Faithfully

Wilderness Day 15 Wilderness Faith

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 1:1-4
Acts 1:12-14
Deuteronomy 8:2-10
Isaiah 53:4-6
Matthew 8

Wilderness, Day 15

Wilderness experiences often leave us feeling far from God.
Yet God is with us and at work in our midst.
He faithfully provides, leads, and humbles us as He reveals our hearts, all while moving us forward toward the fulfillment of His promise to finish His work. (Deuteronomy 8:2-10)

Wilderness waiting doesn’t mean inactivity or wasted time. As we see in the lives of Jesus’ disciples as they awaited the indwelling Holy Spirit, the wilderness teaches us faith, endurance, and dependence on God.

In the forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to His disciples, proving He was truly alive. (Acts 1:3) He told them about the Kingdom of God and instructed them on how to live after He ascended to His heavenly throne.

Jesus’ final words to them centered on the promised Holy Spirit:

“[F]or John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days [. . .] you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses [. . .] to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:5, 8)
Jesus returns to heaven. (Acts 1:9-11)
And the disciples enter the wilderness of waiting.

Wow! Can you imagine the conversation between the disciples on the road home?

Is He coming back?
What should we do now?
They were very dependent on Jesus during His earthly ministry, yet now Jesus expected them to take the Gospel to the entire world without Him! For the disciples, this was a major hurdle for persevering faith, a wilderness moment.

Consider our own circumstances, when ministry doesn’t fit with our expectations of how God would further His kingdom. We, too, can find ourselves staring at the sky, wondering what’s next.

Despite moments of confusion and anxiety, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, as Jesus had commanded. There, they “were continually united in prayer, along with the women[.]” (Acts 1:14)

Imagine the disciples remembering the lessons Jesus had taught them on prayer and worship, humility, faith, and community.

The disciples’ first move, therefore, was prayer, shaped by Jesus’ example. Jesus made prayer a priority in His life, modeling it to His disciples. (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 5:16)

Jesus also described true worship, in a shocking conversation with a derided Samaritan woman. (John 4:21-24) The physical location of worship would no longer be important, He explained, putting to rest a generations-old conflict between ethnic groups. Rather, all believers would “worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23)

Another fundamental lesson Jesus taught was the greatness of those who humbly serve. (Luke 22:24-27) In answering a dispute over which disciple would be most glorified in Heaven, Jesus challenged their thinking.

“On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45)

Jesus continually demonstrated servant leadership and humility. The disciples would need these skills to take the Gospel to the world.

Along with reflecting on Jesus’ teachings, the disciples could use their wilderness time to consider the importance of faith.

The disciples had witnessed Jesus restore abundance of life in miracle after miracle.
A centurion’s servant, healed with a word. (Matthew 8:5-13)
A leper, and the disciple Peter’s mother-in-law, healed with a touch. (Matthew 8:1-4, Matthew 8:14-16)
Spiritual and physical healing, again and again, living fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah’s words, before their eyes, “He himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” (Matthew 8:16-17, Isaiah 53:4)

Yet, in none of these restorations had the disciples’ own lives been at risk.
Until the night a terrible storm arose as Jesus and His disciples were traveling on the sea.
As their boat nearly capsized in the waves, the disciples woke a sleeping Jesus, begging Him for rescue. (Matthew 8:23-27) Jesus calmed the storm, then challenged them to assess their faith.

You see, it’s easy to proclaim faith that God is working in a stranger’s hardship.

The smallness of our faith may not become apparent until the waves surge before our eyes, threatening to sweep the air from our lungs and crush our bones beneath the weight of the sea.

Yet, Jesus calmly reminds, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Faith enables us to rely on God’s strength to overcome any storm or wilderness moments that tear into our lives.

Such faith would be critical for the disciples to carry out Jesus’ final commission. Now in the upper room, before the coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter led them in faith as they waited and prayed.

When the Holy Spirit arrived, Peter, who denied Christ three times only weeks earlier, spoke powerfully about the life and resurrection of Jesus to the masses of Jews who filled Jerusalem. As a result, three thousand people came to faith. (Acts 2)

In the wilderness, we, like the disciples, can learn to prioritize prayer, engage in true worship, humbly serve, and move in the rhythms of faith.
God is faithful, and we can depend on Him, 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!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Wilderness!

Wilderness Day 6 For The Long Haul

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 33:12-23
Deuteronomy 29:1-15
Matthew 26:36-44

Wilderness, Day 6

When we journey to a new place, we don’t plan on traveling for 40 years, encountering hardship after hardship.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened to the people of Israel.
God delivered them from bondage in Egypt (Exodus 13:17-22), and they began their journey to the land He’d promised.
Then they spent 40 years in the wilderness.

Their wilderness wanderings were marked with struggle and pain and sin . . . and by miracle after miracle, if only the people could recognize them.

Their first wilderness encounter with the God Who Saves is at the edge of the Red Sea. (Exodus 14:5-14) Barely out of Egypt, camped between equally insurmountable obstacles of desert and sea, Israel hears the sound of distant thunder. Turning their eyes from the pillar of cloud embodying God’s presence to the horizon, they see Pharaoh’s army swarming toward them. Panic and horror sweep through the camp, and the people swiftly turn against Moses, the man appointed by God to lead Israel.

But God.
Miracle #1- God parts the sea and holds back the waves so Israel could walk to the other side. (Exodus 14:15-22)
Miracle #1.5- As the Egyptian army attempts to cross, the sea crashes back to its original position and their pursuers drown. (Exodus 14:23-28)

Exhilarated by God’s rescue, Israel turns her face to the Promised Land. According to today’s maps, their journey should have only taken 7-10 days.

Even on this relatively short journey, resources and rations were finite and began to dwindle. When we walk in the wilderness, it’s easy to focus on what is lacking (can you relate?), and so the people turned to grumbling.

But God.
Miracle #2 – Even in the wilderness, there are oases, places of rest and refreshment. God led Israel to Marah, a place of water. Though the water was bitter, God miraculously caused it to become sweet. (Exodus 15:22-25)

Miracle #3 – After a brief stop in Marah, Israel set up camp in Elim, which held 12 springs, with the implication that one had been prepared for each of Israel’s tribes. (Exodus 15:27)

How would you have reacted to this bounty of clean, cool, fresh water after being in the wilderness for about six weeks? Sadly, the Israelites don’t see God’s leading. Instead, they focus on what they lack, even in the midst of God’s miraculous provision. They think their former life of bondage would have been better. (Exodus 16:2-3)

Before we judge too harshly, let’s realize we often do the same. When struggling through a wilderness season, it’s easy to imagine the past season as immensely better than the present . . . even if it was a season of bondage.

But God.
Miracle #4 – Though Israel quickly forgot His faithfulness, rescue, and provision, God still saw them and heard their complaints. Daily, He fed them, giving quail in the evening and manna (a wafer-like bread) in the day. (Exodus 16:4-23) Some people wanted more, deciding they didn’t trust God to provide again tomorrow, so they tried to stock up. However, manna was meant for just one day, and the extra spoiled. How often have we missed God’s perfectly timed provisions because we focus on future worry?
For God does indeed still show up, Sisters, even in our barren and desolate seasons.

Israel continues to grumble and complain, leaning on their own understanding and erecting idols (Exodus 32), yet God holds them.
God faithfully led His ungrateful, rebellious children right up to the Promised Land (Canaan), but, overwhelmed with fear of its inhabitants, they refused to enter. (Numbers 14) They chose disobedience over God’s ideas, and it cost them an entire generation.

Thus began the 40-year road trip.
And the story repeats, over and over.
God miraculously provides, protects, and empowers Israel as He leads them through the wilderness, from victory in battle to shoes and clothes that don’t wear out. (Deuteronomy 29:5) Yet, time and again, His faithfulness and provision are quickly forgotten as His people choose sin and self.

Sometimes, we may realize our own wilderness is due, at least in part, to our sin and our choice to follow our way instead of God’s. This realization is always painful. Yet God, in His faithful love, remains with us just as He was with Israel.

While we may not wander in an actual desert, wilderness seasons remain part of our lives. My prayer is to not miss God in the midst of them. And not be so stubborn (yes, even when I am feeling desolate and empty) that my attitude causes me to stay in the wilderness for what seems like a generation.

How should we respond when finding ourselves in the wilderness?

Look for God-moments in the midst of what feels like aimless wandering. He’s active, don’t miss Him!
Focus on intentionally looking for His hand, for He will keep us from falling into despair.
Lean into Scripture, for even Jesus, God Himself made manifest, relied on Scripture in His wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11, Matthew 26:36-44)
Cling to the certain knowledge that Emmanuel, our God-with-us, is present every step of our wilderness, providing for us, rescuing us, and leading us home.

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched IX Week 1

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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) Monday’s Journey ended with this thought about Jesus, “He is everything. He is power, spoken and enacted. He is humility and authority. He is Rescuer and Healer. He is [our] Final Sacrifice and Restorer. He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Peter’s whole life was changed and shaped by this God-Man. Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah until the day of his death. How would it change your life if you really believed, not just with your mind, but also with your heart and actions that Jesus Christ is EVERYTHING you need? He is your rescuer and your healer. He is the Final Sacrifice and Restorer for you. How would you live differently if you fully trusted Him? Write down something in your life that needs to be healed or restored. Maybe it is a broken friendship or familial relationship. Maybe it is a health issue or financial struggle. Commit to praying faithfully and steadfastly for Jesus Christ’s redemptive healing in that area of your life. Acknowledge that healing and restoration, at times, look differently than we expect or take longer than we would like, and watch eagerly for God’s rescuing hand to move in your life.

2) On Wednesday we considered what it must have been like for Peter to count the cost of following Jesus. Peter didn’t have the benefit of knowing the whole story as he followed Jesus. He had to wrestle with questions and partially-revealed wisdom. Even when he thought he had it all figured out, Jesus corrected him in the most stunning way. Maybe Peter thought to himself, “Though it would cost me everything, even my very life and all the pleasures and materials I had once loved, I was to crucify those daily, torturously even, and be left in the wake of the life of Yahweh so I could follow Him freely without any hindrance.” What does it cost you to follow Jesus? What pleasures and desires have you put to death to obey His call on your life? How have you seen Him work in your life as a result of your faithful obedience? Prayerfully write down your story of God’s blessing on your life. Consider sharing your story with another believer, friend, or neighbor. You may even consider stepping out in boldness and sharing your story on social media or in some other public way to declare the goodness of God!

3) It’s hard for us to live in the space of “almost, but not yet.” Whether it’s waiting with excited anticipation or waiting with dread of the unknown, “almost, but not yet” is a place of intensity. Peter experienced the shattered discouragement of attempting to return to a life that no longer “fit” after following Jesus for three years. Fishing wasn’t his thing anymore, but he didn’t know what else to do after Jesus’ crucifixion, and even His resurrection. It wasn’t until Peter was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended back to Heaven, that his “almost, but not yet” was finally over and he moved into purpose and direction. Jesus’ power alive inside of Peter made all the difference, which is equally true for all of us. Consider specific aspects of your life that are caught in frustration. We love to buy into the deception that we can make these better by either ignoring them or manipulating circumstances around to move us forward. God’s word prompts a different response, prayer. (Ephesians 6:18) Just as Peter was empty and struggling until the Spirit of God filled him, take your empty and frustrating places to the Lord in prayerful surrender. Read His word as you pray, asking Him to make you new and bring hope to your spaces of “almost, but not yet.”

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 Galatians 2:20-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.


Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our God, You are greater than we could ever imagine. You are everything we need for life and flourishing. I confess I often lose sight of Your goodness in my times of questioning. Just like Peter, I have a limited view of Your plan. I struggle to see how the great cost to follow You is worth every sacrifice. I forget the power that the Holy Spirit brings into my life, empowering me to trust and to obey. Thank You for Your steadfast love and its newness every morning. Thank You for stooping down and meeting me where I am, and for showing me the goodness of Your ways. I know, despite my own failings, I can find rest for my soul for “[Your] yoke is easy, and [Your] burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) I ask for mercy as I, and the sisters joining with me in prayer, go about our daily lives. May we see Your power on display as You answer prayers and bring healing to the brokenness in our lives. I ask for comfort and strength as we take small steps of steadfast obedience to Your call on our lives. 

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Nations Day 5 Pray For Us

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 7:9-10
Psalm 22:27-28
Matthew 24:3-14
John 17:20-26

Nations, Day 5

Malaysia is a lovely, multiracial, multicultural country. Let me share a little about our beautiful nation, and give you an insider’s glimpse into the challenges we face and the support we need from you, our sisters in Christ!

Our total population of 33 million people is a diverse mix of Malays, Muslims, Chinese, Buddhists, indgenous Bumiputra, and Indians, to name a very few! Christians (including Catholics) make up around 9% of the population.

Many people in Malaysia are religious and believe in deity; this belief is even affirmed by the National Principles of our country!

As the common view of the society is to believe in God, there are not many debates on the existence of God. Instead, the challenge of the multiracial and multicultural society is the people’s embrace of “respect” of different religions and rejection of “exclusivity.” It is difficult to overcome this listener bias when sharing Jesus is the truth and the only way to God.

There is tremendous cultural resistance to accepting Christianity among the different ethnic groups. Upon conversion and confession of faith in Christ, new believers face pressures and persecutions from family and society. For example, a Chinese teenager who accepted Jesus was cast out from his non-believing family because he violated their traditional “filial piety” practices.

Interestingly, while Malaysia has a national language, “Bahasa Malaysia,” ethnic groups have their own dialects and mother tongues, and often prefer using these to worship God and fellowship with others. From Malaysia, a chorus of praise in many languages rises to heaven!

While the churches in Malaysia are faithfully serving the Lord and their surrounding communities, we face many different challenges, and urgently need prayer support.

First, many churches, especially those in the cities, are losing their youth. Despite our national affirmation of belief, many young people do not believe in God. Please pray for our next generations to encounter God and remain strong in their faith.

Second, while indigenous churches are expanding in rural and emerging townships, the sharing of gospel remains challenging due to high resistance from the community.

Our church also joins with other churches and Christian organizations to care for our community, in ways such as having “tuition” (tutoring classes) for poor students, distributing food to needy families, and ministering to children in the “Orang Asli” Home. We also offer financial support to pastors in East Malaysia who are working in the mission fields, as well as supporting the foreign workers/migrant ministries.

Our challenge in these ministries is that although we are allowed to care for the poor in our local community, by law, we are not allowed to share gospel with people across ethnic lines. Even events like carnivals for the children face strong opposition.

Please pray for God to open doors and gospel opportunities in this “hard” land. We believe only the Holy Spirit can move hearts and bring people to Christ. Pray also for believers to be alert to the Spirit’s guidance as we minister.

Did you know approximately half of the Christians in our nation are from East Malaysia, especially from the indigenous Bumiputra (non-Malays)? A majority of them are second- and third-generation Christians, they need to encounter God personally and relationally.

There is also rising Islamic influence in these ethnic groups. We urgently need your prayer support as we defend and guide our next generation of indigenous Bumiputra believers.

Malaysia is an official Islamic country, with Muslims comprising more than 60% of the population. In Malaysia, religious freedom is for all people, except Muslims. As I mentioned earlier, the government forbids sharing of any other faiths to Muslims.

Additionally, anyone born into a Muslim family will automatically join the family’s religion. Marriage to a Muslim results in mandatory conversion to Islam. Finally, because of the law in Malaysia, churches in Malaysia focus mainly on non-Muslim communities. The result of these combined factors means the Muslim population in Malaysia will continue to grow quickly and exert increasing influence, while also remaining far from the hope of Jesus.

Yet we hold tight to the promises of Scripture:

“This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before You, for kingship belongs to the LORD; he rules the nations.” (Psalms 22: 27-28, emphasis mine)

“After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:9-10, emphasis mine) 

We believe these prophecies in the Bible will be fulfilled one day.
All nations, every tribe, people, and language will come to worship God.

We invite you to come alongside and pray for the struggles of Malaysian churches, and our nation!


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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 Nations 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 Nations!