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Questions Day 15 Does God Care?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 5:6-11
Psalm 56:8-11
Romans 8:31-38

Questions, Day 15

“There is a place where there is an aggregate of human suffering and questioning.
That place is the heart of God.” –Ravi Zacharias, Cries of the Heart

Life holds both purest joy and deepest pain.

Have you experienced a heavy heart, unanswered questions, bitterness that threatened to eat you from the inside out, or anger rooted in grief over unfulfilled longing or loss?

To you, aching sister, I say,
I stand with you in your grief; I hold my own.
I stand with you in your questions; I ask my own.
I stand with you in the bitterness seeking to destroy you; I battle it, too.

I am not writing because I have all the answers. Even after decades of following Jesus, of wrestling long hours, sometimes whole seasons (with the God of the universe to whom I’ve given my whole-hearted devotion), I still ask this simple yet excruciatingly painful question,

“God, do You see me? Do You hear me? Do You care?”

I share your struggle, and I offer what I have learned in hopes it will help you, too.
There is peace available, peace born of resting in the assurance that
God cares deeply for you.

He is our Immanuel, God with us, ever abiding in the darkest recesses of our lives and hearts.

Let’s start with the Bible, a living, active, and power-filled book. (Hebrews 4:12) God inspired many men to write the Bible, preserved its contents over thousands of years, and its power continues to be demonstrated as by it, the Spirit of God transforms believers.
The very gift of His Word is evidence of God’s care for us.

Let’s embrace this precious gift! Read His Word, commit precious passages to memory, and repeat them aloud in your dark moments, and experience His nearness as a result.

God’s Word is both the evidence and activity of His care.
“Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”
(1 Peter 5:7; emphasis mine)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
(Matthew 10:29-31; emphasis mine)

“You yourself have recorded my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?”
(Psalm 56:8)

Read 2 Kings 20:5, Psalm 139:3, and Malachi 3:16 to see for yourself:
God is aware of all our ways.
He takes notice and listens.
He hears our prayers, sees our tears, rescues, defends, and heals.
In countless ways, He demonstrates His care.

I tend to question God’s care only in the midst of hurt (can you relate?).
My cry crescendos as pain persists without relief or resolution.
At these times, we must ask ourselves, with brutal honesty,
“Do we want God to manifest His care, or do we just want Him to make everything better?”

When experiencing pain, it’s natural to want it to end,
pleading with the Lord to make our aching stop.

It’s also natural to question God’s goodness in these times
as we look around and wonder if God is really for us, or if He has forgotten us.

The antidote to both of these is to anchor our hearts, over and over, in the rich depth of God’s unchanging character. God’s comfort and care for us does not change based on our circumstance, or how we feel about Him as we interpret our shifting surroundings.

The book of Mark records a life-threatening scenario for the disciples. Waves crashed over their small fishing boat; drowning was imminent, even for seasoned fishermen, and they cried out to the Lord,
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?!” (Mark 4:35)

They wanted the intensity of their circumstances to cease,
while also questioning whether the Lord cared about them anymore.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Jesus’ response?

“Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Christ’s antidote to our natural tendencies when we encounter pain is faith; trusting God for Who God is.

Rather than looking at the waves washing over our “boat”, we can focus our attention on recalling all the ways we already know God cares, and is caring, for us in the middle of the storm.

We experience God’s care when we study the truth of His character in Scripture.
We experience God’s care through songs resounding with reminders of His nature and promises from Scripture.
We experience God’s care through stories of others who have found His grace sufficient to endure suffering, and persevere with the understanding pain is always part of a bigger picture framed by God’s redemption.
Lastly, we experience the most convincing assurance of God’s care when we remember Jesus.

God knows how driven we are to believe only what we perceive with our five senses.
Out of His deep love for us,
He sent Jesus, in our human flesh,
so we could see and hear and touch and smell and know
God. Does. Care.

Romans 8:32 says, “He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all”;
nor will we be spared from suffering. (John 16:33)

However, God abandoned His Son so we will not be abandoned in our suffering.
We may share in Christ’s sufferings, but we will NEVER share in abandonment by the Father.

May our prayer echo the prophet Habakkuk, asking God to lift us to the heights to see with eyes of faith the everlasting love and specific care of God in our lives.

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Questions Day 14 Is God Loving Or Angry?: 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 Is God Loving Or Angry?!

The Questions

1) Who wrote this epistle, to whom, and why?

2) What is the difference between the wrath of God and the anger of man?

3) How can “invisible attributes” be seen? How does this make us without excuse? (verse 20)

Romans 1:18-32

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

Therefore, God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

For this reason, God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Original Intent

1) Who wrote this epistle, to whom and why?
It is universally accepted that the Apostle Paul wrote this epistle to the Romans on his third missionary journey as described in Acts 20:2-3. It was likely written somewhere between 53 to 58 A.D. This was during the reign of the infamous Nero who ruthlessly persecuted Christians and eventually had Paul put to death.  Paul was journeying to Jerusalem, but the Holy Spirit warned him of the awaiting peril on his life in Jerusalem. Possibly, he wondered if he would ever get to Rome and thought it necessary to write this letter. Different from other letters to the churches, which focused on church problems, this epistle seems to focus more on the attributes of God and His plan of redemption. Perhaps, in his realization that he may not ever be with them, Paul desired to write them about their need for salvation and that God had provided a Savior. It was a treasured letter and probably distributed to many of the early churches. [Guzik, Enduring Word]

2) What is the difference between God’s wrath and man’s anger?
Man’s wrath most often comes from being wronged or misunderstood. It is usually motivated by selfishness and focuses on punishing, hurting, or destroying people while perpetuating, or justifying, their own sin and selfishness. God’s Word says, “…the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God”. (James 1:19-20) Notice the connection between understanding and anger found in Proverbs 17:27, “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” The wrath of God is a righteous anger. It is “revealed from heaven” (verse 18). God is holy, righteous, and He cannot be in the presence of sin and evil. He is angered at the evil ways man has chosen to follow while He upholds all that is right and just. He is angered because He loves His people deeply, but sin has separated Him from mankind. (Isaiah 59:2) Under the law of the Old Testament, man could not live a righteous life because they would always fail to perfectly keep the whole law. The law reminded them daily of their sin. They felt the guilt and the wrath of God every time they broke the law. Every year they would return to the temple with sacrifices to atone for their sin as they asked God to forgive them. But it didn’t stick because the blood of animals can never atone for sin completely, only a perfect sacrifice could do that. (Hebrews 10:4) Sin and its guilt always returned. (Hebrews 10:2-4) But under grace in the New Testament, there is forgiveness once and for all because Christ, as the perfect sacrifice, gave Himself for us. (Hebrews 9:26) There is no condemnation for our sins when we are in Christ! (Romans 8:1-4) Christ, the High Priest, has opened the way for us to be completely forgiven, once and for all. (Hebrews 10:10-14) Because of this covenant of Grace, God’s love seems more prominent than His Righteous anger.

3) How can “invisible attributes be seen”? How does this make all of us “without excuse”? (verse 20)
Mankind would suppress all truth about God and ignore the consequences of sin because our very nature is a slave to sin. Rather than focus on all His wonderful attributes, man wants to focus on God’s wrath and point to a terrible God. The God of the Bible, however, is not some angry character sitting on a mountain waiting to throw darts at sinners. God’s creation displays His attributes. (Psalm 8) While they were given instructions on how to live, no one had to tell Adam and Eve they were guilty. God asked them, “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11) When they came into the presence of the Most Holy God, they were keenly aware of their sin and its immediate affect to separate them in relationship to Him. What, then was God’s response? He lovingly made clothing for them and removed them from the Garden of Eden so they would not have to live in their sin forever. (Genesis 3:20-24) The psalmist, David, often used the attributes of God as a means of praise to Him (Psalm 103, Psalm 136) and as he repented from sin. (Psalm 51) God displays many of His attributes in His work of creation. As we observe His character by looking at creation we stand in awe of His glory and holiness while gaining an acute awareness of our own fallen sinfulness.

Everyday Application

1) Who wrote this epistle, to whom, and why?
Paul, through the Holy Spirit, was inspired to write to the Romans about the path to salvation. We must first become aware of our sin, which leads us to our need for a Savior who saves us from the wrath of God that we so rightly deserve. The letter of Romans has become for many, a turning point in their spiritual life. Many of the great preachers throughout history stated that Romans, through the power of the Holy Spirit, changed their life completely. When you read the writings of these great men of faith [Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley and many more] they state they found a deeper faith right here in Romans. Martin Luther praised Romans with these words, “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.” [David Guzik, Enduring Word] And truly it is! To this day, we use Romans most often to share the gospel. It would be wise to memorize these verses so you are ready and able to present salvation clearly as Paul outlined in his letter. (Romans 3:10-12; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-13)

2) What is the difference between God’s wrath and man’s anger?
Theologian, Andrew Murray says, “God’s wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s Being against that which is the contradiction of His Holiness”. We see the anger of mankind every day in the headlines and in our homes. Our society itself is negative and angry. We, ourselves, might say our anger is a righteous anger as we attempt to justify it, but is it really? Have we looked deeply into our motives and the reasons we are angry? Are we angry because of sin, or are we angry because we aren’t getting our own way? God made us in His image. He gave us all of His attributes, including anger, but sin distorts God’s image. Our sin becomes a selfish emotion leading us into more sin as we try to justify our own actions. However, when we allow Him to control every aspect of our lives. He can indeed teach us to control our emotions through His Spirit and make them righteous as He is, even in our anger. We know this is possible because He instructs us about anger in His Word. (Ephesians 4:26-27) (James 1:19-20) Let’s all search our hearts and be sure that we have given even our anger over to the Holy Spirit’s control.

3) How can “invisible attributes be seen” How does this make all of us “without excuse”? (verse 20)
All of God’s creation speaks of His love and mercy for us. Just in experiencing His creation we can know God exists. All His attributes become visible. The great theologian, Jonathan Edwards, made a practice of looking at everything in creation with wonder. He began to see God in the birth of a baby, the marriage of a couple, or the growth of a tree. It all pointed to God and caused Edwards’ love of God to grow greater and stronger. [Desiring God] If we look at God, and all His attributes together as one, we will find everything works together and is held together by Him. (Colossians 1:16-17) We see and understand how His love and mercy mesh together with His righteousness and holiness making His anger soften in our eyes. Ah, yes, note I said “understand” which was mentioned earlier in defining righteous anger. Ann Voskamp encourages us to keep a running gratitude list. She found that joy comes from gratitude, not the other way around. It really is true when we look at all the good blessings of God, we find Him to be an amazing and wonderful Creator. If you haven’t started a gratitude list, maybe it’s time to start!

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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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!

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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Questions Day 13 Is God Loving Or Angry?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 103
Isaiah 57:14-19
John 2:13-17
Romans 1:18-32

Questions, Day 13

Why is God angry in the Old Testament,
but loving in the New Testament?

It’s a question people often have as they study the Bible, and an understandable one. When we read of God flooding the whole earth or destroying entire cities in the Old Testament, His wrath can be hard to equate with Jesus’ compassion toward prostitutes and sinners as He ate with them, spent time with them, and told them of God’s grace in the New Testament. While the Old Testament has much to say about judgement, the New Testament appears to focus more on forgiveness, and it can be a challenge to reconcile the two.

How can we make sense of it all?
First, the Bible clearly states God is always the same;
He “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Furthermore, Jesus, who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), is also “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

The God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament.
To understand God’s character, it’s vital we consider the Bible as a whole,
rather than focusing on isolated incidents.

While God does show anger in the Old Testament, He is also described eleven times as slow to anger, and on many occasions, we see Him showing mercy while continuing to love and care for His people, despite their continued unfaithfulness.

For example, Psalm 103 is an eloquent expression of David’s gratitude for God’s gracious forgiveness and compassion.

God does express anger at times, but this serves to highlight the severity of sin and the destruction it brings, while pointing to our need for a Saviour. The consequences of sin can be harsh, but God’s ultimate desire is not to punish, but to save. 

The Old Testament is filled with promises and prophecies pointing ahead to a solution to the problem of sin, a solution God Himself would provide because of His love.
Again and again, He reminds His people the Saviour will come.

As we move into the New Testament, and Jesus is born as the fulfilment of God’s promises, the focus shifts more toward God’s compassion because the fulfillment has come! Scripture emphasizes the reason for Jesus’ coming and His death, was to deal with sin.
If we trust in Him, we no longer need to fear God’s anger against us:
“God proves His own love for us
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
How much more then,
since we have now been declared righteous by His blood,
will we be saved through Him from wrath?” (Romans 5:8-9)

However, God’s holy anger is present in the New Testament as well. Paul describes at length God’s wrath against those who continue in sin and suppress the truth about God. (Romans 1:18-32)

We read of Jesus turning over tables in the Temple, driving out merchants and money changers in rage because His Father’s house, a place of prayer, was being treated as a marketplace.

Anger and love are both present in God’s character throughout both Old and New Testaments.

This tension can be uncomfortable. Anger is often seen as unacceptable because of the destructive effects of anger when it’s out of control, but God’s anger is different from our (often sinful) human anger, and is actually an important, and good, part of who He is.

While our anger does not accomplish God’s purposes, His righteous anger is intentionally focused against destructive sin. (James 1:20) This was brought home to me as I worked with a group of children, sharing the story of Jesus in the Temple. After hearing the story, they were instructed to transform it into a drama. At first, their presentation brought the story to life very well, but then one child decided to alter the ending.

As “Jesus” shouted and expressed His righteous anger, another boy went over and put an arm round “Jesus.” “It’s okay,” he said. “Calm down. Come outside and sit down, and we’ll talk about it.” 

In one way, it was a lovely, compassionate response, but it was also missing the point.
In some situations, the holy response is anger.
We, too, can be tempted to edit out God’s anger and focus on His love, but the truth is, since “God is love” (1 John 4:16), His anger is actually an expression of His love.

Jesus’ passion for His Father’s house was the driving force behind His rage at its misuse. God’s love for people is manifested in His anger when He sees them being mistreated or abused. If He failed to be angry over these things, then He would fail to be wholly loving. 

Surely, it’s a comfort to us, in the face of injustice or ill treatment, to know God
cares.
To know His anger on behalf of the innocent surpasses our own.
To know there are consequences for those who refuse to repent of their sin.

In Graham Kendrick’s song, “Come and see,“ he describes the cross as the place “where wrath and mercy meet.” Maybe the cross is where we most clearly see God’s anger and His love intertwined. Even as His anger against sin is poured out, His grace in sending Jesus to bear it in our place assures us of His perfect love.

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

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Questions Day 12 Why Pray?: 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 Why Pray?!

The Questions

1) What does the Lord declare about Himself (through the prophet) in verse 2?

2) What does the Lord want the prophet and all the hearers to do?

3) What are possibly the “great and incomprehensible things” of which the Lord through the prophet, speaks?

Jeremiah 33:2-3

2 The Lord who made the earth, the Lord who forms it to establish it, the Lord is His name, says this: 3 Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.’”

Original Intent

1) What does the Lord declare about Himself (through the prophet) in verse 2?
In verse 1 of the chapter, we discover a link between the previous chapter and this one. “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time.” There is no indication of how much time passed from the first confrontation Jeremiah had with Lord about the matters discussed here, though it appears the situation has deteriorated since the Lord first appeared to the prophet. (Jeremiah 32:1) The people of Israel had grown weary of Jeremiah’s constant message of repentance, so they had him put in prison. With the people ignoring his message, Jeremiah possibly felt forgotten of God. (Jeremiah 20:7-9), but in verse 2, God declares Himself to Jeremiah by reminding the discouraged prophet just WHO was speaking. Though different Bible scholars have variations on the translation of verse 2 (is God saying this about Himself, or is the prophet saying it about God?), what is evident is what is being communicated, is indeed about the Lord. He is the One who created the earth, and the One who sustains the earth; THIS God is HE who speaks to Jeremiah. It is the same LORD (Exodus 3:13-15) who led Moses and the same One whom the Psalmist praises. (Psalm 148)

2) What does the Lord want the prophet and all the hearers to do?
Instructions can be hard to understand, making a task difficult to complete. Often, it wasn’t clear to the people what the Lord was asking them to do. Sometimes it was their own obstinacy that blinded them. (Hosea 4) Sometimes, obedience to the Lord was a foreign concept to them within their culture or experience (Job 10). But in verse 3, the word of the Lord to Jeremiah was straightforward: “Call to Me.” The Creator of the universe extended His ear to the prophet and His people, and He commanded them to pray. Previously, Jeremiah had been told not to pray for the people due to their unrepentant hearts. (Jeremiah 14:10-12) Here, God tells the prophet He will hear their call to Him. “The Hebrew word besuroth … is normally used to describe cities or walls as ‘inaccessible.’ All the lexicons, however, agree in seeing it used here metaphorically of ‘mysterious’ things that Jeremiah could not know apart from the Lord’s revelation.” Most commentators believe that in this context “in which the fortifications of Jerusalem are about to fall to the Babylonians, the fortified things in God’s secret counsel fall through answer to prayer.” (Netbible.org)

3) What are possibly the “great and incomprehensible things” of which the Lord through the prophet, speaks?
The phrase “great and incomprehensible things” is reminiscent of Jeremiah’s declaration about the Lord in the previous chapter, “Nothing is too difficult for You.”(Jeremiah 32:17) God was summoning Jeremiah and the people to Himself. The Creator was offering them a vision into the mysteries of the One who made them. If they would call, His answer would be “beyond the normal reach of human knowledge.” (Harrison, EnduringWord.com) The context of verse 3 is interesting. God has offered the people exciting promises of answered prayers and a great future. In the following verses He speaks of anger, evil, and destruction. (Jeremiah 33:4-5) God wants to answer His people, but He must also deal with their rebellion and sin. Thankfully, the good news returns in verses 6 and following verses. (Jeremiah 33:6-16) Verses 14-16 give us a glimpse of the incomprehensible that is to come, “Look, the days are coming—this is the Lord’s declaration—when I will fulfill the good promise that I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a Righteous Branch to sprout up for David, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is what she will be named: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.” What’s coming? God Himself! Jesus Christ!

Everyday Application

1) What does the Lord declare about Himself (through the prophet) in verse 2?
Jeremiah was in prison when the Lord appeared to him this second time. Ironically, he’s in prison because he had told the people what God had said the first time. Now God appears again and reminds the prophet who He is and what He will do, regardless of how circumstances appear to Jeremiah. Reminiscent of Joseph’s life, the Lord was with the prophet in prison. (Genesis 39) I love the Bible stories we read from the “zoomed out” perspective. Circumstances would have indicated God had abandon Jeremiah, but the Lord Himself declares precisely Who He is and invites His people to come and pray as He listens intently. When we are discouraged, the Lord who created us and sustains us beckons us to Himself because He genuinely cares for us. (1 Peter 5:6-10) In our despair, the enemy wants us to lose hope. In striking contrast, God wants us to call out to Him because He is good. With the psalmist, let’s confess confidently (even if our heart is shaky), “Lord, You are my shepherd; I have what I need. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff ​— ​they comfort me … all the days of my life. Amen.” (Psalm 23)

2) What does the Lord want the prophet and all the hearers to do?
God is always ready to respond to our cries for help, but humility will lead the way if we sincerely recognize our need. When we approach God as the Source of everything we need, we’ll do so with more receptive and hopeful hearts, knowing He will answer us, even if it’s not the answer we want. It’s important to declare Who God is when we call on Him. “Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy.” (Mt 6:9) It is then we are able to see answers that were obstructed before. God promises us that prayer is not in vain, even if we do not receive exactly what we asked for (Mt 6:5-8, Romans 8:24-28). Prayer is so much more than getting from God, although that’s part of it. (Matthew 7:7-11) Prayer is getting God Himself: Call to ME and I will answer.” That perspective makes all the difference!

3) What are possibly the “great and incomprehensible things” of which the Lord through the prophet, speaks?
Jeremiah 33:3 is often quoted as a life verse for many who follow Christ. Of course, what sincere believer doesn’t want God to show us “great and incomprehensible things”?! When interpreting Scripture, we must keep in mind the distinction between a passage’s interpretation and its application. One meaning, but many good applications (not all applications are good as they don’t hold true to the contextual meaning!). God had made long-term promises to His people even though they had failed to trust the Lord’s faithful character. In this chapter, God emphasizes His nature which ensures the reliability of His statements. God is first and foremost telling Jeremiah to communicate to the people that He is Yahweh (Exodus 3:15) What an amazing thought! The LORD is near and is willing to hear His people after all their rebellion. Commentator Adam Clarke is so rich in helping us apply this beautiful verse: “Don’t miss the principle, Beloved – You may be in a prison, literal or figurative, but no ‘bars’ can bar the Almighty from speaking words to you … And in this chapter, while they begin with judgment, the emphasis is on restoration and reassurance which is what the Father wants to speak to you.” (PreceptAustin.org)
Our great & incomprehensible God is also knowable through Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-4) Call out to Him in prayer, friends.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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 Questions 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.

Questions Day 11 Why Pray?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3:8-13
Jeremiah 29:12-14
Jeremiah 33:2-3
Psalm 145:14-21

Questions, Day 11

What is the point of praying if God already knows everything?
The simple answer?
Relationship.

As early as the Garden of Eden where God handcrafted humanity and set them in Beauty itself to enjoy each other, their surroundings, but most of all Himself, we see God inviting His creation into relationship with Him.

How do we know?

Even though He knew the answers (because He is all-knowing (Psalm 147:5)), He still asked Adam and Eve questions.

The Scene in Eden….
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (because they had sinned)

God Asks….
But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Adam’s Reply…
And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

God Asks….
He said, “Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Adam’s Reply….
The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

God Asks….
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”

Eve’s Reply….
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”” Genesis 3:8-13

Intentionally, carefully, with precise accuracy, the Lord engages Adam and Eve.
Not to shame them.
Not to flaunt His holiness before them.
Not to smite them with thunderbolts.
But to show them who they were in relationship to Himself.

God is omniscient.
Meaning He knows everything. (Psalm 139:1-6)
He knows the present, past and future. (Isaiah 46:9-10)
He knows what each person thinks and feels. (1 John 3:20)

Despite knowing every detail, He intentionally asked questions of Adam and Eve.
He asked questions to engage their hearts, stirring them to depth and intimacy with Himself, the only One who could ever satisfy them.

I recently celebrated my first wedding anniversary with my husband.
Marriage has been a very humbling journey thus far. I have learned a lot about myself and my husband, but the biggest lesson we’ve learned is how to communicate.

Before getting married, we thought we knew all about communicating with each other, but as our marriage began, we struggled with significant miscommunication and misunderstanding. About 4 months into marriage, clarity broke through when my husband was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Shortly after his diagnosis, a counselor helped us learn how to communicate with each other. In these sessions, we discovered we both spoke entirely different languages because we process language and social interaction quite differently. In order to make our marriage work, we would need to learn the other’s language.

While my husband and I both had to work hard and pursue each other to improve our communication, God is, and always has been, the One doing the pursuing.

In Eden, Adam and Eve didn’t walk around the Garden calling out for God, trying to get Him to talk to them and maybe forgive them. No, they ran and hid because of their sin and shame, but God, the Holy One, lovingly pursued and invited them to build a relationship through communication.

They were fully loved,
fully known,
and sought after as precious treasures.

Today, my husband and I are more deeply connected than ever before because we are finally able to talk.

That is what prayer is like!
It may feel strange at first, as if I was trying to learn Mandarin and my husband was trying to learn Portuguese, but the more you invest (because God first invited you! (1 John 4:19)), connection is built, and relationship deepens.
We know God, and we know too, that we are fully known by Him!
This is why we pray!

Prayer is a conversation with God, where He is completely present and fully engaged at all times, creating safety in being known.
It is unbridled.
It is unbarred.
It is untamed.
It is the place where we learn who God is, and who we are in light of Him.

In Jeremiah 29:12, He says He will listen to us.
In Jeremiah 33:3, He says He will reveal what we do not know.
In Psalm 145:18, He says He will be close to all who call on Him in truth.

Sisters, we take time out of our days to reach out to our friends and families via text, phone calls, email, or speaking face to face. These relationships are vitally important, but how much time are we investing in response to Our Heavenly Father’s invitation for relationship? Let’s choose today to begin deepening our communication with the One who has pursued us more than any other!

Know that the “why” behind prayer is solidly anchored
in His unconditional pursuant love for us!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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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 Questions Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Questions 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) How does it make you feel to view yourself as a sinner? What about a sinner who has no chance of being acceptable to God? Take a few minutes to write down your gut-honest thoughts as you slow down and process this reality. What thoughts surface in your heart when you consider Christ’s words as Himself being the only way back to a relationship with God and eternity in Heaven? Write down your wrestling thoughts. If there were another way to God, what would you imagine it to be? Pray for wisdom as you write your reflections on Judas’ choice to reject the forgiveness being offered to him.

2) What are your thoughts on communicating with God and hearing from Him? Does it seem elusive and like a guessing game? What is appealing to you about following “signs” in attempt to hear from God? Why do you think God would choose not to communicate through seemingly random signs like a specific thing happening at a specific time, looking at weather, or waiting for a designated action to occur? What comfort does it give you in knowing that God’s ways are far beyond our understanding, yet He chooses to come near and reveal Himself within the context of relationship with those who follow Him. What steps do you want to take to foster deeper growth in that relationship? Tell a friend and ask her to keep you accountable to taking those actions!

3) Why does evil flourish? Take a few minutes to sit with that question and write down your thoughts. There’s no judgment between you, the page, and your pen. Just put down your honest heart thoughts. You can even tear it up later and throw it away if you want! What makes you angry when you see bad things happening and why? Do you feel God has a responsibility to make all things right? Do you believe He will? Why do you think He waits so long for making all things right when so much evil is causing destruction around us? Look up and pray through 2 Peter 3:8-13 and write down your thoughts.

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 Matthew 7:7-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him ca stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Prayer Journal
Lord God, I praise You for being a God who wants to be sought after, found and discovered, and deeply delighted in by Your creation. Thank You for never being distant, regardless of how I feel. Thank You for remaining true to Your character, regardless of my perception. As AW Tozer says, “The most important thing about us is what we think of when we think of God”. Lord, teach me to think correctly about You! Show me where I hold onto beliefs and systems of thought that don’t accurately reflect You. Give me Yourself, God!

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

Questions Day 10 Why Does Evil Flourish?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 37 
Proverbs 21:6-7
James 1:2-4
Psalm 92:6-7

Questions, Day 10

Friends, to be perfectly honest, as I began writing this study, I chose this question, “Why do evil people flourish?”, and held it in my hands, turning it this way and that, wondering why I was even writing this Journey.
My heart isn’t bent out of shape.
I haven’t lived my life frustrated because evil people seem to get ahead, while good people sometimes can’t catch a break. Really, I’ve never thought much about it…

And yet… 

When I began reading Psalm 37, the prickling in my eyes started almost instantly.

Maybe I do need to remember the truth found in Psalm 37.
Not maybe …
I do need this truth.

I’ve spent much of the past year asking God,
“Why me? Haven’t I kept Your commandments?
Haven’t I upheld Your name?
I thought I was making all of the right choices.
So … why me?
Why does it feel like my life is crumbling around me?”

I keep getting pummeled. Every time I turn around, another disaster hit me square in the face. I held up my hands, bracing to protect myself, but to no avail.

But when I look a little to my right …
“she” has it all together.
“She” has a healthy and whole family.
“She” manages to have a clean house, a perfect body, and a successful husband.
And when I look a little to my left …
“she” has a successful career, plenty of friends,
and all the money to live the lifestyle she desires.

Then, I look down at myself, my hands still shielding my face from yet another blow. I look at my body, which has gained some weight, responding entirely differently than it did to the first crisis I encountered.

I look at my worn jeans, my sister’s shoes on my feet, and my painted hands.
My jeans are worn because they’re the only pair I own.
I wear my sister’s shoes because she died eight months ago and I inherited some of her clothes. My hands are painted because I’m working on my daughters’ Christmas present, a castle I bought second-hand and am painting to make it feel new and special.

When I look in the mirror, I see lines that didn’t exist a year ago, seemingly permanent dark circles, and …

And I see joy.
There, in my eyes, is joy.

People who haven’t faced crisis and disaster are not evil, not at all! And truthfully, none of us travel this life unscathed, especially those who follow Jesus.
Yet, James exhorts us,
“Count it all joy . . . when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
(James 1:2-4)

We can count it all joy because we get to experience more fully who God is, even, no, especially, in the darkest of places. Psalm 37 describes our active God.
He doesn’t sit back and watch us suffer and ache.
He is fighting for us.
The Lord upholds the righteous for He is a knowing God; He knows the days of the blameless. The Lord is our help, our deliverer, and our refuge. 

Psalm 37:25 makes my heart beat a little faster:

“I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.” 

Imagine standing at a coffee bar, filling your cup next to an elderly man. As you begin talking, you can almost see the wisdom dripping from him. He puts his wrinkled, weathered hand on top of yours, and you look into his eyes.

He pats your hand and says, “I’ve been your age, and now I’m just an old chap, but I’m telling ya’, I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for food. The Lord has always provided.” His eyes gleam with unshed tears, his little smile reveals his perfect dentures, and you just know he’s lived a lifetime filled with heartaches and yet here he is, testifying of the goodness of God.

Sounds like a scene from a Hallmark movie, doesn’t it? But it describes exactly what David is doing as he pours out his heart in the psalm to the Knowing, Listening, Present God. David has faced battles, he’s lost children, he’s suffered from the mistakes of his youth,
but he will still declare the goodness of God.

The enemy is crafty and tricky, and an incredibly good liar, and sometimes, it just seems like evil always wins! This world is fallen and broken because sin has destroyed, killed, and stolen life and delight as we were intended to enjoy when God first created. Because of this reality, we will always be hit with shrapnel from explosions happening around us.

In Psalm 37, and many other places throughout Scripture, we are reminded God will not forsake His saints (anyone who’s given their life to Him!).

The best part?
We have the promise of eternity with Him, where evil will no longer run rampant.

Yes, evil flourishes here on earth…
but ultimately, we already KNOW the battle has been won.
We know God has won the battle.
God wins.

So maybe it feels like evil people will always flourish.

Maybe it feels like we, devoted followers of Jesus who entrust our lives to Him, just can’t catch a break. But the Lord is ever faithful.
Lean in and hold fast because He will never forsake you,
He will never leave you,
and one day,
our success will be our testimony to, and declaration of,
the incredible goodness of God.

Evil flourishes here, but it does NOT have the final victory!
Only Our God holds that!

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

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Questions 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 Questions!

Questions Day 9 I Saw A Sign: 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 I Saw A Sign!

The Questions

1) Why did God have mercy on His creation and spare Noah?

2) How is a covenant significant?

3) Why does God make a covenant to include “all the living creatures on earth” (verse 16)?

Genesis 9:12-17

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations: 13 I have placed my bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature. 16 The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the permanent covenant between God and all the living creatures on earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and every creature on earth.”

Original Intent

1) Why did God have mercy on His creation and spare Noah?
We see from the beginning of Genesis, God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit present at Creation Genesis 1. Their detailed care for the creation of the physical realm including galaxies and planets, every animal from elephant to slug, and the intricate, unique design for human beings is evidenced in the progression of Creation. God loved His world and longed to have a relationship with those made in His likeness Genesis 1:26-27. Noah pleaded on behalf of humanity, and God, in His Holy Love, conceded and left the few faithful to begin again. Because of God’s great love, He had mercy and spared Noah’s family.

2) How is a covenant significant?
A Biblical covenant included a promise along with a physical representation of the agreement between the two parties. God made the first covenant with Adam and Eve in the Garden. (Genesis 3:20-24) God made a promise that the offspring of Eve would one day strike the head of the serpent, Satan. The physical representation of this covenant was shown to both Adam and Eve for all mankind; women would have painful labors, men would toil in labor to grow food. (Genesis 3:14-16)
Because of the Israelites’ continuous choice to give in to the desires of the flesh, God continued this covenant with Noah in this passage. The same pattern continued with Abraham (Genesis 17), Israel through Moses (Exodus 19), David (2 Samuel 7:12-17), and finally culminating in the New Testament with Jesus (Luke 22:14-23). The overarching theme of these covenants make up the backbone of the Bible. They show God’s faithfulness to very specifically keep promises and fulfill them in ways only He could.

3) Why does God make a covenant to include “all the living creatures on earth” (verse 16)?
We see in verse 10, this phrase did include both humans and animals that came out of the ark. It’s interesting to me that God would include animals in His covenant as they cannot have relationship with Him. However, since He is holy, He does not have malice available in His heart to forget about the non-human parts of His Creation. Throughout Scripture, we see our ultimate goal on earth is to glorify our King. His covenant protects all living things for His glory on display in the world among us!

Everyday Application

1) Why did God have mercy on His creation and spare Noah?
Praise the Lord for His consistency! Just as He was merciful to Noah, his family and the animals, God will be merciful to those who call on His name. Because of the finished work of Christ accomplished through His sacrifice at the cross, our past sins have been forgiven from all consequences of sin, both past and present. For the one who believes in Jesus, putting their full weight of trust in Him, the debt required to pay for sin is removed because of Jesus! We take Paul’s words to heart when he writes, “Should we continue in sin so that grace can multiply? Absolutely not!” Hop over to Romans 6 to read more on how to live in our current reality!

2) How is a covenant significant?
The physical representation of these promises serve as a reminder for us to recall God’s faithfulness. We take His example of a covenant and we apply it to life within the Body, as it applies. Maybe a community group decides to make a covenant agreement to study and care for each other on a weekly basis this semester. A group text with a reminder bell might serve as the physical representation of that commitment. It helps us remember His faithfulness and our desire to emulate that character trait. Or a man and women during their wedding ceremony might enter into a covenant agreement in marriage with a ring as a symbol of their decision. It helps us remember His faithfulness and our desire to emulate that character trait. Maybe you decide to covenant with the Lord to meet with Him daily in prayer. What physical reminder could you use to remind you of His faithfulness to always meet with you and your desire to meet with Him? Remember His faithfulness and your desire to emulate that character trait!

3) Why does God make a covenant to include “all the living creatures on earth” (verse 16)?
If the God of the Universe has included all living things under His protection, it’s our responsibility to care for this world too. Accountable, loving followers of Jesus ought to care for the sick, the marginalized, or the impoverished among their community. We also should be mindful of how we are using the limited resources this earth has; stewarding them with care and awareness of our environmental impact. Plug into your local Body (church) this week and see what needs are available that you could fill. Commit to one small practice, like bringing your own bags when shopping, to make a longer-term impact on the environment. Let us know in the comments below what you’ve pledged to; we’d love to cheer you on!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with I Saw A Sign!

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 Questions 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.

Questions Day 8 I Saw A Sign

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:11-27
Genesis 9:8-17
Proverbs 3:5-6

Questions, Day 8

A common misconception about the Christian life centers around the ease with which life is lived after becoming a Christian. Some people believe becoming a Christian is a “crutch” used to avoid the hard things in life. For others, it is the mindset of Christianity equaling a perfectly mapped out life with zero challenges.

Neither assumption is accurate.
Becoming a Christian means entering a relationship with the Lord, not a business deal involving free-pass from suffering. I started my friendship with the Lord at an early age, and therefore, I have had the blessing of years spent learning how to interact with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Over the years, I have grown in my communication with the Lord.
Communication is a key component of any relationship.
As many of my married friends have shared, communication is often one of the greatest challenges within a marriage. My relationship with the Lord is similar. I must continually be working to communicate well with Him. I would love to say this is an easy, overnight process, but it takes time and effort.

Time to develop history with the Lord in which I discover His character.
Effort to quiet myself before Him and invest the time to get to know Him through His Word and prayer.

The Lord is always present, but it is up to us to seek and recognize His presence.

This entire discussion thus far is a lead-up to addressing the question of whether the Lord gives us signs to tell us what to do. Does the Lord have a track record of providing signs to help us know what to do? Yes. However, those signs are not necessarily the flashing ones on the side of the highway telling us to take the next exit. More often than not, they are far more subtle and may even come as confirmation, rather than direction.

In my own walk with the Lord, “signs” are nestled deep within the context of relationship with Him. These signs are not words scrolled in the sky, rather they are direction and guidance found in the rich soil of deep, intimate relationship between the Lord and myself. The two Bible stories you read at the start of the journey study are perfect examples of this truth.

For Gideon, the sign from the Lord came after the angel gave him direction. Gideon was already mid-conversation with an angel of the Lord when Gideon’s request for a sign was granted. Gideon understood what the sign represented because it occurred as part of an on-going conversation.

For Noah and his family, the sign came as a confirmation of a promise the Lord spoke to Noah. In this scenario, the Lord shared His plans with Noah and revealed how Noah could live in peace every time it began to rain in the future. The Lord spoke far in advance of a future scenario, in order to help Noah know and trust the Lord’s heart for protecting His people . . . all before Noah ever needed an umbrella.

Isaiah 30:21 says,
“and whenever you turn to the right or to the left,
your ears will hear this command behind you:
“This is the way. Walk in it.’”

I have learned the Lord’s heart is for me to know what He has planned for me, and for me to walk out those plans, for His glory. He has consistently guided me, either through confirmation of decisions I have made, or by repeatedly catching my attention to remind me to talk with Him as new seasons are approaching. Couched in the confines of our relationship, I find the heartbeat of God and I hear His whispered voice of direction.

As with Gideon and Noah, these interactions are solidly based within a relationship with Him. For instance, I have found the Lord often speaks to me through songs. More than once, I have been praying while driving and a song plays on the radio, speaking directly to my prayers. Another way He speaks to me is through my time journaling with Him. Many of those pages are filled with Bible verses He brings to mind as I pray. His Word is always the richest source of counsel and direction for every believer!

As you consider your walk with the Lord, can you identify personalized ways in which He speaks to you?

“My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:9)

This verse has reminded me frequently while I may be seeing potential signs from the Lord, I must continually surrender them to His Lordship and leadership. Before I take action based on what I believe is a sign, I must make sure it coincides with His Word and is accompanied by His peace to proceed.

The Lord is faithful and actively speaking to those seeking Him. He has promised we will find Him when we search with all of our hearts. (Jeremiah 29:13)
May you discover His heart for you as you navigate this life!
Place your full weight into investing in relationship with Him by studying His word,
He will guide your steps!

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 Questions 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 Questions!