Dignity

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!

Esther Day 3 Trash Or Treasure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 2
Isaiah 49:15-16       
Isaiah 61:1-4
Matthew 10:29-31
1 Peter 3:1-6

Esther, Day 3

Ugh, another red dot…at my age?

I spent an hour doing my hair today and no one noticed.

My clothes won’t fit; I need to go to the gym.

We’ve all had those times of looking in the mirror and not liking what we see.
It doesn’t take much looking around to discover the world has dragged us into a place where beauty is necessary to survive. 

Television commercials, magazines, billboards, and even friends and family sell us on the necessity of beauty. Buy this product, eat this food, go to the gym, wear this outfit; the taglines scream from everywhere.

We must have that make-up, that membership, and those clothes. We buy new clothes and use a new beauty treatment only to watch the trend fade.

The world has tossed women to a pack of wolves by defining what is beautiful by what is fleeting.  It feels as if we’re always on the stage of the beauty pageant, waiting to hear where we stand.  First, runner up, less than perfect, or worse…last.
Undesirable, unwanted, and unworthy.

Beth Moore, a fellow champion for women to be esteemed with the value God ordains, shares transparently on how tough it is to be a woman. It is tough living in a world where beauty is valued by status.  It is tough living in a world where beauty is treated as something you are entitled to or something you earn.   It is tough to fight against the need to be beautiful instead of being the woman God wants us to be.

This fight to be beautiful isn’t new.
The need to stand above the rest, be noticed, and valued are battles women have waged for centuries. In this chapter of Esther, we find a king looking to replace his banished queen.

He didn’t walk the city and randomly select a pretty face or a hardworking handmaiden. Neither did he scour the synagogues to find a woman of noble character.  This decision was intentional and calculated, hinging on one criteria, his enjoyment of her appearance.
And he wanted the very best.
The king ordered all eligible maidens to the palace to begin eliminating “lesser beauties”. He designed his own beauty pageant where he would win first prize of the prettiest body, while she lost, being valued on gorgeousness alone.

One year of beauty treatments and special dietary regimes were implemented to smooth rough skin, clear imperfections, and fatten scrawny bodies. These ladies’ appearances were the result of real, regular everyday living, just like us.  The arid climate and sun exposure led to dry skin and tan lines instead of the preferred pale complexion and supple flesh. Arms strengthened from everyday workloads and thin figures resulting from low food supply weren’t signs of beauty in this culture, but of poverty.

Where real life was evident, ‘beauty’ was applied.

After all these treatments, they chose clothing and jewelry to impress the king.  Each woman visited the king for a single night. After their one-night-stand, they were sent away, not just from the king, but from the other women….and men.

Sexually soiled, they were now unclean. Whatever life and family they had known and loved before this night was now forever lost. Most ladies would never return home after this disgrace because they had no chance of marriage.  The fate of these women was worse than being last in a beauty pageant.
Their dignity had been stolen as they were tossed out, discarded like trash.

Doesn’t this ancient dichotomy feel well-fitted to today’s message?
Either apply the beauty and win the comparison pageant, or be tossed aside as trash.

For Esther, the Lord used her beauty and her heart to win not only the favor of the King, but of the people around her as well. Esther’s outward beauty was enhanced by her kind and gentle heart; a ‘treatment’ no Persian aesthetician could touch.

Though Esther was chosen as queen, she wasn’t treated much better than the other woman.  She had no rights other than the title, “Queen of Persia”.  She was also Jewish, a people who had largely forgotten about their God as they blended with culture around them, and who probably also felt cast off from Him in the years since they’d been exiled in Persia.

Maybe you’re in a place of forgotten and unwanted too.
Transparently, I’m single and have never married; I’m tired of counting how many times I’ve been rejected and labeled “not worth it”.  Someone here knows the sting of feeling undesirable when a husband walks out to find a younger version of beautiful.  Or maybe you’ve worked hard for a promotion, only to be overlooked by someone “better qualified.”

The appearance of ‘beauty’ comes in many shades, and often, if we aren’t cultivating the beauty of our hearts first, we become a casualty of ‘cast off’.

God does not treat us this way! 
We are not pushed onto a stage while God inspects every inch of us, exasperated by our imperfection. He will not toss us aside like trash, because we aren’t.

When God looks for beauty, He’s looking on the inside. (I Samuel 16:7)
He takes our brokenness and makes it beautiful. (Isaiah 61:3)
God doesn’t forget those the world has forgotten. (Isaiah 49:15-16)
We hear “not good enough” or “not valuable”, but God says we are more important than sparrows.  (Matthew 10:29-31)
He sent His Son to save us from our sin because He made us for being treasured.

“The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession…” 
(Deuteronomy 7:6)

When the world judges us for what we are, remember WHOSE we are!
Remember you are a beautiful treasure!

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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 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 Esther!

Pause 2 Day 9 Gripping Grace

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Pause 2, Day 9

Suffering doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
What isn’t common, is the mindset regarding suffering that is available to all who claim Christ as Lord and Savior.

No matter what we face,
how overwhelmed our circumstances are,
or how tempted we are to believe all is lost,
grace is still ours.

Along with boundless grace comes, solid hope, fullness of life, and strength only God can provide.
On the good days when we feel amazing, and on the rough days when lies become difficult to decipher from truth.
All of these riches, and so much more are freely available, it’s up to us to be alert enough in the chaotic swamp of our everyday lives to choose truth over the lies that seem to easy to believe.

1 Peter 4 is the right place to land for drinking in truth and reveling in grace.
In a world where it’s easy to lose sight of the eternal, Peter invites us to grip grace so tightly it becomes our everything.

Dig in, Sisters, grip grace with me.
I know I need it.

Today's Invitation

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of 1 Peter 4 today. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to walk into more with Jesus as you make the intentional choice to “Grip Grace!”
a) Pitch in to do something extra at church. Whether it’s helping with cleanup, opening doors, trimming weeds, or offering to help in a child’s classroom, step up to loving deeper by serving in a new way.
b) October is Pastor Appreciation Month and a note of genuine kindness goes a long ways in showing love and giving encouragement. Consider sending your pastor an email or card!
c) Check out some local ministries in your area and make plans to serve with them for an afternoon. Maybe it’s organizing school donations, serving soup, or stuffing backpacks for kids. Even better, get some friends to join you!
d) Prayer walking is a simple way to begin shifting the eyes of your heart to truly see others. Walk around your neighborhood, some city streets, the aisles of your grocery store, or intentionally sit at a local coffee shop and pray, pray, pray. Pray for the people around you, pray for hearts to turn towards Jesus, pray for your own heart to be ready to share the full gospel if given the chance. Don’t worry about seeing results, that’s God’s job!
e) Strike up a conversation with a random stranger. It may move to spiritual topics, it may not, but showing love to those outside our immediate circles always begins with a simple conversation. “What have you been doing today?” “Do you live nearby?” “Where do you go to church?” “What are your favorite local restaurants?” “I love your top! Where did you get it?” These open-ended questions work well!

3) Share the exciting, bold ways you are Gripping Grace today with the rest of the GT Community! Our Facebook community page is always open! Or snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @gracefully_truthful

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1 Peter 4

Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding —because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished with sin – 2 in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will. 3 For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you. 5 They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.6 For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God’s standards. 

7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?
19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good. 

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause 2 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 Pause 2!

Roads Day 11 The Weight of Hopelessness

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 86:5-10
Matthew 27:45-28:10
Mark 10:17-31
Luke 8:26-39

Roads, Day 11

On one trip to the mountainside in South Korea,
we met up with my husband’s extended family for lunch at their family restaurant.
We were welcomed by the sour-est faced elderly grandma sitting in the back corner,
sulking for no apparent reason.
As lunch was served, I discovered she was my auntie-in-law and we were sitting at the entrance to one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the country.
She was a firm follower of Buddhism and wore her sufferings plainly for all to see.
Her faith permeated every facet of her life, yet she looked so hopeless.

The daily goal of Buddhism is to find an end to suffering through a constant recycling of life by re-incarnation. That is, after death, a soul is “reincarnated” or “comes back to life” as a different life form.
Good works are cornerstone in having any hope of coming back as anything better. The ultimate goal, however, is enlightenment (also known as nirvana); an experience saved only for monks and nuns.
Publically demonstrating sufferings followed by an outward display of good actions becomes an easy way to convince yourself there’s a good chance of returning as a monk/nun in the next life.
There is no thought that any choice you make in this life has the power to improve, change or even alter your current life, only the one to come.
Many Buddhist friends believe the bad things that happen to them are the result of karma. They presume they must’ve done something bad in their previous life and, in hopes of improving their next life, must simply buckle down, grin, and bear it without grumbling.

My auntie passed away last year thinking she had done a sufficient job of enduring the difficulties of her life. She passionately believed that she would come back to life as something better than a female human.
The very sad reality is that she died without knowing the hope found in a relationship with Jesus.

Hope.
We all cling to something as truth, praying it will stand up under fire.

Matthew 27:45-28:10 vividly records the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
We see Jesus holding ultimate power over death with the ability to break the chains of sin and bondage.
This is an important truth of Christianity for your Buddhist friend!
There IS something we can do to change not only our current life,
but also our eternal one!

Accepting, believing and confessing Jesus as Lord brings instant hope into one’s life, forever changing the trajectory of our lives.

Most Buddhists do not recognize Jesus as God’s son, co-equal with God the Father in deity. Before they will understand the truth of God’s Word, we must PRAY.

Pray, pray, and then pray again.

Prayer is the most important work to be done in cross-cultural sharing of the Gospel.
We need to rely heavily on the Holy Spirit to lead us as we share truth.
We need Him to guide us to engage with those who are ready to listen, those who have an open heart, and who will respond in faith to the hope we share from Scripture.

Because Buddhist people do not believe there is a God, or that God has any power to influence their life, studying Scripture about the character of God is useful.
Psalm 86:5-10 highlights several aspects of God’s character. Dig into these truths and be prepared to share about the character of our great God!

Forgiving. Good. Abounding in love. Ready to answer. Almighty. Doer of mighty deeds. Father.

In the muck of life when all seems lost, these are truths we, as followers of Jesus, claim and cling to. Truth of God’s character build hope within our hearts, providing solid assurance and calming our fears in the middle of real suffering.

We have hope, Sisters!
Hope that our Buddhist friends have yet to experience.

When your friend watches you navigate the messiness of your life circumstances, seeing you cling to the truth of Jesus and Scripture, they will begin to wonder, “how is it possible to actually find joy in this difficulty” rather than just endure the situation.
Faithfulness to Scriptural truth and actually living it out daily, coupled with intentionally inviting your Buddhist friends into everyday life with you, will influence your friends in a mighty way for eternity!

Buddhist, Zen, or New Age people are our neighbors, our baristas, our librarians, sports’ coaches, teachers, and friends.
Find the ones in your community!
Pray for them to be open to the solid hope the Gospel offers.
Tell them of the power, authority, and victorious freedom of the cross of Jesus.
Explain the character of God and allow them to see firsthand in your life who He is and how He can impact their daily life.
Hold tightly to the truth of Scripture while sharing His love letter with them, remembering He is a God of grace and truth and He expects us to share His forever hope with gracious love and respect!

In doing so, you can help others be
forever free from this heavy weight of hopelessness!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Roads 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 Roads!

The GT Weekend! Sketched IV Week 3

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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) We speak countless words every day. Think through your day and estimate the amount of time talking versus the amount of time listening. How would your day look if your speech was stopped? Building in intentional time of silence can be a very effective way to hear from God. Curious as to why silence with God is necessary? Check this out!

2) We see several places in the Bible where faith is the space between logic and the promises of Scripture. Which topic in Scripture causes you to squirm? What do you secretly doubt didn’t actually happen? Perhaps there’s a premise of Scripture you think might not really be true? God is bigger than your doubts and He longs for you to trust Him enough to voice your questions. Finding a safe community to explore and find what the Bible actually has to say is important to our continued growth. Needing help finding someone to talk with, email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com , we’d love to hear from you!

3) The idea of “there’s no free lunch” permeates our life. It’s difficult to see how salvation could actually be a FREE gift. We don’t need to work and earn our salvation, yet we often consider our perceived value in God’s eyes based on how busy we are doing good things. Where do you see this lie seeping into your life? Are you needing a reminder that Jesus has covered ALL the punishment and paid the price for you to enjoy relationship with Creator God again?

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 Hebrews 11:1-3 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

1Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by it our ancestors won God’s approval. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

Prayer Journal
O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all their righteous offspring: You made the heavens and the earth, with all their vast array.

All things quake with fear at your presence; they tremble because of your power. But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; it surpasses all that our minds can fathom. O Lord, you are full of compassion, long-suffering, and abounding in mercy. You hold back your hand; you do not punish as we deserve. In your great goodness, Lord, you have promised forgiveness to sinners, that they may repent of their sin and be saved. And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I know my wickedness only too well. Therefore, I make this prayer to you: Forgive me, Lord, forgive me. Do not let me perish in my sin, nor condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, and in me you will show forth your goodness. Unworthy as I am, you will save me, in accordance with your great mercy, and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life. For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

Taken from the Common Book of Prayers

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

Sketched IV Day 10 Delilah

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 16:3-20
Proverbs 14:1
Proverbs 22:14
John 8:3-11
2 Corinthians 5:16-6:1

Sketched IV, Day 10

If you ask me, people are too quick to judge.
If other people had been in the same shoes that, I, Delilah, found myself, perhaps they would’ve made the same choices.

Who’s to say?
All I know is that I did what I felt I had to.

I’ll never forget the infamous day I met Samson.
I knew he wasn’t from my area of town, the Valley of Sorek.
No, he was from the dreaded Israelite territories.

The valley I call home is centered directly between Israelite land and Philistine land, so one might imagine how torn I felt. I live in the midst of intense fighting and constant land disputes between the two dueling nations, but then Samson came along.

This strong, rugged, handsome man whose reputation (for……) went before him clearly loved me, and I him, I suppose.
But sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do.

Samson was Israel’s hero.
Judge and mighty conqueror, he was their rescuer and our feared enemy.
Philistine leaders approached me in order to trap him and win the upper hand politically.
They gave me an offer I felt I couldn’t refuse.
I went for it.

In exchange for thousands of pieces of silver, all I had to do was find out from whence came all of Samson’s strength. Easy, right?
And I needed the money!
Silver is hard to come by these days. The land is constantly being divided, lives are being lost, blood is being spilt, and the Israelites are taking land that doesn’t belong to them.
Why wouldn’t I cash in on this offer from the Philistines?

Cash in, I did.
I went to Samson to determine the cause of all his superhuman strength. The stubborn oaf didn’t answer me truthfully the first time. He made me look like an idiot in front of the Philistine leaders. He did this not once, not twice, but three times.
What was he holding on to?! And Why?!

Finally, I knew what would get to him. We women can be quite wily and manipulative when the situation calls for it. So, that’s what I did – I harnessed my immense power of influence as a woman, turned on the waterworks, and accused him of not truly loving me since he refused to tell me the truth. That worked, and the “strong” man caved.
I knew he would.
No man can resist the waterworks.

Did I feel bad when I saw the subsequent treatment he endured at the hand of the Philistines as a result of what I had done?
I admit I did for a time.
But I don’t see how the treatment he suffered was any worse than the treatment he had dished out to the Philistines.
Turn-about is fair play, I say.
Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the look of all this silver in my home!
No more wondering where the next meal will come from for me!

~~~~
It’s so easy for me to look at people like Delilah, in the Bible or otherwise,
and instantly jump to judge them.
Perhaps you can relate?
But wait, put yourself in her shoes and consider why she may have done what she did.
Not to say the actions were right, simply that sometimes, they are at least understandable.
Realizing this helps us to approach others
with humility and grace,
even when dealing with outright sin that must be addressed.

In the story of Samson and Delilah from Judges 16,
Samson, the strongest man of his time,
became a weakling in the hands of a woman,
and as he surrendered his vows to the Lord.

We see this happen all the time, even today.
Proverbs 14:1 explains,
“The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.”

As women, we carry with us incredible power of influence, either for good or evil.
Proverbs 22:14 says,
“The mouth of a forbidden women is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.”

Delilah was a forbidden woman to the Israelite Samson, because God had set apart the Israelites for the purpose of declaring His glory to the nations around them and not becoming like them, worshipping false gods.
Israel was to be holy as God was holy (Leviticus 19:2),
putting the Lord on display.

Samson chose to honor and please himself, forsaking the Lord,
and we see what became of him.

Throughout the Word we are given examples of sinful women who destroyed the men who pursued them. On the flip side, however, we also see wonderful examples of godly women who influenced the men around them for good.

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent went to Eve, knowing that if he could seduce her, turning her eyes from the fullness of God, Adam would come tumbling down as well with her power of influence.
Sure enough, he did. They both did.

So, today, I ask you sweet sisters, how are you wielding your power of influence?
For good? Or for evil?
How are your words and actions impacting the spouse, child, friend, co-worker, boss, neighbor, parent, or grandparent near you?
Are you building up the Kingdom with your own hands?
Or are you, perhaps inadvertently, working to tear it down?

The good news of the Gospel is that even if you have used your power in ungodly ways in the past, by coming to Christ, you are “...a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Cling to that truth and rejoice in it; harnessing it to spur you on to faith and good works!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

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

Bride Day 13 Snapshots & Love Notes

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hosea 11:1-4
Proverbs 3:1-12
Matthew 2:13-15

Bride, Day 13

The first four verses in Hosea 11 paint beautiful pictures of the Lord’s love.
As I read them, I find myself challenged to apply them in my everyday life.
I can imagine the Lord speaking those words over Ephraim,
but I don’t always make the jump to include myself in that expression of love.

Who am I to evoke that level of response from the Lord?

I’ve discovered speaking Scripture with my name included, invites me to experience the expressions of His love in a deeper, more personal way. Picture them with me.

“It was I who taught (your name) to walk, taking her by the hand.” Hosea 11:3

Odds are high all of us have had the chance to watch a toddler learn to walk or have seen a video showing those first, tentative steps. The family rejoices and cheers for those steps, then move to catch her when she falls. Prior to those initial independent steps were probably several backbreaking parental moments, bent over with tiny fingers wrapped around theirs as they walk around the room.
Let your mind connect those images to the Savior…
“It was I who taught (your name) to walk, taking her by the hand.”

Looking over the years since I accepted Christ as my Lord and asked Him to lead my life,
He has taught me to walk.
His Word guides, directs, and strengthens.
I’ve taken steps, sinned, and fallen flat on my face.
Yet the Lord has been there, graciously accepting my request for forgiveness and reaching down to lift me up, teaching me to walk.

I have learned how to grow and stumble less, walking more and more like an adult alongside the Lord, while other areas of my life still require my childlike fingers wrapped around His as I work through sin struggles and fears. Someday I desire to grow in maturity in those areas, but until then, I will reach for His hand and ask Him to teach me to walk.
And just like a good parent,
His hands are never far from mine.

“I led her with human cords, with ropes of love.
To (your name), I was like one who eases the yoke from her jaws.” Hosea 11:4

While the first verse brings to mind the early toddler years of growth,
this verse calls to mind teenage rebellion and the process of submission.
Yes, that is a bit of stark comparison, but I have discovered the battles, where I’m called to submit my flesh to the Lord, have been some of the hardest fought training seasons of my journey with Jesus.
In the midst of these lessons, it has been the love of the Lord that has led me and not the boundaries set by legalism.
His ways are love based. Proverbs 3:1-12

“I bent down and fed her.” Hosea 11:4

Snapshots of life made sweeter by a meal come to mind:
a toddler’s joyous face covered with spaghetti sauce,
the sweet awkwardness of a first dinner date,
the moments of shared laughter over coffee with a friend,
a mom bringing a bowl of soup to a sick child,
a friend delivering a meal to a family with a newborn or one who has just said farewell to a family member who passed away.

Food is often a backdrop to intimacy, and this verse reminds us that the Lord beckons us to an intimate relationship with Him.
He provided manna in the wilderness,
sent the ravens to deliver food,
ensured the oil and flour never ran out,
and in His final night before death, drew His disciples deeply into the new covenant with a beautiful gift, The Last Supper.
 Not only does the Lord physically provide food,
He also provides for us through His Presence and His Word.

As the Lord provides, He proves that His love is extravagant, powerful, persistent, and sweet.
Sometimes I forget that.
And sometimes the Lord reminds me by revealing a love note He sent years ago.

This particular love note is nestled in the first verse of Hosea 11.
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.”
The cross reference for this verse is Matthew 2:13-15 where Joseph is told by God to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt. An Old Testament verse foreshadowing a New Testament reality, and what an incredible New Testament reality!

Hosea 11:1 isn’t just talking about the Lord rescuing Israel from captivity in Egypt, the Holy Spirit is using Hosea’s words to draw an arrow pointing directly to Jesus! Jesus, the Messiah who came to show the world His love for God the Father and create a way for us to have relationship with Him by becoming the sacrifice that takes away our sins.

“When (your name), was a child, I loved her, and out of Egypt I called My son Jesus, to be her Redeemer.”
Long before our Salvation walked the earth in human flesh,
the Lord put into writing His love for us.
Signed, sealed, delivered.

In what ways has the Lord shown His love for you?
Which aspect of Hosea 11 impacted you today?
Reflect on your day, your week, your month, your year, and see Him teaching you to walk, binding you with His love.
May the reminders of His love bless you.

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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 Bride 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 Bride!

Bride Day 5 Jealous Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hosea 2:1-13
Romans 5:6-11
Haggai 1:1-11

Bride, Day 5

Growing up, I felt as though my parents gave my siblings and I a pretty healthy dose of freedom and responsibility.

If we were playing outside away from the house, we were to be home before dark.
If we wanted to be able to stay out later with friends, we needed to check in and assure them we were doing exactly what we’d said we would do.
If we didn’t do those things, then we weren’t allowed back out until we could prove we were responsible enough to handle their guidelines.
These checks and balances allowed them to continue to trust us, as well as gauge if we could handle an increase of freedom.

In fact, I don’t remember being told no much during my middle and high school career.
Now before you go on thinkin’ I’m a goodie-two-shoes, I’m generally wired to be a people-pleaser. If you were to do a study on birth order, you would come to find out I’m about as middle child as they come.

Middle children tend to be the peace-keepers and often possess traits like agreeableness and loyalty. Whenever I did do something wrong, the loyal, peace-keeper inside of me immediately felt guilty.

For example, one weekend as a middle schooler, a friend invited me to watch some movies I knew weren’t allowed at my house. Embarrassed to say no, I gave in and we watched 3 unapproved movies in 1 day.

The following week, I couldn’t rid myself of the nagging feeling inside. I couldn’t eat, had a hard time sleeping, and I was short and rude in conversations. When I finally got up the courage to tell my mom, I was in tears before I even said a word.

As a believer in Christ Jesus, we have access to the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us. My mom explained that the sick feeling I had been experiencing was like the Holy Spirit’s nudge in letting me know something wasn’t right. In its purest form, it was conviction, and I needed to ask forgiveness.

When talking to my GT sisters about writing this Journey Study, they pointed out something I had never realized before. The nagging feeling (Holy Spirit) that I had inside of me then, and even now, can be directly related to the burning jealously God feels each time we do something that takes our focus away from Him.

Think about that for a minute…
God.
The Most High.
The Holiest of Holy
He, too, gets jealous.

He is jealous of what rightly belongs to Him.

“Do not make an idol for yourself,
whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above
or on the earth below or in the water under the earth.
Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them;
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” Exodus 20:4-5

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24

“I am the Lord. That is my name,
and I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 42:8

Worship
Praise
Honor
Adoration
Service

Those belong to God alone, because He alone is worthy of it.

In Hosea, we clearly see that God is not only jealous,
but zealous about protecting what is precious to Him.

Israel.
His people.

God did not want to share her with anyone else. So, when she worshiped other gods, committing spiritual adultery, God, motivated by jealous love, takes action.

God wasn’t narcissistically stuck on Himself, somehow needing Israel to worship Him so He could feel good about Himself.
Neither was God lonely and, out of His emptiness, was stirred to chase after His chosen Bride.

No, the Lord was jealous, and acted zealously to pursue His people, out of Pure. Love.
My parents made the rules they did, not to make them feel better about themselves, but because they deeply loved me. They chose certain movies to be on the “do not watch” list because they knew me. They knew I would love others better if I wasn’t trapped in my mind by the things I had seen.

The Lord.
The precious and powerful God Almighty.
He knows our lives will function to their fullest when we delight ourselves in Him,
because He’s the one who designed life.
He’s the One who knows our hearts.

Out of His great love, He chose pursuit.
He chose to woo Israel back time and time and time again,
not out of His neediness, but because of THEIRS.
 
Oh, this is love!
What would Israel gain?
Peace, fullness, abundance, inheritance.
What would the Lord gain?
Simply the delight of a relationship with His Beloved.

Sweet sisters. He is jealous for you.
Not because He is needy.
Not because He is lonely.
But because He purely loves you.

He knows how to bring your life to its fullest, most satisfying place.
He knows what will bring you delight.
And He knows it all begins and ends with Him. (Revelation 22:13)
Because He’s the author of it all.

With my middle-school choice, I turned away from my parents to fulfill my own desires.
With Israel, their choices reflected the same thing, they had longings they thought they could fill up with a million other loves.
With us, today, right now, we have hearts aching with desire, holes we would do anything to fill up. Longings we are chasing with a million other loves.
But One Is all we need.

A God who loves us jealously.

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Bride Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Bride!

Sketched III, Day 10 Fanny Crosby

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 12:9
I Corinthians 10:31
Philippians 4:12-14
Philippians 1:21-23
Psalm 84:10-12

Sketched III, Day 10

Mama’s hot tears ran down her face and onto my little hands held in hers, as she recounted the horrid memories of that spring day in 1820. An infection was raging against my newborn eyes. The visiting doctor, who ended up being no doctor at all, had convinced mama the only way to draw out my infection was to cover them with hot mustard bandages.  Mama questioned such a risky treatment, yet with aching regret, agreed to let this man treat my eyes.  Though my infection cleared, my eyes were badly burned, which led to severe scar tissue, leaving me blind at just six weeks old.

Months later, my papa died.
Mama thought she would just split right in two with the weight of it all.
In some ways, she did.

Mother did what any good mama would do and sent herself to work long days just to provide. Already living with my grandparents, I was surrounded by Christ-centered love and stability. Grandma was much like a second mother, and in many ways, I had a relationship with her that I’ve never had with another.

She became my eyes, determined to give me a full, rich life.
I vividly remember her taking me by the hand every day, heading out into the fields, and describing in great detail what she saw. It also wasn’t long before she was schooling me in every subject possible, as no other educational option was available for “the poor blind girl” as others would call me.

Pity for my condition was the most common response from others.
I knew better though.
I knew that this blindness – it was a gift.
If I had been sighted, I would have been distracted by great and wonderful things making it more difficult to focus on what God wanted me to learn and do in my lifetime.

My grandma had an abiding faith in Jesus Christ.  She read me large portions of Scripture and challenged me endlessly to memorize passages of the good book.  I found I could do so quickly and easily, something that would serve me well for years to come.

I began writing poetry as a young girl, this being one of my first at age 8:
“Oh what a happy child I am,
Although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be!

 How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don’t!
So weep or sight because I’m blind,
I cannot – no, I won’t.

A sea of opportunity was parted for me when I was accepted to the newly founded New York Institute for the blind at age 15.  It wasn’t long before God made this my happy home as I would call it. He also grew my love and ability with poetry exponentially. It was second nature for me to write dozens of poems a day – even on demand.  I became known as the “The Blind Poetess”, being called on frequently to write for special events for visiting dignitaries and political figures as well as for other important services held in the region. However, the years of attention, travel, and adventure bore down on my soul, and I was not without seasons of depression.

God used the revivals of the 1850s to draw me into Christian community and awaken my heart to true faith in my Savior Jesus Christ rather than simply just knowing about God in my head.

I found joy leading lost souls into God’s kingdom.  During this season God also brought a long-time musician and fellow Institute friend back into my life – a man by the name of Van Alstyne.  What started as a bond of musicianship, blossomed into a love that led to marriage. We chose to live a simple life, making it our aim live beneath our means in order to live among and serve the poor.

God continued to lead me into what I believe to be the truly greatest work of my life. William Bradbury, a well-known composer of the day, was the first to invite me to partner with him in providing hymn lyrics for his already composed music.  This ushered in a wave of many more partnerships to come, producing fresh hymns for the church to sing. We, this band of like-minded musicians, poets and composers, were intent on providing hymns that were easily sung and understood by the average congregant, while maintaining a pure doctrine.

By the time I reached my 60’s, most of my more well-known songs had been written, including Blessed Assurance, Pass Me Not, All the Way My Savior Leads Me, To God be the Glory among others. However, instead of my life’s work winding down, God called me deeper into mission work at New York’s Bowery district.
I simply wanted to show God’s love and hope to these souls.

I retained my work as a hymn-writer – supplying 2-3 hymns a week to a publishing company. More satisfying however, was writing and providing hymns directly for the people whom I was ministering to in the mission. To hear that souls had converted to faith in Christ after hearing one of my hymns, was better than any earthly reward.

I continued to give all that I could of what God continued to supply. My pace eventually slowed, but my fervor did not.  By God’s grace I continued to proclaim the words that He had given me years earlier:
To God be the glory, great things He hath done!

Bibliography
Ruffin, Bernard C. Fanny Crosby. United Church Press. 1976. Print.

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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 Sketched III 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 Sketched III!