The Grand Larceny of Fear, Uncertainty, and Vulnerability

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH The Grand Larceny of Fear, Uncertainty, and Vulnerability SCOTTY SMITH    The Israelites blasted and blamed Moses, declaring, "It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Moses answered the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. You'll never see the Egyptians again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Ex. 14:12-14   Heavenly Father, fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability are crafty thieves, bent of robbing us of peace, trust, and hope. We don't judge the angry Israelites in this story, for we know what it feels like to be out of wait, reserves, and faith. You opened the Red Sea for them, and you opened Jesus' tomb for us. Yet at times we still struggle to trust you. They wanted to return to the known slavery of Egypt rather than trust you in the unknown territory of the wilderness. What does this look like for us? Some of us are in stories of unresolved conflicts that are paying high-yield compound interest. The demand for relief grows louder as the hope of redemption grows weaker. Any kind of relief looks—not only better, but essential. Some of us are facing the "map-less" hill country of aging. We're more certain of heaven than what's next in life. So we medicate with slavery to busyness and drivenness. Others of us are beginning unplanned-for transitions, some are well into stories of chronic suffering, still others are in the desert of waiting for kids and spouses to come to their senses and come home. Abba, we are grateful your grace is for sinners—for the weak, helpless, and powerless. We qualify! So grant us big, fresh grace to "be still and know you are God"—that we are your beloved children and you are our ever-faithful Father. And help us help each other, for sometimes we have a supply of hope and encouragement for others than we don't have for ourselves. So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

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View in browser UNMISSABLE DISCOUNTS ON POPULAR TGC PUBLICATIONS Pick up a book by TGC's editorial team for just $3. And don't forget—our bulk discounts offer case quantity prices you won't find anywhere else.  The Secular Creed by Rebecca McLaughlin Helps readers disentangle beliefs Christians gladly affirm from those they cannot embrace, and invites us to talk with our neighbors about the things that matter most. $10 each or buy 40 for $5.60 each. Evangelism as Exiles by Elliot Clark The days of cultural Christianity are fading. It's time to rethink normal. Drawing on years of ministry in a Muslim-majority nation, Clark guides us through 1 Peter with striking insights for today. $10 each or buy 72 for $4.55 each. Identity Theft by Melissa Kruger (Ed.) Who am I? It's a question we all ask ourselves at some point. However, there's a larger question to consider. Who does the Bible tell me I am in Christ? Chapters by Jen Wilkin, Trillia Newbell, Jen Pollock Michel, and more. $10 each or buy 72 for $5.60 each. Before You Lose Your Faith by Ivan Mesa (Ed.) Argues that church should be the best place to deal with doubts and that deconstructing can be the road toward reconstructing—building up a more mature, robust faith that grapples honestly with the deepest questions of life. $10 each or buy 72 for $5.60 each. Jesus through the Eyes of Women by Rebecca McLaughlin Explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord and gives readers a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return. $10 each or buy 65 for $5.25 each. Social Sanity in an Insta World by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra (Ed.) Social media can be both a delight and a disaster for women who want to love God and love neighbor. How can we navigate this area of our lives with grace and discernment? $3 each. Faithful Exiles by Ivan Mesa and Elliot Clark (Ed.) Helps us consider how God's people through the ages—in both the Old and New Testaments—have been faithful in the face of hostility. $3 each. Remember Your Joy by Courtney Doctor and Melissa Kruger This seven-week Bible study, with an emphasis on biblical theology, traces the promised seed of the woman from Genesis 3:15 through seven Old Testament stories. $10 each or buy 65 for $5.60 each. 12 Faithful Women by Melissa Kruger Be encouraged and challenged by these portraits of faithful women who steadfastly endured many trials and who, in their various sufferings, found Christ to be an all-sufficient Lord and Savior, steadfast, faithful, and true. $3 each. The Multi-Directional Leader by Trevin Wax The church needs what Wax calls multi-directional leadership—leaders who combine dexterity and discipline—and applies it to the most contentious issues facing churches right now. $3 each. Steadfast by Courtney Doctor In a fickle and wayward age, we need biblical wisdom if we are to stay the course and be steadfast saints. This eight-week study of James calls us to persevere in truth in a world of lies, to see that God's steadfast love is ultimately the source of our steadfast faith. $3 each. BROWSE THE TGC STORE The Gospel Coalition PO Box #1637, Columbia, MO, 65205 Unsubscribe

The “Glorious Stuff” > The “Hard Stuff”

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH The "Glorious Stuff" > The "Hard Stuff" SCOTTY SMITH   "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." (Isa.43:1-2)   Lord Jesus, you love us so well in so many ways, and one of the main ways is through the Scriptures. Today, in particular, thank you for reminding us that suffering is a normal part of life on our way Home—normal but not ultimate. In the ultimate category is the good news that we belong to you—body, soul, and spirit. As we are, and as we will be—our beauty and our brokenness, our cares and our crises… they all belong to you. Indeed, when you say to us, "you are mine," hallelujah, it's an all-inclusive claim. Every day—no exceptions, you summon each of us by name, not by group. You call us to savor your truth, goodness, and beauty in the Gospel. In fellowship with you, the threatening "waters" and "rivers" are life are put into perspective. Hallelujah, no matter how fearful, confusing, threatening, and painful life can get, we're just "passing through" the hard stuff. And the "hard stuff" isn't worth comparing with the "glorious stuff" that awaits us (Rom.8:18). "Passing through" means we're going somewhere—not just anywhere. Jesus, by your doing and delight, we are in route to our wedding day and eternal feast of belonging to you. We're in a parade of grace that will take us all the way into the new heaven and new earth. We get weary and antsy in the waiting, but you are on time all the time. Thank you, Jesus, and So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.