Author: astherainandsnow

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen… 

“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.  By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him… He was commended as having pleased God… By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land.” Hebrews 11:1,4-5,7-9a

The Bible’s commemorative Hall of Faith recounts individual after individual who believed God and walked by faith in such a way that the Lord saw fit to record. Ordinary men and women in rather ordinary circumstances decided to trust God over personal preference, to look to the unseen over the visible, and to act in willful obedience over natural impulse. Theirs was a rhythmic faith, their chosen way of life. It was a step by step trusting that pulsed with God-love, a means to an end not of notice but of obedience. Through their exemplary faith, they still speak and inspire and cheer on fellow sojourners today. (Hebrews 11:13,17)

Looking to these heroes of faith, including Jesus, how do they speak presently to my will, passion, and endurance? Do I struggle with flagging desire to keep on keeping on? They journeyed and worked not knowing destination or result. Have doubts about significance or success squelched the willingness to take risks for the Lord? When God issues the call and we obey, there is sure future reward. Is fear of retribution or criticism preventing us from taking a bold stand, or choosing righteousness over vapid temporal pleasure? Hoping in the future and unseen spurs us forward in practice and outworking of faith. (Hebrews 11:23,25-26,32-36; 12:1-3)

Do I accept that I’m a heaven-bound stranger here on earth and make decisions accordingly? When I am gone from this earth, what of my character, relationships, practices, investments of time and effort, and faith will still speak? What will they say? How will they encourage those behind me to follow God’s call, do the hard thing, choose peace in hard circumstances, persevere no matter earthly opposition, and look to Jesus as finisher of their faith? In what practical ways do I exemplify living faith before others?

What will I do to become better acquainted with God’s ways to deepen my confidence in His power and purposes? What can I apply from these speaking giants to present opportunities? Will I ask God to increase my faith, then act on it? (Mark 9:24)

Lord, so build my faith that in gratitude, joy, and hope for what is yet to come, I will live reverently, vibrantly, and in such a way that speaks vividly of Your grace and glory. (Hebrews 12:28)

“On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.” Numbers 9:15-23

Imagine the fastidious and tiresome work of setting up and taking down and transporting the tabernacle, all at the whim of Israel’s God. No schedule, no pattern, no notice of when they would next move. No accounting for the time and effort it took. The important thing was to watch the cloud, because God’s presence meant everything. When He moved, they moved; when He settled, they settled. There was no going or doing if He was not in it. They would keep His charge, and He would keep them. (Exodus 33:15-16)

And imagine if we, too, were committed to the same charge, if we dared not go out into the day and fray without the Lord’s lead, if we tended to our tasks with excellence and shifted only at His prompting. Imagine being so fully dependent on His presence we wouldn’t set forth without His light and would do so trusting His purpose, even if we knew not where we were going. This way. Wait. Now that way. Tend to every detail for My honor.

Are we so ready, or are we too entrenched in agendas and overcommitment? Have we made available our time and fitness for God’s flexibility? Do we brood over personal urgent concerns more than looking unto Jesus for His cloud to stay or move, and joyfully investing in each opportunity He brings?

“Where You go, I’ll go
Where You stay, I’ll stay
When You move, I’ll move
I will follow You
Who You love, I’ll love
How You serve I’ll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow You.” ~Chris Tomlin (2010)

Lord, may I conscientiously be about Your business, trust Your powerful presence, and magnify Your grace and glory.

“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.., for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, ‘Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.’ And the three of them came out.  And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’  And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.” Numbers 12:1-9

His siblings had endured enough of shadowing his limelight. Why was their younger brother so special? After all, he’d wed someone without their approval. And they were just as capable of speaking for God. Moses, while likely stung by their resentful criticism, needed not defend himself. His Lord was jealous for His chosen leader and put the jealous brother and sister in their place.

As with many character qualities, what sinful man taints with smack and pride, God abides and expresses with perfection. We think we do loyalty and industry and love and service well, yet can’t help but muddying them with persnickety conditions, selfish motives, and unjust preferences. So much ego gets in the way of purity! Only God does all from a pristine heart with righteous intent and purpose.

To undo our folly of jealousy, at first inkling of coveting, anger, or criticism, we must check from where it stems. Am I acting from insecurity, or malice, or ingratitude? The Lord would develop His Spirit’s fruit to transpose these spiritual nuisances. Do I esteem another’s acumen or talents over my own? God has graced each of His children uniquely with gifts to be received and utilized for His glory. Do I care more about personal popularity and credit, or God’s glory? He is lovingly jealous for those who care about His reputation and renown. (Exodus 32:11-14; Numbers 14:11-20; Romans 12:3-8; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:5-8; 12-15)

It’s important to accept and rejoice in the place and position God’s planted us. He guards and keeps us there. No talent or service is insignificant when offered to Him. Trouble foments when we compare with others and grumble instead of accounting to God with gratitude. Where is God exposing jealousy or discontentment, and what will I do about it? (Numbers 16:1-3,8-11; John 21:22)

“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 James (1810-1883)

Lord, may I gaze on You daily and be jealous only for Your name and glory.

“Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.

“But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses,.. and this city shall be inhabited forever. And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem,.. bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.” Jeremiah 17:21-27

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
    from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
    and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
    or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the Lord,
    and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 58:13-14

It may be hard in our cluttered worlds to make sense of not bearing burdens on the Sabbath, but what rang clear repeatedly in God’s instructions for Israel was to keep Him preeminent. Take care for the sake of your lives. Keep the Sabbath day holy. Listen, incline the ear and receive instruction. Call the holy day of the Lord honorable. Just as He’d created the world in six days, then rested, He instituted a set apart time to remember and be renewed. Keeping the days helped to keep the priority. (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11)

Industry and fruitfulness are good and worthy of our investment, but the Lord must come first. Long work days that lead to time-for-me weekends that blend into sleepy Mondays leave no time for pause or praise. The Sabbath was established by God as a priority for His children, so we must make arrangements to keep it as He intends.

What supremacy does the living God exhibit in our lives? Do we limit our care to physical and emotional desires, and neglect the inner soul? When do we listen to and take delight in the Lord? Have we established personal routines apart from God’s plan? How have Sabbath practices enriched spiritual pleasure and aided our knowing Him and living out His design? (Ephesians 2:10)

Lord, may I keep Your Sabbath honorable and delight in You always, so Your glory is exalted in my life.

“Ah, sinful nation,
    a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
    children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
    they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
    they are utterly estranged.

“Why will you still be struck down?
    Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
    and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
    there is no soundness in it…
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
    or of lambs, or of goats.

“When you come to appear before me,
    who has required of you
    this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
   learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow’s cause.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land.” Isaiah 1:4-6a,11-19a

The hands between sick head, unsound heart, and misled feet were despicable to the Lord. He rejected the vain offerings of rebel devotees. The blood on their hands from insincere ritual sacrifice needed cleansing only He could give.

The beautiful truth about bad blood is that the Christ blood was borne for washing. The perfect Savior’s hands shed blood to offer the richest and truest blessing that no man-brought sacrifice could, the knowledge and eternal favor of the God of the universe. Offering our very hands to His to be cleansed and put to noble use changes the nature of offering. What once brought forth goods to be noted or earn reward is now open to receive all He freely gives. Corrected thinking results in meaningful living that pulses with Jesus instead of ego and self-importance. (Hebrews 9:11-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

Has our mind turned sick, no longer finding health in regular worship, reading and meditating on the Word, fellowship with the saints? Has our heart grown faint from fervor, or wicked through repeated exposure to godless streaming? Have our feet strayed from purposeful industry, attendance in sincere worship, or serving the needy? If so for these, the hands have lost their connection to the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, and thus their way in right sacrifice.

If we willingly reasoned with Jesus and invited His cleansing, what new attitudes and actions might we employ? What will we offer others of good, love, and justice that pleases God?

Lord who freely gave Yourself for me, may I with clean hands bless others for Your sake and glory.

“For Jerusalem has stumbled,
    and Judah has fallen,
because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
    defying his glorious presence.

For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
    they proclaim their sin like Sodom;
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    For they have brought evil on themselves…
Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
    for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.”

“Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
    and shrewd in their own sight!”

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.'” Isaiah 3:8-9,11; 5:20-21; 57:15

“And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
    and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” Job 28:28

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:10

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

In a convoluted world, true wisdom can be elusive. The wisdom of God is alien to unredeemed man. Thought leaders abound, and supposed experts put their intellectual and moral wares on display, but the wisdom of the world bubbles and spurts as folly to the Lord and in comparison to His ways. (1 Corinthians 3:19-20)

He is God, we are not. Disdain His rule, supremacy, and rightful dominion and your own will be toppled. Yet man in his innate pomp and self-importance doesn’t think or behave this way. There is little fear of God in many lands. Man put himself on life’s pedestal, feelings and wants at the fore, and the natural result is foolishness in all manner of life: wanton behavior, nonsensical oallegiances, dysfunctional governments, impulsive decisions that take no consideration for the future, eternity, or a Sovereign.

Man left to himself has a low and limited perception of the Lord. Short the regeneration and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he cannot see or discern the One higher, greater, loftier. Left to his choosing, there would be no accountability or any authority superior to self. Only those who fear the Lord gain an understanding of His grandeur and our proper position before Him. (Isaiah 6:1-5; 55:8-9; 1 Corinthians 2:14)

Do we seek the wisdom of the world or of God Almighty? In what do we invest our time to gain wisdom? Proportionately, how much credence do we give the thoughts and advice of man against the truth of God’s Word? Instead of complaining about the folly around us and slipping toward foolishness ourselves, what will we do to heighten our view of God and discover and implement His wisdom?

Lord, keep me seeking and embracing godly wisdom that results in righteous living, makes a difference in the world, and exalts Your name. (Psalm 111:10)

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’  And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

“’Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.‘

“And he said to them, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within, “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything”? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.'” Luke 11:1-10

“Give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is needful for me.” Proverbs 30:8

Obedience always brings blessing. In Jesus’s teaching how to pray, He knows what we need before we ask, and that it is more than simply the object of our stated request. As those prone to wander, and to rely on the strength of chariots and horses, or personal smarts and chutzpah and attempts at brilliance, we need daily dependence on Him. What layered wisdom He has given from the time of the Exodus and His provision of manna to His prayer’s simple pattern- trust daily for daily needs! (Exodus 16:4-5,14-30; Psalm 20:7; Matthew 6:8)

God’s intentions are always deeper than we can see. As we pray and apply day by day, He nurtures, strengthens, and sanctifies us. To build faith among meandering emotions and whims, we need daily re-centering on His holiness and might, His supply, route, and purpose. Left to our fickle selves, we might turn to God only when and if it suits our perceived needs. (Deuteronomy 33:25)

How readily do I to seek and follow daily? What have I learned of God, and how have I grown spiritually as I have consistently obeyed?

“Day by day and with each passing moment, 
Strength I find to meet my trials here; 
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, 
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. 
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure 
Gives unto each day what he deems best–
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, 
Mingling toil with peace and rest. 

Ev’ry day the Lord himself is near me, 
With a special mercy for each hour; 
All my cares he gladly bears and cheers me, 
He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of his child and treasure 
Is a charge that on himself he laid:
‘As your days, your strength shall be in measure’– 
This the pledge to me he made.” ~Carolina Sandell (1865)

Lord, help me praise, trust, and obey You daily as You deserve.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:19-25

Ever since is a support for let us in logical thinking. If this is true, then that can be done. And what is true? We can enter the holy place of intimacy with Jesus by Jesus’s blood. He is our great high priest and mediator, opening the way to know and serve God. So, based on these sinces, let us behave as though they are true!

Let us enter His presence and draw near to Him daily in thoughtful adoration and willful dependence and joy! Let us worship and serve with confidence and clean conscience and zeal and abandon! Let us be strong and bold in confessing our faith, and stand up for what we believe in a madding, antagonistic world! Let us gather with others of like mind and faith and encourage them to serve and testify alongside! Let us build them up in their gifts and roles and minister together to, in, and from God’s church! Let us live with hope for the joy to come, pressing on to see Jesus and glorify His name!

How committed are we to understanding and standing on the sinces of scripture? Do we make it a practice to meditate on what is true, take them to heart and put them to action? What evidence in our private and public life is there that we are confident in Jesus’s cleansing of our sin? Do we moan in guilt-ridden regret, or rue that we cannot forgive ourselves? Do we roil inside with blame and anger, refusing to forgive someone else? Do we worry that we are not worthy of His love and help? (Philippians 4:8)

If we believe the since of being cleansed by Christ, we will by the Spirit be confident in His mercy, and forgive one another. We will love freely and genuinely, and extend grace to others, no matter their treatment of us. We will do what we can to see others grow and flourish. We will gather people around us into the hope of eternity. (Ephesians 4:32; Philippians 2:3-4)

How do we practically live out (and share) our assurance of eternal security and our access to Jesus for daily grace, wisdom, and strength? Do we begin each day cleansed, and come alongside others to promote the same? What are we doing to stir up others to love and good deeds, sharing ideas and energetic service together? How will we hold fast and hold out our hope in a fractured, needy world?

Lord, help me live for You vigorously, fueled by all that is true because of Jesus.

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Romans 2:4-5; 6:1-2

Proper assumptions about God’s grace lead to right thinking, and both check and correct presumption. It is one thing to say we believe in the patience, forbearance, and mercy of the Lord yet flippantly live as though it is cheap, or deserved, and quite another to be humbled by it and live out a grateful, gritty dependence. By nature grace is undeserved and unearned, so believing that brings us under its bountiful, salvific covering.

If we are truly humbled by and grateful for the grace of Jesus that cost Him His innocent life, we will hold it high in honor, and devote ourselves to working and serving in the power it affords. We will desire that He remove our bent to sinning and replace it with holy hunger. We will pursue decisions that reflect His wisdom, countenance, and compassion. We will be quick to forgive others as he has forgiven us, and earnestly pray for our enemies. (Matthew 5:44; Ephesians 4:32; Titus 2:11-13)

But when we do not consider the cost, when we wear the cross as an ornament rather than a blade in our hearts, we will keep self and self interest first. We may grow cold to His kindness and take mercies for granted. We might soften faith’s hard stance against immorality, and give in to crowd pleasing, coarse talk, and easy sins. We might subconsciously trade passion for God with preference for our own sovereigns.

The holy character of God revealed in the cross should purify our hearts and penetrate our personalities. Have we grown weary of or numb to the message of Calvary? Do we grasp the measure of love and cost of the crucifixion, and so value Christ’s gift of grace? Where do we flippantly yield to sin, reasoning (sic) that we will be forgiven? How many times a day do we, by thoughtless little choices and words and behavior, slap our Savior in the face?

“Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n to earth come down,
fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
all Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love Thou art;
visit us with Thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit,
let us find the promised rest.
Take away our love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.

Finish then, Thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see Thy great salvation
perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before Thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.” ~Charles Wesley (1747)

Lord, teach me humble, complete, and glad dependence on Your kindness and grace, and exemplify them unto Your glory.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?..
Who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone?

“Or who shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,
when I made clouds its garment..,
and prescribed limits for it…
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
    and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
    and caused the dawn to know its place?

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?..
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?

“Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
    and where is the place of darkness,
that you may take it to its territory
    and that you may discern the paths to its home?” Job 38:4-6,8-12,16,18-20

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways…
You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me…

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,’
even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts…
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret…
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written…
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:1-3,5,7-13,15-16

God’s questioning jolts His children into their place by revealing His sovereign power and intricate knowledge. Sometimes He uses an overwhelming experience of wonder and beauty, an impossibly difficult situation without easy answer or solution, or an unbearable weight of sorrow, to cause us to acknowledge His vast and constant presence among us. His care, love, and light are inescapable.

Morning breaks,
Light awakes,
From a peek,
To a hint,
To full blaze;
Birds sing cheer,
Renewal’s here,
Seize the day (PEB)

What begins with hope doesn’t always continue that way. When confusion or anguish are too deep for words, the Lord is near in the gloom, upholding His boundaries, containing the pressure. When we feel lost, alone, untethered in the wide chaotic world, the Lord is close. When life’s sky is so distant we feel rudderless, directionless, meaningless, He is nigh, encompassing, sustaining, filling the space and ordering every unseen.

Where do I question His abiding presence out of anger, sadness, or confusion? Would I believe and rest in it today?

“Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lake,
From the hills,
from the sky;
All is well,
Safely rest,
God is nigh” ~Gen. Daniel Butterfield (1862)

Lord, in every circumstance, help me seek and rejoice in Your presence and glory.