As the rain and snow

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east.  And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon.  And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea.

“’For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. This shall be your western border.

“’This shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall draw a line to Mount Hor.  From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad.  Then the border shall extend to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border.

“’You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east. And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around.'” Numbers 34:1-12

The Lord had promised a land to Israel, and He delineated its specific boundaries to Moses. He had prepared it for them to inherit and enjoy, and appointed individuals who would apportion the parcels within its borders. The limits He imposed, geographically and morally, were to allow for the greatest fulfillment and fruitfulness, where He would be their all in all. (Numbers 34:17-18; 35:34)

God is infinite, beyond full of love, mercy, and compassion. His plans for His people are good, all their details for hope and a future. In His omniscience, He knows the extent of our weaknesses and worldly dangers, and therefore the best places and boundaries in order for us to flourish. While in His granted freedom all things are allowable, not all things are profitable or beneficial. The Lord who hems us in behind and before determines the threshold for abundant life. (Psalm 103:1-13; 139:5; Jeremiah 29:11; John 10:10; 15:11; 1 Corinthians 10:23; Galatians 5:1)

What boundaries have we experienced, imposed by the Lord, regulations, other people, or conscience, that have protected, guided, and enriched us? Are there situations, friendships, or modes of entertainment where we need more structure or distinct limits to enhance mutual edification or promote godly character? What boundaries can we set to guard against anticipated temptation, and whom will we ask to hold us accountable? The more we understand the where and how of divine boundary lines in all aspects of life, the freer we will be to enjoy and share our lavish inheritance. (Psalm 16:5-6; Acts 17:26-27)

Lord, keep me delighting in the lines You have drawn for me, vigilant in keeping them, and taking full advantage of the bounty to others’ blessing and Your glory.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Matthew 6:24

“Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

The apostle John understood what leaving behind the old life meant. From the moment he left his livelihood to follow Jesus, the new Master reframed his world. Gradually he transferred attention, allegiance, and affection from earthly to heavenly pursuits. The natural son of Zebedee grew into his new identity as Jesus’ beloved disciple and an eternal child of God, his transient purpose overtaken by lasting hope. (Mark 1:16–20; 1 John 3:1-2)

When the Lord Jesus saves, He banishes the old and replaces it with new. His indwelling Spirit transforms desires, priorities, even ingrained thought- patterns and habitual practices. While everything may not change immediately, the process of sanctification has begun and will be completed. The shadowy world centered around self that once encompassed us, under new management becomes open-hearted and full of light. The Holy Spirit within dissolves old strangleholds, diffuses strange desires, and shines hope and wisdom to lead us forward. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 1:6)

Do we truly know Jesus? Since we’ve become His child, how has our world changed? What new passions have replaced the old? What personality traits have been freshly inspired, what tendencies redeemed? What loves of the world and its vapid offerings have diminished as our love for Christ has grown?

Are there rough character traits we want the Lord to soften, thought patterns that need reorienting? What irreverent, greedy, selfish, or immoral yens can we bring to Jesus to forgive and cleanse? Which world- this or the next- do we want to pursue, and inhabit? What can we bid farewell to help build Christ’s kingdom as we await His return?

Life in the orbit of Jesus will be marked by joyful, even if not easy, obedience. The thirst to please self, by faith and the influence of the Spirit, will reorder, and the fruit of the Spirit increase. If we are not wanting and experiencing redirected affections and inclinations, we must check to see who is our Master, whom we are actually serving. When we are committed to Jesus, our days will be characterized by increasing righteousness and Christ-like love. (Matthew 6:24; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 3:4-10,14-20,23-24)

“Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.” ~St. Dallán Forgaill (530-598)

Lord, invade and possess my world so I serve and exalt You alone.

“Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?  Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?  Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.  And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: ‘O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made the heavens and the earth.  Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands  and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.  So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.'” 2 Kings 19:10-19

The truth about Sennacherib was that his condescending taunts were based on fact- he had indeed conquered many. But the trouble with him was he knew not God. In his world, other nations’ gods were useless, and success and pride distorted his view of the Almighty as nothing different. The truth about Hezekiah, however, was that no matter the verbal attacks and imposing threats, he knew God, and that He was more than a match to all gods and kings. Upon reading Sennacherib’s letter, he went up to the Lord, spread it out, and boldly asked for Him to save Judah and so prove His supremacy. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

We can daily choose whether to look up or down. Christians come under varied taunts, ridicule, and causes to doubt by way of acquaintances, strangers, media messages, or the enemy’s minions who would undo us. We can bow to fear or pressure, look low in shame, or pretend at superiority by looking down on others in comparison. Or, we can take in the world’s pelting messages and approach the Lord in reverence and confidence. He is enthroned on high, He alone is Creator and Ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth.

Taking every attacking care to Him and proclaiming His greatness illumines unreasonable thinking and dissolves derisive fears. He is God, He alone! If He is for us and on our side, who against us has any force or influence? (Romans 8:31-34)

What presently threatens steadfast resolve, or peace? Do we know God well enough as personal Redeemer and Lord to trust Him with our concerns and needs? Taking confidence in His past deliverances helps to see us through and exhibits His greatness. (Psalm 46:1-3)

Lord, may my confident trust in You display that You alone are God.

“In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah,.. Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.  He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.  So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.” 2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34

“You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3

Thirty-seven years, more than a generation, half of a lifetime. The days and weeks would have grown countless for Jehoiachin, but for the graciousness of a heathen king. It is hard to imagine the reaction of this deposed and humiliated exile when he was not only released but treated kindly, given new clothes, and welcomed to the royal table. Evil-merodach’s treatment toward him mimics that of a gracious Savior toward His wicked children. (2 Kings 24:10-16)

Every one of us is born a rebel, captive to the prince of darkness save for the grace of a merciful God. Even if we are in Christ, we have to deal with the ugly, harsh consequences of sin in the world, and long to be set free. How long, O Lord, must we endure? How long must we chafe at shackles of temptation and decay, sin and sorrow? At the human condition only God can release and repair? (Ephesians 2:1-7)

To give us hope in this life’s dark confinement we have the Word and its accounts and promises of gracious release. The languishing are satisfied, the lost are found, the bent are lifted up. The repentant are heard, the filthy are cleansed, and the broken are made whole. Do we believe? (Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18; Zechariah 3:3-5)

In what captivity do we suffer? We might struggle with unintended consequences of choices made, or unprovoked fallout from another’s sin. We might feel trapped in shame, unable to escape the haunting memories and regrets of the past. It could be that life circumstances, relationships, work pressures, or health are closing in and depleting of energy and hope.

Where will we look for strength to endure? How will we find relief? Will we recount the wonders of our God, His abiding and care? If we set our expectation on the Lord and His promises, our souls can rise up in triumph no matter where or how we suffer. (Psalm 34:4; Isaiah 25:6-9)

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!” Charles Wesley (1738)

Lord, daily release me from self to trust and praise You.

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and all their metal images and demolish all their high places. You shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you. You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe a small inheritance… According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.'” Numbers 33:50-56

Moses had faithfully led Israel for 40 years through the wilderness, a tangled route through arid desert and surprising springs, the long season in which all those who’d been delivered from Egypt died. His hope of entering God’s promised land was snuffed out by his own disobedience, his siblings had been buried. As his earthly end drew nigh, the Lord gave a vital warning for the generation who would enter Canaan: Drive out the inhabitants and destroy their gods. He’d brought Israel out in order to plant them in as His distinct people, worshipers of Him alone. Any foreign dalliances would deter their settling, any unauthorized allegiances would poke, pester, and trouble.

Jesus came to set His people free and give abundant life. He accomplished everything for our deliverance and in love extends agency to appropriate His gifts. His scriptural warnings are clear: ‘Have no other gods before Me, in Me alone trust.’ He understands the pesky temptations of strange gods, pride, and weakness of flesh, yet triumphed over every temptation and gives grace and strength so we can too. (Exodus 20:3-6; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:18; John 8:36; 10:10; Hebrews 4:14-16)

Entertaining the barbs and thorns of sin destroys perspective and hinders spiritual progress. As long as we tolerate competing allegiances, anyone or anything working against wholehearted worship of God or His purity, we (and our witness) will be hindered. Could be that the stinging setbacks or miserable consciences we struggle with indicate a disordered affection?

Where and in what mindset are we most tempted to go after foreign gods, to erect high places that exalt self, ambition, and stuff? What situations and acquaintances lure us into idolatry of any kind? What will we do with God’s clear warning to deal with those prompts? As we open ourselves for the Spirit to expose and convict of false gods, and honestly admit where and when we are weak, He will lead us in His way out and give grace to drive out and destroy them. (1 Corinthians 10:13; Titus 2:11-14; James 1:13-15)

“Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.” ~ Charles Wesley (1747)

Lord, turn me from wayward desire and false gods to settle in with and worship You alone.

“When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas to betray him,  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:1-5

“And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying,.. ‘Save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’  So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,  ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself…’ And the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him in the same way.” Matthew 27:39-42,44

“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Hebrews 12:3-4

Before Jesus’s death, John describes him as anticipating His crucifixion and loving His disciples to the end. Within hours, He would have exemplified to the greatest degree what that meant. Bearing temptation and scoffing, He set aside the power He could have exerted to come down from the cross and willingly gave His life so He could call us His children. He loved and died to the end.

And because of His completed work, we can trust Him to the end. What Jesus exemplified and accomplished for us empowers love and confidence in Him. The One who knew His hours were short and spent them for His Father’s will energizes ministry. The One who selflessly knelt to serve inspires humble service. The One who was faithful and obedient to the end enables us to persevere. Looking to Jesus the trustworthy Savior, we are compelled to trust in any circumstance. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

What hour of trouble, sorrow, or sacrifice has come for us? What external hostility or inner accusation unsettles? When strength is small and the path is dim, we can look to Jesus and trust in Him.

“I will trust my Saviour Jesus,
When my darkest doubts befall
Trust Him when to simply trust Him
Seems the hardest thing of all

I will trust my Saviour Jesus
Trust Him when my strength is small
For I know the shield of Jesus,
Is the safest place of all

I will trust my Saviour Jesus
He has said His way is best
And I know the path He’s chosen
Leads to everlasting rest

Oh on that cross, how it was seen
I can go now ever trusting in the one who died for me
What could I bring, for your gift is complete
So I trust You, simply trust You, Lord with every part of me

I will trust my Saviour Jesus
Every hour of my life
As I journey home to see Him
He will never leave my side

Jesus, only Jesus
Help me trust you more and more
Jesus, only Jesus
May my heart be ever yours” ~City Alight (2023)

Yes, Lord!

“When Christ came into the world, he said,

“’Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.’
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’

“When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings…’ he added, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will.’ He does away with the first in order to establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

“Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

“And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

“’This is the covenant that I will make with them..,
declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
    and write them on their minds,’

“he adds,

“’I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’

“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:5-12,14-18

Jesus, fully God, came to earth a man to do God’s wondrous will. Efficiently, perfectly, effectively, He executed all God intended for the eternal good and blessing of His people. Once for all, the work was done, with ongoing glorious consequence, freedom and fulfillment, for the children of God. Strangers now belong, the uncertain have confidence, the desperate have hope, the purposeless have meaning. Sufferers can serve, and stumblers can soar. How magnificent is the Holy One’s divine will for those who live this side of the cross! (Hebrews 9:14; 10:19-25)

If God’s will for salvation has been accomplished in Christ, and He ‘has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified,’ how does it intersect with our day-to-day? How do we understand and effectuate God’s will for us? What is the believer’s part in working out His salvation and sanctification with fear, trembling, and faithfulness? (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13)

What God in Christ has accomplished, we appropriate by faith. A believer’s process of sanctification is an ongoing cooperation with the Spirit Who indwells and empowers us. We keep running the race, we fight the good fight, we put to practice the ‘all things that pertain to life and godliness.’ (1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 12:1-3; 2 Peter 1:3-7)

Do we recognize the wonders of God’s will won for us in Christ? Are we all in, looking to and standing with Jesus to share in His divine nature? How well do we know His will, and what steps are we taking to fulfill it?

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

And amen.

“For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God’s house we walked in the throng…

But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage…

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.”

“You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?..
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.” Psalm 55:12-14,16-18a,20-22; 56:8-11,12b-13

David suffered many a trouble, many a heartbreak, attack, and betrayal. While he knew anguish, he also knew his God. He knew to take the hurt of deception and pain and loneliness to the everlasting and compassionate Lover of his soul. There he tucked into His side with confidence that God would save him, God heard him, God redeemed him, God sustained him, God was for him and would not fail. His psalms are the song of many a soul put to word and wonder.

We handle insolence, betrayal, taunting, and sorrow in varied ways. We can clam up, close in, or lash out, seeking protection, privacy, or revenge. Mostly we respond to the troubles and hurts of life on the horizontal.

The Lord tenderly bids us cry to Him in vertical response to life’s agonies. Our Heavenly Savior knows and has gone before us in every pang and pain. To pour out our anguish to Him, to spill our tears for Him to measure and hold and cherish, is in itself a means of release and solace. We cast, He keeps count and carries and comforts. Our continued taking and singing, whether in lament or thanksgiving, builds our assurance in all He is and how He meets us. (Psalm 34:18; 80:5; Isaiah 53:3; John 11:35; Hebrews 2:18; 4:15-16)

What people or situations keep me tossing? What is my default practice when faced with biting pain, betrayal of a friendship or confidence, dark fear? Would I sing of my Redeemer’s love and faithfulness, and proclaim confidence in Him? He alone is our help and hope.

Lord, keep me ever thankful for Your understanding and compassion, and help me walk above hard circumstances in the light of life, to Your praise.

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him… For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.  (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)  Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,  but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

“As the Holy Spirit says,

“’Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion…’

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  Exhort one another every day,.. that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.  As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 3:1-8,12-15

The writer of Hebrews has just described the supremacy of Jesus, and His incomparable power. He was completely other than men and angels, therefore, consider Him. Consider His preeminence, His plan and execution of redemption, His sovereignty. Consider that as apostle and high priest, He condescended to be called brother and taste death for everyone in order to bring many sons to glory. (Hebrews 1:1-4,8-12; 2:8-11)

So many days pass without our seriously considering much at all. We open the door to the day and jump in, get going, turn on, change stations, make plans, tackle tasks, hang up, sit down, turn in, and the day has closed without our thinking beyond ourselves and our circle. When did we past ponder that God is the builder of everything, and because of Jesus we have a heavenly calling?

How would we work differently if we considered Jesus Master over our lives? What worries will we release to Christ’s faithfulness and rule? What doubts and calloused attitudes will we bring to His merciful, cleansing intercession? When will we humbly, receptively, listen to His voice?

“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.” ~ Stuart Townend (1995)

Lord, give me ears to hear and a soft heart to believe, and love You.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.”

“What causes quarrels and fights among you? Is it not that your passions are at war within you?  You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions… Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?.. The Scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit he has made to dwell in us’… ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.^‘  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded…  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 1:13-16; 4:1-8,10

“Whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” 2 Peter 2:19b

God the Creator made heavens and earth with all their swirling and magnetic and gravitational powers. Winds in the skies, spinning orbits, crashing rhythmic ocean waves, all come and are superintended by His mighty hand. And so the emotion and pull of sin and soul, jealousy and love, temptation and resistance. Since Eden the world is fraught with the inimitable conflict, the strange and palpable war of yearnings to be resolved only in the final day. (Song of Songs 8:6)

Even the Lord God grieved over man He’d made in His image when He saw the ugly results of his rebel heart, yet He rejoices over His own with glad singing. We, as parents or children or friends who ourselves are constantly pulled by sin, can love so hard it hurts. (Genesis 6:5-7; Zephaniah 3:17)

For what am I currently yearning? A relationship God has withheld? Freedom from regret or shame? Healing and wholeness? A job or life situation that’s been forever elusive? Victory over a besetting sin? Justice done or a conflict resolved? Hope deferred can sicken the heart, yet substantial hope in the Lord brings freedom and joy. He understands these earthly conflicts and gives deep abiding peace for the soul. When all our longings are in Him, they will be fully satisfied. (Psalm 38:9; Proverbs 13:12; John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

When we’re in the roil of turmoil, will we pause long enough to recount what is right and true? God is for us, His Spirit greater and Conqueror over the one in the world against us. Christ and the Spirit constantly intercede for us. Every longing is fulfilled in Christ, and one day, all will be well. Would we in Him stake our hope? (Romans 8:26-34; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 4:4)

Lord God, help me yield every yearning to Your tending and care, and submit to Your full and glorious sway.