Declare

Worship VIII Day 5 How Great Thou Art

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Job 9:1-12
Psalm 139:1-18
John 1:1-5
Luke 1:46-50

Worship VIII, Day 5

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
(How Great Thou Art, lyrics by Stuart K. Hine)

When you consider creation, what comes to mind? Have you ever seen a close-up of a butterfly’s wings? Or a fly’s eye? Our great God created even the insects to be diverse and complex, for a purpose, and with protective measures in place. Yes, even for a fly.

In the beginning, God revealed His master design through creation. How many of us have marveled at the stars and planets in the night sky? We might even catch a glimpse of the vast Milky Way Galaxy, or the Northern Lights. While we see God’s handiwork all around us, how often do we thank Him for it?

When some of us are shoveling knee-deep snow from our walks this winter, will we stop to revel at the incredible uniqueness of each snowflake?

“When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.”

It’s easy to express our appreciation to God when spending time in His creation or witnessing a spectacular sunrise or sunset . . .
But do we praise His greatness when the hard things happen?

Several years ago, I found myself riding in an ambulance with my daughter, the day before she turned 6. She was extremely ill with newly-diagnosed Type 1 diabetes. In hindsight, I realize we almost lost her. It was one of the hardest days of my life.

I confess I lacked gratitude to God during that time. Sure, I was thankful we’d caught the diabetes in time to save her life, and thankful for a kind, understanding healthcare team. But, juggling the terror of nearly losing my child and the overwhelming nature of her diagnosis and its implications for her life, was gratitude my first instinct? Probably not.

But now? Absolutely.

I give thanks to God for creating Drs. Banting and Best. Their discovery of how to use pigs to manufacture insulin for human use continues to save lives. Furthermore, I marvel how one little spot on a pancreas is vital for life. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

Are you struggling with a chronic illness? A diagnosis that came out of left field, as most do?

Let’s be honest with Him, bringing Him our fears, uncertainties, and even our anger.
Then, let’s look up. God knows all and God will indeed work all things for His glory.
Let’s sit in His Word, soaking in the truth of His character and His heart for us.
When we feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of all a diagnosis can steal from us, let’s fight back with gratitude for our great God, who walks with us, holds us and sustains us through whatever lies ahead. (Check out Laurie Wilcox’s story of lifting praise in the midst of a “left-field diagnosis”)

For example, a few years ago, I discovered I was grateful for fog-shrouded beaches. My mom, in apparent good health following bypass surgery, traveled to Florida to visit friends and family. Despite her full recovery, she became ill and was hospitalized.

Then came the phone call and a race to the airport.
I made it in time. I saw her awake … twice . . . before she passed away.

We began to slog through the official minutiae that follows death, especially one away from home. My sisters urged me to slip away, to regain my equilibrium after the whirlwind of the last few days.

I only had a few minutes to take one public access path to a nearby beach. Fog engulfed the walkway, thick and isolating.

But that stretch of beach . . . there was such a holy hush. It was as if God used the fog as His blanket, surrounding and comforting me.

Am I grateful to God for that hard time? Yes.
Do I wish things turned out differently? Of course.
But I still declare God’s greatness through it all.

“And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.”

Remembering my college days, when I didn’t know I was seeking Christ, and how He put people in my path to befriend me, speak His word over me, and give me glimpses of my Savior, I am awestruck and forever grateful.

When I contemplate how Christ, God made flesh, willingly took on the world’s sins in order to offer us eternal life, it blows my mind. Truly.

In our innate sinfulness, we are wretched.
Yet, as God’s creation, He considers us worth saving.
In fact, He wants none to perish. (2 Peter 3:9) He didn’t just take on the sins of people in 33AD; He took on the sins for generations and eons to come.

I am overwhelmingly grateful for the forgiveness I receive every time I repent, and that my burdens are lifted when taken to Jesus.

“When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee…
How great Thou art.”

Soli Deo Gloria.
To God alone be the glory.

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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!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship VIII Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship VIII!

Fervent Day 10 Seek And Save

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Ephesians 6:19-20
Colossians 4:2-4
1 Timothy 2:1-4

Fervent, Day 10

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
(Luke 19:10)

Condemned by the Pharisees (the self-righteous and corrupt religious leaders of His time) for dining with sinners, He said His mission was to save those very sinners.
His heart was for their rescue!

In response to the same accusation, Jesus said,
“It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.
I didn’t come to call the righteous, but the sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

Jesus proved His mission again when, nailed naked to a perpetrator’s cross,
He prayed for God to forgive His killers.

In like manner, the apostle Paul committed his life to the ministry of preaching the gospel to save the lost. His love for Jesus compelled him to give up everything to his advantage and do what Jesus was passionate about. Paul even said he considered his life of no account except to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

Paul described the gospel as the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and himself as the means through which it is spread. For those who believe, the gospel is the aroma of life leading to life, but to those who reject, it is the aroma of death leading to death. (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) The same gospel which gives life to those who believe stands as a judgment to those who reject it. Scripture says he who believes in the Son of God will not be condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already. (John 3:18) Whoever has not put his faith in Christ is considered lost.

Paul was not deterred from preaching the gospel, though many rejected it. He used every means to make the gospel known to and accepted by those who were lost. He said he became “all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22)

In his words, we see a deep sense of urgency in praying for. and ministering to, the lost. He recognized God desires all to know the vast richness of knowing and experiencing Christ as Savior. Therefore, Paul seized every opportunity he had to preach to, and pray for, the lost. Additionally, when he wrote to the churches, he called other believers to pray alongside him.

Paul described how his heart longed for his Jewish brothers and sisters to repent and be rescued, he even wished he could be accursed from Christ for their sake if it were possible! (Romans 9:1-5) He prayed fervently for their salvation, despite the fact that they were the very people persecuting him.

Studying the passion Paul had for the salvation of the lost, I was moved to tears.
I realized I have not given the Gospel the commitment it deserves.
I must confess my concern had only been for my family members. I hardly prayed for outsiders; the best I could do for them was my little contribution for the work of missions. But the fact that someone somewhere could die without Christ
should be a matter of great concern to me.

Every believer should carry an attitude of great concern toward the lost. We may not have the opportunity to travel round the world to preach the gospel, but we can share the hope of the gospel with those in our own communities!

The gospel is an issue of life or death,
an eternity in heaven or in hell.

How would it be if Christ returns, or any of our loved ones die in their sin, without us making any effort for their salvation by sharing Jesus?!
Imagine the pain and sorrow we would feel.
We have a duty not only to be involved in missions,
but to pray earnestly for the salvation of the lost.

Praying for the lost can never be over-emphasized; Jesus Himself asked His disciples to pray earnestly for the Lord of harvest to send laborers into His harvest. (Matthew 9:38) In like manner, the apostles prayed for boldness to declare God’s word. (Acts 4:29) Paul urged Timothy to intercede in prayer for all people, including kings and those in authority, because God desires for all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:1-4)

Not only does God desire everyone to be saved,
but He calls us to join with Him on His mission of sharing this beautiful gospel overflowing with hope and love. (Matthew 28:18-20)

We confidently know our prayers matter for the salvation of the lost.
Therefore, the thought of the reality of hell for unsaved souls should drive us to our knees to pray for the lost with fervency.

Who will you pray for? 


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Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Fervent Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Fervent!

Blessed Day 4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: 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 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn!

The Questions

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?

3) How did God comfort David?

Psalm 51:6-13

Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

Original Intent

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David one day telling him a story of two men: One poor, the other rich. The rich man had many sheep, but the poor man had only one lamb. The lamb was dear to the family and loved like a pet. One day, the rich man had a visitor and he needed to serve him dinner. But rather than slaughtering one of his own sheep, he took the poor man’s sheep and served it to his guest. When King David heard this story, he was furious. Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!’” (2 Samuel 12:7-9) The whole sordid story can be found in 2 Samuel 11-12. When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David was immediately mournful and confessed his sin before God. David wasn’t repentant because he had been caught in his sin, but he realized he had sinned against God. His fellowship with God had been severed; this is what caused his great mourning.

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
David’s sin was crushing his soul during this time. He must have been relieved to be found out and his sin exposed because this is when healing of our hearts can begin. In the many months between the time when David committed these sins and his confession, he had not escaped the sense of sin, it was always before him. (verse 3) He could not escape his sinfulness. He was miserable in his sin, as a child of God should be. (Guzik) When Nathan confronted him, he became very aware of the heaviness of heart that had been there all along. He knew his body ached to have that fellowship once again with the Father. In Psalm 32:3-4, David writes, “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat.” David desired to be cleansed from his sin and his sin blotted out. He wanted to be able to rejoice in the Lord once again. (Psalm 51:7-9). Again, we see in Psalm 32, he wrote of how good it is to be forgiven. “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!”

3) How did God comfort David?
God comforted David foremost by returning His Spirit to David. His spirit was made right with God giving him the fellowship he desired once again. Though his son would die, God did not take Bathsheba away from him; indeed, their second son, Solomon, became the next king of Israel and God allowed Solomon the privilege of building the temple. God kept his promise to keep David’s family in the throne of Israel. David had a third son with Bathsheba, Nathan, who is the son in which the line of David (through Mary) would bring Jesus into the World. (Luke 3:23-38) What a comfort to have a new spirit, David was once again willing to serve God as He prescribed. David was again able to teach others about the joy of salvation and to sing of His righteousness and declare God’s praise. And ultimately, draw others to God.

Everyday Application

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David and confronted him about his sin. And David mourned. While we may have leaders or friends we are accountable to, more deeply, we have the Holy Spirit living within every believer, guiding our actions and convicting us of sin. If we are in tune with the Spirit, we mourn when we realize we have allowed sin to creep into our lives. The Apostle Paul mourned at his inability to please God. He wrote how we all know what is right, but we don’t do it. (Romans 7:14-25) Just as David cried out in Psalm 51, so did Paul cry out his mournful repentance. We also struggle with our carnal nature in keeping God’s law. C.S. Lewis said, “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good.” (Enduring Word, Romans 7) But Praise God! “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) After we are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, guides us, and convicts us of sin. We could not follow Jesus without His power. However, we cannot experience His power without totally yielding to Him. From the moment of spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit indwells, or resides in, every Christian. But to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, we must, as an act of our wills, completely surrender our lives in obedience to Christ. (Vonette Bright, CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ)

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
The Apostle Paul shares with us in Romans 5:1-5 some of the blessings of our salvation.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God… But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 There is no greater blessing than the joy found in forgiveness. Bill Gaither wrote, “Oh the joy that floods my soul!” A new song bubbles up with joy in our heart when we are forgiven and cleansed forever. And the Victory! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood! (Bartlett). What a treasure we have in this wonderful peace… For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day, And His glory is flooding my soul!” (Cornel) What a blessing to be found in Christ. Have you found the joy of salvation? Have you mourned over your sin and repented to God?

3) God comforted David. How does God comfort us?
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. When we sin against God and hurt others, it is as if we can’t breathe. I remember times when I have hurt others, I was afraid to go to them and confess. I feared their rejection and possible retaliation. But once I confessed and received that forgiveness, I could breathe again. My fear disappeared; my heart was comforted in the restoration of fellowship and a wonderful peace overtook my spirit. While believers never need to fear that the Holy Spirit will be removed from us, He is our permanent seal, our fellowship with God through the Spirit can be estranged and broken by our sin.
Yesterday, in her Journey Study, Lori said, “on the other side of mourning are abundant blessings.” Revelation 21:4 reminds us, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.”  Our vision is clouded by the sin we allow to persist by not fully addressing it or trying to excuse it. But if we are faithful to humble ourselves (I mean true, honest to goodness, on-our-knees-humbling ourselves) before God, then He is faithful to wipe away our tears and forgive our sin (1 John 1:9).  What a comfort to be completely forgiven and filled with His Spirit. And what an even greater comfort on the day when He wipes away every tear from our eyes forever!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with Blessed Are Those Who Mourn!

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

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Our Current Study Theme!

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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The GT Weekend! ~ Relentless 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) Rachel shared on Tuesday that her lips will quickly declare she worships God and God alone, but sometimes a closer look at her real everyday life can speak otherwise. When we examine how we spend (or save) our money, how we spend our time, and how we view others, we can quickly uncover more idol worship than we care to admit. Abby wrote on Monday of her own struggle with idol worship, and the process the Lord took her through to lay them down and worship God alone. As you consider how prevalent idol worship is in our culture, take some time to identify some idols you might be unintentionally worshipping. As you process, as the Lord to reveal these to your heart and shift your heart to want Him the most!

2)  If God truly has a calling for each of our lives just like He did for Samson and Jeremiah and countless other individuals whose stories we read in Scripture, then He must have a purposed intention for your life as well! Have you discovered this purpose? If so, you are experiencing the peace and delight that comes from following Jesus! If you’re following His purposes, you should also be encountering difficulties, struggles, and even persecution from the enemy and the world around you for following Jesus. Take heart! He who has overcome your heart and given you His love inside you, has overcome the world around you and He alone holds the final victory. Keep pressing in! “Do not become weary in doing good, for in due time, you will reap a harvest if you do not give up!” (Galatians 6:9) Write this verse on a notecard and put it somewhere to encourage your heart with truth!

3) Anything we push above our heart’s worship and life’s worship of Christ the King to whom we’ve pledged surrender, is an idol of our own design. Sisters, idol worship is no small thing. It’s number one and number two on God’s 10 commandments; because His heart longs for sweet intimacy with us, without the distraction of any one or any thing else. Now isn’t the time to tuck away, turn heads, and bow out of the conversation. As you sit with the Lord this weekend, call out those idols, break them before the Lord, and ask God to shift your heart in how you see those idols and how you see the Lord of love and life! Only one is worth your affection, your time, talent, and treasure. Only One. How long will you put up with a heart divided?!

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 Hoesa 2:16-17 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.

Prayer Journal
From the world’s perspective, true happiness comes by success of our hands, and having every desire of our hearts fulfilled. But You turn this wisdom upside down, insisting the only way to true satisfaction in this life and the one to come is by total surrender to You, Your ways, and Your desires. You, in Your infinite wisdom, know this to be true, yet we, I, foolishly run spurn Your ways. Father, it is unfathomable to me how You could possibly see my rejection, know that I love my own idols more than I love You, and yet still pursue me! You long for a relationship with me So Much that you willingly, relentlessly, pursue me and my heart. There is never a moment where you say, okay, good enough, just plateau out and I’ll come back to check on you in a few months. No, there will always be more to experience, know, understand, and be satisfied with about You! May I ever delight in Your presence, Abba! Cut away these idols, Lord! Give me only You!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

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