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Worship XII Day 3 Silent Night; Holy Night

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Worship XII Day 3 Silent Night; Holy Night

Brenda Earley

November 22, 2023

Adoring,Encourage,Faith,Gift,Glory,God,Good

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 46
Acts 27:5-26
Psalm 22:1-5
Habakkuk 3:17-19

Silent Night 
Holy night . . .
It was a night like no other, a holy night. God, the Father, sent His Son to this earth as a baby, to bring peace and salvation to all humankind. The Messiah was swaddled and placed in a manger, housed in a stable. (Luke 2:4-7)

Let’s just stop right there. Don’t you wish all stories were this sweet?

Anyone for warm, fuzzy slippers or a soft, comfy blanket? Give me a quick minute to pour myself a coffee (or maybe, a peppermint mocha?). Whatever your fav, let’s meet back here for a cozy, not-so-sweet story. 

All is calm . . . 
As our family stood poised to embark on a “family-owned business” adventure, very little seemed calm! “The opportunity of a lifetime” presented itself and we dived into the deep waters of “unknown.” Expectations were high, but we were unequipped to navigate the rough waters ahead. 

The franchise owner said, “We need to move quickly!” (Uhmm, rocky waves and red flags? Yes, everywhere!) And before we knew it, we were on our way to owning a donut shop on the quaint side of town . . . location, location, location (it’s real, y’all!).

Shepherds quake . . . 
While it should have been an exciting journey, it was also filled with anxiety and fear of the unknown. Never before had I so easily identified with early church preacher and apostle Paul, as he set sail on a fraught voyage to Rome. I imagined Paul standing at the bow of the sailing vessel, weighed down by a growing sense of foreboding as he gazed at the darkening sky. (Acts 27:1-8) 

I understood the feeling.

In the midst of fearful circumstances, my heart echoed the psalmist’s cry:

“My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
By night, yet I have no rest.”
(Psalm 22:2)

Everything happened so fast and soon spiraled out of control. From looking for rental spaces to purchasing equipment (refrigerators, freezer, ovens, mixers, sinks) to interviewing potential employees, life was a chaotic mess. However, like the crew aboard the ship with Apostle Paul, we had a plan and we pushed on. (Acts 27:9-13)

Then came the day we cut the tape for the Grand Opening. We were all smiles, but deep within, our hearts continued to quake with fear. 

Within a few months, customers dwindled. 
Employees weren’t doing their jobs. 
We were exhausted. 
Income was scarce. 

This was not what the franchise owner said would happen, and certainly not what we expected. We were trying to keep our heads above water, maybe even drift a bit and land on solid ground . . . ? But, just like Paul, we were sinking! (Acts 27:14-19)

My mind was a battlefield. While I dredged the waters, they were overtaking me. Sinking deeper, I withdrew, using the excuse my family needed me. Taking care of the home front was what I knew, so I pressed on there. Busyness kept my mind from dwelling on what was happening. How was I to see above the waves? 

My husband carried on the early mornings, the late nights, the employees’ shifts, and paydays. Little did I realize what he was going through — a battlefield in the mind, body, and spirit. He was in deep waters, with no chance of a lifeboat. How was he to get out of these waters? (Acts 27:20-34)

But then, shipwreck! (Acts 27:39-44) Our egos were splintered like Paul’s ship run aground; our family was in shambles. Still, God was allowing a teachable moment in the midst of our wreckage! 

God taught my husband to praise even through the “eye of the storm.” (Psalm 46:8-11) 
God taught me to be still and trust. (Psalm 46:10)

(Now is a great time to take an intermission: let’s get our hearts and minds focused on Who can weather our storms. “In the Eye of the Storm” by Ryan Stevenson)

Sleep in heavenly peace . . . 
Yes, we were devastated. 
Yes, we lost everything. 
But God! 

God took control, and spoke into our storm, “Be still.” He promised us survival. Our family would be saved to higher ground, landing in safety under His wings. (Psalm 46:4-7)

This is why even in the chaos, we can sleep in His heavenly peace! It truly was a “Glorious Unfolding.” (Steven Curtis Chapman)

Ok, sweet sister friends, what does all this have to do with Messiah’s birth and a silent, holy night? 
The truth is, there wasn’t much of anything calm or sweet about the night of Jesus’ birth. 

Here’s my story’s connection…

He was born amidst the hustle of ordinary life and the hassle of a national census. 
He was born into political oppression and economic struggle.
He was born into a faith so mangled and twisted by the humans who held it as to be nearly unrecognizable. 
He was born into a shipwrecked humanity,
“jammed fast and [. . .] immovable” (Acts 27:41) into the sandbar of sin, a humanity who could only be rescued by God.

And so God came.
“Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!”

Sinless Jesus would pay the price for our sins with His death, and with His resurrection, He would break the shipwreck of sin and drowning us to our death.

Redeeming grace, born of God’s incomprehensible and radiant love for us, would be the light guiding us home. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Now, do you need a coffee refill? Or a tissue? Here, I have both…

~~~

(God showed my husband the parallels to Acts 27 after our business venture. Also, the song links listed in this story were the same songs God gave us to anchor our souls to His lifeboat. We learned to praise and worship more during this time!)

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Worship XII, Day 4
Digging Deeper

Just as Yahweh came to meet with Moses on the mountain, in a blaze.

Just as He led the Israelites through the wilderness in a column of fire.

Time after time, the one true God came to meet with His created people and make a way. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, came as a defenseless baby.

A God-man, born to live, then to die, and come back to life again, so that all who repent of their sin and put their trust in Him may have eternal life, and life abundant.

Praise God, Christ the Savior is born!
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Known Day 12 Jehovah Rapha: Digging Deeper

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Known Day 12 Jehovah Rapha: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

July 25, 2023

Bold,Faith,Glory,Good,Healing,Heart,Peace,Perfect

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 "Jehovah Rapha"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 103:1-10

My soul, bless the LORD, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits. 3 He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases.

4 He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. 5 He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle. 6 The LORD executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. 9 He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. 10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why does David exhort his own soul to bless the Lord and remember His benefits? (verse 2)

In Psalm 103:2, David addressed his own soul by saying, “My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits.” David was reminding himself that God had blessed him greatly by recounting the numerous ways God had already provided for his needs.

David Guzik suggests, “It was as if David looked at his soul and understood that it was not praising God enough. He called upon his soul to do more.” It is easy to lose sight of the good things God has given us and focus on the negative aspects of our circumstances. David understood this and was encouraging his soul to concentrate on all of the positive things God had done for him. (Psalm 78:5-7)

Remembering God’s benefits encouraged David and gave him hope. Remembering all the times God helped him in the past reminded him to turn to God when times were tough. (Psalm 42:4-5) Shae Tate asserts, “Remembering what’s true stops the chaos around us long enough for us to remind ourselves, ‘Ok, God’s not forgotten me. So, I’m not going to forget His promises for me.’”

In the Old Testament, God often instructed His people to make a monument to Him after a miracle or blessing so future generations would ask about it and they would have opportunity to teach them about the goodness of God. (Joshua 4:20-24, Genesis 28:10-22)

We can incorporate this practice of reminding ourselves to bless the Lord for His benefits, thereby instructing and encouraging those around us (and our own souls!) of the sure victory and hope found in a God who never changes. (Hebrews 13:8)

He who was faithful in the past remains faithful to His beloved even today. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

The Everyday Application

1) Why does David exhort his own soul to bless the Lord and remember His benefits? (verse 2)

Years ago my church compiled a book of testimonies and answered prayers from parishioners. I recently re-discovered it and marveled at how faithful God has been! There were stories of hardened hearts turning to God and desperate needs being met.

One woman dreamed she should pray about an upcoming calendar date, and on that date her husband experienced a medical emergency while driving and was able to make it to help safely. In one testimony, someone received a free house in answer to a prayer! I was amazed at God’s goodness, but I was also amazed that I had forgotten about so many of these wondrous testimonies. This is why David’s exhortation in Psalm 103:2 is so important.

Reminding ourselves of God’s blessings from the past bolsters our faith in God to continue meeting our needs and surpassing our expectations in the present. (Ephesians 3:20) Arlene Pellicane suggests David is “giving a ‘locker room talk’ to an audience of one — like a rousing speech coaches give to sports teams before playing a big game.”

David reminded himself God has come through for him in the past, and He will come through for him now and in the future. (Philippians 4:13) Shae Tate reiterates the importance of rehearsing God’s benefits to us, noting that “What has always been true will always be true. And it’s true for me today, even if I don’t feel it in completeness right now.”

When we find ourselves dwelling on impossibilities and in need of breakthrough, we can remind ourselves of all the good things God has done for us and for others in the past. Those blessings remind us God is good and faithful at all times! (Psalm 100:5)

The Original Intent

2) Is healing from disease of the same importance as the other benefits from God that David lists? (verses 3-10)

In Psalm 103:3-10, David lists the benefits from God that he wants his soul to remember, including forgiveness from sins, physical healing, satisfyingly good things, renewed youth, compassion, grace, and love. These are some amazing deeds; things that are life-altering and memorable.

Charles Spurgeon suggests David “selects a few of the choicest pearls from the casket of divine love, threads them on the string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude.” It might be tempting to cherry-pick from this list and elevate the “flashier” blessings, like healing or renewed youth, but the order of their listing gives an idea of their importance.

David Guzik asserts how significant it is that forgiveness of sins is first on the list, “In David’s mind, the most important thing was to have sins forgiven, even more important than physical healing.” These blessings may have been listed as a sequence of events. First, God forgives us, and then He heals and redeems us.

Andrew Murray explains, “Forgiveness is the access to all of God’s love. On this account, forgiveness is also an introduction to all the other blessings of redemption.” David thanked God first for the forgiveness of sins because this is what opens up the door to relationship with God. (1 John 1:5-10)

Forgiving our sins was so important in the heart of God that He sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for all our sins upon Himself on the cross (John 3:16) so we would not need to face the penalty of death. (Romans 6:23) Confessing our sins and turning from them allows us to walk with God and experience His many blessings.

God’s forgiveness is the greatest gift; without it we could not experience all the riches of His grace as children of God. (Romans 8:14-17)

The Everyday Application

2) Is healing from disease of the same importance as the other benefits from God that David lists? (verses 3-10)

When I book vacation lodging, I am extremely frugal, which means I am willing to overlook minor inconveniences to gain a good deal as long as my basic necessities are met. A few years ago, I was thrilled to find a vacation rental at a reasonable price that had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and laundry facilities, which were my must-haves. I was so eager to snag the bargain I didn’t notice the mention of a year-round lodger in the basement, which I discovered only after the cancellation date had passed.

I was so impressed by the low- price that I overlooked some of the most important details about the lodging. I tend to do this in other areas, too. When I read the list of blessings David details in Psalm 103:3-10, my attention is immediately drawn to the words, “He heals all your diseases.” I have a vague recognition of the other items listed in God’s “benefit package,” but I tend to focus on the promises of healing, grace, and love.

I am glad for all the blessings, but I want to especially remind God of the things I can experience in a tangible way. In doing so, however, I overlook the other amazing things God has given me, some of which are even more important than physical healing in the great scheme of things. The first thing David thanked God for was His forgiveness of sins. David recognized that God wiping away his iniquities (Psalm 51:2) was vital to his walk with the Lord. (Psalm 32:1-6)

Without the gift of forgiveness, there would be no other gifts. May we be mindful of and grateful for all the gifts God has given us, not the least of which is His merciful forgiveness.

The Original Intent

3) How can David say God heals all your diseases when people who trust in the Lord still suffer from diseases? (verse 3)

In Psalm 103:3, David praises the God who “heals all your diseases.” David experienced God as a healer personally (Psalm 30:2, Psalm 107:20), which is important to remember as we read David’s personal prayer of thanksgiving.

God holds all power and rule to heal anyone at any time, but His magnificent love and personal knowledge of us knows that physical healing can actually prevent our hearts from turning to God for spiritual healing. David knew Scripture proclaims God as ultimate Healer (Isaiah 53:5, Exodus 15:26), but he also knew God didn’t always answer prayers for healing in the way and time we ask. This scenario was also his personal experience when he entreated God to spare his first child with Bathsheba, who died at 7 days old. (2 Samuel 12:16-18)

Still, David believed that no matter what happened, the Sovereign God (Psalm 135:6) could be trusted with all things. (Psalm 111:7) Ann Voskamp suggests, “We may not always get our miracle. But we always get God. And that is the miracle that is more than enough.” Even if God the Healer doesn’t heal when we ask Him, He is still Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals.

Tricia Lott Williford offers the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believing God would rescue them from the fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:17-18) “They knew what they had asked God to do, and they believed He absolutely could do it. They even said He would. And then they finish the sentence with the giant caveat: But even if He doesn’t, we will not bow to any other god. […] In one hand is faith: I believe He can do anything. In the other hand is sovereignty. Even if He doesn’t, I believe He is still good.”

It is hard for us to understand why God would not heal someone when He is the Healer, but we know His ways and thoughts are not like ours (Isaiah 55:8); we only understand in part here on earth. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

We may not be able to explain or understand God’s ways, but we can trust His Word that He is always with us, working everything out for our good. (Romans 8:28)

The Everyday Application

3) How can David say God heals all your diseases when people who trust in the Lord still suffer from diseases? (verse 3)

Are you familiar with the story of quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada? In her extraordinary life since a diving accident left her disabled, Joni has served the Lord well by painting, advocating for the disabled, providing wheelchairs for the dis-advantaged, and ministering alongside her husband to crowds around the globe. She has prayed for healing, and countless others have prayed for her healing, still, she has now spent 50 years in a wheelchair.

When I read David’s words thanking God for healing all his diseases in Psalm 103:3, I wonder about Joni and others who haven’t experienced physical healing. According to author David Guzik, God “brings healing to us in this life through both natural and miraculous ways. He promises ultimate healing for all His people in the age to come.”

Joni Eareckson Tada says, “When people are healed miraculously, it should encourage us to look forward to the time when healing will be for everyone.” There will be a day when all who have trusted Christ for their salvation and heart-healing now will stand before God in Heaven, free of all manner of disease and pain. (Revelation 21:4) Until then, God continues to sometimes heal people of diseases here on Earth. More often, though, He allows the physical challenges to remain and produce the character of Christ in our lives. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)

Author Katherine Wolf, herself disabled by a severe stroke, asserts that until we see Jesus face to face, “the moments of releasing our lives into the hands of a God we cannot see are the closet to wholeness we will come on this side of eternity. This is our truest healing—the healing of our souls […].”

This soul healing is the reason Jesus came into the world (Luke 19:10), and it’s the reason He gives us the grace to become more like Him each day. (Philippians 1:6)

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What I saw broke my heart. His head was down, and his shoulders shook with sobs. He knew cancer was taking the man he loved so much. As his mom I was so concerned for his heart, his faith, and his trust in the Lord His God.

From the time of diagnosis, we prayed, “Lord, we know You are the Healer and You will heal Grandpa here on this side of heaven or home with You.”

Our desire was for healing to happen here. God’s answer was to call him home.
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Known Day 11 Jehovah Rapha

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Known Day 11 Jehovah Rapha

Meribeth Schierbeek

July 24, 2023

Comfort,Faith,Glory,Good,Healing,Heart,Know

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 15:22-27
Exodus 20:1-21
Matthew 9:1-8
Psalm 103:1-5
Isaiah 53

When I hear Jehovah Rapha, the Lord is our Healer, my mind goes immediately God’s revelation of Himself as He began to give His prophet, Moses, the ten commandments: 
“I AM the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.”
(Exodus 20:2, emphasis mine) 

We see very quickly, as we consider our sin within light of the ten commandments, how desperately we need the spiritual healing of our Savior Jesus from our slavery to sin. (Romans 3:20) In fact, our spiritual healing began back in the garden of Eden, when God covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness and shame in their sin (Genesis 3:21), an early shadow of the righteous covering Jesus would bring. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Still today, our hearts are deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9-10) and we need Jehovah Rapha (Luke 6:17-19; Matthew 14:13-14; Mathew 8:16-17) to be wholly His and wholly healed.

As we understand spiritual healing, we also look to the physical healing most of us have desired for ourselves or a loved one. 

Our family has been in this place of longing for healing when my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. Oh, how we prayed for his healing.  

A very special friend of all of our children, he was closest to our 15 year old son. I recall leaving a visit with him, turning to look at my son in the backseat of our car. What I saw broke my heart. His head was down, and his shoulders shook with sobs. He knew cancer was taking the man he loved so much. As his mom I was so concerned for his heart, his faith, and his trust in the Lord His God.   

From the time of diagnosis, we prayed, “Lord, we know You are the Healer and You will heal Grandpa here on this side of heaven or home with You.” 

Our desire was for healing to happen here.  
God’s answer was to call him home.  

Before he died, he was able to talk with our son. He told our son he was thankful for cancer because it drew him closer to the Lord…a testimony declaring healing begins and ends in the heart, even if it doesn’t heal the body. Jehovah Rapha did indeed minister in mercy to our beloved Grandpa. 

So often I find myself wanting healing from …
The pain of life. 
The emotional pain of a strained relationship. 
The physical pain of sickness.
The mental pain of trauma and past abuse.
What would you add to this list?

What happens when the healing of the pain we suffer falls short of our desires? 
Is Jehovah Rapha still our healer?  
Does His character change? 
(Hebrews 13:8)

As I grapple with these questions, I think of the story in the gospel of Matthew, when friends carried their sick neighbor to the healing hands of Jesus. (Matthew 9:1-8) I see so many types of healing in this short vignette!

To a lonely heart, one suffering under the cultural stigma of illness, the gift of friendship is like the healing touch of the Lord! 

After a lifetime of paralysis, how miraculous it must have been to receive the physical healing he so desperately desired! Imagine how this must have transformed nearly every area of his life, from his ability to work and achieve financial security to his relationships and his place within his community.

Finally, we see two spiritual healings, both in the forgiveness of the man’s sins and in verse 9, Matthew’s own willingness to immediately accept Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. In order for Matthew to become a disciple, he must have had a new heart desire to walk with God . . .  Healing the man’s legs was only the beginning of Jesus’ work here!

How often is this true in our lives, as well? We want Jehovah Rapha’s healing in one specific area, but God has abundantly more…He wants us to believe HE IS LORD, the I AM, giving us the healing we need.

Because of the redemptive work of Jesus, we can have hope that healings we don’t see manifest on earth will be brought to full completion in heaven. As we learned with my father-in-law’s journey, Jehovah Rapha is ever drawing us nearer to His heart, even through illness, and we can have faith in the perfect restoration of all things in the presence of Jesus. (Revelation 21:1-5)

As the psalmist declares,
“My soul, bless the LORD, 
And do not forget all his benefits.
He forgives all your iniquity;
He heals all your diseases.
He redeems your life from the Pit;
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
He satisfies you with good things;
Your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
(Psalm 103:1-5)

Sisters, how can you trust Him with your pain?

Whether you are struggling physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually,
whether healing comes now or in your earthly future or in heaven,
God is still your Jehovah Rapha, 
still with you in your hurting, 
still comforting you and sustaining you 
until He calls you home.

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Known Day 12
Digging Deeper

Forgiving our sins was so important that God sent His Son, Jesus, to take all our sins upon Himself on the cross (John 3:16) so that we would not have to face the penalty of death (Romans 6:23).

Confessing our sins and turning from them allows us to walk with God and experience His many blessings. God’s forgiveness is the greatest gift, for without it we could not experience all the richness of His grace as children of God (Romans 8:14-17).
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Known Day 10 Jehovah Rohi

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Known Day 10 Jehovah Rohi

Malinda Fugate

July 21, 2023

Character,Comfort,Fellowship,Good,Shepherd

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23
John 10
Isaiah 40:10-31

It’s been awhile since I hung out with sheep. After trading a childhood in Ohio farmland for adulthood in Los Angeles, my opportunities to interact with livestock are limited. This makes it a little tough to connect with Scripture featuring animals and their keepers. However, the details of shepherding reveal some of God’s character, drawing us closer to His heart as we know Him better.

Before he was a war hero and king, David spent a lot of time herding sheep. I imagine sitting in quiet fields, watching the animals slowly graze, and looking up at wispy clouds pushed across the sky by a gentle breeze provided David with time to listen to God. Maybe David heard His voice as clearly as he heard birds sing and tree leaves rustle. David understood the Lord as the ultimate Shepherd, protecting and nurturing His beloved children much like David tended his flock with care. Divinely inspired, he penned a song to share God’s goodness with all the people. 

The lyrics of Psalm 23 take us to green pastures and still waters. We look to the Lord for guidance, provision, and security just like a lamb to her shepherd. In order to follow God this way, we must trust Him completely. After all, sheep are pretty helpless creatures. They require someone to take them to drink and eat. They need protection from predators, and if they’re sick or hurt, they can’t help themselves. Relying on a shepherd is essential. We also need the Lord desperately, whether we realize it or not. So many things are out of our control and abilities, and a shepherding God is essential.

We can trust Him completely because He’s good and loving. David wrote, “The Lord is good to everyone; His compassion rests on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9) The Lord is not merely A shepherd, He’s the GOOD Shepherd. David sings his psalms to tell us why. In the original Hebrew, Psalm 23 begins with David’s declaration of “Jehovah Rohi,” which means “the Lord my Shepherd.” The verses that follow explain a very personal relationship between David as a beloved sheep and God who tenderly cares for him. 

Though the original listeners would immediately relate to a life of tending flocks, we might need a bit of assistance. I’ve never walked in the sandals of an ancient Israelite, but God certainly demonstrates the care of a Shepherd in my modern life. Perhaps you see Him in yours, too. If we tried to write David’s psalm today, it might sound like this:

The Lord is my King and Guardian Caretaker; I have everything I need.
Even when I despair, He comes through and takes care of it all.
He leads me to His good blessings, whether they are basics like good food and clean water, or more complex as a loving community and purpose in Him.
He gives me rest and eases anxiety.
God guides every step and shows me the way to His goodness.
With His help, everyday decisions are stepping stones to fuller plans He has for me to proclaim His glory.
Even in difficulty and pain, I’m not afraid because God is right beside me. I know He will always protect me, therefore I feel safe.
This is how the Lord demonstrates His love for me, and everyone can see it’s true. His kind generosity encourages me so much my heart feels like it will overflow.
I’m confident God’s goodness and love will be with me forever,
and I will worship Him all the days of my life.

How has the Lord been a Good Shepherd to you?
Are you listening for His voice as David did?

In John 10, Jesus explained that His sheep know His voice. Back in the pasture, actual sheep know their shepherd so well they will follow his voice even if they are grazing among other flocks with other shepherds! The sheep spend so much time with the one who cares for them, they stick close by his side. 

Yet, Jesus goes even farther to express His love. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Unlike the limited devotion of a human shepherd, Christ died on the cross to cover the cost of our sin, then resurrected so we could be rescued from the power of sin and death, inviting us to eternity with Him. Imagine if a celebrated king walked out of his palace and into the fields to spend time with sheep because He was so concerned for their well-being. God is Jehovah Rohi– Lord Shepherd- the King of Kings who dwells among His children and covers us with His grace, mercy, and compassion. 

God’s character is richly complex, a multi-faceted tapestry beyond our comprehension. Yet, His love is also as simple as a Good Shepherd tending His flock, treasuring each precious sheep with great care. You are not merely one in a crowd, dear friend. You are uniquely cherished and beloved by the Good Shepherd. He will never leave you, and His goodness and faithful love will follow you, all the days of your life.

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Known, Day 10
Digging Deeper

The Good Shepherd loves you and provides grace and forgiveness and eternal salvation when you enter the safety of His fold. You are not too dirty, too sinful, or too far away that He cannot find you, cleanse you, and make you whole.
Dig Deeper!

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July 10 - July 28, 2023 - Journey Theme #121

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Known Day 6 El Chuwl

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Known Day 6 El Chuwl

Sara Cissell

July 17, 2023

Alive,Daughter,Family,God,Good,Joy

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jonah 3:1-4:11
Psalm 139:13-18
Romans 12:1-2

El Chuwl
The God who gave you birth. 

I love how the Lord moves and orchestrates all the elements of my life, including this Journey Study. Before I truly quieted my heart to listen for the Lord’s direction, I had multiple ideas for where this study may have gone and I guarantee Jonah’s story (an ordinary Hebrew man, commissioned by God to deliver a call to repentance to one of Israel’s fiercest enemies) was not one of them.

Yet within Jonah’s story, I found the Lord’s heart beating for His creation. 

More often than not, I have read the book of Jonah primarily from Jonah’s perspective and considered how it related to my life. However, as I pondered El Chuwl, I saw the four chapters in a new light. 

All genuine Christ-followers have two births: our physical one and our spiritual one. Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, a religious leader whose curiosity was sparked by Jesus’ stunning teaching and ministry (John 3), is a great place to begin to comprehend just what the Lord means by being twice birthed.

Our physical births are denoted by our birthdays. Each year, we mark the time we have spent on earth, and declare ourselves another year older. Even before our physical births, the Lord knew us in the womb. Psalm 139 says He knit us together; His involvement in our physical births was deeply intricate and intimate. 

Scripture is clear that His involvement in our spiritual births is equally intricate and intimate. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44) “For He (Father) chose us in Him (Christ), before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4) Our spiritual births take place when we ask the Lord to be our Savior, to forgive our sins, and we surrender control of our hearts to Him. (1 John 1:9) We are born into His family and now have eternity with Him as our secured future. 

I had my spiritual birth when I was a pretty young child, so I don’t fully remember all the elements occurring in my life at the time. However, I do remember my older brother starting his life with the Lord two weeks before I made my decision. I watched him over those two weeks to determine if I wanted to make the same choice. Thankfully, I did, and I have a vivid memory of the moment I prayed to the Lord. 

For those of you who became a Christian later in life, what was your story? 
Can you look back over your life and see the fingerprints of God leading you towards Him? 

The Lord is an involved Father and He watches over His children and His children-to-be.

This leads us back to Jonah. 

After literally running away from the Lord (Jonah 1) and spending time in the belly of a great fish rethinking his choices (Jonah 2), Jonah finally obeyed the Lord and went to Nineveh, where he obediently declared the coming destruction from the Lord. (Jonah 3) When the Ninevites actually repented, Jonah grew angry at the Lord’s mercy for a wildly undeserving people. The Lord’s response in chapter 4 stopped me in my tracks and spoke directly to my heart. 

The Lord is intensely for us; if you’re breathing, His heart is to draw you near. Jonah was ready to watch the city of Nineveh and all of its inhabitants burn, but the Lord saw His creation. When the people of Nineveh repented, the Lord’s righteous anger turned to sovereign grace. 

For some in Nineveh, that may have been the moment of their spiritual birth; only the Lord truly knows. Regardless, the Lord proved His faithfulness to everyone who had experienced a physical birth in Nineveh by sending Jonah to get their attention and challenge them to change their ways. 

The Lord’s character is consistent, and I know He has not changed throughout the years since Jonah walked the earth. (Hebrews 13:8) His heart is still for His creation, and He still longs for us to walk with Him. He is the God of Life who gives us both of our births.

So how do we respond? 

I think Romans 12:1-2 lays out a plan of action quite well: offering ourselves to the Lord and renewing our minds moves us closer to walking with Him. 

I imagine a toddler reaching up for her father, asking him to pick her up. She may even use the innocent phrase, “hold you.” 

This faith like a child rises up within me as I comprehend just a hint of the Lord’s heart for the Ninevites, which brings the realization of the Lord’s intense love for me too. 

So Lord, I turn to You. Thank You for being the God who gave me both my births. Thank You for loving me and leading me each day since. I surrender my will and life again to You today. Transform me and renew my mind. I turn my eyes to You and raise my arms. Hold me, Abba!

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Known Day 7
Digging Deeper

When we focus on God as the Master Craftsman, it is easier for us to appreciate that we are His marvelous workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).

Tara Sun asserts that “when we stand in proper view of the reality of our Savior, we can stand in thankfulness and contentment for how we were created. Bumps, dimples, curves, saggy skin and all.”

Thank You, Lord, for hand-crafting each one of us into a unique masterpiece!
Dig Deeper!

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July 10 - July 28, 2023 - Journey Theme #121

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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
Journey Study

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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June 19 - July 7, 2023 - Journey Theme #120

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Many of us know the hard edges of pain, injustice, and sorrow we felt would surely swallow us whole, or worse, bit by bit. Joseph’s story, the longest recorded single narrative in Genesis, is fraught with many opportunities to sink into the waves of sorrow, bitterness, and injustice. But God’s love was, and always will be, the greatest game changer of every story. In His lavish love, He strengthened Joseph’s faith in the midst of suffering and, rather than allow him to be swallowed by grief and despair, slowly taught Joseph to trust the Almighty Sovereign God. We each have this same choice. Every day. Every moment. Inside of each second of mundane or pain, God has provided the opportunity to lean into Him with authentic honesty or pull back. When we lean in, He increases our faith, strengthens our souls, sustains us, and gives His courage and peace. When we pull back, we soon find ourselves running blind through a minefield of bitterness, anger, depression, and despair. In the end, we lose everything. Take time to identity the opportunities the Lord is giving you recently. Where do you find your heart turning?

2) Joseph wasn’t really looking for redemption. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see the familiar faces of his brothers amidst the sea of faces that day as they came to Egypt, bowing to him, to purchase grain. Redemption and restoration within his family relationships may have surprised Joseph, but it didn’t surprise the Lord. He had seen this day from long before Joseph’s brothers had plotted to murder him. The Lord knew redemption was coming when Joseph unjustly sat in prison. More so, the Lord knew all the internal wrestling, heart ache, and grieving hot tears Joseph would cry in the years between being sold into slavery and the day he would embrace his brothers with glad tears. God never once abandoned Joseph; not one of His promises was broken. The Lord proved faithful at every single point, and eventually, Joseph saw with his physical eyes what the Lord had taught him to see with his spiritual eyes: redemption. The Lord loves us far too much to simply give us what we think we want in the physical realm without first teaching us what we really need in the spiritual realm: God Himself. Wherever you are in your own journey, high hope or struggling to lift your head, be encouraged that the God of redemption sees you, and He knows your redemption story inside and out. Trust Him!

3) Every injustice. Every broken place. Every wound that has relentlessly damaged bodies and relationships. Every single tear that has stained our cheeks. Healed, made whole, and redeemed one day. Joseph experienced only a small sliver of the full redemption the Lord had planned for His people during his life. Joseph’s family experienced partial redemption and the nation of Israel was blessed temporarily with safe harbor and sustaining food for a season. Eventually, though, Israel became enslaved for 400 years and suffered significantly in many ways even into modern times. Still, their homecoming is sure and certain, and so is ours. Whatever good we experience and whatever redemption we receive in this life is merely a hint of the good restoration still to come for those who have trusted Christ completely for their salvation. When we choose to adjust our lens to see our struggles with the perspective of Home on the horizon, even hardship becomes more bearable. Practice turning over your perspective to the Lord this weekend. Ask Him to fix your gaze on the eternity to come! To help you anchor in this truth, marinate your soul in truths of Scripture like Revelation 21 and 22 and Psalm 27.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 13:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, like Peter at the Last Supper, like Joseph in prison, like Israel wandering the desert, like Abraham leaving his homeland to follow Your lead, Your words speak truth to our reality, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” (John 13:7) When You sat with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), when You commissioned Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9), when You came to Isaiah in a vision (Isaiah 6), they had no way of knowing what You were doing in their timeline or how it would echo through the ages. But You did; You knew all along. You never cease to be faithful, steadfast, and true.

Teach us to trust You with our stories. Teach us to honestly bring You every piece of our painful suffering, surrendering it fully to You, and waiting with great, expectant Hope for Your sure and certain coming redemption. What You are doing now in our lives, we cannot comprehend the wide spectrum You have planned, but teach us to live by faith and not by sight. May our hearts choose praise, worship, and adoration now, whatever our circumstances look like. Here is my life, Lord God, make Your redemption known in its storyline!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

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Sketched X Day 11 What Are You Waiting For?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 42:1-43:14
Acts 22:12-16
Mark 4:35-40

Sketched X, Day 11

The courtyard stones beneath my feet still held the coolness of night. Dawn had broken though, and by midday, the stones would be radiating the sun’s heat. It would be a miserable, sweaty day for all waiting in line for grain.

Still, very few complained about standing in the scorching sun, not when I held their sustenance in my control. The Lord had given Pharaoh dreams foretelling seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine. Since the Lord worked through me to interpret those dreams, Pharaoh made me second in command and ruler over the land. (Genesis 41)

I stockpiled during those seven years of abundance, believing the Lord’s word that the years of famine would come.

And come they did. 

Now all those in Egypt and surrounding areas come to us, willing to pay for grain to survive. Years of famine still loom before us, but our storehouses are full.

I motion for the gates to be opened. Those who’ve already lined the stone streets stream in, and I watch the expressions on their faces. The famine years have not been kind; weathered faces and heavy countenances greet me as far as I can see.

A face just beyond the gate catches my eye. Something about him made me think of my brothers. Strange that they would come to mind. I glanced again toward the gate, but the face had disappeared.

Focus, Joseph. You’re in charge here. No time to dwell on the past.
I settle my mind on the business before me as the day’s grain sales begin.

A little while later, a laugh catches my attention. I’m not surprised; often, the swell of laughter increases as people draw closer to their chance to purchase grain and discover abundant supply. Hope seems to bubble up within them and escape as joy.

But this laugh draws my focus because it was the same I’d heard in my youth.
I look down the line and catch sight of the face I’d seen before.

Rueben.

My brother. He is here. And he is not alone.

I quickly count nine others with him. All my brothers but Benjamin. Within moments they would be standing before me. Would they recognize me?

I draw my royal cloak around me and whisper for those fanning me to stand so my face is obscured.

“Where do you come from?” I ask, with far more venom in my voice than I intended. Years of betrayal and bitterness surge within me, even though I’d worked to surrender those emotions. The Lord knew I’d had plenty of time to do so in the many years since I’d seen my brothers’ faces.

When my brothers reply they’ve come from Canaan to buy food, my dreams from years ago play in my mind’s eye. My brothers bowing before me. Could this be the moment foretold all those years ago?

“You are spies. You have come to seek the weakness of the land.”

This accusation gives me the upper hand and before they know it, I orchestrate a scenario to have Benjamin brought to me. My brothers begin to talk amongst themselves, not realizing I can understand their native tongue. I stand, stepping aside to where I am completely hidden by servants, and weep.

Turning back, I direct one of them to stay in Egypt in my custody until the rest return with their youngest brother. With their families on the brink of starvation, they can’t refuse. Simeon is bound and their sacks of grain are prepared. I give orders for their money to be returned in their bags as well.

I send them off and await their return. My dreams promised I would see all of my brothers and I trust the Lord would fulfill His word.

Until I see my baby brother standing before me, I wait, pray, and portion out the grain entrusted to me. It had taken the lure of grain, deep in the midst of the famine, to bring my brothers to Egypt. Hopefully their return would not be delayed.

Ananias: While Joseph’s first-person perspective does not highlight the words of his father, Israel, telling his brothers not to wait for their rescue, Genesis 42:2 captures Israel’s admonition to his sons, “‘Why do you keep looking at each other? Listen,’ he went on, ‘I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so we will live and not die.’”

First-century Christian Ananias had a similar encouragement for newly-converted apostle Saul,
“And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, washing away your sins, calling on [Christ’s] name.” (Acts 22:16)

Ananias’ exhortation is for us, as well! Are we delaying asking the Lord for His forgiveness, our rescue from the eternal consequences of our sin? (Colossians 1:13-14) Ananias challenged Saul to embrace God’s rescue, a courageous recommendation, as Saul was a former persecutor of Christians.

Disciples: Tossed amid furious waves in a raft, Jesus’ disciples experienced significant fear in seeking rescue. (Mark 4:35-40) Mark relates how the Lord calmed the storm and asked the disciples why they were afraid when Jesus was physically in their midst. Similarly, Israel called out fear in his sons as they kept looking at each other, each hoping another would volunteer to leave the comfort of their current dwelling to acquire desperately-needed food.

If God is with us, whom or what shall we fear?

Friends, what are we waiting for?
Our Rescuer is here!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
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Whole Day 15 My Wholeness Story

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Whole Day 15 My Wholeness Story

Multiple Authors

July 8, 2022

Broken,Forgiven,God,Good,Lord,Love

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Psalm 37:27-40
Hebrews 12:7-13

If you’ve surrendered yourself to Jesus, reached out and accepted His offer to forgive every single sin in your past, present, and future, then you have a wholeness story!

All of us have a past, whether it was mired in obvious sins everyone could see, or we struggled inside with performance, trying to win our way to God, or something else altogether. All of us are guilty of missing the mark of perfect holiness. All of us need a Savior to make us Whole. All of our broken places, shattered dreams, deep wounds, aching losses, and entangling sins are heavy burdens, but Jesus came to pay the price for all of it, and then free us to dance in His Wholeness!  

These ladies are bravely sharing part of their broken-turned-whole stories because the Lord invites us to tell of His goodness. (Psalm 105:1-2) Be encouraged by their transparency, ask the Lord to make you whole, then share with another of the goodness of our God!

Rachel Jones
When my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, I decided to take the full 9 months to grieve and process, spending the time getting healthier and learning more about pregnancy. During this time, I came to know God as my Comforter. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Expressing my pain was difficult, so I just sought God’s presence and cried out for rescue like the psalmist. (Psalm 91:15) God used the comforting words and embrace of women in my life to make me feel protected and understood; it was as if God Himself was holding me in His arms. (Isaiah 40:11) Sometimes, while worshipping at church, I would suddenly find myself sobbing, releasing the grief I didn’t know how to surrender on my own. God met me when I was vulnerable and open during worship, healing me and making me whole as I allowed Him to bind up my broken heart. (Psalm 147:3)

Leslie Umstattd
During my time at seminary, I found myself in a dark season. I was full of anxiety and wasn’t sleeping well. I would wake up numerous times during the night with racing thoughts and a mind that would not be still. I was one year into my studies and I wasn’t particularly stressed during the day, but at night I would toss and turn longing for sleep. Each night, I would struggle to fall asleep and once asleep, struggle to stay asleep. It was as if a film reel of the past would play like an old movie projector in my head. This went on for months and I was physically exhausted as well as emotionally and spiritually wearied. One night, I woke up and decided to read my Bible. It seemed the only distraction that would focus my thoughts. I looked up verses speaking directly to finding peace and rest as well as those that spoke truth to anxiety. I wrote these in my journal and began memorizing them. Each night as my mind would race, I would repeat the verses I memorized over and over again as my mantra, working to replace my anxious thoughts with the truth of God’s Word. Slowly, the dark season began fading. His word became a lamp and light for me to find rest. When I woke up, I could speak truth directly to my worries and my mind learned to be still. One of my truth verses was Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will protect your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” Another verse that shed light in my dark season was Proverbs 3:23-24, “Then you will walk in your way securely, And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” In my desperate need, the Lord made me whole by teaching my heart to anchor in unshakeable truth!

Natalie Smith
The Lord has been teaching me much on the importance of self-control and patience. Though I have benefitted from seeing these fruits in others, especially my husband, much of my hands-on learning of Jesus’ patience has been taught through parenting. I have often felt I was placed in an extreme sport in raising my mystery child on the Autism Spectrum. Every battle tends to be extreme: extreme in the intensity, frequency, and time needed to out-grow certain behaviors. Most challenging for me are fits of anger. I remember being locked in the bathroom and sitting on the floor with my hysteric child. The hysteria had been going on for quite some time and I was exhausted mentally and emotionally. No one was home to help. I wanted to run, punch a hole in the wall, or start screaming myself, but suddenly the Lord gave clarity, teaching me of Himself. I realized that Jesus chose to die to Himself and remain self-controlled in order to bring us peace. Jesus chose patience while being led away by the soldiers and He has been patient when my own confused soul has raged against Him. He has shown me that to reach my children (neighbors and friends) with His love requires great patience and death to myself. How sweetly the Lord is making me more wholly like Him, even in my mundane!

Shannon Vicker
As an educator and parent, recent school shootings have made the world seem very dark, and I admit to feeling trapped within it. Being forced to face the grim reality of pervasive darkness and what it could mean for me and my family is hard. If I am honest, those harsh scenarios are never far from my mind, but recent events seem to increase the likelihood of their reality impacting those I love. These are scary thoughts, however, God has not left me alone. On the contrary, He is present to shed the light of truth and hope into the darkness. This week, that light was evidenced through a student. As he processed the events, he chose to hand-deliver a flower to everyone on staff. (*flower shown on today’s graphic) He gifted me a beautiful creation with a smile on his face, and God used this kind generosity to remind me of Matthew 6:25-34. I can empathize, and mourn with those who mourn, but it is not my job to borrow worry and anxiety. I cannot control the events of tomorrow, but I can trust that God, in all His divine wisdom, knows each of my days and will never leave me. I can trust His plans are greater than mine and that He will “work all things for good” (Romans 8:28) even if His plans don’t match mine. Day by day, He is making me Whole! 

Lisa Marcelina
I enjoy working for the Lord! I gave my life to Jesus at the age of seventeen, and while life has been challenging, at the age of fifty-three, I can say God has been with me and blessed me as I surrendered myself to Him. I serve the Lord through my writing. I’m not an eloquent speaker and I fear speaking in public, so getting up on a platform to teach is not my cup of tea. When I write, I express myself more clearly and the Lord uses my surrender for His glory. Is writing hard? Yes, it is. It takes a lot of research to prepare a devotional or Bible study; putting it together can be tedious. In between, I have a full-time job and family responsibilities. I enjoy it all because working for the Lord and serving others gives me purpose, redeeming the curse over work. Living for Jesus and serving Him is what makes life abundant. (John 10:10) At the end of my physical life and when Jesus exchanges the corruptible for incorruptible, all believers will become truly Whole.

Melodye Reeves
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23) I have come to realize my gospel witness is only as effective as my belief that Christ does indeed hold an assuredly true hope-drenched future. It is this belief that gives me perpetual hope. Being devoted to good and surrendered to God’s purpose for me has produced within me a hope that outlasts the trials I experience. God’s mercy is the source of my devotion and surrender to Him. Because He has steadfastly loved me and faithfully held me, I’m able to remember and be filled with all hope. (Romans 15:13) This is my answer for all who wonder and might ask me how I can possibly walk through the hard seasons of life. Because of the Hope of Jesus, I can surrender to being made Whole by the Savior!

Oppression is everywhere in this dark world.
BUT as Christ’s ambassadors,
we carry the Hope of Jesus around within us. (2 Corinthians 4:10)

Sisters, let us each fervently take up the mission before us to put on the full armor of God and engage the world around us with the ministry of reconciliation that Christ Himself has given to us that we may all be made WHOLE.

Tags :
broken,forgiven,God,good,Lord,love
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