Surrender Day 8 Image Unfiltered

February 1, 2023 by Deborah Rutherford 3 Comments

Surrender Day 8 Image Unfiltered

Deborah Rutherford

February 1, 2023

Accepted,Confession,Constant,Strength

Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 1:1-8
2 Samuel 6:12-23
John 15:18-21
John 7:18-26
Genesis 1:26-27

Dazzling celebrities and influencers dance on television, magazine covers, and social media scrolls. They portray worldly perfection with perfect meal plans, body weights, and even “perfect Christians” with flawless pictures from perfect angles, smiles, and filters.

The world’s lens focuses on external attributes to create desired impressions. Western cultures promote the self-made and superficially flawless person. Although these images may look pretty and offer popular things to attain, buy, or be, they are counterfeits of God’s beauty.

When Jesus came into the world, He brought His light to shine in the darkness. (John 1:1-5) He didn’t need to “create a persona” because He is the image of the living invisible God. (Colossians 1:15-16) Real beauty. The perverse dark world, blinded by its sin, shrieks at the light and beauty of Jesus.

We are pressured to conform to a worldly concept of shiny perfection, with all of our messy parts hidden.

As Christ-followers, we embrace God as Creator (Genesis 1:26-27), believing we are made to be set apart as a chosen, holy priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9) But how often do we feel ourselves conforming to the world’s image?

Does our image conflict with who we are as people of God, remade to reflect Him?

I’ve struggled with the impossibility of living up to social media. In high school, I emulated the models in the magazines and fell into an eating disorder. As a writer, I have been tempted to write for likes and followers, rather than for the One who called me to compose.

Did Jesus worry about His platform?

Was He concerned with what the people, Pharisees, and Romans would think of Him?

To fit in, did He water down His message?

No. Jesus was counter-culture. He eschewed building a platform, instead building a kingdom. He turned the world upside down with a King who serves and a God who had no place to lay His head, and a Holy One who washes feet.

By surrendering our image to God, we release the world’s conception of an image, instead becoming His image-bearers.

As we bear His image, we too become counter-cultural as we live Spirit-empowered, holy, obedient lives.

Similarly, consider other figures from Scripture.

Did John the Baptist, a prophet who declared the coming Messiah, have a nice suit, quaffed hair, and manicured nails? No, he came in a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:1-8)

What of King David, one of the best-known kings of Israel, stripped down to his ephod, enthusiastically dancing as the Israelites brought the ark into Jerusalem. His wife, Mical, called him vulgar. But David danced before the Lord because it was, and is always, about the Lord. (2 Samuel 6:12-23)

Many despised Jesus, John the Baptist, and David. Many will despise us as Christians.

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)

God blesses us for obeying His call to surrender our images and bear His.

Despite their humble beginnings and personas far from worldly acclaim, God used both David and John in significant, radical ways.

King David ruled a mighty kingdom and was a forebearer to Jesus. John the Baptist came ahead of the Messiah. Much like the groom’s friend who stands by and rejoices at the groom’s voice, John knew Jesus must increase, while he must decrease. (John 3:27-30) We, too, must decrease so Christ can increase, for our joy is complete in Jesus.

Just as the Lord was a faithful Sustainer, Supplier, and Satisfier to David and John the Baptist, so He is to us. When we surrender to Him, we no longer act on our own, seeking our glory, instead we seek the glory of the true and righteous God, and this brings us rich delight! (John 7:18-26)

God calls us to be His messengers,
proclaiming the good news of God’s love and sacrifice
to bring about our redemption. (John 3:16-17)
For, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news[!]” (Romans 10:15)

God holds His faithful with what the Bible calls “hesed” love, which is defined as an eternal, reliable, faithful, covenant love. As we turn our platforms, images, and life over to God, He proceeds with His perfect plan for our lives.

It took years to love my body and who I was as a child of God. Thankfully, I discovered a vital Christian principle: God is beautiful, and we are made in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27) We no longer need to match up to what society calls “pretty” when we learn how precious we are to the Holy Father.

By surrendering my image to Christ, my life shifted from a rollercoaster of never matching up, full of anxiety and striving, to focusing on Jesus and embracing His peace and joy.

As a writer, I write for Him first. I ask if my writing and social media align with God’s image. My hair, makeup, weight, or home need not be perfect because God is my perfect.

Sisters, will you join me in asking God to show us where we need to surrender our worldly images to Him? For with God’s light in our image, we shine brighter than any shiny, perfected world picture.

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acceptance,grace,image,surrender,Truth,unfiltered

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Sketched X Day 2 Family Tree: Digging Deeper

July 12, 2022 by Patty Scott Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) What do we learn about God’s plans from this passage?

2) How does God use what we see as impossible or dire circumstances to work out His plans and purposes?

3) How can we respond to this knowledge about God’s overarching and intimate involvement in all our experiences?

Genesis 45:7-8

God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. ⁸Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Original Intent

1) What do we learn about God’s plans from this passage?
This passage in Genesis comes after Joseph is already well established in Egypt. He had been nearly murdered by his brothers, sold into slavery, risen up in power under Potiphar only to be falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, then sent to prison, given authority in prison, but left there, seemingly forgotten. Then, at the right time, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream. The outcome of that exchange resulted in Joseph’s elevation to lord over Pharaoh’s household; he became second in command only to Pharaoh over all of Egypt. Joseph’s reflection in Genesis 50:19-20 reflects God’s purpose in the overall story and timing of every aspect of Joseph’s long journey. Joseph said to his brothers who had plotted his death, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.”

2) How does God use what we see as impossible or dire circumstances to work out His plans and purposes?
When we look at the full narrative of Joseph’s life, it’s obvious how God used all the circumstances that led up to Joseph’s high position in Egypt to both prepare Joseph (by humbling him and teaching him to depend upon God) and use him to bless a nation. If we divided Joseph’s story into segments, they would appear fruitless and perhaps could be seen as evidence of God abandoning someone who was faithful. Joseph acted rightly in the house of Potiphar yet was accused of adultery and unjustly imprisoned. Only looking at this scene could lead us to discount God’s faithfulness and “prove” God had abandoned Joseph. If we zoom in on Joseph’s years of being forgotten in prison after he accurately interpreted a dream and he pleaded to be remembered, we may feel God is unjust because Joseph’s circumstances were unfair. But when we see the whole of Joseph’s story we discover the ultimate, very good outcome of Joseph’s life. Even Joseph’s own lips attest of God’s supreme sovereign faithfulness. The Lord used every circumstance of Joseph’s life to position Joseph in just the right place, at just the right time so that only Joseph’s family would be saved, but the nation of Israel would flourish.

3) How can we respond to this knowledge about God’s overarching and intimate involvement in all our experiences?
Joseph’s life journey was fraught with trouble, persecution, injustice, and hardship; it seemed to never end and was surely pocked with disbelief and doubt along the way. But the Lord’s love was relentless to not only finish His work for Israel but to also finish His work in Joseph’s heart. Joseph didn’t always trust the Lord steadfastly, but at the close of his narrative, he testifies of the good plans of the Lord. God developed Joseph’s faith through suffering. Joseph trusted God more fully as he grew in knowledge of God and His faithful character. Perhaps the greatest example of this truth is the cross of Christ, which would surely have been the greatest tragedy in all of history as it threatened to kill the Author of Life. But God in His love and sovereign authority used the cruelty of death to bring about our own salvation and reconciliation to God that was once an impossible gulf to span because of our sin’s heavy debt. If we could see Christ’s death through the eyes of the eleven remaining disciples during the first days after the crucifixion we would see utter tragedy and defeat. But the cross was a pathway and a means, not an end. Through the supreme suffering of Jesus, God reconciled the ungodly (all of us) to Himself, and made a way where there was no way so we could be called sons and daughters of God. (2 Corinthians 6:18) When we witness God turning the greatest tragedy into the greatest gain, we can trust God more fully with every hardship we endure. He is the same God now as He was at the cross. He is the God who went to the cross for us; such lavish love! (Romans 8:32)

Everyday Application

1) What do we learn about God’s plans from this passage?
God’s plans for His people, both individually and corporately, involve a far deeper and broader scope than we can see or fathom. His plans are laid to work good for many even though they involve the temporary suffering of one or more people to achieve His ultimate blessing. Jeremiah 29:11 conveys this essential principle of God moving on behalf of His people as He spoke through the prophet to the nation of Israel who faced exile and captivity, “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God is light, and in Him is no darkness whatsoever. (1 John 1:5) He is not the author of evil. (Job 34:12) He has no pleasure in wickedness. (Psalm 5:4) God has allowed evil in the world because He permitted humanity’s freedom of choice, and we chose sin, and will always choose sin when we act out of our sin nature. Even this gift of freedom to choose, like everything else God does, flows from His character essence of absolute love. (1 John 4:16) His will is good and perfect toward all His creation, emanating from His heart of love. This love is perfect, true, and trustworthy which is why we can rejoice in our sufferings and endure hardship. We confidently know and attest to the reality that God is working all things together for the good of those He loves and those who are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28)

2) How does God use what we see as impossible or dire circumstances to work out His plans and purposes?
God’s plans allow for suffering, which can make us squirm in our theological seats, but because of His goodness, our suffering is never in vain when we surrender our lives to His authority. (Hebrews 12:7) When we remember God’s character and we recall that He is incapable of sin or evil, we can view our circumstances in a new light. We can remember that God is constantly at work to do His good pleasure in the hearts and lives of His followers. (Philippians 2:13) He is working all things together according to His plans for good and He will graciously bless us and make us more like Himself in the process. (Romans 8:29) In light of this reality, the author of Hebrews encourages, “No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees.” (Hebrews 12:11-12) His plans are firm and unwavering, flowing from His heart. (Psalm 33:11) What He plans, He will do. “The Lord of heavenly forces has promised: As I intended, so it will be; and as I have planned, so it will happen.” (Isaiah 14:24)

3) How can we respond to this knowledge about God’s overarching and intimate involvement in all our experiences?
We are prone to wander and drift, doubt and mistrust for we are each just as human as Joseph. We remain strong in our faith when things are going well and we sense God’s presence in our lives, but when God feels far, or our circumstances try us, our weak flesh easily doubts God’s goodness, care, love, and faithfulness. When we remember how God provided for Joseph, or for the Israelites in the desert for forty years, we cannot miss His constant presence and perpetual work even if it seems slow and too long to us. He never abandoned despite Israel’s rebellion and faithlessness for abandonment goes against His character. (2 Timothy 2:13) He is Emmanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23) He is not a God who is far, but a God who is near. This truth allows us to drop our anxieties. (Philippians 4:4-5) So many places in His word He echoes the truth of His nearness, His care, and His provision. In the short run, it may appear we have been overcome or that life is hopeless and we are helpless, but that is never the whole picture for all who have trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) Let’s choose to remember God’s presence, His purposes, His goodness, His past actions on our behalf and in history so we can endure trials by keeping our eyes set upon His love. (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5)

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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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Champion Day 2 The Barren And Broken: Digging Deeper

May 31, 2022 by Dr. Leslie Umstattd 1 Comment

Champion Day 2 The Barren And Broken: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

May 31, 2022

Constant,Digging Deeper,Encourage,Faith,Faithfulness,Fruitfulness,Fullness

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

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 1:27-31

27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world- what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one may boast in his presence 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption 31 —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

The Original Intent

1) In verse 27, what is Paul referencing by beginning with “instead”?

Practicing reading backwards to understand a verse or set of verses is extremely important in studying Scripture, but especially when we encounter a word like “therefore” or “instead” signaling how the previous writing ties directly to the next passage. Every time we open His Word, we should practice this study habit so it becomes our natural response to rightly understanding God’s Word.

Prior to this passage, in verse 18-26, Paul compares the world’s wisdom with God’s wisdom. With tongue-in-cheek, he speaks of God’s “foolishness”, which of course doesn’t exist, for nothing about God is foolish, but he uses this linguistic tool to make an emphatic point. Even if God did have a hint of foolishness about Him, it would still be infinitely wiser than humanity’s best wisdom. (verse 25) When Paul reaches verse 27, he intended the reader to recognize that God doesn’t follow the course of earthly wisdom. He turns worldly wisdom on its head, proving that only by divine wisdom and perspective, could it be conceivable for a holy God to rescue sinful humanity.

The Everyday Application

1) In verse 27, what is Paul referencing by beginning with “instead”?

God’s ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9) The beauty of the Gospel is that it simply does not make sense to us. God calls the barren and broken of the world to serve as His champions of grace. Instead of calling the best and strongest, He invites the heavy laden and the weak to come to Him. (Matthew 11:28, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

During His earthly ministry, Jesus actively chose to speak and live in unconventional and counter cultural ways. He ate with tax collectors and hung out with prostitutes to transform not only their earthly lives but also their heavenly position before God. (Luke 19:1-10, Mark 2:13-17) He touched the forbidden and unclean lepers and, although a very real physical healing took place, spiritually healing was at the heart of His encounters. (Matthew 8:1-4) He intentionally sought out the outcast, the lonely, and the ostracized of society in order to minister to them, saying, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick…”. (Mark 2:17)

In God’s wisdom, He sacrificed His own Son to make a way of salvation for sinners who neither deserved mercy nor could earn righteousness. He designed for Holiness to take the punishment for the wretched in order that light could enter the darkness of this world, and that none could boast, insisting they had somehow contributed to their salvation. (John 3:14-21) The lost in the world, those without the Light of Christ living inside them, stumble over God’s righteousness and wisdom out of rebellion, rejecting it as ludicrous. But when we submit to His wisdom, we recognize God and the rightness of His ways (Hosea 14:9), which brings about our humility and repentance.

The Original Intent

2) What does God view as important and how is it described by Paul in verses 27-30?

Paul explains that God has chosen what seems foolish in this world to shame the wise and He’s chosen what is weak to shame the strong for the purpose of humanity to realize they cannot save themselves. (Romans 3:10)

No amount of worldly wisdom, strength, generosity, or human ability can save us from our sins. Yet, in our own pride we assume we can save ourselves. (Psalm 10:3-4) But, God’s definition of wisdom and strength points all glory and boasting to Himself because Only He can save; our rescue comes from Christ alone. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

The Everyday Application

2) What does God view as important and how is it described by Paul in verses 27-30?

God intentionally chooses what the world views as weak to share His truths. In one encounter found in the Gospel of Luke, the rich leaders of the city were dropping money into the offering by the bag full. Then a poor widow gave what little she had, and Jesus noticed.

Human convention would watch that scene and applaud the leaders for their generosity because the amount they gave was seemingly so significant. Yet, Jesus commended the widow for her small amount, because her sacrifice was more significant than the surplus of the wealthy. He called on the people of the city to emulate her, a poor widow. (Luke 2:1-4) Jesus did not look at the amount given but the heart behind the gift. (Psalm 51:16-17)

Throughout history, God chooses the smallest, the weakest, and what the world sees as incapable to champion His purposes. (Matthew 18:1-5)

The Original Intent

3) According to verses 28-31 what is the purpose of God’s different perspective?

God desired to bring what the world deemed as nothing into a place of honor and glory. Paul describes the heart and mind of humanity in this passage by highlighting our tendency to boast about our knowledge and our strengths. Paul pits this against Christ’s entrance into the world and the incredible humility He displayed. Christ, being both fully God and fully man, having all wisdom and knowledge and power, defied all human logic by laying it down, putting on flesh, and dwelling with humanity.

Jesus embodied the pure wisdom that comes from above (James 3:13-18) which stands in stark opposition to human wisdom; this humble manner of living by God’s wisdom is to be imitated by all who are in Christ. (Philippians 2:5-11) He became our standard from which to boast. If we boast, we boast about Him and how He saved us. (1 Corinthians 1:31)

The Everyday Application

3) According to verses 28-31 what is the purpose of God’s different perspective?

Ultimately. God wants His people to be set apart and accomplish His purposes in His power, wisdom, and strength. God’s grace is sufficient for this work, and as Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, God’s power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Only in our brokenness, and our recognition of it, are we positioned to fully rely on God. In our self-sufficient world full of self-promotion, self-ambition, and self-centeredness the idea of humility and sacrifice is foolishness, but in that foolishness God’s purposes are championed. Our spiritual barrenness requires reconciliation with the one true God and Jesus provided a way for this as He gave Himself up for us. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

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