Struggle

Surrender Day 6 Spilling Our Treasure

Leave a Comment

Surrender Day 6 Spilling Our Treasure

Meribeth Schierbeek

January 30, 2023

Sacrifice,Struggle,Treasure,Worship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 22:1-19
Matthew 6:19-21
James 5:10-11

“Is it worth it to surrender our treasure to Jesus?” 
I wonder if every person wrestles with this question as they consider the cost of following Christ. 

For me, this question initiates others: 
“How many times will I need to surrender?”
“How many treasures do I have?” 
“What is my treasure?”

Surrender brought to mind the story of the sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19. An elderly man, Abraham had finally received the fulfillment of God’s promise to give Abraham offspring more numerous than the stars in the sky. (Genesis 15:1-6) Yet a few years later, God directed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham’s miraculous, long-awaited, treasured son. I remember reading this story for the first time and thinking, “No way could I do that!”

This story brings us right up close to surrender. As I’ve discussed this story in various Bible studies over the years, I am repeatedly amazed at Abraham and Isaacs’s obedience and willingness to surrender. Both were obedience; one in bringing the sacrifice and the other to lying down on the altar as the sacrifice. What a beautiful foreshadowing of the obedience of Christ to His Father (John 6:38-40), as He sacrificed His own life to free us from bondage to sin and death (John 3:16-17); the whole Bible is part of the gospel story of Jesus! 

While we are inspired by Abraham and Isaac’s obedient surrender, let’s also remember they were humans, just like you and me! Sometimes, we tend to put Bible characters in a different league, like they were super humans. Yet the truth is, they were broken people, lovingly guided and rescued by God. With the benefit of the Bible and the Holy Spirit indwelling, leading, and transforming us, we can choose surrender, just as Abraham and Isaac did so long ago. (John 14:15-17)

Surrender is hard for all of us, and sometimes it becomes more challenging as we lose sight of the why behind our surrender.     

Matthew 6:19-21 reminds us our surrendered treasures are safe when we lay them up “[I]n heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.” (verse 19) Sure, during our earthly lives, we have treasures, all the things God has asked us to steward. Yet we are to hold them with open hands, trusting God can supply our needs rather than the many things in which we find enjoyment.

How are we able to give generously out of our poverty? Luke 21:1-4 encourages us with the faith of a penniless widow who gave her last two coins to God. Such generosity in surrender of our earthly treasure requires a belief that all we have belongs to God. He is our why for He will sustain us in plenty or in want. The widow knew the joy of a husband and the devastation of loss. She learned to trust and give generously, believing Jesus was the truest treasure, One who satisfies through every circumstance.

Luke 7:36-50 tells how one woman emptied her hands of material goods so she could cling to the feet of Christ, wiping them with her hair and washing them with her tears. She discovered that surrender of treasure led her to deep worship. When can we be women who abandon all pride (and conversely, shame) to worship Him like this? At times, we are very aware of the Holy Spirit’s nearness and we gladly choose this kind of worship, yet on most days, we fall short of deep worship cultivated by surrender. When will we really worship freely? When we see Jesus face-to-face! Until then we gain glimpses of Him, moments to treasure, and opportunities to worship with abandon.

Wise women ask, what are my treasures, and what importance do I attach to them? God says in His Word I am more important than treasures, so in turn, I desire for God to be more important than my treasures. Matthew 6:25-34 sharpens this perspective, making it practical for everyday living. (Have you read it?!) In truth, sometimes I value my treasures above God. Do time, money, or selfish pursuits run you ragged? This is a sign something needs surrendering.  

Deep thought moment: If Christ is the only One who ever surrendered perfectly and remained perfectly steadfast (James 5:11), and He invites me to follow His example, to remain in His steadfastness until I see him face-to-face . . . is accepting such an invitation to surrender worth the cost? 

God asks for my heart.
My heart where all the things I treasure are kept!  

If God holds my heart, the keeping place of all my treasures…
…then I am free to enjoy Him!
…then I am able to surrender each time I hold a treasure too tightly and it breaks.
…then I am able to surrender generously, understanding this world will never supply, sustain, or satisfy me.
…then I am able to surrender when someone else holds me too tightly and I break from the pain.

Sisters, Christ has my heart! In His graciousness, He showed me I was trying to hoard my treasures and supply, sustain, and satisfy myself. He lovingly reminded me of His work at the cross and the perfect sacrifice of Himself on my behalf. (Hebrews 10:11-18) I did not need to sacrifice myself on any altar, or build any altars to put my treasures on…for He is my truest treasure and perfect sacrifice.

Oh how tender and compassionate He is with my heart! Dear sisters, does He have access to yours? Today, I invite each of us to spill our treasures at His feet, surrendering to the One who loves us, sustains us, provides for us, and rescues us!

Tags :
satisfy,surrender,sustain,treasure
Share This :

Recent Journeys

Surrender Day 7
Digging Deeper

When you realize your need for God’s forgiveness, the comfort and love you experience is overwhelming; this joy is yours every time you come to Him. Christ never responds to our repentance with, “You again?” He never says, “You had enough chances.” In fact, Jesus urges us to ask Him for forgiveness when we pray (Matthew 6:12).
Dig Deeper!

Can We Pray With You?

Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

This Week's Lock Screen
Explore This Journey Theme!
Jan 23 - Feb 10, 2023 - Journey Theme #113

Join a GT POD!

Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!

Join the GT Facebook Community!
Free Registration!
Share Your Story!

Whole Day 6 Oppression’s Source

2 Comments

Whole Day 6 Oppression’s Source

Guest Writer

June 27, 2022

Faith,Follow,God,Grace,Holy Spirit,Hope,Journey,Prayer,Strength,Struggle,Suffering,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 10:10-13
Ephesians 6:10-20
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Psalm 44:3-4

In our family, we regularly discuss politics, local news, and current events. However, when a conversation surrounding values took an emotional turn, we knew something deeper was stirring up; our children were seeking a biblical understanding about a belief we strongly held. Feelings of guilt and failure, on my part as mother, overcame me. 

My children couldn’t possibly be the ones struggling with biblical foundations and truths. How could this happen?

After much careful consideration, prayer, and wise counsel, we decided we would not run from hard truths or leave our kids alone to interpret their questions. Instead, we would study and engage with them. In months to follow, when the Holy Spirit led, we attempted to address a multitude of questions about Biblical concepts. 

As we peeled away the layers, I soon realized my children, like many others, needed abundantly more spiritual guidance to help navigate the topics significantly impacting and shaping their faith journeys.

In an article by Christianity Today, a study found that out of 500 youth group graduates, over 70 percent reported having serious doubts about faith. These students’ opportunities to express and explore their doubts were correlated with greater faith maturity. In other words, it’s not doubt that’s toxic to faith, it’s silence.  

I realized God was working on our family’s behalf, bringing attention to areas within our life that were out of alignment with Him. My family messiness was no different than others, which highlighted a message of its own: as believers, we’re not given immunity from assaults of the enemy. 

In fact, Jesus promised we “will have suffering in this world” (John 16:33) and described our enemy as “a thief [who] comes to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) 

In my family’s journey, I understood the enemy is a liar, and I was not going to feel pinned down by doubt, blame, insecurity, comparisons, fear, or relational discord. My family prayed, and God revealed we needed to make some adjustments. Our initial steps were refocusing our priorities (putting God first), being intentional with our time, having patience with our children in learning the word of God, and seeking community.

Furthermore, the Spirit revealed a deeper truth to me during this tumultuous time.
The struggles we were facing needed to happen.
God didn’t want me to spend all my time trying to fix every problem of my children or of this world; He wanted to show me how to fully lean on Him and demonstrate this dependence in every area of my life. 

Through this adversity, God wanted to fill me with His strength. In 2 Corinthians, preacher Paul uses the language of siege warfare to talk about engaging in spiritual battle.

“For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.” 
(2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

As believers, we are not left defenseless. Satan wants to disrupt God’s place in our lives b y displacing God’s authority with deceptive, manipulative evil schemes. This truth should remind us we cannot defeat Satan in our own strength and neither can we fight spiritual battles without God’s protection and weapons. (Psalm 44:3-4)

In Ephesians, Paul talks about the spiritual weaponry available to Christians, often called “the full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-20) Paul emphasized the reality that our warfare is against more than the natural temptations of flesh. There are powers in the unseen world against which we are powerless, except through the aid of Christ.

Spiritual armor prepares us to face any and all spiritual battles we encounter. These battles are not fought against “flesh and blood” enemies, but against the “cosmic powers of this darkness[.]” (Ephesians 6:12) Satan’s strategy is clever; he uses technology, popular culture, consumerism, misinformation, and distorted views about biblical truths to wage war against us constantly. 

But we’re not falling for it. The real enemy, the real source of oppression in our world, is the devil, not people, places, or things. The spotlight of God’s truth will effectively expose every single scheme of the enemy.

By God, we have all been given weapons to fight the unseen. For me, I needed to take this truth seriously in my parenting. 

We’re called to follow God, Who is “the way, the truth, and life.” (John 14:6) 

Follow God, Who has come so we “may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)

Follow God, Who brings true peace and freedom from oppression as His death and resurrection “conquered [the powers of] the world.” (John 16:33)

As we follow Him, His grace is sufficient, and we can have hope and victory in any spiritual battle that comes our way.  

Lord, following You is hard. Sometimes it feels our brokenness is cliché, but I’m so grateful we serve a God who cares. A God who knows our battles, and equips and sustains us through them.

Help us to push away from culture, familiarity, and likeness, instead embracing Your Word and Your love. May we find strength in Your infinite and absolute goodness, and when the battle is fierce, remind us the true source of oppression is the devil himself.  May we not be afraid to stand firm, as parents and leaders of faith, by putting on the full armor of God. Amen.

*Written by Keshia Jackson

Tags :
guilt,Oppression,patience,protection,Refocus,The Enemy,victory,whole
Share This :

Recent Journeys

Whole Day 7
Digging Deeper

True Christ-followers have recognized the oppression in our own souls by Sin and sought freedom from the Only One powerful enough to provide our forgiveness. Full of grace and truth, this merciful God delivers His own Spirit inside the heart of all who have truly surrendered to Him. By this power of God Himself inside us, He actively empowers, leads, and equips us to accomplish God’s mission of building His kingdom and pressing back against evil in everyday life.
Dig Deeper!

Can We Pray With You?

Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

This Week's Lock Screen
Explore This Journey Theme!
June 20 - July 8, 2022 - Journey Theme #109

Join a GT POD!

Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!

Join the GT Facebook Community!
Free Registration!
Share Your Story!

The GT Weekend! ~ Alive Week 2

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Legacy. Inheritance. Privileges. Generation. What things stir in your heart as you read those words? Perhaps your upbringing was difficult, and painful memories push their way in before you back away as you’ve long practiced. Maybe, when you consider the legacy your parents left you, whether financially, relationally, or spiritually, you’re left holding brokenness and emptiness instead of fullness. For others, you enjoyed a rich closeness with your parents, imperfect though they were, and you see your life, and the lives of those around you, benefiting in extremely positive ways because of the investment of the generation before you. When it comes to “sonship” in the Bible, it’s imperative we understand the all-inclusive nature of its original intention in the first-audience culture. In a patriarchal society, sons inherited everything. There was nothing left for a beloved slave, or a second-cousin, unless the son was deceased. Regardless of your own upbringing, what are your gut reactions as you consider the rights and privileges of being called a “son” of God (even though we are women J). What worries can you release? What relationships or situations can you stop trying to control? What truths need to settle into your heart? If you’ve surrendered to Christ, everything is yours, the most important being God Himself!

2) When God created the world, He declared everything very good. But today, each one of us is keenly aware this world is full of hardships and struggles that are decidedly not good. The brokenness that entered the world through the sinful rebellion of the first man and woman touches each of us. From our very first breath, we have all been subject to pain and brokenness. For our whole lives, we long for something more. Here lies our great hope: that one day we will be face-to-face with the God who makes all things new. He will make us new, and He will make the whole world new and unbroken. All creation groans, waiting for this glorious day. It’s easy to focus on our own groaning, especially in difficult seasons. Today, consider how your neighbor may be experiencing brokenness and how you can extend hope’s love to them. Maybe a friend is struggling with infertility, and you can send her a card or flowers. Maybe your family member is sick or struggling financially. Is there something tangible you can do to alleviate their suffering, if only for a moment? Pray for the Spirit’s guidance as you reach out, and meditate on the hope that is yours in Christ Jesus.

3) Like putting money away in savings, a future inheritance we might receive from a parent isn’t something we think about every day. We know the money is there, but we don’t draw on it, plan for it, or give it much consideration from day to day, let alone year to year. But God intends something much different for the coming inheritance meant for all who trust in Him. The more we think about our perfect future where we will dwell with God and other believers in exquisite harmony, the more urgently we desire to live well today and tell others of this beautiful hope we have. In fact, our coming rich inheritance causes us to become even more disenchanted with the temporary things of this world and the lusts of sin. There’s no sweeter way to set our eyes on the inheritance that is coming than to read the testimonies of believers who have gone before us. Their example of love for Christ above all else, encourages us to stay focused on this coming hope in the middle of our everyday lives. Take time today to read Hebrews 11. Once silently. Once aloud. Then, on the 3rd time through, pick a few names and put yourself in their shoes. Consider what it would have been like for them to put on the “glasses” of eternal, certain hope in spite of their circumstance. How might you do the same?!

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 42:1-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while all day long people say to me,
“Where is your God?”
I remember this as I pour out my heart:
how I walked with many,
leading the festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.

Prayer Journal
Father God, defender of the helpless, father to the fatherless, You make all things new! You, oh Lord, have prepared an inheritance for us far greater than both the good and the painful things we experience in this life. We rejoice, knowing You have a plan to redeem and renew all things in Your time. Thank you for your grace. You have welcomed in those who are poor and underserving, adopting all who call on You as full sons into Your holy family. May we never forget, or take for granted, this vast and unsearchable gift! Forgive us when we grow short-sighted, caught up in our daily cares, and forgetting Your great goodness. Forgive us when we sin against our neighbor and against You. Help us persevere in times of trouble and prosperity, living for the coming kingdom rather than for our own fleshly longings and desires. Sustain us in Your faithfulness. You, oh Lord, are our only hope and joy!

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

Follow Day 12 Question, Follow, Faith: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

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

The Questions

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

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

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

Isaiah 55:8-11

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

Original Intent

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

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

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

Everyday Application

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

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

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

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Calling Day 8 Live Worthy

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:1-16
Deuteronomy 6
Galatians 5:16-26

Calling, Day 8

“I’m curious. How did you save your marriage? I need to know so I can try to save mine,” my friend inquired.

I knew she was looking for a magic bullet. I didn’t have one for her, though. “We prayed individually. We went to our Bibles and discovered what marriage is supposed to look like. We read Christian marriage books.

“And at the end of the day, we just decided to love each other like Jesus loves us.” It wasn’t the easy answer she was looking for, but it was the truth. 

When I said my marriage vows, I was called to be a wife. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1, I needed to live worthy of that calling, just as my husband needed to live worthy of his calling as a husband. But most importantly, we needed to walk worthy of being called by Christ.

Marriage is an earthly reflection of God’s relationship with us, His bride; so, Sister, regardless of your marital status, if Jesus lives in your heart, Paul’s exhortation to walk worthy of God’s calling is for you.

When Paul started Ephesians 4:1 with the word “therefore,” he reminded us of Ephesians 1 through 3. In those chapters, we find that by knowing God and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive
spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3),
grace (Ephesians 1:7),
salvation (Ephesians 2:5-6),
power (Ephesians 3:16-17)
and unity (Ephesians 2:11-22).

These wonderful gifts are freely given to us.
And we honor God when we use them to reflect Him to others. 

Focusing on God enables us to live worthy of the gifts of salvation and the Holy Spirit.
But how?

If you’ve been in church, you’ve probably heard prayer is how we “conversate” with God. In these ongoing conversations with our Father, it’s helpful to dedicate space to listening, so we can also hear from Him. And finally, sometimes He answers me while I’m doing mundane things, too! He can speak to me at any moment, from driving in my car to preparing a meal!

Reading and studying the Bible are also important. We read not just to learn God’s instructions, but also to know His character. Again, human interactions mirror our relationship with God. Just as we grow closer to people as we spend together and learn their character, we can know God is loving, just, merciful, patient and faithful by reading His Word. 

God’s character and heart for us are revealed all throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. For example, in Deuteronomy 6, we learn what it means to fear God (Deuteronomy 6:2). This does NOT mean we ought to be afraid of God, but rather, we ought to live in respectful awe of God’s character and the greatness of His power and might.

And when we fear Him, we try to walk in obedience to His commands, which He gives us in the Bible. See how it’s all connected?

Finally, when we meet in community, we gain others’ perspectives about and experiences with understanding and applying Scripture. We can also be encouraged and challenged by other believers. Just like children learn life skills from older siblings, we can learn from those who are more spiritually mature. Consider Titus 2:2-8, which exhorts both men and women to teach those younger than them, both in physical age and spiritual maturity.

As we pray, read, and study the Bible, meet in community and revere Him, we come to know and love Him more, “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Then, in a natural outpouring of this love, we begin to reflect Him to others around us. In doing so, we display His heart and character to those in our spheres of influence who may not know Him.

For instance, my friend was not a believer.

But she watched my husband and I work through an extremely difficult period in our marriage.
She watched me change attitudes and behaviors.
She watched my husband transform as he studied.
Thus, we were able to show her Jesus through our daily actions.

But when our lives do not align with the Bible, we can turn people away from the gospel. If our lives look more like the list from Galatians 5:19-21 than the one in Galatians 5:22-23, who would want that Jesus? I wouldn’t, would you?

And finally, Scripture urges us to remain consistent in our obedience and resulting godly behavior. We cannot live double lives. Even Peter falls prey to this trap of duplicity and is corrected by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14. May we never cause others to regard the Church as hypocritical.

In this Gracefully Truthful Community, we read and study the Bible. We learn about God’s character. We share authentically with each other. In this is place, we can grow in spiritual maturity. We are helping each other learn to live worthy of our calling!

I’m so glad I took those baby steps years ago. Because I, because we, chose to live worthy of the commitment to which God called us, my husband and I will celebrate 28 years of marriage this December.

So ladies, I declare with confidence, if the Spirit of God lives within you, then you CAN walk and live worthy of your calling.
Go show the world.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week 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 Calling!

Calling Day 7 For This Reason: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out For This Reason!

The Questions

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)

Ephesians 3:1-21

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people  in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him.13 So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Original Intent

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)
In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays his readers will be “filled with all the fullness of God”. “Fullness” comes from the Greek “pleroma” and “describes the full measure of something with an emphasis on completeness.” (Precept Austin.org) When Paul prays for the Ephesians to be filled with all the fullness of God, he begins by praying they would be “rooted and firmly established in love and be able to comprehend the length and width, height and depth of God’s love that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:17-19) To experience this love beyond any measure is the beginning of being filled with all the fullness of God.  Author Stephen Cole suggests, “Paul is praying we will attain to spiritual perfection, having all that God is fill us to overflowing. As our capacity to receive it grows, He keeps filling us again and again. The idea of fullness implies total dominance or control, so that God perfectly controls our minds, our emotions, and our will.”  We can be filled with all the fullness of God when we give God all access and full control of all parts of our lives.  The better we know Him and His love, the more willing we are to let Him in to fill us and change us.  Paul follows this prayer to be filled with God’s fullness by reminding us that God can do much more than we can think or ask. (Ephesians 3:20) This extends to filling us with His love and with everything that God is and has for us.  He can fill us to a fullness we can’t even fathom!

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)
In Ephesians 3:20, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to give glory to the God who is “able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”  It’s not lost on his readers that Paul writes this encouragement from a prison cell in Rome, where he sits because of his unceasing desire to preach the Gospel.  Yet, Paul is focused on how the power of God in us can do far more than we think possible.  Author Priscilla Shirer observes that Paul is “just spilling over himself, tripping over himself trying desperately to figure out how to communicate the greatness and the grandeur of God’s capacity and His ability to work miracles in our lives and to be engaged in the details of our everyday living.”  Even in his difficult circumstances, Paul believes God’s power is beyond human comprehension.  Author Thomas Constable asserts, “The basis for Paul’s confidence that God is able to do far beyond what he had prayed for or could even imagine was the work God had done to bring Jews and Gentiles together in one body.”  Preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles became Paul’s life work, and he had daily proof that God could bring about unity and harmony in Christ beyond what Paul ever thought possible. Paul’s faith in God’s vast power was also based on his own conversion experience, which found him walking toward Damascus with intent to harm Jesus’ followers and instead encountering Jesus Himself. This experience turned his life upside down.  Instead of persecuting Christians, he was now converting others to Christianity, which was abundantly more than he could ever have considered.  Paul knew better than anyone how far God can go beyond our petitions and our thoughts; this knowledge caused him to give glory to God.

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)
When the apostle Paul told the Ephesians his afflictions are their glory in verse 13, he wasn’t speaking flippantly.  Paul’s mission since his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) had been to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentiles. Fulfilling this mission caused him countless problems, including beatings, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and various physical dangers and discomforts. (2 Corinthians 11:25-26) Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while under Roman house arrest, and the people worried about him.  Paul told the Ephesians he didn’t want them to feel bad he was going through hard times for them because everything he faced was part of his heavenly mandate to bring the message of salvation to them. Through his hardships, they received the message of God’s redemptive love, and that was worth everything he suffered.  Author Peter Pett notes Paul declared his trials are “either a cause for them to glory, or will result in glory for them, or both. Without his imprisonment there may well have been no letters, and what would we have done then?”  Paul was as zealous to convert people to Christ as he had been to condemn Christians before his own conversion.  Every trial he faced brought the Gospel to more people, which was cause for rejoicing.

Everyday Application

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)
It still amazes me some days that God chose to redeem me and chooses to love me.  I wouldn’t do it if I were Him.  I would have given up on me a long time ago, but God’s ways are far above mine. (Isaiah 55:9) He not only chose me, redeemed me and loved me, but He has all kinds of blessings and good things in store for me. (Ephesians 1:1-14) Paul calls it “being filled with all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:19) He wants to make me more and more like Him by filling me with His fullness. He wants me to look like Him so I can draw others to discover Him. The best part is, I don’t need to do anything in my own strength to accomplish this! I cannot fill myself with all the fullness of God.  He fills me up with His love, His mercy, His grace, His compassion, and all the other things He is, so I will spill over with “His fullness”.  He fills me to capacity, and then when I grow, He fills me to capacity again.  Sometimes, He fills me just by pouring out His love and His goodness on me.  Sometimes, He fills me by letting me struggle and grapple and pursue.  Even when what I feel as being empty, He is actually in the process of filling me with hope and faith.  I agree with Paul that “God’s love surpasses knowledge” (verse 19), and I am grateful He keeps filling me as I grow to be more like Him.

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)
I have always been a tea drinker.  I believed all teas were about the same, until a friend gifted me a tin of gourmet cinnamon tea sachets.  Once I tasted that brew, I was ruined for any other cinnamon tea! I tried going back to cinnamon tea in the grocery aisle, but it would no longer suffice. The store brand tea was flat and bitter compared to the gourmet blend with hints of citrus. I think of this experience when I read Paul’s words in verse 20, “God’s power in us can do more than we could ask or dream up”.  Before my friend’s gift arrived, I had only known to ask for regular cinnamon tea, but this special blend was beyond anything I’d imagined!  It is important to consider this truth when I am asking God for things or imagining how I want things to go.  God has plans and purposes beyond what I can dream that are abundantly more than I can comprehend.  He puts His power in me so He can do great things beyond my wildest imaginings to bring Him glory.  I need to ask Him for what I can imagine, then trust Him to do more beyond that.  He doesn’t want me to be limited by what I can think or what I know to ask for; I need to be open to all He has for me.  Usually that doesn’t come in a package that says, “better than you can imagine.”  It often comes wrapped in change, difference, discomfort, and unknown. This is why Paul prays for the Ephesians to be “strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit and to have faith.” (verse 16) He knows that trusting God is key.  May we trust in Him to do abundantly more than we can even think to ask Him!

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)
The internet is full of beautiful stories about people shaving their heads to show solidarity with loved ones losing their hair to chemotherapy for cancer.  My tears fall with every pass of the razor when I watch those clips!  When I was a kid, I had a pal who was one of the only red heads in our small town, and he suffered a lot of teasing and embarrassment as a result.  His mom decided to dye her own hair red so he wouldn’t feel so alone.  These stories of people willing to endure hard things for their loved ones are deeply inspiring to me. The love they have is powerful. Even more inspiring to me is the lengths the apostle Paul was willing to go so he could share the Gospel with the Gentiles. He suffered much more than losing hair! He opens his letter to the Ephesians by calling himself the “prisoner of Jesus Christ on behalf of the Gentiles“. (verse 13) He endured intense persecution to preach salvation to those who would listen.  Jesus’ love for Paul was so radical and bursting with grace, Paul was compelled to give this love away.  Christ got Paul’s attention when He revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus, and Paul lived his life from that moment on with the singular purpose of sharing God’s love with everyone he could.  He was glad to suffer abuse if it meant the Gospel would be preached to more people.  He wanted everyone to know how deep and how wide God’s love is. (verse 18) He experienced God’s powerful love, and it made him able to love others profoundly, even when it cost him dearly.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with For This Reason!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Ten Day 13 What Is Truth?

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 3:1-17
Exodus 20:16
John 14:6-11
John 8:39-47
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
John 18: 28-38

Ten, Day 13

“What is Truth?” 

Mankind has grappled with the definition of truth throughout the ages. Hours before His death, Pilate posed this question to Jesus. But Pilate’s query was rhetorical, meant to dismiss the subject. He was only interested in the truth of Rome, Caesar, and political power (Morris).

Even today, the struggle to define and understand truth persists. Many people want to believe in a truth of their own, based on perspective or personal preference. But Scripture teaches God alone is our source of absolute, unchanging, timeless, big “T” Truth.

We read throughout Scripture that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:1-2). Furthermore, God declared His character to Moses on Mount Sinai:

“the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.” (Exodus 34:6, emphasis mine)

Brad Bright, son of the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, comments, “He is present everywhere, knows all things, and totally understands what is real, right, and true. Therefore, whatever He says is absolutely true.”

As our source of all truth, God is the basis for everything in our lives.
God gave us the Bible to help us understand truth.
He guides us into truth through the Holy Spirit.
God revealed truth to us in the person of Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life“. (John 14:6)
Jesus, the Son of God, IS Truth. (Guzik, Enduring Word)

In stark opposition, Satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44). Satan spewed out the very first lie in the Garden when he assured Eve she would not die if she disobeyed God.
(Genesis 3) He has been denying, resisting, twisting, stretching, and confusing the truth ever since. In her book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth encourages us “to wake up to the deception that is so pervasive. So much of our lifestyle is rooted in ways of thinking that simply are not true. The result is a house built on sinking sand.”

Satan loves to take the Holy Scriptures and twist them, just a bit, to confuse us. If he can convince us just one part of the Bible is not true, he has his foot in the door. Soon, we question everything God has said to us.

With this knowledge of God as the source of truth and Satan as the source of lies, we can easily see why it was necessary to include the ninth commandment in the Law:

“Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

One commentary explains, “to bear false witness against others is to lie about them, especially for personal gain. God’s people were not to lie publicly, as in a court of law by laying at another’s feet any false charge that could injure him, nor were they to lie privately by whispering, tale-bearing, backbiting, slandering, or destroying his character by innuendos, sly insinuations, and evil suggestions.”

The commandments reveal God’s righteous character to us, and establish a way for us to reflect His righteous character to the world. When we embrace His exhortation to “be holy, because I am holy,” we reflect the One True God to those around us. (1 Peter 1:15-17)

By the same token, the commandments serve as a mirror for us. They reflect how
utterly lost we are and how much we need a Savior. If we judge our lives against the
Ten Commandments, we fail completely.
Without Christ, we can do nothing;
but through Christ, we are justified.
Our forgiven and transformed lives point to Christ, so others will see Him through us. (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)

Thank God for His gift of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives! He reveals to us the deception of the Evil One and guides us into truth. (John 16:13) Indeed, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness”. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

As you examine your life with the mirror of truth today, what reflection do you see?

In a society of relativism and the idea that “anything goes,” have we been tricked by Satan’s lies? Do our actions demonstrate our knowledge of the truth? Are we delving into God’s Word daily to walk in the light of His Truth? The truth will only be found by those who diligently and honestly seek it. Let us commit ourselves to seek Him and walk in the light of His truth.

“Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth!” (Psalm 86:11)

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Ten 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 Ten!

Ten Day 10 A Love That Honors

1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-17
1 John 4:7-21
Psalm 136
2 Peter 1:1-11
Matthew 5:13-20

Ten, Day 10

The email started with a simple question,
“Did you attend Marquette University in the early to mid 80s?”

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Then I realized it was an old flame from college. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but thought he might be working through a twelve-step program, so I confirmed my identity.
The next email started with compliments and ended with the real question.
“I know you’re married, and so am I, but is it possible for us to talk?”

I’m not going to lie. I was tempted for a moment. But in the end, I responded, “No, it would be disrespectful to both our spouses.” And that was that.
Events easily could have taken a different path.
Because I value my relationship with God, there was no alternate ending.

Exodus 20:14 is a command straight from God,
“Do not commit adultery.”

It’s from a set of ten God gave to the Israelites through Moses. But they weren’t just rules to act like bumpers on a bowling lane. They weren’t meant to be an “am I holy?” checklist.

Because, you see, we cannot keep the commandments.
We’re not righteous enough to live a perfect life.

Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And in the Old Testament, Psalm 14:3 tells us there is not even one person who does good.

So why did God give us commandments we are doomed to break, you might ask?

Quite simply, because He loves us.
1 John 4:10 explains, “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

He wasn’t acting on a mean-spirited desire to set us up for failure. Since Adam and Eve’s first sin, He had been separated from His precious children, and He was heartbroken.

So He planned to sacrifice His very self to give us a way back into relationship with Him . . . but this way back is dependent upon our recognition of our sin, repentance, and embrace of Jesus as our Savior.

By giving us ten commandments simultaneously reflecting His holy character and highlighting our sin,
He was helping us understand our need for a Savior.

Next, let’s explore what God reveals about His character by identifying adultery as a sin.

First, He is faithful.
Avoiding adultery means to remain faithful.
And what is God, if not faithful?

Psalm 136 repeats “His faithful love endures forever” twenty-six times as it recounts God’s wondrous creation and His consistent protection of, and provision for, His people, despite their repeated disobedience, failures, and abandonment of their Creator and Rescuer.

In fact, Judges and 1 and 2 Kings tell a dismal story of the countless times the Israelites disobeyed God or chased other gods. Yet God always saved them, because of His faithfulness and in spite of their unfaithfulness.

Scripture tells us that no matter what we do, no matter what happens, God loves us.
Why?
Because “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Marriage is a covenant promise. By asking us to keep our promise to another human being, God was demonstrating that He is a promise-keeper. (See for yourself! Check out Joshua 21:45, Number 23:19, and Ezekiel 12:28)

God wants the world to know He is a faithful, loving, promise-keeping God; therefore, He instructs us to reflect His character in our relationships by abhorring adultery.

It’s important for believers to adhere to this command,
because if we won’t honor the relationship with our spouse, whom we can see and touch,
how well will we honor our relationships with God, Whom we cannot see or touch?

When we do follow His command, our marriages become a reflection of Who God is and how He wants to love the world. We become a shining light in a world dark with sexual sin and broken promises. Matthew 5:16 says when our light shines, the world sees and gives glory to God. What an honor!

Are you familiar with the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39? She was doing all she could to commit adultery. But Joseph would not oblige her.

In recounting all Potiphar had given him, Joseph asked, “So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”. (Genesis 39:9) Joseph understood that to commit sexual sin was to hurt the heart of God.

And he was right. When we honor God, and express our love for Him by following His commands, our actions speak louder than any words we could say.

So, let’s change our perspective on the commandments as a whole, and the command regarding adultery in particular. Let’s shift our focus from ourselves to leading lives that honor God, in order to share His character, His love, and His sacrifice with the world.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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 Ten 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 Ten!

Neighbor Day 14 Wounded One: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Wounded One!

The Questions

1) Who is the expert on the law and what does he want to know?

2) According to this parable, who is my neighbor?

3) What can be learned from Jesus’ illustration?

Luke 10:25-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Original Intent

1) Who is the expert on the law and what does he want to know?
Luke simply identifies this man as an expert of the law. We don’t know his exact job or role, but we do know he would have been well versed in the law of Moses, or the Torah, which are the first 5 books of the Bible. He comes to Jesus wanting to know how to gain eternal life. He was likely looking for a checklist of what he needed to do in order to earn eternal life. However, Jesus turns the question back to this man, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”. The man answers by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. This dialogue leads the expert to ask, “who is my neighbor?” He is looking for a box to check in effort to prove to himself that he is keeping the law and worthy of earning eternal life.

2) According to this parable, who is my neighbor?
While the Samaritan man who helped is the obvious answer, we need to understand the relationship between Jews and Samaritans in order to see the significance of the point Jesus is making. Samaritans were despised by Jews. Israel had been split into 2 kingdoms, the southern and the northern. In the northern kingdom, people married from the hated Assyrian empire. Due to that they were seen as a mixed race, people who were not true, pure bloodline descendants of Abraham. This created a separation between these two groups of Jews. Jesus uses this parable, intentionally selecting the characters of His story to be religious people pitted against a Samaritan to show not only who a neighbor is, but also how to be a neighbor. It would have required a true act of love for the Samaritan to take care of this man regardless of the cost. Jesus is forcing the expert to look inside himself and realize radical love would require caring for others no matter who they are or where they come from.

3) What can be learned from Jesus’ illustration?
The obvious answer is how to love our neighbor. However, when we look deeper into the parable, we see it is often easy to justify unloving behavior. The expert was looking for justification for his behavior and confirmation that his rule-following was enough to satisfy God. However, it never would be and Jesus uses this illustration to show the expert exactly this reality. We learn what a true expression of love looks like from the parable. In this case, it is loving beyond ourselves to meet the need of another. Sometimes the need is obvious, as it was with the injured man. Other times a need is only recognized in a relationship with others as the Holy Spirit gives us insights. Either way Jesus’ point is simple, care for one another with radical, humble, generous love.

Everyday Application

1) Who is the expert on the law and what does he want to know?
The expert has all the head knowledge of what the Old Testament contains. He is all about living in the legalities of what Scripture says. This expert is attempting to live a “good enough” life, one that will earn him salvation, on his own. However, being a true believer is not about checking boxes and living a “good enough” life. The truth is, none of us are capable of living a good enough life, because the standard is impossible high. Only absolute perfection is acceptable, which is why God, in His great love, sent Jesus to perfectly fulfill what we never could. Jesus offers His own righteousness to us, while He takes our imperfections. The question we must wrestle with is will I be like the expert, trying to do it on my own, or will I surrender, allowing God to live and love through me?

2) According to this parable, who is my neighbor?
Mark Black writes, “The astute reader recognizes this Samaritan is acting just as Jesus has acted: he has compassion, he touches the ‘unclean’, he heals, and he uses his possessions for the benefit of the needy.” Jesus was the perfect neighbor during His life on earth. The Samaritan in the story took care of a man who would have despised him. The reality is, Jews and Gentiles alike treated Jesus with contempt in His last days, yet Jesus still loved them enough to die on the cross. He was still willing to give up His life for us. When we look at Jesus, we see He was unconcerned with race or lineage, but instead He was concerned with our need, specifically our spiritual need. If we behave as Jesus did, we will live a life that shows love to all peoples regardless of race, religion, social status, or anything else we often allow to divide us. It means treating all of humanity as our neighbor.

3) What can be learned from Jesus’ illustration?
Matthew Henry writes, “It is the duty of every one of us, in our places, and according to our ability, to succour, help, and relieve all that are in distress and necessity.” As I reflect on these verses and the quote from Matthew Henry, I cannot help but relate them to the time we are living in. I cannot think of a better time in our lives to be a neighbor. We are in the midst of a global pandemic. While this pandemic demands we live life practicing a new concept of social distancing, it is not an excuse to deny love to others. It is not a pass to forget about our neighbors. If anything, this illustration shows us how we need to look beyond what is right in front of us, instead looking for the need. It requires us to lean in to how God is asking us to be His hands and His feet in a time when people are so desperate for truth and answers. The needs may be obvious, or they may only be known in a relationship, or as the Spirit prompts our hearts. This isn’t a time to withdraw into ourselves, but instead offer help and love as we are able. The question is, are we rising to the challenge of loving our neighbors with the same radical, humble love demonstrated by the Samaritan and Jesus Himself?

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Wounded One!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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