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Worship X Day 8 Faithful Redeemer

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 71

Philippians 4:6-9

Hebrews 10:19–25

Worship X, Day 8

“Sold!”

The gavel fell and the small crowd applauded. I forced myself to smile calmly as I shook the hands of the excited buyers. Strangers now owned my family home. 

On the inside I was screaming, “God, where are You? How could You let this happen? Why have You abandoned us? God, You could have stopped this, and now we have lost everything, even our home.”

I was heartbroken, defeated. My prayers unanswered.

The words of Psalm 71:1–3 resonated in my heart. “Lord, I seek refuge in you. Listen closely to me. Give the command to save me!” I cried out, not in faith, but in anguish and fear.

A few short weeks later, sitting in the living room of our newly rented home, a peace I couldn’t understand washed over my soul. The weight of debt was lifted, the pressure of repayment dates had disappeared, the remainder of money from the record sale of our home was safely invested and our family could breathe once again.

God didn’t give me what I wanted. He gave me what I needed.

God is faithful. He is always there, working in and through circumstances as they unfold. If only I had the faith to trust Him, fix my eyes steadfastly on Him, and not allow the crashing waves of emotion to knock me off balance so readily. God has never let me down. And I know He will not let me down now. 

Likewise, the psalmist remembered the faithfulness and goodness of God. (Psalm 71:5–8) He is our hope, our confidence, and our strong refuge. God was present before the beginning, guiding and protecting us through every season of life. He is faithful, and worthy of our praise.

I find this encouraging and challenging. It feels like we have a responsibility to be worried and anxious. The world is out of control; how can we be calm? There are so many people hurting and grieving. Can we really trust God?

The writer of Psalm 71 continues with confident faith. We can overcome fear and anxiety when we keep our focus on God. Verses 14-16 show us how to respond.

“But I will hope continually [. . .]” (Psalm 71:14a)

Hope.

We can always hope in God. No situation is beyond His redemption. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found hope in a furnace.
Daniel found hope in a lion’s den.
Sarah found hope after 90 years of infertility.
Peter found hope locked up in prison.
There are a hundred more examples in Scripture, and a hundred more in my own life. When God is part of our story, there is always hope.

“[. . .] and [I] will praise you more and more.” (Psalm 71:14b)

Praise.

When we praise God, we magnify Him, making Him an increasingly bigger part of our picture. When God is bigger, our circumstances shrink into relative insignificance. Our praise builds our faith, reminds our hearts of the power of God, and, when we praise God with fellow believers, we strengthen each other’s wavering faith.

Hebrews 10:19-25 reminds us not to neglect spending time together with other believers, but to prioritize encouraging one another. We need a community of faith, to provide accountability and encouragement.

“My mouth will tell about your righteousness 

and your salvation all day long, 

though I cannot sum them up.

I come because of the mighty acts of the LORD God; 

I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.” (Psalm 71:15-16)

Tell.

When we have good news, we share it. When Murray asked me to marry him, we spent the whole afternoon driving around to our friends, flashing my diamond ring and celebrating the good news.

Now, with social media, it’s easier than ever to share good news. But so often, we share our annoyance, rather than our praise. It is easier to whine about the bad service we received at a local store or our outrage at an opposing point of view, than it is to share the eternal hope we have in Jesus our Savior.

I’ve been to many funerals, but some leave a lasting impact. One such service honored a missionary who lost his battle with cancer in his 50s. As a senior leader in a global mission organization, this man faced significant struggle for the sake of the gospel. The hardships he and his family faced were well known, but at his funeral, pages from his private journal were read aloud. During the most harrowing of circumstances, his journal was not full of worry and fear, but praise and faith.

He wrote of the faithfulness of God. He wrote of his peace, knowing God was in control. (Philippians 4:6-9) He wrote of how God was working through the circumstances to further His kingdom.

I found this profoundly challenging. Often, the pages of my journal are full of worry and concern. As I grow older, and the reach of my influence widens, I am challenged to be a woman of faith greater than fear, a woman who trusts in a powerful and loving God, and a woman who praises my Savior through every storm.

I want to join the psalmist and declare, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You because You have redeemed me.” (Psalm 71:23) I don’t really want the pages of my journal to be read at my funeral, but if they are, I want them to declare words of faith.

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Eden Day 5 Crafted For Community

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 1:26-31
1 John 4:7-21
Romans 5:1-11
Matthew 22:37-40

Eden, Day 5

I think the Garden of Eden must have been paradise for those who are averse to crowds. Since Adam and Eve were the only humans on the planet, I cannot quite picture one of them mumbling, “I hate crowds.” Unless, by chance, a cacophony caused by all the animals Adam had recently named counted for crowd noise.

No large groups of people rushed to and fro on their way to the market or gathered close to hear someone speak as Adam and Even walked with the Lord in the cool of the day. (Genesis 3:8) But, in those evening times of sharing, five distinct persons were present, three of whom are found within the single triune Being of the three-in-one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 clearly states there is only One God.
“The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

This truth is reiterated across Scripture, but we also discover this One God is revealed in three distinct persons as God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. All three persons dwell in unity as the Lord God; all three were present in Eden.

I can only imagine the community Adam and Eve shared with God in the Garden.
Abundant peace! Flooding Love! All shared so beautifully!
How glorious it surely was to interact with the Lord before sin marred everything!

There are four Greek words for love: eros, storge, philos, and agape.
Eros is sexual and romantic.
Storge is felt for family.
Philos is shared between friends.
Agape is Divine love poured out through self-sacrifice.

The Triune God is Lord of love, it is His DNA, and He created us to both give and receive it, mirroring how He shares self-sacrificial love even within His own Being.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

“God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him [. . .] We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:16, 19)

Adam and Eve were the first humans to experience love and, to borrow the wording of Genesis, they saw that love was good.

Adam and Eve were the first husband and wife.
Eros

Scripture lists their children as Cain, Abel, Seth, and other sons and daughters.
Storge

The Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden and talked with them directly.
Philos

Finally, Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden due to their sin. (Genesis 3)
They lost their direct access to the Lord.

However, out of His love, the Lord did not destroy them, even at the expense of His connection with them and the eventual sacrifice Jesus would make to restore our access.
Agape

Regardless of the type of love demonstrated, one common denominator is present: more than one person. This means that when the Lord decided to make man in His image, humanity was crafted for community.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26, emphasis mine)
The Trinity is on display within the first chapter of Genesis!

God as Father, Son, and Spirit dwell in perfect community, and we are invited and challenged to foster healthy community as well with divine agape love as our foundation.

A common cultural mantra is “Love Wins.”
Yes, yes it does.
But not according to the world’s definition of “winning”.
It’s not the selfish love of one having her every whim satisfied, but a love reflecting Matthew 22: 37-40.

“He said to [the Pharisee], ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets depend on these two commands.’”

Every interaction we have with another person is a chance to grow in agape love as it undergirds every other type of love and reflects the beautiful, sacrificial love of the Triune God.

Before finding ourselves incredibly overwhelmed at trying to muster up this kind of love on our own strength, remember this love is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) We are to love with and through the help of the Holy Spirit.

In order to effectively love others in community,
we must first be in community with the Lord.

Lord, we need more of You. We need Your ability to love those around us.
Holy Spirit, please cultivate agape love in us. Empower us to love like You
when it hurts,
when it’s scary,
when we’re tired,
when we’ve been wounded,
and when differences threaten to divide us by prejudice.

**Please note we do not advocate remaining in unsafe, abusive relationships. Setting healthy boundaries is also a demonstration of love.

Lord, we will continually fail without Your help; we need Your help when we inevitably fall short. Help us to love enough to ask for forgiveness, pour out grace, listen to understand, extend forgiveness, and to seek Your face for wisdom in our relationships. 

You crafted us for community.
Helps us to experience this by drawing close to You and loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

For Your Glory.
Amen. 

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

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Eden Day 1 Ex Nihilo

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:15–23
John 1:1-5
Psalm 104
Psalm 33:1–9
Job 38

Eden, Day 1

We’d been on the road for six months, travelling around remote Australia while living in an RV. We explored beaches and mountains, waterfalls and desserts. On this day, we were travelling through a very remote part of Western Australia. The closest township was home to only a few hundred people, and it was several hundred kilometers away.
We were literally in the middle of nowhere.

A little blue sign with a lookout icon was on the side of the 4X4 track we were following, so we turned up the path, parked in the bay and walked to the platform at the top.
What I saw took my breath away.

I stood, mesmerized, tears spontaneously streaming down my face. I was overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of the mountain range circling around us. In every direction there were magnificent cliff faces in rich red and orange, towering above the vast plains of spinifex grass and wildflowers.

I searched for words to describe this place. Majestic. Glorious. Awesome. Every word was inadequate. I took my phone out and tried to capture the scene with my camera. Wide angle. Panoramic. No photograph came even close to capturing the vastness of the scene. In that moment, I had a powerful encounter with God the Creator.

I have spent most of my life disconnected from creation in a city where the horizon is the shape of man-made buildings and the power of the elements is shut out by climate control and insulation, shielding me from the discomfort of the seasons. I earned money from working in an office to buy food from a supermarket, packaged in boxes and plastic bags. In this environment it has been easy for me to disregard God as creator.

God spoke, and by the power of His breath alone, everything we see, from the tallest mountain to the tiniest beetle, came into being.
Ex Nihilo, out of nothing.
God didn’t take something that already existed and refashion it into our world. God is the source of life. He created the world “ex nihilo”, out of nothing, by the power of His Word alone.

Hebrews 11:3 describes it this way, “What is seen was made from things that are not visible.” The power of this Word, God’s Word, is impossible for us to fully understand.

We can stare at the sky and worship with the psalmist, “The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.” (Psalm 33:6) I see the beauty and grandeur of creation and capture a glimpse of the power of the One who created the world with His Word.

John 1:1, 3 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God [. . .] All things were created through Him[.]“
The ‘Word’ in John 1 refers to Jesus.
The One who entered the creation He orchestrated,
the One who died to pay the penalty for our sin,
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The Creator stepped into His creation to save us, His beloved creation.

This blows my mind. This God, the source of life, became like you and me in order to pay the price for our salvation. Wow. The Creator, the Word, died to have a relationship with you and me.

Understanding this evokes three emotions in me.
It makes me feel very small,
it makes me feel very loved,
and it gives me hope in my suffering.

When I consider God as the creator of our magnificent world, I feel insignificant and humbly powerless. Knowing how small I am gives me a new perspective on humility I can take into my marriage, and a renewed hunger for God’s wisdom in my parenting. The sufficiency of God becomes much more important as I seek to solve problems, love others, and serve my family. I know it’s not up to me. What a freeing realization!

I also feel deeply loved. In light of God’s power, knowing He came as a helpless baby, lived a perfect life and died a criminal’s death so He could have a relationship with me, makes me feel significantly special. God loves me, tiny insignificant me. Knowing this gives me confidence to take my place in the world. I am expertly designed. I am worthy of love.

Knowing the God of creation is almighty and all-wise puts our suffering into perspective. A beautiful example of this in Scripture is from the book of Job. God bragged of Job and his righteousness to Satan (Job 1:8), but God allowed Satan to take away his family, his wealth, and his health. As any of us would, Job cried out to God for justice in the midst of his pain and grief. Good people, he reasoned, don’t deserve bad things to happen to them.

Finally, in chapter 38, God answers Job’s arguments. His answer?
Job, look at creation.
Look at My power.
Look at My beauty.
Look at My abundance.

God didn’t diminish Job’s suffering; rather, He adjusted Job’s vision to magnify his view of God, putting Job’s struggle into perspective.
The challenges we face are not too big for the God who created everything out of nothing.

I pray you have the opportunity to encounter God, the Ex Nihilo Creator, today.

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Eden Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Wilderness 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) At times, I’ve thought Joseph deserved some of the treatment he received. His behavior towards his brothers seemed to ask for pushback. I’m guessing that Joseph’s time in the deep pit and Egyptian prison brought him to his senses and closer to Jehovah. I love seeing the favor God continually showered on Joseph, even in “undeserved” hardships. From the pit to being sold, then falsely accused and locked in prison, still God rescued him and gave him the position of second in command in Egypt. Scripture doesn’t answer all the “why’s” of Joseph’s life, but in every situation, no matter how unjust or difficult, we see God teaching Joseph to emphatically trust Jehovah. How do you handle favor? Promotion? Do you let it go to your head or are you humble, choosing to bless the Lord? How do you handle adversity? Hardships? Do you lash out? Blame others? Or do you humbly choose to bless the Lord? In both scenarios we must constantly be on guard regarding our heart attitude. The Lord guards our steps, the Lord pursues our hearts, the Lord will faithfully grow our faith. Trust Him!

2) I can’t imagine how Naomi must have felt. We all have endured loss of one kind or another, or perhaps many losses, but I don’t personally know anyone who has endured such significant, sequential losses as Naomi. Is it any wonder she became bitter after losing her homeland, both sons, and her husband? When devastation hits it’s easy to allow bitterness to swallow you whole. Grief and sadness can blind us to anything positive. Naomi was so consumed by grief that despite the presence of her daughter-in-law, Ruth, it seemed she wasn’t enough. Bereft of husband, sons, and seemingly even Jehovah, Naomi believed she was alone. In truth, God hadn’t left her. When have you felt completely alone? Perhaps your suffering and losses have crowded out the truths you once claimed about God. Perhaps you, like Naomi, believe the Lord is against you. I’ve been here (more than once), fighting against the urge to surrender to the overwhelming feelings of rejection and bitterness. The felt need to tighten down and push our hurt under the rug is powerful, believing lies in the process. Still, truth calls out. Like Naomi, we can trust God has not forsaken us. We can “hold onto hope”.

3) When life feels easy and sweetly good, it’s easy to trust what we already know to be true, about God’s character. It’s easy to pursue Christ through prayer, worship, and service. What happens when we are hit with the unexpected? Consider your heart-response to everyday side steps like a flat tire, running late, or unmet expectations. Do you shirk the choice to worship, or do you submit the difficulty to the Lord? Consider your past or current challenges that are more significant. In what ways have you found yourself losing focus, forgetting truths about God, and walking away from worship? When we begin to disbelieve the truths we once clung to, it’s easy to allow our spiritual disciplines to slip. We skip prayer, disengage from worship, and pull back from serving others. The temptation is to stop focusing on truth and hone in on the source of our pain, but this distraction is exactly what the enemy wants! We must remember Jesus’ promise to remain present with us, then fight the enemy with tried and true weapons of prayer, worship, and service.

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 Matthew 8:6-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony.”
7 He said to him, “Am I to come and heal him?”
8 “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith.

Prayer Journal
Lord, what examples of faith we see in the Scripture that You have preserved! Lord, I confess outright that, while I do believe, how great an increase of faith I desire. Lord, help my unbelief! It seems, Lord, these wilderness seasons in life highlight my disbelief. Teach me to see these as opportunities to learn from You, the gentle, loving Savior.

I am not at all like the leper who runs to You first in order to be healed. (Matthew 8:1-2) I work so hard to fix myself and my own problems before “bothering” You. Lord, I confess my arrogance here!

Neither do I see myself as the faith-filled centurion. (Matthew 8:5-6) Teach me to put what I know to be true into practice in real, everyday life as I pray to you in faith. Help me to declare the truths You’ve taught me in Your word, believe them for myself, and live them out with greater faith.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Wilderness Week 2

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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) Israel was wandering in a literal desert and became so fixated on their perceived lack, they completely forgot the power, authority, and compassion of the God who lovingly freed them from 400-year slavery. Later, when Israel would finally cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the same God who compassionately cared for every need in the desert, instructed them to build a monument as a visible, tactile reminder of His good care for them. He promised He would provide, and in great abundance, He did exactly as He said He would. Looking at our struggles is easy. Choosing to complain flows effortlessly over our lips, but let’s choose to differently this weekend. Let’s be intentional to tabulate the goodness and mercies of the Lord. Maybe we will even post them on social media or share them with a good friend, our spouse, a child, a pastor, or a neighbor. May our lips declare the goodness of the Lord God who faithfully provides for every need! When we choose rejoicing and decide to set our gaze on the Giver instead of our perceived lack, suddenly the walls don’t seem to press quite as tightly. Rejoice, sisters, rejoice!

2) Set aside. Un-usable. Broken. Purposeless. Barren. Our hearts break as we think through the implications of each of these words in connection with our lives. Some wilderness experiences are more painful than others, but suppose the Lord intends to use each season as a pathway to rely on Him more deeply? For Sarah, the wilderness of her barrenness lasted into her nineties. I know I’ve called out, “How long, Lord?!” in my own seasons long before 90 years have passed! Finally, when the Lord told Sarah she would bear a son, she laughed in utter disbelief. I probably would have too! Despite her blatant doubt, the Lord remained faithful to do and finish the work He intended to do in and through her. How does this reality comfort and encourage you? If you clung insistently to the truth that God is steadfast in His work, would you be able to regain steady footing more quickly in everyday life? Prayerfully ask the Lord to remind you of a few scenarios that tempt you to doubt and question Him. Hold out your disbelief to the Lord and ask Him to anchor you in the truthfulness of His unchanging character!

3) Bethany shared of a wilderness season in her life when her family was caught between a promise and its fulfillment. Every avenue they pursued seemed to dead end; clarity for “next” seemed illusive at best. Which scene from your life best fits this description? Maybe you’ve shared tactics with Bethany as she desperately tried to throw potential solutions at her problems, only to end up more discouraged and lacking answers. If we naturally trusted God instead of ourselves, we wouldn’t need seasons of wilderness for God’s Spirit to teach us to depend on Him. But we do inherently trust ourselves. The Lord lovingly leads us into Wilderness Wanderings so we will stop trusting our failing humanity and instead place our faith on the unshakable God. Choosing faith in God over us requires much more time and practice than we would like to think. Consider doing something small and tangible every day to remind you to choose faith in God over relying on yourself. Maybe it’s memorizing a new Scripture or setting an alarm on your phone to pause and pray. Or maybe it’s simply drawing a heart on the inside of your wrist and with every glance you can remember to trust His heart over yours. Choosing Christ will always reap the greatest rewards!

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 Exodus 33:18-22 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Prayer Journal
Around me, whether I’m currently in a desert wilderness, being pressed on all sides, or enjoying the dance of delightful days, You remain constant. My praise can rise to You regardless of the rhythm of my everyday life. Moses stood on the precipice of leading Your people deeper into the wilderness. So many unknowns stretched before him, and surely fear swirled around him, yet he knew his steadfast, anchoring hope was found in You. Lord, I ask You to cultivate this heart response to wilderness seasons in me. When I sense fear rising and my circumstances shaking, teach my lips to plead like Moses, “Please, let me see Your glory!”.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Wilderness Day 8 The Empty Undoing

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 17:15-21
Genesis 18:9-15
Genesis 21:1-7
Hebrews 11:11-16

Wilderness, Day 8

Longing. Waiting. Aching. Barren.

These are not words we think of when we begin following Jesus. We hear about new life, joy, and abundant life, and we are eager to experience them! Yet, in times of wilderness suffering God meets us, reminding us He is faithful and He keeps His promises. 

Imagine you lived in the time of Abraham. You are a wife and expected by everyone in society to take care of your home, bearing and raising children. You wait, year after year, but your womb remains empty. How would you feel?

This is the condition in which we find Sarai in Genesis 11:30. In her culture, a woman who was unable to conceive was subject to shame and disgrace. Children were considered a blessing from God, as well as heirs to their father’s possessions.

In addition, God promised Abram his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Genesis 15:5) For Abram, with no street lights to dull the brightness of all the stars, this visual of God’s promise must have been stunning!

. . . And confounding.
How was this possible for a couple who were beyond child-bearing age?

Faced with this apparent impossibility, Sarai attempted to “help” God fulfill His promise by offering her slave girl, Hagar, to Abram, in order to build a family through her, which was a common practice at the time. (Genesis 16) However, Sarai’s plan only created more pain.

But God’s promise was still in place! He met again with Abram, reminding him that He would multiply his offspring through Sarai. As symbols of His promise, He changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. (Genesis 17:15-21) God promised He would bless her!

Overhearing God’s words, Sarah laughed. (Genesis 18:9-15) I imagine her muttering, “Yeah, like that’ll happen.” Yet, just as He promised, she conceived and gave birth to Isaac, who became the father of Jacob, later named Israel, who would become the father of a great nation. (Genesis 21:1-7)

Can you relate to Sarai’s story?
I’m sure we all can, as we experience difficult, wilderness seasons.
Maybe like Sarah, we long for a child.
Perhaps we’re in a situation where we thought God was giving a direction, but it sure isn’t working out like we planned.

I don’t know what you may be experiencing, but through my own wilderness wanderings, I have learned God is faithful and He keeps His promises.

After giving birth to our first daughter, I knew I wanted more children. I was sure I was made for motherhood, and enjoyed most moments (just being real here, moms!). But I had no idea how difficult it would be to conceive again.

After two years, and multiple negative pregnancy tests, I became discouraged. What was wrong with me? I thought I was a good mom with a happy child, and didn’t the Bible say children are a blessing? I prayed and prayed. I saw the doctor, and tried some medication, praying and hoping it would work.

It did not. The despair I felt was unlike any I’ve felt before, but in my wilderness, God met me. He reminded me that while it seemed He was far away, He was present with me in my excruciating pain. I did not get pregnant in the years following. But that moment of wilderness meeting will always stand out to me.

It would be several years before I would experience motherhood again with the adoption of our youngest daughter. We happily welcomed her into our family, and yet, I’ve also had some pretty sad moments, wishing we could grow our family more. I know the ache. But I also know the joy! In the midst of the struggle, God is so good to comfort and to show me how He has loved me through the years.

In my longing for a baby, I felt barren. Forgotten. However, the Holy Spirit reminded me I am not barren! In fact, God has given us an amazing legacy. Recently, my husband completed nearly 20 years of ministry in our church, and we spent some time in reflection. The Lord brought to mind the faces and names of so many students we have had the honor of knowing over the years.

I have had the privilege of walking through some really hard times with students, parents, and even leaders.
I have had the honor of listening to stories, both of pain and of celebration!

God is good! He knows our hearts and will accomplish His purposes. He is with us in wilderness seasons of sadness and doubt, walking beside us in comfort. Even if life doesn’t look exactly as I imagined, God has blessed me with an abundant life. He can be trusted to bring good out of suffering.

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Wilderness Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Build 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) Confessing sin isn’t glamorous or exciting. It doesn’t increase our popularity or score us bonus points on social media. But, as Marietta described on Monday, confession and repentance are the only materials that can properly sustain the desired framework of revival and renewal. Whether it’s in our own hearts, our closest relationships, or within the broader contexts of church, career, or city, confession and repentance, while completely un-lucrative, are absolutely essential for Building Renewal. I’m raising my hand to wanting the new life of revival and renewal breathed into every area of my life. Imagine the lasting good that would unfurl in my parenting, marriage, ministry, church, and city! Pause here for a few minutes, not with an agenda, but to just be still before the Lord. He desires good because He IS good. Focus on His good character. Ask Him directly what good He wants to build in and through you. Are you willing to ask Him to convict you of sin that He might bring this good work? Ask Him for grace to receive His conviction and holy desire to repent and flee from sin that true revival might be unleashed in you!

2) Have you ever moved homes unexpectedly or against your wishes? As a pastor’s wife, we moved 6 times. While we usually had some choice in the matter, the new place always came with different needs. There were often “expectations” for me as pastor’s wife that didn’t quite fit me. Sometimes, the ministry I most enjoyed already had a qualified leader in that position, so I was given different roles that I didn’t feel equipped to fulfill. Yet, with every challenge, I learned to be secure in God’s plan. He taught me to trust Him and often, I learned many new things. On Wednesday, Bethany shared, “God has placed you, and for a purpose.” I’m reminded of Esther when Mordecai encouraged her, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) Are you in a hard place? Have you been placed ‘for such a time as this’? Remember the faithful, sovereign God is always in control. He has a plan, and we can trust it. Ask Him what He would have you do rather than asking to be removed from that place; watch how He equips and builds you to do His work!

3) Gather. Community. Worship. What images are stirred up as you read these three simple words? Go back and read them again, pausing to prayerfully allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Do you have an internal angst as you wrestle with imagery over a specific word? Talk to the Lord about this. Physically hold open your hands and repeat the word over and over slowly, asking the Lord to rebuild your ideas and bring conviction or encouragement surrounding this idea. Where are you bringing your heart to gather recently? Again, in prayer with your eyes closed to avoid distractions, reflect on your week. Where has your heart been drawn? Go slow and let the Spirit lead your thoughts and speak truth and grace over you. Where do you see the Lord’s unabashed love for you? Where is He inviting you into deeper worship? How have you responded to opportunity to partake in biblical community? Breathe deeply, friend, the Lord your God has died for you, taken you punishment for your sin, and risen alive to conquer your shame and guilt for eternity! Drink deeply of this radical love and open yourself in new ways to the building plans of the Master Architect!

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 Jeremiah 31:3-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you. Again, I will build you so that you will be rebuilt, Virgin Israel. [insert your name]
You will take up your tambourines again and go out in joyful dancing.
You will plant vineyards again… and will enjoy the fruit.
“Come, let’s go up to Zion, to the Lord our God!”

Prayer Journal
Lord, I come in humbleness before You. I ask forgiveness for times I have not trusted You and gone out on my own; for times when I forgot You love me perfectly and have my best interest in mind. Renew my life, Lord. You love me with an everlasting love, and I don’t deserve it. But I do love You, Lord. I long to come into Your presence with joyful singing and dancing once again. Please rebuild my life to glorify You. Thank you, Lord for never leaving me alone. Thank You for convicting me of sin or when I stumble. Thank You for giving me a song in the night. You are a good, good Father.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Build Day 14 Building Security: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Building Security!

The Questions

1) These verses make it seem like planning ahead is a bad thing, am I reading this correctly?

2) How can I know if my plans line up with God’s?

3) What does it mean to “know the good and not do it”? (verse 17)

James 4:13-17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit. “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.

Original Intent

1) These verses make it seem like planning ahead is a bad thing, am I reading this correctly?
To answer this question, we should first understand the audience James was originally writing to as well as the theme of his entire letter. Throughout his letter, James calls believers in Jesus to take action and “walk the talk”.  His audience called themselves Christ-following Christians, but weren’t necessarily being Christ-like or obedient to God’s commands in real, everyday life. They were showing favoritism (James 2:1-12), being prideful (James 4:1-12), spoke without integrity of worship (James 3:9-12), and incorrectly believed that faith without actions could pass for genuinely, saving faith (James 2:14-3:18). With that understanding as a backdrop, it becomes easier to understand the point James is making in these few verses, which is, don’t be so full of pride that you lay out, detailed plans for your entire life. If we are really serious about following God, we absolutely must allow room for God and His leading and prompting. God is not in the business of rubber stamping our plans and clearing away any obstacles that stand in our way. James wants his readers to remember the commitment they made to Jesus, then live accordingly with full surrender.

2) How can I know if my plans line up with God’s?
The first step is to ask God for wisdom and listen for His response. This initial act of surrender is worshipful as we prioritize God’s ways over our own. (Proverbs 9:10) As we learned, the first recipients of this letter weren’t taking time to ask God, but pridefully planning their own ways. There was no way of confidently knowing whether their plans aligned with God’s. In their favor, James’ audience knew their history and were familiar with how God had led Israel since the time of His promise to make Abraham into a great nation. (Genesis 12:1-3) Their parents and grandparents had undoubtedly recounted the stories of crossing the Red Sea, watching Jericho’s walls tumble down, and King David’s defeat of countless enemies time and time again. Not to mention, they personally knew Jesus, had sat under His teaching, had witnessed His miracles and were now scattered to share the gospel message of Christ’s offer to forgive and make new. You can almost see how excitement, perhaps even fear got the best of them, ideas and plans of their own making began to form and take over the awe of humble worship to a God who sacrificed Himself for them. This is how pride sneaks in, for them, and us. What had begun as excitement to share the God’s love with others had turned into running ahead of God instead of waiting for His direction and timing. We often forget, or overlook, that Jesus told His original followers the same thing He tells us today, “Love the LORD your God with all you’ve got.” (my paraphrase of Matthew 22:37) When you lose sight of walking daily in this command, it’s a pretty safe bet your plans won’t line up with God’s.

3) What does it mean to “know the good and not do it”? (verse 17)
The theme of our study has been Build and what it means to be totally dependent on God. Keeping this in mind, along with what we’ve learned of James’ purpose in writing, we can conclude that his audience struggled to obey God in everyday living. It’s one thing to claim to be a follower of Jesus, but another to live it out day after day. Maybe they were running too far ahead, maybe they were tired of being different and just wanted an easy life, maybe they trusted their own leadership more than God’s. Regardless, following and obeying God is sometimes hard whether you were a first-century believer or a 21st. Truly following God requires full reliance on the Spirit of God Who lives inside every believer to not only know and understand “the good way”, but to follow through and actually “live it”. These early followers of Jesus were experiencing the growing pains of living differently from the world around them. James, having learned this lesson firsthand as one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, is lovingly sharing his learnings with those God had put under his leadership.

Everyday Application

1) These verses make it seem like planning ahead is a bad thing, am I reading this correctly?
Much like James’ original audience, as Christ followers we must live with an awareness of Whose we are and live like we mean our commitment to follow Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says it pretty bluntly “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we willingly give up our rights and will for the sake of His. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make plans for the present and the future, but it does mean our planning should begin with God (Proverbs 2:6) by asking for His will to be done in and through us, just as Jesus did while on earth. (John 5:19) Once plans are made, we should hold them loosely because there may come a time when God asks us to change course and keep surrendering ourselves to Him; we must be willing to trust Him and follow as He leads.

2) How can I know if my plans line up with God’s?
In today’s society, we place immense pressure on youth to have their entire lives planned out when entering high school (secondary education for my non-western friends J). We expect them to choose a lifelong career path with little room for experience or gaining wisdom. Ironically, this method is what James speaks against, because it leaves no room for God! Maybe God is calling our sons and daughters to be doctors and lawyers, but He also may be calling them to be auto-mechanics, moms, preachers, or receptionists. Yes, plan for college, retirement, and future trips, but do so with God leading the way. This means we must ask His guidance while also waiting and listening, then compare what we think we hear to Scripture. If the two don’t align, we’ve misheard and need to ask again. Making plans isn’t really a “one and done” situation. Honestly, there are very few people I know where God has not changed their course mid-stream. Our oldest daughter planned to be a journalist for most of high school, and began college studies toward this direction. This was her plan, but God’s was elementary (primary) education. Even after course correcting, her plans had her teaching in a certain district and school, but once again, God’s plans were different. This lesson was hard and required time, but God is faithful to guide us and today she teaches first graders in our city’s urban core at a privately funded Christian school. Not at all what she would have picked for herself years ago, but exactly God’s intended direction. Amazingly, her heart is now more open and willing to wait for and listen to God. Her desire is to walk in obedience to His call, not hers, even when it’s not easy.

3) What does it mean to “know the good and not do it”? (verse 17)
Can I be honest with ya’ll? I have a love/hate relationship with writing studies. Angst explodes in seeing my assignment topic and Scripture references; I sense the coming turmoil of wrestling with Scripture. I can almost feel the questions I will wade through, and I begin praying God will somehow string together my wrestlings into sensible words that honor Him. Simultaneously, I love that God ALWAYS provides, often in the midst of my tears, conviction, and fresh insight. In this messy, but sacred place, I have been stuck, knowing the good I’ve been called to do, yet choosing not to act. Honestly, most often, we know the right answer. We know we should resist temptation; we know we should share truth instead of gossip, we know we should turn the other cheek, but it’s much easier to be self-righteous instead. When we choose sin, we choose to worship the fleshly desires Paul discusses in Romans 7 & 8. Believe me, I get it! I fail every single day because it’s easy; failing allows me to fit with the crowd and build my kingdom, my way. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” Verse 12 reiterates, “we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh!” Do you see it?! Because the Spirit of Christ lives in believers, we are no longer forced to obey the deceptive chant, “Who cares?! Do what you want!” When we choose not to do the good we ought, we are choosing neither to trust God nor rely on His Spirit. Paul speaks the remedy in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who is against us?” It’s terrifying to fully submit to God’s ways and start rejecting our ways. We fearfully wonder, “What if God wants me to give up what I love?” So, we reflect, are we living from pride of self or love for God? Taking it from James, pride sucks! As I wrestled through this, God insistently whispered, “Do you really trust me or not?” I tried my best to avoid this wrestling session, but God has led me to look at strong truth and walk away choosing differently in my everyday life.
P.S. If you’re up for a challenge, read the short book of Malachi. It’s full of opportunities to wrestle with truth, see the Savior, and walk away changed to be more like Him!

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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

Build Day 7 Building Character: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Building Character

The Questions

1) What is Nehemiah’s situation in this passage? (verses 1-5)

2) How does Nehemiah’s response in verses 6-11 demonstrate righteous leadership?

3) What motivated Nehemiah to choose this course of action? (verses 12-19)

Nehemiah 5:1-19

1 There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. 2 Some were saying, “We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

6 I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 7 After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, “Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.” So I called a large assembly against them 8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.” They remained silent and could not say a word. 9 Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies? 10 Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. 11 Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them.”

12 They responded: “We will return these things and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this. 13 I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.

14 Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah-from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, 12 years-I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor. 15 The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking food and wine from them, as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but I didn’t do this, because of the fear of God. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn’t buy any land.

17 There were 150 Jews and officials, as well as guests from the surrounding nations at my table. 18 Each day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every 10 days. But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

19 Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Original Intent

1) What is Nehemiah’s situation in this passage? (verses 1-5)
“The underlying problem this chapter chronicles sprang from pride. Instead of putting God’s interests first and seeking the welfare of their brethren, the Jews were putting their own interests first and taking advantage of their brethren.” (Constable.NET) In Nehemiah 4:14-20, we see God’s people faithfully doing the work God had called them to do despite all the difficulties and hurdles. There was a wall to be rebuilt! Yet in the following chapter, our focus chapter, there is suddenly no mention of the work of rebuilding. Verse 1 reveals a “widespread outcry” among one group of Jews toward another group of Jews. A famine and taxation were causing financial strain on the people, consequently interrupting the work of rebuilding. This internal conflict among the people resulted in poverty and starvation for many. While there is no mention of the tax itself being unfair, we are told in verse 11 that the rich were taking advantage of the poor by charging unreasonable interest rates. (Enduring Word) Due to the substantial number of Jewish people needing food during a famine (verse 2), many were forced to borrow money at an unfair and extremely high rate. Although the process of borrowing and pledging to a lender was a lawful and customary practice (verse 3), overcharging was forbidden in Jewish law. (Leviticus 25:36-37) Also an acceptable form of paying debt was the practice of slavery. These dire circumstances had demoralized some of the Jews (whose children were already enslaved) and created a never-ending cycle of debt and oppression.

2) How does Nehemiah’s response in verses 6-11 demonstrate righteous leadership?
Nehemiah recognized the people were being exploited by their fellow countrymen and a virtuous anger arose in him that compelled him to speak up. (verses 6-7) Commentator Guzik wrote, “This was great leadership from Nehemiah. He was a man passionate enough to get angry; but wise enough to not act until he had considered the matter carefully.” (Enduring Word) Becoming a voice for the victims of injustice is the sign of a good leader. Especially when, as in Nehemiah’s case, the leader is justifiably able to use himself as an example of what is right. As he confronts the offending parties, Nehemiah presents his personal integrity as a comparison. In his persuasive rebuke, he reminded his fellow Jews how inconsistent it was for them to enslave their own community, some of whom they had liberated from the hands of foreigners. (verses 8-9) Nehemiah references himself as someone who had lawfully and morally loaned to the poor. (verse 10) Although there is no indication he was wrong in lending, he now calls for a complete stop to it, himself included, “Let us stop charging them.” The wealthier Jews agree to “require nothing more” from the poor. Nehemiah’s careful response prompted swift and just action from the people. (verse 12)

3) What motivated Nehemiah to choose this course of action? (verses 12-19)
It is possible that Nehemiah was unjustly accused and was included in this criticism from his Jewish countrymen. Even so, when confronted with what is happening, he demonstrates compassion toward their plight. This passage does not explicitly say, but it would not be too far of a stretch to conclude that Nehemiah leads with humility by dealing with the injustice head on rather than attempting to justify himself to the people. His gripping plea for an oath from the people (verses 12-13) and his extreme anger regarding their misery (verse 6) demonstrates his love for the people. He also exhibited a heart for God in how he instructed the people to fear God (verse 15) and by how he spoke to God in prayer, “But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy. Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.” (verses 18-19) I don’t see this as boasting in himself. Nehemiah was boasting in God just as the apostle Paul did in the New Testament in his letter to the Corinthians. (2 Corinthians 9-12) Nehemiah believed in a good God who rewards the sacrificial and generous person. He took his desire to a God whom he had come to trust and believe was for him.

Everyday Application

1) What is Nehemiah’s situation in this passage? (verses 1-5)
As I studied this passage, I was ‘feeling all the feels’ for everyone involved. Sometimes we find ourselves in the place of the forgotten ones. Perhaps you are in a circumstance that has left you vulnerable to those caught up in the corruption of money and power. In your oppressed condition, you may be praying for a leader to rise to the occasion, desiring an advocate to speak up for you. Or it could be you are like the Jews who were caught up in their desire for more wealth. Is it possible you have unintentionally allowed yourself to be part of the problem by ignoring the cries of those who have been unfairly treated? Oh, dear Sister, we all tend to be blind to our own sin. Especially when it has subtly taken root in our lives. I’m so thankful for grace-filled leaders who come alongside us with the truth and call us to higher and holy living. But what if you are the leader?! Yes, it could be that it’s you God has called to do the work of Nehemiah. To speak with courage and humility and take the lead in making wrong things right. If so, I pray you will step out in faith with God’s presence going with you!

2) How does Nehemiah’s response in verses 6-11 demonstrate righteous leadership?
Nehemiah was not a respecter of persons but had a foremost desire to honor God and the truth. Good leaders model integrity by confronting those who need to be challenged no matter who they are. One of the reasons we don’t have many biblical examples of righteous anger is because it is nearly impossible to possess! Only by God’s grace can we exhibit the anger Ephesians describes, “Be angry and do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26-27) Nehemiah demonstrated how to respond to injustice with righteous anger. When circumstances were getting out of control he responded rather than reacted. He hit the pause button to “consider the matter.” A wonderful way to demonstrate mature leadership is growing in the grace of response rather than reaction. One of the ways I evaluate my anger is to ask myself if the anger is for someone else’s justice or my own. When mercy leads our hearts, we can know we are heading in a good direction with our anger. A merciful motive usually signifies unselfish anger. Nehemiah’s pause from the work of building the wall demonstrated a heart for the people over a desire to finish the mission. He led with compassion by calling for a promise from the people to care for those who had been unjustly treated. As a result, the task was completed with a reunified group of people in an astonishing 52 days! If you’ve ever been to Jerusalem, and seen the size of the wall, you also stand in amazement. (Nehemiah 6:15-16)

3) What motivated Nehemiah to choose this course of action? (verses 12-19)
When our motive and mission have God’s purposes at the forefront, we ignite a passion in others. As Sarah wrote, “We need to be inspired by Nehemiah’s approach to leadership, by sacrificing where necessary for the betterment of those under us; be it members of our families, workplace or community.” Entrusting the entire outcome to God will help develop leadership characteristics in us that demonstrate a wonderful blend of confidence and dependence. Others will be motivated to join us because we radiate God’s grace. As we pray and ask God to reveal His heart to us, we will care about the work that needs to be done and we will notice the people who are engaged in the work. Most commentators believe the book of Nehemiah is his personal diary or journal. Following his example, we can remember and pray within our personal quiet time with the Lord, “Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.” (verse 19) I’m thankful God gave us this personal look at Nehemiah’s heart through the pages of his journal. It shows us that a leader who leads with integrity can pray with boldness. When our public words are from a humble and pure heart, our private prayers can include courageous requests! (Hebrews 4:16)

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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