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He Day 6 Yahweh Jireh

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 22:10-18
Matthew 6:5-8
Matthew 6:25-34
Ephesians 3:20-21

He, Day 6

I have never felt more “unseen” than in my first few years of motherhood. With my husband coaching late night games and my son often rising before dawn, I spent most mornings wondering how I was going to make it through another fourteen hour day alone with the kids.

Those were difficult, yet fruitful years, as I leaned into my desperate need for God. I needed Him for strength, grace, peace, and joy, and He provided me all of those and more. During those long, lonely days, I came to know Him as Yahweh Jireh, “The Lord Who Provides.”

Abraham was the first to call God by this name. He did so just after an enormous test of faith, when God asked him to sacrifice his one and only son, the son born of God’s promise to make Abraham a great nation. 

In Genesis 22, we watch as Abraham binds his son, Isaac, and lays him on an altar. Abraham raises his arm, fully prepared to use the knife he holds, only to hear the Lord call out and stay his hand. As Abraham looks up, he sees a ram caught in a thicket of thorns. It is God’s provision, a substitute sacrifice to stand in Isaac’s place. Abraham’s son no longer needed to die, God had Abraham’s full attention. 

Yahweh Jireh can be defined as both “The Lord Perceives” and “The Lord Provides.” These definitions may seem at odds, but as we will see, they are really two steps in a single action.

A great example of this is found in Numbers 11:4-23. In this passage, the nation of Israel is grumbling against their leader, Moses, and ultimately against the Lord. They are tired of the manna God has provided them and desperate for meat. They are so desperate, in fact, they begin to long for the land of their captivity, Egypt. 

The Lord hears their complaints and His righteous anger is aroused. He declares He will provide them meat; in fact, He will provide them so with much meat they will be sick of it. He informs Moses He will send them quail for a month.

Moses seems indignant and replies, “I am in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat, and they will eat for a month.’ If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?” (Numbers 11:21-22)

The Lord responds, “Is the Lord’s arm weak? Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen for you.” (Numbers 11:23)

The Lord makes it clear He will be the one to provide for Israel, not Moses, and indeed He does. Not only does He perceive both the Israelites’ “need” and its origin in attitudes of ungratefulness, but He provides remedies for both.

If we fast forward to the New Testament, we see another instance where Yahweh Jireh perceives and provides. In John 6, Jesus is wrapping up a full day’s teaching alongside the sea of Galilee, when He looks up at the gathering crowd. Moved with compassion, He looks over at Philip and asks, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?”. (John 6:5)

I imagine Philip’s pulse quickened at the question, his mind reeling with the impracticality of finding, much less affording, enough bread to feed the thousands before him. 

“Two hundred denarii [nearly a year’s wages] worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little,” Philip responds, despairingly. (John 6:7)

But Jesus never intended for Philip to purchase bread. The text tells us before Jesus asked the question, He had determined a solution. He would provide the food and He would do it through the meager offering a small boy’s lunch: five loaves of bread and two fish.

In both of these instances, God perceives a need and determines He will meet it.
Both times, man perceives the need and despairs.

Are you in a place of despair? 

Do you find yourself surrounded by overwhelming problems and unmet needs? Be encouraged! There is nothing, not a moment, of our lives that goes by unobserved by Yahweh Jireh. Unlike an uninterested bystander, the Lord not only perceives our needs, He moves on our behalf to meet them. 

Nowhere is this more true than in our need for a savior. Just as God provided a ram to stand in the place of Abraham’s son, He provided Jesus to stand in ours. 

Our salvation is a need we couldn’t possibly satisfy on our own;
our sin is a debt we could never repay.
Thanks be to Christ, we no longer have to. 

His death ensured our forgiveness;
His righteousness became our own.

Whatever you are in need of today, bring it before Yahweh Jireh. He has met our greatest need through salvation. How much more can we trust Him with the rest?

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Neighbor Day 15 When Unloved

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Leviticus 19:17-18
Matthew 5:33-48
Luke 10:1-16
Romans 13:8-14

Neighbor, Day 15

The Command
Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Most of us have repeated the words countless times, so they roll off the tongue easily. But what does it really mean? Human nature urges us to draw the boundary line so we know what’s expected. We want to know exactly who we should consider our neighbors…and whether we consciously realize it or not, who we can exclude.

Let’s dig in a little deeper.

The Context
In this story, the title, citizenship and position of the people involved didn’t matter at all. 

Jesus was showing the disciples God was not at all interested in labels that appeal to mankind; rather, His focus was heart posture. When Jesus told His disciples the parable of the good Samaritan, He didn’t hesitate to jump knee-deep into the hypocrisy of the age and point out the wrong heart motives hidden behind titles of priest and Levite.

Jesus was a master storyteller. Every word He spoke held great intention and profound revelation. He knew that because of their heritage, those listening would be predisposed to connect with the priest, or the Levite, and prejudiced against the Samaritan.

Make no mistake; His purposeful vagueness with regard to the man who was beaten and robbed was by design as well. Because it didn’t matter who he was or where he was from. Jesus was making the point that their neighbor, and ours, is anyone and everyone in need. 

The Questions
But what about those who don’t return our love?
What about those who will not love us the way we desire to be loved? 

Dear friend. This may be a hard word to receive, but it’s absolutely vital that we grasp it. Those very questions are rooted in the great deception of our current age: that our faith is about us and how we feel. For the people in the back, I’ll say it again.

Our faith is not and can not ever be based on our feelings.

There never has been and never will be another human who will ever be able to fulfill in us the needs that God alone can fill.

As tempting as it may be to seek approval and fulfillment from those around us, our salvation can only ever be founded on Scripture alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone, and to the glory of God alone. This is the true gospel. The moment we begin to believe it is acceptable for our faith to be dictated by our feelings is the moment we begin to settle for a false gospel: the gospel of self.

Friends, we can not allow this to be so. The gospel message has never been about us beyond the salvation, freedom and whole heart, whole mind, whole life transformation Christ Jesus works in us when we submit ourselves to His hands.

In short, it doesn’t really matter how we feel. 

Woo. Talk about counter-cultural. But the gospel has never been about fitting in or being comfortable, has it? Jesus himself assured us that to answer His call and follow Him required us to pick up our cross and die to self.

But what about those who harm us?
Jesus said to love them.

But what about those who persecute us? What about our enemies?
Jesus said to love them.

But what about when our spouse doesn’t show love or communicate the way we need? What if we have grown apart, or are simply incompatible?
Jesus said to love them.

The Call
We are each called to yield to the work of the cross as God performs the outworking of our faith, and to live and love the gospel out in every aspect of our lives. From the moment we accept the gift of salvation, we receive the impartation and installment of Holy Spirit inside us. This is something we can take absolutely no credit for, because none of it is possible in our own strength. Our part is only to submit to what He is doing and recognize all glory belongs to God alone!

However, as we go about our daily lives, there is an enemy who actively works to destroy, distort, and disengage us from the transformation Jesus desires to work in us. How does he do this? By introducing a thought pattern rooted in lies.

So what is the lie here?

You deserve to be treated the way you want to be treated. 

Friend, the enemy loves to woo us with thoughts and ideas which glorify our feelings, ourselves, our needs, and our desires. He wants nothing more than to see us so completely wrapped up in ourselves and what we think and feel and need, that we miss what God has to say about anything. He’s sneaky, and a masterful liar, and Scripture tells us he prowls around like a lion, searching for anyone to devour. This lie is a prime example of how he works. He takes a tiny bit of truth, or even a big chunk of truth, and distorts it into something we want to hear.
Close enough to sound right, but just enough off course we miss the message. 

The Truth
Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Do you catch the difference between the two statements, Love?
The lie is all about what serves us.
The truth is all about what serves others.

Because the Jesus we follow and submit to was a servant to all.
When we look at His life on earth, we can’t escape the fact the King of Kings chose humility and servanthood over control.
He chose righteousness over self-righteousness.
He chose holiness over being heavy-handed.

This is the truth, and cost, of our calling: we are called to love and serve all people.
Regardless of how they respond to and treat us.
No caveats; no excuses.

We are called to love!

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Glimmers Day 15 Hope For Life (because of death): Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Hope For Life (because of death)!

The Questions

1) What does joy mean?

2) What does it mean to love as He has loved us?

3) How do we produce fruit?

John 15:9-17

9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

17 “This is what I command you: Love one another.

Original Intent

1) What does joy mean?
Before looking further into this text, readers must understand John is recording a teaching of Jesus to His disciples. The Greek word John used here is ‘chara’ which translates to joy or gladness. Often times when we think of the word joy we think of happiness. According to dictionary.com, joy literally means “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying”. Jesus tells His audience that the joy in them is complete and the same joy Jesus Himself has. However, it is not a feeling of happiness that comes and goes based on circumstances. It is a joy or delight that is constant because the joy of the Lord never ends.

2) What does it mean to love as He has loved us?
The word love can mean a variety of different things in Scripture depending on the context. In these verses, specifically verse 12, Jesus used the Greek word ‘agape’ which we would equate with unconditional love. He is commanding His readers to love just as He loved, which, by the way, is absolutely impossible unless His love is alive inside of us. His love is a self-sacrificing love, demanding nothing in return for Him to give it, that was ultimately displayed when Christ gave up His life on the Cross to rescue humanity from Sin. This isn’t a surface level love. This deep love is the same love Jesus is calling His readers to sacrificially and unconditionally live out to others. Jesus is not necessarily telling His readers they must physically die for someone else, but He is telling them they must love in a way that crucifies their own selfishness.

3) How do we produce fruit?
The idea of producing fruit refers back to what Jesus taught in John 15:1-8. These verses draw on an analogy of a vine growing in a vineyard. Jesus teaches that without being connected to the vine a branch cannot grow and produce fruit. Jesus is that vine and Christ-following believers are the branches. Jesus then tells His disciples they have been chosen and appointed to produce fruit. By ‘chosen’, God means ‘purposefully intended’. His designed purposeful intention for His children is for us to ‘bear fruit’. A believer’s relationship with Jesus allows this fruit to grow. Fruit only comes as the disciple draws near to Jesus, asking Him to grow us. (verse 16)

Everyday Application

1) What does joy mean?
We know the joy John is referring to is not a fleeting feeling because this joy is from the Lord.  As believers, we have access to this same joy through the Holy Spirit who shares Jesus with us. This joy is unfailing and unending. Regardless of the storm we may be walking through, we can find joy in our lives as believers because the Spirit of God dwells within us. This joy flows from an ongoing relationship with Jesus. As we remain in fellowship with Him, His joy continues to be our joy.

2) What does it mean to love as He has loved us?
Just as the original readers were called to love with an unconditional, self-sacrificing love so are we. The meaning hasn’t changed since Jesus originally spoke the words.  We are called to love others by willingly setting ourselves and our comforts aside. We are to live out a humble and sacrificial love by serving others before ourselves. Jesus didn’t limit this love to people we like or who are similar to us. He simply commands us to love one another as He loved us. We are called to love everyone in the same manner. As believers, we are called to set aside differences and to see people as Jesus Himself sees them and be willing to step out and love them wherever and whoever they are. In each situation God puts in our path, this love may be fleshed out differently each time, however, the one constant will be us setting aside ourselves and giving of ourselves regardless of the situation, expecting nothing in return.

3) How do we produce fruit?
Once we enter into relationship with Jesus by acknowledging that He is Lord and Savior (and we are not!) and inviting Him into our lives as Lord, we are then connected to Him as the vine, the Source for growth. We become His branches to produce fruit that glorifies Him. As believers, this fruit will not look the same as another believer’s. We are to draw near to Him and ask Him to grow us as He sees fit. As we do, fruit is produced. This fruit comes through answered prayers, through loving as He calls us to love, and living a life connected to the Father through Jesus by daily disciplines like Scripture reading and prayer. Fruit is simply the overflow of our relationship with the Father. We cannot expect to produce fruit and grow deep with Him if we are not investing in our relationship with Him on a regular and consistent basis.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Hope For Life (because of death)

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Glimmers Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Glimmers Day 13 Hope In The Manger: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Hope In A Manger!

The Questions

1) What is this registration and why is it important?

2) Who is this baby lying in a manger?

3) What do we learn from shepherds being the first to learn of this baby’s birth?

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!

15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

Original Intent

1) What is this registration and why is it important?
The registration Luke writes about is a census for tax purposes. The Roman Emperor called for this census, requiring everyone to travel back to their hometown.  Joseph came from the line of David and therefore he and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem (the City of David). Mary was nine months pregnant and about to deliver her son, which is important because through this specific travelling, God places Mary and Joseph exactly where they needed to be in order for prophecies regarding Jesus’ birth to be fulfilled. Micah 5:2 declares the Messiah will come out of Bethlehem. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 says the Messiah will come from the line of David. Through this census, God shows the Israelites, who would have known these prophecies, this baby is the baby who has been promised.

2) Who is this baby lying in a manger?
In the narrative of Christ’s birth Luke never mentions the name of the baby born. In verse 11 Luke does tell readers the baby is “The Messiah, the Lord”, but He is not specifically named. Luke provides other basic details of the birth and tells of the announcement to the shepherds and their visit to the manger, but never His name. We must look further in the narrative to discover ‘this baby’ is Jesus. In Luke 2:21 Jesus is named on His eighth day according to Jewish custom. This baby is the long-awaited Messiah God had been promising to His people for generations. After 400 years of silence from God, He is finally heard from again in the form of a baby crying in a manger.

3) What do we learn from shepherds being the first to learn of this baby’s birth?
After 400 years of silence a baby cries and God is heard again. However, God first announced this miracle to shepherds in a field. God chooses a group of people who are probably the most unlikely group imaginable to announce His Son’s birth.
Luke doesn’t provide much information about these shepherds, but we know the angels visit them and they are afraid. Their fear quickly changes to action as they visit and worship this baby in a manger. Immediately, they left their sheep traveling to find this baby, their Messiah, and worship Him.

Everyday Application

1) What is this registration and why is it important?
This registration (census) is the means by which God divinely moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in order to fulfill the prophecies that told of the Messiah’s coming. God will take any steps necessary in order to accomplish His will. From the beginning, God knew humanity would need a Savior, a Messiah (a promised coming deliverer). God foretold of Christ’s coming so when He arrived, the Israelites would recognize Him as the One who had been Promised. I am certain this trip was anything but comfortable for Mary, yet God took her on it to accomplish His plan. For believers today, God spares no expense to fulfill His ultimate plan and purpose in our lives. We can rest assured knowing that God will use all situations and circumstances we journey through to accomplish His ultimate plan of restoring humanity to Himself just as He did with Mary.

2) Who is this baby lying in a manger?
This baby lying in the manger is the long-awaited Messiah God promised to His people for generations. Today, believers are God’s people, therefore this is the Messiah or Savior we need. Jesus is the answer to sin, He is the answer God promised at the fall to redeem His creation to Himself. This baby is God Himself who chose to put on human flesh for us. We cannot leave Him in the manger though. This baby grew up, lived a perfect life, performed many miracles, and then chose to take on the punishment for every sin of every person taking them to the Cross and bearing the consequence for those sins… death. He then conquered Death and the grave providing redemption from our sin and eternal hope for all who place their trust in Him alone. If we leave Jesus as a baby in the manger, we fail to see the entire picture of who this baby truly is… our everyday Savior!

3) What do we learn from shepherds being the first to learn of this baby’s birth?
The most unlikely group of people first heard of the birth of the Messiah. One would probably expect God to announce His Son to the royal or religious leaders, but instead He chooses to announce His Son’s birth to shepherds in a field. This isn’t a massive amount of people but a few lowly shepherds. Jesus didn’t come only for the rich and royal or the religious leaders, but for all. No matter who we are, where we come from, or what we have done, the gift of Jesus’ birth is for us. The shepherds immediately leave their sheep to seek out Jesus and worship Him. This is the response God is looking for. He came for all, but simply wants those who are willing to set aside everything and worship Him. He will accept you into His family no matter who your circumstance or your past baggage, as long as you are willing to open your life to Him to full worship through surrender!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Hope In A Manger!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Glimmers Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Glimmers Day 11 Hope In A Manger

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-18
Philippians 2:5-11
Colossians 1:15-20
Luke 2:1-20

Glimmers, Day 11

Touchdowns or tutus?
Guns or glitter?
Little man or little miss?
Cute ideas ABOUND on Pinterest for creative gender announcements!

I’m not exactly sure when these parties became a thing,
but I know they definitely weren’t trending in Mary’s day.
Even if they were, I doubt anyone would have celebrated.
She was an UNWED teenage girl.
Engaged to Joseph, but they hadn’t had “relations” yet.

Or so they said.

Seriously, you expect us to believe an ANGEL told you the Holy Spirit would come upon you and impregnate you with GOD’S SON?! Favored one?  Blessed among women?
You keep telling yourself that, Mary.
Meanwhile, we’re going to shun you and spread rumors about your promiscuity.
We’re going to make assumptions about your purity, or lack thereof.

‘Happily Ever After’ clearly wasn’t happening.
As if shame and being an outcast weren’t enough, just as she was “ready to pop,”
the census ruling required Joseph to go to Bethlehem.

Can you imagine WALKING miles upon miles on dusty roads,
then sleeping under the stars with a rock as a pillow?
When you’re nine months pregnant?!
Topping it off, on arriving in Bethlehem IN LABOR, and finding no rooms anywhere!

As a mother of 4, childbirth instructor, and doula, Mary is my birth hero.
I tell my childbirth students, “If Mary can give birth, AS A VIRGIN, in a cave, then we can have our babies with all the comfort a hospital, birth center, or our home offers!”

Birth is beautiful.  Joyous.  Sacred.

As a doula, I experience births of all kinds,
but I can’t envision one more incredible than Jesus’
on that starry night over 2,000 years ago.

I often wonder what Mary’s labor was like. The Bible simply states, “while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.”

She didn’t have the comfort of a hospital, birth center, or even a living room.
No room period.
Only a shelter where animals mooed, brayed, and cock-a-doodled.
No epidural, no IV fluids, no pillows.
Just hay and straw.
And for Jesus’ bed?
A manger, the feeding trough for those stinky, slobbery farm animals.
No adorable receiving blanket or cute blue and pink striped hat for Jesus.
Just strips of cloth to swaddle the very SON OF GOD.

EVERY time I’ve held a newborn, emotion overwhelms me.
Still, I can NOT imagine all that went through Mary’s heart as she held Jesus and looked into His eyes, the eyes of GOD.
The God who’d created the universe and spoken stars into existence,
now uttered his first cries as a human baby,
completely dependent on her for milk, diaper changes, warmth, and everything in between.

She counted his tiny toes, and kissed his little hands.
The same hands that had hung planets,
parted the Red Sea,
held the sun still,
and brought city walls crashing down.

No wonder Luke recorded, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

No baby shower.
No birth certificate.
No newborn pictures.
No cute birth announcements.

Just lowly shepherds.
Uninvited by Mary and Joseph, but welcomed by God as they marveled at the baby King “wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in the manger”.

In the humblest of ways, God became flesh and dwelt among us, making His HOME with us. God Himself born as a tiny human, covered in vernix, amniotic fluid, and probably even some meconium (poop).
Talk about giving up everything and putting Himself in the midst of our mess!!!

He stepped down from His throne,
laid aside His crown,
and removed His royal robes,
replacing them with swaddling cloth.

Where majestic angels had bowed,
shepherds unfit to even enter the temple,
now knelt in the very presence of God.

Jesus left His throne knowing that one day He would be betrayed, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross.
He was born to die that we might live!

I wonder…
As He took His first wobbly baby steps,
was He thinking about the day He would walk up Calvary’s hill?

When He scraped His knee as a boy,
did He anticipate the pain of the wounds He would endure on the Cross?

As He worked alongside Joseph in the carpenter shop,
did the sound of the hammer ring in His ears as He looked ahead to the afternoon when nails would pierce His hands and feet?

From the moment the star shone upon His newborn face to the moment the sky went black and the ground shook as He breathed His last,
Jesus KNEW why He had come.

He’d made His home among us for 33 years
that we might make Him our home for eternity.

He left heaven that we might enter it.
He emptied Himself that we might be filled with His Spirit.
He was born a baby that we might become children of God.

That manger in the center of our nativity scene doesn’t just hold a sleeping newborn.
It holds HOPE.

HOPE in the middle of our death sentence which comes as a result of our sin.
Yes, you and I are walking around with Death has our Ruler
unless we reach out and make this Messiah ours.

Come to the manger and find HOPE swaddled here.
Come, surrender your sin and be filled with indescribable joy.
Come, be awestruck by His glorious majesty.
Come, be blown away by His undeniable LOVE as He offers eternal HOPE!

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

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

The GT Weekend – Glimmers Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The enemy wooed Eve away from truth by questioning her view of God. Satan wanted Eve to think God wasn’t as true to His character as she had believed, he wanted her to think God was ‘holding out on her’. Think about some recent circumstances when you’ve been tempted question similarly. Consider the thought processes you go through when you are being led to believe a lie rather than truth. Pray over those areas and ask the Spirit to root your heart deep into truth as you prepare for future battles.

2) Do the words ‘hope’ and ‘surrender’ seem incompatible? When has your life situation appeared utterly hopeless while at the same time you felt incredibly powerless to make anything different? These are sweet spot for the Savior to do a mighty work! Read through Abraham’s ‘impossible’ and ‘heartbreaking’ situation in Genesis 22. Go slowly and put yourself in his shoes. Finish your time by taking your own impossibilities and surrendering them to the Lord of Hope!

3) What do you think about the Ten Commandments? What emotions rise up when you think about a lawmaking God? Remembering that how we feel and what we think of God is the most important thing about us. Take a few minutes to write down the honest adjectives on how you view God. Only honest answers count!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Philippians 2:6-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.

Prayer Journal
You, the Lord of ALL, God of all, Creator of all, Master, Ruler, Almighty God.
You, who owe no one anything.
You, who need nothing.
You, chose to empty yourself, become a servant, take on flesh like mine, become frail, tired, emotional, and hungry.
You chose death.
That I might live.
Oh Christ! How glorious You are!
If I have nothing else, oh King, if family is lost, if tragedy wraps me up, if my finances fail, and my health is lost, You Are Still Worthy of my praise.

So, here my Jesus, accept my uplifted hands.
I come to worship You for You.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Glimmers Day 4 Hope In Surrender: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Hope In Surrender!

The Questions

1) How does this story point to a “glimmer of hope”?

2) What are the similarities between this sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus’ sacrifice?

3) What is the connection between faith and provision?

Genesis 22:1-18

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.

7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”

And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”

Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He replied, “Here I am.”

12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”

15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

Original Intent

1) How does this story point to a “glimmer of hope”?
Admittedly, there doesn’t appear to be any glimmers of hope here. The God who had decades before called Abraham out of his homeland, away from false worship, blessing him abundantly with land, servants, wealth, military power, and the promise of a son through whom he would have countless descendants, was now the same God who called Abraham to sacrifice his son. Not the son of his maidservant, Ishmael, not a sacrifice of wealth or power, but a total surrender of the son whom Abraham loved (22:2). On top of the ask to sacrifice, God told Abraham to travel to Mt. Moriah, which was three days away (22:2). Abraham had three days to mentally and emotionally consider the cost of sacrifice. Three days to wrestle with his fear and his grief, and his love. It’s one thing to obey in a split second, but another to think through all the pros and cons and wrestle within yourself when it comes to obedience. Who would Abraham love most? Isaac or Yahweh? The glimmer of hope is found in the character of God Himself. Abraham had learned to trust God over the course of a lifetime of following Him. He’d learned to trust His heart, proving even in his conversation with Isaac that his faith was in the Lord and His character of provision (22:8).

2) What are the similarities between this sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus’ sacrifice?
There are many, but here are the main ones.
The love Abraham has for Isaac is unmistakable, but so is the love shared between God the Father and God the Son. The love they share is deeper and more intimate than we will ever have the capacity to understand. It’s easy to be self-focused and consider how God loves us, but we forget how lavishly the Beings of the triune godhead love and delight in one another, which makes the agonizing sacrifice of the cross unbearably difficult to comprehend.
Isaac carried the wood for his own altar upon himself just as Christ carried His own cross to His place of sacrifice.
After three days of gut-wrenching waiting and internal wrestling, Abraham obeyed and offered his son as a sacrifice. Likewise, after three days of emotional loss, fear, and cowardly hiding away because it looked as if the enemy had won, Christ rose victoriously, having become “obedient to death”. (Philippians 2:8)

3) What is the connection between faith and provision?
Decades before this story of unswerving faith, God had invited Abraham to trust Him. The Lord told Abraham He would give him a son through whom all nations would be blessed and his offspring would be innumerable. (Genesis 15:5) Abraham believed, and because of his faith the Lord counted Abraham’s belief as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) In our story here, Abraham trusted the Lord would still fulfill His promise, even if he had to sacrifice his son. His confidence in God’s Word is breathtaking. When Isaac questioned where the sacrifice was (which was Isaac), Abraham answered with faith, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8) And again, Abraham told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy1 will go over there and worship and come again to you.” (Genesis 22:5) Though God had commanded a sacrifice that seemed to end all hope of the promise God Himself had made, Abraham repeatedly proved his faith in the integrity of the Lord God. Because of that faith, God provided.  He provided Isaac’s birth, He saved Isaac’s life, He provided the ram for sacrifice, and He reassured Abraham of His unchanging covenant promise to make him into a great nation. All of this because Abraham believed the Lord and chose to set Him apart as the only One worthy of the worship of his heart and life.

Everyday Application

1) How does this story point to a “glimmer of hope”?
Does Abraham’s story seem impossible? How could God ask him to sacrifice his son? But take into account Jesus’ words, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26) In both instances, God is not condoning hating your family in the manner we think, He is asking us to consider how deep we love Him. Does our love for Him ring truer and run deeper than any other love, even those we love the most? If the Lord asked us to follow Him somewhere, would we obey despite the cost or would we elevate anything or anyone above Him? The cost of discipleship asks every Christ follower if we would rather trust ourselves or the heart of God. Following Jesus has nothing to do with feelings, but everything to do with trusting His heart. Notice that this test of Abraham’s love for God didn’t happen at the beginning of his faith journey, or somewhere in the middle, or even right after Isaac had been born. The test came when the Lord had proven His unending faithfulness over and over to Abraham with every obedient choice he made. Every step of obedience we take in following the Lord is one more step the Lord will use to teach our hearts to trust His own. Wherever you are, whatever your circumstance, today is an opportunity to trust Him. Will you hold onto Him or yourself?

2) What are the similarities between this sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus’ sacrifice?
Perhaps even more interesting than the striking similarities are the obvious dissimilarities. Where Isaac, Abraham’s only son, was offered, but saved from death, Jesus, beloved Son of the Father, was offered and sacrificed. Jesus actually died and Death had its way with Him.
Where God called out to Abraham to stop the sacrifice, Jesus cried out to the Father, “Why have you forsaken me?!” and heard nothing in response; Jesus was utterly abandoned as He took on Sin for us. (Matthew 27:46) A ram caught in the thicket was provided by God to take Isaac’s place, and centuries later on a hill not far from Mt. Moriah, the Lamb of God laid Himself down as God’s provision, taking our place and dying the death we deserve because of our sin. Through Isaac’s lineage, Jesus Christ would one day be born. One almost-sacrifice of Isaac that tested the faith of Abraham as he proved he would choose to worship the Lord God alone painted an incredible picture of a total-sacrifice that would redeem all who came to Christ through faith, choosing to worship the Lord God only. Incredible!!

3) What is the connection between faith and provision?
God made an incredible promise to Abraham and rather than scoff at it, mock it, or simply not believe, Abraham trusted God at His Word, as a result god credited Abraham with righteousness. Abraham hadn’t done anything. He hadn’t built a temple, proved he was an upstanding citizen with high morals (in fact, Abraham’s integrity had room to grow…see Genesis 12:10-20), or given away his wealth to the poor to earn God’s declaration of “righteous”. No, he simply believed God at His Word. In exactly the same way, our faith in God’s Word that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for us on our behalf and in our place, is credited to us as righteousness. Faith in the saving, atoning work of Jesus provides eternal redemption from sin as God declares us righteous! (Romans 5:1) Will you take the Lord at His Word?!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Hope In Surrender!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Glimmers Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Worship IV, Day 9 Relentless Worship: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Relentless Worship!

The Questions

1) Why was Hannah moved to worship God in this way?

2) What do we learn about how to worship God through Hannah’s song?

3) What does Hannah’s worship reveal about her heart?

1 Samuel 2:1-10

 Hannah prayed:
My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides you!
And there is no rock like our God.
3 Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by him.
4 The bows of the warriors are broken,
but the feeble are clothed with strength.
5 Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,
but the woman with many sons pines away.
6 The Lord brings death and gives life;
he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.
7 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap.
He seats them with noblemen
and gives them a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
he has set the world on them.
9 He guards the steps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;
he will thunder in the heavens against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.

Original Intent

1) Why was Hannah moved to worship God in this way?
1 Samuel 1 reveals the background to Hannah’s beautiful hymn of worship.  For years, Hannah had longed and prayed for a child.  As the barren, second wife of Elkanah, she had lived in perpetual torture by the fertile and cruel Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife.  Then in a moment, her whole world changed: God promised her a child.  Some time later, she became pregnant.  Her broken heart, anguish and resentment  (1 Samuel 1:15-16) were replaced with strength, joy and peace.  Hannah had promised to give her child to God as a gift back to Him. Her son would be His servant in the temple, if He would answer her prayer.  The words of her worship come as she is taking Samuel to the temple as a young boy to live with Eli the priest, fulfilling her vow to the Father. (1 Samuel 1:24-28)  In a moment of great personal sacrifice, Hannah worshipped God because of His work on her behalf.  He had removed her shame from being barren (a common cultural belief), and had taken away her sorrow from being childless.  Though she was leaving her son behind, her focus remained on God and His provision in her life.

2) What do we learn about how to worship God through Hannah’s song?
Think about where Hannah was at the moment she voiced this song…she was leaving her son behind!  Let that sink in.  What Hannah knew in the moment was that God had been faithful, and she would be faithful to her promise.  In her song, Hannah worshipped God for who He is, in both character and attributes.  She acknowledged God as her salvation (verse 1); for being altogether different from other gods; for being her rock (verse 2); and for being the God of knowledge (verse 3).  She spends the rest of her song explaining how He has a plan, is in complete control, and will see that justice is done (verses 4-10).  She demonstrates a deep trust in His plan beyond anything she can fathom on her own.  Hannah knew what she had promised to God, and she was committed to following through, yet she did not know how God would ultimately put her sacrifice to use.  Samuel would grow up to play a pivotal role in Israel’s history, serving as the nation’s last judge and ushering in a new era with King Saul being anointed to lead God’s people. (1 Samuel 7-9)

3) What does Hannah’s worship reveal about her heart?
This worshipful response shows us that Hannah worshipped God from a heart grounded in truth.  She was well-balanced in the truth about God and the truth about herself.  Hannah was solid in her understanding of God’s character and the fact that He is in control of everything (verses 4-10).  Even more, she was clear in her need to remain humble (verse 3), acknowledging God’s holy perfection.  Hannah’s accurate view of herself allowed her to fully trust in God and find herself in a place of rejoicing and strength, despite the fact that she was about to leave her child in the care of another.

Everyday Application

1) Why was Hannah moved to worship God in this way?
How often do you worship God because of His work in your life?  Really think for a moment. Like Hannah, we must learn to thank God regularly for His work in our life and on our behalf.  Do you wait for God to do something major?  Or do you remember to worship Him for even the smallest things?  Even when we are waiting for God to answer a big request or a deep longing we may have, we still have the reality of the gospel:  God gifted us with salvation through the death of Jesus Christ, His Son. (Romans 6:23). Nothing we can worship Him for is greater than that!  Do you keep your focus on God alone in those moments of worship, or do you have a tendency to allow your mind to become self-focused?  We must be careful in times of worship to not become preoccupied with ourselves, and end up praising ourselves for the faith I had, or the suffering I fought through, or the pain I endured, or the worship I am giving.  Our focus should be on the One and only who moved on our behalf and is the giver of all good things.

2) What do we learn about how to worship God through Hannah’s song?
How often do you worship God simply for who He is?  Do you find yourself mostly focused on the work God has done in and through your life?  Though that aspect of worship is critical (as discussed in the previous question), when we lack balance, we risk missing the fundamental component of worship that focuses on God and His character.  We must develop our worship of God for his attributes and character.   This aspect of our  worship is important because it reminds us exactly WHO we worship.  God isn’t like anyone or anything else.  He is different in every possible way.  Remembering God and His character builds our trust in Him and His plan for our lives.  To do this, we must put effort into continually growing and expanding our knowledge of God and what we know of Him. This is a lifelong pursuit we will never exhaust as we seek to know more about our infinite Creator.

3) What does Hannah’s worship reveal about her heart?
When you worship the Father, what is revealed about your heart?  Think back to the last time you were in church, or your car, or your bed, or in a chair in the morning, offering worship to God.  What was on your mind?  What occupied your thoughts?  What feelings and emotions did you have?  How do all of these reflect your heart and what preoccupies you?  Our worship and thoughts reveal much about our hearts and their current status, whether we are preoccupied with ourselves, with fear, with doubt, with demanding expectation, with truth, with faith, or with love.  Just as we learn from Hannah, we need to ensure that our worship is built on truth and focused on God alone.  Take a good look at yourself and see what comes to mind and what the Father shows you as you seek insight into your own motivations in worship.  You may want to even pray Psalm 139:23, “Search me God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns,” as you seek His wisdom.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Relentless Worship!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship IV Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Worship IV, Day 7 Praise You In My Pain: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Praise You In My Pain!

The Questions

1) A conjunction at the beginning of a sentence indicates a connection point. What is Paul connecting together in verse 9 when he uses the word “but”?

2) What did God’s answer reveal about His ultimate purpose for Paul’s life, as well as His purpose for ours?

3) What does Paul mean when he says in his weakness he is strong?

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Original Intent

1) A conjunction at the beginning of a sentence indicates a connection point. What is Paul connecting together in verse 9 when he uses the word “but”?
In the previous chapters (10-11), Paul defends his authority as an apostle of Christ by referring to the trials and successes he had experienced. He does not boast for his own glory, but he apparently senses the need to remind the Corinthians of what makes his opinion credible. In the verses at the beginning of the chapter 12, he details a marvelous vision he had received from the Lord. But just in case they think he’s placing himself on some sort of spiritual pedestal, he includes in his account that he was also given a “thorn in the flesh” (verse 7).  Although we are never explicitly told in scripture what Paul is referring to, we can confidently surmise it was some sort of trial he was experiencing in which he had prayed for relief (verse 8). The conjunction “but” connects Paul’s suffering with God’s answer.
Although the phrase “but God” (or something similar) appears many times in the Old and New Testaments to contrast the bad news of sin/suffering with the good news of God’s powerful sovereignty and rescue, “but He” in verse 9 precedes an answer that may not have been the one Paul was expecting to receive. It was however, the answer that led Paul to discover the deeper grace of the God he worshipped.

2) What did God’s answer reveal about His ultimate purpose for Paul’s life, as well as His purpose for ours?
“My grace is sufficient.” Did Paul have to wait days, or even years, to fully grasp the depth of the truth found in these four words? Commentator Albert Barnes gives us some insight into this, reminding us we don’t know the timing between Paul’s suffering, his request, and God’s answer. (studylight.org) What we do know is that at some point Paul accepted God’s answer. As we position these words within the context of his life, we have the benefit of a zoomed-out perspective. The gladness in Paul’s response reveals his heart of worship. He chose a lifetime of thankfulness even though he was bruised and battered by many hardships. (2 Corinthians 4:8-11). In Paul’s letters to the church at Corinth he rehearsed the reality of suffering several times, always emphasizing the sufficiency of God’s grace. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9; 10:13; 15:30-31; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 11:23-30) His faith in God’s bigger purpose was the very essence of the gospel he had been set apart to proclaim. He wanted all people to know this grace so that God would be worshipped forever! 1 Timothy 2:7-8

3) What does Paul mean when he says in his weakness he is strong?
Paul reminds us many times that the weakness of his frame was meant to amplify the message of God’s grace. “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” I Corinthians 4:8
From Question 1 above, we see Paul connect two things that don’t typically fit together in today’s way of thinking. “Power” and “weakness” would not both be words on someone’s resume. Yet Paul makes it clear that his weakness was the very thing that demonstrated his strength because his strength was from God. Paul’s continual focus on the gospel reveals his heart to communicate that God chose to save sinners because of His grace. It has always been by God’s might and God’s power that we are saved and sustained in grace. Ephesians 2:8-9  Paul accepted God’s answer and he preached it to himself as he suffered. It’s as if verse 9 was the sermon and verse 10 is Paul’s worshipful response. Paul found pleasure in God’s ways! God had shown Himself to be more than enough in every way! 2 Corinthians 9:8

Everyday Application

1) A conjunction at the beginning of a sentence indicates a connection point. What is Paul connecting together in verse 9 when he uses the word “but”?
When we see faith lived out during trials and suffering, we can either walk away angry at God or awed by Him. Paul ultimately chose awe. In the Old Testament story of Job, we find a different story play out. Though Job’s friends attempted to comfort him, they eventually talked too much and their speculative opinions about God’s purpose in suffering was skewed. Their responses contained many inaccuracies about why God allows people to suffer. (Job 42:7)  When we connect Paul’s response with his request (12:8), it indicates he had chosen to rest in the answer (or to some, a non-answer) he was given by God. Paul had asked for relief from his suffering, “but [God] said” instead of healing, His presence and power would be enough to sustain him through it. As we walk through difficult days, we may also call out to God for rescue. The psalmists sure did! (Psalms 40, 69, 80). But if we receive an answer we didn’t hope for, we can pray for the kind of faith response that will eventually lead us to say: Your will, God, not mine.

2) What did God’s answer reveal about His ultimate purpose for Paul’s life, as well as His purpose for ours?
Paul saw his suffering as part of his sanctification (ie: “the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” Westminster Shorter Catechism). As he came to the realization that he would not be released from this particular burden, Paul had come to know that the power of God’s grace was able to sustain him through it. Walking through the trial would best serve God’s purpose this time instead of being removed from it. God’s foundational purpose for creating us and saving us is that we would reveal His glory so that all would worship Him. Sometimes God’s answer for us is simply: “I AM ENOUGH.” And that answer requires faith and trust on our part.  “And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” (Hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus)

3) What does Paul mean when he says in his weakness he is strong?
James Boice wrote, “If you understand the two words ‘but God’ they will save your soul. If you recall them daily and live by them, they will transform your life completely.” Often, we find paradox in scripture, two seemingly contrasting ideas. We especially notice it in the gospel message. We die to live. We get low to be raised up. And here, we see that we are strong when we are weak. These two verses (9-10) begin with “but” and end in “I am strong”. Verse 10 says Paul’s pleasure in his sufferings was all due to Christ, His Redeemer. We don’t really know what Paul’s thorn was, but Paul’s thorn itself was never really the point. Given the various possibilities, we can make Paul’s situation applicable today. We can all identify with Paul in some way or another, whether it’s a season of trial or personal physical suffering. Along with Paul, we can pursue a thankful heart. Our worship comes when we make our way to our inner sanctuary, the place of soul rest. “When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless, until I entered God’s sanctuary.” (Psalm 73:16-17)
It’s in that place where God reveals that His grace is more than enough to strengthen and sustain us in our weakest moments!

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Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Praise You In My Pain.

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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