Restored

Enough Day 15 Promised Land Restored

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13
Isaiah 65:17-25
Philippians 2:5-11
Revelation 21:1-8
Revelation 22

Enough, Day 15

A friend made a sign for me reading, “You are enough.” She meant to encourage me not to feel burdened to live up to anyone else’s expectations. It sounds great, but not one of us is enough on our own, least of all me.

“You are enough” sounds easy and available for our immediate gratification.
But let’s not settle for the immediacy of what we can muster up
when what God has promised is glorious.

You see, God is love. He is worthy. He is Lord.
God is enough.

Any hope we have should be placed in Him, not ourselves. He alone can satisfy our every desire, heal every broken place, give us victory, and gather us to live with Him forever. Only He can fulfill every promise.

I know I’ve made some lofty statements here. But friends, they aren’t mine. They are God’s, breathed into the hearts and minds of men, and penned on the pages of the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) Shall we explore a little?

God is love.
1 Corinthians 13 gives us a picture of biblical love, explaining love is patient. Furthermore, 2 Peter 3: 9 tells us God is patiently waiting to fulfill His remaining promises, so more people may repent and join Him in heaven. Y’all, it’s been over 2000 years since Jesus came. Patient? Check.

We also see love is kind and not self-seeking. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, taught thousands, raised the dead, forgave sins and most importantly, died on the cross to conquer sin and death! Yet, He didn’t go around announcing His miracles and acts of kindness. In fact, He usually instructed people not to speak of their interactions. (Luke 8:56 and Matthew 8:4)

1 Corinthians 13:6 says love rejoices in truth. In the New Testament, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth” over 70 times!

Clearly, God is love.

God is worthy.
There are many verses I could point to, but I’ve settled on two. First is John 1:1-5, where we learn:

  •     God is eternal
  •     Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created everything.
  •     Jesus is the light of men and cannot be overcome by darkness

Then, there’s Revelation 5. Verse 12 gives us a glimpse of the throne room of heaven when the Lamb (Jesus) takes the scroll, thousands upon thousands of angels, the living creatures, and the elders will loudly say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

In verse 13, we see “every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth on the
sea, and everything in them say,
Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

I can’t add anything to this. Quite simply and wonderfully, He is worthy!

Jesus is Lord.
God could have saved us from our sin and from death any way He wanted; He chose to send His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross.

Because Jesus was obedient to do the Father’s will,
“God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth —
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

And when we reach the end times, written on the robe and thigh of Jesus will be His name “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

Speaking of the end times, did you realize they bring fulfillment of an early promise God made to Abraham? God promised Abraham would be the father of many nations, but He also promised actual land. However, because God’s perspective is eternal, there is an even greater land we’ve been promised! Revelation 21:1-8 tells us of the “land” where God will dwell for the rest of eternity with “those written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

In this New Heaven and New Earth, we find:

Gather us to live with Him forever? Check.
Abraham never saw the extent of the land he was promised, but his offspring did. Now we can wait expectantly with the hope of God’s eternal Promised Land.

Friends, I hope you feel the same longing as Abraham. While we wait on the God who is enough, let’s get to know Him better. Let’s share Him with others, so they, too, will be in the Lamb’s book of life.

This world we live in is hard, but it’s not our real home. Can we agree to live in anticipation of the glorious day when everything is restored and we are eternally and blamelessly in the presence of our holy God? Let it be so.

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Reveal Day 4 Heartache’s Hope: 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 Heartache’s Hope!

The Questions

1) Who has been anointed and sent in these verses?

2) What needs rebuilding, restored and renewed in verse 4?

3) Who is Isaiah addressing in these verses?

Isaiah 61:1-4

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

Original Intent

1) Who has been anointed and sent in these verses?
There is speculation on who the speaker of these verses could be, but what is clear is their connection to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 6:1-8 paints the remarkable picture of Isaiah’s calling. He was willing to go and speak as the Lord’s mouthpiece to His people, Israel. God had anointed Isaiah to go and do the work of the Lord because Isaiah was willing. In the first half of Isaiah the prophet foretells the judgment to come against Israel, but this section of Isaiah provides flourishing hope. The prophecy proclaims a time yet to come when Israel would be taken captive by Babylon, but then delivered from their captivity. However, Isaiah’s good news does not end there; He is also telling of a time when Jesus would walk on earth and forever release God’s people as captives through His sacrifice on the cross as He would take the penalty of our sin on Himself. Centuries later, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s words in Luke 4:18-19 proclaiming that the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words had finally transpired. Regardless of whether the speaker is actually Isaiah, the hope-filled message declaring a coming Rescuer is certain. There is a promise of a future blessing for God’s people, and Jesus adds a new layer of promise to these verses when He comes in fullness as God and man.

2) What needs rebuilding, restored and renewed in verse 4?
Isaiah prophesied of the coming destruction of both the Northern and Southern Kingdom of Israel. The Assyrians would take Israel, the Northern Kingdom, captive in 722 BC and Babylon would conquer Judah, the Southern Kingdom, in 586 BC. Jerusalem would be destroyed, and God’s people would be dispersed. However, captivity and destruction were not the final destiny of God’s people. God had no intention of abandoning His promise to Abraham generations before, but instead uses the destruction and captivity to usher in a time of spiritual renew for His people. Isaiah tells of a time when Israel would be restored to glory both as a city and as His people. They would no longer be a place of ruin and destruction but a thriving people chosen for His purpose. Nehemiah tells the story of a portion of this rebuilding as he leads the re-building of Israel’s wall and the city begins to be reestablished. Later, the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell of the ultimate restoration when Jesus is born through the promised bloodline of Judah and King David.

3) Who is Isaiah addressing in these verses?
Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom. He prophesied the punishment coming to Judah because of their sinful rebellion against God. The entire book, not just this section, is a call for Judah to return to God as His people while also telling of the coming Messiah through His people just as He had long ago promised to Abraham. These verses continue to be aimed at this audience who, yet again, strayed from their True Love, Yahweh, and would face destruction so God could lovingly regain their attention. God would use their redemption to continue moving history towards His ultimate purpose of redeeming all of Creation.

Everyday Application

1) Who has been anointed and sent in these verses?
Isaiah’s calling and anointing in Isaiah 6 has always been amazing to me. God gave him a vision and Isaiah was immediately willing to go and proclaim God’s words. God uses Isaiah to proclaim judgment Israel would soon face, but the promise of redemption was also included. Isaiah’s glimpse into the coming salvation of all people through the person of Jesus, the anointing of our Savior is astounding! We have the blessing of living on the side of history after both of these events, Israel’s captivity and Jesus’ coming to earth. Jesus fulfilled God’s promise through Isaiah to “set the captives free”, and it is now our calling to proclaim the same good news Isaiah so willingly declared. While the redemption work of Jesus was completed on the cross, there is still work to be done until He returns. Will we echo Isaiah’s words with a willing heart, “Here am I. Send me!”?  (Isaiah 6:8)

2) What needs rebuilding, restored and renewed in verse 4?
Jerusalem is in ruins from Babylon captivity and is no longer a place of prominence. The city, and the hearts of the people, are desperately in need of restoration to the One to Whom they belong. While Jesus was the fulfillment of the restoration for Israel, God’s plan did not end there. Jesus came to redeem and restore every human heart’s broken relationship with the God of the Universe because of our sinful choices. When our faith is in Jesus, and we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we are restored, and made righteous, in His sight. However, even this is not the end! There is still a coming renewal promised in the return of Jesus. He will come again in all His glory to rebuild, restore, and renew humanity. He will establish His Kingdom in the perfection it was intended to be from the beginning. Isaiah’s prophecy is a multi-layered-prophecy. Just as it has been fulfilled in part, we can trust the ultimate fulfillment is indeed coming. The destruction we see in our current world is not forever. There is the promise of a day when “every tear will be wiped away and death will be no more… and everything will be new” (Revelation 21:4-5); what a glorious day that will be!

3) Who is Isaiah addressing in these verses?
While Isaiah’s prophecy was originally addressed to the people of Judah, his message is just as important and relevant for us today. We are a people who, time and again, choose to live for ourselves instead of for Him. No matter how long I walk with Jesus, my heart is prone to stray. I am never immune to thinking I can do it on my own, and I need redemption just as much as ancient Israel did. Thankfully, God doesn’t leave me, or any of us, on our own or stuck forever in our sin without providing a way out. He offers each of us eternal redemption and forgiveness through Jesus and gifted us His Holy Spirit to empower us to walk this journey of life as beacons of Jesus’ hope for others. There will be consequences when we go astray, but Jesus always offers redemption and grace when we choose to trust Him.

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Catch up with Heartache’s Hope!

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!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Reveal Week One!
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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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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VI Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Do a little self-examination by pulling out a sheet of paper and writing “worship” at the top. Next, write down as many words come to you in the span of 120 seconds. There are no wrong answers; write everything! As you look back over your words, circle the ones that fall into alignment with how Jesus defines authentic worshippers in John 4:23-24. Those who worship in spirit (with the whole of their being, heart, soul, mind, and strength) and in truth (all the Bible says about who God is and who we are). Which ones reflect a method of worship? Challenge yourself to think about other methods of worshipping in spirit and truth. Which descriptions did you write that reflect a more narrow view of worship dependent on a specific song, feeling, or environment? Ask the Lord to keep shaping your heart to worship Him in spirit and truth!

2)  In what ways do you relate to Marietta’s description of believers being pruned back, then crushed, and pressed in order to reap a harvest? Where have you experienced something similar where the Lord “cut back” or “cut off” areas in your life in the pruning process? What has been your heart response to the Holy Spirit as He has done this hard work in our hearts to make us more like Christ? As you reflect on the Holy Spirit’s work in you, consider what an excellent testimony He is building in you! Your hardship will be redeemed for rich good! Every time the Spirit prunes, crushes, and presses our hearts, it is an opportunity for God’s glory to be on display in our lives. Like Marietta encourages, let’s choose to praise God for this gift, even in the middle of the pruning, crushing, and pressing! Start practicing praise today!!

3)  “Walking around these walls, I thought by now they’d fall”, are the opening lyrics Leslie explored in her Journey Study yesterday. I know I can raise my hand that, YES, I have asked the same question. Sometimes, I’ve asked in pleading, quiet prayers. At other times, I’ve bent over screaming in an open field, begging an answer to this lament. “I thought You would have healed.” “I thought you would have restored.” “I thought I would have seen redemption.” All of these prayers end in one frustrated statement, “by now”. How we wish the Lord would work on our timeframe and, if we’re honest, for our own glory. The long waiting between difficulty and restoration is full of tears and brokenness as we learn, oh so slowly, to trust the Savior over ourselves. What wall are you waiting to fall? How are you drawing near to the Lord as you wait for His redemption?

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 John 4:23-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Prayer Journal
You are worthy of my worship, Lord God, whether my circumstances are up and to the right or I feel I am drowning under the weight of the world. You are worthy when I’m angry, when I’m hurt, and when I’ve been abandoned. You are worthy of my full, entire life worship when my hands can’t even find the strength to be upraised and when the tears in my throat drown out all other song. Still, You are worthy, my Savior, my King, the Lord of Lords. You are worthy simply because you ARE. Teach my heart to dwell on You and Your unchanging character when praising feels impossible. Teach me to love YOU, not what I want You to do for me or my circumstances. Grow my faith, Lord. Teach my life to worship You in fullness, in spirit, and in truth of who You are!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Pause 3, Day 9 Eternal Confidence

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Pause 3, Day 9

Because of the gracious sacrifice of Jesus as He offered His blood to cover our sins,
we are free to access the Holiest One!

Christ’s righteousness becomes our own as we surrender our sin and our self over to the One who lovingly crafted us, designing our hearts for a sweet relationship with Him.

The sweetest delight happens as we draw near in the intimacy of this tender relationship between adoring father and beloved child, we are made new.

Hearts renewed.
Lives restored.
Relationships made whole.
Hope given.

As we sit with the God of the Universe, choosing to be still and commune with Him through prayer and study of His Word, His love renews us with a radiance that cannot help but spill over into every other aspect of life. Nothing in the life of the believer is out of reach from the love of the Majestic King when we sit still with Him, looking intently upon His glory.

We cannot remove ourselves from His constant presence.
We cannot anger Him enough to cause Him to hurl us from His tender grasp of love.
We cannot disappoint Him and bring Him to turn away the gift of His open arms.
Rather, in eternal confidence, we are always welcome, forever loved, and hope is endlessly offered.

Today's Invitation

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down Hebrews 10:19-25 after you read through all of today’s passage in Hebrews 10:19-39. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to radiate Jesus’ love to others as you hold tightly to the anchoring truth of the eternal confidence we have only through Christ!
            a) Pitch in to do something extra at church. Whether it’s helping with cleanup, opening doors, trimming weeds, or offering to help in a child’s classroom, step up to loving deeper by serving in a new way.
            b) October is Pastor Appreciation Month and a note of genuine kindness goes a long way in showing love and giving encouragement. Consider sending your pastor an email or card!
            c) Check out some local ministries in your area and make plans to serve with them for an afternoon. Maybe it’s organizing school donations, serving soup, or stuffing backpacks for kids. Even better, get some friends to join you!
            d) Prayer walking is a simple way to begin shifting the eyes of your heart to truly see others. Walk around your neighborhood, some city streets, the aisles of your grocery store, or intentionally sit at a local coffee shop and pray, pray, pray. Pray for the people around you, pray for hearts to turn towards Jesus, pray for your own heart to be ready to share the full gospel if given the chance. Don’t worry about seeing results, that’s God’s job!
            e) Strike up a conversation with a random stranger. It may move to spiritual topics, it may not, but showing love to those outside our immediate circles always begins with a simple conversation. “What have you been doing today?” “Do you live nearby?” “Where do you go to church?” “What are your favorite local restaurants?” “I love your top! Where did you get it?” These open-ended questions work well!

3) Share the exciting, bold ways you are living out your eternal confidence today with the rest of the GT Community! Our Facebook community page is always open! Or snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @gracefully_truthful

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Hebrews 10:19-39

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

26 For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who has said,
Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,
and again,
The Lord will judge his people.

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. 34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

37 For yet in a very little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 But my righteous one will live by faith;
and if he draws back,
I have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one 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 3 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 Pause 3!

Sketched VI Day 8 Danielle

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:1-11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Zechariah 8:1-23

Sketched VI, Day 8

I grew up in the Kansas City, KS, metro area and was raised by my mom and stepdad as my mom and biological father had divorced when I was three.  My dad suffered from substance abuse and depression, and was physically and emotionally abusive, and also adulterous. However, once my mom remarried, my home life was safe, Christ-centered, very strict and structured.

My sister and I were enrolled in a Christian school during our elementary years. I made very close friends, had wonderful Sunday school teachers at church, where we attended weekly, and my parents lovingly taught us about Christ and our need for a Savior.

I gave my heart to Jesus when I was five years old. I still remember reading the prayer of salvation with my mom and little sister, found within a small paper booklet, and was so excited to have Jesus living in my heart! I have fond memories and was very happy for most of my early childhood days.

Around 12 years old, my stress level increased.
I started attending public school and lost contact with my biological father all together. Up until that time he had been fairly regular with our bi-weekly visits. I also became overly aware of how different I was growing up in an upper middle class, basically all-white community as a bi-racial youth. With all of these personal stressors spinning uncontrollably inside, I became highly anxious and easily worked up, all of which I took out on my parents.

In high school, I hung out with “popular kids” and dated older guys. I played club soccer year-around in addition to four years of varsity, and traveled for college showcases.
My need for perfectionism, approval, and obsessive tendencies began here.

Although I was very busy, I still made time to party, drink alcohol, and sneak out and smoke. My grades were excellent and I excelled at my sport, so my parents had no idea of my “weekend self”.  I was committed to this double life.

But the shame and guilt I carried as I walked into church each week eventually led me to stop attending youth group and push away my wonderful, God-loving friends.
I no longer fit in. 

My collegiate years were much the same with a hyper-focus on getting all A’s, while also intent on being the best party and sorority girl.
This was what I was good at, being the “fun friend.”
My double life was in high-gear and I made no attempt to refocus my life on Christ as Sundays were spent recovering from the weekend.
In my freshman year of college, I began dating my now-husband, Ben. After college, Ben was drafted and my double-life habits continued.
I was the best at my job, but also the best party girl.

With Ben gone, I was too lonely and full of shame every weekend, laying around feeling sick from partying, to face the truth.
I needed Christ, or I would never be happy.
Ever.

Which I knew!
Believe me, those parents who raised me in the church would constantly remind me, pray for me, and beg God to change my hardened heart.

Fast forward.

Ben and I married, and years later I became pregnant with Hart, my oldest.
Having a son completely broke me, bringing me to my knees.
I wanted my child to know Christ and be raised in a house full of His love like I had been.

For years, I had slammed the door on the Holy Spirit.
I screamed at myself to make better decisions, to get back into church, to repent.
At last, I turned back.
And I was restored! 
Finally.

My first Bible study was with my mom over phone and email, as we still lived states apart.
I began PRAYING to be more loving to my spouse and to crave reading God’s Word.

Slowly through the work of God’s renewing Holy Spirit, I began climbing out of the body I was had been living in, and hating. I was morphing into the woman He always wanted me to be; Christ was making me new! I was connected with Him, deeply loved, and learning to find my worth in God instead of my own performance.

God wonderfully took the YEARS I’d wasted living in sin and completely washed them away.  He freed me from the shame of my lifestyle, the guilt of my decisions, and the sense that I could never go back to Christ because I was too far from Him.
He freed me fearing of what people (“friends”) would think about me for changing core aspects of me. I realize now He will use the rest of my life to keep remaking me and influencing others for His glory!

My life is an on-going, amazing testimony of His gracious hand.
Although I wasted much, the best is yet to come! 

When jealousy pops up for those who have been in communion with Christ or serving Him since their youth, I’m reminded that God wastes nothing, even when I wasted much while chasing worthless idols and focusing on myself.

My decision to follow Christ has blessed every part of my life; it is made all the sweeter as I enjoy His pleasures in stark contrast to the darkness I thought would satisfy me.
Through fellowshipping with other believers, Ben and I have been baptized and blessed with a wonderful support system.

God used the hardest valleys to make me stronger and grow my faith. I know God has had His hands on every part of my very imperfect story.

You know that person who FINALLY finds Christ as an adult?
That person who is on fire and can’t fully even explain it most times?
That’s me!
I can’t wait to see what else Jesus has in store for this restored, remade sinner!

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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!
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And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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

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Captivating Day 4 Community Calling: 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 Community Calling!

The Questions

1) What is Paul referring to in verse 16 when he uses the connecting word “then”?

2) What does it mean for us to be a new creation once we are in Christ (verse 17)?

3) Who and what is God reconciling, and how does this shape our present reality regarding our relationships (verses 18-19)?

4) What makes us “ambassadors for Christ,” and how should it affect our lives to be His representative (verse 20)?

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Original Intent

1) What is Paul referring to in verse 16 when he uses the connecting word “then”?
The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in Jewish culture. All the known authors of the biblical epistles were either an apostle (meaning they were an original disciple of Jesus) or a close relative of Jesus. These men were all uniquely inspired and equipped by the Spirit of God to relay messages to the people of God through their writing. It’s probable that Paul wrote at least three letters to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 5:9 refers to a previous letter; and in 2 Corinthians 2:3-4, he references information which was not covered in the first letter. Bible scholars believe there was at least one other letter, probably written between 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.
It is essential in the study of 2 Corinthians 5 to consider its context within the letter as a whole, as well as his original letter to the people in Corinth (1 Corinthians). As he often does, Paul is expressing one extended thought regarding the gospel’s work in the life of a believer. In these letters, he uses the words “for” and “therefore” and “so”. Paul’s use of “then” in verse 16 refers the reader to what he said in the previous sentences regarding our relationship with Christ (verse 15). Because of His death, believers are those “who should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.” This was the essence of all of Paul’s writing. And of his living. (Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 2:8-21 Ephesians 2:4-8)

2) What does it mean for us to be a new creation once we are in Christ (verse 17)?
Most dictionaries define a Christian as “a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on His teachings.” Unfortunately, the English dictionary falls short of communicating what being a Christian really is. The word “Christian” is used only three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:21-26 ; Acts 26:25-29 ; 1 Peter 4:13-16), and was not meant as a compliment. At the time, it was common for Greeks to mockingly bestow nicknames to specific groups. Therefore, those who had followed Jesus – the one claiming to be the Christ – in their behavior, activity, and speech, were identified with Christ and were dubbed “little christs.”
In verse 17, Paul gives a definition of what it really means to be a Christian. His writing, teaching, and his own life, focused on the truth that a person who was ”in Christ” most significantly demonstrates his new identity by inwardly rejecting the (old) self-absorption into which each person is born. As a “new creation,” the believer’s mindset/heart enthrones Christ, not self. Paul’s aim was to persuade the Corinthians to deny themselves and the sinful habits attached to a self-focused life.

3) Who and what is God reconciling, and how does this shape our present reality regarding our relationships (verses 18-19)?
Scripture teaches the believer’s life is not worldly (verse 16). Once someone has become a “new creation,” he or she is in union with God and His kingdom purposes, just as Christ is. Although there will one day be an ultimate reconciling of everything to God (Acts 3:20-22 Colossians 1:19-20), God sent Jesus to become human in order to redeem the human race He created. Paul mentioned this in his first letter. (1 Corinthians 1:28-31) Every person is in desperate need of being reconciled with God because sin broke the relationship God had established with man, separating us from Him forever (Isaiah 59:2). Humanity, which was once God’s good creation, became God’s enemy because of sin. Thankfully, unlike every other religion in the world which dismisses the requirements of the moral law for mercy’s sake, Christianity is the demonstration of God’s mercy through His justice. The very sin that alienated every person from the Creator was also atoned for through Christ’s sacrificial death. (Romans 3:24-26 ) Instead of counting the trespasses of man against him, which was justified action, God Himself took the punishment (through Christ) so those who believe can be reconciled to Him. In response, the reconciled become part of God’s work in the world to reconcile others to Him.

4) What makes us “ambassadors for Christ,” and how should it affect our lives to be His representative (verse 20)?
Merriam-Webster defines an ambassador as one who is “accredited to another sovereign state … as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign.” Referring to himself as Christ’s ambassador, Paul saw himself and all believers as representatives of The Sovereign Lord. (Ephesians 6:18-20). Constantly aware of the grace of God, Paul’s letters indicate urgency as he pleads with the Corinthians to know and proclaim Christ crucified. (1 Corinthians 15:9-10, 2 Corinthians 4:14-15, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11 ) Paul continues his plea in Chapter 6, reminding the reader that God’s grace is to be received and applied to their lives, not ignored. As a new creation, a believer is intended to be a living gospel proclamation of Christ’s work on the cross on the sinner’s behalf. (Romans 12:1)
“Christ’s ambassadors come in God’s name, with His entreaties, and act in Christ’s stead, doing the very thing He did when He was upon this earth, and what He wills to be done now that He is in heaven.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible).

Everyday Application

1) What is Paul referring to in verse 16 when he uses the connecting word “then”?
Paul wrote the majority of books we have in the New Testament. In all his writings, we see two big themes which give us a sense of his calling. He was chosen to 1) preach Christ to the Gentiles, and 2) relay God’s purpose for the Church. (Ephesians 3:8-9 )We know from his letters to the Corinthian church that conflict and unresolved issues had escalated among God’s people.  Paul once again took time to remind them of the gospel he was called preach. 2 Corinthians is Paul’s appeal to the church to practice forgiveness and reconciliation. Paul connects it this way: “For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: ‘If one died for all then all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.’” (5:14-15)
Because of what Christ has done for the redeemed, we live for another world!

2) What does it mean for us to be a new creation once we are in Christ (verse 17)?
CS Lewis said, “Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ. If we do, we shall then be sharing a life which was begotten, not made, which always existed and always will exist. Christ is the Son of God. If we share in this kind of life, we also shall be sons of God. We shall love the Father as He does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has — by what I call ‘good infection.’ Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” CS Lewis
God created humanity in His likeness and “it was very good”.  (Genesis 1:31) We failed to respond to Him in the way we should have and lost the good relationship we had when we sinned against Him. In His mercy, God redeemed and restored mankind, giving us the opportunity to be remade into His likeness and to enter into a forever relationship with Him. Paul gives us a great description of what it means to walk in this new life in Ephesians 4.

3) Who and what is God reconciling, and how does this shape our present reality regarding our relationships (verses 18-19)?
Those of us who have been reconciled to God through the cross of Christ are called to bring others into the family of God.  Paul made a plea for believers to recognize their responsibility to share the message of reconciliation with others. Although it’s not clear how we will be “repaid for what we have done … whether good or evil” at the judgment seat of Christ (5:10), Paul connects it to our witness in verse 11. Bible Commentator Bill Vaughn helps us to understand this: “The nature of the judgment … is not to judge sin … [but to] judge each Christian’s service for possible rewards. Paul’s greatest ambition was to please his Lord. Christians should follow Paul’s example and let the judgment seat of Christ be the reason for their ambition to please the Lord Jesus Christ in all of their service.”
The prophet Ezekiel had a similar word from the Lord (Ezekiel 3:17-19). Charles Spurgeon paraphrased Ezekiel’s words by saying: “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and un-prayed for.”

4) What makes us “ambassadors for Christ,” and how should it affect our lives to be His representative (verse 20)?
Believers are the ambassadors of the kingdom of God (that is, the rule of God over all the people in the world). As such, we represent Him to the world. He uses us to tell those not yet in Christ, that they can be reconciled to God through His Son. Paul’s plea to the church at Corinth is the same call on the life every believer. We are to sense the urgency of our mission of reconciliation. Because of His great mercy and love, God sent Jesus to pay the price for our reconciliation (John 3:14-17). The One who had never sinned became sin for us. (verse 21) This sacrifice compels us to share the message of reconciliation as bold ambassadors, doing so in love and compassion for those who have not yet experienced it.
“Our identity in Christ should be such an integral part of our lives that it is impossible for someone to know us well without understanding how our Christian faith informs our lives. By all means, build deep relationships with unbelievers. And be up front about who you and are and what you believe. Don’t go in cognito in order to be a better witness. Let people see Christ in you and let them know Who it is they’re seeing.” (Trevin Wax)

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

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 Captivating Week One!
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.

Misunderstood Day 7 No More Than I Can Handle: 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 No More Than I Can Handle!

The Questions

1) Who is doing the talking and who is the audience? 

2) What is the purpose of the history lesson given in verses 1-5? 

3) What warnings are we given in this passage? 

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness. 

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did. 7 Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.8 Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died. 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And don’t complain as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer.11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it. 

Original Intent

1) Who is doing the talking and who is the audience?
The name of the book is Corinthians for a reason. The audience for this letter is the Corinth church. The author of this letter is Paul (1 Corinthians 1:1) and he was writing to the church to correct several issues that weren’t properly being addressed in Corinth. Greed, gluttony, sexual immorality, puffing themselves up with super-spirituality, and on and on goes the list for the Corinthian Church who weren’t addressing their sinful issues with a gospel focus.  

2) What is the purpose of the history lesson given in verses 1-5?
At the beginning of the passage, Paul says the reason for the history lesson of the nation of Israel is to give a reminder and an awareness of bad choices. He wanted to give the history lesson so that history would not be repeated.  

3) What warnings are we given in this passage?
The first five verses of this passage recount the history of the nation of Israel for the express purpose of turning a mirror on the church at Corinth. Paul’s desire is to provoke self-reflection  and compare the Corinthian church behavior with the Israelites to see if there were similarities. The warnings in this passage are numerous, but the most important warning is, “do not test Christ” by thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. This mindset will cause you also to fall into the pit and find yourself worshipping and serving idols as the Israelites did.

Everyday Application

1) Who is doing the talking and who is the audience?
It is important when you read a book in the Bible that you remember these are real stories about real people living a very real life. This was a letter written to believers in the 1st century church who struggle though everyday life and needed to be reminded to hold fast to the one true faithful God. He will not fail you or tempt you beyond what He can handle. He will always provide a way for you to walk according to His plan and purpose, but you have to be willing to make that choice. God wants us at our limits so we will realize our need for Him.  

2) What is the purpose of the history lesson given in verses 1-5?
Have you ever heard the expression “learn from the past so as not to repeat it”? That is a theme throughout Scripture where we see Paul and many other writers of the New Testament recall the unfaithfulness of the Israelite people, while at the same time, pointing them to the faithfulness of God. The Israelite’s history is our history as believers. We read and recount history so we can learn from it and not repeat it. God uses our history to tell others how amazing He is. Our redemption story may become the catalyst for someone else to come to Christ, it may spark repentance in someone’s life, or it may bring about healing in a broken relationship. When we remember where we have come from and tell others, then the brilliance and glory of where we are going is that much sweeter! Those who hear our story have opportunities to see God’s handiwork. History becomes the teacher that lays the foundation for an eternal future.  

3) What warnings are we given in this passage?
Paul is very clear – don’t think more highly of yourself because you will fall! That is what we call PRIDE. If we think we are too good for sin, we have sinned. If we think we can stand apart from Christ, we can’t. There is nothing, absolutely nothing of value that we can accomplish apart from Christ. He will guide us, but we must submit. He will provide a way, but we must die to our way. He wants us weak, because in our weakness He gets the glory, He gets the fame, He gets the worship! And rightly so! When we are tempted, tired, weary, and at our wit’s end that is the moment of vulnerability and brokenness where we die to pride and realize we can’t, but HE can! (2 Corinthians 12:10)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with No More Than I Can Handle!

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 Misunderstood 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.

Bride Day 8 The Groom and His Bride

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hosea 4 
Genesis 3:1-13 
Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 
Colossians 1:15-20 

She was riveting. 

Bride, Day 8

The heady fragrance of fresh flowers filled the air, sweet strains from the grand piano echoed through the church, guests beamed, catching tears in their throats as their eyes took her in.  
The Bride.  
 
As beautiful as the scene before her was, she had eyes only for one, her groom.  
Long awaited.  
Greatly anticipated.  
The wedding day.  
 
The anticipation had filled their hearts with an ache of longing.  
The looks they’d exchanged were like tasting honey, awaiting the fullness of bliss to come. 
He was her champion.  
She was his bride.  
 
Happily ever after was always the intent.  
But one day, the grass appeared greener on the other side.  
Maybe it was…. 
What if I’m missing out? 
What if my marriage is holding me back from achieving more? 
Maybe he doesn’t really love me like he claims.  
My feelings have changed. 
What if he is hiding something? 
And she turned her eyes away from his.  
 
Just a little at first.
Who could blame her for flirting back just a little?
He was pretty attractive.  
He was so nice. The feelings in her heart felt different, exciting, her breath caught in her throat in a different way.
I wonder… What if…. 
 
And His heart broke,  
But He still called her Bride.  
 
The dreams they’d shared…they began to fade.  
But the love He had for her remained.  
 
She was caught up in it, the greener grass becoming increasingly intoxicating, taking her farther than she dared. It was becoming too late, she couldn’t go back, maybe she didn’t even want to. Her old life seemingly a shadow compared to the thrill of new misters. Why keep it to one? There was so much to explore!
New excitement at every opportunity for this new love.  
 
You have betrayed me, my Bride, my Beloved, my chosen one.  
His voice chased her down. 
You’ve been unfaithful, abandoned our love, refused to know me intimately.  
You’ve wreaked havoc in our marriage, you’ve broken down our relationship, and trashed your reputation. This one choice has created a rippling effect.  
Those who looked up to you, don’t anymore.  
Those who saw our marriage as beauty, see ashes.  
No one wins, everyone is broken.  
Most of all you, my precious Bride, but you don’t even see it.  
 
You think you’re living thrill to thrill, but I know you’re dying inside.  
All of these lovers, I know they are leaving you empty hearted.  
You are being destroyed without our intimacy, because knowing me, and enjoying each other, was always the intention. 
You weren’t made for this.  
Remember, happily ever after was our destination? 
 
You keep on chasing this broken love, glittery on the outside, empty on the inside.  
You’ve taken the glory of our marriage and exchanged it for shame.  
You have left me so you could play the whore, with not just one counterfeit lover,  
but countless ones.  
But still I call you Bride.  
 
Why? 
Love.  
 
Love that knows you will only find fullness with me.  
Because I’m the beginning and the end. (Revelation 22:13) 
Love that knows your life is found when it’s hidden in me.  
Because I hold life together. (Colossians 1:15-20) 
Love that knows happily ever after is not just a dream.  
Because I hold eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15) 
 
Remember, my Bride… 
Lace. Glowing cheeks. White dress. Dazzling pearls. 
Happily Ever After. 
It’s still our future hope.  
Come home, Beloved.  
 
The heartbreak of God is something we can never fully understand.  
The heartbreak that began in the Garden of Eden and continued right on  
through every story in the Old Testament,  
every law that we have a hard time understanding,  
every miracle of Jesus,  
all of His teachings, and sweeps past His death and resurrection.  
 
His begging pleas to return continue in the voices of Paul, Timothy, Peter, and John in the New Testament as His Church flourished and grew, yet still fought hard against the relentless Enemy.  
 
Every time His Bride chose sin, chose adultery, chose another lover,  
He ached to bring her home.  
If even creation itself longs for the final restoration,  
how much more so the very Being of God Himself?  
 
We often see the brokenness around us and long for it to be made whole.  
We see relationships shattered.  
We see financial strain.  
We see bodies twisted in sickness.  
And we long for healing. We ache for it.  
But we miss the heartbreak of God over our adultery.  
 
Today, let’s decide to see it.  
Let’s ask God to show us His heart.  
Let’s see our sin, our wretchedness.  
Then let’s see the groaning of God as He too waits to bring restoration.  
 
Happily ever after…. It’s still coming!  
Bride dressed in white….She is still on the horizon!  
 
Christ is her champion.  
The Church is His Bride.  
 
And one day, that Wedding Day will be reality.  
The marriage feasting will begin and never end.  
The fullness of a consummate marriage will be everlasting and His Bride will discover beauty, depth, purpose, meaning, satisfaction, and wholeness like she never dreamed possible.  
 
But it starts with opening our eye to our adultery,  
beholding the heartbreak of the Groom who loves us,  
and choosing to return to His embrace.  
 
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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 Bride 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 Bride!

Shepherd Day 9 Sheep Life: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
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Zephaniah 3:14-20 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;  he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 
18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach  

19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.  

The Questions

1) Who is the “daughter of Zion”? 

2) Why is Israel rejoicing? 

3) The phrase “at that time” is used several times throughout the passage. What “time” is the writer referring to? 

4) What promises of God do we see in this passage?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who is the “daughter of Zion”?
The daughter of Zion is not a person, but rather a people. “Zion” referred to “Jerusalem” and the daughter of Zion referenced the nation of Israel. In this passage, Zephaniah, the prophet to the nation, is talking to the Israel, calling them to rejoice for the day of restoration is coming! 

2) Why is Israel rejoicing?
The book of Zephaniah follows a pattern like most prophets in Scripture as Zephaniah warns of impending judgement for sinfulness, but also provides hope of coming restoration for God’s chosen people. In this case, Israel is rejoicing because “on that day”, the day of the Lord, God will gather the broken and enslaved people. He will restore them to their fortunes. Zephaniah is beckoning them to hope and rejoicing because the Good Shepherd will rescue His sheep and fight for them, restoring the nation and people to something better than they had before. 

3) The phrase “at that time” is used several times throughout the passage. What” time” is the writer referring to?
In context, it is important to remember the message had two meanings. One, the restoration and rescue of the nation of Israel from Babylonian captivity. There would be a time that God would restore His people and set them free from the 70 long years of enslavement. Secondly, a coming time, in the eternal future, where all of humanity would be set free. More than any other book in the Old Testament, Zephaniah mentions “the day of the Lord”. 

4) What promises of God do we see in this passage?
Zephaniah mentions several promises throughout this passage. The first promise is that of relenting judgement which meant their enemies, the Babylonians, would let them go and they would be free from exile. The second promise is one of hope that there is no one and no thing to fear because of the Mighty Warrior God who is fighting for them, loving them, and quieting their souls. The third promise is one of restoration where God gathers His people: the lame, the sick, the outcast and renews their strengths and their fortunes.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is the “daughter of Zion”?
We can see from this passage, and the whole of the Old Testament, that God knows His people and chose His people. The Old Testament is the story of God’s people; this is our history as His followers. When we are reading the Old Testament and we see “daughter of Zion”, recall God’s faithfulness, God’s promises, and God’s desire to fight for us and love us well. His desire to restore us and shepherd us until the day He returns. 

2) Why is Israel rejoicing?
We can rejoice because we know the rest of the story that Israel did not know. They did not have Scripture and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, yet the prophet Zephaniah calls them to rejoice because he trusted what God had told him. He trusted the message of truth that God would save His people from captivity, gather them, and restore them. We are offered the same message today through the Gospel. It’s God’s good news that Jesus has come, making a way for the lost to be found, for the depleted and brokenhearted to be restored, and for hopeless, wayward sheep to be given a path that leads to eternal life. This path is the way of salvation that God provided through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, as He gave up His life for ours. Christ Jesus, fully God and fully man, took on our punishment, rightfully intended for us, and gave us His own righteousness that we may be made right with God.   

3) The phrase “at that time” is used several times throughout the passage. What “time” is the writer referring to?
The phrase “at this time” is the ever-present tension that exists in Scripture. The time line of restoration that we are restored now, but we will be fully restored upon Christ’s return one day. God doesn’t work on human constraints and human timelines. God works in His perfect time and His perfect way. We can trust that God is faithful to His promises because we have read the story of Scripture, we have seen His hand in those around us, and we have watched our own lives unfold in shelter of the Almighty. The “day of the Lord” is still coming, will you be called His own on that day? 

4) What promises of God do we see in this passage?
This passage is a history lesson for us in the 21st century in two ways. One, we know that Israel was released from captivity, but two, we also know why they were there: their arrogant, sinful actions and attitudes towards a Holy God. The hearts of God’s chosen people had turned cold and aloof, no longer desiring their first love, no longer worshipping the one True God. They were combative and whinny, desiring their own way rather than allowing themselves to be led by the Shepherd who loved them. Our history lesson is to trust His ways and His promises, but to learn from the nation of Israel so as not repeat the same mistakes. 

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I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Shepherd Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Shepherd!