He Day 12 Yahweh Sabaoth: Digging Deeper

June 16, 2020 by Carol Graft Leave a Comment

He Day 12 Yahweh Sabaoth: Digging Deeper

Carol Graft

June 16, 2020

Deep,Digging Deeper,God,He,Holy Spirit,Paul,Power,Prayer,Treasure,Wonderfully

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

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.

The Original Intent

1) What is meant by “jars of clay”? (verse 7)

In telling us “we have this treasure in jars of clay”, Paul is poetically referring to our beginnings in Genesis when God created the first man, Adam, from the dust of the Earth. (Genesis 1:27) Adam was a vessel, a jar, formed by the clay of the earth by the very hand of God.

In the ancient Middle East, the culture of the Bible, earthen clay vessels were used to store supplies and often necessities for life like food or water. Some vessels were sturdier than others. Clay jars used for storing water and oil were probably the heaviest, having thicker walls. There were also clay jars made of finer quality, likely kept on a high shelf (a mantel of sorts perhaps), this held sacred (holy) oil. This oil was used for anointing for prayer. (John 12:3, Luke 7:37-38)

No matter the contents, vessels were still made of the same material. Clay. Earth. Fragile.

Paul uses a metaphor by saying we, as human beings, are those vessels. Human, but still fragile. Each of us, regardless of shape, gender, race, or age, carry such value that God Himself has chosen us to store His treasure within!

The Everyday Application

1) What is meant by “jars of clay”? (verse 7)

We have value and worth because, not only were we handcrafted by the God of the Universe, but each of us were also made in His own image. We are etched with the image of God! Every one of us! (Genesis 1:27)

Every bitty baby in its mother’s womb and every wizened elderly being have been fearfully and wonderfully made to reflect God’s own image and have inestimable value. (Psalm 139:13-14)

However, for the one who trusts fully on the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation and has surrendered their lives to Jesus, these clay pots become the holding place for a treasure beyond comprehension, God’s Own Spirit! (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

Christians are still clay treasures, but they hold within them the Treasure of God’s Spirit. We are the fine vessels containing the costliest of contents. God’s love through His Spirit. The love He poured out on Calvary and the power he gave us when His spirit was poured out on Pentecost is available for all today. (Titus 2:11)

It doesn’t matter if our vessels are tarnished, chipped, or cracked. We are still His chosen, and still invited to contain the greatest gift of all time, the Spirit of the Living God!

The Original Intent

2) What is the “treasure” and the “all-surpassing power”? (verse 7)

When an ordinary man, woman, or child chooses to trust in Jesus, believing Him to be exactly who He claims to be in the Bible, God places His Spirit within that individual. The Spirit then begins the work of transforming that person into someone who loves and follows Jesus and reflects His amazing divine love to a world lost and lonely without Him.

The Spirit teaches the Christ-follower about God, helping him or her understand the Bible and discover deeper truths about God and His character. Vine’s Dictionary defines the treasure as “the full knowledge of the goodness of God.”

The treasure we have through God’s Spirit, the treasure available to all who surrender to God, is the knowledge of who God is and the power that comes along with that belief. The more we know God through studying His Word by the power of the Spirit teaching us, the more closely we will follow Him and love those around us. This is God’s power unleashed through us!

Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Luke 24:5-6), healed a bleeding women (Mark 5:30), made dead men breathe again (John 11:44), and changed the leper’s skin to clear as snow (Luke 17:14).

With the treasure of God’s Spirit within, the power of God is at work both in us and through us, drawing in those who are far from God to be close to Him, so they too might know Him deeply.

The Everyday Application

2) What is the “treasure” and the “all-surpassing power”? (verse 7)

We can have access to the power of God’s Spirit by storing up His treasures within us, His earthen, human vessels. His treasure, His word.

Paraphrasing Dr. Suess, “the more you know, the more you grow” applies to our walk with Christ too. Need a starting point? Begin in the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. If you have a Bible with Christ’s words in red, begin there. John is a great gospel to start with.

Go slow, write down your questions and curiosities. It’s not a race to finish so you can check it off a list, it’s an invitation to know the God of the Universe!

Everything Jesus gave His followers, His disciples, is available to you, to all of us, through reading His Word! There is no cost other than submitting and turning your heart over to Him. Consider making this passage in Ephesians 1:17-18 a personal prayer.

Simply insert “me” in a few spots for ‘you’ and ‘my’ for ‘your’. Pray that your eyes are open to the glorious knowledge and wisdom Christ has for you. With that comes relationship with Him and the power of His word as the Spirit makes it alive for you!

The Original Intent

3) With all of these trials and afflictions, why believe in God?

Paul is not only referencing what he himself has gone through, which was significant. (shipwrecked, betrayal, beatings, stoning to near death, Acts 9:23-25, imprisonments, and house arrest to name a few) He is also pointing to Christ Himself in what Jesus endured while He was on earth.

Christ was also betrayed (Mark 14:44) and carried a weight (the sin of the world) Christ prayed would be removed from Him. (Luke 22:42)

This letter was written during a time of great persecution for the church as a whole, and Paul’s recipients in Corinth would have been facing severe difficulty and danger for following Christ. All of these trials were real, heavy and pressing, yet Paul encourages his readers that they will not be abandoned in the midst of them.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes that compared to knowing Christ, everything else is rubbish! (Philippians 3:8)

The Everyday Application

3) With all of these trials and afflictions, why believe in God?

Jesus, Paul, and the believers who made up the early church were not the only ones to face difficulty, just take a peek in any family’s life around the world! While hardship is common to everyone who breathes oxygen, the difference is that, for believers, we have hope and strength and power from the Living God. We can’t manufacture this on our own!

We have a God who works all things for good, for those who love Him, even in the middle of trial. (Romans 8:28) Wiersbe’s commentary says all the struggles we go through in our everyday lives are not our final destruction, and don’t necessitate our despair.

Rather, when we are faced with hardships, crushed a bit, it allows for the ‘goodness of God, the light of Christ’ to seep out and affect others in the midst of our hardship because His strength shines brilliantly in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) For us it means that we, in all of these life circumstances, in the persecutions, disappointments, betrayals but also just the general wearing down of our physical bodies, we have a blessed hope to which we fervently cling. (Titus 2:11-14)

Not only are we given the ability to endure through trial, we are not alone. (Matthew 28:20) We have the Lord of Hosts, God Himself ever present in our time of need. (Psalm 46:1)

We have a host of angels who are surrounding us, unseen by human eyes, but always at the ready just like the story of Elisha and his servant. (2 Kings 6:15-17)

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Anointing,Clay Jars,His Image.,Oil,Surpassing Power,surrender,Yahweh Sabaoth

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But eternal truth rose from the lyrics and I struggled to believe the words were true, despite what I felt. I was faced with the old dilemma: circumstances and emotions versus Scripture and Holy Spirit.

The answer was simple, not easy. Truth always trumps emotion and circumstance.

It meant following His voice, through the fear.

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The GT Weekend! ~ Treasure Week 3

January 25, 2020 by Rebecca Adams 1 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

1) Fearfully and wonderfully made? Or flawed, broken, scarred, discarded, and of little value? See, we can’t hold both as being true, Sisters. They are too far apart. Can I tell you transparently I’ve held onto one set of phrases for the majority of my life while keeping the other set in the trash? And it nearly took my life. Apart from Jesus, our past, our sins, and our shame will forever weigh us down, keeping us far from wholeness and peace. But with Jesus, shame is gone, condemnation has no place, and truth is anchored deeply in our hearts. Fearfully and wonderfully made! You and me! Choose this day what you will believe, and carry it with you as you let truth define you!

2) Every single believer is part of every other believer. We are connected, each to the other. Which means that when we choose to pull out and away from the Body of Christ in our local churches, we make a rippling impact on the effectiveness of our church. How we view ourselves, directly affects the health of our churches! How often do you feel called and empowered to dig deep and serve and engage in your local body? Truth? Regardless of how you feel, you are called to exactly this! Lean in to this truth, wear those robes of royalty as Daughter of the King, and love your local church! What can you begin doing even this weekend to make an intentional shift?!

3) Extending the crown of Treasure to others, especially those we wouldn’t normally engage with, can feel uncomfortable, even intimidating. But consider, how comfortable was it for Christ to leave His throneroom of endless glory, be wrapped in finite, human flesh, live out the sufferable human life, and die a cruel, shameful death…all that we would become His treasures?! Unfathomable, isn’t it?! Truly, if this King of Kings would lay aside every rightful glory in order to love us more lavishly than we’ve ever known, surely we can step up and love another outside our own comfort zone! Start praying now, this moment, for who the Lord wants you to love lavishly!

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 Romans 12:3-5 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.

Prayer Journal
Father, as we close out this Journey Study of Treasure, sink the truths we’ve uncovered deep into the DNA of our souls. Remind us, Holy Spirit, who we are, who we are called to be, and how you see us as righteous, lovely, handcrafted intentional vessels of your glorious love. Remind us of the high calling You’ve placed on our everyday lives to love well, to hold tightly to truth, and declare your love to the world around us. We are not our own, Father. Praise You for that! We are all parts of another within Your wonderfully crafted Bride. Urge us to dig in, to serve, to care, to cheer on others, and point them ever closer to Your heart. Thank You for calling us Your most Treasured Ones!

Worship Through Community

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Treasure Day 11 Treasure In The Mirror

January 20, 2020 by Mandy Farmer 4 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 26:16-19
1 Peter 5:1-11
Ephesians 2:1-10
James 4:1-10
Hebrews 12:1-13

Treasure, Day 11

We are God’s most treasured possession.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God Himself. And yet, we find ourselves struggling to believe this truth.

The enemy whispers “unworthy” in our ears. He tells us we are no good and pulls us down into the depths of depression.

It’s a fight, my friend. Satan goes about the earth like a lion seeking whom he can devour. We must resist him with all our strength.

He uses any tool he can find to defeat us.
It could be society telling us we are worthless,
our bathroom mirrors,
or what we read or watch (like social media).

It’s a spiritual battle and must be fought daily, hourly, or even by the minute.

This fight is nothing new. The Bible is full of men and women wrestling to discover their true worth.

Moses fought when God called him to rescue the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 3:7-4:13). He told God he just couldn’t do obey because he was too flawed.

Oh, the excuses!
His failures of his murderous past.
His faltering speech and slow tongue.

Been there, sister?

God can’t possibly mean me.
My past can’t be overcome.
My failures define me.
My flaws are too big and too public.

Truth?
God can use anyone.
Together with his brother, Aaron, and empowered by God Himself, Moses confronted Pharaoh and eventually led the Israelites to their freedom.

Even our spiritual leaders might tell us we aren’t good enough, or overlook us because others are better looking, or smarter, or________ (fill in the blank). For example, when the prophet Samuel was tasked with anointing a new king, he looked at a family of strong and ruddy men and assumed one of them would be the obvious choice.

Yet, God highlighted a shepherd boy, the most unlikely of candidates, reminding Samuel people look at outward appearance, but He sees our hearts. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

In the New Testament, we meet Timothy, who was also disparaged because of his appearance, specifically because he was young. The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy not to be deterred, or discouraged, by society claiming he was too young to lead and teach.

Like a father, Paul urged Timothy to be an example to all believers through his speech, lifestyle, and godly love for others. He encouraged Timothy to stay strong in his faith and steadfast in his purity (1 Timothy 4:12-16), so God’s character would be made evident within Timothy.

Similarly, God calls each of us, setting us apart with a purpose, to mirror His glory by reflecting His attributes to those around us.

Mirrors.
For many years, I lived in a virtual house of mirrors.
These carnival-style mirrors distorted the truth,
leaving me trapped in a maze of lies.

I struggled to grasp the treasure God had placed within me through His own Holy Spirit when He freed me from sin, shame, and chains of condemnation. Though God had gifted me with many talents and was growing His character in me, I could only see my weakness and incapability.

I did all the negative self-talk, embracing and repeating Satan’s lies to myself instead of the beautiful truths Christ had died to wrap around me like a royal robe. The evil one tries to beat us down and destroy us. He wants to keep our eyes turned away from our gifts and abilities and onto our weaknesses.

But God works through our weaknesses
to make us strong
and bring glory to Him.

So how do we fight the good fight? How do we defeat the enemy Satan, who is constantly whispering in our ears that we are no good?

We follow Paul’s instruction to Timothy.
We train ourselves for the fight.
We focus on reading the Scriptures,
and on stewarding the gifts God HAS INDEED given us.
We put on the full armor of God as defense against enemy attacks.

Begin listening to what God says about you. When negative thoughts come, and they will, resist them, rather than dwelling on them.

Look to the Lord (your wonderful and perfect mirror).
Let His likeness shine on you (Psalm 105:4-11).
Think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure and lovely, and admirable.
Think on His words, which are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8-9).

Make a list of Scriptures that remind you of your righteousness in Jesus Christ,
which He purchased for you when He shed His blood and paid for your sin.
Write them out with your name inserted in them.
Stick them wherever you will see them every day.
On your bathroom mirror. Your fridge. In your pocket.
Set them as reminders on your phone.

Recite these Scriptures over and over, especially when the enemy attacks. You’ve got this, friend. You can renew your mind just as God has transformed your heart!

Here’s a short profession to help you get started:
I look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith. He created me in His perfect image. I am His masterpiece. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, His treasured possession.

Even before I was born, He knew me. He died on the cross and rose again to redeem my life. I will seek His face and His strength, always. I will live as a daughter of the King.
Daughter of the King. Wow!
If you aren’t 100% sure you are a true Daughter of the King, having been washed and forgiven and freed from all those chains of condemnation, will you please reach out to someone who knows and lives that truth deeply? Email the Sisters at Gracefully Truthful or drop a comment here. Choosing to become the King’s Daughter is the single most important decision you will ever make; it will last for eternity!

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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Treasure 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 Treasure!

The GT Weekend! ~ Treasure Week 2

January 18, 2020 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

Worship Through Journaling

1) “God wove holy work into our design as an act of love toward humanity.” That’s a pretty bold statement from our friend, Tawnya. In what ways do your views of your work contradict, or agree, or land somewhere in the middle of that statement? If God truly did create, and give, work as an act of love towards us, how might that reshape how we go about our work, regardless of what it is, where it is, or how we are reimbursed for that work? What specific steps can begin taking to “take back” a biblical view of the work God has lovingly given you?

2) As important as our work is in the grander view of building God’s Kingdom, whether we are doing dishes, inviting a neighbor for tea, or bringing together business deals, the enemy is always lurking around us, ready to tempt us to tie our identity to our work. It’s such an easy trap to fall into! When we succeed at our job, we feel we have won. Conversely, when we feel we have failed, the weight falls heavy on our hearts, affecting everything else. Learning to lean wholly on the truth of who God says we are, regardless of what we accomplish with our hands, will radically rewrite how we view ourselves and our work!

3) God not only fills us with life-giving purpose by calling us into eternal kingdom work, He also intentionally designed what we do here to echo into eternity. What we do with our time, our talent, and our treasure while we live on this temporal earth will matter in eternity. Because of this reality, the apostle Paul urges us to “run so you may obtain it (the prize)! (1 Corinthians 9:24) Run the race of your faith with purpose, intentionality, and with your eyes focused on the eternal, not the temporal. Only what’s done for Christ, through His power and by His love, will have forever impact!

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 1 Corinthians 9:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable.

Prayer Journal
“I do it all for the sake of the gospel…”. Lord, I read those words by Paul, and Your Spirit washes over me with new awareness of the work You have called me into. All things, for all people, whatever I’m doing, all for the gospel to be proclaimed, understood, and received by the same mighty Spirit Who empowers me to work at all. I’m humbled, Lord, and in awe of Your Work! You work in me, You fuel me to do Kingdom Work, You call me into purpose, and elevate everything I set my hands to as being potentially used to build Your eternal kingdom. Incredible grace, Lord! May I run this race well with each job ahead of me. From sweeping the floor, potty-training, meal planning, errand-running, or patience in my relationships…this is the work You’ve purposefully given me. Establish it with Your hands!

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!

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Treasure Day 3 Mirror Of Her

January 8, 2020 by Marietta Taylor 1 Comment

Treasure Day 3 Mirror Of Her

Marietta Taylor

January 8, 2020

Christ,Freedom,God,Good,Hope,Treasure,Truth,Wonderfully

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 29:1-14
Isaiah 45:9-13
Psalm 139
Ephesians 1:3-19

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I’ve read Jeremiah 29:11 more times that I can remember, and I’ve heard it more times than I’ve read it. I bet many of you can say the same. We all want to claim God has good plans for us, plans for a good future and hope. The deep application of Jeremiah 29:11 is richly rooted in our inheritance from Christ, who Himself is our Hope and Future, but do we really walk in that truth in our everyday lives? For me, I know I’m quick to skip over the eternal riches of Christ, instead wishing for a right-now-fix of “I deserve….”.

Recently, someone I know received several opportunities I had been eyeing for a while. Let me tell you, the richness I have in Christ was the furthest thing from my mind. All I could think about was “Why not me?” Yep, the cloud of comparison infiltrated my heart and mind. I started to believe poisonous questions and lies over deep truth.

You might be familiar with some of those untruths.

What did she do to deserve this over me?
I must not be as good as her.
Now my chance is ruined.
Maybe I need to do (insert action) more (or less).

But let’s not just talk about the times where we knock ourselves. Let’s chat about the times we compare “in reverse”. This type of comparison is equally as untrue and poisonous. Trust me, I know this from personal experience, sadly. We may get to do some great things or receive some incredible blessings and comparison sets in again. I’ve said things like:

I’m finally on her level (or above her).
This is an even better opportunity than she had.
I’m going to exceed what she did.

Ladies, do you know what we do when we compare, whether positively or negatively? We’re telling God how to do His job. Isaiah 45:9 illustrates how the created should not be questioning its Creator.
“Does clay say to the one forming it,
‘What are you making?’”

Neither should we say, “God, you should have made it possible for me to do that” nor “God, thank you for giving me more talent than her.” Instead, with humility, we should be looking at ourselves and at our sisters, especially our “her” as God does.
He sees us as wonderfully crafted treasures.

Psalm 139 beautifully reminds us whose we are.
We belong to God.
Not just me, or you, or even her.
All of us.
We are all His treasures, and we’re fully known by Him.

He created our inward parts and knit us together (verse 13).
It is God who knows and understands our every thought and word (verses 2-5).
We have been “remarkably and wondrously made” (verse 14); we are His “wondrous work”! Not better or worse than anyone. But wondrous!

When comparison begins rearing its head in my life, I remind myself,
“Mari, God made her, therefore she is wondrous. And guess what? He made you too, so that makes you equally wondrous. You are both wonderful treasures!”. You should try this with your “her”. Real truth changes our heart perspective!

Yes! We are wondrously made and intricately crafted as His treasure! For a full picture of how God sees us, let’s consider who we are. In exploring Ephesians 1, we discover all we are chosen to BE. It’s an outstanding list: holy, blameless, adopted, redeemed and forgiven. We’re chosen to receive an incorruptible inheritance, have wisdom and understanding, receive the seal of the Holy Spirit, hear the truth, and receive spiritual blessings and grace. We are chosen to belong to Christ, know God, praise Him, and believe Him at His Word!

This is who we are. This is who she is too.

Let’s make this practical, because it’s easy to say we will view others as God’s treasure when comparison isn’t lurking. But once it arrives, we need readily available tools to help us hold onto God’s unchanging truths over the all-too-sweet lies of comparison.

In case you were wondering, I’m not telling you to do something I haven’t done.
I take the list from the previous paragraph and write it out. (Mine is in the margin of my journaling Bible). When I need to renew my mind about me or her, I go to this list. I first insert my name in each statement (i.e. Mari is chosen to belong to God). Then I start over and insert her name. Friends, there is no way you can do this and not see how we are all priceless treasures of God!

By digging into truth, I realize my friend, and every other “her” in my life has been blessed by God with good opportunities, but He has also blessed me with different opportunities. He treasures her gifts and gives her chances to use them, but this in no way prevents Him from treasuring and blessing me. She is not my competition. She is my sister in Christ. We can shine for the kingdom in our individual, different ways. And we do.

So sisters, let’s all embrace this truth and walk in the freedom of being His handcrafted Treasures!

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Belong,compare,eternal riches,future,give,Her,mirror,wondrous

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