Take this day as an opportunity to catch up on your reading, pray, and rest in the presence of the Lord.
May the Lord be praised!
Day after day He bears our burdens;
God is our salvation.
– Psalm 68:19
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28 thoughts on "Grace Day"
Grateful for the grace and honesty in this group! I have been struggling with the reading as well! I trust & know in the end I will have taken something away. God is good!!
As a song of encouragement, I suggest listening to Sandra McCracken’s “In Feast or Fallow.” I could post all the lyrics here because they are such lovely reminders of how good we’ve got it as God’s girls but I’ll spare you. Instead, just go listen. He is with us in feasting and in the fallow/barren times. I know I’m not alone in feeling the fallowness of Lent but thanks be to God it is only a season!!
Love it. Thanks for sharing!
The readings this week have been very hard for me on an emotional level. The passages about light and forgiveness haven’t been enough to outweigh all of the destruction for me. It’s definitely been a grey week full of questions about faith and discontent about my choices. While also feeling horribly ungrateful for being so down when I have been blessed with so much. I’m also really struggling with my lent commitments (it feels like a constant disconnection to not be able to check social media!). I was lamenting all of this in my journal last night and it occurred to me that maybe this is what lent is supposed to feel like. It’s not supposed to be comfortable and easy. It should make us question and examine things that hurt. I just hope and pray that by the end of this process I come out better for it!
Jesus loves you so much girl!!! I hope you can rest in his Truth, love , forgiveness, and grace today. Psalm 103:11
Thank you! A firm rooting in this should see me through and help me come out better on the other side of lent.
It’s about understanding sacrificial love. That is the kind of love Jesus has for us. It makes you realize what He gave up and sacrificed for us out of love. It is hard! But it is worth it. Every time you feel the need to go to social media (an idol) go to God instead. Replace what you are sacrificing with intimacy with God and let Him fill that void. Put in some music and dance or sit outside or go for a walk. Do something intentional and look for His presence. Be still and wait. He wants to give you peace and joy!
Amen! Been definitely seeing that since I gave up social media too!
Yes, this is what Lent should feel like (and it’s natural to not like it!!). The Lord asked me to do something incredibly difficult this week. I really questioned, Is that you, God? It seemed like I could talk myself out of it and move on, yet He still called me to trust and obey. When I was complaining that “this is very hard and uncomfortable, Lord!”, I felt a voice in my heart saying, “Death isn’t comfortable, Sarah!! It’s painful! Dying flesh smells awful.” When we die to self it’s a beautifully pleasing fragrance to the Lord. But yes, it is HARD!!!
Sarah, thank you for sharing! Encouraged by this.
– Stormye
I can really relate to your “grey week full of questions about my faith and discontent about my choices,” and “feeling horribly ungrateful.” I will pray for you Elle when I get hit with these feelings too.
It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one. I was just sharing with my husband yesterday here we are two weeks into the study and I need to go back and re-read because I don’t understand a lot of it. So grateful for this community whose honest and encourage one another. AND I learn a lot for all of you. Have a good weekend everyone.
i can honestly say that i don’t understand a lot of this study but i try. for me, in the dark of each morning, reading it aloud helps me to take more of it in. thank you jesus for that small blessing.
That’s a good idea. Thank you for that :)
Reading aloud has helped me too. I’ve also started listening to it through my Bible app on my way to work to hear it again. That’s been very helpful!
I recommend reading through a trustworthy commentary as well, since there’s so many historical references we just don’t automatically understand. The ESV one is great and so is the Matthew Henry one, both available online!
I also read the passages in a bible app in the message version first because I get lost in the language and history too and struggle to pull out the parts that are applicable to me today in this lent study. That has really helped me.
it’s been a really tough read for me too. I’ve been reading it from my ESV study bible which has helped along with the devotionals and discussions here.
So grateful for this grace day! The reading of Isaiah has been hard and I’m glad to have a day to review the Scriptures and the devotions. I don’t want to come to the end of Isaiah saying I read it but I don’t know what it means for me. Thank you, SRT, for making time for Selah.
Agreed! So thankful to have time to rest and reflect.
Same! This book is really stretching me. I’ve really appreciated your comments/insight this week. Happy grace day!
I agree! I’m so greatful to be able to take my time reading Isaiah with you sisters. it’s been such a great study so far!
Amen!
Amen. Thank you Jesus for bearing my burdens each and every day.