discipline

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XI Week 3

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XI Week 3

Katelyn Palmer

June 17, 2023

Adoring,Affectionate,Captivating,GT Weekend,Hope

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

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Psalm 119:149-154

In keeping with Your faithful love, hear my voice. Lord, give me life in keeping with Your justice. Those who pursue evil plans come near; they are far from your instruction. You are near, Lord, and all your commands are true. Long ago I learned from Your decrees that You have established them forever.

Resh
Consider my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten Your instruction. Champion my cause and redeem me; give me life as You promised
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, You are the greatest teacher. (Psalm 32:8) You are wise (Proverbs 3:19); You are loving (1 John 4:8), You are honorable (Revelation 4:11); You are just (Psalm 89:14). Yahweh, You taught me to learn from other godly people, as well; to leverage their tough seasons of life in order to avoid similar mistakes and to understand that I am not alone in my struggle. Hear our voices as we cry out to You, Lord, for help and in praise! 

My strength is so weak, unbelievably weak, and yet I still try to do it on my own.
Forgive me.

God, I need You desperately. I want You to use me, grow me, keep me humble.
Please help me obey.

I don’t deserve the blessed life I live; I am overwhelmed with gratitude!
You are so kind.

Lead me in Your ways today, Lord. Keep me from wandering away distracted from the path You have laid. (Psalm 16:11) May I follow You more closely (Matthew 16:24), love You more dearly (Matthew 22:37), obey You more willingly (John 14:15), and trust You more fully.

Lord, I am filled with thanks as I consider the blessings and lessons You have bestowed upon me. I am overwhelmed by your relentless pursuit of me.
In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Psalm 139 tells us God knows our thoughts from afar and our words before we utter them. While this may feel intimidating or even shameful, because we know our thoughts are not always pure, it provides a fuller picture of God’s vast love for us.

There is none who knows us like He does, still He sacrificed His Son on the cross to redeem us. (Isaiah 43:1) I cannot imagine a love greater than this. God is with us in every moment of this life; we have only to turn to Him. The image of turning away from a neighbor offering kindness, slamming the door in her face, is heartbreaking.

How much more so, then, when we realize that neighbor has God’s face? Yet He does not leave. (Isaiah 43:2) In fact, He invites us over and over again to give Him our pain, our questions, our doubts, our fears, our frustrations in return for His peace, love, grace, mercy, confidence, and strength.

He whispers love into our dark places, because shouting is for fools. His magnificence speaks for itself. (Isaiah 40:26) The devil shouts, he puts on a show, because he has no real power. Thus, his greatest influence is in distraction. How is the prince of darkness distracting you from God’s truth, today?

JOURNAL TWO

This week, our study on Qof and Resh, verses 145-160, hit me like a ton of bricks in the most wonderful way. Sara brought me to tears with her transparency and vulnerability, a very scary thing to do indeed. Oh, but how I could relate to her story in so many ways! This is the beauty of our testimonies!

We are oftentimes more alike than we are different, but when we use filters and choreographed poses and select only the most pristine pictures to share with the world, we abandon those opportunities to connect with others, cultivating our own loneliness.

In addition to a beautiful example of vulnerability, we were shown the power of divine perspective and the power of hope, both of which are anchored in God’s Word. In using a divine lens to assess our lives and analyze the situations in which we find ourselves, we are better able to see God’s purpose in allowing a particular trial.

He could be teaching, protecting, exercising judgment, refining, preparing, and more. Sometimes literally clutching His Word to our chest, figuratively tucking it into our hearts is all we have strength to do, but through His Word, the Spirit comforts our very souls. He is mighty in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

JOURNAL THREE

To understand the treasure that is God’s Word (Psalm 119:162), we must choose daily to seek Him, to study Scripture, and let the Holy Spirit soften our hearts. In Psalm 119:164, the psalmist says, and not for the first time, that they praise God many times a day (7 to be exact!).

The beautiful thing about regular, authentic worship is that it not only brings glory to God, but it changes our perspective. There are days when praising God even once seems like a hardship, but what we must realize is that in the act of praising, the act of worshiping, we find healing, peace, and joy. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Just as God doesn’t need our prayers in order to know our need (Matthew 6:8), He also doesn’t need our praise to know He is the great I AM. Yet again, His instruction is for our good and His glory.

Furthermore, when we intertwine our cries for help with gratitude for God’s character, we align our hearts with His, allowing us to recognize that God is good even if our circumstances aren’t and reinforcing our faith and confidence in His promise of deliverance.

Our expectations are then founded in God’s character rather than our own desires and ideas of how a prayer should be answered.
Tags :
adoration,discipline,God,prayer,rejoice,relationship
Share This :

Recent Journeys

Join Us On The Journey!

Want encouragement
on the daily?
Registration gives you free, every day access to encouragement, weekly worship prompts, and daily Bible study that applies to real life.
Journey On!

Can We Pray With You?

Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

This Week's Lock Screen
Explore This Journey Theme!
May 29 - June 16, 2023 - Journey Theme #119
Join the GT Facebook Community!
Free Registration!
Share Your Story!

Confidence Day 12 Confidence In Truth: Digging Deeper

1 Comment

Confidence Day 12 Confidence In Truth: Digging Deeper

Mandy Farmer

May 2, 2023

Faith,Forgiven,Freedom,Gospel,Truth

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

This DD Connects With "Confidence In Truth"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 John 2:20-23

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. 24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the anointing of the Holy One? (verse 20)

The Greek language has many words that translate to “anointing” in English. The first meaning I think of is “To be anointed with oil for anything from healing to being anointed as a king or a prophet.” Vine’s Expository Dictionary says believers have ‘an anointing from the Holy One’ and it renders them holy, separating them to God in much the same way a king would be anointed and set apart to do kingly work. 

This passage teaches that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the all-efficient means of enabling believers to have a knowledge of the truth. In simpler terms, when we are born, we have instincts. Likewise, when we are born again of the Spirit by confessing our sin and surrendering to Christ as our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God. (John 15:26)

It is He, the Spirit of truth, who provides “instinctive” knowledge and truth. (John 16:13) However, consider this, David Guzik explains that while this is true of all believers, some are paying no attention to the truths provided by the Spirit living within them!

The Everyday Application

1) What is the anointing of the Holy One? (verse 20)

In the Old Testament, God’s people didn’t have this anointing of the Holy Spirit; however, God anointed individuals to have a greater knowledge and spiritual power at certain times. King David and the prophets are examples of this “temporary anointing”. (1 Samuel 16:12-13, 2 Chronicles 15:1)

After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into Heaven, we all have access to the Spirit’s anointing. I witnessed an evangelist friend, Rev. Canon, preaching by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Clearly, God was using him for His purposes. But sisters, all who have trusted Christ as Savior have access to this power!

If all true believers have the Spirit’s anointing, what’s the difference? The answer lies simply in the regular practice of spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading, confession of sin, prayer, meditation on Scripture, and similar aspects of spiritual training. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Rev. Canon and his wife spent early morning hours in prayer and even more hours studying the Word of God and fellowshipping with their Lord. Then they acted in obedience to God’s Word. Here’s the difference! Many Christians receive Christ, but they give Him no further reign while neglecting to invest in a vibrant relationship with Him!

Robert Boyd Munger wrote a beautiful analogy of this, “My Heart, Christ’s Home”. He compared our salvation to letting Jesus in the door, but never allowing Him further admittance. Some might grant access to the kitchen or guest bedroom, but not their master bedroom; not the hall closet or, heaven forbid, Jesus enters the basement or the attic. Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit, wants to help you clean those areas of secret sins and idols.

When we give Christ full ownership of everything in our lives, then we will experience His anointing power!

The Original Intent

2) What is this “truth” John speaks of? How do we know the truth? (verses 20-21)

John talks about what we know in Christ in the previous verses. Read them here.

To know Jesus, is to know Truth Himself. John wrote of the truth that we are sinners, but Christ has come to be our Rescuer and Complete Forgiver. (1 John 1:9-2:2) John says the truth is that God is perfect love and when we walk with Him, we learn to love like Him. (1 John 2:3-6)

Truth? We have been forgiven (1 John 2:12), in Jesus we are conquerors of evil (1 John 2:13), because of Christ’s love we are strong victors over sin and deception (1 John 2:14)!

We act on this truth when we believe that Jesus is the Promised Messiah, the eternal Son of God known from the beginning. He came to live, die, and rise again to pay for our debt of sin. (1 John 4:8) This knowledge does not mean that we don’t need teachers to remind us of truth. John was such a teacher. (verse 21)

If you read his full letter, you will find him teaching on the love of God and what Christ did for us. He teaches us this truth will be alive in Christians and that characteristics such as love are the indicators that prove we have possessed and lived out the truth.

The Everyday Application

2) What is this “truth” John speaks of? How do we know the truth? (verses 20-21)

“We shall know the truth and the truth will set us free.” (John 8:32) The truth is: when we sin, we are slaves to it, but Christ came to be the payment for that sin. (1 John 4:8)

When we believe Him at His word and accept His beautiful gift of eternal life, He frees us from the slavery of sin and the eternal consequence of separation from God. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside us and guide us into godliness, enabling us to live like Jesus. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

Satan takes the truth and twists it to fit his own agenda, therefore, we must take care to be deeply rooted in Truth. It is vitally important for us to practice the spiritual disciplines to keep us from being enslaved again.

Let me remind you as John reminds us, we may still sin. (1 John 2:1) But don’t lose hope for “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We should practice self-examination for sin, asking the Spirit to convict us. John Wesley asked himself 22 questions. For a more contemporary list, Anne Graham Lotz speaks of personal examination in her book, Jesus in Me. In her experience, she was challenged in self-examination by reading the 10 commandments three times. The first time, she didn’t recognize any sin in her, but as she read them again and again, the Holy Spirit convicted her of ways she had indeed broken His commands. She offers a deeper explanation of these tools in her book, Expecting to See Jesus.

The Original Intent

3) What does John mean by “denying the Father and the Son”? (verses 22-23)

Satan isn’t the only one who is called a liar in this passage. Anyone who does not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, fully God and fully man and that He perfectly revealed the Father to us is a liar. (Guzik) You can believe in God and even believe in Jesus, the Christ, but if you deny His Godship, you are a liar. Guzik says, “We can deny Jesus while praising Him with our words; we can deny Him by offering a substitute Jesus or ministering in a manner that denies the character of Jesus.”

We often hear people state that we all have the same God, we just give Him different names. Perhaps you’ve heard there are different paths to reach Him. The Bible says this isn’t so. Guzik offers this question, “Was your God perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ?” If your God was revealed in Christ, then we have the same God. If your God wasn’t perfectly revealed in Jesus, then we do not have the same God.

Guzik also states, “There are many people who seem rather spiritual or religious yet reject Jesus Christ.” While they may seem moral, it will not help when they stand before God because they are rejecting him. They have believed in a false Christ.

The Everyday Application

3) What does John mean by “denying the Father and the Son”? (verses 22-23)

I often worry I might deny Christ when my life depends on it. I’m concerned especially in today’s culture with mass shootings in churches and imprisonment for those who stand up for their faith. I have prayed often about this fear.

Then I am reminded that the power of the Holy Spirit will show up when we need Him. Isaiah declared from God, “And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand.” (Isaiah 51:16 NLT) Luke records Jesus, “For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.” (Luke 12:11-12)

Perhaps you have heard the story from Corrie ten Boom of her father when she worried about denying Christ. He stated, “When I send you on the train to go somewhere, do I give you the ticket a month ahead of time, or do I give you the ticket as you get on the train?” God will give us what we need when the train of suffering and death arrives at the station. This was very helpful to her, because she felt that was what 1 Peter 4:14 said.” (Gun to Your Head, Will You Deny Christ? | Desiring God)

God doesn’t give us all the power at once; He provides as we need it. As I read 1 Peter, I was impressed by the final verse of chapter 4, “So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.”

Ann Graham Lotz says we must be “Be pre-prayered”. A crisis leaves no time to learn how to pray. It leaves. No time. Period. A crisis erupts without warning! We must always be praying and preparing our hearts for crisis. I love reading Ann’s prayers! Consider her pre-prayer for the decade from 2020: Preprayered for the New Year…and Beyond.

Tags :
confidence,discipline,forgiveness,hope,prayer,Sin,training
Share This :

Recent Journeys

Confidence Day 11
Journey Study

Where do we find this transformative anointing resulting in confident faith? Don’t we each yearn for such confident knowing, unshaken by lies or deceit? Don’t we ache for our loved ones to be deeply rooted in confident truth?

Perhaps we have seen, touched, and heard the truth, but how does transformation leading to confidence happen? It is through belief in the Word by faith.
Join The Journey!

Can We Pray With You?

Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

This Week's Lock Screen
Explore This Journey Theme!
April 17 - May 5, 2023 - Journey Theme #117

Join a GT POD!

Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!

Join the GT Facebook Community!
Free Registration!
Share Your Story!

Champion Day 15 He’s The Hero

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 5:1-11
Luke 6:12-16
John 18:16-27
John 21:15-19
1 Peter 2:1-17

Champion, Day 15

For as long as I can remember, my husband has contended the fictional comic book character Batman is the only plausible superhero. When asked why, he will happily explain: unlike other illustrated literary superheroes, Batman doesn’t have any special powers or alien origins.

Immeasurable wealth and influence? Sure.
Mad ninja skills and physical prowess? Check.
Insanely cool superhero lair and technological marvels to help him fight crime? Yup.

But aside from the seemingly endless supply of money and inner torment,
Batman is basically just a regular guy with excellent resources. 

This might seem an unusual way to introduce a journey with Peter, but stay with me.

When we study the radical accounts of miracles God performed through Peter, it’s easy to see him as a spiritual giant.

He boldly exhorted those in Jerusalem following the Holy Spirit’s outpouring on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36).
He miraculously healed (Acts 3:6-8),
raised the dead to life (Acts 9:38-43),
was the first to witness the unveiling of God’s complete plan of salvation for all people (Acts 10:9-33),
was imprisoned for his faith and proclaiming the gospel (Acts 4:1-4),
was freed from jail. by angels (Acts 12:6-19),
and people were healed simply by his very shadow (Acts 5:12-16).

With a resume like that, anyone would assume Peter was basically a Biblical beast. In a way, he was, but if we only examine the miracles and remarkable eternal impact of Peter’s life, without acknowledging Peter’s colorful humanity and frailty, we miss the best things about Peter’s story.

Just like the overarching account of Scripture and every vignette therein, Peter’s story points to God, His plan for salvation through Jesus Christ, and the redemption He alone brings.

Peter was a man of humble beginnings. His work was essential to the economy, but could hardly be considered illustrious. Brash and outspoken, Peter was impulsive, rough around the edges, and often ruled by his emotions.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on water, they were frightened. (Matthew 14:22-33) Jesus comforted them; when He was tested by an impulsive Peter, Jesus invited him to step onto the waves. Peter initially fared well, but became afraid and began sinking.

Peter failed. 

When Jesus told His disciples He would be killed, and raised to life on the third day, Peter “caught feelings” and again tested Jesus, rejecting what He said outright. (Matthew 16:21-22)

Again, Peter failed. 

When Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter was overcome by his emotions, drew his sword, and cut off a man’s ear. (John 18:1-11)

Jesus also prophesied Peter would deny Him three times. Vehemently, Peter objected and declared he would never. When Jesus’ words came to pass and he heard the rooster crow, Peter was broken. (John 18:16-27)

Failure.
Again.

It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it?
Separated from the Messiah, Peter carried the weight of his personal betrayal of the Master he loved while Jesus was persecuted, crucified, and buried. Even after He was resurrected to life three days later, Peter’s actions undoubtedly haunted him.

Time and again, Peter messed up,
and doubted,
and hurt others,
and didn’t believe Jesus,
and argued with the very Son of God,
and failed.

Over, and over, and over.

Oh Peter. I can relate. On every. single. count. 

But then.

“When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ [Peter] said to him, ‘you know that I love you.’

‘Feed my lambs,’ [Jesus] told him.”
(John 21:15)

Three times, Peter had denied Jesus.
Three times, resurrected Jesus asks this question and commissions Peter, restoring him to full relationship and ministry.

Herein lies the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the trajectory of salvation!

Peter wasn’t enough. Yet, Jesus called him.
Peter failed, many times. Yet, Jesus disciplined him in love.
Peter denied Jesus. Yet, Jesus died for him.
After all that, Jesus offered him redemption, commissioned him, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, transformed Peter to be a living demonstration of the work of the Gospel. 

The most important part of Peter’s story is that
he
wasn’t
enough.

In fact, Peter was basically just a regular guy, with excellent (read: supernatural) resources.

When we look at the accounts we see in Scripture and compare ourselves to the people we read there, we miss the point completely. Throughout all of Scripture, no one was ever enough, except Jesus Christ.

When faced with that reality, Peter put his faith in Jesus. He allowed himself to be transformed completely. Because of that surrender, the Holy Spirit was freed to work through him.

Beloved, the truth is, we aren’t enough, either.

If we were, then we would actually BE God.
We wouldn’t need salvation, because we wouldn’t sin.
We wouldn’t need sanctification, because we would already be completely holy. 

Just as He saw Peter, Jesus sees us as we really are, in all our frailty and failure and not enough. Because He IS enough, He transforms us into a new creation! Praise be to God!

Jesus, thank You for being enough, for filling every gap and showing Your strength in my weakness. Teach me to walk in Your ways and help me to remember that You are the real Champion in all of Scripture, and in my life.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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 Champion Week Three! 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 Champion!

The GT Weekend! ~ Training Week 2

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) I find that being still is difficult. To me, stillness has the appearance of lazy idleness. When I want to be lazy, it’s easy to be still. When I purposely set aside time to be still and seek the Lord in the quiet, my mind naturally races. The enemy of our souls leverages our easily-distracted-from-God sin nature to draw us away from sitting silently in God’s presence. As Kaitlyn reminded us, being still doesn’t mean emptying our minds. Rather, biblical meditation involves resting in God’s presence. I have a few friends who enjoy walking prayer labyrinths. It keeps them moving forward without the distraction of navigating where they are going. A prayer labyrinth provides a simple path without obstacle for feet, so one’s mind and heart can focus more deeply on prayer and Scripture meditation. Practicing stillness in prayer is important because we become so busy talking to and lamenting to God with our litany of requests we fail to shut off the noise and listen instead. How will you practice biblical meditation this weekend? Try finding a local trail to meander and pray. If weather keeps you inside, light a candle and find a dark place where you can sit and focus on the light while repeating truths about God.

2) Our sin-nature, if not consistently surrendered before the Lord Jesus, will rule over us. (Romans 6:12-14) As people who have been forgiven and turned away from our sin, we are called to offer the whole of our lives to God through the power of His Spirit in us. Often overlooked, but absolutely non-negotiable for a life that brings glory to God, is our willingness to live within biblical community. We were handcrafted by the Triune God to live together in humble unity with other brothers and sisters who have also been forgiven and have the Spirit living within them. Do you belong to a local church? Are you committed to seeing her flourish in your city and reach others with the hope and freedom offered in Jesus? Do you serve alongside other Christians in your church? Reflect on your prayer life and evaluate how frequently you commit dedicated time to interceding for other believers. Take time this weekend to connect with a believing friend and plan time to share coffee or a meal together, then spend the time sharing how God is teaching you and shaping your heart. This rich encouragement of sharing authentic life together is how we build community within Christ’s Body, His Church.

3) I found Sarah’s Journey Study to be a bit quite convicting as the Holy Spirit shone His truth on my heart from Scripture! Consistent Bible-reading and study can seem daunting, but we must remember that the enemy would like nothing better than to derail us in our relationship with Christ by shifting our focus from His Truth. Scripture study is absolutely essential for our spiritual wellbeing. Proverbs 4:20-22 instructs us to heed God’s Word with focused intentionality and purpose. Paul exhorts us to train our minds to meditate on whatsoever is true, honorable, just, and the like! (Philippians 4:8-9) Take up Paul’s challenge this weekend and use his list of wholly good things as the focus point for your thought life. This requires disciplined training! Look up those two verses in Philippians and ponder their meaning for your everyday life. Sometimes, I find myself quick to keep Scripture foremost in my mind, while in other seasons, my lack of disciplined training exposes my eager distraction to focus on what isn’t good, pure or truthful. These seasons consistently produce worry and anxiety. How I respond to life circumstances is directly related to my willingness to practice the discipline of feasting on Scripture!

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 2 Timothy 3:14-17 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Prayer Journal
Lord, forgive me, create in me a clean heart. (Psalm 51:10) I have become distracted with all the busy of life and closed off my time from You. You desire a deep relationship with me, but I’ve neglected time spent with You by reading and studying Your Word. I confess the times I have only studied your Word when I’ve prepared to teach or write instead of as my guide in all of life. I have neglected to come before You with nothing on my agenda except to listen to You. I know You hold the richest of all joys, stir up in me the desire to be fully present with You in worship and prayer. I know from experience there is nothing as sweetly tender and full of awe as basking in Your presence as Joshua did in the Tent of Meeting. (Exodus 33:11) Teach me to silence my “runaway train” thoughts, my worries, constant to-do list, so I will clearly hear Your still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship IX Day 4 Trust & Obedience: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out 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!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Relentless Week 1

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Sometimes reading the Bible is hard, Amen?! All those stories in the Old Testament can leave a picture of a ruthless God full of anger and spite if we read the stories through our own lenses of our own culture and time. In what ways do you wrestle with how the Bible depicts God? At what points would you agree or disagree that the Bible is written about humanity rather than written to you as an individual? How does that belief color the way you read and understand both the Bible and God? If God is relentless in His pursuit of you just as He was for Israel, what rises up inside you to push against that? Why?

2)  What does it take for you to trust the Lord’s instruction and obey with a whole heart? Some obediences are easier than others, right? Take a minute to journal briefly about those things you’ve learned to obey quickly and habitually in. Can you identify some sore spots where you struggle in following? Where do you pull back from following through and why do you think you do? Consider whether this willingness to go forward in following is tied to how you view God or how much you’re willing to trust Him. Be honest before the Lord of your hear; He is always present to hear you!

3) Take a few minutes to journal through how you view the relationship between love and discipline. What qualities do you see as being necessary components of a relationship for discipline to be effective? Do you see those same qualities in your relationship with the Lord? When has the Lord lovingly disciplined you to bring you deeper into a relationship with Him? What has He strategically removed from your life in order for you to more clearly see Him and His love for you? Is there something currently receiving more love, affection, and focus than the Lord?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 46:7-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah
Come, see the works of the Lord…

Prayer Journal
You are the With Us God. The ever-present Help. The always-able Almighty. Ever listening to our cries, You love us without end, pursuing our hearts to know You in more beautiful ways. Lord, God, hold my face, tip it up to You, and let me see Your radiant glory. Just a glimpse of Your majesty transforms and renews!
And as You do, make my heart overflow with urgency to invite all, “Come! See the works of the Lord my great and mighty God who loves to love!” Declare Your goodness through me, Lord, as You keep drawing me close. Tell Your story as you fight for me!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Relentless Day 5 A Blessing Removed

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:1-7
Psalm 46
Matthew 5:1-12
Genesis 2
Genesis 3

Relentless, Day 5

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,
and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel… (Judges 6:1-2)

Israel had been brought into the Promised Land. The place of refuge and bounty promised for centuries to Israel as their inheritance from the Lord.
Yet, here they were, oppressed by their enemies and starving for food.
Enemies they had been told would be given into their hand.

Once they had enjoyed abundance, now they lived in fear, and turned over whatever meager food they managed to grow to their oppressors.
But wasn’t this the Promised Land?
Where was the Promise?

What they, (and if we’re honest…we…) missed was the blessing.
Abundance. Wealth. Plenty of food. Fine houses. Peace from their enemies.
These were not the blessing.
But Israel had her eyes set on the gift rather than the giver.

Adam & Eve had it all.
A luxurious garden, perfect happiness, meaningful work, and satisfying relationships.
All without……
stress or conflict or hurt feelings or anger or brokenness.

But their exit scene consisted of flaming swords waving back and forth by two militant angels, preventing any future return and signaling a permanent, irreparable rift between Adam and Eve and……happiness.

Ever since the Garden drama, we (as in, all of humanity) have been busily attempting to recover this deeply tragic loss of happiness.

Peace.
Health.
Plenty of money.
Deep, meaningful friendships.
Lasting marriages.
Satisfying relationships.
Laughter.
Significance in work.
Being valued.
Having purpose.
Happiness

Why don’t we experience it in ongoing, continuous fashion?
Why is happiness so elusive?
Why does emptiness set in so quickly?
Where’s the Promised Land?
Why the flaming swords barring our return?
Doesn’t God want us to be happy?

Instead of fullness and rich satisfaction, we experience sibling rivalry, an unfaithful spouse, news of tragic death, depression, mental illness, destructive weather patterns, and deadly disease.

If we were made to deeply enjoy as Adam and Eve once did,
why would God remove the blessing?

Because the blessing is found only in one root: the triune God Almighty.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed the pleasures around them
because they were already enjoying the greatest Pleasure: God Himself.

Flaming swords blocked the re-entry to happiness because God was honoring our choice to look beyond Himself for total delight.

He knew we wouldn’t find it.
He knew we would be replacing sheer pleasure with utter brokenness.
But because He loves us well, He allowed us to choose.
And we chose us.

BUT HE CHOSE US

So He pursued, right beside us, never forsaking, with hand outstretched as we walked through loneliness, painful wounds, tragic loss, endless sadness, weariness, and massive burdens we were never intended to bear. He stayed. He pursued.
While we kept looking for happiness.

As one blessing was removed after another for Israel, the Lord kept whittling down the pleasures they could see with their eyes and experience with their flesh, in order for them to finally see what they had been missing all along: God Almighty.

The Lord ached handing over Israel to their enemies.
The Lord grieved in sending Adam and Eve from the Garden.
The Lord mourned as He watched His beloved ones choose lesser loves again and again and yet again.

And His heart breaks when we do the same….
A baby to help fix our marriage.
An abortion to help fix my life.
Extra hours to help my bank account.
Another job to give my kids more gifts.
More food to fill my cravings.

Another cut in my flesh to make me feel something, anything.
More time at the gym as I obsess over my body.
More of this, more of that, and the chase for happiness continues
without ever quite grasping it.

All the while, True Delight is waiting for our eyes to adjust and finally see Him as He is:
The Blessing

There exists nothing beyond God Himself that will satisfy.
No riches.
No house.
No well-manicured lawn.
No perfectly shaped body.
No precious child.
No loving spouse.
No thing.
No one.
None is better or fuller or richer or deeper than God Almighty Himself.

We read Judges and we see Israel’s punishment.
We see a blessing removed.
We see a promise withheld.
But what we miss is the God who wanted Israel to see that HE was the blessed gift.

Look around, lovely friend.
See those blessings removed?
See that emptiness lying there?
See the frustration that grates against your soul?
See the wounds which tear your heart?
Yes, yes, we see those.
But do you see the truest Gift who waits for your return?

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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 Relentless 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 Relentless!

Dwell Day 13 Quiet What?!

4 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Dwell, Day 13

Matthew 14:13-33
Matthew 6:5-8 
Psalm 91
Mark 1:35-38

“The Lord knows everything anyways, why should I sit and talk to Him? Who has time to sit?!”

“I want to pray. Really, really pray with deep connection. How, Lord?”

“This is just a busy season; God knows I can’t stop to read my Bible.”

“I listen to Christian music when I drive around. That’s my quiet time.”

“I pray when I can.”

“I don’t want to be legalistic about quiet time.”

“There is no such thing as ‘quiet’ time anyways.”

Sisters, all of these quotes are mine.
Uttered from my own lips, multiple times.
Sometimes only to the ear of God.
Other times when I felt I was actually encouraging another sister!
But there is no encouragement in those words.
Those words reflect a lack of relationship,
attempting to hide behind a makeshift smoke screen of justification.

Consider…
“True transformation cannot happen apart from the regular intake of Scripture.”
Tim Overby, pastor

“Take in the Word of God daily. No Christian is sound who is not scriptural.”
E. Stanley Jones, missionary to India

A spiritual life without spiritual discipline is impossible.”
Henri Nouwen, professor and Christian psychologist

“Prayer is friendship with God. Friendship is not formal, but it is not formless; (…) the casual mind kills it.” George Buttrick, pastor

“There is no Christian who does not have time for praying without ceasing.”
Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation

Sisters! Wow!
I dare you to read those quotes again and remain unchallenged.

I’ve been following Jesus for nearly 30 years, and I’ve always talked about the importance of quiet time,
but I’ve always had justifications handy for when I couldn’t be consistent.
Growing up legalistic, I pushed hard against the mindset that I needed to obey the “rule” of doing quiet time “every day”.

And I had a slew of justifications that fit that mindset beautifully.
Mom of 7.
Endless dishes.
Laundry all the time.
Full time home educator.
Pregnant and/or nursing for about 170 months (yikes!).
Church commitments.
And it’s seriously never quiet!

But then, keeping it completely real here,
my life became too broken for me to continue relying on smoke screen justifications.
I. Needed. Jesus.

I needed more than a worship experience on Sunday.
More than verses I memorized as a kid.
More than a few sporadic moments stolen when I could.
More than living on the fumes of my “come to faith experience”.
More than reading to read.
I needed depth.
I needed relationship.
I needed the everyday Jesus.

My marriage was broken, I felt alone, and I had nowhere else to turn.
In this desperation, the Holy Spirit met me in my mundane.
In the middle of the everyday task of brushing children’s teeth, it struck me that no one considers daily oral hygiene to be legalism.
In the same vein, no one would say an exercise routine was legalistic.
None would consider practicing an instrument legalism either.
These practices are simply a diligent, necessary discipline.

With this clarifying realization, I drew a line in the sand and committed to praying for my husband every day, reading Scripture, and journaling those prayers for him.
I was done with my excuses.
I determined that if God was serious about meeting with me, then I would be serious about showing up.
Everyday.
Noisy or quiet.
Crying kids or happily playing ones.
Kids climbing all over me, or my door locked and kids sitting on the other side of it.
Late to my day or starting on time.
I was finished with smoke screen defenses.

I need to tell you it was awkward; painfully so.
And it was never convenient.
I didn’t know what to write. My prayers were monotonous and….lame (in my opinion).
I didn’t know how to do it “right”, but I kept praying and kept showing up, awkward, but honest.

I can’t tell you about an “ah ha” moment when Jesus became everything to me.
I can’t point to a date in my teal journal where an obvious shift transformed my prayer life.
But I can tell you that what happened was genuine, real, and authentic.
Eventually, the space where I met with the King of Kings became sacred.

As quiet time became non-negotiable,
consistently sitting with the Lord
became as necessary to my everyday life
as food to my body.
I felt physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally weak without that intake of Scripture and prayerful communication.

I began showing up everyday to meet with God out of desperation for my marriage,
but it was me God changed in the process.

It began simple and awkward,
but grew to become beautiful, fluid, complex, deep, and sweet.

Was choosing to be consistent in my quiet time an act of legalism?
Sisters, it was the farthest you can get from legalism!
Aside from my decision to ask Jesus to be my Savior,
even above choosing to marry my husband,
this decision is the best one I’ve made. Ever.

If quiet time feels impossible.
Or superfluous, extra, and un-needed.
Think again.
There is absolutely nothing this life can offer me that is more precious than this time I spend daily with Jesus.

Pastor Tim’s quote is solidly true:
“True transformation cannot happen apart from the regular intake of Scripture.”

He’s right, my friends.
Are you ready to sit with the Savior?!
Radical, deep, life-giving transformation awaits!

**Ready to go deep and be challenged in your quiet time?
Check out Thomas Kelly’s Testament of Devotion!
I also highly recommend Devotional Classics, compiled by Richard Foster.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Dwell Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Dwell Day 5 Building Altars

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 28:10-19
Habakkuk 2:2-5
Psalm 94:16-23
Joshua 4
Psalm 139

Dwell, Day 5

Life can be difficult, exciting, scary, or down right turbulent.
We get so caught up in what’s going on around us we forget
to give God glory or even look for His hand.

Our tendency to forget isn’t a secret to God.
And so, He invites us to build altars.

Genesis 28:10-19 tells of Jacob and his dream. Jacob was twin to Esau and son to Isaac, who was Abraham’s son of promise. Through Isaac, God promised Abraham he would become the father of many nations, ultimately having lineage leading to Jesus Christ Himself. Jacob was a Hebrew, which meant he was offspring of Abraham and set apart for God.

Esau, with a chip on his shoulder for his dad, Isaac’s, faith in the God of Abraham and a desire for lucrative women, decided to marry outside the Hebrew faith. Eventually, Esau’s lifestyle choices led him away from the Lord God as he worshipped false gods.

Isaac, seeing Esau’s choice, warned Jacob to marry a Hebrew woman, who believed as Isaac did. Jacob obeyed and began traveling back to Haran, which was Grandfather Abraham’s homeland. As Jacob stopped for rest during his travels, he was given a dream by God, wherein God renewed the Promise of Inheritance He had given to Abraham and Isaac.
God said, “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14)
It was in incredible encounter with the Living God!

Jacob awoke and incredulously declared,
“Surely the Lord is in this place!”
As a reminder of God’s promise and his encounter, Jacob set up an altar where he had dreamed.

Jacob’s altar reminded him of truth, despite what circumstances might say.
The altar was a testimony of what God had said and done in his life.

We might not go around setting up rock towers and anointing them with oil as Jacob did (Genesis 28:18), but we can create similar spiritual memorials through journaling.

Transparently, I’ve been in a season where the enemy is continually planting doubt in my mind.
“Are you sure God said that? Or was that just your feelings?”.
One way I battle these lies is with my prayer journal.

As I pray, sharing my thoughts with God and writing how God responds,
my altar to the Lord is built. When the Enemy lies, I go back to my documented prayers to clearly see my testimony of God’s truth.

Why is writing an important battle plan against the enemy?
The Lord has always especially used the written word to make Himself known,
even Jesus was first introduced in John’s gospel as “the Word made flesh.” (John 1:14)

As Habakkuk, one of many prophetic books, exemplifies by recording the Lord as saying,
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets…” (Habakkuk 2:2)

We are told to plainly write how the Lord moves and acts.
Not only for ourselves, but also that others might know Him!

Centuries after Jacob, his dream, and his altar, Joshua was leading the Israelites (Hebrews) into Canaan, the land God had promised through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In order to cross into the land, they had to go through the furiously fast flowing River Jordan. Like He had done before with Moses, God parted the waters and all of Israel crossed over on dry land.

Then Joshua records something unique as he commands 12 stones to be brought from the Jordan and built as a memorial altar before the Lord.
Why?
Joshua answers wisely, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come,
‘What do these stones mean?’
then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ (…)
so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty….” (Joshua 4:21-24)

A memorial was made.
An altar was built.
That all might know the Lord.

Journaling is that practice of building altars, it’s our memorial for what the Lord as done and how He has spoken truth over us.

The greatest “journal” of the Bible is the book of psalms, which overflows with memorial altars. Here, the psalmists carefully recorded various circumstances and God’s faithful, solid true response to their hearts. As a result, the world reaps the benefit of seeing how a life centered on God is unshakeable despite rocky circumstances. Their “journaling” allowed the name of the Lord to be made known!

Journaling allows us to trace the places He has taken us,
the prayers He has answered,
and the tangible way He loves us.
It has built my trust in Him and it can build yours as well.

A worship chorus by Elevation Worship says,
I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again.

How can we trust He will do it again
if we don’t have the reminder that He has done it before?

Journaling can be challenging at first, because sometimes you have no idea what to write, but there are easy ways to start.

A Journible is a great tool for journaling. In these unique books, you become the scribe, recording the very words of Scripture. Then, with simple prompts, you’re encouraged to respond with your heart, engaging in conversation with the Almighty.

If you enjoy using technology over pen and paper, Journey is a great resource that allows for online journaling.

Whatever method you choose, don’t miss out on the opportunity to build an altar and declare God’s faithfulness!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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 Dwell 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 Dwell!