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Neighbor Day 8 Reaching Beyond Isolation

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 10:25-37
Matthew 28:18-20
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Psalm 139:1-6

Neighbor, Day 8

I look out my window and see her walking to her mailbox. I suddenly realize we have now lived in this house, next door to this lady and her family, for a whole year, yet I know very little about her.

I’ve certainly never invited her over for tea or coffee like I intended. All I really know about her is she is a fellow homeschool mom. Embarrassingly, I don’t even know how many children she homeschools.

Perhaps you can relate to this scenario. Sadly, it’s an incredibly common one in our age of isolation and busyness. But common though it may be, it is a far cry from what God intended for us.

From Genesis 2:18, when God first declares it is not good for man to be alone, to Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which speaks of the sad danger of doing life in isolation, we see God created us as relational humans, designed to do life in community.

Not only that, but a crucial aspect of the Christian life is seeking to fulfill the Great Commission, which centers around relationships and living an invitational, hospitable life.

But we have allowed busyness to creep in.
We have allowed to-do lists, expectations, and goals
to crowd in and crowd out
long teatime chats, visits, hospitality, and potluck dinners with friends and strangers alike.

We may not realize, however, how foundational prayer is to reaching our neighbors with the love, light, and good news of Christ. Scratching tasks off the to-do list, or removing events from our calendars, in an attempt to make space for discipleship is a good first step, but it won’t get the job done. Even purposing to “do better” and be more hospitable in the future leaves us relying on our own efforts.

Instead, effective discipleship is a living, moving partnership with the Father,
and it all starts with prayer.

4 Prayers to Pray As We Seek to Reach Our Neighbors

1. Pray for eyes to see and a heart to care.
We all have neighbors with whom we have barely had a complete conversation, let alone made time to build deep and authentic connections. Often, this stems from a lack of understanding of the huge importance of befriending our neighbors and sharing the love of Christ.

So, let’s pray for understanding hearts, ones who care more deeply for those around us than we do for our own comfort, convenience, or daily agenda. Then, pray for eyes to truly see those around us, eyes not fixed on our own busyness and to-do list, but rather on the people the Lord has placed in our communities. Let’s ask for God’s vision for reaching our neighbors. He will undoubtedly answer our prayers!

2. Pray for opportunities to reach out, and the fortitude and intentionality to follow through.
Once our hearts are in the right place, we can pray for opportunities to build relationships with our neighbors. Those around us are often just as busy as we are, so unless we are praying for open doors and for the will to intentionally take advantage of the opportunities when they do arise, they may just slip by unnoticed. As we work to build trust, our consistency and follow-through are key.

3. Pray for receptive hearts.
We don’t know what our neighbors are currently going through or what their worldview may be, but God does. We can ask His Spirit to touch their hearts and make them receptive not only to our invitations to get together, but also to the words He leads us to speak.

4. Pray for God to speak His powerful, incisive words through us.
Lastly, let’s cover those anticipated conversations in prayer. Let’s ask for His wisdom and discernment to guide our words. Finally, we can seek the Lord’s blessing on our efforts to genuinely connect with, love, and serve our communities.

And then sit back and watch what He does with your willingness to obey and live out His great commission, right where you are, in your very own neighborhood!

It can feel rather uncomfortable to reach out to people we don’t even know. But it is part of our Great Commission from our Lord, and it is worth the awkwardness it may take to get there!

Step out in faith and obedience, and the Lord will do the rest!

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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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Here’s a link to all past studies in Neighbor!

The GT Weekend! ~ Relentless Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) “If the Lord is for us, then why has all of this happened to us?!” Gideon’s question hits all of us. If we are willing to be honest, then you know as well as I do, I’ve pleaded with the Lord over this query. I’m challenging you and me to be bold before the Lord and write out what our fill-in-the-blanks are for this question in relation to our own lives. “If the Lord is for me, why did my friend commit suicide? Why is my marriage so difficult? Why am I so weary?” Pray these to the Lord from a place of transparency and seek His solace and His answers over your own. Connect with a trusted, believing, friend in the next few days and share your thoughts, asking her to pray with you.

2)  Amy shared on Wednesday of times she had questioned God’s love for her, run from Him in anger, and have failed to follow Him. Take some time to write down, even if it’s on your phone’s notes, times when you have done the same. There is something powerful that happens in our hearts when we verbalize reality. As you take steps to be transparent with yourself, pray over these and bring them to the Lord. Tell Him honestly what you have questioned, why you were (or are) angry, and why you have run. Pray. Seek His Word, studying it as you pray for His Spirit to free you and show you His relentless love!

3)  We all like winning, don’t we? Reaching the goal, checking off that list, knowing we hit the target square on, we crave that win! Kendra reminded us yesterday that God always wins, meaning that His purposes cannot be thwarted and what He intends to accomplish, He will do. What would it look like if we abandoned our ideas of winning, and instead picked up the Lord’s? What if He became our source for strength and we shifted our eyes to see His win instead of our own? What radical difference might it make if we knew that whenever we aligned ourselves with His ways over ours, we would be assured His victory in His way and in His time?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Lamentations 3:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion,
therefore I will put my hope in him.”

Prayer Journal
Because of Your love….I am here tonight to praise You, I held my babies tight today, I slept peacefully last night, I saw the sun this morning, and breathed in Your new morning mercies. Because of Your love, gracious, good Father! Your love is better than life itself! (Psalm 63:3) Teach me, on repeat, to view my days and moments and relationships and circumstances through the lens of “because of Your love” just like the psalmist wrote. Teach my lips to sing it, my hands to love with Your love, and my eyes to see with Your love. You alone are my portion, Oh God; how great is Your faithfulness!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Relentless Day 7 Faith Or Fear: 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 Faith Or Fear?

The Questions

1) How can I wait quietly for the Lord when I am desperate for help?

2) What does it mean that “the Lord is my portion?”

3) Why should God’s love and mercy give me hope?

Lamentations 3:21-26

Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion,
therefore I will put my hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the person who seeks him.
26 It is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.

Original Intent

1) How can I wait quietly for the Lord when I am desperate for help?
The original Hebrew title of the book of Lamentations, ekah, means Alas!  But, according to John McArthur, “rabbis began early to call the book “loud cries” or “lamentations.”  The author, Jeremiah, weeps for the calamity that God’s people have brought upon themselves because of their love affair with sin.  Even in this tragic time, though, the Lord brings hope.  Charles Swindoll notes, “at the center of this lament over the effects of sin in the world, sit a few verses devoted to hope in the Lord (Lamentations 3:22–25). This statement of faith standing strong in the midst of surrounding darkness shines as a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin and disobedience.”  Jeremiah determines to wait quietly for the Lord’s salvation.  According to Ellicott’s Commentary, waiting quietly means “wait in silence: i.e. abstain from murmurs and complaints.”  Jeremiah understands that waiting on God without complaining brings him closer to His rescue.  Matthew Henry notes that quietly waiting is “not quarrelling with God nor making ourselves uneasy, but acquiescing in the divine disposals.”  Quietly waiting on God is yielding to His will and trusting He is in control, even when we don’t understand His plans. It is only possible if we love and trust God and acknowledge that His plans for us are for our good, even if it’s a “good” we don’t yet understand. God told Israel in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plans for them included a hope and a future.  Likewise, He promises us in Romans 8:28 that He is working all things out for our good. God promises He has destined true believers for eternal salvation and not for wrath in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10. We can wait quietly for God’s help, even when we are in distress, because we trust His plan for us.

2) What does it mean that “the Lord is my portion?”
The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah at a time when the great city of Jerusalem was devastated by the Babylonian invasion of 586 B.C.  The book is full of Jeremiah’s descriptions of the pain and desolation around him, but it also contains the hope Jeremiah finds in God. That hope was found in Jeremiah recognizing God as his portion and satisfaction. Author David Guzik points out, “Jeremiah found the key to satisfaction—finding one’s portion in the LORD. Whatever measure he was to receive, whatever inheritance, whatever future, it would all be found in Yahweh.” Having the Lord as our portion means recognizing God as our ultimate source for every need. Bible commentator John Gill says this about the Lord as our portion: ”All he [God] is, and has, is theirs; they are heirs of him, and shall enjoy him forever, and therefore shall not be consumed; he is a portion large and full, inexpressibly rich and great, a soul satisfying one, and will last forever.” Matthew Henry, another theologian, states, “It is our duty to make God the portion of our souls, and then to make use of him as our portion and to take the comfort of it in the midst of our lamentations.” Recognizing the Lord as our portion is important if we are to make it through hardships in life.  With the Lord as our portion, we can always find comfort and hope.

3) Why should God’s love and mercy give me hope?
Some scholars find in the Jeremiah of Lamentations a picture of Christ.  Author Ray Stedman notes, “As you read through this book, you will find many foreshadowings of our Lord weeping over the city of Jerusalem.”   Author John J. Parsons points out that “in many profound ways, Jeremiah pre-figured the prophetic ministry of Yeshua (Jesus).”  Jeremiah also prophesies and previews some of Christ’s main teachings, including salvation and our hope in His unfailing love and endless mercy.  Jeremiah reminds himself that the Lord is always loving and always merciful, which gives him hope knowing God would be with him and help him in the terrible situation the Jewish people were in after the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem.  Jeremiah also prophesies about Jesus’ coming, when God will make a new covenant with His people.  God will forgive their sins and write His law in their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  Author Tim Mackie asserts that Jesus’s life and death announced “the dawn of Jeremiah’s “new covenant.” Jesus would die for the sins of his own people, and simultaneously bring about that great act of forgiveness anticipated by Jeremiah.”  How amazing to see God’s plan for a Savior revealed to His people to give them hope even in their darkest days.  His love and mercy are truly remarkable!

Everyday Application

1) How can I wait quietly for the Lord when I am desperate for help?
Several years ago, I experienced unexplained vertigo.  I was anxious, wondering how I would care for my family if I couldn’t even stand without the room spinning.  I needed to get better fast, not wait on the Lord.  Yet waiting is what Jeremiah recommends in Lamentations 3:26 where he proclaims, “It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” Waiting did not seem good to me. But since I was dizzy just lying in bed, there wasn’t much else to do but call on God and wait for His intervention.  I began to understand Andrew Murray’s assertion that God “will never disappoint us.  In waiting on Him we shall find rest and joy and strength, and the supply of every need.”  Quietly waiting on God helped me determine that a prescribed medication was the cause of my vertigo, and I quickly improved.  But waiting on God also taught me I can trust Him with everything.  God showed me that is purpose in the waiting.  Andrew Murray says, “The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence on God’s mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal.”  While I waited, my panic abated, and I recognized God was in control and watching over me.  It is not easy to wait when we want the answer NOW, but sometimes it is part of God’s plan.  In Psalm 33:20, David resolves to “wait for the Lord; He is our help and shield.”  In Micah 7:7, Micah vows he “will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”  Once I calmed down and waited patiently for the Lord, He came to my rescue and became my Refuge.

2) What does it mean that “the Lord is my portion?”
I grew up spending summers with my sister and seven cousins at my grandma’s house.  We had lots of fun, but there were inevitable squabbles, usually over who got to drink out of the favorite green cup or who got the biggest slice of apple pie.  We each wanted ours to be the biggest and the best.  I think of that mindset when I consider the idea of the Lord as my portion.  If I want the best for my life, it is most definitely found in the Lord.  Charles Spurgeon called God’s portion the “infinite possession.”  He said, “It is better to have our good God than all the goods in the world: it is better to have God for our all than to have all and be without him.”  To have the Lord as my portion is to have the hope of eternal salvation and the hope of present refuge in God (Psalm 142:5).  To have the Lord as my portion is to have blessings found only in Christ and hope for an eternal future (Psalm 16:5). When I have God, even when I am weak, He makes me strong (Psalm 73:26). When you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior from your sin, He becomes your portion.  He takes all of you and gives you all of Him; a trade that works infinitely in your favor!  When God is the Lord of your life, He promises to “supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).  In Matthew 7:8, God promises “everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  To have the Lord as your portion is to have all that you need . . . the infinite possession indeed!

3) Why should God’s love and mercy give me hope?
In Lamentations 3:21-22, Jeremiah says he has reason to hope because he is reminded of God’s faithful love and his never ending mercies.  We can find hope in God’s love and mercy, too.  Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”  God, through His grace, extends salvation to us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, who took our sins on the cross so we could be forgiven and have eternal life if we believe in Him.  When we have Christ in our lives, we have great hope.  1 Peter 1:3 tells us God has caused us to be “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  We have the hope of life eternal with Jesus, but we also have the hope of friendship with God while we are living this life here on earth.  Jesus tells us in John 15:14-15, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.”  This communion with God is a wonderful way God provides hope to His children!

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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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Relentless Day 5 A Blessing Removed

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:1-7
Psalm 46
Matthew 5:1-12
Genesis 2
Genesis 3

Relentless, Day 5

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,
and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel… (Judges 6:1-2)

Israel had been brought into the Promised Land. The place of refuge and bounty promised for centuries to Israel as their inheritance from the Lord.
Yet, here they were, oppressed by their enemies and starving for food.
Enemies they had been told would be given into their hand.

Once they had enjoyed abundance, now they lived in fear, and turned over whatever meager food they managed to grow to their oppressors.
But wasn’t this the Promised Land?
Where was the Promise?

What they, (and if we’re honest…we…) missed was the blessing.
Abundance. Wealth. Plenty of food. Fine houses. Peace from their enemies.
These were not the blessing.
But Israel had her eyes set on the gift rather than the giver.

Adam & Eve had it all.
A luxurious garden, perfect happiness, meaningful work, and satisfying relationships.
All without……
stress or conflict or hurt feelings or anger or brokenness.

But their exit scene consisted of flaming swords waving back and forth by two militant angels, preventing any future return and signaling a permanent, irreparable rift between Adam and Eve and……happiness.

Ever since the Garden drama, we (as in, all of humanity) have been busily attempting to recover this deeply tragic loss of happiness.

Peace.
Health.
Plenty of money.
Deep, meaningful friendships.
Lasting marriages.
Satisfying relationships.
Laughter.
Significance in work.
Being valued.
Having purpose.
Happiness

Why don’t we experience it in ongoing, continuous fashion?
Why is happiness so elusive?
Why does emptiness set in so quickly?
Where’s the Promised Land?
Why the flaming swords barring our return?
Doesn’t God want us to be happy?

Instead of fullness and rich satisfaction, we experience sibling rivalry, an unfaithful spouse, news of tragic death, depression, mental illness, destructive weather patterns, and deadly disease.

If we were made to deeply enjoy as Adam and Eve once did,
why would God remove the blessing?

Because the blessing is found only in one root: the triune God Almighty.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed the pleasures around them
because they were already enjoying the greatest Pleasure: God Himself.

Flaming swords blocked the re-entry to happiness because God was honoring our choice to look beyond Himself for total delight.

He knew we wouldn’t find it.
He knew we would be replacing sheer pleasure with utter brokenness.
But because He loves us well, He allowed us to choose.
And we chose us.

BUT HE CHOSE US

So He pursued, right beside us, never forsaking, with hand outstretched as we walked through loneliness, painful wounds, tragic loss, endless sadness, weariness, and massive burdens we were never intended to bear. He stayed. He pursued.
While we kept looking for happiness.

As one blessing was removed after another for Israel, the Lord kept whittling down the pleasures they could see with their eyes and experience with their flesh, in order for them to finally see what they had been missing all along: God Almighty.

The Lord ached handing over Israel to their enemies.
The Lord grieved in sending Adam and Eve from the Garden.
The Lord mourned as He watched His beloved ones choose lesser loves again and again and yet again.

And His heart breaks when we do the same….
A baby to help fix our marriage.
An abortion to help fix my life.
Extra hours to help my bank account.
Another job to give my kids more gifts.
More food to fill my cravings.

Another cut in my flesh to make me feel something, anything.
More time at the gym as I obsess over my body.
More of this, more of that, and the chase for happiness continues
without ever quite grasping it.

All the while, True Delight is waiting for our eyes to adjust and finally see Him as He is:
The Blessing

There exists nothing beyond God Himself that will satisfy.
No riches.
No house.
No well-manicured lawn.
No perfectly shaped body.
No precious child.
No loving spouse.
No thing.
No one.
None is better or fuller or richer or deeper than God Almighty Himself.

We read Judges and we see Israel’s punishment.
We see a blessing removed.
We see a promise withheld.
But what we miss is the God who wanted Israel to see that HE was the blessed gift.

Look around, lovely friend.
See those blessings removed?
See that emptiness lying there?
See the frustration that grates against your soul?
See the wounds which tear your heart?
Yes, yes, we see those.
But do you see the truest Gift who waits for your return?

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Relentless Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Here’s a link to all past studies in Relentless!

Focus Day 3 Wisdom’s Way

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalms 119:140-145
Proverbs 21:19-23
Isaiah 32:17-20
Ephesians 6:10-17
James 1:19-27

Focus, Day 3

“Stop shouting at each other RIGHT this MINUTE!”
The words forced their way across my lips, piercing the air over our dining room table before I even realized I was shouting. Three sets of wide eyes stared at me, and one toddler mouth hung open in surprise.

I expelled the mouthful of air I didn’t realize I’d been holding in one great whoosh.
Perfect, I thought. I did it, AGAIN. Shouting at your children to stop them from shouting at each other…way to effectively parent. Lord, HELP. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.

Have you been there, Love?
You try to juggle all the balls, and somehow you are almost completely unaware of how stressed you feel until the very moment your angry outburst bubbles up and over to scald the nearest person. Adding insult to injury? The person (or in my case, little persons) you scald, has absolutely nothing to do with whatever is your breaking point.
Oh, how the instant regret cuts deep.
And often, Regret is accompanied by her hovering little sister, Shame.

There’s an old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun”, which is entirely true for the history of humans who struggle to refrain from angry outbursts. We can trace all the way back to the first set of brothers, Cain and Abel, and find the bitter, dangerous fruit that grows from unchecked anger.

In the New Testament, James provides sound advice for believers, gently admonishing us to both hear the Word (Scripture) and obey it. Isn’t it fascinating that as he expounds on this topic, his first instruction is:

“This you know, my brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1:19b-20 NASB

Everyone who has ever lashed out in the heat of the moment knows that when anger begins rising, quelling it is incredibly difficult. Here’s where James’ divinely dictated instruction truly shines. We are challenged to do two things before we even reach his instruction to be slow to anger.

First, we are to be quick to hear.
James doesn’t mean merely listening to spoken words. He means listening with understanding of another’s heart behind their words, but James is also calling us to keep an ear tuned to Holy Spirit’s voice. What is God speaking to us in that very moment when what is happening in the natural, as well as what is happening in the spiritual, verges on angry explosions.

When we begin living and responding from a position of listening first to Holy Spirit’s truth, we will naturally follow the second instruction from James and find ourselves slow to speak. As we slow, we process what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears, as well as listen attentively to what Holy Spirit is showing us. As we test everything we think against Scripture, this slowing down practice will result in new pathways as our thought patterns shift to become more like the Lord’s.

As we continue through James’s instructions, a constant theme begins emerging:
we are called to more than knowledge; we are called to obedience.

For the people in the back, I’ll say it again.

Sister, we are called to more than knowledge.
Every one of us is called to obey.

We are called to hear what the Bible says, and then called to action.
We are called to humbly receive the Word, and then allow transformation to happen.
We are called to gaze at the perfect law of freedom, and then called to persevere in it.
We are called to stay in living relationship with the Lord, and remain unstained by sin.
We are called to recognize position, and then called to honor all.

So, how do we go about doing these actions which are counter-culture, stretching, and one hundred percent opposite of what we might naturally strive to attain. Further, we are talking about a shift in heart posture here.
This is not something we are capable of manufacturing on our own.

Proverbs 2 gives us rock-solid wise counsel that goes hand in hand with James’ words. When we accept and study Scripture, meditate on the Lord’s instructions and allow them to sink deep into our souls, the Lord responds with favor.
When we ask the Lord to speak; He will reveal Himself through the Bible.
Then, we listen.
We press in and place value on the wisdom He freely gives.
As we turn our hearts toward Him, Scripture says He draws near to us, protecting us and blessing us with wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding.
He will guard us from paths leading to destruction and danger by setting our feet on Wisdom’s Way.

You might be thinking, “This all sounds great in theory…but if I were honest, the truth is I simply do not desire to study Scripture. I try. I read it. I want to know what it’s like to long to soak in it, to hear directly from Him. But He’s just not speaking to me.”

Sweet sister-friend. I’ve felt the same.
Can I encourage you to do something different today?
Something that might feel outside your comfort zone?
First, carve out a few moments and find a quiet space.
Talk to the Lord. Have a real conversation with Him.
Tell Him where you are and ask Him to help you, then trust He is faithful and will respond to His beloved daughter!

Lord, thank You for Your Word that brings life and light. Thank you for giving us a way we can hear directly from You. Forgive me for the times when I have not valued Your instruction. Father, I want to hunger for your Word; I want to be the kind of daughter who is transformed when I hear You speak. Show me any areas of my heart and life that aren’t in alignment with Your heart. I yield every part of my life, time, and schedule to You.
Teach me to be more like You.
In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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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 Focus Week One! 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 Focus!

Sketched V Day 5 Saul, All Of Us

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5:16-25
Psalm 62:5-8
Luke 10:38-42
Matthew 11:28-30

Sketched V, Day 5

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, and self-control.”
I remember when my life didn’t reflect these words I’d penned through the Holy Spirit’s power.
I was so devoted to the law I missed it’s point.
I missed Jesus.
I chased everything except Christ.
Though He came to save me from working to achieve righteousness,
I savagely continued insisting on preserving the law in me.
Futile though it was.
How hard I worked! Yet how great the price!
How grateful I am for that blessed day Jesus met me on the road to Damascus as His grace arrested me! A grace so great, it freed me to walk in step with His Spirit, unleashing me forever from the heavy chains of performance and not enough.
I am Paul, freed to live by the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, and self-control.”
As I shared these words with the congregation this morning, I remembered the past week and its obligations. It was packed with meetings, counseling appointments, decisions, and of course, sermon preparation. I moved as if on autopilot.
Regrettably, I wonder how many times I overlooked the opportunity to show kindness or love.  I know my family would say I’ve been more impatient, but they know I’m busy, it’s simply the reality of being a pastor.
I know I didn’t spend the time I normally do on the sermon, praying through each word, asking for a fresh perspective from the Spirit and letting my words be His.
Will He still do His work without my strivings?
I am thankful for the gift of speaking and the calling of my job,
but the cost is too great to do this without Jesus.
These words from the Lord are vitally important. I will choose to rest in the fresh word He has for me daily.
I’m your pastor, freed to live by the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, and self-control.”
When I read these words today, I can’t help but reflect upon my actions the last few days realizing how little they describe me.  I have looked forward to the opportunity to share God’s word with others, but with a deadline looming, I’ve felt less inspired and more stressed, impatient and insecure.
I’ve shown irritability toward my family and neglected precious time with Jesus
in order to “get things done”.
How subtle the shift has been from Christ’s righteousness to self-reliance!
How easy it would be to begin writing without asking for guidance from Jesus as I share His grace with others who need Him as well.
I wrote this Journey Study; I’m Stacy, freed to walk in the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, and self-control.”
As I am confronted with these words, I don’t recognize the person I’ve become.
If I’m honest, I’m bitter, angry, selfish and sad.
Every day is a flurry of activity as I get the kids up and fed, off to school and then attend to the needs of the little ones. Lunch, naps, housework, planning dinner and grocery trips, keeping up with the ever-changing demands of raising kids, and striving to be the best wife possible. Date nights, family Bible studies, teachable moments, small group, church responsibilities, my list goes on.
I see other moms thriving, or so it seems from their social media accounts.
How do they have happy kids and husbands, clean homes, and deep spiritual lives
when I feel like I’m drowning?
I miss the days when I could spend long periods of time in God’s Word.
There is so much to do now, I don’t always make the time.
When I do steal a few moments away with the Lord, my mind is always elsewhere and guilt is everywhere. I must get everything done, but at what cost?
My kids hear me speak of Jesus, but my tone doesn’t always reflect His peace.
These words invite me to a different pace. How I need to be reminded to keep in step with the Spirit and not my own frenzy!
I’m the mom you see in the car line, freed to walk in the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, and self-control.”
Hearing the pastor share these words this morning, I notice how “accomplishing”, “striving”, and “doing” aren’t included.
Oh, neither is “exhausted”, which is my personal definition of life.
The kids are gone, but life never slowed down.
After all, they still have needs such as babysitting, and I love spending time with those precious grandbabies! There are so many volunteer needs at church or lonely friends, it seems I can never do enough.
At home the needs of my husband are greater after his injury. Taking a part-time job became a necessity to help with bills. I know I need to spend more time personally with Jesus, but He has called me to take care of the ones I love.
What if these words are calling me, inviting me, to spend time in a way that won’t leave me empty. What if learning the rhythm of the Savior is the answer to walking in peace?
I’m the grandma down the street from you, freed to walk in the Spirit.

~~

Dear friends, it’s so easy as capable, busy women to speed through our days “doing all the things” we feel we must without acknowledging our necessity for Jesus.
As in Mary & Martha’s case,
dinner does need to get on the table,
but Jesus commended Mary for choosing the better thing.

Jesus invites us to sit at His feet, learning from Him as we center our lives around dwelling with Him. Here, in this sweet spot, “all the things” fall into a more pleasant pattern and our souls are lightened instead of burdened.
They key isn’t in what we do or don’t do, it’s found in the fuel we do it by.
The more time we spend in the presence of our Father,
the more we will exude His fruit and find His peace.
Come, Daughter, become freed to walk in the Spirit.

His invitation awaits our acceptance….
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take up My yoke and learn from Me,
because I am lowly and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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 Sketched V Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

The GT Weekend! Awaken Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Quiet Spaces. How does that concept strike you? A struggle? A joke? Something offensive? A check marked list? A retreat? An impossibility? Audra insists that regular, intentional Quiet Space is a necessity for a vibrant relationship with Jesus because without quiet, we cannot listen. Are you feeling far from God? Stressed or worried? Find necessary solace in a Quiet Space with the Christ!

2) The psalmist prayed, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart”, in the middle of deep anguish. His wasn’t a lofty, holy prayer, but a desperate, tear-stained, gut-aching beseech to the Almighty. Don’t have it together? Grasping at straws? Aching with a pain no one sees? This song is for you. What’s more, this Almighty is for you. Make some space to write out your own “Song In The Night”. Describe your “night”, be honest, and then be willing to anchor your hope in the unchanging, ever present Holy One.

3) When was the last time you entered the Lord’s house of worship with pure delight? When was the last time your whole being just ached to be in His holy presence in the midst of other believers? What does “church” usually feel like to you? If you find yourself coming up dry, having lost some of the wonder and awe of following Jesus, perhaps your focus has shifted from Beautiful Person to just a place. Spend time just sitting with the Lord today as you prepare for community worship this weekend. Read His Word, tell Him what you’re grateful for, and meditate on His attributes. Sit With HIM!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 84:1-2 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

Prayer Journal
Ah Lord, so holy and awesome, righteous, and glorious. Utterly unapproachable are You! Yet, You beckon me to come near, and nearer still. Into Your Presence, to see Your heart, to know Your fullness, to experience wonder and awe. You persistently and passionately pursue me, day after day, moment after moment, forever holding out everlasting arms of love to me.

This love humbles me, Abba. I’m so undeserving, and, ashamedly, I push You away for a hundred lesser things. Renew my passion for You, whet my appetite, draw me again and again and again into Your presence until I become so drunk on the pleasure of Your presence, I want for nothing else. Let me see Your beauty, Lord. Show me Your glory. Awaken my heart.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Awaken Day 6 Still, Small Voice

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 62
1 Kings 19:9-18
Mark 1:35-39

Awaken, Day 6

I HATE silence!
It is deafening to me.

In college, I always had my headphones in.
I studied with music, wrote papers while watching television and took tests in crowded rooms. I have always, and still do, craved noise and busyness. When I am alone in a quiet place, I seek out something to drown out the incessant silence.

Counter to my noise-hungry-soul, 1 Kings 19:11-13 brings the story of Elijah, a servant of God afraid and running for his life, who, in the quietest of moments, encounters God’s voice.

Elijah is hiding in the wilderness and on the run from wicked Queen Jezebel, who would love nothing more than to kill him for threatening her power. While in the wilderness, depression and loneliness hit hard, and Elijah cried out to God.
And God showed up.
A tornado ransacked the area.
An earthquake shook Elijah’s cave.
Wild fires blazed around him.
But God was in none of these mighty things.
Just when God had Elijah’s rapt attention, the Lord God spoke in a still, small voice.
The God of All came near in a still, small voice, beckoning him to listen.

Through Elijah’s encounter, I have understood that God speaks in a hush.
And boy am I convicted!

Because if God speaks into the quiet,
then am I will never hear Him with all of my noise.

Being an extrovert, I seek out noise because it’s how God crafted me;
being around people energizes me.
While that is a gift and a tool to be used to build God’s Kingdom, I know God is teaching me get my energy from Him as I focus on listening to His voice. He is leading me to be still and quiet that He can have space to speak as He shows me more of Himself.

Many of us are busy and frantic, “doing things for God”, all the while missing out on quiet times with Him. When God whispered to Elijah it was an invitation to communicate with Him to be honest and transparent before the Lord. God spoke, but Elijah listened and was encouraged because he walked away knowing God better.
Tucked away in the midst of still, quiet moments lies an invitation for each of us for our relationship with the Lord to grow deeper, our faith to be strengthened, our hearts to know the Father better, and as a result, our lives will produce much fruit.

This noise-lovin’-girl finds herself questioning if “quiet time” and being still and listening to God is even necessary, but Jesus Himself shows us in Mark 1:35-37 how necessary it is.

“And rising very early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
He departed and went out to a desolate place,
and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35

Jesus had just begun His earthly ministry.
He had just preached the gospel in Capernaum and validated the power of His message by healing people and casting out demons.
The people had never seen anything like this before and were chasing after Him relentlessly. They wanted Him to perform more miracles, do big things, squelch the Roman authority, but Christ’s focus wasn’t on those showy acts.
He came to restore relationship with us that we might know Him.
Because relationship was His focal point, quiet prayer with the Father took center stage.
This was Jesus’ rhythm, this was His food, this was His necessity.

Regardless of all the things you think you need in the span of a day, I guarantee you need quiet with Jesus most.

Each of our days are furiously frenzied.
Find your quiet.

In the middle of folding laundry, you pull out your Bible to meet with Jesus in the midst of mismatched socks.
Rocking a babe to sleep and there, instead of scrolling social media, you meet with the Almighty.
Early morning.
Before bed.
The when isn’t nearly as important as the determined intentionality because you know you need it.

I need it.

The Lord knows that in order for us to accomplish what He intends for our busy days, He must first have our rapt attention that He might show us His heart and prepare us for the day ahead. If Jesus needed it, we absolutely need it!

Silence, the thing I’ve been running from, is actually becoming my “necessary”.

Sisters, I challenge you along with myself to take 30 minutes each day to be still, and listen to the Lord. Read His word and wait for His whisper.
No music, no phones, no distractions, just you and the Lord.
A challenge? Yes! But if it truly is our necessity, the Lord will strengthen us as we fight for space to hear His voice.

Come ready, expecting to hear God tell you things you’ve been too busy and distracted to hear before.

I am expecting that He will
answer questions,
send breakthroughs,
heal hurts,
reveal next steps,
and romance me as He shows me His heart.

May the prayer of the psalmist become our own heart’s cry with no exclusions:
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.”  Psalms 62:5-8

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Two! 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!

The GT Weekend! – Worship IV Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) What are your personal experiences with worship? Pause, reflect, and journal through those. What are the circumstances and surroundings where you come into deep worship the easiest? What defines worship in your experience? How much do your feelings play into the “how” of your worship time? Spend the next 2-3 minutes writing out unchanging truths about God’s character, then steal away to a quiet place and spend 7-8 minutes worshipping God for being exactly who He says He is. Grab a candle, a journal, your Bible, or just a willingness to speak openly as you worship even now.  

2) Who or what is the “glue” that holds you together? Who or what do you rely heavily on for stability? Maybe it’s the relational state of your marriage, likes on social media, the cleanliness of your home, or how you perform at the gym. Consider how often you turn to the anchor of Christ to be your center. When you think of where you would like to be in your daily relationship with Jesus, what practical piece is currently missing? Write down 1 easy thing you can begin doing today to make a shift, taking your walk deeper with the Lord. Then connect with a friend and ask her to hold you accountable to regularly taking that step! 

3) When was the last time you worshipped the Lord right in the middle of the mayhem of your everyday mess? What did you praise the Savior for? As Crystal shared yesterday, we are invited in to “sing Israel’s song” as our great Rescuer and Redeemer. Challenge yourself you to take notes, even just for this weekend, writing down the ways the Lord has been gracious, setting His kindness upon you. Maybe it’s a paper journal or a note on your phone, but actively choose worship by taking note of the gifts of the Father!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Colossians 1:19-20 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For God was pleased to have 
all his fullness dwell in Him, 
and through Him to reconcile 
everything to Himself, 
whether things on earth or things in heaven, 
by making peace 
through His blood, shed on the cross.

Prayer Journal
Making peace is something we all long for, Lord; it’s something I long for in my everyday life. My relationships need peace. My children need peace. My hurting friends need peace. My finances need peace. My workplace needs peace.  
 
But, these people and places need much more than I can possibly give or bring. As much as I grieve for the unrest, I know I’m at a loss to give anything but temporary emotional support, and even that isn’t possible in all cases. Lord, teach my heart to find peace in one place, Your shed blood for my redemption. Be my anchor, Jesus, and in that place of security, give me opportunities to extend Your peace to those around me. Remind me, Spirit, to lift my loved ones and my circumstances up to You for your perfect peace to surround. How I love you, Abba! How grateful I am for Your deep love and boundless peace!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music