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Safe Day 8
Do Not Be Afraid

August 24, 2016 by Traci Miller 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 31:1-6typorama (4)
John 16:25-33
John 14

I’m a huge C.S. Lewis fan. When I was in college I read the “Screwtape Letters” for the first time and hung on every word. During a questioning season, I poured over “Mere Christianity”. Like most of us, though, my first introduction to Lewis’ writing was in childhood, when he swept me away through the back of a wardrobe, past a glowing, snow-covered lamp post, into Narnia.

One of Lewis’s quotes from “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” that has always stuck with me is, “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than me or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” asked Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

In Lewis’s writings, Aslan represents Jesus, so why wouldn’t he be safe?
Isn’t Jesus safe?
In short, no, He isn’t. But He’s BETTER!

Oddly, when I think of safety, I see bars on windows or strong barricades. If I were hiding from danger, that’s the sort of place I would seek out.
No one gets in, no one has to go out, zero risk!
But that sounds a lot like a prison, doesn’t it? Thankfully Jesus has called us to live out from behind bars. We dwell in the beautiful, intoxicating, completely UNSAFE world.  

Should we be afraid? Of course not! Deuteronomy 31:6 is just one of 365 verses in the Bible that declares, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.”

In his book, “Radical” (Highly Recommend!), David Platt says, “Radical Obedience to Christ is not easy—It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And He is more than enough for us.”

As Mommy of three small children, the idea of living in a world of trouble where God doesn’t guarantee our safety is something I struggle with.
Doesn’t He want THEM to be safe?
I can’t go around taking crazy risks, I have tiny people to protect!
We can’t give too much money away, we want our kids to be well provided for!
Perhaps more honestly, I don’t want to do things that aren’t safe.
I don’t want to give things up that make me comfortable.
I don’t want to go to sketchy places and share Jesus with sketchy people and give up my time and do things that are scary….and potentially quite unsafe.
Frankly, I want to eat chocolate, watch some Netflix, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. But time and again, I know Jesus is calling me to more. As He calls each of us.

I recently watched an amazing documentary called, “The Drop Box”. It tells the story of South Korean pastor, Lee Jong-rak, who created a “drop box” for unwanted babies in his home. Lee offers a place for babies to be dropped off and he, with his wife and a few volunteers, raise many of them. Many of these unwanted babies have severe health problems or special needs. I’m crying just thinking about him, not because his actions are so beautiful, but because the grit of his situation, his breathtaking love, and faithful obedience point to a life of surrender to Jesus. What Lee Jong-rak does is dangerous, it’s costly, it’s difficult, uncomfortable, and will likely lead to his own death. It is not safe, but it is good.

The crazy thing is, the more I follow closely to Jesus, the more He actually changes my heart. The more I trust Him, the more my “wants” become different. I actually would rather share my story, than choose not to proclaim Him. Taking a load of food to downtown places and passing it out to bearded, unwashed men in hopes of sharing Jesus is something I willingly choose because of what Jesus has done in me. When we love Jesus, we don’t have to worry about all the “What If’s” and “Unsafety’s” that He will lead us to doing, we can simply choose to trust and know that we are never alone.
No, God didn’t promise safety, but He did promise to never forsake or abandon us.
I’ll take the promise of security over temporary safety any day.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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 Safe Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Posted in: Bold, Faith, Fullness, Life, Made New, Meaning, Missing, Purpose, Safe, Security, Truth Tagged: believe, God, good, more, promise, radical, Safe, surrender, trust

Safe Day 7
For Such A Time As This: Digging Deeper

August 23, 2016 by Leslie Umstattd Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper posts are intended to help us go farther into God’s word than a simple surface reading
and are designed to help us discover new tools in the process.
Curious as to why we Dig Deeper? Here’s Why! 

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out For Such A Time As This!

Psalm 91 English Standard Version (ESV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge[b]—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

My Questions

1) What does it mean to dwell in the shelter of the Most High?

2) Who is speaking in this Psalm?

3) What actions must I take according to this Psalm? What promises does God give?

4) What word pictures are used by the Psalmist to describe God?

The Tools

A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom!
It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse?
Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Findings for Original Intent

1) With a little investigation we can look up the word “dwells” and it means: to remain, to sit, to abide, to have one’s abode, to be inhabited by. This is a description of God’s place in our life. God desires to abide in us and for us to allow Him to take residence in our heart. We are to be inhabited by God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

2) In this Psalm, the Psalmist is not named; however, we do know that most of the Psalms were sung or chanted as worship songs. This particular one is dealing specifically with the security that the Lord offers when we put our trust in Him.

3) When reading through a Psalm, I like to mark what we as believers are asked to do and what God’s promises are in light of that. In this Psalm, we, the believer, are asked to dwell, make the Lord our refuge, to be on guard, call to the Lord, and hold fast to Him. God promises us that He will deliver us, cover us, be our shield and buckler, protect us from evil, guard us, be with us, answer us, and be our salvation. God is the God of promises! When we trust in Him, He will deliver us for all eternity.

4) There are a lot of analogies used in the Psalms. In this Psalm we see in v. 3 that God will deliver us from snare of the fowler (or trapper). The idea being that God saves us from the snares and traps of this world. In v 4, God will cover us with His pinions (wings). God’s “wings” are a safe place of refuge and coverage. In v. 11, He is the commander of the army, the angel army. This army guards us “in all of our ways.” The security we have in God is made abundantly clear with word pictures that allow us to “see” God’s character.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) We are called to dwell in the Lord and allow Him to dwell in us. When we dwell, He abides. The circumstances of our life do not change our position of dwelling. God is at home in our hearts whether we are facing a life or death situation like Esther or dealing with the mundane every day. God calls upon us to make our abode with Him.

2) We see both the Psalmist and God speaking in these sixteen verses. God is faithful and speaks His promises clearly, “When he calls to me, I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble;  I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:15-16) God speaks through His word and through the words of the Psalmist.

3) Several times throughout Scripture there are “If, Then” statements. If you dwell, then I will abide. (v.1) If you love Me, then I will deliver you. (v.13) God is God no matter how foolish we are; however, God does ask us to trust Him, cling to Him, and dwell in Him, the Almighty! He lays out structure for us as His children, not as a list of “must-do’s”, but as a means of opening the door for His fullness to abide in us!

4) God protects us from the snares of this world, God will cover us with His wings, He is the commander of angel armies that fight on our behalf and defend us! “…in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11) Every believer will encounter situations where we decide if we will trust God “for such a time as this”. Do you trust God to protect you from the snare, be your shield and defender, and cover you with His wings? The more we know about God’s character, the more confident we can be in the middle of difficulty. He’s always inviting us to know Him better!

We’d love to hear how God challenged you through today’s Journey Study! Share your thoughts, comments, and questions with the GT Community!
Can we pray for you? 
Looking for faith stories?

Want To Try It For Yourself?!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers.
Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes
(click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and
embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

Share Your Thoughts with the GT Community!

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

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

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

Posted in: Enough, Faith, Fullness, God, Grace, Help, Hope, Life, Lonely, Lost, Meaning, Need, Peace, Purpose, Safe, Security, Trust Tagged: deliverance, fullness, God character, grace, promise, protect, refuge, safety, satisfaction

Safe Day 6
For Such A Time as This

August 22, 2016 by Kendra Moberly 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 2:1-18typorama (8)
Esther 4
Psalm 91

“…For such a time as this…”

These are the words that have echoed through my life in every twist and every turn. These are the words that have stood true.

“For who knows that you have been brought to Parowan high school, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you have endured heartache, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you are attending Samford University, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you have been called to Kenya, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you became a wife and a mama, for such a time as this?”

I have found comfort in these words, attained peace, and been reminded of my purpose to serve my King with these words.

Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her Uncle Mordecai, is described as beautiful in figure and lovely to look at. She easily won favor with those she met. And ultimately she saved an entire… Well, we will get there in a minute.

Esther lived in Susa, ruled by King Ahasuerus, whose reign extended from modern day India to Ethiopia. He was a mighty king, but also full of himself, who could beckon for anything and it would magically appear.
Except one night.
Drunkenly, the king summoned for his queen in the middle of a celebration that he was hosting for all of Susa.
She refused to be paraded in front of more drunk men as his objectified trophy.
In his anger, and after some interesting council, he tore away her crown and decided it was time to find a new queen. (told you he was self-focused!)

Women from all over his province were gathered, including our beautiful Esther. These woman would spend six months in an intense “beautification process” in preparation for one night with the king. One night to win his heart and, if successful, would also win the crown. Eventually, much to her own dismay, Esther was found to be the most lovely, the most beautiful, and the King chose her to be Queen.

And this is where the story gets good.

Enter the wicked adversary, Haman, who loathed Jews, but had the full trust of our puppet King. So when Haman proposed that there be a mass execution of the Jews, King Ahasuerus willingly agreed, not knowing that his own wife was a Jew.

Uncle Mordecai urged Esther, who faced near certain death to approach the king without being summoned, “If you stay silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come for the Jews from another place, but you will perish. For who knows that you were made queen for such a time as this?”

Esther, her dark eyes downcast as she let the words fall over her soul, looked the servant in the eye and told him to deliver these words to her uncle: “Gather all of the Jews in Susa and fast for me, while I fast here with my servants. And on the third day, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

Gripped with fear, but held by the Lord’s hands.
Esther held on to a safety that wasn’t determined by status, or a death sentence, but by the Living God.

That moment of decision washed up on Esther and she felt neither prepared nor pleased with the process, but her faithful God sustained her heart to choose Him, even if death reigned. She didn’t know the outcome, but she knew her God.

“If I perish, I perish”, are words that point to a power greater than herself and she was determined to honor him, whether in life or death….“for such a time as this”.

In the end, Esther told the King of Haman’s wicked plans, having been granted life instead of death in the King’s throne room. Haman was killed and the Jews were given permission to protect themselves if anyone tried to hurt them.
An entire nation was saved by Esther’s brave faith to trust the Lord’s safety instead of her own.

May we all be women who are daily reminded
that we are exactly where we are “for such a time as this.”

“For who knows that you have been….
called to this city
given this job
have this income
are enduring this illness
a mother to these children
walking this lonely trial
….for such a time as this

Who knows the powerful things we will accomplish,
the people we’ll be able to influence,
the nations we’ll be able to save when we trust the Lord to keep us safe, offering Him our
“For such a time as this”.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

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

Posted in: Bold, Broken, Emptiness, Faith, God, Grace, Hope, Life, Made New, Meaning, Purpose, Redemption, Safe, Significance, Trust Tagged: courage, faith, fear, honor, integrity, meaningful, orphan, purpose, remade, Safe, service, significant, trust

The GT Weekend – Safe Week 1

August 20, 2016 by Michelle Promise 2 Comments

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!

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) Where is one place in your life you feel God calling you to step out of your comfort zone to share of his love, even if it doesn’t feel very safe?

2) Do you trust God to walk with you through an overwhelmingly dark time? Think of one time in your past when it was difficult to trust that God would be faithful to redeem the situation back to Himself. Did you choose to trust Him or walk through it on your own?

3) Have you experienced a moment when you or your loved one’s physical safety was on the line? What emotions did you experience? Was it second nature to lean into the Father or more difficult?

Worship In Song

Music Video: Chris Tomlin’s “My Deliverer”

Pour Out Your Heart

Father, let me know your peace in the crazy of my life. As I stress over keeping everyone physically safe, shower me with your perfect peace. Jesus, thank you for leading by example in showing that we are always near to the Father’s heart, even amidst the chaos. Lord, let me lead boldly in a way that lets others see You, even at the expense of my reputation, fame, or glory.

Thank You for Your faithfulness, for being our Rock. I praise You for Your perfect provision even when You answer prayers differently than how I’ve prayed them. Remind me of Your faithfulness. Let the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.

Pray With Us!

In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
Click here to comment and pray with the GT Community!
Want to connect with a GT Partner?
Send your prayer request to prayer@gracefullytruthful.com
We are committed to praying over and walking with you!

Journey With Us

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What were your thoughts from the GT Weekend?
How were you drawn near to the Father and encouraged in your faith?
Share with the community and encourage other women!

Posted in: Faith, GT Weekend, Help, Hope, Jesus, Life, Peace, Purpose, Rest, Safe, Security, Trust, Worship Tagged: darkness, Deliverer, GT Weekend, Mighty One, present, Safe, trust

Safe Day 5
But If Not

August 19, 2016 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Click and Read!Safe - But If Not-RA
Daniel 3
Romans 8:18-25
Matthew 1:23

It had been a beautiful outdoor wedding.
A celebration we had all anticipated for literally years. My husband’s brother and his wife had finally tied the knot and we couldn’t have been happier for them. We watched through teary eyes as they promised forever to each other, I choked on joy-filled tears as I embraced my new, long-awaited sister, we rode in the limo, laughing as we stopped traffic. I cried again as my husband gave a beautiful toast to the new couple, and my man and I savored watching their sweet love as we reflected on our own. We danced with our kids and took one long slow dance, just me and my champion, savoring the nearness of each other.

I left early to take our little treasures, including our 4 week old daughter, to his parents house to spend the night. It was just past midnight when Chris’ dad woke me with a calm, but urgent voice, “There’s been an accident, Chris was taken to the hospital.”

My heart dropped and my world stopped. My ears rang with the unthinkable as I imagined the very worst. I fitted my newborn into her car seat with shaking hands and followed Dad to his waiting truck in stunned silence. “Oh Jesus. Oh Jesus,” was all I could pray, until one thought of thankfulness surrounded me in a moment of unknowable peace and stillness, “Thank you, God, for one last slow dance with my husband.”

Fear had flooded me, but peace overtook me. Not because I knew my husband would be alive and well, but because I knew my God was good.

Safety is something we often pray for, beg for, even demand and bargain for when we are desperate,
but Jesus sees safety differently than we do.
The good Father takes every opportunity, good or bad, to draw us intentionally closer to His heart. He longs for us to find total fulfillment in Him regardless of circumstances.

Tears, fear, and uncontrollable trembling battled inside me as I reached for my husband’s hand on the stretcher, his bloody face held tightly in a stabilizer. The shock oh so slowly leaving my body as I breathed in the truth that he would be okay. Later, only a faint scar above his eye would remain, always reminding me of the preciousness of my husband’s life.

The more I reflect on being safe, my longing for it, and the glaring reality that it doesn’t always happen, reminds me of a trio of young men. Men who had a lot to lose when it came to safety, their very lives in fact.
They could renounce their faith and live
or hold unswervingly to the unseen God and die a horrible death.
They chose faith.
And in their final moments before certain death, they boldly proclaimed words that sink deep into my heart when I pray for safety. Read it slowly, drink in their courage, see the faith in their eyes.

“Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from it.
But if not,
be it known to you, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship your golden image.”

Their confidence in a saving God was unswerving, unquestioning, and steadfast.
God would save them.
But they also allowed for God’s sovereignty to call the shots…..and they were okay with that.
“But if not….” God was still faithful. Their confidence in God went beyond the physical to the spiritual. They were safe….no matter what. If God didn’t save them from the fire, He would save them through it on the other side and welcome them into eternity with Him.

Those moments in life that have been ear-marked by fear and great unknown, have also been branded by Jesus calling me into more. When I feared that Chris was dying from the car accident, I knew God’s goodness more intimately than I had just a few hours earlier as I had danced carefree at the wedding.

As much as we wish God promised us safety, He simply doesn’t. But what He does give us is worth far more than physical, temporary security. It’s worth enough that choosing worry over trusting His goodness simply doesn’t make sense.

Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Safe Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Posted in: Bold, Faith, God, Help, Hope, Life, Peace, Purpose, Safe, Security, Trust Tagged: eternity, faith, God, perspective, safety, sovereignty, value

Safe Day 4
From Faith to Freedom: Digging Deeper

August 18, 2016 by Leslie Umstattd 4 Comments

Digging Deeper posts are intended to help us go farther into God’s word than a simple surface reading
and are designed to help us discover new tools in the process.
Curious as to why we Dig Deeper? Here’s Why! 

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out From Faith to Freedom!

Psalm 139:11-16 English Standard Version (ESV)

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

My Questions

1) Who is writing this Psalm and why did they write it?

2) What contrasting imagery does the writer use in v.12 to illustrate his point?

3) What three descriptors does the writer use in this passage to show God’s awareness even before we are born?

The Tools

A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom!
It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse?
Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Findings for Original Intent

1) Psalm 139 was written by David. Keep in mind a lot of Psalms where actual hymns that were sung in worship services. David, throughout this Psalm, wants to remind the reader that God is aware. He is there in our lowest lows and highest highs. God has intimate knowledge of His creation even before we were born. David makes it clear that there is nowhere God is not. He is both omnipresent (everywhere) and omniscient (all knowing).

2) In continuing to iterate his point, David uses the analogy of light and darkness. David says, “even the darkness is not dark to you”. In our dark moments and seasons God’s light and hope permeate. The truth is God is there and He is aware!

3) In v. 14, David says, “you formed my inwards parts…you knitted me together”, in v. 15, he says, “my frame was not hidden from you”, and in v. 16, “your eyes have seen my unformed substance.” God sees! Even before we were intricately woven by an Almighty Creator, He saw us. David repeats three times in this passage that God uniquely designed and created each one us with thought and precision. (Check out Addie’s story!)

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) David clearly wanted the reader to understand that God is in control. Circumstances, trials, and the unknown do not control what we know to be true. In moments of doubt and fear, God reminds us through David’s words that our Heavenly Father created us, protects us, and knows us intimately!

2) Light and dark are tangible analogies that can be understood. We know darkness and its capability to consume but God’s light is brighter, bigger, and more powerful than the darkest night. It will not overwhelm but even the darkness is subject to God Almighty!

3) “In the beginning God created….” Genesis 1;1. This world and our circumstances do not change God’s character. As a father loves a child, so our Heavenly Father created us and loves us. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14). Praise God for His thought, His vision, and His intimate nature with which He chose before the foundation of the world to frame us in His image. (Genesis 1:27)

We’d love to hear how God challenged you through today’s Journey Study! Share your thoughts, comments, and questions with the GT Community!
Can we pray for you? 
Looking for faith stories?

Want To Try It For Yourself?!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers.
Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes
(click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and
embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

Share Your Thoughts with the GT Community!

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

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

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

Posted in: Digging Deeper, God, Help, Hope, Lonely, Pain, Peace, Purpose, Relationship, Safe, Security, Significance, Truth Tagged: digging deeper, God, intimacy, knowing, known, light, loved, relationship, Safe

Safe Day Three
From Faith to Freedom

August 17, 2016 by Kendra Moberly 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 1:8-22
Exodus 2:1-10Safe-Jochebed-KM
Hebrews 11:23
Psalm 139:11-16

“I love you, my sweet one. Everything will be alright.” The words slipped from my mouth just loud enough for my newborn daughter to hear. Although my daughter was 29 hours old, this was the first time I was getting to hold her. I pressed her little body tightly against mine and told her that she was extravagantly loved, she was wanted, the Lord has a plan for her life, despite my fears as she was being sent away to a new NICU at a different hospital.

“Oh Lord, be with my baby. Wrap your tender arms around her and hold her while I can’t. Keep her safe and healthy and whole. Let her feel you with her.”

My prayer could easily echo that of a woman named Jochebed.

Jochebed, an Israelite slave in Egypt, battled an inward struggle of utter joy and complete dread, for if this baby was a boy, he would be destined for death. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, had forgotten that many years ago, an Israelite had actually ruled as second in command in Egypt.
But Pharaoh’s arrogance took over logic as he feared the Israelites would overrule him.
First, he made them his slaves.
Then, he killed their newborn sons.

It was with this backdrop of death, one final push, and a deep moan, that Jochebed’s baby was born.
The midwife held him up for Jochebed to see, and like waves crashing a boat in a storm, love and fear crashed against her heart as she realized her new son’s fate.

With motherly determination, Jochebed made a decision that could cost her own life: she was going to hide her son. I can imagine how she spent nights nursing him without stopping to minimize his crying, holding him constantly, singing to him often. Nothing was going to happen to her boy.

For three months Jochebed was able to hide him. When she wasn’t praying or cooking or cleaning, she was scheming. She knew that he couldn’t go much longer in hiding and she came up with a plan. Swiftly she began to tightly weave a waterproof basket. I can almost see her cradling her little three-month-old son in her arms, nuzzling his face to her own, and whispering:

“Oh Lord, be with my baby. Wrap your tender arms around him and hold him while I can’t. Keep him safe and healthy and whole. Let him feel you with him.”

With that, she placed him in a basket in the Nile River and told her young daughter, Miriam, to follow the basket. Pharaoh’s daughter opened the basket as it floated past her and instantly, she was captivated by love.
Miriam jumped out from her hiding place and asked if a wet-nurse was needed to feed this baby, and when the Princess nodded her head, Jochebed’s daughter ran to get her own mama, who was then commanded to nurse and care for this baby boy until he was older.

The precious love of a Father!
To give a boy his mama back, to protect a life, to guard a woman’s heart!

….but saving Moses was So. Much. More.

God didn’t want to just save a baby.
He wanted to save a nation.
He wanted a people called out to be His own.

There were countless other Hebrew boys drowned at the Pharaoh’s hand. Thousands of women who prayed for their sons’ lives only to scream with horror at the intrusion of soldier’s feet into their home.
These women’s distress reminds me of the very harsh reality that not every one who prays with faith, will see salvation in the way they imagine.
But Moses…
Moses and Jochebed remind me that
faithful obedience will always, always, always result in God’s Faithful Redemption!

Moses was saved to save his people from slavery.
So that one day, every Hebrew woman would give birth without fear.
Every child would grow up free.
Every soul would have access to the Father who loved to redeem them.

One incredible day, another Hebrew boy would be born and another death threat would chase down his life. But he would surrender to it. Willfully.

So that everyone born into His name would live without fear.
Every child, washed in His blood, would know true freedom.
And every soul would have access to the Father who loved to redeem.

Jochebed’s faith.
God’s graciousness.
Moses’ obedience.
A nation’s freedom.

Mary’s faith.
God’s graciousness.
Jesus’ obedience.
Our freedom.

The life of Jochebed is easily overlooked and her name sounds foreign on our lips.
But she was a woman of mighty valor!
Jochebed’s trust in the Lord for her own safety, and the safety of her precious child, pointed straight to the safety we can all have in Christ alone, despite the circumstances that surround us, no matter how dark!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

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

Posted in: Faith, Hope, Peace, Prayer, Purpose, Relationship, Safe, Trust Tagged: Christ, faith, freedom, grace, peace, Safe, trust

Safe Day Two
Be Careful: Digging Deeper

August 16, 2016 by Leslie Umstattd Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper posts are intended to help us go farther into God’s word than a simple surface reading
and are designed to help us discover new tools in the process.
Curious as to why we Dig Deeper? Here’s Why! 

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Be Careful!

Isaiah 26:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

My Questions

1) Who was Isaiah talking to and about in this passage: who is the “You” and who is the “him”?

2) What does it mean to have a mind “stayed” on God and how does that lead to peace?

3) What is Isaiah’s definition of trust?

The Tools

A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom!
It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse?
Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Findings for Original Intent

1) In this passage the “You” refers to God and the “him” refers to the nation of Israel. Knowing the audience and keeping all the pronouns straight in Scripture can sometimes be confusing, but it is necessary to understand the context. The book of Isaiah was written to the southern portion of the divided kingdom of Israel. Isaiah wrote of impending judgement by God and to help Israel understand that God’s hope is eternal despite the impending judgement on their nation. God was with them even in the face of exile and He would restore their nation one day! God is the God of restoration and hope.

2) Biblical peace is not the absence of physical war. Isaiah wrote in a time when Israel was going to be conquered and taken captive. Peace comes from the choice to keep our minds on God. It is the absence of a spiritual battle of wills because there is understanding of how the story will end. Isaiah says that God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is “stayed” on God. With a little investigation of that word “stay” we see that it means to support oneself, brace oneself, lean on, rest upon, revive oneself. Isaiah is letting his audience know that God’s peace, the understanding that this too shall pass and there is hope, will come when they brace themselves and rest upon the “everlasting rock”.

3) When Isaiah uses the word “trust” he is encouraging and instructing Israel to put faith in God’s keen awareness of their circumstances and continue to have faith that God knows best. Judgement and exile are not high on the list of “want-to’s” for anyone especially God’s chosen people, however, they are facing consequences for their own actions. Isaiah simply is leading them to have faith that God will protect them like only He can and rely on the “everlasting rock” of salvation. Reliance on God during flourishing and during exile sets their sight on the restoration that is to come for their nation.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) God speaks! He speaks through Scripture, He speaks through prayers, and He speaks through people. God clearly told Isaiah to relay a message of judgement, yes, but also restoration.

2) God’s peace that “surpasses all understanding will protect our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ alone.” (Philippians 4:7) When we “stay” our minds on Him, steady our sight like tunnel vision on Christ, peace prevails. That kind of intentional focus forces us to see differently, to act differently, and to brace ourselves with His peace in the midst of our personal exile!

3) We put our faith and trust in so many different things. For Israel, putting their trust in other things is what led to their exile. They lost sight of God and how easy it is for us to lose sight, to get distracted by this world, the demands, and the desires to be something that God never says we should be. Trusting in the Lord despite what we see around us doesn’t always keep us from circumstances, from chaos, or from pain, but it does allow us to “stay” in the midst of them.

We’d love to hear how God challenged you through today’s Journey Study! Share your thoughts, comments, and questions with the GT Community!
Can we pray for you? 
Looking for faith stories?

Want To Try It For Yourself?!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers.
Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes
(click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and
embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

Share Your Thoughts with the GT Community!

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

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

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

Posted in: Digging Deeper, Excuses, Faith, Forgiven, God, Grace, Healing, Hope, Peace, Prayer, Relationship, Restored, Return, Safe Tagged: heart, hope, Jesus, love, peace, rest, safety, trust

Safe Day One
Be Careful!

August 15, 2016 by Merry Ohler 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Daniel 6becareful
James 1:2-12
Matthew 10:16-23
Isaiah 26:3-4
Acts 16:21-34

“Be careful!”

With two Littles at home, I often feel that I am basically a constant warning signal to them.  Flashing lights and siren singing, I find myself repeating mantras that could easily become the “voice in their head” as they grow and mature.  Cautioning against carelessness, accidents, bad behaviors, injury, poor choices and more.  I guess this is part of my job: to teach them to make thoughtful choices and decisions that will result in the best possible outcome and keep them (and those around them) safe.

But.

As I reflect on the parallels I find between my parenting and the way that God parents me, I am faced with some important differences…especially when it comes to our definitions of “safety”.  He has outlined how I should walk, and His precepts are made clear to me when I spend time in His word and seek His heart.  He has given me “rules” to follow that will keep me “safe”…  Not unlike the rules I give my Tinies.  But His definition of safe does not mirror our natural definition of the word.  At this stage in life, the guidance I give to those in my charge is mostly with regard to their physical, mental and emotional well-being, while His guidance to us regarding safety has little to do with the physical and everything to do with the spiritual.

When I examine the account of Daniel’s experiences, I am hard-pressed to find examples of Daniel being “careful”.  Practically nothing he did would be considered the “safe” choice by any stretch of the imagination.

  • When offered rich foods and delicacies, he refused the king’s offer in order to honor God.  He could have been killed at the king’s whim.
  • When faced with the threat of certain death, rather than choosing to flee, Daniel requested an audience with him and boldly interpreted the king’s dream, giving glory to God.
  • When called to interpret another dream, Daniel spoke the word of God to the king, even though he knew he could be killed for this.
  • When summoned a third time, Daniel was again faced with the possibility of physical death, but instead of choosing the “safe” option, He chose instead to speak the truth of God.  His life was spared and he was rewarded.
  • When faced with the command to worship another, Daniel chose to worship the God he loved instead, bringing honor to Him.

Throughout his life, Daniel chose to obey God.  Time and again, he blessed God through his obedience, even in the face of certain death.  Our nature is to focus on our immediate physical safety, but God is concerned with something far more grave:  our eternal safety.  In fact, we find Jesus’ own words to His disciples, those closest to Him, in Matthew 10:16-23.  I’ll summarize, but the cost He referenced is along the lines of…

You will be sent out amidst wolves.
Delivered to courts.
Flogged in synagogues.
Dragged before governors and kings.
Delivered to death… by those closest to you.
Hated by all.
(seriously, check out the whole passage here, it’s worth the 20 seconds!)

Those words don’t give me the slightest assurance of physical, mental or emotional safety.  Actually, they convince me of the exact opposite.  This, to those He kept closest.  His tribe.  His family.  Those he broke bread with, laughed with, prayed with.

But.

The one who endures to the end will be saved.  He isn’t talking about our physical well-being here.  Nor our emotional state or mental well-being.  He is talking about our spiritual destination.  

You see, here’s the thing:
He never promised us safety as the world defines it.  Quite the opposite, actually.  What He did promise is that upon accepting Jesus as our savior and committing our lives and hearts to Him, we could rest in the security of knowing that when these bodies fade, wither, and return to dust, our spirits will be safe in Him for eternity.

My job as mama is to teach my little ones to make good choices and to learn consequences.  More importantly, it is my job to teach them about Jesus, and what true safety means.

Lord, help me to walk before You in bold obedience that others may seek You for themselves, so that they might know what real security and safety in You looks like.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

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

Posted in: Bold, Excuses, God, Hope, Peace, Safe, Security, Trust Tagged: bold, Jesus, obedience, peace, Safe, security
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