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glory

Known Day 13 El Elyon

July 26, 2023 by Rebecca Adams 1 Comment

Known Day 13 El Elyon

Rebecca Adams

July 26, 2023

Adoration,Glory,God,Know,Mighty,Worship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:9-11
2 Samuel 22:8-15
Psalm 57:1-11
Exodus 33:7-23

The earth shook, thick smoke filled his nostrils, thunderous roars overtook him. Fear shook his insides, yet something deeply glorious, dare he use the word “intimate”, pulled him closer. As his knees buckled and his face went flat on the rocky terrain of the mountainside, his heart beat to know this God, to see Him. How his insides begged for more!

Moses smelled the smoke, heard the roar that could not be silenced echo in his human eardrums, and his physical eyes took in the sight of unspeakable glory. Unmistakably, this Mighty God, the El Elyon, intended to make Himself deeply, unforgettably KNOWN. (Exodus 19:16-20, Exodus 20:18-21, Exodus 33:12-23)

Moses’ mountaintop encounter with El Elyon, the Almighty Ruler and King, to Whom all powers and authorities cast their feeble crowns, was reiterated generations later with the prophet Isaiah. On beholding El Elyon’s glory, Isaiah cried aloud that he must surely die for glimpsing such unfathomable glory. (Isaiah 6:4-5) Generations before Moses, Job knelt in the dust and in humbled awe whispered, “Now my eyes have seen You […] I am dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6).

Awe-stricken wonder-filled worship and obedience marks those who glimpse only a brief glance of El Elyon’s glory through a veiled encounter, for that is all mankind can bear.

Every experience with the Mighty God results in change, in victory, in worship, in consuming devotion. Why? Because He has revealed Himself to be Known.

And Sisters?
Enraptured, holding our breath inside our about-to-burst-lungs,
we simply cannot look away!

Having met the pre-incarnate Christ, Joshua worshipped before taking Jericho by the arm of the Lord. (Joshua 5:15) As did timid Gideon before leading Israel to a decisive victory over hoards of Midianites because he had encountered El Elyon, appearing through the pre-incarnate Christ. (Judges 6:22-24)

El Elyon’s fire fell from heaven and consumed water, stone, and sacrifice, and all of Israel fell on their faces declaring Him God Alone. (1 Kings 18:38)

Fire. Power. Thunder. Earthquake. Trumpets.
All announcing the unfathomable presence of the all-powerful El Elyon.

Yet, this very same fearsome Creator and Sovereign King wraps His authority in the wail of a newborn, pleads with His sin-wrecked people to return to Him, lavishes compassion on a rebellious, hard-hearted nation who reviles Him, weeps with the grieving, allows His dusty feet to be washed with a woman’s tears, and hangs naked on a cross made of wood His breath created.

Why?
To be known by us.

This God who needs nothing (Psalm 50:12),
gives everything. (Romans 8:32)

Moses.
Job.
Joshua.
Gideon.
Isaiah.
Mary.
Me.
My friend who chose Jesus last month.
The teenager who gave over his life to Christ this summer.
You?

All of these were, and are, entirely unnecessary and add nothing
to the majestic glory of Infinitely Awe-Filled El Elyon.

We are but dust. (Psalm 103:14)
Our sin earns us death and separation from all that’s good. (Romans 6:23)
Our self-made goodness is like a pile of dung. (Philippians 3:7-8)

Then, why?
Why do we see El Elyon as Mighty and Humble?
As the Infinite One who entered the finite?
To be known, as the God of Love.

Our eyes glance to the cross and we feel the earth tremble as God Almighty dies an undeserved death He well could have prevented, yet chose to do out of vast, unthinkable love for His people. (Matthew 27:51) Again, the earth shakes as an immovable tombstone is rolled away that we might see evidence that Life has eternally won over Death, leaving the grave itself abandoned. (Matthew 28:2)
El Elyon Lives.

Tears fall, and our breath catches at this widescreen panorama of the God who has intentionally made Himself known since His exhale that breathed humanity into existence. (Genesis 2:7) El Elyon’s revelation as eternal God was beginning, but this grand revealing would never end.

Even after Christ’s ascension, the revelation continued as John’s eyes were opened wide to glimpse the glory even now existing, yet still coming. (Revelation 21:1-4) Streets of gold, gates of pearls, leaves of healing for the nations, Death’s wild defeat slain by the blood of Him called Faithful and True. (Revelation 19:11-6) And we hear the shouts of angels singing, “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty!” (Revelation 4:8)

El Elyon lives.
El Elyon has never left.
El Elyon is present.
El Elyon’s love has been made known through His vast rule and reign.
Humble and Holy.
Mighty and Tender.
Worship is due Him.

Will we choose glad surrender now, or will we remain outside the embrace of the God who has made Himself known to us and for us?

Tags :
Authority,el elyon,glory,known,power,Testify
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Digging Deeper

Our God truly is the Most High. There is nothing and no one who deserves our praise and honor more than Him.

I am convicted that I have not allowed the reality of God as reigning El Elyon to affect my life fully.

When I allow the trappings of daily life to lull me into a complacent mindset with little to no thought for my Creator, I am in need of a contrite spirit. God Most High deserves more than lip service or a passing prayer or thought. He deserves a life lived fully in surrendered service to Him.
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Posted in: Adoration, Glory, God, Know, Mighty, Worship Tagged: Authority, el elyon, glory, known, power, Testify

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched XI, Week 2

July 1, 2023 by Katelyn Palmer Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched XI, Week 2

Katelyn Palmer

July 1, 2023

Believe,Broken,Courage,Faith,Glory

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!

1 Kings 18:36-38

“At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, ‘Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things.

37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the Lord’s fire fell…”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, I have been reminded this week of my propensity to turn from You to other things and people, even myself, to sustain me just as generations of people before me have done. (Deuteronomy 4:23-27) Thank You for Your continued warnings (Exodus 34:12-17) and Your continued grace (1 Kings 18:37-39) as I navigate my brokenness in this world.

I know Your judgment is just and You rebuke those You love (Proverbs 13:24), so I shall accept my afflictions with gratitude (Psalm 119: 75-76). In my afflictions, give me life according to Your Word and teach me Your statutes. (Psalm 119:107-108) Lord, Your faithfulness, despite my brokenness, always astounds me. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

Yahweh, I ask for Your help in learning to discern Your voice from others. I ask for Your discipline (Hebrews 12:5-6) as I study Your Word and practice patience in waiting for Your answers to my prayers. (Psalm 62:1-2) I ask You for a heart that desires You and seeks Your counsel above all others, a heart like David’s who sought Your ways. (Acts 13:22)

Let me walk through this life with uprightness so that others who fear You may see me and rejoice and be strengthened in their faith. (Psalm 119: 74)
In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

When we are struggling deeply inside the griefs of sorrow, loss, and challenges beyond our abilities, we are easily tempted to only see our pain.

Lifting our head feels too difficult, let alone lifting our eyes to see another’s grief or to consider that our limited perspective is not the holistic view of the Lord God. But there comes a point in our suffering, where the intensity of the pain drives us either to surrender or choose to hoard bitterness like a miser who feeds upon it.

The widow in Elijah’s storyline found herself at this crossroads the day her son died. She had witnessed Elijah’s God caring for her, feeding her and her son in the midst of a multi-year famine, but still, it wasn’t enough for her to choose Yahweh as her God. The Lord did not bring her more abundance to help her eyes finally see and choose Him, He brought her a pain so great and a loss so deep, she simply must choose to either worship or walk away.

If you’ve experienced loss of some kind, how have you navigated these waters of decision? What factors have drawn you closer, pleading with you to surrender to the God whose “goodness and mercy” have continued to pursue you?

In what ways have you been tempted to turn away, trust yourself, and pull your pain ever-closer like a tattered blanket? In what ways do you sense the Lord calling you in this moment?
JOURNAL TWO

Elijah’s everyday faith, that grew over time as the Lord taught him to trust, is a great example of acting out our faith in daily life. The way Elijah speaks with the Lord while awaiting His instructions at the widow’s house is a great model for us.

When we feel the freedom to speak with the Lord as though He is a friend sitting across from us, we become actively engaged with Him and focus our thoughts on Him. Additionally, we see Elijah pause in anticipation of a response from the Lord. While it may not be an immediate response – in fact, Elijah spent years waiting for his next instructions – it is vital we intentionally listen for God’s voice when we speak with Him.

This helps us learn to discern His voice from others, including our own; learn patience, as God will answer us when He is ready and not a moment sooner. In actively listening for the Lord, we learn to trust Him regardless of our circumstances. As we seek God’s counsel each time we are faced with a decision, we learn to lean on His ways over our own more and more. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Insistently engaging God and seeking His counsel is something others will begin to see in our lives, just as the widow witnessed in Elijah. Consider whose faith-life has influenced your own. Praise God for their impact!

Ask the Lord to strengthen and increase your faith, making you aware of those around you who are being influenced by your walk with the Lord!

JOURNAL THREE

Humankind was made in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) God created everything we see (Genesis 1:1-27). Being made in His image means that, because He is creative, we, too, have been blessed with creativity. When we use our creativity for His purposes, we reflect His glory back to Him and the world around us. This is true for every good aspect of our humanity.

Unfortunately, we often use what was intended to bring the Lord glory and instead wield its power to our detriment. The most obvious way we do this is through idolatry. (Jeremiah 2:5-9)

Idolatry in Elijah’s time was blatantly apparent with images they worshiped. Baal was the reigning “god” among king Ahab’s people, as well as Asherah, two universal gods of fertility. (1 Kings 16:31-33) While idolatry in our time covertly disguises itself, we are still sacrificing parts of ourselves in the name of gods that have no real power  like social media, cancel culture, approval of others, money, and image.

The prophets of Baal and Asherah who faced Elijah in 1 Kings 18:20-40 gave themselves over to something mankind created thinking it would give them ultimate power. When Elijah calls on the Lord, he knows that he himself is not capable of calling the fire, but God is outside of himself.

God was the Source of power, Elijah was meant to use his life to reflect God’s glory back to Him. What are we giving ourselves to that doesn’t have the power to sustain us like God? Which idols are your favorite?
Tags :
comfort,glory,hope,power,prayer
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Posted in: Believe, Broken, Courage, Faith, Glory Tagged: comfort, glory, hope, power, prayer

Surrender Day 5 The God Who Holds Us: Digging Deeper

January 27, 2023 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

Surrender Day 5 The God Who Holds Us: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

January 27, 2023

Faith,Hope,Identity,Legacy

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 "The God Who Holds Us"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 11:13-16

13 These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. 14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them!
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who died without receiving what they were promised? (verse 13)

“These all died…” without receiving the things they were promised! (verse 13) That’s a challenging promise, isn’t it? Yet to many Bible students, this chapter of Hebrews 11 has become known as Scripture’s “Hall of Faith.” In other words, these became famous for their faith.

“These all” refer to those mentioned in the preceding verses: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob. (verses 8-11) THESE lived as exiled strangers by faith. The writer of Hebrews began this section by rehearsing the faithful lives of these Old Testament characters. (For more study on these characters, see Genesis 12-35)

In previous verses, the author had been stressing to his readers the importance of actively living a life of faith. (Hebrews 10:35-39) This chapter begins by defining faith (verses 1-3) and giving examples of what it looks like in real life. These faithful saints all continued to live by faith, believing God would fulfill His promises to them.

I can only imagine how often Abraham and Sarah revisited the promise God made to them in the decades of time between “promise given” and “promise fulfilled”. (Genesis 17:10-14) In fact, the writer of Hebrews, inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), gives a vivid description by saying these saints “saw them from a distance and greeted them.” They saw and greeted the promises they had received from a trustworthy God!!

Even though they died before receiving them, they trusted God would provide just as He always had. (Genesis 22:14) “The saints ‘embraced’ the promises. The Greek word signifies ‘salutes,’ as when we see a friend at a distance.” (Spurgeon, Blueletterbible.org) They were able to greet the distant promise with faith because they assuredly knew that their condition was temporary and their God was ever-faithful and trustworthy.

The Everyday Application

1) Who died without receiving what they were promised? (verse 13)

The term Hall of Faith is never used in the Bible. It is a title that has been used to describe Hebrews 11. It comes from the modern-day idea of the “Hall of Fame” which we find in the world of sports. One of the greatest honors of an athlete is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. One of the remarkable things about it is the opportunity for fans to hear of the extraordinary athletes who they never saw play in their lifetime. In the same way, and of much more significance, is this chapter in the book of Hebrews.

God inspired the author to place these names on a list of people who HE wanted to be remembered for their faith. (verse 4) Reading the life stories behind these people, I’m shocked at the brokenness I discover. But God! He saw them differently. Oh, my sweet Sister, aren’t you glad? He has a perspective we don’t. He knew their hearts’ deepest desire.

Faith that is from God enables us to see the things not humanly revealed by our present experiences. This faith is perfected by God Himself. It’s not up to us, praise His glorious name!! We are broken people, but just like these, He sees and hears our cries for mercy. (Psalm 86)

A personal relationship with God begins when our eyes are opened to see His promises revealed in Jesus Christ. When we confess we are helpless to save ourselves, He welcomes our contrition and invites us to His heavenly dwelling, our eternal home. It’s a promise! (1 John 2:24-25) “O for the wonderful love He has promised for you and for me … Though we have sinned He has mercy and pardon for you and for me. Come home, come home … you who are weary come home.” (Softly and Tenderly, Will L. Thompson, pub.1880)

The Original Intent

2) What was the attitude of those who were seeking a different homeland? (verses 14-15)

The term foreigner in the Bible refers to a person who is just passing through. The verse describes them as “temporary residents.” These were willing to surrender control of their lives to God’s purposes and promises. They chose not to turn back to what they had left and known. Instead, they looked forward and believed God was faithful because He had proven to be so. Each of them needed to choose to trust God rather than go back to what they could see. This was the proof of their faith: continued hope amid the unseen. (verses 1-2) Their mantra had become “believing is seeing.”

We learn of the testing of Abraham’s faith in Hebrews 6:13-15. God had given him a specific promise after he obeyed God by offering up his son. Abraham trusted God to fulfill His promise by raising Isaac from the dead. (James 2:21-23, Genesis 22:16-18)

The author is prompting his readers to recall the history of faith in the Old Testament characters. He is also reminding them there is a history of faithfulness in their God. These could have returned to their homeland if they had been looking for an earthly inheritance. The living conditions “back home” were likely more developed than the place they found themselves wandering. I feel certain had they returned, their family and friends would have welcomed them with open arms. (Genesis 12:1-5)

But they didn’t go back because they were seeking a better country. A future one! There was a time Jacob fled to his familiar country, but he understood it was never to be his true homeland. (Genesis 30:25)

The Everyday Application

2) What was the attitude of those who were seeking a different homeland? (verses 14-15)

When you read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) you realize that not all who saw Jesus’ miracles in person believed in Him. When you talk to neighbors or coworkers, you’ll find the same to be true. Not everyone who hears or reads the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ miracles in the Gospels believe in Him. Many wonder if something that can’t be proven is true?!

The story is told of a pastor who met three young boys and asked them, “Do you want to go to heaven?” The pastor was shocked when one of them answered, “No, not me!” The perplexed pastor asked, “You don’t want to go to heaven when you die?” The boy answered much like we might answer if we were honest, “Oh, you mean when I die. I thought you were getting up a group to go today!” Some of us may share those feelings about Heaven.

Someday, it would be nice to go there. We may say we long for heaven, but we don’t necessarily wish to change our address today! The author of Hebrews reveals the discomfort the saints of old had with this world. They didn’t completely comprehend what the future promise meant for them, but they had learned to trust the God who made the promises.

We can too, my friend! We can have confidence that God made us for so much more than we can imagine! (2 Corinthians 5:4-8)

The Original Intent

3) Why was God not ashamed to be called their God, and what makes that reality so essential to this passage? (verse 16)

When God appeared to Moses, He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:5-6) Even though these were frail and sinful people, God was pleased to identify Himself with them. He had made them and envisioned a better future for them. (Isaiah 64:4-8) God’s mercy toward humanity, represented by these, is demonstrated in the many times He identified Himself as “the God of Jacob”, who was quite possibly the least exemplary of these! (Psalm 146:1-10)

God is not ashamed to be called their God, and “He has prepared a city for them!” (verse 16) The Creator God (Genesis 1:1) has a city crafted just for them, one unlike their temporary dwelling places. This one has foundations “whose architect and builder is God.” (verse 10) It is God who has worked for them. The pleasure of God was rooted in what He had accomplished.

The author of Hebrews explains in the next chapter how salvation began with HIM and would be finished by HIM, that is the LORD Jesus Christ! (Hebrews 12:1-2) “Therefore” signals the reason God is not ashamed. (verse 16) It was because these desired a better country, the city God had made ready for them. Their desire was pleasing to God, and they would be rewarded for their faith.

God had made a promise to them. He would certainly fulfill it. (Genesis 15:1) Their desire demonstrated their faith in His promise of a new city. (Revelation 21:1-4)

The Everyday Application

3) Why was God not ashamed to be called their God, and what makes that reality so essential to this passage? (verse 16)

Sister, do you SEE it?! Do you FEEL it? Do you KNOW it?! I hope you do. We can surrender our lives to Jesus knowing that one day it will be worth it. John writes in 1 John 3:1-3 “that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

Our hope in God’s promises reveal our faith in Him. The desire we have to one day look at the face of Jesus and spend eternity with Him MOVES the heart of God! Isn’t that incredible?!

Because of our faith, the faith HE has given us (Ephesians 2:8), He is preparing a place for us. He unashamedly calls us His own for He has forgiven us, redeemed us, and is shaping us to be like Him! Sister, it is our longing that points to the superior worth of what God offers compared to what the world offers.

While there are many questions we can’t answer about Heaven, we can know with certainty it will exceed all our imaginations and expectations. (1 Corinthians 2:9) The revelation to John talks of golden streets, walls and gates made of precious stones. (Revelation 1:1) God gave him a vision of indescribable beauty for us to gain a dim idea of how magnificent it will be.

The best part of Heaven, and what these understood, is that God Himself will live among His people. (Revelation 21:3) His glory will illuminate the earth as we dwell with Him. Hebrews says that these were not ever fully at home while they lived on earth. This is true for you and me, dear friend. We live on earth recognizing we will never fully belong and have yet to arrive at our destination.

But we live here with hope! This hope keeps us near Jesus, relying on His promise to hold us fast until the day He makes everything right and complete. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

Tags :
faith,glory,hope,saints
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Surrender Day 5
Journey Study

Will things go as we want?
Or will we be required to leave our comfort zones, surrender control, and trust the Lord with the results and outcomes?

When, like Abraham, our futures are unknown . . .
When, like Hannah, our souls are overwhelmed with anguish . . .
…will we surrender control to the God Whose plans are best for He sees the end from the beginning?
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Posted in: Faith, Hope, Identity, Legacy Tagged: faith, glory, hope, saints

Sketched X Day 9 Dreams & Designs: Digging deeper

July 21, 2022 by Rebecca Adams 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 Dreams & Designs!

The Questions

1) Why is the timing in these verses recorded and how is it emphasized in the narrative? (verses 1-14)

2) What is the reader to learn about God and His revelations from this passage? (verses 15-27)

3) Why would the author record Joseph’s statement regarding the Lord’s determination of His plans? What does this reveal about Joseph’s faith? (verse 32)

Genesis 41:1-32

At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2 when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4 The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.
8 When morning came, he was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
|9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guards. 11 He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning. 12 Now a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation. 13 It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.
16 “I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows—weak, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. 21 When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up. 22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk. 23 After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.

28 “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.

Original Intent

1) Why is the timing in these verses recorded and how is it emphasized in the narrative? (verses 1-14)
Immediately before the introductory sentence of chapter 41, “At the end of two years […]”, we read the closing sentence of chapter 40 which provides significant context, “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” While imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two fellow prisoners. Joseph pleaded with the Cupbearer to remember Joseph and his unjust treatment when he was returned to his previous royal position, but the Cupbearer forgot him, and so Joseph stayed in prison for two more years. The author (Moses) also included the small words “the end” to emphasize completion of a term. The Lord God is never in a rush. Though Joseph had surely pleaded with God for freedom from injustice many times in the 2+years he’d been imprisoned, the Lord would answer Joseph’s prayer at just the right time. The series of events, though certainly chaotic and without reason to Joseph, was carefully arranged and allowed by the Lord. The famine was coming, the good years were coming, and the Lord would use Joseph to position him at just the right time in order to save not only his family, but also allow for the flourishing of a new, budding nation of Israel. The Lord loved Joseph, and Israel, too much to allow Joseph’s shortsighted pleadings to short-circuit Joseph’s coming redemption and Israel’s growth. More markers of time passage are included in this passage to emphasize the preciseness of the Lord’s arrangement. “When morning came” (verse 8) speaking of Pharaoh’s passage of time and “today” (verse 9) speaking of the Cupbearer’s negligent forgetfulness and “then” (verse 14) speaking of Pharaoh’s conclusion to send for Joseph all underscore the reality that nothing in this narrative was happenstance. God used every single detail to bring about the next steps in His plan of redemption.

2) What is the reader to learn about God and His revelations from this passage? (verses 15-27)
God is not aloof, far-off, and neither has He posted a “Do Not Disturb” sign on His door. He wants to be known; He wants humanity to seek Him, follow His ways, and learn to trust Him. Though He, as sovereign Lord of the Universe, is absolutely not required to give dreams to people, He does, precisely because He wants to be known. The Lord is also a God of clarity, not mystique, deception, or confusion. God provided dreams to Pharaoh, a man who did not worship the Lord God in any fashion, in order to make Himself known to Pharaoh, but also to demonstrate to Pharaoh His character of orderliness and understanding. Pharaoh didn’t understand the meanings, but that didn’t negate that clear meanings were both intended and would be provided by the Lord. The Lord raised up the “dream expert” in His own time, and in His own way, after He had allowed Joseph time to wrestle with his faith for many years and land in a place of trust in the Almighty. Through the man of God’s own choosing, what had appeared confusing at first, was plainly revealed. In the same way, Jesus, to whom Joseph points us, would one day make very clear what seemed hidden to the Jews. He would shine clarifying light on the Old Testament and show how Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled every promising hope hidden in its pages. (1 Corinthians 2:7-8) While the Lord provided a clear interpretation to the dreams, we mustn’t miss there was only one correct interpretation, and everyone knew it, even the pagans. The magicians and wise men in all of Egypt, on hearing the dreams, knew they couldn’t correctly interpret it, for the Lord was holding its meaning. (verse 8) Only the man the Lord had chosen to interpret would have the correct interpretation.

3) Why would the author record Joseph’s statement regarding the Lord’s determination of His plans? What does this reveal about Joseph’s faith? (verse 32)
Joseph was given dreams and their interpretation from the Lord since he was a youth, but now as he stood before Pharaoh, his faith had grown and deepened in ways he couldn’t have fathomed all those years ago when he’d received his first dream. Joseph’s first dreams promised a coming time when his own brothers would bow down to him, but the timing of this dream’s realization, and the picture of what its actualization looked like in real life were likely radically different from Joseph’s first thoughts. Would he be king? Would he move from his father’s house into the lap of luxury? Would his dream make him powerful enough to silence his brothers once and for all? Maybe the “dream expert” spent many hours wondering how his dream would play out and when. In his thoughts, how easily could he cast aside that it was Yahweh, the Lord of All, who had given the dreams and would bring them about in His time? Did Joseph fall for the deception that these dreams were his destiny and it was up to him to make it happen? Perhaps pride puffed him up for years before the Lord began to bring him low, and lovingly teach Joseph how the Lord’s dreams weren’t about Joseph, but about the Lord God. The provision would be the Lord’s, just as the dreams were. The interpretation belonged to the Lord, just as Joseph did. The timing was the Lord’s, not Joseph’s to control. The fulfillment of the dreams rested solely on the Lord. Joseph emphasized how determined the Lord was to bring about the fulfillment of Pharaoh’s dreams because it was a lesson he had well-learned in his time of training with the Lord.

Everyday Application

1) Why is the timing in these verses recorded and how is it emphasized in the narrative? (verses 1-14)
It’s interesting to study what people choose to put down on paper, to record, to keep, and be re-read at a later time. It reveals quite a bit about what was important to them and who they are as a person. Old journals are particularly interesting, especially after a person has passed away. We wonder, who were they really between themselves and the page? How much more curious ought we be when approaching Scripture?! This is God’s own Words revealed to us about His heart and purpose for His people. More so, it’s living and active and effective as it teaches us applicable truth for our everyday moments in the middle of our own century! (Hebrews 4:12) Whether you’re an avid journal-keeper or not, what might you choose to record about your life in this season? What are your views of the Lord and His timing? Do you believe you are commander of your own destiny or does the Lord have any rule in your life? How do the words recorded in Joseph’s narrative land inside you? Do they compel you to worship the Lord for His kind goodness and constant presence or do you sense yourself pressing against Him in your soul? Regardless of where you are in your faith journey, be comforted by the truth that even the fact that you’re reading this today, at this moment, isn’t random. The Lord has a purpose for you just as He did for Joseph. As we learn to trust Him more and more, we discover not only our purpose, but also the grand love of the Lord as He thoughtfully pursues us with goodness and mercy. (Psalm 23:6)

2) What is the reader to learn about God and His revelations from this passage? (verses 15-27)
In today’s culture of dreams and visions and “prophetic words”, it can be easy to miss the main reason the Lord has given revelation of Himself through dreams and visions. If we move so fast into interpretation, seek what it could mean, or draw out the course of our lives, or rush to determine a “promise” from a dream, we have missed the Lord’s emphasis. He wants us to know Him for who He is as the Lord of All; everything else flows from this. When it comes to interpreting dreams or Scripture itself, we must remember what the pagans knew so well. The Lord has one correct interpretation to the original intent. We would be wise to consider the warning the Lord gave to the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, “The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Is not my word like fire”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and like a hammer that pulverizes rock? Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who steal my words from each other. I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration. I am against those who prophesy false dreams”—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.” (Jeremiah 23:28-32) Let’s exercise a holy awe and caution when reaching for interpreting dreams; let’s hold fast to the Word of the Lord as our foundation!

3) Why would the author record Joseph’s statement regarding the Lord’s determination of His plans? What does this reveal about Joseph’s faith? (verse 32)
The Lord never wastes suffering for those who have entrusted themselves wholly to Him. (1 Peter 5:10-11) He uses it to shape us into the image of Jesus, so we can more beautifully reflect Him to the world around us. (Romans 8:29) We cannot reflect a God of love if we have not learned to trust Him. Neither can we reflect His kind, humble goodness if we are trapped inside our own pride. Joseph began his faith journey with the Lord full of youthful arrogance and pride. Instead of causing us to look down on him, we ought to be so richly comforted! The Lord called Joseph and gave him the gift of dreams and interpretation. Over time and through hard suffering, the Lord would finish His work and place Joseph in just the right place to use His gift at just the right time that the Lord had pre-ordained. (James 1:2-4) The same is true for each of us. (Philippians 1:6) When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, His Spirit gives us gifts we are to use for the benefit of believers and for the strengthening of the Church. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) Our pride will puff us up when we look at our gift, but when we lean into the lessons the Lord teaches us about Himself in our suffering, we learn what it looks like to love like Jesus! (1 Corinthians 8:1)

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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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)
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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.

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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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Posted in: Believe, Courage, Digging Deeper, Equipped, Faith, Fear, Glory Tagged: dreams, glory, God, interpret, Joseph, sketched, vision

Whole Day 3 See The Sickness

June 22, 2022 by Guest Writer 1 Comment

Whole Day 3 See The Sickness

Guest Writer

June 22, 2022

Glory,God,Jesus,Life,Peace

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 8:18-22
Acts 2:29-42
Matthew 5:10-12
1 Peter 4:12-14

Oppression: an unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power. (Merriam-Webster) Often, oppression includes a cluster of feeling heavily burdened and mentally or physically troubled, which may lead to adverse conditions and anxiety.

Oppression has existed since sin first entered the world. As we read the works of Old Testament writers, we find their lament of the suffering humanity experiences.

“My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me.
My heart is sick.

Listen–the cry of my dear people from a faraway land, ‘Is the LORD no longer in Zion, her King not within her?’ [. . .] I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?” (Jeremiah 8:18-22)

Over time, some people throughout the world have fought oppression, providing fundamental rights to others and organizing to work for the protection of those suffering unjustly. Yet sadly, people in many countries are still oppressed today.

Today, I’m going to share about oppression in my home country, Pakistan.

In the midst of our struggles, we strongly believe God has good plans for Pakistan and He cares for His people here.

The Pakistani Christian community has been an important part of Pakistan since its creation, but remains a minority in the predominately Muslim country. While the white stripe on the hoist end of the Pakistani flag is meant to represent those of minority faiths, Pakistani Christians face significant oppression.

Challenges include finding jobs and providing quality education to our children. While the education system of Pakistan was rooted in Christian missionary schools, current literacy rates remain very low in Christian communities. 

Furthermore, in some areas, our churches are under threat of sudden attack at all times. 

In 2005, a mob set fire to churches and Christian schools in Faisalabad, forcing Christians to flee. 

In 2009, a mob set fire to about 40 houses and a church in Gojra, burning eight people alive.

On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack took place at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which 127 people were killed and over 250 injured. 

On 15 March 2015, two blasts took place at a Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church during Sunday service in the Youhanabad area of Lahore. At least 15 people were killed and seventy were wounded in the attacks.

A church in Quetta was bombed and 9 people were killed. The Islamic State took responsibility for the attack.

According to an Open Doors claim in November 2017, Pakistan had the highest number of Christians killed in the world during the 12 months from 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2016. Pakistan also topped the list of most documented church attacks during the same time period.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, reports emerged that rations were being denied to minority Hindus and Christians in the coastal areas of Karachi. Thankfully, several organizations, including Edhi Foundation, JDC Welfare Organization, and Jamaat-e-Islami, are reported to have stepped forward to provide relief to the minorities.

As you can see, recent years have seen an intensification of violent persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan.

The Lord Jesus told us Christians would face tribulation, and we must stand firm in our faith, knowing our sacrifices are right before God and will increase His Kingdom.

“If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

Christ made it very clear the road to which He is calling us is full of trials and challenges. As Pakistani Christians suffer for their faith, sometimes imprisoned and tortured for years, they are sustained by God’s promise there is a reward kept for them and they are sharing in the sufferings of Christ.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:10-12)

No stranger to suffering for the Gospel, the Apostle Peter confirms,
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you also may rejoice with great glory when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Today, if you are oppressed, remember 1 Peter 4:16,
“But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God[.]”

God bless each one of you.

*Written by Neriah Khan, whose name has been changed to protect her identity

 

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glory,God,Lord,love,peace,Sin
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Jeremiah grieved because his people wondered why God did not deliver them from oppression if He was still their Lord and King. God countered Jeremiah’s question with, “Why have they angered me with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?” (verse 19). Jeremiah lamented that his people had forsaken God to worship worthless idols.
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Posted in: Glory, God, Jesus, Life, Peace Tagged: glory, God, Lord, love, peace, Sin

Whole Day 2 The Broken & The Cure: Digging Deeper

June 21, 2022 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

Whole Day 2 The Broken & The Cure: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

June 21, 2022

Enemies,Glory,God,Gospel,Lord,Love

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 "The Broken & The Cure"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3:1-24

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So, she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?

12 The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

13 So the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

16 He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.

17 And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.”

20 The man named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”

23 So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What did the serpent ask the woman? (verses 1-6)

Could there be a more cunning question to ask someone than “did they really say that!?”. It begs for a skeptical answer and is meant to stir doubt in the mind of the hearer. The impact in Genesis 3:1 is that the question was referring to the command of God.

Though we don’t have clarity how it happened, we do know the serpent who was speaking was Satan himself. (Revelation 20:1-2) So brazen is he that he refers to God as “Elohim” rather than the personal covenant name “Yahweh.” Eve falls for his trickery and responds using Elohim instead of Yahweh Elohim in verse 3. (Bible.org)

Whether Satan possessed the serpent or deceived Adam and Eve into believing the serpent was talking to them, snakes do not have the ability to speak. And neither do donkeys. (Numbers 22:22-31) Yet in some circumstances, God allowed the words of animals to be used in His unveiling story of redemption.

Considering himself to be wiser than God, Satan devised a scheme to destroy the good which God had created. (Genesis 1:31)

The Hebrew word for “cunning” carries two meanings: negative implications are found here in verse 1, while more positive renderings of the word are found in the book of Proverbs referring to those who are “shrewd”. (Net Notes)

Sadly, Satan knew just enough about God to be dangerous! Though he underestimated the ultimate authority and character in the nature of God, it was in Satan’s nature to devise wickedness. By faking ignorance, Satan demonstrated the depth of his appetite for crushing us and consequently throwing creation into chaos. (1 Peter 5:8)

Four very sad words appear in verse 6, she saw, she took, she gave, and they ate.  Devastating! The world’s spiral into complete brokenness had begun. (Romans 5:12)

The Everyday Application

1) What did the serpent ask the woman? (verses 1-6)

Partial truths are the worst kind of lies. They are filled with subtleties that play tricks on our hearts and minds. A clock that reads 5:15 AM when it’s really 5:15 PM is so clearly off that we wouldn’t consider using it to tell time. But a clock that reads 5:15 AM when it’s 5:35 AM could make the difference in us being on time or late. It may seem later, but we convince ourselves the clock is right.

Subtle lies tell us enough of the truth to make us curious, but we can become too lazy to seek the whole truth.

Sin begins to take root in our hearts when curiosity turns to doubt followed by wrong choices. God has given us His word that is sufficient instruction for our lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) He has also provided for us everything we need to enjoy life to its fullest. (1 Timothy 6:17)

God has not left out anything. As Creator, He ultimately provides us life itself in every breath we breathe. (Acts 17:24-25) Yet, you and I still fall for the enemy’s greatest lie: you need more. As Mandie wrote, “In a way, aren’t we still falling for the lies that make us believe there must be more for us than everything God has already provided?”

Oh Sister, I’m right there with you crying out to our good Father. He has said we are valuable to Him. He wants to provide for us if we would just turn from sin and rely on His goodness! (Matthew 6:26)  

Lord, help me believe YOU alone are good and truthful. Help me to trust YOU alone for everything I need.

The Original Intent

2) What did the man and woman hear that caused them to hide? (verses 7-13)

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze […].” (verse 8) The somber reality of their depravity arises within the senses of the humans.

They heard the sound of the Lord’s walking, but the debilitating volume of the guilt pounding in their hearts was what they feared most.

They had believed the lie of their enemy and now the loveliness of the evening breeze was ruined by the awareness of their nakedness. They had shared the forbidden tree’s fruit. And the aftertaste was bitter. It was true that they now knew the awfulness of sin. (verse 5)

Instead of being like God, they were terrified to be near Him. What Eve thought would bring delight brought dread. The wisdom she obtained was not glorious but horrifying! Her eyes were now opened to her humanity in light of God’s deity.

This revelation brought something they had never experienced, deep shame! 

God had commanded them to refrain from eating from one tree. (Genesis 2:16-17) But Satan put a different spin on God’s words and motives, and Adam and Eve choose to resort to hiding. It’s a dreadful scene.

The Lord calls out for His created companions, the ones He made in His image to bring Him glory. (Genesis 1:27) The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Lord’s desire for people in Isaiah 43:6-7. They were created to delight in Him and worship Him. Satan’s desire was to destroy that relationship and bring glory to himself. (Luke 4:5-7) He was clever enough to use the curious nature of humans to convince them he had their best interest in mind. As they turn on each other, it appears Satan’s goal to ruin them might very well be accomplished.

The Everyday Application

2) What did the man and woman hear that caused them to hide? (verses 7-13)

We’ve all been there. That moment when our wrong choices catch up with us. Maybe it’s the sound of a siren and the sight of blue lights behind us. Maybe it’s the sight of the checking account balance that’s lower than it should be because of an ill-timed and unnecessary purchase. Maybe it’s the gut punch we feel after a juicy conversation we had that should have ended long before it did.

Shame can be so loud!

Especially brutal is the shame that comes when we’re guilty and we know it. Adam and Eve weren’t afraid of God’s footsteps. They had obviously heard them before as they basked in the wonderful evening breezes. But this time was different.

We get it, don’t we? I’ve been relieved to see the lights of the policeman’s car when there was an accident. I have been delighted to open my bank statement and see the ways in which the Lord has provided. I’ve been filled with hope as I’ve had conversations with friends that stir me to kind deeds and encouraged me to find the good. 

Why did they hide? It was their guilt and shame! Oh, how wonderful that God sought them, knowing what He knew. 

Our shame is not the end of our story, sweet friend. We have a Father who calls out for us to admit our failure and find forgiveness and restoration. It is so tempting to hide in fear and shame.

But it’s unnecessary.

We can be restored, and God wants nothing more than our sincere humility and repentance. He is faithful and kind. (1 John 1:5-9)

The Original Intent

3) What was the result of their choice? (verses 14-24)

Before Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, they were allowed to eat from any tree, including the tree of life. Choosing to disobey God caused them to be banished from the garden, including this tree. The New Testament Bible writer, James, wanted his readers to understand the consequences of being drawn into sin. 

James 1:14-15 gives us an understanding of how temptation works. It is exactly how it worked in the garden. Adam and Eve were “drawn away and enticed by [their] own evil desire” to know more than knew. (verse 6) When they became aware of their guilt (nakedness), they hid in shame. God questioned them about what happened, but they knew they had been deceived and had chosen to disobey God.

Because of their wicked choices, the God who had created them needed to punish their sin. As the consequences were being explained, I wonder if Adam and Eve remembered what God did say to Adam, “On the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Though Eve misquoted the Lord, it is evident Adam had told Eve what God said. (verses 2-3) They were both responsible for what was happening to them as they faced their day of reckoning. No matter how much they tried to place blame, Adam nor Eve had a defense. Yet the Lord showed compassion.

In His kind omniscience, denying access to the tree of life was for their good. God chose to cover their shame rather than leave them in the garden trying to cover themselves and struggle to live forever in their present sinful state. Living endlessly without the Hope of Redemption by the gracious God would mean only misery for humanity with no hope of relief, not even in death.

The Everyday Application

3) What was the result of their choice? (verses 14-24)

The enticement to sin comes not only from without (the devil), but from our own nature as well. James says we are drawn away by our evil desires. We think wrongly, leading to wrong beliefs, then we act wrongly.

The opposite is also true.

We are stirred to choose the right thing by believing it is best. Paul writes that all who have believed in Jesus must renew their minds. (Romans 12:1)

Adam and Eve hid because they had acted sinfully based on their belief that God might be wrong. Jon Bloom provides this example, “When my two oldest children were younger teens, they did what most younger teens do. They ransacked the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer for empty, sugar-based carbohydrates. If they didn’t find them, they would run to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. My wife and I would urge them toward more balanced diets and cite the science-based negative effects of such foods on the body and mind, but with little success. Then, around ages 17 or 18, suddenly they began to eat healthy, nutritious food and eschew junk food. What happened? It wasn’t that they went from being ignorant to being informed. What they lacked was a belief that eating veggies would really make them happier in the long run.”

The most wonderful news is that our hearts can be changed and set on God’s purposes when we surrender to His work in us through His Spirit.

We can believe Him and trust His Word. By limiting the lifespan of humanity, God gave us time to come to know Him and His provision for eternal life through Christ.

We have been spared from the misery of an endless existence in a sinful condition. Praise be to the God of creation and redemption; our brokenness has a cure!

Tags :
enemy,glory,God,Lord,love,Sin
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I sat on the floor of my closet, squeezed between an overflowing laundry hamper and a stack of neatly stored shoes. Tears streamed down my face. Maybe if I couldn’t see the brokenness, it wouldn’t be real? With the lights off and the door closed, I hoped to find an escape from the wave of emotions threatening to take me under. I was broken, in need of mending.
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June 20 - July 8, 2022 - Journey Theme #109

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Posted in: Enemies, Glory, God, Gospel, Lord, Love Tagged: enemy, glory, God, Lord, love, Sin

Sacrifice Day 1 Eden’s Sacrifice

March 28, 2022 by Michelle Brown Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 2
Genesis 3
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 18:1-12

Sacrifice, Day 1

Sovereign.

The supreme or highest in power, superior to all others. 

Scripture often portrays God as the One who rules over all things. His most common proper name, Yahweh, is regularly translated Lord in English, and found thousands of times in the Bible. So, to discuss the sovereignty of God is to discuss His lordship.

When we consider the Biblical concept of divine sovereignty or lordship, the components of God’s control, authority, and presence stand out (John Frame, The Doctrine of God). God is absolutely sovereign. The Bible starts with God, “In the beginning, God [. . .]” (Genesis 1:1) There could be no glorious gospel of Jesus bearing our sins, without the glorious sovereignty of God.

In His sovereignty, God foresaw Adam and Eve’s sin.
He created them anyway, in His own image, to bring glory to Himself.
Just as humankind’s choice to pursue self over God was foreknown by God, Jesus’ crucifixion, and resulting atonement for our sin, was foreordained by God as well.
The crucifixion of Christ is the greatest sacrifice of the greatest love in the history of the world. (John 15:13)

God’s glory is displayed in the way He chose to create humanity, including allowing for our sinful nature. God weaves the allowable reality of sin with His perfect plan and uses it all for good.

Hundreds of years before Jesus would walk the the earth, the prophet Isaiah revealed how He would endure the cross for the joy of restored relationship with His creation.

“When you make [Jesus] a guilt offering,
[. . . ]the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.
After His anguish, He will see light and be satisfied.” (Isaiah 53:10-11)

The ultimate exhibition of God’s glory was at the cross, where His justice and mercy met.
As I ponder the weight of sin, I am looking at my own life. Just in the past forty-eight hours, I chose to put my wants over submission to my spouse; I usurped his God-given place as head of our family. In another situation, I am struggling with harboring unforgiveness in my heart against a sister in Christ. I know this is not pleasing to God.

I am not alone in these battles against sin.
Scripture reveals how the pattern of sin established in Eden pervades every single life.

“In this way, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
Yet in His sovereignty, God decided the story wouldn’t end in a world lost to sin.
Instead, He wrote sacrifice into the story of His creation.
In Eden, as Adam and Eve stood awash in shame before their Creator God,
He made the very first sacrifice.

“The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and He clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)

One of His own wonderful creatures was sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness.
And so sacrifice became a major theme of the salvation story, showing up throughout the Bible’s narrative, both in the Old Testament (Leviticus 1, for example) and New Testament.

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

We understand Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice, and as recipients of such lavish love, we are compelled to emulate Him in our everyday lives. God desires us to be living sacrifices.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” (Romans 12:1)

A biblical sacrifice pleases God.
It is sacrifice of self, with a heart of surrender to God’s ways, that prioritizes the advancement of God’s kingdom, welcoming God’s purpose over our own wants or plans.
It is life, lived in conjunction with God’s will.

Today, we have taken a brief look at sacrifice from its origin in Eden, to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, to our own living sacrifices of true worship to our sovereign, glorious, loving God. My hope is we come away with a deeper gratitude for, and devotion to our God, who overcame the power of sin and death by sacrificing Himself for His beloved!

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Posted in: Christ, Creation, Deep, God, Hope, Joy, Power, Relationship, Restored, Sacrifice, Scripture, Worship Tagged: Adam & Eve, Eden, Glorious, glory, Perfect Plan, sovereign, Yahweh

Wilderness Day 7 For The Long Haul: Digging Deeper

March 15, 2022 by Dr. Leslie Umstattd 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 For The Long Haul!

The Questions

1) In the beginning of this passage, what truths do we learn that God has affirmed to Moses through his journey?

2) What is Moses asking of God in this passage?

3) What is God’s response to Moses’ questioning?

Exodus 33:12-23

12 Moses said to the Lord, “Look, you have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor with me.’ 13 Now if I have indeed found favor with you, please teach me your ways, and I will know you, so that I may find favor with you. Now consider that this nation is your people.” 14 And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 “If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to him, “don’t make us go up from here. 16 How will it be known that I and your people have found favor with you unless you go with us? I and your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.” 17 The Lord answered Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” 19 He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”

Original Intent

1) In the beginning of this passage, what truths do we learn that God has affirmed to Moses through his journey?
Throughout the book of Exodus, God’s provision for His people and confirmation of the covenant God has made with His people is clearly evidenced. (Exodus 24) In this passage, Moses recounts what God has confirmed to him. Moses has been called as the leader of the Israelites. God affirmed that He has a plan and purpose for Moses; God knew him and Moses found favor with the Lord. To read of Moses’ first encounter with God, and gain a more full understanding of the truths God spoke to Moses at the beginning of his journey, read Exodus 3!

2) What is Moses asking of God in this passage? Coming off the heels of the Golden Calf experience in Exodus 32, where Israel chose to worship an idol their own hands had crafted rather than continue waiting for the Lord, God told Moses to leave Mt. Sinai and go to the Promised Land. (Exodus 33:1-2) Moses and the Lord had been meeting regularly in the Tent of Meeting. (Exodus 33:7-11) Here, in the sacred space of meeting, Moses cried out for affirmation from the Lord. Moses knew what he had been called to do, and where he had been called to go, yet he sought the Lord’s affirmation again. He had just witnessed the awful rebellion of the people as they dared worship a golden calf idol. (Exodus 32:19-21) Moses understood the gravity of their sin, and likely felt the weighty responsibility of leading such a quickly-erring people to know and experience the One True God. (Exodus 32:32-35) In the literal wilderness where he found himself, Moses needed the reminder of God’s presence and promise, so he pleaded to see God’s glory and hear from the Lord.

3) What is God’s response to Moses’ questioning?
In verse 17, the Lord told Moses He would do as Moses asked because “you have found favor with Me and I know you by name.” The Lord also knows no human can stand to be in His full presence; His righteous glory is so overwhelming anyone experiencing its fullness would be destroyed. (Got Questions) Graciously, He offered a way for Moses’ need to be satisfied while not being consumed. “The Lord said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”” (verses 21-23) God provided for Moses’ need and preserved His life. The Lord evidenced tender mercies in the next chapter by replacing the shattered set of Ten Commandments Moses had broken in his anger. (Exodus 34:1-9) Truly, His mercies are boundless, which Moses began singing of after receiving the second set of Commandments and experiencing the glory of the Lord. (Exodus 34:5-8)

Everyday Application

1) In the beginning of this passage, what truths do we learn that God has affirmed to Moses through his journey?
In our wilderness journeys God has a way of affirming what He has already told us. Moses recounted what he already knew to be true, but he still needed the Lord to reveal Himself and affirm those truths again. The recollection of His truth, His grace, His mercy, and the salvation He offers are all necessary, especially in moments of wilderness and desolation. (Psalm 71:14-24) The Father God, the Creator of the Universe, knows your name (Isaiah 43:1) and He created you with a plan and purpose (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:9). In our wilderness, whether of our own making or purely due to circumstance, the calling back to God’s Truth and affirmation of His faithfulness is our resting place. (Psalm 25:1-11)

2) What is Moses asking God for in this passage?
For Moses, he needed God’s voice and a visual on the Almighty in the midst of his wilderness. The grumbling of “these people” in his charge was daunting (verse 12); Moses’ heart needed the Lord and His reassurances. The powerful truth of our all-knowing, all-powerful God is He is also a deeply personal and intimate God who seeks out individual relationships with each of His children; nothing can separate us from Him. (Romans 8:31-38) He knows what we need before we ask and yet He desires us to come to Him. (Matthew 6:32-33) Moses asked because He knew he could; he had direct access to God. In the same way, a personal relationship with the Lord opens communication allowing us to kneel in His presence and ask. (Matthew 7:7-8) Ask for deliverance, ask for joy in the midst of sorrow, ask for guidance in the wilderness, and even ask for teachable moments in the midst as Moses did, “please teach me Your ways.” (verse 13) God didn’t remove Moses’ circumstances, but He did answer him and honor his request.

3) What is God’s response to Moses’ questioning?
In this exchange with Moses, God was immediate in His answer and His reply matched Moses’ expectation. This isn’t always the case whether in Scripture itself, or in our everyday lives. God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8) and in our wilderness seasons, our own grumbling and stubbornness can impede what God is trying to teach us about Himself and following Him. It may seem He is silent at the moment of our pleading, but His truth is ever prevailing. His presence is always constant. (Deuteronomy 31:8) Like Moses, our wilderness may not end at the point of our pleading prayer, but our focus should remain on God, what He is doing, and the Truths we know of His character and faithfulness.

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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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Posted in: Digging Deeper, God, Grace, Journey, Mercy, Purpose, Salvation, Truth Tagged: favor, glory, Long Haul, Moses, plan, questions, understanding, wilderness

Build Day 11 Building Renewal

February 28, 2022 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 9:5-37
Nehemiah 10:30-39
Daniel 9:3-10 
Psalm 51
1 John 1:8-10

Build, Day 11

Sin is something we usually want to hide. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve tried to hide their knowledge of their nakedness. (Genesis 3:7) In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas called Jesus friend as he betrayed Him to the religious leaders with a kiss. (Matthew 26:47-49)

For hundreds of years, the Israelites were stuck in a cycle of sin, crying out, repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and then sin again. They knew their history, but here, under the leadership of Nehemiah, was a fresh chance to get it right.

Envision this scene.
Your church is assembled in a public space with heads full of dust, wearing sackcloth, with stomachs rumbling from fasting for days. And then, out loud, everyone confesses their sins and the sins of their ancestors. You read through the Bible, spend time worshiping the Lord, crying out to Him and confessing some more.
Corporate repentance. 

Now envision yourself, burdened for your community. You start your day connecting to the Lord “by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3-10)
Personal repentance.

We should be excited about this model of personal (Daniel 9:3-10) and corporate repentance (Nehemiah 9:1-4). Personally, I was ready to run at “heads full of dust”! This isn’t about pride or appearance. It’s about seeking spiritual renewal from God.

Throughout the Bible, we see renewal stemming from repentance.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Acts 3:19-20 tells us, “ Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord[.]” 

Personal repentance brings renewal by giving us
the right perspective on sin (Psalm 51:3-5),
restored relationship with God through His forgiveness (Psalm 51:2, 7-9),
and willing hearts to stay turned from our sin and toward God. (Psalm 51:12-13)

We also see corporate repentance throughout the Bible.
In 2 Kings 23:1-3, King Josiah read the Word before the people. They made a covenant “to follow the Lord and to keep His commands, His decrees, and His statutes[.]” (2 Kings 23:3)

In Ezra 10:1-4, the prophet Ezra “[…]prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown” while the people also wept, confessed their unfaithfulness to God, and made a covenant with God to “send away all the foreign wives and their children[.]”

Corporate repentance draws us closer to God individually and as a community because we lament our ancestors’ sins along with our own and collectively vow to turn back to God. It also brings us in line with our duties from 1 Peter 2:9 as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

From Nehemiah 9:5 to 37, Nehemiah proclaimed God’s praise, and gave an account of how God provided for and protected Israel. As he recounted each event, Nehemiah pointed to the people’s sins and unfaithfulness contrasted against God’s steadfast faithfulness. It was a stunning reminder that “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)

It’s also a reminder of God’s character and power. When we feel weak, we can draw strength from the Creator of the world. When we are being persecuted, we can know God is able to handle our enemies as He did Pharoah. When we are in need, we’re reminded that if God could provide manna and quail from heaven, He can surely help us. And we are refreshed by knowing, even when we sin, and we will, God is a “forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love[.]” (Nehemiah 9:17)

How can we practice these things today?

For personal and corporate repentance and renewal, we should come before Him with humility. We do this by verbalizing our wonder at His character and holiness. Then we should move into a time of confessing sin. Personally and corporately, we should be doing this on a regular basis. Just like we are eager to restore a relationship with a loved one by apologizing for an offense and changing our future behavior, we should take this even more seriously with the Lord.

One additional step we can take is modeled in Nehemiah 10:30-39, where they wrote out the changes they promised to make. Similarly, what if we wrote out, following some examples from our text, our commitments to the Lord? Here are a few examples:

“On Sunday, I will not take an extra shift at work. I trust the Lord to provide those extra funds.” (Nehemiah 10:31)

“Our family will agree on an additional gift to give to the church yearly.” (Nehemiah 10:32)

“I will cut unnecessary purchases and give it to my church or a ministry,” or “I will reserve time on my calendar to serve at church or with a ministry each month.”  (Nehemiah 10:35-37)

If we record and review our promises, we can trust our faithful God will bless us to do even more! We will be able, because He is able. Imagine the testimony our lives will be to His honor and glory!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Build 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 Build!

Posted in: God, Jesus, Relationship, Restored Tagged: build, forgiveness, glory, heart, honor, leadership, Nehemiah, renewal, repentance, restoration, testimony, Willing
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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14