Safe

Glimmers Day 4 Hope In Surrender: 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 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!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
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!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Glimmers 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.

Worship IV, Day 6 Praise You In My Pain

3 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 2:21-25
Matthew 5:38-48 
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Worship IV, Day 6

In my Christian journey I’ve learned a lot about myself, about God, and how those two go together. I’ve learned more of who God is and the intricacies of His character.
The more I know Him, the more I crave to be like Him.

How?
The answer is always follow Jesus’ example.

How again?
The answer is always taking in Scripture.

In 1 Peter 2:21-25, we see Jesus reviled by people, but He didn’t choose retaliation.
There were no evil threats spewing from His mouth.
He chose to entrust His life to the Father.
And then died for the salvation of the very ones who reviled Him.

In my everyday life, this example is just one Jesus is calling me to follow.
He’s teaching me to sit and be still in His presence.
He invites me not to worry about peoples’ opinions of me.

Because if He, the perfect spotless Lamb of God, was persecuted
then I should expect the same.
And if He upheld His testimony, boldly declaring unfathomable love for me
then so should I.
So should we.

And because He trusted His life to God,
then I should do the same.
So should we.

“But continued entrusting Himself (Jesus) to Him (Father God) who judges justly.”
1 Peter 2:23

It’s easy to lose sight of entrusting our lives to God in the middle of suffering.
It is as if our pain blinds us to the deeper spiritual battle,
keeping our sights set on our selfish entitlement.

Where is your suffering, Sister?

Maybe you’re fighting for a precious relationship, facing rejection, grieving a loved one, having your dreams crushed, or undergoing character assassination.

Regardless of your suffering….
Jesus’ example is to worship through it.
So should we.

Worship is not simply singing a song,
but entrusting our lives to the Almighty God.

When I was younger, I would listen to worship songs day and night.
One of my favorites was Casting Crowns’ Praise You In The Storm.

And I’ll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
That you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm

“That You are who You are… no matter where I am.”

Sisters, Our God is constant!
Who He is today is exactly Who He will be tomorrow. Hebrews 13:8
He will never leave us or forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:6
He will uphold us with His righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
We will never be tempted to sin without a way out from it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Throughout experience I’ve come to understand what praising God in my pain means, through all kinds of stages and seasons of suffering.

I’ve been the girl sitting in the bathroom stall during lunch crying because no one wanted to sit with me.
I’ve been the girl grieving the deaths of those closest to me.
I’ve been the girl sexually assaulted multiple times.
I’ve been the girl lying awake with nightmares from the trauma I’ve experienced.
I’ve been the girl ready to take her life
because I felt like death would be better than the pain.

But, Sisters.
I’m also the girl whose life was interrupted by the God who saved me and walked with me in every single one of those seasons of suffering.

God has wrapped me in His arms so tightly I had no other option but to
praise Him through my pain.

And as I look back on my suffering, I see how God used it.
Not to accomplish what I wanted most.
But to bring me closer to Him.
To shape my heart like His.

I don’t know about you, but for me I experience God in an entirely different dimension when I am cloaked in painful suffering.

I crave His presence
I crave His love
I crave His promises
I crave His comfort

Suffering is the sweet tool the Shepherd of our hearts uses to point away from our weakness and towards His everlasting strength.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content
with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

When we worship Him through our suffering we declare His Name.
When we worship Him through our suffering we find peace and comfort.
When we worship Him through our suffering we tell the world our God is good and worthy of praise!

He is still good, gracious, merciful, and just even when life is not. Therefore, He is worthy of our praise.  

So Sisters, let’s choose worship, just as our Savior did as He gave His life for us.
Let’s choose to praise Him in our pain, entrusting our lives to the One who loves us best!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

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 Worship IV 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 Worship IV!

Incorruptible Day 10 Love That Lasts

10 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 1:22-25 
1 Peter 2:11-16
Leviticus 19:16-18
John 13:34-35 

Incorruptible, Day 10

As the children got off the bus there was a buzz of animated chatter.
Just arriving for a week at camp, they were full of excitement and eager to get started. 

Well, most of them were... 

At the back of the line were two brothers, fear and apprehension written all over their faces.  Their response to the leaders’ friendly greetings was monosyllabic, their manner hesitant and uncertain.  It was all new to them and they had no idea what to expect. 

Fast forward a week, and children were piling back onto the bus to return home.  Again, the two brothers hung back, but this time their behaviour wasn’t motivated by fear and anxiety, but by reluctance to leave a place of happiness and a desire to say individual goodbyes to each leader. There were hugs, tears, and smiles, as we stood amazed at the radical transformation in such a short space of time. 

I’m convinced the reason was love.   

We had quickly discovered the two brothers had a difficult home situation.  They had never experienced a loving Christian community before, and the impact on them was profound.  It’s said that actions speak louder than words, and it’s true. The way we treat others and our attitudes towards them have more impact than we often realise. 

In his letter to the first-century Christians, Peter highlights this truth.  He writes to the believers about how to behave towards one another, towards their unbelieving neighbours, and those in authority.
He emphasises the lasting impact of their conduct. 

Peter implores, “show sincere brotherly love for each other,
 from a pure heart, love one another constantly.”  (1 Peter 1:22)
As these believers lived in difficult circumstances, facing opposition, persecution, and suffering, it was important they stood united. 

Peter tells them this unifying love springs from their new life in Christ.
They have been born again into His family as brothers and sisters and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).  This love isn’t the mushy, romantic, feelings-based love the world portrays in songs and movies, but the committed, selfless, sacrificial love Jesus displayed in His life, death, and resurrection.  

Jesus Himself taught that loving one another was a mark of following Him, which would impact those who witnessed it. One cannot remain unchanged by love. 

Let’s be real though.
Loving others, even other Christians, is hard sometimes.
Opinions and personalities clash, we rub each other the wrong way,
we can act thoughtlessly and selfishly, and sometimes hurt one another. 

But we are still called to love.
Not because we have the ability on our own, but because, as Peter says, “we have been born again….(by) imperishable seed.” (1 Peter 1:23)

In 1 Corinthians 13 and Colossians 3, Paul details what it means to love with our new, incorruptible nature.
And it’s radically different from the world’s image of love.
Paul describes a patient, forgiving, enduring love that allows us to live in harmony even when it’s challenging. 

This love is impossible to work up by ourselves.
Love is a fruit of the Spirit, not our own efforts.
It is the result of God working within us enabling us to love.
However, it is also a choice we make to cooperate with God’s work in us, and be committed to this kind of love.

The word translated as “constantly” in verse 22 is rendered in other versions of the Bible as “earnestly“, “fervently“, or “with all your heart,” conveying the sense that this is a love we must choose and actively pursue.   

In chapter 2, Peter goes on to write about the importance of believers conducting themselves honourably before the unbelievers around them.  He encourages them that their actions and attitudes are a witness, pointing others to God! 

For the same reason, and with the same love, believers are called to submit to figures of authority, “for it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.“  (1 Peter 2:15) 

These must have been incredibly challenging instructions in a culture where the believers faced ridicule and intense persecution from authority, but they were called, by their love and their honourable behaviour, to glorify God and make Him known. 

The same challenge is for us today. 
How well do we love our Christian brothers and sisters?
How well do our actions witness to those around us?  
Are we truly known for our love?   

The impact of putting Jesus’ incorruptible love on display is great! 

I doubt that the two brothers who came to camp went home remembering much of what they heard about Jesus that week, but I do know they went home having experienced, probably for the first time, a loving community where they were valued, accepted, and deeply loved. 

For those brothers, that week was only the beginning.
The two boys returned year after year, gradually they began truly taking in what was being taught. Eventually they came to faith in Jesus for themselves! 

Our little acts of love may not seem like much, but their impact can be eternal.
Incorruptible love produces incorruptible results.
As Peter reminds, so much around us is fading,
but God’s Word, and the new life we have in Him – this life of love – remain forever!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Incorruptible Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

The GT Weekend! – Dwell Week 2

Leave a Comment

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’s Word is amazing, rich, and deep with layers of insight and fullness of life awaiting us as the Spirit makes His words come to life!  Take time to linger with the Lord today by choosing a few verses, reading them slowly, several times through. Pray while you read, and ask the Lord to speak to you. Try emphasizing a different word each time you read aloud the Scripture section. Consider speaking your prayers out loud to God, sharing your heart response to His Word. Ask the Lord to stretch you as you focus on growing your relationship in deeper ways!

2) Corporate worship, when a large body of believers come together to adore God is beautiful, life-giving, and an important part of every Christian’s life. If you’re in a pattern of regular attendance to a local church, the opportunity for corporate worship is available every week. How often are you engaging in private worship, time alone to focus solely on Him? Spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith like silence and solitude, prayer, worship, fasting, and Scripture study, date back all the way to the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve walked with God daily. Choose 1 new spiritual discipline and begin incorporating it into your time with God this weekend!

3) These week, each of our Journey Studies was woven with an undercurrent of thankfulness and worship. Journal your thoughts on fasting, its purpose, benefit, and why it’s always coupled with prayer and worship in Scripture. Consider Mary’s challenging remark that Jesus expected His followers to include fasting as part of their regular journey with Him. Spend time praying and asking the Spirit to lead you into fasting.

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 Ephesians 3:16-19 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Prayer Journal
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, hymn)

Father, Your Word is precious. The gift of intimacy You so graciously give us as You personally and corporately invite us to experience You is beyond description! Lord, it’s so easy to shift our eyes to the temporal, the right now, the long list of ‘must do’s’ and ignore Your invitation. Remind me, Spirit, teach my heart, to desire You in my deepest parts. I praise You for your love, good Father! Amen.

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

Dwell Day 9 Come Away: 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 Come Away!

The Questions

1) What are some base certainties made by the author of this psalm?

2) What is meant by the river and stream descriptions?

3) What important action does the author compel us to do as the psalm concludes?

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,
3 though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when he lifts his voice.
7 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
he sets wagons ablaze.
10 “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
11 The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

Original Intent

1) What are some base certainties made by the author of this psalm?
The Bible never sugar-coats reality, which is a testament to its authenticity. Nowhere in Scripture will you find the idea that believing in Jesus will result in a life without trouble, in reality, it speaks of quite the opposite. Trouble will come, it’s absolutely certain, especially for those who choose Christ, because this world neither holds our citizenship, nor has accepted Christ as Lord. The psalmist recognizes these realities, noting that whether it’s social, political, physical, or personal, unrest and uproar will assuredly happen. Coupled in tandem with this truth is the absolute certainty that our Savior God will never abandon us. He is continuously present in the midst of every circumstance, remaining sovereign over and through all, and ready to come to our aid.

2) What is meant by the river and stream descriptions?
Positioned in stark contrast to the opening paragraph of the psalm where the earth trembles, the mountains topple, the seas roar, and the mountains quake, the author paints a beautiful portrait of peace. Instead of chaos and fear, there is a city, a dwelling for community and unity; a place of delight. Rather than a raging sea, there is a life-giving river. The difference? God’s Presence. Yahweh brings peace in the torrential waters. Yahweh brings delight instead of panicked fear. Yahweh brings solid, certain assurance, never worry and anxiety. His ways, His Word, His life-giving Presence bring about the lovely flowing rivers.

3) What important action does the author compel us to do as the psalm concludes?
The psalmist concludes with 2 important statements of action: 1) “Come, behold the works of the Lord…” (verse 8) and 2) “Be still and know that I am God”. This two-fold action step represents a beautiful, perpetual circle the psalmist discovered. Found within the glorious presence of the Almighty God, Yahweh Himself, by bringing himself to a place of total stillness and complete dependence on Him alone, the psalmist finds the only anchoring truth needed, “The Lord of Hosts is with us.” (Psalm 46:11) As a result of being still with the Lord, drinking in His presence, and being fulfilled by His truth, the psalmist boldly declares, “Come, behold the works of the Lord!” (verse 8) Declaration to others of Who God is and what He has done is an incredible testimony of His work. This is worship to our God as well as a witness to a world lost in chaos and drowning in trouble without a fortress God.

Everyday Application

1) What are some base certainties made by the author of this psalm?
To know the truths the psalmist so confidently proclaims, we must personally know the God who espouses those truth statements. The declarations of the psalmist are not merely ‘good theology’ he knows he should adhere to, these truths are tried and true. He confidently knows by experience that this Yahweh God is a delivering, present, helping God. The psalmist only knows this because he has engaged with God, in the middle of chaotic storms, and found Him to be wholly steadfast. Because of how intimately and richly he has experienced relationship with God, the psalmist confidently states that he will not fear. This isn’t a hope-filled-bubble of wishful thinking, this is confident assurance. I have seen the Lord do the amazing, and I know He will continue to be good, holding true to His character. Spending consistent time with the Lord in quiet, in reading His Word, in prayer, in solitude, in silence, here is where the relationship is built strong enough to weather the storms that will most certainly assail us. Are you ready to confidently sing with the psalmist, “I will not fear!”? Be encouraged that no matter how close you are to the Savior, there are always deeper depths to plunge with Him!

2) What is meant by the river and stream descriptions?
The heart of the believer is the dwelling place of the Lord God. From that center, and out of that relationship, His streams of delight bring refreshment, renewal, and true joy. Not just joy, but a giddy happiness, a deep-seated, awe-struck gaiety at simply being with the Divine. When was the last time your heart leapt with delight for time with the Lord? When did you last feel the swirling chaos of life descending only to be drawn back into His presence where streams of life abound? His invitation is continually open, ready for you to accept. Won’t you come away with Him?!

3) What important action does the author compel us to do as the psalm concludes?
Do you feel dried up in walk with the Lord? You still love the Lord, but the wonder and the awe and the beauty have faded. The practice of sitting with Him, slowing in His presence, gazing at His glory, and taking in the truths of His word are the sparks that will set worship ablaze in your heart. Worship for who God is while marveling with thankfulness at His mighty deeds will revive a tired, aching heart like nothing else. Paul reminds his audience, “Devote yourselves to prayer, stay alert in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, emphasis mine) A thankful heart activates the intimacy of our prayer life like nothing else can. What’s holding you back from thankfulness and sweet communion with the Father?!

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

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 Dwell 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.

Dwell Day 8 Come Away

2 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 46  
Isaiah 6:1-8 
Exodus 34:29-35 

Dwell, Day 8

The chaos screamed louder with every shrill screech of my 3-year-old.  
He flung his body violently backwards despite my attempts to hold him.  
My water cup flew as his foot knocked it from the counter, its crash adding to the epic disaster of my kitchen.  
I was exhausted, frustrated, and knew I was quickly losing it.  
I was too far behind, in too many things, the hurricane wave-like pressure to be more than I was, crashed down on me fast.  
 
“Come away with me.” 
The whisper in my heart offered an oasis, cool water in the tornadic fury of my hot emotions.  
No, it wasn’t an audible voice, but it was one I had been learning ever more steadily to listen to. It was the voice of One who loved me, who delighted over me, and in that moment of supreme chaos that bordered on insanity, He called me away.  
 
Not to more stuff.  
Not to remind me of the important things I hadn’t done yet.  
Not to chastise me for being angry.  
He called me to come away.  
With Him.  
 
With water dripping from the counter, the dog eating scraps on the floor, a dirty dish tower threatening to topple, smelly laundry spilling from the washer, crackers crunching under my feet, and 4 other children continuing to play in their shocking oblivion,  
I obeyed the voice of my Savior.  
 
Gathering my still shrieking preschooler, I turned a blind eye to it all, and with laser focus on the face of my Jesus, I ran upstairs, not caring in the slightest who called out after me for more snacks. I knew exactly where I was going.  
 
As I hurried through my still messy bedroom, I grabbed my “pretty candle”, the one no one is supposed to touch, and a hidden matchbox. By the time I shoved my closet door closed behind me and the darkness quickly enveloped us, my little boy was still mad, but intrigued.  
I struck the match, breathing in the acrid scent, my soul already quieting. 
I knew Who was waiting for me and Whose presence I was entering.  
 
“Look! Look!” I whispered to my dry-sobbing boy.  
His eyes wide, tears gone, I held him as I began praying simple phrases.  
I had learned that here, in the silence and solitude of this meeting place, short phrases packed with truth kept my heart and soul in the moment rather than wandering.  
Truth anchored me in His presence.  
 
“You are good. You are good. You are good.” 
“You are for me. You are for me. You are for me.” 
“You are glorious, Yahweh. You are glorious. Glorious.”  
“Oh Majesty, Majesty, how breathtaking You are.” 
“Majesty. Beauty. Grace.”  
“Grace. Grace. Grace.” 
“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” 
“Lord Jesus. My Lord Jesus.” 
 
Sometimes my words whispered, sometimes they flowed quickly as the Spirit moved, sometimes my tongue was still as I drank in the exquisite beauty of His presence.  
Silent and still, holding my son, watching the light,  
my soul was swept away by the Supreme Lover of my heart. 
 
There was no magic in the candle, no extra-ordinary spiritual experience of my closet location, there was simply an invitation to sit in silence and behold Majesty.  
 
Time seemed to stand still for both me and my son.  
Eventually, like every mama-story, a knock beckoned from the other side of my closet door.  
But my spirit didn’t sag in response, peace pervaded. Joy swept in.  
Truth anchored my soul as my eyes had re-focused on the Glorious One.  
 
The idea of Silence and Solitude as an actual discipline of the Christian walk had never ever occurred to me.  
Quiet time where you sit and read Scripture, yes.  
Journaling your prayers and thoughts during quiet time, yes.  
But no one had ever taught me to practice Silence & Solitude.  
 
The discovery literally revolutionized my entire walk with Jesus, taking me from the playful shores of Christianity into the deep-sea dive of intimacy with the Love of my Soul.  
Practicing regular silence and solitude changed the entire trajectory of my life.  
I can absolutely guarantee you that where I am today, how I see people, the ministries I’m involved in, and the way I commune with Jesus is a direct result of silence and solitude.  
Yes, it’s that critical!  
 
After reading selections from Ruth Barton’s book, “Invitation to Solitude & Silence”, I was flabbergasted that I had never heard of this aspect of Christianity and began adopting it immediately.  
It wasn’t always my closet, it wasn’t always using a candle, but those became my favorites.  
I’ve shared intentional silence with the Savior, glorying in His presence, in my car before driving to “next”, in my “God Time Chair” as my pen has stilled and all else fades as I simply sit with Him, listening and responding to His Spirit, or in bed before I fall asleep. This isn’t just being quiet and restful, it’s intentional prayer-focused intimacy as we are drawn in to deep worship! 
 
In words on paper, it’s utterly indescribable.  
Astoundingly, the invitation comes again and again as He invites me to know Him deeper, delight in Him more intimately, to call Him Abba Father, to sit with tears streaming at His all-surpassing glory, and to live in light of that glorious encounter. 
 
Here’s the sweetest thing, Jesus longs for all of this with each of us!  
It doesn’t matter what your doubts are, how long or how short you’ve believed in Him as Savior, or whether you’ve ever crossed the line of faith in the first place, His invitation beckons right now, right here, in the middle of your crazy, busy, messy everyday life.  

Will you go to Him?! 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

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 Dwell 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 Dwell!

Screenshot Day 14 The Story Isn’t Over: Digging Deeper

2 Comments

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 Story Isn’t Over!

The Questions

1) What does this passage teach us about Satan’s relationship to God? 

2) Why does Job have a “hedge of protection” and “blessings” from the Lord? 

3) What would it have meant for Job to “curse” God to His “face”? 

Job 1:9-12

9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 

12 “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence. 

Original Intent

1) What does this passage teach us about Satan’s relationship to God?
It first tells us they actually have a relationship in that God does not “ignore” Satan or his evil workings; God is intricately involved and has full knowledge of all Satan’s schemes.  Additionally, Satan is very much under the control of the Lord God; Satan does not have any power that is not first allowed by God. It’s important to know that while Satan is the archenemy of God, they are not on equal footing, not even close! When comparing power and authority, The Lord God holds all of it, only allowing Satan to have a certain measure of power because of the current fallen state of the world we live in. Our world is sinful because we, as humanity, have chosen it. The Lord graciously allowed humanity to have “free choice” in who we would worship, either God or Satan. In our sinful, arrogant ways, when left to our own choice, we choose to worship Satan by pridefully loving ourselves more than God.  

2) Why does Job have a “hedge of protection” and “blessings” from the Lord?
The word “hedge” has a cross-reference (noted by a subscript letter that correlates to other Scripture verses) to Psalm 3:3 and Psalm 34:7. Both of these, and their surrounding verses, refer to God sheltering, shielding, delivering, and saving His children because they cried out to Him, trusted Him, and feared Him (as in, stood in awe of Him and His authority). Protection from what? The Enemy and his attacking schemes. This hedge is precisely what Satan is referring to in regard to Job. In essence, Satan is saying, “Of course Job trusts You, God! You are protecting Him with Your power and impenetrable shield!” Satan argues with God that if the hedge were removed and the blessings God has given Job were taken away, Job would easily fall prey to Satan’s desires for Job to curse God and be spiritually separated from God.  

3) What would it have meant for Job to “curse” God to His “face”?
To curse, or blaspheme, God is to discredit Him and speak irreverently about God, His Word, or His character. Job made it his regular habit to intercede for his children, praying for them in the event they had “cursed God in their hearts”. To curse God “to His face” carries significant weight. The psalmist writes in Psalm 10:3 of cursing God as being equal to renouncing Him entirely, this would be similar to what Satan is describing here to God about his hoped-for-response from Job if blessings were removed. This would be a complete abandonment of the relationship with God from Job’s perspective. God used similar language in Isaiah 65:2-3 in describing Israel’s rejection of God. Later in Job’s story, his wife urges Job to simply “curse God and die”, as the result of cursing God would be death. (Job 2:9) 

 

Everyday Application

1) What does this passage teach us about Satan’s relationship to God?
Do you fear Satan? Are you ever afraid of what the Enemy might do, or ways he might attack you or the ones you love?  Only the Lord God has the power and authority to see all things, know all things, and be present everywhere at every moment. Satan has none of those powers. The Enemy cannot know your thoughts, but God knows every intricate detail about you including your thoughts, your words, your motives, and the hairs on your head. (Psalm 139:4, Luke 12:7) Satan cannot do anything beyond the extremely limited amount of power the Lord God allows, which means that we can live free of fear from Satan and his attacks. Hide yourself in the shelter of the Most High God and cling to the truth that He alone is our stronghold. (Psalm 91:1-2, Psalm 59) If God is for us, as Christ followers, who can be against us?! (Romans 8:31)

2) Why does Job have a “hedge of protection” and “blessings” from the Lord?
God’s nature is to protect and defend and guard His beloved. Sit with that for a moment. Do you ever worry that you’ve made God angry so He will no longer protect you, as if He were a fickle parent or friend? He will not abandon His character based upon your choices; His love for you is unchanging and unconditional. He loves to protect His own and He loves to bless us and give us good gifts. (Matthew 7:11) However, like Job modeled, we cannot associate God’s physical blessings in our lives with God’s presence. God is a gracious, generous, protecting God, but He never guarantees our safety or the permanence of physical or relational blessing. In this passage, we see God lift a portion of His “hedge” of protection, and later, even Job’s family died and blessings were removed from Job’s life, but God never once abandoned Job nor did His good character change. Take it from Job, enjoy the gifts of God, praise Him for them, fear Him only, trust Him whole-heartedly and He will faithfully protect you. But when His protection looks different than you expect or His blessings are removed for a time, trust His character and His good Father heart! 

3) What would it have meant for Job to “curse” God to His “face”?
Cursing God to His face is a stubborn insistence that we hate Him, we reject Him and despise Him; it’s a total renouncing of God Himself. This is clearly Satan’s end goal, not only for Job, but also for every created person, past, present, and future. For anyone to renounce God spells victory for Satan, but utter loss and destruction for a soul. The truth is that each of us, in our core, have renounced God to His face. We have each stubbornly chosen to set ourselves as rulers over our lives. But the gracious, good news of Jesus Christ brings hope!  While we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6-8) He sacrificed Himself, even as we spat in His face, cursing Him. That is radical love! By His grace, He offers us a path of restoration, a way to come home. When we acknowledge that yes, indeed, we do want to be our own god. We would rather choose sin over God’s ways. And yes, we see how that sin does separate us from a Holy God, we have come to a place where we can ask Jesus to save us from ourselves and span the gap with His own righteousness in place of our sinfulness. Saying Yes to Jesus, frees us from the curse of Sin and unshackles us from the dominion of Satan! 

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Story Isn’t Over!

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 Screenshot 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.

Prayer Day 2 The “For Us” God: 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 The “For Us” God!

The Questions

1) What is a “living hope?”

2) What does it mean to be guarded by God’s power?

3) When does salvation occur?

1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Original Intent

1) What is a “living hope?”
A living hope is active, vital, and infused with confidence of certain fulfillment. The believers’ living hope is that of eternal life with God Our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Plus, Jesus has specifically stated that we will have a place in heaven (John 14:1-3). Peter would have remembered hearing Jesus tell this to himself and the other disciples.

2) What does it mean to be guarded by God’s power?
Because of the believers’ faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God – through His faithfulness – keeps each of us from destruction both in everyday life as we follow His design and for eternity by keeping us safe from separation from Him. His peace guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). For the persecuted believers to whom Peter wrote, this was extra encouragement to continue to persevere.

3) When does salvation occur?
This passage may seem confusing, but Peter is actually speaking of two truths. In verse 3, our “new birth” is salvation through our faith in Christ’s work on the cross on our behalf. In verse 5, Peter describes our glorification upon entering heaven when he uses the phrase “salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” So, the two truths here are this: as a Christian, you have experienced salvation and you are in Christ, who is in heaven. But as a human being, you are on a journey through life that will eventually lead to glorification in heaven. H. A. Ironside put it this way: “As to our standing we are in Christ in the heavenlies; as to our state we are pilgrims marching on to glory.”

Everyday Application

1) What is a “living hope?”
We have a living hope because we have a living God! Jesus is alive, risen from the grave, hallelujah! Because of this, we know that, as His followers, we also will not experience decay. We will rise again just as He did. This hope of eternal life gives us confidence in our everyday lives while also, joyfully, reminding us that physical death is not the end.

2) What does it mean to be guarded by God’s power?
Persecution for believing in Jesus Christ has largely been marginalized to third-world nations over the past few centuries. Now, as political issues develop on the global stage, people are becoming more divided at an ever-increasing rate. Expect that to continue to the point of religious persecution in North America. But don’t give up hope! God will guard your minds and hearts with peace, and will also simultaneously guard your heavenly inheritance.

3) When does salvation occur?
Salvation is an immediate transaction when a person puts their faith in Jesus Christ. For all who have done that, I am overjoyed to call you my sisters in Christ. If you are reading this and haven’t yet been convinced that God loves you and sent Jesus to pay the price for your sin, now is a good time to take care of it. Consider talking with a pastor or a Christian friend, or check out http://www.gracefullytruthful.com/misunderstood-day-15-were-all-gods-children/

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The “For Us” God!

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 Prayer 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.

Tabernacle Day 2 All About Relationship: 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 All About Relationship!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to “remain in love” (verse 16)?

2) How is “love made complete” in us
(verse 17)?

3) Why was John addressing a seeming confusion regarding a blend of fear and love (verse 18)?

1 John 4:13-21

This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God – God remains in Him and He in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. 19 We love because He first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “remain in love” (verse 16)?
Suppose a new home was purchased for you; you became the homeowner on paper, but until you are actually living in the house, you aren’t “dwelling” there. In John’s letter, to “remain” is to “dwell” or “abide”. More than just a title, it’s a way of everyday life. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior from sin, we are made new and “born again” into love. The Holy Spirit is deposited into us and we are the Lord’s and He is ours forever, nothing can take that away. (John 10:28) We are born into love, we are made new in love, we are saved because of love, and we were created to love. When we choose to “abide” or “dwell” or “remain” in love, it first and foremost looks like loving God, then is followed closely with loving others.

2) How is “love made complete” in us (verse 17)?
The Greek for “made complete” here carries the idea of reaching perfection. Whatever has been lacking, is now here in fulfilled perfection, not one piece is missing. John is describing true love here, helping his audience to see how several elements of love, coming in at different times, are all brought together and is made “perfect” or “complete”. God’s love itself is fully perfect; He does not need us to bring perfection to His own love, but He wanted to share His love with us and invite us to experience the perfection of His love. So, God brought love to us by sending Jesus as a sacrifice for our sin. (verse 9). Our receiving of this love is one aspect of experiencing His “perfect love”, but it isn’t until we “remain” in His love, rooting ourselves in it day-in-and-day-out, that we experience His love perfected in us. God’s love, already perfect outside of us, find perfection in us, when we submit to both loving Him and others.

3) Why was John addressing a seeming confusion regarding a blend of fear and love (verse 18)?
The Day of Judgement, a time of reckoning and final justice for all, was on the horizon for John and the churches of his day, just as it is for us. In Jesus’ culture, to please God, there were hundreds of laws to follow. Not obeying them resulted in needing to make sacrifices, be considered unclean, or even, if the offense was significant enough, be cast out from the community of faith and your family. God’s design was for these laws to help the people see their very obvious need for forgiveness because they would never be able to attain to righteousness by obeying laws. Paul says in Romans 9:31-32, “Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.” Israel had missed the point. They missed that it was never about good works, but always about a relationship. John brings his readers back to this point when he ties having “confidence on the Day of Judgement” to the idea that “there is no fear in love.” Following Jesus isn’t about performance or a long list of expectations or a lofty measure of good appearances, but it is about love. Perfect love that casts out fear. Love that invites us into a relationship where we can find freedom from fear right alongside the deep satisfaction of experiencing perfect love!

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “remain in love” (verse 16)?
What does loving God first and foremost look like? It means intentional and consistent time with Him, reading His Word, having a longing for more of Him, praying, fasting, serving the Body of Christ, and adjusting your life to His rhythms. When we choose to love God as He has loved us, the Holy Spirit awakens our hearts, which again, have been made new, to radically love others. Practically, it looks like living with open hands and open hearts towards others, ready to invest and give ourselves away because we too have been radically loved by the sacrificial Savior! Bottom line: when we choose to love God deeply and love others well, we are flinging wide the door to that home we have been given, which is new life in Christ. Confessing Jesus as Lord doesn’t stop when you finish a prayer, or walk the aisle of a church, it’s only the beginning of what will take eternity to discover….the incredible working out of what it means to ”remain in love”.

2) How is “love made complete” in us (verse 17)?
The rich theology packed into these brief verses in chapter 4 are loaded with priceless treasure. Do yourself a favor and read all of chapter 4 several times in 1 sitting, letting the words run deep into your heart. Write down your questions, allow yourself to be curious! The Lord is inviting you to know Him better! How are you rooting yourself in His love, allowing His Spirit to lead us deeper into what it means to live out a perfected love? When we are committing ourselves to consistently knowing God better and loving others, the Holy Spirit is free to move about in our lives. He teaches us in the little moments and the big ones of everyday life what it means to have complete, perfect love. The more we surrender to His leading on how to love, the more fulfilled and deeply satisfied like never before we will become!

3) Why was John addressing a seeming confusion regarding a blend of fear and love (verse 18)?
Do you wonder if you’ll ever be “good enough” for God? Have you ever considered if God was angry with you? It’s easy to fear something we don’t understand, and it’s even easier to fear judgement when we are already sure that we aren’t good enough to pass. John’s letter is clear, the perfectly loving God is inviting each of us to know Him better, and in that knowing, to discover that, through the sacrificial blood of Jesus that covers our sins when we cling to Him, and Him alone, to be our “good enough”, we are free from fear! Fear has no place in God’s economy of love. If you fear judgement from God, either 1 of 2 realities are at play. Either you haven’t explored enough of God’s character to know how deep and wide His unfathomable love is. Or, you have never truly and genuinely surrendered control of your life over to Him. If you’ve never claimed Him as your personal Savior, the Bible is replete with warnings that yes, you should indeed fear judgement, because it’s only through Jesus that we are free from condemnation. Have questions as we’ve studied these truths today? Explore those! Resist the urge to shove them down. Instead, reach out to a pastor or believing friend, or send us an email here, we’d love to encourage you to keep growing in truth and grace!

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

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 Tabernacle 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.