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Shielded Day 7 Heart Armor: 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 Heart Armor!

The Questions

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Original Intent

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?
“It” in verse 17 is a continuation of the “it” in the middle of verse 16 where we have the definition of “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”. This definition points back to Paul’s first words in verse 16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel”. The gospel is the incredible, shocking news of the holy God entering into a human, sin-wrecked world, humbly clothing Himself in human flesh, living a faultless, perfect life only to die a shameful, torturous death He did not deserve, and then rising from the dead 3 days later just as He Himself predicted….all to rescue sinful mankind who would forever be stuck in their own sin, hating and spurning the God who made them because they loved their sin more than the Savior. THIS IS THE GOSPEL!!! Paul practically shouts that he refuses to be ashamed of this radical declaration of love for him and the world. He refuses to back away from preaching it with eagerness because it is so powerfully effective in buying back a soul previously dead in sin! (verse 15) In it, in this gospel, the very righteousness of God is on display for the world to see. God is perfect and blameless. What better way to see His righteous holiness than in His intentional, sacrificial love for us? Because He is perfectly just, the debt of sin required blood sacrifice. A righteous, just God could not “look the other way”, shrug His shoulders and make excuses on our behalf. Sin demands payment. That payment has always been, and will always be one thing, death. Specifically in this case, because God is a holy God, incapable of being in the presence of sin, death is a spiritual removal from God forever. In radical, generous love, He sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty, heaping death upon Jesus Christ and separation from God the Father as Jesus took our sin upon Himself at the cross. (which is why Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?! –Matthew 27:46) His righteousness is on display in with loud, vibrant colors as Jesus Christ conquers death once and for all for everyone who believes in Him as He rose from His own grave, visited eyewitnesses, and ascended back into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father. THIS is the righteousness of God, on display for the world to see, through the precious truth of the gospel!

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”
God does not show favoritism. Period. In fact, Paul, the author of Romans, uses that exact phrase in Romans 2:10-11 where he also connects the idea of God not showing favoritism to how He engages with people “…first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For there is no favoritism with God.” The phrase “first to the Jew” goes all the way back to Abraham! God called Abraham out of his homeland, away from his idol worship, to follow Him in obedience, promising to bless him if he would follow. Abraham took God at His word, chose to trust Him and followed Him. God took Abraham’s faith and credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) Yes, righteousness, just like the righteousness of God on display in the gospel which we read of in our passage! (verse 17) Abraham didn’t do any work or put on good behavior to become righteous, he simply trusted God at His word. This has always been true for every person from Old Testament to New Testament to right now in the 21st century. This is how God doesn’t show favoritism, because the same offer of faith being credited as righteousness is extended to all people. It was first made known through Abraham and his physical offspring, who were the Jews. Later, when Jesus came, He made it clear that salvation was for everyone regardless of race, gender, or nationality. (Acts 10:34-35) 

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?If this phrase was translated word-for-word in its original language we would read, “The one who is righteous by faith will live”. Paul is quoting Habakkuk’s words which came directly from the Lord as He compared the person who relied on himself to be righteous against the person who had faith, which was credited to him as righteousness, “Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) To have integrity, in the case of Habakkuk’s quote, was to recognize oneself as a sinner hopelessly separated from God. With a true view of oneself as a sinner, unable to attain righteousness by one’s own merit, one is in a position where they are able to accept Christ’s work of righteousness on their behalf.  Covered by God’s own righteousness, the sinner, now made whole, can stand before God clean and forgiven, able to live for eternity in God’s presence! Without complete righteousness, Death rules, keeping us forever separated from God and His presence.

Everyday Application

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?
Has this “power of God” wrapped up in salvation been embraced by your heart?! Do you know for certain that there was a time when you took Him at His word for all He accomplished for you, a sinner spurning God, and surrendered the whole of yourself to Him for eternity? This singular decision is the biggest one of your entire life and deserves your honest wrestling. As you read the description of the gospel in the first question, what portion stirred deeply in you and awakened your heart to love and worship towards God? Praise Him for that incredible gospel and for the way He continues to work in and through you! For every single person who says a true “YES!” to Jesus, welcoming His powerful salvation into their heart and life, God’s righteousness continues to work through that now-redeemed person! Everything about their life is affected as it is open to the new work of God unleashed in that heart. God is righteous and holy, and His salvation demonstrates it with awesome strokes of beauty, as a further demonstration of His righteousness, the entirety of a believer’s life is remade! No sinner is left the same once Christ’s righteousness clothes them. Relationships will change, purpose in life will shift, priorities will reset, fullness, peace, and love will rule where brokenness and shame once held chains fast over heart territory. Look for that righteousness being worked out in your own life, and praise God for doing it! Look for that righteousness being worked out in the lives of other brothers and sisters around you, encourage them by telling them what you see, and praise God for His righteousness on display! 

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”
The main point of Paul’s passionate statement in these verses is to point to the supreme power of the gospel to transform lives, any life. Period. We are left to sit with this reality and wrestle through it in our own lives. Though we might verbally give assent to the truth that the gospel is for everyone, do we offer it willingly to all? Are there some we deem “too far gone” to be reached by the hope of Jesus? Or maybe, because of our own sense of justice, or a result from wounds we have experienced at another’s hand, we decide someone is unworthy of receiving the salvation Christ designed for all. Or maybe, sometimes the person we decide is unworthy of salvation is ourselves. Shame. Guilt that hits us like waves or gnaws on the edges of our hearts little by little. Fear of who we envision God to be. What if He can’t stand us? What if He is angry? And we know He would have the right to be angry at us for our sin, don’t we? We know we possess zero righteousness on our own. If this is you, whether you’ve already crossed the line of faith but still carry the weight of heavy shame, or you’ve never fallen headlong into the grace of God, He doesn’t stand in condemnation of you. He died to rescue you, offering His flawless righteousness in exchange for your putrid sin. Hold out your heart to Him, Sister, seek His face, He will overwhelm you with His loving rescue from yourself!

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?
While we live here on earth in our physical bodies, God is extending us grace, which equals time to listen to His voice and respond to His offer of giving us His righteousness in exchange for our heavy burden of sin. We have the chance now to be given life for eternity in God’s presence and stand whole and forgiven because of Christ’s righteousness given as a free gift to us. This is a gift we could never possibly hope to earn by our own hard work to become good. This is His righteousness, and by it we live! God is pursuing every heart that beats in the here and now, revealing Himself to them by declaration of the gospel, of which Paul says he was unashamed to boldly preach. Time on earth will not last forever, as we all know. Our lives are like a mist that vanishes as quickly as it comes, and it’s impossible to know when our last opportunity will be to choose eternal life over eternal death. Choose Now! What is holding you back?! If you’ve already given Christ lordship over your heart, and you stand whole and righteous before the God of the universe, are you living as Paul did with the bold proclamation of the gospel ready on your lips?! Who are you praying fervently over for their heart to be unveiled and understand how rich the Father’s love is towards them as He offers out His righteousness? Wherever you are, believer or not, the time is short!

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

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 Shielded 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.

Shielded Day 2 Shielded By The Unstoppable: 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 Shielded By The Unstoppable!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to wage war “according to the flesh?” (verse 3)

2) What are our weapons of warfare? (verse 4)

3) What arguments and “proud things” is Paul referencing that we should destroy? (verse 5)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to wage war “according to the flesh?” (verse 3)
Paul’s reason for writing his letter to the church in Corinth was multi-faceted, but every specific issue he addressed centered around one general theme, they had walked away from living by God’s Spirit. The Corinthian church was full of people who had genuinely asked Jesus to rescue them from their sin, but gradually, with one decision at a time, they had faded away from living by the Spirit of God who had been deposited in their hearts at the time of their salvation, and had chosen instead to live according to the flesh. (verse 2) Backing up a few verses to the beginning of chapter 10, Paul loved the Corinthian church and had been gentle with them, but now, on hearing how they had walked away from living by their source of power, refusing to access the Spirit living within them, He was ready to come in person and strongly set right what was going wrong. Paul wrote to confront them ahead of time of his visit, drawing their attention sharply back to their heart issue.

2) What are our weapons of warfare? (verse 4)
Paul draws a distinct line when he says, “although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.” (verse 3) We live our everyday lives here on earth wrapped in flesh and bone and surrounded by sin; we are frequently tempted to fulfill our fleshly desires because we live in the flesh. For the believer, however, we do not wage war with mere fleshly weaponry, which would be ineffective. Rather, we have direct access to “weapons of warfare” that have nothing to do with the flesh. These weapons carry with them the very power of God, the same power in fact that raised Jesus from death to life! These weapons are available to the Christ follower to fight against fleshly desires, sin, and our sinful attempt to live God’s way without God’s power. Examples of this powerful weaponry are listed as armor in Ephesians 6:13-18, truthful speech, genuine love, and patience and kindness from the Holy Spirit are given in 2 Corinthians 6:6-7, and 1 Thessalonians 5:8 speaks of faith, love, and salvation as battle weapons with which to wage war.

3) What arguments and “proud things” is Paul referencing that we should destroy? (verse 5)
Paul is specifically addressing the Corinthian church and the habits they are displaying as they have “faded away” from living in God’s power. The reality is that when we stop relying on God’s power to live for Him, we fall back into relying on ourselves. This would be like going from using a power steering mower to cut your grass to using dull safety scissors to mow your lawn. It’s incredible ineffective to use our fleshly power to accomplish the work of God! A byproduct of relying on our own strength, and slowly fading away from God’s truth as our anchor, is that we begin puffing ourselves up. Look what I did! See how I handled that situation! When we are only using our hands to fight, humility is gone, dependence on Christ is absent, and we end up with an inflated view of ourselves, which completely distorts the truths presented in Scripture. God says we are weak because sin ravages us.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to wage war “according to the flesh?” (verse 3)
When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are given an entirely new heart, a new love, a new passion for following Jesus, and a new source of power to actually follow Jesus in obedience. We are entirely made new!! The battle comes when we struggle against our old way of living. Before Jesus’ redemption over our lives, we live according to the flesh, we think about ourselves and how to gratify ourselves. We may appear loving, but we aren’t able to sacrificially love like Jesus day in and day out, growing in intensity. To live according to the flesh means either to live sinfully, or to try hard to live as God has called us, but without His power. Take some time to identify areas you struggle in living “according to the flesh”. 

2) What are our weapons of warfare? (verse 4)
Take a few slow breaths, close your eyes, and assess the weak spots in your life right now. Where are you feeling defeated and worn in your everyday life? Perhaps the battle is heavy against you as you are working intently to further God’s Kingdom in ministry, in loving the unlovable, or in serving within your church. Maybe the battle is showing up in your relationships where conflict seems constantly present. Sometimes the battle surges in full force as we become aware of our sin in specific areas and then, wanting to be like Christ, fight against that sin. Whatever your battle today, my friend, in the words of Paul, “Stand firm….”, intentionally put on His own armor He fitted for you, and know that your greatest weapon is the Spirit of the Living God who works powerfully within you. He holds the victory! 

3) What arguments and “proud things” is Paul referencing that we should destroy? (verse 5)
We are weak because we will always, over time, choose to love ourselves and our sin over the Savior. God’s antidote is Christ and His power working in us to accomplish His purposes! (2 Corinthians 12:9) He gives us His weaponry to tear down and destroy every stronghold where we are bowing to other gods and living for ourselves rather than surrendering to God’s wisdom, and living His way, by the power of His Spirit. (verses 4-5) Take these few minutes to prayerfully ask the Lord where you are trusting in your own strength. Where is sin slowly creeping in, tempting you with lies and justifications? Fight those battles with the Spirit of God inside you, Christian! Refuse to allow the ground in your heart that Christ died to rescue, be turned over again as enemy territory!

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

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Shielded Day 1 Shielded By The Unstoppable

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-11
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Isaiah 40:30-31
2 Timothy 2:3-4

Shielded, Day 1

The last few weeks have been up and down in waves.
I’ve been grumpy and my patience has been tested.
Why? 

I could say the students in my class are getting on my nerves because they’re excited about upcoming activities. I could say it’s because friends and family are irritating me.  I could say it’s because some family members’ health has me concerned.

These triggers are part of the human experience, but they aren’t why I’ve been in a slump. It didn’t take long for me to review the last few weeks and realize, I have not been putting on my God-given armor. 

I’ve slacked off.
I haven’t been in the Word.
I haven’t been taking time to grow in my walk with the Lord.

I don’t share this because I want your sympathy. I share this because surely, at some point, we’ve all experienced missing armor, manifesting in attitudes and actions. Therefore, I share this because I want to encourage you.

Ephesians 6:10-11 speaks to believers about putting on the special armor God gives us to use in our fight against the enemy.  The situations I described above are external. What was really happening?  I let my guard down and the enemy attacked.  He attacked my heart and my thoughts, and without my armor to defend me, he buried me in a big mess of trouble.

We are at war every day in this world.

We tend to focus on the outside, what we see around us. We get angry with family and friends. We get disproportionately upset at minor frustrations, like an unexpected schedule change.

But this isn’t a war of the physical world.
There is a different war raging.
This war is invisible, in the spiritual realm.

While unseen, our enemy is real and ruthless. 1 Peter 5:8 calls him a “lion seeking who he can devour.” God not only warns us about him, but gives us the necessary weapons to fight him. When we believe and accept God’s gift of salvation, we receive both eternal life and an impenetrable suit of armor. We become soldiers of Jesus Christ, called and equipped by God to enter the fight against sin and Satan.

However, our armor isn’t given to us so God can leave us alone on the battlefield. He knows we cannot win this war in our own strength.

Therefore, our armor is covered in God’s power and strength.

God is with us at all times
and, clothed in His armor,
we can access His power to fight the evil forces in the unseen realm.

2 Corinthians 6:7 declares we have the power of God in us.

This truth is reflected in Jeremy Camp’s song, Same Power:
“The same power that rose Jesus from the grave, lives IN us!”

Satan cannot take this power from us,
but he will try to keep us from using it.  

Leaving our armor behind gives him the opportunity to strike us.
He wants us to be apathetic and complacent.
He wants us to get lost in “what ifs” and doubt God.

He wants us to forget we have the power of God living inside us and can be victorious, even in our weakest moments. Our enemy is a crafty adversary, tailoring his attacks to take advantage of our deepest vulnerabilities.

Peering into our darkest insecurities, he draws arrow to bow.

Zing. The arrow flies.  “You’re not good enough.”

Zing. “You’re comfortable, no reason to do anything new.”

Again. “You’ll be crushed if something bad happens because of this decision.”

And again. “God will never forgive you for _______.”

And again. “You can’t.”

If our armor is laying in a heap, rusted and dusty, we are defenseless against the onslaught. Satan’s accusations demolish us.

But if our armor is in place, well-fitted and consistently maintained, we are shielded by the unstoppable power of God. His power is able to deflect Satan’s lies, to topple his strongholds.

Not good enough?
God says our adequacy and worth are bound up in and defined by Him alone. (2 Corinthians 3:5)

Tempted to stay safe and comfortable?
God urges us to walk with courage and strength into new callings. (Joshua 1:1-9)

Paralyzed by fear of unforeseen consequences?
God assures us He will be with us, no matter what the future holds. (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Strangled by shame?
God heaves condemnation from our shoulders and nails it to the cross. (Romans 8:1-2)

Just. Can’t?
God declares in Him, we can. (Philippians 4:13)

Every thrust of our swords and clang of our shields moves us away from the devil and toward God Himself.

I haven’t been responsible and active about my armor lately.
I’ve become comfortable and lazy.
Exactly what Satan wants.

What about you?  
Are the external happenings in your life a result of setting down your armor and walking away from the fight?

It’s easy to get comfortable in our daily routines and forget our time with God.
Join me today.
Let’s steep ourselves in His Word, His presence, and His power.

Sleeping warrior, awake.
Settle your armor into place.
The battle cry has sounded.

It’s time to fight.

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 Shielded 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 Shielded!

The GT Weekend! ~ Treasure 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) “God wove holy work into our design as an act of love toward humanity.” That’s a pretty bold statement from our friend, Tawnya. In what ways do your views of your work contradict, or agree, or land somewhere in the middle of that statement? If God truly did create, and give, work as an act of love towards us, how might that reshape how we go about our work, regardless of what it is, where it is, or how we are reimbursed for that work? What specific steps can begin taking to “take back” a biblical view of the work God has lovingly given you?

2) As important as our work is in the grander view of building God’s Kingdom, whether we are doing dishes, inviting a neighbor for tea, or bringing together business deals, the enemy is always lurking around us, ready to tempt us to tie our identity to our work. It’s such an easy trap to fall into! When we succeed at our job, we feel we have won. Conversely, when we feel we have failed, the weight falls heavy on our hearts, affecting everything else. Learning to lean wholly on the truth of who God says we are, regardless of what we accomplish with our hands, will radically rewrite how we view ourselves and our work!

3) God not only fills us with life-giving purpose by calling us into eternal kingdom work, He also intentionally designed what we do here to echo into eternity. What we do with our time, our talent, and our treasure while we live on this temporal earth will matter in eternity. Because of this reality, the apostle Paul urges us to “run so you may obtain it (the prize)! (1 Corinthians 9:24) Run the race of your faith with purpose, intentionality, and with your eyes focused on the eternal, not the temporal. Only what’s done for Christ, through His power and by His love, will have forever impact!

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 1 Corinthians 9:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable.

Prayer Journal
“I do it all for the sake of the gospel…”. Lord, I read those words by Paul, and Your Spirit washes over me with new awareness of the work You have called me into. All things, for all people, whatever I’m doing, all for the gospel to be proclaimed, understood, and received by the same mighty Spirit Who empowers me to work at all. I’m humbled, Lord, and in awe of Your Work! You work in me, You fuel me to do Kingdom Work, You call me into purpose, and elevate everything I set my hands to as being potentially used to build Your eternal kingdom. Incredible grace, Lord! May I run this race well with each job ahead of me. From sweeping the floor, potty-training, meal planning, errand-running, or patience in my relationships…this is the work You’ve purposefully given me. Establish it with Your hands!

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

Treasure Day 9 The Gift Of Laboring: 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 The Gift Of Laboring!

The Questions

1) What was the burden that wearied the people to whom Jesus was speaking? (verse 28)

2) What does it mean when Jesus says to “take up my yoke” (verse 29)?

3) In what way is the yoke of Jesus easy and how does He make a burden light (verse 30)?

Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Original Intent

1) What was the burden that wearied the people to whom Jesus was speaking? (verse 28)
When you study the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you’ll learn that verses 28-30 are distinct to Matthew’s gospel alone. Though a simple reading of Chapter 11 may cause an observer to feel it is disjointed, there is a connection we find when we dig into Jesus’ repeated call to the weary. In these three verses, Jesus invites burdened people to come to Him for relief from what loads them down. In the context of all of Jesus’ teaching, it is quite evident He isn’t speaking of physical burdens like a backpack or an illness. Jesus wanted those who followed Him to understand He was inviting them to surrender in a much different way than the religious leaders of the day required (which was purely physical). (Matthew 23:1-7) Jesus called them to reject their own sufficiency. The burdens of heartless law-keeping were placed on them by men, not God. Matthew reveals Jesus’ heart through His words of rebuke to the cities. Jesus and John had preached repentance, had worked miracles, and had given them ample opportunities to be released from the bondage of sin, but they continued to ignore the message of hope, Instead, by rejecting Him and His freedom from the bondage of sin, they brought upon themselves judgment instead of comfort. (Matthew 11:16-20)

2) What does it mean when Jesus says to “take up my yoke” (verse 29)?
Verse 28 reveals the offer Jesus made to those listening, “Come to Me.” In verse 29, He presents to them Himself as their example of what finding rest will mean for them. Jesus had come to release them from the heavy burdens the religious leaders placed on the people. The entire ministry and message of Jesus centers around this exchange and drastic mind shift. Jesus knew the oppression they experienced was never what God intended the Law to produce. Instead, the Law was intended to be a reminder that repentance and faith was all that was essential, since no one would ever be able to keep the full law perfectly. The obedience that followed the surrender would not be burdensome because Jesus’ righteousness provided all that was necessary to release the weary soul from sin and death. (1 John 5:1-4) The good news of Jesus was His promise that no would need to earn their way into heaven! Instead, all one must do is come toward Jesus and exchange the burden of impossible perfection for His true goodness. (1 Peter 2:24)

3) In what way is the yoke of Jesus easy and how does He make a burden light (verse 30)?
Earlier in chapter 11 we read John the Baptist (Luke 3) was in prison. Considering the inquiry, it appears John’s faith in Jesus had been met with doubt. Though we don’t know for sure his motivation, the message from John’s disciples required Jesus to assure John that He was indeed the Messiah of whom John had preached. (John 3:28-30) Jesus instructed John’s friends to tell him of what they had observed. Was it possible John’s weariness of waiting had caused him to doubt? Maybe. Even so, Jesus affirmed John (Matthew 11:11) and Himself, rebuking the crowds for their unrepentant hearts. (Matthew 11:19-20,  25-27) Under the inspiration of God’s Spirit, Matthew records John’s inquiry and Jesus’ response. Even John the Baptist, the great forerunner of Jesus, (or his disciples), needed to be reminded why Jesus came and assured He was exactly who He claimed to be. It wasn’t to overthrow an earthly kingdom built by human hands. He came to replace the burdensome system by surrendering His own life so ours would be death-penalty free. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

Everyday Application

1) What was the burden that wearied the people to whom Jesus was speaking? (verse 28)
The burden that afflicted the people in Jesus’ day is the same one that we must shake off from ourselves today in our own time. It’s the burden of our own efforts in our salvation and spiritual growth. We cannot be “good enough” to gain favor from God or make Him smile on us. Jesus has provided the answer, the only answer, for us when He said, “abide in Me” (John 15:9). The only effort we must make is to move toward His extended hand and heart, openly, willingly, humbly receiving His lavish offer of grace and forgiveness. Once we have come to Jesus, then we rest. The burden of perfection is too heavy, too demanding, and will never be lifted by our efforts. That’s why faith is essential. We must trust Christ at His work on our behalf, believing His word as true. Faith is resting in what Jesus has told us about Himself, then believing and abiding in that truth. The yoke of Jesus is a hopeful assurance of life abundant and everlasting as we learn to live in the pattern of love and surrender He has modeled for us. Only here will we finally find rest for our souls!

2) What does it mean when Jesus says to “take up my yoke” (verse 29)?
The author of Hebrews tells us to “run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eye on Jesus, the Source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) This is the light yoke Jesus calls us to take up. There is not another yoke in existence that gives us rest for our souls. “Oh soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see. There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus) Where are you working hard to be good enough for God and earn His favor? Where are you relying on your own strength to be a better Christian, wife, friend, mother, or daughter? Only Jesus is your strength and sustenance. Only by His Spirit can be made like Him! Surrender to Him!

3) In what way is the yoke of Jesus easy and how does He make a burden light (verse 30)?
The yoke of Jesus is easy because He carried the burden that was meant for us to carry; and He was the only one who could carry it all the way to the end perfectly without a single flaw. We are the recipients of His gracious and perfect obedience to the Father’s plan for our redemption because of His unfathomable love for us. You could say our obedience to Jesus is “easy like Sunday morning.” It’s resurrection power & peace. Those of us who have put our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross find ourselves being made into His likeness by the Spirit’s work daily in our lives. What sweet rest we have in Jesus, through the gift of grace from the Father and the help and comfort of the Spirit. We aren’t to bear the burdens of a life of law-keeping, checkboxes to mark off, and “being good enough” in order to make ourselves right with God. We are instead worshippers, resting in the obedience of Christ and His finished work on the cross, which He did on our behalf that we may, finally, be truly free! (Hebrews 10:8-14)

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Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
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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

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Treasure 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!

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Here Day 8 King Herod

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 2:1-18
Micah 5:1-6
Jeremiah 31:15-25

Here, Day 8

“WISE men?” I laughed mirthlessly as I swirled the ruby liquid in my goblet. Without warning, I hurled the heavy object across the room as I roared in anger. Wine sprayed across the white marble floor as the goblet shattered with a crash. The dark color reminded me of blood. High priests and scholars who had been sharing whispered information with me only moments ago scurried from the throne room like frightened children, eager to escape my wrath. A servant hurried silently to clean the spill and restore order.

My thoughts churned, an equal mixture of fury and disgust. They couldn’t be THAT wise! How dare they show up in my kingdom, unannounced, to inquire about the newborn king of the Jews?! I am the King of the Jews. There is no other. I rule with the support of Rome and most of Jerusalem.

Did they truly think this course of action could possibly end well for them? If they had any sense or skill at all, their stars and signs would have forewarned them what a mistake it would be to come here! I’ll make sure it’s a mistake they won’t make again. They won’t be doing anything once I’m through with them.

Although… Perhaps there’s a way I can use their idiocy to my advantage. I stood and took a few steps toward the opposite wall before turning to pace back the other way. The whispers of an idea were beginning to take shape.

The prophecy plainly states the Messiah will come from Bethlehem. Of that, everyone seems certain. If it is true, and he is here, I know that’s the region where he’ll be. He is only an infant. He is weak and defenseless…for now.

I am the only king of the Jews. I will not allow him to become my successor.  A darker thought took root and began to grow. He will never make it to adulthood; I won’t allow it.

“Simeon!” I barked, fists clenched, robes rustling behind me.

He appeared at once and bowed. “Yes, my king?”

“I want you to arrange a meeting with the men from the East. Tell no one. I want to meet with them at once!”

Simeon bowed again. “Yes, my king.” He left as silently as he had appeared.

Yes. This will work, I can feel it!

I will convince them that I, too, want to worship the newborn king.
I will convince them that my motives are pure.
Then, I will find him. 

I will find him, and I will kill him.

I felt a cold smile curve my lips. The prophecy was good for something, after all. God may have intended it to inspire hope, but instead, it would serve to secure my reign against His “Messiah.”

I retrieved the new goblet a servant had placed on the table beside my throne and poured a generous helping. What kind of God sends His Messiah as a baby, anyway? Kings are powerful. They command armies, and respect. They deal with rulers, and other authorities. Nothing about this makes any sense. 

Lost in my thoughts, I sat on my throne and studied the gems adorning one hand, swirling the wine with my other hand. The sound of someone clearing their throat brought me back, and I noticed Simeon had returned.

“It is done, my king. They will be here soon.” He bowed, never once making eye contact.

I chuckled with dark delight. “Well done, Simeon! Leave me, I need to be alone with my thoughts.”

He strode quietly from the room as I stood and began to pace once more.

“Thank you so much for coming to meet with me! Yes, I too, am thrilled that the prophecy is fulfilled and am eager to…” I snorted aloud as an unsolicited bout of laughter overtook me. “…worship the newborn king!”

Yes. This will work splendidly…if only I can keep from laughing outright! 

No one will take my kingdom from me.
No one will take my power, my position, my status.
No one will bow to any other king of the Jews. 

I ALONE determine my fate, and the fate of all I rule.
I will NEVER allow this infant Messiah to survive, to fulfill the prophecy. 

And once I kill him, I will kill these foolish “wise” men, too. They will rue the day they dared set foot in my kingdom to seek to worship my successor. 

I am the King. I am Herod. I have no room for another.

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Worship VI Day 10 Do It Again

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Joshua 6:1-20
Lamentations 3:21-26
Daniel 3:16-18
Mark 11:22-24
Romans 4:18-25

Worship VI, Day 10

When I read the story of Joshua, it all seems so easy…

Admittedly, God’s instructions to Joshua and his army are strange…
march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days
and seven times on the seventh day

But they’re clear and easy enough to follow.
What’s more, the outcome is entirely predictable.  As long as they demonstrate their faith by obeying God’s command, on the seventh day, “the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance.”  (Joshua 6:5)

When I think about life today, it all seems much more complicated.
We all have situations where we would love to see God move in power like He did at Jericho. We have each had situations where we long for breakthrough, as we constantly circle them in prayer. Maybe we’re praying for healing or salvation for a loved one, seeking God’s wisdom about a major life decision, or coming to God with a long-held dream we can’t quite give up on despite the lack of opportunity for its reality.

Unlike Joshua, we often have no idea what the outcome will be,
or how long we will wait.

“Walking around these walls,
I thought by now they’d fall…
Waiting for change to come…”

It’s easy for the waiting to lead to discouragement.

Around five years ago, this all became very real to me as I prayed for a friend struggling with mental health issues.  After a couple years of battling with this, during which I’d been praying regularly, her condition seemed to be spiralling downward. As she began texting me late at night with graphic descriptions of her depressed feelings, I felt helpless. I knew she was receiving professional help, so all I could do was pray, and I believed God could help and heal her. Unlike Joshua, I had no guarantee of how God would answer my prayer, or what that answer would look like.

I came to realise my faith must be based on something deeper
than the miracle I hoped for.

Fortunately, while we have examples in Scripture of God’s miraculous power, we also have examples of people waiting and praying in desperate situations. We meet people longing for answers that are slow to come.

Jeremiah lamented over Jerusalem’s destruction and his people’s exile to Babylon. Abraham waited decades for the child God had promised; his waiting eventually reached the point where it seemed physically impossible to bear a child.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire for no crime other than obedience to God.

Yet all these people managed to hold on to their faith in God by looking beyond their circumstances and focusing on His faithfulness.

Amidst the ruins, Jeremiah declared:
“Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!”  (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Abraham held onto hope even when his situation was hopeless, humanly speaking, because, “he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do.”  (Romans 4:21)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were bold in proclaiming their trust in God’s power and goodness, despite the uncertain outcome of their situation.

“If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”  (Daniel 3:17-18) 

Each of these knew God’s faithfulness by experience and chose to put their trust in Him, just as this song declares:

“Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet.” 

In each case, the outcome was different, but the faithfulness of God
was exactly the same.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced a speedy and miraculous rescue.  Abraham finally saw the fulfilment of God’s promise after years of waiting.  Jeremiah never saw the restoration of Jerusalem, though it did happen after 70 years just as Jeremiah had prophesied, because God is faithful.

How can we respond in our own situations where we long to see God move in power?

Tension exists between holding onto the solid hope that God is the same today as He was to Joshua, and that He is perfectly able to “do it again,” while also accepting God’s ways are not always predictable or understandable to us.

We’re called to have faith that God is able to move mountains, while we’re also called to trust in God’s faithfulness when the mountains fail to move exactly as we wish,
because He is always faithful to His promises.

We may not have the promise God gave Joshua that our walls will fall quickly and easily, but we do have several other promises, all rooted in His unchanging character.

He promises that….

Whatever our situation today, let’s choose to hold onto real, solid hope
and thank Him for His faithfulness!

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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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Worship VI Day 9 New Wine: 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 New Wine!

The Questions

1) Who were all together in one place (verse 1)?

2) What did those present hear and see?

3) What did those present receive and do?

Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

Original Intent

1) Who were all together in one place (verse 1)?
The day had arrived for the Jewish feast of Pentecost. In studying the Old Testament, we discover the significance of this day for the Jews. “Pentecost” is the Greek name for the festival known as the Feast of Weeks. It was a traditional day in their annual spring feast when the Jews offered their first-fruits of the wheat harvest to God. (Exodus 34:21-22) Ten days before Pentecost, Jesus had reiterated His prediction of the coming Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5) John the Baptist had also foretold of this day. (Matthew 3:5) The only biblical reference to the actual events of Pentecost is here in Acts 2. On this day, much like they were on the evening of the Last Supper, the disciples were gathered in one place. It’s likely these are the believers Luke (the author of Acts) mentioned earlier in 1:15. Although scholars aren’t certain of the location, many believe it was the upper room of the house already mentioned in the book. (Acts 1:12-15)

2) What did those present hear and see?
In verses 2-3 we read how these believers heard a sound and saw a vision. The passage doesn’t specifically say it was actual wind, nor does it say they saw actual fire. We know that because of the use of the word “like.” What we do know for sure is Luke wanted to communicate that the “violent” noise could be heard by everyone there, because he says it “filled the whole house”. Amid this house-shattering noise, these believers also received a visual. The text indicates the apparent fire came in one piece and then separated into individual flames. The Greek word diamerizomenai indicates the fire was seen dividing itself. (net.bible.org) These flames of fire were obviously not normal fire because no one was burned or scorched as it “rested” on them. Commentator Bob Utley says, “Luke is using an analogy to try to express a unique occurrence of a physical manifestation of the Spirit.” The amazing thing is there “was no distinction made between Apostles or disciples; men or women.” (bible.org) It rested on them ALL.

3) What did those present receive and do?
Verse 4 says all those in that place were “filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Being “filled with the Spirit” was a wonder that had been experienced by people of faith at various times in the Old Testament. (Exodus 35:30-34, Numbers 11:26-29, 1 Samuel 10:6-10) Here, Luke uses “filling” to express that the believers received the Holy Spirit’s presence and enablement. (“A Theology of Luke-Acts,” Darrell L. Bock). On this day, the believers assembled in this place were unified and expectant. The previous chapter tells us “they all were continually united in prayer.” (Acts 1:14) As the Spirit of God filled their hearts, speaking in tongues was the outward evidence that God had done something inwardly. It is clear from the context of this passage, that these “tongues” were an indication of their ability to speak in another language which was previously unknown to the one speaking. (verses 6, 8). Utley offers great insight: “Theologically, it is possible that Pentecost is the direct opposite of the tower of Babel in Genesis 10-11. As prideful, rebellious humans asserted their independence, God implemented His will by the insertion of multiple languages. Now, the nationalism which impedes humans from uniting believers has been reversed. Christian fellowship across every human boundary is the reversal of the consequences of Genesis 3.” (bible.org)

Everyday Application

1) Who were all together in one place (verse 1)?
The believers, many of whom had seen Jesus suffer and die and then be raised from the dead, were gathered in these days for prayer and encouragement. What a beautiful picture of the Church together in fellowship and worship and ultimately evangelism. (Acts 2:37-42) “It’s a shame that the term ‘Pentecostal power’ has, for many people, become more associated with “speaking in tongues” than with the harvest of world evangelization. Be sure at this point you see the main focus: it is a feast of harvest in Jerusalem, and on this very day, Jesus pours out the Spirit in extraordinary power and 3,000 people are harvested from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God.” Peter had emphasized the importance of continuing the witness of Christ & His resurrection. Chapter 1 ends with the believers praying for a replacement for Judas in the apostolic ministry. They met together, united around the truth of the message of the resurrection. This message is the very same reason we unite and gather as believers today. (1 Corinthians 15:12-22 )

2) What did those present hear and see?
Piper says that “at times the Holy Spirit makes Himself known with visible, audible, touchable manifestations. In the Old Testament, there was the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. At Jesus’ baptism, there was the dove. In Acts 4, the building shakes. In chapter 6, Stephen’s face was like the face of an angel. In chapter 16, there is an earthquake. At times, the Spirit stoops to give us visible, audible, touchable demonstrations of His magnificent presence and power.” Jesus told Nicodemus the Spirit moves as He pleases, working in the hearts of people. (John 3:8) We don’t know why God moves as He does in certain circumstances. Clearly, the believers in that room recognized the power of God. Signs and wonders from God will be evidenced by the worship of God, not the wonders themselves. God allowed His Spirit to be heard and seen in a unique way so those present would know it was HIM!

3) What did those present receive and do?
What a miracle! God’s Spirit had been seen and heard in such a spectacular way. When the believers began speaking in the tongues of different languages, enabled by the Spirit, a significant event was occurring.  Everyone present were witnesses to a dramatic demonstration of God’s sovereign power. Maybe the apostles remembered what Jesus had spoken to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This power was given to the disciples for them to be equipped and enabled to be witnesses to the world of the death and resurrection of Christ. It is not inconsequential that people from all the nations were there. They needed to understand the amazing things the disciples were declaring in their own language! (Acts 2:6) It was a day that marked what God meant for the future of the people of the world, for all to understand His power and His willingness to save miraculously all who will believe the witness of the gospel message. “Missions is our way of saying: the joy of knowing Christ is not a private, or tribal, or national or ethnic privilege. It is for all. And … we go because we have tasted the joy of worshiping Jesus, and we want all … included.” (Let the Nations be Glad, John Piper)

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

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 Worship VI 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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Esther 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) Call back to mind the last time you felt treated below your value. Maybe it was a few months ago, or even just a few minutes, but sitting with those feelings likely stirs something in you. Think through those stirrings as you slow down and process them. What brought you frustration in that scenario and why? Was the situation a trigger for something else living in your past, or a wound that hasn’t healed well? Where do you most often feel the need to defend your own value? Pray your thoughts and struggles to the Lord, asking Him to bring you healing and wholeness in your identity!

2) Can you relate to Amy’s statement from Wednesday’s Journey? “Either apply the beauty and win the comparison pageant, or be tossed aside as trash.” Where in your life do you feel this is more true than in other areas? Identify those circumstances or relationships where you feel most valued for who you are. Why do you think that is? What role does your own desire for control in those situations play in how you are feeling valued?

3) When you think of the vastness of God, His power, His sovereignty, and His all-knowing ability in comparison to the tiniest details about you, what is your heart response? Do you push back? Are you quick to discount your worth, even in the smallest of things? Do you find yourself filling in the blanks of what God surely must think of your freckles, your extra pounds, or your annoyance at finding that empty box of cereal in the pantry? Challenge yourself to keep in mind how God wastes absolutely nothing and He loves to both redeem and use the smallest details to amplify His glory. Consider placing a small pen dot somewhere on your hand today as a visual reminder of God’s loving attention to all things!

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 2 Corinthians 4:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now we have this treasure in clay jars,
so that this extraordinary power may
be from God and not from us.

Prayer Journal
To be loved by You. To be valued infinitely more than we dare hope by You. To be known much deeper and sweeter by You than we know ourselves. To be hemmed in on all sides with grace, peace, and joy simply by being in Your presence. This is bliss, oh Lord our God!
I become so easily distracted, Abba. My high schooler frustrates me beyond words, I get angry, I get hurt, I can’t find enough coffee, I want a smaller pant size, or healthier relationships. Lord, I don’t have to look far to find frustration and dissatisfaction, but never when I cast my eyes on You and Your fullness. Help me to live authentically, with all my brokenness on display, so others can very clearly see how extraordinary You are inside of me! You are precious and beautiful, Lord God. I praise You for loving me so perfectly!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music