As the rain and snow

“A better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God…

“This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.” Hebrews 7:19b,22-8:2

One hope, one guarantor, one high priesthood, one sacrifice for all. Ongoing life, uttermost salvation, intercession, perfection. The eternal Savior is both finished with propitiation and fully alive and present. The great High Priest offered Himself once for all, and ever intercedes. The infinite Creator of time exists beyond and within it, having completed the work of our redemption and ever advocating for us in its working out. His children live in the shadows here below while the Son continually shines from heaven. Thanks be to God for His once for all atonement and ongoing ministry to men!

We live in the tension of salvation won and being worked out, with its Captain cheering us on. What has been declared is ours to reckon day by day, and we do it not alone. Our Hope, our Savior, our Intercessor abides and energizes, spurs on and inspires, defends and directs. In Him, while we may grow weary, we need never tire of hoping for the certain and glorious end of our redemption. (John 19:30; Romans 8:18; Philippians 2:12; Hebrews 2:10; 9:28; 12:1-2)

What currents unsettle our steady walk and growth in Christ? Have we gotten in a rut of prayer, stuck in spiritual malaise and ritual with no vitality of worship, fellowship, expectation? When the Spirit nudges us in an unfamiliar direction, do we shrink back in timidity or fear, anxious about being tested? What apathy or complacency has become our norm, and when will we decide to trust God to lift our wings? (Isaiah 40:28-31)

It is easy in the busyness and heaviness of life to bend and slow and wane in impetus to progress. The now is overwhelming and blocks out our vision for the not yet. Steeping in the promises of scripture and staying close to the Lord in prayer do much to bolster our anticipation and clear our sight. Taking hold of sure truths to fortify and guide will lead us forward. By God’s Spirit, we are lifted to the heights of glory to come.

Father, keep me faithfully, hopefully soaring upward in Christ. (Philippians 3:14)

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,’
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you…

My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth…

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!..

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:1-12,15,17,23-24

David is amazed and comforted at God’s intricate knowledge of him inside out, through and through, beginning to end. Trusting the divine blend of His omniscience with His love and compassion, he invites this benevolent Sovereign to keep chasing, keep searching, in order to fully cleanse. He welcomes the meshing of intimate knowledge with infinite love and grace. He knows his stained heart, and also that there is mercy and freedom in the light of full exposure. (Psalm 51:6-7,10)

When we have shameful thoughts and desires, we are wont to hide away and resist God’s exploration. We put up facades, avoid eye contact, make light of the darkness within. The Lord bids us acknowledge the truth that will set free. (John 8:31-32)

Where are we miserable and yearning to come clean? What crevices in mind or heart need God’s cleansing search? Embracing the Spirit’s merciful light releases stains, frees from pain, and awakens praise.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
fulfill Thy Word and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender, Lord— in me abide.

O Holy Spirit, revival comes from Thee;
send a revival– start the work in me.
Thy Word declares Thou will supply our need;
for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.” ~J. Edwin Orr (1936)

Lord, make me willing for Your merciful searching that sets clean and free.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
    O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.” Psalm 130

The Psalmist cries from depths of life on earth to the God of heaven. Would the Lord hear his voice! Would the Lord apply His mercy! His longing was rooted in certain belief of God’s forgiveness, yet full redemption was yet to come. In the strange place between now and not yet was hope, whose home was there. Here he could wait, make his abode in the Lord’s word, reside in His steadfast love.

All days for believers here below are a training, a term, an in-between awaiting eternity in God’s presence. While living we long, while growing we groan. Hope’s substance and strength indwells this strange but necessary place as the sun hides yet burns its light. Here it takes shape as reality, the invisible grasped, the unearthly familiar. (Romans 8:18-26a)

We miss out on the density and sustenance of hope when we become too embroiled in the world, and take no time or thought for things eternal. Circumstances throw their challenges and we jump in to fix or out to avoid, yet don’t embrace the deeper lessons of the moment. Existing and busying only in the present, we cannot perceive the invitation to long for ultimate redemption. Having no room for more than the urgent, we miss out on hope’s beautiful tension and exquisite comfort.

Are we suffering shame, desperation, or despair? Have we been caught in a vortex of anxiety, or loneliness, or a vacuum of vitality or desire? Into the soul’s depths God’s mercy seeps. The searing sting of shame His forgiving balm soothes. As we wait, He meets us to make hope real.

What keeps us looking down when He bids us look up? What hopelessness can we release to His attention? What hope is His word speaking?

“Be still, my soul! the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! your best, your heav’nly friend
Thru’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! your God does undertake
To guide the future as he has the past;
Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he lived below.

Be still, my soul! the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still my soul! when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.” ~Kathrina von Schlegel (1752)

Lord, help me wait with joyful expectation of You.

“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

“The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.” Psalm 69:9

“As we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:5

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own.., but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Philippians 2:5-8; 3:7-12

“Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” 1 Peter 4:13-14

When God created man in His image, He blessed man with an exquisite ability to share in facets of His experience, character, and Spirit. Since the fall, those who believe are through life sanctified to be more and more like Him. This ongoing process involves sharing in His reproach and deliverance, suffering and comfort, temptation and victory, death and resurrection life. (1 John 3:2)

When we set out on our own way, we choose independence over sharing anything. We prefer to structure our days how we want toward self-determined ends with no intrusions or interruptions. We’re driven to activities and interactions by personal ambition, in our own strength. Neglecting a heavenly mindset, we pursue earthly goals with earthly means. We might even achieve some temporal satisfaction.

But when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we’ll increasingly desire to share His mind, will, and vitality. The Christ-life that involves dejection, suffering, and temptation, will most sweetly also share His loving comfort, resurrection power, and victory. Are we welcoming and enjoying this fellowship? (Matthew 6:33; Romans 12:1-2)

How will we open ourselves to deeper intimacy with Christ? Every shared experience brings greater knowing and increased Christ-likeness that glorifies Him.

“Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

Lord, may I willingly share in all You have done and are, to Your glory and praise.

“Of the Son he says,

“’Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’

“And,

“’You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.'” Hebrews 1:7-12

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:1-2

The writer of Hebrews brings eternity past into the present by uniting the eternal nature of God’s glory and the prophecies of the past into the radiance of Jesus on earth. The eternal God, who is Himself His children’s dwelling place, made His abode among men to unite heaven and earth and invite them into His mysterious, everlasting home to dwell. The Creator who roots His people in the foundations of earth prepares them for its end as they know it, and promised recreation. The meantime is for familiarizing themselves with Him, the true shalom, Home. (John 14:2-3; Hebrews 2:8-10; 3:6; Revelation 21:1-4)

“Thus says the Lord:
‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2

The tensions we feel here on earth as we change our spaces and settle in places are innate. Made for eternity yet set in time, we have a desire for home, the shalom of peace and belonging, for a place readied for us. Surrounded by choices, we can try many a temporal experience or location looking for the right fit. Too often we wander from the Lord’s best, or settle into complacency in our living arrangements. We get fine with comfy and convenient and never pursue more. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Where am I looking for true home? Do I try every activity, taste a variety of friendships, jump from group to group, hoping to find welcome and belonging? Do I plow into work for satisfaction and identity? Where do I wrestle with jealousies, insignificance, loneliness, insecurity over importance?

If our true home is in Christ, how does that change our stewardship of present resources of time, attention, and energy? How could it inspire hope in yearnings, and heighten our sensibilities, if we considered earthly homes from a heavenly point of view? Christ, our forever dwelling place, has opened His door. (Revelation 3:20)

“Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.” ~ St. Augustine (397AD)

Lord, in my earthly sojourn, please keep me longing for and satisfied with my home in You.

“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. Avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene…

“Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will…

“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.  Avoid such people….

“As for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work…

“The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. But as for you, always be sober-minded.” 2 Timothy 2:14-17,22-26; 3:2-5,14-17; 4:3-5a

Paul’s loving letter to Timothy charges him to rightly handle and proclaim God’s truth. Life father, like spiritual son. He must remind his fellow believers to do the same to avert wandering off into the many prevailing untruths, myths, and false teachings that fueled irreverence, quarrels, and disobedience. The antidote? God’s living, powerfully-working word.

Popular culture presents a tangle of practices, ideas, controversies, and whims for us to fondle and espouse. Emotions and opinions lead us astray from what is good, and disrupt the best of relationships and clearest of teaching. Without being led by God and His word, we easily veer from His path into many a downward, destructive mindset and ugly habit. (Psalm 119:105)

It’s important to recognize what actually leads us to think and behave as we do. It is easy to keep in motion, physically or mentally, continuing in natural (and worldly) progression without considering our impetus. Ungrounded and misdirected, words and passions breed disordered loves and increasing ungodliness.

How do we redirect with the rightful Leader? Know, handle, and embrace the word of truth! Avoid caustic talk, flee temptation, and run after all that is good and holy!

Alongside whom are we pursuing purity, kindness, and godliness? What habitual spiritually-detrimental practices need to cease? How will we pursue loving God more than self? God’s word keeps us sober-minded and wise.

Lord, lead me in truth and righteousness, to your honor.

With my whole heart I seek you…
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!..
In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I not forget your word.

Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things in your law…
Your testimonies are my delight,..
my counselors… the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever.” Psalm 119:10-12,14-16,18,24,111-112

This psalm is chock full of praise, commitment, and earnest delight in God’s word. In itself it is a storehouse of wisdom. The psalmist’s account of longing and blessing fixes eye, mind, and affection on God’s good commands. Keeping them brings life, strength, clarity, right priorities, protection from sin, comfort, hope, peace, and assurance. The very song that expresses dependence on God’s word through the alphabet, relevant from beginning to end, is worthy to be stored and recited. (Psalm 119:25-28,32-37,41-48,75-77)

Through life we accumulate many things: ideas, knowledge, opinions, friendships, achievements, experiences, material goods. Every day we make choices how to spend time and where to direct effort. We formulate perceptions, train muscles, consume and act surrounding what we deem important or necessary. From where do we draw inner strength, wisdom, guidance for these outward endeavors?

What do our heart storehouses hold? What do we believe in, treasure, and expend effort to accrue? Where do we look for sustenance, fortitude, direction, inspiration? What we value, meditate on, pursue, and enjoy dictates what we store within, and what then in turn determines our life outflow. (Psalm 119:97-105,127)

If we want to be mighty in God’s strength, store His word! If we seek discernment and understanding, store His word! If we want fruitful relationships, and to emanate the fragrance of Christ, store His word! If we desire to make a difference in God’s kingdom and to serve for His sake, store His word! His storehouse is life-giving and never runs dry. (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.” ~ R. Keen (1787)

Lord, keep me storing up and delighting in Your word, that my judgments and life reflect its glories.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle , a teacher… in faith and truth.

“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves… with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:1-10

Paul has just told Timothy the importance of warning against myths and false teaching, to align always with sound doctrine, and to wage good spiritual warfare in order to make Christ known. With that admonition, he set a clear priority: First of all, pray, with intercession and thanksgiving, for all those who were in authority over him. God had given governing authorities for good reason in society, and the very structure and fabric of his known world would have bearing on how well he could fulfill his calling. Therefore, he must pray for them before embarking on any effort. (Romans 13:1-4; 1 Timothy 1:3-4,18-19)

As individuals with ambition and plans, we tend to charge ahead. If we have set or been given an assignment, we get to it in full throttle, driving to achieve. The thought of stopping forward motion to pray, especially for those who could impede our progress, is not pleasant. How about simply asking for God’s blessing on our efforts?

The Lord sets first things first. To bow before Him establishes an attitude of humility, dependence, and surrender. It digs deep to uncover prejudices and angst and callouses in our attitudes. It rearranges our priorities to consider the Lord and His grand schemes before our own. It clears our perspective and sets right focus.

What do we tend to as ‘first of alls’? How do we begin our days- looking out, or up? Reading news or social media or God’s powerful living word? Exercising our bodies or our spirits? Setting our agenda or seeking the Lord’s? When He is first of all, that ‘all’ falls into glorious place. It may not be easy, or simple, or clear, but we can know it is His.

How highly do we value and prioritize time in prayer? If it is an afterthought, how can we make it a forethought? What practical steps will we take to keep appointments with our Lord?

What gripes, irritations, bitterness, or anger need to be put in perspective and transformed? What dishonoring habits need be repented of? How will we add thanksgiving to all of our requests, and so expand our expectation, shape our requests, and please the Lord? Prayer turns grousing to gratitude, anxiety to hope, darkness to light. (Matthew 6:7-13,25-32; 7:7-8; Philippians 4:6-7)

Father, keep me keeping You first of all, that You be honored.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother… that it may go well with you…’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

“Obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man.” Ephesians 6:1-7

“You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:24

“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:1-5

“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” 2 Timothy 2:4

The Lord has established a regimen of priority for His people to flourish. The goal of His placement is to train His people to put Him first in every allegiance, and so enjoy the blessings of an ordered, peaceful life. Paul addresses several earthly leaders God has instituted who are to be respected and obeyed. As he pokes at conscience and self-will, he also presents what pleases the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Every submission to one God has placed over us is an opportunity to say no to self and yes to Him. We may not like nor find it easy to follow familial, employment, or governing authorities, but God’s command reaches past our preferences. He intends us, in putting Him first, to see with fresh eyes and address our will. A commitment to, and practice of, obedience forms in us more malleable willingness to be changed, and greater expectation of God’s higher purposes. Life isn’t just about me, but about glorifying the Lord in all circumstances and attitudes. Where are we leading ahead of God?

In our various venues of life, who are our leaders, and what is our innate response to them? What authority over us deserves greater respect as God’s assigned leader? How might the Lord realign our impulses and thinking, and adjust our want-to, if we determine to pray regularly and submit willingly out of reverence for Him? Accepting that the Lord is the true Leader whom we aim to please sets our allegiances aright in all situations.

“Living for Jesus a life that is true,
striving to please Him in all that I do,
yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
this is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee;
for Thou, in Thine attonement,
didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other master;
my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.” ~Thomas Chisolm (1917)

Lord, help me, moment by moment, to follow You with all my being, to Your glory and ends.

“Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley—
to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong.
Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind,
like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,
he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
will be trampled underfoot.
That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley,
will be like figs ripe before harvest—
as soon as people see them and take them in hand,
they swallow them.

“In that day the Lord Almighty
will be a glorious crown,
a beautiful wreath
for the remnant of his people.
He will be a spirit of justice
to the one who sits in judgment,
a source of strength
to those who turn back the battle at the gate…

“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“’See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.'” Isaiah 28:1-6,16

Isaiah pronounces devastating woe on those who trusted in their own crowns. The crown of God’s imagination- His people- had misused their gift of agency and land of promise in prideful living, and the Lord would surely judge. He alone was supreme, all-knowing, and just. All Ephraim (Israel) had known as beautiful was ruined by her lusts and extravagances, and God would surely ruin her fading prominence and establish Himself as King and cornerstone.

In the flesh, when we think we have a right to rule, we invert priorities. With disordered affections and selfish drive, we fall into casual and callous living. We boast a high view of self, which necessarily diminishes God to an inferior place. All He has crowned our lives with- His graces and favor- gets adulterated and abused, only to be crushed by the One rightful Regent.

God who made us to know and glorify Him will not abide our unfaithfulness. He will surely hold us to account, and make Himself known as the only One worthy of allegiance and honor. Once we yield to His sovereign authority, we clearly understand that all we held as important and treasured is due Him. (Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7; Philippians 3:8)

“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“’Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’” Revelation 4:9-11

Where and when do we serve ourselves? How has pride warped a high view of God, and what will we do to correct our order of worship? What petty grievances, prurient modes of entertainment, or indulgences need be crushed so we can honorably crown the King of kings?

Lord, come daily to put me in my place, so You alone are exalted.