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Sketched VIII Day 5 Dining With Sinners

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 3:22-25
Romans 6:15-23
Psalms 32:1-5
Psalms 130:1-4
Luke 7:36-50

Sketched VIII, Day 5

Tales of the crazed wilderness Baptist seemed to ride the wind in my village. He urged people to be watchful for the coming King. Then came news of another teacher, a man some called the Messiah, the fulfillment of the prophets of old.

This Teacher turned water into wine, and the Baptist baptized Him. So strange. They said he was a carpenter’s son, certainly not what I expected of our Messiah. Rumors about Him were first carried on hidden whispers, but as time passed, they began circulating freely.

Townspeople, the rumors said, were leaving their homes, jobs, and families to follow Him. Fishermen, common people, my neighbors . . . even a scoundrel tax collector. They encountered this Teacher, then walked away from their lives, as if they were suddenly worth nothing. I was astounded by their foolishness.

He was inviting people to a greater life, the rumors said, a life of freedom.
He came to heal not just the sick, the rumors said, but to set captives free.

As stories about Him grew, I nearly believed them. Of course, I wasn’t physically ill or imprisoned. But in moments of stark honesty, I admitted my desperation to escape the life I’d scratched out for myself. I longed to be able to make decisions for myself, and to be welcomed into my community, rather than relegated to its outskirts in shame.

Suddenly, my life felt . . . defeated. Lonely. Confining.

“Bah, escape is simply not possible,” I told myself. “I’m a realist, not a dreamer.”

My life had its benefits. I was crazy for thinking there was more.

Days turned into weeks. While I tried to forget about this mysterious man, I couldn’t avoid hearing more of His teachings about Yahweh. He claimed God wasn’t wrapped up in the Law. Inconceivable! The Law was the very foundation of our culture.

All the same, I began to wonder.

What if God could see me? Love me?

What if I could approach Jehovah myself? Not just listen from behind a stone wall.

Is such a relationship even possible?

I wrestled with myself, caught between the world as I knew it and the inexplicable pull I felt toward this Teacher.

My “chosen profession” silenced my voice in the public spaces of our town, but others were freer with their words. From them, I learned the Teacher and His followers were gathering at Simon’s house.

Like everyone else in town, I knew of Simon and other members of the elite and powerful Sanhedrin. They feigned interest in the Teacher’s words only to entrap or make sport of Him.

In a moment of outrageous and uncharacteristic courage, I made up my mind. I would never be invited to the gathering, but I knew I must go.

This man was offering a way out, freedom for captives. I’d realized He wasn’t talking about physical locks and bars imprisoning me, but I was nearly strangled by chains of emptiness, shame, and desolation. I began to hunger, fiercely, for the freedom He proclaimed.

As I slipped through the shadows, the flask I’d tucked into my satchel bumped against my side.

This fragrance had cost me.
Everything. 

Dusk had settled by the time I neared Simon’s house. A few servants hovered outside the door. Why weren’t they inside? I didn’t want to be seen. The flask was small, but seemed heavier with each step.

Who was I trying to fool? Was there really hope for someone like me?
How dare I consider coming near the Messiah?

Fear nearly made me flee, but I crept into the main room as if physically drawn towards Him. Important men reclined at the table while servants lined the walls. I prayed no one would hear the deafening pound of my heart.

The conversation grew lively and I forced myself to move forward. Instantly, I recognized the Teacher. Simon, as host, was next to Him. Thankfully, he was too engrossed in the discussion to notice me.

In an instant, the room became silent and all eyes turned toward me as the scent of spikenard from the flask I’d opened filled the room.

By now, my tears were falling freely. I was still afraid of being cast out and punished for my audacity, but a much bigger part of me simply broke open in the presence of the Teacher, much like the remnants of the flask clutched in my hands. Suddenly, I understood I was a prisoner to my sins and only this man could bring me release and redemption.

The precious oil mixed with my tears as I anointed His feet. My long hair had fallen free of its covering and unashamedly, I used it to dry His feet.

Simon spoke, the hostility in his voice startling me from the tender moment. His voice was thick with condemnation for the Teacher for allowing me, a woman of widely-known sin, to touch Him. Yet, how often had I stifled my revulsion in submitting to Simon’s own touch? But his sin was secret, and his self-righteous indignation protected his public image, so I closed my eyes and waited to be dragged from the room.

The Teacher didn’t shout, didn’t startle, didn’t demand my immediate removal or fall prey to Simon’s manipulation. Instead, He praised my actions, reminding Simon he hadn’t provided water to wash his guest’s feet before He entered the house, hadn’t greeted Him with a kiss . . . hadn’t welcomed or honored Him as I had.

Flustered and embarrassed, Simon complained about the oil. Yes, it was costly. I should know; I paid such a high price for it.

The Teacher then told a story about the forgiveness of debts. I am not dense; I understood He was demonstrating to Simon his own sinfulness and hypocrisy.

Then the Teacher stopped talking. I felt His eyes upon me, and lifted my eyes to meet His gaze.

“Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace,” the Savior said.

After one last look at my Lord, I walked out of the room, head high, knowing I was free and a new life awaited me.

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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!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VIII Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VIII

Sketched VIII Day 1 Hagar And Ishmael

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 16
Exodus 33:12-23
Genesis 32:24-30

Sketched VII, Day 1

Salty tears streaked my face.
I longed to rest from my desert trek.
But I couldn’t.

I wasn’t safe.
I’d fled under the cover of night, but dawn was breaking.
Would Sarai send Abram’s men to force my return?

Returning wasn’t an option.
Not now.

Sarai’s rage was at an all-time high.
I feared for my life,
and for the little one growing inside me.

I rubbed my belly and couldn’t help but smile.
I already loved this precious child, even though he wouldn’t really be mine.
Like me, he belonged to Sarai, to Abram.

I choked back more tears and wished somehow I could drink them.
My parched throat longed for water.
I was ill-prepared for my escape.

While I was familiar with Sarai’s cruelty, something snapped in her yesterday.
Perhaps the reality I was carrying Abram’s child while she remained barren broke her already hardened heart.

I silenced the nagging voice inside, “. . . and you missed no opportunity to remind her of that, did you?”

Decades after God promised my master a son, Sarai’s womb remained empty.
Desperate, she dreamed up a plan, and I was her pawn.

As a slave, obedience was my only choice.
So I entered Abram’s tent.
When I left, my sorrow came with me.

Weeks later, when I realized I was pregnant, emotions flooded in.

Joy.
Pride.
Hope.
I would be a mother!

But my baby wasn’t mine.
Sarai and Abram would get their promised child.
I would lose mine.
Bitterness.
Rage.
Hopelessness.

But when I dared speak of my pregnancy,
I watched Sarai’s face blanch in pain . . .
And suddenly, for the first time in my life, I felt power.

Through its lens, I looked with pride at my body,
fresh and glowing, softly swelling with life.

And then I looked at Sarai,
thinning white hair crowning a wrinkled husk of a body.
Her pathetic hope to bear a child, to fulfill God’s promise, was beyond ridiculous.

I was filled with contempt for Sarai.
And as Abram’s gaze began to swerve my way more frequently,
I saw an opportunity to change my future.

I stirred up enmity between Abram and Sarai,
Encouraged comparisons between her and myself,
Knowing I carried the promise Abram wanted more than anything.
I was the one feeling the baby kick, not her. 

Sarai’s growing depression only spurred me on.
Had she forgotten this was HER idea to push me into her husband’s tent?

Finally, Sarai confronted Abram.
My haughtiness turned to panic as he flicked a dismissive glance in my direction, giving Sarai free reign to do with me as she pleased.

So Sarai loosed years of bitterness, disappointment, and anger . . . on me.
She exchanged words for a whip, or rod, or clay pot.

After yesterday’s beating, I had to leave.
To protect myself.
And my baby, who I imagined was a boy.

I ran all night.
I had no destination; I was running away.
Away from Abram and Sarai.
Away from abuse and death.

Now lost, the barren wilderness stretched endlessly before me.
Overwhelmed with despair, I sank to my knees.
I pounded the cracked earth and cried out for help,
help I knew wouldn’t come.

Death stalked me.
With the last of my energy, I lowered myself to the ground.
This would be my grave.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Certain Abram’s men found me, I cowered,
bracing for death’s blow.

But then, I heard my name.
Spoken with kindness.
Concern.

LOVE.

Peace washed over me.

“Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

I replied honestly, explaining my desperation to escape Sarai, hoping the stranger would mercifully lead me to safety.

The stranger knelt, handing me bread and a new skin of water.
I bit off a huge chunk of bread and gulped down water.

Once I finished eating, the stranger helped me up.
At his touch, new energy surged within me.

He looked into my eyes.
For the first time in my life, I felt SEEN.
Just as I began to hope, the stranger’s words rocked me to the core.

“Go back to Sarai and submit to her.”

Go back?!

The stranger kept talking.
This time, his words were full of promise.

“You baby is indeed a boy. When he is born, name him Ishmael.”
I whispered it out loud, daring to add, “I love you, Ishmael.”

When I spoke his name, I understood.
ISHMAEL.
God will hear.

The Lord HEARD me.
He SAW me.
Here in the desert, as I waited to die.
He sent this stranger to save us.

I felt Ishmael kick, as if in celebration.
A solid kick, the strongest yet.

The stranger’s words rang in my ears, “He will be a wild donkey of a man.”

I laughed and turned to share my joy with the stranger . . .
But he’d vanished.

I was alone.
Yet, the peace accompanying the stranger lingered.

In the place he’d stood, there was now a well.
Bewildered, I ran to it, drawing water and drinking my fill.
I splashed water on my face, washing away the sweat and tears.
Then, I scrubbed my feet, wiping away the blood and dirt.

Like a carefree child, I threw a handful of water into the sky.
I watched in awe as the sunlit droplets danced.
Tiny rainbows landed on my hair as I lifted my hands in praise.

I shouted, “El-Roi, El-Roi!!!  You are the God who sees!”

I began the trek back home.
Unsure of what awaited me,
I only knew I was returning a changed woman.

No matter what happened, God would be with me.

If He was with me in the wilderness, when I was alone and on the cusp of death, I trusted Him to remain with me now.
If He heard my cries in the desert, I knew He could hear me anywhere.
If He saw me at my worst, and loved me even then, I believed His love would be steadfast the rest of my days.

The following months were NOT easy.

But when my son was born, and Abram announced, “The boy’s name is Ishmael,”
I knew God was with me, and He saw me and loved me,
me and my son.

***

Maybe you relate to Hagar and feel alone in a wilderness, overwhelmed, defeated, and full of despair. Call out to Jesus. He HEARS you. He SEES you. He is with you, ready to fill you with His peace, power, strength, hope, joy, wisdom, and love. May you experience Him as Hagar did, as El-Roi, the God who sees.

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VIII Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Ten Day 5 A Time For Sabbath

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:8-11
Mark 2:23-28 
Matthew 12:9-14

Ten, Day 5

I curled up in my chair with my coffee steaming beside me and opened my book.
The title beckoned, calling to my weary soul . . .

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. 

My breathing slows and deepens; I need this.

“Just before sunset on Friday, we finish up all our to-do lists and homework and grocery shopping and responsibilities, power down all our devices (we literally put them all in a box and stow it in a closet), and gather around the table as a family. We open a bottle of wine, light some candles, read a psalm, pray. Then we feast, and we basically don’t stop feasting for the next twenty-four hours. It’s the Comer way! And, I might add, the Jesus way. We sleep in Saturday morning. Drink coffee. Read our Bibles. Pray more. Spend time together. Talk. Laugh. In summer, we walk to the park. In winter, make a fire. Get lost in good novels on the couch. Cuddle. Nap.” 

As I read this paragraph in John Mark Comer’s book, I recalled some of the sweetest moments in my life …

A quiet afternoon reading and drinking hot cocoa in a ski lodge …
Napping on my couch as I listen to rain falling outside …
Slow, meandering walks with my girls …
Card games and family dinners around my uncle’s kitchen table …
Sunday drives in the middle of nowhere …

But for me, these times typically only happen during vacation or holidays; John Mark Comer’s family shares peace-filled days weekly!

I wanted that. 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
But that’s ancient history, isn’t it?
Or maybe it kinda-sorta applies to us, but we keep it holy by going to church… right?

To find our answer, let’s look back to Scripture. There’s a second component to this commandment:
“You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.”
(Exodus 20:9-11, emphasis mine)

First part: Keep the day holy. Remember God.
Second part: Don’t work. Rest.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ human-days took the second part of this commandment to the extreme. In fact, even today, Orthodox Jews strictly prohibit 39 categories of activities on the Sabbath (or Shabbat); these include the size food can be cut into, the texture of dough that can be made, and much more.

In Mark 2, Jesus abolished this legalistic mindset, reminding them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), meaning the Sabbath was created to help people, not burden them.

Contrastingly, we have the majority of the Church today, gathering on Sunday (our Sabbath) to worship, then catching up or getting a head start on the busyness coming at us in the week ahead: last minute projects and homework, cleaning the house, meal prepping, laundry. We don’t actually rest.

The Sabbath was never meant to be a catching-up day. 

John Mark Comer, and other pivotal leaders in the evangelical church are on a quest to practice the Sabbath in all its intended goodness and beauty. When planning an activity on their Sabbath (sidenote: often not a Sunday, as many are involved in full-time ministry), they ask:

  1. Is this worshipful?
  2. Is this restful?

And if the answer is no to either, then it can wait.

I’ve been delving into the world of practicing Sabbath because the calm and stillness and remembrance of this gift are so inviting. While I could write heaps, I want to share a few points to consider, then encourage you to read, research, and practice on your own …

God knew we couldn’t do it. 

But God loves us more than we can understand, so He gives us these commandments to lead us to His best for us. Yet we, in our rebellious sin, fight against His words, treating them as a burden, rather than a gift . . . and He knew we would.

Into this tension stepped Jesus and His death and resurrection. Even THIS commandment to honor the Sabbath points to Jesus, our sinful nature, and our great need for a Redeemer.

—

“Girls! It’s almost Sabbath! Help me get the dishes put away!” I call, and my three little loves rush into the kitchen to sort silverware and stack their bowls and plates. It is 5pm and almost time for our Sabbath. I’ve already deleted the social media apps from my phone, and spent the day preparing by wrapping up work.

As we settle onto my bed with our nontraditional, but weekly, Shabbat meal of chicken nuggets, french fries, and broccoli, I remind the girls why we take the time to remember God and what He has done.

“How have you seen God this week?” I ask my girls.

One of my twins says she saw Him in the beautiful flowers she smelled.

The other shares how she saw Him when she jumped in the pool and her entire head went under water.

My three-year old tells me she saw Him “everywhere.”

We’re still learning. We’re still practicing. But we’re taking time to breathe in deeply and worship the Lord while completely resting our weary souls.

—

For further Sabbath study, check out these resources:
“The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer
“The Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Annie F Downs’ highlight on Sabbath


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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Ten Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Sola Day 9 Sola Fide: 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 Sola Fide!

The Questions

1) What part do I play in my salvation?

2) How can I be raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven?

3) How can I be alive in Christ and dead in trespasses?

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Original Intent

1) What part do I play in my salvation?
Paul states in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we “are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” The word grace is “from the Latin gratia meaning favor, charm or thanks. Gratia, in turn, is derived from gratus meaning free, ready, quick, willing, prompt” (Preceptaustin.org.)  Author Kenneth Wuest tells us the pagan Greeks used the term grace to refer to “a favor done by one Greek to another out of the pure generosity of his heart, and with no hope of reward.”  God saves us by His grace, which is His free favor, unmerited by us. He uses our faith, but as author David Guzik explains, we can think of faith as a water hose and grace as the water: “The water is the important part, but it is communicated through the hose. The hose does not quench your thirst; the water does. But the hose brings water to the place you can benefit from it.”  We can do nothing to save ourselves; salvation is a free gift from God we didn’t earn and couldn’t deserve because of our sin. All we have to do is reach out in faith to accept God’s salvation by repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus (Mark 1:15) Through His grace, God built a bridge to bring us out of sin and into relationship with Him, and all we have to do is accept and believe, even this act of faith is a gift God gives to us. There is truly nothing no action we can take that is about us and our own strength. We must each choose to use the gift of faith appropriately trusting the Savior, and receive His gift of grace.

2) How can I be raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven?
Ephesians 2:6 tells us Christ “also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word for “raised up with” is sungeiro, which literally means “raised up together” (Preceptaustin.org)  The suggestion here is that Christians experience a “spiritual resurrection that follows our crucifixion with Christ and our entombment with Christ” (Preceptaustin.org.)  Author Albert Barnes explains by saying, “We become dead to the world in virtue of His death; we become alive unto God in virtue of His resurrection. On earth, we are exalted to honor, peace, and hope, in virtue of his resurrection; in heaven we shall share His, glory and partake of His triumphs.”  When we accept Christ as our Savior, we become united to Him (I Corinthians 6:17), by which, our flesh dies in His death and our new life begins with His resurrection.  As one with Him, we are seated with Him in Christ in heavenly places.  Author Mark Dunagan suggests, “to live in the ‘heavenly places’, is to have your mind set on the spiritual realm (Colossians 3:1), and to live like an eternal reality exists.”  To be raised up and seated with Him in Christ, then, is to become united with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection because of the free gift of salvation He offers to everyone.

3) How can I be alive in Christ and dead in trespasses?
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-5, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that He had for us made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” The word for trespasses comes from the Greek word Paraptoma, which basically means falling so as to lose one’s footing. It conveys the idea of a false step and often is translated a transgression, [from Latin trans– across + gradi = to step] which means we have crossed a line, challenging God’s boundaries” (Preceptaustin.org) The Greek word for “made us alive,” suzoopoieo, means “to cause to live with Christ or to give life with Christ. . . To an extent this verb could be seen as somewhat synonymous with ‘saved’, but it can also have the meaning of keeping alive or preserving life” (Preceptaustin.org) What Paul declares here is that even when we were spiritually dead in our sins, God loved us. He didn’t clean us up first or wait for us to change.  He loved us when we were dead in our trespasses.  Charles Spurgeon explains that God’s love “does not depend upon what we are; it flows from His own heart. It is not love of something good in us; it is love of us because of everything good in Him.”  We are richly blessed by God’s great mercy and love that we do not deserve and cannot earn.

Everyday Application

1) What part do I play in my salvation?
I gave my heart to Jesus as a little girl over 40 years ago.  At the time, I understood Jesus loved me and died on a cross to forgive me of my sins.  I didn’t confront the concept of God’s grace until I got older and needed God’s rescue from situation after situation.  I was never in big trouble, but I constantly found myself making mistakes, falling short, and feeling unworthy.  I finally figured out that God’s grace was there precisely because I couldn’t be perfect on my own.  J.I. Packer writes, “The grace of God is love freely shown towards guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and who had no reason to expect anything but severity.”  When I realized I couldn’t be good enough on my own, I clearly saw my need for the interjection of God’s grace. I am unable to please Him on my own, but in His grace, He offered a sacrifice to cover all of my “not enoughs”, and then gave me His Holy Spirit to powerfully live inside me, equipping me to love and follow Him. What was impossible before, was now possible because of God, His grace, and His Spirit! I could stop trying to follow Him in my own strength and instead rely on His Holy Spirit to power my everyday interactions. It is a lesson I am still learning, but one that makes my life less about my abilities, and more about His purposes.

2) How can I be raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven?
When I buy a new gadget or download a new app, I am just interested in the main function of the thing.  I want it to do what I bought it to do, and I don’t care much about the other aspects.  My husband or my kids might look it over and tell me about all the nifty extras, but I don’t pay much attention.  I just want the basics, plain and simple.  Sometimes I have this attitude about my salvation, strangely enough. I know God saved me and I am going to Heaven, which is amazing!  But I don’t think about everything this free gift of salvation entails.  It really is the gift that keeps on giving! Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:6-7 that Christ “also raised us up with Him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”  Paul is telling us we share in the death and resurrection of Jesus and all the benefits that represents.  Author, Heather Holleman, describes her realization of the fullness available to us through salvation and in being seated with Christ.  She writes that “no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I have full access to God’s love, power, peace, hope, and provision. . . Rather than search for a different seat or one that we think is better, when we’re walking with Christ, we can instead relax and enjoy the life we’re living.”  Life with Christ means we have constant access to the grace, power, love and provision of God! God graciously saves us and then lavishes His love on us by giving us the rights and privileges of children and heirs of the King.

3) How can I be alive in Christ and dead in trespasses?
Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” What does it mean to be dead in my trespasses? John Piper suggests, “we are not dead in the sense that we can’t sin. We are dead in the sense that we cannot see or feel the glory of Christ. We are spiritually dead. We are unresponsive to God and Christ and this word.”  It amazes me that God loved me in this state! It is so unlike the love I have for others, even my closest family. When my husband or kids are unresponsive to me, I don’t feel love for them, and I usually don’t choose to act in a loving way towards them.  But God, in His extreme mercy and unfathomable grace, chose to love me while I was still a sinner. He made me alive with Christ before I ever loved Him. David Guzik points out that God “did not wait until we were lovable. He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, providing nothing lovable to Him.” God took our sins on Himself and became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) before we ever loved Him or even showed a sign of turning to Him.  We have life in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22) through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  We are made alive, though dead in our sins, through His merciful love. We are saved by His amazing grace!

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

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 Sola Week Two!
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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Focus Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1)  Brianna noted on Monday, “God’s wisdom, while promoting His peace, does not promote a pain free life.” So we are left with the lingering question over our hearts, “do we really want to follow Jesus?”. This isn’t a one-time answer and finished for life. When the relationships get complicated and messy, will we follow? When it’s much easier to twist the truth and save ourselves, will we still follow? What are you walking through right now where you are need to ask, “Do I really want to follow Jesus?”. Remember, Sister, what’s at stake is for eternity. There is only One sure-footed place to walk the ups and downs of this life, and that’s following Jesus! Saying yes to Him will always be worth it, guaranteed.

2)  Quick, Slow, Slow. Three wise words waving like a white flag on repeat in my mind when I find myself in a scenario where my relational temperature is quickly on the rise. God’s wisdom, intended for everyday life application in big ways and small ones, will always bring life that causes flourishing. Quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to become angry. Listening brings life. Speaking should be only a small percentage of our relationships and anger…well, James says our anger does not accomplish the righteous purposes of God. Plain. Simple. Straight up wisdom. Practice raising the white flag in your relationships with those three words. Quick. Slow. Slow. Begin this weekend! As you slow, take those seconds, or minutes, to pray for the one you’re in conflict with.

3) We all have difficult seasons of our lives where we feel like the ground beneath us is swaying, shaking, and we aren’t sure we will make it to the other side. Pause for a few minutes and recall one or two of those times for you. What were the feelings you wrestled with?  What sustained you? When we feel like we are drowning, we need an anchor we can trust, no matter what. Relationships are amazing gifts, but they will always let us down in one fashion or another. What are your anchors? How do you know they will sustain you in your storms?

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 James 1:22-25 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Prayer Journal
Lord, Your presence is everywhere at every moment, just as You are incessantly pursuing each of us that we might turn to You and discover the love we’ve longed for. In the same way, Your wisdom never ceases, and You urgently desire for us to walk in it. Not because You’re a dictator, but because You are love and You know we will have the richest, most fulfilling life when we walk wisely.
As we study You, Lord, make us wise. May we not just accumulate good sayings and nice thoughts, but teach us to live out Your wisdom daily. Spirit, this is impossible without Your power. May we surrender more of ourselves to You every day!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Open Day 9 Casting Out Fear: 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 Casting Out Fear!

The Questions

1) Who is the speaker and audience in this passage of Scripture?

2) What is the context of this one verse within the chapter?

3) What kind of freedom is being described in this verse and how is it obtained?

John 8:36

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Original Intent

1) Who is the speaker and audience in this passage of Scripture?
In reading the previous verses, we know the disciple John is the author of the book and he is recounting a conversation between Jesus and “Jews who believed Him.” (verse 31) Although Jesus’ audience, made up largely of Jews, were listening and believing, they were still questioning Him. They did not fully understand who He was as the long-awaited Messiah, nor did they grasp His purposes beyond being a knowledgeable Jewish teacher.

2) What is the context of this one verse within the chapter?
Jesus is teaching in the temple and many are putting their full trust in Him by believing Him at His word that He is indeed exactly Who He claims to be, God Almighty in the flesh. (verse 30) Jesus is explaining who He is and what authority He has to teach, while, at the same time, He is teaching the truth of freedom as well as the truth of sin. Every time Jesus speaks, it is with truth and grace. He boldly preached on the reality of sin, which separates every person from the righteousness of God. Because of our sin, we are utterly and eternally incapable of being made whole in the presence of God. However, just as true is the reality of freedom found in placing our full belief and trust in Jesus Christ as the Only One who took the punishment we rightly deserved because of our sin, and magnificently, gave us righteousness in place of our sin. That is freedom!

3) What kind of freedom is being described in this verse and how is it obtained?
Jesus is specifically talking about freedom from sin. He clearly states that everyone who “practices sin is a slave to sin” (verse 34). Meaning that whoever continues in their state of sinfulness, relying only on themselves to somehow “become good” will always and forever be a slave to sin. There is no escape from the deadly grip of sin simply by trying to “become good” on our own will power. But, through the Son, there is freedom from that slavery! Jesus’ listeners would have understood His terminology, and followed His logic, but they did not see Him as God’s Son sent to take away the sins of the world and provide that freedom. Jesus was claiming to actually be God, for only God could possibly take away sin and its punishment of death. They did not understand the true freedom Jesus was offering because they could not fathom a God who became flesh, rather it was far more comfortable to keep God in a box they could manage. A box where they could be secure in their standing with a righteous God because of their Jewish lineage as Abraham’s descendants.

Everyday Application

1) Who is the speaker and audience in this passage of Scripture?
Scripture is the inspired word of God and although there is a specific context within which it was written, the message of the Bible is still active and living for us today (Hebrews 4:12). We are the audience just as much as the Jewish audience John was writing to over 2000 years ago. Jesus speaks to us today through His Word. How do you view Scripture? Is it strange and archaic to you? Do you find it boring or is it precious? Do your daily actions genuinely reflect your belief? Which claims of Christ do you struggle to fully embrace? Is He just a good teacher or is He the Lord of all? We must all wrestle with these questions, just as Jesus’ listeners did in the first century. Our answers reveal much about our hearts!

2) What is the context of this one verse within the chapter?
Freedom in Christ comes through knowing Him intimately, trusting Him as Lord of your life, and recognizing His authority. In other words, doing exactly what those in verse 30 were doing, “believing Him” and fully taking Him at His word. Jesus is exactly Who He says He is! Jesus is speaking powerful truth to His audience and there is a moment farther in the passage where His audience simply can no longer handle the truth. Angry, because Jesus’ truth makes them extremely uncomfortable as they come face to face with their own sin, His hearers actually pick up stones to throw at Him. (verse 59) What He was saying was so foreign to them, so outrageously unthinkable, it was considered blasphemous. How could Jesus possibly be the Almighty God, having authority to both call out sin and claim to offer freedom from it through Himself?!
Freedom isn’t free; it cost Jesus His life, but our freedom comes through submission, total surrender, to Him. We can’t earn this freedom and neither do we deserve freedom from our sin, but God, being rich in His mercy, provided it to us at the cost of His Son’s life. That is love!

3) What kind of freedom is being described in this verse and how is it obtained?
Throughout history, there have been wars in the name of freedom. A desire to break free from the tyranny of a government or a break from an ideology has caused uprising for the sake of freedom. The freedom Jesus speaks of is infinitely more than an ideal or moralistic teaching because this freedom is eternal, not earthly. My favorite passage in all of Scripture is Romans 8. It starts with the verse, “there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ…” (Romans 8:1). Freedom from sin is freedom from the wrath of God that we rightly deserve because of our sinfulness before Him. All it takes is one small sin to render us separated and fallen below the standard of flawless, perfect righteousness that He as God exists eternally as. The freedom Jesus offers results in a breaking of all bondage from Sin and Death; no longer are we under that slavery, we are not bound to obey Sin. Rather, we are free to live in the light of Him who created us, free to dance in the love Christ lavishes upon us. That freedom is only accessed in Him through knowing, believing, trusting, submitting, and surrendering to who Jesus is as fully divine and fully human, able to take our punishment in our place. “My chains are gone I’ve been set free.”

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

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 Open Week Two!
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.

The GT Weekend ~ Seeds Week 1

Leave a Comment

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 have you experienced a season of waiting and feeling empty? What did it look like as those areas were filled and redeemed by the Lord? Our empty places aren’t always filled the way we envision them, but every situation we give over to the Lord is transformed by His filling. When we relinquish control of our everyday moments, we open them up to being filled by the Spirit and used by Him. Decide to look intentionally for where the Spirit is leading and filling instead of rushing by these moments and filling them with our agendas. Consider writing “filled” somewhere in your home, car, or even your wrist as a reminder to give over control to the Lord, waiting for Him to fill.

2) It’s one to thing to say yes to the Lord when He asks you to specifically do something, but it’s a different heart attitude to be willfully submissive to whatever he calls us into. Jesus doesn’t call us into ‘categorized obedience’ where we can control the outcome and the game plays, He asks for total submission. When we do, Real Life breaks through and lives are transformed for eternity! How will you begin practicing saying “yes” as part of your everyday?

3) In what ways does the “easy lie” of “striving is required to please God” pop up in your life? Look for ways you seek to control, or ways you feel burdened or weighed down, or consider the expectations (and their source) you spend time, energy, and emotion working to meet. Hidden inside life with Christ, peace buoys and joy comes and freedom is unleashed, even in the maddening moments of everyday life precisely because striving has ceased. The Lord cannot love you more than He does in this moment, and He will never love you less! What physical markers can you put around you to remind yourself of this truth? Consider setting an alarm on your phone with a helpful label to keep you focused

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 Colossians 3:1-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Prayer Journal
Your thoughts, my plans. Your power, my weakness. Your infinite knowledge, my narrow-minded and limited perspective. How could you consider using me to expand Your Kingdom and do Your work? Yet, You do. All of those weak limitations are altogether transformed in the light of Your offer of redemption.

Remind me, Spirit, constantly, to seek the things above; the things of Christ. Train my heart to focus on You and the life You give and the obedience You call me to as I move through my day, interact with my kids, spend money, and chat with friends. Prepare me to be ready to say yes to You at any moment regardless of what it could cost me. How I love You, Lord! Thank You for hiding my life in Yours!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Anchored Day 1 Saints, Apostles, & Brothers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:1-3
John 17:20-26
Romans 12:1-21

Anchored, Day 1

“Quien son la iglesia?”
He was a quiet man standing before a gathered few, Bible in hand and a passion in his voice that belied his calm persona. His was a new church plant in my city and me, with my meager Spanish, had decided to join them for a Sunday. His question asked, “Who are the church?” In both English and in Spanish, the grammar is incorrect, matching a plural verb with a singular noun. But the audience responded loudly, with a veritable boldness that struck me deeply.

“Nosotros!”
Us.
We are.

No questioning. No pause while the pastor explained what he meant. No exhortation to let the believers gathered there realize they had an identity as Christ’s Body as a whole called Church linking all believers across all culture, tribes, languages, and time through the precious blood of Christ. Simply an immediate response: Nosotros! Us! We are!

To read Scripture is to hear the heartbeat of the triune God as His Spirit breathed out His inspiration to every human author. God, eternally existing in three persons, perpetually delights in beautiful community within Himself. God, the fullness of Him as Father, Son, and Spirit, longs for us to enjoy that same community between fellow believers and with Himself.

Not only is our harmonious unity as believers the very desire of God, He also created our hearts to long for it as well. It’s why we want followers on Instagram and likes on Facebook, while also aching for people to really, truly know us, love us, and walk with us. Relationships, deep, meaningful ones, are important because God designed us for them.

This clear need for genuine community is vividly depicted throughout the pages of Scripture from Eden to Revelation, but Paul’s letters hearken back to this theme of unity within the church again and again on repeat. As Paul opens Colossians, this grand book describing deep mysteries of the triune godhead and the centrality of Christ in all things, he humbly begins in familiar, but fundamental territory: the familial unity of all believers.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father. (Colossians 1:1-3)

Paul, an apostle by Christ.
Christ, the very author and original eternal participant of community, willed that Paul would become an apostle to build His kingdom and participate in the riches of biblical community known as Church.

Enter Timothy, our brother.
Not named for his role in the church as pastor, or for his age, or by his abilities, but by his identity as a brother in the sacred fellowship of Church.

Breathtakingly, on this stage of the greatest apostle and his coworker for the gospel, suddenly all believers are welcomed to join them.
Saints and faithful brothers in Christ.

Yes, this letter was originally penned to a fairly small town house church in Colossae, but it also carried instruction to have it read at other churches, broadening the scope of “saints and brothers in Colossae” to include all believers.

All believers.
Saints every one.
Brothers and sisters, each of them.
Each partaking of the other for the mutual benefit of all; Church. (Romans 12:5)

“Quien son la iglesia?”
Who ARE the Church?!

“Nosotros!”
We are!

Paul knew his recipients weren’t blood relatives of Timothy.
He didn’t declare them saints because they had all been baptized or taken communion, followed the ten commandments, or sold their belongings to give to the poor.
The believers were saints and brothers in Christ.

As we dive into this extraordinary letter, we will encounter incredible truths to shape our everyday life, but we must keep it all in the framework of unity within the Body of Christ. The church in Colossae was just a small gathering of believers Paul had only “heard about” from Epaphrus, another pastor Paul had likely trained and discipled from his time in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10). There were other churches, seemingly more important ones, bigger ones in larger cities Paul had written to also, but this letter to the Colossians was preserved and accepted into the whole of Scripture.

Its truths are deep and applicable to us today.
As we gaze into these mysterious beauties, we must hold up the lens by which it was intended to be seen through, unity within the Church.

“Quien son la iglesia?”
Who ARE the Church?!

“Nosotros!”
We are!

Don’t miss out on Church, Sister!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Anchored 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 Anchored!

Awaken Day 8 Song In The Night

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 77
Matthew 7:28-8:27
Mark 4:35-41

Awaken, Day 8

The sun was setting on another long day of ministry.
I’m Matthew, some call me Levi, Jesus invited me to be His disciple, awakening me to life I’d never known.

Jesus’ teachings are many and some are so deep, I feel like I’ll never comprehend their weighty implications, but one lesson I keep returning to is trust.
Like Asaph’s song we often sing in the temple,
“I cry aloud to God, aloud to Him, and He will hear me.”
Trusting His goodness, His constant presence, that is my ceaseless challenge.

We began the day on Mt. Eremos, a wide plateaued hilltop overlooking the breathtaking Plain of Gennesaret. Jesus had spent the morning preaching boldly with words that both shocked and drew us close with a love you could feel like an embrace.
He never ceases to amaze me.
His words were turning the world upside down, all while He walked among the masses, healing, touching heads, holding the hands of little children.
His love is unmistakable.

When we finally descended, walking the 6 kilometers to Capernaum, I was physically parched and mentally overwhelmed, but the crowds relentlessly followed.

When a Roman centurion approached Jesus, my defenses flew up. This gentile asked Jesus to heal his servant and, amazingly, Jesus healed him without even visiting the sick man! Every moment with the Lord seems like another opportunity to grasp the unobtainable, grappling with truth and wonder like I’ve never experienced.

Asaph’s song echoed, “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?!”

We finally pressed through the crowds arriving at Peter’s house for welcome rest, but the house was strangely quiet. Peter’s lovely wife rushed towards us, eyes on Jesus alone, “Please, Lord, please, she’s so hot with fever. She’s tossing about and isn’t speaking. I’m afraid…” Her voice dropped to a whisper and tears gathered in her desperate eyes as Peter moved forward to embrace his wife, but Jesus was already moving past her towards her mother’s bed with the same rush of compassion that often moved Him.

Our hearts pounded with emotional tension as life and death hung in the balance. And again, for the umpteenth time that day, just like 100 more days before, the air felt motionless and time seemed to pause in response to the Holy in our midst.
Death didn’t stand a chance against Jesus.

He knelt, holding her hand with that gentle, life-giving grasp I’d seen Him do countless times before. His eyes beckoned her to wake up into calm serenity, and so she did. The color came flooding back into her cheeks, her eyes brightened, and her hand tightened around Jesus’ as she gave a soft laugh, playfully giving a shove to Jesus and casting a glance around all the worried faces surrounding her bedside, “Mercy! Me just laying here and all your bellies growling with hunger! Go on outside and I’ll bring you some refreshment!”

We all laughed, Jesus most of all, head thrown back as He helped her to her feet.
I dashed at the unbidden tears gathering in my own eyes.
Simply to look at Jesus was to know life, inexplicable Life and underneath, unquenchable, matchless, all-powerful love.

Peter began the familiar refrain of praise, “You are the God who works wonders…”
James and John chimed in with Asaph’s response, “You have made known Your might among the peoples.”

The day moved on with furious rushing as more were healed, Jesus preached, and conversations happened endlessly all around us. The sun was setting behind us, stretching out its long red-orange arms across the Sea of Galilee.

Exhaustion was seeping into all of us, but I noted how weary Jesus looked. His feet stumbling over each other as He walked, His shoulders sagging just a bit, and I nodded to Mark who saw the same. Walking onto the cooling sand of the beach, Jesus stepped into one of Peter’s boats and we followed, Thomas and I shoving off as Peter and John reached for the oars, pulling us out into the growing dusk. We were only a few yards from the shore when I turned to ask Jesus a question, only to see His face at perfect peace resting on a pillow. Sleep had found Him and I turned back to the water, reflecting on another day with Jesus.

Suddenly, a violent storm rose up from seemingly nowhere, the wind dashing waves against the boat so violently we were all drenched. The little craft quickly began taking in more water than we could handle tossing out. Amidst flashes of lightening, I managed a glance at the place where Jesus had been sleeping and in a quick shift of emotions, I angrily yelled out with the others, grabbing Jesus’ shoulder, “Lord!! Save us!”.

How could He be sleeping!!
Who could sleep through this nightmare?!
“Jesus! We are going to die!! Don’t you care?!”

A quick shift and Asaph’s song I’d been singing all day, returned with a chilling verse,
“Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?”

Storm winds howling, boat tossing, waves recklessly slapping our chilled, exhausted bodies, Jesus called out, “Why are you afraid? You of little faith!”

Despite the noisy storm, I heard every word.
Each stinging like an arrow finding its mark.
Afraid?! Yes! Didn’t I have a right to be?! Look at this storm!

Like lightning flashes, the events of the day paraded in front of my mind’s eye as Jesus looked into my soul. I had claimed Him magnificent as He’d healed, Good Teacher as He taught deep things, gentle love and life itself as He brought back from the brink of death, yet here I was, afraid with little faith.

I stood dumbfounded, caught in my own crisis of faith as Jesus stood, boat sloshing dangerously, thunder echoing, and His voice went out clear, confident, with authority beyond description, “Peace! Be Still!”

And it was over.
The boat no longer rocked.
The seas were stilled.
Thunder and lightning vanished.

Familiar, awed silence flooded the fishing boat with undeniable Holiness as I heard my voice whispering, “Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him?”

Asaph’s lyrics returned:
“When the waters saw you, O God, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled.

Who is like you, indeed, oh Christ, Oh God, my Refuge!
Forever be my Song in the Night, my anchor in the storm!

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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 Awaken 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 Awaken!