Author: Kendra Kuntz

Sketched X Day 3 Shepherd Boy

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Sketched X Day 3 Shepherd Boy

Kendra Kuntz

July 13, 2022

Dream,Faith,Family,God,Love,Yahweh

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 37:1-19
Psalm 105:7-11
1 Samuel 16
John 10:11-18
Luke 2:25-35

The sun burned and sweat dripped down my back as I trudged home. We were supposed to be shepherding our father’s flocks, but Father needed to know about my brothers’ behavior. It’s my duty to give him an honest report of what’s happening, which is usually less than honorable.

I’ve watched the effect of Yahweh’s presence on my family. I remember how Father’s gait changed following his encounter with God one night. I was a young boy, but I know he hasn’t always walked with a limp. 

I’ve seen with my own eyes the place where Father entered into a covenant with Yahweh at Bethel.  (Genesis 35:1-15) I know the passion in Father’s eyes when he speaks of the covenant passed down since Great Grandfather Abraham. I know our family is flawed with three step-mothers, ten step-brothers, and a step-sister; what else can be expected? 

Despite the chaos of home, I know Yahweh is real. I know He has called our family to greatness, especially me. Because of His calling I must always be honest, even if I anger my brothers. I must uphold my duty to Yahweh and to Father.

Shortly after bringing Father the ill report on my brothers, Father gave me a special robe. It displayed every color of the rainbow and featured elaborate stitching and intricate details. I’d never seen a robe quite like this one. (Genesis 37:2-4)

Part of me filled with deep dread when he gave me the coat. My brothers were already livid with jealousy; everyone knows I’m Father’s favorite. When I was younger, they used to joke about Jacob, our father, being Grandfather’s favorite, but comments of Father’s favoritism toward me aren’t jovial; they drip with bitterness. 

This wonderful and exuberant coat, I really love it, and I love Father deeply. I don’t want to disappoint him, and I’m honored he knows me well enough to design a robe I’d thoroughly enjoy. 

So, I wore the robe with pride, but the familiar pit settled in my stomach when I saw my brothers’ faces. It’s hard to feel confident and loved when the only words they speak are cruel. They purposefully trip me, ignore me completely, or mimic my every move.  

Still, Yahweh reminds me of His hand on me. One night I had a dream of such vivid brilliance that I woke up breathless. It surely meant something! I felt a reassurance deep in my soul: Yahweh had something special planned for our family, like Great Grandfather Abraham and Grandfather Isaac promised. 

Perhaps if I told my brothers this dream, they’d feel Yahweh speaking to them, too.

Maybe they’d know He had an important plan for our family and even for me! 

Maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t hate me as much if they knew Yahweh would use me for something great. 

“Brothers! Listen to my dream! It was so real and the colors so magnificent, it surely came from Yahweh!” I told them I’d dreamed we were binding sheaves in the field when my sheaf arose and stood upright.

At first, their faces held a mixture of amusement and leariness, but when I told them their sheaves encircled mine and bowed down, their faces reddened, burning with anger. 

“Oh, so you think you’re going to reign over us? You’re so full of yourself, you think we’re all going to bow to you? Ha!” They angrily laughed at me, then turned away. They hadn’t believed this dream came from Yahweh at all. 

A few days later, I had another dream. Like the last, my dream was so vivid I had to squint from the brightness of the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me. I woke up wondering if I’d even been dreaming. 

Perhaps if I told my brothers about this dream, too, they’d believe my first dream and they’d realize the importance of these dreams! Yahweh would use our family in mighty ways and He had a specific purpose for me! 

This time I shared my dream while Father and my brothers were together. However, my face flushed a flaming red this time, not from anger, but in shame as Father rebuked me. Even he, who knew me so well, didn’t understand the significance of this dream. 

It has been a few weeks since my last dream and once again, sweat drips down my face as I head toward Shechem to check on my brothers for Father. To honor Father, I donned my colorful robe and headed out to see my brothers, even though I know they’ll be angry to see me.

David: While King David wouldn’t descend from Abraham’s lineage for a few hundred years, he and Joseph were both the younger of many older brothers, who shepherded their father’s flocks. They both would start off as unassuming teenage shepherds who would one day shepherd entire nations with which God entrusted them. (1 Samuel 16)

Simeon: God spoke to Simeon through visions over one thousand years after He spoke to Joseph through dreams. Joseph would see his dreams come to fruition and eventually understand the meaning of them; so would Simeon. God is never-changing and the God who gives visions can be trusted. He is a promise-keeper. (Luke 2:25-35)

Jesus: Some scholars count as many as 105 similarities between Joseph and Jesus. As adolescents, both Jesus and Joseph were shepherds; however, Jesus was already shepherding the hearts of those around Him when He was just twelve years old. (Luke 2:41-52) There are many references to shepherding throughout the Bible, and all of them point to Jesus as The Good Shepherd. He is loved fiercely by His Father and faithfully cares for the sheep entrusted to Him (that’s us!). (John 10:11-18)

A Note About Sketched

In Sketched themes, we imaginatively step 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 viewed God, themselves, and the world around them.

Perhaps we will find parts of our story reflected in theirs!

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Dream,faith,family,God,love,Yahweh
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Friend, have you been the casualty of favoritism in your family? It can be a painful experience causing years of hurt and lasting insecurity. One sad part of this story is the lesson unlearned. How could Jacob not have recognized the damage favoritism would cause? He’d lived it! He had feared for his own life at one point, knowing the emotional distance there was between his brother and himself all those years ago. He surely remembered how all the problems were centered around his parents playing favorites. Thankfully, the stories of Isaac and Jacob don’t end with them or the failures of their parents.
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Calling Day 13 One To Another

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:15-6:9
Mark 12:28-34
Psalm 133:1-3

Calling, Day 13

I saw the picture.
I bet you did, too.

George Floyd’s body on the ground, a police officer’s knee to his neck.

I. Can’t. Breathe.

And the Church began to move.

While racial injustice has soared for the United States’ entire existence and slavery built the understructure of our nation, we’ve been quiet.

Excuses.

“If only…”
“Well, if they hadn’t…”
“They should’ve…”

Until the injustice was so blatantly obvious we couldn’t ignore it any longer.

I’m ashamed it took the dying words of a lynched man to wake us up.

Our call to love, to submit, to live in unity within the Church is as old as mankind
because our God is a God of unity.

All throughout Scripture, God tells us to love. He shows us He is a listening and hearing God and since we were made in His image, we should be listening and hearing, too.

Yet.

We have women in abusive marriages begging for help.
While the Church looks away. 

We have children crying for parents to love and care for them.
While the Church looks away. 

We have Black neighbors decrying injustice and racism of all kinds.
While the Church looks away. 

Or, at least, it did.

In Ephesians, Paul calls the Church to action, disputing the idea we were ever given permission to turn a blind eye to the many dark injustices in the world.

First, he calls us to unity, instructing us to be wise and clear-minded. He exhorts us to speak to one another with the music of heaven threaded through our words and to worship together, offer our thanks to the Lord, and …
submit to one another in reverent awe of Christ. 

Did you catch the lack of distinction?

Submit.
Every. Single. Believer.

The world tries to put the Bible within the context of its own darkened, limited, sin-stained understanding. Unfortunately, many Christians believe the world, instead of reading the Bible and commentaries and seeking the perfect understanding of the Holy Spirit. (Example: the world likes to say, “Only God can judge me.” But we know from Scripture, that is a misrepresentation to excuse sin.)

So, it’s no surprise we’ve believed the world’s pronouncement that submission is archaic, antifeminist, and oppressive. The idea of submission can leave us with a bad aftertaste if we refuse to learn what the Lord truly means by the beautiful dance of submission.

The Lord’s desire for us to submit, each to the other, whoever the “other” is, regardless of gender, heritage, race, position, or ethnicity, is born out of how God holds submission within Himself as a triune God. Each member of the trinity actively submits to the other to bring about whole oneness and perfect unity.
A lovely, holy dance of submission, one to another.

If we, as Christians, submitted “one to the other”, we would look a lot more like Jesus than we do right now.

Biblical submission is not archaic, antifeminist, or oppressive.
It isn’t abusive, it’s beautiful.

Submitting means putting others before ourselves.

In fact, the idea of biblical submission is closely related to meekness. Before you start thinking this means weakness, here’s the definition Jesus referenced for the Greek word for meek:

“Intentionally choosing to lovingly, gently defer in order to esteem and value another.”

Meek submission requires strength of character, complete reliance on God to supply our needs, and a tender, compassionate willingness to pause and listen to others’ words and respond to their needs. Meek submission lovingly and intentionally lays aside our own arrogant need to be right and instead, elevates the other person.

In order to live this way in our everyday lives, we must first submit to God by fully grasping His will for the Church to live as one unified Body.

Now here’s the thing… when I say the Church looks away when injustice reigns, I don’t mean every church or every person in the Church, but shouldn’t we be unified in opposition to injustice?

When People of Color within the Church speak up on division, shouldn’t the whole Church hold each other up?
That’s unity.
That’s submission.
That’s meekness.

Paul goes on to explain wives are to submit to their husbands, children are to honor and respect their parents, and slaves are to obey their masters (or employees to employers), all of which looks like a big, heaping spoonful of beautiful, godly, strong and gentle, meek submission.

Before Paul really gets into details, he first instructs us to speak to one another in love, give thanks, and submission to one another.

No distinction. No qualification. No excuse.

All of us are to submit to one another. 

And all are to submit to Christ.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
–Jesus

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Calling Day 3 For The Church

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:15-23
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
John 14:25-26

Calling, Day 3

My Papa was a letter-writer.

In his lifetime, he wrote thousands of letters to people around the world, including many to his own family members. Papa claimed a corner of their kitchen counter as his letter-writing and Bible-studying station. His worn Bible sat on top of the yellow, lined notebook paper Gamma bought in bulk for him, and his highlighters and favorite pens were within reach at all times. I was scolded many-a-time for taking his pen from his station and not bringing it back.

When I left the home our family shared for college, the letters started and they didn’t stop. Papa went Home to Heaven almost four years ago, yet the letters keep coming, because every once in a while, I happen across an unopened letter.

Recently, as I was going through keepsake boxes at my parents’ house, I found such a letter. With a jump in my heart, I clutched it and imagined Papa writing it, his sprawling cursive shaky from Parkinsons’ and with the occasional German word mix-up.

But I didn’t open it.

Instead, I tucked it away for another day.
I couldn’t bring myself to open what could be my last message from Papa, despite the words of love and wisdom most likely filling the inside.

I imagine that same joy and excitement circulated when an early church received a letter from Paul. Paul did a lot of writing while imprisoned; this Journey Theme focuses on his letter to the church in Ephesus.

I also imagine, unlike me, they didn’t save their letter for another time. They delved right in, unaware this personal letter was inspired by the Holy Spirit and would become part of the Bible we read today.

Let’s dissect this prison prayer; for such a short prayer, it’s crammed with goodness!

Paul begins by explaining how thankful he is for the Ephesians’ faith in Jesus and love for all of the saints (ie, Christians), because it evidences their participation in God’s great work in the world. He shares how he has been praying for them with thankfulness both for them and their growth.

Paul prays with four main points:

  1. He’s praying they might know God
  2. He’s praying they’ll know and understand the hope of God’s calling
  3. He’s praying they’ll know God’s riches
  4. He’s praying they’ll know His power

In the Bible, knowing means far more than just possessing facts. Rather, it refers to an intimate, deep understanding and embrace of truth in our hearts, or spirits. Paul is praying for the Ephesians to fully know God, His calling, His riches, and His power in their spirits.

Furthermore, Paul is praying for the whole, global Church (including us!) to know Him in all of the facets of His character. For example, we may know Him as Savior, but not as Father, Friend, Guide, and Sustainer. Since we are made in His image, the more intimately we know Him, the more we will understand ourselves in light of Him.

How do we know God better?
Through enlightenment and revelation from the Holy Spirit as He opens the eyes of our “hearts” (again, meaning spirits or souls).

Second, Paul prays we’ll know the hope of God’s calling. In Greek, “church” is a combination of two words: “ek,” meaning out of, and “kaleo,” meaning to call.
Church literally meant “called out.”

We. Are. Called.

We’ve been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light! (1 Peter 2:9)

Paul is reminding the church in Ephesus, and the global Church,
we have great hope
because of by Whom we are called,
what we are called to do,
and because this world is not our final resting place.

Third, Paul fervently prays we’ll know God’s riches, but get this, he’s talking about US! WE are God’s riches! Just as man’s wealth lies with his treasure, God’s wealth is found in us, His treasures.

God deals with us on the basis of our future. We see throughout Scripture how He calls people what they will become, not what they are at the time (as when he called Gideon a valiant warrior while he was still cowering in fear). God’s riches lie in who we will be when we are glorified with God.

Paul is reminding the Church
we have great value in God’s eyes and much to bring to the Kingdom!

Lastly, Paul prays we will know the great power found in God; this power was fully displayed when Jesus was resurrected from the grave. With that same power, God saved us from the grave and has breathed new life into us.

Immeasurable
Greatness
Of His
Power
Toward us who believe, according to the
Mighty working
Of His
Strength.
(Ephesians 1:19)

Those are some big, descriptive words right there!

God is mighty! He has all power! And we have access to that power because we know Him!

Paul ends this prayer by reminding us Jesus Christ, KING Jesus, has ALL power and all authority! He is the head; we are His body!

So, Church (that’s us, sisters), grab onto our love-letter from God (the Bible), and flip to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (and ultimately, the Church as a whole).

Allow his prayer to wash over you,
understanding Paul was praying
we would know the Almighty intimately,
we would be filled with the hope of our calling,
we would remember our value in the Kingdom,
and we would grasp His great power, which we also possess through Jesus Christ!

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Ten Day 5 A Time For Sabbath

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:8-11
Mark 2:23-28 
Matthew 12:9-14

Ten, Day 5

I curled up in my chair with my coffee steaming beside me and opened my book.
The title beckoned, calling to my weary soul . . .

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. 

My breathing slows and deepens; I need this.

“Just before sunset on Friday, we finish up all our to-do lists and homework and grocery shopping and responsibilities, power down all our devices (we literally put them all in a box and stow it in a closet), and gather around the table as a family. We open a bottle of wine, light some candles, read a psalm, pray. Then we feast, and we basically don’t stop feasting for the next twenty-four hours. It’s the Comer way! And, I might add, the Jesus way. We sleep in Saturday morning. Drink coffee. Read our Bibles. Pray more. Spend time together. Talk. Laugh. In summer, we walk to the park. In winter, make a fire. Get lost in good novels on the couch. Cuddle. Nap.” 

As I read this paragraph in John Mark Comer’s book, I recalled some of the sweetest moments in my life …

A quiet afternoon reading and drinking hot cocoa in a ski lodge …
Napping on my couch as I listen to rain falling outside …
Slow, meandering walks with my girls …
Card games and family dinners around my uncle’s kitchen table …
Sunday drives in the middle of nowhere …

But for me, these times typically only happen during vacation or holidays; John Mark Comer’s family shares peace-filled days weekly!

I wanted that. 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
But that’s ancient history, isn’t it?
Or maybe it kinda-sorta applies to us, but we keep it holy by going to church… right?

To find our answer, let’s look back to Scripture. There’s a second component to this commandment:
“You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.”
(Exodus 20:9-11, emphasis mine)

First part: Keep the day holy. Remember God.
Second part: Don’t work. Rest.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ human-days took the second part of this commandment to the extreme. In fact, even today, Orthodox Jews strictly prohibit 39 categories of activities on the Sabbath (or Shabbat); these include the size food can be cut into, the texture of dough that can be made, and much more.

In Mark 2, Jesus abolished this legalistic mindset, reminding them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), meaning the Sabbath was created to help people, not burden them.

Contrastingly, we have the majority of the Church today, gathering on Sunday (our Sabbath) to worship, then catching up or getting a head start on the busyness coming at us in the week ahead: last minute projects and homework, cleaning the house, meal prepping, laundry. We don’t actually rest.

The Sabbath was never meant to be a catching-up day. 

John Mark Comer, and other pivotal leaders in the evangelical church are on a quest to practice the Sabbath in all its intended goodness and beauty. When planning an activity on their Sabbath (sidenote: often not a Sunday, as many are involved in full-time ministry), they ask:

  1. Is this worshipful?
  2. Is this restful?

And if the answer is no to either, then it can wait.

I’ve been delving into the world of practicing Sabbath because the calm and stillness and remembrance of this gift are so inviting. While I could write heaps, I want to share a few points to consider, then encourage you to read, research, and practice on your own …

God knew we couldn’t do it. 

But God loves us more than we can understand, so He gives us these commandments to lead us to His best for us. Yet we, in our rebellious sin, fight against His words, treating them as a burden, rather than a gift . . . and He knew we would.

Into this tension stepped Jesus and His death and resurrection. Even THIS commandment to honor the Sabbath points to Jesus, our sinful nature, and our great need for a Redeemer.

—

“Girls! It’s almost Sabbath! Help me get the dishes put away!” I call, and my three little loves rush into the kitchen to sort silverware and stack their bowls and plates. It is 5pm and almost time for our Sabbath. I’ve already deleted the social media apps from my phone, and spent the day preparing by wrapping up work.

As we settle onto my bed with our nontraditional, but weekly, Shabbat meal of chicken nuggets, french fries, and broccoli, I remind the girls why we take the time to remember God and what He has done.

“How have you seen God this week?” I ask my girls.

One of my twins says she saw Him in the beautiful flowers she smelled.

The other shares how she saw Him when she jumped in the pool and her entire head went under water.

My three-year old tells me she saw Him “everywhere.”

We’re still learning. We’re still practicing. But we’re taking time to breathe in deeply and worship the Lord while completely resting our weary souls.

—

For further Sabbath study, check out these resources:
“The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer
“The Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Annie F Downs’ highlight on Sabbath


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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!

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Redeemed Day 6 Favored Not Forsaken

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 2 
Exodus 17:8-16
Hebrews 10:24-25

Redeemed, Day 6

“Friend, I just read your blog. I’m praying for you and I’m behind you, and I’m also reminded of Moses. When the Israelites fought against Amalek, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed a hill. When Moses’ hand was raised, Israel was winning, but when his hand lowered, they began losing. When he grew too weary, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him holding up his hands. We will be here, holding up your hands as you grow weary and tired from battle. You won’t have to keep your hands raised on your own.” 

I sent this text to a friend, as I thought of all she walked through in the last year. I’ve watched the Church gather around her family, holding up their hands.

Community.

Beautiful, God-crafted, community.

We see this theme throughout Scripture, beginning with God Himself. He exists in the community of the God-head: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Community . . .  when God told Adam it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone.

Community . . .  when Noah and his family boarded the ark.

Time and time again, community arises in the most unlikely circumstances. David’s closest community was the son of the man trying to murder him. Jesus’ earthly community included the man He knew would betray Him to death.

And the famous matriarch, Naomi?
Her community came from her Gentile daughter-in-law, Ruth.

Ruth, who was new to calling Yahweh her God.
Ruth, who was from a different culture, yet returned to Naomi’s homeland alongside her.
Ruth, who was so much younger than her grieving mother-in-law.
Yet, the unlikely Ruth, exemplifies Biblical community by holding up Naomi’s arms when she was overcome with weakness and her feelings that God had forsaken her.

You see, when Naomi and her family left Bethlehem for Moab, it was only supposed to last until the famine eased.

But Moab brought Naomi nothing but turmoil as she watched each member of her family die.

I’ve walked through grief, like so many of us have already, and all of us will someday. While God’s original plan for this earth did not include physical death, it’s now an inescapable part of our fallen world. But death never has the final word, and despite Naomi’s heartbroken belief she’d been forsaken, God wasn’t finished with her story. 

After the death of her two sons, Naomi and her daughters-in-law began their return to Bethlehem. Eventually, Naomi convinced one of them to return to her Moabite family, but Ruth? She would not leave Naomi.

Naomi pleaded. She pushed Ruth away.
She tried to convince Ruth to abandon a hopeless life with a forsaken woman.
Her pleadings fell on deaf ears; Ruth was staying. She embraced Yahweh as her God and the Ephrathites from Bethlehem as her people, just as they were Naomi’s.

Community. 

When Naomi was weak and weary, Ruth would not abandon her, and believed, in Naomi’s stead, that God’s favor would fall on them.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, Naomi announced the Almighty had made her bitter, replacing her once-full heart with overwhelming, all-encompassing, and inescapable grief Naomi was empty. Forsaken.

But Ruth.

Ruth wouldn’t hear of it. Ruth believed favor would come, and she continued to serve Naomi, encouraging her, caring for her, and loving her. Naomi, in her heartache and sorrow, couldn’t see that Ruth was proof she wasn’t forsaken.
God had given her a daughter-in-law who was faithful, and their stories weren’t over.
Death wouldn’t have the final word!

The remainder of Ruth’s story overflows with the Lord’s kindly orchestrated favor and faithfulness to Naomi through Ruth.

Favor.

Not forsaken. 

As Ruth “just so happened” to  gather fallen grain from the field of a man named Boaz . . .
As Boaz “just so happened” to notice Ruth and show her extravagant kindness . . .
As Boaz “just so happened” to have heard how Ruth left everything she knew to stay with Naomi . . .
And as Boaz “just so happened” to be a family redeemer: one who, we’ll learn in the next few studies, could provide Ruth and Noami with a hope and future.

Favor. 

Not forsaken.

When Naomi felt nothing but forsaken and empty from the deep sorrow consuming her,
Ruth’s faith and faithfulness carried Naomi through.
Ruth held up Naomi’s arms, refusing to allow her to crumble, refusing to allow her to believe she was alone and death would have the final word.

That’s community, friends!

We hold each other up, speaking life and favor over one another. We walk alongside one another during the darkest of days and the hardest of times. We point one another to Jesus over and over and over. We hold up one another’s arms during battle, like Aaron and Hur and Ruth.

I’ve seen true, deep community lived out in the Church. I’ve experienced it during my own battles. It is beautiful. It’s how God designed community to be lived out; as a reminder to each other we are favored, not forsaken!

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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!

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He Day 10 Yahweh Shalom

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:11-24
Isaiah 9:6-7 
John 14:25-31

He, Day 10

I recently created a little playlist called “JOY,” full of songs that make my heart bubble over when I hear them. The songs are often classics and quite simple, a mix of hymns and Elvis, JJ Heller and Ingrid Michaelson, and, believe it or not … Mr. Rogers.

One of my fondest memories is sitting in the den at my grandparents’ house, watching Mr. Rogers while my Papa (who was quite like Mr. Rogers himself, but with a thick German accent and a beard) sat next to me. Hearing Mr. Rogers sing his simple yet deeply profound songs still fills me with joy. So, I added some of my favorites to my “JOY” playlist.  “Peace and Quiet” is especially meaningful:

“Peace and Quiet,
Peace, peace, peace [ . . . ]
We all want peace,
We all want peace.

Do you know what peace means? Peace is wonderful.

It sounds like a piece of bread or a piece of paper. But it’s so much more than a piece of anything. 

This kind of peace is something very comfortable. When you have it, you feel inside yourself that the people you live with care about you, and you care about them, too. And what’s more, you care about yourself. 

Peace means you can talk with people and tell them you’re happy or sad or angry or anything, and they’ll understand, and they’ll tell you how they feel, too.” 

I love Mr. Roger’s simple explanation of peace, because we can all understand the feeling he describes, even though our lives aren’t always peaceful… that is, not everyone around us has cared about us.

It’s amazing how significantly the presence of peace can be affected by our companions. My daughters and I recently spent the morning with friends and, as we sat in their backyard, I found myself breathing deeply as I recognized the peaceful atmosphere surrounding me.

Kids were laughing, our conversation ebbed and flowed, but because I was with people of peace, I felt peace. Like Mr. Rogers said, I could feel the care of my friends embracing me, and felt my own care for them in return.

In John 14, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.”

He’s given us His peace.

In fact, Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, the Prince of Peace, hundreds of years before His birth.

And even further back in history, humans recognized special peace from the Almighty.
Travel back with me to our war hero, Gideon (remember, the young guy empowered by God, who conquered the Midianites against all odds?)

Before Gideon conquered the Midianites, he was called into battle by none other than Yahweh Shalom.

Gideon was beating wheat while hiding from the Midianites, who’d been oppressing Israel for seven years. Israel had nothing, certainly not peace.

As Gideon was laboring in the hot sun, a stranger approached him and proclaimed,
“The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

The Lord is with you.

He’s with you.

Now I could talk at length about the words of affirmation and prophecy delivered when he called Gideon “valiant warrior,” but I want to focus on the first words spoken.

The Lord, Yahweh, is with you.
You aren’t alone.

But Gideon is confused, asking the angel, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why has all of this happened?” (Judges 6:13)

Gideon recognized the utter absence of peace in his community; if there was no peace, how could the Lord of peace be with them?

The angel commands Gideon to prepare for battle, because the Lord was going to use him to bring justice and ultimately, peace throughout Israel.

Gideon knows he’s the youngest member of an already weak family, and therefore, by any human calculation, the least likely to conquer the mighty Midianites. He’s confused and he’s scared . . . and then he realizes he’s talking with an angel of the Lord.

Petrified.

But the Lord reassures him, “Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.” (Judges 6:23)

The Lord knew Gideon’s heart, understood his deepest fear, and addressed it directly.

“Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”

While “peace to you” was a common phrase used when coming or going, on this day, Gideon perceived it differently. Perhaps, like a puzzle finally completed, Gideon realized Yahweh Shalom was with him, and His presence was peace.

Gideon commemorated this sacred moment by building an altar, calling it: “The Lord is Peace.”

Yahweh Shalom.

Not just, “He brings peace” or “He gives peace.” No.

The Lord is peace.

The Lord is our peace.
Because He is with us.

Remember how Isaiah declared the coming Messiah would be called the Prince of Peace?

Jesus came. He was with us. He walked this earth, breathed this air, lived life within the fleshly limits of the mankind His Father created.

The Prince of Peace.

Yahweh Shalom. 

We know Jesus isn’t physically with us today, and, in John 14, when Jesus told us about the peace He’d give, He knew He’d be returning to His Father in Heaven. Therefore, He spoke to us of the Holy Spirit, who would come and dwell in every believing heart, teaching us and guiding us.

God with us.

Yahweh Shalom. 

We all long for peace, as Mr. Rogers reminded us, and peace will never be found apart from God, because

He is peace.

The Prince of peace.

The Giver of peace.

Yahweh Shalom.

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He Day 3 Adonai

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Jonah 3
Acts 8:26-40 

He, Day 3

“Through your love and through the ram,
You saved the son of Abraham;
Through the power of your hand,
Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees,
You were the God who really sees,
And by your might,
You set your children free.”

Amy Grant.
Just her name triggers an avalanche of childhood memories.
From concerts, to cozy Christmases at home, to road trips with my mom, and, oddly enough, my alone time playing with Barbies, because yes, I totally named one after my favorite singer.

Her voice, along with Rich Mullins’ and Michael W. Smith’s, filled the quiet and stillness of my childhood home, and has worked its way into all of my memory’s cracks and crevices. One of the first songs I remember singing along to was,  “El Shaddai”.

As I’ve studied Adonai, and pondered this Journey Study, the song has been echoing in my mind constantly …

“El shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na Adonai,
Age to age you’re still the same,
By the power of the name.”

This song was my first, and until recently, only interaction with the term Adonai. I’ve heard this name of God over the years, but never understood its meaning. As I looked up the lyrics to refresh my memory, I had the “Aha!” moment I get every time I write a Journey Study. I need the topic to be real for me, to hit home. Then I am able to share what God is revealing to me.

Adonai is used throughout Scripture, not only in reference to God, but to anyone with authority as “lord” or “master.” Jews have been careful not to take the Lord’s name in vain, and often believed YHWH (Yahweh) to be so holy, they couldn’t even utter His Name aloud. In fact, Jews will still say Adonai, even if YHWH is written.

Additionally, Adonai was often the name Gentiles used for God, instead of YHWH. As we read Scripture, when LORD is spelled in all caps, then the translated word is YHWH. However, if it is spelled Lord, whether referring to God or anyone else, the translated word is Adonai. And when we see “Lord of lords” in the Bible, the phrase is actually “Adonai of adonais.”

Finally, in Scripture, YHWH is often used in God’s dealing with the Jews, while Adonai is used in His dealings with Gentiles. This subtle change paints a beautiful picture of God’s heart and character; as my friend, Rebecca, explains, “He wasn’t the one who changed; neither was His message of hope and redemption. Rather, simply by being called a different name, He flung wide the door for all to see He is for ALL peoples and ALL cultures.”

The idea of a God for all peoples of all cultures is seen throughout the Bible. Immediately, I am reminded of the Ninevites and their story of salvation in the book of Jonah. The inhabitants of the infamous city of Nineveh were Gentiles, yet God used His prophet to declare the freedom and peace found in repenting from sin and living for the Lord.

Adonai.

I’m reminded, again, of when Philip shared the Gospel with the Ethiopian traveler. The Holy Spirit directed Philip to a chariot on the road, where Philip had the opportunity to present the Gospel to a man who was so excited about the Good News of Jesus, he insisted on being baptized that very moment!

Adonai.

Now back to my “Aha” moment …
“To the outcast on her knees…
You were the God that really sees.”

These lines struck a chord in my heart as I imagined a myriad of encounters between God and an outcast woman in which He proved He saw her, both for who she was and who He created her to be . . .

Rahab. The prostitute.
Hannah. The wife who struggled with infertility.
Esther. The Jewish orphan-turned-Gentile-queen.
The Samaritan woman who was living in shame from failed marriages and relationships.
Maria Skobtsova. The single mom who was divorced twice and eventually became a nun.
Jackie Hill Perry. The woman who was a lesbian.
Kendra Kuntz. The woman who struggled with sexual sin in high school, shame throughout college, and eventually became a single mama to three girls.
You. All of your story.

Adonai.

And we’re just the very tip of the iceberg.

God is the Master. He is the Lord. He is the God who is for all people and the God who really sees.

We get yet another beautiful glimpse of who He is when we read Deuteronomy 10:12-22.
This whole section of Scripture gets my heart beating faster and my eyes welling with tears, but for me, the most meaningful part is in verses 17-19:

“For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords [read: Adonai of adonais], the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing.”

We serve a God who is for ALL PEOPLE, from orphans and widows to immigrants. He is YHWH and He is Adonai.

He is MY Adonai.

He is my Lord.

And He is Lord for all people.

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Sola Day 15 My Reformation

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-8 
Romans 10:14-15
Psalm 119:1-16

Sola, Day 15

Last fall, I began reading a biography on Martin Luther (and friends, by “read” I mean “listen to” because I’m a single mama to three little girls and … multitasking). I read about Luther proclaiming “Sola” truths, contradicting the Roman Catholic Church, and igniting a movement that would change history.

The reformation was monumental in church history, shaping even our churches today. Likewise, we each have the opportunity to undergo our own “mini-reformation” as we study Scripture and build our lives on the Solas of biblical faith.

How do we approach our “reformations”?
We ask vital questions about each Sola and see where we stand.
We examine whether we reject or accept the teachings of Scripture.

Let’s check-in with one another.
I will be honest as I answer, and I ask you to give yourself permission for complete honesty as well. No condemnation. Let’s just recognize where our hearts still need reformation.

Sola Scriptura: By Scripture Alone
The Bible is the sole infallible source of authority and the Word of God, and shall not be added to or taken from. It was written by men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all truths we need for our spiritual lives are found in the Bible alone. 

Are we allowing the Bible to be our main source of wisdom and authority?
Do we seek wisdom elsewhere, first and most?
Whose words dictate what is right or wise?

Many books are written by Christians, but many who claim that title believe their own version of “God” rather than the God of the Bible, or they may twist truth just a bit so it makes us feel happier. Only by deeply knowing God’s Word are we able to discern genuine Scriptural truth.

So I ask, do we place more weight on Christian books or the Bible?
I’m in the middle of a wonderful book called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.”
It’s phenomenal and I can’t recommend it enough!
But if I’m honest, some days, I’ve prioritized this book above the Bible.

How about you?
What’s your honest answer?

Sola Fide: By Faith Alone
We are saved through faith alone. We are neither covered by another’s faith, nor can we bargain our way to salvation. God will accept no bribe, because all we can offer are appearances of righteousness. The only acceptable offering to God is humble, honest faith, which is itself a gift from God.

If grace is God freely extending salvation by His hand, faith alone is our hand reaching out to touch His, accepting His gift.

Sola Fida enraged the Catholic church as it condemned their common practice of requiring penance and purchasing indulgences to reduce their punishment for sin.

Instead, Luther dared assert that even our very best efforts are sin-stained worthlessness before our utterly holy God. Only Jesus’ propitiatory death could pay the life-debt of our sins, and only our faith in Him connects us to the power of His resurrection to bring forgiveness for our sins.

So let’s do a little faith check-in, sisters.
Do you find yourself bargaining with God?

I’ve seen incredible growth in my faith over the last few years, but I’ve also been praying some big, hard, monumental prayers, and when it comes to these prayers? That faith waivers. I want to be sure my trust is in God alone, not in something feeble I try to offer Him as an exchange for what I want.

Have you ever attempted to manipulate God?

Sola Gratia: By Grace Alone
We are saved through God’s grace alone. There is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves.
Grace is God, who paid everything for our redemption, offering salvation to us for free. We cannot earn it. 

Sometimes, we do “good things” because we are trying to earn God’s favor. We believe by praying a certain way, or giving a certain amount, we somehow earn the smile of God.

I most often get caught in this trap with people; I equate the number of people who like me to the amount of grace God extends. It sounds silly as I type, but I said I’d be honest.

How about you?

Solus Christus: Through Christ Alone
Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. There is no one else who can save. Jesus is fully God and fully man. 

Do you believe this?

The temptation is to give some authority to our own opinion or others in the Church? What if we modify the Jesus of the Bible to make Him more appealing or more tolerant? My temptation is to make Jesus less jealous for my heart than He actually is. I will choose to turn to books, music, or mind-numbing activities before turning to Christ.

How are you tempted to water down the Jesus of the Bible?

Soli Deo Gloria: For the Glory of God Alone
The work of salvation was done by God alone, therefore He alone receives glory. Any good fruit my life bears is due entirely to Christ’s lifeblood flowing within my veins.

But is it?
Or are we focused on our own glory?

When I lead worship, write Journey studies, or prepare a meal for friends, is it for my own glory, or for Him? Sometime last year, I did a heart-check on this topic and realized just how off I was. As I shared with a friend how part of me was engaging in these activities for self-glorifying reasons, she encouraged me to keep ministering, serving, and loving while asking God to transform my heart. Let’s ask for a heart like Jesus, who was focused completely on His Father receiving all glory.

How about you?

Sisters, it’s been a challenging three weeks on this study!
Let’s be encouraged by the growth we’ve experienced, but let’s also leave here challenged to live out the truths we’ve unpacked, allowing them to continue to reform our hearts just like they did Martin Luther and the Church of old.

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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!

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Neighbor Day 11 The Neighbor Who Wounds

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 10:25-37
Luke 9:51-53
Luke 4:14-30

Neighbor, Day 11

“The one who showed mercy…” 

I read “wounded” and my heart reels.

I know wounded.
I know slowly retreating to care for the deep cuts and sharp blows I’ve endured.
I know sprinting away from the lashes against me.
I know wounds so deep they begin to look healed on the outside, but still throb and gape.
I know wounded, friend.

I bet you do, too.
But no one knows wounded quite like our Jesus. 

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a fictional story about a Jewish traveler attacked by robbers and left for dead.

Wounded. 

Two men passed by the nearly lifeless body, a priest and a Levite, both religious and both the same race as the wounded man, but they didn’t stop.
They saw him, and they chose to look away.

Wounded. 

Then a Samaritan man enters the scene.
The original audience of the story possessed the context to understand this Samaritan man was wounded, too. But, like so many of us, his wounds weren’t visible.

At the time Jesus told this parable, Samaritans and Jews had a long-standing rivalry, spanning hundreds of years. Due to the mixed Assyrian and Jewish genealogy of Samaritans, Jews resented Samaritans’ “impure blood line” and often treated them like trash.

We know from a true story in Scripture that Jews and Samaritans never interacted with one another (John 4:9), and even Jesus wasn’t received by Samaritans when He was heading into Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51-53)

We don’t know the kind of ridicule this Samaritan endured from Jews, but undoubtedly, the hatred seething from the Jewish community cut him deeply.

Wounded.

Yet, we see the Samaritan man, wounded by the Jews, breaking barriers of racism by caring for the physically wounded Jewish man.

We’ve all been wounded.
Maybe, like the Jewish man, we’ve been physically and emotionally wounded from abuse.
Maybe, like the Jewish man, we’ve been spiritually wounded by “religion” and people in leadership positions who’ve told us we’re too dirty and too damaged to be worth helping.
Maybe, like the Samaritan, we’ve been wounded by society, or racial and economic barriers.
Or maybe we’ve been wounded by something else….
friends, family, business deals, jobs, the government. 

But Jesus?
He was wounded by it all. 

He took on the sins of the world when He suffered on the cross,
eventually dying from the extreme torture He endured.
He was wounded physically and emotionally.

He was wounded by the religion bearing the same name as His nationality,
and He – who IS God – was killed by the religious people who claimed to worship God.

Jesus knows wounded, friend.

He knows the sharp pains piercing our hearts by betrayal. (Luke 22:3-6)
He knows the hurt embedded in us when grief becomes part of our story. (John 11:32-36)
He knows the rejection of people who have loved us and known us for our entire lives. (Luke 4:14-30)

Jesus knows wounded.

Because Jesus knew wounded so well, because He allowed Himself to be wounded beyond recognition, so badly He eventually died …

We don’t have to live a wounded life.
We have hope.

So, what do we do about the people who hurt us?
What do we do with this story about a wounded man loving another wounded man?
How do we love those who have wounded us?

Mercy.
Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. 

The Samaritan had every excuse to ignore the beaten man on the side of the road. This Jewish man had spent his entire life scoffing and scorning Samaritans, believing they were a lesser people, unwanted by God. And even if he didn’t believe it, his people did.

No one would’ve been surprised if the Samaritan kept walking.

But mercy.

Mercy isn’t just the Samaritan’s compassion, but the forgiveness he displayed toward a man he could’ve left for dead.

Mercy is the forgiveness God offers to us, even though we deserve death.

Mercy is hard, isn’t it?
I get a knot in my stomach just thinking about loving the people who inflicted my deepest wounds.

Friends, I cannot go on without emphasizing that forgiveness and even love are completely possible while still maintaining strong boundaries.

Sometimes, you can love someone best by enforcing boundaries, and forgiveness does not mean boundaries must be removed or even lowered. Abusive and toxic relationships can cause some of our deepest wounds, and we can forgive abusers while still protecting ourselves.

I want to be “the one who showed mercy”. (Luke 10:37)
I want to live ready to show compassion and offer forgiveness to people who have wounded me. I want to love my neighbors, even the ones who have wounded me.

Merciful love is going to take all of me, and all of you.
It’s going to take all of our strength.
But it’s worth the struggle because of
Jesus, the One who showed us mercy.
If He can be merciful to us, surely, with His strength, we can extend mercy to others.

We, too, can be . . . the ones who show mercy. 

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

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