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Reveal Day 7 Filling The Empty: 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 Filling The Empty!

The Questions

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Original Intent

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
John didn’t write about the Word so as to invoke a mystery, he wrote to make one truth abundantly clear. Jesus IS God. Not a god. Not a good man. Not a great prophet. Jesus is God; the very fullness of God dwelled in Him. (Colossians 1:19) If it is true about God, John writes, it is also true of the Word. The total equality of power, authority, will, and sovereignty is made abundantly clear right from the start of John’s gospel. A gospel record which, by the way, focuses every story on the unequivocal identity of Jesus Christ as God. Are we absolutely certain the Word is indeed Jesus Christ? Without a single hint of doubt! John says the Word carried life within Him (verse 4), a life described as the “light of the word” (verse 9), of whom, John (the Baptist) was a forerunner testifying of this coming Light. (verses 7-8) John describes the Word as coming to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (verse 12) Making his point more clear, John adds that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (verse 14) Beyond all imaginings, the Word, who is God, now put on human skin! The fullness of God wrapped in frail flesh and bone, coming as a helpless baby born to a virgin girl. Fully God, and fully man, this Word did not come in secret to a few select people, but He was widely-known and countless people testified of Him, including John who wrote this gospel a mere 60 years after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This allowed for plenty of time for readers of his gospel to interview and cross reference with other witnesses who had walked with Jesus to verify all John testified of this Word made flesh. (verses 14-15) To remove all potential remaining doubt as to the identity of the Word, God in the flesh, John writes, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” (verses 17-18)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
John wrote his gospel so that all would understand that Jesus is indeed God, but more so, that they would believe in His Name so they could experience adoption as children of God. (verse 12) It’s only when we put our full trust on who John describes Jesus as (fully God, fully human) and on everything Jesus taught we can become a child of God. This is the “receiving” John wrote of in verse 12. John said Jesus “was in the world, and the world was created through Him, and yet the world did not recognize Him.” (verse 10) Every tree, flower, smile, gentle breeze, human bone, and intricate eyeball screams of a loving Creator God who is infinitely wise and infinitely interested in His creation, yet the One who crafted every fingerprint, wasn’t recognized as He came and dwelt among His people. Though He clothed Himself in human skin and hair, moved in miraculous ways only God could, healed broken bodies, and fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy about Himself, they still chose unbelief. He “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (verse 11) Even as far back in the Old Testament as the moment the first sin was acknowledged by humans before God, He promised One who would come to crush the head of Satan, forever ending death and suffering. (Genesis 3:15) Throughout all of history since that moment, the Lord God has crafted events and prophetic messages to point to the coming of His promised Messiah. Finally, as Jesus was born, and God was present in the flesh with His people, the Jews rejected Him. (Acts 2:22-23)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
By looking at these words alone, the pronouns become nonsensical, which is why it is always critically important to study Scripture by reading a whole passage, not just a single soundbite. We must first understand the message in its original setting before we can make any application to our lives today. (for more on this, see “Why Do We Dig Deeper?”) Verse 18 says in full, “No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” While there were occurrences of people seeing some of God’s glory as He allowed it (Exodus 33:18-19), Scripture teaches no one can see God and live. (Exodus 33:20) He is perfectly holy, and we are utterly sinful. There is no possible way for sin to stand in His presence. “Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3) The only way we could possibly “see” God was for Him to come to us in human form. John was careful with his words to express to us, “…The one and only Son, who is Himself God, and is at the Father’s side…” No one can tell us who God is like, except God Himself. There is only One authority able to accurately convey the fullness of Who He Is. God Himself. At the time of John’s writing, Jesus had already ascended back to Heaven and taken His place at the right hand of the Father. Note that John was again careful to make a distinction by saying Jesus was at the right hand of the Father. Both of them, along with the Holy Spirit, are fully God together. They are triune; 3 equally divine beings in 1 God. Finally, we come to the phrase, “He has revealed Him”. Now that we have slowed down for proper understanding, it is clear Jesus, fully God, came in human form, to make the unseen God seen and knowable. What incredible humility and love!

Everyday Application

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
I could sit with just these few verses of Scripture for the rest of my life and never unpack their fullness; they are so rich! That being said, the very first verse, only consisting of 17 words, leaves absolutely zero wiggle room about the identity of the Word. These last 4 words of sentence one set the bedrock foundation for e v e r y t h i n g else we read in John. What four words you ask? “…the Word was God.” Ladies, this is the biggest mic drop in history, and John wanted to make sure his readers didn’t even move onto a second sentence before understanding that this “Word” not only was “with” God from the very beginning of Creation, He Is God. Everything that could be said about God, can also be said of the Word. It can be hard to identify, much less tear down, our own false beliefs we have about who Jesus is as the fullness of God. I was blessed to be raised in a home where the truth that Jesus was God was taught over and over, but even so, I held a number of false beliefs about God when I left my family of origin. It took my marriage careening towards divorce, suffering depression, and surviving my suicide plans, before I was willing to finally, level the tower of my long-held beliefs. What I thought was true, just wasn’t adding up in real life. Too many questions didn’t have answers, and I needed answers. I decided to read the Bible for myself, forcing myself to remove the thick lenses of my past, and study God’s Word for what it really said. God was faithful to teach me Who He really was, and, praise God, He has continued to show me over and over who He is, and always will be!

2) In what ways did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
This is the single greatest tragedy known to mankind. That we would choose to reject the very Author of Life, deciding instead to clench our fists around ourselves, our own arbitrary measure of “good enough”, or our own twisted perception of who God is and what He is like, this tragedy will result in our eternal separation from Him. We will be utterly lost in unending darkness, forever suffering without the good, kind, forgiving God, who is Himself Light and Love. (Matthew 7:21-23) Amid swirling conversations and social debates on who this Jesus really was because He spoke and acted like He had the power of God, but looked like an ordinary man, Jesus asked this question to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”. (Matthew 16:15) Peter rightly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Who do you say Jesus is? Is He the Messiah, the Christ, the promised One from the beginning of time? Is He exactly who John, and rest of Scripture, declare Him to be as God Himself? Jesus followed up Peter’s response with this affirmation, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) If you aren’t convinced Jesus is precisely who He claimed, ask the Father to reveal it to your heart. Be certain you know Who you are believing in!  

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
It would be easy for us, sitting at the tail end of 2020, to say with a bit of a scoff, “It was easy to see God when Jesus was doing miracles right in front of them.” While true, we don’t have the benefit of walking beside Jesus, watching Him sweat under a hot Judean sun, or laugh out loud when the disciples poked fun at each other. Neither can we stand beside Him in awe as He brought life from a previously dead person or straightened a once-crooked leg. Though it may not seem like it, because our culture has a love affair with instant gratification and visual experiences, Jesus said it was better for Him to leave earth. (John 16:7) “If I go, I will send Him to you.” Once Jesus left, the Holy Spirit could come, indwelling every person who fully places their trust in Jesus, the Christ, the only Holy God. Jesus couldn’t be everywhere with every person at the same time in the limits of His physical body, but through the Holy Spirit, (who is also fully God!), every believer has direct access to God at all times. He isn’t a finnicky God, deciding to leave us when we misbehave, He stays inside to forever mark us as His. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Christ Jesus died for us, the ungodly, so His righteousness could be imputed (or directly replacing our old, sinful identity) on us. (Romans 5:6-11) As the Spirit lives within hearts that believe in Jesus as the One True God, He continues revealing more about God to us through His Word. Only God can reveal God.

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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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Worship VII Day 11 Held Fast

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Timothy 1:8-14
Psalm 91
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Hebrews 6:17-20
Jude 1:24-25

Worship VII, Day 11

When asked in 2015, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’m certain no one answered correctly! In Kansas City, we started with a Super Bowl Championship parade; joy was in the air and life was GOOD.

A few weeks later, Covid-19 entered the US; life turned upside-down.
Stay-at-home orders were issued.
#InThisTogether began trending.

Despite the hashtag’s slogan, however, stress and uncertainty quickly gave way to anger and division on our streets over racial inequality. The deaths of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George sparked protests against racial injustice and emotions raced even higher.

Adding to the tumult, investigations continue uncovering horrific atrocities against children.

Not to mention, it’s an election year in the United States.

Yep, pretty sure NO ONE could have predicted 2020’s events.
NO ONE except God.

As unsettling as 2020 has been so far, NOTHING has surprised God.  Our family word is KAIROS, referring to how God’s timing is SO different from ours.  As finite humans with limited knowledge, we are unable to “fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

To illustrate this mystery, consider a beautiful tapestry.  Merely surveying the BACK of the tapestry reveals only a tangle of thread and knots. Amidst the mess, the weaver continues the work, knowing the end result will be stunning.

GOD is a master weaver.

2020 is part of His plan.
In fact, all of history is His Story unfolding.
None of it is beyond His weaver’s fingers.
We can trust Him!

In the midst of chaos and confusion, HE remains steadfast, faithful, and GOOD.
We must cling to this truth!

Sitting in the middle of the unknown, it’s tempting to feel overwhelmed or defeated. Instead, let’s focus on truth: God is still at work.

In researching the hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast, I was blown away by God’s Almighty ability to weave the threads together.

In the early 1900s, the traveling evangelist, R.A. Torrey, was sharing the gospel. In 1902, in Australia, Robert Harkness joined his team as a pianist. Ironically, he agreed to be an accompanist at revival meetings BEFORE trusting Jesus as his personal Savior. He actually tried to mess up the music but failed. Due to the grace shown him by Torrey, he accepted Christ into his life.

The team traveled Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, India, and the British Isles while sharing Jesus. In London, they connected with the then-famous song writer, Ada Habershon, who joined their team. Ada would pen hymns lyrics while Robert expertly put them to music.

In 1906, a Canadian man spoke with Robert, expressing his fear of being unable to “hold out” in the midst of difficulty. Harkness wrote to Ada in England and requested lyrics speaking to this man’s struggle.

While Torrey preached to a crowd of 4,000 in Philadelphia, Harkness took out the slips of paper with Ada’s newly penned words for “He Will Hold Me Fast”, putting them to a melody then and there.

The music was captivating, and the song’s message stuck.
Over a hundred years later, we still sing Ada’s lyrics set to Robert’s melodies.
Incredibly, these words from 1906 intertwine perfectly with the experiences of 2020!

This is God at work, weaving a beautiful tapestry!

I got goosebumps reading testimonies of the impact Ada’s words have had over the years, even some from Kansas City.  Consider studying this history for yourself and pray God reminds you He is the same today just as He was then. (Hebrews 13:8)

Do you fear you also cannot “hold out”?

Maybe you need to be reminded we don’t need to depend on OUR strength, but in Jesus!  We can REST in Him, depending FULLY on HIS wisdom, power, joy, hope, peace, courage, and love.

Do you feel weak or weary?
Can you sense fear creeping in?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you question where your path will take you?
Do you question God’s love and goodness?
Do you doubt His sovereignty?
Do you wonder if He TRULY cares about you and the details of YOUR life?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do doubt, cynicism, and anger seem to be crowding out grace and compassion?
Does showing love to others feel exhausting?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you feel control slipping away?
Are you longing for Jesus to come back, wondering why He hasn’t yet?
Are you worried you might lose hope before He does?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Recently, the song, Another In The Fire, reminded me again that even in the FIRE, we are not alone.  Jesus stands with us just as He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

God parted the Red Sea.
He provided manna in the wilderness.
He shot water from a rock.
He closed lions’ mouths.
He defeated a giant through one boy’s faith.
Time and time again throughout history, He made His presence and power known as He wove His tapestry.

Then, He came to actually DWELL among us.
Jesus left heaven and was born humbly in Bethlehem.
His presence and power were felt in fresh BIG ways.

Jesus made the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, and brought the dead back to life.
Then, one day, He Himself died, paying the penalty for our sin.
Three days later, He rose again, forever conquering Death and offering eternal life and forgiveness to all who trust Him!
He can indeed hold us fast!

No thread of history can unravel God’s plan, including 2020 and the struggles in your life! We can trust JESUS remains constant, knowing He will forever hold us fast!

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

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Worship VII Day 9 By Faith: 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 By Faith!

The Questions

1) What is the proof we cannot see? (verse 1)

2) What is true faith according to this passage?

3) What benefit do obstacles and struggles have on our faith in everyday life?

Hebrews 11:1-12:2

11:1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by this our ancestors were approved.

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.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.

5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful. 12 Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.

13 These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. 14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26 For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible. 28 By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.

32 And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

12:1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Original Intent

1) What is the proof we cannot see? (verse 1)
To see our Savior face to face! To enjoy His in-person-company forever! To be freed forever from the entanglement of sin! This is the coming hope for every believer! This is yet unseen and un-experienced, but we wait with anticipation, knowing it is indeed coming. No matter our everyday trials, we can choose to focus on His promise that heaven is our eternal home for all who have trusted in His name. It is our place to be with Him. The Christian life is purposefully moving toward certain hope. Hebrews 12:1-2 paints a beautiful picture, “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus.” For the early church believers who received this letter of Hebrews, the imagery of finishing a race was easily understood as the Greek Olympic games were in high gear. In their race towards hope, their finest example of endurance was Jesus whose goal was to purchase our freedom from sin. He endured horrific suffering in order to win the restoration of our souls. If Jesus could endure for the prize of a relationship with us, so are we to run with endurance towards the Hope He died to give us! Christ is the goal of our journey and through the power of His Holy Spirit, we are strengthened to press on towards the unseen victory coming ahead. We are surrounded by saints who have gone before us and we are urged to reject the pull of sin while reaching toward Hope. Jesus encourages us, “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) The goal of our faith is God Himself who waits to welcome us at the end of our race on earth. Keep running! It’s worth it!

2) What is true faith according to this passage?
The word faith in the New Testament has many definitions based on the context of that passage. For example, when Judean Christians, whom Paul had sought to kill, spoke of their belief in Christ, they said “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (Galatians 1:23) Here, faith is meant as a confession or belief statement, similar to what believers have long held to in the Apostles’ Creed, which summarize the Christian beliefs. However, the author of Hebrews is conveying something different than a creedal statement of belief held by faith. As theologian Guthrie, notes, “For the evangelists that wrote the gospels, Jesus Christ is the object of faith.” John describes this aspect of faith in his gospel when he writes his summary mission statement for his letter, “That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31) A personal faith in Jesus is the hallmark of Christians. The writer of Hebrews provided true, historic examples of Christians who lived out their everyday lives from a place of faith. (Hebrews 11:4-38) This faith is firmly anchored in an unchanging hope that transcends the current struggles. This faith is gained by claiming for ourselves the salvation Jesus offers to everyone. His salvation is freedom from the condemnation of sin, complete forgiveness for every offense, and the sweet promise of eternity with Him. Faith in Jesus is the doorway by which we gain access to God Himself. “The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22) The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 had one thing in common, their undivided confidence in God. The writer of Hebrews wants his readers to witness and experience that which cannot be seen by witnessing the faith of believers who trusted in Jesus. Their testimony brilliantly paints the definition of what it is to truly live by faith, even though their faith is fully in the God who cannot be seen and in His faithful promises, which are equally unseen. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and for certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

3) What benefit do obstacles and struggles have on our faith in everyday life?
If we follow the world’s standards we may have short term ease and comfort, perhaps even prosperity. If we follow God’s standards we are guaranteed suffering, loss, and unpopularity. Astoundingly, it is the conviction of Christians it is better to suffer with God than to prosper with the world. The book of Daniel tells of three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were confronted with the choice of public worship to King Nebuchadnezzar, or obeying God. The men chose to worship God alone, which earned them the consequence of being thrown into a fiery furnace. Yet, without hesitation, these men chose to fear the Lord God over fearing a human man.  Human experience tells us seize the moment and experience everything good we possibly can, but the Spirit of God, active within every Christian, teaches us only the Lord God is worthy of our worship and following His ways are always best. The Lord allows struggles in life so we can see how faithful HE is in spite of our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) James instructs believers to “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-3) Paul says we can actually boast in our afflictions! For the Christian, God uses trials to “produce endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5) Our coming Hope of real life with Jesus gives us a raised platform by which we can see how even trials can be considered pure joy. Every struggle has been allowed by God for a purpose; they are not random.  Abraham was called to sacrifice his son Isaac, Samson was crushed by the Philistines, Sarah was barren, heroes of the faith were sawed in half, slain by the sword, and the list continues, not just here in Hebrews 11 but, throughout God’s entire Word. These fiery, heavy burdens are producing faithful maturity in us as we learn to trust our God, His character, and look with eyes upon the coming “unseen” glory that is still to come and will last forever. Our trials here are merely temporary. “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Everyday Application

1) What is the proof we cannot see? (verse 1)
Like those who first received the letter of Hebrews, we too are Jesus’ disciples and we are urged to run the race of faith. Similarly, the apostle Paul said we are to “fight the good fight”. (1 Timothy 6:12) The battle is arduous, but worth it! We don’t need to look far into our everyday lives and schedules, our hurry and our deadlines to find distraction everywhere. Keeping our eyes on the unseen goal of Christ is difficult! If we keep our focus on the countless distractions, we quickly grow weary in our everyday battle. We must renew our minds to stay in the fight (Romans 12:2), to focus on the unseen coming reward of dwelling with our God! We are urged to remain faithful to Him by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) Finally, when our race in this life is over, we will be able to say together with the apostle Paul and all who have trusted Christ, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8) Ahhh! We will finally SEE the proof of the unseen! Here is the moment we, as believers, have eagerly waited for, the mighty, in-person presence of the Holy God! Suddenly, the unseen will be made tangible as eternal life begins and peace-filled joy is made perfectly complete. Fear will have no place as we stand immoveable in His magnificent love. As blissful as this coming hope will one day be, He offers us access to these gifts of peace, joy, love, and life without fear even now in our everyday. How? By fixing our eyes on what is to come. He is our Savior, Sustainer, Healer, and Redeemer in eternity, yes, but also in the now. Let’s fix our eyes on the unseen, and run with endurance for the hope set before us as we fight the good fight!

2) What is true faith according to this passage?
Simply put, true biblical faith is a personal trust in Jesus and His work on the cross. This faith is proven in our everyday obedience to God’s Word as the Holy Spirit renews us, making us more like Jesus, who is “the author and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) This faith is exercised in everyday life quite simply. God speaks through Scripture, we hear His Word, trust Him, and act upon His teaching. Those who have true faith are both “hearers and doers of the Word”. (James 1:22) The author of Hebrews provides us with three descriptors of biblical faith, substance, evidence, and witness. Faith is to a Christian what the foundation and framework is to a house. Faith provides the substance and essence of what it looks like to follow Jesus. The faithfulness of God is our blessed assurance and confident hope, to which we cling through faith. “Faith is the reality of what is hoped for…” (Hebrews 11:1) True faith will produce convincing evidence in the believer’s life, proof that what is coming (eternal life with Jesus) is both worth it and the One promising it is worthy of our faith. What God has promised, He will indeed bring to fruition. We evidence this faith when we live out faith-filled lives that point towards the true genuineness of God’s unchanging character. Finally, faith is described as having a witness, which is referenced in Hebrews 12:1, “…a great cloud of witnesses….”. These witnesses are those whose lives testify of God’s faithfulness in the storyline of their lives. God has redeemed their lives, renewed their hearts, and saved them from separation from God, and their lives now give witness to this remarkable change! Faith enables us to accept salvation through Jesus, makes us wise in how to live out our lives, and gives us hope for a coming glory where we will dwell with God and other believers forever. Dr. Oswald Sanders puts it perfectly, “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.” We can cling to our certain “for sure” future life with God because we can trust Him at His Word. This kind of faith can only truly be experienced or understood by those who have chosen to place their faith in Jesus Christ and what Jesus did for us. On the cross, Jesus took our identity of “sin” upon Himself and gave us His identity of “righteousness” instead. As a result, we cannot brag about what we have done to earn salvation because we know only Jesus could make us righteous, trading our identity for His.

3) What benefit do obstacles and struggles have on our faith in everyday life?
Think of trials as training! God trains His troops, where the highest end goal is to trust Him, love Him supremely, and enjoy Him forever. When we walk in faith, God is always building us up to become more mature in Him even when it seems we are broken or our circumstances are impossible. (1 Peter 2:2-5) HE never leaves us! Psalm 138:8) Sometimes we suffer because we followed the wrong voice, doing our will instead of God’s will. Hosea 4:6 tells us we will be destroyed by insisting on our way, rejecting God’s ways and His knowledge. We cannot blame God for our wrong choices, but as we submit our lives to His hand and His ways, He will take even our erring ways and use them to teach us to trust Him, love Him, and enjoy Him. Many times, struggle happens even when we aren’t choosing sin. We may not understand the “WHY” of our trials, but we CAN trust God’s unchanging character of love towards us. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us the Lord has always been faithful to show kindness towards His people; He has always given them hope. The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 understood that no matter the trial, they could be anchored firmly in faith in God, knowing “for sure and for certain” He was in control. They confidently knew their trials were achieving for them something far greater than temporary happiness would. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) The Lord declares to His people, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways. (…) For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) Wow! Obviously, God is in control and we can trust Him! We must not throw away our confidence in Him, His promised hope is coming and it is certain! (Hebrews 10:35-38)

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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This is Worship VII Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Calling Day 11 The Lens Of Truth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:6-14
Psalm 36:5-12
John 12:44-50
1 Peter 1:13-25
Revelation 6:12-17

Calling, Day 11

A dear friend gave my daughter a delightful pair of purple sunglasses a few weeks ago. She is absolutely smitten with them. Plastic jewels and gems adorn the frames, and they are larger than her last pair, so they fit her better. The tint of the lenses is rather dark, but she feels like such a big girl when she’s wearing them, she’ll insist she can see just fine, thank you very much.

It’s no rare occasion to find her twirling in the sunlight streaming through my front window, wearing those purple, sparkly sunglasses. There’s a shift in her gait when she puts them on; it’s obvious she just feels different.

Take a breath, Christian. We’re going deeper, fast.

Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians about light versus darkness is an object lesson about delivering truth in love, to say the least. (Ephesians 5:6-14) He didn’t mince words about the dangers to followers of Christ who live in the world. If anything, he underscored the arduous reality of a life surrendered to Christ. He spoke the unpopular truth that those who are disobedient to God will face His wrath. He called out the Ephesians and warned them against even partnering with those who do not obey God. Furthermore, Paul exhorted the church in Ephesus to not only remove themselves from any association with those who do not obey God, but to actually expose their deeds of darkness.

Are you squirming? I am. Talk about high challenge. Not only were the believers at Ephesus not to associate with those who do not follow God, but they were to actually expose the dark deeds of those who were enemies of the Lord.

“Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners.” (Ephesians 5:6-7)

Paul’s words were concise and deliberate. They slice through potential internal or external argument, explanation, and even current cultural caution with razor-sharp, Spirit-led acumen. His challenge left no question about the gravity of their, and our, calling.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth – testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8-11)

His words were filled with truth, but do you recognize what they aren’t filled with? Accusation, or condemnation. No, these words were delivered in love. Make no mistake; there is a high challenge here, but there is equipping and invitation here, too. Paul extended a hand to the believers at Ephesus when he called them out of popular culture and up into Kingdom culture as he reminded them Whose they were.

He’s inviting us, too.

Christian, does any part of Paul’s challenge indicate we have a call on our lives to blend in with the rest of the world, or to value what is valued by those who do not follow our Father? Further, what do you think might be one of the most effective ways the enemy intends to quiet the hands and feet and voice of Jesus on earth today? 

Might it be to keep them so occupied with the day to day things,
and the big, overwhelming cultural things,
and the general state of the world things,
and their very feelings, that they forget they are merely temporary citizens here?

Exhale.

It’s time for each of us to be honest with the God we serve.

Is it possible we have been looking at the world, and our lives, through a darkened worldly perspective? We have been going through the motions of a Christian walk, but is it merely an accompaniment to our worldly life?

Beloved, what drives you?
Are you ruled by your feelings, or by your Father?
Are you more vested in the things the world holds dear, or the things of your Father’s Kingdom?

Hard questions. Typing them wrecks me, too. But we have to ask them. Daily. And more importantly, we have to answer them.

Because this is what Paul’s words mean. 

We are called to be children of light. Just like my daughter needed to take off her sunglasses to see clearly, we are called to remove every darkened lens which affects our judgement. To test all beliefs with the discernment He gives. To speak the truth, and illuminate the dark deeds of the enemy, and to point always to our Father. We are called to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A peculiar, set-apart people. (1 Peter 2:9) This world is not our home. We reside here, for a time, as God has ordained, but this life is but a breath.
Paul’s words are true, and they are for us today. 

There is a God in heaven, and in us, if we have given our lives to Him. He will fulfill all He has said He will fulfill, and He has called us to carry His Kingdom throughout all the earth.

Christian, take off your shades and walk in the light!

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

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Calling!

The GT Weekend ~ Calling Week 2

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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) What is your “why” as a follower of Christ? As we consider the magnitude of our eternal blessing of eternity in the presence of God, everything else in life seems to fade in comparison. When we grasp the depth of this truth, we ought to be stirred to invite others to share in the blessing with us regardless of any struggles we may experience as we share. When you read this study, did a name jump to your mind of someone you want to share Christ with? Maybe you have a friend who is far from God or someone who has drifted away from your church body in the last few months, realizing she doesn’t really miss the Lord. Maybe there is a college student you know who is struggling to reconcile her faith and her doubt. Set up a time to get together with this friend with the express purpose of sharing your faith and how God is working in your life. Commit to pray through Ephesians 3:14-21 for your friend every day leading up to your appointment. If you are struggling to come up with a name, have a conversation with God in your journal about what would keep you from setting this kind of appointment and ask Him to send someone into your life with whom you could share the gospel.

2) In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of their call. Those who have been called to follow Jesus have the honor, privilege, and responsibility to live focused on God, becoming the people He wants them to be. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we can learn and grow in our faith so we can walk in a worthy manner. In Galatians 5:19-23, we see two lists of behavior patterns and character traits to help us visualize and grasp what our way of living ought (and ought not) look like. Take some time to read these two lists again. Did any traits from the first list stand out to you as ways you have been living and need to change? Honestly evaluate your life before the Lord and write down the specific ways you have been living outside of a manner worthy of your calling. Repent of those things, and ask God to help you walk in a new way. As you look at the second list, consider how you have grown in your walk. Name a specific fruit of the Spirit God has developed in you. Write down a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the work He has done in your life.

3) The book of Ephesians talks frequently about living in unity with the body of Christ. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become a part of a new family, the family of God. With this new family comes a new set of expectations and a new way of living. This new way of living can only be authentic when it comes from the Holy Spirit working in our lives, changing us from the inside out. We can try to force outward actions, but true change can only come from imitating Christ and allowing Him to change our inner selves. Where in your life have you been forcing an outward change without submitting your heart attitudes to the Lord? Take some time to write a prayer asking God to reveal the heart attitudes you are holding onto that need His redemptive work. As you see those attitudes in your life, confess them and ask for His changing power in your life. Take part in your spiritual family by telling a trusted friend what you are struggling with and asking her to pray with you for true and lasting life change.

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 Ephesians 3:20-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
You, oh Lord, are able to change lives. You have come down from Your holy hill and made a way for Your people to be united to You and be one in You. You have given Your children great gifts and blessed us with a new way of living. Help me, merciful Father, when I fall short. Search me and reveal the ways I am trying to fix myself or make myself better without relying on Your power and transforming work. Help me to leave behind my old way of life, my fleshly desires, and my sinful tendencies. Make my heart soft to the spiritual fruit You are growing in my life. Help me to live my life so others see Your changing work. Thank You for the many ways you have already changed me. Thank You for setting me free from my old ways of life and for bringing renewal to my relationships. You have shown up for me in ways I could never have imagined. Give me courage to speak your truth to those around me, so they may also experience the life-changing work You do every day.

Worship Through Community

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Calling Day 1 Into Inheritance

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:1-14
Haggai 1:1-11
Revelation 21:1-5

Calling, Day 1

“We will not neglect the house of our God!”
(Nehemiah 10:39, emphasis mine)

“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. (Exodus 36:1-2, emphasis mine)

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ.
(Romans 12:4-5)

You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? Because of My House that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. (Haggai 1:9)

The Lord has always carefully guarded, and given clear instruction for,
His dwelling place among His people.

In the Old Testament, chapter after chapter overflow with specificities on not only building the tabernacle, but also regarding its operation and management.

God’s heartbeat is, and always has been,
to be in deep relationship with His people.
Thus, He placed high priority upon
the place where He would meet with them. 

Moses’ original site of communion with God, the Tent of Meeting, gave way to the moveable Tabernacle where God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. This was eventually replaced by Solomon’s temple in the holy city of Jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70AD.

Over time, as Jews multiplied and spread, synagogues became the gathering places for worshipping and studying the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament). In fact, the Greek word for “assembly” is “synagogue”!

Finally, after Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within everyone who trusts in the Lord for their eternal salvation.
The new tabernacle was the very heart of every believer!

Whether it was the Tent of Meeting,
the Tabernacle in the wilderness,
the temple in Jerusalem,
a synagogue in the ancient Roman world,
or your local Bible-teaching church,
each of these represent something precious to the heart of God,
a meeting place with His people. 

Just as God protected and cherished those dwelling places in the Old Testament, so does He lavishly love and care for how the Church, local and global, lives out its calling to advance the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians is like the handbook for church life, detailing out our identity, our mission, and our calling. Before you check out because you aren’t on staff at a church, or maybe only attend on occasion, sink into this truth:

Every believer is the Church.

Please, as fellow member of this beautiful Body called Church, I plead with you to read every word of Ephesians with us as we study.
Our words are meaningless without His.
Our studies merely point to His truth.
So, if you’ve made it this far without reading His Words Before Ours, please back up and read today’s selection from Ephesians 1:1-14!

As you read, drink it slowly, deliciously; let the message wash over you, bringing renewal.
These are the words of the Lord God for His precious Bride, the Church.
These words are for us as His Beloved, the place where He dwells!

Because, here’s the ravishing secret, we are His inheritance and He is ours!! 

I’m giddy with excitement every time I consider this glorious reality!
Come! Look!

To the saints…
Grace & peace to you, (Read: washing over you and embracing you on all sides)
from God our FATHER (how wondrous!)
and Christ Jesus our SAVIOR (breathtaking love!).
(Ephesians 1:1-2)

And just like that, we are ushered into a book of radical love and steadfast truth with a warm embrace.

In the first 14 verses, we, the Church,
every saved-from-sin-rescued-from-death believer, are hereby declared…

Blessed
With every spiritual blessing available in the infinite heavenly riches of Christ.
(verse 3)

Chosen
Set apart from before the beginning of time to be blameless and holy before the Lord.
(verse 4)

Adopted
With every right and every inheritance given to us, not based on our works, but solely because He lovingly chose to love us.
(verses 5-6)

Lavishly Covered
With His limitless gifts of redemption, forgiveness, and grace.
(verses 7-8)

Unified With God
Having been invited to understand the rich mysteries of how God has planned for our salvation and welcomed us, the Church, into the great gift of unity between ourselves and the godhead.
(verses 9-10)

Heirs
We are the recipients of this profoundly rich inheritance.
(verses 11-12)

Sealed
On hearing the freedom offered in Christ, having trusted Him as our only Savior and Lord, God poured His Spirit into our hearts, remaking our DNA to be like His own. Here is the proof of our salvation! The God who safeguards our souls by His Spirit until one, indescribable day, when our inheritance is seen with naked eyes and we behold the glory that is
God dwelling with us FACE TO FACE!
(verses 13-14)

Church!!
How wondrous is the love the Father has lavished upon us!
May our tongues never cease to praise Him for calling us into this inheritance!

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 Calling 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 Calling!

The GT Weekend! ~ Blessed 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) Several years ago, a slogan became popular, “Know Jesus, Know Peace. No Jesus, No Peace.” It’s simplicity speaks volumes of the only path to attaining true, lasting peace. We chase after many things in attempt to be at peace. If I just have this amount of money in my budget. If only my husband would make these changes. If my child could just stop this, or start doing that. If everyone would just let me off the crazy train every now and then, I could have peace!! Am I right?! Alas, none of those things have the capability of bringing lasting peace, only the illusion of cessation from all the other noise. Where are you chasing peace? What series of events are you waiting for before you can finally have peace? Choose to stop the mad race to grasp at handfuls of wind, and sit with the one and only peacemaker. Jesus didn’t come to drop spoonfuls of peace from the sky when we behave. Rather, His peace is available in full at every moment, in every situation. Welcome the Peacemaker, then live as His ambassador as you extend His invitation of peace to others!

2) No one wants to suffer, right?! Often, when we, as believers, experience difficulty or intense struggling in our faith journey, we pray for the Lord to remove it, to heal us, to get us OUT of our trial! As Sara referenced Wednesday on the process of making diamonds, it’s only through intensity that rocks eventually glisten as jewels. A wise friend once shared with me this simple phrase, bringing deep clarity for me, “Believers will suffer because they follow Jesus. The only way to end persecution is to stop following Jesus.” Wow! Truth like that cuts straight through all my defenses. Jesus promised suffering for those who truly follow Him, and so the logic follows, “stop following Him, end persecution of the believer.” I want to follow my Savior more than I want my comfort. I know there are many times where I choose comfort, but pray with me for both of us to choose Jesus over and over, even in the face of adversity!

3) If persecution is guaranteed for every believer who truly follows Jesus, what should our response be when persecution comes our way? The Bible shares story after story of the early church responding to attack and trial with prayer, and perhaps most surprisingly, thanksgiving for who God was and continued to be. Their prayer was neither to remove the persecution, nor give them the upper hand, but for boldness and endurance to honor Christ and preach freedom in Jesus amidst intense struggle. When have you encountered persecution, on some level, for what you believe? Ask the Lord to grow your heart in boldness for Him, and willingness to speak of Him and of His truth! Spend time praising Him for His unchanging character of kind goodness towards you!

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 Matthew 5:13 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Prayer Journal
You’ve rescued us from ourselves, and our eternally condemned state because of our sin, by giving us Your righteousness instead of our rightly deserved death. You’ve lovingly embraced us, adopting us as Your own children, giving us the right to reign with You. You’ve given Your own Spirit to dwell within us to teach us to become more like You. Your love knows no boundaries. Your welcome casts off all disgrace. Your forgiveness makes all shame flee. You prepare a perfect eternity for us to dwell with You forever, face to face. Lord! It’s too astounding to take in! Yet, in the meantime, in our right now, You’ve called us into a life of purpose knowing it will be met with difficulty, persecution, and struggle. You’ve promised to never leave, Your Almighty Presence is indeed the richest blessing of a truly “blessed life”. Encourage our hearts to live with love, to remain deeply connected to Your truth, that we might be salt and light to a world around us, so desperate for truth and grace!

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

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He Day 10 Yahweh Shalom

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:11-24
Isaiah 9:6-7 
John 14:25-31

He, Day 10

I recently created a little playlist called “JOY,” full of songs that make my heart bubble over when I hear them. The songs are often classics and quite simple, a mix of hymns and Elvis, JJ Heller and Ingrid Michaelson, and, believe it or not … Mr. Rogers.

One of my fondest memories is sitting in the den at my grandparents’ house, watching Mr. Rogers while my Papa (who was quite like Mr. Rogers himself, but with a thick German accent and a beard) sat next to me. Hearing Mr. Rogers sing his simple yet deeply profound songs still fills me with joy. So, I added some of my favorites to my “JOY” playlist.  “Peace and Quiet” is especially meaningful:

“Peace and Quiet,
Peace, peace, peace [ . . . ]
We all want peace,
We all want peace.

Do you know what peace means? Peace is wonderful.

It sounds like a piece of bread or a piece of paper. But it’s so much more than a piece of anything. 

This kind of peace is something very comfortable. When you have it, you feel inside yourself that the people you live with care about you, and you care about them, too. And what’s more, you care about yourself. 

Peace means you can talk with people and tell them you’re happy or sad or angry or anything, and they’ll understand, and they’ll tell you how they feel, too.” 

I love Mr. Roger’s simple explanation of peace, because we can all understand the feeling he describes, even though our lives aren’t always peaceful… that is, not everyone around us has cared about us.

It’s amazing how significantly the presence of peace can be affected by our companions. My daughters and I recently spent the morning with friends and, as we sat in their backyard, I found myself breathing deeply as I recognized the peaceful atmosphere surrounding me.

Kids were laughing, our conversation ebbed and flowed, but because I was with people of peace, I felt peace. Like Mr. Rogers said, I could feel the care of my friends embracing me, and felt my own care for them in return.

In John 14, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.”

He’s given us His peace.

In fact, Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, the Prince of Peace, hundreds of years before His birth.

And even further back in history, humans recognized special peace from the Almighty.
Travel back with me to our war hero, Gideon (remember, the young guy empowered by God, who conquered the Midianites against all odds?)

Before Gideon conquered the Midianites, he was called into battle by none other than Yahweh Shalom.

Gideon was beating wheat while hiding from the Midianites, who’d been oppressing Israel for seven years. Israel had nothing, certainly not peace.

As Gideon was laboring in the hot sun, a stranger approached him and proclaimed,
“The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

The Lord is with you.

He’s with you.

Now I could talk at length about the words of affirmation and prophecy delivered when he called Gideon “valiant warrior,” but I want to focus on the first words spoken.

The Lord, Yahweh, is with you.
You aren’t alone.

But Gideon is confused, asking the angel, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why has all of this happened?” (Judges 6:13)

Gideon recognized the utter absence of peace in his community; if there was no peace, how could the Lord of peace be with them?

The angel commands Gideon to prepare for battle, because the Lord was going to use him to bring justice and ultimately, peace throughout Israel.

Gideon knows he’s the youngest member of an already weak family, and therefore, by any human calculation, the least likely to conquer the mighty Midianites. He’s confused and he’s scared . . . and then he realizes he’s talking with an angel of the Lord.

Petrified.

But the Lord reassures him, “Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.” (Judges 6:23)

The Lord knew Gideon’s heart, understood his deepest fear, and addressed it directly.

“Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”

While “peace to you” was a common phrase used when coming or going, on this day, Gideon perceived it differently. Perhaps, like a puzzle finally completed, Gideon realized Yahweh Shalom was with him, and His presence was peace.

Gideon commemorated this sacred moment by building an altar, calling it: “The Lord is Peace.”

Yahweh Shalom.

Not just, “He brings peace” or “He gives peace.” No.

The Lord is peace.

The Lord is our peace.
Because He is with us.

Remember how Isaiah declared the coming Messiah would be called the Prince of Peace?

Jesus came. He was with us. He walked this earth, breathed this air, lived life within the fleshly limits of the mankind His Father created.

The Prince of Peace.

Yahweh Shalom. 

We know Jesus isn’t physically with us today, and, in John 14, when Jesus told us about the peace He’d give, He knew He’d be returning to His Father in Heaven. Therefore, He spoke to us of the Holy Spirit, who would come and dwell in every believing heart, teaching us and guiding us.

God with us.

Yahweh Shalom. 

We all long for peace, as Mr. Rogers reminded us, and peace will never be found apart from God, because

He is peace.

The Prince of peace.

The Giver of peace.

Yahweh Shalom.

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Hallel Day 9 Finding Him Faithful: 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!

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The Questions

1) What does it mean to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life?

2) How do I seek God’s face?

3) How can I be certain I will see the goodness of the Lord?

Psalm 27:1-14

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart will not be afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
I will still be confident.

4 I have asked one thing from the Lord;
it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
gazing on the beauty of the Lord
and seeking him in his temple.
5 For he will conceal me in his shelter
in the day of adversity;
he will hide me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
6 Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;
I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.
8 My heart says this about you:
“Seek His face.”
Lord, I will seek your face.
9 Do not hide your face from me;
do not turn your servant away in anger.
You have been my helper;
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.

11 Because of my adversaries,
show me your way, Lord,
and lead me on a level path.
12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing violence.

13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart be courageous.
Wait for the Lord.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life?
In Psalm 27:4, King David declares, “I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.” The Hebrew word for dwell is “yashab”, which means “to sit down (specifically in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry.” (Biblehub.com.) Author Skip Moen asserts that David does not want to take up residence in God’s temple because in reality, “The Temple didn’t exist when David lived. His dream might be to spend his days in the Temple yet to be constructed, but God made it plain that David was not the one to build it. With that in mind, why does David desire to be in the “house of the Lord”? David desires to be in the presence of God, to experience life enclosed by the Divine.”  Author Jon Bloom concurs, declaring that “David’s deepest desire — his one thing — is not for safety, military dominance, or prosperity. David wants God — to be near God, to see and be satisfied with God’s glory, and to live by God’s wisdom and guidance.”  We want to make David’s one desire ours as well, to spend time in the presence of our beautiful and wondrous God.  We don’t need to live at our local church to do this.  We can praise Him (Psalm 22:3) and seek His presence (Matthew 7:7) to find Him and dwell with Him.

2) How do I seek God’s face?
In Psalm 27:8, David writes, “My heart says this about you: ‘Seek his face.’ Lord, I will seek your face.“  Chaim Bentorah tells us “Jewish literature and ancient Jewish scholars often render the word Pani, which we translate as face, as “the presence of God.”  He goes on to explain that “the word in Hebrew for “seek” is “bakash” which means to seek, search, beg, demand, inquire or investigate.”  So, David is vowing to follow his heart’s prompting to seek the presence of God.  Author  A. Maclaren describes David’s seeking as “the turning of the direction of our desires to Him, the recognition of the fact that His face is more than all else to men.” We seek God’s face by desiring to be in His presence above all else.  Author Albert Barnes notes that David “immediately complied with that command, as it was a principle of his life – one of the steady promptings of his heart – that he would do this. The heart asked no excuse; pleaded for no delay; desired no reason for not complying with the command, but at once assented to the propriety of the law, and resolved to obey.”  May we all immediately answer God’s call to seek His presence by turning our hearts and minds to Him (Psalm 119:10).

3) How can I be certain I will see the goodness of the Lord?
The exact circumstances of the writing of Psalm 27 are not definitively known.  According to Matthew Henry, “Some think David penned this psalm before his coming to the throne, when he was in the midst of his troubles, and perhaps upon the death of his parents; but the Jews think he penned it when he was old.” Whenever it was written, it shows that David had hope in the Lord and His goodness, no matter his troubles or distress.  He writes in Psalm 27:13, “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.”  Author David Guzik writes that “David’s seeking after God, and his knowledge of the Lord, led him to this triumphant statement.” David declared God to be the stronghold of his life (Psalm 27:1) and he believed God would conceal him, hide him, and set him safely high upon a rock when troubles came. (Psalm 27:5) Matthew Henry explains that “Those that walk by faith in the goodness of the Lord shall in due time walk in the sight of that goodness.” David could hope to see the goodness of the Lord, even when there was cause to despair, because He knew God is good and faithful and could be trusted.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life?
When I read Psalm 27:4, where David states he only wants to dwell in God’s house and gaze on His beauty, I wonder what a typical day must have been like for David. He was a warrior, a King, a writer, a husband, and a father, so he probably did not have a lot of free time on his hands, not to mention that everything from transportation to meals took much longer in his day than in ours. Even with all that on his plate, his number one wish was to be in the presence of the Lord. David must have known that joy, renewal, and strength come from spending time with God (Psalm 16:11), gazing on His beauty, and soaking in His presence.  It makes my excuses for not spending time with the Lord seem pretty pitiful.  I let my errands and to-do lists and binge watching get in the way of my time with the Lord, while King David longed for time in God’s presence, even while he was waging wars, writing songs, and running a kingdom. My prayer is to seek the Lord fervently and diligently like David did.  In Psalm 42:1, the psalmist cries out, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.”  I want to dwell with God, and spend my time in His presence, for all my days!

2) How do I seek God’s face?
I was at the end of my college career before e-mail was a thing, so I had to call people on the phone, write them a note or see them in person to communicate with them.  As an introverted person, I daily celebrate the invention of the electronic message allowing me to avoid in-person or voice-to-voice contact! But there are some people in my life with whom e-mail contact alone is not enough.  I long to see their faces!  I want to look in their eyes, see their smile, and hear the inflection in their voice.  For them, only face to face communication will do.  In Psalm 27:8,, David expresses something like this when he tells the Lord, “My heart says this about you: ‘Seek his face.’ Lord, I will seek your face.“ David just wants to be with the Lord. He wants to be in His presence.  One way David sought the Lord’s face was by worshipping Him. In Psalm 27:7, just before declaring he will seek God’s face, David professes, “I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.  I will sing and make music to the Lord.  Lord, hear my voice when I call.” In Psalm 95:2, David says, “Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving.” According to Psalm 119:10, David sought the Lord “with his whole heart.” We can seek God’s presence by praising Him and focusing on Him, putting Him above all the other things that clamor for our attention.

3) How can I be certain I will see the goodness of the Lord?
I have always loved the poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson.  In the first stanza she declares: “Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all.  This stanza makes me think of the psalmist, David, pouring out his heart in song, often declaring the hope he has in God. Even when things were dire for him, he never stopped hoping in the Lord.  He declared that “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13) He was so certain God would come through for him that he urged patience by writing in Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.” He said it twice, wait for the Lord.  I don’t do “wait” very well, especially when I am in distress.  But David had seen God’s deliverance from physical harm like wild animals attacking his sheep (1 Samuel 17:37), enemies seeking to kill him (I Samuel 19:1), and the violence of battle in war time (2 Samuel 8). God also rescued him from anxiety and despair. (Psalm 13) David had frequent need of immediate deliverance, and yet he could pen the words “wait for the Lord.”  His hope in God was so strong and his belief in His deliverance so certain, he knew he could trust in God’s timing.  That is the prayer of my heart; that I believe in God’s goodness and trust in His perfect plan, no matter what my circumstance are telling me.  I can be certain I will see the goodness of the Lord because the truth is He is good.  I want to cry out with David, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.  How happy is the person who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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