nothing.

2) What is the tone of the psalmist’s questions in verses 7-9?
Hurt and painful circumstances weigh down heavily on our souls having a blinding effect on our perspective. Sometimes the ache runs so deeply, we simply cannot see anything else. The past looks enchantingly better and the future feels impossible, this is the seedbed for doubt and anger. Here is where we find Asaph. “Will the Lord spurn forever? Has His steadfast love ceased? Have His promises ended? Has God forgotten how to be gracious?” (verses 7-9) Asaph’s intention isn’t mockery, it’s honesty. His persistent pain has driven him, the esteemed worship leader, to question his God, his faith, and all the beliefs he has held dear.

3) What is the transition point for the psalmist? What is he remembering?
Verse 9 ends with the mysterious Hebrew word “Selah”, which most theologians agree gives some nod towards “intentional pause for peace and stillness”. Asaph’s grief has not instantly disappeared, but he has made an intentional choice to pause and be still, assessing himself and His God. Verse 10 continues with this subtle shift as Asaph has made a clear decision, he admits his grieved feeling that the Lord has changed, but he plods forward insistently determined to remember and reflect on the Lord and all He has done. Asaph acknowledges the reality of his feelings, and then chooses to set them aside that he might intentionally remember the works and character of God. Remarkably, the shift alters the rest of the psalm. At the beginning, Asaph spoke of himself, his feelings, his grief, and his pain, but following his decision to gaze at the Lord, the poem continues with words that focus on God, His power, His redemption, His gentleness, His strength, His protection. With a perspective shift, Asaph no longer feels the need to grieve, but rather to rejoice!

Everyday Application

1) What is the psalmist’s circumstances and emotional state?

Asaph’s brutal, open honesty both frightens and comforts us. Scripture makes no attempt to airbrush the reality of real grief, genuine heartache, and pain running far deeper than some nice words can cover or even a few days can soothe away. But Asaph’s honesty brings me such comfort because, Sisters, I have been in his shoes. The days of loneliness have bled into months and years and into a season of sadness for me at points in my journey. Asaph reminds me I’m not the only one! Some of you sitting on the other side of this screen today need to hear that truth too. You’re not the only one.

2) What is the tone of the psalmist’s questions in verses 7-9?
Hear this, Beloved Daughter, the Lord is not afraid of your doubt. He will not sit in condemning judgment over you for your fearful grappling with faith questions. As you walk through the storm you don’t know how or if you’ll survive, His heart can handle your honest questions, so ask them. Write them down, weep over them as you scream them aloud as Asaph did (verse 1), and surround yourself with truths that are true even if you don’t feel them as Asaph did. “Steadfast love” was his description for a love he felt had run dry. “Faithful promises” was his depiction of a God who had run out on him. “Gracious”, “compassionate”, both truths of God’s character, even though he clearly felt like these had been replaced with anger. Truth will always win over lies, Sister. Wrap yourself in it when lies threaten to have full sway. Fight back with truth.

3) What is the transition point for the psalmist? What is he remembering?
At the beginning of the Asaph’s song, he tried to remember God and His actions in his own life. He recalled previous “songs in the night” from other times in his life, but he could not be comforted. At the end, after Asaph’s focus shifted, he intentionally chose an action fully outside of himself to meditate on and remind himself of unshakeable truths concerning God’s steadfast character. He focused on the biggest event in all of Old Testament history, the mega-event that was sung about and chronicled all throughout Old Testament poetry, song, and story. The parting of the Red Sea where God rescued His people from slavery and certain death. For us, even when we can’t be comforted by God’s actions in our own lives because depression or hurt has blinded us, we can do what Asaph did and focus on the one event that changed all of history. The crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ where He laid Himself down giving His life in exchange for ours that we might be freed from slavery to sin and its damning effect of eternal death. Here, with this perspective, we will always find life-giving, unshakeable hope!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Song In The Night!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Awaken Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Awaken Day 7 Still, Small Voice: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Still, Small Voice!

The Questions

1) Why is Elijah in the cave?

2) Why does God choose to speak in “a soft whisper”?

3) Why does God leave 7,000 in Israel?

1 Kings 19:9-18

He entered a cave there and spent the night.
Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.”

11 Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”

At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”

15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. 18 But I will leave seven thousand in Israel—every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Original Intent

1) Why is Elijah in the cave?
Beginning in 1 Kings 18:20 we see the set up for why Elijah ended up in a cave. Elijah was the only faithful prophet to God and he challenged Ahab and all the others who were worshipping the false god Baal. More specifically, Elijah attacked the beliefs of the worshippers of Baal, set up an impossible-to-win stand-off to prove Baal had no power while the One True God was all-powerful. God, of course, defeats the prophets of Baal. However, this action brings about a threat on the life of Elijah from Queen Jezebel. Upon receiving the threat Elijah is afraid and runs for his life. God remains faithful to Elijah, providing for his basic needs and, after 40 days, he eventually ends up in the cave.  Elijah is in a cave as a direct result of his decision to run away.

2) Why does God choose to speak in “a soft whisper”?
In 1 Kings 19:11-12 God displays His power over creation. There is a great, destructive wind, an earthquake, and a fire that all take place before God finally chooses to speak. God could have shown up and spoken to Elijah in any of those moments, instead He chooses to wait. God displays His power for Elijah once more and then, in the small whisper, God finally speaks. God waits for the intimate moment when He has Elijah’s full attention to speak, and when He speaks, He asks a question reminding us of the question God asked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:9 quickly following Adam and Eve’s decision to sin, God comes into the Garden and asks, “Where are you?”. God doesn’t ask this because is ignorant, He asks to re-establish the relationship that once was. In a similar way God comes to Elijah in the quiet whisper and asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”. Again, God doesn’t ask because He doesn’t know the why, He asks because He is restoring the relationship God and His prophet Elijah have had.

3) Why does God leave 7,000 in Israel?
During the intimate conversation between God and Elijah we learn Elijah feels alone. He feels there is no one left who is faithful to God. He essentially wonders why the Israelites are still God’s people despite their unfaithfulness. God chooses to show Elijah that he is not alone and there are 7,000 believers who had never abandoned the faith. In these same verses we see the consequences of those who have been unfaithful, as well as the love of God in sparing those who remained faithful to the covenant between God and Israel. God encourages Elijah there would be another prophet to follow in his footsteps when He instructs Elijah to anoint his replacement, Elisha. Even though Elijah felt alone God showed him he has never really been alone.

Everyday Application

1) Why is Elijah in the cave?
It has always amazed me that in one moment Elijah displays such faith in God that he stands up to Baal without fear knowing his God will be victorious and in almost the next breath Elijah is running away fearing his life from a human queen. Just like Elijah, there are times in our lives where we will fear the circumstances in our lives. The decision before us in those moments is whether we will lean in and trust God, or run in fear of what might happen. While the decision to ask God into our lives is a one-time decision, the decision to trust God in all circumstances and situations is one made moment by moment, day by day.

2) Why does God choose to speak in “a soft whisper”?
God is a God of power who controls all of creation. He can choose to show Himself and speak through anything. Yet, many times in our lives God does not speak to us through big huge billboards we can’t miss. No, instead, He comes to us in the quiet moments when we choose to set the noise of the world aside and draw near to Him. It is in the moments of intimate relationship that God often speaks to our hearts. You see, above all God prioritizes our relationship with Him. He wants us to draw near, to sit and be still, to lean in ready to hear what He has to say. The question is, will we be still long enough to hear the soft whisper?

3) Why does God leave 7,000 in Israel?
Just like Elijah felt alone, how many times in our lives do we struggle with the same feeling of loneliness. There will be times in our lives we look around and may be tempted to think there are no faithful believers around us or there is no one left to keep the faith when we are gone. However, just as in the life of Elijah, we are never truly alone. If we look hard enough, there are those around us who are clinging to faithfulness and living their lives devoted to the One True God. There are those being raised up in the faith that will continue to grow in faithfulness and who will carry on the faith once God calls us home. No matter how hopeless circumstances may look, we must remember that just as Elijah wasn’t alone in his faithfulness neither are we. Like Elijah, we serve not only a faithful God, but also a just God and those who are faithless will one day have to answer for that faithlessness. However, we must also remember that faithfulness does not equal perfection. As believers, God is continuously at work in our lives to make us more like Him as we choose to cling to Him in faith.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Still, Small Voice!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Awaken Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Awaken Day 4 Awakening The Desperate: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Awakening The Desperate!

The Questions

1) How is the phrase, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”, amplified by reading the previous chapter?

2) Where is Paul’s confidence found?

3) What is the “testimony of God”?

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

Original Intent

1) How is the phrase, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”, amplified by reading the previous chapter?
In chapter 1, Paul emphasized humanity’s wisdom and our perspective on reality compared to God’s infinitely greater wisdom and His completely whole perspective on all of eternity. The difference is so expansive, it’s laughable to even consider comparing the two. He remarks at how utterly foolish it seems for the all-powerful Being to sacrifice Himself for the souls of finite humans, yet that is exactly what God did. Paul says this wisdom of God, deemed foolish by man, is priceless beyond description because it is both the power of God and the wisdom of God combined in one sacrificial act that offered salvation to all of mankind. God’s wisdom vastly out measures our own and He used His wisdom to bring us redemption, drawing us close to Him. God went even farther and chose the weak and lowly of the world to be the mouthpieces declaring this great goodness of salvation. If that isn’t humbling, nothing is! This humble mindset of humility for the task the Lord gave Paul is the deep underscore of Paul’s statement, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Nothing else matters.

2) Where is Paul’s confidence found?
Among Christians, Paul is well known as being the most famous Christ-follower and preacher of all time. He accomplished incredible things with his life and spread the gospel with a passion we still look to for our model today. He boldly defended the faith, constantly took new ground for the Kingdom, and willingly laid himself aside for the betterment of the church at large. With all of his mighty works, it’s easy to forget that Paul was simply another man. He was a man with a past, with blood on his hands, a man who had fears, was lonely, was criticized, and battled against heavy emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual enemies on a constant basis. He was just a man. What made Paul such a significant player in the history of the early church rested in one thing alone, the power of the Holy Spirit. This was for a distinct purpose in the mind of God, that Paul’s hearers would know beyond a doubt that they could not put their faith in a simple human, but only on Jesus Christ.

3) What is the “testimony of God”?
The Greek word here for “testimony” can also be translated as “secret” or “mystery”. It’s not that the story of Jesus was somehow hidden or needed to be decoded, but rather that Paul came to help the Corinthians “unpack” the truth of Christ that they might understand it and take it in as their own. The story of Jesus’ promised coming was foretold centuries before through the prophets, even dating back to the beginning of time with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Until God came as a baby, sacrificed Himself for us, and was raised to life as evidence of His victory over Sin and Death, all of the prophetic “puzzle pieces” were a bit unclear. Paul is declaring that Jesus Christ, His fullness, His work on the cross on our behalf, and His resurrection are the testimony of God, His plan, and the evidence of His love. Jesus testifies to God because He is God and Paul stakes everything about His life on this testimony.

Everyday Application

1) How is the phrase, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”, amplified by reading the previous chapter?
When we read Scripture, it was always intended to be read and understood in a greater context. Looking at only one verse, or even a few verses, can be like looking at a black and white photo or even a dark shadow. But when we seek understanding of the passage as a whole, get to know the author and his culture, then put it in context of the rest of Scripture, we find depth, brilliant colors, and rich treasure that we can correctly apply to life as we understand more of who God is. Consider your Bible study habits or your general approach to reading God’s Word. Perhaps you skim looking for a verse to pop out at you. Maybe you open your Bible and just start reading wherever your eyes land and check out mentally after a few paragraphs. Or maybe the idea of reading the Bible feels heavy, clumsy, and awkward. That’s okay. Truly. I’ve done all of those. God has specific treasure for you, words He wants you to read, messages to impress upon your heart, and it all happens within the context of growing in how you study His Word. It’s a journey every believer is compelled to take as we learn to follow Christ. What if you and I set out to read the Bible with the same mindset that Paul determined to grow churches with? Suppose we read all of the Bible through the filter of simply wanting to know this Christ, who He was, who He is, and why He was crucified.

2) Where is Paul’s confidence found?
If you had to narrow down the epicenter of your life; the one thing that mattered above all others because it was the very source of fuel for everything else in your life, what would it be? Options for this fill-in-the-blank are endless. Passion for money, desire to control, pleasing those around you, or wishing you were enough are just a few examples. I have mine, Paul had his, and you have yours. Unless each of us are willing to look in the mirror and be honest about the reality of our desperation, we have no hope of finding true confidence. There is only one thing that cannot crumble under the intense weight of a human life with emotions, passions, dreams, fears, and failures and it is the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ alone. Everything else will give way, shatter like pottery, and leave us scarred. But the confidence of Christ? There is nothing like it! It will take the broken pieces of us, and transform us into imitators of Christ, clothed in a confidence so beautiful it’s breathtaking. Not because we are wonderful, but because Christ is glorious! Seek this Jesus!

3) What is the “testimony of God”?
Paul’s life was wrapped up in this “testimony of God”. Everything he did, the plans he made, the sacrifices he chose, it all centered around this testimony of God. Paul encountered the risen Christ one day as he went about his business of killing Christians and those moments changes the course of Paul’s entire life. How much are you willing to surrender for the testimony of God? Is the pattern of Christ woven into the fabric of your day, your speech, your relationships, your church habits, and the words that come so quick when you’re angry? For Paul, the testimony of God had arrested the attention of his life, and nothing else mattered more. Did Paul still have a job and relationships, get tired and frustrated, feel lonely and discouraged? Yes! Take heart, sister, the testimony of God, the story of the resurrected Christ, was intended to be lived out by you and me, regular human beings, busy with life. Don’t let this testimony by another checkbox in life, let Christ be your life!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Awakening The Desperate!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Awaken Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Awaken Day 3 Awakening The Desperate

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 16
Psalm 116
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Romans 7:7-25

Awaken, Day 3

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me.”

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Both are quotes from the apostle Paul. (Romans 7:18 and 1 Corinthians 2:2)
Both have rubbed me the wrong way for a good number of years.
I remember hearing these words as a child and becoming indignant in my defensive little soul, “But I do work hard. I am a good girl. I know lots of things about the Bible and plenty of other things too, not just Jesus’ crucifixion.”

How desperately I wanted to be good, to be found working hard, to be exceptionally smart, and for someone to recognize me as valuable.
Like the rest of humanity, the mold of childhood was the mold I carried into adulthood,
and even now it’s sharp edges surprise me at its persistence.

The self-made, independent,
can’t-trust-anyone-but-me, good girl
I had worked hard to become so insistently
is one I face regularly in the mirror.

Whether it’s parenting, theology, marriage, friendship, or any number of other areas, that little girl defiance raises her hand and steps forward, chest puffed out,
gleam in her eye, “I’ve got this, I am a good girl, I know lots of things.”

What I didn’t realize is how hard this attitude
pushes against the heart of the One who loves me.

When I was little, my younger brother was my best friend and with frequent moves he was often my only friend. Being siblings and best friends, the natural thing to do together was get into trouble. On one such occasion, Brother and I felt it would be a terribly fun idea to remove the screen from the kitchen window and jump from the single story. Having accomplished this feat with a good degree of difficulty as the frame was old, the hinges rusty, and the window sill quite filthy, we gleefully enjoyed jumping from the window and playing all sorts of imaginative games. Then, being the older, clearly wiser sister, I decided it was time to put the screen back before a parent came home to survey the sight.

The trouble was, the screen obstinately refused to be placed back, seemingly enjoying its freedom as much as we had enjoyed ours. Our panic escalated as our palms grew increasingly sweaty and we batted back and forth about who’s ridiculous idea it had been in the first place to remove it. Eventually, resigned to failure, I cleverly schemed we deliver the obdurate screen to the pile of rubbish in the garden entirely out of sight.

But my father discovered the screen-less window, and a re-enactment of the Garden of Eden seemed thrust upon us as my dear brother was quick to blame me as his own “Eve”. Father’s anger was unabated by any of my well-thought through defenses and my punishment was quick and sure.

No amount of me (my abilities, my wit, or my stubbornness) could wrench me free from my punishment. There was no grace, there was no gentle, tender hug of forgiveness.

Here, hinged between a consequence and the absolute finality that I, on my own, had no ability to deliver myself from the incoming reprimand, is found desperation.
Desperate to be free.
Desperate for shame to be buried.
Desperate to be rescued.
Desperate for grace.

The backdrop changes and it isn’t about two elementary kids and their shenanigans,
it’s about a marriage spiraling out of control. Desperate.
It’s about finances that aren’t making it. Desperate.
It’s about a looming health issue, a broken friendship, a son or daughter who turned away, or an ugly, festering wound from your past. Desperate.

Ironically enough, when we find ourselves sitting here in this place called Desperate,
the Father God turns His face upon us.
Not to shame or punish us, but to awaken us, calling us into a rich inheritance of grace.

He stood in our place, took our punishment, went to Desperate for us, and offered Himself, all of Himself, as our own portion to claim as His daughters.

David the psalmist, David the king, David the shepherd boy,
David who walked through more desperate lands than we likely ever will,
lifted his head and sang out, “The Lord is my chosen portion… The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.”

Read those precious words again. Slowly. Notice David’s word choices.
He chose the Lord.

God had met David in Desperate, awakened his heart and given him the choice to remain in Desperate, struggling, fighting, yet knowing he couldn’t escape,
or accept the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living (Psalm 27:13).
David chose the Lord, and good awaited him.
David knew if he chose to put the Lord first, David’s heart would never be shaken and he would never again need to live in Desperate.

You make known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalm 16:11)

David had the same choice each of us do.
Live in Desperate or be freed in Grace.

Paul’s words come back again, but now they are a sweet fragrance.
After choosing grace and the salvation that was purchased for me,
I, along with all my performance that will forever fail,
all my success that will never be enough,
all my expectations I can never meet,
no longer matter because I know that apart from Christ, “nothing good dwells in me”.
What matters?

“…Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Everything else pales so intensely it becomes insignificant in light of knowing Jesus Christ and Him crucified to set me free.

Free from Desperate.
Awakened to Life!

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Awaken Day 2 A Prayer For Mercy: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out A Prayer For Mercy!

The Questions

1) Who is the writer and what qualifies him to write on this topic?

2) How is one’s affliction related to someone else’s salvation?

3) Verse 5 seems to assert that it is because of Jesus Christ that we have both affliction and comfort. How is this possible?

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

Original Intent

1) Who is the writer and what qualifies him to write on this topic?
Paul the apostle wrote this letter to the church at Corinth. There were many false teachers attempting to exert influence on the new Christ-followers and lead them astray. Much like things we hear today, the false teachers likely mocked the believers for their faith and said, “If you have been saved by Jesus Christ, why are you going through so many hard times? Your life should be easy!”
The false teachers were smooth-talkers (I’m sure you’ve heard some) who told people what made them feel good. In so doing, they “preach[ed] a different Jesus…a different kind of Spirit…a different kind of gospel.” (2 Corinthians 11:4)
But Paul knew from experience that a life dedicated to Christ does not equal a life of relaxation. Quite the opposite: 2 Corinthians 11:23b-27 is a laundry list of hardships and adversities! From beatings and prison to shipwrecks and hunger, Paul had lived through many sufferings.

2) How is one’s affliction related to someone else’s salvation?
Paul wrote this second letter to the Corinthians partly because he had heard reports of their deplorable behavior. He was distressed to know that these believers were allowing the smooth words of false teachers to tickle their ears and draw them away from pure devotion to Jesus. In this sense, Paul’s distress (affliction) resulted in a letter that brought about their repentance, which brought them closer to the Lord (2 Corinthians 7:11). Paul suffered significantly for the cause of Christ in his lifetime, but it wasn’t without purpose. God used Paul’s sufferings to bring about salvation for many as they heard his preaching and witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit at work in his life.

3) Verse 5 seems to assert that it is because of Jesus Christ that we have both affliction and comfort. How is this possible?
Sisters, do we deceive ourselves to think that we will be accepted by society even as we live out our faith in Jesus? He specifically stated the world would hate us because it hated Him first (John 15:18-19). This is the reason that we have affliction – because we identify with Christ.

But He also sent the Holy Spirit upon His ascension to everyone who genuinely believes and trusts in Him (Acts1:9-11; 2:1-4). The Spirit of God is with us even during our tribulations and hardships, bringing us comfort.

Everyday Application

1) Who is the writer and what qualifies him to write on this topic?
Paul could write about sufferings because he endured many. Every event in each of our lives has the potential to bring glory to God. Even the hard times. Especially the hard times. What have you experienced in your life that only Our Good Father could have brought you through in His mercy? Have you shared it with anyone?

2) How is one’s affliction related to someone else’s salvation?
We have seen the many hardships that Paul endured on his missionary journeys. Imagine if he had given up his calling at the first hint of trouble. Think of how many people would never have heard about Jesus Christ.
Living out the calling placed on our lives by Our Lord is not easy. Not only will we be mocked and ridiculed by people, but the enemy, Satan, will do his best to keep us from fulfilling our purpose. We don’t give up, because the Holy Spirit is with us to sustain us and to comfort us. We can trust that God knows best, lean into Him (especially when suffering) and experience His mercy. Then we share that with others for their salvation…either justification salvation (a one-time experience) or sanctification salvation (a daily transformation into the likeness of Christ).

3) Verse 5 seems to assert that it is because of Jesus Christ that we have both affliction and comfort. How is this possible?
Think for a moment about the sufferings you have endured as a Christian. Now reflect: Did you receive comfort during those times, either from fellow Christians or from the Lord Himself? If you had the choice (which, of course, you do) to suffer for Jesus knowing you’ll be comforted or to live an easy life with no suffering, but also no promise of heaven, which would you choose? My choice is Jesus. A little trouble now in this world…but a glorious life with Him for eternity.

*If you have chosen Jesus for the first time in your life, please contact a pastor to learn what your next step should be or share it with us at Gracefully Truthful!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with A Prayer For Mercy

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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