As the rain and snow

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

“The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Genesis 39:1-6a

Joseph could not have been happy about his brothers’ cruel and unfair treatment, or being sold to Ishmaelite traders and transported to Egypt. But he knew and served his God even after being bought by one of Pharoah’s officers as a slave. The Lord gave him such success that Potiphar took note and elevated him in his household. What Joseph’s brothers had meant for evil God was using, in His long, broad plan, for the good of many. His plan would flourish under and through this rejected, displaced servant who chose to honor God and serve His purposes wherever he was. (Genesis 37:18-28; 39:23; 41:50-52; 50:19-21)

There are opportunities every day to rest in and exercise the Lord’s presence. We interact, work, organize, purchase, recreate, often without considerable friction, subconsciously counting on His favor. Our pleasure and success may seem to others to come by our own hand.

But when circumstances go against us, and taunt with temptation to get angry, blame God, and turn our backs, He might be perfectly positioning us to stand out and make Him obvious. Continued dependence on and trust in Him during the most challenging times will fortify our resolve and brighten our witness.

How steadily do we remain faithful to the Lord when all else goes against us? How might the backdrop of dark times allow a brilliant confidence in Him to shine to those watching? What about our spirit, countenance, interest in or treatment of others reflects the Lord’s nature? How can we cultivate wisdom, love, and grace in Him, so those who do not know God recognize His presence? When we get out of the way, and go about duties with His excellence and zeal, the Lord Jesus becomes obvious, His favor and handiwork evident. What better way to show Him off and make Him known to a needy world? (Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 3:15-16)

‘I am with you,’ I hear Him say,
‘To walk beside you day by day.
To fill you with wisdom, hope, and good,
To keep and guide you as you should

‘Walk before Me, and serve others
To bring them favor, love your brothers.
The closer you follow and trust they’ll see
It is not you, but always Me.’ (PEB)

Lord, make me faithful, so steady obedience and faithful service proclaim Your excellencies and make obvious Your favor and glory. (1 Peter 2:9)

“Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”‘  Peter said, ‘Even though they all fall away, I will not.’ ‘Simon, Simon, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,  but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail… I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.’  But he said emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I will not deny you…’

“They went to Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’ Going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed.., ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’ And he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak…’ 

“While he was still speaking, Judas came…  and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. And they seized him. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear…

“Peter followed him at a distance, into the courtyard of the high priest. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire…

“One of the servant girls of the high priest… looked at him and said, ‘You were with Jesus.’ But he denied it, ‘I neither know nor understand what you mean.’ And he went out into the gateway and… again he denied it… The bystanders said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them…’ But he began to invoke a curse on himself and swear, ‘I do not know this man…’ Immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered [what] Jesus had said… And he broke down and wept.” Mark 14:27,29-38,43a,45-46,50,54,66-68,70-72; Luke 22:31-32; John 18:20)

After spending three years alongside Jesus, even after explicit warnings from Him, Peter fell hard. He fell asleep, askew, aback, and away. This disciple who was full on for his Christ could not shake the persistent gravity of temptation to fall. Bold, brazen, and bumbling was he. As the cross loomed near, the rooster’s repeated crow awakened him to his folly, and ultimately he fell on the mercy of his Savior. (Matthew 16:15-16,21-23)

Satan delights to tempt Christ’s followers. He sees devotion, hears pledges of fealty, and works craftily to poke in weak places. Jesus warns us, prays for us, and urges us to watch and pray. We must beware the luring of complacency, the pitfalls of confidence, and the fallings that discourage us away from victory.

How alert are we to recognize weak flesh and avoid falling? How vigilantly do we hide God’s word in, and guard, our hearts? How will we more carefully put on His armor every day? With whom are we accountable not to indulge the flesh? Christ lovingly empowers willing spirits. (Psalm 119:9-12; Ephesians 6:10-18; Romans 13:14)

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and present you blameless before his glorious presence with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority… forever.” Jude 1:24-25

Amen!

“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah… And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” Luke 1:5-7

In human thinking, every check mark was ticked off: Priestly lineage, righteous, devoted, blameless, obedient. He was even serving the Lord as priest. But Zechariah and Elizabeth’s God-given desire for and joy of children was not to be. From an earthly vantage point, it would seem that these favors from God would deserve man’s description of blessing also bestowed by Him, but He sees and works differently from us. His timing and ways are not measured as we would. (Job 1:1-2:10; Isaiah 55:8-9)

Yes, the Lord is good through and through, and with Him are many guarantees, but through the limited lens of man, sometimes they seem contrary to reason. We cannot grasp His whys and hows, and in our wondering are called to trust His Who. Only in knowing Him and His character can we be certain of the assurances we can trust and see His grace in them all.

God has not guaranteed that all our desires and plans will be fulfilled, but He has promised that if we delight in Him, He’ll shape those desires and fulfill His plans. He has not guaranteed we’ll have many years on earth, but He does know the full number of our days and promises abundant life. There are no guarantees that life will be easy, but it is true that He works all things together for His children’s good. There’s no guarantee of justice on earth, but it’s true that God is just. It is not guaranteed that we can do and succeed in anything, but we can know that nothing impossible with God. (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 37:4; 139:16; Isaiah 14:24; Luke 1:37; John 10:10; Romans 8:28)

How do these truths reorient and reshape our mindset, wants, and prayers? How can they take us beyond shallow, emotional yearning to deep spiritual hunger? The higher we think of God, the vaster we see His purposes- that He might withhold to prove His sustenance, or chafe to prove His comfort.

“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?

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, in every circumstance, difficulty, and conundrum, help me rejoice in and trust Your guarantees.

“[John] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins… He said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance… Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

“And the crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’ Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’” Luke 3:3,7-14

The announcement of John the Baptist to prepare for Jesus evoked a clamor of curiosity and confusion. The crowds thought it advantageous to flee God’s wrath by getting baptized, to see the salvation of God, but didn’t seem to understand the deeper significance of genuine repentance. John explained that once identifying with God, there should ensue an outflow of good deeds. God’s great work of forgiving sins should necessarily be followed by fruit borne from that forgiven heart. (Luke 3:4-6)

Many succumb to the devil’s ruse to hold to the great thing and neglect the good things to follow. We’re forgiven, so then free to behave as we want, because God’s grace will keep flowing. If we err, we might serve penance or make reparations by insincere devotion, but under that discombobulated reasoning, fail to give ourselves to genuine good things that the Lord demands. True repentance and identification with Jesus creates compulsion to do the works that He prescribes. (Romans 6:1-2)

Do I ask for divine direction, then give reasons why my way is better? Do I pretend to espouse God’s will, then make excuses not to obey? It is not until I grasp the very great thing Jesus has done on my behalf that I begin to desire His will above my own. Only then are surrender and sacrifice an eager, whole-hearted response.

What good things will I do to adorn the exquisite love and salvation of the Lord Jesus? He calls some to large scale, some to small, some to world-wide investment, some to regional. Our ministry might be wide-sweeping or narrow and granular, public or private. What is it for me? How faithful and steadfast am I to do every particular thing for His glory and others’ good? He who calls will indeed supply. (2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 6:9-10; Hebrews 13:16; James 1:22,26-27)

“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

Father, keep my heart so full of gratitude for the great things done on my behalf that I overflow with good to those around me, to Your glory.

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’

‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.^“ There is no commandment greater than these.’

‘”Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’

“When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.” Mark 12:28-34

The unnamed scribe, drawn to Jesus by His handling of disputes with the religious leaders, asks a defining question. When the others nitpicked about hypotheticals, trying to catch Jesus in some inconsistency, He told them they erred by not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. Their contrary attitudes sparked from wrong motives and understanding of God. The honest inquirer, with pure intent, sought definitive instruction on the greatest commandment, and was memorialized by his assent to Jesus’ response. (Mark 12:13-27)

Our grappling with the ways of God and truths of Scripture is welcome in His sight. The Lord Jesus stands ready to clarify what we want to know in faith, urging us on to deeper understanding and trust. He exposes an opposing spirit so He can correct and elevate our thinking.

Do our questions of God rise from a fighting or inquiring spirit? Is it our habit to approach Him with clenched fists and underlying accusation, a contrary posture, or a ready defense? Or do we earnestly seek and embrace His wisdom with open hands? Are we more inclined to nay-say and argue with ‘buts’ and excuses than to accept and agree?

True seekers are open to a washing and illuminating, a reordering of outlook, attitude, and loves. Every honest exploration will be met with truth than directs and transforms. Naming doubts and misunderstandings with an open heart goes a long way to growing in the Word and ways of God. How genuinely do we want to know the truth? How willing are we to consent to and apply what the Lord God conveys? The more we agree with the Lord, the more He will reveal and conform us to His way of thinking and living. (John 13:5-9)

“O for a heart to seek my God,
a heart from sin set free,
a heart believing all He says,
and e’en when hard, agrees.

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
obedient, honest, true;
grant heart and impulse, thought renewed,
As only You can do.” ~Charles Wesley (1742) and PEB

Lord, identify me by my agreement with You, so Your love and word and glory are reflected in all I do and say.

“He saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.  When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.  Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’  But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?’  He said, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see…’ They said, ‘Five, and two fish.’  Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down by hundreds and fifties.  Taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven, said a blessing, broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. He divided the two fish among them all.  And they all ate and were satisfied. They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.  Those who ate were five thousand men.” Mark 6:34-44

A frenzied day, attempted but thwarted rest, and pressing crowds set up a powerful miracle and lesson from their Teacher. What the disciples saw as an unsolvable problem Jesus met with compassion and possibility. The Rabbi, wearied or grieved or spent as He may have been, made the most of the situation for the most good for His disciples. (Mark 6:30-33)

Jesus is always challenging His followers to think differently. The flesh that always cries for more is wired to dwell on what we don’t have, not what we do. The Shepherd of our souls positions us to call on and offer what He has given, however inadequate we deem it, then trust and watch what He can do. Imagination, gifts, resources, when employed for Him, are multiplied by His hand and purpose. Worry becomes thanksgiving, little becomes much, lack becomes fulfillment. (Proverbs 30:15-16; 1 Peter 2:25)

What is the Spirit nudging me to employ or give over for His blessing and benefit of others? What meager or much will I offer Jesus for His handling and multiplication? What comparisons, insecurities, or selfishness can I renounce so the Lord can be magnified through exercise of His gifts? In what new area or situation might He want to use my willingness? (James 1:17)

“Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.” ~Frances Ridley Havergal (1874)

Amen.

“After a long time Judah’s wife died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah…

“When Tamar was told, ‘Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,^‘ she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

“When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute… Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he… said, ‘Come now, let me sleep with you.’

“’What will you give me to sleep with you?’ she asked.

“’I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,’ he said.

“’Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?.. Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand?’ she [asked]. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again…

“About three months later Judah was told, ‘Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and… is now pregnant.’

“Judah said, ‘Bring her out and have her burned to death!’

“As she was being brought out, she sent a message to [Judah]. ‘I am pregnant by the man who owns these… See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.’

“Judah recognized them and said, ‘She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.'” Genesis 38:12-19,24-26

Judah, fourth son of Jacob, bore three sons by a Canaanite woman, and took Tamar as the firstborn’s wife. According to Jewish law, when the first two sons died as judgment for wickedness, she was to be ‘saved’ for son #3 to provide an heir. In fear of losing another son, Judah failed to fulfill that promise. Tamar, in faith, disguised herself as a prostitute and conceived by Judah to fulfill the law, and came into the line of Christ. What a mess of disobedience, fear, deceit, and immorality! Yet into this quagmire of nasty conniving broke God’s amazing grace, brash in its confounding, brilliant in its splendor. (Genesis 38:1-11,20-23; Matthew 1:1-3)

What a mess we can make of situations and lives. That first drift into the foreign territory of sin breeds distorted justification, fiery lusts, discombobulated reason. One act of neglect, one decision made in pride, anger, or fear, one deception bleeds to the next until only the Lord can return us to spiritual plumb and redeem. Remarkably, nothing is lost beyond restoration with God’s grace. It works most powerfully in the grime and shame of godless choices.

Where are we in a relationship, work dealing, attitude, resentment, or resignation, that we deem beyond repair? Have we settled into a sin pattern we’re excusing, or ignoring? What obedience have we set aside, what stewardship do we eschew, what hardness of heart are we coddling? The vast and mighty grace of God penetrates the deepest sins and brings the life of Christ to bear. Will we yield?

With every confounding by grace, life is renewed, and the Lord God is magnified.

Lord, keep me returning to Your grace-adorned throne, so Your will wins and Your glory shines.

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

“To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

“May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith… [of] the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed.., ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ…

“These people… defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones… [They] blaspheme all that they do not understand, and are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.  Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain… and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are blemishes at your love feasts,.. without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted…

“These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage…

“They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’  It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.  But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,  keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life…  Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1-4,8,10-12,16,18-21,24-25

The short letter of Jude, brother and servant of Jesus Christ, begins and ends with the concept of being kept. He addresses the believers as those who have been called and are beloved by Jesus, each bearing the assured keeping of the Lord himself. Those He calls He watchfully and securely keeps in His steadfast love. An appeal to contend for the faith, bewaring ungodly people who would lead to perversion of grace and godly living by keeping themselves in Christ’s love, is hemmed in by blessing. The salutation extends mercy, peace, and love, and the closing declares God’s keeping power.

Contending for faith is of utmost importance in the onslaught of rebellion and deception, the cultural mire of unreasonableness and immorality. Contrasts are clear, and God’s people are called to stand distinct. How are we keeping ourselves in the love of Christ and reality of His kingdom?

When we’re kept by Jesus, we can rely on His truth over qualms and pressures. By His mercy, we desire to honor Him with our bodies over defiling the flesh, submit in joy to His authority instead of rejecting it. What evidence of Christ’s keeping do we display in how we respond to temptation, the antagonism of people around us, the challenge of unjust or disagreeable authority? How has He kept us in His wisdom, understanding, Spirit’s gifts, and hope? How will we live more boldly and confidently in a harsh world knowing we’re kept for Jesus, by Jesus? Secured by His benediction of power we go! (Revelation 1:3)

Father, help me keep Your word in faith and exemplify the grace and glory of your wondrous keeping.

“Solomon established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great…

“And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, [to] the tent of meeting of God… Moreover, the bronze altar… was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. Solomon and the assembly sought it out. Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

“In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, ‘Ask what I shall give you.’  And Solomon said to God, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?’ God answered Solomon, ‘Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.'” 2 Chronicles 1:1,3,5-12

When Solomon establishes himself in his kingdom, he actually is establishing the Lord on high over his kingdom- as Lord and Master of his heart, his determination, and his nation. He made it top priority to approach God’s altar and offer generous sacrifices as an expression of reverence to the Owner of all things, and in humble gratitude for what the Lord had entrusted to him. It was here, in this moment of offering, that the Lord conversed with him and granted him more than Solomon would have imagined.

Availability to the Lord through worship and surrender opens the way to converse with Him, to hear His voice and receive His treasures known only in the secret place. The posture of our hearts affects how we come before Him and interact. God draws our spirits, and is pleased by our humility, offerings, and obedience. He meets us as we pray to commune and equip with power according to our needs. (Matthew 6:6-8; 7:7-8)

How available do we make ourselves to the Lord? He is ever present, keeping watch, ready to listen, remind, instruct, and console. His time is eternal, His bounty limitless. We are the fickle, inconsistent ones, darting in and out of conversation, distractedly weighing options or tending to pet lesser gods or affections. How often do we enjoy deep, meaningful, life-giving interaction with Him?

When, and with what, will I approach the Lord today? For what will I specifically ask? How has He faithfully met me and answered my needs with lavish riches of His presence and power? (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Lord, keep me available for Your voice, and expectant for Your enabling to do Your will.

“Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.  And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.  And he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come here.’  And he said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent.  And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.  The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” Mark 3:1-6

In the murmur of the synagogue, the proud Pharisees were all about eyes and judgment this Sabbath Day. Look, Jesus had spotted the man with the withered hand and is calling him over. ‘How dare He break our rules! How dare He interrupt our purity by restoring the hand!’ Nary a thought for the man rendered incapable of his livelihood, nary a notice of the compassion of the Teacher. Their hearts were so hardened with strict regulation and brusque, merciless enforcement they were calloused to individual care and the deeper work of the Messiah. ‘Break our rules and you deserve to be destroyed.’

Whenever we make our standards and need for control of utmost importance, we harden against the goodness of God. Each judgment spoken or condemnation enacted without the filter of grace and prayer calcifies the heart a bit more. A sense of superiority works against compassion, and self-erected idols leave no room for worship. Priorities that exalt anything or anyone but Christ are priorities askew. Hold rules over relationships and procedures over people’s value, and conformity will trump compassion, deliberation will supersede devotion. Spend our efforts inspecting, criticizing, and performing instead of listening, knowing, and serving, and we end up hardened people who refuse to care about others and resist the Lord’s sanctifying work.

Who has Christ called us to be? Where does He place priority when it comes to following His commands? He condemns offering rote sacrifice without heart obedience and devotion. The exercise of intellect, abilities, and moral generosity without love is counted for naught. It is human nature to recognize and point out others for certain infractions and fail to see the harshness, stubbornness, and pride in ourselves, yet the Lord is grieved with our hard hearts. (1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

When was the last time we inspected our mental gymnastics and asked Him to expose and correct misalignment? What areas of rigidity have hardened us against certain people, or opportunities to spread God’s love? Have we fallen prey to the devil’s scheme to be more preoccupied with nitpicking of others than thoughtful, honest, personal confession and repentance? Do we twist God’s standards to conform to personal preference rather than contemplate and honor why He set boundaries in the first place? Where have we grown tough against the majesty, authority, and kindness of God, and how will we begin to allow the Spirit’s softening and remaking of our hearts? Hard souls will forever reject the Lord’s intrusion, but to welcome His life within brings fullness of joy.

Father, keep my heart forever pliable and inclined to You.