grace

Another Day 15 Service With Love

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Another Day 15 Service With Love

Marietta Taylor

March 24, 2023

Excuses,Faith,Genuine,Giving,Glory

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 25:31-46
1 Peter 4:10-11
Acts 5:1-11
Proverbs 4:23-27

I said I would never serve in middle school. It just wasn’t “my thing”. So how do I explain I now arrive early to church to set up the TV, queue the lesson, put out games, and choose a worship song in preparation for middle schoolers? Did I mention I raised two daughters, but I teach mostly boys in “Mid City” as we call our church’s middle school ministry?

Why am I here?
Because middle schoolers need love and care too, especially from their church family. Also, God told me to serve them. Want to know a secret? I was wrong before. It is “my thing”.

My thing is serving the Lord who created me and prepared good works for me to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Those good works serve God’s kingdom and others. God designed it to work this way because His heart is for others, for us. And our hearts should be too.

Jesus taught about this in Matthew 25:31-46 when He told the story of sheep and goats at the Final Judgment. Sheep represented people who trusted Christ to pay the penalty they deserved for their own sin; then they lived out their faith by loving others. Goats, while fooling themselves and others by making themselves look like sheep, actually never trusted Christ and therefore couldn’t love people with His divine power living inside them.

To the sheep Jesus said, “You fed me, you gave me something to drink, you took me in, you clothed me, you took care of me and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:35-36, my paraphrase)
To the goats he said, “You never fed me or gave me drink, never took me in, clothed me or took care of me.” (Matthew 25:42-43, my paraphrase) Both groups asked when they did or did not do these things. He responded that their actions, or lack thereof, evidenced their willingness to love Him. Jesus rewarded the sheep and eternally punished the goats. 

This girl wants to be a sheep.
Since you’re reading this, I think you do too.
What about being a shiny sheep?

Jesus taught, “You [true believer in Jesus!) are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) Because “light carrying” is so important, He instructed, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Be a shiny sheep,
serving others,
showing them Jesus and
giving Him glory?
Yes, please!

Remember the goats? We can fool ourselves and others, but we cannot fool God. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold some land and donated part of the money to the apostles. (Acts 5:1-11) Seems good, right?

After Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven, the believers all lived together, sharing everything, not because anyone was forcing them, but out of love. “Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common” (Acts 4:32)

Ananias and Sapphira lied, claiming their donation was the total profit from the sale. Through the Spirit of God, Peter confronted them, “You have not lied to people but to God.” (Acts 5:4) God desires us to serve from holy hearts. (1 Peter 1:15) If we aren’t intent on loving Jesus, we will be tempted to be unscrupulous. How does this rightly reflect God? It doesn’t bring Him glory or benefit others. 

Consider Eli’s sons. (1 Samuel 2:12-36) They were priests yet committed many sinful acts. They ate sacrifices meant for the Lord and sometimes forcibly took sacrifices before they could be offered. They were serving, but with evil intent. Eventually, God took their lives because of it; they were goats.

Compare that to Samuel, who “served in the Lord’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.” (1 Samuel 2:18) Samuel served Eli faithfully and later became a great prophet for the Lord. 1 Samuel 3:19 tells us, “Samuel grew. The Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied.” May we follow Samuel’s example of being a sheep.

Christ loves us perfectly. (1 John 3:16) While we can’t love perfectly, we can reflect His love because His Spirit lives inside believers, divinely empowering us.
How do we love like Him? Before we serve, let’s consider four key questions.

  1. If there was no visible payoff like money, recognition, gratitude, or influence, am I still willing? (Philippians 3:8-10)
  2. If suffering is involved in serving, am I still willing? (2 Corinthians 12:6-10)
  3. Is my goal to feel good about myself or receive praise from others? (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
  4. Is loving God and others my motivation? (Matthew 22:37-39)

Answer with sincerity.
If your motives and intentions are true, pure and oriented toward the Lord, then serve.
If not, ask the Lord to change your heart.

Remember, Jesus knows the difference between sheep and goats. His true sheep are meant to serve with each of these qualities, but if we haven’t asked Him to make us new and remove our sin, we just can’t be sheep.

Opportunities to serve, to love like Jesus, are abundant!
Maybe you’ll wind up doing something you thought wasn’t “your thing”,
but is most definitely God’s thing for you!

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Another Day 15
Digging Deeper

The Lord has given every single believer gifts through the Holy Spirit for that Christian to actively live out in everyday life. Perhaps it’s singing, leading others to worship, easily understanding difficult biblical truths, being a good friend, making people feel welcome, cooking delicious meals, folding laundry, running a well-maintained home, or making flowers flourish. Whatever your specific set of gifts, we are all called to live hospitably (read: openly generous) without complaint.
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The GT Weekend! ~ Philemon Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Philemon Week 1

Katelyn Palmer

February 18, 2023

church,Faith,Family,Fellowship,Holy Spirit,Identity

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 Thessalonians 5:14-21

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. (...) Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies but test all things. Hold on to what is good.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, I come to you tonight broken and defeated, but with the words of Psalm 56:3 on my heart, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” I am ashamed of how much I have pulled away from You, which only gives the enemy room to taunt me and make me believe I should pull away even more.

I’m so grateful to know I’m not strong enough to separate myself from You, Lord – nothing is – but sometimes the darkness of the world makes me forget truth. So many are struggling, including myself, and depression seems to cover society like a weighted blanket.

As I meditate on Your Word and Your character, Lord, I ask You to bring to mind verses of comfort for my soul and encouragement. I know that ultimately, I will triumph by Your hand (Psalm 92:4); I just need spiritual refreshment, as do my brothers and sisters.

As I await your whispers of comfort, I will do as You commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and rejoice in Your love, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything. Hear my prayer, oh Lord, and do not hide from my plea for help. (Psalm 55:1)
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Paul is particular with his letters when it comes to his greetings and closings. Like bookends, he illustrates unity in both. Philemon 1:1-4 is a great example of how Paul sees himself in relation to Christ, how he sees his intended audience as family in Christ, and how he remains in constant prayer for every brother and sister he encounters.

In just the opening sentences of his letter, Paul demonstrates the kind of attitude we are meant to have toward our believing brothers and sisters. He closes his letters with the same grace and reverence toward each believer.

It’s important to remember that churches in Paul and Philemon’s day didn’t own properties or buildings in which to meet, they gathered in homes for worship, preaching, and shared fellowship. These churches were intimate, tight communities that depended on one another and supported each other in daily life.

With this understanding, when we consider Paul’s terminology of “fellow laborers,” “fellow prisoners,” “coworkers,” and “sister/brother”, we gain a deeper appreciation for what these terms truly meant in real life. These terms support the intimacy of a small home church and the true compassion Paul had for these believers.

Are we seeing others this way when we show up to our local churches on Sunday? Are we compassionately loving one another by first seeing them as beloved family members? This weekend, ask the Lord to prepare your heart to see your church family through new eyes!

JOURNAL TWO

The Bible was written by men inspired by the hand of God. God wastes nothing in our lives and certainly wastes no words in the Bible. In studying Paul’s letter to Philemon, Rebekah noted how Paul directed his audience’s attention to God’s call for unity between Jewish and Gentile communities through Christ simply by combining two common greetings from both peoples: “grace to you” (Jewish greeting) and “peace to you” (Gentile greeting).

With the simplicity of a greeting, God reminds us of the work Jesus finished with His death and resurrection as He, the God of Peace and Grace, reconciled sinful humanity back to Himself by paying our debt.

Because of His perfect redemptive work on our behalf to bring us peace, we are then empowered to spread His peace and grace to others, along with His love. (Ephesians 2:14)

As we share His love in our everyday lives, we carry out Jesus’ command to love others in the same way He has loved us with grace, peace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. (John 13:34-35)

In God’s hands everything is connected and purposeful, especially including our surrendered life to Him. If that isn’t something worth rejoicing over, then I don’t know what is!

JOURNAL THREE

The story of the widow who feeds Elijah and her family on God’s provision fascinates me! (1 Kings 17:8-16) The physical drought their land was experiencing is interesting to me as I consider the spiritual, emotional, and mental drought of our post-COVID world. The widow in this story was on her last bit of food and prepared to die with her son once it was gone.

Many today are feeling that same devastation following the COVID pandemic. Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other mental health concerns are at an all-time high. Just as Elijah served as a vessel to rescue this woman and her son from a seemingly hopeless end, we too must be the instruments of rescue for those around us as we carry around the hope of Christ.

We are the vessels, like Elijah and even like the jars that held the flour and oil, and the Holy Spirit is God’s provision inside us. Under Christ’s leadership and by His Spirit, we have the power to bring restoration from spiritual drought one soul at a time, but this requires surrendering ourselves to God’s ways.

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Philemon Day 4 Ties That Bind: Digging Deeper

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Philemon Day 4 Ties That Bind: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

February 16, 2023

church,Family,Grace,Peace

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 "Ties That Bind"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philemon 1:3-5

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why does Paul wish grace and peace to Philemon? (verse 3)

Paul opened his letter to his friend and convert to Christianity, Philemon, with greetings of grace and peace. (verse 3) Paul frequently used this greeting in his writing like a trademark and example for believers to follow in greetings. (Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2)

These words signified more than just pleasantries or common greetings, they were keynotes that marked Paul’s God-given mission to share the Gospel with both Jews and Gentiles. (1 Corinthians 9:20-22) Paul addressed his readers with sentiments that appealed to both Hebrews and Gentiles. In Paul’s letters, according to James Burton Coffman, “Paul wishes, desires and prays that those greeted may possess that spiritual state ‘which is the result of a right relationship between God and man.’ The bringing of such a state of tranquility was viewed by the Jews as being one of the main functions of the Messiah.” (Luke 2:14)

To appeal to Jewish readers, Paul greeted them with the Hebrew term for peace, shalom. He combined this with the Greek term charis, or grace, appealing to His non-Jewish readers, to express “the essence of Judaism and Christianity.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament)

Paul’s salutation invited Jews and Gentiles to follow Christ together as one Body. Casey Shutt explains, “Paul’s classic greeting is a declaration of hope: stating in the most succinct way where creation is heading (not to disarray but peace), how it will get there (by grace), and how we ought to live in the meantime (living from grace, which brings peace).”

All those who love Christ can live in His grace and exemplify His peace in their daily lives.

The Everyday Application

1) Why does Paul wish grace and peace to Philemon? (verse 3)

When Paul wrote his letter to Philemon, his opening line was “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philemon 3) Though Paul did not use a verb here, author John Piper argues that Paul undoubtedly meant may God multiply to you grace and peace: “The word to you implies movement. Grace and peace are on the way. More is coming.”

If a package arrived on my doorstep today offering me grace and peace, I would rejoice, because so much of what comes at me on the daily through the news, social media and cultural chaos is completely lacking grace and peace. Paul greets his friend with these virtues because they are part of the amazing gift of trusting in Jesus, something Paul wrote about, preached, and shared from villages to cities, from ships to jail cells.

Paul spent the rest of his life after his conversion sharing the Good News about the grace offered by Jesus (Acts 20:24) and the peace He brings. Paul taught that Jesus justifies sinners by His grace, redeeming them by His sacrifice on the cross. (Romans 3:24) This faith in Jesus brings us peace. (Romans 5:1)

The Good News Paul offered in his letter to Philemon is just as true today as the day Paul wrote it. Having a relationship with Jesus brings us grace and peace in our lives, too. In a world rocked by hate, war, and wickedness, having the grace of God in our lives can bring us peace in any circumstance. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

The Original Intent

2) What is the significance of Paul praying for Philemon? (verse 4)

In writing to Philemon, Paul declared, “I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers.” Chuck Swindoll explains that Paul met and converted Philemon, who lived in Colossae, when Paul was preaching in nearby Ephesus. Paul wrote to Philemon while he was under house arrest in Rome a few years after they worked together.

Paul did not forget his disciples when he moved on to a new city or when he was imprisoned. He wrote to Philemon and other friends, giving them advice and counsel, and he supported them by praying for them. (Romans 1:8-9)

For Paul, prayer was a vital part of the Christian life. He taught that God’s will was for Christ’s followers to pray constantly about everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Paul was a man given to prayer. E.M. Bounds suggests that Paul’s praying “fitted him to teach others what prayer was and what prayer could do. And for this reason he was competent to urge upon the people that they must not neglect prayer. Too much depended upon it.” John Gill suggests “The apostle was a man much in prayer, frequent at the throne of grace; and he prayed not for himself only, but for all the saints, for all the churches and ministers of the Gospel; whom he not only bore upon his mind and heart, but made mention of them.”

Paul knew God wanted to strengthen and mature Christians like Philemon, so he prayed God would give them spiritual power (Ephesians 3:16), love for others (Philippians 1:9), and a fruitful walk (Colossians 1:10). Through prayer, Paul called on the Lord to minister to the needs of the growing Church.

The Everyday Application

2) What is the significance of Paul praying for Philemon? (verse 4)

When I ask a friend how things are going and they respond by sharing their troubles or sorrows, I often reply with, “You will be in my prayers.” Or when scrolling through social media I see someone’s post about a difficult situation, many responses consist of “thoughts and prayers”.

This can annoy some folks, even when accompanied by cute hearts and prayer-hands emojis, or maybe especially when accompanied by them. Some feel like the phrase is a cop-out. They want action and change, not kind but ineffectual words.

But those who know the actual power of prayer realize that having someone keep you in their prayers is sustaining and impactful. (James 5:16) When we add those comments and actually pray, we fulfill Paul’s admonition to pray for others so that we might “lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity”. (1 Timothy 2:1)

Paul knew this when writing to Philemon when he stated, “I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers.” (Philemon 4) Paul believed that praying for people brought them the strength and help they needed because it led them to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit and his work in their lives. (Ephesians 1:16-19)

Mentioning his friends and converts before the Lord in prayer was a regular practice for Paul, as was seeking prayer from his friends in his own dire circumstances. (2 Corinthians 1:11, Romans 15:30) Paul even encouraged believers that when they didn’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit Himself was interceding for them. (Romans 8:26)

When a praying person commits to pray for you, you can expect to be touched by the Lord in some way because of God’s power and grace. When someone asks you for prayer, be a friend like Paul, who prayed everywhere in all circumstances for God’s will to be done and His power to be revealed.

The Original Intent

3) Why is Paul grateful for Philemon’s love for the saints and faith in Jesus? (verse 5)

Paul told Philemon he thanked God for him “because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus.” (Philemon 5) It was important for Paul to have mature, dependable leaders like Philemon in the churches he planted. Paul needed to travel to spread the Good News of Jesus and to seek personal safety when his message upset local leaders. In addition, he was frequently imprisoned for his teachings. Paul relied heavily on the converts and disciples he left behind to grow the church and spread the Gospel. Having a good and faithful partner like Philemon to lead others in The Way was invaluable to Paul. This made him very thankful for Philemon’s love for the people and faith in Jesus.

Jennie Allen reminds us, “God made sure to include a clear call to thankfulness in Scripture because He knows that only when we’re planted in the soil of gratitude will we learn and grow and thrive: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Paul was deeply grateful that Philemon was leading others to advance the cause of Christ and to minister to his own needs; his prayers and letters evidenced his gratitude for God’s provision.

The Everyday Application

3) Why is Paul grateful for Philemon’s love for the saints and faith in Jesus? (verse 5)

Part of the blessing of working with teenagers is you get to watch them grow, change, and mature into the men and women God has called them to be. Part of the challenge of working with teenagers is their growing, maturing, and changing can be a painful and messy process. I was reminded of this truth recently while working with teen volunteers during a church VBS.

Most of the young volunteers were fun, friendly, God-loving kids who were rock-stars in the eyes of the little kids because of their kindness and enthusiasm, but some were more reliable than others. The dependable helpers saw a need and stepped in to lend a hand, helping kids feel welcome and safe. (Colossians 3:23) The less reliable volunteers struggled to stay on task and focus on the kids, requiring more hands-on involvement from adult mentors.

That is an expected part of working with teens, but I was very grateful for the young people who spread joy and excitement while being responsible, respectful, Christ-like examples to the kiddos they were serving. When Paul wrote to Philemon, he expressed this kind of gratitude for his friend’s spiritual maturity when he thanked God for his “love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus.” (Philemon 5)

After my week at VBS, I realized Paul was not just padding his letter with filler statements before he got to the crux of his communication with Philemon. The gratitude was an honest, heartfelt, crucial part of Paul’s message to Philemon. Paul was grateful God answered his prayers and blessed him with a faithful, trustworthy leader who cared for God’s church in the same loving way Paul would.

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Philemon Day 3
Journey Study

Paul’s spiritual walk was marked by a strong, consistent, prioritized, ongoing prayer life. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he exhorted believers to “pray constantly.” Paul lived out this emphasis on prayer, as evidenced throughout his New Testament letters.

These are no begrudging, obligatory prayers!
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Philemon Day 3 Ties That Bind

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Philemon Day 3 Ties That Bind

Rebekah Hargraves

February 15, 2023

Affectionate,church,Community,Encourage,Joy

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philemon 3-5
John 13:34-35
3 John 3-4
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Isaiah 9:6-7

I’ll never forget the day I first read Karen Ehman’s commentary on the Apostle Paul’s common “grace and peace” greeting used over and over in his epistles. (Philemon 3) What we might consider an ordinary, perhaps archaic, greeting is actually a deeper, more eye-opening message pointing to the unity Christ desired for His Church. 

Karen points out in her study that the greeting “Grace to you!” was a common Jewish greeting in Paul’s day, while “Peace to you!” was a common Gentile greeting. When Paul combined the two into one greeting, “Grace and peace to you!”, he was clearly illustrating the unity Christ brought between Jews and Gentiles. What an amazingly beautiful greeting this becomes when we better realize the extent of Paul’s meaning!

Furthermore, we see a glimpse of the heart of God Himself in Paul’s greeting. Not only does He desire unity in His Church, and not only did Christ’s death forever secure that unity (Ephesians 2:11-22), but God is a God of grace and peace. 

We receive God’s amazing grace – His unmerited favor – when we place our faith in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Isaiah refers to Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), while Paul points out that a fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). 

When Paul says, “grace and peace to you,” this greeting is a reminder of Who our God is.

In reading Paul’s letter to Philemon, we see God’s desire for unity in the Church reflected in Paul’s words. As with his other epistles, Paul’s gentle, tender, fatherly heart towards his children in the faith is evident in the opening verses of this letter. Unlike anyone I know, Paul packs immensely rich goodness into a greeting! After proclaiming grace and peace to his readers, Paul notes how he continually thanked God when he remembered these dear believers. 

Paul’s spiritual walk was marked by a strong, consistent, prioritized, ongoing prayer life. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he exhorted believers to “pray constantly.” Paul lived out this emphasis on prayer, as evidenced throughout his New Testament letters. 

These are no begrudging, obligatory prayers!

Paul joyfully, out of love, chose to pray for Philemon every time the thought of him crossed Paul’s mind; his thankfulness for this brother flowed from the work of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s heart. So, too, should our intercessory prayers flow from the Spirit’s work in our hearts to grow our love, care, and concern for our brothers and sisters in the faith. 

Paul’s prayers of thanksgiving were centered around these believers’ well-known love for one another. This characteristic of their lives brought joy to Paul’s heart because these believers were faithfully living out Jesus’ call to love well.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Similarly, the Apostle John wrote that his greatest joy was seeing his fellow believers walking in the truth. (3 John 1:3-4) It’s not the believers’ works, their giving, or the number of souls they’ve won to Christ which brought these early Church leaders gratitude. Rather, it was the ordinary, daily living out of their true faith evidenced by their genuine love. This is the cause for Paul’s (and John’s) rejoicing!

So, let me ask – can Paul’s words be said of us? 
Are we walking in the truth and loving our fellow believers well? 

In truth, these two vital actions of the Christian life 
flow from where Paul began his letter,
a place of grace and peace 
coming from the Lord 
through us 
to others. 

If we have been showered with the grace and peace of God, we should be sharing grace and peace with our fellow believers, too. God’s grace and peace are the ties which bind us together and transform our hearts with love for one another.

I encourage you to consider how you can put these truths into practice, praying for and loving your fellow believers, leaning into active, lived-out-daily faith in your own community. 

Consider whom you can thank the Lord for because of the faith and love you see in them. 

Once believers come to mind, consider writing a letter, sending a text, or making a phone call to let them know how their gospel-rich lives are filling you with thankfulness in your prayers. 

This will bring such comfort and encouragement to their hearts, and will surely be a blessing to you in the process!

 

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Philemon Day 4
Digging Deeper

That Good News Paul offered in his letter to Philemon is just as true today as the day Paul wrote it.

Having a relationship with Jesus brings us grace and peace in our lives, too. In a world rocked by hate, war, and wickedness, having the grace of God in our lives can bring us peace in any circumstance (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
Dig Deeper!

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Surrender Day 8 Image Unfiltered

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Surrender Day 8 Image Unfiltered

Deborah Rutherford

February 1, 2023

Accepted,Confession,Constant,Strength

Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 1:1-8
2 Samuel 6:12-23
John 15:18-21
John 7:18-26
Genesis 1:26-27 

Dazzling celebrities and influencers dance on television, magazine covers, and social media scrolls. They portray worldly perfection with perfect meal plans, body weights, and even “perfect Christians” with flawless pictures from perfect angles, smiles, and filters. 

The world’s lens focuses on external attributes to create desired impressions. Western cultures promote the self-made and superficially flawless person. Although these images may look pretty and offer popular things to attain, buy, or be, they are counterfeits of God’s beauty. 

When Jesus came into the world, He brought His light to shine in the darkness. (John 1:1-5) He didn’t need to “create a persona” because He is the image of the living invisible God. (Colossians 1:15-16) Real beauty. The perverse dark world, blinded by its sin, shrieks at the light and beauty of Jesus.

We are pressured to conform to a worldly concept of shiny perfection, with all of our messy parts hidden.

As Christ-followers, we embrace God as Creator (Genesis 1:26-27), believing we are made to be set apart as a chosen, holy priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9) But how often do we feel ourselves conforming to the world’s image? 

Does our image conflict with who we are as people of God, remade to reflect Him? 

I’ve struggled with the impossibility of living up to social media. In high school, I emulated the models in the magazines and fell into an eating disorder. As a writer, I have been tempted to write for likes and followers, rather than for the One who called me to compose.

Did Jesus worry about His platform? 

Was He concerned with what the people, Pharisees, and Romans would think of Him? 

To fit in, did He water down His message?

No. Jesus was counter-culture. He eschewed building a platform, instead building a kingdom. He turned the world upside down with a King who serves and a God who had no place to lay His head, and a Holy One who washes feet. 

By surrendering our image to God, we release the world’s conception of an image, instead becoming His image-bearers.

As we bear His image, we too become counter-cultural as we live Spirit-empowered, holy, obedient lives.

Similarly, consider other figures from Scripture. 

Did John the Baptist, a prophet who declared the coming Messiah, have a nice suit, quaffed hair, and manicured nails? No, he came in a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:1-8)

What of King David, one of the best-known kings of Israel, stripped down to his ephod, enthusiastically dancing as the Israelites brought the ark into Jerusalem. His wife, Mical, called him vulgar. But David danced before the Lord because it was, and is always, about the Lord. (2 Samuel 6:12-23)

Many despised Jesus, John the Baptist, and David. Many will despise us as Christians. 

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)

God blesses us for obeying His call to surrender our images and bear His.

Despite their humble beginnings and personas far from worldly acclaim, God used both David and John in significant, radical ways.

King David ruled a mighty kingdom and was a forebearer to Jesus. John the Baptist came ahead of the Messiah. Much like the groom’s friend who stands by and rejoices at the groom’s voice, John knew Jesus must increase, while he must decrease. (John 3:27-30) We, too, must decrease so Christ can increase, for our joy is complete in Jesus.

Just as the Lord was a faithful Sustainer, Supplier, and Satisfier to David and John the Baptist, so He is to us. When we surrender to Him, we no longer act on our own, seeking our glory, instead we seek the glory of the true and righteous God, and this brings us rich delight! (John 7:18-26)

God calls us to be His messengers,
proclaiming the good news of God’s love and sacrifice
to bring about our redemption. (John 3:16-17)
For, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news[!]” (Romans 10:15)

God holds His faithful with what the Bible calls “hesed” love, which is defined as an eternal, reliable, faithful, covenant love. As we turn our platforms, images, and life over to God, He proceeds with His perfect plan for our lives.

It took years to love my body and who I was as a child of God. Thankfully, I discovered a vital Christian principle: God is beautiful, and we are made in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27) We no longer need to match up to what society calls “pretty” when we learn how precious we are to the Holy Father.

By surrendering my image to Christ, my life shifted from a rollercoaster of never matching up, full of anxiety and striving, to focusing on Jesus and embracing His peace and joy. 

As a writer, I write for Him first. I ask if my writing and social media align with God’s image. My hair, makeup, weight, or home need not be perfect because God is my perfect.
 
Sisters, will you join me in asking God to show us where we need to surrender our worldly images to Him? For with God’s light in our image, we shine brighter than any shiny, perfected world picture.

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Surrender Day 9
Digging Deeper

To everyone else, the stones were just a heap of rubble, but to the people of God, they were a constant reminder that Yahweh was a personal and powerful God, working wonders on behalf of His people. (gotquestions.org) Believers in Jesus are baptized to make a public statement of our faith and a reminder for us that we have covenanted to serve the Lord. Do you remember that day?
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Pause VI Day 15 Greet With Grace

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Pause VI Day 15 Greet With Grace

Melodye Reeves

January 20, 2023

Accepted,Gospel,Grace,Journey,Joy

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 4:21-23

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Read More Of His Words

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus … all the saints send you greetings! (Philippians 4:21-22)

Paul’s gospel is all-inclusive! Don’t you love that, sister? I just cannot ignore the intentionality of his mentions.

Emily Post was famous for writing about etiquette. She influenced the nation for years regarding what is proper, especially in writing. The apostle Paul was teaching us long before anyone knew of Emily Post. His letters included all the things that “the best letters” should. Under the influence of the Spirit: 1) Paul mixed the good with bad news, 2) he responded to questions asked or news shared in a previous letter, and 3) he always considered the recipients. (emilypost.com)

Post reminded her audience that good letter-writing included a positive salutation (greeting) and an encouraging closing (goodbye) in which the reader could relate. Paul did just that.

I heard someone say the gospel is not exclusive, but it is specific. And Paul was a master at making sure the reader understood this truth. I don’t know anyone who can preach a more concise gospel sermon in a simple greeting or goodbye. Paul is the GOAT for sure, and writing a good letter wasn’t even his goal!

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Philippians 4:23)

When I read the letter to the Philippians it brings me such comfort. Even now, thousands of years after he wrote it and his original audience read it, Paul’s writing is relevant to us. Why? Because the grace of God is timeless, and it’s inclusive.

Sister, as believers, we are included in this marvelous grace of the Lord Jesus.

Grace and peace were offered to the Philippians. Grace and peace are offered to me. Grace and peace are offered to you.

Pause.
Receive this greeting into your souls this very day.

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Read Philippians 4:21-23 out loud twice. Explore deeper by studying some cross-references of the authenticity of Scripture. (Here are some references regarding the reliability of the letters of the apostles: 1 Corinthians 14:35, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Romans 16:25-26, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 3:15-16)

2) Here is our last hand-crafted Spotify playlist for Pause VI!
Put this playlist on repeat this weekend and be reminded of the rich truths God has shown you this week in Pause VI! Rehearse the goodness and grace of God. Let your worship be an act of joy and thankfulness before your God!

3) Memorize Philippians 4:4-5

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Day 14

Do you ever wonder why so many people suffer from lack of food, clothing, or money? In light of this passage, it’s especially difficult to believe God always provides when it appears to us that believers may not have everything they need.

“And my God will supply all your needs …”

Sweet friend, ponder this: perhaps it is because our greatest needs are not material.
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Jan 2 - Jan 20, 2023 - Journey Theme #112

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Sketched X Day 10 Perfectly Planned

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 41:33-57
Psalm 105:16-22

Sketched X, Day 10

When you’ve been through what I’ve been through, you come out on the other side a very different person. I can honestly tell you that I now know my God better and trust my God more as a result of what I’ve been through. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything, even though it was hard.

You see, I was sold into slavery in Egypt by my older brothers when I was a boy. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I was falsely accused not too long after I got there and thrown into prison. At any point along this road I could have given up on God, wondering what on earth He was doing and why it seemed that He was treating me so unfairly. But I’m glad I didn’t. Because I’m seeing now that all of my days were perfectly planned by Him before even a single one came to be.

The Lord, in His sovereignty and according to His plan for my life, gave me the gift of being able to interpret, with His help, the meaning of dreams. And would you know it – that is the very thing God used to finally get me out of prison once and for all after I had been forgotten there again and again for years.

When I interpreted Pharoah’s dream for him, telling him about the coming famine, I said to him, “Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting him to decide I was the wise and discerning man for the job! Not after all I had been through! But that is exactly what he did! In fact, he put me over his house and all his people!  He even gave me his signet ring and clothed me in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about my neck. I couldn’t believe it!

Now during the seven plentiful years which preceded the famine, I gathered up all the food and put it in the cities. I stored up so much grain that I couldn’t even measure it anymore! The Lord so blessed us that when the famine then spread over all the land, I was able to open all the storehouses and sell grain to the Egyptians even in the days of such a severe, all-encompassing famine. Our God is so good, and I am now so thankful for all I went through. He intended it for good, and I now know I can trust Him with all my days going forward.

Biblical Connections:
Daniel – The same God who revealed dreams to Joseph and gave him the divine wisdom necessary to plan for widespread rescue from famine is the same God I worship. When I was called on to tell King Nebuchadnezzar his dream and interpretation, I reminded the king that no human could do this, only the God who was willing to share His wisdom with me.

God- Mankind was enslaved by Sin, stuck in their rebellion against Me with no hope of escape, but I used all of history to lead up to My entrance into humanity’s timeline that I might rescue them. Because I am sovereign, I knew the precisely perfect time to send Jesus to live in the flesh perfectly and die for the sins of the world. My timing is never late.

Lazarus – I died from sickness, despite my sisters’ pleas for Jesus to come heal me. It seemed hopeless, but Jesus had other plans. My death and my sisters’ sorrow had a divine purpose for God’s glory to be displayed. His wisdom is far above ours. He is worthy of our trust – always and no matter what!


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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
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And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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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Whole Day 4 See The Sickness: Digging Deeper

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Whole Day 4 See The Sickness: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

June 23, 2022

Anger,Giving,Glory,Grace,Jesus,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 "See The Sickness"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 8:18-22

My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick. 19 Listen—the cry of my dear people from a faraway land, “Is the Lord no longer in Zion, her King not within her?” Why have they angered me with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols? 20 Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved. 21 I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why does Jeremiah ask if the Lord is no longer in Zion? (verse 19)

For centuries, God warned the people of Judah of the dire consequences of disobedience. (Deuteronomy 28:49) Judah disregarded the prophets God sent to correct them until finally God allowed Judah to be taken captive. (2 Kings 24:14)

When the prophet Jeremiah lamented the oppression of his people in Jeremiah 8:19 he cried, “Listen—the cry of my dear people from a faraway land, ‘Is the Lord no longer in Zion, her King not within her?’” Matthew Henry explains, “The common cant was, ‘Is not the Lord in Zion? What danger then need we fear? […] Surely we shall do well enough, for have we not God among us?’ But, when it grew to an extremity, it was an aggravation of their misery that they had thus flattered themselves.”

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. As David Guzik notes, “The problem was not that God had abandoned the land of Israel; the problem was Israel had abandoned God.”

The Lord mercifully gave Judah many opportunities to return to Him before allowing His people to face consequences for their disobedience. (2 Kings 17:13) But just as God demanded justice, He also promised hope. In Deuteronomy 30:2-4, God assured Judah that once they returned to the Lord with obedience and repentance, He would gather them and restore them. What a blessing that we can rely on the goodness and mercy of God to carry us through trials, even the ones we bring upon ourselves.

The Everyday Application

1) Why does Jeremiah ask if the Lord is no longer in Zion? (verse 19)

Sometimes I take the grace of God for granted, doing my own thing my own way, telling myself that God will forgive me (yet again) because that’s His nature.

I feel conviction to stop disobeying, and sometimes I make feeble attempts to change, but invariably I end up making the same mistakes, presuming upon God’s grace to put up with my disobedience.

Steven Lawson asserts, “Many who profess Christ today emphasize a wrong view of grace that makes it a free pass to do whatever they please. Tragically, they have convinced themselves that the Christian life can be lived without any binding obligation to the moral law of God.”

The people of Judah did much the same thing, ignoring God’s repeated warnings to stop sinning and start obeying. (Isaiah 1:17-19) When they faced God’s wrath for their disobedience, the prophet Jeremiah heard the people crying out, “Is the Lord no longer in Zion, her King not within her?”. (verse 19) The people knew God was on their side, so they took advantage of His love and favor, expecting Him to always take them back.

God did bring restoration (Ezra 9:9), but not until they faced the consequences of their actions.

In my life there was a time when I persisted in sin and disobedience, seeking forgiveness but making little effort to produce real change. Eventually, disappointed and distraught, I implored God’s mercy and forgiveness, realizing that God desired true repentance from me, not just remorse or shame. (Psalm 51:16-17) I asked Him for grace to forgive me and surrendered to the Holy Spirit to be empowered to obey Him. (Romans 1:5) I purposed to change my situation and habits out of love for my God and hatred toward my sin (Jude 23), allowing Him to guide me going forward.

How much better to rely on God‘s strength from the beginning than to presume on His goodness! (Ephesians 6:10)

The Original Intent

2) Why does Jeremiah say that he is broken, he mourns, and horror has taken hold of him? (verse 21)

This was unwelcome news. In verse 21, Jeremiah accepted that God’s impending judgment was coming and he cried out, “I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me.”

W.A. Criswell explains, “This is a lament, a sad and sorrowful cry of the prophet Jeremiah as he saw the proffered grace of our Lord refused by the nation, and as he looked upon the armies of the bitter and hasty Chaldeans as they destroyed Judea, destroyed the city of Jerusalem, destroyed the holy temple. (2 Chronicles 36:19) Jeremiah faithfully served God from childhood by urging His people to return to the Lord, warning them of the dire consequences of rejecting God, and it broke his heart to watch his people choose their own destruction.

Alyssa Roat tells us Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet” and he “lived at a truly terrible time in history. Not only did he experience the horrors of war, starvation, siege, and captivity, he was called upon to tell the people of it, urging them to repent. Worst of all, they didn’t listen.” The Dutch artist, Rembrandt, made a famous painting titled Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, depicting Jeremiah’s great sorrow over his people’s sin and destruction. The book of Lamentations is filled with Jeremiah’s poetry describing his sorrow over Judah’s desolation.

Because Jeremiah loved the Lord intensely, the brokenness of God’s people grieved him. It was for broken people like these that Jesus suffered and died. (Isaiah 61:1) May we be like Jeremiah and carry God’s love to others, inviting them to find healing in Him.

The Everyday Application

2) Why does Jeremiah say that he is broken, he mourns, and horror has taken hold of him? (verse 21)

It is difficult to watch our kids make mistakes and suffer the consequences. It might be why there are so many helicopter parents who hover over their kids trying to keep them safe from everything, or maybe worse, lawnmower parents, who clear their kids’ paths of any difficulties. Although it is beneficial for children to learn from failures and navigate difficulties, it hurts our hearts to watch them suffer.

The prophet Jeremiah was not a parent, but he grieved over his people like a parent because he had God’s father heart for the people of Judah. (Jeremiah 20:9) He was no helicopter or lawnmower prophet, though. He warned God’s people of the disaster awaiting them if they continued sinning. When Jeremiah saw the desolation God’s people brought on themselves because of their sin, he mourned, ““I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me.” (verse 21)

Jeremiah hated to see his people suffering the consequences they could have avoided by heeding God’s words, but he understood that Judah’s exile was essential for repentance from sin and returning to God. God’s chastisement was necessary, but it would also be useful in turning the people’s hearts back to Father God. (Jeremiah 29:10) Jennifer Rothschild notes, “We often don’t understand why God allows exile. But this you can be sure of […] even in exile, God is giving you a hope and a future. He has plans for your welfare, even when it doesn’t feel well or fair. His plan isn’t for your calamity. God’s plans are to bless and prosper you, not to harm you.”

It is a comfort to know that even God’s correction is a blessing that makes us stronger.

The Original Intent

3) What does Jeremiah mean when he asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” (verse 22)

When Jeremiah lamented the oppression of his people by the Chaldeans (also called Babylonians) he queried, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?”. (Jeremiah 8:22) Philip Ryken writes, “Gilead was the land just east of the Jordan River. It was known for its healing balsams. […] Scholars have been unable to determine how the balm of Gilead was made, but it seems to have been a soothing, aromatic resin made from a tree or a plant. It might be compared to aloe vera.”

Since Gilead was well-known for its healing balm, obviously this was not an actual inquiry. Jeremiah’s rhetorical question emphasized that God had forewarned His people and allowed Judah’s oppression because of their sin and disobedience.

Charles Ellicott suggests “The question of the prophet is therefore a parable. ‘Are there no means of healing, no healer to apply them, for the spiritual wounds of Israel?’ The prophets were her physicians, repentance and righteousness were her balm of Gilead.”

Because God’s people chose not to avail themselves of the remedy God provided through the warnings of the prophets, despite the many opportunities God offered, they experienced oppression, subjugation and exile. The people had multiple invitations to avoid catastrophe, just as Gilead was replete with healing salve.

Judah had the promises of God to protect and guide them if they obeyed Him (Joel 2:18-21), yet they turned towards worshipping other gods and idols instead.

My prayer is to recognize how the Lord provides the “balm of Gilead” in my times of trouble and readily accept His grace and forgiveness whenever I falter.

The Everyday Application

3) What does Jeremiah mean when he asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” (verse 22)

When Jeremiah queried Judah in verse 22, he was stating the obvious to the blinded people of Judah, who were sick in their rebellion. Right in their midst, Judah had access to the remedy for their spiritual sickness at their fingertips yet refused healing. They had God’s leadership and protection, and they abandoned Him for wicked pursuits and sinful living. (Jeremiah 2:13)

Chidi Okoroafor notes, “Jeremiah’s question is, “How can a people who traded in balm be so sick?” “How can the people of God, with the Law in their midst, be so sinful?!” What was the solution for the nation of Israel? It was simply using the balm that they already had.”

Had they obeyed God’s laws and remembered His goodness to them, Judah would have avoided decades of oppression.

It is easy to read about their choices and condemn their actions, but we make the same poor decisions today. We may not worship physical idols, but we easily prioritize other things and selfish desires before God. It isn’t hard to neglect abiding in Him, and eventually we find ourselves disobeying His Word.

Our solution is the same one Jeremiah preached. We need to use the balm we have been given by the Lord to heal us, which is trusting in God and knowing Him by studying His Word.

Ann Voskamp asserts, “Jesus is your Soul Salve, your Balm of Gilead, your Wounded Healer who touches your hidden wounds [and…] absorbs all your hurt into His healing heart.”

Jesus calls aloud to heal our wounds (1 Peter 2:24) and break our chains (Romans 8:2). Jesus is our Deliverer (John 8:32) and our Refuge (Psalm 46:1), the Balm of Gilead for every hurt we suffer.

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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.
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June 20 - July 8, 2022 - Journey Theme #109

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Champion Day 4 Bold And Brave?: Digging Deeper

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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 Bold And Brave?

The Questions

1) Why did God choose Moses to help set the Israelites free from Egypt? (Exodus 3:11-12)

2) What does God mean by instructing Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him to release them from Egypt? (Exodus 3:14-15)

3) What explains Moses’ reluctance to follow God’s instructions even after the promises, signs, and miracles? (Exodus 4:13)

Exodus 3:11-4:17

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” 13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation. 16 “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 19 “However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, even under force from a strong hand. 20 But when I stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my miracles that I will perform in it, after that, he will let you go. 21 And I will give these people such favor with the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.” 4 Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” 2 The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 “Throw it on the ground,” he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.” So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. 5 “This will take place,” he continued, “so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 In addition the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, resembling snow. 7 “Put your hand back inside your cloak,” he said. So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. 8 “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. 9 And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.” 10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” 13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” 14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him. 17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”

Original Intent

1) Why did God choose Moses to help set the Israelites free from Egypt? (Exodus 3:11-12)
When God met Moses at the burning bush and called him to return to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery, Moses was reluctant and baffled that God would choose him. (Exodus 3:11-12) David Guzik suggests Moses should have focused on God rather than his own shortcomings because “God’s identity was more important than who Moses was. When we know the God who is with us, we can step forth confidently to do His will.” God chose Moses because He wasn’t looking for eloquence and bravery. He was looking for faith, obedience, and willingness to follow Him. (1 John 5:3) God chose someone who was not a great speaker because He wanted Moses to rely on His power and His presence (Isaiah 41:10), not on Moses’ skill and talent. Christine Caine suggests, “There seemed to be a precedent in the Bible for God using people who considered themselves unqualified, insecure, and incapable. When they obeyed and did what He called them to do, it ensured that He received all the glory.” If a reticent stutterer could convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go, it was only because the God working through him was powerful and almighty. God performed amazing miracles through His flawed servant, Moses, and He has plans to use each one of us to do great things for His glory (1 Corinthians 2:9), no matter our imperfections. We can rejoice that God uses our weaknesses to show Himself strong! (2 Corinthians 12:9)

2) What does God mean by instructing Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him to release them from Egypt? (Exodus 3:14-15)
There are over 1,000 names for God in the Bible, but the one God instructs Moses to use when freeing the Israelites is I AM, because He says, “This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.” (Exodus 3:14-15) John Piper explains how “the name Yahweh and the name I AM are built out of the same Hebrew word (hayah) […] Yahweh seems to be used here interchangeably with I AM. Contained in the name Yahweh is the first and most important truth about God: He exists.” God wanted to remind His people He had always been their God, since before Creation (John 1:1-3), and He would continue to be their Deliverer. (Romans 11:26) As David Guzik suggests, “God told Moses His name was I AM because God simply is; there was never a time when He did not exist, or a time when He will cease to exist.” Jesus uses this name for Himself in John 8:58 when He declares, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” He says something similar in John 18:4-6, when the Pharisees ask if He is Jesus and He answers, “I Am He”, and they all fall backwards on the ground. Lisa Lorraine Baker suggests, “The force of the expression of God’s name was akin to God telling Moses he was standing on holy ground.” The Almighty, Eternal God commanded Moses to make His name known to the captive nation of Israel so they would understand that the God of their ancestors could be trusted to deliver them from captivity. Jesus came to earth for the same reason, to set us free from our slavery to sin. (Romans 6:6) I AM truly is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

3) What explains Moses’ reluctance to follow God’s instructions even after the promises, signs, and miracles? (Exodus 4:13)
God used common things in a spectacular way when He called Moses to free Israel from Egyptian captivity. He employed a burning bush, a rod that became a snake, and a hand that became diseased and then was healed. God provided the promise of Presence and more miraculous events to prove His power, but Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else”. (Exodus 4:13) Moses was afraid and reluctant to obey because he focused on his own weaknesses and shortcomings instead of the Almighty God who performed miracles with amazing power. He trusted what he knew and understood about his own flaws more than he trusted God’s ability to work through his deficiencies. Karen Ehman explains that Moses “responded by using thoughts about His weaknesses instead of thoughts about God’s strength. His heart-closet contained so many ill-fitting assumptions that he was unable to quickly don the name-brand truths from his Creator and Designer, Yahweh.” Moses simply didn’t trust God could use him to do such important work. He needed to learn to see God as bigger and stronger than his weaknesses (Isaiah 40:29-31) John Piper suggests, “God’s answer to that maneuver is always the same: ‘RIGHT, you are small and weak. But WRONG, that is no excuse to cop out. Why? Because I will be with you, I will help you, I will strengthen you and will uphold you with my victorious right hand. I love to do big things through small people! How else will My name be glorified in all the earth?’” Moses needed to accept that none of God’s success was determined by Moses’ skill and prowess; everything depended on God’s ability to work through Moses’ trusting surrender. This is the faith that pleases God! (Hebrews 11:6)

Everyday Application

1) Why did God choose Moses to help set the Israelites free from Egypt? (Exodus 3:11-12)
As a new teacher, I quickly realized that no matter how good my grades were in college or how thorough my training was, a class full of high-schoolers could size me up and determine all my vulnerabilities within the first week of classes. Multiply that by 6 classes a day, and I was pouring over the help wanted ads by Christmas break my first year of teaching, looking for a career change. I thought God had led me to the profession, but I began to question, much like Moses did, who am I to do this job? (Exodus 3:11-12) I needed to learn, just as Moses did, what Christine Caine asserts, “It is never about who I am not, but rather, it is always about who He is in me.” I was not a great disciplinarian, and Moses was not a great orator, but that wasn’t the full story. When God chooses you for a task, He empowers you to accomplish the task by giving you His strength and working through you as you surrender. (Hebrews 13:21) Meredith McDaniel explains, “It was by God’s holiness and power that Moses was able to go back to the people and share with them the promises of their Creator. God provided just what he needed to do it and more. […] In the same way God equipped Moses, He provides everything we need through His mighty power and His ability to see farther down the road ahead than we can.” When you struggle in your own strength to do something God has asked of you, I encourage you to stop flailing and allow God to empower and direct your actions. He is gracious to provide everything we need to excel in what He has planned for us. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

2) What does God mean by instructing Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM had sent him to release them from Egypt? (Exodus 3:14-15)
As a teacher, I taught a trick to identify “being verbs”. By replacing the verb with an equal sign in a sentence, one could know its identity if the words were equally defined. In, “I am a teacher,”, I = a teacher, so “am” is a being verb. In, “I teach Spanish,” I [does not] = Spanish, so “teach” is an action verb. When God instructed Moses to announce Himself as “I Am Who I Am” (Exodus 3:14-15), He didn’t follow the verb Am with anything. He simply declared, “I AM.” No equivalent was needed. “There is no equivalent for God but God. If you place God on the one side of your symbol of equation (=), there is nothing to put on the other but Himself.” (F.B. Meyer) God wanted His people to recognize that He is the one true God without equal. (Exodus 8:10) The Israelites found that I AM was their Every Thing in their time of need, including Deliverer (Exodus 6:6) and Provider (Exodus 16:13-14). There exists no need that cannot be fulfilled by the Great I Am! In our humanity, we may believe we need something different in a different timeline, but God is not our genie, bending at our whim. He lovingly knows exactly what is needed and will prove Himself to be the perfect I AM every time. (Matthew 6:8) Of Himself, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) and “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) to describe God as the Sovereign Lord who supplies every need. (Philippians 4:19) Our God, The Great I Am, is our complete supplier!

3) What explains Moses’ reluctance to follow God’s instructions even after the promises, signs, and miracles? (Exodus 4:13)
When my husband mentions something God may be calling us to do, I have been known to respond with, “God would need to send me a flashing neon sign before I would consider that.” When I read how Moses told God, “Please, Lord, send someone else” (Exodus 4:13), I recognize my own attitude in his reluctance and reticence. God performed miracles and gave Moses details about His guidance and direction during the exodus, but Moses was still afraid to trust God. Priscilla Shirer suggests, “Moses’ problem was that although he reverenced God, he didn’t yet know him very well. Understanding God’s attributes . . . helps us appreciate him in a deeper, more intimate way as it moves us from knowing about him to truly knowing him.” Moses needed to learn that God was faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9) and worthy of his trust (Psalm 111:7). He also needed to learn that, while God loved him and wanted to use him, God didn’t love Moses for his abilities or what he could do for God. Judah Smith said, “To solve Moses’ identity crisis, God reminds Moses who God is. […] The answer to our frequent identity crises is not first and foremost focusing on who we are, but focusing on who God is.” God used miracles to let Moses rest in truth, knowing that, when you have a powerful God on your side, you don’t need exceptional capabilities. God just wants a faithful and obedient servant to follow Him in a demonstration of faith. (1Corinthians 4:1-2) Although my own attitude is sometimes as faithless as Moses’, I am blessed that God gives grace to “bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name”. (Romans 1:5)

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