LAURA DINGMAN

INTRODUCTION

Ministry leaders across the country have told us they are seeking more in-depth Bible studies, and we have listened! Here is a sample of one of our new Bible studies designed to equip and inspire women to dive deeper into God’s Word. Studies are ideal for individuals or groups of various sizes, and come with free downloadable study tools, resources, and leadership materials.

© 2018 by
LAURA DINGMAN

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

For all Bible verse pop-ups throughout: Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Emphasis to Scripture has been added by the author.

Edited by Pam Pugh
Cover design: Dean Renninger
Cover image of rocks copyright © 2017 by Andrea Danti / Shutterstock (536548897). All rights reserved.
Cover image of watercolor © 2015 by Gerd Altmann / Pixabay (1076264). All rights reserved.
Author photo: Kaitlyn Huff
Interior design: Erik M. Peterson

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Dingman, Laura, author.

Title: This I know : trusting your unknown future to a known God / Laura Dingman.

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, 2018.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017040144 (print) | LCCN 2017047171 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802495846 | ISBN 9780802415967

Subjects: LCSH: Trust in God--Christianity--Textbooks. | Providence and government of God--Christianity--Textbooks. | Christian women--Religious life.

Classification: LCC BV4637 (ebook) | LCC BV4637 .D45 2018 (print) | DDC 231--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017040144

ISBN: 978-0-8024-1596-7

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ABOUT THE COVER 

Throughout the Scriptures, God asked the Israelites to gather rocks to build altars of remembrance. These stacked stones would serve as guideposts for not only those who gathered them, but for future generations as well. Whenever someone asked what the stones meant, Israel recounted the story of God’s miracles among them.

Years later, these stacked stones are known as cairns, a Scottish-Gaelic word. These cairns serve as landmarks on trails for travelers. They’re used now to help sojourners find their way home.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR 

In our chaotic culture, worry and anxiety measure at an all-time high. So much of what swirls around us is out of our control. Plans failed. Dreams shattered. Relationships broken. Events in the news concern us. Everyday life isn’t so ordinary anymore. Optimism fades and fear flourishes.

Through it all, we long for hope. We long for freedom from the uninvited, worrisome thoughts that take over. We want something different, something else, something more holy. But how do we find it when our circumstances are challenging and we don’t know what may come?

When so much is unknown, we need to refocus on what is known—about our God and His Word. We are desperate for God to anchor our present even though we don’t know what the future holds. This I Know is a six-week Bible study that walks through biblical truths you can clutch tightly in the unknown. These truths find their roots in the trustworthy characteristics of God.

Everyone wonders what his or her future holds. At different times in our lives, anxiety and worry grip our reality in the present. God longs for us to have a worry-free (not a pain-free) life void of anxiety and fear. This I Know helps us learn more about the God who has made Himself known in the printed pages of His Word. When we know and experience God, our unknown future doesn’t look so daunting. And that’s the kind of peace everyone craves.

I am praying for you as you walk through these pages. I don’t know what lies ahead for you, but I know the God who does know. And He goes before you in all of it and is with you every step of the way.

INTO THE UNKNOWN 

AN INTRODUCTION TO THIS STUDY 

The year is 1985. Marty McFly discovers that his scientist friend, Doc Brown, built an epic machine for time travel from a customized DeLorean. In this car fueled by plutonium pilfered from terrorists, Marty, desperate to escape the bad guys, travels back to 1955. At first the adventure seems harmless, fun even, but his presence in 1955 changes the course of his and others’ lives. He alters his future by going back to the past. Can’t be all bad, right?

Sometimes I’d like the ability to hitch a ride in the time-hopping DeLorean so I could change some choices in the past to effect a better future. I’d also use that DeLorean to travel into the future so I could experience right now what is to come. I have a deep desire to know what’s coming. And what’s not. Perhaps if I knew, I’d have a greater sense of security, giving me the confidence I need to step into whatever blurry season is next.

On the other hand, I’m certain if I had seen ahead of time some of the trials I’ve lived through, I would have just plain quit. Given up altogether.

We all desire to be in control, don’t we? I know I do. I want to see what’s coming, but really only in an effort to somehow control events and to somehow avoid problems. To secure joy and good fortune as if I can create a life free from suffering for myself and those I love.

But the stark truth is that seeing the future isn’t possible. We know this reality, but it doesn’t keep us from trying, does it? We cannot control what will come. We cannot sidestep struggle. Sure, our choices can determine the trajectory of things at times, but there is no guarantee for any of it.

Our future is unknown.

Several months ago, I was praying through some big obstacles in my life, wondering what was coming. Change whirled around me at a rate I couldn’t control. It all seemed so insurmountable, looming in front of me. My anxiety reeled. I begged God to show me something. Anything. I wrote phrase after phrase in my journal listing all the things I just didn’t know as I pleaded for some answers.

Then I sensed the Holy Spirit whispering, “I know you don’t know what’s ahead. So, tell Me what you do know.”

What do I know?

I thought about it for a moment and began to write, “Wherever we go, this I know …” A list of things I know—without a doubt—about our God poured over the pages of my journal. Things I had come to know by repeatedly experiencing them. Things proven true.

You love me. So much. You see me and know how You put me together for the road ahead and behind and right now. For the first time in my life, I know this and I am grateful.

You have a plan and the plan is good. I trust You, Jesus. I know this and I am grateful.

You are good. Always. I know this and I am grateful.

You are for me. You fight for me when I can’t fight for myself. I know this and I am grateful.

You never change. You are constant, unwavering, loyal, faithful. I know this and I am grateful.

You are redeeming and restoring everything. I know this and I am grateful.

You will lead me. I will hear Your voice telling me which way to go. I know this and I am grateful.¹

Corrie ten Boom once said, “Never be afraid to trust your unknown future to a known God.”

Our God made Himself known. He is found in the pages of Scripture. He reveals Himself in creation. He allows us to experience His essence through life in community. He shows up and shows Himself quite regularly if only we pay enough attention.

While He certainly isn’t explainable, He has made Himself known.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, instead of on our unknown future, worry dissipates. Anxiety melts. Hope solidifies. Faith grows. Life changes.

Of course, times of pain and fear and suffering still come, but what we do with it—in the midst of it—is different because we are different. Because our view of God is different. I don’t know where you are or what lies ahead for you. I don’t know what kind of scattered pieces you’re trying to put back together. I don’t know what form your worries and anxieties are taking these days. But this I know: God will never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Ever.

USING THIS STUDY 

We will walk through Bible passages beginning with Paul’s address to the men of Athens concerning the God who is known. We continue through truths of God’s nature of abundance and not of scarcity and Jesus as the cornerstone who holds all things together. As we journey through the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 and through passages like James 1, Habakkuk 3, and Psalm 46, we will recognize God’s goodness in trials that either have come or will come in the future. To wrap up, we will learn the power that remembering holds for us from the story of Joshua 3.

Each week begins with an introduction outlining a major truth about knowing God. It’s important to have this overview as a reference for everything else you’ll encounter, as it will serve as a backdrop for the daily time you will spend at the feet of Jesus.

Following the introduction are five daily lessons unpacking statements about who God is. These begin with some thoughts connecting them to the overview in the introduction. These devotional thoughts will guide you as you spend time at the feet of Jesus, asking Him to faithfully impart wisdom, gently unveil weaknesses, and boldly proclaim promises you need to know in His Word. He is ready to do that if only we will set aside the time and ask Him.

You will be dwelling in the Scriptures throughout this study. Some of the methods may be new to you and some you may be so familiar with that you are tempted to rush through them. Take your time. Savor the passages. Instead of just reading the Scripture, let the Scripture read you. Allow the Holy Spirit to do His work; let the truth He reveals sink in.

Some of the Scripture texts are printed for you in the study. Others you will be invited to read in your own Bible. In addition, you can also tap any underlined verse references throughout the book, which will pull up the passage as a pop-up (in ESV). You’ll be encouraged to mark words or phrases that matter to you in the moment. If you’re not comfortable writing in your Bible, use this study book or a journal. You can also print out the passages from biblegateway.com and mark those sheets.

Following the devotional thoughts and Scripture reading, you’ll see a suggested prayer for the day. These words are just starters for your own prayers. He longs to hear your words as well, so after reading the prayer for the day, pray your own prayer. Prayer is simply conversing with God. Be honest. Tell Him what you are thinking and feeling—even if it’s hard. Ask for what you desire and confess your need for Him to do His work in your life.

The last segment each day is a short journaling prompt to help you process what you’ve read and discovered. Journaling is a go-to discipline for me. Over the years, I have filled journals and am amazed by what God has shown me through writing to Him. On the pages of my journal I ask my deepest questions. I honestly hash out my feelings. And I wait for His response. It’s a beautiful dance and I’m hoping you’ll find a little bit of the dance joyful.

The prompts are similar each day, but the message and your insights will change. Your own questions will be different. Writing out your thoughts and feelings is a simple practice that will record your journey, allowing you to look back and see tangible evidence of how God moved in this season of your life—an important part of learning and living out new truths.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE 

Over the next several weeks we will be talking about anxiety and worry. Anxiety manifests itself in many ways, and fear fuels different responses: there is the downward spiral kind of anxiety, but there is also medically diagnosed anxiety. I have experienced both.

We are not referring to the medically diagnosed types of anxiety in this study, nor should anything here replace needed medical care. I have been a recipient of medication for anxiety and depression. I’ve also dealt with anxiety that resulted from a poorly managed thought life and out-of-control feelings with their roots in lies. I’ve seen both aspects of anxiety and there is a difference between them.

Sometimes in church circles, people will say your anxiety and your depression will disappear if you pray more or spend more time in the Word or if you just trust God more. While these are wonderful disciplines and can lift a person’s spirits, sometimes medical intervention is necessary to alleviate anxiety and depression.²

KEEP GOING 

As we journey together through this study, we will learn to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Embracing new truths will lead us to do this. I invite you to dig into the truths for each day.

When you’ve committed to set aside time each day to change the way you think and orient yourself toward Jesus and His Word, the enemy will do his very best to ruin your resolve. You will have obstacles. You’ll probably miss days and feel like you’ve failed.

Whatever you do, don’t quit. That’s exactly what the enemy wants. And here’s why: when you begin to believe these truths about who God is, your life will be different. The enemy will no longer be able to shackle you with worry and fear. Anxiety will not sit in the driver’s seat anymore. God will be driving and the enemy will do anything to stop that from happening.

So dig in. Dig into the Scriptures to see what they say about this God we long to know. Dig into your own soul asking Jesus to grow your faith and trust in Him. Dig into your thinking to uproot any patterns contrary to the Word of God, asking the Holy Spirit to retrain your brain and create new ways of thought that align your thinking with the truth.

REFLECTION 

We are a society void of reflection these days. Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I agree that our lives seem more worth living when we stop and reflect on what God is up to, examining our life and what He’s doing in us. So the end of each week is designed for you to reflect on what you’ve learned over the previous five days. The truths we’ve encountered will be listed for you to review. Ask yourself these questions: Is there a theme in what God is showing me? What action steps do I need to follow for this new thing God is doing in me?

Remember, reflections without action won’t lead to transformation.

Let’s get started!

1. This is an excerpt from my personal journal dated November 19, 2015.

2. If you discover along the way that you need to speak to someone, please be courageous and seek the counsel of a trusted medical or psychiatric professional. Please know there is no shame in doing so. Our mental and emotional health is just as important as our spiritual and physical health. You might also check out http://www.aacc.net/resources/find-a-counselor/.

The Blessed Journey

Let Him lead thee blindfold onwards,

Love needs not to know;

Children whom the Father leadeth

Ask not where they go.

Though the path be all unknown,

Over moors and mountains lone.

Give no ear to reason’s questions;

Let the blind man hold

That the sun is but a fable

Men believed of old.

At the breast the babe will grow;

Whence the milk he need not know.

—GERHARD TERSTEEGEN, 1697–1769 (TR. UNKNOWN)

WEEK ONE 

Introduction to Week 1

Day 1: The Naming of a Known God

Day 2: When We Make Little gods Instead

Day 3: Powerful Knowledge

Day 4: What Did She Know That I Don’t?

Day 5: Sovereign, Powerful Creator

MEMORY VERSE:

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” ACTS 17:24–25

The desire to see what lies ahead lives within each of us. We wonder. We dream. We anticipate and hope. But at times we also worry. We fret. We fear. All that leads us to want to control events. When we lose our grip on control (which happens quite often since we aren’t really in charge of things), anxiety appears. At times, it clutches us, taking our very breath.

This week, we will encounter the One who gives us our very breath. The One who spoke and created all we see and all we don’t. The One who holds the universe together while we’re worrying. The One who sees our future and is not shaken or surprised by any of it.

My prayer for us this week:

Almighty God,

Show us more of who You really are, not who we’ve made You to be. Open our eyes to see Your grandiosity. Your majesty. Your unique power and the ways You sustain the world. Exchange the graven images we’ve carved for You, the actual God who cannot be contained.

Amen.

INTRODUCTION TO WEEK 1 

A KNOWN GOD 

Remember the DeLorean? The plutonium-fueled, time-hopping machine that carried Marty McFly back in time? Let’s be honest here. Wouldn’t you love to have a shot at a little time travel? Maybe you’d like to go back in time and undo that thing you regret. Maybe then your current reality and future would look a little different. Or maybe what you really want is to jump a few years ahead and see how this thing you’re waiting for pans out. You long to see how your kids grow up or if you get this job or if that relationship works.

Which direction would you go? Back or forward? The reality is we don’t get to do either. It’s just not possible. So we must live right here, right where we are in this current space and time.

In the absence of the ability to time travel, our view is limited. We can’t go back and change past mistakes and we can’t foretell the future. So we tend to try to control absolutely everything in the current moment to ensure that what happens next will be what we want: a future void of pain and a life free of suffering.

That kind of life existed in the very beginning in the beautiful land of Eden and it will exist again in the New Jerusalem, but for now, we’re stuck—in the midst of the broken paradise.

Jesus told us we would indeed have trouble in this world. But He also said to take heart, for He has overcome the world—the broken paradise (John 16:33).

I know I can’t control the future. I can’t predict it. I can’t force it to go a certain way, but I still try. Day after day I try to control what will happen. Then when I hit a wall where I can’t, I end up in the downward spiral. Let me explain what I mean.

Person A (could be anyone—a spouse, a friend, a coworker, a family member) was supposed to call, but didn’t.

We have two paths from this moment.

One path ends with “Something awful happened to Person A!”

The other path ends with “Person A hates me.”

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But it’s what we do.

There’s a gap between what we know and what we don’t know. We are going to call that gap the unknown.

We try to fill in the unknown. How we do that is likely not entirely accurate, but we don’t like having gaps in what we know, so we fill it in however we can. But we don’t just jump all the way to the end; no, there are multiple stops along the way to get to these outlandish destinations.

On the right side of the diagram are the external circumstances. Person A was supposed to call, but didn’t, so now I imagine she had an accident. It was in the middle of nowhere, where there are no first responders. A is obviously in bad shape. So I was right that some terrible thing befell Person A. Sounds reasonable, right?

On the left side of the diagram are the internal circumstances. Person A was supposed to call, but didn’t. Clearly, I’ve offended her by some comment I shouldn’t have made. I’m such an idiot and just can’t keep my mouth shut. She must be angry with me. Person A hates me.

These scenarios are certainly possible. They could happen. But the likelihood of it happening every single time the expected call doesn’t come is slim. Yet if that is the case, why is it that our brains re-create this scenario so often?

In this downward spiral, we begin filling in the gap of the unknown, and once we begin traveling down this road, it spirals down and down. We can’t stop it. At least it feels as though we can’t. But we can learn to think differently.

When we dwell in the downward spiral, allowing it to shape how we view our reality, we’ve left out God, thinking He’s nowhere to be found. We end up dwelling on the things we don’t know and can’t know. We’ve chosen to focus on the unknown, which breeds fear, instead of on what we do know. Just like the whispers of the Holy Spirit during my journaling, God asks us, “Tell Me what you do know.”

What do we really need to know then? Do we need to know what our future looks like or do we need to know the One who holds it? Perhaps instead of trying to fill in the downward spiral gaps or hopping into a DeLorean, we need to walk hand in hand, step by step with the One who does know.

You see, God already knows our future. He’s not bound by time.³

He’s already ordained all our days before they have even come to be (Ps. 139:16). He’s never surprised by your situation or mine. He’s not pacing back and forth worried about what we’ve gotten ourselves into. No matter the circumstances, He sits on the throne, unchanged by our choices, without fear, and with a plan to redeem and restore us.

When we align ourselves with God, understanding and knowing who He is, we experience a peace we will not find in trying to control our situation. God will not change (Ps. 55:19; James 1:17).

Maybe you’ve got the control thing down and it’s working for you. You’re rockin’ your schedule and are determining outcomes right and left. At some point, however, it will break down. It’s also exhausting, because we weren’t meant to run the world. We weren’t made to hold it all together. That’s God’s job, not ours. Sometimes I can’t even run my own household, let alone the world!

When we think through the long list of unknowns, it’s hard to understand why we would choose to dwell in the unknown when we worship a God who has made Himself known.

Remember that gap—the unknown? This week we will dive into Acts 17, where Paul encounters an altar built to an unknown god and boldly proclaims to the men of Athens the God who is known.

The people of Athens filled their city with idols, and Paul grieved at the sight of them. He first went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews there about the Messiah and at the town market with the God-fearing Greeks. But one day he had a different audience. Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers overheard his vibrant discourse and entered the conversation. Calling him a babbler, they brought him before the Areopagus, a religious and educational council⁴ in Athens, to explain the new teaching he shared. These philosophers spent a great deal of time eloquently trying to explain unknown things.

Paul described the Athenian desire to worship as seen in their religious attempts throughout the city. He explained how he had even found an altar with the inscription “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23). This altar was used as a failsafe, just in case they missed one of the gods along the way.

But Paul did something remarkable that day. He took something unknown and showed how it had already been made known. He declared, “So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Then Paul began to describe the living God:

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” (Acts 17:24–28)

Paul meets the men of Athens right where they are. He even proves himself as an amazing communicator in this moment when he references their own poets, speaking a language they understand immediately. He tells them about the grandeur of God, the way He cannot be contained. In a city where they created idols constantly, this truth is significant. If you make an idol, you must craft it with your own two hands (Isa. 44:12), and who wants to worship something you can make yourself?

How often do we take the space of the unknown and fill it with something that isn’t God? Something that has absolutely no power? We create and craft a false god or a false savior. God wasn’t created—He is the Creator. He isn’t fashioned—He alone fashions. When we worship Him, He doesn’t say, “Thanks for the reminder, guys. I forgot that I was God.” He has the ability to speak and create complex things. He doesn’t need us, but because of His great love for us, He wants us and made a way for us to come into His presence and to have a personal relationship with Him.

Even in Paul’s discourse, he reminds us that God’s purpose in all this was so that we would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him (Acts 17:27). He is both transcendent and immanent. He is majestic, powerful, above all, and simultaneously personal, near, and with us. It’s astonishing to know and accept that a God who is that big and that powerful would want to have a relationship with someone like me. The reality is that God’s message to us is, “I want you to know me. Since I cannot be in the presence of sin, I will cover you with the righteousness of My Son, Jesus. Then you can know Me.”

The Greek language contains two definitions for the word knowledge. The first word is gnosis. This type is factual knowledge. These are things you know about. The second word is epignosis. This type is experiential knowledge. These are things we really truly know. It’s the difference between knowing about a celebrity or acquaintance and knowing your spouse or children. In the experiential relationship, you anticipate needs. You understand glances. You have been a student of the person long enough to know and predict what they’re thinking and feeling. You can’t get to epignosis unless you go through gnosis. In our contemporary language, we sometimes differentiate these by calling them “head knowledge” (gnosis) and “heart knowledge” (epignosis).

The list I wrote in my journal were things I’ve experienced with God over time. I read about them first in His Word or heard stories from the experiences of others, but through the course of my journey with Jesus, I witnessed them for myself. He taught me those things in the peaks and valleys of my own walk with Him. Some of it I learned in the pit with Jesus. I had to stay there and allow Him to love me. I had to grab His hand and allow Him to do the work. We work it out in real life and in real time. It doesn’t happen quickly.

As we grow in our gnosis—our factual knowledge of God—it should lead us to this epignosis—true experiential knowledge of God. That’s the way God longs for us to know Him. God wants us to seek Him and find Him. The God of the universe—the One who cannot be contained—wants you to know Him. And He’s made a way for that to happen.

LISTEN AND LINGER 

Read through Acts 17:24–28. Write out the phrases that are the most meaningful to you.

What do you notice about God in this passage that speaks to your fear of the unknown?

Remember how the Holy Spirit whispered to list what I did know instead of dwelling on what I didn’t? If you made a list today, what would you put on it? Write what you do know. Place that list where you will see it often.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

(ESV)

3. Peter Kreeft, and Ronald K. Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 93.

4. Acts 17:19, Areopagus from the Ryrie Study Bible (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 1347.

WEEK 1 | DAY 1 

THE NAMING OF A KNOWN GOD 

I imagine it was quite a scene. Paul, the preacher, philosophizing with the most educated in Athens. What a sight it must have been! The open air swarming with questions. The rhetoric dancing all around them. The quizzical glances peering from those accusing Paul of being a babbler even though deep in their souls they wondered about this God he was describing.

Today, we’re going to spend some time sitting in this scene, asking God to stir our imaginations. What would it have been like to be right there with Paul? How would it have felt to be listening to the debate? What would the surroundings have been like? How would we have responded to Paul? To the questions of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers?

The Athenian culture was very similar to ours, so it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine what everyone was thinking or how Paul’s explanation of who the “unknown god” is would have received starkly different reactions.

We’re going to read this passage a couple of times, looking for the answers to the questions below during each reading.

Take some time to visualize what the scene was like. Read these words Paul spoke as if you were in the Areopagus searching for truth and it was the first you’d heard about the God he’s describing. How would you respond?

Read through Acts 17:16–34 slowly with these questions in mind. After reading, set aside the text for a moment.

Now begin to imagine the scene as if you were right in the middle of it. Answer the following questions:

What do you see?

What do you hear?

What do you smell?

What’s your position?

Who else is there with you?

What are you feeling?

What’s the mood of the crowd?

What is your response to all of this?

What questions do you have?

What fears do you have?

Don’t worry about historical accuracy. Just allow God to bring the story to life. These people we read about in Scripture were real people who walked the earth and had feelings and thoughts much like ours.

Write down some of the things you are noticing from your responses.

Now read through Acts 17:16–34 again.

Ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to see.

What are your observations about the text?

What is God calling you to do as a result of reading this passage?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY 

Lord, You are the God who made the world and everything in it. You are the Lord of heaven and earth. I know You do not need anything, including me. I’m grateful You have chosen to have a relationship with me anyway. You are a God who has made Yourself known. Thank You for that truth. Help me to believe it and live what I know is true. Amen.

My Prayer:

Journaling Prompt:

What unknown am I facing right now? What do I need to know about God right now in the midst of the unknown? How have I seen God show Himself to me lately?

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

(ESV)

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

(ESV)

WEEK 1 | DAY 2 

WHEN WE MAKE LITTLE GODS INSTEAD 

The potter made it look so easy. The clay just obeyed his hands. What began as a mangled lump of slimy mud had become an exquisite vase that you could easily picture displaying vibrant flowers.

I looked at my own clump of wet dirt on the wheel and took a deep breath. The clay didn’t quite obey when it was in my hands, and my novice ability produced the oddest-shaped mug you’ve ever seen. I suppose you could say it was quaint. It didn’t quite look like the instructor’s piece, but I was proud to have produced something with my own hands.

I’m no creator, that’s for sure. I’m a manipulator of created things. The things I “create” don’t really hold much power at all. But even though the instructor’s finished product was more beautiful than mine, it didn’t hold any power either. It had no control over itself or anything else. It could hold some water and flowers and that’s about it.

Whenever I read about Israel’s history of idol making, I typically have the same response: “What were you thinking?” The notion of the Israelites giving their gold jewelry for Aaron to shape into the golden calf seems ludicrous. What kind of power could a man-made calf hold? But they bowed down to it anyway (Ex. 32:1–35).

Forming idols seems like a crazy thing to do. Most of us aren’t pouring our melted golden earrings into a calf mold and worshiping it. We’re not blatantly crafting idols and then gathering groups of people to bow down to them.

But here’s what we need to understand about idolatry: Idolatry includes any ultimate confidence in something other than God Himself.⁵ When we put our confidence in anything other than Jesus, we have chosen idolatry. In other words, you and I craft idols anytime we place our trust in something other than God.

When we choose a comforter other than Jesus, we choose idolatry. When we take control of the situation instead of waiting on God, we choose idolatry. Isaiah shows us what it looks like when we choose this path.

Read through Isaiah 44:6–23 slowly in your own Bible. Mark any words or phrases that stand out to you. You can mark them in your Bible or write them down in a journal or in the space below. Notice the imagery Isaiah uses in this passage.

Read through the passage again. Contrast the characteristics of God with the characteristics of created idols and write them below.

CHARACTERISTICS OF

GOD | IDOLS

What do you notice about the characteristics you found?

List below some things you sometimes choose to place your trust in other than God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these things to you.

Spend a moment confessing to God these idols, asking Him to take the place of your ultimate confidence.

Reread Isaiah 44:21–23.

Remember, when we turn our eyes back to Him, our Redeemer, He welcomes us with open arms. He is the Lord and there is no other (Isa. 43:1–11; 44:6; 45:5–6; Joel 2:27). That doesn’t change even when we place other things on the throne. God is still God. His mercy and compassion for us do not fail even when we do. That’s a God who’s worth bowing down to.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY 

Almighty God, help me to identify where I have created idols. Reveal to me the things I have placed before You. Forgive me for the ways I have not trusted in You for all things. You alone are God. You are my Rock and my Redeemer. Thank You for that truth. Help me to believe it and live what I know is true. Amen.

My Prayer:

Journaling Prompt:

What are your greatest idols? What would it take for you to lay them down? Take a moment to compare and contrast one of your “idols” with the living God. Make a chart of their differing characteristics. What do you notice? What invitation does God give to you as a result of reading the text for today?

6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel

and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

“I am the first and I am the last;

besides me there is no god.

7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.

Let him declare and set it before me,

since I appointed an ancient people.

Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.

8 Fear not, nor be afraid;

have I not told you from of old and declared it?

And you are my witnesses!

Is there a God besides me?

There is no Rock; I know not any.”

9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

21 Remember these things, O Jacob,

and Israel, for you are my servant;

I formed you; you are my servant;

O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud

and your sins like mist;

return to me, for I have redeemed you.

23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;

shout, O depths of the earth;

break forth into singing, O mountains,

O forest, and every tree in it!

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,

and will be glorified in Israel.

(ESV)

5. Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 512.

WEEK 1 | DAY 3 

POWERFUL KNOWLEDGE 

Our daughter, Abigail, hates surprises. I’m talking loathes them, because she doesn’t like not being in the know. We all like to be in the know.

It’s said that knowledge is power. I think it depends on the kind of knowledge. My husband, Matt, is the kind of person who knows completely random facts about a lot of things. Some of these things are useful to know, but he also knows trivia that doesn’t seem to have any point whatsoever. We’ll be in a restaurant and he’ll hear a song on the radio and quiz me with, “What band sang this song?” I usually have no clue. He knows every time. In my view, those seemingly useless tidbits of information contain little power unless you’re a contestant on Jeopardy! and there is a category on bands.

The kind of knowledge that brings power is rooted deeply in our experience of something. We discussed the two different Greek words for knowledge:

Gnosis: the content of what is known—knowledge, what is known.⁶

This gnosis knowledge consists of the content—the facts, cognitive knowledge or “head knowledge” as some call it. Think about it as the facts without feelings. These are the things we know “about.”

We can know God in this way—in a factual, statistical, cognitive way. Knowing facts about God is important, but data doesn’t necessarily grow our faith in God when we are facing difficult circumstances. This sort of knowledge is where we begin when we are starting our journey with Jesus. We are to grow our cognitive knowledge because it leads us to an experiential knowledge.

Epignosis: the content of what is definitely known—what is known, definite knowledge, full knowledge.⁷

Epignosis refers to a more intimate knowledge—an experiential knowledge. This flavor of knowledge is not void of facts, but contains a more detailed understanding of the inner workings of the facts. There is a richer, more-rounded depth of familiarity.

Today we’re going to read through four passages of Scripture with these two types of knowledge in mind. Our goal should be an epignosis knowing when it comes to God. This knowledge gives power to the believer—power over sin (Rom. 6) and power to become children of God (John 1:12). All power belongs to Christ (Matt. 28:18), but He has given it to those who follow Him (Luke 10:19), to those who truly “know” Him (John 10:14–15). This is the only kind of knowledge that can give true power.

Take a look at each of the four Scriptures below, noticing the different uses of the word “knowledge” as marked in each. Then answer the questions after each passage. (Note: epignosis is used in all words for “knowledge” in these passages except for the marked ones in 2 Peter 1:5).

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge [gnosis]; and to knowledge [gnosis], self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3–11)

What stands out in the passage? Mark words or phrases.

What do you notice as you understand the nuances of the definition of the word “knowledge”?

What does this passage tell you about the knowledge you should grow?

How would that knowledge bring you power and ultimately peace according to these verses?

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Eph. 1:17–23)

What stands out in the passage? Mark words or phrases.

What do you notice as you understand the nuances of the definition of the word “knowledge”?

What does this passage tell you about the knowledge you should grow?

How would that knowledge bring you power and ultimately peace according to these verses?

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:11–16)

What stands out in the passage? Mark words or phrases.

What do you notice as you understand the nuances of the definition of the word “knowledge”?

What does this passage tell you about the knowledge you should grow?

How would that knowledge bring you power and ultimately peace according to these verses?

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:9–14)

What stands out in the passage? Mark words or phrases.

What do you notice as you understand the nuances of the definition of the word “knowledge”?

What does this passage tell you about the knowledge you should grow?

How would that knowledge bring you power and ultimately peace according to these verses?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY 

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to truly know You. Thank You that I can experience Your presence and come to a greater understanding of who You are. Thank You that You are not far off, but are close and very near to me. Thank You for that truth. Help me to believe it and live what I know is true. Amen.

My Prayer:

Journaling Prompt:

How does it impact you that you can truly know the Lord? How have you experienced this knowledge in your own life? How would you like to grow your “true” knowledge of Christ? What would it take for you to do that?

6. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 335.

7. Louw and Nida, 335–36.

WEEK 1 | DAY 4 

WHAT DID SHE KNOW THAT I DON’T? 

I remember dreaming about it when I was little. It began when I had the distinct privilege of being a flower girl in a beloved family friend’s wedding. My dress twirled and sported the hottest color combination of the early eighties—dusty rose and powder gray. I remember imagining what it would be like when I got to be the bride.

I’m sure the same was true for Mary. I’m sure she had dreamed about her future, just like every other girl. But things for her changed drastically.

There she was, envisioning her upcoming wedding day. Like every little girl and like most brides, she was thinking about everything the day would hold. Would she feel like a princess? Would marriage be all she imagined it would be? What would life with Joseph be like?

In the middle of this dreamy moment, an unlikely messenger appears, proclaiming an unbelievable message that changes the course of everything for her.

Read Luke 1:26–38.

In an instant, Mary’s entire world as she knew it turned upside down. All she’d dreamed of crumbled around her. Or at least, that’s what I would have felt if I’d received that news.

But Mary’s response is so very different. She listens and only asks a single question of the messenger.

“How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (v. 34)

I would have queried a million questions of Gabriel. How will Joseph respond? How will I explain this situation to my parents? What are my friends going to think? Would I even still have friends? What will the town talk be? Who will speak to me after they discover this? Will I live through the scandal? Who will ever marry me now?

But that’s just me.

She asks her simple, singular question. Gabriel replies with the answer explaining to Mary that nothing is impossible with God, that nothing He says will ever fail (v. 37).

That is enough for her.

She responds, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (v. 38). She goes from having one question to full surrender. Full surrender is something I’ve not achieved in my entire lifetime. Ever. First, I’m typically not satisfied with only asking one question. Second, full surrender is extremely difficult. It takes a great deal of trust.

As I read Mary’s story in Luke 1, I find myself wondering: What did Mary know about God that allowed her to surrender so quickly? So fully? Clearly, Mary knew God. She didn’t just know about Him. She was deeply familiar with Him. She had experienced His glory and power. She understood His provision. She had seen Him work in her life. She knew He was more than trustworthy.

When she visits her relative Elizabeth to share with her the news, she speaks a hymn of praise to God. Her song of surrender is filled with indications of her knowledge (epignosis) of God.

Read Mary’s song of surrender in Luke 1:46–55.

As you read through Mary’s song, what do you think she knew about God? In the space below the passage, record your response.

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46–55)

What would your questions have been if you had received the news Mary or Joseph received regarding Jesus’ birth? Would you have surrendered so quickly? If so, why? If not, why not?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY 

God, You are enough. I know You are trustworthy. You are good—even when it feels as though the world is crashing down. You have a plan and nothing is impossible with You. Thank You for that truth. Help me to believe it and live what I know is true. Amen.

My Prayer:

Today, write your own hymn of praise to God, similar to Mary’s.

Journaling Prompt:

When have your circumstances felt similar to Mary’s—potentially hopeless or scandalous? What did you learn about God through those circumstances?

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

(ESV)

WEEK 1 | DAY 5 

SOVEREIGN, POWERFUL CREATOR 

Milk and cookies. Soup and salad. Bread and butter. Chips and guacamole. Macaroni and cheese. Peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter and chocolate. Peanut butter and anything for me. (Sorry to those of you who have allergies. I just love my peanut butter!) These are great pairings.

Some other things are typically found together, but are not a great combination. Like anxiety and fear. These two are like a bad codependent relationship. Anxiety breeds fear and fear fuels anxiety. It’s as though they just can’t live without each other.

I don’t know about you, but I’d like a lot less anxiety in my life. I’m finding these days that’s just not something I can wish to happen. I can’t simply breathe more deeply and expect anxiety to dissipate. It won’t go away on its own.

Like Mary had, I long to forge a relationship with the Creator that will anchor me in tumultuous times. When the waves crash about, I want to still be standing. That’s impossible to do on my own. But remember what Gabriel told Mary? Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37 NASB). So, this isn’t impossible either. With Him it is possible.

How do we even begin to think like the faithful men and women of the Bible whose trust ran deep? We start by spending time filling our own minds with truth. Truth about who God is and how He works. Truth about what He’s done in the past. Truth about what His character is like. Truth about how He is good and has plans for us (Jer. 29:11).

We get to know Him through the printed pages of His Word.

Today we are going to engage in these truths in God’s Word by using a four-part process where we will listen, linger, learn, and then see how we are to live as a result.

Today we will read through Psalm 104 four times. I know it might seem a little daunting at first, but I promise it will be worth it. God’s Word always is. This way of studying Scripture is not about the repetition itself, but about digging deeper each time into the questions given. The intention is to peel back another layer of truth with each reading and each set of questions. God’s Word can change us if we allow it. Let’s begin!

LISTEN 

Read through Psalm 104 in your own Bible. Sit quietly for a moment before you begin. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak and show you what the Lord wants for you in this passage. Mark words or phrases that stand out as you read in your Bible or write them in the space below or in your journal.

LINGER 

Read the passage again out loud. Are the same words or phrases you marked the first time still standing out? Write them down. How do these words or phrases apply to your life right now?

LEARN 

As you read the text for the third time, ask yourself these questions (you can write your answers here or in your journal):

How is God inviting me to respond? What does He want me to be learning from this? What am I noticing?

LIVE 

Read the passage one last time and answer these questions:

Why is God showing me this now?

What does this mean for my life?

How do I need to live differently?

How do I need to respond to God’s invitation?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY 

Lord God, You are the sovereign, powerful Creator. Your greatness and majesty are beyond my comprehension. I cannot begin to understand the vastness of Your reach. I believe You are in control of all that I can see and all that I can’t. Thank You for that truth. Help me to believe it and live what I know is true. Amen.

My Prayer:

Journaling Prompt:

What did I learn about God today that I didn’t know before? What was I reminded of that I had more than likely forgotten? What invitation is God extending to me today?

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, you are very great!

You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

2 covering yourself with light as with a garment,

stretching out the heavens like a tent.

3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;

he makes the clouds his chariot;

he rides on the wings of the wind;

4 he makes his messengers winds,

his ministers a flaming fire.

5 He set the earth on its foundations,

so that it should never be moved.

6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

7 At your rebuke they fled;

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.

8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down

to the place that you appointed for them.

9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,

so that they might not again cover the earth.

10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;

they flow between the hills;

11 they give drink to every beast of the field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;

they sing among the branches.

13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock

and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth

15 and wine to gladden the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine

and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17 In them the birds build their nests;

the stork has her home in the fir trees.

18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;

the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons;

the sun knows its time for setting.

20 You make darkness, and it is night,

when all the beasts of the forest creep about.

21 The young lions roar for their prey,

seeking their food from God.

22 When the sun rises, they steal away

and lie down in their dens.

23 Man goes out to his work

and to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In wisdom have you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

25 Here is the sea, great and wide,

which teems with creatures innumerable,

living things both small and great.

26 There go the ships,

and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.

27 These all look to you,

to give them their food in due season.

28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;

when you take away their breath, they die

and return to their dust.

30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,

and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in his works,

32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,

who touches the mountains and they smoke!

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the Lord.

35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,

and let the wicked be no more!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

(ESV)

WEEK ONE: REFLECT AND ACT 

We live in a fast-paced society where information flies at us nonstop. Typically, if our search results take more than a few seconds to load, we are off to the next site looking for the data we seek. Factual knowledge is readily available just about anywhere, even in a portal we carry in our pocket.

But what we’re craving is experiential knowledge. We long for it in every relationship, including our relationship with God. That kind of knowledge needs time and space to sink into our core, to marinate within and change us.

Each week you’ll have the opportunity to take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned. Allow yourself some time to look back over your notes and journal entries, to see the answers you penned to the questions each day, and to revisit the new nuggets of truth the Scripture texts showed you. It will be worth it.

Take some time to answer each of these questions in your journal, or write your answers here:

What new truths did God reveal through my time in His Word this week?

What challenged me?

What am I still struggling to believe?

What are God’s invitations to me right now?

Are there themes or patterns in what God is showing me? If so, what are they?

What action steps do I need to follow as a result of what I’ve learned this week?

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