“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Beauty is so quietly woven through our ordinary days that we can hardly notice it."
—John O'Donohue
You are Beautifully Known!
Let that sink in for just a minute...
You are amazingly and uniquely beautiful as you bear specific aspects of the image of God in the midst of this world. God knew when He formed you and put you together that this would be true of you and He looks forward to the day when we all will see your Family resemblance in the fullness of all its glory that is only perceived dimly this side of heaven. You can come into today with the confidence in knowing that the One who meets with you knows you really actually truly knows you...even better than you know yourself. He would love for you to see yourself through His eyes...the eyes of your Father.
The Story of Being Beautifully Known
It can be easy to open the Bible and recognize the stories we read about God's people are part of God's bigger story. It can be much harder as we live our lives in real-time to recognize that our stories are in fact God's story as well.
Our fallen nature often leads us to miscast God as a supporting character in our personal narratives, rather than embracing our role in His greater story. We write God into our story instead of being written into His. When we do so, we assign the Lord the role of fulfilling the hopes, dreams, and desires of our life story.
The gospel story says we are ultimately created to build our lives around His story and to be carriers of that story to our neighbors and the world. It is His story that makes sense of our fragmentation and sinfulness, and His story that gives us a place in this world and a calling for our lives.
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Our individual stories, while unique, are reflections of God's larger redemptive story. They intersect with others' narratives, challenging us to look beyond ourselves and gain a broader view of God's ongoing Kingdom work. This perspective transforms our relationships and interactions as it allows us to see glimpses of our own stories in the lives of those whom God places in our lives. Understanding others’ stories helps us to move out of the narrow gaze of our own story into the larger picture of what God is doing. My story, your story, our story are all found in His story.
See this time as an invitation to go on a sightseeing tour to catch a glimpse or two into God's grand story which is your story as well. It is a story that demands you hold both the beautiful and the broken while being thrust beyond the boundaries of your imagination as you gaze upon the unfolding restoration and redemption of all things. There is an all-encompassing beauty that springs up in the most unlikely places; in poured-out perfume, droplets of bloody sweat, and in the scars of a Savior. There is an emboldened confidence that rises out of knowing that you are the beloved child of the King. And there is a defiant faith that clings to the hope that there is One who can pierce the waters and bring life where only death resides.
He welcomes you now to explore the wide open spaces of His beautiful story. The one place where you are always fully seen and always fully known and always fully loved.
About this Guide
This guide follows a natural progression, inviting you to reflect on your personal story before exploring how it intertwines with God's greater narrative. However, feel free to approach it as you see fit—like choosing from a menu rather than following a strict order. There is no pressure to have an amazing life-altering experience and there is no prize for completing everything...you might not even make it past the first section. Linger for a while where you feel most engaged and understood. Skip sections if you wish, but avoid hurrying through.
Your Heavenly Father has given you this spacious place and is delighted to be with you...
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Settling In
We Are In This Together
As you begin this journey, be encouraged to know you are not alone. Many others, connected through our shared home office community, are also meeting with God today. Each of you uniquely reflects God's image through the particular and special ways that He has designed you. Each time we come together, we have the precious opportunity to see a fuller picture of who God is as expressed through our collective image bearing.
Pause for a moment. Reflect on this beautiful tapestry of individuals, each one a unique thread in God's grand design. Then, pray for them and for yourself that you will have a real sense of the Lord's presence and favor.
Check Your Baggage with Jesus
You are most likely coming into today with myriad concerns, worries, frustrations, hopes, desires, and expectations. Begin by giving those over to Jesus: With just a word or two for each, make a list of these things on paper or in your head
Pray a short prayer of surrender over each item as you entrust them to Jesus Another option to engage your whole body: locate some small rocks to represent each of the items; as you go for a short walk, pray a short prayer of surrender over each item/rock and then drop that rock.
The Anchor: An Important Tool for the Journey
It is quite possible that over the course of the day things will get stirred up inside of you leaving you feeling unsettled, disconnected and/or fragmented. Just like a boat anchor keeps the boat securely tethered to solid ground despite the water getting stirred up, it could be helpful as you enter in to have a sort of anchor that will tether your thoughts to solid truths about who God is and who you are.
Write down a word/phrase or draw an image that reminds you of God's power and goodness to provide for you as His beloved child. Come back to this any time throughout the day when you need to be reminded that you are securely held onto.
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Quieted Trusting Rest
God is already here and is so much looking forward to spending the day with you! As you try to be fully present with Him, it is important to give the whole of your masterfully created person (mind, body, and soul) time and space to slow down and rest in the truths and reality of being His beloved one in whom He delights.
Quieting your mind
Take a moment to ponder the BIGNESS of God and the wonder of His creation. [Maybe incorporate some movement: walking, stretching, pivoting your head as you look around, etc.] What grabs your senses' attention? Who would have ever thought to layer green on green and then have brilliant colors erupt once a year in autumn?!?!
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? ...Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:3-4, 9
"Be still, and know that I am God…" Psalm 46:10a
"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19
"Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116:7
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"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing."
Zephaniah 3:17
Are there thoughts that are trying to rise up and crowd out these truths? Name those as you entrust them to the Lord knowing that He cares for you as His beloved one in whom He delights. Ask the Spirit to help you allow your mind to rest in this truth.
Quieting Your body
Get your body into a comfortable position. Be still and quiet for a little while. Don't do anything or try to force something. Use this time to just simply be, resting in the stillness as you become aware of yourself and God's presence with you. Sit in what it feels like to be completely loved and delighted in. Pay attention to your body and what the Spirit might be trying to say to you now that you are attentive.
Are there places in your physical body where you feel stress, fatigue, worry and/or the effects of brokenness? Entrust those to the Lord knowing that He cares for you as His beloved one in whom He delights. Ask the Spirit to help you allow your body to rest in this truth.
Quieting Your SOUL
God has designed our bodies and souls to work together. By consciously practicing deep breathing when we pray simple prayers, we can slow down and focus our entire attention on God and what He wants to say to us. Try this exercise involving simple, short prayers while focusing on your breathing. Try to focus on God’s presence and not letting your mind wander back to the past or into the future.
Here’s how to do it:
Slowly and evenly inhale to a count of four while saying these words to yourself, "Jesus, you see..."
Hold here for a count of four.
Slowly and evenly exhale to a count of four while saying these words to yourself, "...all of me."
Hold here for a count of four.
Slowly and evenly inhale to a count of four while saying these words to yourself, "Jesus, you love..."
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Hold here for a count of four.
Slowly and evenly exhale to a count of four while saying these words to yourself, "...all of me."
Hold here for a count of four.
Begin the pattern again as you inhale.
Repeat these breath prayers several times or until you feel your body and spirit relaxing and settling into a state of calm, focused on Christ.
Are there places locked deep inside of you that you feel like you still need to hide from Jesus? Confess those as you entrust them to the Lord knowing that He cares for you as His beloved one in whom He delights. Ask the Spirit to help you allow your soul to rest in this truth.
The Story of You
Making Sense of Our Story and Telling It More Truthfully
Our story is narrow, but God’s story is big. Understanding the big story helps us make sense of our story. When hiking in the woods, it is easy to get so focused on looking at the individual trees that you forget the forest through which you are walking. As part of our story, we have all experienced unfulfilled dreams, fears, brokenness, failure, conflict, and weakness. Fixating solely on our problems and difficulties leaves us short-sighted and unable to see the larger narrative of which we are a part.
When we are able to see and experience this larger story, a story in which God delights in us as His beloved children; and in which He longs to work in and through us to bring healing, renewal, and peace; it helps us to accurately frame the sinfulness of our hearts, the battles of our flesh and the difficulty of our circumstances against the backdrop of the Gospel story.
To most honestly communicate our story, we need to include both the heartache, struggle, and unbelief we experienced and the ways God used our difficult life experiences to bring about real, substantive change in our heart, in our perception of the experience, and (most importantly) in our relationship with Jesus.
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Exercise: My Timeline
Take some time together with the Lord to pay attention to and reflect upon your life story and His presence in it. This exercise will help you create a timeline of your life and prayerfully reflect upon your own story. As you work through this, you will be asked to try to wrap words around feelings you may have experienced. It can be really helpful to locate just the right word that captures what was going on inside of you. This Feeling List could be a helpful resource.
My Timeline Part One: Uniquely Mine
Allow God to reveal and bring to mind significant experiences, events, circumstances, and places/environments in your life. Let the memories come as they will. Don't worry about order; allow these recollections to emerge freely, whether they follow a timeline or not, and write them down using just a word or two. Pay attention to transitions, including cross-cultural ones.
As you jot down significant life experiences, stay with each one for a moment. What were the predominant feelings that went along with these experiences? Write those down next to each experience.
Who were the significant people in your life? These could be positive or negative relationships. Again, let the memories come, and don't try to force them. List these people. Add emotional responses.
What were some of your strongest desires over the course of your life? These might be seemingly silly or quite serious. Let them appear in your memory as they will and write them down. Again, do not worry about them being ordered chronologically.
My Timeline Part Two: Holding Both the Broken and the Beautiful
Reorder your various experiences, etc. in chronological order (be sure to include emotions).
Place a rating on them from +5 to -5 (e.g. College Scholarship: +4, Grandmother died: -3).
Draw a horizontal line representing time across the middle of a page to create your timeline. This will also serve as the line differentiating positive (above the line) and negative (below the line) experiences which will be indicated by vertical lines.
Transfer your list according to time and rating onto your timeline. You may use words or sketch these memories with symbols or stick figures. Place positive memories above the line and the negative memories below the line.
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My Timeline Part three: Locating Your Story in His
Pause here and hold your story up to God with a sense of wonder and gratitude, asking for grace that He will show you His Presence and leading in your story. Look for threads of suffering, injustice, unbelief and redemption in your story. Are there any repeating patterns? Are there any passions that were birthed in the fires of hardship?
What are the threads of God's leading presence throughout your life? How has He prepared you for where you are now? How has He been meeting you in the places of deep desire and longing throughout your life?
Look back on all of the emotions attached to each significant life event. Where do you find pockets of shame, joy, excitement, disappointment, etc.? Talk to God about those.
Pay attention to your perception of God over the years. How was God first presented to you? How has your perception of God changed over the years? Are there any characteristics of God that you most readily identify with or understand in light of your life journey (i.e. God as loving Father, compassionate, Judge, patient, etc.)? Are there characteristics of God you struggle with? Are there areas in which you would like your perception of God to grow and expand? Talk to God about this.
Finally, as you reflect on your life story, how might God be inviting you to find your story in His story? How is He leading you? How is He calling you? How is He wooing you? How is He sending you?
Exercise: Jesus Sees and Knows Word Cloud
If you have been doing the very good, but hard, work of honest reflection upon your life, you may have a lot of things stirring inside of you. It may be helpful to use a word cloud to remember that Jesus sees and knows all of this and holds it with you. In the center of the space write, "Jesus Sees and Knows." What words, phrases, images, emotions, etc. are getting stirred up inside of you? Place these like a cloud around the original statement you wrote.
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Take a Break (or a Nap)!
Take a break, but try to stay in a quiet heart space. Do not check email, make a work call, get on social media, or do anything that would pull you out of a reflective, listening receptive posture. Go for a short walk. Get a cup of coffee. Grab a snack. Do some stretching. Listen to worship music.
Another Story From Another Time
Joshua chapter three captures a really important moment in the story of redemption as Joshua invites the people of God to both prepare for and then initiate a work of the Lord in the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land. This is the generation of people who had heard about the great rescue and salvation of God from slavery in Egypt through the incredible miraculous Red Sea crossing. They, however, have spent the entirety of their lives wandering in the wilderness. This moment brings together a convergence of the past, present, and future. They have heard about and known the faithful care of God in the past. They now stand (literally in the water) ready for God to prove Himself faithful once again as they dream, in hopeful expectation, of a future of promises fulfilled. We know something of this in our own story as well as we look to the long faithfulness of God in the past, seeking His presence in the present even as we step out in faith practicing hope for the future.
Soaking in Scripture: Joshua 3
Read the passage three times slowly. The final time, read it out loud if you are in a place where you can do so. Imagine what it would have been like to be in this story. Underline or highlight anything that stands out to you or make comments in the margins.
1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits [about 3,000 feet] between you and the ark; do not go near it.” 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
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6 Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. 7 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” 9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” 14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
A word from the word
What words or phrases stood out to you? Pray those back to the Lord as an offering of thanksgiving.
This word or phrase is a gift to you today! Sit with it for just a little while and ask the Lord if there is a specific application or response He is inviting you into or if it is merely a gift to be received with gladness. Write down what you sense the Lord speaking to you.
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into the unknown
The passage starts by addressing a very practical and logistical problem...the people have never been here before...they do not know the way. If you were going to map out the challenges you are facing in your life right now, it is very likely that some are familiar. But there is a good chance that others might be new; like God's people in Joshua, you have never been this way before. Make a list of the challenges you are facing right now that are new to you. Can you identify any particular thoughts or feelings attached to these challenges?
Follow the presence of the lord
The solution to the people moving into uncharted territory in Joshua is that they are to follow the ark of the covenant, the place where the Presence of God dwells, as it is carried by the priests. Set a timer for 2 minutes and write down all the ways that following the ark (i.e. the presence of God) into the unknown might shape the people who are doing the following?
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We don’t have the ark. But we do have the Spirit and access to the Father through Jesus. We also know that whatever challenges might be new to us today, God already knows and got there first. Write your own psalm that honestly and boldly expresses the various tensions you might be feeling in thinking about following the Presence of God into the unknowns that you listed above. Express both truths about God's Presence with you and the struggles of unbelief, doubt, etc.
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Can I get a little help here?
In Joshua, the Presence of God in the ark is carried by the priests. They are the instruments communicating the Presence and direction of God to the people. Do you have people in your life who are full of the Presence of God who might be an instrument of His help and direction for you in the midst of your new and uncertain challenges? List them here. What might it look like to invite them into your situations? If you don’t have anyone, talk to Jesus about that and consider one step you could take to find someone who might play that role for you.
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pray and listen
As you experience the uncertainty of your challenging situation, spend some time interacting with your Father through this simple prayer: “Dad, I’ve never been here before. I don’t know the way. You got here first. Show me your presence. I will follow you.” Pray that prayer a couple of times and then pause and listen and see if you sense the Lord speaking anything in response. If not, no worries. If He does, capture it here.
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Let’s be honest
Of course, following the Presence of God does not guarantee the outcomes we want. But it does guarantee that we get more of the Lord, His company and companionship, even if things get worse rather than better. Sit honestly with this question for a little while: Is God’s presence enough for you? Write out your unfiltered response.
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A picture of following
In the midst of the new and particularly vexing challenges that you listed above, God’s Presence is certain as we are called to humbly follow Him–whether that presence is mediated through other people or through following the direction of the Scriptures or through following specific promptings of the Spirit–or all of those together!
Draw a sketch capturing what it looks like for you to follow the Presence of God in the midst of the challenges you are facing today.
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bonus exercise: for those who lead
One of the very practical and instructive things about this passage from a ministry standpoint is that the leaders recognize that the people have never been here before and they do not know the way to go.
This is something that many of us ministry leaders can very often forget. The people we are leading can be very intelligent and perceptive, but still not know the direction they are supposed to go. We can forget that and just assume everyone knows the mission and direction and their role in it. If these individuals are in leadership positions, forgetting this can lead to whole departments or teams working at crosspurposes, defaulting to whatever has always been done, or doing whatever they prefer, rather than leading in sync with the mission, vision, and work of the larger community that they are a part of.
Is there a person, team, co-worker, volunteer, or portion of the community that you work with that you have forgotten that they don’t know the way? Perhaps you are frustrated with them or they are just wandering a bit in part because they just don’t know which way to go? List them here.
What is a gentle, generous-hearted, but clear way that you can lead the people around you more deeply into the vision, mission, values, and practices of the community so that they might more clearly know and understand the way to go?
Spend a few minutes praying a prayer of blessing over the people you have listed and then ask for a fresh filling of the presence of the Spirit in you, so that you might be like the priests in this passage, helping the people entrusted to you to navigate what they do not know.
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that’s amazing
Re-read the passage again. Anything stand out to you differently this time around? In verse 5, Joshua says to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua says this before he gets the word from the Lord about what he will actually do!
Take some time to sit with the Lord and ask Him if there is an 'amazing work' He wants to do. Remember that this is a once-in-a-generation moment for Joshua, not a daily occurrence, and there might not be any 'amazing things' for you right now, but you are making yourself open to hearing something.
Is there an 'amazing thing' that you would like to ask the Lord to do? in your life? in your ministry? in the world? Take some time to ask for that.
consecrate yourself
With great expectation, Joshua tells the people: “Consecrate yourselves.” To consecrate is to give more of the real estate of your heart, mind, body, spirit, calendar, etc. to the Lord and away from the world. Taking this kind of time away to be with the Lord could be an act of consecration!
There are several reasons why we would consecrate ourselves that are presented throughout the Scriptures:
So that our sin does not block the work of the Spirit in us and through us. A step of consecration here might look like confession and repentance, before the Lord and/or to another person.
Helping to make the spiritual environment conducive for a work only God can do. Every time we intercede over anything or anyone we are doing that. A step of consecration here might look like focused time in prayer contending for a place, a person, or a group of people.
We consecrate ourselves so that we do not miss God and God’s work (even when it’s right in front of us!). This was the problem the religious leaders had when they witnessed Jesus’s miracles. A step of consecration here might look like worship, meditation on Scripture, focused prayer or other contemplative practices.
As you consider the ‘amazing thing’ that you are asking for or that you sense the Lord inviting you into, is there a step of consecration that you might take in preparation for it? If so, what might that look like?
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STEPPING OUT IN FAITH
In verse 13, Joshua tells the people the plan: the priests will step foot in the Jordan and the waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap. This is different from the previous generation’s miraculous Red Sea crossing experience in Exodus. They had the waters part first, then the first people stepped foot onto dry land. Have you ever had an experience where God made a way for you before you took any sort of significant step of faith? What was that like?
Have you ever had an experience where you had to take a step of faith first, then the Lord moved? What was that like?
Looking back at the “amazing thing” questions above, is there a step of faith that the Lord might be calling you to take before He does that amazing thing?
ONE MORE TIME
Re-read the last section of the passage one more time: 14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
FLOOD STAGE!!!
Verse 15 tells us that the waters of the Jordan were at flood stage! That is even more intimidating for the four priests who are carrying the ark and taking that first step of faith! Are there circumstances that feel particularly stacked against you in the areas of life where you would love to see the Lord do “amazing things?” Name those here.
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WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
The water piles up at a town called Adam, which is about 18 miles to the north. So when the front two priests first step out into the water, it feels like nothing is happening. Another step, still nothing. Another step and now all four priests are in the water, it still feels like nothing is happening. But God is upstream, creating a downstream miracle on the other side of those steps of faith that will take a few minutes to be revealed. Consider one of the following: Is there a step of faith that God is calling you to take that feels intimidating–a bit like stepping into the Jordan at flood stage? Name that and talk to the Lord about it.
Or is there a step of faith that you have already taken, and you are still waiting for the water to part? Name what you are still waiting for the Lord to do and talk to Him about it.
Or are you currently or recently crossing on dry ground? Celebrate that, mark it, and worship the Lord.
So That All the People of the Earth Might Know
Following the crossing of the Jordan, God had His people set up a pile of twelve large river rocks to serve as a testimony "so that all the peoples of the earth might know" who He is and what He has done (Joshua 4:23b-24). Similarly, the messy outworking of the gospel in our lives testifying to who God is and what He has done is the very place where mission starts. Our ongoing transformation in Christ is the avenue by which the gospel is revealed 'so that all the people of the earth might know.' We are called to take this good news that is being written into the broken, sinful parts of our stories to a sin-scarred world. God calls us not only to be receivers of this good news, but also to be bearers of it.
Take a moment now to quiet yourself and become aware of the big spacious love God has shown you in His presence today. Recognize that our love for others flows out of the Father's love for us. As our understanding and experience of His love for us grows, our capacity to love others increases as well. Pay attention and listen for who God might be bringing to mind: Co-workers? Neighbors? Family members? Loved ones? Friends? Enemies? Acquaintances? Do you hear any particular ways that He might be calling you to consider how your story might intersect with another's?
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Leaving But Not Left Alone
At this point, you may be ready (and needing) to revisit some of the things you handed off to Jesus at the beginning of the day. He is not only able to hold those for you, but He is also ready and willing to hold those things with you. In light of what you have experienced today, begin praying through those things considering the ways that you can invite Jesus into them with you. Perhaps God gave you a word, phrase, or image today that you can pray over them.
Take a moment to think back over your day and consider things the Lord may have brought into the light. Do you get the sense that these are important and may warrant more processing and prayer? Write those down now and ask the Spirit to bring them to mind at another time.
As you depart, experience the warmth of the Father's loving and delightful embrace knowing full well that He goes with you.
