anticipation

The GT Weekend! ~ Waiting Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

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

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

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

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

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

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

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Waiting Day 13 Not Yet, Not Now, No

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 1:1-14
Acts 2:1-12
Psalm 27:13-14

Waiting, Day 13

Waiting.
Waiting for it to come,
Not knowing what it is.

Hoping.
Hoping for more,
Not knowing what I want.

Dreaming.
Dreaming for things,
Not truly believing they will be.

Staying.
Staying where I am,
Not wanting to make the wrong move.

Stepping.
Stepping out in faith,
Not seeing where I am going.

Leaping.
Leaping into what I do not know,
Trusting what I do not see.

Often, the toughest part of waiting is watching everyone seemingly race past us in the meantime. To watch God move so actively and clearly everywhere, it seems, but in us.

I’ve historically been a pretty patient person. There’s something thrilling about living in anticipation. Waiting for it to come, letting the excitement build as time passes. I’m amazed by the joy that comes when I’m waiting for a big event, or for something to arrive in the mail, or for the next time I will see people I love.

This kind of waiting usually has an expiration date. We know when events will happen, and we can track our packages in the mail.

What about when we don’t know the deadline? When we don’t know when, or even IF something will happen? What does waiting look like then?

Before Jesus ascended, He told His disciples exactly what would happen. They would receive the Holy Spirit and become His bold witnesses throughout the earth. (Acts 1:4-7) What He didn’t explain, however, is precisely WHEN, or HOW. After Jesus returned to Heaven, the disciples retreated to the upper room, gathered with other believers, and prayed fervently as they waited.

What might have been different had the disciples taken matters into their own hands? If they’d grown weary of waiting for what Jesus had promised and, instead, began their own ministry without the power and direction of the Holy Spirit? While they may have spread the Good News about Jesus with fine intentions, their ministry certainly wouldn’t have been as effective. Without the indwelling, empowerment, and leadership of the Holy Spirit, their humanity would have left their efforts crumbling in inadequacy and failure. (Galatians 5:16-23)

In waiting on the Lord, as difficult and confusing as it surely was, their absolute surrender and attention to the Lord sustained them to the day Jesus fulfilled His promise and the Holy Spirit was given. The excitement that flooded through those present must have been palpable; Acts 2:5-11 describes how everyone heard the wonders of God in their own language!

The rest of Acts 2 describes how Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, filled with the Holy-Spirit, preached to the crowd, telling them the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Around 3,000 people were added to the family of God that day! Without waiting on the promise of Jesus, their work would have most certainly not produced such God-sized results. 

Just as the disciples waited expectantly in the upper room, I too have been in a season of waiting. As I seek God’s heart, the answers to my prayers seem to fall into three main categories: “not now” and “not yet” and “no.” And while the waiting can be undeniably painful, it’s an ache laced with hope, potential, and possibility.

Life in its current state feels unstable, as though the slightest imbalance will cause an unstoppable avalanche. While there is goodness in the current moment, my heart cannot help but see the possibility for the future and reach out for it in desperate, yearning grasps.

Not Now
These are the things I’ve been doing that are good, rich, and God-honoring, but are not meant for this season. In these endings, we can find comfort in the often-quoted but still meaningful opening to Ecclesiastes 3.
“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven.”
I pray that when one time passes, we can say good-bye with grace and wait on the Lord to guide us into the next season.

Not Yet
These are promises or desires I hold with an open hand, surrendered to God’s perfect will and timing. Like the disciples in the upper room, I wait expectantly for God’s guidance and empowerment. In these times, we can “commit [our] ways to the Lord; trust in Him,” believing that in His perfect timing, “He will act,” leading us into, and equipping us for, the next season. (Psalm 37:5)

No
Sometimes, the answer is simply, “No”, which can be incredibly hard to come to terms with. When our hearts ache for what will never be, we can be assured that our good Father wraps His arms around us, loves us unfailingly, and will walk with us through the hurt, confusion, and disappointment.

Jesus is certainly enough for me in this life. In fact, there have been moments in my life when I have clung to the Hope of Jesus alone.

But I fully believe God did not create us to simply acquiesce to the here and now. Hope and vision for the future are built into us. We wait expectantly for the coming of Jesus, while being faithful to the work He has for us today.

In our waiting, in our own upper rooms, may we follow the disciples’ lead, marrying hope of fulfillment with a determination to move into the next season only when released by God.
As we wait, I’d encourage us to be steadfast, friends, and look for Him in the here and now, and you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Seek the next best step from Him, however small, and He will show it to you. (Psalm 32:8) Go to your upper room and pray steadfastly and fervently. (Psalm 63:1-2)
Wait on the Lord and He will show you the right time and place.

Most importantly, bask in the goodness of the now and in all of the richness that simply being with your Savior can bring.

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Enough Day 8 Perfect Prophet

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 53:3-12
Luke 24:13-27
Matthew 5:17-20
Revelation 22:1-5

Enough, Day 8

Of the four seasons we experience in the Midwest, I like spring the best. My birthday is in the spring, the weather is just right, and mostly importantly as a homeschool momma, summer is on the horizon.

Honestly though, it’s the flowers. Several years ago, we lived in a house with a yard. Planting flowers and tending them was my greatest joy. I loved choosing which plant needed which location in the sun pattern, ensuring something blooming in every season. I was thrilled by morning surveys to see which daffodil, tulip, or lily was on the verge of popping open.

I only planted perennials, flowers that re-bloomed every year. As a lover of flowers, I would not keep any plants in the same location that didn’t thrive. If a plant didn’t bloom well, I either transplanted it to a new home in the garden or pitched it out.

Anticipation.
Knowing previously-blooming flowers were trustworthy and would bloom again.
Waiting for each individual petal’s final beauty to be revealed.

This is how we wait for Jesus’ return!
We wait in anticipation for His glorious restoration of the earth, and His beauty to fully be revealed. We long for the time when every tear will be wiped away, when all pain and suffering is restored, and the curse of sin will forever be broken.

But how can we know this will really happen?
God’s Word promises it will.

How can we trust this is not some “pie in the sky church talk,”
but real, solid truth upon which we can build our lives?

Just as with my flowers, we can look back.

Scholars calculate there are over 300 prophecies regarding Jesus in the Old Testament. For example, the prophet Isaiah foretells detail after detail of Jesus’ coming, ministry, death, and resurrection hundreds of years before Jesus is even born. When we read of Jesus’ life in the New Testament, we find at least 20 prophecies in Isaiah alone that Jesus already fulfilled.

The same holds true for the expansive list of prophecies recorded from other Old Testament prophets: Jesus fulfilled each one, proving Himself faithful over and over again. That truth, combined with our understanding of the infallibility of Scripture, solidifies in our hearts Jesus is who He says He is, and His own prophetic words will be fulfilled in His return! 

Jesus was brutally killed, overcame death and the grave, and was miraculously resurrected. In Luke 24, Jesus is talking with several disciples on the road. Though they had known Him during His ministry, they didn’t recognize Him. Having heard His tomb was empty, they were upset.

Jesus pauses to share His true identity.

“He said to them, ‘How foolish and slow you are to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into His glory?’

Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-27)

Not only did Jesus fulfill prophecies, but He was, Himself, the perfect prophet. 

Fully God, there was no stain of sin on His nature to corrupt the messages He communicated from the Father.
“For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command to say everything I have said. I know that His command is eternal life. So the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (John 12:49-50)

Fully man, He redeemed the ministry of the Old Testament role of prophet, choosing at every turn obedience to His Father’s words and plans over satisfaction of self.
“Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things.’” (John 5:19)

Jesus himself says He was the prophet of all prophets;
all of Scripture weaves together His story.

We cannot read the Old Testament without finding the foreshadowing of His
coming.
We are immersed in His life through the Gospels.
We see teachings on how His church will grow all across the New Testament.
The conclusion of His Book floods with the magnificent promise of Jesus’ final return to bring His people home.

Christ is the beginning and the end; we can trust in Him, the One who came to redeem us!

Father, You have proved Yourself time and time again. Let us lean into Your faithfulness and trust in Your infallibility. Jesus, You so freely gave of Yourself so we might have new life in You. Thank you. 

Lord Jesus, we anticipate Your return! Lord, as we cling to you, let us rest in the promises of Your second coming. Use that promise to spur us on to share You with those around us. Stir our hearts, Lord, that many more would come to know You before You return. 

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Treasure Day 10 Kingdom Work

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Chronicles 15:1-7
Psalm 90:10-17
Matthew 7:13-25
Colossians 3:17-24
2 Timothy 3:12-17

Treasure, Day 10

I sat in the parking lot for five more minutes, thinking to myself, “I’m not ready to go in.” I really disliked that place, my job. While I tried to do my best work, my heart just wasn’t in it, and it felt like drudgery.

Move forward to Sunday morning, and you’d see me cheerfully awake at 7:30 am, getting ready to serve in Children’s Ministry at church. There was no sitting in the parking lot with dread in my heart. Instead, I was full of anticipation and joy because I considered it kingdom work. 

My perspective on my less-than-appealing job changed radically when I encountered Colossians 3:23-24,
“Whatever you do,
do it from the heart,
as something done for the Lord and not for people,
knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord.
You serve the Lord Christ.” 

I came to understand that all of our work can be kingdom work, whether or not it happens within the walls of a church. We carry the Holy Spirit within us (1 Corinthians 3:16), and therefore we represent Christ always.

When we give of our time to a ministry or our church, it’s kingdom work.
When we go to our place of employment, it’s kingdom work.
It’s so easy to separate the “now” from the “eternal.”
But they are intertwined. . . through kingdom work.
Our now affects our eternity.
And our eternity should inform our now. 

Let’s talk about eternity. Throughout the Bible, God reminds us eternal rewards await us in heaven. (Romans 2:6, Hebrews 11:6) The reward of heaven itself is unbelievable, but our gracious and abundant God offers even more!

Heaven is not tied to our work, but to Jesus’ finished work on the cross. However, other rewards are directly related to our earthly efforts, and therefore, our eternity should directly impact how we live in the present. 

The Bible identifies five crowns we can receive as eternal rewards, each for different work believer’s have done during life on earth.

First is the crown of victory.
According to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, this crown blesses those who are disciplined in their spiritual lives.

How can we practice discipline?
We can begin by consistently reading, studying, and obeying God’s Word. The more we commit to these disciplines, the more the Lord will grow them in us! ( James 1:22-25)

Next, let’s maintain a posture of gratitude.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks, always.

Third, we pray. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus took time to pray both corporately and privately.  He even instructed us how to pray. 

My final suggestion is to be generous with our resources, time, and talents (2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 1 Peter 4:10). Let’s bless others out of the overflow of God’s incredible generosity to each of us! Sisters, I believe every Christ-follower can earn this crown of victory!

The second crown is the crown of life.
This crown is given to those who tenaciously hold onto their faith and persevere through trials. (James 1:12)

I’d love to say my aforementioned hated job would fall in this category, but I believe this speaks of much greater struggle. I can’t say in my now, I’d want this crown, but ladies, if God ordains this crown for us, let us win it well. 

Next comes the crown of rejoicing.
This crown is given to those who have rejoiced in the salvation of others.  We wear this crown if we have shared the gospel and helped build and celebrate biblical community Have you shared your testimony to help win someone to Christ and make a disciple? Have you told someone about the goodness of God and how they can have assurance of heaven? Then, this crown will be rewarded in Heaven! (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)

The crown of glory is for pastors, elders, and church leaders, an eternal recognition of the special sacrifices made by those who devote their lives to serving the church. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Finally, the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6-8) blesses those who lived completely sold out for Jesus, always expectant of His return. I pray we all shift our focus to eternity so we might win this crown.

We are called to give ourselves away for the glory of God and for the advancement of the kingdom.

With Jesus ever before us and His Holy Spirit guiding us from within,
our eternal calling can be lived out in the now.

When we’re tempted to skip our time in His Word,
when we consider compromise to avoid ridicule,
when fear threatens to silence our sharing of the gospel,
or hold us back from the role to which He’s called us,
let’s remember this narrow road, while sometimes hard in the moment, brings eternal reward and ultimately, greater glory to God.

May we keep the vision of our crowns offered back to our Father in praise before us as we go about living in the now with eyes for eternity.


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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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Woven Day 13 The Good Shepherd

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 3:1-12
1 Samuel 16:1-12
Luke 2:8-20
John 10:1-18

Woven, Day 13

These are the real-life stories of four shepherds.

The first was a man named Moses. He cared for his sheep while his wife cared for their children. The days of his own childhood would sometimes dance in his mind. Some days he would allow the memories to linger, and others he would quickly shoo away. He had been a prince of Egypt as a boy, after being adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, but now he was a shepherd, caring for sheep through pouring rain and sweltering days.

The second was a boy named David. He was the youngest in his family, and quite a darling young man. He was fearless and strong and was learning to love the God of his people. David had defeated lions and bears, and he knew that if he relied on Yahweh, he could defeat anything.

This third shepherd doesn’t have a name. While shepherding was often a lonely job, he had other shepherds for friends and companions. They didn’t notice each other’s stench or filth, and enjoyed the company after long hard days of herding sheep. They often risked their lives to save their livestock, and endured harsh weather to ensure no sheep would wander away from their herd.

The fourth shepherd? We’ll talk about him more in just a moment.

One day, Moses was caring for his father-in-law’s sheep. He led them to a mountain to graze, taking care to ensure each sheep was accounted for. There he saw a bush engulfed in flames, but it wasn’t actually burning. Moses moved nearer to the bush, his curiosity peaked at how such a phenomenon could occur.
“Moses, Moses!” A deep, steady voice came from the bush.
Moses responded, “Here I am”, while stopping in his tracks to see who was calling him by name.
“Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place which are standing is holy ground.”

David was tending his father’s sheep, oblivious to anything else that was occurring. His people had begged the Lord for a king to lead them, and He had given them Saul, but Saul had become wicked and a new king needed to take his place. As Samuel grieved Saul’s hardened heart, God said, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel?” He then commanded Samuel to visit Jesse because one of his sons was to become the next king. Jesse was David’s father, but he had many sons who were grown, strong, and capable young men. David was just a boy. Samuel paused before each of these grown men, asking the Lord if which one was to become the next king. But the Lord instructed him to pass up each of them, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Our nameless shepherd was exhausted from a long day of herding his sheep, but his job was never done. Even in the still darkness of the night, he must still guard the sheep from thieving predators. He and the other shepherds occasionally talked for a moment before letting the quietness overtake their voices, listening for any sounds that might be out of place among the common bleating of sheep. Suddenly, a great light appeared and enveloped them! It was an angel! And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were speechless and terrified! The angel began, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people! For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” They were told to look for a baby lying in a manger and then, in an instant, the sky was filled with thousands of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Now for that fourth Shepherd…

This man wasn’t a traditional shepherd.
It wasn’t His first career and He didn’t herd sheep.
He shepherded people.

Like Moses, He was adopted into a family different than His own and would fulfill His calling by saving millions of people from slavery.

Like David, He seemed like the most unlikely of people; He was the son of a carpenter and born in a stable, surrounded by animals. He was not born into a royal family, but He was a great King, existing before time began!

And like our Nameless Shepherd, He would protect and care for His sheep, guiding them away from death and rescuing them from the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

That fourth Shepherd… He is THE Shepherd.
He is MY Shepherd.
He gives me rest.
He restores my soul.
He lets me drink the Living Water.
He walks with me when I go through deep valleys and in dark shadows.
He disciplines me.
He guides me.

He is Jesus.

Like shepherds of old, Jesus laid down His life for His sheep (that’s us, guys!).
He knows us. He cares for us.

The motif of a shepherd is incorporated throughout the entire Bible. It is another thread woven together that proves the Bible, and every truthful story in it, has a purpose, pointing to King Jesus.

The Shepherd!
The GOOD Shepherd!

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Eve of Tomorrow

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 4:4-24
Revelation 21:1-8
Romans 8:18-25 

Adam and Eve…
They knew no guilt.
They felt no shame.
And because they were perfect, they got to walk and talk with the Lord in a perfectly, beautiful garden that He created just for them.

They knew what it was to have a perfect relationship with God, there was nothing separating them, there was nothing between them. They were flawless. Their relationship was something extraordinary.

Oh I long for that!
And I should, because that’s how it was meant to be.
We were created to be in community with God…

Adam and Eve strolled through their home, enjoying the beauty of the flowers while they watched small creatures running through the woods.
All was good.
All was peaceful.
They joyfully laughed as they played with the chipmunks, and stopped to eat some delicious fruit. The juice ran down their arms while they slowly ate the fruit, savoring each bite while thanksgiving spilled from their hearts.

There was no over eating.
No bickering.
Adam didn’t wonder how he would provide for his family.
Eve didn’t have to worry about finding a balance of eating healthy, being a good wife, and exercising.
There were no bills.
There was no chaos.
There was no illness.
There were no messes.

But one day, God knew it would be the last.
It would be the last time He could walk with His children the way He did.
It would be the last time He wouldn’t have to watch His children suffer.

Everything was about to change.

God treasured these “lasts” with His precious creation.
He lingered a little longer on their final walk through the garden.
He savored their praise and worship without shame or guilt standing between them.

Tomorrow would come and sin would enter the world.
Tomorrow, God’s great redemption plan would begin.
Tomorrow would start the countdown until God would walk the earth again, the next time as a human who would eventually die to cover the sin that was about to occur, and all other sin that would take place after the first.

Tomorrow.

But today, the eve of Tomorrow, God relished in the fact that all was good, all was perfect, all was as it was always supposed to be.

While mountains of hurt, millions of deaths, and an abundance of sin would occur, He knew that…

One day, all will be right again.
No sin to stand in the way of our relationship with the Lord.
We will walk with Him.
We will talk with Him.
He will see us, and because of redemption, grace, and Jesus,
He will see perfection in us.

We each have had our own Eve.
The Eve of The Day We Found Jesus.
The Eve of the day that sin will no longer separate us from the Lord.
The Eve of the day that we recognize that we, like Adam and Eve, have sinned and that sin keeps us from a precious relationship with God.
The Eve of the day that we choose to give our lives to Jesus, to allow Him to cover our sin.
And thanks to Jesus, thanks to God’s great redemption plan, thanks to His never ending love for us, we are able to walk with Him and talk with Him, just as Adam and Eve did on the Eve of when sin entered the world.

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