This Monday I’m meditating on Psalm 139:1, the first verse of one of my favorite Psalms. It says,
“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!”
]]>“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!”
Maybe it was because I longed for a friend who would be a “kindred spirit” like I’d read about in Anne of Green Gables growing up. Maybe it had to do with my misshapen vertebrae and diagnosis of congenital kyphoscoliosis that kept me in a back brace through junior high. Probably for both these reasons and many more, when I encountered Psalm 139 as a teenager, it spoke directly to my heart in the most wonderful way.
As we consider this Scripture together today, I hope it encourages you too. Whoever you are, and whatever you’re going through, the Lord searches you and knows you. While this truth could be a frightening thing, it’s a precious comfort to Christians.
The Lord Knows Us and Loves Us
The Lord searches us and knows us. The Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the self-existent one who is perfectly holy, examines us inside and out. Without the hope of Christ, this would be terrifying.
Have you ever imagined the final judgment day, and there’s a movie reel replaying your most uncharitable thoughts, ugly words, hurtful actions, and regretted choices? I have. Truly my only hope is Christ my Redeemer saying, “Her sin is paid for. She belongs to me.”
The wonder of the gospel is that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Even knowing our sin, God loved us, and he gave his only Son to save us from the punishment we deserve and bless us with eternal life (John 3:16). Instead of cowering in fear, we find comfort in the Lord who searches us but doesn’t hold our sin against us, the one who knows all and still loves us.
The Lord Knows Us in the Day to Day
Maybe you’re stuck in an office most days with little human interaction. Or you stay home caring for young children or homeschooling older ones. Guess what? Whether you write emails, change diapers, or teach a math lesson, God knows all of it.
The Lord knows when you sit down and rise up (Psalm 139:2). He discerns your thoughts, the roads you drive, how many hours of sleep you get, and is “acquainted with all [your] ways” (verse 3). He knows what you’re going to say before you do (verse 4).
Better than the kindred spirit I wanted for a friend back in high school, even better than a spouse, the Lord knows his children. Not in some distant, obtuse kind of way, but like the faithful, promise-keeping God that he is, our Lord watches over us, hemming us in “behind and before” (verse 5). He does all this, and he does it in the monotonous parts of our days that no one else sees.
The Lord Knows Us on Our Hardest Days
The Lord knows us on our mundane days but also on our hardest days. When three of my children were diagnosed with the same serious genetic condition, waves of grief washed into our home. There were specialist appointments to schedule and new medications to administer. Overwhelmed in the moment and anxious about the future, those were some of the hardest days I’d walked through.
The psalmist asks, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (verse 10). Through a series of “If” statements—if we go up or down, here or there—it’s clear. There’s nowhere we can go that the Lord doesn’t go with us. However difficult it gets, “even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (verse 10).
The Lord Knows All About Us
In God Is Still Good: Gospel Hope & Comfort for the Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood, I tell how the Lord used my childhood diagnosis of kyphoscoliosis to strengthen the faith of my parents. Doctors didn’t know if I’d learn to roll or crawl, let alone walk and run. Back then, my parents didn’t know I’d grow up, get married, and deliver children of my own. But the one who “formed my inward parts,” who knit “me together in my mother’s womb” (verse 13), knew all this and more. The one who wove me—and you—“in the depths of the earth” and saw our “unformed substance” also knew every one of our days (verses 15-16).
Many of my friends didn’t know this part of my story until I wrote about it, and there may be parts of your past that even your closest friends don’t know. But God does. We don’t have to catch him up or fill in the gaps. The one who made us knows us better than we do, and he’s planned all our days.
Such Knowledge Is Too Wonderful
The Lord knows us. As we soak in this truth today, may our hearts respond like the psalmist:
With wonder. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (verse 6).
With praise. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (verse 14).
With humility. “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (verses 17-18).
With loyalty. Not taking matters of vengeance into our own hands, we ask God to judge his enemies justly (verses 19-22).
Finally, we place complete faith and trust in our Lord and pray,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (verse 24)
Meet our guest contributer..
Katie Faris is a pastor’s wife and mother to five who also loves to write. She’s the author of God Is Still Good: Gospel Hope & Comfort for the Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood (2023), He Will Be Enough: How God Takes You by the Hand Through Your Hardest Days (2022), and Loving My Children: Embracing Biblical Motherhood (2015) and a contributing writer to several blogs. Katie lives with her family in New Jersey where they enjoy day trips to the shore. Connect with her on Instagram and learn more at katiefaris.com.
]]>This Monday I’m meditating on Philippians 4:7 which says
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
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This post features products from our shop, our Scripture Meditation Cards are 31 hand-lettered bible verses intended to bring you comfort and encouragement as you go about your day. Place them around your home to be reminded of the truth of Scripture, and the hope have because of that truth.
]]>This Monday I’m meditating on 2 Corinthians 4:16, a verse that has been a source of unimaginable comfort in the most challenging seasons of my life, as well as the everyday pains and inconveniences. It says,
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
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“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
The Temptation to Lose Heart
It's a hard truth we can’t deny—we are wasting away. When Adam and Eve first sinned in Eden, the effects of the curse spread to every corner of creation. Every ache, wrinkle, and difficult diagnosis reminds us that our bodies are wasting away. We seem to watch our hopes and dreams waste away as we face disappointment after disappointment. Sometimes it feels like our lives and the world around us are going downhill fast. Surely this can’t end well, right?
And so we lose heart.
A Reason to Take Heart
The Bible doesn’t deny the death, decay, and depravity all around us, but it does offer hope that’s greater than all of it. “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (emphasis added).
The Lord is bringing renewal for all who are in Christ. He’s renewing us now—purifying us, maturing us, making us more like Jesus—and he’s using every bit of our suffering and pain to do it. But there’s an even greater renewal that’s coming. One day, Jesus Christ will return to this earth and we will see the fulfillment of those words from Revelation 5, “Behold I am making all things new.”
The world will be renewed, no longer plagued by disaster and discord. Christ’s church will be renewed, clothed in righteousness and completely free from all sin. Our bodies will be renewed, never to experience another ounce of pain, and resurrected to life that lasts forever.
No more crying. No more suffering. No more sin.
So do not lose heart. What we can see now is not the full picture. We may never understand exactly how God will work the details of our suffering out for our good, but we can rest in the knowledge that in the hands of our good God, not a speck of our suffering is wasted.
Take Heart Today
When we meditate on the truth of this verse, we can begin to understand how we can take heart in the many circumstances of our lives.
Tired and Weak. I’m writing this on the tail end of a terrible night’s sleep that ended with a vomiting toddler, all after three days of solo parenting. Before that, the same toddler fell and chipped her two front teeth. I’m tired. In my frustration I protest, “this is pointless! These problems are making my life difficult for no good reason.” But there is a good reason, because our good God is in control. He’s using all of it to renew me, and when I remember that, I can have hope. When I remember that, I call out to him for help and patience and Christlikeness. When I remember the renewal, I can rejoice in the suffering.
Grieving and Discouraged. The loss of loved ones, of relationships, of hopes and dreams—there’s a lot to grieve, and that grief is good and right. But 2 Corinthians 4:16 offers hope for the future and comfort for the present. God redeems all that has gone wrong in this world, and he does it through Christ. The dead will be raised. Brothers will be reconciled. Every longing of our hearts will find its fulfillment in Jesus. Don’t lose heart.
Sick and Suffering. Ever spoken the phrase of exasperation, “I’m falling apart”? Whether it’s chronic illness, the flu, or waking up with a sore neck from sleeping in the wrong position, we can often feel our bodies wasting away. Or maybe you’re in a season where you’re pummeled by one painful thing after another, and it feels too difficult to go on. Take heart, God is taking every bit of your pain and suffering that feels too heavy to bear and using it to produce an eternal weight of glory for you (2 Corinthians 4:17). Your joy in eternity will be greater, not in spite of your pain, but because of it.
There is no annoyance too small or suffering too great that God cannot use it for your good. Meditate on that truth today in every challenging moment. Do not lose heart—you are being renewed.
This post includes products from our shop. Our Scripture Meditation Cards feature 31 hand-lettered designs that can be a daily encouragement to you and your family. Whether you're doing dinner prep in your kitchen or sitting in your favorite chair for quiet time, our hope is that you will find cheer, encouragement, and consolation in God's Word through this collection of inspirational Bible verses.
Our guest contributor for this Meditation Monday is Joanna Kimbrel. We're thrilled to have her join us for this series, here's a little about her!
Joanna Kimbrel serves as content coordinator for The Gospel Coalition. She is a Bible teacher and writer with a passion for sharing the beauty of God’s Word with others and is a Student at Westminster Theological Seminary pursuing her masters of arts in theological studies. She is author of The Greatest Hero: The Book of Romans (Kaleidoscope, October 2022), a retelling of Paul’s letter to the Romans for elementary grade kids in chapter book form. Joanna and her husband Chad have three daughters, ages 5, 2, and one due in April, and are members of Sojourn Community Church in Woodstock, Georgia. You can find her on Instagram here, @joannakimbrel
]]>This Monday, in this new year, I’m meditating on Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
“New year, new you” and “looking back at 2022”
I’m sure your inbox has been flooded with nods to remembrance, new resolutions and new rhythms these past few days.
I’m not really a resolution kinda girl, but I do love the idea of a new year and a fresh start. In 2022, I formed some new rhythms that I’d like to carry into and even build off of in 2023. And a new year is a good opportunity to reflect on what’s worked and what hasn’t.
Whether we are looking to make changes in 2023, or we're reliving our best days of 2022, I want to encourage you with a lasting truth.
This Monday, in this new year, I’m meditating on Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
“New year, new you” and “looking back at 2022”
I’m sure your inbox has been flooded with nods to remembrance, new resolutions and new rhythms these past few days.
I’m not really a resolution kinda girl, but I do love the idea of a new year and a fresh start. In 2022, I formed some new rhythms that I’d like to carry into and even build off of in 2023. And a new year is a good opportunity to reflect on what’s worked and what hasn’t.
Whether we are looking to make changes in 2023, or we're reliving our best days of 2022, I want to encourage you with a lasting truth.
Maybe you’re resolving to look at your phone less + read more (I am!), maybe you’re implementing new family rhythms or maybe you’re just wanting to change things up, get a new hair cut (whatever you do, don’t get the bangs).
We are quick to think that a new change will make our lives easier and fix our problems. There are benefits to new routines that help us stay diligent, but if you're like me, one bump in the road has us returning to old habits and our resolutions fall flat by mid January. And we are left feeling defeated and discouraged.
Let me tell you something, friends.
God is at work whether you start a new habit or not. He never changes. He is always constant. Even when we change our minds and change our diets and change our hair and change our routines to improve our quality of life, Jesus Christ stays the same. He is steady and constant.
Sometimes we think if we could maximize our productivity, we would have time for Bible reading and prayer, for gospel community and serving in the local church. Whether we truly believe this or not, we cannot save ourselves. We cannot modify our schedule enough, optimize our free time better, or download enough apps to help us stay on task. We need a Savior that gives true transformation. That takes our failed attempts and says they are enough. Because He is enough and because He did it all perfectly in our place. When we put our trust in Him, and lean into Him, He transforms our hearts and minds. He gives us desires for His Word and for His people.
Christ is not bound by time, everywhere He is present He is fully present and He is not waiting for you to get your life together or your bible reading together before He can enter into your life. He is with you now. And three weeks from now when the resolutions fall to the wayside and you fell off the Bible reading bandwagon.
And because he is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. He is not temperamental, He does not ride the rollercoaster of emotions like we do. He is steady. He is constant. And His love for you is un-changing. Even if you oversleep and miss your morning quiet time.
So step into 2023 with new goals and plans and resolutions and rhythms, hold them loosely and don’t base your merit off of your ability to perform, but base it off the One who lived a perfect life, died in your place and reigns at the right hand of the Father. The One who calls you by name, and not by what you can accomplish in a day, or in a year. The One who never changes, the One who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
This Monday I’m meditating on Psalm 73:25
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And on earth there is nothing I desire besides you.”
This time of the year it’s not hard to find that you’re struggling with covetousness. For me, being on social media, I have to put boundaries in place to protect my heart from all sorts of sins like comparison and covetousness. While the ability to connect with many people from all over is a blessing, the reality of so much time spent online comes with some serious consequences.
But with so many gift guides circulating, from beautiful clothing, to the most aesthetically pleasing toys for your kids, to the latest gadgets that make life easier. Or maybe materialistic things don’t appeal to you. Maybe you desire the home renovation that she did, or the happy kids and family life of that one girl, or maybe you just want a house that stays clean for more than 30 minutes (just me?) Friends, we all struggle in one way or another with these things, oftentimes without even being aware of it.
]]>“Whom have I in heaven but you? And on earth there is nothing I desire besides you.”
This time of the year it’s not hard to find that you’re struggling with covetousness. For me, being on social media, I have to put boundaries in place to protect my heart from all sorts of sins like comparison and covetousness. While the ability to connect with many people from all over is a blessing, the reality of so much time spent online comes with some serious consequences.
But with so many gift guides circulating, from beautiful clothing, to the most aesthetically pleasing toys for your kids, to the latest gadgets that make life easier. Or maybe materialistic things don’t appeal to you. Maybe you desire the home renovation that she did, or the happy kids and family life of that one girl, or maybe you just want a house that stays clean for more than 30 minutes (just me?) Friends, we all struggle in one way or another with these things, oftentimes without even being aware of it.
But how many times have you gotten the new sweater, the wooden toys, the clean home, the house project completed, etc. before your mind wanders to the next thing? “That skirt would go perfect with my new top” or “Let’s redo the bathroom now!” Or maybe the thing you desired lost its luster. The kids don’t love the toy like you thought they would. The laundry piles are back and the house once again a mess. The kids fought all day and your husband has a work deadline that makes him absent for a few days and the family time you were envisioning is basically nonexistent.
I think we can all relate to feeling this way at one time or another. That having all the things or everything you ever wanted doesn’t ultimately satisfy. Our restless hearts will always be left longing for more. For better. And rightly so. We were created with a desire for true satisfaction and deep contentment. Put there by our Heavenly Father.
I’m reminded of a quote from CS Lewis:
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
This place and all its stuff is not our home. We weren’t made for here. No wonder the “stuff” doesn’t satisfy. It is designed to lead us to the Source of true satisfaction where the thirst of our hearts is satisfied by His grace and love.
Lewis continues, "Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same."
When we know Christ, He becomes more dear to us than any sin had formerly been. His kindly rule replaces sins tyranny over us. When temptations arise of wanting more and we feel worldly desires pursuing us, we must invite Christ to abide in the place of those desires. Turning away from the glitter that once fascinated us to the True Gold, which is our real treasure. Look to the all-sufficient Savior! Knowing Christ and being known by Him is where our restless hearts find contentment. St. Augustine wrote:
“Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”
I hope this reminder is a help to you during a season that can be marked with so much want. And that your heart can find rest, satisfaction and peace in the work of Christ alone. No longer should our desires wander, no other object should tempt us to stray --the Ever living One should be our all in all!
This post features products from our shop. Our Scripture Meditation Cards are 31 hand-lettered cards that can be a daily encouragement to you and your family. This card set has a neutral design, which makes them a seamless addition to any corner of your home. Whether you're doing dinner prep in your kitchen or sitting in your favorite chair for quiet time, our hope is that you will find cheer, encouragement, and consolation in God's Word through this collection of inspirational Bible verses.
]]>Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (ESV)
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Many of us are running from something. We’re not exactly sure what it is - dread, shame, guilt maybe? It can take the shape of a dark cloud in our minds, following us, finding us, invading our moments of joy and reminding us that something bad might catch up to us. That the word we spoke in anger might be repeated. That the idol we worship in our secret heart might be exposed in front of others. That the disease we thought we were controlling might get ahead in its work and debilitate us.
This verse tells us that something is, indeed, following us. In fact, it’s pursuing us - chasing us, even. But it’s not the dark cloud of regret or the credit card debt we can’t seem to shake that’s on our tail. It’s not our crippling shame or someone else’s anger that creeps up on us and finds us crouched in our corners of guilt. It’s something else, something miraculous, something wanted -goodness.
God’s goodness is following you. It creeps into gray pockets of grief, pushes into sick rooms, and breaks through the silent anger of your worst arguments. God’s benevolence to his creation surrounds you in inches of rain on thirsty farmland, in beautiful birdsong at your morning window, in bright yellow maple leaves of October. His goodness follows you, enfolds you, hems you in.
But if you are in Christ, there is more to this goodness. If you have trusted the King, this goodness expands beyond daily bread and stunning beauty. This goodness takes on flesh and enters in, humbles itself and experiences heartache, hunger, and hatred. Why? Because something else follows you, Christian - mercy. God’s unachieved, undeserved, unearned mercy follows you. And it will continue to, all the days of your life.
But the goodness doesn’t end there.
I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
David speaks of his future, his permanent home, as a life in the house of the Lord. He plans to dwell, to live there. For now he’s on the move, probably running from an enemy. He has known God’s goodness in providing for him, in spreading a table for him in the presence of his enemies. But that meal, that meeting is that of a traveler, a soldier. David anticipates here a dwelling place, an abiding home with his God.
What’s so great about living in God’s house? The roommate. Goodness himself, the one who designed the geometry of the raindrop, wrote the melody of the songbird, and mixed the pink hues of the sunset has made himself available for cohabitation. Your future in Christ involves spending the countless days of eternity near beauty himself, enjoying his presence, marveling at his goodness, awestruck at his mercy.
This Monday I’m meditating on Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Since it’s Reformation Day, it seems fitting to meditate on this verse.
The theme of this entire psalm is confidence in God in the face of monumental troubles. In fact, it was this verse that inspired Martin Luther to write the hymn “A mighty fortress is our God.” This hymn is a celebration of the sovereign power of God over all earthly and spiritual forces, and of the sure hope we have in him because of Christ.
]]>Since it’s Reformation Day, it seems fitting to meditate on this verse.
The theme of this entire psalm is confidence in God in the face of monumental troubles. In fact, it was this verse that inspired Martin Luther to write the hymn “A mighty fortress is our God.” This hymn is a celebration of the sovereign power of God over all earthly and spiritual forces, and of the sure hope we have in him because of Christ.
Whether our troubles and uncertainties come in the form of a diagnosis or a sudden loss, we can bank our hope on the truth that God is our protection. Jesus promises to never leave or forsake us (Matthew 28:20) and he promises to send us “another helper” (John 14:16).
It’s cool to note that in 1 John 2:1 John tells us the “advocate with the Father” is “Jesus Christ the Righteous.” The Greek word for “advocate” in 1 John 2:1 is the same word translated as “Helper” in John 14:16. Jesus was the first Helper who, after He ascended, gave us another Helper. What a comfort!
Whether our suffering is from sin or circumstance, it’s important to remind ourselves that our protection is not in better conditions, but instead in the ever-present help of the Holy Spirit, who comes to our defense when our hearts or the devil condemn us for our sin, reminding us of the truth that Jesus has paid for our sin and that we are accounted righteous before the Father.
The hymn "A Mighty Fortress" reminds us how Martin Luther, and others, preached the truth in love in the face of many obstacles and hardships. And how they did so not in their own strength, but by relying on our God who is our protector, looking to Jesus who is the perfecter of our faith, and by keeping in step with the Spirit who gives us the power to proclaim the gospel and encourage the believers in our lives.
Because the Spirit of truth has been given to us, we can be confident that the truth will remain in us and that we will be kept in perfect peace when our thoughts are fixed on God (Isaiah 26:3).
Luther says of music, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.”
When our hearts are feeling weary and life is feeling uncertain, let us remember that our God is a mighty fortress, an ever-present help in trouble. And then we ask Him to help us trust him through the trials and uncertainties, that we would be confident in Him, and that He would give us more of himself.
Then, let us sing with Luther, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, the body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still, his kingdom is forever.”
This post features products from our shop. Our Scripture Meditation Cards are 31 hand-lettered cards that can be a daily encouragement to you and your family. This card set has a neutral design, which makes them a seamless addition to any corner of your home. Whether you're doing dinner prep in your kitchen or sitting in your favorite chair for quiet time, our hope is that you will find cheer, encouragement, and consolation in God's Word through this collection of inspirational Bible verses.
Our Second Edition ABC Scripture Memorization Cards features new, easy-to-memorize and easy-to-explain verses that correspond to each letter of the alphabet and are a valuable resource to help plant the hope of Scripture in our children’s hearts and grow their knowledge of Him. Each cards features capital and lowercase letters with star and arrow guides to help with letter formation. And with neutral, muted tones these beautifully designed cards can also be incorporated into your homes decor, to serve as an ever present testament to the comfort and encouragement of God’s Word.
Our hand-lettered prints are filled with truth and encouragement to adorn the walls of your home and keep these truths on the forefronts of our minds. Customize your prints from a selection of background colors!
]]>This Monday I'm meditating on Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love."
It’s the time of the year when our household comes down with colds every few weeks. It’s just the reality of having small children, two of which are in school. There’s a part of me that gets paralyzed by every sickness, focusing on managing sick symptoms and rendering me useless to the tasks of the home. That’s when everything falls apart. Behind on laundry, dishes piled high, missing self imposed work deadlines. My inadequacy stares me down and I feel my lack.
I stood at this sink for what seemed like hours yesterday, but instead of being overwhelmed I enjoyed the view. Leaves changing from green to yellow to orange to red, birds in flight and singing while they head south, and meditating and memorizing one of my favorite verses—
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love. Zephaniah 3:17
Could it be that the Lord is in my midst, while I scrub dishes? That He rejoices over the obedience of tending to our home and the little hearts in it? That He quiets my anxious and overwhelmed heart and leads me to bring my cares to Him?
The job of mother and homemaking is not one to boast in (surely I know, I hardly ever do it well), but it is one to lean into the Lord every minute of everyday, because we can’t do this in our own strength.
So I encourage you to put aside all pride and boasting in self today. Take refuge in the name of God. Bank your hope on the righteousness of Christ and not your own. And let yourself awaken to the wonder that the Lord, the King of kings, rejoices over you with gladness and exults over you with loud singing.
soli deo gloria
tori
]]>This Monday I’m meditating on Psalm 119 verse 18,
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
I’m sure you’re familiar with the popular phrase by William Blake “we become what we behold” –but do you believe that? Whether actively or passively we become conformed to the patterns that we practice. And before I start listing off things that we behold that we shouldn’t, let’s focus on what this verse says.
]]>“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
I’m sure you’re familiar with the popular phrase by William Blake “we become what we behold” –but do you believe that? Whether actively or passively we become conformed to the patterns that we practice. And before I start listing off things that we behold that we shouldn’t, let’s focus on what this verse says.
The entirety of Psalm 119 could be defined as a case for Scripture Meditation and one long prayer of devotion and yearning for God’s law amidst trials and troubles. Phrases like: “Open my eyes,” “Give me life,” “Make me understand,” “Teach me,” “Enlarge my heart,” “Lead me,” “Incline my heart,” “Turn my eyes,” and so on (Psalm 119:18, 25, 27, 29, 32, 35–37).
The same psalmist who said, “How sweet are your words to my taste” (Psalm 119:103), said earlier, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). He prayed this, because to have spiritual eyes to see glory is a gift of God. No one naturally hungers for, and delights in, God and his wisdom.
It’s not natural, it’s something that needs to be practiced. It takes spiritual discipline and diligence. Yes, there is an active turning away of our eyes from beholding worthless things, but more importantly there is a beholding of wondrous things —delighting in God, in his law, and in his promises.
We can sometimes become too consumed with the process of removing the “worthless things” from our lives, rather than focusing and meditating on God’s law and statutes. Which makes me ask, why do we find it so hard to delight in God’s law? Can we say like the psalmist in verse 20 that our souls are “consumed with longing for the Lord’s rules at all times?” I know that isn’t always the case for me.
Perhaps if we were to first behold God’s law, and delight in his testimonies, then our hearts would more naturally turn from becoming and beholding the things of this world. “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we are] transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18). We are being transformed into His likeness by looking intently on who He is. By beholding Him.
Let us pray with the psalmist, “Incline my heart to your testimonies” (Psalm 119:36). “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). Grant that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know our hope and our inheritance and the love of Christ that passes knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:18; 3:19).
When the Holy Spirit answers this prayer by overcoming our natural enmity to the glory of the gospel, we are able truly to apprehend it, to taste it, and we can walk confidently in our faith.
Look to Him!
xo tori
This post features products from our shop. Our Scripture Meditation Cards include 31 hand-lettered bible verses for daily meditation, memorization and encouragement. Place above your sink while you're doing the dishes or keep in your journal during your quiet time, wherever you find yourself throughout the day, we pray these cards would minister to your heart and be an encouragement to you.
]]>Romans 8:16-17
Beloved, whether your gifts bloom in the arts or elsewhere, there's a call to use them for the glory of God and to build the Kingdom Come.
Now, before the self-proclaimed “non-creative” person dismisses this post, I’d like to defend you from yourself. You read that right. While you may not be an artist, yes, you are creative. And yes, there’s a difference. So, hear me out: as a co-heir WITH Christ, as a co-heir OF God, you inherited the best of your Abba Father. He isn’t only creative, He is Creator.
Daughter – creativity is in you and for you because it’s His nature. We are the Imago Dei, made in His image, created with a unique call to co-labor with the King.
And so, the next time you hesitate to say, “I’m not creative,” or “I’m not ____ (fill in the blank)” I encourage you to sieve your “I can’t” through the lens of your God-given identity as co-heir. It’s through your identity as God’s Beloved that you are stirred up to declare: “I am…because He says so.”
What exactly does that look like? What does it mean to be a co-heir with Christ?
First, I want to put our meditation verse (Romans 8:16-17) back in its greater context and read around this reference to see what gives it its arms and legs, so to speak. Our fellow heir, the Apostle Paul, is speaking to us, the Beloved, about our spiritual reality:
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Paul continues to lay it out for us, defining our inheritance by the Spirit, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (vs. 9). Co-heirs carry His Spirit – as the Beloved, we are His dwelling place; home of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s go a little further with Paul: “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (vs. 12-13)
Here comes the best part, Beloved: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (vs. 14-15)
I don’t know about you, but my eyes well with tears when I read these words. This is our reality as the Beloved; as Co-Heirs. Daughtership. We are gathered in, sealed by the Spirit.
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (vs. 16-17, our Meditation Monday verse).
I’m careful to gain context for our verse reference so we have a better knowledge of what it is we are meditating on: our identity in Christ. And when we know our identity, we have greater clarity on our calling. Whatever that may be.
With a growing understanding of what it means to be co-heirs with Christ, I want to stir you onto what I affectionately refer to as The Five Callings of the Artist. Again, you may not consider yourself an artist, but as a fellow creative (and you ARE that, Beloved) we have these callings in common.
The Callings are as follows (as adapted by Jerram Barrs):
This is truly all encompassing. Glorify God in the seen and unseen. The big and the small. The everyday and the mundane. Glorify Him in all we do with all of who we are.
Ever heard the phrase, “Do it for the process?” It implies there is pleasure to be had simply in the making of something, even if it doesn’t “turn out” or achieve some sort of perceived perfection. What if in our makings, we got to know God more intimately by abiding – enjoying and delighting – in His presence? It just so happens that His presence changes everything. Being God’s co-heir of the Kingdom, we inherit good gifts. Enjoying those gifts is worship.
Art is meant to serve. It's never to spoon feed our own vanity but only ever made whole and holy when in service to others. When we fail to serve others with our gifts, they diminish; they atrophy. Essentially, they’re twice as good when shared. The economy of the Kingdom is that as co-heirs, we are always with our Father and everything He has is ours (see also Luke 15:31).
Now that we know our identity, we can work in it. Remember, everything the Father has is ours. So declare it over yourself. Over your day. Over your life. This is operating in the richness of the Kingdom and stewarding well as a co-laborer and a co-heir. The Beloved are children of God who work to bring heaven’s reality in the here and now. Which brings us to our last calling…
My husband and I co-own and operate two businesses, one of them being a fine jewelry brand inspired by our other career in the world of fine art. Our touchstone mantra is all about “Adorning God’s Beloved” in the inherent truth and beauty of the gospel. We do this through creating tangible reminders of God’s faithfulness (we aptly call these jewelry designs “Ebenezers”) and dare to ask the adorned, “what would it look like if we “put on” Christ every day? What if what we wore could be a spiritual “putting on,” calling us into our Belovedness? This is our idea of giving them Heaven; setting back the boundaries of the fall and flourishing in the Eden of our hearts. Heaven is closer than we think; it can and should be experienced in our everyday lives. This is a part of our inheritance – our spiritual reality – sealed by the Spirit: we live not according to the flesh, but by the King’s order which names us fellow heirs with Christ. Heaven on earth. We are the Kingdom Come people. Heirs of an eternal reign with him; glorified with Christ. Does this make you weep with me? I surely hope so. This is more real than our realest real here on earth. It’s nearly impossible to fathom, but it’s also ours to operate in.
Each one of these callings could be their own essay or blog post, but I wanted to introduce them here as an outline for the artist in which our creative gifts are purposed for God's glory, service of others + the benefit of community, requiring us to step into our identity as co-heirs with Christ, in order to set back the boundaries of the fall.
We know that art and creativity matter to God because 1. He IS Creativity, Wisdom and Beauty, and 2. We are given the example of Bezalel in the Old Testament who was the first person recorded in scripture to ever receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. AN ARTIST. Why do you think this is?
God is currently using and will continue to use the arts to testify of His second coming — you heard it here, folks. There is a Renaissance on the horizon. Some of us have been here for a while, but there will be a take-over of the arts for our good and His glory and we will see the arts renewed & restored for their original intent! I’m ready. Are you?
Which "calling" resonates most with you? Challenges you? Name them below.
And remember, you are BELOVED.
Hannah Weidmann is a writer by nature and loves everything involved in the creation of an art piece. More than the finished work, she is obsessed with the process of becoming - a theme that marks her personal life and is reflected in her work.
Hannah is co-founder of Everyday Heirloom and Jake Weidmann, Inc.; two businesses that are intertwined and co-exist to bring art into the hands and hearts of God's beloved. She lives in the Colorado foothills with her influential artist husband, Jake Weidmann, and their three children.
Visit their work at EverydayHeirloomCo.com (@everydayheirloomco) and JakeWeidmann.com (@jakeweidmann)
This post features products from our shop! Our unique Scripture Meditation Cards feature hand-lettered designs and can be a daily encouragement to you and your family. This card set has a neutral design, which makes them a seamless addition to any corner of your home. Whether you're doing dinner prep in your kitchen or sitting in your favorite chair for quiet time, our hope is that you will find cheer, encouragement, and consolation in God's Word through this collection of inspirational Bible verses.
In Psalm 1 it says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree, planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season. It’s leaf does not wither.”
If we are constantly filling our mind with scripture, meditating on it and memorizing it, we will begin to love the law and hate the wickedness around us, we will become strong in our faith, and we will bloom and grow into mature Christians.
Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. -Psalm 119:97-99
The Puritans were especially good at meditating on scripture. We would do well to consider their ways.
Thomas Brooks said, “Remember, it is not hasty reading—but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the bee’s touching of the flower, which gathers honey—but her abiding for a time upon the flower, which draws out the sweet. It is not he who reads most—but he who meditates most, who will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.”
So what does it look like to meditate on Scripture on a daily basis? A good place to start is by just taking a verse at a time. It’s helpful to read the entire passage of a selected scripture first, so you are able to understand the context. Then focus on one verse and write it down. I like to write down any initial thoughts that I have when I first read the verse, and then I will journal a little bit. Asking myself questions like, what does this verse say about God? Who is the audience of this text? What wisdom can I glean from this verse? How does it encourage me in this moment?
Then I’ll place it somewhere prominent in my home so that I will see it often. On the window by my kitchen sink, in my bathroom on the counter, in my homeschool hutch, on the piano. Sometimes I’ll stick the verse in my bible or my quiet time companion, so that I can reference it each day as I go to do my quiet time.
As I’m going about my day, I’m reminded of the truth the verse holds. I’m encouraged by it and prompted to live in light of it. I’m also memorizing it. Because I am seeing it frequently, it is easier for me to memorize, and because of that, easier for me to call to mind during times of distress or trial, long after I’ve meditated on it.
The benefits of scripture meditation to our soul are many. God’s Word is like water and bread to our weary hearts. We carry a powerful hope around with us, and people everywhere need it.
This post references our Scripture Meditation Cards, which you can see here. For a limited time, we are including a free wooden card stand with every Scripture Meditation Card purchase. Just add it to your cart and it will be discounted automatically.
]]>You can check out their studies here, or give them a follow on their Instagram account, I know you'll be blessed by the words they share.
]]>In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.
I am taken back by the phrases “riches of his grace” and “lavished upon us” because often I feel undeserving. I think, “this is too good to be true!” and I go through my days forgetting what that means and how it implicates my life. No matter how far I've come in my walk with the Lord, I need to rehearse the truths of the gospel daily.
I take grace for granted as I rush through daily tasks, missing the beauty in everyday moments as I’m hurried along by to-do lists, the needs of my family, and the never-ending mountain of laundry. But still he gives us grace.
The Lord in his kindness and goodness pours out his lavish favor on undeserving sinners like us.
And it’s grace in the everyday moments. He lavishes on us not only everything we need for life and godliness, but he lavishes on us simple, everyday gifts. In the toothless smile of my seven year old. In the way the light shines through our 100 year old windows. In the dimple of my four year old. In the growth of vegetables from our garden. In the messy kisses from my three year old. In beholding a beautiful sunset. In my husbands laugh. A gift.
It’s all grace.
God chose us, Jesus redeems us and the spirit sanctifies us. What a gift! We are grafted into the family of God because of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. We are made perfect in the sight of God, not because of anything that we've done, but because of what's been done on our behalf. Jesus is our advocate. And even now, the Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness.
God does not give us something that makes us blessed, but he blesses us by giving us himself. -Fred Sanders
This is the conclusion I am brought to after mediating on Ephesians 1:
The Father plans it, the Son purchases it, the Spirit preserves it, all to the praise of his glory. What greater wisdom and glory could we see in our great redemption? Soli deo gloria!
This post includes our Scripture Mediation Cards, which you can view here.
]]>Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
The first thing that stuck out to me was that running with endurance takes discipline. Like a runner, the Christian must be in constant motion toward the goal, despite opposition. This demands strenuous effort and endurance, which is learned from constant discipline.
Sometimes I think that if I could just be “more disciplined” my life would be easier. If I could get up earlier, be more consistent in the discipling of my children, stick to a budget (it never happens) then my days would be effortless.
The Christian character of discipline in itself is not a bad thing, but when I am putting my hope in the outcome of those disciplines, it becomes problematic. We must work hard to strengthen our faith to endure the race. That means seeking the Lord daily in His Word and prayer. It's seeking fellowship among other believers to be encouraged and edified, and sometimes that means we must welcome rebuke and embrace trials.
In verse two it says “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” – you see, things get challenging when we take our eyes off Jesus and instead look to ourselves. I often look to myself for strength and to others for approval. I place my hope in being more disciplined, or having a better routine with the kids, a clean home, a fool proof meal plan and all my ducks in a row.
The author of Hebrews encourages us to stop looking around or within and instead look to Jesus. He took the burden of our sins and made our running and our striving easy and light. When we set our eyes firmly on him, we will not grow weary in the fight against sin and in the race to persevere in faith.
The good news of the gospel is that we have already been made perfect through the blood of Christ.
Imagine what would happen if we looked to Jesus every day. Every weight would fall off and every sin would untangle from us. Each glance at Jesus would strengthen us to endure and finish well.
When you’re feeling tempted to return to patterns of relying on self and people pleasing, look up. Look to Him. The founder and perfecter of our faith.
This post includes our Scripture Meditation Cards, which you can view here.
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