We began this month with a look at light in creation in both Genesis and the Gospel of John. Creation began as God spoke light into being and separated it from darkness. Christ, the Word, was with God from the beginning. Creation was accomplished through Christ, and in Christ is life that is the light of men (John 1:3-4). And while the light of Christ will one day obliterate the night and illuminate heaven for eternity (Revelation 21:22-24), today that Light shines in the darkness.

We then looked at the life-giving nature of light. Both biologically and spiritually, life begins with and is sustained by light. “The Lord is our life-giving light – our Creator, our Provider, and our Sustainer from whom all life flows. When our energy wanes, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, we can turn to God, our light source and life source, for healing and nourishment, for knowledge and wisdom.”

Ali wrote about how Christ’s light illuminates us.  He’s the true light, our source of light. And His light within us makes us as lanterns and the Church as a lit city on an otherwise dark hillside. She said, “Jesus’ light will never stop. He will always be the true light of life. Because God is light, and in Him is no darkness. And when He puts His light in me, my little candle can shine brightly in my dark little corner, bringing glory to the Father.”

Kristee then shared in her post Though I Sit in Darkness  about truth that pierces with hope into our darkest moments. “Though I sat in the darkness, believing the lies about hopelessness, the Lord would be my light. I prayed and the Spirit gently showed me the truth. My darkness became light again. The Lord shows what is true. He is our hope. He is our light.”

Writing about the grief of losing her father in a post titled When the Darkness Deepens, Sabrina reminded us that the Holy Spirit is always near. “This we can depend upon: even in our darkest night, Jehovah Shammah, “The Lord is There,” is with us. He sees us. He sees the darkness, and He has overcome it (John 16:33). Jesus is, in fact, the Light of the World and shines His light into all our darkness—our sin, our pain, our unbelief—and it is not dark to Him, but bright as day. Even in our Sheol-like moments, He is there holding onto us and waiting to lead us on.”

And on Tuesday, guest author Bethany Williams wrote on the marvelous, merciful light of God as Peter described in 1 Peter 2:9.  “I began praying for my children last year: ‘Please, Lord, keep them in your Light.’ With the many darknesses our whole world has experienced in recent years, with so many darknesses within the culture around them, with the humility that I do not know all the days in their futures, I’ve begun to pray with imagery of God’s light surrounding my children. I pray they can always see Jesus in the dark.”

What a beautiful image to hold in prayer for our children.

The People Who Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light

As we wrap up this end-of-winter month of reflections on light, I am reminded of something I read a few years ago. I wish I could recall where. While we may not know the exact day of Christ’s birth, and there may be historical and cultural factors that played into the designation of December 25th as Christmas, there is also beautiful providence in the fact that, in the northern hemisphere, our celebration of the Incarnation falls just after the very darkest day of the year. This winter, December 21st is the longest night of the year. Then Christmas dawns just as the light begins to advance again on the dark, slowly and steadily exchanging minutes of night for minutes of light until spring breaks through. On December 25th, there is no evidence of spring. The hardest, longest freezes and winter storms may yet be ahead. But already the forces have come into play that assuredly bring spring.

There is such beauty and comfort in the arrival of light. Centuries before the birth of Christ, the Son of God, here with us, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

“The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah 9:2,6)

The post Series Wrap-Up: The Lord Is My Light appeared first on Do Not Depart.

“and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:10

Ali reminded us that “Careful and considerate words shine God’s light and reflect His nature to those around us.” in her post about Pure Words

We considered God’s nature as an Artist and what it means to be His masterpiece 

Lisa shared how we get a picture of God’s unconditional love through the love we share in families. 

We are imprinted with a heart for justice , because God is just. He is the standard we measure the world against. 

Even in our rhythms of rest we are reflecting who He is, glorifying Him as we “become more familiar with who He is and His love for us.” 

In this world where unrest, disagreement, injustice, and injury are so prevalent, may we look upon our neighbors, co-workers, community members, leaders, and families as reflections of God. May we love them, not because they are or are not deserving of that love, but because they bear His image and He is worthy.

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What is Enjoy God’s Word?

Our very own team member, Lisa Burgess, will be speaking at this year’s conference, as she was last year. She wrote about the conference recently right here! Please read her post to learn more about the conference and some of the sessions and speakers.

Enjoy God’s Word says:

Receive a spiritual boost through the Word of God delivered by dynamic Gospel-centered teachers—all from the comfort of your own home. This is a fully online conference where Gospel-Centered theology meets everyday practical living.

I really can’t express just how much I love this conference! Last year I “attended” right from my couch while I was recuperating from knee surgery. I watched the videos and participated in live discussions even though my knee was elevated in a wrap and brace, and topped with ice. (Wink!)

You may be in a similar situation: Can’t budget a ticket or trip out of town? Can’t leave the baby? Can’t walk? (That was me last year!)

The Enjoy God’s Word conference has an absolutely incredible line up of speakers, friends. I can’t say it enough! I was blown away and know you will be, too.

How to Enter Our Giveaway

We want you to win a ticket! (It’s a $52 value, ladies!)

We also want to help other ladies gain better access to our words of encouragement and tools to abide in God’s Word right here on DoNotDepart!

These ways to enter will bless us as we aim to bless you and reach more women with truth:

1. Comment on this giveaway post right here on our blog!
2. Like us on Facebook (if you haven’t) AND comment on the Giveaway Post which will go up on March 29, 2019.
3. Join our Facebook DoNotDepart Community group AND comment on the Giveaway Post there (also March 29, 2019).
4. Subscribe to our Newsletter. (Head to the top of our blog home page.) We promise not to overwhelm you with a lot of email!

Doing any of those four you enter will give you one entry each. So, you could technically enter 4 times!

One winner will be chosen after all entries are collected. The giveaway will end on Thursday, April 4th, 2019 and will be announced on the blog and our social media accounts on Friday, April 5th, 2019. The winner will need to supply us with her email address.

We pray that this giveaway opportunity will bless you! We’re excited about it and hope you are, too!

Blessings!
Ali

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But first, have you had a chance this month to reflect on any of our posts or put the Biblical truths we shared with you into practice? If so, tell us in the comments. We love hearing from you!

In the introduction to the series, I said, “we must be grounded in truth or else we’ll be deceived by the lies of the enemy.” Boy, isn’t that true? I know my heart can feel pretty vulnerable to the enemy’s lies sometimes. I’m thankful that God’s word is always a lamp to my feet that illuminates the way and directs me in the path of truth. (Psalm 119:105)

The best part of knowing God’s truths better is that we begin to know Him better! When we look at our situations and circumstances through the lens of God’s Word, things begin to appear different. We learn to trust God more as we become confident in His character and nature.

Series Post Links:

Here are feelings and truths we looked at this month. Each post contains several Bible verses for encouragement:

• I wrote about dealing with the feeling of being incapable of doing what God is asking.  God asked Moses and Gideon to do some pretty big things, but He was with them, helping them, the whole time. Even though we know of His ability, that head knowledge doesn’t always translate to heart knowledge. I shared a few questions that I ask myself and you can ask yourself when you’re struggling.
• Jaime reminded us that even though we sometimes feel we aren’t good enough, God gives us worth!  “Some days it feels like every rejection, every failure, every lost job, every bad judgement is stuck on me…” She also said, “When feelings of inadequacy ring in my ears, I can replace them with the truth about God’s unconditional love, remembering that there is nothing I can say or do to make him love me more or less.”
• Lisa assured us that when we feel confused, God is not! She gave us three steps to take when we just don’t get it and reminds us to trust in His knowledge. She wrote, “Whether you can see Him or not, God is at work behind the scenes for your good (Romans 8:28). Hold on to His truths. Trust in His knowledge. His understanding is beyond measure (Psalm 147:5). And when the time is right, your faith during the night will result in praise during the day.”
• Do you ever feel afraid? All of us can answer “yes”, I’m sure. Alyssa tells us that as a child of God, we don’t have to let fear speak into our lives— God is our strength! “Fear tells us that God won’t provide. Fear tells us that we aren’t equipped to handle our struggles. And worst of all… fear tells us that there is a reason to be afraid. But the Bible tells us that we have no reason to fear… When you feel afraid, remember Who you serve. He is your help. He is your strength. And He is your provider.”
• Patti pointed out that when we feel unlovable, God loves eternally!  Though we may feel unloveable some days, the truth is that God loves us no matter what— forever! She gives us truths to remember and also ideas for what to do when we feel unloveable. She says, “Child of God, you are precious in His sight, and loved beyond measure. Don’t believe your feelings, believe the truth and be set free!”

Our Feelings Versus God’s Truths – month-long series wrap up. Know truth, know God better. Fight the enemy’s lies.
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Final Thoughts

God created us in His image. Part of that means that, like Him, we’ll have emotions. After all, like we talked about during Lent, the Book of John traces Jesus humanity as well as divinity. Jesus wept and even cleared the Temple in His righteous anger. Like our Creator, we, too, feel.

Some of those feelings, of course, are wonderful. They cause us to reach out to others with compassion and tenderness. They help us show love and joy. But when we deal with feelings of inability, worthlessness, confusion, fear, of being unloveable, or other negative things, we need to pause and seek God’s truth.

I pray this series has encouraged you to seek and hold onto the Word of God– especially when your feelings are in opposition to what He says.

Be encouraged, He cares about your every hurt and frustration!

How has God reminded you of His truth lately?

Blessings,
Ali

The post Our Feelings Versus God’s Truth – Series Wrap Up appeared first on Do Not Depart.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” – Genesis 2:1-3 (NIV)

Advent began two days ago, and though advent means “coming” and involves a waiting, a preparation, an anticipation, I associate it with a period of rest, too.

We need to prepare our hearts and our minds to renew to Him, focus on Christ’s birth, but there’s also only so much we can do. God has taken care of the rest. He has done the work of bringing Jesus to our earth and guiding His plan in motion.

Maybe rest is a part of preparing and part of the cycle God intends. He worked creating this world, and then He rested, too.

This month, as we’ve looked at being creative as our God is the Creator:

• Ali linked how we can see God’s character through His creation (and so with our own creativeness),
• Kelli brought up that God’s creation is everlasting and still alive today,
• Lisa illuminated the truth that every act we take can be an act of creation and a way to share God’s light,
• Lindsey shared how our differences as His creations (and therefore what and how we create) help bring beauty to God’s creation uniquely,
• I looked at truths about God as a Creator and how He gifted us with opportunities to be His hands and feet in creating love and goodness and truth,
• Patti studied our calling to care for God’s creation responsibly and use our own creative talents wisely.

We’ve read on God’s creation and now, as we enter the season of Advent, we can guide our focus to rest our weary hearts (and hopefully our minds) while we wait for and celebrate the coming of more of His creation.

Thank you for joining us this month.

How will you celebrate God’s creation this Christmas season, as well as partake in his rest?

A wrap-up of @DoNotDepart’s series on #GodTheCreator:
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Advent involves a preparing, a waiting, and perhaps rest too. A wrap-up of #GodTheCreator series:
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1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.  (Genesis 1:1-5)

Like I wrote about last month, my oldest daughter often asked me very deep questions about the creation of the world when she was very little. When she asked me what was in the beginning before God created the world, I answered, “Nothing was made before it was made.” But honestly, that concept is very difficult to imagine.

Our world is full of “something-ness” so it is impossibly difficult to wrap our minds around “nothingness.”

But that’s how it was in the beginning. There was nothing. Then there was something.

The First Day

It’s God’s business to go about creating something from nothing, isn’t it? And I love the fact that the initial few verses of Genesis explain that He first created the heavens and the earth, and then light. It was only when He pulled the good light away from the darkness that the dawning of a new day could begin.

The whole concept of creation is a little like what happens inside of us when we become believers in Jesus, isn’t it?

Prior to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, we are a bit like a dark, formless world. Without the Son (the Light of the World, see John 1:5-13), there can be no life or growth. So, we exist in a state of spiritual darkness— spiritual nothingness. (See 1 Peter 2:9, John 8:12)

But when the Light dawns in our hearts, something happens. A new day comes and a new creation is born. (2 Cor 5:17) The light is separated from the darkness. And our creator God molds us into the image of His son and we learn to walk in the eternal light of His glorious being. (1 John 2:6)

We pass from nothing to something… from death into life.

He created the world to show His glory. And He offers us the free gift of spiritual birth to glorify His son, Jesus.

Oh, thank you, Father Creator-God, for crafting this beautiful world around me, and thank you for creating newness in my heart through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son, Jesus!

How do you see God’s character revealed in creating something from nothing? Tell us in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Ali

Additional Study Steps:

1. Read Genesis 1:1-5. Note every action God did and every word He spoke.
2. Copy Genesis 1:4. Journal through your thoughts on this verse and how it relates to spiritual birth.
3. Read John 1:5-13 and John 8:12. Think about the sun. As light, how does Jesus give life and growth, similar to how the sun gives life and growth to the world?
4. Who do you know that needs to know the Creator God? Pray that they would receive Jesus as their light and salvation. Pray about how you could witness to this person.

Creation: From Nothing to Something. How is the first day like spiritual birth? #GodTheCreator
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It’s God’s business to go about creating something from nothing. Spiritual rebirth! #GotTheCreator
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People sometimes argue that it was by chance. That this whole beautiful creation all around us was the result of some cosmic boom.

The Bible tells us otherwise.

Creation was no accident, no chance chemical reaction, and definitely no mistake!

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

1The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4Their voice^b goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun… (Psalm 19:1-4)

In various ways, God’s creation is meant to glorify Him. Last month, we focused on The Marvelous Creator and the fact that His handiwork is meant to inspire our worship. And this month, in Psalm 19, we are reminded that in God’s beautiful world, the heavens cry out, glorifying God!

I love a starlit sky. Gazing up at bright white constellations like the Big Dipper, Libra, and Cygnus against a black-night backdrop remind me of just how profound and intellectual God is! Both the light He created and the Light He is bring Him glory by revealing His unlimited ability. (And the science behind physical light alone is remarkable… our world could never exist without light–  just as spiritually, we are dead without the Light of the World.)

Recently, Jupiter and Venus were less than one-third of a degree apart. Did you get a chance to see that? The result was a breathtaking, bright “double star” and a beautiful reminder that our powerful God is creative, magnificent, and intelligent. He truly does have the whole world (and universe!) in His hands.

We Can Declare His Glory, Too

As the heavens declare His glory, so can we. We can even shine like stars! We can live our lives for His glorification. We can proclaim His handiwork by our actions, and the heart behind our actions, and follow it up with our words. We may feel like our words can’t reach the “end of the world”, but our influence may extend farther than we think.

Will you follow me down a quick rabbit trail? In my ladies’ Bible study group just yesterday a friend mentioned the hymn “In Times Like These.” Do you know that old hymn? Well, it turns out that it was written by a housewife, Ruth Caye Jones, who was overwhelmed with stress and worry during WWII. I’m sure she couldn’t imagine how far her words would reach and how many people’s hearts she would touch and encourage when she sat at her table to pen those precious words. Her words glorify God, right along with the heavenly bodies of the day and night.

Our voice can join in, too, with the voice of the heavens, declaring God’s beauty, His love, His faithfulness, and His unchanging and merciful nature.

So, as the heavens declare God’s glory, how can you? Here are a few pratical ideas:

• Give thanks, both publicly and privately
• Speak words of praise
• Write a social media post that glorifies God
• Share with a friend what God has done in your life
• Pray for strength to be obedient to God’s will, then follow through
• Read the Bible with your children and share God’s goodness
• Sing with a joyful heart

Of course, these are only a few ideas… Please share in the comments how you’ve recently joined in with the heavens to let your “voice go out through all the earth.”

Blessings in Christ,

Ali

Until the next post in this series, here’s a little “homework” for you…

1. Make a list of the things you love about the skies and the way those things show God’s glory. Thank Him for each thing on your list.
2. Read Psalm 24 aloud.
3. Read 1 Cor 6:19-20 and  1 Cor 10:31. What is God showing you in these verses?

As the heavens declare God’s glory, so can we! #BeautifulWorldPerfectWord
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Need practical ideas of how you can declare God’s glory? Read more here. #BeautifulWorldPerfectWord
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Have you had the opportunity to spend some quality time outside this summer?

We hope you’ve been awed and amazed by God’s Marvelous Creation just as we have.

We’ve spent all this month focusing on the fact that God’s handiwork is designed to point our heart toward Him.  The Master Artist desires our worship and praise in response to His love, power, and majesty.

• I wrote about how a storm and a swallow reminded me that God loves and protects us. Then later, I also posted a shareable Bible verse image of Psa 86:10.
• Lisa shared with us how the wind serves as a reminder to pause, breathe in grace, and breathe out praise for our God.
• Caroline’s post revealed how the mountains can make us aware of God’s presence and remind us of faith and love.
• Lindsey opened our eyes to 3 Things Nature can Teach Us and gave us a list of daily activities to help us draw near to God.
• Patti pointed out what a gift water is to us and our need for the Living Water of Jesus.

Isn’t God so creative to have given us these many reminders of His love?!

So, what part of God’s Marvelous Creation reminds you of just how amazing our Creator and Savior is? Please share with us in the comments and let’s praise Him together! 

The #MarvelousCreator gave us a beautiful world to inspire our hearts to worship Him!
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A God I Cannot Understand

Originally posted March 14th, 2011 by Kristi Stephens

There is much discussion these days about theology, about what God would or would not do, of how God would or would not judge – as limited human beings we kick against Scripture that describes a God who is bigger than we can understand, more wrathful at sin than we feel comfortable with, and at the same time more gracious than we can fully comprehend. We reinterpret the Bible to make it comfortable, to reduce God to a size more understandable, to try to represent Him in ways that seem more appealing to a culture repulsed by the idea of being told our sin makes us deserving of punishment.

Here’s the thing: I do not understand God.

Yesterday I sat in church and rejoiced with our body as we welcomed a pastor who has obviously been sent by our sovereign and gracious God into our midst. He has heard our prayers. He has seen our need. He has provided. We worshiped Him with glad hearts and recognized His very tangible work in our midst.

I sat in my seat and pondered: God is good, yes. He absolutely is good and gracious and a God who hears the prayers of His people. He is also the sovereign and omnipotent God who is with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering unimaginably in Japan. The earth is groaning, His people are crying out to Him, they are learning to worship Him from a place of lamentation and loss. His goodness, His character is not different in different parts of the world. His strength is not limited. We are no more deserving of His grace and care than anyone else.

I do not understand God.

There are many things I cannot fully explain to you about my God. I cannot wrap my feeble, small mind around His bigness. But I can know with certainty what I read in God’s Word.

I open my Bible and read of a great God who is unlimited in power and knowledge, unbound by time and space. I do not fully understand, but I know it with certainty to be true: His Word says it clearly.

I read of a God who is one and also three, who has existed from eternity past and will never end. When I ponder these things my brain hurts. I cannot wrap my mind around it, but I know it with certainty: His Word says it clearly.

I see in His Word and His plan that He is utterly and unspeakably holy. That no sinful man can stand in His presence. The descriptions of His holy wrath and judgment against sin make me shudder in awe – I cannot fathom this kind of holiness, this consuming fire that is my righteous Creator, but I know it with certainty: His Word says it clearly.

In my Bible I find a God who loves the lowly creatures He made. That even when they outright rebelled against Him He refused to turn His back and abandon them to their chosen path of rebellion. I meet a God who would provide a shocking way to pay the penalty for sin that His holy nature demanded, as God the Son willingly wrapped Himself in limited flesh and sacrificed Himself on our behalf. What kind of loving God is this? My heart aches at even the glimmer of recognition of this kind of love, but I know it with certainty: His Word says it clearly.

I do not fully understand my God. I cannot understand or put into words exactly how God’s sovereignty and man’s choice intersect, nor can I fully grasp the weight of eternal punishment for sin that our Bibles clearly describe. I cannot completely explain why God would allow devastating natural disasters like what we are witnessing in Japan.

But there is much I know: My God doesn’t just do good things – He IS good. My God doesn’t just love us – He IS love. He is a just, righteous, merciful, holy, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, indescribably awesome God. Through Him all things hold together and have their being, and nothing, NOTHING, is out of His control.

I don’t understand Him. I open my hands to Him and accept with deep gratitude the gracious gifts He has given us. We do not deserve firm ground beneath our feet and safe families more than anyone else. I do not understand why He has chosen to bless us in this moment and why His plan includes such deep suffering in Japan. I do not understand. But I trust Him. I know with certainty that He is a trustworthy God.

I’m glad He is too big for me to fathom. A God small enough for me to understand… would not be God at all.

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