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Surrender Day 2 Come & See: Digging Deeper

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Surrender Day 2 Come & See: Digging Deeper

Lois Robbins

January 24, 2023

Alive,Future,Made New,Redemption

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 "Come & See"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:29-30

29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does it mean that God “foreknew”? (verse 29)

Consider the complete knowledge of God, not one thing is missing, obscure, or overlooked in His omniscience. From intricate atomic structure to the number of trees that would one day grow from a singular apple seed, the Lord God knows all things. Before the world was created, God foreknew those who would one day believe in Him for salvation of their souls and who would not. According to Scripture, even faith is God’s gift to us, for even this act we cannot muster up on our own power. “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Even the good works performed by believers are prepared beforehand by God. “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Our faith comes from the Author, our rescue from sin comes from Him, the works He has crafted for us to do were designed by Him. In His perfect knowledge of all things, He foreknew all of these things, but more so, He appointed and structured them to result in praise of His glory and for our great rescue that we might be welcomed by the vast love of an all-powerful, all-knowing God.

The foreknowledge mentioned in verse 29 refers to “divine active delight”. It was from God’s sovereign good pleasure that He set His love upon those who would choose Him. We are both chosen, and we have the freedom to choose; a tension that will exist for our finite minds until we reach Eternity with Christ. To the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord said, “I chose you BEFORE I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean that God “foreknew”? (verse 29)

Christians do not stumble into a saving relationship with God. We did not initiate our coming to Christ for rescue from death and forgiveness of our sin. Before we chose to act on the faith God provided as a gift, Christ loved us first and chose us in Christ first. The initiation and knowledge of us and our rescue have always begun in the heart of God. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16)

Paul means to comfort us in our waiting and suffering by reminding believers we have never been outside of God’s knowing. The God who foreknew us before we were born also perfectly knows every aspect of our current and future circumstances. In the verse prior, Paul described believers as people who are called according to God’s purpose. 

Our calling goes way back to “before”; God foreknew all those who are now, and will be, brothers and sisters in Christ. “He chose us in Him (Christ), before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him.” (Ephesians 1:4) The bottom line of this verse is that we can stand secure in our eternal rescue from sin and its consequence of death. The God who foreknew our salvation will not randomly decide to abandon us.

The Original Intent

2) What does “predestined to be conformed” mean? (verse 29)

When Paul assures the Roman saints that God causes “all things to work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (verse 28), it is tied with predestination as a reason why we have such assurance despite trials.

“Predestined to be conformed” is both a present, on-going reality and futuristic confidence. If true believers in Jesus look to the future when Christ returns, we understand Paul’s affirmation that God will give believers glorified bodies and perfect relationships with one another and God Himself. Sin will no longer mar any aspect of life! We will be wholly “conformed to the image of His Son” (verse 29) just as we were predestined to be.

As Christ-followers, foreknown and chosen to be His adopted children, His Spirit living in us creates a longing to become more like Jesus. As we surrender our will to His, He accomplishes this beautiful re-making in us. God is conforming us in our present lives and one day, He will finish the work. “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Our goal is “not just to enter heaven at last, BUT to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.” (Hendrikson) Paul speaks of this reality for every true Christian in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The old way of living has died, and the new has come as the Spirit of God shapes us to become like Himself.

The Everyday Application

2) What does “predestined to be conformed” mean? (verse 29)

If you’ve trusted Christ for salvation and you’ve repented (turned away) from your sin and turned toward God, YOU can have complete confidence that your rescue from sin was foreknown by the God who made you His own. More so, you can confidently know you were predestined for the purpose of becoming like Jesus. If you’ve ever wondered what your purpose is, it’s here!

All who trust Jesus for rescue from the consequence of eternal death we rightly earned by our sin have always been predestined not only to salvation, but also to become like Jesus. Consider how the Christian life is not about whether you make it to heaven or hell, rather it’s about whether or not you love God and want to be like Him. Herein is a distinguishing mark of true Christ-followers! This is why we are called to go and make disciples, who really are students of Jesus who then live like Jesus in real, everyday life. (Matthew 28:19)

We are to follow and become like Jesus who is Himself like the Father. We willfully surrender whole-heartedly as God the Spirit leads us into unity with God and His holiness and into the will of God in our daily decisions and plans.

One day, when Christ, in Whom is found our real life, appears, then we also will appear with Him in glory in our fully new selves, perfectly conformed to Christ! (Colossians 3:4) This is the underlying purpose of God’s gracious predestination, the careful crafting of His beloved ones, bearing His image and reflecting the Creator’s glory both in everyday living now and in the life to come that will not end!

The Original Intent

3) How do “predestined, called, justified, and glorified” all fit together? (verse 30)

Four Mighty Words! If predestined stood by itself, one may conclude the only ingredient to our eternal salvation is an action by God whereby one is chosen for salvation. But the remainder of the verse indicates otherwise.

Our salvation is much more than a deliverance from sin and eternal death and requires our faith-response to His call. The background for each of these powerful words is adoption. (Romans 8:14-15) These words don’t belong in a contract drawn up between two parties where we swear allegiance and God trades us forgiveness. We are adopted sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, God the Son, who laid down His life that we might become co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) We are His own people, His priceless possession. (1 Peter 2:9)

Consider the loyal love of a Dad who fiercely vows to protect, love, and advocate for his child no matter the cost. Adoption fuels the Father Heart of God who lovingly predestined that all who respond to His call through faith will not only be justified through His own sacrifice and their sins eradicated but will also be guaranteed a future glorification in eternity.

In our everyday life as adopted children, we share in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10, Romans 8:17) Though painful, the Almighty God who wastes nothing uses even our suffering to gradually shape us into the likeness of Jesus Christ; this is the essence of sanctification. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The final aspect is conformity of our physical bodies which will be realized at our eternal resurrection. (Philippians 3:21) Set against the beautiful background of adoption, God’s predestination to make us like His Son, His hearkening call, and His promises of justification and glorification are steps in realizing our divine purpose.  

The Everyday Application

3) How do “predestined, called, justified, and glorified” all fit together? (verse 30)

From the beginning, the Lord God decided to shape the lives of those who love Him to reflect the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity as the “exact representation” (Hebrews 1:3) of what it looks like to perfectly reflect every aspect of God for “the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ.” (Colossian 2:9)

We can see the original intended shape of our lives in Jesus. God predestined us to reflect Him then He marked us with love by calling us by name. As we respond to His call through faith, He sets us on an immovable foundation in clear relationship with Himself by personally paying the penalty we owe for our heavy offense of sin against Him.

He then covenants to remain with His own not only on earth by the power of His Spirit, but for all eternity, thereby gloriously completing the work only He could begin. The One who died for us and raised us to life by the power of His own death and resurrection, is now in the very presence of God advocating for us.

Do you think anyone or anything could drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love? IMPOSSIBLE! No trouble, no suffering, hatred, hunger or homelessness, bullying, backstabbing, not even the worst of sins is powerful enough to tear us away from His rescue. (Romans 8:38-39) His eternal Love for His foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified children knows no limits. God had scheduled each of our entries into HIS family long before we were ever born.

As His chosen ones, He has personally arranged for our salvation and eternal life from beginning to never-ending. Knowing GOD IS IN CONTROL and is perfectly bent on loving us as His own provides us with great comfort. As we surrender our entire being to God, we wait with gleeful expectation to be with our Heavenly Father forever.

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Christ,conformed,follower,purpose,shaped
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Jesus’ followers needed to hunger for more than paltry fish and crumbs. He wanted them to hunger and thirst for Him. This invitation to abundance is for you as well, dear sister.

As when He called Andrew and Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael, Jesus’ invitation to us includes an underlying caveat: total surrender.

The call to come and see doesn’t explain every detail, doesn’t assure safety, doesn’t put us in control of plans or the future.
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Sketched X Day 7 Without A Voice: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Without A Voice!

The Questions

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)

3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)

Exodus 3:7-12

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, 10 therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

Original Intent

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)
The easy answer to why God was so long in bringing rescue is that we can’t understand God’s timing. His scope is significantly broader than our own and His love infinitely outshines our own. However, if we step back and study Israel’s history a bit we can make some educated guesses to help answer this particular “why” of waiting. Let’s first remember it was God who brought the Israelites to Egypt in the first place, even before they were “Israelites”.  Joseph’s own struggles and injustices led him on a winding road that gave him a position of power benefitting his family and built a new nation. (Genesis 39-45) Secondly, the Israelites needed time, several generations, to grow into a nation and a people. Their numbers grew mightily during those years in Egypt; even Pharaoh was increasingly concerned by their multiplication. Lastly, God was raising up Moses as His instrument to lead His people out of Egypt and into a land of their own. Moses needed to grow, learn, make mistakes and become the man God would use to lead His people to freedom. How tragic it would have been for Israel to be so comfortable in the shadow of another nation that they never lived out the purposes God had for them! It really wasn’t that God didn’t hear Israel’s cry, rather, He was working “behind the scenes” to align each piece and person in preparation for freedom. His long-game purpose for His people was to move in such a mighty way that no one could miss how only He, the Great I Am, freed His people from the grip of slavery. These events were a pre-cursor for another miraculous set of events in the life of Jesus when, by His suffering, He offered freedom from sin’s slavery for us all!

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)
All good stories have a beginning, and Israel’s begins long before their great exodus out of slavery in Egypt, before Joseph, before his father Jacob, and before his father Isaac. To discover the first time God spoke of Israel’s land, we go back to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-2.   God called Abraham (then known as Abram) to leave his home and travel to “the land that I will show you”. This land became known as the Promised Land referencing God’s covenant vow to give it to Abraham’s descendants. It extended from the wilderness to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. (Exodus 23:31) However, by the time Israel was finally ready to take the land hundreds of years after Abraham, it was inhabited by pagan nations like Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Keep in mind this land was part of God’s provision for His chosen people, the Israelites. It was the Lord’s land and it had been promised to Israel centuries prior. It was important Israel take ownership to fulfill the promise God had made to Abraham. Psalm 24:1 tells us “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord”. He has rights to everything and everyone; He can give and take away from whomever He chooses. 
3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)
Because Moses knew he couldn’t accomplish this impossible task on his own, he quickly admitted his shortcomings and reservations about being “the guy” of God’s choosing. He had made some big mistakes in his life, but God, as only He can, used Moses in spite of those sinful choices to shape him into a man who was open and willing to be obedient to God. Moses recognized God’s voice in the burning bush, went to investigate, and listened to what God had to say. Moses knew this monumental task of freeing Israel was far beyond anything he could do or even wanted to do. For these reasons, and probably more, he pushed back on God. In fact, in Exodus 4:13 Moses said in essence, “You’ve got the wrong guy God, send someone else.” (my paraphrase) God’s response was one of anger for Moses disobedience and disrespect to the Sovereign God, still God provided an antidote to Moses’ insecurities in the form of Moses’ brother, Aaron. Ultimately, Moses acted obediently and depended on God for the enormous mission ahead of him.

Everyday Application

1) The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, why did it take so long for God to hear and respond to their cries for help? (verses 7-8)
Don’t lose hope! If you’ve been crying to God for seemingly forever, don’t give up and assume He isn’t listening; this is a lie! God hears and is working, despite our impatience. I tend to stop praying about “it” and attempt to “help” God by pushing ahead with my solution. You’d think I’d learn to trust Him; alas, I haven’t. In the past months, I’ve intentionally worked to be still, listen and wait, but honestly, there are more days when I decide to push ahead with my plans. News flash! This doesn’t work! When we run ahead of God, we slow down His provision. God cannot be rushed. Perhaps even more frustrating than personally waiting on God is watching a loved one wait for Him. Recently, I was talking with my oldest, who desperately longs for a husband. As a parent, it’s hard not to give a solution and instead point them to Jesus! I know God is working in the waiting, but as her mom, I desperately want to fix her pain. I must remember the best I can do is lead her to seek Jesus and His comfort. Psalms 73-74 are written by a guy who clearly understood the struggle between the pain of waiting and the desire to honor God. “But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:2-3) He follows on with confident faith in verses 25-26, “Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.” As we wait on the Lord, lets determine to move closer to God and dig into His word. Psalms is strong encouragement, filled with honest cries, hope, and healing.

2) Why would God give land to the Israelites that belonged to others? (verse 8)
When we remember God’s sovereign authority over every aspect of creation, including us, our perspective either shifts in alignment with truth or we press back against it, wanting to cling to a false sense of control and ownership. We all need the reminder to hold loosely to what the Lord has given for our use, even our relationships are a gift from Him. Our homes, churches, ministries, careers, and every material good is given to us by a graciously benevolent God; we are His stewards of these grace gifts and we never know when He will ask us to give something up for Him and His purposes. Job 1:21 says, “The LORD gives and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” I speak from a place of experience when I say that when we are faithful to God and His call on our lives, He will indeed ask us to give away or give up jobs, careers and even ministries. This ask has never made sense to me at the time, but after I’ve faithfully obeyed, God provides the understanding, insight and provision for the next step in my journey. It’s only in practicing full surrender of everything and everyone in our lives that we can fully embrace the abundant purposes of the Lord for us.

3) Why would God choose Moses, for even he asks the Lord, “Who am I that I should go”? (verse 11)
Because God is the Almighty God, and He has a tendency to use the most unlikely people in the most unlikely ways to further His kingdom, all of us have been given purposes that far-extend our human ability and reasoning. I could share many stories of times I’ve asked God the exact question or a similar one that Moses posed, “Are you sure about this God? I’m kind of a mess, in case you didn’t notice.” We can’t accomplish His mission in our power, but God can finish His work in us and through us by His Spirit! Jesus Himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) When it comes to accomplishing God’s mission for us, we must take Him at His word and remember the Lord’s word, “Not by strength,
Just like with Moses, God is looking for our willingness and trust, He’s got all the details already figured out. It’s okay to ask questions, God can handle them. It’s okay to feel nervous and uncertain about your abilities because they are required for us to lean in and trust in God over ourselves.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Eden Day 6 Entrusted Caretakers

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Eden Day 6 Entrusted Caretakers

Briana Almengor

April 25, 2022

Comfort,Constant,Design,Equipped,Faith,God,Purpose

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 1:26-31
Genesis 3:17-19
Proverbs 28:19
Galatians 3:10-14
1 Corinthians 15:56-58

Every Saturday morning, we devote time to household chores. Clean the bathrooms, vacuum, dust, mop, and water plants. While we may try to “whistle while we work,” the truth remains, we view these chores as, well, a chore. Living requires working, and often, we do it with drudgery, dragging our feet, and moaning–not whistling!–all the way.

It wasn’t always like this, however. It definitely wasn’t God’s intention for our experience of work. 

In Genesis 1, our origin story, we read that right after God breathed humans into existence, He gave them something to do. We actually read FIVE action words in this passage: 

Be fruitful
Multiply
Fill
Subdue
Rule
(Genesis 1:28)

Furthermore, God did not simply command humankind to DO;
He equipped them for their work. 

“I have given you every seed-bearing plant [. . .] and every tree whose fruit contains seed [. . .] 
I have given every green plant for food.” (Genesis 1:29-30, emphasis mine)

Continuing to Genesis 2, we learn God supplied everything humans required to flourish and grow. Life was perfect. 

But then the sneaky serpent enters the scene and snatches away Adam and Eve’s confidence in God. (Genesis 3) He plants his own seeds of mistrust into Adam and Eve’s minds. From that point on, with the deadly combination of temptation and free will, humans choose to trust themselves over their Creator, and perfection is lost. 

Genesis 3:17-19 states that one consequence for sin is that work would now become arduous, a thing of pain and struggle rather than purpose, fulfillment, joy, and provision. 

And herein lies why chores are a chore.

However, the story did not end in Genesis 3.
Christ came and redeemed the curse by bearing the just wrath of God for sin in our place. (Galatians 3:10-14)  

So the question remains, why do we STILL endure hardship in our work?
Why do we so often struggle to find purpose in the toiling of our minds, hearts, and hands? Why is so much futility, struggle, and pain wrapped up in our labor?

I believe it is because we live in “the now and the not yet.” While Christ redeemed the curse through His death and resurrection, we have not yet experienced His return when all of creation, including work, will be rebirthed with eternal perfection. (Revelation 21:1-5)

Until then, we toil and strive, committing the work of our hands to God’s purposes. (Psalm 90:16-17) Just as God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to work, we can be assured He gives us all we need for our work as well. 

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3, emphasis mine)

Truth? Sometimes, we don’t feel equipped to handle the assignment. 

For me, motherhood stands top of that list. 

From the beginning of my journey as a parent, I felt set up for failure. 

I carried twins in my first pregnancy; my boys were born by emergency C-section after 17 hours of induced labor. One son was quickly diagnosed with a rare syndrome which has required multiple specialists, surgeries, and other interventions. 

Two and half years later, my daughter was born full term, but for reasons still unknown, could not breathe on her own for the first week of her life. 

Two of my three children have developed seizure disorders. 

All of my children have endured multiple traumas with a genetic disposition toward anxiety, creating what feels like one ongoing mental health crisis after another in my home. 

And, more. Isn’t there always more to our stories than we can, or are willing, to share?  

But, God knows. 

God KNEW the struggles I would face. He knew the brokenness and hardship I would endure as a parent. Still, He made this promise to me: HE GIVES ME EVERYTHING I NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS. 

Friend, He gives YOU everything you need, too.

When we feel ill-equipped, or wrestle with the sometimes-overwhelming sense of futility in our work, we must harken back to those first moments between God and humankind. We must remember that, attached to the actions we are commanded to take for human flourishing, is GOD’s word of provision, “I have given…”

Remaining vestiges of sin seek to steal, kill, and destroy that which God has provided. (John 10:10) But, sin will not have the final word. Therefore, we can give ourselves fully to the work given to us today, knowing it will be empowered and redeemed by God. 

Take a moment to picture what it would look like for God to use every single shred of your effort to create something of beauty, goodness, and truth. Let us imagine with you by sharing a snippet of what you’ve envisioned in the comments. Let’s trust together that God can and will do more than we could ask or imagine for the purpose of His glory and our good!

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creation,God,life,purpose,work
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Eden Day 7
Digging Deeper

The Lord has shown favor when I submitted to Him, and now the assistant respects my office space and my work. Thorns are plentiful in life as sin lures us away from a close relationship with God, but we don’t need to let them win. We can take any problem to Jesus and He will help us overcome. (James 4:7)
Dig Deeper!

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Follow Day 5 Where We See A Mess

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 3:1-14
Exodus 4:1-20
Acts 4:7-13
 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

Follow, Day 5

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘For as heaven is higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Who but God would invite an ex- murderer to lead an entire nation? Humans use the past to judge the present, but God sees beyond the past. Regardless of our history, He longs to make us radically new and use us to build His kingdom.

Consider Moses, who grew up in the palace of the Egyptian pharaoh knowing he was a Hebrew. One day, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and, after carefully ensuring no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian. Still, Pharaoh learned of Moses’ crime and sought to kill him, so Moses fled to Midian. Welcomed into the family of Jethro, a Midian priest, Moses planned to live out his days in the wilderness as an isolated shepherd caring for mangy sheep.

Like Moses, there was a time in my college life when I felt like running away. My boyfriend spent the night with another student in his home, and someone told the school authority I was the student. I was innocent, but unable to convince school leadership. My punishment was a warning; a repeat would earn my dismissal.

I was devastated. In time, bolstered by God’s merciful strength, I ended the relationship. God gave me a new beginning altogether: since then, I have been following Him, and am now in His service.

Similarly, Moses was in desperate need of a new beginning. Moses was content with a shepherd’s life in the bush; one day God appeared to him in a literal bush bursting with fire. God called Moses to Egypt to bring His people out from slavery and into a land of freedom and plenty, a land of promise.

Dismayed, Moses gave God a slew of excuses:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11)
What if they ask Your name? ( Exodus 3:13-15)
“What if they don’t believe me?” (Exodus 4:1)
I am not eloquent (Exodus 4:10); send someone else (Exodus 4:13).

Looking through the lens of his past, Moses saw himself as unfit for the work God was calling him to do. But despite his resistance, God was not deterred. He promised to be with Moses, and commissioned Moses’ brother, Aaron, as his spokesman. God also understood the physical fear hiding behind Moses’ excuses, and assured him those who sought to kill him were dead.

We cannot mess up God’s plan for us, even if we push against Him!
He refuses to give up on us because He looks not at our mess, but our potential in Him.

As Moses’ heart turned toward trusting obedience to God, he encountered God in a personal and powerful way. He received instruction and clear direction from God for his next steps. When he met resistance in Pharaoh, he sought God who faithfully met and guided him. Soon, the naïve and fearful man became a threat to Pharaoh and all of Egypt, until Pharaoh released the Israelites.

Sometimes, our past failures threaten to hold us back from following God. The past upsets us, and we lose confidence. Like Moses, we easily conclude we cannot be useful to God. Moses didn’t have an organized plan, talent, or the confidence of a leader, but God still invited him to follow. It was not about Moses, but about God. He chooses the foolish, the weak, and the despised to shame the wise and the mighty, so we boast in Him alone. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Regardless of our past, God forgives completely, and equips us by His power for His service as we choose to follow His way. We see this truth in the lives of the apostles. Some were mere fishermen; one was even a tax collector, considered by the Jews as the most sinful; yet Jesus called each of them to follow Him. When the Pharisees grumbled about Jesus dining with sinners, Jesus replied His call was precisely for sinners such as them. (Mark 2:15-17)

Consider the Apostle Paul, a persecutor of the Church; yet God called him out of slavery and empowered him with the Holy Spirit to follow Him in freedom. As a result, Paul became a great preacher of the gospel. His Spirit-inspired writings continue to guide our lives today, comprising a large part of the New Testament.

Hear Paul’s own testimony, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–and I am the worst of them.’”
(1 Timothy 1:15)

Moses’ story, the first 12 apostles, Paul, and even my own life, join together to declare in wondrous chorus . . .
Where we see a mess,
God sees an opportunity for transformation.

God simply requires hearts willing to accept His invitation to follow Him, one step after the other.

Sisters, let us turn our eyes from our pasts to the One who holds our tomorrows and whisper, “Yes.”

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The GT Weekend ~ Calling 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) What is your “why” as a follower of Christ? As we consider the magnitude of our eternal blessing of eternity in the presence of God, everything else in life seems to fade in comparison. When we grasp the depth of this truth, we ought to be stirred to invite others to share in the blessing with us regardless of any struggles we may experience as we share. When you read this study, did a name jump to your mind of someone you want to share Christ with? Maybe you have a friend who is far from God or someone who has drifted away from your church body in the last few months, realizing she doesn’t really miss the Lord. Maybe there is a college student you know who is struggling to reconcile her faith and her doubt. Set up a time to get together with this friend with the express purpose of sharing your faith and how God is working in your life. Commit to pray through Ephesians 3:14-21 for your friend every day leading up to your appointment. If you are struggling to come up with a name, have a conversation with God in your journal about what would keep you from setting this kind of appointment and ask Him to send someone into your life with whom you could share the gospel.

2) In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of their call. Those who have been called to follow Jesus have the honor, privilege, and responsibility to live focused on God, becoming the people He wants them to be. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we can learn and grow in our faith so we can walk in a worthy manner. In Galatians 5:19-23, we see two lists of behavior patterns and character traits to help us visualize and grasp what our way of living ought (and ought not) look like. Take some time to read these two lists again. Did any traits from the first list stand out to you as ways you have been living and need to change? Honestly evaluate your life before the Lord and write down the specific ways you have been living outside of a manner worthy of your calling. Repent of those things, and ask God to help you walk in a new way. As you look at the second list, consider how you have grown in your walk. Name a specific fruit of the Spirit God has developed in you. Write down a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the work He has done in your life.

3) The book of Ephesians talks frequently about living in unity with the body of Christ. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become a part of a new family, the family of God. With this new family comes a new set of expectations and a new way of living. This new way of living can only be authentic when it comes from the Holy Spirit working in our lives, changing us from the inside out. We can try to force outward actions, but true change can only come from imitating Christ and allowing Him to change our inner selves. Where in your life have you been forcing an outward change without submitting your heart attitudes to the Lord? Take some time to write a prayer asking God to reveal the heart attitudes you are holding onto that need His redemptive work. As you see those attitudes in your life, confess them and ask for His changing power in your life. Take part in your spiritual family by telling a trusted friend what you are struggling with and asking her to pray with you for true and lasting life change.

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 Ephesians 3:20-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
You, oh Lord, are able to change lives. You have come down from Your holy hill and made a way for Your people to be united to You and be one in You. You have given Your children great gifts and blessed us with a new way of living. Help me, merciful Father, when I fall short. Search me and reveal the ways I am trying to fix myself or make myself better without relying on Your power and transforming work. Help me to leave behind my old way of life, my fleshly desires, and my sinful tendencies. Make my heart soft to the spiritual fruit You are growing in my life. Help me to live my life so others see Your changing work. Thank You for the many ways you have already changed me. Thank You for setting me free from my old ways of life and for bringing renewal to my relationships. You have shown up for me in ways I could never have imagined. Give me courage to speak your truth to those around me, so they may also experience the life-changing work You do every day.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend ~ Calling 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) What a breathtakingly stunning thought! The God of the universe is pleased to dwell among people! His desire is to have a deep and meaningful relationship with every beloved person in His church body. The opening poetry of Ephesians is full of magnificent truths about the believer’s position and identity in Christ. Rebecca gave us a list of declarations every believer in Christ can cling to as a promise of their standing with God. We do not need to wonder what God thinks of us because He tells us plainly in these verses. Go back and read through the list again! (Ephesians 1:1-14) Choose two or three specific promises and remind yourself of those truths in your life. Spend some time praying and imagining how God could change your life if you fully accepted those truths as part of your everyday. Write down those two or three declarations on a notecard or sticky note (make them pretty if you want!) and post them somewhere you’ll see them daily. When you see those cards, be reminded to pray to God for His help to live faithfully in light of His call on your life.

2) In Ephesians 1:15-23 we see the love Paul has for the Ephesians in his prayer for them, and we see the greatness of the calling of God on the lives of His people. Paul prays for the Ephesians to intimately know the call of God on their lives. If we believe in Christ, we share in this calling. By this calling, we can be confident in our rich, intimate knowledge of God, our value in His kingdom, and the power we experience through Jesus Christ. This truth should radically change how we live our lives! We experience God’s power when we obey His call on our lives. Identify one way in your life you are resisting submission to Christ’s call on your life. This could be a besetting sin you are holding onto or a step of faith you have been hesitant to take. Ask God to show you the greatness of His power by setting you free from whatever is holding you back, then make a plan to walk in obedience in this area, trusting God to sustain you. Consider sharing your plan with a trusted sister in Christ and invite her to check in with you about how you are following through.

3) When all we know is death, we can grow comfortable in the filth and stench of our own decay. Death feels like the inevitable pattern until we see the alternative. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-22 we were dead in our sins. But God, rich in mercy, made a way for us to be alive in Him. If you have believed in Christ, you are no longer a slave to the old, dead ways of living. You are alive in Christ! Rebecca challenges us to remember we are alive and then to live like we’re alive. Echoing her final thoughts, take some time to consider, and write down, answers to the following questions. Who can you love better? What is a tangible step you can take today to love God with your life? Is there a relationship in your life where unity is broken; what is a first step you can take toward reconciliation? Are you honoring the people closest to you? Ask God to help you take meaningful steps toward living like you are alive. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to share with someone in your life about how God has brought you out of death and into life.

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 Ephesians 1:17-19 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of His strength.

Prayer Journal
Oh great and merciful Father, how can it be that You would love me? I cannot fathom the depths of love You have shown Your people by making us Your dwelling place. You are not a God who is far off, watching at a distance. You are a God who is nearby, providing for Your children, displaying Your great power in our lives. I admit I have often learned facts about You simply to increase my own knowledge. Forgive me of my pride, and use the knowledge I have found to enlighten my heart and draw me into a deeper relationship with You. I know I often live in my brokenness, forgetting the power of the truth of my new life in You. Help me to be aware of my sin, to recoil at my old desires, and to truly live in such a way that reflects the power You have in my life. Thank You for Your great mercy in setting me free from my past. Help me to grow in my intimate knowledge of You and Your great love for me. As I grow in unity with You, help me also to grow in unity with Your Body, the Church.

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

Calling Day 5 Living Love Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
John 5:24-29

Calling, Day 5

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
(Ephesians 2:1)

This is not the way to start a love story.

Declaration of one’s death isn’t winsome or sweet, inciting feelings of depth and happiness. Unbidden, news of death reminds us of our own mortality, or experiences of walking the grievous pathways of heartbreaking, tragic loss.

A vibrant family diagnosed with two cases of brain cancer within months of each other makes me consider how fleeting and unexpected our lives are.

A fatal shooting of a 5-year-old on the news brings to mind images of my own precious 5-year-old, alive and well, but I’m haunted by “what if.”

My wonderful friend’s 2-month-old daughter is found lifeless in her crib, and my arms ache for the babe I carried inside, but never held outside my body.

death.
destruction.
fear.
impenetrable pain.
desperately alone.
death.

Here, in this setting of closed curtains and covered graveyards, Paul inhales deeply and pens to the Ephesians, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Sin feels easy, even as if it’s the only real pattern for life.

Gossip. Anger. Bitterness. Lies. Manipulation. Disrespect. Sharp words. Silent treatment. Lust. Pride. And so, the litany of our pattern for life continues gushing from us like a spring of poison.

Dead.

We have already been rendered deceased, by the very alive God, the moment we sinned.
Our sins chain us to our own cemeteries.

Dead.

In vast deception, we love our death.
We crave it.
We want more of it.

We move through our everyday completely oblivious to our own death stench, unaware of the emptiness of our actions as we chase incessantly after our lusts, our control, and our everything. (Ephesians 2:2-3)

However, a deception, no matter how hauntingly insidious, never negates the truth.

We were already dead,
and we deserved to stay there because of our illustrious love affair with sin.

But God loved us.
But God was merciful to us.
But God, intently focused on bringing dead things to life,
held
out
life
to
the
already
dead.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, 
because of His great love that He had for us,
made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.
You are saved by grace!”
(Ephesians 2:4-5)

In the face of our rebellion and hearts that shunned Him, the Light of Life gave of Himself in such costly, glorious magnificence, we are left with only two ridiculously simple choices.
Life or Death.

Jesus Christ, wholly God, wrapped Himself in the frailty of human flesh, submitted Himself to the vast array of human emotion and devious temptation to live for Himself; yet from His first breath of oxygen as a tiny babe to His final, ragged gasp on a criminal’s cross, He was perfect.

He did what we never could because we are chained to sin, while He was free.

He lived sinless. Wholly without a single lustful thought, one self-centered angry word, or any other hint of sin. Then, with more humility than I can possibly conceive, He lowered Himself even more and willingly placed Himself under the punishment for sin that we deserve!

In His death, He took on our sin, and suffered the consequence of being an outcast from the presence of God.

death.
destruction.
fear.
impenetrable pain.
desperately alone.
death.

Lifeless, He lay in a borrowed tomb for three days, until, at just the right time, His cold limbs grew warm, His chest rose and fell, His pulse began to beat rhythmically, and His dead eyes opened.
Death had been defeated!

And so, Paul’s ominous entrance unfolds, indeed, to the greatest love story ever told.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. (…)
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love that He had for us,
made us alive with Christ”

Alive so that, miraculously, these once-dead-hearts now beat in tandem to the heart of God. (Ephesians 2:6)
Alive so that, unfathomably, God might continue to display His vast, magnificent love towards us with all richness in the eternity stretching out before us. (Ephesians 2:7)
Alive so that, astoundingly, we can walk into a new life filled to the brim with purpose and divine intention. (Ephesians 2:10)

Awakened to life, real life.

But since we have a tendency to forget this lavish gift was either once given, daily made new, or ever extended in the first place, the apostle implores, “So, then, remember….” (Ephesians 2:11)

Remember, you who have been made new and alive, remember what it was like to be dead.
Remember the destruction, the fear, the impenetrable pain, the desperate loneliness.
Remember what it was like to walk around faking life while you were dead.

Let that remembrance embolden you to live like you’re alive!

Love one another.
Love the God who set you free.
Fight for unity in your relationships, your families, and your churches.
Honor one another before yourselves.
And share this glorious gospel goodness with others who are dead, just as you once were!
May our everyday lives be living love story testimonies of the God who brings life from death!

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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 Calling Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Ten Day 10 A Love That Honors

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-17
1 John 4:7-21
Psalm 136
2 Peter 1:1-11
Matthew 5:13-20

Ten, Day 10

The email started with a simple question,
“Did you attend Marquette University in the early to mid 80s?”

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Then I realized it was an old flame from college. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but thought he might be working through a twelve-step program, so I confirmed my identity.
The next email started with compliments and ended with the real question.
“I know you’re married, and so am I, but is it possible for us to talk?”

I’m not going to lie. I was tempted for a moment. But in the end, I responded, “No, it would be disrespectful to both our spouses.” And that was that.
Events easily could have taken a different path.
Because I value my relationship with God, there was no alternate ending.

Exodus 20:14 is a command straight from God,
“Do not commit adultery.”

It’s from a set of ten God gave to the Israelites through Moses. But they weren’t just rules to act like bumpers on a bowling lane. They weren’t meant to be an “am I holy?” checklist.

Because, you see, we cannot keep the commandments.
We’re not righteous enough to live a perfect life.

Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And in the Old Testament, Psalm 14:3 tells us there is not even one person who does good.

So why did God give us commandments we are doomed to break, you might ask?

Quite simply, because He loves us.
1 John 4:10 explains, “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

He wasn’t acting on a mean-spirited desire to set us up for failure. Since Adam and Eve’s first sin, He had been separated from His precious children, and He was heartbroken.

So He planned to sacrifice His very self to give us a way back into relationship with Him . . . but this way back is dependent upon our recognition of our sin, repentance, and embrace of Jesus as our Savior.

By giving us ten commandments simultaneously reflecting His holy character and highlighting our sin,
He was helping us understand our need for a Savior.

Next, let’s explore what God reveals about His character by identifying adultery as a sin.

First, He is faithful.
Avoiding adultery means to remain faithful.
And what is God, if not faithful?

Psalm 136 repeats “His faithful love endures forever” twenty-six times as it recounts God’s wondrous creation and His consistent protection of, and provision for, His people, despite their repeated disobedience, failures, and abandonment of their Creator and Rescuer.

In fact, Judges and 1 and 2 Kings tell a dismal story of the countless times the Israelites disobeyed God or chased other gods. Yet God always saved them, because of His faithfulness and in spite of their unfaithfulness.

Scripture tells us that no matter what we do, no matter what happens, God loves us.
Why?
Because “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Marriage is a covenant promise. By asking us to keep our promise to another human being, God was demonstrating that He is a promise-keeper. (See for yourself! Check out Joshua 21:45, Number 23:19, and Ezekiel 12:28)

God wants the world to know He is a faithful, loving, promise-keeping God; therefore, He instructs us to reflect His character in our relationships by abhorring adultery.

It’s important for believers to adhere to this command,
because if we won’t honor the relationship with our spouse, whom we can see and touch,
how well will we honor our relationships with God, Whom we cannot see or touch?

When we do follow His command, our marriages become a reflection of Who God is and how He wants to love the world. We become a shining light in a world dark with sexual sin and broken promises. Matthew 5:16 says when our light shines, the world sees and gives glory to God. What an honor!

Are you familiar with the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39? She was doing all she could to commit adultery. But Joseph would not oblige her.

In recounting all Potiphar had given him, Joseph asked, “So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”. (Genesis 39:9) Joseph understood that to commit sexual sin was to hurt the heart of God.

And he was right. When we honor God, and express our love for Him by following His commands, our actions speak louder than any words we could say.

So, let’s change our perspective on the commandments as a whole, and the command regarding adultery in particular. Let’s shift our focus from ourselves to leading lives that honor God, in order to share His character, His love, and His sacrifice with the world.

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Ten Day 6 Family On Purpose

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:12
Genesis 1:1-2:3
Leviticus 19:9-37
Ephesians 6:2-3

Ten, Day 6

Dread knotted in my stomach.

I had done it.
I was sure my parents would not only find out, but also be disappointed.

I had chosen to do what my foolish little girl brain wanted, instead of listening to my parents’ request. I didn’t honor them with my choice, and guilt mixed with remorse was coming on hot and heavy.

I was probably 10 years old when I decided to sneak into the garage refrigerator after dinner one night. It was the spare fridge, the one Mom used when preparing for company.

I took a spoon to my favorite dessert, Éclair Cake, and thought I could get away with helping myself to a few more bites. Somehow though, when I was putting it away, the pan flipped upside down. Even with the lid on, the dessert was ruined. There was no way to keep my secret now. Mom would undoubtedly realize a little snitch had been to her dessert.

You see, Mom and Dad had some rules. There were four of us kids at home. Left to our own devices, we could create lots of chaos. Therefore, the ‘rents had some parameters for us to live within, which allowed our house to have order, stability, and certainty. In their parental wisdom, they demonstrated their love for us by maintaining boundaries.

The Lord our God also has rules and parameters for us, His children.

As we journey through the Ten Commandments, we first see a list of rules. However, if we look a bit closer, we realize what seems to be a list of dos and don’ts is actually a reflection of God’s character. 

“Honor your father and mother so you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

God created the world in a specific order. (Genesis 1:1-2:3) He put in different systems to maintain this order. (Genesis 1:26-30) The Levitical law shows us God doesn’t act on a whim, but has a plan and a purpose for even the smallest part of our lives. (Leviticus 19:9-37)

Returning to Exodus, we see the family unit has order and purpose.
And we learn our God is a God of order and purpose.

Nothing Creator God does is wasted. His actions were purposeful in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in our lives now. He holds the systems of this world in His mighty hand and works things together for our good.

Life often seems chaotic and confusing. Bad things happen, loved ones become terminally ill, senseless murder continues. Our finances crumble, our children don’t make wise choices, we need to retire before we had planned. Where is order and purpose?

David, the Psalmist, wrestled with similar troubles. He wrote, “Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck.” (Psalm 69:1)

Yet, by Psalm 71, David was able to declare, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you because you have redeemed me.”

David recognized God was using the overwhelming parts of his life to draw him near. God was redeeming the mountains of challenges David had climbed throughout his life by giving them beautiful purpose. 

Where have you felt the flood waters rising?
When have you experienced the Loving Father’s redemption?

Just as a loving parent has rules in place for the good of their children, God gives us parameters to guide us. When we honor our earthly parents, we honor our Heavenly Father. He loves us perfectly and completely; He knows what we need and how we may stumble. Honoring our parents is a command we can take hold of, trusting the Lord is creating order and fulfilling purpose.

{Let’s talk for a moment about parents who are harming their children. Make no mistake: honoring our parents does not mean submitting to abuse. If you are currently being abused at home, you can reach out here (nationally) or here (locally in KCMO). We, the collective church, support you, even if your abusers are Christians. Even if they’re involved in ministry. Even if they’re pastoring your church. God is not asking you to stay in harm’s way.}

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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