Author: astherainandsnow

“He sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and rules to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!”

“Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord!
    For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
    he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
    stormy wind fulfilling his word!” Psalm 147:15-20; 148:3-8

“My words… will be fulfilled in their time.” Luke 1:20

God the Creator spoke the world into being, and rules over it by His word today. Weather, boundaries, seasons all turn and hold under His wise command. Everything He breathes and says bears through its divine, intended effect. His word runs swiftly on heaven’s time to accomplish God’s perfect will on earth. Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Psalm 104:5-9; Isaiah 55:10-11; Colossians 1:16-17)

His word also should be making such a difference for us. True, it is far-reaching and over-arching in all the world, but it is personal for the intricacies of our daily living too. It runs through every narrow and turn to offer guidance, hope, honing, and wisdom for our times. (Proverbs 2:6)

First, we need exposure to it, deep soaking and grappling that immerses mind and soul. We need its truth to wash over and run through us to cleanse, refresh, nourish, and satisfy. Are we taking such intentional time, carved from days of busyness and superficial pursuits? Do we stay in its flow until we are quenched? Do we treasure it as our mind and soul’s satisfaction? (Job 23:12)

When we come to God’s word and offer ourselves a living sacrifice, we find it penetrates to divide soul and spirit and do its marvelous work of sanctification. Work of conviction, illumination, training, warning, directing. By these we are prepared for our responsibilities and interruptions, our relationships and discussions. His word suffices to keep running to meet ongoing needs, and never returns void. (Psalm 32:8; 119:11; Isaiah 50:4; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

Once we have God’s word feeding into us, how might we assist its running swiftly to others? Where will we proclaim it, teach it, and share its benediction? What are practical ways we can communicate its truth and beauty and blessedness? How are we living it out in obvious display, so others see it taking effect, shaping character, inspiring righteousness, and want it for themselves?

Lord, may Your word run swiftly into every part of my life to convict, adjust, and sanctify as You see fit. May it have its way in and through me unto Your glory.

“Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. This is an account of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

“And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

“Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. And David said longingly, ‘Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!’ Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David…

“And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.”

“These are… among the mighty men who came to David [and] helped him in war… mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, mighty men of valor [who] helped David,.. had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do,.. seasoned troops ready for battle.” 1 Chronicles 11:10-18,22; 12:1,8,22,32-33

David’s mighty men had come a long way. Time spent with their king had transformed and emboldened them, and created a remarkable loyalty and zeal. Under David, life for them turned from self-focus to kingdom-purpose: now every breath pulsed with passion to make their king great and serve him at any cost. Be it strategizing, fighting, or working good deeds behind the scenes, they were all in. (1 Samuel 22:2)

What adjectives describe our allegiance to God? Lazy, half-hearted, reluctant, or eager, bold, mighty? Do we shrink back from the spiritual fight and the risk of standing up or out for our King, citing fear of getting hurt, criticized, worn out, or left out? Knowing the Lord fights on our behalf, what keeps us from taking up arms for Him? If we acknowledge Him as King, how robust is our stewardship, how faithful our fealty? How far are we willing to defend His name? He certainly is worthy of full devotion. (Exodus 14:13-14; Luke 9:26; Romans 1:16-17)

Sovereign God, make me a mighty warrior for You. Arm me with singleness of purpose, spiritual weapons, and a ready willingness to take a strong stand for Your kingdom. Grant me daily a single mind to exalt and make You known as King. (1 Chronicles 12:33,38; Ephesians 6:10-18)

“Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O servants of the Lord!..
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.

For I know that the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
 who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and Og, king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
and gave their land as a heritage
    to his people Israel.

Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.”

“It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 135:1-14; 136:23-24

The psalmist knew how to center his focal point. His soul spilled over with praise because his mind was filled with God. From the beginning of imagination and time, He it was who had created, ordered, sustained, worked every aspect of creation according to His purpose. He it was who had orchestrated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the salvation of everyone covered in the sacrificial blood. He it was who had conquered armies and lands and settled His people in the place He’d promised. And so He would always be faithful, mighty, and true to His character and word. (John 14:6; Hebrews 1:2-3; 13:8)

It should be impossible to enumerate God’s faithfulness and doubt His present help, yet we flounder. We dismiss past deeds as done and fail to see they continue. We acknowledge He works for others, yet in self-pity and -absorption claim He would not for us. The more we focus on me instead of the works He has done, the weaker our faith. His word is given that we might believe and take heart! (Acts 1:1)

He it was, He it is, and He it will always be! Our Savior, shepherd, redeemer, bread, way, finisher of faith, our very life, will be so forever and ever! What hope does this give? What boost of zeal and spiritual energy? What power to go forth and hope to persevere? What conviction of sloth, redirection of priorities, relinquishing of shame, motivation to robust ministry, inspiration to grow and serve does this promise engender? The grasp of God’s ever- presence and eternal activity on our behalf should make a significant difference in outlook, attitude, and action. (John 6:35; 10:14; Hebrews 12:2)

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.” ~Thomas O. Chisholm (1923)

Lord, keep me faithful to receive and continue Your ongoing work, to the praise of Your glory.

“For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
    and declares to man what is his thought,
who makes the morning darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!”

“He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
    and turns deep darkness into the morning
    and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
the LORD is his name;
who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
    so that destruction comes upon the fortress…

Seek good, and not evil,
    that you may live;
and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you,
    as you have said.
Hate evil, and love good,
    and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

“The LORD God of hosts,
he who touches the earth and it melts,
    and all who dwell in it mourn,
and all of it rises like the Nile,
    and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;
who builds his upper chambers in the heavens
    and founds his vault upon the earth;
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—
the LORD is his name.” Amos 4:13; 5:8-9,14-15; 9:5-6

A name signifies identity, and makes an entity known. With each mention of his name and each description Amos gives, more is revealed about the LORD, his Lord. Omniscient creator, God of hosts, powerful Sustainer of life and creation, Ruler and Judge of earth, the LORD is His name!

And if these things are true about the Lord, what keeps us from bowing before Him? From worship for His mighty arm, the splendor of His mind? From fear and honor before His power? From trusting the only One who is absolutely trustworthy? From loving Him because He first loved us? The LORD is His name! (1 John 4:19)

Our problem is that we get busy and fettered in our daily lives and forget to relate to Him. We buzz along in the horizontal and neglect the vertical. We forsake spiritual communion because our feelings get wrapped up in offense and frenzy. We fail to recognize His hand in the details of our work, relationships, and play, His leading and supply in our industry and plans. The LORD is His name, and it is written on all we see and experience, if only we would look.

What would happen if we started to see others as those created by this Lord? If we stopped parading superficial or controversial identities and instead identified as image bearers? What stirs up dissension and hatred is the waving of specific banners in pomp, superiority, or you-have-to-celebrate-me arcs. We spout opinions and demand agreement. But if we were secure in who we really are, deep down, in relation to the LORD, high and lifted up, we would see and embrace each other with divine perspective. The LORD is His name over all!

LORD, may I recall and sing and praise Your great, strong, and matchless name all my days!

“Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. He went out again among the people, from Beersheba to… Ephraim, and brought them back to the God of their fathers. He appointed judges in the land and all the fortified cities of Judah, and said to the judges, ‘Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes… Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!’”

“After this the Moabites and Ammonites and some of the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom...’ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.  Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came…

“Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord,.. and said, ‘O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you… O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’” 2 Chronicles 19:4-7,11b; 20:1-6,12

Consider all he’d done right! Jehoshaphat, following in the footsteps of his father Asa, had sought the Lord from the inception of his reign. God had blessed him with and because of his obedience and courageous heart. He led Judah with order and uprightness, holding prominent God’s word as their underpinning and standard. He was not perfect, but repented of his errors in judgment and reformed his ways and leadership. And after all this, formidable enemies threatened. Was this his reward? (2 Chronicles 14:2; 17:3-9)

The Lord never lets up in sanctifying His children. We may think we’ve arrived, done it all right, but we will not be like Him until we see Him face to face. In this life where we see in a mirror dimly, He relentlessly pursues us to make us holy, and keeps at it in the most effective ways- often through the jolt of battle. (1 Corinthians 13:12; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 John 3:3)

Where have we grown soft and lazy and prone to spiritual naps on the outskirts of success? Do we mock the grace of God by a self-righteous sense of desert, and complain about undeserved difficulty? Does our boasted list of self-efforts overshadow the power of God’s faithfulness and promises? Have our ears grown dull to the truth that every success is not by my might nor power but His Spirit? Are we wasting the tests of His appointed, proving trials? (Zechariah 4:6; James 1:2-4)

We must repeatedly remind ourselves of God’s grace, His mighty acts on our behalf and merciful help in time of need. We fortify ourselves for battle by recounting His promises and past faithfulness, and trusting His ways. Would we stay vigilant, no matter what comes? (2 Chronicles 20:7-11; Hebrews 4:12)

Holy Lord, keep me bowed before You in worship, gratitude for Your salvation, and complete dependence for Your full deliverances. (2 Chronicles 20:15-22,25-26)

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your  behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:3-14

Hearing begets faith. Taking in the gospel of Christ within the inspiration and regeneration of the Spirit produces understanding, which opens our minds to spiritual wisdom and the knowledge of God’s will. It plants seeds of truth and sows increasing responses of trust, surrender, application, maturation, and multiplication. Have we listened well enough to the gospel of Christ to be changed? (Luke 8:5-8; Romans 10:17)

Hearing begets love, expressed in service, care, affection, and prayer for those with whom we are connected. The more we learn, the more we care, and want to communicate in return. How eager are we to listen to stories of changed lives, and how generously do we love them and their Savior in response? How patiently and generously do we follow through?

Hearing begets praise to God. When His work and marvelous ways have been conveyed, the natural response is to proclaim His excellencies and magnify His name. When we hear of His abounding mercies, how quick are we to extol Him for transformation, fruit produced, and mission strengthened?

Hearing begets joy, which begets gratitude, when we learn of the growing faith of others. We hear because there has been an effect, a blossoming, a display of the beautiful work of God in a people and place. Do our hearts truly rejoice with those who rejoice? (Romans 12:15)

Hearing begets prayer for more good and growth. We are encouraged by deliverances given and steps taken, and are spurred on to seek God for more. How readily do I take what I hear to the throne of grace? (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-23)

Lord, keep my ears open and attuned to all You say and keen to everything You would have me hear, and quick to respond accordingly.

“Have you not heard
    that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
    what now I bring to pass,
that you should turn fortified cities
    into heaps of ruins,
while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
    are dismayed and confounded,
and have become like plants of the field
    and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
    blighted before it is grown.

“I know your sitting down
    and your going out and coming in,
    and your raging against me.
Because you have raged against me
    and your complacency has come into my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
    and my bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
    by which you came.

“And this shall be the sign for you: this year eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.  For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord will do this.” 2 Kings 19:25-31

Israel’s planting roots of rebellion reaped the judgment of God. From the beginning, in grace, when He gave every good thing, man turned his own way. But from the beginning, also in grace, He planned to redeem. He is upright in His pronouncements and plans, warning His own and keeping His word. And while His holiness requires judgment against our rage, His mercy offers deliverance. (Genesis 1:31;3:1-7; Romans 5:8)

Are we so accustomed to living in this middle land that we neglect sending roots downward into the fertile soil of Christ? We cannot bear any fruit that lasts without abiding in Jesus. Do we make light of His mercies and righteousness, eschewing His call to obedience and flippantly continuing in sin, pretending that grace will continue to flow? May it never be! Do we settle for worshiping what He has made instead of Him? For this He will not stand! (John 15:5; Romans 1:18-24; 6:1-2)

What will we do by way of focused time and genuine confession to turn up the soil of our hearts? How deeply do we allow God’s word to reach into our shame, our flesh tendencies, our personality or behavioral weaknesses that are out of His Spirit‘s control? What is its effect? When He enters and does what only He can, we are set free to go deep and energized to break forth in bloom for Him, to bear great fruit of righteousness. (Matthew 13:3-9; Galatians 5:22–23)

As inhabitants of cities of this earth that are fortified with worldly thinking and pride-filled doing, we have daily choices. Will we get drawn into their angry rebellion against all that is lofty, or swallowed by their malaise of spiritual complacency? Or will we send roots deep in Christ’s attributes and grow upward to reflect His beauties and grace? Oh, to survive the world’s onslaught and bloom for Him!

Lord, may Your zeal have its way with all of me, that I produce rich fruit to Your glory.

“I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:1-21

“Bring your sacrifices every morning… offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” Amos 4:4-5

The rhythm of David’s days was praise. To extol his God and King was like breathing: behold, praise; meditate, commend; observe, sing out; look, declare. His life was filled with blessing from God, and his days were filled with blessing his God- the One so supreme, powerful, splendid, and intricately involved in everything good. Indeed, His character and works were eminently worthy of ongoing praise.

To praise God every day through warp and woof and hours of existence is to praise Him forever. Who He is today He is always. How He deals with men is how He deals forever. God is faithful and does not change. His mercies never cease yet are new every morning. Daily He bears burdens and brings His plans to pass. His word is ever true and accomplishes its intent. (Psalm 68:19; Isaiah 14:24; 55:10-11; Lamentations 3:22-23; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)

How will I establish new rhythms of praise? Could outlook be infused with expectant joy, gossip become a litany of commendation, complaint turn to gratitude, sloth to zealous stewardship?

Lord on high, captivate me with You and Your wondrous works, that my days be full of praise and You are honored forever.

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly… Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God… As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”Genesis 17:1-2,4-8,15-16

“In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.'” Hosea 1:10b

Names in the Bible were given as identities. When changed, they reflected a new scape or broadened scope of life, and signified something left behind. God intended instruction and inspiration through His conference of names.

God has a knack for reorienting and renaming His children. His thoughts and ways are far above ours, and are generous, good, and redemptive. His Spirit intrudes our world as a permanent internal and external life-changer. Being named His own and bearing Christ’s name makes all the difference. (Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:15-17; 1 Peter 2:10; 1 John 3:1)

How might the Lord want to rename me? Self-focused to Christ-centered? Lazy to zealous? Impatient to patient? Ornery to gracious? Undisciplined to measured? Frenzied to peace-filled? Scattered to focused? Driven or impulsive to Spirit-led and self-controlled? Complainer to hope-filled? Dreading to expectant?

If I were to be renamed, what does the Lord want left behind? What deeply-entrenched attitudes prohibit spiritual or relational growth? What habits entangle forward or upward progress? What ‘I can’t help it’s or ‘it’s always been this way’ are holding me back from envisioning how things could be better, more constructive, more fruitful? What narrow parameters have I set by sloth, fear, or caution that the Lord would remove to expand my perspective for life and ministry?

“Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,
come quickly from above;
write thy new name upon my heart,
thy new best name of Love.” ~Charles Wesley (1742)

Father, name me and make me into Your person, who bears Your identity with wholeheartedness and for your glory.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh… 

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-11,16-18

Certainly Paul had scars. He’d been stoned and lashed, imprisoned and shipwrecked. His body bore scars from angry affliction at the hands of enemies of Christ. The Lord had ordained he’d suffer for His name, and that persecution left scars. (Acts 9:10-18; 27:27-44; 2 Corinthians 11:23-27; Philippians 3:8-10)

But Paul counted them a privilege. They were not raw and painful but healed, smooth reminders of his Savior etched in skin and soul. And he loved his Savior. Jesus had rescued him from a wasted life and appointed him to meaningful apostleship, and his greatest honor was to bear the glory of His identity in serving Him.

Sometimes we suffer deep hurt, when we’re caught off guard and a past experience we’d not thought about in eons resurfaces to reopen a wound. Other times we are stung by ridicule or alienation for our faith, or doing the right thing. Is it always the enemy at hand, tempting us to lengthen our pity-list? Or is the Lord simply reminding us to ‘think on what is true. You may always have scars, but I bore that pain and healed that wound at the cross. These marks on My hands and feet are mercy and love reminders that I finished the work of suffering for you.’? (Philippians 4:8)

Every scar signifies something cut, removed, excised, or peeled away. Blood shed. If we are serious about wanting to know Christ, we embrace the meaningful message they bear. Would my scars draw me closer to Him?

“Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?” ~Amy Carmichael (1867-1951)

Father, may I bear Your scars with gratitude and grace, and in every mark make You known and exalted.