i love how Job talked about wisdom and understanding. again even through all that he’s going through he’s talking about wisdom and where we can find it. what it looks like. this last verse that said “And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’””
Job 28:28 NLT
love that. wisdom is being in right relation with God and to turn away from evil is real understanding.
And to be reminded of the fruits of the spirit. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
i pray that each day that my life looks like this. that im producing this kind of fruit!
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.””
Galatians 5:13-14 NLT
walk in freedom today and everyday! serve one another love one another!
Walking in the freedom Christ has given us is so important bc it doesn’t only allow us to walk guilt free, but it allows us to honor Christ through what He did on the cross for us! When we walk in that freedom and in light of Christ, we will be able to please Him and not our flesh!!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. – Galatians 5:13
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
We repent on behalf of our nation for pursuing our own ways of life and not God’s way. We want to live by Your Spirit which is fruitful and brings exuberance, love and peace!
13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” So much of our world today sees the freedom we have in Christ to do whatever pleases themselves, but we’ve been given freedom to do what honors and pleases Christ!
So much goodness in these verses!! The verse I really heard God speaking through was Galatians 5:6 “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” That’s really all it boils down to, and I’m going to look for ways to express my faith through love today!
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. I pray that these things are shown to me and through me by the Holy Spirit.
Living in the way God wishes for us sets us free from the law, and brings us true happiness through a faith based relationship with him. What a blessing that is.
Gal 5:19-21 in the message version was a new way of understanding what life apart from the grace of God looks like. May our lives not be described this way!
19-21It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
Gal 5:7-“Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Every time I read this verse, one word sticks out to me: “who.” This verse says, “you were doing great! You were following the Lord! You were doing what’s right! But now you aren’t!” And it doesn’t say “what happened?” It says “WHO happened?” Just a reminder for all of us to choose our friends and influences wisely, because when we backslide from the Lord, it’s often not because of a WHAT, but because of a WHO.
I led a Bible study yesterday on spiritual self-control, which was challenging to me. We memorize the fruit of the Spirit easily as a formula sometimes, but skim over the next few verses: 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
Crucified the flesh?! Not so rosy like love, joy, peace, patience, etc. This is hard work, not for the weak. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for helping in our weakness.
This verse really spoke to me, I think so often we are so lost in today’s society especially the younger generations and I think it can be very easy to give into temptations! I love this verse because it compares the ultimate sacrifice to the sacrifices we are supposed to make in our everyday lives and even though we are not perfect if we are striving to become filled with love, peace, joy, patience, giving and so many other things we will overcome our unhealthy passions and desires through hard work!
1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Amen, amen!
We are set free from people pleasing and political correctness, free from feeling the need to pursue society’s “beauty standard”, free from the lie that tries to convince us our earthly possessions by any means reflect our worth as individuals, free from slavery of industry.
We are free from the darkness that tries to numb and convince so many to consider their time on this Earth as Life in the fullest sense.
Let us claim our freedom in Christ daily!
And let us dedicate ourselves to Him alone.
“As soon as something ceases to be a means of praise, it becomes an idol.”
The fear of the Lord..shunning evil. That is true godly wisdom!!! Walking in step with the spirit! Denying the flesh! In that, we fear the Lord and turn from evil! It is wise to do those things! Love how the scripture readings always tie together
This has been such a hard week of judgement from neighbors. It’s been hard not responding with anger. I continually have prayed for the Lord to fill my heart with love in this situation, so this was the perfect chapter in Galatians to read as I stated my Friday. God bless!
I love the Galatians verses! We are convicted of our sins but we are not condemned by them. Christ set us free from worrying about observing the law so that we could just focus on loving others better. Thank you Jesus – what beautiful freedom it is to live under the canopy of grace and not the fist of the law. It got me wondering what my ‘circumcision’ was. The thing that makes me accidentally think ‘oh that will help my case’. I think it’s just good works and tithing. Such a helpful reminded to be aware of WHY I’m doing things, is it just from love or is it partly because I think it will make me a better Christian? Definitely a lot to ruminate on here
“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. And to turn away from evil is understanding.” — this caused me to search my heart and ask God, what do I seek out instead of wisdom & understanding? It certainly isn’t riches, as I intentionally work in an industry that isn’t as lucrative as others. But what do I put before my search for Godly wisdom & understanding? It’s recognition; pats on the back. It’s fame & notoriety; having everyone know who I am and what I can do for them. It’s self-justification; having to be right versus seeking God’s truth on a matter (and as we know, we aren’t “right” all the time when we seek God’s opinion!). Oh that Gods wisdom and understanding would be THE THINGS I seek above all else! Truly they are more valuable that riches, recognition or anything else we desire.
This was the verse that made my heart pause and worship the Lord. I want to fear the Lord and stand worshipfully in awe of him and plan my life around him more than comforts, plans of man or others opinions- but it is so hard. I battle against my flesh, I battle against the world, and I battle evil. This is my Christian life and today was an awesome reminder of the worth of my struggle and ultimately a fresh reminder of WHO is ultimate.
If I am in the Spirit, then I should walk in it…I must admit at work it is so easy to want to be given glory for what I do. But GOD is due all the glory
I love this passage of Galatians – Paul is writing about not falling back into old ways or patterns of living and for the people of that time it was the need to put an outward performance on their faith via circumcision. I love how Christ sets us free from performance based living! It’s all by his grace, his love and his mercy! Amen!
6 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. .. what an encouraging and beautiful thought!
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Holy Spirit dwell in me and lead me.
I’m a day late reading these comments but oh dear sisters, this is good stuff! Praying for my SRT sisters and all the circumstances currently! May the devil flee our hearts and minds and let us walk in the Spirit. The more we read, study, and truly try to walk in Light, the stronger the devil will attack our homes! Remember that and fight fiercely!
My hard times pale in comparison to those of Job’s, yet his faith is not confounded. I am so thankful for his TRUE nitty gritty, sometimes uncomfortable words. He speaks like a human…the depths of his soul shout out in sorrow at times wondering why God has allowed certain circumstances to happen to him. We can do this as well! Prayers will not always be in adoration…God knows our hearts, He knows our pain, and He wants to hear us pour out into Him. I want to be more like Job…a REAL person with God who sees His sovereignty even in the tough times. I loved Job’s comparison of wisdom in 28 to the mining.
I feel as though the fruits of the spirit were meant for me this week, as well as freeing the self from the slavery of sin. First, I had a desire to look them up, and then at bible study yesterday it was a part of the discussion, and today this is the reading. God really works in our lives.
Job 29: 5 Job longing for day when 10 children were around him. And a tear drops. And I read ^comments above^ – and a tear drops for those of you sharing rough patches. So touched. Stand firm. Gen 5:1,7. You are running a good race. My story is huge loss of church ending in Job 29:11.. It is silence over here but my husband & I don’t want to live for selfish-ambition.
My commentary says that when we face hard times does that mean God is against us? Job realized that exterior circumstances doesn’t necessarily show proof of God’s favor. Also, does admiration from others matter? Should we interpret other people’s words or actions toward us as a result of God’s favor or disfavor? Job realized all his friends turned against him but he still new he was innocent of doing wrong.
I loved Galatians 5:1 about standing firm and not falling into the traps of slavery. Sometimes I feel a slave to my own mind and anxiety. This gave me courage to stand firm when those thoughts come in and actively redirect them with the Truth
Reading job has been so sweet these last few weeks. I am going through a hard breakup and I have never been more appreciative of my friends picking up their phones and listening to my hurt and comforting me. How wonderful it is to have friends who listen.
29:2 “How I long for the months gone by,
for the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,
But, unlike Job (or my understanding of oT times ), the Holy Spirit never leaves us. Even when. God seems silent, even in the darkest times… He is there. Sisters who are aching in pain this morning, take heart, HE IS THERE! You might be in “the middle” of your Job heartbreak, but remember that our creator is so Creative! He can redeem your situation!
I love these passages. Job hi-lighting the wisdom of God and Galations talking about the freedom we have in Christ. I struggle with depression on a weekly basis and sometimes I find myself asking why? Why this struggle God? Why does this keep coming back? Aren’t I supposed to be free? Am I not to be joyful as a believer?
Then God reminds me of passages like Job 28, who can know the mind of the Lord? And also the promises of Galations 5 that we can be led by the spirit and it will produce good fruit. Quiet submission and trust in the Lord, though we may not fully understand his working, will result in a life of peace and joy. And it is that truth that I cling to. For if I don’t have christ I am without hope, wandering in an endless dessert chasing after mirage after mirage. Christ is my oasis and it is with him that I find true happiness
So many things in today’s reading reach out to me and grab my heart.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These short three verses from Galatians remind me that I should not be envious, idolize or be selfish! Lord I pray that with your grace and mercy, you will teach me how to better put your words into actions, and become more thankful, grateful, and content in what you have blessed me & my family with. Amen.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
^^good stuff. A great reminder to be more like this.
I don’t know that we can be more like this on our own. I feel that we must be led by the Spirit as it mentions a few verses earlier. I think trying to be these things on our own strength will only leave us feeling defeated, I know it does me, when we can’t live up. When we are in step with the Spirit, these are the things that will naturally come from us. :) So, for me, when I don’t see these things in me, I know I’m out of step with the Spirit and need to let him lead me.
I like your take on it! When I see bitterness, jealously, anxiety, and irritability in my life that’s a great reminder that I need to allow the Spirit in me to do His work!
Love the reminder in Galatians 5:13-14 that talks about using our freedom in Christ to indulge in serving one another, and thus we are loving our neighbor as ourself.
Job 28:20, 23-24, 28
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? God understands its way, And He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth & sees everything under the heavens. And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; & to depart from evil is understanding.’”
I had my first child in October. Being a woman who only had a sister, circumcision was not something I had thought much about until it was suddenly a discussion. What if the baby is a boy? Do we? Don’t we? Are our reasons sound? Are we making a choice for him? Affecting his entire life, dulling sexual pleasure, etc.
I wish I could say that I prayed about the right choice. That we (my husband and I) prayed about it. But I am just now finding my way back into an earnest honest relationship with God and not a relationship where I toss a prayer at him when I need or want something or I am briefly reminded I should be thankful. So we did not pray about it.
We had a son. We made a decision based on worldly values more than anything else. There was a small complication with bleeding. Enter guilt. It took much longer to heal than expected. Enter more guilt. Later, I ended up on a website that listed a great many reasons why you should not circumcise using language that was descriptive and convincing. Needless to say, my guilt continued to grow. Had I already failed at being a nurturing mother only 3 days into the journey?
I started this plan and found some comfort in Genesis 17:9-15
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
But nothing eased my guilt like this gem from Paul:
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
I am continually astounded that God brings things to light that I have buried or try to ignore and reminds me over and over that I am not alone and all things are for His glory. Why waste my time stressing over a choice already made? In the grand scheme of it all, in the fight for my son’s salvation, it will not matter. Jesus matters. And if I can impart that to my son, I will be a successful mother.
I apologize for the long ramble. And hello! I’ve finally caught up. I started this on February 1st and I am ecstatic to have found SRT. I was telling my mother on the phone that day that I wanted to get closer to God & read the whole Bible. I saw a comment on Instagram mentioning this app and here I am. Thank you all for such incredible insights. I am often just as excited to read through the comments, especially when I know I’m missing the bigger picture or not quite connecting to the scripture. I look forward to growing in understanding and ultimately in faith!
I hope I may ask for prayers for my husband. He once told me that he envied my relationship with God and hoped to get there himself. But as I was talking to him about this app and some of the things I learned today I get a feeling that he thinks I’m getting a bit overzealous and crazy. Nothing hurts my heart more than the idea that he may not be at the same place as I am in my faith. I desperately want to have a true covenant in my marriage and a Godly home for my son to grow up in. Thank you for your thoughts, consideration, prayers and any advice.
I apologize again for the length. I’ve been holding a lot in apparently.
Will be praying for you and your husband Lela, thanks for sharing. I’ve found today’s reading challenging and encouraging. My husband doesn’t know the Lord and as I try to grow in faith and walk with God, my heart longs that he would.
Coming back here today with these words sticking out in my heart. Today, Holy Spirit, may we not resurrect our “old” flesh that has been dead and buried at the cross, and may we instead walk in step with you and your resurrection life. In circumstances we don’t understand, in moments when we feel our hurt or anger is justifiable, may we remember the cross, and may we declare, “Not I, but Christ who lives in me.”
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Many prayers Lela! Prayers for you and your husband. My husband and i are almost never spiritually equally yoked. Sometimes one of us is doing better than the other, and so there can breed discontentment. Much better when we can step back and pray for each other, encourage each other and move forward together! I pray that is what happens for you!
Lela, I am encouraged by your strength & your realness! We all struggle with past decisions and in hindsight, everything makes more sense. I have to boys, and I chose the opposite…and that also lead to guilt, thinking that Biblically I did not do the right thing… Funny, we are thought to live “free” in Christ not bound to the law, yet we revert back & forth!
My husband & I are not equal yoked either… It is not an easy road. Continue to soak up in God’s word, the devil is not liking it…but God’s Spirit is stronger!
May we all continue to stay strong in our walks…love this, “the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.”…
Hi Lela! Glad you found some scripture to ease your mind and squash your guilt! I have to say, I’m completely with you in the marriage boat. I thought my husband and I were equally yoked but unfortunately I’ve realized that we’re not in the same place with the Lord. I also had my first baby in October and I want nothing more than to raise a child who loves God and gives her life to Him, but I’m afraid that not having my husband as eager as I am will take away from that. I will keep you and your family in prayer!
Congratulations on your child! What a fantastic precious blessing. You will be an amazing example to your daughter no matter your husband’s eagerness- I am sure your example in Christ will encourage her in her own journey of faith. I will pray for your family as well. Thank you for sharing your similar situation with me.
Just want to encourage you ladies that feel you are unequally yoked or not at the same place as your husband spiritually. Keep pursuing the Lord with all your heart. Your love for the Lord and love for your children/husbands is what will speak volumes of the power and work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in your lives. You are displaying the gospel to them in your day to day actions (please, do not let that bring guilt but Hope that he is bearing fruit in your life as you read/meditate on His Word)! The Lord is faithful and he can do far more than we could think or imagine! Prayers for you!
My husband and I just had a discussion about this maybe ten minutes ago… We only very recently got married (6 months) and he is not as passionate about going to church and fellowship with other believers as he used to be. He says he has already read the Bible and does not believe anyone can offer him any spiritual food except talking to the Lord himself. I know that’s coming from a place of arrogance and I pray for him (not as much as I should, and not near as much as I should be praying on my own sin). It’s really hard sometimes because I feel so spiritually lonely, like I have no one to talk to. We moved to a new city after our wedding and have not found a church home yet. I’m so thankful to have found SRT and other believers. This thread was so encouraging to me this afternoon. As much as it pains me to know other sisters are struggling with this too, I feel less alone.
We also recently moved and have not yet found a church Emily! I am so glad to have found connections here as well. Besides my husband I have no one else to discuss my faith with (my son is a good listener but terrible at responses ;) ). I am glad your loneliness has eased. Will be praying for you & your husband as well.
I am rather ancient at the age of 25. ;) In all seriousness Julie, no matter your age, you are impressing me with your choices (a bible app? If not for my son, I’d probably still be half heartedly walking with the Lord with no SRT and no urgent drive to change my relationship) Thank you. I will pray for you as well.
Lela thank you so much for sharing. I just had my first baby in June and we moved just before she was born. And we still haven’t found a church home so I am with a lot of the ladies here in my gratitude for having community through this app! I just want I thank you for your encouragement too regarding these million decisions we make on behalf of our babies. I tend to get anxious when I don’t feel very certain about my decision and have recently been sooooo stressed about feeding her food (it sounds crazy even when I say it out loud)! I appreciate you keeping these decisions in perspective! Jesus truly is the only thing that matters for these babies and if I am devoting time to praying for my daughter that is better than anything else I can do for her. Thank you so much and I am praying for your husband as well.
Anxiety attacks me often also but I’ve been doing my best with it. I read somewhere recently that anxiety and worrying bout problems shows the world that your God is not trustworthy. Hit me hard so I’ve definitely been working on it. Best of luck with your beautiful baby, Christina. I will pray for you and your family as well.
About being “overzealous and crazy…”
Since starting this journey through the Bible, I feel like even my closet accountability partners have found me a little overzealous. I’ve never been the one who is most consistently in the Word, spending daily time with the Lord. And sometimes I feel like I’m oversharing my thoughts and discoveries and revelations with them, and that they think I’m absolutely crazy! But God is revealing Himself to me in ways like never before, and I find it so hard to stay quiet about it, so hard to not mention it to my Christian and non-Christian friends. I want them to have the joy He has given me! That being said, I’m so thankful for the support I receive here. Thanks for walking down this path with me, ladies!
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
Job 28 and Galatians 5 are good in tandem. Each time I read over them, I am finding new thoughts to meditate on…lots of heart thoughts that have yet to reach some sort of mental capacity.
One thing which stood out is the idea of shunning evil (Gal. 5:19-21), and loving my neighbour. It saddens me to see so many brothers and sisters in Christ (and yes, I am very guilty as well) being strongly vocal about the need to, ahem, “circumcise”
Just to clarify , I didn’t mean circumcise literally. It was obviously a hot topic of the early church, and I used it as a representation of whatever topic of dissension is current in our personal local.
God is creating a pure heart.
i love how Job talked about wisdom and understanding. again even through all that he’s going through he’s talking about wisdom and where we can find it. what it looks like. this last verse that said “And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’””
Job 28:28 NLT
love that. wisdom is being in right relation with God and to turn away from evil is real understanding.
And to be reminded of the fruits of the spirit. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
i pray that each day that my life looks like this. that im producing this kind of fruit!
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.””
Galatians 5:13-14 NLT
walk in freedom today and everyday! serve one another love one another!
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. – Job 28:5
Walking in the freedom Christ has given us is so important bc it doesn’t only allow us to walk guilt free, but it allows us to honor Christ through what He did on the cross for us! When we walk in that freedom and in light of Christ, we will be able to please Him and not our flesh!!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. – Galatians 5:13
Love the fruit of the Spirit ♥️
Love being reminded of the fruits of the spirit!
Jon has pointed out that while Proverbs 31 is the picture of the model woman- Job 31 is the picture for a model man. It’s intense! Beautiful though.
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Let us keep in step with the Spirit
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Love Job’s description of mining precious stones! Men knew how to do a lot back then, but only God could give wisdom
28And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
Love you neighbor as yourself. We are told this several times. I know I fall short, but I’m leaning on the Lord for help and guidance in this. ❤️
❤️
28 And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
I Love the Message version…Thank you for aging it
Another day, another rich reading in the Word!
16I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
Such powerful verses!
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
❤️
✔️
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We repent on behalf of our nation for pursuing our own ways of life and not God’s way. We want to live by Your Spirit which is fruitful and brings exuberance, love and peace!
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❤️
13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” So much of our world today sees the freedom we have in Christ to do whatever pleases themselves, but we’ve been given freedom to do what honors and pleases Christ!
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let his ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.” -James 1:5
May we seek wisdom from the Lord and not in all of the other places we try to find it.
18 The price of wisdom is beyond pearls ❤️
So much goodness in these verses!! The verse I really heard God speaking through was Galatians 5:6 “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” That’s really all it boils down to, and I’m going to look for ways to express my faith through love today!
I agree! Love this passage
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. I pray that these things are shown to me and through me by the Holy Spirit.
We have freedom!!!!!
Walk with the spirit
Let us keep in step with the Spirit and not be severed from Christ by believing we can take on righteousness by our own power.
Living in the way God wishes for us sets us free from the law, and brings us true happiness through a faith based relationship with him. What a blessing that is.
28And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Christ has set us free !!! -ellie
Gal 5:19-21 in the message version was a new way of understanding what life apart from the grace of God looks like. May our lives not be described this way!
19-21It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
❤️
forbearance
noun for·bear·ance \fȯr-ˈber-ən(t)s,
: the quality of someone who is patient and able to deal with a difficult person or situation without becoming angry
Thank you for sharing this definition because it helped me see that it really is more than just patience.
Gal 5:7-“Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Every time I read this verse, one word sticks out to me: “who.” This verse says, “you were doing great! You were following the Lord! You were doing what’s right! But now you aren’t!” And it doesn’t say “what happened?” It says “WHO happened?” Just a reminder for all of us to choose our friends and influences wisely, because when we backslide from the Lord, it’s often not because of a WHAT, but because of a WHO.
Thank you. Amen
I love the way you worded this and this verse spoke to me too! Makes us realize when need to step back and reevaluate our “friends”
I led a Bible study yesterday on spiritual self-control, which was challenging to me. We memorize the fruit of the Spirit easily as a formula sometimes, but skim over the next few verses: 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
Crucified the flesh?! Not so rosy like love, joy, peace, patience, etc. This is hard work, not for the weak. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for helping in our weakness.
This verse really spoke to me, I think so often we are so lost in today’s society especially the younger generations and I think it can be very easy to give into temptations! I love this verse because it compares the ultimate sacrifice to the sacrifices we are supposed to make in our everyday lives and even though we are not perfect if we are striving to become filled with love, peace, joy, patience, giving and so many other things we will overcome our unhealthy passions and desires through hard work!
The fruit of the spirit is lojoy,joypeace,patipatience ,
I love James and Gallatians! I can’t wait to read the books that don’t get preached on much though.
1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Amen, amen!
We are set free from people pleasing and political correctness, free from feeling the need to pursue society’s “beauty standard”, free from the lie that tries to convince us our earthly possessions by any means reflect our worth as individuals, free from slavery of industry.
We are free from the darkness that tries to numb and convince so many to consider their time on this Earth as Life in the fullest sense.
Let us claim our freedom in Christ daily!
And let us dedicate ourselves to Him alone.
“As soon as something ceases to be a means of praise, it becomes an idol.”
Hallelujah, ladies!
How great is our God!
Have a great Friday, beauties!
:-)
Yes- I loved that verse today too. We are free because of Christ!
The fear of the Lord..shunning evil. That is true godly wisdom!!! Walking in step with the spirit! Denying the flesh! In that, we fear the Lord and turn from evil! It is wise to do those things! Love how the scripture readings always tie together
This has been such a hard week of judgement from neighbors. It’s been hard not responding with anger. I continually have prayed for the Lord to fill my heart with love in this situation, so this was the perfect chapter in Galatians to read as I stated my Friday. God bless!
I love the Galatians verses! We are convicted of our sins but we are not condemned by them. Christ set us free from worrying about observing the law so that we could just focus on loving others better. Thank you Jesus – what beautiful freedom it is to live under the canopy of grace and not the fist of the law. It got me wondering what my ‘circumcision’ was. The thing that makes me accidentally think ‘oh that will help my case’. I think it’s just good works and tithing. Such a helpful reminded to be aware of WHY I’m doing things, is it just from love or is it partly because I think it will make me a better Christian? Definitely a lot to ruminate on here
“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. And to turn away from evil is understanding.” — this caused me to search my heart and ask God, what do I seek out instead of wisdom & understanding? It certainly isn’t riches, as I intentionally work in an industry that isn’t as lucrative as others. But what do I put before my search for Godly wisdom & understanding? It’s recognition; pats on the back. It’s fame & notoriety; having everyone know who I am and what I can do for them. It’s self-justification; having to be right versus seeking God’s truth on a matter (and as we know, we aren’t “right” all the time when we seek God’s opinion!). Oh that Gods wisdom and understanding would be THE THINGS I seek above all else! Truly they are more valuable that riches, recognition or anything else we desire.
This was the verse that made my heart pause and worship the Lord. I want to fear the Lord and stand worshipfully in awe of him and plan my life around him more than comforts, plans of man or others opinions- but it is so hard. I battle against my flesh, I battle against the world, and I battle evil. This is my Christian life and today was an awesome reminder of the worth of my struggle and ultimately a fresh reminder of WHO is ultimate.
Words from my heart as well Kylee. I simply want to love as Jesus loved.
Todays reading really made me think about my values in life and how I treat my sister.
I hope these verses are equally impactful for you.
This is my favorite passage so far
If I am in the Spirit, then I should walk in it…I must admit at work it is so easy to want to be given glory for what I do. But GOD is due all the glory
I love this passage of Galatians – Paul is writing about not falling back into old ways or patterns of living and for the people of that time it was the need to put an outward performance on their faith via circumcision. I love how Christ sets us free from performance based living! It’s all by his grace, his love and his mercy! Amen!
Amen to this freedom!
Im so frustrated I don’t understand Job
The spark notes are really helpful. I’m not too embarrassed to admit I looked them up because I was confused as well.
6 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. .. what an encouraging and beautiful thought!
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Holy Spirit dwell in me and lead me.
Feeling relieved after this devotional message. I pray that I would be able to stay in tune with the spirit my brethren.
I’m a day late reading these comments but oh dear sisters, this is good stuff! Praying for my SRT sisters and all the circumstances currently! May the devil flee our hearts and minds and let us walk in the Spirit. The more we read, study, and truly try to walk in Light, the stronger the devil will attack our homes! Remember that and fight fiercely!
My hard times pale in comparison to those of Job’s, yet his faith is not confounded. I am so thankful for his TRUE nitty gritty, sometimes uncomfortable words. He speaks like a human…the depths of his soul shout out in sorrow at times wondering why God has allowed certain circumstances to happen to him. We can do this as well! Prayers will not always be in adoration…God knows our hearts, He knows our pain, and He wants to hear us pour out into Him. I want to be more like Job…a REAL person with God who sees His sovereignty even in the tough times. I loved Job’s comparison of wisdom in 28 to the mining.
I feel as though the fruits of the spirit were meant for me this week, as well as freeing the self from the slavery of sin. First, I had a desire to look them up, and then at bible study yesterday it was a part of the discussion, and today this is the reading. God really works in our lives.
Agh, my heart needed Gal 5 tonight. Good stuff!
Job 29: 5 Job longing for day when 10 children were around him. And a tear drops. And I read ^comments above^ – and a tear drops for those of you sharing rough patches. So touched. Stand firm. Gen 5:1,7. You are running a good race. My story is huge loss of church ending in Job 29:11.. It is silence over here but my husband & I don’t want to live for selfish-ambition.
My commentary says that when we face hard times does that mean God is against us? Job realized that exterior circumstances doesn’t necessarily show proof of God’s favor. Also, does admiration from others matter? Should we interpret other people’s words or actions toward us as a result of God’s favor or disfavor? Job realized all his friends turned against him but he still new he was innocent of doing wrong.
I love how these readings are tying together! Thanks for the insight from your commentary.
I loved Galatians 5:1 about standing firm and not falling into the traps of slavery. Sometimes I feel a slave to my own mind and anxiety. This gave me courage to stand firm when those thoughts come in and actively redirect them with the Truth
Yes! I feel the same at times. Let’s stand firm!
Reading job has been so sweet these last few weeks. I am going through a hard breakup and I have never been more appreciative of my friends picking up their phones and listening to my hurt and comforting me. How wonderful it is to have friends who listen.
So sorry you’re going through a rough break up. I have prayed for you this morning!
Saying prayers for your heart :)
How often do we feel like Job?
29:2 “How I long for the months gone by,
for the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,
But, unlike Job (or my understanding of oT times ), the Holy Spirit never leaves us. Even when. God seems silent, even in the darkest times… He is there. Sisters who are aching in pain this morning, take heart, HE IS THERE! You might be in “the middle” of your Job heartbreak, but remember that our creator is so Creative! He can redeem your situation!
Thank you for that great reminder! :) God is definitely sovereign in these times. God bless! :)
I love these passages. Job hi-lighting the wisdom of God and Galations talking about the freedom we have in Christ. I struggle with depression on a weekly basis and sometimes I find myself asking why? Why this struggle God? Why does this keep coming back? Aren’t I supposed to be free? Am I not to be joyful as a believer?
Then God reminds me of passages like Job 28, who can know the mind of the Lord? And also the promises of Galations 5 that we can be led by the spirit and it will produce good fruit. Quiet submission and trust in the Lord, though we may not fully understand his working, will result in a life of peace and joy. And it is that truth that I cling to. For if I don’t have christ I am without hope, wandering in an endless dessert chasing after mirage after mirage. Christ is my oasis and it is with him that I find true happiness
Beautifully written! This was the encouragement I needed to hear today- thank you!
So many things in today’s reading reach out to me and grab my heart.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These short three verses from Galatians remind me that I should not be envious, idolize or be selfish! Lord I pray that with your grace and mercy, you will teach me how to better put your words into actions, and become more thankful, grateful, and content in what you have blessed me & my family with. Amen.
Amen!
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
^^good stuff. A great reminder to be more like this.
I don’t know that we can be more like this on our own. I feel that we must be led by the Spirit as it mentions a few verses earlier. I think trying to be these things on our own strength will only leave us feeling defeated, I know it does me, when we can’t live up. When we are in step with the Spirit, these are the things that will naturally come from us. :) So, for me, when I don’t see these things in me, I know I’m out of step with the Spirit and need to let him lead me.
I like your take on it! When I see bitterness, jealously, anxiety, and irritability in my life that’s a great reminder that I need to allow the Spirit in me to do His work!
Love the reminder in Galatians 5:13-14 that talks about using our freedom in Christ to indulge in serving one another, and thus we are loving our neighbor as ourself.
Job 28:20, 23-24, 28
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? God understands its way, And He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth & sees everything under the heavens. And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; & to depart from evil is understanding.’”
Love this! I connected those dots as well. And made a note in my Bible: {fear of the Lord = Wisdom = from God}
I had my first child in October. Being a woman who only had a sister, circumcision was not something I had thought much about until it was suddenly a discussion. What if the baby is a boy? Do we? Don’t we? Are our reasons sound? Are we making a choice for him? Affecting his entire life, dulling sexual pleasure, etc.
I wish I could say that I prayed about the right choice. That we (my husband and I) prayed about it. But I am just now finding my way back into an earnest honest relationship with God and not a relationship where I toss a prayer at him when I need or want something or I am briefly reminded I should be thankful. So we did not pray about it.
We had a son. We made a decision based on worldly values more than anything else. There was a small complication with bleeding. Enter guilt. It took much longer to heal than expected. Enter more guilt. Later, I ended up on a website that listed a great many reasons why you should not circumcise using language that was descriptive and convincing. Needless to say, my guilt continued to grow. Had I already failed at being a nurturing mother only 3 days into the journey?
I started this plan and found some comfort in Genesis 17:9-15
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
But nothing eased my guilt like this gem from Paul:
Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
I am continually astounded that God brings things to light that I have buried or try to ignore and reminds me over and over that I am not alone and all things are for His glory. Why waste my time stressing over a choice already made? In the grand scheme of it all, in the fight for my son’s salvation, it will not matter. Jesus matters. And if I can impart that to my son, I will be a successful mother.
I apologize for the long ramble. And hello! I’ve finally caught up. I started this on February 1st and I am ecstatic to have found SRT. I was telling my mother on the phone that day that I wanted to get closer to God & read the whole Bible. I saw a comment on Instagram mentioning this app and here I am. Thank you all for such incredible insights. I am often just as excited to read through the comments, especially when I know I’m missing the bigger picture or not quite connecting to the scripture. I look forward to growing in understanding and ultimately in faith!
I hope I may ask for prayers for my husband. He once told me that he envied my relationship with God and hoped to get there himself. But as I was talking to him about this app and some of the things I learned today I get a feeling that he thinks I’m getting a bit overzealous and crazy. Nothing hurts my heart more than the idea that he may not be at the same place as I am in my faith. I desperately want to have a true covenant in my marriage and a Godly home for my son to grow up in. Thank you for your thoughts, consideration, prayers and any advice.
I apologize again for the length. I’ve been holding a lot in apparently.
Will be praying for you and your husband Lela, thanks for sharing. I’ve found today’s reading challenging and encouraging. My husband doesn’t know the Lord and as I try to grow in faith and walk with God, my heart longs that he would.
Coming back here today with these words sticking out in my heart. Today, Holy Spirit, may we not resurrect our “old” flesh that has been dead and buried at the cross, and may we instead walk in step with you and your resurrection life. In circumstances we don’t understand, in moments when we feel our hurt or anger is justifiable, may we remember the cross, and may we declare, “Not I, but Christ who lives in me.”
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Thank you. I will pray for you and your husband as well.
Many prayers Lela! Prayers for you and your husband. My husband and i are almost never spiritually equally yoked. Sometimes one of us is doing better than the other, and so there can breed discontentment. Much better when we can step back and pray for each other, encourage each other and move forward together! I pray that is what happens for you!
Thank you so much Annie. I look forward to the day where we are much closer to being equally yoked.
Lela, I am encouraged by your strength & your realness! We all struggle with past decisions and in hindsight, everything makes more sense. I have to boys, and I chose the opposite…and that also lead to guilt, thinking that Biblically I did not do the right thing… Funny, we are thought to live “free” in Christ not bound to the law, yet we revert back & forth!
My husband & I are not equal yoked either… It is not an easy road. Continue to soak up in God’s word, the devil is not liking it…but God’s Spirit is stronger!
May we all continue to stay strong in our walks…love this, “the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.”…
Indeed a struggle but well worth the costs. Thank you for your realness as well!
Hi Lela! Glad you found some scripture to ease your mind and squash your guilt! I have to say, I’m completely with you in the marriage boat. I thought my husband and I were equally yoked but unfortunately I’ve realized that we’re not in the same place with the Lord. I also had my first baby in October and I want nothing more than to raise a child who loves God and gives her life to Him, but I’m afraid that not having my husband as eager as I am will take away from that. I will keep you and your family in prayer!
Congratulations on your child! What a fantastic precious blessing. You will be an amazing example to your daughter no matter your husband’s eagerness- I am sure your example in Christ will encourage her in her own journey of faith. I will pray for your family as well. Thank you for sharing your similar situation with me.
Just want to encourage you ladies that feel you are unequally yoked or not at the same place as your husband spiritually. Keep pursuing the Lord with all your heart. Your love for the Lord and love for your children/husbands is what will speak volumes of the power and work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in your lives. You are displaying the gospel to them in your day to day actions (please, do not let that bring guilt but Hope that he is bearing fruit in your life as you read/meditate on His Word)! The Lord is faithful and he can do far more than we could think or imagine! Prayers for you!
Thank you for your kind words and reminder that sometimes our lives and actions speak louder than we ever can.
Thank you for that reminder!
My husband and I just had a discussion about this maybe ten minutes ago… We only very recently got married (6 months) and he is not as passionate about going to church and fellowship with other believers as he used to be. He says he has already read the Bible and does not believe anyone can offer him any spiritual food except talking to the Lord himself. I know that’s coming from a place of arrogance and I pray for him (not as much as I should, and not near as much as I should be praying on my own sin). It’s really hard sometimes because I feel so spiritually lonely, like I have no one to talk to. We moved to a new city after our wedding and have not found a church home yet. I’m so thankful to have found SRT and other believers. This thread was so encouraging to me this afternoon. As much as it pains me to know other sisters are struggling with this too, I feel less alone.
We also recently moved and have not yet found a church Emily! I am so glad to have found connections here as well. Besides my husband I have no one else to discuss my faith with (my son is a good listener but terrible at responses ;) ). I am glad your loneliness has eased. Will be praying for you & your husband as well.
http://womenlivingwell.org/2011/02/thriving-in-spiritually-mismatched/
Really, really good article on the subject.
Thank you! Off to read right now. :)
Thank you for sharing this! I too struggle with this and it helps to know I am not alone!
Even though I’m not married and probably quite a bit younger I will definitely be praying for you Lela and your home and son and marriage..God Bless.
I am rather ancient at the age of 25. ;) In all seriousness Julie, no matter your age, you are impressing me with your choices (a bible app? If not for my son, I’d probably still be half heartedly walking with the Lord with no SRT and no urgent drive to change my relationship) Thank you. I will pray for you as well.
Lela thank you so much for sharing. I just had my first baby in June and we moved just before she was born. And we still haven’t found a church home so I am with a lot of the ladies here in my gratitude for having community through this app! I just want I thank you for your encouragement too regarding these million decisions we make on behalf of our babies. I tend to get anxious when I don’t feel very certain about my decision and have recently been sooooo stressed about feeding her food (it sounds crazy even when I say it out loud)! I appreciate you keeping these decisions in perspective! Jesus truly is the only thing that matters for these babies and if I am devoting time to praying for my daughter that is better than anything else I can do for her. Thank you so much and I am praying for your husband as well.
Anxiety attacks me often also but I’ve been doing my best with it. I read somewhere recently that anxiety and worrying bout problems shows the world that your God is not trustworthy. Hit me hard so I’ve definitely been working on it. Best of luck with your beautiful baby, Christina. I will pray for you and your family as well.
About being “overzealous and crazy…”
Since starting this journey through the Bible, I feel like even my closet accountability partners have found me a little overzealous. I’ve never been the one who is most consistently in the Word, spending daily time with the Lord. And sometimes I feel like I’m oversharing my thoughts and discoveries and revelations with them, and that they think I’m absolutely crazy! But God is revealing Himself to me in ways like never before, and I find it so hard to stay quiet about it, so hard to not mention it to my Christian and non-Christian friends. I want them to have the joy He has given me! That being said, I’m so thankful for the support I receive here. Thanks for walking down this path with me, ladies!
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
Job 28 and Galatians 5 are good in tandem. Each time I read over them, I am finding new thoughts to meditate on…lots of heart thoughts that have yet to reach some sort of mental capacity.
One thing which stood out is the idea of shunning evil (Gal. 5:19-21), and loving my neighbour. It saddens me to see so many brothers and sisters in Christ (and yes, I am very guilty as well) being strongly vocal about the need to, ahem, “circumcise”
Just to clarify , I didn’t mean circumcise literally. It was obviously a hot topic of the early church, and I used it as a representation of whatever topic of dissension is current in our personal local.
Heart thoughts. What a perfect label for those. Thank you for sharing!