Author: Rebecca

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship X Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The idea of praising God in the midst of challenge or pain sounds impossible at first glance. But this reveals the humanity of our perspective and the depth (or shallowness) of our faith. On Monday, Lesley pointed to David’s decision to praise the Lord despite the prolonged difficulties he faced. She also challenged us to consider the justice of God as He acts on our behalf to protect and defend His people. It’s easy for us to view our pain or unjust treatment and determine God to be unfair and unjust because He has not resolved our pain on our timetable. This reveals how small our box is that holds our faith and our beliefs about God and His character. David’s songs stand out as often declaring the character of God, reminding himself of God’s promises, even in the mire of trials. Challenge yourself to keep a list on your phone over the next few days of God’s promises. Every time you read one in Scripture or remember one, write it down. Return to this list often and proclaim praise to the God who never fails!

2) The majority of our everyday moments are lived out in the tangible and experienced by our physical senses. Pause for 30 seconds and close your eyes; begin listing out the most recent experiences you’ve encountered with your senses. What were the last images you saw, items you tasted, sounds your heard, sensations you felt, and scents you’ve smelled. Reflect on your list, allowing yourself to relive those moments. Now ask yourself how many of those were connected to relating to God. We tend to relegate our experiences of God to the confines of the church building or spiritual retreats, but the Lord crafted each moment of our everyday to be pregnant with opportunities of knowing Him more fully. Creation testifies of His glory. His mercies are new every morning, waiting to be unwrapped in our days. He is in regular pursuit of our hearts. Ask the Lord to open your eyes and see Him in real, everyday life!

3) Name the things that have changed in your life in the last 24 hours. Maybe it was your plans. Maybe it was the nuances of an interaction you had with a friend. Perhaps you received new information. Unread emails, laundry to fold, meals to plan, change is constantly around us. Now name the things that have never once changed in the course of your entire life. You may be able to name some things that haven’t changed much, or perhaps people you’ve come to rely on fully over time. But, to assign an “always” statement to someone or something’s unchangeability isn’t very accurate. The Lord does not increase His love for us over time, and neither does it decrease. His justice and goodness does not ebb and flow depending on political standing or cultural trends. He is ceaselessly full of all that embodies His character. Never once has He changed. Ever. Which means He is endlessly trustworthy. What was true of Him at the dawn of time will be true of Him in the ages to come. None is more faithful and true than the Lord God. Given this reality, what are you holding back from entrusting to His care? Plans for your future? Relationship struggles? Finances? Fear? Wounds? Sister, there is none more able to love you, and none more worthy of your total surrender than the Lord Jesus Christ. Give it all over to the Unfailing One and worship Him for His faithfulness!

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 John 15:4-5 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.

Prayer Journal
None is steadfast like You, O Lord! Your goodness never ceases, yet how easily I become “bored” with praising You because I forget Your benefits. I neglect to remember the constancy of your nearness and the immediacy of Your accessible Presence. Shift the focus of my heart to see with eyes of faith. Teach me to trust the good love of Your heart that has never abandoned me. Teach me to pause here, to rest in it, and then live it out in worship that speaks of Your glory!

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

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship X Day 3 Unshaken & Secure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 16
Romans 8:31-39
Isaiah 43:1-7

Worship X, Day 3

Like air in your lungs.
Like breezes in your hair.
Like sand in your toes.
Like roses to your senses.
So is His faithful love to us.

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2)

This love is for you in the dark.
For you when the waves are sweeping over you.
For you when the riptide pulls you under again and again.
For you when the enemy lurks, when the voices from your past haunt, when the Deceiver lies in your ear, when the world crumbles.
This love is for you.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you[.]” (Isaiah 43:1-2)

Regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, background, dark secrets, money in the bank, or country of origin. This love is for you.

This faithful love is sung over you. (Psalm 42:8)
This faithful love hems you on all sides. (Psalm 139:5)This faithful love prepares a feast for you in the presence of your enemies. (Psalm 23:5)
This faithful love fights for you when all you can do is surrender. (Ephesians 6:10)
This faithful love upholds you from everlasting to everlasting. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

This love is for you.

This faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 136)
It shows up with mercies freshly wrapped every morning and invites you to unpack them throughout your day. (Lamentations 3:22-23) This faithful love holds you as you sob, wipes your tears when you drop your head in defeat (Psalm 56:8), kisses your cheek to welcome you (1 Peter 5:14), shouts over you with victory cheers (Zephaniah 3:17), and makes even the darkness as light (Psalm 139:12). Not a hair falls from your head (Luke 12:7), not a sparrow falls to the ground (Matthew 10:29), not even a worm is without ordained purpose (Jonah 4:7) because of this faithful love.

This Faithful Love spoke creation into existence (Genesis 1:3), breathed into mankind (Genesis 2:7), delighted in marriage (Genesis 2:22-25), broke the bonds of slavery (Exodus 13:14), championed His people (Exodus 14:14), taught them to walk by holding their toddling hands (Hosea 11:3), watched with broken heart as they whored after other far-lesser loves (Judges 2:17). This Faithful Love put on human flesh (John 1:14), exited a girl’s birth canal (Luke 2:5-7), grew through puberty (Luke 2:52), loved the masses (Matthew 9:36), ached with compassion (Matthew 20:34), grieved under injustice (Luke 17:1-2), and got angry when others made it hard to come close to Him. (Matthew 21:12-13)

This Faithful Love sought out the rejects of society (Luke 7:44-50), partied with the unlovable (Luke 19:5-7), and then died for the rebellious (Romans 5:8) as mockers scorned Him (Matthew 27:30-31) and His best friends denied (Matthew 26:75), betrayed (Matthew 26:48), and abandoned Him (Matthew 26:56).

Faithful Love came back to life from a corpse
to break all of humanity out of their graves,
buried under the consequences of their sin,
if they accept the living Hand of Hope held out to them.

“Now if we died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with Him,
because we know that Christ,
having been raised from the dead,
will not die again.
Death no longer rules over Him.”
(Romans 6:8-9)

Death to Life.
Chains to Freedom.
Performance to Grace.
Abandoned to Adopted.
This Faithful Love is for you.

“Who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised[!…]
Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? […]
in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:34-35, 37-39)

Faithful Love holds fast, for all eternity, all those who trust in Him.
“Lord, you are my portion
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.”
(Psalm 16:5)

Faithful Love will never allow His Own to be shaken.
“I always let the Lord guide me.
Because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.”
(Psalm 16:8)

Faithful Love gives rest and security.
“Therefore, my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.”
(Psalm 16:9)

Faithful Love sets us free to run the pathways of abundant life.
“You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy;
at Your right hand are eternal pleasures.”
(Psalm 16:11)

Faithful Love is the Lord God Almighty.
And He is For You!

Read the Bible.
Know your God.
Surrender to Faithful Love.

“What, then, are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?
He did not even spare His own Son
but gave him up for us all.”
(Romans 8:31-32)

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

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

Eden Day 13 Exiled For Good

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 2
Genesis 3
Romans 6:16-23
Galatians 3:10-14

Eden, Day 13

“The grasses sang together, the dew’s drops harmonized, and the whir of insect wings melodically magnified the rhythmic sway of undiluted, adoring praise to the Maker.”

Eve’s melodic words flowed quickly as she remembered. “We were blissfully free, although we didn’t understand this exquisite gift of Presence we so innocently enjoyed. Our feet danced to the cadence of the lilting music with every movement. Oh how I loved to talk with the wiggling worms and listen to the trees laugh in the breeze!”

Eve laughed, and the rich hues of deep mirth beckoned to all who heard. “Everything held abundant life, or was upheld by it.”

She shook her head at the still-unfathomable mystery. “Every being was sustained by the Indescribable wonder of the Maker Himself. His beauty was reflected in every pool of shimmering water, every star’s arching song over the curve of the earth, and every baying creature’s unique sound. As the sun-warmed grass welcomed our dancing feet, even our work felt like playful delight as we cared for the earth and the animals. Adam and I…”

Eve sighed longingly as she remembered Great-Grandfather. “How perfectly we fit together, not just bodies and hands, but purpose and . . . ” she stumbled for a word and landed on, “… joy. How wondrous it was to join, with him, creation’s worship of Yahweh.”

Eve never tired of telling the wonder of that delight before…

I wiggled in spite of myself, thinking of what was to come. I’d heard my great-grandmother tell her tale a hundred times, and though I loved it more with every re-telling, the familiar ending always sent my heart plummeting.

Would the Maker cast me out as well?
Did He know the way I pouted behind my mother’s back and how I kicked my little brother?
Could I hide from Yahweh better than Great-Grandmother?

“Tell us about the two trees!” Kenan’s excited voice rose above the murmur of the children encircling Eve’s dusky fire. I elbowed him, preferring to linger on Eden’s perfection. I wanted nothing to do with the two trees and all they meant. Couldn’t Kenan understand how they tarnished him, too?

Still, Great-Grandmother’s voice rang out like crystal waters and I was immersed again as she spoke of the wide clearing of lush green grasses carpeting the warm earth at the base of the two trees. “Life and Death were set before us every day in the Garden, my children. Every day, we had the choice to eat of the Tree of Life and live forever with Yahweh in bliss; Abba never forbade it.” (Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17)

“But you didn’t choose Life! You chose DEATH.” Kenan clamored again; I couldn’t help but kick him in the shin. Why did he press so? He scowled at me, rubbing his bruise, and Eve pretended not to notice.

“You’re right, Kenan,” Eve continued, her free-falling tears belying her lilting smile. “We did choose death. That day, when Adam and I walked through the Garden, I felt a slippery snake sneak up beside me.

“Through his questions, I suddenly saw the two trees differently.
I asked myself, ‘Had Yahweh been holding out on us? Would we experience greater goodness if we disobeyed Him? What if He wasn’t wholly as good as He’d led us to believe?’”
(Genesis 3:1-6)

“But He was wholly good, wasn’t He?” I was surprised to hear my own quiet voice, and to taste salt on my lips from tears matching Great-Grandmother Eve’s. Her gaze caught mine with tenderness, and she nodded, sensing I had suddenly grasped something new and rich.

“Yes. The Maker’s intent was only always, and still is yet, wholly good. Even as Adam and I ate the forbidden fruit and chose rebellion over the supreme goodness of knowing Yahweh and walking with Him, even then He was good.” She leaned forward and wiped my tears with her crooked fingers, and in a whisper that sounded like dew drops, “He Still Is.”

It was then, in the ending I loathed, that sobs shook my small frame.
Not in sorrow, but in worship.
Yahweh’s goodness banished Adam and Eve from the Garden.

What if–lost and condemned in their sin–they had then eaten from the Tree of Life and lived forever, separated from God?! What loathsome punishment! What horror–a literal hell on earth.

Instead, He banished them because He was good. Even tucked inside His curse was hidden Hope, for one day the Serpent Crusher would come to win Victory over his Death. (Genesis 3:15)

No, I was no better than Great-Grandmother Eve.
Again and again, I enacted my slavery to sin and earned death. (Romans 6:16-23)
And yet, even as my life pointed unswervingly to death, Yahweh was wholly good.
He’d given me a body to move in and air to breathe and food to eat and the beauty of the afternoon sun’s slant and the joy of friendship.

Yes, sin’s curse held us captive, but Yahweh held our victory, and our hope.
One day, the Serpent Crusher would walk among us and die for us and rise again, breaking the curse and restoring us to His Presence, now and for eternity.
(Galatians 3:10-14)

“But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification–and the outcome is eternal life!” (Romans 6:22)

 

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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 Eden 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 Eden!

Sacrifice Day 10 The Great Rebellion

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 95
Exodus 19
Exodus 32:1-10
Luke 23:44-24:12
Romans 5:6-11

Sacrifice, Day 10

Familiar ground.
Holy ground, actually.

As Moses’ eyes caught glimpses of familiar land shapes, jutting rocks, and craggy mountain trees, memories flooded back.

He’d spent three months leading thousands of misfit Hebrews far from the impotent threat of a now-desolated Egyptian army. (Exodus 19:1-2)

The Lord was leading them out of slavery, never to return.
He would be their God and they would be His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Sheep.
The word made him grin as he plodded one 80-year old sandaled foot after the other into the warm sand. The irony of the Lord’s ways brought a chuckle inside of Moses. Just days ago, he’d led the people through Midian, home of his father-in-law, Jethro, and the stomping grounds of his first wilderness experience when he’d first fled from Egypt. Back then, a murderer on the run, he was certain he’d never return to Egypt. He’d lost himself on the hills of Midian, shepherding Jethro’s flocks, and fading into oblivion. He cast a glance behind him to the masses stretching back as far as his eye could see, listening to the cacophony of bleating goats, sheep, children’s cries, and teenage squabbles.
These were his sheep now.

This terrain was becoming more familiar; he was so close.
Close to where it happened nearly six years ago.
As he dared pull up the holy image in his mind’s eye, it was as if the sounds around him dimmed to nothing and the weight of the sacred pressed upon his soul. The bush had burned and crackled in the crags near Mt. Sinai, while its leaves remained green and its branches untouched.

“The place where you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5),
the I AM’s voice had seemed to fill the whole earth.

Moses breathed in, willing his mind to hold onto the precious scene. A rush of wind seemed to fill his senses, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” his heart sang within him. How could the I AM speak to him, tasking him with freeing the Hebrews from slavery?!

The moment ended, and as he lifted his head, sweat slipping around his eyes to mix with unexpected tears, he saw it in the distance, Mount Sinai.

He called the people to camp at Sinai’s base and then, with awe-filled trepidation, dared draw near. The Lord’s voice filled the space around Moses and his heart leapt for unspeakable joy. “Yahweh,” his soul breathed.

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians
and how I carried you on eagles’ wings
and brought you to myself.

Now if you will carefully listen to me
and keep my covenant,
you will be my own possession out of all the peoples,
although the whole earth is mine,
and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.” (Exodus 19:4-6)

Moses quaked inside, the power of the Divine washing over him.
He knew, like Abraham, neither he nor the Hebrews he led, had done anything to deserve such a grand invitation from I AM. Yet, His embrace opened wide, urging them to welcome Him as their God, to love and serve Him, for He would make them His Own People.

“I am going to come to you in a dense cloud so the people will hear[…] and believe. […]
Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.
They must wash their clothes
and be prepared by the third day,
for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai
in the sight of all the people.” (Exodus 19:9-11)

As dawn’s pink light tinged Mt Sinai on the third day, thunder bellowed, and lightning flashed across the sunrise. Yahweh’s thick cloud descended, and a ram’s horn blasted, announcing the Almighty’s presence.

For forty days, Moses was enveloped in the glory of the Lord recording His Law on scrolls, except for the Ten Commandments, which the Lord inscribed on stone with His hand. (Exodus 31:18)

A holy God.
His righteous rules.
A people intended to be set apart reflecting His holiness.
But a people carousing before an idol of their making.
(Exodus 32:1-6)

For forty-days the All-Knowing God knew His people were demonstrating the wickedness of their hearts in acts of wretched rebellion.
Yet, He continued to be present with Moses.
He still gave His Law, allowing access to Him.
Perhaps most significantly, He didn’t destroy them as they deserved.

Instead, He gave mercy.
Just as He had when Adam and Eve disobeyed and when Cain killed his brother.

Centuries later, on a hill outside Jerusalem, the sky would again blacken unexpectedly. Thunder would clamor, and the Father would turn His back on His Son as the earth shook.
With arms outstretched in an embrace grand enough to enfold the people of the world, Christ would die instead of the rebels who deserved eternal death.

Silence would fall, for death would seem to win, but three days later, Victory would rise from Death’s grave.

The Holy One who should have destroyed humanity for their sinfulness mercifully gave His life as their ransom.

Sisters, we are all at the foot of Mt. Sinai, dancing wildly around our idols while the Lord has made restitution for us through the spilled blood of His Son.
The Lord has been merciful!
Let’s crush our idols and embrace His sacrifice for us as He welcomes us Home as a people for His own possession, the sheep of His pasture!

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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 Sacrifice 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 Sacrifice!

The GT Weekend! ~ Sacrifice Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) As Michelle reflected on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for her own sin, she was bold enough to share some personal examples from her own recent life. There is nothing that brings the sacrifice of Jesus into sharper perspective than spending time in prayer, asking the Spirit to show us our own sin. It’s for these sins, these offenses against a holy God, that Christ was crucified, scorned, and rejected both by the ones He came to save and the Father who sent Him to the cross. There is no greater loss. When was the last time your prayer life reflected confession of your very specific sins? When did you last feel gut-reaching sorrow for your sin because you knew the weight of how it mocked the God who came to rescue you? As you go into this weekend, be mindful of the cross and the Savior who was slain there. Ponder your sin and ask the Lord to show you kindness in bringing you to repentance. Perhaps you’ll even follow Michelle’s example and confess some sins to a friend as well.

2) We don’t normally include Jesus’ story of a tax collector and a Pharisee praying in our reflections on Easter, but the idea of Christ “flipping tables” on our world view perfectly marries with absolutely everything about Easter. The eternal God of the Universe dying on a manmade cross of wood? The infinite Creator submitting to the constraints of human flesh for the purpose of dying in place of sinful man? The only perfectly righteous, all-powerful Being choosing to die a gruesome death instead of the ones who slaughtered and mocked Him? The righteous for the unrighteous. The eternal for the finite. The sovereign for the impotent. The holy for the wretched. Still, we foolishly think we can somehow attain a good enough status before this God! How quickly we minimize the Almighty! How much easier might it be to choose to surrender in the small things of our everyday lives, as well as the big things, if we remember to glimpse even a sliver of the majestic vastness of the God who chose to sacrifice Himself in our place! Accepting this reality, taking it into our souls, brings true, humble worship from contrite hearts.

3) We might read the narrative of Noah’s ark, see the mass destruction of land, animals, and especially humanity, and naturally ask how God could be so cruel. Obliterate humanity? Decimate the land? Drown land animals? How do these statements reconcile with the Bible’s authoritative declaration that God is good and gracious? Shifting the lens, where can you ask similar questions about your life? Loss of income, illness, death, broken relationships, children gone astray, abusive past, mental or emotional instability, divorce, and pain of all types assault the premise that God is good. Oh, how our perspective is narrow! How the “God” in our mind is so small and confined! Mankind was so horribly sinful that God sent the flood as an act of mercy to halt the onslaught of evil. I don’t pretend to know the answers to the deep pains we experience, but still, we can each either choose to cling to the truth of Scripture and God’s view point, or we can stubbornly insist our perspective is accurate and complete. In my pain, I’ve found that God becomes all the more precious and beautiful as I study His word and hold out my hands to accept His mercy, even if it doesn’t look as I expect. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to His mercies this weekend and choose to worship the God of all Goodness!

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 Joal 2:12-13 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Even now–
This is the Lord’s declaration–
Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts,
and not just your clothes,
And return to the Lord your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love,
And He relents from sending disaster.

Prayer Journal
Lord God, I confess that I do not choose to worship You as the good, gracious God You constantly are towards me. I have become angry with You. I have doubted You. I have insisted on my views instead of Yours. Lord, I know You are gracious, and I know You stand ready to forgive this even now. Teach my heart to hold more tightly to truth than to lies. Root out the lie that I can somehow earn Your favor, win Your smile of approval, or worse, that You “owe me” because of what I’ve done for You.

Remind me of my sin, Lord Jesus, keep it before me. Not to shame or mock me, as I know that is not Your heart, but to remind me I too was once enslaved by worldly passions, by jealousy, anger, and yes, self-righteous success.

How I praise You for coming near to me! How I praise You for choosing the cross of crucifixion and the pain of bearing the weight of the world’s sin that I might come near to You! Give me opportunity to share this glorious gift with others, and make my words bold and my actions loving as I share!

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

Sacrifice Day 4 Two Sacrifices: 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 Two Sacrifices!

The Questions

1) Why does Luke record the aside note in verse 9 of Jesus’ purpose in telling this parable?

2) What are the identifiable hinge points of each prayer? (verses 11-13)

3) Why are Jesus’ closing remarks so important to the whole of the story? (verse 14)

Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Original Intent

1) Why does Luke record the aside note in verse 9 of Jesus’ purpose in telling this parable?
Each gospel writer had a different, God’s Spirit-inspired motivation to record and compile their experiences with Jesus during His ministry on earth. Matthew wrote to his fellow Jews, and didn’t care much for chronological recording, but rather focused on seeing Jesus as the Promised Messiah who fulfilled every prophecy. Mark wrote with big emotion, and though his book is the shortest, it also contains more graphic detail in many accounts than the other gospels because his focus lies in highlighting Jesus’ total authority over all things, especially sin and death. John recorded his gospel from a different perspective than the other three as very few parables or miracles are recorded in his writings. His purpose was to logically lay out exactly why Jesus is both Lord and Savior; John prompts us to deep faith. Luke, as the longest gospel writer, intends to provide as much thorough, eye-witness confirmed information in a clear chronological order as possible. Luke, a physician by trade, is the investigative detective of the gospel writers. He was not an eye-witness of Jesus; he apprenticed under Peter and much of what he records came from firsthand accounts of Peter. Being well-educated and logical, much of his narrative falls under directive headings, like the one we see in verse 9, so the reader will not mistake the intention or become distracted by misapplication. Though Jesus’ audience was certainly wide and varied at the time He told this parable, Luke wants us to understand the thrusting purpose and heart behind why Jesus told it and for who He chose His words.

2) What are the identifiable hinge points of each prayer? (verses 11-13)
First, Jesus underscores that each character in the parable went to the temple to pray. Jesus included this aspect because the common place to pray was the temple. Though both characters went to the right “place” to gain access to God, this didn’t automatically grant them access. This would have astounded Jesus’ first hearers, for it was the common understanding that all who came to the Temple accessed God. Secondly, the true heart-posture of each man in Jesus’ story is identifiable by both their word choices and their body language. Though both men were standing, Jesus says the tax collector was “standing far off”. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says Pharisees would stand to pray in conspicuous places so as to be seen by others. (Matthew 6:5) One man stood to be noticed, the other chose to stand “far off” (think, tucked back in a corner), so as only to be seen by God. (Matthew 6:6) The Pharisee talked to God about himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like others…”. (verse 11) In contrast, the tax collector, without even raising his eyes, talked to God about his need for Him, “God have mercy on me, a Sinner.” (verse 13) The tax collector knew his condition as sinner, and he knew full well the only hope he had was in the mercy of the God who was perfectly holy and righteous. Lastly, where the Pharisee listed his self-proclaimed-righteous-acts, the tax collector merely beat his chest in an outward action that reflected an internal humility. Sisters, which are we? List-givers or humble-heart-bowers?

3) Why are Jesus’ closing remarks so important to the whole of the story? (verse 14)
Jesus finishes His parable with a hard reality and a sweet hope for every human heart; it’s the perfect antidote to the hopeless melodrama of the human condition. Regardless of a person’s good deeds or how wonderfully they view themselves, none can be justified before God by exalting themselves. (verse 14) Some may think, oh that’s good news for me because I always think the worst of myself. I don’t think I’m worthy of God’s love, I know how terrible I am, I mess up constantly. But do you notice the subject of each of those phrases? Self. Whether you think highly or lowly of yourself, you’re still thinking of yourself. Jesus teaches that only the truly humble of heart can “go home justified before God.” Humble of heart does not mean self-deprecation, which is self-focus just in a different form. Rather, humble hearts see the reality of their state as sinner and recognize God as the only available Giver of Mercy because we each deserve eternal death as a result of our sin. We cannot even lift our eyes to Heaven, as the tax collector demonstrated. Not because we think so terribly of ourselves and have lowered our innate worth as a person, but because we recognize God as perfectly holy and ourselves as utterly full of sin. We simply cannot bridge the impossible chasm between us. THIS is a humble heart. THIS is the heart God looks upon and says, “Yes! Welcome Home, Child! You are forgiven and free!”

Everyday Application

1) Why does Luke record the aside note in verse 9 of Jesus’ purpose in telling this parable?
When we read Scripture, it’s absolutely imperative we begin with the original purpose as much as possible in order to make correct application to our own lives. Luke, because he was a natural investigator, makes it easy for us to know we are headed in the right direction with this parable, but we must not gloss over his purposed introduction. This parable is not about how to be a good Christian, or who should come to church (temple), or even how to pray effectively. Though we can gain insights about each of these areas, they aren’t the main reason Jesus told the parable. We would miss the mark of understanding HIM if we go off on our own tangent to make HIS parable into something He didn’t intend. What are good applications for our everyday from this teaching? They are many! But let’s hang out with a handful of them that center around the original meaning and let the Spirit convict our hearts as we pray and study His Words before ours. In a nutshell, the original intent could be phrased, “Self-Righteousness Cannot Justify Us Before God”. Now, let’s offer out our hearts to the Spirit, asking Him to convict us of sin and change us to be like Him! We could ask the Lord, “Where am I holding onto my own “goodness” with You?”, “Am I expecting You, Lord, to act on my behalf because I have told You how much I “deserve” it?”, “Do I expect others to behave or speak in a certain way toward me because I have declared myself “worthy”?”. These are only a few questions we can bring to the Spirit through prayer, but when we pair true Scripture study with genuine, humble prayer, we can be absolutely certain the Lord will speak to our hearts!

2) What are the identifiable hinge points of each prayer? (verses 11-13)
The first-century Jews believed that if they went to the right place and did the right things, they would be right before God. We may live centuries later, but we can be guilty of believing the same deception! Bring these questions before the Lord as you authentically pray, and see how the Spirit convicts you, teaches you, and encourages you. Consider writing down your thoughts as you pray and listen to the Lord as He reshapes your heart to be like His! Ask God, “Where are the places I go, actions I take, and words I say that lure me to trust myself and my own goodness to give me access to You?” “Have I elevated my church attendance, service, giving, or personal ministry to others as a “good work” that You now “owe me” for, or that I “passively brag” about to others to show how “good” I am?” “Remind me, Spirit, that I am justified through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone and my good works have absolutely no bearing on Your love for me, acceptance of me, or Your willingness to forgive my sin.” Consider taking the next few days and studying up on the core tenants of why Christians believe they are saved by grace, through faith, and of Christ; our Journey Into Sola is a great place to begin! When we study Scripture with a humble willingness to be changed by God, He will shift our hearts! (https://www.gracefullytruthful.com/journey-into-sola)

3) Why are Jesus’ closing remarks so important to the whole of the story? (verse 14)
Jesus begins His closing statements with an interesting phrase we might easily gloss over, “I tell you…”. The Jews held the Pharisee as the Top Dog of Jewish Law. None ranked higher in understanding the nuances than a Pharisee, but Jesus, ever intent on the flipping the tables of our worldviews, speaks with unequivocal authority, “I tell you…”. I, as God the Son. I, as God in the flesh come to rescue you from your bottomless, hopeless pit of sin. I, the God of Mercy. I, the original Law Giver who came to perfectly fulfill the Law and the Prophets for you because you never, ever will. (Matthew 5:17) You can’t. Your sin stops you. Your righteousness will fail you because it isn’t perfect. I know this, and I have come to Be Your Rescue. I have come to be Righteousness FOR YOU. “I tell you…”. Have you adopted these words into your view of self and God? What do they mean for you? What chains can fall away because of their truth? What burdens of “good works” and “trying harder” and “just can’t do all the things” would Christ desire to lift from your shoulders right now, in this moment? He is speaking, Sister, are you willing to give it up to the God of Mercy?

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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!

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Sacrifice Day 3 Two Sacrifices

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 18:9-14
Matthew 19:16-30
Luke 11:46-53
Amos 5:20-24

Sacrifice, Day 3

Jesus loved flipping worldviews upside down.
Sometimes He flipped literal tables.
Most often, He pierced the darkness of ordinary, self-applauding human nature with the blinding brilliance of God’s love.

In Jewish religious culture, no human was more highly lauded than the Pharisee. They had political power, money, pedigree, clout, and oh, the most important? Righteousness. These were the holy, the elite, and highly favored as God’s “super-players.” To a Jew, a Pharisee’s prestige was unsurpassed.

On the flip side, tax collectors were “most despised” within Jewish culture as the poster-children for Roman control and unbridled gluttony. Overtaxing to pad their own pockets, tax collectors were extremely wealthy; their arrogance and greed were undeniable. The swagger of their steps, the bulge of their food-ridden bodies, and the luxury of their clothing garnished disdain from every Jew. If anyone would never enter the kingdom of Heaven, it would be a Roman Tax Collector.

So Jesus, intent on penetrating the hearts of His hearers so they might see Him as the God who sacrificed Himself on their behalf to pay their full debt of sin, began His story. Perhaps He paused along the road, allowing a wide field and smooth rock to be His amphitheater as listeners pressed closer under the hot Judean sun.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray,” He began, and instantly all eyes affixed on His.
The temple to pray? These were holy men desiring God; this would be a good story!

Jesus inhaled, making eye contact with several sprawled before Him.
Spirit, bring their hearts to us. Open their blind eyes to see the Salvation before them!

“… One a Pharisee and the other?” Jesus paused, eyebrow raised. Would they hear Him this time? Would they understand He was their sacrifice and their “righteousness” could never earn them favor with God? “… a tax collector,” He exhaled.

The shudders were visible across the crowd as they recoiled at His inclusion of a tax collector in His story.

Animated, Jesus jumped atop the rock and called out, “The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself…” Jesus raised His hands with mock humility and grand sweeping gestures before continuing, “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people–greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Jesus pointed His finger with the full theatrics of a condemning Pharisee.

The audience was hooked. Jesus nailed it. This is a Pharisee!
How right of the Pharisee to elevate himself to God.
Get that tax collector out of here!
He’s not like a righteous Jew, and certainly not like the righteous Pharisee.

Jesus’ demeanor instantly changed as He prepared to “flip the tables” of the peoples’ understanding. Gone was the façade of swagger. Tears pricked His eyes, and though He bowed His head and began beating His chest in the common motion of humility, His voice of authority carried across the warm field,

“But the tax collector, standing far off,
would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but kept striking his chest and saying,
‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’”

Silence.

Even the bees and locusts couldn’t be heard as Jesus paused,
looking again at each face before Him,
pleading with the Spirit to light darkened hearts
with the the truth of His Perfect Sacrifice
for their utter dearth of righteousness.

His people were trapped in their sin without escape. Oh how they tried to be good enough on their own, but they must see their “goodness” was nothing more than bloody menstrual rags. (Isaiah 64:6)
Rottenness accosting the Holiness of God.

How desperately they needed a Savior!
One to part the Heavens (Psalm 18:6-19),
pay the debt they owed in full (Hebrews 9:26),
die the death they could not escape (1 Corinthians 15:3),
and rise again to conquer death and sin forever (Revelation 1:18)
on their behalf.

Here was God in the flesh standing before them.
The perfect Sacrifice.
To do exactly this.

All through the ages His people had turned against Him, rejecting His perfect love in exchange for idols (Ezekiel 14:3), pride (Jeremiah 50:31), and unabated evil bringing death to everything.

Abel offered the best of himself.
Cain clutched his pride.
(Genesis 4:4-7)

The widow held out the smallest coin, representing the entirety of her possessions.
The wealthy dropped money by the bag-full.
(Luke 21:3)

The tax collector beat his breast with the agony of his wretchedness.
The self-sanctioned Pharisee touted his “good deeds” to a perfectly Holy God.
(Luke 18:12)

Two Offerings.
Only one was acceptable before the God who took the debt of sin upon Himself. (1 Peter 2:24)
The humble heart of contrition.

Only Abel’s offering was acceptable.
Only the widow’s poverty was made much of.
And our tax collector?

Jesus lifted His voice again,
“I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other,
because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Only the humble are brought near to God, for only the humble recognize the utter disgrace of their wretched sin against the flawless perfection of Holy.

Only the humble are positioned to receive the offering of life held out by the God who Sacrificed Himself, that His people might come home to Him.

“Be miserable and mourn and weep [over your sin].
Let your laughter [of prideful arrogance] be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:9-10)

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The GT Weekend! ~ Wilderness 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) Israel was wandering in a literal desert and became so fixated on their perceived lack, they completely forgot the power, authority, and compassion of the God who lovingly freed them from 400-year slavery. Later, when Israel would finally cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the same God who compassionately cared for every need in the desert, instructed them to build a monument as a visible, tactile reminder of His good care for them. He promised He would provide, and in great abundance, He did exactly as He said He would. Looking at our struggles is easy. Choosing to complain flows effortlessly over our lips, but let’s choose to differently this weekend. Let’s be intentional to tabulate the goodness and mercies of the Lord. Maybe we will even post them on social media or share them with a good friend, our spouse, a child, a pastor, or a neighbor. May our lips declare the goodness of the Lord God who faithfully provides for every need! When we choose rejoicing and decide to set our gaze on the Giver instead of our perceived lack, suddenly the walls don’t seem to press quite as tightly. Rejoice, sisters, rejoice!

2) Set aside. Un-usable. Broken. Purposeless. Barren. Our hearts break as we think through the implications of each of these words in connection with our lives. Some wilderness experiences are more painful than others, but suppose the Lord intends to use each season as a pathway to rely on Him more deeply? For Sarah, the wilderness of her barrenness lasted into her nineties. I know I’ve called out, “How long, Lord?!” in my own seasons long before 90 years have passed! Finally, when the Lord told Sarah she would bear a son, she laughed in utter disbelief. I probably would have too! Despite her blatant doubt, the Lord remained faithful to do and finish the work He intended to do in and through her. How does this reality comfort and encourage you? If you clung insistently to the truth that God is steadfast in His work, would you be able to regain steady footing more quickly in everyday life? Prayerfully ask the Lord to remind you of a few scenarios that tempt you to doubt and question Him. Hold out your disbelief to the Lord and ask Him to anchor you in the truthfulness of His unchanging character!

3) Bethany shared of a wilderness season in her life when her family was caught between a promise and its fulfillment. Every avenue they pursued seemed to dead end; clarity for “next” seemed illusive at best. Which scene from your life best fits this description? Maybe you’ve shared tactics with Bethany as she desperately tried to throw potential solutions at her problems, only to end up more discouraged and lacking answers. If we naturally trusted God instead of ourselves, we wouldn’t need seasons of wilderness for God’s Spirit to teach us to depend on Him. But we do inherently trust ourselves. The Lord lovingly leads us into Wilderness Wanderings so we will stop trusting our failing humanity and instead place our faith on the unshakable God. Choosing faith in God over us requires much more time and practice than we would like to think. Consider doing something small and tangible every day to remind you to choose faith in God over relying on yourself. Maybe it’s memorizing a new Scripture or setting an alarm on your phone to pause and pray. Or maybe it’s simply drawing a heart on the inside of your wrist and with every glance you can remember to trust His heart over yours. Choosing Christ will always reap the greatest rewards!

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 Exodus 33:18-22 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Prayer Journal
Around me, whether I’m currently in a desert wilderness, being pressed on all sides, or enjoying the dance of delightful days, You remain constant. My praise can rise to You regardless of the rhythm of my everyday life. Moses stood on the precipice of leading Your people deeper into the wilderness. So many unknowns stretched before him, and surely fear swirled around him, yet he knew his steadfast, anchoring hope was found in You. Lord, I ask You to cultivate this heart response to wilderness seasons in me. When I sense fear rising and my circumstances shaking, teach my lips to plead like Moses, “Please, let me see Your glory!”.

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Wilderness Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) We began our Journey Into Wilderness with an easily forgotten Old Testament wanderer, Cain. Perhaps you’ve never read his story, or maybe you only think of him as the murderer who jealously killed his own brother. Maybe, like me, you’ve never considered how your wilderness may have reflections of Cain’s wanderings. Remembering that every story in the whole of Scripture is meant to point toward the grander narrative of the Lord Jesus’ rescue for sinners and His magnificent love for them, how can you see God’s gracious love toward both Cain and Abel? (read their full story in Genesis 4) We may want to excuse ourselves from the wrecking shame and damage of sin, by claiming we’ve never done “that”, where “that” is our “unthinkable deed”. In doing this, however, we easily gloss over our other sins. None of us can be excused from the deadly price tag of sin. All sin breaks relationship, no matter how large or small. As you reflect on Cain’s story this weekend, ask the Lord to convict you of sin. Then take the next step and bravely confess that sin to another fellow believer and ask them to hold you accountable in not choosing that sin.

2) On Wednesday, Paula provided us with comparison between our lives and embroidery work. The backside is a seeming disarray of crisscrossed, zig-zagging threads jumbled, cut, and tied in a ridiculous maze. Only when flipping over the final product can we make out the lovely scene produced by the apparent tangling of threads. What scenes of your life feel, or have felt, chaotic, mismatched, and meaningless? As you reflect on these, what emotions are the strongest? Put names to them and think about the pains involved in those scenarios. Considering Job’s losses in the areas of health, friendships, wealth, respect, and family, which ones most closely connect with your story? Job’s pain ran deeper than he ever anticipated, as evidenced by his desire for death and his wish to have never been born. Still, he refused to curse God, and insisted the Lord was sovereign and good. What truths will you adamantly cling to as you re-frame your wilderness season? Are these truths reliable? How do you know? Spend time in this weekend reading Job 38-42 and glean stabilizing truths!

3) “If I become a Christian, my life should be easy, successful, and enjoyable.” This is an easy misconception to fall into, but we only need to briefly read Scripture to understand that belief system isn’t supported by biblical teaching. If Christ Jesus, as God the Son, entered the Wilderness, was persecuted, threatened, disowned, mocked, ridiculed, and torturously killed, why would His followers expect to be treated royally with a life of ease? Why would anyone decide to commit their lives to following this kind of Savior? Have you asked yourself this question? Amazingly, our reasons for why we follow are layered into Jesus’ wilderness experience. He holds all authority. Though He took on human flesh, and chose humanity, He still retained His deity. At any point during His wilderness Jesus could have ended Satan’s attacks and sent him packing. But He didn’t. He chose suffering again and again, so He could be our personal Savior. The God who holds all authority also loves with empathetic compassion having lived humanity like us, but was without sin, unlike us. In incredible love, He did what we could not accomplish on our own, and He holds out this gift freely for all. Yes, following this Savior is worth everything.

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 Job 23:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold. My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept to His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commands from His lips; I have treasured the words from His mouth more than my daily food.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, I am a mess. My heart loves myself. My circumstances are a swirling mess of puzzle pieces. I get lost in alternating waves of doubt and trust for You. My faith is weak. This pressing on all sides wears me thin. Still, in all of this, Your Word says I am known. My ways are known by You. My brokenness, my weariness, my doubts, fears, and desperate places as I wander this wilderness are all known by You. Lord, my God, my only Hope in life or death, You promise to bring me forth through all of this as pure gold. Lord, what a breathtaking wonder! What an astounding, attentive, loving Sovereign! My Jesus, remind me of this truth when I’m tempted to only fix my attention on my surroundings. You are worthy of my constant praise! May my heart learn to worship and trust You alone in this process of refinement!

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