If I could only convey through black and white text the sheer excitement that fills my body when I read those beautiful red words of Jesus in the Bible. The words spoken directly TO ME from Jesus. Yes, they are spoken to you as well. To everyone.

My limited human abilities to rationalize relationships requires me to generationalize God and Jesus- I know that is not a real word, but can we pretend it is? I mentally place God in the Father, or Grandfather generation. Jesus is like a brother. Anyone that knows me knows I adore my siblings so adding Jesus as a brother makes my family, basically, the best ever.

When it comes to siblings, I have more than a handful. I have seven. Seven. I adore these people and the special significant others they have. They give me so much joy there aren’t even words to describe it.

I didn’t have an easy family life growing up; there was a lot going on that left more than a few battle scars on most of us. One thing we always had was each other. The way my family is split, I have 3 of my sisters on my biological mother’s side. I lived with them, grew up with them. We did the day to day life together. I was the oldest, so I helped them get ready for dances, trained them on makeup, discussed boys.  I probably also did a bit of smothering. My other 4 siblings fall on my biological father’s side. I never lived with them, only saw them when I drove myself over there. They are quite a bit younger than me and it took until they were all adults for the relationships to really solidify.

How does this have anything to do with our current reading, you ask? I’m getting there. A few weeks ago, my precious stepmom sent me a text about my birthday. She wanted me to pick a restaurant or someplace to celebrate. I told her I didn’t have a preference, so she coordinated with my 3 local siblings from my father’s side to have dinner at home one evening. The truth is, I was feeling isolated and alone, unlovable almost. When she asked, I didn’t want to be around anyone, let alone celebrate my existence. (I do not enjoy sharing this vulnerable side of me.)

While still wallowing in this place of self-hate, I went to dinner at my beloved stepmom’s house. Based on my mood, dinner should have been a few lima beans, a chunk of gizzards with a dirty shoe for dessert. Instead, when I arrived, she had prepared a delicious chicken with mixed vegetables and cheesy potatoes followed by cake and cupcakes. My mom didn’t make a meal I felt I was worthy of, she made a meal SHE felt I was worthy of.

”But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

In Luke 15 Jesus speaks to the crowd about the prodigal son. He explains how the youngest son is given his inheritance. The oldest son stays home, continues working for his father. The young son spends his money swiftly and quickly develops a low self-esteem. He soon feels as if he has no worth, as if he cannot return home to the family because he has done too much damage. He eventually decides going home to be an employee of his father’s would be better than starving to death. I’m sure many of you know the story, but just as a refresher, allow me to remind you: Upon seeing his son walking up the lane, the father immediately begins ordering a feast, a party for his returning son. Read that again… Upon seeing him walking up the lane! This is a crucial part of the story. The son didn’t have to apologize, beg forgiveness, work off the debt, start a charity, deliver pizza by camel. Nothing. He just had to return home.

God is quite the same with us. When we feel defeated, as if we could never show our makeup-streaked, puffy-eyed, snotty-nosed, ugly cry faces in public again, God runs down the lane to embrace us while the party is prepared. I know for me, that moment has happened more times than I care to admit. But I know how perfect it feels to just allow His glory to embrace me in my mess. Just like that night when I walked into my parent’s home and was embraced by my stepmom. She didn’t care that I had ugly cried that day. Neither did God. There was an abundance of love towards me because I existed. Even though that was the last thing I felt worthy to have showered upon me. The love God has for us was brought home again in John 11:35-36 when Jesus returns to the tomb of his friend Lazarus. He wept. The people who had followed him there said: “See how much He loved him!” No matter our place emotionally, Jesus loves us enough to weep when we die, metaphorically or physically. Can you imagine watching us make mistake after mistake as we navigate our lives? I’d want to reach down and shake us into submission!

While I completely understand why He doesn’t shake us into submission, I draw both a bit of perplexity as well as strength from Luke 10:19-20 when Jesus says, “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” This brings a sense of peace to a tumultuous heart. Knowing my name is written in heaven. Whoa. Nothing can calm a racing heart like that phrase, especially one in a state of self-pity. But that’s only half. We have authority over the enemy through God. Could there be a more stabilizing phrase in the world? God has granted us the ability to cast the demons away from our lives, to bring our lives back to Him, back to His grace. I can’t lie, it almost makes me feel like a superhero. Take that, enemy! I’ve got my super suit of God on and I’m sick of you so WHAP! Back to hell you go!

Chins up, ladies!! You are precious and loved! Snotty-nosed, ugly crying and broken. God still thinks you are beautiful, amazing, and unique. He is RUNNING down the lane to embrace you in your mess!

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 Sonya Gentry wants to live in a world where being kind and loving means that when we encounter a need or brokenness, we say yes first and think about it second. This would be a world where walking with Jesus means trying to act like Jesus through loving, relevant acts of service; where Christians put their hands and feet in the dirty situations of the world in order to show people God’s love and grace; where we understand that comfort zones are meant to be broken because people need us to show up and be be the best portrayal of God’s love we can be. When she's not working, you can find her being silly with friends and family, playing games with her nephews, volunteering for various organizations and events with her church, or relaxing with a movie.

What comes out of our mouths on a regular basis? Are we speaking life into situations and people or are we speaking death? Are we missing the mark as far as recognizing what words or actions would be most helpful and encouraging at any given moment? 

In Matthew 15:16-20, Jesus explains how what comes out of our mouths is of greater importance than doing what appears to be the right thing as He addresses His disciples about the Pharisee’s criticism: “Do you not see whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.”

Let’s not just look into the mirror of the Word today and forget what we have seen after we leave.

We have a great opportunity to learn from what He is saying here. Let’s not just look into the mirror of the Word today and forget what we have seen after we leave. Let us allow it to impact our hearts and minds, as well as the lives of others. The Pharisees were continually scrutinizing what Jesus said and did or did not do based on the law. They failed to see the real importance of God’s commands and chose to view their age-old traditions as the primary focus of their lives. They missed the whole point!

Jesus was and is more concerned with our hearts than our performance and He is certainly much more concerned that we set our minds on the things of God, not on the things of man. (Matthew 16:23) I am reminded of the time when my husband and I visited a church and upon being greeted by an older gentleman, he asked us if we were saved. I responded ‘yes’ and at the time my husband was an atheist so he answered ‘no’. To which, the man immediately responded, “Your marriage will never last.”  This man thought he was doing his duty for the Lord by speaking critically over our marriage.  Could he not see that we had come to church together? He missed a great opportunity to encourage us but rather out of tradition, not even from a scriptural standpoint, he proceeded to speak a curse over our lives. He had missed the point altogether because his eyes were focused on the things of man. 

As Jesus addressed the Pharisee’s concern about hand washing he made it very clear that they were missing the point: “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’” (Matthew 15:3-4)Their mouths revealed that they were only thinking of themselves in their attempt to do the right thing. They were trying to catch Jesus up and prove him wrong, all for the sake of their own law. How often do we criticize others while they are speaking, weighing what or how they said something, trying to catch them up in some fault. Christians too can be Pharisees in practice.

Will we expose our hearts to the scalpel of the Word, in order that we would be wholly honoring to our Father in Heaven by honoring others with our mouths?

Are we quick to criticize and slow to show the love of God, thinking that we will not be honoring our Father in heaven if we don’t say something for fear that we will “miss an opportunity”? Or are we looking for opportunities to point out in others, with our speech, what we see that is good and glorifying to our Father? Thankfully the lovingkindness of the Father indeed led my husband to repentance despite the efforts of a modern day Pharisee. 

When we honor others with our mouths we honor God in heaven. So let us look into the word of God which is quick and powerful and sharper than any double-edged sword, able to penetrate and divide the thoughts and intents of our hearts so that we will be a well-spring of encouragement and grace to those around us. As women of God we have a great responsibility and opportunity to encourage those around us.  All too often we look for what is “not right” in other’s lives and we miss the opportunity to show real genuine love, the kind of love Jesus displayed toward a Canaanite woman later in Matthew 15. Jesus forsook the view that the house of Israel took precedence over all other people, and He listened to what came out of the woman’s mouth and recognized the faith that was in her heart.

“But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ And he answered, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.”  Matthew 15:25-28

Will we choose to be sanctified by His powerful Word in order to expose our traditional patterns of thought that are contrary to a mind of the Spirit? Our thoughts come from our heart and they affect our attitudes and speech as well as our approach toward others. Will we expose our hearts to the scalpel of the Word, in order that we would be wholly honoring to our Father in Heaven by honoring others with our mouths? Lord, help us not miss the point!

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 Karen Savage wants to live in a world where Christ is Glorified. When she's not serving her family, you can find her serving others. Her favorite Scripture is John 15:7-8 ESV.

I’ve never been good at resting. My sleep at night is fitful at best because my mind is constantly spinning. I’m always thinking over conversations from earlier in the day, imagining a dozen different scenarios that could happen, but probably won’t . . . but still, they could. In my mind, I’m participating in discussions I’ve already had, but this time when I replay them I’m not sticking my foot in my mouth or stuttering over my words, trying to avoid tears. I stay up considering all the ways I might actually be draining (like people have told me) and then I internalize the deep sadness that comes with such knowledge.

So I sleep at night, but fitfully. I’m a better napper than a sleeper, if I can be honest. Naps come swift, because I’ve been running a marathon in my brain from the night before and there’s really only so much for which caffeine can compensate. And so, I face many days with a weariness that feels heavy enough to bend my neck uncomfortably. Add to that chronic anxiety, and getting out of bed on most mornings feels like an astronomical athletic feat I won’t ever possess the prowess to overcome. Needless to say, I am tired.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace… Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11: 28-30 (MSG)

I wrote this version of Scripture on a bright, yellow Post-It and put it in my Bible. I suppose when I first read The Message translation, I wanted to remember the breath of relief I took. I can imagine I felt a great sense of surrender, placing it in my worn Bible.

Even in the darkness, I know He longs to be this and so much more to anyone who will seek Him.

On good days, when I am not only thinking about how Jesus is my resting place, but am believing it, too, I turn to these words and trust that He is the only one who can teach me about free and light living. But... we can be honest with each other, right, ladies? Most days, I’m just chanting Jesus is my resting place for fear I will forget it entirely in the midst of rushing to keep up, sprinting to correct, and longing to not be so crippled with self-doubt all the time.

It is quite difficult for me to wrap my head around a God who asks me to keep company with Him. Some days I believe it, and it makes me think faith means that there will be days the wrestling is less, and days when the wrestling is all-encompassing. Currently, I’m in a season of all-encompassing. But I turn to look at that yellow Post-It note in my worn down Bible and I feel Jesus nudging me with particular words:

Recover. He breaks through the cacophonous drone of words and names that have been slung at me, the ones that leech onto the skin and set up house. Little one, I’ll recover who you really are from the piles of lies you’ve allowed yourself to be buried beneath. I am your recovery.

Real. He stands tall and true in the face of the tension between the reality He writes and the reality I’m believing. Hey, sister, I am the real deal and I know all your real, too. Every bump and struggle and scar – I’ve got you seconds before you do what you’re considering and I’ll catch you in the aftermath of whatever happens. I am your reality.

Company. He is relational. He is the best relationship. And He wants to have relationship with everyone. I think this is what breaks my heart wide open more than anything. When the world, when people in my world, are scolding and correcting or telling me that I’m not enough or too much, Christ is sitting on the couch out in the living room waiting for me to curl up. My girl, stop fighting, stop racing, just stop. I am your safe zone. I want to keep you company.

I don’t know that I’ll ever have this rest thing figured out, or if I’ll ever be so confident in my identity in Christ that stinging words won’t leave marks, but if I’m going to be tired, I want it to be because I’ve fought to find in Jesus my recovery, my reality, and my best company. Even in the darkness, I know He longs to be this and so much more to anyone who will seek Him. May we all find space today to confess our exhaustion to our Father and ask Him boldly to be our remedy.

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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.

 A baby comes into the world looking for someone to look for them. – Curt Thompson

I wonder if we ever outgrow this? Curt Thompson uses the noun “baby,” but I have to believe we could substitute any variety of other nouns, and it would be true: A vulnerable adolescent. An angst-ridden teen. A widowed man. A woman with a reputation. Even in the hardest of seasons, I believe one is always looking for someone to look for them.

In John chapter 4, we meet a woman of Samaria with a reputation that could widen many eyes. Five times she’s been married, and her current beau isn’t even her betrothed. I can imagine the people of Sychar whispering behind their hands as this woman walked past them to the well. I imagine her walking with her eyes fixed on the ground, not wanting to address the truths and fallacies of what her townspeople were saying. And yet, I feel convinced she was hoping to find someone looking for her; I don’t think a woman uninterested in being sought would go to the trouble of marrying five times and then sharing a bed with a man who wasn’t hers in the first place. She was in the pursuit of looking for someone looking for her.

Each day we rise with the knowledge of our own stories. Whether self-awareness is in play or not, we know what our histories hold. Each day, this woman of Samaria faced the people who lived alongside her in Sychar, knowing the beds she’d shared, the loves she’d buried, the hope she still held - despite it all. We know all those intricacies about ourselves, but it isn’t often many others have full disclosure on our personal privacies. Either because it’s none of their business, or we are simply private people, or perhaps others don’t know because they are just too heavy or they feel too undignified to offer up to another. So, we stifle, keep to ourselves, remain tight-lipped, but we are ever looking.

He just doesn’t care what other people think. He’s not concerned about labels, He doesn’t follow normative, societal patterns. He just wants to bring folks to His Dad and love the stuffing out of them.

Imagine with me what that day must have felt like for the woman of Samaria . . . it’s just another day. She needs water, so she goes to the source. Not expecting anything abnormal, she’s perhaps thinking about whatever she did the night before, the last conversation she shared, maybe pondering the situation she’s currently in with a married man. She arrives at the well and finds a Jewish man, sealing the deal that she will not be speaking, free to remain in her thoughts.

But Jesus has another plan.

“Give me a drink,” He says. I imagine she whirled around, stunned by the audacity and boldness of this stranger to speak to her, a woman of Samaria. And in this moment, everything changes.

Now I think we could dive into a variety of reasons why this passage holds importance. The one I always hone in on, however, and the one I wrote in my sloppy handwriting in the margins between the text, is simple: He speaks to her.

This is unique for a couple reasons – He’s a Jew and she a citizen of Samaria – these were not folks who mingled at the annual block party.  He’s a man and she’s a woman - and unless you were married, men and women just didn’t talk shop at the local watering hole. Jesus is scandalous, ya’ll.

And I don’t want us to overlook these things. In fact, these things add up to one of the biggest reasons I’m so crazy about Jesus – He just doesn’t care what other people think. He’s not concerned about labels, He doesn’t follow normative, societal patterns. He just wants to bring folks to His Dad and love the stuffing out of them. It’s a big deal.

But let’s go back to that first quote in the beginning; a baby comes into the world looking for someone to look for them. Now substitute some words to describe our gal at the well, in for “baby.”

A woman with a reputation is in the world looking for someone to look for her.

A woman with questionable relationship patterns is in the world looking for someone to look for her.

A woman yearning for relationship is in the world looking for someone to look for her.

A traumatized woman is in the world looking for someone to look for her.

Sound familiar? This woman then, doesn’t seem so different than us. How often, when we are seeking something or someone, do we look up? (Or in her case, right in front of us?)

I imagine the woman of Samaria and I probably would’ve been fast friends. I’ve never been married, and I don’t share beds with men who belong to another woman, but I’ve had some missteps in my narrative. And even knowing everything I know about my own story, I still look to be looked for.

And I know Jesus is still waiting at the proverbial well. He will always ask the questions, though He’s got the answers. He will always seek us out, though He’s aware of our coordinates. He speaks to us - no matter where we’ve been, where we’re thinking about going, no matter what.

He is waiting, sisters, with our full history in hand, to ensure that, whether we even know to look for Him in the first place, He never stops looking for us.

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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. 

September has rolled in and with it come the beginnings of change. Cooler breezes ruffle the trees. Frost tickles the edges of morning. Fall, in all of its multicolored glory, is imminent. The calendar on my kitchen wall testifies that summer has officially ended; and more than that, it has been a stalwart herald of hope in this season of fading warmth. Above its grid of numbered days extend a pair of watercolor red clovers accompanied by the words of Psalm 126:5:

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!”

When I think of this I feel as though my current days are defined by the tears they garner - tears of frustration, of relief, of sadness, of hurt, of regret, of repentance. Oh, how I long for the days that carry an outcry of joy. But to reach these joyful days, I must sow and steward the tears of this season. I also I think of the Israelites, their way of life steeped in the art and work of agriculture, and I wonder what it meant for them ‘to sow in tears.’

In our readings for DWITW 365 this week, Psalm 126 follows the events of Ezra and Nehemiah. The exiles have returned to Jerusalem. The temple and city walls have been rebuilt. The Israelites and those who have separated themselves for the Lord (Neh. 10:28) have committed anew to the Mosaic covenant given on Mt. Sinai so many generations ago. The people have at last begun to truly remember who God is, what He has done, and all He said He would do. And this psalm is a lament to Him.

In the first three verses the psalmist recalls God’s restoration, faithfulness, and great deeds which have given gladness to the Israelite community. They had lost much in their lives due to their own wayward unfaithfulness to the God they had once said they knew. The Israelites were cast out from their families, their homes, and the very Promised Land they had received. And all this was to save their hearts from the veiled deceit and wickedness they had begun to nurture, and ultimately to turn their eyes back to the God who called them His own. Though weighted with sorrow, a lament need not be devoid of hope. And so this lament begins anchored in the fertile ground of joy-infused renewal, daring us to remember the dreamlike wonder of what it means to be restored (Ps. 126:1).

From the recollection of this mercy, comes an outflow of hopeful prayer: 

“Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negev!
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.”
- Psalm 126:4-6

The psalmist compares the people to a desert region in southern Judah (the Negev) which he’s saying would flourish with vibrant plant life again, if its water-worn ravines were to be filled with streams once again. As I read this I feel arid places in my life - ones that I have tried to water with loving others well, keeping a tidy home, or being a good wife and mother. But these are things that are not meant to be my ultimate sources of life. These are things that are meant to flow from the ultimate Source of life, Christ Himself. I am not meant to fill the gullies that stand in my desert when I run dry, but instead I am to ask Jesus to fill them with His presence. I need the Living Water to fill and overflow these places.

And as I ask Him to prepare and tend the soil of my heart, I still need to go about the work that is mine to do. Because living is work. Relationships are work. And there is sowing to be done. So I pray and talk to the God who hears me when I cry out, the One who loves me better than I know. Therefore, I read His Word and linger and meditate on it to catch a better glimpse of Him than before. I listen for His Spirit to give direction to my steps.

Though I cannot control the seasons or the cycle of harvest, I know the God who does. And so I must rely on Him to do the work He has always done. It is the Lord who whispers to the seed when it is time for sprouting. It is by His prompting that the sun shines and the rain falls. It is by His hand that the work of transformation is done.

our eternity is meant to be spent in His glorious presence, making much of who He is and reveling in the joy of shouting His name as we come home.

So, whether you are feeling weighed down by sorrow, or bursting at the seams with shouts of joy, you need not pretend you are in any season other than the one you find yourself in. Fight to remember what is true. The truth is: That you, dear sister, are loved by the holy God that made you. And there is no one else that He would rather hear from or spend time with - He wants and desires you. You are precious to Him whether you are weeping or shouting and He is there with you in the midst of it. He is within you in the midst of it.

We cannot taste life without Jesus, just as a clover cannot grow or blossom without rain. We cannot flourish apart from the Author of life itself. We were made for Him. While we are not promised earthly days marked by ease or happiness, our eternity is meant to be spent in His glorious presence, making much of who He is and reveling in the joy of shouting His name as we come home.

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 Robin Zastrow wants to live in a world where coffee never gets cold and kindness abounds. When she's not discovering the wonders of construction paper and cardboard tubes with her two little ones, you can find her sneaking in another few pages of a book or jotting down bits of writing on scraps of paper.

One of her favorite Scriptures is:“Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” Psalm 33:20-22 ESV

In the book of Daniel, the prophet acknowledges time and time again the dominion of the one true God -through his actions, words, and visions. Daniel proclaimed the Lord’s dominion when he refused to eat the Babylonian King’s pagan-sacrificed food (Daniel 1), he declared God’s dominion when he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams (Daniel 2&4), and he made God’s dominion known when he didn’t stop praying to the one true God even though there was a decree to pray only to King Darius (Daniel 6). And by consequence, Daniel entered the lion’s den and the Lord then showed His own dominion by sparing His faithful servant from the lion’s menacing jowls.

Daniel is the only book in the Bible we find this specific Aramaic word for “dominion,” and it is repeated 9 times throughout the book. It is the word “sholtan,” and it means sovereignty or realm. In English, it translates as “the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority, rule; control; domination; a territory, usually of considerable size, in which a single rulership holds sway.”

Keeping these definitions in mind, two verses in Daniel particularly caught my eye which used the term dominion. Daniel 7:13-14 says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Although Daniel did not know it at the time, he was speaking of Jesus, our one true King. Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man in Matt 8:20, 24:30, and 26:64. This identification absolutely scandalized the Pharisees, the religious rulers of his day. To them, it was complete and utter blasphemy. Jesus was claiming His dominion, and they did not want Him to have it.

Sister, Jesus has dominion, whether or not you give it to Him. He is Lord and King over all peoples, nations, and languages. Foremost, He should be Lord and King over the complete territory of your heart. The question really is, do you give Him power, rule, and authority, like Daniel did? Does He have true reign over your every decision, thought, and passion? Does He rule over your relationships, possessions, money, jobs, and family? Do you submit to Him in everything as your king?

What are you still trying to hold your own dominion over? Jesus wants it all, and it is all rightfully His.

And, further, what are you still trying to hold your own dominion over? Jesus wants it all, and it is all rightfully His. His dominion is a great mercy because in reality we are poor rulers over ourselves anyhow. We have proven that endlessly since we, along with Adam and Eve, have tried continually to rule over our own gardens.

Jesus is our King and should be our only King. This is a scandalous notion, indeed. It will absolutely set you apart in every way from this world, whose citizens claim that it is every person’s right to have dominion over themselves. It will be offensive and will get you thrown into the lion’s den. We must trust the everlasting dominion of our God will be more powerful than any den we may face. Look at Jesus! This claim got Him crucified! They labeled His cross correctly: “King of the Jews.”

And yet, Jesus has dominion even over death - the tomb couldn’t keep Him down! His dominion is our greatest hope, even beyond death and the grave. As Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 15:55, so we can also proclaim: “O death where is your sting? O death, where is your victory?”

So, when we keep dominion for ourselves or try give it to other false rulers, we forfeit our only hope and victory that is ours in our true King. Let us give complete homage today to the only One who deserves full dominion, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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 Jillian Vincent loves Jesus. She's a wife, mother of two 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.

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

“King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, ‘I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.’ Jeremiah said, ‘You shall not be given over to them. Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared.” -Jeremiah 38:19-20

There’s a story I want to share with you from the book of Jeremiah. It’s about an exchange between Jeremiah the prophet and King Zedekiah. Let me set the scene for you: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, put Zedekiah on the throne. The people of Judah were in a time of turmoil and upheaval, and Zedekiah was chosen to be the one who would decide if God’s people would surrender to the Chaldeans, come under their rule and therefore escape their attacks on the city of Jerusalem. Zedekiah acted like he wanted to hear from the Lord on this decision (Jer. 37:3,17; 38:14), but ultimately he did not want to accept the difficult truth that Jeremiah had to deliver. Jeremiah was proclaiming to the king and the public that those who stayed in the city would die by fire, and those who surrendered and went into exile would live, and the city would be spared. As you can imagine, that’s not what the leaders wanted to hear, so they threw Jeremiah in jail and stuck him in a cistern and ignored his message from God.

In Jeremiah’s last exchange with Zedekiah, the king opens up and tells Jeremiah that he’s scared. He doesn’t want to surrender to the Chaldeans because he’s afraid he’ll be hurt or killed. This is a very candid and vulnerable admission from a king. So, how does Jeremiah respond? He says to Zedekiah:

“Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared.” Jer. 38:20

Jeremiah pleads with his king; promising that if he would only obey, he would experience the protection and favor of the Lord. If he obeys, then God will save him. Zedekiah is at a decision point. Will he obey God NOW and surrender? Or will he shrink back in fear?

The text tells us that after this, Zedekiah stuck Jeremiah back in house arrest and did nothing. Zedekiah chose not to obey. He chose not to act. He let his fear dictate his actions. Because of his fear, he was captured, watched his children be slaughtered, was struck with blindness and bound in chains as his city burned to the ground. Time was of the essence. The outcome of the whole nation was based on his obedience. But he refused to obey the Lord.

If you’ve continued reading this far, you’ve probably caught on to the point I’m trying to make. God called Zedekiah to obey his voice - and to do it right away. There was no time to waste. Lives were at stake. God was asking him to act out of obedience, not out of fear; he was asking him to trust Him for the outcome, even if it was scary to do so.

God was asking him to act out of obedience, not out of fear; he was asking him to trust Him for the outcome, even if it was scary to do so.

The concept of obedience is hard for us to accept because we want to be in charge. We want to make our own choices. Like Zedekiah, we want to consult God and get his opinion, but we want to ultimately make the final decision ourselves. We want the freedom to walk the other way if we don’t like what God has to say. And the thing that’s very clear in this story is that we actually have this choice! We have the freedom to choose the other way, to go against God. It’s what we’ve been doing as a human race ever since that first mistake in the Garden of Eden. We wait for His voice and when we finally hear it, we get scared. We fear the obedient route because it’s often not the easy route. We shrink back when it feels like He’s asking too much of us.

I can totally relate to Zedekiah here. There are so many times I feel inadequate and scared; not up to the tasks God has asked me to complete. I look at the effort it takes to be a loving spouse or train up Godly children or keep an orderly home or serve my church or take care of my body or run a ministry in His name... and it all seems like too much. It seems like it’s not going to work. It seems like it’s too hard for me. But when God asked Zedekiah to obey, he didn’t leave him wondering what the result would be. He told him clearly: You won’t die! It well be WELL with you. Your life will be spared. Step out in faith NOW and do what I’m asking you to do.

That phrase “be well” is yatab in Hebrew, meaning: to be good, pleasing, glad, joyful, beautiful, right. You see, obedience is good for us. It brings joy. It is right. It is what is in our favor.

I believe that principle stands for us, too. I believe when we choose to obey, it will be yatab. We will experience blessing. Deuteronomy 6:24 tells us that obedience is “for our good (our yatab!) always.” Always! It might not be simple or enjoyable or popular to obey, but it is for our good AND for the good of those around us. Zedekiah had the opportunity to save others’ lives and homes from the fire, but instead, he let everything burn to the ground. Our choices are not just about us. As relational beings, we have the opportunity to bless others with our obedience, as well.

Our choices are not just about us. As relational beings, we have the opportunity to bless others with our obedience, as well.

And so, as Jeremiah called up Zedekiah, I’ll do the same for us. Is there an area of your life where God is asking you to obey NOW? Is there something He keeps bringing up that you keep putting off?

I beg you, my friend: obey his voice NOW. Don’t wait until you feel ready or you have everything you think you need. Go scared. Trust him to work out all the details. Ask Him to help you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to work in and through your imperfect self. For me right now, that looks like agreeing to setting my alarm early to meet with Him and move my body, even though I’m afraid I won’t follow through. That little step of obedience has the power to change my days and my interactions with others. So, what about you - what does it look like for you to go and obey, even if you’re scared?

Lord, may we all go the way of obedience by the power of your Spirit. May we listen and obey NOW, before it’s too late. Help us refuse to be controlled by fear, and in Jesus’ name, may we never have to watch another city burn.

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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. 

Devastation.

Destruction.

Death.

We don’t like to find these concepts in the pages of Scripture. We cringe inside and skim over the passages that chronicle the details of God’s righteous judgment on His people. If I’m being honest a plague of locusts doesn’t seem very “nice,” and it makes me cringe inside to think that this type of buggy encounter would be brought about by God himself.

When I was young, my parents served as missionaries in West Africa. We lived in a rural village made up almost entirely of subsistence farmers. A subsistence farmer is a farmer who farms their own food purely for self-sufficiency. Their job from sun up to sun down is merely to grow the crops that sustain their own families. The men and boys spent long, hot days in the dirt fields coaxing their crops of millet to grow in order to sustain their family for the next year. The women spent the day working with the grain - removing it from the stalk, blowing the chaff in the wind, grinding the seeds into flour (many did this by hand). Finally, the women would make the flour into millet cakes or porridge for each family member to have a small portion of food each day.

The sound of the locust’s wings caused a dull hum of treachery, but the worst noise of all was the sound of the locusts eating the crops. All of them.

Now imagine in a context like that, the day the locusts come. A cloud formed in the distance and its ominous darkness gets closer and closer. The locusts are large, the length of a human thumb and they’re fat with all the millet they had already consumed. The thing was in this situation, the cloud did not just pass over with ominous darkness. Instead, the bugs one by one landed on everything and destroyed anything in the wake. The sound of the locust’s wings caused a dull hum of treachery, but the worst noise of all was the sound of the locusts eating the crops. All of them. When they finished, they all rose up as one and moved onto the next town to devastate the crops found there. And by the end of it all, nothing was left. Everything was destroyed. Devastated. Dead. Gone. The silence that settled over each town post-ravishing was worse than the hum of the locusts.

After having seen the devastation locusts can bring, I will never read Joel’s words the same again. I cannot skim over these few short chapters unscathed. My breath catches in my throat as I hear God’s judgment on the Israelites described as a plague of locusts.

We don’t like these concepts of death and destruction because they simply aren’t pretty. We don’t frame verses and quotes from these prophets and hang them in our homes. We don’t want to hear about the sad state of the consequences of an unrepentant heart. However, when we skim over these words, we are doing ourselves a major disservice. We need to instead read this portion of the Word and then weep. We need to feel the destruction, the hum of the locusts, the sickening sound of them eating away at our livelihoods. We need to understand that our sin does the same thing - it descends like an ominous cloud, consumes our entire livelihood, and steals life. Sin destroys not only our life here on earth, but also our relationship with God. It rises without a second notice, leaving only destruction and devastation behind it. And when we understand the full weight of this, we should weep. We stand in a shocked silence that awakens within us the core need: to repent. We need to Repent and Believe. Not just believe and reap the glorious, wonderful benefits. But first, we must repent. Repent and be aware of the choices that we make that can lead to destruction. Then, we can understand even deeper the beautiful words that come in Joel 2:12- 14:

“Even now-
this is the Lord’s declaration-
turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping and mourning.
Tear your hearts,
not just your clothes
and return to the Lord your God.
For he is gracious and compassionate
slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,
and he relents from sending disaster.
Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave a blessing behind him,
so you can offer grain and wine
to the Lord your God.”

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Suzanne Hines wants to live in a world where sunflowers bloom in eternal summer, where her children play instead of argue and where her family has an endless budget for travel. When she's not loving her husband, training and teaching her three children, and spreading education on the foster care system, you can find her writing, reading or running outside!

Her favorite Scripture is Romans 12:12 "...be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer..." (NIV)

One day I was talking to my sister about my job. I said I had been there too long to move on. My salary was too high to expect it to be equal if I started fresh elsewhere in the same field. My vacation benefits were at about 4 weeks, not something to take lightly. I had been there so long, my hours were fairly flexible. I didn’t hate my job enough to consider it time to leave.

About 3 days later, I received a phone call - a friend from church. He began to discuss with me some issues at his work. Then he takes a breath and says “So, we would like you to come work with us. Is that something you would be willing to talk about?” 

What? 
 Excuse me?
 YES! YES! YES!

I agreed to have a discussion that evening with the owner of the company, when I just so happened to be at his house for small group.

How in the world did this happen so quickly? Well, the background story goes as follows: I have known both of these men & their delightful families for about six years. We attend the same church. They have seen me at my lowest of lows, they’ve watched God carry me & gently set me back on my feet. They were there to pray for me, hand me tissues, give me a hug or shoulder to cry on & so much more. They are two of the families I turn to when life is hard or is amazing. They are as family as family gets.

When I got that call, it was as if I could audibly hear God whisper in my ear “This is your new beginning.” I didn’t have to think about the decision at all. It was divinely knit for me.

I know life can be hard, and harder for some more than others. The old cliche of life not being fair is among the most real statements in the world. But I also know that obedience to God’s plan for our lives DOES equate to a beautiful story.

When I read Ezekiel 20-32, frankly, I felt sad that I was assigned to write about it. All I felt when I read was the heaviness of the Israelites’ disobedience to God. I thought to myself that they were so selfish, ignoring His warnings, when He was so clearly simply aiming to instruct them in His ways. But then I began my new job, and I began to understand what God might be saying through this section of His Word. My obedience & faithfulness to God is what gave me the confidence to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was my time to leap into a new adventure - this was a similar journey of understanding that the Israelites themselves needed to take.

He has already put us face to face with people in our daily lives who need to see Him and experience His hope.

As I read further into Ezekiel 33, God speaks of the night watchman. The responsibility he holds over the people to warn them of their lives. How the blood shed would be his if he failed to notify the people. I equate that to our responsibility as children of God. WE are responsible to the people around us. We speak of divine appointments being a special opportunity to share our love of God with someone, but really shouldn’t every encounter we have with anyone be a divine appointment? He has already put us face to face with people in our daily lives who need to see Him and experience His hope.

Plus, when we see what God is doing in our lives or in the lives of our friends, how can we not be excited? How can we not want to shout out from every rooftop about our Glorious Father?! And friends, if we are not excited about what God is doing, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to put our hearts in check. Life is not about our timing, we live under His sovereign and good hand. Our lives are not about us. They are about Him - His Kingdom, His people.

In Ezekiel 34, God calls out the shepherds, or priests, of Israel who have ignored their flock. In verse 24 He says that because of the lack of the shepherds’ care, He will tend to the flock. He will protect them, feed them, and shelter them. The reality is we, similar to the priests of Israel, are inadequate to handle the job of shepherding His flock without Him to guide & lead us in the way.

Just this past weekend I was with a person whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. He was a man whom I had previously sought wise counsel from. This recent encounter left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Rather than encourage me in my walk, he left me with a feeling of judgement and made me feel I was unworthy. As if no amount of proclamation of God’s heart over my life remained true,  I cried, devastated. I thought if I was to live based on what was said to me, no one would make it to Heaven. Then, I was angry. How dare he speak to me in a manner that drove a wedge between me & God? I remembered then that it wasn’t about me. And it wasn’t even about the elder that had torn me down. It was about my God. His grave. His mercies. His Grace. His redemption of my soul.

Our lives are not about us. They are about Him - His Kingdom, His people.

Ultimately, my life is about my faithfulness & obedience & deepest desire to live FOR Him. God wants my innermost thoughts, and He wants yours too! He wants our hearts, our hurts, our trivial daily nuggets of excitement & disappointments. Sharing all of our lives with Him allows us to walk hand in hand with God throughout each day. We get to snuggle in close and tell Him about our day. We get to lie in His arms of comfort when we are sad or hurt. We get to know that whether our miracle of healing comes in the flesh or it sends us home to Heaven, either way is a beautiful win.

In light of this, I am excited about my new adventure. I know God hand picked me for such a time as this. I am ready. I am willing. And I can’t wait to share my excitement with the One who loves me most in life.

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Sonya Gentry wants to live in a world where being kind and loving means that when we encounter a need or brokenness, we say yes first and think about it second. This would be a world where walking with Jesus means trying to act like Jesus through loving, relevant acts of service; where Christians put their hands and feet in the dirty situations of the world in order to show people God’s love and grace; where we understand that comfort zones are meant to be broken because people need us to show up and be be the best portrayal of God’s love we can be. When she's not working, you can find her being silly with friends and family, playing games with her nephews, volunteering for various organizations and events with her church, or relaxing with a movie.

In Ezekiel 16:1-14, we see a picture of a cast out infant left for dead, but God in His divine mercy and love not only rescued that baby, but also cleansed, swaddled, and nourished her into a healthy vibrant and lovely daughter fit for her marriage vows. This imagery depicts each one of us individually but also corporately as the bride of Christ, before and after God made a covenant with us and our journey of redemption through Christ began.

But He didn’t stop there! He helped us thrive and grow into a beautiful mature daughter and He robed us in His righteousness and covered our shame with His glory and adorned us with a crown and declared His marriage vows over us. He made a covenant with us cleaning us from all of our unrighteousness and anointing us with the fragrance of Christ.

Interestingly enough we see this child of God, while she has been taken care of well and clothed in all her glory, she has still forgotten the former days of her childhood and all that God had done for her. And in this forgetting she soon committed lewd and abominable acts - in spite of God’s great love and mercy.

When we are prospering and life is going “well” we also can be quick to forget all that the Lord has done for us.

Sound familiar? We, too, are that daughter. When we are prospering and life is going “well” we also can be quick to forget all that the Lord has done for us. God is ready and willing to forgive our wandering idolatrous hearts, but He also gives us insight throughout His word as to the significance of actively remembering all the works He has done for us. For instance, Deuteronomy 4:9 says:“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.”

We are called, just like the Israelites were in Joshua 4, to not only never forget but also to actively remember all that the Lord has done for us. When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. ...We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant went across.’

Are we being like the Israelites and presenting the miraculous works God has done in our lives to the future generations? Or, are we forgetting to actively recall and recite the work that the Lord has done in our lives? When we actively remember God’s redemptive work in our lives we are laying out a living memorial for all to see and worship the one true God!

It is vitally important in the maintenance and implementation of a vibrant walk with our Savior to recall His faithful love toward us because we are so prone to forget. Life has a way of creating meaningless as well as meaningful distractions and disruptions. These make it challenging for us to stay focused on the goodness of the Lord in our lives.  We must encourage each other to actively remember what the Lord has done otherwise we can forget His goodness toward us and walk with idolatrous hearts before Him. 

Similarly, Isaiah 46 is a call to come out of our idolatry and bondage by remembering the things that the LORD has done: “Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”

Christ came down and rescued each one of us out of deep darkness

Christ came down and rescued each one of us out of deep darkness, as recounted in Psalm 18. He prophesied, “Live!” over us in Ezekiel 16:4-14 when we were born into sin and corruption. When we were unwanted and rejected, He came and had mercy on our helpless, filthy state and declared LIFE there!

Isaiah 61:3 also gives us a beautiful picture of God’s loving care for us as His bride - He has promised to “… give [us] a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.”

Look what the Lord has done!!! Yet, we turn and worship lesser gods in our lives like status, wealth and comfort and exchange our beauty for deception just as Adam and Eve did in the garden.

So, instead of forgetting, let us recall today how God swooped down to rescue us out of the darkness and restored our innocence as depicted by the psalmist in Psalm 18:

... Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. … He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the LORD supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. The LORD rewarded me for doing right;”

What a glorious picture of God’s saving tenacious love over our lives!  Therefore, in all our doing today may we see the dire need for actively remembering all that the LORD has done in our lives so that we never forget and we may honor Him. We must passionately and resolutely set up stones of remembrance in our lives by sharing our redemptive journey with others, so that we are not building pagan shrines on the altars of our hearts. This only leads us away from the knowledge of God into idolatry, with our hearts then against our faithful Father.

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Karen Savage wants to live in a world where Christ is Glorified. When she's not serving her family, you can find her serving others. Her favorite Scripture is John 15:7-8 ESV.