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Shofar Day 5 Dear Believers In Smyrna: Digging Deeper

January 23, 2026 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Shofar Day 5 Dear Believers In Smyrna: Digging Deeper

Merry Ohler

January 23, 2026

bride,Discipline,Faith,Heaven,Mighty,Perfect

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 2:8-10

8 “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life: 9 I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich.

I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the significance of Jesus calling Himself the “First and the Last?” (verse 8)

The church at Smyrna is only referenced twice in Scripture, both times in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 1:11, Revelation 2:8) While the Bible may be mostly silent about the city and says little about the early church there, Christ’s words about Himself and His exhortation to the church at Smyrna reveal much depth we can study. His opening words here identify Himself unequivocally as “the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life.”

As God, Jesus Christ is and was eternally present. From before the first description of creation’s beginning, Jesus was there. (Genesis 1:1-2) John’s written introduction to his gospel bears witness to Christ’s deity and divine nature in further support of this statement. (John 1:1-18) Unlike His created work of humanity, God alone is uncreated. He always has been, and always will be. (Psalm 90:2, Isaiah 40:28, 1 Timothy 1:17) He has no beginning and no end. (John 8:58, Genesis 21:33, 1 John 5:11-13)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God declared this to be true of Himself; Jesus’ words in Revelation echo the words of His Father, centuries before He uttered them to John. (Isaiah 44:6-8) Underscoring His initial statement to John and further asserting His divinity, Christ added, “the one who was dead and came to life.”

Some external sources and commentaries point to parallels that may have been significant for the church at Smyrna, but by staying within the pages of Scripture, we are assured of His deity through His own words, as evidenced by the incredible prophecies He fulfilled in accomplishing this one statement. (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Psalm 16, Acts 2:22-36)

The Everyday Application

1) What is the significance of Jesus calling Himself the “First and the Last?” (verse 8)

When I consider the reality that Jesus is God, having no beginning or end, I am once again struck by how completely “other” He is to us. There is nothing else in our scope of existence comparable to Him, although all things point to Him. Everything has a beginning and an end. The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets. Every human, every creature. Every object. Humanity was originally crafted from dust, and to dust we will return. (Genesis 3:19, Psalm 90:3, Ecclesiastes 12:7)

This is not the case with Jesus. He was there at the beginning, because He had no beginning. After all things come to their end, He will remain, because He has no end. All was created by Him and through Him. I can rest in the comfort and knowledge that He alone is God. There is no other. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He testified about His divinity and identity Himself, and His words are true.

All of Scripture verifies His testimony and existence. The details of His virgin birth, sinless life, death, and resurrection fulfill over 300 prophecies made across thousands of years. All of this proof points me to the truth I can rest in: Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God, the First and the Last.

He is my King, He is alive, and He cares for me. He has no beginning or end, but I do, and my beginning, middle, and end are in His sovereign hands. Because I have repented of trying to live life my own way and have turned to follow Christ, I am covered by His shed blood. My sins are forgiven; I have peace because I trust in Him.

The Original Intent

2) Why did Jesus tell the church of Smyrna, suffering in affliction and poverty, that they were rich? (verse 9)

Having just asserted His authority and divinity with stunning clarity, King Jesus uttered His next words to John with compassion and intention, “I know…” The church at Smyrna was enduring great affliction and suffering. The words describe a church under incredible pressure and extreme poverty. More than simply getting by with little, this church consisted of truly destitute people; they had nothing.

In just a few words, the Creator, the One through whom all things were and are and will be, the First and the Last, again showed His incredible love for His people by showing them they were seen in a merciful act of true encouragement. I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich.

The church at Smyrna wasn’t forgotten. Their struggles, circumstances, and persistence in faith were seen by the King of kings and Lord of lords. The One who was, and is, and will be bridged the gap between their perceived isolation and the temptation to feel forgotten, reminding them that He saw both their physical and spiritual state with equal clarity. Further, He encouraged them to remember that their physical state did not reflect their eternal reality.

The Everyday Application

2) Why did Jesus tell the church of Smyrna, suffering in affliction and poverty, that they were rich? (verse 9)

When I think about the kind of affliction and poverty the church at Smyrna likely faced, my own struggles seem pale in comparison. Nonetheless, I can be encouraged by Christ’s words. The truth that earthly circumstances and situations do not define our eternal destiny or victory in Christ stands firm and is true for all believers. Regardless of what struggles and challenges we face, we know that Christ is working in the midst of those situations to sanctify us. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, 2 Timothy 2:20-26, Romans 5:3-5)

Whatever struggle I face, Jesus is also El Roi, the God Who sees. (Genesis 16:13, Psalm 139:1-4, Proverbs 15:3) He intimately knows every detail of the lives of all His people, and I am one of those people. He knows, He sees, He cares. He is pleased when He calls me to continue in faith, for His glory, and I respond to His call. (Hebrews 11:6, Romans 12:2, Matthew 5:14-16) Just as He demonstrated in His words to the church at Smyrna, He never forgets. He is glorified in our faithful following of His life and way.

The Original Intent

3) What does Christ mean to be “faithful to the point of death”? (verse 10)

Jesus saw their present state and knew the church at Smyrna would soon face an increase in persecution; His word of encouragement and exhortation to remain faithful was issued at the perfect time. While Scripture doesn’t elaborate on the exact details of their situation, Christ’s acknowledgement of their physical and spiritual state implies they possessed a faithfulness worth commending.

His words weren’t mere blind encouragement or a careless call to achieve some unattainable goal. This was a rallying cry to weary and worn believers with battered hearts and minds, reminding them of their purpose, calling them to follow in their Savior’s footsteps faithfully. Who else could more genuinely encourage a brother or sister to be faithful to the point of death other than the One Who had first been faithful to the point of death, Himself?

Jesus knew the scorn, abandonment, persecution, and horrors of being faithful to the point of death. In His kindness, He reminded His faithful church at Smyrna that they were not alone, and if they persisted in faith, He would see them through to His promise of eternal life and victory.

The Everyday Application

3) What does Christ mean to be “faithful to the point of death”? (verse 10)

When God called Jesus to walk the way of the cross, being faithful to the point of death, even death on a cross, Jesus obeyed fully. (Philippians 2:7-8) As a parent, I have often used the phrase, “Right away, all the way,” when teaching my children what obedience means and looks like. However, when I measure those words against Christ’s example, I see some things are lacking in my “go-to” phrase.

Yes, it is important to obey “all the way,” which we see referenced in Christ’s words admonishing the church at Smyrna to be “faithful to the point of death.” However, even Christ prayed and asked that the cup might be taken from Him. He has empathy for the one who is called to die to self and follow in His footsteps; we can be encouraged by His reminder that when we are faithful to the end, we will be crowned victorious for His glory. Praise God!

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churches,judge,letter,repentance,Revelation,shofar,warning

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Journey Study

“Thus says the First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life:” (Revelation 2:8)

What a weighty way for Jesus to introduce Himself to the church in Smyrna! He doesn’t begin with comfort or promises; He begins with identity. He is “the First and the Last”—a title belonging to God alone. (Isaiah 44:6) He reminds the Church He holds eternity in His hands.

Then He adds, “The One who was dead and came to life.” (Revelation 2:8)

This isn’t just a statement of resurrection, it’s an anchor of hope. Jesus has passed through death itself and emerged victorious.

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King Day 15 The Magnificence, The Response, & The Assurance: Digging Deeper

January 16, 2026 by Lois Robbins Leave a Comment

King Day 15 The Magnificence, The Response, & The Assurance: Digging Deeper

Lois Robbins

January 16, 2026

Adoring,Faith,Future,Heaven,Jesus,Perfect

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 1:9-18

I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. 14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters. 16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What was John commissioned to do with his encounter with Christ through a vision? (verses 10-12)

John was exiled to Patmos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea. Patmos was a barren island and was used as a penal colony during Roman times. Patmos, with its rocky terrain and lack of natural resources, meant that basic survival was a daily struggle. John was sentenced to Patmos, because he refused to stop preaching the gospel of Jesus and was an unwavering witness to Christ. (Revelation 1:9)

While in exile on this island, John received a wondrous revelation that would be the final book of the New Testament. It’s interesting to note that, while it falls last in our Bibles, it was one of the earliest letters recorded and sent out to the surrounding churches. Imagine reading Revelation first! We might feel apprehension digging into this book, but for the first audience, they were emboldened in their faith and took courage from the message of Revelation. Jesus was indeed coming back, and He had already won!

To this end of encouragement and blessing for all who read (Revelation 1:3), John is commanded to write what he sees and send the seven letters to the seven churches named in the vision: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. (Revelation 1:11) Each letter, as proclaimed by Jesus and recorded by John the Apostle, declares the triumphs and failings of each church, warning the believers to repent from sin and hold fast for the coming victory.

The Everyday Application

1) What was John commissioned to do with his encounter with Christ through a vision? (verses 10-12)

John was to deliver this revelation to the church for all to hear. The revelation received by John from Christ Himself was not designed for the use of pastors or church leaders only, but for all servants of Jesus, the members of the church collectively as a whole. The letter would be read aloud to everyone, just as if we were to all listen in during a local church gathering to one of the Revelation letters. We should be “listening” to the Revelation teachings in the same way, mindful of our place among a collective whole of brothers and sisters in Jesus who are saved and rescued.

We, as followers of Jesus, are called today to use the Scriptures to read, understand, and SHARE the Good News of the gospel together. When we sit under the teaching of God’s Word, we are then equipped by the Holy Spirit to not only be transformed by His Word, but to participate as fellow messengers, carrying the truth of our rescue to all people! We are to share about the One who is, who was, and who is yet to come, not only to the unbelievers but also to our brothers and sisters in Christ (the church) as an encouragement of truth. (Revelation 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:18)

It is a privilege to enjoy God’s Word and a blessing to study the Scriptures, to read and hear them. (Revelation 1:3) Given this truth, let’s be people who are hungry and thirsty for God’s living and active Word! (Matthew 5:6, Hebrews 4:12) Let’s approach it with eager excitement to dive in and grow in His Grace!

The Original Intent

2) What can we glean from the description of Christ’s physical appearance and the elements surrounding Him? (verses 13-16)

The Magnificence of Christ is spell binding, awe-inspiring, and deeply humbling; we can scarcely take it in. Let’s look at what John sees ….

John heard behind him a voice with clarity, volume, and the tone of a trumpet. He turned to see the speaker, and John saw seven golden lampstands, each having one base, a single vertical stem, and an oil burning lamp at the top. Amid the seven lampstands, was One like the Son of Man. There was nothing between Him and the lampstands (churches), no agency or middleman, just Christ, amidst His churches, knowing them, seeing them, sustaining them, directing them. Beautiful.

Christ’s outer garment was a long robe like that of a judge. The band around His chest symbolizes the righteousness and faithfulness in which He judges. (Isaiah 11:5) His head and hair were white like wool, depicting His eternality as the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9) as well as the wisdom and purity of His judgements. His eyes were like a flame of fire, which speak of perfect knowledge, infallible insight and inescapable scrutiny. His feet were like polished brass, as if refined in a furnace. His voice sounded like the waves of the sea, majestic and awesome. In His right hand were seven stars indicating possession, power, control, and honor. From His mouth was a two-edged sword, symbolizing the very WORD of GOD. (Hebrews 4:12) His countenance was radiant as the sun at high noon, giving way to His dazzling splendor and transcending glory of His Deity.

HE is King, and there is none other.

The Everyday Application

2) What can we glean from the description of Christ’s physical appearance and the elements surrounding Him? (verses 13-16)

When we combine all the imagery the Apostle John wrote down as He watched Christ’s magnificent appearance play out before his eyes, we stand in awe at our Maker, the One who is, was and ALWAYS will be. We see Christ in His perfect glory as ONE supremely qualified to judge the churches then, believers today, and all people across all of time. Judgment must begin with the house of God. (1 Peter 4:17)

The Church (God’s chosen, rescued, justified adopted children, Ephesians 1:4-6) is judged for purification and reward while the world (unbelievers) is judged with punishment for their rebellion. They have used their lives to reject Christ, and in final judgment, He will rightly give them over to their desires.

As followers of Jesus, we are set apart from the world. We walk this earthly journey for God’s purpose, fulfilling the plans of the King and doing His work. How we act, what we say are to mirror our Savior, resplendent in glory. Our behavior reflects what we truly believe about our King and whether or not we have set Him as our Lord in our everyday lives.

Are we in alignment with King Jesus? Are we walking the walk as well as talking the talk? May we each heed Jude’s words as he looked forward to eternity with King Jesus,
“But you, dear friends, […] keep yourselves in the love of God,
waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.

Have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them from the fire;
have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:20-25)

The Original Intent

3) How does Christ reassure John and all followers of Jesus? (verses 17-18)

The sight of Jesus as Judge and King in radiant glory caused John to fall at His feet as if dead, but Jesus revived him by a touch and a revelation of His identity. (verse 17)

How dare a King of such magnificence reach out a hand to touch a mere human? To offer reassurance? To bring revelation? Our King would dare such a humble act, for ours is the God who stoops low to rescue the rebellious!

After coming near and touching John, Jesus reassured John with familiar words, “Do not be afraid” (verse 17), and then revealed Himself as the first and the last, a title only given to Jehovah God. (Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 48:12)

Undoubtedly, as John reflected on this exchange, the Spirit of God reminded him this wasn’t the first time John had fallen to the ground as though dead, been reassured by Jesus’ touch, and then given greater revelation about Jesus. Take a minute to read Matthew 17:1-12 and look for similarities between the two accounts!

Jesus’ plain revelation of His identity as “[…] the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (verses 17-18) was meant to comfort and reassure John. The One who held power over all things also held and protected John. With a touch of His hand, Jesus reminded John there is nothing to fear. This Jesus who has conquered death and holds the keys to eternal life has stooped low to touch us, to save those who trust Him.

The Everyday Application

3) How does Christ reassure John and all followers of Jesus? (verses 17-18)

Christ reassures us today just as He did with John. His nearness to John in the vision is ours through the Spirit. (John 16:13) Our response to the vision of King Jesus should be to trust in His already-won-victory, live with confidence because of our Hope, and know that HE is with us always even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Revelation 1:4-18 is the foundational doctrine of the Christian church. The message of Jesus as both King and humble servant, who gave His life in order to defeat death on our behalf is the message the Apostles took everywhere. (See the book of Acts!)

This message of glory is one every Christ Follower ought to hold dear to our hearts and share with our communities. It is the ultimate apologetic to our victorious statement, “JESUS IS ALIVE!”, for here is the record of Christ’s own revelation of His Kingship, glory, and eternal reign. Because our Savior lives, we have the assurance of eternity with the presence of our most Holy God.

In Revelation 1, John saw Jesus glorified. It wasn’t the scene of lowly Jesus in the manger, or suffering Jesus on the cross, John saw Jesus as triumphant King, fully alive and coming again!

Regardless of the situation we face or the fear, confusion, and uncertainty of our days, or the griefs of relationships gone awry, we are reassured by Jesus, “Don’t be afraid!”. The KING holds the key to your life and mine, today, tomorrow, for always. He is our all-knowing, always-loving God, who beckons us to come as we are that we might be held as His own.

Come! Believe! Be filled with His love, forgiven your sins, and be reassured that, no matter what, Death has no hold on us; the King is alive!

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eternal,follow,King,Revelation,worship

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Journey Study

I once heard this beautiful analogy: just as the moon effortlessly reflects the sun’s light, we can reflect God’s light. The sun is the source of light, brightening the darkness using the surface of the moon. When our hearts are dedicated to following Jesus, we too, reflect the light and power of God.

As we close our Journey Theme on the description of Jesus outlined in Revelation 1, we learn His face shines like the sun. (Revelation 1:16) In Scripture, Jesus is compared to the sun on several occasions.

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Slain Day 1 This Is How We Conquer

April 13, 2025 by Gloria Ponman Leave a Comment

Slain Day 1 This Is How We Conquer

Gloria Ponman

April 13, 2025

Anchored,Equipped,Faith,Heaven,Hope,Perfect,Rescue

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:1-11
Philippians 1:12-14
Luke 8:19-21
James 1:22-25
Psalm 46

This Is How We Conquer
Life without Christ is no life at all. For me, He is more than a Savior; He is my heartbeat, the core of my existence. Christ has guided me, drawn me closer when I strayed, and shaped me into the woman I am today. Without Him, my story would have been tragic; with Him, it is a testimony of grace and transformation.

This Easter, we remember those who paid the ultimate price for their faith; martyrs who chose death rather than deny the One who first loved them. (1 John 4:19) Their stories are a mirror, reflecting the cost of following Christ. For some, the price was their lives; for us, it might be daily sacrifices declaring, “Christ is worth it all!”

A Story of Martyrdom: Polycarp of Smyrna
Polycarp, a disciple of the Apostle John, was a bishop of Smyrna in the 2nd century. When persecution swept through the early church, Polycarp was arrested and commanded to renounce Christ. His response has echoed through history:

“Eighty-six years I have served Him,
and He has done me no wrong.
How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

Despite threats and torture, he stood firm, declaring Christ’s worth even in the face of death. Polycarp was burned at the stake, his faith a light in the darkness of persecution.

His life embodies Christ’s instruction, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” (John 15:5)

After a lifetime of experiencing the sweetness of abiding in Christ, Polycarp knew “God is our refuge and strength, a friend who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid [.]” (Psalm 46:1-2)

Securely rooted in Christ, Polycarp’s faith withstood intense suffering unto death. Centuries later, his testimony continues to bear fruit and glorify God. (John 15:8) Christ laid down His life for us, and Polycarp followed in His footsteps. For Polycarp, as for us, the gain of Christ far outweighed the loss of life itself.

Renouncing the World
While I may not face martyrdom, I have been called to make decisions testifying to the worth of Christ. As a young woman, I ended a relationship with a man who could offer me worldly comfort but demanded what I could not give, a compromise on my purity. I have had every reason to stray, especially during seasons of lack and abandonment, but Christ held me steady. Knowing who I am in Him gave me the strength to resist the allure of fleeting pleasures.

Like Polycarp, I have also faced the fire of surrender. God called me to marry a full-time pastor, a man without a salary or material wealth. People questioned how we would survive, but I chose to trust the One who provides. Through challenges and trials, Christ has remained faithful, showing me He alone is my source.

Daily Crucifixion
To be crucified with Christ daily means denying oneself for His sake. (Galatians 2:20, Matthew 16:24-26) In marriage, I’ve learned to prioritize the needs of my family above my own. There were seasons when I sacrificed personal desires, like new clothes or hair treatments, to ensure my children were cared for. As a pastor’s wife, I’ve given my time, finances, and energy to people in need, trusting God would refill what I poured out.

One of the greatest sacrifices has been learning to forgive. I naturally hold on to offenses, meditating on them until they linger in my heart. But Christ has shown me that forgiveness is not optional, but is a reflection of His grace. Letting go of hurt has been one of the hardest yet most freeing aspects of my walk with Him.

Sacrificial Living
The call to follow Christ is a call to give, not just when it’s convenient but especially when it costs. As a mother and a pastor’s wife, I have found joy in sacrificial living. I’ve given my time to mentor young women, lead Bible studies, and pray for others. There have been moments when I wanted to give up, to close the WhatsApp group I run for women because I wasn’t receiving the encouragement I needed. Yet God reminded me this ministry isn’t about me, it’s about Him and His Kingdom.

“This Is How We Conquer…”
Polycarp’s story reminds us the cost of following Christ is worth it because the gain of Christ is eternal. While we may not all be called to die for our faith, we are all called to live for it, to daily crucify our flesh and bear the marks of Christ in our lives.

For me, this means loosening the bonds of pride, unforgiveness, and selfishness. It means trusting God to provide when resources are tight, forgiving when I am hurt, and choosing obedience when it is inconvenient.

Christ gave all for us. How can we give Him less? This Easter, let us remember the martyrs who laid down their lives for the One who laid down His. Let us join them, not necessarily in death but in daily surrender, carrying our cross and declaring with our lives, “Christ is worth it all.”

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The pruning by the Father, our Gardener, is the good work of making us spiritually beautiful, a sweet-smelling aroma that rises to God.

This becomes especially important as the trials come. As we develop into more mature believers, we grow in spiritual health that has been produced by the pruning.

That health gives way to courage that is contagious in the face of suffering.

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Can We Pray With You?

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The GT Weekend! ~ Lowly Week 1

December 14, 2024 by Katelyn Palmer Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Lowly Week 1

Katelyn Palmer

December 14, 2024

Comfort,Community,Faith,Gospel,Life,Peace,Perfect

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

His Words Before Ours

Matthew 5:3-9

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Bless are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Read More Of His Words

Reflective Prayer

Yahweh, As I sit and write to You, I am a mixture of joyful surprise and comfort, and reverence and frustration.

I’m joyfully in awe in watching Scripture leap to life to tell me Who you are when I study alongside my sisters globally. I’m astonished to consider You, Creator of everything, did not view His Creation as too lowly for your kind attention. Rather, You joined us and lived among us, then sacrificed Yourself to save us. Inconceivable Christmas Wonder!

I am comforted by the Prince of Peace and invigorated by the Lord of Armies. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

I share honestly with You, Lord, that I feel frustrated too, amidst this joy, when I consider the pieces of my life that seem to wage in conflict against Your peace. Am I waging war with You, Lord, in any way? Expose my sin, this Christmas season, so every aspect can fall peacefully under Your sovereign rule and reign.

As I consider obedience in my life, I am reminded of Jesus. Your humble heart (John 13:1-17) obeyed the Father (Philippians 2:5-8) and centered on God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), even at the cost of Your life.

Father, You showed the Son what to do with plain clarity, and I know You will do the same for all Your children, called under the Name of Your Son, and indwelt by Your Spirit. Through Jesus’ name I joyfully celebrate You and expectantly wait for Your conviction and clarity, Amen.

Pray Scripture

Worship Through Song

Reflection One

This week, Bri launched our Christmas theme, Journey Into Lowly, by examining Jesus’ birth and life as a manifestation of God’s promise to reconcile the world to Himself and bring everlasting peace to a fallen world. Bri reminded us that Jesus didn’t bring peace with Him, rather He was, and still is, real peace.

Jesus humbled himself into our form and gave Himself to us, first in a manger then on the cross (Philippians 2:5-8), all so we might experience divine peace through him. In John 14:19-20, Jesus tells His disciples, “In a little while, the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.”

Skip ahead to verses 25 and 26, “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” Finally, we look at John 14:27 where Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”

In all three of these instances, the Triune God of Peace rules and reigns as Father, Son, and Spirit.

Monday & Tuesday

Reflection Two

Before Jesus came to us in the flesh, we were guided by the Law (Galatians 3:23-26), a testament to the righteous standards of God and the irrefutable acknowledgement of sin within all of us. Furthermore, Romans 3:9-19 teaches that no man, save Jesus, is righteous and can stand before the Law.

How, then, could some biblical characters like Abraham (Genesis 15:6) or Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-7) be righteous in God’s sight before the death and resurrection of Christ? Difficult questions like these require further digging into Scripture.

First, God is the ultimate judge over all Creation (Isaiah 33:22, 2 Corinthians 5:10). Second, a closer look at Abraham tells us he was credited with righteousness because of his faith. (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:1-13)

This is great news because we can never achieve righteousness on our own power! God has the power and desire to establish us in His love, make our hearts blameless, and gift us the righteousness of His Son when we come to Him with faith. (Romans 5:1, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 2:15-16)

Wednesday & Thursday

Reflection Three

We ended a powerful week of Christmas study with the bold reminder of God’s gracious compassion. It can be easy to forget that God was so compassionate and merciful, that He “emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when He had come as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8)

He did not view us as too lowly to rescue, so He stooped low to save us from ourselves. How do we learn to love the broken world and its broken people (like us!) through the lens of God’s merciful love? We allow the Spirit of God to reshape our hearts and minds, following the example of our Savior. (Philippians 2:5, Romans 12:1-2)

The shape of Christ being formed within His children looks like the authentic worship described in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

These three disciplines help us focus on God’s heart, reminding us of His merciful compassion and humble love so we don’t mistake ourselves as being greater (or lesser) than those around us.

2-for-1 Friday

This Week's Journeys

Remade Day 15
The Remade Life

January 20, 2017 No Comments

We’ve talked a lot during this Journey Theme about what it means to live this redeemed life that Jesus has so richly given us, but what does the “box top” look like? What does my everyday look like as I’m chasing after this God who longs to continuously remake me

Remade Day 14
The Law of Love: Digging Deeper

January 19, 2017 No Comments

The pharisees asked a lot of questions, but they didn’t truly want to know Jesus’s heart. When we study the Bible or look for answers to our questions, let’s not go looking for evidence to support our pre-determined ideas, rather let’s seek to understand the original intent of the Scriptures,

Remade Day 13
The Law of Love

January 18, 2017 No Comments

If we really are living out and doing exactly what Jesus tells us are the two most important commandments, then everything else He tells us to do will fall into place… because, by living out these commandments, we are allowing transformation.
When our minds are transformed, then our actions

Remade Day 12
No Going Back: Digging Deeper

January 17, 2017 No Comments

Are you stuck in the past, attached and grasping for things leading to death, or are you clinging onto and sinking into the things of life? God is a good God, even on days when our past stops us in our tracks or a situation cements our feet. Be reminded

Remade Day 11
No Going Back

January 16, 2017 No Comments

As fun as it is to “remember when”, there’s danger there too. Either we can romanticize the past and wish for it all over again, or we begin to drown in its sorrows and become perpetually stuck in its cycle. God wants neither for us!

God told Lot’s family

The GT Weekend – Remade Week Two

January 14, 2017 No Comments

Lord, You have provided perfectly for us. You have given us a means for relationship with You through Jesus. You’ve given the Holy Spirit to keep us walking in step with You, yet I still think I can hide the real me from Your face. Father, forgive me for putting

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Christmas,hope,joy,peace,reflect

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Lowly Day 3 In Merciful Compassion

December 11, 2024 by Lesley Crawford Leave a Comment

Lowly Day 3 In Merciful Compassion

Lesley Crawford

December 11, 2024

gentle,Humility,Perfect,Redemption,Relationship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:5-8
Ephesians 2:4-5
Luke 1:78-79
Psalm 86:15-16
Psalm 103:13-14

I remember the first time I was struck with amazement that Jesus humbly came to earth as a human. As I stood with the choir one Christmas, suddenly words came to my mind as clearly as if Jesus was speaking directly to me:

“Don’t ever consider anything beneath you. I didn’t.”

“Merciful” and “Warrior” don’t really mesh, but this is the truth of the Christmas story.

The all-powerful Creator God, the Sovereign One above everything, chose to humble Himself and enter His own creation as a vulnerable baby. He lived as a human, experiencing all our joys and sorrows, even going so far as allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross and killed.

His example provides a striking contrast to most worldly leadership, which is usually concerned with clinging to power. Rather than trying to lord it over others, Jesus “emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant.” (Philippians 2:7)

This raises the question: what motivated Jesus to do this?

Zechariah’s prophecy, which came just a few months before Jesus was born, provides a simple explanation, “because of our God’s merciful compassion.” (Luke 1:78)

Throughout the Bible, we see merciful compassion as a key attribute of God’s character.

Psalm 86:15 describes Him as a “compassionate and gracious God,” while Psalm 103:13 likens God’s compassion toward His people to that of a father for his children.

God’s compassion is clearly depicted in God’s dealings with His people throughout the Old Testament. Despite their constant sin and rebellion, God always remained faithful to His people, forgiving them and showing them mercy.

Joshua, our unlikely Christmas pageant player, also tells the same tale to Israel, rehearsing the truths he learned at Moses’ side.

“The Lord had His heart set on you and chose you,
not because you were more numerous than all peoples,
for you were the fewest of all peoples.
But because the Lord loved you […]”
(Deuteronomy 7:7-8, emphasis mine)

Joshua understood it wasn’t his military prowess which would conquer Canaan, for it was impossible for the diminutive, nomadic tribe of wilderness wanderers to accomplish such a feat. It was only by the power of Yahweh, made accessible to Israel, out of His heart of merciful compassion.

The word “compassion” has its root in the Latin word “compati,” which means “to suffer with.” It is linked to empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Yet compassion goes further, also involving a desire to help alleviate suffering.

We see this clearly demonstrated through Jesus’ example:

In His willingness to come to earth to live as a human, “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) came to be with us in order to bring light to the darkness and guide us in the path of peace. (Luke 1:79)
In the love and care He showed throughout His ministry. He touched lepers, ate with tax collectors, and made time for the broken, downtrodden, and overlooked.
In the unimaginable suffering He endured on the cross, which was motivated by His desire to alleviate suffering by dealing with sin and its penalty. By His wounds, He made a way for people to be wholly reconciled to God.

If we truly grasp Jesus’ merciful compassion, it will begin to make a difference in our lives.

Christ’s merciful compassion…
encourages us to approach God boldly, knowing He understands our struggles and confident we will be met, not with condemnation, but with mercy and grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

Christ’s merciful compassion…
stirs up gratitude in us for all He has done on our behalf. Knowing God chose to save us and give us life because of His great love, that isn’t based on anything we have done to deserve it, can only lead to praise. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Christ’s merciful compassion…
produces His humility in us which impacts how we view and treat others. It reminds us we are all on equal footing before God. All of us are sinners deeply loved by God and in need of the mercy and grace He readily offers to each of us.

Christ’s merciful compassion…
Grows our compassion for every person we encounter as we remember Christ’s love is for them too. Philippians 2:5 urges us to “adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus.”

His example is not just for us to admire, but to follow.
This isn’t an easy task, but we are not called to accomplish it in our own strength. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, He will empower and enable us.

The Babe in the manger was foreshadowed by an unlikely warrior, Joshua, who relied wholly upon the heart and mind of Yahweh. Christ, likewise, did only as the Father commanded. (John 5:19)

His command birthed Jesus in a feeding trough,
stripped Him on a cross,
and raised Him magnificently,
leaving death behind in the tomb forever.

What would this Eternal Warrior do with His victory?
Stoop low to offer it freely to all who believe.

Come near, come afresh, to the side of the manger this Christmas.
See the humility, see the Warrior, and entrust yourself to One who sacrificially loves you enough to be brought low. Then, step away, look to the cross, and wear His own humility as your own, loving the ones He’s placed around you.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved,
put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience[.]”
(Colossians 3:12)

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Christmas,compassion,humility,lowly,mercy

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones,
holy and dearly loved,
put on compassion,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness, and patience."

Put them on for the Warrior King stooped low to wear them for Himself first. From these, He loves and carries and sustains all things.

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Therefore Day 7 A Fragrant Life: Digging Deeper

June 4, 2024 by Dr. Leslie Umstattd Leave a Comment

Therefore Day 7 A Fragrant Life: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

June 4, 2024

Alive,Perfect,Redemption,Trust,Truth,Victorious,Worship

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:1-17

Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light.

Therefore it is said:
Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What do verses 1 and 2 tell us about who we are to imitate and why?

Paul starts chapter five with the word “therefore”, which references back to chapter four and all he has written about living the Christian life. With this transition word in verse 1, he is saying, because of what I have just said, here is what you need to do.

He tells the Ephesians to “imitate God” because they are children of God. The way we are to imitate Him is by walking in love just as He humbly and sacrificially loved us. The motivating “why” for every believer to walk in such a way that runs counter to the world, is because Christ walked in love for us first. (1 John 4:19)

Ultimately, He demonstrated this love by laying Himself down and giving Himself up to brutal death on a Roman cross. He sacrificed Himself so our debt of sin could be paid for and we could be adopted as children of God. Adoption isn’t automatic, but it is freely offered to all. When we humble ourselves, recognizing and confessing our sin, and trusting Him to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we are made His forever.

The Everyday Application

1) What do verses 1 and 2 tell us about who we are to imitate and why?

Paul tells the believers gathering in house churches in Ephesus to walk in love because Christ loved them and gave Himself up as a fragrant sacrifice. (1 John 4:10) This is our motivation in following Jesus in everyday life as well, even though we are 2,000 years removed from Jesus, Paul, and the early church.

The manner in which we walk in everyday life as Christians is intended to follow God and seek to honor Him so that others may see Jesus’ love and humility in us. Jesus is our example of how to follow the Father. (John 10:30)

In Philippians 2:5-11, we are given a picture of what it means to imitate Christ. He gave up His life in obedience, so we could be in a right relationship with God and honor God, the Father, just as Jesus did. (John 5:30) He loved us, so we in turn, must love out of obedience and honor to Him. (1 John 4:19)

This kind of love does not come naturally to us apart from the Spirit of God living within believers to make us new, shaping us into the image, or pattern, of Christ. (Romans 8:29) When we find ourselves not loving others as generously and humbly as Christ loves us, this should signal us that we are relying on our own strength instead of the Spirit of God inside us. (Philippians 2:12-13) The good news is we can stop where we are, ask the Spirit to work in us to come more in alignment with Him, and He will faithfully shape us to be more like Jesus!

This takes practice and diligent consistency to surrender to the Spirit’s work, but the result is a truly fragrant life of love that testifies of Christ!

The Original Intent

2) In verses 3-6, what sin is Paul explaining and what is the result?

In verse 3, Paul discusses immorality, impurity, and greed which are broad words that cover a variety of individual sins.

As a few examples, pornography falls under immorality, while lust or anger would be covered by impurity, and greed covers sins like wanting what others have, materialism, and frivolous spending.

Paul continues in verse 4 to discuss the ways we use our mouth regarding joking and filthy or meaningless, empty talk. Harsh comments, condescending tone, mockery, lewd or suggestive words are just a few sinful examples that fall under these big umbrella words.

The consequences for choosing to walk in these sins are severe and Paul plainly tells the Ephesians in verse 5 that all of those things are idolatry against God. These sins lead us directly away from a relationship with God and an inheritance in His kingdom. Instead, the direct result of these sins is God’s wrath upon us because of our disobedience. (verse 6)

When Paul discusses these sins and the severity of their consequence, he is speaking of perpetual choices that lead to a lifestyle of turning away from God. These consistent, rebellious choices prove an identity as a “son of disobedience” instead of a “child of God”. (verse 6, 1 John 3:10)

These sins are not one time sins, or even occasional sins that the true believer grows to hate and fight hard against, coming to the Lord in repentance over, but rather a lifestyle of sinfulness and unrepentance.

The Everyday Application

2) In verses 3-6, what sin is Paul explaining and what is the result?

We have all sinned and dishonored God by choosing our own rebellious ways; this is evidenced by sin of any kind. Even just one sin, at one time, earns us death and eternal separation from the Holy God. (Romans 3:23)

This reality leaves us in a state of disobedience where we live in the flesh and cannot inherit the kingdom. (Galatians 5:19-21) Jesus’ disciple, John, explains it like this, “He who has the Son [Jesus] has life; he who does not have the Son [Jesus], does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

Apart from Christ, we are left without hope.

But Christ did not leave us there, rather, out of His great love for us, even while we were stuck in our sin, He died on the cross, sacrificing Himself in order to save us. (Romans 5:8) We must choose to follow Him and come under His protective Lordship in order to be saved from the consequence of our sin. This means confessing our sin, submitting to the Holy Spirit’s rule and reign in our life, and coming underneath the authority of Scripture.

It is because of His great love and mercy that we can live at peace with God and we no longer need to obey our taskmaster of Satan who leads us only to the deeds of the flesh. Instead, we can be free to walk as children of God by the power of the Spirit of God! (Romans 8:9-13)

Our sin separates us from God, but as we seek to honor Him, we choose to live a life of holiness in obedience to Him as we learn to love Him more and more. (1 Peter 1:14-16) Every part of our being comes under His authority when we submit to His loving reign, which leads to a fragrant offering of ourselves to Him, “a pleasing sacrifice”. (Romans 12:1)

The Original Intent

3) In verses 7-14, what does Paul say about light and darkness?

Paul uses “therefore” again in verse 7 as he transitions his listeners to a deeper understanding of what he has said in the first part of the chapter. Paul declares in verse 7,“Therefore, do not become their partners”, where the pronoun “their” refers to the “sons of disobedience” from verse 6 and the explanation of their lifestyle in the previous verses.

To emphasize his point, Paul uses the analogy of light and darkness to differentiate between those who formerly walked in darkness, describing every human being, but are now children of the Light. (verse 8) His audience, like us, were separated from God and lost in darkness and sin, but in God’s grace, genuine Christ-followers who have repented of sin and submitted to Christ, walk freely as children of Light. (1 Thessalonians 5:5-11)

In verse 9, Paul describes the fruit of light demonstrating in everyday life as goodness, righteousness, and truth. He continues in verse 10 to tell the Ephesians that walking as children of the light means both seeking to please God and diligently learning how to please Him. This is accomplished by studying His Word and surrounding ourselves with fellow devoted Christ-followers.

Paul continues digging deeper in verses 11-14 as he describes the power of Christ’s Light to expose Satan’s sinful “deeds of darkness”. Finishing strong, Paul exclaims in verse 14 that only the light of Christ can accomplish these things by shining brilliantly in the inner life of the genuine “child of God”.

The Everyday Application

3) In verses 7-14, what does Paul say about light and darkness?

Paul used the analogy of light and darkness to explain the dichotomy that exists between those who follow Christ and choose obedience versus those who choose to follow the world and are disobedient to Christ’s call to righteousness and connective relationship with Him.

As we think about our daily life in terms of light and dark, some things are more obvious sins like greed, jealousy, and envy, but it is in the gray areas of our lives that the rebellion of sin becomes less clear. Unless, that is, we are submitting to the leadership of God’s Spirit who will faithfully lead us into all truth. (John 16:13) The key to victorious Christian living is studying our Bibles with humility as we continually seek to be made new according to the rule of the Spirit in us!

The thing we must foundationally remember is that there is no darkness in God at all. “Therefore” (made you smile, didn’t I), if we truly desire to follow Him, we must be children of the light as we seek Him and as we live for Him. (1 John 1:5-7) There simply is no other alternative.

The power of Christ’s Light in our lives, and in the world, is that it exposes darkness. (John 16:8, verses 11 and 14) The psalmist says that even darkness is not dark to God, He pursues us with His light in our darkest places to expose the lies of sin in us, not to shame us, but to set us free to the Light of Life! (Psalm 138:11-12)

As new creations in the light, we are to put on His holiness and put to death the deeds of darkness. (Colossians 3:1-17, Romans 8:13)

The Original Intent

4) In verses 15-17, what warning does Paul give?

In yet another use of “therefore” in verse 15 that brings forward everything he has previously discussed as being essential to this new expounding of deeper truth, Paul wants the Ephesians to understand how they must be on alert and ready.

He warns them to be diligently careful how they walk as they consider Who they are made to live for: Christ, the Lord of Light and Life. Paul instructs believers to walk in wisdom (verse 15), making every moment, every decision, count for Christ. (verse 16)

The goal of the believer, whether in Ephesus 2,000 years ago or today, is to not be foolishly wasting our days on fleshly desires that rebel against the One who Rescued us (1 Peter 4:3), but seek to understand God’s ways and follow Him. (verse 17) In this way of living, we ourselves become a living sacrifice along with all other Christ-followers! (Romans 12:1)

The Everyday Application

4) In verses 15-17, what warning does Paul give?

Paul very seriously warns believers as he concludes this section of his letter and prepares to bridge to very practical living, “pay careful attention, then, to how you walk […]”. (verse 15) The believer is to be utterly consumed with Christ; as our focus stays fixed on Him, so directs the pattern of our lives.

Distraction is one of the enemy’s oldest weapons against Christ-followers as it effectively sidelines us from following Jesus with attentiveness. Rooted below distraction is deadly pride, insisting we choose something or someone else to love above God simply because we want it, deserve it, or somehow know better than the Almighty. Attacked with distraction and embracing our pride, we easily fall away from God’s path of righteousness into unwise, rebellious choices.

Still, God is faithful even in our weakness, for He is always ready, armed with undeterred love to forgive us and place our feet on solid ground once more when we come to Him in genuine, humble repentance. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13, 1 John 1:9)

It is our responsibility to be on guard, diligently aware of our heart’s propensity to wander. When we act in unwise ways, it dishonors God. James 1:5 tells us if we lack wisdom we can ask God, and He will give it generously. The proof of our allegiance to Christ and our desire to submit to the Holy Spirit is made evident in our choices and heart attitude towards God, His Word, and His people. (John 14:15-26)

When we become believers, we are given new life and our new selves are crafted to walk in a manner worthy of Christ our Savior. (Romans 6:4) When we abide in Christ and His Word, seeking His wisdom through prayer, His Spirit puts His righteousness on display for the world to see, effectively making the most of our time on earth! (Colossians 4:2-6)

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Authority,Holy Spirit,lordship,renew

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Journey Study

We have all sinned and dishonored God by choosing our own rebellious ways; this is evidenced by sin of any kind.

Even just one sin, at one time, earns us death and eternal separation from the Holy God. (Romans 3:23)

This reality leaves us in a state of disobedience where we live in the flesh and cannot inherit the kingdom. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Jesus’ disciple, John, explains it like this, “He who has the Son [Jesus] has life; he who does not have the Son [Jesus], does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

Apart from Christ, we are left without hope.

But Christ did not leave us there...

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Therefore Day 5 New Mind; New Everything: Digging Deeper

May 31, 2024 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Therefore Day 5 New Mind; New Everything: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

May 31, 2024

Accepted,Gospel,Grace,Ordinary,Perfect,Redemption,Rescue,Restored

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 12:16-21

16 Then He told them a parable: "A rich man's land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, 'What should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,' he said. 'I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I'll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”

20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared-whose will they be?'

21 That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) How does ignorance and hardness of heart exclude us from the life of God? (verse 18)

In Ephesians 4:18, Paul warns we can be “excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in [us] and because of the hardness of [our] hearts.“ In our ignorance, our natural, sin-nature shuts God out. We easily default to thinking that our selfish, worldly pursuits will fill our emptiness (Ecclesiastes 1:14), when in reality, only God can truly satisfies our deepest longings (John 6:35).

Curtis Vaughan explains it “is not that unregenerate minds are empty. It is that they are filled with things that lead to nothing.” Apart from Christ, we chase after futility and perpetuate our ignorance. We unknowingly, or stubbornly, run away from the only thing we really need, which is life with God.

David Guzik suggests, “Ignorance and lack of understanding of man is a heart problem. It is shown not only in a foolish denial of God, but also in his moral failures.” When we harden our hearts, we can’t hear God or acknowledge God’s power or His Truth. (Matthew 13:15)

Leon Wood explains that the ancient Greek word employed in this passage for hardness, porosis, “is used medically to denote the callus formed when a bone has been fractured and reset. Such a callus is even harder than the bone itself.” A hardened heart will embrace sin’s deceptions (Hebrews 3:12-13) and will refuse God’ offered gift of complete forgiveness of sins. (Romans 6:23)

A humble, willing, receptive heart is required to accept the Gospel message that leads us into right relationship with the Lord. God can turn our hearts toward His precepts (Psalm 119:36) and enlighten the eyes of our hearts (Ephesians 1:18) so we recognize His sovereignty and are freed to enjoy a life lived with Him. Let’s plead this for ourselves and our lost friends and relatives!

The Everyday Application

1) How does ignorance and hardness of heart exclude us from the life of God? (verse 18)

A passage in Jane Eyre reminds me of Paul’s description of the unrighteous who “are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts” (verse 18)

This moment occurs when Jane returns home to visit the deathbed of her Aunt Reed, who had treated Jane cruelly in childhood. Aunt Reed confessed something to ease her conscience before she died. Though upset by the disclosure, Jane forgave her aunt, offering to make peace with her. Even as she lay dying, Aunt Reed could not relinquish her long held dislike of and prejudice against Jane, though Jane offered her love and more kindness than her own beloved children displayed as she slipped away.

Jane’s goodness was evident in the tender care she provided, even after years of abuse, but Aunt Reed stubbornly clung to her ingrained opinions of Jane’s unworthiness, refusing to let Jane’s love soften her heart. Considering this scene in the light of hardening my own heart towards God is uncomfortable because I see more resemblance to Aunt Reed than to Jane.

I see the times I have ignorantly clung to dark, or even harmless, things that kept me from God, all the while hardening my heart to His invitation to release them and follow Him. (Romans 6:12-14) As Liz Curtis Higgs explains, “My inclination is to tuck such [sins] into the deep recesses of a drawer. Just in case I need them later. Just in case I miss them.” God graciously offers to take those sinful hindrances from us and replace them with His loving care. (1 Peter 5:7)

It is an amazing offer, to give up what can never fulfill us (Ecclesiastes 1:8), instead, taking hold of the One who can satisfy all our longings! (Psalm 145:16)

The Original Intent

2) How do we take off the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires? (verse 22)

Paul urges his readers “to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires.” (verse 22) David Guzik suggests, “This has the same idea of putting off or putting on a set of clothes. The idea is to change into a different kind of conduct.”

Paul wants us to change out of our old ways of thinking, acting and believing. One way to change out of the old self is by neglecting it, allowing it to shrivel up and die for lack of attention by no longer feeding its cravings or fulfilling its desires. (Romans 13:14) This may mean no longer frequenting places or hanging out with people who pull you toward sinful thoughts, actions, or attitudes. To abandon our former godless way of life requires us to dismantle and destroy those things which are unhealthy and don’t honor God. (Galatians 5:24)

Paul does not suggest we do this in our own strength, but with the help of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:2) Andrew Murray asserts, “If you are willing to come entirely away out of self, and to allow Jesus Christ to become your life within you, inspiring all your thinking, feeling, acting, in things temporal and spiritual, He is ready to undertake the charge . . . He asks but one thing: Come away out of self and its life, abide in Christ and the Christ life, and Christ will be your life. The power of His holy presence will cast out the old life.”

God instructs us to be done with the former, lesser things that have kept us from Him, and then He graciously offers His Holy Spirit to empower the choices He asks us to make as He leads us by His Spirit into a life that sets us free to dance in love and righteous living!

The Everyday Application

2) How do we take off the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires? (verse 22)

My Dad has a radical salvation story similar to the apostle Paul’s. (Acts 9:1-9) One minute he wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and the next minute, he was on his knees, repenting and accepting Jesus as His Savior!

While his conversion was dramatic, he still needed to learn to “take off [his] former way of life, the old self […] corrupted by deceitful desires.” (verse 22) He recounts how his first prayer after his salvation contained curse words, and how one of his first visits to adult Sunday School class raised quite a few eyebrows as he shared some decidedly un-Biblical opinions about marriage and relationships.

Each time his old way of thinking and behaving clashed with what he was learning in the Bible, he had to make a choice: keep doing things the old way or leave the old way behind. Eventually, his vocabulary changed from prolific cussing to never cursing. He sought out mentors who helped him change his outlook on marriage and the role of a husband. And because most of his spiritual input had been from secular music lyrics, he got rid of his record collection (even the Beatles albums!) and did not listen to anything but Christian music for a decade as he let go of his unrighteous practices and made way for God to renew his mind. (Titus 3:5)

This challenging practice is vital for new Christians, but it is not limited to those who recently professed faith. All Christians experience times of reverting back to old habits or unrighteous practices. (Galatians 5:1) In those times of temptation from past desires and habit, this verse can remind us to slough off those corrupted ways and striving forward toward a life like Christ’s. (1 Peter 1:14-15)

The Original Intent

3) How do we put on the new self that is created according to God’s likeness? (verse 24)

The Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” (verse 24) Paul isn’t just suggesting we only follow the example of Jesus on occasion, but that we take on His character and His image, actually becoming like Christ in everyday life and all our relationships.

David Guzik explains, “Jesus isn’t merely added to our old life; the old life dies and He becomes our new life.” When we put on the new self, we start to look and act like Jesus. Our speech becomes like His, full of love and kindness. (Isaiah 50:4) Our faith becomes like His, strong and unwavering. (Mark 11:22-24)

We should try to be like Jesus in every way, but we also must allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, conforming us to His image; this is His job! (Colossians 3:10) Liz Curtis Higgs notes, “When we are in Christ, and He is in us, we are transformed. God doesn’t just clean us up, fix us up, straighten us up. He recreates us in the image of His Son. He starts from scratch. He makes us new.”

We can take steps to become more like Jesus every day by living like Jesus lived, but we don’t need to try on our own strength alone. God not only shows us how to live rightly by pointing us to the life of His Son (Philippians 2:5), but He also empowers us to live that life through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). His abundant grace supplies all our needs!

The Everyday Application

3) How do we put on the new self that is created according to God’s likeness? (verse 24)

It amazed me that when the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2022, players and coaches had already donned championship gear for the post-game interview immediately following the football game.

Their victory was minutes old, but they already had hats and shirts declaring their new status as Super Bowl victors. Loyal fans immediately formed lines out the door at sporting goods’ stores, impatient to obtain new garb declaring their team as the best of the best. They had a new, elite title, and they wanted everyone to know.

Paul urges Christians to do something similar when they come to faith in Christ, telling them to “put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth”. (verse 24) Paul wanted Christians to put on the new self to exemplify a victorious life in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Now that they were Christians, Paul wanted the church to put on the life of Christ (Romans 13:14) so they would authentically represent Jesus to everyone they met. Becoming a Christian represents a radical change in the believer, who God calls a “new creation”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

John Piper suggests, “In the school of grace, God creates the new person—and that includes all the new attitudes and emotions and practices that we are supposed to put on.” Christians can be just as excited and enthusiastic as a Super Bowl team in their championship gear when we put on the new self, because it represents the new, purifying work Jesus is faithful to complete in each believer who has surrendered their sinful selves in exchange for freedom that comes from complete forgiveness from God! (Philippians 1:6)

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Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts.

They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

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Known Day 12 Jehovah Rapha: Digging Deeper

July 25, 2023 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Known Day 12 Jehovah Rapha: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

July 25, 2023

Bold,Faith,Glory,Good,Healing,Heart,Peace,Perfect

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 103:1-10

My soul, bless the LORD, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits. 3 He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases.

4 He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. 5 He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle. 6 The LORD executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. 9 He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. 10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities.

Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why does David exhort his own soul to bless the Lord and remember His benefits? (verse 2)

In Psalm 103:2, David addressed his own soul by saying, “My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all His benefits.” David was reminding himself that God had blessed him greatly by recounting the numerous ways God had already provided for his needs.

David Guzik suggests, “It was as if David looked at his soul and understood that it was not praising God enough. He called upon his soul to do more.” It is easy to lose sight of the good things God has given us and focus on the negative aspects of our circumstances. David understood this and was encouraging his soul to concentrate on all of the positive things God had done for him. (Psalm 78:5-7)

Remembering God’s benefits encouraged David and gave him hope. Remembering all the times God helped him in the past reminded him to turn to God when times were tough. (Psalm 42:4-5) Shae Tate asserts, “Remembering what’s true stops the chaos around us long enough for us to remind ourselves, ‘Ok, God’s not forgotten me. So, I’m not going to forget His promises for me.’”

In the Old Testament, God often instructed His people to make a monument to Him after a miracle or blessing so future generations would ask about it and they would have opportunity to teach them about the goodness of God. (Joshua 4:20-24, Genesis 28:10-22)

We can incorporate this practice of reminding ourselves to bless the Lord for His benefits, thereby instructing and encouraging those around us (and our own souls!) of the sure victory and hope found in a God who never changes. (Hebrews 13:8)

He who was faithful in the past remains faithful to His beloved even today. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

The Everyday Application

1) Why does David exhort his own soul to bless the Lord and remember His benefits? (verse 2)

Years ago my church compiled a book of testimonies and answered prayers from parishioners. I recently re-discovered it and marveled at how faithful God has been! There were stories of hardened hearts turning to God and desperate needs being met.

One woman dreamed she should pray about an upcoming calendar date, and on that date her husband experienced a medical emergency while driving and was able to make it to help safely. In one testimony, someone received a free house in answer to a prayer! I was amazed at God’s goodness, but I was also amazed that I had forgotten about so many of these wondrous testimonies. This is why David’s exhortation in Psalm 103:2 is so important.

Reminding ourselves of God’s blessings from the past bolsters our faith in God to continue meeting our needs and surpassing our expectations in the present. (Ephesians 3:20) Arlene Pellicane suggests David is “giving a ‘locker room talk’ to an audience of one — like a rousing speech coaches give to sports teams before playing a big game.”

David reminded himself God has come through for him in the past, and He will come through for him now and in the future. (Philippians 4:13) Shae Tate reiterates the importance of rehearsing God’s benefits to us, noting that “What has always been true will always be true. And it’s true for me today, even if I don’t feel it in completeness right now.”

When we find ourselves dwelling on impossibilities and in need of breakthrough, we can remind ourselves of all the good things God has done for us and for others in the past. Those blessings remind us God is good and faithful at all times! (Psalm 100:5)

The Original Intent

2) Is healing from disease of the same importance as the other benefits from God that David lists? (verses 3-10)

In Psalm 103:3-10, David lists the benefits from God that he wants his soul to remember, including forgiveness from sins, physical healing, satisfyingly good things, renewed youth, compassion, grace, and love. These are some amazing deeds; things that are life-altering and memorable.

Charles Spurgeon suggests David “selects a few of the choicest pearls from the casket of divine love, threads them on the string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude.” It might be tempting to cherry-pick from this list and elevate the “flashier” blessings, like healing or renewed youth, but the order of their listing gives an idea of their importance.

David Guzik asserts how significant it is that forgiveness of sins is first on the list, “In David’s mind, the most important thing was to have sins forgiven, even more important than physical healing.” These blessings may have been listed as a sequence of events. First, God forgives us, and then He heals and redeems us.

Andrew Murray explains, “Forgiveness is the access to all of God’s love. On this account, forgiveness is also an introduction to all the other blessings of redemption.” David thanked God first for the forgiveness of sins because this is what opens up the door to relationship with God. (1 John 1:5-10)

Forgiving our sins was so important in the heart of God that He sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for all our sins upon Himself on the cross (John 3:16) so we would not need to face the penalty of death. (Romans 6:23) Confessing our sins and turning from them allows us to walk with God and experience His many blessings.

God’s forgiveness is the greatest gift; without it we could not experience all the riches of His grace as children of God. (Romans 8:14-17)

The Everyday Application

2) Is healing from disease of the same importance as the other benefits from God that David lists? (verses 3-10)

When I book vacation lodging, I am extremely frugal, which means I am willing to overlook minor inconveniences to gain a good deal as long as my basic necessities are met. A few years ago, I was thrilled to find a vacation rental at a reasonable price that had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and laundry facilities, which were my must-haves. I was so eager to snag the bargain I didn’t notice the mention of a year-round lodger in the basement, which I discovered only after the cancellation date had passed.

I was so impressed by the low- price that I overlooked some of the most important details about the lodging. I tend to do this in other areas, too. When I read the list of blessings David details in Psalm 103:3-10, my attention is immediately drawn to the words, “He heals all your diseases.” I have a vague recognition of the other items listed in God’s “benefit package,” but I tend to focus on the promises of healing, grace, and love.

I am glad for all the blessings, but I want to especially remind God of the things I can experience in a tangible way. In doing so, however, I overlook the other amazing things God has given me, some of which are even more important than physical healing in the great scheme of things. The first thing David thanked God for was His forgiveness of sins. David recognized that God wiping away his iniquities (Psalm 51:2) was vital to his walk with the Lord. (Psalm 32:1-6)

Without the gift of forgiveness, there would be no other gifts. May we be mindful of and grateful for all the gifts God has given us, not the least of which is His merciful forgiveness.

The Original Intent

3) How can David say God heals all your diseases when people who trust in the Lord still suffer from diseases? (verse 3)

In Psalm 103:3, David praises the God who “heals all your diseases.” David experienced God as a healer personally (Psalm 30:2, Psalm 107:20), which is important to remember as we read David’s personal prayer of thanksgiving.

God holds all power and rule to heal anyone at any time, but His magnificent love and personal knowledge of us knows that physical healing can actually prevent our hearts from turning to God for spiritual healing. David knew Scripture proclaims God as ultimate Healer (Isaiah 53:5, Exodus 15:26), but he also knew God didn’t always answer prayers for healing in the way and time we ask. This scenario was also his personal experience when he entreated God to spare his first child with Bathsheba, who died at 7 days old. (2 Samuel 12:16-18)

Still, David believed that no matter what happened, the Sovereign God (Psalm 135:6) could be trusted with all things. (Psalm 111:7) Ann Voskamp suggests, “We may not always get our miracle. But we always get God. And that is the miracle that is more than enough.” Even if God the Healer doesn’t heal when we ask Him, He is still Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals.

Tricia Lott Williford offers the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believing God would rescue them from the fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:17-18) “They knew what they had asked God to do, and they believed He absolutely could do it. They even said He would. And then they finish the sentence with the giant caveat: But even if He doesn’t, we will not bow to any other god. […] In one hand is faith: I believe He can do anything. In the other hand is sovereignty. Even if He doesn’t, I believe He is still good.”

It is hard for us to understand why God would not heal someone when He is the Healer, but we know His ways and thoughts are not like ours (Isaiah 55:8); we only understand in part here on earth. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

We may not be able to explain or understand God’s ways, but we can trust His Word that He is always with us, working everything out for our good. (Romans 8:28)

The Everyday Application

3) How can David say God heals all your diseases when people who trust in the Lord still suffer from diseases? (verse 3)

Are you familiar with the story of quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada? In her extraordinary life since a diving accident left her disabled, Joni has served the Lord well by painting, advocating for the disabled, providing wheelchairs for the dis-advantaged, and ministering alongside her husband to crowds around the globe. She has prayed for healing, and countless others have prayed for her healing, still, she has now spent 50 years in a wheelchair.

When I read David’s words thanking God for healing all his diseases in Psalm 103:3, I wonder about Joni and others who haven’t experienced physical healing. According to author David Guzik, God “brings healing to us in this life through both natural and miraculous ways. He promises ultimate healing for all His people in the age to come.”

Joni Eareckson Tada says, “When people are healed miraculously, it should encourage us to look forward to the time when healing will be for everyone.” There will be a day when all who have trusted Christ for their salvation and heart-healing now will stand before God in Heaven, free of all manner of disease and pain. (Revelation 21:4) Until then, God continues to sometimes heal people of diseases here on Earth. More often, though, He allows the physical challenges to remain and produce the character of Christ in our lives. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)

Author Katherine Wolf, herself disabled by a severe stroke, asserts that until we see Jesus face to face, “the moments of releasing our lives into the hands of a God we cannot see are the closet to wholeness we will come on this side of eternity. This is our truest healing—the healing of our souls […].”

This soul healing is the reason Jesus came into the world (Luke 19:10), and it’s the reason He gives us the grace to become more like Him each day. (Philippians 1:6)

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What I saw broke my heart. His head was down, and his shoulders shook with sobs. He knew cancer was taking the man he loved so much. As his mom I was so concerned for his heart, his faith, and his trust in the Lord His God.

From the time of diagnosis, we prayed, “Lord, we know You are the Healer and You will heal Grandpa here on this side of heaven or home with You.”

Our desire was for healing to happen here. God’s answer was to call him home.

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Known Day 7 El Chuwl: Digging Deeper

July 18, 2023 by Rachel Jones 2 Comments

Known Day 7 El Chuwl: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

July 18, 2023

Bold,Family,Fellowship,Know,Meaning,Mercy,Perfect

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 139:13-18

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began. 17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! 18 If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.

Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why does the psalmist say God’s works, including the psalmist himself, are wondrous? (verse 14)

In Psalm 139:14, David praises God because he has been “remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.” David knew God as the Creator of everything, including people. (Genesis 1:27) He knew God declared His creation to be very good indeed. (Genesis 1:31)

As a shepherd (1 Samuel 17:34) and soldier who lived in caves (1 Samuel 24:3) and slept under the stars (1 Samuel 26:3), David observed the intricacies of nature. He noted with awe the incredible colors, patterns, diversity and abilities of all creation, and he marveled at God’s most complex creation of all, humans. Lori Stanley Roeleveld points out, “Our design—physical, biological, mechanical, functional, mental, emotional, and spiritual—reflects our God’s expansive intelligence, wisdom, and creativity. We are wondrous and awesome in every way, and that was God’s idea.”

David wasn’t a scientist, but he did observe God’s remarkable design in the birth of children (2 Samuel 12:24) and in their growth, and in the body’s ability to heal itself and endure trauma (Psalm 38:7). David’s observations caused him to praise God for His wondrous work in designing people.

David Guzik notes, “The workings of the human body are stunning in their design and execution. We know far more than David ever did about how we are made, and it should make us full of more awe and praise than David ever had.” When we hold a newborn baby, we are reminded of the mystery and the complexity of human life. When we witness an elite athlete run at incredible speeds or a mathematician solve complex equations, we marvel at the abilities of the human body.

Next time we glance in the mirror, we should remember that all of God’s works are wondrous, including us!

The Everyday Application

1) Why does the psalmist say God’s works, including the psalmist himself, are wondrous? (verse 14)

If asked, “Is God’s Word true?” (John 17:17), my emphatic answer is yes! But if you judge by my actions, the answer is less certain, especially when it comes to Psalm 139:14, “I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.” I marvel at God’s design of the human body; it is my own human body I find less than wondrous.

Sadly, many women believe lies from the enemy (John 8:44) that tell us we are hideous, not wondrous, and this becomes our mantra when we look in the mirror. Melissa D’Arabian suggests that the negative comments we direct at our bodies are “actually directed at God. He tells us we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and then we respond by essentially saying, ‘Your handiwork is just not good enough for me.’”

Instead of doubting we are remarkably and wondrously made by God, we can use this truth to combat the lies we have believed. Jo Saxton emphasizes that we can use this verse to “acknowledge that your body, your personality, your talents, all of you is fearfully and wonderfully made. His words have the power to level and liberate you, a Spirit-filled sword (Ephesians 6:17) to cut through the most resistant of chains.”

When we focus on God as the Master Craftsman, it is easier for us to appreciate that we are His marvelous workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10) Tara Sun asserts, “When we stand in proper view of the reality of our Savior, we can stand in thankfulness and contentment for how we were created. Bumps, dimples, curves, saggy skin and all.”

Thank You, Lord, for hand-crafting each one of us into a unique masterpiece!

The Original Intent

2) What does the author mean by saying he was formed in the depths of the earth? (verse 15)

Discussing his wondrous creation by God, David states that his “bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 139:15) David isn’t suggesting he was made deep inside the earth, although he could be making a reference to the first man, Adam, who was created by God from the dust of the earth. (Genesis 2:7)

Harriet Connor suggests, “The first man was formed in the ‘womb’ of the earth, as God shaped and animated the dust of the ground.” The psalmist, according to David Guzik, uses “lowest parts of the earth to refer to any mysterious, unseen place.” Specifically, David is referencing the mystery of human gestation in utero.

Albert Barnes suggests David is describing a place “much beyond the power of human observation as though it had been done low down beneath the ground where no eye of man can penetrate.” The Scriptures refer to the mystery of human development in Ecclesiastes 11:5, “You don’t know…. how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman.” Jeremiah 1:5 also references God forming a person “in the womb”.

Harriet Connor notes, “Woman is like the earth in that she has the potential for gestating new life within her body.” David is awestruck contemplating the mystery of how God forms a life inside of a mother.

Although the secrets of gestational development are unknown to him, David is certain God is there, orchestrating everything.

The Everyday Application

2) What does the author mean by saying he was formed in the depths of the earth? (verse 15)

When I was pregnant 20 years ago, I marveled at how much we understood scientifically about pre-natal development. I showed everyone the ultrasound, which wasn’t available to my parents when I was born. The knowledge for Gen-Z parents is even greater; I recently read a study that linked fetal alcohol syndrome to excessive alcohol consumption by the father before conception.

For all our advancements, there is still a great deal of mystery surrounding what occurs in utero. In Psalm 139:15, David talks to God about the process as best he can describe: “My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.” Alexander Maclaren explains, “The mysterious receptacle in which the unborn body takes shape and grows is delicately described as ‘secret’ and likened to the hidden region of the underworld, where are the dead. The point of comparison is the mystery enwrapping both.”

How amazing that God has been with me since even before I was born, in the mysterious darkness of the womb. God has “been my God from my mother’s womb” (Psalm 22:10), and He promises He will never leave me or abandon me (Deuteronomy 31:8). There is nowhere we can go that He will not be with us. (Psalm 139:7)

It encourages and comforts me to know that God is with me forever, from before birth to my last day on earth (Psalm 48:14) until I stand in His presence in Heaven. (John 11:25) No matter how dark the situation is, God is there with me, strengthening me and sustaining me with His love (Romans 8:38-39) and through His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16).

I know I can trust in God, who has been with me since even before my first breath!

The Original Intent

3) Why does the psalmist say that God’s thoughts are precious to him? (verse 17)

In Psalm 139:17, David declares, “God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!”. David marvels that the God of all Creation formed him in secret, knit him in his mother’s womb, and planned out all his days even before he was born (Psalm 139:16) The fact that God was mindful of him was mind-boggling and humbling to David. (Psalm 8:4)

Having the God of all things notice him and care for him was precious to the psalmist. David Guzik notes, “David was filled with amazement and adoration by considering how God knew and cared for him. It is precious that God should think of us at all; it is beyond precious that He would think well of us and think so often of us.”

David knew there was nothing spectacular about him that God should think about him, so he found God’s thoughts toward him precious. He was just a simple shepherd, a youngest son (1 Samuel 17:12-14) whom God chose to bless and prosper, and David was overwhelmed by the grace shown him.

Charles Spurgeon remarks, “That God should think upon him is the believer’s treasure and pleasure.”

The next time you feel unseen or forgotten, remember how precious it is that God is mindful of you and thinks a vast sum of thoughts about you!

The Everyday Application

3) Why does the psalmist say that God’s thoughts are precious to him? (verse 17)

Every year, churches around the globe observe clergy appreciation month in October. As the children’s pastor at my church, I enjoy the notes of encouragement from parishioners, the hand-made cards from students, and the letters of thanks from parents. I also look forward to the home-made goodies and the gift cards I receive.

One October Sunday, a couple placed an envelope in my hand and thanked me for my service to the Lord and our church family. I was astonished to find $200 inside! That was a lot of money, and I was flabbergasted that they (or anyone) would think to bless me with such generosity. Their children had long since grown up, and it surprised me that the children’s minister would even be on their radar.

David registers similar joy and surprise when he considers the thoughts of God toward him, and he declares that they are precious and vast in sum. (Psalm 139:17) To know that anyone thinks of you is special, but to know that The One whose thoughts are so high above your own (Isaiah 55:9) thinks much of you is precious indeed!

Ever since David was conceived, before he was even born, God had been with him, thinking of Him and making plans for him. (Jeremiah 29:11) What could be more precious than knowing the Creator of the universe has been thinking of you since before your birth and continues to think about you every day?

Like David, we can rejoice that no matter what we think about ourselves, our Omniscient God has good thoughts toward us.

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