Giving

Run Day 13 Intimacy With The Unseen

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Run Day 13 Intimacy With The Unseen

Farah Isbell

March 19, 2025

Alive,Faithfulness,Generous,Giving,Journey,Neighbor

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Timothy 6:3-20
Matthew 24:13-14
Nehemiah 8:9-10
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Exodus 33:18-23

Ultimately, friend, Jesus isn’t calling you to anything less than Himself! He’s not calling us to a vocation, certain people, or even a ministry. He may call you closer to Himself through those experiences, but He Himself is the destination, both in heaven and right now on earth.

1 Timothy 6:11-20 discusses this. For a full understanding led by the Spirit, read #HisWordsBeforeOurs if you haven’t already! Now, let’s look at the verses, working our way backwards, to help us better understand the end goal of living a life focused on Christ.

The destination in verse 20 is the faith we want to remain in and not wander from. The preceding verse (1 Timothy 6:19, NIV) describes this goal as “taking hold of life that is truly life!” Verses 17 and 18 describe commands and disciplines which lay the foundation for this genuine living. Through these we “receive” God’s provision for our needs, union with Him, and enjoyment in Him. (Nehemiah 8:9-10)  

How often, though, has His Provision occurred without our enjoyment and sometimes even without our realization?

For many years I mistakenly thought I had been called to a place, a career, and a people. Those were tangible, “seen” things. God’s unseen nature sometimes makes it challenging for us to run towards His call. 

Verses 12-16 describe the One to whom I am called 
and remind me He is already 
at that place, 
in that career, 
or with those people 
because He is everywhere “giving life to everything” (verse 13)! 

Outside of Him, the rest is just details. 

One of my favorite phrases from this passage is “take hold of the eternal life”. (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV) This is present-tense, which means my eternity and your eternity are now! Let’s grab it, cling to it, and live it! Verses 10-11 reveal an important part of taking hold of eternal life: fleeing from loving or craving money. Note it doesn’t say flee money itself or flee being rich. It is possible to be a wealthy person who is stewarding money well, without idolizing the pursuit of said wealth. Rather, the passage tells us to flee the pursuit of money.

For several years, I was cleverly deceived by the enemy regarding this trap of pursuing wealth. We had little finances, so I slipped into arrogance believing I was innocent of the pursuit of money, but it was a lie. I wrongly believed we were aligned with God just because we weren’t “rich”.

Thankfully, truth broke in and I was shocked to finally understand I could be in a “poor” season while my heart still pursued money. When our hearts are pursuing Christ alone, He humbles us, equipping us to lovingly serve others regardless of their bank account status, or our own ledger line.

So if not wealth, what are we to pursue? Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness are the pursuits which lead to true living overflowing with praise: “The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:14)

A challenging discipline which changed everything for me was practicing gratitude. God’s design for the brain amazes me! My maternal grandmother survived a stroke when I was 13, and I relished watching the therapists work with her healing brain as it relearned things, reorganized itself, and created new neural pathways. The pathways were physically “unseen” but God’s mighty hands were undeniably at work there. 

Imagine my elation when I learned scientifically how practicing gratitude affects the brain physiologically and functionally, exactly as God’s Word tells us! UCLA research has proven that the brain benefits structurally by intentionally thinking the kinds of thoughts listed in Philippians 4:8. Brains are re-wired by practicing gratitude, just as the Lord designed!

Upon learning in January 2020, the science behind the power of gratitude, I committed to writing down at least 3 things I was grateful to God for each day. At first, it was hard because of the damage repeated discontentment had done to my brain. I wrote down the most basic things like breath, blanket, and socks. However, by the time the world shut down in March, I often ran out of room on my page! 

Little did I know God was going before me, equipping me to walk out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 through several years of challenging circumstances with aging parents. Looking back, His preparation isn’t surprising as the passage clearly states that giving thanks in everything is “God’s will for us in Christ Jesus”.

I encourage you to give gratitude a try; it’s one of the ways Christ fortifies us to “stand firm to the end.” (Matthew 24:13) Discipline yourself to record at least 3 things you are thankful for each day. Write to Him rather than just listing things, for example, “Thank you, God, for Your Breath, for Your Shelter over me in this house, for watching over the coming and going of those we both love so much!” 

This practice brings the Peace beyond understanding, clear thoughts amidst chaos, and awareness of His activity which leads to the “true life” of His call! 

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Community,endurance,generosity,perseverance,Run
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Run, Day 14
Digging Deeper

Jennie Lusko explains that “fight in the Greek language . . . is agonizomai, and it means ‘to fight, to contend, to strive as in a contest for a prize.’

We see a tension here between faith, receiving the gift of salvation given by God, and the action of fighting and taking hold of the life we were born to live.”

Eternal life is this: knowing the One True God and His Son, Jesus Christ. (John 17:3)
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Come Day 5 Come To Receive: Digging Deeper

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Come Day 5 Come To Receive: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

February 14, 2025

Generous,gentle,Giving,Humility,Promises,Scripture

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

This DD Connects With "Come To Receive"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 20:32-38

And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.

35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. 37 There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the “inheritance” given by the “word” of God’s “grace”? (verse 32)

When Paul left Ephesus, he told the believers, “And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32) Paul asserted that the Word of God’s grace, which is the gospel of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 1:1-5) gave all believers an inheritance.

Joseph Benson describes the “word of His grace” as “That word which is the grand channel of His grace to believers as well as unbelievers.” It is through His Word (John 1:14) that God shares His grace with us. The inheritance given by His Word of grace is from the Greek word kleronomia, which “refers to the inheritance related to our salvation, an inheritance that is the lot of all who have been sanctified by God’s grace and are true servants of Jesus Christ” (Preceptaustin.org ).

The gift of eternal life in Heaven is the inheritance of every believer. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges explains, “The figure is taken from the apportionment of the promised land among the Israelites. The part of each of God’s servants in the heavenly Canaan is to be regarded as definitely as were the possessions of the chosen people in the earthly Canaan.”

Everyone who believes and trusts in Jesus becomes a co-heir with Him (Romans 8:17), enjoying the gift of salvation and eternal life in heaven with God as their inheritance.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the “inheritance” given by the “word” of God’s “grace”? (verse 32)

When I was a little girl, I often visited my great-grandma’s home. She had lots of knick-knacks, costume jewelry, and figurines that all of the grandkids enjoyed playing with. Whenever one of us would say how much we liked something, she would declare, “Well, then you can have that when I’m gone.” Then she would write the grandchild’s name on a little slip of paper and place it inside of the admired vase or on the back of the coveted picture.

It was so sweet to visit her years later as an adult and find those weathered slips of paper still clinging to the treasures. It was touching that she wanted to leave each of her 9 great grandchildren a memento of their visits to her home as a sentimental inheritance.

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.

David Platt suggests that when you see the Word of God, “see it as leading you to an inheritance . . . of eternal life, of a kingdom to come among all those who are sanctified, meaning all those who are set apart by God in His grace and mercy. . .”

While it is true that God loves everyone (John 3:16) and desires their rescue from sin, He only gives an inheritance to His children, those who willfully choose to trust in His Son as their own personal Savior. (Ephesians 1:18) He invites all to become children of God, but only those who accept Jesus become heirs of the King and partakers of His blessings, including the inheritance of life eternal. (John 1:12)

The Original Intent

2) Why did Paul want the Ephesian believers (verse 17) to remember that he supported himself and his team without relying on them? (verse 34)

In a farewell message to the church at Ephesus, Paul declared, “You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.” (Acts 20:34) Paul referenced his work as a tentmaker to earn money for himself and his fellow missionaries. (Acts 18:3) This wasn’t about independence, rather, it was important to Paul that people knew he was trustworthy. He wanted them to realize and acknowledge that he wasn’t out for personal or financial gain through his ministry to them and other churches. (2 Corinthians 2:17)

Paul was certainly not against having believers support him and his team when they worked in a community; in fact, he heartily encouraged it! (Philippians 4:14-16) He recognized those partnerships as the Lord’s provision and praised God for them! His focus here is wanting to make sure people knew that his first and highest intent was to know God and make Him known amongst the congregations he established and visited, not prey upon others’ generosity.

Paul supported himself so he could proclaim the Gospel without being accused of trying to profit from his ministry. Ben Witherington notes, “The Greco-Roman world was honeycombed by social networks grounded in the principle of reciprocity, of ’giving and receiving.’ Paul’s exhortation here is to break that cycle and serve and help those who can give nothing in return. This is the practical expression of what being gracious means-freely they had received the good news, and they should freely give with no thought of return.”

Paul’s mission in life was to share the Gospel, and he worked to support his ministry so nothing would impede that mission.

The Everyday Application

2) Why did Paul want the Ephesian believers (verse 17) to remember that he supported himself and his team without relying on them? (verse 34)

Many of the pastors I know are, or have been at one point, bi-vocational, serving as the pastor of a church while also working another job. My own father sold carpet while pastoring a church for a time, and other pastor friends have been bus drivers, insurance salesmen, and teachers while leading their congregations.

Oftentimes smaller churches find that having a bi-vocational pastor is a financial necessity. Several Bible Colleges even offer a bi-vocational ministry degree, since it is a practical way of providing financial stability for ministry and also prepares bi-vocational ministers for reaching the unchurched in their workplace.

The apostle Paul was, at times, a bi-vocational minister himself, working with his hands to support himself and those ministering alongside him (verse 34) For Paul, being a tentmaker was practical for bringing in money (1 Thessalonians 2:9) and useful for showing the churches he served that he was intent on giving to them, not profiting from them. (1 Corinthians 9:12)

Michelle Myers asserts, “I’m sure Paul made tents well so he’d have enough money to provide for his missionary journeys. I’m sure he found satisfaction in the work because that’s what God’s image-bearers do . . . But tent making wasn’t Paul’s identity. . . Making money as a tent maker got only the attention that was absolutely necessary, so the gospel could get his main attention.”

Paul had much work to do with teaching, writing, and traveling, yet he made it a priority to provide for himself when possible by working another job because it was vitally important to him to ensure his presentation of the Gospel was untainted by any suspicion of avarice.

The Original Intent

3) Why did Jesus say, “It is more blessed to give than receive”? (verse 35)

The apostle Paul admonished his readers to help the weak by reminding them of the words of Jesus, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) This teaching was one in a long list of Jesus’ words and actions that seem culturally counter intuitive and unexpected. After all, Jesus was the King who came as a helpless infant (Luke 1:31), was surrounded by 12 humble men for disciples rather than a powerful army (Matthew 10:2-4), and slept under the stars rather than a palace (Matthew 8:20). He turned the conventional wisdom upside down, teaching it was the last who would be first (Matthew 20:16) and the only way to gain your life is to lose it (Matthew 16:25).

In the same way, Jesus taught that it was a bigger blessing to give than to get. Mark Batterson describes it by saying, “When you flip the blessing, it opens the floodgates of blessing! . . . That’s how we shift the atmosphere. That’s how we stand in the gap as peace makers, grace givers, and tone setters.”

Jesus teaches us that we receive so we can give away. We don’t obtain so we can keep; we get to give! With our focus on others rather than ourselves, we can see how God wants us to use our time, talents and finances to bless others and glorify Him. When we give sacrificially, we become more like Jesus, the One who gave everything to bring us into relationship with God. (2 Corinthians 5:18)

The Everyday Application

3) Why did Jesus say, “It is more blessed to give than receive”? (verse 35)

One of my favorite books is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I particularly like the Christmas morning scene when the four March sisters wake up to celebrate, only to be asked by their mother to give their lovely breakfast to a nearby poor widow and her starving children. The girls hesitate briefly, and then hurriedly pack up the bountiful feast to share with the suffering family.

The March girls leave the widow’s house with merry hearts, happy to have helped the poor family and content with having milk and toast at home. They are surprised that evening to receive the gift of a sumptuous supper, provided by a wealthy neighbor as a gift for their generosity which he witnessed from his window.

This scene reminds me of Jesus’ words that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) The March sisters found that caring for the family in need was more satisfying and rewarding than having a bountiful breakfast, and their giving was twice blessed by the gift of a delectable supper from their admiring neighbor as well as the reward found simply by being authentically generous.

Alexander Maclaren declares, “To be delivered from making myself my great object, and to be delivered from the undue value set upon having and keeping our possessions, are the twin factors of true blessedness. It is heaven on earth to love and to give oneself away.”

The idea that giving is better than getting goes against Western culture and our practice of accumulation and individualism, but it is found throughout the Scriptures, exemplified by Jesus Himself becoming poor so we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ left the glories of His Heavenly throne to come to Earth as a humble servant so we might be saved from our sinful state. (Philippians 2:7) May we learn to see the blessings we have received as opportunities to bless those around us!

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come,generous,Gentle,humble,meditate,receive,scripture
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Journey Study

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.
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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,generous,give,humble,love,receive
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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.
Dig Deeper!

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

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Devoted Day 4 Unencumbered: Digging Deeper

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Devoted Day 4 Unencumbered: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

March 7, 2024

Enough,Faith,Freedom,Fullness,Generous,Giving,Glory,Greed

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 "Unencumbered"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 12:16-21

16 Then He told them a parable: "A rich man's land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, 'What should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,' he said. 'I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I'll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”

20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared-whose will they be?'

21 That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What prompted Jesus to tell this parable? (verse 16)

A common practice of Jesus was to use stories to communicate spiritual truths. We usually refer to them as parables.

To appropriately dig deeper into the specific parable found in verses 16-21, it is essential we don’t miss the important role parables played in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus used parables in over one-third of His teaching! Most of them are found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and often contain some sort of shock factor for the first audience.

Jesus offers this specific parable (only found in the gospel of Luke) as a response to an ill-timed request made of Him. We read in verse 13 that someone in the crowd had blurted out a demand which did not fit the occasion. As Jesus had been speaking to His followers about reverence for the Holy Spirit (verses 10-12), this man’s appeal for intervention regarding a family financial dispute appears clearly out of place.

The only explanation for such blatant disregard of the setting and the message would be a preoccupation with money and self. It is obvious the man had been contemplating his financial woes and the family tension rather than listening to Jesus’ teaching. Still, in His wisdom, Jesus used the moment to teach a much deeper lesson regarding one’s possessions.

Since His parables were often tailored to His audience, it’s apparent Jesus was speaking to a crowd who needed a lesson on what matters most in the kingdom of God. Jesus prefaced the parable by saying to the crowd, “One’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” (verse 15) It is doubtful this was the response the man was hoping for. Jesus, though, was never much for simply answering a surface question. He always went for the heart.

The Everyday Application

1) What prompted Jesus to tell this parable? (verse 16)

Jesus was prompted to share a parable due to a stranger’s interruption. Jesus was talking about the deep things of God and the seriousness of speaking against the Holy Spirit! Consider what it must have been like for Jesus.

Suppose you were teaching a group of students an extremely important lesson, when suddenly a voice from the class makes a random demand having no connection at all to what you’re teaching. I don’t know about you, Sister, but I probably wouldn’t have been so kind as to share a story at that moment! For one, I doubt I could make a connection that quickly. Also, I’d be incensed at the disruption and the complete disregard for what I’d said, oh, but, what a Christ we have!

The Lord Jesus knew exactly what was happening. He had come to reveal the hearts of all humanity. He didn’t deal with the rude behavior at all; He dealt with the deeper issue that mattered most, hearts of His hearers. The demand to fix a pressing problem came from a man with wrong priorities.

Jesus wasn’t interested in being a family financial counselor. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) of all creation, and He came to show us that HE is our treasure. (Colossians 2:3)

Interrupting Jesus to talk about his money crisis was not the man’s greatest wrong. It was his belief that riches should take precedence in his life. Focusing on what we have, or don’t have, will often keep us from noticing what Jesus has for us. Trusting in our productivity for peace and satisfaction will leave us empty.

Friend, Jesus is near. Open your heart and confess your need for Him to be your everything. He is trustworthy!

The Original Intent

2) What significance might we find in Jesus using the rich man’s thoughts (intentions) in the parable? (verses 17-19)

Jesus made it clear He had no intention of settling a business dispute at that time. (Luke 12:14) That is not why Jesus came. Instead, Jesus came to: do the will of His father (John 6:38); preach the good news of the kingdom (Luke 14:18); draw people out of darkness (John 12:46 ; bring life that would be full and everlasting (John 10:10).

Every moment Jesus walked the earth, His mission was exposing the heart of man in order to invite them into a relationship with Himself as the God-Man.

By sharing a story about the thoughts (verse 17) of the rich man, Jesus exposes the greed that dwelled within. A somewhat unusual parable, it doesn’t offer an illustration of the kingdom of God, of grace, or of salvation as most did. The only character does not have any obvious connection to spiritual concerns, which is why this parable carries such a punch.

Verse 17 portrays a man who “thought to himself: ‘What should I do?’” Interestingly, that’s exactly what the man in the crowd was doing. He was thinking to himself about himself instead of listening to Jesus. The picture in the story Jesus tells is of a self-absorbed man, “I will do this … I will say to myself …” (verses 18-19) The parable’s entire dialogue is a monologue! The only person the rich man talks to is himself.

His isolation indicates he neither sees nor cares for anyone but himself. As the man revels in his great accumulation of wealth (verse 19), he finally tips his hat to himself. His action echoes the self-indulgent mindset seen in Ecclesiastes before the author understood the meaning of life. (Ecclesiastes 8:15, 12:13-14) Jesus set the stage for the parable’s shocking twist and unhappy ending.

The Everyday Application

2) What significance might we find in Jesus using the rich man’s thoughts (intentions) in the parable? (verses 17-19)

I haven’t found in Scripture a hardcore atheist in the philosophical sense. Many of the pagans didn’t know anything about the one true God. Others believed there was a God, but they did not follow Him. Most thought of God as a distant deity with the idea that “There is no God here.”

The crowd of people could likely relate to the sin of the rich man who was living for himself just as we can. He didn’t see people and he didn’t see God. He talked to himself about himself. The man who interrupted Jesus seems to be the exact same way. He wanted Jesus to fix a problem he had. His heart wasn’t in tune with Jesus’ mindset or mission.

My Sister, I don’t want to lose sight of what God is saying to me, nor do I want to miss the people around me to whom I should minister or witness. Jesus’ story was about a man who hoarded his grain. That grain would be a great resource for the people around him. By stashing it away, this man was not a life-giver. Ironically, he lost his own life.

Jesus said of Himself, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35) We don’t need to store up earthly treasures for ourselves because we have Jesus! We don’t want to spend all we have on ourselves because others need Jesus, too.

It is a tragedy when people think this life is all there is. But even more tragic is when we know there’s another life, but we spend all our time and resources investing only in this one!

Friend, Jesus asks us to hold our earthly possessions loosely so we can have freedom to carry people to Him.

The Original Intent

3) How do we know what Jesus meant by this parable? (verses 20-21)

Very pointedly, Jesus used this rich man’s reflection about himself and his possessions to express the devastating effects of pride and greed across all of humanity. He is, Jesus says with the authority of God, a “fool.”

This is no slip of the tongue by Jesus! It was intentional and meaningful. In the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, a fool was the type person who fails to notice how the world works; the type who would spit into the wind; the ones who saw off the branch they’re sitting on; or a person who would continue to row their boat against the current without awareness of why they can’t row.

Fools are un-teachable, they refuse to listen and learn, and they wallow in their folly.

Jesus’ words likely fell on the crowd with some heaviness. Though it was a parable, Jesus sets Himself as an authority to speak for God. Verse 20 says Jesus told them, “But God said…” Until now, Jesus had told a story about a nameless rich man. But now He provided insight into what God thinks about the man. God said something quite different to the man than he had said to himself.

We are suddenly introduced to the grave error of the rich man’s thinking. His mindset would cost him his life. And when he died, he would have nothing! What Jesus says next surely stunned the oblivious man in the crowd, “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (verse 21)

There’s no record of a personal accusation by Jesus toward the man, but I doubt it went unnoticed. Spending oneself to gain an abundance of wealth was contrary to everything Jesus taught. One’s life is not in that!

The Everyday Application

3) How do we know what Jesus meant by this parable? (verses 20-21)

Jesus told the crowd they should be “rich toward God.” (verse 21) That’s what He meant by telling the parable. My husband and I went to a mission’s conference on our first date. Dr. E.V. Hill was preaching. As black preachers often do, he sang some of his message. One of his lines has stuck with me for nearly 40 years, “If God can get it through ya, He’ll give it to ya!”

The reality for the believer is that we don’t find life by gaining wealth on earth. We find life by using our wealth to love Jesus. The gospel of Jesus is about giving up everything to get Jesus.

Whatever God gives us materially in this life, He gives us to use for His kingdom. The believer doesn’t owe God anything for our salvation. In fact, we can’t do anything to earn it. Jesus PAID it all. (Romans 6:23) The material blessings of God come to us so that we can give back to God by loving others. This is how we are rich toward Him.

In the commentary, Exalting Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Danny Akin quotes James Boice as saying, “If you are absorbed with money, you will miss everything else in life that really matters.” That’s what Jesus wants us to know.

We have a part in His mission. The mission to rescue the world from darkness. When we give generously to the gospel work of Christ, the Lord is honored and our gifts outlive us. That’s how to be heavenly rich!

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A year into our travels, while we were on the opposite side of the country, a flood ravaged our hometown, and the storage shed where our last possessions were being stored went underwater.

God culled what little we had left.

While we grieved, we knew we had no need for the stuff in those boxes.

The idol had been torn down.
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Devoted Day 3 Unencumbered

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Devoted Day 3 Unencumbered

Christine Wood

March 6, 2024

Blessed,Dwell,Faith,Generous,Giving,Greed

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:19–24
Luke 12:22–34
Joshua 7:20–26
Exodus 20:17

“Achan replied to Joshua, ‘It is true. I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I coveted them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.’” (Joshua 7:20–21)

“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:31–33)

A few years ago, sitting in a busy coffee shop during our Easter break, my husband surprised me with a question out of the blue, “What do you think about buying an RV and travelling around Australia?”.

At the time I replied, “That sounds nice,” thinking hubby was just stressed from his demanding job and dreaming of escape. As it turns out, he was stressed from his demanding job, but the escape wasn’t just a dream. A couple of months later, we had put down the deposit on an RV, and had a plan in place to leave our normal lives behind to travel full-time.

While we looked forward to an amazing season of adventure together as a couple, it meant letting go of almost everything we knew and getting rid of almost everything we owned. In the months that followed our decision to leave, I culled our 28 years of family life into just 12 cartons of precious possessions to keep in storage. Everything else went.

We condensed our lives into a 21’ RV. And we’ve never felt richer.

We didn’t recognise the idolatrous place our possessions had held in our lives until we got rid of our stuff. We had been deceived by the devil to expect happiness and security in our belongings. When they were gone, we found new freedom to love and serve God.

Our relationship with each other deepened as we left the busy schedules and the pressures of our professional lives behind. 

We had time for each other. 
We had time for God. 
We had time for unhurried conversations with strangers. 
We had time to live. 
We discovered a joy we had never known before. 
And we had fewer possessions than we have ever owned in our lives.

Humankind has always had a fraught relationship with possessions. “Do not covet” is one of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:17), given by God to remind His people that provision, contentment, and security are found in Him rather than the accumulation of possessions.

Achan was a warrior in the army of God’s people. As the Israelites fought under Joshua’s leadership, God gave them specific instructions about handling the spoils of their conquest. But Achan saw an opportunity to get ahead and took the treasure God had set apart for Himself. His sin cost the people dearly. God withdrew His protection from the army, and they lost their battle against Ai. (Joshua 7:4–5)

God’s people had everything they needed. (Joshua 5:10–12) God had provided food and water for them in miraculous ways. Achan and his family had everything they needed, but the idol of stuff grasped his heart. As it does ours.

Our stuff costs us so much. We have to work to pay for it, and we spend our spare time cleaning, organising, and maintaining it. Then we have to insure it and protect it. As it accumulates we need more space to store it. Eventually, we need to find a way to dispose of it. Our stuff is a socially-acceptable idol. 

Jesus said, “Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you [… ] Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, and inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:29–34)

A year into our travels, while we were on the opposite side of the country, a flood ravaged our hometown, and the storage shed where our last possessions were being stored went underwater. God culled what little we had left. While we grieved, we knew we had no need for the stuff in those boxes. The idol had been torn down.

Here is a challenge: 

  1.     Let’s stop shopping. Stop buying things we don’t really need.
  2.     Sell or donate the possessions that are not helping us serve God. Clear out our closets, our garages and our attics. 
  3.     Practice contentment. Be grateful for what we have and stop looking to upgrade and upsize.

Let’s tear down the idols of our stuff, laying aside every hindrance and sin that so easily ensnares us, instead running with endurance the race before us. (Hebrews 12:1) Let’s discover the joy of serving God unencumbered! 

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Devoted, Day 4
Digging Deeper

The reality for the believer is that we don’t find life by gaining wealth on earth. We find life by using our wealth to love Jesus.

The gospel of Jesus is about giving up everything to get Jesus. Whatever God gives us materially in this life, He gives us to use for His kingdom.

The believer doesn’t owe God anything for our salvation. In fact, we can’t do anything to earn it. Jesus PAID it all. (Romans 6:23)

The material blessings of God come to us so that we can give back to God by loving others. This is how we are rich toward Him.
Dig Deeper!

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March 4 - March 22, 2024 - Journey Theme #129

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The GT Weekend! ~ Melody, Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Melody, Week 3

Katelyn Palmer

December 30, 2023

Adoration,Daughter,Faith,Fear,Giving,God,Joy

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

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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

John 15:18-20, 25

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own.

However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

[…] But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: “They hated me for no reason.””
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, build in me a faith like Mary’s; like Elizabeth’s; like Miriam’s; like Anna’s. Pour Your strength and love into me until I am overflowing, so I may give it to those around me. Lord, my words fall short today. All I can do is give Your words back to You and wrap myself in the warmth of their love and promise.

“Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26) Lord, let the words that flow from my lips be of praise to You and for the good of those around me.

“Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth” (1 John 3:18) God, please teach me how to reflect Your love through my daily living and not let my faith die within my words.   

“One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts. I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty and Your wondrous works.” (Psalm 145:4-5) Yahweh, write within me a praise song that sings of Your greatness to the generation after me, a melody of my own redemption story that glorifies Your love for each of us.

As always, Your words suffice where mine fall short. Hear my heart’s prayer, Lord, and let me become a stronger reflection of You just as the great women of the Bible exemplified.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE


As humans, we are inherently sinful (Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:10-18) Though we may desire to choose righteousness, we still find ourselves falling into pesky traps of sin as we are tempted by the way of sinful desires. (Romans 7:14-15)

One such trap is the lie we can be trusted to run our lives better than God. Control is a lucrative lie! It’s much easier to believe in something we can see with our own eyes rather than the unseen power of the Almighty, so we conjure a convincing illusion that we have control. The reality is, God created everything we can see and everything we cannot see. (Colossians 1:16) He IS life. (Colossians 3:4)

When we focus on the truth of His attributes, we more readily relinquish our façade of control with open hands of total surrender to His goodness. As we head into a new year, maybe you’d like to study the character of God with GT! “Character”, “He”, and “Kaleidoscope” are great options!

When we surrender our false sense of control to the God who calls us by name, we can expend our energy on praise while resting in the joyful life Christ offers.

When facing difficult seasons, we can find encouragement in the narratives of women who practiced regular praise. Consider Sarah, Ruth, Elizabeth, and Miriam to name a few!

Find solace with the Savior through His Word as you replace your sorrows with singing. Christ, who knew suffering would be our reality (John 15:18-25), promised us peace through His victory (John 16:33)!

JOURNAL TWO

On Wednesday, Carol highlighted several important lessons from Mary’s praise-song. (Luke 1:46-55) First, she provides a glimpse of the power of memorizing Scripture. In Mary’s song, she quoted God’s words back to Him, highlighting His sovereignty and never-ending love for His people.

Though Mary was young, the lyrics of her song indicated a childhood immersed in the teachings of God. Regardless of whether we grew up rooted in Scripture, we are presented with the opportunity to read a verse, a chapter, or even a book in the Bible every day. We are given the opportunity to join Mary’s song and pray God’s Word back to Him! (Matthew 4:1-11)

Second, Mary rejoices over her role in bringing about the fulfillment of God’s promises. We each have a role to play, even if it doesn’t look like Mary’s. Will we steward our opportunities with worship?

Third, in death we also find life and Jesus’ death and resurrection ensured that eternal life would be available to each of us if we choose to place our faith on Jesus as the Son of God. Fourth, our heart posture can either bring us closer to God as it did for Mary when she humbly submitted to His will, or it can blind us to who God really is as it did for the Pharisees. (John 8:1-11)

In the end, our heart posture is what God cares about most, so we must be vigilant in centering our hearts on Jesus every single day. (Proverbs 23:26)

JOURNAL THREE

When we consider Mary’s story, it can be easy to overlook the practicalities of her daily life in the beginning. In Mary’s culture, virginity at the time of marriage was the expectation, so Mary and her husband would have endured much ridicule and contempt from a society who likely struggled to believe her story of an immaculate conception.

This illustrates the importance of having a faith community when we face difficult seasons.

We read of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth in the first months of her own pregnancy and last months of Elizabeth’s, a visit that strengthened both women and filled them with encouragement for the battles ahead. Additionally, as we see throughout the Bible, God chooses to raise the lowly and meek so none may boast apart from Him (1 Corinthians 1:26-30), but how loving He must be to have chosen two faithful cousins who could walk their difficult paths together!

We also witness how our own obedience brings blessings to others. In this case, Mary’s obedience offered Elizabeth and her unborn child the opportunity to experience the Holy Spirit, a rare blessing prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection!

Mary showed us the power in humbling ourselves to the point of surrendered obedience just as her Son would do even unto his death upon the cross. (Mark 14:32-42) In her faith, she found the words to her song of praise, leaving behind an example of humble worship for generations to come who would write their own songs of praise.
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Melody Day 4 Miriam’s Refrain: Digging Deeper

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Melody Day 4 Miriam’s Refrain: Digging Deeper

Lori Meeks

December 14, 2023

Adoring,Faith,Faithfulness,Giving,Glory,Holy Spirit,Hope,Lord,Made New

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 "Miriam's Refrain"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Micah 7:19

He will again have compassion on us;
He will vanquish our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) The passage says, “again have compassion on us”; why is the word “again” used?

Micah, the writer of these words, was a prophet. He lived during a time when the northern kingdom of Judah and the southern kingdom of Israel were living separately and, in many ways, going in different directions spiritually. While we’re only looking at one verse, it’s important we briefly review history as well as read backwards a bit to gain needed context.

Micah was one in a long line of prophets and judges who were tasked with reminding God’s people they needed to follow Him. He alone was worthy of their whole-life-worship! However, these split kingdoms had a long and cyclical history of obeying God, following His commands until life started going well, and then becoming distracted. They would cave to peer pressure, forget about God and His ways, instead choosing to follow and worship the gods of their neighbors.

It was a vicious cycle they could not seem to break because they simply didn’t love God whole-heartedly. Micah 7:2 says, “Faithful people have vanished from the land; there is no one upright among the people.”  

Still, our prophet kept his heart focused on God. Verse 7 says “But I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Our prophet uses the word “again” because he knew and understood his nation’s tragic history of false worship and heart-rebellion. Likely, he’d grown up hearing about the faithfulness of God saving Moses, then raising him up as Israel’s leader. He knew about the parting of the Red Sea; he would have even sung Miriam’s Refrain!

Sadly, he was also familiar with all the times Israel had forgotten Him and chosen themselves. Micah is confident God would once again have compassion on His wayward people because he trusted the character of the Lord! 

The Everyday Application

1) The passage says, “again have compassion on us”; why is the word “again” used?

Can I make a confession? Sometimes the hardest part of writing these Digging Deeper Studies is coming up with meaningful questions that are also intriguing enough to our readers so they want to dig deeper!

Part of the victory over that struggle comes in allowing God to grow and convict us as writers while we study His Word. Our goal really isn’t to make a great study, but to really know our God better in the process of writing. The more we know Him, the more we love Him, which was a big part of Israel and Judah’s problem; they stopped wanting to know Him!

When I first wrote this question, the song “Run To The Father” by Cody Carnes came to mind. There is so much to love about this song, but for our study question, it’s the refrain that sings, “I’ll run to the Father again, and again, and again and again”. 

Seriously, how often do we repeatedly go to God begging forgiveness for the same sin? How often does God meet us in our brokenness again and again and again?! Each time with mercy and love and faithful forgiveness! (1 John 1:9)

The application for us today is no different from the original audience thousands of years ago. God will ALWAYS meet us with compassion and grace regardless of how many “agains” we have. My heart’s desire is to be like Micah when he says, “But I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”

The more I study His Word to deeply know His heart, the more confident I grow in trusting His heart of love, and the more I want to never stray from His side!

The Original Intent

2) What does it mean to vanquish our iniquities?
“Vanquishing our iniquities” are not words many of us use in everyday conversations, so when we come to them in Scripture, we should slow down and think more deeply about its meaning so we can understand the Author, God, better!

Thankfully, there are a couple of pretty simple things we can do when we run across unfamiliar phrases like this in Scripture. Most of us have a Bible app on our phones, which makes it super easy to read verses in different translations. Bookmarking Scripture study tool websites also provides easy access to reliable answers. (blueletterbible.org)

A quick search leads us to some other similar phrases like “tread under foot”, “stomp out our wrongdoings” and “trample our sins under foot”. The second super simple thing we can do is to look up words in a Bible dictionary, which are easily available online at studylight.org. Using a Bible dictionary is important because it will give more weight to the original language as opposed to just using English.

“Tread” means “to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage”. Micah is using strong language to indicate the completeness of God’s compassion, telling the readers that God can and will cover every single last one of their sins by His powerful authority; no sin will escape His victory!

Not only will He cover sins, but he will “vanquish” them by “treading” over them! See how rich it is to study God’s Word!

The Everyday Application

2) What does it mean to vanquish our iniquities?

Though you probably won’t find these words scrolled across a Christmas card, once we study God’s Word, we can practice keeping it close to our hearts, letting God’s Spirit teach us how it applies in everyday life.

Simply put, these words mean our sin is completely erased. How often we sin in everyday life! This truth from Micah equips us with power to fight back! Psalm 103:12 uses similar words to describe God’s complete victory over and removal of our sin from us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us”.

If you’ve confessed your sins to Jesus and asked forgiveness, then your sin is completely gone. Eternally erased. (1 John 1:9) Never to be brought to mind again or held against you! How amazingly cool is that?!

As Christ followers today, we need to fully embrace this truth every day. Not only for ourselves, but also for others; we have been forgiven much so we can forgive others. (Luke 7:47) As far as God is concerned, our sin is paid for and erased. Nothing stands between us and His desire to be close to us!

I would guess I’m not the only one who struggles with fully accepting this free gift of grace or stand in the place of truth instead of condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2) How often have we brought up long forgotten sins in our prayers, feeling like we don’t deserve God’s love or need to earn His forgiveness?

It’s almost like we are saying, “Hey God, did I work hard enough for You this week? Are you good to go ahead and forgive this or that? Can I be close to Your love yet?” Thankfully that is NOT how our gracious God works! Once we ask, our sins have been “trampled under His foot”. 

The Original Intent

3) Why choose the sea as the destination for our sin’s punishment?

The sea would have been a visual image the readers would clearly understand. Its depths had not been navigated or understood like our scientific explorations have afforded us today. It was a place of deep, dark unknown.

These nations were surrounded by the Sea; waters were a normal, everyday aspect of their society. They’d also heard the stories about the parting of the Red Sea as the Lord used His authority to rule over it. They also would have known the poetry from Job as he described God’s filling of the sea and His final rule over it. (Job 41-42:2)

To the original audience, the Sea was not only big and deep, but it was also a place only God could rule. See their stunned response when Jesus commands the winds and waves, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:41)

The watery, unknown depths of the Sea was a visual image used to communicate that there was no coming back once something was thrown into it. In this case, sin was vanquished to an eternal grave.

Once God cast their sins into the sea, that is where they’d stay, forever away from them and away from God. Completely gone. Eternally forgotten. Over-powered once and for all.  

The Everyday Application

3) Why choose the sea as the destination for our sin’s punishment?

This summer, I had the opportunity to visit Greece on a mission trip. We stayed not far from the Sea that the original audience of Jesus’ day would have been familiar with. We drove past, and walked alongside, the Mediterranean Sea every day for two weeks. Every single time I looked up and saw the Sea I was taken aback by its deep dark blueness. It’s hard to describe and even pictures don’t do it justice, but I’ve not seen that deepness of color anywhere else; such depth and beauty!

I share this because it reminds me of the apostle Paul’s teaching on the deep, beautiful love of God; Pastor Paul ministered in Greece after Jesus’ historic birth, death and resurrection and he echoes Micah’s words in his letter to the church in Rome.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus!” (Romans 8:1)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

We have an amazing God whose powerful love is matchless, deep, and astoundingly beautiful!

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Melody, Day 3
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I wish I could have been an Israelite on the shores of the Red Sea! After 480 years of ruthless oppression, the time had finally come; God led them through the desert, carved a path through the sea, and destroyed Israel’s enemies.
(Exodus 13:17-14:31)

Exodus 15 records the song of praise following this incredible salvation. In our Bibles it is titled, “The Song of Moses” but to the Jewish people, it is known as the “Song of the Sea”*.

Today, we’ll see this song of salvation is also the song of Christ and His Kingdom to come!
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Worship XII Day 2 Ordinary Worship: Digging Deeper

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Worship XII Day 2 Ordinary Worship: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

November 21, 2023

Adoring,Dignity,Gift,Giving,Glory,Gospel,Ordinary,Trust,Worship

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

This DD Connects With "Ordinary Worship"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”

9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) According to this passage, what indicated that Jesus had been born? (verses 1-2)

Verses 1-2 tell the reader that, after Jesus was born, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem looking for the “king of the Jews” because they had seen His star and wanted to worship Him.

Not much is known about the star of Bethlehem or the band of traveling wise men, but we do know the star was significant enough that those from far off recognized the proclamation of the birth of a King and came to worship this Emmanuel (meaning, “God with us”).

Finding the new king and worshiping Him were their purposes; kindly, the God of Creation who rules space and all celestial beings (Psalm 8:3), used a heavenly body to bring these Gentiles to welcome the Savior of the whole world, whether Jew or Gentile.

The Everyday Application

1) According to this passage, what indicated that Jesus had been born? (verses 1-2)

Although prophecies pertaining specifically to “the star of Bethlehem” were not preserved in our Bibles, we know from this passage that, upon seeing the fulfillment of prophetic words in the sky, travelers from a far distance came with intent to worship the Messiah.

Verse 3 adds to our understanding that this star’s presence, and the knowledge of a newborn king, deeply disturbed Jewish King Herod and the whole city of Jerusalem along with him. (Matthew 2:3) As we read the account in Matthew 1:18-24 of the angel’s visit to Joseph just before Jesus’ birth, it’s clear this baby was no ordinary child. His birth ushered in the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies of a long-ago promised Savior who would come to set His people free. (Isaiah 7:14)

The long-awaited Messiah, the promised Deliverer of Israel, had come in the unexpected form of a baby. God himself, Emmanuel, had come for His people. (Matthew 1:23) He came to ransom us from sin, our true bondage. (Mark 10:45)

The Original Intent

2) What do verses 3-6 tell us about the birthplace of Jesus?

In verse 3, we see a very distraught King Herod as well as a disturbance in Jerusalem over the possible coming of the long awaited Messiah. In verses 4-5, King Herod assembles his priest and scribes to ask about the birthplace of the Messiah; with their knowledge of Old Testament prophecy, they knew the birthplace to be Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)

Verse 6 provides even more detail about Bethlehem as we learn it’s located in the land of Judah and it uniquely held the promise of a ruler who will “shepherd” the people of Israel. The passage quoted in verse 6 is the actual prophecy from Micah 5:2. Micah wrote this prophecy empowered by the Holy Spirit roughly 700 years before the birth of Christ.

Jewish scholars of the 1st century consider this to be a prophecy about the coming Messiah, which is why Herod’s priest and scribes were able to give the exact location of where the coming Messiah had been born. (GotQuestions.org)

Although we read of Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace in the New Testament (Luke 2:4-7), centuries earlier, there were God-ordained plans in place for the coming Messiah in this little town, which was considered insignificant among the cities of Judah.

The Everyday Application

2) What do verses 3-6 tell us about the birthplace of Jesus?

A King and an entire city of Jerusalem being “disturbed” over happenings in a town of such insignificance as Bethlehem seems a bit far-fetched, but we are watching the response of an earthly king, Herod, who fears the eternal king, Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:16-17)

Bethlehem was considered fairly unimportant during the time of Jesus’ birth, but the city itself had been a symbol of King David’s dynasty, hence the term “City of David”. (Luke 2:11) (GotQuestions.org) When we sing songs like “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, it truly was small, but we know that despite its humble size, Bethlehem was the birthplace of Someone mighty, the “Everlasting Light” who would “shepherd His people”. (Micah 5:2)

In that city, the long-awaited Messiah had come, the baby who would be named Jesus because He would save His people from their sin. (Matthew 1:21)

The Original Intent

3) Why did Herod send the wise men to Bethlehem? (verses 7-9)

We are told in verses 7-9 that Herod secretly summoned the wise men with the purpose of sending them on a seemingly benign mission. Herod instructed them to go find the child and report back to him, so he could worship this Messiah along with them.

As we keep reading, we plainly see his true motives and Herod’s wickedly deceptive trickery becomes evident. He merely used the wise men to cover his deep-seated insecurity, arrogance, and self-love which led to the massacre of countless innocent toddlers and babies. Herod tells the wise men he wants to worship this baby who had been born “King”, but later in the passage, an angel warns the wise men to go home by another route because Herod intends harm to Jesus. (Matthew 2:12)

These Gentile astronomers were more keen on listening to and obeying the Lord than the Jewish King was to worship Him

The Everyday Application

3) Why did Herod send the wise men to Bethlehem? (verses 7-9)

We know King Herod was fearful of this baby taking his throne because, after He became aware of Jesus’ arrival, he set about killing all baby boys under the age of two. (Matthew 2:16)

What happened in Bethlehem helps us realize that God is both intentional in all His ways and aware of the earthly schemes of man. His plans cannot be thwarted or changed because of humanity’s choices. (Psalm 33:11)

God’s plan from the beginning was that Jesus would fulfill the Law and ransom His people once and for all from their sin. Sin always brings separation from the Holy God, and without Someone perfect to pay the death penalty caused by our sin, we would be forever condemned to an eternal death apart from His good, loving presence.

Christ took that punishment for us, and because of His great love and mercy, we are no longer under condemnation of sin if we take Him at His word and believe Him. (Romans 8:1-4, John 12:44-46)

The Original Intent

4) What was the response of the wise men when they encountered Jesus? (verses 11-12)

In just two verses, we gain a glimpse of the true wisdom on display in these men who followed a star to find a King. On encountering Jesus, the wise men humbled themselves to a posture of worship by bowing to young, toddler Jesus.

They honored Him for Who He truly was and proved it by presenting the Christ-child with valuable treasures. (verse 11) They gave of themselves in adoring humility. These men also demonstrate obedience in following the message of the Lord as delivered in a dream.

Their obedience proved that their physical bowing before Jesus actually reflected hearts that humbly listened to the Lord and quickly obeyed Him. After their encounter, they chose not to return and give a report to Herod on what they had seen or found because they were warned in a dream, likely delivered by an angel. (verse 12) They went back to their country via another route.

The Everyday Application

4) What was the response of the wise men when they encountered Jesus? (verses 11-12)

As with anyone who encounters the one true God, the wise men worshiped with their bodies, their hearts, and their possessions.

Like many after them who would encounter Jesus, Emmanuel, the living God on Earth, the wise men, recognized Him for His true identity and took the proper posture before Him by offering themselves in surrendered worship.

I don’t know if they understood the full weight of who Jesus was and the affliction of sin He would remove for all eternity by His future sacrifice on the cross, but they certainly recognized him as the rightful King of the Jews, the one prophesied about that would be the Savior of His people. (John 3:16-21)

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Worship XII, Day 1
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Sisters, we are no different. We are ordinary. We are messy.

Often we feel stuck, held captive, in the mundane. Held captive by the weights and cares of this world. Held captive by sins, even small, ordinary ones.

With the birth of Christ that unsuspecting night in Bethlehem, God stepped into the world’s lament, our groaning for rescue and redemption from our captivity.
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Sketched XI Day 5 Faith Forward: Digging Deeper

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Sketched XI Day 5 Faith Forward: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

June 23, 2023

Alive,Amazed,Daughter,Digging Deeper,Giving,Good,Hero,Hope

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 "Faith Forward"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Kings 17:8-24

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.’”

15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days. 16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through Elijah.

17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness got worse until he stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, what do you have against me? Have you come to call attention to my iniquity so that my son is put to death?” 19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upstairs room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again!”

22 So the Lord listened to Elijah, and the boy’s life came into him again, and he lived. 23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why would God provide for Elijah through a widow with such meager means? (verse 12)

When Elijah obeyed God in Zarephath by asking a widow for food, she told him she only had “a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.” (1 Kings 17:12) David Guzik notes, “Widows were notorious for their poverty in the ancient world. God told Elijah to go to a Gentile widow and receive provision; it probably seemed to make more sense to wait beside a dry brook.”

God could have sent Elijah anywhere, but he chose an impoverished widow to supply his needs so Elijah would know that God can provide through seemingly impossible circumstances. (Jeremiah 32:17) A widow with minimal food was as useful to God as someone with a storehouse of grain. God was not dependent upon her supply. He only needed her willingness and obedience to cooperate with His purposes. (Philippians 2:13)

God was also stretching and strengthening Elijah to do His will. Donald Wiseman notes, “Elijah was visiting enemy territory and showing the power of God in an area where Baal was worshiped.” Every time God moved Elijah to a new place, he learned to trust God more and believe in His promises and His provision. Garrett Kell suggests, “God doesn’t train His children to trust Him in just one situation; He often changes our circumstances to teach us to trust Him in new ways.”

Elijah learned that no matter what God led him to, He could always be trusted to provide (Philippians 4:19) and keep His Word (Hebrews 10:23). 

The Everyday Application

1) Why would God provide for Elijah through a widow with such meager means? (verse 12)

As a child, I read voraciously. One day I grabbed a book of my Dad’s called Hey God! by Frank Foglio. It portrayed an extremely poor Italian-American family who became Christians and decided to share Jesus with everyone they met.

One day Papa Foglio brought visitors home for dinner so he could share Jesus with them, but Mama Foglio didn’t have enough food for her large family, let alone extra mouths. So they prayed, and she just kept pulling spaghetti out of the pot until everyone in the house had eaten their fill!

As a child, reading Foglio’s unwavering faith that God would provide, made a big impact on me. It was just one in a string of testimonies that built my faith in God and taught me that He can be trusted even when circumstances say otherwise. (Psalm 56:3)

The same kind of faith played a role in the events surrounding Elijah and impoverished widow of 1 Kings 17:12. God sent Elijah to her to be fed and housed, even though she was preparing to cook her last supply of oil and flour on the day they met. Elijah trusted she was the one God provided, even though it looked like she was the last person who could help him. The widow made Elijah the loaf of bread in faith, trusting his words about the flour and oil not running out would prove true.

If the widow’s pantry had been full, all Elijah would have gotten was a meal. Instead he reaffirmed he could hear God and trust what He said. Elijah also became the means of blessing a faithful servant of the Lord who would have starved to death had he not come.

The Original Intent

2) Why did Elijah question God regarding the tragedy of the boy’s death? (verse 20)

God sent Elijah to the home of a widow and her son in Zarephath, where He miraculously fed Elijah by replenishing the widow’s meager store of flour and oil. (verses 13-16) Elijah’s presence saved the widow and her son from starvation, but the son grew ill and died during Elijah’s stay. (verse 17)

The grieving widow brought her lifeless son to Elijah who “cried out to the Lord and said, ‘Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?’” (1 Kings 17:20) Elijah assumed that all of his trials followed him to the poor widow’s house and brought her tragedy as well.

Authors Keil & Delitzsch propose, “These words, in which the [Hebrew] word also refers to the other calamities occasioned by the drought, contain no reproach of God, but are expressive of the heartiest compassion for the suffering of his benefactress and the deepest lamentation, which, springing from living faith, pours out the whole heart before God in the hour of distress.”

Elijah was certain God led him to this widow, as evidenced by the miracle with the flour and the oil not running out. Elijah could only trust God and implore Him to heal the son of this faithful servant. His faith in God’s direction was solid, as was his belief in God’s mercy and compassion (Psalm 145:8)

The Geneva Study Bible also suggests “He was afraid lest God’s name be blasphemed and his ministry condemned, unless he continued His mercies as He had begun them, especially while he remained there.”

Elijah knew God had shown Himself Good and Faithful to Elijah, and he trusted that God had led him to this widow’s home to show Himself Good and Faithful to her as well. 

The Everyday Application

2) Why did Elijah question God regarding the tragedy of the boy’s death? (verse 20)

Elijah was finding it difficult to be the Lord’s prophet when he arrived at the poor widow’s home. He was going from one trouble to another, trusting in God to sustain him day by day. By the time the widow brought her dead son to him, he was overwhelmed with the amount of troubles in his path, and he “cried out to the Lord and said, ‘Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?’” (1 Kings 17:20).

Elijah was not blaming God or even complaining so much as he was exclaiming, “Here’s yet another hardship God is bringing me through.”

By now, Elijah’s reflex response was to go directly to God with his need and throw himself upon God’s love and mercy. (Hebrews 4:16). Although he was weary of the problems, he trusted God was with him in the midst of it all. (Psalm 23:4)

Most of us, like Elijah, have cried out at the addition of yet one more hardship in our lives. Relationship struggles, financial burdens, health challenges and anxious thoughts can make us feel like we can’t handle everything we need to manage.

Like Elijah, we need to turn immediately to God with every struggle that threatens to overwhelm us and allow Him to help us. He may bring immediate healing or deliverance, or He may provide assistance through friends or family, but He promises to always meet every need (Philippians 4:19) and never leave us alone (Joshua 1:9).

We can trust in His provision no matter how trying the situation becomes.

The Original Intent

3) Why did it take Elijah raising her son from the dead for the woman to believe Elijah was a man of God? (verse 24)

Although Elijah stayed with the widow and she witnessed the daily miracle of no decrease in her store of flour and oil, it was only after Elijah prayed and her son was raised from the dead that the widow proclaimed, “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.” (1 Kings 17:24)

While experiencing the blessing of food on the table every day surely convinced her that Elijah was sent by his God, having her son restored to her showed her the Hebrew God was personal. She went from learning about Jehovah from Elijah to personally experiencing His power and love in a life-changing way.

“Whatever stage her religious belief had before reached, she now advances beyond it, and acknowledges Jehovah as truth itself.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) Elijah was led to this widow’s home so God could meet her physical needs, but also so He could meet her spiritual needs. The visit from Elijah was just as much a ministry and display of God’s power, authority, and personal love for the widow as it was for Elijah.

Author J. Hampton Keathley III suggests that the Lord “was more concerned that she get to know Him because He was her real need.” Bringing a person back to life was something only a powerful, benevolent God could do, and it was what the Lord chose to use to reach this widow with His Truth.

As He had done with Elijah, using his hardships to teach him about faith and trust in Him (Romans 8:28), so God did with the widow, using the famine and her son’s death to teach her about the powerful and loving nature of Jehovah.

The Everyday Application

3) Why did it take Elijah raising her son from the dead for the woman to believe Elijah was a man of God? (verse 24)

My husband is a public school teacher, but we both agreed  homeschooling was the best option for our family. I had been a teacher before our children were born, so he left most of the homeschooling duties and decisions to me.

One day, a friend hired him to tutor their homeschooled children in Spanish for a quarter. Every week he came home excited about the benefits of homeschooling. He was enthused about the opportunities available due to the nature of home education. He had been on board with homeschooling before his hands-on experience, but now he was an active proponent of home learning. Teaching in a homeschool environment made him a bona fide “homeschooler,” and that helped him engage in our own homeschool adventures in a way he never had before.

Having a deeply personal encounter with the God of Elijah changed things for the widow. Before her son was raised from the dead, she was glad to have the man of God in her home, grateful for the food his presence provided, but when he prayed on her behalf and God resurrected her son, she exclaimed, “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.” (1 Kings 17:24)

She went from believing Elijah was God’s prophet to experiencing God for herself in an unforgettable way. This is what God desires for each of us; it’s what He’s building the journey of our lives around. He is pleased for us to learn about Him, but more than anything He wants us to know Him. Personally. Deeply. (1 John 5:20)

He loves us so much that He longs for communion with us. (John 15:4-5) He wants us to know Him deeper and become more like Him every day. He uses every experience in our lives, positive and negative, to bring us closer to Him. (1 Peter 5:10)

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Sketched XI, Day 5
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I am struggling.

Struggling with loneliness as I bear the crushing burden of survival for myself and my sweet boy.

Struggling with a society that leaves us scraps at the best of times, dust and searing hunger and the looming specter of death during this time of drought and famine.

Struggling with fear, which snarls in my ear and prods me to clench tight the handful of grain I have left. Who does this stranger think he is? What does he imagine I, who have nothing, can give him?
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