integrity

The GT Weekend! ~ Build Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) In Monday’s Journey Study, we considered Nehemiah’s approach to leadership. Rather than lording it over those he led, he genuinely cared for them and sought their good. He also displayed integrity in refusing to accept special privileges. We are not all leaders who carry responsibilities like Nehemiah, but all of us have influence over others and responsibility for them in some way. Perhaps our influence colors the workplace, our church, or within our families. List the situations where you have leadership or influence and take time to consider your approach to these responsibilities, asking God to highlight any areas He would like to build up in you. As Monday’s study reminded us, “Whatever position of leadership we may occupy where God has placed us, we are His ambassadors.” Pray, asking God to help you display His care, wisdom and integrity to help you lead in a way that honours Him.

2) As he and the people worked to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah persevered through many challenges like mocking, threats, and accusations. In all of this, he kept his focus on God, never allowing the obstacles or opposition to distract or deter him from the task to which God had called him. What situations are you facing just now where you need to persevere? Make a list of these, being sure to include the ways you feel especially overwhelmed or challenged, and prayerfully bring these to God. Note down anything that threatens to distract you or tempts you to give up and ask specifically for God to give His courage and determination to persevere in the tasks He’s given. Are there specific Bible verses or promises of God that encourage you to keep going? Consider choosing one or two to write out and put in places where you will see them regularly as a reminder to focus on God. For example, you could stick them on your mirror or beside the sink, or you could use them as a lockscreen for your phone.

3) Nehemiah led the people in restoring the walls of Jerusalem, but they also needed spiritual restoration. Their heart’s need was to turn back to God, seek Him, and live in a way that honoured Him. In the same way, each of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and we need the restoration only accessible through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Take time to ponder this reality and to write a prayer to God as you reflect. You may want to confess specific sins He brings to mind and ask His forgiveness, or you may want to declare praise for the restoration He is bringing. Carol’s Digging Deeper Study reminded us that, as we await God’s final restoration, we can find daily restoration and renewal, as well as hope and joy, through God’s Word. How have you been encouraged by God’s Word in the book of Nehemiah over the last two weeks of this Journey Theme? Look back and note some encouragements, lessons, or things you want to remember or put into action, then place them by your bed or your phone where you will regularly be reminded!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Romans 5:1-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.

Prayer Journal
Father, thank You for the truth of your Word. Thank You for the hope, encouragement, and renewal it brings. Please help me to be faithful in turning to You to receive restoration so I may live in a way that honours You and reflects Your character to others. Please help me to lead well in the areas where You have given me influence on others. I desire to honor You by leading with integrity, compassion, and wisdom. Reveal to me the areas of my life and leadership where You want to bring change, shaping me to better reflect You. Where there are challenges, help me to persevere. I praise You this isn’t something you call me to do in my own strength; You promise to supply all that is needed as I fix my gaze on You. Help me to hold to the promises of your Word and the truth of the Gospel so I might be sustained by You, even when difficulties arise.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Word Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Do as I say, but not as I do” implying that the speaker’s life choices don’t necessarily align with their words. They likely see the wisdom of following a certain guideline, but find that in real life, it’s easier or more comfortable to choose a different action, even one that’s counter to what they advocate for with their words. In what situations have you witnessed this inconsistency? Identify some areas you are more prone to do this. In contrast, how does it make you feel knowing that someone’s life matches with full integrity to the words and teachings they verbalize? Would you be willing to trust a God who said one thing and did another? What does it say to other people who are watching your life when they see inconsistencies between what you “practice” and “preach”? Intentionally ask the Lord this weekend to open your eyes to where you tend to live inconsistent with what you assert to be true, then begin recognizing these patterns as they pop up in your everyday life.

2) Chosen. What feelings and thoughts do you conjure up with this word? What scenes from you life do you associate with chosen? What does it mean for you that God has chosen you? Are you living surrendered to His choice over you? What’s holding you back?  Appointed. We all hunger for purpose in our life’s story. What you involved in that fills your “cup of purpose”? What engagement makes you “come alive”. Do you feel boxed in or freed in knowing that the God of the universe has appointed you for work in His kingdom? Loved. Having a purpose is one thing, but knowing you are also dearly loved is altogether more significant. Do you view God has being Love? In what ways do you feel or know you are loved by Him? In what ways do you feel abandoned? Bring Him your honesty! Persecuted. We enjoy the feelings of being loved and adored, chosen, and appointed for a purpose, but the idea of persecution catches us off guard. What are your emotional, mental, and physical responses to the idea of persecution? In what ways do you feel these four descriptors are connected or in opposition to each other? Consider how you view Jesus, as God the Son, having demonstrated each of these. Look up Luke 6:40 as you process this.

3) I once worked for a librarian who left me with a pile of books that needed covered. She provided all the necessary materials, books, and a clear end goal. I snipped and trimmed and pasted and folded, spending significant time meticulously covering the books, but when the librarian returned she realized she’d forgotten to leave me with actual instructions. A task that should have taken minutes had turned into hours when I was left without an example to follow. What is something you learned just by watching someone else model a behavior or pattern for you? Did this process of learning effectively carry over into your own rhythms of life that you can identify today? In the same way, who has been influential in living out how to follow Jesus for you? Who has negatively impacted your perception of living a God-focused life? Can you identify some markers in your life where you are influencing others in their spiritual growth? We all follow someone’s spiritual example whether we realize it or not, therefore, we would be wise to make sure the people we are taking our spiritual faith cues from are those whose lives consistently align with the ultimate model of Jesus’s life.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 21:15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Feed My lambs,” He told him.

Prayer Journal
“More than these…” “Do you love Me more than these…” The words echo around my heart, Lord. Do I? Do I love you more than these? Show me my own personal “these”, the people and things and purposes I give myself for and the comforts that I love. As I consider next steps for our family, and some stretching possibilities that make me hedge in fear and discomfort, ask me again, Spirit, “Do you love Me more than these?”. It’s one thing to verbally confess that I trust You and I love You, but you don’t care about my lip-service. Will my life decisions, the big, scary ones and the seemingly insignificant ones, point brilliantly to a heart decision of trusting You or myself? Lord, align my heart with Yours. Teach my feet to follow in Your pathways. Guide my hands and heart to build Your kingdom, not mine. Hold me faithfully fast, even when I choose myself over You. Bring me back to following You.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Pause IV Day 8 Self Or Savior

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Pause IV, Day 8

God didn’t really say that.
The Bible’s message is outdated.
That wasn’t gossip, I was just sharing facts.
Sin is a pretty intense word; it’s just a mistake.
God doesn’t really care about my mistakes; He forgives everybody anyway.

Look, his ego is inflated;
he is without integrity.
Habakkuk 2:4

The Lord had taken great care to ensure His message was clear, easily understood and accessible to everyone, but there were many who scoffed. Even though God said His message was not a lie, many people decided they would somehow escape His judgement.

They felt justified to trust themselves, their interpretation, and their feelings, over God.

In today’s reading, the Lord lays out 2 paths, either trust self or the Savior.
We are given the same choice.

Whether it’s about eternal salvation, trusting God’s view of our value, or listening to God’s wisdom for living over our own, we are given the choice to trust Self or the Savior.

Today's Invitation

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down Habakkuk 2:4-5. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). If you find today’s passage a little confusing, jump into a commentary and read what other students of the Bible have discovered. (Try Studylight.org)As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to answer the invitation of going deeper into biblical community! 
a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
c) Leave a comment here about it.
d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group 
e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in! 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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Connect with our community on Facebook!

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Habakkuk 2:4-5

Look, his ego is inflated;
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.
5 Moreover, wine betrays;
an arrogant man is never at rest.
He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
and like Death he is never satisfied.
He gathers all the nations to himself;
he collects all the peoples for himself.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause IV!

Shielded Day 7 Heart Armor: 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 Heart Armor!

The Questions

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Original Intent

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?
“It” in verse 17 is a continuation of the “it” in the middle of verse 16 where we have the definition of “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”. This definition points back to Paul’s first words in verse 16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel”. The gospel is the incredible, shocking news of the holy God entering into a human, sin-wrecked world, humbly clothing Himself in human flesh, living a faultless, perfect life only to die a shameful, torturous death He did not deserve, and then rising from the dead 3 days later just as He Himself predicted….all to rescue sinful mankind who would forever be stuck in their own sin, hating and spurning the God who made them because they loved their sin more than the Savior. THIS IS THE GOSPEL!!! Paul practically shouts that he refuses to be ashamed of this radical declaration of love for him and the world. He refuses to back away from preaching it with eagerness because it is so powerfully effective in buying back a soul previously dead in sin! (verse 15) In it, in this gospel, the very righteousness of God is on display for the world to see. God is perfect and blameless. What better way to see His righteous holiness than in His intentional, sacrificial love for us? Because He is perfectly just, the debt of sin required blood sacrifice. A righteous, just God could not “look the other way”, shrug His shoulders and make excuses on our behalf. Sin demands payment. That payment has always been, and will always be one thing, death. Specifically in this case, because God is a holy God, incapable of being in the presence of sin, death is a spiritual removal from God forever. In radical, generous love, He sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty, heaping death upon Jesus Christ and separation from God the Father as Jesus took our sin upon Himself at the cross. (which is why Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?! –Matthew 27:46) His righteousness is on display in with loud, vibrant colors as Jesus Christ conquers death once and for all for everyone who believes in Him as He rose from His own grave, visited eyewitnesses, and ascended back into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father. THIS is the righteousness of God, on display for the world to see, through the precious truth of the gospel!

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”
God does not show favoritism. Period. In fact, Paul, the author of Romans, uses that exact phrase in Romans 2:10-11 where he also connects the idea of God not showing favoritism to how He engages with people “…first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For there is no favoritism with God.” The phrase “first to the Jew” goes all the way back to Abraham! God called Abraham out of his homeland, away from his idol worship, to follow Him in obedience, promising to bless him if he would follow. Abraham took God at His word, chose to trust Him and followed Him. God took Abraham’s faith and credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) Yes, righteousness, just like the righteousness of God on display in the gospel which we read of in our passage! (verse 17) Abraham didn’t do any work or put on good behavior to become righteous, he simply trusted God at His word. This has always been true for every person from Old Testament to New Testament to right now in the 21st century. This is how God doesn’t show favoritism, because the same offer of faith being credited as righteousness is extended to all people. It was first made known through Abraham and his physical offspring, who were the Jews. Later, when Jesus came, He made it clear that salvation was for everyone regardless of race, gender, or nationality. (Acts 10:34-35) 

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?If this phrase was translated word-for-word in its original language we would read, “The one who is righteous by faith will live”. Paul is quoting Habakkuk’s words which came directly from the Lord as He compared the person who relied on himself to be righteous against the person who had faith, which was credited to him as righteousness, “Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) To have integrity, in the case of Habakkuk’s quote, was to recognize oneself as a sinner hopelessly separated from God. With a true view of oneself as a sinner, unable to attain righteousness by one’s own merit, one is in a position where they are able to accept Christ’s work of righteousness on their behalf.  Covered by God’s own righteousness, the sinner, now made whole, can stand before God clean and forgiven, able to live for eternity in God’s presence! Without complete righteousness, Death rules, keeping us forever separated from God and His presence.

Everyday Application

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?
Has this “power of God” wrapped up in salvation been embraced by your heart?! Do you know for certain that there was a time when you took Him at His word for all He accomplished for you, a sinner spurning God, and surrendered the whole of yourself to Him for eternity? This singular decision is the biggest one of your entire life and deserves your honest wrestling. As you read the description of the gospel in the first question, what portion stirred deeply in you and awakened your heart to love and worship towards God? Praise Him for that incredible gospel and for the way He continues to work in and through you! For every single person who says a true “YES!” to Jesus, welcoming His powerful salvation into their heart and life, God’s righteousness continues to work through that now-redeemed person! Everything about their life is affected as it is open to the new work of God unleashed in that heart. God is righteous and holy, and His salvation demonstrates it with awesome strokes of beauty, as a further demonstration of His righteousness, the entirety of a believer’s life is remade! No sinner is left the same once Christ’s righteousness clothes them. Relationships will change, purpose in life will shift, priorities will reset, fullness, peace, and love will rule where brokenness and shame once held chains fast over heart territory. Look for that righteousness being worked out in your own life, and praise God for doing it! Look for that righteousness being worked out in the lives of other brothers and sisters around you, encourage them by telling them what you see, and praise God for His righteousness on display! 

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”
The main point of Paul’s passionate statement in these verses is to point to the supreme power of the gospel to transform lives, any life. Period. We are left to sit with this reality and wrestle through it in our own lives. Though we might verbally give assent to the truth that the gospel is for everyone, do we offer it willingly to all? Are there some we deem “too far gone” to be reached by the hope of Jesus? Or maybe, because of our own sense of justice, or a result from wounds we have experienced at another’s hand, we decide someone is unworthy of receiving the salvation Christ designed for all. Or maybe, sometimes the person we decide is unworthy of salvation is ourselves. Shame. Guilt that hits us like waves or gnaws on the edges of our hearts little by little. Fear of who we envision God to be. What if He can’t stand us? What if He is angry? And we know He would have the right to be angry at us for our sin, don’t we? We know we possess zero righteousness on our own. If this is you, whether you’ve already crossed the line of faith but still carry the weight of heavy shame, or you’ve never fallen headlong into the grace of God, He doesn’t stand in condemnation of you. He died to rescue you, offering His flawless righteousness in exchange for your putrid sin. Hold out your heart to Him, Sister, seek His face, He will overwhelm you with His loving rescue from yourself!

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?
While we live here on earth in our physical bodies, God is extending us grace, which equals time to listen to His voice and respond to His offer of giving us His righteousness in exchange for our heavy burden of sin. We have the chance now to be given life for eternity in God’s presence and stand whole and forgiven because of Christ’s righteousness given as a free gift to us. This is a gift we could never possibly hope to earn by our own hard work to become good. This is His righteousness, and by it we live! God is pursuing every heart that beats in the here and now, revealing Himself to them by declaration of the gospel, of which Paul says he was unashamed to boldly preach. Time on earth will not last forever, as we all know. Our lives are like a mist that vanishes as quickly as it comes, and it’s impossible to know when our last opportunity will be to choose eternal life over eternal death. Choose Now! What is holding you back?! If you’ve already given Christ lordship over your heart, and you stand whole and righteous before the God of the universe, are you living as Paul did with the bold proclamation of the gospel ready on your lips?! Who are you praying fervently over for their heart to be unveiled and understand how rich the Father’s love is towards them as He offers out His righteousness? Wherever you are, believer or not, the time is short!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Heart Armor!

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!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Shielded Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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 :-))

Memorize It!

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

Worship Day 12
His Excellent Word: Digging Deeper

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

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

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out His Excellent Word!

Psalm 62:8-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.

The Questions

1) Why does the Psalmist insist that we “pour out our hearts” to God?

2) What is meant in verse 9 regarding the balances?

3) What is meant in verse 11 by “once…” and “twice….”?

4) Does the last part of verse 12 support salvation by works?

The Findings for Intention

1) Why does the Psalmist insist that we “pour out our hearts” to God?
Here the psalmist calls the people, who would have been the Israelites, God’s chosen people, to “pour out their hearts” before the Lord God. We get the image of water being poured out as in Lamentations 2:19, where Jeremiah also pleads with Israel to “pour out their hearts” to God. The “why” behind this outpouring is rooted in God’s character. He is a refuge, a safety, bringing peace, calm, and clarity to our hearts, as alluded to by the word “selah”.

2) What is meant in verse 9 regarding the balances?
When we get desperate and afraid, wracked by fear and loneliness, it’s often our perspective that first deceives us. We begin seeing the world through jaded eyes and begin living based on emotion rather than truth. Here the psalmist reminds his audience that despite appearances of wealth or social standing or possessions, life, like breath, is fleeting for everyone. Only God holds truths that are solid enough to build an unshakeable life upon.

3) What is meant in verse 11 by “once…” and “twice….”?
The Psalms are poetic and full of literary devices. The numbering of things God says is used in various places throughout Scripture and always denotes supreme importance among other things. Here, God having spoken “once” capitalizes on the fact that only one word from God is more than enough because of His ultimate supremacy. We need know nothing else other than the Word God speaks because He is the author of life and all truth. Nothing is swayed that comes from Him. He is steadfast in all He says and does. The “two things” heard are 1) His all-consuming power and 2) His steadfast love.

4) Does the last part of verse 12 support salvation by works?
When studying Scripture, it is crucial that we never pick up a verse and tear it away from its context, and then insert our own preconceived ideas about what it means. “For you will render to a man according to his work” cannot be severed from the previous statements regarding God’s character, especially given that this phrase begins with the word “for”, which refers backwards. Man’s “work” must be seen in context of God’s power and justice as well as His steadfast love (again, made manifest in Christ Jesus). God’s justice says that all of our work is filthy and not good enough to attain salvation or right standing with Him. But because of His love, He offers the free gift of salvation in Jesus’s sacrificial death and resurrection. Our “work” is the act of faith in choosing Jesus or rejecting Him. It’s this work that God will “render” or judge us by.

The Everyday Application

1) Why does the Psalmist insist that we “pour out our hearts” to God?
Our hearts are the innermost places of our beings, the place where ache, injury, love, joy, delight, fear, secrets, and pain all dwell together. Our hearts encompass everything about us and God asks for all of it, the good with the bad. He is the only true place of complete safety, where intimacy can genuinely flourish. Where do you long for refuge in your heart? Bring it to Him, every part!

2) What is meant in verse 9 regarding the balances?
These verses hit at the core of our insecurities, no matter what they are. Whether we falter when comparing ourselves to others, or struggle with fear about finances or health or livelihood, God’s Word calls us to sink the foundations of our being into the solidity of Himself. He is a strong refuge, He holds all power, His love is steadfast. Take a few minutes to evaluate your own insecurities…..where are you holding onto anything other than the Truth God offers in His Word?

3) What is meant in verse 11 by “once…” and “twice….”?
How deeply do you cling to the very Word of God? It’s one thing to claim it as your source for truth, but another thing to make it the essence of your every day. How vital is your Scripture intake? In the same way, God’s single “Word”, is made manifest in human form through Jesus Christ. He is the preeminent One. He is before all things and in Him, all things hold together. Take a look at Colossians 1:15-20 and John 1:1-18 for some deeper insights!

4) Does the last part of verse 12 support salvation by works?
How deeply have you considered salvation through Jesus Christ? Is it yours? Do you claim Him as your own? Does you life reflect this utter dependency on His sacrifice and are you pursuing Him and His word ever deeper? Every current Christ-follower has had questions and doubts and wonderings along the way of their faith journey. If you’re simply exploring what it means to have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, we’d love to engage with you about those thoughts and questions. Shoot us an email and let’s connect!

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I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

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

The Tools!

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

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

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

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

Safe Day 6
For Such A Time as This

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 2:1-18typorama (8)
Esther 4
Psalm 91

“…For such a time as this…”

These are the words that have echoed through my life in every twist and every turn. These are the words that have stood true.

“For who knows that you have been brought to Parowan high school, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you have endured heartache, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you are attending Samford University, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you have been called to Kenya, for such a time as this?”
“For who knows that you became a wife and a mama, for such a time as this?”

I have found comfort in these words, attained peace, and been reminded of my purpose to serve my King with these words.

Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her Uncle Mordecai, is described as beautiful in figure and lovely to look at. She easily won favor with those she met. And ultimately she saved an entire… Well, we will get there in a minute.

Esther lived in Susa, ruled by King Ahasuerus, whose reign extended from modern day India to Ethiopia. He was a mighty king, but also full of himself, who could beckon for anything and it would magically appear.
Except one night.
Drunkenly, the king summoned for his queen in the middle of a celebration that he was hosting for all of Susa.
She refused to be paraded in front of more drunk men as his objectified trophy.
In his anger, and after some interesting council, he tore away her crown and decided it was time to find a new queen. (told you he was self-focused!)

Women from all over his province were gathered, including our beautiful Esther. These woman would spend six months in an intense “beautification process” in preparation for one night with the king. One night to win his heart and, if successful, would also win the crown. Eventually, much to her own dismay, Esther was found to be the most lovely, the most beautiful, and the King chose her to be Queen.

And this is where the story gets good.

Enter the wicked adversary, Haman, who loathed Jews, but had the full trust of our puppet King. So when Haman proposed that there be a mass execution of the Jews, King Ahasuerus willingly agreed, not knowing that his own wife was a Jew.

Uncle Mordecai urged Esther, who faced near certain death to approach the king without being summoned, “If you stay silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come for the Jews from another place, but you will perish. For who knows that you were made queen for such a time as this?”

Esther, her dark eyes downcast as she let the words fall over her soul, looked the servant in the eye and told him to deliver these words to her uncle: “Gather all of the Jews in Susa and fast for me, while I fast here with my servants. And on the third day, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

Gripped with fear, but held by the Lord’s hands.
Esther held on to a safety that wasn’t determined by status, or a death sentence, but by the Living God.

That moment of decision washed up on Esther and she felt neither prepared nor pleased with the process, but her faithful God sustained her heart to choose Him, even if death reigned. She didn’t know the outcome, but she knew her God.

“If I perish, I perish”, are words that point to a power greater than herself and she was determined to honor him, whether in life or death….“for such a time as this”.

In the end, Esther told the King of Haman’s wicked plans, having been granted life instead of death in the King’s throne room. Haman was killed and the Jews were given permission to protect themselves if anyone tried to hurt them.
An entire nation was saved by Esther’s brave faith to trust the Lord’s safety instead of her own.

May we all be women who are daily reminded
that we are exactly where we are “for such a time as this.”

“For who knows that you have been….
called to this city
given this job
have this income
are enduring this illness
a mother to these children
walking this lonely trial
….for such a time as this

Who knows the powerful things we will accomplish,
the people we’ll be able to influence,
the nations we’ll be able to save when we trust the Lord to keep us safe, offering Him our
“For such a time as this”.

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies in Safe!