Desperate

Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 1:1-22
Exodus 15:22-16:8
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Revelation 21:1-5

Wilderness, Day 13

As Naomi entered Bethlehem, her heart was breaking. The sight of the familiar streets cast her mind back to happier times when she had walked them with her husband, her sons playing alongside.

How joyful and carefree they had been! But then, everything had changed . . .

First, a severe famine had forced them to leave Bethlehem. (Ruth 1) It hadn’t been easy to leave their homeland, but they had settled in Moab and been happy. At least they had one another.

But then Naomi’s husband, Elimilech, had died, followed around ten years later by not just one, but both of her sons. They had left as a family of four. Now as Naomi returned, alone, the sense of loss was overwhelming.

Sadly, loss is something we all encounter at some point. It may be the tragic death of loved ones, as with Naomi, but there are other losses – divorce, life-changing illness, redundancy, loss of a friendship . . .

The last couple of years have brought so much loss for us all due to the pandemic. We’ve grieved the loss of celebrations with family and friends, cancellations of long-anticipated plans, the loss of “normal” in gathering and traveling, all of which we once took for granted.

Sometimes, even “smaller” losses hit us hard.

In Naomi’s case, the devastating losses were so overwhelming they affected her whole sense of identity. As her old friends greeted her on her return to Bethlehem, her bitterness poured out.

“‘Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,’ she answered, ‘for the Almighty has made me very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?’” (Ruth 1:20-21)

Several years earlier, as the Israelites travelled through the wilderness, they found themselves in a similar place of bitterness. (Exodus 15:22-27) After three days of searching for water, they finally found some, only to discover it was too bitter to drink. Just as Naomi identified herself by her bitterness, the Israelites identified the place by its bitterness, naming it Marah.

While God miraculously removed the bitterness from the water, the bitterness in the Israelites’ hearts remained. They continued their journey, complaining about the lack of food, even looking back fondly to their days of slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 16:1-8)

Their bitterness blinded them to the reality of God’s provision. They had recently witnessed the Red Sea parting before them, enabling them to escape the Egyptians, and they had personally known God’s presence leading them every step of the way!

Similarly, Naomi’s bitterness blinds her to the truth that she is not alone. God has not brought her back empty. Her faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, is beside her, and although Naomi has unquestionably suffered devastating losses, it is not the end of her story. God still has a good plan for her.

In Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, we see a glimmer of hope. On hearing God has blessed His people in Israel by providing food once again for “the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need,” (Ruth 1:6) she chooses to go home. It is a physical return, but perhaps it is also the beginning of a spiritual return, of turning back to God, of turning toward hope in His promises and His goodness, even in the midst of loss.

What about our response in our times of loss? Do we become stuck in the wilderness of bitterness and isolation, or do we turn back to God? Do we choose to return to “Bethlehem” and remember that, in Jesus, God entered our pain and suffering to deal with sin and brokenness and offer us hope?

A few weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a friend’s husband. It was a tragic loss; he was a wonderful, godly man who seemed to have been taken far too soon, leaving behind a wife, four children, one grandchild and another on the way. There was great sorrow, of course, and a huge sense of loss, but not a trace of bitterness.

Instead, the whole service was a beautiful testimony to God’s faithfulness and presence even in the midst of loss, and it expressed a determination to hold onto Him and His hope.

One of the readings was from 1 Thessalonians 4, which encourages followers of Jesus that we do not “grieve like the rest, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

We will grieve, and we will experience loss of various kinds, but, in Jesus, we always have hope. Ours is an unshakable hope that comes from knowing Him as He walks with us through loss and reminds us that, no matter what losses we face, they are not the end of our story.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

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Kneel Day 5 Faithful God Who Fills

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 1:4-11
Nehemiah 4:11-14
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Psalm 145

Kneel, Day 5

What is the difference between faithful and faith-filled? Prior to pondering Nehemiah and the confidence with which he prayed, I may have described them as two sides of the same coin: faithful and full of faith.

However, as I continued to think about those two concepts, I began to see parallels with the scientific terms potential and kinetic energy.

Yes, I am taking us back to science class for a moment.
Kinetic energy is the energy of an object in motion.
Whereas, potential energy’s origin is found in the location of said object or the nature of its construction, not in movement.

For instance, think about pushing a snowball off a mountain top (can you tell I grew up in Wyoming?). The snowball itself has great potential energy when it sits, motionless, at the top of the mountain, although it’s not actually demonstrating any of that energy. However, once the snowball begins migrating down the mountain, rapidly picking up speed and growing in size, anyone living in the valley below may discover the power of its kinetic energy.

This analogy demonstrates the difference between faithful and faith-filled, which we will see applies to Nehemiah and his prayer life. Approximately 100 years before we meet Nehemiah, Israel’s time of exile in Babylon had ceased and they had been given freedom to return home. However, not all exiles chose to return. A new generation had been born and raised in exile, and Babylon had become home. Hence, why Nehemiah was still hanging out in Babylon when we read his biography. The previous troupe who had returned home were tasked with rebuilding a ransacked Jerusalem, but a century later, Nehemiah learned that the Israelites continued to walk a razor-thin line of survival:

“The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.” (Nehemiah 1:3)

As he led Israel to rebuild Jerusalem, Nehemiah prayed intensely faith-filled prayers. He cried out to the Lord and entrusted the outcome to the faithfulness of God. He understood the “potential energy” of a heart beseeching the Lord. Nehemiah was positioned to experience the miracle of the Lord working through him, but the ability to accomplish the tasks before him did not reside within Nehemiah himself.

The Lord, however, carried the capability to see Nehemiah’s mission come to pass, and Nehemiah prayed with expectation the Lord would remain true to the promises He’d given the people of Israel. (Deuteronomy 30:1-5) Nehemiah understood the concept of faithfulness and recognized it as a demonstration of God’s character. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Faithful is defined as:

  1. Firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty,
  2. given with strong assurance, and
  3. true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original.

All three of these definitions apply to the character of God.
Consider generations earlier, when God cut a covenant with His servant, Abram (later renamed to Abraham), regarding the establishment of an entire nation through Abraham’s lineage. God alone assumed the weight of the promises’ fulfillment. (Genesis 15)
The covenant would be upheld by God’s faithfulness.

The Lord demonstrated His faithfulness to Abraham and His people throughout the Old Testament. In pondering His faithfulness to those in the New Testament, the apostle Paul comes to mind. After his profound conversion experience (Acts 9:1-25), Paul sought to spread the Gospel with the same energy he once used to persecute Christians, which cost him dearly. Shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonments filled Paul’s missionary journeys. In 2 Thessalonians 3, he encourages believers to remember the Lord is faithful, a truth I believe helped guide Paul into the incredible obedience he displayed throughout his life.

The truth of the Lord’s faithfulness is for us, as well. In fact, today I am choosing to believe in His faithfulness as I navigate some unexpected scenarios in my current season.

Maybe, like me, you wonder, “What is the practical application?”.
For me, it looked like the following three steps today, ones I will probably need to repeat often.

  1. Pray like Nehemiah. He laid out the elements troubling his heart and directed his prayer to the Lord. This was an active conversation with Him, not simply thinking through details. I am often guilty of equating thinking about something with praying about it.
  2. Believe the Lord will respond in His faithfulness. The Lord’s character is consistent. Once I spent time praying through the details of life, I thanked the Lord for Who He is and the promises He has given in Scripture. I reminded myself of the goodness and faithfulness of God.
  3. Surrender the outcome to the Lord. This step is crucial and is sometimes the most difficult. The Lord will faithfully listen to my prayers and respond to them, but His answers may not be what I hope or expect. He may not remove the circumstances, provide insights immediately, or even seem to acknowledge my prayers. However, my role is to pray in faith, trust the Lord will reply in His faithfulness and timing, and obey as He leads me. The rest is up to Him.

Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilt the great wall surrounding Jerusalem–an undertaking the Hebrew remnant previously believed impossible!– in 52 days. Paul brought the Gospel to innumerable people throughout his life. Regardless of the mission the Lord has appointed for each of us, the same faithful One Who led Nehemiah and Paul leads us as well, and His activity makes all the difference.

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Kneel Day 1 Restored Relationship

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Esther 4
Ezra 8:21-23
Matthew 4:1-11

Kneel, Day 1

“Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me [. . .] After that, I will go to the king[.]’” (Esther 4:15-16)

Caught between the impending genocide of her people and a potentially deadly reception by the king should she speak on their behalf, Queen Esther and her uncle, Mordecai, desperately need a miracle. And so, before Esther approaches the king, they fast and pray.

Yet, prayer and fasting don’t necessitate a miracle. We don’t manipulate God when we pray; instead, we rely on His good heart for us and declare our belief in His power.

So why do we keep praying and fasting?

The ultimate purpose of prayer and fasting is the restoration of our relationship with God. Prayer is an essential part of our spiritual lives. Just as none of us are exempt from the troubles of this world, none of us are exempt from the need to connect with, and hear from, the only One who has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Though the struggles that draw us to prayer and fasting may differ, we can all embrace these practices with a desire to empty our hearts of earthly things so the Lord will pour out His Spirit and satisfy our spiritual hunger.

Throughout the Bible, God’s people pray and fast together because they are seeking God’s help and direction. In the opening vignette of our study, we met Mordecai, who, together with other Jews in the land, “fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:3) as an expression of their anguish over the order to kill every Jew. Their actions signified both their grief and their cries to the Lord to protect them from execution.

Again, we don’t manipulate God with prayer and fasting, but we allow Him to work in and around us as we surrender through humble prayer. Esther’s response to Mordecai’s plea for intervention demonstrated her belief that the will of the Lord would come to pass. Esther clearly understands that fasting will not guarantee her safety in her final words to her cousin, “I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16) Her words hold equally strong conviction to do what is right and to trust the Lord for her fate.

The Lord is good and just indeed! He responds to prayer and fasting! He promises if His people will seek Him, they will find Him. (2 Chronicles 7:14-15, Jeremiah 29:13) When we fast and pray, we encounter Him in a different, higher way.

This truth resonates in the continuation of Esther’s story. After seeking God’s heart through prayer and fasting, Esther enacted a careful, thoughtful plan to approach King Xerxes and plead for her people. (Esther 5) By the Lord’s grace, she found favor with the king, and she and her people were spared. Through God’s intervention, the Jews were saved and not forsaken. How beautiful is the aroma of prayer and fasting to the Lord!

Similarly, in Ezra 8:21-23, the priest Ezra led Israelites returning home from exile into prayer and fasting to seek God’s presence and protection. “So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He was receptive to our prayer.” (Ezra 8:23)

And finally, as an epitome of humility and faith before the Lord, Jesus fasted. He acknowledged God’s power and strength alone would enable Him to carry out the Father’s will. Matthew 4 describes how Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He was also tested by evil, but He overcame the temptation by the power of God dwelling within Him and relying on Scripture.

Jesus’ example demonstrates how prayer and fasting are powerful preparations for experiencing God deeply and outrageously!

From Jesus, we learn temptation and struggle may come, but if we are filled with God’s words and presence, we will overcome, just as Jesus did! Prayer and fasting are vital, as they bring us closer to God and remind us to trust Him.

From Mordecai, we learn we should not hesitate to engage in prayer and fasting.
When we see cries, pain, and injustice around us that are impossible for humans to resolve and only God can manage, we can turn to the One who is full of compassion and always capable! The Lord sees our faith, is delighted to hear from us, and is moving when we pray.

Let’s pray that the Lord will help us lead our people into prayer and fasting just as Mordecai did. Faith can rescue people when we come together!

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Enough Day 5 Prophet & Priest

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 28:7-8
Jeremiah 5:21-31
Ecclesiastes 7:20
Romans 3:10-12
Ephesians 2:1-3

Enough, Day 5

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

At the moment of choosing self over God in the Garden of Eden, mankind’s sweet and intimate communion with God was shredded to tatters. Rebellious thought became disobedient action, and instantly, horrifyingly, a gulf of sin yawned eternity-wide between Father and children.

But God.

In His unbroken love and unending mercy, He designed a way to remain in relationship with His children, a system that left His justice undefiled.

The sins of the people required payment, and so He established the priesthood, a lineage set apart to approach a holy God on behalf of a sin-riddled nation.

Descendants of Aaron (Moses’ brother) would dedicate themselves to upholding meticulously stringent rules for offering countless sacrifices to cover countless sins.

Aside from sin offerings, priests would oversee
burnt offerings,
grain offerings,
guilt offerings,
and fellowship offerings, to name a few.
The people of Israel would now relate to their God at a distance, through ritual.

Sin would separate their spirits.

The tabernacle, maintained by the tribe of Levi, would separate their physical presences. The people would remain outside, while God’s presence resided within the Holy of Holies, the tabernacle’s innermost sanctuary. Only the high priest, after strenuous cleansing rituals and offerings to cover every possible sin, was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies as a shadowed, hollow mediator between God and man.

“You must distinguish between the holy and the common,” God directed the priests, “and the clean and the unclean, and teach the Israelites all the statues that the Lord has given to them through Moses”. (Leviticus 10:10-11)

But the priests were not immune to mankind’s legacy of sin, and almost immediately, they became corrupt, continuing in their sinful nature of grubbing around in darkness rather than living holy before the Lord God.

Leadership roles, including that of high priest, were sold to the highest bidder or, later, appointed at the whim of foreign political leaders. Priests either taught from their own wisdom or put their authority up for sale (Micah 3:11), leading the people astray and violating their covenant work. (Malachi 2:8)

Finally, even before the dust of Egypt could fall from their shoes, Aaron commanded the Israelites to fashion and worship a golden calf as their one, true God. Again and again, priests sanctioned the casting of idols and the worship of false and foreign gods over the One True God. (2 Kings 17:16-17)

The cycle was unbroken, endless, despairing. No sacrifice made by man could provide permanent absolution; no spilled blood of an animal could transform the people’s sinful nature. (Hebrews 10:4)

God’s judgement was unequivocal, His words condemning their sin as a tragic echo of His commission:

“Her priests do violence to my instructions and profane my holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean. They close their eyes to my Sabbath, and I am profaned among them.” (Ezekiel 22:26)

Moved to action by a generation of priests who stole offerings meant for the Lord, threatened violence against the people they were meant to lead, and sexually abused women who served in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22), God called a young boy to serve as His voice to Israel.

Thus began the age of prophets in Israel’s history, men and women who were called to approach a sin-riddled nation on behalf of a holy God. Some were people of incredible faithfulness, honor, and endurance, whose own words foreshadowed the Word made flesh.

In fact, much of the Old Testament has been dedicated to prophets’ exhortations.

But even prophets were not immune to the gnarled fingers of sin curling around their spirits.

Like the Israelites all the way back to Adam and Eve,
like the priests before and alongside them,
like every single human after them, some began to choose self over God.

What “prophetic” message would garner the most political favor?
What message would bring financial gain, or community stature?
What message would bring physical satisfaction, pleasure, or ease?
Then surely, that message was intended for God’s children . . . regardless of whether it bore any resemblance to His words.

As with the priests, God spoke out against false prophets:
“Because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (when I intended no distress), and because you have supported the wicked person so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will rescue my people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 13:22-23)

. . . and eventually, the true prophets fell silent. For hundreds of years, Israel heard nothing from God. Never before had He seemed so distant, so separate.

No man, hopelessly bound in the sticky, spidery web of sin and death could free himself, save his people, and stand blameless before God (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Not priests.
Not judges, or kings, or elders.
Not prophets.
Not you, or me.

Where, then, does our hope lie? What sacrifice, what true High Priest, could be enough to break, once and for all, sin’s death-grip on our spirits?

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Enough Day 2 Creation’s Groan: 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 Creation’s Groan!

The Questions

1) How did the serpent deceive Eve?

2) Who was the serpent?

3) Why did God curse the serpent?

4) How was the curse broken?

Genesis 3:1-4

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.

Original Intent

1) How did the serpent deceive Eve?
Genesis 3 tells how a serpent enticed Eve and Adam to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It’s easy to look at the text and think, “I know this story”, but there is much more to uncover here! This passage contains a warning to all of us about Satan’s tactics and includes a seed of hope. When the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) She replied by misquoting God, “But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.'” (Genesis 3:3) God never said not to touch it. (Genesis 2:17) Before Eve was created, God told Adam not to eat it, “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Fostered by the slight manipulation of truth, which nurtured doubt in God’s goodness, Eve reached for the fruit and took a bite. Eve listened to Satan’s lies over believing God’s word. Death and evil were abstract ideas before her sin. Everything was new, alive, and holy. Just like a child can’t comprehend death if they haven’t lost a loved one, Eve and Adam didn’t understand separation from God or one another. She let her experiences determine her reality instead of trusting God. The serpent confidently told her a half-truth, “No! You will certainly not die.” (Genesis 3:4) He knew touching the fruit wouldn’t lead to death, but disobeying God’s word by eating the fruit would bring fatal consequences.

2) Who was the serpent?
The serpent was more than a snake in the grass; he was the tempter Satan who deceives the whole world. (Revelation 12:9) Though Satan once lived with God as an angel, he desired to be higher and more powerful than God. As punishment for his prideful arrogance, and his total disregard for the Lord God’s rule and authority, God cast him from Heaven. (Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:13-17) His existence is eternal enmity, or hatred, towards God and His creation. (Genesis 3:15)

3) Why did God curse the serpent?
When God asked Eve, “What have you done?” she replied, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” (Genesis 3:13) Interestingly, God didn’t ask the serpent, “What have you done?” Instead, after Eve answered God’s question, God cursed the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock…” (Genesis 3:14) Bible theologian, Barnes explains how Satan’s sin was a moral sin because he deceived Adam and Eve. Therefore, he received a moral punishment in the form of a curse. The Hebrew word for curse in this passage (Arar) is more significant than using a curse word. God’s binding curse on Satan is an intentional response to devaluing God’s word and His character by deceiving Adam and Eve. Later, in Genesis 12:3, we see another connection between devaluing people, God’s creation, and God’s righteous curse, “I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Satan also received a physical punishment for leading Adam and Eve into physical temptation. The serpent was devalued, forced to crawl on his belly. Deception transformed his relationship with people from congeniality to conflict and enmity. Sadly, people also received physical punishment for their transgressions. Adam’s work became difficult (verses 17-19), Eve’s labor would be painful (verse 16), and their relationship changed so that Eve’s desire was intent on Adam and Adam would rule over Eve. (verse 16)

4) How was the curse broken?
God cursed the serpent for his deception, but there was also a promise of judgment for the serpent through the offspring of the woman. (Genesis 3:14-15) The literal translation of Genesis 3:15 reads, “between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head and you will strike his heel.” In the original language, “her seed” is singular and does not refer to all her offspring; it is one person, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16) Though the prospect of having one’s heel attacked by a serpent isn’t pleasant, attacking the head of the serpent is a death blow preventing the serpent from ever hurting another person. Romans 16:30 encourages believers by pronouncing, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Jesus’ purpose was to destroy the works of the devil, breaking the curse between Satan and mankind once and for all. (1 John 3:8) Jesus crushed Satan’s head by dying for us and subsequently conquering Death forever by rising from the dead. All who trust in Him, recognizing He alone was able to pay the debt of death we owed because of our sin, will be freed from Satan’s curse. Those who believe, taking on Jesus’ offer of life for themselves, will live for eternity at peace with Him. No more death and no more curse! (Revelation 21:4)

Everyday Application

1) How did the serpent deceive Eve?
When the serpent tempted Eve, she could have halted his lies by leaning on the full truth of God’s Word. She could have taken Satan’s statement about death straight to God as He came to walk in the Garden in the cool of the evening. (Genesis 3:8) As Christians, we can avoid deception by asking God to teach us and lead us through the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26) We can also read the Bible and learn God’s word for ourselves. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Satan will tempt us to doubt God’s word with possessions, power, success, and necessities like food. “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16) We need to stand guard against Satan’s scheming tactics (2 Corinthians 2:11); even when we are in a close relationship with God, we can be enticed by Satan and our own curiosity to disobey God when something forbidden looks delightful and desirable. (Genesis 3:6) No one is immune from Satan’s temptations. After fasting for 40 days in the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus. (Matthew 4:1-11) Satan used God’s own words against Jesus by quoting Psalm 91:11-12, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Where Eve had failed, Jesus responded to Satan by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” Jesus modeled how we can stop Satan’s attacks by quoting Scripture. Staying in communion with God, knowing His word, seeking His heart, and bringing our questions to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding will help us resist temptation.

2) Who was the serpent?
We likely don’t give much thought to Satan or his schemes today, but his tactics are just as real for us as they were for Eve and Adam. Satan is the father of lies, his nature is to lie, and his primary strategy is deception and manipulation of truth. (John 8:44) He devalues God’s Word, enticing people to question Him and disobey Him. Satan desires every created being to doubt God’s goodness, His love, and His plan. In light of this reality, we should re-assess what we believe ensuring we are clinging to truth from Scripture and leaving no room for lies from the enemy.

3) Why did God curse the serpent?
We can all attest that deceit leads to damage and conflict in relationships. It often has direct, and indirect, ripple effects resulting in repercussions for generations. The serpent’s deception led to enmity, which is personal hostility, in his relationship with all humanity. Enmity refers to hatred and enemies. The Cambridge Bible explains that enmity means a blood feud. Genesis 3:15 reads, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.” The serpent treated Adam and Eve with contempt by lying to them. He treated God with contempt by disparaging God’s command as a means to keeping Adam and Eve from something better. He enticed them to show contempt for God’s word through disobedience. His deception destroyed the relationship between the serpent and mankind and damaged their relationship with God and with each other. When we show contempt for God by disobeying his commands, or for people by lying, stealing, or being unfaithful, we have created a biblical curse in our relationships that will lead to damage and long-term conflict.

4) How was the curse broken?
Jesus came to restore humanity’s relationship with God and with other people. Eve and Adam still lived under the consequences resulting from disobeying God even though they were tricked by Satan’s deception. Each one of us is responsible for our own choices, there is no room for “the devil made me do it” mentality. (James 1:13-16) For Eve and Adam, communion with God was damaged as was their relationship with each other.  Through Christ’s sacrifice which paid the debt we owe because of sin, a pathway was created for our relationships to be renewed and restored. In Jesus, we have communion with God and each other. He is our peace. (Ephesian 2:14) In Christ, we can have healthy relationships between men and women and all people regardless of our differences. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Creation’s Groan!

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 Enough 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.

Reveal day 13 We Have This Hope

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 71
Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
1 Peter 1:3-7

Reveal, Day 13

Wars and rumors of wars . . . that is our life these days. One king after another has slaughtered us, starved us, kept us in confusion, unsure of the truth. Unsure of whom to trust.

At a loss, I try to remember the reassurances of my grandmother. “Remember Yahweh’s words,” she would say. “Listen for the prophets.”

But even Grandmother knew the prophets were long dead.

Their words of promise, of hope, are a distant, fading memory. A King to save us? That’s what they all say. Hundreds of years later, there is still no salvation from the bare existence we scratch out day . . . after day . . . after day.

They used to talk about David’s line, his descendants. From his family would come a new King, a Messiah. Ha! David’s line has not been seated on the throne for generations.

What good is Yahweh’s word when it simply isn’t?

It seems no one mentions Yahweh anymore. Not even a whisper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My father has taken to reading the Torah and the writings of David again. Pulling dusty scrolls from forgotten back shelves, he reads aloud Psalm 130 and Psalm 131.

Hope.
Yahweh.
“Wait on the Lord.”
I can’t see it. But if it makes him feel better, I will listen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tikvah. HOPE. Why are people suddenly talking about this?
Today at the well, one woman was even singing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND THEN IN THE HEAVENLIES —

“Now. It’s time.”

To the Earth below, there appeared a star, shining brighter than all others in the sky, and the sound of a baby’s first breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever had a falling out with someone and not heard from her again?

I’ve been there.

What if you relied on someone to coach you, to give you good counsel, warn you of unwise plans on your part . . . but then suddenly she drops out of touch, just stops communicating with you?

How do you sit with that silence?

Israel sat in silence for 400 years. Generation after generation. An entire nation depended on hearing God’s voice, either directly or more typically, through His prophets, those He called to be His mouthpiece. Whether the prophets delivered words of encouragement and salvation, or chastisement and judgment, at least Israel heard from God.

But then came those 400 years of silence. As if Jehovah, God, locked tight the door of heaven. Silent.

It wasn’t as if they experienced 400 years of prosperity, of great economic growth and health, and stopped pursuing Him. No, they still had their cycles of corrupt governments, of wars, of pestilence.

Of hopelessness.

Maybe after so long without hearing from God, they simply gave up.

After being invaded and taken over by the world power of Rome and living under strict authoritarian rule, they wanted rescue. They wanted to hope in a King, a ruler who would come in like a warrior, defeat the Roman tyrannical rule, and bring prosperity and safety.

Have you ever felt that hopeless, that desperate?
Have you ever felt like God has left you, or you wonder if He was even there at all?

Even in the desperation, the questions, the loneliness, we can have hope.

We have hope in Christ, our God-made-flesh Who came to Earth and was born of a virgin.

Fast forward 30 years. Messiah begins His ministry of Hope. Not as the warrior or ruler Israel thought they wanted, but as a Savior, a Rescuer, and the Hope they needed.

He promised life abundant and life everlasting.
But like Israel, when we are in a hopeless situation, we can’t always see His promises.
We know we want out and want out now.
We want the answer to our hopelessness to be tangible. But it isn’t always.

Having faith in God, putting our hope in Jesus Christ, means trusting in the intangible. (Romans 8:24-25)

And yet, that intangible Hope is a very real anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:19)

We no longer need to strive within ourselves. We are free to admit we need something beyond ourselves; we need a Savior.

And so, our GOD OF HOPE gave of His very self to meet our desperate need. Jesus, the same babe born that first Christmas night in a Bethlehem cave, is our Hope. The God-man who gave His life on the cross, was buried, and rose again so we would be free and have eternal life is our living, breathing Hope.

He is your Hope. You only have to ask, to surrender yourself, your needs, and your heart to Him. Our journey in this life will still have challenges and struggles and hardship and hurt, but the One who sustains and controls everything in the Universe can and will be by our side through it all. (John 16:33)

Jesus Christ, our living hope. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

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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 Reveal 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 Reveal!

Redeemed Day 1 Once Upon A Time

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 1:1-5
Judges 2:16-23
Isaiah 43:1-7

Redeemed, Day 1

My first wedding anniversary was nothing like I expected.

Just 365 days prior, I was running to my car with sparklers all around, looking forward to the rest of my life with my beloved.

Fast forward a year, my husband and I went out to dinner and headed back to our new home . . . my parents’ house.

You see, the first six months of marriage were great. We were living on our own, taking weekend getaway trips, and learning more about each other.

But then, we hit bumps.

We got pregnant, and at twelve weeks, lost our first baby.

Then, my husband got hurt on the job, causing him to be out of work and both of us to rely on my income alone. We learned he needed surgery, which would further delay his return to work.

Our plans for moving to a condo closer to the city disappeared just as fast as they’d come, and before I knew it, I was crying on the phone with my mom and dad, asking if we could put our stuff in storage and move in with them. It was all we could afford.

I don’t know about your marriage preparations, but we did not cover this scenario in premarital counseling. “What to do if you have to move back home” was not one of the weekly sessions.

Yet there we were.

Our happily ever after went from bliss to desperation in a heartbeat. 

We went from independence
to living with my parents,
my brother,
my sister,
my brother-in-law,
my niece,
and three dogs.
Talk about a full house. 

Our newly-tested faith was still in the wrestling stage as we dealt with the loss of our baby and mourned the life we’d imagined.

We were lost.

I wish I could tell you everything got better quickly, but this is a place of gracious truth.

We got pregnant later that summer and, after six weeks of hospitalized bed rest, we were blessed with our daughter. We brought her home to my parents’, and were able to move out a few months later. Hope began flickering to life as circumstances improved.

But darkness invaded the fledgling light as our marriage took a turn for the worse. I became afraid that redemption of our love and future might never take place. What should have been a joyous time with our newborn daughter was tainted with death and depression.

Death of what my marriage was supposed to be.
Overwhelming depression as I tried to pick up pieces of our very broken home.

My life was not supposed to be like this.

And neither was Naomi’s.

You see, once upon a time, Naomi had it all.
She was married and had two sons approaching adulthood.
I can imagine at this point in her life, she looked forward to her sons’ marriages and grandchildren in the near future.

But one day, her husband died.
And years later, her sons died, too.

From full house to empty within a decade.

Naomi’s story is touched with death and depression.
So much like my own story . . . and perhaps yours, as well?

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, had moved their family to Moab during years of famine in Israel. What they believed was the right choice to provide for their family ended up being a death sentence.

Dreams of being a grandma, gone.
Dreams of growing old with her love, gone.
Dreams of having her family together, gone.
Dreams of financial security, gone.

Naomi’s life, on paper, was ruined.

She was a widow, beyond childbearing years, and most likely could not perform the physical labor necessary to provide for herself and her surviving daughters-in-law.

Her story could have stopped here. She could have stayed in Moab, empty, and waited to die.

But God.
God was moving in the heart of Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law.
And did I mention Boaz? He will be joining us soon.
Finally, while Naomi couldn’t perceive it, He was continuing to work out His plan for the redemption of all mankind through the life of one frail, hurting, dejected woman.

What could have been the end was only the beginning.

As we journey through the book of Ruth, I want to encourage you. Just like Naomi, my story did not just stop. 

When your world is all hurt and emptiness and death and depression, your story does not just stop.

The redemption woven into my personal years of famine would take hours to tell. There is life, love, joy, and a testimony that could only come from God Himself. My husband and I, with Christ in our midst, are walking forward with true freedom and joy at the way He’s written our story, and this summer we are celebrating six years of marriage.

I encourage you to dig into this Journey Theme over the next three weeks.
Naomi and Ruth’s story is only the beginning.
Let’s see how our redeeming God is at work in their lives, and in our own.

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

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

Worship VI Streams In The Wilderness: 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 Streams In The Wilderness!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”

2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?

3) What is the favor of the Lord?

Psalm 30:1-12

I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.
2 Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.

4 Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.

6 When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
9 “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”

11 You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
According to Albert Barnes, the word Sheol means grave or “the region of the dead; the underworld which is entered through the grave.”  King David uses this word in Psalm 30:3 when he sings, “Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.” Albert Barnes also notes the “word pit here means the same as the grave.”  David rejoices that God delivered him from Sheol and the Pit.  Author David Guzik points out, “we don’t know if David here described what we might call a near-death experience or if it would be more like a narrow escape from death. Either way, in his life as a soldier and leader, he had more than one time when death was near, and God rescued his soul from death.”  David makes sure to memorialize the Lord’s goodness to him in a song which is sung at the dedication of his palace (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) He had been delivered from the jaws of death, and he wanted to “Sing to the Lord!” (Psalm 30:4)

2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
In Psalm 30:1, David extols the Lord for lifting him up and rescuing him from his enemies.  Author Samuel Chandler points out that the Hebrew verb, dalah, “is used in its original meaning, to denote the reciprocating motion of the buckets of a well; one descending as the other rises, and vice versa; and it is here applied, with admirable propriety, to point out the various reciprocations and changes of David’s fortunes, as described in this psalm. . .”  Indeed, David does describe many other times the Lord has rescued him in Psalm 30.  In verse 2, David says he called out to God for help and He healed him.  In Psalm 30:3, David says the Lord brought him up from Sheol and spared him from the Pit.  In Psalm 30:11, David notes how God turned his mourning into dancing.  Each time that God provides rescue, David has the same response.  He praises God and gives Him the glory.  Throughout Psalm 30, David exalts the Lord, sings to the Lord, praises His name, vows to sing and not be silent, and to praise the Lord forever.  Author David Guzik points out that David praises the Lord because “He knew his security and status were the work of God. It wasn’t as if God did it all as David sat passively; he was a man of energy and action. Nevertheless, it was God’s work far more than his own.”  David Guzik further argues that “God worked in David’s life so He would bring Himself glory and appropriate praise. Though it clearly benefited David, it was primarily for God’s own glory He did this.”  Whenever God rescued David from trouble, David responded with praise so God would get the glory.

3) What is the favor of the Lord?
One Messianic Jewish author explains how the “word favor in Hebrew is hen. . . It comes from the word to pardon: l’hon. When you hen someone, you grant favor to a prisoner and cancel his punishment.” According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, favor “means gaining approval, acceptance, or special benefits or blessings. There is also a close association among favor, grace, and mercy, which are sometimes used to translate the same Hebrew and Greek words (such as hen and charis.”)  In Psalm 30:5, King David speaks about the favor of the Lord when he writes, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime.” David suggests that God’s favor is God’s pleasure, or the opposite of God’s anger.  David also discusses God’s favor when he writes in Psalm 30:7, “Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified”.  Here, David asserts that God’s favor brings strength and the opposite of favor is God hiding his face. The good news according to Ron Cantor is, “the instant you put your faith in Yeshua, God turned His face towards you. You found favor in His eyes.” Having God’s favor, or His acceptance and blessings, is a gift granted only to those who trust in the Lord.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
I love the song “Still Rolling Stones” by Lauren Daigle.  In this song, she expresses what the psalmist, David, proclaimed in Psalm 30:3.  He sang, “Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.”  Lauren Daigle sings it this way:

Out of the shadows
Bound for the gallows
A dead man walking
Till love came calling. . .

Six feet under
I thought it was over
An answer to prayer
The voice of a Savior

I cannot express it musically, or even lyrically, but I have felt that same joy and relief at being rescued by my Savior when I was as good as dead.  Before I trusted in Jesus as my Savior, my sins were leading me to the grave, as everyone’s sins do (Romans 6:23) By the grace of God, I have not been a “dead man walking” for over 40 years now!  Some days are easy; many are not, but each day is filled with God’s grace and love and the joy of living a life redeemed by the blood of Jesus.  That freedom in Christ is something to sing about!

2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
Asking for help is hard for me.  Unless it is reading a map or reaching something up high, I usually muster what’s needed to get the job done.  But sometimes (usually when I find myself in a real mess), I cry out for God’s help.  Without His intervention and deliverance, I would be headed for the Pit like David in Psalm 30:3. God always comes to my rescue. Kyle Idleman tells us the Psalms “reference God as a rescuer about thirty times!“  Psalm 34:19 declares, “One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all.”  Sometimes God swoops in and delivers me.  Sometimes He sits with me as I deal with the fallout of my actions.  Sometimes He holds me while the storm rages, but He always takes my pain and problems and works them out for my good. (Romans 8:28) However He chooses to help me, my response is to praise Him and give Him glory. Psalm 40:2-3 says, “He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.” After David’s deliverance, the Lord put a song of praise in his mouth.  David even used praise as an argument in favor of protecting his life: “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?” (Psalm 30:9) David knew one reason the Lord rescues is so we will give Him glory and draw others to also find their rescue in the Lord. So, if you are in need of rescue today, know that God is a gracious and loving Savior. His sacrifice of love is the ultimate rescue from death, and His ongoing love provides daily deliverance.  Rejoice with me today that God provides rescue!

3) What is the favor of the Lord?
When I was in 3rd grade, we had a new student several weeks into the first quarter.   The little girl had been in the middle of an art project at her old school, and she brought it with her to work on.  My teacher was kind, but she was also strict and no-nonsense, so I was shocked she let the girl work on the project during class time.  When something went wrong with her creation and the girl burst into tears, I expected the teacher to demand she pull it together and act like a 3rd grader, not a kindergartener.  But she just put her arm around the girl, spoke reassuringly, and let her go to the nurse’s office to get a drink and calm down.  I have always remembered the care and grace the teacher took with this nervous, scared girl.  Her kindness was the key to that girl settling in to our class.  This is how I picture the favor of God in my life.  When I least expect it or deserve it, God pours out His favor on me, wrapping me in His acceptance and showering me with His blessings. Author David Mathis points out that while God often chooses to lavish His people with His favor, there are also certain daily habits that attract God’s favor.  Mathis argues that what “sends our roots deepest, truly grows us up in Christ, and produces lasting spiritual maturity, streams from the ordinary and unspectacular paths of fellowship, prayer, and Bible intake in its many forms.” We can be grateful for God’s unexpected favor, and we can also seek His favor by prayer, fellowship with the saints, and studying the Word of God.

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

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 VI 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.

Esther Day 8 Tears That Move God’s Heart

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 4:1-11
Psalm 56
Psalm 66:8-15
James 1:2-3
Romans 5:1-5

Esther, Day 8

Bless our God, you peoples,
let the sound of His praise be heard! (Psalm 66:8)

Reason for rejoicing must be clear here, right?
Such jubilant praise!
Such rich, ardent voices lifted up in adoration!

But the Psalmist continues….
For you, God, tested us;
you refined us as silver is refined.
You lured us into a trap;
you placed burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water….

Wait, what?
Those are crushing words.
Words, I could have written myself, and have, at various points along my own journey.
Burdened, trapped, pressed in upon, barely breathing, trampled over, scorched by flames, drowning in swirling waters.

Praise?
What kind of people would praise while drowning?
Or maybe better, what kind of deity would want to hear praise in dire trials?

Death had been decreed for Queen Esther and her people.
The date had been set for mass extinction of an entire people group.
There were no backdoors of escape, no democracy to provide checks and balances, only one option, prayer.

Prayer for Old Testament Jews meant a few things, especially in hopeless situations, but among the most prominent were gut-wrenching honesty, humility, petition, and praise.
The prayer book of the Jews was the book of Psalms, it also conveniently doubled as their hymnal. Yes, their prayers were their songs. The lyrics of their worship were the authentic pleadings and praises of their hearts.

Though prayer and the name of God are never explicitly noted in the book of Esther, where there was fasting, sackcloth, lamenting, and mournful weeping for Jews, there was prayer.
And where there was prayer, there was praise.

One only needs a cursory glance through Psalms to find this to be true. Go ahead, try it! Pick up your Bible, open to Psalms, and read a few random songs, skip pages, and read again.

Praise is everywhere, but so is brokenness.

Later in the New Testament, the great Pastor Paul says it like this:
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

As Mordecai wept, ripped his clothing, and dipped trembling, fearful fingers into the dust from which he’d been made and streaked his face with it, he prayed in faith to the God of the Universe.

He knew his weakness.
He recognized his complete and utter inability to change the decree of his own death or the massacre of his people.
Yet, he prayed.

He prayed because he also knew something else.
He knew God’s character could not, would not, be faithless. (2 Timothy 2:13)
He knew God does not abandon the work of His hands. (Psalm 138:8)
And for these reasons, Mordecai, a man on death row, could praise.

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

No doubt, Mordecai was afraid. He agonized. He mourned. He wailed.
But he knew where to take his fear.

Mordecai did not know how God would answer, nor even if his own life would be spared, but He did trust that God would bring redemption.

Sisters, with tears in my eyes as I write, I too have felt Mordecai’s helpless fear.
My face has been planted into the floor, my clothing as rumpled as my spirit.
My cheeks have been stained with tears (and a whole lot of snot), my hands have trembled with the unknown and the glaring reality of my own endless weakness and inability to change my circumstances.

With upturned hands and downcast, flooded eyes, I’ve begged for mercy, for release, for redemption. I’ve admitted out loud in all gut-wrenching honesty that I did not know if God would bring redemption in my life or, if He did, that it would look as I wanted.

But through praise, lament, and petition, He uncurled my fists and I anchored again in the safe harbor of His sure and certain character.
He would not abandon the work of His hands.

Mordecai couldn’t see the end, but He trusted all the same.
To Esther, he spoke with unshakeable conviction, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place…”

I don’t know your fears, your hurt, or your great need for God to redeem and act, but the Lord does know.

You yourself have recorded my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8)

Not a tear falls without the Lord seeing, knowing, holding it, and waiting to redeem it in His time and in His way, which is precisely why we can praise in the midst of floods and fires and ruin and heartache.

Like Mordecai, I do not know how the Lord will work His redemption over my brokenness, but I will shout in triumph in the face of this fear and trembling,
“My enemies will retreat on the day when I call.
This I know: God is for me.” (Psalm 56:8-9)

The rest of that psalm of praise we began this journey with?
The one about being refined as fire, burdened down, and walking through fire and flood?
Here is the worshipper’s refrain on the prayer of his song,
“but You brought us out to abundance.”
(Psalm 66:10-12)

Trust His heart, Lovely One.
Cry the tears.
Rend the garments.
Mourn with authenticity.
Then surrender to the One who holds your tears in a bottle, records your pain in His own journal, and is waiting to bring you into His redemptive abundance!

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

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