Purpose

Mission Day 13 The Treasure Of Mission

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Mission Day 13 The Treasure Of Mission

Rebekah Hargraves

May 24, 2023

Called,Faith,Glory,Hope,Joy,Purpose

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Peter 1:3-10
1 Timothy 2:1-6
Jude 1:17-23 
Deuteronomy 28:9-10
Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus’ final instructions to His followers before ascending into heaven are known as the Great Commission: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) 

This, friends, is our mission in life, our greatest calling, and one important reason we are not instantly transported to Heaven the moment we are saved. We have been tasked with seeing those who need rescuing from the bondage of sin and death and making sure they know the truth about the love of God in Christ for them. 

Similarly, we see in 2 Peter 1:7-8 that we are to combine “brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

What does this tell us? 
It teaches us that the good news of salvation in Christ is not something we are to selfishly keep to ourselves. Rather, we are to be effective and fruitful in our knowledge of our Lord. 

How? 
By joyfully sharing the hope of Christ’s life of service, propitiatory death on our behalf, and sin-conquering resurrection, ensuring we too have eternal victory (Mark 10:45), with others through brotherly love and concern for their spiritual well-being.

This joy is the treasure and reward of our day-to-day Great Commission work.
All too often in this age of social media platforms and online ministry, we are deceived into thinking the treasure of this mission, the reward we must seek, is fame, popularity, and the esteem of our “followers.”

But nothing could be further from the truth. 

Our mission is not about us. It is not about making our name famous, receiving an earthly reward, or patting ourselves on the back for a “job well done.”

No, this mission – if we truly understand it and live it out faithfully! – is all about others understanding just how deeply the Father loves them and coming to faith in Christ. Knowing we are being used by God to help bring others into His kingdom is a treasure sweeter, more fulfilling, and above and beyond anything else we could ever imagine.

Jesus said in Matthew 13:44-46, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.” 

The kingdom of God is a treasure worth more
than anything else and sharing it with others is our greatest joy. 

This perspective is everything!
If we seek to fulfill the Great Commission from this viewpoint, suddenly, we see people in need of Jesus at every turn. 

Suddenly, our love for them grows infinitely, making it impossible for us to withhold the good news of the love and grace of Jesus. 

Suddenly, the joy of sharing in God’s divine rescue work is so life-giving it becomes second nature. (Jude 1:17-23)  

Maybe you are reading these words, though, and wondering how we can invest in this treasure. How can we grow in our love for people and our desire to share with them the good news of the Gospel?

Well, friend, it all begins with prayer. When we pray for someone, our love for them grows, as does our Spirit-led guidance for how and when to share truth with them. (Romans 10:1)

1 Timothy 2:1-4 says, 
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”

So, friend, what are you waiting for? Let your knees hit the floor as you cry out to God for a Jesus-inspired love for your fellow image bearers and the opportunity to share with them about Jesus. Then get ready; God will do an amazing work in and through you! 

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Mission Day 14
Digging Deeper

If we don’t supplement our faith, the danger is that we might become useless or unfruitful. We cannot fulfill God’s plans and purposes for our lives if we don’t progress and move forward in our faith (Ephesians 4:11-15).

If we are stagnant, we are not growing more like Christ and our lives are not a good witness of God’s power.
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Mission Day 8 One Mind, One Mission

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Mission Day 8 One Mind, One Mission

Bethany McIlrath

May 17, 2023

church,Purpose,Struggle,Trust,Unity

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:3-8
Hebrews 10:19-25
Philippians 1:27-2:8
Matthew 28:16-20
Psalm 133

What makes a group project so hard?
Why is planning a family trip everyone will enjoy so complicated?
How is it that even when we’re all together, we can still feel alone?

People.

We’re all so different!
Having one mind among many people isn’t an easy task.
In fact, it’s impossible in and of ourselves. 

Often, our best solution to complex relational dynamics, and all the challenges they involve, is to split. It’s to draw lines. It’s to avoid. It’s to make camps and pick sides. 

“Unified” isn’t something that makes sense, comes naturally, or feels sustainable in a fallen world. But Christ’s mission for each of us requires unity.

Why?

We need each other to fulfill the mission God has given us. 

This need is multifaceted. First, if we “think sensibly” rather than too highly of ourselves, as Romans 12:3 exhorts, we see Christ’s mission requires us to work together precisely because He made us all differently. He gave each of us a different “measure of faith” and a different “function” in the body of Christ. (Romans 12:3-4)
His diverse design is shaped for us to fit together.
As members of one body, we end up being members of one another. (Romans 12:3-5) We need each other because we all have different gifts that work together. (Romans 12:6-8)

Beyond complementary giftings, we also need each other because we waver and become discouraged. God calls us to “provoke [one another to] love and good works [. . .] encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

We fulfill the mission God has given us through the testimony of our unity.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus relying on each other, persevering through differences, and striving together toward one mission with one mind is a sign of and testimony to genuine salvation. True unity isn’t just hard, it’s impossible without Christ. (Philippians 1:27-28)

When we realize our need for each other and work together despite our many differences, our unity testifies to the transforming, reconciling power of our Savior. 

Group projects, team trips, the feeling of fellowship – anything involving people together in harmony – is hard because we’re all sinners. Our unity shows our humility. Our Savior Himself showed us the way, humbling Himself out of love for us to the point of dying on the cross on our behalf. Only He can shape us into those who do “nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider[ing] others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-8)

Christ needs more than just one or two of us, but a whole group of us, His Whole Church, to be humbled, to die to self and build others up. This requires us all to have“the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” (Philippians 2:2) This is Christ’s design for the local church and, more broadly, the capital “C” Church which is comprised of local churches all around the world. Global unity gathered under one mind and one mission, Christ’s!

Our unity in Christ transcends not just the usual challenges of working together with other people, but also the differences of culture, language, time, location, history, circumstance, and so much more. It’s a miracle!

Strikingly, it’s impossible to complete Christ’s mission without one mind.

Our mission isn’t simply to work together because we have complimentary gifts. 
It’s not to humbly get along because we’re supposed to. 

Our mission as Christ-followers is to evidence the One who does the impossible by reconciling us with God, so others will be reconciled to Him too.

We can’t fulfill the Great Commission alone, because it is, by definition, relational.

Christ’s mission is to tell people about the greatest relationship they can have, which is accomplished through relationships. Those who gain the relationship with Christ work in relationship with others to tell more people about the greatest relationship, and onward flows Christ’s pattern of growing His family as He builds His church through His church. (Matthew 28:16-20)

What a privilege to be part of this mission through our relationships, especially in the church!

This truth came to mind recently, when a group of women from my church gathered together around God’s Word and one shared a struggle. Each woman present brought our unique perspective to her situation. The words knitted together. The burden was shared and became lighter as we all worked toward one thing, lifting her up in the Lord. It was beautiful, and only possible because of Christ.

Though a tiny taste of the glory of unity, that fellowship of women caused me to rejoice in being part of His body and excited about this mission we share. May we press into this privilege, with all its messiness, of becoming one in Him!

 

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church,focus,gospel,mission,unity
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Mission Day 9
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Paul wrote that we are to intercede for one another as well as encourage and build each other up. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11).

We need fellow believers in our lives. We need the church and the coming together to nourish and strengthen us. (Hebrews 10:25) We need each other to accomplish the mission to which God has called us.
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Mission Day 2 Praying For Purpose: Digging Deeper

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Mission Day 2 Praying For Purpose: Digging Deeper

Merry Ohler

May 9, 2023

Neighbor,Purpose,Rescue,Shepherd

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

This DD Connects With "Praying For Purpose"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 9:35-38

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the “good news of the kingdom” Jesus preached? (verse 35)

Jesus Christ was the Son of the living God (Matthew 6:13-20), Emmanuel (God With Us, Isaiah 7:14), Messiah (John 4:25-26), and King (Zechariah 9:9). Fully God, wrapped fully in flesh, came to earth to bridge the gap sin had caused between created beings and their Creator God. Promised from the moment the Lord God dealt with the introduction of sin in the garden of Eden, the Saviour had been prophesied to God’s chosen family over and over throughout all of time. Every part of Jewish history pointed toward the fulfillment of promise and prophecy.

The “good news of the kingdom” that Jesus would one day preach in person was echoed in every page of Scripture. From that initial curse of Satan and promise that the woman’s offspring would crush him beneath His divine heel (Genesis 3:14-15), to the law delivered to Moses on the mountaintop (Exodus 20-24; 31-35), to the sign of Jonah and his three days in the belly of the great fish (Jonah 1:9-2:10), and countless other types and historical arrows pointing straight to the promised Saviour: Jesus Christ.

The good news of the kingdom Jesus preached was that the promise was indeed fulfilled; their long awaited Saviour had come, and Jesus was He! The law served its intended purpose: to illustrate what sin was, show the holiness of God and the utter un-holiness of people, and demonstrate their desperate need for a Saviour.

They didn’t need to keep trying to save themselves by their own merit, or by tiptoeing their way around countless additional rules manufactured by people and tacked on to God’s law. Just as promised in the moment the serpent was sentenced, Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:13-20) in the way that human beings never would (Romans 3:21-26), and He did it perfectly.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the “good news of the kingdom” Jesus preached? (verse 35)

As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, it can be embarrassing to admit that the simplicity of the gospel, or the “good news of the kingdom” can be challenging to easily share. When I consider the overarching story of the Gospel written through every page, chapter and book of the Bible, sometimes my words get jumbled. It all seems too big, too wonderful, too miraculous to share in simple terms. But the Holy Spirit is faithful to remind me that the reality of the wonderful mystery of the gospel is simple enough for a child to understand and rich enough to change every aspect in my life, and the lives of all people, if they choose to receive it.

When there is an opportunity to share the gospel, the Holy Spirit will work with us to communicate the good news; we can bring glory to God by sharing the gospel with believers, too. We all need to hear and preach the good news, daily! The good news of the kingdom is this: there is a holy, righteous God, and we can have a personal relationship with Him because of His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of His Word, the Bible, I know I can never do enough, be enough, say enough or give enough to earn my salvation or pay the price for my sins. (Ephesians 2:4)

There is no list of rules or behaviors I can follow to prove my holiness, or right the wrongs I’ve committed. I am a sinner, and I know this because God’s law shows me what sin is. But Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, came to earth as a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, then laid down His life when He was crucified on a cross to pay the price for my sins and the sins of all people, was buried in a tomb and was resurrected to bodily life three days later. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and He also lives through me because I have put all my trust in Him.

This good news changes everything about my life, because it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20-21) 

The Original Intent

2) What is the significance of “sheep without a shepherd,” and why did Jesus feel compassion for the crowds of people? (verse 36)

The reference of crowds of people being compared to sheep without a shepherd would not have been lost on the original readers of Matthew’s gospel. Shepherding was common in that region and age, and the characteristics of sheep would have been inferred and understood easily.

Jesus, and those with Him, knew that sheep are completely dependent upon their shepherd for survival. They knew a shepherd provides for his sheep in every way, from caring for the sheep’s wool and ensuring there are no pests or infestations, to maintaining the sheep’s hooves and ensuring they are able to move without injury or interference. A shepherd leads his sheep to pastures with suitable grazing, protects his flock from predators, and goes after sheep that wander off.

Sheep have strong flocking tendencies, and if one sheep begins to wander, the rest will follow…even if the wandering sheep falls into a ravine or off a cliff. This is why it is so important for the shepherd to retrieve the wayward sheep; it is for that sheep’s safety, but it is also to prevent the rest of the flock from following their fellow sheep into danger.

When Jesus saw the crowds of people, He recognized their humanity, their confusion, and their hopelessness. The Good Shepherd knew that without faithful shepherding, the people were vulnerable and in danger of falling prey to false teaching and a false Gospel. (John 10:11-18)

The Everyday Application

2) What is the significance of “sheep without a shepherd,” and why did Jesus feel compassion for the crowds of people? (verse 36)

Shepherding may not be common in our culture, but it doesn’t require much to look around and recognize the hopelessness, fear, and dejection our peers without Christ feel, does it? Can you imagine navigating a devastating loss, terminal diagnosis, broken marriage, financial ruin, or other earth-shattering life change apart from your Good Shepherd?

Sometimes it’s easy to fall into the mindset that I am self-sufficient and capable of handling the different valleys and challenges life brings my way, but the reality is that we are called to live our lives completely dependent upon Christ for all things. Christ is my provider (Philippians 4:19), my shelter (Psalm 27:5), my protector (1 John 5:18-19). He brings me back when I wander and keeps me from following others who go astray. Day by day, he provides exactly what I need. By the same token, I can trust him to care for His flock when other believers (myself included!) wander astray.

We are called to live in willing responsibility to one another in godly community and hold ourselves accountable to the word of God and each other, but I mustn’t forget the Lord of the harvest is also the Good Shepherd. He sees and knows every need; He alone provides for each one. He knows exactly where His sheep are at all times and He can be trusted for their care, just as I trust Him for mine. 

The Original Intent

3) Why did Jesus tell His disciples to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest”? (verse 38)

Throughout His time with the disciples and ministering to people, Jesus repeatedly pointed to God as the one who orchestrated all things. Jesus was fully God, yet Jesus told His disciples He only did what He saw His Father doing. (John 5:19-23) Here, He again pointed to God the Father as Lord of all. In this case, Jesus wasn’t referring to a harvest of wheat, but to a “harvest” of people who were ready to receive the good news of the kingdom. (Matthew 13:24-30)

His words “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” made several points clear. First, He stated God the Father was the Lord of the harvest. No person could step outside the sovereign rule and reign of the Lord God, even the exact places they lived were under His sovereignty from generation to generation. (Acts 17:26) Promise and prophecy after promise and prophecy, all fulfilled. All pointing to Jesus as Messiah, all perfectly fulfilled in spite of human fallacy and sin by the hand of God alone.

Next, He rightly pointed to God as the only one capable of sending out Gospel-spreaders who would deliver the good news of the kingdom and point a lost and weary people to their true Savior. The commissioning of faithful workers could only come from God Himself. He had prepared the circumstances, He had prepared the people, and He had prepared their Savior. Only He could send out partners who would labor in His field to bring in His harvest.

Last, Jesus affirmed the harvest was God’s alone. No self-righteous additions to God’s law had brought about this turn of events. No devoted Pharisees or Sadducees could claim the ripe hearts of the crowds as the fruit of their labor. This harvest was first and only God’s.

The Everyday Application

3) Why did Jesus tell His disciples to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest”? (verse 38)

Jesus only ever did what He saw Father God doing, and He knew it was time to commission the disciples to go and preach the gospel. Jesus exemplified a lifestyle of constant prayer, and He knew God desires for people to partner with Him in prayer. There have been times I have stumbled with getting caught up in the temptation to fixate on my personal “calling” or purpose and have missed accepting the invitation to pray for opportunities to partner with God’s purpose.

It’s not a sin to desire to operate in a certain sphere or field, but when we place such an emphasis on our individual role, it is only a stone’s throw to slip into elevating self over our Savior. As a believer, I trust God will fulfill His ultimate will through my life, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t invitations He extends that I sometimes overlook or ignore. Ultimately, God’s purpose is clear: to spread the good news of His kingdom to all the world and teach new believers to obey Him in everyday life.

He fulfills this through His Church, the family of believers operating together in cooperation with him to further His kingdom and point everyone to Jesus Christ. We can and should partner with Father God in the same way: by praying that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into His harvest!

When we pray in agreement with His will, we can trust that He will fulfill His purpose through us and make us ready workers in his field!

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Mission Day 1
Journey Study

Early apostle and preacher, Paul, expressed similar encouragement in his letter to the church at Galatia. (Galatians 5:22-26)

We are image-bearers of Christ (Genesis 1:26-27), reflecting Him to our world. This mission isn’t just to get people to Heaven, but to show them the grace and hope they can have as believers while they still inhabit the earth.

This is why we pray for a mission. Pray to our Lord of the Harvest, who sees the fields ripe and needing workers. Pray for workers, pray for a field to work in, pray for open doors and divine appointments to share the Gospel.
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Mission Day 1 Praying For Purpose

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Mission Day 1 Praying For Purpose

Carol Graft

May 8, 2023

Jesus,Joy,Purpose,Redemption,Relationship,Rescue

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 9:35-38
Matthew 28:16-20
1 John 3
Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 96

“Jesus came near [to His disciples] and said, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 26:18-20)

Following His death and resurrection, Jesus opens this discourse in Matthew 28:18 by reminding His disciples, “All authority has been given to me[.]” Even in this last appearance before ascending to heaven, He confirms His identity yet again by fulfilling the prophet Daniel’s prophecy about the Son of Man establishing an “everlasting dominion.” (Daniel 7:13-14) For those familiar with Hebrew Scripture’s prophecies of the Messiah, what an impossible yet glorious moment this must have been! 

This wasn’t the first time Jesus had commissioned His followers based on His authority. When teaching, preaching, and healing, Matthew 9:35-38 tells us Jesus was moved with compassion for the people. Comparing their widespread, desperate need for a savior to a harvest groaning to be collected, He asked His disciples to pray to the Lord of the Harvest. “Lord” is translated from the Greek kyrios, meaning authority. As the One who possesses all authority in heaven and on earth, He commissions His followers as workers to reap an abundant harvest.  

What does it mean to be commissioned by Jesus, often called being “on mission”? Every believer is called to a mission field whether it’s abroad, in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, or even our churches. Jesus calls us to be His missionaries. (Mark 13:10, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48)

Scholar, theologian, and bishop N.T. Wright asserts, “The church’s task is to proclaim the Lord Jesus, to summon people to follow him with faithful allegiance, to nurture believers so that they become holy disciples […]” (The New Testament In Its World) 

Mr. Wright cautions those on Christ’s mission to avoid arrogantly thinking we can build the kingdom as he explains we are builders for the kingdom. Christ already paid the price and will re-establish His kingdom when He returns; our role is to reflect the love, peace, and joy exemplifying the new creations that Christ followers become. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Early apostle and preacher, Paul, expressed similar encouragement in his letter to the church at Galatia. (Galatians 5:22-26) We are image-bearers of Christ (Genesis 1:26-27), reflecting Him to our world. This mission isn’t just to get people to Heaven, but to show them the grace and hope they can have as believers while they still inhabit the earth. 

This is why we pray for a mission.
Pray to our Lord of the Harvest,
who sees the fields ripe and needing workers. 
Pray for workers, 
pray for a field to work in, 
pray for open doors and divine appointments to share the Gospel.

Such prayer aligns our minds and hearts with God’s. If we aren’t in alignment with His purpose, then we can fall into a trap of thinking it’s all about us. If our mission isn’t God-led, we easily become self-absorbed and proud and God gets no glory. We also run the risk of being all about the numbers, rather than reflecting Christ’s unconditional love.

Just as Jesus redeemed and discipled His first followers, giving them grace and lavish love, so too is our mission to point to redemption through Jesus, then disciple believers. No one is beyond the reach of God: not our supervisor at work, not our in-laws, not our grumpy neighbors, not our children. It is our job as believers to show love and grace to others, telling them the wonderful news of freedom and eternal life in Christ. (John 5:24)

Twenty centuries later, the teachings of Christ and the Word of God (Scripture) still matter. There are still souls to be saved (by God) and nurtured (by us) . . . even our own. 

If you don’t yet know of the unconditional love of Christ, it’s there for the asking!
Truly.
Repentance is simply acknowledging the sin in your life, and your desire to turn away from it. When we repent, ask for forgiveness, and accept Christ’s love for us, He will continue His sweet work within us, and invite us into partnership on His mission, for the rest of our lives. 

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Mission Day 2
Digging Deeper

There is no list of rules or behaviors I can follow to prove my holiness, or right the wrongs I’ve committed.

I am a sinner, and I know this because God’s law shows me what sin is.

But Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, came to earth as a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, then laid down his life when he was crucified on a cross to pay the price for my sins and the sins of all people, was buried in a tomb and was resurrected to bodily life three days later.
Dig Deeper!

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May 8 - May 26, 2023 - Journey Theme #118

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Sketched X Day 12 What Are You Waiting For?: 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 What Are You Waiting For?

The Questions

1) Why did Jacob need to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Genesis 42:1-7)

2) Why did Joseph not reveal who he was to his brothers? (Genesis 42:8-26)

3) Why did Jacob keep Benjamin home? (Genesis 42:29-38)

Genesis 42:1-43:14

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, “Something might happen to him.”

5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

“From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied.

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

10 “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. 11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.”

12 “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

13 But they replied, “We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no longer living.”

14 Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken: ‘You are spies!’ 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.

21 Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”

22 But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s silver to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.

The Brothers Return Home

27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver there at the top of his bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?”

29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, ‘We are honest and not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’”

35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

36 Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

38 But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Decision to Return to Egypt

43 Now the famine in the land was severe. 2 When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

3 But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’”

6 “Why have you caused me so much trouble?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?”

7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our dependents. 9 I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever. 10 If we had not delayed, we could have come back twice by now.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds. 12 Take twice as much silver with you. Return the silver that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man. 14 May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

Original Intent

1) Why did Jacob need to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Genesis 42:1-7)
It’s a big section of Scripture to dive into in a short study, but it covers a lot of important details! If you haven’t yet, please go back and Read His Words Before Mine! It won’t take you long and will be invaluable as we study these two chapters together! In Genesis 41 Joseph is called before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. This dream interpreting ability wasn’t new to Joseph (Go Read: Genesis 37:5-10; Genesis 40:8-19). God used Joseph to inform Pharaoh of an upcoming 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. This famine wasn’t confined to Egypt but would spread throughout the land. (Genesis 41:56-57) People traveled to purchase grain from Egypt due to the surplus that had been stored there under Joseph’s wise direction. Grain was absolutely essential for livelihood in those days. It was easily stored and therefore used in almost everything people ate. Without grain, life would become difficult, if not impossible. When Jacob and his family needed grain, the famine’s severity left Jacob with no choice but to send his sons to purchase it from the only location grain could be found…Egypt. Without it, their family and their entire livelihood would likely die of starvation.

2) Why did Joseph not reveal who he was to his brothers? (Genesis 42:8-26)
Joseph’s brothers appeared before him asking for grain (Genesis 42:6) along with countless other people making the same request, having traveled many miles on little sustenance. Interestingly, instead of revealing his identity to his brothers and reuniting the family, he accused them of being spies. (Genesis 42:9) He went so far as to keep one of his brothers in prison while the rest returned home with strict instructions to bring Benjamin to Egypt. (Genesis 42:19) The last time Joseph had seen his brothers they were selling him into slavery, which left many open doubts about their integrity in Joseph’s mind. What kind of men were his brothers now? Joseph was attempting to discover if their character had changed by setting up a series of tests intended to draw out their true selves. Were they still the same as when they vengefully sold him or had they truly repented of their actions and changed their lives? Joseph needed to find out. Through his series of tests Joseph discovered they had truly changed in their hearts. He would eventually reveal himself as their long-lost brother. Read tomorrow’s Journey Study for more!

3) Why did Jacob keep Benjamin home? (Genesis 42:29-38)
Jacob had many sons, however, only two were born to Rachel, Joseph’s favorite wife. Joseph and Benjamin were full brothers while Joseph’s other brothers were half-brothers born to Leah. Genesis 37:3-4 tells us that of all twelve sons born to Jacob, Joseph was his favorite. Joseph was born in Jacob’s old age to the wife he had worked 14 years to win and marry from his uncle Laban. (Genesis 29:16-28) When Jacob was deceived by his other sons into believing Joseph had been killed, it devastated Jacob. However, it appears he continued playing favorites and chose Benjamin as his new favorite. Unwilling to part with his last remaining connection to favorited Joseph and favorited Rachel, Jacob simply couldn’t bear to send Benjamin to Egypt for fear of never seeing him again. Though motivated by selfishness and sinful favoritism, Jacob was also protecting the youngest male in the family to preserve the family line.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Jacob need to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Genesis 42:1-7)
Life in the days of Genesis was nearly impossible without grain and the famine caused Jacob and his family to deplete their supply. The only reason Egypt had grain was because God used Jacob to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams allowing them to prepare ahead of time for the coming famine. The Lord is a preserving, generous, providing God! Until the moment Joseph was called before Pharaoh, his life had been anything but easy. His brothers sold him (Genesis 37:18-28), they made Father Jacob believe him to be dead (Genesis 37:31-33), he was unjustly thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit (Genesis 39:6-23), and he was forgotten by the cupbearer whose dreams he interpreted (Genesis 40:23). However, God never forgot Joseph. Just as God preserved Egypt and other nations with grain, He preserved His plan for Joseph’s life through every hardship. God intended to save many through Joseph’s life and his faith. As believers today, this should remind and encourage us as we face our own struggles and dark seasons. No matter what life brings our way, the Lord God is always sovereign. He will preserve us and finish His work in us. We can trust His plan, even when we cannot see it.

2) Why did Joseph not reveal who he was to his brothers? (Genesis 42:8-26)
Life events, especially suffering, either makes us better, stronger, and kinder if we lean into the Lord to shape us, or they make us bitter, angry, miserable, and even prideful. Perhaps you’ve experienced these two different outcomes in your own life or watched them play out in someone else’s. Joseph allowed the Lord to grow his faith through suffering, but without any interaction with the brothers who had sold him as a slave, he had no way to know if they had changed or remained the same. The important part of this story isn’t that Joseph tested his brothers’ character, but that Joseph’s character shone through. Joseph wasn’t out to demolish his brothers with vengeance, power, or self-righteous arrogance as proven by his later statement to them of God’s goodness. (Genesis 50:20) True repentance always results in genuine life change, which was what Joseph intended to discover of his brothers. Just like these men, we are all sinners needing true repentance. In our free will, we make decisions that go against God’s will and harm our relationship with Him and others; this is sin. Even a single lie or a single word of gossip is counted as sin; none of us are righteous. (Romans 3:10-11) However, God is graciously ready to forgive us and restore our broken relationship if we will come to Him in true repentance. (1 John 1:9) There is no sin too big for God to forgive, for all sins equally separate us from Him. When we seek His forgiveness and repent, it must include life change. If we simply go through the motions of feeling remorseful, but never going to the Lord in true confession and desire to live differently, we will continuously fall back into the cycle of sin. We must invite God to transform our broken places by His Spirit. As He works through our repentance, we begin to look less like our sinful selves and more like Jesus. (Romans 8:29)

3) Why did Jacob keep Benjamin home? (Genesis 42:29-38)
Favoritism colored much of Jacob’s life and its sinful consequences played a role in the hatred of Joseph’s brothers against him. Perhaps it started out innocently enough, as sin often does, but sin is never a plaything. Sin’s trajectory always gives birth to death. (James 1:15) Perhaps your pet sin isn’t favoritism, but we all have a sin nature that leads us to speak and act in ways contrary to God’s plan for our lives. Though we may doubt it, following His commands will always bring us the fullness of life. (Psalm 119:127-130) How much heartache could Joseph have avoided for himself and his family had he chosen to reject favoritism?! Jacob wanted to keep Benjamin safe and couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him; his hope was fixed on preserving his favorite instead of depending on the Lord. It’s as if he did not learn from Joseph’s supposed death how favoritism would leave him feeling hollow, empty, and alone in its wake. However, Jacob’s missed lesson is one you and I can learn from. We will make choices in our life and God will use those moments to teach us something, but only if we surrender to His ways. We can either choose to continue on our current path of sin, or we can turn our ways over to God, allowing Him to make us look more like Jesus!

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

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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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Sketched X Day 7 Without A Voice: 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 Without A Voice!

The Questions

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)

3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)

Exodus 3:7-12

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, 10 therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

Original Intent

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)
The easy answer to why God was so long in bringing rescue is that we can’t understand God’s timing. His scope is significantly broader than our own and His love infinitely outshines our own. However, if we step back and study Israel’s history a bit we can make some educated guesses to help answer this particular “why” of waiting. Let’s first remember it was God who brought the Israelites to Egypt in the first place, even before they were “Israelites”.  Joseph’s own struggles and injustices led him on a winding road that gave him a position of power benefitting his family and built a new nation. (Genesis 39-45) Secondly, the Israelites needed time, several generations, to grow into a nation and a people. Their numbers grew mightily during those years in Egypt; even Pharaoh was increasingly concerned by their multiplication. Lastly, God was raising up Moses as His instrument to lead His people out of Egypt and into a land of their own. Moses needed to grow, learn, make mistakes and become the man God would use to lead His people to freedom. How tragic it would have been for Israel to be so comfortable in the shadow of another nation that they never lived out the purposes God had for them! It really wasn’t that God didn’t hear Israel’s cry, rather, He was working “behind the scenes” to align each piece and person in preparation for freedom. His long-game purpose for His people was to move in such a mighty way that no one could miss how only He, the Great I Am, freed His people from the grip of slavery. These events were a pre-cursor for another miraculous set of events in the life of Jesus when, by His suffering, He offered freedom from sin’s slavery for us all!

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)
All good stories have a beginning, and Israel’s begins long before their great exodus out of slavery in Egypt, before Joseph, before his father Jacob, and before his father Isaac. To discover the first time God spoke of Israel’s land, we go back to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-2.   God called Abraham (then known as Abram) to leave his home and travel to “the land that I will show you”. This land became known as the Promised Land referencing God’s covenant vow to give it to Abraham’s descendants. It extended from the wilderness to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. (Exodus 23:31) However, by the time Israel was finally ready to take the land hundreds of years after Abraham, it was inhabited by pagan nations like Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Keep in mind this land was part of God’s provision for His chosen people, the Israelites. It was the Lord’s land and it had been promised to Israel centuries prior. It was important Israel take ownership to fulfill the promise God had made to Abraham. Psalm 24:1 tells us “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord”. He has rights to everything and everyone; He can give and take away from whomever He chooses. 
3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)
Because Moses knew he couldn’t accomplish this impossible task on his own, he quickly admitted his shortcomings and reservations about being “the guy” of God’s choosing. He had made some big mistakes in his life, but God, as only He can, used Moses in spite of those sinful choices to shape him into a man who was open and willing to be obedient to God. Moses recognized God’s voice in the burning bush, went to investigate, and listened to what God had to say. Moses knew this monumental task of freeing Israel was far beyond anything he could do or even wanted to do. For these reasons, and probably more, he pushed back on God. In fact, in Exodus 4:13 Moses said in essence, “You’ve got the wrong guy God, send someone else.” (my paraphrase) God’s response was one of anger for Moses disobedience and disrespect to the Sovereign God, still God provided an antidote to Moses’ insecurities in the form of Moses’ brother, Aaron. Ultimately, Moses acted obediently and depended on God for the enormous mission ahead of him.

Everyday Application

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)
Don’t lose hope! If you’ve been crying to God for seemingly forever, don’t give up and assume He isn’t listening; this is a lie! God hears and is working, despite our impatience. I tend to stop praying about “it” and attempt to “help” God by pushing ahead with my solution. You’d think I’d learn to trust Him; alas, I haven’t. In the past months, I’ve intentionally worked to be still, listen and wait, but honestly, there are more days when I decide to push ahead with my plans. News flash! This doesn’t work! When we run ahead of God, we slow down His provision. God cannot be rushed. Perhaps even more frustrating than personally waiting on God is watching a loved one wait for Him. Recently, I was talking with my oldest, who desperately longs for a husband. As a parent, it’s hard not to give a solution and instead point them to Jesus! I know God is working in the waiting, but as her mom, I desperately want to fix her pain. I must remember the best I can do is lead her to seek Jesus and His comfort. Psalms 73-74 are written by a guy who clearly understood the struggle between the pain of waiting and the desire to honor God. “But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:2-3) He follows on with confident faith in verses 25-26, “Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.” As we wait on the Lord, lets determine to move closer to God and dig into His word. Psalms is strong encouragement, filled with honest cries, hope, and healing.

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)
When we remember God’s sovereign authority over every aspect of creation, including us, our perspective either shifts in alignment with truth or we press back against it, wanting to cling to a false sense of control and ownership. We all need the reminder to hold loosely to what the Lord has given for our use, even our relationships are a gift from Him. Our homes, churches, ministries, careers, and every material good is given to us by a graciously benevolent God; we are His stewards of these grace gifts and we never know when He will ask us to give something up for Him and His purposes. Job 1:21 says, “The LORD gives and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” I speak from a place of experience when I say that when we are faithful to God and His call on our lives, He will indeed ask us to give away or give up jobs, careers and even ministries. This ask has never made sense to me at the time, but after I’ve faithfully obeyed, God provides the understanding, insight and provision for the next step in my journey. It’s only in practicing full surrender of everything and everyone in our lives that we can fully embrace the abundant purposes of the Lord for us.

3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)
Because God is the Almighty God, and He has a tendency to use the most unlikely people in the most unlikely ways to further His kingdom, all of us have been given purposes that far-extend our human ability and reasoning. I could share many stories of times I’ve asked God the exact question or a similar one that Moses posed, “Are you sure about this God? I’m kind of a mess, in case you didn’t notice.” We can’t accomplish His mission in our power, but God can finish His work in us and through us by His Spirit! Jesus Himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) When it comes to accomplishing God’s mission for us, we must take Him at His word and remember the Lord’s word, “Not by strength,
Just like with Moses, God is looking for our willingness and trust, He’s got all the details already figured out. It’s okay to ask questions, God can handle them. It’s okay to feel nervous and uncertain about your abilities because they are required for us to lean in and trust in God over ourselves.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Without A Voice!

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 Sketched X 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.

Eden Day 6 Entrusted Caretakers

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Eden Day 6 Entrusted Caretakers

Briana Almengor

April 25, 2022

Comfort,Constant,Design,Equipped,Faith,God,Purpose

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 1:26-31
Genesis 3:17-19
Proverbs 28:19
Galatians 3:10-14
1 Corinthians 15:56-58

Every Saturday morning, we devote time to household chores. Clean the bathrooms, vacuum, dust, mop, and water plants. While we may try to “whistle while we work,” the truth remains, we view these chores as, well, a chore. Living requires working, and often, we do it with drudgery, dragging our feet, and moaning–not whistling!–all the way.

It wasn’t always like this, however. It definitely wasn’t God’s intention for our experience of work. 

In Genesis 1, our origin story, we read that right after God breathed humans into existence, He gave them something to do. We actually read FIVE action words in this passage: 

Be fruitful
Multiply
Fill
Subdue
Rule
(Genesis 1:28)

Furthermore, God did not simply command humankind to DO;
He equipped them for their work. 

“I have given you every seed-bearing plant [. . .] and every tree whose fruit contains seed [. . .] 
I have given every green plant for food.” (Genesis 1:29-30, emphasis mine)

Continuing to Genesis 2, we learn God supplied everything humans required to flourish and grow. Life was perfect. 

But then the sneaky serpent enters the scene and snatches away Adam and Eve’s confidence in God. (Genesis 3) He plants his own seeds of mistrust into Adam and Eve’s minds. From that point on, with the deadly combination of temptation and free will, humans choose to trust themselves over their Creator, and perfection is lost. 

Genesis 3:17-19 states that one consequence for sin is that work would now become arduous, a thing of pain and struggle rather than purpose, fulfillment, joy, and provision. 

And herein lies why chores are a chore.

However, the story did not end in Genesis 3.
Christ came and redeemed the curse by bearing the just wrath of God for sin in our place. (Galatians 3:10-14)  

So the question remains, why do we STILL endure hardship in our work?
Why do we so often struggle to find purpose in the toiling of our minds, hearts, and hands? Why is so much futility, struggle, and pain wrapped up in our labor?

I believe it is because we live in “the now and the not yet.” While Christ redeemed the curse through His death and resurrection, we have not yet experienced His return when all of creation, including work, will be rebirthed with eternal perfection. (Revelation 21:1-5)

Until then, we toil and strive, committing the work of our hands to God’s purposes. (Psalm 90:16-17) Just as God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to work, we can be assured He gives us all we need for our work as well. 

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3, emphasis mine)

Truth? Sometimes, we don’t feel equipped to handle the assignment. 

For me, motherhood stands top of that list. 

From the beginning of my journey as a parent, I felt set up for failure. 

I carried twins in my first pregnancy; my boys were born by emergency C-section after 17 hours of induced labor. One son was quickly diagnosed with a rare syndrome which has required multiple specialists, surgeries, and other interventions. 

Two and half years later, my daughter was born full term, but for reasons still unknown, could not breathe on her own for the first week of her life. 

Two of my three children have developed seizure disorders. 

All of my children have endured multiple traumas with a genetic disposition toward anxiety, creating what feels like one ongoing mental health crisis after another in my home. 

And, more. Isn’t there always more to our stories than we can, or are willing, to share?  

But, God knows. 

God KNEW the struggles I would face. He knew the brokenness and hardship I would endure as a parent. Still, He made this promise to me: HE GIVES ME EVERYTHING I NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS. 

Friend, He gives YOU everything you need, too.

When we feel ill-equipped, or wrestle with the sometimes-overwhelming sense of futility in our work, we must harken back to those first moments between God and humankind. We must remember that, attached to the actions we are commanded to take for human flourishing, is GOD’s word of provision, “I have given…”

Remaining vestiges of sin seek to steal, kill, and destroy that which God has provided. (John 10:10) But, sin will not have the final word. Therefore, we can give ourselves fully to the work given to us today, knowing it will be empowered and redeemed by God. 

Take a moment to picture what it would look like for God to use every single shred of your effort to create something of beauty, goodness, and truth. Let us imagine with you by sharing a snippet of what you’ve envisioned in the comments. Let’s trust together that God can and will do more than we could ask or imagine for the purpose of His glory and our good!

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creation,God,life,purpose,work
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The Lord has shown favor when I submitted to Him, and now the assistant respects my office space and my work. Thorns are plentiful in life as sin lures us away from a close relationship with God, but we don’t need to let them win. We can take any problem to Jesus and He will help us overcome. (James 4:7)
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Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

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Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

Lesley Crawford

March 23, 2022

Desperate,Emptiness,Faith,Fear,Hope,Meaning,Provider,Purpose,Redeemed

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 1:1-22
Exodus 15:22-16:8
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Revelation 21:1-5

As Naomi entered Bethlehem, her heart was breaking. The sight of the familiar streets cast her mind back to happier times when she had walked them with her husband, her sons playing alongside. 

How joyful and carefree they had been! But then, everything had changed . . .

First, a severe famine had forced them to leave Bethlehem. (Ruth 1) It hadn’t been easy to leave their homeland, but they had settled in Moab and been happy. At least they had one another. 

But then Naomi’s husband, Elimilech, had died, followed around ten years later by not just one, but both of her sons. They had left as a family of four. Now as Naomi returned, alone, the sense of loss was overwhelming.

Sadly, loss is something we all encounter at some point. It may be the tragic death of loved ones, as with Naomi, but there are other losses – divorce, life-changing illness, redundancy, loss of a friendship . . .

The last couple of years have brought so much loss for us all due to the pandemic. We’ve grieved the loss of celebrations with family and friends, cancellations of long-anticipated plans, the loss of “normal” in gathering and traveling, all of which we once took for granted.  

Sometimes, even “smaller” losses hit us hard.

In Naomi’s case, the devastating losses were so overwhelming they affected her whole sense of identity. As her old friends greeted her on her return to Bethlehem, her bitterness poured out.

“‘Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,’ she answered, ‘for the Almighty has made me very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?’” (Ruth 1:20-21)

Several years earlier, as the Israelites travelled through the wilderness, they found themselves in a similar place of bitterness. (Exodus 15:22-27) After three days of searching for water, they finally found some, only to discover it was too bitter to drink. Just as Naomi identified herself by her bitterness, the Israelites identified the place by its bitterness, naming it Marah.

While God miraculously removed the bitterness from the water, the bitterness in the Israelites’ hearts remained. They continued their journey, complaining about the lack of food, even looking back fondly to their days of slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 16:1-8)

Their bitterness blinded them to the reality of God’s provision. They had recently witnessed the Red Sea parting before them, enabling them to escape the Egyptians, and they had personally known God’s presence leading them every step of the way!

Similarly, Naomi’s bitterness blinds her to the truth that she is not alone. God has not brought her back empty. Her faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, is beside her, and although Naomi has unquestionably suffered devastating losses, it is not the end of her story. God still has a good plan for her.

In Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, we see a glimmer of hope. On hearing God has blessed His people in Israel by providing food once again for “the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need,” (Ruth 1:6) she chooses to go home. It is a physical return, but perhaps it is also the beginning of a spiritual return, of turning back to God, of turning toward hope in His promises and His goodness, even in the midst of loss.

What about our response in our times of loss? Do we become stuck in the wilderness of bitterness and isolation, or do we turn back to God? Do we choose to return to “Bethlehem” and remember that, in Jesus, God entered our pain and suffering to deal with sin and brokenness and offer us hope?

A few weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a friend’s husband. It was a tragic loss; he was a wonderful, godly man who seemed to have been taken far too soon, leaving behind a wife, four children, one grandchild and another on the way. There was great sorrow, of course, and a huge sense of loss, but not a trace of bitterness.

Instead, the whole service was a beautiful testimony to God’s faithfulness and presence even in the midst of loss, and it expressed a determination to hold onto Him and His hope.

One of the readings was from 1 Thessalonians 4, which encourages followers of Jesus that we do not “grieve like the rest, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

We will grieve, and we will experience loss of various kinds, but, in Jesus, we always have hope. Ours is an unshakable hope that comes from knowing Him as He walks with us through loss and reminds us that, no matter what losses we face, they are not the end of our story.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

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Wilderness Day 10 Here To Help

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 18
1 Samuel 24:1-15
Matthew 4:8-10
Psalm 46:10-11

Wilderness, Day 10

On any given day, my internet browser tabs featured Indeed, Zillow, Google Maps, and Bible Gateway.
We were in a wilderness.
The season we’d been in was ending, but we had no idea of our next.

I’d like to say I waited patiently for God’s leading, but truthfully, my frequent visits to those tabs proved otherwise. I believed God had a purpose and a plan, but I thought He needed help fulfilling that purpose.

Sometimes, we try to help God along when we mistake a wilderness season for aimlessness. We’re not alone.
Sarah tried to fulfill God’s promises through Hagar and Ishmael. (Genesis 16)
Bewildered by Jesus’ arrest, Peter offered his assistance with a sword to an ear. (Matthew 26:47-54)

Israel’s king, David, faced the same temptation of treating his wilderness season as a maze to be escaped in order for God’s will to be done.

It started with a promise.
The prophet, Samuel, anointed David king as a young man, signifying God’s promise he would reign over Israel. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

Then came the problem.
Saul grew jealous of David and attempted to kill him. (1 Samuel 18) Not just once, either. Saul persistently persecuted David, even as David made no attempt to usurp his promised throne. Saul didn’t like God’s will, so he fought against it, chasing David . . . as if he could change God’s promises.

So David entered the wilderness, figuratively and literally. Stuck between God’s promise and the life-threatening problem of a murderous king, David spent years fleeing and hiding. Nothing was settled, nothing was certain. He wandered about in God’s will, and there was great temptation to find a way out.

We see the temptation most clearly in 1 Samuel 24:1-15. Saul entered a cave to relieve himself. David and his fighting men were already there, hidden away. The men told David, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’” (1 Samuel 24:4) It would have been so easy to attack Saul, take the throne, and fulfill God’s promise to David by force. One could even argue it was self-defense, since Saul was there to kill David without cause!

But David didn’t.

“He said to his men, ‘As the Lord is my witness, I would never do such a thing to my lord [King Saul], the Lord’s anointed.’” (1 Samuel 24:6)

David was God’s anointed too, but even in the desperation and temptation of the wilderness, he recognized a way out wasn’t God’s will. He left it up to God to fulfill His own promises. No shortcuts. No “helping” God along. No hurrying God’s perfect timing.

This wilderness season proved great preparation for David when he became king. He’d learned to wait on God’s will, to not fight a battle God hadn’t called him into, and to leave the building of the temple to his son as God instructed, to name a few examples.

We see David’s wisdom and trust in God’s will being fulfilled God’s way throughout his kingship. When David died, having reigned as Israel’s greatest king and whose family line would lead to the Messiah, he could look back on the testimony of his life and rest in full assurance God keeps His promises. (Psalm 37:25-31)

Jesus, our promised Messiah, lived out God’s will, God’s way.
Even in His own wilderness experience.

In His wilderness, Jesus was tempted by Satan, who said, “I will give you all these things [the kingdoms of the world and their splendor] if You will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:9)

Satan tempted Jesus with a quick escape to fleethis wilderness and avoid the horror of the cross. Satan lured Jesus to skip ahead to His reign without enduring the pain the wilderness required in order for Christ to become our Great High Priest, able to identify with us in all our weaknesses. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Jesus said no, and, like David,
persisted in waiting for God to lead Him out of the wilderness and fulfill
His promises,
His way,
in His timing.

He was prepared, having overcome temptation, to say, “My time has not yet arrived” (John 7:6) over and over. He was able to say “no” when a huge crowd of followers attempted to forcefully make Him king. (John 6:15) As a result, Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, making a way for us to be reconciled to God, all according to the plan of the Father. (John 5:19)

David and Jesus’ examples of waiting in the wilderness encourages us to “Stop fighting, and know that [He] is God” (Psalm 46:10-11). We can resist the temptation to “help” fulfill God’s promises apart from God.

Having moved multiple times, I can clearly see the difference it makes when I count on God to lead me instead of all those Google tabs! Be assured, sisters, He has, and always will, bring us where He wonderfully intends without any “help” from us.

When we feel stuck in the wilderness, caught between the promise and the fulfillment, let’s wait with teachable spirits as we turn our hearts toward the One who will lead us home!


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