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Enough Day 15 Promised Land Restored

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13
Isaiah 65:17-25
Philippians 2:5-11
Revelation 21:1-8
Revelation 22

Enough, Day 15

A friend made a sign for me reading, “You are enough.” She meant to encourage me not to feel burdened to live up to anyone else’s expectations. It sounds great, but not one of us is enough on our own, least of all me.

“You are enough” sounds easy and available for our immediate gratification.
But let’s not settle for the immediacy of what we can muster up
when what God has promised is glorious.

You see, God is love. He is worthy. He is Lord.
God is enough.

Any hope we have should be placed in Him, not ourselves. He alone can satisfy our every desire, heal every broken place, give us victory, and gather us to live with Him forever. Only He can fulfill every promise.

I know I’ve made some lofty statements here. But friends, they aren’t mine. They are God’s, breathed into the hearts and minds of men, and penned on the pages of the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) Shall we explore a little?

God is love.
1 Corinthians 13 gives us a picture of biblical love, explaining love is patient. Furthermore, 2 Peter 3: 9 tells us God is patiently waiting to fulfill His remaining promises, so more people may repent and join Him in heaven. Y’all, it’s been over 2000 years since Jesus came. Patient? Check.

We also see love is kind and not self-seeking. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, taught thousands, raised the dead, forgave sins and most importantly, died on the cross to conquer sin and death! Yet, He didn’t go around announcing His miracles and acts of kindness. In fact, He usually instructed people not to speak of their interactions. (Luke 8:56 and Matthew 8:4)

1 Corinthians 13:6 says love rejoices in truth. In the New Testament, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth” over 70 times!

Clearly, God is love.

God is worthy.
There are many verses I could point to, but I’ve settled on two. First is John 1:1-5, where we learn:

  •     God is eternal
  •     Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created everything.
  •     Jesus is the light of men and cannot be overcome by darkness

Then, there’s Revelation 5. Verse 12 gives us a glimpse of the throne room of heaven when the Lamb (Jesus) takes the scroll, thousands upon thousands of angels, the living creatures, and the elders will loudly say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

In verse 13, we see “every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth on the
sea, and everything in them say,
Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

I can’t add anything to this. Quite simply and wonderfully, He is worthy!

Jesus is Lord.
God could have saved us from our sin and from death any way He wanted; He chose to send His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross.

Because Jesus was obedient to do the Father’s will,
“God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth —
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

And when we reach the end times, written on the robe and thigh of Jesus will be His name “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

Speaking of the end times, did you realize they bring fulfillment of an early promise God made to Abraham? God promised Abraham would be the father of many nations, but He also promised actual land. However, because God’s perspective is eternal, there is an even greater land we’ve been promised! Revelation 21:1-8 tells us of the “land” where God will dwell for the rest of eternity with “those written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

In this New Heaven and New Earth, we find:

Gather us to live with Him forever? Check.
Abraham never saw the extent of the land he was promised, but his offspring did. Now we can wait expectantly with the hope of God’s eternal Promised Land.

Friends, I hope you feel the same longing as Abraham. While we wait on the God who is enough, let’s get to know Him better. Let’s share Him with others, so they, too, will be in the Lamb’s book of life.

This world we live in is hard, but it’s not our real home. Can we agree to live in anticipation of the glorious day when everything is restored and we are eternally and blamelessly in the presence of our holy God? Let it be so.

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Enough Day 9 Perfect Prophet: 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 Perfect Prophet!

The Questions

1) What had happened that led to the discussion taking place in verse 14?

2) Given how they explained the events that had occurred, what do we learn in verses 19-21 about these two men walking along the road?

3) Who was the stranger, and what did His response in verses 25-26 reveal about Himself?

Luke 24:13-26

13 Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. 15 And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. 16 But they were prevented from recognizing him. 17 Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged. 18 The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked them. So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Original Intent

1) What had happened that led to the discussion taking place in verse 14?
The passage of Scripture we are digging deeper into begins with the word “now” in the CSB (Christian Standard Bible). The original Greek words καί (kai) and ἰδού (idou) translate into “and behold.” The translators chose “now” to indicate the transition to a new scene, but also had a desire to keep the urgency of the moment. (netbible.org) We know from the verse that “now” is the “same day” in which the tomb of Jesus had been found to be vacated. (Luke 24:1-3) These disciples of Jesus, not part of “the Twelve,” had heard about the empty tomb. Although the CSB uses the word “arguing”, the term indicates only that this was an emotional dialogue between the two. Whether the men were actually debating we don’t know, but it was most certainly an intense conversation about the events of the past few days. (verse 15) And why wouldn’t it be?! The events described in Luke 23 are dramatic and difficult to understand. These disciples were attempting to process together as they walked along. I imagine a present-day scene in which two eyewitnesses are walking away from a horrific car accident, in which they overhear there were no major injuries or fatalities. They begin to talk with each other about what they saw and heard. Each one gets more and more animated as they process their reactions out loud. This was the scene on the road to Emmaus that day.

2) Given how they explained the events that had occurred, what do we learn in verses 19-21 about these two men walking along the road?
We are told only one of the names of the men walking along. We know that neither were one of Jesus’ original disciples because we read in verse 33 how they joined the “eleven” later. After Jesus joins them, He opens by asking them a question that references their conversation. Based on His words, we can discern that Jesus had walked silently with them for a while, simply listening while they walked along. It was evident they were saddened by what had happened. (verse 17) Shocked that the stranger did not seem to know what was going on, they began to explain the current events. Their explanation to Jesus demonstrated some important things these men had come to believe about Jesus. They knew His name and where He was from. They said He was a prophet who was mighty in how He acted and spoke. They shared with the stranger that Jesus had been crucified by the religious leaders. They remembered He had promised to redeem Israel and they had hoped it was true. Now, because it was the third day, they were uncertain and confused. Possibly they had heard the prophet say something significant would happen by the third day. It is unclear whether these men were fully convinced about the Christ of whom they were speaking. What is clear is Luke’s priority by including this scene in his Gospel narrative. “The importance of the affirmation of the two disciples here in Luke 24:19 must not in any way be underestimated. It is integral to Luke’s theology and purpose.” (Walter Liefeld, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary on Luke)

3) Who was the stranger, and what did His response in verses 25-26 reveal about Himself?
What a shocking response! The men walking along thought they had been approached by a clueless visitor. (verse 18) How could anyone be so uninformed as it appeared this man seemed? Then He begins rebuking them! (verse 25) The Bible tells us these men were unable to recognize Jesus. (verse 16) Somehow, Jesus’ appearance was altered. It is difficult to know what this means, although there is no indication He was frightening or odd to them. All we are able to discern is that they did not immediately recognize who He was at this point. Still, Jesus’ response and demeanor apparently drew them to Him instead of becoming frustrated at Him. He spoke as one who knew them and knew more of the story. They did not shrink back from His critique. Instead they listened intently to His lengthy message and explanation. Later in verses 31-32 it is revealed that their hearts were stirred as “He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (verse 27)

Everyday Application

1) What had happened that led to the discussion taking place in verse 14?
What a nightmare the previous days had been. These had been agonizing moments for everyone who followed closely to Jesus. Luke 22-23 provides many details. What eyewitnesses saw and heard was incomprehensible. Even though Jesus had previously spoken of the events as prophetic descriptions, it is obvious His hearers just did not get it. His closest friends even missed it. Before we are too hard on them, I must confess my own tendency to be confused when things do not seem to line up. Instead of trusting what I know to be true about God, I often doubt. Instead of rehearsing God’s promises, I often linger far too long in my own thinking. I look around and cannot see how it is possible for God to work things out for my good. There are times when nothing points to victory. It is easy to let the bad things we experience become our sole point of focus. How foolish of us! Instead, the psalmist reminds us to pause and preach the goodness of God to our souls. (Psalm 103)

2) Given how they explained the events that had occurred, what do we learn in verses 19-21 about these two men walking along the road?
I love the fact that these two men were not famous people. The disciples walking along the road that day following Passover were ordinary followers of Jesus who seem to be unlikely candidates for His after-resurrection appearance. Yet, there they were, talking to the Messiah Himself. They had no idea it was Him, yet they spoke with courage and confidence about what they had seen. They even boldly confessed that the religious leaders were the ones who had crucified Jesus. Can you imagine the scene, friend? They sincerely wanted to believe the best. They said as much, “But we were hoping that He was the one who was about to redeem Israel.” (verse 21) When we face disappointment, it is easy to be discouraged and lose hope, but our Lord invites us to pray and trust. Commentator David Guzik says, “Jesus wanted to know from them what He wants to know from us today.” He then asks the reader, “can we believe without seeing with our own eyes?”(Guzik, Enduring Word) Sometimes we fall at the feet of Jesus like the father mentioned in Mark 9:23-24 and must confess, “we believe, Lord. Help our unbelief!”
Sister, He is here. He is present. Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

3) Who was the stranger, and what did His response in verses 25-26 reveal about Himself?
As he does so often, gospel-writer Luke painted the scene in such dramatic fashion I feel like I am right there with them! Two men were walking along discussing Jesus’ death as well as the confusing message they had heard of His resurrection. Without realizing it, there was Jesus! Some Bible teachers have offered this scene as a parallel to Jesus’ presence with His often-non-perceptive disciples in our modern age. Luke’s implication was that they were ‘being prevented’ from recognizing Jesus. Apparently, Jesus appeared like the real man He was, but they could not identify Him. The key to us recognizing Jesus as exactly Who He claims, is to keep digging into the Scriptures that teach us what He looks like in real life scenes. Perhaps you’re familiar with the letters WWJD, prompting believers to ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” However, the better question to ask ourselves as we seek Jesus in the Scripture would be, “Is this who the real Jesus is?” If the answer is clarified in our souls through the Spirit, we can proceed in faith and confidence. We can know that The Christ is among us, teaching us, leading us, inspiring us, saving us! Who He reveals Himself to be in His Word will never contradict other Scriptures about Himself. He encourages us to keep seeking that we find Him! (Matthew 7:7) “Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee. Ready, my God, Thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine! (Open my Eyes by Clara Scott)

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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!

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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 :-))

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Ten Day 1 Only One Worthy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-4
Acts 17:22-31
1 Kings 18:20-46
Isaiah 44:9-23

Ten, Day 1

Since the beginning of time, created beings have had an affinity for worship, we were in fact, handcrafted for worship! Alas, we set our worship on what we can visually feast our eyes on, or we worship the longings of our hearts. In all transparency, we worship ourselves.

Before you push back from the table and roll your eyes, can you see it?
Laundry folded my way.
The routine planned in benefit of me.
The fight with my spouse because I wasn’t being heard.
The dishwasher re-arranged to satisfy my preference.
Frustrated at church because they didn’t play the music I like best.
My playlist.
My meal plan.
My fitness agenda.
My way.
My pride.

Hold on and take a breath in, then say this with me, “I worship myself.”
Oh, that stings doesn’t it?!
My eyes are burning with tears having just said that out loud with you. Let its truth sink into the far-reaching corners of your heart, the areas we toss decorative throw pillows so no one sees what’s actually under there, least of all ourselves.

So, why would God’s first, most critically important commandment, and the second, jump off the page because it calls our attention to solely focus on Him as being God and the only One worthy of worship?

Because He loves us.

Wait, what?

Yes, do it with me again, take a breath in and linger over each syllable as you whisper out loud, “Because He Loves Us.”

Oh, that fills my heart and chills my skin.
What radical love exists that desires to loosen our death-like grip on ourselves, lift our chin to One Worthy, and allow us to bask in pure, brilliant love cascading over us?!

You shall have no other gods before Me.
I alone am He who brought you out slavery. (Exodus 20:2)
I alone have chosen you for My own possession and beautiful inheritance. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
I alone have cleared the ground before you, giving freedom. (Psalm 18:19)

You shall make no carved image and shall not bow down and worship it.
I am a jealous God, longing to pour out My steadfast love on you. (Exodus 20:5-6)
I alone am forgiver and redeemer. Only I can do what no created thing can. (Isaiah 44:17-22)
I alone am worthy. (Revelation 5:1-10)

One man stood atop a high hill, flanked on all sides by men who worshipped wooden idols their hands had created. They mocked him for worshipping Yahweh.

The man called aloud an impossible challenge, “You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of my God. The God who answers with fire, He Is God.” He built an altar, dug a ditch around it, and flooded the entire area with so much water, it flooded the ditch.

All the while, the men mocked. They pleaded for hours and hours for their god to send fire. They cut themselves. They danced provocatively. They slaughtered an animal. Silence.

Dusk crept around the crowd, tensions ran high, and Elijah beckoned to each bloody man, “Come near me.” With an audience of enemies tightening around him, he lifted his head and said, “Answer me, Yahweh! Answer me so this people will know You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.” (1 Kings 18:37)

Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the meat, the stones, and even the water.

Only One Worthy

A death sentence pressing against him because he refused to worship a man, Daniel fought against the grip of pride, and fell to his knees before an open window, choosing to publicly worship the Only One Worthy. The Lord God shut the mouths of the lions and spared Daniel’s life. (Daniel 6:10-21)

Dusty feet walking around a mega-city, eyes falling on a sign over an altar reading, “To The Unknown God.” With burning clarity, Paul turned to the citizens following him and said, “This God you worshipped in ignorance, I now proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23) He, the Creator of all things, does not live in a shrine made by human hands. He who breathes into your lungs and fashioned your DNA is drawing you to Himself that you might worship Him, and Him alone. For He is the Only One Worthy of your worship. (Acts 17:24-29)

A vast multitude, innumerable by any standard, representing every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, stood as one body. Robed in white. Palm branches in their hands. They cried aloud with one, thunderous voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”.  (Revelation 7:9-10)

One who had power to pay our death penalty for sin by dying in our place.
One who offers to slay our pride so we can enjoy eternal life with Him.
One who commands our true worship because He loves us.

Only
One
Worthy

Who will you worship?

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The GT Weekend! ~ He 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) On Monday, Paula wrote of the Lord being, “Someone fierce. Someone dangerous to their reign of deception. Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts.” The great I Am (Yahweh) is the Lord of Hosts (Sabaoth) and of Angel Armies. With His mighty force He pushes back the powers of darkness, for they hold no power or authority against Him. Truly, it isn’t even a fight, for just a word from Yahweh and enemies are vanquished. In your own life, where do you need to surrender your battles to Yahweh Sabaoth who is never defeated? Where do you hold more tightly to lies than truth? This is a battle for the Lord of Hosts! Where relationships crumble, where brokenness runs deep, where wounds are still felt, where the darkness in our minds or hearts is heavy, these are battles for Yahweh Sabaoth. Turn them over to Him and shelter in His hiding place as He fights for you!

2) “From everlasting to everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:2 holds truth I need in my everyday life. He is the unchanging God. His promises are sure and certain. His hope is alive from eternity past to eternity future. He rules across all of time. Because each of those statements are true, it is utterly impossible for Him to be unaware of my mundane moments or be left powerless over them. Rather, this verse is a reminder to me that in every messy moment, He is God. When I’m weeping, when I’m dancing, when I’m breathless with excitement or heart-broken, He is God. Nothing is unseen by Him. Take this truth and breath it in and out. Make this verse your mantra, applying to every moment of hurt and joy because our God spans from everlasting to everlasting!

3) El Gibhor means Mighty God. Read, victorious in every way. No battle is too intense. No suffering too painful for His healing. Not even death holds the “win” against El Gibhor. Every broken aspect of our lives is an opportunity to surrender it to the power of the Mighty God, waiting for His timing and His wise, loving power to bring about redemption. For those who trust Christ with the full weight of their lives, Mighty God acts and moves on their behalf to bring about victory and redemption in every part of their lives. We might see that redemptive work in our lives now, in part, but one day, we will see the full working of El Gibhor as He has mightily worked for our good in all things! In the now, we wait with the certainty of coming hope, trusting our God! What heavy burden have you been carrying that you will choose to surrender to Mighty God in trust?

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 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.

Prayer Journal
I am so weak, Lord! How could You even consider me as You operate within infinite power and authority? How could You show kindness to me, or remember my existence? How could You bother with seeing my mundane struggles? Even my biggest struggles, heaviest burdens, and deepest wounds are nothing difficult to You, yet You lavish love, tenderness, compassion, and Your own righteousness upon all who call on Your name for salvation! In my humanity, Lord, I admit that when I walk through difficulty or no longer feel close to You, I doubt Your goodness. I forget You are the One holding even my cell structure together. The true reality of Your loving character will never change. Never will you abandon. Never will you leave me hopeless. Never will You destroy the soul who has trusted You. May my tongue sing Your praise of goodness all my days!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

He Day 15 El Gibhor

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 9:6-7
Luke 23:44-24:8
Isaiah 53
Romans 8:1-4
1 Peter 3:17-22

He, Day 15

When I first began reading the Bible, I didn’t understand much of it (can you relate?). I thought Revelation was the “scary” book and Isaiah was the unnecessarily long one. I found Jesus’ death tragic.

I also wasn’t sure how, or if, all the different books fit together. And finally, I was confused by all the different names of God. Fortunately, God is teaching me a lot about His Word, and I’m honored to share some of what I’ve learned.

Throughout the Bible, God is referred to by many names, each revealing something about His character. One name, El Gibhor, or “Mighty God,” is found in Isaiah 9:6. We frequently hear this verse at Christmas, in reference to Jesus:

“He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

But Mighty God is not only found in this verse; the book I used to think was unnecessarily long, Isaiah, contains many prophecies about Jesus.

Isaiah 11:1-5 foretells of a mighty God who will come from the line of King David. He will be full of God’s Spirit, wisdom, strength, and the fear of the Lord (Father God). He will be a righteous judge for the oppressed and slay the wicked.

The theme of our mighty God as defender of the oppressed is echoed in Daniel. In chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire because they would not worship false gods. And yet, they were not harmed.

Why? Because El Gibhor protected them by walking in the fire with them.
And then, all who witnessed this deliverance believed in Him and His mighty power. (Daniel 3:28-29)

Isaiah 42:1-16 speaks of a servant who will have God’s Spirit on Him. He will bring justice. He’s appointed to be a covenant to the people, a light bearer, and a rescuer of those imprisoned and in darkness.

Jesus refers to Himself as the light of the world in John 8:12-19. When the religious leaders question His authority, He tells the Pharisees that Father God testifies about Him. And God did, through Isaiah.

I can also personally testify Jesus is our light and rescuer. There was a time, not so many years ago, where I was deep in a pit of sin. I vacillated between wanting the sin and wanting to return to the Lord.

After months of turmoil, and feeling so broken and confused, I asked God to take it all from me if it wasn’t His will. My prayer seems crazy to me now, because of course sin wasn’t His will. But in the dark, you can’t see. 

Within the week, I was back in that same sin, but it felt different. I started thinking about consequences and reasons why I was even in this pit. And suddenly, what I was doing made absolutely no sense to me. El Gibhor had shone His marvelous light into the dark prison of sin and pulled me out. Praise Him!

And now we come to my misunderstanding about the death of Jesus. I’ve come to realize it is so much more than just a tragic story; it is the story of our mighty God.

First, Jesus died because of us. Jesus was rejected by sin-filled humans, just like us (foretold in Isaiah 53:3-9, fulfilled in Luke 23:13-25).

Second, Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary, as payment for our sin. Isaiah 53:5-6 describes how He was pierced, crushed, and punished for my sin and my rebellion.

For all of our sin.
Romans 3:23-24 reiterates, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Third, it was voluntary. Isaiah describes how the Lord’s “own arm brought salvation” when “he willingly submitted to death.” And in the New Testament, we need only peek into the Garden of Gethsemane to hear Jesus say, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39, echoed in Matthew 26:42)

And so, Jesus chose death . . . death unto life.  (Luke 23:44-24:8)
El Gibhor, our mighty God, conquered sin and the grave.  

You see, the death and resurrection of Jesus was a precursor.

As outlined in Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus’ redemption of His children foreshadows Christ’s return to earth for His people, the ultimate defeat of His enemies, and the establishment of a new heaven and earth.

In Revelation, we see our mighty God, our resurrected sinless sacrifice, ending the rule of sin on this fallen earth once and for all. El Gibor alone is capable and worthy of final victory, final authority, and final creation of a perfect eternity.

Friends, only Mighty God can accomplish these things. There is no person or thing who can do what Jesus, El Gibhor, can. May we live in anticipation of the glorious day when all prophecies will be fulfilled and we will live and reign with Jesus forever.

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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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He Day 14 El Olam: 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 El Olam!

The Questions

1) What does it mean that the Lord is the “everlasting” God? (verse 28)

2) How does God strengthen the powerless? (verse 29)

3) How can those who trust in the Lord renew their strength? (verse 31)

Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. 29 He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean that the Lord is the “everlasting” God? (verse 28)
Isaiah 40:28 says “Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.” The word everlasting comes to us from the Hebrew terms “El”, which refers to God, and “olam”, which means forever or eternal.  Albert Barnes explains how an everlasting God “has existed from eternity, unlike the idols of the pagan. If He was from eternity, He would be unchangeable, and His purposes could not fail.”  So, an everlasting God is one who has existed always and never changes. We see Abraham calling God an everlasting God in Genesis 21:33. In Isaiah 57:15 the prophet calls God the “High and Exalted One, who lives forever.”  In Malachi 3:6 God says, “I, the Lord, have not changed.” In Psalm 90:2, the Psalmist declares “from eternity to eternity, you are God.”  Because God is everlasting, “the same yesterday, today and forever”, He can be trusted and relied upon. (Hebrews 13:8) He is faithful and true, from now to forever!

2) How does God strengthen the powerless? (verse 29)
Isaiah 40:29 tells us God “gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.”  Author Albert Barnes explains that “The design of this verse is to give consolation to the afflicted and down-trodden people in Babylon, by recalling to their minds the truth that it was one of the characteristics of God that He ministered strength to those who were conscious of their own feebleness, and who looked to Him for support.”  Isaiah was speaking to the Jews taken captive in Babylon, and He wanted to encourage them as their hope waned and their strength grew faint.  According to author David Guzik, faint comes from the Hebrew meaning “failure through loss of inherent strength.” God promises to strengthen those who have lost strength and who have no power.  David Guzik also observes, “Those who are proud and confident in their own wisdom and strength will receive no strength from God.”  It is the powerless to whom God gives strength, not the arrogant. He strengthens those who recognize their need for Him. According to Thomas Constable God “shares His strength with those who need it. He has all energy, and He has energy to spare and to share. Whether we buckle under life’s pressures or lack innate strength, He provides durable, stable power.”  When the Israelites needed strength, Isaiah reminded them to look to God and access His power. God gives us that gift as well! He gives us strength when we look to Him and rely on Him.

3) How can those who trust in the Lord renew their strength? (verse 31)
We read in Isaiah 40:31 that “those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength.”  According to author E.W. Bullinger, the word “renew” comes from the “Hebrew “halaph” meaning to change for the better.” Author Warren Wiersbe explains, “The word renew means ‘to exchange,’ as taking off old clothing and putting on new. We exchange our weakness for His power.”  The Hebrew word for strength, koah/koach, means “power, capacity or ability and thus speaks of power in the sense of the inherent potential to perform some function.”  When we put our trust in the Lord, waiting for His perfect will and timing in our lives, He takes our worries, struggles and fears and gives us the power to carry on.  When Christians rely on God’s strength, they can do more than just survive; Isaiah 40:31 promises they “will soar on wings  like eagles;  they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”  This is something that cannot be done in natural, human strength.  Even the best athletes will eventually grow weary from running. God blesses His people with this supernatural strength to walk in His ways as they trust in Him, and He renews their strength each time they wait upon His will and His plans.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean that the Lord is the “everlasting” God? (verse 28)
One of my favorite places to visit as a child was my Grandma’s house.  I loved running up the staircase in the living room and descending the back stairs into the kitchen.  I enjoyed the glass bluebirds that decorated the tables and windowsills, and I relished poking around in closets and drawers, finding books, pictures and forgotten treasures. In the 40 years I visited her house, nothing ever changed.  Same furniture, same knick-knacks, same art on the walls.  It was very comforting to know that no matter how much my life changed, Grandma’s house was always the same.  It was a sad day when the house was cleaned out and sold, and I knew I could never go back and see things just the way Grandma left them.  That is why is there is so much comfort and solace to me in the fact that God never changes.  Isaiah 40:28 tells us God is “everlasting”, meaning He does not change and is eternal. I can trust that my unchanging God will come through for me and keep His promises.  I can trust that the God who knows the beginning from the end has a holy calling on my life to fulfill His purposes. (2 Timothy 1:9) My God who never changes gives me good gifts (James 1:17) and gives me the security and comfort to follow Him, knowing He will guide me safely, just as He has promised from days of old.

2) How does God strengthen the powerless? (verse 29)
Ever since I was a child, my dream job was being a Mom.  When I married, we waited several years to start a family, and I felt like I was just putting in time at my job as a teacher until I could fulfill my true calling of being a mother.  When my children finally arrived, I was overjoyed! Soon, however, I was also overwhelmed. I maintained some sense of order until the 2nd baby started to walk.  After that, there was a lot of chaos, jumble, and exhaustion, but the worst part was that feeling of powerlessness. I did not have much control over behaviors or attitudes (theirs or mine!).  I had felt that in the classroom too, but I expected things to be different in my parenting. Being bone-tired all the time did not help.  Not only did I not know what to do, but I didn’t have the energy to do much at all.  Of course, I talked to other moms, bought lots of books, and read lots of advice online.  This helped to some extent, but what I needed most was strength from the Lord.  I needed to stop thinking I should be inherently equipped to do my dream job and recognize I needed God’s help to parent my children (and to do everything else!).  Isaiah 40:29 tells us God “gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.” When I relied on God for my daily strength, the days went along much better.  There was probably just as much chaos and jumble in my house, but in my spirit, there was more peace because I looked to God to strengthen me.  I did not do everything perfectly (as my now adult son likes to point out), but most days were powered by God’s strength, and that made all the difference between anxiety and peace in my heart.

3) How can those who trust in the Lord renew their strength? (verse 31)
We read in Isaiah 40:31 that “those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles;  they will run and not become weary,  they will walk and not faint.”  How can trusting in the Lord renew our strength?  As author Warren Wiersbe points out, “God knows how we feel and what we fear, and He is adequate to meet our every need. We can never obey God in our own strength, but we can always trust Him to provide the strength we need.”  When we look to ourselves and rely on our own power, we cannot get far.  We eventually stumble and fall.  When we turn to God, trusting in Him to take care of everything, he renews our strength.  He helps us run without getting tired and helps us walk without wearing down.  As author Matthew Poole notes, God helps His people “grow stronger and stronger in faith, and patience, and fortitude, whereby they shall be more than conquerors over all their enemies and adversities.”  God renews our strength to help us do all the things He calls us to do when we trust in His plan, His timing and His will. Waiting for Him to show Himself faithful and come through can be difficult, but He promises strength to those who put their trust in Him.

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

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 He 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.

He Day 13 El Olam

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 90:1-4
Exodus 3:1-15
John 8:48-59
Revelation 4:1-11
Isaiah 40:28-31

He, Day 13

Have you ever studied the names of God? Learning about His names gives added meaning to our relationship with God in profound, breathtaking ways.

But honestly, friends, it took me a hot second to come to this understanding. In fact, I have struggled with this particular study.  Perhaps it was because I was trying to define “everlasting” in terms that make sense to our time-bound minds, or maybe I wasn’t grasping the whole meaning of the name El Olam, “Everlasting God.”

I turned in one version of the study that I honestly didn’t like, crying because I couldn’t put into words what I knew needed to be said. I knew if the study wasn’t making sense to me, it wouldn’t make sense to those who would read it.

But this week in chapel, God put me right where He needed me to embrace a whole new meaning to His name.

El Olam, “Everlasting God.”
Everlasting calls to mind words like:
For a long time
Always
Forever
Never-ending

Hebrews 13:8 declares, “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Additionally, Revelation 1:8 reminds us He is the “Alpha and Omega [. . .] the One who is, who was, and who is to come.”

In Psalm 90:2, everlasting is described as “from eternity to eternity, You are God.”

In first grade, my teacher wanted us to consider how God is without beginning and He will always be. For a first grader, existence beyond the bounds of time is pretty tough to comprehend. Well, for an adult, it’s hard to comprehend!

We all have our beginning, a moment in time where we became who we are (Psalm 139:13-16). But God is without a beginning; He has simply always been.

For me, the never-ending is significantly easier to understand than never beginning. While everything on earth ends, all will live eternally somewhere. If we believe in God, we’ll spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

Eternity is a long time. Even thinking about it, you can see how I put the constraints of time in the thoughts. But to God, eternity is all the same, a great oneness (2 Peter 3:8-9). He has always existed and He will never cease to exist.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites called God Yahweh, which means “I am.” Yahweh is the most important name of God, in that it encompasses all of who God is. When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, God gave Moses a new insight into who He is.

“I Am who I Am […] the Lord, the God of your fathers.” (Exodus 3:14-15)

“I Am who I Am” could also be translated “I will be who I will be and I will continue to be.”
I am the LORD, Yahweh, forever, changeless God.

What does this mean for us in our lifetime?

The same as it did for Moses. The God whom we turned against in our sin, sent Jesus to cover the debt of our sinfulness. In John 8:58, Jesus says, “before Abraham was, I Am.”
I am the LORD, Yahweh, forever God.
Our Savior is the same eternal God we read about in Exodus, Psalms, and Revelation.
Our everlasting Savior is the same “I Am” today.

Our forever God is forever:
Dependable
Trustworthy
Consistent
Faithful
Good
Love

With time, comes change in our physical, linear world. The seasons change. We see physical change throughout our life. Finances change. Circumstances change.

But God does not, nor will He ever, change.

His character does not change.

His Word does not change.

Isaiah 40:28-31 reminds us of our everlasting God. God doesn’t change; therefore we find strength in Him. When we are left feeling bereft, frightened, or confused by the shifting, time-locked world around us, we can look to our everlasting God.

We can share in His hope, always.

We can share in His peace and His joy, always.

We can share in the unending assurance of His presence, His care, and His provision.
Always.

He holds all from before time began and will hold all when time ceases.
He was, and is, and is to come.
He is everlasting.

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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 He Week Three! 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 He!

He Day 12 Yahweh Sabaoth: 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 Yahweh Sabaoth!

The Questions

1) What is meant by “jars of clay”? (verse 7)

2) What is the “treasure” and the “all-surpassing power”? (verse 7)

3) With all of these trials and afflictions, why believe in God?

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.

Original Intent

1) What is meant by “jars of clay”? (verse 7)
In telling us “we have this treasure in jars of clay”, Paul is poetically referring to our beginnings in Genesis when God created the first man, Adam, from the dust of the Earth. (Genesis 1:27) Adam was a vessel, a jar, formed by the clay of the earth by the very hand of God. In the ancient Middle East, the culture of the Bible, earthen clay vessels were used to store supplies and often necessities for life like food or water. Some vessels were sturdier than others. Clay jars used for storing water and oil were probably the heaviest, having thicker walls. There were also clay jars made of finer quality, likely kept on a high shelf (a mantel of sorts perhaps), this held sacred (holy) oil. This oil was used for anointing for prayer. (John 12:3, Luke 7:37-38) No matter the contents, vessels were still made of the same material. Clay. Earth. Fragile. Paul uses a metaphor by saying we, as human beings, are those vessels. Human, but still fragile. Each of us, regardless of shape, gender, race, or age, carry such value that God Himself has chosen us to store His treasure within!

2) What is the “treasure” and the “all-surpassing power”? (verse 7)
When an ordinary man, woman, or child chooses to trust in Jesus, believing Him to be exactly who He claims to be in the Bible, God places His Spirit within that individual. The Spirit then begins the work of transforming that person into someone who loves and follows Jesus and reflects His amazing divine love to a world lost and lonely without Him. The Spirit teaches the Christ-follower about God, helping him or her understand the Bible and discover deeper truths about God and His character. Vine’s Dictionary defines the treasure as “the full knowledge of the goodness of God.” The treasure we have through God’s Spirit, the treasure available to all who surrender to God, is the knowledge of who God is and the power that comes along with that belief. The more we know God through studying His Word by the power of the Spirit teaching us, the more closely we will follow Him and love those around us. This is God’s power unleashed through us! Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Luke 24:5-6), healed a bleeding women (Mark 5:30), made dead men breathe again (John 11:44), and changed the leper’s skin to clear as snow (Luke 17:14). With the treasure of God’s Spirit within, the power of God is at work both in us and through us, drawing in those who are far from God to be close to Him, so they too might know Him deeply.

3) With all of these trials and afflictions, why believe in God?
Paul is not only referencing what he himself has gone through, which was significant. (shipwrecked, betrayal, beatings, stoning to near death, Acts 9:23-25, imprisonments, and house arrest to name a few) He is also pointing to Christ Himself in what Jesus endured while He was on earth. Christ was also betrayed (Mark 14:44) and carried a weight (the sin of the world) Christ prayed would be removed from Him. (Luke 22:42) This letter was written during a time of great persecution for the church as a whole, and Paul’s recipients in Corinth would have been facing severe difficulty and danger for following Christ. All of these trials were real, heavy and pressing, yet Paul encourages his readers that they will not be abandoned in the midst of them. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes that compared to knowing Christ, everything else is rubbish! (Philippians 3:8)

Everyday Application

1) What is meant by “jars of clay”? (verse 7)
We have value and worth because, not only were we handcrafted by the God of the Universe, but each of us were also made in His own image. We are etched with the image of God! Every one of us! (Genesis 1:27) Every bitty baby in its mother’s womb and every wizened elderly being have been fearfully and wonderfully made to reflect God’s own image and have inestimable value. (Psalm 139:13-14) However, for the one who trusts fully on the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation and has surrendered their lives to Jesus, these clay pots become the holding place for a treasure beyond comprehension, God’s Own Spirit! (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) Christians are still clay treasures, but they hold within them the Treasure of God’s Spirit. We are the fine vessels containing the costliest of contents. God’s love through His Spirit. The love He poured out on Calvary and the power he gave us when His spirit was poured out on Pentecost is available for all today. (Titus 2:11) It doesn’t matter if our vessels are tarnished, chipped, or cracked. We are still His chosen, and still invited to contain the greatest gift of all time, the Spirit of the Living God!

2) What is the “treasure” and the “all-surpassing power”? (verse 7)
We can have access to the power of God’s Spirit by storing up His treasures within us, His earthen, human vessels. His treasure, His word. Paraphrasing Dr. Suess, “the more you know, the more you grow” applies to our walk with Christ too.  Need a starting point? Begin in the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.  If you have a Bible with Christ’s words in red, begin there. John is a great gospel to start with. Go slow, write down your questions and curiosities. It’s not a race to finish so you can check it off a list, it’s an invitation to know the God of the Universe! Everything Jesus gave His followers, His disciples, is available to you, to all of us, through reading His Word! There is no cost other than submitting and turning your heart over to Him. Consider making this passage in Ephesians 1:17-18 a personal prayer. Simply insert “me” in a few spots for ‘you’ and ‘my’ for ‘your’.  Pray that your eyes are open to the glorious knowledge and wisdom Christ has for you. With that comes relationship with Him and the power of His word as the Spirit makes it alive for you!

3) With all of these trials and afflictions, why believe in God?
Jesus, Paul and the believers who made up the early church were not the only ones to face difficulty, just take a peek in any family’s life around the world! While hardship is common to everyone who breathes oxygen, the difference is that, for believers, we have hope and strength and power from the Living God. We can’t manufacture this on our own! We have a God who works all things for good, for those who love Him, even in the middle of trial. (Romans 8:28) Wiersbe’s commentary says all the struggles we go through in our everyday lives are not our final destruction, and don’t necessitate our despair. Rather, when we are faced with hardships, crushed a bit, it allows for the ‘goodness of God, the light of Christ’ to seep out and affect others in the midst of our hardship because His strength shines brilliantly in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) For us it means that we, in all of these life circumstances, in the persecutions, disappointments, betrayals but also just the general wearing down of our physical bodies, we have a blessed hope to which we fervently cling. (Titus 2:11-14) Not only are we given the ability to endure through trial, we are not alone. (Matthew 28:20) We have the Lord of Hosts, God Himself ever present in our time of need. (Psalm 46:1) We have a host of angels who are surrounding us, unseen by human eyes, but always at the ready just like the story of Elisha and his servant. (2 Kings 6:15-17)

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

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 He 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.

He Day 11 Yahweh Sabaoth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 7:14-14:31
Matthew 14:22-32
John 6:16-21
Isaiah 43:1-2
2 Corinthians 4:7-9

He, Day 11

Hovering over the expanse of waters was the Spirit of Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts, creator of everything out of nothing. When man’s sin stained His beautiful creation, He promised a divine deliverer to pay the price for man’s rebellion. Throughout the ages of the patriarchs, Yahweh Sabaoth sustained, protected and pursued His people.

When Egyptians enslaved them, Yahweh Sabaoth waged war on their behalf, unleashing His fury upon the nation and Egyptian gods. Each plague landed a direct hit upon their god’s identity and supposed jurisdiction of power. The wizards mimicked some plagues, but quickly realized they were dealing with Someone stronger than they’d ever encountered.

Someone fierce.
Someone dangerous to their reign of deception.
Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts.

Yahweh Sabaoth delivered the Hebrews and brought them to the Red Sea.
As the dust clouds rose from the desert signaling Pharoah’s advancing army, the Hebrews trembled. The people who just witnessed plagues, the decimation of one nation and the exodus of another by the Lord of armies . . . panicked.

Yahweh’s response?

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) 

He called toward quiet trust;
they rushed headlong into despair.

Despite their faith-failures, the miraculous doorway of deliverance for the Hebrews became the doorway of death for the Egyptians. Placing His visible presence as a barrier between the Egyptians and His people, Yahweh Sabaoth thwarted the Egyptians while illuminating the Hebrews’ route through the sea.

Millenia passed, still God delivered valiantly. The One who created everything from nothing wrapped Himself in flesh and descended to redeem mankind.

Both Matthew’s and John’s gospels record a day in Jesus’ life depicting the Lord of Hosts at work with power and majesty.

Bringing their diseased and distressed, masses followed Him. Some sought a spectacle, while others sought physical healing and hope for their lost and hungry souls. He multiplied loaves and fishes to satisfy their bodies and offered the Bread of Life to feed their souls.

Following a long day of ministry, the disciples stepped into a boat, ready to unwind with a quiet nighttime row across the lake. However, they were met with fierce winds and crashing waves.

Through the splashing spray, an eerie sight arose, a human form walking toward them on the waves.

“It’s a ghost!” they shouted. Suddenly, they recognized His face. Jesus!

The One whose Spirit hovered over the waters of creation now walked upon the waves.
The disciples had known Jesus as Rabbi and friend;
now, they beheld Him as Yahweh Sabaoth.

Without hesitation, Peter issued his challenge, “If it’s truly You, call me out to You on the water!”

Yahweh Sabaoth answered, “Come!”
With stunning confidence and audacious trust, Peter stepped out, joining Jesus on the waves.

When they returned to the boat, two amazing things happened.
The storm stopped instantaneously and their boat immediately arrived at its destination on the opposite shore.

Stunned silence must have followed as the boat bobbed near the quiet beach. The disciples, slack-jawed, stared at Yahweh Sabaoth. Shaken, they gasped, “Who are you?”

Jesus, Lord of hosts, Lord of angel armies, Yahweh Sabaoth.  

Like the Hebrews at the Red Sea and the disciples on the lake, I, too, have encountered Yahweh Sabaoth. In the fall of 2012, my son, Matthew, lay in the PICU. A friend sent me the worship song “God of Angel Armies”. Initially, the lyrics sounded nice, but felt like a lie, or worse yet, a sick joke.

Matthew was in a coma. My conversations with God were wordless groanings of the soul.  My conversations with doctors were hushed, grim, and heavy. I felt like I was being slowly crushed in an invisible vice.

But eternal truth rose from the lyrics and I struggled to believe the words were true, despite what I felt. I was faced with the old dilemma: circumstances and emotions versus Scripture and Holy Spirit.

The answer was simple, not easy.
Truth always trumps emotion and circumstance.
It meant following His voice, through the fear.

Throughout Matthew’s journey, God never spoke audibly, and I saw no pillars of fire. However, the “yes and amen” within my spirit was my pillar of cloud, and Scripture, my pillar of fire.

Yahweh Sabaoth was present in each hymn I sang softly in the darkness, inhabiting worship rising from my battle-weary soul. There in Matthew’s PICU unit, He remained Yahweh Sabaoth, God of angel armies, friend of mine.

My emotions continued to whirl and our circumstances remained tumultuous. But as I clung to the truth, I found myself walking in confident trust and audacious faith, following Jesus through the fear.

For as He promised,
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” (Isaiah 43:2)

Yahweh Sabaoth, who hovered over the waters of creation,
hovered near us in the PICU.
Yahweh Sabaoth, who walked upon the sea,
sustained us “through the waters.”
Yahweh Sabaoth, who delivered the Hebrews,
delivered Matthew from illness and special needs, welcoming him Home.

The same Yahweh Sabaoth calls to each of us, reaching through the waves. Our spirits will gasp in wonder when we recognize Yahweh Sabaoth in the face of Jesus. And like Peter, our only option will be confident trust and audacious faith in the Lord of hosts, Yahweh Sabaoth.  

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

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