prophecy

Pause VII Day 7 Peace Like A River

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Pause VII Day 7 Peace Like A River

Rebecca Adams

January 30, 2024

Beauty,Believe,Faith,Gift,Jesus,Peace

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 46:3

There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
Read More Of His Words

The Old Testament is rich with brilliant jewels tucked into the fabric of scenes and stories that can be hard to understand. With a little un-earthing, we can uncover stunning gems, tuck them into our modern-day pockets, and pull them out to watch the sun catch every facet even as we walk through the intensity of dark suffering.

As an aside, when you read Old Testament Scriptures, look for the gospel. How did that passage point forward to Jesus and His redemption? Today, some friends and I read Numbers 5 with eyes and ears watching for the good news of Jesus. Guess what?! We found it! Once we started prayerfully looking, Jesus shone everywhere in a chapter that most Christians have never even read. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Keep reading your Bible!

Back to Psalm 46, remember the earthquakes and tsunamis from verses 2-3?
Violent. Unexpected. Destructive.

The author calls us to Selah, and to put on glasses that fix our gaze on the truth about God and place ourselves intentionally within the safety of His Stronghold, regardless of the surrounding madness.

Then, everything changes from hurricane winds and oceanic tornadoes to an incredible scene of peace, beauty, and delight. Switching modes from terror to delight is a bit hard for us to comprehend, but the True Author of Scripture, the Lord God, knew what He was describing through the Sons of Korah as they wrote this psalm. These words were only a hint of the lush beauty to come for God’s people.

While the change of scenery invokes a sense of peacefulness, hope, and worship, it was meant as so much more.

Go open your Bible to Ezekiel 47:1-12. I’m 100% serious, here. Read #HisWordsBeforeOurs. The entire reason I’m even writing these words is so I can point to His! If you don’t read His, don’t read mine!

Did you let your mind paint that stunning picture as you read God’s Words by His Spirit to Ezekiel?! That description of the deepening waters, where it becomes so deep it’s impassable, is what it’s like to be lost in the wonder and richness of knowing God. How do we know Him? We walk in the River of Life which brings sheer delight.

The “City of God” would have been understood to be Jerusalem to the first audience, but now, we know salvation is for all people, Jew and Gentile. (Romans 1:16) Look, we found colors of the gospel! The River isn’t God’s people, but it flows underneath them, filling them, bringing them delight even in the face of chaos and turmoil.

What’s more about this “City of God” is that it isn’t just the place for His people to live, it’s the place where God Himself dwells with them. In the Old Testament, God’s Spirit was confined to a small curtained off room in the middle of a wide camp of thousands of Israelites. The people were too sinful to approach Him. But Jesus came and paid the death penalty we owe for our sin, God tore that temple curtain in two, and welcomed His people to know Him personally. Then He sent His Spirit to dwell inside believers so we could know Him and the power of His resurrection alive in us! One day, He will call His children HOME where, finally, He will dwell with His people face to face.

Before you close your Bible today, open the last book and read it for yourself. Take note of the River, of the life of its waters, and the dwelling place of God and His people.

It’s stunning!
Nothing on your to-do list can beat out the beauty you’ll find!

Revelation 22:1-5

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Pull out your Bible and read Psalm 46 fully through 3 times. Read slowly, emphasizing different words each time. Let the words of Scripture wash over you as the Spirit speaks to your heart.

2) Each time you read, write down everything that pops out at you, makes you curious, or wonder “why?”. When you’re finished, go back through and you’ll be amazed at the new things the Spirit is leading you into knowing about Him!

3) Write out a prayer of thanks to God for sending His Son to endure the cross on your behalf. Ask Him to help you love His word and be true to it. Pray for eyes to see the brilliant colors of the gospel painted all across His Word. Asking Him to help you grow in knowing Him more deeply, for this is eternal life! (John 17:3)

4) Keep working on memorizing Psalm 46:4-7

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hope,Jesus,life,peace,prophecy
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Pause VII, Day 6

“To pause and praise with uplifted hands and voices.” Have you done that today? I know, it’s Monday, but maybe Selah is precisely what you need most.

I sat with a friend today who was recounting how she had told the Lord on a particularly busy day last week that she simply had no time to sit with His Word. She knew immediately the Holy Spirit was telling her ,“No. No. No.”, and when she read “No. No. No.” on a random sign, she was quickly convicted. She stopped what she was doing and sat down to open her Bible.

Selah
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Melody Day 13 Orchestral Overtures

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Melody Day 13 Orchestral Overtures

Carol Graft

December 27, 2023

Faith,Future,Glory,Hope,Power

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 53
Matthew 1:1-16
John 3:1-21
Luke 1:46-55

Mary’s song. 
Luke 1:46-55 records the spontaneous worship of Mary,
the teenage girl pregnant with the long-awaited Messiah,
as she encounters her cousin Elizabeth,
who is also miraculously expecting a child of divine promise.

In Mary’s position, I’m not sure I would suddenly spout a hymn of praise.
But Mary did. 

Full of the knowledge of the Torah, the psalms, and the prophets, she begins by acknowledging Jehovah, YHWH, as her Savior. (Luke 1:46-47)

Much like Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2:1-10), sung generations earlier as she dedicated her own divinely promised son to the Lord, and like Stephen’s future speech (Acts 7) declaring Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people, Mary goes on to exalt God’s faithful, wondrous deeds and His just judgment. 

She declares the Lord looks upon her with unmerited favor (Luke 1:48-49), using language ancient Jews would recognize as harkening back to the Levitical priestly blessing. (Numbers 6:22-27)

Mary knew the covenant God had made with Abraham (Genesis 15) and rejoiced at seeing its fulfillment as she carries, births, and nurtures the Messiah, God incarnate.

“His mercy is from generation to generation 
on those who fear Him.”
(Luke 1:50)

Here, Mary’s words echo the psalmist:
“As a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”
(Psalm 103:13; see also Psalm 89:2-4, Psalm 100:5, and Lamentations 3:22-23)

God’s steadfast love and mercy reach all generations through Jesus. Through His sacrificial death (also a fulfillment of prophecies, such as Isaiah 53), Jesus would forever rescue His children from the power of sin and death. Through His death, He gives us a second “birth” into new spiritual lives. (John 3:1-21) When we repent by turning away from our sin and embracing Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are justified through Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to partner with God in His work.

Jesus would also embody the next lines of Mary’s song (Luke 1:51-53), in which she describes how “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)       

From His lowly birth, through the majority of His life spent in obscurity, to His years of ministry consistently showing compassion to society’s outcasts (Luke 5:29-32), Jesus’ life was marked by humility.

As we read the gospels, we also see Jesus unafraid to stand firm against the pride and hypocrisy of the religious leaders. (Matthew 23:1-36) This posture was consistent with God’s character as revealed time and again throughout the Old Testament.

God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt, even miraculously parting the Red Sea to make a way of escape. (Exodus 14; Psalm 136:10-26) 

Centuries earlier, He scattered the proud following their slapdash efforts to resist God’s leading and make a name for themselves in the city of Babylon. (Genesis 11:1-9)

Even as far back as the first children born of humans, Cain’s proud heart turned against his brother, ultimately killing him; God warned Cain against this sin and subsequently exiled him. (Genesis 4:1-16)  

Simultaneously, Israel’s history is woven together with God’s mercy and compassion toward the humble, the oppressed, those considered far away from God.

Consider Tamar (Genesis 38),
Rahab (Joshua 2, Joshua 6:22-25), 
Ruth (Ruth 1-4), 
Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11).  

Each one of these women is included in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16), further evidence of God’s steadfast love and mercy throughout the generations. 

In the closing lines of her song, Mary praises,
“He has helped His servant Israel,
remembering His mercy
to Abraham and his descendants forever, 
just as He spoke to our ancestors.”
(Luke 1:54-55)

We can feel Mary’s deep assurance;
YHWH was her God. 

She knew her people were held by God (Isaiah 41:8-10 ); their very names were inscribed on God’s hand. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

As Jesus grew and started His ministry, Mary watched her son, the Messiah, call out sin, legalism, and idolatry over and over. (Matthew 21:12-13) 

But she also witnessed in Him that same steadfast love and mercy she learned about as a child. Jesus’ harshest rebukes were reserved for the sanctimonious religious leaders, yet, Jesus followed even these revelations of sin with an expression of God’s tender desire to draw those same people to Himself as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wing. (Matthew 23:37) Over and over, Mary witnessed the Word become manifest in the physical form of her son as Jesus offered compassion, mercy, and salvation countless times. 

Mary’s words of praise, uttered three decades before Jesus’ resurrection, came true.  
The steadfast love and mercy of the Lord
will indeed last forever.

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love,mercy,promise,prophecy,steadfast,worship
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Digging Deeper

Mary was young,
among the lowest of society, <brwithout a cultural voice,
seen as insignificant to the world.

Why could she sing such a beautiful song?
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Known Day 2 Abba: Digging Deeper

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Known Day 2 Abba: Digging Deeper

Merry Ohler

July 11, 2023

Anchored,Forgiven,Freedom,Hope,Inheritance,Know

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Abba"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 31:16-20

16 This is what the Lord says: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come—this is the Lord’s declaration—and your children will return from the enemy’s land. 17 There is hope for your future—this is the Lord’s declaration—and your children will return to their own territory.

18 I have surely heard Ephraim moaning, “You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined like an untrained calf. 18 Take me back, so that I can return, for you, Lord, are my God. 19 After my return, I felt regret; after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.” 20 Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me, a delightful child? Whenever I speak against him, I certainly still think about him. Therefore, my inner being yearns for him; I will truly have compassion on him. This is the Lord’s declaration.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is Ephraim and why is he grieving? (verses 18 and 20)

Ephraim was the younger of Joseph’s sons born to him in Egypt (Genesis 41:50-52) and was eventually established as the powerful Northern tribe of Israelites referred to as “Israel” or “Ephraim” while the Southern kingdom was known as “Judah”. (Genesis 48:3-23)

Although Ephraim and Manasseh were technically Jacob’s grandsons by Joseph when Jacob was near death he blessed them as his own sons, and God honored his blessing. In this prophecy, God was not referring specifically to Joseph’s son, Ephraim, but instead to the powerful Northern tribe by the same name, who had strayed from the Lord’s way and protection. This is reminiscent of how God referred to the enslaved people of Israel as His son in Exodus 4:22-23.

God instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that Israel was His “first-born son,” and to release him in order to serve God. The name Israel was used by God to personify the Israelites who were freed from Egypt and wandered the desert. In a similar fashion, God revealed through Jeremiah that the tribe of Ephraim recognized their sin and were repentant toward the LORD, seeking His forgiveness and acceptance.

They mourned their sinful state, acknowledging the right discipline they received and recognized they were at the mercy of God. Further, God acknowledged and reiterated His steadfast love for His chosen people, even though they had sinned, and claimed them again as His own beloved children.

When read with correct historical, biblical, and cultural context, the message Jeremiah delivered in verses 16-20 about the tribe of Ephraim’s repentance and God’s response brings to mind the parable of the prodigal son Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is Ephraim and why is he grieving? (verses 18 and 20)

I’ll never forget when I accidentally punched my little sister in the eye. A boy had taught me how to do a “fake punch” after church, and I was eager to show off my new skill. I never intended to harm her at all, but when I reeled back to show her my new trick, I completely misjudged the moment I needed to stop swinging to carry out the “fake” part of the punch.

The sound of my fist colliding with her face was nauseating, and trumped only by her shrill, heartbreaking wail. My regret and remorse were instantaneous. I hadn’t meant to hurt her at all, but there was nothing I could do to take back my actions; the damage was done. I felt awful, and from the way I cried, you might have thought I was the one who was punched.

My sister’s injury may have been the result of an accident, but I knew I had been playing in a careless way. The regret and remorse I felt were heavy, and I fervently wished I could take back what I had done. This is how the wayward tribe of Ephraim is described with repentant hearts, weeping and grieving over their sin.

We experience feelings of regret and remorse when we turn from our sin and turn instead toward our Heavenly Father. In His kindness, He does not place condemnation on us when we experience those convicting feelings, but instead forgives us and invites us immediately to walk rightly with Him again. (Romans 8:1-4, 1 John 1:8-10, Ephesians 1:3-10)

Scripture shows us that we all sin. (Romans 3:23-24, Romans 3:9-18, 1 John 1:5-10) No human is exempt, not even one. When we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and bring us back into right relationship with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 1:16-19, Colossians 1:13-14, Matthew 26:26-29)

The Original Intent

2) Verse 20 describes Ephraim as a precious son and delightful child while verse 19 describes the disgrace of his youth. Do these verses contradict each other?

The blessing of Ephraim as one of Jacob’s own sons transferred to the tribe that grew from his lineage; Ephraim was a child of promise. God’s choice of words in verses 19 and 20 show His love and care for the tribe of Ephraim as His own child. In all of this passage, His words about Ephraim are only ever loving, forgiving and kind.

The verses leading up to verses 19 and 20 outline the tribe of Ephraim’s own words of regret, remorse, and shame, but the Lord’s response is to remind the listener of the tribe’s special place in His heart. He even mentions that when He disciplines or speaks against them, it is for their good; His heart is still soft toward them.

The complete other-ness of God’s nature is brilliantly displayed in the truth we see revealed in this exchange: God is holy and will not tolerate sin. (Psalm 97:2-5, Leviticus 11:44-45, Isaiah 6:1-4)

God also loves. (1 John 4:16-19, Zephaniah 3:17, Ephesians 2:4-5) In His love, He disciplines His children. (Hebrews 12:3-13, Revelation 3:17-20, Job 5:17-18)

In this passage, we see Ephraim responded rightly to the conviction of sin and repented toward the LORD, and the LORD affirmed He would be true to His character. He would forgive and restore, bringing the tribe of Ephraim back into right standing with Him, proving His mercy and compassion yet again.

The Everyday Application

2) Verse 20 describes Ephraim as a precious son and delightful child while verse 19 describes the disgrace of his youth. Do these verses contradict each other?

When we read the Bible, it can be easy to get caught up in the language or immediate details and assume we understand the gist of it, while losing sight of what the text actually says. We must constantly remind ourselves that as we read, we should be asking a series of questions, like: Where does this fit into the overarching narrative of the Bible? Who is writing? Who was this person writing to? What would the original hearers or readers have plainly understood? What does this passage say about God? How does this point toward Jesus? What does it say about mankind?

During my first pass of this passage, it seemed that God was conflicted about Ephraim, describing the tribe as both an untrained calf and disgrace, while also espousing fatherly love for them. However, when I slowed down to dig in deeper, I realized my original take was way off base.

The narrative we see in this passage is instead a beautiful picture of the Lord encouraging His people. We’ve all experienced the shame, regret, and remorse that flood us when the Holy Spirit convicts us of a particularly protected, hidden sin.

Just like Ephraim, I’ve cried out to the Lord. “Abba, thank you. Your discipline led me to repentance, and I’m thankful…but also why is this still an issue with me? I just can’t seem to get _______ right. I don’t deserve your mercy or grace, but Lord, help me. I want to do what You desire.”

Just like with Ephraim, Abba’s response to His repentant child is immediately forgiving, fatherly, and true to His heart character! 

The Original Intent

3) Why did the LORD use the specific language about His “inner being” yearning for Ephraim? (verse 20)

The language God used in His communication to Jeremiah reveals clear proof of God’s affection for and desire for relationship with His people. He has always loved and wanted His Creation to respond to Him rightly, and to choose Him over love of Self.

The emotions evident in His words here are compelling evidence of His father-heart, portrayed later toward His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and all those who would repent of their sin and put their trust in Him. (Matthew 3:13-17, John 3:14-21, Romans 8:12-17)

The God of the Old Testament IS the same God of the New Testament; He is unchanging. (Malachi 3:5-6, Psalm 102:23-27, Hebrews 13:5-8)

Over and over throughout history, God communicated the depths of His holy, steadfast love for His people through word pictures reminiscent of the deepest human relationships. He spoke in terms of father and child, evoking the picture of deep, protecting, and guiding love. (Jeremiah 31:20, Proverbs 3:11-12, Exodus 4:21-23)

He spoke in terms of bridegroom and bride, stirring thoughts of new love, deep affection, desire, and eagerness. (Isaiah 62:4-5, Ezekiel 16:8-14, Luke 5:33-35)

He spoke in terms of husband and wife, drawing out images of dedicated devotion, commitment, and covenant. (Isaiah 54:4-7, Hosea 2:2-7, Ephesians 5:25-33)

Throughout all of Scripture, from the first Creation-weighted words, until the final pages promising the eventual guaranteed return and revelation of the person of Jesus Christ, God consistently conveys His love for and desire for relationship with His people. 

The Everyday Application

3) Why did the LORD use the specific language about His “inner being” yearning for Ephraim? (verse 20)

Relationships are often challenging to describe, mostly because there are just so many different types of relationships. We are all born into certain relationships; from our very beginning we are someone’s daughter or son, grandchild, niece or nephew, sibling, cousin, etc.

These relationships exist because of biology, or legal relationship as appointed by law. Some relationships exist due to proximity, such as neighbors or coworkers. There are also those relationships we seek out and choose. Regardless of the descriptor or title of a given relationship, the gamut of intimacy is vastly different from one relationship to the next.

We may have a dear aunt we love and care for, but we only spend six hours a year in the same amount of space. At the same time, we may have a friend we’ve only known for a few months, but we spend over 15 hours together each week, talking about faith, personal struggles and other deep topics.

Scripture leaves nothing to the imagination: God desires a deep, intimate relationship with us. He knows us, and He knows what we are like.

He knows that when we sin and repent, we may be prone to despair and grieve, but that doesn’t stop Him from immediately restoring us to walk with Him.

He loves us with a perfect, Fatherly love, and He desires people who will choose Him, and choose to be in deep relationship with Him in return!

Tags :
father,hope,Israel,love,prophecy
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Known, Day 1
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We are God’s chosen, treasured possession. And as His holy and beloved people, we show our love for Him by obeying Him and pursuing Him with single-minded devotion. (Deuteronomy 14:1-2)

It is comforting to have my heavenly Father ever by my side. When I feel alone, unloved, not so special, or passed over, Abba reminds me I am always loved, special, and never passed over.

Beloved ones, come to your Father who loves you to the end of time. Who meets you wherever you are, delighting in, remembering, and forgiving you.
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Pause V Day 9 Sheep & Shepherd

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Pause V, Day 9

Jesus spent much of His time in ministry subtly, and not so subtly, pointing out that He was the Messiah. Sadly, many Israelites missed the clues. The religious leaders seemed to suspect the truth, but were unwilling to accept it, lest their power and influence be diminished.

In today’s reading, Jesus made two statements that powerfully declared, “I am the Messiah”.

I Am the Gate for the sheep. (John 10:7 and John 10:9)
I Am the Good Shepherd. (John 10:11)

He spoke first about entering via the sheep gate. If you recall from Day 6, the Sheep Gate was a familiar place. The Israelites entered this gate to bring their sacrifices, many of which were sheep. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the way, the gate, through which to be saved; this was exactly the role of the Messiah as foretold through prophecy.

When He said He was the Good Shepherd, Jesus declared He would willingly lay down His life for the sheep. He would then take it up again, as commanded by the Father, in order to prove victory over Sin and Death forever.

On this side of the resurrection, many of us know Jesus as the prophesied Messiah. We are the sheep who will enter eternity in heaven because of the gate, Jesus. We should be like sheep who learn to listen intently to and for the Shepherd’s voice. They follow His instruction because He has proven Himself a worthy and loving Shepherd.

In the same way, we should be listening in our hearts for the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The Jews who did not believe Jesus was Messiah, were the ones whom Jesus described as not recognizing His voice. Those who did recognize it, knew Him and followed Him, and were kept safe for all eternity.

Sisters, let us be the sheep who develop such a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus that we recognize His voice, know Him and follow Him in whatever He calls us to do.

Today's Invitation

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down a few verses from John 10 that grab your attention as you read. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to radiate Jesus’ love to others as you hold tightly to the anchoring truth of the eternal confidence we have only through Christ!

a) Pitch in to do something extra at church. Whether it’s helping with cleanup, opening doors, trimming weeds, or offering to help in a child’s classroom, step up to loving deeper by serving in a new way.

            b) A note of genuine kindness and specific encouragement goes a long way in showing love and support to your pastor. Consider sending your pastor(s) an email or card!

            c) Check out some local ministries in your area and make plans to serve with them for an afternoon. Maybe it’s organizing school donations, serving soup, or stuffing backpacks for kids. Even better, get some friends to join you!

            d) Prayer walking is a simple way to begin shifting the eyes of your heart to truly see others. Walk around your neighborhood, some city streets, the aisles of your grocery store, or intentionally sit at a local coffee shop and pray, pray, pray. Pray for the people around you, pray for hearts to turn towards Jesus, pray for your own heart to be ready to share the full gospel if given the chance. Don’t worry about seeing results, that’s God’s job!

            e) Strike up a conversation with a random stranger. It may move to spiritual topics, it may not, but showing love to those outside our immediate circles always begins with a simple conversation. “What have you been doing today?” “Do you live nearby?” “Where do you go to church?” “What are your favorite local restaurants?” “What a cute handbag! Where did you get it?” These open-ended questions work well!

3) Share the exciting, bold ways you are living out your eternal confidence today with the rest of the GT Community! Our Facebook community page is always open! Or snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @gracefully_truthful

4) Memorize John 12:25-26

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John 10

“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

22 Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone him.

32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these works are you stoning me?”

33 “We aren’t stoning you for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because you—being a man—make yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, I said, you are gods? 35 If he called those to whom the word of God came ‘gods’—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the one the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God? 37 If I am not doing my Father’s works, don’t believe me. 38 But if I am doing them and you don’t believe me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father.” 39 Then they were trying again to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

40 So he departed again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41 Many came to him and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

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 V 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 V!

Worship VII Day 10 King Of Kings

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Worship VII Day 10 King Of Kings

Marietta Taylor

November 6, 2020

Christ,Heaven,Holy Spirit,Hope,Jesus,Mercy,Power,Praise,Salvation,Trust

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-23
Ephesians 1:3-14
Luke 4:14-21
Isaiah 53
Acts 2


 

I’ve had the opportunity to speak at several of my church’s womens’ ministry events. One phrase I use almost every time is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” There is something about the majesty, power, and authority of His title that grounds me in Who Jesus is. One of the reasons I love the song “King of Kings” is its rich evidence of Who Christ is, as well as Who and what He should be to us.

“In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
‘Til from heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets
To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt”

The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi, and the first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels. Throughout the Old Testament, there are hundreds of prophecies of the Messiah, the Deliverer of the Israelites, Whom we meet in the Gospels. For example, Isaiah 61:1-3 speaks of the Messiah coming to comfort, provide, and make righteous. Jesus quotes it in Luke 4:18-19. Then in verse 21, He announces the prophecy has been fulfilled. Can you imagine being present for that? The long-awaited Messiah is standing in front of you!

Malachi ends by proclaiming a messenger will come ahead of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6), which echoed Isaiah 40:3. John the Baptist quotes this prophecy in John 1:23 to identify himself as that messenger. After Malachi’s conclusion,  four hundred years pass. Can you imagine waiting so long? I can barely wait 4 minutes! But were they truly waiting in the darkness with no hope? They were invaded and ruled by the Greeks, briefly gained their independence, then fell to the Romans in 63 BC.

So the New Testament opens with the Israelites still waiting for the Messiah to save them from oppression by another foreign nation.

All the while, their sins remained an insurmountable barrier between themselves and their God. And let’s not forget the oppression of the corrupt, self-righteous religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees.

I cannot imagine their despair.

But Jesus was on the way! The Messiah had awaited this moment, willingly surrendering His heavenly throne to put on flesh and save His people. (John 1:14-18) Enter a young virgin, who miraculously gave birth to Jesus, the Word Who fulfilled every. single. word. of prophecy. (John 1:1, Matthew 1:18-24, prophesied in Isaiah 7:14).
Hallelujah!

Why would Jesus make such a sacrifice?

“For even in Your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake You died”

The answer is found in a treasured verse of Christians, John 3:16:

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves us so much, He would not leave us separated from Him. Through Jesus, we are reconciled to Him despite our sin. There is no animal, ruler, or leader who could grant us salvation. Only the Lord of the Universe could accomplish it. So the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords came for each of us.
Praise Him!

But Jesus’ death is only part of our redemption story:

“And the morning that You rose
All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death”

Jesus is Lord over death. It had, and has, no power over Him. On the third day, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rose from the dead. (Matthew 28:5-7) With His resurrection, our redemption was sealed. Our place in heaven is reserved, if we trust in Him.

Not only did He conquer death; Ephesians 1 says He went beyond salvation. He also gave us “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (verse 3), a glimpse into God’s plan (verses 9-10), an inheritance (verse 11), and the seal of the Holy Spirit (verse 13). I could cry in amazement that the One Who created all, and is over all, cares so much for us.
Glory!

“And the Church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame”

Christ’s church was born on Pentecost, when the disciples received the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), Whom we also carry as Christians. Peter, in his love for Christ and the power of the Spirit, explained to the gathered crowds how Jesus fulfills every prophecy of old. (Acts 2:17-36) Thousands of people believed, and became the first church. This is the same church, the same family, into which we’ve been adopted (Ephesians 1:4-5) in Jesus!
I am honored to be your sister in Christ.

Truly grasping Who Christ is, and Who He is to you, is highly personal. I beg you, sisters, to reread the passages and verses listed here. Read cross references. Ask God to make you more aware of Jesus as King of Kings. And when He does, praise Him!

“Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings”

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darkness,Endless,evidence,glory,grounded,King of Kings,Lord of Lords,Majesty,Messenger,Messiah,prophecy,Redemption Story,resurrection,waiting
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Worship VII, Day 10
Digging Deeper

God and His Holy Spirit work within us to do good works that reflect His character, these works make us “shine as lights” as He created believers to do. As we live and serve our Lord here on Earth, we are in awe of God, wanting to bring glory to Him in everything we do. We strive to live our lives as a reflection of Christ to glorify Him. We thank Him continually for all He did for us and praise Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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The GT Weekend! ~ Here Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Think about those moments when you have been utterly caught off guard by the Holy One. You are living your mundane, breathing in and out, and suddenly, you realize it, He Is Here. He is speaking. He is calling. He knows your name, your face, and your story. Pause to reflect on how you have most recently encountered the God of the Universe. It probably wasn’t angels singing and a heavenly message delivered with swirls of light, but be assured, if you haven’t heard from the Lord lately, it’s not because He doesn’t want to speak to you. Draw near Him with a humble heart, bring all you have, offer it up, and let His Spirit speak to your heart through His powerful Word!

2)  “I have no room for another” was Herod’s mantra. His perspective on Bethlehem and the coming Messiah gives me chills as I recede into the light of wanting to find myself at the manger with the shepherds. But, am I being honest? Can I find myself here as well, in the cold-hearted, clenched-fisted heart of King Herod? I am learning to love my Savior more every day, but I would be flat-out lying to you if I said there aren’t places where I throw my own gauntlet at the wall and scream in defiance, “I have no room for another!”. I want my way, apart from Christ, at various moments and in various seasons. Do you? Pray through some of those areas, as I do the same. May the true King soften our hearts and teach us to love Him most!

3)  It’s easy to forget Simeon’s role in the Christmas story. Jesus is only 8 earth days old, yet the Timeless One had pre-determined to encounter one man in the temple that day. One man who had waited his entire life for God to prove faithful to His Word. Here, in the waiting, do you see your face in this mirror held up by Simeon? One glimpse, only a few moments, after waiting a lifetime, but it was more than enough because Simeon saw the faithfulness of God towards himself, and all peoples. Chances are pretty good that you’re waiting on something this Christmas. A relationship to heal, finances to turn around, a diagnosis to shift, a heavy sadness to lift, an ache to be filled. And oh, here we wait with Simeon. Turn your eyes of faith to the Timeless One who sees and knows and satisfies in His way and His time. Turn over your waiting to the One who waits for you to lean into Him!

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

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.

Prayer Journal
The shepherds waited. The Jews waited. Simeon waited. Mary and Joseph waited. Even the angels waited for this moment in time when You would announce Your arrival and bring hope that would last. Lord, let me not scoff the waiting. Remind my feeble faith to trust. Surely, You who drew the poorest and the most outcast in close as You announced the arrival of Your Son, will not overlook my wait. Teach me to come near, to trust, to wait because I know You hear.

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Cross Day 4 John The Baptist: Digging Deeper

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Cross Day 4 John The Baptist: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

April 4, 2019

Cross,Digging Deeper,God,Gospel,Holy Spirit,Jesus,Redemption,Salvation,Scripture

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "John The Baptist"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 3:4-12

Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is John?

John is the cousin of Jesus. He was a prophet and was nicknamed, “John the Baptist” because he baptized people in the Jordan River, including Jesus.

He is often considered the front runner to Jesus and John the Apostle says, “He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light”. (John 1:14-23)

The Everyday Application

1) Who is John?

The importance of John the Baptist to the Gospel is imperative to understand. He was prophesied about in the Old Testament (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1) as the one who would come before Christ to tell the world of the coming Messiah. The message of repentance would be on his lips.

We can look at John and see a standard of true gospel living. He pointed to Christ and walked humbly waiting for Him to come. From the womb where he leaped with excitement (Luke 1:41), to the tomb where he lost his head because he faithfully followed Christ. John the Baptist is a follower whose entire life points to the redemption found at the cross.

The Original Intent

2) Why does it matter what he was wearing?

The belief held among theologians is Matthew describes John this way for one very specific purpose. The reason is thought to be, he was emulating the appearance of Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8) because he was the first prophet on the scene since Malachi 400 years earlier.

People would have seen John and immediately recognized him as a prophet simply by his appearance. They would have remembered the oral traditions of the stories of God’s prophets heralding repentance.

The Everyday Application

2) Why does it matter what he was wearing and eating?

In a day and age of wealth and prosperity, it is important for believers to be mindful of the lifestyle they live and where their priorities are centered. John the Baptist went out of his way to run counter-cultural. He used the clothes he wore and the food he ate as a visual representation of his commitment to the Lord.

This does not mean you have to eat honey and locust and wear camel hair, but we should be challenged to evaluate where we spend our money and how we spend our time. We should ask ourselves, do we point to the cross of Christ?

When people saw John the Baptist, he stood out as a prophet and he not only represented himself in physical appearance as a prophet, but his message of repentance matched his actions. The words he spoke pointed directly to Christ as the coming Messiah. Could we say the same?

Do we stand out in our representation of Christ or do we “fit in” with the culture? Do we proclaim a coming Messiah with every part of our being? Are we leveraging our material possessions, how we carry ourselves, and the words we speak to point people to the hope of Christ?

The Original Intent

3) Who are the Pharisees and Sadducees and why is John mad at them?

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the religious leaders of the 1st century. They were lording the rules and regulations of the Old Testament over the people of Israel as a hard and fast rule of law.

They had added “extra rules” to the original law of Moses, enforcing heavy burdens on the Jews. Jesus described them as “white washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27-28) because they followed the rules on the outside, but there was no heart transformation.

John knew their hearts and why they had come to see him. It had nothing to do with a desire to repent and be saved, rather they wanted to rely on their ancestral heritage of being a child of Abraham through bloodlines. They saw this as a “free pass” to continue in their prideful sins of the heart as long as they had lineage and “rule-following” appearance in their favor.

The Everyday Application

3) Who are the Pharisees and Sadducees and why is John mad at them?

I, for one, find it difficult at times to watch believers misrepresent the Gospel. This was the issue John the Baptist had with the Pharisees and Sadducees. We will all mess up because we are sinful people living in a sinful world, but this perpetual choosing goes beyond that.

The religious leaders of the 1st century prided themselves on their “perfect” behavior when in reality they were missing the cross, Christ, and the Gospel altogether. The habitual prideful heart of other believers should upset us.

If we see it in ourselves, we should repent, and we should ask other believers to confront us when they see it. If we see it in our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should keep each other accountable to representing the Cross well with God-honoring actions, beliefs, and attitudes.

The Original Intent

4) What imagery is John describing at the end of the passage?

John’s message was one of repentance. He proclaimed when Jesus came, He would judge the earth.

The imagery used by John shows the judgement Christ will render. There will be a time when the followers of Christ will reign with Him and those who choose not to follow will be like chaff burned up in the fire of judgement.

The Everyday Application

4) What imagery is John describing at the end of the passage?

There are times in Scripture where the consequence of sin is given in perfect imagery. The brokenness of humanity and the separation from God a world full of people experience, is spelled out so clearly in this passage.

This should be a wake-up call as believers that we could once be described as such, chaff burning in the fire. This should prompt us to speak His name, His truth, and tell of His amazing grace to a world dying without Christ.

Everyone has a place in His presence, and we are His representatives, His ambassadors just as John was. Our job is the same as his, to point to the Cross with the entirety of our lives!

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Ambassador,John The Baptist,Messiah,prophecy,repentance
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Cross Day 3
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For a moment, I doubted. I was stuck in a prison cell, jailed for calling out Herod Antipas for his sins. I did no wrong; in fact, I was doing the will of God.
But was Jesus truly God? Was He the one we had been waiting for? Was He really who He said He was?
I wondered if it was all worth it… my being set apart from birth, the preparation, the preaching. Was it enough? Enough to justify prison and facing death?
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April 1 - April 19, 2019 - Journey Theme #50

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Glimmers Day 10 Hope In The Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Glimmers, Day 10

John 1:6-8
Isaiah 40:1-5
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Ephesians 2:11-22

Uncomfortable truth alert: I didn’t fully grasp what hope was before I lost my daughter. 

Is that shocking to hear? Maybe.
Is it something I don’t love to admit? Absolutely.
But is it truth? A hundred times, yes. 

I’ll never forget the day hope caught fire for me. It was a cold Sunday, a few months after our daughter, Cadence Hope, had died. I had returned to serving on the worship team at our church, and while continuing to lead worship while working through the grieving process was the hardest thing I had ever done, it was also proving to be incredibly transformative.

That morning, as I exited the platform and made my way toward the lobby, I saw my dad walking toward me. As we paused to say hello, something in his face made me lean in to listen. His eyes glinted with tears, but his face was full of unmistakable joy.

“Merry, while you were leading today…I couldn’t shake this vision.” His voice cracked. “That while you were leading others and worshiping Him here today, Cadence was worshiping Him there, at the same time.”

I don’t think I reacted much in that moment as I processed what he said, but as his words took root and my heart took hold of the truth wrapped within, my breath caught in my throat. 

He had pictured the two of us. A mother and daughter, separated by physical death, yet each worshiping the only One worthy of worship.  

From opposite sides of eternity, each one wholly focused on Jesus.

That morning, it felt like something split open inside of me, forever changing my perspective. It had absolutely nothing to do with my grief, or the fact that my dad had pictured my daughter, but everything to do with my Jesus. In that instant, some things became suddenly clear to me.

 First, that loss and grief are a part of life, but that because of Jesus,
we do not grieve as those who have no hope.
This was a truth in Scripture I had known for most of my life,
but to know something and to know something are two very different realities.
We do not grieve as those who have no hope, because we have Jesus!

The hope Paul referenced isn’t about who we will or won’t see again in Heaven – it is solely and wholly about who HE is.
Eternity will not be spent finding our long lost loved ones (although what rejoicing there will be on that blessed day), it will be spent worshiping HIM!
Spending time in His Presence!
Ascribing to Him all the glory He commands and is due!

Second, my hope does not lie in the fact that one day I’ll see my daughter again (although that is wonderful), nor because I know where she is now, but because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my life is not about me. It is only about HIM. Regardless of my situation, circumstance, or feelings, my life will always ever point to Him.

If you had asked me prior to that Sunday morning, I probably would have told you I had hope. I would have told you that I understood what it meant and why it was important. That Jesus was my Savior, and that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt where I would spend eternity after I breathed my last. That my hope was in Jesus and the knowledge that by faith through grace, I was adopted into God’s family.

And I would not have been lying to you.
But compared with the hope that took hold of my heart that morning,
the hope I used to carry was a small, someday sort of hope.

And a small, someday sort of hope doesn’t hold a candle to the
big, all-consuming fire kind of hope John the Baptist shared when he told about the Lamb of God:

From Him we all receive grace upon grace.
Grace and truth come only through Him, Jesus Christ.
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

John the Baptist believed God’s Word and obeyed, telling all who would listen of a Savior he had never seen. The hope John carried was the big, all-consuming fire kind of hope. The kind of hope that caused him to declare that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah! The kind of hope that made him call out that Jesus was the Lamb of God, twice!  

And we have access to that same kind of hope, Sister!  

Do you know how freeing it is, to know that absolutely nothing in this life compares to Jesus?

That no illness, no challenge, no difficulty, no heartbreak, no grief, no loss, nothing can touch the hope that fills your heart because the God you worship is the same yesterday, today and forever?!

And that the investment you put into relationship with Him daily, through studying His Word and spending time in prayer and worship, is an investment into your forever future with Him?

It’s difficult to contain that kind of hope, once it catches hold in you. It would be like trying to restrain the ocean. Even if you were to try to hold it in, the waves would splash up and over your edges again and again… changing you and the atmosphere around you…and how you respond to situations and experiences in your life.

That’s the kind of hope that fuels courage in the face of fear. The kind of hope that helps us lay aside our earthly belongings, our status, our treasure and our talent, and stay eternity-minded in the middle of our mess.

The kind of hope that lays us bare and vulnerable so our story, however painful, however vulnerable, can be used to ignite the fire of hope in others. 

Truth?
I sometimes get caught up in the worry that when others read things I’ve written which reference the loss of our daughter, they might think that I share things I shouldn’t, or that the topic is too weighty.
Too personal. Too vulnerable. Too real.

But Love?
Every time I seek His heart about it, He reminds me that my story is only ever His story, and His story always pulses with a rhythm of hope.

So which is it for you, Sister? 

Maybe you relate to the small, someday sort of hope I had. You believe, but there just doesn’t seem to be much fire in you. You want to share with others, but you don’t feel much urgency.

Maybe you relate to the big, all-consuming fire kind of hope. Maybe it spills up and over so quickly you miss it, sometimes.

Maybe you feel somewhere in the middle.

No matter where you are, know this, dear one: HE is your hope. Regardless of your current situation or feelings, HE IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE. There is nothing you can do or say to change it, but you CAN lean into Him and ask Him to fill you with all the hope of Heaven – and He will do it!

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Glimmers Day 8 Hope; It’s Coming!

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1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Jeremiah 29:11-13

Glimmers, Day 8

Throughout the last few years, I have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with hope.

There were times when hope was the water level that buoyed me up and allowed me to keep moving forward. Other times hope felt like the very anchor that kept my head just barely above the crashing waves.
Those were the moments when hoping that better was coming
hurt more than enduring the pain of the season.

Yet, hope is a powerful resource, and truly without it I would have given up on the plans the Lord has for me long, long ago.
So, from where does my hope come?

First and foremost, the Lord as He speaks through the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s voice (Matthew 4:4). Beyond that, hope may rise from the encouragement of fellow sojourners, reflection on previous hopes fulfilled, and the decision to live life with a hope-filled mindset. What increases your hope?

For me, the words of the Old Testament prophets bring me hope.
Several times throughout my life, the Lord has brought verses to mind that come directly from the books of the Bible that are named after these prophets.

In Scripture, there are 17 books categorized as prophetic (written by prophets).
Five of those are called major and 12 are minor. This is due to the length of the books rather than the importance of the content. The five major prophet books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The 12 minor prophet books are the last books of the Old Testament beginning with Hosea and ending with Malachi.

I find myself visiting these books frequently, receiving encouragement from the men who obeyed the Lord in announcing His will so many years ago.
The basic definition of a prophet is a person who declares the will of God.

Believers today have something those living during Old Testament times didn’t have: the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the role of the prophet was incredibly important as through these voices, lives, and written words, God’s people could know the Lord’s direction and desire. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, His will had to be vocalized from an external source rather than an internal one.

The lives these prophets lived and the words they spoke are captured in those 17 books at the end of the Old Testament. Throughout them you will find deep wisdom and truth applicable for today just as much as it did then. These prophets spoke the words the Lord’s Spirit gave them without knowing the big picture, but they obeyed regardless. The Lord challenged them to obey in ways that guaranteed social norms were at the minimum bent and in some cases shattered.

The examples of faith and obedience the prophets displayed is one way
hope grows in me.

The backbone of my faith is strengthened when reading their stories and, in turn, my hope rises.

I don’t know the full pictures of my life,
but just like the prophets of old,
I am to obey regardless.

I can discover the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living
as I follow Him,
even if He asks me to move outside my comfort zone.

(Side note: The Lord will never direct me to do something that contradicts His character as proven in the Word.)

Hope rises as we witness the faithful obedience of these ancient prophets.
Hope rises through the words the prophets spoke.
The words God ordained to be preserved for us to take in.

Several verses tucked into the pages of prophecy have become lifelines in the dark and clear directives for my next steps.
Hope rises here, anchored in truth!

“The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will be quiet in His love.
He will delight in you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord my Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like those of a deer
and enables me to walk
on mountain heights.”
Habakkuk 3:19

“Mankind, He has told each of you what is good,
and what it is the Lord requires of you;
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly
with your God.”
Micah 6:8

Isaiah.
Jeremiah.
Lamentations.
Ezekiel.
Daniel.
Hosea.
Joel.
Amos.
Obadiah.
Jonah.
Micah.
Nahum.
Habakkuk.
Zephaniah.
Haggai.
Zechariah.
Malachi.

These are prophets who faithfully obeyed the Lord, despite great cost to themselves.
Prophets who allowed the Lord’s hope to rise through their surrender.
Prophets who pointed, directly and indirectly,
to the Eternal Hope of the coming Messiah.

Challenge yourself to read through some of these hope writings in the coming weeks. Take note of the verses that bring you hope.
Who inspires you in your faith journey?
Is it Daniel in his obedience and faith as he stands amidst the lions?
Is it Hosea marrying a harlot as a representation of the Lord’s love for us?

May hope rise as you read of events declared before they would happen and then their fulfillment. Look for the glimmers that point to a coming Savior and take comfort in knowing that exactly what God declares, He brings to pass.
Hope; it’s coming!

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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 Glimmers 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 Glimmers!