shepherd

Dwell Day 1 Resting In His Promises

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:1-12
Psalm 119:33-38 
Psalm 119:169-176

Dwell, Day 1

I am not a morning person.
I’m also not a night person.
Anybody else a middle-of-the-day person like me? 

Regardless of my three-cup-of-coffee, loving-the-lunch-time-grind, kinda’ gal,
I intentionally choose quiet, early mornings.
Why?
Time with the Lord before the craziness of the day begins.

I’ve come to cling to these times in the morning when the house is silent, everyone is asleep, and I get to welcome the presence of God into my living room. On days when I choose to sleep in or don’t get that precious time as a kick-starter, it throws me off.

I need
that time; just He and I.

Taking time to sit, meditate, and dwell on Scripture allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us all throughout the beautiful tapestry of the Bible. Consistent time devoted to reading and studying Scripture will equip us to live in purity, victory, and intimacy with God.

As we flip through the Psalms, we watch a transformation happen with the authors. They walk through highs and lows,
poor decisions and the results thereof,
as well as victories and celebrations.
The Psalmists knew the power of God’s word.

The author of Psalm 119 beautifully proclaims truths of God and His character.
With elegant strokes, the psalmist paints an
elaborate picture of the
priceless treasure
that is dwelling daily in God’s Word.
It gives us instructions on how to live a prosperous life devoted to the Lord.

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Psalm 119:11

Hiding His word in our heart looks a lot like memorizing Scripture and thinking on it throughout the day. As we memorize more Scripture, hiding it in our hearts, the Holy Spirit will use those verses to remind us of solid truth in desperate moments when we need to hear God.
When we daily put into practice what God’s Word teaches us,
we will soon move from memorizing words on a page
to forming life-changing habits in our everyday life!

In these real-life-moments, those small choices to spend time in His Word
shape our future.

For example, I’ve hidden Psalm 141:3 in my heart:
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

The Holy Spirit often reminds me of His ways when that person cuts me off on the highway, is rude to our children in the grocery, or posts that comment on social media.
Ask me how many times I’ve prayed that prayer!   

This daily discipline of studying and dwelling in God’s Word
is crucial for rich, intimate, growing life with God! 

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your word.”
Psalm 119:9

David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14),
not because he was perfect,
but because he was repentant in his heart.
He longed for the things of God.
He knew the power of God’s word.
He knew that abiding by God’s laws were the pathway of real life.

“Be good to Your servant while I live, that I may obey Your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.”
Psalm 119:17-18

When we pray, let’s pray God would open our eyes to see as He sees.
His perspective.
His path.
His truth.

“Teach me, Lord, the way of Your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep Your law and obey it with all of my heart.”
Psalm 119:33-34

Lord, we pray for understanding!
When life doesn’t seem to make sense, teach us to choose to yield to Your wisdom and understanding above our own.

“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”
Psalm 119:50

We can rest in God’s promises all the days of our lives because His word says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Therefore, when we find promises from Him in His word,
we can rest assured they are true.

David, shepherd, king, psalmist, and follower of God,
clung to the power of God’s Word.
He “meditated on it day and night.” Psalm 1:2 

For some, morning isn’t the most ideal time to spend with Jesus. If this is you, try making time in the afternoon or evening to get away with God, even if it’s only for a few minutes.  God longs to be found by His children!

Another option is to post notes throughout your house reminding you to pray or memorize Scripture as you’re doing dishes, folding laundry, or getting ready in the morning.

That’s the beautiful thing about a relationship with God: it can happen anywhere!
Let’s be women who cling to Jesus.
Women who dwell deeply with Him through His Word.
Women who rely fully on His faithful, sustaining strength to get us through each day.
Women who rest in His promises!

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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 Dwell Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The GT Weekend! Shepherd Week 3

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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) Even in moments of struggle, King David knew where his strength came from. He revisited those moments often and came back before the Lord frequently. Where do you draw your strength from? How can you adjust your attitude to look to the Lord first for strength?  

2) You, my dear sister, are part of the flock God is searching and caring for. I myself will search for my flock and look for them. As a shepherd looks for his sheep…so I will look for my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness. Ezekiel 34:11-12 Reflect on how this makes you feel? How will you respond to God’s great love and pursuit of you?

3) For people in a genuine relationship with Jesus, the dream of heaven is something to look forward to and dream of going someday. Eternity with God sounds perfect. We’ll sit at His feet and worship, forever living out His intended design for us as we work, love, and live in the beauty of a relationship untarnished by sin. However, for those who choose not to believe, the reality of hell is overwhelming. The complete, eternal separation from God. What will you choose?  

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 28:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart celebrates,
and I give thanks to him with my song.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, I declare You as my strength and my shield. When I hit a rocky spot and I start to doubt my identity, let me cling to You as my Strength. Let me find rest in You, my Shield and my Shepherd. I’m so thankful Lord for your continued effort to draw me into deeper relationship with You. I feel so loved and valued when I pause and remember all You’ve done on my behalf.

Stir in my heart a longing for Heaven, Father. I can’t understand what it will be like so it’s often easier to not really think about Heaven for me. I do know that Jesus will return and that we won’t know the time or place. The Good News isn’t just for me to keep but rather to share. As I long for that perfect reconciliation in my own life, remind me to share the Good News You bring to others around me.  

 

 

Worship Through Community

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Shepherd Day 15 House of the Lord

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23
Psalm 27
John 14:1-7
Colossians 3:1-9
Revelation 21:1-7

Shepherd, Day 15

When I was a young girl, our family lived in the Philippines as missionaries for a number of years. It was an amazing adventure of sights and sounds, smells and tastes. We immersed ourselves in the strange and wonderful culture that was so different than our own. We met many incredible people who became life-long friends.
It was a life-changing experience that I will never forget. 

20 years after we returned home to Australia, I had the opportunity to go back for a short visit with Dad and my husband. We planned to visit all the places that had been so impacting on me all of those years ago. 

While busy preparing for our trip, remembering the place that had been so special to me, God interrupted my thoughts.
“Heaven is a real place too, 
and one day you’re going to go there.” 

Wow. Heaven is real.
It is a physical place with sights and sounds, smells and tastes.  

For some reason, I had never really thought about Heaven this way before,
as a real destination.

I grew up in a loving Christian family.
I knew all the Bible verses about Heaven, but for some reason,
it was more of a concept to me, rather than a real, physical place.  

This truth has had an enormous impact on me.
It continues to change my perspective every day.  

Just like preparing for a trip to an exotic location,
Heaven is a real place that I can prepare for and look forward to. 

In Psalm 23, David describes the pathway of life that God, the Good Shepherd, leads us along. This beautiful song portrays the highs and lows of life as a journey through pastures and valleys. 
These places in the journey are very real for us.  

We get distracted, or even overwhelmed, by the circumstances that define our lives.
We experience the pain of infertility, and the gift of children.
The exhilaration of falling in love, and the heartbreak of broken relationships.
The joy of health and strength, and the pain of chronic illness or cancer.
Our world is broken by sin and pain.
Suffering and struggle is part of each of our lives.  

God never promised us a life without pain and struggle.
Jesus said in John 16:33
“You will have suffering in this world. 
Be courageous! 
I have conquered the world.”  

This journey that God is gently leading us through is not the final destination.
This is not where we dwell forever.
“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:6 

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:17,
“For our momentary light affliction is producing for us 
an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.”

Our lives may be difficult,
scarred by pain and grief,
but this is not the end! 

Our lives may be comfortable and safe,
full of blessings and joy.
But don’t get complacent.
This is not the end! 

Heaven is real, and it is going to be a wonderful place to dwell.
We don’t know a lot about it,
but we do know that God will be there,
and the scars of sin will not. 

“God himself will be with them and will be their God. 
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 
Death will be no more; 
grief, crying, and pain will be no more, 
because the previous things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3-4 

Knowing where you are going in the future gives you the courage to persevere at each stage of the journey.
It is amazing what you can put up with 
when you know it’s only temporary.

That’s why our family plans vacations months in advance. It is marked on the calendar, and we count down the weeks and days. We have something to look forward to, and it changes our perspective every day. It fills us with hope and expectation, and gives us strength to endure. 

Paul urges us to “seek the things above, where Christ is. 
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Thinking about heaven, looking forward to our final destination, makes the struggles of today easier to bear.
Let’s not get distracted and overwhelmed by what we can see and feel today.
Let’s not get so wrapped up in our earthly lives that we forget about heaven.
Let’s not get discouraged by the pain and suffering that permeates our broken world.
This is not our final destination! 

Heaven is a real place, and one day I’m going to go there. 
I hope to see you there! 

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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 Shepherd Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Shepherd!

Shepherd Day 14 In Pursuit: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
Check out In Pursuit!

Psalm 23:6 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live. 

The Questions

1) What does “goodness” mean in this writing?

2) What is the relationship between goodness and faithful love?

3) What is the significance of the word “dwell” in this context? 

The Findings for Intention

1) What does “goodness” mean in this writing?
David opens the final verse of his psalm with a confident declaration of God’s character and faithfulness.  Goodness is not an abstract idea that simply “sounds good” to him and fits in the verse.  Instead, it is a hallmark of God’s character and a truth David knew well.  Despite the darkness, danger, and enemies, David knows that the God of all that is good – who is goodness – will triumph over all else.  In David’s view, goodness is the Person who would be by his side at every step, pursuing his heart. 

2) What is the relationship between goodness and faithful love?
The God who is goodness itself is also the God who is faithful in all circumstances.  David boldly states that God is committed to pursuing a relationship with him and that He will not leave David’s side just because things are tough and don’t look so good.  David understands that God’s faithfulness is never determined by his present circumstances.   

3) What is the significance of the word “dwell” in this context?
The final words of David’s psalm capture the depth of his understanding of the heart of his heavenly Father.  David grasped the truth that God’s presence was to be desired above all else.  God as his Shepherd was his protector, provider, and guide.  David knew that being content in His presence as a sheep in His flock was to be valued above all else, the center of his world, and the place where he would know ultimate peace. 

The Everyday Application

1) What does “goodness” mean in this writing?
Let me be clear:  stating that all things with God are good does not mean that all circumstances, in and of themselves, are inherently good.  If we get caught up in that kind of thinking, we run the danger of believing that when things don’t work out how WE hoped or planned, that God has somehow failed to keep up His end of the bargain.  Remember that “good” must always be defined by God, not our own beliefs and desires.  On our own, we cannot define good because at our core, we are not good and cannot do good (Psalm 14:3).  God, by contrast, will always do what is in our best interest, and in line with His ultimate will, even though at times it maybe painful. 

2) What is the relationship between goodness and faithful love?
How do you assess God’s faithfulness in your own life?  Take an honest inventory.  What is your most common, natural response when things get tough in life?  Are you able to remember who God is as a person, or do you focus instead on His activity (or a perceived lack of activity when He feels silent)?  We must be diligent to ensure that no matter the circumstances facing us, that we keep ourselves focused on God’s true character.  He is faithful (Psalm 5:7, Psalm 13:5, Psalm 36:5-10) – past, present, and future.  His character doesn’t allow Him to be anything else.   

3) What is the significance of the word “dwell” in this context?
Communion and fellowship should be the hallmarks of our relationship with God.  Nothing should take us away from seeking His presence (Psalm 26:8).  Nothing should have more value in our lives (Psalm 27:4).  No one should be more important.  No pursuit should be more interesting.  Unfortunately, there are so many other things in the world that pull for our time and attention.  It requires a diligent willingness to create the time and space in our lives to really dwell, or remain, with God in a way that develops our sense of togetherness with him.  How can you create more space to dwell with your good, loving and faithful Father? 

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

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

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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

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Shepherd Day 13 In Pursuit

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23:6
Psalm 142:6
Ezekiel 34:11-15

Shepherd, Day 13

I have a two-year-old daughter who enjoys following me around the house. She pretends to cook and clean, and is always eager to “help” me with things that need to be done. Most of the time, it is amusing and delightful to have her tag along behind me; however, she is so close that she usually bumps into me when I stop moving. I turn and look at her in amazement that she isn’t bothered by the lack of space or that she isn’t clamoring for me to slow down.
I hope she never loses her desire to be close, or follow in my footsteps,
although I’m sure one day the situation will be completely different. 

To pursue is to:
–       to follow close upon
–       to follow in order to overtake, to chase 

God’s goodness and faithful love are just like my daughter. They chase us with the sole purpose of overtaking us, following us relentlessly, day in and day out. They are personified characteristics of God, examples of His heart and intention toward us. Just like the shepherd who chases down a stray sheep with the intent to overtake it, and brings it back to a place of safety and assurance, our Shepherd does the same.  He wants His character to completely overtake ours, so that we are no longer naive in our sin, but fully aware of Whose we are. 

David, the author of many psalms wrote passionately about his relationship with God.
He was well acquainted with being pursued. 

In Psalm 142:6, David cried out for God to rescue him from those who were pursuing him, stating that they were too strong for him. King Saul despised David. He recognized the calling on David’s life long before he ever reached the throne. Although David wasn’t in competition with Saul (it was God who made David king and nothing would change that), it was Saul’s intent to overcome David and take his life in an attempt to hold tightly to something that God has already removed from his grasp. We too have an enemy that is set on our destruction, but God has ordained us for a purpose as well, and we will not be undone.

In vast contrast to this story, we have the good Shepherd changing the narrative for us. While the enemy of our hearts may be stalking and seeking to devour us, God’s goodness and faithful love are formidable opponents and are in even greater pursuit. 

In John 10:14 Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd. He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. He laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:15).
His faithful love and goodness follow us just as a good shepherd would chase after his sheep.

What does it look like to have the goodness and faithful love of God following you?
Let’s allow God’s Word to answer for us: 

I myself will search for my flock and look for them. As a shepherd looks for his sheep…so I will look for my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness. Ezekiel 34:11-12
His rescue knows no bounds, Sisters; 
His pursuit to free us from the darkness of sin is relentless.

 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10
He is good and will provide for us. His provision is both something we receive and something we experience. 

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever. Psalm 136:1
His outpouring of faithful love has no expiration date; it extends beyond what our minds can comprehend.   

Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3) 
We belong to our Creator. Our Good Shepherd will always save us, his beloved sheep. 

As I think back on the determination my daughter had to keep up with me, I can now visualize in my mind’s eye the goodness and faithful love of God as two friends, chasing me down with joy.
I am their intended mark,
the beneficiary of their obedience.

That makes me feel valued, protected, cared for.
Whatever you may be facing, remember that you too have a Good Shepherd.
One who is well acquainted with your story,
and is faithfully pursuing you with His faithful love and goodness! 

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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 Shepherd 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 Shepherd!

Shepherd Day 11 The Voice of Truth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23:5
Isaiah 43:1-7
Isaiah 61:1-3
Ephesians 2:1-10

Shepherd, Day 11

“Who am I, Lord? 
What have you called me to do?”
As 2017 steamrolled towards the new year, I found myself asking the Lord these questions. Deep, probing, and potentially strange for a 35-year-old, single woman to be asking, but the queries were bubbling up from within and wanted answers.

While a desperation to know those answers caused the words to tumble from my mouth, a vulnerability tempted me to try and snatch them back.
You know who you are. Why do you need to ask? 
You’re a daughter of the Most High God. 
You’re a mother to many. 
You are dearly loved by your family and close friends. 

Regardless of those truths that came to mind, my identity still lacked the security for which I longed.  

I quickly realized one reason for the insecurity came from
the equally loud, and sometimes more persistent, inner voice,
combatting the truth.

Yes, you are a daughter of the Most High God. 
Don’t forget: so is the Christian woman sitting next to you. Humble yourself and keep pride at bay.

Mother to many, true, but you don’t have kids of your own, 
so do those people really count? 

You are dearly loved by many, but who does God say you are?
Just because people loved you doesn’t mean you were being who God says you are and you are to be.

As I pondered the thoughts battling back and forth in my mind, 
I discovered just how impactful a voice of authority is.  

I asked the Lord those questions because He is the highest authority.
I can remind myself of who I am,
I can wait for others to validate who I am,
and I can also have others diminish who I am,
if I give them permission to do so.

However, when I inquire of the Lord,
He speaks the truth,
always.
And when He speaks the truth,
nothing can refute it.
Nothing can remove it.
Nothing.

The Lord’s identification is the bedrock of who we are.
He is the One that calls us by name.
He is the One that leads us through life. 

He is the One that challenges us to become more like Him.
He is the One that loves us with infinite grace and mercy.
He is the One that can say we are all co-heirs with Christ and yet love us individually with deep intimacy. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded of who the Lord says we are
by hearing it in His voice, and not our internal ones.
That means reading it straight from His Word, 
and listening with our minds and hearts. 

I wonder how much King David battled with similar thoughts.
Initially his thoughts may have centered on why the Lord would have chosen him as king.
“Why me?”
Then, in the midst of the years waiting to become king, and staying alive while Saul hunted him down,
“What are you doing, Lord? You said I was king, right?”
Potentially, even reaching the point after his sinful, adulterous affair with Bathsheba asking, “Why am I still king?”

While I do not know the reality of these questions,
I do know that David reminded himself of truth.

In Psalm 23, he states, “you anoint my head with oil.”
The Lord sent Samuel to anoint David as the next king. David did not ascend the throne and actually rule as king for several years after this, years in which the then-current King, Saul, tried to remove David as a perceived threat to himself. However, the Lord had chosen David and that would not be undone.
His identity was intact regardless of the circumstances.

If I were David, those moments of truth would be ones I would revisit often, especially when doubting who I am or what the Lord had called me to do.

So, has the Lord answered my own questions yet?
I actually think I will be asking them for the rest of my life,
which is wise the more I think about it.
He speaks the Word in season and defines my roles in time.
He is my shepherd, in every moment, of every day, ready to speak truth over me.

Today as I write, I come back to the truth foretold in Isaiah, and that which was spoken by Jesus in Luke 4:18.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  

Make me more like You, Jesus.
Shepherd my heart to hear your voice of truth! 

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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 Shepherd 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 Shepherd!

Shepherd Day 10 In the Presence of My Enemies

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23:5
2 Samuel 22
1 Samuel 21:1-9
Mark 6:30-44 

Shepherd, Day 10

As an extrovert, nothing sounds better after a long and difficult week than a dinner party surrounded by dear friends. I look around the table at my friends laughing and swapping stories, and I forget about the “enemies” I’m facing:
stress from work, family drama, unexpected expenses, and all of the other weights of life. God has prepared a table for me and my heart overflows.  David knew all about enemies, but in a very different way than me.
He had a long list of people chasing after him, including the king and his own son! He faced many hardships in his life, but he always sought refuge in the Lord and praised Him for his success (2 Samuel 22).

Before David was a great warrior, he was a shepherd.
He knew how to take care of his sheep.
He kept them from danger, he provided food and water for them, and he made sure they found rest. It’s no surprise that when David was in danger, when he needed food and water, and when he needed rest, he called upon the Lord as his Good Shepherd.

David knew that God would provide his every need.
After learning of the king’s plot to kill him, David fled and sought out a priest. The priest provided holy bread for sustenance and the sword of Goliath for protection for David on his way (1 Samuel 21:1-9). In the face of his enemies, God provided just what David needed.  

During Jesus’ ministry, He lived out David’s comparison of God to a Good Shepherd. He provided for people in all kinds of ways.
Like a shepherd, Jesus protected the disciples when they were in danger (Mark 4:35-41),
He made sure they found rest (Mark 6:31),
and He ultimately sacrificed His own life for all people.  

One of my favorite examples of Jesus as a shepherd was when He fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Mark says,
“when He went ashore, He saw a large crowd and had compassion  on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)
Jesus and His disciples were in pursuit of rest, but the crowds found them anyway. Instead of brushing them off and sending them along their way, He had compassion on them.
He saw their need.

He saw that they were looking for someone to care for them.
First, He fed their souls with his teaching.
Then he met their physical need with fishes and loaves.
Jesus prepared a table for the people that day. 
Like David’s cup that overflowed, baskets were literally overflowing with extra food!  

What I love about Psalm 23:5, and each of these stories, is how they demonstrate that God not only prepares a table for us, but He does it in the presence of our enemies.
David’s psalm doesn’t say that we won’t have enemies.
He doesn’t say that God will make our enemies disappear.
And he doesn’t say that facing our enemies won’t be hard.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

Even when life is hard, even when things are confusing,
even when it feels like nothing is going right,
God provides.
God is not just a shepherd, but a Good Shepherd.
Do you trust that He is truly good and will provide, even in the presence of difficulty?  

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Shepherd Day 9 Sheep Life: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Zephaniah 3:14-20 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;  he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 
18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach  

19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.  

The Questions

1) Who is the “daughter of Zion”? 

2) Why is Israel rejoicing? 

3) The phrase “at that time” is used several times throughout the passage. What “time” is the writer referring to? 

4) What promises of God do we see in this passage?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who is the “daughter of Zion”?
The daughter of Zion is not a person, but rather a people. “Zion” referred to “Jerusalem” and the daughter of Zion referenced the nation of Israel. In this passage, Zephaniah, the prophet to the nation, is talking to the Israel, calling them to rejoice for the day of restoration is coming! 

2) Why is Israel rejoicing?
The book of Zephaniah follows a pattern like most prophets in Scripture as Zephaniah warns of impending judgement for sinfulness, but also provides hope of coming restoration for God’s chosen people. In this case, Israel is rejoicing because “on that day”, the day of the Lord, God will gather the broken and enslaved people. He will restore them to their fortunes. Zephaniah is beckoning them to hope and rejoicing because the Good Shepherd will rescue His sheep and fight for them, restoring the nation and people to something better than they had before. 

3) The phrase “at that time” is used several times throughout the passage. What” time” is the writer referring to?
In context, it is important to remember the message had two meanings. One, the restoration and rescue of the nation of Israel from Babylonian captivity. There would be a time that God would restore His people and set them free from the 70 long years of enslavement. Secondly, a coming time, in the eternal future, where all of humanity would be set free. More than any other book in the Old Testament, Zephaniah mentions “the day of the Lord”. 

4) What promises of God do we see in this passage?
Zephaniah mentions several promises throughout this passage. The first promise is that of relenting judgement which meant their enemies, the Babylonians, would let them go and they would be free from exile. The second promise is one of hope that there is no one and no thing to fear because of the Mighty Warrior God who is fighting for them, loving them, and quieting their souls. The third promise is one of restoration where God gathers His people: the lame, the sick, the outcast and renews their strengths and their fortunes.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is the “daughter of Zion”?
We can see from this passage, and the whole of the Old Testament, that God knows His people and chose His people. The Old Testament is the story of God’s people; this is our history as His followers. When we are reading the Old Testament and we see “daughter of Zion”, recall God’s faithfulness, God’s promises, and God’s desire to fight for us and love us well. His desire to restore us and shepherd us until the day He returns. 

2) Why is Israel rejoicing?
We can rejoice because we know the rest of the story that Israel did not know. They did not have Scripture and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, yet the prophet Zephaniah calls them to rejoice because he trusted what God had told him. He trusted the message of truth that God would save His people from captivity, gather them, and restore them. We are offered the same message today through the Gospel. It’s God’s good news that Jesus has come, making a way for the lost to be found, for the depleted and brokenhearted to be restored, and for hopeless, wayward sheep to be given a path that leads to eternal life. This path is the way of salvation that God provided through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, as He gave up His life for ours. Christ Jesus, fully God and fully man, took on our punishment, rightfully intended for us, and gave us His own righteousness that we may be made right with God.   

3) The phrase “at that time” is used several times throughout the passage. What “time” is the writer referring to?
The phrase “at this time” is the ever-present tension that exists in Scripture. The time line of restoration that we are restored now, but we will be fully restored upon Christ’s return one day. God doesn’t work on human constraints and human timelines. God works in His perfect time and His perfect way. We can trust that God is faithful to His promises because we have read the story of Scripture, we have seen His hand in those around us, and we have watched our own lives unfold in shelter of the Almighty. The “day of the Lord” is still coming, will you be called His own on that day? 

4) What promises of God do we see in this passage?
This passage is a history lesson for us in the 21st century in two ways. One, we know that Israel was released from captivity, but two, we also know why they were there: their arrogant, sinful actions and attitudes towards a Holy God. The hearts of God’s chosen people had turned cold and aloof, no longer desiring their first love, no longer worshipping the one True God. They were combative and whinny, desiring their own way rather than allowing themselves to be led by the Shepherd who loved them. Our history lesson is to trust His ways and His promises, but to learn from the nation of Israel so as not repeat the same mistakes. 

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Shepherd Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Shepherd!

Shepherd Day 8 Sheep Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23:1-6
Hebrews 12:1-12
Zephaniah 3:14-20

Shepherd, Day 8

The shepherd walked with sure footing down the rocky path. To the left, a drop-off reminded him of the descent he and the sheep had traversed in their journey to reach the green grass and still waters found in the valley before them. He projected a sense of calm, one that seemed to blanket the sheep as they clopped along the path. In the midst of that calm, the sheep remained unaware of the depth to which the shepherd was attuned to the world around them.

His ears listened to the sounds filling the air. The bleating of the sheep and the sound of their hooves were constant companions on the journey, and he knew his sheep’s voices. A cry from any one of them would cause him to spring into action.

Not only were his ears focused on the sounds rising from the flock, they were filtering the noises found beyond the sheep. Predators threatened, and if one attacked, the shepherd stood as the only safeguard between it and the sheep.

His eyes scanned the flock to ensure not one ran astray or was left behind, while also looking to the horizon towards their destination. His hands gripped his rod and staff with a relaxed firmness, the mark of a seasoned shepherd. This allowed him the mobility of using them for walking support, and simultaneously maintaining the ability to react quickly.  At a moment’s notice, his rod and staff may need to become a weapon to battle an enemy or a safeguard in his hand. A sheep getting too close to the edge and needing a nudge back? A threat to the flock? The rod and staff were tools in the well-trained hand of the shepherd.

One of the most well-known shepherds in the Old Testament is David. Long before he ascended the throne, David tended his father’s flock. This became his training ground and preparation in many ways for all the Lord had prepared for him. David explains this best when telling Saul why he would face Goliath:
“Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

David knew how to be an effective shepherd for sheep and God grew him to shepherd His people with a heart like His own, but even David falls short compared to the Lord as He shepherds His children.

The shepherd above is one the sheep are blessed to have leading them.
He is trustworthy and brave,
strong and gentle,
intentional and caring.
If I were a sheep, I would choose his leadership. However, I am not a sheep.
I choose the Lord as my shepherd,
yet how often I find myself second guessing Him,
or failing to see how He fights for me.

“No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Late on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:11 is one of the verses that I am grateful is in the Word,
but sometimes wish I could skip that part of the Christian reality.
When I apply it to the analogy of a shepherd and ponder my history, I see moments where the discipline of the Lord, and His telling me “no,” firmly yet lovingly, was the staff that kept me from tripping over the edge. The times that He held me back were not to smother me, but to protect me. He has the vantage point that I do not, and His shepherding skills have proven the test of time.

While I reflect, and cringe, at those times I responded to the Lord with levels of pre-teen angst, I also see times where He fought for me. Those times where He picked up His rod and went swinging for the fences at the lions and bears that threatened my existence. Those moments when He gave me a way out from a temptation or the times when hopelessness or doubt threatened to overwhelm me and He spoke to me through His Word or brought encouragement through another person.
Sometimes He calmly spoke with authority to the winds that blew and the storm stilled.

He has proven Himself as a warrior who saves me over and over.
His rod and His staff truly do comfort me.
Lead me on, dear Lord, my Shepherd, lead me on.

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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 Shepherd 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 Shepherd!