Gift

Come Day 5 Come To Receive

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Come Day 5 Come To Receive

Farah Isbell

February 14, 2025

Blessed,Community,Faith,Freedom,Generous,Gift,Giving,Gospel

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 66
Matthew 19:13-15
Ephesians 1
Acts 20:32-38
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) 

Has our enemy ever used this verse against you, perhaps twisting Scripture to leave you feeling guilty for receiving care from God or fellow believers? 

As with all of Scripture, it’s vital for us to read any passage in context, for when shaved away from the rest of the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God, see Ephesians 6:17), one verse can become a dangerous metallic shard. Therefore, we must examine receiving and giving within the full context of Scripture; otherwise, we might frame these concepts as opponents, with one being “right” and the other, “wrong.” That is a mistake!

In fact, Psalm 66 and Ephesians 1 are full of the blessings we receive in God! Rather than singling out any particular verse, envision these entire chapters as hidden picture puzzles. The chapters themselves are large, beautiful illustrations, now, zoom in and search for the following smaller, beautiful word pictures nestled within. 

Can you find →  
awe-inspiring acts, 
wonders of God, 
seas turned into dry land, 
protection, 
abundance, 
every spiritual blessing, 
adoption, 
redemption, 
understanding of the mystery of his will, 
the Holy Spirit, 
wisdom, 
hope, 
and leadership? 

What else can you seek-and-find in these chapters? Make your own list; beside the truths gleaned from Scripture, describe personal moments in which you received from Him. For more fun, continue the search into Ephesians 2 and 3! 

For example: 
Awe-inspiring acts (Psalm 66:3) . . . . the sunset out Dad’s hospital window
Solid, dry paths (Psalm 66:6) . . . . the way He has ordered our sons’ steps
Protection (Psalm 66:9) . . . . how He changed our job scenario                      

As you’ve read, have you noticed a pattern in which receiving precedes giving? We receive from the Father first and then we are energized and empowered to give with steadfastness, love, patience, unity, and grace.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 describes one of my favorite accounts of this receiving-giving pattern.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the 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.” 

Before I understood this pattern, I spent years chasing giving and avoiding receiving. I wanted to muster up the ability to give my time, energy, and resources to others, completely independent of God. I did not comprehend that my abilities and strengths were completely dependent on Him. God began to teach me He empowers and sustains my ability to give, AND He provides and cares for me through the gifts of others. 

During shorter seasons of difficulty, I would be forced to receive help. Once, I became sick and unable to work for a month or even stand long enough to prepare a meal. I had to receive from my husband and others, but I did not like it, nor did I do it well. 

Later, as I experienced the births and miscarriages of my children, I was a stubborn sheep who had to be hooked and wrestled to my side in order to “lie down in green pastures.” (Psalm 23:1-2) Oh, may I not put Him through that anymore! (but I likely will…)

From 2020-2022, my dad fought cancer and finally joined the LORD. After his passing, I began caring for my step-father, who was bedridden and on hospice. I have spent 4 years depending on what I receive from God and others to sustain me as I caregive. 

I have relied on the kindness and care of my brothers and sisters in Christ during this time. A friend covered our hotel room expenses when Daddy was at a research hospital for 3 weeks, multiple food deliveries were made from family and friends, people sat with him, assistance came in from his neighbors for doctors appointments, and many more gifts than I can describe here were generously extended. Psalm 66 is an excellent parallel of how God worked personally in our lives (though it originally refers to the Israelites). 

My mom and I have needed to humbly receive the help of so many people we will never be able to repay; we’re also learning we aren’t required nor expected to repay, because these people are serving God. Pride can be a wall to receiving and it must be torn down! I must remind myself Jesus receives children joyfully and tenderly (Matthew 19:13-15), and that I will always be a child to my Father in Heaven. Therefore, I must remain “childlike,” joyfully receiving, rather than “childish” and stubbornly rejecting or expecting. 

Receiving infuses and empowers giving. I can comfort those tending sick parents now like I couldn’t before receiving all He provided. Receiving precedes giving so that as “God gets it to me, He then He gets it through me” to someone else, just as He did with Paul in Acts 20:32-38. 

With a broader, deeper view, now we can grasp how “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. It’s not that giving is “right” and receiving is “wrong,” but truth resides inside the understanding that giving is the fruit of receiving, multiplied!

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Come, Day 5
Digging Deeper

When Paul left Ephesus, he wanted those believers to know for certain that they also had an inheritance, one given by the assuring Word of God’s grace. (Acts 20:32)

The inheritance Paul described is heaven and eternal life with God. (Matthew 19:29) It is through Jesus, the Word of God (John 1:14), that we receive the inheritance of life with God forever.
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Lowly Day 4 In Merciful Compassion: Digging Deeper

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Lowly Day 4 In Merciful Compassion: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

December 12, 2024

Comfort,gentle,Gift,Grace,Humility,Identity,Joy,Ordinary,Time

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 "In Merciful Compassion"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-5

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) How is a person “dead in sins”? (verses 1-2)

Paul is attempting to complete the thoughts he began in the previous chapter (Ephesians 1:16-23), so we will lean on chapter 1 as we study the opening verses of chapter 2. It’s also important to note that, in the original Greek language, verses 1-7 of chapter 2 are a single sentence! I have a suspicion Paul was so delighted to declare God’s mercy, he didn’t know where to put a period!

Reflecting his own ethnicity, Paul’s previous “we” in Ephesians 1:11 likely refers to Jews, this makes the “you” in verse 1 of chapter 2, referencing Gentiles. As he often does, Paul begins this passage (verses 1-2) with the partial bad news of the human condition. It’s only ‘partial’ bad news because the contrasting argument (where there was sin, there is now mercy) is evident from his language in verse 1.

In the Greek, the apostle begins the sentence with a participle (although) which Bible scholars believe was intentionally left dangling as a hint of suspense for the reader. While they wait for the solution to their spiritual dilemma of “you were dead”, the audience is primed and ready for the dramatic “but God” in verse 4!

Paul’s use of the metaphor of death is important; there’s no middle ground. A person is either alive in Christ, or they are dead in their sin. The Greek words paraptōma and hamartia describe the evil that controls and characterizes human life apart from God.

These are both the cause and the evidence of death in three ways: the world’s way (John 15:18-19), Satan’s way (1 John 5:18-19), and the human way (Galatians 5:17).

Every person starts off dead because of the influence of these three. “You were dead.” (verse 1) For the reader, there was previously no goodness and, therefore, there was no life.

The Everyday Application

1) How is a person “dead in sins”? (verses 1-2)

Though it may not be clear to us, every human walking the earth is either dead or alive spiritually. Only these two conditions exist within the human soul. Just as a dead body cannot respond to stimuli to wake up, the spiritually dead person is unable to respond to spiritual stimuli unless enabled by God to see their need to be made alive.

Sister, we are completely helpless to even know we’re dead without the Spirit telling us!

Prior to God’s Spirit touching our hearts and giving us sight, we are unable to revive ourselves no matter the outward circumstances. Before Christ, we walk with blind spots so big we need His Spirit to reveal to our hearts our condition, hence Paul’s plain words, “We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath…” (verse 3)

Sweet friend, the change brought by the Spirit of God is not merely a temporary modification in the trajectory of our lives. People can alter their lives without being made alive, but it produces nothing of significance in our eternal condition. Our salvation comes with life transformation by the Spirit. We were dead in our sin before Christ!

Jesus spoke often to the Pharisees because they focused on the sins of others without recognizing their own need. Jesus even called them “blind” in their attempts to earn their way to God. (Matthew 23:16-22) Being unable to see their own dead state eventually led them to be spiritually separated from God forever. And that’s true for us.

We need to be made alive. I’m so thankful Paul doesn’t stop with bad news. Thankfully, our merciful Savior doesn’t leave us in our spiritual tombs of disobedience and rebellion!

The Original Intent

2) Is every human born with evil inclinations, and consequently, born under wrath? (verse 3)

As we continue with our run-on sentence, we pick up in verse 3 with the condition of those who are dead in sin. Paul makes it clear that no one is immune to the consequences of sin. “We too all previously lived …” tells us that Paul doesn’t exclude himself from the group of people who are “by nature children under wrath.” (verse 3)

After meeting Jesus on the road while traveling (Acts 9:1-25), Paul spent his life sharing the good news. He had come to know that God’s grace is for everyone because everyone needs it. Through many words of reason, Paul wrote his letter to the Romans in an attempt to convey a single point: the human condition without Christ is fatal.

His letter in Romans 7:4-5 depicts the helpless plight of humanity under the power of sin. Just as he’s about to beat the drum of despair in Romans 7:24, he breaks into thanksgiving in verse 25.

Paul’s personal experience as a Pharisee (one who sought to be right with God through his own righteousness) proved to be completely ineffective in rescuing him from death. (Philippians 3:3-9) But Jesus makes all the difference by turning death into life!

Most Jews considered the Law sufficient to reconcile them to God, keeping them from sin and death. Paul maintained that the Law offered an understanding of sin but was incapable of saving anyone because it had no cure for the failings against the Law. Only by a self-sacrificing act of the perfectly righteous God could humanity be rescued from our dire state of eternal separation from God.

So, is every human born with evil inclinations and, therefore, an enemy of God? Yes. Every single one. (Romans 3:9-12)

The Everyday Application

2) Is every human born with evil inclinations, and consequently, born under wrath? (verse 3)

It’s probably not too difficult to believe in human wickedness as we observe the selfishness and rebellion of humanity all around us. We don’t need to look far to notice the idolatry in the world and the schemes of Satan to create havoc in our world.

But Paul wanted us to know we were ALL in the same boat at one time, headed away from God and straight toward an eternity apart from Him. (verse 3 and Titus 3:3)

Even Paul, as a religious leader, recognized he needed the mercy of God to save him for he had no righteousness on his own. (Isaiah 64:6) Friend, every person who now knows Jesus as their Savior was once dead in sin. Everyone who has put their faith in Jesus to save them is spiritually alive only because of His great grace.

As we recognize our own neediness, it’s essential we acknowledge those who are still lost who need to know God’s mercy. By demonstrating God’s love for the world, we are living testimonies of the gospel message that was written from Paul to Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)

The life God offers to each dead soul comes at the price of His sacrifice; there is no other entry way except total surrender and humility. When we accept this gift, we are called to live holy lives just like the God who rescued us is Himself holy. We live rightly to reflect the righteousness of the living God who sacrificed His life to wake us up from death!

The Original Intent

3) What was the reason God made us alive “even though we were dead”? (verses 4-5)

The New Living Translation says, “But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.” (verse 4, NLT)

We were dead because of our sins, but God made us alive because of His great love!

The apostle John wrote to the believers, “See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!” (1 John 3:1) He went on to write about God’s perfect and complete love in his letter, and we learn that love exists because of God! (1 John 4:7-10 19) It is His great love that drives His mercy toward all of us humans.

In the Old Testament, the wrath of God is demonstrated by His response to sin. Israel’s blatant idolatry was most often the cause for God’s wrath and judgment. The Lord’s patience had been so clear that Moses could do nothing less than worship Him. (Exodus 34:6-9) And although there had been clear instruction given, as well as a declaration of God’s faithful love (Exodus 20:1-6), the Israelites chose to live as those who had not been offered God’s mercy.
 
The prophet Isaiah would remind them the Lord would deal with the problem of sin by paradoxically dying Himself for His people through the work of the “Suffering Servant”, Jesus. (Isaiah 53:10-12, Isaiah 42)

Jeremiah also offered hope as he spoke of the Lord’s love and goodness amid necessary righteous judgment. (Lamentations 3:21-23) Now, Paul has come to know the grace of God, and he wants them to remember that saving grace is for all people! (1 Timothy 1:12-16)

The Everyday Application

3) What was the reason God made us alive “even though we were dead”? (verses 4-5)

There’s something about the stories in the Bible of dead people coming to life that give me chills. Every time a person is resurrected, it’s a remarkable miracle that demonstrates how the Lord of Life has the power to give life, even after death.

I’ll remind you of a few stories you can read to excite you, too. In 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah raised the son of a widow. In 2 Kings 4, the prophet after him (Elisha) raised another son from the dead. Jesus Himself raised several people from the dead (Luke 7-8), including His friend Lazarus. (John 11:38-44)

Even the apostles were given the power to bring people to life who had died. Peter spoke life into a beloved local woman (Acts 9), and Paul raised a young boy who had fallen out of a window and died while Paul was teaching (Acts 20). The important aspect of each story is that none of them had the ability to make themselves come alive. They all needed someone to bring them back to life. But precious Sister, there’s One who came back to life on His own power.

He is the One who brings us to life! Because of His great love, we are raised and seated with Jesus in the heavens so that He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace! (verses 6-7)

Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heav’n to earth come down.
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling; all Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion; pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit, let us find the promised rest.
Take away our love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.
(Love Divine; All Excelling Joy of He!)

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Lowly, Day 3
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I remember the first time I was struck with amazement that Jesus humbly came to earth as a human.

As I stood with the choir one Christmas, suddenly words came to my mind as clearly as if Jesus was speaking directly to me:

“Don’t ever consider anything beneath you. I didn’t.”
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Lowly Day 1 A Christmas Surprise

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Lowly Day 1 A Christmas Surprise

Bri Bailey

December 9, 2024

Birth,Dwell,Faith,Future,Gift,Hope

Read His Words Before Ours!

Joshua 1:1-11
Exodus 23:20-33
Matthew 1:1-18
Colossians 1:3-5

You’re probably expecting our Christmas Journey Theme to open with a newborn’s cries piercing the quiet of a sleepy town nestled in the foothills of Judea.

Yet Christmas is a season for surprises! So, SURPRISE!
We’re stepping back several millennia before that Bethlehem night, to meet another man standing on a different eve of promised fulfillment.

We’ll explore connections between the birth of Jesus and the life of Joshua, the leader who shepherded the Israelite nation into possession of the promised land.

This warrior’s perspective, platform, and power cast a glow on Christmas we can’t afford to miss. Let’s listen to Joshua’s pre-Christmas story!

Joshua’s Story: Possessing the Promise
(Joshua 1:1-11)

Leaning into the relentless wind, I plant my feet firmly at the ridge’s edge, refusing to glance at the craggy drop to the valley far below.

I’m unmoved by my precarious position, because there it is. 

Mountains and hills, green with olive groves.
Plains and valleys verdant with crops and dotted with livestock.
Azure seas and coursing rivers.
Canaan.

Our Promised Land.

The incomprehensible contrast to the desert we’ve traversed for forty years is striking. 
We’ve been waiting so long, I cry silently, to possess the promise.

An impossible promise from Yahweh;
one of limitless legacy to a childless man, 
and unthinkable possession to a man called to leave behind his possessions.
(Genesis 15)

A promise so wild the man and his wife had laughed aloud in disbelief.
(Genesis 17:15-18, Genesis 18:9-12)
Yet, in the fullness of time, a child of promise was born. (Genesis 21:1-6)
From that child grew a nation so great that, when they found refuge from famine in Egypt, pharaoh grew fearful of their numbers, ordering their enslavement. (Genesis 50:22-26, Exodus 1:6-14)

Remarkably, Yahweh remembered His promise to the man long ago and rescued His people. (Exodus 2:23-3:12) Though He powerfully freed us, Israel didn’t trust Him and they forfeited their possession of the promised land. Astonishingly, He remained with us in the desert as an entire unbelieving generation died. (Exodus 12:29-42, Deuteronomy 1:19-45)

Among the fallen was our leader and my mentor, Moses. Before his death, the Lord appointed me to lead Israel into Canaan. (Numbers 27:12-23)

Canaan.
My eyes soaked in the scene before me as my heart turned over the reality of an impossible promise being impossibly fulfilled.

Yahweh’s words filled my ears, 
“I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses 
[. . .] I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. 
Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance.” (Joshua 1:3-6, emphasis mine)

His deep assurance settles in my spirit as His words fill me.

The fullness of time has come.
We will possess the promise.

A Christmas Story: Setting the Stage
More than a thousand years later, much of the promised land had been lost. 

Our story ensues in a small settlement etched along another ridge, tucked between western hill country and eastern desert. Called the “House of Bread,” Bethlehem’s grassy hillsides supported crops of grain and grazing herds. From fieldstone towers, shepherds kept watch over their flocks. 

Although agriculture thrived, historians believe much of the bounty was commandeered by Roman-installed vassal king, Herod, just 5 miles north in Jerusalem.

Bethlehem’s fieldstone homes were built over limestone caves, where animals sheltered. Small homes, consisting of 1-2 family spaces, surrounding an open cooking area.

Canaan the gift, now overshadowed by Roman oppression.

On government ordered census, Bethlehem’s dwellings quickly flooded with distant relatives returning to their ancestral homes. (Luke 2:1-3)

In this little town, amongst a people crushingly oppressed and desperate for rescue, our Christmas story begins, or rather, continues.

A Christmas Surprise: Making Connections
So . . . what exactly is the connection between Joshua and Jesus?

As it turns out, Joshua and Israel’s experiences in Canaan 
not only reveal the character of God 
in a way that is consistent with His revelation through Jesus, 
but also dramatically illustrate why Jesus came. 

As Joshua stood poised to lead Israel into Canaan, God had beckoned His people to careful adherence to the Law and full-hearted devotion to Himself. (Joshua 1:7, Exodus 23:24-25)

Oh Israel, their humanity inextricably bound up in sin, abandoned their God.
The kingdom of Israel lay fractured, and her people exiled. 

A ragged remnant returned to re-settle Canaan, but quickly slid into cyclical sin. The people couldn’t uphold God’s laws or find their way back to Him.

Heaven fell silent.
What was left of Israel fell to Rome.

While possession of the promised land had been lost, a far greater promise was about to be fulfilled. 

The same God who’d remained with Israel in the desert,
led them to possess Canaan, and declared He would never leave or abandon them
was now incarnate as Emmanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25)

Emmanuel would rescue all people from our greatest oppressor, Sin, and make a way home to God.

Joshua, the mighty warrior, would lead more than 2 million people to establish an earthly kingdom in the promised land, possessing Yahweh’s long-ago promise.

Jesus, the sacrificial servant, would establish a heavenly kingdom by bringing salvation to all peoples, fulfilling the promise of redemption God made when sin first began. (Matthew 6:9-15, Genesis 3)

This Christmas, join us in exploring the hope of the Gospel (Colossians 1:3-5) foreshadowed by Joshua  and made real through the humble life, sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection of Emmanuel, our Savior!

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Lowly, Day 2
Digging Deeper

You must not make a covenant with them or their gods.

They must not remain in your land, or else they will make you sin against me. If you serve their gods, it will be a snare for you.

"...it will be a snare for you."
In this season of flurry and fluster and fast, can you hear the Father's quiet call, reminding us to watch for the things that snare our attention away from Him?
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Pause VII Day 7 Peace Like A River

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Pause VII Day 7 Peace Like A River

Rebecca Adams

January 30, 2024

Beauty,Believe,Faith,Gift,Jesus,Peace

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 46:3

There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
Read More Of His Words

The Old Testament is rich with brilliant jewels tucked into the fabric of scenes and stories that can be hard to understand. With a little un-earthing, we can uncover stunning gems, tuck them into our modern-day pockets, and pull them out to watch the sun catch every facet even as we walk through the intensity of dark suffering.

As an aside, when you read Old Testament Scriptures, look for the gospel. How did that passage point forward to Jesus and His redemption? Today, some friends and I read Numbers 5 with eyes and ears watching for the good news of Jesus. Guess what?! We found it! Once we started prayerfully looking, Jesus shone everywhere in a chapter that most Christians have never even read. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Keep reading your Bible!

Back to Psalm 46, remember the earthquakes and tsunamis from verses 2-3?
Violent. Unexpected. Destructive.

The author calls us to Selah, and to put on glasses that fix our gaze on the truth about God and place ourselves intentionally within the safety of His Stronghold, regardless of the surrounding madness.

Then, everything changes from hurricane winds and oceanic tornadoes to an incredible scene of peace, beauty, and delight. Switching modes from terror to delight is a bit hard for us to comprehend, but the True Author of Scripture, the Lord God, knew what He was describing through the Sons of Korah as they wrote this psalm. These words were only a hint of the lush beauty to come for God’s people.

While the change of scenery invokes a sense of peacefulness, hope, and worship, it was meant as so much more.

Go open your Bible to Ezekiel 47:1-12. I’m 100% serious, here. Read #HisWordsBeforeOurs. The entire reason I’m even writing these words is so I can point to His! If you don’t read His, don’t read mine!

Did you let your mind paint that stunning picture as you read God’s Words by His Spirit to Ezekiel?! That description of the deepening waters, where it becomes so deep it’s impassable, is what it’s like to be lost in the wonder and richness of knowing God. How do we know Him? We walk in the River of Life which brings sheer delight.

The “City of God” would have been understood to be Jerusalem to the first audience, but now, we know salvation is for all people, Jew and Gentile. (Romans 1:16) Look, we found colors of the gospel! The River isn’t God’s people, but it flows underneath them, filling them, bringing them delight even in the face of chaos and turmoil.

What’s more about this “City of God” is that it isn’t just the place for His people to live, it’s the place where God Himself dwells with them. In the Old Testament, God’s Spirit was confined to a small curtained off room in the middle of a wide camp of thousands of Israelites. The people were too sinful to approach Him. But Jesus came and paid the death penalty we owe for our sin, God tore that temple curtain in two, and welcomed His people to know Him personally. Then He sent His Spirit to dwell inside believers so we could know Him and the power of His resurrection alive in us! One day, He will call His children HOME where, finally, He will dwell with His people face to face.

Before you close your Bible today, open the last book and read it for yourself. Take note of the River, of the life of its waters, and the dwelling place of God and His people.

It’s stunning!
Nothing on your to-do list can beat out the beauty you’ll find!

Revelation 22:1-5

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Pull out your Bible and read Psalm 46 fully through 3 times. Read slowly, emphasizing different words each time. Let the words of Scripture wash over you as the Spirit speaks to your heart.

2) Each time you read, write down everything that pops out at you, makes you curious, or wonder “why?”. When you’re finished, go back through and you’ll be amazed at the new things the Spirit is leading you into knowing about Him!

3) Write out a prayer of thanks to God for sending His Son to endure the cross on your behalf. Ask Him to help you love His word and be true to it. Pray for eyes to see the brilliant colors of the gospel painted all across His Word. Asking Him to help you grow in knowing Him more deeply, for this is eternal life! (John 17:3)

4) Keep working on memorizing Psalm 46:4-7

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Pause VII, Day 6

“To pause and praise with uplifted hands and voices.” Have you done that today? I know, it’s Monday, but maybe Selah is precisely what you need most.

I sat with a friend today who was recounting how she had told the Lord on a particularly busy day last week that she simply had no time to sit with His Word. She knew immediately the Holy Spirit was telling her ,“No. No. No.”, and when she read “No. No. No.” on a random sign, she was quickly convicted. She stopped what she was doing and sat down to open her Bible.

Selah
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Melody Day 11 Humble Harmonics

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Melody Day 11 Humble Harmonics

Meribeth Schierbeek

December 25, 2023

Gift,Glory,Hope,Humility,Jesus,Joy

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1 
Exodus 15:1-21 
1 John 1:1-4
1 John 4:9-12 

The Christmas morning bells are ringing! Can you hear them?

The Day has finally arrived! As you sit contemplating your December, what have you anticipated? Tasks or people or a little of both? Before you rush on past the question, stop, and spend some time – maybe make a list. What are you feeling and pondering about Christmas this year?  

I imagine your list will look different than your neighbors’, your friends’ and even different than a family member or two.  If you asked me for mine, it would unfortunately begin with the weight of gift buying. I wished it didn’t, but it does.  

Let’s think for a moment…

…if our Christmas season did not include the birth of the Savior, how would our lists be different?

…if Mary did not choose to believe the child she was carrying was from the Lord, how would Christmas be anticipated?

As a follower of Jesus, is my attention focused on my Savior’s humble birth at Christmas? Mary, too, chose humility, believing the child of promise growing within her was from the Lord.  And finally, in humility, we can know the love of our Savior.

Take a moment to read the Scriptures listed above. It must be #HisWordsBeforeOurs for my words to matter. I don’t know about you, but what I consume in my mind determines the direction of my heart. The Old and New Testaments reveal how desperately we need saving from slavery to sin, and Jesus, our humble Savior, was brought into the world to free us into His light and His glory.

Christmas reminds us of this saving truth each year.   

Does December, and the list you just made, humble you? My own lists remind me that I need, and have, a Savior who gave me the opportunity to turn my heart to Christ and His glory.

Belief in Christ is a humbling gift of grace; it is humbling because we admit we do not know best, God does. In Exodus 15:1-21, following the miraculous rescue of the Israelites from slavery, leaders, Moses and Miriam, experienced the same invitation to humility and trust in God’s plan. They respond by singing God’s praise, just as Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth would centuries later.  

Let’s explore Mary’s song together in Luke 1. 

Before Mary begins her praise, Elizabeth extends a blessing,
“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord
would fulfill what He has spoken to her!”
(Luke 1:45, emphasis mine)

Mary follows this recognition of humble belief by continuing the theme of humility:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 because he has looked with favor
 on the humble condition of his servant.
 Surely, from now on all generations
 will call me blessed,
 because the Mighty One
 has done great things for me,
 and his name is holy.”
(Luke 1:46-49) 

Mary claims no accolade for herself, 
instead she points to God alone as her Savior.
She praises the One who tenderly wraps His daughter
in unmerited favor. 

She sings of He who is the Author of blessing in her life,
a Holy One who is working out His great and miraculous plan through her.

In our American culture, platform and influence and self-aggrandizement are potent currency, yet Mary’s divinely-inspired worship calls us to embrace a very different posture.

Like Miriam and Elizabeth, Mary heard the call to humility, and acted on it. Each one of these women was human and flawed and trapped in sin and death. Mary’s words remind us God is the champion of their, and our, stories; we are called to humble partnership with Him as He works in our world.

Every day brings us one step closer to His return,
when the trumpet sound will replace the Christmas bell.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
All of His promises will be fulfilled,
and ALL God’s children will be Home.

Can you imagine a day when no one is missing around the table at Christmas?  

Who will you invite into the joyful humility of Christmas as the New Year turns? 

Who are you praying will come to know Christ this season?  

Do YOU know Jesus, whom we’re celebrating today, and does your list reflect it?

Lord Jesus, I pray every woman who reads this Journey Study will be drawn to repentance and salvation by the humility of Jesus Christ. 

If you feel Him tugging your heart toward relationship with Him, won’t you join me in this prayer?

“I acknowledge my sin and turn from serving myself to serving You, Lord. I accept Your gift of salvation through grace and faith in Jesus. I want to stop trusting in myself and put my trust in You and Your work. I believe in YOU. Amen.” 

May our Christmas lists be made in humility and joy of knowing Jesus as we eat, sing and open all the gifts You have for us. Oh, how we love You, humble Savior who first loved us! (1 John 4:19)

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Christmas,eternity,faith,home,hope
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Melody, Day 12
Digging Deeper

God’s love transforms our hearts to love as He loved. (1 John 4:12) Paul, when addressing the Colossians, tells them God’s children should look different and are to clothe themselves with a new identity that involves actions and choices. (Colossians 3:12-14)

Every day we have choices to make and the love of Christ should compel us to love as He loves and seek reconciliation in a broken world. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)
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Melody Day 10 Faith’s Forte

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Melody Day 10 Faith’s Forte

Deborah Rutherford

December 22, 2023

Captivating,Enough,Faith,Gift,Hope

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1:5-25 
Genesis 30:22-24
Isaiah 25:6-8
Luke 1:39-45

Elizabeth, descendant of the first Hebrew high priest, Aaron, was married to the priest Zacharias*. Both were righteous before God and kept His commandments, but in their old age, had no child because Elizabeth was barren. (Luke 1:5-7) Little did they know, God had chosen Elizabeth to bear a child, who would grow into a prophet and prepare the way for the Messiah. Yet, at this point, an impossible baby and the Messiah seemed so far away, the subjects of aching, unanswered prayers.

Now Zacharias the priest was serving in the temple when an angel appeared, telling Zacharias his prayers had been heard and his wife would bear a son, whom they were to name John. (Luke 1:13) 

The angel revealed, “And he [John] will go before him [Jesus] in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.” (Luke 1:17)

Lost in his disappointment with God, Zacharias scoffed, having long since abandoned the dream of children. He couldn’t see past the couple’s physical limitations, but the angel assured him God’s promise would be fulfilled. As a result of unbelief, Zacharias would be mute until the child’s birth. (Luke 1:18-20)

Elizabeth’s faith, that had grown from a lifetime of surrendered waiting to the Lord, was made manifest in the actions she chose after she conceived. Elizabeth entered seclusion to be with the Lord and ready herself for the special child she would bear and raise, God’s prophet. The Lord gave her an unexpected blessing, a miracle in her later years.
God had a purpose for her and her son.

In her waiting, God had grown Elizabeth’s faith and her reliance on Him. This faith was evidenced in her words upon encountering her cousin, Mary, who was miraculously pregnant with the Messiah:
“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:25) Where Zacharias scoffed, Elizabeth responded with assured confidence in God. She knew God saw her and answered her prayers.

Centuries earlier, God had rescued another woman from the societal shame of barrenness. In Genesis 30:22-24, God opened Rachel’s womb, blessing her with Joseph. In their culture, it was the duty of women to provide children, especially a son, to their husbands; can you imagine years of desperate prayers, silence from heaven, and the condemnation of those around them? 

Thankfully, God is our redeemer, and just as He redeemed Rachael and Elizabeth by giving them children and taking away their disgrace, God has a much bigger plan for how He will take away our disgrace, too.

Our disgrace comes not from barrenness, but from the stain of sin on our souls. We are born into this fallen world with sin, and only through Jesus are we spotless before God. Through Jesus’ propitiatory death and victorious resurrection, Jesus destroyed the power of sin and death. One day He will wipe away our tears and remove our disgrace from all the earth. (Isaiah 25:8) Until that day, He sent His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us in our waiting. 

Not many were filled with the Holy Spirit before Christ’s death and Pentecost. (Acts 2) But God filled Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit when Mary visited her. Her babe leaped within her womb and she responding to the Spirit by crying out and blessing both Mary and the Messiah growing within her. (Luke 1:42-45)

Zacharias was still silenced.
John the Baptist was yet unborn.
Still, faith’s forte underscored a heart of devoted worship.

Elizabeth proclaimed her belief in the word of God effectively becoming the first prophetic voice, and a female at that, to break the 400 years of silence from the God who had now come near. Remarkable!

God always keeps His promises, and obedience brings beautiful blessings. 
Elizabeth and Mary were blessed to be a part of God’s divine plan.

Both women allowed faith to be the forte of their lives as they trusted the Lord with great humility, immediately pointing back to Him as His promises were being fulfilled. We see Elizabeth’s influence at work as she raised John the Baptist to be humble, to believe God’s promise of a Savior, and to serve as a forerunner, pointing people to Jesus rather than himself.  

Sisters, God also calls us to fill our roles in His kingdom with humility, trust, and faith. We can live out our faith boldly and genuinely in our communities and circles of influence. 

While waiting for Christ’s return, let’s ask God to teach us about faith and patience, just as He did for Elizabeth. We can have faith that in every season, even when we don’t understand His plan, God sees us, is for us, and always keeps His promises.

Looking back on Elizabeth’s song, we see that God wrote her song, the melody, and holy words; no detail was overlooked or too difficult to master as He orchestrated His plan to bring about our salvation through the shed blood of Christ on our behalf!

*Zacharias or Zechariah may appear in your Bible text; both translations of the Hebrew name point to the same man.

Tags :
Christmas,courage,faith,hope,strength,women
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Melody, Day 10
Digging Deeper

John the Baptist had not been born yet when Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s door. When she walked into Elizabeth’s home, the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb.

It was confirmation that what both, Mary and Elizabeth, had been told was indeed true. God was finally putting His plan into action! And they were a big part of what was going to happen.
Dig Deeper!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XII, Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XII, Week 3

Carol Graft

December 9, 2023

Gift,Glory,Hope,Life,Praise,Prayer,Prophecy

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

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord, I come before you in humbleness and awe, knowing your Word is true and instructive to my heart of how to follow You and love others. You came not just for the world, but for me. You put on flesh like mine so You, O Divine God, could take the world’s sin, my sins, upon your shoulders and remove them forever as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12) Help me to always be aware of this, for it’s this truth that makes Christmas wonder-full.

Remind me to be more and more aware of Your love, O Christ. Help me not to sin, O Spirit! And quickly draw me back to You through my repentance when I do sin.

I rejoice that You do not condemn those who believe in You! Help me radiate this truth, so that others may see and be drawn close to you. Help me practice living out a love that does not condemn. The unconditional love you have for us amazes me; make me a conduit for this divine love. Thank you for loving me, O Triune God!

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Even though “Go Tell It On The Mountain” was published in 1909, its history is birthed in the Negro Spirituals pre-dating the Civil War. More interesting, it wasn’t initially written as a Christmas song. When it was eventually published, new verses were added.

Malinda’s Journey Study emphasizes the Scripture that anchors this hymn, ”In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…” (Luke 2:8-10)

With that, the shepherds did indeed “go and tell” what they had seen and heard. How often do we tell others about the goodness of God? How often do we testify about the wonderful things God has done for us whether big or small?

Malinda reminds us that when we sing Christmas songs and celebrate Christ’s birth, we should also reflect on the why of His coming. His love led to His grand redemption of us as sinners, which Rachel described with clarity in her Digging Deeper Study. His birth led to His death, which brought us salvation.

When we “go and tell”, we aren’t just sharing of a babe in a manger, but of the Lord of Life who holds eternity with Him and complete forgiveness out to us!
JOURNAL TWO

The carol, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!” is based on Luke 2:13-14, “Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!”

Charles Wesley first wrote “Hark!” as a poem as he endeavored to come up with a new Christmas composition with theological depth. Later, some parts were polished and re-written by his college friend, George Wakefield, before publication.

Though, later, the two friends grew apart as they differed on their theology. Still, the Lord used both men to bring thousands of souls to Himself through their preaching.

May this snippet of their story remind you to fight for unity with brothers and sisters in Christ as we all “Hearken!” to the Lord and worship Him. The angelic appearance to lowly shepherds reminds us Christ is for all people, let’s live like that really is core to how we love others!

To better understand the kaleidoscope of Jesus’ love, check out this Journey Theme!
JOURNAL THREE

In “Angels From the Realms of Glory”, angels, shepherds, sages, saints, sinners, and all creation are called to gather in worship of the Creator of everything with hope, repentance, and bold voices. These are important markers of the heart posture we must have when approaching worship.

As this beautiful hymn reminds us, God, through Jesus, has broken our chains of sin, defeated death, continuously fulfills His promises, and offers us eternal hope (Isaiah 53:4-6, John 3:16-18) These truths should anchor our Christmas praise!

If this is indeed our source, then worship will flow in spite of our circumstances, struggles, seasons of life, and emotions. Worship helps us refocus on the eternally important and floods our hearts with love for God and others.

At times, I have found that when I go to worship God, I am in fact grounding my worship in an audacious expectation that my worship will move God to fix my problems, remove an obstacle, or otherwise direct Him to act in my life as I wish. Oh, how arrogant my heart can be without even realizing it! Worship is not meant for me but is a sacrifice of relinquishment to my Savior.

True worship is the very essence of love for the One who Authored life from nothing! The Bible is not shy about the inevitability of hardships in this life. (John 16:33) But in the midst of every trial, we are commanded to praise Him through it (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18) and humbly appreciate even the day God has made simply because He made it. (Psalm 118:24)

Sisters, I encourage you to take time now to pause, thank God for the day He has made,  and remind your heart that God is always worthy of our worship and praise above all else.
Written by Katelyn Palmer
Tags :
Christmas,hope,mission,sing,worship
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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XII, Week 2

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XII, Week 2

Katelyn Palmer

December 2, 2023

Adoration,Believe,Comfort,Fervent,Gift,Worship

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

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Luke 1:46-50, 54-55

My Soul praises the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever…
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, thank You for the beautiful lessons of true worship we have studied this week, and the reminder to pursue dwelling with You in quiet moments alone. You know that a heart focused on worship is a heart You are healing from sin. When I sing Your praises, God, my heart and mind are renewed as is my ability to pour into others.

Oh, Lord, You are so much more than any word or stroke of a pen could capture, but I am excited at the opportunities You graciously offer me to proclaim You. I long to be in Your presence, to fill my lungs with Your air, to feel Your light on my skin as You make Yourself known through Your Word and by Your Spirit. Flood my soul with Your love and peace that You always make available to me if I will simply sit and be still. Make me aware of opportunities to create these quiet moments so I can soak on truth and allow Your Word to feed my soul.

I will use my voice to sing for Joy to You, Lord, for You are my strength; I will shout in triumph to the God of Jacob who rescued me from the depths of hell and broke my chains of sin. (Psalm 81:1-2)

I praise You, my forgiving Lord, the One who abounds in faithful love.
(Psalm 86:5)

I will praise You now and forever, for my heart is Yours and I will honor Your name forever.
You are a faithful God whose love for me is unsearchable. (Psalm 86:12-13)

 With a full heart, and in Your Son’s name, I offer these words of prayer to You. Amen!

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” is a beautiful story of our past, present, and future. Writer, Edmund Sears, begins by bringing us back to that first Christmas, referencing Luke 2:8-20 as he paints the story of the angels telling the shepherds of Jesus’ birth.  

Their praise-filled message of peace on earth speaks of peace with God through the faith of Christ that reaches all nations. (Luke 1:79, Romans 5:1)

The lyrics, “Heaven’s all-gracious King” offer praise to the Lord, which recognize the wondrous glory He possesses forever. The angels declared the birth for which they, and all creation, had long awaited, for it signaled the soon-coming grand rescue of humanity from Satan’s power.

Soon, however, the skies grew dark again as the angel chorus sang only in the ears of the shepherds. The angels’ time to sing and declare on earth ceased, but, for the shepherds, as the first ambassadors of this good news, their declaration was just beginning.

The shepherds took to the streets following their in-person encounter with the Newborn King, telling everyone they met of the One who had come with goodwill to all people. (Luke 2:17-18) Like the shepherds, it’s the mission of all who have made Christ their personal Lord to keep singing the message of hope first sung by angels. Into the dark world around us, we are meant to sing the song of the Savior, until Christ returns and we see Him face to face!

JOURNAL TWO

Have you ever witnessed something so beautiful, perhaps a painting at a museum or the world below from a mountaintop, and all you could do was stop and stare? You had no words for none could do the vision justice; you could only offer breathless awe.

That’s how I picture encountering God one day in full. The idea of His glory is a vision so breathtaking that all I can do is sit silently in His presence, soaking in every second, letting love and praise fall from my lips to God’s ears.

God is not greedy; He does not vainly seek our praise to stroke His ego, nor does He need our love to be whole for He is love.

Just as one cannot have faith without good works (James 1:14-26), for true faith grows righteous living, you cannot experience the love of God in life without responding in adoring worship. He is so perfect there is nothing to offer Him except worship.

This message rings within the lyrics of “O Come All Ye Faithful”. The lyrics call us to do nothing but seek Christ and worship Him. It commands us to adore him alongside the angels with a joyful and triumphant countenance. The simplicity of these lyrics remind us God is worthy of our praise simply for who He is; this should be our motivation for worship that realigns our hearts when we face the struggles of this world.

For if our source of praise is God Himself, then we shall never run out of reasons to worship. Because God is good, worship benefits us. When we humble our hearts to the position of adoration, we open the door for Christ’s peace to surpass our understanding.
(Philippians 4:4-7)

Worship leads to heart change and a new perspective, both of which allow us to better reflect God’s love to others.

JOURNAL THREE

Isaac Watts was a minister in the late 17th and early 18th century. As a young man, he would complain about the unhappy Christmas songs and poems in circulation. His father challenged him to compose something better. Eventually, he based his lyrics on Psalm 98 and it was set to tunes of common hymns at the time. Decades later, another man, who studied the works of Handel, put music to Watts’ poem “Joy to the World”.  I always find the original lyrics interesting, especially the verses we don’t sing like verse three:

“No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.”

I love Rebekah Hargraves’ authentic prodding in her Journey Study. She called us to recall how easily our joy can be zapped when we set unrealistic expectations for the holidays. The holiday dinners, all the gifts, the busyness of coming, going, and doing drains the joy we were meant to have in celebrating Christ.

How often have you focused on the doing and planning of the holidays only to end up exhausted, overwhelmed, and realizing too late that you had inadvertently missed the meaning of Christmas. This busy is not worth it!

As we plan, prepare, and partake of all the wonderful traditions of the season, let’s determine together to start and finish with praise for the Person of Christ. Let’s intentionally be aware of our hurry and choose to reject the distractions caused by all the “doings” about Christmas.

Let us not become weary in trying to do all things well, and instead focus on intentionally being still and welcoming Christ’s Joy that will bring us peace.
(Written by Carol Graft)
Tags :
Christmas,hope,humility,hymns,worship
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Worship XII Day 7 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear: Digging Deeper

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Worship XII Day 7 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

November 28, 2023

Anxious,Deliver,Desperate,Fear,Future,Gift,Hope,Jesus,Joy

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 "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Lamentations 3:22-24

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion,
Therefore, I will put my hope in Him.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the context of these verses?

Lamentations tells the story of Israel’s deepest grief in a format that goes beyond simple words on a page. Its message flows from the deepest, guttural pains of a broken heart surrounded by absolute devastation as told from the heart of Jeremiah, one of the prophets who foretold of Israel’s destruction.

Reading the opening lines of Lamentations 1:1-2 provides a powerful depiction of brokenness, “How she sits alone”,
she “has become like a widow”,
she “has been put to forced labor”,
“she weeps bitterly during the night with tears on her cheeks there is no one to offer her comfort”,
“all her friends have betrayed her”.

Jeremiah penned Lamentations alongside his book of prophecy, which provides the reason behind Jeremiah’s grief. His poetry gave words to the pain ripping through his own heart as well as the agony experienced by his people as they were exiled from their homeland.

Israel was God’s chosen people, set apart to reflect His glory to the world. The Lord had birthed Israel from “Father Abraham” whose wife was barren but who was given a miracle son in her old age, Isaac. Through Isaac, eventually, there came 12 tribes of Israel, and a nation was born.

Despite slavery in Egypt, wandering in the desert for forty years, and countless foes, the Lord protected Israel, grew her into a strong nation, giving her a homeland in Canaan called the Promised Land. All along, the Lord had covenanted with them to be their God and they would be His people. As part of the covenant, they were to live “set apart”, again, to reflect His holiness to the world.

Tragically, Israel forgot God’s great love for them, choosing instead to worship the false gods of the nations around them. Despite decades and decades of warnings through prophets, they turned an ever-deafening ear to their Maker, which earned them horrific destruction, much death, and exile as a people.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the context of these verses?

Just as a lyrical song or even entire composure of instruments alone connects with deep places in us, so does Jeremiah’s pain penned through poetry. Perhaps you’ve seen a sweeping vista or that “picture worth a thousand words” and it hits something in your heart that is indescribable.

Perhaps, as you read Jeremiah’s words of weeping, you’re reminded of a pain that grows heavier and more pronounced in you. The Lord heard Jeremiah’s grief, and His heart broke along with him; so He sits with you in your grief. Whatever it is, He knows and He sees and He’s present with you in it.

God’s called Israel to live radically counter-cultural; their identity was to be altogether “other-worldly”. (1 Corinthians 5:9-10) They were to close their hearts to the pressure of their peers; they were to look nothing like them in their pursuit of being holy as their True King was holy. (Exodus 19:5-6)

But sin’s pull ensnared them. Their love was divided, and eventually won over by sin, which was active rebellion against God.

This fight against the corruption of culture, peers, and sin is exactly the same for us as it was for the nation of Israel in Jeremiah’s day. Jesus’ half-brother, disciple, and New Testament author, James, wrote of this reality, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” (James 4:4)

Out of His great love for His people, the Lord sent prophets warning Israel to repent of their sin and come Home to Him. Today, His Spirit is at work in the world calling us to put away our sinful lusts and live in holiness for the God who took our punishment upon Himself that we might be rescued from our own destruction. (Titus 3:3-9)

We are called to live in holiness, reflecting God’s good, merciful character to a world around us.

The Original Intent

2) In what ways do we “not perish” and on what does this promise hang? (verse 22-23)

Jeremiah watched death on the streets of Jerusalem as he witnessed God’s righteous judgment descending on his neighbors, his city, and everything familiar to him. Yet, right in the middle of his poem, he wrote, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!”

It seems out of place doesn’t it? But Jeremiah knew a truth that Israel would have known also had they listened to his prophetic voice. This was not the end of Israel’s story. In every prophetic book, generous space is given for the Lord’s vow to bring His people Home. Every prophet who spoke of coming judgment and called the people to repent, also spoke of a day when the Lord would restore His people. (Jeremiah 33)

Perspective matters. Jeremiah wasn’t grieving over injustice against Israel. He wasn’t railing at God for committing unfair atrocities as a reckless, raging power-monger. Jeremiah knew the truth; he knew Israel deserved punishment. He had watched firsthand as his fellow citizens worshipped false idols, caved to peer pressure, and mocked the Lord. He knew, too, that he was not innocent either.

When we look at our sin and the just punishment we deserve, we suddenly catch the smallest glimpse of God’s radical mercies that just keep coming every morning and the shafts of His faithful love carrying us along despite our rebellion.

Perspective matters.
True, Jeremiah wept and mourned and grieved; none of us blame him and neither did God. What happened to Israel was tragic. But Jeremiah wept with hope because he knew the character of His God to be redeeming, loving, and merciful. To this truth, he clung with all his might, despite his tears. And one day, in a manger in Bethlehem, God took one more step to bring that redemption to not just Israel, but the whole world for all generations.

The Everyday Application

2) In what ways do we “not perish” and on what does this promise hang? (verse 22-23)

Understanding the context of not only Lamentations, but also the lengthy prophetic book of Jeremiah, we are even more surprised to read these words of extreme hope in the middle of ravaging darkness and despair.

Curiously strange?
Out of place?

Only if you are unaccustomed to a Hope that goes far beyond circumstances and even devastating loss do these words seem impossible, even ludicrous. For the Christ-follower, for the one who knows they have been mercifully saved from an eternal death earned by our sin, Hope in the midst of Horror is exactly what we expect to find. (Romans 6:23)

Israel earned her exile a thousand times over by her rebellion. She broke her covenant with God before it was even ratified at Mt. Sinai with a golden calf they crafted then worshipped as if it had rescued them.

Oh! So have we earned our own rightful death sentence! As we near Christmas, let’s hold truth before our hearts. Because of our sin, yes that lustful thought, those gossipy words, that fierce burst of temper, all of those have rightly earned us separation from all good and merciful kindnesses of the Lord God. Forever.

But because of Christmas, when God entered His creation wrapping His perfect deity in wrinkly newborn skin, we have hope. Hope that is far more than wishful thinking because it knows that tiny babe left the manger, taught us about true holy living that rightly reflects God’s character, then died in our place, so we could be forgiven of every single sin. That’s Hope on display.

Christmas. Easter. Right now. Today. Anchoring hope, in the midst of our mess, our brokenness, our loneliness and loss. Whatever you’re walking through, you have an opportunity to cling to real hope, just as Jeremiah did in the middle of his poem full of grief.

The Original Intent

3) What does Jeremiah mean by declaring, “The LORD is my portion”? (verse 24)

Imagine standing on the street some distance away from your own house, watching it helplessly burn to the ground. Firefighters work to put out the flame, but it’s obvious everything is lost. You gather your children, wrapped in a borrowed blanket, tears mingling with their stunned cries as you take in the tragedy happening right in front of you.

No more family table to dine at, no more closet with clothes or cozy bed to fall asleep in; all gone while you are left home-less on the street.

This was the scene for Jeremiah, except it wasn’t just his house and belongings, it was every home for every resident of an entire nation. A nation displaced. A nation left home-less. Tragic. Unfathomable. Rebuilding was ridiculously impossible. But the slice of the sword’s blade went deeper still for Israel was God’s chosen people and this was her inheritance.

Canaan was the Promised Land. Jerusalem was the city of God. The same God who had spoken through a burning bush to a shame-filled shepherd calling Him to make Yahweh’s name great as He would set His people free from slavery in Egypt. The same God who carried His people through the wilderness for forty years. The same God who destroyed every enemy in Israel’s path as they first took possession of Canaan. The same God who caused Israel to flourish and grow, protecting them from every army. The same God who chose to dwell with His people in the Holy of Holies at the Tabernacle. Now, because of her rebellion over generations of time, Israel would lose her land, her promise, and her position as chosen people. They lost what they thought was their inherited portion.

The Everyday Application

3) What does Jeremiah mean by declaring, “The LORD is my portion”? (verse 24)

As Jeremiah surveyed the losses piling up on all sides, he chose to direct his gaze on the One Source who would not be revoked. Yahweh Himself. When all else was gone, everything demolished, and every loss counted, Yahweh remained. In the ashes of it all, Jeremiah looked to the Lord and declared with every fiber of his being, “The LORD is my portion, therefore, I will put my hope in Him.”

It takes trust to hold onto a truth you don’t feel or see. Trust requires familiarity and intimate knowledge in order to be genuine. Jeremiah trusted the Lord God because He knew Him. He listened to the words of the Lord’s mouth given to him through prophecy. He watched the Lord fulfill exactly what He said and Jeremiah placed every ounce of trust on Yahweh.

When you can survey the ashes, grief, sorrow, loss, and disappointment happening around you, but still say with the ancient prophet, “The LORD is my portion, therefore, I will hope in Him” peace happens, stability is given, and joy bubbles up. Worship begets peace, Sister. Jeremiah knew this and he practiced it, instructing his heart, and Israel’s, to praise the One who held all things even when it seemed all was lost.

The true treasure was never land or a name, it was always Yahweh. Somewhere along the way, Israel had forgotten God was their Portion. I don’t know about you, but especially in the mass chaos of Christmas, I need to remember that truth too. Hopefully, I won’t need to watch my house go up in flames to be reminded of where my true inheritance and portion lie, but if that’s what my heart needs, I sure hope my lips repeat Jeremiah’s words of worship, “The LORD is my portion, therefore, I will hope in Him.”

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Christmas,Desperate,hope,joy,peace,struggle,worship
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