Pause IV Day 3 Coming Justice

September 16, 2020 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Pause IV Day 3 Coming Justice

Rebecca Adams

September 16, 2020

Creation,God,Holy Spirit,Humility,Trust,Worship

Habakkuk 1:5-11

⁵Look at the nations and observe—
be utterly astounded!
For I am doing something in your days
that you will not believe
when you hear about it.
⁶Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter, impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.
⁷They are fierce and terrifying;
their views of justice and sovereignty
stem from themselves.
⁸Their horses are swifter than leopards
and more fierce than wolves of the night.
Their horsemen charge ahead;
their horsemen come from distant lands.
They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.
⁹All of them come to do violence;
their faces are set in determination.
They gather prisoners like sand.
¹⁰They mock kings,
and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh at every fortress
and build siege ramps to capture it.
¹¹Then they sweep by like the wind
and pass through.
They are guilty; their strength is their god.Read More Of His Words

Contrary to what Habakkuk felt, the Lord God did indeed see every single violent act, every rebellious exploitation, and every painful fallout from yet another sinful decision. He saw, and He cared. He cared enough to cut to the heart of the issue, Israel’s idolatry.

They had long since traded walking in sweet communion with the Lord for continuing down a pathway of setting up themselves as their own god. They lusted in their hearts for everything under the sun. They traded worshipping the Creator God for mere things He had lovingly created. Worshipping things instead of God feels nicer for a while. It gives us a sense of control, and oh how we love that!

But the Lord knew Israel would ruin themselves as long as they worshipped themselves.
So, after decade upon decade of their hardened rebellion, and watching the heartbreak of people like Habakkuk, He chose, at just the right time in history, to send His justice. He wanted to break Israel’s prideful trust in themselves, so they could properly worship the only One deserving worship, Yahweh.

Make no mistake, God sent a just punishment to Israel, because He loved her.

The army who would carry out His justice was another nation hell-bent on rebelling against God. Their atrocities against the Lord’s holiness, made even Israel look good in comparison. But, to God, there is no sliding scale for sin. The gossiping tongue, the hateful thought, and the vile murderer are all equally guilty of marring the standard of holiness. God would use an evil nation to bring just punishment upon His chosen nation because He loved her and wanted her heart to return to Him.

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

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down every word of Habakkuk 1:9-11 today. 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, consider the heart position of both the Chaldeans and Israelis. Both had hearts that snubbed the Lord of All, trusting themselves and their ways over Yahweh. Ask the Holy Spirit to humble your heart as you pour over His Words.

2) Choose one of these options to live boldly with authentic honesty in biblical community. As we grow deeper in God’s Word, the Lord designed us to share and grow with others walking alongside us.
            a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
            b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
            c) Leave a comment here about it.
            d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group
            e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
            f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
            g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in!

Tags :

Cared,coming,communion,Habakkuk,heart,justice,love,Prideful,Saw,Yahweh

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Yes, the means by which God would bring His just righteousness upon Israel was going to shock poor Habakkuk, leaving him wrestling internally.

But God, undeterred, would continue to build His kingdom and pave the way for the future coming of redemption through His Son Jesus.

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VIII Week 2

September 5, 2020 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) Lazarus had a story to tell. Back from the dead! Talk about the very best come-back-story! The truly radical part of Lazarus’ story, however, wasn’t found in his silent heart beginning to beat again, it was in how Jesus had changed his heart his sisters forever. One day, Lazarus’ body stopped working again, and it didn’t start back up, but his soul was safe forever in the presence of the Lord. Because Lazarus had trusted Jesus with much more than his body, the radical part of his story was that one day, Lazarus would live forever with Jesus Christ in fullness and sweetness. You and I weren’t buried in a tomb and brought back to life, but this picture is the same for our souls. Before trusting Jesus with our everything, our souls were chained up in sin and death. After Jesus, we are free, alive, radically made new! Is this you?! Made new? Tell your radical story!! Pick one person to share with this week! If you aren’t absolutely certain you have a “death-to-life” story with Jesus, send us an email (contact@gracefullytruthful.com) or connect with a friend who loves Jesus. Don’t wait another day!!

2) Naaman’s skin disease was miraculously healed, but the greater healing was his prideful heart being dramatically humbled before God. It’s easy for us, as human beings, to only focus on the physical instead of the spiritual. We pray for bodies to be healed. We pray for hurts to be made whole. We pray for financial pitfalls to be reversed. We pray for many physical or relational things, and while we are invited by the Lord to pray about all things, the Lord is most interested in our spiritual condition. How He loves to use the physical realm to point us toward the spiritual one! As we come to the Lord this weekend, let’s ask Him to heal our hearts, to root out our sin, to teach us to worship Him in fullness, and for our minds to be renewed by His gentle, Shepherd hand! Expect Him to heal!

3) Disappointment. Loss. Grief. We’ve all walked these roads and felt the depth of emotion associated with these struggles. For Tamar, her disappointment seeped through her entire life. One by one, those who were supposed to protect her and stand up for her, not only let her down, but put her down. They demoralized her. They cheated her. They used her. They abused her. They mocked her. Yet, the Lord heard her, He saw her, and He moved on her behalf to bring about His wonderous glory! While few of us have experienced the severity of circumstance like Tamar, we each walk our own difficulties. Sister, if the Lord used the extreme brokenness of Tamar, grafting her story into the very lineage of Jesus Christ, who extended radical grace to all peoples through His sacrifice on the cross, how greatly will He work in your brokenness?! Sit for a few minutes in total quiet (or as much quiet as you can manage to ascertain!), hold open your hands, and speak to the Lord as you surrender your broken places and sharp, cutting edges. Ask for redemption and wait as He moves!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Isaiah 63:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I will make known the Lord’s faithful love
and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,
because of all the Lord has done for us—
even the many good things
he has done for the house of Israel,
which he did for them based on his compassion
and the abundance of his faithful love.

Prayer Journal
Lord God, You have done unfathomable things! My tongue can testify endlessly of Your mighty power and I will never tire of sharing the incredible things You have done in my life, Lord! “You have made me rejoice, Lord, by what You have done! I will shout for joy because of the works of Your hand! How magnificent are Your works, Lord! How profound Your thoughts!” (Psalm 92:4-5) Lord, give me more opportunities to share what You have personally done in my life, for none can argue with my personal experience with You. Take my story of redemption and bring others near to Your heart through it! Give me courage, Abba. Courage to share, wisdom to follow Your leading, and tenderness toward those hearts who are utterly lost and condemned without hope in You. Stir my heart to tell of Your healing in my life!

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Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

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Sketched VII Day 4 Following: Digging Deeper

March 12, 2020 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

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

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

The Questions

1) Jesus saw him, called him and Matthew followed. What is so significant about how this happened? (verse 9)

2) Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors. What is so significant about how this happened? (verse 10)

3) What was the probable tone of Jesus’ instruction to the Pharisees in verse 13?

4) What does this passage as a whole reveal to us about the heart of Jesus?

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. 10 While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Original Intent

1) Jesus saw him, called him and Matthew followed. What is so significant about how this happened? (verse 9)
Chapter 9 begins by detailing the day-to-day kind of ministry Jesus had. The gospels depict Him journeying from this town to that town to heal and teach people. In His journeys, Jesus continued to reveal more and more of His character. As His reputation preceded Him in certain places, people began to look for Him. (Luke 4:42, Luke 8:40, John 12:18, Mark 3:8). It’s no surprise people wondered about Jesus, and they often came to see what all the talk was about. But the beautifully magnificent aspect is that it was Jesus who saw them. He was constantly aware of those around Him. When friends brought a paralytic to Him, verse 2 says “Jesus saw their faith”. The gospel writers often included this phrase (“Jesus saw”) when telling the stories about Him. The apostle John especially noticed this about Jesus. (John 1:38, 47-50, 5:6, 6:5, 9:1, 11:33, 19:26) In verse 9, the reader likely focuses on the end of the verse, which is our emphasis in this study today. Matthew began to follow Jesus immediately. But the significance here lies in what the context reveals about the One he followed. God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ, saw a tax collector named Matthew. Then He called Matthew to follow Him.

2) Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors. What is so significant about how this happened? (verse 10)
Verse 9 flows into verse 10 in this passage: “As Jesus went …” moves right into “while He was reclining.” In the present day, we might say “Jesus was always on mission.” Although the gospels tell us how Jesus purposely traveled from one place to another, He also ministered as He went. When we read passages like this, too often we move so quickly from verse to verse we miss the beauty of Jesus’ ministry. Apparently, after Matthew began to follow Him, Jesus immediately took the opportunity to call others to Himself by means of a dinner party that eventually included some tax-collector friends of Matthew. With this action, Jesus presented a living picture of the purpose of His coming. We know this because in verse 13 Jesus Himself tells us why He came to earth. Jesus said a very similar thing to another tax collector on another occasion in Luke 19:1-10. The teachers of the day struggled with what Jesus was doing, who He dined with, and who He healed. Sometimes we may also find Jesus’ teaching hard to understand or hard to obey. But this passage could not be clearer. Jesus came for this: to call sinners to follow Him.

3) What was the probable tone of Jesus’ instruction to the Pharisees in verse 13?
From the context, this doesn’t appear to be a light-hearted scenario. Jesus was not light-heartedly directing His disciples and these teachers to do a Google search! Jesus was using a quote from Hosea 6:6 to reveal their hearts. Bible commentator Bob Utley tells us Jesus was likely using an idiom that the rabbis used to tell their students to study a particular issue. (bible.org) In this way, Jesus was making Himself the teacher, and the Pharisees His students. No doubt this angered them. Spurgeon said, “This would be distasteful to men who thought they knew everything already.” (studylight.org) Not only that, Jesus was speaking on behalf of Jehovah God. The Pharisees had asked the disciples why Jesus was eating with such “common folk.” In response, Jesus quoted Scripture as if it spoke of Himself. Jesus said, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Quoting from Hosea 6:6, Jesus was declaring Himself as the Lord who deserved their sincere worship. In one impactful statement, Jesus was exposing their ignorance and their arrogance while also indicating what kind of followers He was seeking.

4) What does this passage as a whole reveal to us about the heart of Jesus?
Jesus called unlikely people to be His followers. Using an example they would all comprehend, Jesus spoke of those who were in need of help. It is sick people who need physicians. The Pharisees were expecting a Messiah who would reign as a king and they believed themselves to be worthy of honor with Him when that leader appeared. Jesus consistently debunked their mentality. (Luke 18:9-14) Jesus saw Matthew sitting at a toll booth and invited him to follow. Jesus ate with the tax collector’s friends who were societal outcasts, and He invited them to follow. D. A. Carson says these “sinners may include common folk who did not share all the scruples of the Pharisees.” And this indicated the very heart of Jesus. The reason Jesus came was to demonstrate His love for the weak and wounded. (Romans 5:6-11) The call to follow Him is an invitation to sit at Christ’s table even though we don’t deserve it. Jesus shattered traditional norms and criticized the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. He ate with sinners because they recognized their need. The Pharisees, on the other hand, disregarded people who didn’t measure up to their insincere righteousness.

Everyday Application

1) Jesus saw him, called him and Matthew followed. What is so significant about how this happened? (verse 9)
The invitation to follow Jesus is overwhelming. To think God came to earth wrapped in humanity and called people to join Him in His mission, “I scarce can take it in.” (How Great Thou Art) That the Creator would graciously call humanity to Himself is such a glorious thought, but when we take that first step toward Him and with Him, we realize that it comes at a cost. Jesus’ example demonstrates for us what following Him looks like. GT partner Audra Darville said, “Living on mission doesn’t necessarily mean being called to a specific place, job, or people. Rather, it’s about being ready and able to testify of who God is wherever you go and whoever you’re with.” Jesus saw the people everywhere He went. He called them to believe His words, to recognize their need for Him, to wholeheartedly follow Him and invite others to do the same. As soon as Matthew began to follow Jesus, he invited his tax-collector friends to meet the Christ. When Jesus’ enemies called Him a “friend of sinners,” they were not complimenting Him. They were insulting Him. (Matthew 11:19) When we follow Jesus, we can expect the same. (Matthew 5:10-12)

2) Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors. What is so significant about how this happened? (verse 10)
In the days of which the New Testament gospels speak, Jewish rabbis and other spiritual teachers were viewed favorably within the traditional Jewish society. Most people looked to the Pharisees as their spiritual guides. Due to their strict adherents to the Law and preservation of traditions important to the Jews, they were held in high esteem within that community. Their opinion of “tax collectors and sinners” was unified and common. They would never have publicly socialized with tax collectors due to their unchecked dishonesty and greed. But Jesus! He saw Matthew and invited him along as a friend. The reality that Jesus ate with “these kinds of people” shows that He saw beyond traditions and cultural boundaries to people’s need. Following Jesus is a call to join Him in seeing others like He does.

3) What was the probable tone of Jesus’ instruction to the Pharisees in verse 13?
Jesus called people to follow Him. He would become their servant-leader. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up My yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-20) When we are connected to Jesus, even the most challenging tasks become less of a burden. Situations that would ordinarily make us uncomfortable are viewed in the light of Jesus’ call to us. Being “yoked” together with Jesus adds a new perspective to our following Him as we recognize His strength and peace that is offered to us. The Pharisees did not fully comprehend the mercy of God. In fact, it was something the Israelites had always had a difficult time understanding. The prophets tried, but the people refused to listen. Jesus wanted His followers to understand what they were committing to by following Him. The call to follow Him might include wearisome and troubling circumstances, but partnering with Jesus is a journey of receiving mercy and proclaiming mercy.

4) What does this passage as a whole reveal to us about the heart of Jesus?
Jesus came to invite sinners like us to follow Him. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.am For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (John 3:16-17). At creation, God saw the people He had made and said, “It is very good.” (Genesis 1:31) Instead of faithfully loving God, we broke the beautiful relationship we had with God through Adam & Eve. (Hosea was preaching this in his message of mercy Hosea 6:7) Jesus saw the people He passed along His journey! He had compassion on them and desired to meet their needs, especially their deepest need. I’m so thankful Jesus didn’t let social status or cultural norms dictate His invitation to people. Following Him will take us on a journey of faith, but many outcasts have realized and received His invitation of mercy. Now we invite others to join us!
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back.
No turning back.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Questions Day 8 I Saw A Sign

February 26, 2020 by Sara Cissell 1 Comment

Questions Day 8 I Saw A Sign

Sara Cissell

February 26, 2020

Deep,Dwell,God,Holy Spirit,Jesus,Peace,Relationship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:11-27
Genesis 9:8-17
Proverbs 3:5-6

A common misconception about the Christian life centers around the ease with which life is lived after becoming a Christian. Some people believe becoming a Christian is a “crutch” used to avoid the hard things in life. For others, it is the mindset of Christianity equaling a perfectly mapped out life with zero challenges.

Neither assumption is accurate.
Becoming a Christian means entering a relationship with the Lord, not a business deal involving free-pass from suffering. I started my friendship with the Lord at an early age, and therefore, I have had the blessing of years spent learning how to interact with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Over the years, I have grown in my communication with the Lord.
Communication is a key component of any relationship.
As many of my married friends have shared, communication is often one of the greatest challenges within a marriage. My relationship with the Lord is similar. I must continually be working to communicate well with Him. I would love to say this is an easy, overnight process, but it takes time and effort.

Time to develop history with the Lord in which I discover His character.
Effort to quiet myself before Him and invest the time to get to know Him through His Word and prayer.

The Lord is always present, but it is up to us to seek and recognize His presence.

This entire discussion thus far is a lead-up to addressing the question of whether the Lord gives us signs to tell us what to do. Does the Lord have a track record of providing signs to help us know what to do? Yes. However, those signs are not necessarily the flashing ones on the side of the highway telling us to take the next exit. More often than not, they are far more subtle and may even come as confirmation, rather than direction.

In my own walk with the Lord, “signs” are nestled deep within the context of relationship with Him. These signs are not words scrolled in the sky, rather they are direction and guidance found in the rich soil of deep, intimate relationship between the Lord and myself. The two Bible stories you read at the start of the journey study are perfect examples of this truth.

For Gideon, the sign from the Lord came after the angel gave him direction. Gideon was already mid-conversation with an angel of the Lord when Gideon’s request for a sign was granted. Gideon understood what the sign represented because it occurred as part of an on-going conversation.

For Noah and his family, the sign came as a confirmation of a promise the Lord spoke to Noah. In this scenario, the Lord shared His plans with Noah and revealed how Noah could live in peace every time it began to rain in the future. The Lord spoke far in advance of a future scenario, in order to help Noah know and trust the Lord’s heart for protecting His people . . . all before Noah ever needed an umbrella.

Isaiah 30:21 says,
“and whenever you turn to the right or to the left,
your ears will hear this command behind you:
“This is the way. Walk in it.’”

I have learned the Lord’s heart is for me to know what He has planned for me, and for me to walk out those plans, for His glory. He has consistently guided me, either through confirmation of decisions I have made, or by repeatedly catching my attention to remind me to talk with Him as new seasons are approaching. Couched in the confines of our relationship, I find the heartbeat of God and I hear His whispered voice of direction.

As with Gideon and Noah, these interactions are solidly based within a relationship with Him. For instance, I have found the Lord often speaks to me through songs. More than once, I have been praying while driving and a song plays on the radio, speaking directly to my prayers. Another way He speaks to me is through my time journaling with Him. Many of those pages are filled with Bible verses He brings to mind as I pray. His Word is always the richest source of counsel and direction for every believer!

As you consider your walk with the Lord, can you identify personalized ways in which He speaks to you?

“My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:9)

This verse has reminded me frequently while I may be seeing potential signs from the Lord, I must continually surrender them to His Lordship and leadership. Before I take action based on what I believe is a sign, I must make sure it coincides with His Word and is accompanied by His peace to proceed.

The Lord is faithful and actively speaking to those seeking Him. He has promised we will find Him when we search with all of our hearts. (Jeremiah 29:13)
May you discover His heart for you as you navigate this life!
Place your full weight into investing in relationship with Him by studying His word,
He will guide your steps!