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Sketched VIII Day 14 Tamar And Absalom: 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 Tamar And Absalom!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)

Psalm 91

1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: 3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. 4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, 6 the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. 8 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord — my refuge, the Most High — your dwelling place, 10 no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. 11 For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. 12 They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.14 Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. 15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)
First, we’ll need to look at what the definition is for “to dwell”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the verb dwell as “to live in a place or in a particular way”. The word ‘shadow’ has many meanings, and our first impression may be of a dark place. However, being in someone’s shadow also means you are actively following this person very closely (Cambridge Dictionary). In Psalm 5:4 we read that evil cannot dwell in God. These words tell us that living in the shadow of our God is good because there is no evil that can be near Him. We are safe whenever we continually abide close to our Almighty Father.

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)
In the Old Testament, we can see how God promises protection for those who obey and honor Him. This applied specifically to His chosen people, the Hebrews. A great example of this protection is found in the story of Moses recorded in the book of Exodus. God performed many wonderful miracles to protect His people and lead them out of slavery in Egypt. When the final plague came over the Egyptians, God commanded His people to kill a lamb and cover their doorposts with its blood. The angel of death would then know which houses to pass over when the plague of the firstborn’s death came over the land. Not one of God’s families suffered death from this final plague because He kept them safe as they put themselves under His protection. (Read the full story! Exodus 11:1-12:36!). Two other great examples of God’s loving protection over His people are found in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Three Hebrew friends refused to bow down to a statue (false god), instead choosing to honor the One True God, and keep themselves under His care. This should have meant their death by fire according to the King! (Daniel 3) The faithful God, however, kept them safe in the midst of the fiery furnace! Later, Daniel, the prophet, was protected from the gnashing teeth of the lions after he was punished for praying to God. (Daniel 6) Though the death penalty awaited him, God provided protection supernaturally. When God’s people stay obedient to Him, keeping themselves under His care, He keeps them safe. It’s not always physical safety, as the Bible is full of persecution and suffering for following Jesus, but the Lord’s presence will never abandon us, and He will indeed faithfully preserve us into eternity as we place our faith in Him.

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)
We don’t need to look far for the answer to this question, even just in this passage, let alone the rest of Scripture! God gives beautiful promises to those who seek His company as our hiding place. (Psalm 32:7) He promises no harm will come to us (Psalm 91:9) because He commands His angels to protect us. (Psalm 91:11) When we call out, He promises to answer; He will remain with us in trouble, rescue us, and show us His salvation. (Psalm 91:15-16) In Psalm 138:7, we find confirmation of these words as God extends His hand, saving us from danger. The name of our Lord is a strong tower, and when we run to it, we’re protected and safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)
When we dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, we find ourselves in a very close relationship with our Creator. Dwelling with Him means following Him wherever He goes and keeping our eyes fixed on Him, so we can actively remain in His shadow. The best part is, if we dwell in His shadow, He will also dwell with us. What the psalmist referred to as “dwelling”, Jesus referred to in the New Testament as “abiding”. (John 15:4-5) He is always present, never far from us, but it’s our decision to remain in Him and invest in a relationship with Him. Dwelling in His shadow requires an intentional, consistent decision on our part to remain with Him. God tells us so beautifully of His heart for relationship when He says, “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) Through faith, Christ dwells in our hearts. (Ephesians 3:17) It really is a loving, mutual relationship between us and Him when we stay close beside Him!

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)
The same still stands for us today as it did in the days of Moses and Daniel. When we submit ourselves to God through faith in Jesus, we will be saved for eternity! (Revelation 14:12) When we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, He saves us from eternal condemnation and separation from Him. (Romans 10:9) Notice though, that these verses speak about the promise of being redeemed one day. This is the hope every believer holds onto. Jesus warns us that Christians will have tribulation in this world. (John 16:33) When we read the book of Acts, we see how some disciples were persecuted, like James (Acts 12:2), and others were frequently rescued, also in the midst of persecution, like Paul. (Acts 28:1-6) Regardless of what struggles look like in our lives, God will always use trials to bring us closer to Him, giving us new opportunities to experience Him and His ever-present grace. No matter what life brings us, there is comfort in the words of Jesus, “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) He promises our eternity is secure with Him, and that our trials now are worth persevering through!

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)
As we saw before, when we stay close to God, He will keep us safe and protected from danger. Jesus has promised He will never leave us, continuing to be with us even until the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20) Paul reminds us that, because of God’s faithful promises, “we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”. (Hebrews 13:6) Our God will rescue us from evil work and will bring us safely to the heavenly kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:18) These promises don’t mean we will never have trials or hard times. In fact, Jesus warned us there will be difficulties on our way because we live in a fallen world. (John 16:33) But, we will never walk alone! We’re hemmed in safety on all sides when we dwell closely with Him than when we wander far from His shadow. Stay where His hand guards and protects your life and your heart as you walk through trial of all kinds! There is peace and safety with the Almighty God!

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

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 Sketched VIII Week Three!
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.

Worship III, Day 14 Made New: 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 Made New!

The Questions

1) What scene is being described in this passage and who is the speaker?

2) Are there two judgements described? What is the difference?

3) What is meant by the “second death”?

Revelation 20:11-15

Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Original Intent

1) What scene is being described in this passage and who is the speaker?
John, one of Jesus’ disciples while He was on earth, is having a vision while on the island of Patmos, where he was exiled for refusing to renounce Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9) John writes down the vision the Lord God gives to Him for the purpose of encouraging the Body of Christ, the Church. When reading Revelation, despite the things that might confuse us, it’s important to remember that the purpose is encouragement for believers! (Revelation 1:3) In chapter 20, John is seeing a vision of the Final Judgement. The earth, and all of its elements, have burned away (verse 11, 2 Peter 3:10) and Time as we know it, has ended. All people, Christians and non-believers, dead and still living, are called before the throne of the Almighty Holy God of the Universe to give an account of their lives and receive their just wages for how they have lived. (Matthew 12:35-36)

2) Are there two judgements described? What is the difference? 
This scene in John’s vision is not describing two separate judgements, but rather two parts of the same judgement. All people, across all time, have been summoned by the Author of Life, the Righteous Judge, and the time for Eternal Justice has come. First, “books are opened” and then “another book was opened” (verse 12). Following verse 12 we get a fuller description of the people and an ever-increasing sense of awe for the Lord God who holds final authority.  In both verse 12 and verse 13, we see that the books are providing evidence of “works” that were done while on earth, while souls were dwelling in bodies. Humanity is judged individually based on what each person did with all the opportunities they had on earth. Works done through the power of the Holy Spirit that led to life, are righteous. Works done in human power are counted as evil. As Isaiah 64:6 reminds, “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” The “second book,” or the “Book of Life”, holds the record for everyone who has trusted in Christ and His righteousness to cleanse them from sin. The books that record the works, are the evidence of a life that has been surrendered to Christ because Christ’s righteousness will overflow into the actions, thoughts, words, and deeds of a person who has given their whole life to Jesus.

3) What is meant by the “second death”?
It’s helpful when thinking about this phrasing, to remember that our “beings” are made up of two parts: soul and body. The body is a “tent” where our soul (that which makes us “us” and encompasses our reason, emotion, abilities, etc) dwells. By definition, if there is a “second” death, there must be a “first” death, which is the separation of the body from the soul. The body dies, and the soul moves on to its destination either to Heaven or Hell. But at the Final Judgement, where all souls have been forever judged and the day of “second chances” is over, Death itself will Die for eternity. Those who have lived their lives for themselves, relying on themselves for salvation and on their own ways, will experience the “second death”, receiving eternal and irreversible separation from God in Hell, where only God’s wrath will forever be poured out on them. For those who chose Christ’s salvation while on earth, they will be welcomed into an eternity with the Savior, where the fullness of life will never again be diminished because Death and Sin have been sentenced to Death!

Everyday Application

1) What scene is being described in this passage and who is the speaker?
John, a central disciple of Jesus’ ministry, had been captured and exiled for holding fast to Christ, yet he was still using his time to encourage the Church. John would die in exile, but as long as he was alive, he would still surrender to being used by Christ for His radiant Bride. John’s example should challenge us to our core. With all the resources available to us, our time, our talents, and our financial treasure, we should be among the foremost as we too, like John, are called to encourage the Church as a whole, regardless of our circumstances. We have been made new as believers to do good works which God has planned for us to do long before we were even born! (Ephesians 2:10) Spend some time right now considering what circumstances you are allowing to prevent you from encouraging the Church? What are some practical ways you can serve those around you? How can you encourage your local church? Consider doing something this week to specifically build up and encourage your church this week!

2) Are there two judgements described? What is the difference?
While the Book of Life holds the names of all believers who genuinely have surrendered their lives to Christ for safekeeping for all eternity, the other “books” are the proof of righteous living. Our attempt at good deeds on earth is utterly meaningless when it comes to the Final Judgement unless our name is also found written in the Book of Life. It is only Christ who can bring about truly good works in our lives, not us. If we haven’t fully given Him our hearts, then we remain damned by our own attempt to be “good enough” by doing “good things”. There is no balance and scale option when it comes to the Final Judgement, only 1 thing matters for eternity, whether or not your name is found among all of those who have also given their everything to Jesus Christ as their Lord.

3) What is meant by the “second death”?
No one likes to think about Judgement Day and the End of the World. Neither are the topics of death and dying popular ones, but remember that the purpose of John’s vision and the book of Revelation is to encourage the Church. These few verses are overflowing with Solid Hope for the believer! Christ is coming, He is Just, and the life He offers us will never be threatened again! We were created to live a full, abundant life that would never end nor would it be stained by brokenness, pain, and hurt that comes from sin and its consequences. We will finally be free to live the life we were created for!

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

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 Worship III Week Three!
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.

The GT Weekend! Shepherd 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) In seasons of trial, it’s easy to question God’s nearness. How do you remind yourself that we can choose to walk in His Truth rather than be overcome by fear?  His Word gives us many verses to cling to in moments of doubt. Choose one today to post in your room.
Snap a picture for Instagram and use #GTchoosefaith

2) ‘No’ is never an enjoyable thing to hear, particularly when it comes as an answer to prayer. Our human tendency is to push back or whine about the results. Give an honest assessment of the last time the Lord disciplined you, or was training you to become more like Him, and journal about it. Can you see His steady hand protecting you? If you cannot yet, wait in expectation for the Lord to reveal it to you someday.

3) Many of us will never have a physical adversary that wants to bring physical harm to us. However, an emotional enemy can feel just as burdensome to endure. Describe a situation you have encountered an enemy. Share the emotion of the situation and how the Lord brought you through that intense time.

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 Colossians 1:9-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.

Prayer Journal
Heavenly Father, Your steady hand of correction is strong and gentle. I praise You for being in all and over all, able to see the future and know what is BEST for me. In the same way that I lovingly reprimand my children, You do the same for me; providing a sure path for me to follow. Spirit, keep me softened to You that I might respond when You’re speaking to me…even in a ‘no’ that I don’t want to hear.

Lord, as I face this big situation before me, I know You are near. Rather than ask You to remove the bigness, I pray for more of Your knowledge to walk in a way that would be pleasing to You. Show me your power and might over this! I choose to trust in Your faithfulness to Yourself and to Your word. “Lead me on. Lead me on.”

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Brave Day 9
When Jesus Didn’t Feel Brave: 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

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out When Jesus Didn’t Feel Brave!

Ephesians 6:10-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

The Questions

1) According to these verses, what is really behind our struggles?

2) What is “the evil day” in verse 13?

3) How do the different pieces of the armor of God help us?

The Findings for Intention

1) When Paul says, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,” it means that our struggle isn’t physical. It is spiritual. That’s not to say that there aren’t real physical aspects to our struggles—illnesses, financial troubles, relational troubles, and the like are all very real. But Paul is saying that behind all those physical troubles is a spiritual battle for our souls. The real enemy isn’t the face of the struggle, but the Evil One behind it, Satan. Will we give in to lies that lead to anger and despair? Or will we trust that God will strengthen us to fight for truth and joy in the midst of these battles?

2) Paul tells us to take up the armor of God so we can stand firm in the evil day. Is he talking about the end of the world, or some other specific future day? If we look at a cross reference, we go back just a few verses to Ephesians 5:15-16, which says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Paul is talking about the current days—the ones the Ephesian believers lived in, just like the days we currently live in. We live in a world that is totally messed up by sin, and we need to put on the armor of God every day. Again, our battle isn’t what we see, it’s really against what we can’t see; it’s truth vs lies and the only Victor is Christ Jesus!

3) Our spiritual armor is made up of truth, righteousness, the readiness of the gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer. These protect us from lies, from the consequences of an unrighteous life, from hopelessness, and give us the tools to fight back against the Devil’s schemes. There is so much to unpack from this passage when it comes to the meaning of the pieces of armor that this short study doesn’t have time to cover it all. I highly recommend that you spend some extra time meditating on these verses today, or read some of the commentaries found at studylight.org to gain further insight.

The Everyday Application

1) What are my current struggles? What are the spiritual struggles hiding behind them? Knowing that our battles are spiritual can bring meaning to them and give us hope.

2) Although our present times have many reasons for hope, these days are evil, and will be until Christ returns. Is standing firm in my faith a focus for me? Do I see an urgency to walking wisely and making the best use of time?

3) Remember that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and that he has told us how to arm ourselves to stand firm against the devil’s schemes. Be strengthened, be brave!

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

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Brave!

Safe Day 11
A Love Without Fear

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Joey FeekPsalm 27
Psalm 23:4-6
John 14:27

The first time I heard of Joey was last summer. My life was upside down and my heart was inside out. I was falling more and more in love with my newborn daughters. One day I found myself surfing Facebook as a distraction from the constant nagging of fear in the back of my mind. My life had turned from joyful mommy-hood bliss to a life of “what ifs” and dread. I clicked on a video of a couple singing on a small quaint stage. A beautiful brunette woman stood at a mic next to her overall-cladded, husband-playing guitar. Their voices blended into a rich, smooth velvety sound. For just a few minutes my mind didn’t think about the “what ifs” and nothing nagged my heavy heart. I was in a trance and quickly fell in love with this darling couple. For months I continued to watch and listen to this dynamic duo while battling my overwhelming fear that came with being a mommy.

One morning, Joey’s tragic news appeared on my Facebook feed: her cancer had returned and the prognosis wasn’t good. I instantly thought of a picture her husband, Rory, had shared on their Facebook page. Joey was potty training their little daughter on the side of the road. She sat with an umbrella reading a book to her sweet girl.
That was a picture of motherhood; that was a picture of love.

Tears began pouring as I felt the confusion, hurt, pain, and sorrow Joey must have been feeling. You see, Rory was facing one of my worst fears, that something would happen to me so my daughters would have to grow up without their mommy and I wouldn’t get to be there for them. It was easy for my heart to ache with Joey. I learned something in my few months of being a mama about the beautiful bond that lies between a mama and her child.
To read that baby Indiana could lose her mama tore me apart.

Months passed before I read the words I’d been dreading to read…
“My wife’s greatest dream came true today.
She is in Heaven.
The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry. Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her Savior. ”

My heart dropped. My stomach was in my throat. I read Rory’s blog post. I read old blog posts. I read and read while tears poured and it dawned on me.
Joey had no fear.
Joey was going to die, but Joey was safe.
She knew she would be safe, and she proved it to the millions who watched her as cancer overtook her earthly body. She proved it to her thousands of prayer warriors when she said, “I pray that one morning I just don’t wake up. But I don’t fear anything because I’m so close to God and we’ve talked about it so many times. I know he’s close. And I know he loves me.”

Joey had no fear because she knew she was safe in the arms of Jesus.
She was safe when she battled cancer and she is safe now.
Because being safe isn’t about perfect bodily state, it’s about your spiritual one.

Knowing she was safe, Joey could bravely allow her little daughter’s relationship with her father to grow, while she sat back and watched, so that sweet girl wouldn’t miss her mama so painfully.

Because her heart was safe, Joey could trust that God held her baby when she no longer would. Spiritual safety allowed the decision that “enough is enough” and freed her to stop fighting and prepare herself to go home. Safety with Jesus gave Joey strength to gather her family and friends around her, hold her step-daughters’ hands and snuggle her little baby to say goodbye, and remind them that they are loved.

Joey Feek’s brave example of trust pointed straight to the safety of Jesus, and she taught me to handle my own fears for safety a little differently.
I learned that when our hearts are safe in Jesus’ love,
there is no room for fear,
for fear cannot come from Him.
“Perfect Love Casts Out Fear” – I John 4:18

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

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

Safe Day 7
For Such A Time As This: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper posts are intended to help us go farther into God’s word than a simple surface reading
and are designed to help us discover new tools in the process.
Curious as to why we Dig Deeper? Here’s Why! 

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out For Such A Time As This!

Psalm 91 English Standard Version (ESV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge[b]—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

My Questions

1) What does it mean to dwell in the shelter of the Most High?

2) Who is speaking in this Psalm?

3) What actions must I take according to this Psalm? What promises does God give?

4) What word pictures are used by the Psalmist to describe God?

The Tools

A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
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 Findings for Original Intent

1) With a little investigation we can look up the word “dwells” and it means: to remain, to sit, to abide, to have one’s abode, to be inhabited by. This is a description of God’s place in our life. God desires to abide in us and for us to allow Him to take residence in our heart. We are to be inhabited by God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

2) In this Psalm, the Psalmist is not named; however, we do know that most of the Psalms were sung or chanted as worship songs. This particular one is dealing specifically with the security that the Lord offers when we put our trust in Him.

3) When reading through a Psalm, I like to mark what we as believers are asked to do and what God’s promises are in light of that. In this Psalm, we, the believer, are asked to dwell, make the Lord our refuge, to be on guard, call to the Lord, and hold fast to Him. God promises us that He will deliver us, cover us, be our shield and buckler, protect us from evil, guard us, be with us, answer us, and be our salvation. God is the God of promises! When we trust in Him, He will deliver us for all eternity.

4) There are a lot of analogies used in the Psalms. In this Psalm we see in v. 3 that God will deliver us from snare of the fowler (or trapper). The idea being that God saves us from the snares and traps of this world. In v 4, God will cover us with His pinions (wings). God’s “wings” are a safe place of refuge and coverage. In v. 11, He is the commander of the army, the angel army. This army guards us “in all of our ways.” The security we have in God is made abundantly clear with word pictures that allow us to “see” God’s character.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) We are called to dwell in the Lord and allow Him to dwell in us. When we dwell, He abides. The circumstances of our life do not change our position of dwelling. God is at home in our hearts whether we are facing a life or death situation like Esther or dealing with the mundane every day. God calls upon us to make our abode with Him.

2) We see both the Psalmist and God speaking in these sixteen verses. God is faithful and speaks His promises clearly, “When he calls to me, I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble;  I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:15-16) God speaks through His word and through the words of the Psalmist.

3) Several times throughout Scripture there are “If, Then” statements. If you dwell, then I will abide. (v.1) If you love Me, then I will deliver you. (v.13) God is God no matter how foolish we are; however, God does ask us to trust Him, cling to Him, and dwell in Him, the Almighty! He lays out structure for us as His children, not as a list of “must-do’s”, but as a means of opening the door for His fullness to abide in us!

4) God protects us from the snares of this world, God will cover us with His wings, He is the commander of angel armies that fight on our behalf and defend us! “…in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11) Every believer will encounter situations where we decide if we will trust God “for such a time as this”. Do you trust God to protect you from the snare, be your shield and defender, and cover you with His wings? The more we know about God’s character, the more confident we can be in the middle of difficulty. He’s always inviting us to know Him better!

We’d love to hear how God challenged you through today’s Journey Study! Share your thoughts, comments, and questions with the GT Community!
Can we pray for you? 
Looking for faith stories?

Want To Try It For Yourself?!

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!

Share Your Thoughts with the GT Community!

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

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme? See all past studies in Safe!

Safe Day 5
But If Not

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Click and Read!Safe - But If Not-RA
Daniel 3
Romans 8:18-25
Matthew 1:23

It had been a beautiful outdoor wedding.
A celebration we had all anticipated for literally years. My husband’s brother and his wife had finally tied the knot and we couldn’t have been happier for them. We watched through teary eyes as they promised forever to each other, I choked on joy-filled tears as I embraced my new, long-awaited sister, we rode in the limo, laughing as we stopped traffic. I cried again as my husband gave a beautiful toast to the new couple, and my man and I savored watching their sweet love as we reflected on our own. We danced with our kids and took one long slow dance, just me and my champion, savoring the nearness of each other.

I left early to take our little treasures, including our 4 week old daughter, to his parents house to spend the night. It was just past midnight when Chris’ dad woke me with a calm, but urgent voice, “There’s been an accident, Chris was taken to the hospital.”

My heart dropped and my world stopped. My ears rang with the unthinkable as I imagined the very worst. I fitted my newborn into her car seat with shaking hands and followed Dad to his waiting truck in stunned silence. “Oh Jesus. Oh Jesus,” was all I could pray, until one thought of thankfulness surrounded me in a moment of unknowable peace and stillness, “Thank you, God, for one last slow dance with my husband.”

Fear had flooded me, but peace overtook me. Not because I knew my husband would be alive and well, but because I knew my God was good.

Safety is something we often pray for, beg for, even demand and bargain for when we are desperate,
but Jesus sees safety differently than we do.
The good Father takes every opportunity, good or bad, to draw us intentionally closer to His heart. He longs for us to find total fulfillment in Him regardless of circumstances.

Tears, fear, and uncontrollable trembling battled inside me as I reached for my husband’s hand on the stretcher, his bloody face held tightly in a stabilizer. The shock oh so slowly leaving my body as I breathed in the truth that he would be okay. Later, only a faint scar above his eye would remain, always reminding me of the preciousness of my husband’s life.

The more I reflect on being safe, my longing for it, and the glaring reality that it doesn’t always happen, reminds me of a trio of young men. Men who had a lot to lose when it came to safety, their very lives in fact.
They could renounce their faith and live
or hold unswervingly to the unseen God and die a horrible death.
They chose faith.
And in their final moments before certain death, they boldly proclaimed words that sink deep into my heart when I pray for safety. Read it slowly, drink in their courage, see the faith in their eyes.

“Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from it.
But if not,
be it known to you, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship your golden image.”

Their confidence in a saving God was unswerving, unquestioning, and steadfast.
God would save them.
But they also allowed for God’s sovereignty to call the shots…..and they were okay with that.
“But if not….” God was still faithful. Their confidence in God went beyond the physical to the spiritual. They were safe….no matter what. If God didn’t save them from the fire, He would save them through it on the other side and welcome them into eternity with Him.

Those moments in life that have been ear-marked by fear and great unknown, have also been branded by Jesus calling me into more. When I feared that Chris was dying from the car accident, I knew God’s goodness more intimately than I had just a few hours earlier as I had danced carefree at the wedding.

As much as we wish God promised us safety, He simply doesn’t. But what He does give us is worth far more than physical, temporary security. It’s worth enough that choosing worry over trusting His goodness simply doesn’t make sense.

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

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

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 Safe Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Safe Day Two
Be Careful: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper posts are intended to help us go farther into God’s word than a simple surface reading
and are designed to help us discover new tools in the process.
Curious as to why we Dig Deeper? Here’s Why! 

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Be Careful!

Isaiah 26:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

My Questions

1) Who was Isaiah talking to and about in this passage: who is the “You” and who is the “him”?

2) What does it mean to have a mind “stayed” on God and how does that lead to peace?

3) What is Isaiah’s definition of trust?

The Tools

A trip to www.studylight.org is in order here.
We will get super cozy with this site as we study Scripture together!
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 Findings for Original Intent

1) In this passage the “You” refers to God and the “him” refers to the nation of Israel. Knowing the audience and keeping all the pronouns straight in Scripture can sometimes be confusing, but it is necessary to understand the context. The book of Isaiah was written to the southern portion of the divided kingdom of Israel. Isaiah wrote of impending judgement by God and to help Israel understand that God’s hope is eternal despite the impending judgement on their nation. God was with them even in the face of exile and He would restore their nation one day! God is the God of restoration and hope.

2) Biblical peace is not the absence of physical war. Isaiah wrote in a time when Israel was going to be conquered and taken captive. Peace comes from the choice to keep our minds on God. It is the absence of a spiritual battle of wills because there is understanding of how the story will end. Isaiah says that God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is “stayed” on God. With a little investigation of that word “stay” we see that it means to support oneself, brace oneself, lean on, rest upon, revive oneself. Isaiah is letting his audience know that God’s peace, the understanding that this too shall pass and there is hope, will come when they brace themselves and rest upon the “everlasting rock”.

3) When Isaiah uses the word “trust” he is encouraging and instructing Israel to put faith in God’s keen awareness of their circumstances and continue to have faith that God knows best. Judgement and exile are not high on the list of “want-to’s” for anyone especially God’s chosen people, however, they are facing consequences for their own actions. Isaiah simply is leading them to have faith that God will protect them like only He can and rely on the “everlasting rock” of salvation. Reliance on God during flourishing and during exile sets their sight on the restoration that is to come for their nation.

Some Applications for Our Everyday Lives

1) God speaks! He speaks through Scripture, He speaks through prayers, and He speaks through people. God clearly told Isaiah to relay a message of judgement, yes, but also restoration.

2) God’s peace that “surpasses all understanding will protect our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ alone.” (Philippians 4:7) When we “stay” our minds on Him, steady our sight like tunnel vision on Christ, peace prevails. That kind of intentional focus forces us to see differently, to act differently, and to brace ourselves with His peace in the midst of our personal exile!

3) We put our faith and trust in so many different things. For Israel, putting their trust in other things is what led to their exile. They lost sight of God and how easy it is for us to lose sight, to get distracted by this world, the demands, and the desires to be something that God never says we should be. Trusting in the Lord despite what we see around us doesn’t always keep us from circumstances, from chaos, or from pain, but it does allow us to “stay” in the midst of them.

We’d love to hear how God challenged you through today’s Journey Study! Share your thoughts, comments, and questions with the GT Community!
Can we pray for you? 
Looking for faith stories?

Want To Try It For Yourself?!

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!

Share Your Thoughts with the GT Community!

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

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme? See all past studies in Safe!