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pride

Pause IV Day 10 Exposing Imposters

September 25, 2020 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Pause IV, Day 10

As we studied yesterday, we can replace “him” and “you” with “Chaldeans” or “Babylonians Empire” in verses 15-20 as we continue reading of the wicked exploits and motivations of this nation.

With graphic language, verse 15 warns the Babylonians of their pride in their own strength to bring their wrath down upon Israel. While it was accurate they would expose Israel’s sin by taking them into captivity, they would not escape judgement themselves. The Lord assures Habakkuk in verse 16 of His coming wrath against Babylon to expose their sin as well. Persian/Lebanon rulers would overtake Babylon and conquer it swiftly, bringing the Lord’s judgement against them. (verse 17)

Verses 18-20 serve as a beautifully poetic interlude to bridge between God’s righteous ruling against sin and His perpetual, magnificent glory. The mere presence of the glory of the Lord, the One True God, reveals how laughably inept our own strength, our own idols, and our own self-righteousness are in comparison to His magnificence.  How ludicrous it is to address a log of wood, commanding it to speak. Yet, when we elevate anything, read a n y t h i n g, above the rightful position of authority held by the Lord God in our lives, we are bowing our hearts to idols as impotent as blocks of wood.

What fills your hands, your time, your passion, your thoughts? What do you protect, and are quick to defend? These things threaten to be our own idols! Even if they are good and important things, or people, they all make for a very bad Sovereign Lord. Things, and even people, will never love us back as the Lord loves us.

Allow the glory of the Lord to expose the imposter idols in your life. Be still before Him, acknowledging His mighty power, and realigning your life in worship to Him!

Today's Invitation

1) Read Habakkuk 2:15-20,  then re-read verses 18-20 out loud today twice. Slowly. Linger over those words that stick out to you, slowing and listening as God’s Spirit speaks to your heart! Write out verse 20 on a notecard and place it somewhere you won’t miss its message. Take time to memorize it over the weekend!

2) This weekend, we have a new hand-crafted Spotify playlist! Put this playlist on repeat this weekend and be reminded of the rich truths God has shown you this week in Pause! Know that we prayed for you as we prepared this study!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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Habakkuk 2:15-20

Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,
pouring out your wrath
and even making them drunk,
in order to look at their nakedness!
16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also—drink,
and expose your uncircumcision!
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.
17 For your violence against Lebanon
will overwhelm you;
the destruction of animals will terrify you
because of your human bloodshed and violence
against lands, cities, and all who live in them.

18 What use is a carved idol
after its craftsman carves it?
It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.
For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it
and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!
or to mute stone: Come alive!
Can it teach?
Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,
yet there is no breath in it at all.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let the whole earth
be silent in his presence.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause IV 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 Pause IV!

Posted in: God, Love, Pause, Stillness, Worship Tagged: Exposing, Habakkuk, idols, Imposters, Israel, Judgement, Magnificent Glory, presence, pride, Righteous Ruling, warning

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VIII Week 2

September 5, 2020 by Rebecca 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) Lazarus had a story to tell. Back from the dead! Talk about the very best come-back-story! The truly radical part of Lazarus’ story, however, wasn’t found in his silent heart beginning to beat again, it was in how Jesus had changed his heart his sisters forever. One day, Lazarus’ body stopped working again, and it didn’t start back up, but his soul was safe forever in the presence of the Lord. Because Lazarus had trusted Jesus with much more than his body, the radical part of his story was that one day, Lazarus would live forever with Jesus Christ in fullness and sweetness. You and I weren’t buried in a tomb and brought back to life, but this picture is the same for our souls. Before trusting Jesus with our everything, our souls were chained up in sin and death. After Jesus, we are free, alive, radically made new! Is this you?! Made new? Tell your radical story!! Pick one person to share with this week! If you aren’t absolutely certain you have a “death-to-life” story with Jesus, send us an email (contact@gracefullytruthful.com) or connect with a friend who loves Jesus. Don’t wait another day!!

2)  Naaman’s skin disease was miraculously healed, but the greater healing was his prideful heart being dramatically humbled before God. It’s easy for us, as human beings, to only focus on the physical instead of the spiritual. We pray for bodies to be healed. We pray for hurts to be made whole. We pray for financial pitfalls to be reversed. We pray for many physical or relational things, and while we are invited by the Lord to pray about all things, the Lord is most interested in our spiritual condition. How He loves to use the physical realm to point us toward the spiritual one! As we come to the Lord this weekend, let’s ask Him to heal our hearts, to root out our sin, to teach us to worship Him in fullness, and for our minds to be renewed by His gentle, Shepherd hand! Expect Him to heal!

3) Disappointment. Loss. Grief. We’ve all walked these roads and felt the depth of emotion associated with these struggles. For Tamar, her disappointment seeped through her entire life. One by one, those who were supposed to protect her and stand up for her, not only let her down, but put her down. They demoralized her. They cheated her. They used her. They abused her. They mocked her. Yet, the Lord heard her, He saw her, and He moved on her behalf to bring about His wonderous glory! While few of us have experienced the severity of circumstance like Tamar, we each walk our own difficulties. Sister, if the Lord used the extreme brokenness of Tamar, grafting her story into the very lineage of Jesus Christ, who extended radical grace to all peoples through His sacrifice on the cross, how greatly will He work in your brokenness?! Sit for a few minutes in total quiet (or as much quiet as you can manage to ascertain!), hold open your hands, and speak to the Lord as you surrender your broken places and sharp, cutting edges. Ask for redemption and wait as He moves!

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 Isaiah 63:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I will make known the Lord’s faithful love
and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,
because of all the Lord has done for us—
even the many good things
he has done for the house of Israel,
which he did for them based on his compassion
and the abundance of his faithful love.

Prayer Journal
Lord God, You have done unfathomable things! My tongue can testify endlessly of Your mighty power and I will never tire of sharing the incredible things You have done in my life, Lord! “You have made me rejoice, Lord, by what You have done! I will shout for joy because of the works of Your hand! How magnificent are Your works, Lord! How profound Your thoughts!” (Psalm 92:4-5) Lord, give me more opportunities to share what You have personally done in my life, for none can argue with my personal experience with You. Take my story of redemption and bring others near to Your heart through it! Give me courage, Abba. Courage to share, wisdom to follow Your leading, and tenderness toward those hearts who are utterly lost and condemned without hope in You. Stir my heart to tell of Your healing in my life!

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

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Posted in: Fullness, GT Weekend, Jesus, Redemption, Shepherd Tagged: alive, changed, freedom, glory, Heard, heart, Lazarus, Offered, pride, Radically New, Saw, Spiritual, story, trust, wonder

Sketched VIII Day 9 Naaman: Digging Deeper

September 3, 2020 by Lori Meeks Leave a Comment

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 Naaman!

The Questions

1) Why was Naaman so angry when Elisha sent a messenger telling him to wash himself in the Jordan River? (verse 11)

2) Was Elisha afraid to see or touch Naaman before he was cured? If not, why did he send a messenger instead of going himself? (verse 10)

3) Was Naaman surprised that washing in the Jordan River actually worked?

4) In verse 18 it appears Naaman is asking for forgiveness in advance to the sin of bowing to another god. What does Elisha’s response “go in peace” mean?

2 Kings 5:1-27

Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a man important to his master and highly regarded because through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was a valiant warrior, but he had a skin disease. 2 Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.” 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Therefore, the king of Aram said, “Go, and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel.” So he went and took with him 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read:

When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease.

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize that he is only picking a fight with me.” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and left in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean. 15 Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, in whose presence I stand, I will not accept it.” Naaman urged him to accept it, but he refused. 17 Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the Lord. 18 However, in a particular matter may the Lord pardon your servant: When my master, the king of Aram, goes into the temple of Rimmon to bow in worship while he is leaning on my arm, and I have to bow in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 So he said to him, “Go in peace.” After Naaman had traveled a short distance from Elisha, 20 Gehazi, the attendant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “My master has let this Aramean Naaman off lightly by not accepting from him what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” 22 Gehazi said, “It’s all right. My master has sent me to say, ‘I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them seventy-five pounds of silver and two sets of clothing.’ ” 23 But Naaman insisted, “Please, accept one hundred fifty pounds.” He urged Gehazi and then packed one hundred fifty pounds of silver in two bags with two sets of clothing. Naaman gave them to two of his attendants who carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from them and deposited them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they left. 25 Gehazi came and stood by his master. “Where did you go, Gehazi?” Elisha asked him. He replied, “Your servant didn’t go anywhere.” 26 “And my heart didn’t go when the man got down from his chariot to meet you,” Elisha said. “Is this a time to accept silver and clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, flocks and herds, and male and female slaves? 27 Therefore, Naaman’s skin disease will cling to you and your descendants forever.” So Gehazi went out from his presence diseased, resembling snow.

Original Intent

1) Why was Naaman so angry when Elisha sent a messenger telling him to wash himself in the Jordan River? (verse 11)
Naaman’s anger is fueled by his pride. He expected, and wanted, more than to be told to go and wash himself in the Jordan River. The fact that Elisha wasn’t even the one delivering the message made the insult to his price much worse. Naaman was humiliated not only because he needed to ask for help, but also because he had traveled quite a distance and brought many expensive gifts as payment. Naaman was a great man in his country. Verse 1 notes how he was the commander of the Arminian army and was “highly regarded” by the King of Aram. Quite frankly, he was familiar with receiving the best and, therefore, expected to be treated in a similar fashion by everyone he met. Naaman was looking for a great story to tell upon his return to Aram, not simply that he bathed himself in the filthy Jordan River. He felt foolish, mocked, and demeaned by the order to wash in the river. He was a great man, after all. Surely, if it were that simple to be cured of this disease, he could have washed in one of his country’s rivers, which clearly were superior to the Jordan, which was known for being dirty.

2) Was Elisha afraid to see or touch Naaman before he was cured? If not, why did he send a messenger instead of going himself? (verse 10)
No. It’s a simple answer, but it is the truth. Elisha knew it was not him providing this cure, but God. The cure was God’s and the means by which God chose to heal was His alone. By choosing to send a messenger, there would be no mistake the healing was in fact God and not a man who had cured Naaman.

3) Was Naaman surprised that washing in the Jordan River actually worked?
We know from Scripture it was Naaman’s servants who confronted him about not even attempting to wash in the Jordan, and we already know he was expecting better treatment. I would even venture to guess he went back to the Jordan begrudgingly, expecting nothing.  So, yes he was undoubtedly surprised when he came up clean and healed. This is where we can see Naaman’s eyes truly being opened; his heart is humbled before the all-powerful God as his skin was made whole. Naaman was not only cured from leprosy, but also from his pride, which is worse by far.

4) In verse 18 it appears Naaman is asking for forgiveness in advance to the sin of bowing to another god. What does Elisha’s response “go in peace” mean?
This is a tough question to answer. Honestly, I almost changed the question because I’m not at all sure I can accurately and fairly answer. But that would have been taking the easy way out. If we want to really learn, sometimes we have to dig deep and try hard. So, I will share what I learned from my research and you can draw your own conclusions. It appears that Naaman is convicted in his own heart and mind that it would be wrong to bow to Rimmon now, something he knows he will be asked to do in his occupation with his king. The Pulpit Commentary says it best, “Naaman knows refusing to bow may cost him his life; it will certainly cost him his court favor. For such a sacrifice he is not prepared. Yet his conscience tells him that he will be acting wrongly. He therefore expresses a hope, or a prayer, that his fault, for a fault he feels that it will be, may be forgiven him.” It is safe to say God is the One doing that convicting in Naaman! Secondly, Elisha doesn’t really answer the question, instead he simply says by God’s Spirit, “go in peace”. Elisha is a prophet, he knows and understands how God works, and is trusting Him to continue the work he has started in Naaman. We don’t know from this specific Scripture what becomes of Naaman when he returns to Aram. We, like Elisha, have only to trust that God did the work He began.

Everyday Application

1) Why was Naaman so angry when Elisha sent a messenger telling him to wash himself in the Jordan River? (verse 11)
So many people avoid reading and studying the Old Testament because it can be difficult to understand at times. While that is true, it is also rich and full in lessons and modern day applications. In this case, it all comes down to pride. We, much like our friend Naaman, often expect God, and others, to do certain things for us simply because of who we are, the position we hold, or the things we have done. It is so easy for us to become angry when things don’t go exactly as we expect. Five years ago, my husband was laid off from his employer of 28 years. This was a devastating blow that drastically changed our lives, much like the disease of leprosy had affected Naaman. We prayed and assumed God would provide another job quickly and easily. A job much like the one he had, comfortable pay, good benefits, etc.. Boy howdy were we wrong! What happened instead? Little by little, God broke down, and destroyed, our pride. He showed us time after time that we were to depend on Him and Him alone. While we continue to pray and wait for restoration, God continues to show us He is working, and He is always faithful. God has not, nor will He ever, work in the way we expect. He is God and we are not. We deserve nothing, yet He has given us everything! Like Naaman, there will be times when life deals us a devastating blow and we will be faced with a choice. Do we lay down our pride and ask for help, taking a risk to follow God’s instructions, which may seem foolish? Or, do we remain stuck in our pride, acting as our own god?

2) Was Elisha afraid to see or touch Naaman before he was cured? If not, why did he send a messenger instead of going himself? (verse 10)
The everyday application answer to this question depends on which person you identify with most in this story. Are you “Naaman”, in need of help and healing or “Elisha”, a man or woman of God, trying their best to live a life for God, or are you simply the “messenger” tasked with delivering instruction. I want to start with those of us who might identify most with Elisha. We are women trying our best to follow God and live our lives in a way that points to Him. We must not be afraid to help those who come to us for help. While we may not fear physically touching another person, we may fear getting involved, or not having the right answers, or not being smart enough, strong enough, whatever enough. We cannot let fear stop us from doing what God directs! The reality is, our world and community are full of “Naamans” trying to get up enough courage to ask for help. We must be ready when they come. To my “Naaman” friends, please come and ask an “Elisha” for help. Believers are ready and willing to take you to our Savior who is more than enough for whatever you bring. Lastly, to those of us who may feel like we are simply “messengers” in a story, don’t undersell your worth or your role. Just like the story in 2 Kings, there would be no healing without the message of instruction being delivered. So, go ahead and deliver the message, follow the Lord’s leading through His Spirit, trust your relationship with Him, and point the way to someone who can help. Who knows, it might be as simple as introducing someone new to this website or inviting them to church. You may very well be the messenger who brings someone to the feet of Jesus!

3) Was Naaman surprised that washing in the Jordan River actually worked?
Sometimes we ignore or rush past simple solutions because, like Naaman, we are looking for the “great God story” to share with our friends and family. What we truly need is to have the childlike faith Jesus speaks of in Matthew 18:3. ““Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.””
We need to look past what we want or expect, and simply do what God is asking. Let me take you back to the story I shared about my husband’s job. Five year later, we are still surviving on less income than we ever thought imaginable. God continues to provide for every single one of our needs and we continue to pray and wait on His timing and His restoration. So, yes, I can honestly say from very personal experience I am surprised how God really works in the ways He does.

4) In verse 18 it appears Naaman is asking for forgiveness in advance to the sin of bowing to another god. What does Elisha’s response “go in peace” mean?
Let’s be honest here, don’t we all do this?! It’s a bit different for us today, since Jesus did come and die to pay for our sins. But the truth is, we are no better when we make the choice to knowingly sin, because we know we are already forgiven. Some of you may be thinking, “Ok, but I’m not bowing down to another god, so is it really that bad?” Yes!  All sin is equally sinful to God as it goes against His holiness. I would contend that we all bow down to “other gods” more often than we’d like to admit. The gods we bow down today may look different, the god of money, sports, success, appearance, etc., but they are gods nonetheless. Just as in Naaman’s case, the conviction that comes from the Lord is the first step towards real and lasting change. Every single one of us is on a journey. God will lead us and convict us in different ways and different times. We may even ask a fellow believer if they think it’s ok, or if we will be forgiven. When it comes down to it, no one but God can convict or forgive. I’m not saying we shouldn’t ask our brothers and sisters for help or guidance. They can be a huge help by praying for us, and with us, leading us to God, the only One who can truly forgive our sins. Our responsibility is to trust and follow as God leads, stepping out in faith and obedience.

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

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 Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
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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.

Posted in: Courage, Deep, Digging Deeper, God, Healing, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Humility, Kingdom, Peace, Provider, Sketched, Trust, Truth Tagged: All-powerful, ask, God Alone, Great, help, Jordan River, Little Children, Naaman, pride, story, Washing

Sketched VIII Day 1 Hagar And Ishmael

August 24, 2020 by Sarah Young Leave a Comment

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!

Posted in: God, Longing, Mercy, Obedience, Overwhelmed, Power, Promises, Rest, Safe, Sketched, Strength Tagged: Hagar, hope, Ishmael, joy, kindness, love, peace, pride, sorrow

Kaleidoscope Day 6 Strength Of Humility

June 24, 2019 by Mary Kathryn Tiller Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13:4
Nehemiah 9:16-19
Philippians 2:5-8

Kaleidoscope, Day 6

“I’m not staying in this tiny town!”, I declared, my voice full of hurt and anger.

“And I’m not leaving,” my husband responded with just as much conviction.

We stared at each other, feeling every inch of the emotional chasm separating us. We had only been married eight months, yet we had already hit a wall strong enough to break us up.

I had grown up in a big city and always imagined raising my children near my parents. But, I married a boy from East Texas, with roots as deep as pine trees are tall. His family owned land and cattle in a small town and one week after we were married, we moved there, five hours away from my family.

While I could see the cracks forming in our young marriage with every stance I took, my pride kept me from letting up. I wanted to move to my hometown and live near my parents, and if my husband wouldn’t agree to that, then maybe we weren’t meant to be after all.

.   .   .   .   .

It pains me to look back at that time in my life. I couldn’t see how tightly the vine of pride had wrapped around me, squeezing the life out of my marriage.
Pride has no place in love.
This is what 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us.
To be proud is to be self-reliant, self-preserving, and self-focused.

Pride leaves no room for an “other”.
If your world is consumed with making sure
your needs are met,
your rights are not trampled,
or your kingdom is being built,
then you have no time to meet the needs of others, to speak out in their defense, or to build them up. Blinded by pride, one can never experience true love, nor can you extend it.

The antidote to pride is humility. C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” By this definition, to be humble, is to be focused on others. As a Christian, it means to be focused on God. And in humility, we have no better example than Love incarnate: Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:5-8 beautifully depicts the humility of Christ:
“…who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be explained. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death- even to death on a cross.”

The love of Christ is unlike any other precisely because it is humble.
He did not seek His own best interests, or His own desires, or His own will.
He did not “puff himself up” or think himself too good to die for us.
He laid every right aside for the good of the world, in obedience to His father.

We see God’s selfless love throughout Scripture, not only on the cross, but also in the desert. As a “stiff necked” people, the Israelites rejected Him time and again, but God remained faithful.
He always sought them out.
He always won them back.
He never stopped loving them, no matter the cost.

And that’s the heart of it, isn’t it?
True love always costs us something.

In fact, true love costs us everything; it costs us our selves.
We see this everywhere from motherhood and marriage to friendships. We see it in our relationship with God. To truly love God is to lay down our will and humbly submit to His.

In the world, selfless love is a dangerous proposition.
In Christ, there is no safer bet.

The world warns that no one will care for you if you don’t care for yourself. But Christ’s perfect love drives out that fear. Wholly taken care of by His perfect love, we are free to love others without thought for ourselves.

.   .   .   .   .

After some time had passed, my husband broke our silence. This time, the anger in his voice was gone, leaving only sadness and desperation.

“I’m doing everything I can to make you happy here, don’t you see that? Why won’t you just give it a chance?”

As tears filled his eyes, my heart began to break. I loved this man. What was I doing? He was doing his best to make me happy in our new home. My pride was the only thing standing in our way to a strong marriage and a new life together.

In that moment, I chose to let go of my plans and trust God. It was a decision I had to make every day for the next year, as God faithfully worked in my heart to help me choose our future over my past.

Pride threatened to destroy my marriage, but humility saved it; taking my eyes off of my pain and setting them on God’s plan.  Though it was a difficult time in our marriage, we experienced the truth of 1 Corinthians 13 first-hand.
Love is not proud, it is humble and fully rests on His love for 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!

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

Posted in: Cross, Fruitfulness, God, Humility, Jesus, Kaleidoscope, Love, Scripture, Strength Tagged: Always, humble, Never Stopped, Perfect Love, pride, proud, Selfless Love, trust

Roads Day 13 True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment

September 26, 2018 by Sara Cissell Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:16-19 
Romans 5:1-11
1 Peter 1:13-25 

Roads, Day 13

As I researched New Age beliefs,
I pondered the draw of these religious practices.

The New Age religion is actually a mix of several religious mindsets that have been categorized under the umbrella of New Age.
The New Age category is identified by two main characteristics:
1) Unity that will bring about societal and spiritual transformation and
2) Practices that will bring about individual spiritual transformation as a precursor to a larger, corporate unity and breakthrough.
Enlightenment is said to come from practices involving (but not necessarily limited to): channeling, astrology, crystals, tarot cards, psychics, and even in some cases drug usage. This is a broad overview, so New Age practitioners may use a variety of methods with the main overarching goal of spiritually reaching higher as, individuals, in order to corporately become unified.

The more I read about the desires behind the beliefs,
the more I recognized those hopes within myself.
How I would love to see a world in which we walked in unity!
Can you imagine people all moving together as one to eradicate 
racism, 
hunger, 
human trafficking,
and so many other social injustices?
What a powerful force that would be!

There was another civilization who felt their cohesive unity could accomplish their own brilliant plans.
Their fatal flaw? Pride.
Blindsided by their own arrogant pride in thinking they, in their sinful humanity, could set out to accomplish their plans and make themselves their own god,
were ruined.
Just look at the outcome at the Tower of Babel. (Genesis 11:1-9)

The more I envisioned the power of unity becoming a reality
through the methods of my own individual enlightenment,
the more I recognized I was the flaw in the logic of this plan.
Or at least, the recognition of my own, fallen, sinful humanity, revealed the flaw.

The idea of working as one, unified group sounds great… until I actually think through what it would take in order for it to be an ongoing, success.
And there, the hope of success falls short.

How do I know? 
First, I am a people watcher.
This is one of the reasons that I love to travel. Airports and destinations thrill me as I get to observe and meet new people, places, and cultures. I have experienced beauty and growth; I’ve seen human nature shine in all of its glory, both good and bad.
I’ve witnessed the kind person helping the mom traveling with kiddos.
I’ve also seen the woman moving through the airport crowds as though she were a human battering ram. 

In all of my experiences,
I have never met a perfect person or a perfect team of people.

Even teams that gel for a season eventually fall short in some way.
If that weren’t the case, the same teams would consistently win the Super Bowl, World Series, or the NBA finals. All of those teams moved with a singular goal in mind of functioning to the best of their abilities as a team, in order to win the ultimate championship. 
Even so, there were errors and failures in the midst of those journeys, and that was with everyone agreeing to the same rules of the game and methods for winning! Putting players from different sports on the same team and expecting them to win the championship, likely won’t yield the desired results.  

Second, I know my inner thoughts.
I have walked with the Lord for several years, yet I still sin.
I’ve grown immensely through His Spirit making me new, and my struggle against certain sins are less, but I have not (nor will I ever, at least on earth) arrive at a point of perfect sinless living or attain godlike equality.
I know my failures and shortcomings.
I know my pet peeves that challenge me to work well with some individuals.
I know the times I have allowed my sin to fracture teams and hurt those around me. I know I am a sinner, and no effort on my part will ever make me good enough to reach a great spiritual enlightenment on my own.  

Third, I believe the Bible is true and that Jesus is alive.
I have experienced the impact of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me as He has made me new. His movement in my life, and in other Christians, have continuously proven the Word to be true. I have seen people encouraged by the Word of God and promises revealed through it coming to pass. I have walked through dark times, and been buoyed by hope solely found in my relationship with Jesus.
Because I have experienced all of this with Jesus,
I cannot comprehend a hope-filled life without Him.  

As we move through our days, may our walk with the Lord
be the defining hope of our lives.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life,
and it is only through Him that we can experience fulfillment.
The journey will never be boring!  

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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 Roads Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Posted in: Believe, Dwell, Enough, Faith, Follow, God, Good, Gospel, Hope, Power, Relationship, Selfishness, Sin, Struggle, Transformation, Truth, Unity, Wisdom Tagged: hope, mix, New Age, practices, pride, selfishness, Sin, social injustice, spiritual transformation, Truth, unity

Sketched IV Day 6 Samson

August 6, 2018 by Lesley Crawford 10 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 13:1-5
Numbers 6:1-8
Judges 16:1-31
Jeremiah 9:23-24
2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sketched IV, Day 6

As I am led out into the temple, the noise of the crowd is overwhelming. It sounds like there are thousands of them there, mocking and jeering as I approach.

Though I am unable to see, as my eyes were gouged out by my enemy’s jealous, fearful hands, my ears work perfectly. Their drunken shouts assault my senses, and I can easily imagine their scornful faces.
To them I am a joke, an object of ridicule.

As they praise their god for giving them victory over me, I rest my hands against the temple pillars, and I wonder:
How did it come to this?

I had such a promising start…
I was marked out even from before my birth as someone special, dedicated to God as a Nazirite. My name, Samson, means “like the sun,” and my future looked bright.

Of course, the Nazirite vow meant restrictions, but this was a high calling as judge and deliverer. I would be the one to finally begin freeing my people, the Israelites, from the Philistines, our relentless oppressors for 40 years.

Then there was the gift of my strength, which was beyond anything people had seen before.  When a lion attacked me, I was able to rip its jaws apart with my bare hands.  I fought off the Philistines barehanded on several occasions.  When they attempted to ambush me at Gaza, I simply picked up the city gates and carried them away.

Outwardly I was strong, invincible even,
but inwardly I was weak.

I failed to keep my Nazirite vow by eating honey from a lion’s carcass, rendering myself unclean.  My pride and stubbornness over a foolish riddle led to the deaths of several people, including my new wife.  At times my anger was out of control; a fiery rage ready to devour anyone or anything that crossed my path.

On top of that, I couldn’t resist a beautiful woman, no matter how unsuitable she was or how many vows I broke in the process. The Philistine woman I insisted on marrying despite my parents’ protests, the prostitute I spent the night with…

…And then there was Delilah.
Beautiful, charming, intoxicating, and highly dangerous.

I should have realised the truth about her when she was so insistent on discovering the secret of my strength, but again, as was my habit, I gave in to my weakness. My self-reliance.

Three times I lied to her about how I could be defeated.  Tying me up with seven new bowstrings would do it, or using new ropes, or weaving my hair into the fabric on her weaving loom and tightening the shuttle. She wanted my secret, no, she wanted my allegiance, but I had vowed it to Yahweh. I flirted with telling her, but I always felt I could stop when I wanted to.

Three times Delilah betrayed me, trapping me and then calling the Philistines to attack, but it didn’t matter. I had the strength to fight them off. Something in me still protected my Nazarite vow.

Delilah was determined.  I’m not sure why I finally told her the truth.  She said that if I really loved her I would share my secret, and eventually her constant nagging wore me down.  I think by this point I believed I was invincible, that my strength would always be enough, but that was the beginning of the end.
My weakness…
it never left, eventually it overtook me and I gave in, only to lose everything.

I confided in Delilah that if my hair were ever cut, I would become as weak as any other man. Before long, my head was shaved as I slept in her lap; the pounding of the Philistines’ awakened me.
Arrogantly, I believed I could free myself just as I always had,
but this time my strength had gone. 

The Philistines chained me up, gouged out my eyes, and forced me to work as a slave, grinding grain.  It was a great triumph for them: victory over the mighty Israelite hero.

But as I stand here, blinded,
for the first time I truly see.

My strength was never my own.
It came from God.

How foolish I was to think my victories were due to my own merit.  I remember my words to God after one of the battles against the Philistines and I cringe:
“You have accomplished this great victory through your servant.”  (Judges 15:18)

How arrogant!
As if He needed me!

Yet, despite it all, He was gracious, continuing to give me strength and empowering me to defeat the Philistines again and again.

At last I see the truth: I am weak; He is strong.
My only power comes from Him.
True strength is found in submission to His ways.

Could it be that God can still fulfil His purpose even in our weaknesses and failures?  Could He use me to defeat the Philistines even now, in this weakened state?

With a prayer for strength, I push against the pillars,
and as I feel them move I know that God has answered.

Arms outstretched, I stand, as the rubble begins to fall, and the temple comes crashing in. I knew death was waiting for me, along with the countless deaths of my enemies drinking to their false god.
But I would die knowing truth: it was my weakness Yahweh wanted most. My weakness as I depended on Him alone!

You can read Samson’s full story in Judges 13-16.  Although he had many faults, he is included in Hebrews 11:32 in a list of examples of people who had faith and were used by God.  His story is a proof that God can work through us, even with our weaknesses and failures, but it also challenges us to remember the futility of self-reliance while holding tight to the importance of trusting in God rather than ourselves.

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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 IV 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 IV!

Posted in: Beauty, Believe, Brave, Broken, Character, Courage, Enemies, Excuses, Faith, Fear, Help, Holiness, Hope, Identity, Inheritance, Prayer, Provider, Purpose, Redemption, Relationship, Security, Significance, Sin, Sketched, Trust, Truth Tagged: arrogance, girls, power, pride, prostitute, purpose, relationship, samson, Sin, wealth, women

Misunderstood Day 3 God Wants Me To Be Happy

May 9, 2018 by Lesley Crawford 28 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Psalm 84
Psalm 16:11
John 15:9-11
John 16:33

Misunderstood, Day 3

I kept telling myself I should be happy.
After all, my dream had come true. 

I had been accepted into a music performance course.  It was a highly regarded course with very few spaces, and this had been the focus of my efforts and attention for two whole years.  I had never worked harder for anything in my life, and I had been so excited to find that I had been accepted, but only a few days into the course I was left feeling that something was missing.

As the year went on, it only got worse.  The course was demanding, the atmosphere was competitive to the point of hostility, and no matter how hard I worked, it never seemed to be enough.  I began to lose the joy I had previously found in music, and I was left wondering why something which had promised such happiness had left me so disappointed.

There was also the question of where God was in this situation.  I had prayed, and I believed He had led me there.
Why had He done that if He had known it would be so disastrous?

Didn’t He want me to be happy?  

I think there are two common misconceptions we can have when thinking about God and happiness.

The first is thinking that, above all, what God wants is for us to be happy.
We have this idea that if we are following Him,
everything should fall into place,
our plans should succeed,
and life should go well.

The second misconception is thinking that God is uninterested in our happiness. Sometimes we get the idea that He only cares about our obedience.
If we surrender to Him, He will ask us to do the last thing in the world that we want to do. We will be miserable.

So, what does the Bible actually say?
Does God want us to be happy?

Yes!
He does!
But much depends on where we are seeking to find that happiness.
Sometimes the problem is that we’re looking in all the wrong places.

Solomon knew all about that.
The book of Ecclesiastes recounts his search for meaning in life and his pursuit of pleasure.  In worldly terms, he had it all: huge homes and beautiful vineyards, slaves to attend to his every need, larger herds and flocks than any king before him, abundant wealth. “Everything a man could desire” belonged to Solomon. (Ecclesiastes 2:8 NLT)

Yet none of this provided the happiness he was seeking.
Solomon obtained all the success he yearned for,
yet his conclusion was that it was futile and meaningless.

It’s just as easy to fall into that trap today.
Whether it’s success in music, academic or sporting achievements, relationships, wealth or popularity, it’s very easy to be drawn into seeking happiness in the wrong places.  There’s nothing wrong with enjoying these things, and they are good in many ways, but none of them can fully satisfy our desire for happiness.

Psalm 84 gives us a different perspective:

  • “Happy are those who reside in your house, who praise you continually.” (v4)
  • “Happy are the people whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” (v5)
  • “Happy is the person who trusts in you, Lord of Armies!” (v12)

Here is someone who has found happiness.
It wasn’t from wealth, or success, or fame,
but from knowing God.
From praising Him.
From resting in His presence,
drawing strength from Him,
setting his heart toward Him,
and trusting Him.

This is true happiness, not the fragile, fleeting happiness we can find in favourable circumstances or success, but deep, lasting happiness that is secure.

Following God certainly doesn’t guarantee us a life free from trouble and suffering.
If I’m honest, sometimes I wish it did, but Jesus is clear:
“You will have suffering in this world.”  (John 16:33)
At the same time, though, He promises that in Him,
we can find joy that is complete.  (John 15:11)

We may not be happy about our circumstances,
but often the difficult times highlight our need for God and turn us to Him.

Looking back, we can sometimes see how He was at work, using those situations to refine our character. Even in the midst of them, there is joy to be found in knowing His presence is with us as David describes:
“In your presence is abundant joy; and at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” (Psalm 16:11)

Looking back, I am grateful that music failed to provide the happiness I was seeking, because it caused me to look elsewhere.
I realised my happiness would never be fully satisfied by success and achievement.
Instead, I was invited to seek that “abundant joy”
that can only be found in knowing God and His presence with 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!

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

Posted in: Daughter, Design, Desperate, Emptiness, Enough, Faith, Freedom, Fullness, Generous, God, Good, Hope, Legacy, Life, Love, Meaning, Missing, Misunderstood, Praise, Purpose, Pursue, Relationship, Trust, Truth Tagged: happiness, hope, humility, joy, love, misunderstood, pride, relationship, selfish, Truth

Character Day 7 Mighty Redeemer: Digging Deeper

March 13, 2018 by Katelyn Bartlett Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
Check out Mighty Redeemer

Romans 3:5-26 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? 6 Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, 10 as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. 20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

The Questions

1) If “no one is good, not even one”, how do people become righteous before God? (v. 10)

2) Why do people say “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? (v. 8)

3) Why does Paul say that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty? (v. 9)

The Findings for Intention

1) If “no one is good, not even one”, how do people become righteous before God?
Before Jesus’ sacrificial death, people lived by the Law and offered sacrifices to atone for their sin. In the Old Testament, we see that Job was blameless in God’s sight (Job 1:1). He lived uprightly before the Lord and offered sacrifices for his children’s sin, but even Job was not perfectly good. In this passage, Paul is reminding the Roman church that they were no longer under the bondage of the Law, but had been set free because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice through His death. Since no one is good (Romans 3:10), and no amount of “right action” could make them righteous in God’s sight, Paul implores them to reject doing works to attain salvation, but rather to rest in the free gift of Christ’s own righteousness available through the grace of Jesus Christ (v. 24).

2) Why do people say “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?
The early church didn’t quite understand this new concept of grace. This was their thought process: “Grace is a good thing, right?! Let’s sin more so that grace increases! (Romans 6:1)” Paul rebukes this way of thinking and reminds the Romans that grace leads to repentance and a new heart, which means a new way of living life. Jesus came so that they could be made new and pursue righteousness, leaving their desire for sin behind as well as their obligation to follow their sin nature.

3) Why does Paul say that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty
In this letter to the Romans, Paul is addressing both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews of the day were used to the idea that only they were God’s chosen people. They had fallen into a way of thinking that said although Gentiles now have access to God, the Jews had a “better” citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul calls out this idea and proclaims that all are guilty before the Holy God, both Jew and Gentile. They had all turned away (v. 12). The Jews needed grace and forgiveness just the same as the Gentiles, there was to be no distinction in Christ (Galatians 3:27-29).

The Everyday Application

1) If “no one is good, not even one”, how do people become righteous before God?
Offering sacrifices is no longer a part of our culture, but there are countless other ways that we try to gain righteousness. We think if we strive enough or serve enough or pray just the right way, then we will earn righteous status and become “good enough” for Heaven. Just like the church in Rome, not one of us is good either. The way to righteousness for us is the same as it was for the Romans. We become righteous by receiving the free gift of grace through Jesus Christ. Have you recognized that when Paul says no one is good, that includes you? Have you repented and trusted in Jesus to pay your debt?

2) Why do people say “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?
Have you ever heard someone justify their sin by saying that it’s okay because God will forgive them? “I can go out and party on Saturday night because God will forgive me on Sunday morning.” This way of thinking is the modern-day version of what the Romans were experiencing. Grace was a new concept for the Romans, but we can experience the opposite effect – it can be too normalized for us so that we take it for granted. Only when we understand the true weight of our sin and the supreme gift of salvation will we treasure grace and walk with a repentant heart.

3) Why does Paul say that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty?
It’s easy for Christians to look around and think, “Well at least I haven’t done that,” or “I would never do anything that bad.” We love to compare our “small” sins to the “big” sins of others in order to puff up our own self-righteous ego and justify our own sinfulness. But Paul’s words to the Romans are still true for us, too. All are guilty – Jew, Gentile, man, woman, upper class, low income, suburban mom, inner-city dad, perfectionist and drug addict. We have all turned away and are in equal need of God’s grace and forgiveness. Where are you in wrestling through your need for Christ’s righteousness?

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Character Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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.
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Character!

Posted in: Adoption, Character, Digging Deeper, Forgiven, God, Gospel, Grace, Jesus, Relationship, Restored, Sacrifice, Scripture, Sin, Truth Tagged: death, digging deeper, good enough, gospel, grace, hope, love, pride, righteous, romans, separation, Sin
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