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The GT Weekend ~ Beloved Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) God delights to give good gifts to His children. We know “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17) Marriage, as we saw in Monday’s Journey Study, is a delightful gift from the Lord. God’s plan for marriage was for a man and woman to delight in one another and to reflect His love to the world. Married woman, are you delighting in your husband, or are you focusing on where he is lacking? Are you trusting in God’s plan for your marriage and finding ways to show your husband that you enjoy him, or are you focusing on pleasing yourself? Write down one way you will show your husband you desire him AND one way you can grow in your desire for God. Unmarried sister, have you entrusted the Lord with your desires? Are you living each day to the glory of God, trusting that His timing is perfect? Write down any area in your life that you have believed God is holding back a good gift from you, and ask Him to reveal His heart toward you in that area.

2) In Wednesday’s Journey, we read about the beauty of intimacy between lovers. Merry listed four traits the intimate couple in Song of Solomon display for one another. They are transparent, honest, vulnerable, and purposeful. Transparency, honesty, vulnerability, and intentioned purpose can each help us grow in relationship with our spouse and with our God. These traits also require trust and courage to live out in real life because they open us up to the possibility of being hurt. To the married woman, where are you holding back in your marriage for fear of being hurt? Marriage relationships are complicated and messy when it comes to trust and vulnerability. Neither are easy. As wives, we can only be responsible for ourselves, not the actions and heart attitudes of our husbands. As far as it depends on you, list specific ways you can move deeper into vulnerability and intimacy with your spouse. Consider if there are sins on your side that may be hindering your relationship and pray through these and share with your spouse. Write down specific areas or actionable ways you can begin increasing vulnerability with your husband. Ask God to give you courage and to enable you to take steps to love your husband well. To all sisters, how are you pursuing intimacy with your Heavenly Father? Take time today to verbalize or write down ways you have been holding back from trusting the Lord; ask Him to help you seek intimacy with Him.

3) Before marriage, we can build up expectations for how married life will be, but because we live in a broken world, and we marry broken people, marriage often falls short of our grand expectations. Personally, I thought my husband would always know exactly what to say or do to make me feel better, but surprise! He can’t read my mind. Women, what are you asking from the men in your life (whether implicitly or directly) that only God can provide? Are you hoping for your husband (current or future) to make you secure with his words and actions, or to heal your broken places? Are you demanding he provide you with stability and peace in a tumultuous situation? Look to Jesus. Only Jesus can heal and provide us with true satisfaction. Confess where you have fallen short, and ask the Lord to help you find your satisfaction in Him. For wives, this frees your husband to be the man he is able to be, rather than burden him with unrealistic expectations.  For single women, this allows you to find satisfaction in your current season. If God provides a husband for you, you will be setting a course for a healthy relationship, loosed from the chains of unrealistic expectations.

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 Proverbs 31:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Who can find a wife of noble character?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will not lack anything good.
She rewards him with good, not evil,
all the days of her life.

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. You alone can satisfy the deepest longings of my heart. You alone can heal my broken places and pursue me with perfect love. Oh that I would find my satisfaction in You! Forgive me for the idols of my heart, for my worship of lesser loves. Help me to identify and eliminate all distractions that would keep me from loving You rightly. Help me to honor my husband by following You as Lord and not asking him to do a job he was never intended to do. Show me where I have sinned against my husband, and help me to humbly seek restoration with him. I ask You to continue to bless my marriage with joy and satisfaction and desire. Thank You that Your design for marriage is good. Remind me that my marriage is a picture to a broken world of the love You have for Your church and of her desire to follow You. Finally, I pray for my sisters who are longing to be married. Help them to find their satisfaction in You. Help them to pursue a life-giving relationship with You, and to be content in every situation, trusting that Your timing and Your plans are best.

Worship Through Community

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Calling Day 6 For This Reason

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:1-21
Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Peter 3:13-22

Calling, Day 6

For this reason.
These are the first three words in Ephesians 3.

Lean in, sisters. Paul is about to explain the motivation driving his life of incredibly challenging, incredibly impactful kingdom work.

What propelled him to get up after each beating?
What kept him going after shipwrecks?
What urged him to declare the Gospel with the same vigor he once used to attack the church?

For this reason.

Paul knew his why. And that made all the difference.

We discover Paul’s why by reading Ephesians 2. Read it aloud as if you were having a conversation with Paul, keeping in mind the passion saturating his words; this would not be a dull, emotionless speech!

Dear sisters, we share in Paul’s why:

We, too, were dead in our sins until God made us alive with Christ through grace, by faith.

We, too, were once far away from God, but have been lovingly brought near through Christ, who is our peace. (Ephesians 2:13-14) Upon His foundation, we too, together with all believers, are being built into God’s holy temple. (Ephesians 2:19-21)

For this reason, we, like Paul, can experience a similar desire to bow before the Lord, to humble ourselves at the awareness of all Christ has done for us. In this moment, overwhelmed with revelation of the mysterious love of our Father (Ephesians 3:1-7), the busyness and strife of the world around us fade away. The incessant cries for “Now and Must Do!” are wonderfully replaced with an eternal, holy urgency. This life shall pass away and we are assured we will spend eternity with Christ.
For this reason, we live with holy abandon!

But what about our co-workers, our neighbors, or the barista at our favorite coffee shop?

How can we share the good news,
the call from death to life,
and the Father’s heart longing to draw them near?

Are we willing to sacrifice our own comfort, or finances, or status
to invite the lost of our dying world into peace with God?

Paul told the church in Ephesus to not be discouraged over his afflictions on their behalf; he understood how his suffering would further God’s mission of sharing Jesus with the Gentiles.

Sharing the gospel will not be without sacrifice. It may be in the form of intense persecution, as Christians in some countries are currently experiencing. It may look like someone’s laughter after hearing the gospel. It could be a harsh “no” when asked to talk about Jesus. It might even just be the inconvenience of obedience when the Lord nudges us to hold the door for someone several steps behind us.

Regardless of what each day may bring, I desire to live with Paul’s boldness in pursuit of Christ and sharing Him with those around me. I want to trust so deeply in the Lord that even my levels of joy and peace in Him declare His goodness.

For this reason, I echo Paul’s prayer in verses 14-21, with an intense expectancy for the Lord to respond.
Will you join me, sisters?

Oh Lord, teach us to share the gift of the gospel with those around us. Strengthen us with power in our hearts through Your Spirit. Dwell within us and teach us how to love those around us. Help us comprehend Your love, which surpasses simple knowledge. 

Lord, You truly are able to do beyond what we can ask or imagine. May we live our lives for You and Your glory. Solidify our “why” within us and help us invite others to meet you wherever we go. 

Amen. 

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

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

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

Sketched VIII Day 10 Tamar & Judah

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 38
Matthew 1:1-16
Isaiah 30:18-22

Sketched VIII, Day 10

“Judah has chosen you to marry his son, Er!”

“Papa!” my disgust was as thick as the outrage in my voice.

I’d always been too outspoken, and Mama’s quick glare reminded me I’d spoken out of turn, again.

“Tamar!” My mother clicked her tongue and added reprovingly, “Judah is one of the twelve sons of Jacob; you should be honored! Covenant promises with Yahweh surround his family.”

I whirled to face her. My family was well-accustomed to my vigorous debates, and this was one I would not lose. “You know Judah’s reputation! I don’t care a whit whether he’s Jacob’s son, that man has a wandering eye for any woman with a pulse!”

“Well, Tamar, you’re marrying Er, not Judah. That’s final!”

“Papa! No! It’s not fair!” My shrill voice drew the glances of passersby.

Papa responded with tender grace, “Tamar, I love you. You are important and precious, and Yahweh will use you for His work.” He reached out to touch my cheek. “My fiery girl, I adore you. Er has no idea what he’s in for.” He winked and took his seat to bless our meal.

I smiled at the memory. I loved Papa dearly, and he had loved me for who I was. I grieved every day he was gone, but also breathed a prayer of thanks he never had to witness the obscenity that was my marriage to Er.

Er was spiteful and addicted to many things: alcohol, women, and anger . . . but mostly, himself. Whatever Er wanted, he got, until finally, the Lord mercifully answered my pleas for safety. Er was killed by the Lord’s hand.
Truly, the Lord is a God of justice.

In accordance with the Lord’s law, Judah gave me to his next son, Onan.

“Onan.” I spat out his name like a curse. Onan was devious, passive aggressive, and manipulative. Where Er had beaten me with his fists, Onan cut my heart with his words and insidious deception. The death trap of marriage to Judah’s sons was stifling.

My only hope was to bear a child. Even one son would bring purpose to my suffering. Please, Lord, please, I whispered all day and through the watches of the night, grant your daughter redemption.

My situation felt hopeless. Onan only had sex with me for his own pleasure, pulling out at the last moment so I couldn’t conceive. Yet, I knew Yahweh saw all. I clung to my God of justice, waiting.

Mercifully, the Lord did see Onan’s treachery, and He hated it. By Yahweh’s hand, Onan was also put to death. Two dead husbands, a heart damaged enough for a lifetime, and all hope was dashed.

Still, Yahweh was and always would be just, even if I couldn’t see it. There remained Judah’s youngest son, Shelah. I would be close to the end of my child-bearing years by the time Shelah was old enough to marry, but Judah, with some semblance of honor, promised me Shelah if I returned home and waited for him.

Mama. Sweet mama. I nestled my head against her aging shoulder, wrapping my arms around her. “Tamar, my girl, I love you. You are important and precious. Yahweh will use you for His work.” Despite my pride, tears flowed down my cheeks into my mother’s silvery hair. Such faith! Lord, look upon Your daughter! Extend Your just arm!

Shelah’s coming of age came and went. Weeks turned to months as I waited, sure the Lord heard my pleas, but Judah never fulfilled his promise. Word had it, he blamed me for the deaths of his other two sons.

Angry, I cried out to the Lord. Where is your justice, Yahweh?! Have you not seen me waiting, oppressed, and broken all these years?! I have trusted You, haven’t I?!

“Tamar, Judah is heading to Timnah to shear his sheep.” My friend’s bit of information lit a match within me and hope sparked to life. My plan was devious, yes, but I was too angry to care. Yahweh had given Judah the responsibility of protecting and caring for me, yet he shirked his duties. Now was the time for action.

My heart raced as I removed my widow’s clothing, and hurried to the outskirts of Timnah where Judah would pass. Dressed as a prostitute, I was counting on old Judah to be as scandalous as always. I was not disappointed, for moments later, he asked for my services.

I would not be taken advantage of this time. “Give me your signet, your cord, and your staff from your hand as pledge of your payment.” Greedy Judah readily agreed and the deed was done. We both went on our way, Judah to shear his sheep, and me to plead with Yahweh for mercy.

Three months later, Judah’s baby was 12 weeks along.
The Lord had heard! Evidence of His justice fluttered in my womb.

Proof of His abundant kindness washed over me when I safely delivered two sons a few months later. As I held their tiny bodies close, tears streamed from my eyes. The Lord was righteous! Perez and Zerah were proof!

But when the community heard of my sons’ birth, they cried out for my death as an adulteress. As they dragged me to the place of judgement, I clenched Judah’s signet, cord, and staff, calling out for their owner to claim his items, and his sons.

The blood drained from Judah’s face as he put the fragmented pieces together.
I held my breath.

Would the Lord bring justice?

Judah stepped forward, raising a shaking voice,
“She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her my son, Shelah.”

I trembled, in shock at Judah’s confession and in awe of the Lord’s justice.
I would live and raise my boys in peace!

Hundreds of years later, Yahweh further unfolded a plan Tamar wouldn’t know until she reached Heaven: Perez and Zerah are listed in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is faithful and just; His righteousness knows no limits. God used a woman of fierce bravery, fighting through difficult circumstances, to usher in the One who would bring justice and righteousness to all people through His death and resurrection. Never doubt, dear sister, the Lord sees, and knows, and fights for you!

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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!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VIII Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Sketched VIII!

Ten Day 11 The Deceit Of Not Enough

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:25-34
Psalm 27:1-5
1 Peter 5:5-7
Genesis 3:1-6
Exodus 20:15

Ten, Day 11

“What’s in your hand?”, my mom asked as we walked out of the convenience store. I slowly unwrapped my seven-year-old fingers from the small pack of Now and Later candy I had stolen. The pit in my stomach told me I was in trouble and it was only going to get worse.

“You have to take it back and apologize.” My mom held my hand and led me back into the store. We walked up to the counter and I stared at the pickled pig’s feet in the jar on the counter.

“My daughter has something she would like to tell you,” Mom explained to the clerk. I stretched my hand out and dropped the candy on the counter.

“I’m sorry I took these without paying for them.”
I couldn’t make eye contact, I was so embarrassed. Immediately, I headed for the door.

Once we left, my mom explained I had broken one of the Ten Commandments. Stealing was on the same list as murder. I learned a valuable lesson and cemented an aversion both to pickled pig’s feet and stealing that has stuck with me to this day.

I have since realized my desire to take what isn’t mine goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were stealing from God.

One of Satan’s most deceptive strategies involves providing a short-term solution giving us something we want or need, but ultimately keeping us from God’s best. 

Though Eve lacked for nothing, Satan enticed her with the forbidden fruit. Just like Adam and Eve, we can be easily convinced God is holding out and we need to meet our own wants or needs.

For many people, our choice to cut corners and take what isn’t ours comes from
a fear God won’t give us what we want,
a sense of entitlement (we deserve what we are taking),
or just plain impatience.

Each of these motivations are based on pride.

Pride means elevating our needs and desires over God and other people.

When we act out of fear, we are choosing to listen to pride’s whispered lie we know more than God and can do a better job providing than He can.

A sense of entitlement elevates our needs and desires over the owner’s rights. Pride tells us our desires are THE MOST important. As Proverbs 16:19 reminds us, “Better to be of lowly spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud.”

Impatience is often rooted in pride and fear, as well. Our pride falsely elevates our ability to know the future, and imposes a man-made deadline on the Creator of the Universe’s capacity to meet our needs. Rather than focusing on God’s unlimited resources and ability, we become focused on our scarce resources and opportunities.

Fear is a weapon Satan often uses to lead us away from God’s best. The best way to fight back is by studying and memorizing Bible verses. God’s Word is a double-edged sword we can use to defeat Satan’s attacks. Dwelling on Scripture builds our faith; faith provides a shield against the fiery arrows Satan uses against us.

At an early age, my mom helped me learn to use this verse to combat fear.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
(2 Timothy 1:7)

This promise breaks through the fear of unmet needs.

“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

When the future looms ahead, murky in uncertainty, let’s remember:

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation
whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
whom should I dread?” (Psalm 27:1)

When pride begins to puff our chests and cloud our vision,
let’s pursue humility with His Word:

“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.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

“When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)

Whether we’re tempted to pocket a stolen piece of candy, or steal our future from the hands of our loving Father, we’ve seen how God’s command to refrain from stealing addresses the true condition of our hearts.

And when we struggle with fear of scarcity, impatience, or pride, we can counteract Satan’s assaults with Scripture. When fear strikes, we can ask God to lead us to His truth from Scripture to counteract the lies. Let’s turn our focus to our Heavenly Father as we trust in His deep love, His unbounded resources, and His faithful provision.

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

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

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He Day 6 Yahweh Jireh

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 22:10-18
Matthew 6:5-8
Matthew 6:25-34
Ephesians 3:20-21

He, Day 6

I have never felt more “unseen” than in my first few years of motherhood. With my husband coaching late night games and my son often rising before dawn, I spent most mornings wondering how I was going to make it through another fourteen hour day alone with the kids.

Those were difficult, yet fruitful years, as I leaned into my desperate need for God. I needed Him for strength, grace, peace, and joy, and He provided me all of those and more. During those long, lonely days, I came to know Him as Yahweh Jireh, “The Lord Who Provides.”

Abraham was the first to call God by this name. He did so just after an enormous test of faith, when God asked him to sacrifice his one and only son, the son born of God’s promise to make Abraham a great nation. 

In Genesis 22, we watch as Abraham binds his son, Isaac, and lays him on an altar. Abraham raises his arm, fully prepared to use the knife he holds, only to hear the Lord call out and stay his hand. As Abraham looks up, he sees a ram caught in a thicket of thorns. It is God’s provision, a substitute sacrifice to stand in Isaac’s place. Abraham’s son no longer needed to die, God had Abraham’s full attention. 

Yahweh Jireh can be defined as both “The Lord Perceives” and “The Lord Provides.” These definitions may seem at odds, but as we will see, they are really two steps in a single action.

A great example of this is found in Numbers 11:4-23. In this passage, the nation of Israel is grumbling against their leader, Moses, and ultimately against the Lord. They are tired of the manna God has provided them and desperate for meat. They are so desperate, in fact, they begin to long for the land of their captivity, Egypt. 

The Lord hears their complaints and His righteous anger is aroused. He declares He will provide them meat; in fact, He will provide them so with much meat they will be sick of it. He informs Moses He will send them quail for a month.

Moses seems indignant and replies, “I am in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat, and they will eat for a month.’ If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?” (Numbers 11:21-22)

The Lord responds, “Is the Lord’s arm weak? Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen for you.” (Numbers 11:23)

The Lord makes it clear He will be the one to provide for Israel, not Moses, and indeed He does. Not only does He perceive both the Israelites’ “need” and its origin in attitudes of ungratefulness, but He provides remedies for both.

If we fast forward to the New Testament, we see another instance where Yahweh Jireh perceives and provides. In John 6, Jesus is wrapping up a full day’s teaching alongside the sea of Galilee, when He looks up at the gathering crowd. Moved with compassion, He looks over at Philip and asks, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?”. (John 6:5)

I imagine Philip’s pulse quickened at the question, his mind reeling with the impracticality of finding, much less affording, enough bread to feed the thousands before him. 

“Two hundred denarii [nearly a year’s wages] worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little,” Philip responds, despairingly. (John 6:7)

But Jesus never intended for Philip to purchase bread. The text tells us before Jesus asked the question, He had determined a solution. He would provide the food and He would do it through the meager offering a small boy’s lunch: five loaves of bread and two fish.

In both of these instances, God perceives a need and determines He will meet it.
Both times, man perceives the need and despairs.

Are you in a place of despair? 

Do you find yourself surrounded by overwhelming problems and unmet needs? Be encouraged! There is nothing, not a moment, of our lives that goes by unobserved by Yahweh Jireh. Unlike an uninterested bystander, the Lord not only perceives our needs, He moves on our behalf to meet them. 

Nowhere is this more true than in our need for a savior. Just as God provided a ram to stand in the place of Abraham’s son, He provided Jesus to stand in ours. 

Our salvation is a need we couldn’t possibly satisfy on our own;
our sin is a debt we could never repay.
Thanks be to Christ, we no longer have to. 

His death ensured our forgiveness;
His righteousness became our own.

Whatever you are in need of today, bring it before Yahweh Jireh. He has met our greatest need through salvation. How much more can we trust Him with the rest?

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

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Hallel Day 7 We Will Bless: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out We Will Bless!

The Questions

1) Why is trusting the Lord reiterated three times in verses 9-11 and what is the progression of specific people called out signify?

2) What is the significance of calling out specific groups of people? (verses 9-11)

3) Why would verses 17-18 have been especially meaningful or even confusing for the disciples as they sang these words at the last Passover with Jesus?

Psalm 115:9-18

Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord—
small and great alike.

14 May the Lord add to your numbers,
both yours and your children’s.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the Lord’s,
but the earth he has given to the human race.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
nor any of those descending into the silence of death.
18 But we will bless the Lord,
both now and forever.
Hallelujah!

Original Intent

1) Why is trusting the Lord reiterated three times in verses 9-11 and what is the progression of specific people called out signify?
These verses immediately follow blatant descriptions of idols made by human hands and how foolish it is to worship them. (verses 4-8, Isaiah 44:9-20) They are proven untrustworthy and utterly incapable of bringing about any change in real life, let alone protection or blessing. With night and day contrast, the psalmist presses in, “….trust in the Lord! He is a help and shield!” In Scripture, when a word, phrase, or series of phrases is repeated, it is meant to underline its importance. It’s the equivalent of lifting the chin of a child and emphasizing, “Hey, look at me, I’m serious about this.”. This phrasing isn’t repeated once, but three times. This level of importance trumps all others. Pay attention, this is for real. Repeat it. Memorize it. Tattoo it on your arm. “Trust in the Lord! He is a help and shield!”  

2) What is the significance of calling out specific groups of people? (verses 9-11)
The progression of specific groups of people is interesting, and important to notice. “House of Israel” (verse 9) is beseeched first, calling the entirety of the nation of Israel as a whole. All of God’s chosen people, hello, pay attention here! Then the focus narrows to, “House of Aaron” (verse 10), signifying the Levites, which would be all the leaders within the Tabernacle. These were a smaller margin of people, who had also been especially set aside by God, to minister to Him in the temple and minister to His people. They had a pivotal role to play in spiritual leadership, and through the psalmist’s words, God calls them away from trusting in themselves or their idols. Trust Me only, says the Lord! Finally, the focus spotlights every person as an individual. “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is a help and shield!” (verse 11) The progression of people being called out calls into focus God’s perspective on people and the high importance He places on His people as a whole, while not neglecting the beauty of a deep and intimate relationship on a personal level. In the end, all are called to trust in the Lord and have no idols before Him, none are excluded from this high calling. 

3) Why would verses 17-18 have been especially meaningful or even confusing for the disciples as they sang these words at the last Passover with Jesus?
This phrasing of “it is not the dead who praise You”, is used frequently throughout the psalms as the writer is pleading to God for life. In the previous verses, it is the blessing of life that is most evident. Life from the death of slavery. Life for a nation who wasn’t previously a nation. Life for a new generation from those who had died in the desert wanderings. Life in the new Promised Land. These were all blessings from the Lord in the form of life. Therefore, in contrast, the writer calls for the Lord to see that those who are dead cannot praise Him. Psalm 6:5 asks, “who will praise You from Sheol (meaning the grave)?”. The question itself is a plea for the continued blessing of life to be given, and protected, by the Author of Life. In an incredibly ironic scenario, the disciples heard from Jesus Himself on multiple occasions that He would be handed over to be crucified. This One, Jesus, whom the disciples had come to know as God Himself, the Source and Sustainer of life, would now, willingly, be put to death. Unfathomable!

Everyday Application

1) Why is trusting the Lord reiterated three times in verses 9-11 and what is the progression of specific people called out signify?
How often in your day to you wish you could pull back from it all? Maybe you wish you could run and hide? Maybe it’s not that intense, but you might be caught rolling your eyes or tossing a sharp verbal barb. When situations or relationships in everyday life go south, our first instinct is to suit up defensively and either wait it out while hiding in the armor, or get angry and start pushing back. These natural human instincts quite often don’t actually help strengthen our relationships or right our situations, rather they just delay the pain by trying to mute it, or make the whole thing worse. Suppose instead, we followed the strong, emphatic call from the wise psalmist and chose to “Trust the Lord!” while remembering ”He is a help and a shield!”. What can you do to start incorporating this shift? Maybe you aren’t tattooing it on your arm, but maybe you decide to write it in erasable marker on your bathroom mirror. Maybe you make it your phone’s lockscreen. Or maybe you grab a sharpie and you do write it on your arm! Whatever you do, this is worth taking seriously. It can change your focus, your relationships, and how you view your circumstances! Trusting the Lord is the doorway for His peace to fill you!

2) What is the significance of calling out specific groups of people? (verses 9-11)
Often, in the Western hemisphere, we place a supreme importance on individuality and personal freedom, ability, and expression of self. This has many strengths associated with it, but one major downfall is isolation with the idea that we don’t need anyone but ourselves. We can’t trust anyone. We don’t need anyone. We are self-made. This idea is completely counter to God’s view of people in Scripture. He didn’t intend for us to live in isolation, but together, always in community. Community with Himself and community with other brothers and sisters within the global Body of Christ are paramount and foremost. If we miss the bigger, broader picture that every believer is only a part of the whole, we have missed God’s heart for us as a people. Together, every Christian across all of time make up the singular Body, the Bride of Christ, His Church. This is critical to understanding how God sees us! In this part of the Hallel, we can be reminded that, as a Church, God is calling us to shift our eyes to Him, and off our impotent idols. He is worthy of our praise and He alone is trustworthy, a help, and a shield! Today, we don’t have the office of Levite, but we do have leaders within our church. Pastors, elders, deacons, and teachers are all called out precisely because they are the lead examples within the life of the Church. They are to model this full trust in the Lord! Finally, as individuals, having been reminded that we are one part of a whole, are to make sure our life is being lived out in the everyday through the lens of trusting the Lord. Big or small issues, He alone is trustworthy, He is worthy of worship, He is our help and shield! Trust the Lord!!

3) Why would verses 17-18 have been especially meaningful or even confusing for the disciples as they sang these words at the last Passover with Jesus?
As impossible as it was for the disciples to understand in the moment, we can see the full picture through reading the rest of the gospel story. In laying down His life, in dying our death, Jesus made true life available for all! His was the death that brought life. The death of Jesus actually did bring glory to God, because through it, no one would need to die and cease praising the Lord. In fact, just a little farther along in the Hallel, the psalmist emphatically makes this point by declaring, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” A believer who has trusted Jesus for their salvation blesses God through their physical death because they have transitioned from being apart from God, while in their body, to being in the very presence of God in Heaven! Bless the Lord with your life while you are still breathing by choosing the eternal life He offers to all and trust Him as your personal Savior from sin and eternal death and separation from Him!

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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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Questions Day 15 Does God Care?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 5:6-11
Psalm 56:8-11
Romans 8:31-38

Questions, Day 15

“There is a place where there is an aggregate of human suffering and questioning.
That place is the heart of God.” –Ravi Zacharias, Cries of the Heart

Life holds both purest joy and deepest pain.

Have you experienced a heavy heart, unanswered questions, bitterness that threatened to eat you from the inside out, or anger rooted in grief over unfulfilled longing or loss?

To you, aching sister, I say,
I stand with you in your grief; I hold my own.
I stand with you in your questions; I ask my own.
I stand with you in the bitterness seeking to destroy you; I battle it, too.

I am not writing because I have all the answers. Even after decades of following Jesus, of wrestling long hours, sometimes whole seasons (with the God of the universe to whom I’ve given my whole-hearted devotion), I still ask this simple yet excruciatingly painful question,

“God, do You see me? Do You hear me? Do You care?”

I share your struggle, and I offer what I have learned in hopes it will help you, too.
There is peace available, peace born of resting in the assurance that
God cares deeply for you.

He is our Immanuel, God with us, ever abiding in the darkest recesses of our lives and hearts.

Let’s start with the Bible, a living, active, and power-filled book. (Hebrews 4:12) God inspired many men to write the Bible, preserved its contents over thousands of years, and its power continues to be demonstrated as by it, the Spirit of God transforms believers.
The very gift of His Word is evidence of God’s care for us.

Let’s embrace this precious gift! Read His Word, commit precious passages to memory, and repeat them aloud in your dark moments, and experience His nearness as a result.

God’s Word is both the evidence and activity of His care.
“Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”
(1 Peter 5:7; emphasis mine)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
(Matthew 10:29-31; emphasis mine)

“You yourself have recorded my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?”
(Psalm 56:8)

Read 2 Kings 20:5, Psalm 139:3, and Malachi 3:16 to see for yourself:
God is aware of all our ways.
He takes notice and listens.
He hears our prayers, sees our tears, rescues, defends, and heals.
In countless ways, He demonstrates His care.

I tend to question God’s care only in the midst of hurt (can you relate?).
My cry crescendos as pain persists without relief or resolution.
At these times, we must ask ourselves, with brutal honesty,
“Do we want God to manifest His care, or do we just want Him to make everything better?”

When experiencing pain, it’s natural to want it to end,
pleading with the Lord to make our aching stop.

It’s also natural to question God’s goodness in these times
as we look around and wonder if God is really for us, or if He has forgotten us.

The antidote to both of these is to anchor our hearts, over and over, in the rich depth of God’s unchanging character. God’s comfort and care for us does not change based on our circumstance, or how we feel about Him as we interpret our shifting surroundings.

The book of Mark records a life-threatening scenario for the disciples. Waves crashed over their small fishing boat; drowning was imminent, even for seasoned fishermen, and they cried out to the Lord,
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?!” (Mark 4:35)

They wanted the intensity of their circumstances to cease,
while also questioning whether the Lord cared about them anymore.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Jesus’ response?

“Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Christ’s antidote to our natural tendencies when we encounter pain is faith; trusting God for Who God is.

Rather than looking at the waves washing over our “boat”, we can focus our attention on recalling all the ways we already know God cares, and is caring, for us in the middle of the storm.

We experience God’s care when we study the truth of His character in Scripture.
We experience God’s care through songs resounding with reminders of His nature and promises from Scripture.
We experience God’s care through stories of others who have found His grace sufficient to endure suffering, and persevere with the understanding pain is always part of a bigger picture framed by God’s redemption.
Lastly, we experience the most convincing assurance of God’s care when we remember Jesus.

God knows how driven we are to believe only what we perceive with our five senses.
Out of His deep love for us,
He sent Jesus, in our human flesh,
so we could see and hear and touch and smell and know
God. Does. Care.

Romans 8:32 says, “He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all”;
nor will we be spared from suffering. (John 16:33)

However, God abandoned His Son so we will not be abandoned in our suffering.
We may share in Christ’s sufferings, but we will NEVER share in abandonment by the Father.

May our prayer echo the prophet Habakkuk, asking God to lift us to the heights to see with eyes of faith the everlasting love and specific care of God in our lives.

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Questions Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Worship VI Day 5 Raise A Hallelujah

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 4:4-8
Colossians 3:15-17
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
1 Peter 1:3-9
Psalm 138:1-8

Worship VI, Day 5

Hallelujah!  Praise!  Thank You, Jesus!

Shouts come from one pew, then another and another as the passionate preacher enthusiastically declares the goodness of the Lord.  You can feel the JOY, excitement, and anticipation in the room.

However, HALLELUJAHS are NOT limited to revival worship services or bound by location or circumstance.

Truth be told, sometimes a HALLELUJAH sounds more like HELP! than HOORAY!
HALLELUJAH may end with a question mark rather than an exclamation point.

HALLELUJAHs come in all shapes and sizes: a whisper, shout, sob, song, plea, or praise.
Whether written, spoken, or only thought in our hearts, God recognizes all of them.

I first heard the song “Raise a Hallelujah” at a Refresh Conference for foster and adoptive parents.  If you know anything about the REALITY of fostering or adopting, you understand the hardship and heartbreak.

As we gathered together, all broken and hurting, we CHOSE to praise.
Collectively, we lifted our voices to declare VICTORY even though we were ALL still in the midst of battle.

The apostle Peter knew what heavy suffering felt like, and he wrote a letter to encourage believers who were in the midst of hardship.
He told them their difficult circumstances should NOT determine how they lived.
(1 Peter 1:1-9)

Our praise is based on God’s character proven over and over by what He has already done.  With His faithfulness in mind, we can look ahead, fully anticipating what He will do.  This perspective allows us to RAISE A HALLELUJAH from the valley, the mountaintop, or anywhere in between.

Line after line, this song reminds us that praise is a CHOICE.

in the presence of my enemies

I think of David who often shared honestly about the adversity he experienced.  Yet, in the midst, David realized God was not only WITH him, but actually “preparing a feast for him in the presence of his enemies.” (Psalm 23:5)

louder than the unbelief

I think of the father who brought his son to Jesus, desperate for healing. The dad had watched for years as an evil spirit seized his little boy, throwing him into fire or water.  Helpless, he begged Jesus to do something, if He could.  Jesus assured him, “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  In raw honesty, the father cries out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Can you relate?  I know I can!

Sometimes we have to CHOOSE to declare God’s goodness that we KNOW to be true BEFORE we actually experience it in the NOW.

We can praise WHILE WE WAIT and trust God to act.
The song itself was actually written beside a hospital bed as people begged God to miraculously save a little boy.

I’m gonna’ sing, in the middle of the storm

 I think of Paul and Silas in prison, worshipping their hearts out while bound with chains.  They could have been complaining, but instead they were praising.

We CANNOT wait for things to be perfect.
We MUST LEARN to praise God in the valley, the desert, the wilderness, and the storm.

in the middle of the mystery

We trust Him in the waiting.
We follow Him in the unknown.

As we do, hardship is EXPECTED.
Jesus actually GUARANTEED it.

So, when we find ourselves in tough times, don’t look at the storm,
fix your eyes on your Savior.
Don’t be afraid of the wind or the waves.
Silence them with worship.

my weapon is a melody

 Who knew you could fight Satan with a song instead of a sword?!
Best part though?

Heaven comes to fight for me

We are not alone in the battle!
GOD is on our side, fighting FOR us and WITH us.

I think of the Israelites at the Red Sea, trapped with nowhere to go, and Pharaoh’s chariots racing towards them.  Moses assures them,
“The Lord Himself will fight for you.  Just stay calm.”
Then, he stretches out his staff, and the waters part by God’s mighty hand!

I may not know exactly what you are going through, but I do know
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive

Your present situation is NOT the end of the story.
God has already won the war.

We are in the middle of a fierce battle, yes.
BUT we are fighting FROM victory not for victory.

You may feel like your HALLELUJAH is a white flag of surrender rather than victory’s banner.    I STILL urge you to lift it up.
with everything inside of {you}

You may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but, raise your hallelujah and
watch the darkness flee

You may feel wrapped in anxiety, but proclaim,
fear you lost your hold on me 

As we praise, lives begin to change.
First our own, and then countless others.

Someone hurting is watching as YOU trust God.
THEN, she utters her own tiny hallelujah.
Sing a little louder

Someone grieving sees YOU process your loss with hope.
She catches on and whispers hallelujah too.
Sing a little louder

Someone overwhelmed is listening as YOU cry out for God’s help.
She joins in, sharing your confidence.
Sing a little louder

Someone feeling defeated hears YOU declare Jesus’ victory.
She believes His victory is hers too.
Sing a little louder

All around the world, our voices unite to form a hallelujah chorus.
Louder and louder, you’re gonna’ hear {our} praises roar

Whatever you’re walking through in this moment, are you willing to raise your hallelujah? Even a shaky one?
The choir needs YOUR voice!!!


Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship VI Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Worship VI Streams In The Wilderness: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Streams In The Wilderness!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”

2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?

3) What is the favor of the Lord?

Psalm 30:1-12

I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.
2 Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.

4 Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.

6 When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
9 “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”

11 You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
According to Albert Barnes, the word Sheol means grave or “the region of the dead; the underworld which is entered through the grave.”  King David uses this word in Psalm 30:3 when he sings, “Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.” Albert Barnes also notes the “word pit here means the same as the grave.”  David rejoices that God delivered him from Sheol and the Pit.  Author David Guzik points out, “we don’t know if David here described what we might call a near-death experience or if it would be more like a narrow escape from death. Either way, in his life as a soldier and leader, he had more than one time when death was near, and God rescued his soul from death.”  David makes sure to memorialize the Lord’s goodness to him in a song which is sung at the dedication of his palace (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) He had been delivered from the jaws of death, and he wanted to “Sing to the Lord!” (Psalm 30:4)

2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
In Psalm 30:1, David extols the Lord for lifting him up and rescuing him from his enemies.  Author Samuel Chandler points out that the Hebrew verb, dalah, “is used in its original meaning, to denote the reciprocating motion of the buckets of a well; one descending as the other rises, and vice versa; and it is here applied, with admirable propriety, to point out the various reciprocations and changes of David’s fortunes, as described in this psalm. . .”  Indeed, David does describe many other times the Lord has rescued him in Psalm 30.  In verse 2, David says he called out to God for help and He healed him.  In Psalm 30:3, David says the Lord brought him up from Sheol and spared him from the Pit.  In Psalm 30:11, David notes how God turned his mourning into dancing.  Each time that God provides rescue, David has the same response.  He praises God and gives Him the glory.  Throughout Psalm 30, David exalts the Lord, sings to the Lord, praises His name, vows to sing and not be silent, and to praise the Lord forever.  Author David Guzik points out that David praises the Lord because “He knew his security and status were the work of God. It wasn’t as if God did it all as David sat passively; he was a man of energy and action. Nevertheless, it was God’s work far more than his own.”  David Guzik further argues that “God worked in David’s life so He would bring Himself glory and appropriate praise. Though it clearly benefited David, it was primarily for God’s own glory He did this.”  Whenever God rescued David from trouble, David responded with praise so God would get the glory.

3) What is the favor of the Lord?
One Messianic Jewish author explains how the “word favor in Hebrew is hen. . . It comes from the word to pardon: l’hon. When you hen someone, you grant favor to a prisoner and cancel his punishment.” According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, favor “means gaining approval, acceptance, or special benefits or blessings. There is also a close association among favor, grace, and mercy, which are sometimes used to translate the same Hebrew and Greek words (such as hen and charis.”)  In Psalm 30:5, King David speaks about the favor of the Lord when he writes, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime.” David suggests that God’s favor is God’s pleasure, or the opposite of God’s anger.  David also discusses God’s favor when he writes in Psalm 30:7, “Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified”.  Here, David asserts that God’s favor brings strength and the opposite of favor is God hiding his face. The good news according to Ron Cantor is, “the instant you put your faith in Yeshua, God turned His face towards you. You found favor in His eyes.” Having God’s favor, or His acceptance and blessings, is a gift granted only to those who trust in the Lord.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
I love the song “Still Rolling Stones” by Lauren Daigle.  In this song, she expresses what the psalmist, David, proclaimed in Psalm 30:3.  He sang, “Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.”  Lauren Daigle sings it this way:

Out of the shadows
Bound for the gallows
A dead man walking
Till love came calling. . .

Six feet under
I thought it was over
An answer to prayer
The voice of a Savior

I cannot express it musically, or even lyrically, but I have felt that same joy and relief at being rescued by my Savior when I was as good as dead.  Before I trusted in Jesus as my Savior, my sins were leading me to the grave, as everyone’s sins do (Romans 6:23) By the grace of God, I have not been a “dead man walking” for over 40 years now!  Some days are easy; many are not, but each day is filled with God’s grace and love and the joy of living a life redeemed by the blood of Jesus.  That freedom in Christ is something to sing about!

2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
Asking for help is hard for me.  Unless it is reading a map or reaching something up high, I usually muster what’s needed to get the job done.  But sometimes (usually when I find myself in a real mess), I cry out for God’s help.  Without His intervention and deliverance, I would be headed for the Pit like David in Psalm 30:3. God always comes to my rescue. Kyle Idleman tells us the Psalms “reference God as a rescuer about thirty times!“  Psalm 34:19 declares, “One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all.”  Sometimes God swoops in and delivers me.  Sometimes He sits with me as I deal with the fallout of my actions.  Sometimes He holds me while the storm rages, but He always takes my pain and problems and works them out for my good. (Romans 8:28) However He chooses to help me, my response is to praise Him and give Him glory. Psalm 40:2-3 says, “He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.” After David’s deliverance, the Lord put a song of praise in his mouth.  David even used praise as an argument in favor of protecting his life: “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?” (Psalm 30:9) David knew one reason the Lord rescues is so we will give Him glory and draw others to also find their rescue in the Lord. So, if you are in need of rescue today, know that God is a gracious and loving Savior. His sacrifice of love is the ultimate rescue from death, and His ongoing love provides daily deliverance.  Rejoice with me today that God provides rescue!

3) What is the favor of the Lord?
When I was in 3rd grade, we had a new student several weeks into the first quarter.   The little girl had been in the middle of an art project at her old school, and she brought it with her to work on.  My teacher was kind, but she was also strict and no-nonsense, so I was shocked she let the girl work on the project during class time.  When something went wrong with her creation and the girl burst into tears, I expected the teacher to demand she pull it together and act like a 3rd grader, not a kindergartener.  But she just put her arm around the girl, spoke reassuringly, and let her go to the nurse’s office to get a drink and calm down.  I have always remembered the care and grace the teacher took with this nervous, scared girl.  Her kindness was the key to that girl settling in to our class.  This is how I picture the favor of God in my life.  When I least expect it or deserve it, God pours out His favor on me, wrapping me in His acceptance and showering me with His blessings. Author David Mathis points out that while God often chooses to lavish His people with His favor, there are also certain daily habits that attract God’s favor.  Mathis argues that what “sends our roots deepest, truly grows us up in Christ, and produces lasting spiritual maturity, streams from the ordinary and unspectacular paths of fellowship, prayer, and Bible intake in its many forms.” We can be grateful for God’s unexpected favor, and we can also seek His favor by prayer, fellowship with the saints, and studying the Word of God.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Streams In The Wilderness!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship VI Week One!
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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 :-))

Memorize It!

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