Purpose

Eden Day 6 Entrusted Caretakers

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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

Eden, Day 6

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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Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

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Read His Words Before Ours!

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

Wilderness, Day 13

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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Wilderness Day 7 For The Long Haul: 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!

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The Questions

1) In the beginning of this passage, what truths do we learn that God has affirmed to Moses through his journey?

2) What is Moses asking of God in this passage?

3) What is God’s response to Moses’ questioning?

Exodus 33:12-23

12 Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me.’ 13 Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.” 14 And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 “If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here. 16 How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.” 17 The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” 19 He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”

Original Intent

1) In the beginning of this passage, what truths do we learn that God has affirmed to Moses through his journey?
Throughout the book of Exodus, God’s provision for His people and confirmation of the covenant God has made with His people is clearly evidenced. (Exodus 24) In this passage, Moses recounts what God has confirmed to him. Moses has been called as the leader of the Israelites. God affirmed that He has a plan and purpose for Moses; God knew him and Moses found favor with the Lord. To read of Moses’ first encounter with God, and gain a more full understanding of the truths God spoke to Moses at the beginning of his journey, read Exodus 3!

2) What is Moses asking of God in this passage? Coming off the heels of the Golden Calf experience in Exodus 32, where Israel chose to worship an idol their own hands had crafted rather than continue waiting for the Lord, God told Moses to leave Mt. Sinai and go to the Promised Land. (Exodus 33:1-2) Moses and the Lord had been meeting regularly in the Tent of Meeting. (Exodus 33:7-11) Here, in the sacred space of meeting, Moses cried out for affirmation from the Lord. Moses knew what he had been called to do, and where he had been called to go, yet he sought the Lord’s affirmation again. He had just witnessed the awful rebellion of the people as they dared worship a golden calf idol. (Exodus 32:19-21) Moses understood the gravity of their sin, and likely felt the weighty responsibility of leading such a quickly-erring people to know and experience the One True God. (Exodus 32:32-35) In the literal wilderness where he found himself, Moses needed the reminder of God’s presence and promise, so he pleaded to see God’s glory and hear from the Lord.

3) What is God’s response to Moses’ questioning?
In verse 17, the Lord told Moses He would do as Moses asked because “you have found favor with Me and I know you by name.” The Lord also knows no human can stand to be in His full presence; His righteous glory is so overwhelming anyone experiencing its fullness would be destroyed. (Got Questions) Graciously, He offered a way for Moses’ need to be satisfied while not being consumed. “The Lord said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”” (verses 21-23) God provided for Moses’ need and preserved His life. The Lord evidenced tender mercies in the next chapter by replacing the shattered set of Ten Commandments Moses had broken in his anger. (Exodus 34:1-9) Truly, His mercies are boundless, which Moses began singing of after receiving the second set of Commandments and experiencing the glory of the Lord. (Exodus 34:5-8)

Everyday Application

1) In the beginning of this passage, what truths do we learn that God has affirmed to Moses through his journey?
In our wilderness journeys God has a way of affirming what He has already told us. Moses recounted what he already knew to be true, but he still needed the Lord to reveal Himself and affirm those truths again. The recollection of His truth, His grace, His mercy, and the salvation He offers are all necessary, especially in moments of wilderness and desolation. (Psalm 71:14-24) The Father God, the Creator of the Universe, knows your name (Isaiah 43:1) and He created you with a plan and purpose (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:9). In our wilderness, whether of our own making or purely due to circumstance, the calling back to God’s Truth and affirmation of His faithfulness is our resting place. (Psalm 25:1-11)

2) What is Moses asking God for in this passage?
For Moses, he needed God’s voice and a visual on the Almighty in the midst of his wilderness. The grumbling of “these people” in his charge was daunting (verse 12); Moses’ heart needed the Lord and His reassurances. The powerful truth of our all-knowing, all-powerful God is He is also a deeply personal and intimate God who seeks out individual relationships with each of His children; nothing can separate us from Him. (Romans 8:31-38) He knows what we need before we ask and yet He desires us to come to Him. (Matthew 6:32-33) Moses asked because He knew he could; he had direct access to God. In the same way, a personal relationship with the Lord opens communication allowing us to kneel in His presence and ask. (Matthew 7:7-8) Ask for deliverance, ask for joy in the midst of sorrow, ask for guidance in the wilderness, and even ask for teachable moments in the midst as Moses did, “please teach me Your ways.” (verse 13) God didn’t remove Moses’ circumstances, but He did answer him and honor his request.

3) What is God’s response to Moses’ questioning?
In this exchange with Moses, God was immediate in His answer and His reply matched Moses’ expectation. This isn’t always the case whether in Scripture itself, or in our everyday lives. God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8) and in our wilderness seasons, our own grumbling and stubbornness can impede what God is trying to teach us about Himself and following Him. It may seem He is silent at the moment of our pleading, but His truth is ever prevailing. His presence is always constant. (Deuteronomy 31:8) Like Moses, our wilderness may not end at the point of our pleading prayer, but our focus should remain on God, what He is doing, and the Truths we know of His character and faithfulness.

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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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Wilderness Day 5 Purposed Desolation

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 3:13-17
Matthew 4:1-11
Deuteronomy 6:13-16

Wilderness, Day 5

“Wilderness” is woven throughout the Bible.

Hagar’s desperation in the wilderness (Genesis 16:1-16)
Moses’ shepherding in the wilderness (Exodus 3)

Israel’s bitter complaining in wilderness wanderings (Exodus 14:11-14)
These are only a few examples.

Amazingly, God spoke of making a way in the wilderness. (Isaiah 43:20)

The wilderness isn’t a place of comfort, but is defined as a lonely, desolate place. I imagine wilderness as a place similar to the forested place I traveled with my mother as a child to cut firewood. Regardless of the landscape, wilderness is a place of lonely isolation.

Imagine Jesus taken by the Holy Spirit to that place of desolation. (Matthew 4:1-3) Imagine yourself there alone for 40 days and 40 nights without sustenance, and then the devil coming to tempt and taunt you. Some argue that because Jesus was God, He would have not felt tempted, physically weak, or lonely as we might, but Scripture reveals,

“For we do not have a great high priest [Jesus, the Son of God] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

We know Jesus felt hungry (Matthew 4:2) and tired (John 4:6), because, though He was fully God, He was also fully man.

Jesus’ wilderness was purposeful, a time set aside to fast, pray, and be present with His Father as He prepared to begin His ministry. Directly before this, when He was baptized, the Father testified about Him, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

In the wilderness, the devil tempted Jesus to use His power in ways inconsistent with His mission as God’s Beloved Son.

The devil took advantage of timing, approaching Jesus at the end of His 40 day fast, when He was hungry. Tempting Jesus to give in to the desires of His body, He urged Jesus to turn nearby stones to bread to satisfy His hunger. (Matthew 4:2-3)

But Jesus answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3)

Undaunted by his failure, the devil took Jesus to stand on the pinnacle of the temple in the holy city, asking Jesus to prove Himself as the Son of God. Misusing Scripture to qualify his claim, he asked Jesus to fall from the pinnacle, claiming angels would save Him. (Matthew 4:5-6)

But Jesus answered, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4:7, Deuteronomy 6:16)

The devil still would not give up; he took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the world and their glory, then asked Him to worship Satan, in order to gain ownership of said kingdoms and glory. (Matthew 4:8-9)

Again, Jesus resisted with Scripture, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” (Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:13)
Defeated, the devil departed from Jesus.

At times, we find ourselves in our own wildernesses. Even in daily life, we may feel alone in our wilderness, threatened physically, mentally, or spiritually.

In our world, sin and temptation constantly surround us.
Temptation may approach in the form of a threat or that of pleasure,
but always with the same goal: to lure us into sin.
The devil will either use our everyday needs to tempt us, or dreadful condition to submerge us in fear, belittling God’s power in our lives.

Anything shifting our gaze away from God can become our idol. Ordinary things may not appear sinful, but if we prioritize them above God, they become idols. Food is a normal need, but if we allow it to control us, it becomes an idol; likewise money, position, or any hunger of our heart. We are always tempted to pursue that which we think will satisfy our lusts, and the resulting idols always stand between us and God.

Sister, be encouraged; these idols are stripped of their power in Christ!
Through God’s Spirit, we have the capacity to overcome temptation!

The Scripture says God is faithful to sustain us through temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), and He has given us His Word to fight against the devil’s schemes. Jesus depended on God’s Word during His wilderness time; likewise, our victory over temptation depends on His Word. Among the spiritual weapons apostle and preacher, Paul, lists in Ephesians 6:10-18, “the sword of the Spirit–which is the word of God” is the only offensive weapon mentioned.

Finally, when we find ourselves in the wilderness, let’s believe the desolation can be unto a purpose. Let’s immerse ourselves in His Word, meditating on it day and night, until it abides within us. Then, when we face temptation, let us follow the example set by Jesus and wield it effectively, unto victory!

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Wilderness Day 3 Job’s Wilderness & My Own

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Job 19:25-27
Job 23:10-17
Job 42:5-17
Psalm 18:25-36
1 Peter 1:3-9

Wilderness, Day 3

Life is like embroidery work.

A piece of embroidery has two sides, two stories stitched simultaneously. The back is often a tangle of knots and strings, giving only a faint suggestion of the front image. Our life on earth is like the back of that piece, while God is creating a magnificent work of art on the other side; a stunning, eternal masterpiece.

Tucked away in the Old Testament lies a remarkable story that mirrors this sort of heavenly embroidery: the story of our brother Job and his staggering loss. His struggles challenge his understanding of God and leave him with more questions than answers.

Before we reach the end of chapter one, we find him stunned and grief-stricken. (Job 1) Job had recently placed the lifeless bodies of all 10 of his children in their graves. In the space of a few hours, he became a dweller of the surreal Land of Loss all grievers know well. In this land, nothing matters but the gaping wound and the ever-present pain.

The dust settles and Job’s questions arise.

“Why was I not stillborn;
Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb? [. . .]
Why is light given to one burdened with grief,
And life to those whose existence is bitter,
Who waits for death, but it does not come [. . .]
I have no rest, for turmoil has come.” (Job 3:11, 20-21, 26)

Wealth can be rebuilt, illness treated. Children cannot be replaced. Yet these priceless treasures were unceremoniously ripped away in a freak accident.

Job had no explanation. He was not privy to the conversations between God and Satan relayed in the text. (Job 1:6-12, Job 2:1-7) His confusion is warranted; His understanding of God and His ways were just body-slammed.

Like Job, our finite minds conclude our all-powerful, compassionate God can and should stop all suffering; yet, He doesn’t. We all have scars to prove it. Any notion suggesting God miraculously delivers His own from painful trials is patently false. (John 16:33)

So, in the quiet back channels of our soul, the unending “why” rises like a mist. Our suffering doesn’t make sense; He doesn’t make sense.

We’re reminded of the back of the embroidery work, where life is mostly a confusion of outlines, knots, and strings. Truthfully, Job never received answers to the questions haunting his sleepless nights, and we may not, either. Still, truth remains; God acts for His holy and eternal purposes. (Isaiah 40:12-14, 21-26)

I have spent ample time in the ash-heap of grief. Our brother Job buried ten children; I buried one. During my sojourn into loss, several stabilizing mindsets emerged, anchoring my soul with solid hope. Solid hope, I found, resides in solid truth—the truth of Scripture. As I began the practice of marinating my soul in Scripture, I came to know God as my Companion and Friend. The more deeply I knew Him, the more I trusted Him, which empowered tenacious devotion, gritty faith, and audacious obedience. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Frankly, were it not for my solid foundation of truth, I would not have survived Matthew’s long-term illness and death with my faith intact.

Though my anchor held fast, I too, wrestled through puzzling contradictions and unanswered questions. However, through the pain and confusion, this truth rose in an ever-present whisper: life on earth is not our only. Eternity awaits just beyond, through the veil of time and space.

As I await eternity, I find encouragement in Apostle Paul’s words:

“Therefore, we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

This truth gave perspective and purpose for the pain, while infusing a deeply-abiding, grounded hope and true joy for the reality of eternity.

This solid relationship with God empowered me to face life with unanswered questions, much like our brother Job. In the dark night of my soul, He whispered, “I see you; I am with you. I’m doing something deep and beautiful. Trust Me.” His words were mostly about trust and relationship; very little was said about changing circumstances in my favor.

Through the loneliness and desperation rose quiet, peaceful intimacy. He became my treasure and joy. I became fruitful, even in the place of pain. Knowing my Jesus was in control, holding my boys and I in His arms, became enough for me. I could maneuver through the knots and strings, knowing Who was creating a masterpiece on the flip-side.

Though we live on the backside now, when we see Him, He will flip the embroidery piece. We will be stunned at the masterpiece He created from what we only knew as tangled knots and strings. How could we imagine He’s been working all along, refining gold through our painful trials, weaving glistening threads through our darkest days, and crafting delicate, priceless jewels from our deepest sorrows.

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Build Day 14 Building Security: 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 Building Security!

The Questions

1) These verses make it seem like planning ahead is a bad thing, am I reading this correctly?

2) How can I know if my plans line up with God’s?

3) What does it mean to “know the good and not do it”? (verse 17)

James 4:13-17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit. “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.

Original Intent

1) These verses make it seem like planning ahead is a bad thing, am I reading this correctly?
To answer this question, we should first understand the audience James was originally writing to as well as the theme of his entire letter. Throughout his letter, James calls believers in Jesus to take action and “walk the talk”.  His audience called themselves Christ-following Christians, but weren’t necessarily being Christ-like or obedient to God’s commands in real, everyday life. They were showing favoritism (James 2:1-12), being prideful (James 4:1-12), spoke without integrity of worship (James 3:9-12), and incorrectly believed that faith without actions could pass for genuinely, saving faith (James 2:14-3:18). With that understanding as a backdrop, it becomes easier to understand the point James is making in these few verses, which is, don’t be so full of pride that you lay out, detailed plans for your entire life. If we are really serious about following God, we absolutely must allow room for God and His leading and prompting. God is not in the business of rubber stamping our plans and clearing away any obstacles that stand in our way. James wants his readers to remember the commitment they made to Jesus, then live accordingly with full surrender.

2) How can I know if my plans line up with God’s?
The first step is to ask God for wisdom and listen for His response. This initial act of surrender is worshipful as we prioritize God’s ways over our own. (Proverbs 9:10) As we learned, the first recipients of this letter weren’t taking time to ask God, but pridefully planning their own ways. There was no way of confidently knowing whether their plans aligned with God’s. In their favor, James’ audience knew their history and were familiar with how God had led Israel since the time of His promise to make Abraham into a great nation. (Genesis 12:1-3) Their parents and grandparents had undoubtedly recounted the stories of crossing the Red Sea, watching Jericho’s walls tumble down, and King David’s defeat of countless enemies time and time again. Not to mention, they personally knew Jesus, had sat under His teaching, had witnessed His miracles and were now scattered to share the gospel message of Christ’s offer to forgive and make new. You can almost see how excitement, perhaps even fear got the best of them, ideas and plans of their own making began to form and take over the awe of humble worship to a God who sacrificed Himself for them. This is how pride sneaks in, for them, and us. What had begun as excitement to share the God’s love with others had turned into running ahead of God instead of waiting for His direction and timing. We often forget, or overlook, that Jesus told His original followers the same thing He tells us today, “Love the LORD your God with all you’ve got.” (my paraphrase of Matthew 22:37) When you lose sight of walking daily in this command, it’s a pretty safe bet your plans won’t line up with God’s.

3) What does it mean to “know the good and not do it”? (verse 17)
The theme of our study has been Build and what it means to be totally dependent on God. Keeping this in mind, along with what we’ve learned of James’ purpose in writing, we can conclude that his audience struggled to obey God in everyday living. It’s one thing to claim to be a follower of Jesus, but another to live it out day after day. Maybe they were running too far ahead, maybe they were tired of being different and just wanted an easy life, maybe they trusted their own leadership more than God’s. Regardless, following and obeying God is sometimes hard whether you were a first-century believer or a 21st. Truly following God requires full reliance on the Spirit of God Who lives inside every believer to not only know and understand “the good way”, but to follow through and actually “live it”. These early followers of Jesus were experiencing the growing pains of living differently from the world around them. James, having learned this lesson firsthand as one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, is lovingly sharing his learnings with those God had put under his leadership.

Everyday Application

1) These verses make it seem like planning ahead is a bad thing, am I reading this correctly?
Much like James’ original audience, as Christ followers we must live with an awareness of Whose we are and live like we mean our commitment to follow Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says it pretty bluntly “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we willingly give up our rights and will for the sake of His. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make plans for the present and the future, but it does mean our planning should begin with God (Proverbs 2:6) by asking for His will to be done in and through us, just as Jesus did while on earth. (John 5:19) Once plans are made, we should hold them loosely because there may come a time when God asks us to change course and keep surrendering ourselves to Him; we must be willing to trust Him and follow as He leads.

2) How can I know if my plans line up with God’s?
In today’s society, we place immense pressure on youth to have their entire lives planned out when entering high school (secondary education for my non-western friends J). We expect them to choose a lifelong career path with little room for experience or gaining wisdom. Ironically, this method is what James speaks against, because it leaves no room for God! Maybe God is calling our sons and daughters to be doctors and lawyers, but He also may be calling them to be auto-mechanics, moms, preachers, or receptionists. Yes, plan for college, retirement, and future trips, but do so with God leading the way. This means we must ask His guidance while also waiting and listening, then compare what we think we hear to Scripture. If the two don’t align, we’ve misheard and need to ask again. Making plans isn’t really a “one and done” situation. Honestly, there are very few people I know where God has not changed their course mid-stream. Our oldest daughter planned to be a journalist for most of high school, and began college studies toward this direction. This was her plan, but God’s was elementary (primary) education. Even after course correcting, her plans had her teaching in a certain district and school, but once again, God’s plans were different. This lesson was hard and required time, but God is faithful to guide us and today she teaches first graders in our city’s urban core at a privately funded Christian school. Not at all what she would have picked for herself years ago, but exactly God’s intended direction. Amazingly, her heart is now more open and willing to wait for and listen to God. Her desire is to walk in obedience to His call, not hers, even when it’s not easy.

3) What does it mean to “know the good and not do it”? (verse 17)
Can I be honest with ya’ll? I have a love/hate relationship with writing studies. Angst explodes in seeing my assignment topic and Scripture references; I sense the coming turmoil of wrestling with Scripture. I can almost feel the questions I will wade through, and I begin praying God will somehow string together my wrestlings into sensible words that honor Him. Simultaneously, I love that God ALWAYS provides, often in the midst of my tears, conviction, and fresh insight. In this messy, but sacred place, I have been stuck, knowing the good I’ve been called to do, yet choosing not to act. Honestly, most often, we know the right answer. We know we should resist temptation; we know we should share truth instead of gossip, we know we should turn the other cheek, but it’s much easier to be self-righteous instead. When we choose sin, we choose to worship the fleshly desires Paul discusses in Romans 7 & 8. Believe me, I get it! I fail every single day because it’s easy; failing allows me to fit with the crowd and build my kingdom, my way. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” Verse 12 reiterates, “we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh!” Do you see it?! Because the Spirit of Christ lives in believers, we are no longer forced to obey the deceptive chant, “Who cares?! Do what you want!” When we choose not to do the good we ought, we are choosing neither to trust God nor rely on His Spirit. Paul speaks the remedy in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who is against us?” It’s terrifying to fully submit to God’s ways and start rejecting our ways. We fearfully wonder, “What if God wants me to give up what I love?” So, we reflect, are we living from pride of self or love for God? Taking it from James, pride sucks! As I wrestled through this, God insistently whispered, “Do you really trust me or not?” I tried my best to avoid this wrestling session, but God has led me to look at strong truth and walk away choosing differently in my everyday life.
P.S. If you’re up for a challenge, read the short book of Malachi. It’s full of opportunities to wrestle with truth, see the Savior, and walk away changed to be more like 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!

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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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Build Day 13 Building Security

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 11:1-12:26
1 Chronicles 23:24-32
James 4:13-17

Build, Day 13

In the first eight years of our marriage, my husband and I moved five times. Our moves were always long-distance, always for a different reason, and always into a drastically changed environment.

Once, we lived and worked in an inn. Another time, we lived with family. We spent a year in a stereotypical apartment complex without neighborly sentiment. Three years passed in a house in a mostly senior neighborhood. Now, we live in a townhouse and count the neighbors with whom we share our walls as friends.

Every place we’ve lived, God has been faithful to us, often by providing unexpected relationships. But transplanting is still hard, and often, finding new fellowship takes time.

In Nehemiah 11, many people faced the challenge of being transplanted. Some had returned to Israel from exile in Babylon, already uprooting their lives from a big city to resettle in a land ravaged by years of war and neglect. Others had been left behind in Israel during the exile, pouring themselves into maintaining life in an exposed, broken place.

With Jerusalem’s temple and wall rebuilt,
it was time for her citizens to move in and embody
what those physical structures represented.
Community.

Some families needed to relocate within the walls to fulfill God’s call to be God’s people, in God’s city, living God’s way, praising Him night and day together.

Of all the catalysts motivating my husband and I to move, never once was it because someone cast a lot. For the people in Nehemiah 11, however, it was exactly this. The ancient practice of casting lots in most cultures was somewhat akin to flipping a coin to make a decision. The idea was to make an impartial, unbiased decision about who would have to transplant to form this community. The unspoken emphasis in a biblical context was the heart motivation to surrender decisions to the Lord.

Can you imagine having the location of your home decided for you by mere chance? This is the place you’d return every day after work, make your own, and maybe even raise your family. You’d have no say over the neighborhood, your neighbors, or how far you were from the marketplace.

For Israel, casting lots wasn’t a game of chance, left to “fate”.
Rather, being selected to transplant was viewed as a decision from the Lord.
God had formed Israel as a people.
God had provided the Promised Land,
brought them out of it as punishment for longstanding sin,
and preserved a remnant for Himself.
These Israelites were that remnant.

Although being transplanted wasn’t easy and not many volunteered for it, it was actually quite an honor to be part of the new community forming in Jerusalem. Being a resident there meant having a front-row seat to watching God’s promises being kept and participating in the work and worship He’d called Israel to participate in long ago.

Israel’s leadership, including Nehemiah, fundamentally recognized that bringing residents home to Jerusalem absolutely must be accomplished God’s way.

While casting lots may have appeared to be the “deciding factor”
in choosing which families were transplanted,
but God was sovereign over each “flip” of the proverbial “coin”.

A variety of people may have been selected, but they were purposefully picked from each of the tribes God preserved: Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites.

These new residents of Jerusalem were also called to perform specific tasks in specific ways. They were assigned jobs according to their heritage. For instance, “Mattaniah—he and his relatives were in charge of the songs of praise.” (Nehemiah 12:8) This was in line with God’s previous design for Jerusalem and Israel, outlined several times in the Old Testament, such as 1 Chronicles 23:24-32, where the duties of the Levites are described.

In the long list of names found in Nehemiah 11-12:26, we discover a group of individuals willing to trust God and surrender their plans or preferences in order to relocate, take on particular jobs, and participate in a community organized around worship. Theirs is an example of what we’re all challenged to do in James 4:15 as followers of Jesus, “You should say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.‘”

We see modern examples of this in missionaries and church planters who are willing to relocate to fulfill God’s calling. Any Christ-follower who chooses to actively trust God and honor Him wherever they live demonstrates this willing, humble, active obedience, even when unexpected circumstances lead them to move, or limit their choices of neighborhood.

If you’ve transplanted recently, or you know someone who has, be encouraged. It is hard, but you’re not where you are, or engaged in the work you are, by mere chance!
God has placed you for a purpose.

Don’t miss Friday’s Journey Study to see how God is working
to build a new community through us!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Build Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Build Day 2 The Need To Build: 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 The Need To Build!

The Questions

1) Why does Nehemiah weep and mourn when he hears the ruined state of Jerusalem’s walls? (Nehemiah 1:4)

2) Why does Nehemiah ask the Lord to be attentive to Nehemiah and remember God’s promises? (Nehemiah 1:8-11)

3) Why did Nehemiah say that the gracious hand of God was on him? (Nehemiah 2:8)

Nehemiah 1:1-2:8

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.

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.” 6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me. 7 I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.

Original Intent

1) Why does Nehemiah weep and mourn when he hears the ruined state of Jerusalem’s walls? (Nehemiah 1:4)
Nehemiah was an exile from Jerusalem living in the Persian city of Susa, serving as a cupbearer to the King. When his brother visited and told him of the desolation and ruin in the city of Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat down and wept, then fasted and prayed. (Nehemiah 1:4) He mourned over the ruined state of his city as it lay open and vulnerable to attack. In that ancient culture, a city whose gates were broken and whose walls were destroyed couldn’t even be defined as a city. Nehemiah knew Jerusalem needed protection because many of God’s promises were connected to Jerusalem and its people who came from Abraham. (Genesis 12:1-3) Additionally, God’s temple was there. (Haggai 1) Lawrence H. Schiffman explains that the temple’s restoration was important because it “allowed Israel to continue its ancestral worship of God in the ways prescribed by its ancient literature [and]… established the biblical sacrificial system…“ Jerusalem also needed protection from her enemies. Brian Bill suggests Nehemiah was also “broken over the complacency of the people of Jerusalem. They were living in ruins and they accepted it. They were willing to walk around the devastation instead of being concerned enough to do something about their situation.” Although he didn’t live there, Nehemiah’s heart was present in Jerusalem with his people in his ancestral home. He was woeful to think of God’s people suffering, humbled, and defenseless. God used Nehemiah’s concern and love for God and his people to raise him up as a leader to accomplish God’s purposes.

2) Why does Nehemiah ask the Lord to be attentive to Nehemiah and remember God’s promises? (Nehemiah 1:8-11)
When Nehemiah sought the Lord over restoring the walls of Jerusalem, he asked God to remember what He had previously commanded Moses, and he petitioned God to be attentive to his prayers. (Nehemiah 1:8-11) Nehemiah knew it was wise to speak God’s promises back to Him because the Word of the Lord is true (Psalm 33:4) and God honors His promises. (Hebrews 10:23) David Guzik asserts, “This, no doubt, is the secret to great power in prayer: to plead the promises of God. We may be a bit annoyed when one of our children comes to us saying ‘Daddy, you promised’; but our Father in heaven delights in it.” Nehemiah reminded the Lord of His promise to Moses that He would scatter His people because of their disobedience and that He would gather them together when they repented and returned to God. (Deuteronomy 30:1-4) Brian Bill paraphrases the prayer of Nehemiah, “Lord, the first part is true. We’ve disobeyed and we’re in captivity. But Lord, you’ve made a promise to bring us back home and protect us there – and that has not happened yet. I’m claiming your promise that You’ll make it happen.” Nehemiah prayed with expectation, knowing that God’s heart toward the people was forgiveness and restoration, and that now was as good a time as any to perform His Word. Nehemiah asked God to attend to his prayers because He wanted God to know he was in earnest and that God’s heart was being reflected in Nehemiah’s. In praying the promises of God, Nehemiah knew he would be touching the heart of God and His desire to perform His Word for His people.

3) Why did Nehemiah say that the gracious hand of God was on him? (Nehemiah 2:8)
When Nehemiah was granted permission and assistance from the King to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, he declared, “the gracious hand of God was on me.” (Nehemiah 2:8) Nehemiah recognized that God orchestrated the entire incident for him, including making him the King’s cupbearer and giving him favor with the king so his requests would be heard and granted. A cupbearer, “in the ancient Oriental courts, was always a person of rank and importance; and, from the confidential nature of his duties and his frequent access to the royal presence, he possessed great influence” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary) God placed Nehemiah in a situation of gaining favor of the one man who could provide the assistance and resources necessary to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall. God had done the same with Ezra when he began rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. (Ezra 7:6)  W.P. Lockhart suggests, “When God has work to be done He provides suitable instruments and places them in favourable situations to promote His plans.” Such was certainly the case for Nehemiah. Not everyone who stood before the king unbidden to make a request was honored as Nehemiah was. It was surely God’s grace on him that brought about the success of his mission. The hand of God was on Nehemiah to rebuild the wall, just as it had been on Ezra to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It is encouraging to know that when God calls you to do something for Him, He gives you the grace and favor you need to see it through. (2 Timothy 1:9)

Everyday Application

1) Why does Nehemiah weep and mourn when he hears the ruined state of Jerusalem’s walls? (Nehemiah 1:4)
I was impressed with Nehemiah’s devotion to God and His people when I read his reaction to the dire situation of Jerusalem, its broken walls, and the peoples’ disgrace. Nehemiah 1:4 describes his response, “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.” Reading this made me consider the last time I wept, fasted, or even prayed for the sadness and desolation I see around me in the church, in my culture, and the world. I certainly notice when big events happen, but I wonder if I have become complacent in the face of rampant sin in the world around me. Kathleen Nielsen suggests “Nehemiah cares about the wall because the wall will protect the people. Nehemiah cares about the people because God loves them, because God redeemed them, covenanted with them, and promised to raise up the one who would crush the oppressor for them.” Because Nehemiah loved God, he also loved the people God loved. Jesus told us something similar in John 15:12, “Love one another as I have loved you.” I should be moved with God’s love for the people around me, like Nehemiah was, because of the love God has poured out on me. (1 John 4:19) Jesus even told us that others will recognize we are Christ-followers by the way we love one another. (John 13:35) Nehemiah saw God’s people suffering and let his love move him to action. I purpose to be like Nehemiah and let God’s love pour out of me and onto those hurting around me.

2) Why does Nehemiah ask the Lord to be attentive to Nehemiah and remember God’s promises? (Nehemiah 1:8-11)
When I was ten years old, my parents gave me a little clear plastic box with a hinged lid that contained all the promises of God in the Bible written out on little pieces of cardstock. I loved choosing one to pin on the cork board above my desk each week so I could see and contemplate it while taking a brain break. Those pinned promises helped me learn the heart of God towards me. They taught me to pray that God would do what He promised in my life. I learned that when I ask with right motives that honor God’s glory (James 4:3), God promises I will receive. (Luke 11:9) I often reminded God of this promise, especially when His timetable did not match mine. Nehemiah reminded God of what he thought was an overdue promise in Nehemiah 1:8-11. God had promised to gather His scattered people once they repented, and Nehemiah reminded Him that He still hadn’t fulfilled that promise. Nehemiah assuredly knew God was faithful to keep His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9), so he understood that praying God’s promises was a winning strategy to gather God’s people and repair the walls of Jerusalem. Praying the promises of God is a good plan for all of us, because we know God watches over His Word to accomplish it. (Jeremiah 1:12) Dr. David Jeremiah declares, “One of the most practical ways to be powered by God’s promises is to pray them. When we pray God’s promises, we are telling Him we trust Him to keep His Word.” When we come against a need, we can follow Nehemiah’s example and remind our faithful God of His promises in the Word. We can trust He is faithful to fulfill His promises!

3) Why did Nehemiah say that the gracious hand of God was on him? (Nehemiah 2:8) Nehemiah knew he would have a chance to ask the King for help in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He fasted and prayed before making his request of the king (Nehemiah 1:4) because Nehemiah understood God was sovereign over the earthly king. He even prayed just moments before he told the King his troubles. When the king granted all Nehemiah asked, Nehemiah recognized “the gracious hand of God was on me.” (Nehemiah 2:8) Grace is something God freely gives to His children. It is not something we can earn. (Ephesians 2:8) A.W. Tozer explains, “Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving.” God chooses to give grace to His people, and that unmerited favor equips us in our endeavors for Him. John Piper describes how God’s grace “also refers to the action or the power or the influence or the force of this disposition, which produces real, practical outcomes in people’s lives, like being sufficient for good deeds or enduring the thorn in the flesh or working harder than everybody else. . .” Because of God’s gracious hand on his life, Nehemiah was able to gather the resources he needed to rebuild the walls in Jerusalem. God’s gracious hand on our lives can help us do remarkable things and endure unthinkable things. We know “we have all received grace upon grace from His fullness” (John 1:16), and this grace empowers us to accomplish what otherwise would be impossible. (Matthew 19:26)

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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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)
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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.

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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!

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