There Did We Rejoice

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
    sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.’

Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
    who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations… 

Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
I will offer to you burnt offerings…
    with sacrifice;
I will make an offering...

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!” Psalm 66

To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. The header note on this piece, tucked into Scripture’s poetry, draws the whole self upward. Festive, joyful singing rings out to the awesome God worthy of glorious praise. This melody flows naturally and robustly from considering what He has done, manifold eternal works that punctuate man’s present. ‘We rejoiced then, we shall rejoice now.’ Sea made dry, steadiness in turmoil, tested to refinement, burdened and carried- God’s steadfast love attends His own.

The beautiful rhythm of rejoicing issues forth from wonder and gratitude. Rather than focus on the impossible, the weight, the tension, the fire, a glad heart looks deeper and beyond to the divine orchestration of all things. While the setting and setup can be ominous, God’s presence, deliverance, and accomplishments in and through the midst are glorious.

What is my mental preponderance? Fretting over today or tomorrow, or recounting God’s faithfulness that has led thus far? How attuned am I to the wonders, deliverances, provisions I’ve enjoyed at God’s good hand?

How will we practically implement rejoicing? When reading Scripture, dated, noted comments remind us of the Lord’s inspiration and interventions of the past. Voicing psalms and other biblical praises and prayers in first person tunes our hearts to His perfect pitch. Mutually recounting with others how God has helped and revealed Himself stimulates gratitude. Will we today take part?

Lord, may past rejoicing continue forever, to Your glory.

Overwhelmed by God’s Small

“King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come!.. What more can David say to you? You know your servant! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness… You are great, O Lord. For there is none like you, and no God besides you… And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things..? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, “The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,” and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts,.. have made this revelation… Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:18-29

The prophet Nathan had just announced God’s covenant with David to establish his throne forever. Overwhelmed, David voices his awe at the Lord’s generous affection and promise. He realizes the magnitude of God’s declaration is only a small part of His infinite ways and greatness, and is both humbled in gratitude and emboldened in faith. (2 Samuel 7:4-17)

There are unnumbered ways the Lord works in His children’s lives. Many go unnoticed because we are creatures of the world, caught up in urgencies and material. Unaccustomed to using spiritual senses, we choose inundation with input that is fickle and ever-changing.

By God’s grace He sends us Nathans, particular people or messages from His word or nudges to our spirit that remind us who He is and what He’s done. When we’re attentive enough to trace His hand through our years, mercies, interventions, and deliverances come alive, and we are overcome. What have we let grow so large that we can’t marvel at God’s remarkable ‘small’ deeds, or relish His promises? What will we do about it? For whom would I be a Nathan?

When do we take the time to bow as servants before the Almighty, proclaim His greatness, and thank Him for His many gifts? How high and broad is our view of God? How have His majesty and His unshakable promises humbled us, and fortified our confidence in His will to perform? Focusing on the Lord keeps us in our place.

Lord, may I marvel at Your lovingkindness and thank You all my days.

Graces of the Resurrection

“I remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand…

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… I am… unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me… 

“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins… 

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead…

“What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body…

“For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“’Death is swallowed up in victory.’
‘O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?’

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4,9-10,14,17,20,42-44a,53-55,57

When Jesus foretold His death, he included being raised. The two together composed the gospel of grace He would enact. Paul understood this mystery, experienced it spiritually, and was compelled to make it known. Without death there was no resurrection, and without resurrection, no new life. The gift of God- faith- enables His children to receive and apply His grace unto salvation and purposeful, victorious living. (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; Mark 9:31; Luke 24:7,25-27; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Christ’s resurrection is the crux of the gospel. Without it there is no victory over sin or death, no power to endure, no eternal hope. The empty cross and the empty tomb make way for fullness of life. The better we know Christ and share in His death to self, then partake in His resurrection life, the more real and effective the joys of His gift becomes. (Psalm 16:8-11)

“You’re my safe place, my hide away
You’re my anchor, my saving grace
You’re my constant, my steadiness
You’re my shelter, my oxygen.” ~Lauren Daigle (2023)

What graces of Christ’s costly death and powerful resurrection am I experiencing today? Is there deep peace in sharing the fellowship of His sufferings? Is there palpable hope in the bleakest of circumstances? Is there victory over besetting sins? Is there zealous vitality in the Spirit, the will to put to death what belonged to the old body? Christ’s being raised is whole-life- affirming. (Philippians 3:10; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Peter 4:13)

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

Lord Jesus, may I ever marvel at the graces of Your resurrection!

The Dew of Quietness

“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” Psalm 5:3

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35; 6:46

“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him.” “He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.” Luke 4:42; 5:16; 6:12-13

Through the ages, men and women of God found solace and strength in the hush of time with the Lord. The place of alone is a place of sacrifice, offerings of praise, of emotion, of self-will, of trust. In quietness the Lord speaks to encourage and guide, to direct decisions and impart stamina to endure. (Deuteronomy 32:2; 1 Kings 19:9-15)

As God has ordained the rhythm of day and night, heat and cool, He designs dew to refresh in the harshest of times. Man is ofttimes foolish, impulsive, and thoughtless, and can find center again in stillness before the Lord. Weighted by stresses and straining, bothered by lusts and dissension, twisted by false teaching and temptations, God’s people need reclothing, realigning, redeeming, restoring. All these are found in the quiet, secret place of communion.

Do we actually value and therefore prioritize quietness with Jesus? Think of all the noise-makers we turn to, or prefer, over time with Him. What can we do practically to carve out the quiet? What will we leave alone, turn off, put away, or not consult that will enable us to give full attention to His still small voice?

Have we experienced His dew? When have we tasted the sweetness of comfort when we are bereft, of hope when we’re broken? How has His love bolstered our security, His touch allayed our fears? Where are we dry, in need of inspiration, passion, vision? Drawing away from all that detracts us to taste God’s heavenly dew is always worth the effort. (Psalm 34:8)

“Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
in purer lives Thy service find,
in deeper rev’rence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with Thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!” ~John Greenleaf Whittier (1872)

Amen!

Jumbo Capacity

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

“God thunders wondrously with his voice;
    he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour…
From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
    and cold from the scattering winds.
By the breath of God ice is given,
    and the broad waters are frozen fast.
He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
    the clouds scatter his lightning.
They turn around and around by his guidance,
    to accomplish all that he commands them
    on the face of the habitable world.
Whether for correction or for his land
    or for love, he causes it to happen.

“Stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
Do you know how God lays his command upon them
    and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
    the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
you whose garments are hot
    when the earth is still because of the south wind?
Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
    hard as a cast metal mirror?…

“God is clothed with awesome majesty.
The Almighty—
    he is great in power.” Job 37:5-6,9-18,22-23

“From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4

“No eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

God’s prescription to meet desperation is His infinitude. The Scriptures are peppered with descriptions of the vastness of His majesty and capacity to create and sustain, to shake and uphold, to guide and accomplish by the breath of His mouth. He has no beginning nor end, nor is there anything He does not know or cannot do. He is limitless in power and awesome in splendor. To behold Him is to know Him, to know Him is to praise Him. His worthiness astounds and inspires those who wait for and love Him.

Living in the finite, we cannot comprehend His capacity to meet us. There are days when schedule and cares and responsibilities and griefs are so wide we can’t see their edges. Clouds loom, tensions simmer, hearts turn frigid with fear and doubt. Questions are wide and wisdom is limited, needs are great and strength is small, and we cannot know the how of it all be handled. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

But for God’s limitless capacity! Look to Him! He is sovereign over the downpour and the whirlwind! He whose infinite strength has not diminished from eternity past will match our strength to our days. While we cannot measure His reach and might, we can trust them to sustain, comfort, and lead. (Deuteronomy 33:25; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:3)

Have we made our dwelling with the everlasting God? Do we recognize His voice in the storms, see His providence in the whirlwind? What burdens can we cast onto Him, knowing He always works with holy cause? Stopping to consider Him aligns faith and hope to His greatness. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Lord, make me keen to perceive the intricacies and vastness of Your capacity in all things, and praise You.

Encore Performance

“O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.

You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation!
Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever.” Psalm 44:1-8

God had proven faithful through years and generations. Recounting the history of His people, God’s hand delivered performance after performance to display His might and the light of His face. From driving out to planting, affliction to freedom, conquest to delight to salvation, the Lord on high showed Himself glorious and victorious again and again. His boast was the psalmist’s rhythm and refrain.

The fact of God’s ongoing faithfulness to perform according to His character and will gives great hope and assurance to the believer. All He has been He will ever be. His majesty, wisdom, stature, and strength do not wane, nor do His love and goodness waver. His nature, attributes, and benevolent intentions do not change, His holy purposes stand forever. (Psalm 33:11; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17)

Have we heard of His goodness? When are we reading His word, and inquiring of His people to learn of His strong arm through the ages? How are we recording and telling His gracious and majestic performances? In what ways has the reality of His constancy, steadfast love, and encore performances emboldened our faith and sweetened our praise?

The more we know the whats and hows and whens of divine performances, the more expectant we will be to watch for and trust them again. What are some recent acts of compassion, protection, deliverance, inspiration, assurance, comfort, or direction God has done for us? When we make it our practice to seek His hand, record His interventions and surprise displays of providence, then thank God, we develop anticipation for the encore.

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.

Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, 
Lord unto me.” ~ Thomas Chisholm (1923)

Lord, may I ever offer grateful ovation for Your great and gracious deeds.

He Summons!

“The Mighty One, God the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
    God shines forth.

Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
    before him is a devouring fire,
    around him a mighty tempest.
He calls to the heavens above
    and to the earth..:
‘Gather to me my faithful ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’
The heavens declare his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge! 

‘Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
    O Israel, I will testify against you.
    I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
    your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house
    or goats from your folds.
For every beast of the forest is mine,
    the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills,
    and all that moves in the field is mine.

‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for the world and its fullness are mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

‘The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
    to one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!'” Psalm 50:1-15,23

The psalmist arrests his listeners and exalts God who summons and speaks, declaring His ownership of all the earth and worthiness of attention and thanksgiving. The Lord renounces self-directed worship and platitudes, demanding instead gratitude, obedience, and dependence. He is Lord, the people are not. He is to be heeded and glorified.

An independent spirit provoked by self-will does not sit right with God. Many are the impulses of the flesh, yet when the Lord summons, His sovereign love and power demand our full attention. While He might be pleased with pure intent, He prefers we align with His grander purposes, knowing that only there is true fulfillment. (2 Samuel 7:1-13; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 1:16-20)

How does the Lord summon? He speaks through His living word, proclaiming and beckoning in unshakable truth. His Holy Spirit prompts and reminds, convicts and leads. He speaks through His people and creation to inform and confirm. Often we rue that we cannot detect His voice, yet if we’re honest, we tend to listen for what, and how, we want to hear. Actually, we either refuse what has already been declared, or are too entrenched in our chosen sources of information that we cannot distinguish His voice. (Psalm 32:8; John 14:26; 16:8; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

When are we actually still and attentive enough to discern God’s voice? Where do we take time ‘in the Spirit’? How open are we to a new repentance, mindset, call, or direction? What hurry and busyness is God prompting us to set aside for quiet and concentration so we’re available for His conviction, revelation, and summons? The mighty One speaks. Are we gathered- senses and will- to listen? (1 Samuel 3:1-10; Ezekiel 8:1-5; Revelation 1:9-19)

Lord, keep my ear attuned, my heart open, and my body willing, for Your summons, to Your glory.

When a (Natural) Body Meets a (New) Body

“’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything. You say, ‘Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.’ The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.‘ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

The crossroads of Corinth meant the church there was influenced by various religions and philosophies. Paul speaks practically to them regarding the nature of those joined to Christ. When saved, the whole being becomes one spirit with the Lord, a body of flesh transformed to be a temple indwelt by His Spirit. He calls them to apply their spiritual reality to day-to-day temptations and decisions. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

From the beginning made and meant for God, a Christian is no longer to live for self, to satisfy cravings of the flesh, but for the Lord. This spiritual ownership has the power to influence every aspect of the body, inverting natural impulses, infiltrating it with divine dimension, parameters, focus, and raison d’être. Yet, the devil constantly works against the Spirit- taunting, pulling, deceiving, doing all he can to get us to fall. He delights when we believe his lies over reckoning what is true. (Genesis 1:26-28; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Romans 6:1-14; 14:7-9; 1 Peter 4:2)

How are we handling the battle? To whom or what do we look for strength and will? How effectively are we putting off the old, renouncing unrighteousness, and putting on and practicing the new? What growing evidence is there in our lives that our old self is decreasing and the new is increasing? God knows the struggle is real, and offers us Jesus who triumphed over sin and death. (John 3:30; Romans 7:15-25; Colossians 3:5-17; Titus 2:11-14)

“May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
live in me from day to day,
by His love and pow’r controlling
all I do and say.

May the word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through His pow’r.

May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.” ~ Kate Barclay Wilkinson (1925)

Lord, fill me to honor You with body, soul, and spirit, and love You with all my strength.

No Blessing Withheld

“A day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Psalm 84:10-12

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace… In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard… the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:3-7,11-14

The psalmist would rather be near the Lord than anywhere on earth. In Him he finds life, protection, favor, and honor. Paul is similarly overwhelmed at the inimitable bounty afforded those saved by the living God, blessings beyond number that assure identity and purpose and provision for now and forever. Those intent on Him taste the delights of His abundant unseen gifts, and can therefore walk securely and hope-filled, fulfilling lofty purposes with confident, joyful trust.

Often in a materialistic culture we get caught up in lesser, transient things of life. Day’s first glances are to the physical, cravings are natural, our first prayers concern stuff. We are blind to things above and do not realize what we could live without here below unless we make our way to the courts of the Lord. There, minds are inspired and spirits lifted to grasp His riches from glory. (Colossians 3:1-2)

To treasure the presence and bounty of the Lord establishes a mindset of wonderment and gratitude. Earthly concerns fall away when heavenly ones captivate and consume us. Near His throne, watching with expectancy, physical trappings matter less and less.

What awakens our hearts every morning? Desire to do and consume, or first to praise God for His bountiful character? How genuinely grateful are we for every good and perfect gift, tangible and intangible? How do the spiritual blessings of being chosen, predestined, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, and saved affect and direct our practical outlook and use of time? Taking account of what is ours in Christ gives focus, initiative, spiritual vitality, divine compulsion, and a holy mantle to our days. (1 Corinthians 4:7; James 1:17)

“Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.” ~ Seth Sykes (1940)

Lord, fix me in wonder and gratitude for all You are and bestow.

Fleeting Days, and Full

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;
    let me know how fleeting my life is.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
    even those who seem secure.

Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
    in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
    without knowing whose it will finally be.

But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.
Save me from all my transgressions…
When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,
    you consume their wealth like a moth—
    surely everyone is but a breath.

Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;..
that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.” Psalm 39:4-8a,11-13 (David)

“You return man to dust
    and say, ‘Return, O children of man!’
For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:3-6,9-10 (Moses)

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:4

The Lord God established time in Eden with an ordered course of day and night, then created man to inhabit and exercise dominion in the rich, perfect world He had made. Rhythms of light and seasons, atmosphere and creatures, all were both the backdrop and substance of man’s fulfillment. Made in God’s image to bring Him glory, man was to be fruitful and multiply all his days. When His command regarding the tree of life was transgressed, God’s purpose still held, though finite man, even great men, would evermore wrestle between wistfulness and want, futility and fruitfulness, yearning and endurance. (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:15-18,21-24; Isaiah 43:7; 49:2-3)

Considering our days is a prudent practice, though exclusively dwelling on either past or future dampens vigor for the present. In taking time to assess our ways and days for fruitfulness, it’s important to acknowledge they are numbered by our Maker and Lord, and we’re gifted for particular purpose within their limited scope. Are we making the most of each one? Do we spend our stewardship in sighing and slouching, or singing and seizing opportunities? 

Certainly weariness and some incapabilities are bound to increase over time, yet the Lord can be glorified in how we take advantage of His gift of any day. Have we grown complacent or lazy in service to the Lord and others, or do we eagerly spend ourselves for His kingdom’s sake? Where and how are we investing in His Body? Valuing what He values yields wisdom and spiritual fruit. (Psalm 118:24; Ephesians 5:15-17; Colossians 4:5)

Lord, help me live to the full each day You give, for other’s blessing and Your glory.