discouraged

Wilderness Day 11 Lost, Alone, Forgotten

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 37:1-11
Genesis 39:21-23
Genesis 50:21-23
Psalm 94:17-19
Matthew 28:16-20

Wilderness, Day 11

Lost, alone, and forgotten.
Discouraged, hurt, and betrayed.
We all experience these along our journeys.

These feelings were all too familiar to another wilderness wanderer, Joseph. Great-grandson of the Hebrew patriarch, Abraham, Joseph was one of 12 sons. More specifically, Joseph was his father’s favorite son, a fact which did little to endear him to his brothers.

Joseph was further divided against his brothers by his special gift of dreams.
Dreams centering on his older brothers, and even parents, serving him. (Genesis 37:1-11) Dreams he enthusiastically shared with his family, without forethought, wisdom, or humility. You see, Joseph wasn’t perfect. Today, we would call him immature or even a brat. Finally, the family dysfunction reached a point where, embittered with hatred against Joseph, his brothers sold him as a slave. (Genesis 37:12-36)

Purchased by a rich Egyptian, Joseph was betrayed, alone, and forgotten. I’m sure Joseph wondered, “Why?” Why the dreams? Why the hatred? Why the pain? Similarly, when we are in our own wilderness, we may ask God, “Why?”

Sometimes, there may be an obvious answer, and we can use that understanding to help us learn, or navigate our way through the trial.

Other times, however, our “why”s are met with silence.
Wrestling with the unknown becomes a part of our wilderness story.

For Joseph, no clear answer was forthcoming.
Yet he continued to cling to God.

In Egypt, “The Lord was with Joseph [. . . and] Joseph found favor with his master.” (Genesis 39:2-4) Unfortunately, this same master would ultimately imprison Joseph for a crime he didn’t commit. (Genesis 39:3-20)

Even in prison, “the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden” (Genesis 39:21), and soon, all prisoners were under Joseph’s authority. Still, this wasn’t enough to earn his release; he was trapped, with no way out.

Ironically, the same supernatural gift that first thrust Joseph into the wilderness would be the means of his freedom. While in prison, a series of God-empowered dream interpretations took Joseph from the lowest position in Egypt to second-in-command. (Genesis 40, 41) In his new role, Joseph was tasked with storing enough crops to feed the entire country during a subsequent famine. (Genesis 41:46-57)

The famine was the final step in the fulfillment of Joseph’s boyhood dreams, as his brothers found themselves bowing before him with requests for food to sustain their families. (Genesis 42:5-6)

In this moment, possessing all the power to exact revenge and presented with the perfect opportunity to wield it, we see the work of wilderness time in Joseph’s heart.

He extended forgiveness to his family.

“But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result–the salvation of many people. Therefore, don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.’ And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:19-21)

At last, Joseph understood the answer to all the “why”s.

Why the dreams?
Why the slavery?
Why the prison?
So Joseph would be in the right place, at the appointed time. God crafted every step to position Joseph in Egypt, at the palace, before the famine, to save many lives.

The nice thing about Joseph’s story is we already know the ending. But, when Joseph was bound to other slaves, stumbling through desert sands on the way to Egypt, he didn’t understand what was happening, or why. He was deep in the wilderness of the unknown.

Our future is unknown to us. We will have wilderness seasons like Joseph. We may not be sold into slavery or tossed in prison, but we will feel lost, alone, and forgotten.
Yet Joseph’s story reminds us God has not forgotten us.

Psalm 94:17-19 declares God’s love is unfailing and He brings us joy. Our circumstances do not define us. We are God’s, and He has not left us alone.

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus concludes the Great Commission by promising, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We may feel left alone in this world by those around us, but the Lord is always with us.

We are not lost; He is leading us.
We are not alone; He is with us.
We are not forgotten; He is working in us and through us.

Wilderness Wanderer, though we may not understand all the “why”s right now, we can hear Joseph’s heart echo across the generations . . . cling to faith . . . find joy . . . embrace hope . . . for God is with us, and He is working out His plan. Even in the wilderness.

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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 Wilderness 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 Wilderness!

Justice Day 3 Poor and Hopeless?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Proverbs 31:8-9
Psalm 113:5-8
Luke 6:20-21  

I currently live in one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia. Everywhere you look, land that used to stretch for miles, has been plowed to make room for more and more housing developments. You would think with all of the building and families relocating to our area it would mean that we live in a fairly wealthy place, and while that may be true to a certain degree, if you drive just a few minutes from my apartment you’ll enter a completely different world.

One where an entire family lives in a 600sq ft home with nothing but a pallet on the floor for all the children and five radishes in the fridge. You’d see children who rely on breakfast and lunch at school and starve in the summertime. You’d see eyes of sadness, as they search for someone to help them, and no one will look up to see the need right before them.

These precious sons and daughters of God are in my backyard, and I am so guilty of driving right by without stopping. Poverty isn’t just found in third world countries, it surrounds us every day.

A few months ago, I messaged one of my dearest friends, Anna, whom I met on my first trip to Kenya, seven years ago. Anna, and her husband Ryan, are co-founders of the non-profit organization, One Heart Africa, and have lived on a farm in Swaziland for the last three years. Anna sees poverty every day, so I asked her a simple question: help me see what you see.
Here’s what she said….

I know this isn’t the most graceful way to say this, but… poverty sucks.
I see families ripped apart as one parent leaves to find work elsewhere and never returns.
I see poverty play a role in the spread of treatable and/or preventable illnesses like HIV, parasites, ringworm, malnutrition, and malaria just to name a few.
I see bright young men and women full of hope and potential dropping out of high school because they can no longer afford the $300-ish for school fees.
I am constantly followed in the grocery store by kids and adults who ask me if I can buy their groceries.
I despise feeling guilty when I don’t.

But, most of all, I hate how poverty completely alters the brains of those who have experienced it.

I think the best illustration of this kind of “re-wiring” is the little girl and boy who live on the farm with us. They are seven and five, and grew up in an informal settlement (kind of like a slum area) where their parents struggled to keep work and life was anything but stable.  

Now, both of their parents have dependable employment on the farm, they have safe housing, steady meals, and are deeply loved, protected, and cared for. But, every time they see food, they inhale it. If there’s any left over, they stick it in their pockets to save for later. We often find them using things that we’ve thrown away (like paper and plastic food packaging). The kids make toys out of bottle caps and coke cans despite having been gifted toys. Building trust is hard, making plans is hard, teaching budgeting is hard.

Poverty teaches the brain to only do what needs to be done to survive. 

I’ve given away meals, clothes, school supplies and medicine.
I’ve seen people living in trash dumps, tents, huts, and shacks made of scrap. But, after all of that, this is the conclusion I’ve come to:
being physically poor is not the worst thing that a person can be.

Penniless is one thing.
Hopeless is another.

There are plenty of people I know who lack “things” and yet, God takes care of them. It’s such a beautiful picture of trust and provision.
In fact, Jesus blesses the poor!

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours in the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.” (Luke 6:20-21)

But, being poor and hopeless?
That’s a problem.
So, that’s our job—to bless those who we would consider to be less fortunate or have less than ourselves through much more than tangible gifts, but with the eternal HOPE.
Sometimes that blessing DOES look like meeting the physical need of another person, right then and there.

We MUST realize that “blessing someone” is not just giving away stuff.
It also looks like sitting down, listening to their struggles, making plans, searching for opportunity, sharing hope, confronting the ugly stuff, crying, humbling ourselves, asking for forgiveness, and praying. A lot.  

So today, my sweet sister, what needs could you meet for someone?
Not just the physical needs, but the spiritual and emotional needs too.
Do you have a local mission you could partner with to be the hands and feet of Jesus?
Do you have someone in mind that could use the extra baby clothes you have stored away?
How is God moving in you to love the impoverished today?

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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 Justice Week One! 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 Justice!

Battle Day 2 Beyond Comfort: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
Check out Beyond Comfort!

2 Corinthians 1:3-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

The Questions

1) According to these verses, when do Christians find comfort?

2) What purposes do our suffering and afflictions bring according to these verses?

3) Why would Paul want to be sure that the Corinthians were aware of the suffering he endured in Asia (v. 8)?

4) What does verse 11 tell us about how we can help those who are suffering?

The Findings for Intention

1) According to these verses, when do Christians find comfort?
It’s important to note in this passage that comfort is given as a result of experiencing affliction.  The comfort that Paul is talking about is not “being comfortable,” or the absence of trouble.  Rather, this comfort is given by God when we face suffering.

2) What purposes do our suffering and afflictions bring according to these verses?
Verse 6 clearly says that one reason we are afflicted is so we can comfort others in their affliction.  Verse 9 states that Paul and others were afflicted so that they would rely on God.  And verse 5 says that when we suffer, we share in Christ’s sufferings.

3) Why would Paul want to be sure that the Corinthians were aware of the suffering he endured in Asia (v. 8)?
Paul is trying to communicate the faithfulness of God to comfort us in our afflictions.  Paul himself had endured many great sufferings, yet he had experienced deliverance.  This experience was a testimony worth proclaiming to the Corinthian church, and emphasized his point that God gives us what we need to endure the afflictions that come our way. Paul was sharing his story to point others to God’s faithfulness!

4) What does verse 11 tell us about how we can help those who are suffering?
Paul commands the Corinthian believers to help them by prayer, and states that blessings are granted to them through people’s prayers.  Praying for those who are suffering and afflicted helps them to patiently endure, and this endurance causes others to thank God.

The Everyday Application

1) According to these verses, when do Christians find comfort?
The Christian life is full of comfort—but it is not comfortable.  God promises us trouble in this world, but He also promises to be our Comforter.  Am I seeking a comfortable life?  Or am I selflessly following Christ, accepting the trials that come with it, knowing that God and His church will comfort me?

2) What purposes for our suffering and afflictions are given in these verses?
Although we may not see purpose in our suffering, it is not wasted.  God is working in us to achieve His purposes for His glory, and not a drop of our tears are in vain.  Cling to this truth, sisters, when you are tempted to despair!

3) Why would Paul want to be sure that the Corinthians were aware of the suffering he endured in Asia (v. 8)?
There is a time to speak of your suffering, that by proclaiming God’s faithfulness you can encourage a believer who is struggling.  Is there someone you know who is fighting a battle?  Can your testimony encourage her?  Make plans to write a letter or make a coffee date to share how God has comforted you. Or consider, sharing your story through Faces of Grace!

4) What does verse 11 tell us about how we can help those who are suffering?
Prayer is our weapon in spiritual battle.  Even a spiritual giant like Paul recognized that the blessings his ministry experienced were due in part to the faithful prayers of the saints.  Commit to spending time each day praying for those who are afflicted, that they might be strengthened, and might experience God’s comfort.

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Battle Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Battle!