patience

Fruitful Day 15 Sweet Self Control

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 6:1-22
Genesis 8:15-22
Daniel 1:1-21
John 13:34-35
Galatians 5:22-23

Fruitful, Day 15

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control. The law is not against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

These are two amazingly profound verses, subtle in their power and fierce in content. The first eight fruits all make logical sense. Who wouldn’t want more of those qualities?

Then there’s self-control.

It’s like a beautiful, soothing piece of music playing in the background for the first eight fruits, which suddenly comes to a screeching halt when self-control is presented and viewed through worldly understanding.

However, over the years, I have come to appreciate the inclusion of self-control as a fruit of the Spirit, and how it bookends the list with love. I am also grateful self-control is a result of the Holy Spirit working within me.

Self-control is defined as “the ability to control behaviors in order to avoid temptations and to achieve goals. The ability to delay gratification and resist unwanted behaviors or urges. A limited resource that can be depleted.”

Can you imagine a world without any self-control?

I realize a few of the posts I’ve seen on my social media feed over the past year may not have been created if a greater measure of self-control had been employed. So maybe a lack of self-control isn’t too hard to imagine.

Thankfully, the Lord knew the vital need for self-control and gave us the Holy Spirit to help grow and implement self-control within us.

Additionally, He is a faithful Father who demonstrates self-control perfectly. He also gave us His Word, in which we see examples of other imperfect humans learning and expressing self-control.

One of the first examples that came to my mind of the Lord’s self-control being modeled in Scripture is the flood. (Genesis 6:5-22) Yes, I do mean the story of the Lord sending the flood to wipe mankind from the face of the earth with the exception of Noah and his family.

This story might seem like a strange choice, but I see two distinct ways in which He showed self-control.
1) Sparing Noah’s family
2) His promise to never flood the earth again
The Lord did not completely destroy all of mankind. He displayed self-control by sparing the race and graciously selected Noah and his family for the journey.

He also promised to never flood the earth again, giving us the rainbow as a symbol and reminder of His covenant vow. (Genesis 9:11-17) Scripture doesn’t provide great detail regarding the people’s wickedness in Noah’s day, but I have observed a few things in my lifetime making me wonder how closely our behavior mirrors theirs.

Still, the Lord displays self-control every single time it rains, by not flooding the world.

The Lord perfectly demonstrates self-control and Scripture is full of people who loved the Lord and, as a result, their lives reflected His self-control in their own stories. I am a visual learner and observing how others have practiced self-control helps me immensely.

Daniel and his diet, for example. (Daniel 1:8-16)
I admit I am nibbling on a cookie — timing is everything — as I imagine what it must have been like for the selected Jewish exiles to eat from the royal table. The decadence offered, and daily encouraged, must have rivaled any all-you-can-eat buffet.

However, Daniel and three others training with him chose to eat only what would honor the Lord, as the “rich food” had been offered to idols.

Their choice required self-control in surrender to the Lord. Not only were they bypassing the choicest food, they were risking displeasing the king, and likely suffered ridicule from their peers at the table. Multiple forms of self-control were required to honor the Lord through their food commitment.

Like Daniel, we are called to reflect God’s character of self-control in our own lives through surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s work in us. At times, I have successfully displayed Spirit-driven self-control. I’ve also failed more times than I care to consider.

For several years, I worked at a college with fraternities and sororities. Within that role, I was called into all sorts of scenarios at all hours. So often, especially during the middle-of-the-night, high-stress situations, I sensed the Holy Spirit fueling self-control within me. Many students I worked with didn’t know the Lord, but most knew I did. How I responded in those situations reflected on the work the Lord had been doing in my own heart. I will never know the full impact of how His self-control changed situations, but I pray those students were positively influenced.

Self-control is challenging to implement in real life if we are relying solely on ourselves. I love how the definition describes self-control as a resource that can be depleted. We cannot walk this life alone, relying on our own self-control reservoir. It will run out.

Therefore, we desperately need to allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives. He can pour out self-control, not only refueling our dwindling resources, but supply self-control that can only come from God.

Self-control is a sweet gift from the Lord.
Holy Spirit, please pour out more. Make my heart a tender place of surrender as You work out this fruit in me! For Your glory, our benefit, and the benefit of those around us!

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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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The GT Weekend! ~ Fruitful 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) The fruit of the Spirit is not “good works” that people force themselves to accomplish, rather they are evidences of the Spirit’s work in the lives of His people, empowering them for the good works He has called them to do. Often, we desire the feeling of patience rather than the action of patience. We want to feel patient before we act patient. Like with many disciplines, we can still choose to live out patience even if we don’t feel it. I have heard people joke that you shouldn’t pray for patience, because then God will send you opportunities and circumstances to practice patience. In what areas of your life do you most need the Spirit’s help in practicing the action of patience? What person (or group of people) draws out your impatient attitudes and behaviors? Is there a circumstance you can think of recently where you acted on your impatience and damaged (no matter how slight) your relationship with another person? Consider moving toward that person in repentance. What impact would it have on your relationship if you sincerely apologized and took steps to grow in active patience? Ask God to empower you by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience, even when you don’t feel patient.

2) The very first time God declared something “not good” in creation was when Adam was alone. God created humanity to live in community with one another. As we experience the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, it is natural for us to share this life change with our biblical community. Consider a time when you felt loved and cared for by the kindness of others. How did that moment affect you? When we show kindness to others, we reflect the very nature of our great God. Stop right now and ask God to give you an opportunity to show His kindness to another person. Be still for a moment and wait for God to bring someone to your mind. Be open to Him leading you in an unexpected way. He may bring someone to mind who is not in your regular friend group, someone who may need extra kindness in their life. Take a step toward showing them kindness. (There were a number of examples in Wednesday’s Journey Study if you need ideas!) Be creative and generous, lavishing them with kindness to the glory of God, our Father.

3) “God is good!” “All the time!” This is a common call and response transcending the centuries of Church history because of its simple, but powerful truth. However, it’s one thing to say the words, and quite another to carry them into every situation. We often become caught up when we don’t feel like a truly “good” God could allow excruciating circumstances. Where is the goodness of God when death steals our loved ones? When disease eats away at our bodies? When poor choices and rebellion bring distance in relationship? Can God actually still be good and be an onlooker to our suffering? Wouldn’t He want to end our pain? Wouldn’t He want to wipe away our grief? YES! He does. God didn’t want to end pain for a moment, He wanted complete restoration where there would be zero chance of sin and its grievous pain ever causing suffering again. Which is why He gave His life. There, at the cross is a Very Good God. Tragedy, loss, and heartache are the painful results of a world ensnared by sin, but one day, these will vanish like the morning mist because Christ paid the penalty of Death and Sin to be banished forever. The pain of our everyday moments needs this kind of eternal 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 Peter 3:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For the one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit,
and let him turn away from evil
and do what is good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it,
because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.

Prayer Journal
Our Father in heaven, You, oh Lord, are patient and kind and good. Your holiness is beyond our understanding. Lord, we long for the day when all things will be made right, when we will live in community with our neighbor in Your presence with perfected patience, kindness, and goodness. Help your people to live out these values as we wait expectantly for Your coming Kingdom. Forgive me, oh patient God, for my impatience. I seek my own timeline and comfort over the needs of those around me. Forgive me, in Your kindness for my lack of care for others. I become so focused on my own needs and desires that I fail to show kindness to my neighbor. Forgive me, out of Your goodness, for my inability to see the goodness You have lavished upon me.  I focus on my limited view, rather than trusting You with the big picture. Help me to live by the Spirit so that I can rightly reflect Your character to the people around me. Protect me from my tendencies to rely on my own strength, and remind me of my dependence on You for all things. Amen and amen.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Fruitful Day 9 Kind Beauty: 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 Kind Beauty!

The Questions

1) Who and what is Paul addressing in his letter to the church in Rome?

2) What do we know of the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience from other Scripture passages and how do these apply to us?

3) How does God’s kindness lead us to repentance?

Romans 2:4

Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Original Intent

1) Who and what is Paul addressing in his letter to the church in Rome?
Paul was writing to believers in Jesus living in Rome. He was anxious to return to Rome to encourage and strengthen the church and he reminds them of core doctrinal truths for understanding who we are, who Christ is and what He did, where our Hope lies for eternity, and how we are to live as believers while we wait for that Hope. Paul foundationally states how all are declared righteous and have access to live for eternity, faith! “The righteous shall live by faith”. (Romans 1:17) He also speaks of God’s just wrath on the unrighteous because they chose to ignore God’s redemptive offer of love and forgiveness, turning instead to love themselves and their own lusts, to which God gave them over. He speaks expressly of the lusts of the flesh. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator…”. (Romans 1:22-25) Having addressed the “outwardly unrighteous person”, Paul turned his attention to the “morally just”. Those who “appeared” moral and thought they were “better than” the “unrighteous”. They errantly believed their “sin” was less deplorable to God. Paul warns that God will judge everyone by the same standard, His Holiness, of which we all fall short. (Romans 3:23) I’m reminded of the Pharisee who proudly prayed, thinking he was better than the tax collector. However, Jesus said the tax collector, who humbled himself asking for mercy by faith, would be justified rather than the Pharisee. (Luke 18:9-14)

2) What do we know of the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience from other Scripture passages and how do these apply to us?
The word “loving-kindness” occurs only in the Old Testament, but as equivalents, New Testament authors use “mercy”, “goodness,” “kindness,” and “brotherly love”. In verse 4, the Greek word for kindness is derived from the Hebrew “chacadh”, meaning “to be gracious or merciful.” W.L Walker says, “Goodness and justice are several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes merciful and sometimes just, but He is eternally infinitely just and merciful.” (Biblestudytools.com) Consider all the times the rebellious nation of Israel turned away from God, but God lovingly drew them back to Him. In His kindness, He warned them over and over of consequences for their rebellion, and as they continued to turn from Him, He allowed trouble to befall them. Still, He never let them out of His sight. He always had a perfect plan for bringing them back home. Oh, what a good and kind Father! “Being such an essential and distinctive quality of God, the prophets taught that it should also characterize His people. It is part of the Divine requirement in Micah 6:8 (ESV), ‘to love kindness’ and in Zechariah 7:9 (ESV), “Show kindness and mercy to one another.” (Biblestudytools.com)

3) How does God’s kindness lead us to repentance?
The Amplified Version of Romans 2:4 describes the riches of God as “kind, tolerant, and patient; withholding His wrath.” Paul reminds the saints (all those who have trusted Christ as Savior) of how God’s kindness led them to repentance. How He gently drew them to Himself, waiting patiently for them to turn to Him. (2 Peter 3:9) David personally had experienced the Lord’s patience and loving-kindness toward him. It had been over a year removed from David’s plot to murder the husband of the woman he slept with when the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sin. David begged the Lord to restore fellowship with Him. The first thing David said was, “Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.” (Psalm 51:1) God did deal with David according to His loving-kindness and He still does for us. This kindness was not only extended to David, but to anyone who genuinely repents and turns away from their sin and toward the Savior Jesus Christ. My heart cannot grasp how good, kind, and patient God has been, not just to His own people, Israel, but for all of us!

Everyday Application

1) Who and what is Paul addressing in his letter to the church in Rome?
Having concluded his description of those appearing outwardly “unrighteous”, Paul begins chapter 2 with a warning, “Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.” (Romans 2:1) We are all just as unrighteous as another. (Romans 3:23) Romans 2:4 was penned so we understand the vast goodness of God set against the ugly backdrop of our own sinful judgment toward those we deem “less than righteous”. Paul asks how we judge those without Christ since we also were once without Christ as well. (Romans 6:17) His loving kindness drew us to repentance and faith; how could we reflect anything less to those who don’t yet believe?! Certainly, we must confront sin, but only when we are exemplifying a lifestyle reflecting God’s character. If we aren’t, we are hypocrites. Consider two fighting sisters. One sister points her finger at the other as the culprit without acknowledging her own involvement. If we can see a fault in someone else, then certainly we should be able to recognize that fault in ourselves. (Matthew 7:1-5) (J. Martin Commentary) Sadly, the church does a lot of finger-pointing saying, “THAT IS SIN!”, but we refuse to recognize our own sin, instead justifying ourselves. Jesus tells us we will all be judged by the same measuring stick, His Holiness; He shows no favoritism. (Romans 2:11) We will certainly draw more people to Christ by living out His example of kindness and patience than we will through condemnation. I knew a wonderful lady from church who passed away. At her funeral, her son shared that Mrs. Majel would always invite “sinners” to dinner. He often asked her why for “They didn’t deserve her kindness.” Her response stuck with me for years, “Some people will not make it to heaven unless we carry them”. Her kindness reflected God’s kindness to us, “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance”. (verse 4)

2) What do we know of the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience from other Scripture passages and how do these apply to us?
May we never forget how long God waited for us to see our sinfulness in light of His glory and trust Him. How many times we have sinned, yet found God forgiving us. We, too, must model that kind of kindness, forbearance, and long-suffering patience toward others. Jesus instructed, “whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them”. (Matthew 7:12) This Golden Rule tells us in a few words that kindness carries the whole of the Gospel. (The Four-fold Gospels Commentary) As we say in the south, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” And thus, we will draw more people to Christ with kindness then judgment. Greg Laurie at Harvest Ministries in California shared in a recent devotion, “Believers sometimes approach nonbelievers with strange verbiage, then conclude that some people just take offense to the gospel. Yes, there’s offense in the gospel. But many times, people are offended because Christians are just weird and unnecessarily offensive. They don’t know how to use tact. We should use a little tact, a little winsomeness, when we share our faith. Someone has defined tact as the intuitive knowledge of saying the right thing at the right time. For example, when the apostle Paul saw that the people of Athens worshiped everything imaginable, he could have said, ‘You’re a bunch of pagan idolaters!’” Read what he told them in Acts 17:22-23. “Ah, Kindness. What a simple way to tell another struggling soul that there is love to be found in the world”, said poet, Alison Malee.

3) How does God’s kindness lead us to repentance?
Famous author, Mark Twain, said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Kindness touches the soul of man. Our lifestyle of winsome kindness will draw others to Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:15) Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers, “Be kind… compassionate … forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” (Ephesians 4:32) To the Colossians Paul wrote, “Act wisely toward outsiders (…) Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5-6) Living like Jesus draws others to Himself through us! It causes one to “want some of that”. When they ask us what is different, we should be “ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and reverence…”. (1 Peter 3:15) While kindness may come more naturally for some, true kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. It develops out of our willingness to fully surrender to the Holy Spirit at work within us as believers in Christ through faith. In her book, Jesus in Me, Anne Graham Lotz writes, “While you have the Holy Spirit within you, the cooperation of your full surrender, obedience, and faith is required to activate it. She quotes Dr. Alan Redpath of Moody Church, “it is a moment-by-moment surrender to the moment-by-moment control of the Holy Spirit” (The Making of a Man of God: Lessons from the Life of David) This surrender is a daily commitment to rise in the morning and give your day to the Lord. It makes all the difference in cultivating the kindness of the Lord in us!

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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

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Our Current Study Theme!

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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 :-))

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Fruitful Day 8 Kind Beauty

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5:22-23
Galatians 5:16-18
Romans 2:1-5
Hosea 2:14-20

Fruitful, Day 8

I have become incredibly passionate about proclaiming – and living out in my own life! – the vital importance of walking by the Spirit’s power to experience victorious Christian living.

Still, so often we forget to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leadership when we seek to grow in Christlikeness and sanctification. We have the mistaken idea that the fruit of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23), will somehow be cultivated in us and lived out when we strive for it.
This is impossible!

When we pay attention to context, and back up to verse 16, Paul shows us exactly how these fruits will grow in our lives, “I say, then, walk by the Spirit, and you will certainly not carry out the desires of the flesh.” Walking by His Spirit is to closely abide in relationship with Him through studying His Word, prayer, and living in biblical community. As we surrender to Him, He cultivates His fruit within us, and we begin living it out.
Here’s the key: the Holy Spirit.
Apart from His work in our lives, we can produce no good fruit.

So far, we’ve studied Love, Joy, Peace, and Patience in our Journey Theme.
Today, we’re studying Kindness.
What a beautiful realization to know that if kindness is a fruit of the Spirit,
then it’s proof our God is kind.
Kindness characterizes His Spirit.

Isn’t that encouraging?
We do not serve a harsh, unfeeling, mean, rude, uncaring God.
We serve a kind One.

One of my favorite passages revealing His kindness also comes from the pen of Preacher Paul in his letter to the Romans.
“Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

I love this beautiful passage because it so clearly shows us the loving, compassionate, caring, tender kindness of God. He doesn’t beat us over the head with our sin, as if cruelty and condemnation would somehow spur us to repentance. Instead, He showers upon us His kindness, He shows us His long-lasting forbearance and patience as His tender love draws us to Him.

We see this so clearly throughout the Old Testament.
Again and again, we read of the Israelites, God’s chosen people, forsaking Him and turning to do their own thing instead. Yet repeatedly, the Lord reaches out to them, sends prophets to tell of His love, rescues them, and reveals Himself to be incredibly compassionate and patient. His love for them never ends, therefore He is kind and forgiving as He seeks to woo them back. (Hosea 2:14-20)

I have experienced this kindness of God myself when His Spirit gently and lovingly convicts me of sin, inspires repentance in my heart, then compassionately clarifies to me all is well between us and has been forgiven. Then, this fruit of kindness begins flowing outward to touch other’s lives with the kindness of God as He draws them ever closer to Him.
What a beautiful thing! 

This is one reason biblical community and church fellowship are emphasized throughout Scripture. We need each other, and we need each other’s kindness flowing from the Spirit within us. I have experienced this kindness firsthand from God’s people in countless ways, including phone calls and texts to check on me, meals delivered after I’ve had a baby, birthday and book launch parties thrown for me, prayers when I’m going through a hard season, a meal train set up in preparation for my husband’s upcoming deployment, offers to mow my yard and tend to other things around our home while my husband is away, babysitting my children so I can have some moments to myself, impromptu money showing up in my PayPal account with a note saying, “Go get yourself some coffee,” and more.

Each time I have been shown the kindness of God through the actions of His people, it has comforted my heart, brought me joy, and drawn me ever closer to the God Who inspired these Christian sisters of mine to bless me.

Never underestimate, dear reader, the impact of your Spirit-led kindness on others! It is no small thing to live out the fruit of the Spirit known as kindness.
It changes lives, friends.
It has changed mine.

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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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Here’s a link to all past studies in Fruitful!

Fruitful Day 7 Produce Or Consume?: 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 Produce Or Consume?!

The Questions

1) What do we learn in verses 8-9 about God’s relationship to time compared to our own experience?

2) What connection is made in verses 10-12 regarding how we should be living as we wait for the day of the Lord?

3) What does Peter mean when he writes in verse 13 about the “new heavens and a new earth”?

2 Peter 3:8-13

8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming. Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. 13 But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Original Intent

1) What do we learn in verses 8-9 about God’s relationship to time compared to our own experience?
There is no underestimating the importance of context when studying Scripture. This is certainly true with this passage. When Peter compares a thousand years to one day, we must dig a little deeper to understand his purpose. The context of verses 8-9 is the return of the Lord to gather His Church, those who have placed their full trust in Him. Peter reminds the believers that scorners will come and mock the idea of the Lord’s coming return. (verse 4) Reading Peter’s letter gives us insight into what the Christians were facing as they waited for Jesus. The apostle Paul had also written letters to warn believers of those who would attempt to lead them away from trusting in Christ’s return. (verses 15-16) Peter cautions them to not be swayed by doubters and cynics. He reminds them that God’s timetable is not the same as our human timeline. Peter encouraged them to hold to faith and trust in God’s promises. Since we live in a physical world, we must be reminded that God works in another dimension beyond the perception of our physical senses. He is from the beginning and operates outside time. (Psalm 102:24-27) This in no way means God is not real, but it does mean He is unseen by human eyes because He is not limited by the physical realm as we are. (John 1:1-4) Because He is eternal, He sees eternity past and eternity future in a single view. From this timeless perspective, the time that passes on earth doesn’t limit Him as it does us. To God, writes Michael Houdmann, “A second is no different from an eon; a billion years pass like seconds to the eternal God.” (Questions about God page 20) Thankfully, in God’s patient and perfect “delay”, He is accomplishing His purpose of rescuing the perishing.

2) What connection is made in verses 10-12 regarding how we should be living as we wait for the day of the Lord?
God desires to live in close fellowship with His people. (Genesis 3:8, Exodus 29:45-46, Leviticus 26:11-13, Revelation 21:3) To understand the connection between His desire to be with us and our waiting for Him, we keep in mind the character of God. While there are passages of Scripture that are difficult to reconcile with Peter’s message that God wants “all to come to repentance” (verse 9), we must not fall prey to thinking God desires something other than salvation for all people. Since there is no easy way to tie everything together neatly that is taught in Scripture about God’s sovereignty, we simply must acknowledge the mystery. Therein lies the beauty of this passage. When humans contemplate patience, we think in human terms. Often in our waiting we begin to feel anxious and reactionary. Peter says God’s seeming delay is not “as some understand delay.” God-like patience helps us – beyond our own understanding – to have a sincere trust in God’s timing. (2 Peter 3:1-2) When God waits on something, it is rarely about how much time has passed or will pass. It is about His glory and our good. (2 Peter 3:15) This reality frustrated the prophet Jonah who knew God’s reputation for patience with sinful people. (Jonah 4:2) The mission of Christ’s followers is not to calculate the waiting time, nor is it to doubt or attempt to thwart God’s purposes. Our aim is to consistently live holy lives as we obediently follow Him (verse 11) with great expectation of the Lord’s coming. The specific Greek word (speudontas) in verse 12 for “hasten” occurs only once in Scripture. It indicates an urgency or earnest desire. (Strongs 4692) Based on Peter’s message, we understand that urgent does not constitute impatience.

3) What does Peter mean when he writes in verse 13 about the “new heavens and a new earth”?
If there was a theme for these verses, it would be, “The Promise of God: It’s Worth Waiting For.” Before John declared his vision regarding a “new heaven and a new earth” in Revelation 21:1, the apostle Peter reiterated Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 65-66) about the day our current heavens and earth will no longer exist as we know it.  In verse 13, Peter explains that after the destruction of our environment, a new place will be created in which “righteousness dwells.” From the context of the passage, we understand that our coming perfected holiness and godliness achieved through Christ will fit in perfectly in that newly created place of perfection. Our current waiting is painful because our righteousness as people of Christ looks and feels so different from those who live ungodly lives. (2 Peter 2:9-10) We long for the day we will live in uninterrupted harmony with all who love and worship Christ. “The history of this world has been almost entirely a history of sin – of its nature, developments, results. There have been no perfectly holy beings on the earth, except the Savior, and the angels who have occasionally visited. There has been no perfectly holy place – city, village, hamlet; no perfectly holy community. But the future world, in strong contrast with this, will be perfectly pure, and will be a fair illustration of what religion in its perfect form will do.” (Barnes)

Everyday Application

1) What do we learn in verses 8-9 about God’s relationship to time compared to our own experience?
You have likely heard the saying “only time will tell.” As I have grown older, this has become more obvious. Some of us (namely, me) are quick to respond to certain situations. Assuming too much, there have been times I’ve had to swallow my pride and admit that my initial reaction was unwarranted. These lessons taught me to wisely pause and zoom out of situations. Since humans operate on timetables, it’s often best to take a “wait and see” approach to many things we encounter. But God is not like us. He is timeless. He patiently waits because He knows His purposes are as good as done even when we have not seen them unfold yet. For humans, clocks mark change. Whenever there’s change of any kind we understand it indicates that time has passed. For God, there is no change and there is no passing time. Knowing God is eternal brings a profound sense of comfort to us mere mortals. Yet, though separated from time, God is not removed from our existence in this frail condition. Though He transcends time, He is with us now. He created a world that marks days and weeks and years to demonstrate to us that He does not ignore our daily cries or concerns. (Genesis 1:14-15) “Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here. Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what He deems best. Lovingly, it’s part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest.” (Day by Day by Karolina Sandell-Berg)

2) What connection is made in verses 10-12 regarding how we should be living as we wait for the day of the Lord?
Waiting patiently is not my favorite thing. I am an instant gratification kind of gal. But waiting for something that is almost certain to be wonderful is in a different category. In fact, waiting for Christmas has always been much more fun than having it come and go. The beauty of waiting for the Lord to return and make everything new is that we can enjoy hope now and then! Though there’s a tension we must hold, believers should watch for Christ to come today, while planning as though He may not come for a thousand years. As Christ followers, we play a mysterious role in His coming. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel would be preached throughout the whole world before Jesus returns. While I do not understand all this means, it should spur the Christian toward fervency and urgency in taking the gospel to the world, meaning every people group. We should have patience while we wait on our future glory, because we know God is bringing more people into His kingdom all the time. Our endurance is not in vain! (Revelation 7:9-10)

3) What does Peter mean when he writes in verse 13 about the “new heavens and a new earth”?
I am so thankful Peter took the time to write to the dismayed believers in the early church. He effectively dismantled the arguments of the false teachers striving to confuse and frighten them. It’s a wonderful truth for those of us who wait even now. 2020 was a difficult year for many. It was one of those years that seemed to go on forever. But, dear Sister, we know God is never delayed! There WILL be a day when we live in a new heaven and earth. For now, the followers of Christ should live as if we believe this completely! We can rest assured that our timeless God will not forget His promise!
“I know the journey seems so long.
You feel you’re walking on your own.
But there has never been a step where you’ve walked out all alone.
Troubled soul don’t lose your heart, ’cause joy and peace He brings.’
And the beauty that’s in store outweighs the hurt of life’s sting.
But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
that there will be a place with no more suffering.
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain and no more fears.
There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more.
But until that day, we’ll hold on to Him always.” (There Will Be A Day by Jeremy Camp)

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

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 Fruitful Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
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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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Fruitful Day 6 Produce Or Consume?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 31:24-29
Galatians 3:1-6
Galatians 5:16-25
2 Peter 3:8-13

Fruitful, Day 6

Patience.
A fruit of the Spirit we’d much rather consume than produce.
Something we pray for to help us get through our own trials, too often forgetting patience is also part of bearing witness.

As Moses prepared to climb a mountain and die when God said it was his time, he told Israel how much patience they required. Through plagues, rescue, the parting of the sea, miraculous provision in the wilderness, outmatched battles, and the establishment of the law, Moses was patient. Forbearing. Enduring through rebellion after rebellion.

He needed patience from God to persevere with the stiff-necked people. The patience he received also testified to the people of God’s faithfulness to them.

Fast forward to another man called to shepherd God’s stubborn people.

“You foolish Galatians!” (Galatians 3:1)
The apostle Paul’s stern correction to the early believers in Galatia carried a strong reminder to return to the God who set them free.

Israel had experienced freedom from bondage in Egypt by God’s might. The Galatians experienced freedom in Christ, God’s own Son. Yet, like Israel, they were eager to return to rules, repression, and religiosity.

“Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

Paul had every reason for impatience, but he patiently bore with the Galatian believers, offering exhortation.

His enduring care for them did not urge them to muscle through, but to grow in dependence on the One who could empower them to bear trials patiently, who could sustain them and their testimony through every hardship. The Holy Spirit.

Not much later in the letter, Paul described the results of the Holy Spirit’s work in hearts, even stubborn and foolish ones.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Paul needed divine patience to bear with the churches who turned back so easily, the kind only available from the God who waits for each of us to come to Him. (2 Peter 3:9) The patience he received testified of God’s continued faithfulness to His church.

God Himself is patient, and His patience proves His faithfulness. He waited until the right time to send His Son to save us. Now, He is waiting to bring to completion His big promise, to begin the Day of Lord:

“The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

He invites us to experience this kind of patience in our own lives.
A patience that doesn’t simply wait, but waits for a good, loving, hopeful purpose, like the salvation of many!

I’m convicted here when I realize I tend to think of patience as a fruit I want to eat more than produce.

I work to muster patience up first, scraping it together like hard-earned cash that can’t cover the bills (Lord, forgive me!). When I still don’t have enough, I remember where to turn. I ask God, and what patience He gives me through the Holy Spirit, I gobble up, giving thanks, but not giving myself up.

Then someone surprises me with a comment on how patient I seem. They ask how and why, and grace reminds me that patience is for feeding, not just receiving.

The fruit of the Spirit is a testimony to God’s character and faithfulness to all who come to Him.

Moses needed divine patience to do all God commanded, but that patience was also evidence to others of God’s enduring love.

Paul needed divine patience for his God-given mission, but that patience also spoke to those to whom he continually bore witness.

In truth, you and I tend to ask God for patience because we are hungering after something and don’t like to wait. The Holy Spirit produces patience in us so hungry people might see Jesus and know where to be filled.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

May those who look at us see the fruit of patience in our lives, and through that fruit, recognize the One who’s walking with us, who is patient with us, and who is patiently waiting to walk with them, too.

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Fruitful!

Sketched VIII Day 2 Hagar And Ishmael: 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 Hagar And Ishmael!

The Questions

1) Why did Sarai and Abraham try to fulfill the promises of God in their own power?

2) Why would God ask Hagar to submit to the mistreatment of Sarai?

3) Why did it mean so much to Hagar to be seen and heard by God?

Genesis 16

Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”

6 Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12 This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”

13 So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?”  14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Original Intent

1) Why did Sarai and Abraham try to fulfill the promises of God in their own power?
In Genesis 12:2, God told Abram He would bless him with many descendants. Abram and Sarai waited ten years for God to give them a child and fulfill His promise. They were already very old, so Sarai figured God must want them to use a surrogate woman to start a family. (Genesis 16:2) While the exact circumstances of the surrogate arrangement are not known, author David Guzik explains, “According to customs of the day, Hagar would actually sit on the lap of Sarai as Abram inseminated her, to show that the child would legally belong to Sarai, as Hagar was merely a substitute for Sarai.” Abram and Sarai believed God’s promise, but they took it upon themselves to fulfill it since it seemed as if God wasn’t coming through. If they had waited for God to fulfill His word (which He did over a decade later,) they would have saved themselves much suffering. By using Sarai’s slave, Hagar, to give Abram a son, Ishmael, they caused strife and heartbreak for everyone, including our own world as Islam came through Ishmael. The preacher Charles Spurgeon notes that, “Very likely Hagar was one of the slaves given to him by Pharaoh when he dismissed him and Sarah; and you know what trouble Hagar brought into the family. If Abraham had lived the separated life, and hadn’t fallen into the customs of those around him, he would not have had that sin and sorrow concerning Hagar; nor would he have had that righteous rebuke from Abimelech, the king of Gerar, when again he had acted deceitfully with regard to his wife.” (Genesis 20:1) Sarai and Abram were desperate to make God’s promises come true, but their intervention was not part of God’s plan.  John Piper notes, “God will not settle for anything less than the path of impossibility: He aims to show that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. (Luke 1:37) His purpose in all He does is to magnify His sovereign grace and keep us in our humble place.”  May we all cling to God’s promises while patiently trusting in His plan to bring the best results.

2) Why would God ask Hagar to submit to the mistreatment of Sarai?
When Abram and Sarai decide to use the slave woman, Hagar, as a surrogate so they can have a son, tensions rise. (Genesis 16:3)  Hagar is proud of carrying Abram’s child, and Sarai is enraged by her attitude.  Encouraged by Abram, Sarai mistreats Hagar and causes her to run away. (Genesis 16:5-6) God stops Hagar in her desert flight and urges her to return and once again submit herself to Sarai. (Genesis 16:9) While it may seem harsh for the Lord to send Hagar back to where she had been mistreated, God instructed her to return, not for harm, but for a blessing. According to the Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, “The counsel was given in kindness as well as wisdom; for, by continuing to penetrate further into the wilderness, she must inevitably have perished, and all her prospects of maternity been blasted.” God had plans for Hagar and her baby, even though she was not carrying the child of promise. Every life is important to the Lord, regardless of the circumstances surrounding conception! The angel of the Lord, which was “Jesus pre-incarnate,” according to Dr. Tony Evans, told her she would have a son and he too would be the beginning of many descendants. Scholar Elizabeth Tracy emphasizes “God focuses on Hagar’s future; she won’t return defenseless or with the same status.  She will return with strong promises received directly and personally from God.” As David Guzik explains, “The Angel of the Lord told her to repent. If she changed her direction, there was an inherent promise – obey Me and I will protect you. Jesus didn’t tell Hagar to return to abuse; He made an implied promise of protection.” After encountering Jesus, Hagar calls the Lord “El Roi,” which translates to “the God who sees”. (Genesis 16:3) Hagar does not fear returning to live with Abram and Sarai because she knows God has heard her, seen her, and promised her blessing through her son.

3) Why did it mean so much to Hagar to be seen and heard by God?
When the angel of the Lord, Jesus in the flesh before He came as a baby, appeared to Hagar, He told her some remarkable things as well as some hard things. (Genesis 16:7) One of those hard things was for her to return to living with Abram and Sarai, the place she had just escaped. According to author Beth Moore,  “Hagar is a name that means stranger — that she’s a stranger. Now I want you to please note that the angel of the Lord has sought out the stranger. This is making me think of Ephesians 2 which says you are ‘no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are citizens with the saints of God, members of the household of God, that he seeks out strangers.’” Because her very name means stranger, the fact that God would seek her out was meaningful to Hagar. Not only did God seek her out, but she is the first person in Scripture to whom the angel of the Lord appears. David Guzik notes how God “didn’t first appear to Noah or Enoch or Abram. The Angel of the LORD first appeared to a single mother-to-be who had a pride problem and was mistreated by the woman who put her into the whole mess.” Because she was a stranger, far from home with no resources or support, she had nowhere to turn. The fact that God heard her anguish and saw her situation was life-changing. Author Joni Eareckson Tada observes, “Her circumstances didn’t miraculously change, but she had experienced the miracle of a changed perspective. Knowing that God is real, and He was really involved in her life story, gave Hagar renewed vision for what otherwise looked like a desperate situation.” Knowing she had been seen and heard by God meant Hagar could keep going. She could return to the household of Sarai and wait for the birth of her son without fear, because she knew God was protecting her, watching over her, and had promised her the blessing of many descendants.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Sarai and Abraham try to fulfill the promises of God in their own power?
I have ruined many things because I couldn’t wait. I have served under-baked cookies and smudged my finger nail polish on more than one occasion because I was too hasty. Impatience proved to be even costlier for Abram and Sarai when they decided to fulfill God’s promises in their own way by having a son born of Sarai’s Egyptian slave, Hagar. (Genesis 16:3) They thought that since they had waited 10 years for God to provide with no results, God must want them to take the initiative. Surely their solution to make God’s promise come true would work, they reasoned. As quickly as Hagar discovered her pregnancy, problems with their scheme became evident. Hagar soon felt pride in giving Abram what Sarai could not, which made Sarai angry. Soon Sarai began mistreating Hagar so badly that Hagar ran away. (Genesis 16:6) Even after Hagar’s return, when her son, Ishmael, was born, there was still tension and strife. Eventually Sarai, now Sarah, would have the pair sent far away from Isaac, the actual son of promise. (Genesis 21:10) We do this, too!  We get tired of waiting on God. We figure He has forgotten us or that He must want us to take matters into our own hands since He hasn’t made a move to fulfill His promises to us in the way we think best. We become good at reasoning and rationalizing. We even grow angry that God hasn’t acted in the ways we assume He should.  Sometimes we figure the ends will justify the means. If God wants something for us, then it doesn’t matter how we get it.  This is not God’s way! We may not understand His ways or His timing, but His ways are always perfect. (Psalm 18:30) If we wait for Him and trust in His promise, we will see God do what only God can do. (Isaiah 30:18) If we attempt to muster up a way to make His promises happen, we miss out on His perfect plan, or we make a huge mess of everything. Instead, we can trust that God is a promise keeper. (Deuteronomy 7:9) When God promises to do something for us or in us or through us, He will make it happen. (Philippians 1:6) Though He sometimes uses us to fulfill His plans and purposes, He does not need us to come up with plan B when we feel His plan is off track.  His plans, and His ways, can be trusted! (Proverbs 3:5)

2) Why would God ask Hagar to submit to the mistreatment of Sarai?
It is pretty clear to me by now that God doesn’t do things the way I would. If something is hard or causes me pain, my plan is to avoid it.  Seems pretty logical, right? More often than not, however, God uses the pain I experience as an integral part of my growth process. (James 1:2-4) Scripture even tells us if our suffering is for God, it brings favor with God. (1 Peter 2:18-20) When God told Hagar to return to the household of Abram and Sarai, the thought of returning to the misery she just left must have been overwhelming. (Genesis 16:9) This is how I feel when God asks me to stay in a season of hardship, or stick with a difficult relationship. I feel overwhelmed by the thought of staying with what causes me pain, even though running away has its own perils. When Hagar encountered God in the wilderness, He gave her hope by telling her He heard her, He saw her, and He had better things in store for her. (Genesis 16:7) If she endured by His strength, she would see reward.  I have seen this same reality in my own life and the lives of others. I know a young person who has endured painful physical issues his entire childhood and now waits for a heart transplant.  He could be bitter and hopeless, but instead God has made him grateful, humble, and compassionate. Through the pain and hardship, he has learned to trust God and rely on Him for everything. My young friend understands that all things, even the painful ones, work together for our good if we love God and are called by God. (Romans 8:28) My prayer is that I don’t run from God, but rather turn towards Him when I experience hurt and pain, so He can use it to mature me and make me more like Him.

3) Why did it mean so much to Hagar to be seen and heard by God?
When Hagar ran away from Sarai and Abram’s household and fled to the wilderness, presumably heading back to Egypt, she must have felt invisible. (Genesis 16:7) She was a slave, a pregnant, unmarried woman, and a foreigner in a strange land.  She was mistreated and abused by those who chose her to be their surrogate child-bearer even though she was carrying Abram’s heir. (Genesis 16:6) She couldn’t have expected God to find her and call her name. (Genesis 16:8) She couldn’t have imagined He would see her in anguish and hear her despair.  How amazed she must have been when the angel of the Lord called her name and asked for her side of the story. She may have expected Him to chastise her for being prideful with Sarai or for running away.  (Genesis 16:4) Instead, God gave her good news that her child was a son and he would bring her many descendants. (Genesis 16:10-11) He gave her a way to safely return, be provided for, and raise her son.  After she spoke with God, she called Him El Roi, the God who sees. (Genesis 16:13) She recognized God saw her, knew her, and cared about her situation. It didn’t matter she was a runaway slave. It didn’t matter she had been mistreated or angered Sarai. God saw her, and extended mercy and love. God saw her, the woman Hagar, and not all the things she had done or had been done to her. He heard her heart and saw her need for Him, and He came through for her! He became her hope for a future.  He became her ever present help in trouble. About the story of Hagar, Ann Voskamp says,” For the women forgotten and for the women discouraged and the women lost, there is water in the wilderness and He is our well and all. is. well.” Through Hagar’s story, God is telling each of us, no matter who we are, where we are, or how we got there, He sees us, He loves us, and He has love and mercy for us, too.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sketched VIII Week 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.

Gospel Day 4 So 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!
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The Questions

1) How has God loved us?

2) How does this transform the way we love others?

3) What other theme is tied into these verses of love?

1 John 4:7-16

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

Original Intent

1) How has God loved us?
The author of John (believed to be a half-cousin of Jesus, and described often as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”) tells us in verse 7 how all genuine and true love begins with God. God is the first and ultimate model of love. These verses focus on His greatest act of love for people, God the Father sending God the Son “as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (verse 10). The depth of this statement is difficult to comprehend in its brevity. In fact, God used the whole Bible, years of history, and the entire nation of Israel to display what this statement is summarizing. As 1 John 2:2 states, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
In light of this, sacrifice is a key descriptor of God’s love for His people. However, this word does not stand alone. In offering himself as a perfect, innocent sacrifice, Jesus’ years on earth are full of the fruits of the Spirit: humility, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) Jesus, as God the Son, lived out perfect obedience and submission the plan of the triune godhead to reconcile humanity to Himself.

2) How does this transform the way we love one another?
1 John 4:11 states, “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” This theme is actually threaded all throughout 1 John. The letter ties together loving our fellow Christians closely with walking in righteousness and loving God. 1 John 2:10 states, “The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
Later in 3:18, “ Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth”, firmly reminds us that love is an action. Love does not sit idly by while someone is hurting, in need, or simply needs a friend for company. However, John tells us the importance of these actions being tied to truth, the anchoring, transforming power of the Gospel. 1 John emphasizes actions of love flowing from a heart bound to God, and therefore, flowing from a genuine concern for the overall well-being of those around us because we have been so loved!

3) What other theme is tied into these verses of love?
We have discussed how God is the beginning of love, the demonstration of His love, and how we are to mimic and reflect that love. Threaded tightly throughout the commands to love one another is the warning against being deceived by false teaching. In watching for false teaching, one must learn to recognize the Spirit of the Lord. God does not give us power to judge another’s salvation, however, recognizing whether or not we are in Christ is emphasized strongly throughout 1 John. John’s letter is full of contrasts between the one who loves his brother and the one who loves the world. The one who loves the Father most, will also love others with the same mark. The one who chases after self and the world, John clearly says the Father is not in him (2:15).
The way we love others is a litmus test of our genuine salvation, being mentioned at least 4-5 times in these few verses. This test is first for ourselves personally, assessing if we are truly tethered to Christ by confessing Jesus as the Son of God (verse 15). Secondly, the test of genuine, sacrificial love tied to the truth of Scripture, is a signpost by which we are to examine actions, teaching, and speech. If these are not in line with the truth of the gospel, proceed with awareness and a readiness to share truth of Christ with grace, realizing they may not have embraced the saving power of Christ.

Everyday Application

1) How has God loved us?
God’s love for people cannot be grasped without first understanding who people are before God. When reading in Genesis, we only get a few chapters in before we see the first created humans twisting God’s words, doubting His goodness, and lying about their disobedience. The Old Testament Law is eventually given as a mirror to remind us how we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Who are we, as created beings, that God should suffer and die on our behalf while keeping in mind, His own righteous judgment, which declares us guilty, sentencing us to death and eternal separation from Him?! He delivered justice, pouring out our consequence upon Himself, that we might be forgiven if we trust in Him for our only salvation.
So, what is our life application since God is doing all the work on our behalf in taking our punishment and literally being righteous for us? Rest and freedom in God’s love.
First, recognize salvation is completely the work of God! Repent then, turn from your sin, and rejoice in the freedom given as a result of God bestowing His favor upon us through His gracious forgiveness!  You cannot earn something that has already been paid for by someone else. Second, as a Christian, your identity is in Christ alone. Be free to be who God made you to be. Throw yourself on Jesus who will continue to free you from your rebelling, selfish ways and from fears of this physical world. The God who created you and saved you will keep you for HIS eternal, big picture purposes.

2) How does this transform the way we love one another?
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). Christians and non-Christians alike can display deep, inspiring acts of love. Non-Christians can indeed make sacrificial loving choices that put others first. These are following the ways of the Lord without even realizing it. Anyone can be kind, even sacrificial, but to love as radically as Christ, we must first experience His love in a deep, intimate, personal way. Only His love is truly transformative to radically make every aspect of our lives and our minds bran new. Only a love rooted in the personal experience of the gospel will overflow into an entire life lived with the love by which Christ has loved.
1 John 3:16 notes, “He laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” Yes, Christ sacrificed His life at the cross, but we must not downplay the 30+ years of daily sacrifice Christ demonstrated on earth as He submitted to the Father, getting his hands dirty and building His Kingdom. Do you and I go about life according to our desires and sprinkle it with Christ’s love when it is convenient? Or do we prioritize our lives to intentionally focus on encouraging and building up others in the church.
Are you willing to sacrifice time, talent, and treasure to love the hurting? Or expose the imperfections of your home to welcome the lonely? Do we demonstrate patience and grace when a fellow servant of Christ makes ignorant statements? Do you ask God to help you cover a fellow Christian with forgiveness and mercy when they have hurt you?
Love! You have been well loved first!

3) What other theme is tied into these verses of love?
Committing to learning more about what God says in His word can feel overwhelming as there is so much to take in! But it’s not impossible, nor as difficult as it first seems. Begin simply by opening His Word, this is His revelation to us about Himself. Write down your questions and take them to a pastor, a trusted believing friend, or write us here at Gracefully Truthful! Biblical sermons, podcasts, truthful websites, and commentaries are all good resources, but nothing compares to the beautiful Word of God itself! As you study the Bible, God will reveal His character. Look for His justice, mercy, faithfulness, humility, patience, and sovereignty in each recorded event. Spend time with Him by connecting through prayer either aloud, silently, or journaling. Engage in fellowship with other Christians. Believers aren’t perfect people, just people who have been saved and are in the process of being made new in Christ.
To help you grow, no matter how long you’ve been following Jesus, read through 1 John and answer his questions for yourself. Are you walking in light and righteousness of the Lord? Or, perhaps, do you know of Him but are not tethered to him IN Christ? Then read the book again considering who you look to for spiritual leading. Do their teachings and actions reflect God’s sacrificial love while being bound to the truth of Scripture? Are they proclaiming Christ IS God? True love and life begin with first knowing God and abiding in Him through the power of His Spirit.

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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

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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 :-))

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Character Day 8 A Love Like His

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Hosea 2:16-3:6
Hosea 11:8-9
John 3:14-21
1 John 4:7-21

Character, Day 8

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

I think it’s safe to say that these verses are arguably some of the most well-known Scriptures in the Bible. Individuals who do not even believe in our God have committed some or all of those verses to memory. As a result, many of us may flit right through the familiar passage without allowing the Truth to sink into our hearts and minds. (Raising my hand here.)

That being said, would it be okay with you if we stop for a just a moment to go over those words together again? I’m challenging us to read the passage out loud, but this time, let’s each insert our own name every time the word “love” appears. (Merry is patient, Merry is kind. Merry does not envy…etc.)

Just between us…did you try to justify yourself?
I did.

Maybe for you, that went like…
I mean, I’m mostly patient.
I rarely envy others.
I don’t keep a record of wrongs…when I receive the apology they owed me.
I don’t boast. There’s nothing wrong with feeling proud of your work.
I’m not irritable. I’m just tired of feeling like no one listens to me.
I’m not self-seeking. I deserve this. I’ve been taking the back seat long enough.
I still love _____________. I just don’t like him/her.

We are all in that boat, Sister.
We are each absolutely incapable of that kind of love.

Truth? We cannot even fathom a love like that. Sometimes we forget that. We think we can love others through our own might or our own resolutions…then wonder why we fail miserably and relationships become even more broken than they were before we tried.
But then, He knows that, because He is love.

Perfect, flawless, abiding Love.
And He always has been.

Someone close to me once said, “I love Jesus, I really do. I believe that He is the Son of God and that He is my Savior. It’s God that I have a problem with. Look at the Old Testament. Look at all the times He allowed entire cities to be wiped out. Look at all the times He is angry and wrathful. How am I supposed to run to someone like that?”

If we’re honest, most of us have probably wrestled with reconciling the seemingly conflicting portrayal of God’s love in different spaces in the Bible at one point or another.

What my friend didn’t understand is that God has always been pursuing us.
Since the beginning of Creation, He has been in determined, intentional, passionate pursuit of us. Read His words about His people…about us. About you, Sister. I dare you to read this and not be overcome by His great love for you.
(Scripture is linked, these are my paraphrases.)

Come to Me, pour out everything in your heart. Be broken before Me, for I am gracious and compassionate. (Joel 2:12)

I will speak to her tenderly. I’ll persuade her to come with Me to a quiet place. I will erase the memory of every other idol, every other lover from her mind. I will take their names from her lips and I will seal her as mine forever, in all righteousness, justice, love and compassion. And I will make Myself known to her. (Hosea 2:14-20)

I’ve always loved you. I brought you out of slavery, out of shackles. I taught you to walk. I held your hand and kept you steady when you couldn’t stand on your own. I led you in love, never fear or condemnation. I gently healed you, like one who eases the painful bit from a worn and weary horse’s mouth. How could I give you up? How could I ever surrender you to another? (Hosea 11:1-8)

Can you read those words without weeping?
Read the Scriptures and know in your deepest parts that they are for you, Sister.
The God of the Old and New Testament feels those things for you.
Corporately for all of His people? YES!
Personally for you and me? YES!
Not because of you, or anything you can give Him or do for Him, but
because of Who He Is.

Sisters, we are so broken.
No amount of self-justification, legalism, desire, intention or trying
will ever set things right within us.

Part of that brokenness means that we are unable to comprehend the shift that happened when sin entered the world. We struggle to grasp that Jesus was not God’s knee-jerk reaction to our sin in order to rescue us.

His plan was always ever Jesus.
The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.
His righteous anger, His perfect justice, His passionate pursuit of us, His fullness embodied in Jesus Christ sent to defeat death, wake us to life, then returned to glory that He might send His own Spirit to be that love to us and in us and through us!

One plan, One redemption, One God whose love is on display Genesis to Revelation and in the very middle of our everyday!

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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 Character 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 Character!