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Worship XII Day 10 Joy To The World

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Worship XII Day 10 Joy To The World

Rebekah Hargraves

December 1, 2023

Covenant,Creation,Faith,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Joy

Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5 
1 Corinthians 13  
Romans 12:1-2 
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 
Psalm 16:7-11

As I sit here writing these words, Lord, I sense the same old feelings of overwhelm, stress, and anxiety beginning to wash over me again. Every year, it’s the same old story – Christmas is fast approaching, my self-imposed to-do list is quickly lengthening, and I am struggling to catch my breath both spiritually and physically. How am I going to make the magic happen – especially in all the ordinary moments of cleaning up messes, chauffeuring kids around to activities, stringing up Christmas lights, cooking yet another meal, breaking up sibling squabbles, and, oh yeah, also trying to still find the time to prioritize my marriage? 

I wonder, dear reader – have you ever felt this way yourself? Have you ever felt a familiar dread wash over you when the calendar turns from November to December and you think of all the Christmas festivities coming around the corner? We find ourselves coming close to the holiday of giving and receiving, yet, oftentimes, our joy is nowhere to be found. We look for, and expect to find, our joy in decorations, festivities, traditions, and in finding the perfect gift. But once again it happens this year just as it did the last, our expectations for the season grow higher and higher only to crumble under their own weight, and joy is still nowhere to be found.  

One of my favorite Christmas songs speaks to our experience. The songwriter of the popular hymn, “Joy to the World,” rightly teaches us Joy’s source is found first in receiving, not in striving. 

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come! 
Let earth receive her King!”
(Joy to the World)
I ponder these words anew as I think back to how I have been feeling. 

Maybe I have put the cart before the horse? 
Maybe my true joy this Christmas season won’t be found in finally pulling off that award-winning Christmas dinner. 
Maybe it won’t come from having the most beautifully decorated house on the block. 

Maybe my joy isn’t actually meant to be found in doing…
Maybe my joy is a Person. 

You have come, O Lord. Help me to receive You and thereby receive my sought-after joy. Help me to remember joy is actually always available because it is not found in my circumstances, but in You. (Psalm 16:7-11) You have come, and now I receive joy when I receive You… into my life, my heart, my stress, my overwhelm, and into my ordinary everyday moments. 

I begin to realize that unless I humble myself,
coming to Christ aware of my sin and need for a Savior,
joy will always be elusive.

After all, isn’t that the basis of the gospel I claim to believe, the gospel that began with the advent of the Christ child? That I, as John Newton famously said, am a great sinner and that He is a great Savior? 

I continue to ponder as my mind goes to the next line… 
“Let every heart prepare Him room!”

After we receive Christ as our Savior, we then must seek (with the help of the Holy Spirit!) to prepare our hearts. We must willingly partner with Him to cultivate a place of worship in our hearts, a home for Joy. 

If we receive a gift, but never use it, it is meaningless. Apostle and early Church preacher Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1 to walk in the freedom God has gifted to us. He goes on to describe a life marked by walking with the Spirit (verses 16-18) and bearing the fruits of the Spirit, including joy. (verses 22-23)

As we walk and bear fruit by the Spirit, our minds and hearts are prepared to dwell with Joy. As we take our thoughts captive to His truth, our minds are renewed (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and our hearts begin to overflow with His love (1 Corinthians 13).  

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

As I consider the third verse of the hymn, it suddenly hits me: we need to spend far more time walking by the Spirit to prepare our hearts for Him than we do sorrowing and striving over how to pull off the most “magical” holiday. The “magic” of Christmas, if you will, is found in the baby in the manger, not in a “Pinterest-perfect holiday”.  

When we receive and then prepare, the Lord of Joy rules and reigns in our hearts “far as the curse is found.” 

We still live in a fallen world, and when we freely confess our ongoing sin and effects of the curse, nothing is ever able to steal our joy again. 

Instead, we encounter “His truth and grace,” 
“the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”

“He has come to make His blessing flow” through today and every day of this holiday season and beyond. Thanks to the Advent of Joy Himself, we are able to experience joy, even in the most ordinary moments.
Praise be to God!

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Christ,Christmas,humility,joy,repent,sinner,worship
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Worship XII, Day 10
Digging Deeper

The thought of “walking by the Spirit” seems like a difficult, and sometimes unachievable, task.

After all, you and I live well after the time Jesus walked the earth.

Once we accept Jesus, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, whose job is to live inside of us changing our lives to look more like Jesus.

However, it is not as simple as saying yes to Jesus and then going about our everyday lives. In order to know what the Spirit is calling us to do we must spend time with God.
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Worship XII Day 9 O Come All Ye Faithful: Digging Deeper

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Worship XII Day 9 O Come All Ye Faithful: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

November 30, 2023

Alive,Comfort,Glory,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Sing,Worship

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

This DD Connects With "O Come All Ye Faithful"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 12:25-29

25 See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven.

26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

27 This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the spiritual background of the first recipients of this letter? (Exodus 19-20)

Hebrews was a letter written to Jews who had recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah of whom every Old Testament prophecy pointed. They recognized and trusted Jesus’ identity as the very same God, Yahweh, who had led their patriarchs through the wilderness and given them the Promised Land. Jewish Christians rightly understood Jesus to be God.

The Jews had known Old Testament Scriptures since infancy and they had never known life apart from the sacrificial system. This system was ordered by the Law that God gave them through Moses. It ordered their religion, provided structure to their traditions and celebrations, and taught them how to honor Him in every aspect of life. This was on purpose for the Lord God intended His people to recognize how every millimeter of normal, everyday life was meant to be deeply intertwined in a relationship with Him. They were His people, and He was their God. (Exodus 6:7)

Leaving this deeply ingrained, and comfortably familiar, system, not to mention their entire faith community, was no small decision. Many Jews experienced social exile from their friends and community because they accepted Jesus Christ as THE Messiah. They were waiting for no one else; Messiah had come! But their Jewish friends and family who rejected Christ as Messiah often rejected them as well.

As time progressed and Jesus hadn’t returned yet, and following Him grew more challenging, and estrangement from friends, family, and community became more wearisome, Jews were tempted to return to their old patterns of faith. Hebrews was written as a blaring warning meant to shake these Jewish Christians by their shoulders and say, “Are you crazy?! You have a personal, intimate relationship with Yahweh Himself! Every Old Testament prophecy points to Jesus! There is NO ONE else! Don’t go back!”

The Everyday Application

1) What is the spiritual background of the first recipients of this letter? (Exodus 19-20)

Every true follower of Jesus faces persecution and rejection on some level. For many of our brothers and sisters around the globe, choosing to worship the Lord Jesus puts them in physical danger as they risk their life and the lives of those they love. For others, following Jesus is wildly unpopular and costs you friendships, excludes you from social events, and may even result in losing a position at work or receiving low academic grades for failure to embrace anti-biblical teachings.

Following Jesus is meant to color every aspect of life for all Christians, just as it was for the Jews, regardless of age, race, or location on the globe. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) Worshipping Christ as Lord should cause us to consider the words we say, the music we listen to, the social media we scroll, the entertainment we consume, the people we are in community with, how we spend our free time, ways we spend our money, and certainly the way we treat others in relationship with us. Each of these decision points can carry a price-tag.

How have you experienced struggle in your life because you chose Jesus over popular opinion, cultural sway, or a friends’ insistence? Have you ever felt daunted, wondering if, perhaps, you were going “too crazy” with this whole “Jesus thing”?

When it feels exhausting to stand firm to truth, to back away from gossip and slander, to love the unlovable, to forgive for the fiftieth time, to serve with humility, to show mercy instead of mocking, and to be gentle instead of harsh, remember the letter of Hebrews. Remember the authors’ pleading insistence to not reject the Only One Worthy of worship.

The things of life are fleeting and petty, regardless of how they shine and shimmer. Jesus is better, He always will be, so don’t go back!

The Original Intent

2) What do the verbs “speaking, shaking, and rejecting” reference? (verses 25-27)

At Mt. Sinai, Yahweh, the Lord God, descended on the mountain to meet with His people. Thunder roared, lightening shot through the sky, the ground shook like an earthquake, trumpets sounded, the Lord descended in fire, and the mountain was surrounded by smoke. (Exodus 19:18, Exodus 20:18) This was God’s mountain of meeting with His people and He came with awe-filled glory.

Only He was worthy of worship. He held all authority and all power over all things. Still, as fiercely powerful as He is, He desired a deep relationship with His people. But His people ran screaming away from Mt. Sinai.

Fearing their death, the Israelites begged Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19) Instead of accepting His personal invitation to commune with Him, they ran in terror. The Lord God is both fearsome and deeply relational beyond our understanding.

Moses responded to their fear with comfort, “Don’t be afraid for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and not sin.” (Exodus 20:20) With heartbreaking tragedy, before Moses even descended the mountain, bringing the people God’s covenant law written with His own finger, Israel had already chosen sin over the Savior. They formed a golden calf, bowed down to it, and worshipped it, effectively breaking the first two commandments. God’s justice came upon them and they were punished, many to their deaths.

With this backstory in mind, we begin to see where the author of Hebrews is coming from as he uses the language of “speaking, shaking, and rejecting”.

The Everyday Application

2) What do the verbs “speaking, shaking, and rejecting” reference? (verses 25-27)

When God first spoke to the Israelites, and the actual ground where they stood was shaking as He came in glory, His people rejected Him and suffered deadly consequences. The author ties this familiar history straight to the Jews’ present decision by calling on the story they knew well. God was speaking to the then-modern-Jews in real time about the true reality that Jesus is the Messiah. This Jesus would come again to “shake” the physical and spiritual realms.

The earth will be consumed by His fire and only those who remain faithful in Christ on that day of judgement would remain “unshaken” and secure. (2 Peter 3:10-13) None will escape this judgement and all things will be shaken to see if they endure for eternity or not.

First, our souls will be shaken. If we have genuinely surrendered our lives to Jesus, we will remain unshaken because of Christ! Then, for the believer, our works will be shaken. Paul describes this in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, “Each one’s work will become obvious. For the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved…”.

Regardless of where you are with Jesus, hold firmly to the unshakeable foundation of Jesus. Christ is the true Son of God, the Promised Messiah; don’t reject Him! Choose Christ now for rescue from your sin and don’t reject Him; today is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2)

If you’ve already trusted Christ with your soul, repented from your sins, and been forgiven, hear this sister, remain faithful to the Only One worthy of worship; don’t turn back!

The Original Intent

3) What is the right response and why? (verses 28-29)

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful.“

The author confidently pens these words to strengthen and encourage his readers to not give up, despite their suffering and challenging circumstances. Set against the backdrop of a potent reality that judgment from the all-powerful God is indeed coming, we would be wise to pay attention.

We ought to consider the details of our lives and test them by bringing them into the light of God through prayer, asking Him if the pattern of our lives point to genuinely thankful worship or not. (Hebrews 13:14-16)

I’m a big fan of small words in Scripture, and two words in verse 28 have captured my attention for weeks, “by it”. When we choose a thankful heart attitude, when we stop what we are doing in our everyday lives and practice the discipline of gratitude, we have come under the will of God. “Give thanks in everything for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

As we position ourselves under His will with a heart of thankfulness, we are strategically set up for success at following Jesus! Hebrews says, “By it (thankfulness), we may serve God acceptably”.

We don’t need to know all the answers for our “next”, the Spirit of God in us will carefully guide and direct our steps to make us effective in following Him and building His kingdom. Our part is to choose thankfulness.

Stunning, isn’t it?!

The author closes out his exhortation by reminding his audience to live with “reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (verses 28-29) Yahweh is both a consuming fire and a relational God desiring the fullness of our hearts.

The unshakeable Kingdom is coming. Hope is for “Now” in light of “Then”. Our response? Worship, sister, worship.

The Everyday Application

3) What is the right response and why? (verses 28-29)

Phew, this is a heavy portion of Scripture, isn’t it? Meditating on our very real coming judgement day and our daily decision point to follow Jesus or not, is certainly not something we regularly consider in everyday life. But, maybe, we should.

Maybe, as we move closer to Christmas this year, sing familiar carols, read the familiar story of Christ’s birth, and busy ourselves with all the usual flurry of gift-buying, magic-making, and cookie baking, we should determine to keep this message of Hebrews in front of us, letting it re-shape us, even down to our mundane choices. If we’ve committed to following Jesus, it needs to show up in evident ways, and it should be more evident next week than it is this week.

He’s not asking us to move mountains, preach the gospel to millions, or become keynote speakers at the next big conference; He’s asking us to be faithful to the race He has called us to run. (Hebrews 12:1-2) He’s calling us to worship with thankful hearts. He’s asking us to come to the mountain of God, sit, and commune with Him instead of running away. Meet Him through prayer and soaking in His Words and then get up to live out His ways with confidence because His Spirit lives within us! (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Why choose thankful worship and a life that proves our worship is genuine? Oh, sisters! The sweetness of this reality floods my being! Because we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken! That good news makes me want to jump up and shout for joy and tell all the people all the things about my precious Savior, Jesus!

With that rightly-oriented eternal perspective, it just no longer matters what persecutions we face, who excludes us, what mocking we endure, or how challenging it is to follow Christ.

Why not?

Because I know it’s worth it! The end has already been written, and, because of Jesus, we win!

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Christmas,faithful,rescue,Safe,steadfast,worship
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Worship XII, Day 8
Journey Study

We were late, and the pianist’s trill was calling parishioners to their benches. Then, there it was, I remember like it happened tonight. The voices joined together as one choir despite age, chilly breezes, and children’s cries, “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant”.

I knew the rest of the words, but my soul swelled and it was as if time lingered on those eight words, warming me. Those words were a wide welcome into the arms of the newly birthed Savior, now born in me.
“Joyful and Triumphant”

I grinned.
I knew inside me what these wrinkly faced farmers and wives knew.
Hope
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Worship XII Day 4 Silent Night; Holy Night: Digging Deeper

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Worship XII Day 4 Silent Night; Holy Night: Digging Deeper

Merry Ohler

November 23, 2023

Adoring,Brave,Covenant,Forgiven,Grace

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 "Silent Night; Holy Night"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 12:49-53

I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how it consumes me until it is finished! 51 Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) If God is loving (John 3:16), and Jesus is God (Matthew 1:23), why did Christ say He wished the world were “set ablaze”? (verse 49)

Context matters tremendously when studying Scripture! Prior to Christ’s statement in Luke 12 that He wished the world were already ablaze, He exhorted His disciples to have no fear, to be bold in acknowledging Him before men, and to recognize the brevity of life.

He told them not to be anxious about anything in their lives, neither food, nor their bodies, or their clothing. He reminded them that God cared for the ravens and provided for them, then went on to tell the disciples they should be faithful, ready servants at all times. (Go read chapter 12 in full; #HisWordsBeforeOurs)

When Peter asked if what Christ said was just for the disciples, or for the crowds (verse 41), Jesus responded with a question to illustrate the measure of a faithful servant in God’s eyes. It was on the heels of all this that Jesus issued His shocking statement and claim that He wished the world were already ablaze, and that He came to bring division, not peace.

For greater understanding, we must see that throughout the Jewish people’s history, God frequently encountered His people through fire.

Fire was present when God made the covenant with Abraham and promised his offspring the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. (Genesis 15:12-21) When God spoke to Moses, He did so through a burning bush. (Exodus 3:2-4) He led the Israelites through the wilderness with a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21) and descended on Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:16-25)

The disciples, and Jewish crowds around them, would have been familiar with encountering God through fire. Their initial understanding would not have been that Jesus desired the fiery destruction of the world, but that His words conveyed a meeting with their holy God. 

The Everyday Application

1) If God is loving (John 3:16), and Jesus is God (Matthew 1:23), why did Christ say He wished the world were “set ablaze”? (verse 49)
When I read seemingly contradictory statements in Scripture, it can be tempting to turn to a different passage, or write something off as beyond my limited human understanding in order to bypass uncomfortable feelings. Sometimes, it is challenging to sit with a passage or verse for an extended period of time and wrestle through it in prayer with the Lord to  seek a fuller understanding.

As I was thinking about the gentle, lullaby-like lyrics to Silent Night, this passage of Scripture returned to mind over and over. Jesus’ words in Luke 12:49-53 were spoken with the authority of the Lord of all creation.

While His birth was the next step in the fulfillment of God’s plan, His arrival was anything but quiet.

Christ came to meet with God’s created people. Where we sinned (and sin still), Christ came to make the way of reconciliation. 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, so came the Lord to meet with His people through Jesus.

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!

The Original Intent

2) If Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) and the source of all peace (Ephesians 2:14-22), how is this consistent with His declaration that He came to bring division? (verses 51-53)

When Christ walked the earth in human form, family life was vastly different from what many of us consider normal. Multiple generations frequently lived together, and the nuclear family was not a reality. Instead of a husband and wife and their children, a family unit extended from a father and mother to their children, their children’s spouses and their children’s children.

Tradition and religion went hand in hand. The tradition and religion of the parents were carried out by everyone in their household. When Jesus spoke about the division that would occur between those who would repent of their sin and put their trust in Him, and those who would reject Christ, the relational rift He described would have been shocking.

The specific language of those in deep, close family relationship landed exactly as He intended. The division He spoke of was not something He desired to force upon people, but would instead be fulfilled by humanity’s free will: the willing choice some would make to reject salvation in Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace, as Isaiah 9:6 states. He is the source of all peace, just as Ephesians 2:14-22 indicates.

Jesus Christ knew that all mankind would not choose to accept the salvation of peace He came to give, and that there would be many who would reject Him and His offer of peace with God. He knew the present, past, and future, because Jesus is God.

He could confidently assert that He would bring division, because He knew what the future would hold as He held out forgiveness to the world (John 3:16), but only a few would choose the narrow pathway of Life (Matthew 7:14).

He knew that some people, even His own Jewish people, would choose to embrace sin and stay apart from Him, rather than repent and embrace Him and the salvation He offered as Prince of Peace. 

The Everyday Application

2) If Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) and the source of all peace (Ephesians 2:14-22), how is this consistent with His declaration that He came to bring division? (verses 51-53)

Birthed into the chaos of a world in utter darkness, Jesus brought peace because He Himself IS divine peace. He did not come to keep peace, but to provide Himself to all those who would receive Him.

When I read the account of Christ’s birth and life, the accounts of His interactions with the disciples and His interactions with people He ministered to, His gentleness can sometimes soften the reality that Jesus Christ is Reigning Lord of all creation.

The reports of His life, death, and resurrection are powerful and real, but in my humanity, I often focus on just one part of Who He is and fail to consider and meditate on the fact that “Baby Jesus” was also Lord of all creation from His birth. (Colossians 1:15-17)

Further, I am convicted there are times when I still do not live as though He is my Lord. When challenging circumstances threaten my comfort, when shocking news is delivered to those I love, or when an outcome is not what I hope for, I’m forced to examine whether my trust is shaken, or whether I have truly determined that Jesus is my Lord in all situations.

Sometimes, by the grace of God, I am rock steady and securely surrendered to His absolute Lordship of my life and of all things. Sometimes, however, my frail flesh rears its ugly head, and I rail against the things He’s permitted to touch me and those I love.

Regardless of my faithfulness, Jesus Christ is faithful, and He is Lord of all. Strengthen my faith, Lord. Thank You, Jesus!

The Original Intent

3) In what way do Christ’s words in this passage point to the good news of the Gospel and the peace made available to us through Him?

Jesus Christ was and is the long-awaited Messiah. Israel’s promised Savior fulfilled prophecies and promises handed down to the Jewish people throughout the course of their history.

The very Son of God was physically present and speaking to those around Him, describing what He knew would come to pass as Jews and Gentiles alike repented and put their trust in Him alone. Those around Him may not have understood the full implications of what He was saying in the moment, but the truth of His statements remained. The salvation He came to bring was not political or economical, as the Jewish people expected their promised Savior would bring.

Instead of leading a revolution against the enemies of the Jews, Jesus came heralding a heavenly kingdom completely different from the physical world. (Luke 17:20-21) He called people to repentance, love-in-action, and humility, not rebellion and war. (Matthew 5:3-10)

Though there would be those who would reject Him, there would also be those who accepted Christ and His gospel. While Jesus desired all to repent of their sin and come to Him (1 Timothy 2:3-4), division between those who would accept His salvation and those who would reject it was inevitable.

The Everyday Application

3) In what way do Christ’s words in this passage point to the good news of the Gospel and the peace made available to us through Him?

The outward practices of the religious leaders at the time Jesus spoke these words were not so different from the things I sometimes find myself doing today.

There is no shortage of needs and opportunities to help others, but no matter how I serve, if my motivation is “doing for doing’s sake”, or only because it’s what I think I “should” do, or for the vain purpose of others noticing what I’ve done and then think well of me, I’ve fallen into the same sinful trap as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

Christ didn’t come to offer us a salvation of works-righteousness or a checklist of indulgences to be paid or earned. The peace and wholeness He offers is complete in and of itself because of Who He is.

It is freely available to all who will repent of their sins and put their trust in the finished work He completed when He died the death we sinners deserve on the cross and was then raised to bodily life. Glory to God in the highest, Jesus Christ was born! 

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Christmas,cross,hope,quiet,still
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Worship XII, Day 3
Journey Study

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?
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She Day 6 Caught & Taught

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She Day 6 Caught & Taught

Sara Cissell

November 6, 2023

Busy,Called,church,Family,Future,Grace,Life

Read His Words Before Ours!

Titus 2:1-15
Proverbs 31:25-26
Psalm 34:11-14

“More is caught than taught.
You can teach your kids what you know, but you reproduce what you are.”
John Maxwell

The truth in this quote. . .
How does it impact you? 
What comes to mind when you read it? 
Does a sense of responsibility rise up within you?
Do its words cause stress or bring hope? 

Personally, conviction is my immediate reaction. 
Good conviction, the kind that spurs me on to seek the Lord. 

I have both a teaching degree and a leadership degree, yet parenting has taught me that no amount of training fully prepares someone to raise a child. 

Why? 

Because as a parent, I am entrusted with a formative little mind and heart.
The Lord has given me the role to teach my child what it looks like to walk with the Lord. 

My awareness of this reality grows each day.
My daughter is approaching her second birthday, and she seemingly catches everything I model whether positive or negative. 

I drop something and express my frustration. A little voice echoes my words, and I am eternally grateful cuss words are not my knee-jerk reaction. 

I open a book to read, and she grabs a book from her collection to join me.

My daily interactions with my daughter are teaching her how to grow up,
even if that teaching is more caught than formally taught. 

This truth isn’t limited to parent and child, but every one of us.

Every day, each of us live out the role of Teacher, whether for good or evil.
I teach those I interact with.
I teach all who observe me.
So do you. 

I reflect on my previous week and ponder what my daughter, and others perhaps unbeknownst to me, are learning from me as Teacher. 

Am I patient and kind?
Or did they learn the art of growing frustrated easily? 

Am I humble and consistently taking responsibility for my actions?
Or are my observers learning to rationalize their behavior and blame others? 

Have I taught onlookers to do hard things with diligent determination as I submit to the Lord? Or have my patterns provided a lesson in wearied resignation in the face of challenges?

Am I relying on the Lord?
Am I instructing how to engage consistently in His Word and talking to Him throughout the day? Or does my lifestyle prove I trust myself alone? 

I cringe as I answer these questions. 

With a fresh awareness of my flaws, I humble my heart posture to bow before the Lord. 

“Lord, I feel like I am failing miserably in teaching Your love and truth through my life. I know You are faithful and good. I know Your ways are so much better than my ways. Would You please empower me to be the mom, wife, friend, and person You created me to be? Help me to live as You called me. For Your glory, Lord.” 

I sense the peace of the Lord wash over me, and acknowledge once again the significance of placing myself into the loving hands of the Father. Surrendering to Him has never failed me yet, even if, in the moment, it feels beyond my abilities. 

“Lord, teach me today. Help me to ‘catch’ more of You in order to live more fully as Yours. Help my life be an invitation to my daughter, friends, spouse, and all who quietly watch, to know You personally.”

Bible in hand, I open the pages, listen for His voice, and the Word comes to life. 

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened [my daughter], and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“Mankind, he has told each of you what is good 
and what it is the Lord requires of you: 
to act justly, 
to love faithfulness, 
and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

“In the same way, older women are to [. . .] teach what is good so that they may encourage the young women [. . .] For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:3-4, 11-13) 

After reading #HisWordsBeforeMine, I journaled what I sensed Him saying to my heart: “My daughter, I see your heart, your desire to live for Me, your daily failings. Continue to draw close to Me and repent of your attempts to live for Me apart from Me. Learn from Me. Abide in My Word, My Presence, and allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with truth. His fruit will be the sweetest gift you can give to your family, to those around you, and to yourself.  Learn from Me. I will take care of the teaching from there.” 

For Your glory, Lord. For Your glory. 

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She Day 7
Digging Deeper

Living in godliness is a supernatural outgrowth and result of the believer growing in knowledge and understanding of God through studying God’s word and praying to the Author of the word. (John 1:1)

This is not a call to perfection, otherwise we would not need grace. It is a call to reveal to the world around us the heart change inside of us.

As Jen Wilkin repeated in her study of 1 Peter, “Let your actions shout the gospel!”
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She Day 5 A True Legacy

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She Day 5 A True Legacy

Brenda Earley

November 3, 2023

Busy,Called,Christ,Family,Gift,Grace

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 4:14-17
2 Timothy 1:3-7
Psalm 37:23-29
Deuteronomy 7:7-9
Proverbs 16:31

“A grandmother creates memories in a family that will be part of its legacy forever.” 
-Author Unknown

Wow! I never thought this time of my life would come. Grandmother-hood. It wasn’t the way I envisioned, but God already knew! (Really, God, are You sure?)

It’s not like I already had my life planned. (Wink, wink) Shhh, come on, many of us wanted to grow up, graduate high school, go to college, then get married and three years later, have a baby or two. (Wait, Lord, I just want to see them grow up, get married, have babies too!)

Did you hear a boom? Were those fireworks or dynamite? Yeah, that was my wake up call. Nothing like your daughter and her boyfriend informing you they’re having a baby. Talk about blindsided? Discouraged? Humiliated? (Not the way I planned it, God.)

My plans were for them to get married, make a home, and then announce two years later: “baby coming” with the cutest little shoes or even a Grandma t-shirt: Est. 2024, right? Then feelings like exuberance, encouragement, and anticipation would be accepted. (Wait a minute, God!)

While the road to grandmother-hood was not the one I’d anticipated, God did create me for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), right? (Then why do I feel this way, God?) There has to be a reason for this GRAND. So, am I? Yes, I am her. She is me. 

She is GRANDmother! 

She prays. 
My Gram would say, “Well, I may not be able to do anything physically, but I can pray.” And pray, she did. Not a day went by that her knees would not bend and her prayers were not raised to her Father. Then she would lovingly ask, “How are things?”, because her faith made her certain her prayers were effective. (James 5:16)

A grandmother’s never-ceasing prayers are heard! How? She has had more years behind her and she has come to know that prayers bring peace because the One who hears is the Prince of Peace. (Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 66:12-13) Now, she has the wisdom to lift up her family in prayer, knowing her Heavenly Father is present and engaged!

She gives wisdom. 
My family liked to call this wisdom, “Gram’s psychology.” It was subtle, yet powerful. She would use her psychology and then give a meaningful illustration. Eventually, you would come around and see her wisdom! Her advice, if asked, was always lovingly given, never forced. 

She loves.
“Grandmothers always have a way of making everything just a little bit better with their special brand of unconditional love and support.” 
-Author Unknown

Whether a listening ear over a cup of coffee or a bear hug with an extra squeeze, we knew and felt Gram’s love in every interaction.

In the Old Testament, we see an example of grandmother-hood in Naomi. God was at work,  redeeming Naomi’s story of tragic loss when she became a grandmother to Obed. Naomi helped Ruth, her daughter-in-law, nurture her grandchild, and “became a mother” to him. She dearly loved him and it showed! (Ruth 4:16)

She leaves a true legacy.
My Gram left a true legacy. She walked out her faith and shared the Gospel with others. Similarly, in the New Testament, we learn of Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, who was diligent in Timothy’s upbringing. Lois shared this responsibility with her daughter, Eunice. (2 Timothy 1:3-5) Both began teaching and training young Timothy in the gospel in preparation for his ministry within the early Church. Both practiced their faith so Timothy would know God’s truth. 

My Gram was a rock for her family, standing on the promises of God’s Word and consistently praying for each member by name. In our own experiences and in family stories told to us, her faith shone. Her face was a beacon of God’s light. Her hands were always helping. Her words of wisdom were never ending. Her hugs were explosive! The care she showed was reflective of her faith. 

The mark of a GRANDmother is fruitful, for it spreads through her own generation and on to her childrens’ children. She may have grown older, but she continues to experience God’s presence and to declare His righteousness, strength, and power. (Psalm 71:17-18) There is nothing more important than her personal and vibrant faith modeled before her grandchildren. This is true legacy! 

You see, God knew I would one day share my wisdom and my love on a GRAND scale! He knew I would take the time to love, care, and nurture with more patience. He understood the enormous amount of love I would be able to give, because He demonstrated love to me too. (Romans 5:8) Since God gives His wisdom to all who ask, He knew I would have plenty of wisdom to offer. (Job 12:12-13) Gram showed me how. Because I am her. She is me.

We are GRANDmother! 

Sweet sister GRANDmother, what legacy will you leave? For me, I want to be just like her, my Gram, pointing generations to come to Jesus!

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She Day 5
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Though she began her journey with bitterness, God provided Ruth as the helper Naomi needed. When Ruth was able to give her a grandson, Naomi’s friends remarked, “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” (Ruth 4:15)

God knew Naomi needed love and encouragement; He provided those in Ruth so she could see and testify to the goodness of God and His provision
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Known Day 14 El Elyon: Digging Deeper

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Known Day 14 El Elyon: Digging Deeper

Merry Ohler

July 27, 2023

Adoration,Captivating,Glory,God,Gospel,Grace,Jesus,Spirit,Worship

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

This DD Connects With "El Elyon"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Samuel 22:8-15

8 Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled;
they shook because he burned with anger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.
10 He bent the heavens and came down,
total darkness beneath his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness a canopy around him,
a gathering of water and thick clouds.
13 From the radiance of his presence, blazing coals were ignited.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.
15 He shot arrows and scattered them;
he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
16 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) How does David’s description of God in verses 8-15 portray Him as El Elyon?

Just before David’s praise of God in this passage, David and his troops had defeated the Philistines. (2 Samuel 21:15-22:1) The preceding chapter outlines their battle, complete with vignettes of four of David’s mighty men defeating four Philistine heroes. (2 Samuel 21)

This battle against the Philistines came much later in David’s life, but undoubtedly brought memories and echoes of the time when he fought Goliath as a young man during Saul’s reign. (Chapter 21:19 contains a scribal error; Elhanan actually killed Goliath’s brother Lahmi, as verified in 1 Chronicles 20:5.) 

David’s praise of God in 2 Samuel 22:8-15 is echoed almost word for word in Psalm 18. The phrases in both chapters depict God’s fearsome power and juxtapose Creation’s response to His power and intensity. David described the earth shaking before the Most High; the foundations of the very heavens trembled and shook.

Over and over, David held up parts of Creation to Creator, and showed that each created thing was powerless before the One Who created it: the entire earth, the foundations of the heavens, the very darkness, the wind, clouds, water, lightning and thunder, the depths of the sea, and the foundations of the world. Every item is something far larger than man; every created thing set ablaze, bent, wrapped around Creator, listening to Him, commanded and used by Him.

The name “El Elyon” means “Most High,” with great emphasis placed on His strength, sovereignty, and supremacy. (Psalm 9:1-10, Genesis 14:17-24)

The Everyday Application

1) How does David’s description of God in verses 8-15 portray Him as El Elyon?

David’s description of God’s power and majesty against the backdrop of His Creation brings to mind how little I have truly meditated on the reality that God is El Elyon.

How many things do I allow to crowd my mind and heart, and day to day life, to the point that I fail to study my Bible, or spend time in prayer, or give Him even an ounce of glory due His Name? Our God truly is the Most High. There is nothing and no one who deserves our praise and honor more than Him. I am convicted that I have not allowed the reality of God as reigning El Elyon to affect my life fully.

When I allow the trappings of daily life to lull me into a complacent mindset with little to no thought for my Creator, I am in need of a contrite spirit. God Most High deserves more than lip service or a passing prayer or thought. He deserves a life lived fully in surrendered service to Him.

Lord, convict my heart when I stray from this truth, and bring me back to Your humble, righteous way. Enable me to fix my eyes, heart, and mind on You alone, even as I fulfill the tasks You have given me to accomplish in everyday life.

Give me glimpses of Your power and might; help me to meditate on what it means that you are the Most High God.

The Original Intent

2) What is the significance of “Most High?” (verse 14)

“El Elyon” translates to “God Most High.” The significance of the name El Elyon conveys what is true about God positionally, in contrast with all He has created. El Elyon highlights the truth that there are two categories: Creator God and His Creation. His Name rightly declares Creator as high above all else in creation.

Of all the incredible, powerful things He created, God is The Most High. The earth is great, far beyond any human’s ability to control, rule, or duplicate. El Elyon declares God is greater. He rules it completely, and He alone created it by the power of His word. (Psalm 103:19, Psalm 135:6, Isaiah 14:24)

The heavens are high and beyond our human scope. El Elyon declares God is higher and greater. He rules it completely. He spoke the heavens into being, causes the rain to fall, and the sun to rise and set. (Malachi 1:11, Psalm 113:3-6)

Darkness is broad, and without light it would cover the earth entirely. El Elyon declares God is more powerful.

The clouds exist high above the earth, and no man can rule or sway them. El Elyon declares God is the most powerful. He is powerful enough to use clouds as a drape around Himself. (2 Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 62:10-12)

Fire is powerful, and burns all it touches. El Elyon declares God’s radiance is powerful enough to start fire and bring coals to a blaze by His mere presence. (Deuteronomy 4:22, Exodus 19:18)

Lightning and thunder are powerful. They cause the earth to shake and split the sky with vibrant light. El Elyon declares God is more powerful than thunder; thunder and lightning do His bidding. (Exodus 19:19, Isaiah 33:14)

The sea and very foundations of the world are beyond our understanding. El Elyon declares even those things we cannot comprehend bow before the strength, sovereignty, and supremacy of the LORD God, the Most High.      

The Everyday Application

2) What is the significance of “Most High?” (verse 14)

Children enjoy building towers with brick blocks. Every so often, my children (or others visiting our home) will decide to have a “challenge” to see who can build the tallest tower. The play room will fall silent as they intently build, brick by brick, towers of varying intricacy, width, and height.

Quietly, they will work at their challenge until someone declares, “Finished!” Then, and only then, will they peer around to see what their competitors built, and to survey if their tower is tallest or not.

That’s the thing with building things up; when we are in the middle of it, we are often so focused on what we are doing we lose sight of everything else. In what areas have you been building your own “tower?”

What have you been worshiping as your “Most High God?” Sure, it may not feel like worship. Let’s consider it a different way. Where are you investing the majority of your time, energy, and thoughts?

Are you submitting those things to the Lord, or are you filling your hours with your own agenda and tithing a little time to Him as you find it around the fringes of your schedule? This isn’t about performance or legalism; it’s about heart posture.

Is the LORD God Your Most High? Or is it some other created tangible or intangible thing?

El Elyon, God Most High, help me examine this life You’ve given me with clear vision, and show me where I have allowed other things to take Your rightful place in my heart, mind, and life. 

The Original Intent

3) If all Scripture points us toward God’s ultimate plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, how does this passage accomplish the goal?

El Elyon is God Most High. There is no one higher or greater. No other created thing can claim to be higher, greater, or more powerful than He Who created. To have the most strength, sovereignty, or supremacy, and yet, El Elyon chose to humble Himself beyond measure when Jesus Christ came to earth.

The Most High God chose to enter humanity as the most humble of humble created things: a tiny, defenseless infant. He didn’t come hurling lightning bolts, breathing smoke, or setting things ablaze with His very presence. He didn’t split the heavens with thunder or rebuke the seas with His very breath. Instead, He came quietly, simply.

But why? Why would this all powerful, all sovereign, all supreme, Creator God choose to lay aside His rightful claim as Most High in favor of being the most humble?

Relationship.
The Most High God has all authority over everything and everyone. He can command all to bow, and all will bow. He rules over all, whether we acknowledge His sovereignty over our lives or not. But El Elyon, the Most High God, desires personal relationship with us.

He chose to humble Himself to the point of death on the cross, that we might be given the opportunity to repent from our sins and accept the free gift of salvation made possible by His sacrifice. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Though He holds the power, authority and every right to command all of mankind to turn from sin and obey Him, He will never force us. Instead, He invites us to respond to His loving sacrifice. 

The Everyday Application

3) If all Scripture points us toward God’s ultimate plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, how does this passage accomplish the goal?

When I think about El Elyon desiring a personal relationship with us, and that the fulfillment of that desire is found in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, I am both humbled and elated. The concept of our triune God is a reality that reminds me of how far beneath His incredible glory I am, while showing me how much He loves each of us.

He doesn’t withhold part of Him from us.

God Most High grants us relationship with Him as Father, as Saviour Jesus Christ, and as Comforter Holy Spirit. Though He is all powerful, all sovereign, first and foremost above all things, He chooses us.

He calls us, He invites us to turn from sin and accept salvation through Jesus Christ, and He enables us to respond to Him. The Most High God made a way for us to be in His presence and have an intimate, flourishing relationship with Him. He knew we would not be able to fulfill all that was needed to be in right standing with Him, due to our sin, so He made a way to return to fellowship with Him.

Before the foundations of the earth, before Creation, He knew what we are like, and what we would do. And He made a way!

Thank You, El Elyon, for loving and serving us in this incredible, life-changing way! Thank You, Jesus, for humbling Yourself to the point of death on a cross to pay the penalty brought on by our sin, allowing us to come to you through truly repentant hearts! Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your constant presence and guidance in our lives!

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Known Day 13
Journey Study

The earth shook, thick smoke filled his nostrils, thunderous roars overtook him. Fear shook his insides, yet something deeply glorious, dare he use the word “intimate”, pulled him in closer.

As his knees buckled and his face went flat on the rocky terrain of the mountainside, his heart beat to know this God, to see Him, how his insides begged for more.
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Sketched XI Day 14 Unpopular Justice: Digging Deeper

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Sketched XI Day 14 Unpopular Justice: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

July 6, 2023

Christ,Digging Deeper,Grace,Mercy,Paul

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 "Unpopular Justice"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 32:1-9

“Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words of my mouth. 2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. 3 For I will proclaim the Lord's name. Declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock-His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true.

5 His people have acted corruptly toward Him; this is their defect-they are not His children but a devious and crooked generation. 6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn't He your Father and Creator? Didn't He make you and sustain you? 7 Remember the days of old; consider the years long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will teach you.

8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance and divided the human race, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the people of Israel. 9 But the Lord's portion is His people, Jacob, His own inheritance.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does God’s continual interaction with Moses reveal about His character? (verses 1-4)

As his time on earth was ending, Moses obediently arranged for his departure. (Exodus 33:17-23) Commonly called “The Song of Moses,” its lyrics were given by God to Moses (Deuteronomy 31:19-22, 30) for the people to sing as a reminder of their God-authored history. It was a song delivered in the presence of all creation (verses 1-2) to remind the people of God’s continued faithful ways in contrast to their continued rebellious ways. (Isaiah 25:1)

Moses’ own sin resulted in him coming only to the border of the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 34:4) His unrestrained frustration had revealed a deficiency in his reverence for God’s holiness and justice. Even as a man of great faith, Moses had demonstrated a lack of trust in God’s revealed character. (Exodus 34:5-10, Numbers 27:12-14) Though it had been a learning process for him, Moses now vividly sees that the name of the Lord should be honored. God’s name represents His essence! (verses 3-4)

Earlier in his life as a shepherd, Moses had been tending his flock when he guided them toward Mount Horeb (Sinai) and met the LORD there. (Exodus 3:1-8) This location would take a prominent place in Israel’s history. (Psalm 68, Judges 5:1-5, 1 Kings 8:9, 1 Kings 9:8-12, Acts 7:29-38) From then on, Moses would come into the Lord’s presence and learn the significance of the Lord’s name.

After he received “The Ten Words”, Moses came down from the presence of God only to find the people had rebelled, breaking the first and second commandments. In anger, he smashed the tablets the Lord had given, but God again showed His compassionate character by declaring His great name to Moses. (Exodus 33:17-23)

So as it is, Moses has now learned to fully and sincerely sing, “The Lord’s name is great … perfect … just … faithful … righteous and true!” (verses 3-4) This is who He is!

The Everyday Application

1) What does God’s continual interaction with Moses reveal about His character? (verses 1-4)

There are at least two more songs Moses wrote. One is recorded in Exodus 15:1-21 after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and the other is found in Psalm 90. I imagine whenever Moses rehearsed his own story, he went way back to that day. (Exodus 3:4-6)

Surely he recalled the fear he experienced in that unexpected moment as he was simply tending sheep. But Friend, I believe he also remembered the awe and wonder he felt. The God of the universe had come to Moses.

The Israelites usually missed the value of God’s nearness, responding instead by complaining or rebelling. They refused to believe God by trusting His character. They rejected His mercy, believing they didn’t need Him. Oh Sister, I feel their pain! I tend to trust what I perceive or assume instead of what God has clearly revealed about Himself. HE IS our salvation and hope!

At Mt Sinai (Mt Horeb), God gave the Law with its guidelines and promises. Moses would not understand how God, in Christ, would Himself one day suffer the consequences of His laws being broken. Though Moses had wrongly struck the rock in anger, it is our God – the Rock – who would strike death, and Himself be stung in the process. (Isaiah 53:1-6)

The Son was struck not by the rod of Moses, but by the Father’s rod of wrath concerning sin. It is our unchanging Rock who perfectly completed the work of redemption and satisfied the justice of God. (Romans 9:30-33, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Sweet Sister, as a result of this, we have been given, not the promised land of Israel but a promised life with God! God’s love lasts forever!!

The Original Intent

2) How had God’s children, the nation of Israel, acted in the wilderness toward God? (verses 5-6)

God’s instruction to Moses and His people had repeatedly pointed to a God who was close and interactive! “The Lord God spoke to us…”. (Exodus 19:9-11) But Moses and the Israelite people underestimated the consequences of allowing themselves to tolerate a rebellious and critical spirit.

At the rock where they received water (Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:3-13, Psalm 95:8-9), the people demonstrated their distrust of God by complaining about their circumstances and criticizing God. Then Moses demonstrated his distrust of God by misrepresenting Him, choosing instead to unnecessarily lecture the people with harshness.

“Moses misrepresented God by acting as if God needed him to provide water for the people … angrily striking the rock twice, instead of just speaking to the rock as God had, told him to.” (enduringword.com) In verses 5-6, however, we notice that Moses has gained a little perspective. He knows God is loyal and true while so many of the people are not. (Deuteronomy 7:7-12)

The Hebrew for “defect” in verse 5 indicates “Israel’s major fault was its failure to act like God’s people; in fact, they acted quite the contrary.” (bible.org) Knowing what he knows, and what they know, Moses calls into question their rebellion and foolishness. (verse 6)

Did they not remember who made them? (Isaiah 45:18) It had been about 400 years since Joseph’s brothers promised to bury his bones in the Promised Land. Had they not heard how God had been faithful to Joseph and would be faithful to them? (Joshua 24:31-32)

Had not all the people been together to see the mighty works of God in how He had delivered them, provided for them, guided them and been so patient with them? (Acts 7:17-45) Moses is appalled at their continued unbelief!

The Everyday Application

2) How had God’s children, the nation of Israel, acted in the wilderness toward God? (verses 5-6)

Simply put, the people had forgotten. Remembering God is an essential disciplined practice of our faith! The Old Testament uses a form of the word “remember” over 200 times. (blueletterbible.org) The prophet Jeremiah summarized the condition of the defiant Israelites, “My people have forgotten Me.” (Jeremiah 18:13-23)

What an indictment on those to whom the Lord has revealed Himself. Maybe you are like me, friend, and the ‘sin of forgetfulness’ creeps up on you. By God’s grace, let’s strive to be like the saints of old mentioned in Hebrews 11 who had come to know Yahweh’s character by believing Him.

Jesus told His disciples to “remember” His sacrifice, and Paul urged his fellow believers toward that practice of remembering. (Luke 22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 11:17-26) Sister, we can discover the character of God as we remember the triumph of grace (Romans 5:18-21) through His perfect justice, and as we revere the Lord’s name as the great I AM who created you and me.

He loves us and wants to rescue us from the consequence of our sin, which is eternal death. (Colossians 1:13-20) Let’s heed the warning and remember God’s mercy. Let’s sing it together!

You’re our creator, our life sustainer –
deliverer, our comfort, our joy.
Throughout the ages, You’ve been our shelter – our peace in the midst of the storm.

With signs and wonders,
You’ve shown Your power.
With precious blood,
You showed us Your grace.
You’ve been our helper, our liberator –
the giver of life with no end.

When we walk through life’s darkest valleys, we will look back at all You have done.
And we will shout, our God is good, and He is the faithful One!

We will remember, we will remember, we will remember the works of Your hands.
We will stop and give you praise, for great is Thy faithfulness!
(We Will Remember by Tommy Walker)

The Original Intent

3) What does Moses call the people to do as a response to his testimony about God? (verses 7-9)

Moses makes one last appeal to the people before his death in verses 7-9. He calls on the people to REMEMBER! In verse 6, Moses questioned how they could forget what they had seen and heard. The love of God had always been on display for His people. In verse 7, Moses refers them to their parents and grandparents if they couldn’t come up with the answers.

If it was anything at all, God’s love was a proven love! His faithful love was evidenced by the many times God had repeated it to the wilderness-wandering children of Israel. I emphasize again: God IS love! (Exodus 34:6-7) God is abounding in faithful love. He is daily maintaining faithful love. God’s love is FOREVER lasting. God had centered the Law around this reality of love. (Exodus 20:3-6)

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said of His people, “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. (Jeremiah 31:2-3) The Lord’s portion in verse 9 refers to His beloved people, those He most highly values. We find the same thought in Exodus 19:4-6, “Now if you will carefully listen to Me and keep My covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples.”

The New King James Version translates the phrase as “His peculiar treasure.” The Hebrew noun segullah, which means a special possession, conveyed how Israel was to stand in a place of privilege simply because God picked them. It wasn’t for anything they’d ever do, that’s for sure!

This scene in Deuteronomy 31:28-30 is stunning and Moses can’t help but remember it. He also realizes he only has a little time left on earth to convince them to remember the two most important things 1) Whose they are as the Lord’s portion and 2) What they have; an inheritance! (verse 9)

The Everyday Application

3) What does Moses call the people to do as a response to his testimony about God? (verses 7-9)

Sister, how should we respond to the challenge from Moses to remember? Let’s do so by reflecting on Peter’s words to those “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” If you’re a true believer in Jesus, that’s you and me, the “chosen” ones!

I can’t improve on Peter’s encouragement and invitation, let’s read and reflect on it together, allowing it to remind us to remember the Lord!

“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.
Cry out for this nourishment now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor.

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, ‘I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.’

Yes, you who trust Him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject Him … they stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (1 Peter 2:1-10, NLT)

Let’s all practice remembering the truth of who God is!

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grace,justice,mercy,Remember
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Sketched XI, Day 13
Journey Study

“Ahab’s death is near”, I finally managed to speak after several minutes of heavy, silent walking.

Elisha’s arm stopped my forward momentum as he turned hard eyes on me, “It will be dishonorable, won’t it?”.

I closed my eyes against the scene the Lord had given me of dog’s licking up Ahab’s blood. (1 Kings 21:19) He was intended to be Israel’s king, leading us to worship Yahweh, but instead his death would be a mockery just as his life had been.
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Sketched XI Day 12 Wearied, Worn; Rested, Revived: Digging Deeper

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Sketched XI Day 12 Wearied, Worn; Rested, Revived: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

July 4, 2023

Christ,Faith,Gospel,Grace,Holy Spirit,Prophecy,Reveal,Righteousness,Safe

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 "Wearied, Worn; Rested, Revived"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 45:1-13

The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut:

2 “I will go before you and level the uneven places; I will shatter the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. 4 I call you by your name, for the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen one. I give a name to you, though you do not know me. 5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me. I will strengthen you, though you do not know me, 6 so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is no one but me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

8 “Heavens, sprinkle from above, and let the skies shower righteousness. Let the earth open up so that salvation will sprout and righteousness will spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it. 9 “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? 10 Woe to the one who says to his father, ‘What are you fathering?’ or to his mother, ‘What are you giving birth to?’”

11 This is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker, says: “Ask me what is to happen to my sons, and instruct me about the work of my hands. 12 I made the earth, and created humans on it. It was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded everything in them. 13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, and will level all roads for him. He will rebuild my city, and set my exiles free, not for a price or a bribe,” says the Lord of Armies.
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The Original Intent

1) Who was Cyrus and why is he called God’s anointed one? (verse 1)

We can read of the same Cyrus mentioned here in Isaiah’s prophecy in our history books. Perhaps you recall learning of Cyrus the Great, a Persian ruler dating from 539-530 BC, in your world history class. If recalling his exploits is a bit challenging, the important aspect for this passage centers around his decision to free the Jewish exiles from Babylon.

Just as prophesied, Israel would remain in exile seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11) as punishment for their continued rebellion against the Lord their God who had freed them from slavery in Egypt and birthed them into a nation to fulfill a covenant He had cut with Abraham. (Genesis 15)

Contrary to how it may have seemed during exile, God had not abandoned them. His love for them, and His righteous jealousy that called them to worship only Him, was still actively present, guarding and protecting them while He arranged history to set His people free to return Home to Jerusalem at exactly the right time.

Who would free them? Ironically, a foreign Gentile king who didn’t know or worship the Lord God (verse 5), namely Cyrus the Great. God’s sovereignty and complete authoritative rule and reign over all things, peoples, and time as poetically described in verses 6-7, would anoint Cyrus to free His people from captivity.

The scene is one more “impossible” in a long string of “impossible-for-man” scenarios where the Lord’s arm of strength would be made known despite all apparent odds for He alone is the God of all possibility (Luke 1:37); nothing escapes His dominion.

The Everyday Application

1) Who was Cyrus and why is he called God’s anointed one? (verse 1)

It’s easy to wake up each day with narrowed tunnel vision of our existence, forgetting we are only one strand of the magnificent tapestry the Sovereign One is weaving. Lovingly, He who cares about every sparrow that falls and every strand of hair we’ve ever worn on our heads, deeply and intricately knows every aspect of our lives. He provides both free will and exercises sovereign control over all things; nothing escapes His dominion.

Like He used an unsuspecting foreign ruler to bring freedom to His people, speaking these prophetic words through His appointed mouthpiece of Isaiah 150 years before it would come to pass, the Lord uses us, our circumstances, and people and events and even creation and inanimate objects to point to His authoritative rule and reign. (Psalm 19:1-4, Luke 19:37-40) Bible teacher, R. C. Sproul, taught that there are no maverick molecules in the universe because the Lord is supremely sovereign.

This reality insists we re-examine the lens through which we view our everyday lives, our struggles, and our joys. Truth about God presses us to hold every aspect of our lives up to the Light of the God who is supremely powerful and all-loving as He guides both our individual daily stories as well as those of the ones around us.

Your “impossible” situation is just one more opportunity to evidence the power of the Lord God who used an unbeliever to make His name known to the ancient world and our own. (verse 6) How might He use your “impossible” to point others to Him, or maybe, even just you? Keep waiting on the Lord, Sister; He will never cease to be both sovereign and loving! (Psalm 27:13-14)

The Original Intent

2) What key message is revealed in verse 8 about God’s purposes?

Verse 8 acts as an anchor for the passage, providing an open window to peer into the mission of God’s heart. Yes, He holds all sovereign rule and reign over all things, but He never acts from a place of cruelty or self-seeking lusts for He alone is the God of all Righteousness.

Like the cloud of God’s presence descended to Mt. Sinai in order to commune with His people (Exodus 19:9-11), like the fire that fell from Heaven at Elijah’s faith-filled prayer (1 Kings 18:20-45), so God provides another reminder of the only Source of pure righteousness: Himself. He comes from above and descends like gentle, life-giving rain upon the world.

The result of soaking in the “rain” of His righteousness is salvation and, because of it, our sprouts of righteousness reflect God’s original righteousness back to Him. This is the “rain cycle” God intended!

He knew we would never be able to “climb the mountain of God”, for only those who are blameless and perfectly pure, being without sin, are able to accomplish this, which eliminates all of us. (Psalm 24:3-4)

Humanity will always chase itself and its own lusts and fleshly desires, eagerly sacrificing to “gods” we believe we can control, just as the 400 prophets of Baal did on Mt. Carmel where Elijah led a standoff between the One True God and the false “deity”. But this “competition” is no competition at all, for who can stand against the Lord God, the Holy and Righteous One? (Nahum 1:1-8) He will put all other false idols, and their worshippers, to shame! (verse 16)

The Everyday Application

2) What key message is revealed in verse 8 about God’s purposes?

The physical soil of the earth doesn’t have the freedom to choose whether it receives or rejects nurturing rain. It is a grace gift from the Lord for this rain to fall, a grace that was withheld for three years because King Ahab had led Israel into idol worship.

Christ was the fullness of God’s righteousness coming down from above, descending to offer us salvation. He offers eternal rescue from the just penalty of eternal death we deserve because we are a people of unclean lips and hearts; we are filthy with our sin. (Isaiah 64:6) Whether we’ve told a single white lie or committed murder, every sin qualifies us for eternal death because we are not perfectly righteous. (Romans 3:23)

While we earn death, Christ paid our death penalty by surrendering His life that we might be “bought back” from death to life! (Romans 6:23) Unlike the dry dust of the earth that simply must receive the gift of falling waters, we are given the freedom to choose grace. We may either accept or reject Christ’s righteousness for ourselves. If we agree with the Lord that we are sinners worthy of death and come to Him ready to turn away from a life of sin, His Spirit is deposited in us as a promised seal that we are His forever; none will be able to snatch us away. (John 10:27-30)

This Spirit of God cultivates our hearts, shaping us to be like Christ as He prunes away sin and whets our appetite for the things of God. (Romans 8:29, John 15:2) As we respond to the love God has poured out into our hearts by His Spirit (Romans 5:5), we sprout righteousness that reflects God’s righteousness back to Him. Like fresh blades of spring grass signal newness of life, so do our acts of righteousness signal to the world of a God who graciously gives new life. (verse 23)

The Original Intent

3) What prophecies are revealed in verse 13?

Verse 13 is pregnant with prophecies of the coming Cyrus, but beyond Him, to the coming Christ, carrying even jewels of our purpose as a Church as we follow Christ. Though Cyrus the Great had no intention of honoring and worshiping Israel’s God or walking justly in His ways, the Lord “stirred him up in righteousness” . (verse 13)

The Lord’s heart motives were righteous as He sought to free His people from exile and bring them Home to Jerusalem. The Lord used His righteousness to stir up Cyrus to act righteously. (Proverbs 21:1) In the same way, His Righteous Holy Spirit stirs us up to follow Him and walk in His ways together with all believers in Jesus in whom the Spirit dwells. This same Spirit was the Righteous motivation that fueled the Father to send the Son as a perfect sacrifice to offer for the sins of the world. (1 John 2:2)

Keep in mind, this prophecy from Isaiah was spoken 150 years before Cyrus decreed Israel could return to Jerusalem and nearly 700 years before Christ would come to earth. Israel hadn’t even been captured yet, and her temple was still intact, but her heart was desperately far from the Lord. Isaiah’s prophetic words pleaded with the people to return to the Lord that His judgement wouldn’t fall on them.

Verse 13 says the Lord would level the path before Cyrus so he would accomplish the Lord’s will. Hundreds of years later, another prophet, John the Baptist, was sent to fulfill more of Isaiah’s words that spoke of one (John the Baptist) who would come to prepare the way of the Lord by making a “straight highway for our God in the desert.” (Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3)

The Everyday Application

3) What prophecies are revealed in verse 13?

Before John the Baptist came on the scene, the Lord used Cyrus the Great to foreshadow what would come right before “the glory of the Lord [would] appear (That’s Jesus!), and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:5) Through Isaiah, the Lord said of Cyrus, “He will rebuild my city and set My exiles free, not for a price or a bribe[…]”. (verse 13)

Cyrus would send supplies and treasures to rebuild the temple, even returning items that had been taken during Israel’s capture. (Ezra 1:2-7) Cyrus would send Israel Home and would freely do it without being bribed or forced; he would respond to the stirring up of the Lord’s righteousness and would choose to act righteously.

In the same stunningly beautiful way, Christ, the jewel of Heaven, would give Himself by freely laying down His life to build the True Jerusalem, the Church, made up of believers from every generation and every nation in the world. Christ would come to set His people free from sin and death, freeing them to go Home and dwell with Him forever! (John 10:17-18)

When the Church lives out God’s heart on earth to point people to Him by using our lives to reflect His righteousness, we have joined with God Himself as co-laborers in His kingdom to bring the Lost without Jesus Home to be with Him in His family! (1 Corinthians 3:9)

Respond to God’s call of righteousness on your life, embrace His grace gift and reflect His righteousness to the people around you that they might see Christ in you!

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forgiveness,freedom,holy,life,perfect,righteousness,salvation
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Sketched XI, Day 11
Journey Study

My hope has been crushed; I can no longer walk among the land of the living.

“I have had enough!” I wail to the cloud-laden heavens. Collapsing into the dust, I murmur a final prayer of despair.

“LORD, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:4-5) I am wearied and worn. Let me sleep and not wake up.
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Worship XI Day 15 Shin & Tav

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Worship XI Day 15 Shin & Tav

Marietta Taylor

June 16, 2023

Amazed,Broken,Captivating,Faith,Fellowship,Glory,God,Grace,Heart

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:161-176 
2 Timothy 3:10-17
Psalm 23
Romans 7:14-25

Faithful and dedicated servant.
A wandering sheep needing rescue, understanding, and assistance. 

Which one am I?
Both.

Though redeemed, my flesh still wins some battles. This makes me grateful for God’s Word, which is “profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

ש Shin means to consume, destroy, eat. 

“Our God is a consuming fire.” He purifies and refines us. Therefore, He will “consume” our idols and destroy strongholds that exist in our lives. It is the truth of the Word that burns up anything that is against His will, promises and plans. 

“I rejoice over Your promise like one who finds vast treasure.” (Psalm 119:162)

We know God’s promises by reading His Word. We can claim them when we belong to Him. From my prayer journal:

Lord, You promise to strengthen, help, and uphold me. (Isaiah 41:10) You promise to keep me in perfect peace if I fix my mind on You. (Isaiah 26:3) You’ve said You will never leave nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:8) I love this because, sadly, I tend to wander like a lost sheep. But You will never lose me. You said You would instruct and teach me, showing me what to do. (Psalm 32:8) I praise You Lord for loving me through these and other promises. 

We should praise Him continually for all His promises because “The Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions“. (Psalm 145:13)  

“I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love Your instruction.” (Psalm 119:163)

Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing makes them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

Let me share two different perspectives of Shin. 

Father God, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for me and your strength is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I repent of the sins of boasting, worrying, doubting, and deceiving. I seek Your grace and forgiveness, for without it I would surely perish. I love You and I know You delight in Your children. I pray that You will cleanse me, praising You in advance for Your mercy and grace. 

Lord, You commanded we walk before You and be blameless. I must intimately know You and be instructed in Your ways to do this. I need Your mercy and grace because it is impossible in my own strength…but Your Holy Spirit lives in me. I’ve given the throne of my heart to You. And I read, study, and follow Your Word, which allows me to grow in faith and toward blamelessness. I have no worries or anxiousness because I know You are guiding me. 

The Word is “able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15) I pray we allow God’s Word to burn up and destroy our desire for anything that doesn’t line up with His instructions for our lives. Let it purify, refine, and rescue us from our own flesh. Psalm 23:3 says, “He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.” May His Word lead us where He would have us go. 

ת Tav means mark or seal.

Seals protect and preserve. Jesus bears the seal of God. (John 6:27) When we accept the free gift of salvation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, preserved for our entry into heaven and God’s holy and glorious presence. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

While salvation is a one time event, transforming us into new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), the sanctification that happens after is a lifelong process. It is how God grows us and teaches us His ways. 

“Let my cry reach You, Lord; give me understanding according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:169)

John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” God teaches us by His Word. We gain godly wisdom and understanding by reading, studying, and following these truths.  By this, we also know we need the Lord to save us from our own sinful ways. We cry out and He answers. 

“My lips pour out praise, for You teach me Your statutes. My tongue sings about Your promise, for all Your commands are righteous.” (Psalm 119:171-172) 

I wrote this prayer in my journal:           

Lord Jesus, I praise You for setting me free from the tight clothes of this world to be dressed in Your righteousness instead. 

I don’t exactly remember the circumstances here, but my journal entry speaks to intentionally choosing something godly over something worldly. None of us has any righteousness besides the righteousness of Jesus. (Romans 3:10-12, Romans 5:19) As we continue to choose the godly way, we are sanctified all the more. From this sanctification springs our worship of the One who continues to lovingly transform us. 

“I wander like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commands.” (Psalm 119:176)

We will wander from what is right and good, because we still have a sin nature. (Romans 7:14-23) But praise God, He always knows where we are and what state we are in and He will rescue us. (Romans 7:24-25)

I was once lost. Now I am found, loved, sealed, and transformed by The One whose Spirit lives in me!

“Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

Tags :
awe,compassion,Consume,love,prayer
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Worship XI Day 15
Digging Deeper

Fear, anger, anxiety, pride, the desire for control, insistence on one’s own way, complaint, and all other forms of self that actively fight against perfectly satisfying love have been consumed and drowned out by the Lord’s ways, wisdom, and good presence.

Praise, rejoicing, adoration, peace, and delight have taken their place; there is secret joy here!
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May 29 - June 16, 2023 - Journey Theme #119

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