Healing

Whole Day 10 Bringing The Broken

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 53
Psalm 103:1-5
Luke 8:43-48
Romans 5:1-11
Psalm 34:15-22

Whole, Day 10

God is calling us to stand up and stand out. 

But not just for ourselves. We are called to let our “light shine before others,” leading them to healing, to wholeness. (Matthew 5:14-16) Who better to speak for the broken than us?
We have been, and are often still, broken.
We have been broken-heartened, broken in spirit, and left with the broken promises of man. But we also know One who is “faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions.” (Psalm 145:13) It is to Him we lead others.

We’ve frequently needed to speak
with broken words
about broken places
created by broken systems.
But we also know the One who “offered himself without blemish to God” on our behalf to “cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God[.]” (Hebrews 9:14) Because of His sacrifice, we can speak of our brokenness while being made whole. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Who better to tell a hurting, dying, and broken world about a baby born in a broken kind of way to a family many considered broken for none had ever heard of a virgin birth! (Luke 1:26-38) Even Joseph wasn’t sure about Mary’s character. (Matthew 1:18-20) How could a baby born in a feeding trough be anything special? (Luke 2:4-7)

Yet this little family changed the world. This baby, Jesus, grew up to heal and minister to people broken physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. He was the One who would give His life as a broken body on a broken tree for all broken people through the rest of time, so they would no longer be broken, but whole and free. (Isaiah 53:5)

How could we not answer the call of the One who was just like us, yet higher than us (John 1:14), Who gave all for us to save all of us? (2 Peter 3:9)

He calls to each of us,

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
We know that as disciples, we are made free. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

 This message comes through us, but it is not just for us. Just like He was for all, the message we bring is for all because He is interested in saving us all.
“He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

So we stand up and we share how our faith stands out. (1 John 5:4) It’s not because we are great, but because the One within us is great. (Romans 8:11) He causes us to continually reach for Him Who is greater than any brokenness in us. (Psalm 34:18)

He is the Great Physician who doesn’t say, “Heal thyself,” but “Be healed.” It brings to mind the woman with the blood issue. (Luke 8:43-48) Bleeding for twelve years with no relief in sight, she reached out and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was instantly made whole. She was set free from the brokenness that had bound her for too long.

So let us, through every story, help broken people discover how to be free, to be whole by reaching out and touching Him, Jesus, the only One who can make us whole.

“So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” (John 8:36)

“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works[.]” (Hebrews 10:23-24)

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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 1

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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) How often have you wished you could just run away and hide? There have been many moments like that for me. It sounds so easy and freeing to hide from the difficulties and stresses of everyday life. How wonderful to be able to hide from situations where I’ve messed up and don’t want to call more attention to myself. Running away and hiding might seem like a lovely thing to do if it would actually solve our problems, but it won’t. Hiding, as Adam and Eve attempted to do, merely postpones the consequences. From what have you wished you could hide? What part of your past do you wish was deleted and forgotten? Have you ever brought these to the Lord? How do you imagine He would respond? Does Scripture support your answer? Mandie reminded us on Monday that, when we attempt to hide, we end up focusing on the wrong things. Truth? We are never alone, and the Lord God is for us. No matter how broken, lost or anxious we feel, Jesus is constantly present with us. Christ came precisely for the hurting, the wounded, the lost, the broken, the sinner. He isn’t afraid of our emotions, sadness, anger, or our questions. He isn’t shocked by the situations we find ourselves in, instead He endured the suffering of the cross to bring us redemptive healing. Reflect on what it might be like for Jesus to take your surrender and make you whole! What would you give Him?

 2) Our sister in Pakistan brought such insight from her experiences and urgently reminds us of the suffering Jesus promised would come to those who follow Him. Knowing the darkness of oppression exists is one thing, but seeing the face of the persecuted, hearing her story, and knowing she is paying a high price for following Jesus is entirely different. There is a cost for every follower of Jesus, but not all look the same. What challenges have you faced for holding steadfast to Christ and choosing Him over the call of the world? In what way can you fervently intercede for others facing persecution for choosing Christ? Oppression against Christianity takes many forms and is found all over the world. Though it may look different in your part of the world, it still exists. Oh, that those for whom following Jesus carries little to no physical threat would share Jesus as bravely as those brothers and sisters who endure significant oppression. Remember, we are all one Body in Jesus, highly persecuted or not. We must each continue sharing Christ together. Keeping our hearts steadfast on Jesus, our eyes and minds in His word, communing in prayer and conversation with Jesus keeps us hopeful that one day oppression will cease and Christ’s kingdom will come. Selah. Let it be so.

3) What an encouraging and transparent Journey Study Melis shared with us this week! It is never easy to confess our sins and make known our areas of weakness, but in doing so, Melis reminded us we are not alone in our struggles. When was the last time you confessed a sin to another brother or sister in Jesus? Are you participating in a community of believers where this is common? What was challenging to you personally about the discipline practices Melis described? Training for following Jesus is so important and dramatically increases our focus on the Lord. Which spiritual disciplines have been particularly effective or challenging for you as you seek to follow the Lord? Not sure what they look like? Take a peek at our Journey Theme: Training. The Lord God never intended us to live the Christian life alone, which is why He designed us to hunger for iron-sharpening-iron friendships and community that press us into knowing Him more deeply. Consider choosing a spiritual discipline that Melis listed and put it into practice in the coming week. Set up reminders on your phone, or better yet, invite a friend to join you! Whether you take a Sabbath rest, pick up a new journal, or set aside time to fast, the intentionality we invest into our relationship with the Lord always pays off! May we each commit to doing whatever it takes to nourish and cultivate our relationship with God and keep our focus on Him as He shapes us to be more like Himself!

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 1 Peter 5:6-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand  of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
Lord, I confess it’s difficult to be humble. Arrogance and self-love are always sneaking around my heart and it’s easy to get caught in the trap of false humility. Help me to become more disciplined in surrendering to You my anxiousness. Help me to lean steadfastly on You and the surety of Your unchanging Word every day, even every moment. I don’t want to let my guard down and give in to the cares of the world or the deceptive traps of the scheming enemy.

Lead me away from the temptation to flee my troubles without facing them and turn my heart toward worship. Make me aware of Your mercies and Your movement in my life as I surrender to You, waiting in trust for You. I know you hear me, see me, and guard me; teach me to rest here in these truths as I praise You!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Whole Day 1 The Broken & The Cure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
1Corinthians 15:45-49
Mark 5:21-43
John 8:1-11
Acts 9:1-16

Whole, Day 1

I sat on the floor of my closet, squeezed between an overflowing laundry hamper and a stack of neatly stored shoes. Tears streamed down my face. Maybe if I couldn’t see the brokenness, it wouldn’t be real? With the lights off and the door closed, I hoped to find an escape from the wave of emotions threatening to take me under. I was broken, in need of mending.

What makes you want to run and hide, blinded by unbidden tears? While it’s likely different for each of us, brokenness is something we all experience. Sitting in the dark doesn’t make it go away, because it knows how to burrow inside of us.

Sickness, disease, family feuds, a broken marriage, a wandering child, addiction, death, war, hate. It’s all here in our world. In the muck of life, amid the hard and the heavy, who is suitable to hold our tears?

When God created the world, He made it perfect and whole. Humanity revealed its weakness when the first Adam leaned into the Great Deceiver’s carefully crafted deception. (Genesis 3:1-7) The moment Adam and Eve chose themselves over God, the world became twisted, wraithlike, shadowed. Broken.

Before we get too consumed by righteous indignation at Adam and Eve, how often do we still fall for the lie God is withholding something good from us?

Similar to our beeline to our closets, the first Adam ran and hid. (Genesis 3:8) Maybe he, too, hoped the brokenness wouldn’t catch up to him? In His love and goodness, God didn’t leave Adam hiding under the inadequate covering he created. (Genesis 3:9-21) God sought him out and provided a suitable replacement.

God hasn’t left us in our brokenness, either. He’s provided a covering for us, as well. Jesus, referred to as the second Adam, would enter our brokenness and live out the perfect life sinful humanity could not.

“So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:45)

In His final days, he was betrayed, abandoned by those who claimed to love Him, mocked, beaten, and eventually crucified. (John 19)

He lived the life we couldn’t live
and died the death we deserved
and made a way back to the Father we could never have forged.

Over His head on the cross hung the words “King of the Jews”. (John 19:19) While this placard was tacked up in mockery, it proclaimed a haunting truth: the Jews’ long-awaited King hung on a cross, dying in front of them, at their demand.

God’s refusal to withhold anything good from His children, even Himself, was displayed that day, hoisted high on a bloody cross for all to see. Yet, they missed it. How often, amid our brokenness, do we miss the goodness of God so clearly in front of us?

It doesn’t matter who we are, our status in life, where we live, our education level, or what we’ve done, our greatest need is to know the One who made a way out of brokenness and into wholeness with Him.

When Jesus walked the earth, time and again He brought wholeness from that which was broken. When he delivered two demon-possessed men, he demonstrated authority over darkness and evil. (Matthew 8:28-34) When he healed Jairus’ daughter, He revealed His power over sickness and death. (Mark 5:21-43)

Jesus touched those whom others refused to touch, and He permitted the untouchables to touch Him. (Mark 5:25-34) He welcomed sinners, withheld condemnation, and forgave sins. (John 8:1-11) He redeemed a chief sinner into a chief messenger of the Gospel (Acts 9:1-29), showing us Jesus can change even a once-murderous heart and use it for great good.

When life hurts, when the world is unfair, when we fail, when evil is rising,
we have a place to run – the cross.
We have a place to hide – Jesus.
He is the One who willingly holds our tears. (Psalm 56:8)
He turns closet floors into prayer rooms, hiding places into healing spaces.

Our Savior understands our weakness, our brokenness. He knows what it’s like to be human.

“For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:15-16)

Through His death and resurrection, He has made a way to restore our brokenness into wholeness.

*Written by Mandie Maass of Brave Girls Gather

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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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Champion Day 15 He’s The Hero

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 5:1-11
Luke 6:12-16
John 18:16-27
John 21:15-19
1 Peter 2:1-17

Champion, Day 15

For as long as I can remember, my husband has contended the fictional comic book character Batman is the only plausible superhero. When asked why, he will happily explain: unlike other illustrated literary superheroes, Batman doesn’t have any special powers or alien origins.

Immeasurable wealth and influence? Sure.
Mad ninja skills and physical prowess? Check.
Insanely cool superhero lair and technological marvels to help him fight crime? Yup.

But aside from the seemingly endless supply of money and inner torment,
Batman is basically just a regular guy with excellent resources. 

This might seem an unusual way to introduce a journey with Peter, but stay with me.

When we study the radical accounts of miracles God performed through Peter, it’s easy to see him as a spiritual giant.

He boldly exhorted those in Jerusalem following the Holy Spirit’s outpouring on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36).
He miraculously healed (Acts 3:6-8),
raised the dead to life (Acts 9:38-43),
was the first to witness the unveiling of God’s complete plan of salvation for all people (Acts 10:9-33),
was imprisoned for his faith and proclaiming the gospel (Acts 4:1-4),
was freed from jail. by angels (Acts 12:6-19),
and people were healed simply by his very shadow (Acts 5:12-16).

With a resume like that, anyone would assume Peter was basically a Biblical beast. In a way, he was, but if we only examine the miracles and remarkable eternal impact of Peter’s life, without acknowledging Peter’s colorful humanity and frailty, we miss the best things about Peter’s story.

Just like the overarching account of Scripture and every vignette therein, Peter’s story points to God, His plan for salvation through Jesus Christ, and the redemption He alone brings.

Peter was a man of humble beginnings. His work was essential to the economy, but could hardly be considered illustrious. Brash and outspoken, Peter was impulsive, rough around the edges, and often ruled by his emotions.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on water, they were frightened. (Matthew 14:22-33) Jesus comforted them; when He was tested by an impulsive Peter, Jesus invited him to step onto the waves. Peter initially fared well, but became afraid and began sinking.

Peter failed. 

When Jesus told His disciples He would be killed, and raised to life on the third day, Peter “caught feelings” and again tested Jesus, rejecting what He said outright. (Matthew 16:21-22)

Again, Peter failed. 

When Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter was overcome by his emotions, drew his sword, and cut off a man’s ear. (John 18:1-11)

Jesus also prophesied Peter would deny Him three times. Vehemently, Peter objected and declared he would never. When Jesus’ words came to pass and he heard the rooster crow, Peter was broken. (John 18:16-27)

Failure.
Again.

It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it?
Separated from the Messiah, Peter carried the weight of his personal betrayal of the Master he loved while Jesus was persecuted, crucified, and buried. Even after He was resurrected to life three days later, Peter’s actions undoubtedly haunted him.

Time and again, Peter messed up,
and doubted,
and hurt others,
and didn’t believe Jesus,
and argued with the very Son of God,
and failed.

Over, and over, and over.

Oh Peter. I can relate. On every. single. count. 

But then.

“When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ [Peter] said to him, ‘you know that I love you.’

‘Feed my lambs,’ [Jesus] told him.”
(John 21:15)

Three times, Peter had denied Jesus.
Three times, resurrected Jesus asks this question and commissions Peter, restoring him to full relationship and ministry.

Herein lies the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the trajectory of salvation!

Peter wasn’t enough. Yet, Jesus called him.
Peter failed, many times. Yet, Jesus disciplined him in love.
Peter denied Jesus. Yet, Jesus died for him.
After all that, Jesus offered him redemption, commissioned him, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, transformed Peter to be a living demonstration of the work of the Gospel. 

The most important part of Peter’s story is that
he
wasn’t
enough.

In fact, Peter was basically just a regular guy, with excellent (read: supernatural) resources.

When we look at the accounts we see in Scripture and compare ourselves to the people we read there, we miss the point completely. Throughout all of Scripture, no one was ever enough, except Jesus Christ.

When faced with that reality, Peter put his faith in Jesus. He allowed himself to be transformed completely. Because of that surrender, the Holy Spirit was freed to work through him.

Beloved, the truth is, we aren’t enough, either.

If we were, then we would actually BE God.
We wouldn’t need salvation, because we wouldn’t sin.
We wouldn’t need sanctification, because we would already be completely holy. 

Just as He saw Peter, Jesus sees us as we really are, in all our frailty and failure and not enough. Because He IS enough, He transforms us into a new creation! Praise be to God!

Jesus, thank You for being enough, for filling every gap and showing Your strength in my weakness. Teach me to walk in Your ways and help me to remember that You are the real Champion in all of Scripture, and in my life.

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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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Sacrifice Day 3 Two Sacrifices

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 18:9-14
Matthew 19:16-30
Luke 11:46-53
Amos 5:20-24

Sacrifice, Day 3

Jesus loved flipping worldviews upside down.
Sometimes He flipped literal tables.
Most often, He pierced the darkness of ordinary, self-applauding human nature with the blinding brilliance of God’s love.

In Jewish religious culture, no human was more highly lauded than the Pharisee. They had political power, money, pedigree, clout, and oh, the most important? Righteousness. These were the holy, the elite, and highly favored as God’s “super-players.” To a Jew, a Pharisee’s prestige was unsurpassed.

On the flip side, tax collectors were “most despised” within Jewish culture as the poster-children for Roman control and unbridled gluttony. Overtaxing to pad their own pockets, tax collectors were extremely wealthy; their arrogance and greed were undeniable. The swagger of their steps, the bulge of their food-ridden bodies, and the luxury of their clothing garnished disdain from every Jew. If anyone would never enter the kingdom of Heaven, it would be a Roman Tax Collector.

So Jesus, intent on penetrating the hearts of His hearers so they might see Him as the God who sacrificed Himself on their behalf to pay their full debt of sin, began His story. Perhaps He paused along the road, allowing a wide field and smooth rock to be His amphitheater as listeners pressed closer under the hot Judean sun.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray,” He began, and instantly all eyes affixed on His.
The temple to pray? These were holy men desiring God; this would be a good story!

Jesus inhaled, making eye contact with several sprawled before Him.
Spirit, bring their hearts to us. Open their blind eyes to see the Salvation before them!

“… One a Pharisee and the other?” Jesus paused, eyebrow raised. Would they hear Him this time? Would they understand He was their sacrifice and their “righteousness” could never earn them favor with God? “… a tax collector,” He exhaled.

The shudders were visible across the crowd as they recoiled at His inclusion of a tax collector in His story.

Animated, Jesus jumped atop the rock and called out, “The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself…” Jesus raised His hands with mock humility and grand sweeping gestures before continuing, “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people–greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Jesus pointed His finger with the full theatrics of a condemning Pharisee.

The audience was hooked. Jesus nailed it. This is a Pharisee!
How right of the Pharisee to elevate himself to God.
Get that tax collector out of here!
He’s not like a righteous Jew, and certainly not like the righteous Pharisee.

Jesus’ demeanor instantly changed as He prepared to “flip the tables” of the peoples’ understanding. Gone was the façade of swagger. Tears pricked His eyes, and though He bowed His head and began beating His chest in the common motion of humility, His voice of authority carried across the warm field,

“But the tax collector, standing far off,
would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but kept striking his chest and saying,
‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’”

Silence.

Even the bees and locusts couldn’t be heard as Jesus paused,
looking again at each face before Him,
pleading with the Spirit to light darkened hearts
with the the truth of His Perfect Sacrifice
for their utter dearth of righteousness.

His people were trapped in their sin without escape. Oh how they tried to be good enough on their own, but they must see their “goodness” was nothing more than bloody menstrual rags. (Isaiah 64:6)
Rottenness accosting the Holiness of God.

How desperately they needed a Savior!
One to part the Heavens (Psalm 18:6-19),
pay the debt they owed in full (Hebrews 9:26),
die the death they could not escape (1 Corinthians 15:3),
and rise again to conquer death and sin forever (Revelation 1:18)
on their behalf.

Here was God in the flesh standing before them.
The perfect Sacrifice.
To do exactly this.

All through the ages His people had turned against Him, rejecting His perfect love in exchange for idols (Ezekiel 14:3), pride (Jeremiah 50:31), and unabated evil bringing death to everything.

Abel offered the best of himself.
Cain clutched his pride.
(Genesis 4:4-7)

The widow held out the smallest coin, representing the entirety of her possessions.
The wealthy dropped money by the bag-full.
(Luke 21:3)

The tax collector beat his breast with the agony of his wretchedness.
The self-sanctioned Pharisee touted his “good deeds” to a perfectly Holy God.
(Luke 18:12)

Two Offerings.
Only one was acceptable before the God who took the debt of sin upon Himself. (1 Peter 2:24)
The humble heart of contrition.

Only Abel’s offering was acceptable.
Only the widow’s poverty was made much of.
And our tax collector?

Jesus lifted His voice again,
“I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other,
because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Only the humble are brought near to God, for only the humble recognize the utter disgrace of their wretched sin against the flawless perfection of Holy.

Only the humble are positioned to receive the offering of life held out by the God who Sacrificed Himself, that His people might come home to Him.

“Be miserable and mourn and weep [over your sin].
Let your laughter [of prideful arrogance] be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:9-10)

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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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Training Day 5 Just Being

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 139
Luke 5:15–16
Luke 6:12-16
Mark 1:35–39
Matthew 11:28–30

Training, Day 5

As disciples, we often learn about the works of Jesus. We study what He did.

We also notice the words of Jesus. Many of us have Bibles with His words in red, highlighting their importance.

In a recent discipleship seminar, I was encouraged to notice the ways of Jesus, learning not just from His public ministry and message, but also from the way Jesus lived His life. With this idea in mind as I read the gospels, I’ve discovered truth I hadn’t noticed before.

For instance, a little verse at the beginning of Matthew 13 caught my attention. The preceding verses describe Jesus teaching crowds of people and confronting the religious leaders. The following verses talk about Jesus teaching such a large crowd, He used a boat as a platform while the people listened from the shore. But between these big ministry moments, Jesus stole time to sit by the lake, alone. (Matthew 13:1)

In fact, Jesus often made time to be alone, even though He was busy and crowds constantly followed Him.
“Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
It was His way. Jesus spent time in solitude.

When was the last time you sat alone, without distraction? The television off, the radio silent, the kids with a babysitter, your phone out of reach. Alone with God, to work through your thoughts, feelings, and memories. It can be a very uncomfortable place.

We don’t make space for solitude very often; life is too busy, right? There is always something to do: good, meaningful, and important things. As soon as the house is clean, the laundry done, and a meal prepared, someone has made a mess, gotten dirty, and is hungry again. Between home, work, and church, the responsibilities of life are relentless. But Jesus didn’t use this as an excuse.

I did.

Early last year I had a significant mental health event. That’s hard to admit. I think of myself as a strong, capable person. I was very busy, but I had everything under control. At least, I thought I did. I developed chest pain and was admitted to coronary care. After four days of uncomfortable tests, my heart was given a clean bill of health and I was diagnosed with vicarious trauma.

I worked in my church as a pastoral carer, supporting those who were sick and grieving. I spent my days visiting, making phone calls, and praying with people. It was a wonderful privilege to represent the comfort of Jesus to those who were walking through life’s most difficult circumstances. I was good at my job, and I loved it. Yet over time, as I was exposed to the trauma of others without giving myself the time to process what I was witnessing, I began to develop trauma symptoms myself.

My Christian counselor prescribed a powerful therapy for my recovery: solitude. Seriously, that was her recovery plan. She told me to spend time alone with Jesus. Not busy time “doing” my devotions. But “wasted” time, just sitting, being with Jesus. It was difficult.

As I sat in silence, the thoughts that emerged were ugly: memories of pain, feelings of guilt and regret, fear and anxiety. It was hard work. But, inviting Jesus to shine a light into the dark corners of my heart in the quietness of my pain was the best medicine. In time, the knot in my chest unraveled as I submitted all to Christ, and He healed my weary soul.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) What a wonderful invitation. If only we weren’t too busy to accept.

Solitude is a discipline. It doesn’t come easily to many of us. Our modern world is full of distractions and interruptions. We are constantly bombarded with cries for our attention. It honestly feels irresponsible to take time to sit quietly and appear to do nothing. Yet, this is where healing comes. This is where we find the rest our souls so desperately seek.

I now have a practice of having a morning coffee with Jesus. It takes around ten to fifteen minutes. Often, it is after I’ve read my Bible and prayed through my list, but sometimes, I sit with Jesus first.

I find it easier when I have a cup of coffee in my hands. I’m less likely to reach for my phone. I also try to be outside or by a window where I can see the sky and the beauty of creation so I don’t get distracted by dirty dishes or the dusty floor.

I often use the end of Psalm 139 as a prayer.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

I allow God to sift through my thoughts, good and bad. Somehow, I walk away from solitude lighter, more joyful, and with the best creative ideas.

I hope you are able to “waste” some time alone with Jesus today.

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Kneel Day 8 Believing The Best Of God

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 4:5-7
Psalm 139
Colossians 1:3-14
Ephesians 3:14-21

Kneel, Day 8

Have you ever told someone a story, only to have them remind you they were there? Sometimes, while we’re talking, we forget to whom we are speaking: of course we remember their identity at a basic level, but we might also assume something of them inaccurately . . . like their presence or absence on a particular occasion!

The same thing happens in prayer.

We might pray, “Father,” and then speak, assuming God is distant, cold, and uninvolved. There are times when we tell Him all about a problem and how to solve it, grateful He knows every detail, but forgetting He also has power over every detail.

While there are many powerful insights to glean from the apostle Paul’s many prayers as recorded in the Bible, I am most often struck by Paul’s assumptions, or beliefs, about God as he prays.

“[I]n everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6, emphasis mine)

Everything.

Paul believed God wants to hear it all. In Psalm 139, the psalmist reveals God knows us intimately, even knowing our thoughts before they reach our tongues. If He’s aware of everything anyway, why not share everything with Him?

Paul’s prayer life demonstrates this reality. A quick perusal of all prayers recorded by Paul in the Bible show his prayers cover a wide variety of topics. Similarly, all the spheres of our lives – physical, social, emotional, work, etc – are fair game for prayer.

For example:
Paul prayed for healing and relief from suffering. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)
He prayed for God to make him fit for his work and to enable him to share the gospel well. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
He thanked God for the fellow believers God placed in his life. (Philippians 1:3-6)
He prayed for others’ spiritual lives. (Colossians 1:3-14)

When we read Paul’s prayers for other believers, we also find Paul believed God wants us to know Him better. 

To the Ephesians, Paul wrote, “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Similar words are echoed throughout his letters, as Paul prayed for other believers to be filled with ever-increasing knowledge of Christ, to be one in the Lord, to keep growing in God. Through his prayers, we learn Paul fervently believed God delights in filling us with His fullness, and He wants us to know His love.

Another hallmark of Paul’s recorded prayers is thanksgiving; gratitude is closely tied to the Biblical command to pray.
For example, let’s revisit Philippians 4:6 (emphasis mine): “[I]n everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Paul believed God was good at giving good things. If Paul was praying about a good gift, he assumed it came from God, which he lived out time and again, in thanking God for the very people to whom he was writing. If Paul was petitioning God for something, he believed God’s answer would be for his good. He thanked Jesus for strengthening him and working through him, even though Paul was a sinner. (1 Timothy 1:12-14) In everything, God’s good provision meant prayer could coincide with thankfulness.

I don’t know about you, but reading Paul’s prayers convicts me that too often, I believe less of God than I should when I pray. Afraid of being demanding, or getting it wrong, I don’t pray about everything. Concerned with things of the world or not being spiritual enough, I pray as if I should already know God thoroughly, and not as though He wants me to know Him more and more. And it’s easy to fall into the trap of praying, especially petitioning, without thanks!

But one of Paul’s go-to prayers, which marks many introductions and conclusions in his letters, offers encouragement, “Grace and peace to you.“ (1 Corinthians 1:3)
Today, as we engage with God in prayer, believing the best of God, we can also pray assuming we will experience His grace and peace as we learn.
Thanks be to God!

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Advent Day 9 The Suffering Servant: 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!
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The Questions

1) What do we learn of the Promised Messiah from Isaiah’s description? (verse 2-3)

2) What did Jesus achieve on our behalf? (verses 4-5)

3) What truths can we know about our human condition from this passage? How does this impact our relationship with God? (verses 6)

Isaiah 53:2-6

2 He grew up before him like a young plant

and like a root out of dry ground.

He didn’t have an impressive form

or majesty that we should look at him,

no appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.

He was like someone people turned away from;[a]

he was despised, and we didn’t value him.

4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,

and he carried our pains;

but we in turn regarded him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion,

crushed because of our iniquities;

punishment for our peace was on him,

and we are healed by his wounds.

6 We all went astray like sheep;

we all have turned to our own way;

and the Lord has punished him

for the iniquity of us all.

Original Intent

1) What do we learn of the Promised Messiah from Isaiah’s description? (verse 2-3)
Throughout Scripture, many facets of Jesus’ character and His role in human history are revealed. He is present before creation (John 1:1) as a part of the Triune God and active in it (Hebrews 1:2); He is preordained as Savior (Ephesians 1:5); His role and presence echo throughout the Old Testament (John 8:56-58, Hebrews 11:26, Jude 1:5, 1 Corinthians 10:4). In Revelation, Christ is foretold as mighty redeemer and judge. (Revelation 19:11-16) But, between the imagery at creation and the powerful descriptions in Revelation, we glimpse something unexpected. Our God is humble and meek. (2 Corinthians 10:1) First on display in the lowest of places, a feeding trough, God is born in human form. Philippians 2 highlights His willing submission to death on a criminal’s cross. Isaiah’s prophecy describes Jesus growing up as a “tender shoot” in dry ground. This statement refers to Him as a “sucker” plant or something that comes from the plant but isn’t part of it. He brought divinity with Him in whole, it didn’t come from another source. “From dry ground” references the difficulties experienced where He was raised (in Nazareth, an insignificant town with economic and political troubles). Additionally, “dry ground” represents the harsh reality of hearts hardened by sin, unwilling to accept Christ as Lord. In His humanity, Jesus came from humble beginnings without majesty to attract us to Him. (verse 2) The Hebrew word God uses to refer to the relationship between Himself and Israel is “helper”. “The One enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth.” (Psalm 113:5-6) All of Scripture tells of a humble God who consistently stoops to “raise the poor from the dust and lift the needy from the ash heap.” (Psalm 113:7-8)

2) What did Jesus achieve on our behalf? (verses 4-5)
Jesus bore our griefs and sorrows, was pierced for our transgressions, and punished for our sins. The word translated rebellion in verse 5 comes from the Hebrew word, pesha, which generally is associated with rebellion, trespass, or revolt. In the New Testament language of Greek, the term used is parabasis, and it implies a breaking or violation of the law. Spiritually speaking, these actions are the result of a defiant or rebellious spirit, one that is bent away from a Holy God. Every sin we commit, willfully or not, is an act of rebellion against holiness. These are the transgressions, pesha, for which Jesus was pierced. Isaiah 53:5 proclaims He was crushed for our iniquities. “Iniquities” refer to something deeply profound in a person’s heart; it is our human sin nature. This depravity within a person leads us to sin and be accountable for the guilt that accompanies the iniquities of our wicked hearts. Jesus didn’t just take my iniquities and your iniquities. He took the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) The sin of the entire world from the beginning of creation until He returns. He took it all. (1 John 2:2) Jesus was punished for all sin and sinfulness, for the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve to the sins we commit today, and all that will be committed in the future. He was pierced, crushed, and punished for us, in our place. We are offered peace with God and healing for our broken, sin-infested hearts through His willing substitution for us. His peace and healing are not ours by default, but become ours when we choose to trust Him at His word and surrender ourselves fully to Him. This is what He gives us, and He gives it at the ultimate cost—His own life.

3) What truths can we know about our human condition from this passage? How does this impact our relationship with God? (verse 6)
Verse 6 describes the entirety of human experience in relation to God, “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way…”. In any good relationship, we know there is a give and take, a mutual love, respect, and sacrifice. There is faithfulness and pursuit of the other person for the good of the relationship. But Scripture teaches that when it comes to our relationship with God, He is the one who is loving, respectful, sacrificing, faithful, and pursuing. We go astray. We turn to our own way. Of course, we have moments of love which grow over time, but these are due to the Holy Spirit working within our surrender to Him. It is the Spirit inside of every believer who cultivates true sacrifice, respect, faithfulness, and following Him. These moments grow into longer seasons as we practice submitting to the Spirit, but invariably, we wander from Him. As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) It is our nature to stray and His to stay.

Everyday Application

1) What do we learn of the Promised Messiah from Isaiah’s description? (verse 2-3)
Isaiah foretells how the Messiah would be despised and rejected which was fulfilled in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and even today. We would expect God’s message of hope, love, and forgiveness embodied in Jesus to be gladly received like water on a hot day.  Instead, Jesus’ message is often despised and rejected. We are prone to esteem Him not. (verse 3) We likely know people who have rejected Christ or have animosity toward Jesus. We should think of them, pray for them, love them, reach them, and be present in their lives as the fragrance of Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:15) In doing so, we become conduits of God’s grace and love. Just as importantly, we should remove the log of sin from our own eye before removing the speck from others. (Matthew 7:4-5) We must examine our hearts and lives through the lens of Scripture as we submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. (James 1:22-25) It’s easy to be like the man who entered the temple, thanking God he wasn’t like the sinner across from him. (Luke 18:10-14) God asks us to examine our lives to see where we reject Him, His people, and the gospel. (2 Corinthians 13:5) If we are honest, we will know we reject God by our actions, thoughts, and speech. Even those committed to following Christ wholeheartedly fail to do so perfectly. Because of God’s humble, patient, merciful love, He continues extending opportunities for us to repent (turn away) from sin. We can turn to Jesus for forgiveness when we acknowledge and repent of the ways we reject Him. When we allow the compassionate Lord to remove our log of sin, we can extend His love and hope to others on His behalf.

2) What did Jesus achieve on our behalf? (verses 4-5)
In Isaiah 53:4, we are reminded that Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Truly pondering this reality draws us to Him with deep gratitude and humility. We do not serve an unapproachable God who is “distant” or “up there,” but one who chooses to be right here, in the mix with us as we suffer. We have a Great High Priest who sympathizes with us as described in Hebrews 4:14-16. He is with us, and He cares about what we endure. Not only does He care, but He bears up our griefs and sorrows, taking them upon Himself. He steps into our place of sin, accepts the punishment for our sin and the ramifications of our sin nature. He bears it all, so we may be set free to live in a restored relationship at peace with Him. He provides the means for us to be healed at our deepest soul level. Because of His intimate investment in each of us, even though we were born into a sin-infested world, inheriting a sin-nature in our flesh, we can live renewed, reborn, and resurrected from the death that was our first inheritance.

3) What truths can we know about our human condition from this passage? How does this impact our relationship with God? (verses 6)
We are prone to wander. We go astray like sheep. How do sheep stray? It’s been said, “One nibble at a time,” and that’s quite accurate. A sheep becomes fixated on grazing and loses sight of both their surroundings and even the shepherd himself. Most sheep won’t “run” away; instead, they nibble away, one small action at a time. So do we. We nibble at selfishness, self-centeredness, pride, Pharisee-like legalism, lust, greed, anger, fear, and a myriad of other sins. In doing so, we take another small bite and barely notice how we are straying from Jesus bit by bit. At some point, our wandering might get so far off we look up from our grazing and wonder where our Shepherd has gone and how we got so far away from Him. We lost sight of Him, but He never lost sight of us. He is the Good Shepherd, and He leaves the ninety-nine to pursue us when we stray. (Matthew 18:10-14) We may leave His side, but we never leave His sight. Knowing we are prone to wander can help us become more purposeful in keeping our eyes on Him. We can and should set our hearts on Him more consistently and with greater intentionality. Even still, we will wander from Him. In those times, we can rest in this promise: He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and He will always bring us back (Psalm 71:20-21).

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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!

Digging Deeper Community

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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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Advent Day 3 Until

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 12:1-3
Deuteronomy 28:1-26
Deuteronomy 18:15-22
Luke 24:25-27
Hebrews 12:18-24

Advent, Day 3

It seemed straightforward enough.

So He could fulfill the covenant promises He’d made to Abraham, God set up parameters for holy living and gave His people a system of choice and consequence.

Choose righteousness, and be blessed. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
Choose disobedience and sin, and be cursed. (Deuteronomy 28:15-26)

Easy choice, right?
Yet, inevitably, Israel pivoted to sin.

Like any Good Father, God sought to remind His children of the consequences of their choices before they earned total catastrophe.

Enter, prophets. Since the first sin separated humans from God, and since the people of Israel were subsequently overcome by fear in God’s direct presence, He appointed prophets to deliver His Word.

Today, as we continue to look forward to Jesus’ coming, we travel back to the days of the minor (read, shorter-winded) prophets, ordinary men called by God to warn sin-entangled Israel of impending disaster unless the people repented and returned to God.

Ultimately, each prophet foretold the coming Messiah, Who would once and for all time break the power of sin and bring restoration and redemption. (Hebrews 10:11-18)

The prophet Hosea’s steadfast love for his wife despite her habitual betrayal reflected God’s heart toward unfaithful Israel; he revealed Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 3:16-17). Jesus is the Bridegroom Who loves with compassion (Hosea 11:4, 8-9), healing those who return to Him. (Hosea 6:1-2)

Joel watched a swarm of locusts darken the sun, devouring the few leaves not strangled by drought, then leveraged this devastation to mirror Israel’s sin of abandoning God. He foretold the coming Day of Yahweh, when Jesus would judge the nations (Joel 3:2,12), send His Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28, John 16:7-15), and stand as Israel’s refuge. (Joel 3:16)

Amos, a farmer and rancher who delighted in a life spent tending God’s creation, convicted Israel of breaking covenant with God in their pursuit of materialistic prosperity. Though he warned of impending judgement, Amos also spoke great prophecies of restoration, foretelling Jesus as the fulfillment of David’s line, the rebuilder, and the restorer of God’s people. (Amos 9:11-15)

Author of the shortest book in the Bible, Obadiah emphasizes Christ’s “ordinary humanity” as he descended neither from kings nor priests. Obadiah was simply an ordinary man chosen by God to condemn the pride of Israel’s enemies and reveal Christ as the judge of the nations (Obadiah 1:15-16), Israel’s Savior (Obadiah 1:17), and the Possessor of the Kingdom (Obadiah 1:21).

Jonah’s three-day detour in the belly of a big fish foreshadowed Christ’s three days in the grave before His resurrection (Matthew 12:38-42). Once released, Jonah’s call to repentance from the dreaded Assyrians was an early reflection of Christ’s desire for all people to repent and receive salvation. (Jonah 3:4-10, 2 Peter 3:9)

Micah, a prophet residing in a busy trading town, proclaimed God’s displeasure at the empty rituals of worship offered by Israel, even as they abandoned any pretense of righteousness in their daily dealings. (Micah 6:6-8) Micah’s words portray Jesus as the King to be born in Bethlehem and, following Jesus’ birth, were quoted to the current king, Herod. (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-6)

In condemning the Assyrians for unabated savagery and wickedness, Nahum comforted God’s people and revealed Christ as the jealous God who avenges adversaries. (Nahum 1:2-3)

As Habakkuk wrestled with the mystery of God’s goodness and power when faced with the reality of evil, he portrayed Jesus as Savior (Matthew 1:21), the Holy One (Habakkuk 1:12, 1 John 1:9), the Justifier through faith (Habakkuk 2:4), and He who will fill the earth with knowledge of God’s glory (Habakkuk 2:14).

Descended from the righteous king Hezekiah, Zephaniah delivered God’s judgement against the people’s sin under the reign of evil kings, called for repentance, and extended the hope of redemption. In Zephaniah’s words, Jesus is foretold as the Righteous One (Zephaniah 3:5) and the people’s true King (Zephaniah 3:15).

Yet the Lord’s words went unheeded. Israel was conquered and exiled by the Babylonians. After 70 years, a remnant was allowed to return; more than a decade after their homecoming, they continued to struggle against enemies and to obtain basic necessities.

Into the disarray stepped Haggai, who encouraged the people to rebuild the temple as a sign of their commitment to God’s centrality in their lives; in doing so, Haggai revealed Christ as the ultimate Restorer of the temple’s glory (Haggai 2:7-9, John 2:17-22) and Overthrower of all worldly kingdoms (Haggai 2:22).

As Zechariah encouraged the people to complete temple reconstruction, he foretold Israel’s restoration through the coming Christ, portraying Jesus as Servant King (Zechariah 9:9), crucified Savior (Zechariah 12:10), smitten Shepherd who would be abandoned (Zechariah 13:7), and coming Judge and righteous King (Zechariah 14).

As the concluding prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi convicted Israel of their sin yet again and delivered the final words of the Lord until John the Baptist would declare the arrival of Jesus (Malachi 3:1, John 1:29).

And then, silence.
For 400 years.

Until a wild-haired, animal skin-clad man waist-deep in the waters of the Jordan River froze, mid-baptism, as he locked eyes with a nondescript Hebrew making His way to the shore.

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

[Did one of these prophets spark your curiosity? Learn more at Bible.org, our main resource for this study!]

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