Holiness

The GT Weekend! ~ Eden Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Eden Week 1

Carol Graft

April 23, 2022

Christ,Cross,God,Holiness,Sin,Truth

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

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Tuesday
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Thursday
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Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

1 John 4:10-11

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord, I cannot imagine how much you love me! That you show me love in so many ways is a truth that’s difficult to hold onto. Your love story hems me in on all sides beginning with Your death for me, the ultimate sacrifice, where You bore my sins as weight on the cross to purchase my freedom today!

When I’m holding fast to the truth about Your love, I look forward to the Wedding Feast where I can spend all my eternity simply worshiping and delighting in You. Stir up this desire in me, Jesus!

When I dwell on Your agape love, I’m motivated to go and do likewise, loving others sacrificially and unconditionally. Thank you for fueling me with agape so I can love my family, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and especially those who don’t yet trust You as their Savior.

As much as I want to love like You all the time, I confess some days I choose selfishness. Give me the words to reach others for You, and the humility required to submit to Your great love. Let my actions draw others to You as You shine Your Light through my humanity!

 

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

 

JOURNAL ONE
Out of nothing. Impossible.
The act of creating involves parts and pieces. Yarn…thread… fabric… paint…canvas…words…paper. 
But God. 
God spoke and everything around us, invisible and visible, came into being. (Colossians 1:16) 
He also desired to create you. 

What thoughts or feelings do you notice as you reflect on this truth? Do you feel yourself pushing back, ducking your head shyly, or widely embracing these words? Our worth in God’s eye is immeasurable as we each bear His image. (Genesis 1:27)

Since this seems so hard to comprehend, we easily forget it. God created humankind to be in a relationship with Him. He intended Adam and Eve to fill the earth with more image-bearers so He could show His love to us all! (Genesis 1:28) He desired a relationship with His creation so deeply that, even after the Fall of sinful rebellion, He became flesh to live among His creation.

Our worth is so inestimable He took all our sins upon His shoulders at the cross, giving His life so we could live forever as His Bride. It’s the greatest love story of all! I stand in awe when I consider the intricacies or grandness of nature. I’m amazed when I remember how loved and esteemed I am by the Creator God! He chose to die for you and me; hold into that truth as you navigate this weekend!

 

 

JOURNAL TWO
Like Rebekah, I can be drawn in by a good love story. Talented authors allow us to experience lovers both cherishing one another and handling conflict; we find ourselves cheering as the hero and heroine overcome struggle.

In the most perfect love story between Adam, Eve, and Creator God, there was initially no conflict until their fall into sin. (Read Genesis 3 this weekend!) Though God, being perfectly holy, had every right to destroy them, leaving them hopeless in the separation brought on by their sin, He lovingly held out Hope instead. (Genesis 3:15)

Like a developing story line, God wove the theme of His sacrificial love and grace into every page of Scripture, even our own stories! We find His grace showing up in all His relationships with people. In Ephesians we see His clear design for marriage to be a picture of His sacred relationship with the Church. (Follow up your reading of Genesis 3 with Ephesians 5!)

We learn how truly good relationships should be as we look to Christ, the perfect Bridegroom and the greatest marriage of all between Himself and His Bride, the Church. One day, all who trust Christ as their Savior will celebrate with the marriage supper of the Lamb where each believer will have a seat at the table for eternity.

 

JOURNAL THREE
LOVE. Four letters composing a seemingly simple word. On Friday, Sara drew out the complexities of this “simple” word by taking us back to the original Greek, which has 4 words with 4 unique definitions: eros, storge, philos, and agape. Each dimension of love speaks beautifully of God’s design for human beings to be crafted for community with one another and Him.

If we only had eros love shared romantically by Adam and Eve and intended for spouses, we wouldn’t be complete, and we certainly wouldn’t experience agape, the sacrificial, divine love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have the capacity to fulfill and live out each of these dimensions of love as they reflect the Creator God; when we surrender ourselves to God’s Spirit, He empowers us to love like Him! We need His power to help us love our family, friends, a romantic partner, and especially those who are hard to love like difficult co-workers, ones who’ve wounded us, or the cranky clerk at the store. 

Praise God for demonstrating agape sacrificial love and placing that love inside of us when we follow Him. Spend time asking the Lord who He specifically wants you to engage with agape love. Pray for these people and ask the Lord for opportunities to love them sacrificially and unconditionally!

 

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cross,God,holy,Savior,sins,Truth
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Eden Day 4 Altogether Lovely: 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 Altogether Lovely!

The Questions

1) What analogy is Paul making in this passage?

2) What distinct commands does Paul give for the wife and husband in this passage? (verses 23-28)

3) How does the marriage relationship represent Christ and the church? (verses 29-32)

Ephesians 5:23-32

23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

Original Intent

1) What analogy is Paul making in this passage?
In this passage, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, uses the relationship between Christ and the Church to discuss God’s intended design for the marriage relationship. He compares Christ and His relationship with His Church to the husband and wife relationship. The husband taking the role of Christ in the marriage and the wife taking the role of the Church. Paul uses marriage as a blank canvas depicting how God intended relational holiness and sacrifice to be played out in real life marriage just as He intended from the beginning in Genesis 2:21-25.

2) What distinct commands does Paul give for the wife and husband in this passage? (verses 23-28)
Paul provided explicit instructions for husbands and wives in this passage. In verse 23, verse 25, and verse 28, Paul spoke directly to the husband, calling him to love and sacrifice for his wife. He pointed to Jesus’ own sacrifice on the cross as the role model for this command. (Matthew 27:27-52) In the same way, Paul spoke to wives in verse 24, calling them to submit within marriage to their husbands just as the Church is designed to submit to Christ’s headship. This is a deliberate, thoughtfully chosen, intentional submission out of respect and sacrificial love born out of shared relationship. **Please note that biblical teaching never condones abusive twisting of this passage for personal gain. Biblical submission is mutual between spouses and is always within the context of love and respect. Christ never condoned abuse of His design for personal gain. (Matthew 21:13)

3) How does the marriage relationship represent Christ and the church? (verses 29-32)
Speaking of marriage and oneness in verse 32, Paul so eloquently states, “the mystery is profound”, and we nod our heads in assent! Beautifully, Paul uses the familiarity of marriage merely as a springboard to help us more clearly understand Jesus’ role as head of the Church. In shifting our gaze to the cross and the Son’s submission to the will of the Father, we see His selfless love as He offers His own life for the Church. The Church, in kind, submits everything to His authority out of trusting obedience and respect. In the same way, a husband should love sacrificially and work diligently to encourage and uphold his wife while a wife lovingly chooses to submit to her husband. Within the relationship, whether discussing Christ and the Church, or husband and wife, there is profound membership, unity, fellowship, and oneness bound together by sacrificial love.

Everyday Application

1) What analogy is Paul making in this passage?
God’s intention for marriage from the beginning is beautifully told in the context of perfection in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:21-25) As Paul explains Christ’s relationship to His people as the ultimate “Husband”, we begin to see God’s model for how the marriage relationship was always intended to exist. Sacrificial love connects the two together. Paul helps the reader understand the fullness of the gospel by using this familiar human analogy. Christ so loved His Church that He died on a cross giving up His life for His people as described in John 3:16. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, another one of Paul’s letters, he explains it is out of love that Christ, although being spotless and blameless for sin, took all of humanity’s sin on Himself in order to present His Church in holy splendor. This is the kind of self-sacrificing love God intends marriage to emulate. Paul used this picture of offering and submission to reveal the framework for God’s design for marriage.

2) What distinct commands does Paul give for the wife and husband in this passage? (verses 23-28)
Within the context of this passage, we see how life and marriage were supposed to be before sin entered the world. (Genesis 3) Sin taints what God intended for good, and just two of the many consequences for sin are shame and fear, which played out in the unfolding scene following Adam and Eve’s rebellious sin. (Genesis 3:8-13) In the Garden of Eden prior to sin, the husband, as a loving leader, upholds his wife with sacrificial love without shame and the wife submits to him, also with sacrificial love; together they build a strong, unified marriage that glorifies God and reflects the divine relationship between Father and Son. With sacrificial love as the undergirding foundation, this give and take of sacrifice and submission form an unashamed relational oneness flourishing with deep joy. With sin came a brokenness that marred that human relationship with chaos and the desire to serve self, but God’s heart desire for the marital relationship never changed. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as we submit to Him, He equips us with the divine power and love necessary to sacrificially love and submit to our spouse. (2 Peter 1:3) It is in relationship with Him that we learn how to be in relationship with our spouse. In our commitment to Him, God empowers us to seek after His design and His glory. (Romans 8:1-13)

3) How does the marriage relationship represent Christ and the church? (verses 29-32)
God’s design for marriage started at the dawn of time when He created man and woman and they were unashamed and living in perfectly unified loving communion with one another and God. (Genesis 2:25) Out of this picture in the Garden of Eden, Paul writes about marriage and the relationship between Christ and His Church beautifully comparing the two. The relational roles each participant plays, and the characteristics of these relationships, were designed in likeness to one another. Despite the twisted, self-seeking shadow that sin casts upon every relationship, God gives us a secure hope for an eternal future where all will one day be set right. As we wait and long for that day, we can take heart in knowing God is working even now within our brokenness to bring Him glory. The perfect oneness of relationship between Christ and His Church and the altogether loveliness of human relationships with one another as they were intended will one day be restored when Christ welcomes His Bride Home. (Revelation 21:1-8)

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

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 Eden Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Eden Day 3 Altogether Lovely

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 2:21-25
Ephesians 5:25-32
Revelation 21:9-11
Revelation 19:6-9

Eden, Day 3

I am a true romantic at heart.

I love old-timey dramas like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I’m a real sucker for Hallmark movies. A good love story can really delight my heart in no time, but as wonderful as these stories are, in truth, nothing compares to the picture of love and marriage set forth in God’s Word.

If you want to talk about a sweet love story and someone being a romantic at heart, look at Adam’s words about Eve in the context of Genesis 2:21-25!

This beautiful passage says,

“So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said:

This one, at last, is bone of my bone
And flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called ‘woman,’
For she was taken from man.

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.” 

Is this not the most beautiful picture of love and marriage?

Here, at the dawn of time, we see marriage as it was intended by God. In His kindness, He designed marriage to be the most intimate of earthly relationships, a connection free of sin, lust, self-consciousness, selfishness, awkwardness, pain, disrespect, or hurt. From the beginning, marriage was meant to be an earthly representation of the close relationship God desires with His people. 

Again, God beautifully reiterates His intention for marriage in Ephesians 5:25-32.

“Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.”

Even though sin entered into the marriage relationship not long after Adam’s proclamation in Genesis 2, the Lord still desired marriage to be a beautiful bond of love and service to one another.

Yet earthly marriage, in all its beauty, is a dim reflection of the relationship between every believer, single or married, and Christ.

The beauty, oneness, intimacy, and unashamed delight shared between Adam and Eve in Genesis, Solomon and his wife in the Song of Solomon, and husbands and wives as described in Ephesians 5 all provide a mere glimpse of the beautiful relationship God desires with all believers, everywhere.

In fact, when the Apostle John put into words his vision of Christ’s return, it’s no mistake he chose the language of marriage:
“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:9)

Likewise it’s no coincidence Revelation 19:6-9 refers to the great reunion of all the saints with the Lord as the “marriage supper”.

“Hallelujah! For the LORD God, the Almighty, reigns!
Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,
Because the marriage of the Lamb has come,
And the bride has prepared herself [. . .]
‘Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!’”

From the dawn of time, the Lord has wanted a close relationship with His people. To illustrate how He loves His people, and to also bless us with a special gift on this earth, He crafted the institution of marriage. Whether He has called us to participate in earthly marriage, or to devote ourselves solely to our heavenly Bridegroom, we look forward to the day when we enter into eternal, unblemished, fully restored relationship with God.

And that eternal union of Christ and His Bride?
It is altogether lovely!

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

Sacrifice Day 14 One Sacrifice: 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 One Sacrifice!

The Questions

1) Who was Aaron?

2) What did the holy place signify?

3) What is the mercy seat?

Leviticus 16:2

2 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the curtain in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.”

Original Intent

1) Who was Aaron?
To properly understand the significance of Aaron, we must go back a bit in the storyline. The twelve tribes of Israel were derived from the descendants of Abraham who is considered the patriarch of the Hebrew nation. Abraham was called by God to leave his homeland and follow Him to a new land, where God promised Abraham he would become a great nation. (Genesis 12:1-2) This promise, however, was a long time coming. When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to renew this covenant promise and Sarah, Abraham’s wife, finally gave birth to a son, Isaac. (Genesis 21:3) Isaac then fathered twin sons, Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 25:19-24) There was much tension between Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27), but eventually Jacob fathered twelve sons who would represent the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob’s name was changed by God to “Israel” in Genesis 32:28). Levi, one of Jacob/Israel’s sons (Genesis 29:34) became the tribe charged with responsibilities of the temple and sacrifices. (Leviticus 8:1-10:20) Aaron was a descendent of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:1-3). In verse 2, the Lord told Moses that Aaron may NOT enter the holy place whenever he desired. This was as a result of the sins of his sons, Nadab and Abihu. (Leviticus 10:1-2)

2) What did the holy place signify?
The tabernacle was designed as a place of sacrifice where atonement for sin and guilt could be given by God’s mercy during the forty years Israel wandered in the desert. It was a temporary dwelling place for God’s Spirit until a permanent one could be established in the temple many years later by King Solomon. Strict guidelines and regulations were set up by God to help the people understand the separate distinction between His perfect holiness and their sinfulness. (Exodus 25:1-31:17) The holy place, or Holy of Holies, was set apart by a large curtain, and only ceremonially clean priests could enter here annually to atone for the sins of Israel. When Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God, (Genesis 1:27) sinned in the Garden of Eden it forever separated man from God. (Genesis 3:22-23) The only way to be absolved from sin was by a blood sacrifice; an innocent giving their life for the guilty. The Old Testament book of Leviticus describes five major offerings God established for His people (Leviticus 1:1-6:7) and the handlings of these offerings. (Leviticus 6:8-7:38) Still, only those in the tribe of Levi could offer sacrifices on behalf of everyone else, and they were the only ones permitted entrance to the Holy Place for it housed the presence of God.

3) What is the mercy seat?
Although sin separates us from God, He still longs to be with His children in a restored relationship where He can delight in us and us in Him. He designed the instructions for the Tabernacle, Holy Place, and the contents of the Tabernacle so He could dwell in the midst of His people. (Exodus 25:8) The Tabernacle contained the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God’s throne, and it contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, a golden jar holding manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded. (Hebrews 9:4) Picture if you will, the ark being a large rectangular box overlaid with gold. The lid to the box was called the mercy seat, and overarching this “seat” were two angels facing each other and their wings touching. Very specific instructions were given for every aspect of the Tabernacle because they were to “serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things”. (Hebrews 8:5-6, Exodus 25:10-21)

Everyday Application

1) Who was Aaron?
In understanding the history of the twelve tribes of Israel and the importance of Aaron and his tribe of Levites, we can examine God’s plan for humanity. God created us to be in communion with him and He longs for us to call on Him; Scripture says He even answers before we call! (Isaiah 65:24) God could have entirely destroyed mankind for their sinful ways when He sent the flood, but He graciously spared Noah and his family who were faithful to Him. (Genesis 6:13) Similarly, when the children of Israel grumbled as they left Egypt’s slavery and built for themselves a golden calf, the Lord again showed great mercy by not giving them the just death they deserved for worshipping an idol. (Exodus 32:9) Because we are God’s creation, He loves us, desires fellowship with us, and has a plan for our lives. (Ephesians 2:10) God chose Levi, and all Levites, to serve in His temple. As part of this lineage, God chose Aaron. In the same way, you and I are also called to be part of Abraham’s lineage of faith. When we surrender our lives to Christ, we are grafted into the priesthood, originally established in the lineage of Levi, because of the death of God’s son, Jesus, who was the perfect priest for us as mediator between God and mankind. (1 Peter 2:9) We are God’s people! We are God’s special possession! (Deuteronomy 7:6) Do you feel worthless, unworthy, and unloved? Not only does God love you, not only does He hear you, not only are you chosen by God, but He is faithful to complete His work in you! (Philippians 1:6) Do you know who you are? Do you know Whose you are? You are God’s treasured possession no matter your faults, no matter your flaws. (Exodus 19:5) Come to Him in full surrender, leaving behind the ways of sin and false worship.

2) What did the holy place signify?
Before Jesus died on the cross, giving up His spirit, He uttered the words, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) The original Holy Place of the Tabernacle signifies two critical points for the current day believer. First, just as Israel had no access to God without the Levite’s mediation on their behalf, neither can we come into God’s presence without Christ’s mediation because we are sinful. Through Jesus, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him as He paid the sacrifice for all sin. (1 John 2:2) He took our sinfulness, paying for it in full because of His holiness and became our peace destroying the barrier that once separated us like the curtain in the temple. (Matthew 27:50-51) Secondly, the Holy of Holies reminds us of our need to seek forgiveness. We are sinful. God is holy. To come to him, we must seek forgiveness of our sin. (Matthew 6:12) Because of Jesus, we no longer need a physical tabernacle or a separate holy place to meet with Him for God has made Himself near to us through His Spirit. (Acts 17:27) God will hear when we call and confess our sins. (Zechariah 13:9) When we confess our sins he will forgive us, never remember our offenses, and removing them from the written record against us. (1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:12, Colossians 2:2) Have you accepted your invitation to enter the holy place of forgiveness? You are welcome! The invitation has been engraved by the hand of God, signed by the blood of Jesus, and is sent to you by the call of God’s Spirit Himself. (Ephesians 1:4-5) Open it and accept the invitation, He is waiting for your reply.

3) What is the mercy seat?
The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and the staff of Aaron that budded as reminders of God’s covenant, His provision, and His calling on His people to be His own possession. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, the reminder of His covenantal love for you, His provision, and His down payment of His promise for eternal security is found in the Holy Spirit indwelling your heart. In the Spirit of God, “He has given us everything required for life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) The Holy Spirit grows His fruitfulness in us of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as we surrender ourselves to His rule and reign in our lives. (Galatians 5:22-23) Christ-followers have God’s spirit of power at work in them (2 Timothy 2:7) to accomplish the impossible through faith (Mark 11:23), overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21), and love those who hate us (Matthew 5:44). Often-overlooked is the symbolism of Aaron’s rod in the Ark of the Covenant. Israel had been grumbling about the special authority God had given to Moses and Aaron, jealously wanting equal power for themselves. The Lord responded by instructing all leaders of the tribes to place their staffs in the tabernacle. The next day, Aaron’s staff was the only one that not only sprouted, but had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds! (Numbers 17:8) You can read the entire story Numbers 17:1-11. Aaron’s staff remained in the Ark to remind the Israelites that God chose Aaron to lead the people; who He chooses is His choice, no questions asked. You do remember that this was a staff, a piece of wood separated from a living tree, right? God takes things that seem dead and makes them alive again in Him for His ordained purposes. Recognize your place in His kingdom, accept His invitation of forgiveness, and start blooming through the power of His Spirit!

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

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 Sacrifice Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Sacrifice Day 13 One Sacrifice

2 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:5-8  
2 Corinthians 5:17-2
Leviticus 16:2
Hebrews 10:19-22

Sacrifice, Day 13

The priest arrives early to the temple. As he enters the courtyard with the others, the noise from the animals waiting beyond the gate sets him on edge.

If he is honest with himself, he began the day on edge.

This morning, his wife was unusually quiet. He remembered her tightly drawn mouth as she helped him on with his priests’ robe and shawl, as if she was willing herself not to speak. She was spending too much time listening to rumors; surely, she must understand he had nothing to do with what was happening outside the city gates.

Here comes the lamb.
The handlers bring the animal closer for inspection. The priest looks it over. Not a blemish upon it. He nods to the handlers.
He looks to the altar, plates ready to receive what is left of the sacrifice. Levites are ready to complete that task.
He walks up the steps to The Holy Place, counting them, trying to focus on the duties at hand. He lights the candles and incense, hoping the aromas bring him an extra measure of peace.

He begins down the steps, pauses.
At once he feels the atmosphere change, and abruptly the sky grows dark. A hush falls over everyone in the inner court.
A sound like nothing he has ever heard before echoes behind him and he turns back to The Holy Place. The curtain! The veil–separating his priestly place of sacrifice from the cloud of God’s presence–is ripping before his very eyes. (Matthew 27:51) He gasps and falls to his knees, pressing his face to the ground. The curtain has been split in two, from top to bottom. Life, as he knows it, is finished. (John 19:30)

The curtain in The Holy Place was four inches (10 cm) thick, 60 ft (18 m) tall, and 30 ft (9 m) wide. Splitting the woven linen from top to bottom was humanly impossible.

But why was it split? And what does it mean?

The plan of blood sacrifice began in Eden, to cover Adam and Eve’s first sin. As we’ve seen  throughout this Journey Theme, sacrifice played an important role in the ongoing relationship between God and His people.

Sacrifice would be a regular part of religious life for Israel following their miraculous rescue from bondage in Egypt. (Exodus 11-12) On the eve of their departure, God established the sacrificial rite of Passover.

That first Passover night, God was making a way for freedom from physical bondage.

As the people of Israel began life after Egyptian enslavement, blood sacrifice became a measure of escape from the bondage to sin. 

The priests became the only people permitted to perform the sacrifices, which needed to be repeated, because they couldn’t offer complete redemption. (Hebrews 9:6-10) People were not brought into relationship with God Himself; He remained separate, His physical presence among them hidden behind the curtain in the temple. (Leviticus 16:2)Until Jesus took the role of High Priest and Sacrifice. Redeemer and Savior.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus–he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)– and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith[.]” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Jesus became the final, atoning sacrifice, the embodiment of God working to bring His sin-stained children to Himself.
“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Jesus’ one sacrifice covered the sins of every person, across the world, for all time.

“He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The eternal penalty for our sin was paid.
The path to a full, restored relationship with the Father was opened. (John 10:7-9)
At the very moment Jesus gave up His last breath, His work of purchasing salvation for humanity was finished (John 19:30), and the proof was evidenced by the Hand of the Holy One granting access to the Holiest place, His own dwelling place.
(Matthew 27:50-51, Mark 15:37-38, Luke 23:45-46)

As the tattered edges of the temple curtain fluttered in the breeze, the separation of sin between God and His children was ended.
A barrier between man and God no longer existed;
the Mercy Seat was exposed and available to all.

In three days, Jesus would rise to life again in victory over sin (Matthew 28), and soon after, He would send His very Spirit to live within His people. (Acts 2)

I am so grateful for the people in my life who helped me realize I needed a savior, and pointed me to my God, who loves me so much He willingly gave His life as the ultimate sacrifice for my redemption.

Sisters, His love is calling out to you, too. Today, you can turn away from your sin, toward God, and accept His gift of forgiveness and redemption!

Father, I have sinned. I believe Jesus is Your Son, God in the flesh, and His sacrificial death paid the eternal penalty for my sins. I believe in Jesus’ resurrection, and I accept Your gift of forgiveness and redemption for the complete payment of my sin. Amen.
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Sacrifice Day 10 The Great Rebellion

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 95
Exodus 19
Exodus 32:1-10
Luke 23:44-24:12
Romans 5:6-11

Sacrifice, Day 10

Familiar ground.
Holy ground, actually.

As Moses’ eyes caught glimpses of familiar land shapes, jutting rocks, and craggy mountain trees, memories flooded back.

He’d spent three months leading thousands of misfit Hebrews far from the impotent threat of a now-desolated Egyptian army. (Exodus 19:1-2)

The Lord was leading them out of slavery, never to return.
He would be their God and they would be His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Sheep.
The word made him grin as he plodded one 80-year old sandaled foot after the other into the warm sand. The irony of the Lord’s ways brought a chuckle inside of Moses. Just days ago, he’d led the people through Midian, home of his father-in-law, Jethro, and the stomping grounds of his first wilderness experience when he’d first fled from Egypt. Back then, a murderer on the run, he was certain he’d never return to Egypt. He’d lost himself on the hills of Midian, shepherding Jethro’s flocks, and fading into oblivion. He cast a glance behind him to the masses stretching back as far as his eye could see, listening to the cacophony of bleating goats, sheep, children’s cries, and teenage squabbles.
These were his sheep now.

This terrain was becoming more familiar; he was so close.
Close to where it happened nearly six years ago.
As he dared pull up the holy image in his mind’s eye, it was as if the sounds around him dimmed to nothing and the weight of the sacred pressed upon his soul. The bush had burned and crackled in the crags near Mt. Sinai, while its leaves remained green and its branches untouched.

“The place where you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5),
the I AM’s voice had seemed to fill the whole earth.

Moses breathed in, willing his mind to hold onto the precious scene. A rush of wind seemed to fill his senses, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” his heart sang within him. How could the I AM speak to him, tasking him with freeing the Hebrews from slavery?!

The moment ended, and as he lifted his head, sweat slipping around his eyes to mix with unexpected tears, he saw it in the distance, Mount Sinai.

He called the people to camp at Sinai’s base and then, with awe-filled trepidation, dared draw near. The Lord’s voice filled the space around Moses and his heart leapt for unspeakable joy. “Yahweh,” his soul breathed.

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians
and how I carried you on eagles’ wings
and brought you to myself.

Now if you will carefully listen to me
and keep my covenant,
you will be my own possession out of all the peoples,
although the whole earth is mine,
and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.” (Exodus 19:4-6)

Moses quaked inside, the power of the Divine washing over him.
He knew, like Abraham, neither he nor the Hebrews he led, had done anything to deserve such a grand invitation from I AM. Yet, His embrace opened wide, urging them to welcome Him as their God, to love and serve Him, for He would make them His Own People.

“I am going to come to you in a dense cloud so the people will hear[…] and believe. […]
Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.
They must wash their clothes
and be prepared by the third day,
for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai
in the sight of all the people.” (Exodus 19:9-11)

As dawn’s pink light tinged Mt Sinai on the third day, thunder bellowed, and lightning flashed across the sunrise. Yahweh’s thick cloud descended, and a ram’s horn blasted, announcing the Almighty’s presence.

For forty days, Moses was enveloped in the glory of the Lord recording His Law on scrolls, except for the Ten Commandments, which the Lord inscribed on stone with His hand. (Exodus 31:18)

A holy God.
His righteous rules.
A people intended to be set apart reflecting His holiness.
But a people carousing before an idol of their making.
(Exodus 32:1-6)

For forty-days the All-Knowing God knew His people were demonstrating the wickedness of their hearts in acts of wretched rebellion.
Yet, He continued to be present with Moses.
He still gave His Law, allowing access to Him.
Perhaps most significantly, He didn’t destroy them as they deserved.

Instead, He gave mercy.
Just as He had when Adam and Eve disobeyed and when Cain killed his brother.

Centuries later, on a hill outside Jerusalem, the sky would again blacken unexpectedly. Thunder would clamor, and the Father would turn His back on His Son as the earth shook.
With arms outstretched in an embrace grand enough to enfold the people of the world, Christ would die instead of the rebels who deserved eternal death.

Silence would fall, for death would seem to win, but three days later, Victory would rise from Death’s grave.

The Holy One who should have destroyed humanity for their sinfulness mercifully gave His life as their ransom.

Sisters, we are all at the foot of Mt. Sinai, dancing wildly around our idols while the Lord has made restitution for us through the spilled blood of His Son.
The Lord has been merciful!
Let’s crush our idols and embrace His sacrifice for us as He welcomes us Home as a people for His own possession, the sheep of His pasture!

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

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Sacrifice Day 7 The Blood Path: 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 The Blood Path!

The Questions

1) Why would Jesus say the bread is His body? (verse 22)

2) Why would Jesus refer to the wine as His blood of the covenant? (verse 24)

3) What does Jesus mean that the blood is poured out for many? (verse 24)

Mark 14:22-24

As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Original Intent

1) Why would Jesus say the bread is His body? (verse 22)
Mark 14 depicts two Jewish feasts, The Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, commonly celebrated together as one 8-day holiday. Passover commemorates when God “passed over” the homes of the Hebrews who covered their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, saving their firstborn children from death. (Exodus 12:12-13) The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:17-20) commemorates Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt. David Guzik explains, “When the bread was lifted up at Passover, the head of the meal would say, ‘This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let everyone who hungers come and eat; let everyone who is needy come and eat the Passover meal.’” At the Passover just before His crucifixion, which we call the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper, Jesus “took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22) Jesus explained the bread of Passover as representing the sacrifice He was about to make in taking the world’s sins upon Himself at the cross. Jesus associated the bread with His body to symbolize what we learn in Colossians 1:22, that “now He has reconciled you by His physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him.” Kenneth Wuest suggests “the bread symbolized Him as the spiritual nourishment upon which a sinner may feed and have eternal life.” Jesus called Himself “the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) Whenever you take bread at Communion, remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us all!

2) Why would Jesus refer to the wine as His blood of the covenant? (verse 24)
As part of Jesus’ observance of and participation in the Passover, He lifted a cup of wine. Brian Bell explains that Passover “requires 4 cups of wine, 2 before the meal and 2 after. (…) The cup of wine that would have been raised during the meal that is now remembered when one commemorates the Lord’s Supper was the cup of redemption.” Raising the cup, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (verse 24) The “blood of the covenant” referred to the way the Jews made covenants with one another and God. (Exodus 24:6-8) Kevin Williams explains, “In the [first five books of the Bible] and throughout the ancient world, covenants were sealed and confirmed with blood. This is no less true in the Gospels. Symbolically with the cup and literally through His blood shed at the crucifixion, the Messiah proclaimed the beginnings of a new covenant predicted by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34)” Jesus’ shed blood on the cross would mark a new covenant with those who would place their full faith in Him. Through faith, Christ forgives sins (Ephesians 1:7), indwells believers with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and guarantees eternal life (John 3:16). His blood poured out in sacrifice demonstrated the loving commitment He made to redeem the world. Hebrews 9:22 declares, “According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” By shedding His own blood to make a new covenant with us, Christ paid the price to cleanse us from our sins and present us blameless to His Father. (Ephesians 5:27)

3) What does Jesus mean that the blood is poured out for many? (verse 24)
When Jesus raised the Passover wine and stated, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (verse 24), He was signifying the sacrifice He was about to make for the whole world to be reconciled to God. Just a short time after this declaration at the Last Supper, He would hang on a cross, pour out His blood, and take on the sins of all humanity. ”The idea of poured out implies a violent outpouring as did in fact occur on the Cross. For many speaks of the millions and millions of souls who have placed their faith in Christ and His fully atoning blood shed on Calvary” (Preceptaustin.org) Father God’s rescue plan to vanquish sin and death was to make Jesus the sacrificial lamb, effectively atoning for the sins of every person on the planet. (John 1:29) However, only those who embrace Christ as their personal Lord by faith and surrender can experience the benefits of total atonement and eternal forgiveness. The prophet Isaiah foretold that God would punish Jesus for the “iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6) and the Messiah would bear the sins of many when He came (Isaiah 53:11-12). Jesus said of Himself that He came to seek out the lost and save them by giving His life as a ransom for many. (Luke 19:10) 2 Corinthians 5:15 tells us, “Christ died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.” Jesus’ blood was shed so we could live a life free from sin and death! (Romans 6:23) I rejoice to be “one of the many” set free by His sacrifice, and I purpose to let others know the Good News!

Everyday Application

1) Why would Jesus say the bread is His body? (verse 22)
In my childhood church, the Lord’s Supper consisted of grape juice and tiny wafers, passed down the pew by an usher. I looked forward to taking communion from the shiny silver tray as it passed by me. I understood we were thanking God for dying on the cross for our sins, but the idea of the little square of bread symbolizing Christ’s body (Mark 14:22) didn’t really impact my young mind as we gave thanks for the elements. Once I grew older I would grapple with the concept of the Word (Jesus) becoming flesh and dwelling among us. (John 1:14) It’s astounding that God would send Jesus to earth as fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9), especially knowing the pain and suffering Jesus would endure in His body and spirit when God’s plan of salvation unfolded at Calvary. (Luke 23:44-49) D. Edmond Hiebert notes, “The bread which had been given them, after being broken, stood symbolically for His body, or rather the sacrificial giving of Himself for them.” Understanding more about this sacrifice, this willingness of Him who knew no sin to be made sin for us (Romans 8:3) makes taking communion more impactful for me as an adult. Author Ann Voskamp, in her book One Thousand Gifts, says of the Lord’s Supper, “In a very tangible, physical act, aren’t I enacting my thanksgiving for His pain? In a very real way, in a digestible, consuming-oneness way, I’m celebrating greater gain through great loss”. (pg 37) Though I may never fully comprehend the depth of God’s love and the greatness of His sacrifice on this side of Heaven, these days I give deep thanks for His saving grace when I stop to observe the Lord’s Supper.

2) Why would Jesus refer to the wine as His blood of the covenant? (verse 24)
I am a bit squeamish about blood. I cover my eyes when there is a surgery on TV, and I look away during blood draws for lab work. I feel blessed to buy meat at the grocery without needing to butcher animals myself. Given my aversion to blood, reconciling myself to the idea of a blood covenant in the Bible proves challenging. I sing about the blood of Jesus, but do I understand what it signifies? In the Bible, making a blood covenant was a serious matter. “In covenant, the shedding of blood demonstrated as nothing else could the intensity of the commitment. By cutting covenant the two parties were bound for life. Thus, the shedding of blood in the cutting of covenant established the gravity and binding nature of this transaction.” (Preceptaustin.org) By pouring out His blood for us, Jesus evidenced His great love and enduring faithfulness. Making this sacrifice was no easy thing. Twice Jesus asked His Father to “let this cup pass from Me”. (Matthew 26:39) Not only did He know the physical horrors He would face on the cross, but the perfect, sinless Savior was about to be made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); this was the real agony of the cross. However, Jesus chose God’s will over His own and embraced God’s plan of sacrificing His only Son to reconcile sinful people to God. (John 3:17) That precious blood He spilled was given out of a love so deep I cannot fathom. I can only happily and humbly accept the grace He gives, love and trust Him in return, and share about His great gift with those I encounter.

3) What does Jesus mean that the blood is poured out for many? (verse 24)
One criticism against Christianity is that it’s too narrow with too many rules and requirements. The argument is that all roads (should) lead to Heaven, not just the narrow way of the Bible. (Matthew 7:14) I argue that Christianity is probably the least narrow religion because literally everyone is welcome. Jesus poured out His blood to save many, not just a select few. True, not all will accept His offer of total forgiveness and new life, but their decision doesn’t negate His offer. While there are commandments and directions on how to live like Jesus in the Bible, salvation is a free gift to anyone who believes the message of Christ. (Ephesians 2:8) Acts 10:34 tells us God doesn’t show favoritism. He doesn’t invite just one gender, race, or nationality to become children of God, but He gives that right to all who receive Him and believe His name. (John 1:12) 2 Peter 3:9 assures us the Lord “does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.” Romans 10:13 promises salvation to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. Ann Voskamp suggests “Christ rises with His scars because your name is written right into His scars and He can’t bear to leave you behind—He means for you to rise too.” Besides inviting anyone and everyone to follow Him, maybe the most amazing thing is that Christ gave His life for us to become His children while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8) He died to redeem every person on the planet, whether or not they would ever choose to accept His amazing gift. This kind of love is staggering and should be shouted from the rooftops!

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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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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sacrifice Week Two!
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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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The GT Weekend! ~ Training 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) I find that being still is difficult. To me, stillness has the appearance of lazy idleness. When I want to be lazy, it’s easy to be still. When I purposely set aside time to be still and seek the Lord in the quiet, my mind naturally races. The enemy of our souls leverages our easily-distracted-from-God sin nature to draw us away from sitting silently in God’s presence. As Kaitlyn reminded us, being still doesn’t mean emptying our minds. Rather, biblical meditation involves resting in God’s presence. I have a few friends who enjoy walking prayer labyrinths. It keeps them moving forward without the distraction of navigating where they are going. A prayer labyrinth provides a simple path without obstacle for feet, so one’s mind and heart can focus more deeply on prayer and Scripture meditation. Practicing stillness in prayer is important because we become so busy talking to and lamenting to God with our litany of requests we fail to shut off the noise and listen instead. How will you practice biblical meditation this weekend? Try finding a local trail to meander and pray. If weather keeps you inside, light a candle and find a dark place where you can sit and focus on the light while repeating truths about God.

2) Our sin-nature, if not consistently surrendered before the Lord Jesus, will rule over us. (Romans 6:12-14) As people who have been forgiven and turned away from our sin, we are called to offer the whole of our lives to God through the power of His Spirit in us. Often overlooked, but absolutely non-negotiable for a life that brings glory to God, is our willingness to live within biblical community. We were handcrafted by the Triune God to live together in humble unity with other brothers and sisters who have also been forgiven and have the Spirit living within them. Do you belong to a local church? Are you committed to seeing her flourish in your city and reach others with the hope and freedom offered in Jesus? Do you serve alongside other Christians in your church? Reflect on your prayer life and evaluate how frequently you commit dedicated time to interceding for other believers. Take time this weekend to connect with a believing friend and plan time to share coffee or a meal together, then spend the time sharing how God is teaching you and shaping your heart. This rich encouragement of sharing authentic life together is how we build community within Christ’s Body, His Church.

3) I found Sarah’s Journey Study to be a bit quite convicting as the Holy Spirit shone His truth on my heart from Scripture! Consistent Bible-reading and study can seem daunting, but we must remember that the enemy would like nothing better than to derail us in our relationship with Christ by shifting our focus from His Truth. Scripture study is absolutely essential for our spiritual wellbeing. Proverbs 4:20-22 instructs us to heed God’s Word with focused intentionality and purpose. Paul exhorts us to train our minds to meditate on whatsoever is true, honorable, just, and the like! (Philippians 4:8-9) Take up Paul’s challenge this weekend and use his list of wholly good things as the focus point for your thought life. This requires disciplined training! Look up those two verses in Philippians and ponder their meaning for your everyday life. Sometimes, I find myself quick to keep Scripture foremost in my mind, while in other seasons, my lack of disciplined training exposes my eager distraction to focus on what isn’t good, pure or truthful. These seasons consistently produce worry and anxiety. How I respond to life circumstances is directly related to my willingness to practice the discipline of feasting on Scripture!

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 Timothy 3:14-17 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Prayer Journal
Lord, forgive me, create in me a clean heart. (Psalm 51:10) I have become distracted with all the busy of life and closed off my time from You. You desire a deep relationship with me, but I’ve neglected time spent with You by reading and studying Your Word. I confess the times I have only studied your Word when I’ve prepared to teach or write instead of as my guide in all of life. I have neglected to come before You with nothing on my agenda except to listen to You. I know You hold the richest of all joys, stir up in me the desire to be fully present with You in worship and prayer. I know from experience there is nothing as sweetly tender and full of awe as basking in Your presence as Joshua did in the Tent of Meeting. (Exodus 33:11) Teach me to silence my “runaway train” thoughts, my worries, constant to-do list, so I will clearly hear Your still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Kneel Day 5 Faithful God Who Fills

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 1:4-11
Nehemiah 4:11-14
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Psalm 145

Kneel, Day 5

What is the difference between faithful and faith-filled? Prior to pondering Nehemiah and the confidence with which he prayed, I may have described them as two sides of the same coin: faithful and full of faith.

However, as I continued to think about those two concepts, I began to see parallels with the scientific terms potential and kinetic energy.

Yes, I am taking us back to science class for a moment.
Kinetic energy is the energy of an object in motion.
Whereas, potential energy’s origin is found in the location of said object or the nature of its construction, not in movement.

For instance, think about pushing a snowball off a mountain top (can you tell I grew up in Wyoming?). The snowball itself has great potential energy when it sits, motionless, at the top of the mountain, although it’s not actually demonstrating any of that energy. However, once the snowball begins migrating down the mountain, rapidly picking up speed and growing in size, anyone living in the valley below may discover the power of its kinetic energy.

This analogy demonstrates the difference between faithful and faith-filled, which we will see applies to Nehemiah and his prayer life. Approximately 100 years before we meet Nehemiah, Israel’s time of exile in Babylon had ceased and they had been given freedom to return home. However, not all exiles chose to return. A new generation had been born and raised in exile, and Babylon had become home. Hence, why Nehemiah was still hanging out in Babylon when we read his biography. The previous troupe who had returned home were tasked with rebuilding a ransacked Jerusalem, but a century later, Nehemiah learned that the Israelites continued to walk a razor-thin line of survival:

“The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.” (Nehemiah 1:3)

As he led Israel to rebuild Jerusalem, Nehemiah prayed intensely faith-filled prayers. He cried out to the Lord and entrusted the outcome to the faithfulness of God. He understood the “potential energy” of a heart beseeching the Lord. Nehemiah was positioned to experience the miracle of the Lord working through him, but the ability to accomplish the tasks before him did not reside within Nehemiah himself.

The Lord, however, carried the capability to see Nehemiah’s mission come to pass, and Nehemiah prayed with expectation the Lord would remain true to the promises He’d given the people of Israel. (Deuteronomy 30:1-5) Nehemiah understood the concept of faithfulness and recognized it as a demonstration of God’s character. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Faithful is defined as:

  1. Firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty,
  2. given with strong assurance, and
  3. true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original.

All three of these definitions apply to the character of God.
Consider generations earlier, when God cut a covenant with His servant, Abram (later renamed to Abraham), regarding the establishment of an entire nation through Abraham’s lineage. God alone assumed the weight of the promises’ fulfillment. (Genesis 15)
The covenant would be upheld by God’s faithfulness.

The Lord demonstrated His faithfulness to Abraham and His people throughout the Old Testament. In pondering His faithfulness to those in the New Testament, the apostle Paul comes to mind. After his profound conversion experience (Acts 9:1-25), Paul sought to spread the Gospel with the same energy he once used to persecute Christians, which cost him dearly. Shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonments filled Paul’s missionary journeys. In 2 Thessalonians 3, he encourages believers to remember the Lord is faithful, a truth I believe helped guide Paul into the incredible obedience he displayed throughout his life.

The truth of the Lord’s faithfulness is for us, as well. In fact, today I am choosing to believe in His faithfulness as I navigate some unexpected scenarios in my current season.

Maybe, like me, you wonder, “What is the practical application?”.
For me, it looked like the following three steps today, ones I will probably need to repeat often.

  1. Pray like Nehemiah. He laid out the elements troubling his heart and directed his prayer to the Lord. This was an active conversation with Him, not simply thinking through details. I am often guilty of equating thinking about something with praying about it.
  2. Believe the Lord will respond in His faithfulness. The Lord’s character is consistent. Once I spent time praying through the details of life, I thanked the Lord for Who He is and the promises He has given in Scripture. I reminded myself of the goodness and faithfulness of God.
  3. Surrender the outcome to the Lord. This step is crucial and is sometimes the most difficult. The Lord will faithfully listen to my prayers and respond to them, but His answers may not be what I hope or expect. He may not remove the circumstances, provide insights immediately, or even seem to acknowledge my prayers. However, my role is to pray in faith, trust the Lord will reply in His faithfulness and timing, and obey as He leads me. The rest is up to Him.

Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilt the great wall surrounding Jerusalem–an undertaking the Hebrew remnant previously believed impossible!– in 52 days. Paul brought the Gospel to innumerable people throughout his life. Regardless of the mission the Lord has appointed for each of us, the same faithful One Who led Nehemiah and Paul leads us as well, and His activity makes all the difference.

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