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Beloved Day 11 Seasons Of Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Song of Solomon 5:3-8
Song of Solomon 3:1-5
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 136

Beloved, Day 11

Song of Solomon opens like a sweet, fragrant flower in the warm sun of spring; frocked on all sides with deeply delicious delight.

Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your caresses are more delightful than wine.
(Song of Solomon 1:2)

Falling in love is as sweet and poetic as a lover falling into his beloved’s eyes under a moonlit sky. Lover and Beloved gaze with eyes of wonder; bodies coursing with the intensity of longing to touch, and to be touched.

Awkwardly, we may feel God is stodgy regarding romantic love, but delightedly, Song of Solomon’s declarations insist we realign our view of God. Far from looking away, or frowning upon, the ecstasy of male and female bodies enjoying each other, the Lord God delights and enjoys our bodies and sex within marriage. This sweetness satisfies Him because, as thrilling as this union is, it’s only a roughshod reflection of the delight He finds in relishing a relationship with us.

He tenderly summons, “Taste and see that I am good.” (Psalm 34:8)

To answer His call, we must first see our putrid sin as the ugly garment we’ve been wearing, only to find we cannot rend it from our bodies.
It is knit with our very flesh!

We turn pleading eyes to the cross of Christ, knowing we are utterly unworthy.
Knowing our flesh is rotting because of our sin.
Knowing we have no hope of freedom or forgiveness as long as this cloak of disgust is sewn into our existence.

Christ calls with the beckoning of a bridegroom,
“Come, Beloved, Come! (Revelation 22:17)
Let me wash you, My Bride, and make you white as snow
even though your sins are as scarlet.” (Psalm 51:7)

So we come, nay, we run, headlong to this crimson, blood stained cross. As we draw near, we discover, our flesh itself is falling off, yet, lo, we run on. We NEED this Savior. We are trapped in death without Him. Stretching out His righteous hand toward ours, at first touch, our death is gone. In a moment, we have been freed. The stench of death eradicated. The garment of sin forever destroyed, it’s fabric no longer woven into our flesh, for we have been reborn.

Fresh washed skin.
Fragranced hair.
Sun-kissed cheeks and eyes brimming with wonder and awe
of this radical love that both casts out sin and loves the sinner.
Raptured delight erupts!
We shout His praise!
We worship with enthusiasm!
We skip for the joy exploding within us at awakening to life.
We yearn for righteousness and to gaze intently onto His glorious face.
Gleefully, we cannot help but breathlessly proclaim His goodness to all.

Springtime is made for Lover and Beloved.

My wedding band hadn’t long graced my finger when I found myself on our bathroom floor, door locked, face flushed, tears tumbling. “I want to go home”, I whispered between sobs.

What had I done? Until death do us part?
I wanted to back up, re-think, undo.
Marriage wasn’t what I’d expected.
Where were the sweet nothings?
Electricity between us? Oh, there were plenty of sparks…just of a different kind.

As I write this, I’m two weeks shy of 19 years of marriage. Over the course of nearly two decades, I found myself in more seasons of lonely questioning than I could count.

I would become weary of loving him.
He wasn’t loving me as I wanted.
He didn’t listen as I expected.
Why was he so selfish? Why was I?
Would we make it?
Was I still His Beloved?

Winter’s cold winds blow, and burrowed beneath the snow, Love barely breathes.

Barely breathing.
Isn’t that how we feel with our walk with the Lord sometimes? While there may have been spiritual highs at some points, it feels so out of sync with real life.

Perhaps that’s why we have seasons with the Lord,
so we can learn He is present when feelings fade.

When our lips refuse to form words of worship.
When our hearts feel cold to the fire of the Lord.
When we whisper the hard questions, barely audible.
Is He really here? Does God love me now?

In my bed at night
I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but I did not find him.
Song of Solomon 3:1

I opened to my love,
but my love had turned and gone away.
My heart sank because he had left.
I sought him, but did not find him.
I called him, but he did not answer.
Song of Solomon 5:6

The nation of Israel was just weeks out from seeing the Lord rip open the Red Sea as they’d walked across on dry sand, forever free from Pharaoh’s slavery. They had shouted for victory on the other side of the sea, watching as former slave-owners drowned beneath the very waves they’d been rescued through.

Yet, they dared utter these words to their Rescuing God,
“Why did you ever bring us up from Egypt
to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
(Exodus 17:3)

In fiery desperation, they cried aloud,
“Is the Lord among us or not?”
(Exodus 17:7)

Spoiler alert… I didn’t stay in the bathroom, Israel didn’t die of thirst in the desert, and Solomon’s Bride found her Lover.

The key to moving forward in the dark chill of winter is refusing to loosen our grip on truth.

The Lord is always present.
Always loving.
Never forsaking.

While marriages tragically end, and ecstasy wanes like tide from the shore, regardless of the season, true love never fails. Never.

The Love of God will endure forever.
Because He IS love.
(1 John 4:8)

Whether you’re frolicking on the hills of newfound love, or trudging through winter’s icy blast, be warmed by the fires of truth from the God who never fails in any season!

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Sketched VIII Day 13 Tamar And Absalom

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Samuel 13 
1 Corinthians 13
2 Samuel 11
Colossians 3:18-25
Psalm 91

Sketched VIII, Day 13

Tamar
What a mess I am in. According to our law, he is supposed to make me his wife. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) But the law also says he cannot, because what happened between us is a disgrace and we’ll both bear the sin. (Leviticus 18:11, 20:17) However, I know my suffering and shame will be greater than his . . . though he was the initiator and violator.

My name, Tamar, is now soiled because of my half brother, Amnon. How could he deceive me into thinking I was coming to help him in his sickness, when he only wanted to rape me? (2 Samuel 13:6-14) How could he profess his love for me and
commit this great iniquity?
Love isn’t rude like he was.
Love does not do unrighteous acts.
Love is not selfish. (1 Corinthians 13: 5-6)

Amnon never loved me. He loved what he could take from me. And he has taken everything.
My virginity, my trust in men, my hope of a future, my peace.
All of it, stolen, never to be returned.

Who will vindicate me? Will my father, David? I am not sure. Whispers in the court claim he took Bathsheba as his wife in a similar way. Is it true my father also violated Bathsheba while her husband Uriah was fighting a war, as my father should have been? (2 Samuel 11:1-4) Are the rumors true that the child she mourned was also my father’s, a product of their encounter? (2 Samuel 12:16-18)

But she became his wife, so I cannot turn to her with my pain. She will not understand my position because my father did not despise her afterwards as Amnon hates me. O, woe is me! Who can help me in my time of great distress and need?

Surely not my father. No, Amnon is David’s son; David has taught Amnon by word and by deed. How can David chastise his son for something he also did? I will seek out my brother, Absalom. Perhaps he will not fail me.

Absalom
The scoundrel Amnon! He deceived our father and committed a great sin against my sister, Tamar. She came to me hopeless, weeping, covered in ashes of mourning. I took her into my home, asking her to keep quiet so I could make a plan before word of her disgrace spread. (2 Samuel 13:20)

I tried asking my father for help, but was denied. He showed anger, yes. But he did nothing for Tamar (2 Samuel 13:21); he chose his firstborn over us. Therefore, my own anger burned for two years because of his inaction. (Colossians 3:21)

Finally, I vindicated Tamar and made right what King David left in disgrace. Amnon is dead at the hands of the men under my command. Now my father grieves for Amnon while I must flee for my life. (2 Samuel 13:23-37)

Tamar
Amnon is dead. Absalom fled after he ordered Amnon’s killing.
I know Amnon thinks he has vindicated me.
I suppose, if nothing else, he has avenged me.

But I still live with shame. When Absalom ran, he left the household that had been my shelter. I must now return to my mother, Maacah, who is part of David’s royal harem. (2 Samuel 3:3) How humiliating to be the only one who is not a virgin, yet unmarried. No hope of marriage or family is forthcoming for me.

Though he tried, Absalom has also failed me. Blinded by anger and vengeance, he left me here alone.  And now my father mourns for Amnon, but who mourns for me? There is no man in whom I can hope or trust with my life, my well being.

I hurl my broken cries into the void surrounding me, expecting no answer but silence.
Yet here, in my deepest darkness and depression and pain, Someone whispers my name.
Not with derision or scorn, but tenderness and love.

YAHWEH
He alone will be my hope.
He will be my refuge and strength.
He will help me when I am in trouble.
He will provide.

If He is with me, I will not need to be afraid. When men continue to fail me, I will trust in Him. (Psalm 91:1-4) I cling to His promises to protect me and give me peace. (Psalm 91:14-16)

At the hands of men, I have been deceived, abused, violated, ignored, and abandoned.
In the arms of YAHWEH, I have found safety, acceptance, vindication, and redemption.
YAHWEH’s faithfulness, unlike men’s, is everlasting.

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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!

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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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Sola Day 10 Solus Christus

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 3
Hebrews 9
John 1:1-5
Hebrews 4:15-5:10
Ephesians 2:1-9

Sola, Day 10

“There is no one righteous, not even one.”

I cringe every time I read these words from Scripture, first laid out for us in the Psalms (Psalm 14:1-3), and then connected to our everyday life after Jesus’ death and resurrection in Romans. (Romans 3:10-26) It’s easy for me to see the evil happening around me and the devastation sin has left in its wake, but the pain truly comes when I realize I, too, have contributed to the devastation.

There is no one righteous.

Before Jesus walked this earth, people had been working to atone for their sins through the ritual of sacrifice laid out for them by God. An animal without defect could be offered as a sacrifice in the place of a human life.

Think about what a gift this was! Humans, who cause evil devastation and deserve the punishment and wrath of God, could offer an animal as payment for their sins! Already, God was working to save His people and show them He desired their salvation!

But the animal offerings could not last forever. They were required over and over again, with a high priest interceding on their behalf to God. Even this high priest, also being human, must cleanse himself with the blood of an animal sacrifice before pleading to God on behalf of the people.

No one could ever be permanently rid of their sin.
We cannot do the work ourselves.
Our striving and reaching will never attain the glory for which we search.

This system was never meant to last.
God had a better plan to do away with sin and death once and for all.

Enter Jesus. 

The son of God himself, fully God.
Born of a virgin, fully human.

Leaving His throne in Heaven, Jesus came to walk the earth with sinners so He could be our final intercessor, our One True High Priest.

To be the perfect High Priest, and the perfect sacrificial lamb, it was essential for Christ to be completely blameless and entirely without sin. His responses to sinners and His lessons and parables all show us how to live as believers while His suffering allows Him to empathize with our weaknesses.

But all else culminates in His precious, innocent, blameless life
making Him the perfect final sacrifice for our sins. 

No one was righteous, not even one.
Until Jesus.
Only Jesus.

Just as the blood of the animals was required for the atonement of human sin, so was the blood of Jesus. Only the blood of Jesus could be the ultimate payment for the sin of the world, once and for all. One perfect human life in exchange for all depraved human lives, for all time, so we can live at peace with God. (Hebrews 10:12)

What makes this sacrifice final was evidenced three days later.

Three days after the blood of Jesus was shed, out of a borrowed tomb, Jesus rose in victory over the punishment we deserved for our sin, death itself. (Matthew 28:1-7) Because of His resurrection, death no longer has power over life. Not only is our sin washed away, but death, the punishment for sin, has been abolished in the name of Jesus! (1Corinthians 15:54-57)

Those who trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus alone now have an eternal perspective on earth. We walk the same earth, with the same power that raised Jesus from the grave living within us, as witnesses to what only Jesus can do.

Martin Luther desperately wanted people to know this “Jesus only” salvation. Living under the shadow of a corrupt, politically-charged catholic church, he saw people being led to believe their salvation was their responsibility.

In the early 1500s, when masses were illiterate and uneducated, and when Scripture wasn’t available in the local language, many were led astray by church leaders who taught their salvation was dependent on them. If they said the right prayer, or attended mass enough times, or used their hard-earned wages to buy their way, they could get to heaven.

As Luther began diving deeper into Scripture, he realized all of the legalistic burdens the Catholic church heaped on their followers were getting in the way of the finished work done by, through, and in one man, Jesus.

Instead of gaining their salvation, all of their striving was diluting the work of the Gospel.
If we can just repeat the right words, why do we need Jesus?
If we only needed to go to church and be a good person, why do we need Jesus?
If our money can buy our salvation, why do we need Jesus? 

Because, of course, empty repetition of the “right” words does not produce or indicate a transformed heart.
Because we can’t be good people.
Because all the money in the world cannot buy forgiveness.

At the end of the day, when our deeds fail us, and our money runs out, we need Jesus.
Only Jesus!
(John 14:6)

Jesus is
the only High Priest interceding on our behalf,
the only payment for our debt,
the only sacrifice for our sins,
the only atonement for our transgressions.

Just Jesus. Only Jesus.


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Questions Day 13 Is God Loving Or Angry?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 103
Isaiah 57:14-19
John 2:13-17
Romans 1:18-32

Questions, Day 13

Why is God angry in the Old Testament,
but loving in the New Testament?

It’s a question people often have as they study the Bible, and an understandable one. When we read of God flooding the whole earth or destroying entire cities in the Old Testament, His wrath can be hard to equate with Jesus’ compassion toward prostitutes and sinners as He ate with them, spent time with them, and told them of God’s grace in the New Testament. While the Old Testament has much to say about judgement, the New Testament appears to focus more on forgiveness, and it can be a challenge to reconcile the two.

How can we make sense of it all?
First, the Bible clearly states God is always the same;
He “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Furthermore, Jesus, who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), is also “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

The God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament.
To understand God’s character, it’s vital we consider the Bible as a whole,
rather than focusing on isolated incidents.

While God does show anger in the Old Testament, He is also described eleven times as slow to anger, and on many occasions, we see Him showing mercy while continuing to love and care for His people, despite their continued unfaithfulness.

For example, Psalm 103 is an eloquent expression of David’s gratitude for God’s gracious forgiveness and compassion.

God does express anger at times, but this serves to highlight the severity of sin and the destruction it brings, while pointing to our need for a Saviour. The consequences of sin can be harsh, but God’s ultimate desire is not to punish, but to save. 

The Old Testament is filled with promises and prophecies pointing ahead to a solution to the problem of sin, a solution God Himself would provide because of His love.
Again and again, He reminds His people the Saviour will come.

As we move into the New Testament, and Jesus is born as the fulfilment of God’s promises, the focus shifts more toward God’s compassion because the fulfillment has come! Scripture emphasizes the reason for Jesus’ coming and His death, was to deal with sin.
If we trust in Him, we no longer need to fear God’s anger against us:
“God proves His own love for us
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
How much more then,
since we have now been declared righteous by His blood,
will we be saved through Him from wrath?” (Romans 5:8-9)

However, God’s holy anger is present in the New Testament as well. Paul describes at length God’s wrath against those who continue in sin and suppress the truth about God. (Romans 1:18-32)

We read of Jesus turning over tables in the Temple, driving out merchants and money changers in rage because His Father’s house, a place of prayer, was being treated as a marketplace.

Anger and love are both present in God’s character throughout both Old and New Testaments.

This tension can be uncomfortable. Anger is often seen as unacceptable because of the destructive effects of anger when it’s out of control, but God’s anger is different from our (often sinful) human anger, and is actually an important, and good, part of who He is.

While our anger does not accomplish God’s purposes, His righteous anger is intentionally focused against destructive sin. (James 1:20) This was brought home to me as I worked with a group of children, sharing the story of Jesus in the Temple. After hearing the story, they were instructed to transform it into a drama. At first, their presentation brought the story to life very well, but then one child decided to alter the ending.

As “Jesus” shouted and expressed His righteous anger, another boy went over and put an arm round “Jesus.” “It’s okay,” he said. “Calm down. Come outside and sit down, and we’ll talk about it.” 

In one way, it was a lovely, compassionate response, but it was also missing the point.
In some situations, the holy response is anger.
We, too, can be tempted to edit out God’s anger and focus on His love, but the truth is, since “God is love” (1 John 4:16), His anger is actually an expression of His love.

Jesus’ passion for His Father’s house was the driving force behind His rage at its misuse. God’s love for people is manifested in His anger when He sees them being mistreated or abused. If He failed to be angry over these things, then He would fail to be wholly loving. 

Surely, it’s a comfort to us, in the face of injustice or ill treatment, to know God
cares.
To know His anger on behalf of the innocent surpasses our own.
To know there are consequences for those who refuse to repent of their sin.

In Graham Kendrick’s song, “Come and see,“ he describes the cross as the place “where wrath and mercy meet.” Maybe the cross is where we most clearly see God’s anger and His love intertwined. Even as His anger against sin is poured out, His grace in sending Jesus to bear it in our place assures us of His perfect love.

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Captivating Day 13 His Heartbeat

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:7-13
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Revelation 14:6-7

Captivating, Day 13

Our miniature matatu (think African style of a city bus…kind of) bumped up and down and our bodies bounced with it without the constraint of seatbelts. Red dust flew up behind us while some billowed through the windows, filling our nostrils with the ever-present African-dust smell. The chatter of my seven teammates filled the matatu, but I wasn’t hearing them. My senses were in the slums of Kenya, seeing, hearing, smelling, breathing my surroundings, but my heart and my head were somewhere else.
I saw children playing in the streets made of dust, I saw women walking to and fro, and I heard men shouting to one another, but in my mind, the red dust of this town was replaced by red dirt of Southern Utah. Children’s laughter was replaced with the memory of the foster children’s laughter from the camp I’d worked at earlier that year.
Never in my life had I experienced the pull and the weightiness of the world… and I broke. 

As we drove through Kenyan slums, I could literally feel my heart being torn in two, slowly ripping right down the middle. When we arrived at the preschool ministry site for the day, everything came pouring out with deep sorrow. I turned to my leader, Allison, and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m here, I know I’m here and I’m supposed to be, but I’m so broken for the people in Utah who need Jesus, and I’m aching for the foster children in Kansas City who need redemption. What is wrong with me?”

“Kendra,” she told me gently, “have you ever prayed that God would break your heart for what breaks His?” I slowly nodded my head and squinted my eyes.
“He’s doing that right now.” 

If I was weeping before (which I was), I was weeping harder now.
I didn’t know God’s heart hurt so much for us, and I only had a glimpse.

If we know anything, it’s that our world is shattered and broken.
Spreading the healing hope of the gospel and praying for nations to know the Lord is our urgent mission until Jesus returns. Paul presses the Church to pray for God’s creation in each of his epistles by asking them to pray for other churches, for people in leadership, and for those who are still lost without hope… but, why?

Why do we pour out our hearts in prayer for the
hurting, hungry, desperate, lost, broken people who make up God’s creation?
Because, God… “wants everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4). The Father’s heart is for His Creation.
He longs for us to know His love and be rescued from our sin.

Let us learn from Ezekiel 22:30, where God says He is looking for someone to stand in the gap for their nation, but found no one. We are called to stand in the gap for the nations with the hope of the gospel! Let us, who have the authority to approach the Father’s throne because of Jesus in us, pray for the nations!

Can I be real for a minute? (Ok, ok, I’m always real.)
Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed with how many people I need to pray for, and how many things I need to pray for, and all the brokenness and lostness and heaviness
that I just don’t pray at all.

I know I need to pray for the nations, for my daughters, for my friends and family, for the people in leadership positions in the Church and in my country, but I don’t always know where to start or what to pray.

I’ve found the best place to begin is rooted in Scripture, following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Read His Word, and be ready to pray whenever and however the Spirit is pressing in.

Pray for the nations’ leaders to be filled with wisdom and be surrounded by wise and godly advisors. Pray for their hearts and ears to listen to wise counsel. (Proverbs 11:14)

Pray for leaders who don’t know Christ to have divine encounters with believers who would point them to salvation. Pray for leaders who are Christians to have steady discipleship pouring into them and that they would have strength to fight the arrows shot at them from the enemy. (Proverbs 2:1-8 and Ephesians 6:12-18)

Pray for unity in the Church in each nation. As each nation writes their own laws and citizens live in ways they feel just, the Church has different struggles in each country. How the Church is being pulled in the United States is entirely different than the struggles for the Church in New Zealand or India. Pray for unity within the Church in each country, and that followers of Christ would base their standards on biblical truth and not what society dictates. (1 Corinthians 1:10)

Sisters, sometimes I feel small.
Sometimes I feel like my prayers and voice won’t matter.
Will the Lord really hear my pleading for the underground church in North Korea?
He will.
He does.
And my prayers are pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as are yours.

Ask the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His.
Ask Him to burden your heart for the lost.
You might be surprised who you feel burdened for, but don’t be surprised when He answers your prayer. When He does, take action and pray for the lost, the hurting, the persecuted, the Christians and the non-Christians, then take steps to bring hope to them!

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The GT Weekend! Glimmers Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) When you think of Jesus coming as a baby, consider what aspects of his birth and growing up do you perhaps glorify or add a “glossy touch” to? Jesus being fully human and fully God means that nothing about our human experience was different for Him than it is for us, with the exception that He never chose sin. His birth was messy, His growing up was poor, He went through puberty and struggled with acceptance amongst His peers just like every other human being. It’s one thing to know this, but another to remember and apply it when we struggle in our humanity. All of the everyday frustrations from small to big, the Savior came to be with us in the midst of them. What things are you tempted not to talk with God about because they are “too insignificant”?

2) Have you ever struggled with feeling incapable of sharing the gospel or telling others about what Jesus has done in your life? What are some of the fears that prevent you from sharing? The shepherds were the first to hear of Jesus’ arrival; they were the lowest in societal rankings, yet they were also the first missionaries declaring His arrival! The least likely to tell about Jesus were the very ones God entrusted to do exactly what they never expected to do. Who would possibly listen to and believe a smelly old shepherd? It didn’t matter, they were compelled to share. Who might it impact for eternity if we were as bold as those shepherds?

3) Describe in your own words how Christ’s birth was an act of love. Go slow and really consider what it was about His birth that was so loving. If it was an act of immeasurable love, how does it affect your everyday? How might that love transform your waking, your eating, or the way you see yourself and others? Keep in mind Christ’s entire purpose in coming. Have questions or find some parts that don’t make sense? We’d love to walk with you as you think through them! Send us an email or message us on Facebook!

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 6:35-36 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Prayer Journal
It’s so easy to take Your love for granted, Lord. You sustain us, holding all of creation together by Your hand, and yet I go about life and my focus shifts so quickly to my agenda, my plans, and me needs or wants that I forget how You uphold my existence with Your breath. Recapture my attention, Lord. Bring me, once again, to a place where I stand in awe and wonder of Your unfathomable love.

Then teach me to love others as You have loved me. You are “gracious to the ungrateful and evil”, which is me, Lord. That’s me: ungrateful and evil all on my own seeking my own good and my own way. Father, Your Love Is Magnificent! And keep my heart humbly seeing how undeserving each of us are of Your love. None of us has more merit than another. Teach me to love as You have loved me.

Worship Through Community

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Dwell Day 11 The Prayer Challenge

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:26-27
1 Samuel 1:10-19
Psalm 51:1-10
Daniel 6 

Dwell, Day 11

“Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods, and I’d look up into the sky – up -up – up into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness, and then I’d just feel a prayer.”  ~Anne Shirley 

I’ve been reliving my childhood fancies lately; escaping into the ever-magical, imaginative world of Anne Shirley. After a difficult upbringing by incredibly strict grandparents, author Lucy Maud Montgomery married a Reverend and wrote many books, including my all-time favorite, Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery’s bold theological statements often pointed out how reverence and worship aren’t what we tend to make it.  

Since re-reading Anne’s quote about feeling a prayer, I’ve done just that many times over. 

My life feels a little as if it’s spinning out of control right now.
I’ve tried to paint a perfect picture of my life for the outside world to see,
but inside, a tornado rages.. 
Many days, I feel like I can’t even think what to pray.
So, I’ve closed my eyes, imagined myself in a massive field, and just felt my prayers. 
I’ve felt the glory and wonder of God and what He has created.
I’ve felt the loneliness and instability that quakes my soul.
I’ve felt the insecurities and I’ve felt the joy.
And I’ve felt myself releasing it all and giving it to Him.  

All without saying a word.
How is that even possible?
Because God knows. 

He knows my every thought and every feeling.
He knows me.
The Spirit Himself prays for me. (Romans 8:26), 

In this blessed assurance, I’m free to saturate my chaos with intimate moments of communion with my Savior, while He calms my storms and brings peace.  

I feel the tornado slowing. The tension is leaving.  

Because of prayer. 
Not perfect, holy, well-thought through words. 
But connection, groanings I lack words for, shared to the ear of God through the Spirit who dwells within me. 

Centuries ago, Christians practiced the discipline of prayer through “Daily Offices”. Believers marked off specific times throughout the day, generally the third, sixth, ninth, and bedtime hours, dedicating them to prayer. At each interval, they put aside their daily tasks to spend time saturating themselves with the Lord.
Prayers of praise.
Prayers of worship.
Prayers of joy.
Prayers of need.
Prayers of longing.
Prayers for others.
Prayers for themselves.
Prayers of confession.
Prayers of angst.
Intimacy and relationship. 

What if we prayed like Hannah? 
She bitterly wept before the Lord, thinking her prayer,
unable to even audibly speak!
She was heartbroken with infertility. She poured out her soul to the Lord, all of her deep anguish and grief.
The vulnerability!  

What if we surrendered our deep anguish and grief all throughout the day?
Suppose we told Him our ache for a lost brother, or the way our arms feel empty for the child we’ve never held, or how our soul feels crushed from the weight of a seemingly hopeless marriage?

Enter into that intimacy with the Lord, Sisters.
Hearts are changed here.  

What if we prayed like David? 
King David had an affair with a married woman, yet with the deep convictions of his heart, he cried out to God to wash him of his iniquity and cleanse him of sin.
In prayer, David begged the Lord to restore the joy he’d once known.
The repentance! 

What if we recognized our great sins and ugly failures, confessing them to the Lord multiple times a day? Would we become more aware of our pride, quickly confessing and running from it? Would our hearts begin to grieve as we recognized and confessed our lust again?

Enter into that intimacy of giving the Lord your sins, Sister.
Hearts are changed here. 

What if we prayed like Mary? 
With the news of her pregnancy, and the coming Messiah,
Mary worshipped!
Perhaps she knelt to sang. Maybe she danced, rejoicing loudly while exclaiming the fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise! She celebrated her worship!
The delight! 

Sisters, imagine if we were to take intentional time to thank God, celebrate Him, and declare His name throughout the day!
EVEN IF we don’t feel like it.
EVEN IF we have difficulty believing what we say.
Imagine how the thanksgiving we surrender will grow in our hearts, overflowing onto others, and shifting our perspective as we praise the Lord throughout the day.  

Enter into that joyful intimacy with the Lord, Sister.
Hearts are changed here! 

What if we prayed like Daniel? 
Nothing could stop Daniel from praying throughout the day. 
Not distractions.
Not hunger.
Not inconvenience.
Not even the LAW or the threat of his LIFE.
Daniel met the Lord three times, everyday, windows open to the world, unashamed of his God.
The integrity!
What if we said no to distractions having priority over prayer?
What if we paused our lives several times a day to approach the throne of God.
Even WITH kids screaming in the background.
Even WITH a messy house just beyond our closed eyes.
Even WITH a meeting that will last all day.
What if we kept the conversation going on road trips, on business trips, in the grocery store, in the car.  

Oh, let’s go there, Sister! Enter into that precious intimacy with the Lord.
Hearts are changed here. Yours and those around you! 

I want that in the middle of my messy chaos.
Join me in my Prayer Challenge: 

Choose 3 times a day for your phone alarm to go off.
I’m doing it right now setting it for 9 AM, Noon, and 3 PM.
When those timers go off, we pray.
Even if all we can muster is our deepest feelings, a groan, or a cry.
Let’s specifically, intentionally, prayerfully, enter into deeper intimacy with our King. 

Watch out, Sisters.
Our hearts and lives are about to change! 

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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 Dwell 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 Dwell!

Dwell Day 1 Resting In His Promises

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:1-12
Psalm 119:33-38 
Psalm 119:169-176

Dwell, Day 1

I am not a morning person.
I’m also not a night person.
Anybody else a middle-of-the-day person like me? 

Regardless of my three-cup-of-coffee, loving-the-lunch-time-grind, kinda’ gal,
I intentionally choose quiet, early mornings.
Why?
Time with the Lord before the craziness of the day begins.

I’ve come to cling to these times in the morning when the house is silent, everyone is asleep, and I get to welcome the presence of God into my living room. On days when I choose to sleep in or don’t get that precious time as a kick-starter, it throws me off.

I need
that time; just He and I.

Taking time to sit, meditate, and dwell on Scripture allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us all throughout the beautiful tapestry of the Bible. Consistent time devoted to reading and studying Scripture will equip us to live in purity, victory, and intimacy with God.

As we flip through the Psalms, we watch a transformation happen with the authors. They walk through highs and lows,
poor decisions and the results thereof,
as well as victories and celebrations.
The Psalmists knew the power of God’s word.

The author of Psalm 119 beautifully proclaims truths of God and His character.
With elegant strokes, the psalmist paints an
elaborate picture of the
priceless treasure
that is dwelling daily in God’s Word.
It gives us instructions on how to live a prosperous life devoted to the Lord.

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Psalm 119:11

Hiding His word in our heart looks a lot like memorizing Scripture and thinking on it throughout the day. As we memorize more Scripture, hiding it in our hearts, the Holy Spirit will use those verses to remind us of solid truth in desperate moments when we need to hear God.
When we daily put into practice what God’s Word teaches us,
we will soon move from memorizing words on a page
to forming life-changing habits in our everyday life!

In these real-life-moments, those small choices to spend time in His Word
shape our future.

For example, I’ve hidden Psalm 141:3 in my heart:
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

The Holy Spirit often reminds me of His ways when that person cuts me off on the highway, is rude to our children in the grocery, or posts that comment on social media.
Ask me how many times I’ve prayed that prayer!   

This daily discipline of studying and dwelling in God’s Word
is crucial for rich, intimate, growing life with God! 

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your word.”
Psalm 119:9

David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14),
not because he was perfect,
but because he was repentant in his heart.
He longed for the things of God.
He knew the power of God’s word.
He knew that abiding by God’s laws were the pathway of real life.

“Be good to Your servant while I live, that I may obey Your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.”
Psalm 119:17-18

When we pray, let’s pray God would open our eyes to see as He sees.
His perspective.
His path.
His truth.

“Teach me, Lord, the way of Your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep Your law and obey it with all of my heart.”
Psalm 119:33-34

Lord, we pray for understanding!
When life doesn’t seem to make sense, teach us to choose to yield to Your wisdom and understanding above our own.

“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”
Psalm 119:50

We can rest in God’s promises all the days of our lives because His word says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Therefore, when we find promises from Him in His word,
we can rest assured they are true.

David, shepherd, king, psalmist, and follower of God,
clung to the power of God’s Word.
He “meditated on it day and night.” Psalm 1:2 

For some, morning isn’t the most ideal time to spend with Jesus. If this is you, try making time in the afternoon or evening to get away with God, even if it’s only for a few minutes.  God longs to be found by His children!

Another option is to post notes throughout your house reminding you to pray or memorize Scripture as you’re doing dishes, folding laundry, or getting ready in the morning.

That’s the beautiful thing about a relationship with God: it can happen anywhere!
Let’s be women who cling to Jesus.
Women who dwell deeply with Him through His Word.
Women who rely fully on His faithful, sustaining strength to get us through each day.
Women who rest in His promises!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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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 Dwell 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 Dwell!

Sketched IV Day 7 Samson: 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 Samson!

The Questions

1) What is the “therefore” referring to?

2) What was the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh?

3) How is it possible to take pleasure in weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty?

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10

…Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Original Intent

1) What is the “therefore” referring to?
One of the biggest clues for studying Scripture well is wrapped up in this word: therefore. When reading, always look back to see what the author is referencing, literally asking what is “therefore” “there” “for”? When we look back a few verses, we read a potentially confusing text about Paul, who he refers to as “a man” in the 3rd person. Scholars generally agree that this “man” was indeed Paul himself, but downplayed it because the whole paragraph emphasized Paul’s own weakness, not his greatness. “The man” was caught up in a vision from the Lord and was blessed “to see and hear” things too wonderful to even express. Paul was literally beyond-words-speechless at the breathtaking majesty of the vision he received. He used this glorious experience to point out that no matter what wonderful things he had seen or what glories he knew, he still had zero reason to boast about Himself. The vision given to Paul wasn’t about Paul’s glory or edification, it was intended to steadfastly point to the beyond-words-description of the Majesty of the Lord God! After seeing the Lord in His glory, “therefore”, he couldn’t possibly boast about himself or his experience. Paul knew firsthand that everything was rubbish except Christ and Christ alone!

2) What was the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh?
When studying Scripture, it can be so easy to focus in on one particular detail, or a handful of words that really don’t sit well with us that we end up missing the whole point of that passage. When studying, remember to back up first. Read through the entire chapter, or a couple of chapters, making notes of what the big-picture is. What key phrases or themes are often repeated? For this particular section, Paul has been addressing the Corinthian church. On one hand, he is giving them solid reasons as to why he has the Lord’s authority as a true apostle, therefore they would be wise to listen to his instruction. But, at the same time, he is saying that none of the “clout” of accomplishment or “authority” means anything at all to him. Paul insists that it is only knowing Christ that ultimately matters. Even so, Paul admits how easy it can be to fall into human vanity and pride. This being true, the Lord gave Paul a “thorn in the flesh”. Was it an eye problem as some scholars suggest? Was it a physical sickness? Was it an emotional weakness? We have no idea…and that is exactly the point. Scripture records this “thorn” vaguely that we might understand with greater emphasis how none of our accomplishments are worth boasting in on our own strength. 

3) How is it possible to take pleasure in weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty?
Strange words, aren’t they? Paul says, “I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Though the words certainly don’t appear to be very encouraging or comforting, the secret of their veracity is cocooned in the middle with one phrase: “for the sake of Christ”. For Paul, for Samson (when he finally “got it” at the end of his life), for Ezekiel (who gave up his life as bizarre illustrations for God’s purposes), for Isaiah (who was killed by being sawed in half), for Peter (who was killed by upside down crucifixion), and for countless others all the way through history, this key phrase has changed everything. “For The Sake Of Christ” Why? Because we are weak. Because we are finite. And He, the Lord God, is not. He is mighty, He is glorious, He is everlasting, He is victorious! Because He Is Worth It!

Everyday Application

1) What is the “therefore” referring to?
Likely, you, like me, haven’t experienced a glorious vision of Christ and His indescribable majesty and power in the same way Paul did, or Isaiah, Ezekiel, or John, but the Lord and His glory is not hidden away waiting, hoping, that you will be able to find Him. His glory is seen in the intricacies of creation, the beauty of relationships, the community of the Church, and in the wonder of a child. Experiencing His glory is meant for 2 things. One, to encourage and comfort us, as He reminds us that we are not alone and He is for us. Two, to expand our desire to search after Him; longing, hungering, thirsting for so much more of Him! As anyone who has truly experienced the Lord knows, the only proper response is worship. Whole life worship. Worship that points steadfastly to the glorious, risen Lord Jesus Christ because we know, we know, we know, that the real life offered by Jesus, is not about us, it’s about Christ and Christ alone! If you’re feeling a little stuck in your walk with the Lord, or maybe you’re curious about this whole “everyday Savior” we like to talk about, take time to slow down, reflect on how you’ve already experienced Him. Silence your thoughts and welcome His voice enough to hear how He wants to take you deeper to know Him better! 

2) What was the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh?
For Samson in yesterday’s Journey Study, his greatest downfall was that he trusted in his own strength. Even when he had given away the secret of his strength and lost his supernatural ability, he still fully believed he could take down the enemies exactly as he had done before, but this time on his own power. Samson epically failed in this endeavor. God had given Samson incredible abilities, just as He had given Paul indescribable visions of glory, and just like He offers Himself to each of us in tender, glorious, intimate sweetness, but the moment we shift our eyes from the majestic glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will find our eyes locked onto our own glory. We have traded the worship of the One True God for a “god” of our own making, and it will never be worth it. For Samson, the “thorn in the flesh” was his loss of strength as well as his vision. It was through these “thorns” that he was finally able to see that the Lord wanted more with Samson; He wanted Samson’s total trust and dependence to be on God instead of Himself.

3) How is it possible to take pleasure in weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty?
What weaknesses do you see in your everyday life and relationships? What would it look like if you took those instances as opportunities of worship? Opportunities to surrender your weakness in order for God’s glory and strength to be made much of? Wouldn’t it take off the burden of performance? Might it remove the need to control? Perhaps, like the stories of faith in the Bible, these hardships and weaknesses will point steadfastly to the glory of an eternal King of Glory! I have a friend who lost her son, who nearly lost her life due to significant illness, I have a friend who loves Jesus most. When I asked her why she would try again for another baby, or why she would move to another country to proclaim Christ, her answer is simple, but her faith is deep and intricate, “He has been so faithful to us before, why wouldn’t we trust Him for this?”
“For The Sake of Christ”. It’s not a pithy saying, it’s a hard-hitting truth to battle your “weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty”. Surrender your weakness, friend, and rest in the faithful, un-ending strength of the God who will always do the incredible with our frailty!

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

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!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sketched IV Week Two!
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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!

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