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Follow Day 12 Question, Follow, Faith: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Question, Follow, Faith!

The Questions

1) Why does God say His ways and thoughts are not ours? (verse 8)

2) How can we follow God’s ways when they do not align with our own ideas and wishes?

3) What biblical events can encourage us to have faith in God’s ways?

Isaiah 55:8-11

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

Original Intent

1) Why does God say His ways and thoughts are not ours? (verse 8)
We all have a sinful nature (Romans 3:9), meaning we can never please God on our own, but God is divine and perfect. He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10); God intimately knows everything. We, on the other hand, have gone astray like sheep and turned to our own sinful ways. Our continual choice to serve ourselves over God by choosing sin is why Jesus came to earth to bare our iniquities on the cross by His death. (Isaiah 53:6) Therefore, His thoughts and ways are much higher and better than our own. Just like the heavens are higher than the earth (Isaiah 55:9). Only He has ultimate understanding, authority, and complete righteousness!

2) How can we follow God’s ways when they do not align with our own ideas and wishes?
In Moses’ time, the Lord had commanded the Israelites to “love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, keep his commands, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5) They were familiar with His laws and ways, yet the people often wandered off His path of wisdom. When Moses stayed too long on Mount Sinai, the people resorted to creating and worshipping a golden calf, a thing strictly forbidden for only God is worthy of worship! (Exodus 32:1) They were released from bondage in Egypt, yet they grumbled they didn’t have water or nice food like in the city. (Exodus 17:3; Exodus 16:2-3) Even His chosen people struggled to come to terms with God’s ways and plans. Wise followers of Jesus know that God’s way alone is perfect. (Psalm 18:30). They understand that His plans are for their well-being, to provide a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Whenever it feels like God is pushing them into a direction opposite where they want to go, the righteous person remembers God’s ways are higher. They remember that, although a way may seem right to a person, its end might lead to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

3) What biblical events can encourage us to have faith in God’s ways?
An excellent biblical account of someone whose plans were different than God’s plans must be Joseph from the Old Testament. (Genesis 37:1 – 47:12) Jacob had 12 sons, of whom Joseph was his favourite. His favoritism was lavished on Joseph in the form of a beautiful coat of many colors, and he even received dreams from God. Then one day, he was sold as a slave by his own jealous brothers! He was taken to Egypt away from his beloved father, not knowing what would happen to him. Perhaps he even felt as if God had abandoned him. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, for God had amazing plans for Joseph that went far beyond anything he could imagine on his own. Joseph eventually became governor, acting as second in command to none but Pharaoh. Eventually, God brought redemption through Joseph to the brothers who had disowned him and used Joseph’s place of influence to provide for his family during a time of immense drought. Not only did God use one man’s story to rescue his immediate family, but through these divinely ordained plans, God planted “His Family” the Hebrews, from Joseph’s family. You might know them from a different name, as Jews. An entire nation was birthed because God’s plans overtook man’s plans!

Everyday Application

1) Why does God say His ways and thoughts are not ours? (verse 8)
Although we’d like to think our ways and thoughts are just as perfect as God’s, they’re simply not. The Bible tells us we’re all sinners, not one of us is righteous. (Romans 3:9) None of us will attain to God’s level of holiness on our own without Jesus. We don’t even know what we should pray for and need the Spirit’s help to pray correctly! (Romans 8:26) In contrast, God is perfect! His Son, who is God’s exact image (Hebrews 1:3), never sinned in His time on earth although He was tempted in every way as we are. (Hebrews 4:15) His divinity was able to withstand the devil. We are not able to do so alone. Our human nature is more willing to surrender to evil than to good (Romans 7:18-19), and it’s only through Christ we have the hope of eternal life with God. In other words, our ways and thoughts are wicked on their own. Only God’s ways and thoughts are perfect, and therefore, they’re not ours.

2) How can we follow God’s ways when they do not align with our own ideas and wishes?
Jesus is very straightforward to us in saying, “If anyone loves me, he will keep My word.” (John 14:23) We already read in Isaiah 55:11 where God said, “So My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do”. In other words, if we love Him, we will be able to keep His Word through the power of His Spirit living within us. His ways and His thoughts are active in us when we submit to following Him. If we trust Him, we will obey and follow the Lord even though we cannot see where He’s leading us. God knows all things and knows exactly how everything will work out. We need to have faith in Him for He is faithful (Hebrews 10:23) and His ways are perfect. And they always accomplish what they were supposed to do. His plans are never in vain. Remembering this can help us abandon our own thoughts and surrender to God.

3) What biblical events can encourage us to have faith in God’s ways?
When we look in the New Testament, we can be inspired and encouraged by all the disciples of Jesus (and obviously Jesus Himself). Each life was flipped upside down from the moment they met Jesus, and even more so after His crucifixion and resurrection. They were imprisoned (Acts 12:3), beaten (2 Corinthians 11:25), and eventually killed (Acts 12:2) for following Christ. Saul was on his way to Damascus to bring an end of the spread of Christianity. Instead, the Lord stopped him on his tracks and blinded him (Acts 9:1-9). Saul, then became Paul, left his old life of persecution behind and influenced the early church, (and our own modern lives!), by his preaching and writing. In fact, the majority of the New Testament consists of Paul’s letters to encourage and strengthen the church! I’m sure his life didn’t really play out the way he had initially planned. Yet, he trusted God every step of the way, whether free or imprisoned, he sang praises to the Lord (Acts 16:25) and continued to follow Christ until death. Reading their stories and experiences as often as we can will encourage us to remain faithful as we pursue Christ in everyday life. Even if God rearranges our plans in different ways than we had hoped or dreamed, surrender to his hand, acknowledging His plans are necessary for our growth in faith and the work for His glory.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Follow Day 7 A Time To Act: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out A Time To Act!

The Questions

1) Why is Nehemiah in Susa and who is the remnant? (verses 1-3)

2) Why does the unbuilt wall cause Nehemiah to weep and what did he do with his grief? (verses 4 and following)

3) In 2:2 Nehemiah is clearly afraid. What does he do with his fear?

Nehemiah 1:1-2:5

The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said,

Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.
At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.

2 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

Original Intent

1) Why is Nehemiah in Susa and who is the remnant? (verses 1-3)
As the book of Nehemiah opens we find him in the city of Susa, one of the Persian Empire capitals. Jerusalem had been overtaken in 586 BC by the Babylonians, who were later overtaken by the Persian Empire, and many of the residents dispersed into the existing empire. With this takeover and captivity, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. This destruction included Solomon’s Temple and the city walls. However, a remnant of Israel, God’s chosen people, was left behind in Jerusalem. This remnant was extremely poor and represented a significantly small fraction of the total Jewish population that had once lived in Jerusalem. God was working behind the scenes both in Jerusalem and in Susa as He stirred hearts to serve and follow Him as only He could. He was preparing to use Nehemiah in his perfect placement in Susa for His glory and for the benefit of the remnant.

2) Why does the unbuilt wall cause Nehemiah to weep and what did he do with his grief? (verses 4 and following)
Before Nehemiah asked permission from the king to personally return to Jerusalem, there had been two other waves of Israelites who had gone home and left Susa. These Jews had restored the Temple in their time there, but not the city wall. Nehemiah receives word of this destruction and is broken by the news. He knew the city wall was vitally important because without a fortified wall, the city was defenseless against any attack. The city would have also held no value in the ancient world without a wall. A wall also meant a gate for entry. These gates served as a meeting place and a city council type place to conduct business affairs. Without a wall and gates, the prominence of the city would have been obsolete. Nehemiah is broken for his homeland, even though he had actually never lived there. Nehemiah allows himself to feel his grief, but then he moves into action. Nehemiah 1:4 tells how he fasted and prayed, acknowledging the sin of his people and asking God for favor. His action doesn’t stop there, however, this was not simply an emotional response. Nehemiah asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem with the plan to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah leads the charge to rebuild the city walls in 52 days; an absurd impossibility! What an incredible testimony of what God did through Nehemiah because he was willing to put his grief into action.

3) In 2:2 Nehemiah is clearly afraid. What does he do with his fear?
Nehemiah does not ignore his fear. Instead, he owns his fear. However, Nehemiah doesn’t get stuck in his fear. He chooses to turn to the “God of heaven” and pray. While earlier in chapter 1 Nehemiah shares his specific prayer with his audience in Nehemiah 2:5 we are not privy to what he said. His exact words are unimportant in the grand scheme of the situation. What is important however, is he took his fear to the God of the universe trusting him with what would come next in the conversation with the king. Nehemiah knew who was really in control and acknowledged that through his actions.

Everyday Application

1) Why is Nehemiah in Susa and who is the remnant? (verses 1-3)
Nehemiah had been born in exile and lived his entire life in the Persian Empire. Foreign lands were all he knew as home. He had risen to a position which placed him in direct contact with the king as the king’s cupbearer all while there was a small number of Israelites who had been allowed to stay in Jerusalem and continue living there. Nehemiah’s book opens with Nehemiah in a city in the Persian Empire hearing of what is taking place in Jerusalem with the remnant, or small number, still there. We see the stage being set for God to use Nehemiah right where he was even though he wasn’t in Jerusalem. As believers, we can be encouraged when we are surrendering our desire to control our life over to God. He will use us exactly where we are. Our circumstances, or even geographical location, may not always make sense to us, but God is able to use even these ordinary things for His glory when we allow Him to be our Lord over all.

2) Why does the unbuilt wall cause Nehemiah to weep and what did he do with his grief? (verses 4 and following)
Jerusalem is in ruins, no longer a place of prominence in the ancient world. While the Temple has been rebuilt much of the city wall remained in shambles. The city was no longer the place of prominence it had once been and if left unrepaired likely would have become a city to never be heard about again. Nehemiah is broken by the news of his home. He chooses to feel his grief and mourn but he does not stay there. Instead, he chooses to move forward, using his position, to lead the way for change. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, a servant for the king, but that allowed him to be in audience of the king. He sees the opportunity he has and after spending time in fasting and prayer asks God to “give him success”. Nehemiah allowed himself to be used by God even as a servant. We too can be used by God regardless of where we are, what we do, or the grief we may be walking in. God used 1 man to change Jerusalem for the better and God can use us exactly where we are. We don’t have to be pastors to make a Kingdom impact we simply have to be willing to be used and leave the rest up to God. Nehemiah led a charge to rebuild an entire city wall in 52 days… a feat which seems impossible! This willingness to step into action shows us that while we need to feel our grief and take time to mourn we cannot stay there. We too must choose to step into action and God can do what seems impossible through our lives as well. The question we must ask ourselves is are we willing?

3) In 2:2 Nehemiah is clearly afraid. What does he do with his fear?
When standing before the king being given the opportunity to speak, Nehemiah was afraid. I imagine if faced with the same situation, I too would be afraid. In Nehemiah’s days you didn’t speak boldly to the king. Nehemiah could have chosen to become stuck in his fear, but instead he chooses to turn to the God of heaven. In that split moment we see Nehemiah acknowledge his weakness and turn it over to the One who is ultimately in control. Sisters, I don’t know about you but for me this year has been filled with fear, disappointment, frustration, and so many other emotions. We have lost loved ones, been asked to stay home, watched people suffer physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually and there are moments everything has felt completely overwhelming. At times, I have been tempted to give in to the fleshly emotions but these verses in Nehemiah remind me my God is bigger than my emotions. I can choose, just as Nehemiah did, to turn them over to God trusting that He knows what is best and is in control. When I do I find the same boldness Nehemiah found as he addressed the king. I urge you in those moments to make the same choice as Nehemiah and trust the God of the heavens. He is trustworthy!

The book of Nehemiah shows us the kind of significant impact one individual can have on a nation. Nehemiah served in secular offices, using his position to bring back to the Jews order, stability, and proper focus on God.

God uses all manner of people in all manner of places doing all manner of work. Do you feel you must be “in ministry” in order to serve God? Be encouraged; He is not limited by your vocation. In fact, God has placed you where you are for a purpose. Have this attitude about your work: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father”

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with A Time To Act!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Follow Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Beloved Day 12 Seasons Of Love: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Seasons Of Love!

The Questions

1) Why might the woman have paused before opening the door to her loved one (verse 3)?

2) Why did the man not continue to wait for her to open the door (verse 6)?

3) Verse 7 seems to indicate abuse of the woman. What might be the significance of this being included in the passage?

4) How does the woman express her disappointment of not finding her loved one? (verse 8)

Song of Solomon 5:3-8

3 I have taken off my clothing. How can I put it back on? I have washed my feet. How can I get them dirty? 4 My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. 5 I rose to open for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt. 6 I opened to my love, but my love had turned and gone away. My heart sank because he had left. I sought him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer.

7 The guards who go about the city found me. They beat and wounded me; they took my cloak from me—the guardians of the walls. 8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick.

Original Intent

1) Why might the woman have paused before opening the door to her loved one (verse 3)?
Since this book is not a chronological account of the events between Solomon and his beloved, there are some difficult passages to unravel. This one is no exception. In verse 2 of the chapter, we read the bride’s words, “I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.” As in chapter 3 verse 1, we are left with questions about the sequence and the reality of the couple’s actions in this scene. Is the young woman dreaming, or is she at the drowsy verge of being awakened? Since many Bible commentators have come to different conclusions, it seems unnecessary to dwell too long in a discussion about this. More importantly is the big picture. In these verses we encounter a scenario of a real-life relationship which included human responses. The young woman knows her loved one is at the door, but she is either too tired or too lazy to get up, get dressed, and open the door for him. David Guzik says, “her problem was not that she didn’t go to the door; but that she did it so slowly and reluctantly, making excuses all along the way. [This reveals she was] thinking only about her comfort and not at all about Solomon’s desires or her relationship with him.” (enduringword.com)

2) Why did the man not continue to wait for her to open the door (verse 6)?
The woman’s lover reminded her that he was standing on the outside waiting. “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is drenched with dew, my hair with droplets of the night.” (verse 2) Whether or not the terms in verse 4 are explicit references regarding sexual intimacy, the scene certainly portrays an active pursuit of one lover desiring to be with the other, but being met with rejection. I think the best interpretation is to read this within the framework Guzik describes as a “missed connection” between the bride and groom, and therefore we should apply it literally rather than symbolically. (enduringword.com) The groom has been waiting patiently outside the door of the bride’s room. As he was leaving, he likely placed myrrh on the door handle as was customary in ancient settings. We are not given the reasons why the woman paused, but the delay causes her beloved to leave. It does not appear he was angry with her, and the emphasis again seems to be on the passion of the bride once she realizes his loving gesture. The bride’s emotions are awakened and she has legitimate feelings of despair because her loved one can’t be found.

3) Verse 7 seems to indicate abuse of the woman. What might be the significance of this being included in the passage?
In chapter 3 we read how the watchmen were helpful to the woman as she frantically sought her beloved. But now verse 7 seems so out of place. What is happening? In then-current day, there were two sorts of watchmen in a city. One guarded from the inside of a city wall to ensure all those within were safe and secure. The others were placed on the walls themselves to watch and give notice of an enemy approaching. (Bible Study Tools, David Gill) The watchmen on the wall would be aware that the only women who would be on the streets at night were prostitutes. Not realizing who she is, they treat her with inappropriate disregard, even abusing her. Whether a dream or reality, we surely feel the stab to our hearts as we read what the bride endured as she runs out into the night. She so desires to find the one she loves that she risks her wellbeing to search for him. Nothing is mentioned about her response to what she experiences, but we share her anguish over not finding her groom. These verses are communicating unrelenting passion and desire between a bride and her groom at all costs.

4) How does the woman express her disappointment of not finding her loved one? (verse 8)
We have read in the previous chapters how the couple speaks to one another with words describing their longing for, and their satisfaction in, one another. Here in verse 8, the bride begins to plead with the women of the town to help her find her groom. It appears she has deep regret over her rejection of his advances, and she now wants to let him know how much she longs for him.  In Song of Solomon 2:4-6, the bride expresses her soul’s desire toward her new groom in those pleasant moments of marital intimacy and passion. She was overwhelmed by the presence of love and the joy of lovemaking. Here in chapter 5, the young woman aches over the distance she has created with her beloved. She has become physically and emotionally ill due to her yearning love for him. She asks the city’s women to “tell him that I am lovesick.” The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) uses the verb titrosko which means inflicted with a wound, injured, damaged. The Shulamite woman is emotionally and physically overwrought. (preceptaustin.org) Within the context, we can surmise she is craving more moments with the groom. She grieves the way she let him slip away due to her unwillingness to respond when he came to her.

Everyday Application

1) Why might the woman have paused before opening the door to her loved one (verse 3)?
We don’t know all the motives behind why the bride doesn’t go to the door. She expresses it would be somewhat of a hassle since she has already changed clothes, whether it is weariness or laziness, we are not sure. What we discover as we read further in the passage, though, is that she regrets her inaction to open the door to her beloved. While there will be times in marriage that one person lacks a desire to make much effort toward intimacy (due to fatigue or distress), we should not make it a habit to neglect our spouse’s need for sexual and physical closeness. This will likely require ongoing conversation and work in our relationships as we strive for a healthy marriage. As we think about this in spiritual terms, we can also pray for our hearts to be receptive to our Beloved Savior. Bible teacher Harry Ironside says this is a great picture of our own callousness toward Divine Love. “When [Christ] comes to the heart’s door we practically say, ‘No; it is inconvenient. I do not want to drop things right now.’” What an even greater tragedy to reject God’s perfect love. (John 3:16-19)

2) Why did the man not continue to wait for her to open the door (verse 6)?
The bottom line of this verse is how the groom was demonstrating his desire for his bride. He was patient. He did not force his way in, nor did he demand her to meet his expectations. Instead, he waited and then quietly slipped away, but not before leaving a symbol of his love. What beautiful restraint and gentleness was shown by this man. Although his loved one did not receive him in the way he expected, he chose kindness. Putting a fragrance on the bolt handles would have been akin to leaving flowers by the door. Sometimes in marriage we don’t feel the emotional attachment to our husband. When that happens, we can begin by praying for God to stir passion in us. Years ago, I heard a woman Bible teacher talk about how she prayed for her marriage. She said one of her prayers was that she would “always thrill to her husband’s touch.” That is a good start! Whether we are the initiator or the one waiting, our goal should be to demonstrate unrelenting love. Friend, maybe you feel that any sign of promising light is so far in the distance you are unable to see it. I pray you will not lose hope. God will be faithful as you pursue a passionate and lasting marriage.

3) Verse 7 seems to indicate abuse of the woman. What might be the significance of this being included in the passage?
The picture of the beloved bride of the king being assaulted by his own watchmen is appalling! Whether she is dreaming or is in fact walking around at night like a prostitute, she is a desperate woman in search of the one her heart longs to be near. She has felt the pangs of dismissing her lover’s kind and patient pursuit. It has been said that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I doubt that is always true as I have seen absence push people apart. But one of the ways we can create a healthy kind of distance that inspires desire is to rehearse the benefits of being married to our husband. When marriages are struggling, it is hard to find the good in the other person. Our human tendency is to rehearse our weariness with it all. As we do, we only add to our growing list of reasons not to make efforts. However, when alone with our thoughts, considering the good things of our marriage and the positive characteristics of our husbands helps stir our emotions toward desire. As the bride longed to find her beloved groom, God can restore our passions as we pray and work to bridge the gap we may or may not have caused.

4) How does the woman express her disappointment of not finding her loved one? (verse 8)
The Shulamite woman had gone from being “too tired” to being “lovesick.” She desperately went searching for the one her heart so deeply loved. She called those around her to join her in her search. Sister, enlist your own army of women to support you in your marriage. No, I’m not asking you to find friends to whom you can badmouth your husband. I am encouraging you to gather those around you who will remind you to “love your husbands … so God’s word will not be slandered.” (Titus 2:4) It is not an easy journey, this thing called marriage. But with God’s help, and with friends pointing us to Christ, we can pursue the kind of passionate relationship we read of in Song of Solomon!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Seasons Of Love!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VII Week 2

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) What a glorious thought! Jesus has gone to prepare a place for His family. For those who believe in Jesus, there is an eternal home waiting for us without tears or pain or suffering. We will dwell forever in the house of God! When was the last time you thought about what heaven will be like? Have you spent time contemplating the majesty and wonder of a God who is pleased to be with His people, creating a place for them that is perfect and beautiful? What will it be like to live in a perfect world, in perfect relationship with God, with no sin to get in the way? Sit with these questions today. Imagine deeply what God has promised us in the resurrection. Look back through the verses Quantrilla referenced in our Journey Study yesterday and visualize the glory awaiting God’s people. Write a prayer thanking God for His good plans and telling Him what you are most delighted by as you consider the “sweet by and by.”

2) Throughout Scripture, our life in Christ is referred to as a race or some other physical competition. Running a race requires stamina and endurance, determination and discipline. How often do we become weary in our day-to-day life between the demands of others and seemingly endless checklists? At times, it can feel more like we are running in a hamster wheel than actually pressing on toward a goal. Regardless of our feelings, our sure hope is we do not need to run this race in our own strength! We can put our faith in Christ and trust in His faithfulness to sustain us. As Lesley pointed out, “faith is a matter of focus.” Are you trusting in your own will power, strength, or ability to “finish your race”? Or are you turning your eyes to the faithfulness of Christ, resting in His power, strength, and ability to carry you across the finish line? Is there an area in your life where you have not fully turned your fears over to Him? Take some time today to consider where you are struggling and reorient your focus in those areas to Christ. Ask God to show you His faithfulness, knowing He does great things.

3) Jesus Christ is the great King of Kings! If we really believe this truth, our response should be one of worship and praise for the great work which He has done. Marietta reminded us that Jesus came to Earth at the end of a period of four hundred years of apparent silence from God. The people had been waiting for a promised Messiah; yet, many did not know or recognize Him when He finally arrived. Have you ever gone through a season where it seemed like God was silent? What was your response in that time? How did God come through for you in the end? Reflect today on the faithfulness of God in seasons past, and let this reality encourage you right now. Perhaps you are currently in a season where God seems quiet. How are you responding to His quiet? Are you continuing to walk in faith, even when God seems distant? How can you press into the waiting season and trust in God as King of Kings, and believe He will be faithful to you? Talk to God honestly today about your struggles, big and small. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and help you remember His goodness.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Jude 1:24-25 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

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.

Prayer Journal
King of Kings, Lord of Lords, God above all. You are great and mighty, yet You choose to care for the weak and lowly. You are faithful, even when Your people are faithless. Thank You for Your loving kindness towards me. Thank You that my life has meaning, not because of who I am or what I do, but because of who You are and what You have done for me. Even when my days are hard, and my weakness is on display, You are constantly faithful. It is only by faith in You and through Your faithful work that I have any hope of salvation. While the world around me seems shaky, when I don’t know who or what to believe, when my future feels uncertain, thank You for holding me fast. Thank You that I do not need to fix myself or my circumstances. Thank You for sustaining the world. Help me to lay down my need for control and certainty. Help me to trust in Your unending goodness.

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship VII Day 2 Be Still My Soul: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Be Still My Soul!

The Questions

1) How has God justified us, as believers, so no one can condemn us? (verses 33-34)

2) What does it mean that Jesus is sitting at God’s right hand interceding for us? (verse 34)

3) How can we be more than conquerors despite the troubles we face? (verses 35-39)

Romans 8:31-39

31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Original Intent

1) How has God justified us, as believers, so no one can condemn us? (verses 33-34)
Paul wrote to the persecuted Christians in Rome so they could confidently know that no one could condemn them because they were justified by God. (Romans 8:33) The Greek word for justification, dikaioo, “describes the act by which a man is brought into a right state of relationship to God. Dikaioo is a legal term connected with the law and the courtroom, where it represented the legally binding verdict of the judge.” Paul wanted his readers to be confident that God, the highest authority and Judge, justified them through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. No one else had the power to say differently. God freed those who trusted in Jesus from all condemnation that Satan, or any person, could charge against them. As author Stephen Cole puts it, “No one can go above God’s head to change His decision to justify the sinner who has faith in Jesus. If God has justified you, you’re justified! He’s the Supreme Court of all Supreme Courts!” When Paul asked who can accuse or condemn (Romans 8:34), he didn’t mean no one would attempt to condemn Christians.  Satan would still lie and accuse, and enemies of Christ would still hurl accusations and persecute believers. Paul emboldens his readers by teaching them that none of those condemning words matters to our standing with God. Every sin is covered by the blood of Christ, and no guilt or shame can attach itself to anyone covered by the blood of Jesus.

2) What does it mean that Jesus is sitting at God’s right hand interceding for us? (verse 34)
Paul makes this bold statement about Jesus interceding for us; author David Guzik helps us understand this by noting, “The right hand was the place of status and favor. This is because in the thinking of ancient cultures, most people being right handed, the right hand was the hand of power, skill, and strength. To be at someone’s right hand was more prestigious than being at the left hand.” Jesus is seated at this place of honor at God’s right hand in Heaven, but He isn’t there to rest.  He is actively praying for us! Not only did Jesus save us by dying on the cross to cover our sins when He came to earth, but He prays for each of us now while in the position of the Father’s right hand in Heaven.  Hebrews 7:25 also tells us Jesus always lives to intercede for us.  The Holy Spirit, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son, also intercedes for us according to Romans 8:26. This is such an affirmation of the love of God! Not only did He secure our salvation by His sacrifice on the cross, but He helps us and cares for us by praying for, and on behalf of, us. Author Gavin Ortlund asserts, “The intercessory work of Christ is invaluable to every Christian, for it makes clear that our ongoing acceptance before God is finally grounded in the utter sufficiency of the cross.”  It is almost too much to believe that the Savior who paid the price for our sin also sits in Heaven interceding for us.  He didn’t stop at rescuing our souls. He lives to intercede for us, showing us His love in yet another incredible act of service.

3) How can we be more than conquerors despite the troubles we face? (verses 35-39)
In verses 35-37, Paul connects with his persecuted brothers and sisters by querying, “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” As Paul describes the various troubles Christians walk through, he quotes from Psalm 44:22, which would have been quite familiar to his original audience. This passage is a complaint by the nation of Israel that God seemed to have forgotten them. The Psalm ends with an outcry for God to redeem them on account of His faithful love. (Psalm 44:26) This is also Paul’s message to the Roman Christians. God’s love is so strong that nothing can separate us from His love.  Paul is even so bold as to say that in every scenario he mentioned, we are more than conquerors through Jesus. He asserts that believers go beyond just conquering! Author Ray Stedman suggests one who is more than a conqueror “actually takes the very things that are designed to destroy him, and they become stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks.”  How does God take these dire circumstances and make us more than conquerors?  Author David Guzik notes how one “overcomes with a greater power, the power of Jesus.  He overcomes with a greater motive, the glory of Jesus.  He overcomes with a greater victory, losing nothing even in the battle.  He overcomes with a greater love, conquering enemies with love and converting persecutors with patience.”  It is the power and love of Jesus in us giving us victory over every affliction and helping us come out victorious. Jesus loved us so much He died on the cross for us, and that love not only saved us, but makes us more than conquerors in every trial we face.

Everyday Application

1) How has God justified us, as believers, so no one can condemn us? (verses 33-34)
Nothing has sent me searching the Scriptures for wisdom, praying and proclaiming the promises I find in the Bible more than being a parent of teenagers. My teens haven’t even been particularly troublesome or rebellious!  They just live in a world that wants to hurt them and tear them down while I am working to build them up and help them heal. In the midst of the fight, I find myself vulnerable to the lies of the enemy when it comes to my parenting.  Any hurt or struggle my kids face is an opportunity for Satan to highlight my failures and shortcomings.  “You had one job…to protect them!  And you couldn’t even do that,” I hear ringing in my ears.  I constantly second guess our parenting choices. Are we too strict? Maybe too permissive?  Do we not listen enough, or do we hover too much?  It’s easy to lose sight of what Paul tells us in Romans 8:33, “Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.”  Even though Satan hurls accusations at me, the finality of God’s word says my sins are washed away and I am forgiven, saved by Jesus. (Titus 3:5)  He loved me and sacrificed His life for me before I ever knew Him or loved Him. (Romans 5:8) He knew when He redeemed me that I would still make mistakes and sin (1 John 1:8-10), but His voice never condemns me. (Romans 8:33) He gives me grace and helps me recover from the natural consequences of my sin. (Hebrews 4:16) Amazingly, He uses all my failures to mature me and shape me more like Him, working everything together for my good and His glory! (Romans 8:28) He gently reminds me He is continuously doing all these things for my kids, too. They are also saved by His grace, not their works, or mine! He is for them, and nothing the enemy tries can separate them from God’s love. (Romans 8:39)

2) What does it mean that Jesus is sitting at God’s right hand interceding for us? (verse 34)
I believe in the power of prayer.  I believe prayer works because I have seen answered prayers in my own life and in the lives of others, not because prayer is “magical”, but because the God who answers prayer lives and moves and loves for our good and His glory! The Bible tells us in James 5:16 that the effective, fervent prayers of righteous people really do make a difference!  If the prayers of the saints can be effective, then what must the prayers of Jesus do?! It is almost unfathomable that my Savior is in Heaven praying for me, yet this is the reality Paul describes in Romans 8:34. I almost can’t wrap my head around the concept of Christ interceding in Heaven for me. What an amazing act of love and care.  Author John Murray suggests, “Nothing serves to verify the intimacy and constancy of the Redeemer’s preoccupation with the security of his people, nothing assures us of His unchanging love more than the tenderness which His heavenly priesthood bespeaks and particularly as it comes to expression in intercession for us.” His intercession is such a sweet outpouring of His deep love for us. I wonder how different I would feel and behave if I remembered at least once each day that Jesus was praying for me.  Surely, I would feel safer and happier knowing He was pleading to God on my behalf!  I invite you to join me each day in pondering the truth of Scripture’s declaration, Jesus intercedes for us! Holding to this truth will make us less fearful and more secure in His boundless love than ever before!

3) How can we be more than conquerors despite the troubles we face? (verses 35-39)
It should greatly encourage every Christian when the apostle Paul says “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37), especially since he was referencing some major difficulties like persecution, famine and other dangers. (Romans 8:35-37) To read that God declares me as more than a conqueror over struggle is awesome!  However, there are many days when I feel like a loser, far from a conqueror, and my only foe was an unruly toddler or a snarky lady at the post office. When I lose sight of God’s love and power and try to do things in my own strength, I lose the battle pretty quickly. The good news is I am never separated from the love of God and the help He gives. Paul tells us he is convinced there is not one single thing able to keep us away from the love of Jesus. (verses 38-39) Paul is not just being a flowery writer or exaggerating to make a point in these verses. He has first-hand experience of many of the afflictions he describes, yet he has overcome them all through the power of God.  None of the hardships Paul faced have caused him to turn away from God. God’s love was with him in every circumstance, and he knew God is faithful to keep loving us and helping us no matter what.  I purpose in the days ahead to see myself as more than a conqueror, strengthened and protected by the love of Christ in me.  I may not be able to avoid afflictions, but I can overcome them with God’s help.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Be Still My Soul!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship VII Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Calling Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Merry took us really deep, really fast in Monday’s Journey Study. Paul is calling Christians to be people of light who speak truth in love. He is challenging Jesus-followers to not be blinded by lies and darkness, but to call out evil and walk in truth. Merry asked a series of questions that bears repeating, “Beloved, what drives you? Are you ruled by your feelings, or by your Father? Are you more vested in the things the world holds dear, or the things of your Father’s Kingdom?” Every day we hear messages from the world about what we should value and believe. Do those messages line up with Scripture? Could these messages be clouding your vision and darkening your eyes to the truth? Make a list of ways you hear messages from the world that don’t reflect God’s truth. (think Instagram, Netflix, the news, romance novels, etc.) Make plans to fast for a period of time from one or more of those sources of information, and intentionally repurpose your time to seek out God’s truth. Set a specific time frame for your fast (one day, one weekend, a whole week), and then at the close of your time, reflect on the truths you have gained from the Lord.

2) What comes to your mind, when you first hear the word submission? Our culture sees submission as a dirty word as it seemingly goes against some of our deepest and oldest values of liberty and independence. In Ephesians, Paul says those who follow Jesus ought to submit to the authorities in their lives and to one another in love. As people who seek to honor God, we should look different from the rest of the world. Does your spirit push back on this idea like mine does? Submission is uncomfortable and leaves us open to vulnerability, but biblical submission born of love is one aspect of the Christian life we are invited to rest in. Take some time to evaluate your life. Where do you need to practice submission? Do you have a boss who really grinds your gears? Or maybe you are struggling to make a decision with your husband? What about a family member or friend whom you are butting heads with as you each want your own way? Write down one specific, actionable step you can take this week to mend a damaged relationship by submitting your will to another. Ask God to give you courage and humility to take the first step in faith.

3) The full armor of God is our toolkit to help Christians in our battle against darkness. As people who follow Jesus, we are told first to “be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.” Only then are we to put on the full armor of God. Without the power and strength of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, our efforts to make ourselves faithful will fall flat. We need to be “plugged into Jesus” as we were told in yesterday’s journey. How can we do that? The spiritual disciplines of Bible reading and meditation along with prayer are a great place to start. Ephesians 6:18 tells believers to “pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request…” As you go through your day, problems arise. You will experience difficulties and discouraging circumstances. Pray about them. You will also experience joyful times and blessings. Thank God for them! You don’t need to wait until you have your journal and a cup of coffee to talk to God. Slip your conversation with Him into every spare moment of your day. Make a list of concerns you are praying about right now. Post them in a place you will see them like above your kitchen sink, as the background of your phone, on your bathroom mirror, or on your steering wheel. Watch expectantly to see how Jesus strengthens you for each task you set your mind to.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 138:3,7-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

On the day I called, You answered me;
You increased strength within me.
If I walk into the thick of danger,
You will preserve my life
from the anger of my enemies.
You will extend your hand;
Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.
Lord, Your faithful love endures forever;
do not abandon the work of Your hands.

Prayer Journal
To you, oh God, I lift up my voice. Father, Son, and Spirit, Three in One. You are the source of all good things. You are the One who answers prayers and provides Your people with all strength and sustenance. Remind me of my need for You. Remind me of my need for Your goodness and grace. Help me to submit, in spite of my own stubborn will, to the authority and needs of those around me. As I remember my need for You, help me to be drawn into conversation with You. Let my prayers to You be as natural to me as the very breath I breath. I confess I am easily distracted by the cares and values of the world. I often desire my own will and my own way. Help me to be so delighted by you, I cannot help but worship. Thank You for Your consistent and assuring presence in my life and for Your answers to my prayers. Let me be ever more aware of Your desires. Help me turn away from the false stories and messages the world is so quick to offer and listen instead to Your Word of truth.

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Calling Day 15 Undying Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

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

Calling, Day 15

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

A charging station for all my electronics. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Calling Day 6 For This Reason

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:1-21
Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Peter 3:13-22

Calling, Day 6

For this reason.
These are the first three words in Ephesians 3.

Lean in, sisters. Paul is about to explain the motivation driving his life of incredibly challenging, incredibly impactful kingdom work.

What propelled him to get up after each beating?
What kept him going after shipwrecks?
What urged him to declare the Gospel with the same vigor he once used to attack the church?

For this reason.

Paul knew his why. And that made all the difference.

We discover Paul’s why by reading Ephesians 2. Read it aloud as if you were having a conversation with Paul, keeping in mind the passion saturating his words; this would not be a dull, emotionless speech!

Dear sisters, we share in Paul’s why:

We, too, were dead in our sins until God made us alive with Christ through grace, by faith.

We, too, were once far away from God, but have been lovingly brought near through Christ, who is our peace. (Ephesians 2:13-14) Upon His foundation, we too, together with all believers, are being built into God’s holy temple. (Ephesians 2:19-21)

For this reason, we, like Paul, can experience a similar desire to bow before the Lord, to humble ourselves at the awareness of all Christ has done for us. In this moment, overwhelmed with revelation of the mysterious love of our Father (Ephesians 3:1-7), the busyness and strife of the world around us fade away. The incessant cries for “Now and Must Do!” are wonderfully replaced with an eternal, holy urgency. This life shall pass away and we are assured we will spend eternity with Christ.
For this reason, we live with holy abandon!

But what about our co-workers, our neighbors, or the barista at our favorite coffee shop?

How can we share the good news,
the call from death to life,
and the Father’s heart longing to draw them near?

Are we willing to sacrifice our own comfort, or finances, or status
to invite the lost of our dying world into peace with God?

Paul told the church in Ephesus to not be discouraged over his afflictions on their behalf; he understood how his suffering would further God’s mission of sharing Jesus with the Gentiles.

Sharing the gospel will not be without sacrifice. It may be in the form of intense persecution, as Christians in some countries are currently experiencing. It may look like someone’s laughter after hearing the gospel. It could be a harsh “no” when asked to talk about Jesus. It might even just be the inconvenience of obedience when the Lord nudges us to hold the door for someone several steps behind us.

Regardless of what each day may bring, I desire to live with Paul’s boldness in pursuit of Christ and sharing Him with those around me. I want to trust so deeply in the Lord that even my levels of joy and peace in Him declare His goodness.

For this reason, I echo Paul’s prayer in verses 14-21, with an intense expectancy for the Lord to respond.
Will you join me, sisters?

Oh Lord, teach us to share the gift of the gospel with those around us. Strengthen us with power in our hearts through Your Spirit. Dwell within us and teach us how to love those around us. Help us comprehend Your love, which surpasses simple knowledge. 

Lord, You truly are able to do beyond what we can ask or imagine. May we live our lives for You and Your glory. Solidify our “why” within us and help us invite others to meet you wherever we go. 

Amen. 

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Calling Day 4 For The Church: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

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

1) Who is the “you” in these verses?

2) What is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? (verse 17)

3) Why is there such an emphasis on Christ being above everything in verses 21-22?

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Original Intent

1) Who is the “you” in these verses?
Paul uses the pronouns “you” and “your” several times in verses 15-19 therefore it is important to know who Paul is praying for, so we can have an accurate understanding of this passage. Originally, Paul’s letter was written in Greek. Thanks to ancient texts that have been preserved, Bible scholars can read the original words in its original language, which reveals how each instance of “you” and “your” in these particular verses is actually plural. If we read Ephesians 1:13, we know the audience had placed their faith fully in Jesus. “In Him you (y’all) also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you (y’all) heard the word of truth, the gospel of your (ya’lls’) salvation, and when you (y’all) believed.” Therefore, we know Paul is addressing the entire body of believers in Ephesus, not just one person.  He is praying for, and speaking to, the greater Church as a whole.

2) What is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? (verse 17)
Paul writes out his prayer request for God to give the Ephesians His Spirit of wisdom and revelation. True wisdom comes from the Father and is something we must look for in Him alone. (Proverbs 9:10) To fully understand “revelation”, it’s helpful to first understand the definition in Greek. Paul uses the word “apokalupsous”, which is the derivative for our word “apocalypse”. Vine’s Bible dictionary defines this word as “the communication of the knowledge of God to the soul.” This phrase is a deeply personal knowing of the God of the Universe. Paul is interceding on behalf of the Ephesians that they may know God in a fuller deeply, intimate, and personal way. However, this work is only done through the power of the Spirit. Bible commentator Matthew Henry says, “We have the revelation of the Spirit in the word: but will that avail us, if we have not the wisdom of the Spirit in the heart?”. It is only as the Spirit allows our hearts to be opened to His wisdom and through the work of the Spirit that life transformation happens.

3) Why is there such an emphasis on Christ being above everything in verses 21-22?
Paul clearly communicates Christ is above all in verses 21 and 22. He is above rulers, powers, titles, and is the head of the Church, His precious Bride. He is the ultimate authority over everything and every soul. Christ did what no one else could in setting the world right, which was broken when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Colossians 1:16 reminds us Christ was present at creation and all things were not only made through Him, but also continue to be sustained through Him. Paul goes on to emphasize Christ’s position as the head of the Church in Philippians 2:9 and Colossians 1:18. Paul is reminding the Ephesian believers that Christ is the head of this beautiful, timeless, global Body they belong to; this truth brings unity! He is reminding them this life is not an individualistic life, but one to be lived as a whole Body working together for the Kingdom under the authority of Christ. 

Everyday Application

1) Who is the “you” in these verses?
Paul wrote these verses to the body of believers in Ephesus, however, his words are just as much for the entire global body of believers today. In English, and a western culture mindset, it’s easy for us to read the words “you” or “your” and hear them from an individual perspective, which would be a pretty big mistake in the book of Ephesians. As we read these verses, and the book as a whole, it is important to read it through the lens of a collective body. Every believer is a part of each other. We are to live and walk and love together in unity as if we are one physical body. (Romans 12:5) Verses 22-23 remind us of this reality when Paul refers to the church as the body of Christ. “And He (God) subjected everything under His (Jesus) feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all thing in every way.

2) What is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? (verse 17)
Paul isn’t asking God for wisdom and revelation for himself, rather, he is interceding on behalf of the Ephesians asking God to allow them to know Him in a personally intimate way. This should not be lost on us as believers today. We should find joy in interceding on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ, asking Him that they may “abound and increase more and more” (Matthew Henry) in their wisdom and revelation. In other words, we are to follow Paul’s example and beg God to reveal Himself to others in a deeply personal way as they spend time with Him. Wisdom, revelation, and knowledge don’t happen just because we ask on behalf of someone or a friend asks on our behalf, but the Spirit will use prayers of faith to prompt hearts to come to Him. We take Him up on this invitation as we choose to spend time in both the Word of God and in prayer as we sit quietly before the Lord. When we spend time investing in relationship with God, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation will change our lives! Sister are you willing to seek after God’s heart?

3) Why is there such an emphasis on Christ being above everything in verses 21-22?
Christ is the ultimate authority, holding lordship above all else. Paul reminds his Ephesian audience of this truth, but it is a truth we should cling to as well. Christ accomplished what was humanly impossible by paying the price we were incapable of paying, and restoring, the broken relationship to our Father God. To receive this reconciliation, we are to simply believe Him at His word, and receive the gift freely offered through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The truth found in these verses provides comfort regardless of where we find ourselves in life, whether our current season is a hill or a valley. There is absolutely nothing bigger than Christ! There is nothing He doesn’t rule over. While no promise is made of an easy life once we place our faith in Jesus, we are assured nothing we ever encounter will be bigger than Him. Nothing will ever catch Him off guard. He is prepared for it all, and the Good News is we know the end of the story is brimming with victory! He’s coming back, and when He does, all will finally be right. In a constantly changing world where we face death and disease, where injustice and inequality are rampant, and a pandemic has changed much of our life, I find myself clinging to the confidence that God wins the final victory. He is in control of everything! We need the reminder of the position of authority of Jesus. When we trust in Jesus, we have nothing to fear, because there is nothing too difficult, or impossible, for Him.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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