I certainly feel like our world is weary and looking for hope.

This Advent season has me reflecting on hope more than I have in a long time. Maybe the year 2020 has caused me to need hope more than ever. My favorite Christmas carol, “O Holy Night” has the lyrics,  “A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices.” I certainly feel like our world is weary and looking for hope. 

I want that thrill of hope, don’t you? Those lyrics describe what, perhaps, people felt after the years of silence from God before Christ was born. Imagine it, if you can, years and years of silence from God. When suddenly you hear it being passed around town, “Did you hear? He’s here. There’s a baby that’s been born. They say it’s the Son of God.” Talk about a thrill of hope! God’s silence is no more. He’s here in the flesh. 

I’ve gotten a tiny glimpse of what that silence may have felt like this year. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, my husband and I have been walking the road of infertility for a year and a half. For 18 months, we have gone through renewed hope and then once again, disappointment, as we wait for God to create this baby in my womb. 

Christmas can be an especially hard season for infertility. When anyone asks what I want for Christmas, I bite back the desire to state pointedly: a baby. As photos are taken around the festive holiday table, I can’t help but know something - rather someone - is missing. There should be presents wrapped under the tree for that child I’ve been longing for, but for some reason it hasn’t happened. I mean, the entire Christmas season is centered around a baby. It’s hard to forget your own lack of one. 

If you are someone that can resonate with this pain, I am so sorry. I know so many personally that have walked down this path and it is indeed, wearisome. Hanging onto hope is exhausting sometimes. But it doesn’t have to be. 

For me, Christ has taught me a lot about Himself through this journey. I picked to write on  the word “hope” for Advent, because I think that is exactly the one word I used consistently in 2020. I have hoped for Covid-19 cases to slow down. I have hoped for a pregnancy. I have hoped. And I will continue to hope. 

You know what the Bible says about hope? It does not disappoint (Romans 5:5). Hope, when it is from the Lord, is living. It isn’t just wishful thinking. It is certain. Christ offers us a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). Living hope doesn’t mean everything will turn out just the way or in the  timeframe we want it, but it does mean the Lord will always fulfill His promises (2 Peter 3:9).

We saw time and time again the Lord does not fail. He does not forget. He is for us. He is with us.

When the Dayton Women in the Word teams went through our “Prophecies Fulfilled” series this past fall, we saw time and time again the Lord does not fail. He does not forget. He is for us. He is with us. If He said He was gonna come to earth as a baby, then He will. If He says He’s going to return, then He will!

As I studied the Psalms this year, I saw time and time again the Lord tells me to “remember.” Remember who God is. Remember His promise to be our refuge, to be our safe place. 

So when the pregnancy test comes back negative… again… and again… and again… how do I cling to hope? I cling to hope because I know while I’m disappointed things aren’t going quite my way, God’s plans are bigger, and they are better.  My hope is not in my circumstances changing, but in the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Toward the end of “O Holy Night,” the lyrics go, “He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger.” Friend, this is why I have hope. As I write this blog post, I am weeks into my first IUI fertility treatment. I don’t know if it will lead to pregnancy on this first round or not.  I also don’t know if a vaccine is going to help us return to “normal” by the end of 2021. I do know the Lord is good. He knows our needs, and He is not surprised by our weaknesses. That brings me hope. I am not alone in this journey, and I never will be. The Lord is always ready to listen to my laments. 

When I realize and remember these truths, I simply turn it back to praise to the One who deserves it. 

And out of the truth of this living hope, comes praise. I think it’s inevitable, in fact. When I realize and remember these truths, I simply turn it back to praise to the One who deserves it. 

Perhaps that’s why “O Holy Night” ends with, “Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever, His power and glory evermore proclaim.”

No matter what comes, no matter whether the test is positive or negative, no matter whether COVID is gone in another two months or two years, we have hope. Praise His name forever.

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Jen Ward is the Written Content Contributor for DWITW. Jen wants to live in a world where chocolate croissants grow on trees, all babies automatically sleep through the night, and every woman feels empowered to study Scripture on her own. Connect with Jen via Instagram @JenieAnn. If you are currently walking through infertility and need a friend to chat with, she would especially love to hear from you and pray for you!

Where are your roots? Can you picture your childhood home? The town you grew up in? What culture, traditions, family, and friends come to mind when you think about your roots? Many times at Christmas we go back to them, revisiting the places and people from which we came. These roots can bring you great joy and nostalgia, or they can bring back memories you would rather leave behind. 

As the story goes, Jesus’ roots were in Bethlehem. He came from the humblest of circumstances, born in a stable of all places. No room at the inn, no rock-n-play around, Jesus was placed in a manger. It wasn’t an instagrammable birth plan. 

But that does not tell the whole story. You see, Jesus’ roots weren’t all there. His home was with His Father. And He left His position of glory, sacrificing everything to bring Himself down to our level. To rescue us. From His very first breath on this earth, Jesus’ life was rooted in a depth of love we cannot even fully comprehend. That sacrificial love continued all throughout Jesus’ life and ended in an ultimate display upon the cross. Everything about Jesus’ birth, life, and death was rooted in incomprehensible love. 

And now, when we are adopted into the family of God, we are also rooted in love.

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, writes this “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17b-19 CSB)

In Colossians, Pauls writes something similar to the Colossians: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

When you follow Christ, He gives you new roots, the strongest, most eternal kind. When you are rooted in Christ, you are rooted in unshakable love.

This word, rooted, is rhizoo in Greek. In the Blue Letter Bible Dictionary, it is defined as “to cause to strike root, to strengthen with roots, to render firm, to fix, to establish, cause a person or a thing to be thoroughly grounded.” When Christ established His Kingdom here, He did it with love, so that we could also be established in that love when we entered it. When you follow Christ, He gives you new roots, the strongest, most eternal kind. When you are rooted in Christ, you are rooted in unshakable love. And it is not something you visit every now and again. It is who you are. 

This is indeed good news for us, especially when we consider a year like 2020. Perhaps you have not felt very rooted in much of anything this year. I confess I have felt very wobbly at times, considering the suffering, grief, division, anxiety, loneliness, and need for prayerful discernment in decisions big and small. If you have felt shaken this year, you are certainly not alone. We have experienced cataclysmic waves on both personal and global levels. 

When I consider the lengths and widths, heights and depths of the suffering of this year I cannot count it. No number reported on the news can get me to comprehend it. We lament this broken world and ask Jesus to return quickly, because it can feel unbearable for our souls. We need endurance as we are continually faced with such incalculable hardship.

Yet, for the Christ follower, we must consider something else incalculable—love that surpasses any surge of death that we face on earth today. I can’t even truly wrap my head around it, but “O death where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55) We are rooted in Christ’s unshakable love for us— the love that took our sin and death upon His shoulders on a cross, that we may have life in Him, and life abundantly. And so the way forward for the Christ follower, even in 2020, is not the death rooted in this world, which has no hold on us, but a life rooted in the love of Christ. 

Whatever 2020 took from you, my sister, it did not take away Christ’s love for you.

Whatever 2020 took from you, my sister, it did not take away Christ’s love for you. That is impossible. May you receive the gift of His love in abundance this Christmas and allow it to soothe all the raw hurts and fill up any empty places in your soul. May God’s love be a comfort to you as you dwell upon it. As Paul encouraged the Ephesians and Colossians churches, may we also be encouraged. May the knowledge of His love bolster us to stand firm in the days ahead, and may we be able to share this love to others as it overflows through you. 

I have a brother in my house church who answers every single phone call with “Jesus loves you, hello!” It always makes us chuckle, but it’s becoming a thing now. Because he doesn’t just answer the phone that way, he lives his life that way. It is so evident that he believes this greeting to be true. His father just passed away from COVID-19 and he is grieving, yet he still answers the phone the same way, with an incredible and profound joy in his voice. He is rooted in love, and he reminds me that I am too. 

Dear sister, if there is one thing I could tell you about love this Advent, it’s this: Jesus loves you. That’s it, but that’s everything. Receive and let your roots be love.

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Jillian Vincent loves Jesus. She's a wife, a mother of boys, and a Dayton enthusiast. Jillian currently is a stay at home mama and spends nap times writing and discipling other women. She would (almost) die for an avocado, a cup of coffee made by her husband, a novel that makes her cry, and a bouquet of sunflowers.

Advent is upon us. Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which translates to “coming.” It is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Advent is a season of waiting, of anticipation, and through this season, we focus on  fruits of the Spirit such as love, hope, patience, peace, and joy. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I don’t know about you, but in seasons of waiting and anticipating, it can be difficult to grip tightly to love, hope, patience, peace, or joy. And while our stories may all look very different, I feel with certainty we’ve all navigated seasons of waiting personally, and we prepare now to collectively wait for the birth of our Savior.

Any season of waiting can feel filled with tension, pain, or a dull, constant ache. 2020 has felt like a prolonged season of waiting, unknowns, and figuring out how to balance “normalcy” and safety simultaneously, without ever knowing what will change, or how quickly.

We are waiting - for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, who, even in the most painful moments of waiting, provides love, hope, patience, peace, joy.

We are, together, waiting for a time when masks won’t be necessary, when social gatherings will be expected, not contemplated and eventually cancelled. And as the end of November draws near, we are, together, waiting. We are waiting - for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, who, even in the most painful moments of waiting, provides love, hope, patience, peace, joy.

I have spent a great deal of 2020 focusing on joy. As I have encountered cancelled trips, delayed live music, loss of family, and harsh words from others, it has been a goal of mine to examine joy in the nooks of my life and days.

Psalm 30:4-5 says, “Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name. His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

It comes in the morning. It is rooted in far more than a smile on our faces. It is among the most unmistakable marks of a faithful heart.

In seasons of waiting, what does joy coming each morning look like? For me, it’s the cool side of a pillow, a hot cup of coffee on my couch, it’s my dog who still pees a little when I get home from being away. 

It’s the flicker of a candle in a nearly dark room, any baked good with blueberries in it, a rainy day when I have nowhere to be and no schedule to adhere to.

Joy is my nephew’s giggle when he hears my voice over the phone, it’s holding hands with my boyfriend in the car, it’s a handwritten letter from a teenage boy I sponsor in India.

I don’t believe these things are happenstance. I don’t believe joy has to be monumental to be life-changing. I think, especially in seasons of waiting that feels hard or heavy or prolonged, Jesus is in the twinkle lights over a mantle; He shows up in the belly laughter with an old friend; He is present in the smell of cinnamon from your wax burner.

If we can harness the act of actively looking for joy, of counting the little things for which we are grateful, it will meet us in each and every sacred second. 

This advent, I will wait with expectancy for a Savior who made me and loves me, and I will not be found watching joy happen, but looking for it all around me. And I pray that, in the looking, in the midst of waiting, I will surely see His glory.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. -Romans 15:13

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Steph Duff wants to live in a world where every human, whether small or regular-sized, learns to use their voice and is seen and known. When she's not traveling and story telling with Back2Back Ministries, you'll likely find her drinking excessive cups of coffee, with her nose in a book, or daydreaming about India. Her favorite scripture is Habakkuk 1:5, and she prays for a world in which Jesus is the name on every lip. Learn a little more about her love for semi-colons, what stirs her blood, and the yearnings of her heart over at www.stephaniduff.wordpress.com.

“Give thanks in all circumstances.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In Paul’s benediction in his letter to the Thessalonian church, He gives this instruction with urgency. He writes the church that he prays for them with thanksgiving at the beginning of the letter and then urges them to pray with thanksgiving at the end. He bookends this letter and so many others with thanksgiving. Let’s read it with the surrounding verses. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This is God’s will for us. Paul states it plainly. Now this is not the sum total of God’s will for us, but this is most clearly part of it. God’s will is for us to give thanks in all circumstances. Maybe this imperative was not a problem for you in other years, but you may be wondering what there is to give thanks for in this year, in 2020.

It’s the all of the verse that gets us; ALL circumstances. 2020 has been dark for many of us - for the country, for the world. Our team has felt it all too- the anxiety, the division, the angst, the brokenness, the suffering. We have felt perhaps more than any other year the longing for Jesus to return and make all things new. But here the Word says all, so we know that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in at the end of THIS year, there is reason to praise the Lord. That does not mean we are ignoring the suffering, but rather coupling our prayers for healing with thankfulness and giving God the glory He is absolutely due.

As our team reflects on what God has done throughout our ministry year, we find much for which to give Him glory. Will you join us in thanking God for these praises? We invite you to join us by reflecting on all there is to thank God for in your own life.

• We want to start by thanking God for His life-giving Word! We do not have to wonder what God is saying, for He has already spoken. He has given us what we need for today, and for endurance for this year, in His Word and through His Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus.

• We are thankful for YOU! The women in Dayton hungry for God’s Word, who God has given us to serve. We love to dwell richly with you. And we are thankful for the generosity of the many who support DWITW both financially and through prayer that allowed us to do so this year.

• We are thankful for the mission God has given us to be women helping women read their Bibles. We are thankful for the team He has given us, and the growth and pruning He has done amongst the team. We are thankful for our founder Natalie mentoring new leadership and grateful for her continued support. We are thankful for our 2020 team lead, Brittany, and her leadership during this unprecedented time. We are thankful for a team who is Christ-focused who has sought God’s will and way with each new curve ball served up by 2020. Although our team is diverse in our thinking, our team has fought for unity and has been able to love one another through a difficult season.

• As we approached the conference date in March, God gave our team discernment and unity to navigate decisions about the conference in light of COVID. We praise God for the trust He grew in our hearts and for the preparation of the conference main session and workshop teachers. We know God spoke so much to these women and that Word will not return void.

• As we reflect on our summer study, we know it looked very different this year, but God blew us away by going before us and providing for our needs. Over 500 women from all age groups around the globe studied with us. We are thankful for the technology God provided to study safely with loved ones near and far in this unprecedented year. Many previous participants took on a leader role this year in their individual areas of influence (friends/family/church/etc), and more women participated in summer study in the context of their local churches than ever before.

  Much work goes into summer study that is unseen every year. We know the Lord sees it and is honored by it, and we believe this work by these saints has furthered the gospel. We are thankful for the summer study teacher team and for their dedication to the Word. We are thankful for the generosity of volunteers who donated their gifts and time to the ministry, especially in filming the summer study videos and providing every graphic for the study.

• Our podcast and blog teams also put much effort into content that reflected and celebrated God’s faithfulness this year. We see that God went before us in choosing these topics that He wanted us to reflect on in 2020. This spring, God spoke to us about the ways He breaks barriers to His Word through our podcast guests and writers. This fall, we learned about several Messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled with His time on earth through our podcast and blog. Our content team also led our social media audience in a sermon prep challenge, calling women to engage in the Word through study in the week leading up to hearing their pastor’s sermon.

• We want to thank God for continued opportunities to equip women in His Word, such as church workshops and teaching collective, as well. Many new faces who joined the collective this year to learn more about God’s Word and how to share it in their areas of influence. Nine women have taught us in 2020’s collective, and we heard from two teaching panels in February and August. Our ministry also sponsored four women to attend a workshop with Nancy Guthrie this fall, where they were equipped further in their Bible teaching gifts.

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We feel so tested by this year, but as we reflect on all God has done, we are immensely strengthened and joyful. We know God has grown us in endurance as we have clung to His life-giving Word in 2020. We pray the same for you, dear ones. Hold tightly to the truth and to our good Father. Together, let us persevere in prayer and practice the presence of God with a grateful sort of grit.

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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

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Advent is a time historically set aside each year by the Church to celebrate the years of waiting experienced by God’s people before the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, on earth. It is a time of waiting, longing, and anticipation. After a year such as this, we can all benefit from some of this focused hope! Today we continue our DWITW Advent Resource round-up tradition as we share some new finds with you for 2020. You can also check out our lists from previous years for even more ideas!

As we’ve said each year, not everyone celebrates Advent. There is quite a range of Christmas traditions amongst Christians around the world. Remember, celebrating Advent is a “get-to,” not a “have-to.” Furthermore, you do not have to spend money to celebrate advent well! This is not an Advent “To-Do List.” It would be nearly impossible to use and enjoy all of the resources listed below in a single Advent season. Our goal is simply to connect you with trusted resources, available in one spot for easy reference!

Note: All of the resources we shared last year and in years prior are excellent, and many are still available, so go check those out too! This post will focus on what's new (or new-to-us) for 2020.

Devotional Plans & Studies

• Jesus Christ Is Born: Advent 2020 Study Book by She Reads Truth (He Reads Truth study available for men as well)

• Grafted In by Amy Gannet

• The Radiant Dawn by Tom Parsons

• Hymns for Advent Study (studies offered for both men and women) by The Daily Grace Co.

• Savor the Savior Advent Study by Well Watered Women

• Fixated by Tim Chester

• Hosanna in Excelsis: Hymns and Devotions for the Christmas Season by David Leeman and Barbara Leeman

• Prepare Him Room Devotional Cards by Gracelaced

Books

• Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie

Family Resources and Activities

• The Jesus Storybook Bible, A Christmas Collection: Stories, Songs, and Reflections for the Advent Season by Sally Lloyd-Jones— use along with the FREE Advent Toolkit by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago, including printable ornaments, coloring pages, and memory cards!

• Hope, Joy, Peace, Love: Family Advent Study by The Daily Grace Co.

• Advent Conversation Cards by Kids Read Truth

• This Is The Christmas Story: A Kids Read Truth Story & Scripture Book

• The Promise of Christmas by The Daily Grace Co.

• Jesus Came for Me: The True Story of Christmas by Jared Kennedy

• A Better Than Anything Christmas: Explore How Jesus Makes Christmas Better by Barbara Reoach

• Advent Blocks

Advent Calendars

• 2020 Family Advent Ornaments by The Daily Grace Co.

• Advent Scripture Calendar by Kids Read Truth

Music

• Rend Collective: A Jolly Irish Christmas (Vol. 2)

• For King & Country: A Drummer Boy Christmas

• Sovereign Grace Music: Heaven Has Come

What are some of you and your family’s favorite ways to enjoy and savor this season? We’d love for you to share with us in the comments below!

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9

I have read this piece of scripture before, I have seen this very moment depicted in film, and while I’ve always wondered at why it was a donkey the Messiah rode in on, I never actually did any research or reading to answer my own question. 

I suppose I should begin by saying it’s always caught my attention that the One who would save us all rode in on a … donkey. Not a white steed, not a large carriage carried by buff men, but a donkey - an animal also known as an “ass.”

According to www.jewsforjesus.org, in ancient times, dignitaries would ride donkeys in civil processions. A king on a donkey indicated a peaceful mission, not a military conquest. And maybe this, without actually knowing it to be true yet, was what has always grasped my attention about this particular prophecy and moment in history.

It is a rarity to know and love a leader, a king, who lived His life in humility.

We are surrounded by tales of kings who lived their lives in folly, who strayed from the Lord or who worshipped idols their entire lives, but it is a rarity to know and love a leader, a king, who lived His life in humility. Jesus was not a showboater, and maybe this alone is why I’ve always hesitated over this moment.

In Matthew 21:1-7, we see the prophecy laid out in Zechariah come to fruition. Jesus instructs two of His disciples to go into Bethphage to retrieve a donkey and a colt from town and bring them to Him; He then rides them into Jerusalem. What, then, does this tell us about Jesus?

He is a man of humility, and He does what He says He will do.

I don’t know about you, but for a girl who questions a lot, who lives with chronic anxiety, and who has been hurt by a lack of follow-through, these qualities in a human would draw me in, but in a Messiah? I want a front seat, a private audience, a conversation with a Savior who is humble and dependable.

And I can have it. We can have each of those things, and much more.

What most fascinates me, most enthralls me, about Jesus, is His unwavering character across time and space, through world wars and pandemics, over Republican presidents and Democratic ones, in thriving economies and ones that suffer - everything around Him, around us, changes. It is the one thing we can count on in a broken world - nothing stays the same. Except Him. Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

How do these prophecies fulfilled from thousands of years ago affect us, shape us, teach us today? For me, it all comes back to the aforementioned truth - He does what He says He will do.

If He says He will ride into town on a donkey - declaring peaceful mission and humbling Himself for the people, He will do it.

If we are told He will be born of a virgin, pierced for our transgressions, and die on behalf of our sins, He will do it.

If He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.(Matthew 11:28)” He gives us rest.  

He lifts our burdens, shouldering them Himself. He hurts when we hurt, weeps when we weep.

He shows up, every time.

I will follow a King who brings peace into every unrest - because He has done it before, and He will most certainly do it again, and again, and again.

A humbled Savior who consistently shows up for His people is, I think, what we all need in a world ever changing and ever influenced by brokenness and darkness. I will choose a Father who comes to His kids on an ass over a king brought forth on the backs of others any day; I will choose a Savior who has the character to choose me first, even in my darkest moments, every day. I will follow a King who brings peace into every unrest - because He has done it before, and He will most certainly do it again, and again, and again, because He said He would.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey . . .

We are instructed to rejoice and behold the Messiah coming to us on a donkey. So, then, let us rejoice.

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Steph Duff wants to live in a world where every human, whether small or regular-sized, learns to use their voice and is seen and known. When she's not traveling and story telling with Back2Back Ministries, you'll likely find her drinking excessive cups of coffee, with her nose in a book, or daydreaming about India. Her favorite scripture is Habakkuk 1:5, and she prays for a world in which Jesus is the name on every lip. Learn a little more about her love for semi-colons, what stirs her blood, and the yearnings of her heart over at www.stephaniduff.wordpress.com.

During His darkest hours, Jesus could have said anything on the cross, and yet He chose to dwell on the Psalms. As He hung on the cross, He uttered four words: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). Those four words translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” are found directly in Psalm 22:1. 

I love discovering that Jesus recited part of a Psalm as He cried out to God in His final moments. It’s particularly impactful to me as of late, because I’ve been reading and studying the Psalms with a group of friends. The Psalms give us such an amazing example of how we can pray: from lamenting, to praising, to thanksgiving, and more. This was exactly why I chose to study this book of the Bible further; I wanted to grow in my prayer life. Clearly, if Jesus uses the Psalms to help Him pray, so should I!

Clearly, if Jesus uses the Psalms to help Him pray, so should I!

Psalm 22 was written by David about one thousand years before Jesus was born, and prophetically describes what happened during His crucifixion. For instance, in Psalm 22:7, it says, “All who see me, mock me” relating directly to Matthew 27:41-42, “So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.” In verse 18, David describes casting lots for His clothing, which is then described in Matthew 27:35 as the Roman soldiers do this very thing to Jesus. 

Then, in Psalm 22:14-16, we read how He is poured out like water, His bones are out of joint, and His heart is like wax. It even mentions piercing His hands and feet. This description accurately describes what a crucifixion puts the body through. The crazy part? David probably didn’t even know what a crucifixion was, as it had yet to be invented! David would have no idea what happens to a body hanging on a cross. It’s amazing to me that God chose to give such specific details to David. 

The crazy part? David probably didn’t even know what a crucifixion was, as it had yet to be invented!

The Psalms take a turn, though, starting in verse 19. It isn’t just a lament of the agony of what Jesus went through. Instead, it turns to asking God for help and praising His name. In verses 22 and 23, it says, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!”

When Jesus recites the first verse of this Psalm on the cross, He did so in a way that would help believers recall the entire Psalm. Something I’ve been learning is oftentimes New Testament authors understood many of their readers knew and loved their Old Testament. They only had to quote a little piece of the Scripture to bring to mind the entire passage. Jesus did the same. When He cried out, asking God why He was forsaken, He was drawing the crowd into Psalm 22. He wanted them to recall all of the chapter. I like to think that as people sat in those few days after Christ’s death, scared and wondering what was to happen next, they read Psalm 22 and found hope. They could see the crucifixion prophecy had been fulfilled, which meant all the prophecies about His resurrection were also soon to come!

“We can grieve to the Lord. We are allowed to be raw and honest with God in the hardest of times, but we also need to remember who He is.”

This insight into what Christ was thinking and saying as He took on our sins and separation from God, so we could in turn have eternal life, is so encouraging to me. We can grieve to the Lord. We are allowed to be raw and honest with God in the hardest of times, but we also need to remember who He is. This Psalm shows me in the same breaths that we lament, we can also praise the One who took on death so we don’t have to. God has saved us. There is eternity with Him when we choose to follow Him. Hallelujah! 

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Jen Ward is the Written Content Contributor for DWITW. Jen wants to live in a world where chocolate croissants grow on trees, all babies automatically sleep through the night, and every woman feels empowered to study Scripture on her own.  Connect with Jen via Instagram @JenieAnn.

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

Maybe it’s the English major in me, but I was very excited when the homework for week two of Summer Study was annotation. I get a lot of satisfaction out of underlining and circling the text. With my colored pencils scattered beside me, I started looking for repetitive words in 2 Timothy. I noticed two similar words right away sticking out in chapters 1 & 2: “remember” and “remind”. 

2 Timothy 1:3, “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you…”
2 Timothy 1:4, “As I remember your tears…”
2 Timothy 1:5, “I am reminded of your sincere faith…”
2 Timothy 1:6, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…”
2 Timothy 2:8, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.”

If there’s one thing I know, it’s this: every word of Scripture is intentional.

I probably would have missed these five repetitive words, had I not just seen this theme in the last book I studied, 2 Peter. If there’s one thing I know, it’s this: every word of Scripture is intentional. There must be a reason Peter and Paul both used these words repeatedly in their letters. I got to digging.

Interestingly enough, 2 Peter and 2 Timothy are both the last books written by their authors. In 2 Peter, Peter knew his life would end soon. He wanted to make sure the church remembered the truth and was not swayed by false teachers. He says in 2 Peter 3:1-2 (emphasis mine), “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.”

In 2 Timothy, Paul also seems to know his life will end soon, and doesn’t want Timothy to forget to take action and use the gifts God has given him. He tells Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God and to not be afraid or ashamed. Maybe Timothy was quick to forget the power the Holy Spirit could give him? How quickly do we forget the same! Paul has a confidence in his faith he seems to want to remind Timothy (and all of us!) that he (we) can have too!

The theme of remembering isn’t just in 2 Timothy or 2 Peter; it’s throughout all of Scripture. A quick search on the Blue Letter Bible app says that “remember” is used more than 160 times in the ESV translation. I think about the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, and how God says a rainbow will be a sign to “remember my covenant” to never flood the world again. Or later in Deuteronomy, when Moses is about to cross into the Promised Land, he carefully considers his parting words to include the fact that they should not forget!

““Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9, emphasis mine)

Even the act of communion is all about remembering. ”The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,  and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25, emphasis mine)

Clearly God knows we’re all a little more prone to forgetfulness than we’d care to admit. This is probably why Paul was apt to use this same theme in his book. Paul knows God longs for us to remember Him and spur each other toward remembering Him as well. 

I’d probably be losing hope by now if it wasn’t for the body of believers God has put in my life.

All of this study on remembering has been so good for me recently. For almost an entire year, my husband and I have been praying and asking God to grow our family and give us another child. Month after month of negative pregnancy tests can be so hard. I’d probably be losing hope by now if it wasn’t for the body of believers God has put in my life. The Lord has given my husband and me believers to encourage us and remind us of His faithfulness. When I’m doubting whether God even answers prayers anymore, my family and friends have been quick to help me remember the abundance of already answered prayers in my life. It is such a gift and renews my hope every time! 

Friends, we desperately need to read Scripture to remember who God is. We also desperately need other believers to remind us of the answered prayers. So my challenge to you is to encourage a friend or family member this week in a way you have seen God move in their life. Take some time to remind them of how they’ve seen God answer prayer or bless them in some way. Don’t let them forget. 

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Jen Ward is the Written Content Contributor for DWITW. Jen wants to live in a world where chocolate croissants grow on trees, all babies automatically sleep through the night, and every woman feels empowered to study Scripture on her own.  Connect with Jen via Instagram @JenieAnn.

As I sat in my backyard digging up weeds and rocks, a familiar refrain echoed in the recesses of my heart: “This is not how this was meant to be.” This sentiment has taken on new immediacy in an era of quarantines, lockdowns, and social distancing. But really, this refrain tends to whisper more loudly, for me, at least, at this time of year. Mother’s Day is such a loaded day, full of celebration and heartache, often co-mingled in one experience. 

The exhaustion and exuberance of new life.

Empty arms and an empty womb. 

Generational family celebrations.

Unfulfilled desires.

Strained relationships.

A mourning child.

This is not how this was meant to be.

We know how things should have been: there should have been gardens, eternal life, and unbroken communion between created and Creator. Instead, there are thorns, unavoidable death, damage to our very core, and a broken relationship between the Perfect One and the sinner. We see the sting of sin everywhere; you don’t have to look far. In days like this, and in times like these, the weight of how things are threaten to undo us, as Luther penned in his familiar hymn. How easily does the enemy distract us from what is to come by the despair of the present. 

This is not how this was meant to be. 

God, knowing our weaknesses and needs, ordained His Word to address everything needed for life and godliness. He doesn’t sugarcoat life in between the Garden and the New Heaven.

One thing I love about the canon of Scripture is knowing  each book is there for a purpose. God, knowing our weaknesses and needs, ordained His Word to address everything needed for life and godliness. He doesn’t sugarcoat life in between the Garden and the New Heaven. He gives us the psalms filled with lament to show us that frustration and despair can be felt and experienced without sin, and that weeping and mourning are natural parts of the human experience. 

My church is currently studying Psalm 23, a passage often quoted and well loved by the Church. The first verse tells us the LORD is our Shepherd. That is no typo; rather, an intentional reference to Jehovah, the I AM from Exodus. This Shepherd is an all-sufficient and self-sufficient being who cannot be lacking because every need is perfectly met in Him. The psalm goes on to say that, because of our identity with the Shepherd, we shall not want. I have always interpreted that in the context of desire and subsequent content. “If I belong to the Shepherd, then I will be content.” A better understanding of the root word chacer is a need (or lack thereof, in this case). In fact, other translations word it this way:

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. (NLT)

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. (NIV)

This does not guarantee  all of our desires will be met, but He withholds nothing that we need.

This distinction between needs and wants is so important here. If we belong to the Shepherd, all of our needs are met in Him – we lack nothing, we are full and complete in the all-sufficient One. This does not guarantee  all of our desires will be met, but He withholds nothing that we need. The truth is, even when I feel lonely and my longings feel stifling, I lack nothing. 

This is not how this was meant to be. 

So how does our relationship to the Shepherd bring encouragement when things are not as they were intended to be? We can trust that we lack no good thing (Ps 34:10). We can bring our mourning to Him and He won’t run from it (Psalm 23:4). It may be difficult to see at times and may look different than we envisioned, but He desires abundance for us (Ps 23:5; 66:12). And, lastly, we can lift our weary heads and see with certainty that what was meant to be is coming: 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

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Bethany Sibbitt is the podcast coordinator for Dayton Women in the Word. She wants to live in a world where she has unlimited access to brunch and coffee.

The time has come for summer Bible Study sign ups. Whether it is through our study on 2 Timothy with Dayton Women in the Word, or an alternate Bible Study with women from your church, job, or small group, these sign ups can often lead to feelings of apprehension. Or they do for me, at least.

If you’re like me, you are initially enthusiastic about the idea of corporally studying a specific book of the Bible with other believers. And if you’re like me, this enthusiasm quickly detours into feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and a general disgruntled-ness.

If you are not like me, I would like for you to teach me your ways. Please help me get to the place where I no longer detour from elation to fear before officially signing up.

I have served on this team for several years now, and I will confess to you, sisters, that I’ve not yet signed up for 2 Timothy.

I have served on this team for several years now, and I will confess to you, sisters, that I’ve not yet signed up for 2 Timothy. My lack of commitment to the summer study isn’t because I believe I have nothing to learn, or because I lack desire to learn more about a particular book in the Bible. No, my hesitancy, my tardy sign up, lies in the pit of my belly where my lack of self esteems sometimes resides.

You see, I was late to the Christian game. I didn’t really start walking with the Lord until I was in my 20s, but when it happened, I went all in. And the last few years have been about unpacking what I swallowed whole without thinking in the beginning. 

Our experiences, our childhoods, our current life circumstances, in my opinion, shape how we approach the Father and His Word, and what I’ve come to realize is, I go kind of dark, even in light of knowing who the Light is. This knowledge, or acceptance of myself rather, that I can go dark easily in my thoughts, can often lead me to feeling less than. I hold myself up against other women who love Jesus. I will never be as holy as them, as knowledgeable as them, I will never memorize scripture with the speed and accuracy of them, and sometimes, dangit, I am just plain angry.

Doubt wiggles in and nests in the wrinkles of my brain and the cracks of my heart, and I can pretty much talk myself out of anything.

Anyone out there feel me on this?

I convince myself I’m too dark, too heavy-minded, too broken with mental illness to really offer or receive anything from a summer Bible study. So wouldn’t it just be easier to get Taco Bell on the way home from work and read alone in my house, instead of blatantly proving I don’t fit in, in a small group?

Either way, I’m going to challenge myself, and you, to sign up. Click register. Stare the doubts, and fears, and concerns of being enough in the face and then tell them to go back to where they came from.

Maybe as you’re reading this, you can’t empathize - perhaps signing up for Bible Study is one of the easiest decisions you make all year. Maybe it feels easy, and smart, and challenging in the best way. 

Maybe  you know exactly how I feel, but your reasons for waiting to click “register” just look different than mine.

Either way, I’m going to challenge myself, and you, to sign up. Click register. Stare the doubts, and fears, and concerns of being enough in the face and then tell them to go back to where they came from.

And y’all? Where they came from? It’s not from God.

Matthew 6:26 says,  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Maybe some of us struggle more than others, or have darker thoughts than our sisters, or experience social anxiety, and so group gatherings are literally our worst nightmares.

There is still room at the table for us.

Whether this is your first summer study with Dayton Women in the Word or your third in a row, whether you’re counting down the days until it starts or figuring out how long you can prolong registering -

There is still room at the table for us.

He values us more than the birds, He knows the number of hairs on our head, He has engraved our stories into His hands - and He isn’t scared of the dark and twisty, the unease, the low self-esteem, or the fear.

In fact, I think He might be staring each of those things in the eye and whispering softly to each of us, “Bring it, little one. Just go ahead and bring it to My table. I carved a seat just for you.”

From one hesitant summer Bible Study signer-upper to you - I hope you see you there - questions, and curiosities, and all.

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Steph Duff wants to live in a world where every human, whether small or regular-sized, learns to use their voice and is seen and known. When she's not traveling and story telling with Back2Back Ministries, you'll likely find her drinking excessive cups of coffee, with her nose in a book, or daydreaming about India. Her favorite scripture is Habakkuk 1:5, and she prays for a world in which Jesus is the name on every lip. Learn a little more about her love for semi-colons, what stirs her blood, and the yearnings of her heart over at www.stephaniduff.wordpress.com.