faithfulness Archives - Gracefully Truthful

Reveal Day 5 The Longest Night

December 11, 2020 by Lesley Crawford 9 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Zephaniah 3:18-20
Malachi 4:1-6
Luke 1:26-38
Romans 5:6-8
Revelation 22:6-21

Reveal, Day 5

As I tossed and turned in an unfamiliar bed, it seemed like morning would never come.

I was tired, but sleep eluded me. Away from home for the first time, in a dorm filled with unfamiliar people, in darkness far deeper than I was accustomed to at home, it was impossible to settle.

After lying there, trying to sleep for what felt like hours, I finally grabbed my torch (that’s a flashlight for my American friends) I drew it under the covers so as not to disturb the others, and checked the time only to find, to my dismay, just twenty minutes had passed.

There were still hours to wait until morning . . .

The Israelites faced an even longer night.

Throughout the Old Testament, God promised a Messiah, a Saviour who would come to redeem and restore, who would deal with the problem of sin and provide a way back to closeness with God.

Zephaniah spoke of an end to oppression and shame, a gathering of God’s people who had been scattered, and the restoration of good fortune.

Malachi described a day when wickedness would be dealt with, and assured the people of God’s promise that, “for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4:2)

The promises were amazing . . . but then silence.

And waiting . . .

And still more waiting . . .

. . . Over four hundred years after Malachi’s words at the end of the Old Testament, the Israelites were still waiting for God’s promises to come true. Even worse, there were no more messages from the prophets. It seemed God had gone s i l e n t.

Perhaps this led to questions:

Would God’s promise of a Redeemer ever come true?
Had He forgotten?
Could He really be trusted?

And what about you? What are you waiting for just now?

The fulfilment of a long-held dream?
An answer to prayer?
Resolution in a situation of uncertainty?

Maybe, like the Israelites, you know God’s promises, but you’re struggling to see any evidence of their truth in your current situation. Maybe it feels like God has gone silent. It can be easy to lose hope, to wonder if God really will come through for us. Those times of waiting can be unsettling, uncomfortable, and often dark.

But what if God is at work in the waiting?
What if He is waiting, too . . .
For just the right moment?

Hundreds of years after Zephaniah and Malachi’s words, Jesus came, and the promise was fulfilled. It’s striking to note Paul, writing after the coming of Jesus, looks back on the fulfilment of the promise and describes both Jesus’ birth and His death as coming at just the right time.

“When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman.” (Galatians 4:4)

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

Suddenly, we realize the years of waiting were not caused by a delay, but were part of God’s design.

During those four hundred years, God may have been silent, but He was not inactive.
Various world powers rose and fell as predicted in prophecies in the book of Daniel. The Old Testament was translated into Greek, which was important for God’s Word being spread among the Gentiles. And Israel was conquered by the Romans, leaving the Jewish people desperate for freedom from oppression, recognising their only hope was in the coming of the Messiah.

The scene was set for Jesus to come.

Not only was God at work in the big picture of world events, but He was also preparing individuals for their part in His plan.

When the moment came, Mary was ready. She was ready to respond with faith and obedience despite the seeming impossibility of the angel’s message.

We can’t always understand why we have to wait; God’s ways and His timing are often not the same as ours. But we can trust in His goodness and His faithfulness. His promises will be fulfilled, sometimes (often!) in unexpected ways.

We can also trust He has a purpose in the waiting. Sometimes, while we are concerned with our circumstances, God is more interested in growing our character and our dependence on Him.

Often, the times of waiting reveal our lack of control and our inability to fix things for ourselves. They can drive us to God as they remind us our true hope is found in Him.

As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ first coming, may it remind us, even when the situations troubling us are resolved, we are still waiting.

We are waiting for the day when He will come again, when sorrow and suffering will finally be gone forever, when our waiting will come to an end, when we see “the bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16) and we know the longest night is finally over and the darkness is no more.

Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

..
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Ten Day 10 A Love That Honors

August 14, 2020 by Marietta Taylor 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-17
1 John 4:7-21
Psalm 136
2 Peter 1:1-11
Matthew 5:13-20

Ten, Day 10

The email started with a simple question,
“Did you attend Marquette University in the early to mid 80s?”

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Then I realized it was an old flame from college. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but thought he might be working through a twelve-step program, so I confirmed my identity.
The next email started with compliments and ended with the real question.
“I know you’re married, and so am I, but is it possible for us to talk?”

I’m not going to lie. I was tempted for a moment. But in the end, I responded, “No, it would be disrespectful to both our spouses.” And that was that.
Events easily could have taken a different path.
Because I value my relationship with God, there was no alternate ending.

Exodus 20:14 is a command straight from God,
“Do not commit adultery.”

It’s from a set of ten God gave to the Israelites through Moses. But they weren’t just rules to act like bumpers on a bowling lane. They weren’t meant to be an “am I holy?” checklist.

Because, you see, we cannot keep the commandments.
We’re not righteous enough to live a perfect life.

Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And in the Old Testament, Psalm 14:3 tells us there is not even one person who does good.

So why did God give us commandments we are doomed to break, you might ask?

Quite simply, because He loves us.
1 John 4:10 explains, “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

He wasn’t acting on a mean-spirited desire to set us up for failure. Since Adam and Eve’s first sin, He had been separated from His precious children, and He was heartbroken.

So He planned to sacrifice His very self to give us a way back into relationship with Him . . . but this way back is dependent upon our recognition of our sin, repentance, and embrace of Jesus as our Savior.

By giving us ten commandments simultaneously reflecting His holy character and highlighting our sin,
He was helping us understand our need for a Savior.

Next, let’s explore what God reveals about His character by identifying adultery as a sin.

First, He is faithful.
Avoiding adultery means to remain faithful.
And what is God, if not faithful?

Psalm 136 repeats “His faithful love endures forever” twenty-six times as it recounts God’s wondrous creation and His consistent protection of, and provision for, His people, despite their repeated disobedience, failures, and abandonment of their Creator and Rescuer.

In fact, Judges and 1 and 2 Kings tell a dismal story of the countless times the Israelites disobeyed God or chased other gods. Yet God always saved them, because of His faithfulness and in spite of their unfaithfulness.

Scripture tells us that no matter what we do, no matter what happens, God loves us.
Why?
Because “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Marriage is a covenant promise. By asking us to keep our promise to another human being, God was demonstrating that He is a promise-keeper. (See for yourself! Check out Joshua 21:45, Number 23:19, and Ezekiel 12:28)

God wants the world to know He is a faithful, loving, promise-keeping God; therefore, He instructs us to reflect His character in our relationships by abhorring adultery.

It’s important for believers to adhere to this command,
because if we won’t honor the relationship with our spouse, whom we can see and touch,
how well will we honor our relationships with God, Whom we cannot see or touch?

When we do follow His command, our marriages become a reflection of Who God is and how He wants to love the world. We become a shining light in a world dark with sexual sin and broken promises. Matthew 5:16 says when our light shines, the world sees and gives glory to God. What an honor!

Are you familiar with the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39? She was doing all she could to commit adultery. But Joseph would not oblige her.

In recounting all Potiphar had given him, Joseph asked, “So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”. (Genesis 39:9) Joseph understood that to commit sexual sin was to hurt the heart of God.

And he was right. When we honor God, and express our love for Him by following His commands, our actions speak louder than any words we could say.

So, let’s change our perspective on the commandments as a whole, and the command regarding adultery in particular. Let’s shift our focus from ourselves to leading lives that honor God, in order to share His character, His love, and His sacrifice with the world.

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Here Day 10 Simeon

December 20, 2019 by Briana Almengor Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 52:13-53:1
Luke 2:22-35
Isaiah 25:1-9

Here, Day 10

Though I often stumble as I amble because I am an old man,
today I could run like the youth and fly like an eagle. (Isaiah 40:31)

I have seen the salvation of my people!
He came in flesh, wrapped in linen, carried by a virgin.
Oh, the miraculous grace of my Lord!
Oh, His kindness that He gave sight to my faith.
Oh, the wonder of how this baby will save my people and more than I can imagine.
Oh, the heartache his mother will bear, his father will not be able to spare her from.

I endured a fitful night of sleep, woke early, and felt I must go to the temple right away as the Spirit led me. As I watched precious parents parade into the temple with lambs, or turtledoves and pigeons for those of meager means, I spotted Him and my heart quickened as God’s Spirit moved within me, opening my eyes to see His Promised One.

I stood for a few moments, taking in the scene before me. So long have I waited. So long have I prayed. Shamefully I recall my doubt when the years stretched on without answer. Yet, despite my doubt, the Lord has proven faithful. Tears stream unabashedly down my beard as my eyes drank in the long-awaited sight of the Messiah.
His mother so attentive to His cry, His father so attentive to His mother, and I marveled at the miracle of it all.

The Messiah!
How many have waited for this day right along with me, and yet, as I looked around at the crowd, my heart broke with agony.
They do not know! The ONE we have waited generations for is here, in our midst! Yet, they carry on. Oh Lord, make them see, I breathed.

The priest accepted their offering, 2 turtledoves, the offering marked out for the poorest of the poor. (Leviticus 12:8) Emotion flooded me as I realized Yahweh’s powerful grandeur lay before me wrapped in peasant flesh. Here. He was here with us.

And suddenly, overwhelmed by the Spirit, I moved forward with eyes only for the small, poor, sacred family of three as they left the altar. I approached, gently inquiring if I might prophesy over their child. They eagerly handed Him over as though they knew already what I was going to say. Had they been visited, too? Did they know Whose tiny fingers gripped theirs? Did they see how the One who held all things together was now being held by them? Unfathomable!

Nevertheless, I took this boy, just eight days old, raised him in the air and proclaimed by the Spirit,
Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have
seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for
revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.

I returned the boy to His parents, having held the Author of Life in my hands. Though my tongue had now stilled from the Spirit’s work, my heart continued in prayer as my soul lifted to heights I’d never experienced.
The wait was over, Hope was here!

Yes, this baby will bring joy, peace, and salvation, but His life will also perplex, anger, and confuse others. He will not rise on the accolades of all, nor fall from the targeted anger of those He offends, but He will live out His destiny.

And now I have lived out mine.
You promised, my God, that my faith would be given sight. You promised I would see Your Salvation.
You promised I would see the Messiah.
You promised, and though it felt like I might have misheard you at times for the longing of it, and the waiting for it, You have kept your promise. You have kept Your word.
You are faithful!

Here I am, an old man fulfilled in your kept word.
Here I am, a man whose life has been devoted wholly to you, satisfied and finding it all worth it.
The questioning, the doubting, the mocking at times by my own?
All worth it.
You kept your word.
You are worthy.

For those who have yet to experience You and Your faithfulness,
may Your grace be upon them.

For sweet Mary, whose heart will near break in two at the fulfillment of your word,
may Your grace be upon her.

For Joseph, just a man called to raise the Son of Man,
may Your grace be upon him.

For all those who will question the life of this baby, the far-reaching grace of His life,
may Your grace be upon them to believe.

For those who will be questioned in their belief because they do not fit the mold of your Promised people,
may Your grace be upon them to persevere in hope.

For those who will condemn and betray this Messiah because He is not who they want Him to be, may Your grace be upon their souls.

Have mercy, dear God, upon all
just as You have had mercy on me.

And, now, I am at peace.
However much longer my days, I know a peace that nothing can pierce for my hope has been realized. Give this peace to all who may look upon the eyes and life of this baby and hope as I have, now, and for all time to come. Amen!

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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!

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Esther Day 15 A Legacy Of Celebration

November 22, 2019 by Stacy Daniel Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 9:16-10:3
Psalm 78:1-8
Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians 2:1-9

Esther, Day 15

Mordecai went from the king’s presence clothed in royal purple and white, with a great gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced, and the Jews celebrated with gladness, joy, and honor. In every province and every city, wherever the king’s command and his law reached, joy and rejoicing took place among the Jews. There was a celebration and a holiday. Esther 8:15-16

The Jews had much to celebrate!
Imagine receiving a death sentence from a power-hungry leader for no other reason except he didn’t like your people. Imagine the fear and despair you’d feel; hopeless and helpless to save yourself or those you love. Then you receive word of a new law to counter the first one and the leader being punished; you and your people are free!

There was rejoicing and shouting and celebrating going on in Susa!
Thanks to the courage of Esther, as she followed Mordecai’s wisdom and was covered by prayer and fasting of the Jewish people, God rescued His chosen people. I doubt there is anyone who would look unfavorably upon them or think their celebration was too extravagant. I doubt the Jewish people themselves were concerned with how they were perceived by others. Their death was imminent, but they had been spared!

After the Jews were saved from destruction, the holiday, Purim, was established and is still celebrated by Jews today. The holiday is a joyous one, preceded by a day of fasting as they remember how the Jews fasted and prayed for Esther as she approached the king. The story of Esther may be read as they remember from where they have come, and from where their Help came. They rest and feast and celebrate! The celebration was a decree and was established as an official holiday so future generations would not forget the great rescue. Esther 9:27-28

Sometimes we forget how we, too, have been spared.
Ephesians 2 tells us that, as sinners, we are also dead, eternally separated from God because of our unrighteousness. We had no access to God and His holiness, and were destined to face eternity apart from Him. But in His great mercy, God sent Jesus to rescue us so we can have a restored relationship with Him. We are made alive in Christ! Ephesians 2:1-9 That is reason to celebrate!

How can we celebrate?
One way is to share your story.

Every single Christ-follower has a story worthy of celebratory re-telling!
At one point we were all separated from God because of our sin. Then, He, in His infinite grace, sent His only Son to take our sin upon Himself and put it to death on the cross.
Not only did He die for our sins, but He defied the enemy who thought he had won by rising from the grave, forever to live with our Father God in Heaven where He continues to fight for us. Out of great love, He left His Holy Spirit to personally live inside each one who calls on His name. The Spirit guides into Truth and fills us with power to do the work He has called each of us to do.

He invited us into His story so we may draw others to Him as well.
As we share what He has done for us, others see His faithfulness and are drawn into a relationship with Him as well.

At the very moment we decide to follow Jesus with our whole being, our faith stories don’t end, but are only beginning! He continues the work in our hearts and lives through the Holy Spirit so we may encourage others and grow closer to Him as we journey through life. He provides us encouragement while challenging us to lean on Him during trial so we can encourage others in their growth. I know it encourages me in difficult times to hear how God is moving in the lives of others, especially if I’m walking a path similar to another’s. As we continue to share our stories, God is glorified and we can celebrate together who He is and all He has done for us.

I’ve been convicted recently about how little I share my story of faith and growth.
Also, how infrequently I ask others about their journey.
Perhaps it’s fear of rejection or being thought too “religious”, or maybe I just don’t pay enough attention to those around me to be sensitive to what God is doing.

What if we spent some time in the mornings inviting God into our days,
thanking Him for the work He has done in our own hearts,
and asking Him to specifically show us someone who needs to hear the hope of the Gospel? What if we were intentionally open to readily sharing how God has proven Himself real in our own lives?
It may feel risky, but we have much to share with great reason to celebrate our Rescuer!
The God who created the universe invites each of us into a relationship with Him!

Who needs to hear about the hope that lives within you?
Who might God want you to share your story with so they can know Him?
Who in your life needs to be encouraged that God is still good and still at work?
Whose life will be forever changed because you chose to share?
Do your children know your own faith story so they are able to continue your legacy of faith to future generations?

The next time you hear about Esther and her reason to celebrate with her people, remember you have even more reason to declare the goodness of God!
Celebrate out loud for the world to hear!

A P.S. from Gracefully Truthful….
Maybe, you’ve never told your story to anyone before; today is a great day to start!
We want to make it easy for you to get started and we would be honored to help you share boldly through the Faces of Grace platform.
Check out the “Get Started” tips, then send in your story and begin celebrating out loud what God has done!

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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 Esther Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Captivating Day 12 Love For The Nations: Digging Deeper

July 23, 2019 by Rachel Jones 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 Love For The Nations!

The Questions

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged?

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture?

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge?

1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Rejoice always,pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Original Intent

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged?
The apostle Paul exhorted the believers in Thessalonica to help one another in their daily lives as new Christians. Paul was very concerned for these new believers. He and Silas fled Thessalonica because of intense persecution, and he worried about those left behind as they faced hardship. Paul sent Timothy to check on them and received good word about the faithfulness of the new believers, so he wrote to encourage and spur them on to new growth and deeper maturity. The new believers were both Jews and Gentiles, and Paul suspicioned that false teachers were likely to come in attempting to sway them from solid truth. Paul knew the believers would need each other in order to mature, so he taught them to be on the lookout for those in need of encouragement or a reminder to work hard and do good towards each other. Paul taught God’s will is to “pray always, rejoice, and give thanks” (verses 16-18) so they would continue growing together as a community of believers with one central focus: God and sharing His truth with the world. To pursue God, they would need help and encouragement from their brothers and sisters in Christ. The missions of God cannot be accomplished alone! (Historical background from Chuck Swindoll’s commentary at insight.org)

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture?
The Thessalonians had much to contend with between the time Paul led them to believe in Jesus and the time Paul sent Timothy back to check on them a few months later. They had to deal with the ongoing, intense persecution that caused Paul and Silas to flee Thessalonica. Some of their members died, and they were dealing with grief and the confusion about what would happen to their departed friends at the 2^nd coming of Jesus. They also wondered about what would happen to those alive at the 2^nd coming. Some members were also being lazy and living off of the generosity of wealthier Christians, while some were struggling with forsaking all of their pagan ways. The church in Thessalonica was dealing with struggles particular to their time and culture, but the intensity of need and the desire for answers is something we can relate to today. They were eager for Paul’s presence, but his letter was welcome instruction on how they should proceed in his absence. Paul wanted them to keep rejoicing, keep praying, and keep thanking God for everything. This would help them focus on God and grow in their faith despite the tumult of the times. (Historical background from the Introduction to 1 Thessalonians at thegospelcoalition.org.)

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge?
Paul may have instructed the new Christians in Thessalonica to resist revenge because they were being intensely persecuted by the Greeks in their culture. Their natural, human instinct would be to get even with those harming them, but Paul counseled them that Christianity does not work that way. Even in the Old Testament, God commanded the faithful “shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18) Not only were they to resist revenge, but they were to pursue the good of everyone, even their persecutors. This was a mostly Christian notion that Paul wanted to emphasize to the new Christ-followers as it emphasizes the authority of God over each of us. Since Paul himself had zealously persecuted Christians before his conversion, his admonition held particular significance. We are not to take revenge on others, for God Himself did not take revenge on us, instead He sacrificed for us. We are to do the same as we love all those around us. (Historical background from commentary on 1 Thessalonians from preceptaustin.org.)

Everyday Application

1) How do you pursue God’s will when you are feeling weak or discouraged?
The exhortation in these verses is important every day, but especially on those down days when we just can’t go it alone. Paul’s writing reminds us how we need to lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ who are looking out for us. We should reach out for help, encouragement, accountability, and prayer as we pursue the high calling of loving a dying world with the love of Jesus. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” We are also reminded that prayer and praise can change our perspective. If we are called to rejoice always, there is always something to rejoice over. If we pray constantly, we are communicating with God about our daily needs. Giving thanks even in the midst of hard times helps us recognize all the blessings we have that are often taken for granted. Giving praise in hardship is not the norm; when we rejoice, we are giving testifying witness of God’s good character that never changes, regardless of our circumstances.

2) How can this Scripture help us navigate a chaotic culture?
It is easy to get bogged down by our never-ending to-do lists and constant busyness. We don’t always have time to take a shower or eat a full meal, let alone pray constantly or lend a hand to a friend in need. These verses call us to be both intentional and singular in our focus on God. The more we cultivate our relationship with the Lord, the more natural it becomes to “pray always” as if breathing. God calls us to invest in our fellow Christians who may need an encouraging word or some extra patience as they face a struggle. He calls us to always pursue what is good for one another, which flies in the face of our culture’s “me first” mentality. While it can be challenging, it is one of the best ways we can represent Christ to our neighbors. John 13:35 tells us, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We are challenged to make careful choices about where we spend our time and energy, purposing to help our friends in need, to seek support when we need it, and keep our focus on God alone.

3) Why is it so important to resist revenge?
Paul implores us to be patient with everyone, and that includes our enemies, or those we tend to write off ore relegate to “unimportant”. Why is this patience so necessary? In a way, revenge seems like a great way to ensure that justice, at least our version of it, is served. If someone is doing evil, they deserve to get some pay back. God says, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) God wants us to focus on forgiveness and doing good toward others, not on how we can make someone pay for their sins. The only one worthy to judge or bring retribution is the Lord God! Romans 12:21 tells us we are able to conquer evil with good; this is how we love those around us! It is vital to resist revenge because by doing so we are taking the first step to overcoming evil with good. It is a way to get our enemy’s attention and turn their focus to the goodness of God, and it is a way for us to practice being like Jesus.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Glimmers Day 6 Hope In The Should Have

December 17, 2018 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 107:1-22
Psalm 108
Judges 2:11-23

Glimmers, Day 6

“There’s that ‘should’ word again.”
This phrase is forever drenched in the loving sound of my husband’s voice as he makes a move towards me. To which, I insistently pull away.
He dramatically shakes his head and moves forward again, a smile teasing his lips.

“Oh my goodness”, he soothes. “Will you just….relax?!”
Tears threaten on my side, my body tightly unyielding as he works to draw me near.
He doesn’t understand.
He doesn’t know how much I’ve got to finish, how behind I am, and I continue babbling on.

I’m pretty hard on myself; it comes naturally to me.
Always better, always more, I use “should” more often than I…should. Oh wait…
Should have done this.
Should have been better.
Should have made that choice.

“You’re so frustrating sometimes, you know?”
But his voice holds nothing but winsome endearment as he resolutely folds me tight against him with no escape.

I wrap myself up so securely with my ‘shoulds’, it becomes nearly impossible to see clearly. I often can’t even recognize the Love standing right in front of me, beckoning me to stand down and rest.

My husband is a constant reminder of the Lord’s love for me and His relentless pursuit.
Even when, or especially when, I “should” be performing better.

The period of the Judges was a crazy, wacky time for the nation of Israel.
If anyone really should have had a laundry list of should haves and must dos, it was these people!

If you’ve never cracked open your Bible to the Old Testament book of Judges, you should try it! It’s more intriguing than you might imagine. Chock full of strange stories, Judges will make you scratch your head in curiosity, leave your mouth hanging open at the wild true stories, and make you wonder what else might be hidden in the pages of the Bible.
An incredibly obese king who dies when a dagger is plunged into his belly and the whole blade is swallowed up by his fat.
A brave housewife who kills the commander of the enemy army by driving a tent stake through his head after she gave him food and drink.
A woman who rose head and shoulders above male leadership in a male dominant society to guide God’s people with her humble faith.
An ordinary man with no societal favor, leads the entire nation to victory with only 300 men by smashing empty jars, yelling, and using torches.
A rash man’s vow that cost his daughter’s life.
Samson’s incredible strength.
And of course, everyone’s favorite, the talking donkey who saw an angel.

Judges reminds me how God pursues His people by any means necessary.
Regardless of how far we run or how hard we push against Him.
Israel was known for being stuck in a cycle (can I get an Amen? I know cycles!)
Theirs went like this…
1) They abandoned the Lord, did their own thing, and ran furiously away from God.
2) God justly punished them by bringing a foreign power to oppress them.
3) Israel begged God for deliverance from oppression, promising to live for Him
4) God answered by raising up a Judge to deliver them and lead them back to Him.
……and then they did it all again!!

For nearly 400 years this cycle of running away, being punished, returning, and drawn back continued on. Generations died in this cycle.
Yet God kept on pursuing.
He loved Israel again and again. Even though He knew they would again break His heart and turn away, blinded by their own selfish ways.

Sisters, I am exactly the same.
Sure, it’s easy for me to sit here with my hot drink, my journal, and my Bible open to Judges to not only gape at their incredible stories, but also judge their inexcusable, repetitive behavior.
How could they?
What were they thinking?
Were they thinking??
Yet there was the Lord, loving them again. Pursing them again.
Despite every ‘should have’ they never followed through on.

And here our stories cross.
My should haves, my repetitive sin cycles, my insistence to trust myself and my way look just as absurd as Israel’s.
Yet, just like my husband’s insistent arms, the Lord draws me back again and again and again.

The poet of Psalm 107 had this cycle thing figured out. Maybe he had cycle issues too.
The whole psalm is built around 4 repetitive occurrences: people suffering, people cry out, God rescues, their grateful response. I would quote it here for you, and break it all down, but that kind of steals the fun of discovery from you. So, go read it right now for yourself.

Where do you relate?
Do you see the Rescuer?!
Sit with the people’s heart response.
And when it happens again, think of the deeply loving pursuit of arms that refuse to let you go.
No matter all the should haves you pile up, the sins you hide, or the shame you carry.

Maybe one of these times, you’ll decide to fall into the embrace that keeps on waiting.
Maybe you’ll see the God of Freedom for exactly who He is and finally,
you’ll love Him back because you will have discovered that all this time,
He has loved you in the should have.

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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 Glimmers Week Two! 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 Glimmers!

Incorruptible Day 8 Redeemed From Emptiness

November 14, 2018 by Audra Watson Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 1:17-21
1 Peter 5:8-14
Ruth 2-3
Joshua 2

Incorruptible, Day 8

“For you know that you were redeemed (bought back)
from your empty way of life inherited from your fathers,
not with imperishable things like silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ.”
1 Peter 1:18-19

Rahab.
Ruth.
Saul.

And so many others throughout Scripture have been bought back
by the precious blood of Christ.

Joshua 2 tells the story of Rahab.
A prostitute.
Giving away her body for money, she was used and abused.
Hers was an empty life.
Rahab had heard of the mighty deeds of the Hebrew God called Yahweh, enough to know He was worthy of awe and respectful fear. (Joshua 2:8-11)
Enough to know that if He would provide her protection, she would turn her back on her people.
True to His Word, as the walls of Jericho collapsed around her, Rahab’s house was left untouched and her family was saved.

Rahab married a Hebrew man, was rescued from prostitution, was welcomed into the blessings of Yahweh, and grafted into the lineage of Christ.
One moment of choosing to be in exile from her people
brought about new life for Rahab.

As we come face to face with the reality of who God is,
we are free to walk confidently into the redeeming grace He offers.

Ruth was a Moabite widow who followed her mother-in-law Naomi, against cultural custom, back to Israel. She was a foreigner without food and protection of a husband.
An outcast among Jews.
If anyone felt empty, it was Ruth.

Like Rahab, she chose to be in exile, displaced from her own land to follow Naomi and her God.

Through events only God could ordain, Ruth became the protected wife of Boaz and mother to Obed, another generation in the lineage of Jesus.
Redeemed from emptiness and vulnerability,
Ruth found fullness, life, and purpose.

As we lay ourselves humbly at His feet, the Lord faithfully redeems our empty places.

In Acts 9, we meet Saul.
Well-known as murderer and persecutor of Christians, Saul made it his life mission to kill all who claimed the name of Jesus.
Death always leads to emptiness.

But Jesus interrupted Saul’s crusades in a blinding moment of awe-filled truth where Saul surrendered to radical grace.

Having been redeemed from his old way of thinking and living life, Saul-turned-Paul spent the remainder of his days proclaiming Christ, forever exiled from the life he’d once so passionately known.

Emptiness was all he had known,
but grace captured his heart, exchanging life for death.

As we accept the redemptive grace of God, we become new people.

Each of these people were exiles in one form or another.
Each heard and understood the character of God through His people.
Each found hope in the midst of their exile because of God’s faithful, trustworthy character.

Peter reminds us that we are exiles too.
Separated here on earth from the One in Heaven who crafted our hearts to beat in rhythm with His. Aliens here with broken relationships, heartache, loss, destruction, and sufferings coming in all shapes and sizes.
Exile is not forever, Sisters.
We can trust that truth because of our God’s character!

“And after you have suffered a little while,
the God of all grace,
who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
1 Peter 5:10
Jesus says He will restore us, confirm us, strengthen us, and establish us!

Restore – to repair or renovate so as to return it to its original condition.
Confirm – to establish the truth or correctness of something believed.
Strengthen – to make or become stronger.
Establish – to achieve permanent acceptance or recognition for.

As we look at those definitions we see redemption so clearly!

Through the lives of Rahab, Ruth, Paul, and so many more, we see how God
restored the broken places,
confirmed what they believed about Him to be true,
strengthened their faith,
and established them firmly in the incorruptible inheritance that was to come.

Redemption is such a beautiful thing,
but it’s only ours to claim if we accept the gift of salvation.

Salvation is a free gift from God that buys back (redeems) us from the chains of Sin and Death, adopting us as His very own daughters.

Jesus Christ, the only mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) between humanity and God, wrapped Himself in human flesh (1 Peter 1:20-21), became one of us, was sinless like none of us, and willingly laid His life down on the cross that each of us might know Him, trust His character, and be redeemed from emptiness!

“For you know that you were redeemed (bought back)
from your empty way of life inherited from your fathers,
not with imperishable things like silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ.”
1 Peter 1:18-19

What’s your emptiness?
Has it been redeemed?!

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 Incorruptible Week Two! 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 Incorruptible!