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Redemption

Build Day 15 Building Community

March 4, 2022 by Mary Kathryn Tiller Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 12:27- 13:31
Jeremiah 31
Deuteronomy 31:9-13
John 2:19-21
Revelation 7:9-10

Build, Day 15

Throughout this Journey Theme, we have witnessed Nehemiah, a devoted man of God, courageously leading the Jews through the difficult work of rebuilding Jerusalem following their return from exile. They have encountered significant odds and great opposition, but God protected them and granted them favor.

In today’s portion of Scripture, we gather with the remnant of Israel as they celebrate the completion of the wall of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 12) Can you imagine? After a brilliant procession around the wall, joy-filled songs resound off nearby hills as the people gather to offer sacrifices, praising God for all He’s done.

While the procession, music, and festive clothing were undoubtedly beautiful, one of the most stunning aspects of the Jew’s celebration was the way it honored God. They were not merely celebrating their success and hard work, they were celebrating the incredible, impossible feats the Lord had accomplished through their hands.

We do this, too! Have you ever celebrated your accomplishments while giving glory to God? Of course, we no longer offer animal sacrifices, but we can honor God through our prayer, praise, and parties. Whether we gather as a church family for a night of worship or invite a few friends to celebrate in our home, we can honor God’s sovereignty, grace, and faithfulness by thanking Him publicly for all He has done.

A Bright Beginning
This was a new beginning for the Israelites, another opportunity to live in the presence of the Lord, to be His people, and serve Him well. They were hopeful for the Lord’s restoration and their obedience as they recommitted themselves to the Lord and gathered together to listen to His Law.

Since the time of Moses, God had instructed His people to read the Law aloud regularly, especially during festivals and celebrations. (Deuteronomy 31:9-13) God knew the forgetfulness of the human heart, and He intended this practice to serve as an anchor, lest His people become swept away by the festivities and fall into sin.

Indeed, when the Jews read the Word of God that day, they encountered a forgotten section: the command for no Moabite or Ammonite may worship among them as their hearts would be led away to worship foreign idols. We see them repent and respond immediately, ejecting foreigners from their temple. Their swift action revealed hearts responsive to God.

A Disappointing Ending
After such a beautiful celebration and communal time in God’s Word, it is tempting to imagine the Jews living happily ever after in the presence of the Lord. Instead, chapter 13 opens to a shocking turn of events. After leaving Jerusalem to serve the Persian king, Nehemiah returns to find everything he’d established just a few years before has been upended.

–       The Temple storeroom, once overflowing with tithes of oil, new wine, and grain offerings, had been handed over as a personal “playroom” for Nehemiah’s enemy, Tobiah. (Nehemiah 6:1-2)

–       With the storeroom occupied and nowhere else to bring their tithes, the people stopped giving, leaving the Levites in a lurch. Unable to provide for their families, the Levites were forced to neglect their temple duties and find work in the fields.

–       Not only had the Levites abandoned their duties, but the Jewish merchants had abandoned the Sabbath, spending the holy day conducting business. And business was the least of it: the high priest’s own son had taken a pagan bride!

This is a painful and anti-climatic ending to what should have been a story of celebration and hope. What happened? What are we to glean from such a depressing ending?

The first lesson is this: even when things don’t turn out the way we expect, we can still praise God. Yes, the Jews quickly fell away from their fervent vows of obedience. However, their unfaithfulness does not diminish God’s faithfulness to them. God chooses to accomplish His plans through sinful people knowing we will stumble along the way.

The second lesson is this: even the greatest Bible teachers and the most beautiful churches cannot guarantee devotion to God. Nehemiah was a great leader and a righteous man, who accomplished many remarkable things! Yet, he couldn’t give the people what they needed most. More than a new temple, or a new wall, they needed new hearts.

While the book of Nehemiah leaves us wanting, that desire for redemption leads us to Jesus.

The Coming Kingdom
Some 400 years after Nehemiah, God sent a new Leader to establish a new Kingdom. Jesus. Like Nehemiah, Jesus would hold the Jewish people accountable and accomplish incredible works through the power of God.

While it took the Jews forty-six years to rebuild the temple, Jesus rebuilt it in three days. (John 2:19-21, Zechariah 6:12) Christ’s Kingdom, unlike Nehemiah’s, will be free from sin. In Nehemiah’s day, foreigners were excluded from worship, but in Jesus’ day, people from every nation and tribe will worship God together. (Revelation 7:9-10)

We began our journey with an amazing celebration between God and His people, but it didn’t last long. Thankfully, there is good news. Jesus will return, and when He does, a new era of rejoicing will dawn. Until then, Jesus is building a community of believers from all over the world, including you and me! One day we, too, will gather together and worship God for the incredible, amazing things He built through us . . .  and that celebration will never end.

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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!
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Posted in: Faithfulness, God, Hope, Power, Praise, Redemption, Sacrifice, Scripture, Worship Tagged: beginning, build, celebration, Community, Devoted, Nehemiah, protected, rebuilding

Build Day 10 Building Restoration

February 25, 2022 by Jami Stroud Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 8
Romans 3:21-24
John 1:1-18

Build, Day 10

Before Nehemiah began his quest to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, his friend Ezra was on the scene to bring the Israelite community back together after years of exile in Babylon. (Ezra 7) Ezra gathered exiled Israelites from Babylon, uniting them with those already in Jerusalem to bring spiritual restoration as a community to the nation.

As Nehemiah governs God’s people in Jerusalem and works to rebuild the wall, he finds a partner in the spiritual leader, Ezra. When the wall is finally rebuilt, Ezra and Nehemiah join forces to point their people back to God. (Nehemiah 8) What a refreshing view of spiritual and governing leaders coming together for the benefit of their people and the glory of God!

For seven days, Ezra and other spiritual leaders read the Torah and taught its meaning to the people.

And the people began responding.

After years of being unable to hear God’s word and celebrate their religious holidays, the Israelites began repenting. They listened and followed instructions to build the same festival shelters their forefathers had built; they began celebrating God through feasting together, and they began worshiping the Lord with JOY.

Joy was restored.

Can you imagine, after 70 years of slavery and exile, doing anything but grumbling and throwing yourself a pity party? I don’t know about you, but I’d be attending that pity party, table for one!

But this is the power of God’s Holy Word: to build back up what has been torn down, to transform us and restore us to the beautiful, joyful creation He intended us to be.

It’s easy to read this story on the other side, thousands of years later, and quickly pinpoint where the Israelites made mistakes. Yet, we are in need of the same restoration God graciously offered them in their renewed city, for we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23-24)

Just as the Israelites were exiled from Jerusalem, so in our sin, we were exiled from a relationship with our Creator and Father.

But then God’s Word was made flesh in the form of Jesus, and a whole new era of restoration began. (John 1:1-18) Just as Ezra and Nehemiah made space for the Word of God to be heard, taught, and practiced, Jesus was God’s Word incarnate, dwelling among us, teaching us how to live and turn back to God.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus was the way for restoration.

Now, as we live on the other side of restoration, in relationship with God, we wait for the second coming of Jesus and the restoration of the world as we know it.
Don’t we see it around us?
Don’t we see it in ourselves?
We’re living in “the now and the not yet” of restoration.

So, what do we do as we wait for our final restoration?
Where do we find our joy in the meantime?

We remember the dedication of Ezra and Nehemiah and we turn to God’s Word. We seek it, and we allow others to teach us. We learn and practice what it says. We gather together as brothers and sisters in Christ and we celebrate all God has done.

Here, we find joy.
We find daily renewal and restoration.
We find hope when it seems all is lost, and we feel like we’ve endured 70 years of exile.

Will you join me in continuing to dig into God’s word? (Look at you, doing that right now!)
Will you seek understanding?
Will you do what His Word says?
Will you gather your friends and family to delight in God together?
Will you remember to find Joy?

Because you, my friend, have been Restored.

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

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

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

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

Posted in: Broken, Character, Faith, Grace, Need, Prayer, Redeemed, Redemption, Scripture, Transformation, Waiting, Worship Tagged: build, hope, restoration, Restored, scripture, study, worship

Advent Day 10 Bridging The Gap

December 17, 2021 by Sarah Afan Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 9:6-15
Isaiah 53:4-6
Romans 3:10-26 
John 14:1-3
Romans 5:12-21

Advent, Day 10

“There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one [. . .] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10b-12, 23)

After the first man made the crushing choice of self over God, mankind became warped in their sinful selves, unable to truly stand before a righteous and holy God. They became objects of God’s wrath, and so there was nothing left for mankind except condemnation.

But while man was grubbing in darkness and hopelessness, One came who perfectly fulfilled the role of a mediator between God and man. He was God in the flesh, come to take our punishment and to cover our sinfulness with His righteousness. The Scripture says, “For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” (Hebrews 7:26)

As we celebrate the coming of God in the flesh with our Advent series, today, we journey further back still to examine how the priesthood foreshadowed our Savior’s arrival, generations before His birth.

Consider Jesus, our perfect Priest, Who sacrificed Himself to put away the sin of mankind. As it is appointed for man to die once, and after that judgement, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of the many. (Hebrews 9:26-28) He bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24)

What lavish love! What priest would dare love like this?
In His humble coming, He provided access to the Father never before known,
to not just a select few who could enter the holy of holies,
but for all who believe in Him.

In fact, Scripture says of those who have believed in Christ,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

No other blood can save except the blood of our Perfect Priest. While the priests in the Old Testament offered animals’ blood for the atonement of sins, their sacrifice could not grant complete access to God’s presence. In fact, it was offered as many times as sin was committed. The perfect Priest, however, offered Himself willingly and freely,
as a sacrifice for our sins once and for all.

The prophet Isaiah expounded,
“Yet he himself bore our sickness, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Jesus Himself said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

We may not appreciate this demonstration of great love by our perfect Priest if we do not understand the awful and grievous nature of our sinfulness.

In Ephesians 2:1-3, apostle and preacher, Paul, provides a sobering elucidation:
we were dead in our trespasses and sins,
following the course of this world, according to the ways of the prince of the air (Satan)
fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of our minds,
by nature children of wrath.

By following the course of this world,
we become servants of Satan.
We follow his dictates and crave evil rather than good. 

But this perfect Priest obtained for us eternal redemption with His own blood; He became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) The payment price to buy us back from the slavery of sin, under the dictatorship of Satan, is His blood.

What love!
What mercy!
Our redemption is in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

When I recall I was an object of God’s wrath, and consider the saving grace of my Redeemer, I shed tears of joy.

When I reflect on my awfulness, and how I deserved eternal death, but Jesus, the perfect Priest, died in my place, I know I owe Him my all.

Willingly, Christ died for us even when we were God’s enemies. (Romans 5:8) Now, He has provided access to God for whoever believes in Him, welcoming all to be reconciled to God. One day, coming still, we will leave our own sin-wrecked selves and find solace in Christ, face-to-face.

Scripture confirms,
“[T]here will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads [. . .] and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelations 22:3-5) Oh, what great joy awaits those who believe in Christ, the perfect Priest!

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

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

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

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

Posted in: God, Humility, Jesus, Joy, Love, Mercy, Redemption, Scripture Tagged: Advent, Bridge, celebrate, holy, Lavish, redeemer, righteous, Saving Grace, Self

Advent Day 8 The Suffering Servant

December 15, 2021 by Sarah Afan Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 42:1-9
Isaiah 53
Luke 2:41-48
Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23

Advent, Day 8

It is easy to misunderstand the personality of Jesus when we view His life on earth from a human perspective.

Though God, He came in human form and was born as any other child. His birth was the lowliest, born in a manger, where animals were kept. (Luke 2:1-7) He grew up as any other child, running errands for His earthly parents in the streets of Galilee. Scripture simply referred to Him as the “boy Jesus.” (Luke 2:43) After losing track of young Jesus for several days while traveling, his mother talked to Him as any frightened mother would speak to her child, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (Luke 2:48)

For today’s Journey Study, we continue to move backward in time, centuries before Jesus’ birth, to learn how the prophet Isaiah foretold His character and mission. Isaiah described Him as a young plant growing up in dry ground (Isaiah 53:2), symbolizing His humble life in a corrupt and sinful world.
The fallen world is a seemingly impossible place to thrive in righteousness for Satan tempted Christ with the allure of sin just as he does any human being. (Hebrews 4:15)
Jewish religious leaders continually sought ways to find fault in Him, to justify
their plan of killing Him. (Luke 20:20-26)
He was despised, relegated, and treated with contempt.
Offended by Jesus’ teaching and seeking to discredit Him, His own people said, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary?” (Matthew 13:55)

Despite the corruption of sin around Him, Scripture testifies how Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.” (Luke 2:52) His environment did not deter His physical, emotional growth or His divine righteousness. In the face of adversity, He found favor with God and people.

How did it happen?
God the Father said of God the Son, Jesus,
“This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1)

Jesus Himself also testified, speaking of His divine unity with the Father, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things.” (John 5:19)
The “stony ground” of the human heart condition that naturally rebels against God, did not stop Jesus from thriving, because He drew His nourishment from the Father.

Scripture makes it clear that Jesus is fully God, but He chose to be born as human in order to fulfil the mission of God the Father for mankind. He humbled Himself to a servant’s position by submitting to the will of His Father through suffering.
Death became His portion, so that we might have life in Him. 

In his prophecy, Isaiah relayed clearly the suffering Jesus would undergo. Isaiah 53:4-6 describes the nature of His sufferings and the benefits to us. He bore our sicknesses and carried our pains, was pierced and crushed because of our rebellion and iniquities, was punished for our peace, and by His wounds we are healed.

But we did not identify with Him in His suffering;
we “regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4)

What seemed as a harsh punishment turned out to be gracious, for through the Servant’s suffering came the justification of many. The Servant’s pain, suffering, and death serve as a restitution offering, covering our sins and bringing us back into relationship with God.
We believe, from the Scriptures, Jesus underwent such suffering for us.

But how does this redemption echo in our lives?
Jesus redeemed us so our relationship with God might be restored;
how committed are we to that relationship?

He sacrificed His life for us.
What have we sacrificed for His sake?

Our faith in Him should not be limited to His blessings only,
but must also cost us our comfort.
Are we identifying with Him in His suffering as the Apostle Paul,
confidently agreeing, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”? (Philippians 1:21)

If we have repented of our sins and sought the forgiveness, grace, and mercy of God, we have been redeemed through the Servant’s suffering;
now, we are called to “produce fruit consistent with repentance.” (Matthew 3:8)
We must make holiness our end goal; He said, “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

Do not misunderstand, sisters–this is NOT a legalistic directive to muster up perfection or put on a “good Christian performance.” Rather, true pursuit of the Holy involves total surrender of every part of us to the Spirit; we give Him unfettered access to every corner of ourselves . . . even when it involves sacrifice, or suffering. Anything less is compromise, the lie of pretty words, the hallmark of hypocrisy; as Jesus warned,

“‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.’” (Matthew 7:21)

In gratitude for our redemption brought by the Servant’s suffering, in total surrender to our Father’s will, I believe we will find the Kingdom is worth our sacrifice.

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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 Advent Week Two! 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 Advent!

Posted in: Christ, Faith, God, Holy Spirit, Humility, Jesus, Kingdom, Redeemed, Redemption, Relationship, Sacrifice, Scripture, Suffering Tagged: Advent, father, gracious, pursuit, servant, surrender

The GT Weekend! ~ Advent Week 1

December 11, 2021 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Most people don’t think of kings as servants. The Jews surely were looking for a king with authority and powerful army to rescue them from Roman oppression. This was their idea of the promised Messiah. Monday’s Journey Study showed us how Jesus, the true Messiah, came, not as a Roman-conquering-king, but as a humble servant. Indeed, He was and is, a king, in fact the King of Kings, but he didn’t come to defeat the Romans. He came to defeat the darkness of sin and death. He was the infant Messiah born to bring Truth and Light into the world. Journal about your salvation experience as if you were telling a friend about it. Share how Jesus is your light, and how He came to conquer your sin. Scripture teaches us to be Christlike, what are some ways you can practice humility as He modeled? Ponder how viewing Jesus as a humble servant changes your perspective of Advent as you prepare for Christmas. How can you better anticipate the light and truth ushered in by the birth of Jesus because of what you’ve learned about Him in Scripture? If you feel ambitious this weekend, revisit Week Three from the Journey Theme, If as it digs into Jesus as Victorious King.

2) In Deuteronomy 28:1-26, Moses lays out the benefits of obedience to God and the consequences of disobedience. Our midweek Journey Study pointed out that the Israelites seemed to choose sin instead of obedience. Have you ever judged them as you read the Old Testament? I’m guilty of it. But don’t we do the same thing? Think back on times when you have chosen sin over obedience. Did the consequences echo those described in Deuteronomy 28:15-26? You can also visit Glimmers Day 6 Journey Study for more on the sin cycle and Jesus as our rescuer. Prophets were sent to help the people know, and hopefully obey, God’s Word. One thing they consistently presented was the prophecy of the coming Messiah. From Hosea to Malachi, Jesus is consistently mentioned as the solution to sin and death. On this side of the birth of Jesus, we lose some of the awe and wonder of who the Messiah was and is. Pick one or more of the minor prophets and record how their prophetic work helps you recapture the true sense of who Jesus is. What is one thing you can do each day to lean into the wonder of the coming Messiah?

3) Can you imagine doing the same thing over and over in order to be forgiven, but knowing that forgiveness would never be permanent? That’s exactly what the Israelites had been doing with sacrifices. As Lesley showed us on Friday, the Messiah would be a once-for-all sacrifice granting permanent forgiveness. How does meditating on this reality help you understand the depths of the Messiah’s love for you? Being the ultimate final sacrifice means defeating sin and death’s darkness. What shoots the darkness? Light. Jesus was, and is, that eternally powerful light. Because Jesus, our Messiah, is God, no darkness can eclipse Him and therefore, when we have accepted Him as our Savior, the darkness cannot overcome us either. Jesus came, and His light conquered the darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” Who knows this world is still full of darkness? Record some areas you are personally aware of that need the light of Jesus. Write a prayer asking Jesus to shine His light there. How can you be part of shining that light?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Isaiah 9:6-7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end.  He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

Prayer Journal
Father God, as this Advent season begins, help me to feel the anticipation the Israelites felt, waiting for the Messiah. But having the benefit of knowing how He arrived, and how His birth was ultimately the source of my salvation, may I also anticipate His return. God, I am always baffled as to why You love me enough to send Jesus to take on a human body so that He could reconcile me to You. I am eternally grateful for Jesus, and I pray that I can avoid the sin cycle the Israelites followed. Instead, help me to choose obedience. Help me anticipate Jesus’ return and all that will mean for myself and the Church. While I wait, help me shine the light of Jesus on others so that they too can leave darkness behind.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

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Posted in: Adoring, Amazed, Know, Peace, Preparing, Redemption, Rescue Tagged: Advent, Glimmer, hope, Jesus, King, prophet, rescue

Advent Day 3 Until

December 8, 2021 by Bri Bailey 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 12:1-3
Deuteronomy 28:1-26
Deuteronomy 18:15-22
Luke 24:25-27
Hebrews 12:18-24

Advent, Day 3

It seemed straightforward enough.

So He could fulfill the covenant promises He’d made to Abraham, God set up parameters for holy living and gave His people a system of choice and consequence.

Choose righteousness, and be blessed. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
Choose disobedience and sin, and be cursed. (Deuteronomy 28:15-26)

Easy choice, right?
Yet, inevitably, Israel pivoted to sin.

Like any Good Father, God sought to remind His children of the consequences of their choices before they earned total catastrophe.

Enter, prophets. Since the first sin separated humans from God, and since the people of Israel were subsequently overcome by fear in God’s direct presence, He appointed prophets to deliver His Word.

Today, as we continue to look forward to Jesus’ coming, we travel back to the days of the minor (read, shorter-winded) prophets, ordinary men called by God to warn sin-entangled Israel of impending disaster unless the people repented and returned to God.

Ultimately, each prophet foretold the coming Messiah, Who would once and for all time break the power of sin and bring restoration and redemption. (Hebrews 10:11-18)

The prophet Hosea’s steadfast love for his wife despite her habitual betrayal reflected God’s heart toward unfaithful Israel; he revealed Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 3:16-17). Jesus is the Bridegroom Who loves with compassion (Hosea 11:4, 8-9), healing those who return to Him. (Hosea 6:1-2)

Joel watched a swarm of locusts darken the sun, devouring the few leaves not strangled by drought, then leveraged this devastation to mirror Israel’s sin of abandoning God. He foretold the coming Day of Yahweh, when Jesus would judge the nations (Joel 3:2,12), send His Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28, John 16:7-15), and stand as Israel’s refuge. (Joel 3:16)

Amos, a farmer and rancher who delighted in a life spent tending God’s creation, convicted Israel of breaking covenant with God in their pursuit of materialistic prosperity. Though he warned of impending judgement, Amos also spoke great prophecies of restoration, foretelling Jesus as the fulfillment of David’s line, the rebuilder, and the restorer of God’s people. (Amos 9:11-15)

Author of the shortest book in the Bible, Obadiah emphasizes Christ’s “ordinary humanity” as he descended neither from kings nor priests. Obadiah was simply an ordinary man chosen by God to condemn the pride of Israel’s enemies and reveal Christ as the judge of the nations (Obadiah 1:15-16), Israel’s Savior (Obadiah 1:17), and the Possessor of the Kingdom (Obadiah 1:21).

Jonah’s three-day detour in the belly of a big fish foreshadowed Christ’s three days in the grave before His resurrection (Matthew 12:38-42). Once released, Jonah’s call to repentance from the dreaded Assyrians was an early reflection of Christ’s desire for all people to repent and receive salvation. (Jonah 3:4-10, 2 Peter 3:9)

Micah, a prophet residing in a busy trading town, proclaimed God’s displeasure at the empty rituals of worship offered by Israel, even as they abandoned any pretense of righteousness in their daily dealings. (Micah 6:6-8) Micah’s words portray Jesus as the King to be born in Bethlehem and, following Jesus’ birth, were quoted to the current king, Herod. (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-6)

In condemning the Assyrians for unabated savagery and wickedness, Nahum comforted God’s people and revealed Christ as the jealous God who avenges adversaries. (Nahum 1:2-3)

As Habakkuk wrestled with the mystery of God’s goodness and power when faced with the reality of evil, he portrayed Jesus as Savior (Matthew 1:21), the Holy One (Habakkuk 1:12, 1 John 1:9), the Justifier through faith (Habakkuk 2:4), and He who will fill the earth with knowledge of God’s glory (Habakkuk 2:14).

Descended from the righteous king Hezekiah, Zephaniah delivered God’s judgement against the people’s sin under the reign of evil kings, called for repentance, and extended the hope of redemption. In Zephaniah’s words, Jesus is foretold as the Righteous One (Zephaniah 3:5) and the people’s true King (Zephaniah 3:15).

Yet the Lord’s words went unheeded. Israel was conquered and exiled by the Babylonians. After 70 years, a remnant was allowed to return; more than a decade after their homecoming, they continued to struggle against enemies and to obtain basic necessities.

Into the disarray stepped Haggai, who encouraged the people to rebuild the temple as a sign of their commitment to God’s centrality in their lives; in doing so, Haggai revealed Christ as the ultimate Restorer of the temple’s glory (Haggai 2:7-9, John 2:17-22) and Overthrower of all worldly kingdoms (Haggai 2:22).

As Zechariah encouraged the people to complete temple reconstruction, he foretold Israel’s restoration through the coming Christ, portraying Jesus as Servant King (Zechariah 9:9), crucified Savior (Zechariah 12:10), smitten Shepherd who would be abandoned (Zechariah 13:7), and coming Judge and righteous King (Zechariah 14).

As the concluding prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi convicted Israel of their sin yet again and delivered the final words of the Lord until John the Baptist would declare the arrival of Jesus (Malachi 3:1, John 1:29).

And then, silence.
For 400 years.

Until a wild-haired, animal skin-clad man waist-deep in the waters of the Jordan River froze, mid-baptism, as he locked eyes with a nondescript Hebrew making His way to the shore.

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

[Did one of these prophets spark your curiosity? Learn more at Bible.org, our main resource for this study!]

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Posted in: Blessed, God, Healing, Hope, Jesus, Love, Redemption Tagged: abraham, Advent, choose, coming, Fulfill, Messiah, righteousness, Until

Worship IX Day 15 The God Who Is

December 3, 2021 by Paula Romang Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Exodus 34:4-9
Isaiah 57:15-20
Colossians 1:3-23
Revelation 5

Worship IX, Day 15

It was a quid pro quo arrangement with God.
My part was excellence on all points in Christian living;
His was to deliver my version of the blessed and beautiful Christian life.

Despite my quest for perfect performance, my only consistent accomplishment was failure. I was caught in a self-defeating, self-inflicted trap. My expectations and reality were worlds apart, resulting in a brutal head-on collision. I slumped in the wreckage of disappointment, a casualty of my own deception. Had I misunderstood Him; did I even truly know Him?

My disillusionment led me to Scripture, where I encountered the tender, yet terrifying God Who Is. 

I found God reveals Himself in seemingly-opposing ways.
He honors humans with intimate friendship, yet acts independently,
delineating His realm of existence; we are creatures, He is Creator.
In divine wisdom, He takes action, reinstating order where humans create chaos,
all the while working out His redemptive plan for humanity.

The Creator “walk[ed] in the garden at the time of the evening breeze” with Adam and Eve in Eden. (Genesis 3:8)
He also banished them from Eden following their rebellion. (Genesis 3:22-24)

In Noah, He confided His regret in creating mankind, and His plan to decimate creation with a deluge, restarting with Noah and his family. He dictated instructions for their ark of rescue, then proceeded with the deluge. (Genesis 6, 7, 8, 9)

He chose a pagan named Abram, renamed him Abraham, and honored him with covenants and promises. God called Abraham His friend, yet clearly illustrated to Abraham that his Friend was the Divine Power. God made shocking demands of Abraham, yet in the process, sketched His overarching plan for humanity’s redemption. (Learn more about Abraham in Genesis 11-25)

He shepherded Abraham’s descendants through multiple generations, revealing Himself by the name “I AM” to Moses, and honoring Moses with the first character description of Himself. (Exodus 3) Once again, when the evil of mankind had reached His limits, “I AM” stepped in, restoring order, wielding judgement, and delivering Israel by His bared, holy arm. (Learn more about God’s rescue of Israel in Exodus 1-14)

“I AM” guided Israel by a pillar of cloud and fire, protected them, and established them as a nation. He called men and women who followed Him for bold missions, feats of valor, and fearless preaching. Prophets foretold “I AM” would come in human form. His mission would be to redeem fallen humanity. (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

Weathered sages scratched truth-filled messages and prophetic visions onto sacred scrolls. Once again, they told of “I AM,” Who seeks tender friendship with mankind, yet, remains “in a high and holy place.” (Isaiah 57:15)

He speaks comfort, extends lovingkindness, and powerfully protects. (Isaiah 41:8-11)
In the same breath, He holds mankind accountable for their choices. Once again, “I AM” emblazons the distinction between mankind and Himself. (Isaiah 40–41)

All the while, “I AM” is weaving together our redemption, revealing with uncanny clarity His jaw-dropping plan to redeem mankind by coming in human form as their Passover Lamb. (Isaiah 53)

Prophetic words came true; “I AM” arrived as “God with us.”
The Holy Spirit divinely fathered Jesus in Mary’s womb. (Matthew 1:18-23)
He lived a common, yet wholly uncommon life; fully human, fully God. Jesus championed authentic religion marked by ongoing compassion for the helpless and hopeless while offending the elite with truth. He revealed His divine power and identity simply to undergird the tenderly flowering faith of His followers and underscore His bold assertions, He was eternity’s “I AM” in human form.

He was “I AM” submitting to the slashing whip and criminal’s crucifixion.
God, slaughtered as the unblemished Passover Lamb. (Matthew 26-27)

“I AM,” “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth” (Exodus 34:6), so accessible and relatable— so killable. He was born to die, all while remaining God and conquering death. Resurrection Day both seals and celebrates His resounding victory! (Matthew 28)

Following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, His disciples were freshly empowered by the truth and His indwelling Holy Spirit. (Acts 2) So, they turned the world upside-down with the gospel. In a stunning vision, the aging Apostle John received a glimpse into Heaven’s throne-room where his Friend awaits. It was Him! Israel’s Passover Lamb; Judah’s warring Lion; his Friend, Jesus of Nazareth, the Great “I AM”! (Learn more about John’s vision in the book of Revelation)

Dwelling in holy friendship with such other-worldly majesty—how can it be?  What does He want with us?

Simply, He wants us.
The stunning truth is that dwelling amidst His holy thunder, communing with “I AM” as Friend with friend, is a reality available to all who are unafraid to press in and follow Him in trusting obedience. (Isaiah 57:15-21, Micah 4:1-8, James 4:4-10)

We will never understand Him; He is incomprehensible.

We will never grasp the magnificent condescension of His redemptive work on our behalf.  However, like the heavenly throng, the unnerving eye-covered creatures and the Apostle himself, we too can gaze transfixed upon the Victorious Lamb, joining the unending chorus, crying, “Blessing and honor and glory and power [. . . ] be to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5: 9-14)

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

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

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship IX!

Posted in: Blessed, Comfort, Faith, God, Holy Spirit, Perfect, Redemption, Scripture, Truth, Worship Tagged: compassionate, deliver, Encounter, glory, gracious, holy, I Am, Israel, tender, Who Is?

Pause V Day 15 Redeemed & Restored

November 12, 2021 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Pause V, Day 15

Yesterday’s reading ended with Jesus dead and buried in a tomb. Peter was distraught because he had denied even knowing Jesus. Judas committed suicide after betraying Jesus. And what of our dead Jesus?

He rose!

After He conquered sin, He took three days and conquered death. He was resurrected from the dead so that death was also rendered powerless. We have eternal LIFE in Jesus’ name! (John 20:31) We are restored to fellowship with Father God through the empty tomb, discovered by Mary Magdalene and Peter, the denier.

But Jesus still had one more thing to do. One more piece of redemption and restoration to accomplish.

Peter.

Over a breakfast Jesus lovingly cooked while Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and Zebedee’s sons were fishing, Jesus restored Peter. Asking Peter three times if he loved Him, Jesus gave Peter a different responsibility each time.

Feed my lambs. (John 21:15)

Shepherd my sheep. (John 21:16)

Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

Peter was to continue building upon what Jesus started by feeding, shepherding, and maturing those who believed in Jesus. This also is our job.

We’re not going to build the early church like Peter did, but we can help others know about Jesus, learn more about Him and mature in their faith.

As we close out Pause V, remember we’ve been redeemed from the bondage of sin and restored to fellowship and relationship with God. Not only can we help build the church, we should. We must. We ARE the Church!

Today's Invitation

1) Read through John 20 out loud today twice. Slowly. Explore deeper by studying some cross-references or write out your own paraphrase of the events. Thank the Lord for His eternal provision as you pray!

2) Here is our last hand-crafted Spotify playlist for Pause 5! Remember, you are prayed over and delighted in! Put this playlist on repeat this weekend and be reminded of the rich truths God has shown you this week in Pause 5! Let your worship be an act of joy and thankfulness before your God!

3) Memorize John 17:23

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John 20

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them,
“They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came.
He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them,
“and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,
but she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying?
Who is it that you’re seeking? ”Supposing he was the gardener, she replied,
“Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”
And she told them what he had said to her.

19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”

28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way:

2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.

3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.

“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. 5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”

“No,” they answered.

6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.”
So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.

7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them.

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him.

16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”

He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.
18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.

After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

22 “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you?
As for you, follow me.”

23 So this rumor spread to the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in: church, Fellowship, Jesus, Love, Redeemed, Redemption, Relationship, Restored, Shepherd Tagged: Building, eternal life, Feed, Peter, responsibility, Rose, We Are

The GT Weekend! ~ Waiting Week 3

October 23, 2021 by Erin O'Neal Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) As we have explored the idea of waiting over the last three weeks, you may have wondered, how? How can I wait well? While we have discussed a few ways to wait well, on Monday, Rebekah gave us a clear, succinct summary of the how. She said the key to waiting victoriously is “meditating on the character of God as we walk by the Spirit.” She also reminded us that trust is built on relationship. How do you react when you become anxious or fearful in times of waiting? Are you focused on developing your relationship with the Lord or are you fixated on your fear or lack of control? Are you learning about His character, so you can trust Him in times of trouble? Consider getting a book about the attributes of God. You can also look up a list of the attributes of God (words that describe His character) and use a concordance or online resource to look up those words in your Bible. Take time to study our Journey Theme on His character, titled “He”. Ask God to use these resources and His word to reveal His character to you in new ways. As you learn about His character, you will likely find yourself waiting more victoriously.

2) Before my husband and I were married, we talked about the virtues of surprise versus anticipation. I love surprises, but I also love the feeling of anticipating something wonderful. Sometimes he would ask me if I wanted to be surprised or enjoy the anticipation of something we would do together later. As we wait for the return of King Jesus, we are able to enjoy the anticipation while also knowing we will be surprised by Him. How do you live your life in anticipation of His return? Are you walking faithfully today, steadfast and fervent in prayer? Are you rejoicing in the joy He has set before you? We all know this life offers pain in abundance, but as we are reminded in Lamentations (a book well acquainted with the sorrow and lament we face in life), the mercies of the Lord are new every morning. Where do you see the light of God’s mercy in your life? Where do you see Him working, even in difficult and desperate places in your life? Spend time today contemplating the great anticipation we have as we wait for the Lord.

3) We like to see, and deeply feel, redemption and healing over our broken places. We hope for it, we long for it, and we ache beyond words when that redemption doesn’t look the way we had dreamed. We don’t need to look far to find brokenness and heartache. Have you felt it this morning? Did you see its affects yesterday? It’s with good reason Scripture reads, “we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains.” (Romans 8:22) One day, Sisters, one day redemption will be made complete. All broken things will be restored and our surrendered ashes will be forever transformed into beauty. I know, the waiting seems impossible. It doesn’t feel worth placing our trust in a God we cannot see for results we cannot control. Sister, He Is Good. His redemption is Good. More so, His redemption is sure and certain. Surrendering to Him while we groan and wait with hope is worth it. He’s the only One who is worth trusting for our one-day-coming-beauty. How will you start waiting with Hope?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 27:7-9, 13:-14 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

Prayer Journal
Our Father, high above all things. You work everything in Your perfect time. We wait for Your will with great anticipation. We know that one day, You will make all things new and redeem all things to Yourself. May we be quick to remember Your goodness, Your faithfulness, and Your great righteousness. The whole earth is groaning, awaiting the return of the one true King. And yet, in my day-to-day struggles, I often lose sight of the big picture. I get so bogged down in the monotony and difficulty of my earthly struggles, that I forget the greatness of the plan You have for Your people. Help me to rejoice in the greatness of who You are and all You have done for me. I will rejoice in You, my Lord! And when the burdens of life seem too great, help me to look to You and be strengthened, that even in my suffering, You would be magnified as LORD of ALL!

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

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  • The GT Weekend! ~ Worship X Week 3 May 28, 2022
    Know what’s good about tomorrow? It’s a new day! A clean slate. It’s even better when you know your new day comes with new mercies from God. On Monday we took a deep dive into Psalm 103 and a dip into Deuteronomy. We learned how to use Psalm 103 as a tool for pausing and […]
    Marietta Taylor

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