Fruitfulness

Redeemed Day 2 Once Upon A Time: 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 Once Upon A Time!

The Questions

1) What time period is “the judges” and why does that detail matter? (verse 1)

2) Why would we care about the detail of this family being “Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah”? (verse 2)

3) Why would the Lord allow such hardship for Naomi if He truly loved her? (verses 4-5)

Ruth 1:1-5

During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3 Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.

Original Intent

1) What time period is “the judges” and why does that detail matter? (verse 1)
Historical dates feel cumbersome to many, but they play an important role when studying Scripture as they help provide context and cultural norms based on the timing. For this book, we don’t get a specific date, but a general time period. The time of the Judges lasted 400 years and was post Joshua (who succeeded Moses who led Israel across the wilderness and out of Egypt), and pre king. The prophet Samuel was the transitionary figure between judges and the kings, so Ruth’s story happened before him. We also have another clue to determine the timing. Boaz! Boaz was the grandson of Rahab the prostitute who married the Israelite, Salmon, after Joshua led Israel to victory against Jericho and the city walls collapsed. (Joshua 6) When we read the book of Judges (which is extremely fascinating! We even wrote a Journey Theme for it!), Othniel is the first judge who dies after 40 years as judge, so we are getting close to the approximate age of Boaz. The best guesses for Ruth’s timeline fit within the period when King Eglon ruled Moab, which is after Othniel’s death. (Ah! Moab is Ruth’s native homeland and the location Naomi and Elimelech moved during the famine in Israel. (Verse 1)) In reading Judges 3:12-14, we discover how the Lord handed Israel over to King Eglon of Moab for eighteen long years as a result of their rebellion against God. It’s somewhere in these nearly two decades, we find our characters living out their “Once Upon A Time”.

2) Why would we care about the detail of this family being “Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah”? (verse 2)
When God freed Israel from slavery in Egypt, He promised to lead them into a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of great abundance and prosperity. As long as they walked in the ways of the Lord, Yahweh promised to bless them; if they rebelled against Him, He would remove their prosperity and bring consequences upon them as a reminder to return to the Lord who loved them. (Joshua 1:8, Deuteronomy 31:29) The Promised Land was inhabited by the Canaanites, but when Israel finally arrived, the Lord handed over Canaanite cities one by one as Israel followed the Lord into battle. (Deuteronomy 7:22) Often, but not always, Israel would rename Canaanite cities as they overtook them. During this time period, names carried weighty significance. For example, Naomi means “good and pleasant”, but when Naomi returned empty-handed to Bethlehem, she told everyone to call her Mara, which means “bitter”. (Ruth 1:20) Scholars believe a renaming of cities is what happened with Bethlehem. In Scripture, every time Ephrath, the Canaanite name, is mentioned, it is in conjunction with Bethlehem, the Israeli renaming. By calling out Naomi and Elimelech as Ephrathites, which means “fruitful”, and Bethlehem, which means “house of bread”, it was a blatant reminder of judgement from the Lord. The Promised Land, meant to flow with milk and honey, even in Bethlehem, the city of “bread” and “fruitfulness”, was now barren without food because of willful disobedience by its inhabitants.

3) Why would the Lord allow such hardship for Naomi if He truly loved her? (verses 4-5)
No one would blame Naomi for how she felt towards God. Later in chapter 1, she voices, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” When troubles wash over our lives, leaving us feeling swamped and broken, it’s easy to blame God, but we do have two heart responses available to our choosing. Naomi chose to cut herself off, resigning her heart to being empty and broken the rest of her days. Job, on the other hand, chose to bless the Lord, even after he lost his children, his livelihood, his wealth, his friends, and his health. (Job 1:20-22) When extreme suffering hit them, both Job and Naomi did share one similarity between them, they both gave themselves permission to grieve. Worshipping the Lord in the midst of tragedy does not negate our need to process our grief, but it does the critically important work of shifting our hearts off ourselves and onto the Author of life. This shift made all the difference between Job and Naomi. Naomi’s grief grew steadily into cold bitterness. Because he responded first, and over again, with worship, Job’s grief, though deep, eventually gave way for Job to lift his head, and realize how God’s character was vastly wiser than his own. In response to this humble act of worship, the Lord graciously ushered in a sweet, intangible peace. (Job 42:4-3) We may never know the answers to all of our “whys”, but we can always grow deeper in knowing the God who does indeed love us!

Everyday Application

1) What time period is “the judges” and why does that detail matter? (verse 1)
The historic timeline paints a fuller picture as to why Naomi and Elimelech fled their hometown of Bethlehem nestled in their homeland of Judah. They lived in a period of great moral decay. Their culture, though only two generations removed from Moses and the giving of the Ten Commandments, had become exceedingly stubborn in their rebellion against the Lord. The author of judges describes their rebellious heart attitude like this, “everyone did whatever seemed right to him.” (Judges 17:6) How closely does this seem to fit our own culture today?! In a world where right and wrong are only relative to the person making a moral decision, we have an entire culture acting in whatever way seems best to them. Israel experienced many consequences from the Lord as a result of their rebellion because He loved them and wanted them to live with abundance and fullness. However, they continued to consume the lie that their ways would bring better happiness over dwelling within the loving boundaries of the Lord in sweet relationship with Him. Any deviation from how the Lord calls us to live detracts from a truly full life of increasingly deep joy and satisfaction. Where might you be pushing away from His ways to choose your own?

2) Why would we care about the detail of this family being “Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah”? (verse 2)
When Elimelech decided to move his family out of the region of famine, he could have chosen another Israelite city that was not experiencing such severity. Perhaps a region closer to the Jordan river was more fertile than Bethlehem. Instead, he chose Moab, a city clearly outside of the land God had given Israel as an inheritance. It was as if Elimilech had decided God could no longer provide for him. God administered the consequence of famine to direct Israel’s attention back to God’s heart as the Giver of all good things and remind them of Who He was and His heart for the people He had rescued from slavery. Recognizing this, however, necessitated one to self-reflect, then repent of rebellion, then return in humility to God. Elimelech, however, took his family and left the entire land God had given as an inheritance. Going further, he allowed his sons to marry Moabite women, which was also strictly forbidden. (Deuteronomy 7:3) Elimelech decided God was not good enough for him. He would rather depend on himself than face sin and repent. Perhaps, as a further consequence of his rebellion, this is the reason for Elimelech’s death and those of his sons. Choosing to keep ourselves as the final judge of God’s character based on our circumstance, instead of the truth of Scripture, is always a dangerous position to take. Consider your own beliefs about God and His heart-attitude towards you. Do your beliefs match up with what the Bible says is true of Him? Are you tender to the Lord’s rebuke in your life, ready to return to Him in humility?

3) Why would the Lord allow such hardship for Naomi if He truly loved her? (verses 4-5)
It’s an age-old question each of us have likely wrestled with from time to time. “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Or, said a different way, “Why does a good God allow suffering?” Few answers to these questions give us peace in our hearts. In the end, it’s much about our willingness to acknowledge God’s supremacy, linked inextricably with His wisdom, goodness, tenderheartedness, and His love, over our own shortsighted understanding. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Only the Lord knows all things. (Psalm 147:5) Only the Lord has the power to work beautiful things out of our smoldering ashes. (Isaiah 61:1-4) Only the Lord loves us deep enough to use His power for good, even when we can’t see through the smoky haze of our brokenness. (Romans 8:28) If we trust His heart, over ours, if we choose to worship Him with thanksgiving for Who He is, then He will safeguard our hearts and our minds with His peace which passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7) Where can you begin to choose worship over worry, trust over fear, and humility over the need to control or understand?

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Once Upon A Time!

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

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Redeemed Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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 :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Relentless Day 8 Relentless Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:19-7:1
Matthew 26:69-75
John 21:15-18
Jonah 3:10-4:11

Relentless, Day 8

Determined. Unstoppable. Persistent. Relentless.

Those words describe God’s love towards us.
He is determined. He is unstoppable. He is persistent. He is relentless.

In our weakness, He is still relentless.
In our doubt, He still pursues.
In our failings, our running away, and our questions, He still gives chase.

I’ve often questioned God’s love. 
“Maybe this has happened because I messed up and God is punishing me.”
“God is proving to me that I don’t measure up.”

I’ve run from Him in anger. 
I felt God failed me, so I went the other way.

I have failed to follow Him. 
In my pain, I’ve focused on my hurt and my situation, choosing to ignore the truth about God.

Yet.
He still relentlessly loves.

How do I know?
The easy answer is “The Bible tells me so.”
It does say how much God loves us, but even better,
it tells stories of those who questioned, failed, and ran.

Of whom, Gideon is one.
His story is full of adventure as a “nothing” became one of God’s great warriors. One weak man is lavishly loved as a result of God’s relentless pursuit!

Gideon’s story unfolds while his people were being punished for their continued rebellion against God. False gods and lies were everywhere. His own father had built idols to the pagan god Baal. He had grown up hearing about this all-powerful God, but had never seen Him do much, if anything, in his own lifetime.

As Gideon was working, doing his ordinary low-honor job of threshing wheat, an angel appeared telling him he would save Israel from their oppressive enemy.
Gideon started asking a bunch of questions, kind of like we do sometimes.

How?
Why me?

Then Gideon asks for a sign.
To which, God responds with three signs, proving He is God and His word is trustworthy.

I’ve heard the debates.
Gideon shouldn’t have questioned God.
He shouldn’t have asked Him to prove Himself with the fleece (again!).

But see our God?!
Did God walk away from Gideon saying, “Oh forget it, I’ll get someone else.”
Or
“You are too weak for this, never mind.”
No.
He answered the questions, He gave the sign.
God met Gideon where he was!

Today, His sign is His Word and His confirmation the transformed lives of ordinary people who have taken Him at His word, trusted His faithfulness, and seen the incredible!

Many times, I’ve questioned God.
Recently, I was at a loss, confused and questioning everything, but I knew His Word was the medium He used to speak.  I randomly opened my Bible to Psalm 94 and His voice faithfully spoke:
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheers my soul.” (verse 19)
“But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.”  (verse 22)

Did God get mad and turn His back?
No, He reminded me Who He is.

Gideon had never heard God speak or seen His miraculous works.
His faith was weak.

The Lord called Gideon to do two jobs, tear down his father’s idols and save Israel. God miraculously showed Himself to Gideon by burning up Gideon’s offering sitting on a rock and covered in broth. He experienced God firsthand, so he obeyed and tore down the idols.

Again, God proved Himself with Gideon’s fleece, once being wet and once being dry.
Gideon’s encounter with the Almighty, gave him the faith he needed to go off to war and defeat his enemies in the face of insurmountable odds stacked high against him.
Each time God showed Himself, the stronger Gideon’s faith grew.
The easier it became to follow without question.

I am like Gideon, my faith grows as I see God working in the living testimonies around me and speaking actively through His Word.
The more I choose to trust Him, the easier I follow without hesitation.

I’ve questioned.
I’ve run.
I’ve failed.
Holding onto lies, believing God has failed me, I might decide not to open my Bible or worship as I could.  I isolate myself from others because of the hurt I believe God caused.

But His grace found me in in the pit!
“He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.”
(Psalm 40:2)

God did not let Gideon go, desert him, or turn His back in anger, neither will He do for us! His unending love will never end, always giving chase.

He is Determined.
He is Unstoppable.
He is Persistent.
He is Relentless Love!

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

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

Focus Day 9 Make Peace: 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 Make Peace!

The Questions

1) How can I cultivate peace?

2) What is the fruit of righteousness?

3) How do I get wisdom from above?

James 3:13-18

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

Original Intent

1) How can I cultivate peace?
The Greek word for peace, Eirene, means “right relationships between man and man.”  Author William Barclay suggests that in James 3:18, James is saying “we are all trying to reap the harvest which a good life brings. But the seeds which bring the rich harvest can never flourish in any atmosphere other than one of right relationships between man and man.”  Barclay also suggests that “in the Bible peace means not only freedom from all trouble; it means enjoyment of all good.”  The book of James suggests we can make peace not only by avoiding unnecessary conflict with others, but also by treating them with love and kindness.  John W. Ritenbaugh also asserts, “peacemaking involves not only mediating but also everything the person is, his attitude and character as well as what he intends to accomplish. Peacemaking is a package dominated by the godliness of the person.”  When we treat others with the love of our heavenly Father, we are cultivating peace with them.  It is not something we can do without the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.  But when we let God’s saving grace and love permeate our actions, we become peacemakers.

2) What is the fruit of righteousness?
Author Rhoderick D. Ice notes that the original audience for the book of James believed that “Goodness = righteousness. The Greek-speaking Jews put great emphasis on the ethical side of religion, and were very proud of their relationship to God. Goodness is the goal here, and it grows out of the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.”  Isaiah 32:17 also relates righteousness to peace, stating “the result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.”  The apostle Paul also connects the two when he writes how the Kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)  Paul also teaches in Romans 5:1 that our faith in God has made us righteous, which gives us the peace of God through Jesus Christ.  The righteousness of God works peace in our lives, and having God’s peace allows us to live a righteous life.  When we live a life of peace, love, gentleness, and faith, we draw and encourage others to know Jesus and enjoy the fruits of righteousness in their own lives.

3) How do I get wisdom from above?
The book of James was probably written by Jesus’ brother, James, to Christian Jews around AD 45-48.  It was probably the first New Testament book written.  One of the main topics in the book of James is wisdom; Charles Swindoll notes that James “looks a bit like the Old Testament book of Proverbs dressed up in New Testament clothes.”  According to Professor Robert W. Wall, the Hebrew word for wisdom, hokma, “suggests using our God-given intelligence to pursue the insight and know-how we need in order to negotiate life in the public square.”  James was instructing Jewish Christians how to live wisely with help from God.  Robert Chaffin, Jr., points out that James teaches “the ethical life flows as the fruit of God’s divine gift of wisdom.” James instructs Christians to seek wisdom from God to live the life God desires.  It is not the same as the earthly wisdom of humans, which is selfish and unholy.  True wisdom is a gift from God, given by God to those who seek Him to help them live a holy life.

Everyday Application

1) How can I cultivate peace?
I notice that when I argue with my loved ones, I am usually at fault.  I am not saying (or at least not admitting) that I am usually wrong, but I recognize how I often refuse to be the peacemaker I know I am called to be.  Sometimes I care more about being right, or getting what is rightfully mine, than I care about being like Christ.  Author Stephen J. Cole observes, “If you see a church or a home where there is peace, it is because the members have worked to cultivate peace.  They have listened to one another, respected one another, judged their own selfishness and pride, and sought to live in accordance with godly wisdom, not ‘worldly’ wisdom.” In the Bible, Paul also notes this in Romans 2:9-10:  “There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;  but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”   When I can focus more on doing what is good than on getting my own way, I am making peace with those around me and walking in the wisdom of the Lord.

2) What is the fruit of righteousness?
Author John W. Ritenbaugh suggests, “some of the fruit of righteousness are the qualities James mentions in James 3:17. Righteousness is therefore the seed from which these things grow.” Author John MacArthur concurs with Ritenbaugh saying, “Righteousness is equated with true wisdom because wisdom is righteous living.”  Author Andrew Murray says, “being right with God is followed by doing right.  ‘The righteous shall live by faith’ a righteous life.”  So, if I am peaceful, gentle, merciful, faithful and genuine, I am displaying the fruits of righteousness.  The more I let God’s saving grace work its power in my life (Titus 2:11-12), the more I will experience and display the fruit of righteousness.  Being saved and transformed by God enables me to live a righteous life that will show other people the life-changing love of Jesus.

3) How do I get wisdom from above?
The book of James tells us that wisdom from God is “pure and gentle, peace-loving and
compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without pretense.” (James 3:17).
This wisdom sounds amazing, but how do we access it?  One thing we can do is follow the counsel of James to those seeking wisdom.  He tells them to “ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. (James 1:5) This truth is also found in Proverbs 2:5: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”  We can also follow the advice in the book of Proverbs to “Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life”. (Proverbs 19:20) Wisdom also comes in knowing Jesus.  I Corinthians 1:24  states, “to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  Concerning Christ as the wisdom of God, author Thabiti Anyabwile asks, “Can there be a greater display of the intricate and exquisite wisdom of God than the simultaneous punishment of sin and clemency of the sinner through the crucifixion of God’s perfect Son?” God, who is wisdom, offers us wisdom through His beloved Son, Jesus, who took the punishment for our sins on the cross so we could be blameless before Him. So, if we want godly wisdom, we can ask God to give it to us, we can learn from wise friends, and we can find it in the person of Jesus.  We are truly blessed to have such ready access to the wisdom that comes from God!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Make Peace!

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

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Focus Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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 :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Kaleidoscope Day 6 Strength Of Humility

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13:4
Nehemiah 9:16-19
Philippians 2:5-8

Kaleidoscope, Day 6

“I’m not staying in this tiny town!”, I declared, my voice full of hurt and anger.

“And I’m not leaving,” my husband responded with just as much conviction.

We stared at each other, feeling every inch of the emotional chasm separating us. We had only been married eight months, yet we had already hit a wall strong enough to break us up.

I had grown up in a big city and always imagined raising my children near my parents. But, I married a boy from East Texas, with roots as deep as pine trees are tall. His family owned land and cattle in a small town and one week after we were married, we moved there, five hours away from my family.

While I could see the cracks forming in our young marriage with every stance I took, my pride kept me from letting up. I wanted to move to my hometown and live near my parents, and if my husband wouldn’t agree to that, then maybe we weren’t meant to be after all.

.   .   .   .   .

It pains me to look back at that time in my life. I couldn’t see how tightly the vine of pride had wrapped around me, squeezing the life out of my marriage.
Pride has no place in love.
This is what 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us.
To be proud is to be self-reliant, self-preserving, and self-focused.

Pride leaves no room for an “other”.
If your world is consumed with making sure
your needs are met,
your rights are not trampled,
or your kingdom is being built,
then you have no time to meet the needs of others, to speak out in their defense, or to build them up. Blinded by pride, one can never experience true love, nor can you extend it.

The antidote to pride is humility. C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” By this definition, to be humble, is to be focused on others. As a Christian, it means to be focused on God. And in humility, we have no better example than Love incarnate: Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:5-8 beautifully depicts the humility of Christ:
“…who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be explained. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death- even to death on a cross.”

The love of Christ is unlike any other precisely because it is humble.
He did not seek His own best interests, or His own desires, or His own will.
He did not “puff himself up” or think himself too good to die for us.
He laid every right aside for the good of the world, in obedience to His father.

We see God’s selfless love throughout Scripture, not only on the cross, but also in the desert. As a “stiff necked” people, the Israelites rejected Him time and again, but God remained faithful.
He always sought them out.
He always won them back.
He never stopped loving them, no matter the cost.

And that’s the heart of it, isn’t it?
True love always costs us something.

In fact, true love costs us everything; it costs us our selves.
We see this everywhere from motherhood and marriage to friendships. We see it in our relationship with God. To truly love God is to lay down our will and humbly submit to His.

In the world, selfless love is a dangerous proposition.
In Christ, there is no safer bet.

The world warns that no one will care for you if you don’t care for yourself. But Christ’s perfect love drives out that fear. Wholly taken care of by His perfect love, we are free to love others without thought for ourselves.

.   .   .   .   .

After some time had passed, my husband broke our silence. This time, the anger in his voice was gone, leaving only sadness and desperation.

“I’m doing everything I can to make you happy here, don’t you see that? Why won’t you just give it a chance?”

As tears filled his eyes, my heart began to break. I loved this man. What was I doing? He was doing his best to make me happy in our new home. My pride was the only thing standing in our way to a strong marriage and a new life together.

In that moment, I chose to let go of my plans and trust God. It was a decision I had to make every day for the next year, as God faithfully worked in my heart to help me choose our future over my past.

Pride threatened to destroy my marriage, but humility saved it; taking my eyes off of my pain and setting them on God’s plan.  Though it was a difficult time in our marriage, we experienced the truth of 1 Corinthians 13 first-hand.
Love is not proud, it is humble and fully rests on His love for us.

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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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Seeds Day 11 Seeds Of Encouragement

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 1:6-11
Acts 9:26-27
Acts 11:19-30

Seeds, Day 11

We all come to Jesus under different circumstances and with a past.
A past without Him.
Some of those pasts are basically “forgettable”, while others are more difficult to leave behind.

The apostle Paul was no exception.

None would argue the impact Paul had on the early Church, an influence which continues to the church today.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he preached the good news of Jesus and because of his influence, many have come into a relationship with Jesus.  However, Paul, who began life as Saul, had a past.
A past quite different than the one we most attribute to him.

Before Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his purpose was in direct opposition to the one for which he is most remembered.  In fact, he was on that road to carry out that purpose: to stop the Gospel’s advancement by killing Christians!

However, Jesus met him and changed EVERYTHING!!  (Paul’s story!)

While Paul’s purpose immediately changed after meeting Jesus, others were not so quick to forget his past.  The disciples in Jerusalem were afraid to associate with Saul, remembering who he was and what he had done. How could God use such a dramatic story if no one would give him audience because of his past?

It wasn’t until Barnabas came alongside Saul, affirming him, supporting him, and sharing his story, that others began to believe Saul had really changed and began working with him, instead of against him.  Acts 11:24 describes Barnabas as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith”. Barnabas believed Paul, but more so, he trusted what God could accomplish by His Spirit through a humbled heart. Because Barnabas had experienced God’s transformation for Himself, he was able to rejoice in what God alone had done while encouraging others to do the same.  Barnabas supported and encouraged Paul, ministering with him as they taught and edified the church to stay true to the Lord.

But suppose Barnabas had not affirmed Paul?

A high school girl I know has a personal mission. She has chosen to sit by another girl in church who has mild special needs, writing questions which correspond to the message, allowing her friend to interact with the sermon in ways she can better understand.
How easy it would be to allow irritation to take root or simply issue a reprimand.
What if we, like my young friend, chose instead to take someone aside, get to know them, and see how we might be able to help them learn more about Jesus? What if we come alongside another for the sake of the Kingdom so someone else can understand Jesus better?

What if, instead of coming to conclusions about the mom with disruptive kids in the grocery store who are interfering with our peace, we understood that she too has a story. What if we whispered a kind word instead of giving a judging look?

What if that child in your classroom who asks for attention in inappropriate ways is the child who ends the day in an empty home or a home with little or negative attention?  Suppose we got to know that child and took him under our wing, helping him succeed while possibly opening an opportunity for the gospel because of your investment?

What if?

How would our churches, our communities, and our schools change
if we began seeing others as image bearers of our Father
and people for whom Jesus died?

In Acts 1:8, Jesus gives His followers the charge of being His witnesses to those in our sphere of influence. To extend hope and encouragement like Barnabas did in our homes, communities, and businesses, we must get close to people, hear their stories, and be exposed to the uncomfortable.

We all have a past, some appear darker than others, but in reality,
we are all the same without Jesus!

Because Jesus changed him, Barnabas knew Jesus could change Paul.
If Jesus has changed me, I must believe He can do the same for others, even those I’m hesitant to engage.
What might God do when our hearts are ready to hear and obey Him?
Who might God want you to come alongside to encourage and make a difference for His Kingdom?
Ask, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide you!

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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 Seeds Week 3! 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 Seeds!

The GT Weekend ~ Seeds 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) When have you experienced a season of waiting and feeling empty? What did it look like as those areas were filled and redeemed by the Lord? Our empty places aren’t always filled the way we envision them, but every situation we give over to the Lord is transformed by His filling. When we relinquish control of our everyday moments, we open them up to being filled by the Spirit and used by Him. Decide to look intentionally for where the Spirit is leading and filling instead of rushing by these moments and filling them with our agendas. Consider writing “filled” somewhere in your home, car, or even your wrist as a reminder to give over control to the Lord, waiting for Him to fill.

2) It’s one to thing to say yes to the Lord when He asks you to specifically do something, but it’s a different heart attitude to be willfully submissive to whatever he calls us into. Jesus doesn’t call us into ‘categorized obedience’ where we can control the outcome and the game plays, He asks for total submission. When we do, Real Life breaks through and lives are transformed for eternity! How will you begin practicing saying “yes” as part of your everyday?

3) In what ways does the “easy lie” of “striving is required to please God” pop up in your life? Look for ways you seek to control, or ways you feel burdened or weighed down, or consider the expectations (and their source) you spend time, energy, and emotion working to meet. Hidden inside life with Christ, peace buoys and joy comes and freedom is unleashed, even in the maddening moments of everyday life precisely because striving has ceased. The Lord cannot love you more than He does in this moment, and He will never love you less! What physical markers can you put around you to remind yourself of this truth? Consider setting an alarm on your phone with a helpful label to keep you focused

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 Colossians 3:1-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Prayer Journal
Your thoughts, my plans. Your power, my weakness. Your infinite knowledge, my narrow-minded and limited perspective. How could you consider using me to expand Your Kingdom and do Your work? Yet, You do. All of those weak limitations are altogether transformed in the light of Your offer of redemption.

Remind me, Spirit, constantly, to seek the things above; the things of Christ. Train my heart to focus on You and the life You give and the obedience You call me to as I move through my day, interact with my kids, spend money, and chat with friends. Prepare me to be ready to say yes to You at any moment regardless of what it could cost me. How I love You, Lord! Thank You for hiding my life in Yours!

Worship Through Community

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Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Seeds Day 5 Charged Up

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5:16-18
Acts 1:6-11
Acts 3:1-16
Acts 4:13-32

Seeds, Day 5

For a long time I wrongly believed that in order to have the fruits of the Spirit flow from my life, I had to purpose in my heart to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, and all the rest. I thought my possessing Christ-like character required my first pulling myself up by my proverbial bootstraps and mustering up within myself the ability to live as the Spirit would have me live.

I blindly bought the lie that I just needed to try harder to be a “better version of myself”. This foray into legalism unfortunately lasted several years.

The lie that it “all depended upon me” doing better
never got me anywhere.

I’m sure you can imagine just how long my attempt to be a “better” person lasted! Within minutes of my feet hitting the floor on any given day, my dedication to be a more patient or loving person flew out the window as I lost my temper or allowed selfishness to reign supreme in my heart.

What I didn’t understand at the time, but am so passionate about sharing with women now, is this truth: The fruit of the Spirit is exactly that…a fruit of the Spirit, not of self.

While Galatians 5:22-23 outlines the characteristics of the fruit, we need to back up, pay close attention to context, and first read Galatians 5:16-18:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ….But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

If we want the fruits of the Spirit to be made manifest in our daily lives, we first must be walking by the Spirit (which we learn to do by reading the Word, praying, and listening for His voice). That is the prerequisite for those fruits becoming a natural part of our character. As we walk by the Spirit, who already resides in every believer, the manifestations of the Spirit will naturally rise to the surface in our lives.
No striving required!

The early church understood this reality.
Jesus had told them in Acts 1:8 they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.“

In Acts 3, Peter specifically testified to the reality of his power source after he healed a lame beggar by saying, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?”

Peter wasn’t attempting to perform great signs and wonders in his own strength.
Far from it!
He was operating from the power of the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ.

In Acts 4 we see what this kind of ministry was doing to the governing authorities of the time – they were getting angry!
They soon commanded the apostles to cease their healing ministries and refrain from proclaiming the name of Christ. In verses 29-31 the believers banded together and prayed, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants
to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders
are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, they continued to speak the word of God with boldness!

How would your life look different if you began to grasp the depth of power available within you as a temple of the Holy Spirit?
Would you cease your striving?
Would you proclaim truth with boldness?
Would you be more loving, patient, and kind?
Would you wake up with a sense of expectant readiness and excitement for all the Lord will accomplish in the day ahead?
Would you walk forward in joy, peace, and unwavering belief?

All of this and more can be said of every believer as we intentionally walk by the Spirit in everyday life. Don’t buy into the lie of the self-help gospel (which is no gospel at all!) that teaches you to rely on yourself and muster through.
That plan will neither succeed nor bear fruit.

What will bear much fruit is purposing to operate from the power of the Holy Spirit within our hearts every moment of every day, relying on His help, not self, to bring life and bear lasting fruit.

If that isn’t exciting, I don’t know what is!

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Seeds Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Worship V Day 10 My Jesus I Love Thee

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Read His Words Before Ours!

I John 4:13-21
Romans 1:18-25
Ephesians 1:3-14

Worship V, Day 10

Before we delve into the history, lyrics, and application of this timeless tune, take a few moments to listen in.
Listen to the words as well as the melody.
Consider closing your eyes to remove distractions from your sight, or watch the video as it plays to help you focus.
My Jesus, I Love Thee!

What thoughts came to mind as you listened?
What emotions welled up?
Maybe your thoughts and emotions mirrored the lyrics and you were caught up in a most blissful state of being.
I hope so.

For me, however, my thoughts and emotions often run counter
to the heart and soul of this song.
I have had to do some hard living lately.
My “adulting” game is fierce, and I have more than once questioned my love for Jesus.
By life’s circumstances, I am tired, hurt, and perplexed.
If I were to pen lyrics to this tune they would go a bit more like this:

My coffee at sunbreak is my only hope.
The chocolate at midday is my way to cope.
My children, beloved, for whom I would die
If ever I loved ones, “My kids” is my reply.

Oh fitness, I love you, endorphins you give.
Real food, in your tastiness, my best life to live.
I love you for bringing curves to my wasteline.
If ever I loved a thing, healthy living sublime.

Friendships, how dear to me, those near and far.
Through trials and triumphs, your love above par.
Those new, old, enduring relationships
Have been for me everything, the anchor of my ship.

To food, friends, and family, I look for my hope.
You are my refuge when with life I can’t cope.
My greatest devotion to you I give,
Make you all my god unto whom I live.

Maybe the details are different for you, but my guess is there are as many other things/people/pursuits of which we make God-replacements as there are folks reading this.

What I listed above is not bad in and of themselves. In fact, most are precious gifts from God Himself to help us through life, to encourage us, give us a sense of purpose and a context in which to live out His love. But how quickly and often they go from being a gift from God to Whom we give thanks to idols we demand and think we cannot live without.

When the words of this beautiful hymn cannot be a sincere declaration of our hearts, they can be transformed into a prayerful petition.

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now

God knows our state of being today just as He knew yesterday’s and tomorrow’s too.
We don’t have to pretend with God.
We can bring our current status directly into His throne room of grace,
covered by the blood of Jesus,
and know God wants to love and transform us at the same time.
In God’s Kingdom ways, these two things are not mutually exclusive,
but mutually inclusive.
One cannot nor does not occur without the other.

William Featherston wrote “My Jesus I Love Thee” in 1864, and I wonder what might have been competing for his attention and affection for God at that time in history. Regardless, Featherstone, at either age 12 or 16 (history is not clear) penned a poem that would eventually be transformed into a hymn; one many still sing today.

Featherston is not known to have written any other poetry or created anything else in his relatively short life time. He died just before his 27th birthday. History legends that Featherston sent the poem to his aunt who believed it was worth publishing. Years after Featherston died, Adoniram Judson, famous missionary to Myanmar, put the words to music and included it in a hymnal where the poem-turned-tune became broadly known.

What impresses me is the fact that Featherston was not seeking fame or fortune;
he was simply expressing his adoration to Christ.
God is the one who ordained events such that Featherston’s adoration evoked the adoration of likely millions more as his words found their way around the world.
The fruit of Featherston’s worship was not made known
until after his life on this earth had passed.

What might that teach us about adoration and fruitfulness in our own lives?
Could it be that our worship, sincere and surrendered,
may bear more fruit than our work for God ever could?

Might it be that the quieter moments between us and Jesus
lead to loud moments of great impact after we are gone?

To close, why don’t you take another few minutes to ponder, pray or pipe out the words to this classic hymn, considering that worship is a choice, not based on feelings or circumstance, but on the precious, unchanging character of the God we serve!

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship V Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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