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Knew

Pause IV Day 2 Invitation To Be Astounded

September 15, 2020 by Rebecca 2 Comments

Pause IV, Day 2

I absolutely love the Lord’s response to Habakkuk! The Lord God, who sees all, and
knows all, and hears all, and is always continuously present, was not the least bit offended by Habakkuk’s angry outrage at Yahweh’s seeming disinterest.

Instead of reacting with arrogant wrath, the perfect God responds with a grand invitation.
Look around you, Habakkuk, wonder at what’s going on, prepare to be utterly astounded!

The Lord knows Habakkuk doesn’t understand the “why” behind Israel’s tragic, sinful rebellion, or more so, why the Lord hasn’t fixed everything yet. The Lord is patient, inviting Habakkuk to step back and remember only Yahweh is God. He is in control, He holds the end game victory, and the battle will be waged in His way.

Yes, the means by which God would bring His just righteousness upon Israel was going to shock poor Habakkuk, leaving him wrestling internally. But God, undeterred, would continue to build His kingdom and pave the way for the future coming of redemption through His Son Jesus.

Habakkuk brought the fullness of his honesty before the Lord and was answered with grace. If you knew the Lord would respond the same to you, what would you bring?

Grab your Bible, a journal and pen,
and open your heart to bask in the presence of the Almighty!

Today's Challenge

1) Pull out your Bible and read Habakkuk 1 fully through 2 times. Then focus in on reading verse 5 several times through. Go slow. Emphasis different words each time you read it. Savor the message, and pray as you read it. Write out all of verse 5 in your journal.

2) Each time you re-read verse 5, write down everything that pops out at you, makes you curious, or wonder “why?”. When you’re finished, go back through and you’ll be amazed at the new things the Spirit is leading you into knowing about Him!

3) 
Pay special attention to how the Lord demonstrated gracious kindness in His response to Habakkuk. Be reminded, and encouraged, that the Lord’s ways and His goals, are not the ones we would think of or choose, but His loving pursuit of us never changes.

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Habakkuk 1

The pronouncement that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help
and you do not listen
or cry out to you about violence
and you do not save?
3 Why do you force me to look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

God’s First Answer
5 Look at the nations and observe—
be utterly astounded!
For I am doing something in your days
that you will not believe
when you hear about it.

6 Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter, impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.
7 They are fierce and terrifying;
their views of justice and sovereignty
stem from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards
and more fierce than wolves of the night.
Their horsemen charge ahead;
their horsemen come from distant lands.
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.
9 All of them come to do violence;
their faces are set in determination.
They gather prisoners like sand.
10 They mock kings,
and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh at every fortress
and build siege ramps to capture it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind
and pass through.
They are guilty; their strength is their god.


Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
12 Are you not from eternity, Lord my God?
My Holy One, you will not die.
Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock, you destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are you silent
while one who is wicked swallows up
one who is more righteous than himself?
14 You have made mankind
like the fish of the sea,
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.
16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their net
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge 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 One!
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!

Posted in: Fullness, God, Grace, Jesus, Kingdom, Love, Pause, Redemption, Victorious Tagged: Astounded, Habakkuk, honesty, invitation, Knew, Lord, response, Why, Yahweh

Sketched VII Day 3 Following

March 11, 2020 by Rebecca 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 14:25-33
Matthew 9:9-13
Matthew 7:24-27

Sketched VII, Day 3

These are the stories of the women behind Gracefully Truthful. How God led them here, and how He has grown their hearts to know Him deeper and love others more fully, as a result of stepping out in obedience.

—-

Kendra
The message came across my screen: “Kendra, I read some of your blogs and I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing for an online women’s Bible study?”

I bounced one of my twin daughters on my hip while I set my coffee down and responded without much thought: “YES!”

I was excited for an opportunity to be creative and pour myself into something different than hanging cloth diapers and cooking dinner. Little did I know how the Lord would use this to grow me.

As Gracefully Truthful continued to form, and I began writing Journey Studies,
a shift occurred in me.
God’s Word became more precious than ever because I was studying it through a new lens of learning so I could hold out truth to others.
The more I studied, the more I knew my Jesus.

That initial text came almost four years ago, and more life and death has happened in those four years than I would’ve ever imagined. Gracefully Truthful became my community, it became the consistent “thing” keeping me rooted in God’s word when my life crumbled around me. Looking back on Journeys I’ve written, I can see the journey of my heart as I learned what it means to write with vulnerability and transparency while trusting my Savior. This story isn’t about me, and every word if it points the God who sustains me despite my brokenness.

I haven’t arrived.
I’m not preaching from a mountain that others have yet to climb.
I am standing in the middle of the valley, my hand outstretched towards other sisters, while clinging to the truth of Scripture and the life God offers there.

Wherever you are, whatever your mess, God wants the same for you as He’s shown me….to use it for His glory!

Michelle
One of the biggest reasons I have grown deeper in my relationship with the Lord is attributed to women.

Women in high school who hosted Bible Studies.
Women in college who discipled me and showed me how Scripture study was tied to knowing Jesus more intimately.

Women in small groups sharpening me, pushing me, challenging me and reproaching me.
Women who have anchored their lives in God’s Word and have been activated as Kingdom Builders as a result.

Because of other women pointing me to Scripture, and watching my own heart grow deep from study, I am convinced of the high value of every woman studying God’s Word and applying it to their everyday lives.

I have seasons where I struggle to stay connected to God closely through His Word. I desire it, but life gets busy and I give way to excuses. Being connected in ministry with Gracefully Truthful provides personal accountability for me to be in the Word, actively applying it, and intentionally reaching out to encourage other women.

Writing assignments push me to research a passage for deeper understanding or clarity on a Scripture. I love studying His Word; it becomes more precious every time I read!

Often, something I’ve read from my personal time with the Lord is exactly the passage a person I run into that day resonates with, or it fits within the context of something I’m writing about. The beauty of following Jesus is that as we step out, He already knows where He is taking us.

We are guaranteed immense peace, joy and life to the full when following Jesus.
We are also promised persecution, and often suffering comes along for the ride. I struggle in being vulnerable in this suffering while writing. Worse yet is fear running rampant in my brain. I fear I will get labeled in someone’s mind as a goody-two-shoes for writing about the Bible. It’s a regular choice to proclaim truth rather than be concerned about another’s judgement. I pray regularly that He may be made great through my tiny contributions to GT as I follow one small step after another.

Sara
Have you ever been in a season with the Lord where you have a greater desire to obey the nudges you are receiving from Him, but aren’t sure what that looks like?
A few years ago, that quite accurately described me.

I knew the Lord was telling me to use my writing ability for His glory; however, I had no idea of the outlet. A random (ha! More like the direct orchestration of the Lord) moment in my church lobby with one of the current Gracefully Truthful writers opened a sudden and unexpected door; it was a perfect invitation to obey the Lord and I became a writer for Gracefully Truthful.

As I write my Journey Studies, I find the Lord so faithfully grows me through the process. Before the words formulate in my mind, I’ve had to learn how to listen for His voice through the Word and in prayer. I have experienced the joy of the Lord changing me in order to bless other women through words crafted on the page.

I’ve also discovered the beauty of being a vessel through which the Lord can move. Two things motivate me when writing a journey study: glorifying the Lord and encouraging the reader to draw closer to Him. Becoming a writer for Gracefully Truthful was one my steps of obedience as I followed Jesus, but those steps are all over the place for me and for you! He’s calling each of us; will you follow?!

Audra
Ministry has always been a part of my life and I had long waited in anticipation of becoming a missionary and moving abroad to share the gospel with those who are different than me. As I studied Scripture, I grew to understand that living missionally takes on many different forms. I began asking God to show me what my mission would be.

I carry many roles as wife, mom, small group leader, speaker, and author. As I’ve walked more closely with God He reveals how each of these are my mission field.  Living on mission doesn’t necessarily mean being called to a specific place, job, or people. Rather, it’s about being ready and able to testify of who God is wherever you go and whoever you’re with.

It was a few months before my wedding in Kansas City. Being from the Bahamas, I was doing most of my wedding planning online, which is how I was introduced to the ministry of Gracefully Truthful. Merry happened to be on our list for potential wedding photographers and she, obediently following the Lord’s whisper, “randomly” asked if I was a writer because she felt God put me on her heart to be the newest GT Partner.

I said yes!

But she didn’t realize I had been stalking GT and thinking how amazing it would be to write for them, but felt I wasn’t good enough.

I had never applied, but God had been working in my heart, going before me and preparing the way for me to follow.

GT’s mission lined up perfectly with my own passion to encourage and equip women to study Scripture and live out their own mission in following God. I couldn’t imagine what mission-living looked like for me, but God did. He stirred my heart with His passions then lovingly provided a place where I could communicate His heart for His daughters.

You don’t need to know all the answers and end-goals either; just follow!

Merry
I was several months pregnant with my youngest, caring for two toddlers, working part time and running a business, while also preparing to take college classes again when Rebecca reached out to me about writing for Gracefully Truthful. To be honest, absolutely nothing about writing for this ministry seemed to make sense in the natural, but unbeknownst to Rebecca, God had called me to write several years prior to that day.

When He first spoke to me about writing, I shrugged it off as crazy. But when I saw Becca’s message, the Lord brought me back to that moment in an instant.

So, I said yes.

You know, a kind of crazy thing happens when you start to say “yes” to God: He begins to give you more opportunities to say “yes”… and to keep saying it. Gracefully Truthful was one of those first “yesses” for me.

Being part of this writing team has been a stretching, challenging obedience which has forced me to examine what I believe, why I believe it, and whether or not I choose to submit every part of my mind, heart and life to God and actually live it.

Because here’s the thing: it’s all well and good to write for a women’s ministry or blog, or fill-in-your-blank, but the truth is that you can’t write the things the Lord calls you to write without actually also doing those things. You can’t sit behind a computer screen and let Holy Spirit flow through you to encourage and challenge other women to experience the fullness of God in everyday life without also actually experiencing the fullness of God in your everyday life. 

This Gracefully Truthful journey has required sacrifices of time, energy, sleep, and so much more, but it has also reaped a harvest of growth, transformation, commitment to reading and applying Scripture rightly and a passion to help women understand who they are in Christ and how to cooperate with the story He’s writing.

And in the end, if I really believe what Scripture and Holy Spirit show me to be true, how can I keep any part of myself from Him? I don’t know about you, but I want to walk out every measure of what He has for me to do here in His Kingdom. Whatever that looks like. Wherever that takes me. Whatever He requires. It’s all His and for His glory, anyway.
I’m just along for the ride.

How will you follow?
What’s your next YES of obedience?!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VII Week One! 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 Sketched VII!

Posted in: Believe, Broken, Deep, God, Jesus, Journey, Joy, Life, Love, Obedience, Peace, Relationship, Scripture, Sketched Tagged: called, following, Gracefully Truthful, His Glory, Knew, My Jesus, Yes?

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