As the rain and snow

“When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.^‘ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?^‘ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, ‘Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise, take up your bed and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.^‘ And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'” Mark 2:1-12

The action-minded men had to get their friend to Jesus. They’d heard how He taught, likely seen what He could do, and this one who could not move himself needed the movement of Christ’s power. If the door was impassible, they’d discover another way. Faith figures things out because it drives possibilities and hope. Their unconventional method was met with a surprising pronouncement: his sins were forgiven. In a word, Jesus announced His ultimate purpose, then proved it by healing the invalid. The faith of his friends had opened the floodgate of divine eventuality.

Faith is a mighty driver. It is a gift of God that fuels impulse and demands action. It inspires us to see more than the obvious and do more than the easy. It propels us to search beyond the known and keep on in difficulty because of what lies ahead. Faith awakens desire and direction, and unsettles those around us in seen and unseen ways. It moves mountains of doubt and discouragement, of service and love and priorities. (Matthew 17:20; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 11:1; 12:1-2)

How active is faith in our daily lives? We may know we’re saved because of faith in Jesus’s atonement, yet in ease and complacency, never put it to work. What opportunities, experiences, miracles are we missing because we prefer the safe and known? What can and will we do to develop meager faith to robust? (Matthew 7:7; Mark 9:24)

What vision motivates us, what righteous longings guide our prayers? For what do we ask God that only He can do? When prompted by the Spirit, or called by another, do we reject unconventional or challenging service because of fear of inadequacy or the unknown? How and where will we begin to exercise new, bold faith in the Almighty?

Lord, daily remind me that Your supreme power is tapped by faith, and in Your possibilities are endless joy.

“So we came to Rome. And the brothers there… came to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage… Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him…

“‘It is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain…’ 

“When they had appointed a day, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and the Prophets… 

“He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” Acts 28:14b-16,20b,23,30-31

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day…

“The Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8,17-18

Paul’s passion was the gospel, his Master the Lord Jesus. Because of his hope in the promises of God, he was reviled and imprisoned, but no chains could hinder his bold proclamation of God’s truth. The Lord had set free his heart and life, so he would freely serve Him, even if bound. He sought and seized every opportunity to share the goodness of God and glories of salvation. Whether expounding on the scriptures or encouraging individual churches and followers through written letters, he spent himself for the One who had saved him.

Convenience and comfort often dictate our choices. The culture preaches a life revolved around us, serving what we want and deserve. In the flesh, we despise restricted freedom and chafe against restraint and any situation we cannot control. What would happen in our minds and spirits if we looked for and took opportunities afforded in those very confining circumstances like nowhere else?

If we’ve been unjustly outcast or condemned, and suffer from hurt and anger or exclusion, what might the Lord reveal about where we find identity, security, and contentment? Maybe we feel imprisoned by a debilitating or chronic illness, or are suffering the life sentence of a fatal disease and the agonies of treatment. Whom has the Lord introduced to us in this unexpected season, and how have we radiated His hope and light? How has He met us in the quietness of isolation? Can we serve Him through praying, writing, telling of His faithfulness to those who care for us? Maybe we are stuck in a loveless marriage or trying work situation, and see no way out. What biblical promises can we apply? With whom can we share support and scriptural encouragement, and so build the Body?

With a fresh mindset, will we see chains as a gift from God’s providence? As an open door to deeper faith and witness? He works in and through them to His divine ends.

Lord, teach me to take advantage of the chains You assign, to strengthen Your kingdom and praise Your glory.

“As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’  And he cried out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’  And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’  And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” Luke 18:35-43

Day in, day out, the blind man knew what he has always known, and did what he had always done. He could not see, therefore could not work, and begged by the side of the road for offerings so he could subsist in his status quo. But when the Son of David came, all that changed. He had heard stories about this man’s ability to heal. He called out not for temporary sustenance, but for mercy. When Jesus stopped and inquired, believing He cared about his condition, the man asked for permanent sight. Jesus restored his sight and commended his faith, and he rose, scrambled onto the road to follow his Savior and glorify the mighty God who had healed him.

In busy days and seasons when pressures mount, urgent situations seem to call for immediate solutions. We often settle for quick fixes without understanding the underlying cause of a problem, which would help to solve it long term. A bandage might help sooth temporarily, but will not heal a wound. Tending only to superficial needs blinds us to the deeper needs the Lord came to address.

How often do we seek out or settle for remedies that do not actually repair issues at hand? Do we complain of inconvenience, and beg to be relieved of irritation or demands, failing to see the root of discontent, envy, or selfishness in our souls? A cursory understanding, fear, or even cowardice can prevent our digging deeper and seeking the Lord Himself to act.

No quick fixes repair broken relationships, disordered affections, or lack of faith. No Spiritual rebellion, callousness, malaise, or blindness need be smoothed over or coddled, but broken open, addressed, and healed. How honest are we about what we really want God to do for us? If willing to acknowledge and ask, are we as willing to see and behave in new light? Would we call out for the mercy of Christ to work from the inside out to remove blind spots and restore vision for what could be when redeemed by Him?

When we grasp through faith who Jesus is and what He offers, we’ll begin to seek deeper, more lasting healing and wholeness. We can ask great things from this great King!

Lord, help me to see with faith all You have for me and delight to supply, and to depend on and glorify You for Your measureless mercies.

“The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and kindred… to the land I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and [curse] him who dishonors you, and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed.’

“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him… Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran…

“The Lord said to Abram, ‘Lift up your eyes and look… northward, southward, eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth…’

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram..: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.^‘ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God,.. I continue childless… You have given me no offspring…^‘ The Lord [said]: ‘Your very own son shall be your heir.^‘ And he brought him outside… ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars… So shall your offspring be.^‘ And he believed the Lord.” Genesis 12:1-4; 13:14-16; 15:1-6

Abram responded to God’s call by leaving and trusting. God would show him the land where he’d settle as he went, expanding his limited vision to a nation that blessed the earth. Abram knew little of this God of promise, but propelled by a seed of faith, went, building altars along the way to call upon His name. As years passed and childbearing looked impossible, Abram thought his servant Eliezer would be his heir, not yet comprehending the scope of his promised inheritance. The sky and stars just hinted at its vastness and influence and the greatness of the Sovereign who would fulfill it.

As with Abraham, God has promised much more for us than we can fathom. He unfolds the riches of our inheritance as we follow in faith. He leads us out from narrow thinking and transient doing to teach us to see and work with eternal eyes. Life here on earth is a constant preparation for our forever. (Isaiah 55:8-9; Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 1:3-14)

With the crush of stress and malaise of the mundane, we can find ourselves plodding in the lowlands. Whether we’re exhausted or complacent, the fire of expectation and a future smolders dim when the present is more than we can manage. What will awaken us to the bright inheritance of hope and meaning the Lord has ahead? How can and will we foster eternal vision of what’s been promised and its Benefactor?

Where am I settling in the here and now for minimal fruit, feeling good instead of enjoying deep satisfaction, shallow short-lived relationships instead of significant and lasting ones? Where has selfishness put boundaries on how God would define my future, or effectiveness, or holy service? Do I expend effort only in things I can do, procure, or solve, or do I take my hands off and welcome God’s performing the impossible? Am I too nearsighted and weak-faithed to expect God’s more and amazingly beyond? (Ephesians 3:20-21)

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

Lord, grant me vision, faith, and zeal to live out my eternal inheritance to Your glory.

“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. As people migrated from the east, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.  Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’  And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. The Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.’  So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of the earth, and they left off building the city.  Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9

From the beginning, what God created was very good, the perfect setting in purity and substance and beauty for man to thrive. Once sin entered to spoil creation and infect the human heart, beginnings were corrupted. Motivations turned away from God and inward to self, tainted by shame, insecurity, greed, godless ambition. Even after the Lord God renewed the earth after the flood, as the population swelled and spread, man seized that fresh start to make his own mark. All that was meant to fulfill and bring God glory was manipulated toward man’s inflated status and glory, and God would not have it. He divinely disrupted the identity and control that had become their utmost priority.

Thoughts become intentions become words that dictate actions that shape what we are and do. The Lord wants us to care about those beginnings from which character and habit and life direction flow. If He as First Cause is also First End, our course will be set to fulfill our purpose and honor Him. But if, as the world presses us to do, we set our agenda with self-care and personal fulfillment at the fore, satisfaction and joy will be elusive. How would we define our beginning, our aim each morning, our chief end for our day and days?

What aspect of our beginnings need greater inspection or correction? Are my desires and plans aligned with the truth and principles of God’s word? How can they be brought so? Do my impulses thrum with holy, or selfish, desire? Where have ambition or greed overtaken allegiance to the Lord and His people? How can I adjust my morning disciplines to ensure the Lord takes the helm over the start of my days and sets them in His direction?

“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 will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.” ~Frances Ridley Havergal (1874)

Lord purify my every beginning to fuel and fulfill Your glorious purposes.

“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
    and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
    and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
    he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
    the bloom of Lebanon withers.
The mountains quake before him;
    the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
    the world and all who dwell in it.

Who can stand before his indignation?
    Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
    and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
The Lord is good,
    a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
   But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
    and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
What do you plot against the Lord?
    He will make a complete end…

Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him
    who brings good news,
    who publishes peace!” Nahum 1:3-9,15

Ninevah had repented and been spared God’s judgment under Jonah a century earlier, but once again had fallen to godlessness and brutality. They had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, and would soon fall themselves in judgment to Babylon. Nahum prophesies their impending destruction to a then-threatened, likely frightened Judah, asserting that by no means can the Lord God not be who He is nor betray His holy character. He saw and He knew all that transpired. He knew and pkept those who took refuge in Him. He is slow to anger and great in power- both to deliver and to destroy. His indignation and anger are unmatched forces, His rule of heaven and earth all-encompassing. His sovereign way in the whirlwind is terrifying, and majestic. This LORD is good, a Savior for the condemned, a stronghold for the saved.

Reminders of God’s perfect, measured, just judgment are meant to encourage those safe in Christ, and sober those who are not. By no means does the Lord clear the guilty, but in mercy He has made a way for them to be counted righteous. In grace, He redeems the believing and does not treat us as our sins deserve. By the measureless love of Christ, He removes them as far as the east is from the west. Our response, our filter for every decision, should be continual, humbled gratitude. (Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 103:6-14)

Do we make light of the Lord’s sure judgment? The world does, diminishing any perception of Christ’s supremacy through caustic media and immoral entertainment. Godless culture ignores the concept of divine accountability, intent on living for today and medicating regrets and shame.

In what ways do we succumb to pressures around us and try to evade the reality of facing God? How responsibly do we train those in our care to revere Him? What situations tempt us to put off repentance, and how will we change that landscape? (2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; 1 John 3:2-3)

As surely as the Lord loves, He judges. His conviction is a gift to heed because He knows we flourish when growing in righteousness. By no means will He fail in faithfulness.

Lord, help me take You seriously in all You are and say.

“Every healthy tree bears good fruit…

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.'” Matthew 7:17a,21,24-27

“‘What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’  And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went.  And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.'” Matthew 21:28-30

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:15-18

Jesus was masterful in His teaching to uncover people’s hearts. By illustration in instruction and His own life, He taught that the potency of words is proved in their doing. The Lord thinks little of lip-service, but makes much of those that come to life in earnest, genuine, selfless, fruitful living. Indeed, faith shows itself in faithful work.

The word of God is serious about words, making clear it’s important to say what we mean and mean what we say. God’s breathed book exposes the intent and meaning behind our words to Him and others. He intends that we are careful not only to study and know His word, but to consider our own. What we say and profess as important must be matched by what we do. (John 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

Words find meaning not in their preview or pronouncement, but in their substance of doing. The Lord dismisses, even condemns, empty promises and meaningless professions. The deeper His word soaks into us, the more it directs intentions and motivates actions, leaving its imprint on all we do.

Are we prone to boasting what we know, believe, or can or will do, but not matching those words with action? How seriously do we weigh what we say with what we know we can follow through on? Where do we procrastinate in practically living out our faith, and what will we do about it?

Lord, identify me as Yours by my words matched with action, to Your glory.

“A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.  Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come…’  When he returned,.. he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’  And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’  And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’  And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’  Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief;  for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’  He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’  And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’  And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’  ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Luke 19:12-13,15-26

Jesus kept about His work, engaging in God’s assigned business on earth until it was complete. His business was healing, His business was caring, seeking the lost, weeping, exposing sin, comforting, washing feet. His business was teaching and demonstrating the truth of the gospel before He was crucified to enact its ultimate purpose. In doing so, He exemplified, in life and story, the work His servants were to do in their allotted time. Putting His entrusted assignment and gifts to work would yield much for now and the future. (Luke 19:10,41-42,45-47; John 4:34;11:32-36; 17:4)

The Lord has placed each of us here on earth with an assignment to engage in business as His servants. How we implement His gifts for the greater good is up to us. We can run out of the gate with fanciful dreams and frivolously squander His resources. We can stew unhappily in wrong assumptions of His intentions and stubbornly refuse to use them at all. Or we can ask for His vision for our days and opportunities, the ‘city’ where He has placed us, and follow His where and how to work.

Where has the Lord has uniquely placed us, and how is He calling us to use His talents there? If called to account today, what do we have to show for His bounty? How is our business- relationships, private worship, work, use of resources- honoring or dishonoring His character and generosity? When we are yielded, the Spirit can transform fruitless waste to fruitful work.

Lord, guide me to faithfully accomplish Your business to Your glory, until You return.

“Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven …with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them… You are the Lord, the God who chose Abraham and brought him out of Ur… You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land… And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.

“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea,.. You divided the sea before them, so that they went through on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths… By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light the way in which they should go. You… gave them right rules and true laws… You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water out of the rock for their thirst…

“But they acted presumptuously… and did not obey your commandments They… stiffened their neck… But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they… committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness… Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing…

“You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land…  So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness…

“When they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies…

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us… until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully.” Nehemiah 9:5b-9,11-13,15-19,21-22,25,28,32-33

Rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem mirrored the reestablishing of Israel’s covenant with the Lord. Ezra read the Law, Nehemiah directed celebration, and the Levites led in the reading and application of God’s word. Then they prayed, confessing sin and claiming all that the Lord had done for them in the past. Based on His numberless deeds executed in mercy and love, backed by His character and divine purposes, they boldly asked that He continue His faithfulness on their behalf.

Confidence in the Lord comes from earnest communion with Him. Sin and straying impose distance, but His mercy invites us to return. Awareness of His past deeds, both hidden and obvious, breeds gratitude, and expectancy for more. When we acknowledge His greatness and sovereignty, are honest about our many affronts to His holiness, and trace His grace and power, we grow emboldened to approach anew. (Hebrews 4:16)

The Lord God abounds in steadfast love and grace. How have we experienced His continual faithfulness and ongoing redemption? Where have we seen Him deliver, guide, provide, instruct, and conquer? What is keeping us from asking confidently for this great God to do it again? (Psalm 119:90; Isaiah 14:27; Lamentations 3:22-23; Philippians 1:6)

Father, embolden me in gratitude, prayer, and expectancy, for You are great and good.

“All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses… So [he] brought the Law before the assembly… He read from it facing the square… from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive… Ezra opened the book in the sight of the people,.. and as he opened it all the people stood. Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen,’ lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground… The Levites helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book clearly, and gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

“And Nehemiah.., and Ezra.., and the Levites who taught the people said.., ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law… ‘Go your way…The joy of the Lord is your strength…’ All the people went their way… to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.” Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-10,12

“Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18

“Morning by morning [the Lord God] awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.” Isaiah 50:4

The Book of the Law was treasured among God’s people as His personal word to them. Exposure to it was life-giving, powerful in revelation, instruction, and conviction. When Ezra read it before the returned exiles to reestablish them in Jerusalem, the Levites accompanied the words with explanation so they could understand. Once they grasped the meaning and power in God’s Law, they could not help but humbly rejoice in all that had been declared. God’s rule for life brought joy to living.

Illumination opens the way for meaningful gladness. When we understand the teachings and revelations of God in His word, we are brought into deeper relationship with the Almighty. Knowing Him and obeying gets us in sync with His good will, where we enjoy abundant life. (Nehemiah 8:13-14,17-18; John 10:10; 15:5)

How committed am I to understanding what God’s word says and means? Do I settle for brief snippets of cursory reading and list-checking, or do I dig deep until the Lord speaks? Do I squelch the burning of my heart because I fear what might be exposed or required? Or do I ask the Spirit to give me full comprehension? What can I adjust in order to understand the word better, to recognize its warnings, commands, and promises? How promptly and appropriately do I respond to what I learn? (Luke 24:13-15,25-27; John 16:13-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

Who am I helping to understand God’s word? Do I hoard the treasures for myself, or deliberately apply, display, and relay them? Who around me needs patient explanation? When we ask, the Lord gives discernment to sense curiosity, eyes to recognize desire, and joyful willingness to come alongside to help others know God through His word. (Acts 8:26-31)

Lord, as You enlighten me, help me share the joy of knowing You.