As the rain and snow

“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; 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.

“In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, ‘Syria is in league with Ephraim,’ the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

“And the Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go out to meet Ahaz,… and say to him, “Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and [Pekah]. Because Syria, with Ephraim and [Pekah], has devised evil against you, saying, ‘Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,^‘ thus says the Lord God:

“‘It shall not stand,
    and it shall not come to pass…
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people….
If you are not firm in faith,
    you will not be firm at all.’” Isaiah 7:1-9

“Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.  But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread… To the word and to the testimony!” Isaiah 8:12-13,20

News from the field was disquieting, harrowing, but the message from God through Isaiah met every point with promise. The word that both Syria and Ephraim were in league to destroy Judah set them trembling and darkened Ahaz’s outlook, yet God’s word that it would not come to stand flooded desperation with light, eliciting the quiet and firm faith He commanded. Judah and her king could fret, falter, and faint in fear, or fix themselves in triumphant faith that would grow over the ensuing years.

Word from the field in our day is full of gloomy uncertainty. Military, economic, health, and relational pressures choke and paralyze, hypothetical scenarios threaten to undo any sense of normalcy and calm. Media messages are rife with bad news, dark possibilities, and fear-inducing sound bites.

God’s word reminds us that He is over all things, in control and working His benevolent plans. He who triumphed over the grave is ultimate Victor. He is writing His story of history and will finish all he has begun with mercy and justice. He is far more worthy of our faith than circumstances are of our fear. (Ephesians 4:6; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)

What specific world or personal situations are unsettling us at present? How do these potential and very real threats stand against the Lord’s promises? How do our fussing and fears measure against God’s wisdom, care, and power? How seriously do we take our heavenly Father at His word, and so proceed through dark moments in faith? (Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 43:19; Matthew 10:28; Romans 8:14-17,31-39)

“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.” ~R. Keen (1787)

Lord, help me trust Your promises with hope in Your victory, and so live by faith instead of fear, to Your glory.

“God came to Balaam and said, ‘Who are these men with you?’ Balaam said to God, ‘Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, “A people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come, curse them for me…”’ God said, ‘You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed…’

“The angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as [Balaam’s] adversary. He was riding on the donkey… The donkey saw the angel standing in the road, with a drawn sword, [and] turned aside into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. Then the angel stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. When the donkey saw the angel, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn… When the donkey saw the angel, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’ And Balaam said to the donkey, ‘Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.’ The donkey said, ‘Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?’ And he said, ‘No.’

“Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he… bowed and fell on his face… The angel of the Lord said, ‘Speak only the word that I tell you.'” Numbers 22:9-12; 22-31,35

When Israel encamped in the plains, the Moabites feared for their lives. The king’s son sought Balaam, a non-Israelite soothsayer, with divination fees, then promises of honor, to curse Israel for him. Balaam at first refused, then waffled. For him to pretend to be God’s spokesperson, then succumb to pressure and the pledge of reward, revealed his vacancy of true devotion. His foolish antics and angry conversation with his donkey exhibited true folly that would meet God’s sovereignty and ultimate judgment. (Numbers 22:1-8,15-21; 31:8; Joshua 13:22; 2 Peter 2:15-16)

The temptations we entertain and companions we espouse expose our measure of wisdom or foolishness. It’s spiritually dangerous to flirt with greedy ambition or moral compromise, or to get too cozy with those who rebel against God’s word and disdain His people. Every inane conversation participated in, every step in rebellion, every choice of mediocre over God’s best, dilutes and divides the whole heart. The Lord will not be mocked by lukewarm devotion or fickle obedience. His sovereign ways ultimately rule. (Proverbs 13:20; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Galatians 6:7; Revelation 3:16)

What worldly coquetry has led us to fraternize with fools who rebel against truth, and so weakened our faithfulness to God? What causes us to veer away from healthy fellowship? What will we do about it? If we open our eyes and give honest confession, the Lord will redirect our affections and give courage to change our ways. (Hebrews 10:22-25; 1 John 1:6-9)

Father, lead me in Your wisdom, to Your glory.

“You, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
    you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

I have been as a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day…
My enemies… consult together
and say, ‘God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.’

O God, be not far from me;
    O my God, make haste to help me!..
I will hope continually
    and will praise you yet more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for their number is past my knowledge.
With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up…
    and comfort me again.

I will also praise you…
    for your faithfulness…
My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.
And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long.” Psalm 71:5-8,10-12,14-24a

The psalmist writes as he speaks, pouring forth words of need, confidence, and praise. Continual praise. With every ardent desire he affirms his Rock’s righteousness, with every shudder at enemy onslaught he hopes in God’s able deliverance and faithfulness. His heart and so his mouth are full of his Lord’s wondrous deeds to be remembered and repeated. Praise is the fuel and focus of his existence. (Luke 6:45)

Our mouths are busy instruments. The world is loud with voices. The words we speak indicate the content of heart and mind. A litany of complaint or castigation reveals ingratitude and entitlement, of wants, self-centered consumption. When we’re consumed with the Lord more than ourselves, we meet the same upsets and opposition with captivated wonder and assurance. Detailing and declaring His perfections and deeds bolsters faith, expectancy, and joy, and invites others to join in. (Matthew 15:18)

Which will it be for me? Do I approach prayer with my list of woes, explanations, excuses, and demands? Or do I come acknowledging who God is in all His greatness and glory, then recite His praises? How will my attitude in prayer change if I concentrate affection on Him instead of self?

Do I enter conversations with condescension, strutting for notice or admiration? With malice, demeaning another’s follies, or whining that spotlights my troubles or victimhood? Or is my goal to elevate the banter, to highlight Jesus, to revere and praise the divine Guest? A correction of heart content and mental concentration will fill what flows forth from our mouths with God’s consistency and goodness. (Psalm 19:14; 139:23-24)

Lord, fill my heart and mouth to overflow with Your worthy praise.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come..” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation…

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

“Beloved, I urge you… to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul….

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” 1 Peter 1:23; 2:1-2,4-5,9-11,24

Born again of imperishable seed. The old given way to new. The Christian’s call upon salvation is to come fully in to the new life of righteousness, to embody Christ and effectuate His possession of us in ways that proclaim His excellencies. It is no stagnant existence to which we are born, but a continual coming and growing, putting away and putting on. (Colossians 3:5-8,12-14)

In the bustle of a daily grind or the casualness of seasonal malaise, we can forget the new life altogether. Subconsciously, a spiritual transaction has taken place, but practically, we are not energized by it or even aware of the power of our life in Christ. Complacency overcomes initial zeal, and taking-for-granted swallows gratitude and vibrancy.

Yet, the living and abiding word of God is active, not passive. The Spirit kneads truth into our souls to stimulate holy desire and spur us to grow, love, and do good. He chafes our consciences, identifies all that does not please Him, and gives strength to put it away. Every day He offers new morning mercies: we can renounce and redress, invigorated by the realities of imperishable hope and our identity as God’s own. (Lamentations 3:22-23; Hebrews 10:22-25)

Have we come to Jesus? Do we know Him as Savior, and that we have been adopted and made new by Him? Where and how have we experienced His benevolent mercy applied? What old habits, inclinations, language, unhealthy relationships, or bitterness has He made pass away, and how is He making all things new?

For what will we determine to regularly come? When are we partaking of pure spiritual milk by way of drinking in God’s word, developing spiritual disciplines, partaking in rich fellowship with giving and taking? How do our growth markers measure by way of specific and significant differences in passions, proclivities, daily priorities, focus, loves? Continual coming will yield continual growing.

Father, keep me coming to You for renewal, so I’ll consistently put off my old and put on the new, and so reflect Your image and excellencies. (Colossians 3:9-10)