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Reveal Day 1 Until He Appears

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Habakkuk 1:1-4
Habakkuk 3:16-19
1 Peter 1:3-9
Romans 8:18-38

Reveal, Day 1

“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?
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.
This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.”
(Habakkuk 1:2-4)

If ever there was a prayer for 2020, this passage from Habakkuk pretty much covers it.
Pain, strife, injustice, violence, conflict, loss . . . all wrapped up in a God who has never felt further away.

Christmastime often taps us on our shoulder to remind us what we’ve lost throughout the year, or to bring attention to what we don’t have. Loved ones with whom we once celebrated who will not be sitting at the dinner table this year. Gifts we wish were under the tree, but for which the budget couldn’t make room. A special someone to share life with or children and a family of our own.

But 2020, and all its tumult, have truly humbled our hearts. What we thought was known has toppled into an overwhelming heap, perplexing us when we attempt to piece it back together.
Loss of jobs, businesses, and lives.
Sudden, rapid loss of our “normal.”
The loss of comfort in, and blindness to, the systematic racial inequities still existing in the world, despite the long and hard-fought battles already waged.

It seems impossible that God is here. That He is working. We want to cry out, like Habakkuk, “How long, God!?”
“Where are You now?”
“What are You doing?”
“Why don’t You save us?”

The book of Habakkuk shows us a raw and real conversation between God and Habakkuk on behalf of the nation of Israel. For hundreds of years, since the exodus from Egypt, Israel suffered from the plight of its own sin. Time after time, they turned away from God and deliberately disobeyed Him by worshiping other gods and idols, despite the Father’s constant grace and effort to bring them back to Him.

And so Israel fell, and suffered, at the hand of corrupt nations like Babylon. God delivered them, and they remained faithful . . . for a time. Until they abandoned their Deliverer, and the endless cycle began again, and again, and again.

We see both Habakkuk and God hurting for the world and the sin wreaking havoc at every turn. God shows Habakkuk that He, too, sees the hurt, the pain, the suffering, and the loss. His heart breaks, too. Even though it seemed inconceivable, God was working a plan far greater than their present troubles. In the midst of the consequences of our own sin and the ripple of others’, God’s glorious plan to save His people was being revealed.  

I’m amazed at Habbakuk’s praise at the end of the book. Despite the absence of God’s immediate rescue, Habakkuk rests in God’s constant promises to deliver His people. Habakkuk didn’t have the Christmas story of Immanuel, God with us, or even the knowledge of the Easter story of the resurrection of Jesus, and yet he chose to trust in the midst of loss.

My favorite Christmas hymn lyrics, from the first verse of “O Holy Night,” simply and beautifully remind us of the “now” of our suffering and the “not yet” of the promise to come:

 “Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” 

How long have you felt the weight of sin and error and pined for relief, crying out to God, “How much longer, Lord?”

Friend, when Christmastime taps us on the shoulder and we look back at 2020 and remember what was lost and painful, may the picture of an innocent baby named Jesus, born in the midst of chaos and filth, prompt our weary hearts to turn toward hope and the bright, new, glorious morning our Father has given us.

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 Reveal 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 Reveal!

Worship VII Day 11 Held Fast

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Timothy 1:8-14
Psalm 91
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Hebrews 6:17-20
Jude 1:24-25

Worship VII, Day 11

When asked in 2015, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’m certain no one answered correctly! In Kansas City, we started with a Super Bowl Championship parade; joy was in the air and life was GOOD.

A few weeks later, Covid-19 entered the US; life turned upside-down.
Stay-at-home orders were issued.
#InThisTogether began trending.

Despite the hashtag’s slogan, however, stress and uncertainty quickly gave way to anger and division on our streets over racial inequality. The deaths of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George sparked protests against racial injustice and emotions raced even higher.

Adding to the tumult, investigations continue uncovering horrific atrocities against children.

Not to mention, it’s an election year in the United States.

Yep, pretty sure NO ONE could have predicted 2020’s events.
NO ONE except God.

As unsettling as 2020 has been so far, NOTHING has surprised God.  Our family word is KAIROS, referring to how God’s timing is SO different from ours.  As finite humans with limited knowledge, we are unable to “fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

To illustrate this mystery, consider a beautiful tapestry.  Merely surveying the BACK of the tapestry reveals only a tangle of thread and knots. Amidst the mess, the weaver continues the work, knowing the end result will be stunning.

GOD is a master weaver.

2020 is part of His plan.
In fact, all of history is His Story unfolding.
None of it is beyond His weaver’s fingers.
We can trust Him!

In the midst of chaos and confusion, HE remains steadfast, faithful, and GOOD.
We must cling to this truth!

Sitting in the middle of the unknown, it’s tempting to feel overwhelmed or defeated. Instead, let’s focus on truth: God is still at work.

In researching the hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast, I was blown away by God’s Almighty ability to weave the threads together.

In the early 1900s, the traveling evangelist, R.A. Torrey, was sharing the gospel. In 1902, in Australia, Robert Harkness joined his team as a pianist. Ironically, he agreed to be an accompanist at revival meetings BEFORE trusting Jesus as his personal Savior. He actually tried to mess up the music but failed. Due to the grace shown him by Torrey, he accepted Christ into his life.

The team traveled Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, India, and the British Isles while sharing Jesus. In London, they connected with the then-famous song writer, Ada Habershon, who joined their team. Ada would pen hymns lyrics while Robert expertly put them to music.

In 1906, a Canadian man spoke with Robert, expressing his fear of being unable to “hold out” in the midst of difficulty. Harkness wrote to Ada in England and requested lyrics speaking to this man’s struggle.

While Torrey preached to a crowd of 4,000 in Philadelphia, Harkness took out the slips of paper with Ada’s newly penned words for “He Will Hold Me Fast”, putting them to a melody then and there.

The music was captivating, and the song’s message stuck.
Over a hundred years later, we still sing Ada’s lyrics set to Robert’s melodies.
Incredibly, these words from 1906 intertwine perfectly with the experiences of 2020!

This is God at work, weaving a beautiful tapestry!

I got goosebumps reading testimonies of the impact Ada’s words have had over the years, even some from Kansas City.  Consider studying this history for yourself and pray God reminds you He is the same today just as He was then. (Hebrews 13:8)

Do you fear you also cannot “hold out”?

Maybe you need to be reminded we don’t need to depend on OUR strength, but in Jesus!  We can REST in Him, depending FULLY on HIS wisdom, power, joy, hope, peace, courage, and love.

Do you feel weak or weary?
Can you sense fear creeping in?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you question where your path will take you?
Do you question God’s love and goodness?
Do you doubt His sovereignty?
Do you wonder if He TRULY cares about you and the details of YOUR life?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do doubt, cynicism, and anger seem to be crowding out grace and compassion?
Does showing love to others feel exhausting?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you feel control slipping away?
Are you longing for Jesus to come back, wondering why He hasn’t yet?
Are you worried you might lose hope before He does?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Recently, the song, Another In The Fire, reminded me again that even in the FIRE, we are not alone.  Jesus stands with us just as He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

God parted the Red Sea.
He provided manna in the wilderness.
He shot water from a rock.
He closed lions’ mouths.
He defeated a giant through one boy’s faith.
Time and time again throughout history, He made His presence and power known as He wove His tapestry.

Then, He came to actually DWELL among us.
Jesus left heaven and was born humbly in Bethlehem.
His presence and power were felt in fresh BIG ways.

Jesus made the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, and brought the dead back to life.
Then, one day, He Himself died, paying the penalty for our sin.
Three days later, He rose again, forever conquering Death and offering eternal life and forgiveness to all who trust Him!
He can indeed hold us fast!

No thread of history can unravel God’s plan, including 2020 and the struggles in your life! We can trust JESUS remains constant, knowing He will forever hold us fast!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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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 Worship VII Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VIII Week 1

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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) When justice seems to have vanished. When anger, hurt, betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of being utterly alone sweep over you. When you are there, you can relate to Hagar. Her story is one of the greatest outcast narratives in the Bible, and the glorious encounter she experienced with the Lord Himself is all the more beautiful because of her place of defeat. He met her in the desert places of her heart with an oasis of love, tender care, and deep knowing that embraced her brokenness and hurt in a way no one else could. Where do you recognize parts of your story intersecting with Hagar’s? What part of the Lord’s encounter with her do you long for in your own life? Take this to God in prayer, share it with a trusted, believing friend, and trust the Lord sees and knows you and your scenario as deeply as He did for Hagar!

2) What Zacchaeus lacked in stature and integrity, he compensated for in passionate pursuit. He was hungry, and He knew it. He had heard of Jesus and He wanted more. Life wasn’t fulfilling despite his best attempts to satisfy his palate for wealth and prosperity. Jesus, however, already knew Zach’s story. He already knew every detail, every sin, and every lonely place in Zacchaeus’ heart. He was wooing Zacchaeus’ heart long before Zacchaeus climbed that Sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of the Lord. It’s easy for us to think we are the ones who need to chase Jesus, capture His attention, and be close to Him. But this isn’t the heart of God revealed in Scripture. He is already near to each of us. Perhaps you’ve been running and you’re feeling wearied by the chase. Take to heart that Christ Jesus already knows your story and loves you!

3) Yesterday, Carol led us beautifully into one woman’s story of responding to Jesus’ majesty, kindness, and gentle love. Being near Him carried a cost for this woman as she was outcast of all outcasts. Simply being present near Him carried the risk of being shoved aside and trampled. This woman went farther still though, she dared to touch His skin and wipe His feet with a love she had first felt extended to her through His divine grace. There at the feet of Jesus, the woman gave her gift that had cost her everything, yet she left full, whole, and satisfied for an eternity to come. Emptying everything had resulted in all-surpassing fullness. Forgiven. Shameless. Whole. Don’t let the idea of surrendering to the God who loves you completely keep you from experiencing the abundance He offers to all who come to Him.

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 Luke 19:8-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Prayer Journal
True repentance always brings about life change. Father, the more I follow You, the more I see how there are highs and lows in the genuine following of my everyday life. Sometimes, I feel so close to You, while there are entire seasons where I wonder if You have forgotten me. Lord, teach me in all seasons to hold unswervingly to the truth that You are always fully present, always taking me deeper with You, and always making me new. Teach my heart to dwell in a state of humble repentance towards Your Spirit, so I am ready to keep 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

The GT Weekend! ~ Neighbor 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) Sara helps us view our work through the perspective that we each provide a service of one kind of another. Whether grandmother, neighborhood quilt lady, school bus driver, or nail salon technician, we all provide a service to others. Consider the roles you actively serve in your everyday life. When was the last time someone noticed your work and encouraged you in it? Think back through those feelings and that scenario. What made it impactful for you? Now consider who are those providing a common service around you who you may have a tendency to overlook? The trash removers? The cashier? The bank teller? The postal worker? Your spouse? Your boss? Pray over these people!! Ask the Lord to give you a heart to love them as neighbors!

2) Rebekah identifies isolation and busyness as the culprits working against her when it comes to intentionally recognizing the people who are so close to her. While she regularly sees these people, she admits to knowing very little about them. Good intentions of offers to connect and build relationship slam hard against Isolation and Busyness. Closing the garage door is easier than crossing the street. What if we decided to re-arrange our schedules to allow space to engage our neighbors, the ones we “see”, but decide aren’t worth the investment? Suppose we, collectively, chose to take off the glasses that insist our plans must be prioritized over that text message to a neighbor or the decision to walk across the lawn and ask how we can pray for someone, or maybe even ask what they are having for dinner. Pray over who the Lord wants you to connect with, then step out and fight against Isolation and Busyness for the sake of the gospel!

3) We all have a story. We all know this is true. Every person we meet, at the store, in our neighborhood, driving down the road, standing next to in the parent pick-up-line at school, or sitting beside at church. Heavy baggage. Wounds. Heartache. Triumphs. Victories won. Loss experienced. And every story matters to the Lord. He saw the bleeding woman in the crowd (who didn’t want to be seen), and wanted her to feel known and loved. This was Christ’s mission, for all to be known and accept His precious gift of love for them. It’s one thing to say we love people. It’s another to sit with someone who aches, listen to their story, and reflect the love of the Savior in that present moment. Maybe it’s your child, or your spouse, or a friend you’ve lost touch with, or maybe it’s a perfect stranger, but the Lord is calling you to lean in and love well. Who will you be a neighbor to this week?!

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 Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Prayer Journal
I don’t mean to indifferent, Lord. I just truly don’t see them. All the people around me; I don’t really see them. I certainly don’t see them the way You do. It’s too easy to think about my problems, my relationship dynamics, the ways I feel I’m walking in circles, my losses, or the ways my needs aren’t being met. I confess, Lord, I often don’t see those around me as being real people. Broken people. People with just as many hurts and needs and broken stuff in their lives as I do. Father, I plead with You to break my heart for them. Open my eyes, Lord Jesus. Refuse to let me stay blinded to them, because You see every person uniquely and with tender love. You know their stories; they matter to You, just as my own stories, struggles, and triumphs do. Teach my tongue to speak Your truth and love over them. I know You’re already giving me opportunity to love them, help me to step out in obedience to share hope!

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! ~ Neighbor Week 1

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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) Kids. We love them. They drive us crazy. We long for them. We dream of tiny toes and whispy soft hair. Our hearts are crushed at teenage rebellion. Our insides break at loss. We watch them in their sleep, these pieces of our hearts. We cheer them on, we weep over them, we see us in them, and oh how we pray for them! Great is the gift of standing eye-to-eye with a child of any age and letting them feel seen and known and radically loved. How rich is the treasure of a child! Whether you have children, wish you did, are glad you don’t, or miss your grown children or grandchildren deeply, children are a gift for all of us! Pray specifically this week for God to increase your love for ‘the neighbor kids’. Maybe even write down a couple of names and pray diligently for their hearts to know Jesus!

2) When we think of Jesus’ call to “love your neighbor”, the face of our spouse doesn’t naturally pop into our thinking. What would it look like if we were each to very intentionally consider how to go about loving our spouses deeply, practically, and without condition of their response this week? If you aren’t married, engaged, or dating, ask the Lord to give you a specific married couple to pray over this week. Connect with them, ask how you can pray. Bring them before God this week and love them deeply as Jesus has called us to love one another. Choose one radical way to love your neighbor-spouse this week, and do it!

3) To love others well, it’s critically important we understand how magnificently we ourselves are loved by the Great God of Love. When we are rooted in truth, dancing in grace, and embraced by the everlasting, confident love of Father God, we give love to others. And we do it well. Consider the way you love others currently, and let it be a guide to help you understand how you view yourself as loved by God. Where are you stingy in your love? Where are conditions attached? Where does performance play a major role? Take these to the Lord and ask Him to show you His own deep heart of love and choose to hold fast to truth!

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 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never ends.

Prayer Journal
Oh God of Love, Your kindness towards me is unfathomable. I’m so small and insignificant in comparison to the far-flung stars and vast galaxies. Even these are nothing to You. Yet, not even a sparrow falls to the ground without Your knowing. Every hair on my head is numbered. Every freckle is known, let alone every emotion, fear, and secret way inside me. How could I possibly keep this love inside for me alone? Yet, how quickly I become selfish, losing sight of how deeply I am loved by You! I slip into thinking You are stingy, becoming bored with my humanity, annoyed at my inner self. But, no, Your love is constantly present. When I sit here, wrapped in this incredible truth, love for others bubbles to the surface. Give me opportunity to love my neighbor, Lord Jesus, as You have so radically loved me.

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

Sketched VII Day 1 Being His

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 5:1-15
Exodus 3:1-15
Isaiah 43:1-7

Sketched VII, Day 1

It was January of 2016.
My heart was learning to love Jesus more each day, but the road was full of potholes with a constant up and down scaling of mountainous terrain. My marriage of 14 years was equally as roller-coaster-like. We still hadn’t found a rhythm of love and communication since walking down the aisle, giving birth to 6 children, and holding the ashes of our baby.

I loved writing with a passion so great it hurt my heart not to write, but again, I couldn’t find the rhythm to do what I dreamed. Kids, babies, laundry, dishes, homeschooling, church, marriage, tension, h a r d.

Raw footage from my journal in December of 2015…
So now, I’m curling into bed in the room where we’ve spent the last 52+ hours fighting.
Lost.
Alone.
Unknown.
Feeling as if I’ve aged 10 years in 2 days.

Tomorrow will come. I just don’t know how to face it.
how to look in their eyes.
how to look at the mess
in the kitchen
in our marriage
how to fix any of it…

Backing up farther to November of 2014, my marriage thick with perpetual conflict, God whispered, calling me to know Him better. Deeper. Every Single Day.
I had emphasized to others about regular, daily quiet time with God for years, but I was terribly inconsistent myself. A couple days here followed by weeks without reading my Bible. I blamed it on everyone and everything else except me. God called me out of my aimlessness, asking if I truly wanted to follow.

Did I?
Did I really want to follow Jesus?

His Spirit moved my heart to YES, so with blank journal pages before me and Bible open, I tentatively stepped forward in surrender.
Every Day. No more room for apathy.

It was horribly awkward at first, but inexplicably, as days turned to weeks and months, the Lord became everything to me. I was alive, despite the brokenness around me. It thrilled me! A few weeks in, the Lord’s voice came again, “Pray for your husband and write it down, every day.” I remember the moment clearly, and my heart seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for God to recant. Of course, He didn’t, He only waited for my response.

Would I follow?
Did I even want to say yes?

Before I could begin telling God why I couldn’t, the Spirit within me moved me to YES. I opened a new journal, hesitant at first, writing casual and surface-level prayers, until the Spirit groaned within me, urging my heart into full transparency as I interceded on behalf of my husband, and asking God to change my heart.

I tell you these backstories because it would be easy to begin sharing stories of how God has used Gracefully Truthful to reach women, to encourage them, and to bring about depth and intimacy in their relationship with God.

In the telling, it could look like I had made this happen.
But, I did not.
I know the truth.
I know this journey, this ministry, is not, nor has it ever been, about me.
Because I am utterly broken without my Savior.

Even my Yes to follow has always been an act of God from inside me.

January 2016.
Disarray everywhere.
With the one exception of that solid ground space in my heart where
Jesus had become more necessary than breathing,
Here, Lord asked if I would follow again.

It came in a rush of ideas and dreams.
It was well after midnight and I was still jotting down ideas of what this next step could be as I huddled under blankets in my bed. My heart beat wildly as the Spirit leapt within me, opening my eyes to next steps. Journey Studies, women studying the Bible for themselves, truth being discovered and lived out, the Spirit calling women to life from the grave, equipping women, holding out the life of Scripture with gut-honest transparency, redemption stories, living in biblical community, and the thoughts kept spinning.

The next day, I pulled in three of my closest friends and asked if they would be in for this crazy ride, wherever it led and whatever it meant. They prayed with me, they gave wise counsel, we held hands, and when God asked if we would follow, He had already prepared our YES.

Saying yes isn’t glamorous.
And it really, truly isn’t about us.
It’s about obedient surrender.

Saying yes to following Jesus will always, always come with a price.
This particular yes has cost my countless nights of sleep, evenings lazily watching TV, precious time with my children, and space for hundreds of other activities. This follow has brought me to tears and frustration, tension in my marriage, and so many moments of wanting to walk away.

It has also cost me my apathy.
While following Jesus will always require sacrifice, it will also burn up the impurities in your life you never even recognized.
This is perhaps, God’s greatest goal in asking for our yes, because it means we will become more like Jesus in the process, bringing Him more glory.

With the apostle Paul, let it be said of me,
Since I know what it is to fear the Lord, I am trying to persuade you to follow Him as well. What I am on the inside is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to you.
I am nothing without Christ.
I am not commending myself to you, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of God’s work in me. For if I am out of my mind, it is for God. It is Christ’s love that is compelling me to follow Him because I know this above all else: Because Jesus died for all, all those who are alive should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised to give them life. (2 Corinthians 5:11-15, my paraphrase)

Let my story urge you forward, Daughter of the Most High.
Not into doing great things for God, but for being a delighted over daughter as you enjoy His presence. In that precious place, His own Spirit will teach you to follow,
and to rest while you trust Him in your obedience.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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!

Treasure Day 4 Mirror Of Her: 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 Mirror Of Her!

The Questions

1) What is the significance of calling out “one clay pot among many”? (verse 9)

2) What is the Lord’s “work of my (His) hands” He says to ask Him about? (verse 11)

3) What does this passage reveal about the authority of the Lord over His work?

Isaiah 45:9-13

“Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—
one clay pot among many.
Does clay say to the one forming it,
‘What are you making?’
Or does your work say,
‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to the one who says to his father,
‘What are you fathering?’
or to his mother,
‘What are you giving birth to?’”
11 This is what the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel and its Maker, says:
“Ask me what is to happen to my sons,
and instruct me about the work of my hands.
12 I made the earth,
and created humans on it.
It was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded everything in them.
13 I have stirred him up in righteousness,
and will level all roads for him.
He will rebuild my city,
and set my exiles free,
not for a price or a bribe,”
says the Lord of Armies.

Original Intent

1) What is the significance of calling out “one clay pot among many”? (verse 9)
The clay pots here are intended to represent nations, just as they are in a similar visual given by the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:6-10). In Jeremiah’s case, the Lord was specifically referring to the nation of Israel, however in Isaiah’s passage there were two nations noted in Isaiah 45. In Isaiah’s time, there were numerous different nations, most of which were stronger and more powerful than Israel, this was particularly frustrating for Israel because she was held in captivity under Babylonian ruler, Cyrus the Great, and had been for decades. The “one pot among many” refers to Israel among many other nations, nations who had more power, nations of which Israel would be jealous of. This would easily cause Israel to question to God as they sat year after year in exile under foreign rule. Some of this angst is seen in the question, “Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?” (verse 9) Regardless of their exiling situation, the Lord still graciously called Israel “one clay pot among many.” He focused great attention care over that “one clay pot”.

2) What is the Lord’s “work of my (His) hands” He says to ask Him about? (verse 11)
The Lord’s question here in verse 11 is a hyperbole to emphasize the point that no one has the authority to question or instruct the Lord God in what He is making or doing in the nations, in history, or in the heart of a human soul. It is similar in style to Job’s many questions of the Lord following his significant losses of family, wealth, and health. Finally, after Job has ranted on and on and complained, the Lord answered Him with the same hyperbole, “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know!” (Job 38:3-5) The Lord has no obligation to answer questions of why and what purpose and how, we are only called to trust Him as the Almighty Wise Potter. (verse 12)What is different about Isaiah’s prophecy in comparison to Job’s is the Lord does declare what He will do for Israel, the one clay pot among many. His glory will be made known as He uses a foreign ruler, Cyrus the Great, to set His people Israel free to return to their land. Cyrus would “rebuild… and set exiles free.” (verse 13)

3) What does this passage reveal about the authority of the Lord over His work?The Lord who created the earth and filled it (verse 12), and holds authority over every aspect of creation (verse 12, Colossians 1:17), did not need to bribe or coerce even a foreign ruler to free Israel from exile. (verse 13) He simply said it would be, and so it was. His sovereign authority knows no limit. All the Lord does is good and results in blessing and His glory being made known, so more people may be drawn near to Him by experiencing Him. Earlier in Isaiah 29, the Lord declares that regardless of dire circumstances for Israel, one day they would understand, “For when he sees his children, the work of My hands within his nation, they will honor My name, they will honor the Holy One of Jacob and stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who are confused will gain understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction.” One day, it would be made clear how God used Israel’s exile for His glory. One day Israel would see how God brought about redemption for all of mankind through His chosen people. One day.

Everyday Application

1) What is the significance of calling out “one clay pot among many”? (verse 9)
From the beginning of creation, God intended His glory to be made known and enjoyed in deep intimacy between the people He had created and Himself. This theme became ever more prominent the farther forward into the timeline of history we move. Abraham was called away from his homeland and worship of false gods, Isaac was the promised seed through whom would come the Great Deliverer, and Jacob was called into God’s plan before he was even born to continue building God’s nation. And on it goes from Jacob’s descendants, the Hebrews, being called out of slavery in Egypt, then made into the nation Israel, then given a land, and called God’s own people and possession to declare Him to the nations around them. One clay pot among many. Only the author gets to decide how He will use the clay pot to declare His goodness to the world, not the other way around with the pot dictating instruction to the Potter. In the New Testament, the one clay pot among many takes on a new, fuller form as the chosen ones become the Church, the Bride of Christ. We are still called to make God and His glory known to all people and all nations, but it is by His Spirit, His direction, not ours. In our own lives, we submit to His hands and His teaching and His leading as He guides us and makes our hearts new. He is the Potter, we are the clay pot!

2) What is the Lord’s “work of my (His) hands” He says to ask Him about? (verse 11)
While God certainly doesn’t need our help to rule, and He doesn’t need to consult us before acting, He is gracious in revealing His work to us and His purposes. We may still wrestle with why and we may grieve and feel anger towards Him when circumstances don’t fall into place as we would have planned, and hear this, that is okay to wrestle with! The Lord was exceptionally patient with Job as he walked through his grievous pain of deep loss. The Lord never once abandoned Job or mocked him for his honest wrestling. How the Lord did respond is important for each of us to note and take comfort in. He responded by reminding Job, and Israel through Isaiah’s prophecy, that He alone was God, and all authority was held by Him. There is nothing God “missed” or “overlooked” or “made a mistake” in His actions. The psalmist reminds us the Lord “never abandons the work of His hands.” (Psalm 138:8) Whether it’s on the national level, the coming return of Christ, His glory worked out through the tension of your relationship, or His comfort being made known to you as you walk through your own loss, He will never abandon the work of His hands! After the Lord responded to Job for 3 long chapters, Job, in humility answers with genuine understanding and peace, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2) Trust His hand, Sister!

3) What does this passage reveal about the authority of the Lord over His work?
God is not afraid of our questions and wrestling, He allows it, more so, welcomes us when we come to Him with why. What He wants us to be absolutely certain of though, as we wrestle and weep and grievously ache, is that He is to be trusted. His authority and power are not working against us. If that were so, Christ would not have humbled Himself to die for us, in our place, though He Himself deserved no death, no punishment, and no painful separation from God the Father. He is working for our good and His glory, all the time, but because we are finite, we simply do not always understand. But we do always have a choice of trusting His heart. The more we study Scripture, and seek His face, the more we realize how good He is, how much He is for us, and how deeply He loves us. Just as there was a prophesied One Day for Israel, so there is for us as well. One day, every tear will be wiped away. One day, we will finally understand the deep goodness of our God. (Revelation 21:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) One day, redemption will cover every loss, every wound, and every sadness no matter how deep. One Day.

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

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 Treasure Week One!
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.

Esther Day 8 Tears That Move God’s Heart

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 4:1-11
Psalm 56
Psalm 66:8-15
James 1:2-3
Romans 5:1-5

Esther, Day 8

Bless our God, you peoples,
let the sound of His praise be heard! (Psalm 66:8)

Reason for rejoicing must be clear here, right?
Such jubilant praise!
Such rich, ardent voices lifted up in adoration!

But the Psalmist continues….
For you, God, tested us;
you refined us as silver is refined.
You lured us into a trap;
you placed burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water….

Wait, what?
Those are crushing words.
Words, I could have written myself, and have, at various points along my own journey.
Burdened, trapped, pressed in upon, barely breathing, trampled over, scorched by flames, drowning in swirling waters.

Praise?
What kind of people would praise while drowning?
Or maybe better, what kind of deity would want to hear praise in dire trials?

Death had been decreed for Queen Esther and her people.
The date had been set for mass extinction of an entire people group.
There were no backdoors of escape, no democracy to provide checks and balances, only one option, prayer.

Prayer for Old Testament Jews meant a few things, especially in hopeless situations, but among the most prominent were gut-wrenching honesty, humility, petition, and praise.
The prayer book of the Jews was the book of Psalms, it also conveniently doubled as their hymnal. Yes, their prayers were their songs. The lyrics of their worship were the authentic pleadings and praises of their hearts.

Though prayer and the name of God are never explicitly noted in the book of Esther, where there was fasting, sackcloth, lamenting, and mournful weeping for Jews, there was prayer.
And where there was prayer, there was praise.

One only needs a cursory glance through Psalms to find this to be true. Go ahead, try it! Pick up your Bible, open to Psalms, and read a few random songs, skip pages, and read again.

Praise is everywhere, but so is brokenness.

Later in the New Testament, the great Pastor Paul says it like this:
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

As Mordecai wept, ripped his clothing, and dipped trembling, fearful fingers into the dust from which he’d been made and streaked his face with it, he prayed in faith to the God of the Universe.

He knew his weakness.
He recognized his complete and utter inability to change the decree of his own death or the massacre of his people.
Yet, he prayed.

He prayed because he also knew something else.
He knew God’s character could not, would not, be faithless. (2 Timothy 2:13)
He knew God does not abandon the work of His hands. (Psalm 138:8)
And for these reasons, Mordecai, a man on death row, could praise.

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

No doubt, Mordecai was afraid. He agonized. He mourned. He wailed.
But he knew where to take his fear.

Mordecai did not know how God would answer, nor even if his own life would be spared, but He did trust that God would bring redemption.

Sisters, with tears in my eyes as I write, I too have felt Mordecai’s helpless fear.
My face has been planted into the floor, my clothing as rumpled as my spirit.
My cheeks have been stained with tears (and a whole lot of snot), my hands have trembled with the unknown and the glaring reality of my own endless weakness and inability to change my circumstances.

With upturned hands and downcast, flooded eyes, I’ve begged for mercy, for release, for redemption. I’ve admitted out loud in all gut-wrenching honesty that I did not know if God would bring redemption in my life or, if He did, that it would look as I wanted.

But through praise, lament, and petition, He uncurled my fists and I anchored again in the safe harbor of His sure and certain character.
He would not abandon the work of His hands.

Mordecai couldn’t see the end, but He trusted all the same.
To Esther, he spoke with unshakeable conviction, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place…”

I don’t know your fears, your hurt, or your great need for God to redeem and act, but the Lord does know.

You yourself have recorded my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8)

Not a tear falls without the Lord seeing, knowing, holding it, and waiting to redeem it in His time and in His way, which is precisely why we can praise in the midst of floods and fires and ruin and heartache.

Like Mordecai, I do not know how the Lord will work His redemption over my brokenness, but I will shout in triumph in the face of this fear and trembling,
“My enemies will retreat on the day when I call.
This I know: God is for me.” (Psalm 56:8-9)

The rest of that psalm of praise we began this journey with?
The one about being refined as fire, burdened down, and walking through fire and flood?
Here is the worshipper’s refrain on the prayer of his song,
“but You brought us out to abundance.”
(Psalm 66:10-12)

Trust His heart, Lovely One.
Cry the tears.
Rend the garments.
Mourn with authenticity.
Then surrender to the One who holds your tears in a bottle, records your pain in His own journal, and is waiting to bring you into His redemptive abundance!

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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 Esther 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 Esther!

Esther Day 2 Known & Loved: 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 Known & Loved!

The Questions

1) How does this passage reflect the idea of being “known and loved” from Esther’s story?

2) What is implied by giving specific location directions in verses 5-6?

3) How are those who “bear (His) name” different from those who don’t? Are there people who aren’t created for His glory? (verse 7)

Isaiah 43:1-7

Now this is what the Lord says—
the one who created you, Jacob,
and the one who formed you, Israel—
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.
2 I will be with you
when you pass through the waters,
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not overwhelm you.
You will not be scorched
when you walk through the fire,
and the flame will not burn you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.
I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 Because you are precious in my sight
and honored, and I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you
and nations instead of your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

Original Intent

1) How does this passage reflect the idea of being “known and loved” from Esther’s story?
This passage is precious to many believers, including me, because it clearly spells out God’s dramatic love for His children. While it was originally intended for a strictly Jewish audience, we know from the New Testament that God’s special, redeeming love extends to all who call on His Name, whether Jew or Gentile. (Romans 10:12-13) Context is everything when studying Scripture, and when we back up into the previous chapter, this message of love becomes even more radical. The Lord calls out Israel’s intentional deafness towards God’s call to repentance. God calls them blind, as they stubbornly refuse to see Him as their only God. The refuse to acknowledge Him or His righteousness, clinging instead to their own love of idols, self, and sin. A poor trade indeed! Chapter 42 closes out with God pouring out His just, righteous anger on Israel for their prideful sin, but still they refused to change. Immediately following that dramatic scene of outright, face-slapping rebellion, the Lord God astoundingly speaks, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine”. (verse 1) Truly unfathomable!! God not only loves Israel with unrelenting love, He knows them intimately, sees every hateful sin, and still chooses to love.

2) What is implied by giving specific location directions in verses 5-6?
After King Solomon (King David’s son) died and his son, King Rehoboam, took the throne, Israel split into Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Southern Kingdom (Judah). Everything went gradually downhill from there. At the time of Isaiah’s prophetic book, Assyria had already destroyed Israel (Northern Kingdom) in 722BC and all of its inhabitants had been scattered to various regions. No semblance of Israel remained. Isaiah prophesied, and warned, the remaining Jews living in Judah to return to the Lord before they too were obliterated. His warning and prophesies, however, fell on deaf ears (just as noted in our passage today!), and Babylon destroyed Jerusalem (located in Judah) in 586BC and carried off the majority of Jews into exile. Long story short, Jews were scattered in all directions because of their love affair with sinful rebellion. Even so, God speaks tenderly and lovingly to them, letting them know they are His. Isaiah’s prophecy points forward to day when God will bring all exiles back home from wherever they have been scattered. Jews from all directions will be brought home.

3) How are those who “bear (His) name” different from those who don’t? Are there people who aren’t created for His glory? (verse 7)
To get a fuller understanding of this idea of “bearing His name”, we look into the next chapter of Isaiah. Again, the Lord is speaking to His people, telling them not to fear because He has chosen them to be His own people. Isaiah shares the prophecy of a coming time when offspring and descendants will abundantly spring up. The interesting note is how this prophecy for offspring is worded, “This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.” There is a clear choice involved. Though God has already called and chosen the offspring, a choice remains. That choice is ours. God had planned in advance that Christ will come and offer Himself as a sacrifice in our place. He has planned in advance that through Jesus, all will have access to God. God planned in advance that the way of salvation and peace with God would be made available for Jews and Gentiles alike. He also knew the decision to follow Him would be a choice we would each need to make.

Everyday Application

1) How does this passage reflect the idea of being “known and loved” from Esther’s story?
Queen Vashti was superficially loved for her beauty, but her husband neither knew nor valued her heart, so she remained unloved for who she really was. We all like to think we are pretty good people, not flawless, of course, but we do the best we can and make pretty good choices most of the time, right? That would be okay if we were judged on a sliding scale of sin, but we aren’t. One sin is all it takes for us to be declared wholly un-righteous. (James 2:10) This sounds like terrible news until we put it in context of what we learn about God in the passage from Isaiah. He knew Israel’s dirtiest sins from the inside out. There was no sin that escaped the sight of His Holy eyes. Though He knew them, He still loved them. And so, we are safe when we are inside the love of our Holy God. Once we acknowledge our own damming sin, and surrender all of ourselves to the love and forgiveness of God, who died in our place to make just payment for our sin, He loves us with the kind of love outlined here in Isaiah. A love that will not relinquish us to eternal condemnation and separation even though we sin and rebel against Him. Where sin has increased, so God has given grace to increase all the more! (Romans 5:20) Where Vashti was unloved by her husband, she would find complete and perfect love inside the heart of God. So it is with each of us. Where relationships fail, God’s love remains. Where friends or spouse or co-worker or children abandon, wound, or leave us unknown and unloved, God’s love remains constant!

2) What is implied by giving specific location directions in verses 5-6?
As we learn in the New Testament, God’s heart is for all people, not just the Jewish nation. He intentionally grafted in the Gentiles, so all would have a place in His kingdom as His special, dearly loved people. As Isaiah notes, “everyone who bears My name is created for My glory.” “Everyone” literally means “everyone”. Not all choose to live for His glory, not all will surrender to His love for them, and not all will be rescued and brought back home to dwell with Him, but it doesn’t change how that is His heart’s desire. He longs for all people to be saved. (1 Timothy 2:3-4) Those who have heard and answered the call of the Lord to be fully His, will one day be called all together and nothing will hold them back. When Christ returns, all who have trusted in Jesus for salvation through faith alone will be fully redeemed!

3) How are those who “bear (His) name” different from those who don’t? Are there people who aren’t created for His glory? (verse 7)
Though God invites everyone to participate in His kingdom and receive His love, not all will receive that gift. All were created with a specific purpose of reflecting His glory and participating in specific callings and roles inside the Body of Christ, not all will accept that gracious invitation. Because He is a sovereign God, He will never waste a life and will use all people to further His purposes, even if they rebel against Him. In Israel’s case, God used the Assyrian Empire to enact rightly deserved punishment on the Northern Kingdom, even though they hadn’t submitted to God and His ways. For the Southern Kingdom, God used the foreign Babylonian Empire to bring Judah into exile. Farther back in Jewish history, when they were only Hebrews enslaved in Egypt, God used Pharaohs’ hard heart as a platform to display His magnificent power of deliverance for the captives. His purposes will always prevail, but whether we choose to accept His invitation to actively be part of His gracious love towards us is up to us. He will give us the faith needed to say yes, He will supply the grace to give us access to Him, but will we say, “I am the Lord’s”?

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

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 Esther Week One!
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.