Faith

Whole Day 6 Oppression’s Source

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 10:10-13
Ephesians 6:10-20
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Psalm 44:3-4

Whole, Day 6

In our family, we regularly discuss politics, local news, and current events. However, when a conversation surrounding values took an emotional turn, we knew something deeper was stirring up; our children were seeking a biblical understanding about a belief we strongly held. Feelings of guilt and failure, on my part as mother, overcame me.

My children couldn’t possibly be the ones struggling with biblical foundations and truths. How could this happen?

After much careful consideration, prayer, and wise counsel, we decided we would not run from hard truths or leave our kids alone to interpret their questions. Instead, we would study and engage with them. In months to follow, when the Holy Spirit led, we attempted to address a multitude of questions about Biblical concepts.

As we peeled away the layers, I soon realized my children, like many others, needed abundantly more spiritual guidance to help navigate the topics significantly impacting and shaping their faith journeys.

In an article by Christianity Today, a study found that out of 500 youth group graduates, over 70 percent reported having serious doubts about faith. These students’ opportunities to express and explore their doubts were correlated with greater faith maturity. In other words, it’s not doubt that’s toxic to faith, it’s silence.

I realized God was working on our family’s behalf, bringing attention to areas within our life that were out of alignment with Him. My family messiness was no different than others, which highlighted a message of its own: as believers, we’re not given immunity from assaults of the enemy.

In fact, Jesus promised we “will have suffering in this world” (John 16:33) and described our enemy as “a thief [who] comes to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10)

In my family’s journey, I understood the enemy is a liar, and I was not going to feel pinned down by doubt, blame, insecurity, comparisons, fear, or relational discord. My family prayed, and God revealed we needed to make some adjustments. Our initial steps were refocusing our priorities (putting God first), being intentional with our time, having patience with our children in learning the word of God, and seeking community.

Furthermore, the Spirit revealed a deeper truth to me during this tumultuous time.
The struggles we were facing needed to happen.
God didn’t want me to spend all my time trying to fix every problem of my children or of this world; He wanted to show me how to fully lean on Him and demonstrate this dependence in every area of my life.

Through this adversity, God wanted to fill me with His strength. In 2 Corinthians, preacher Paul uses the language of siege warfare to talk about engaging in spiritual battle.

“For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.”
(2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

As believers, we are not left defenseless. Satan wants to disrupt God’s place in our lives b y displacing God’s authority with deceptive, manipulative evil schemes. This truth should remind us we cannot defeat Satan in our own strength and neither can we fight spiritual battles without God’s protection and weapons. (Psalm 44:3-4)

In Ephesians, Paul talks about the spiritual weaponry available to Christians, often called “the full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-20) Paul emphasized the reality that our warfare is against more than the natural temptations of flesh. There are powers in the unseen world against which we are powerless, except through the aid of Christ.

Spiritual armor prepares us to face any and all spiritual battles we encounter. These battles are not fought against “flesh and blood” enemies, but against the “cosmic powers of this darkness[.]” (Ephesians 6:12) Satan’s strategy is clever; he uses technology, popular culture, consumerism, misinformation, and distorted views about biblical truths to wage war against us constantly.

But we’re not falling for it. The real enemy, the real source of oppression in our world, is the devil, not people, places, or things. The spotlight of God’s truth will effectively expose every single scheme of the enemy.

By God, we have all been given weapons to fight the unseen. For me, I needed to take this truth seriously in my parenting.
We’re called to follow God, Who is “the way, the truth, and life.” (John 14:6)
Follow God, Who has come so we “may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)

Follow God, Who brings true peace and freedom from oppression as His death and resurrection “conquered [the powers of] the world.” (John 16:33)

As we follow Him, His grace is sufficient, and we can have hope and victory in any spiritual battle that comes our way.

Lord, following You is hard. Sometimes it feels our brokenness is cliché, but I’m so grateful we serve a God who cares. A God who knows our battles, and equips and sustains us through them.

Help us to push away from culture, familiarity, and likeness, instead embracing Your Word and Your love. May we find strength in Your infinite and absolute goodness, and when the battle is fierce, remind us the true source of oppression is the devil himself.  May we not be afraid to stand firm, as parents and leaders of faith, by putting on the full armor of God. Amen.

*Written by guest writer, Keshia Jackson

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

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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 1

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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) How often have you wished you could just run away and hide? There have been many moments like that for me. It sounds so easy and freeing to hide from the difficulties and stresses of everyday life. How wonderful to be able to hide from situations where I’ve messed up and don’t want to call more attention to myself. Running away and hiding might seem like a lovely thing to do if it would actually solve our problems, but it won’t. Hiding, as Adam and Eve attempted to do, merely postpones the consequences. From what have you wished you could hide? What part of your past do you wish was deleted and forgotten? Have you ever brought these to the Lord? How do you imagine He would respond? Does Scripture support your answer? Mandie reminded us on Monday that, when we attempt to hide, we end up focusing on the wrong things. Truth? We are never alone, and the Lord God is for us. No matter how broken, lost or anxious we feel, Jesus is constantly present with us. Christ came precisely for the hurting, the wounded, the lost, the broken, the sinner. He isn’t afraid of our emotions, sadness, anger, or our questions. He isn’t shocked by the situations we find ourselves in, instead He endured the suffering of the cross to bring us redemptive healing. Reflect on what it might be like for Jesus to take your surrender and make you whole! What would you give Him?

 2) Our sister in Pakistan brought such insight from her experiences and urgently reminds us of the suffering Jesus promised would come to those who follow Him. Knowing the darkness of oppression exists is one thing, but seeing the face of the persecuted, hearing her story, and knowing she is paying a high price for following Jesus is entirely different. There is a cost for every follower of Jesus, but not all look the same. What challenges have you faced for holding steadfast to Christ and choosing Him over the call of the world? In what way can you fervently intercede for others facing persecution for choosing Christ? Oppression against Christianity takes many forms and is found all over the world. Though it may look different in your part of the world, it still exists. Oh, that those for whom following Jesus carries little to no physical threat would share Jesus as bravely as those brothers and sisters who endure significant oppression. Remember, we are all one Body in Jesus, highly persecuted or not. We must each continue sharing Christ together. Keeping our hearts steadfast on Jesus, our eyes and minds in His word, communing in prayer and conversation with Jesus keeps us hopeful that one day oppression will cease and Christ’s kingdom will come. Selah. Let it be so.

3) What an encouraging and transparent Journey Study Melis shared with us this week! It is never easy to confess our sins and make known our areas of weakness, but in doing so, Melis reminded us we are not alone in our struggles. When was the last time you confessed a sin to another brother or sister in Jesus? Are you participating in a community of believers where this is common? What was challenging to you personally about the discipline practices Melis described? Training for following Jesus is so important and dramatically increases our focus on the Lord. Which spiritual disciplines have been particularly effective or challenging for you as you seek to follow the Lord? Not sure what they look like? Take a peek at our Journey Theme: Training. The Lord God never intended us to live the Christian life alone, which is why He designed us to hunger for iron-sharpening-iron friendships and community that press us into knowing Him more deeply. Consider choosing a spiritual discipline that Melis listed and put it into practice in the coming week. Set up reminders on your phone, or better yet, invite a friend to join you! Whether you take a Sabbath rest, pick up a new journal, or set aside time to fast, the intentionality we invest into our relationship with the Lord always pays off! May we each commit to doing whatever it takes to nourish and cultivate our relationship with God and keep our focus on Him as He shapes us to be more like Himself!

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 1 Peter 5:6-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand  of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
Lord, I confess it’s difficult to be humble. Arrogance and self-love are always sneaking around my heart and it’s easy to get caught in the trap of false humility. Help me to become more disciplined in surrendering to You my anxiousness. Help me to lean steadfastly on You and the surety of Your unchanging Word every day, even every moment. I don’t want to let my guard down and give in to the cares of the world or the deceptive traps of the scheming enemy.

Lead me away from the temptation to flee my troubles without facing them and turn my heart toward worship. Make me aware of Your mercies and Your movement in my life as I surrender to You, waiting in trust for You. I know you hear me, see me, and guard me; teach me to rest here in these truths as I praise You!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Whole Day 1 The Broken & The Cure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
1Corinthians 15:45-49
Mark 5:21-43
John 8:1-11
Acts 9:1-16

Whole, Day 1

I sat on the floor of my closet, squeezed between an overflowing laundry hamper and a stack of neatly stored shoes. Tears streamed down my face. Maybe if I couldn’t see the brokenness, it wouldn’t be real? With the lights off and the door closed, I hoped to find an escape from the wave of emotions threatening to take me under. I was broken, in need of mending.

What makes you want to run and hide, blinded by unbidden tears? While it’s likely different for each of us, brokenness is something we all experience. Sitting in the dark doesn’t make it go away, because it knows how to burrow inside of us.

Sickness, disease, family feuds, a broken marriage, a wandering child, addiction, death, war, hate. It’s all here in our world. In the muck of life, amid the hard and the heavy, who is suitable to hold our tears?

When God created the world, He made it perfect and whole. Humanity revealed its weakness when the first Adam leaned into the Great Deceiver’s carefully crafted deception. (Genesis 3:1-7) The moment Adam and Eve chose themselves over God, the world became twisted, wraithlike, shadowed. Broken.

Before we get too consumed by righteous indignation at Adam and Eve, how often do we still fall for the lie God is withholding something good from us?

Similar to our beeline to our closets, the first Adam ran and hid. (Genesis 3:8) Maybe he, too, hoped the brokenness wouldn’t catch up to him? In His love and goodness, God didn’t leave Adam hiding under the inadequate covering he created. (Genesis 3:9-21) God sought him out and provided a suitable replacement.

God hasn’t left us in our brokenness, either. He’s provided a covering for us, as well. Jesus, referred to as the second Adam, would enter our brokenness and live out the perfect life sinful humanity could not.

“So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:45)

In His final days, he was betrayed, abandoned by those who claimed to love Him, mocked, beaten, and eventually crucified. (John 19)

He lived the life we couldn’t live
and died the death we deserved
and made a way back to the Father we could never have forged.

Over His head on the cross hung the words “King of the Jews”. (John 19:19) While this placard was tacked up in mockery, it proclaimed a haunting truth: the Jews’ long-awaited King hung on a cross, dying in front of them, at their demand.

God’s refusal to withhold anything good from His children, even Himself, was displayed that day, hoisted high on a bloody cross for all to see. Yet, they missed it. How often, amid our brokenness, do we miss the goodness of God so clearly in front of us?

It doesn’t matter who we are, our status in life, where we live, our education level, or what we’ve done, our greatest need is to know the One who made a way out of brokenness and into wholeness with Him.

When Jesus walked the earth, time and again He brought wholeness from that which was broken. When he delivered two demon-possessed men, he demonstrated authority over darkness and evil. (Matthew 8:28-34) When he healed Jairus’ daughter, He revealed His power over sickness and death. (Mark 5:21-43)

Jesus touched those whom others refused to touch, and He permitted the untouchables to touch Him. (Mark 5:25-34) He welcomed sinners, withheld condemnation, and forgave sins. (John 8:1-11) He redeemed a chief sinner into a chief messenger of the Gospel (Acts 9:1-29), showing us Jesus can change even a once-murderous heart and use it for great good.

When life hurts, when the world is unfair, when we fail, when evil is rising,
we have a place to run – the cross.
We have a place to hide – Jesus.
He is the One who willingly holds our tears. (Psalm 56:8)
He turns closet floors into prayer rooms, hiding places into healing spaces.

Our Savior understands our weakness, our brokenness. He knows what it’s like to be human.

“For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:15-16)

Through His death and resurrection, He has made a way to restore our brokenness into wholeness.

*Written by Mandie Maass of Brave Girls Gather

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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!

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Champion Day 8 Fearful Made Fierce

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Daniel 1:3-21
Daniel 2:27-30
Daniel 6:10-24
Philippians 1:3-11

Champion, Day 8

“Am I good enough?”
“How could God ever use me? I’m so weak in my faith, in my trust, in my understanding of You, God.”

These questions regularly pop into my head. Sometimes, when I look at the Bible Greats (those characters who *seem* to have it all together and act perfectly before the Lord), I get discouraged. I’m sure my name will never go down in recorded history for doing anything amazing. I’m a hot mess just trying to consistently read my Bible every day. How then do we approach the accounts of people in the Bible doing extraordinary things for the Lord?

Daniel is a Bible hero well-known for faithfully praying to the One True God, despite being forbidden by the king. He was thrown into a den of lions and the king expected him dead by morning. (Daniel 6:16-18)

Miraculously, when the king reached the den the next day, “Daniel said to the king, ‘May the king live forever. God sent His angels and shut the lions’ mouths; and they haven’t harmed me, for I was found innocent before Him. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have not done harm.’”  (Daniel 6:21-22)

Wow. Daniel’s faith must’ve been great to be considered innocent before God Almighty. Who was Daniel really? How did he get into this pickle?

Daniel and many others were captured and taken from their home in Israel to foreign Babylon. Forced to leave his family, along with everything familiar, Daniel was taken to a strange new place with many different customs and values.

His whole identity shifted to become Babylonian; he was even given a new name. In the midst of this upheaval, he needed to decide if he would continue following God Almighty or worship other gods, as was expected of him by the king. (Daniel 1:1-7)

As Daniel navigated such challenging circumstances, we see that behind every holy choice Daniel made, God was at work, revealing Himself as the true champion.

Daniel chose obedience when he and his friends decided to break the cultural norms and follow God.
The Lord gave them favor with the king, who then entrusted Daniel and the others with great responsibility.
By living in authentic community, they were able to support and encourage each other onward in obedience. (Daniel 1:17-21)
The Lord empowered Daniel to interpret dreams of several successive kings, a feat impossible for Babylonian sorcerers.
Daniel was humble, giving God the credit and glory for his ability. He was able to recognize his limitations and his need for God’s power.

“No wise man, medium, magician, or diviner is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen[.]” (Daniel 2:27-28)

Notice who Daniel didn’t mention?

Himself.

Standing before the king, in possession of an extraordinary ability, facing an opportunity to curry earthly status and success in a new land . . . and Daniel recognized this as an encounter between the king and God, with Daniel simply present as God’s voice.

Daniel demonstrated this understanding as he closed his speech before the king.
“As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king[.]” (Daniel 2:30)

Repeatedly, the Lord provided perfectly for Daniel. 

The Lord showed Daniel how to be wise with heavenly wisdom.
The Lord gave Daniel strength to be faithful to the truth.
The Lord God Almighty carried Daniel through every trial he experienced;
he was never alone.

At first glance, it’s easy to think we could never do what Daniel did.
In all actuality, he was a boy who was kidnapped and forced to live in a new place.
His God, however, was and is extraordinary.

Daniel chose to be obedient, and the Lord provided for him.
Ladies, the Lord is faithful to finish the work He’s started in us until He returns again! (Philippians 1:6) He is our champion, our rescuer and redeemer!

Lord God Almighty, we long to be great for You. Give us pure hearts when we do what You’ve called us to, humble us if there is any pride in us. Give us favor with those in positions of authority over us. Let us respond with faithful, simple obedience, Lord. Jesus, give us courage to live in community that will keep us accountable. We wait for you to show Your face to us, so we might follow You. We trust you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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

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Champion Day 7 Behind The Scenes God: 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 Behind The Scenes God!

The Questions

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged? (verse 18)

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture like Esther’s?

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge? (verse 15)

I Thessalonians 5:14-18

And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Original Intent

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged? (verse 18)
The apostle Paul exhorted the believers in Thessalonica to help one another in their daily lives as new Christians with their eye on the coming return of Jesus. Paul was very concerned for these new believers. He and Silas fled Thessalonica because of intense persecution, and he worried about those left behind as they faced hardship. Paul sent Timothy to check on them and received good word about the faithfulness of the new believers, so he wrote to encourage and spur them on to new growth and deeper maturity. Persecution was rampant, but Jesus was worth it and he urged them to stay the course of following Christ. Hope was coming! The new believers were both Jews and Gentiles, and Paul suspicioned that false teachers were likely to come in attempting to sway them from solid truth. Paul knew the believers would need each other in order to mature, so he taught them to be on the lookout for those in need of encouragement or a reminder to work hard and do good towards each other. Paul taught God’s will is to “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything […]”. (verses 16-18) God’s will is unity between believers and between His people and Himself. When we cast our focus and affection on the Lord, choosing to worship Him in prayer, we are sowing unity. Paul knew if they pursued worship together, they would continue growing together as a community of believers with one central focus: God. To pursue God, they would need help and encouragement from their brothers and sisters in Christ. In the case of Esther, her story was woven with community as her cousin, Mordecai, and all the Jews prayed to the Lord together bringing unity and glorifying God.  

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture like Esther’s?
The Thessalonians had much to contend against between the time Paul led them to believe in Jesus and the time Paul sent Timothy back to check on them a few months later. They dealt with ongoing, intense persecution that caused Paul and Silas to flee Thessalonica. Some of their members died, and they were dealing with grief and the confusion about what would happen to their departed friends when Jesus returned. They also wondered what would happen to those alive at the 2nd coming. Some members were being lazy and living off of the generosity of wealthier Christians, while some were struggling with forsaking all of their pagan ways. The church in Thessalonica was dealing with struggles particular to their time and culture, but the intensity of need and the desire for answers is relatable for each generation. Esther stood at a crossroads for her people as they faced extermination. She interceded for them with bravery and humility, but for every step she took, it was the Lord God leading her. We don’t face the same challenges Esther or the Thessalonians did, but our culture screams just as loud to abandon our faith, choose self over intercession, and apathy over zeal for the Lord. The Thessalonians were eager for Paul’s presence, but his letter was welcome instruction on how they should proceed in his absence. Paul wanted them to keep rejoicing, keep praying, and keep thanking God for everything. This would help them focus on God and grow in their faith despite the tumult of the times.

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge? (verse 15)
Paul may have instructed the new Christians in Thessalonica to resist revenge because they were being intensely persecuted by the Greeks in their culture. Their natural, human instinct would be to get even with those harming them, but Paul counseled them that Christianity does not work that way. Even in the Old Testament, God commanded that the faithful “do not take revenge, or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18) Not only were they to resist revenge, but they were to pursue the good of everyone, even their persecutors. Paul was intent on emphasizing God’s character as their Champion to the new Christ-followers; He gives generously of Himself to His enemies by sacrificing Himself in their place. Since Paul himself had zealously persecuted Christians before his conversion, his admonition held particular significance. We are not to take revenge on others, for God Himself did not take revenge on us, instead He sacrificed for us. Mordecai particularly could have taken revenge on his arch-enemy, Haman, at any time, but he showed restraint, waiting on the Lord, trusting His ways over his own. We are to do the same.

Everyday Application

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged? (verse 18)
The exhortation in these verses is important every day, but especially on those down days when we just can’t go it alone. If the command to worship through prayer brought an entire city together to beseech the Lord on behalf of the Jews, its benefits to us in our everyday struggles are immense! Prayer and worship prove effective not because of our flowery words, but because it is the Lord who hears and acts on our behalf through our faith. There is one Champion, and it is the Lord God. Paul’s writing reminds us we need to lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ who can pray on our behalf just as Mordecai and the Jews did for Esther. We should reach out for help, encouragement, accountability, and prayer from the community around us. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” We are also reminded that prayer and praise change our perspective. If we are called to rejoice always, there is always something to rejoice over. If we pray constantly, we are communicating with God about our daily needs. Giving thanks even in the midst of hard times helps us recognize all the blessings we have that are often taken for granted.

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture like Esther’s?
It is easy to get bogged down by our never-ending to-do lists and our constant busyness. We don’t always have time to take a shower or eat a full meal, let alone pray constantly or lend a hand to a friend in need. These verses call us to be both intentional and singular in our focus on God. Esther’s need was desperate, pressing, and urging, and though our challenges aren’t the same, we can relate to her sense of desperation and urgency. Consider how we respond in our urgent need moments, or even the long-term needs we’ve been agonizing over for months or years. Are we seeing these as opportunities to turn to the Lord in prayers of faith? The more we cultivate our relationship with the Lord, the more natural it becomes to “pray always” as if breathing. God calls us to invest in our fellow Christians who may need an encouraging word or some extra patience as they face a struggle. He calls us to always pursue what is good for one another, which flies in the face of our culture’s “me first” mentality. While it can be challenging, it is one of the best ways we can represent Christ to our neighbors. John 13:35 tells us, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” We are challenged to make careful choices about where we spend our time and energy, purposing to help our friends in need, to seek support when we need it, and keep our focus on God alone.

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge? (verse 15)
Paul implores us to be patient with everyone, which includes our enemies. Why is this so necessary? In a way, revenge seems like a great way to ensure that justice, at least our version of it, is served. If someone is doing evil, they deserve to get some pay back. God says, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) God wants us to focus on forgiveness and doing good toward others, not on how we can make someone pay for their sins. We cannot champion our own stories by exacting our own revenge. James writes that, “human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent […].” (James 1:20-21) The only one worthy to judge or bring retribution is the Lord God! Romans 12:21 tells us we are able to conquer evil with good. It is vital to resist revenge because by doing so we are taking the first step to overcoming evil with good; only in this can we surrender to the True Champion. In this way, we get our enemy’s attention and turn their focus to the goodness of God instead of our own vengeance. In this way, we practice being like Jesus and trust the results to Him, just as Esther modeled!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Champion Day 6 Behind The Scenes God

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 4:8-17
Deuteronomy 30:1-11
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18
Hebrews 11:1-13
1 Peter 3:1-9

Champion, Day 6

Esther.
An orphan becomes queen and saves her people.
Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn’t it?

But this was no fairy tale. It was certainly not some glorious dream-come-true for Esther. She had many obstacles to overcome, but her faith in God sustained her.

She came from a humble background, born into the Jewish lineage of Benjamin during their Babylonian exile. Her father and her mother died when she was very young, leaving her to be raised by her cousin, Mordecai. (Esther 2:5-7) However, her faith radiates through her humility; she is obedient to her cousin as if he were her father.

I like to think her humility was one character trait that attracted the favor of Hegai, the overseer of the house of women, when she was taken from her home and forced to participate in the king’s search for a new queen. (Esther 2:8-9) Think how it would be to live in a house of 400 beautiful women vying for the attention of the king. Yikes!

As Esther’s story progressed, she was selected to be the new queen (Esther 2:17), but she remained in contact with Mordecai (Esther 2:10-11). Therefore, Mordecai was the person to inform Esther of the king’s decree (made at the urging of Haman, a wicked, high-ranking official) that all Jews should be massacred on a future date. (Esther 3:5-4:7)

Though her faith is never mentioned, Esther’s integrity and faithfulness to God shine through her responses. Her utmost goal was to glorify God in all things.

When she needed wisdom and protection regarding the annihilation of the Jews, she requested prayer and fasting. (Esther 4:8-17) Long before letters to the New Testament church in Philippi would be written, Esther lived out their exhortation:

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Certainly, this reveals she loved the Lord and desired to follow His plan, even in a life and death situation.

Only after she (and the community) had fasted and prayed did she approach the king. Wise and brave, risking death by approaching the king unsummoned, she stood in the inner court of the palace. When the king saw her, he invited her in.

“‘What is it, Queen Esther?’ the king asked her. ‘Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.’” (Esther 5:3)

In her wisdom, Esther was patient. She didn’t immediately complain about Haman. Instead, she invited the king and Haman to a series of banquets. How clever to come bearing gifts, you might say, with no obvious intent other than to please the king.

At the second feast, the king again assured Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you.” (Esther 7:2) At this pivotal moment, she pleaded for her life, and for the lives of all Jews, accusing Haman as her adversary.

Wow! What courage! I’m sure she experienced fear, but God bolstered her courage, demonstrating how His power is perfected in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Interestingly, the Name of God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther, although we clearly see Him at work.

Why? One theory is that this bit of history was written by either Esther or Mordecai for the archives of this pagan nation (Esther 9:32); therefore, mention of God was left out. But certainly, we can see the hand of God weaving His plan through every step.

Though the life Esther had imagined was shattered the day she was abducted to the palace harem, God was with her, and she found favor with Hegai.
Though her future seemed to hinge on a single, forced sexual encounter with an unstable, arrogant king, God was with her, and she found favor with the king.
Though Esther grappled with danger, and fear, and the unknown and powerlessness, God was with her, bringing the salvation of His people from the silt of men’s evil plans.

God, as Master Author working behind the scenes, placed each person in the right place at the right time “for such a time as this”.

God is still working in the events of our day. At times we may wonder, “Where are you, God?” and struggle to understand why evil appears to win. Years before Esther, the Jewish prophet, Daniel, told King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,
“He [the Most High God] changes times and seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.
He reveals the deep and hidden things;
He knows what is in darkness
and light dwells with Him.”
(Daniel 2:21-22)

When we arrive in Heaven and look back, our eyes will be opened to all the things God has done. We will turn and observe the “Behind the Scenes God” like Jacob did, “Surely the LORD was in this place, and I did not know it[!]” (Genesis 28:16)

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

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The GT Weekend ~ Champion Week 1

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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) This week, we were introduced to some very difficult truths. The difficulty lies in the profound simplicity of God’s love for us, and in our inability to think outside of our own human limitations. “Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11) Abraham’s defining trait was faith. His faith prompted obedience, and his obedience was credited to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:3) This brings us to our first difficult truth: we are not chosen because we are qualified; we are chosen simply because He chose us. All we must do is believe. Read any story in the Bible, maybe Daniel in the lion’s den or Joshua at Jericho, and consider the qualifications of that story’s “hero”. You might be happy to realize they are people just like you and me and the hero isn’t them at all. God is always the hero. As we look at those same stories, the second truth comes to light: faith means letting go of limitations because God is not bound by them. Joshua never raised a sword, yet he watched a city crumble. (Joshua 6) Daniel spent the night in a den of lions and left without a scratch. (Daniel 6:21-22) The Almighty created us and all we see; who are we to tell Him what He can and cannot do?!

2) In keeping with these truths, we are introduced to the nitty gritty side of Moses and his faith journey. Moses rejected God’s commands because of his own human limitations. How often do you find yourself telling God, “I can’t possibly do what you are asking? I am weak or unskilled. I am incapable. You can do better than me.” Too often we avoid stepping into God’s purpose for us because we trust our insufficiencies to be more significant than our Savior. We tend to focus on the end result, but the end result isn’t for us. It’s for Him. God gives us the ingredients and then asks us to give them back to Him, so He can give us something even greater. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, we read of a widow who is instructed to feed Elijah some bread but has none to offer. She does have a handful of flour and a small bit of oil. We watch as God multiplies her ingredients so she can make bread and glorify Him who provides. Remember back in Moses’ story when we see him protest God? Each protest is based on his insufficiency, and each time God answers based on His sufficiency. Reflect on stories like these when you feel discouraged or unqualified and remember you serve a God who is qualified.

3) The waiting is never wasted. What a powerful sentiment! How many times have you felt stuck like you were called to go somewhere or do something but couldn’t quite make it happen? I have encouraging news for you. God is always working in your life; He is preparing you to do His will while simultaneously using you to do His will. Setbacks are teachers. They are purposeful, but we must remember God doesn’t face setbacks. He knows all things always and is in complete control. So, if you find yourself feeling stagnant, ask yourself why you are hesitating to step into God’s purpose for you or perhaps if you have focused on your purpose for you instead of God’s. If you are fearful and afraid, ask yourself what you are holding back on trusting God and why. Prayerfully ask Him to make these answers clear and for the strength and courage to move forward as He is calling you. He will not shy away from your doubt, your questions, your fear, or even your anger. The Lord of the universe longs to guide you. He does not need us, but He chooses us anyway because He loves us extravagantly!

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 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 back to the Lord and let His Spirit speak to you through it!

So that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Prayer Journal
Yahweh, thank you for showing me Your strength and wisdom this week. I am grateful to know my God is capable of impossible feats; no lion is too mighty nor storm too big for You. Lord, I know I can’t do this life without You, but sometimes I falter and doubt. I question You and Your sufficiency, but You know my heart and my mind. You know the weakness of my flesh, so please hear my cries when I’m weak, and calm my heart. Remind me who You are and what great power You possess. Help me let go of the limitations I have placed on You and simply bask in the sweet fact that You choose to use me to further Your Kingdom just because You love me. You are my strength, Lord, and my shield, for I have put my trust in You. (Proverbs 30:5) It is in Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

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) Sara put words to a struggle we all encounter at various points in life, either to live in fear of people or walk in faith with the God who has never failed us. Take some time to identify where you have lived in fear of people in the past. How has the Lord shaped your heart to choose Him, as the better, over acquiescing to others? Celebrate His work here! Consider new challenges where you are apt to choose what people want at the expense of following the Savior? Take these specifically to the Lord in prayer!

2) On Wednesday, we were challenged to consider the pitfalls of our identity sources. Sara noted how grateful she was for having walked through a season of having her identity deconstructed. Consider writing out your top 4 markers of your identity and sift through the source for each of those. If the source is removed, the identity will crumble. What is holding up your identity?

3) All throughout this Journey Theme of Seeds, we’ve been challenging ourselves to consider “what if” we lived as boldly as the examples we find in the pages of Acts of those first century Christians. Their stories are incredible and their faith seems entirely other, but it began simply, exactly like our own. Each of their journeys grew from a seed of faith, nourished by a regular, consistent investment in a relationship with the God of the Universe in everyday life. The invitation for dramatic life change is ours as well. What If  you were to begin investing deeper with Jesus this weekend? Where might He take you? What would He want you to know? Who would He want you to share the gospel with? Suppose the Lord had written an invitation to you, what would your response be? Write it out and be willing to be different!

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 Job 38:31-33 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?

Prayer Journal
Ah Lord God, Your good kindness to us is so far beyond my comprehension. Keep taking my breath away with the vastness of Your love and Your design for life! You, who created galaxies we haven’t even explored. You, who gather the seas in Your hand. You who measure the mountains on a scale. You, who crafted the body of an ant and the structure of micro-organisms, purposed to have a relationship with every single human being on a deep and personal level. And then You called us out, made us new, and gave us purpose as You invited us into a mission to love others as You have loved us. Keep my eyes focused in this rich truth, reminding me You’ve invited me ever deeper into “What If!”.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Champion Day 4 Bold And Brave?: 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 Bold And Brave?

The Questions

1) Why did God choose Moses to help set the Israelites free from Egypt? (Exodus 3:11-12)

2) What does God mean by instructing Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him to release them from Egypt? (Exodus 3:14-15)

3) What explains Moses’ reluctance to follow God’s instructions even after the promises, signs, and miracles? (Exodus 4:13)

Exodus 3:11-4:17

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” 13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation. 16 “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 19 “However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, even under force from a strong hand. 20 But when I stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my miracles that I will perform in it, after that, he will let you go. 21 And I will give these people such favor with the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.” 4 Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” 2 The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 “Throw it on the ground,” he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.” So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. 5 “This will take place,” he continued, “so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 In addition the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, resembling snow. 7 “Put your hand back inside your cloak,” he said. So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. 8 “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. 9 And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.” 10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” 13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” 14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him. 17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”

Original Intent

1) Why did God choose Moses to help set the Israelites free from Egypt? (Exodus 3:11-12)
When God met Moses at the burning bush and called him to return to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery, Moses was reluctant and baffled that God would choose him. (Exodus 3:11-12) David Guzik suggests Moses should have focused on God rather than his own shortcomings because “God’s identity was more important than who Moses was. When we know the God who is with us, we can step forth confidently to do His will.” God chose Moses because He wasn’t looking for eloquence and bravery. He was looking for faith, obedience, and willingness to follow Him. (1 John 5:3) God chose someone who was not a great speaker because He wanted Moses to rely on His power and His presence (Isaiah 41:10), not on Moses’ skill and talent. Christine Caine suggests, “There seemed to be a precedent in the Bible for God using people who considered themselves unqualified, insecure, and incapable. When they obeyed and did what He called them to do, it ensured that He received all the glory.” If a reticent stutterer could convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go, it was only because the God working through him was powerful and almighty. God performed amazing miracles through His flawed servant, Moses, and He has plans to use each one of us to do great things for His glory (1 Corinthians 2:9), no matter our imperfections. We can rejoice that God uses our weaknesses to show Himself strong! (2 Corinthians 12:9)

2) What does God mean by instructing Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him to release them from Egypt? (Exodus 3:14-15)
There are over 1,000 names for God in the Bible, but the one God instructs Moses to use when freeing the Israelites is I AM, because He says, “This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.” (Exodus 3:14-15) John Piper explains how “the name Yahweh and the name I AM are built out of the same Hebrew word (hayah) […] Yahweh seems to be used here interchangeably with I AM. Contained in the name Yahweh is the first and most important truth about God: He exists.” God wanted to remind His people He had always been their God, since before Creation (John 1:1-3), and He would continue to be their Deliverer. (Romans 11:26) As David Guzik suggests, “God told Moses His name was I AM because God simply is; there was never a time when He did not exist, or a time when He will cease to exist.” Jesus uses this name for Himself in John 8:58 when He declares, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” He says something similar in John 18:4-6, when the Pharisees ask if He is Jesus and He answers, “I Am He”, and they all fall backwards on the ground. Lisa Lorraine Baker suggests, “The force of the expression of God’s name was akin to God telling Moses he was standing on holy ground.” The Almighty, Eternal God commanded Moses to make His name known to the captive nation of Israel so they would understand that the God of their ancestors could be trusted to deliver them from captivity. Jesus came to earth for the same reason, to set us free from our slavery to sin. (Romans 6:6) I AM truly is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

3) What explains Moses’ reluctance to follow God’s instructions even after the promises, signs, and miracles? (Exodus 4:13)
God used common things in a spectacular way when He called Moses to free Israel from Egyptian captivity. He employed a burning bush, a rod that became a snake, and a hand that became diseased and then was healed. God provided the promise of Presence and more miraculous events to prove His power, but Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else”. (Exodus 4:13) Moses was afraid and reluctant to obey because he focused on his own weaknesses and shortcomings instead of the Almighty God who performed miracles with amazing power. He trusted what he knew and understood about his own flaws more than he trusted God’s ability to work through his deficiencies. Karen Ehman explains that Moses “responded by using thoughts about His weaknesses instead of thoughts about God’s strength. His heart-closet contained so many ill-fitting assumptions that he was unable to quickly don the name-brand truths from his Creator and Designer, Yahweh.” Moses simply didn’t trust God could use him to do such important work. He needed to learn to see God as bigger and stronger than his weaknesses (Isaiah 40:29-31) John Piper suggests, “God’s answer to that maneuver is always the same: ‘RIGHT, you are small and weak. But WRONG, that is no excuse to cop out. Why? Because I will be with you, I will help you, I will strengthen you and will uphold you with my victorious right hand. I love to do big things through small people! How else will My name be glorified in all the earth?’” Moses needed to accept that none of God’s success was determined by Moses’ skill and prowess; everything depended on God’s ability to work through Moses’ trusting surrender. This is the faith that pleases God! (Hebrews 11:6)

Everyday Application

1) Why did God choose Moses to help set the Israelites free from Egypt? (Exodus 3:11-12)
As a new teacher, I quickly realized that no matter how good my grades were in college or how thorough my training was, a class full of high-schoolers could size me up and determine all my vulnerabilities within the first week of classes. Multiply that by 6 classes a day, and I was pouring over the help wanted ads by Christmas break my first year of teaching, looking for a career change. I thought God had led me to the profession, but I began to question, much like Moses did, who am I to do this job? (Exodus 3:11-12) I needed to learn, just as Moses did, what Christine Caine asserts, “It is never about who I am not, but rather, it is always about who He is in me.” I was not a great disciplinarian, and Moses was not a great orator, but that wasn’t the full story. When God chooses you for a task, He empowers you to accomplish the task by giving you His strength and working through you as you surrender. (Hebrews 13:21) Meredith McDaniel explains, “It was by God’s holiness and power that Moses was able to go back to the people and share with them the promises of their Creator. God provided just what he needed to do it and more. […] In the same way God equipped Moses, He provides everything we need through His mighty power and His ability to see farther down the road ahead than we can.” When you struggle in your own strength to do something God has asked of you, I encourage you to stop flailing and allow God to empower and direct your actions. He is gracious to provide everything we need to excel in what He has planned for us. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

2) What does God mean by instructing Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him to release them from Egypt? (Exodus 3:14-15)
As a teacher, I taught a trick to identify “being verbs”. By replacing the verb with an equal sign in a sentence, one could know its identity if the words were equally defined. In, “I am a teacher,”, I = a teacher, so “am” is a being verb. In, “I teach Spanish,” I [does not] = Spanish, so “teach” is an action verb. When God instructed Moses to announce Himself as “I Am Who I Am” (Exodus 3:14-15), He didn’t follow the verb Am with anything. He simply declared, “I AM.” No equivalent was needed. “There is no equivalent for God but God. If you place God on the one side of your symbol of equation (=), there is nothing to put on the other but Himself.” (F.B. Meyer) God wanted His people to recognize that He is the one true God without equal. (Exodus 8:10) The Israelites found that I AM was their Every Thing in their time of need, including Deliverer (Exodus 6:6) and Provider (Exodus 16:13-14). There exists no need that cannot be fulfilled by the Great I Am! In our humanity, we may believe we need something different in a different timeline, but God is not our genie, bending at our whim. He lovingly knows exactly what is needed and will prove Himself to be the perfect I AM every time. (Matthew 6:8) Of Himself, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) and “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) to describe God as the Sovereign Lord who supplies every need. (Philippians 4:19) Our God, The Great I Am, is our complete supplier!

3) What explains Moses’ reluctance to follow God’s instructions even after the promises, signs, and miracles? (Exodus 4:13)
When my husband mentions something God may be calling us to do, I have been known to respond with, “God would need to send me a flashing neon sign before I would consider that.” When I read how Moses told God, “Please, Lord, send someone else” (Exodus 4:13), I recognize my own attitude in his reluctance and reticence. God performed miracles and gave Moses details about His guidance and direction during the exodus, but Moses was still afraid to trust God. Priscilla Shirer suggests, “Moses’ problem was that although he reverenced God, he didn’t yet know him very well. Understanding God’s attributes . . . helps us appreciate him in a deeper, more intimate way as it moves us from knowing about him to truly knowing him.” Moses needed to learn that God was faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9) and worthy of his trust (Psalm 111:7). He also needed to learn that, while God loved him and wanted to use him, God didn’t love Moses for his abilities or what he could do for God. Judah Smith said, “To solve Moses’ identity crisis, God reminds Moses who God is. […] The answer to our frequent identity crises is not first and foremost focusing on who we are, but focusing on who God is.” God used miracles to let Moses rest in truth, knowing that, when you have a powerful God on your side, you don’t need exceptional capabilities. God just wants a faithful and obedient servant to follow Him in a demonstration of faith. (1Corinthians 4:1-2) Although my own attitude is sometimes as faithless as Moses’, I am blessed that God gives grace to “bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name”. (Romans 1:5)

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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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Champion Day 3 Bold And Brave?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 3:1-4:17
Exodus 33:15-16
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
2 Corinthians 12:6-10  

Champion, Day 3

What comes to mind when you think of Moses? 

He’s probably one of the most famous Bible “heroes.” Maybe his name conjures up an image of a man with arms stretched high over the Red Sea, holding back the waters; perhaps you picture him standing boldly before Pharaoh demanding freedom for the Israelites; or possibly you think of him on Mount Sinai with thunder crashing and smoke billowing around him as God draws near to give him instructions for his people. 

Moses is often remembered as a mighty, powerful leader whose example we should emulate, but while strength and boldness are certainly part of his story, when we look a little deeper there are also elements of his story which aren’t quite so heroic. 

After being miraculously rescued by God as a baby and raised in the luxury of the palace, Moses flees Egypt after killing a man. (Exodus 2:11-15) He spends many years in Midian, living in obscurity as a shepherd. 

When God reveals Himself to Moses in a burning bush and calls Moses to lead the Israelites to freedom from slavery, Moses’ response isn’t what you might expect from a mighty hero. 

Instead of responding with faith or courage, he is full of excuses. 

 Who am I to do this task? (Exodus 3:11)
What if they won’t listen? (Exodus 4:1)
I’m not good with words. (Exodus 4:10)
Please send someone else. (Exodus 4:13) 

Even when Moses finally accepts God’s call and steps out in obedience, his leadership is far from perfect. Despite securing the freedom of the Israelites and leading them through the wilderness, he isn’t permitted entrance to the Promised Land because of his failure to trust God and obey Him. (Numbers 20:1-13)

The true picture the Bible paints of Moses is not one of a mighty hero, but one of a human being, with moments of greatness and achievement, but also with flaws and weaknesses.  

Personally, I find that comforting. Moses was able to accomplish great things for God not because of his own power, but because of God working through him, even in his weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:6-10) I am encouraged that if God could use Moses, perhaps He could use me. 

I relate all too well to Moses’ hesitation at the burning bush and the sense God is calling me to something far beyond my own ability, for which I feel inadequate. I share his experience of being called to speak for God while feeling I lack the skill. 

And I love how God responds to Moses. 

When Moses protests no-one will listen and he is not skilled at speaking, God doesn’t answer by encouraging Moses he is good enough or he has what it takes. Instead, He reveals Himself to Moses. 

Moses’ excuses are all about himself and his own perceived inadequacy, but God points Moses back to what really matters. He reassures Moses of His presence, He provides signs to demonstrate His power, and He promises to help Moses complete the task. 

He directs Moses’ focus away from his own weaknesses and onto God’s strength.  

In the end, Moses rises above his fears and apprehensions and steps out in faith, confronting Pharaoh and leading the Israelites to freedom. He comes to realise that success does not depend on his own ability, but on the fact that God has called him and is with him.   

When the Israelites finally leave Egypt, God’s presence goes with them in a brilliant cloud by day and pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22), providing a visual reminder they are not alone.   

Moses comes to recognise the importance of God’s presence with him and the people. This is what marks them out from others, and enables them to take possession of the Promised Land.   

“‘If Your presence does not go,’ Moses responded to Him, ‘don’t make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and Your people have found favor with You unless You go with us? I and Your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.’” (Exodus 33:15-16) 

It is encouraging to remember that, if we have put our trust in Jesus, we have the same distinguishing mark. God’s presence is not only with us, but in us through the Holy Spirit. We have God’s promise, “I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5) 

Like Moses, we can look to God for direction, and we can know His strength working through us, even in our weakness and despite our perceived inadequacy. 

This, not our own ability, is what will empower us to be used by God and fulfill His calling. 

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

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