The GT Weekend! ~ Waiting Week 2

October 16, 2021 by Erin O'Neal Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) The story of God’s people is one full of waiting and watching. From Adam and Eve, to Abraham and Sarah, to David and the prophets, nearly everyone in Scripture waits for the Lord to work. Often the stories we read show us our own human nature of waiting poorly. In the waiting, our doubts and our sin so easily ensnare us. Not only that, but we get so caught up in our day-to-day trials, we forget to look for the work God is doing. What are you waiting for? How are you living as you wait? Is your mind caught up with fretting about the thing you are waiting for and how to ensure it arrives? Or do you distract yourself so you won’t even think about it. Spend some time in self-reflection. Confess the ways you are waiting poorly, and ask God to give you a steadfast hope in His good timing. Meditate on the truth of God’s faithfulness by writing out Psalm 13 and praying it aloud to God as you write.

2) As we wait on the Lord, we will inevitably face questions and doubts. Will God keep His promises? Am I hearing Him correctly? Can I trust Him? Maybe we will discover that what we thought we were waiting for was not, in fact, God’s plan for us. Maybe we will find that the time we spent waiting has changed both us and our desires. Are you willing to put your trust in the all-knowing all-powerful God who has promised that all things will work for the good of those who love Him? What hopes and dreams are you holding onto? Where are you questioning God’s goodness? How are you anxious about the future? Can you submit those dreams, questions, and fears to almighty God? How has He shown Himself faithful to you before? God tells His people time and time again to remember His faithfulness. Take some time to look back today on how the Lord has been present. Remember the goodness God has shown you in the past, and submit to His will for your present and your future. Remember Him in the waiting.

3) In Friday’s journey, we considered the rich tapestry of history God has woven by His good will, and continues to work until the end of time. Sarah reminded us that while we see the messy underside and crisscrossed threads that don’t make sense to us, God sees the big picture. This image resonated with me as a person who enjoys crafting. I can’t tell you how many times I have re-started a crochet project because something didn’t look right, or because I hadn’t read the instructions properly, or because I was confused. Praise God He knows what He is doing from eternity past to eternity future; He never needs to unravel the work He has begun. Do you trust that God’s timing is perfect and abundantly more merciful and good than we can imagine? Do you trust He knows what He is doing, even when we don’t? Consider the works of your hands. Perhaps you sew or crochet, maybe you paint or write, or maybe you are an expert home organizer (can you share some of that skill with me?!). Often our projects start messy and get worse before they get better. As you do your work today, consider the great plan God has for all of history and entrust to His care all of your hopes, dreams, and desires. Ask Him to sustain you in all things.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Isaiah 40:28-31a back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the whole earth.
He never becomes faint or weary;
There is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the powerless.
Youths may become faint and weary,
And young men stumble and fall,
But those who trust in the Lord
Will renew their strength…

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our Hope in times of trouble, our Grace in times of restless waiting. You give us rest for our souls. You give us security in Your completed work. You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and we trust You. My sight is limited, my knowledge incomplete, but You, oh God, have a good plan. Help me to trust You when my faith grows weak. Forgive me for my tendency to doubt and attempts to fix everything myself. Forgive me, and strengthen me, for Your great glory. Father, I commit to You my every step. My future is in Your hands, and I rest securely, knowing You will do what You have said. Help me to be bold in my faith, proclaiming Your goodness to a lost and broken world. May my life show Your good will to those around me: my children, my neighbors, my church, and my community. May my life be a testimony to Your great faithfulness.

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

Waiting Day 9 The Anticipated Gift: Digging Deeper

October 14, 2021 by Michelle Promise Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Anticipated Gift!

The Questions

1) How did Simeon move as the Spirit spoke? (Luke 2:25-27)

2) Where did people find what they were waiting, in anticipation, for? (Luke 2:21-38)

3) What can we learn about prayer and fasting from Anna? (Luke 2:37-38)

Luke 2:21-37

21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons).

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,

29 Now, Master,
you can dismiss your servant in peace,
as you promised.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and glory to your people Israel.

33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.

Original Intent

1) How did Simeon move as the Spirit spoke? (Luke 2:25-27)
Simeon was a righteous and devout man. He spent time reading the Scriptures. Simeon devoted himself to the disciplines of the Christian faith; reading the Word, keeping its commands and spending time being obedient to what he read. As Simeon was going about his normal day being faithful, the Holy Spirit came upon him and gave him a specific command. He had accustomed himself to the rhythm of hearing from the Lord and was ready to obey, which he immediately did. Simeon lived in the rhythm of trusting obedience and daily discovered anew the sweet delights of God.

2) Where did people find what they were waiting, in anticipation, for? (Luke 2:21-38)
Both Simeon and Anna found the long-awaited Messiah and physically laid their eyes upon His face. Many others around them were also waiting for this very same Messiah but refused to believe Jesus was who He claimed to be. Their waiting had not been focused on receiving God, but rather on gaining political control or rescue from governing authorities. God Himself is the great reward for all who seek Him (Genesis 15:1); Simeon and Anna were given the gift of seeing the Christ because their spiritual eyes were attuned upwards. Therefore, they saw the gift that came from heaven. Simeon spent time reading the Scriptures, Anna spent her days in the temple serving the Lord. They were faithful servants going about their daily routines. The eyes of their heart were focused on things above and not distracted by things of this earth. (Colossians 3:2) It’s no surprise they were the ones to catch the significance of baby Jesus’ entrance to the temple area as God’s Spirit led them along.

3) What can we learn about prayer and fasting from Anna? (Luke 2:37-38)
Anna was committed to her Yahweh. She knew from the Scriptures that One coming would save Jerusalem from her many sins against the Holy God. She knew when to come in her temple work and meet Baby Jesus because she spent committed amounts of time before the Throne of Grace in prayer and worship. The way she tied to the word of God to herself in life harkens back to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them (…) Talk about them (…) Bind them as a sign on your hand (…) Write them on the doorposts of your house…”. She practiced the disciplines of the faith, including prayer and fasting, not as a religious requirement but as lifeblood. She had learned to feast on the delicacies of God’s Word and was satisfied. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

Everyday Application

1) How did Simeon move as the Spirit spoke? (Luke 2:25-27)
Simeon displayed a close connection to the Father, an abiding in his Abba. Scripture teaches this practice as an important, guiding principle. We stay close to the Father; He speaks to us through the Spirit, and we obey. It sounds so simple but often it feels overwhelming and monumental to maintain this rhythm of life. Believers often wonder how to “hear from God”, but it isn’t mystical. It is found in the pattern of consistently submitting ourselves to reading His word and speaking with Him in prayer. As we tune our hearts to listening and following, He speaks in a voice our souls respond toward because His Spirit is dwelling within us. (1 Corinthians 3:16, Galatians 4:6) Our human sinful inclination longs for control. The first sin came from asking, “Is that what God really said?” (Genesis 3:1-4) When we begin asking these questions about our situation and God’s authority, our hearts become hardened and it becomes difficult to hear from the Lord. Spend some time today reflecting on when you’ve been guilty of taking back control of a situation. Confess, repent, and rest in His forgiveness and grace. Choose again to submit yourself to listening and learning from the living and active Word of God through His Spirit. (Hebrews 4:12)

2) Where did people find what they were waiting, in anticipation, for? (Luke 2:21-38)
The intimacy we see in the brief narratives of Simeon and Anna with God can embolden our own hearts. We can know with confidence that the Lord will speak to us and use us at any time of day as we surrender ourselves to Him completely. Some of us may be called into full time ministry, but for all of us, our call is to follow the Spirit’s lead in our lives as we move through our everyday moments. Everyone who has called upon Jesus for rescue and given up control of their lives to His lordship are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in the normal things of life. The beauty of this situation is that our Lord takes the mundane everyday things and transforms them into something incredibly special.

3) What can we learn about prayer and fasting from Anna? (Luke 2:37-38)
If we say we are serious about our faith, our lives should reflect it. We should be binding His words on our hands and doorposts. There’s no need to be pretentious while doing this, but genuine devotion to the Lord is needed! Prayer and fasting are powerful tools to help us surrender control and learn how to trust the Lord since the Spirit is leading and guiding our time fasting instead of our fleshly desires. If you’ve never fasted before, here are a few tips. 1) Be Alert The enemy hates your choice to fast and be so intentional with your time in committing to the Lord. He will try to distract you and make it seem like you can’t continue. You can. Lean into the Holy Spirit and don’t do it on your power. This is a spiritual battle, stay alert in it. (1 Peter 5:8-9) 2) Be Emptied We can fast from anything; food, social media, chocolate, but the goal is to give up something you will tangibly miss, feeling its absence, so you are reminded to pray. I recommend fasting from food unless you have a medical situation preventing you. 3) Be Teachable Fasting is something to grow into and learn from others and the Spirit as you go, so be flexible as you go. Start small to be successful. If you’re fasting from food and have never done it before, start with one meal. Be successful in that and grow into a full day fast. The Lord isn’t looking for lip service, He wants our hearts. Give Him yours today!

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Waiting Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Waiting Day 8 The Anticipated Gift

October 13, 2021 by Sara Cissell Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 2:21-38
Isaiah 55:8-11
Psalm 62:1-12
Psalm 25:1-22

Waiting, Day 8

Oh, the very goodness and faithfulness of the Lord!
Check in on how your heart responds to that phrase.

Celebratory? Enthused? Encouraged?
Or, perhaps, this Journey Study comes to you in a season where that sentence feels so very far from the truth. A season of waiting…maybe more accurately, painful waiting.

A season where more questions fall from your lips than victory cheers.
Where are You, Lord?
Why did You give this to me?
Why did You take this away?

Regardless of heart motives, I’m so thankful our “why” questions are embraced by God; He faithfully draws us close in our questioning. Still, nowhere in Scripture does He promise to reply in the manner we might hope.

Yet, even in this space of unknowns, we can praise the God who carries us through our uncertain seasons of waiting as He actively works to soothe our fears and cultivate our faith. His strength is endless, His power limitless, and His pen authors the best stories every single time.

Waiting is a vital part of any story.
How we choose to wait often determines the level of joy contained throughout our journey and, in many cases, it impacts the story’s end. Such was the case for Anna and Simeon, two faithful saints of the Lord who demonstrated faith-filled waiting. Though the waiting period yawned before them, they fixed their gaze on the unchanging Yahweh, Lord of All. They daily sought His presence, choosing to dwell with Him instead of the land of fear and doubt.

Anna and Simeon waited for the long-ago-promised Messiah. Finally, on a seemingly ordinary day, as they sat again in the Lord’s presence at the temple, their faith was turned into sight as they beheld the infant face of Christ Jesus. They beheld the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord God wrapped in wrinkly days-old skin.

Precisely because they had spent their waiting in worship,
they were familiar with the Spirit’s pressing.
Finally, here was the goal of their faithful waiting.

Though the whole nation of Israel had waited centuries, they missed the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise. They neither welcomed the wee Christ, nor did they worship as He performed miracles and declared Himself to be the Messiah. Israel waited, just as Simeon and Anna had, but the difference was their “how”.

Israel sought a king they could control; one who would fulfill their expectations.
The humble in heart welcomed the King they already worshipping while they waited.

Like Israel, like Simeon and Anna, we each can choose how we wait in our seasons of mystery, pain, and seeming endlessness. Will we focus our hearts more on receiving the promise or on worshipping the Promise Keeper?

Though I have much to still learn about waiting well, over many seasons of waiting, the Lord has faithfully taught my heart to worship in the waiting; He has shown me the joy to be discovered if we wait on Him.

I had been single for several years and sensed the Lord leading me to a specific man as my future husband. In a story that would take far longer than I could recount here, the Lord walked me through years of listening and obeying; these became my praise to Him. I continued praying for this man, and many fellow Christians prayed alongside me, until finally I asked the Lord for a clear answer the next time the two of us interacted. When I saw him again, I mentioned an interest in getting coffee, but he didn’t set up a date. As we turned to go, he exited through one door, and I turned towards a glass one, but realized too late that it was a pull exit instead of a push door. I walked full force into the see-through glass, but instead of feeling humiliation at my clumsiness and grief over losing this man, laughter bubbled out. After years of waiting and praying, I found myself filled with joy and laughter.

I had waited well, and the evidence was the Lord’s joy showing up against all odds. The outcome wasn’t what I had envisioned, but the Lord had given me the same gift He had given to Anna and Simeon and all who waited for the Messiah with humility, Himself.

In that specific season I had learned to know His voice better and lay my plans at His feet. I wonder how often Anna or Simeon doubted the Lord would show Himself to them as they waited, yet still, they came to Him each day at the temple, expectantly waiting with open hands to receive whatever He had for them.
These were sacrifices of praise.

I’m now married, with a little one on the way, to a man the Lord had been preparing for me all along. As I feel tiny kicks inside, I am reminded again that the Lord writes the best stories. His storyline taught my heart to trust and worship Him regardless of plot twists. He was faithful to Simeon, Anna, and even to Israel, though they rejected Him, and He continues to be faithful to all who humbly seek Him.

Delight yourself in the Promise Keeper, Sister.
Learn the rhythm of worshipping while you wait and joyfully discover His faithful goodness that will never fail!

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

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 Waiting 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 Waiting!

Waiting Day 3 Valuable Lessons

October 6, 2021 by Lesley Crawford 8 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 24:1-22
Psalm 13
Romans 5:3-5

Waiting, Day 3

As David hid in the darkness at the back of the cave, it must have seemed like the perfect opportunity. His enemy was alone and unarmed.

With the whispers of his men urging him forward, David crept behind the unsuspecting Saul. For years, Saul’s jealousy drove him to relentlessly pursue David, seeking to kill him.

Surely, this was the moment to finally put a stop to it.

What’s more, the prophet Samuel had anointed David as king, and yet, years later, Saul remained on the throne.
Surely, this was the ideal opportunity for David to claim his destiny.

But, to the surprise of his men, while David cut a piece from Saul’s robe, he chose not to harm the man himself. He knew this was not God’s way.

This was not how waiting was supposed to end.

David had plenty of practice at waiting. From the day he was unexpectedly marked out as the future king, he waited approximately fifteen years until he was finally crowned.

We may question why.
Why did God make him wait so long?
Was there any purpose behind the delay?

It’s common to ask similar questions in our own times of waiting. It can feel as if God has forgotten us, and we wonder why He is making us wait.

David’s story encourages us to see there are valuable lessons to be learned during times of waiting. Delay is not merely something to endure, but a time God can use.

Often God has to first work in us, building our character, so He can later work through us. We certainly see this truth reflected in David’s story.

David’s anointing was not something he had sought or expected. He was not of royal birth, and he was the most unlikely choice as the youngest of eight brothers. Though often disregarded by his brothers, God looked at his heart, knew his potential, and chose David.

Straight after his anointing, we see David learn humility and service. While he knew he would one day be king, he was first called into service of the current king, Saul, working for him as musician, armour bearer, and later, an army commander. He showed great loyalty and respect to Saul, even as Saul’s behaviour became increasingly unreasonable and angry.

We see David learn to trust in God and His power. He had already learned this as a shepherd boy when God helped him fight off bears and lions attacking his flock. This gave him the confidence to tackle the giant Goliath, and that remarkable victory must have boosted his faith even more.

This faith was surely tested as Saul’s jealousy grew, leading him to attempt to kill David on multiple occasions. David must have wondered why waiting on the Lord was so hard. But we also see a remarkable trust that God was still sovereign and, in the midst of the seeming chaos, He had a plan.

This is shown in David’s words to the king of Moab as he asks if his parents can find refuge there, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” (1 Samuel 22:3)

He didn’t yet know what God would do, but he trusted God would do something, and that God was still for him.

We also see David grow in integrity, continuing to strive to behave well towards Saul and respect his position as king instead of retaliating in anger, as shown by the choice he made in the cave.

In his refusal to take matters into his own hands, we see his trust in God’s timing. He knew God’s plan would prevail, and becoming king was not something he had to make happen by himself.

“As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him [Saul] down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. However, as the Lord, is my witness, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (1 Samuel 26:10-11)

Finally, the obvious lesson to learn in a time of waiting is patience, and David certainly had plenty of opportunity to develop this.

It may be encouraging in our times of waiting to know that while David waited well and learned a lot along the way, he didn’t always find waiting easy.

The specific situation Psalm 13 references is unclear, but it is a helpful example for us of a prayer in a time of waiting. Four times David asks, “How long?” as he wrestles with the wait, but the Psalm ends on a mark of hope as he chooses to trust God’s goodness.

Maybe this is the key to waiting well.
We can trust God’s character even when we can’t understand our circumstances, holding onto the sure hope He is still working even when we struggle to see how. Ultimately, we can trust that, in His own perfect timing, His purposes will prevail.

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Alive Day 5 Dead To Me

September 17, 2021 by Sarah Afan Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:10-13
Colossians 2:4-14
Colossians 3:1-11
Romans 5:6-11

Alive, Day 5

“Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

“So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:10-13)

After reading these verses, we might wonder what it means to be “dead to sin, but alive because of righteousness”. The Apostle Paul is charging us not to live according to the flesh anymore. If we do, this amounts to death for us; but, if by the Spirit, we put sin to death, we would live.

How can one be both dead and alive?

When it comes to questions in Scripture, other passages help us find the right answer. According to Romans 5:12,
“sin entered the world through one man,
and death through sin,
in this way death spread to all people,
because all sinned.”

As a result of our corruption by sin, our physical bodies are frail, mortal, and short-lived.
In our natural state, we are “owned” by Sin. We are “alive” to Sin and it’s torment, which makes us “dead” to Christ and the true life that flows from God.

Our bodies are limited by death:
“And just as it is appointed for people to die once” (Hebrews 9:27).
This means, if our physical bodies die on earth without having the spiritual Life of Jesus breathing inside of us, we will forever be separated from Life in God. We will have “died once”, and for the rest of eternity, we will perpetually experience the full, un-ending wrath of God with broken bodies and all of our consciousness intact.
We will never again have the opportunity to be “alive” in righteousness.

But the Spirit who lives in all who trust Jesus will bring to life our mortal bodies,
just as Christ was raised from the dead. (Romans 8:11)

Here is the good news of Jesus!
Christ came to “kill” Sin and Death forever,
offering us to “come alive” with the abundance only He gives!
In the Life of Jesus, we too can be “dead to sin” and made “alive in righteousness”.

However, God’s gift of life in the Spirit does not bring instant, automatic change in our everyday lives. The transformation of our once-sin-loving character to reflect the righteous character of God is a continuous life-long process. The Holy Spirit needs our cooperation, in the form of obedience to His leadership. While the Holy Spirit gives us life, we must also yield to Him as He transforms us to the likeness of Christ, day by day.

Therefore, we must continually remain dead to sin (also called the desires of the flesh) by following the Holy Spirit as He guides us into righteous living. We are not to subject ourselves to sin anymore, for “He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14)

Jesus freed us from the eternal and unpayable debt of our sin; how foolish then would we be to rip that certificate from the blood-stained wood of the cross and embrace it once again, by continuing to pursue sin?!
We may fall into temptation, but this habitual pattern of death no longer needs to control us.

For if we neglect the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and return to lives dominated by following our human, rebellious nature, we would die spiritually.

The Lord Jesus said anyone who does not remain in Him is like a branch cut off from the vine; it withers. That branch is good only for burning. (John 15:6)
“For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgement and the fury of fire about to consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26)

We harm ourselves if we abandon the work of the Spirit within us, knowingly and volitionally becoming slaves to sin once again.

We must put to death the desires of the flesh (meaning sin) through the Spirit, for — hear me, sisters — we cannot conquer sin on our own!
Instead, we should “walk by the Spirit and you
will certainly not carry out
the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Walking by the Spirit means “to present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1) In obeying the Spirit, we “take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of truth.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

We “put on the new self” by constantly reminding ourselves we have died to sin.
We must always weigh our thoughts against the Word, and allow them to be refined by Truth. When sin threatens to rule us again, we remind ourselves we are new in Jesus and the old Sin Master is gone! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Surely, by the Spirit, we will put to death our sinful desires, and live in the rich abundance of Jesus’ Life!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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

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

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