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Enough Day 6 Fallen Kings

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 8:19-22
1 Samuel 13:6-15
1 Samuel 16:4-13
2 Samuel 12:1-10
John 4:1-15

Enough, Day 6

“But MOO-ooom, I WANT it!” My toddler’s cheeks flushed with the heat of emotion. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted it RIGHT NOW.

I can relate. Maybe you can, too.

Countless times, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted or needed. I may not have articulated myself the same way he did, but the heart posture and desire have been identical. I know myself. I know what I need. I certainly know what I want, and when I want it.

Ahh, the self life. Like it or not, we’re born with it. It’s fully ours, from the moment our heart begins beating. Self-focus and self-service feel right because it’s in alignment with our flesh. We are born with the intense, driving desire to serve ourselves.

The Israelites weren’t so different from us as they, too, were born with a sin nature. They were born slaves to self, just as we were. In their desperation to make up for the incredible lack they felt, they demanded a leader. A King. A tangible leader to follow; one who’d care for them, inspire them, and check all the boxes they thought would make them feel satisfied, safe, and happy.

But the need they ached to fill with King Saul was a void only God Himself could fill.

Yet, God gave them what they so desperately clamored for: a King. And not without a measure of divine help; Scripture tells us when Saul was anointed by Samuel, God put a new spirit within him. (1 Samuel 10:10) Saul was strong, and handsome. In other words, he checked all the boxes. The Israelites couldn’t have found anyone who seemed a better fit for a king.

But he wasn’t enough. 

Saul was human. He was a man, and when he fell, the Israelites were left in even worse shape than before his reign.

Next, God appointed young David, the lowly shepherd, to be Israel’s king. David was truly a man after God’s heart. The youngest of many brothers, he was relegated to caring for sheep in the fields. During his time in the fields, he learned to play the lyre, and experienced many incredible feats as he kept the sheep in his care safe. Eventually, he began to play for King Saul, and spent time in his courts. David experienced his fair share of rejection, but the Israelites loved him dearly. God loved him dearly, too. Even when David sinned, he remained soft to the Spirit of God. He accomplished much for the Lord, and God blessed Him.

But he wasn’t enough, either.

David was also a man, and like any human being, he sinned. While he did repent, he was completely incapable of meeting the incredible need the Israelites felt.

The hunger for hope.
The longing for leadership.

They knew what they thought they wanted, but they didn’t know what they needed.

But God did.
He knew all along.
He created them, so of course He knew they needed…

To be seen and known.
To be heard. And held.
To be washed clean of every spot, every blemish.
To be forgiven, set free, adopted, and transformed.

Just like any good father, He sees us, just like He saw the Israelites. He sees us, exactly as we are. He sees all the people and things we use to seek solace.

He knows these imitations will never be enough.

Beloved, where are you today? Are you hurting, tired and angry, longing for more but unable to find the thing that makes you feel complete? Do you long to plunge deep in His refreshing presence? Do you wonder what it might feel like to be completely unfettered by the sin which has entangled you? Do you crave belonging, community, and purpose?

Beloved, truth?
You will never be enough.
You’ll never attain enough, or acquire enough, learn enough or do enough.
The Israelites felt all the same things, and looked to their earthly leaders for fulfillment, but their kings fell . . . never enough.

Could anyone ever be enough to reconnect us to the God who sees us, knows and is exactly what we need, and longs to share Himself with us?

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Sketched VIII Day 2 Hagar And Ishmael: 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 Hagar And Ishmael!

The Questions

1) Why did Sarai and Abraham try to fulfill the promises of God in their own power?

2) Why would God ask Hagar to submit to the mistreatment of Sarai?

3) Why did it mean so much to Hagar to be seen and heard by God?

Genesis 16

Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”

6 Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12 This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”

13 So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?”  14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Original Intent

1) Why did Sarai and Abraham try to fulfill the promises of God in their own power?
In Genesis 12:2, God told Abram He would bless him with many descendants. Abram and Sarai waited ten years for God to give them a child and fulfill His promise. They were already very old, so Sarai figured God must want them to use a surrogate woman to start a family. (Genesis 16:2) While the exact circumstances of the surrogate arrangement are not known, author David Guzik explains, “According to customs of the day, Hagar would actually sit on the lap of Sarai as Abram inseminated her, to show that the child would legally belong to Sarai, as Hagar was merely a substitute for Sarai.” Abram and Sarai believed God’s promise, but they took it upon themselves to fulfill it since it seemed as if God wasn’t coming through. If they had waited for God to fulfill His word (which He did over a decade later,) they would have saved themselves much suffering. By using Sarai’s slave, Hagar, to give Abram a son, Ishmael, they caused strife and heartbreak for everyone, including our own world as Islam came through Ishmael. The preacher Charles Spurgeon notes that, “Very likely Hagar was one of the slaves given to him by Pharaoh when he dismissed him and Sarah; and you know what trouble Hagar brought into the family. If Abraham had lived the separated life, and hadn’t fallen into the customs of those around him, he would not have had that sin and sorrow concerning Hagar; nor would he have had that righteous rebuke from Abimelech, the king of Gerar, when again he had acted deceitfully with regard to his wife.” (Genesis 20:1) Sarai and Abram were desperate to make God’s promises come true, but their intervention was not part of God’s plan.  John Piper notes, “God will not settle for anything less than the path of impossibility: He aims to show that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. (Luke 1:37) His purpose in all He does is to magnify His sovereign grace and keep us in our humble place.”  May we all cling to God’s promises while patiently trusting in His plan to bring the best results.

2) Why would God ask Hagar to submit to the mistreatment of Sarai?
When Abram and Sarai decide to use the slave woman, Hagar, as a surrogate so they can have a son, tensions rise. (Genesis 16:3)  Hagar is proud of carrying Abram’s child, and Sarai is enraged by her attitude.  Encouraged by Abram, Sarai mistreats Hagar and causes her to run away. (Genesis 16:5-6) God stops Hagar in her desert flight and urges her to return and once again submit herself to Sarai. (Genesis 16:9) While it may seem harsh for the Lord to send Hagar back to where she had been mistreated, God instructed her to return, not for harm, but for a blessing. According to the Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, “The counsel was given in kindness as well as wisdom; for, by continuing to penetrate further into the wilderness, she must inevitably have perished, and all her prospects of maternity been blasted.” God had plans for Hagar and her baby, even though she was not carrying the child of promise. Every life is important to the Lord, regardless of the circumstances surrounding conception! The angel of the Lord, which was “Jesus pre-incarnate,” according to Dr. Tony Evans, told her she would have a son and he too would be the beginning of many descendants. Scholar Elizabeth Tracy emphasizes “God focuses on Hagar’s future; she won’t return defenseless or with the same status.  She will return with strong promises received directly and personally from God.” As David Guzik explains, “The Angel of the Lord told her to repent. If she changed her direction, there was an inherent promise – obey Me and I will protect you. Jesus didn’t tell Hagar to return to abuse; He made an implied promise of protection.” After encountering Jesus, Hagar calls the Lord “El Roi,” which translates to “the God who sees”. (Genesis 16:3) Hagar does not fear returning to live with Abram and Sarai because she knows God has heard her, seen her, and promised her blessing through her son.

3) Why did it mean so much to Hagar to be seen and heard by God?
When the angel of the Lord, Jesus in the flesh before He came as a baby, appeared to Hagar, He told her some remarkable things as well as some hard things. (Genesis 16:7) One of those hard things was for her to return to living with Abram and Sarai, the place she had just escaped. According to author Beth Moore,  “Hagar is a name that means stranger — that she’s a stranger. Now I want you to please note that the angel of the Lord has sought out the stranger. This is making me think of Ephesians 2 which says you are ‘no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are citizens with the saints of God, members of the household of God, that he seeks out strangers.’” Because her very name means stranger, the fact that God would seek her out was meaningful to Hagar. Not only did God seek her out, but she is the first person in Scripture to whom the angel of the Lord appears. David Guzik notes how God “didn’t first appear to Noah or Enoch or Abram. The Angel of the LORD first appeared to a single mother-to-be who had a pride problem and was mistreated by the woman who put her into the whole mess.” Because she was a stranger, far from home with no resources or support, she had nowhere to turn. The fact that God heard her anguish and saw her situation was life-changing. Author Joni Eareckson Tada observes, “Her circumstances didn’t miraculously change, but she had experienced the miracle of a changed perspective. Knowing that God is real, and He was really involved in her life story, gave Hagar renewed vision for what otherwise looked like a desperate situation.” Knowing she had been seen and heard by God meant Hagar could keep going. She could return to the household of Sarai and wait for the birth of her son without fear, because she knew God was protecting her, watching over her, and had promised her the blessing of many descendants.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Sarai and Abraham try to fulfill the promises of God in their own power?
I have ruined many things because I couldn’t wait. I have served under-baked cookies and smudged my finger nail polish on more than one occasion because I was too hasty. Impatience proved to be even costlier for Abram and Sarai when they decided to fulfill God’s promises in their own way by having a son born of Sarai’s Egyptian slave, Hagar. (Genesis 16:3) They thought that since they had waited 10 years for God to provide with no results, God must want them to take the initiative. Surely their solution to make God’s promise come true would work, they reasoned. As quickly as Hagar discovered her pregnancy, problems with their scheme became evident. Hagar soon felt pride in giving Abram what Sarai could not, which made Sarai angry. Soon Sarai began mistreating Hagar so badly that Hagar ran away. (Genesis 16:6) Even after Hagar’s return, when her son, Ishmael, was born, there was still tension and strife. Eventually Sarai, now Sarah, would have the pair sent far away from Isaac, the actual son of promise. (Genesis 21:10) We do this, too!  We get tired of waiting on God. We figure He has forgotten us or that He must want us to take matters into our own hands since He hasn’t made a move to fulfill His promises to us in the way we think best. We become good at reasoning and rationalizing. We even grow angry that God hasn’t acted in the ways we assume He should.  Sometimes we figure the ends will justify the means. If God wants something for us, then it doesn’t matter how we get it.  This is not God’s way! We may not understand His ways or His timing, but His ways are always perfect. (Psalm 18:30) If we wait for Him and trust in His promise, we will see God do what only God can do. (Isaiah 30:18) If we attempt to muster up a way to make His promises happen, we miss out on His perfect plan, or we make a huge mess of everything. Instead, we can trust that God is a promise keeper. (Deuteronomy 7:9) When God promises to do something for us or in us or through us, He will make it happen. (Philippians 1:6) Though He sometimes uses us to fulfill His plans and purposes, He does not need us to come up with plan B when we feel His plan is off track.  His plans, and His ways, can be trusted! (Proverbs 3:5)

2) Why would God ask Hagar to submit to the mistreatment of Sarai?
It is pretty clear to me by now that God doesn’t do things the way I would. If something is hard or causes me pain, my plan is to avoid it.  Seems pretty logical, right? More often than not, however, God uses the pain I experience as an integral part of my growth process. (James 1:2-4) Scripture even tells us if our suffering is for God, it brings favor with God. (1 Peter 2:18-20) When God told Hagar to return to the household of Abram and Sarai, the thought of returning to the misery she just left must have been overwhelming. (Genesis 16:9) This is how I feel when God asks me to stay in a season of hardship, or stick with a difficult relationship. I feel overwhelmed by the thought of staying with what causes me pain, even though running away has its own perils. When Hagar encountered God in the wilderness, He gave her hope by telling her He heard her, He saw her, and He had better things in store for her. (Genesis 16:7) If she endured by His strength, she would see reward.  I have seen this same reality in my own life and the lives of others. I know a young person who has endured painful physical issues his entire childhood and now waits for a heart transplant.  He could be bitter and hopeless, but instead God has made him grateful, humble, and compassionate. Through the pain and hardship, he has learned to trust God and rely on Him for everything. My young friend understands that all things, even the painful ones, work together for our good if we love God and are called by God. (Romans 8:28) My prayer is that I don’t run from God, but rather turn towards Him when I experience hurt and pain, so He can use it to mature me and make me more like Him.

3) Why did it mean so much to Hagar to be seen and heard by God?
When Hagar ran away from Sarai and Abram’s household and fled to the wilderness, presumably heading back to Egypt, she must have felt invisible. (Genesis 16:7) She was a slave, a pregnant, unmarried woman, and a foreigner in a strange land.  She was mistreated and abused by those who chose her to be their surrogate child-bearer even though she was carrying Abram’s heir. (Genesis 16:6) She couldn’t have expected God to find her and call her name. (Genesis 16:8) She couldn’t have imagined He would see her in anguish and hear her despair.  How amazed she must have been when the angel of the Lord called her name and asked for her side of the story. She may have expected Him to chastise her for being prideful with Sarai or for running away.  (Genesis 16:4) Instead, God gave her good news that her child was a son and he would bring her many descendants. (Genesis 16:10-11) He gave her a way to safely return, be provided for, and raise her son.  After she spoke with God, she called Him El Roi, the God who sees. (Genesis 16:13) She recognized God saw her, knew her, and cared about her situation. It didn’t matter she was a runaway slave. It didn’t matter she had been mistreated or angered Sarai. God saw her, and extended mercy and love. God saw her, the woman Hagar, and not all the things she had done or had been done to her. He heard her heart and saw her need for Him, and He came through for her! He became her hope for a future.  He became her ever present help in trouble. About the story of Hagar, Ann Voskamp says,” For the women forgotten and for the women discouraged and the women lost, there is water in the wilderness and He is our well and all. is. well.” Through Hagar’s story, God is telling each of us, no matter who we are, where we are, or how we got there, He sees us, He loves us, and He has love and mercy for us, too.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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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! ~ Neighbor 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) Sara helps us view our work through the perspective that we each provide a service of one kind of another. Whether grandmother, neighborhood quilt lady, school bus driver, or nail salon technician, we all provide a service to others. Consider the roles you actively serve in your everyday life. When was the last time someone noticed your work and encouraged you in it? Think back through those feelings and that scenario. What made it impactful for you? Now consider who are those providing a common service around you who you may have a tendency to overlook? The trash removers? The cashier? The bank teller? The postal worker? Your spouse? Your boss? Pray over these people!! Ask the Lord to give you a heart to love them as neighbors!

2) Rebekah identifies isolation and busyness as the culprits working against her when it comes to intentionally recognizing the people who are so close to her. While she regularly sees these people, she admits to knowing very little about them. Good intentions of offers to connect and build relationship slam hard against Isolation and Busyness. Closing the garage door is easier than crossing the street. What if we decided to re-arrange our schedules to allow space to engage our neighbors, the ones we “see”, but decide aren’t worth the investment? Suppose we, collectively, chose to take off the glasses that insist our plans must be prioritized over that text message to a neighbor or the decision to walk across the lawn and ask how we can pray for someone, or maybe even ask what they are having for dinner. Pray over who the Lord wants you to connect with, then step out and fight against Isolation and Busyness for the sake of the gospel!

3) We all have a story. We all know this is true. Every person we meet, at the store, in our neighborhood, driving down the road, standing next to in the parent pick-up-line at school, or sitting beside at church. Heavy baggage. Wounds. Heartache. Triumphs. Victories won. Loss experienced. And every story matters to the Lord. He saw the bleeding woman in the crowd (who didn’t want to be seen), and wanted her to feel known and loved. This was Christ’s mission, for all to be known and accept His precious gift of love for them. It’s one thing to say we love people. It’s another to sit with someone who aches, listen to their story, and reflect the love of the Savior in that present moment. Maybe it’s your child, or your spouse, or a friend you’ve lost touch with, or maybe it’s a perfect stranger, but the Lord is calling you to lean in and love well. Who will you be a neighbor to this week?!

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 Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Prayer Journal
I don’t mean to indifferent, Lord. I just truly don’t see them. All the people around me; I don’t really see them. I certainly don’t see them the way You do. It’s too easy to think about my problems, my relationship dynamics, the ways I feel I’m walking in circles, my losses, or the ways my needs aren’t being met. I confess, Lord, I often don’t see those around me as being real people. Broken people. People with just as many hurts and needs and broken stuff in their lives as I do. Father, I plead with You to break my heart for them. Open my eyes, Lord Jesus. Refuse to let me stay blinded to them, because You see every person uniquely and with tender love. You know their stories; they matter to You, just as my own stories, struggles, and triumphs do. Teach my tongue to speak Your truth and love over them. I know You’re already giving me opportunity to love them, help me to step out in obedience to share hope!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Neighbor Day 10 El Roi – Representing The God Who Sees

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 16:13-14
Genesis 21:14-21
Luke 8:43-48
Luke 10:36-37

Neighbor, Day 10

Imagine you are Hagar and have just been excommunicated from your community.
You and your only son.

You have fulfilled your duty to bear a son for your master, but in so doing, you opened the door for strife with your master and his wife, leading to your banishment from the community.

You are alone, and terrified for your son.
How will you care for him? If you can’t find food, will you be forced to watch him die?

And then the Lord comes to you and promises He will care for the boy and make him a nation. You are overwhelmed with relief.

El Roi.
The God who sees.
The God who sees me.

The God who sees my pain and heartbreak, and promises to care for me. He gives me hope.

Now, imagine you are the woman in Luke 8:43-48. You’ve suffered from a bleeding disorder and been deemed an unclean outcast for as long as you can remember. Your family has exhausted all resources, to no avail.

Then one day, Jesus comes to town and changes everything! You take a risk, touching the hem of His robe, and you are healed! But that’s not the best part . . .

Jesus finds you, looks in your eyes, and SEES you, calling you daughter!

Imagine, after years of avoiding public places and bearing the title UNCLEAN, you are free! How good it feels to be seen! And given hope!

Now, let’s consider our own stories. Who do we encounter every day? Who, within our spheres of influence, desperately needs to be seen? Who needs to hear the hope we have within us?

Think about the student who always sits alone at lunch. The one who appears confident, trying to look like isolation is a choice. The one who eats quickly and retreats to the library.

What if you said hello? And the next day, said it again?
What if you simply acknowledge you see her? 

Then one day, you ask if you can sit with her. Ask her about herself, her interests or hobbies. Is she in band? Into art? Sports? What does she like to do for fun? What are her hopes and dreams?

Think about the mom in Target who always looks put together, yet exhausted as she struggles to keep her children in the cart. Can you see the stress in her face if you look closely enough?

Maybe smile and say hello. And the next time you see her, thankful for a little respite from your own crazy life, smile and greet her again, looking into her eyes to show her she is seen.

A friend shared a story of a seasoned mom who, while shopping, would frequently approach frazzled moms of young children. Instead of showing disapproval, she’d offer a hug and say “Is there anything I can help you with today?”

Imagine how refreshing it would feel to be offered support, instead of judgment! Instead of a censuring glance and a shake of the head, you experienced grace!

You feel seen.
And accepted.
And hopeful.

Picture the couple in the stands at the football game who are cheering for their child, but barely speak to each other. Their tension is obvious.

What if you just begin with a smile, sharing observations about the game, and eventually build a relationship in which you share the hope you have in Jesus?

I often fly through my time in public with a single purpose: to accomplish what needs to be done as quickly as possible so I can get to the next thing on my list. I try to stay on task with efficiency, which is great . . . unless I miss the people God’s placed in my path along the way. People who need encouragement, who need me to see them as He sees me.

One practical opportunity I’ve found to share His love is going to a cashier instead of the self-checkout lane. Honestly, as an introvert, I prefer to get through as quickly as possible, without chatting and losing my focus on the task. Yet, I have found it more satisfying to slow down and see the one who is providing me a service.

He invites me to share in His primary purpose, drawing others into relationship with Him.  Jesus is the only One who can save, yet He sends me to love others, introducing them to the hope I have in Him.

What if we made a conscious effort to notice our neighbors, praying before we leave the house for God to show us who He wants to bless through us? Who would He have us greet, in order to build a possible friendship that may eventually lead to sharing the hope of the Gospel?

I still have much room to grow, but I am hopeful God will choose to use me in His grand adventure! I hope you will join me!


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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 Neighbor Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Here’s a link to all past studies in Neighbor!

Neighbor Day 6 Seeing Beyond The Service

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 7:36-50
Colossians 3:23-24
Isaiah 43:1-4

Neighbor, Day 6

I currently spend my working hours at the front desk of a doctor’s office. I am the voice answering the phone and seeking to assist the person on the other end. I am the one who schedules the next appointment and wishes individuals a good day as they leave. I am the face welcoming them to the office as they arrive for appointments.

For the most part, I love my job, because I am able to serve patients and my fellow staff members from my role at the front desk. The position enables me to be a blessing in a scenario where anxiety may be high and tensions may be mounting. My ability to multitask, function in a fast-paced environment, and think quickly on my feet increases the effectiveness of my service.

I prayed a great deal during the interview process for this job. Was this the job for me? It was not a logical choice in light of my degrees or the jobs I had previously held, but I knew I wanted a place where I could serve the Lord and those around me while also healing from the previous toxic work environment I had left.

Repeatedly, I sensed the Lord confirming this job choice. Several years later, I have discovered multiple reasons for my presence in the office, including the chance to write this Journey Study on loving the neighbor who provides a service!

For clarification, everyone, regardless of job title, provides a service: the stay-at-home mom, the CEO, the custodian. We all have the invitation to serve wherever we are with a mindset of working unto the Lord.

In the last several months, I have heard Beth Moore and Christine Caine reference the story in Luke 7 of Jesus asking Simon if he sees the woman before Him. Both highlighted the reality of Simon not truly seeing the woman, in contrast to the Lord seeing her, knowing her, and loving her.

The Lord demonstrated an intentionality Simon sorely lacked. Simon was blinded by the woman’s reputation and (in his eyes) inappropriate display of wastefulness. Yet, the Lord saw her as His precious child, looking past her sordid history and culturally unacceptable display of worship to the heart behind them.

We are invited to do the same.
To pursue intention.
To truly see the people before us and invite Christ’s love to guide our interactions.

Now, if you are like me, you could use some examples of what intentionality might look like. Below are a few suggestions of ways to truly see those providing a service.

Names are significant.

More often than not, people in the service industry wear name tags. While this is a useful tool in getting their attention, it is also an excellent reminder they are unique individuals. Throughout Scripture, the Lord highlights the importance of names. (Genesis 17:3-16) Therefore, when possible, use the name of the person with whom you are interacting.

We can honor individuals with our awareness of their dignity as human beings, rather than simply valuing them for the service they are providing. I am always surprised when people use my name when interacting with me, and I feel the interchange took place between two people, rather than simply patient to staff.

Express gratitude.

Regardless of the service being rendered, express gratitude to the individual providing it. This creates value for that role and honors the person at the same time.

Let’s remember in order to complete their jobs, even people performing what might be considered the most menial of tasks still carry a level of authority and access higher than our own. For example, a server at a restaurant has access to the kitchen. Let’s recognize and acknowledge, with gratitude, workers are walking in the authority granted to them in order to meet our needs.

Learn from examples of excellence.

For a season of life, the Lord consistently drew my attention to examples of excellence. More often than not, these demonstrations were observed in the service industry. I observed people doing their jobs with high levels of integrity, attention to detail, and positive, uplifting attitudes. Each person challenged me to do the same. I remember truly seeing those individuals in a deeper way as they taught me to live my life better.

The Lord created us to fellowship with others. While it may be easy to do this with those with whom we have a deep connection, we also may fellowship with those who provide a service when we truly see them.

The Lord is a good author, and our neighbors in the service industry are living His beautiful stories.
Let’s celebrate them and love them well! 

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Seeds Day 8 Stepping Into Identity

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 7:54-60
Psalm 56:1-13
Ephesians 2:1-10

Seeds, Day 8

Have you ever seen one of those fundraisers where people pay a few dollars to take a sledgehammer and pound on a car destined for a junkyard? Strangely enough, this picture came to mind as I prayed about what to write. Ironically, that image has become a precious “trophy” in my mind.

Before you seriously begin to question how my brain is wired, let me take you back to one of the hardest seasons of my life.
(Feel free to question my wiring after that.) 😉

My senior year of college was a season of the sledgehammer in my life. After years of being an achiever, I suddenly found myself being told I did not measure up. In hindsight, I can see how so many different elements were in play:
lies of the enemy,
the reality of sinful people interacting (myself included),
and hard life lessons in general.

Regardless of the cocktail that led to the darkness of that year, I finished it battered in a way I had never experienced before. The majority of the hits centered around my identity.

Career
You will not succeed as a teacher.

Future
You’re graduating and have no set plans.

Home
Your family is in one state. You went to school in another. Uncertainty about where to live.

Relationship
You do not have a spouse or significant other.

I didn’t realize how so many of my identity markers were being removed in that season until I went to the wedding of a couple from my larger friend circle. At the time, my brother was dating a girl with my same first name. At the wedding, everyone began asking them when they would be getting married too. They all asked as though it were a foregone conclusion they would be the next couple to marry, and I suddenly faced the potential of no longer even having my name as part of my uniqueness. There would be another woman, in my family, with the same name.

Every major identity marker I could think of to distinguish myself to a new person felt like it had been pulled from my fingers. I remember telling my brother that very statement with tears streaming down my face. His response is forever imprinted on my mind and heart for I sensed both the love of the Lord and His reminder in his words. My brother replied that maybe, just maybe, the Lord had intentionally brought me to that place to prove that my identity is found in Him alone.

We were on the third floor balcony of a hotel and I distinctly remembering wanting to throw something off the edge when I heard those words, but I also felt all fight leave as well. This was truth spoken in love, and it became the foundation for such a grand adventure.

Large amounts of healing were still needed as I moved through that season, and I remember thinking my body and emotions had taken a beating (think fundraiser car with sledgehammer dents). However, I also recognized that my spirit and walk with the Lord had never been more alive.

The beating had left its marks, but I arose undefeated
for the Lord had carried me through it all.

In Scripture, Stephen demonstrated this reality long before my college experience, and His beating led to a literal death. His source of strength, however, shone through for the glory of the Lord. In Acts 6:8, Stephen is described as being full of grace and power evidenced through signs and wonders. He knew who he was in the Lord and he knew the Lord intimately. This was no mere acquaintance for whom he put his life on the line. Stephen’s source of strength resided deep within him and fortified his actions and faith.

So, my dear sister, while we may not walk the path of Stephen with the same level of physical persecution, we do face a daily choice to live from a similar place of identity and confidence.

What does that look like in your daily life?
What verses are imbedded in your heart and spirit that anchor your identity in Him?

Do you know that you are:
Fearfully and wonderfully made? (Psalm 139)
Called by name? (Isaiah 43:1-3)
An overcomer? (I John 5:4-5)
Forgiven? (1 John 1:9)
Seen? (Genesis 16:1-14)
Chosen? (John 15:16)

I am forever grateful for the season of having my identity deconstructed,
for it challenged me to build on the foundation of Christ alone.
I still need to remind myself of this truth and rest on the promises of who I am found in the Word, but I live with a confidence that, regardless of the battles faced,
the Lord is faithful and true. Christ in me results in victory.

Live, dear sister.
Live as Stephen did.
Live in the fullness of Christ and who He created you to be.
Step into your identity in Him.
For that is truly living.

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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 Seeds 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 Seeds!