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Cross Day 12 Trinity: 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 Trinity!

The Questions

1) As He hung on the cross, what was Jesus saying in verse 46: “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni”?

2) What is the significance of the sanctuary curtain being torn from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death?

3) How did the crucifixion events impact the soldiers who were standing guard?

4) Did God (the Father) completely abandon God (the Son)?

Matthew 27:45-54

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land.
46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink.
49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Original Intent

1) As He hung on the cross, what was Jesus saying in verse 46: “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni”?
The Scriptures present seven times in which Jesus spoke from the cross. Bernard Guy (bible.org) gives us a great word picture for what was happening as Christ spoke: “Crucifixion was a form of torture that literally knocked the wind out of a person. The weight of the body … paralyzed the pectoral muscles, making breathing extremely difficult. The person being crucified could inhale but had great difficulty exhaling. To exhale he had to push on his feet and straighten his legs to release the pressure exerted on his arms and chest. But the pain that this caused to his feet was so excruciating, because of the nails, that he would immediately cease any such effort. It was in this context, while he was fighting for His every breath, that Jesus uttered His last words.”
We don’t know for sure that the words spoken these seven times were the only ones He spoke, but the significance of these statements lead most bible scholars to believe this is an exhaustive record. They are found in the four gospels: three in Luke 23:34, 43, 46; three in John 19:26-28, 30; and in Mark 15:34 we find the same words as Matthew 27. In verse 46, Matthew tells us before Jesus’ very last breath and very last word, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani.” Some of those who were standing nearby didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. But Matthew (and Mark) interpret it for us: “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” (verse 46) He spoke two more times and, after about six hours on the cross, He died.

2) What is the significance of the sanctuary curtain being torn from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death?
Years earlier, King David wanted to build a temple for God (1 Chronicles 17), instead, God said his son Solomon would build it. Placed next to the king’s palace, it was Israel’s central place of worship (1 Kings 9:3). Though the Babylonians destroyed it in 586 BC, it was later rebuilt (Ezra 1:2) and during war, King Herod took control and completed its renovation. Inside the temple things were arranged much like the tabernacle in Moses’ day, with the Holy of Holies remaining a sacred area – the place of God’s presence. Only the high priest was allowed to enter the place beyond the curtain (Hebrews 9:3). Based on temple dimensions, it most likely hung 30 feet high in order to block the entrance, and though we don’t have a specific Scripture to confirm it, early Jewish tradition reports the curtain about four inches thick.
During Jesus’ lifetime, with the temple again a focal place for Jewish religious life, the significance of the curtain was clear to the Jews: God and man were separated because of man’s sin. On the day Jesus breathed His last breath, this heavy dividing curtain tore from top to bottom as the earth quaked. The writer of Hebrews offers us insight into the implication of the event (Hebrews 8-9). From the throne of heaven where God ruled (top of the curtain), access was granted. And as our High Priest, Jesus symbolically entered the holy place and took our sin once and for all.

3) How did the crucifixion events impact the soldiers who were standing guard?
As the day’s events unfolded, those present couldn’t help but notice they were in the presence of God’s Son. It wasn’t everyday the earth quaked and rocks moved, giving way for dead bodies to be resurrected and make appearances around town. Verse 54 says some of the soldiers who saw this were afraid, but in their fear they also came to a life-changing realization: THIS was the Son of God! As he often does, Luke adds detail to this in Luke 23 by telling us, “when the centurion saw what had happened, he began to glorify God, saying, ‘This man really was a righteous!’” Was this possibly the first post-crucifixion conversion? It sure seems so!

4) Did God (the Father) completely abandon God (the Son)?
Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?”
Would God the Father abandon His own Son? Could He do that?! Or did Jesus merely feel abandoned momentarily? There has been much debate about these words. Bible scholars have strong feelings, some believing that to experience the full wrath of God for our sin, Jesus faced a separation from the Father. Bible teacher John Piper shares this opinion, explaining that Jesus isn’t really asking a question, but is quoting the psalmist (Psalm 22). “It is a real cry of spiritual desolation with words that were second nature because his whole life was scripted by God. The judgment was to have God the Father pour out his wrath, and instead of pouring it out on us, he pours it out on him. That necessarily involves a kind of abandonment.”
Others feel the need to reconcile Scriptures like John 10:30 , John 14:6-11 , and Ephesians 2:18 which they believe communicate that God the Father, Son and Spirit are inseparable.
Two other great theologians, Martin Luther and Charles Spurgeon differ on exactly what was happening here, but I found Spurgeon’s thoughts to be a helpful focus: “I think I cannot understand the words … When uttered by Jesus on the Cross, I cannot comprehend, so I shall not pretend to be able to explain them. There is no plummet that can fathom this deep! There is no eagle’s eye that can penetrate the mystery that surrounds this strange question.”

Everyday Application

1) As He hung on the cross, what was Jesus saying in verse 46: “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni”?
On the cross, Jesus felt the sting of sin’s grief. The One who had never been out of His Father’s will and never strayed from His Father’s purpose was experiencing the agony of hell. Being separated from His Father’s kindness was so unbearable Jesus cried out from the pain deep in His soul. And in this sorrow, Jesus once again demonstrated His humble obedience to the Father’s will “to bring many sons to glory”. (Hebrews 2:9-10) Even on our darkest day, we have One who was acquainted with grief and sorrow. “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.” Isaiah 53:3

2) What is the significance of the sanctuary curtain being torn from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death?
Praise God! We can now enter the Holy of Holies through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:19 says, “we have boldness” to enter the presence of God through the death of Christ. The temple curtain was a constant reminder to the Jews that sin creates a separation from God. The Old Testament explained how the sin offering was to be offered yearly along with numerous other sacrifices. The washings and rituals showed vividly that sin could not be completely or finally removed by mere animal sacrifices. BUT GOD in Jesus Christ has made a way for us to enter. Through His death, Christ has removed the barriers between God and man and brought us near.  We are able to approach Him at any time with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16). At the cross, the God who created the universe made a loud declaration with an earthquake. The Son had made a way to the Father and invites us to enter with Him. The Psalmist worshiped this God centuries before: “The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!” (Psalm 22)

3) How did the crucifixion events impact the soldiers who were standing guard?
It was surely not a job for the soft-hearted or those with weak stomachs. Carrying out executions must have required a certain kind of resolve and emotional hardness. But on the day Jesus died, there he stood, a soldier who’d observed all that had happened and began to look more closely at this Jesus. We don’t know when it started to become clear for him. Maybe it was the way Jesus showed such resolve as He experienced the anguish of the cross. Or it may have been the way He lovingly made sure His mother would receive continued care. Had he heard Jesus praying for His executioners? That prayer would include him! It’s doubtful he’d ever observed that kind of forgiveness. Added to these, there were strange occurrences like the sky darkening in the middle of the day, the earth rumbling violently, and dead bodies emerging from the ground.
Who knows what moment clenched it for him and others standing there. Like him, who knows when that moment happens for others. As we share our stories, we tell of God’s grace and goodness. We tell of His faithfulness and power. And we pray for that moment when another can deny it no longer and freely confesses: “He is surely God’s Son!”

4) Did God (the Father) completely abandon God (the Son)?
It’s mind-boggling to consider the suffering Son crying out to His merciful Father in agony.  When we sing the words “how can it be,” we demonstrate our lack of full comprehension that the God of creation would come to earth as a man to die in order to save us. Pastor, author, and hymn writer, Charles Wesley, put it like this, “He left His Father’s throne above; so free, so infinite His grace! Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race. ‘Tis mercy all immense and free, for O my God, it found out me.”
Amazing love. Amazing gospel. Amazing mystery. God abandoning God! At the end of the day, it is a mystery in which we must wrestle, but ultimately surrender to the One who knows all things. We humbly do so because we would not want a God we could so easily fit into our small-minded boxes. This glad surrender has great gospel implications. Tim Keller sums it up so well: “If you think you really, really understand the gospel, you don’t. If you really think that you haven’t even begun to understand the gospel, you do. Gospel theologizing isn’t anywhere near enough if we’re going to change the world with it. There has to be a lifelong process of more and more deeply realizing the wonder of the gospel.” It is within this wonder that we study and pray and then bow our heads and hearts in worship. For this we know: God is WITH us and He is FOR us!

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

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 Cross Week Three!
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 12 Victorious Wonder: 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 Victorious Wonder!

The Questions

1) What is it about “dwelling” with the Almighty that brings such protection and rest?

2) How can we reconcile the protection spoken of here and the reality that everyone, even believing Christians, struggle so much physically, emotionally, mentally, and relationally?

3) What are the three perspectives we hear in this psalm?

Psalm 91

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust:
3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap,
from the destructive plague.
4 He will cover you with his feathers;
you will take refuge under his wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
the arrow that flies by day,
6 the plague that stalks in darkness,
or the pestilence that ravages at noon.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
the pestilence will not reach you.
8 You will only see it with your eyes
and witness the punishment of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord—my refuge,
the Most High—your dwelling place,
10 no harm will come to you;
no plague will come near your tent.
11 For he will give his angels orders concerning you,
to protect you in all your ways.
12 They will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the young lion and the serpent.

14 Because he has his heart set on me,
I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows my name.
15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give him honor.
16 I will satisfy him with a long life
and show him my salvation.

Original Intent

1) What is it about “dwelling” with the Almighty that brings such protection and rest?
The Hebrew word for “dwell” literally means “to sit” and “remain”. A few months ago, a lovely saint in Christ invited me to lunch in her home. She prepared a delicious soup and bread and set the table with cloth napkins and delicate silver. As she invited me to sit down and eat with her, the intention was that both of us would be fully engaged and remain with one another until the conversation had pleasantly ended. We weren’t in a hurry or thinking about all the “nexts” of the day. We had no agenda other than enjoying the gift of being with each other. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word for “dwell”. When we abandon everything else about life with all of its burdens and aches and pressing insistences, coming to the Lord with His Word for the purpose sitting and remaining, He delights in extending His gracious presence to us. He fills us with good things, He teaches us to trust His heart, and He leads us into righteousness. He protects us at the very core of who we are in our hearts when we choose to dwell with Him.

2) How can we reconcile the protection spoken of here and the reality that everyone, even believing Christians, struggle so much physically, emotionally, mentally, and relationally?
Yes, Scripture itself teaches that trials, persecution, and burdens are indeed the reality of life lived here on earth, but we cannot possibly know the depth and breadth that the Lord has protected believers from. This psalm isn’t a promise that nothing “bad” will ever happen to a believer, but it is promising that even in the midst of “bad things”, He is still for us. He uses all things, good and bad, as if they were tools to shape us to become more like Him. While the reality of present danger cannot be ignored, neither can the very real testament of believers who have received innumerable protections from the Lord. God is intimately acquainted with our lives, our comings and goings, and, holding all power, protects us constantly. We are never outside of His gentle, fatherly hands of love.

3) What are the three perspectives we hear in this psalm?
Verses 1-2 are the psalmist’s personal testimony of his own experiences with the Almighty One as he has chosen to make Him his dwelling place. The Lord is “my God, my refuge, and my fortress”. He then proceeds in verses 3-13 to prompt his listeners to do the same. He sees the busyness, the unrest, the destruction, and the pain happening in their lives and pleads with them to just dwell with the Lord. “He will rescue you…He will cover you…you will not fear…pestilence will not reach you…no harm will touch you…..no plague….He will protect….He will support.” But it is not the protection believers who receive this gift are seeking, it is simply to dwell with the Lord, to know Him in ever deepening ways. His protection is a gift overflowing from the relationship. (verse 9) The final perspective is of the Lord Himself in verses 14-16 which depict that precise intimate love between Most High God and us, the Beloved of God. Protection is given because the one who seeks after Him “has his heart set on Me” says the Lord. God extends loving protection “because he knows My name.” Relationship is central! These last 3 verses are precious indeed to the one who daily chooses to dwell with the Lord!

Everyday Application

1) What is it about “dwelling” with the Almighty that brings such protection and rest?
If we are to truly “sit and remain” with the Lord, we are to do it regularly, daily, and consistently. We benefit from the Lord’s protection and His presence when we are immersed in it, daily choosing Him over all other, lesser loves. A curious philosopher holding a chirping sparrow in his hands, wanted to discover the source of the sparrow’s song, and sliced open the bird to find the reason it sang. Of course, the song ended with his life. Similarly, the love, intimacy, and buoying protection shared between the one who dwells with the Almighty and the Lord God Himself, is also one of mystery. It simply is not fathomable or searchable unless it is experienced for one’s self. Have you discovered that rich delight that comes with dwelling with the Almighty? The intimacy that protects your heart, guards your mind, and teaches you the path of right living? Come away with Him! Dwell with Him! Know Him as He already knows you and delight in the rest and protection He brings!

2) How can we reconcile the protection spoken of here and the reality that everyone, even believing Christians, struggle so much physically, emotionally, mentally, and relationally?
An unexpected check in the mail during a difficult financial time, encouragement when we were tempted to give up, a friend offering to get groceries for us when we ran out of time, an easing of the schedule because of a cancellation, these are all protections from the Lord. Sometimes we take these things for granted as just a “coincidence of life”, but it is the Lord who sees and knows, and acts to protect on our behalf because we love Him and He loves us. Praise Him for these! The Lord is so mighty that even in the midst of intense suffering, as the believer draws near to dwell with the Father, enough strength and peace are given to bring rest and encouragement because while the Lord does indeed give protection in this life, His protection into life eternal is immutable and permanent! Rest here in His presence and find unspeakable treasure!

3) What are the three perspectives we hear in this psalm?
We bring glory to the Lord when we tell of His deeds in our own life. The act of writing down His faithfulness in our own personal faith story not only encourages our own faith because we can see on paper the mighty hand of the Lord, but it also equips us to better share with others how the Lord has been our sheltering refuge. If you’ve never done this, take the challenge to do it this week! Consider upping your personal challenge and sharing it here with the GT Community by emailing your story to Faces of Grace. When you get the chance in everyday, regular life, implore those around you to find shelter with the Lord by dwelling with Him. Speak of His goodness, share of little moments when He has protected you, boldly declare Him! For the last 3 verses in Psalm 91, take them in deeply. Savor them. Memorize them. Pray them out loud over yourself, your friends, your spouse, your children, or even your enemies. Experience the precious gift of truly dwelling with the Almighty and being hidden in Him!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Victorious Wonder!

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 Three!
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 9 Song In The Night: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

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.

Glimmers Day 9 Hope; It’s Coming: 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 Hope; It’s Coming!

The Questions

1) Did the vision given to Habakkuk (verse 2) offer him any hope?

2) When people talk about their hope, especially non-Christians, they are most often referring to a feeling or mindset regarding their future. With this in mind, what is the difference between biblical hope and the hope we frequently observe in many people?

3) Are we, as people of the new covenant, still waiting for that “appointed time” (verse 3) of which was spoken to Habakkuk or was this vision fulfilled?

Habakkuk 2:2-3

2 The Lord answered me:
Write down this vision;
clearly inscribe it on tablets
so one may easily read it.
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it,
since it will certainly come and not be late.

Original Intent

1) Did the vision given to Habakkuk (verse 2) offer him any hope?
The context of Habakkuk 2 places the people of Israel in a predicament they had created for themselves. Because of their disobedience towards God, they are experiencing the consequences of being among godless people (Chaldeans, aka the Babylonians). In the first chapter (Habakkuk 1:3, 3:1), the prophet is literally questioning God’s plan for His people in Judah. He recognized their unfaithfulness, but He believes God is good. God’s answer, through a vision, is probably not the answer that initially produced in Habakkuk a hopeful heart. In essence, God said it would get worse before it got better. When God told Habakkuk He was going to deal with Judah’s rebellion by using their enemies to do so, Habakkuk had to rely on the kind of faith mentioned by the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:1-2). The kind of faith that doesn’t have all the answers. Though we aren’t given much information about Habakkuk’s vision itself, the kind of ‘hope’ it apparently offered was the waiting and trusting God’s character and His Word kind.

2) When people talk about their hope, especially non-Christians, they are most often referring to a feeling or mindset regarding their future. With this in mind, what is the difference between biblical hope and the hope we frequently observe in many people?
One of the ways Webster defines hope is “to want something to happen or be true … without any basis for expecting fulfillment”. Typically, we have this in mind when we hope for something. It’s more like a wish. But biblical hope is much more than a wish. In verse 3, God tells the prophet that it “will certainly come.” Biblical hope centers our desire in “someone … accompanied by expectation of fulfillment.” The Bible dictionary connects hope to words like “trust” and “confidence” and “eager expectation”.
“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth…He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and become weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 20:28-31)
Peter reminds us that “after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
Biblical hope is about Who. In Luke 2, Simeon waited expectantly for God’s promised One for many years. God was faithful to allow him to see the promise unfold. God will always accomplish His good purpose, even if we have to wait for it.

3) Are we, as people of the new covenant, still waiting for that “appointed time” (verse 3) of which was spoken to Habakkuk or was this vision fulfilled?
Reading Old Testament prophecies can leave us wondering if they were meant only for the specific reader/hearer or if they had future application. We study the context of a passage to help us understand what is occurring. In verse 3, the ‘appointed time’ would come specifically, and will come ultimately. Though there would be waiting, God was faithful in His judgment against Babylon (Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 50-51) and the enemy kingdom would certainly fall. (Daniel 5:28-30)
As we meditate on these words of God to Habakkuk in context of all of Scripture, I believe we can also conclude that God was communicating His ultimate judgment and redemption. At the ‘appointed time’ God will render His judgment on His enemies and He will save His people through His Son. Every single word of His will come to pass exactly as He has spoken. The God of Habakkuk never changes. Just as He told the prophet, he spoke similarly to John. “Mark my words: I AM TRUE AND FAITHFUL.” (Revelation 21:3-5)
So, the answer to the question is YES! “For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in Him. Therefore, through Him we also say ‘Amen’ to the glory of God!” (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

Everyday Application

1) Did the vision given to Habakkuk (verse 2) offer him any hope?
In verse 3, Habakkuk was told to wait, but that God would certainly fulfill His plan. This is what biblical hope looks like for us in our daily lives. We are to trust in who God is even when we can’t understand what He’s doing. We believe His word and can expect Him to keep His promises. The vision gave hope to Habakkuk only as much as he was willing to trust and wait patiently for God’s fulfillment. God’s perfect plan will happen. But it will happen in His time. Maybe you’re experiencing suffering and confusion. Like Habakkuk, you are wondering how long it will take for God to reveal what He’s doing. (Habakkuk 1:2)
Even though it took some time, Habakkuk ultimately learned to rest in God’s sovereign plan for himself and the nation. In the waiting, he learned to hope in faith. In our waiting, we can unveil a present and very real hope by seeking the faithful and true God Himself. Who was. Who is. Who is to come. (Revelation 1:8)
When we’re tempted to fret and ask God for a timeline, it is our sure hope that gives us the strength to wait.

2) When people talk about their hope, especially non-Christians, they are most often referring to a feeling or mindset regarding their future. With this in mind, what is the difference between biblical hope and the hope we frequently observe in many people?
Proverbs 13:12 tells us that “delayed hope makes us heartsick.” In our human frailty, when we must wait for something we can succumb to feelings of hopelessness. When we continue to pray without receiving the answers we long for, we tend to despair. But biblical hope is connected to faith. It’s not just wishful thinking. Biblical hope helps us rest in the reality of a future we can’t yet see because of the God who controls it. The old hymn says it this way: Standing on the promises that cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail; by the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.
God’s promises CAN’T fail. Faithful in His character and true to His Word, He will give us the strength to prevail. This kind of hope is sure and steady in the midst of long days that might otherwise tempt us to doubt.

3) Are we, as people of the new covenant, still waiting for that “appointed time” (verse 3) of which was spoken to Habakkuk or was this vision fulfilled?
God was faithful to do what He told Habakkuk He would. The appointed time for the destruction of the enemies came. But in another way, it hasn’t yet come completely. In the New Testament book of John, Christ says on several occasions that His time “has not yet come.” He was referring to the first part of His coming to earth. The time when He would die and be raised again. But there’s a second part to the story. And God will be faithful to see it to the very end. The final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the judgment and redemption of Lord will come at the end of history when Christ will return to claim His Bride, the Church. God will punish evil and fulfill all His promises. To make it clear, the writer of Hebrews points us to Jesus: “For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one, will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.”
Christ has come and will come. It is in Him we have a working faith, believing in what is not yet fully known. He is our living Hope!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Hope; It’s Coming!

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 Glimmers 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.

Glimmers Day 8 Hope; It’s Coming!

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Jeremiah 29:11-13

Glimmers, Day 8

Throughout the last few years, I have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with hope.

There were times when hope was the water level that buoyed me up and allowed me to keep moving forward. Other times hope felt like the very anchor that kept my head just barely above the crashing waves.
Those were the moments when hoping that better was coming
hurt more than enduring the pain of the season.

Yet, hope is a powerful resource, and truly without it I would have given up on the plans the Lord has for me long, long ago.
So, from where does my hope come?

First and foremost, the Lord as He speaks through the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s voice (Matthew 4:4). Beyond that, hope may rise from the encouragement of fellow sojourners, reflection on previous hopes fulfilled, and the decision to live life with a hope-filled mindset. What increases your hope?

For me, the words of the Old Testament prophets bring me hope.
Several times throughout my life, the Lord has brought verses to mind that come directly from the books of the Bible that are named after these prophets.

In Scripture, there are 17 books categorized as prophetic (written by prophets).
Five of those are called major and 12 are minor. This is due to the length of the books rather than the importance of the content. The five major prophet books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The 12 minor prophet books are the last books of the Old Testament beginning with Hosea and ending with Malachi.

I find myself visiting these books frequently, receiving encouragement from the men who obeyed the Lord in announcing His will so many years ago.
The basic definition of a prophet is a person who declares the will of God.

Believers today have something those living during Old Testament times didn’t have: the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the role of the prophet was incredibly important as through these voices, lives, and written words, God’s people could know the Lord’s direction and desire. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, His will had to be vocalized from an external source rather than an internal one.

The lives these prophets lived and the words they spoke are captured in those 17 books at the end of the Old Testament. Throughout them you will find deep wisdom and truth applicable for today just as much as it did then. These prophets spoke the words the Lord’s Spirit gave them without knowing the big picture, but they obeyed regardless. The Lord challenged them to obey in ways that guaranteed social norms were at the minimum bent and in some cases shattered.

The examples of faith and obedience the prophets displayed is one way
hope grows in me.

The backbone of my faith is strengthened when reading their stories and, in turn, my hope rises.

I don’t know the full pictures of my life,
but just like the prophets of old,
I am to obey regardless.

I can discover the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living
as I follow Him,
even if He asks me to move outside my comfort zone.

(Side note: The Lord will never direct me to do something that contradicts His character as proven in the Word.)

Hope rises as we witness the faithful obedience of these ancient prophets.
Hope rises through the words the prophets spoke.
The words God ordained to be preserved for us to take in.

Several verses tucked into the pages of prophecy have become lifelines in the dark and clear directives for my next steps.
Hope rises here, anchored in truth!

“The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will be quiet in His love.
He will delight in you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord my Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like those of a deer
and enables me to walk
on mountain heights.”
Habakkuk 3:19

“Mankind, He has told each of you what is good,
and what it is the Lord requires of you;
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly
with your God.”
Micah 6:8

Isaiah.
Jeremiah.
Lamentations.
Ezekiel.
Daniel.
Hosea.
Joel.
Amos.
Obadiah.
Jonah.
Micah.
Nahum.
Habakkuk.
Zephaniah.
Haggai.
Zechariah.
Malachi.

These are prophets who faithfully obeyed the Lord, despite great cost to themselves.
Prophets who allowed the Lord’s hope to rise through their surrender.
Prophets who pointed, directly and indirectly,
to the Eternal Hope of the coming Messiah.

Challenge yourself to read through some of these hope writings in the coming weeks. Take note of the verses that bring you hope.
Who inspires you in your faith journey?
Is it Daniel in his obedience and faith as he stands amidst the lions?
Is it Hosea marrying a harlot as a representation of the Lord’s love for us?

May hope rise as you read of events declared before they would happen and then their fulfillment. Look for the glimmers that point to a coming Savior and take comfort in knowing that exactly what God declares, He brings to pass.
Hope; it’s coming!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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 Glimmers 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 Glimmers!

Glimmers Day 6 Hope In The Should Have

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 107:1-22
Psalm 108
Judges 2:11-23

Glimmers, Day 6

“There’s that ‘should’ word again.”
This phrase is forever drenched in the loving sound of my husband’s voice as he makes a move towards me. To which, I insistently pull away.
He dramatically shakes his head and moves forward again, a smile teasing his lips.

“Oh my goodness”, he soothes. “Will you just….relax?!”
Tears threaten on my side, my body tightly unyielding as he works to draw me near.
He doesn’t understand.
He doesn’t know how much I’ve got to finish, how behind I am, and I continue babbling on.

I’m pretty hard on myself; it comes naturally to me.
Always better, always more, I use “should” more often than I…should. Oh wait…
Should have done this.
Should have been better.
Should have made that choice.

“You’re so frustrating sometimes, you know?”
But his voice holds nothing but winsome endearment as he resolutely folds me tight against him with no escape.

I wrap myself up so securely with my ‘shoulds’, it becomes nearly impossible to see clearly. I often can’t even recognize the Love standing right in front of me, beckoning me to stand down and rest.

My husband is a constant reminder of the Lord’s love for me and His relentless pursuit.
Even when, or especially when, I “should” be performing better.

The period of the Judges was a crazy, wacky time for the nation of Israel.
If anyone really should have had a laundry list of should haves and must dos, it was these people!

If you’ve never cracked open your Bible to the Old Testament book of Judges, you should try it! It’s more intriguing than you might imagine. Chock full of strange stories, Judges will make you scratch your head in curiosity, leave your mouth hanging open at the wild true stories, and make you wonder what else might be hidden in the pages of the Bible.
An incredibly obese king who dies when a dagger is plunged into his belly and the whole blade is swallowed up by his fat.
A brave housewife who kills the commander of the enemy army by driving a tent stake through his head after she gave him food and drink.
A woman who rose head and shoulders above male leadership in a male dominant society to guide God’s people with her humble faith.
An ordinary man with no societal favor, leads the entire nation to victory with only 300 men by smashing empty jars, yelling, and using torches.
A rash man’s vow that cost his daughter’s life.
Samson’s incredible strength.
And of course, everyone’s favorite, the talking donkey who saw an angel.

Judges reminds me how God pursues His people by any means necessary.
Regardless of how far we run or how hard we push against Him.
Israel was known for being stuck in a cycle (can I get an Amen? I know cycles!)
Theirs went like this…
1) They abandoned the Lord, did their own thing, and ran furiously away from God.
2) God justly punished them by bringing a foreign power to oppress them.
3) Israel begged God for deliverance from oppression, promising to live for Him
4) God answered by raising up a Judge to deliver them and lead them back to Him.
……and then they did it all again!!

For nearly 400 years this cycle of running away, being punished, returning, and drawn back continued on. Generations died in this cycle.
Yet God kept on pursuing.
He loved Israel again and again. Even though He knew they would again break His heart and turn away, blinded by their own selfish ways.

Sisters, I am exactly the same.
Sure, it’s easy for me to sit here with my hot drink, my journal, and my Bible open to Judges to not only gape at their incredible stories, but also judge their inexcusable, repetitive behavior.
How could they?
What were they thinking?
Were they thinking??
Yet there was the Lord, loving them again. Pursing them again.
Despite every ‘should have’ they never followed through on.

And here our stories cross.
My should haves, my repetitive sin cycles, my insistence to trust myself and my way look just as absurd as Israel’s.
Yet, just like my husband’s insistent arms, the Lord draws me back again and again and again.

The poet of Psalm 107 had this cycle thing figured out. Maybe he had cycle issues too.
The whole psalm is built around 4 repetitive occurrences: people suffering, people cry out, God rescues, their grateful response.  I would quote it here for you, and break it all down, but that kind of steals the fun of discovery from you. So, go read it right now for yourself.

Where do you relate?
Do you see the Rescuer?!
Sit with the people’s heart response.
And when it happens again, think of the deeply loving pursuit of arms that refuse to let you go.
No matter all the should haves you pile up, the sins you hide, or the shame you carry.

Maybe one of these times, you’ll decide to fall into the embrace that keeps on waiting.
Maybe you’ll see the God of Freedom for exactly who He is and finally,
you’ll love Him back because you will have discovered that all this time,
He has loved you in the should have.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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 Glimmers 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 Glimmers!

Glimmers Day 4 Hope In Surrender: 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 Hope In Surrender!

The Questions

1) How does this story point to a “glimmer of hope”?

2) What are the similarities between this sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus’ sacrifice?

3) What is the connection between faith and provision?

Genesis 22:1-18

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.

7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”

And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”

Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He replied, “Here I am.”

12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”

15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

Original Intent

1) How does this story point to a “glimmer of hope”?
Admittedly, there doesn’t appear to be any glimmers of hope here. The God who had decades before called Abraham out of his homeland, away from false worship, blessing him abundantly with land, servants, wealth, military power, and the promise of a son through whom he would have countless descendants, was now the same God who called Abraham to sacrifice his son. Not the son of his maidservant, Ishmael, not a sacrifice of wealth or power, but a total surrender of the son whom Abraham loved (22:2). On top of the ask to sacrifice, God told Abraham to travel to Mt. Moriah, which was three days away (22:2). Abraham had three days to mentally and emotionally consider the cost of sacrifice. Three days to wrestle with his fear and his grief, and his love. It’s one thing to obey in a split second, but another to think through all the pros and cons and wrestle within yourself when it comes to obedience. Who would Abraham love most? Isaac or Yahweh? The glimmer of hope is found in the character of God Himself. Abraham had learned to trust God over the course of a lifetime of following Him. He’d learned to trust His heart, proving even in his conversation with Isaac that his faith was in the Lord and His character of provision (22:8).

2) What are the similarities between this sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus’ sacrifice?
There are many, but here are the main ones.
The love Abraham has for Isaac is unmistakable, but so is the love shared between God the Father and God the Son. The love they share is deeper and more intimate than we will ever have the capacity to understand. It’s easy to be self-focused and consider how God loves us, but we forget how lavishly the Beings of the triune godhead love and delight in one another, which makes the agonizing sacrifice of the cross unbearably difficult to comprehend.
Isaac carried the wood for his own altar upon himself just as Christ carried His own cross to His place of sacrifice.
After three days of gut-wrenching waiting and internal wrestling, Abraham obeyed and offered his son as a sacrifice. Likewise, after three days of emotional loss, fear, and cowardly hiding away because it looked as if the enemy had won, Christ rose victoriously, having become “obedient to death”. (Philippians 2:8)

3) What is the connection between faith and provision?
Decades before this story of unswerving faith, God had invited Abraham to trust Him. The Lord told Abraham He would give him a son through whom all nations would be blessed and his offspring would be innumerable. (Genesis 15:5) Abraham believed, and because of his faith the Lord counted Abraham’s belief as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) In our story here, Abraham trusted the Lord would still fulfill His promise, even if he had to sacrifice his son. His confidence in God’s Word is breathtaking. When Isaac questioned where the sacrifice was (which was Isaac), Abraham answered with faith, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8) And again, Abraham told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy1 will go over there and worship and come again to you.” (Genesis 22:5) Though God had commanded a sacrifice that seemed to end all hope of the promise God Himself had made, Abraham repeatedly proved his faith in the integrity of the Lord God. Because of that faith, God provided.  He provided Isaac’s birth, He saved Isaac’s life, He provided the ram for sacrifice, and He reassured Abraham of His unchanging covenant promise to make him into a great nation. All of this because Abraham believed the Lord and chose to set Him apart as the only One worthy of the worship of his heart and life.

Everyday Application

1) How does this story point to a “glimmer of hope”?
Does Abraham’s story seem impossible? How could God ask him to sacrifice his son? But take into account Jesus’ words, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26) In both instances, God is not condoning hating your family in the manner we think, He is asking us to consider how deep we love Him. Does our love for Him ring truer and run deeper than any other love, even those we love the most? If the Lord asked us to follow Him somewhere, would we obey despite the cost or would we elevate anything or anyone above Him? The cost of discipleship asks every Christ follower if we would rather trust ourselves or the heart of God. Following Jesus has nothing to do with feelings, but everything to do with trusting His heart. Notice that this test of Abraham’s love for God didn’t happen at the beginning of his faith journey, or somewhere in the middle, or even right after Isaac had been born. The test came when the Lord had proven His unending faithfulness over and over to Abraham with every obedient choice he made. Every step of obedience we take in following the Lord is one more step the Lord will use to teach our hearts to trust His own. Wherever you are, whatever your circumstance, today is an opportunity to trust Him. Will you hold onto Him or yourself?

2) What are the similarities between this sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus’ sacrifice?
Perhaps even more interesting than the striking similarities are the obvious dissimilarities. Where Isaac, Abraham’s only son, was offered, but saved from death, Jesus, beloved Son of the Father, was offered and sacrificed. Jesus actually died and Death had its way with Him.
Where God called out to Abraham to stop the sacrifice, Jesus cried out to the Father, “Why have you forsaken me?!” and heard nothing in response; Jesus was utterly abandoned as He took on Sin for us. (Matthew 27:46) A ram caught in the thicket was provided by God to take Isaac’s place, and centuries later on a hill not far from Mt. Moriah, the Lamb of God laid Himself down as God’s provision, taking our place and dying the death we deserve because of our sin. Through Isaac’s lineage, Jesus Christ would one day be born. One almost-sacrifice of Isaac that tested the faith of Abraham as he proved he would choose to worship the Lord God alone painted an incredible picture of a total-sacrifice that would redeem all who came to Christ through faith, choosing to worship the Lord God only. Incredible!!

3) What is the connection between faith and provision?
God made an incredible promise to Abraham and rather than scoff at it, mock it, or simply not believe, Abraham trusted God at His Word, as a result god credited Abraham with righteousness. Abraham hadn’t done anything. He hadn’t built a temple, proved he was an upstanding citizen with high morals (in fact, Abraham’s integrity had room to grow…see Genesis 12:10-20), or given away his wealth to the poor to earn God’s declaration of “righteous”. No, he simply believed God at His Word. In exactly the same way, our faith in God’s Word that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for us on our behalf and in our place, is credited to us as righteousness. Faith in the saving, atoning work of Jesus provides eternal redemption from sin as God declares us righteous! (Romans 5:1) Will you take the Lord at His Word?!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with Hope In Surrender!

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!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Glimmers Week One!
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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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Glimmers Day 1 Hope In The Darkness

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-5
John 1:12-18
Genesis 3:1-6
Hosea 6:4-7

Glimmers, Day 1

My five year old looked up from the Jesus Storybook Bible he held on his lap. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were a little teary.

“Mama, I don’t understand. If God knows everything and He is always good, then why did He let Eve and Adam sin in the Garden of Eden? If He really loved us, why didn’t He just make that not happen? He could have done it. I KNOW He could have. So why didn’t He just do that?”

I pulled him on to my lap and hugged him. “It’s hard to make good choices, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes,” he huffed. He was just coming out of a time out, and his thoughts were centered around a poor choice he had made a little while earlier. No doubt, he was thinking about how much easier life would be without the opportunity to make a bad choice.

I can totally relate to how he felt. And maybe you can, too?

Sometimes, after I’ve said a harsh word or entertained a negative thought, I wish my own fleshly feelings could be cancelled out completely. I mean, how much easier would this life be without any opportunity to do or say the wrong thing? I think I could win that game. Right? How about you? Do you find yourself frustrated when you haven’t made the choice the Lord would have you make?

The kind choice.
The honest choice.
The forgiving choice.
The loving choice.

If we’re being honest? I think we can all agree that this refining fire of the Holy Spirit-filled life stuff is exhilarating and so necessary. We need His constant teaching to shape our hearts as He trains us to turn from sin. At the same time, it doesn’t always feel good. In fact…(and maybe I’m speaking only for me here) often it is painful. As He works and refines us, it’s easy for us to subscribe to the feeling that our sin has hooked us so deep, we will never be able to separate ourselves from it.

But Loves? That’s because we can’t.
No matter how hard or long or mightily we try, we will never be able to remove our own sin.

When we find ourselves feeling trapped under the weight of a sin we can’t seem to escape, or fighting despair as we stand at the altar, wondering how we are in the same place, again, or feeling hopeless in the face of our frail humanity, we must remember Whose responsibility it is to save us from our sins… and turn toward Him.

That sovereign, weighty duty belongs only to Jesus.
He paid a hefty price, and for us to attempt to shoulder the weight of our salvation on our own shoulders is both foolish and wrong.

What my five year old didn’t fully grasp (and many of us may sometimes forget) is that Jesus was always ever “the Plan.” God wasn’t surprised by Adam and Eve’s sin as they chose to live by their rules instead of God’s design. He knew it would happen. And while His heart undoubtedly broke (and continues to break) at that separation, He also wrote glimmers of hope into His story.

I mean, if any of us could have ever walked without sinning, it would have been that first son, Adam, and his Eve, right? They had no outside influences. No violent television shows or easy access to pornography. They didn’t have broken families or spend time with other broken people who might portray broken lives for them.

And yet, they fell.
Just as we fall.

God knew, all along, that the only One who would ever walk this earth without falling would be He, Himself.

Emmanuel, God with us.

God the Son, come down to His people in the form of the weakest of beings: a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. He was the powerful King Who had been foretold from generation to generation, but He was not the King anyone expected.
He was Jesus: perfect love and our everlasting Hope.

Loves? God never expected us to save ourselves.
He never expected we could live a sinless, perfect life, but He longs for us to choose Him above all else! His passion for us runs deeper than any we can imagine. Read His words about you in the book of Hosea if you have any doubt, and know that the God of the universe feels those things for you and me, His Bride!

From the beginning of His story until now, the fall of Eve and Adam has always pointed straight to the eternal hope we find in Christ Jesus, the sinless Son of God Who gave Himself to pay for our sins and secure our eternal citizenship in Heaven!
Grab hold of this hope and share it today, Sisters!

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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 Glimmers 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 Glimmers!