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Come Day 15 Come To Be Refreshed

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Come Day 15 Come To Be Refreshed

Bri Bailey

February 28, 2025

Blessed,church,Comfort,Family,Grace,Identity,Life,Ordinary,Time

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Acts 3:19-20
Psalm 23:1-4
Romans 15:30-32
2 Timothy 1:13-18

Beloveds, sometimes life hurts.

Sometimes, we find ourselves trudging through a time “that is dry, desolate, and without water.” (Psalm 63:1)

Through the sting of wind-driven sand against our cheeks God invites, “If anyone is thirsty, let [her] come to me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within [her].” (John 7:37-38)

Sometimes, we stumble blindly “through the darkest valley.” (Psalm 23:4)

Into our darkness God calls out, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

Sometimes, we are soul-sick, “weary from my groaning; with tears I dampen my bed and drench my couch every night. My eyes are swollen from grief[.]” (Psalm 6:6-7)

To the soul fevered and delirious in sin, God gently applies the healing balm of His ministry of reconciliation, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17, 2 Corinthians 5:18)

When life hurts, our Father invites us to come, be refreshed in the presence of Emmanuel, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” He encourages us. (Matthew 11:28, emphasis mine)

“Therefore repent and turn [to God], so that your sins may be wiped out, and that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord[,]” urges Peter, an apostle and founder of the early Church. (Acts 3:19-20, emphasis mine)

And sometimes, we can. 
We can run, crawl, or claw our way through the brambles of deception or suffering to an awareness of His presence and let His abundant life renew our spirits. (John 10:10)

But sometimes, we can’t.
Though He has promised never to leave or forsake us, to be with us always, sometimes, we can’t see past the darkness closing in on us, hear past the condemnation echoing in our minds, or believe in hope beyond the despair stealing our breath. 
(Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 28:19-20)

When the lifeblood of faith has so completely drained from our fingers that we cannot grasp His refreshment for ourselves, He holds us steadfastly and sends tangible refreshing through what the Book of Common Prayer calls “the communion of saints”.

“Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand,
to believe and trust in the communion of saints,
 the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting.” 
(Book of Common Prayer, Burial of the Dead, Rite One)

This idea of communal encouragement among the saints bringing God’s refreshment to suffering believers is seen throughout Scripture. For example, in the gospel of Mark, four faithfully persistent men literally carry their paralyzed friend into Jesus’ healing presence. (Mark 2:1-12)

Additionally, the epistles, letters written by early Church leaders to followers of Jesus, contain numerous examples of believers refreshing one another in God.

For example, in Paul’s letter to Christ-followers in Rome, he entreats them “to strive together with me in prayers and to God on my behalf [. . .] that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.” (Romans 15:30-32)

In his letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul relates how his friend and fellow laborer for the gospel, Timothy, ministered to him, “But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love [. . .] Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction, we are encouraged about you through your faith. For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 3:6-10)

In a letter to this same Timothy, Paul recounts how, after being abandoned by believers in Asia, he received encouragement from Onesiphorus, who sought Paul out and refreshed him, unashamed of Paul’s chains for the sake of the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:13-18)

Answering God’s call to serve as a conduit of tangible refreshment can even help spread the good news of the Gospel to all nations (Mark 16:14-20), and guide us as we welcome and train up those who are new or weak in the faith. (Romans 13:11-14:12)

In my own faith journey, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 has been particularly meaningful:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 

Several years ago, I was in that dry and desolate, dark and soul-sick place where I couldn’t perceive God’s presence. At the time, a sister-in-Christ shared, with courage-soaked vulnerability, about her own heartbreaking struggle. When I didn’t feel able to hear His voice, God spoke to me through her words and broke the power of a lie that had me in a strangle-hold of despair. 

More recently, another friend was caught up in a similar struggle. I felt God nudge me to reach out to her, to share His words of encouragement, refreshment, and comfort when she couldn’t hear for herself. 

Sisters, by actively engaging in the communion of saints, we can share God’s invitation, “Come! Be refreshed in My presence!”

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“The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.”

As Christ-followers, we are never alone because we have a Shepherd who cares for us and provides us with all we need for the moment. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah was reminded how the Lord is always with and for the redeemed; never does He leave or forsake. (Isaiah 43:1-2)
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Come Day 15 Come To Be Refreshed: Digging Deeper

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Come Day 15 Come To Be Refreshed: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

February 28, 2025

Affectionate,Alive,Captivating,Community,Faith,Family,Freedom,gentle,Hope,Journey,Remade

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 "Come To Be Refreshed"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23:1-4

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right path for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is the recipient of the shepherd’s care? (verse 1)

Shepherding was a familiar role for David (the author of this psalm). He cared for his father’s sheep as a youth, and he understood the responsibility of being caretaker for the sheep in his keeping. (1 Samuel 17:20)

Years later, thinking like a sheep might if a sheep could think, the then-king remembers the care he had for his own sheep. Some scholars believe David wrote Psalm 23 toward the end of his reign because of its calm and nostalgic tone.

As the wording does indeed carry a pensive mood, one can hardly miss the author’s prayer-like meditation. He understood that his current God-ordained position as king did not make him exempt from potential lack. Although a king like David would have had servants and guards, he also knew he was vulnerable to fears and doubt that plague all humans.

This understanding as a shepherd-turned-king gave him a unique perspective. Theologian Charles Spurgeon said of David, “I like to recall the fact that this psalm was written by David, probably when he was a king. He had been a shepherd, and he was not ashamed of his former occupation. When he had to wear a crown, he remembered the time when he had handled the shepherd’s crook, and as a lad, with his sling and stone, had kept watch over his father’s sheep in the wilderness.” (Spurgeon Library)

Whether he was a shepherd in the field or a king in battle, David repeatedly relied upon the One whom he referred to as ‘my Shepherd’. He had come to know that soul refreshment doesn’t come from a position. Deep contentment and true peace only come to those who know God.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is the recipient of the shepherd’s care? (verse 1)

Frank Reed was an American who was held hostage as a prisoner of war for 3 ½ years. For much of that time, he was in isolation and blindfolded. In contrast to the shepherd-king David, Reed never claimed to know God or turn to Him. In an interview after his release, he said, “As a hostage, I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone.” (time.com)

What heartbreaking words! Likely, many of us can relate to the reality of pain from those words, but Real Hope is available! This dark loneliness doesn’t need to be your experience, my sweet Sister. I encourage you to allow the psalmist’s words to wash over you in a refreshing way even now!

“The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.”

As Christ-followers, we are never alone because we have a Shepherd who cares for us and provides us with all we need for the moment. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah was reminded how the Lord is always with and for the redeemed; never does He leave or forsake. (Isaiah 43:1-2)

In the New Testament, Jesus told His followers that the Holy Spirit would be their guide, protector, provider and comforter. (John 14:25-27) Friend, if you know the Lord God through His Son Jesus (John 3:14-18, John 17:3), it is you who is the recipient of the Shepherd’s care!

God showed His deep and lasting care by coming to us. (Matthew 1:21-23) He invites you and me to come to Him with our burdens and fears because He cares for us. (Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 5:6-7) Let’s turn our eyes toward our Shepherd, and let Him restore our weary souls.

The Original Intent

2) What does the shepherd provide? (verses 2-3)

Those who care for sheep suggest that sheep tend to be their own worst enemy. Maybe you’ve heard how susceptible they are to their predators because sheep tend to be defenseless creatures. While it’s true they have many natural predators in the wild, sheep often find themselves in self-induced predicaments that make it difficult for their shepherd to help them.  

As natural wanderers, they will stray and put themselves in danger of being lost, attacked, or even disoriented to the point of drowning in rushing water or falling from cliffs. Because of this, the job of a shepherd is both offensive and defensive. As he continues to write reflectively, David likely remembered his own role as shepherd.

He knew he could not leave the sheep alone to fend for themselves. He likely recalled the times he needed to step in and protect them from their predators. (1 Samuel 17:34-37) As a king with enemies, David faced days of fear and worry about his adversaries. It was natural for him to have dread and anxiety when his life seemed to be in danger. But we continually read his words of resolve throughout the psalms to trust the Lord. (Psalm 27)

When he found himself alone in the wilderness, he rehearsed what he knew to be true, “When I think of You as I lie on my bed,
I meditate on You during the night watches
because You are my helper […]
I follow close to You;
Your right hand holds on to me.”
(Psalm 63:1-8)

David looked to his Shepherd because he had come to know that God was a good and faithful kind of Shepherd. Not only would the Lord never abandon him, but He would also lead him to places of provision. This is the kind of good Shepherd God is. (Isaiah 40:10, Psalm 78:52-53)

The Everyday Application

2) What does the shepherd provide? (verses 2-3)

God provided David with spiritual rest and nourishment. Friend, the Bible tells us that the food for our souls is the Word of God. (1 Peter 2:2-3) It is through the reading and the studying of God’s word the Lord provides spiritual refreshment and restoration to us.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist went to great lengths to express delight in and gratitude for God’s instructions through His word. If you’d like to study its depths, it was our delight as GT authors to create the Journey Theme, Worship XI! As we allow His words to fill our hearts and minds, God renews our strength and cleanses us with His truth.

He also protects us through His word with the guidance we need to stay on the proper path. Otherwise, we would be prone to wander aimlessly through all the days of our lives. But know this, dear Sister: It is for His name’s sake He does all this.

Think about such a glorious reality we have to be in Christ!

It’s impossible for God to abandon us, not simply because He cares, but because of who He IS. The Lord provides safety, comfort and deliverance to His people in order to reveal the power of His very essence and nature. (Psalm 106:7-8)

Just as David reflected on the practical provisions and protection of the shepherd, we can rehearse the spiritual provisions and protection of our Shepherd. By saving His people, the Lord revealed His faithful and forever love. (Psalm 109:21)

We have EVERYTHING we need because we have the One Shepherd we need.

The Original Intent

3) How does the psalmist come to a place where he doesn’t fear danger? (verse 4)

Again and again, David had seen the power and presence of God amid overwhelming circumstances. (1 Samuel 17, 1 Samuel 18:5, Psalm 142) Now in verse 4, David looks to his Shepherd to provide comfort for himself. Maybe he held his rod close to his heart as he praised his God, knowing he had used it against the attacking animals. And maybe he lifted up his staff, that walking stick that prodded the sheep away from physical danger, and felt the inner peace that came from God’s kind guidance.

David was refreshing his soul with each reminder of his Shepherd’s good care. We know he was not a fearless man; he had fears just as we all do. Scriptures tell us that confidence and courage weren’t always David’s first response. (Psalm 13:1-2) Even here, he acknowledges that life will not only be characterized by the green pastures and quiet waters of verse 2.

He knows he will walk through dark shadows and the gloom of despair. So how does David go from the fear and doubt we see in Psalm 22:1-2 to “I fear no danger” in verse 4? He put his trust in God! David had learned the art of practicing praise during times of fear. (Psalm 56:9-11)

He rehearsed God’s words, recognizing that God had already spoken to his fears. The Lord refreshed and revived David’s soul as he meditated on God’s trustworthiness! (Psalm 19:7-8 ) When David confessed his trust in God, he was anchoring his doubt and fear in the specific promises of God.

As he declares God’s constant care, the threats of disaster – even of death – no longer seem as threatening because they’re being drowned out by a louder voice of comfort by the God who lovingly cares, guides, guards, and protects with all wisdom.

The Everyday Application

3) How does the psalmist come to a place where he doesn’t fear danger? (verse 4)

The honesty of the psalms helps us process our fear. We read through many of them and recognize ourselves in their human response.

One psalm writer put it this way,
“Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?
For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.
If I had decided to say these things aloud,
 I would have betrayed Your people [people of God].
When I tried to understand all this,
it seemed hopeless … until I entered God’s sanctuary.”
Psalm 73:13-17

Oh, do I feel this! Maybe you do too.

In Psalm 23, David isn’t attempting to present a false narrative of always trusting God amid dangerous circumstances. But this isn’t his first rodeo with His Shepherd! He has been in this place before. As he considers his many interactions with the Lord, David has learned (is learning) to cast his soul toward heaven, that is, toward His heavenly Shepherd.

He has discovered that God will faithfully provide what He needs. Maybe you’re like me, Friend, and you desire to grow in faith amid the fearful circumstances you find yourself in. With me, you want to believe and be able to confess with David, “I fear no danger.”

If so, I encourage you to memorize Scripture or to sing your way to faith. Discover the pathways that will enable and encourage your soul to trust God; they are the same for us now as they were David!

“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word;
just to rest upon His promise; just to know,
‘Thus saith the Lord.’ Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him.
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er.
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh, for grace to trust Him more!”
(‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus” by Louisa Stead)

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Come, Day 15
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Beloveds, sometimes life hurts.

Sometimes, we find ourselves trudging through a time “that is dry, desolate, and without water.” (Psalm 63:1)

Through the sting of wind-driven sand against our cheeks God invites, “If anyone is thirsty, let [her] come to me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within [her].” (John 7:37-38)

Sometimes, we stumble blindly “through the darkest valley.” (Psalm 23:4)

Into our darkness God calls out, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you.” (Isaiah 60:1)
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Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

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Feb 10 - Feb 28, 2025 - Journey Theme #136

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Come Day 10 Come To Know

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Come Day 10 Come To Know

Michelle Brown

February 21, 2025

Anchored,Community,Faith,Family,Freedom,Joy,Remade

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:29-39
Isaiah 1:16-20
Colossians 2:13-14 
Mark 1:16-20

In the first chapter of John, the Pharisees asked John the Baptist why he was baptizing people at Bethany if he was neither a prophet nor the Messiah. The next day, John saw Jesus and proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’” (John 1:29-30)

This statement piqued the interest of John’s followers, and they began to follow Jesus. Later in this same chapter, we see Jesus’ first invitation to “come” when He invited two potential disciples to come with Him to His dwelling place. “‘Come and you’ll see,’ He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day.” (John 1:39)

The book of Isaiah with its message of judgment, salvation, and faithfulness foreshadowed the life of Jesus. In Isaiah 1:18, God invited Israel,

“‘Come, let’s settle this,’  says the Lord.
‘Though your sins are scarlet,
 they will be as white as snow;
though they are crimson red,
they will be like wool.’”

After summoning us to repent in the previous two verses (Isaiah 1:16-17), God then calls us to approach Him and receive His pardon, a pardon which points to His sovereignty. Because God’s justice has been satisfied by Christ’s sacrifice, God pardons us, as well. The Apostle Paul was well acquainted with this pardon, for he was pardoned by the grace of God after having been a persecutor of the early church before Christ changed him. 

He wrote in Colossians 2:13-14, “And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.  He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”

In these two passages, both the people of Israel as well as Christ-followers today learn more about who God is. We learn about His grace, His faithfulness, His compassionate mercy for His people, and His willingness to forgive sin and to bless us even when we fall short.

Our only right response, in light of His amazing grace, is to bow in worship to Him. In Revelation 4:11 we read, “Our Lord and God,  You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” If the heavenly beings worship God, the great “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), then our response here on earth should be no less. He is the only one worthy of our praise, and we should affirm and proclaim Him as the only true God. The Lord Himself declared, “Do not have other gods besides Me” in Exodus 20:3. 

Knowing the character of our great God leads us to worship Him “in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23) This worshipful response is multifaceted, for it consists of praise, remembrance, exhortation, prayer, meditation, and the study of God’s Word.

Psalm 145:3 states:
“The Lord is great and is highly praised;
His greatness is unsearchable.”

The call to worship is to come and drink
from a well which will never dry. 

When it comes to my own walk with God, I was baptized at a young age, but then decided this ‘God thing’ was not for me. The actions of those around me didn’t seem very godly, and it seemed they were simply going through the motions.
For the next twenty years, I did not worship God at all.
Yet there did come a point when I realized something was missing in my life.
That something was Jesus.
I knew He was inviting me to come back to Him, and I set out to seek Him. 

The truth is, a thirst which cannot be satisfied by anything or anyone other than God abides in all of us. After several frustrating encounters at different churches, I finally found a church to join, rededicated my life to a relationship with Christ, and was re-baptized with a clear understanding of my commitment. By the grace of God, I was blessed with another opportunity to know Him and am no longer dead in my sin. (Romans 6:1)
God is so good! The beauty of this same opportunity is given to everyone.

The greatest need of all people is to know the Lord. 

God seeks the weary (Matthew 11:28) and invites those who are thirsty (John 4:13-14) to come. (Revelation 22:17) Jesus continues to call us today, desiring us to come to Him so we might know Him and grow in relationship with Him. I pray we respond with open hearts to follow where He leads.

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Come, Day 10
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The tender phrases the psalmist offered in this passage provide an intimate glimpse into the relationship made possible because of God's shepherding heart and love for people.

His incredible, miraculous love for humanity is illustrated throughout Scripture and culminated in the birth, life, sacrifice, death, and triumphant resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd.
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Come Day 8 Come To Relate

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Come Day 8 Come To Relate

Rebekah Hargraves

February 19, 2025

Accepted,Affectionate,bride,Broken,Called,Captivating,Family,gentle,Groom,Heaven,Hope,Jealous,Journey,Love,Mercy,Relationship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 116:5-9
Song of Solomon 2:10-13
Matthew 11:28-30

When I discovered the topic of our next study here at Gracefully Truthful, I immediately saw the hand of God all over it. You see, the Lord has had me on a journey since the Advent season of 2023, a journey of becoming aware of the tender invitations He extends to me. I read a handful of Advent books at the end of last year, and in every one, the word “invitation” kept popping up. That, my friends, is no coincidence. 

Though I have walked with the Lord for the vast majority of my life, only in recent months have I considered my relationship with Him as a series of gracious invitations. In light of the specific invitation we are discussing today, this realization is both a gift and a balm to my soul. 

I tend to be hyper-focused on my to-do list, always hurrying from one thing to the next, and subconsciously taking on the burdensome belief that everything depends upon me. So when I read these words of invitation from Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, I am instantly stopped in my tracks:

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Though I had read those words many times, I learned something striking about this passage in the following excerpt from John Mark Comer’s excellent book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry:

“Jesus was a rabbi (Hebrew, meaning ‘teacher’). Yes, He was more – the Messiah and the embodiment of God Himself. I deeply believe that. But if you had been a first-century Jew and Jesus showed up in your synagogue one Sabbath morning, the odds are, the category you would have put him in was that of a rabbi or a traveling sage. 

“And like every rabbi in his day, Jesus had a yoke. Not a literal yoke; He was a teacher not a farmer. A yoke was a common idiom in the first century for a rabbi’s way of reading the Torah. But it was also more: it was the rabbi’s set of teachings on how to be human. His way to shoulder the (at times crippling) weight of life- marriage, divorce, prayer, money, conflict resolution, government- all of it. It’s an odd image for those of us who don’t live in an agrarian society. But imagine two oxen yoked together to pull a cart or plow a field. A yoke is how you shoulder a load. What made Jesus unique wasn’t that He had a yoke; all rabbis had a yoke. It was that He had an *easy* yoke.”

These words stopped me in my tracks as I was reading. Jesus desires for us to live, as one Bible translation puts it, “freely and lightly.” Yes, we will face hardship in this life, but He wants us to live with an inner peace and lightness from Him, even in the midst of hardship. This means, then, there is no place for the heavy bondage of legalism, the soul-crushing pace of hustle and hurry, the life-draining idol of comparison, or the guilt and shame-inducing fearful lies of the enemy.

Imagine if we all lived with THAT kind of freedom. The amazing grace and beauty of the gospel is that we can, if we follow the way of Jesus! 

This brings me to the beautiful words of Song of Solomon 2:10-13, a passage which begins with the same invitation as Matthew 11,  the invitation to “come”.

“My love calls to me:
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.
The fig tree ripens its figs;
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.”

When placed alongside Jesus’ words in Matthew 11, this passage teaches us, with deep beauty and impact, about the nature of God’s invitation; it is all about relationship. We are invited and called to walk in step with Him, delighting in His presence, and feeling calmed and comforted by His love. 

Instead of striving, we now trust. 
Instead of rushing, we now slow down. 
Instead of thinking everything is on our shoulders, we realize, actually, He carries everything for us. 

What a beautiful relief!

Now, as I ponder my daily to-dos and encounter the events of each day, I am able to feel a soul-deep peace, for my Savior’s yoke is easy, and His burden truly is light.

“Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.”
(Psalm 116:7)

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Come, Day 9
Digging Deeper

David Mathis declares, “True humility is not the denigrating of humanity, but God’s image shining in its fullness . . . To humble ourselves is to come ever closer, step by step, to the bliss and full flourishing for which we were made.”

When we are humble, the light of God shines through us. What a blessing that God walks with us on each step of our journey to Christ-like humility! (Proverbs 3:34)
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Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

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Feb 10 - Feb 28, 2025 - Journey Theme #136

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Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!

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Therefore Day 12 Fight For The Family: Digging Deeper

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Therefore Day 12 Fight For The Family: Digging Deeper

Merry Ohler

June 11, 2024

Family,Heart,Life,Scripture,Submission,Work,Worship

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 "Fight For The Family"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. 4 Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. 6 Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. 7 Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. 9 And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
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The Original Intent

1) What does it mean to bring children up in the “training and instruction of the Lord?” (verse 4)

A mixture of Gentile and Jewish believers represented the church body at Ephesus, but Paul’s letter to the Ephesians specifically called out to believing Ephesian Gentiles. (Ephesians 2:11) Paul’s exhortation to “bring children up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (verse 4) would have been a new concept for Gentiles.

Their Jewish counterparts were familiar with God’s consistent exhortation throughout Scripture to point subsequent generations to the God of their forefathers. (Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 6:7, Deuteronomy 11:19) However, the Christian Gentiles Paul exhorted at Ephesus, were new to this concept as Ephesian Gentiles didn’t share the same heritage and daily religious experience as Jews.

Pagan idol worship at Ephesus involved the worship of Artemis and up to 50 pagan gods and goddesses; this was their familiar heritage. By comparison, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the promise of a new life in Him would have been refreshingly simple to men and women who repented from their sins, turned away from pagan idol worship, and turned to live in Christ.

Just as Paul exhorted Christian Ephesian fathers to train their children in the Lord, he modeled what he taught by beautifully displaying generational discipleship wherever he went. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was meant to instruct Ephesian Christians on what it looked like to practically live together in the body of Christ. Mirroring how God draws all who profess Christ as Lord and put their trust in Him into His family, Paul came alongside the believers at Ephesus, giving thanks for them, encouraging them in their new faith, and exhorting them to put away their old lives and live new in Christ.

Whether it was “sons by faith” or “sons by lineage”, training them up in the discipline of the Lord was the intended role of fathers and mothers. The structure of family was the hand-crafted mode for physical and spiritual growth.

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to bring children up in the “training and instruction of the Lord?” (verse 4)

A long-distance runner requires specific tools to achieve success in her running feats. She needs sturdy, high-quality shoes that sustain long, rhythmic strides on various terrain. She needs comfortable clothing that allows her to move freely and wicks away sweat as she runs. She requires mental, emotional, and physical stamina, determination, and grit to keep moving despite exhaustion.

Regardless of desire, she could not decide to become a long-distance runner one morning, tie her shoes, and run 10 miles. First, she must train her mind and body to achieve the mental and physical fortitude required to maintain long distance running. She must be disciplined, paying attention to her body’s needs and providing healthy nourishment. She must be intentional in training, beginning with running shorter distances and gradually increasing in length. She must be careful with her thought life, avoiding discouraging thoughts and breaking her goals into manageable pieces.

She will eventually achieve her desire to become a long-distance runner with time, training, and intentionality. We can apply her principles to bringing up children in the instruction of the Lord. My ideas about what is good and true may be positive, but if they are not aligned with God’s Word, every grand intention falls short. I must know what God says in order to train and instruct my children in God’s way.

If I am not consistently responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, studying God’s Word, and learning from Him, I will be ineffective. Just as our runner could not put on her shoes, declare herself a long-distance runner, and successfully complete a lengthy run without any training, I cannot expect my words and admonitions alone to effect change in the hearts of my children. Rather, I must take their hand in mine, drawing them with me as I seek after God’s heart daily. 

The Original Intent

2) Paul’s words in verses 5-8 could be interpreted as an affirmation of slavery. How do his words point to Christ?

The Ephesian Christians lived in a period when slavery took on a decidedly different meaning than our current cultural definition. Most slaves at this time were paid wages and received protection, food, and shelter from those they served. They were able to buy their freedom if desired, but many slaves willingly agreed to stay with those they served because the benefits they received were considerable.

Our term “hired help” carries a closer definition. This concept of “slavery” is what the Ephesian church would have understood by Paul’s words in verses 5-8. Regardless of the original definition, our text reveals that Paul did not comment on whether slavery was good or bad. Rather, Paul addressed the heart posture of each believing person, no matter their relational position in life.

He called those who served others to remember they belonged to Christ, and everything they did should be done as unto Christ Jesus. Paul encouraged those who served to do all things for their Lord, whether in public or private. Paul appealed to their conscience, pointing them back to Christ and exhorting them to remember no matter their position, they were serving Christ and should behave accordingly, so God’s glory would be evident.

Likewise, Paul addressed slave masters. Paul exhorted them to remember they were called to uphold Christ in every relationship, including relationships with servants. Paul admonished masters to treat those in their employ with respect and kindness, acting with the understanding that God is impartial; social status bears no weight with Him, the God of justice.

The Everyday Application

2) Paul’s words in verses 5-8 could be interpreted as an affirmation of slavery. How do his words point to Christ?

My daughter loves to sing a modern hymn Keith and Kristyn Getty penned with Skye Peterson that rings deep, biblical truth, “I belong to the Lord, oh, I am not my own. I belong to the Lord, oh, I am not my own. I will honor Him for this I know: I belong to the Lord, oh, I am not my own.” The song peals through our home in her bell-like vocals on a weekly basis, but truth be told, I need to hear it constantly.

Paul’s words in verses 5-8 lose some of their significance when we examine them apart from the rest of his exhortation in verses 1-9, not to mention the whole of Ephesians. Paul was writing to a mixed body of believers, but his specific purpose in verses 1-9 was to exhort the Ephesians to examine their behavior and relationship heart postures in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul first pointed to the close relationship between children and parents, instructing them to obey their parents in the Lord.

Next, Paul addressed the parents, calling out fathers not to stir their children to anger but to train them in God’s ways. Third, Paul addressed the relationship between slaves and masters, exhorting those who served to do their work with sincere hearts and good attitudes, working for the Lord rather than mere men. He encouraged those in positions of authority not to lord it over those under their watch but to treat them kindly.

When I find myself in a difficult relational position at work, home, or elsewhere, Paul’s words hold wisdom and guidance. I am not my own. I am, first and foremost, a servant of King Jesus. He alone is my God and Savior, and I belong to Him. Everything I say and do should flow from the Holy Spirit at work in me because I belong to Jesus.

The Original Intent

3) What does Paul mean by stating, “there is no favoritism” with God? (verse 9)

At the time of Paul’s writing, the Ephesians were accustomed to certain societal roles, specifically in the context of slave-master relationships. Paul addressed the issue of masters threatening slaves because that was a custom used by masters to coerce all the effort possible from their slaves.

Likewise, slaves were accustomed to “paying lip service” to masters by serving in appearance, but Paul knew their attitudes and heart postures toward their masters were not righteous. When Paul asserted that “there is no favoritism” with God, he reminded the Ephesians that God is no respecter of persons.

He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, and the only righteous and holy God. No status or title of man has any meaning to Him; all creation bows at His feet. Paul reminded the Ephesians of the big picture: regardless of whether they held a position of legal societal authority or lived under another’s authority, none of that holds any bearing in light of Who God is.

Paul encouraged his Ephesian brothers and sisters to live in light of Who God is, serving Him first no matter their role in their relationship with others.

The Everyday Application

3) What does Paul mean by stating, “there is no favoritism” with God? (verse 9)

When I pause to consider favoritism, I am swift to attempt to convince myself of my holiness. This isn’t really applicable to me. I don’t put on any airs; I’m humble. I might be as humble as they come! Oof. My very thought pattern reveals the truth immediately.

The Lord is kind to convict me and begin the work He must do to beget true humility in my selfish heart. The culture we live in is steeped in status worship. Those who “have” are counted more worthy in the eyes of the world than those who “have not.” I am constantly tempted to measure my worth and the worth of others by their education, family, home, career, children, financial situation, contributions to society…or, dare I say it, their church denomination.

The list is unending, and since sin first entered God’s good creation, it always has been. This is the way of the world. In our sinful state, we desire to assign status to ourselves and everyone around us. We naturally compare ourselves to our peers, seeking to measure where we stand. (James 2:1-13)

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul recognized this sin issue for what it was and called it out among the Ephesians for their benefit and ours. He boldly reminded the Ephesian church that she wasn’t designed for this type of status claiming, or assigning, and the same is true for us today.

The church, its members, and all of creation belong to God. Compared with His holiness, no one is good, not even one is righteous, save Jesus Christ, our risen Savior! Praise God!

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ephesians,family,Roles,therefore,unity
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Therefore, Day 11
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In Ephesians 6:1-9, early Church apostle and preacher Paul shares how we can serve God through mutual submission within the family structure.

If you felt your hackles rise just reading the word submission, sisters, I see you. To be honest, I am you.

This concept has been weaponized by many in the Church to bring great harm to those traditionally without power. We’re naming this for the evil it is, and we’ll be discussing submission as a call for believers to prioritize one another as a volitional act of service, to both the body of Christ and ultimately to Christ, who sacrificed Himself for us.
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Therefore Day 11 Fight For The Family

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Therefore Day 11 Fight For The Family

Bri Bailey

June 10, 2024

Family,Marriage,Neighbor,Relationship,Submission

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:1-9
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Proverbs 6:20-23
Exodus 20:1-17
Proverbs 6:20-23

In Ephesians 6:1-9, early Church apostle and preacher Paul shares how we can serve God through mutual submission within the family structure.

If you felt your hackles rise just reading the word submission, sisters, I see you.
To be honest, I am you.

This concept has been weaponized by many in the Church to bring great harm to those traditionally without power. We’re naming this for the evil it is, and we’ll be discussing submission as a call for believers to prioritize one another as a volitional act of service, to both the body of Christ and ultimately to Christ, who sacrificed Himself for us.

As Christ-followers, we are called to wholeheartedly pursue Christ, and we know true fulfillment comes from aligning our desires with God’s will. Within the family structure, children can begin this lifelong pursuit by submitting to the discipleship of loving parents, who are themselves submitted to God. 

Ephesians 6:1-3 echoes Exodus 20:12, establishing a framework for leading children through the counter-intuitive process of orienting ourselves toward loving God first, then others as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:34-40)

In fact, when God first began to teach the Israelites how to be a people devoted to Him, He paired instruction to love God above all else with giving parents the responsibility to instruct and train the next generation in devotion to God. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

The pursuit of knowing Christ surpasses any other, and our ultimate goal should be to deepen our relationship with Him, even if it means sacrificing our natural inclination to put ourselves first. We find true joy and purpose in knowing and serving Christ above all else.

Therefore, Proverbs 6:20-23 reiterates the call for children to submit to their parents’ discipleship into Christlikeness:

“My son, keep your father’s command, 
And don’t reject your mother’s teaching.
Always bind them to your heart;
[. . .] they will guide you,
[. . .] they will watch over you,
[. . .] they will talk to you.
For a command is a lamp; teaching is a light,
And corrective discipline is the way to life.”

At this point, we need to clearly understand this is not a call to unquestioning obedience to every whim of an authority figure. The whole of Scripture reveals our righteousness comes not from adhering to rules and regulations, but from placing our faith in Christ. 

A child’s righteousness before God is not found in mere obedience to a parent’s rules, but in faithful pursuit of Christ. As such, Ephesians 6:4 radically flipped cultural norms upside down by instructing familial leaders to value as precious the spiritual lives entrusted to their care. 

From the establishment of the first families, God saw the tendency of parents’ hearts (especially fathers in deeply patriarchal societies) to perpetuate the first sin of humankind, curving in on themselves, prioritizing themselves at the expense of others. (Genesis 3) Instead of sacrificing those under their power in pursuit of their own desires, God calls parents to follow Christ’s example in sacrificing themselves in service to those under their leadership. (Romans 5:6-8; Matthew 16:24-25)

For both parents and children, true intimacy with Christ involves both experiencing the power of His resurrection and sharing in His sacrifice. We are called to embrace the joys and challenges of our faith journey, knowing that through it all, we become more like Christ.

As we turn our attention to the second part of today’s passage, let’s begin with another word of clarification. Ephesians 6:5-9 discuss the topic of slavery, which was a common practice in Biblical times (and far beyond). Near the beginning of the Old Testament, we see the family of Abraham (through whom God would establish the nation of Israel), torn apart and causing great harm to one another through enslaving children of God. (Genesis 16:1-10) Slavery was, and continues to be, a grave evil perpetrated against image bearers of God.

As such, today we will read verses 5-9 through the lens of wholeheartedly working in service to God. For many of us, this idea can be practically applied to submitting to our employers. 

Paul urges us to approach our employers with sincere hearts. (verse 5)

Recalling the concept of work was designed by God in Eden, Paul encourages Christ-followers into wholehearted effort, seeking to honor God with our work ethics rather than focusing on earning the approval of man. (verse 6)

In verse 7-8, we learn we can consider our work as an offering of worship to God, finding meaning and value in whatever task lies before us. And as we work, the attitude of our heart matters! Are we serving grudgingly, or with thanksgiving for an opportunity to emulate Christ?

Finally, Paul closes this passage with another radical upset to the traditional Roman household codes with which Ephesian readers would have been familiar: 

“And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” (verse 9)

Those of us in positions of authority, whether in the workplace or the home, are not exempt from God’s call to submit to another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) In fact, Scripture reveals those who are given more power will be held to higher standards of accountability; those of us in leadership ought to exhibit the greatest levels of Godly submission. (Luke 12:42-48, James 3:1)

Our journey of faith is ongoing, marked by continual growth and pursuit of Christlikeness. We are encouraged to persevere in our walk with God, honoring Him and emulating Christ as we engage in godly submission. 

Father, our worth is not determined by societal standards or our roles within our families or jobs. Our worth lies in relationship with God, as image bearers and Christ-followers. Empower us to love, serve, and honor You first. Then give us grace and strength to love others through mutual and holy submission. We trust in Your righteousness to enable us to confidently fight for our families. Amen.

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family,gospel,humility,Submission,unity
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Therefore, Day 12
Digging Deeper

When I pause to consider favoritism, I am swift to attempt to convince myself of my holiness.

This isn’t really applicable to me. I don’t put on any airs…I am humble. I might be as humble as they come! Oof. My very thought pattern reveals the truth immediately.

The Lord is kind to convict me and begin the work He must do to beget true humility in my selfish heart.
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Done Day 7 Deep Knowing; Bold Asking: Digging Deeper

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Done Day 7 Deep Knowing; Bold Asking: Digging Deeper

Multiple Authors

May 14, 2024

Faith,Family,Help,Holy Spirit,Hope,Power

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 "Deep Knowing; Bold Asking"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:17-19

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of His strength.
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The Original Intent

1) How are we meant to combine wisdom and revelation according to this passage? (verse 17)

This part of the prayer for wisdom and revelation reminds us of Isaiah’s prophetic words in Isaiah 11:2, which were meant to foretell of the time when the Messiah, the Promised One, would be sent to the world as the Rescuer from sin for all humanity.

This One would possess the very Spirit of God, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Him.” When Jesus stood in the temple with Isaiah’s scroll in hand, He read this passage and then boldly told His audience that the prophecy was being fulfilled right in front of their eyes that very day. The Messiah, Christ Jesus, stood before them filled with the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit would lead Jesus in every step of His ministry (Matthew 4:1) all the way to His death, and would then raise Him from the dead! (Romans 8:11)

Astoundingly, as proof of our adoption as His own children, the Father promised to send this very same Spirit of wisdom and truth to live inside all who trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior through repentance and faith. (John 14:26)

Paul’s prayer asked the Lord to reveal ever-deepening wisdom to believers through the Spirit of God who leads His children into all truth, and then lead them to live that truth out in everyday life. (John 16:13)

According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, “Revelation is the imparting of knowledge. Wisdom has to do with the proper use of it in our lives.”

Paul asked that the believers in Ephesus would develop a deep and specific knowledge of God, His love, the believer’s place in God’s family and their role as a result. This knowledge didn’t depend on intellect, but flowed only from the Spirit who knows the heart of God because He is God. (1 Corinthians 2:11)

*Written by Carol Graft

The Everyday Application

1) How are we meant to combine wisdom and revelation according to this passage? (verse 17)

The recipients of Paul’s letter were not pagans, they were Christ-followers in the city of Ephesus. They had a basic knowledge of Jesus the Messiah, otherwise, they wouldn’t have converted. But Paul longed for them to know Christ more intimately because he knew from experience that when they knew Him more, they would love Him more fully, and surrender more of themselves to being God’s agents of reconciliation in the world around them.

“Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people.” (2 Corinthians 5:11) The more we know of Jesus, the more we share of Jesus with bold confidence through His Spirit!

Paul often prayed these things (Colossians 1:9-10) for believers. He wanted all believers to have so much rich knowledge of God and His love, and be walking in such close intimacy with Him, that it changed everything about how they lived and engaged with people. 

Today, we need this letter, and Paul’s pleading prayer, just as much as the original Ephesian recipients. Every Christ-follower has some level of biblical understanding and working knowledge of Jesus, but in order to grow richer in our faith and become more effective for kingdom work, we must submit to the Holy Spirit within us and let Him lead us deeper into knowing God and living for Him!

When Christ-followers submit to the Spirit, He leads us to practice greater discipline in studying Scripture, practicing regular prayer, and learning to listen and obey His voice as we walk with Him each day in relationship. Regardless of how long we have been in a right relationship with Jesus through confessing our sin and trusting Him through faith, there is always room to know Him more fully, learn His heart, and be empowered to love Him and others better!

*Written by Carol Graft

The Original Intent

2) What is meant by “the eyes of your heart”? (verse 18)

In both Old and New Testaments, the heart was viewed as the “seat of understanding”, having even more importance within the body than the brain! The “heart”, in ancient culture, didn’t simply represent emotion and relationship, rather, it also encompassed intelligence and reason. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

This idea is evidenced when the psalmist writes in prayer to the Lord God, “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from Your instruction.” (Psalm 119:18) Both authors, Paul in the New Testament and David in the Old Testament, are prayerfully making the same request of God. They desire to know God and His ways, so they ask for their proverbial “eyes” and “heart” to be awakened and quickened to hunger after the things of God.

Separated by hundreds of generations, these men both understood that a deeper knowing of God Himself would foster greater faith and more effective work for Him. In essence, their lives would carry more eternal weight in the present and the future if they fixed their attention on knowing the Lord God with ever increasing intimacy rather than chasing after fleeting frivolities of culture and pleasure.

It’s also important to note that the focus of Paul’s prayer isn’t for himself, but for others. It’s not that he believes himself beyond the need to know Christ deeper. Rather, because he has already experienced for himself the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8), he knows beyond all doubt that knowing Jesus is the essential key to success in the Christian faith, in cultivating peace, and becoming effective within the Church Body.

Because he knows what is true, he cannot help but plead the same blessing to be abundantly poured out on his fellow believers.

*Written by Carol Graft

The Everyday Application

2) What is meant by “the eyes of your heart”? (verse 18)

In specifically asking the Father “that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened”, Paul was asking the Lord to give to his fellow brothers and sisters what the Lord had already graciously given him. Paul had “tast[ed] and see[n] that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) and he passionately pleaded for the Father to give the same “taste” to the believers in Ephesus.

As Paul prayed, so should we! When we come to the Lord in prayer for our neighbors, for those who sit beside us at church, for our pastor, for our children, parents, spouse, missionaries, and dear friends, Paul’s model of intercession should be the first words our hearts plead. Our ask is meant to intercede deeply for the mental, spiritual, emotional, and logical aspects of the holistic persons of our fellow believers.

If we come to the Lord in prayer for our fellow saints, and we find Paul’s prayer is not our frequent request of the Father, we should ask this prayer for ourselves for we have forgotten our first love in deeply knowing the Father. (Revelation 2:4)

Oh Lord, open the eyes of our hearts to see You, to know You, to love You so that we might walk in Your ways and Your kingdom will come on earth as it is in Heaven through Your people! (Matthew 6:10)

*Written by Rebecca Adams

The Original Intent

3) What are the benefits of Paul’s prayer request? (verses 18-19)

Paul’s prayer for his fellow family members in the faith has immensely rich benefits attached as signified by, “so that”. (verse 18) These two small words act as a beacon when reading Scripture; it’s essential we pay attention to what this little bridge teaches us as we seek to understand Scripture and rightly apply it to our lives.

Paul knows that when the Lord grants his earnest ask for believers’ understanding to deepen and grow, three benefits flow from the generous heart of the Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11)
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that…
1) “you may know what is the hope of His calling”,
2) “what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints” and
3) “what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe”.

Hope. When the Spirit teaches us about God, we begin to have an increased familiarity with the Hope that belongs to every believer as a result of being called God’s adopted child. Far from an uncertain, wishful thinking, biblical Hope is a known fact that cannot be shaken or stolen.

Wealth. Unlike the earthly definition of prosperity, biblical wealth refers to the riches adopted children have as heirs of God. (Romans 8:17) This particular wealth references the “glorious inheritance in the saints”. When we confess our sins and trust in Jesus’ work on the cross to pay our penalty for our sin in full, we are adopted by the Father. Not only are we given a Father, we are brought into an entire family of saints.

Power. With the Spirit guiding our exploration of knowing God’s heart, the believer begins to grasp the “immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.” The world chases power, willingly sacrificing many good things like people and relationships in order to possess it. The lusty allure of power tempts each of us in its own way, but the power of God is, at its heart, selfless. Paul writes that His power is toward us; it’s for us, it’s a gift of inheritance freely given to His people because they are exactly that, His adopted children.

*Written by Rebecca Adams

The Everyday Application

3) What are the benefits of Paul’s prayer request? (verses 18-19)

Hope. The believer has Hope for life after death where she will be united forever with God without the entangling allure of sin or the pain of suffering, but she is also assured of Hope in the present. Even in painful challenges on earth, her Heavenly Father is present in hardship and is actively working for her good, shaping her to be more like Jesus. (Romans 8:29)

Wealth. One of the rich benefits of knowing God more intimately is to be blessed by the richness of His family through fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus. The believer will never find herself alone, separated from God, for He has become her Father, neither will she ever be without brothers and sisters. Tucked within this grand inheritance of family is both the sheltering love of family in everyday life as well as the purpose of loving this family. Paul writes in Galatians 6:10, “[…] as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” We are meant to especially care for our family of saints.

Power. God’s power isn’t given to make us popular, gain a platform, or amass money, it’s to testify of God’s goodness and His freedom-giving gospel to a world so sick with sin’s cancer that they will spend eternity in Hell without it. His power is given to us so we can tell the world of the Power-giver who broke the chains of Hell with His own death by paying for our sins, every last one of them, so we could be free. “With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.” (Acts 4:33)

The rich depths of this inheritance becomes ours to explore with the Spirit of God as our all-wise Teacher when this prayer is answered, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened …”. (verse 18) Let this reality motivate us to pray like this. Then, once we’ve tasted its richness, let’s plead the same abundance for our family!

*Written by Rebecca Adams

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access,eternal,forgiven,power,prayer,rescue,Sin
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Done, Day 6
Journey Study

I was feeling the pull of hard relationships in my life, and I was tempted to say things I didn’t mean. I wanted someone to come in and make me a meal, give a hug, and care for me.

Here in my need, the Spirit of the Almighty God met me, whispering,
“You are the Beloved of God” over and over and over again like gentle evening waves upon the thirsty beach of my heart.

I was captivated by His Words, leaning into His voice, drinking in His truth.
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The GT Weekend! ~ Done, Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Done, Week 1

Katelyn Palmer

May 11, 2024

Adoption,Adoring,bride,Broken,Called,Covenant,Family,Fellowship,Heaven,Holy Spirit,Hope

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
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and worshiping the Creator who
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Pray His Words Back To Him!

Ephesians 1:3-8

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him.

He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He lavished on us in the Beloved One.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
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Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, In all Your wisdom, You created each of us in love, with every hair on our head and freckle on our face. (Psalm 139:13-14, Matthew 10:29-31) You knew each step we would take before we took our first breath.

Offering rescue to the world through the blood of Your Son on the cross was always Your plan. To spend eternity with us was always Your plan. To love us unconditionally and without restraint was always Your plan.

Your Spirit, a gift we never earned nor deserved, testifies to our adoption as Your children crying out within us, “Abba Father”. (Romans 8:15-16)

Your Son intercedes on our behalf even as He pays the price for our sin on the cross. (Luke 23:34, Romans 8:34)

I pray that as we, the sisters of Gracefully Truthful, move through the theme of “Done”, You, Yahweh, move through us.

I pray our understanding of the power of Your love alive within us deepens and we extend it lavishly to our neighbors.

I pray we see Your heart.

I pray we are encouraged to share the news of Your sacrifice and share in Your sacrifice to serve others.

Truly, the work of our salvation is DONE and all who trust in You are YOURS.
In Your Son’s name I ask, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

What a treat to jumpstart our new theme, Done. Lesley really packs a punch as she drives home the truth that God’s love for us is genuine and complete.

When a phrase or message is repeated often, like “God loves everyone,” sometimes it can lose its meaning. Lesley gently reminds us that God isn’t loving us generically or because He is acting from obligation. We aren’t the last ones to be picked for God’s family team. God intentionally chose each of His followers “before the foundation of the world”! (Ephesians 1:4)

We are messy, sinful creatures consumed by our own lives with little perspective of the world around us and yet the Creator of the Universe handcrafted each of us, then chose us to be His before He even created the world. Have you ever known such intentionality?!

Lesley and Mandy also remind us that God chose us with purpose. He chose us to be made holy like Himself, to be adopted into God’s family, and to be freed and redeemed from the wretchedness of our own sinful decisions through His son Jesus Christ. All of this work, beginning to sacrificial end, delighted Him to accomplish! (Ephesians 1:5)

I urge you to meditate on the foundational belief that God chose you not because of your works, but simply because He wanted to; that desire for you never fades!
JOURNAL TWO

Something a pastor said that has always stuck with me is the idea that God wants relationship with us more than He wants our vain sacrifices and works. The Lord has told us this in word and has demonstrated it with His actions. (Hosea 6:6, Romans 5:8)

God chose us before even creating the universe (Ephesians 1:4), laid plans for His Son to be the purchase price for our reconciliation to Him (Galatians 4:4, Ephesians 1:7-10), and blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of the heavens through His Son (Ephesians 1:3).
All of this was so we may become His daughters and sons!

It is encouraging to read repeatedly that God delighted in His plan to unite us with Him. Adoption was His heart’s desire from the beginning. (Colossians 1:19-20, Isaiah 53:10). He has always shared His love and spiritual wealth with us, in knowledge, relationship, peace, and joy.

To know God in this way is to understand what Paul was speaking about in Philippians 3:7-11. He eloquently relates that everything the material world offers…is dung…compared to the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus”. (verse 8)

While this may sound like an exaggeration, Paul is right. As God’s children and heirs (Ephesians 1:11-13), our goal should be to seek Him all the days of our lives. While we will certainly fail on more than one occasion, keeping our eyes trained on this goal will safeguard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and prepare us for the path Yahweh has set before us (John 14:1-4).
JOURNAL THREE

Forever. A word not created by us, but by Yahweh, the One who has always been and will always be. It’s impossible for us to fully comprehend the true meaning of forever, but Jesus knew exactly what it meant when He said, “He [God the Father] will give you another Counselor to be with you forever”. (John 14:16, emphasis mine)

Many of us doubt our salvation at some point, but Jesus never has. Yahweh knew we were set apart as His long before light dawned on the earth. He hasn’t doubted the security of our eternal rescue for a moment.

If true Christ-followers are safe in eternity with the Father forever as family (Ephesians 2:4-6), how will we steward the part of forever we spend on earth?

In a word: worship.

We are meant to spend this time cultivating a relationship with God and learning from the Holy Spirit all the wonderful things He was sent to teach us as we bring ourselves to Him in surrendered worship.

In John 16, Jesus outlines four purposes of the Holy Spirit: to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11); to guide us in truth and declare what is to come (John 16:13); and, lastly, to glorify God (John 16:14-15). What a marvelous Father we have, so generous with His love, and we get to spend forever with Him.
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ephesians,eternity,Holy Spirit,rescue,salvation
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Done Day 4 Adoption Story: Digging Deeper

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Done Day 4 Adoption Story: Digging Deeper

Lois Robbins

May 9, 2024

Adoption,Alive,Family,Forgiven,Freedom,Future,Heaven,Holy Spirit

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 "Adoption Story"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:9-12

He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure that He purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time —to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him.

11 In Him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of His will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to His glory.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is meant by the “mystery” Paul references in verse 9? 

The New Testament uses the word MYSTERY in a special sense. Rather than a mystery that’s impossible to understand, biblical mystery is something which has long been secret, but is now revealed and made plain for all.

There are aspects of the Christian faith that can seem mysterious at first, but with understanding, the once-mysterious, becomes clear and precious.

For example, suppose someone who knew nothing about Christianity visited church during a Communion Service. Communion, and the language surrounding it, would be a complete mystery. They wouldn’t understand what was happening or why, but to the believer in Jesus who understands the Lord’s Supper, Communion is not only plain and clear, it’s also rich with joy and significance. Communion itself wasn’t mysterious, rather, until its meaning is explained, it remained a mystery to the one who hadn’t yet understood it.

For Paul, “the mystery of His [God’s] will”, was made plain when Jesus came to fulfill the “good news gospel story” that the Lord God had been weaving since before time began. (Ephesians 1:4) When Jesus came to sacrifice Himself on the cross, He paid for every sin across all of time. (1 John 2:2) That “credit” of righteousness was now available to all people. When someone accepts this credit, their debt of sin will be erased in full because of Jesus’ righteousness. This acceptance through faith (Romans 10:9-10) is what moves someone from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son, making them a child of God. (Colossians 1:12-13, Romans 10:13)

This was always God’s plan to redeem mankind, but it wasn’t clear in the Old Testament Who the promised Messiah would be, neither did many understand that God always intended for this gospel to be extended beyond Jews, offering payment of sin to Gentiles also.

These were both mysteries, but when Jesus was revealed, the mystery of the gospel was made plain!

The Everyday Application

1) What is meant by the “mystery” Paul references in verse 9? 

Up until the time of this writing, mankind had been living in a divided world. Either you were Jewish, or you were a Gentile, which included Greek, Barbarian, and, well, everyone else.

All around the known world there was strife and tension because of this division, but Jesus came into the world to wipe out the division and offer rescue from sin for all people. (Ephesians 2:13-14) This was the secret of God, bound up in the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. Not only was He the now-revealed promised Messiah from the Old Testament, He also extended forgiveness and new life to all people, regardless of nationality. (Revelation 5:9)

The Bible teaches that through the ages, history is the active working out of the will of God. (Ephesians 1:11-14) Today, we continue living in an age in which humanity continues loving Self. Lines of division are drawn in cultures all around the world to evidence this Self-Worship, proving faithfulness to our agendas and our versions of right.

Just as Jesus came to erase division between Jew and Gentile in the first century, so He is at work in our world through His people to bring unity under the Name of Christ Jesus.


Paul understood that one day, as the mystery of Christ continued being proclaimed around the world, people from all backgrounds would come to faith in Jesus, building one family in Christ.

It is the great task of the Church (believers in Christ) to work out God’s purpose of unity, and live every day with His mission in mind, serving one another in love and humility with our lives while our tongues tell of the grand rescue of Jesus who made a way for us to be forgiven and live free from sin!

The Original Intent

2) What is the intended connection between inheritance and predestination? (verse 11)

In the context of this passage, Paul uses the Greek word “προορίζω”, which is translated “predestined” to emphasize the pre-determined choice of God. As Sovereign over all things, God has “foreordained, decreeing from eternity” His plan and purpose in redeeming mankind.

God’s “predestined” plan was known in full to Himself, the all-wise, eternal God (1 Corinthians 2:7), and always included the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:23) to make the atoning payment for sinners. No part of the redemption plan was accidental or a “backup” plan. Christ’s death was God’s plan to save His beloved people and bring them Home.

The Greek word, “κληρόω”, translated “inheritance” in English, references the possession of salvation for those who trust in Christ Jesus through faith. (Romans 10:8-10) These believers receive the inheritance of salvation (Hebrews 1:14), but its meaning to the first Greek hearers was much deeper than the English “inheritance through a will of the deceased”. This “κληρόω” was a divinely appointed heritage meant for ownership and possession to the one who received it by order of the Almighty God.

The believers’ inheritance of salvation is described as an eternal, joyful existence with God. Believers are promised, by divine order, “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading – kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4) The doctrine of predestination teaches that all who are saved were chosen by God before the foundation of the world through His foreordained rescue plan which He planned, purposed, and brought to fruition by His divine power.

Therefore, for all who come to Christ, our inheritance in the heavenly kingdom for all eternity with God is secure by order of the Almighty. (Isaiah 14:27) This inheritance is accessible to all who truly turn to Christ through repentance and faith in Jesus alone.

The Everyday Application

2) What is the intended connection between inheritance and predestination? (verse 11)

Paul carefully chose his words so his recipients would not miss how loved, treasured, known, and loved they were in God’s sight. His plan to forgive and restore humanity was determined and set in stone long before any of us took a single breath. His plan is secure, and the inheritance of all who come to Him is immovable.

The God who predestined the rescue of sinners according to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is truly the Almighty King. He enacted His predestined plan because He is altogether a perfectly loving and righteous Father who “predestined us to be adopted as sons”. (Ephesians 1:5, emphasis mine) We are so loved that we are His own, chosen for adoption.

Predestination is an act of infinite fatherly love, bringing outsiders into His family forever without any basis of merit on the part of the sinner, for we truly have nothing to offer a perfectly holy God! (Isaiah 64:6) This is extravagant love!

His predestined plan for our salvation brings Him praise and glory. In essence, our rescue from eternal death brings a smile to the face of God.

When we perpetuate this mission of God in our own lives, we are carrying on His legacy and making known His offer of rescue to all people. We are putting God’s grand love on display in everyday life and ordinary circumstances. (Grace by CityAlight)

The Original Intent

3) What group of people is meant by “us” and “we”? (verses 9-12)

Paul’s letter was written to those who had come to faith in Jesus, but were not of Jewish descent. The Jews were the original “chosen ones” in the Old Testament. As Jews were the first chosen people, they had the first opportunity to come to the Father through faith in Jesus. It was first to the Jews that the mystery of the ages was revealed. (Romans 1:16)

Sometimes figuring out who the pronouns belong to in a passage of Scripture can be challenging. The best method for determining their identity is by walking back to the beginning of a passage, which can sometimes mean multiple chapters! Don’t be discouraged, rightly studying God’s Word is worth it!

Studying the opening verses of Ephesians, Paul addresses the “faithful saints”, which is inclusive of all who have genuinely come to faith in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. (verses 1-2) “Us” and “we” in verses 3-8 inclusively declare solid, unchanging truth of our inheritance and reality as adopted believers in God’s family. Regardless of descent, all who trust in Jesus are safe for eternity by His “good pleasure”. (verse 5)

Verse 9 marks a transition as Paul identifies “us” as his own nation, the Jews, who were the first ones to whom God “made known the […] mystery of His will” of salvation through Jesus. Continuing through verse 12, Paul explains how the Jews were also recipients of the same inheritance, under the same predestined wonder of the divine Almighty that is now extended to the Gentiles. Paul shares this to highlight the deep unity the Lord intended among all believers, Jew or Gentile.

Emphasizing this unity, Paul uses “you” in verse 13, “In Him, you also […]”, to call out Gentiles specifically. He then hems all believers together again in verse 14, “the Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance […]”.

The Everyday Application

3) What group of people is meant by “us” and “we”? (verses 9-12)

The Jews’ assigned part to play in God’s mystery was to be the nation from whom God’s Messiah would come. All through history they had dreamed of and waited for the Messiah’s arrival; they were the first to have the opportunity to believe in Jesus.

God desires salvation for all people. (1 Timothy 2:4) All are in need of a Savior, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23); all are on equal footing before God. Still, the Jews were the people most prepared to welcome Christ, as He fulfilled every Old Testament law and prophecy. (Matthew 5:17)

All over the world, God prepared the hearts and minds of peoples and nations so they would readily receive the message of Jesus when it came, but the great privilege of the Jewish nation was to anticipate the coming of God’s Anointed One.

Whether Jew or Gentile, when people respond in faith to this Good News, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit as proof of their authentic belief. (Romans 8:9) The Holy Spirit teaches us to walk in God’s ways and equips us to obey Him.

The Spirit’s indwelling proves the authenticity of our adoption, and He grows fruit in our everyday living. One cannot have the Spirit and remain the same as before trusting Jesus. The Spirit provides a new self, a new life, and a renewed knowledge that is conformed to the Creator God. (Colossians 3:10-11)

Once we were orphaned. Once we were slaves of sin. Once we were rebellious and cut off from the Father. But when we come to the Father in faith, through Jesus’ sacrifice, He pours out His Spirit into our hearts, enabling us to call with the tongue of the adopted daughter, “Abba, Father!”. (Romans 8:15-16)

Here, in the heart of God, we are Home at last, welcomed into His family!
So live boldly as His child and share how Jesus has made you His! (Matthew 28:19-20)

Tags :
adoption,eternal life,Holy Spirit,hope,predestined,rescue,Safe,Savior,secure
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What comes to mind when you read adoption?

For many, “adoption” quickly conjures the human arrangement of assuming legal responsibility for a non-biological child.

While this arrangement is called adoption, the adoption we find in Ephesians 1:3-12 reaches far beyond human institutions; it is God’s own arrangement from long before the foundation of the earth.
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