Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

March 23, 2022 by Lesley Crawford 19 Comments

Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

Lesley Crawford

March 23, 2022

Desperate,Emptiness,Faith,Fear,Hope,Meaning,Provider,Purpose,Redeemed

Read His Words Before Ours!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sometimes, even “smaller” losses hit us hard.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tags :

comfort,grief,hope,Jesus,Naomi,sadness

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This world can be difficult to live in with its brokenness and grief. If I have learned anything over the last two years of facing the pandemic of Covid, it’s that life isn’t perfect or easy and challenges will come. Sin runs rampant and we are faced with the consequences of it everywhere we turn. However, as believers in Jesus, we hold a promise that this is not how things will be forever. You and I live in a world that will someday end. One day, Jesus will return and we will all face judgment.

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The GT Weekend! ~ Enough Week 1

April 3, 2021 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

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

1) On Monday, Lesley reminded us that “one small act changed everything” in the relationship between Adam & Eve and God. Where oneness and beauty once splendidly danced, brokenness, shame, fear, and blame took over. In what ways can you identify with this concept in your own relationship experiences? We’ve all acted certain ways or said certain things to bring about brokenness and destruction in our relationships. It’s painful and messy to think about, but every one of us have both brought about brokenness and been the receiver of such wounding from the people we love. In these scenarios, it’s easy to see the other person as the enemy, blaming them and growing angry or bitter, but this is exactly the trap Adam and Eve fell into. The real enemy is Satan, who loves to break our relationships with eachother and God. As you consider this when you think about the people you love, be intentional in praying for them, remembering they are not the enemy!

2) Israelites were enslaved under Egyptian rule for 4 centuries; they needed a rescuer. When God freed them from captivity, He promised to bring them into a good land of abundance and freedom. After a few days of foot travel across the barren desert, they arrived at the entrance of the Promised Land; God had been faithful, good, and kind. But Israel, on discovering that the Promised Land was full of enormous fruit and fearsome giants (true story, guys, read Numbers 13:17-29), completely rejected God’s good gift! (Numbers 14:1-10) Sisters, don’t miss this, I have also been guilty of rejecting the good gifts God offers me because they aren’t what I expect. Israel’s rejection of Canaan, resulted in God leading them to turn around and wander the desert for 40 years. I don’t want to miss out on what God has deemed for my good and His glory just because it doesn’t fit my expectations. What about you?!

3) God continued pursuing His people, Israel, despite their constant rebellion. Even though they had prophets and priests who pointed them back to God’s heart, sin has its stealthy way of sneaking in and bringing death and destruction in its wake. Prophets who loved God, called aloud for Israel to turn her heart back to the Lord Almighty. Just as God faithfully pursued Israel, so He pursues each one of us. Imagine this! The God of all on a mission to catch you with His infinite love and mercy! How does this make you feel? Can you look around your life and point to ways His voice is raised like the prophet’s to call you to return to Him? He is always waiting, never put off by your rebellion enough to cease in His pursuit of a real, authentic relationship with you. If He will stop at nothing, what’s holding you back?

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 Romans 3:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.

Prayer Journal
Lord God, sometimes I lose sight of my sin. I forget how stealthy it is and how intent the Enemy of my heart is to steal, kill, and destroy. I become lulled into mediocrity as I chase after the sins that tempt me, neglecting to remember You alone are worthy of love and worship. I forget that my phone and my social media feed will never love me back for all the time and attention I give them. I justify my rudeness, pretending I’m just “being confident”. I cover up my manipulation tactics, my sharp words, my eye rolls, my deceit, my anger, my arrogance. I forget, Lord God, I forget these are the very things that destroy the oneness You died to share with me. Lord Jesus, remind me this weekend. Remind me as the days move towards Easter that You came to destroy the Destruction of sin. Remind me that when I surrender myself to You, I don’t have to forget about my sin, it’s paid for by Your blood. Don’t let me forget my sin, Oh Christ, let me remember You.

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Enough Day 2 Creation’s Groan: Digging Deeper

March 30, 2021 by Penny Noyes Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Creation’s Groan!

The Questions

1) How did the serpent deceive Eve?

2) Who was the serpent?

3) Why did God curse the serpent?

4) How was the curse broken?

Genesis 3:1-4

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

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

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

Original Intent

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

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

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

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

Everyday Application

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

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

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

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

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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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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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Enough Day 1 Creation’s Groan

March 29, 2021 by Lesley Crawford 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 2:15-17
Genesis 3:1-24
Leviticus 16:1-34
Hebrews 10:1-4

Enough, Day 1

One small act changed everything. Once Adam and Eve tasted the fruit, there was no way back to the innocence they had previously known.

At first glance, it seems like such a small transgression – just a bite of fruit – but at its heart, it was a rejection of God. It was “no” to Him, and “yes” to self, and in one brief moment, God’s “very good” creation was broken.

Before that dreadful moment, Adam and Eve had enjoyed an open and trusting relationship with God and one another, the sweet fellowship of walking together in the garden unafraid and unashamed. But their act of rebellion opened the door to fear and shame. Trust and intimacy gave way to hiding and separation.

The consequences were severe: ejection from the garden, and a curse of sin left as the legacy for all generations to come, ultimately leading to both physical and spiritual death.

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

It is a tragic tale. How Adam and Eve must have wished they could turn back the clock and make a different choice, but there was nothing they could do!

But, even there in the garden, we see a faint glimmer of hope. Whereas God could have destroyed Adam and Eve, or abandoned them to the path they had chosen, instead He sought them out and gave them a tantalising glimpse of a day in the future when One would come, the offspring of a woman, who would crush the serpent’s head, defeating sin and evil forever.

Before they were banished from the garden for good, God also provided Adam and Eve with clothes made from skins. An innocent animal was sacrificed to cover their shame.

This was the first sacrifice, but it pointed ahead to God’s instructions given to Moses at Mount Sinai many years later. In the generations since Adam and Eve, the story of the Bible had been one of people’s sinfulness and God’s faithfulness. When we join Moses on Mount Sinai, God has led His people out of slavery in Egypt, and they are headed to the land He has promised them, but the issue of sin remains. Nonetheless, God still wants a relationship with His sinful people, and so a sacrificial system is instituted.

The book of Leviticus describes it in detail. There were burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings . . . all involved sacrifice, and most required spilled blood. A flawless animal had to be slaughtered to pay the price for the people. It was not a simple matter for a sinful people to approach a holy God.

“According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

Despite these regular offerings, there was still the need for the Day of Atonement once a year, when the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place where God’s presence resided. First, the priest would slaughter a bull as an offering for his own sins and those of his family; then, he had to sacrifice a goat on behalf of the people.

A second goat was chosen to be a scapegoat. The High Priest would lay his hand on the goat’s head and confess the sins of the people, symbolically transferring their sins onto the goat. The goat would then be driven out into the wilderness as a sign of the people’s sins being carried away.

The sacrificial system provided a way to approach God, but it also presented a vivid illustration of the severity of sin and the separation it brought. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death,” and the people were reminded of this devastating truth on a regular basis as they brought their sacrifices to God, again . . . and again . . . and again.

No matter how fervently they resolved to do better next time, they always sinned again, so the sacrifices reminded them not only of their sin and its consequences, but also of the inadequacy of the sacrifices to permanently cover their sin.

Sacrifices provided a temporary solution, but Hebrews 10:4 explains “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

What then was the answer?
Where would this serpent-crusher come from, and Who would it be?

Creation groaned as it waited for God’s plan to be revealed and for His solution to come.

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Focus Day 3 Wisdom’s Way

August 21, 2019 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalms 119:140-145
Proverbs 21:19-23
Isaiah 32:17-20
Ephesians 6:10-17
James 1:19-27

Focus, Day 3

“Stop shouting at each other RIGHT this MINUTE!”
The words forced their way across my lips, piercing the air over our dining room table before I even realized I was shouting. Three sets of wide eyes stared at me, and one toddler mouth hung open in surprise.

I expelled the mouthful of air I didn’t realize I’d been holding in one great whoosh.
Perfect, I thought. I did it, AGAIN. Shouting at your children to stop them from shouting at each other…way to effectively parent. Lord, HELP. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.

Have you been there, Love?
You try to juggle all the balls, and somehow you are almost completely unaware of how stressed you feel until the very moment your angry outburst bubbles up and over to scald the nearest person. Adding insult to injury? The person (or in my case, little persons) you scald, has absolutely nothing to do with whatever is your breaking point.
Oh, how the instant regret cuts deep.
And often, Regret is accompanied by her hovering little sister, Shame.

There’s an old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun”, which is entirely true for the history of humans who struggle to refrain from angry outbursts. We can trace all the way back to the first set of brothers, Cain and Abel, and find the bitter, dangerous fruit that grows from unchecked anger.

In the New Testament, James provides sound advice for believers, gently admonishing us to both hear the Word (Scripture) and obey it. Isn’t it fascinating that as he expounds on this topic, his first instruction is:

“This you know, my brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1:19b-20 NASB

Everyone who has ever lashed out in the heat of the moment knows that when anger begins rising, quelling it is incredibly difficult. Here’s where James’ divinely dictated instruction truly shines. We are challenged to do two things before we even reach his instruction to be slow to anger.

First, we are to be quick to hear.
James doesn’t mean merely listening to spoken words. He means listening with understanding of another’s heart behind their words, but James is also calling us to keep an ear tuned to Holy Spirit’s voice. What is God speaking to us in that very moment when what is happening in the natural, as well as what is happening in the spiritual, verges on angry explosions.

When we begin living and responding from a position of listening first to Holy Spirit’s truth, we will naturally follow the second instruction from James and find ourselves slow to speak. As we slow, we process what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears, as well as listen attentively to what Holy Spirit is showing us. As we test everything we think against Scripture, this slowing down practice will result in new pathways as our thought patterns shift to become more like the Lord’s.

As we continue through James’s instructions, a constant theme begins emerging:
we are called to more than knowledge; we are called to obedience.

For the people in the back, I’ll say it again.

Sister, we are called to more than knowledge.
Every one of us is called to obey.

We are called to hear what the Bible says, and then called to action.
We are called to humbly receive the Word, and then allow transformation to happen.
We are called to gaze at the perfect law of freedom, and then called to persevere in it.
We are called to stay in living relationship with the Lord, and remain unstained by sin.
We are called to recognize position, and then called to honor all.

So, how do we go about doing these actions which are counter-culture, stretching, and one hundred percent opposite of what we might naturally strive to attain. Further, we are talking about a shift in heart posture here.
This is not something we are capable of manufacturing on our own.

Proverbs 2 gives us rock-solid wise counsel that goes hand in hand with James’ words. When we accept and study Scripture, meditate on the Lord’s instructions and allow them to sink deep into our souls, the Lord responds with favor.
When we ask the Lord to speak; He will reveal Himself through the Bible.
Then, we listen.
We press in and place value on the wisdom He freely gives.
As we turn our hearts toward Him, Scripture says He draws near to us, protecting us and blessing us with wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding.
He will guard us from paths leading to destruction and danger by setting our feet on Wisdom’s Way.

You might be thinking, “This all sounds great in theory…but if I were honest, the truth is I simply do not desire to study Scripture. I try. I read it. I want to know what it’s like to long to soak in it, to hear directly from Him. But He’s just not speaking to me.”

Sweet sister-friend. I’ve felt the same.
Can I encourage you to do something different today?
Something that might feel outside your comfort zone?
First, carve out a few moments and find a quiet space.
Talk to the Lord. Have a real conversation with Him.
Tell Him where you are and ask Him to help you, then trust He is faithful and will respond to His beloved daughter!

Lord, thank You for Your Word that brings life and light. Thank you for giving us a way we can hear directly from You. Forgive me for the times when I have not valued Your instruction. Father, I want to hunger for your Word; I want to be the kind of daughter who is transformed when I hear You speak. Show me any areas of my heart and life that aren’t in alignment with Your heart. I yield every part of my life, time, and schedule to You.
Teach me to be more like You.
In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Focus Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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