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Another Day 7 Helping Hands: Digging Deeper

March 14, 2023 by Natalie Smith Leave a Comment

Another Day 7 Helping Hands: Digging Deeper

Natalie Smith

March 14, 2023

church,Community,Family,gentle,Heart

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

This DD Connects With "Helping Hands"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 13:5-20

Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

8 “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. 16 “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

18 “I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats my bread has raised his heel against me.19 I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am he. 20 Truly I tell you, whoever receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives him who sent me.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why would Jesus emphasize washing Peter’s feet, but refuse to wash all of him? Does Jesus not need to cleanse every part of a sinner for us to be right with God? (verses 8-10)

When I read these verses of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, I see a truly humble servant.Yet, when reading verses 8-10, deeper spiritual teachings seem to exist. It’s important to consider that both Enduring Word Commentary and Matthew Henry, biblical theologian, note that Jesus didn’t wash His disciples’ feet to illustrate how we are saved from our sins and made clean by the forgiveness only God can offer. Salvation wasn’t the point of Christ’ stooping to wash unsandaled feet.

The tension between Jesus’ washing and Peter’s remarks point toward spiritual growth and a demonstration of how to live the Christian life rather than a picture of how one is saved from sin. The disciples were already eating (John 13:2-4), but nobody had volunteered to cleanse feet, nor had a hired servant handled this distasteful task.

They sat on the floor with pillows, as was common at the time, with the stench of the outside road sitting with them at the table. Having planned the evening and knowing this situation would arise, Jesus chose the role of a lowly servant to demonstrate in an exceedingly personal manner what it was to love others as God loves them.

This was uncomfortable for Peter! Christ was His Lord, not his foot slave! Initially, he refuses. But Jesus stressed the importance of receiving His service by stating, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me.” (verse 7) Confused, Peter goes to the other extreme, asking to be bathed in whole. (verse 9) When Jesus responds practically that only his feet are dirty, Peter discovers he must be humble in heart in order to truly receive humility’s love. Only through Jesus’ great humility does Peter wrestle with his own deep seeded pride. It takes humility to receive humility.

The Everyday Application

1) Why would Jesus emphasize washing Peter’s feet, but refuse to wash all of him? Does Jesus not need to cleanse every part of a sinner for us to be right with God? (verses 8-10)

Jesus said His disciples were already clean except Judas Iscariot (verse 10), meaning they had already repented of their sin and trusted Christ to be exactly Who He claimed to be as God. They had been washed clean (forgiven of all sin) through faith. (Titus 3:5) Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as an example of how His people were to love others with humility and how all must be humbled by the depths of their sin in order to receive humble love.

We cannot save one another by serving them, but we can point them to the love of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Both the humility in giving and receiving servant-love is a refining fire used by the Lord to make us more like Him!

Before we married, my husband served in youth ministry; together we envisioned wonderful ways to care for others in ministry. Instead, as we moved into life and marriage, we ran into broken down cars, basement floods, and other stressors we couldn’t finagle alone.

The families we envisioned serving were keeping us afloat with their humble service. They loaned us their cars and brought shop-vacs to quickly remove water. When we had two small children and I became suddenly sick, ladies literally picked up their dinner plates and came to our house to babysit.

We deserved none of these gifts, and it was uncomfortable to receive such love from the ones we were supposed to be serving. For years, it seemed others were helping us more than we could offer in return. We can never repay the service of those loving church members who acted like family, but through the humility of receiving, the Lord has shown us how to better give. Serving is not sustained in our own strength, but in His strength.

The Original Intent

2) How does Jesus’ command to wash each other’s feet apply to the Church at large? (verse 14)

Jesus, always intentional, began the process of washing feet noting that His disciples did not understand now, but would later understand His purposes. (verse 7) Allowing Jesus to wash their feet required much on both sides. Jesus stooped low to do the job no one else was willing to do, while the disciples surrendered in obedience. 

 Both sides practiced humility, patience, and endurance with the careful and involved process of cleansing and cleaning up. Multiple times throughout Scripture, and even during this last meal (Luke 22:24), Jesus’ disciples had discussed who was the greatest among themselves. (Luke 9:46) But here in chapter 13, Jesus strongly emphasizes His call of spiritual growth through humility, which is a requirement for following Him with our lives.

Jesus called out the disciples’ pride and mis-focus on being “better” than one another. He instructs that none is greater than their masters or teachers, which was Christ. (verses 16-17) The disciples readily called Jesus their Lord and Leader, which underscored the reality that Jesus called them to also stoop to the lowliest tasks. In fact, the disciples are actually commanded, not to necessarily physically wash feet, but to willingly stoop to the lowest of positions for the benefit of fellow disciples of Christ.

The Everyday Application

2) How does Jesus’ command to wash each other’s feet apply to the Church at large? (verse 14)

It is not unheard of to attend a wedding, youth group service, or other church gathering where the act of foot washing is part of the service. It’s meant as a lovely portrayal of their heart’s intention to humbly serve one another. But what about the day in and out experiences of doing life within the church? When Jesus commanded His disciples to “wash another’s feet” He did not mean serving to end when the feet were physically clean. Rather, Jesus referenced the heart’s need to let go of pride for the benefit of our Christian family.

I have the gift of knowing a sweet story of a local pastor and church member; I hope their story encourages you like it does me! A long-time, faithful church member took on the church’s janitorial needs as a paid second job. After months of cleanliness, people suddenly began noticing problems. There were unkempt bathrooms, crumbs and dirt remaining on the floor after gatherings, and the like.

The attentive pastor noticed something amiss, and instead of approaching the situation with business-like efficiency of firing the worker, he chose to lean into spiritual growth for himself and his friend. Despite his leadership role and busy demands, the pastor stooped low to save face for the man until the heart of the matter could be discussed. Unannounced, the pastor cleaned the nursery bathrooms and vacuumed the sanctuary for several weeks allowing the hired man to receive payment.

This pastor chose humble grace-filled service for his brother, demonstrating his submission to Christ’s lordship as more important than his own authority as pastor. Are we willing to take on the difficult and dirty for the spiritual benefit of one another?

The Original Intent

3) Did Jesus invite Judas into His discipleship circle for the purpose of Christ’s betrayal? (verse 18)

Backing up in this passage, which is an important practice when studying the Bible, we read that Jesus, “knew His hour had come to depart out of this world (…)” and that Jesus “loved His own to the end”. (John 13:1) As both God and man, Jesus knew His purpose. He knew when to keep his head down and do daily life, when to start teaching and displaying miracles, and when to withdraw with His closest disciples.

Jesus knew which chosen disciples would follow Him in faith and which one would move His mission forward at the time of betrayal because of his choice to reject Jesus. (John 6:64)

Judas had every opportunity to know Jesus as Messiah and Lord just as each of the other disciples did. Judas traveled with Jesus, witnessed His healings and mercies, and sat in on quiet conversations where Jesus as He explained parables. Still, Judas did not repent and his heart was hard set against God.

Scripture warns of a time when God turns us over to our heart desires if we continue rebelling against Him, making it known that what we want most is to be our own “god”. (Romans 1:21-24, Ephesians 4:19) Verse 2 tells us the devil put betrayal into Judas’s heart, which describes a moment of being turned over to Judas’ true heart-desire to keep rejecting Him.Jesus knew the heart of Judas from the beginning, still He invited Judas along, allowed him to manage the money, and even included him in the washing of feet before sending him on his way to betrayal. Jesus tells us that allowing this deceit was not in vain, but rather that Scripture was fulfilled, and further evidence was provided His disciples of His divinity as the All-Knowing God. (verse 18-19) He was more than a good teacher and example of humble service, Christ is God and Savior!

The Everyday Application

3) Did Jesus invite Judas into His discipleship circle for the purpose of Christ’s betrayal? (verse 18)

God, as being perfectly good, does not create evil, but He still has control over it, as He is all-powerful. Humans are responsible for sin and the Devil causes much deceit and evil through our human fleshly desires to love sin. (gotquestions.org) Still, God is sovereign and able to use what is already present because of sin to move His plans forward for the good of His people and the accomplishment of His purposes. (Romans 8:28)

Judas-like people are present in both our families and churches. These are people who have learned to mimic the outward fruit of what Christianity “looks like”, but their hearts are far from their actions. Such masqueraders cause much pain. How can someone be so close, and yet, so far from the Lord?

As a child, I incorrectly thought if Jesus would perform a miracle for my dad, he would surely love Jesus. Years later, I realized Scripture addresses my mis-understanding. The Bible describes multitudes experiencing the miracles of Jesus, and then following Him merely for the physical benefits. (John 6:26) Jesus calls out this heart-attitude saying, “You have seen me and yet do not believe.” (John 6:36) The God of all truth is not deceived by outward appearance. (1 Samuel 16:7)

How is one truly saved? Scripture teaches it is the Lord who calls us to Himself and He perfectly knows our hearts. “I know those I have chosen.” (John 13:18) “[The disciples] did not choose [Jesus], but He chose [them]” (John 15:16). It also says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (…)” (Hebrews 3:15) and “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Call on the Lord, repent of your sin and confess Him as Lord!

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church,family,humility,Jesus,love,servant
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Journey Study

Serving with the assumption of an expected response, especially one benefitting ourselves. This is a business exchange, and potentially even manipulation, while covering up the gross sin of self-serving.

Serving someone with the mindset he or she is less than or “lower” than us, unworthy of our presence, or any other thought in which we are exalted as higher than the other. This is the sin of arrogance. (1 Peter 5:5-6)
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Posted in: church, Community, Family, gentle, Heart Tagged: church, family, humility, Jesus, love, servant

Surrender Day 9 Image Unfiltered: Digging Deeper

February 2, 2023 by Mandy Farmer Leave a Comment

Surrender Day 9 Image Unfiltered: Digging Deeper

Mandy Farmer

February 2, 2023

Anchored,Covenant,Forgiven,Healing,Heart

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

This DD Connects With "Image Unfiltered"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 3:22-30

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized.

23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”

27 John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why did Jesus go to the countryside and baptize? (verse 22)

John’s gospel was written for the purpose of revealing the Son of God to mankind. By this point in chapter 3, Jesus had performed His first miracle and been baptized by John revealing Jesus’ identity as the Father’s Beloved Son.

Jesus had overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple and chosen His twelve disciples. Word was quickly spreading about Him and a stir was created among the religious elite, one of whom was Nicodemus, who covertly met Jesus at night with questions. He wanted to be sure of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. This story of Jesus has become a cornerstone of Scripture.

It’s a great place to point people to Jesus as He self-identifies as the Son of God. Much had happened in a short time for Jesus, and a quiet place to rest was needed; though He was fully God, He was also fully human. He needed a chance to build a bond with His disciples. Moving into the countryside would have provided this opportunity. Here Jesus’ disciples began baptizing under Jesus’ authority (John 4:1-2) to confirm and validate baptism as an outward necessary identifier of following Jesus. Baptism was a symbol of repentance John used, and Jesus’ disciples followed suit under Christ’s authority.

The Everyday Application

1) Why did Jesus go to the countryside and baptize? (verse 22)

Just as Jesus escaped the busy demands of life and ministry for solitude and reflection, it is vitally important for us to find those quiet times, especially after an important public event or big expenditure of physical, emotional, and mental resources. The greater the expenditure of ourselves, the more important for us to get away to reflect. There is always a “down” after a “high” and we must take care not to allow Satan to neither pull us into depression nor elevate us into thinking how “great we are”.

We must take time to reflect on the work God has done, giving Him the glory for the work, and allowing Him to refuel us. Because we are human, we simply need time to rest. God provided this example from the beginning of time when He rested from His work on the seventh day. Concerning baptism, it is much like when Joshua set up stones of remembrance. Joshua’s stones of remembrance are just one monument in a series of memorials commemorating the mighty acts of God on behalf of the people of Israel. Explore these other memorials!

Passover (Exodus 13:3–6); Receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:4); Crossing The Jordan River (Deuteronomy 27:1–8); Possessing the Land of Canaan and God’s Covenant (Joshua 22:9–12; Joshua 24:24–28); Victory at Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:12). To everyone else, the stones were just a heap of rubble, but to the people of God, they were a constant reminder that Yahweh was a personal and powerful God, working wonders on behalf of His people. (gotquestions.org)

Believers in Jesus are baptized to make a public statement of our faith and a reminder for us that we have covenanted to serve the Lord. Do you remember that day?

The Original Intent

2) Why were John’s disciples concerned about purification and Jesus baptizing? (verse 25)

The Scriptures first introduced the ritual of purification in Exodus 30:17-21. This Mosaic law commanded the priests to cleanse themselves before entering the tent of meeting or approaching the altar. When John introduced baptism as a means of marking oneself out as a follower of God, it was not at all strange. But the terrain changed after Jesus was baptized, was identified as the Son of God, and His disciples also began baptizing. This concerned John’s disciples because Jesus was drawing greater crowds than John and discussions arose about whose baptism was better, John’s or Jesus’. John quickly put a stop to this discussion because he knew his ministry was intentionally ending while Jesus’ ministry was beginning.

John was the forerunner of Christ; meaning he was only meant to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. John fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy as “A voice of one crying out…” (Isaiah 40:3) John was overjoyed for this transition because it evidenced his job was complete. He had accomplished what God ordained for him to do, Preach Jesus! The Believer’s Bible Commentary mentions that when Paul came to Ephesus and spoke with the believers there, they raised the question of baptism. (Acts 19:1-6) “When the apostle raised the question of baptism, he found out that these men knew only about John’s baptism. In other words, the extent of their knowledge was that the Messiah was at hand, and they had signified their repentance by baptism as a necessary preparation for receiving Him as King. They did not know that Christ had died, had been buried, and had risen from the dead and ascended back to heaven, and that He had sent the Holy Spirit. 

Paul explained all this to them. He reminded them that when John baptized with the baptism of repentance, he urged them to believe … on Christ Jesus.” (William McDonald, The Believer’s Bible Commentary)

The Everyday Application

2) Why were John’s disciples concerned about purification and Jesus baptizing? (verse 25)

At first glance, this verse about purification seemed out of context to me. I had simplified the sacrament of baptism to a public proclamation of our salvation, which it is, but I did not connect it with the Old Testament concept of purification. So, what does water baptism represent? Let’s look a little deeper.

When a person is baptized by water, they are immersed or “covered over” with water. Water baptism represents the complete washing away of our sins. Immersion into the water represents death to our sins; our old way of living life is buried. When we rise from the water, it represents that just as Christ was raised, we, too, are raised from death into new life. (Romans 6:3-4) (Guzik, Enduring Word)

John’s baptism was for repentance, preparing the way to trust Christ for full salvation. Jesus’ baptism was for salvation and new life. This new life begins when the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and lives (baptism by His fire) as we confess Him as our Savior and repent of our sin. Water washes us clean, but dirt (sin) can return, and we need to wash again. This was the case for everyone up to the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Fire (the Spirit of God) burns away sin and makes us pure (like gold or silver), accomplishing what water alone cannot. (1 Peter 1:3-9) The Holy Spirit then gives “us everything required for life and godliness”. (2 Peter 1:3)

The Original Intent

3) Why would John say, “He must increase, and I must decrease”? (verse 30)

John the Baptist understood it was good for him to become less visible and known in order for Jesus to become more visible and known. 

He recognized it was time for his ministry to lessen and Jesus’ ministry to flourish. John did not quit his work at this time, but he desired that everything he did pointed to Jesus, the pinnacle of his life’s work. He knew God had ordained his life to prepare others for Jesus, and he delighted in this! (David Guzik, Enduring Word)

The Everyday Application

3) Why would John say, “He must increase, and I must decrease”? (verse 30)

John the Baptist exemplifies for us it is possible to be popular and successful while still humble. He is a true example of humility for us.

In 2015, John 3:30 was my theme verse accompanying my word of the year (One Word), “Less”. The Lord gave me this word to prepare me for what was to come. I was dealing with chronic illness and slowly realizing I needed to give up increasingly more of my leadership roles.

So many things became less in our lives right down to Michael’s pastoral position, losing our place to live, having to downsize our lives, losing salary and benefits which led to no money in the bank account. God had prepared us to live “less” by the sustenance of His humility and grace. Becoming less is a characteristic meant to apply to all who claim to follow Christ, especially as we relate to each other within the church.

In our shared ministry, Michael and I often trained up people to go on and do greater things than us. We were thrilled to witness this! We have seen this in small churches, as well. We called them “sending churches”. They never rose above 75 people, but so many preachers, missionaries, and leaders came to these churches, found the Lord and moved on to do remarkable things.

This is the “significance of purpose” John the Baptist embraced, and we find delight when we do the same; humility is key to the Christian’s satisfying life.

Tags :
Confession,forgiveness,Remember,victory
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When Jesus came into the world, He brought His light to shine in the darkness. (John 1:1-5) He didn’t need to “create a persona” because He is the image of the living invisible God. (Colossians 1:15-16) Real beauty. The perverse dark world, blinded by its sin, shrieks at the light and beauty of Jesus.

We are pressured to conform to a worldly concept of shiny perfection, with all of our messy parts hidden.
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Posted in: Anchored, Covenant, Forgiven, Healing, Heart Tagged: Confession, forgiveness, Remember, victory

Pause VI Day 2 Fruitfulness Of Partnership

January 3, 2023 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

Pause VI Day 2 Fruitfulness Of Partnership

Melodye Reeves

January 3, 2023

Heart,Joy,Love,Pause

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:7-11

Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Read More Of His Words

All fruit springs from some sort of seed. Without that seed, fruit would be impossible. Once planted and properly cared for, the seed matures into fruit.

“Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you …” (Philippians 1:7)

At the beginning of his letter to the believers at Philippi, Paul rehearses the evidence (fruit) he’d seen of gospel grace (seed) that had been planted in their hearts and lives. Paul’s deep affection and appreciation for them is seen by the joy he expresses that is in his heart as he thought about them. His feelings were not misplaced. They were typical feelings that anyone would have toward partners who have demonstrated such loyalty and faithfulness.

“… because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:7)

Can you sense his heart’s overflowing thankfulness? What a beautiful phrase: partners with me in grace. That’s the most wonderful kind of partnership, isn’t it? I hope you have some partners in grace that walk alongside you in the gospel. We all need those who are with us in this journey of life. Scripture has included many instructions regarding our partnership with “one another.” We are to love, serve, honor, be devoted, encourage, pray for, and live in harmony with each other.

“For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:8)

The beauty of this kind of partnership is we can partner in grace even from a distance. Paul’s friends did this by living out their faith where they were. Just knowing they were in Philippi serving God and loving others encouraged and strengthened Paul from afar. He missed his friends deeply. He felt the sting and weight of the distance, but he also knew he was not alone in the shared gospel work. He had people in Philippi who were bearing fruit from the seed of the gospel that had been planted.

Paul and his partners found nourishment from the very same tree.

John 15:1-8 tells us Jesus is the source of good fruit; all who are in Jesus are partnered with Him by His grace.

Today's Pause Challenge

1)  Pull out your Bible and read the prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 fully through 3 times. 

2)  Each time, write down everything that pops out at you, noting Paul’s deepest desire, especially for those in Philippi.

3) 
Pay special attention to what is not mentioned. Consider what this may mean about what’s most important to pray for other.

4) Think about five people you care deeply about (a believer who is family or friend). Write their names in your journal. Pray these verses fervently for them.

Tags :
care,compassion,Fruitful,heart,love
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Do you consider yourself a saint? Some people who think they are shouldn’t be so sure, and others who think they aren’t should reconsider!
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Posted in: Heart, Joy, Love, Pause Tagged: care, compassion, Fruitful, heart, love

Sketched X Day 13 Dinner & Identity

July 27, 2022 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 43:15-45:15
John 14:9-11
John 13:1-17
Luke 24:13-35

Sketched X, Day 13

After all this time….
Thirteen years (Genesis 37:2, Genesis 41:46) spent wondering what would become of me. Years of wondering what had become of those who had sold me into slavery – you, my half-brothers. (Genesis 37:12-28) Now here you are, back for more grain. (Genesis 43:1-14)

This time I won’t be rough with you as I was at your last visit when I desperately needed to know if your hearts had truly repented. (Genesis 42:9-20) Instead, I will continue to show kindness like I did as you returned home to our father. (Genesis 42:25-26)
I will instruct my servant to invite you to the noon meal. 

I see my brother Benjamin (Genesis 35:24) has returned with you, as I had previously instructed. (Genesis 42:20) How my heart is both joyful and heavy. I missed so much of his life while I served Potiphar and sat in prison. (Genesis 39, Genesis 41:1) O Benjamin! Let me retreat to my room as I am overwhelmed to see him as a mature young man. (Genesis 43:30)

I want to reveal myself to you, my brothers, on this visit, but I also want to continue to test your hearts. You were honest with my servant about the money I returned to you, and you gave more care to Benjamin on the journey here than you did to me that fateful day. Maybe you have learned. But how will you handle favor? Will you be jealous, like you were when our father favored me with the coat? (Genesis 37:3-4) Let us see.

First I arranged you in birth order. (Genesis 43:33) I knew that would alarm you. Then I gave my brother Benjamin five times more food and drink than the others.
But you did not get upset and for that I was overjoyed. (Genesis 44:34)
I enjoyed my time with you, but I needed to prepare for my final test. Well, not my final test, but Yahweh’s. It is He who is guiding and obstructing me in how I deal with you brothers.

As you left to return to our father, I sent my servant after you to accuse you of thievery. (Genesis 44:1-2) Many would think you are thieves, stealing my freedom and so many years of my life. But you stole nothing. Not this day, nor the day you sold me into slavery. It was all part of God’s plan, and I intended to share this truth with you if you passed my final test.

When my servant stopped you and found the cup in Benjamin’s bag I had placed there, you returned to me, not angry and indignant, but humble! You fell to the ground and bowed before me, (Genesis 44:1-14) just like in the dream that made you hate me enough to sell me. (Genesis 37:5-11) In that moment, you were more humble than I had been when I shared the dream.

And then Judah. O Judah! You mentioned I was dead, but I was not. I was right before you. But despite still holding onto that story of what happened to me, you, above all, amazed me. You came to me with humility, a sense of responsibility and dare I say love and compassion. (Genesis 44:18-34)

You offered your very life for my brother Benjamin. You offered your life to prevent our father from any further grief. I saw none of that before, but now, now, my brother, I see the change. You passed my test. All of you passed.

Now, I weep as I reveal myself to you brothers. Yes, I tricked you, but it wasn’t done in vengeance or hate. I sense your worry, but I say to you, “…don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:5) Brothers, I love you in spite of your actions.

And now, I await your return with my father, Israel. How I have missed him! How I have missed all of you! My soul rejoices for the plans of Yahweh, for they are always true and right. Now hurry my brothers and bring our father to Egypt, where he will be well cared for and Yahweh will be glorified.

John: Joseph invited his brothers to a meal to reveal who he was. We see Jesus openly reveal who He is at a meal, but without any trickery in John 14. Joseph used trickery to confirm his brothers’ heart intentions, but Jesus had no need for such tactics. He simply served them humbly and lovingly by washing His disciples’ feet. (John 13:1-17)

Cleopas: Joseph went to great lengths to reveal to his brothers who he was, with the big reveal at the noon meal. I wonder if they sensed it before he told them? As I walked the road to Emmaus, I felt something, a recognition. But it was at the meal that He, Jesus, fully revealed Himself. And it was my great privilege to truly see the God who keeps on revealing Himself to humanity through our telling of Him. (Luke 24:13-35)

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

Whole Day 1 The Broken & The Cure

June 20, 2022 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Whole Day 1 The Broken & The Cure

Guest Writer

June 20, 2022

Broken,Christ,Clothed,Faith,Forgiven,Freedom,Future,Healing,Heart,Identity

Read His Words Before Ours!

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

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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broken,cure,hope,Jesus,whole
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Digging Deeper

Subtle lies tell us enough of the truth to make us curious, but we can become too lazy to seek the whole truth. Sin begins to take root in our hearts when curiosity turns to doubt followed by wrong choices. God has given us His word that is sufficient instruction for our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) He has also provided for us everything we need to enjoy life to its fullest. (1 Timothy 6:17) God has not left out anything.
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Posted in: Broken, Christ, Clothed, Faith, Forgiven, Freedom, Future, Healing, Heart, Identity Tagged: broken, cure, hope, Jesus, whole

Whole Day 7 Oppression’s Source: Digging Deeper

May 28, 2022 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Whole Day 7 Oppression’s Source: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

May 28, 2022

Christ,Digging Deeper,God,Heart,Holy Spirit,Love,Sin

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

This DD Connects With "Oppression's Source"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) “Flesh” is mentioned three times in one sentence. What is meant by this focus-word? (verses 3-4)

The Bible uses “flesh” in different discussions with different meanings based on context and purpose of the discussion. This should remind us that studying Bible words in their original language and context is extremely important. 

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel spoke positively of flesh when he prophesied of a coming day when the Lord would give Israel a new heart, replacing their heart of stone with a heart of “flesh”. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Paul spoke positively of flesh in a similar meaning of “soft and malleable” when he wrote to the Corinthian believers of Christ’s letter of love written by the Spirit on “human” hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

Of the 140+ times the Greek word for flesh, σάρξ, is used in the New Testament, however, the connotation is overwhelmingly negative. It’s largely associated with sin and often used to contrast the life that is only available through surrender to the Spirit of God at work in a genuine Christ-follower with the life of enslavement to sin that is the default heart-position for every human being. (Romans 7:5, Romans 8:5, 2 Corinthians 7:1)

In some cases, however, σάρξ is a neutral reference simply stating a reality in the same way we might say, “we all have skin and bones”. Paul’s usage in the context of these verses is mixed!

First, he acknowledges a reality that we, speaking to genuine Christ-followers, are living in our human flesh (neutral reality). Then Paul moves deeper and teaches us that our ability to fight against sin and sinful desires isn’t limited by either the flesh of our human reality or the sinful impotence of our former way of life before coming to Jesus for freedom and forgiveness.

We are equipped with a far greater power than anything Sin or Humanity can offer for we have the power of the Almighty God at work within us!

The Everyday Application

1) “Flesh” is mentioned three times in one sentence. What is meant by this focus-word? (verses 3-4)

We see oppression in the broader scope of our culture, cities, and the globe and we ache, knowing it is surely not as it was meant to be. It’s easy to see the vastness of oppression and feel completely incapable to make a difference.

What could we do with one ordinary life against such incredible brokenness? Just as easy to dismiss is the reality of our weaponry as genuine believers in Jesus.

True Christ-followers have recognized the oppression in our own souls by Sin and sought freedom from the Only One powerful enough to provide our forgiveness. Full of grace and truth, this merciful God delivers His own Spirit inside the heart of all who have truly surrendered to Him.

By this power of God Himself inside us, He actively empowers, leads, and equips us to accomplish God’s mission of building His kingdom and pressing back against evil in everyday life. His purpose to give freedom from oppression spans everything from the relationships within our walls to the nations around the world.

If we seek the Lord, pleading His cause of justice, He will move in us as His ministers of reconciliation to bring about His purposes by His power. (Luke 4:18-19, 2 Corinthians 5:19)

The Original Intent

2) What is laid out to be demolished? (verse 4-5)

Paul purposed to describe not only our power source “through God” (verse 4) but also our battle plan for how to use our weaponry against a targeted enemy.

We should also note from this passage the importance of using God’s weapon in God’s way for it to be effective. “[…] weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.” (verse 4)

The strongholds to be demolished by God’s power are marked by arguments against God which are sourced by arrogant pride. Anything that runs counter to knowing God, which encompasses all that He is and the freedom from sin He offers through the sacrificial blood of Christ, is pure arrogance. In ancient times, attacking enemies would lay siege to a city.

If the attacking army endured long enough, eventually the isolated city would run out of supplies, manpower, and sustenance providing an easy target for victory. This was common knowledge, especially for the strategic trade city of Corinth who fought many battles to protect its location and power by building strongholds.

If victory was more likely for the attacker of the stronghold, how much more effective would the All-Powerful God of the Universe be against any spiritual stronghold? None fights like the Lord God; His victory is sure and certain. No stronghold can sustain His power!

The Everyday Application

2) What is laid out to be demolished? (verse 4-5)

Only when we bring all things under the lordship of Christ, as “captives” from the enemy, can we adjust our mindset to become more like Christ in how we engage the world around us.

We all have “strongholds” in our hearts and lives, areas we arrogantly don’t want to surrender. We will remain captives in these citadels until we decide to surrender to Christ’s ways. Only His weaponry can free captives from the chains of sin, flesh, and pride.

Ask the Lord to reveal the areas of your own pride. As you let the Spirit lead you to reflect, what areas do you bristle at with quick justification?

This is pride, Sister.
Call it out for what it is, surrender it to the Lord Jesus Christ, and be freed from the citadel of your own making. Let the gospel ring out loud and clear in your life and overflowing in your relationships! 

As you survey the landscape of your city, nation, and the world, what strongholds is the Spirit leading you to be heartbroken over because of oppression? Fight these with the weaponry God provides! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Original Intent

3) Are believers meant to demolish other’s arguments with decisive verbal victories and claim Christ as their authority? (verse 4-5)

Paul’s language sounds intense with words like weapons, warfare, and demolish! Does this intensity match how Christ commands us to live as His followers? Are we to engage in verbal biting combat until we prove our victory?

Sisters, this is not the Lord’s way, and neither is it Paul’s point!

Again, studying the full context of biblical passages is essential! Backing up to verse 1, we gain an entirely new insight, “Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person[…].” 

What a starkly different description Paul gives of himself! Demolish, warfare, meek, and gentle don’t commonly fit together. You might picture Paul as a fierce, stalwart itinerant preacher, but the early church had quite a different perspective. His letters were received as kind, gentle, wrapped in humility, and threaded through with deep affectionate love for the Church. There was even word going around that Paul was too “soft” to lead and didn’t carry any real authority. He was just too gentle to make a real difference or hold anyone accountable.

This section of Paul’s letter addresses this misconception with bold clarity. As gripped with compassion as Paul was for the lost, those who lived as enemies of Christ (Philippians 3:18, Romans 9:3), he had no tolerance for sin and mishandling of Scripture. He would fight tooth and nail to protect right interpretation of God’s Word and identify sin as vile rebellion within the church. (2 Timothy 2:15, Titus 2:1)

The Everyday Application

3) Are believers meant to demolish other’s arguments with decisive verbal victories and claim Christ as their authority? (verse 4-5)

Paul stood on the side of God’s authority by His own Word expressed through His Spirit. There is no higher authority. There is no safer place to be than sheltering behind the God who moves against the oppression of sin.

Likewise, there is no more dangerous place than living in active rebellion against this same God. Paul was widely known for carrying himself with the likeness of Christ’s meekness, gentleness, humility, and broad-sweeping compassion. He urged all fellow believers to do the same in their everyday lives, which includes all Christians today. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Consider how your children, spouse, or neighbor might describe you. How do you respond when your well-laid plans don’t work out? How do you treat those with whom you are angry? When you experience injustice or even simple disappointment what attributes color your face, tone, and body language?

Like Paul, are you widely known for your gentle compassion? Harsh, cold, biting words, tone, and actions shouldn’t describe any genuine Christ-follower.

Arrogance says I must win this argument and prove my point. Confidence in Christ says because I love you so deeply, I am compelled to point you to truth with firm gentleness. (2 Corinthians 5:14)

God will win against sin’s grip for His victory is sure and certain over every stronghold, but how we handle ourselves as His ambassadors will either further His kingdom or stand in rebellion against Him. How will you choose to live today?

Tags :
knowledge,obey,Oppression,surrender,whole
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In my family’s journey, I understood the enemy is a liar, and I was not going to feel pinned down by doubt, blame, insecurity, comparisons, fear, or relational discord. My family prayed, and God revealed we needed to make some adjustments. Our initial steps were refocusing our priorities (putting God first), being intentional with our time, having patience with our children in learning the word of God, and seeking community.

Furthermore, the Spirit revealed a deeper truth to me during this tumultuous time. The struggles we were facing needed to happen.
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Posted in: Christ, Digging Deeper, God, Heart, Holy Spirit, Love, Sin Tagged: knowledge, obey, Oppression, surrender, whole

Worship X Day 2 Proclaiming Praise: Digging Deeper

May 10, 2022 by Patty Scott Leave a Comment

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 Proclaiming Praise!

The Questions

1) What aspects of God’s character are revealed in Psalm 9?

2) Who are “the wicked,” and what is God’s response to “the wicked”? (verses 5, 16-17)

3) What can we praise God for when He is acting as judge? (verses 16-20)

Psalm 9

I will thank the Lord with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous works.
2 I will rejoice and boast about you;
I will sing about your name, Most High.

3 When my enemies retreat,
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my just cause;
you are seated on your throne as a righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations:
You have destroyed the wicked;
you have erased their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has come to eternal ruin;
you have uprooted the cities,
and the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 And he judges the world with righteousness;
he executes judgment on the nations with fairness.
9 The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you
because you have not abandoned
those who seek you, Lord.

11 Sing to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
proclaim his deeds among the nations.
12 For the one who seeks an accounting
for bloodshed remembers them;
he does not forget the cry of the oppressed.

13 Be gracious to me, Lord;
consider my affliction at the hands of those who hate me.
Lift me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may declare all your praises.
I will rejoice in your salvation
within the gates of Daughter Zion.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they made;
their foot is caught in the net they have concealed.
16 The Lord has made himself known;
he has executed justice,
snaring the wicked
by the work of their hands. Higgaion.
Selah

17 The wicked will return to Sheol—
all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy will not always be forgotten;
the hope of the oppressed will not perish forever.

19 Rise up, Lord! Do not let mere humans prevail;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Put terror in them, Lord;
let the nations know they are only humans.
Selah

Original Intent

1) What aspects of God’s character are revealed in Psalm 9?
Psalm 9 refers to God by several of His names. The first being “LORD” in verse 1, which is actually the Hebrew name for Yahweh or Jehovah. (Got Questions) This name means the one true, self-existent, eternal God and it’s the personal name God used of Himself when He revealed Himself as the “I AM” to Moses at the scene of the burning bush. In verse 2, the psalmist also names God as “Most High”, or Elyon, which literally translates as Highest of Highest or Elyon Elyon. This name emphasizes that nothing is higher than God for only He holds all authority and rule. The psalmist specifically includes these two names to emphasize God’s interaction with His creation as a God of justice. (verse 4) One of the most common names for God in the Old Testament is Elohim, derived from an ancient word for “judge.” Woven into the character of Elohim, which means supreme God of all gods, is His unchanging character of justice. Though Psalm 9 doesn’t specifically refer to God by this name, this element of God’s character is on display in this particular writing. Try reading through the psalm and taking a few notes of how God’s justice is displayed and what the implications are for His just character.

2) Who are “the wicked,” and what is God’s response to “the wicked”? (verses 5, 16-17)
The wicked described in this psalm, and in most places in Scripture, are those who have actively rejected God and His ways. They are guilty and deserving of punishment for their rebellion. While we all share this verdict of guilty because of our sin (Romans 6:23), Scripture names the wicked as those who have no desire to repent and turn from their sin. The wicked are actively hostile toward God, perpetually living as morally wrong, allowing their sin to rule over them. (Romans 6:12) Like all of us apart from the mercy of God, the wicked are condemned to an eternity of death and God’s wrath upon them (John 3:36) due to the condition of their hearts and the actions flowing from corruption. We see a progression revealed in this psalm as to how the merciful and just God responds to the wicked. First, He rebukes them (verse 5), drawing attention to their sin. Whenever God convicts the sinner of their wickedness, it is meant to spur them to repentance; this is His kindness to us! (Romans 2:4) When a person, or nation, refuses to heed God’s rebuke and turn from their sin, God allows them to be ensnared by the work of their own hands (verse 16), their foot is caught in the net they concealed (verse 15), and they fall into the pit they have made (verse 15). Finally, He destroys the wicked who are unrepentant, erasing their name forever and ever (verse 5); this is eternal condemnation.

 3) What can we praise God for when He is acting as judge? (verses 16-20)
As God judges the wicked, Psalm 9 provides some outcomes of His justice and the benefits provided to those who do repent and trust Him.

  • Our enemies retreat, stumble and perish before Him. (verse 3)
  • The oppressed will NOT perish forever (verse 18); He remembers the cry of the oppressed (verse 12); He lifts the oppressed up as we turn to Him in dependent trust and repentance (verse 13).
  • God is gracious (verse 13) and fair (verse 8); He does not abandon those who seek Him (verse 10); He is a refuge (verse 9); He works wonders (verse 1); He upholds our cause (verse 4); He judges with righteousness (verse 8); He provides salvation (verse 14); He makes Himself known (verse 16).

We see the repeated phrases in Psalm 9 that speak to the utter destruction of those who are enemies of God, and, when we align ourselves with Him, who are our enemies as well. He destroys, ruins, and uproots the wicked; even the memory of them perishes.

Everyday Application

1) What aspects of God’s character are revealed in Psalm 9?
While we all want justice, we rarely want justice meted out to ourselves. We don’t like facing the reality that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, emphasis mine). Jesus said, “This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19, emphasis mine) When confronted with our sin, we resort to hiding and blaming as Adam and Eve did in Eden. We each sin by loving our selfish desires, idolizing our lusts, and worshipping everything except God. The God of Justice rightly deems us worthy of the consequence of eternal death for our sins against His holiness. (Romans 6:23) This would be tragic if it were the end of the story. If the final declaration is that we are sinners relentlessly rebelling against the righteous judge, and that our response would always be a knee-jerk reaction to hide from his Light and blame Him and others for our sin, we would be right to despair of all hope. But God is merciful and righteous. The Hebrew word for mercy depicts humble stooping to show gracious favor to those undeserving of kindness. Even as we were God’s enemies, He chose to die in our place, taking our punishment for sin upon Himself. (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 2:24) Justice was served at the cross where God’s wrath was poured out on His Son instead of humanity. (Romans 5:9) This is the God of mercy, and the God of righteous judgment. This is a God of humble stooping (Philippians 2:6-8), a God who seeks and saves the lost (Luke 19:10), and a God who desires none to perish (2 Peter 3:9). This God of supreme justice and immeasurable mercy is worthy of our worship!

2) Who are “the wicked,” and what is God’s response to “the wicked”? (verses 5, 16-17)
It is tempting to look outward whenever we hear the word wicked. Surely, this is not a descriptor of ourselves! Even in psalm 9, the psalmist speaks of his enemies. “Oh, God,” we say, “Smite the wicked!” Yet, we don’t want to be smitten by Him; we want to be welcomed and justified. What about us? We are the wicked. All have sinned. All fall short of God’s holiness. This is me. This is you. The wicked aren’t limited to that person who is upsetting me or not living as I wish they would. We need to be so cautious of the sin of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day who quickly pointed to others’ sin while ignoring their own. Jesus called them “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27) who were dead within and completely unaware of their own need for God. They refused to acknowledge their sinfulness, which meant they couldn’t accept a God who would show them unmerited mercy and grant them salvation at His cost. They simply did not perceive themselves as needing a Savior; they were good enough on their own. Let’s respond to the word wicked by saying, “This is me. I need Him.” Thank Him that we are counted as righteous because of His work, not our own because we could never earn righteousness. Apart from His mercy, the inclination of our hearts is rebellion against God, and our destiny is the condemnation of the wicked. May we have compassion on the wicked as God has compassion on us, for at the cross, the ground is level. We all come to Him as rebellious sinners in need of a Savior.

3) What can we praise God for when He is acting as judge? (verses 16-20)
I remember a time when I began to understand that those who had deeply harmed me in the past were recipients of God’s just wrath, and I could trust Him to act justly on my behalf. For the first time, I felt a comfort deeper than I’d previously known. I saw God’s judgment as being on my behalf, not against me. He was judging the wicked, my enemies, so to speak, for harming His beloved daughter, as any good, protective father would. God’s judgment is ultimately a very good thing; it’s one we can trust without needing to take justice into our own hands. (Romans 12:17-21) Imagine a world where justice didn’t matter, and no one enforced the laws established for safety, harmony, and preservation of freedom. God is a God who cares enough to judge rightly. We can praise Him that He judges the unrighteous, and that He offers mercy in that process, but ultimately those sins committed against Him and those He loves do not go without retribution. (Romans 12:19-20) God cares deeply for the oppressed. And though the oppressed suffer for a time, He is aware of their suffering, and He is near to them. (Psalm 34:18) He always has the oppressed on His heart. He sees, hears, and cares when we are pressed down and persecuted and when we face trials of all kinds. (1 Peter 4:19) He also cares about those around us who suffer and He calls us to represent Him in their lives with love, compassion, and just action. When God judges, He does it with righteousness, fairness, grace, and mercy. He is never unkind or mean, unfair or temperamental in His judgments. We can trust Him as Elohim, the just God of all gods.

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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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Posted in: Enemies, Heart, Lord, Mercy, Salvation, Thankfulness Tagged: enemy, heart, Lord, mercy, salvation, thankfulness

Eden Day 11 The Blame Game

May 2, 2022 by Lori Meeks Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Psalms 51
John 10:1-13
Romans 8:31-39

Eden, Day 11

Sin.
It’s an ugly word.
We often try to avoid it, saying instead: I messed up, my temper got the best of me, I was hangry, rules are just suggestions.

Reading the Old Testament fascinates me, because it’s easy to see not much has changed since the beginning of time.

For example, consider the conversation between God and Adam in Genesis 3:8-10 (emphasis mine) regarding sin:
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ 

And he said, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’”

Can’t you imagine this happening today?
During those times when I try to “hide” from God because of my sin, I imagine God whispering to my soul, “Hey Lori, whatcha’ doin over there?”
I imagine replying, “Hiding from you God, duh.”
Joking aside, we all do this. Much like Adam and Eve, in our sin, we try to hide from God, hoping He won’t notice.

But God does notice. In Genesis 3, we see God gently nudging Adam to come clean by asking some pointed questions:
“Where are you?” (verse 9)
“Who told you that you were naked?” (verse 11)
“Did you eat from that tree I commanded you not to eat from?” (verse 11)

Still, Adam won’t admit his sin. He sidesteps God’s first question about his nakedness; instead, launching into “it wasn’t my fault,” beginning the first blame game. (Genesis 3:12) And don’t we do this? Yet we cannot hide from God, or fool Him with blame-shifting. He sees us exactly as we are: naked, exposed, and afraid.

I think of our youngest daughter when I read this story. From an early age she came to us, without prompting, to admit she (or her sister) had done something wrong. Given her second-born-child tendency to push boundaries, this happened often!

As a parent, this was a pretty sweet gig. We could rest assured that if either child had transgressed, our youngest would let us know long before we would find out on our own. Thinking back, I have no idea where this behavior came from, because I have always been a “rules are basically suggestions” kind of girl.

But she was nearly always compelled to admit her wrongdoing,
and when you think about it, isn’t this exactly how we should be with God!
Unlike us parents, God already knows when we sin,
and He wants our honest confession.

Psalm 51 is a great example of confessing sin that stems from true heartfelt repentance. When confronted with his sin, verse 4 describes King David acknowledging it by saying to God,

“Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when you pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge.”

Like Adam and Eve and King David, we too have a sneaky enemy who twists God’s words, tempting us into sin. John 10:10 tells us our enemy is coming to “steal and kill and destroy.” Therefore, we need to be on guard, ready to meet the lies of the enemy with God’s truth. In this same verse, Jesus also says, “I have come so that [you] may have life and have it in abundance.” Instead of agonizing over our sin or trying to hide it, we can come before our gracious Savior and confess, “I have sinned, Jesus, and I’m sorry.”

Indeed, Scripture explains,
“If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

Romans 8:31-39 provides us with the confident hope we need when dealing with sin. Read these words slowly and then spend some time reflecting or journaling on their meaning.

“What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 

Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Eden 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 Eden!

Posted in: Confession, God, Heart, Love, Old Testament, Sin Tagged: Confession, God, heart, love, Old Testament, Sin

The GT Weekend! ~ Eden Week 2

April 30, 2022 by Katelyn Palmer Leave a Comment

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) In the beginning of Genesis, we catch a glimpse of the life God intends for us. We see beauty in every aspect of life, even, or perhaps especially, in work. In our broken world, we can easily lose sight of the biblical significance of labor and its fruit. Society’s version of work leaves us disheartened, unfulfilled, and stressed because it shifts the focus off God. When you find yourself in the thick of it at work, what’s your focus point that renews your strength and motivates you? If it’s anything but God, you will eventually find it insufficient. When we change the lens through which we view labor, filtering our perspective through God’s character, we realize the gift of work! Each day, God provides opportunities to glorify Him and align ourselves with His character as we enter work attempting to model Him as He diligently labored over Creation. When you struggle to push through whatever labor you face, pray for God to shift your lens and align your heart with His. Don’t be discouraged should you not see tangible fruit from your labor, instead remind yourself of the truths Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “be steadfast…excelling in the Lord’s work because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain,” and Galatians 6:9, “let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

2) Temptation is perhaps Satan’s most effective tool to spiritually attack mankind. He merely sets up situations that pull at the sinful desires of our flesh, knowing our bodies are at war with the Spirit of God living inside us, leaving us weakened and vulnerable. The best illustration of handling temptation is on display as Jesus suffered temptation in the wilderness after His baptism by John. He spent 40 days and 40 nights being tempted by the devil, but effectively resisting the urge to sin. (Matthew 4:1-11) Each time Satan spoke, Jesus replied using Scripture from the Old Testament. He used God’s words, the very words we read in our Bibles today, to expose Satan’s lies with Truth. This requires us to spend intentional time studying the Bible. Scripture is God’s favorite way to talk to us. What are some activities you could sacrifice in order to make time to listen to God and equip yourself against temptation? Could you wake up 30 minutes earlier, or turn off the television a little bit sooner, or scroll on social media a little less?

3) Jesus didn’t spend his time as a human here on earth building marble laden castles, throwing lavish feasts, and laughing drunkenly in wide hallways ordained with gold and silver. He walked the dirt lined paths of His earthly kingdom with His bare feet alongside messy, imperfect people, healing the sick and despised. He engaged them with questions that illuminated truth, tore holes in their lies, brought understanding and healing, and exposed those who weren’t yet ready to hear the answers they sought. God has never stopped asking us questions, engaging us in conversation to illuminate, heal, and expose the sin in our lives and lead us back to Him. His goal has always been to share in relationship with His creation, so make it a point, today, to follow His lead and engage the next person you run into with His love. Be open minded and intentional. After all, you never know where a question could lead, or how the Lord could use your obedience to rescue a soul for eternity!

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 11:12-15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

Prayer Journal
Dear Yahweh, I thank you for being the guiding star that ever points north and whose light never falters. Each morning, You give me a day full of new opportunities to bring glory to Your name. I ask for Your help in shifting my gaze back to You when I lose sight of this gift. Please give me a heart that aches for Your Word and a soul thirsting for truth. I ask for Your direction when navigating worldly temptation. Please, Holy Spirit, remind me to put on Your armor in protection of the enemy as Ephesians 6:10-18 commands. Help me recollect Scripture in my times of weakness and allow me to move forward with the shield of faith and my feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.

Give me courage to explore the power of asking questions not just with my loved ones and close friends, but with strangers and even my enemies, as I remember this battle we are in is not against flesh and bone, but against spiritual powers beyond what my eyes can see. Help me remember You love my enemy just as You love me. Thank You, Yahweh, for Your endless grace and mercy. May Your will be done in me today and every day. Amen.

Worship Through Community

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Posted in: Creation, Gift, God, Heart, Sin, Strength Tagged: creation, gift, God, heart, Sin, strength

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14