Today's team journal was written by our Conference Co-coordinator, Kacey Dixon.

This year has been shaped by disappointment and loss for our family. Between losing my father to a battle with addiction and cancer, to leaving our church home of seven plus years, we have experienced the sting loss can bring. With that being said, it has also been filled with sanctification, growth, and learning to be satisfied in the riches of Christ.

Paul’s Example

Ephesians 3:7-8 tells us,
“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” 

Paul was writing to the Church in Ephesus, and at the beginning of Ephesians greets them with all “grace and peace.” In these few short verses we see Paul’s humility, as he refers to himself as the least of all the saints. We see he was to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. The great mystery of the Gospel was now to be revealed to the Gentiles. Paul, who once violently persecuted early Christians (Galatians 1:13,) is now proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel for all people, Jew and Gentile alike! He is to teach that the riches of Christ are so deep, so many, so unfathomable that they are unsearchable. We could search infinitely but never fully find all of His many riches. He is infinite and we are finite.

Paul, who once persecuted believers, was able to fully realize his desperate condition without the forgiveness of Christ. He was able to see the grace and peace that Christ offers. He was to exhort those he once persecuted, the grace and forgiveness that God offers us through Christ. Oh, how the grace of God was made known through Paul’s life.

If anyone had a reason to feel the sting of loss, it would have been Paul, as he wrote the letter to the Church of Ephesus during one of his many imprisonments. Instead, Paul teaches in Philippians 4, that the secret to the contentment he has found, is in the strength of Christ and rejoicing in Him (Philippians 4:4-13.)

Riches of Christ

So what exactly are some of these riches of Christ Paul is referring to? We know they are infinite and worthy of seeking after. This list is just a few of the many, unsearchable treasures we have in Christ.

1. Our Greatest Treasure

Jesus Christ, God’s gift to man, is and should be our greatest treasure and greatest delight in this life. The mystery of the Gospel revealed to man, that Jesus, fully God and fully man would humble Himself to come to this earth and live a life we never could and die a death we fully deserve, so we can be in right relationship with the Father. The richness to this treasure could be infinitely explored and never exhausted. We can understand Paul’s humility when we see the grace God has lavished upon us. He is foremost our greatest gift. We do not come to Jesus for the gifts He brings, rather He is the gift. All of the other gifts or riches He offers us are simply reflections of Himself.

2. His love, His grace, His peace, His mercy, His kindness

These are just a few of the riches in Christ we have once we have experienced the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with the Father. We are so undeserving of His kindness which leads us to repentance. We are so undeserving of His grace and mercy He offers in salvation and the forgiveness and forbearance that comes in our sanctification. When we fail and need forgiveness, and He forgives (John 1:1,) we taste first-hand the goodness of Christ.

3. His knowledge and truth

The last treasure in Christ I want to speak on is His infinite knowledge and wisdom. (Psalm 139:6) God knows all, sees all, is in control of all. Difficult times point us to the One who created us and is in control of all things, so we don’t have to be in control. We can surrender to a God who sees all, knows all, and loves. All pointing us back to the Father, showing our dependency upon Him. There is no real truth or knowledge apart from the knowledge and truth of Christ. This brings great comfort during times of difficulty. At least it has for me.

Being Satisfied in His Riches

When I lost my father to his battle with addiction and cancer, I could entrust my soul to my faithful Creator who knows all things. I was reminded of my humble state before the Father, that He would even save a sinner like me. I can then rejoice in the grace He offers. The Spirit has been reminding me I need to be satisfied in Him, He is my greatest treasure, and greatest delight. Oh how I pray, that I would believe this and the Lord would help me believe it, in my unbelief. These life circumstances apply to my life, but maybe they can minister to yours as well.

So...

When you don’t get approved for that mortgage on your dream house…
lift your eyes from the temporal satisfactions of this world to the infinite and eternal riches of Christ.

When the Lord leads you to a new church after being somewhere for many years…
lift your eyes from the temporal satisfactions of this world to the infinite and eternal riches of Christ.

When your father loses the battle with cancer and addiction...
lift your eyes from the temporal satisfactions of this world to the infinite and eternal riches of Christ.

When you’ve lost your temper with your kids and said things you wish you could take back…
repent and lift your eyes from the temporal satisfactions of this world to the infinite and eternal riches of Christ. 

These examples are personal to my life, but throw in any assortment of earthly disappointment or sin we may experience here, and the same will apply. Even amidst abundant seasons of this life, not marked by difficulty or loss, we still must lift our eyes from the temporal satisfactions of this world to the infinite and eternal riches of Christ.

It is not always easy to lift our eyes from the “here” to the “not yet,” but my hope is that we may be women who can face any circumstantial difficulty, loss, or abundance this side of heaven with hope and ultimate satisfaction in Christ. He is our greatest treasure. May we never give up on discovering and searching for the infinite treasures He offers. May we look up from every situation to see Christ in all, and above all. May this comfort our hearts, and may we be satisfied in the never ending riches of Christ. May God be glorified in our satisfaction in Him. As John Piper says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” May this be true for my life and yours as well. 

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Kacey Dixon is a lover of Jesus, wife, stay-at-home mama of three and helps her husband run his small business. She loves coffee over ice and has a soft spot for helping broken women in need.

Today's team journal was written by our Team Lead, Natalie Herr.

““For the Lord is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.””

— Psalm 84:11

God does not withhold good things from us.
God does not withhold good things from me.
God does not withhold good things from those who are seeking Him.
With God, we have all we need.

In the past week, I’ve written all four of those phrases in the margins of my Bible. The repetition of my own reactions to Scripture caught my eye. When did I start believing the lie that God is withholding things from me?

Like any gal who’s been schooled a bit in Bible study, my first thought was to look up the original meaning of the Hebrew word for “withhold” used in Psalm 84:11. The Hebrew word is mana’ (not to be confused with the word manna (referring to bread), which coincidently, God did not withhold!) which means to hold back, keep from, refrain or deny.

When I look at my relatively easy, white American life - my ‘used to be dead but now alive’ life - how can I say that God has held anything back from me? How can I say that He’s denied anything good from me? What is it that I think He is actually keeping from me?

I’m not sure how to answer that question just yet, but I’m led back again to this truth: everything I have is from the Lord. EVERY. THING. Every single thing. It’s all been given to me. God didn’t keep me back from my mother’s womb in 1986. He didn’t keep me back from growing up and learning and living. He didn’t withhold my husband or my four children or my home or my community. And He, FOR SURE, did not keep his Son from me. He gave me the ultimate gift in Jesus that I didn’t even know I needed. Ironically, I didn’t know I needed Him partly because of all the other gifts that He gave to me were clouding my view of the Giver and my need for a Redeemer.

I think of the passage in Luke 11 where Jesus is talking about dads; how they’d never give their kid a scorpion instead of an egg, or a serpent instead of a fish. If good human dads give their kids good gifts, then how much more does our good God? How can I say He’s been keeping anything good from me? Jesus says to simply ask and that God, in turn, would be delighted to give me anything that aligns with His will for my life.

“Oh fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
- Psalm 34:9

God is all powerful, and He definitely has the power to withhold things. There is evidence of that all over Scripture and all over our lives. But if we believe God’s Word, we have to believe that the things He has kept away from us have been for our good and for our protection. Perhaps, if we spent more time looking at the gift of God himself instead of our lack of “good” things, we would see that this is absolutely true.

So yes, God is storing up good things. But He doesn’t keep them away from those who seek Him. He doesn’t deny good from us when we ask. He doesn’t have a heavenly storehouse of wonderful things that we can’t have. Because of Jesus, there’s no sign on any door in heaven that says, “Natalie can NOT come in.”

In response to all of this, I hear God asking me to STOP spending time thinking about things I don’t have or far-off dreams that are not yet realized. Instead I hear Him saying, “Enjoy what I have given you RIGHT NOW. Today. Enjoy ME. Seek ME.” I hear Him calling me to reflect Him by not withholding good things from others when it is within my power to do so (Proverbs 3:27). I hear Him telling me to name my desires and see if they honor Him; and when they do, to ask Him boldly for those good gifts, and then to get ready to watch Him work.

This is what I know with certainty: When my heart is aligned with His heart and when I am walking in His ways, I can ask Him for anything and believe that He will deliver.

He does not withhold good things from us.
He does not withhold good things from me.

I will repeat that refrain from now until eternity.

Lord, help me to believe what I know is true: that you don’t withhold good things from your kids and that everything I have here and now is very good. Grow gratefulness in me, stir up awe and wonder and fear of you deep down in my soul. Set my gaze squarely on you, and help me believe that you love me like a good dad. Help me notice the good things that you are giving me all day, every day. I want to bless Your Name always - not just when You give, but also when You take away (Job 1:21). You didn’t hold back from Your hungry Israelites and You, oh God, won’t hold back from me (Neh 9:20). Show me how to reflect Your nature in this way - by not withholding good from the people within my influence. Let Your generosity flow through me to others around me. Let it be so, in Jesus’ name! Amen!

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Natalie Herr is the founder and team leader of Dayton Women in the Word. She is a servant of God, a wife, a mom of four and a God-sized dreamer. She loves teaching and equipping women with God's Word.