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Author: Rebecca Adams

The GT Weekend! ~ Surrender Week 2

February 4, 2023 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Surrender Week 2

Rebecca Adams

February 4, 2023

Discipline,Equipped,Faithfulness,Fellowship,Giving,GT Weekend

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Psalm 16:7-8, 11

I will bless the Lord who counsels me— even at night when my thoughts trouble me. 8 I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (…) 11 You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; at Your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

I bless You, Lord God, for counseling me and holding out wisdom to me, whether day or night. Your wisdom is constantly available to me, not even for a moment am I left abandoned without access to You and the wisdom of Your ways. Lord, teach me to surrender my ways to Yours. May I find Your ways to be sweeter, more abundant, and flooded with the richest of joys than anything else I could imagine.

Every day teach me to become more aware of the wickedness of my ways and create an ever-increasing hunger to long for Your paths of righteousness. I long to honor You with my days, my nights, my words, motivations, and actions. I pray, Lord Jesus, that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart would be pleasing to You. (Psalm 19:14) May I cast out all other idols and seek to love you first and most and best for all my days, Lord Jesus Christ.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

“What if God sends me to Africa?” “What if God tells me to sell my car for a cheaper one?” “What if God wants me to give up my extra spending?”

If you haven’t asked these specific questions, you’ve likely wondered something similar. We understand that calling Christ “LORD” of our lives involves total surrender. Surrender is painful.

I’ve wrestled with these questions many times in my own faith walk, and I can confidently attest it is significantly more painful to resist the Lord than to lay ourselves down at the feet of His eternal goodness and grace. When we consider the cost of surrender, we easily forget the Lord to whom we surrender is gentle, tender, kind-hearted, and good. Christ does not call us to surrender our things, our time, and the treasures we love because He is greedy, rather, His call is motivated by His vast love.

He knows that until we tear down the idols we cherish, we cannot fully embrace Him who is infinitely greater than all other “lesser loves”. What is that “thing” the Lord keeps whispering to you to surrender? Choose today to give it over to His hands of Love!

JOURNAL TWO

On Wednesday, Deborah wrote, “The perverse dark world, blinded by its sin, shrieks at the light and beauty of Jesus.” Consider those you know who aren’t Christ-followers; how have you seen this truth played out? Where do they pull back harshly from the thought of Christ’s light exposing them?

Even harder, where do you feel your own soul run shrieking, begging to stay hidden in the dark so you don’t need to be conformed, often painfully, to the image of Jesus?

Sisters, I plead with you and with my own soul, these are the places we must bring to the Lord Jesus. The more we pull them back, the more painful it will be when the Lord has His way with us. His love for us is too vast to permit us to remain chained to our filthy patterns of self-love, self-protection, and sin.

Have you considered how rejecting full surrender to Christ is really a rejection of perfect love played out in your life? Spend time this weekend thinking about why you would rather choose to hide in the dark than bring your everything into the light of Christ, then talk with Him about it!

JOURNAL THREE

I have friends, and even more grievous to me, precious family members, who look at my consistent decisions to sacrifice worldly pleasures and they are repulsed. “Why don’t you like that tv show?” “Why don’t you enjoy this music?” “You don’t have a life-goal of a bigger house?”

Sara and Rachel’s words yesterday remind me of 1 Peter 4:4, “They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.” When we choose Christ and choose to regularly surrender to His work in our lives, He changes our appetite toward worldly things; we begin to crave the holy instead of that which dishonors the Lord Jesus.

Take a few minutes and consider what has changed about your “appetite” in the last 12-18 months. How has Christ shaped your “hunger” to long for Him, His word, and His ways more than your own? Celebrate what He has done in you and ask Him to keep making you new! Then spend time praying for your friends and family who haven’t yet experienced the sweetness of Christ as their Lord. Ask Him to begin to change their heart-appetite toward the things of God that will last for eternity.
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The GT Weekend! ~ Surrender Week 2
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Posted in: Discipline, Equipped, Faithfulness, Fellowship, Giving, GT Weekend Tagged: generous, greed, idol, pride, self-love, surrender

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 3

July 30, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Many of us know the hard edges of pain, injustice, and sorrow we felt would surely swallow us whole, or worse, bit by bit. Joseph’s story, the longest recorded single narrative in Genesis, is fraught with many opportunities to sink into the waves of sorrow, bitterness, and injustice. But God’s love was, and always will be, the greatest game changer of every story. In His lavish love, He strengthened Joseph’s faith in the midst of suffering and, rather than allow him to be swallowed by grief and despair, slowly taught Joseph to trust the Almighty Sovereign God. We each have this same choice. Every day. Every moment. Inside of each second of mundane or pain, God has provided the opportunity to lean into Him with authentic honesty or pull back. When we lean in, He increases our faith, strengthens our souls, sustains us, and gives His courage and peace. When we pull back, we soon find ourselves running blind through a minefield of bitterness, anger, depression, and despair. In the end, we lose everything. Take time to identity the opportunities the Lord is giving you recently. Where do you find your heart turning?

2) Joseph wasn’t really looking for redemption. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see the familiar faces of his brothers amidst the sea of faces that day as they came to Egypt, bowing to him, to purchase grain. Redemption and restoration within his family relationships may have surprised Joseph, but it didn’t surprise the Lord. He had seen this day from long before Joseph’s brothers had plotted to murder him. The Lord knew redemption was coming when Joseph unjustly sat in prison. More so, the Lord knew all the internal wrestling, heart ache, and grieving hot tears Joseph would cry in the years between being sold into slavery and the day he would embrace his brothers with glad tears. God never once abandoned Joseph; not one of His promises was broken. The Lord proved faithful at every single point, and eventually, Joseph saw with his physical eyes what the Lord had taught him to see with his spiritual eyes: redemption. The Lord loves us far too much to simply give us what we think we want in the physical realm without first teaching us what we really need in the spiritual realm: God Himself. Wherever you are in your own journey, high hope or struggling to lift your head, be encouraged that the God of redemption sees you, and He knows your redemption story inside and out. Trust Him!

3) Every injustice. Every broken place. Every wound that has relentlessly damaged bodies and relationships. Every single tear that has stained our cheeks. Healed, made whole, and redeemed one day. Joseph experienced only a small sliver of the full redemption the Lord had planned for His people during his life. Joseph’s family experienced partial redemption and the nation of Israel was blessed temporarily with safe harbor and sustaining food for a season. Eventually, though, Israel became enslaved for 400 years and suffered significantly in many ways even into modern times. Still, their homecoming is sure and certain, and so is ours. Whatever good we experience and whatever redemption we receive in this life is merely a hint of the good restoration still to come for those who have trusted Christ completely for their salvation. When we choose to adjust our lens to see our struggles with the perspective of Home on the horizon, even hardship becomes more bearable. Practice turning over your perspective to the Lord this weekend. Ask Him to fix your gaze on the eternity to come! To help you anchor in this truth, marinate your soul in truths of Scripture like Revelation 21 and 22 and Psalm 27.

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 13:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, like Peter at the Last Supper, like Joseph in prison, like Israel wandering the desert, like Abraham leaving his homeland to follow Your lead, Your words speak truth to our reality, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” (John 13:7) When You sat with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), when You commissioned Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9), when You came to Isaiah in a vision (Isaiah 6), they had no way of knowing what You were doing in their timeline or how it would echo through the ages. But You did; You knew all along. You never cease to be faithful, steadfast, and true.

Teach us to trust You with our stories. Teach us to honestly bring You every piece of our painful suffering, surrendering it fully to You, and waiting with great, expectant Hope for Your sure and certain coming redemption. What You are doing now in our lives, we cannot comprehend the wide spectrum You have planned, but teach us to live by faith and not by sight. May our hearts choose praise, worship, and adoration now, whatever our circumstances look like. Here is my life, Lord God, make Your redemption known in its storyline!

Worship Through Community

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Posted in: Anxious, Believe, Broken, Excuses, Faith, God, Good, Gospel, Grace, Journey, Joy Tagged: faith, follow, GT Weekend, hope, redemption, story, suffering, worship

Sketched X Day 9 Dreams & Designs: Digging deeper

July 21, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Dreams & Designs!

The Questions

1) Why is the timing in these verses recorded and how is it emphasized in the narrative? (verses 1-14)

2) What is the reader to learn about God and His revelations from this passage? (verses 15-27)

3) Why would the author record Joseph’s statement regarding the Lord’s determination of His plans? What does this reveal about Joseph’s faith? (verse 32)

Genesis 41:1-32

At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2 when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4 The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.
8 When morning came, he was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
|9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards. 11 He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning. 12 Now a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation. 13 It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.
16 “I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows—weak, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. 21 When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up. 22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk. 23 After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.

28 “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.

Original Intent

1) Why is the timing in these verses recorded and how is it emphasized in the narrative? (verses 1-14)
Immediately before the introductory sentence of chapter 41, “At the end of two years […]”, we read the closing sentence of chapter 40 which provides significant context, “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” While imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two fellow prisoners. Joseph pleaded with the Cupbearer to remember Joseph and his unjust treatment when he was returned to his previous royal position, but the Cupbearer forgot him, and so Joseph stayed in prison for two more years. The author (Moses) also included the small words “the end” to emphasize completion of a term. The Lord God is never in a rush. Though Joseph had surely pleaded with God for freedom from injustice many times in the 2+years he’d been imprisoned, the Lord would answer Joseph’s prayer at just the right time. The series of events, though certainly chaotic and without reason to Joseph, was carefully arranged and allowed by the Lord. The famine was coming, the good years were coming, and the Lord would use Joseph to position him at just the right time in order to save not only his family, but also allow for the flourishing of a new, budding nation of Israel. The Lord loved Joseph, and Israel, too much to allow Joseph’s shortsighted pleadings to short-circuit Joseph’s coming redemption and Israel’s growth. More markers of time passage are included in this passage to emphasize the preciseness of the Lord’s arrangement. “When morning came” (verse 8) speaking of Pharaoh’s passage of time and “today” (verse 9) speaking of the Cupbearer’s negligent forgetfulness and “then” (verse 14) speaking of Pharaoh’s conclusion to send for Joseph all underscore the reality that nothing in this narrative was happenstance. God used every single detail to bring about the next steps in His plan of redemption.

2) What is the reader to learn about God and His revelations from this passage? (verses 15-27)
God is not aloof, far-off, and neither has He posted a “Do Not Disturb” sign on His door. He wants to be known; He wants humanity to seek Him, follow His ways, and learn to trust Him. Though He, as sovereign Lord of the Universe, is absolutely not required to give dreams to people, He does, precisely because He wants to be known. The Lord is also a God of clarity, not mystique, deception, or confusion. God provided dreams to Pharaoh, a man who did not worship the Lord God in any fashion, in order to make Himself known to Pharaoh, but also to demonstrate to Pharaoh His character of orderliness and understanding. Pharaoh didn’t understand the meanings, but that didn’t negate that clear meanings were both intended and would be provided by the Lord. The Lord raised up the “dream expert” in His own time, and in His own way, after He had allowed Joseph time to wrestle with his faith for many years and land in a place of trust in the Almighty. Through the man of God’s own choosing, what had appeared confusing at first, was plainly revealed. In the same way, Jesus, to whom Joseph points us, would one day make very clear what seemed hidden to the Jews. He would shine clarifying light on the Old Testament and show how Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled every promising hope hidden in its pages. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8) While the Lord provided a clear interpretation to the dreams, we mustn’t miss there was only one correct interpretation, and everyone knew it, even the pagans. The magicians and wise men in all of Egypt, on hearing the dreams, knew they couldn’t correctly interpret it, for the Lord was holding its meaning. (verse 8) Only the man the Lord had chosen to interpret would have the correct interpretation.

3) Why would the author record Joseph’s statement regarding the Lord’s determination of His plans? What does this reveal about Joseph’s faith? (verse 32)
Joseph was given dreams and their interpretation from the Lord since he was a youth, but now as he stood before Pharaoh, his faith had grown and deepened in ways he couldn’t have fathomed all those years ago when he’d received his first dream. Joseph’s first dreams promised a coming time when his own brothers would bow down to him, but the timing of this dream’s realization, and the picture of what its actualization looked like in real life were likely radically different from Joseph’s first thoughts. Would he be king? Would he move from his father’s house into the lap of luxury? Would his dream make him powerful enough to silence his brothers once and for all? Maybe the “dream expert” spent many hours wondering how his dream would play out and when. In his thoughts, how easily could he cast aside that it was Yahweh, the Lord of All, who had given the dreams and would bring them about in His time? Did Joseph fall for the deception that these dreams were his destiny and it was up to him to make it happen? Perhaps pride puffed him up for years before the Lord began to bring him low, and lovingly teach Joseph how the Lord’s dreams weren’t about Joseph, but about the Lord God. The provision would be the Lord’s, just as the dreams were. The interpretation belonged to the Lord, just as Joseph did. The timing was the Lord’s, not Joseph’s to control. The fulfillment of the dreams rested solely on the Lord. Joseph emphasized how determined the Lord was to bring about the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams because it was a lesson he had well-learned in his time of training with the Lord.

Everyday Application

1) Why is the timing in these verses recorded and how is it emphasized in the narrative? (verses 1-14)
It’s interesting to study what people choose to put down on paper, to record, to keep, and be re-read at a later time. It reveals quite a bit about what was important to them and who they are as a person. Old journals are particularly interesting, especially after a person has passed away. We wonder, who were they really between themselves and the page? How much more curious ought we be when approaching Scripture?! This is God’s own Words revealed to us about His heart and purpose for His people. More so, it’s living and active and effective as it teaches us applicable truth for our everyday moments in the middle of our own century! (Hebrews 4:12) Whether you’re an avid journal-keeper or not, what might you choose to record about your life in this season? What are your views of the Lord and His timing? Do you believe you are commander of your own destiny or does the Lord have any rule in your life? How do the words recorded in Joseph’s narrative land inside you? Do they compel you to worship the Lord for His kind goodness and constant presence or do you sense yourself pressing against Him in your soul? Regardless of where you are in your faith journey, be comforted by the truth that even the fact that you’re reading this today, at this moment, isn’t random. The Lord has a purpose for you just as He did for Joseph. As we learn to trust Him more and more, we discover not only our purpose, but also the grand love of the Lord as He thoughtfully pursues us with goodness and mercy. (Psalm 23:6)

2) What is the reader to learn about God and His revelations from this passage? (verses 15-27)
In today’s culture of dreams and visions and “prophetic words”, it can be easy to miss the main reason the Lord has given revelation of Himself through dreams and visions. If we move so fast into interpretation, seek what it could mean, or draw out the course of our lives, or rush to determine a “promise” from a dream, we have missed the Lord’s emphasis. He wants us to know Him for who He is as the Lord of All; everything else flows from this. When it comes to interpreting dreams or Scripture itself, we must remember what the pagans knew so well. The Lord has one correct interpretation to the original intent. We would be wise to consider the warning the Lord gave to the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, “The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Is not my word like fire”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and like a hammer that pulverizes rock? Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who steal my words from each other. I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration. I am against those who prophesy false dreams”—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.” (Jeremiah 23:28-32) Let’s exercise a holy awe and caution when reaching for interpreting dreams; let’s hold fast to the Word of the Lord as our foundation!

3) Why would the author record Joseph’s statement regarding the Lord’s determination of His plans? What does this reveal about Joseph’s faith? (verse 32)
The Lord never wastes suffering for those who have entrusted themselves wholly to Him. (1 Peter 5:10-11) He uses it to shape us into the image of Jesus, so we can more beautifully reflect Him to the world around us. (Romans 8:29) We cannot reflect a God of love if we have not learned to trust Him. Neither can we reflect His kind, humble goodness if we are trapped inside our own pride. Joseph began his faith journey with the Lord full of youthful arrogance and pride. Instead of causing us to look down on him, we ought to be so richly comforted! The Lord called Joseph and gave him the gift of dreams and interpretation. Over time and through hard suffering, the Lord would finish His work and place Joseph in just the right place to use His gift at just the right time that the Lord had pre-ordained. (James 1:2-4) The same is true for each of us. (Philippians 1:6) When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, His Spirit gives us gifts we are to use for the benefit of believers and for the strengthening of the Church. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) Our pride will puff us up when we look at our gift, but when we lean into the lessons the Lord teaches us about Himself in our suffering, we learn what it looks like to love like Jesus! (1 Corinthians 8:1)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Dreams & Designs!

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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Posted in: Believe, Courage, Digging Deeper, Equipped, Faith, Fear, Glory Tagged: dreams, glory, God, interpret, Joseph, sketched, vision

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 1

July 16, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Digging Deeper author, Patty Scott, held up snapshots of Joseph’s life and challenged us to consider how nearsighted we are when we view snippets of our own lives. It’s easy to longingly ache for more, for wholeness, for redemption, for better than our current hardship. We hunger for a season when the pressing isn’t so intense, and like our New Testament brother in Jesus, Stephen, we can wonder how our seemingly senseless difficulty could result in good. When we hold up Joseph’s and Stephen’s stories to Jesus and the Eternal Hope He offers, we are encouraged to take a broad scope lens approach to our own suffering. Learning to trust in the Hope of Jesus takes time as God’s Spirit teaches us through hardship to fix our eyes of Him instead of our circumstances. What is your perspective on the details of a current hardship? If you’re in a sweet place, where does your anchor lie for when the details shift from easy to hard? Take some time to read and reflect on the words from the Lord found in 2 Corinthians 4:14-18 over the weekend and let them take root in your heart!

2) As Joseph’s story began in the early years his fledgling faith was barely beginning, but he leaned into what he knew to be true despite the chaos and challenge of his life. The Lord was revealing Himself through the heritage of Joseph’s past and through dreams. His home life was painful and unstable in many ways, but he still believed the Lord enough to trust the dreams he’d been given. Through the pages of Scripture, we see the Lord revealing Himself to His people in small portions that increase over time as they deepen in their faith. This is true for us as well! Consider where you are in your faith journey. What do you hold to be true about God? Where did you learn it? Who influenced you in these beliefs? What do you hunger to know more about Him? Are you allowing your circumstances to dictate what you believe or the truth of Scripture? Take just 2 minutes this weekend and write down what you believe about God. Ponder these reflections and give them over to the Lord, letting Him lead you into deeper understanding of Him as you seek His face!

3) Injustice piled on top of injustice for Joseph. I’ve felt the same in my own life. My gut response is to seriously question the goodness of God and whether He really sees me and knows me. It’s so easy to doubt Him and, in place of faith, wonder if He will really do anything about unjust treatment. When resolution and redemption don’t happen on my timetable, I begin to doubt whether Scripture is true when it says the Lord is a God of justice. (Isaiah 30:18) Lord, pour spiritual cement on my heart when these temptations to doubt come at me; anchor me in truth and don’t let me leave! When are you most tempted to doubt the Lord and His goodness? Consider your default setting of belief about the Lord when you experience easy seasons and then again in hard ones. Do your beliefs align with what the Lord says about Himself in Scripture? Are you willing to embrace what God’s Word says or will you hold fast to your perspective? Think about the why behind your answers and bring this to the Lord!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, I can look backwards in my life and see how faithful You have proven to be to me and to every promise in Your word. When doubt creeps in, I can look straight to Scripture and see how You prove Your faithfulness through every story. Holding onto truth is much harder than holding onto lies; Lord Jesus, increase my appetite for truth and lead me away from temptation to believe deceptions.

I know You will follow through on Your word to redeem my suffering for good, to bring healing from my brokenness, and to restore the years the locusts have eaten. (Joel 2:25-26) Keep leading me to surrender my plans and expectations to You in the middle of suffering. Teach me to be strong and courageous and wait for You to move perfectly in Your time to accomplish Your good work! (Psalm 27:14)

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Posted in: Jesus, Lord, Love, Made New, Reflection, Spirit Tagged: Jesus, Lord, love, made new, reflection, spirit

Sketched X Day 5 Injustice Upon Injustice

July 15, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 30:15-22
Genesis 37:12-36
Genesis 39:1-20
Acts 8:26-40

Sketched X, Day 5

Joseph
My body racked with pain and it shook violently. Of their own volition, sobs overtook my frame. My legs could not sustain my weight and I crumbled beneath my grief. I gasped for air, my ribs pressed in, and I tasted the metallic hint of blood where my own teeth had crushed my tongue in anguish. The pain was too much. My fists clenched and opened rhythmically as I furiously pounded the hardpacked earth beneath me.

No, I wasn’t being tortured by enemy forces. No whip lashed my back. My head was not bowed by blows to my brow. The agony inside threatened to swallow me whole.

Injustice upon injustice was mine.
“Yahweh!” “Where! “Are!” “You!”
Each word punched the air as I screamed, the stone walls deafly pressing my agony back upon my ears.
Other prisoners banged on their bars to stop my clamor, but I didn’t care. What did it matter? My only hope of escape had flown away, the stones seemed tighter every day, and the memories of old dreams mocked me every time I closed my eyes.

My brothers’ sheaves bowing down to mine, then theirs turned to laugh at me with disdain.
My beautiful coat paraded as a king’s and then covered in goat’s blood.
The stars encircled me and then my embers exploded into oblivion.

Why would you mock and humble me, Yahweh?!
I obeyed you!
I listened to Your voice and believed You when You gave me dreams.
I was faithful to You and didn’t give in to temptation with Potiphar’s wife!
I sought You, not myself, for the answers to other prisoners’ dreams.

AND WHAT HAS MY OBEDIENCE GOTTEN ME?!
Injustice Upon Injustice

Philip
“I don’t understand,” the Ethiopian continued as he turned his eyes from the scroll to meet mine. “Who was despised? Why should we bother if he was rejected?”

Instantly, gruesome images and horrific sounds assaulted my mind’s eye as Isaiah’s centuries-old prophesies had played out right before me days before. The Spirit of Christ living within me had brought me to this Gentile Ethiopian’s chariot because he needed to know the truth. He needed to meet the risen Christ that Isaiah had foretold would come to suffer.

As the scenes in my mind flashed, God’s Spirit inside loosed my tongue and I explained Isaiah’s words.

“His body was wracked with pain as the Roman whip bit into his flesh, tearing skin away and exposing the bones of His spine and ribs. His wrists bled profusely where He was tied to the whipping post. The cries of a man near death hung in the air that morning, haunting all of us. The whip was not enough, of course”, I continued, not even seeing the Ethiopian beside me, for I could only see the scarcely recognizable body of Jesus in my mind.

“Thorns pierced His brow,” I went on, knowing I could do nothing to stop my voice from shaking. “Blood. So much blood, it was everywhere. But even the nails piercing innocent flesh and the wretched pain they brought, were nothing compared to the agony inside Him as He was separated from the Father as He bore our sin.”

I caught my breath and fixed my eyes on the Ethiopian. He must understand. “He was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5)

I made no attempt to stop the flood of tears now streaming down my face as I repeated Jesus’ anguished words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?!” (Matthew 27:46)

The man’s eyes still clouded with confusion, so I begged the Spirit to make it clear to him as I said, “Isaiah’s prophesied Messiah is Jesus. He took our place, took our punishment for our sin and suffered injustice upon injustice, that we might be freely restored to God forever.”

Joseph
Slowly my heavy weeping slowed, my body spent. Dirt that had mixed with my tears and saliva caked my face. Broken and shaking, I lay silent, wondering if the Lord would hear my cries.

Unsuspectingly, an early memory of my father wafted over me like a welcome embrace. I saw my young, boyish self sitting at his feet and heard his strong voice warming me as he told me again how the Lord had come to him in one of his dreams. My eyes were alight with wonder that Yahweh would speak to Father and unwittingly my breath caught in my chest as I remembered one particular phrase, “I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.” (Genesis 31:12) The God of Dreams SEES injustice. Surely, Yahweh longs to reverse the curse of injustice and usher in His favor just as He did with my Father!

I uncurled my frame and sat upright, wiping my face and breathing deeply, calmly, as if with new life. Yahweh sees. As I held onto this truth, repeating it over and over, memories came flooding back of how the God who sees injustice and gives Himself for the righteous had acted for me and generations before me.

Yahweh was indeed a faithful God and deep inside, I knew my story was not over here surrounded by stone, dirt, and darkness. He would finish the plans He had for me; I would wait for Him.

I bowed my head as fresh tears of gratitude washed my face. My once-clenched fists now lifted upward with palms raised in worship to the God of all Faithfulness who would take my injustices and finish the work to make me whole!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
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And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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

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Posted in: Christ, Freedom, Holy Spirit, Spirit, Truth, Yahweh Tagged: Christ, freedom, Holy Spirit, spirit, Truth, Yahweh

Whole Day 12 Whole Story Messengers: Digging Deeper

July 5, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Whole Day 12 Whole Story Messengers: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

July 5, 2022

Digging Deeper,Fellowship,Forgiven,Grace,Redemption,Relationship,Unity

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Whole Story Messengers"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.

23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. 25 Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

26 “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

28 “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

29 “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. 32 Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)

The Book of Matthew, and the other Gospel books of Mark, Luke, and John, closely follow Jesus’ active ministry years from beginning to end. Jesus expends a lot of energy throughout His ministry emphasizing the importance of repentance and recognition of Him as Lord and Savior in order to be reconciled to God.

Jesus describes one of the marks of a genuine, reconciled relationship with God as being how lovingly we engage in relationships with others. Though Scripture has much to say about loving and reaching out to those who don’t know God, these verses in Matthew 18 reference those already in Christ’s kingdom (Christians).

Chapter 18 begins with Jesus’ disciples asking, “[W]ho is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”. (verse 1) This information provides us the contextual setting for Christ’s words in verses 21-35 which describe another aspect of what it looks like to be “greatest” in His kingdom. In fact, the whole of chapter 18 paints a picture of who is “greatest” according to God.

As Jesus addressed the heart-posture of His followers, He spoke of attributes like childlike humility and tender care for individuals within Jesus’ flock, the Church. These characteristics reflect God’s unending forgiveness toward other believers as God has covered the believer’s sins with the blood of Jesus. It is this combination of forgiveness and patient endurance Jesus calls Christians to live out among each other in order to remain reconciled to one another.

This love distinguishes His disciples from the world (John 13:35) and demonstrates to the world God’s offering of forgiveness for those who repent and follow Him.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)

Undoubtedly, we’ve all experienced hurt from others in life. Some hurts are small while others are so painful we would be well-served to navigate them with Christian counseling. When preparing to live overseas as missionaries, it’s often said the hardest people to love are those within God’s church. Hmmm, say that again?! The church is supposed to be the safest, easiest place to love others!

In the context of self-sacrificing, generous, forgiving love, everyone will experience God’s love in action, which overflows into living peaceably. God teaches us how to love one another in His Word. God promises His Spirit is actively working in us to complete His work in us. (Philippians 1:6) God promises to use our perseverance in trial to lead us into deeper maturity as His sons and daughters. (James 1:4)

When a Christian repents of sinning against God and is reconciled to Him through forgiveness and the blood of Christ, that person is not immediately made perfect and neither am I.

Some of my own past thoughts and habits are not yet realized as to sin to me; I have more growing to finish. Or, if they are, self-control of them has not yet been worked out to the point of eliminating that sin.

What has God most used to convict and free me from my sin over the years? The perseverance and patience of my Christian brothers and sisters. Their grace towards me and readiness to forgive me has played a crucial role. Authentic, loving believers who listen well and exhibit gentleness when I confess my sin spurs me on to follow Jesus more closely. While God’s church may, at times, be quite unbecoming, God is at work bringing us to completion through continued repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. May this love call the lost to Jesus!

The Original Intent

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)

The Enduring Word commentary notes the traditional “holy” response from Jewish Pharisees was to forgive an offender three times. Knowing Jesus is gracious and compassionate, Peter extended that number to an extraordinary “seven times”. Jesus’ response, however, revealed His endless heart of divine love as He instructed Peter to forgive an offender more times than he could count by saying “seventy times seven”. (verse 22)

Prior to this conversation, Jesus outlined explicit teaching for His gentle, loving approach to correcting and restoring a brother or sister who has sinned against another believer. Of greater importance even than the crucially important loving correction within the Church, Jesus focused on the vast forgiveness of God that ought to be reflected by His people.

In verses 23-27, Jesus described a servant who owed the king ten-thousand talents. A commentary from the Working Preacher explains this would equal about 150 years’ worth of income. A nearly incomprehensible amount! The first servant had incurred a debt that was impossible to repay. Lavishly, the king did not provide any ultimatums to earn forgiveness, rather, the king was compassionately moved by the servant’s imploring and freely cancelled the debt. The king took the financial hit himself, wiping clean the record of debt just as Christ does for us as the substitutionary atonement offered between us and the King of the World.

Christ took the hit of death and separation from the Father for our sin. Then, He made the offer of a cleanly wiped slate to all who trust Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Tragically, the servant left the king’s presence and demonstrated a total lack of mercy toward another servant who had incurred a lesser debt. His selfish greed reflected his lack of genuine sorrow or understanding of the grand forgiveness bestowed on him.

The Everyday Application

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)

My oldest child persistently uses unkind words toward his siblings and parents for attention. This child also happens to have a processing disability, including complex emotions. We take hours of time to converse again and again about how words hurt people. On occasion, he connects that if he wants something (a toy or reconnection) he can hug me with an apology of mumbled and jumbled words. At times, the apology is forced through a rehearsal. Frequently, perhaps within the hour, he will use hurtful words again.

Does he actually understand and mean his apology? Do I continue forgiving him and encourage my other children to do so as well? How weary we feel at bedtime!

This example might seem simple to forgive as you consider he was born with a disability, but are we really much different in our own deficits of understanding the ways of the Lord? Doesn’t a Christian spend their lives learning the depths of what Christ means for us to live out His joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control? (Galatians 5:22-26)

We often respond based on a level of understanding that makes sense to us. Jesus prods us ever further to love like Him. R.C. Sproul wrote a helpful article noting that Scripture never commands us to forgive one who is unrepentant, but we do have the freedom to still offer forgiveness just as Jesus asked God to forgive those who nailed him on the cross. Scripture DOES command us to rebuke one another with the readiness to forgive and reconcile for even the same repeated offense. (Luke 17:3-4)

We lack the ability to fix a fellow sinner who is, perhaps, wearing us down with their offenses, but we also have the never-ending call to be ready with reconciliation in the strength of the Lord.

The Original Intent

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)

As previously noted, the verses prior to this passage discuss a plan of correction when one believer has sinned against another. This discussion prompts Peter to ask his question of forgiveness. As we read the dialogue, Jesus’ response centers around His disciples loving one another. He is not explicit in this parable on the part of whether each servant was truly repentant. Instead, He focuses on the one in position to forgive or withhold forgiveness.

Earlier in Matthew, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray by modeling what has now become well-known as the Lord’s prayer. (Matthew 6:9-14) When stepping back to scan the whole text, it is interesting that Christ pauses to reiterate forgiveness before shifting to the topic of fasting. The Lord’s prayer ties our request for personal forgiveness to our willingness to forgive others. (Matthew 6:12)

Christ re-emphasizes forgiveness again in the verses following His model prayer. (Matthew 6:14-15) When studying an overview of Bible verses on forgiveness, I do not find direction or allowance to withhold forgiveness from one another until someone repents, but I do see plenty of calls for repentance before the LORD GOD Himself and for Christians to live peaceably with one another as far as they are able. (Romans 12:18) 

As I chew through these hard teachings of God’s love displayed through forgiveness, I see hope for the struggling and pained in this parable. In the end, the King returns to settle grievances and dole out justice. May we not find joy in another’s suffering of judgment, but comfort in the Lord’s righteousness and coming justice! (Romans 12:19)

The Everyday Application

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)

Several years ago a devastating story was reported of a pastor who went to the gym and returned to find his home a crime scene and his wife murdered. Days later, the pastor publicly claimed he’d forgiven the murderer. This response perplexed me. Why and how could he say these things?

Surely the Bible doesn’t call him to forgive these strangers who had shown no sign of repentance. The Enduring Word Bible Commentary provides helpful insights.

First, there is a distinction between forgiveness, which is one-sided, and reconciliation, which requires two parties to participate in both repentance and forgiveness.

Secondly, we are one sinner striving in relation with another sinner. As such, true forgiveness is only possible as an overflow from our relationship with the Lord. Only He, the divine God who perfectly loves and forgives, is capable of cultivating His forgiveness in us. (Luke 7:47)

This is a different relationship than a sinner being fully forgiven by a holy God. We are not in a position of righteousness, but rather one who also needs the covering of Jesus’ forgiveness through His sacrificial blood. God is holy; He is the One most grieved by evil, even our smallest sins. Graciously, the LORD is also the most ready to forgive when a broken heart is burdened by their offense against the righteous LORD and harmed others. The LORD is also just; He will one day carry out complete justice.

This pastor, in his deep grief, knew that in order to live without bitterness, his heart must be always ready to forgive. (Ephesians 4:31-32) He had long leaned into the Spirit of God who had faithfully taught him to forgive. This man took his own sin seriously and he confidently trusted that His King would one day make all things right. (Psalm 94)

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church,forgiveness,redemption,restoration,unity,whole
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The continuum of reconciliation is ongoing. It requires us to understand the past and properly assess the situation in front of us. This step of obedience will lay a foundation of empathy and trust, paving the way for us to make connections with the messiness of this world. Our message is full of hope because of Jesus, and our world needs all the hope it can get. Reconciliation requires us to find a commonality with the person next to us and use that as a connection point before we launch into the heart of the matter.
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Posted in: Digging Deeper, Fellowship, Forgiven, Grace, Redemption, Relationship, Unity Tagged: church, forgiveness, redemption, restoration, unity, whole

Whole Day 8 Identifying The Oppression

June 29, 2022 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

Whole Day 8 Identifying The Oppression

Rebecca Adams

June 29, 2022

Anger,Broken,Confession,Cross,Deliver,Design,Forgiven,Freedom

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 22:3-5
Proverbs 31:8-9
Zechariah 7:9-10
John 1:1-16

The snarls of a sinister enemy snaked through the goodness of Eden, deviously plotting the downfall of the Almighty who had cast him from His glorious presence.
How the enemy loved himself. How he loathed the Almighty.

Humanity would pay the price of the enemy’s sickening self-love by carrying his pride in their hearts, grooming it, making it their own, then calling it righteousness by justifying their selfish pride to the Almighty. Perfectly mimicking the enemy’s craft which had earned him ejection from The Presence.

“I’ll make it appealing”, the enemy drooled with demonic delight darkening his eerie eyes. Love for self, hatred for others. His breathing slowed as his shadow fell across Eve’s innocent face as she delighted in the husband she’d been lovingly given by the Maker. “I’ll make them murderers of one another as they feast frenetically upon the lusts of their flesh”, his callous thoughts crept through him as quickly as the greed glowed in his belly. “Almighty will not have the final word. I will make His beautiful creation suffer. In killing them, I will kill Him”.

Then, adorning his luscious invitation with a lethal portion of deception, the enemy lured Eve with a single question meant to draw her into his grasp and under his oppression. “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3:1) For if you question God and His goodness, you question everything.

We know the rest of the story. Innocent Adam and Eve ensconced in Eden’s luscious beauty, wide eyes curious at the heavy fruit in hand.

One.
Single.
Sin.
Death had snatched Life away.

Perfection had now fallen under the monstrosity of ominous oppression.
Corruption held the scepter and the enemy laughed, sure of his venomous victory.
The world wouldn’t need to learn to hate, kill, lust, thieve, gossip, eye-roll, bicker, and mock for oppression was now written into their DNA.

Natural man would take after their new father and sin’s self-love would spread like an uncontrollable wildfire, ravaging, killing, destroying everything from atoms to earthworms to bodies with earthquakes, poison, divorce, genocide, slavery, abortion, addiction, and the like. Nothing was untouched by oppression’s insidious sickness.

How do we identify oppression?
We look for the darkness.
We look for the absence of Light.

On the grand scale and the small ones. As we look at the nations and inside the isolated islands of our homes, oppression rages on. Cancer, mental illness, abuse, tragedy, complaining, bitterness, anger, slander, murder. It hides its snarling sickness in rage and rape and behind the gruesome masks of bigotry, prejudice, pretentious piety, and chauvinism. Oppression’s enslavement marks us all; it’s meant to kill, demean, and destroy for Sin and Death are its father.

The enemy hates the Almighty and oppresses His people.
The Almighty hates the work of the Father of Lies and every single act of oppression.
But lest we walk away with the ludicrous assumption the enemy and the Almighty are equal in force, hear the Word of the Lord.  

Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;
they shook because he burned with anger.
Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.
He bent the heavens and came down,
total darkness beneath his feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his hiding place,
dark storm clouds his canopy around him.
From the radiance of his presence, his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals. The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard.

He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed,
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out to a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
For you rescue an oppressed people,
but you humble those with haughty eyes.
(Psalm 18:7-19, 27)

Long before the crafty serpent had even considered the plot of his disastrous deceit in Eden, the Almighty already knew of Satan’s vile plan, and He’d already decided to sacrifice Himself for His people.

Yes, Satan plotted to slay humanity pressing them farther and farther from the Father who lovingly crafted them to enjoy relationship with Him.
But in a radical act of unfathomable humble love, the Almighty allowed Himself to be slain by the sinners, then rise again to conquer sin and death forever. Death had been swallowed whole by Life! (1 Corinthians 15:54)

Yes, oppression’s foul stench is everywhere in our world, but the Light of the Victor shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) As Christ-followers run toward the broken, the battered, the lonely, the fearful, and yes, even the angry and abusive, we bring with us, the victorious light of the One who has conquered Sin and Death forever.

Oppression’s power is vanquished by One Name, The Lord Jesus Christ.
(Philippians 2:10-11)

See the oppression, surrender your own rebellion, and fearlessly carry the Light of Love by the power of Jesus into the world around you for nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

Tags :
beginning,Christ,curse,Eden,hope,Oppression,rescue,Satan,Savior,Sin,victory
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Everywhere oppression and injustice exist, Jeremiah’s words still carry the authority of the Lord God. We are not exempt simply because we live in 2022. How will we live out the rest of today differently because of Jeremiah’s relevant message? How will we shift the direction of our lives tomorrow? Not sure? Commit to reading just these brief verses every morning and praying for the Lord to convict and shape you as you take in His living and active words. (Hebrews 4:12)
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June 20 - July 8, 2022 - Journey Theme #109

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Posted in: Anger, Broken, Confession, Cross, Deliver, Design, Forgiven, Freedom Tagged: beginning, Christ, curse, Eden, hope, Oppression, rescue, Satan, Savior, Sin, victory

Whole Day 7 Oppression’s Source: Digging Deeper

May 28, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Whole Day 7 Oppression’s Source: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

May 28, 2022

Christ,Digging Deeper,God,Heart,Holy Spirit,Love,Sin

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Oppression's Source"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

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

The Original Intent

1) “Flesh” is mentioned three times in one sentence. What is meant by this focus-word? (verses 3-4)

The Bible uses “flesh” in different discussions with different meanings based on context and purpose of the discussion. This should remind us that studying Bible words in their original language and context is extremely important. 

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel spoke positively of flesh when he prophesied of a coming day when the Lord would give Israel a new heart, replacing their heart of stone with a heart of “flesh”. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Paul spoke positively of flesh in a similar meaning of “soft and malleable” when he wrote to the Corinthian believers of Christ’s letter of love written by the Spirit on “human” hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

Of the 140+ times the Greek word for flesh, σάρξ, is used in the New Testament, however, the connotation is overwhelmingly negative. It’s largely associated with sin and often used to contrast the life that is only available through surrender to the Spirit of God at work in a genuine Christ-follower with the life of enslavement to sin that is the default heart-position for every human being. (Romans 7:5, Romans 8:5, 2 Corinthians 7:1)

In some cases, however, σάρξ is a neutral reference simply stating a reality in the same way we might say, “we all have skin and bones”. Paul’s usage in the context of these verses is mixed!

First, he acknowledges a reality that we, speaking to genuine Christ-followers, are living in our human flesh (neutral reality). Then Paul moves deeper and teaches us that our ability to fight against sin and sinful desires isn’t limited by either the flesh of our human reality or the sinful impotence of our former way of life before coming to Jesus for freedom and forgiveness.

We are equipped with a far greater power than anything Sin or Humanity can offer for we have the power of the Almighty God at work within us!

The Everyday Application

1) “Flesh” is mentioned three times in one sentence. What is meant by this focus-word? (verses 3-4)

We see oppression in the broader scope of our culture, cities, and the globe and we ache, knowing it is surely not as it was meant to be. It’s easy to see the vastness of oppression and feel completely incapable to make a difference.

What could we do with one ordinary life against such incredible brokenness? Just as easy to dismiss is the reality of our weaponry as genuine believers in Jesus.

True Christ-followers have recognized the oppression in our own souls by Sin and sought freedom from the Only One powerful enough to provide our forgiveness. Full of grace and truth, this merciful God delivers His own Spirit inside the heart of all who have truly surrendered to Him.

By this power of God Himself inside us, He actively empowers, leads, and equips us to accomplish God’s mission of building His kingdom and pressing back against evil in everyday life. His purpose to give freedom from oppression spans everything from the relationships within our walls to the nations around the world.

If we seek the Lord, pleading His cause of justice, He will move in us as His ministers of reconciliation to bring about His purposes by His power. (Luke 4:18-19, 2 Corinthians 5:19)

The Original Intent

2) What is laid out to be demolished? (verse 4-5)

Paul purposed to describe not only our power source “through God” (verse 4) but also our battle plan for how to use our weaponry against a targeted enemy.

We should also note from this passage the importance of using God’s weapon in God’s way for it to be effective. “[…] weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.” (verse 4)

The strongholds to be demolished by God’s power are marked by arguments against God which are sourced by arrogant pride. Anything that runs counter to knowing God, which encompasses all that He is and the freedom from sin He offers through the sacrificial blood of Christ, is pure arrogance. In ancient times, attacking enemies would lay siege to a city.

If the attacking army endured long enough, eventually the isolated city would run out of supplies, manpower, and sustenance providing an easy target for victory. This was common knowledge, especially for the strategic trade city of Corinth who fought many battles to protect its location and power by building strongholds.

If victory was more likely for the attacker of the stronghold, how much more effective would the All-Powerful God of the Universe be against any spiritual stronghold? None fights like the Lord God; His victory is sure and certain. No stronghold can sustain His power!

The Everyday Application

2) What is laid out to be demolished? (verse 4-5)

Only when we bring all things under the lordship of Christ, as “captives” from the enemy, can we adjust our mindset to become more like Christ in how we engage the world around us.

We all have “strongholds” in our hearts and lives, areas we arrogantly don’t want to surrender. We will remain captives in these citadels until we decide to surrender to Christ’s ways. Only His weaponry can free captives from the chains of sin, flesh, and pride.

Ask the Lord to reveal the areas of your own pride. As you let the Spirit lead you to reflect, what areas do you bristle at with quick justification?

This is pride, Sister.
Call it out for what it is, surrender it to the Lord Jesus Christ, and be freed from the citadel of your own making. Let the gospel ring out loud and clear in your life and overflowing in your relationships! 

As you survey the landscape of your city, nation, and the world, what strongholds is the Spirit leading you to be heartbroken over because of oppression? Fight these with the weaponry God provides! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Original Intent

3) Are believers meant to demolish other’s arguments with decisive verbal victories and claim Christ as their authority? (verse 4-5)

Paul’s language sounds intense with words like weapons, warfare, and demolish! Does this intensity match how Christ commands us to live as His followers? Are we to engage in verbal biting combat until we prove our victory?

Sisters, this is not the Lord’s way, and neither is it Paul’s point!

Again, studying the full context of biblical passages is essential! Backing up to verse 1, we gain an entirely new insight, “Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person[…].” 

What a starkly different description Paul gives of himself! Demolish, warfare, meek, and gentle don’t commonly fit together. You might picture Paul as a fierce, stalwart itinerant preacher, but the early church had quite a different perspective. His letters were received as kind, gentle, wrapped in humility, and threaded through with deep affectionate love for the Church. There was even word going around that Paul was too “soft” to lead and didn’t carry any real authority. He was just too gentle to make a real difference or hold anyone accountable.

This section of Paul’s letter addresses this misconception with bold clarity. As gripped with compassion as Paul was for the lost, those who lived as enemies of Christ (Philippians 3:18, Romans 9:3), he had no tolerance for sin and mishandling of Scripture. He would fight tooth and nail to protect right interpretation of God’s Word and identify sin as vile rebellion within the church. (2 Timothy 2:15, Titus 2:1)

The Everyday Application

3) Are believers meant to demolish other’s arguments with decisive verbal victories and claim Christ as their authority? (verse 4-5)

Paul stood on the side of God’s authority by His own Word expressed through His Spirit. There is no higher authority. There is no safer place to be than sheltering behind the God who moves against the oppression of sin.

Likewise, there is no more dangerous place than living in active rebellion against this same God. Paul was widely known for carrying himself with the likeness of Christ’s meekness, gentleness, humility, and broad-sweeping compassion. He urged all fellow believers to do the same in their everyday lives, which includes all Christians today. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Consider how your children, spouse, or neighbor might describe you. How do you respond when your well-laid plans don’t work out? How do you treat those with whom you are angry? When you experience injustice or even simple disappointment what attributes color your face, tone, and body language?

Like Paul, are you widely known for your gentle compassion? Harsh, cold, biting words, tone, and actions shouldn’t describe any genuine Christ-follower.

Arrogance says I must win this argument and prove my point. Confidence in Christ says because I love you so deeply, I am compelled to point you to truth with firm gentleness. (2 Corinthians 5:14)

God will win against sin’s grip for His victory is sure and certain over every stronghold, but how we handle ourselves as His ambassadors will either further His kingdom or stand in rebellion against Him. How will you choose to live today?

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Posted in: Christ, Digging Deeper, God, Heart, Holy Spirit, Love, Sin Tagged: knowledge, obey, Oppression, surrender, whole

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship X Week 1

May 14, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) 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

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14