Advent Day 7 Immoveable Anchor: Digging Deeper

December 14, 2021 by Rebecca Adams 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!
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The Questions

1) What is the context of Isaiah’s warning? (verse 12)

2) What competes for worshipping the Lord God that Isaiah calls out the instruction of verse 13 to “regard only the Lord of Armies as holy”?

3) How is it possible to stumble over the Lord of Armies? (verses 14-15)

Isaiah 8:13-15

You are to regard only the Lord of Armies as holy.
Only he should be feared;
only he should be held in awe.
14 He will be a sanctuary;
but for the two houses of Israel,
he will be a stone to stumble over
and a rock to trip over,
and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 Many will stumble over these;
they will fall and be broken;
they will be snared and captured.

Original Intent

1) What is the context of Isaiah’s warning? (verse 12)
God’s people, the Jewish nation, had split into two nations long before Isaiah came as the Lord’s prophet. Each split portion of the kingdom had her own king, who was generally wicked, not only rebelling against God for himself, but also leading God’s people into great rebellion and sin. The Northern Kingdom retained the title “Israel”, while the significantly smaller portion, the Southern Kingdom, was called Judah. At the time of this writing in chapter 8, Ahaz was king of Judah. Though his father, King Jotham, mostly followed God (2 Chronicles 27:1-2), Ahaz furiously rebelled against Yahweh. It’s recorded Ahaz even sacrificed his own son to a false god and, with an interesting description, “walked in the ways of the kings of Israel”. (2 Kings 16:3) While Ahaz has been wrecking Judah with his horrendous leadership and adulterous worship against the One True God (2 Kings 16:4) for twelve years, Hoshea assassinates the king before him, Pekah, in order to steal the throne. (2 Kings 15:30) For over 200 years, the Lord had sent prophets to the Northern Kingdom, warning them of judgement for their insistent idolatry and adultery, but they refused to return to love Him only. As just consequence, the Lord was sending the cruel Assyrian empire to defeat Israel. Jumping back into Isaiah 8, King Ahaz of Judah has heard the war cries of Assyria and fears that, following Israel’s destruction, Judah (and Ahaz) will be next. To Ahaz’s panic, the Lord responds through the prophet Isaiah, “Do not call everything a conspiracy that these people say is a conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not be terrified.” (verse 12) Judah’s judgement was coming, but it wouldn’t be from the Assyrians. God instructs Ahaz to wait on Him, to return and worship Him, and not give in to fear.

2) What competes for worshipping the Lord God that Isaiah calls out the instruction of verse 13 to “regard only the Lord of Armies as holy”?
Ahaz had grown accustomed to worshipping everything BUT the Lord God Almighty. The book of Kings records, “He (Ahaz) sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.” (2 Kings 16:4) He closely followed the idolatrous actions modeled by Israel’s kings, and was quick to follow suit. The disease of peer pressure haunted Ahaz. Thinking he could “use” God to win him favor by bribery, Ahaz stole the holy, set apart treasures from God’s temple in attempt to buy Assyria’s aid. (2 Kings 16:8) He looked to his most-feared enemy as a source of help when he feared attack from other kings! (2 Kings 16:7) When Assyria did help Ahaz fight his enemies in the city of Damascus, Ahaz met Assyria’s king face-to-face, yet Ahaz’ lusting pride drew him ever farther away from true worship of Yahweh. While visiting Assyria’s king, Ahaz noticed their altar for sacrifices to their false gods and decided it was far superior to the one God had specifically given instructions for His people to build. (2 Kings 16:10) Not to be outdone, Ahaz gave instruction to duplicate the Assyrian altar. He then had the bullish audacity to move the Lord’s holy altar aside so he could place the Assyrian altar in its place; he ordered the Lord’s priests to sacrifice on the Assyrian alter instead of Yahweh’s. (2 Kings 16:14-15)

3) How is it possible to stumble over the Lord of Armies? (verses 14-15)
There is no doubt when examining Ahaz and his choices as king of God’s people that his decisions were major missteps. He was stumbling around in the darkness of his sin because he refused to acknowledge the Light of God. Despite the warnings from prophets and the clear consequences the befell the Northern Kingdom because of their own rebellion, Ahaz still insisted on living his way instead of building Judah on the solid cornerstone of God, His Word, and His perfect ways. The more God gave His righteous commands, the farther Ahaz moved against Him in arrogant rebellion. The more he fixed his attention on his peers and fostered his fears instead of giving the whole of himself to worshipping Yahweh and following Him, the deeper into darkness he rushed. God said to worship Him only for only He was worthy (verse 13), but Ahaz stumbled against this life-giving command over and over to the point he slaughtered his own son in pursuit of self. The God who had every power to save Ahaz and restore Judah was more than willing to forgive Ahaz and teach him how to love the Lord God alone, but Ahaz rejected Yahweh endlessly. Eventually, Ahaz’ rebellion cost him the throne and his life.

Everyday Application

1) What is the context of Isaiah’s warning? (verse 12)
When we consider the whole of Ahaz’s timeline and heart motivations, we should be urged toward two main applications for our own everyday lives. One, God takes sin seriously. Yes, there is grace and forgiveness as evidenced by the centuries that passed before God finally ushered in His consequence, but He absolutely cannot, and will not, turn a blind eye to sin. This wasn’t true for Israel or Judah, and it’s certainly not true for us today. The gossip, the biting words, the harsh body language, the lusting second glances, the covetous heart that wants what is “hers”, the willingness to give in to anxiety and fear instead of surrender to the God of peace; Sisters, all of these are rebellious sins. Every sinful act earns us the just payment of eternal death, meaning separation from God and His loving mercy and kindness for the rest of eternity. (Romans 6:23) Either we can turn away from our sin and toward the God who loves us enough to sacrifice Himself and pay our sin-debt for us, or we can continue spurning the Almighty like Ahaz and Hoshea. Two, what the Lord has declared, we can most assuredly trust. (Isaiah 40:8) It was not time for Judah’s destruction; Ahaz had no reason to fear Assyria. Ahaz insisted on surveying his circumstances and choosing fear when he could have chosen to look at the God of Armies, surrender to Him in faith, and received perfect peace as a result. We don’t have prophets telling us God’s Word, we can read it ourselves and understand it through the aid of the Holy Spirit if He lives within us. Will we read His Word? Will we choose to trust the One who sees all and knows all and loves perfectly? Or will we live in fear?

2) What competes for worshipping the Lord God that Isaiah calls out the instruction of verse 13 to “regard only the Lord of Armies as holy”?
Everywhere Ahaz cast his eyes, there were more opportunities to give his worship to something utterly unworthy of his praise. How foolish Ahaz’ worship attempts look when tossed before “gods” that neither had any means of delivering what Ahaz pleaded for, nor were they even remotely worthy of the adoration he gave. How foolish we look when we do the same! Take a quick physical glance around your house or a metaphorical glance around your life, and take note of where your heart pulls. Do you look at the mirror and loathe the reflection staring back as you nitpick on your image? Idolatry is here as you are drawn to worshipping self over Creator God. Do you become angry at the piles of dishes or laundry? Or maybe the décor, or lack thereof, as you are tempted to compare yours to hers. Do your “eyes” land on your relationships? Where is jealousy lurking underneath the “longing for better and deeper”? Sister, you are not alone as you look around and take stock of the idols preying for your undying love. I’ve encountered mine on all sides today, and I know I will do the same tomorrow. Sin doesn’t happen because temptation exists, it’s how we respond to this seemingly sweet invitation to satiate ourselves. Eve wrestled with it just as surely as you and I. She gave in, as have I many times, but the Lord says we don’t need to live in the grasp of sin’s deadly allure. (1 Corinthians 10:13) James writes that, while giving into temptation eventually leads to death and destruction (James 1:15), humbling ourselves under God will have the opposite effect as He draws us ever closer to Him, raising us up to know Him better. (James 4:10)

3) How is it possible to stumble over the Lord of Armies? (verses 14-15)
We often don’t see past the enticing allure of sin to the pit of darkness behind its seemingly harmless lust. Satan dresses up our desires, making us feel like we are missing out if we don’t have what we want, when we want it, and then uses us against ourselves to shackle us to destruction. Like a pied piper, Satan’s deception tactics insist that the God we claim to follow is stingy while Satan wants to give us everything we could dream. Instead of waiting on the Lord, we begin thinking we should step in and take over. We become trapped into thinking we can arrive at our desired destination more effectively by sinning than by humbly obeying the Lord. A simple, but common for my heart, example is evidenced by my desire for my children to obey my voice. My sin? Arrogant anger when they don’t behave as I want or accomplish what I expect. Instead of choosing love, the enemy seizes an opportunity to destroy, and says I will accomplish my goal faster if I become angry. Don’t I deserve their obedience anyways? How quickly one deception leads to another! Jesus’ half-brother, James, picked up Isaiah’s prophecy about God as a stumbling stone and applied it to Jesus. (1 Peter 2:5-8) In the greatest act of humility, God coming to earth in the form of a human, living a perfect life of love, and surrendering Himself to death that we might have our sin-debt forgiven, He becomes a stumbling block to many. Either we reject this extravagant love and keep living for self, walking around in darkness like Ahaz, or we fall in adoring worship, rejoicing to accept His lavish forgiveness. Either Christ remains our stumbling block, and we continue choosing deadly rebellion, or we embrace Him as Cornerstone and build the rest of our lives upon Him, knowing our eternity is perfectly secure as it rests on Him.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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The GT Weekend! ~ Waiting Week 2

October 16, 2021 by Erin O'Neal Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) The story of God’s people is one full of waiting and watching. From Adam and Eve, to Abraham and Sarah, to David and the prophets, nearly everyone in Scripture waits for the Lord to work. Often the stories we read show us our own human nature of waiting poorly. In the waiting, our doubts and our sin so easily ensnare us. Not only that, but we get so caught up in our day-to-day trials, we forget to look for the work God is doing. What are you waiting for? How are you living as you wait? Is your mind caught up with fretting about the thing you are waiting for and how to ensure it arrives? Or do you distract yourself so you won’t even think about it. Spend some time in self-reflection. Confess the ways you are waiting poorly, and ask God to give you a steadfast hope in His good timing. Meditate on the truth of God’s faithfulness by writing out Psalm 13 and praying it aloud to God as you write.

2) As we wait on the Lord, we will inevitably face questions and doubts. Will God keep His promises? Am I hearing Him correctly? Can I trust Him? Maybe we will discover that what we thought we were waiting for was not, in fact, God’s plan for us. Maybe we will find that the time we spent waiting has changed both us and our desires. Are you willing to put your trust in the all-knowing all-powerful God who has promised that all things will work for the good of those who love Him? What hopes and dreams are you holding onto? Where are you questioning God’s goodness? How are you anxious about the future? Can you submit those dreams, questions, and fears to almighty God? How has He shown Himself faithful to you before? God tells His people time and time again to remember His faithfulness. Take some time to look back today on how the Lord has been present. Remember the goodness God has shown you in the past, and submit to His will for your present and your future. Remember Him in the waiting.

3) In Friday’s journey, we considered the rich tapestry of history God has woven by His good will, and continues to work until the end of time. Sarah reminded us that while we see the messy underside and crisscrossed threads that don’t make sense to us, God sees the big picture. This image resonated with me as a person who enjoys crafting. I can’t tell you how many times I have re-started a crochet project because something didn’t look right, or because I hadn’t read the instructions properly, or because I was confused. Praise God He knows what He is doing from eternity past to eternity future; He never needs to unravel the work He has begun. Do you trust that God’s timing is perfect and abundantly more merciful and good than we can imagine? Do you trust He knows what He is doing, even when we don’t? Consider the works of your hands. Perhaps you sew or crochet, maybe you paint or write, or maybe you are an expert home organizer (can you share some of that skill with me?!). Often our projects start messy and get worse before they get better. As you do your work today, consider the great plan God has for all of history and entrust to His care all of your hopes, dreams, and desires. Ask Him to sustain you in all things.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Isaiah 40:28-31a back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the whole earth.
He never becomes faint or weary;
There is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the powerless.
Youths may become faint and weary,
And young men stumble and fall,
But those who trust in the Lord
Will renew their strength…

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our Hope in times of trouble, our Grace in times of restless waiting. You give us rest for our souls. You give us security in Your completed work. You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and we trust You. My sight is limited, my knowledge incomplete, but You, oh God, have a good plan. Help me to trust You when my faith grows weak. Forgive me for my tendency to doubt and attempts to fix everything myself. Forgive me, and strengthen me, for Your great glory. Father, I commit to You my every step. My future is in Your hands, and I rest securely, knowing You will do what You have said. Help me to be bold in my faith, proclaiming Your goodness to a lost and broken world. May my life show Your good will to those around me: my children, my neighbors, my church, and my community. May my life be a testimony to Your great faithfulness.

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

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

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The GT Weekend! ~ If Week 1

July 17, 2021 by Erin O'Neal 1 Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ If Week 1

Erin O'Neal

July 17, 2021

Faithfulness,God,GT Weekend,Holy Spirit,Jesus,Journey,Love,Mercy,Power,Prayer,Scripture,Trust

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

This Week's Journeys

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Colossians 1:15-17

[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.

Prayer Journal Entry

Who is this King of Glory? Who is this God who would condescend to walk the Earth as a man, perfect and righteous?

You are our God, the blessed Three-in-One, wholly loving, almighty, immovable, and the perfect lover of our souls. You have not left us on our own in our questions and our weakness, but You have rescued us by Your great hand!

Forgive me, oh merciful God, for my doubts, my weakness, and my desire to have my own way. I have often resisted Your will and questioned your goodness.

Thank You for your great mercy and grace. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to work in my heart and guide me in obedience. Thank You for comforting me with truth as I search out your goodness.

I ask for Your help as I surrender my will to Yours. Use my questions and my doubts to draw my heart toward You rather than toward the darkness. I believe in You, oh Lord, help my unbelief.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE
What if Jesus was not God? What if He was just a prophet or a good teacher, but not God in flesh? Or even if He wasn’t fully God, but something lesser?

Considering these questions can either drive us away from the Lord or drive us straight into the arms of a loving, trustworthy, and faithful God.

We saw in Monday’s Journey Study some solid reasons to believe Jesus was, and is, exactly the fully divine God He claimed to be. He defeated sin by living a perfect life. He defeated death by raising Himself from the dead. Because of these things, and more, He is worthy of our worship. We serve a powerful God. The great King of Glory does not fear our questions. There is no question too big for Him.

Will you commit to bringing your questions to the Lord? Will you be honest with Him about your doubts? Will you faithfully search the Scriptures and consult wise, mature believers as you seek out your answers? What questions do you have? Where have you been looking for answers?

Write down one or two questions about God along with the name of someone you know whom you could ask to help you find the answers. Pray over your question and ask the Lord to give you courage to step out in faith and search for truth!

JOURNAL TWO
Like making cake without flour, trimming the grass without a mower, or, perhaps most apt, drinking water from an empty glass, so is absolutely anything we attempt in the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit.

We, as finite, prone-to-sin human beings, are utterly incapable of accomplishing the holy, righteous work of becoming like Jesus on our own power. We cannot forgive more freely, love more deeply, give more wholeheartedly, or treat others with more lavish kindness without the power of the Holy Living God taking up residence within our beings.

Going further, even if we have genuinely surrendered our lives to Christ and He has faithfully given us the Holy Spirit inside of us, we can still adamantly choose to reject His power at work in us. Classic author Andrew Murray writes of every day being a battle of wills between our fleshly desires and the work of God. We can either choose to surrender moment by moment to His work, or we can stubbornly insist on our own abilities to accomplish His righteousness.

Determine today to live in a constant state of surrender by practicing the simple hand motion of raising one or two palms upward. When you face a challenge of your will versus God’s way today, choose total surrender to the Spirit by rotating your palm upward and breathing a prayer of surrender!

JOURNAL THREE
Rejoice with me as we think about our great God! His character is so far above our comprehension of holiness. He is unable to sin because of His great power and might. He is perfectly just and perfectly merciful. He is unchanging, unshakable, steadfast, and He gives us direct access to Him.

Even when we fall short, He is faithful because He cannot violate His own nature. Write a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty God!

Spend time contemplating what His sinless nature means for your relationship with Him and your obedience to Him. You may begin to feel discouraged by the weight of your own sin and your own shortcomings as you worship. Feel that weight, but don’t stay there!

When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, we receive freedom from our sins. Repent and move forward in the strength of the Lord only He can provide. You don’t need to make yourself better to come to Him. Simply focus on His greatness, and He will work a mighty change in you!

Tags :

Almighty,courage,doubts,fear,honest,If,King of Glory,perfect,questions,righteousness,What iF

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The GT Weekend! ~ Word Week 2

May 1, 2021 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

Worship Through Journaling

1) What was the last thing you ate? It’s a silly question, but what was your “why” for eating it? I know, crazy, right? But the answer might not be as easy as you think. Were you famished and ate the crusty piece of bread anyways? Were you stressed and ran for your secret stash? Maybe you were bored, or tired, anxious, or just available where food was present. Or, just perhaps, you were actually hungry and you intentionally chose to eat the specific foods you had specifically prepared for the purpose of nourishing and fueling your body. The everyday aspects of our normal lives provide a bit of a reflection into the spiritual realm. We regularly take in “food” to feed the soul-hunger inside each of us. Are we fueling love for Jesus and others by consciously considering, and preparing, what we take into our hearts? Are we slowing down enough to recognize when we are providing fodder for our insatiable pride, anger, or self-righteous indignation? What will you feast on today? And Why?

2) From a bush aflame with orange tongues of fire came a voice declaring His power, might, and complete authority over all. Period. I AM WHO I AM said the Lord God to a trembling, aging, forgotten shepherd. The bush bursting with heat from hungry flames, remained as green and unscathed as it had before the burning fire engulfed it. Authority over all. Period. Centuries later, a smattering of fishermen were caught on the waters in the midst of a storm. Waves sweeping over their craft, death imminent, and a solitary ghost-like shadow walking toward them, seemingly oblivious to the terror around them. Then, the voice, the same voice that had spoken ages before to the fearful shepherd, Moses, spoke again to paranoid sailors. IT IS I. Authority over all. Period. One greater than their storm had spoken, capturing their attention. The storm continued its rage. The flame continued its fury. But the Lord God held all authority, insisting that the forgotten and the bedraggled focus on the single most important Being. I AM. In the hush of now, as you quiet your heart in the presence of this very same God, consider, whose voice will you give your full attention?

3) Nothing can remain hidden when the brilliance of light is cast upon it. Shadows escape as all is instantly, relentlessly made known. Every crack in the windshield, every chip on our phone screens, every spot on the window pane. Nothing Hidden. But for the one who insists on running for shadows, forever fleeing the light, not wishing exposure, they not only miss out on truth, but also prevent themselves from dancing in freedom and forgiveness. Full exposure is terrifying because we all have secrets and shame we’d rather keep hidden away, forever unknown. Tossing aside your masks, what are the secret things you hide in your soul? On what does your shame hang? It’s easy to gloss over and say we have nothing, but then we only deceive ourselves. Sit with it; what hides in your corners, evading the Light of Jesus? Perhaps just as important, explore why you’re hiding it. Yesterday, Sara prayed for us, asking the Lord to give us eyes to really see. Eyes to see our sin, eyes to see Christ for who He is, and eyes to recognize that real life is found only in walking in the Light instead of hiding behind shadows. Where will you live and what will you choose to see?

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 Exodus 3:13-15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

When Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

Prayer Journal
All inclusive. No exceptions. “I AM WHO I AM” With this name you encompass all things, all time, all authority, and all rule; there is none like You. How dare we look up at You? How dare we breathe without Your permission? Yet, in the un-imaginable narrative of Moses’ life, You come to him, speaking Your Name over him, mysteriously calling him into Your work. You hold all rule, life and death are in Your hand, with Your breathe You formed the intricacies of blood vessels and microscopic cells, yet You, with the greatest of all humanity and dramatic, radical love, spoke. With unquestionable power, You made Yourself known, not only to Moses, not only to Israel, but with the birth of Your Son, God in the flesh, You made Yourself known to all peoples. Oh Lord, whom I have the privilege, to call my Savior, fix the focus of my heart upon the magnitude of Your incomprehensible love, oh great I AM.

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

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Sketched VIII Day 14 Tamar And Absalom: Digging Deeper

September 10, 2020 by Ann Hale 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 Tamar And Absalom!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)

Psalm 91

1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: 3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. 4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, 6 the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. 8 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord — my refuge, the Most High — your dwelling place, 10 no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. 11 For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. 12 They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.14 Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. 15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)
First, we’ll need to look at what the definition is for “to dwell”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the verb dwell as “to live in a place or in a particular way”. The word ‘shadow’ has many meanings, and our first impression may be of a dark place. However, being in someone’s shadow also means you are actively following this person very closely (Cambridge Dictionary). In Psalm 5:4 we read that evil cannot dwell in God. These words tell us that living in the shadow of our God is good because there is no evil that can be near Him. We are safe whenever we continually abide close to our Almighty Father.

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)
In the Old Testament, we can see how God promises protection for those who obey and honor Him. This applied specifically to His chosen people, the Hebrews. A great example of this protection is found in the story of Moses recorded in the book of Exodus. God performed many wonderful miracles to protect His people and lead them out of slavery in Egypt. When the final plague came over the Egyptians, God commanded His people to kill a lamb and cover their doorposts with its blood. The angel of death would then know which houses to pass over when the plague of the firstborn’s death came over the land. Not one of God’s families suffered death from this final plague because He kept them safe as they put themselves under His protection. (Read the full story! Exodus 11:1-12:36!). Two other great examples of God’s loving protection over His people are found in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Three Hebrew friends refused to bow down to a statue (false god), instead choosing to honor the One True God, and keep themselves under His care. This should have meant their death by fire according to the King! (Daniel 3) The faithful God, however, kept them safe in the midst of the fiery furnace! Later, Daniel, the prophet, was protected from the gnashing teeth of the lions after he was punished for praying to God. (Daniel 6) Though the death penalty awaited him, God provided protection supernaturally. When God’s people stay obedient to Him, keeping themselves under His care, He keeps them safe. It’s not always physical safety, as the Bible is full of persecution and suffering for following Jesus, but the Lord’s presence will never abandon us, and He will indeed faithfully preserve us into eternity as we place our faith in Him.

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)
We don’t need to look far for the answer to this question, even just in this passage, let alone the rest of Scripture! God gives beautiful promises to those who seek His company as our hiding place. (Psalm 32:7) He promises no harm will come to us (Psalm 91:9) because He commands His angels to protect us. (Psalm 91:11) When we call out, He promises to answer; He will remain with us in trouble, rescue us, and show us His salvation. (Psalm 91:15-16) In Psalm 138:7, we find confirmation of these words as God extends His hand, saving us from danger. The name of our Lord is a strong tower, and when we run to it, we’re protected and safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)
When we dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, we find ourselves in a very close relationship with our Creator. Dwelling with Him means following Him wherever He goes and keeping our eyes fixed on Him, so we can actively remain in His shadow. The best part is, if we dwell in His shadow, He will also dwell with us. What the psalmist referred to as “dwelling”, Jesus referred to in the New Testament as “abiding”. (John 15:4-5) He is always present, never far from us, but it’s our decision to remain in Him and invest in a relationship with Him. Dwelling in His shadow requires an intentional, consistent decision on our part to remain with Him. God tells us so beautifully of His heart for relationship when He says, “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) Through faith, Christ dwells in our hearts. (Ephesians 3:17) It really is a loving, mutual relationship between us and Him when we stay close beside Him!

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)
The same still stands for us today as it did in the days of Moses and Daniel. When we submit ourselves to God through faith in Jesus, we will be saved for eternity! (Revelation 14:12) When we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, He saves us from eternal condemnation and separation from Him. (Romans 10:9) Notice though, that these verses speak about the promise of being redeemed one day. This is the hope every believer holds onto. Jesus warns us that Christians will have tribulation in this world. (John 16:33) When we read the book of Acts, we see how some disciples were persecuted, like James (Acts 12:2), and others were frequently rescued, also in the midst of persecution, like Paul. (Acts 28:1-6) Regardless of what struggles look like in our lives, God will always use trials to bring us closer to Him, giving us new opportunities to experience Him and His ever-present grace. No matter what life brings us, there is comfort in the words of Jesus, “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) He promises our eternity is secure with Him, and that our trials now are worth persevering through!

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)
As we saw before, when we stay close to God, He will keep us safe and protected from danger. Jesus has promised He will never leave us, continuing to be with us even until the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20) Paul reminds us that, because of God’s faithful promises, “we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”. (Hebrews 13:6) Our God will rescue us from evil work and will bring us safely to the heavenly kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:18) These promises don’t mean we will never have trials or hard times. In fact, Jesus warned us there will be difficulties on our way because we live in a fallen world. (John 16:33) But, we will never walk alone! We’re hemmed in safety on all sides when we dwell closely with Him than when we wander far from His shadow. Stay where His hand guards and protects your life and your heart as you walk through trial of all kinds! There is peace and safety with the Almighty God!

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Blessed Day 10 Blessed Are The Pure In Heart

July 24, 2020 by Marietta Taylor 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 5:3-10
Psalm 15
Psalm 24:1-6

Blessed, Day 10

Blessed. It’s a word frequently used when someone receives a new house, car, job, or promotion. Often, it also describes births and weddings. You get the picture. But imagine thinking bigger and broader. Would you try with me?

As we’ve been discussing in our theme on the Beatitudes, Jesus set forth eight blessings for specific characteristics His followers should embody. Today, let’s focus on Matthew 5:8:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

So blessing is something we receive, but the full truth is much bigger and more significant! Being pure in heart is a blessing because we’ll get to see God. Glory!!

I remember reading two accounts of God showing the glory of His presence to a specific person. The first was in Exodus 33:7-23, when Moses, who had already experienced a physical manifestation of God’s presence via the pillar of cloud, asked God, “Please, let me see your glory.” (Exodus 33:18) The other account was in 1 Kings 19:9-13, when Elijah was fleeing from Jezebel and the Lord came to him in a whisper.

When I was going through a particularly rough time, these passages inspired me to pray, “Lord, I’m no Moses or Elijah, but would You please show me Your glory?” It was a bold prayer, to be sure. And after I prayed, I felt the weight of it.

I remembered hearing the teaching “sinful man cannot stand before a holy God,” and I was reminded of Leviticus 11:44, which says “you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy.” Similarly, in Genesis 17:1, God commands Moses, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and be blameless.”

But how can sinful humans lead holy, blameless lives? Romans 3:10 tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” Taken alone, this verse would be discouraging. However, we can have a pure heart! But it is never of our own doing.

Psalm 24:5 shows us how to begin developing a pure heart. “He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

Salvation is the first step toward a pure heart. When we accept God’s free gift of eternal life and repent of our sins, our hearts are made pure and cleansed from the stain of sin.

This purity of heart allows the Holy Spirit to come and dwell within us. Adam and Eve were able to be physically close with God because He walked with them in Eden. (Genesis 3:8) But we actually have God living in us! While we cannot see God on this side of heaven and live (1 Timothy 6:16), we can, and do, live with the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit.

Make no mistake, we will still sin. However, when we are maturing in our faith, we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to be more like Jesus. Jesus was without sin ( 1 John 3:5-6 ), so for us to be like Him, we must repent of our sins. We are led to repentance both by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and by Jesus’ exemplary prayer in Matthew 6:12. This type of continual repentance is also part of being pure in heart.

And finally, our hearts are purified when we live in obedience to the Word of God. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 3:18, explaining how we are being made more like Jesus. This process continues in us until death or Jesus returns (whichever comes first). Daily, we live out the instruction of the Bible. Again, this is only possible by the work of God within us, through the person of the Holy Spirit.

The New Testament is packed with guidance for Godly living. One of my favorite passages is Colossians 3:1-17.

Verse 10 encourages us, “You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.”

This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

And verse 4 assures us, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.”

This is the blessing for the pure in heart.

Hebrews 12:23 promises that in heaven, our spirits will be made perfect. Then, as “one who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4), we will get to see God face-to-face. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to that day.

In the meantime, God continues to show me His glory in the beauty of nature, the kindness of His people, growth in myself, and the beauty and goodness of His Word, to name just a few.

And you, Sister? How do you experience the glory of God? As you contemplate your journey, where are you encouraged and emboldened by the Spirit’s purifying transformation of your heart?

Let’s hold tight to these touches of His presence as we allow God in us to keep our hearts pure until the glorious day we see Him face-to-face.

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Redeemed Day 6 Favored Not Forsaken

June 29, 2020 by Kendra Kuntz Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 2
Exodus 17:8-16
Hebrews 10:24-25

Redeemed, Day 6

“Friend, I just read your blog. I’m praying for you and I’m behind you, and I’m also reminded of Moses. When the Israelites fought against Amalek, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed a hill. When Moses’ hand was raised, Israel was winning, but when his hand lowered, they began losing. When he grew too weary, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him holding up his hands. We will be here, holding up your hands as you grow weary and tired from battle. You won’t have to keep your hands raised on your own.”

I sent this text to a friend, as I thought of all she walked through in the last year. I’ve watched the Church gather around her family, holding up their hands.

Community.

Beautiful, God-crafted, community.

We see this theme throughout Scripture, beginning with God Himself. He exists in the community of the God-head: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Community . . . when God told Adam it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone.

Community . . . when Noah and his family boarded the ark.

Time and time again, community arises in the most unlikely circumstances. David’s closest community was the son of the man trying to murder him. Jesus’ earthly community included the man He knew would betray Him to death.

And the famous matriarch, Naomi?
Her community came from her Gentile daughter-in-law, Ruth.

Ruth, who was new to calling Yahweh her God.
Ruth, who was from a different culture, yet returned to Naomi’s homeland alongside her.
Ruth, who was so much younger than her grieving mother-in-law.
Yet, the unlikely Ruth, exemplifies Biblical community by holding up Naomi’s arms when she was overcome with weakness and her feelings that God had forsaken her.

You see, when Naomi and her family left Bethlehem for Moab, it was only supposed to last until the famine eased.

But Moab brought Naomi nothing but turmoil as she watched each member of her family die.

I’ve walked through grief, like so many of us have already, and all of us will someday. While God’s original plan for this earth did not include physical death, it’s now an inescapable part of our fallen world. But death never has the final word, and despite Naomi’s heartbroken belief she’d been forsaken, God wasn’t finished with her story.

After the death of her two sons, Naomi and her daughters-in-law began their return to Bethlehem. Eventually, Naomi convinced one of them to return to her Moabite family, but Ruth? She would not leave Naomi.

Naomi pleaded. She pushed Ruth away.
She tried to convince Ruth to abandon a hopeless life with a forsaken woman.
Her pleadings fell on deaf ears; Ruth was staying. She embraced Yahweh as her God and the Ephrathites from Bethlehem as her people, just as they were Naomi’s.

Community.

When Naomi was weak and weary, Ruth would not abandon her, and believed, in Naomi’s stead, that God’s favor would fall on them.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, Naomi announced the Almighty had made her bitter, replacing her once-full heart with overwhelming, all-encompassing, and inescapable grief Naomi was empty. Forsaken.

But Ruth.

Ruth wouldn’t hear of it. Ruth believed favor would come, and she continued to serve Naomi, encouraging her, caring for her, and loving her. Naomi, in her heartache and sorrow, couldn’t see that Ruth was proof she wasn’t forsaken.
God had given her a daughter-in-law who was faithful, and their stories weren’t over.
Death wouldn’t have the final word!

The remainder of Ruth’s story overflows with the Lord’s kindly orchestrated favor and faithfulness to Naomi through Ruth.

Favor.

Not forsaken.

As Ruth “just so happened” to gather fallen grain from the field of a man named Boaz . . .
As Boaz “just so happened” to notice Ruth and show her extravagant kindness . . .
As Boaz “just so happened” to have heard how Ruth left everything she knew to stay with Naomi . . .
And as Boaz “just so happened” to be a family redeemer: one who, we’ll learn in the next few studies, could provide Ruth and Noami with a hope and future.

Favor.

Not forsaken.

When Naomi felt nothing but forsaken and empty from the deep sorrow consuming her,
Ruth’s faith and faithfulness carried Naomi through.
Ruth held up Naomi’s arms, refusing to allow her to crumble, refusing to allow her to believe she was alone and death would have the final word.

That’s community, friends!

We hold each other up, speaking life and favor over one another. We walk alongside one another during the darkest of days and the hardest of times. We point one another to Jesus over and over and over. We hold up one another’s arms during battle, like Aaron and Hur and Ruth.

I’ve seen true, deep community lived out in the Church. I’ve experienced it during my own battles. It is beautiful. It’s how God designed community to be lived out; as a reminder to each other we are favored, not forsaken!

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Sola Day 7 Sola Gratia: Digging Deeper

May 19, 2020 by Rebecca Adams 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!
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The Questions

1) What does it mean to “thirst”? (verse 1)

2) What is that which does not satisfy? (verse 2)

3) How is hearing connected to a soul granted life and an everlasting covenant? (verse 3)

Isaiah 55:1-3

1 “Come, everyone who is thirsty,
come to the water;
and you without silver,
come, buy, and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without silver and without cost!
2 Why do you spend silver on what is not food,
and your wages on what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.
3 Pay attention and come to me;
listen, so that you will live.
I will make a permanent covenant with you
on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “thirst”? (verse 1)
God, the Almighty Author of the Universe, is passionate about pursuing His created ones in order to reconcile us back to Himself. This mission is fueled by a love so deep we cannot even begin to comprehend it, and He will use every means possible to show us the depth of His love. To help convey His saving plan of reconciliation, He uses common ideas we are familiar with in order to show us deep spiritual truths. One very common need every human can relate to is thirst. In Scripture, God uses what we already know (being physically thirsty) to demonstrate the true need of our hearts (being spiritually thirsty). The idea of being thirsty is used often within the context of Scripture from the Old Testament all the way to Revelation, the last book in the New Testament. The prophet Isaiah describes a thirsty land (Isaiah 44:3), and Moses recounts a thirsty people (Numbers 20:1-8). In both instances, it was the Lord alone who provided in full for them. The psalmist sings soulfully of how deeply he longed to be quenched by the presence of God. (Psalm 63:1) Jesus encountered the woman at the well who was filling water jugs, and leveraged her physical thirst to point to her deep thirst for the life only God can provide. (John 4:10) This thirst for God is real, it needs to be recognized by each of us, and, mercifully, Living Water (Christ) exists to quench our thirst to overflowing to all who ask! (Revelation 21:6)

2) What is that which does not satisfy? (verse 2)
The prophet Isaiah was calling for an awakening revival for Israel. In the previous chapter, Isaiah had prophesied how the Lord God would come and renew Israel, bringing restoration in the wake of their deserved exile and punishment. Israel’s punishment would not last forever because the Lord was tender and compassionate towards them. “For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.” (Isaiah 54:7) Isaiah is pointing to the utter futility of Israel’s ways as they pursue rebellion against the God who loves them so immeasurably. They chose to chase after everything they laid their eyes on and lusted after, rather than responding to the call of God. Later, the prophet Haggai would use similar language towards Israel saying, “you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who learns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1:6) Both prophets pointed to the complete emptiness resulting from pursuing the temporary happiness of “things”.

3) How is hearing connected to a soul granted life and an everlasting covenant? (verse 3)
There are three instructive commands in this passage of Scripture, “come”, “listen carefully”, and “pay attention”. First, the invitation to come is extended freely to all, but there is one limiting condition of finding real life, to be thirsty. Only those who are thirsty will find satisfaction. Only those who are thirsty will welcome and receive all the benefits of being quenched by the presence of the Lord God. Fullness and satisfaction can be forced on no one. The Lord invites all, but will force none to receive Him. The choice is ours. The invitation is followed up immediately with the call to action of listening and paying attention. The Lord designed His message to be told and boldly declared in order for it to be heard and received. As Pastor Paul queries in Romans 10:14, “And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” Proverbs 1:20 and 23 also speak of this need to listen with attentiveness in order to gain life, “Wisdom calls aloud in the street….if you respond to my warning, then I will pour out My Spirit upon you.” It’s conceivable that someone is thirsty for spiritual things and curious about the things of God, yet still refuse to actually listen to truth and wisdom being poured out for them. They could hear, but not being paying full attention in order to gain understanding. Jesus notes this is the case with the religiously zealous Pharisees of His day when He quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, “they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.” (Mark 4:12) When the thirsty respond to the invitation to come, and when they listen with the desire to understand, they will receive real, abundant life, an everlasting covenant where He will guard our souls for eternity.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “thirst”? (verse 1)
Water. Generally, human beings cannot survive without water for more than 3 or 4 days. Tongues stick to the roof of a mouth and just a drop of water becomes the only focus, nothing else matters to the severally dehydrated person. A PE teacher from high school constantly hounded us to drink more water. She rightly said, “If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.” Because the human body is amazingly designed, we can “cover up” our need for water for a while, maybe a sugary soda or a coffee or two, and we end the day deprived of the life-giving water our bodies crave. Over time, our bodies can be trained to work harder to cover the deficit of less water, further covering our real need. This physical truth reflects a deep, spiritual truth. We can put off our spiritual needs, pretend they don’t really matter (or even exist), or occasionally sprinkle our soul with water from a weekly church gathering, or listening to Christian music. Our souls were meant to be utterly drenched in the living water offered by Christ. We can’t earn it. We can’t purchase it with good deeds or displays of kindness. We don’t deserve it; not even a drop. Yet, here the invitation stands to “all who thirst”. Yes, that’s every single one of us, because we were intentionally created with thirsty souls. How will you nourish your soul? Will you allow the Living Water to wash over you again and again, or will you keep living a dehydrated life? Remember, if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated! Come! Drink of the full life of Christ!

2) What is that which does not satisfy? (verse 2)
We all know what it’s like to labor hard for something, only to watch it waste away, or even betray us. Maybe it’s as simple as working hard on a document only for your computer to shut down and erase all memory of said writing. Perhaps you’ve invested heavily into a relationship, only to grieve deeply while that person abandons you. Maybe it’s a stock market crash or an illness that took you by surprise, leaving you debilitated where you once were strong. Perhaps you were once motivated passionately, but when real life hit you hard, you were swept under the current and left limp and lifeless. The reality of our broken world will always result in eventual emptiness, leaving us feeling as if we’ve put our everything into a “bag with holes in it”. Poet, C.T. Studd said it best, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” The prophet Isaiah awakens us with his invitation to leave the emptiness behind and find the fullness of life that is only available through Jesus Christ. Imagine the difference of living your everyday moments with the promise of eternal fullness in Jesus!

3) How is hearing connected to a soul granted life and an everlasting covenant? (verse 3)
Where are you in the process of invitation, being thirsty, and listening attentively? Regardless of whether we have surrendered our everything to the lordship of Jesus Christ, or if we are exploring what it means to follow Christ, this same pathway of invitation, thirst, and attentiveness exists. If you’ve long followed Jesus, His invitation to know Him more deeply stands with the door flung wide every moment of every day. Are you still thirsty for Him, fellow believing sister? Do you long for more of Him? Are you actively listening to His voice? Do you practice learning His voice a little more each day by reading His Word and engaging with Him? His invitation is open! Not sure about Jesus? Wonder if He is who He claims? Do you have doubts? Feel insufficient in your faith? The Lord’s invitation stands for you, “Come!”. “Come, buy without price!” There is nothing you must do, no part of your life you must “fix” on your own before coming. Christ simply calls out, “Come!”. Embrace the thirstiness of your soul and the longings for wholeness and healing of your heart. Listen for the Lord as He speaks life over you!

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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.

Memorize It!

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Questions Day 3 Why Doesn’t God Heal Everyone?

February 19, 2020 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 9
James 5:13-20
Exodus 15:22-27

Questions, Day 3

She was aglow with the look of carrying new life. Her belly growing month by month as she prayed diligently for the little one squirming within her; her love for her unborn growing faster than even her babe inside. Finally, the long-awaited day came. Her water broke, the hours passed with low moans and contractions gradually intensifying until, drenched in sweat, the mama’s scream ended with a newborn’s lusty cry.

Tiny hands grasping at the air, little wails quickly calmed by mama’s comforting breast.
New Life!
As mama rested with her newborn son, taking in every detail, touching every toe, caressing every silky thread of hair, it didn’t take long for the trained eyes of a midwife to notice the little boys’ eyes.

Pupils that didn’t dilate.
Eyes that could not see.
Blind.
Mama’s baby boy was blind.
How she shook with the realization, tears of agony replacing tears of joy!
He would never see her smile or the beauty of a sunrise.

More, he would be rejected by society. With no means of earning income, he was destined to live off the generosity of others. To everyone but the grieving mama who held him close, pleading with God for healing mercies, his life was meaningless.

Fast forward several decades to one, seemingly random Sabbath.
That baby, now grown into a man, having lived a life of rejection and shame, sat by the roadside, begging for pity.

Walking along that very road, came Jesus and His disciples. Curious questions rolled around the disciples’ heads constantly as they followed the Master, and out tumbled the words as they nodded in the direction of “the man”,
“Rabbi? Who sinned? This man, or his parents, as he was born blind?” (John 9:1)

The man’s heart seemed to stand still as he heard the pointed words. Had he not lived through enough shame that now Jesus Himself would bring him lower still?

Jesus, having already been present as God almighty when this man was a baby being knit together in his mama’s womb, knew exactly why this precious one had been born blind.
It wasn’t for shame.
It wasn’t to mock his mother.
It wasn’t for sin committed.

“Neither”, came Jesus’ words full of authority and tender mercy. Jesus, now bent down in front of the man, looking into eyes that had never seen light, spoke over him with perfectly timed words of freedom, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3)

Jesus healed the man that day.
His parents were impacted. The religious elite were impacted. His entire village was impacted. And this man, once blind, was now rescued for eternity because he had encountered the Light of God.

Does God want to heal everyone?
YES!

He loves each one of us and aches with every illness, minor scrape, disability, and terminal diagnosis. The timing, however, for that healing, is His alone.

Here’s the question we aren’t asking…
What is more urgent and pressing because the time is fleeting,
physical healing or spiritual healing?
Hands down, Spiritual.

We are currently dead, every single human being who has never decided to trust Jesus fully for their salvation is already dead. Not critically injured, not on life-support, not living with a terminal illness….DEAD.

One day, when we cross from this earth to the next, all who believe in Jesus will be fully healed physically, mentally, and spiritually. Every physical ailment from a crooked nose to brain cancer to Autism and Alzheimer’s disease, will be 100% made whole while every sinful inclination of the heart will be forever destroyed.

For now, in the waiting until then, the Lord, who grieves with us in our pain, will graciously use even our broken bodies to declare His glory and goodness to a world dead in their sins, mercifully calling them from death to life!

The little boy whose story was recorded in Scripture, who had lived his entire life in darkness, was made whole so God’s glory would be SEEN by a people who were spiritually blind. No sorrow had been wasted, but it was used for a purpose beyond him. FAR beyond him! Even today, you read his story!

And isn’t that our greatest desire?
That what we do here on earth actually matters?
That our everyday actions are meaningful?
Wouldn’t it be incredible if even our grievous sorrow was used for eternal purposes?!
Only in the hands of a merciful, healing, sovereign God, they are!

Here’s another reality, every person Jesus healed while He lived on earth, still died.
Their healing was temporary.

But He died the death we deserved on the cross to free us for eternity from the chains of every sickness, especially the sickness of Sin and Death.

Are we invited to pray for healing in this life?
Absolutely!
The Lord will use healing to declare His victory.

But, in every single instance, the Lord will either heal or not heal, for a purpose beyond ourselves. We can be confident of this!

While we wait for full healing, struggling with loss and grief and illness and sin, we have every confidence that the With Us God has not, nor never will, leave us to grieve on our own.

For His Glory!
Praise Him for His Healing!

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