Excuses

Another Day 15 Service With Love

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Another Day 15 Service With Love

Marietta Taylor

March 24, 2023

Excuses,Faith,Genuine,Giving,Glory

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 25:31-46
1 Peter 4:10-11
Acts 5:1-11
Proverbs 4:23-27

I said I would never serve in middle school. It just wasn’t “my thing”. So how do I explain I now arrive early to church to set up the TV, queue the lesson, put out games, and choose a worship song in preparation for middle schoolers? Did I mention I raised two daughters, but I teach mostly boys in “Mid City” as we call our church’s middle school ministry?

Why am I here?
Because middle schoolers need love and care too, especially from their church family. Also, God told me to serve them. Want to know a secret? I was wrong before. It is “my thing”.

My thing is serving the Lord who created me and prepared good works for me to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Those good works serve God’s kingdom and others. God designed it to work this way because His heart is for others, for us. And our hearts should be too.

Jesus taught about this in Matthew 25:31-46 when He told the story of sheep and goats at the Final Judgment. Sheep represented people who trusted Christ to pay the penalty they deserved for their own sin; then they lived out their faith by loving others. Goats, while fooling themselves and others by making themselves look like sheep, actually never trusted Christ and therefore couldn’t love people with His divine power living inside them.

To the sheep Jesus said, “You fed me, you gave me something to drink, you took me in, you clothed me, you took care of me and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, my paraphrase)
To the goats he said, “You never fed me or gave me drink, never took me in, clothed me or took care of me.” (Matthew 25:42-43, my paraphrase) Both groups asked when they did or did not do these things. He responded that their actions, or lack thereof, evidenced their willingness to love Him. Jesus rewarded the sheep and eternally punished the goats. 

This girl wants to be a sheep.
Since you’re reading this, I think you do too.
What about being a shiny sheep?

Jesus taught, “You [true believer in Jesus!) are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) Because “light carrying” is so important, He instructed, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Be a shiny sheep,
serving others,
showing them Jesus and
giving Him glory?
Yes, please!

Remember the goats? We can fool ourselves and others, but we cannot fool God. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold some land and donated part of the money to the apostles. (Acts 5:1-11) Seems good, right?

After Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven, the believers all lived together, sharing everything, not because anyone was forcing them, but out of love. “Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common” (Acts 4:32)

Ananias and Sapphira lied, claiming their donation was the total profit from the sale. Through the Spirit of God, Peter confronted them, “You have not lied to people but to God.” (Acts 5:4) God desires us to serve from holy hearts. (1 Peter 1:15) If we aren’t intent on loving Jesus, we will be tempted to be unscrupulous. How does this rightly reflect God? It doesn’t bring Him glory or benefit others. 

Consider Eli’s sons. (1 Samuel 2:12-36) They were priests yet committed many sinful acts. They ate sacrifices meant for the Lord and sometimes forcibly took sacrifices before they could be offered. They were serving, but with evil intent. Eventually, God took their lives because of it; they were goats.

Compare that to Samuel, who “served in the Lord’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.” (1 Samuel 2:18) Samuel served Eli faithfully and later became a great prophet for the Lord. 1 Samuel 3:19 tells us, “Samuel grew. The Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied.” May we follow Samuel’s example of being a sheep.

Christ loves us perfectly. (1 John 3:16) While we can’t love perfectly, we can reflect His love because His Spirit lives inside believers, divinely empowering us.
How do we love like Him? Before we serve, let’s consider four key questions.

  1. If there was no visible payoff like money, recognition, gratitude, or influence, am I still willing? (Philippians 3:8-10)
  2. If suffering is involved in serving, am I still willing? (2 Corinthians 12:6-10)
  3. Is my goal to feel good about myself or receive praise from others? (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
  4. Is loving God and others my motivation? (Matthew 22:37-39)

Answer with sincerity.
If your motives and intentions are true, pure and oriented toward the Lord, then serve.
If not, ask the Lord to change your heart.

Remember, Jesus knows the difference between sheep and goats. His true sheep are meant to serve with each of these qualities, but if we haven’t asked Him to make us new and remove our sin, we just can’t be sheep.

Opportunities to serve, to love like Jesus, are abundant!
Maybe you’ll wind up doing something you thought wasn’t “your thing”,
but is most definitely God’s thing for you!

Tags :
family,grace,humility,love,service
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The Lord has given every single believer gifts through the Holy Spirit for that Christian to actively live out in everyday life. Perhaps it’s singing, leading others to worship, easily understanding difficult biblical truths, being a good friend, making people feel welcome, cooking delicious meals, folding laundry, running a well-maintained home, or making flowers flourish. Whatever your specific set of gifts, we are all called to live hospitably (read: openly generous) without complaint.
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Surrender Day 15 A New Life: Digging Deeper

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Surrender Day 15 A New Life: Digging Deeper

Multiple Authors

February 10, 2023

Christ,Digging Deeper,Excuses,Forgiven,Trust,Truth

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

This DD Connects With "A New Life"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 8:34-38

34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the wider context of this passage?

When studying Scripture, it’s helpful to investigate the author’s purpose through a wide-angle lens of his writings to better understand his intent and audience. The gospel author, Mark, shines a spotlight on pivotal moments of Jesus’ life to underscore both His humanity and His divinity. Jesus is the “Son of Man” as well as the “Promised Messiah”.

In chapter 8, we see the very human need for food and sight. Jesus uses these common experiences, and their painful lack thereof as experienced by the blind man and the hungry crowds, to showcase His divine authority over all things. In pointed contrast, Jesus’ recorded exchange between Himself and the Pharisees who repeatedly rejected the truth of Jesus’ identity, is used to demonstrate their spiritual blind eyes who refuse to see the Christ standing face-to-face with them.

In contrast to the learned Pharisees, the fisherman, Peter, has discovered the truth for himself. When Jesus asks His disciples who they believe Him to be, emboldened Peter announces, “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29)

On the heels of Peter’s declaration of Christ as the long-awaited promised Messiah King, Jesus “began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected (…), be killed, and rise after three days.” (Mark 8:31)

Passionately, Peter denies his King should die! (Mark 8:32) Just as presumed political victory was within his sight, Peter angrily throws in the towel and, in essence, insists Jesus’ willing death to be outrageous.

Unknowingly, Peter’s vehemence opens the door for Jesus to explain that following Him, truly trusting in Him as the Son of Man and God the Son, will inevitably result in the price tag of suffering and death.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the wider context of this passage?

God didn’t manifest Himself in the way Peter expected, or the Pharisees, or the crowds. If we’re honest, we have our own expectations of who God is, how He should act, and what rescue looks like.

Christ consistently confronted Peter, the crowds, and Pharisees, pushing back on their expectations and providing them with truth instead. Their response makes all the difference. The Pharisees insisted Jesus’ representation of Himself as the “I AM” God was absolutely ludicrous. They rejected Him and paid the price of eternity apart from Him. The simple fisherman, though passionately protesting at several points along his journey, kept pressing into who Jesus claimed Himself to be. Peter chose belief while the Pharisees chose rejection.

Each of us face the same wrestling match as we investigate the claims of Jesus. Will we, like Peter, name Christ as our Lord and surrender everything, even our lives? Or, like the Pharisees, will we hold onto our pretentious ideas of an idyllic “god” made in our own image, reject the God of the Bible, and spend eternity dead and separated from the God of Love?

Jesus calls us to look beyond the miracles and open our once-blind-eyes to “see” the relationship He wants with us. He invites us to “see” our desperate need for a Savior. When we choose Christ, we choose the richest of all inheritances for He offers abundant eternal life after death and His sweet presence in this temporary life.

Let’s not become distracted like the crowds who sought the Miracle Worker, but ignored the Savior of our souls.

The Original Intent

2) What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus? (verse 34)

To understand this phrase, which lands as so strange to our modern ears, it is essential we return to the first audience and understand what came to their mind’s eye. In New Testament times, the cruelest punishment for crimes against Rome was the grotesque torture of crucifixion. It was intended to send an inescapable message, “Don’t Mess With Rome”.

Crucifixion was humiliating, shameful, and cruel. Naked criminals carried their own death tool upon their shoulders as they were paraded through the city to its outskirts so all could see their shame and be assured Rome held all authority. Eventually, crucifixion victims died, not of the nails piercing their flesh as the whole weight of their bodies hung suspended by iron posts, but of asphyxiation. The only way they could grasp another breath was to push up on the nails in their feet so their lungs could expand. When they became too exhausted to do this, they suffocated. This whole process could span several horrific days of torture if they were not badly whipped beforehand as Jesus was.  

As gruesome and inhumane as this was, we must also remember it was not simply their bodies that could not be hidden, it was the guilt of their crime. It was not merely a cross they carried, it was their shame and sin. What a horrific portrait of our own consequence of sin! We won’t be crucified for our sin, but unless we accept Jesus’ paid-in-full gift for the debt we owe, we will experience an eternity even more grim and full of despair than a criminal heading to Golgotha.

The Everyday Application

2) What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus? (verse 34)

In the 21st century, the term “carry your cross” is considerably watered down from how the first century audience understood its meaning. Perhaps we’ve heard this phrase and understood the modern context to be a minor annoyance or even used as a snarky sarcastic comeback. In the eyes of Christ, however, His intended meaning never lessened.

If you want to be a follower of Christ there will be obstacles, burdens, and situations you must endure, even heavy, painful things. Because that’s what death brings. Crucifixion meant death without exception; there were no survivors. This is the mentality Christ would have His followers embrace in order to follow Him. Death to our old way of living, death to our lusts, passions, and idols. (Colossians 3:5) Death to anything that lures us away from loving Him first and most and best. This is the cost of following Christ, it’s the cost of surrender.

This surrender could mean walking away from a promotion because you understand the work would run counter to your integrity. It could cost you finances as the Lord calls you to support that missionary instead of fund your vacation. Surrender to Jesus costs us making family and sports an idol.

Whatever it costs you, fellow Christ-follower, you can have this confidence: it’s worth it and the reward will be great! The rescue of our eternal souls is guaranteed (verse 35), and in the meantime while we live out a life of surrender on earth, we are granted the full riches of Christ’s constant presence, His joy, peace, guidance, and every other spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)

The Original Intent

3) What do the “for whoever” and “for what” statements signify in verses 35, 36, and 38?

The heart of every hearer was laid bare that day as Jesus spoke truth to those gathered around Him. His audience was full of long-time devoted Jews who had studied the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament) and were waiting and waiting for God’s Promised Messiah, revealed through the prophets, to rescue them from Rome’s political tyranny.

Jesus’ audience that day fully believed they could earn favor with God by keeping His commands and offering the right sacrifices when they didn’t. Ritual could rescue while they loved their lusts.

But Jesus refused to allow them the false comfort of continuing to believe this outrageous lie. The self-love life only ends in one place, eternal death, which is evidenced by the concluding words of Jesus’ “for…” statements.

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it.”
Loss of true-real-abundant life and all perceived power to control anything.

“For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?”
Loss of one’s soul for eternity.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me (…) the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels”
Loss of relationship with the Only One who is able to save both body and soul and grant abundant riches of life in this world and the next.

All self-loves will result in a guaranteed forfeiting of soul.
The antidote?
Full, Genuine Surrender to Christ alone.

The Everyday Application

3) What do the “for whoever” and “for what” statements signify in verses 35, 36, and 38?

Christ is pursuing our hearts, and Mark’s gospel is laid out to emphasize this reality with each story he tells of Jesus. Christ reveals the true heart motives of His listeners as He engages with them and points them to the truth that will free them if they embrace it in true surrender. Each of these 3 “for…” statements are immediately followed by statements of self-focused living; lives reflecting a lack of surrender and a poor understanding of truth.

“For whoever wants to save his life...”
We want to save our lives, and retain all control.

“For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world..?.”
We do want to gain and keep on gaining in every area of life.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me…”
We don’t want to suffer or be associated with suffering; we want to avoid pain or loss.

Each statement is meant to reveal a blind spot of the self-loving life. If we honestly study ourselves and our desires for any length of time, we come face to face with the reality that we quite zealously love ourselves, our plans, our desires, and our blueprints for how our lives should go. We may also notice a complete lack of surrender in these self-loves.

The 21st century is full of opportunities to prosper on our own merit. While we might earn wealth, higher social standing, or even good works for God’s Kingdom, none of this will pay off the debt of sin we owe to a Holy God. Christ, the Only One Worthy to pay the punishment for our sin, died to give us eternal life. In Him, we find access to rich communion with the God of the Universe!

*Written by Carol Graft & Rebecca Adams

Tags :
genuine,price,rescue,salvation,Truth
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My life is not my own. It belongs to God to do with as He pleases. I wonder now, how much was I really depending on God in those “good” times? After losing everything, we learned we hadn’t really been trusting God until we had nothing to lean on BUT HIM.

The Apostle Paul knew how to trust God for everything, how to be content with much or little. (Philippians 4:11-12) He considered the things in this life as garbage, compared to knowing Christ. (Philippians 3:7-11) Garbage, really?
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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X 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) Many of us know the hard edges of pain, injustice, and sorrow we felt would surely swallow us whole, or worse, bit by bit. Joseph’s story, the longest recorded single narrative in Genesis, is fraught with many opportunities to sink into the waves of sorrow, bitterness, and injustice. But God’s love was, and always will be, the greatest game changer of every story. In His lavish love, He strengthened Joseph’s faith in the midst of suffering and, rather than allow him to be swallowed by grief and despair, slowly taught Joseph to trust the Almighty Sovereign God. We each have this same choice. Every day. Every moment. Inside of each second of mundane or pain, God has provided the opportunity to lean into Him with authentic honesty or pull back. When we lean in, He increases our faith, strengthens our souls, sustains us, and gives His courage and peace. When we pull back, we soon find ourselves running blind through a minefield of bitterness, anger, depression, and despair. In the end, we lose everything. Take time to identity the opportunities the Lord is giving you recently. Where do you find your heart turning?

2) Joseph wasn’t really looking for redemption. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see the familiar faces of his brothers amidst the sea of faces that day as they came to Egypt, bowing to him, to purchase grain. Redemption and restoration within his family relationships may have surprised Joseph, but it didn’t surprise the Lord. He had seen this day from long before Joseph’s brothers had plotted to murder him. The Lord knew redemption was coming when Joseph unjustly sat in prison. More so, the Lord knew all the internal wrestling, heart ache, and grieving hot tears Joseph would cry in the years between being sold into slavery and the day he would embrace his brothers with glad tears. God never once abandoned Joseph; not one of His promises was broken. The Lord proved faithful at every single point, and eventually, Joseph saw with his physical eyes what the Lord had taught him to see with his spiritual eyes: redemption. The Lord loves us far too much to simply give us what we think we want in the physical realm without first teaching us what we really need in the spiritual realm: God Himself. Wherever you are in your own journey, high hope or struggling to lift your head, be encouraged that the God of redemption sees you, and He knows your redemption story inside and out. Trust Him!

3) Every injustice. Every broken place. Every wound that has relentlessly damaged bodies and relationships. Every single tear that has stained our cheeks. Healed, made whole, and redeemed one day. Joseph experienced only a small sliver of the full redemption the Lord had planned for His people during his life. Joseph’s family experienced partial redemption and the nation of Israel was blessed temporarily with safe harbor and sustaining food for a season. Eventually, though, Israel became enslaved for 400 years and suffered significantly in many ways even into modern times. Still, their homecoming is sure and certain, and so is ours. Whatever good we experience and whatever redemption we receive in this life is merely a hint of the good restoration still to come for those who have trusted Christ completely for their salvation. When we choose to adjust our lens to see our struggles with the perspective of Home on the horizon, even hardship becomes more bearable. Practice turning over your perspective to the Lord this weekend. Ask Him to fix your gaze on the eternity to come! To help you anchor in this truth, marinate your soul in truths of Scripture like Revelation 21 and 22 and Psalm 27.

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 John 13:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, like Peter at the Last Supper, like Joseph in prison, like Israel wandering the desert, like Abraham leaving his homeland to follow Your lead, Your words speak truth to our reality, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” (John 13:7) When You sat with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), when You commissioned Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9), when You came to Isaiah in a vision (Isaiah 6), they had no way of knowing what You were doing in their timeline or how it would echo through the ages. But You did; You knew all along. You never cease to be faithful, steadfast, and true.

Teach us to trust You with our stories. Teach us to honestly bring You every piece of our painful suffering, surrendering it fully to You, and waiting with great, expectant Hope for Your sure and certain coming redemption. What You are doing now in our lives, we cannot comprehend the wide spectrum You have planned, but teach us to live by faith and not by sight. May our hearts choose praise, worship, and adoration now, whatever our circumstances look like. Here is my life, Lord God, make Your redemption known in its storyline!

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Sketched X Day 11 What Are You Waiting For?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 42:1-43:14
Acts 22:12-16
Mark 4:35-40

Sketched X, Day 11

The courtyard stones beneath my feet still held the coolness of night. Dawn had broken though, and by midday, the stones would be radiating the sun’s heat. It would be a miserable, sweaty day for all waiting in line for grain.

Still, very few complained about standing in the scorching sun, not when I held their sustenance in my control. The Lord had given Pharaoh dreams foretelling seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine. Since the Lord worked through me to interpret those dreams, Pharaoh made me second in command and ruler over the land. (Genesis 41)

I stockpiled during those seven years of abundance, believing the Lord’s word that the years of famine would come.

And come they did. 

Now all those in Egypt and surrounding areas come to us, willing to pay for grain to survive. Years of famine still loom before us, but our storehouses are full.

I motion for the gates to be opened. Those who’ve already lined the stone streets stream in, and I watch the expressions on their faces. The famine years have not been kind; weathered faces and heavy countenances greet me as far as I can see.

A face just beyond the gate catches my eye. Something about him made me think of my brothers. Strange that they would come to mind. I glanced again toward the gate, but the face had disappeared.

Focus, Joseph. You’re in charge here. No time to dwell on the past.
I settle my mind on the business before me as the day’s grain sales begin.

A little while later, a laugh catches my attention. I’m not surprised; often, the swell of laughter increases as people draw closer to their chance to purchase grain and discover abundant supply. Hope seems to bubble up within them and escape as joy.

But this laugh draws my focus because it was the same I’d heard in my youth.
I look down the line and catch sight of the face I’d seen before.

Rueben.

My brother. He is here. And he is not alone.

I quickly count nine others with him. All my brothers but Benjamin. Within moments they would be standing before me. Would they recognize me?

I draw my royal cloak around me and whisper for those fanning me to stand so my face is obscured.

“Where do you come from?” I ask, with far more venom in my voice than I intended. Years of betrayal and bitterness surge within me, even though I’d worked to surrender those emotions. The Lord knew I’d had plenty of time to do so in the many years since I’d seen my brothers’ faces.

When my brothers reply they’ve come from Canaan to buy food, my dreams from years ago play in my mind’s eye. My brothers bowing before me. Could this be the moment foretold all those years ago?

“You are spies. You have come to seek the weakness of the land.”

This accusation gives me the upper hand and before they know it, I orchestrate a scenario to have Benjamin brought to me. My brothers begin to talk amongst themselves, not realizing I can understand their native tongue. I stand, stepping aside to where I am completely hidden by servants, and weep.

Turning back, I direct one of them to stay in Egypt in my custody until the rest return with their youngest brother. With their families on the brink of starvation, they can’t refuse. Simeon is bound and their sacks of grain are prepared. I give orders for their money to be returned in their bags as well.

I send them off and await their return. My dreams promised I would see all of my brothers and I trust the Lord would fulfill His word.

Until I see my baby brother standing before me, I wait, pray, and portion out the grain entrusted to me. It had taken the lure of grain, deep in the midst of the famine, to bring my brothers to Egypt. Hopefully their return would not be delayed.

Ananias: While Joseph’s first-person perspective does not highlight the words of his father, Israel, telling his brothers not to wait for their rescue, Genesis 42:2 captures Israel’s admonition to his sons, “‘Why do you keep looking at each other? Listen,’ he went on, ‘I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so we will live and not die.’”

First-century Christian Ananias had a similar encouragement for newly-converted apostle Saul,
“And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, washing away your sins, calling on [Christ’s] name.” (Acts 22:16)

Ananias’ exhortation is for us, as well! Are we delaying asking the Lord for His forgiveness, our rescue from the eternal consequences of our sin? (Colossians 1:13-14) Ananias challenged Saul to embrace God’s rescue, a courageous recommendation, as Saul was a former persecutor of Christians.

Disciples: Tossed amid furious waves in a raft, Jesus’ disciples experienced significant fear in seeking rescue. (Mark 4:35-40) Mark relates how the Lord calmed the storm and asked the disciples why they were afraid when Jesus was physically in their midst. Similarly, Israel called out fear in his sons as they kept looking at each other, each hoping another would volunteer to leave the comfort of their current dwelling to acquire desperately-needed food.

If God is with us, whom or what shall we fear?

Friends, what are we waiting for?
Our Rescuer is here!

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

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

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

Sketched X Day 1 Family Tree

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 7
Romans 9:6-13
Genesis 37:3-4
Genesis 45:7-8
Genesis 50:19-21

Sketched X, Day 1

On trial before the religious leaders of my community, my life hanging in the balance, I (Stephen, a disciple of the resurrected Christ) recount God’s plan of redemption throughout history. (Acts 6:8-7:53) Through my words, I strive to make clear the purposeful story of God’s people, contained in the overarching narrative of the Old Testament, as shadows and patterns pointing to Christ.

Consider this a shallow, long-distance dive, skimming the surface of the water to get as far as we can, rather than a deep dive. Let’s look at how Joseph’s life and heritage reveal glimpses of Christ, and uncover our part in God’s grand mission as we live out our stories in God’s family tree.

Joseph was the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 

Let’s pause here for a second.

If your eyes start to glaze over anytime you reach a Biblical list of “son of”s, let me encourage you to see them as a way to trace God’s promises throughout history. If we remember back to God’s covenant with Abraham, God promised the nations would be blessed through Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3); then we can follow his descendants to the fulfillment of the promise in Christ.

Abraham’s long-awaited son, Isaac, had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Of the two brothers, Jacob was chosen by God to continue Israel’s national lineage:
“As it is written: I have loved Jacob [Israel], but I have hated Esau [Edom].” (Romans 9:13; Malachi 1:1-3)

Jacob’s life and story are complicated, so for the sake of our skim-dive, let’s skip ahead in his life to his wrestling match with God. In Genesis 32:22-32, we watch Jacob wrestle with God, who changes Jacob’s name to Israel, meaning “he struggled with God.” From Israel descend the Israelites, God’s chosen people, for whom struggling with God would be a continued theme for generations to come.

Israel fathers 12 sons, who father the 12 tribes of Israel. Among these is Joseph, the first-born son of Israel’s beloved wife, Rachel. Although he would endure many trials and tribulations, God used Joseph’s life to preserve the Israelite people, and he experienced great restoration in his family relationships. Eventually, Joseph assures his brothers, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” (Genesis 50:20)

We typically don’t see or understand what God is doing behind the scenes of our lives. But, like Joseph, we can confidently believe He is trustworthy, and will bring good in the midst of the worst situations when we surrender ourselves to Him. He is altogether sovereign, wise, and loving; He works all things according to His plan and purpose of redemption. (Romans 8:28)

My voice wavers as my own words sink into my spirit. Casting a glance around me, I see a few listening intently despite their best intentions; everyone else is livid. Off to the side, one Pharisee is surrounded by a group of younger men, a sneer twisting his face. His gaze burns into mine, and I know how this encounter will end.

Do I believe my own testimony? I don’t understand how my violent death will bring good . . . but I know my God. He is trustworthy, sovereign, wise, and loving. I will follow Him wherever He leads, even to the stoning pit outside the city gates.
I take a deep breath, and return to my sermon.

We’ve barely skimmed the surface in our dive.
Through Joseph, the Israelites would settle in Egypt,
which led to the Israelites’ eventual enslavement,
which led to God’s miraculous rescue,
which led to their wandering in the desert,
which led to them receiving the 10 commandments,
which led to their continual failure and inability to uphold God’s law.

The Israelites’ continual failure to meet the standard of God’s law points to their need for a Savior. The overarching story of the Bible climaxes at the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God, who lived a perfect life to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law that we could not.

Not only did He live a perfect life, but He died on the cross to pay the penalty we deserve for our sins. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) Because of Christ’s substitution in our place, we can receive forgiveness and have a relationship with God, Our Sovereign Creator, if we respond in repentance, faith, and obedience.

Since we barely skimmed the surface of the Old Testament, I encourage you to continue to hold up Old Testament stories next to Christ’s and see how everything points to Jesus, our Coming Hope. If we are in Christ, we are part of this amazing family tree from Adam to Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, and all who will receive the Promised Land and inheritance for eternity with Christ.

My breath comes in shallow wheezes as the stones pummel my body; I can feel broken ribs sabotaging my efforts to breathe. Mine is not a dignified death, but I do not regret unashamedly proclaiming God’s sovereign goodness and truth, even knowing it has cost my life. My head falls to the ground, and I taste blood and silt. My vision darkens, blotting out the mob before me until I am blinded by a light from the heavens. Home is on the horizon.

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

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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 3

Katelyn Palmer

July 9, 2022

Attention,Broken,Called,Captivating,Courage,Excuses,Faith,Faithfulness

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

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Pray His Words Back To Him!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-18

“Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed…Therefore do not give up…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 what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, life has been heavy lately for all of us. There is brokenness in this world we each feel. In this, remind us how desperately incomplete we are without You!

As loved ones and strangers alike inflict pain on me, Lord, please give me a heart that reflects Your love. You delight in mercy (Micah 7:18), and it was Your Son who taught us to forgive tenfold, not for the purpose of counting tallies against our brothers and sisters who hurt us, but with the knowledge that You forgive us everyday for our own sins. (Matthew 18:22, 35) You are the only One who can make our spirits feel whole, God, and I want so badly to show others what wholeness in You looks like!

When my mind and body grow weary in suffering, simplify my thoughts, God, and focus them on Your sweet, unending, incomprehensible love, Lord. Be my strength in these times of trouble and straighten my path so my steps do not falter. (Psalm 37:31, 39-40) I pray for my brothers and sisters in this same way, that we may be blameless in Your eyes, Yahweh. May it be as You’ve said that on the day of judgement, we will know You and will be made whole, praising You in all Your glory. It is in Your Son’s name I pray this, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

A beautiful thing about God is His inclination toward mercy and forgiveness. He’s the purest embodiment of love, and we are made in His image! (Genesis 1:26) God shows us the ultimate act of love when Jesus died on the cross for our sin then resurrected, reconciling us to God so we may live with Him eternally. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Eternal life with Him starts now and He has called us to spread the news of this ministry of reconciliation to lost souls in this life. (2 Corinthians 5:19-21) If we view our daily interactions and conflicts through this lens, forgiveness and mercy will come naturally. We have all been hurt and we have all hurt others, but with God as our example, we can reconcile our relationships.

Challenge yourself to understand why someone may have wronged you; ask questions and communicate your pain to them. If you wronged someone else, listen to them and allow them to feel heard. This creates a space to restore what was broken and move forward with love and hope rather than hate and fear. Remember, we are each more similar to one another than different, and often, we share the same fears.

JOURNAL TWO
Faith cultivates hope and hope presses us into action. The Bible overflows with beautiful promises of God and, as we place our faith upon His trustworthy word, He calls us into action. 

By studying the visions of Living Water and the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:1-7), we allow ourselves to be filled with the Lord’s joy and urgency of our mission. We must trust God’s timing and recognize our duty today to carry out the Great Commission of Christ. He commands us to spread the news of the Gospel and the Ministry of Reconciliation to the ends of the earth while we still have time! (Matthew 28:18-20) 

How do we begin this enormous task with our God’s Spirit living inside us and our brothers and sisters in Jesus linking arms together around the globe? 

Don’t overcomplicate it; invest in those around you. Perhaps it means volunteering at local soup kitchens and shelters, donating items and time, mentoring troubled children, or tithing at church. Or it may look like reaching out to someone at work or in your Bible study and spending intentional time with them. It can look like prayer groups and coffee dates and serving at church. Jesus made an impact by investing in people; let’s follow His example!
JOURNAL THREE
“Sonder” is an informal word (not in the dictionary) meaning the realization that each person, even strangers passing by, have a life as complex as one’s own. Every human being has a story; each has a past and a future; each has made mistakes, found success, and will do so again. Jesus came to forgive it all. 

In each of their stories these brave women shared, we see how difficult expressing pain and sorrow can be, but God is present. (Psalm 147:3; 34:17-18). In their stories, we realize we aren’t alone in our doubt and stress, but God is present (Philippians 4:7).

We all struggle with worry and anxiety, especially when plans don’t go as we expect, but God is present (Matthew 6:34). Through others’ stories, we remember we are not alone, but we’re also reminded how God is moving in our lives.

I challenge you to share how God has made you whole with someone in the next week and experience the joy of God’s stories in us used for His glory. Who knows what doors and fruitful conversation will open when we share about Jesus!
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Enough Day 5 Prophet & Priest

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Read His Words Before Ours!

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

Enough, Day 5

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

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

But God.

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

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

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

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

Sin would separate their spirits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Enough Day 4 Promised Land Lost: 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 Promised Land Lost!

The Questions

1) Why did the Israelites rebel so frequently against God? (verse 43)

2) Why did God continue to rescue and forgive His wayward people? (verse 10)

3) Why did God allow Moses and Phineas to intervene in His punishment of the people? (verse 23 and verse 30)

Psalm 106:1-48

Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts
or proclaim all the praise due him?
3 How happy are those who uphold justice,
who practice righteousness at all times.

4 Remember me, Lord,
when you show favor to your people.
Come to me with your salvation
5 so that I may enjoy the prosperity
of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your nation,
and boast about your heritage.

6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have done wrong and have acted wickedly.
7 Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp
the significance of your wondrous works
or remember your many acts of faithful love;
instead, they rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the power of the adversary;
he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 Water covered their foes;
not one of them remained.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.

13 They soon forgot his works
and would not wait for his counsel.
14 They were seized with craving in the wilderness
and tested God in the desert.
15 He gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.

16 In the camp they were envious of Moses
and of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it covered the assembly of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed throughout their assembly;
flames consumed the wicked.

19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped the cast metal image.
20 They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating ox.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
who did great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
awe-inspiring acts at the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would have destroyed them—
if Moses his chosen one
had not stood before him in the breach
to turn his wrath away from destroying them.

24 They despised the pleasant land
and did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not listen to the Lord.
26 So he raised his hand against them with an oath
that he would make them fall in the desert
27 and would disperse their descendants
among the nations,
scattering them throughout the lands.

28 They aligned themselves with Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.
29 They angered the Lord with their deeds,
and a plague broke out against them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stopped.
31 It was credited to him as righteousness
throughout all generations to come.

32 They angered the Lord at the Waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered because of them,
33 for they embittered his spirit,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the Lord had commanded them
35 but mingled with the nations
and adopted their ways.
36 They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38 They shed innocent blood—
the blood of their sons and daughters
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
so the land became polluted with blood.
39 They defiled themselves by their actions
and prostituted themselves by their deeds.

40 Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against his people,
and he abhorred his own inheritance.
41 He handed them over to the nations;
those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were subdued under their power.
43 He rescued them many times,
but they continued to rebel deliberately
and were beaten down by their iniquity.

44 When he heard their cry,
he took note of their distress,
45 remembered his covenant with them,
and relented according to the abundance
of his faithful love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
before all their captors.

47 Save us, Lord our God,
and gather us from the nations,
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and rejoice in your praise.

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Hallelujah!

Original Intent

1) Why did the Israelites rebel so frequently against God? (verse 43)
We learn in Psalm 106:43 that God rescued the Israelites “many times, but they continued to rebel deliberately and were beaten down by their iniquity.” Throughout their history, Israel had a pattern of sin and rebellion, followed by captivity, then redemption and rescue by God. Why did they continuously put themselves in harm’s way by disobeying God and forsaking His commands? Author Matthew Henry explains, “the way of sin is down-hill: . . . One sin led to many more, and brought the judgments of God on them.”  Instead of obeying God, the Israelites chose to either ignore His warnings or blatantly rebel against Him. The Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament states, “God’s counsel was to make Israel free and glorious, but they leaned upon themselves, following their own intentions . . . wherefore they perished in their sins.” The Scriptures warn us against choosing our own way over God’s in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” Likewise, Proverbs 3:5 encourages, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” Still, Israel repeatedly trusted her own understanding over the counsel of the Lord. As a result, they repeatedly reaped negative consequences for their sin. Christians today face the same choice Israel did in the Old Testament. Will we trust in God and obey His commands or go our own way? Because He is the same today as He was to Israel, God allows us to face the consequences of our sin, and He also extends mercy to rescue us. My prayer is that we turn to Him for redemption every time we falter.

2) Why did God continue to rescue and forgive His wayward people? (verse 10)
Psalm 106 references Israel’s repeated rebellion against God. They grumbled and complained (Psalm 106:25), ignored God (Psalm 106:13), worshipped idols (Psalm 106:19), followed after sinful nations (Psalm 106:35), and even sacrificed their children to demons (Psalm 106:37). Repeatedly, God rescued and forgave them with incredible mercy! They suffered punishment, but God’s mercy always delivered them. Why would a just and righteous God continue to forgive such a rebellious people? Psalm 106:8 declares, “He saved them for His name’s sake, to make His power known.” Charles Spurgeon asserts, “The Lord very jealously guards His own name and honour. It shall never be said of Him that He cannot or will not save His people, or that He cannot abate the haughtiness of His defiant foes. This respect unto his own honour ever leads Him to deeds of mercy.” God saves to glorify His name and demonstrate His power. He also saved them because He had made a covenant with His people. “When he heard their cry, he took note of their distress, remembered his covenant with them, and relented according to the abundance of his faithful love.” (verses 44-45) Albert Barnes says God “had made gracious promises to the patriarchs; He had promised to be the God of their posterity; He had His own great purposes to accomplish through their nation in the distant future; and on these accounts, He came and blessed them.” His great love motivated Him to provide rescue. The author of this Psalm marveled at the goodness of the Lord by exclaiming, “Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.  Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts or proclaim all the praise due Him?”. (Psalm 106:1-2) We can rejoice along with the psalmist that God’s love and mercy endure even unto today!

3) Why did God allow Moses and Phineas to intervene in His punishment of the people? (verse 23 and verse 30)
In Psalm 106:15 God sent a disease because the people tested Him. In verses 16-18, the people sinned again and were punished by the earth opening up to devour them and a fire that consumed them. Sometimes, though, God was swayed by the pleas of the righteous.  Verse 23 describes how God intended to pour out His wrath on the people, but Moses intervened and God relented. Another time, God sent a plague because of their sin, but Phineas intervened and the plague was removed. (verse 30) God intentionally allowed the prayers and actions of these righteous men to move Him to mercy. Author Charles Spurgeon argues, “Mighty as was the sin of Israel to provoke vengeance, prayer was mightier in turning it away.” Even when Israel’s sin set holy consequences in motion, there was still power in calling on God to save. Author John Gill suggests Moses was a type of Christ, “As Moses was a mediator between God and the people of Israel, so is Christ between God and his people.” John Gill also asserts that Phineas was a type of Christ “who, by doing righteousness, by the atoning sacrifice of himself, and by his intercession, has appeased the wrath of God. . .”  The salvation foreshadowed by Moses and Phineas would come to the world through Christ Jesus, who gave His life as a ransom for all so our sins would be forgiven and we would have direct relationship to the Father. (John 14:6) God used Moses and Phineas to demonstrate to us the importance of intercessory prayer while also pointing our hearts toward the One who would take our sins’ punishment for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), presenting us blameless to Father God if we surrender to Him.

Everyday Application

1) Why did the Israelites rebel so frequently against God? (verse 43)
Years ago a family with five boys showed up at our children’s church. They quickly gained a reputation for their creative ability to defy classroom rules and procedures. Even decades later, I whisper their last name to my husband, one of their teachers, to watch his facial expression! Our teachers redirected, gave warnings, provided think time, connected with parents, and, inevitably, followed through with consequences for unacceptable behavior. Each week the boys arrived with good intentions for following rules, yet, each week they received some kind of consequence. The Israelites in the Old Testament were similar to our lively group of boys; they started out intending to follow God, but frequently got off track. Psalm 106 summarizes Israel’s history as they escaped captivity in Egypt, wandered in the desert, entered Canaan, and endured oppression by their enemies. Every time they disobeyed God, they faced consequences, then repented and cried out to God, who rescued them. It’s not just the Israelites, or rambunctious little boys, who choose to disobey God in favor of their own selfish ways, this is the way of all humans. We know what to do, but we can’t do it for long in our own strength. (Romans 7:18) We need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us obey God and refuse sin, we simply cannot do this without Him! Romans 8:12-13 tells those who have trusted Jesus for salvation, “we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” God graciously comes to our rescue when we fall, but He also gives us the Holy Spirit to equip us to follow Him!

2) Why did God continue to rescue and forgive His wayward people? (verse 10)
It is easy to read if Israel’s repeated sin pattern in Psalm 106 and conclude their rebellion was extraordinary. God led them out of slavery in Egypt and on a journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, yet despite His faithfulness, they rebelled and disobeyed. Time after time, God blessed and rescued them, and after a brief season of repentance and piety, they passionately returned to their sin. If our own “wilderness years” deeds and thoughts were all recorded, however, the failures of Israel may seem similar to our own. I know I’ve complained about my circumstances to the Lord right in the midst of answered prayers and an outpouring of blessings. It’s so easy to focus on discomfort and selfish desires and miss the miracles God is doing. There was a time my mother was sick in the hospital for nearly 2 years. I concentrated on the longevity of her illness and the hardships on our family, nearly ignoring how God saved her from death at least twice and answered our prayers for improvement on a near daily basis. My eyes were on the Promised Land of her recovery, but I was ignoring all the blessings of the journey. We are blessed that God does not give up on us when we complain or disobey. He pours out His mercy and saves us for the sake of His name. My prayer is to recognize His provision in my everyday rhythms and accept His grace and forgiveness when I go astray.

3) Why did God allow Moses and Phineas to intervene in His punishment of the people? (verse 23 and verse 30)
For many children, there is no greater advocate than a grandparent. When I was about to get in trouble with my parents at my grandparent’s home, I always knew that running to my “Papaw” would work in my favor. I generally deserved whatever punishment my parents doled out, but my grandpa could get my sentence repealed or reduced, or, if not, he would do something that would make me forget my troubles. I always felt so important and cared for (and relieved!) when Papaw would step in and save the day. Moses and Phineas provided this type of intervention for the Israelites when God was prepared to punish them for their sin and disobedience. Psalm 106:23 tells us God would have destroyed the Israelites if Moses hadn’t pleaded for them. Author John Butler describes Phinehas, “the grandson of Aaron, who made a gallant stand for holiness in a time of degradation to stop the judgment of God upon the people. It is an outstanding example of service.” This encourages me to pray for people when all hope seems lost or when I despair for their lives or their souls. The intercession of Moses and Phineas instructs me to pray for those who are choosing sin over obedience to God or who seem stuck in destructive behaviors. When righteous people pray, God promises that those prayers have a powerful effect. (James 5:16) We are blessed that God hears those prayers for mercy and honors them; pray on! (2 Chronicles 30:9)

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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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Follow Day 5 Where We See A Mess

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 3:1-14
Exodus 4:1-20
Acts 4:7-13
 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

Follow, Day 5

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘For as heaven is higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Who but God would invite an ex- murderer to lead an entire nation? Humans use the past to judge the present, but God sees beyond the past. Regardless of our history, He longs to make us radically new and use us to build His kingdom.

Consider Moses, who grew up in the palace of the Egyptian pharaoh knowing he was a Hebrew. One day, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and, after carefully ensuring no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian. Still, Pharaoh learned of Moses’ crime and sought to kill him, so Moses fled to Midian. Welcomed into the family of Jethro, a Midian priest, Moses planned to live out his days in the wilderness as an isolated shepherd caring for mangy sheep.

Like Moses, there was a time in my college life when I felt like running away. My boyfriend spent the night with another student in his home, and someone told the school authority I was the student. I was innocent, but unable to convince school leadership. My punishment was a warning; a repeat would earn my dismissal.

I was devastated. In time, bolstered by God’s merciful strength, I ended the relationship. God gave me a new beginning altogether: since then, I have been following Him, and am now in His service.

Similarly, Moses was in desperate need of a new beginning. Moses was content with a shepherd’s life in the bush; one day God appeared to him in a literal bush bursting with fire. God called Moses to Egypt to bring His people out from slavery and into a land of freedom and plenty, a land of promise.

Dismayed, Moses gave God a slew of excuses:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11)
What if they ask Your name? ( Exodus 3:13-15)
“What if they don’t believe me?” (Exodus 4:1)
I am not eloquent (Exodus 4:10); send someone else (Exodus 4:13).

Looking through the lens of his past, Moses saw himself as unfit for the work God was calling him to do. But despite his resistance, God was not deterred. He promised to be with Moses, and commissioned Moses’ brother, Aaron, as his spokesman. God also understood the physical fear hiding behind Moses’ excuses, and assured him those who sought to kill him were dead.

We cannot mess up God’s plan for us, even if we push against Him!
He refuses to give up on us because He looks not at our mess, but our potential in Him.

As Moses’ heart turned toward trusting obedience to God, he encountered God in a personal and powerful way. He received instruction and clear direction from God for his next steps. When he met resistance in Pharaoh, he sought God who faithfully met and guided him. Soon, the naïve and fearful man became a threat to Pharaoh and all of Egypt, until Pharaoh released the Israelites.

Sometimes, our past failures threaten to hold us back from following God. The past upsets us, and we lose confidence. Like Moses, we easily conclude we cannot be useful to God. Moses didn’t have an organized plan, talent, or the confidence of a leader, but God still invited him to follow. It was not about Moses, but about God. He chooses the foolish, the weak, and the despised to shame the wise and the mighty, so we boast in Him alone. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Regardless of our past, God forgives completely, and equips us by His power for His service as we choose to follow His way. We see this truth in the lives of the apostles. Some were mere fishermen; one was even a tax collector, considered by the Jews as the most sinful; yet Jesus called each of them to follow Him. When the Pharisees grumbled about Jesus dining with sinners, Jesus replied His call was precisely for sinners such as them. (Mark 2:15-17)

Consider the Apostle Paul, a persecutor of the Church; yet God called him out of slavery and empowered him with the Holy Spirit to follow Him in freedom. As a result, Paul became a great preacher of the gospel. His Spirit-inspired writings continue to guide our lives today, comprising a large part of the New Testament.

Hear Paul’s own testimony, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–and I am the worst of them.’”
(1 Timothy 1:15)

Moses’ story, the first 12 apostles, Paul, and even my own life, join together to declare in wondrous chorus . . .
Where we see a mess,
God sees an opportunity for transformation.

God simply requires hearts willing to accept His invitation to follow Him, one step after the other.

Sisters, let us turn our eyes from our pasts to the One who holds our tomorrows and whisper, “Yes.”

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