Life

Whole Day 3 See The Sickness

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Whole, Day 3

Jeremiah 8:18-22
Acts 2:29-42
Matthew 5:10-12
1 Peter 4:12-14

Oppression: an unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power. (Merriam-Webster) Often, oppression includes a cluster of feeling heavily burdened and mentally or physically troubled, which may lead to adverse conditions and anxiety.

Oppression has existed since sin first entered the world. As we read the works of Old Testament writers, we find their lament of the suffering humanity experiences.
“My joy has flown away;
grief has settled on me.
My heart is sick.
Listen–the cry of my dear people
from a faraway land,
‘Is the LORD no longer in Zion,
her King not within her?’ [. . .]
I am broken by the brokenness
of my dear people.
I mourn; horror has taken hold of me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
So why has the healing of my dear people
not come about?”
(Jeremiah 8:18-22)

Over time, some people throughout the world have fought oppression, providing fundamental rights to others and organizing to work for the protection of those suffering unjustly. Yet sadly, people in many countries are still oppressed today.
Today, I’m going to share about oppression in my home country, Pakistan.
In the midst of our struggles, we strongly believe God has good plans for Pakistan and He cares for His people here.

The Pakistani Christian community has been an important part of Pakistan since its creation, but remains a minority in the predominately Muslim country. While the white stripe on the hoist end of the Pakistani flag is meant to represent those of minority faiths, Pakistani Christians face significant oppression.

Challenges include finding jobs and providing quality education to our children. While the education system of Pakistan was rooted in Christian missionary schools, current literacy rates remain very low in Christian communities.

Furthermore, in some areas, our churches are under threat of sudden attack at all times.

In 2005, a mob set fire to churches and Christian schools in Faisalabad, forcing Christians to flee.
In 2009, a mob set fire to about 40 houses and a church in Gojra, burning eight people alive.
On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack took place at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which 127 people were killed and over 250 injured.

On 15 March 2015, two blasts took place at a Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church
during Sunday service in the Youhanabad area of Lahore. At least 15 people were killed and seventy were wounded in the attacks.

A church in Quetta was bombed and 9 people were killed. The Islamic State took responsibility for the attack.
According to an Open Doors claim in November 2017, Pakistan had the highest number of Christians killed in the world during the 12 months from 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2016. Pakistan also topped the list of most documented church attacks during the same time period.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, reports emerged that rations were being denied to minority Hindus and Christians in the coastal areas of Karachi. Thankfully, several organizations, including Edhi Foundation, JDC Welfare Organization, and Jamaat-e-Islami, are reported to have stepped forward to provide relief to the minorities.

As you can see, recent years have seen an intensification of violent persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan.
The Lord Jesus told us Christians would face tribulation, and we must stand firm in our faith, knowing our sacrifices are right before God and will increase His Kingdom.
“If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

Christ made it very clear the road to which He is calling us is full of trials and challenges. As Pakistani Christians suffer for their faith, sometimes imprisoned and tortured for years, they are sustained by God’s promise there is a reward kept for them and they are sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:10-12)

No stranger to suffering for the Gospel, the Apostle Peter confirms,
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you also may rejoice with great glory when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Today, if you are oppressed, remember 1 Peter 4:16,
“But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God[.]”
God bless each one of you.

*Written by Neriah Khan, whose name has been changed to protect her identity

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Wilderness Day 1 Marked & Lost & Grace

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 4:1-16
Matthew 5:21-24
John 4:10-26

Wilderness, Day 1

Wilderness wilds take on many forms in our lives.
For every wanderer, an oasis beckons.
Sweet waters meant to be consumed, delighted in, and strengthening to the sojourner. Daily, they are available. Hourly. Breath by breath.
This is the secret of survival in desert’s dearth.

Some may think Cain’s wilderness began the day he murdered his brother and was cast from God’s presence, ejected from his family for his gruesome crime. But Cain’s heart wandered desert sands, sensing the scorch of perceived abandonment long before his leathered hand reached for the rock to slew Abel.

Thousands of generations later, God would uncover Cain’s covert sin as Jesus spoke to a quickly gathering crowd during His most famous sermon.

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, “Do not murder”, and “whoever murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. (…) Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

Sin’s stealthy snare woos us to use our anger to injure another. (Proverbs 12:18) It sneakily deceives, “You deserve to be angry! You’re more powerful if you voice your anger. Raised voice, pacing feet, sarcastic words, or snubbed shoulder; do it all, girl, whatever you feel. Let it roar, rage and burn!”

Jesus’ half-brother, James’ penned, “Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15)

Cain’s sin was the gateway to his literal (when he was angry) and figurative (when he was banished) wilderness, but for Abel, his wilderness was felt along the cold hard edges of broken relationship. Perhaps the brothers once shared a close relationship. Perhaps they had fond memories of building forts, exploring caves, and scattering father Adam’s gardening tools. But hearts changed, distance grew, and where one brother drank freely from the oasis of heart worship to God, the other brother grew bitter and angry, spurning the cooling drink and claiming to love the blisters on his feet instead.

Both were wandering, but only one was lost.
Still, the Lord held them both.

Adam and Eve’s first two sons, Cain and Abel, were the first boys naturally birthed in the entire human race. Immediately, sin crouched at the door of their hearts, seeking to rule them. (Genesis 4:7) Both had a choice, just as their parents did, to worship the Lord or themselves. Their real-life actions flowed from the heart decisions they had already made.

As Cain and Abel approached the altar of the Lord that day, one brother would be dead within hours, but the other brother’s heart had already chosen death for himself. (Romans 5:12)
True, his hands stole his brother’s life, but his own choices had strangled him long before he reached for that rock.

Anything apart from Christ equals death, for there are only two masters. (James 4:4)
Sin or Christ. (Colossians 1:13)
Sin brings death. (Romans 6:23)
Christ brings life. (John 10:10)

Abel’s blood cried out to God from the ground for mercy (Genesis 4:10), but his soul was already safe with Him because Abel had chosen worship. (Revelation 6:9-10) While alive, Abel chose to drink from the oasis of worshiping the Author of Life. Cain’s life still flooded his veins when his brother’s heart stopped, but God’s curse was upon him, rendering him dead because of his own sin-wrecked heart-condition. (Genesis 4:11-12)

When we look in the mirror, Sisters, it’s Cain’s image we should see reflected. Whether another’s innocent blood is on our head or not, we are all certainly responsible for the wounding caused by words spoken in anger.

“Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire”.  Jesus’ words remind us that sin has stained us all. We all deserve Cain’s banishment. We all deserve his disownment, for we have all, at some point, chosen to reject the oasis of worshiping the One True God over our sinful selfish desires.

Here, Cain’s story takes its most remarkable turn, for God does something entirely unexpected. To the firstborn boy in the history of the world who has freshly murdered his brother because of selfish pride and jaded jealousy, the Lord gives mercy. (Genesis 4:15)

Excuse me, what?!

Death, Lord, Cain deserves death. Send a lightning bolt from heaven and consume him for killing his innocent brother! Or smite Cain for not worshiping you whole-heartedly as Abel had! Don’t give him mercy.

Words flow easily when we’re angry, outraged, offended, indignant, until we look in the mirror and see Cain’s heart in our eyes. Lover of self depicts us all. And to all of us, the Lord says, “While she chose sin, I chose to die for her.” (Romans 5:8, my paraphrase)

The Lord banished Cain for his sin.
The Lord banishes each of us for the same reason.
Not the same sin, but the same offensiveness against a holy God.

The Lord marked Cain, giving him mercy,
so none would kill him as he had killed his own brother.
The Lord sets His love upon us, offering each of us His merciful forgiveness
so we don’t need to suffer the eternal death we deserve.

Cain’s wilderness was one of his own hand, and so is ours,
but we can accept the mercies of the Lord and drink the waters of His life!

Leave the desert, friend.
Worship the Lord who has marked you with His grace!

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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 13 Surprising Answers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 12:1-19
2 Kings 20:1-7
Isaiah 55:8-9
Matthew 7:7-11
James 5:13-18

Kneel, Day 13

Have you ever been surprised by an answer to prayer?

The people praying for Peter in this account from Acts certainly were!

Peter has been imprisoned for following Jesus, and as he waits for his public trial after the Passover celebration, the church is “praying fervently to God for him.” (Acts 12:5)

They are under no illusions about how the situation is likely to end for Peter. Herod Agrippa recently had the apostle James killed with a sword, and seeing the Jews’ resulting pleasure, has prompted Peter’s arrest. (Acts 12:1-2)

The church knows it is a matter of life and death, and so they pray desperately. Different translations of Acts 12:5 describe their prayers as constant, intense, earnest, persistent, continual, and without ceasing. This is prayer that is intentional and focused.

Consequently, God intervenes in a miraculous way. Awakened by an angel, Peter is told to get up. His chains fall off, the prison gates open, and the guards meant to be watching him closely seem oblivious!

The events are so unexpected that even Peter struggles to believe at first, but finally the truth sinks in.

“Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” (Acts 12:11)

Immediately, he goes to the house where he knows the believers have gathered to pray, which leads to a rather comical scene. Rhoda, the servant girl who answers the door, is so overwhelmed and overjoyed to hear Peter’s voice that instead of letting him in she rushes to tell the others, only to be met with astonishment and unbelief!

As they argue about whether or not it could possibly be true, the answer to their prayer is standing outside the door the whole time!

Finally, they let Peter in to see for themselves and hear his story, but it raises the question: if they were praying so fervently, so passionately, so continually, why were they so surprised when their prayer was answered?

I think I’ve gained insight into this over the last six months as I, and several others, have prayed earnestly and continually for a friend’s husband who is unwell. There has been so much prayer that my friend says her husband must be the most prayed-for man in the world!

Yet, despite our many prayers, he has deteriorated. His condition has been declared inoperable and, humanly speaking, it is only a matter of time.

We continue to pray for a miracle, yet I admit I would be surprised if my friend’s husband suddenly appeared at my door cured of his illness.

I don’t doubt for a moment that God can do it. I just have no idea whether He will.

I imagine the believers praying for Peter had similar thoughts. After all, James had been killed. Would praying for Peter really make any difference?

Yet, despite their uncertainty, they prayed; this act itself evidenced their faith, imperfect as it was.

They prayed because they knew they were helpless to fix the situation; they knew it was something only God could do. While their prayers may not have been rooted in perfect faith, God heard, and He answered.

As James writes, “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” (James 5:16)

The difficulty we often have with prayer is that it’s unpredictable. It doesn’t work according to a formula. It’s not about how much we pray or trying to find the magic phrase or perfect combination of words to unlock the miracle or the answer we seek.

In fact, it’s not about the quality of our prayers at all; it’s about the One to whom we are praying.

If our prayers are answered as we hope, as in Peter’s situation or when God healed Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-7), we rejoice and give thanks to God. Only He can do the impossible, and there is no credit we can take. The glory is His!

When our prayers are not answered as we hope, it doesn’t mean our prayers were lacking in flawless faith or that God doesn’t care. It doesn’t even mean our prayers are unanswered, simply that God’s purpose is different.

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Isaiah 55:8)

We can’t always understand God’s ways, but we can trust in His goodness. My friend’s husband may not be healed on earth, but we know that, because of his faith in Jesus, an eternal future awaits him, free from pain and suffering. In the meantime, we continue to pray.

Jesus urged His disciples to persistently keep on praying and trusting God’s character as a loving Father who longs to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7) Likewise, He invites us to partner with Him in His work, bringing our situations before Him with faith and confidence, trusting in His power and love, and confidently knowing He loves to hear and answer us.

Sometimes, as with those believers praying for Peter, the answers to our prayers can be even more amazing than we would ever have expected!

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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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Kneel Day 4 Fierce Faith: 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 Fierce Faith!

The Questions

1) Why does Paul admonish Timothy to be strong in the grace of Christ? (verse 1)

2) What should the reader understand from the examples of solder, athlete, and farmer? How do they relate to Paul’s suffering? (verses 3-9)

3) How do the truths declared in the short hymn in verses 11-13 impact our everyday faith?

2 Timothy 2:1-13

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. 10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy:

For if we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.

Original Intent

1) Why does Paul admonish Timothy to be strong in the grace of Christ? (verse 1)
Submitting to God’s will for his life was not easy for Paul. He endured many trials, but he never wavered. Instead Paul persevered. Some of the men who ministered with Paul however, did not persevere. Instead, they deserted Paul (2 Timothy 1:15-18). Paul, who considered Timothy his spiritual son, offered instruction and encouragement to Timothy in his letter. First, Paul instructs him to be strong. According to the Enduring Word Commentary, “This is one of the twenty-five times Paul encouraged Timothy to be strong and endure in his work in Ephesus.” Living his life for the Lord was not easy for Timothy, just as it wasn’t for Paul. But Paul didn’t simply tell Timothy to be strong, He told Timothy how: “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”. Paul knew from his own experiences the strength Timothy needed in order to endure would not come from himself. Manufactured strength would absolutely not cut it. “Our strength, both as Christians and as ministers, lies in Christ, and not in ourselves.” (studylight.org) Paul declared this truth for himself (Philippians 4:13), and he gave Timothy a gift in directing him to the only One who could sustain Timothy in his ministry work – Jesus. (written by Marietta Taylor)

2) What should the reader understand from the examples of solder, athlete, and farmer? How do they relate to Paul’s suffering? (verses 3-9)
In verse 3, Paul tells his son in the faith, Timothy, to “share in suffering”. He is repeating his admonishment from earlier in his letter. (2 Timothy 1:8) Based on the Greek translation, Paul wants the reader to be encouraged to “suffer hardship together.” He is implying his desire for the saints to be unified in their suffering along with Paul even though they lived apart. (biblehub.com/greek) Through this joint mission of suffering, they would experience the reward of the Lord. He would provide everything they needed to endure. (verse 7) Paul provides three examples he has previously used (read 1 Corinthians 9) regarding endurance. 1) A soldier understood the importance of remaining untethered. He could not be tied to the routines and expectations of normal civilian life. The soldier’s life is not his own as he has committed to serving his commanding officer first and foremost. 2) An athlete trains to deny himself certain things if he desires to win. He competes by submitting physically and mentally to the game. He trains by disciplining his body in regard to food and other pleasures, and then competes by submitting to the rules and boundaries. 3) The farmer may be the least glamorous of the three examples. His reward isn’t a medal or a trophy. His reward is the yield of good fruit resulting from demanding work. The examples Paul gives serve as a reminder to the reader that suffering for the sake of the gospel will require unwavering loyalty, long-term endurance, and humble persistence.  (verse 9) The soldier, the athlete, and the farmer have their eyes fixed on one thing: the reward. The faithful ones of Jesus do the same in their hardships as they focus their lives on Him. (verse 8) Here is where fierce faith is built! (written by Melodye Reeves)

3) How do the truths declared in the short hymn in verses 11-13 impact our everyday faith?
Faith that endures is a faith that has walked into the heat of suffering. (verse 3) Truly tenacious, fierce faith is built one small step at a time as we learn, on repeat, to die to ourselves and our sin, while living for Jesus. This is utterly impossible unless we have first been crucified with Christ. Paul closes this chapter on suffering and strength through His grace by singing of Christ’s crucifixion because His example leads us to do the same with our sin nature. We cannot follow Christ when we do not have His nature within us; our default nature is sin, which is full of lies, lust, and vile rebellion against God. Christ died, but as Paul exhorted Timothy to remember, anchor on, and lean into, “Jesus Christ,[is] risen from the dead…”. (verse 8) Christ died and rose victoriously, conquering death and sin. (Romans 6:9) So are we to die with Christ, crucifying our flesh (Galatians 5:24), that we also might share in His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) When we daily choose to take up His cross of crucifixion, we become radically freed to walk in new life from the Spirit of God! In this kind of living, we are given power to endure suffering as well as the right to reign with Him in eternity for our relationship with Him has been restored. (verse 12) In Jesus, sin no longer stains us or stands between us and God; we have been clothed in the very righteousness of God Himself! (2 Corinthians 5:21) (written by Rebecca Adams)

Everyday Application

1) Why does Paul admonish Timothy to be strong in the grace of Christ? (verse 1)
Ministry may look glamorous, but it can be hard work. If you try to “muster up” the strength to endure, you will quickly burn out. The apostle Paul knew this well. He told of his source of strength in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” This is the grace and strength Paul encouraged Timothy to tap into for his work at Ephesus. It is no different for us. According to Calveryfullerton.org, “If you expect to just be strong in yourself, you’re going to fail.  If you think that God owes you some strength because you “deserve” it, you’re going to fail. But when you get to the point where you realize that you don’t deserve a thing, but that you desperately need God’s help, then you have a chance.” Timothy was in Ephesus teaching and defending the gospel and making disciples. That’s our job too (Matthew 28:19-20), though it will look different for everyone. Whether we are in full time ministry like Timothy, discipling our kiddos, or volunteering at church, we all need the grace Christ provides to do any of it well and to the glory of God. This was what Timothy needed, and it’s what we need too. (written by Marietta Taylor)

2) What should the reader understand from the examples of solder, athlete, and farmer? How do they relate to Paul’s suffering? (verses 3-9)
Paul did not mean that a believer, specifically a minister or church leader, should never enjoy life or find pleasures in recreation. His goal is the gospel. It’s always the gospel! Whether it’s the mundane or the magical, our hearts are to be single-minded in purpose. This unifies all brothers and sisters in the world around the message of Jesus. It is the Spirit of God through the Word of God who will give us courage and perseverance as we face trial and hardship in life. In our season of suffering, He will provide His grace. “For the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (verse 7) We can trust Him to provide for us everything we need to endure and grow in our faith. We don’t need to give into temptation even as we suffer. We are not alone in our suffering. (2 Peter 1:3-4) And Sister, praise His Name, we have His word! It is alive and working in us. It “is not bound.” (verse 9) Look to the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer as your example to persevere. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation for it is HE who suffered the death we deserve. It’s in His life we have the endurance we need to never give up! (Hebrews 12:1-3) (written by Melodye Reeves)

3) How do the truths declared in the short hymn in verses 11-13 impact our everyday faith?
The closing words of this early church hymn reverberate with ground-breaking freedom, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”  No matter the inky blackness of our sin, or the many times we return to the putrid nature of death despite our new nature of life, God remains ever-faithful to Himself. He cannot abandon His own Life at work in us by His Spirit. He absolutely will not. We can dance in this confidence every moment of our lives regardless of circumstance. He will never prove unfaithful. Do whatever you must, right now, to ensure you remember this truth in the next breath, the next 5 minutes, and the next 5 months. Christ will not prove unfaithful to the work He has begun in us as long as we have surrendered ourselves to Him completely! (Philippians 1:6) However, there is one line we must not overlook, “If we deny Him, He will deny us.” (verse 12) Pause and breathe those words in. Re-read them. Uncomfortable? Me too. To deny Him is to be utterly without hope for He will most assuredly deny knowing us. Jesus’ own words are clear, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) What is this “will of My Father”? To become like Him in His death that we might become like Him in His resurrection. (Romans 6:5) If we refuse to surrender to the death of our sin nature, we are denying Him, which will result in Him denying us for eternity. The pathway of cultivating fierce faith is strewn with suffering, but it leads to life and the faithful love of God toward us. Choose His life, and sing in victory! (written by Rebecca Adams)

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

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 Kneel 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.

Worship IX Day 9 Misplaced Worship: 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 Misplaced Worship!

The Questions

1) What is the purpose of Isaiah’s questions in verses 12-17?

2) What does the author want us to understand from the turning point in verses 18-20?

3) What is being compared in verses 22-26 and what implications are to be understood from it?

Isaiah 40:12-26

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?
Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure
or weighed the mountains on a balance
and the hills on the scales?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
or who gave him counsel?
14 Who did he consult?
Who gave him understanding
and taught him the paths of justice?
Who taught him knowledge
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are considered as a speck of dust on the scales;
he lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon’s cedars are not enough for fuel,
or its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him;
they are considered by him
as empty nothingness.

18 With whom will you compare God?
What likeness will you set up for comparison with him?
19 An idol?—something that a smelter casts
and a metalworker plates with gold
and makes silver chains for?
20 A poor person contributes wood for a pedestal
that will not rot.
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not fall over.

21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you
from the beginning?
Have you not considered
the foundations of the earth?
22 God is enthroned above the circle of the earth;
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He reduces princes to nothing
and makes judges of the earth like a wasteland.
24 They are barely planted, barely sown,
their stem hardly takes root in the ground
when he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.

25 “To whom will you compare me,
or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
26 Look up and see!
Who created these?
He brings out the stars by number;
he calls all of them by name.
Because of his great power and strength,
not one of them is missing.

Original Intent

1) What is the purpose of Isaiah’s questions in verses 12-17?
The prophet Isaiah begins this section by asking rhetorical questions intended to make his listeners lean in, think, and slow down their patterns of living enough to consider the Lord. Isaiah compares what is impossible to measure with outlandish metrics of measurement to prove His point that there is none like Yahweh, the One True God. Who has measured the earth’s waters, its galaxies, its granules of dust, its mountains and hills? No one. Even by today’s standards of measurements, we still don’t have accurate measurements of the galaxies and grains of sand are mere estimates. What instrument does God use to measure these? The hollow of His hand. (verse 12) Unfathomable, Sister, unfathomable. Just these first questions should be enough to drop every person in the nation of Israel to their knees in worship, but Isaiah continues his prodding questions, moving from the natural world to the spiritual. (verses 13-14) Who gives Yahweh wise counsel, teaches Him justice, and taught Him to create with understanding? “None” is the obvious answer hanging in the air. Every good Jew listening to Isaiah’s beckoning voice would have instinctively known the solitary, non-competing answer reverberating in their souls. There Is None Like Yahweh. (Psalm 86:8-10) Isaiah brings the natural and spiritual together in verses 15-17 as he invites us to consider the natural world through the spiritual eyes of the Almighty. The nations are a drop in His bucket and viewed as a single speck of dust from His vantage point; the entirety of the universe is as absolutely nothing to Him, not in value, but in comparative mass. Where is Isaiah leading Israel? Into deep, authentic worship with their hearts and lives.

2) What does the author want us to understand from the turning point in verses 18-20?
Often in Old Testament poetic works or prophecies, we see a shift in thought where the words that come first are attached like a hinge to the words that follow. That hinge-point is critically important to identify because it helps us understand the true heart issue or the true solution to the outlined problem. Isaiah began this section with prodding self-reflective questions, and will finish with more reasons for worship, but here in the middle, Isaiah turns Israel’s eyes pointedly to the folly of their sin. They love their idols made by their own hands, and the Lord God, through Isaiah, wants Israel to see how utterly foolish it is to worship any but Yahweh. With bold clarity, Isaiah pointedly speaks aloud the question they should all be wrestling with internally by now, “With whom will you compare God?”. (verse 18) None. There is none like You, God. But, Isaiah quickly turns the tide and in essence says, “But your life points to a different answer. You craft idols. You bow down to blocks of wood. Your life reflects tragically misplaced worship.” The answer cuts like a knife, just as it’s intended.

3) What is being compared in verses 22-26 and what implications are to be understood from it?
When studying Scripture, it’s always important to study in context of the circumstances surrounding a passage. Isaiah 40 is full of comfort, encouragement and strong assurance of God and His unchanging character. Yet, without considering the surrounding context, we would miss the significant weightiness of this incredibly beautiful chapter. The preceding chapters describe Israel’s King Hezekiah and the prophecy he was given through Isaiah of coming disater for the nation. Jerusalem would be destroyed, and her people killed by the blood-thirsty Assyrians precisely because of their perpetually misplaced worship. It was no small thing to abhor the first and second commandments of the Law. (Exodus 20:3-4) After news of the coming destruction and exile, the Lord speaks tenderly to His beloved people, ““Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1) This chapter doesn’t merely proclaim sweet comfort, love, and strong exhortations for the worthiness of worshipping the Only True God, its comfort and tender loving descriptions of God are set against the backdrop of suffering and devastating loss, making it epically more lovely. Israel would face horrific loss, but the All-powerful God of Creation was present to comfort and was willing to restore them. In the face of devastation Isaiah’s voice calls aloud, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? (…) God is enthroned…”. (verses 21-22) Despite the circumstances and the affliction you feel, the God who never changes continues to remain fully present with comfort and compassion. The same God who holds the earth’s waters in His hand, who stretches the galaxies out like a scant tent flap, who calls every star by its own personal name, knows you. Oh Israel, there is none like God! Come, worship and bow down to the Eternal One!

Everyday Application

1) What is the purpose of Isaiah’s questions in verses 12-17?
Imagine hearing Isaiah’s clear prophetic voice ringing out as you work in your kitchen or till up your garden. It’s clear, it’s piercing. Maybe you know the political vote is against him and you try to ignore his voice. Or maybe the stirrings in your heart can’t be ignored and you drop your work, gathering your small children by the hand, and move towards the voice. Your culture is abuzz with busyness; the religion that once so clearly defined your people has become messy and confusing. The cultural norms around you from other peoples are curious and intriguing; questions plague you. But Isaiah’s voice is cutting through the confusion with its pleading questions. The more you listen, the clearer it becomes and the more the fog around your heart lifts. The busyness and confusion fall by the wayside as your heart is reminded there is Only One who is worthy of your everyday worship. Even saying the words aloud, “There is None Like You O Lord” seem to be an oasis in the midst of a desert. Take some time and let Isaiah’s piercing questions draw out the brokenness and confusion in you. Bring these to the Lord God. Consider His vastness, see your smallness in comparison, then take a breathtaking look at His vast love to come near to you. Worship, Sister, worship the Only One Worthy of your life’s praise.

2) What does the author want us to understand from the turning point in verses 18-20?
Isaiah’s words are meant to prod Israel into self-reflection to consider whether or not their beliefs align with the everyday actions of their lives. Sometimes we can’t seem to face reality, and the sinful dissonance between the claimed worship of our lips and the rolling tide of our everyday life choices with slowing down. Israel worshipped wooden idols that would rot and literally fall over (verse 20), and the Lord longed for them to see the inconsistencies of their misplaced worship so they might repent and return to Him with the full offering of their lives. Isaiah’s words were carefully chosen to point out that Israel was trusting and loving idols that could neither support their faith nor love them back. But Yahweh could do both. Oh Lord, reveal my idols to me just as You lovingly did for Israel that they would return Home to Your heart. It’s painful to stare my foolish love for lesser things in the face, but show me, Lord. I don’t want my heart to pursue that which falls over and rots away. Sure, financial security, strong relationships, success, a perfect home, and the like are all common idols, but when I clear the stage of these, I find the idol I worship most is myself. I love my ways, my rights, my words, my control, and I choose these again and again over You, Lord. Forgive me, Abba, forgive me this idolatry of heart! Only You can sustain. Only You can nourish me. Only You can hear and listen and love. Only You are worthy of my worship.

3) What is being compared in verses 22-26 and what implications are to be understood from it?
Isaiah’s prophecy to King Hezekiah came years before Israel would actually suffer from Assyrian invasion. God’s words of comfort were meant to sustain Israel, be learned and meditated on by them, so they might remember the love of their God when the battle came into their streets. When we intentionally meditate on the truths of Scripture, when we set aside time each day to read it and pray it and dwell with God’s Words, His comfort sustains us. When we face our own struggles, and devastation overwhelms our lives, we can remember the truths we have learned and lean upon them. The same God who hung the stars in place, knows our name, sees our pain, and is present to comfort and restore. Let’s choose to worship Him now, today! Whether our everyday lives reflect heartache or happiness, there remains One God worthy of our worship, and we can choose to adore Him for the God He is and always will be!

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship IX Week Two!
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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship IX 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) “Sisters, let us offer our Great God true worship; a heart humbled before Him and a life surrendered to Him.” Many of us, when we think of worship, mostly consider the music we sing at church. But a biblical examination of the idea of worship shows us that true worship is intended to permeate every part of our lives. We ought to have a posture of worship before God at all times, rejoicing, serving, and honoring Him even when we may not feel like it. This obedience is a sacrifice of praise to our great God. Samson chose to dishonor the call of God on his life. He broke every part of his holy vow, doing instead what he selfishly desired. If you have believed in the Lord Jesus, you have been called to holiness and righteous worship. How are you stewarding your call? In what areas (relationships, thought life, habits, attitudes) do you need to grow in holiness as you turn over sinful desires to be ruled by Christ? How is God prompting you to offer up your life as a “living sacrifice”? Write down two clear steps you can take today to move toward growth in your call to holy worship, and ask the Lord to strengthen you in your completion of those steps.

2) The prophet Daniel was upright and devout. He was so righteous that the only accusation his enemies could bring against him was that he worshiped his God above the earthy rulers. Daniel worshiped God when his very life was at stake. He did not know God would close the mouths of the lions around him, he simply honored God as he always had, and God honored him. I don’t know about you, but I have never been threatened with death for worshiping the Lord, yet I have been persuaded to become lax in my worship in exchange for far lesser loves. How are you worshiping the Lord today? How might you continue in steadfast worship to Him? What in your life has been holding you back from worship, and what steps do you need to take to eliminate those hindrances? Do you feel your worship is characterized by habit or whole-heart adoration? Perhaps you could consider paring down your commitments and social engagements, or waking up a bit earlier in the morning to give attention to true worship. It may look like setting up screen time restrictions on your phone or committing to worship God during parts of your day when you would otherwise seek entertainment. Ask God to show you how you can be faithful to worship Him with your whole life.

3) For the Christ-follower, worship is intended as an all-encompassing attitude and way of life. Our words, actions, and every breath should be offered in submission to the God of the universe. The prophet Ezekiel may be best know for the many visions he was given by God, but God also required him to do things before the people that would have been incredibly humiliating. Instead of arguing with God, Ezekiel submitted and did what was required of him. Consider what whole-hearted surrender and obedience to God might look like in your life. Is there an instruction in Scripture you know you ought to obey, but have been hesitant to follow because of how it might look like to people around you? Is there something the Lord has been laying on your heart to do, but you haven’t because of the discomfort or tension it might bring into your life? Are there “rights” you are holding onto that He is asking you to lay down in order to serve Him whole-heartedly? How can you display trust in God through worshiping Him? Seek His face and commit your way to holy obedience. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to 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 Psalm 95:3-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For the Lord is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
The depths of the earth are in His hand,
and the mountain peaks are His.
The sea is His; He made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let’s worship and bow down;
let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture,
the sheep under His care.

Prayer Journal
Heavenly Father, You are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power. You are worthy of every praise I could ever offer. You are Creator, Sustainer, and King of all the world, and You allow me to enter into Your presence. My words feel insufficient. My life feels unremarkable. Yet You desire my worship, feeble though it may be. Forgive me for my forgetful heart, for when I want to go my own way instead of surrendering to You. Help me to look to the saints of old who stood steadfast in the midst of trials. Help me to be like Daniel, upright in character and faithful in prayer. Help me to be humble like Ezekiel, willing to sacrifice comfort and reputation to worship You. Help me to live in accordance with Your call to holiness on my life. I surrender my plans to You. Empower me, oh Lord, to live my life as a sacrifice of praise, for I am unable to do so in my own strength.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship IX Day 5 Holiness & Humility

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ezekiel 8:1-18
Psalm 24:3-10
Romans 12:1-2
Psalm 95:6-11

Worship IX, Day 5

For far too many years, I sat on the sidelines of Sunday morning worship. While the people around me lifted their hands and wiped away tears, I shifted uncomfortably, praising the Lord with my lips but questioning Him in my heart.

It took me years to confront the disconnect I experienced. When I finally did, the Holy Spirit revealed that my inability to connect with a hymn on Sunday morning was merely a symptom of a much larger heart issue. A heart issue that was affecting not only my ability to worship God with my words, but my ability to worship Him with my life.

Throughout the pages of Scripture, we learn God never intended worship to be confined to a fifteen-minute interval during a Sunday morning church service. Instead, worship was meant to be an all-encompassing attitude and way of life! We were meant to worship God with every act of our body (Romans 12:1), every word of our mouth (Hebrews 13:15-16), and the very breath in our lungs (Psalm 116:2).

Worship, in its purest form, is living our lives completely surrendered to, and in step with, God. This requires both holiness and humility.  Through the story of Ezekiel, we see how powerfully God will use a life fully surrendered to Him, and how devastating it is when we choose pride and sin instead.

A Look at Ezekiel

I love the opening lines of Ezekiel, as they set our scene much like a play. In them, we find Ezekiel sitting alone on the banks of the Kebar River, which runs through the land of Babylon. In the very first verse, we learn this day is Ezekiel’s 30th birthday. As a member of the Levite tribe, this should have marked the year Ezekiel was initiated into his priestly duties (Numbers 4:2-3); instead, he is denied his destiny and lives in exile, thousands of miles from Jerusalem and the Lord’s Temple.

While Ezekiel is sitting on the riverbank, imagining all that should have been, the Spirit of the Lord seizes him and Ezekiel experiences a vision. (Ezekiel 1:2) In his vision, Ezekiel sees God, sitting on His throne, set upon a sparkling crystal platform. The platform is propelled by four turning wheels and held up by four fearsome creatures he later identifies as Cherubim. From within His cloud glory, the Lord speaks to Ezekiel, who is to be called into God’s service after all; this time, as a prophet and messenger to His people, the Nation of Israel. (Ezekiel 1:4-2:2)

The Lord’s Indictment

Fast forwarding to Ezekiel 8, we see the Spirit of God transporting Ezekiel back to God’s Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Once there, he is taken on a tour, where a guide shows him scene after scene of Israelites worshiping other gods and performing sickening pagan rituals in the very house of God.

This flagrant display of sin and pride not only incurs God’s righteous wrath and jealousy, it actually forces the Lord out from the temple and pushes His presence away from His people. (Ezekiel 10:18)

Angered and heartbroken (Ezekiel 6:9), God calls Ezekiel to warn Israel of the destruction they are bringing upon themselves. He instructs Ezekiel to put on a series of prophetic plays before all the people in exile. Many of these ‘plays’ demand Ezekiel endures a level of humiliation and suffering, laying on one side and then the other, bound for months on end (Ezekiel 4:4-8), eating bread which had been baked over cow dung (Ezekiel 4:9-15), and shaving his head and beard (Ezekiel 5:1-4). Fully surrendered to the will of God, Ezekiel obeys God’s call on his life and body, faithfully demonstrating true worship in the face of the blazen idolatry among his kinsmen.

What This Means For Us

The book of Ezekiel serves as a sober warning to the people of God, as well as a reminder of what true worship requires.

Worship requires an intimacy, a closeness with God that can only be achieved through holiness. Because our Holy God cannot be in the presence of sin, we must purify our hearts and hands in order to draw near to Him. (Psalm 24:3-4)

For the Nation of Israel, holiness was earned by strictly adhering to God’s Laws and regularly performing animal sacrifices. As modern-day Chrisitans, however, holiness is not something we achieve on our own. Instead, it is imputed to us by Christ, as He covers us through His sacrifice on the cross and washes us in His blood if we will surrender to His love.

Worship requires humility, a willingness to lay down our pride, our rights, and our very lives at the feet of the only One who is worthy of all praise. In this place, nothing is off limits to God, as we live fully surrendered and available to His call.

As I look back on those years where my love for God was stifled, I can see the sin and pride choking my heart. Just as He did through Ezekiel, God called out the darkness in my life and drew me back to Him through an attitude of holiness and humility. Sisters, I invite all of us to live every day in surrendered worship to Him, for through God’s great mercy, He will peel back the layers of death surrounding us and regain our hearts for Him!

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