As the rain and snow

“What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.”

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept… burning offerings to idols.

“Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love…
and I bent down to them and fed them…
My people are bent on turning away from me…

“How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?..
My compassion grows warm and tender.”

“There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds…”

“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up…
Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”

“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity…
Say to him,
‘Take away all iniquity…’

“I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely…
They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine.” Hosea 6:4; 11:1-4,7-8; 4:1-2; 6:1,3; 14:1-2,4,7

The prophet Hosea lives a life and tells of life that is in and out of love with the Lord. The portrait of the loving God, steadfast and strong, is a beautiful backdrop to the fickle affections of God’s people. The contrast between Divine love poured out and that love rebuffed is startling and meant to convict. Oh, that the people would return to the God who redeems rebels!

God provides, we resist. He pursues, we remonstrate. He prevails, we repent and are mercifully, lavishly restored. These are all gifts from a gracious God who goes after His own, though our love for Him evaporates with cares of the day. He guides, He tends, He woos in love. We turn, we transgress, we lust after idols. He awaits and wills our return, arms wide with the promise of healing and flourishing. His love never fails.

When we walk away from the Lord, we might think we’re free, but cannot shake the heaviness of guilt or shame. We refuse His provision and go after false fixes when we really need God’s cleansing. The only way to healing and wholeness is to return to the Lover of our souls.

What causes resistance to His love? What has made us turn away, our hearts grow cold? Where have we run? What keeps us from confessing sin habits of deed and attitude, and accepting His good cleansing? If His spirit is stirring, return! Give it up, lay it down, cease from stumbling, choose to return His love with love and adoration. There is no better time than now.

Loving Lord, keep me pressing on to know, abide in, and honor You in reciprocal love.

“He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
The trees of the Lord are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.” Psalm 104:13-17

The psalmist’s praise of his majestic Lord describes His splendid order and the extravagant richness and purposes of nature. God created land and growing plants for man’s exercise and satisfaction in cultivation; for his productivity and lessons of cause and effect, pruning and fruitfulness; for enjoyment for the senses; and to supply nourishment and other needs for man and animal. Pleasure, health, and strength for those made in His image are His bounty, as well as are space and sustenance for creatures. In His grand design, all He plants cause wonder and praise. (Genesis 1:9-10,26-28; 2:8-9,15)

The Lord plants us where He does for practical and heavenly purposes too. Within families, workplaces, communities, and churches we have specific roles that exercise our gifts and contribute to those around us. Productivity in any of these places can be used by God to nourish, upbuild, compel progress and success, and give satisfaction. No one else has our specific proclivities or talents or motivations, and gladness is ours as we serve our Lord’s purposes where we are. (Acts 17:24-27)

In what land has He placed us at present? It may be a certain geographical location, or job role, a place of bereavement or waiting or longing, a challenging season or life adjustment. The God who planted us there is the same One who designed us for that very place, and supplies all we need to fulfill His purposes.

How vigorously are we growing, and gladdening hearts? Do we take seriously our stewardship of nourishment, resources, life itself, or do we greet our days with only casual care? In what particular areas does the Lord intend for our fruitfulness, and how are we fulfilling that? Do we fuss, compare, or covet, or dig in, establish roots, and flourish as we were meant to, with zeal? In what ways will we bring praise to our Creator today?

“All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.

Each little flow’r that opens,
each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
the river running by,
the sunset and the morning
that brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden:
He made them every one.

He gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.” ~ Cecil Frances Alexander (1848)

Lord, may I ever rejoice where You have planted me, and live to gladden others and glorify You.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice… Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-11; 4:4,6-7

Paul is completely inundated with the gospel of Jesus Christ and its attending joy. His ongoing thankfulness for God’s people established a prayer life full of confident expectation, trust, anticipation, and peace. Compelled to serve and testify to everyone, he is all-consumed with God’s grace. In all his thoughts, always and with every breath, He feels and ascertains and hopes and urges rejoicing. His desire is that God’s people would share his holy compulsion.

Do we? How deep have we gone in our faith and surrender to the Lord? Do we have such partners in the gospel that we daily pray for them and share the trials and triumphs of ministry? When we’re consumed with love for Christ, and thankfulness for all He’s done for us and the ministry He’s entrusted to us, we spill over with prayer, hope, and encouragement for those around us.

What causes our hearts to beat with excitement? Where are we daily spending our attention and words? Eager, grateful hearts have great bearing on how we put ourselves and our time to use. When we are thankful, affectionately care for one another, and yearn for others’ maturity, discernment, and purity, we will be constrained to give our whole selves, at all times, for Jesus’s sake. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20; Ephesians 6:18)

“All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs,
all my thoughts and words and doings,
all my days and all my hours.

Let my hands perform his bidding,
let my feet run in his ways;
let my eyes see Jesus only,
let my lips speak forth his praise.

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
so enchained my spirit’s vision,
looking at the Crucified.

O what wonder! How amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
deigns to call me his beloved,
lets me rest beneath his wings.” ~ Mary Dagworthy James (1873)

Lord, bless my remembrances and compel me to pray and serve with my whole self, to Your glory.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace…

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11

Brown garden has crisped, closed for winter. Crumbled soil lies fallow, awaiting winter’s rest. Catching the eye in the barren tangle of stems and autumn-crunched leaves is a pop of color. Late bloomers, bright reminders of seasons spent and those to come. Beauty blossoms, beauty is laid to rest, beauty will come again.

From creation, God’s established seasons have invigorated and regenerated life. The changing of light, weather, orbits all contribute to waxing and waning, growing and shrinking, life and death as necessary elements in God’s rhythms for heaven and earth and His people. He enfolds hues and wonder, pang and rapture into rich moments that are here and gone. Ethereal, memorable beauties enthrall and fill the senses, then wistfully pass, leaving exquisite, indelible joy.

We can relish each season, knowing that every one depends on and complements the others. God gives gifts and loved ones for appointed times, and redeems His purposes within allotted periods. His sovereign ways allow for beauty in each moment.

How do we handle our God-given seasons? Do we waste or make the most of opportunities to grow, serve, bloom, and bless? How will we best flourish and glorify God within our allotted times? (Psalm 92:12-15)

“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)

Lord, may I relish and maximize every season You ordain.

“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man… in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but a leper. Now the Syrians… had carried off a little girl from Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went and told his lord,.. and the king said, ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’

“So he… brought the letter to the king of Israel… When the king read [it], he… said, ‘Am I God, to kill and make alive..?’

“Elisha the man of God… [said], ‘Let him come to me, that he may know there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger, saying, ‘Go wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored…’ Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought he would surely come out to me and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not the rivers of Damascus better than the waters of Israel?..’ He went away in a rage. His servants… said, ‘It is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said, “Wash, and be clean?”‘ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan,..  and his flesh was restored.., and he was clean.” 2 Kings 5:1-14

Naaman’s important position could not keep him from contracting leprosy, but it did from the humble steps required to cure it. Informed of the prophet’s abilities, in extravagant pomp, he arrived at Elisha’s house, only to be addressed by a messenger instead of the man. His importance rebuffed, he raged at the instruction to dip in an inferior river, but the Lord used yet another servant to set the commander right. Once cleansed of disease, he was refused even his gift of thanks. God alone was supreme. (2 Kings 5:15-16)

Oh, how we like to feel important! What we’ve done, who we know, where we’ve been, what we think. We relish control and the ability to make things happen, to rule. Yet in pursuit of our affection, the Lord often impedes our drive to prove His majesty.

When we’re too full of our good self we have no room for better and best. Unless we humbly acknowledge our inability, we cannot see God’s ability. Unless we drop our reins, we cannot be directed by His. Unless we relinquish our certain ideas of success, we’ll never know His. God will not bless our touching His glory. (Isaiah 42:8)

Where am I refusing to give up my importance? The way things need to be, what I’m willing to do, how I must structure my days, or years? How yielded am I to the will of God, and His way to wholeness? What hard situations in my life- doubts, detriments, diseases, disabilities, or disappointments- might the Lord in love have placed there to pursue my surrender? (Luke 22:42)

Lord, humble me to desire and submit to Your ways.

“The Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage…

Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?
If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
When I thought, ‘My foot slips,’
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul…
The Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.” Psalm 94: 14,16-19,22

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your cares on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

The psalmist’s song is thick with conviction: The Lord never forsakes His own. He is ever near as help, stronghold, and rock of refuge. The writer’s certitude is borne of experience. When evil people threatened to consume him, God faithfully and perfectly intervened. His heaviest cares were no match for heavenly consolation, his soul’s darkest sorrows were flooded with cheer. The more he trusted, the more real became his divine Fortress.

There cannot be consolation’s cheer without cares’ fear, angst, and weight. We would never know the sweet balm of comfort were it not for sorrow, God’s strong defense if we recognized no enemies. Over experiences harsh and kind, we learn that the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, and we can bless His name. He is ever on our side to defend and console. (Job 1:21; Psalm 23:3-4; Matthew 5:4; Romans 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

How familiar are our hurting hearts with God’s benevolent economy? What presently chafes, chokes, or crushes? Do we feel forsaken, forgotten? Do we wrestle with why, or look to God’s Who? Do we fight with our own smarts and strength, or look to the Shepherd of our souls? He will not abandon, rather always draw near.

Might God lead us to the wilderness to meet us with His presence, allow pain and sorrow to apply His soothing balm? Where can we expect His support and sustaining? Choosing to trust His sovereignty in every circumstance opens the way to experience His upholding and enabling, and there we find cheer.

“All the way my Savior leads me.
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt his tender mercy,
Who thru’ life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus fashions all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for ev’ry trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Tho’ my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me;
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, cloth’d immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song thru’ endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.” ~Fanny Crosby (1875)

Lord, help me expect and rest in Your generous care and consolations, to Your praise.

“Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

“‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.'” Revelation 21:1-6

“For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:5

Amen

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king said to Daniel, ‘Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.’ Then the king gave Daniel high honors and great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon…

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in Babylon. Then [he] sent to gather the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, justices, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image. They… gathered for the dedication… The herald proclaimed, ‘You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of… every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace…’

“Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought… Nebuchadnezzar… said to them, ‘Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?.. If you do not, you shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?’

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace… But if not, be it known that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up.” Daniel 2:46-48; 3:1-6,13-14,16-18

King Nebuchadnezzar had a confused sense of supremacy. Irrational and fickle, he wielded his authority carelessly. When Daniel revealed God’s interpretation of his dream, he spontaneously honored Daniel like royalty and declared his God as Lord of kings, yet proceeded to erect a huge gold image he demanded people worship. For him, the only true sovereign was Self, and all underlings would suffer if they did not concede. Only after God humbled him did he acknowledge the true God as God. (Daniel 2:12-23,26-28; 3:19-22,26-30; 4:28-37)

Capricious and arrogant, man tends to crafting God in his own image. We give lip service as expected or convenient, but resist yielding our throne. We might credit Him with obvious miracles, but then reduce or disparage Him when things don’t go our way. When God isn’t really God to us, life gets disordered, and we make foolish decisions. Only the truth can set us free to see, fear, and adore Him for who He is. (John 8:31-32)

In truth, God is always God, but He sometimes has to go to great lengths to convince us of that. What misconceptions about God’s sovereignty do we hold with no biblical basis? Where are we taking His place in setting direction and managing our affairs? What little lords do we follow astray? What attitudes need to be adjusted, what preferences and choices reordered, so we submit to the Lord on His rightful throne?

Lord, may I ever praise, extol, and honor You as King of kings.

“The men of the city said,.. ‘The situation of this city is pleasant,.. but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful….’ Then [Elisha] went to the spring and threw salt in it and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water.'”

“The [Shunamite] woman [who’d built him a room] conceived, and bore a son the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

“When the child had grown,.. he died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and went out…

“When she came to the mountain to the man of God,.. [Elisha] said, ‘She is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me…’ So he arose and followed her…

“When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in… and prayed to the Lord… And the child sneezed.., and opened his eyes.” 2 Kings 2:19,21; 4:17-18,20-21,27,30,32-33,35

In the days following Elijah’s departure, his successor Elisha exhibited the spirit he’d requested. He continued God’s prophetic ministry with sensitivity and care, directing king to military success, widow to sustenance, citizens to fresh water, and barren woman to her heart’s desire. Never haughty or aloof as God’s chosen, Elisha served his Master earnestly one step and place at a time. Eager to follow the Lord’s bidding, he also willingly acknowledged when he lacked and asked the Lord to supply. (2 Kings 2:9,15; 3:13-19)

The Lord desires earnest obedience that willingly goes where He directs, does what He asks, and trusts Him for equipping. Humble plodding keeps us keen to His leading and develops skills He imbues. Where arrogance and self-confidence might lead us to prefer certain positions or tasks, submission leads us to fulfill His design and intentions. Be it with royalty or paupers, God watches over His will to perform it. (2 Kings 4:38-44; Jeremiah 1:12)

God’s people can be known for a number of accomplishments done well, yet tend to prefer concealing what we cannot do. Willingness to admit weaknesses and needs is a powerful attribute that actually enhances effectiveness as His servants. If we understand that every ability is a gift to be used for His purposes, our attitude toward their procurement and use changes from pride to dependence. (1 Corinthians 4:7; James 1:17)

Where has the Lord called me to serve? Am I eager or reluctant to obey? If I’m slow to respond, what selfishness, prejudice, sense of superiority or pride dictates my attitude? What tendencies toward comfort or preference need I confess in order to serve eagerly wherever and however God asks?

How willing am I to do the next small thing, even when it is not convenient, simple, or easy? Do I give up, or look up for His promised provision? Serving God with wholeheartedness accomplishes His work and honors His sovereignty. Trusting Him and engaging His supply develops faith and magnifies His grace and power. (Matthew 7:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)

How has the Lord undertaken for me with difficult situations, or people? Where do I need particular discernment or empowering? The Lord designs every assignment to do His work both in us and His wider plan.

Lord, may I eagerly, earnestly, and willingly minister in Your kingdom to serve Your purposes and glory. 

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

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own… One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” Philippians 3:7-15

Paul lived and breathed and spent himself for the sake of Christ who had saved him. He was constantly on the move, by foot or mouth or pen or prayer, compelled by spiritual hunger and gospel fire. He wanted above all to know Christ and make Him known, and believed God would direct and enable that call. As long as he was on earth, he would press on and ahead for his Lord, His kingdom, and spiritual maturity. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Growing mature in the Lord does not just happen, and does not come easily. The pull of this world is persistent and strong, and requires continual resistance to withstand its force, and pressing on and upward to break its draw. God’s Spirit, greater and more potent than that of the world, directs spiritual focus and empowers godward priorities. (Romans 8:31-32; 1 John 4:4)

As long as we secure our foundation and motives in Jesus’s sake, the stress and strain of resistance and service, learning and refining, suffering and growth, are worth the gain they achieve. All is dross that is not for Him, all is loss when we consider eternal gain. The sting and friction of present hardship and trouble soften when we keep our eyes looking forward, shadows pale in the light ahead. (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

What in our lives surpasses the worth of knowing Christ? Would we count them as rubbish for the greater value of Jesus? How will we, in mindset and ambition, exchange worldly affections for the treasures of eternal glory?

Are we straining forward, pressing on, gaining Christ? How is He increasingly exhibited in our impulses, choices, words, countenance? Where has He entered and made a difference in relationships, our work, our disciplines?

Lord, may I ever strain toward Your upward call, to lift You high and exalt Your worth and honor.