Author: astherainandsnow

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive… your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

“We give thanks.., remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but in power and the Holy Spirit and with full conviction… You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you.., but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere.”

“We had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel in the midst of much conflict… not to please man, but to please God… We were ready to share with you not only the gospel but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. Remember our labor and toil: we worked night and day… while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God… When you received the word,.. you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. ” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5a,6-8; 2:2,4,8-9,13b

Once Paul was gripped by the Lord, his goal was to make His life-changing gospel known. His spoken word and clear witness of faithful, loving, industrious effort resulted in wide-sweeping transformation around the Mediterranean. The gospel works its way into and through those who receive its truth and power. (Acts 9:3-16)

How readily do I speak about Jesus, and give witness to His example of engaged listening, selfless love, and patience? How zealously do I pursue those ripe for hope and significance? How willing am I to work hard so as not to be a burden, and to speak boldly of the Savior who gives purpose and eternal security?

Reluctant or timid? Pray! Ask for holy boldness in open doors to speak with clarity, and in every opportunity to serve with perseverance and model consistent faith in hardship. Ask that the gospel have full spiritual effect in souls, and communities. (Ephesians 6:18-20; Colossians 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 3:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-13)

What examples of faith in action have inspired stronger faith and compelled bolder action in me? The men who challenge each other to share the gospel with one person a week? The woman who lost her home and has offered its salvageable contents, saying, “It was built to share, why not share in its final days?” The friend coming to grips with a sobering diagnosis, thanking God for every day of opportunity?

How might we exercise more creative service, more compassionate ministry, more courageous proclamation of the gospel? We never know who is observing our obedience, generosity, and love. But we can know, if we work as unto the Lord, He will work in glorious ways to accomplish His redemptive purposes.

Lord, engage all my faculties to proclaim and exemplify Your gospel. Have Your way with me, Your word, and the witness of Your children, to fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by Your power and for Your glory. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

“Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.” Acts 15:37-39

“Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.” Colossians 4:10-11

Mark had changed. Having been mentored by his steady, optimistic, servant-minded, encourager cousin Barnabas, Mark had obviously matured in Christ. Through growing surrender to God, and tangible experience along their mission travels, he’d tested and approved God’s direction, enabling, and will. His Redeemer had transformed him from Paul’s craw into a comfort. (Romans 12:1-2)

Paul had also changed, chiseled and molded by the harsh tumble of suffering, injustice, and opposition. He had become more gracious, willing to strive and work with others’ weaknesses toward spiritual growth. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28; Philemon 10-20)

In Christ, we never stay the same. Sanctification is a dynamic process by which the Spirit continually transforms, refines, and shapes our every aspect to be like Christ. It bears growth in personal character and the willingness to extend grace, acceptance, forgiveness, and love to others because of all Christ exhibited toward us. (Romans 15:1-3; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:32)

How am I changing? Have I settled in to irritations that make me cantankerous and unappealing, or that prevent me from seeing the good and building up the potential in someone else? Do I dismiss someone with whom I find few commonalities with impatient repulsion, or ask God to open possibilities? Where am I exhibiting more patience, graciousness, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, courtesy, compassion, self-control? How have I become a better listener, lover, servant, helper, encourager, communicator, steward of resources?

How entrenched am I in idiosyncrasies and habits that can be off-putting or irritating to others? Do I distract from their seeing Jesus by foolish antics or unsavory talk? While being overly self-conscious isn’t a healthy preoccupation, it’s important that we’re self aware enough to know how we come across. We’re to put off old ways and put on Christ and spread His fragrance in this acrid world. What in my countenance or behavior would draw another to Jesus? Are my words a constant drone of complaint and negativities, or of upbuilding and gratitude? In what specific areas do I need the Lord’s mighty touch and transformation? (2 Corinthians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:5-17)

Good Father, extricate any vestige of craw from my attitude and actions, and help me do all I can to be a palpable comfort instead. Help me see others with Your loving and merciful eyes and embrace them with your generous heart, that we all grow up into the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-14)

“When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent…

“Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness…

“You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath^. The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

“This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths). And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 45:1,9-15

In Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the temple, the Lord imparted specific illustrations and instructions regarding the new temple and worship surrounding it. Led by the Spirit, Ezekiel recorded explicit descriptions of what he saw and heard to impart God’s message to the house of Israel. Order, beauty, and just measure carried peace and hope for this rebellious nation in bleak times. (Ezekiel 40:1-4; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Lord almighty is precise in every way, instructing and working and loving in perfect measure. No word He speaks falls empty or returns void, no time He spends is frivolous, no blood He spilled was wasted. Where He prescribes for man exact measures for practical uses and priestly services, they point to the exquisite, perfect measure of His love and grace toward His own. (Isaiah 55:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

In His holy economy, God cares about how we treat and deal with those among us. He calls us to be fair and just, and even generous in stewardship of resources. The practical measures in how we interact with and treat others is an indication of the higher interest we exhibit spiritually. Humanity’s best pales in comparison to having the mind of Christ and exhibiting His character and generosity. (Deuteronomy 25:15; Luke 6:38; Ephesians 4:32; Philippians 2:3-4).

How well do we measure in comparison to His perfect standard? Are we scant or lavish in worship? Do we skimp on love and mercy with those in our households? Are we cheap against fair wages, do we cut corners in honesty, or do we take unfair advantage of others at work, in commerce?

How we deal with others on earth is a reflection of our understanding of how Christ has dealt with us in heaven. When we fail to accept His full pardon and rest in the lavish sufficiency of His love, we will treat others out of the dearth and insecurity we carry. Resentment, greed, and fear unsettle God’s quantity of grace in any interaction.

Lord, fill me to full measure with the bounty You’d have me share, that Your perfection and sufficiency are magnified.

“He brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east… The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

“Going eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, ‘Have you seen this?’

“Then he led me back to the bank of the river.  As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said, ‘This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down… and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes… And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.’” Ezekiel 47:1-9,12

Water issued from the temple. Ezekiel would see that as he followed flowing flood and fresh fruit, he needed to remember the initial source. Trickle to ankle, knee-deep to waist-deep to swim-deep, this sanctuary water was running its course to sanctify all who would see and be filled.

How kind of the Lord to stand with us at the door of His temple, to greet us in His sanctuary and lead us to behold His work. How good of the Lord to measure His flow in our lives, and give gradually more as we can handle it, expanding faith and perspective. How merciful of the Lord to take us aside for protection when the depth of circumstance is too heavy for navigating and current too forceful for passing through. It is there He explains that His purposes are redemptive, His outcomes glorious. We must remain in the fresh water from the Sanctuary. (Ezekiel 11:16b; 37:27)

Is there an ugly flood that’s disrupted life as we know it: a death, a slammed door, a choking new debilitation, a raging temptation? Have we strayed from the Source of fresh, life-giving water? What will we change to drink and wade deeply from Jesus again?

Father, sanctify me. May Your life-giving Spirit flow into and through me to produce rich spiritual fruit and well up in glory to You.

“The Lord is a great God,
    a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95:3-5

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him…
His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles…
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.” Psalm 97:1-2,4,6

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
    covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
    his ministers a flaming fire.

He set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
    to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they might not again cover the earth.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast…
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
    they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work…

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom have you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
    which teems with creatures innumerable,
    living things both small and great…

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke!
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalm 104:1-13,24-25,31-34

Catching our breath by inhaling the beauty of nature brings a life rhythm of wonder and praise. God the Creator touches man His creature through the beauties of all He has made, lifting thought, illuminating senses, inspiring praise to the Indescribable for what is inscrutable.

Is He Lord of every part of our nature? When do I pause to praise? From what will I rise to transcend the weight of here below to exalt Him above?

“Fairest Lord Jesus, 
ruler of all nature, 
O thou of God and man the Son, 
Thee will I cherish, 
Thee will I honor, 
thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.

Fair are the meadows, 
fairer still the woodlands, 
robed in the blooming garb of spring:  
Jesus is fairer, 
Jesus is purer 
who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine, 
fairer still the moonlight, 
and all the twinkling starry host:  
Jesus shines brighter, 
Jesus shines purer 
than all the angels heaven can boast.

Beautiful Savior!  
Lord of all the nations!  
Son of God and Son of Man!  
Glory and honor, 
praise, adoration, 
now and forevermore be thine.” ~Joseph Augustus Seiss (1823-1904)

Good Father, may I bow in awe and sing Your praises forever.

“Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.’ And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.” 1 Kings 19:1-8

Elijah knew the sustenance of God. Heaven-sent ravens had already fed him at the Brook of Cherith, nourishing his body and preparing his faith to trust his Lord for supernatural multiplication of the widow’s flour and oil. God could do anything, and tended to deepest needs of body, mind, and spirit to equip His prophet for next steps. He never failed to supply for His own. (1 Kings 17:1-16; 19:9-18)

When the Lord has us on His path and in His grip, He knows our every need. A life of obedience is one of dependence. God does not mark out direction for His purposes then abandon us. Rather, He strives with us to accomplish not only His grand plan in the world but His personal plan in our lives. He’s not about famous public success with flimsy, self-willed people. He’s best glorified through His people, when we’re dependent and surrendered, emptied of self and filled with Him, trusting His daily manna and His strength in our weakness. (Exodus 16:4,14; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10; Philippians 4:19)

Where has God called me to go, to serve, to work, to invest in a new relationship, for Him? Am I reluctant to begin, whining about difficulty and lack? Uncertainty and loneliness? Do I rush ahead in my own smarts and strength, which are bound to run dry? Or do I take time to listen and converse with my loving and able Lord, and receive the nourishment He offers? Am I willing to go when He instructs, and rest and take His fortification when He graciously supplies? Would I then move forward, trusting He’ll continue to provide, to part waters, to feed as each need arises?

Faithful Father, may I glorify You by trusting and taking and savoring Your every provision for the journey You intend for me. Only in and through and with You will it find favor.

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord… Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.  And… behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy… say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.^‘  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:1-10

Could there be a more vivid picture of lifelessness transformed than the Lord gave Ezekiel? The Author of life, since death was chosen in Eden, never leaves His people in death and despair. He is fully vested in His children to bring life to mortal bodies with immortal power, vitality, and fruitfulness.

“Then he said to me, ‘These bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:11-14

Has our zeal to move forward or willingness to adapt and change dried up? Where have we lost spiritual edge and relinquished self control to indulgence, patience to impertinence and it’s-my-right-to-be-first, or gratitude to complaining? Do we choose to languish and give up, or earnestly beseech the Lord’s breath of energy and revival of all that lies fallow? God can make us willing to be made willing, and delights when we live to the full all He’s prepared for us. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Father, rejuvenate me. Fill me with Your life, that others see and come to know You, and desire Your dwelling place and sanctuary among them. (Ezekiel 37:27-28)

“Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth.” Philippians 1:27; 2:1-8,19-22a

A manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ looks like that of Jesus. God’s children, having received encouragement, love, and the indwelling Spirit from Him, develop His mind and ways through ongoing sanctification. Paul urges the Philippians to pursue this unity of mind and love, centering their interests and devotion on their Sovereign. A pure and surrendered mind of Christ then inspires selfless living that transfers focus on self to the interests of others.

Interests of all kinds entice and cajole, and beckon us to sit a while and spend a lot. The enemy would have us focus on anything but the Lord, especially ourselves. With every such investment, we’re also deciding where not to take interest. Time spent on pampering and self-improvement is time not spent on helping others, unless physical health and strength need attention in order to make us able. Interest in my chosen topics can dominate conversation, selfish proclivities can rob someone else from exercising their gifts. Are we aware how much our own interests drive expenditure of time and resources that could be steered elsewhere? Am I robbing from God by personal pride and indulgence? (Malachi 3:8-10)

What does putting the interests of Christ and others first look like? It’s taking no effort to be served, but serving with generosity and zeal. It’s sacrificing with abandon for the needs of others and glory of Christ. It’s putting aside anger and bitterness to forgive others, because Christ has forgiven us. It’s spending and being spent for the sake of another’s spiritual welfare. It’s loving with patience and kindness, not keeping count of wrongs or taking advantage or demeaning another. It’s removing ourselves from the limelight and putting the focus and glory on Jesus. It’s faithfully living before others a life fixed on the hope of heaven, not material gain. It’s working humbly side by side agreeably, setting aside differences for the greater good. (Mark 10:45; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Ephesians 4:31-32; Philippians 2:14-15,17,30; 3:7-9,17-21; 4:2-5,14-18)

Lord, captivate my whole interest. May my energy and talents be spent on glorifying You and bringing benefit to others.

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.  And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you… 

“Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Ezekiel 36:25-29,33-35

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“You have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off our old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness… Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:21-24,31-32

There are many things that can be cleaned and renewed, and it is prudent not to waste when an object can be revitalized or repurposed. But when we become children of God, our existence is more than revitalized. When we are saved unto true life in Christ, we have a new life as new creations in Him. He cleanses us so deeply He replaces our heart and spirit with new, so we beat divine blood and breathe holy air. When He gives us a new identity, He reorients our motivations and inclinations, thinking and walking.

Do we live as those who’ve been made new? Are our daily minds so transformed that we filter news and listen to media with a biblical perspective, or choose by the Spirit’s leading not to read or listen at all and spend our time altogether differently? How has the Lord Himself guided our thinking, or do we simply absorb and regurgitate what someone else has surmised? How keenly do we feel, and exhibit, the fruits of the Spirit in everyday interactions? It’s one thing to ‘behave,’ yet another to pulse with such new life that we impulsively respond with the righteousness of true life. (Acts 16:6; Romans 12:2; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 6:18-19)

Lord, help me put off and put on this day to give evidence to Christ’s true life in me, to the praise of Your glory. (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5-21)

“I want you to know that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

“And I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me… I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:12-22,25-26a

Paul had spiritual eyes, and eagerly made the most of his situation. If prison was where his Sovereign planted him, there he would proclaim the gospel where it might not otherwise go, to the imperial guard, those tending to his care, and fellow prisoners. God’s chosen were everywhere, and he wanted to participate in their salvation. (Acts 16:25-34)

Paul’s example was an encouragement to watching believers. His spoken reason for his hope, even in untoward circumstances, emboldened their faith and advanced the good news. They progressed in joy as they observed his contentment, and persevered in prayer as they learned how it encouraged his faith and sharpened his vision. (Philippians 4:11; 1 Peter 3:15)

From a human perspective, imprisonment would never be the state of choice. And unjust confinement for righteous obedience would make the situation even more difficult to accept. But in God’s perspective, where He sees all things on an eternal continuum and working together for eternal good, such suffering may be simply a tool in the shadows for heavenly blessing. Through temporary unease and discomfort, He’s arranging many things more glorious and significant than are seen. (Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 8:28)

In unjust accusation or painful condition, what practical and spiritual opportunities has the Lord presented? In the grief of natural disaster or unexpected loss, how has He revealed himself and increased confidence in His larger purpose? In each confinement of hard relationship, uncertainty, or forced-upon-me out-of-my-control circumstance, how will I use it to grow in faith, exemplify Christ, advance the gospel?

Lord, please use every experiential jail to strengthen my faith and boldness. Help me make the most of laboring side by side with others, without fear and with joy, to spread Your gospel and exalt Your fame. (Philippians 1:27-28)