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Reveal Day 7 Filling The Empty: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Original Intent

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
John didn’t write about the Word so as to invoke a mystery, he wrote to make one truth abundantly clear. Jesus IS God. Not a god. Not a good man. Not a great prophet. Jesus is God; the very fullness of God dwelled in Him. (Colossians 1:19) If it is true about God, John writes, it is also true of the Word. The total equality of power, authority, will, and sovereignty is made abundantly clear right from the start of John’s gospel. A gospel record which, by the way, focuses every story on the unequivocal identity of Jesus Christ as God. Are we absolutely certain the Word is indeed Jesus Christ? Without a single hint of doubt! John says the Word carried life within Him (verse 4), a life described as the “light of the word” (verse 9), of whom, John (the Baptist) was a forerunner testifying of this coming Light. (verses 7-8) John describes the Word as coming to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (verse 12) Making his point more clear, John adds that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (verse 14) Beyond all imaginings, the Word, who is God, now put on human skin! The fullness of God wrapped in frail flesh and bone, coming as a helpless baby born to a virgin girl. Fully God, and fully man, this Word did not come in secret to a few select people, but He was widely-known and countless people testified of Him, including John who wrote this gospel a mere 60 years after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This allowed for plenty of time for readers of his gospel to interview and cross reference with other witnesses who had walked with Jesus to verify all John testified of this Word made flesh. (verses 14-15) To remove all potential remaining doubt as to the identity of the Word, God in the flesh, John writes, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” (verses 17-18)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
John wrote his gospel so that all would understand that Jesus is indeed God, but more so, that they would believe in His Name so they could experience adoption as children of God. (verse 12) It’s only when we put our full trust on who John describes Jesus as (fully God, fully human) and on everything Jesus taught we can become a child of God. This is the “receiving” John wrote of in verse 12. John said Jesus “was in the world, and the world was created through Him, and yet the world did not recognize Him.” (verse 10) Every tree, flower, smile, gentle breeze, human bone, and intricate eyeball screams of a loving Creator God who is infinitely wise and infinitely interested in His creation, yet the One who crafted every fingerprint, wasn’t recognized as He came and dwelt among His people. Though He clothed Himself in human skin and hair, moved in miraculous ways only God could, healed broken bodies, and fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy about Himself, they still chose unbelief. He “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (verse 11) Even as far back in the Old Testament as the moment the first sin was acknowledged by humans before God, He promised One who would come to crush the head of Satan, forever ending death and suffering. (Genesis 3:15) Throughout all of history since that moment, the Lord God has crafted events and prophetic messages to point to the coming of His promised Messiah. Finally, as Jesus was born, and God was present in the flesh with His people, the Jews rejected Him. (Acts 2:22-23)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
By looking at these words alone, the pronouns become nonsensical, which is why it is always critically important to study Scripture by reading a whole passage, not just a single soundbite. We must first understand the message in its original setting before we can make any application to our lives today. (for more on this, see “Why Do We Dig Deeper?”) Verse 18 says in full, “No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” While there were occurrences of people seeing some of God’s glory as He allowed it (Exodus 33:18-19), Scripture teaches no one can see God and live. (Exodus 33:20) He is perfectly holy, and we are utterly sinful. There is no possible way for sin to stand in His presence. “Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3) The only way we could possibly “see” God was for Him to come to us in human form. John was careful with his words to express to us, “…The one and only Son, who is Himself God, and is at the Father’s side…” No one can tell us who God is like, except God Himself. There is only One authority able to accurately convey the fullness of Who He Is. God Himself. At the time of John’s writing, Jesus had already ascended back to Heaven and taken His place at the right hand of the Father. Note that John was again careful to make a distinction by saying Jesus was at the right hand of the Father. Both of them, along with the Holy Spirit, are fully God together. They are triune; 3 equally divine beings in 1 God. Finally, we come to the phrase, “He has revealed Him”. Now that we have slowed down for proper understanding, it is clear Jesus, fully God, came in human form, to make the unseen God seen and knowable. What incredible humility and love!

Everyday Application

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
I could sit with just these few verses of Scripture for the rest of my life and never unpack their fullness; they are so rich! That being said, the very first verse, only consisting of 17 words, leaves absolutely zero wiggle room about the identity of the Word. These last 4 words of sentence one set the bedrock foundation for e v e r y t h i n g else we read in John. What four words you ask? “…the Word was God.” Ladies, this is the biggest mic drop in history, and John wanted to make sure his readers didn’t even move onto a second sentence before understanding that this “Word” not only was “with” God from the very beginning of Creation, He Is God. Everything that could be said about God, can also be said of the Word. It can be hard to identify, much less tear down, our own false beliefs we have about who Jesus is as the fullness of God. I was blessed to be raised in a home where the truth that Jesus was God was taught over and over, but even so, I held a number of false beliefs about God when I left my family of origin. It took my marriage careening towards divorce, suffering depression, and surviving my suicide plans, before I was willing to finally, level the tower of my long-held beliefs. What I thought was true, just wasn’t adding up in real life. Too many questions didn’t have answers, and I needed answers. I decided to read the Bible for myself, forcing myself to remove the thick lenses of my past, and study God’s Word for what it really said. God was faithful to teach me Who He really was, and, praise God, He has continued to show me over and over who He is, and always will be!

2) In what ways did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
This is the single greatest tragedy known to mankind. That we would choose to reject the very Author of Life, deciding instead to clench our fists around ourselves, our own arbitrary measure of “good enough”, or our own twisted perception of who God is and what He is like, this tragedy will result in our eternal separation from Him. We will be utterly lost in unending darkness, forever suffering without the good, kind, forgiving God, who is Himself Light and Love. (Matthew 7:21-23) Amid swirling conversations and social debates on who this Jesus really was because He spoke and acted like He had the power of God, but looked like an ordinary man, Jesus asked this question to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”. (Matthew 16:15) Peter rightly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Who do you say Jesus is? Is He the Messiah, the Christ, the promised One from the beginning of time? Is He exactly who John, and rest of Scripture, declare Him to be as God Himself? Jesus followed up Peter’s response with this affirmation, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) If you aren’t convinced Jesus is precisely who He claimed, ask the Father to reveal it to your heart. Be certain you know Who you are believing in!  

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
It would be easy for us, sitting at the tail end of 2020, to say with a bit of a scoff, “It was easy to see God when Jesus was doing miracles right in front of them.” While true, we don’t have the benefit of walking beside Jesus, watching Him sweat under a hot Judean sun, or laugh out loud when the disciples poked fun at each other. Neither can we stand beside Him in awe as He brought life from a previously dead person or straightened a once-crooked leg. Though it may not seem like it, because our culture has a love affair with instant gratification and visual experiences, Jesus said it was better for Him to leave earth. (John 16:7) “If I go, I will send Him to you.” Once Jesus left, the Holy Spirit could come, indwelling every person who fully places their trust in Jesus, the Christ, the only Holy God. Jesus couldn’t be everywhere with every person at the same time in the limits of His physical body, but through the Holy Spirit, (who is also fully God!), every believer has direct access to God at all times. He isn’t a finnicky God, deciding to leave us when we misbehave, He stays inside to forever mark us as His. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Christ Jesus died for us, the ungodly, so His righteousness could be imputed (or directly replacing our old, sinful identity) on us. (Romans 5:6-11) As the Spirit lives within hearts that believe in Jesus as the One True God, He continues revealing more about God to us through His Word. Only God can reveal God.

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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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Reveal Day 3 Heartache’s Hope

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 147
Hosea 11:1-8
Isaiah 60:1-7
Isaiah 61:1-4
John 3:14-21

Reveal, Day 3

This will be a tough Christmas for me and my family.
We lost my uncle in February.
My sister, only 48 years old, went to be with Jesus on Easter morning due to Covid-19.
My grandmother is entering hospice care.
Tears come unbidden as I write. 

It’s been an incredibly traumatizing year and for the first time since my dad died twenty years ago, I can physically feel my heart ache. It’s like part of me is missing. Do you know that feeling? I don’t like it, but it’s here to stay for a while.

I anticipate that as Christmas arrives, this ache will be worse. It was my sister’s favorite holiday. Elaborate decorating . . . many gifts lavishly wrapped . . . all born of a genuine love of giving and sharing, especially during Christmas. She was like a bright star in December. I know my holiday, my world, will be a bit dimmer without her.

As I write about heartache, I think about the Israelites. I cannot imagine the pressing ache of waiting, generation after generation, for a promised Savior who would crush the enemy underneath His feet. (Genesis 3:15, Romans 16:20) I have a hard time waiting 17 days for something, so 1700 years seems unimaginable.

They endured so much during those 1700 years. They were exiled several times because they just couldn’t follow God with all their hearts. After one exile, when they returned and were trying to rebuild, rich Israelites took advantage of poor neighbors. They were so ruthless, they accepted their kinsmen’s daughters as payment for taxes! (Nehemiah 5:5)

They should have worked together to help rebuild, not just their city, but also their relationship with God. Instead, they tried to soothe their heartache with money and power over the weak and poor.

And you know what?
Their actions broke God’s heart.
Just read Hosea 11:1-8 again.

Can you feel the hurt and heartache of God? But God is merciful and loving. As He always does, He gave them a way to return to Him, to be His people again:

“If [. . .] my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)

God knows we can only be whole through Him, so He has provided an eternal road back to Him, even when we break His heart.

When the 1700 years was up, God delivered His promise.
But His promise wasn’t just for Israel.
It was for us, too.

Jesus came to “bring good news to the poor [. . .] heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)

This promise from hundreds of years earlier was for Jews and Gentiles alike, which includes us. Jesus came to free us from looking to anything or anyone else for freedom and healing because He “is the way, the truth and the life.” Just like the Israelites, we can get caught up longing for something better, instead of looking to the One Who is better.

Let’s face it, living in this world is hard. There is no living without heartbreak and heartache. Sure, it points to the brokenness of the world. But it also points to our own insufficiency: we cannot heal ourselves.

We try, though. We shop, eat all the comfort food, drink, use drugs, isolate, or even deny our pain, but none of these will bring light to our darkness. Similarly, not one idol, power play, or act of rebellion brought light to the Israelites’ darkness. Instead, Jesus came, died, and rose to free us from sin and death. (John 3:16-17) And that’s not even the full picture!

If we look to Isaiah 60, we see God’s full promise to the nation of Israel, and to us. Israel will no longer live in darkness. Jesus will reign there and the glory of God will shine so brightly, darkness will be cast out. Forever. He will draw in other nations, who will find the light they’ve been searching for everywhere else. What a wonderful picture!

Even better, we don’t need to wait for eternity to experience the light and healing of Immanuel, God With Us. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Further, if you have accepted Christ, the light of the Holy Spirit lives within you.

Sisters, let us connect with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us be radiant and rejoice in Jesus, the light of the world. (Isaiah 60:5)
Until He returns, let us look to Him for our comfort, healing and light.

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Worship VII Day 15 What’s So Amazing About Grace?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-9
Lamentations 3:22-24
Titus 2:11-14
2 Timothy 1:9-10
Revelation 20:4-6

Worship VII, Day 15

We often think of those who write hymns, especially famous ones, as being faultless. Yet, each writer was human, and therefore deeply flawed, none more so than John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace.”

John Newton’s mother was a believer and instilled learning Scripture in John as a young boy. Motherless at 7, he joined his father, a ship captain, at sea for several voyages. As a young teen, he often found himself in trouble aboardship, and eventually, a moment of free time away from the ship put him into the path of a press gang. John was kidnapped to serve in the British Navy for several years, but all the hard work requirements didn’t stop him from creating havoc aboard the ships.

“Amazing grace,
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us the grace and salvation John Newton wrote about do not come at our own hand. Instead, like the apostle Paul, we can only see the truth of our sin and God’s grace when the scales fall from our eyes. Paul’s temporary blindness was physical, but it also represented his spiritual blindness to Who God truly was. We, like Saul, are blinded to Who He is, and to the ugliness of our sin, when we are mired in our self-serving sin and lifestyles dishonoring to God.

When John was free from the Navy, he was given the opportunity to assist a plantation owner and slave trader on an island off the African coast. Though slave trading was a legal business and he had success, John discovered himself chained in spiritual bondage, just as the slaves he traded were locked in physical chains.

“’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.”

Rescued from life on the island, John joined another trade vessel. A fierce storm arose, causing the ship to take on water and begin falling apart. After helping to bail water, he was assigned to the helm. It was in this moment, facing almost certain death, John remembered the faith of his upbringing and started praying.

Three hours later, the storm abated. John spent several more hours at the helm, giving him plenty of time to pray and reflect on his life. He began to realize God was very real and did, indeed, still hold him. Titus 2:11-13 aptly describes the call of God, which settled on John’s spirit, although he did not yet fully grasp it yet:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

“Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come,
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.”

Eventually, John became captain of his own vessel, making several voyages to Africa and back. Over the course of these trips, he made time for prayer and devotions with his crew. Before one trip, John was overcome with a fever and forced to remain behind; later, tragic news came that the ship sank. Once again, he was reminded of God’s divine protection over his life.

John retired as captain and eventually chose to go into ministry. He became active in the abolitionist movement, denouncing, and working to end, slave trade. God had continued to make John’s heart new and increasingly more like Christ’s!

“The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures,
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.”

As he penned these verses, John put into his own words the declarations of God’s faithfulness found in Psalm 28:7, Psalm 91:4, and Lamentations 3:22-24.

“Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.”

John spent many years writing sermons and poems, often collaborating with fellow poet William Cowper. “Amazing Grace” is one of the many poems produced by Newton. His past became the focus of many of the verses, but he concluded this famous work with his gaze fixed on eternity:

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.”

Grace was the theme of a wretched man like John, who gave himself over again and again to the Amazing God who died to free him from his chains of slavery to sin. Our sin gives us each the moniker “wretch,” and yet, when we turn to Him in repentance, even the most wretched heart is transformed by His amazing grace! Come, be amazed at the gracious kindness of a God who sacrificed Himself for you!

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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 Worship VII Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Worship VII Day 13 One Day

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:1-5
Romans 5:6-11
John 3:16-21
Revelation 22:6-20

Worship VII, Day 13

What a difference a day makes!

I remember the day I came face to face with the knowledge that I was hopelessly lost. Old Slew foot, the devil, had blinded my eyes to the light of Life found only in Jesus. He said, “You’re a good girl. You have nothing to worry about.” Even though my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them were all Christians,
I was still lost in the darkness of my sin.

The old evangelist preached hard that night. Was it his warning of hell and damnation or the fact that my grandfather had recently passed that got my attention? Maybe both. The Spirit of God was opening the eyes of my heart, and I was brought into His Light that day. I recognized I needed a Savior so, at an old-fashioned camp meeting, I walked the aisle and gave my heart and life to the Lord.
Oh, what a day when I came into the Light!

At the turn of the 20th century, another great evangelist, J. Wilbur Chapman, was also intently determined to preach the Gospel. Chapman served several pastorates before going into the evangelistic circuit. He preached with the legendary D. L. Moody at the 1893 World’s Fair before traveling with gospel singer, Charles Alexander. Their first campaign in Philadelphia saw 8,000 conversions followed by Boston and 7,000 recorded conversions. Chapman and Alexander continued having tent revivals all around the world for the next 10 years until his death in 1918. [Wholesomeword.org]

While Chapman will be forever known as a great evangelist, he also blessed the Church with many hymns like “Our Great Savior (Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners)”.  Perhaps he “gave the Christian world the greatest gospel content song of all time when he penned the words for “One Day.” [Truthful Words Biographies]

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises.
One day when sin was a black as can be.
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He.”

It was indeed a dark day when sin began running rampant and men turned from the living God to please themselves. Ever since that day in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), men and women have been impossibly lost in sin with no hope to save themselves. Until that one day when, at just the right time, God sent His angels to proclaim the miraculous, Jesus had come from Heaven to earth! (Luke 2:8-12) He came to the sinful and impossibly lost, born of a virgin to live fully as a man experiencing everything we experience, yet, living a sinless life because He was and is God Almighty. (1 Peter 2:20-25)

“Living He Loved me.”

How much God loves us! We are familiar with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son…” But, even better, the darkness of our sin is chased away by His glorious light! (John 3:16-21)

Not only does He love us, but He came to provide our forgiveness before we even considered asking for it or being remorseful. (Romans 5:6-11) He loved, and forgave, while we were still deep in our sin.

“Dying He Saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away.”

Yes, one day they arrested Jesus and falsely accused Him. That day, He took on our sin to pay our debt of punishment for that sin on a cruel cross.  He carried our sin upon Himself so it would no longer rule our lives. In Jesus, our sin has been removed “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12)

Our debt of sin has been erased! Gone! Forever Gone! Praise the Lord!
“He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations,
that was against us and opposed to us,
and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”
(Colossians 2:14)

“Rising, He justified freely forever”

Even greater than taking on the punishment of death we deserved, after three days in the grave, He rose again, breaking the power of sin and death. On that day, He freed us forever from the slavery of sin. In Jesus, we can be both saved from our sin’s punishment and justified before a Righteous God! Jesus moves our status from “hopelessly sinful” to “just as if I’d never sinned!”. This doesn’t come automatically because we’re alive, faith is required. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith that places our full-weight trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross to pay for our sin. Do we believe what the Bible says about Jesus? If we accept His offer of salvation in genuine faith, we will live forever with Him in Heaven one day.

“It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:23-25)

“One day He’s coming, Oh Glorious day!”

Ah! Yes! One day! One day He is coming again for us!
When Christ ascended into Heaven, the angel come down with a promise that ONE DAY, He would return just as He had left in the clouds. (Acts 1:6-11) It will be a glorious day when he comes and sets up His kingdom.

And who can enter in?
“Those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:14)

I am ready for that Glorious day!
Are you?
Have you repented of your sin and asked to be free from the slavery of sin and its punishment of death? Make today your own “One Day” that changes everything!
What a difference a day makes!

“Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

Author’s Note:
Though this hymn is over 100 years old, listen in to Casting Crowns for a remade version!

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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 Worship VII Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Worship VII Day 12 Held Fast: 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 Held Fast!

The Questions

1) What is the treasure in jars of clay? (verse 7)

2) If there is hope and life in Jesus why does Paul include verses 8-9 about suffering?

3) What does it mean to focus on what is unseen? (verse 18)

2 Corinthians 4:7-8

7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. 14 For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. 15 Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Original Intent

1) What is the treasure in jars of clay? (verse 7)
Jars of clay or earthly, temporary jars are what Paul is referring to by “jars of clay”. However, the treasure in them surpasses the temporariness of the jar. The jars are fragile and weak, but what they hold is far from fragile, weak, or temporary! Paul is writing to believers of a treasure that will surpass all of time. He is writing of God Himself dwelling in believers as they live in relationship with Him. Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers they know the good news of Christ and salvation. These verses remind us the treasure of Jesus comes from God alone; they cannot attain it without Him. However, verse 15 also reminds them this grace and good news is not to stop with them. They are to extend it to others by sharing the good news of Christ and offering others the same relationship with the Heavenly Father they enjoy.

2) If there is hope and life in Jesus why does Paul include verses 8-9 about suffering?
Paul knew the truth of these verses better than most. His life was anything but easy. He was persecuted, shipwrecked, and imprisoned for the Gospel, yet he never gave up. He kept walking the path God laid before him. “Instead of finding in this disparity reason to doubt his vocation, he saw in it an illustration of a great law of God. It served to protect the truth that salvation is of the Lord.” (Expositors Commentary) Paul is reminding the Corinthians life following Jesus wasn’t guaranteed to be easy. However, Paul doesn’t leave them in their hopelessness. He follows these verses with the reminder Christ walked through suffering and conquered death. Their journey is not hopeless because God will never leave them and because God purchased their hope and security with His own blood. They share in the victory of Jesus even in the trials and sufferings this world offers. (Romans 8:17, 1 Peter 4:13)

3) What does it mean to focus on what is unseen? (verse 18)
Paul didn’t know Jesus personally when He walked on earth, and neither did Paul’s audience. Paul has shared the message of the Gospel with them and is now writing to them. They have never seen the hope they cling to, but instead it is faith in the unseen they are living out in everyday life. What they see around them is temporary, but they are to focus on what is unseen and what is eternal.  Paul is reminding them this world is not the end, there is a promise for more. A promise of a day when Christ will return. A day the believers in Corinth thought was closer than it was, but a day that will indeed one day happen. Paul is reminding them, someday all will be made right; there is hope and life and the promise of an eternity spent with God. The struggle now will be worth it!

Everyday Application

1) What is the treasure in jars of clay? (verse 7)
We are the jars of clay. Our bodies may be temporary, weak, and fragile, but we hold the greatest treasure when we live in relationship with our Heavenly Father. I don’t know about you sisters, but the season we are living in during Covid-19 has been exhausting and hard. I have felt my humanity maybe more now than at any other point in my life. I am weak and fragile, but the good news is, I was never asked to walk this life alone! God extends this amazing treasure of relationship with Him to each of us when we choose to accept His offer of complete forgiveness for sin. He promises to live in us and we never face any aspect of life apart from His strength. As I cling to the treasure deposited inside me (2 Corinthians 5:5), the good news is that only Christ offers this unexplainable hope and joy. However, just like the Corinthian believers, I am not supposed to keep this treasure a secret. I am to share and extend the good news beyond me to a hurting world. I am to share with others the life only Jesus can offer as we walk in relationship with Him. I challenge you today to ask yourself, “Am I living a life where others see Christ living through me or am I keeping Him a secret?”

2) If there is hope and life in Jesus why does Paul include verses 8-9 about suffering?
We may understand these verses better today than we ever have before in light of a global pandemic, racial unrest, and many other worldwide struggles. If we are honest, the world around us brings affliction and persecution like never before. We look around and feel perplexed and at times struck down. Jesus never promised His followers a life of ease. Instead, in Matthew 16:24 we are told to pick up our cross and follow Him. In John 16:33 Jesus tells there will be suffering. Jesus Himself suffered worse than any of us could ever imagine, yet He did not lose hope. His suffering and sacrifice is the source of our life! Paul includes these verses to remind us following Jesus won’t always be easy. There will be tough days, weeks, and years, however, He will never abandon us! (Psalm 138:8) Instead, as we cling to Him during the hard seasons of life, it is an “opportunity for Christ to demonstrate His power and presence in and through us (NLT Study Bible).” When we walk through suffering and hard times, the work of Christ in our life is evident to the world around us. We simply have to choose to lean in and cling to Him by faith.

3) What does it mean to focus on what is unseen? (verse 18)
Like Paul, we don’t have the privilege the first disciples had. We don’t get to walk with Jesus and learn from Him as He lives and teaches. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “we walk by faith not sight.” I am reminded of what Jesus said in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe.” When we choose to put our faith in the promises we cannot see, we are blessed! We look around and see a temporary world filled with sin and suffering, but there is a promise of more. There is the promise of the eternal. When Jesus left earth, He promised to return. (Acts 1:11) This is the promise we cling to as believers. Our life now isn’t forever! We know the unseen includes life forever with God that will be without pain and suffering. It is a place where He will wipe away the tears and there will be no more mourning or pain. All of what we know will pass away (Revelation 21:4). I don’t know about you sisters, but I long for that day. We have hope in this unseen promise. I challenge you to live in light of the end of the story clinging to the promise of the perfection that lies ahead of us.

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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)
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in your everyday!

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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.

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VII Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) “Be still and know”. In a society which urges us at every moment to hustle harder, hurry to the next thing, and do more, the King of Kings calls His beloved children to be still. He calls those who love Him to cease their striving, to rest in His goodness and His completed work. He has always been faithful, and He will continue in His faithfulness. No amount of work or hustle can change His faithfulness toward you. Over the last six months since Covid-19 hit, some of us had the opportunity to slow down and sit with our thoughts as we have been kept at home, while others of us have had more and more responsibilities heaped on our plates beyond what we can manage. Spend some time today considering your response to God’s call to be still. Where in your life are you striving and working to make yourself better? Where are you resisting the gift of rest God has provided for you? Set aside some time this week to practice stillness. This may require getting up a little earlier or coordinating with your spouse to allow for some time away. Find space to rest, listen to God’s gentle leading, worship Him with honest transparency, and renew your soul by remembering “the Lord is on your side.”

2) “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” Jesus gave His life on the wondrous cross so we who believe might be united to Him. This unity demands we die to our selfish desires and relinquish any control we think we have over our lives. In Philippians 3, Paul tells his readers he has lost everything for the sake of Jesus, but considers all he lost as nothing because he has gained Christ. As followers of Christ, we will face suffering. This is the nature of our broken world. How have you responded to suffering in your life? Have you allowed God to make you new, even in the midst of suffering, or are you carrying around bitterness? Write down a current or recent struggle, then intentionally turn it over to the Lord. Ask for His help as you navigate this suffering. Name specific heart responses you have had toward your difficult situation, both positive and negative. Praise God for His work in you! If you’ve never died to yourself, knowing you have no righteousness on your own apart from Jesus, (Philippians 3:9) take these moments to repent from sin, asking Him to bring you the fullness of life only He can offer!

3)It is easy to forget all that went into securing our hope of salvation. Jesus was brought down low in order that we who trust in Him could be united to Him. He suffered and died so He might invite the weary and burdened to follow Him and take up His easy yoke. I don’t know about you, but I am humbled that anyone would choose to die such a horrific death on my behalf; much less Jesus himself who stepped down from the highest heaven to become the lowest servant. This sobering thought should lead us to consider how we can serve others. What could we possibly do that Jesus Himself has not already done to serve the Church? How can I ever possibly think I am above any position of service? Where is God calling you to lay down your life and serve others today? Is there a need for volunteers in your church? Do you have a friend or neighbor in need of encouragement or a meal? Ask God to show you ways you can reflect the humility of Christ by serving those in need around you. Make a plan to serve at least one person this week because Jesus came low to serve you.

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 Romans 8:37-39 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

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

Prayer Journal
Lord, quiet my heart. Help me to be still and consider the greatness of the gifts You have given Your people. Thank You that You are on my side, despite what the world tells me. I know You gave Your Son to die on a cross, so I might have life to the full. Help me to never take Your gift for granted! Remind me the wonderful cross was the ultimate sacrifice for my ultimate good. Give me courage, strength, and perseverance to die to myself and live out my union with Christ. And oh! Let me not forget the glory awaiting me in the life to come! Let my weary soul find rest in the comfort of knowing that one day, I will dwell in Your presence. I trust You are preparing a place for me, and I find joy in knowing You will make all things new. As I consider what heaven will be like, help me to live out the principles of Your Kingdom “on earth, as it is in heaven.” Let me abide in Your perfect love and share Your love with the world around me. May I be full of Your goodness and truth.

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Worship VII Day 3 The Wonderful Cross

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 3:1-11
Isaiah 53
John 15:6-17
Mark 15:6-37

Worship VII, Day 3

Dichotomy
Such a fancy-sounding word, simply meaning a contrast between two differing or opposing ideas. Why is this word important for today’s journey into worship? As we explore the hymn The Wonderful Cross, we uncover the incredible dichotomy of the cross of Jesus, simultaneously wonderful and horrible. Come, discover with me.

“When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain, I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.”

In Biblical times, there was nothing wonderful about a cross. It meant crucifixion, which was excruciatingly painful, while also publicizing the victim had committed a crime deserving a penalty of death.

Except Jesus committed no crime.
There was no sin to attribute to Him. (1 John 3:5)

However, human beings have sins to spare, and Jesus took every last, ugly, despicable one of them to that cross of death and shame. (Isaiah 53:5-6)
His holiness took on our sinfulness.
His righteousness was willingly offered in exchange for our unrighteousness when we embrace the cross. This place of death offers a slaying of our sin as we submit to His rule and reign! Anything we give up in this life to follow Him is a loss so we can gain eternity. (Philippians 3:7-9) Praise Him, the Prince of Glory!

“See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose, so rich a crown.” 

Jesus’ cross experience was filled with pain and suffering. Can you imagine being beaten with a whip laced with metal? (Mark 15:15) Picture a crown of thorns beaten into your head. (Mark 15:17-19) Then carry a cross beam on your wounded back, only to be nailed to it, and hung to die. Every drop of blood, from His head, hands and feet flowed from joyful obedience to the Father. He could have focused on the pain of the cross. Instead, He focused on the joy of it, because He was winning our salvation.

In the face of hatred and jealousy, He expressed love.
In response to the envy of the chief priests (Mark 15:10),
His fellow Jews yelling, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:12-14),
Roman soldiers mocking Him (Mark 15:20),
and crowds scoffing as He hung on the cross for their sins (Mark 15:29-32),
He offered His life for them all.

This was pure love.

John 15:13 says, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”
Jesus, however, went beyond this definition. Romans 5:8 says,
“while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

While they were not His friends.
While we were not His friends.
He still laid down His life, because He loves us! Does it ever bring you to tears to think about someone, anyone, loving you so much? I can scarcely handle the thought of the most holy God loving sinful me that much. Yet He does! Glory!

“Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name.” 

The chorus mentions “gathering to bless His name.” This is what we do on Sundays at church, at Bible study, in small groups, and as we pray together throughout the week. We bless Him.
When we lay our problems down so He can handle them, we bless Him.
All made possible because of the wonderful cross that brought His brutal death and our freedom.

On the day Jesus died, people gathered at the foot of His cross, but their intention was not to bless. They drew near to mock the very One who could save them. Today, in light of what Jesus finished for us, we metaphorically gather at the foot of the cross to bless the very one who did save us. (Isaiah 53:5 and Isaiah 53:11)

“Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

How do we respond to this costly, sacrificial love? In His horrific death, we find the most profoundly extravagant act of love and selflessness ever displayed.

I can think of three actions we can take in response.
First, accept the gift of salvation. Jesus paid a high price for us to spend eternity with Him. Let’s not leave His gift unaccepted and unopened.

Second, since Jesus died for us, we should die for others in sacrificial love. On a daily basis, we work toward dying to self and to our sin. Philippians 2:3 explains it best, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” In a nutshell, dying to self means:

  • Operating in humility
  • Considering others before ourselves
  • Placing others’ needs before ours

I warn you, it will feel like death. I’ve tried it!
But it’s nothing compared to the cross of Christ. So, let’s just do the thing, and live in the love of Jesus as we follow Him, okay?

Third, we can take hold of the life Jesus died to give us.
Let’s read our Bible and do what it says.
Let’s use our gifts for His glory, not ours.
Let’s press on toward the goal for the prize of following Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
We can do this in honor of the wonderful cross and our beautiful Savior!

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Calling Day 15 Undying Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-24
Psalm 138:1-8
Colossians 1:1-29

Calling, Day 15

For my birthday, my sister gave me an Amazon gift card. With that e-card, she placed a vast array of options at my fingertips and whatever I chose could be on my doorstep in two days. Any guesses as to what I selected?

A charging station for all my electronics. 

All #adulting jokes aside, I have happily used the charging station daily since it arrived. Gone are the days of plugging items in to charge all around the room since no outlet had enough space for all my chargers. No longer am I searching for various cords and adaptors and successfully pair them accurately with devices, which were often threatening to die at any moment. Now a small bamboo box, containing a charging hub, hosts all my charging electronics.

So now that I’ve given you far more insight into my life than you ever wanted, let me share how the Lord used this ordinary charger to provide a new perspective on a portion of His Word.

Our study on Ephesians is drawing to a close, but the rich depth of its application continues on if we embrace the challenge presented to us in the final verses of this letter from Paul. This challenge produces fruit and the abundant life Christ died to bring us. (John 10:10) In verse 10, Paul begins to walk through the armor of God.

If you grew up in the church, you may remember learning this concept in Sunday school; I distinctly remember something akin to an “armor of God” paper doll. (For those in a younger generation, they were like paper doll apps but–gasp–made of real paper!)

If you’re not familiar with the concept, the armor of God describes how believers can prepare for, and successfully fight, in the spiritual battles we face on our journeys of faith.

Unfortunately, I sometimes equate putting on the armor of God with the dressing up of a paper doll. I can “dress” myself with the correct words, thoughts, and outlooks from head to toe, but am I truly drawing my strength from the Lord . . . or just putting on a good show?

So as I read through Ephesians 6, I asked myself if I am truly “plugging in” to the Lord as my source as I seek to live out the life described in verses 10-18? As I pondered that question, the Lord brought to mind my charging station. I would not set my phone on the wooden base and assume it would charge without plugging in the base.

Similarly, putting on the armor of God is about drawing close to Christ and His Word, and listening to the Holy Spirit as we pray. It is not about looking the part; it is about living the part.

For example, when verse 14 challenges us to stand with truth like a belt around our waists, it is not exhorting us to assume a certain physical posture, or pull ourselves up by our bootstraps emotionally.

Instead, Paul encourages us to embrace truth, both through immersion in Scripture and prayerful pursuit of discernment and wisdom in the Holy Spirit. Then, just as a literal belt was the foundational piece of armor to which all else was attached, God’s truth will be the launchpad from which the rest of our spiritual armor springs.

What passage of Scripture or words of the Spirit speak to your heart in this moment and remind you the God who has overcome the world is for you? Stand on His words of truth, dear sister; stand with the authority Christ died to give you.

As we read through the armor of God, let’s envision each piece as a charger for an electronic device.
What would it look like to “plug ourselves into Christ” for each piece of armor?
Let’s invest the time to intentionally seek interaction with the Lord and discover His strength.

The key component in my charging station is electricity, and the key component of the armor of God is God. Long before electricity ever made its mark on planet earth, Paul understood the reality of being plugged into Christ, and the significance of this vital connection is still felt today as we read his letters.

Paul wrote about the armor of God as a tested and tried warrior, not as a child playing with paper dolls. He put on the armor of God in order to fulfill the purpose the Lord had for him. Paul sought to declare the gospel and he worked with the Lord to spread the good news about Christ. He has modeled what it looks like to live fully alive in Christ and fully alive for Christ. 

Paul ended his letter to the church in Ephesus (and to all of us eavesdropping on the conversation) with a prayer for grace to all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear sister, may we plug in to the Lord and be counted among those with an undying love.

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Calling Day 8 Live Worthy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:1-16
Deuteronomy 6
Galatians 5:16-26

Calling, Day 8

“I’m curious. How did you save your marriage? I need to know so I can try to save mine,” my friend inquired.

I knew she was looking for a magic bullet. I didn’t have one for her, though. “We prayed individually. We went to our Bibles and discovered what marriage is supposed to look like. We read Christian marriage books.

“And at the end of the day, we just decided to love each other like Jesus loves us.” It wasn’t the easy answer she was looking for, but it was the truth. 

When I said my marriage vows, I was called to be a wife. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1, I needed to live worthy of that calling, just as my husband needed to live worthy of his calling as a husband. But most importantly, we needed to walk worthy of being called by Christ.

Marriage is an earthly reflection of God’s relationship with us, His bride; so, Sister, regardless of your marital status, if Jesus lives in your heart, Paul’s exhortation to walk worthy of God’s calling is for you.

When Paul started Ephesians 4:1 with the word “therefore,” he reminded us of Ephesians 1 through 3. In those chapters, we find that by knowing God and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive
spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3),
grace (Ephesians 1:7),
salvation (Ephesians 2:5-6),
power (Ephesians 3:16-17)
and unity (Ephesians 2:11-22).

These wonderful gifts are freely given to us.
And we honor God when we use them to reflect Him to others. 

Focusing on God enables us to live worthy of the gifts of salvation and the Holy Spirit.
But how?

If you’ve been in church, you’ve probably heard prayer is how we “conversate” with God. In these ongoing conversations with our Father, it’s helpful to dedicate space to listening, so we can also hear from Him. And finally, sometimes He answers me while I’m doing mundane things, too! He can speak to me at any moment, from driving in my car to preparing a meal!

Reading and studying the Bible are also important. We read not just to learn God’s instructions, but also to know His character. Again, human interactions mirror our relationship with God. Just as we grow closer to people as we spend together and learn their character, we can know God is loving, just, merciful, patient and faithful by reading His Word. 

God’s character and heart for us are revealed all throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. For example, in Deuteronomy 6, we learn what it means to fear God (Deuteronomy 6:2). This does NOT mean we ought to be afraid of God, but rather, we ought to live in respectful awe of God’s character and the greatness of His power and might.

And when we fear Him, we try to walk in obedience to His commands, which He gives us in the Bible. See how it’s all connected?

Finally, when we meet in community, we gain others’ perspectives about and experiences with understanding and applying Scripture. We can also be encouraged and challenged by other believers. Just like children learn life skills from older siblings, we can learn from those who are more spiritually mature. Consider Titus 2:2-8, which exhorts both men and women to teach those younger than them, both in physical age and spiritual maturity.

As we pray, read, and study the Bible, meet in community and revere Him, we come to know and love Him more, “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Then, in a natural outpouring of this love, we begin to reflect Him to others around us. In doing so, we display His heart and character to those in our spheres of influence who may not know Him.

For instance, my friend was not a believer.

But she watched my husband and I work through an extremely difficult period in our marriage.
She watched me change attitudes and behaviors.
She watched my husband transform as he studied.
Thus, we were able to show her Jesus through our daily actions.

But when our lives do not align with the Bible, we can turn people away from the gospel. If our lives look more like the list from Galatians 5:19-21 than the one in Galatians 5:22-23, who would want that Jesus? I wouldn’t, would you?

And finally, Scripture urges us to remain consistent in our obedience and resulting godly behavior. We cannot live double lives. Even Peter falls prey to this trap of duplicity and is corrected by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14. May we never cause others to regard the Church as hypocritical.

In this Gracefully Truthful Community, we read and study the Bible. We learn about God’s character. We share authentically with each other. In this is place, we can grow in spiritual maturity. We are helping each other learn to live worthy of our calling!

I’m so glad I took those baby steps years ago. Because I, because we, chose to live worthy of the commitment to which God called us, my husband and I will celebrate 28 years of marriage this December.

So ladies, I declare with confidence, if the Spirit of God lives within you, then you CAN walk and live worthy of your calling.
Go show the world.

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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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