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quiet time

Sketched VII Day 1 Being His

March 9, 2020 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 5:1-15
Exodus 3:1-15
Isaiah 43:1-7

Sketched VII, Day 1

It was January of 2016.
My heart was learning to love Jesus more each day, but the road was full of potholes with a constant up and down scaling of mountainous terrain. My marriage of 14 years was equally as roller-coaster-like. We still hadn’t found a rhythm of love and communication since walking down the aisle, giving birth to 6 children, and holding the ashes of our baby.

I loved writing with a passion so great it hurt my heart not to write, but again, I couldn’t find the rhythm to do what I dreamed. Kids, babies, laundry, dishes, homeschooling, church, marriage, tension, h a r d.

Raw footage from my journal in December of 2015…
So now, I’m curling into bed in the room where we’ve spent the last 52+ hours fighting.
Lost.
Alone.
Unknown.
Feeling as if I’ve aged 10 years in 2 days.

Tomorrow will come. I just don’t know how to face it.
how to look in their eyes.
how to look at the mess
in the kitchen
in our marriage
how to fix any of it…

Backing up farther to November of 2014, my marriage thick with perpetual conflict, God whispered, calling me to know Him better. Deeper. Every Single Day.
I had emphasized to others about regular, daily quiet time with God for years, but I was terribly inconsistent myself. A couple days here followed by weeks without reading my Bible. I blamed it on everyone and everything else except me. God called me out of my aimlessness, asking if I truly wanted to follow.

Did I?
Did I really want to follow Jesus?

His Spirit moved my heart to YES, so with blank journal pages before me and Bible open, I tentatively stepped forward in surrender.
Every Day. No more room for apathy.

It was horribly awkward at first, but inexplicably, as days turned to weeks and months, the Lord became everything to me. I was alive, despite the brokenness around me. It thrilled me! A few weeks in, the Lord’s voice came again, “Pray for your husband and write it down, every day.” I remember the moment clearly, and my heart seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for God to recant. Of course, He didn’t, He only waited for my response.

Would I follow?
Did I even want to say yes?

Before I could begin telling God why I couldn’t, the Spirit within me moved me to YES. I opened a new journal, hesitant at first, writing casual and surface-level prayers, until the Spirit groaned within me, urging my heart into full transparency as I interceded on behalf of my husband, and asking God to change my heart.

I tell you these backstories because it would be easy to begin sharing stories of how God has used Gracefully Truthful to reach women, to encourage them, and to bring about depth and intimacy in their relationship with God.

In the telling, it could look like I had made this happen.
But, I did not.
I know the truth.
I know this journey, this ministry, is not, nor has it ever been, about me.
Because I am utterly broken without my Savior.

Even my Yes to follow has always been an act of God from inside me.

January 2016.
Disarray everywhere.
With the one exception of that solid ground space in my heart where
Jesus had become more necessary than breathing,
Here, Lord asked if I would follow again.

It came in a rush of ideas and dreams.
It was well after midnight and I was still jotting down ideas of what this next step could be as I huddled under blankets in my bed. My heart beat wildly as the Spirit leapt within me, opening my eyes to next steps. Journey Studies, women studying the Bible for themselves, truth being discovered and lived out, the Spirit calling women to life from the grave, equipping women, holding out the life of Scripture with gut-honest transparency, redemption stories, living in biblical community, and the thoughts kept spinning.

The next day, I pulled in three of my closest friends and asked if they would be in for this crazy ride, wherever it led and whatever it meant. They prayed with me, they gave wise counsel, we held hands, and when God asked if we would follow, He had already prepared our YES.

Saying yes isn’t glamorous.
And it really, truly isn’t about us.
It’s about obedient surrender.

Saying yes to following Jesus will always, always come with a price.
This particular yes has cost my countless nights of sleep, evenings lazily watching TV, precious time with my children, and space for hundreds of other activities. This follow has brought me to tears and frustration, tension in my marriage, and so many moments of wanting to walk away.

It has also cost me my apathy.
While following Jesus will always require sacrifice, it will also burn up the impurities in your life you never even recognized.
This is perhaps, God’s greatest goal in asking for our yes, because it means we will become more like Jesus in the process, bringing Him more glory.

With the apostle Paul, let it be said of me,
Since I know what it is to fear the Lord, I am trying to persuade you to follow Him as well. What I am on the inside is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to you.
I am nothing without Christ.
I am not commending myself to you, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of God’s work in me. For if I am out of my mind, it is for God. It is Christ’s love that is compelling me to follow Him because I know this above all else: Because Jesus died for all, all those who are alive should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised to give them life.
(2 Corinthians 5:11-15, my paraphrase)

Let my story urge you forward, Daughter of the Most High.
Not into doing great things for God, but for being a delighted over daughter as you enjoy His presence. In that precious place, His own Spirit will teach you to follow,
and to rest while you trust Him in your obedience.

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VII Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Posted in: Called, Daughter, Deep, Follow, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lost, Love, Relationship, Sketched Tagged: alone, being, calling, change, delight, heart, His, intimacy, known, quiet time

Dwell Day 14 Quiet What: Digging Deeper

October 18, 2018 by Rebecca Adams 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 Quiet What?!

The Questions

1) What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ pace of life?

2) Why did the author record such details about when and where and how Jesus prayed?

3) What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ purpose?

Mark 1:35-38

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying. 36 Simon and his companions searched for him, 37 and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

38 And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”

Original Intent

1) What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ pace of life?
Quite a bit is packed into these few words. This tiny snapshot of Christ’s life compels us to slow down and linger here as we study Him. Jesus lived on earth for approximately 33 years and, as John records, He filled those years with so many things that “not even the world itself could contain the books that could be written” about Jesus. (John 21:25) Curious then, isn’t it, that Mark, who wrote the shortest gospel about Jesus, chose to record this small, seemingly meaningless detail. Then again Mark records a similar scenario in Mark 6:31-32. Mark was a disciple who walked with Jesus day in and day out for 3 years, he had a front row seat to watch the Messiah in the flesh respond to a million different scenarios. Mark knew Christ’s character, and he knew that this habit Jesus had of getting up early, and going away to a desolate place was critical. This was as much a natural routine for Jesus as it was for Him to breath, wake, and sleep. Getting away to pray was simply how Jesus functioned.

2) Why did the author record such details about when and where and how Jesus prayed?
First, Jesus was exceedingly intentional. Mark makes a point of telling us how crazy early it was when Jesus set out to pray. Don’t get side-tracked with the time of day, focus instead on His persistent intentionality. Everyone knows it isn’t easy to get up in the morning, let alone get up “extra” early to pray. Everything inside of us screams “warm beds and soft pillows”. But Jesus wasn’t going for comfort, it was simply more valuable to meet with God than it was to sleep longer. Second, Jesus “got up”. He didn’t lay on his mat and make a semi-half-asleep attempt to pray, He physically got up and went out; Jesus had to wake up and become alert before He could be fully present. Third, He “made His way to a deserted place”. He was purposed in having a specific location in mind. Specific time, intentional preparation, planned location. Fourth, He prayed. This is the obvious part, right? But Mark still includes it. Jesus set the time, prepared for worship, set out a spot, and followed through in connecting through prayer.

3) What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ purpose?
When the disciples approached him, crowds had already begun to gather. “Everyone is looking for you”, they said. Regardless of the peoples’ plan, Jesus had intentional purpose for His ministry plans that day, just as He did for His prayer time. Jesus responded with, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too.” His daily life was purposefully directed because He had met with God as His first priority.

Everyday Application

1) What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ pace of life?
Jesus had people looking for Him likely from the moment He had nestled Himself in His quiet place. (sound familiar?! I always have someone looking for me!) Notice what the disciples did not say when they found Jesus. “Where have you been?! We thought you had been arrested! We were afraid you’d been killed! What are you doing out here?!” No, the disciples knew exactly what Jesus was doing and why He was doing it. The disciples knew the pace of life for Jesus was crazy and chaotic and exhausting like they had never experienced. Crowds of people every single day, a constant barrage of beggars, wounded, terminally ill, and even parents of deceased children wanted to find Jesus. When they woke in the morning and found Jesus gone, they knew where He was. He had gone out again, as was His habit, to find silence and solitude somewhere and commune with His Father, just as He had been doing for all eternity. This wasn’t anything new for Jesus, this was how He did life. So, I ask you and I ask myself, if Jesus Christ, the Lord of All, needed daily, deep connection with God, what should hold us back from doing the same? Regardless of how crazy the chaos is…

2) Why did the author record such details about when and where and how Jesus prayed?
What comfort are you willing to give up in order to consistently and intentionally meet with God. Jesus gave up sleep and a warm house, He even left the house so He could be fully awake and prepared to connect deeply and authentically with God. Have you ever considered how we prepare for quiet time and personal worship? Being intentional is one thing, waking up and engaging is another. Before you sit down with God, think through what you personally need to do to “wake up, prepare, and be engaged”. Maybe it’s coffee, maybe it’s making the bed, maybe it’s going for a run, do what you need for the purpose of fully engaging God. Jesus stole away to a specific spot, do you have a location set aside for prayer and Scripture study? Finally, even if we do the first 3 (specific time, intentional preparation, planned location), sometimes the actual prayer and Scripture part can be left hanging. We get distracted by “to-do’s” as we finally sit down, kids come running, the phone rings, or our eye catches that dirty sock sticking out from under the bed. But we are faced with the choice, just as Jesus was, to either follow through or become distracted. What we really value most is made evident by our daily choices.

3) What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ purpose?
There will always be distractions, criticisms, mountains of “to-do’s”, and loud voices screaming for our attention, but the Lord has set up each day according to His rhythm and His purpose. All that’s required of us is to lean into Him, connect deeply, and live in step with His voice, letting all other shouts be drowned out as we practice tuning our ear to His lilting invitation to come away and be with Him. Dwelling with the Almighty, consistently, intentionally, and full of purpose, will find Him to be a refuge, a fortress, and a deliverer against whom nothing and no one can stand. (Psalm 91:1-6)

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

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 Dwell Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
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to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Posted in: Busy, Character, Design, Digging Deeper, Dwell, Faith, God, Grace, Help, Hope, Jesus, Peace, Power, Praise, Prayer, Preparing, Purpose, Relationship, Scripture, Time, Trust, Worship Tagged: dwell, God, grace, growth, intentional, quiet time, scripture, worship

Dwell Day 13 Quiet What?!

October 17, 2018 by Rebecca Adams 4 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Dwell, Day 13

Matthew 14:13-33
Matthew 6:5-8 
Psalm 91
Mark 1:35-38

“The Lord knows everything anyways, why should I sit and talk to Him? Who has time to sit?!”

“I want to pray. Really, really pray with deep connection. How, Lord?”

“This is just a busy season; God knows I can’t stop to read my Bible.”

“I listen to Christian music when I drive around. That’s my quiet time.”

“I pray when I can.”

“I don’t want to be legalistic about quiet time.”

“There is no such thing as ‘quiet’ time anyways.”

Sisters, all of these quotes are mine.
Uttered from my own lips, multiple times.
Sometimes only to the ear of God.
Other times when I felt I was actually encouraging another sister!
But there is no encouragement in those words.
Those words reflect a lack of relationship,
attempting to hide behind a makeshift smoke screen of justification.

Consider…
“True transformation cannot happen apart from the regular intake of Scripture.”

Tim Overby, pastor

“Take in the Word of God daily. No Christian is sound who is not scriptural.”
E. Stanley Jones, missionary to India

A spiritual life without spiritual discipline is impossible.”
Henri Nouwen, professor and Christian psychologist

“Prayer is friendship with God. Friendship is not formal, but it is not formless; (…) the casual mind kills it.” George Buttrick, pastor

“There is no Christian who does not have time for praying without ceasing.”
Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation

Sisters! Wow!
I dare you to read those quotes again and remain unchallenged.

I’ve been following Jesus for nearly 30 years, and I’ve always talked about the importance of quiet time,
but I’ve always had justifications handy for when I couldn’t be consistent.
Growing up legalistic, I pushed hard against the mindset that I needed to obey the “rule” of doing quiet time “every day”.

And I had a slew of justifications that fit that mindset beautifully.
Mom of 7.
Endless dishes.
Laundry all the time.
Full time home educator.
Pregnant and/or nursing for about 170 months (yikes!).
Church commitments.
And it’s seriously never quiet!

But then, keeping it completely real here,
my life became too broken for me to continue relying on smoke screen justifications.
I. Needed. Jesus.

I needed more than a worship experience on Sunday.
More than verses I memorized as a kid.
More than a few sporadic moments stolen when I could.
More than living on the fumes of my “come to faith experience”.
More than reading to read.
I needed depth.
I needed relationship.
I needed the everyday Jesus.

My marriage was broken, I felt alone, and I had nowhere else to turn.
In this desperation, the Holy Spirit met me in my mundane.
In the middle of the everyday task of brushing children’s teeth, it struck me that no one considers daily oral hygiene to be legalism.
In the same vein, no one would say an exercise routine was legalistic.
None would consider practicing an instrument legalism either.
These practices are simply a diligent, necessary discipline.

With this clarifying realization, I drew a line in the sand and committed to praying for my husband every day, reading Scripture, and journaling those prayers for him.
I was done with my excuses.
I determined that if God was serious about meeting with me, then I would be serious about showing up.
Everyday.
Noisy or quiet.
Crying kids or happily playing ones.
Kids climbing all over me, or my door locked and kids sitting on the other side of it.
Late to my day or starting on time.
I was finished with smoke screen defenses.

I need to tell you it was awkward; painfully so.
And it was never convenient.
I didn’t know what to write. My prayers were monotonous and….lame (in my opinion).
I didn’t know how to do it “right”, but I kept praying and kept showing up, awkward, but honest.

I can’t tell you about an “ah ha” moment when Jesus became everything to me.
I can’t point to a date in my teal journal where an obvious shift transformed my prayer life.
But I can tell you that what happened was genuine, real, and authentic.
Eventually, the space where I met with the King of Kings became sacred.

As quiet time became non-negotiable,
consistently sitting with the Lord
became as necessary to my everyday life
as food to my body.

I felt physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally weak without that intake of Scripture and prayerful communication.

I began showing up everyday to meet with God out of desperation for my marriage,
but it was me God changed in the process.

It began simple and awkward,
but grew to become beautiful, fluid, complex, deep, and sweet.

Was choosing to be consistent in my quiet time an act of legalism?
Sisters, it was the farthest you can get from legalism!
Aside from my decision to ask Jesus to be my Savior,
even above choosing to marry my husband,
this decision is the best one I’ve made. Ever.

If quiet time feels impossible.
Or superfluous, extra, and un-needed.
Think again.
There is absolutely nothing this life can offer me that is more precious than this time I spend daily with Jesus.

Pastor Tim’s quote is solidly true:
“True transformation cannot happen apart from the regular intake of Scripture.”

He’s right, my friends.
Are you ready to sit with the Savior?!
Radical, deep, life-giving transformation awaits!

**Ready to go deep and be challenged in your quiet time?
Check out Thomas Kelly’s Testament of Devotion!
I also highly recommend Devotional Classics, compiled by Richard Foster.

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

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

Posted in: Adoring, Busy, Daughter, Dwell, Excuses, Faith, Fellowship, Forgiven, God, Good, Holiness, Hope, Jesus, Love, Need, Power, Praise, Prayer, Relationship, Scripture, Truth, Worship Tagged: discipline, dwell, hope, intentional, prayer, purpose, quiet time, scripture, worship

The GT Weekend! – Dwell Week 2

October 13, 2018 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) God’s Word is amazing, rich, and deep with layers of insight and fullness of life awaiting us as the Spirit makes His words come to life!  Take time to linger with the Lord today by choosing a few verses, reading them slowly, several times through. Pray while you read, and ask the Lord to speak to you. Try emphasizing a different word each time you read aloud the Scripture section. Consider speaking your prayers out loud to God, sharing your heart response to His Word. Ask the Lord to stretch you as you focus on growing your relationship in deeper ways!

2) Corporate worship, when a large body of believers come together to adore God is beautiful, life-giving, and an important part of every Christian’s life. If you’re in a pattern of regular attendance to a local church, the opportunity for corporate worship is available every week. How often are you engaging in private worship, time alone to focus solely on Him? Spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith like silence and solitude, prayer, worship, fasting, and Scripture study, date back all the way to the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve walked with God daily. Choose 1 new spiritual discipline and begin incorporating it into your time with God this weekend!

3) These week, each of our Journey Studies was woven with an undercurrent of thankfulness and worship. Journal your thoughts on fasting, its purpose, benefit, and why it’s always coupled with prayer and worship in Scripture. Consider Mary’s challenging remark that Jesus expected His followers to include fasting as part of their regular journey with Him. Spend time praying and asking the Spirit to lead you into fasting.

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 3:16-19 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Prayer Journal
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace. (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, hymn)

Father, Your Word is precious. The gift of intimacy You so graciously give us as You personally and corporately invite us to experience You is beyond description! Lord, it’s so easy to shift our eyes to the temporal, the right now, the long list of ‘must do’s’ and ignore Your invitation. Remind me, Spirit, teach my heart, to desire You in my deepest parts. I praise You for your love, good Father! Amen.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

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Posted in: Believe, Dwell, Faith, Fellowship, Grace, GT Weekend, Hope, Identity, Jesus, Life, Praise, Prayer, Safe, Scripture, Trust, Truth, Worship Tagged: dwell, gospel, GT Weekend, hope, life, quiet time, scripture, Word of God

Dwell Day 7 Word Alive: Digging Deeper

October 9, 2018 by Rebecca Adams 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 Word Alive!

The Questions

1) How do we know for sure that this “Word” is actually Jesus if He isn’t named? What impact does that truth have on Jesus Christ’s identity?

2) How does reading Scripture relate to Jesus being called the Word and having the attributes of creator, life, and light?

3) In what ways does John the Baptist’s actions give us a model for when we read Scripture?

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side — he has revealed him.

Original Intent

1) How do we know for sure that this “Word” is actually Jesus if He isn’t named? What impact does that truth have on Jesus Christ’s identity?
In John’s writings, both in this gospel as well as in Revelation, he refers to Jesus as the Word of God. Like King Solomon who personifies “Wisdom” in his writings in Proverbs (Proverbs 8:22-31), John personifies “Word” with the same intention. Both divinely inspired writers, though centuries apart, point to Jesus, the eternal God the Son, co-equal with God the Father. In Revelation, John paints an incredibly graphic picture of the coming Rider on the White Horse. His robe dipped in blood, His name Faithful & True, crowned with all crowns, ruler of all, the prophesied one to rule with an iron scepter, born of a woman, and having the name “Word of God”. This glorious One is our own coming King, the Lord Jesus Christ! The Greek for “Word” is “logos” and is used in every instance in John 1 where it refers to a Being with actions, thoughts, and wisdom. This same word is used in the Revelation passage as well as in Hebrews 4:12, which Sara referenced in yesterday’s Journey Study as she shared of the Scriptures as God’s powerful words. Jesus identity is the Son of the Living God, existing eternally before Creation. Jesus is God, yet He is His own person, having the identity of the begotten Son and He exists to make the Father known. The Father sent the Son, to make Himself known to us, that we might love Him as the Son loves the Father and that we might experience the love the Father has for us just as the Father loves the Son. (John 1:18)

2) How does reading Scripture relate to Jesus being called the Word and having the attributes of creator, life, and light?
God the Father sent God the Son, Jesus, into the world for the supreme purpose of making the Father known to us that we might be redeemed, brought back from the grip of Sin and Death into the eternal love of our Father God. Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father, because He Himself is God. (Hebrews 1:3, John 1:18) It is significant that the Holy Spirit inspired writers to use “logos” to describe both Jesus and Scripture as both reveal God, His character, and the way of redemptive salvation. When we engage with Scripture with the aid of the Holy Spirit, the Word becomes alive, bringing us deeper into life, shining brilliant, radiant light into the dark places of our lives, our thinking, our emotions, our relationships, and all aspects of life. No area of life is beyond the creative life and light of the God of All.

3) In what ways does John the Baptist’s actions give us a model for when we read Scripture?
John the Baptist was a Jew, son of Zechariah, a priest in the Temple of Yahweh (God). Priests were Levites and spent their entire lives in service to God at the Temple and in study of His Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament) and the Prophets. As Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist would have studied these scrolls from early childhood and would have apprenticed alongside his father at the temple. John had studied the coming Messiah, he knew the prophecies inside and out, and as he engaged with God’s Word, the Spirit of God directed him to respond by declaring and testifying to that Light. John responded to the Spirit by preaching and teaching about Jesus, who would come to take away our sin.

Everyday Application

1) How do we know for sure that this “Word” is actually Jesus if He isn’t named? What impact does that truth have on Jesus Christ’s identity?
Who do you say that Jesus is? Who is God? When we look to our feelings or circumstances for these answers, the ground becomes shaky and unstable quickly. Maybe He is distant, uncaring, unseeing. Perhaps Jesus didn’t exist for eternity and was created “later”, which makes God the Father, at His very core, a self-focused God as there was nothing before creation of the world to love. In fact, it makes Him not even a Father, as you must have an heir to be a Father. Suppose we are a bother to Him? Perhaps He wishes at times for those “alone” moments before He created humanity? Scripture declares these all untrue. A mystery we cannot wrap our minds around is the eternity of God as Father, Son, and Spirit. There was never a moment where God did not have the Son, He is forever Father. Neither was there a time where the two Beings were not bound and continually delighting in one another through the mighty Spirit of God, making the 3 one. Eternally Father, who loves the Eternal Son, through the Eternal Spirit, His love overflows onto His creation, who He crafted through His Son that we too might enjoy the delight shared between the Godhead. No, Sister, the Father cannot be distant, uncaring, or unseeing. He cannot be bothered by us because at His core, He is Father, forever loving the Son through the Spirit. The Son longs to make Father known to each of us that we might experience His radical, mind-blowing love through Spirit. Sink into those identity truths, and know that Scripture alone holds truth for who God is!

2) How does reading Scripture relate to Jesus being called the Word and having the attributes of creator, life, and light?
We all have areas of our lives we ache over. Hurts, wounds from the past, sick bodies, broken relationships, struggling finances, erring children, pride and arrogance where we wish were patience and unconditional love. What are your places of aching? How does knowing the core identity of God as a good, loving, pursuant Father make you feel about bringing these dark places into the light of His glorious goodness, and asking Him to make them new with His creative life? What would it look like if you surrendered these hurts instead of insistently gripping them tighter, hoping they get better on their own or even gradually disappear? Sister, God longs for your redemption, every part of your life redemption! He came to “reconcile all things to Himself, whether on earth or in Heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:20) No exceptions, He came to redeem all things! What’s holding you back from surrendering your things?

3) In what ways does John the Baptist’s actions give us a model for when we read Scripture?
John was called to much as a result of his engagement with the Scripture as he positioned his heart to hear and obey what God commanded. As he heard from God, John’s heart was moved to respond, and so it is with us. The Bible isn’t a fanciful collection of old stories with moral guidance, it is the very Word of God, intended to create a response in our hearts as we connect with Him over His Word and through His Spirit! His Word has always been purposed to create and bring new life, accomplishing His mission as it goes out to us. (Isaiah 55:11) In the book of Acts, when Scripture was expounded and shared by Philip to a non-believer, the un-believing heart of the eunuch was quickened to respond by surrendering everything to God! The next time you read God’s word, be ready to engage with God through His Spirit and listen to how He is prompting you to respond!

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

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

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This is Dwell Week Two!
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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 :-))

Memorize It!

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Posted in: Believe, Digging Deeper, Faith, Fellowship, Fullness, God, Grace, Hope, Identity, Jesus, Love, Prayer, Purpose, Pursue, Redemption, Relationship, Scripture, Seeking, Truth, Worship Tagged: dwell, fullness, God, gospel, holiness, Jesus, prayer, quiet time, scripture, spirit, Trinity

Dwell Day 6 Word Alive!

October 8, 2018 by Sara Cissell Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-18
Psalm 119:9-16  
Mark 14:32-42

Dwell, Day 6

“For the word of God is living and effective 
and sharper than any double-edged sword,
penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.
It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart
.” (Hebrews 4:12)

When was the last time you found this to be true in your life?
When did the Word last come alive and resonate within you?
Last week?
At that one retreat?
In college?
Ever?

I believe God intended us to experience great, intimate, things with Him through His Word. His Scriptures are anything but dry, though sometimes we can feel that way.
I know because I’ve experienced both dry and alive throughout my journey with the Lord. Often times His Word comes alive to me when I am in a dry place.

During one particularly dark season of life, the Bible became my flashlight guiding the way. I truly could not have navigated that time without the Word; God’s voice through verses spoke life to my weary heart.

When I’m dry, I’m desperate to hear from the Lord; I expect Him to speak. That particular dry period, sparked a genuine love for the Word of God.
But in the “normal, everyday”, I fully admit I can find myself reading the Word
with no expectation to experience a Hebrews 4:12 reality.

In many ways, I’d forgotten what it was like to engage with the Word
rather than simply read it.

The Lord reminded me of the power of His Word at a recent retreat where we spent some time dwelling in the Bible. We picked a portion of Scripture and read it with intentionality.
Phones were put away.
Other distractions were removed.
Our gaze rested solidly on our Bibles open before us.

This was not a quick read through the Word in order to cross “Reading the Bible” off my checklist for the day.
(Please tell me I am not the only one who has fallen into that trap recently!)

We started our time with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to open our understanding and breathe His own life into us as we engaged His Word.

With that we began.
Now I could explain the process we used, but I am much more of a visual learner.
In case you are a bit like me, let’s do this together.

Pick a Scripture you want to focus on. Start small, a couple of verses total.
Zephaniah 3:17 is a verse I’ve been pondering lately, so I will pick that one.
If you don’t have a verse in mind, feel free to use that one.

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

Read your verse normally.
What stood out to you?

Read your verse again, this time out loud.
How did it impact you this time?

After reading my verse, I could share what it said.
I knew my brain was engaged and I understood what the verse conveyed.
I loved the picture of the Lord as my victorious warrior that came to mind.

However, I sensed the Word come alive in a different way when I read the verse again.
Out loud.
Slower.

Read your verse out loud again, this time at a pace much slower than before.
Slow enough to allow the words to soak in at the heart level, not just in the mind. For instance, from Zephaniah 3:17:
“The Lord your God…

Is among you…

A warrior who saves…”
Did the verse resonate in a different way?

As I sit here writing this, I found that today the word “your” is what the Spirit used to speak to me. Had I been reading the verse at my normal pace, I probably wouldn’t have paused at all for that word.
But today, the reality that the Lord is MY God challenges me.
When I a need a victorious warrior, it is the Lord MY God who comes to my rescue. He is not an impersonal deity.
I have a personal relationship with Him, through which, I am able to experience the goodness of Him fighting for me.
Had I not slowed down when reading the Word,
I may have missed the Holy Spirit highlighting “your.”

Since the Holy Spirit dwells within each Christian, He partners with the Word to draw us deeply and intimately into an engaging experience with the Holy Trinity.
The Spirit breathes upon what the words you read in the Bible.
If we are willing to create space for Him to move, the results are amazing!
For me, reading the verses with a slow intentionality challenges me to listen both with my ears and my heart.

Oh Lord, may we slow down long enough to hear, experience, and engage with You as Your Word comes alive!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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 Dwell 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 Dwell!

Posted in: Faith, Fellowship, Generous, God, Jesus, Power, Praise, Prayer, Relationship, Scripture, Trust, Truth, Unity, Worship Tagged: alive, intimacy, Jesus, love, quiet time, relationship, scripture, speak, spirit, Trinity, Word

Dwell Day 1 Resting In His Promises

October 1, 2018 by Lauren King 4 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:1-12
Psalm 119:33-38 
Psalm 119:169-176

Dwell, Day 1

I am not a morning person.
I’m also not a night person.

Anybody else a middle-of-the-day person like me? 

Regardless of my three-cup-of-coffee, loving-the-lunch-time-grind, kinda’ gal,
I intentionally choose quiet, early mornings.
Why?
Time with the Lord before the craziness of the day begins.

I’ve come to cling to these times in the morning when the house is silent, everyone is asleep, and I get to welcome the presence of God into my living room. On days when I choose to sleep in or don’t get that precious time as a kick-starter, it throws me off.

I need
that time; just He and I.

Taking time to sit, meditate, and dwell on Scripture allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us all throughout the beautiful tapestry of the Bible. Consistent time devoted to reading and studying Scripture will equip us to live in purity, victory, and intimacy with God.

As we flip through the Psalms, we watch a transformation happen with the authors. They walk through highs and lows,
poor decisions and the results thereof,
as well as victories and celebrations.
The Psalmists knew the power of God’s word.

The author of Psalm 119 beautifully proclaims truths of God and His character.
With elegant strokes, the psalmist paints an
elaborate picture of the
priceless treasure
that is dwelling daily in God’s Word.
It gives us instructions on how to live a prosperous life devoted to the Lord.

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Psalm 119:11

Hiding His word in our heart looks a lot like memorizing Scripture and thinking on it throughout the day. As we memorize more Scripture, hiding it in our hearts, the Holy Spirit will use those verses to remind us of solid truth in desperate moments when we need to hear God.
When we daily put into practice what God’s Word teaches us,
we will soon move from memorizing words on a page
to forming life-changing habits in our everyday life!

In these real-life-moments, those small choices to spend time in His Word
shape our future.

For example, I’ve hidden Psalm 141:3 in my heart:
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

The Holy Spirit often reminds me of His ways when that person cuts me off on the highway, is rude to our children in the grocery, or posts that comment on social media.
Ask me how many times I’ve prayed that prayer!   

This daily discipline of studying and dwelling in God’s Word
is crucial for rich, intimate, growing life with God!
 

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your word.”
Psalm 119:9

David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14),
not because he was perfect,
but because he was repentant in his heart.
He longed for the things of God.
He knew the power of God’s word.
He knew that abiding by God’s laws were the pathway of real life.

“Be good to Your servant while I live, that I may obey Your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.”
Psalm 119:17-18

When we pray, let’s pray God would open our eyes to see as He sees.
His perspective.
His path.
His truth.

“Teach me, Lord, the way of Your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep Your law and obey it with all of my heart.”
Psalm 119:33-34

Lord, we pray for understanding!
When life doesn’t seem to make sense, teach us to choose to yield to Your wisdom and understanding above our own.

“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”
Psalm 119:50

We can rest in God’s promises all the days of our lives because His word says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Therefore, when we find promises from Him in His word,
we can rest assured they are true.

David, shepherd, king, psalmist, and follower of God,
clung to the power of God’s Word.
He “meditated on it day and night.” Psalm 1:2 

For some, morning isn’t the most ideal time to spend with Jesus. If this is you, try making time in the afternoon or evening to get away with God, even if it’s only for a few minutes.  God longs to be found by His children!

Another option is to post notes throughout your house reminding you to pray or memorize Scripture as you’re doing dishes, folding laundry, or getting ready in the morning.

That’s the beautiful thing about a relationship with God: it can happen anywhere!
Let’s be women who cling to Jesus.
Women who dwell deeply with Him through His Word.
Women who rely fully on His faithful, sustaining strength to get us through each day.
Women who rest in His promises!

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 Dwell 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 Dwell!

Posted in: Dwell, Faithfulness, God, Gospel, Jesus, Life, Need, Praise, Pursue, Seeking, Shepherd, Time, Transformation, Truth, Worship Tagged: equipped, faithfulness, God's Word, intimacy, need, praise, quiet time, scripture, shepherd, transformation

Pause Day 1 Waiting Embrace

October 23, 2017 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Dear Sisters of the GT Community,
We believe so deeply that the Word of God is foundational and critical to our everyday life, that we felt the need to hit “Pause” on our regular lineup for Journey Studies.
Even really good things need to take a back seat so we can sharpen our focus in a different way.
We, as sisters in Christ, as leaders in our churches, as friends, and as daughters, as wives and as mamas, need to pause before the throne and
just
sit
in
His
glory.
We need to breathe Him in.

This sitting with the Lord is too precious to bypass, and too significant to only be for a select few in elevated places in ministry.
At Gracefully Truthful, we take this meeting with Jesus seriously.
Everyday.
And when the world is so loud, and the chaos so all-consuming,
we must remember to pause.

The holidays are coming,
our days are never slowing,
but still the Father longs to linger with each of us.
We are hitting pause for the next 3 weeks, won’t you please join us?

This Journey Theme will look and feel very different.
No regular Journey Studies or Digging Deeper Days or GT Weekends.
Just prompts for you, and for us, and an everyday reminder to Pause.

Be intentional, friends, and you have our word as GT Partners and co-laborers with you for the gospel,
that we will be intentional right along with you. 

This Pause won’t happen on its own.
The “time for God” will never knock on your door, fall into your lap, ready for you.
Commit with us to slowing enough to spend a minimum of 15-20 minutes, very intentionally, every day.
It’s only 3 weeks, but these 21 days may just change the trajectory of your walk with Jesus for the rest of your life!

Journeying with Jesus is our hearts’ desire; walk with us. Pause with us.

Whether you already have a consistent quiet time space to meet with God every day, or you’ve always had the best of intentions, but never been able to follow through, or you’ve never even considered having a quiet time to meet just you and the Almighty,
the invitation is open and waiting.
The invitation to a deep embrace.

Grab your Bible, a journal and pen,
and open your heart to bask in the presence of the Almighty!

Today's Challenge

1) Read Psalm 142 & 143 and answer these 3 questions in your journal:
a) What do these 2 psalms tell me about God and His character?
b) What do these 2 psalms tell me about others and the world around me?
c) What do these 2 psalms tell me about me and my heart?

2) Close your time by praying for these truths to take root in your heart and for the Holy Spirit to remind you and teach you more about these things today.

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

Join the GT Community on Facebook!

Psalm 142

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
    with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.

3 When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

5 I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 143

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.[a]
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in: Busy, Fullness, Hope, Life, Love, Power, Praise, Prayer, Scripture, Slow, Thankfulness, Transformation, Worship Tagged: glory, grace, love, prayer, quiet, quiet time, space, worship

Worship Day 11
His Excellent Word

March 20, 2017 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 31
Psalm 62
Revelation 21:1-8 

“Father, I’m drowning here. My emotions have been all across the board and I feel like so much is coming at me. My feet can’t find solid ground, Jesus, instead I feel like I’m dropping into quick sand. Help me, Abba!”

This was my journal entry this morning in my quiet time.
Transparency is a core value at Gracefully Truthful, and sisters, this is me today.
Shaky.
Unsure.
Unsettled.
Tossed to and fro.

And I knew that, with as much as I had going on in the day ahead, and as quickly as my morning time was slipping away, I had to find solid ground.
So, I made the time. I sat in my Talking Chair, and talked to my Savior, bringing myself, and all my weaknesses, before the very throne of God, expecting Him to show up.

Yes, I was feeding an infant, shushing a toddler, and reminding my older kids to finish their chores.
Yes, I was already late.
No, it wasn’t quiet.
But I needed God.
As an aside, Ladies, quiet time with Jesus is where it’s at!
If you don’t make space for relating with Jesus, do it.
Its value is greater than you can imagine and it will change your life.
It may not be “perfect” or “quiet”, but He knows that, He will shape your willing heart!

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from Him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

~Psalm 62:1
This verse greeted me as I opened my Bible to my place in the Psalms after crying out to the Father.

And this:
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.

~Psalm 62:8

As if that was not enough, my Father went on:
when Israel sought for rest,
3     the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built.
~Jeremiah 31:2-4

Here in Jeremiah, Israel was still in exile for her rebellion. God certainly seemed far away. Just as I had felt this morning, but God spoke truth through His Word from the prophet; He was near, even as we are far away. When we seek rest, His love buoys us because He is faithful. He continues building us up, sanctifying us, making us more like Himself, completing the work He began, regardless of where we are in life.

If we will come, seeking Him wholeheartedly, willing to turn away from ourselves to find our everything in Him,
He will satisfy, redeem, and lead us in peace and victory.

With weeping they shall come,

    and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them walk by brooks of water,
    in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for I am a father to Israel.
~Jeremiah 31:9

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord.
~Jeremiah 31:11-12

Those “hands” that were too strong for Jacob (Israel)?
That was the ruler over them during exile because of their sin.
Ultimately, when sin binds us up, it’s the Enemy Satan whose hands are too strong for us.
BUT GOD.
He frees, He redeems, and His hands bind those of the Enemy and of sin’s dominion.
And us?
We are free to worship and live radiantly because of His goodness!

As I read the Father’s promises, as I softened my heart to the Spirit’s tender voice, as I sunk my feet into the solidity of Christ and His word, the frolicking melodies of How Firm A Foundation stirred in my soul.

How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake!”

A life that seeks rest.
A soul that is weary.
For the chaotic heart.
For the wanderer, the broken, the empty, the lonely.
Jesus waits, His foundation is sure.
His promises solid.
Set your feet on the firm foundation of “His Excellent Word”
and let your feet dance in His radiant rhythms
because of all that He gives to us and frees us from!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Posted in: Busy, Desperate, Emptiness, Excuses, Faith, Forgiven, Freedom, Grace, Jesus, Life, Prayer, Relationship, Time, Trust, Truth, Worship Tagged: chaos, depth, discipline, Jesus, life, need, peace, quiet time, worship
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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14