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Champion Day 11 Just An Ordinary Girl

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Micah 5:1-6
Luke 1:26-38
Luke 2
John 2:1-11

Champion, Day 11

“Mary, did you know,
When you kiss your little baby,
You kiss the face of God?
Mary, did you know,
Your baby boy is Heaven’s Perfect Lamb
The sleeping Child you’re holding
Is the Great I Am!”
(Mary, Did You Know? Mark Lowry)

Just a girl. Young. Uncertain. Fearful.
An ordinary girl. Chosen. Faithful. Qualified.
As we continue to study God as our champion, we’ll see Him at work in Mary, an ordinary Hebrew girl.

Common.
Just a common girl from the “fork in the road” city of Nazareth, Mary was not well-known among her people, but was seen by her God. She was like us, sometimes fearful, very uncertain, but chosen by the One Who created her in His image. (Genesis 1:27)

When she was visited by Gabriel and informed she would bear the long-awaited Messiah, Mary was “deeply troubled.” (Luke 1:29) How could this be? Me, chosen by God, to carry the Messiah? 

While she was most likely familiar with God’s promise of a Rescuer, could Mary truly understand how God would work through her, an ordinary girl, to save the whole world?

Birthed in Bethlehem and nurtured in Nazareth, Jesus was also raised in a very ordinary way. He was common among His people, but soon would be rejected by His own. But Jesus already knew what those around Him could not; His death was the plan of the Heavenly Father! Jesus was chosen to fulfill God’s plans to save the world.

Like Mary, we may not be well-known, but sisters, each one of us is seen by our God!
The One who has promised us “a future and hope” in Him! (Jeremiah 29:11)

Commissioned.
The custom in Mary’s time was for mothers to teach their children at home. Mary was taught not only household tasks, but also about Scriptures and the long-awaited coming of the Messiah. She knew of and believed in God’s promises, including His promises to her through Gabriel. God had appointed her to be the virgin who would carry His Son. (Isaiah 7:14)

Mary’s acceptance showed her love for Messiah and her true surrender to His plan. Mary’s embrace of her commission led to Jesus’ Greater Commission of discipling and teaching the Eleven to share salvation’s story to all who would listen. (Matthew 28:16-20)

Competent.
Only through God was Mary capable of fulfilling God’s promise. She was to be the vessel to birth the Promised One, Immanuel (Luke 1:31-32). The Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the child born would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). When Mary surrendered to God, He made her competent.

Even with Mary’s uncertainty, she did not waver in saying, “May it happen to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) In just nine verses (Luke 1:30-38), she surrendered her life and her fears to God’s plan, replying, “I am the Lord’s servant.” Her willingness to be obedient to God was EXTRA-ordinary!

Even knowing what awaited Him at the cross, Jesus also chose surrender to the Father.
“Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’”(Matthew 26:39)

With His life, He surrenders unto His Father, so we could have eternal life. His willingness to go to the cross was extravagant!

Committed.
From birth to death, Mary was devoted to her Son. She treasured and meditated on her experiences around His birth in her heart (Luke 2:19), and she watched Him grow in stature and wisdom throughout His childhood. (Luke 2:52)

During His earthly ministry, Mary naturally walked beside her Son. She was at the wedding of Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. (John 2:1-5) The obedience of His own mother was evident as she instructed the disciples to do whatever He asked. Finally, she looked on as her Son suffered on the cross. She remained committed to the end. Or was it the beginning?

Mary was obedient to God’s call. She was willing to do all God said, despite uncertainty.
She fully surrendered her fears, and her life, to the One Who created her.

Mary’s life drastically changed with Gabriel’s declaration over her life, but even so she praised her God for His faithfulness. (Luke 1:46-55) Her life was interwoven with one distinct and very important variable, God! The Same God Who chose Mary is the same God Who chose her Son, Jesus, to go to the cross.

In like manner, God chooses us. Even in our ordinary lives, God is the One Who makes all things possible! (Matthew 19:26) He can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary when we surrender our everything to Him!

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Champion Day 10 Casting Out The Shadows

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 17:16-50
2 Samuel 5:1-5
2 Samuel 11
Psalm 51
Romans 8:38-39

Champion, Day 10

A repentant, handsome poet, and songwriter with charm, intelligence, and swagger – a man after God’s own heart.

An adulterer, polygamist, and murder conspirator with a tendency to ignore important issues, and do whatever it takes to get what he wants – even at the expense of others.

These descriptions sound like two completely different men, and I don’t know about you, but I am more interested in being associated with the first guy than the second.

But all of those characteristics describe one real, historical person, King David.

Most of us are familiar with David. He spent his early years shepherding as the youngest of 8 brothers, bravely taking down the menacing giant Goliath as a teenager, and eventually rising to power as king of the Isrealites. It’s common for us to uphold David as a hero and shining example of who we should be as God’s people and gloss over the corruption of power, flagrant misconduct, and general carelessness that also characterized this Biblical man.

In a way, I understand the value of seeing David through grace-filled eyes, as this is how God sees us, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

However, without discussing the full truth of David’s wrongdoing, we falsely believe David possessed innate righteous heroism, and, in comparison, we have nothing to offer because we could never be as brave, upstanding, or godly as David.

In reality, David was a complex, complicated human just like you and I, yet God still called him a “man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) and chose him as the king of the Israelites. The hero of David’s story is not David, but God.

David’s story seems like the plot of a movie.
A shepherd boy who defeated a giant and was anointed as the next king at a young age.

A musician and songwriter who gained the favor of King Saul, only to be hunted by him soon after when jealousy took root in King Saul’s heart.
Taken with one of his men’s wives, he called for her, had an affair with her, and
got her pregnant, then had her husband killed to cover it up.
Married multiple women and did as he pleased.
Refused to discipline his children which led to turmoil and trauma within the family.
And woven throughout each of these moments are David’s prayers of repentance and psalms of praise to God.

David’s story is not linear or straightforward. It is complicated and wrought with bad decisions, devastating loss, incredible favor from God, humility, and repentance. He wasn’t redeemed from a tragic past before God chose him to lead. His sordid stories and the ups and downs of his life happened alongside his journey from shepherd boy to anointed king to warrior to leader of Israel.

What matters about David and his story, and what is the most compelling, is that over and over, God redeems his story. God relentlessly pursued David’s heart, and continued to use him to unfold God’s plan for Israel.

As I reflect on my current lot in life, I am in a valley moment, where David found himself countless times. (Psalm 23:4) I feel far from God and hope has become overgrown with loss and disappointment and unmet expectations. I feel like David, hiding away in a cave wondering if God will rescue me, or turn me over to my enemies.

If I am honest with myself, the darkness feels safer.
In the darkness, no one expects me to be more than I am. Nothing changes for worse or for better. Simply existing on my own seems like the best possible option.

Without looking at the entirety of David’s life, we miss the significance of how each moment prepared him for the next and how God’s sovereignty and mercy covered every transgression.

We have the advantage of seeing David’s life from a young boy until he dies. We can see the arc of God’s Sovereignty made clear through his stories and psalms. We can see how God chose him and worked through him to accomplish salvation for all people through David’s lineage. We can see how, in spite of and because of David’s scandals, God showed us His unyielding pursuit of our hearts. We can see how much God desires a relationship with us – children after His own heart.

We don’t get to see the full picture of our own story, but God already knows.

And so, in the midst of our valleys, or when we feel safer in our darkest moments than in the light of day, we can rest assured that God is not finished with us. There is no barrier too big, no sin too wicked that can separate us from the love and power of our Champion.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38-39)

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Champion Day 1 The Barren And Broken

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 15:1-6
Genesis 15: 17-18
Genesis 18:1-15
Galatians 3:1-9
1 Corinthians 1:27-31

Champion, Day 1

Abraham is introduced in Genesis 11 as Abram, the son of Terah. (Genesis 11:26) He is a descendant of Shem, residing in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram and his relatives did not know the Lord, yet the Lord called to Abram and told him to go to the land of Canaan. God promised He would make him a great nation and give his descendants the land of Canaan as their possession.

“I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you […] all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you [. . .] To your offspring I will give this land.” (Genesis 12:2-3, 7)

God’s promises of blessing, land, and offspring pointed toward a hopeful reversal of the curse of sin. (Genesis 3) The true Hope and true Champion of this story is not Abram, but Christ. Jesus is the Promised One through whom all the peoples on earth will be blessed. (Galatians 3:14)

God chooses ordinary people to fulfill His plan of redemption. At the time God called Abram, we aren’t told why he was chosen, but we are told Abram’s obedience was credited to him as righteousness.

God said to Abram,
“‘Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then [God] said to [Abram], ‘Your offspring will be that numerous.’ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5-6, Galatians 3:6)

To establish this promise, or covenant, it was custom for animals to be cut in half and the two persons of the covenant could walk between the halves, binding them to the terms of the covenant lest they become like the animals. Rather than Abram walking between the split animals, God put Abram into a deep sleep, and God himself passed between, assuming the full burden of fulfilling the terms of the covenant. (Genesis 15:7-21)

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many,” and expounded on the promises and requirements of the Abrahamic Covenant. (Genesis 17) Although God’s intent to establish Abraham’s lineage was clear, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was old and barren, so she doubted, “But the LORD asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Can I really have a baby when I’m old?”’” (Genesis 18:13)

Abraham and Sarah were only human. They saw limitations. They feared. They doubted. For example, when Abraham let Pharaoh believe Sarah was his sister, he essentially gave her as a sex-slave to Pharaoh to protect himself, proving he still had much to learn about fully trusting God and His promises. (Genesis 12:10-20)

Furthermore, Abraham and Sarah assumed that since she was barren, the promised offspring must come through a different woman. 

“Sarai said to Abram, ‘Since the LORD has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.’ And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.” (Genesis 16:2) Their attempt to fulfill God’s promise themselves caused immense suffering.

Abraham and Sarah aren’t the heroes of the story here. There is One Hero, the Almighty One. “Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year [Sarah] will have a son.” (Genesis 18:14)

God did not choose Abram to be the father of the nations because He saw Abram as capable, wise, and strong.
No, quite the opposite.
Abraham was old, his wife was barren, and he was incapable of fulfilling the covenant requirements.
No human is.

“Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world–what is viewed as nothing–to bring about what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence.

It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us–our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption–in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31)

The Bible is full of weak, foolish, sinful people God used to fulfill His plan of redemption. God didn’t choose Abraham in order to give him a platform to be a hero. Rather, God chose Abraham to show God is the Hero.

To show God is able and wise and loving.

He alone could redeem His children; just as God alone traversed the split animals in Genesis 15, Christ alone could fulfill the requirement of the law and bring us salvation.

Galatians 3:8 tells us the gospel was preached to Abraham when he was given the promise. This is the Gospel: on our own we are weak and foolish, but God has sent us His Own Son to be our strength and wisdom. We, the Gentiles, are blessed in Him if we repent of our sins and have faith in His finished work on the cross.

Let that sink in.

Thousands of years ago, God declared His Gospel promise. If we become His daughters through faith, we will be redeemed through Christ, the Promised Seed of Abraham.

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Wilderness Day 12 Lost, Alone, Forgotten: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Why Joseph?

2) Why would Joseph tell his brothers about his dreams if he knew they created tension? (verses 4-5)

3) Why did his family even care about his dreams? Why was a dream so offensive? (verses 8-9)

Genesis 37:1-9

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the family records of Jacob. At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a long-sleeved robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Original Intent

1) Why Joseph?
Joseph was probably thinking the same thing, except he was asking “why me?”. Joseph had no control over where he fell in his family’s birth order or the fact that his father favored him more than his brothers. Yet, here he was, having dreams that seemed to indicate he would hold a position of authority over his brothers. In reality, at least at this point, Joseph’s dreams only seemed to result in harsh treatment and hatred from his family. Honestly, we don’t know, nor is it possible to know, why God chooses to use the people He calls for His purposes. Scripture is full of story after story of God using people who appear disqualified, ill-equipped, sinful, or arrogant. Consider Abraham, David, Peter, and Paul as a handful of examples. Did God use them for mighty work? Yes! Did they begin there? No. Were their lives strewn with stupid choices and disobedience and sin? Yes! Like Joseph, these were not the obvious choice for a huge assignment from God; nonetheless, they were God’s chosen ones. God is supreme and sovereign, and He often works in ways that don’t make sense to anyone else, least of all the person being used. In fact, Isaiah 55:8-9 emphasizes this truth, “My (God’s) thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways.” Joseph and his family likely had more questions than answers as they navigated Joseph’s dreams and tense family drama. Especially when you consider the winding road Joseph would travel to finally see God’s appointed dreams fulfilled.

2) Why would Joseph tell his brothers about his dreams if he knew they created tension? (verses 4-5)
Honestly, I have no idea! Likely, Joseph was simply being a 17-year-old boy who clearly didn’t understand when to keep his mouth shut and not provoke others. Or perhaps, some teenage bravado influenced his decision to push back against his brothers with his dreams of authority over them. However, knowing the end of the story like we do, verbalizing his dreams and documenting them is vitally important to the larger story of God’s chosen people and centrality of the gospel. Joseph sharing his dreams was the tipping point of the dominoes in a way.  This one act of seemingly immature judgement led Joseph to being sold into slavery, which brought him into Egypt at just the right time to provide for his family and the whole country. In turn, this action established God’s people in Egypt, providing them a place to flourish for many decades before the next major event of Hebrew slavery, and ultimately, their freedom. All of this pointed far forward to Christ freeing us from the slavery of sin when He was crucified on the cross, taking the punishment we deserved for our sin. When you think it through, Joseph’s decision to share his dreams set much of God’s plan for His people in motion. If you’ve never explored Joseph’s storyline, I encourage you to make time to read through Genesis and Exodus to see how God used Joseph’s life for His glory.

3) Why did his family even care about his dreams? Why was a dream so offensive? (verses 8-9)
In early biblical history, dreams were viewed as divine messages. Prior to Christ’s ascension and the Holy Spirit’s descension into the hearts of Christ-followers, those who feared God didn’t have direct access to Him through the Holy Spirit. God used dreams to communicate with His people before the onset of prophets in the timeline of Israel’s history, but even after the time of the prophets, we still see occasional dreams showing up as God’s method of directing His people. (Matthew 2:13) We know this because some, like Joseph, were also given the ability to interpret dreams. (Genesis 41:12-13) For Joseph’s family to have both a dreamer and an interpreter was kind of a big deal and only served to provide further reasons for Joseph’s brothers to be jealous of him. Apparently, sibling rivalry was alive and well even in biblical times.

Everyday Application

1) Why Joseph?
Isn’t this the question we all have? Why him? Why her? Why me? Jealousy, pride, comparison, fear of being left out or left behind are real struggles with insecurity, identity, and sin that impact us all on different levels. Today, we have the luxury of knowing the end of Joseph’s story. Even if we don’t see the end of our stories and there are a lot of missing pieces from our perspective, we can confidently know God has a plan He will faithfully fulfill. We can choose to trust God when we find either ourselves or others experiencing circumstances that seem to make no sense whatsoever. Personally, there have been times in my life when I was confident God was telling me to do something that made no sense from a human perspective. Perhaps the biggest example was when I clearly heard God tell me to quit my high paying, long term job. This was absolutely senseless from a worldly perspective, but I knew without a doubt this directive had come straight from God. Choosing to follow and obey God during these times can be a lonely place, especially when others don’t understand. I can also tell you from personal experience that deciding to take that step of faith and obey is completely amazing as the Lord will radically grow our faith!

2) Why would Joseph tell his brothers about his dreams if he knew they created tension? (verses 4-5)
I can relate to Joseph and his desire to share his dreams. When I was confident God was leading me to quit my stupid job, there was nothing I wanted more than to share His prompting with others, especially my husband. But, like Joseph’s brothers, he didn’t understand. He didn’t mock or provoke me like Joseph’s siblings; he understood I had been deeply convicted and was willing to support me, but he lacked my personal experience of hearing from the Lord in a real and personal way. By his own admission, there was a tinge of jealousy present as well. He wanted God to tell him the same thing, which didn’t happen for my husband or for Joseph’s brothers. In studying Joseph’s story, we can learn how to respond when friends or family share big dreams or convictions from the Lord with us. Our first responsibility is to come alongside them and help them seek the Lord and His Word together. If hearing from the Lord runs counter to what Scripture teaches, we have a responsibility to lovingly point this out. If dreams and plans do align with biblical principles, we can encourage and support one another, watching to see what God will unfold in their lives for His glory!

3) Why did his family even care about his dreams? Why was a dream so offensive? (verses 8-9)
For people living in the western hemisphere, dreams, visions, and interpretations don’t carry as much weight as they did in ancient cultures. Often, we view dreams as nothing more than neurological stories occurring while we sleep. However, in some cultures, dreams are largely significant and carry heavy spiritual connotations. In eastern cultures, where dream messages are more common, many true followers of Jesus came to Christ through a dream encounter. This should encourage us to see how God uses different means to draw people to Himself. For every dream or vision, we must rely on the truth revealed in Scripture in order to gain trustworthy insights. Only when we view a dream through the lens of God’s Word can we gain solid understanding of God. Whether you’ve had a spiritual dream or not, God speaks to all genuine Christ-followers through His Spirit who lives inside us. In John 14:26 Jesus says, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” Many of us have dreams from God that He has planted in our hearts and souls. These desires are birthed from His Spirit and He guides us to follow these. If you have dreams like this, share them with believing friends, asking them to pray with you for wisdom as you seek the Lord. Many say God doesn’t speak today, but I beg to differ. God speaks, but we often do a poor job of recognizing His voice because we don’t practice listening to Him through reading His word and praying. Psalm 46:10 (ESV) calls us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” James 4:8 instructs, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Why not make time to be quiet and listen?

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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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)
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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.

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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!

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Advent Day 6 Immoveable Anchor

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 8:13-15
Isaiah 28:14-18
1 Peter 2:1-10
Matthew 12:9-14

Advent, Day 6

For over a decade, I was a raging legalist, complete with judgmental heart and nose turned up in the air. I grieve over the condition of my heart and my harsh view of others during this season, but I praise the Lord for the testimony I now have, by His grace, of just how much He truly can change a person’s heart and life.

Why do I specifically share this as we walk through the season of Advent?
Well, there are two common ways of perceiving Christ:
either as the Cornerstone He truly is,
or as the stumbling stone the enemy wants Him to be.

As we Journey Into Advent, our minds turn to the purpose of Christ’s first coming. We ponder the Old Testament prophecies concerning a coming Messiah, and we meditate on how those prophecies were fulfilled in the God-man, Christ Jesus.

While these Advent musings, perused in front of a roaring fire or twinkling Christmas tree, may feel rather warm and cozy, some of them hit harder and a little closer to home the more we dive into them. Take, for example, Christ’s purpose of being Chief Cornerstone.

We first hear this description in the Old Testament in passages such as Isaiah 28:16,

“Therefore the Lord God said, ‘Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.’”

Jesus is to be the Chief Cornerstone in our lives,
our firm foundation,
the One we rely on and hope in,
the One in Whom we find our salvation, rest, and peace.

Salvation – and our heart-felt gratitude for it! –  then inspires us to live a life of obedience, in a right relationship with God. At peace with God, we experience His presence as the Cornerstone, a firm foundation to build upon as we journey through this life.

But what if we don’t joyfully rest in salvation and wholeheartedly pursue obedience?
Then, we often fall into one of two other camps.

The first is residence for those who are willfully disobedient. If we are living in willful disobedience, Christ then becomes a stumbling stone in our lives, something we get tripped up on as we experience ongoing guilt over sin.

Isaiah 8:14 explains, “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 to snare the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

We see this confirmed in 1 Peter 2:4-8 following the first Advent (coming) of Christ,

“As you come to Him, a living stone–rejected by people but chosen and honored by God–you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored Cornerstone,
and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.

So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected–
this one has become the cornerstone,

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.”

The second group of people who experience Jesus as a stumbling block rather than a cornerstone are the legalists (this is where my experience comes in!). We read throughout the four gospels of the Pharisees who were self-righteous, hypocritical religious leaders constantly stumbling over Christ’s teachings. He didn’t fit their mold; He challenged their legalistic, man-made rules (an example of this can be found in Matthew 12:9-14).

If we are in either camp, it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to experience Christ as He is meant to be experienced – as our Chief Cornerstone, our sanctuary, our place of hope, rest, peace, and sanctification.

If we find ourselves experiencing Christ as a stumbling block (or know someone who is!) I urge us to examine our hearts with honesty and humility. Let’s commit to asking Jesus to reveal the heart issue at the root of our stumbling, and to be consistent in praying for ourselves and others. Let’s ask the Lord to work in our hearts if we need to be drawn out of sinful living or legalism. Let’s ask Him to use us in the lives of others who are stumbling still, to share how Jesus is our Cornerstone and desires to be theirs as well.

Beauty can be found here, for Christ does not need to remain a stumbling block in our lives or anyone else’s! He longs to be our Cornerstone, our Rock of Defense, and our Immoveable Anchor. As we continue to Journey Into Advent, let’s invite Him to be our Chief Cornerstone!

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Worship IX Day 4 Trust & Obedience: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Trust & Obedience!

The Questions

1) How could God let exile happen? (verses 1-2)

2) Why is it significant that Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar putting God’s vessels “in the treasury of his god”? (verse 2)

3) How can we fight against an idolatrous culture? (verses 3-8)

Daniel 1:1-8

In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. 2 The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.

3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility—4 young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. 5 The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king. 6 Among them, from the Judahites, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief eunuch gave them names; he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.

8 Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.

Original Intent

1) How could God let exile happen? (verses 1-2)
Finally, after years of prophecy, and countless opportunities to repent, the Lord God brings about His righteous, just, loving, discipline upon His beloved, chosen people, Israel. It was the “third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim” (verse 1) when God divinely appointed King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to lay siege to Jerusalem and so capture Judah, bringing into captivity. The prophet Jeremiah had spent years (Jeremiah 1:1-3) spreading the very unpopular message from God that He would allow His people to be captured and exiled by a foreign, godless ruler. The Lord said of His people, “You live in a world of deception. In their deception they refuse to know Me. This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Jeremiah 9:6, emphasis mine) No doubt about it, according to Daniel’s preserved and inspired words of God, it was indeed the Lord who handed over the Southern Kingdom of Israel, known as Judah, to be carried off into exile. “The Lord handed King Jehoiakim over…”. (verse 2) It wasn’t Nebuchadnezzar’s ideas and purposes, it was the Lord God’s intentional design to fulfill His purposes. Rebellion from God and His holy ways brings consequence from the Lord because He simply loves us too much to leave us where we are in our state of rebellion. The Lord states through Jeremiah, “Should I not punish them for these things? This is the Lord’s declaration. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?” (Jeremiah 9:9) The obvious answer to this rhetorical question is yes! How could a just God continue to allow injustices against Him? How could a loving God continue to permit such deep rebellion against those who are called by His name to be a people for His divine purposes? Praise God for His discipline and conviction! How dangerous to harden our hearts and continue pressing against Him!

2) Why is it significant that Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar putting God’s vessels “in the treasury of his god”? (verse 2)
God’s chosen people were carried off to exile for 70 years in a foreign land and everything about their culture was left in ruins. The epicenter of their life as God’s people, the temple, was utterly demolished. Even the holy articles, which had been dedicated specifically for God’s purposes in worship, were stolen away for defilement in the house of Nebuchadnezzar’s false god. The prophet Samuel records of this looting, “He (King Nebuchadnezzar) also carried off from there all the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king’s palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that King Solomon of Israel had made for the Lord’s sanctuary, just as the Lord had predicted.” (2 Kings 24:13) The sobering reality was that Israel’s rebellious rejection of the One True God, opened the door for the enemy, Satan, to use Israel for idolatrous purposes. What a picture it gave the Jewish people to know that their “holy articles” were being used for idol worship. What a fitting mirror the Lord provided. His people, His holy people, had rebelled against Him by worshipping idols and given themselves over to enemy purposes.

3) How can we fight against an idolatrous culture? (verses 3-8)
The Babylonians were quick to assimilate the exiles into their idolatrous culture. The Jews were given Babylonians names and were forced into new traditions, language, religious rituals, and food offered to idols. Much of the newness ran in direct opposition to how God had called Israel to live because He had crafted them as a nation “set apart” for Him to reflect His holiness. (Exodus 19:5-6) Even their names were meant to honor false idols. The new culture should have repulsed the Judahites at every turn because it was now unavoidable to realize how they had been living in blatant defilement of the Holy God. Of all the young men taken as captives and selected to serve the king, only Daniel felt convicted and emboldened to stand against what he knew was a dishonor to Yahweh. BUT, just as sin has rippling effects, so do actions taken solidly against the enemy. What started with one brave request from Daniel to not eat food offered to idols, also encouraged his three friends to also stand against the cultural flood washing over them. Daniel and his friends stood firm and the Lord blessed them with strength, vitality, wisdom, and favor with the king. (Daniel 1:17-20)

Everyday Application

1) How could God let exile happen? (verses 1-2)
The Lord’s words through Jeremiah, which would become reality for Daniel and his peers, should make us all shake in awareness of our own sinful rebellion against God. Jeremiah’s words were written to Judah, not us. There is no pending capture from another powerful nation coming for us divinely prophesied in Jeremiah and Daniel. However, the warning about sin and its consequence is still meant for our hearts in this moment. Our sin, every single one, is a blatant offense to a righteous and blameless God. Every selfish thought, lustful look, “white lie”, and angry action (yes, even those hand motions) make us “unholy”, therefore unfit to be in God’s presence. Which means we cannot “go to Heaven when we die”. We don’t “get God’s favor” because we did something nice. In fact, no amount of “good things” we do will compensate for even a single sin. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23) Wow, that’s bad news! Just as God warned Judah that His justice would come, so can we be assured His justice will come for us when we die. (Matthew 12:36, Romans 6:23) God cannot become unjust and ignore our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:10) BUT. Neither can He be unloving. (1 John 4:16) His extravagant love paid the price for our rebellion, which is a curse by God and eternal death. Jesus, God Himself, paid this price when He died on the cross. (Galatians 3:3) Precisely because Jesus IS God, He was raised to life by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:11) and conquered death for us that we might have His righteousness in exchange for our filth of sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Astounding!! THIS is good news! Acknowledging our rebellion against God, asking forgiveness, then proving we have been made new by being baptized and following Jesus for the rest of our lives is God’s invitation for us. Will we harden our hearts, like Judah did, and be carried off by our rebellion, or will we repent and come home to be with Him? (John 14:23)

2) Why is it significant that Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar putting God’s vessels “in the treasury of his god”? (verse 2)
The rippling effects of rebellion often include innocent bystanders. The enemy of our souls, Satan, is always strategizing to steal, kill, and destroy all good things. (John 10:10) When sin, or the effects of sin in our fallen world, destroy things, people, or relationships it can feel like God is nowhere to be found. We feel as if God has either lost control, doesn’t care, or never really had control in the first place. Each of these fears and emotional thoughts must be sifted through the unchanging truth of Scripture. If God can ordain a worm to consume a plant and not even a sparrow dies without Him knowing, and allowing, that death, then God has never once been absent. (Jonah 4:7, Matthew 10:29) There are no small coincidences, and no major incidences, beyond the intimate involvement of a sovereign, infinitely loving God. All things are held together through Him. (Colossians 1:17) The psalmist sings the truth, “You are good, and You do what is good…” (Psalm 119:68, emphasis mine) The New Testament preacher, Paul, famously penned, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) If God only does good things. If all things are under His complete control. Then, despite sin’s damaging effects on our world and our lives, anything evil can be redeemed for good things in us to bring God glory. Spend time praying over the broken and absent things in your life, asking God to teach you to trust Him, to wait on His timing, and keep obeying while you worship.

3) How can we fight against an idolatrous culture? (verses 3-8)
The enemy will use any means possible to accomplish his purposes of death to all things good and holy and set apart for God. (1 Peter 5:8) Just think of a few things that are honoring to God and designed for good, then think of the many ways those things are attacked and marred by sin. Marriages given over to strife, abuse, abandonment, and divorce. Friendships sabotaged by selfishness, haughty spirits, and gossip. Even something as simple as food can become a weapon of gluttony in the enemy’s hand. Make a short list of the God-honoring things in your life. How are they most often threatened by sin’s destructive defilement? The sweet assurance of Christ and His victory reminds us that we are not helpless bystanders in the ravages of the enemy. Paul reminded Timothy, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgement.” (2 Timothy 1:7) The apostle Peter encouraged believers who were fighting against enemy threats and defilement of holiness by saying, “Resist him (the devil), firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8) When we remember that we are not alone in this fight against the enemy, we are encouraged to stand firm and take up the battle gear God has supplied. (Ephesians 6:11-18) Before going to bed tonight, read through the armor of God in Ephesians 6, and prayerfully take your bold stand against the enemy! God used Daniel’s determination to not be defiled for eternally good purposes, even within a secular and unbelieving nation. What might the Lord do with your determined heart to refuse to bow to cultural popularity and instead stand firm on truth?

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Trust & Obedience!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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Waiting Day 7 Look, Listen and Wait: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Look, Listen and Wait!

The Questions

1) Why would God hide His face from David? (verse 1)

2) Why does David ask God to restore brightness to his eyes? (verse 3)

3) How had the Lord treated David generously? (verse 6)

Psalm 13

1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long will I store up anxious concerns within me,
agony in my mind every day?
How long will my enemy dominate me?

3 Consider me and answer, Lord my God.
Restore brightness to my eyes;
otherwise, I will sleep in death.
4 My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,”
and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your faithful love;
my heart will rejoice in your deliverance.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he has treated me generously.

Original Intent

1) Why would God hide His face from David? (verse 1)
Psalm 13 is a lament of David, probably written while running away or hiding from Saul, the jealous King who sought to kill God’s chosen leader. (1 Samuel 21) David felt like God was far from him, hiding His face from him, since God wasn’t providing the deliverance and victory he had asked and waited for. Author David Guzik suggests, “No doubt, David had faced worse circumstances but had faced them more bravely when he had sensed the presence of God with him. Yet now, feeling distant from God, it did not take much to send David into despair.” Instead of delivering David from his troubles, God allowed David to wait, seek, and trust in His provision. According to author David C Egner, “When God withholds His hand, He wants us to look to His heart. In other words, He wants us to learn more about His goodness and His love, and to trust Him to do what is best.” Sometimes, God lets us wait so we can exercise our faith in Him. He wants us to trust in His promises and His Word even when our circumstances seem in opposition to God’s promises. The Lord longs to show us mercy and compassion, and promises we will be happy (blessed) when we wait on Him. (Isaiah 30:18) We can be like David and turn our lament into praise (Psalm 13:6) when we choose to patiently wait on God and remind ourselves of His faithfulness in every situation. (Psalm 119:90) At times, it may feel like God’s face is hidden, but He is always near to us (Psalm 145:18) even when He asks us to wait.

2) Why does David ask God to restore brightness to his eyes? (verse 3)
When David asks God to “Restore brightness to my eyes; otherwise, I will sleep in death” (verse 3), he could be asking God for several things. Author Albert Barnes suggests David alludes to “his exhaustion, arising from trouble and despair, as if he were about to die.” David was physically weary from being on the run from King Saul who was trying to kill him. (1 Samuel 19) The brightness had gone out of his eyes due to him searching tirelessly for God to interrupt his circumstances. He was watching for physical deliverance from the Lord while also watching out for his enemy, and his eyes were dimmed and weary as a result. He wanted his eyes to be revived by seeing God deliver him. David Guzik asserts that David also requested spiritual enlightenment because “David had the wisdom to know that though he felt powerful feelings, he wasn’t seeing reality. His vision was clouded and dark, so he cried out to God, “Enlighten my eyes.’” David knew that though his circumstances looked bad, he ultimately needed to see through the lens of God’s beloved, chosen and anointed King (1 Samuel 16) and not through the eyes of a hunted fugitive. He wanted God to restore brightness to his eyes and hope to his heart.

3) How had the Lord treated David generously? (verse 6)
In verse 6, David writes of the future when he will sing to the Lord because He has dealt generously with him. His current situation is nothing to sing about. He is being hunted down by an angry enemy! But David trusts in the faithful love of God and in His deliverance. He is so confident in God’s coming generosity and rescue from his dire straits that he willfully chooses to rejoice now. Because he has already trusted God’s faithful love, David is now free to rejoice! “But I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance.” (verse 5) Author David C. McCasland notes, “In every struggle—mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual—our challenge is to move from the fear of being overwhelmed to the confidence that God has overcome.” David makes this movement from wondering where God is, to rejoicing in the deliverance he knows is coming. He goes so far as to call God generous for the deliverance He will provide. David believes God is faithful and trustworthy because He has delivered David generously in the past. David knows that though it feels like God is nowhere to be found, He is actually with David, preparing to act generously toward him. Psalm 84:11 tells us that God “is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor; he does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity.” David believes what he knows to be true about his generous, faithful God instead of the feelings invoked by his fearful situation. We can follow David’s example and trust that God will not withhold good from those who follow Him, regardless of our feelings or situation.

Everyday Application

1) Why would God hide His face from David? (verse 1)
A friend once asked how she could feel close to God again. The Scriptures seemed lifeless and every sermon seemed flat. Her devotional time was fruitless and her prayer time felt empty. She believed God was ignoring her. I encouraged her to keep seeking the Lord, but I wish I had known to direct her to David’s example in Psalm 13. David thought God was hiding His face from him, and he wondered how long God would forget him. (verse 1) According to author James Montgomery Boice, “The fact that we feel abandoned itself means that we really know God is there. To be abandoned you need somebody to be abandoned by. Because we are Christians and have been taught by God in the Scriptures, we know that God still loves us and will be faithful to us, regardless of our feelings.” David’s knowledge of God led him to recall God’s faithfulness. Soon, David’s lament about his circumstances became a plea for God to intervene. (Psalm 13:3) He stopped dwelling on the fear and despair he felt and focused on the God who saves. (Psalm 68:20) When David called out to God, he remembered His faithful God could be trusted. (verse 5) After all, God had already delivered David from a lion, a bear, and a giant. (1 Samuel 17:37) David knew that the God who saved him before could save him again. He was so confident in God’s faithfulness that his heart began to rejoice! (verse 5) His situation hadn’t changed, but his focus had. Instead of wondering why God had forgotten him, David remembered God was his refuge and his deliverer. He no longer saw God as the one hiding His face from him, but rather as the One who could be trusted in all things.

2) Why does David ask God to restore brightness to his eyes? (verse 3)
When asked how he is doing, one friend of mine always cheerfully answers, “I’m living the dream!” Another friend responds to my query with a lilting, “I am blessed and highly favored!” They remind me of the psalmist David, who writes passionately and honestly about his feelings in his songs to the Lord. While many of David’s psalms are praises to God, as seen in Psalm 8 and Psalm 145, David expresses his feelings of despair in Psalm 13:3 when he asks God to restore brightness to his eyes so he does not sleep in death. David is physically and emotionally exhausted from being chased by his enemy, and he lets God know that his eyes are failing and death seems near. He is frustrated that following God has led him to hiding out and fighting for his life. I have never been in such physical danger as David, but I have felt his frustration of doing all the right things only to see my situation get worse. It is hard to remember God’s goodness when our eyes are clouded by difficult circumstances. I want God to remove the obstacles for me, and sometimes He does. But many times, He simply tells me not to fear because He is God and He is with me to strengthen me, help me, and hold on to me. (Isaiah 41:10) If you feel like your eyes and your hope are dim today, call out to God to restore brightness to your eyes and hope to your heart. Even if He does not immediately change your situation, He will give you the strength to endure and peace to comfort you until you rejoice, like David did, in God’s deliverance. (verse 5)

3) How had the Lord treated David generously? (verse 6)
My mom used her sewing machine a lot when I was growing up to make clothes for my sister and I, to make clothes for our dolls, and to make gifts and crafts to sell and give away. So, it was a big deal when her sewing machine broke beyond repair. We didn’t have the money to get a new one, so we prayed for one. I colored a picture of a new machine and hung it above her sewing table as a reminder of what God was going to give her. I don’t remember how it happened (I think someone gifted us their old machine) but it wasn’t long before there was another sewing machine whirring away in the sewing room. I was happy, but not surprised. I was used to God providing when we prayed. I grew up believing God would provide all our needs (Philippians 4:19) and He did, though maybe not in the way I expected or in the time frame I had in mind. Like David, I knew God to be a generous God. (Psalm 13:6) Even in his fear and the chaos of his life on the run, David knew that when he called on God, God would come through. Author Marvin Williams states, “We all go through dark nights of the soul when we wonder if God has abandoned us. As with David, our aching can give way to joy when we approach God honestly, plead for help, and reaffirm our trust in a God whose love for us will never waver or change.” David had some close calls that made him question if God really had his back, but in every situation David was able to recall the goodness and faithfulness of God and the generous treatment he found at God’s hands.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Look, Listen and Wait!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Waiting Day 3 Valuable Lessons

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 24:1-22
Psalm 13
Romans 5:3-5

Waiting, Day 3

As David hid in the darkness at the back of the cave, it must have seemed like the perfect opportunity. His enemy was alone and unarmed.

With the whispers of his men urging him forward, David crept behind the unsuspecting Saul. For years, Saul’s jealousy drove him to relentlessly pursue David, seeking to kill him.

Surely, this was the moment to finally put a stop to it.

What’s more, the prophet Samuel had anointed David as king, and yet, years later, Saul remained on the throne.
Surely, this was the ideal opportunity for David to claim his destiny.

But, to the surprise of his men, while David cut a piece from Saul’s robe, he chose not to harm the man himself. He knew this was not God’s way.

This was not how waiting was supposed to end.

David had plenty of practice at waiting. From the day he was unexpectedly marked out as the future king, he waited approximately fifteen years until he was finally crowned.

We may question why.
Why did God make him wait so long?
Was there any purpose behind the delay?

It’s common to ask similar questions in our own times of waiting. It can feel as if God has forgotten us, and we wonder why He is making us wait.

David’s story encourages us to see there are valuable lessons to be learned during times of waiting. Delay is not merely something to endure, but a time God can use.

Often God has to first work in us, building our character, so He can later work through us. We certainly see this truth reflected in David’s story.

David’s anointing was not something he had sought or expected. He was not of royal birth, and he was the most unlikely choice as the youngest of eight brothers. Though often disregarded by his brothers, God looked at his heart, knew his potential, and chose David.

Straight after his anointing, we see David learn humility and service. While he knew he would one day be king, he was first called into service of the current king, Saul, working for him as musician, armour bearer, and later, an army commander. He showed great loyalty and respect to Saul, even as Saul’s behaviour became increasingly unreasonable and angry.

We see David learn to trust in God and His power. He had already learned this as a shepherd boy when God helped him fight off bears and lions attacking his flock. This gave him the confidence to tackle the giant Goliath, and that remarkable victory must have boosted his faith even more.

This faith was surely tested as Saul’s jealousy grew, leading him to attempt to kill David on multiple occasions. David must have wondered why waiting on the Lord was so hard. But we also see a remarkable trust that God was still sovereign and, in the midst of the seeming chaos, He had a plan.

This is shown in David’s words to the king of Moab as he asks if his parents can find refuge there, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” (1 Samuel 22:3)

He didn’t yet know what God would do, but he trusted God would do something, and that God was still for him.

We also see David grow in integrity, continuing to strive to behave well towards Saul and respect his position as king instead of retaliating in anger, as shown by the choice he made in the cave.

In his refusal to take matters into his own hands, we see his trust in God’s timing. He knew God’s plan would prevail, and becoming king was not something he had to make happen by himself.

“As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him [Saul] down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. However, as the Lord, is my witness, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (1 Samuel 26:10-11)

Finally, the obvious lesson to learn in a time of waiting is patience, and David certainly had plenty of opportunity to develop this.

It may be encouraging in our times of waiting to know that while David waited well and learned a lot along the way, he didn’t always find waiting easy.

The specific situation Psalm 13 references is unclear, but it is a helpful example for us of a prayer in a time of waiting. Four times David asks, “How long?” as he wrestles with the wait, but the Psalm ends on a mark of hope as he chooses to trust God’s goodness.

Maybe this is the key to waiting well.
We can trust God’s character even when we can’t understand our circumstances, holding onto the sure hope He is still working even when we struggle to see how. Ultimately, we can trust that, in His own perfect timing, His purposes will prevail.

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If Day 4 Indwelling: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

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The Questions

1) What does Jesus’ statement in verse 5 imply at first reading?

2) How does Jesus know the disciples’ hearts are filled with sorrow? (verse 6)

3) What hopeful words does Jesus share with His disciples when He tells them He is going away? (verse 7)

4) What did Jesus teach the disciples in verses 8-15 about the coming Counselor and His work in the world?

John 16:5-15

5 But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

Original Intent

1) What does Jesus’ statement in verse 5 imply at first reading?
At first reading, it appears Jesus is bothered that His disciples have not questioned Him about His departure. Had they ignored His previous mentions of going away? Since the Bible indicates they had previously asked Jesus about His departure, it seems Jesus was making another point to them about His leaving. In John 13:36 and John 14:5, Peter and Thomas inquire about where Jesus is going. On both occasions, there is much evidence that the disciples are asking from concern for themselves. What will happen to them when Jesus goes? In all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we read the subtle, and not-so-subtle, predictions by Jesus regarding His future death and resurrection. Even though they heard His words, the disciples were either confused, in denial, or afraid to question Him further. (Mark 9:32) Maybe, like any human who has grown to depend on someone, they didn’t really want to consider what life would be like without the presence of their beloved Jesus. Their responses, coupled with the fact that Jesus knew their heart motives (John 2:24-25), likely revealed their self-interest only. In this passage, Jesus prods them to consider something beyond themselves. Why had they not considered what would happen to Him when He goes? Though He does not give an answer concerning where He is going, He assures them He will not leave them alone.

2) How does Jesus know the disciples’ hearts are filled with sorrow? (verse 6)
Jesus said some extremely hard things as He walked with His followers along the Sea of Galilee and surrounding areas. The crowds loved His miracles of healing, but some of His teachings were challenging to hear and some were difficult to understand. Jesus once said to those around Him, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves.” (John 6:53) Who wouldn’t be confused?! John tells us in John 6:66 that many people left at that point, and no longer followed Jesus. When He turned to question the Twelve (Matthew 10:2-4), Peter spoke up and said sincerely, “You’re all we have. We believe in You. Where would we go?” (John 6:68-69) There is such insight to be gained in this scene. The relationship between Jesus and His chosen disciples was intimate and genuine. They had seen more in three years with Jesus than some would experience in a lifetime. (John 21:24-25) Even when they did not fully understand what He was teaching or showing them, they had grown to trust Him and believe He was truly the way to LIFE! When Jesus spoke about His leaving, He knew their hearts were concerned and sorrowful. He knew them well. He had seen their confusion and fears through His years of ministry. (Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 14:22-32) He knew they would be fearful of facing the future without His physical presence to guide them.

3) What hopeful words does Jesus share with His disciples when He tells them He is going away? (verse 7)
The disciples could not comprehend how Jesus’ departure could possibly benefit them. (Other translations use words like “advantage”, “expedient,” “better” and even “best”.) Again, Jesus’ words fell on confused hearts. They had never met anyone like the Master, Jesus. Surely, they felt the deep and painful sting of separation at this point. “It is for your benefit that I go away …” (verse 7) Maybe Peter remembered his own words to Jesus on the day He had asked them if they were leaving too, like those who had decided it was too costly to follow Jesus. Perhaps he considered the same question now. “To whom would they go without Jesus?” But Jesus did not want them to fret. “If I go, I will send Him to you,” He said. Jesus had never reneged on a promise He’d made. They confidently knew He was faithful and true. Still, this felt so different. Jesus must have seen this anxiety in their eyes and on their faces. So, He highlighted His words in verse 7 with “I am telling you the truth.” Although the coming of the Counselor was beneficial, it wasn’t necessary for Him to come until Jesus left. He wanted them to believe that the benefits of Him leaving and the Counselor coming would far outweigh what they could ever imagine.

4) What did Jesus teach the disciples in verses 8-15 about the coming Counselor and His work in the world?
In John 14:26, we discover the Counselor (paraclete) is God, the Holy Spirit. Bible scholars tells us that finding an appropriate English translation for the Greek word (paraklētos) is quite difficult because no single English word conveys its depth of meaning. (Netbible.John14.37) When the word paraclete is used of Jesus in 1 John 2:1, translations almost exclusively use the word “advocate.” Jesus and the Father and the Spirit work together on our behalf. During His earthly ministry, Jesus had guided His disciples to think rightly about God. He had protected them through miracles, shared with them the very thoughts of God toward sin, and had demonstrated courage when faced with opposition. Now He assures them that the Comforter, the very Spirit of God, will always be with them rather than Christ’s own limited physical presence. Although verse 8 does not begin with a positive spin (the New English Translation says that “when He comes, He will prove the world wrong”), these ARE words of hope. We read in Luke about a tax collector named Zacchaeus who gained his wealth on the backs of his fellow Jews. Jesus told Zacchaeus that the very reason He came was to rescue people just like him. (Luke 19:1-10) Even though the Pharisees looked upon Jesus’ loving rescue with deep disgust (Luke 15:2), we know Jesus came to earth to rescue tax collectors and pious religious leaders. (Luke 19:39-44) The benefit of the Spirit’s presence is that He carries on Jesus’ message of truth and mercy in and through the lives of every believer! (verses 12-13) No one must climb a tree to get to Jesus. Through the work of the Spirit of God, hearts are convicted about “sin, righteousness, and judgment” (verse 8) so that no one needs to die without knowing the grace of Jesus. (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

Everyday Application

1) What does Jesus’ statement in verse 5 imply at first reading?
Jesus resumes the conversation He had previously begun about His departure. (John 7:28-36) Though the disciples had heard it before, this time seems different. More real. Christ’s time was pending! Can you imagine the scene? You have walked by the side of your cherished mentor for three years and have learned so much. Yet, you know there is infinitely more to learn! You can’t imagine anyone teaching you like them. When someone we share life with must go from our lives, in our own humanity we feel the sting for ourselves at first. We can relate to the disciples’ pain and sorrow. In our own frailty, we don’t consider asking questions related to their next journey. We simply know it hurts that they are leaving. Here is where we must remind ourselves to think like Jesus, who did “nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider(ed) others as more important… Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) Jesus knew His friends were suffering. We can learn from His experience, to ask our kind Father to teach us how to demonstrate selfless concern for those who may need to pass from our lives.

2) How does Jesus know the disciples’ hearts are filled with sorrow? (verse 6)
Jesus showed mercy to His disciples despite their lack of interest in His future. Knowing their great sorrow, He did not dwell on their misguided, self-focused concern. Friends, what a precious Savior we have! The disciples could only see the sorrow in His leaving them. Yet, Jesus knew His departure was essential for them to become dependent on God for saving and sustaining grace by His Spirit. The disciples’ sorrow represents the sentiment we often have when a loved one who has trusted Jesus is dying. We may tell family and friends it will be better for them to go with Jesus, and we are comforted for the soon-coming relief from current suffering on earth. We know they will be with Jesus! But in these times of grief, we rarely consider it to our benefit that their presence will no longer be with us. The disciples were a bunch of human fellas standing with their fearless leader, the Coach of a lifetime, Who had revealed Himself as the very Son of God. Even though much of what they had witnessed was beyond their understanding, they knew they had been in the presence of the Messiah. (Matthew 16:15-20) Oh Sister, there was nothing in them that felt like celebrating. But Jesus knew more. Jesus knew better.

3) What hopeful words does Jesus share with His disciples when He tells them He is going away? (verse 7)
Some of us may have experienced our parents using a phrase when they disciplined us. “It’s for your own good.” Maybe you even used it with your own kids. Thankfully, there has been some wisdom passed down through the years of parenting suggesting better ways to guide our kids in realizing the benefits of boundaries and consequences. Still, we all know the four words “it’s for your good” aren’t always easy to take. Knowing Jesus as I have come to know Him (from His Word), I think He probably said this as gently as possible. But it is probable that the only words the disciples heard ringing in their ears were “I am going away.” (verse 5) Jesus was focused on His words “for your benefit.” (verse 7) David Guzik gives such insight into their humanity as he imagines the disciples’ dismay if they were to really understand all that was to come. To our benefit that Jesus is arrested? To our benefit that Jesus’ ministry of teaching and miracles is stopped? To our benefit that Jesus is beaten? To our benefit that Jesus is mocked? To our benefit that Jesus is sentenced for execution? To our benefit that Jesus is nailed to a cross? To our benefit that Jesus dies in the company of notorious criminals? To our benefit that His lifeless body is laid in a cold grave? (Enduring Word John 16) Jesus gives to His sorrowing disciples, and to all who know Him, a resounding YES! It is better. “The Spirit inside of us is greater than even Jesus beside us.” (Jesus Continued by JD Greear)

4) What did Jesus teach the disciples in verses 8-15 about the coming Counselor and His work in the world?
In answering this question regarding the passage’s original intent, I said “the benefit of the Spirit’s presence is that He carries on Jesus’ message of truth and mercy in and through the lives of every believer.” Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit knows what the Father thinks and will reveal it to His followers. (John 16:13) But it is essential to take this truth in the context of John’s book, the New Testament, and all of Scripture. In no way was Jesus saying or implying that our salvation makes us all-knowing. Nor are we to conclude that we can have a word from God that is incompatible with Scripture. The Spirit teaches us everything we need to know about how to be saved and how to live for God. He does so through the Spirit-inspired words of the Bible’s writers. (2 Peter 1) When Zacchaeus took Jesus into His home he was convicted to turn from his wrong ways. (Luke 19:1-10) “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” Jesus told him, “Today salvation has come to this house.” After Jesus ascended to the Father, and the Spirit came at Pentecost, Jesus was continued through the acts of the Spirit living within every Believer! (Acts 2:37-41)

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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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