Waiting

Terrain Day 1 Canaan & Egypt

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 2:1-12
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
Hebrews 10:19-25
Genesis 12
Numbers 13

Terrain, Day 1

My husband is a teacher, so we take full advantage of his summers “off.”

We invested in a small camper and have used it to travel the United States. We are currently planning a 3-week trip, from Mount Rushmore to Oklahoma City. Each day is planned, the quickest route mapped out, fun sights along the way, our campsites booked, and our meals planned. Thanks to the pandemic, I’ve had an EXTRA year to work out all the details.

I’m already anticipating the Are we there yet?s, the countless bathroom stops, and I’ll be sure to have puke bags ready to distribute for the carsick travelers.

Plan, prep, over-prepare…

Can you imagine how frantic it would be embarking on a road trip of unknown length, requiring unknown supplies, to an unknown destination?

I’m always impressed with Abram’s (you might know him as Abraham) handling of an unplanned journey with PLENTY of detours along the way.

We are first introduced to Abram in Genesis 11, at the end of Shem’s genealogy. We learn Abram’s father lived in Ur of the Chaldeans but set out with his family for Canaan. Instead, they settled in Haran. We’re not told why, but maybe after 4,998 miles (8,043 km), the thought of even one more step was too much.

Abram’s father dies in Haran, and then, when Abram is 75 years old, God calls him to leave his home and all he knows. God doesn’t give Abram many details, directing him to go to the land He will show him. I would have a LOT of questions, and yet, Abram simply went, trusting God.

Abram, his family, servants, and animals head south along the Mediterranean Sea. They travel for 7,586 miles (12,208 km) before reaching Canaan. Can you imagine the smells or the sand (in all the places) or the walking? All the walking.

When Abram finally arrives, Canaanites are in the land, yet God promises Abram the land will be HIS and his descendants’. At the moment, Abram has NO children, but takes God at His word. He builds an altar at Shechem, then moves on to Bethel, where he builds yet another altar, calling on the name of the Lord, before following God’s leading to the Negev, THE DESERT.

And just in time for a famine!!!
Thanks to the food shortage, Abram needs to move, again.
This time to Egypt.
It’s his shortest route yet, just under 400 miles (643 km).

He doesn’t get to stay and enjoy the pyramids for very long before Pharaoh forces him out, and so Abram and company return to the desert. They backtrack to the altar at Bethel, which will become a literal touchstone for the fulfilment of God’s promises.

Before Abram gets too comfortable, he’s forced to split with his nephew Lot and so he’s off one.more.time.
To Canaan.
FINALLY.

God seemed to fill Abram’s journey with one detour after another.
Yet surely, God had a reason, a plan.
As I reread this story, I realized each time God re-routed Abram, He also made, or confirmed, a promise to him.

Genesis 12:1-3 — I will make you a great nation, a blessing to all people
Genesis 12:6-7 — I will give your descendants this land
Genesis 13:14-18 — I will give you all the land you see, and make your offspring more numerous than the dust of the earth

God wasn’t just going to work in Abram’s lifetime, but in the many generations to come.
And when God makes a promise, He keeps it.
Every single time.

Throughout the rest of Genesis, we watch as God works out every detail, faithfully providing for, and protecting, Abram’s family (known as the Israelites). Genesis closes with the Israelites settling in Egypt, a land of plenty, during a famine. The Israelites were sustained by the hope that God WOULD fulfill His promises. They had seen, and experienced, His faithful goodness through the generations, but would that testimony be enough?!

Would it be enough to keep their faith alive as political forces changed and they endured 400 years of slavery in Egypt?
As we start the story of their exodus, we can hear the Israelites crying out in agony to God, desperate for salvation. (Exodus 2:23-24)

Then, we breathe a huge sigh of relief as we read, “God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God saw the Israelites and God knew.” (Exodus 2:24-25, emphasis mine)

If you’ve waited for God to answer a prayer, you understand the growing impatience, the rising doubt, the overwhelming fear that maybe God has forgotten you, doesn’t truly care about you, or a multitude of other lies.

Right now, my family is in the process of adopting 2 boys from Haiti. We have been waiting for over 2 years to be matched with our sons and welcome them home. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t questioned WHY God is having us wait.

Whatever you are waiting for right now, I assure you God has NOT forgotten you.
He DOES see us.
He DOES know our situation.
And He WILL act.

We serve the same God who led the Israelites out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to Canaan.

Yes He Can, by the sibling group, Cain, reminds me of God’s faithfulness in the past and assures me He’s at work in my life today.
All those miracles God performed for the Israelites are groundwork for US.

And finally, JESUS Himself came to earth and made the blind see, the lame walk, the mute talk. He turned a boy’s lunch into an all-you-can-eat buffet for over 5,000!
THEN, He died and ROSE AGAIN!!!!!

As we look at whatever problem confronting us, we can be SURE God CAN handle it.

May we have the faith of Abram, trusting and following Him without knowing all the details. May we believe He can do the impossible, even if we have to wait to witness it.

May we know beyond a shadow of doubt that God still keeps His promises, even in 2021.

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Sketched IX Day 5 Almost, But Not Yet

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 21:1-14
Acts 1:4-14
Acts 2
1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Sketched IX, Day 5

The walls felt like they were closing in with every passing day.

It was Day 9 of sheltering-in-place for us 11 remaining disciples, after Judas’ reckless decision to solve a temporary problem with a horribly permanent solution. My insides still quaked at the memory of his face, strangled by a noose made with his own hands. I shook my head to clear it, focusing on the troupe of ants dotting the limestone walls where I sat. They were purposeful. Intentional. Clearly headed to a goal, working together as a family.

“Consider the ant, you slacker…”

The familiar Old Testament proverb (Proverbs 6:6) came unbidden to mind in the warm, firm voice of my father as he raised his eyebrows at my 10-year-old self, who had only partially finished chopping wood. I repeated the words, letting them linger with my father’s voice wrapping around me.

“If only it was as easy as picking up that ax, Abba,” I muttered, rising to pace. Again. Leaving the ant family behind, I realized with fresh angst that I was here.
*sigh* Again.
Here, in this place of “almost, but not yet.”

It had been 9 days for us Eleven, less for the 120 other faces I scanned. They’d come sporadically in the last week, as if drawn by an unseen force of comfort and hope through community. Word spread, and soon, this Upper Room was bursting at the seams.

We were all here, waiting.
Waiting for next.
Sheltering, not sure exactly what next would be or how we would recognize it.
It seemed like a lifetime ago when Jesus and the 12 had sat in this very room the night before He was betrayed, then brutally killed.

“You will receive power,” Jesus’ voice filled my senses again with rich love and unshakeable authority. He said we would receive His power and comfort.

Oh, the tender comfort of Jesus! Despite the stench of 120 unwashed bodies sprawled around the Upper Room, I saw Jesus in every pair of eyes. The woman from the well in Samaria. She was here with several friends whom she’d told about Jesus. Once outcast, but now, waiting like the rest of us.

Mary, Jesus’ mother, was here, of course, and her sister, Salome. The man healed from leprosy at a word from Jesus was praying in a corner with James. Grinning, I waved at the 5 men who took turns challenging each other to arm wrestling. Not long ago, the robust man in the middle had lain paralyzed on a mat carried by the other four friends. Now they were whole and healthy because of Jesus.

The woman Jesus called Daughter, healed from bleeding, was handing out fruit and blessing each recipient. Hey, there’s the centurion whose daughter was brought back to life, and his little girl, too! Gentiles; my stomach churned only a little. These were welcomed by my Savior and my God; surely, they could be present here, too.
Waiting.
Waiting for the Comforter.
The same comfort each person gathered here had experienced in Jesus’ physical presence before He had ascended into the clouds nine days ago.

Nine.

Nine days of sharing community in the bond of knowing and experiencing Jesus. This was enough to keep us here until His Promised power and comfort finally came…however long it took. Our nights were spent singing hymns and our days were filled with the intangible joy of shared laughter and the sweetness of prayer. The outside world carried on with their hurry, but here, we delighted again in the depth of community with one another and God.

Here, in “almost but not yet,” we wait. We wonder. What good thing might the Lord be giving us through His Spirit that is better than His physical body?

—

The very next day would end Peter’s wait. One moment would begin as mundane, only to exhale as magnificent glory. The Spirit of the Living God would descend on each believer, regardless of Jew or Gentile, wealth or poverty, single or married, male or female. What they had once experienced with Jesus in the flesh would now be ignited in the heart of every person who ever trusted Christ. In the blink of an eye, holy divinity instantly and permanently bound every believer together. Comfort became infinitely available. His Presence was a guarantee, never to leave, ensuring the soul would pass from this fleeting life into one that would never end.

In the span of a single moment, the sacred space that had felt so empty for Peter was plunged into an infinite invitation to come, to know God better, deeper than ever before, for He Lived Within!

Power and boldness became the rightful possession for every soul gathered in the Upper Room that Day of Pentecost. Divine purpose was theirs in abundance. Comfort bound them up, together with each other, and jointly as the Bride of Christ.

As incredible as that moment was,
even it was an Almost, But Not Yet.
For here, in this same space, you and I wait, too.

We have His Spirit if we have called Jesus our own Savior.
Every gift those disciples experienced is also ours for the taking.
Yet, here we wait.
Paused with inexplicable hope, waiting for that Day of Going Home forever.

In the meantime, we are the Church, moving among one another, blessing each other, sustaining and carrying each other’s burdens, praying fervently, worshipping, and, as wonderfully led by the Spirit of God, preaching Christ crucified, risen, and coming again to a world hurrying around us.

Almost, But Not Yet.
We are here now.
Let’s live together as His Bride on purpose, and filled with His Spirit!


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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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!

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Enough Day 1 Creation’s Groan

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 2:15-17
Genesis 3:1-24
Leviticus 16:1-34
Hebrews 10:1-4

Enough, Day 1

One small act changed everything. Once Adam and Eve tasted the fruit, there was no way back to the innocence they had previously known.

At first glance, it seems like such a small transgression – just a bite of fruit – but at its heart, it was a rejection of God. It was “no” to Him, and “yes” to self, and in one brief moment, God’s “very good” creation was broken.

Before that dreadful moment, Adam and Eve had enjoyed an open and trusting relationship with God and one another, the sweet fellowship of walking together in the garden unafraid and unashamed. But their act of rebellion opened the door to fear and shame. Trust and intimacy gave way to hiding and separation.

The consequences were severe: ejection from the garden, and a curse of sin left as the legacy for all generations to come, ultimately leading to both physical and spiritual death.

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

It is a tragic tale. How Adam and Eve must have wished they could turn back the clock and make a different choice, but there was nothing they could do!

But, even there in the garden, we see a faint glimmer of hope. Whereas God could have destroyed Adam and Eve, or abandoned them to the path they had chosen, instead He sought them out and gave them a tantalising glimpse of a day in the future when One would come, the offspring of a woman, who would crush the serpent’s head, defeating sin and evil forever.

Before they were banished from the garden for good, God also provided Adam and Eve with clothes made from skins. An innocent animal was sacrificed to cover their shame.

This was the first sacrifice, but it pointed ahead to God’s instructions given to Moses at Mount Sinai many years later. In the generations since Adam and Eve, the story of the Bible had been one of people’s sinfulness and God’s faithfulness. When we join Moses on Mount Sinai, God has led His people out of slavery in Egypt, and they are headed to the land He has promised them, but the issue of sin remains. Nonetheless, God still wants a relationship with His sinful people, and so a sacrificial system is instituted.

The book of Leviticus describes it in detail. There were burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings . . . all involved sacrifice, and most required spilled blood. A flawless animal had to be slaughtered to pay the price for the people. It was not a simple matter for a sinful people to approach a holy God.

“According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

Despite these regular offerings, there was still the need for the Day of Atonement once a year, when the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place where God’s presence resided. First, the priest would slaughter a bull as an offering for his own sins and those of his family; then, he had to sacrifice a goat on behalf of the people.

A second goat was chosen to be a scapegoat. The High Priest would lay his hand on the goat’s head and confess the sins of the people, symbolically transferring their sins onto the goat. The goat would then be driven out into the wilderness as a sign of the people’s sins being carried away.

The sacrificial system provided a way to approach God, but it also presented a vivid illustration of the severity of sin and the separation it brought. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death,” and the people were reminded of this devastating truth on a regular basis as they brought their sacrifices to God, again . . . and again . . . and again.

No matter how fervently they resolved to do better next time, they always sinned again, so the sacrifices reminded them not only of their sin and its consequences, but also of the inadequacy of the sacrifices to permanently cover their sin.

Sacrifices provided a temporary solution, but Hebrews 10:4 explains “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

What then was the answer?
Where would this serpent-crusher come from, and Who would it be?

Creation groaned as it waited for God’s plan to be revealed and for His solution to come.

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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!

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Worship VIII Day 15 There Was Jesus

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 31:1-8
John 16:31-33
James 1:2-3

Worship VIII, Day 15

Have you experienced times when you couldn’t see Jesus?
When the fog of confusion or pain cloaked you in isolation and fear?

I have. Recently, I was in such despair, I was blinded to Jesus standing right next to me, holding my hand and walking with me.

To be completely transparent, I am in a season of fighting for my marriage. At one point, I wanted to give up and call it quits. In my pain, I flung my questions to Heaven.
“God, why is this happening to me?”
“God, where are you?”
“God, I feel so alone.”

It is one of the hardest seasons I have ever experienced.
My heart was broken, crying out for God’s presence and His promises to reassure me.

Because God is so good, He gave me exactly what I needed.

One day, during a devotional time at work, my boss shared the song There Was Jesus, explaining how its message of truth had supported her like a rock through difficult times.

“In the waiting, in the searching
In the healing and the hurting
Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces
Every minute, every moment
Where I’ve been and where I’m going
Even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it
There was Jesus”

I sang to Jesus and cried my eyes out, letting the very present truth of my God-with-me soothe the raw, jagged edges of my heart.

But I did something else, too.

I prayed for God to take the blinders off of my eyes, so I could see Him clearly through this season. Searching for something to cling to, I asked Him to reveal His promises to me.
Because He is kind, He did exactly this.

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)

He reminds us life will be difficult and painful.
Yet, in the midst of our confusion and struggle, He promises we have access to His eternal, transcendent peace through Jesus because He has overcome the world.

“The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

He promises to go before us, never abandoning us regardless of our attitude, our circumstance, or our level of emotional control.
Never. He will never leave us.
In our darkest moments, when we feel most alone, we have only to reach out our hands to discover He is right there beside us.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3, emphasis mine)
We can have joy through our trials, because our God is both good and kind.
When we cling ever tighter to God in the midst of our hardship, we grow closer to Him and our character becomes more like His. Our pain will not be in vain.

“On the mountain, in the valleys (There was Jesus)
In the shadows of the alleys (There was Jesus)
In the fire, in the flood (There was Jesus)
Always is and always was
No, I never walk alone (Never walk alone)
You are always there”

Circumstance in our lives change; God does not.

Whether we fling our arms wide atop a mountain, reveling in the blaze of unbroken sunlight, drinking in crystal clear air, unwaveringly certain of our place in the landscape stretched out before us . . .

Or we huddle in the shadowed and rocky valley, hungry and bleeding, too exhausted to take one more trudging step, fighting desperately against the enemy whisper that we are lost forever in this mire of suffering . . .

His promises remain true (scroll back up and read them again!).
His Spirit remains with us, for always. (Matthew 28:20)
His goodness remains unchallenged. (Psalm 31:19)
His kindness remains for all who turn to Him. (Titus 3:4-7)

Therefore, in any circumstance, we can fix our gaze upon Him,
and find a God worthy of our authentic worship.

In joy or in pain, our spirits can declare,
“Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard the sound of my pleading.
The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to Him with my song.” (Psalm 28:6-7)

Sisters, how well I know the challenge of seeing God’s hand in the midst of trials. I pray in those trials, we draw faith from His past provision, proclaiming in chorus with today’s song, “There was Jesus.” I pray our faith gives us eyes to see through the chaos swirling around us to the One who is greater than all else, enabling us to say, “And here is Jesus.”

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Questions 2 Day 13 More Than A Bargain

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 55:1-13
Hebrews 11:1-40
John 15:1-17
Philippians 4:4-9

Questions 2, Day 13

I prayed for a husband for years.

I waited.

And waited.

I waited as my friends fell in love. I celebrated at their wedding receptions, rejoiced over baby announcements, and clicked ‘like’ as baby bump pictures chronicled pregnancies. The pictures then shifted to first steps, first days of school, and so many other milestones . . . while I continued to wait.

In the midst of the moments of rejoicing, heartache existed, too. Even as I prayed for my husband, I watched other marriages fall apart. Parents or children were lost through the finality of death. Other relationships persevered through challenging circumstances, and growth took place as time marched on.

As I waited, I continued to ask for my husband in the Lord’s timing. Sometimes, I succeeded in asking with a healthy mindset, motivation, and heart posture, while other times, I failed miserably. Regardless, the Lord remained faithful, and I learned how true surrender to the Lord’s plan improved both my prayer life and my everyday life.

The Lord invites questions, but I have discovered a fine line between asking and attempting to strike a deal. Here are a few key lessons I am grateful the Lord has taught me through the years.

1. It’s about the Giver rather than the gift.
During the season of waiting, the more I focused on my desire for my husband and bargained with the Lord, the more I lacked peace.

With the valuable gift of hindsight, I can see how the Lord acted, for my benefit, to lovingly deny my pleading requests. What I wanted most was a husband; what God wanted most was my heart’s full attention and surrender. When I sought Him, the Giver (rather than pleading for my gift), He graciously supplied peace with His quiet “not yet.”

My sadness and tears were consistently met with the Lord’s tenderness. (Psalm 56:8) He taught me to trust His heart over mine as He held me close. There in the ache of waiting, I fell more in love with the Lord as He shaped my heart and lifted my gaze to my true Gift, the Giver Himself!

Whatever you’re tempted to bargain for, God’s desire is for you to know HE is your full satisfaction and delight!
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17)

2. Ask with wisdom.
Assessing our heart posture and motives are critical when we bring our requests to our Father, who loves to give generously. Though an often-painful process, it teaches us to seek wisdom as we pray. When asking for my future spouse, my self-assessments revealed I pleaded most intensely when loneliness seemed strongest.

I would love to say I consistently asked with a surrendered heart, but that would be untrue. Instead, I sometimes let my emotions rule my prayers, thinking I could evoke the response I wanted from the Lord. But prayer is not a business transaction, and these prayers lacked a willingness to submit to God’s wisdom.

When emotion and fear take the lead, they send us blindly stumbling off the path of God’s Wisdom.
Therefore, let us begin our prayers by first seeking wisdom.
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

3. Receive with grace.
The Lord is faithful. I do not always understand His ways, but I do know He has a plan and purpose far better than mine. His answer may be no, it may be wait, and sometimes it is even yes. Whatever the response, receiving His answer with grace has consistently proven to be in my best interest.   

Waiting is not easy. Surrendering to wisdom is not easy. Yet both are necessary to receive the sweetness of His fullness.

Whatever you’re praying for, set your heart on loving Him more than the answer you’re after. He is the better.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of His strength.” (Ephesians 1:18-19)

Nearly a year into my marriage, I can already see how the Lord’s choice for me is far better than any storyline I had written in my mind over the years of waiting.

Attempting to strike a deal with the Lord accomplishes little more than robbing our peace and diffusing our joy. We can’t use religious language or even Scripture to outfox Him, manipulate Him, entrap Him, or buy Him off.

When we’re nakedly honest, we realize our prayers of
“If You would just . . . then I PROMISE I will . . .”
are wild, heartbroken efforts to offer anything to appease a God we feel is stingy.  We simply have no power to hold the Lord hostage.

When we willfully grasp the truths that He needs nothing from us and loves to give us good gifts, our bargaining position evaporates.

Let’s fix our gaze upon His tender, Father’s heart for His beloved child. Let’s bring Him our desperation, our loneliness, and our fear. Let’s admit, “If You don’t . . . I am afraid . . .” and allow Him to fill the void of our inability with His faithfulness, provision, power, and love.

I encourage you (and myself!) to continue to be satisfied with the Giver over the gift, to embrace His wisdom, and to trust His grace at work in our lives while we wait for Him.

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Questions 2 Can You Hear Me?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 88
James 5:12-16
Ephesians 1:3-14
Romans 8:18-27

Questions 2, Day 5

I stuck my neck out and asked him on a date.

Because we are living in the 21st century, I sent a Facebook message, threw my phone across the room, and waited. I waited for what felt like years . . . but it was honestly less than 24 hours.

I remember thinking, “Did he get it? Has he read it? It says ‘read,’ but what if he accidentally opened it but didn’t see it and now he doesn’t know it’s there?! What if he never sees it?”

The waiting can be the hardest part of asking. 

While I eventually heard back from him, and we went on one pleasant date, never to see each other again, prayer has always been a varying iteration of this Facebook message scenario. We ask God to intervene in the big moments and the little decisions, to provide guidance and discernment, and for Him to heal our broken bodies, hearts, and spirits. We launch our prayers into the vast, unknown universe, believing God has the power to take care of it all, and hoping He hears us.

And then we wait.

In the waiting, we are left to wonder if our prayer got lost along the way. Perhaps God heard us, but He’s too busy working on all of the other prayers He’s received in His prayer inbox. We wonder if prayer even works as we stand exposed in the silence.

When I look back on my prayers, there are moments when God made everything so clear it would have slapped me across the face. But there are many other times when I am left wondering if my prayers even reach His heart. These prayers become deep longings in my soul as I come before God time and time again and tap my metaphorical prayer microphone, asking, “Excuse me, is this thing on?”

What are the longing prayers of your heart, prayers you’ve asked God to answer and then just . . . waited . . . in the dust of deafening silence?

While we hang around for answers, perhaps letting our emotions get the better of us as we spill out all that’s flooding our hearts into words lofted towards the Almighty, we may feel, like David, as if we’re in a pit of despair.  It’s in this murky space of volatile emotion paired with desperate need, we must remember to take a deep breath and ask ourselves,
“What is true?”

Where else can we go to find absolute truth but Scripture? God’s word tells us,

When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

What when we ask, we shall receive; when we seek, we will find, and when we knock, the door will be opened to us. (Luke 11:9-10)

God hears the prayer of a righteous person. (Psalm 34:17)

As we settle into the unshakeable truths of Scripture, we remember God has already revealed Himself to us through the life of His son, Jesus, who came to earth to stand in the gap of the sin separating us from the Father. Jesus connects us back to God through His life, death, and resurrection, and now we have access to the Holy Spirit, who is God dwelling inside of us! Through the Holy Spirit, we have a God who more than just hears our prayers; He is intimately living within us, knowing and feeling every groaning cry that burdens our hearts.

It isn’t always easy to focus on truth in our prayers. Since the beginning of time, the allure of the world has been working to pull our hearts, minds, and attention away from God. Sin and suffering have afflicted us at every turn. But even (and especially) in the midst of your suffering and your pleading, let your prayers pour out to God. He cares and yes, He is listening.

Friend, may I pray for your heart today as you ask God if He can hear you?

Father God, I pray for my sister today as she comes before You, wondering if You can hear her prayer. Time and time again, she has come before You and laid her heart out before You. In the chaos of the world around her, she has been unable to hear Your response to her heart and she is left wondering if You are listening. 

Holy Spirit, open her heart and her mind to how You are working in, through, and around her, that your glory might be revealed. Give her comfort in knowing You are present with her and dwelling in her. Thank You for Your son, Jesus, who revealed Who You are to her and connected her heart to You and to us, as sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name, Amen. 

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Reveal day 13 We Have This Hope

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 71
Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
1 Peter 1:3-7

Reveal, Day 13

Wars and rumors of wars . . . that is our life these days. One king after another has slaughtered us, starved us, kept us in confusion, unsure of the truth. Unsure of whom to trust.

At a loss, I try to remember the reassurances of my grandmother. “Remember Yahweh’s words,” she would say. “Listen for the prophets.”

But even Grandmother knew the prophets were long dead.

Their words of promise, of hope, are a distant, fading memory. A King to save us? That’s what they all say. Hundreds of years later, there is still no salvation from the bare existence we scratch out day . . . after day . . . after day.

They used to talk about David’s line, his descendants. From his family would come a new King, a Messiah. Ha! David’s line has not been seated on the throne for generations.

What good is Yahweh’s word when it simply isn’t?

It seems no one mentions Yahweh anymore. Not even a whisper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My father has taken to reading the Torah and the writings of David again. Pulling dusty scrolls from forgotten back shelves, he reads aloud Psalm 130 and Psalm 131.

Hope.
Yahweh.
“Wait on the Lord.”
I can’t see it. But if it makes him feel better, I will listen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tikvah. HOPE. Why are people suddenly talking about this?
Today at the well, one woman was even singing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND THEN IN THE HEAVENLIES —

“Now. It’s time.”

To the Earth below, there appeared a star, shining brighter than all others in the sky, and the sound of a baby’s first breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever had a falling out with someone and not heard from her again?

I’ve been there.

What if you relied on someone to coach you, to give you good counsel, warn you of unwise plans on your part . . . but then suddenly she drops out of touch, just stops communicating with you?

How do you sit with that silence?

Israel sat in silence for 400 years. Generation after generation. An entire nation depended on hearing God’s voice, either directly or more typically, through His prophets, those He called to be His mouthpiece. Whether the prophets delivered words of encouragement and salvation, or chastisement and judgment, at least Israel heard from God.

But then came those 400 years of silence. As if Jehovah, God, locked tight the door of heaven. Silent.

It wasn’t as if they experienced 400 years of prosperity, of great economic growth and health, and stopped pursuing Him. No, they still had their cycles of corrupt governments, of wars, of pestilence.

Of hopelessness.

Maybe after so long without hearing from God, they simply gave up.

After being invaded and taken over by the world power of Rome and living under strict authoritarian rule, they wanted rescue. They wanted to hope in a King, a ruler who would come in like a warrior, defeat the Roman tyrannical rule, and bring prosperity and safety.

Have you ever felt that hopeless, that desperate?
Have you ever felt like God has left you, or you wonder if He was even there at all?

Even in the desperation, the questions, the loneliness, we can have hope.

We have hope in Christ, our God-made-flesh Who came to Earth and was born of a virgin.

Fast forward 30 years. Messiah begins His ministry of Hope. Not as the warrior or ruler Israel thought they wanted, but as a Savior, a Rescuer, and the Hope they needed.

He promised life abundant and life everlasting.
But like Israel, when we are in a hopeless situation, we can’t always see His promises.
We know we want out and want out now.
We want the answer to our hopelessness to be tangible. But it isn’t always.

Having faith in God, putting our hope in Jesus Christ, means trusting in the intangible. (Romans 8:24-25)

And yet, that intangible Hope is a very real anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:19)

We no longer need to strive within ourselves. We are free to admit we need something beyond ourselves; we need a Savior.

And so, our GOD OF HOPE gave of His very self to meet our desperate need. Jesus, the same babe born that first Christmas night in a Bethlehem cave, is our Hope. The God-man who gave His life on the cross, was buried, and rose again so we would be free and have eternal life is our living, breathing Hope.

He is your Hope. You only have to ask, to surrender yourself, your needs, and your heart to Him. Our journey in this life will still have challenges and struggles and hardship and hurt, but the One who sustains and controls everything in the Universe can and will be by our side through it all. (John 16:33)

Jesus Christ, our living hope. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

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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!

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Reveal Day 5 The Longest Night

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Zephaniah 3:18-20
Malachi 4:1-6
Luke 1:26-38
Romans 5:6-8
Revelation 22:6-21

Reveal, Day 5

As I tossed and turned in an unfamiliar bed, it seemed like morning would never come.

I was tired, but sleep eluded me. Away from home for the first time, in a dorm filled with unfamiliar people, in darkness far deeper than I was accustomed to at home, it was impossible to settle.

After lying there, trying to sleep for what felt like hours, I finally grabbed my torch (that’s a flashlight for my American friends) I drew it under the covers so as not to disturb the others, and checked the time only to find, to my dismay, just twenty minutes had passed.

There were still hours to wait until morning . . .

The Israelites faced an even longer night.

Throughout the Old Testament, God promised a Messiah, a Saviour who would come to redeem and restore, who would deal with the problem of sin and provide a way back to closeness with God.

Zephaniah spoke of an end to oppression and shame, a gathering of God’s people who had been scattered, and the restoration of good fortune.

Malachi described a day when wickedness would be dealt with, and assured the people of God’s promise that, “for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4:2)

The promises were amazing . . . but then silence.

And waiting . . .

And still more waiting . . .

. . . Over four hundred years after Malachi’s words at the end of the Old Testament, the Israelites were still waiting for God’s promises to come true. Even worse, there were no more messages from the prophets. It seemed God had gone s i l e n t.

Perhaps this led to questions:

Would God’s promise of a Redeemer ever come true?
Had He forgotten?
Could He really be trusted?

And what about you? What are you waiting for just now?

The fulfilment of a long-held dream?
An answer to prayer?
Resolution in a situation of uncertainty?

Maybe, like the Israelites, you know God’s promises, but you’re struggling to see any evidence of their truth in your current situation. Maybe it feels like God has gone silent. It can be easy to lose hope, to wonder if God really will come through for us. Those times of waiting can be unsettling, uncomfortable, and often dark.

But what if God is at work in the waiting?
What if He is waiting, too . . .
For just the right moment?

Hundreds of years after Zephaniah and Malachi’s words, Jesus came, and the promise was fulfilled. It’s striking to note Paul, writing after the coming of Jesus, looks back on the fulfilment of the promise and describes both Jesus’ birth and His death as coming at just the right time.

“When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman.” (Galatians 4:4)

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

Suddenly, we realize the years of waiting were not caused by a delay, but were part of God’s design.

During those four hundred years, God may have been silent, but He was not inactive.
Various world powers rose and fell as predicted in prophecies in the book of Daniel. The Old Testament was translated into Greek, which was important for God’s Word being spread among the Gentiles. And Israel was conquered by the Romans, leaving the Jewish people desperate for freedom from oppression, recognising their only hope was in the coming of the Messiah.

The scene was set for Jesus to come.

Not only was God at work in the big picture of world events, but He was also preparing individuals for their part in His plan.

When the moment came, Mary was ready. She was ready to respond with faith and obedience despite the seeming impossibility of the angel’s message.

We can’t always understand why we have to wait; God’s ways and His timing are often not the same as ours. But we can trust in His goodness and His faithfulness. His promises will be fulfilled, sometimes (often!) in unexpected ways.

We can also trust He has a purpose in the waiting. Sometimes, while we are concerned with our circumstances, God is more interested in growing our character and our dependence on Him.

Often, the times of waiting reveal our lack of control and our inability to fix things for ourselves. They can drive us to God as they remind us our true hope is found in Him.

As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ first coming, may it remind us, even when the situations troubling us are resolved, we are still waiting.

We are waiting for the day when He will come again, when sorrow and suffering will finally be gone forever, when our waiting will come to an end, when we see “the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16) and we know the longest night is finally over and the darkness is no more.

Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

..
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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!

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Calling Day 7 For This Reason: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out 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.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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