Day Nine Desperate for Healing: Digging Deeper

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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 Desperate For Healing!

John 10:7-18, English Standard Version (ESV)

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

My Questions

1) Jesus seems to be talking about sheep, shepherds, and hired hands in this passage, what does that have to do with me?

2) Who are the “thieves and robbers” Jesus is talking about in this passage?

3) What does Jesus mean by “abundant” life?

4) What charge had Jesus received from the Father?

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) This is one example from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) of a parable. Jesus uses an analogy of earthly things to present an eternal truth. He is speaking to those who would have understood sheep and shepherd behavior so for them it would not have been a foreign analogy. A sheep farmer I am not, but I think we can understand what Christ means in this passage by thinking of each character in the story. The sheep represents the authentic true believer. The shepherd is Jesus. The hired hands are those who pretend to be the Shepherd, false prophets, or a false messiah.

2) In this analogy Jesus is specifically pointing His finger at the Pharisees and their misuse of the Law against the people and their pious stature as the religious elite. The thieves and the robbers are the Pharisees. Earlier in John 8:44, Jesus tells the Pharisees “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”

3) In John 10:10, Jesus promises the believer “abundant” life. This word means: over and above, more than is necessary, superadded, exceeding abundantly, supremely, something further, more, much more than all, superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon, pre-eminence, more eminent, more remarkable, more excellent. This is what Jesus means by abundant. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20.

4) At the very end of this passage, Christ says He has received a charge. If we look at the previous verse, Christ’s charge is to lay down His life. In this passage, He is very clear that the sheep who follow Him are the beneficiaries God’s charge or command.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) Jesus used stories to teach people about who He was and what He came to do. He desperately wants the audience then and readers now to understand that He is the Good Shepherd and we are lost sheep in need of a Savior. We will know Him by the sound of His tender voice, we will know Him by his merciful touch, and we will know Him by His eternal steadfast truths.

2) There are Pharisees in every generation. Even genuine believers can rob ourselves and others of joy by imposing legalistic laws and standards. The Pharisees of today are thieves and robbers who steal our joy, desire us to stray from truth, and present us with half-truths that are contradictory to Scripture. It is our job to listen to the Good Shepherd, know His voice and His word, enter only through His gate, and rest in His eternal pastures! How are you listening to His voice and becoming more and more sensitive to Him? Ask the Spirit for ways you may be laying extra rules on others and ask Him to give you a clearer picture of the gospel!

3) Abundant life doesn’t mean a life without issue, hurt, brokenness, or pain rather it points to an un-ending fullness made possible only in relationship with the Savior. With Christ there is peace in the midst of tumult, healing in the hurt, restoration in the brokenness, and security in the pain.  “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” John 16:33.

4) Christ’s charge is His sacrifice, which brought about our salvation and our hope. He willingly lay down His life at the Father’s command. A plan set in motion at the beginning of time that would restore a people back to their Heavenly Father. He is the Good Shepherd who intimately and personally cares for His sheep as they enter His gate!

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 Desperate Week Two! 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 Desperate!

Day Eight
Desperate for Healing

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Click & Read Desperate-Week2-Day2
Mark 5:21-34
Isaiah 61:1-3
Ezekiel 34:1-16
John 10:7-18

No mama likes having sick kids, but probably the only benefit is more snuggle time.
I was reminded of this again the other night as my 3-year-old woke up with a fever and made his way into our room. He came padding up to my side of the bed (always my side) and whispered in his sick little voice, “I just wanted to be with you. Will you hold my hand?”
My heart melted, despite my fatigue and I reached for his fevered little hand. Sharing sleeping space with our infant is one thing, but adding a sick toddler with flailing appendages is another, so I grabbed his pillow and blanket and suggested he sleep on a cushion right next to our bed. Again he groggily whispered, “But I want you to hold my hand.” So I sat on the floor rocking him a bit hoping he’d drift off, but he didn’t, so I moved him instead to the foot of our bed. I snuggled him up with his pillow and Curious George blanket as I held his hot little hand, hoping he’d fall asleep soon. After seemingly forever in a cramped position, I inched away to go back to my own pillow, but his little croaking whimper stopped me, “Will you still be able to reach my hand?”

He just wanted a touch.
He was tired and sick and weary.
He could have asked for a lot of things, but he only wanted one. My touch.
Sometimes it takes our desperation to point us to what we really need.

My 3 year old has no problem asking for a million things when he’s healthy; like candy and coffee and my phone and watching Curious George. But sickness changes him and makes him realize that he just needs me.

The same was true for a woman who lived centuries ago. She had been sick for 12 years….bleeding for over a decade! She had tried everything, spent everything, lost everyone, until she became so desperate that she only had one chance left.
“If I could just touch Him”
And so she got lost in a crowd of people pressing in on Jesus, with one secret motivation: “Touch Him.”
She pressed in, hiding in her shame, probably crawling around peoples’ feet until she saw it…the hem of His garment.
She reached out a shaky, desperate hand to touch Him.
Instantly she knew she was healed and in the next heartbeat, she was called out by the Healer.

“Who touched me?”, He called out. The crowd fell back and his disciples scoffed, “There’s people everywhere, Lord! Everyone is touching you!”

But Jesus had a plan. He wanted more for the woman than to simply stop her bleeding. He had seen this moment coming, intentionally healed her, and He wanted more.

The women froze, knowing she had been changed, but she was still so full of fear. What had she done?! She had been an outcast of society for a dozen years and now, here she was, on center stage before the Great Healer with every eye in the massive crowd on her.

Her body had been healed, but she was still desperate for healing.

She flung herself at the feet of Christ, shaking with fear as she managed to tell the Lord everything. As women generally do, she probably didn’t succinctly state, “I touched you and was healed.” Mark’s gospel hints that there was a more…an outpouring of her heart. She was an outcast, she was unclean, she was damaged, she was broken, she was desperate to be healed and so she told Him everything.
Graciously, the Healer does something unique next.
He calls her Daughter.

Unheard of! She who had groveled at the feet of the Messiah was now called “Daughter”?! Unthinkable!

Jesus goes even farther by telling the woman that her faith has healed her. This healing went much farther than physical; this healing was a faith thing, it was a healing of her heart. She wasn’t an object of shame anymore, she was “Daughter”, she was redeemed, she was whole in her heart.

The woman’s shame and her fear, her sickness, drove her to touch the Master and in return, she got much more than a healed body. Her desperation drove her to what she needed most, a wholly healed heart.

Like my son, and like this woman, I need to stop covering up my desperation with other stuff and let it draw me to what I need the most….simply to reach out and touch Him.

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 Desperate 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 Desperate!

Day Seven
Desperate to Belong: Digging Deeper

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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 Desperate To Belong!

Ruth 4:13-22 English Standard Version (ESV)

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron,19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

My Questions

1) What was the significance of Boaz taking Ruth as his wife?

2) Why do the women say, “A son has been born to Naomi”?

3) What is the importance of the family lineage list at the end of Ruth?

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) The custom of the day after a woman became a widow was that a male relative, namely a brother (but if the brother was deceased another relative) would “redeem” her and give her value by marrying her. The hope was that a son would be born giving the woman a legacy and a family to belong to and be taken care of by. This allowed for the original husband’s name to continue because the son would take his name. For Ruth, her future and legacy as a Moabite woman would come through the hope of marrying an Israelite man from her husband’s family. (Deuteronomy 25:5-6)

2) Naomi had returned home a widow herself, motherless from the death of her sons. She had nothing. She was desperate and Ruth, a Moabite woman, was her only comfort. She was bitter and angry. When Obed was born, this was redemption for Naomi as much as it was for Ruth. Naomi’s family name, her son’s name, would now live on. She would be taken care of and, for her family, it showed that God had not forgotten. God was aware of her need and He met that need through the birth of Obed.

3) As we read through the different names, most of which we cannot pronounce, you might wonder why you need to read these? Why are these important? They are important because this list sets the stage for how God is working through His people. Through the story of Ruth and Naomi, God would bring about the eternal redemption of His people. The entire Old Testament is littered with snippets of Israelite history were we see a very intimate God personally involved in the lives of His people and bringing redemption to their situations.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) Boaz was Ruth’s kinsman redeemer. As we scale back and see the broader scope of this story, we see that it is a great analogy of Christ’s role in our lives. We are Ruth in need of a place to belong, in need of a family, in desperate need of a redeemer. Our kinsman redeemer came in the form of a God-man, Jesus Christ!. He redeems us from our past, our sin, and sets us towards eternity. “They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.” (Psalm 78:35)

2) I love the story of Naomi and Ruth because it reminds me of how God sees His people. Naomi desired to be called Mara because she was bitter and angry at life’s circumstances; she seems so lost but God refused to leave her there. (Ruth 1:20) He saw her! He remembered her! He redeemed her misery and heartache through the birth of this precious baby boy, Obed. God moved Naomi out of her blindness and into His faithfulness, the light of His redemptive power.

3) David was Obed’s grandson. God works in mysterious ways by using a foreign Moabite woman and redeeming her because of her faithfulness. Ruth was grafted into the lineage of not only the greatest king of Israel, David, but also the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. The people that God chooses to use aren’t famous or even the most likely candidate for the job. Rather, God gives all an opportunity to belong to His Kingdom, even the outcast, the downtrodden, and least likely!

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 Desperate! 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 Desperate!

Day Six
Desperate to Belong

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Click & Read!Desperate-Ruth Quote-KM
Ruth 1 & 2
Ruth 4:13-22
Deuteronomy 25:5-6
Isaiah 66:2

I have always been a nomad. By the time I was in eighth grade, I’d been in eight different schools in three new states. Even in my short year and a half of marriage, we have lived in two states and have just settled into our third home. Despite all of the good that came from our gypsy ways,  I have longed to belong many times over. I know all too well the strong feeling which can only be described as a form of homesickness, that comes when people around us have history with each other and have known one another for a long time. I know that twisted-knot feeling of wanting to stand out, but wanting to blend in all at the same time.

The Bible is speckled with people who didn’t belong: Moses, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, and even Jesus! But Ruth’s story is so wonderfully spectacular because in the end, not only did she belong, but she belonged to the lineage of King David.
Even more incredible… the lineage of Jesus!

Ruth’s life was marked with sorrow. Both her brother-in-law and husband passed away, preceded in death by their own father. She was left as a young widow with her sister-in-law, Orpah, and mother-in-law, Naomi. Their spirits were bound together because of the similar shades of grief, and they found solace in one another’s company. Naomi loved Orpah and Ruth as if they were her own daughters, and longed for them to find new love and new joy in their young lives. With a heavy sadness, Ruth and Naomi kissed their sweet Orpah goodbye. However, Ruth could not be persuaded to leave Naomi’s side. Naomi begged her, pleaded with her, and even tried demanding Ruth to leave and look for love.

Ruth looked into Naomi’s eyes, and solemnly spoke this vow: “Where you go I will go. Where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God.”

This commitment to a life of servanthood and faithfulness was a testament to Ruth’s character and further,
the reason the Lord chose to bless her.

Naomi and Ruth returned to Naomi’s homeland from a lifetime ago. Already an outcast because of her nationality, Ruth found herself at the lowest rank in society because she was a widow. They had no money, no food, and no way to get a job. That is, until Providence stepped in.

Ruth found herself scrounging for the wheat that had fallen while being harvested in a field that belonged to an elite man of the city named Boaz. They encountered each other in something that can only be defined as a Divine Appointment. Boaz’s eyes met Ruth’s as she bowed her head in humility…

The rest, as they say, is history.

Boaz redeemed Ruth and her family name. He lifted her up from the bottom of society and made her someone who belonged in their city and someone whose name we can find listed hundreds of years before Jesus’.

Boaz and Ruth later became the grandparents to a man named Jesse, who had many sons, but called his youngest David. Ruth’s great grandson would go on to slay lions and a giant, rule an entire nation, and be known as a man after God’s own heart.

Because of Ruth’s commitment to not only serving Naomi, but serving her God as well, the Lord blessed her! He saw her heart and knew how desperately she yearned for a lasting relationship with her mother-in-law.
God saw her trying to blend into a new community.
He knew her loneliness.
He knew her sorrow.
He knew her heart…. and chose to bless her because of her faithfulness.
God sent her a redeemer in the form of a kind and prestigious man named Boaz.

Through the years I have found myself aching to be accepted by students, friends, other mamas, and ministry partners.

So often I forget that I already belong.
The Lord has sent me a Redeemer! A kind and prestigious man who lifted me up from my sin and made me someone who belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven and someone whose name you can find written as a follower of Christ.

We don’t have to be desperate to belong.
Because of Jesus, we already do.

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 Desperate 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 Desperate!

The GT Weekend – Desperate Week One

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At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”, rather we see weekends as a tool to invite the Almighty’s fullness into our lives in a deeper way. Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ. Don’t miss the chance 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!

Join In! The Father is waiting!

Journaling our thoughts and prayers can lead to clarity and allow the Holy Spirit space in our hearts to breath truth and direction into us. Slowing down long enough to pour out our hearts to the Father will bring depth and richness in your journey with Jesus. Whether you journal regularly, or this is your first attempt, Dive In! You’ll be amazed at the treasure you discover along the way!

Reflective Journal Prompts

1) Make a list of several places you’re feeling desperate. For love, intimacy, connections, etc.

2) Ask Father to show you any unhealthy relationships or expectations that don’t fully rely on Him being the center of your life.

3) Allow Father to breathe life into those dead spaces, cling to the truth of His word and be warmed by His desire to have relationship with you.

A Prayer Journal

Desperation seems to ooze from my life, Lord, and often times I’m not even aware of all the ways I try to substitute something where truly only You can fill me up. Show me my emptiness, Jesus. Make it clear to me now, Holy Spirit, those areas that I am building an idol as I attempt to fill a need only You can satisfy. I need You to be my center, Abba. Without You, nothing will ever quench my deep need for something more.

I praise You for Your provision of a Savior through Your son Jesus! Thank you fro redeeming me when I make choices that don’t please You. Take my tendency to find purpose in my busy schedule and let it be used by You. Let me be comfortable giving You control. I wait in expectation to see Your word come back to You fulfilled!

This Week’s Memory Verse and Media

So is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty. ~Isaiah 55:11

Listen to House of Their Dreams by Casting Crowns

Prayer Circles is something the GT Partners are so excited to share with you as you share with each other! Coming before the Father God who is both sovereign Lord and intimate Abba, is a priceless gift. Joining together, linking arms as sisters in Christ, bringing our needs and our praise before the Throne of Grace is an unfathomable beauty. Share your needs, pray for one another, carry each other’s burdens, and lay them at the feet of Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith!

Let's Pray Together!

Memorize God's Word With Us!

From your mobile device, tap and hold on our beautiful lockscreen to download it and remind you to memorize the weekly Gracefully Truthful verse!

Day Five
Desperate For Intimacy

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Click & Read!Desperate-Week1-Day3
Luke 7:36-50
Hebrews 12:28-29
Mark 15:33-41
Mark 16:9-10

Our nature is to hide our “bad choices” in life.  We are getting a healthy dose of this in my household as of late.  My two year old, Zai, is learning the difference between an accident and doing something on purpose.  It seems that every day we have the same conversation at least a handful of times.

“Mama, I took my boots off in the car and one just flew into the front seat.  It’s okay, it was an accident.”

“Mama, I made Elle cry when I took the toy away from her and knocked her down.  It’s okay, it was just an accident.”

“Mama, I ate a cracker I found on my car seat and it tasted weird.  It’s okay, it was just an accident.”  (Don’t judge.  Sometimes a cracker in the car is the difference between ten minutes of sanity or absolute meltdown DEFCON level six.  If you haven’t been there yet, just know that I love you, and it’s probably coming one day soon.)

I could keep going.  All. Day.  But you get the picture.

In the midst of the teaching moments (many as there are), it’s easy for me to forget that he comes by it naturally.  This is in my nature, too.  Transparency, responsibility, humility – these are all lovely intentions, but the application is rarely easy.  Nothing that goes against our base nature is simple.  My own gut reaction may not be to call something an “accident”, but excuses are never difficult to find.

My own “accidents” lie more along the lines of…

“I shouldn’t have said that.  But, I’m just so tired – this pregnancy is taking it out of me.”

“Okay, I may be overreacting a little here, but is it really SO hard to get a little help with the dishes/laundry/bedtime now and then?”

“I wish the conversation hadn’t gone that way.  But I am not in the wrong here.  He/she should be more compromising/compassionate/patient/fill-in-the-blank.”

I could keep going.  All. Day.

My “accidents” pile up and before I know it, I’m suddenly having difficulty finding intimacy with the Lover of my Soul.  You would think, at 32, that I would catch on a little more quickly.

I realized this week that I needed to take a lesson from another Mary of long ago.  She made mistakes, too.  In fact, that is how she was known by others…. Mary, the sinner.

The difference in our behavior is this:

She was desperate.  Desperate to worship.  Desperate to lavish extravagant praise upon the Son of God.  Desperate to experience intimacy with her Savior.

Despite her position.  Despite her reputation.  Despite her surroundings, her audience, her inner shame.  Mary was not naive – she knew how she was perceived.  But rather than let that stop her, she grasped for transparency and brought her broken self to the feet of Jesus in open, heartfelt worship.  She didn’t have perfection to give, she had only herself.
And she was rewarded.

Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Mary drew close to Him, and He to her.
She was there with His mother as He took His last breath.
She was the first person to whom He appeared after His resurrection.
He forgave her sins and brought her into His family!

Jesus Christ is the same Lover of Souls in this moment, with you and me, as He was with Mary Magdalene. He is no respecter of persons; He rewards our brokenness and transparency with His intimate love. He knows my heart and mind, and no amount of excuses can change my sin.  I need to recognize these little traps for what they are and instead approach Jesus in the same manner as Mary – desperate for intimacy.

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 Fullness! 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 Desperate!

Day Four
Desperate To Return: Digging Deeper

1 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 Desperate To Return!

Genesis 3

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[c] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for[f] your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.[g] 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

My Questions

1) What tactic does the serpent use to convince Eve to eat the fruit of the tree?

2) Why did God ask “Where are you?” when He already knew the answer?

3) What does Scripture say about how Adam and Eve felt after their choice to disobey God and how did their actions towards each other and God change because of that?

4) Who is the “Us” in v.22, I thought there was only one God?

5) In the last part of the chapter, what kind of relationship do Adam and Eve have with 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) In v.1, the serpent is described as “crafty”. Crafty in the original language means just that sly, shrewd, and subtle. The serpent in his crafty wordplay takes what God intended to be good and leads Eve to a place of questioning God’s motives in setting a boundary with the tree. When the conversation is over, Eve moves from understanding God’s boundaries to questioning God’s boundaries and motives. In v.6, Eve sees that the tree is good and the fruit is delightful to her. A subtle lie by the serpent plants the seed for sin and lust in the eyes of Eve.

2) God knows exactly where Adam and Eve are both physically and spiritually. There is no doubt what events have transpired in the Garden. God, despite what He knows is still pursuing Adam and Eve. He loves them enough not to leave them in their shame and sin. He is seeking them out even though they are hiding from Him. God desires relationship and communication and is giving them an opportunity to stand before Him.

3) In v.8, Adam and Eve are hiding. In v.10, Adam says he was afraid of God because of his nudity. The first part of the conversation is between Adam and God. Two emotions that have never been a part of creation before have now entered: shame and fear. Adam and Eve are shameful and hiding but are also afraid of God. Genesis 2:25 says Adam and Eve felt no shame. They had no knowledge of shame until their choice to disobey.

As that conversation continues in v. 12, Adam blames Eve for what has happened. When God confronts Eve she blames the serpent. The relationship between man and God now has enmity and shame and the relationship between husband and wife has blame and finger pointing. None of which existed before the Fall.

4) “Us” is a plural word referring to more than one person. Although it is a bit tricky with this verse, this is one of the first references to the Trinity. The same reference is made in Genesis 1:26 where God is speaking about the creation of man and says, “Let Us make man in Our own image according to Our likeness…”. God is one yet with three distinctions in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

5) Doing a little word research on the word “drove out” in v.24, the definition implies that God intended to expel, cast out, divorce, thrust away, and drive away Adam and Eve from the Garden. The relationship between man and God had changed for all eternity. Man is now separated from God and relationship is permanently severed. Well, at least for a little while until a Savior, in the form of a perfect infant, comes on the scene.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) Check out how that crafty serpent leads Eve’s train of thought! We can so easily be tempted to question God, question His motives, and question His commands. We don’t sin by questioning, but by letting our doubt dictate our actions. For Eve, the delight for the fruit, the lust in her eyes and heart, lead her to make a fatal choice. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Think about ways you may be trusting your own understanding instead of God’s and ask for His truth to be made evident so you can cling to it!

2) God’s pursuit is eternal. The moment the Fall happened, God begin pursuing His creation to make things right. He sacrificed His Son in pursuit of relationship with us, to rectify the gap between man and Himself. Romans 8:38-39 describes the type of pursuit that God has for us in that, “…neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There is no sin too great for the pursuit of God. In other words, there is no past, no sin, no brokenness, no hurt that is beyond His redemption! 

3) With the Fall came death and eternal separation from God. With that separation comes fear (not the good kind), shame, and blame. This ugly trio shows up in our own lives! In our sin there is shame, blaming of circumstance or blaming others, but with Christ, we can free from that ugliness! Shame is not part of our eternal destiny once we accept Christ and live in relationship with Him. Turn over areas you identify as shame and let Christ’s freedom unlock you from Enemy territory!

4) The Trinity a word that you will never find in Scripture. Although the word itself is not there, evidence of the Trinity exudes. We know that God is one, 1 Timothy 2:5 states, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” This is just one example of the delineation of the roles of God. God the Father, Abba…God the Son, Jesus the Perfect Sacrifice and Risen Lord….God the Holy Spirit, our Helper and prayer warrior until the Son returns. Take comfort in the fact that the One True God is complete and all encompassing as He guards our hearts!

5) When we read this passage, there is a temptation to stop and think the story ends there. That is powerful truth of God and His Word….the story just begins there! The entire Bible is written as a love story. It tells of God, the one True God, desiring to restore what was broken. All throughout the Old Testament we see God sending “saviors” for His people in the form of prophets and judges because He wanted to restore our relationship with Him. God desired to fix the problem of broken humanity because He knew in and of ourselves we could not. The Fall represents our brokenness, our shame, our need for God to make it right….and He does at the cross! If you’ve invited Jesus to be your Savior, you don’t have to live in the past, instead dance freely in the redemption of your return!

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 Desperate! 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 Desperate!

Day Three
Desperate To Return

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Click & Read!Desperate-Week3-Day1
Genesis 2
Genesis 3
John 8:44
Luke 15:11-21

Sweat formed on my brow as I bit my lip and took deep breaths, trying to get through this next contraction. The monitor beeped to my right while showing the rate of three steady heartbeats, mine and both of my daughters’. My husband held one hand and my mom sat rubbing my feet. “Thanks a lot, Eve.” I half groaned, half snickered under my breath, waiting for the tightness and pain to ease.

Oh, Eve…

She is known for many things, but commonly among us women, she is known as the person who introduced pain during childbirth as a result of her sin. However, she is so much more than that. Eve was created perfectly and wholly in God’s image, meaning everything about her was perfect. She was the first woman to walk this earth, and the first wife and mother. She was the first mother to mourn the loss of one child while feeling the guilt and pain that comes from another straying from the Lord’s will. Out of all the “firsts” Eve experienced, she is most remembered for being the first person on earth to stumble and fall for the devil’s slimy lies.

We read about Eve being created as a helpmate for man and we know that she was created from Adam’s rib. Her chat with Satan has gone in the record books and her bite of the forbidden fruit is old news. But it doesn’t stop there.

After Eve took that first bite and shared this delicious fruit with Adam, they immediately felt shame for their nakedness and Eve became the first seamstress as she created clothes to cover their *ahem* nether regions. Eve was well aware of her mistake and was so ashamed, that she actually tried to hide from God. Even though the Lord knew the answer, he asked Adam why he hid, and why on earth he was wearing clothes. Adam quickly passed the buck, first to God, by blaming him for even giving Adam this wife of his, and then to the woman, by blaming her for giving him the fruit.

“What is this that you have done?” The Lord spoke to Eve, his voice dreadfully dismal as a deep sorrow enveloped him. For the Lord knew that sin would happen, and here it was. Here, his precious children had separated themselves from God. Sin had entered the world.

The first death occurred as an animal was sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. They then had to leave their perfect home forever.

I never thought I had much in common with Eve, but she and I have much in common.  I, too, have fallen prey to the horrible schemes and slimy lies of the devil. I, too, know how it feels to have made a sinful mistake that has completely changed my life and affected the lives of people around me. I, too, have felt the rejection of man and the embarrassment of being the reason someone else has fallen. I, too, have found myself desperate to return to the Lord and to his loving arms that I boldly ran from. I, too, have been provided the perfect sacrifice by the Lord, to cover my wretched sins.

That sacrifice came in the form of a humble man, instead of an animal. A man who was perfect in every way. The Lord knew my sins, he knew everything about me, even though I have found myself in so much shame that I’ve tried to hide.

I’m reminded of the parable in the New Testament where the prodigal son desperately longed to return to his father, and despite his past, he was warmly embraced by his father when he chose to return.

Sin comes in many forms, from busyness to disobedience to idolatry to blame. Whatever sin I find myself in, and unfortunately I always will, may I desperately long to return to the Lord, remembering his sacrifice for me, just as Eve so desperately longed to return to life before her fall.

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. 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 Desperate! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Check out all past studies in Desperate!

 

Day Two
Desperate For Significance: Digging Deeper

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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 Desperate For Significance!

Genesis 16:1-3

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.

 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.

My Questions

1) Why is Sarai’s description in v.1 important to her story?

2) How common at this time was it for women to give their servants to their husbands?

3) What is the significance of Abram “listening” to his wife in this matter?

4) Where is Canaan and what is its importance in the story of Israel?

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) Sarai is described in v.1 as “bearing him no children.” She is barren and that is extremely important to her personal story. The Israelite culture valued women who could bear lots of children. It was a mark of God’s blessing in your life if you had a large family, especially if you had boys. It was a culture driven by family, community, and legacy. Children carried the family name into the next generation and the legacy and heritage of a family rested on the shoulders of the women bearing children.

2) It was not God’s original intent for men to have a harem of women. In Genesis 2, God clearly designs the marriage relationship with one man and one woman. However, in Genesis 4:19 we see Lamech taking two wives which would be the first time in Scripture that we see multiple wives. Throughout the Old Testament we see men taking many wives, including King David and King Solomon. In the New Testament, Paul clearly delineates marriage between one husband and one wife. We do not see the same pattern of multiple wives under the New Covenant.

3) As we read through Scripture there are times when the original meaning of a word can give a clearer definition. In 16:3 we are told that Abram “listened to the voice of Sarai”. The word listen there implies obedience, perception, understanding, and yielding to. When we have that word foundation the statement that Abram listened to Sarai tells us Abram was prepared to obey his wife, he was yielding to her request.

4) Canaan was the son of Ham, who was the son of Noah. The land of Canaan was settled and enlarged according to Genesis 10. Terah, Abram’s father, left the land of Ur to travel to Canaan but they settled in Haran. Terah stayed in Haran but Abram and Sarai, along with Lot, Abram’s nephew continued on to Canaan. Canaan is very significant in the history of Israel because it is the land that God promises to Abram in Genesis 17. Canaan is considered present day Israel (Gaza and the West Bank), as well as parts of Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) In her culture, Sarai was shunned because of her barrenness. In her desperation to “save face”, she concocted her own plan instead of trusting God’s promise. Are you tired of waiting on God’s plan to unfold? Are you tempted to take matters into your own hands? Even in our darkest hours of waiting on God, clinging to the Truth to what we know of His character, His will, and His timing is our only protection. In Genesis 21, Isaac was born and in v. 2 it clearly states, “at the appointed time.” God knows our heart, our desires, and He simply asks that we trust Him with our worth, our value, and most importantly our lives!

2) Sarai “owned” Hagar as a slave and gave her to Abram as another wife in hopes of bearing children through her. Sarai got what she wanted, however, her decision only created bitterness and strife. Although she had her own plan and still had to live with the consequences of that plan, God’s plan was not thwarted! Despite our sin and disobedience God is steady and His plan is eternal, but our lives will be sweeter if we choose submission to Christ instead of our own ideas apart from Him.  

3) Abram “listened”. It seems simple enough but when his wife approached him with her plan to speed up God’s plan, Abram simply listened. He did not question her. God had already made the promise to Abram that he would have descendants. In Abram’s defense, he probably wanted to make his wife happy. But in his attempt to make her happy, he missed the mark on holy! Our happiness, our desires do not trump the holiness that God has called us to. We need Godly men and women in our lives to question our motives, to force us to question ourselves when we put our happiness, our desires before God’s will and His desire for holiness in our lives.

4) Canaan represents freedom and points to a faithful God that had made a promise to the Israelites. Current day Jews see what would have been Canaan as their territory for the nation of Israel. As believers we can read Revelation 21 and see that our promised land is the New Heaven and the New Earth where Christ returns and there is no more sin, sadness, brokenness or pain. Canaan represents a two-fold promise by God, one that has been literally fulfilled when Joshua and the Israelites walked into the land flowing with milk and honey, and a promise for what is to come, the glory of eternal life! It may seem long in coming, but remember that freedom in Christ is promised by a faithful God; salvation is sure for those choosing Jesus as Lord!

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 Desperate! 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 Desperate!