Mercy

Questions 2 Day 14 More Than A Bargain: 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 More Than A Bargain!

The Questions

1) Who was Isaiah?

2) How do water, milk, and wine connect with this prophecy? (verses 1-3)

3) Can God really forgive wicked and sinful people? (verses 7-9)

Isaiah 55:1-13

“Come, everyone who is thirsty,
come to the water;
and you without silver,
come, buy, and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without silver and without cost!
2 Why do you spend silver on what is not food,
and your wages on what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.
3 Pay attention and come to me;
listen, so that you will live.
I will make a permanent covenant with you
on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David.
4 Since I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples,
5 so you will summon a nation you do not know,
and nations who do not know you will run to you.
For the Lord your God,
even the Holy One of Israel,
has glorified you.”

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call to him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked one abandon his way
and the sinful one his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord,
so he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will freely forgive.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
9 “For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow
and food to eat,
11 so my word that comes from my mouth
will not return to me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

12 You will indeed go out with joy
and be peacefully guided;
the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up,
and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up;
this will stand as a monument for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.

Original Intent

1) Who was Isaiah?
Isaiah is considered one of the major prophets in Scripture, not because he was among the most important or because his message was better, but simply because he had the most to say. Bible students categorize Old Testament prophets into 2 sections, Major and Minor, based on length of their prophetic books. Isaiah’s book contains the longest recorded prophecies in Scripture. As prophet, Isaiah was God’s mouthpiece. The Holy Spirit spoke God’s messages to prophets, in this case, Isaiah, then the prophet would speak God’s word aloud verbally, and often in writing, to Israel. Isaiah was the main prophet of God for 60 years though he was a contemporary of other prophets, Amos, Hosea, and Micah, who championed social justice.  Isaiah served four kings and survived multiple sieges by invading armies. Like most prophets, he endured intense persecution, which necessitated him living underground in tunnels and caves for a time. As one of God’s prophets, Isaiah knew in advance what God was doing as He revealed certain events, but he could neither prevent nor stop them. He gave warnings or encouragement to God’s people, but their decision to either repent or rebel was up to them. It’s also interesting to note, Isaiah is the most quoted prophet of New Testament writers. 

2) How do water, milk, and wine connect with this prophecy? (verses 1-3)
At the time of Isaiah’s writing, the once unified nation of Israel had long been divided into two nations, Judah (where Jerusalem was) in the south, and Israel in the north. The nation of Judah was usually the one following, or making some attempt to follow, Jehovah. This time, however, they had turned away from God as they persistently ignored Him so they could continue pursuing their own sinful lifestyles. These verses are an invitation for Israel to repent and receive restoration from the Lord’s own hand. By turning back to Jehovah, they would find all the fullness and satisfaction they so desperately sought in lesser loves. God was telling His people they had been wasting their money on things that brought momentary pleasure. Then, finding themselves still lacking, they repeated their chase of counterfeit indulgences over and over again. God had other nourishment to give His people, sustenance that would endure. He was offering them complete satisfaction for their souls. Water is absolutely necessary for life, and Jesus came to bring “living water” where life would be found to the fullest and most abundant in Him alone. In ancient times, water was kept in cisterns, but it turned flat. Though still hydrating, it wasn’t as fresh as free-flowing water. Jesus came to give the very best of life in sustenance and satisfaction. By offering wine, God was expressing He would bring His people joy and encouragement that would satisfy forever. Milk, a first food for infants to sustain life, is rich in nutrients and is life-giving. God included milk in His invitation of return to His people to demonstrate the richness of His word and His blessing as a gift for nourishing life to its fullest.

3) Can God really forgive wicked and sinful people? (verses 7-9)
The people of Judah got into trouble because they stopped listening to Jehovah. They saw their neighbors, and other nations who seemed more prosperous and powerful, and they wanted to run their nation their way instead of God’s. They listened to those who came into their city either as visitors or as captives and slaves from a battle victory and decided full surrender to God was less appealing than following the ways of their lusts. They allowed other voices besides Jehovah’s (and His prophets) to speak to them because they wanted to stop hearing about repentance. They took up lifestyles of those who weren’t following Jehovah because they seemed to offer more pleasure and more fun, at least that’s how it appeared. But it wasn’t life giving, or life sustaining. Sin never is. The wise author of Proverbs says it like this, “But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don’t know what makes them stumble.” (Proverbs 4:19) The New Testament author, and half-brother of Jesus, James, later wrote, “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) God repeatedly warned His beloved people through Isaiah (and other prophets) to turn back, repent of their sinful, wicked ways; always coupled with the promise of forgiveness and restoration. He is reminding His people in these verses that, contrary to their thinking, He does know what He’s doing, He is a God of second chances, and rich redemption. He is repeating His plea from verse one, “Come to Me. Be forgiven!” (Isaiah 44:22)

Everyday Application

1) Who was Isaiah?
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I had seen this coming!”? While this sounds appealing at first, I’m not sure I personally would want to know all that was ahead in life. I think if it were negative, the weight and anxiety would be too heavy to bear. Although, I’m sure in my younger years I probably thought otherwise! In life, we occasionally, or sometimes frequently, encounter situations we wished we could be removed from, because they’re painful, sorrowful, or extremely difficult. Sometimes the struggle is a result of our own making, when other times, it simply happens to us. Perhaps you’ve wished for the ability to turn the clock back and prevent whatever your struggle is, or at least see into the future to find out how long it will last. Isaiah knew specific armies would overthrow his nation, and he knew times would come when neither he, nor other prophets of God, would be safe. Prophets, in general, were not well-loved and weren’t winning any popularity contests because God’s messages spoken through them were usually of impending doom as a consequence for rebellion. Most kings Isaiah served under did not appreciate his downloads from Jehovah. Even though Isaiah had a heads’ up from God as to what was coming, he still had to trust He would do as He said He would, and that He would preserve Isaiah through it. God asks us to do the same, even though we can’t see the future. We are invited to cast all our cares on the Lord because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) We are told countless times in Scripture to trust Him over ourselves (Proverbs 3:5), and to know that our strength and help certainly come from the Lord God, maker of Heaven and earth. (Psalm 121) Where can you start choosing trust over fear starting today?

2) How do water, milk, and wine connect with this prophecy? (verses 1-3)
Have you ever felt like you were just spinning your wheels in life; continually looking for something? Chasing something? Day to day going around in circles with nothing accomplished or little to show for it? God is offering nourishment for spiritual hunger and thirst, and encouragement to strengthen you. He is actively calling you, in this moment, into a life that is deeper, fuller, and more satisfying. No matter how long you have walked with Jesus or even if you have never crossed the line of faith, there is more fullness to discover about God. Isaiah wrote, “Come, everyone who is thirsty…”. (verse 1). All. This invitation was not just for the Jew, but also for the Gentile. Jesus picks up the theme of “all welcome” throughout His ministry on earth. His heart is for all to know Him, repent, and be given fullness of life. (John 4, 1 Timothy 2:3-4) This includes you and me! Isaiah’s prophetic invitation is a timeless one calling through the millennia that we too can have restoration in God! Jesus came, and sacrificed Himself for us, that we might not perish apart from Him as a result of our sin. (2 Peter 3:9) We labor for things that will only temporarily satisfy us. We are always thirsting for more, but if we continue seeking pleasures that will fade, we will forever want for more. In sharp contrast, Jesus says He alone is the source of abundant fulfillment. (John 10:10) Jesus, who calls Himself Living Water, offers a continuously fresh, life giving, always flowing supply of satisfaction like nothing else can. The life Jesus offers drenches and soaks deep into your spirit, never running dry. (John 7:37-39,  Revelation 21:6) As we lean into more of God and seek after Him, we will experience His love and mercy towards us in ever-deepening ways. Come! Seek Him while He may be found and find the fullness of life! (Isaiah 55:6)

3) Can God really forgive wicked and sinful people? (verses 7-9)
Scripture is clear God wants no one to perish! (2 Peter 3:9) It can be tempting to think Isaiah’s words, written thousands of years ago, just aren’t relevant to us today. But they are. God’s message of repentance and welcome for all people and His promises of forgiveness and redemption are available in this very moment to all of us. (2 Corinthians 1:20, Joshua 21:45) Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection for all people, forgiveness and redemption are available to all sinners. We can take these Old Testament promises for us today because of Christ. Jesus calls us back to repentance, back to Him, back to a full life with Him. He invites us to turn from our sinful ways. “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Our sinful patterns may not be a result from listening to captives from a pagan land, but perhaps we are listening to a friend or influencer who isn’t following the Lord God. These temptations often catch us in moments of weakness, we quickly take up that appealing but sinful, life-sucking (if we are honest) desire. Take comfort, oh sinner just like me, God’s promises of compassion are timeless! It is challenging, even if you are a Christ-follower, to genuinely trust that He knows all, and His ways are better than ours. In His loving kindness and grace, He lovingly guides us in our everyday moments, giving us many opportunities to return to Him as we learn to trust Him in complete surrender. Even knowing we will get bruised and maybe fall flat on our face, He is faithful to pick us up, calling us His own. His mercies are new every morning and His love is boundless. (Lamentations 3:22-23) We have this assurance because of Christ and His ultimate sacrifice as He surrendered His life so ours can be spared, forgiven, redeemed, and welcomed into life everlasting! Have you given Him your everything?! (John 15:13, John 3:16, John 10:27-28)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with More Than A Bargain!

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 Questions 2 Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Questions Day 9 100%: 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 100%!

The Questions

1) How can Jesus be the way and the truth?

2) What does it mean that Jesus is “the life?”

3) Why must we come to the Father through Jesus?

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Original Intent

1) How can Jesus be the way and the truth?
John 14 opens with Jesus telling His disciples of His impending departure to prepare a place for them. He assures them inverse 4 know the way to where He is going, but His disciple Thomas is confused, “We don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5) Instead of answering Thomas’ question with explanations of His upcoming death and return to heaven, Jesus tells His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) In a nutshell, Jesus is telling His disciples the summation of everything He has taught them over the last 3 years they have been together. His statement gives His disciples the all-important information on how to get to Heaven and be right with God. Having total access to the Father is only found through Jesus. What He is about to do for them by dying on the cross will bring them eternal life. In all clarity, He is revealing the truth they are searching for is Him. He is the answer to every question they have. The Expositor’s Greek Testament tells us, “Thomas craved knowledge sufficient to guide him in the present crisis. Jesus says: You have it in Me.” In this pivotal moment before His death, Jesus lets His disciples know He is the Way because He is not only their example to follow in living life, but their bridge to the Father. He also promises them He is not only telling them the truth, but He is the truth. As author Randy Alcorn asserts, “Jesus is the source of all truth, the embodiment of truth and therefore the reference point for evaluating all truth-claims.” We can be grateful that God provides the Way and the Truth in the person of His Son, Jesus.

2) What does it mean that Jesus is “the life?”
When Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), He is telling His disciples they can find truly abundant life, at present and eternally, only through Him. He is the life because He is the link to life everlasting due to His work on the cross. (John 3:16) Because Jesus, wholly God and wholly human, gave up His life as payment for our sin then conquered death by rising from the dead, He justifies all who come to Him and offers His eternal life to them when they surrender. Similarly, in John 11:25, Jesus tells us He is “the resurrection and the life.” We also see in 1 John 5:11 that God offers us eternal life through the life found only in His Son. Not only is Jesus the life because He is the pathway for eternal life, but He is also the life because He gives us spiritual life here on earth. We read in John 1:4, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”  When we have the life of Christ living in us, He gives us the light that comes only from Him. Author John Ritenbaugh notes that “Jesus’ life gives us firsthand knowledge of what the true way of life is, allowing us to cooperate with Him in His purpose.” God gives us the power to follow Christ’ example of a life lived well. We can love like Jesus (John 15:9), care like Jesus (Mark 6:34), pray like Jesus (Luke 5:16), relate like Jesus (Matthew 7:12), and disciple like Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), when we surrender our frail lives for His full one. We can live a glorious life here on earth, following Christ’s example by the power of His Spirit living within us, while we look forward to eternal life in heaven one day.

3) Why must we come to the Father through Jesus?
When Adam and Eve sinned, they changed the relationship dynamics God had designed to share with all of humanity. They could no longer enjoy daily intimate interaction with God because their sin separated them from God. God’s plan to bridge that gap between man and God was the man Christ Jesus, God’s Son. Jesus, as God the Son, would take the sins of all people on Himself, although He was sinless, and cover their sins with His perfectly righteous blood as a sacrifice to pay the penalty of our sin. That redemption made a way for people to be united to the Holy God once again. There is no other way for people to access God on our own because of our sinfulness. Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that no one comes to the Father except through Him. We must go through Christ, who is the bridge between Father God and humankind. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. All we can do is believe in Jesus and accept God’s free gift of access through His Son. Author Craig von Buseck notes, “In every other religious system besides Christianity, a spiritual scale hangs over the head of the individual, with all of the sins they have committed on one side and all of their righteous deeds on the other.”  With Christ, we don’t need to tally our good and bad deeds because we don’t count on our deeds of righteousness to save us (which is ridiculously impossible!), rather we rely on His mercy and grace to save us. (Titus 3:5-7)

Everyday Application

1) How can Jesus be the way and the truth?
If there were ever a time when people seem confused about the way and the truth, it is today. Our culture teaches truth is relative and there is not just one way to get to heaven.  We are told to find our own way in life and make our own truth. This has left many of us feeling lost and confused. God has provided for such a time as this in His Word. He told us in John 14:6 that He Himself is the way and the truth. For those of us trying to forge a path through the chaos, He tells us He is the way. He says something similar in John 10:9, where He tells us “I am the gate. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. . .”  Hebrews 10:19-20 refers to Christ’s sacrifice for us as a “new and living way” to draw near to God. He also reassures us He is the truth. Jesus tells the Jewish believers in John 8:32-36, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He later explains what He means by saying, “if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” Jesus, the Son of God, is the truth who sets us free.  We can know the truth, and the truth is a person: Jesus! He made a way for us to draw near to God by His death on the cross, and His life and teachings show us how to live our lives.  He is the truth we need, shining the light of His Word in every dark place we encounter. (Psalm 119:105)

2) What does it mean that Jesus is “the life?”
Have you ever looked up from a binge-watch session, surrounded by food wrappers and soda cans, and thought, “I gotta’ get a life?”. The thought is that you need something better to commit your time and energy to.  It is easy and enjoyable to have some down time, but ultimately, we each crave a meaningful life. The good news is that when we have life in Christ, He gives us a life with meaning. Jesus tells us He is “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) He does not only show us how to have a good life; He Himself is life for us. He came to earth so we could have abundant life. (John 10:10)  1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us that in Christ all are made alive. If we want to live a life that fulfils us, we need to live our life in Christ. Not only will He fulfill us here on earth, but He offers us this fullness and satisfaction in overflowing endless measure all the way into eternity. (1 John 5:11) This certainty of our coming hope provides a peace and comfort when things don’t seem to be going our way. Even when things are tough, God is still teaching and growing us (James 1:2-4) and even working all difficult things for our eventual good and His glory. (Romans 8:28) 

3) Why must we come to the Father through Jesus?
In our pluralistic, tolerant society, claiming to have the definitive answer to anything is controversial. We like to say, “You do you,” and we assume we are all on different paths to the same destination.  So Jesus’ claim that “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) sounds jarring to modern ears. It seems exclusive and unloving to say there is only one way to God, yet God, very lovingly, states this emphatically in Scripture. For it would certainly be quite unloving to promote all road access when it truly wasn’t! In Acts 4:12 we read, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” We also learn in 1 John 2:23 that “no one who denies the Son has the Father.”  While it may sound exclusionary to some, God’s redemptive plan is actually open to everyone who accepts Christ’s free gift of salvation for themselves. (Romans 6:23)  Any person, regardless of race, class, gender or background, is invited to believe in Christ, repent of their sins, and accept the freedom God offers through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. (1 Timothy 2:4) Author Jonathan Parnell explains, “It doesn’t matter how messed up your life is, or what mistakes you’ve made, or how dismal you see your tomorrow . . . It doesn’t matter what language you speak, or what color of skin you have, or how much money is in your bank account, if you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus, you will be saved.” God loves us all and wants us to be His children (John 1:12) and He offers that gift to all of us for free. If you have never done so, I urge you to accept that gift today. if you are already a child of God, I urge you to share this good news with someone who crosses your path today!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with100%!

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 Questions 2 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.

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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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 Reveal Week One! 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 Reveal!

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VII Week 3

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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) “He Will Hold Me Fast” has been a theme song for me through the last few months as we have experienced uncertainty surrounding stay-at-home orders, political and social unrest, and even natural disasters which have shaken our world. The reminder that Christ will hold me fast is a blessing and a comfort to my weary soul. I don’t need to strive or work harder to be safe, because the God of creation is my safety. Consider setting aside some time this week to go for a quiet walk and reflect on what God is doing in your life right now. How is He holding you fast? Listen to this song before you go, and then leave the distractions behind. As you walk, talk to God specifically about the ways you have seen Him work, the ways you have hoped in Him, and the ways you continue to trust Him. You could even write down a few Scriptures beforehand to take with you and refer to as you walk so you can pray them back to Him.

2) What a profound and stirring truth we read in this Journey! The God of the Universe stepped down from Heaven while we were yet sinners, with not one good deed to our credit, and gave His life so we could be justified to Him. We have the opportunity to be saved from a life of sin and death and utter darkness, and to be brought into true unity and love with the only wise and good God. Because of the work Jesus did, your sins can be erased. Have you accepted God’s free gift of salvation? If not, what is holding you back? Stop here and write down your objections. Then go to a Christian friend or pastor and ask them your questions. Don’t let anything hold you back from the Good New of Jesus. If you have believed, are you faithfully walking in the freedom of your calling? Are you living as a victorious child of the King? Or are you continuing to enjoy the sins of the flesh? Beloved, Jesus died so you could live as a wholly authentic human. You do not need to carry the burdens of your sins any longer. Name your burdens and lay them down at the foot of the cross. Ask the Lord to carry them far from you. Remember, His work is what makes you free!

3) Amazing Grace is a well-known and well-loved hymn, not only in the church, but also in the culture at large. Something about the reminder of God’s grace poured out on sinners, bringing light to our eyes, and helping us find our way, strikes deep in the hearts of men and women. John Newton was not a perfect man, and he was well aware of this fact. It may seem harsh to call oneself a wretch, but surely we know without Christ, we have no good thing to offer. Have you ever considered where you would be today without the amazing grace of Jesus? While it is not healthy to wallow in self-doubt and pity, it can be good to consider what God has saved us from. Consider the trajectory of your life before you knew Christ. Even if you were saved at a young age, you know your sinful tendencies. Consider how those would play out un-checked by the Spirit. Write down a possible scenario of what your life would be like, had He not intervened. Spend time thanking God and worshiping Him for His great work in your life.

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 Lamentations 3:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great it your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.”

Prayer Journal
Great and merciful God, Your abundant love for me has drawn me to my knees. You were brought low that I may have life in You. Jesus, You allowed men to treat You shamefully and brutally murder You so I may have life to the full through Your victory. I did not, nor do I, deserve Your compassion, but You have lavished it upon me continuously. Help me to never forget the depths of Your great love. I confess I have sinned against You. I have taken for granted Your precious gift of life and have chosen to go my own way. Cause me to hate my sin. Help me to take up my cross, die to myself, and follow You daily. Thank You for Your forgiveness and Your never-ending mercy. Show me how I can reflect Your goodness to the people around me. Make me aware of the needs of my community and shape my heart to value sacrificial service over pleasant comfort. May I abide in You, remembering You have prepared good works for me to do so that I may walk in them. I know following You requires discipline, and You give strength to Your servants. Thank You for Your marvelous work of transformation in my life.

Worship Through Community

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Worship VII Day 10 King Of Kings

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-23
Ephesians 1:3-14
Luke 4:14-21
Isaiah 53
Acts 2

Worship VII, Day 10

I’ve had the opportunity to speak at several of my church’s womens’ ministry events. One phrase I use almost every time is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” There is something about the majesty, power, and authority of His title that grounds me in Who Jesus is. One of the reasons I love the song “King of Kings” is its rich evidence of Who Christ is, as well as Who and what He should be to us.

“In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
‘Til from heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets
To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt”

The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi, and the first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels. Throughout the Old Testament, there are hundreds of prophecies of the Messiah, the Deliverer of the Israelites, Whom we meet in the Gospels. For example, Isaiah 61:1-3 speaks of the Messiah coming to comfort, provide, and make righteous. Jesus quotes it in Luke 4:18-19. Then in verse 21, He announces the prophecy has been fulfilled. Can you imagine being present for that? The long-awaited Messiah is standing in front of you!

Malachi ends by proclaiming a messenger will come ahead of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6), which echoed Isaiah 40:3. John the Baptist quotes this prophecy in John 1:23 to identify himself as that messenger. After Malachi’s conclusion,  four hundred years pass. Can you imagine waiting so long? I can barely wait 4 minutes! But were they truly waiting in the darkness with no hope? They were invaded and ruled by the Greeks, briefly gained their independence, then fell to the Romans in 63 BC.

So the New Testament opens with the Israelites still waiting for the Messiah to save them from oppression by another foreign nation.

All the while, their sins remained an insurmountable barrier between themselves and their God. And let’s not forget the oppression of the corrupt, self-righteous religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees.

I cannot imagine their despair.

But Jesus was on the way! The Messiah had awaited this moment, willingly surrendering His heavenly throne to put on flesh and save His people. (John 1:14-18) Enter a young virgin, who miraculously gave birth to Jesus, the Word Who fulfilled every. single. word. of prophecy. (John 1:1, Matthew 1:18-24, prophesied in Isaiah 7:14).
Hallelujah!

Why would Jesus make such a sacrifice?

“For even in Your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake You died”

The answer is found in a treasured verse of Christians, John 3:16:

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves us so much, He would not leave us separated from Him. Through Jesus, we are reconciled to Him despite our sin. There is no animal, ruler, or leader who could grant us salvation. Only the Lord of the Universe could accomplish it. So the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords came for each of us.
Praise Him!

But Jesus’ death is only part of our redemption story:

“And the morning that You rose
All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death”

Jesus is Lord over death. It had, and has, no power over Him. On the third day, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rose from the dead. (Matthew 28:5-7) With His resurrection, our redemption was sealed. Our place in heaven is reserved, if we trust in Him.

Not only did He conquer death; Ephesians 1 says He went beyond salvation. He also gave us “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (verse 3), a glimpse into God’s plan (verses 9-10), an inheritance (verse 11), and the seal of the Holy Spirit (verse 13). I could cry in amazement that the One Who created all, and is over all, cares so much for us.
Glory!

“And the Church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame”

Christ’s church was born on Pentecost, when the disciples received the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), Whom we also carry as Christians. Peter, in his love for Christ and the power of the Spirit, explained to the gathered crowds how Jesus fulfills every prophecy of old. (Acts 2:17-36) Thousands of people believed, and became the first church. This is the same church, the same family, into which we’ve been adopted (Ephesians 1:4-5) in Jesus!
I am honored to be your sister in Christ.

Truly grasping Who Christ is, and Who He is to you, is highly personal. I beg you, sisters, to reread the passages and verses listed here. Read cross references. Ask God to make you more aware of Jesus as King of Kings. And when He does, praise Him!

“Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings”

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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 Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship VII!

Calling Day 7 For This Reason: 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 For This Reason!

The Questions

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)

Ephesians 3:1-21

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people  in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him.13 So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Original Intent

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)
In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays his readers will be “filled with all the fullness of God”. “Fullness” comes from the Greek “pleroma” and “describes the full measure of something with an emphasis on completeness.” (Precept Austin.org) When Paul prays for the Ephesians to be filled with all the fullness of God, he begins by praying they would be “rooted and firmly established in love and be able to comprehend the length and width, height and depth of God’s love that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:17-19) To experience this love beyond any measure is the beginning of being filled with all the fullness of God.  Author Stephen Cole suggests, “Paul is praying we will attain to spiritual perfection, having all that God is fill us to overflowing. As our capacity to receive it grows, He keeps filling us again and again. The idea of fullness implies total dominance or control, so that God perfectly controls our minds, our emotions, and our will.”  We can be filled with all the fullness of God when we give God all access and full control of all parts of our lives.  The better we know Him and His love, the more willing we are to let Him in to fill us and change us.  Paul follows this prayer to be filled with God’s fullness by reminding us that God can do much more than we can think or ask. (Ephesians 3:20) This extends to filling us with His love and with everything that God is and has for us.  He can fill us to a fullness we can’t even fathom!

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)
In Ephesians 3:20, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to give glory to the God who is “able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”  It’s not lost on his readers that Paul writes this encouragement from a prison cell in Rome, where he sits because of his unceasing desire to preach the Gospel.  Yet, Paul is focused on how the power of God in us can do far more than we think possible.  Author Priscilla Shirer observes that Paul is “just spilling over himself, tripping over himself trying desperately to figure out how to communicate the greatness and the grandeur of God’s capacity and His ability to work miracles in our lives and to be engaged in the details of our everyday living.”  Even in his difficult circumstances, Paul believes God’s power is beyond human comprehension.  Author Thomas Constable asserts, “The basis for Paul’s confidence that God is able to do far beyond what he had prayed for or could even imagine was the work God had done to bring Jews and Gentiles together in one body.”  Preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles became Paul’s life work, and he had daily proof that God could bring about unity and harmony in Christ beyond what Paul ever thought possible. Paul’s faith in God’s vast power was also based on his own conversion experience, which found him walking toward Damascus with intent to harm Jesus’ followers and instead encountering Jesus Himself. This experience turned his life upside down.  Instead of persecuting Christians, he was now converting others to Christianity, which was abundantly more than he could ever have considered.  Paul knew better than anyone how far God can go beyond our petitions and our thoughts; this knowledge caused him to give glory to God.

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)
When the apostle Paul told the Ephesians his afflictions are their glory in verse 13, he wasn’t speaking flippantly.  Paul’s mission since his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) had been to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentiles. Fulfilling this mission caused him countless problems, including beatings, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and various physical dangers and discomforts. (2 Corinthians 11:25-26) Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while under Roman house arrest, and the people worried about him.  Paul told the Ephesians he didn’t want them to feel bad he was going through hard times for them because everything he faced was part of his heavenly mandate to bring the message of salvation to them. Through his hardships, they received the message of God’s redemptive love, and that was worth everything he suffered.  Author Peter Pett notes Paul declared his trials are “either a cause for them to glory, or will result in glory for them, or both. Without his imprisonment there may well have been no letters, and what would we have done then?”  Paul was as zealous to convert people to Christ as he had been to condemn Christians before his own conversion.  Every trial he faced brought the Gospel to more people, which was cause for rejoicing.

Everyday Application

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)
It still amazes me some days that God chose to redeem me and chooses to love me.  I wouldn’t do it if I were Him.  I would have given up on me a long time ago, but God’s ways are far above mine. (Isaiah 55:9) He not only chose me, redeemed me and loved me, but He has all kinds of blessings and good things in store for me. (Ephesians 1:1-14) Paul calls it “being filled with all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:19) He wants to make me more and more like Him by filling me with His fullness. He wants me to look like Him so I can draw others to discover Him. The best part is, I don’t need to do anything in my own strength to accomplish this! I cannot fill myself with all the fullness of God.  He fills me up with His love, His mercy, His grace, His compassion, and all the other things He is, so I will spill over with “His fullness”.  He fills me to capacity, and then when I grow, He fills me to capacity again.  Sometimes, He fills me just by pouring out His love and His goodness on me.  Sometimes, He fills me by letting me struggle and grapple and pursue.  Even when what I feel as being empty, He is actually in the process of filling me with hope and faith.  I agree with Paul that “God’s love surpasses knowledge” (verse 19), and I am grateful He keeps filling me as I grow to be more like Him.

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)
I have always been a tea drinker.  I believed all teas were about the same, until a friend gifted me a tin of gourmet cinnamon tea sachets.  Once I tasted that brew, I was ruined for any other cinnamon tea! I tried going back to cinnamon tea in the grocery aisle, but it would no longer suffice. The store brand tea was flat and bitter compared to the gourmet blend with hints of citrus. I think of this experience when I read Paul’s words in verse 20, “God’s power in us can do more than we could ask or dream up”.  Before my friend’s gift arrived, I had only known to ask for regular cinnamon tea, but this special blend was beyond anything I’d imagined!  It is important to consider this truth when I am asking God for things or imagining how I want things to go.  God has plans and purposes beyond what I can dream that are abundantly more than I can comprehend.  He puts His power in me so He can do great things beyond my wildest imaginings to bring Him glory.  I need to ask Him for what I can imagine, then trust Him to do more beyond that.  He doesn’t want me to be limited by what I can think or what I know to ask for; I need to be open to all He has for me.  Usually that doesn’t come in a package that says, “better than you can imagine.”  It often comes wrapped in change, difference, discomfort, and unknown. This is why Paul prays for the Ephesians to be “strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit and to have faith.” (verse 16) He knows that trusting God is key.  May we trust in Him to do abundantly more than we can even think to ask Him!

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)
The internet is full of beautiful stories about people shaving their heads to show solidarity with loved ones losing their hair to chemotherapy for cancer.  My tears fall with every pass of the razor when I watch those clips!  When I was a kid, I had a pal who was one of the only red heads in our small town, and he suffered a lot of teasing and embarrassment as a result.  His mom decided to dye her own hair red so he wouldn’t feel so alone.  These stories of people willing to endure hard things for their loved ones are deeply inspiring to me. The love they have is powerful. Even more inspiring to me is the lengths the apostle Paul was willing to go so he could share the Gospel with the Gentiles. He suffered much more than losing hair! He opens his letter to the Ephesians by calling himself the “prisoner of Jesus Christ on behalf of the Gentiles“. (verse 13) He endured intense persecution to preach salvation to those who would listen.  Jesus’ love for Paul was so radical and bursting with grace, Paul was compelled to give this love away.  Christ got Paul’s attention when He revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus, and Paul lived his life from that moment on with the singular purpose of sharing God’s love with everyone he could.  He was glad to suffer abuse if it meant the Gospel would be preached to more people.  He wanted everyone to know how deep and how wide God’s love is. (verse 18) He experienced God’s powerful love, and it made him able to love others profoundly, even when it cost him dearly.

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Catch up with For This Reason!

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!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Calling Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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Pause IV Day 11 Tremble

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Pause IV, Day 11

“Oh Lord”, Habbakuk knelt and wept, hands outspread.
“I have heard You answer me, and I am left in awe, trembling at the majesty of Your justice and righteousness flowing together in ways I never would have imagined. I never dreamt Your ways were so far beyond mine; they take my breath away. Who am I to question You?!” (Habakkuk 3:2, paraphrased)

Habakkuk brought his everything to the Lord God, who listened with kind graciousness.
The Lord walked beside Habakkuk as He helped him understand the great depths of God’s righteousness and justice.

Now, we are left with Habakkuk’s response to God.
And it should take our breath away as he helps us see God more clearly.

He is in awe of God’s work that far surpasses any man-made design.
Habakkuk is left trembling at the work God will do in His people.

He brings his humble amen, meaning, “make it so”.
“Revive your work…make it known.”  (verse 2)

He did not understand it all, especially the why and the how, but what he did know was enough to make him stand in trembling awe.

In the midst of his swirling questions, Habakkuk takes a full one-third of his prophetic book to express the majestic glories of the Lord God who deserves our awe-filled trembling.

Habakkuk acknowledges the Lord’s justice and all-surpassing wisdom, power, and authority, then bows his heart and flings himself and his people on the gracious mercy of the Almighty God. Our question is, will we do the same?

Today's Invitation

1) Read Habakkuk 3:1-15, then circle back and re-read verses 1-2 a few times through.
Answer these 3 questions in your journal:
a) What do these verses tell me about God and His character?
b) What do these verses tell me about others and the world around me?
c) What do these verses tell me about me and my heart?

2) Close your time by praying for these truths to take root in your heart and for the Holy Spirit to remind you and teach you more about these things today. Be sure to write out any questions you have as you read! If you’d like to send your questions to us, we’d love to study with you!

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Habakkuk 3:1-15

A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. According to Shigionoth.

2 Lord, I have heard the report about you;
Lord, I stand in awe of your deeds.
Revive your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In your wrath remember mercy!

3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of his praise.
4 His brilliance is like light;
rays are flashing from his hand.
This is where his power is hidden.
5 Plague goes before him,
and pestilence follows in his steps.
6 He stands and shakes the earth;
he looks and startles the nations.
The age-old mountains break apart;
the ancient hills sink down.
His pathways are ancient.
7 I see the tents of Cushan in distress;
the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8 Are you angry at the rivers, Lord?
Is your wrath against the rivers?
Or is your fury against the sea
when you ride on your horses,
your victorious chariot?
9 You took the sheath from your bow;
the arrows are ready to be used with an oath. Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains see you and shudder;
a downpour of water sweeps by.
The deep roars with its voice
and lifts its waves high.
11 Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,
at the flash of your flying arrows,
at the brightness of your shining spear.
12 You march across the earth with indignation;
you trample down the nations in wrath.
13 You come out to save your people,
to save your anointed.
You crush the leader of the house of the wicked
and strip him from foot to neck. Selah
14 You pierce his head
with his own spears;
his warriors storm out to scatter us,
gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.
15 You tread the sea with your horses,
stirring up the vast water.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause IV 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 Pause IV!

Pause IV Day 1 The Outcry

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It’s difficult to read Habakkuk’s words and not feel an inward groan,
an ache of knowing that so much is deeply broken.

Pause IV, Day 1

Certainly, each of us, have echoed Habakkuk’s cries.

Everywhere I look, I see brokenness, God!
Fighting in the streets.
Marriages dissolving.
Children being abandoned.
Babies murdered.
People groups oppressed because of the shade of their skin.
Justice doesn’t even have a chance of prospering because the governing systems are so broken.

And we wonder where God is.
Does He see?
Can He not hear?
Doesn’t God care?!

Strange, isn’t it? To read ancient writings and watch them fit so perfectly in our own time as if they flowed from our pen.

Habakkuk had watched the slow degradation of his beloved nation for years. He had studied Israel’s history and traced her moral decline. He waited for God to move. He cried out for God to hear, and see, and do something!

Even as he threw his angry fists at the sky, tossing up his big, audacious questions, he also knew in his core, that God was real. He was present. He did see. He had not forgotten His people and walked away. Habakkuk knew truth.

This reality of God’s unchanging character both soothed and irked him. He knew God saw all the brokenness, yet Habakkuk was angry that God had not yet chosen to act as Habakkuk felt He, the Lord God, should act.

That’s a painful glimpse in the mirror for me, Sister.
Because Habakkuk is me.

Sit still with me here in the tension of an unchanging, always present, always loving God and the sinful, rebellious world we live in.

Consider the message the Lord had for Habakkuk, and ask what He has for you.
Choose to limit your words, and read His words before ours.

Grab your Bible, a journal and pen,
and open your heart to bask in the presence of the Almighty!

Today's Challenge

Today’s Challenge
1) Read Habakkuk 1, then circle back and re-read verses 1-4 a few times through.
Answer these 3 questions in your journal from verses 1-4:
a) What do these verses tell me about God and His character?
b) What do these verses tell me about others and the world around me?
c) What do these verses tell me about me and my heart?

2) Close your time by praying for these truths to take root in your heart and for the Holy Spirit to remind you and teach you more about these things today. Be sure to write out any questions you have as you read! If you’d like to send your questions to us, we’d love to study with you!

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Habakkuk 1

The pronouncement that the prophet Habakkuk saw.

2 How long, Lord, must I call for help
and you do not listen
or cry out to you about violence
and you do not save?
3 Why do you force me to look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

God’s First Answer
5 Look at the nations and observe—
be utterly astounded!
For I am doing something in your days
that you will not believe
when you hear about it.
6 Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter, impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.
7 They are fierce and terrifying;
their views of justice and sovereignty
stem from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards
and more fierce than wolves of the night.
Their horsemen charge ahead;
their horsemen come from distant lands.
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.
9 All of them come to do violence;
their faces are set in determination.
They gather prisoners like sand.
10 They mock kings,
and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh at every fortress
and build siege ramps to capture it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind
and pass through.
They are guilty; their strength is their god.


Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
12 Are you not from eternity, Lord my God?
My Holy One, you will not die.
Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock, you destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are you silent
while one who is wicked swallows up
one who is more righteous than himself?
14 You have made mankind
like the fish of the sea,
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.
16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause IV Week One!
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 Pause IV!

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VIII Week 3

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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) Waiting. Seasons of waiting can be some of the most challenging periods of life to walk through. When you are a child, it seems Christmas will never come. When you are single and long to be married, you may find yourself acutely aware of the happily paired couples around you. When you are childless and long to be a mother, the season of waiting can feel excruciating and isolating. Each new season of life brings its own “waiting” for something to change. The blind man waited years to be healed with no guarantee of healing, but Jesus brought the fullness of redemption in an unexpected way. What are you longing and praying for? Are you contentedly waiting for God’s timing in your season of waiting? In what area of your life have you waited on the Lord and seen His faithfulness? Write these down and journal your observations as you pause and pray! Waiting on the Lord transforms our heart attitudes; when we witness His faithfulness towards us, we can respond in worship and point others to His goodness. Who is one person you could share with this week of God’s faithfulness to you? Pray now for an opportunity to do this!

2) Tamar felt the sting of faithless men on all sides in her life. A step-brother who took everything from her, a father who failed to protect her or bring justice to her situation, and a brother who took vengeance into his own hands. No one truly made things right for Tamar. Doubtless, we’ve all experienced times when others, who should have protected, or loved, us failed. Praise the Lord that when men fail us, when we reach our rock-bottom, and our shame is more than we can bear, He is our Mighty Refuge! We know Yahweh’s faithfulness, unlike mankind’s, is everlasting. Reflect on God’s faithfulness to you in your past times of need, write these out as a short prayer of thanks to Him for His unending grace. Bravely verbalize the wounds of your heart where others haven’t loved you well either out loud or on paper. Then spend some time in prayer, turning these over to the Lord, asking for healing, and reminding yourself of God’s unfathomable love for you! Our hope is in Christ alone, even when everything around us seems hopeless.

3) Mephibosheth lost almost everything he had in one day. His whole world came crashing down as a small boy, yet years later, when he could have continued living obscurely as an outcast, he was brought near by the compassion of King David. The great mercy Mephibosheth received is not unlike the great mercy we have received from God. While once we were enemies of God, He has made a way for us to be right with Him again. Knowing you have received great mercy through Jesus if you have trusted Him with your heart, are you walking in the life and wholeness that comes with it, or are you walking in the bitterness and hate of judgment? Are you rejoicing in the grace you have been given, or clinging to what you feel you have lost? How has God’s great mercy made you whole? Take some time to consider ways you can reflect the mercy you have been shown by Jesus to others in your life. Write them down! Put them in your phone or somewhere else you will be reminded to take action!

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 91:1-2, 14-15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High

dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress,

my God in whom I trust. 14 Because he has his heart set on me,

I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name.

15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble.

Prayer Journal
Merciful Father, thank you that You are faithful at all times. Even in our suffering, even in our longing, even in our waiting, You are faithful to the end. I confess I often doubt Your faithfulness. In prayers that seem unanswered, in seasons of pain that seem to never end, when friends and family let me down, help me remember the hope of Your mercy and love. I know I am shortsighted, but Your plan is good. Remind me I am like the outcast, deserving of nothing, but You have brought me into Your home and made me Your child. Comfort my soul in the waiting seasons. Remind me the mercy You have given me is also meant to be extended to others from my hand. Your steadfast love endures forever; may my lips always praise You!

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music