Author: astherainandsnow

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped the host of heaven and served them. He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem shall my name be forever…’ And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley… of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God… Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.

“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.  He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God…

“And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 33:1-4,6-7a, 9-13,15-16

Following the mostly righteous 29-year reign of his father Hezekiah, Manasseh took the throne as a rebel. Five decades of subversive rule, wickedness, and entrenched idolatry hardened Judah seemingly beyond repair. But God is long-suffering and abounds in steadfast love and mercy. The tenderness of His heart kneads and softens the hardest spiritual callouses unto His grand purposes. Manasseh’s was no fake turn-around-when-times-are-tough, but a genuine coming to his spiritual senses and knowing the Lord was God. He was supernaturally humbled. The proof was in his complete turnaround in behavior, heart affection, and direction of leadership. (Psalm 103:8-14)

Personalities and proclivities get deeply entrenched over years of practiced habits. Over time, we hone our preferences until they become ingrained, and develop ugly default reactions of heart and mind. Unknowingly we lose the sensitivity needed to recognize spiritual waywardness. But when the Spirit makes us aware, we mustn’t deem ourselves beyond change or repair. He has power to convict, deliver, and transform.

What personal areas is He revealing that are not fully yielded, sanctified? Would we ask for open minds and malleable hearts, and increasing hunger for righteousness? Might this be a year of tremendous growth into His likeness?

Lord, apply Your Spirit’s perfect timing and ways to my full sanctification, for Your glory.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you… The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.”

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

“It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment...

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 14:16-18,26-28; 15:26; 16:7-8,12-14

As Jesus prepared His disciples for His death and departure, He comforted them with the promise of His coming indwelling Holy Spirit. While they did not understand every aspect of this heavenly gift, they had known of the Spirit descending on Jesus at the onset of His public ministry and experienced His power with them. The Spirit himself would unveil fuller understanding when this promise was fulfilled and He was in them. After the shock of the crucifixion, these words would grip and guide them until Pentecost. (Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 24:49; John 7:39; 12:16; 20:9; Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:14)

The gift and ministry of the Holy Spirit is a boon to our lives like nothing else. A constant Helper, a Counselor of truth to teach and remind us what we’ve been taught and give spiritual discernment, a palpable Comfort, a constant Peace. What trouble is not met by His help, what turbulence not soothed by His otherworldly calm? He is real and lives within us forever! His abiding presence should make a difference in countenance, outlook, and how we handle stress and challenging circumstances.

What areas need His special touch? How might His power transform perturbing irritation, bitterness, regret, anxiety, stubbornness? What specifically in my demeanor or mind habits would I like to be overhauled forever? Would I welcome His abiding, and surrender to all the strength and help He brings?

Spirit, abide in unseen and obvious ways and have complete sway with all of me. Fill me and help me reflect Your glory for others to see and desire.

“Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God.  And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.

“After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself…

“And [Hezekiah] set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 31:20-32:1,6-8

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Hezekiah knew the Source of true strength and security. He knew his God, worthy of all praise and trust, and practiced walking with Him. So he was not surprised when the enemy attacked, for the enemy does not like faithfulness and uprightness. He saw this threatening plot as an opportunity for God to shine, and encouraged his people accordingly. When the Lord is God, our Helper in battle, we must not fear or be dismayed. Hezekiah’s confidence inspired confidence in his people, and God was exalted. Neither taunting nor tempted terror could unsettle those settled in the Lord. (2 Chronicles 32:9-21)

When life hums along with little conflict, we hum too. We find it easy to obey and do good. But when the enemy sets his teeth against us, and attacks emotions, pride, confidence, or security, we may be tempted to set ourselves against him in our own strength. Immediate flesh reaction is adrenalin-fueled and visceral: put up the fist, elbow our way through, arm ourselves with self-prescribed protection, push ahead with all our might. But we soon find we’ve expended empty effort.

The way to victory is to trust the One who sees every visible and invisible force against us and whose armies are mighty and able to save. He alone can vanquish any enemy threat and conquer any horde of fear, anxiety, doubt, and temptation. Will we let go of fretting and dismay, and take courage in Him?(Joshua 23:3; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Isaiah 41:10; Ephesians 6:10-18)

What attacks are we facing? In what situations do we feel overwhelmed and without hope? Where are we trusting the arm of flesh, our savvy and strength to solve and succeed? Would we ask God for faith to see His heavenly troops at ready defense, and confront temptation and despair head-on in His power? He is with us to help and fight our battles. (1 Samuel 17:47; Psalm 20:7; Zechariah 4:6; Romans 8:31-39)

Divine Victor, may I face every battle raising my arms only in surrender and praise to You.

“Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

“’I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were,.. and they have kept your word… I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you… All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them… They are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name… that they may be one, even as we are one… that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves… The world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world… Keep them from the evil one… Sanctify them in the truth… As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…

“‘Father, I desire that they… may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.'” John 17:1-6,8,10-11,13-15,17-18,24

The pinnacle of Jesus’s final words before His crucifixion is His high priestly prayer. In this beautiful intercession, anticipating a heinous death, Jesus’s passion is glory. Not anguish, nor self-pity, blame, anger, hatred, or fear, but glory. Every hour, from birth in a crude manger through childhood years in a family, working as a carpenter, travels and teaching and healing, Jesus lived here on earth for glory. His life work was to glorify His Father by bringing His own to the glory of eternal life. (Luke 2:41-52; John 4:34)

What is my life purpose? What races my heart, ignites my affections, consumes my attention: work, ministry, learning, adventure, accomplishment, new thrills, a challenge, relationships, gastronomical satisfaction, luxury, leisure, worldly success? Do or can we see any or all of these as a gateway to glory? What if my highest passion was to bring glory to my God and Savior with every plan, every effort, every word? What difference would this lofty aim make to daily responsibilities and interactions? How can I envelop the necessary temporal within the glorious eternal?

What specifically will I do to glorify God? How will I receive and apply His word in obedience? Promote Christian unity and peace? Remain in and help others abide in His name? Engender joy? Guard vigilantly against the evil one? Remain faithful when hated, ridiculed, persecuted? Cooperate in sanctification, honed by God’s hands to reflect His glory? Behold His glory in worship so it infuses my every impulse and expression?

My Lord, may my daily motivation and work be to glorify You who are worthy of honor and glory and praise. (Revelation 4:11; 5:12)

“[John] said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said…’

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.” I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel… I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.’

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ‘What are you seeking?’ And they said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’ So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day… He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ)…

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph…’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’” John 1:23,29-39,41,45,49

John announced and introduced Jesus as the Light, the promised Lord, and the Savior of the world. He proficiently and humbly fulfilled his purpose of making the Lamb known, then stepped back for the disciples to see Him only. They would follow Jesus, learn of and from Him, join Him at the cross, and follow His example after He was gone. He became a sheep Himself to shepherd them to eternal life. (Isaiah 53:4-7; John 10:14-15,27-28; 13:15)

We have many challenges and distractions that vie for our ‘follow.’ Voices in social media, prescribed strategies for personal fulfillment and worldly success, both well- and ill-intended opinions for structuring our days and patterns, health and thinking. The way of a humble lamb does not always excite or entice or even draw notice. The way of self-sacrifice seems counter-intuitive compared to worldly mantras. But to follow the Lamb is the way to rich life now and forever.

What pulls our attention and affections elsewhere? Where do we succumb to temporal pleasures and forsake what is lasting? What makes us give in to instant glitz and satiation and forego the Lord’s richer fare? Would we ask Jesus to draw our whole heart toward Him and His ways, and follow? (Matthew 6:19-21; Hebrews 11:24-26)

Lord my King, help me see the supremacy of following You at every turn, in every way, for Your renown.

“Hezekiah began to reign… In the first year, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests… and said, ‘Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs. They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings… My sons, do not now be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him…’

“The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found… and carried it out… Then they… said [to Hezekiah], ‘We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, the altar and all its utensils… All that King Ahaz discarded when he was faithless, we have made ready and consecrated, and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.’

“Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials and went up to the house of the Lord… [He] commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel.  The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded…  When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.  And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord… They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.” 2 Chronicles 29:1a,3-7,11,16,18-20,27-30

For Hezekiah, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord began with the temple of the Lord. In the first year, his first priority was to reopen the house of the Lord. He immediately set to repair all that had been neglected and reestablish proper sacrifice and worship to exalt his true King.

Tending the temple is an ongoing discipline. Hinges get rusty and stiff with lack of use, and utensils get misplaced. Apathy and laziness in our spiritual life yield nothing good or lofty, and breed only more self-interest, introspection, and ultimate misery. We have to let in light to see uncleanness, and exert effort to remove it and to prepare for and maintain pure, orderly worship. (Psalm 51:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

It takes care to tend to spiritual temples. What causes us to shut off our hearts to the Lord’s beckoning hand? What preferences and habits make us stiff-necked toward His grace and Word? Has specific rebellion rebuffed His fidelity? When we determine instead to open ourselves to His light, repair our relationship by genuine repentance and recommitment, and reinstate true Christ-centered worship, we will know gladness in fresh, astounding ways. Our vision and passions will be purified, our living renewed with eternal purpose, and He will receive the praise. (30:8-9,12,23-27)

Lord, may I daily open wide the door of my heart for Thee. Enter, reside, and rule to Your good ends and glory.

“Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,… and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and Benjamin. He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.  And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

“And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord,  and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made.  And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers.  They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.”

“But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread.., and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him. Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.” 2 Chronicles 11:5-6,10-17; 13:10-12

The time had come, with Israel’s divided kingdom after Solomon, for the priests to take a stand. They had faithfully set their hearts on the Lord, and when Jeroboam king of Israel introduced strange gods, they knew they had to put this heart into action and move to Jerusalem. While Jerusalem was not perfect, and Judah’s leader Rehoboam not fixed on seeking the Lord, they were able there to fulfill their call from God. (2 Chronicles 13:6-9)

While we live in this world, we will always meet opposition, and God does not waste it. Sometimes there are lessons to be learned in staying where we are, but there may come times when a heart set on God must translate into setting our feet in a new direction. The Lord God calls us to fear and faithfully serve Him, and if our situation makes that impossible or untenable, He may be calling us to move elsewhere.

Are there self-imposed limitations on what we are willing to do, even if God clearly calls elsewhere, in position or place? To what comforts or familiarities are we clinging? Whose will are we daily seeking, so we know what God’s clear direction is, higher and irrespective of worldly pressures or prohibitions? (Psalm 32:8; Proverbs 3:5-6)

Lord, may my call to serve and honor You reside and take precedence above all else. Compel me to follow and lead for You, to Your glory always.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people  did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:1-14,16

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46

In the beginning, from eternity past, Jesus. He was coming and came and is here, the Light shining now in darkness, enlightening everyone. Jesus. The glorious Word become flesh, the Savior of men.

“Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

The Light of Life and of the world is the personal light of individual men and women and children of God. Each who receives is adopted as His child and owns that everlasting light. No darkness that might be looming in our lives, our minds or spirits, can overcome the magnificent and eternal light of Christ!(Ephesians 1:5)

Is there choking grief, incessant longing, fear, or physical pain, seasonal sorrow? God’s light shines into every recess! Every hidden heartache! Every bitter remembrance! Every lonely hour! Though the earth has its shadows, Jesus is present as Light, with us to warm and illumine and emanate in hope from every cloud. Would we bask in, receive, and rejoice in Him?

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.” ~Phillips Brooks (1868)

Jesus, fill me that I might shine Your heavenly light and spread Your joy to the world.

“Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. I struck you and the products of your toil with blight and mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.  Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day… Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider:  Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you…”

 “I am about to shake the heavens and the earth,  and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down…  On that day, declares the Lord, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 15-19,21b-23

Woe to the Israelites. They’d returned from exile yet given up rebuilding the temple. Having been stripped of all that was theirs, they clamored to collect and repair for themselves and neglected building for the Lord. He planted a stake in their life ground through his prophet Haggai that from that day forward life could and would be different if they would renew their commitment to Him. His Spirit was with them to stir, strengthen, bless, and give hope of glory for the present and future. (Haggai 1:4-5,7-10,13; 2:4-9)

It’s easy to get bogged down in the present with the weight of the past. Regrets, failures, setbacks can all sully our vision and impede our progress. ‘Woe is me’ becomes our exasperated mantra as we trudge to make it another day. But God thinks differently about and toward us. He sees us as inestimably valuable, owners of every spiritual blessing in Christ, and longs that from this moment forward we would live that way. (Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 3:13-14)

What “but I always” and “but if only”s are hindering a fresh vision of life with Christ? What bitterness, regret, or hurt snaggles our way forward? If indeed we are forgiven, new creatures in Christ, and His love has been shed abroad in our hearts, are we not free to leave these at the cross and press on forward on the upward way? (Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

From this day onward, will I set aside angst and anger? Will I choose not to curse but to bless, not to despise but to love? Will I not complain but give thanks, not fret but trust, not resent but seek to understand? Will I set aside self for the good of others, and cease worshiping self in order to exalt Almighty God? Will I live in freedom and joy because I belong to Jesus and am secure in His everlasting arms, no matter what I have or how I’m treated by the world? (Matthew 5:11-12)

Father, please fill me with Your Spirit, that I might from this day on wholeheartedly worship you and serve your purposes with great joy, to Your honor and glory.

“The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.’ But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.* They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord. ‘As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known… The pleasant land was made desolate.’

“‘I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy… I have returned and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain… I will save my people… and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness…

“’For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. As you have been a byword of cursing among the nations,.. so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing.’”

*Hebrew and made their ears too heavy to hear

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he.” Zechariah 7:8-14; 8:2-3,7-8,12-13; 9:9

Since Eden, the once-warm human heart has been plagued with a sinister chill. Throughout history God’s gracious offer of life has been rebuffed for the distorted privilege of serving idols and getting what we want: a pride-filled present and a hopeless future. And until the end of days, many will reject His free eternal gift of forgiveness and joy. (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:14-15; Revelation 9:20-21)

But praise our gracious God! He’s come to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found! His mercy unstiffens the shoulder to lean toward His forgiving embrace. It buoys the leaden ear to hear melodies of lovingkindness and grace. It softens the diamond-hard heart to welcome His word and respond with obedience and affection. This is our Redeemer, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! (Psalm 103:1-14)

Do you know Him? Will you receive the Savior as your own and know the delights of being held by everlasting arms, of attentive ears and a malleable heart? (Deuteronomy 33:12,27)

Even knowing Him, we still contend with the enemy’s wiles. What allures trigger stubborn refusal of His ways? What irritations, complaints, or woes pester our minds and dull spiritual receptors? Where have we shrugged off grace and refused to relinquish shame, regret, resentment? For whom will we trust God to soften our hearts, that we might love as He’s loved us? (1 John 3:16-18; 4:7-11,16,19)

Lord Jesus, may I bring your joy to the world by living lightly and gratefully in Your love. Prepare hearts for Your freedom and grace, that You might be known and exalted.