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Worship XI Day 11 Pe & Tsade

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Worship XI Day 11 Pe & Tsade

Christine Wood

June 12, 2023

Faith,Genuine,Hope,Love

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:129-144
Matthew 16:24–27
Lamentations 3:22–33
Psalm 139

Good morning, Lord.
It’s me.

It’s early. The house is quiet as I watch the colours of the sky brighten.
Its beauty is breathtaking. 

Another new day. 
Another day to serve You, to walk with You and taste Your goodness. (Psalm 34:8) 

Another day to delight in the beauty of Your creation and enjoy the gifts which You have filled my life. (Lamentations 3:22–24)
Thank you, Lord.

“Your decrees are wondrous; 
therefore I obey them. 
The revelation of Your words brings light 
and gives understanding to the inexperienced. 
I open my mouth and pant
because I long for Your commands.”
(Psalm 119:129-131)

I don’t deserve the blessed life I live. So many struggle through childhood without faith; without knowing You. Thank you for the legacy of faith You placed before me. I am overwhelmed with gratitude; You are so kind. Your Word has been a hedge of protection around me. (Psalm 139:5) You were the light on my path long before I knew any other path existed. (Psalm 23:3)

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, 
as is your practice toward those who love your name. 
Make my steps steady through your promise; 
don’t let any sin dominate me. 
Redeem me from human oppression, 
and I will keep your precepts.”
(Psalm 119:132-134)

Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I’ve done it again. (Psalm 51:2–3) I really meant to be fully present, here in these quiet moments with You. I was going to focus. Now, here I am again. I’ve lost precious minutes scrolling, watching furniture renovations and cake decorating. I don’t even like cake decorating! 

How could I be so distracted? 

Yet, You are here inside every moment. The ones I press into, and the ones I neglect. Your presence is just as close, whether I acknowledge You or not. Whether I invite You or not. You are here (Psalm 139:5-8), and You will continue to be here every time I turn away from the world long enough to notice.

“Make your face shine on your servant,
and teach me Your statutes.
My eyes pour out streams of tears
because people do not follow Your instruction.”
(Psalm 119:135-136)

God, I feel like my heart is breaking and I am completely helpless. I can hardly bear to watch the news. How can people hurt each other so? Can’t they see that hate only makes things worse? It seems like evil is thriving, while the Godly wilt. (Ecclesiastes 7:15) Where do I go with all the pain in my heart? The unanswered prayers, the unhealed sickness, those grieving without comfort. (Psalm 13:1–2) God, are You still here?

“You are righteous, Lord, 
and Your judgments are just. 
The decrees You issue are righteous 
and altogether trustworthy.
My anger overwhelms me 
because my foes forget Your words.”
(Psalm 119:137-139) 

The world is such a cruel place for so many, and yet, there is kindness and generosity and hope amongst all the pain. . . because of You. You sneak in and bind up the brokenness while the battle rages outside. You go into dark places and shine light. (John 8:12) You stand up in storms and demand peace. (Mark 4:39) You stare into the eyes of the guilty and extend mercy. (Luke 7:48–50) You bring hope when there is only despair. (Romans 15:13) You bring life where there is only death. (John 10:10)

“Your word is completely pure, 
and your servant loves it.
I am insignificant and despised, 
but I do not forget your precepts.”
(Psalm 119:140-141)

Oh, my God, I lift my feeble prayer to You. I long to have more confidence in You, but there are still days when I forget Your power and rely on myself. I do believe; help me with my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) I know you are good. Help me to experience Your goodness. You are love, and You command me to love. God, please help me to love. (John 13:34–35)

“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, 
and Your instruction is true.
Trouble and distress have overtaken me, 
but Your commands are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous forever. 
Give me understanding, and I will live.”
(Psalm 119:142-144)

Lead me in Your ways today, Lord. Keep me from wandering, distracted, away from the path You have laid. (Psalm 16:11) May I follow You more closely (Matthew 16:24), love You more dearly (Matthew 22:37), obey You more willingly (John 14:15), and trust You more fully.
Amen.

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honesty,journal,love,praise,Real,worship
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Worship XI Day 12
Digging Deeper

I am thankful that I have scripture ready in my mind for when trouble arises. And that happens often. His Word gives light to every situation.

My husband purchased a light which he attached to my cane so that in the night when I rise, I can see where I am going. It is motion detected so that as soon as I reach out and grab my cane, the light comes on. God’s Word is like this (if we have it memorized).

When in the dark of a trial, all we need to do is reach out and His Word lights our way! What practical things do you find in the Word of God?
Dig Deeper!

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Reveal Day 1 Until He Appears

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Habakkuk 1:1-4
Habakkuk 3:16-19
1 Peter 1:3-9
Romans 8:18-38

Reveal, Day 1

“How long, Lord, must I call for help
and you do not listen
or cry out to you about violence
and you do not save?
Why do you force me to look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.”
(Habakkuk 1:2-4)

If ever there was a prayer for 2020, this passage from Habakkuk pretty much covers it.
Pain, strife, injustice, violence, conflict, loss . . . all wrapped up in a God who has never felt further away.

Christmastime often taps us on our shoulder to remind us what we’ve lost throughout the year, or to bring attention to what we don’t have. Loved ones with whom we once celebrated who will not be sitting at the dinner table this year. Gifts we wish were under the tree, but for which the budget couldn’t make room. A special someone to share life with or children and a family of our own.

But 2020, and all its tumult, have truly humbled our hearts. What we thought was known has toppled into an overwhelming heap, perplexing us when we attempt to piece it back together.
Loss of jobs, businesses, and lives.
Sudden, rapid loss of our “normal.”
The loss of comfort in, and blindness to, the systematic racial inequities still existing in the world, despite the long and hard-fought battles already waged.

It seems impossible that God is here. That He is working. We want to cry out, like Habakkuk, “How long, God!?”
“Where are You now?”
“What are You doing?”
“Why don’t You save us?”

The book of Habakkuk shows us a raw and real conversation between God and Habakkuk on behalf of the nation of Israel. For hundreds of years, since the exodus from Egypt, Israel suffered from the plight of its own sin. Time after time, they turned away from God and deliberately disobeyed Him by worshiping other gods and idols, despite the Father’s constant grace and effort to bring them back to Him.

And so Israel fell, and suffered, at the hand of corrupt nations like Babylon. God delivered them, and they remained faithful . . . for a time. Until they abandoned their Deliverer, and the endless cycle began again, and again, and again.

We see both Habakkuk and God hurting for the world and the sin wreaking havoc at every turn. God shows Habakkuk that He, too, sees the hurt, the pain, the suffering, and the loss. His heart breaks, too. Even though it seemed inconceivable, God was working a plan far greater than their present troubles. In the midst of the consequences of our own sin and the ripple of others’, God’s glorious plan to save His people was being revealed.  

I’m amazed at Habbakuk’s praise at the end of the book. Despite the absence of God’s immediate rescue, Habakkuk rests in God’s constant promises to deliver His people. Habakkuk didn’t have the Christmas story of Immanuel, God with us, or even the knowledge of the Easter story of the resurrection of Jesus, and yet he chose to trust in the midst of loss.

My favorite Christmas hymn lyrics, from the first verse of “O Holy Night,” simply and beautifully remind us of the “now” of our suffering and the “not yet” of the promise to come:

 “Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” 

How long have you felt the weight of sin and error and pined for relief, crying out to God, “How much longer, Lord?”

Friend, when Christmastime taps us on the shoulder and we look back at 2020 and remember what was lost and painful, may the picture of an innocent baby named Jesus, born in the midst of chaos and filth, prompt our weary hearts to turn toward hope and the bright, new, glorious morning our Father has given us.

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He Day 2 Elohim: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Elohim!

The Questions

1) What are the results of having a knowledge of God versus loving God? (verse 1)

2) What is the attitude Paul tells believers to take when it comes to serving the one true God in a society of many gods?

3) What was Paul trying to convey in verse 6?

1 Corinthians 8:1-6

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by him.

4 About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.

Original Intent

1) What are the results of having a knowledge of God versus loving God? (verse 1)
It is believed the phrase, “we all have knowledge”, was coined by the Corinthian believers in response to some of Paul’s teachings. It was also used by believers in dealing with the division caused by attending functions in idol temples and eating meat dedicated to temple idols (BibleRef.com). In asking Paul to decide between the two camps, Paul affirmed that yes an idol is nothing in the world, and there is no other God but one. (1 Corinthians 8:4) Therefore, if an idol is nothing, then the food dedicated to the idol is nothing as well. That appears to be a sound argument at face value. However, keeping in mind the current culture and sharp feelings based around idols and idol worship, the end result would be division and losing a member of Christ’s body. Paul used this as an opportunity to remind the Corinthians that those members of the body who seem weaker in knowledge (or understanding of the freedom we have in Christ) are necessary and important to the Body as a whole. For this reason, there should be no schism in the body, rather, the members should have the same care for one another regardless of viewpoints on issues that don’t really matter.  (1 Corinthians 12:22, 1 Corinthians 12:25) “For knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” (1 Corinthians 8:1) Having knowledge alone without love is not enough to care for one another. If a believer “has the gift of prophecy, faith to move mountains, and gives everything to the poor but has no love, it profits nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3) True love like Jesus’ love suffers long and is kind, does not seek its own and is not provoked. Love meets the weaker brother where they are and suffers loss for the sake of others. (1 Corinthians 13:4) This is why the one who chooses to love his brother or sister who he can see with his eyes, also loves the one true God he has not visibly seen. (1 Peter 1:8)

2) What is the attitude Paul tells believers to take when it comes to serving the one true God in a society of many gods?
The city of Corinth was a major trading center attracting various people from across the empire. Along with the influx of people, gods from different cultures took root in the city. The temple of Aphrodite sat on top of the city filled with the beckoning call of a thousand prostitutes; while the Isthmus games honored the god Poseidon. The cult of Isis had an emphasis on gaining wisdom, and the cult of Mithras was enthralled with mysteries. As part of the Roman empire, the worship of Caesar as Lord was required by every citizen and subject. In a culture saturated with so many elohim, Paul declares, “Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:6) For Paul, who preached the gospel mainly to the Gentiles, turning to the one true God (Elohim) from idols was a frequent topic among churches. Often, Paul told Gentile believers of Elohim coming in the form of human flesh to reconcile the world back to Himself. By trusting in the one true Elohim, Gentile believers would be rescued from the bondage of serving the many false elohim of the kingdom of darkness. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1:13) The Greek word “true” in relation to the one “true” God is “alethinos”, meaning real, ideal, genuine. God Himself fulfills the very meaning of His name. He is the “true” God sharply contrasting all other false gods”. (Strong 228) God has declared, “For the Lord your God, is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) There is no comparison between the Almighty Elohim and the cluster of gods dominating the Greek society. Only the true God is eternal and everlasting; His kingdom resides as a seed inside of every one of His children. Those kingdom seeds would then go on to grow and uproot the culture and gods of the Roman empire.

3) What was Paul trying to convey in verse 6?
The apostle Paul needed to lay a new foundation of thought when it came to the worship of the one true God. Previously, in their ignorance, the Gentile believers worshipped idols made with their own hands of silver, gold, and wood. Whenever disaster struck or provision was needed, supplication was made to various gods at family altars and temples in the midst of the city. False gods were in every layer of society, entertainment, family, and business. Anything the human heart could want, there was a god promising to give it, but the Elohim of Israel was altogether different. The Almighty was not a god who was far off, detached from His worshippers in a temple accessible only through blood and offerings. The kingdom of the Almighty was now with His children, inside their hearts and minds. (Luke 17:21) God was with them in their sufferings and every part of life’s journey. (Philippians 3:10) To pivot to a form of worship that no longer had sacrifices and offerings as a barrier was revolutionary. Now, God could be accessed because He, not us, paid the price for reconciliation. Just like Christ and the Father were one before time began, now every believer is one with Christ in God. Now, no longer are there varying degrees of differentiation between slave or free, Jew or Gentile, but all are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) For in Christ we live, move and have our being. Christ Jesus is the vine and the Church are His branches. (John 15:5) This holy vine, born of incorruptible seed, provides all things and is the very life-sustaining force of the Church.

Everyday Application

1) What are the results of having a knowledge of God versus loving God? (verse 1)
One of the most familiar phrases uttered today is “my truth”. The concept is, although my truth may differ from your truth, both truths are equally valid. Under this view, all truths are valid and no correction is necessary because a single standard for “truth” does not exist. What happens in a community of believers that each holds onto their own version of the truth? In Paul’s day, there was division because of personal choices coming under scrutiny by other believers, the same conflict continues today. For example, some Christians practice yoga simply for its physical benefits alone. To them, it’s simply a low impact exercise that’s easy on the joints. For other believers, the postures themselves are prayer poses dedicated to the worship of Hindu deities. At one point, I was faced with this very dilemma of what to do about an exercise I loved. A child asked me if it was ok to do yoga because their parents said it was worshipping Hindu gods. I could have told them “my truth”, that the stretches were nothing and the Hindu gods are nothing. (1 Corinthians 8:4) I weighed my words carefully because I could see that my liberty to exercise how I wanted, would cause harm to the spiritual conscience of a child. (1 Corinthians 8:7) In the eyes of the child, the exercise was a thing offered to an idol. At this point, do I choose knowledge, or do I choose to love? I chose knowledge, and after a while I came to see the conflict I helped create for this child. If this was ok to do, what else is ok to do? I finally decided to walk in love, for I couldn’t let my truth wound the child’s conscience and thereby sin against Christ.

2) What is the attitude Paul tells believers to take when it comes to serving the one true God in a society of many gods?
At the time of this writing, the entire world has been upended because of an unseen virus. Everything society has raised up to be pursued and worshipped has come crashing down. The idols of centuries ago have simply changed form and are still being worshipped in these modern times. Money, sports, education, fame, and social media influence, our culture’s idols, have been taken away as a result of the virus. For some, well actually, for most people, what was once a sure thing and a safe place is now gone, and for many, fear has come in its stead. Yet this one truth holds firm. The same God who covered the children of Israel during the plagues is the same God who will cover His church. The one true God is the all-sufficient one, El Shaddai is His name. The psalmist David said, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (El Shaddai).” (Psalm 91:1) When all the works of your hands have been removed, trust in Christ for He is a sure foundation, our chief cornerstone! The Word of God says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:4-27) Watching everything fall away into sinking sand may be terrifying, but as the sand falls away the solid rock of Christ Jesus appears under your feet to sustain and keep you. God is still in control! In Haggai, God says, “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Hosts.” (Haggai 2:7) Although you see everything around you shaking, God is able to keep you from falling. Because He lives, you live, do not fear!

3) What was Paul trying to convey in verse 6?
These uncertain times have placed us all in an unexpected place of stillness, and so we return to the beginning for answers. In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1) It is in that space of the beginning we find Christ waiting for us to invite Him into our everyday lives once again. The Holy God who has made all things, reminds us that everything we need is found in Him alone. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Despite the tribulations we are walking in right now, be of good cheer, for the Word is near you, in your mouth and your heart. (Romans 10:8) God is near you, and in you, for you are His beloved child if you have surrendered your whole heart to Him. In times of suffering, He promised to be with us all the more, for His grace is sufficient for us. Paul said, “that is why for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) We, as believers, are strong because we are hidden in Christ, the all-sufficient one, El Shaddai.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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