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Reveal Day 7 Filling The Empty: 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 Filling The Empty!

The Questions

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Original Intent

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
John didn’t write about the Word so as to invoke a mystery, he wrote to make one truth abundantly clear. Jesus IS God. Not a god. Not a good man. Not a great prophet. Jesus is God; the very fullness of God dwelled in Him. (Colossians 1:19) If it is true about God, John writes, it is also true of the Word. The total equality of power, authority, will, and sovereignty is made abundantly clear right from the start of John’s gospel. A gospel record which, by the way, focuses every story on the unequivocal identity of Jesus Christ as God. Are we absolutely certain the Word is indeed Jesus Christ? Without a single hint of doubt! John says the Word carried life within Him (verse 4), a life described as the “light of the word” (verse 9), of whom, John (the Baptist) was a forerunner testifying of this coming Light. (verses 7-8) John describes the Word as coming to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (verse 12) Making his point more clear, John adds that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (verse 14) Beyond all imaginings, the Word, who is God, now put on human skin! The fullness of God wrapped in frail flesh and bone, coming as a helpless baby born to a virgin girl. Fully God, and fully man, this Word did not come in secret to a few select people, but He was widely-known and countless people testified of Him, including John who wrote this gospel a mere 60 years after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This allowed for plenty of time for readers of his gospel to interview and cross reference with other witnesses who had walked with Jesus to verify all John testified of this Word made flesh. (verses 14-15) To remove all potential remaining doubt as to the identity of the Word, God in the flesh, John writes, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” (verses 17-18)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
John wrote his gospel so that all would understand that Jesus is indeed God, but more so, that they would believe in His Name so they could experience adoption as children of God. (verse 12) It’s only when we put our full trust on who John describes Jesus as (fully God, fully human) and on everything Jesus taught we can become a child of God. This is the “receiving” John wrote of in verse 12. John said Jesus “was in the world, and the world was created through Him, and yet the world did not recognize Him.” (verse 10) Every tree, flower, smile, gentle breeze, human bone, and intricate eyeball screams of a loving Creator God who is infinitely wise and infinitely interested in His creation, yet the One who crafted every fingerprint, wasn’t recognized as He came and dwelt among His people. Though He clothed Himself in human skin and hair, moved in miraculous ways only God could, healed broken bodies, and fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy about Himself, they still chose unbelief. He “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (verse 11) Even as far back in the Old Testament as the moment the first sin was acknowledged by humans before God, He promised One who would come to crush the head of Satan, forever ending death and suffering. (Genesis 3:15) Throughout all of history since that moment, the Lord God has crafted events and prophetic messages to point to the coming of His promised Messiah. Finally, as Jesus was born, and God was present in the flesh with His people, the Jews rejected Him. (Acts 2:22-23)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
By looking at these words alone, the pronouns become nonsensical, which is why it is always critically important to study Scripture by reading a whole passage, not just a single soundbite. We must first understand the message in its original setting before we can make any application to our lives today. (for more on this, see “Why Do We Dig Deeper?”) Verse 18 says in full, “No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” While there were occurrences of people seeing some of God’s glory as He allowed it (Exodus 33:18-19), Scripture teaches no one can see God and live. (Exodus 33:20) He is perfectly holy, and we are utterly sinful. There is no possible way for sin to stand in His presence. “Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3) The only way we could possibly “see” God was for Him to come to us in human form. John was careful with his words to express to us, “…The one and only Son, who is Himself God, and is at the Father’s side…” No one can tell us who God is like, except God Himself. There is only One authority able to accurately convey the fullness of Who He Is. God Himself. At the time of John’s writing, Jesus had already ascended back to Heaven and taken His place at the right hand of the Father. Note that John was again careful to make a distinction by saying Jesus was at the right hand of the Father. Both of them, along with the Holy Spirit, are fully God together. They are triune; 3 equally divine beings in 1 God. Finally, we come to the phrase, “He has revealed Him”. Now that we have slowed down for proper understanding, it is clear Jesus, fully God, came in human form, to make the unseen God seen and knowable. What incredible humility and love!

Everyday Application

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
I could sit with just these few verses of Scripture for the rest of my life and never unpack their fullness; they are so rich! That being said, the very first verse, only consisting of 17 words, leaves absolutely zero wiggle room about the identity of the Word. These last 4 words of sentence one set the bedrock foundation for e v e r y t h i n g else we read in John. What four words you ask? “…the Word was God.” Ladies, this is the biggest mic drop in history, and John wanted to make sure his readers didn’t even move onto a second sentence before understanding that this “Word” not only was “with” God from the very beginning of Creation, He Is God. Everything that could be said about God, can also be said of the Word. It can be hard to identify, much less tear down, our own false beliefs we have about who Jesus is as the fullness of God. I was blessed to be raised in a home where the truth that Jesus was God was taught over and over, but even so, I held a number of false beliefs about God when I left my family of origin. It took my marriage careening towards divorce, suffering depression, and surviving my suicide plans, before I was willing to finally, level the tower of my long-held beliefs. What I thought was true, just wasn’t adding up in real life. Too many questions didn’t have answers, and I needed answers. I decided to read the Bible for myself, forcing myself to remove the thick lenses of my past, and study God’s Word for what it really said. God was faithful to teach me Who He really was, and, praise God, He has continued to show me over and over who He is, and always will be!

2) In what ways did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
This is the single greatest tragedy known to mankind. That we would choose to reject the very Author of Life, deciding instead to clench our fists around ourselves, our own arbitrary measure of “good enough”, or our own twisted perception of who God is and what He is like, this tragedy will result in our eternal separation from Him. We will be utterly lost in unending darkness, forever suffering without the good, kind, forgiving God, who is Himself Light and Love. (Matthew 7:21-23) Amid swirling conversations and social debates on who this Jesus really was because He spoke and acted like He had the power of God, but looked like an ordinary man, Jesus asked this question to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”. (Matthew 16:15) Peter rightly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Who do you say Jesus is? Is He the Messiah, the Christ, the promised One from the beginning of time? Is He exactly who John, and rest of Scripture, declare Him to be as God Himself? Jesus followed up Peter’s response with this affirmation, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) If you aren’t convinced Jesus is precisely who He claimed, ask the Father to reveal it to your heart. Be certain you know Who you are believing in!  

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
It would be easy for us, sitting at the tail end of 2020, to say with a bit of a scoff, “It was easy to see God when Jesus was doing miracles right in front of them.” While true, we don’t have the benefit of walking beside Jesus, watching Him sweat under a hot Judean sun, or laugh out loud when the disciples poked fun at each other. Neither can we stand beside Him in awe as He brought life from a previously dead person or straightened a once-crooked leg. Though it may not seem like it, because our culture has a love affair with instant gratification and visual experiences, Jesus said it was better for Him to leave earth. (John 16:7) “If I go, I will send Him to you.” Once Jesus left, the Holy Spirit could come, indwelling every person who fully places their trust in Jesus, the Christ, the only Holy God. Jesus couldn’t be everywhere with every person at the same time in the limits of His physical body, but through the Holy Spirit, (who is also fully God!), every believer has direct access to God at all times. He isn’t a finnicky God, deciding to leave us when we misbehave, He stays inside to forever mark us as His. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Christ Jesus died for us, the ungodly, so His righteousness could be imputed (or directly replacing our old, sinful identity) on us. (Romans 5:6-11) As the Spirit lives within hearts that believe in Jesus as the One True God, He continues revealing more about God to us through His Word. Only God can reveal God.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Filling The Empty!

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 Reveal 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.

Sketched VIII Day 7 Lazarus: 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 Lazarus!

The Questions

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important? (verses 4-7)

Psalm 145:1-7

1 I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The Lord is great and is highly praised; His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. 5 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. 6 They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Original Intent

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)
Although David was Israel’s king, he knew Who had given him this position, and he acknowledged God as his King when he proclaimed, “I exalt you, my God the King”. (verse 1) His view of God was so high that he couldn’t stop himself from praising and blessing Him. In studying the book of Psalms, we find a lovely collection of songs where David is actively blessing God. Very quickly, we see how blessing God goes hand in hand with praising Him. For example, Psalm 34:1 reads, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” He continues by telling the people to join him in proclaiming the Lord’s greatness and exalting His name. (Psalm 34:3). In Psalm 104, the psalmist blesses God for the Creator He is. He begins and ends his psalm with, “My soul, bless the Lord!”. (Psalm 104:1; 35). Between these verses, we hear David praising God for His creation and the wonderful things He’s done. In 1 Chronicles 29:10 we read how David “blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, ‘May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.’”  He continues again with praising and exalting God’s name and His character. It’s clear that David blessed God through praises and exaltation from his heart.

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)
Since David only used this exact statement in this particular verse, I looked at some other references found in the Bible to understand its meaning in full. Interestingly, I discovered that Job proclaimed similar words. Twice he stated, “[God] does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.” (Job 5:9; 9:10) Just as David proclaimed the greatness of the Lord, so also Job says the same thing (which is incredible, since Job walked through a season of deep suffering and loss). For emphasis, Job adds that God is so great, His wonders cannot be numbered. With this statement, we’re simply told that, no matter how hard we try, we won’t be able to fully understand the greatness of our Father in heaven. This includes the plans He has for us. That’s how amazingly great He really is!

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important? (verses 4-7)
David answers this question within this same passage. He tells us to speak of the Lord’s splendor and glorious majesty, His wondrous works, and awe-inspiring acts. (Psalm 145:5-6) These acts give testimony of God’s greatness and righteousness. (Psalm 145:7) David adds, “speak of the glory of [His] kingdom… informing all people of [His] mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom.” (Psalm 145:11-12) Later, David writes, “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded, and they were created. He set them in position forever and ever; he gave an order that will never pass away.” (Psalm 148:5-6) Here, he shows us why we should praise Him and bless Him… because He spoke, and everything was created, including us!

Everyday Application

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)
At first, it might sound strange to bless God when He’s mainly the One blessing us, but we can bless Him by exalting Him and praising His name. David knew this and praised His name often, daily in fact! He wrote a beautiful psalm that teaches us exactly how to praise God and thus bless Him every day. In Psalm 150, we discover we can praise the Lord

  • In His sanctuary
  • In His vastness
  • For His powerful acts
  • For His abundant greatness
  • With music and dance

David blessed the Lord despite his own feelings or his circumstances. Blessing God was anchored in God’s unchanging character. We can do the same! The Lord is always good, kind, gracious, loving, merciful, tender, gentle, and much more! For which portion of His character will you praise Him today? Let your blessing become a pattern in your everyday life!

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)
As we already saw, David used these words to show the enormous magnitude of God’s greatness. Benson’s commentary adds some extra light to this verse by writing, “[God’s] presence is infinite, His power irresistible, His majesty awful, His sovereignty incontestable, His dominion illimitable, His glory insupportable”. In other words, God is so great, it’s impossible for us to fully understand the extent of His greatness. God is so great, He knows the very number of our hairs (Luke 12:7), He knew all of us before we were even formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). His eyes could see us when we were formless, and all our days were already written and planned in His book before a single one began. (Psalm 139:16) How great and marvelous He truly is! Take time to jot down a few things you see around you that magnificent (like, a child’s eyes, the pattern on your skin, the flight of a honeybee, or the silkiness of a flower petal), and let those remind you of the greatness of God!

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important?
In today’s society, we often forget God is the One who blesses and provides for us. He gives us both common grace of our planet, air, and water, and His providential grace to all who trust Him for salvation by shaping them to become more like Jesus. How many times do we take credit for His work? God is the giver of all wisdom (Proverbs 2:6), truth (John 14:6), and strength (2 Corinthians 12:9); they come from the Lord, not ourselves. Yet, we are all guilty of not giving credit to Him, instead keeping it for ourselves. Remember the Old Testament prophet, Daniel (Daniel 2:27-28), and going farther back to Joseph (Genesis 41:15-16)? At the ruler’s request, both men were asked to interpret dreams. Interestingly, both men responded by saying, “No.” They couldn’t accomplish this feat, not on their own power, but God could reveal it to them. Before even stating the dream interpretations, they both gave credit to the One who gave them the wisdom to understand the dreams because God Himself was the giver of both the dream and the interpretation. Similarly, if we want to declare God’s greatness to others, we need to acknowledge His work and power, both in the Bible as well as in our own lives. Our testimonies of what God has done for us will boldly declare of His greatness in powerful and impactful ways to others! Only God is worthy of praise and because of our public praise, people who have yet to know God, may encounter His love and righteousness in personal ways! So, “let our mouths be filled with God’s praise and His honor all day long!” (Psalm 71:8)

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

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 Sketched VIII 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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Redeemed 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) Have you ever felt like God was dead set against you? Maybe like God is ignoring you, finds you annoying, or is angry with you? Sometimes, it’s a lot easier, and sweeter, to believe lies over truth, just as was the case for Naomi. She allowed her feelings and her circumstances to override what she knew to be true of the character of Yahweh. Where have you done the same? The truth was, God was in her corner, actively engaged in what was going on in Naomi’s heart, her world, and the greater Kingdom good of His plan to bring redemption for humanity. This is entirely true for every single true believer of Christ. He knows our struggles, is always present with us, and is constantly working for our good and for the growth of His kingdom. Take this truth and extinguish the lies you hold onto!

2) Naomi returned to Bethlehem empty, but the Lord was ready to fill her in more ways than one. His kindness towards her was lavish! He immediately provided for Ruth and Naomi by satisfying their pressing physical needs of empty bellies and cabinets. Where are you facing physical emptiness? Are you trusting the Lord sees and knows these needs and will fill them in His perfect timing? How would it change the posture of your heart if you knew He was ready and willing to provide in His way and time? As you look around your community, where might the Lord be asking you to step up and be His hands and feet to fulfill someone else’s physical need just as He used Boaz to fill Ruth and Naomi’s needs? Pray and then act in obedience, knowing He will bless the offering of your heart and hands!

3) Following in faith the God who cannot see can prove to be an intense time of stretching for our hearts! As we study Scripture, and follow Jesus more closely, the more our hearts learn that He is indeed good and completely trustworthy, every single time. Create a short list of things you have learned about God since you’ve been studying Him. Apply those learned truths to your own set of challenging circumstances. Where you feel need, He is supplier. Where you feel alone, He is present. Where you feel grieved, He not only knows exactly how you feel, He also provides certain and sure hope. Ruth stepped out and obeyed, but it wasn’t blind faith, she knew the heart of God. Where is God asking you to do the same?

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 Ephesians 3:20-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
In a world where seeing is believing, I confess, Lord God, that I fall into the trap of feeling, and then believing, that You are a stingy God. I might not say those words with my lips, but I certainly prove them by my actions and my thoughts. When I see relationships crumbling, I’m quick to feel defeated and like You do not care. I am quick to write the end of the story with defeat rather than admit the truth that I’m only in the middle of a story, and You hold the pen to its conclusion. Anchor the feet of my heart into truth. Let me persist in clinging to what is real over what are lies. Help me to receive all the fullness of beauty and truth You have for me; teach me to trust even when I cannot see!

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

Treasure Day 8 The Gift Of Laboring

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 127:1-2
John 15:4-8
Colossians 1:16-18
Matthew 11:28-30

Treasure, Day 8

As treasures of God, created by and for Him,
we have been given the gift of work. 

Whether leading a corporation or a family, God has given each of us unique talents and opportunities to glorify Him and draw others to Himself. He has also provided guidelines to protect us and to help us learn to trust Him. As our Creator, God invites us into a working partnership, one in which He is both guide and co-laborer.

Psalm 127:1 explains,
“Unless the Lord builds the house,
the workers labor in vain who build the house;
Unless the Lord watches the city,
the watchmen watch in vain.”  

Our work should begin with God in mind.
Colossians 3:23 reminds us to do everything for the Lord. We are to seek Him first, allowing Him to guide our decisions and processes. When we do this, our priorities line up with His and we make decisions based on the principles He’s given His followers. Then, He can bless the work of our hands and we can step back and celebrate His work through us!

However, our identities can get tangled up in the work we do, instead of who God says we are.  When this happens, we become greedy, prideful, critical, and absent from those we love.

When we don’t view our work as God’s purposes through us, we begin micromanaging and hovering over every project instead of trusting those assigned to the work. Rather than working as a team, allowing all members to learn and thrive, decisions are made to feed the ego of the leader.

As we continue to find identity in our work,
we are consumed with busy-ness,
eventually neglecting regular meetings with our Father,
and further becoming enslaved to the success of the job to prove our worth.

We were made for work, but not for constant work.
Our bodies were made for a balance of work and rest. How kind of our Creator to model this for us! He spent six days creating, then spent the seventh day resting.

As God, He doesn’t need rest, but He showed us the importance of stepping back, seeing all we’ve done, and resting. As we practice regular Sabbath, lovingly given for our good, we demonstrate the trustworthiness of our God, who designs our work and holds all things together.

In addition, as Jesus modeled, we need to take time away daily to connect with the Lord, He who loves us best and in Whom we find our true identity. When we allow ourselves to be filled with Him first, the work we do is fueled with His purpose and energy.

As we consistently abide in Him, our work bears fruit as God intended, glorifying Him. He also reminds us how deeply He loves those we lead, and we learn how to lead them well.

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to getting time away from work is our devices. Our phones are no longer connected to the wall, but accompany us wherever we go, making us constantly, immediately accessible. With the ease of remote work comes the double-edged sword of always being “on” and consumed by work.

In addition, our devices make it all too easy to trade quietness and reflection in favor of unceasing preoccupation with social media or even games. Peeking at the screen “just this once” becomes an entire vacation lost, or a day with the family plunged into electronic isolation.

Be assured, sister, if you identify with any of this, you are not alone.

I am currently working to build limits for my own cell phone use and lack of true rest. Though I don’t work outside the home, I can get lost in the search for dinner ideas, recipes, or ways to more effectively manage my home.

The too-high cost is precious time with my family. I end up feeling more frustrated about my lack of productivity, lack of time to pursue creative outlets, or inability to rest and connect with Jesus. If you find yourself there as well, take heart and be reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30,

“Come to me all you who are weak and weary,
and I will give you rest.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Our Savior knows we need rest.
The Holy Spirit gently reminds us true rest, like our true identity, is found in Him.
When we seek Him first, trusting Him with the details of the job, He is faithful to provide restoration to our weary souls as He blesses the work of our hands.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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 Treasure 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 Treasure!

Esther Day 3 Trash Or Treasure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 2
Isaiah 49:15-16       
Isaiah 61:1-4
Matthew 10:29-31
1 Peter 3:1-6

Esther, Day 3

Ugh, another red dot…at my age?

I spent an hour doing my hair today and no one noticed.

My clothes won’t fit; I need to go to the gym.

We’ve all had those times of looking in the mirror and not liking what we see.
It doesn’t take much looking around to discover the world has dragged us into a place where beauty is necessary to survive. 

Television commercials, magazines, billboards, and even friends and family sell us on the necessity of beauty. Buy this product, eat this food, go to the gym, wear this outfit; the taglines scream from everywhere.

We must have that make-up, that membership, and those clothes. We buy new clothes and use a new beauty treatment only to watch the trend fade.

The world has tossed women to a pack of wolves by defining what is beautiful by what is fleeting.  It feels as if we’re always on the stage of the beauty pageant, waiting to hear where we stand.  First, runner up, less than perfect, or worse…last.
Undesirable, unwanted, and unworthy.

Beth Moore, a fellow champion for women to be esteemed with the value God ordains, shares transparently on how tough it is to be a woman. It is tough living in a world where beauty is valued by status.  It is tough living in a world where beauty is treated as something you are entitled to or something you earn.   It is tough to fight against the need to be beautiful instead of being the woman God wants us to be.

This fight to be beautiful isn’t new.
The need to stand above the rest, be noticed, and valued are battles women have waged for centuries. In this chapter of Esther, we find a king looking to replace his banished queen.

He didn’t walk the city and randomly select a pretty face or a hardworking handmaiden. Neither did he scour the synagogues to find a woman of noble character.  This decision was intentional and calculated, hinging on one criteria, his enjoyment of her appearance.
And he wanted the very best.
The king ordered all eligible maidens to the palace to begin eliminating “lesser beauties”. He designed his own beauty pageant where he would win first prize of the prettiest body, while she lost, being valued on gorgeousness alone.

One year of beauty treatments and special dietary regimes were implemented to smooth rough skin, clear imperfections, and fatten scrawny bodies. These ladies’ appearances were the result of real, regular everyday living, just like us.  The arid climate and sun exposure led to dry skin and tan lines instead of the preferred pale complexion and supple flesh. Arms strengthened from everyday workloads and thin figures resulting from low food supply weren’t signs of beauty in this culture, but of poverty.

Where real life was evident, ‘beauty’ was applied.

After all these treatments, they chose clothing and jewelry to impress the king.  Each woman visited the king for a single night. After their one-night-stand, they were sent away, not just from the king, but from the other women….and men.

Sexually soiled, they were now unclean. Whatever life and family they had known and loved before this night was now forever lost. Most ladies would never return home after this disgrace because they had no chance of marriage.  The fate of these women was worse than being last in a beauty pageant.
Their dignity had been stolen as they were tossed out, discarded like trash.

Doesn’t this ancient dichotomy feel well-fitted to today’s message?
Either apply the beauty and win the comparison pageant, or be tossed aside as trash.

For Esther, the Lord used her beauty and her heart to win not only the favor of the King, but of the people around her as well. Esther’s outward beauty was enhanced by her kind and gentle heart; a ‘treatment’ no Persian aesthetician could touch.

Though Esther was chosen as queen, she wasn’t treated much better than the other woman.  She had no rights other than the title, “Queen of Persia”.  She was also Jewish, a people who had largely forgotten about their God as they blended with culture around them, and who probably also felt cast off from Him in the years since they’d been exiled in Persia.

Maybe you’re in a place of forgotten and unwanted too.
Transparently, I’m single and have never married; I’m tired of counting how many times I’ve been rejected and labeled “not worth it”.  Someone here knows the sting of feeling undesirable when a husband walks out to find a younger version of beautiful.  Or maybe you’ve worked hard for a promotion, only to be overlooked by someone “better qualified.”

The appearance of ‘beauty’ comes in many shades, and often, if we aren’t cultivating the beauty of our hearts first, we become a casualty of ‘cast off’.

God does not treat us this way! 
We are not pushed onto a stage while God inspects every inch of us, exasperated by our imperfection. He will not toss us aside like trash, because we aren’t.

When God looks for beauty, He’s looking on the inside. (I Samuel 16:7)
He takes our brokenness and makes it beautiful. (Isaiah 61:3)
God doesn’t forget those the world has forgotten. (Isaiah 49:15-16)
We hear “not good enough” or “not valuable”, but God says we are more important than sparrows.  (Matthew 10:29-31)
He sent His Son to save us from our sin because He made us for being treasured.

“The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession…” 
(Deuteronomy 7:6)

When the world judges us for what we are, remember WHOSE we are!
Remember you are a beautiful treasure!

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Open Day 13 Radical Offering

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Kings 4:8-17
Matthew 6:1-4
Matthew 25:42-46

Open, Day 13

Twelve years ago, I met a woman we’ll call “Marcy”.
Marcy’s children and I went to the same school and attended the same church. I knew Marcy’s children better than I knew Marcy, but over the years, we served together in different ministries at church and grew closer.

Marcy and her family live in a beautiful home, her husband has a solid job, and from the outside looking in, it appears that Marcy has everything she needs and even wants. That’s all pretty surface-y, but I’m guessing we can all imagine someone with Marcy’s lifestyle.

However, I know something else about Marcy….
I know she and her husband live out selfless generosity.
All without saying anything to anyone.

The only way I could possibly know this is if I were a benefactor of their open-handed generosity… which I am.
Marcy has opened her home over and over as a welcome place for discipleship, worship, blessing, celebrating, and feeding others. Including me.
I’ve watched Marcy open her arms to people of all walks of life… sometimes she doesn’t remember their names, but she never forgets a face! That Marcy would literally give the shoes off of her feet to someone… and she has.

My mom once told Marcy the shoes she was wearing were adorable and that I would love them. Finding out we wore the same size, she literally took her shoes off of her feet, handed them to my mom, and told her to give them to me.

Marcy’s husband has used his profession to assist my parents on the mission field at no cost to them. Together they bought my entire cart full of Christmas gifts when we ran into one another at Target, where they were purchasing food to serve to parents with sick kiddos.  This couple have poured themselves out to love others in countless ways as they have discipled, mentored, and given away what they had for others. Marcy told me once that nothing they own is actually theirs, it all belongs to God. 

The reason we’re even calling her “Marcy”, is because many of the times she has given to me, she has sworn me to secrecy. She and her husband live out Matthew 6:1-4 with extravagance! While I could go on about this couple and their generosity, they would humbly remind me that living with open hands and hearts is simply the means by which they are called to further the Kingdom.

Marcy reminds me of a woman in the Bible whose name also isn’t mentioned… perhaps because her heart was so similar to Marcy’s. She wasn’t concerned about being remembered only about living generously.

This nameless woman is known as the “Shunammite Woman”.
Like our friend, Gaius, she isn’t well known, but from Scripture, we do know she was wealthy, married, and perhaps most importantly:
she used hospitality to love others well.

The benefactor of her gifts was a prophet named Elisha.
Elisha and this woman somehow met when he visited her town. She insisted on feeding him. (Which I can only laugh at because I literally try to force-feed my brother every time he visits. “Are you hungry? No? Are you sure? Here, I made spaghetti last night, let me just reheat some for you. I also have salad and brownies and coffee and the lesser-known sparkling water, Bubly!”)

The Shunammite Woman must’ve been a pretty decent cook, because after their first encounter, Elisha stopped by her house to eat every single time he visited. I can’t imagine the conversations that occurred, but there is no doubt that Elisha shared about the One True God, Yahweh, with this woman and her husband. Before long, the Shunammite Woman referred to Elisha as a ‘holy man of God’ and had a room built just for him on the roof of their house. They fully furnished the room and welcomed Elisha and his servant readily.

Many of us have guest rooms and happily welcome visitors throughout the year, but to actually construct an entire room specifically for a guest-turned friend is radical.
Elisha wasn’t family.
This wasn’t a neat Airbnb designed for income off of Elisha.
This was love and hospitality and generosity.

After becoming aware of the work the One True God was doing through Elisha, they used what they had – a rooftop – to support God’s Kingdom work in their community.
Expecting nothing in return.

I’ve been writing this Journey study while sitting in my church’s building watching the hustle and bustle of daily church activities occur. Just a moment ago, friends of mine who are empty-nesters, came over to chat and I asked why they were here on a Thursday morning. “Oh, we have four camp counselors staying at our house and we told them we’d come see them at camp today!”
Open handed generosity.

This same couple has opened up their home again and again for Kingdom work.
After becoming aware of the work the One True God is doing, this couple used what they had – a home with empty rooms – to support God’s work in our community.

Sisters, it doesn’t take much for us to demonstrate incredible hospitality like Marcy, the Shunammite woman, or my empty-nester friends.
Each are using what they have – their homes, their love for people, and their love for the Father – to further the work God is doing.

We don’t need a secure job with a steady income, just an open heart.
Maybe all we have is a pull-out couch, bottomless coffee, or cold water on a hot day.

God takes our willingness,
our open hands,
and open hearts,
and He builds His Kingdom!

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Kaleidoscope Day 10 Un-Annoyed

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 50:15-21
Matthew 5:43-48
I Peter 1:3-4

Kaleidoscope, Day 10

“Is it just me, or is it loud in here?”
I find myself saying this when my students’ noise is louder than usual.
But sometimes, it really is just me.

“I can’t believe he did that!”
“I can’t believe she said that!”
I’ve heard myself say this too.
Maybe my feelings were hurt by another’s actions, but sometimes, if I’m honest, I’m looking for a reason to be upset.

Irritations, annoyances, and hurtful actions are often found staring us in the face. Maybe they show up as a family member pushes our buttons.  Or perhaps it’s a constantly nagging voice, seemingly relentless to attack you.

But the Lord’s voice rises above them, “Love is not irritable or resentful”.
His is a precious voice to me because I know I’ve lived in the land of Irritable and Resentful.
I took up residency there for several years.

Looking back, I was a grouch with a sour disposition.
Anything could set me off.
I could “hold it” until I was alone, but catch me at a bad time, and you might get an earful.

The Lord’s voice whispered this passage, and my heart knew I needed His truth to move me out of Irritable and Resentful.

Other translations say, “Love is not easily provoked” or “Love is not easily angered.”  
That isn’t to say we don’t have hurt feelings, however, it’s a call to consider our response to those feelings.  How quickly do we pick up anger, harsh tones, or sharp words?

I know I’ve regretted my harsh choices; Moses did too.
In Numbers 20:2-13, Moses was a little, well, maybe a lot, irritated.
The people were fighting and complaining (again). There was no water in Maribah.
God, their constant Provider, instructed Moses to speak to the rock and water would come.
But Moses didn’t choose his response well and gave his feelings full reign.
Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses hit it with his staff, choosing his way over the Lord’s.

We may say it wasn’t Moses’ fault, it was the Israelites’ complaining.
But the Israelites didn’t hit the rock, Moses did.
Moses had a choice.
And he chose to live and act from the land of Irritated and Resentful.

When it comes to resentment, other translations say,
“Thinks no evil”, “Does not hold a grudge”, or “Keeps no record of wrong”.
What does this look like in real life?
Do you dwell on the hurt that happened, repeating every detail over and over until YOU have decided what the other person was thinking/saying/doing?
It’s easy to find fault, judge from our perspective, and look for the bad.
I’m guilty.

So was Esau.
Genesis 27 tells the story of Esau and his grudge towards Jacob for stealing his Birthright and tricking him out of his Blessing.  A birthright, usually given to the firstborn son, is our modern-day family inheritance. A blessing could be given to any son, but the oldest, holder of the birthright, usually received a greater blessing.
Jacob, the younger son, had finagled his way to win both of these.
Esau despised his brother for stealing what was intended for him.
Esau held onto resentment, had evil thoughts toward Jacob, and nurtured hatred towards his brother with a desire to kill him. Justified or not, Esau chose to live in the land of Irritable and Resentful for much of his life.

I Corinthians 13:1-3 beautifully defines love, but it also provides a definition of the opposite of love by replacing “love” with “irritable and resentful”.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, and am irritable and resentful,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains, but I am irritable and resentful, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but I am irritable and resentful,
 I gain nothing.”

Ouch, when I read it like that, it makes me want to love others better!

Both irritation and resentment grow over time. When someone says or does something a little irritating or a little hurtful, we might easily let it go.
But if the offense repeats again and again, it becomes easier to dwell on it for longer periods.
We might even gossip about it.
Before we know it, we get snappy and mad.
Like Esau and Moses, when we allow resentment and irritation to grow, it becomes easy to let our feelings control our actions.

Love is the opposite of allowing life’s irritations and hurts to control our lives.
Love calls us out of the land of Irritable and Resentful.

Hannah had good reason to be irritated as someone in her life constantly provoked her. (I Samuel 1:6)
The Lord calls out, “Love is not easily irritated….love is patient.”
While our insides may scream frustration, Hannah modeled an example for us we can all learn from.
She prayed in the middle of her distress. (1 Samuel 1:10)

Joseph had every reason to hold a grudge as his brothers hated him, plotting to kill him.  (Genesis 37:18-20) Eventually, as God moved in Joseph’s life, Joseph chose forgiveness for his brothers instead of retaliation. God’s love changed Joseph because His love doesn’t live in the land of Irritable and Resentful. If God’s love lived there, none of us could stand before Him as we have all sinned against Him!

God calls us to love just as He loves when He laid down His life for us, even while we were His enemies.
His love abides in the land of Gentle, Kind, and Good.
His love forgives, even in the face of irritation.
His love intentionally chooses un-annoyed.

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Tabernacle Day 1 All About Relationship!

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 John 4:13-21
Genesis 15
Romans 4 

Tabernacle, Day 1

Confession: I’m a rule-follower.
I don’t like to color outside the lines. Black and White, that’s my safety zone.

My growing up, rules didn’t define the relationship, rules were the relationship.
And fear enforced them.

When I read about the Ten Commandments, it made natural sense that if you were going to follow God, you had to follow the rules.
Be good.
Obey.
Follow the signs.
Don’t color outside the lines.
Perform. Perform. Perform.
Confess. Confess. Confess.
And if you’re good enough, then God will show you favor. Maybe.

In fact, I distinctly remember inviting a friend to church with me when I was in 5th grade.
The very first thing I did when he got there, was hand him a copy of the Ten Commandments from my Bible. If he was going to be in church, He would need that list first.

As I got older and studied the Bible more, I had a big problem…..
Why was the God of the Old Testament so intent on making everyone follow the rules?
(And there were A LOT of rules!)
Yet, the God of the New Testament, was so kind and gracious, loving and forgiving.
Why did He change?

Years passed and my 5th-grade-self grew older, accepting that, despite the appearance of change in the New Testament, the vengeful God of the Old Testament was still lurking, waiting to pounce on my missteps.
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God had to love us. He was obligated to.
But, deep down, He was mad at us.
He was mad at me. 
I decided I was always just one mess-up away from His Old Testament wrath to be unleashed.

My legacy of fear and performance held me tight, 
coloring everything, including my marriage. 
Seven years into a marriage that was careening quickly towards divorce, with my past entangling me at every turn, I found myself sitting on a small couch across from an incredibly kind counselor. Imagine my surprise when I learned in that counselor’s office, that black and white thinking was actually harmful to a healthy relationship!
Suddenly, the black and white seams that had clearly outlined my definition of “relationship”, began to unravel.

As I sorted through what this truth meant for my marriage and other relationships, I was also forced to tear down everything I thought I’d understood about God.
One evening, as my husband was talking about God and the Old Testament, he explained quite matter-of-factly, that the Ten Commandments were the result of a relationship that had begun centuries earlier. 
I was rocked to the core at what this could mean. 

God didn’t base His love on my performance?
God wasn’t waiting to rain down fire on me?
His love was exactly that….love. 
WITHOUT FEAR?! 
I was undone. 

How could my husband be so confident?
God’s Word speaks for itself:

“For what does the Scripture say? 
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.
Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. 
But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3-5)

Abraham didn’t earn God’s favor.
There wasn’t one thing Abraham did to become righteous in God’s eyes;
he simply took God at His word.
Genesis records God saying to Abraham, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” 
Abraham’s response?
“Abram believed the Lord, and He (the Lord) credited it to him (Abraham) as righteousness.”

Following this incredible exchange of belief and radical grace, Abraham questioned the Lord, asking Him what the sign would be that the Lord would do this incredible thing of making Abraham’s offspring innumerable. The Lord God, gracious again, provided Abraham with a covenant. An everlasting, unbreakable vow, as proof that He would indeed do as He promised.
(The actual covenant story is pretty amazing! Check it out!)

Fast forward 430 years from the night that covenant was cut to the day Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. The Lord was leading His people, who were just the beginning of Father Abraham’s offspring, out of slavery in Egypt and into the land God had promised them in the covenant. (Genesis 15:7)

The Ten Commandments were given as a result of the relationship that had begun long before with a man named Abraham and his faith in the God who could do the incredible.
These commandments were the proof of a relationship that already existed, 
not the means to become righteous before God.

In fact, Paul would later use these same commandments to prove that, through the Law, we are able to recognize sin for what it is…a falling short of God’s perfection. (Romans 3:19-20) 
Once we can identify sin, we see how holy the Lord is, and how desperate our need for Him.

Just like Abraham, we too can take the Lord at His word.
He is offering us salvation by taking the punishment for our rightly deserved sin upon Himself. He will credit our faith as righteousness! 

To the Lord God, it has always been about a relationship.
From Abraham, to Moses, to Jesus, to you and me, the relationship has always been primary. The rules are simply an overflow of how to live inside that relationship of grace!

No, He’s not mad at us.
He’s not obligated to love us; He just does because He IS love.
He freely offers us grace, that we, as an overflow of love and adoration to Him,
might follow Him in obedience and live a life that honors Him!

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Character Day 15 Hope Changes Everything

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Joshua 1:1-9
John 10:1-18
Philippians 1:3-6

Character, Day 15

Stuck.
Stagnant.
Desperate.

2015 began with my heart as mired and sludgy as the mucky winter roads. I was desperate for change, desperate for a new breath of life, but all I could see around me was gray, immovable STUCK.

The process of selling our home 18 months earlier had been a test of my faith in God’s provision and timing; one I felt I had failed miserably.
I was certain the only thing surpassing my bitter disappointment in myself
was God’s disappointment in me.
I couldn’t hear, or see, or pray my way past the resounding echo of “FAILURE.”

And without my lifeline to the One who loves me best,
all else became disjointed and broken,
like a clock that’s slipped a cog and locked up,
frozen and useless.

My second baby was 8 months old, and I was barely treading water in survival mode as I struggled with the nonstop multitasking that is mothering multiple children. I became a stay-at-home mama shortly after the birth of that same babe, and while there was abundant sweetness in the gift of time,
it was accompanied by deep isolation.
And then there was my husband,
and relearning how to connect with each other . . .
how to remember that he was my person . . .
how to be partners in our new life.

Finally, health concerns that had become more pronounced during and following my pregnancy left me fearful for my future. As a nurse, I had seen where the path I was on led, and it wasn’t anything I wanted for my family.

I easily identified with the Israelites of the Old Testament: a small, often bumbling little people who time and again found themselves hemmed in by insurmountable foes, their only hope for rescue in the God whom they’d habitually disobeyed and surely disappointed one too many times.

Sweet friend, have you been there?

The circumstances may differ, but perhaps you, too, have felt steeped in failure Overwhelmed and achingly alone?
Relationally distant?
Out of place in your own body, facing down a frightening future?
Starving for change, but without the knowledge or power to make it happen?
Terrified, in fact, that this gnawing desperation is all you’re destined to know?

. . . Hopeless?

Then take heart, dear friend, because in those dark winter days,
God began to show me that He is my hope,
and hope changes everything!

You see, He didn’t give up on His children.
He had a plan for their redemption–a bloody, terrible, beautiful and grace-full way to fulfill the Father’s tender longing for His lost ones.

In much the same way, He hadn’t turned His back on me in disappointment.
He was with me in my stuck,
and while I couldn’t see my way clear,
He had a plan for my rescue and the power to make it happen.

In a mind-boggling display of His timing, He nudged me to the brink of change in multiple arenas of my life. Within days of each other, I found before me a plan to address my health concerns, the start of a simple yet transformative journey of building spiritual discipline, and life-giving community.

“My dear one,” He seemed to say,
“Here is the way out of stuck, the way forward, the way of growth.
Shall we walk it together?”
And He held out His scarred hand.
Gathering the tiny courage I had, I slipped my cold fingers into His and whispered, “Yes.”

In that instant, nothing changed.
And everything changed.

My body was the same.
It would take time to implement a healthy lifestyle and see results.

My spiritual habits were the same.
It would take time to practice seeking Him, hearing His voice, and learning to obey.

My days looked much the same.
It would take time to build the relationships that would become my tribes.

And yet, everything was different,
because hope was suddenly alive and growing furiously within me.
Transformation would come, because the same God who gifted me with the eternal hope of a way back to the Father also promised to complete the work He began in me. Step by step, He would lead me through the change I so desperately needed.

My sister, His promise is for you, too.

When we feel stuck,
Stagnant,
Desperate . . .

When we see only darkness giving way to deeper darkness,
He promises His presence.
He promises abundant life.
He promises to transform us into His spotless bride.

In those moments of despair, let us choose fight over surrender.
Let us choose our callings, our specially-designed purposes,
our ability to share Him with the hurting around us over passively waiting for heaven.
Let us seek His heart, listen to His words, and experience hope in Him breathing new life into our hearts.

And then, let’s watch in amazement
as hope changes everything.

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