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Build Day 15 Building Community

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 12:27- 13:31
Jeremiah 31
Deuteronomy 31:9-13
John 2:19-21
Revelation 7:9-10

Build, Day 15

Throughout this Journey Theme, we have witnessed Nehemiah, a devoted man of God, courageously leading the Jews through the difficult work of rebuilding Jerusalem following their return from exile. They have encountered significant odds and great opposition, but God protected them and granted them favor.

In today’s portion of Scripture, we gather with the remnant of Israel as they celebrate the completion of the wall of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 12) Can you imagine? After a brilliant procession around the wall, joy-filled songs resound off nearby hills as the people gather to offer sacrifices, praising God for all He’s done.

While the procession, music, and festive clothing were undoubtedly beautiful, one of the most stunning aspects of the Jew’s celebration was the way it honored God. They were not merely celebrating their success and hard work, they were celebrating the incredible, impossible feats the Lord had accomplished through their hands.

We do this, too! Have you ever celebrated your accomplishments while giving glory to God? Of course, we no longer offer animal sacrifices, but we can honor God through our prayer, praise, and parties. Whether we gather as a church family for a night of worship or invite a few friends to celebrate in our home, we can honor God’s sovereignty, grace, and faithfulness by thanking Him publicly for all He has done.

A Bright Beginning
This was a new beginning for the Israelites, another opportunity to live in the presence of the Lord, to be His people, and serve Him well. They were hopeful for the Lord’s restoration and their obedience as they recommitted themselves to the Lord and gathered together to listen to His Law.

Since the time of Moses, God had instructed His people to read the Law aloud regularly, especially during festivals and celebrations. (Deuteronomy 31:9-13) God knew the forgetfulness of the human heart, and He intended this practice to serve as an anchor, lest His people become swept away by the festivities and fall into sin.

Indeed, when the Jews read the Word of God that day, they encountered a forgotten section: the command for no Moabite or Ammonite may worship among them as their hearts would be led away to worship foreign idols. We see them repent and respond immediately, ejecting foreigners from their temple. Their swift action revealed hearts responsive to God.

A Disappointing Ending
After such a beautiful celebration and communal time in God’s Word, it is tempting to imagine the Jews living happily ever after in the presence of the Lord. Instead, chapter 13 opens to a shocking turn of events. After leaving Jerusalem to serve the Persian king, Nehemiah returns to find everything he’d established just a few years before has been upended.

–       The Temple storeroom, once overflowing with tithes of oil, new wine, and grain offerings, had been handed over as a personal “playroom” for Nehemiah’s enemy, Tobiah. (Nehemiah 6:1-2)

–       With the storeroom occupied and nowhere else to bring their tithes, the people stopped giving, leaving the Levites in a lurch. Unable to provide for their families, the Levites were forced to neglect their temple duties and find work in the fields.

–       Not only had the Levites abandoned their duties, but the Jewish merchants had abandoned the Sabbath, spending the holy day conducting business. And business was the least of it: the high priest’s own son had taken a pagan bride!

This is a painful and anti-climatic ending to what should have been a story of celebration and hope. What happened? What are we to glean from such a depressing ending?

The first lesson is this: even when things don’t turn out the way we expect, we can still praise God. Yes, the Jews quickly fell away from their fervent vows of obedience. However, their unfaithfulness does not diminish God’s faithfulness to them. God chooses to accomplish His plans through sinful people knowing we will stumble along the way.

The second lesson is this: even the greatest Bible teachers and the most beautiful churches cannot guarantee devotion to God. Nehemiah was a great leader and a righteous man, who accomplished many remarkable things! Yet, he couldn’t give the people what they needed most. More than a new temple, or a new wall, they needed new hearts.

While the book of Nehemiah leaves us wanting, that desire for redemption leads us to Jesus.

The Coming Kingdom
Some 400 years after Nehemiah, God sent a new Leader to establish a new Kingdom. Jesus. Like Nehemiah, Jesus would hold the Jewish people accountable and accomplish incredible works through the power of God.

While it took the Jews forty-six years to rebuild the temple, Jesus rebuilt it in three days. (John 2:19-21, Zechariah 6:12) Christ’s Kingdom, unlike Nehemiah’s, will be free from sin. In Nehemiah’s day, foreigners were excluded from worship, but in Jesus’ day, people from every nation and tribe will worship God together. (Revelation 7:9-10)

We began our journey with an amazing celebration between God and His people, but it didn’t last long. Thankfully, there is good news. Jesus will return, and when He does, a new era of rejoicing will dawn. Until then, Jesus is building a community of believers from all over the world, including you and me! One day we, too, will gather together and worship God for the incredible, amazing things He built through us . . .  and that celebration will never end.

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

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

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

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

The GT Weekend ~ Shielded Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) How would you define victorious living? How many of those answers require something beyond your ability to control to be a specific way? Amy noted in her Journey Study on Monday that she could trace the source of her lack of satisfaction, happiness, and peace back to a lack of relying on God and wearing the armor He provides. Too busy for a quiet time with God. Too much brokenness and hurt going on to be transparent with others. The need to rely on self over the Savior. Shame. The enemy is against us as daughters of the One True God, to be sure, but he does not have jurisdiction to win! Take back ground from the enemy this weekend by holding tightly to truth over lies!

2) Who have you fought with recently. Let those faces come to mind. Who has angered or frustrated you? Who do you struggle to even breath the same air with? Hold onto the mental image of their face, and begin praying for them. Right now. It’s okay, I know it’s hard to breathe right now. Hard to let your heart unclench while you look in their eyes. Maybe you even pull back. It’s okay. The reasons and justification for your anger or you pain are brimming at the surface, but call all the voices to halt. Pray for this person. Don’t stop until you feel your tension relax and you really do see their face as not that of your enemy. Don’t allow the true enemy of your heart to deceive you into believing this person is your nemesis. Keep praying for them this weekend, let God fight the battles of your heart for you.

3) One too many stacks of unwashed dishes. One too many tantrums from your toddler or door slams and eye rolls from your teenager. One more attack from your coworker. One more way your spouse added to the mountain of hurt in your heart. What holds you up in the midst? Rebekah Hargraves points us to the belt of truth, which is the whole of Scripture and every promise it holds. She notes how it isn’t a cute band of color around our waist, but as an anchor from which everything hinges for support and balance. Do you view Scripture like this? If so, stand strong in it, Sister! Continue to read His word for the sustaining life you already know the Father gives us through it and encourage others to do the same. If not, consider beginning to allow it to be that anchor for your heart. Start by reading 1 psalm a day and jotting down a few thoughts or questions as you read. The Lord Himself will guide and teach you!

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 Psalm 27:56 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For He will conceal me in His shelter
in the day of adversity;
He will hide me under the cover of His tent;
He will set me high on a rock
Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;
I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Prayer Journal
On the day of trouble and adversity, Lord, I often finish this verse with brave words of how I will rescue myself or rely on my own strength or ability to just “get it done!”. Perseverance and self-motivation leave me pretty empty, Lord, and don’t carry my heart very tenderly in the midst of hardship. There’s no room to handle my fears or unpack my frustrations. I forget You are present. I forget You have given me Your own armor, fitting it securely across my heart to protect me from the enemy of my soul. Teach me to rest in Your protection, to lay aside my anxious thoughts or angry words of retaliation, and let me rest in the peace You readily provide. Thank You for loving me so well, Abba!

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

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sketched Day 4
Abigail: Digging Deeper

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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

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Abigail!

Proverbs 2:1-15 English Standard Version (ESV)

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

The Questions

1) Who is the “Son” being addressed and whose “words” is he commanded to receive?

2) Why is listening to this wisdom so all-consuming?

3) What does it mean to “understand the fear the Lord” and “find the knowledge of God”?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who is the “Son” being addressed and whose “words” is he commanded to receive?
Proverbs is a collection of instructions for wise living, most of which were written by King Solomon, but there are other authors called out like Agur and King Lemuel of Massa. It is the words of these wise men that the recipient is to listen to and embrace. The reader should note though that even though human men are the “speakers”, it is repeated often throughout the book that this wisdom comes from the Lord. The “son” is meant to include all hearers, but was likely originally compiled for the young men in Solomon’s royal court as they were being trained up. The language of “youth” and “young” is mostly employed at the beginning of the book, but later the audience seems to widen to include older persons as well.

2) Why is listening to this wisdom so all-consuming?
As Solomon was training those in his court, he was undoubtedly mindful of the future of his nation and its leadership. He was investing the best of wisdom into the hearts and minds of those who would be in leadership positions and care for his people. Solomon’s wisdom had come straight from God (1 Kings 3:10-15) and he knew it was the most important legacy to leave behind. He wanted his students to be consumed with seeking knowledge, understanding, and wisdom and he also wanted them to see the Lord as the source of it all. He knew that if they gave themselves fully to seeking God’s wisdom, then his nation and people would prosper.
Additionally, verses 7-15 are overflowing with real-life reasons that Solomon gave for seeking the Lord’s wisdom. Check out this list of descriptions for what His wisdom fills you with: shield, guard, watching over, understanding for righteousness, justice, and equality, pleasantness, and deliverance. Seeking wisdom is definitely worth it!

3) What does it mean to “understand the fear the Lord” and “find the knowledge of God”?
Solomon understood that at the base root of all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom was the Lord God. Apart from His wisdom, there is no wisdom. The “knowledge of God” is bound up in His covenant love offered to His people, Israel (Psalm 25:14). “The fear of the Lord” is tied to His character. No one would dare walk into Solomon’s court without a healthy dose of respect for His position and who he was. Infinitely more so, the same is true with the Almighty. When we “understand” who He is, we can correctly be in awe of His majesty.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is the “Son” being addressed and whose “words” is he commanded to receive?
We aren’t being trained up in Solomon’s royal court, but we are commanded to “grow up” in Christ, to “reach the measure of Christ’s fullness” and to “no longer be children tossed to and fro” as Paul teaches in Ephesians 4:13-14. Whether we are “young” in our faith in Jesus or have followed Him closely for years, we are always called deeper into knowing Him more until we reach full knowledge in Heaven. The wisdom from Proverbs provides not only a firm foundation, but also all manner of wisdom along the pathway of life, especially when it comes to knowing how to love and respect people around us.

2) Why is listening to this wisdom so all-consuming?
As much as Solomon wanted to pass on the importance of seeking God’s wisdom so that his nation would prosper, God calls our hearts to seek Him first (Matthew 6:33), allow Him to consume us (Hebrews 12:28-29), and have no other idol before Him (Exodus 20:3) so that His kingdom would flourish and His glory would be made known. Growing in our faith really begins when we become entirely all-consumed with following closely after Jesus. This looks like committing to spending time with Him, studying His word, and surrounding yourself with other believers who are intent on following Jesus.

3) What does it mean to “understand the fear the Lord” and “find the knowledge of God”?
The “knowledge of God” in Old Testament times alluded to a future where the covenant would be fulfilled, which it was when the relationship between man and God was restored through the sacrificial blood of Jesus .We find this knowledge of God when we begin at salvation and accept His wisdom over our own fallen, sinful understanding. His wisdom is also found in one commandment that sums up all other commands, the law of love (John 14:21, Matthew 22:37-39).

The “fear of the Lord” is found when we apply ourselves to knowing His character. The more that we know about God, the more we stand in awe of Him, rightly aware of our own sinfulness in light of His unending righteousness. This doesn’t mean we are to cower in fear, but rather stand in amazement of His holiness and the vast love He has invited us into. A life that reflects both the “fear of the Lord” and embraces His “knowledge” looks like a heart fully surrendered to Jesus that loves others deeply because we have been deeply loved!

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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 Sketched Week One!
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.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

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

Brave Day 1
Practicing Bravery

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Timothy 1:6-7
1 Timothy 4:7-8
Psalm 18:29-39

practicing-bravery-moPublic speaking.


There it is.  My biggest weakness, dread, challenge, fear, fill-in-the-blank.  I feel a bit nauseated to even type the words.

It’s funny.  And by funny, I mean irritating.  I have no problem or hesitation when leading countless others into times of worship – I actually look forward to and love it!  Perform in plays or musicals?  No problem.  Sing for a panel of judges?  I might feel a few butterflies, but nothing major.  I’ll power through.

Stick me in front of five or more people and tell me to talk about something, however, even something I’m passionate about, and I begin to feel light-headed.

I fiddle with my shirt.  Papers.  Anything within reach.  I twirl my hair.  Begin to stammer.  I repeat my words, knowing as I speak them that I sound foolish…but I can’t seem to stop myself.  My neck flushes and I feel my cheeks burning.  My palms grow clammy, my forehead begins to perspire and my heart threatens to gallop right up my throat and out of my mouth…soon to be followed by the contents of my stomach.  I know full well that absolutely nothing is going to harm me, that my worth is not determined by how eloquent or smooth my speech may or may not be, and that people do this all the time.  Some people actually enjoy it!  I know all of this, yet I have experienced these feelings every single time I have ever faced this task.

Maybe you struggle with heights.  Spiders.  A room full of (albeit friendly) strangers. The prospect of a new relationship.  Being alone.  Darkness.  The thought of losing someone close to you.  Debilitating illness.  The prospect of death.
Maybe it is something I haven’t mentioned.  

It’s the thing that creeps into your subconscious when you least expect it.  You’ll recognize it when your heartbeat accelerates and your breath becomes a little more shallow.

There it is.  That’s the one.

We all face things that give us the opportunity to choose fear in this life.  That’s a given.

But we do not have to be defined by our initial physical, mental and emotional responses in the face of those fears.

We know that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.   We can and should pray for help in facing fear, in dealing with our reactions and for boldness, but we (and I am absolutely talking to myself here) are not helpless.  Just as soldiers train for battle, we are capable of practicing bravery by intentionally training ourselves to be godly.

So…what does that look like?  How do we go about training ourselves to be godly?

We spend quality time with the One we most want to emulate.
Time in prayer, communicating with Him.
Time just listening for Him.
Time in worship.

We feed ourselves a steady diet of truth by spending time in His Word, daily.
We acknowledge and spend time with Holy Spirit, and practice our listening skills by exercising spiritual discernment in every area of our lives.

I will be the first to admit that I have never gone out of my way to accept a public speaking engagement…in fact, if there has been a way out (any way out), I have always taken it.  Does that resonate with you?

Rather than cowering in the face of our fears, maybe it’s time you and I begin to practice bravery by training ourselves to be godly and putting our faith into practice.

Holy Spirit, give us the discernment we need to recognize the spirit of fear and the boldness we need to apply the Word to our reactions and actions in the heat of the moment.  Help us train ourselves to be godly, and instill in us a desire to serve You through our thoughts, words and actions.
Give us the will to persevere when we are stretched.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

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 Brave 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 Brave!