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Kneel Day 3 Fierce Faith

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Kings 19:8-37
2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Corinthians 4
2 Timothy 2:1-13

Kneel, Day 3

“I’m at the end of myself. The end of myself. The end of myself.
Lord, my God, every day I see again, I’m at the end of myself.”

Those lines flowed from my pen this morning. Hopelessness and despair pocked my heart like so many arrows, threatening to undo me.
Then came the lies, slowly at first, then quickening.
This trial isn’t worth the cost.
You’re losing the war.
Give up. Save yourself.

As is my learned habit when bringing the full weight of my brokenness to the Lord, I sat before Him, my tears mixing with the ink on my page, waiting for Him. When I was spent, trouble still brimming over in my soul, there was nothing left to do but wait in stillness.

I settled into the holy hush, waiting.
I knew He had heard.
I knew He had seen.
I was now an active participant in listening,
for prayer is much more about shushing than speaking.

This habit of pouring out myself in frankness before the Holy Almighty One, then awaiting His response, has grown richer over time. Its budding practice began years ago when I uncovered an Old Testament narrative of one king who gave himself completely to relying on the Lord God. (2 Kings 18:5-6)

Hezekiah was markedly different from Judah’s exceptionally wicked kings, and everyone noticed. When the popular vote swung toward evil, Hezekiah fixed His gaze unswervingly on the Faithful One and followed the Lord’s ways, effectively drowning out culture’s clamor. The consistency of Hezekiah’s faith was compared to the king known as the man after God’s own heart, David. (2 Kings 18:3) Stirred up by his love for the Holy One, Hezekiah boldly pressed against decades-old traditions and idolatrous patterns of the people of Judah. (2 Kings 18:4) Following the Lord in obedience wasn’t lip service for Hezekiah, it was the practiced pattern of his everyday life.

One doesn’t suddenly become stalwart in dependence on the Lord.
Fierce faith must be cultivated, developed, and practiced daily.

Hezekiah had been king for 14 years when King Sennacherib attacked, plenty of time to practice relying on the Lord.

The most loathsome empire, the Assyrians, known for their gruesome acts of war, had methodically moved through Judah, capturing one city after another. Terrified of seizure, Hezekiah attempted to bargain with the terrorists, even stripping the Lord’s holy temple of every shred of treasure as offering to Assyria’s king. (2 Kings 18:14-16)

The Assyrian Chief of Staff gleefully took Hezekiah’s gold and silver, then began to taunt him, relishing in calling him cowardly and his God, impotent. Next, in a brazen act of malice, he stood tall for all Jerusalem’s citizens to hear as he publicly mocked Judah’s king and fed Hezekiah’s countrymen lies in their own language. (2 Kings 18:26-28)

Slowly at first, then with gathering speed,
“What are you relying on? (…) Suppose you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God’ (…) It’s the Lord who said to me, ‘Attack this land and destroy it.’” (2 Kings 18:20-25)

Lies spewed from the Chief of Staff with titanic fury;
he was enjoying his scathing mockery,
“Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you; he can’t rescue you from my power! Don’t let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the Lord! (…) Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us.’” (2 Kings 18:29-30, 32)

Silence was deafening in the wake of words that waged war before swords had been unsheathed. (2 Kings 18:36)

Sackcloth. Ashes. Fear. Trembling. Agony.
Prayer

The prophet Isaiah was summoned.
The people waited for the king’s next move.
Hezekiah, with torn garments from his overwhelming grief, took the mocking letter of threats from King Sennacherib and did exactly what he’d practiced all his life.
He prayed.

“Hezekiah…went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it [the letter] out before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord.” (2 Kings 19:14-15)

In all broken honesty and total surrender, clearly at the end of himself, Hezekiah demonstrated the ferocity of his genuine faith by praying to the “Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You are God – You alone – of all kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.” (2 Kings 19:15)

He proved his faith in the pattern he’d practiced.

Then Hezekiah waited.
No lightning voice from Heaven.
No scrolling pen on his wall.
He waited for the Lord to speak through the means He had ordained, His prophet, Isaiah.

Isaiah came and assured Hezekiah he’d been heard; the Lord would move in response to his faith. Hezekiah need only wait and watch. (2 Kings 19:20-21, 32-34)

Sisters, read for yourself the work of the Lord!
“That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left.” (2 Kings 19:35-36)

The undefeatable, wiped out in moments.
The lies slain, the mocker defeated.
Truth won as faith fought with ferocious surrender.

Sisters, may our lives reflect full reliance on the Faithful God. When the enemy pursues and lies pock our hearts, let’s act with confidence by spreading out our grievances before the Holy One in prayer.

Then, let’s wait for His sure response.

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Word Day 1 Do You Believe?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-15
Matthew 5:1-12
Zephaniah 3:17
John 4

Word, Day 1

Words.
They have the power to carry or condemn.
To hearten or hurt.

“There is one who speaks rashly,
like a piercing sword;
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)

While we’ve all experienced the truth of this verse, when we look at Jesus, who Himself was called The Word, we wonder what kind of Word is He?

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God…” (John 1:1-2)

What words did He choose to speak out loud?
What did He use His words for when He walked the earth?

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

We don’t have camera recordings from the ancient world. We can’t hear His voice inflections or see His physical face, but we do have eyewitness accounts of those who knew Him best. By the power of the Spirit of God, these eyewitnesses recorded His Words for generation to generation to hear and be given life until the Word comes again to bring us Home for eternity!

Christ’s words were filled with gentleness and kindness (Luke 7:13-14), but He never shied away from speaking the fullness of truth, even if it wasn’t popular. (Matthew 21:12-13)

The impact of Jesus’ words are felt in the Wilderness as He confronts Satan’s temptations by pushing back with Scripture. Satan’s response to the Word of God? To give up his attack. (Matthew 4:1-11)

As Jesus encountered the fishermen, Peter and Andrew, His powerful invitation hung in the air, “Follow me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19) Their response to God’s Word in the flesh? “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:20)

Jesus’ voice warns Peter he would deny Christ. (Luke 22:54-62) Though Peter’s response still ended in self-protection, Jesus’ tender love overwhelmed Peter with words Jesus knew would empower and equip him to give his life away in full surrender. (John 21:15-19)

Jesus’ words did not make Him a favorite of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. Even so, His words pierced even these hearts, one of whom was Nicodemus.
Nicodemus approached Jesus “after hours”, in the dark of night so as not to be seen.  Was this man truly Who His words claimed He was? (John 3:1-21)

Jesus made Himself available to anyone day or night.
Just as He is available to you.

Jesus didn’t berate Nicodemus for his questions or tell him it was too late for conversation. He spoke with words Nicodemus would understand, meeting him in the context of his familiarity.

Jesus moved seamlessly from meeting with religious leaders, to connecting with a social outcast (John 4), and speaking healing over a dying Gentile from afar (Luke 7:1-9).

His message remained the same, though His words were different, as He met each pair of eyes and unique story with His faithful, enduring love. He spoke value to the woman who married five times and then shared intimacy with a man not her husband. (John 4) He spoke life to a dead boy in a casket. (Luke 7:11-17) He spoke counter-cultural truth bound up with grace to the masses. (Matthew 5:1-12) The response? Revival. Wholeness. The fullness of life.

At His commanding word, creation itself listened and obeyed.
“He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)

If He can control the winds and waves, rest assured He is present amid your challenges and chaos. You need only respond to His voice.

He spoke words of life over the elite and least, seeing each of them, loving them all.

“When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before Him.” (John 8:47)

Christ’s response to this woman, her shame, and her brokenness?
Words that drew her in as His own to be known, loved, welcomed.

“Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (John 8:48)

Words were never pithy to the Savior, each one was intentional, well-aimed at pointing to deep, unfathomable love discovered in a relationship with Him. The same Christ who called the outcast “Daughter”, called His betrayer “friend”. (John 15:15)

Jesus.
Word of God made into human flesh.
Calls aloud to each of us, inviting our hearts to turn towards His enduring embrace. He tells believers we are His workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
He calls us His own, naming Himself as our Abba Father. (1 John 3:1, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18)
He longs for none to perish apart from a relationship with Him. (2 Peter 3:9)

The same Jesus who gave Judas, His betrayer, time to repent and be forgiven,
waits now for you.

He waits to call you Daughter.

Whose words are we listening to?
Those of the world or the melody God sings over those who trust Him with their full hearts? (Zephaniah 3:17)

We often listen to the voices of the world to determine our value,
but these tell us we are not enough.

Heed their lies no longer!
Whether you feel like the least, the elite, the hungry, content, or thirsty, Jesus’ words are ready to meet you exactly where you are.

He still has words for you.
Are you listening?
Will you take Him at His Word?

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Questions 2 Can You Hear Me?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 88
James 5:12-16
Ephesians 1:3-14
Romans 8:18-27

Questions 2, Day 5

I stuck my neck out and asked him on a date.

Because we are living in the 21st century, I sent a Facebook message, threw my phone across the room, and waited. I waited for what felt like years . . . but it was honestly less than 24 hours.

I remember thinking, “Did he get it? Has he read it? It says ‘read,’ but what if he accidentally opened it but didn’t see it and now he doesn’t know it’s there?! What if he never sees it?”

The waiting can be the hardest part of asking. 

While I eventually heard back from him, and we went on one pleasant date, never to see each other again, prayer has always been a varying iteration of this Facebook message scenario. We ask God to intervene in the big moments and the little decisions, to provide guidance and discernment, and for Him to heal our broken bodies, hearts, and spirits. We launch our prayers into the vast, unknown universe, believing God has the power to take care of it all, and hoping He hears us.

And then we wait.

In the waiting, we are left to wonder if our prayer got lost along the way. Perhaps God heard us, but He’s too busy working on all of the other prayers He’s received in His prayer inbox. We wonder if prayer even works as we stand exposed in the silence.

When I look back on my prayers, there are moments when God made everything so clear it would have slapped me across the face. But there are many other times when I am left wondering if my prayers even reach His heart. These prayers become deep longings in my soul as I come before God time and time again and tap my metaphorical prayer microphone, asking, “Excuse me, is this thing on?”

What are the longing prayers of your heart, prayers you’ve asked God to answer and then just . . . waited . . . in the dust of deafening silence?

While we hang around for answers, perhaps letting our emotions get the better of us as we spill out all that’s flooding our hearts into words lofted towards the Almighty, we may feel, like David, as if we’re in a pit of despair.  It’s in this murky space of volatile emotion paired with desperate need, we must remember to take a deep breath and ask ourselves,
“What is true?”

Where else can we go to find absolute truth but Scripture? God’s word tells us,

When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

What when we ask, we shall receive; when we seek, we will find, and when we knock, the door will be opened to us. (Luke 11:9-10)

God hears the prayer of a righteous person. (Psalm 34:17)

As we settle into the unshakeable truths of Scripture, we remember God has already revealed Himself to us through the life of His son, Jesus, who came to earth to stand in the gap of the sin separating us from the Father. Jesus connects us back to God through His life, death, and resurrection, and now we have access to the Holy Spirit, who is God dwelling inside of us! Through the Holy Spirit, we have a God who more than just hears our prayers; He is intimately living within us, knowing and feeling every groaning cry that burdens our hearts.

It isn’t always easy to focus on truth in our prayers. Since the beginning of time, the allure of the world has been working to pull our hearts, minds, and attention away from God. Sin and suffering have afflicted us at every turn. But even (and especially) in the midst of your suffering and your pleading, let your prayers pour out to God. He cares and yes, He is listening.

Friend, may I pray for your heart today as you ask God if He can hear you?

Father God, I pray for my sister today as she comes before You, wondering if You can hear her prayer. Time and time again, she has come before You and laid her heart out before You. In the chaos of the world around her, she has been unable to hear Your response to her heart and she is left wondering if You are listening. 

Holy Spirit, open her heart and her mind to how You are working in, through, and around her, that your glory might be revealed. Give her comfort in knowing You are present with her and dwelling in her. Thank You for Your son, Jesus, who revealed Who You are to her and connected her heart to You and to us, as sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name, Amen. 

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Follow Day 15 Lydia, Spaghetti, and Waffles

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:6-15, 40
Romans 12:1-21
Mark 8:34-38

Follow, Day 15

Men’s brains work like waffles; women’s work like spaghetti.

Have you heard this analogy? While I’ve never read the book in which it’s presented, I am very aware of the concept. Men are able to compartmentalize their thinking (waffles), whereas women have several thoughts moving at once that may be under, over, in-between, wrapped around, tied in knots, etc (spaghetti).

For example, when my husband asks what I’m thinking, I need to follow one specific noodle in my mind to figure out how it connected with what we were originally talking about. In other scenarios, I will bring up a topic from a previous conversation and he will acknowledge he hasn’t considered it since because he “tucked that thought in its waffle square.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure if my brain truly existed in the “waffle-sphere,” things would end badly. I’d tuck something away safely in a square and promptly forget about it forever. Or I would ineffectively label my squares and end up with a massive, jumbled laundry pile of sorts, one with random thoughts falling away like errant socks rolling down the sides and disappearing (is this where all the missing socks go?).

The more I imagined life with a waffle-mind, my thankfulness for how the Lord wired my brain grew. With these thoughts, I began writing this Journey Study and was surprised to encounter an entirely new and challenging perspective on our dear sister in the Bible, Lydia.

Lydia’s story graces only a few verses in Scripture, but a great deal about her can be inferred from those lines. If you already read the Acts passages at the start of this study, excellent! If not, take a minute to read now. (Acts 16:6-15, 40)

Paul encountered Lydia outside the city gates of Philippi, yet Lydia was introduced as being from the city of Thyatira. Looking at the map of Paul’s missionary journeys in the back of my Bible, I discovered Thyatira and Phillippi are not neighboring towns; Lydia was a traveler. 

Additionally, she was a seller of purple cloth, for which Thyatira was famous. Note the verse does not say she was married to a seller of purple cloth; no, Lydia was a business woman, defying social norms by actively working.

She is also described as God-fearing. Paul found Lydia and other women gathered in prayer outside of the city gates. These women were humble and determined enough to step outside the boundaries of the city (most definitely the physical ones, but perhaps the societal, economic, and emotional boundaries as well) in order to seek the Lord. Lydia’s presence was intentional as she denied her own convenient comfort. (Mark 8:34)

After Lydia is introduced, we are immediately told what she was doing: listening. Because she was actively engaged with Paul’s words, “the Lord opened her heart to respond.” (Acts 16:14) If I were to envision this scenario occurring today, it might look like a woman intentionally moving to a place where she can encounter the Lord. For me, that would mean leaving my phone in the other room, having my journal and a pen ready to write thoughts to and from the Lord, and time enough to be still and truly listen.

Lydia followed through on the Lord’s nudge to respond. Holding nothing back from the Lord, she and her household were baptized. Then, she served as hostess to Paul and his traveling companions on multiple occasions. She demonstrated hospitality, generosity, humility, focus, and faithfulness. (Romans 12:6)

Now, in a perfect example of my brain’s spaghetti-like wiring, let’s jump back to how Lydia’s example showed me two ways in which I am asking the Lord to help my “spaghetti-ness.” First, like Lydia, I’m learning I must carve out time to be with the Lord and listen. The compartments of church and my personal time with Him cannot be replaced by other things. Failing to prioritize those will be detrimental to myself and those the Lord is entrusting to me.

Second, I do compartmentalize some areas that I shouldn’t. The phrase “separation between church and state” is not a biblical concept, yet it aptly describes a pattern of distinct boundaries between Jesus and the rest of my life. Rather than existing in separate compartments, what I learn in church and during my quiet times MUST bleed over into the other facets of my life. I must blend my heart for the Lord with my work environment and ethic, my home life, and my time in community. This does not mean I have a “Honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on my cubicle, but it does mean that I live to be a light to those around me. 

Lydia took all she had and used it for the glory of the Lord.
As a result, her entire household met Jesus.

Paul and his companions were blessed, ministered to, and energized for their journeys.
The kingdom gained a hard-working evangelist with a broad sphere of influence.

Beloved, as we consider our lives, where might God be calling us to use what He’s already given us for His glory?

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Calling Day 15 Undying Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-24
Psalm 138:1-8
Colossians 1:1-29

Calling, Day 15

For my birthday, my sister gave me an Amazon gift card. With that e-card, she placed a vast array of options at my fingertips and whatever I chose could be on my doorstep in two days. Any guesses as to what I selected?

A charging station for all my electronics. 

All #adulting jokes aside, I have happily used the charging station daily since it arrived. Gone are the days of plugging items in to charge all around the room since no outlet had enough space for all my chargers. No longer am I searching for various cords and adaptors and successfully pair them accurately with devices, which were often threatening to die at any moment. Now a small bamboo box, containing a charging hub, hosts all my charging electronics.

So now that I’ve given you far more insight into my life than you ever wanted, let me share how the Lord used this ordinary charger to provide a new perspective on a portion of His Word.

Our study on Ephesians is drawing to a close, but the rich depth of its application continues on if we embrace the challenge presented to us in the final verses of this letter from Paul. This challenge produces fruit and the abundant life Christ died to bring us. (John 10:10) In verse 10, Paul begins to walk through the armor of God.

If you grew up in the church, you may remember learning this concept in Sunday school; I distinctly remember something akin to an “armor of God” paper doll. (For those in a younger generation, they were like paper doll apps but–gasp–made of real paper!)

If you’re not familiar with the concept, the armor of God describes how believers can prepare for, and successfully fight, in the spiritual battles we face on our journeys of faith.

Unfortunately, I sometimes equate putting on the armor of God with the dressing up of a paper doll. I can “dress” myself with the correct words, thoughts, and outlooks from head to toe, but am I truly drawing my strength from the Lord . . . or just putting on a good show?

So as I read through Ephesians 6, I asked myself if I am truly “plugging in” to the Lord as my source as I seek to live out the life described in verses 10-18? As I pondered that question, the Lord brought to mind my charging station. I would not set my phone on the wooden base and assume it would charge without plugging in the base.

Similarly, putting on the armor of God is about drawing close to Christ and His Word, and listening to the Holy Spirit as we pray. It is not about looking the part; it is about living the part.

For example, when verse 14 challenges us to stand with truth like a belt around our waists, it is not exhorting us to assume a certain physical posture, or pull ourselves up by our bootstraps emotionally.

Instead, Paul encourages us to embrace truth, both through immersion in Scripture and prayerful pursuit of discernment and wisdom in the Holy Spirit. Then, just as a literal belt was the foundational piece of armor to which all else was attached, God’s truth will be the launchpad from which the rest of our spiritual armor springs.

What passage of Scripture or words of the Spirit speak to your heart in this moment and remind you the God who has overcome the world is for you? Stand on His words of truth, dear sister; stand with the authority Christ died to give you.

As we read through the armor of God, let’s envision each piece as a charger for an electronic device.
What would it look like to “plug ourselves into Christ” for each piece of armor?
Let’s invest the time to intentionally seek interaction with the Lord and discover His strength.

The key component in my charging station is electricity, and the key component of the armor of God is God. Long before electricity ever made its mark on planet earth, Paul understood the reality of being plugged into Christ, and the significance of this vital connection is still felt today as we read his letters.

Paul wrote about the armor of God as a tested and tried warrior, not as a child playing with paper dolls. He put on the armor of God in order to fulfill the purpose the Lord had for him. Paul sought to declare the gospel and he worked with the Lord to spread the good news about Christ. He has modeled what it looks like to live fully alive in Christ and fully alive for Christ. 

Paul ended his letter to the church in Ephesus (and to all of us eavesdropping on the conversation) with a prayer for grace to all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear sister, may we plug in to the Lord and be counted among those with an undying love.

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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!

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Calling Day 13 One To Another

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:15-6:9
Mark 12:28-34
Psalm 133:1-3

Calling, Day 13

I saw the picture.
I bet you did, too.

George Floyd’s body on the ground, a police officer’s knee to his neck.

I. Can’t. Breathe.

And the Church began to move.

While racial injustice has soared for the United States’ entire existence and slavery built the understructure of our nation, we’ve been quiet.

Excuses.

“If only…”
“Well, if they hadn’t…”
“They should’ve…”

Until the injustice was so blatantly obvious we couldn’t ignore it any longer.

I’m ashamed it took the dying words of a lynched man to wake us up.

Our call to love, to submit, to live in unity within the Church is as old as mankind
because our God is a God of unity.

All throughout Scripture, God tells us to love. He shows us He is a listening and hearing God and since we were made in His image, we should be listening and hearing, too.

Yet.

We have women in abusive marriages begging for help.
While the Church looks away. 

We have children crying for parents to love and care for them.
While the Church looks away. 

We have Black neighbors decrying injustice and racism of all kinds.
While the Church looks away. 

Or, at least, it did.

In Ephesians, Paul calls the Church to action, disputing the idea we were ever given permission to turn a blind eye to the many dark injustices in the world.

First, he calls us to unity, instructing us to be wise and clear-minded. He exhorts us to speak to one another with the music of heaven threaded through our words and to worship together, offer our thanks to the Lord, and …
submit to one another in reverent awe of Christ. 

Did you catch the lack of distinction?

Submit.
Every. Single. Believer.

The world tries to put the Bible within the context of its own darkened, limited, sin-stained understanding. Unfortunately, many Christians believe the world, instead of reading the Bible and commentaries and seeking the perfect understanding of the Holy Spirit. (Example: the world likes to say, “Only God can judge me.” But we know from Scripture, that is a misrepresentation to excuse sin.)

So, it’s no surprise we’ve believed the world’s pronouncement that submission is archaic, antifeminist, and oppressive. The idea of submission can leave us with a bad aftertaste if we refuse to learn what the Lord truly means by the beautiful dance of submission.

The Lord’s desire for us to submit, each to the other, whoever the “other” is, regardless of gender, heritage, race, position, or ethnicity, is born out of how God holds submission within Himself as a triune God. Each member of the trinity actively submits to the other to bring about whole oneness and perfect unity.
A lovely, holy dance of submission, one to another.

If we, as Christians, submitted “one to the other”, we would look a lot more like Jesus than we do right now.

Biblical submission is not archaic, antifeminist, or oppressive.
It isn’t abusive, it’s beautiful.

Submitting means putting others before ourselves.

In fact, the idea of biblical submission is closely related to meekness. Before you start thinking this means weakness, here’s the definition Jesus referenced for the Greek word for meek:

“Intentionally choosing to lovingly, gently defer in order to esteem and value another.”

Meek submission requires strength of character, complete reliance on God to supply our needs, and a tender, compassionate willingness to pause and listen to others’ words and respond to their needs. Meek submission lovingly and intentionally lays aside our own arrogant need to be right and instead, elevates the other person.

In order to live this way in our everyday lives, we must first submit to God by fully grasping His will for the Church to live as one unified Body.

Now here’s the thing… when I say the Church looks away when injustice reigns, I don’t mean every church or every person in the Church, but shouldn’t we be unified in opposition to injustice?

When People of Color within the Church speak up on division, shouldn’t the whole Church hold each other up?
That’s unity.
That’s submission.
That’s meekness.

Paul goes on to explain wives are to submit to their husbands, children are to honor and respect their parents, and slaves are to obey their masters (or employees to employers), all of which looks like a big, heaping spoonful of beautiful, godly, strong and gentle, meek submission.

Before Paul really gets into details, he first instructs us to speak to one another in love, give thanks, and submission to one another.

No distinction. No qualification. No excuse.

All of us are to submit to one another. 

And all are to submit to Christ.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
–Jesus

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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!

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Focus Day 3 Wisdom’s Way

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalms 119:140-145
Proverbs 21:19-23
Isaiah 32:17-20
Ephesians 6:10-17
James 1:19-27

Focus, Day 3

“Stop shouting at each other RIGHT this MINUTE!”
The words forced their way across my lips, piercing the air over our dining room table before I even realized I was shouting. Three sets of wide eyes stared at me, and one toddler mouth hung open in surprise.

I expelled the mouthful of air I didn’t realize I’d been holding in one great whoosh.
Perfect, I thought. I did it, AGAIN. Shouting at your children to stop them from shouting at each other…way to effectively parent. Lord, HELP. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.

Have you been there, Love?
You try to juggle all the balls, and somehow you are almost completely unaware of how stressed you feel until the very moment your angry outburst bubbles up and over to scald the nearest person. Adding insult to injury? The person (or in my case, little persons) you scald, has absolutely nothing to do with whatever is your breaking point.
Oh, how the instant regret cuts deep.
And often, Regret is accompanied by her hovering little sister, Shame.

There’s an old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun”, which is entirely true for the history of humans who struggle to refrain from angry outbursts. We can trace all the way back to the first set of brothers, Cain and Abel, and find the bitter, dangerous fruit that grows from unchecked anger.

In the New Testament, James provides sound advice for believers, gently admonishing us to both hear the Word (Scripture) and obey it. Isn’t it fascinating that as he expounds on this topic, his first instruction is:

“This you know, my brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” James 1:19b-20 NASB

Everyone who has ever lashed out in the heat of the moment knows that when anger begins rising, quelling it is incredibly difficult. Here’s where James’ divinely dictated instruction truly shines. We are challenged to do two things before we even reach his instruction to be slow to anger.

First, we are to be quick to hear.
James doesn’t mean merely listening to spoken words. He means listening with understanding of another’s heart behind their words, but James is also calling us to keep an ear tuned to Holy Spirit’s voice. What is God speaking to us in that very moment when what is happening in the natural, as well as what is happening in the spiritual, verges on angry explosions.

When we begin living and responding from a position of listening first to Holy Spirit’s truth, we will naturally follow the second instruction from James and find ourselves slow to speak. As we slow, we process what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears, as well as listen attentively to what Holy Spirit is showing us. As we test everything we think against Scripture, this slowing down practice will result in new pathways as our thought patterns shift to become more like the Lord’s.

As we continue through James’s instructions, a constant theme begins emerging:
we are called to more than knowledge; we are called to obedience.

For the people in the back, I’ll say it again.

Sister, we are called to more than knowledge.
Every one of us is called to obey.

We are called to hear what the Bible says, and then called to action.
We are called to humbly receive the Word, and then allow transformation to happen.
We are called to gaze at the perfect law of freedom, and then called to persevere in it.
We are called to stay in living relationship with the Lord, and remain unstained by sin.
We are called to recognize position, and then called to honor all.

So, how do we go about doing these actions which are counter-culture, stretching, and one hundred percent opposite of what we might naturally strive to attain. Further, we are talking about a shift in heart posture here.
This is not something we are capable of manufacturing on our own.

Proverbs 2 gives us rock-solid wise counsel that goes hand in hand with James’ words. When we accept and study Scripture, meditate on the Lord’s instructions and allow them to sink deep into our souls, the Lord responds with favor.
When we ask the Lord to speak; He will reveal Himself through the Bible.
Then, we listen.
We press in and place value on the wisdom He freely gives.
As we turn our hearts toward Him, Scripture says He draws near to us, protecting us and blessing us with wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding.
He will guard us from paths leading to destruction and danger by setting our feet on Wisdom’s Way.

You might be thinking, “This all sounds great in theory…but if I were honest, the truth is I simply do not desire to study Scripture. I try. I read it. I want to know what it’s like to long to soak in it, to hear directly from Him. But He’s just not speaking to me.”

Sweet sister-friend. I’ve felt the same.
Can I encourage you to do something different today?
Something that might feel outside your comfort zone?
First, carve out a few moments and find a quiet space.
Talk to the Lord. Have a real conversation with Him.
Tell Him where you are and ask Him to help you, then trust He is faithful and will respond to His beloved daughter!

Lord, thank You for Your Word that brings life and light. Thank you for giving us a way we can hear directly from You. Forgive me for the times when I have not valued Your instruction. Father, I want to hunger for your Word; I want to be the kind of daughter who is transformed when I hear You speak. Show me any areas of my heart and life that aren’t in alignment with Your heart. I yield every part of my life, time, and schedule to You.
Teach me to be more like You.
In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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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 Focus 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 Focus!