Author: astherainandsnow

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith…

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:6-12a,17-19

The distorted economy of the flesh says: the more I get, the happier I will be. The more I own, the more secure I am. Our greed for gain spreads from material things to accumulating more accolades, more notice, even the craving for one-upmanship. But God’s divine economy works far differently. The great gain in Christ is contentment and peace, and the greatest reward comes through self-denial. After all, the indescribable gift to us was won and came to us through Jesus giving His all. (Matthew 16:24-26; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Galatians 1:3-4; Titus 2:13-14)

The accumulation of food, clothing, riches, and money can lead to idolatry and destruction, and so can the accumulation of a number of senseless and harmful habits: resentment, anger, jealousy, gossip, worry, pride, and self-loathing. The Lord calls us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness, all which guard us against such self-destructive desires and practices.

In what do we desire to be rich? Beware the lure of the world and its idols and licentiousness. We will pursue what we value and learn to love. When tempted to accumulate, put on, and practice what is displeasing to God or opposed to His righteousness, deliberately give it up, let go, put off, and seek instead what is above, and good. What we gain from seeking heavenly riches and holy habits, and giving with abandon, is eternal, and true living. (Colossians 3:1-10,12-17)

What might we gain in getting along and shared ideas if we gave up the urge to take a dig, or have the final say? What might we learn of God’s inspirational insight if we gave up telling Him what to do? What headway in a friction-laden relationship might we gain if we gave up cursing, and blessed instead? How might our faith increase if we relinquished angst, fretting, and manipulative (or manic) control? How might we gain a new outlook- with attending love and compassion- toward a difficult person if we surrendered bitterness, default condemnation, and past hurts? (Proverbs 15:1; Ecclesiastes 5:2,7; Romans 12:17-21; 2 Timothy 2:14,16,23-26)

Lord, help me give what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose,* for the sake of Your church, Your honor, and Your praise.

*Jim Elliot

“Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you…

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Philemon 1-7,25

Who would not cherish opening and reading such a greeting? Paul’s words to his beloved fellow worker wash over the reader with grace, lovingkindness, appreciation, and affection. He identifies himself as a prisoner, yet moves on quickly to place all attention on those he is holding in his heart. They have taken up special residence in his spirit, his physical discomfort notwithstanding. His opening words are meant for upbuilding and blessing his brothers and sisters in Christ and ministry.

How privileged we are as Christians to have beloved fellow workers in Christ’s kingdom, and it is too often we are at odds, or in a stew of complaint. Things are not exactly as we prefer, and people are not as we think they should be. We grouse and nitpick through sinner-tainted lenses, rather than count the blessings that come from mutual devotion to Christ, from the indescribable unity that is ours in the Spirit, and from the high calling to serve Him together. As fellow members of His body, we can either disrupt and drag down others, or each do his or her part to build up that body with encouragement and love. (1 Corinthians 12:4-27; Ephesians 4:1-7,15-16)

If we are not viewing our fellow kingdom workers with such benevolence, try extending grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ. Think on how the Lord has lavished us with these gifts, and dole out from His Spirit’s deposited storehouse. In the act of giving such to others, grace and peace multiply to bless both giver and recipient. (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2; Luke 6:38)

And are we praying for those with whom we serve? Remembering them with care and gratitude, naming the ways they have grown, helped, made a difference, and effectively produced fruit, evokes gladness of spirit and refreshment of attitude toward them. Are we taking the concentrated time to do so, and persevering in prayer until our hearts overflow?

From whom have we derived comfort and joy as we’ve sat under teaching or served side by side, and have we thanked them for it? And with whom are we fostering the same by loving them well as fellow workers? How do we intentionally lift spirits through spoken words, kind assistance, or tangible encouragement?

Father, this day, may I be bold to love and quick to thank those with whom You have me serving. Please cause us to grow together in faith and goodness, and so bring glory to You.

“The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of trouble…
When a man’s ways please the Lord,
    he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him…
The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps…
A just balance and scales are the Lord’s;
    all the weights in the bag are his work…
How much better to get wisdom than gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver…
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,
    and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” Proverbs 16:1-4,7,9,11,16,20

We plan, plot, and pursue, and all the while God reigns. He watches over His will to perform it, sovereignly using us as instruments while training us in spiritual and practical maturity unto the work He’s planned for us. We walk a mysterious blend of self-will mingled with God’s will, of faith and divine providence, and learn through life that seeking His wisdom and committing our ways to Him frees us to make our way with His blessing. (Jeremiah 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-10)

We are called and empowered to plan- to plan well and in a way that pleases God. That is the secret. Our intent is important to Him who knows our heart. Are we ambitious for success for its own sake, or to win at the expense of righteousness, or others? Are we motivated by greed, or a drive for independence from authority, or a love of ease? Are we accurate and fair in assessing the cost? Are we willing to carry His cross in order to do His will? As we give thought to the standards in God’s word, and entrust our plans to His shaping and favor, we can be sure they will be accomplished according to His purposes. (Luke 14:27-33)

With many choices before us, the choice to seek God’s best should be paramount. Our plans need not oppose or compete with His. When we yield to His sway, His glory will be reflected in all we do, and His work will bring Him praise.

“Have thine own way, Lord! 
Have thine own way! 
Thou art the potter, 
I am the clay. 
Mold me and make me 
after thy will, 
while I am waiting, 
yielded and still. 

Have thine own way, Lord! 
Have thine own way! 
Hold o’er my being 
absolute sway. 
Fill with thy Spirit 
till all shall see 
Christ only, always, 
living in me!” ~Adelaide A. Pollard (1906)

Father, I long to know Your plans for me, and to accomplish them unto You. Teach me to arrange my days within the glorious boundaries of Your good providence, so You fulfill every resolve for good and every work by Your power, in Your time and way. May I follow Your lead with vigor and faith, that You and Your grace be glorified. (Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

“If the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?.. The ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed,.. what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.  But their minds were hardened. To this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.  To this day… a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed… And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…

“What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

“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.” 2 Corinthians 3:7-16,18; 4:5-6,8-11

After Moses received the Ten Commandments on tablets inscribed by God, he descended the mountain with shining face, unaware of the glory reflected from his encounter with the Almighty. Paul describes how that glory pales in comparison to the glory we now bear as we approach the Lord in the Holy Spirit, and then shine in our surroundings. The great hope for the Christian is that we are continually being changed from glory to glory to ready us to see our Savior face to face. On that day, there will be no need for sun or moon for light! (Exodus 31:18; 32:16; 34:29-35; Isaiah 60:19; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 21:23)

Meeting with God pierces through every attempt at secrecy and hiding, as does exposure to His word. The Lord used Moses to display the light and freedom that come from intimacy with Him, and full surrender. As we grow in Christ, His Spirit and word persist in transforming affections, purifying impulses, and smoothing rough places so we gradually, and more clearly, reflect His character. He cleans the glass of our countenance and makes flowers bloom in our behavior, so His glory is borne for others to see. (Hebrews 4:12)

What habits and personality pets need unveiling before God, so He can refine? How is He using trials to make us more like Him?

Lord, bear out of my communion with You, and all worldly interaction or affliction, a glory that exemplifies You alone.

“Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.  So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep… wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill… scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

“Therefore,.. thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths.” Ezekiel 34:2-6,10

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,.. and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15

A flock of grey cloud sheep ambles through a pale gray sky, heading nowhere, but together. They soon scatter, like so many aimless herds, pushed along by shifting wind currents, led and turned and then abandoned by fickle group think. Soon the flock has dissipated, leaving the question unanswered whether they had any purpose in their wandering after all.

Herd mentality with no true shepherd may make an immediate impression, but like vapor, is transient and elusive. To follow lost sheep or false shepherds leads us nowhere significant or meaningful, and often somewhere we wish we’d never strayed. Aimless in brambles of confusion, through bare patches of meaningless ground, where good foundations are nonexistent or have been destroyed, the righteous find themselves lost and hungry. The only way back to green pastures is to abandon the flock and heed the true Shepherd’s voice. (Psalm 11:3; 23:1-2; Ephesians 4:14; James 1:6)

We live in a culture of varied flocks that wander and baaa at every changing whim, and self-promoting shepherds driven by greed. We may think it an easy choice: follow lost sheep or the Good Shepherd, but find ourselves swayed by pressures from voices, emotions, and habits we didn’t realize had a stranglehold on our resolve. We grow dizzy with the promises, doubting their sincerity but wishing them true just the same. And so- not necessarily intentionally- we drift along like clouds, disillusioned, without firm convictions, and with vapor-like courage to match.

Are we training ourselves by continuous practice to know the truth inside out and discern between voices? The enemy is a master of deceit, mimicking an angel of light, so understanding God’s word is vital to combat his spiritual onslaught. What are we doing to instill this mental, spiritual, and practical discipline of following the good Shepherd, with attending trust and confidence? (Matthew 4:1-11; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 6:10-12)

Lord, may I forsake lost and unrighteousness rambling of thought and step, and follow You alone.

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

“For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God…
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have known the distress of my soul,
and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in a broad place…

“I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, ‘You are my God.‘
My times are in your hand…

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    in the sight of the children of mankind!
In the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

“Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in a besieged city.” Psalm 31:1-5,7-8,14-15a,19-21

“You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you…
Steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.” Psalm 32:7-8,10b

Wars explode and rumors of wars smolder, national hostilities rage, storm predictions taunt, dearth and fear and depression press in and smother. The large world, and our world- however small- shake, and we are prone to tremble. Yet God knows and reigns supreme and sovereign over all, and His throne cannot be shaken.

In the midst, where do I find refuge? Pray as the Psalmist. Take soul shelter in Him, look for His broad place. God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. What am I to do? Be sober-minded, endure suffering, fulfill your ministry. Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord… The Lord will be who He is and do what He does, and I must be who He’s called me to be, and stay my course. A death or setback or startling change confronts? From the shadow of pain and the shelter of my God I can securely move ahead. Standing upon my Rock merely provides a vantage point from where I refine my vision and continue to live and serve. I must not retreat or hide away, but go forth hidden in Him to explore His wide places now made possible. (Psalm 46:1-3,7; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Timothy 4:5)

God holds our times, He secures the future. He is not bewildered at any upheaval that comes our way or the way of the world. What keeps me from skirting His shelter, and claiming all that His gracious redemption secures for me? Would I commit this day to bless His name, and steadily follow His ways?

Lord, may I, with confidence and gratitude, remain covered in Your presence, partake of Your stored goodness, and reflect Your steadfast love.

“There was a day when… there came a messenger to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding.., and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ Another said, ‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you…’ Another said, ‘The Chaldeans… [raided] the camels and took them and struck down the servants.., and I alone have escaped to tell you…’ Another said, ‘Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking in their oldest brother’s house, and a great wind came… and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

“Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Job 1:13-22

“Three things are too wonderful for me;
    four I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a virgin.” Proverbs 30:18-19

There are things that make little sense to the human mind that only God can do, and He delights to show them off so we marvel at His glory. Some are acts in nature, His heavens or flora or creatures magnificently displaying inexplicable wonders. Who else could design symmetrical painted petals to open in sun’s warmth, or arc a cloudbow before a storm? Some are His handiwork in man, divinely inspired responses and emotions contrary to our fallen nature. How else can we worship in the deepest of pain and loss? How else forgive the unthinkable, and persevere to redeem it? How else can we love the unlovable and the enemy? (Psalm 19:1; Matthew 5:44)

We do not know why He saves the vilest of sinners, or how the Lord works the supernatural within His children. But we do know that He does. It is God’s nature to astound. It is God’s nature to redeem. It is God’s nature to transform, to upend, to convert. He descends to the heavens, He makes rough places smooth, He raises the lowly, He gives families to the barren, He loves the rebel stranger. He upholds and moves and covers the sun at His pleasure. Who is like Him? There is none! (2 Kings 20:8-11; Psalm 113:5-9; Isaiah 40:4-5; Matthew 27:45; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:17,21-22)

We also know His commands are not burdensome, His supply always enough, His grace sufficient, and His strength perfected in our weakness. When He confounds us by His inimitable ways, He still reigns in orderly perfection and goodness. (2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:19; 1 John 5:3)

What confusion or chaos befuddles me today? Am I quick to make judgment, or dismiss as impossible or unsustainable, or will I place it in the Almighty’s hands and care?

Lord, for every conundrum that occurs, may I praise and trust You implicitly. You alone reign.

“For it is you who light my lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

“For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.” Psalm 18:28-36

God’s way is perfect, our way is often difficult. God’s way is perfect, our way is seldom smooth or straight. God’s way is perfect, our way is pocked with stumps and challenge. What does it take to merge the two? How can I align My way with His? How can the rugged path be also a place of springs, the dreaded future a vista of hope, dark vales also glorious heights?

To trust in Him with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding, I learn through time that my actual way is His intended way. To receive my life path gratefully as His intention for my sanctification, I learn to understand the cadence of His voice, and walk with His stride. As I plod on, He proves His faithfulness and teaches me to trust. He is my steady companion and carries me through. He sharpens discernment, intellect, and resolve while softening my heart with grace, mercy, and compassion. He is the One who deepens devotion and prepares the glorious end. (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 10:3-4,14,27)

So would I cease resisting my difficult assignments- the windy roads that seem to go nowhere, the troubled routes overgrown with tangled conflicts, the steep climbs out of pasts I cannot change or control- and trust His higher purposes? Can I see where He might be undoing self-will, retraining bad habits, extricating antagonism and bitterness along my mountain way? Can I submit to His training for spiritual battle, and develop muscles that match my God-ordained tasks at home, at work, in relationships? (Ephesians 6:12-18)

When I count Him my Light, Strength, and Rock, I can rejoice in His equipping and support. He casts divine glimmer on my shadows. His supernatural power invigorates decisions and actions, and helps me balance.

“Long is the way, and very steep the slope,

Strengthen me once again, O God of Hope.

Far, very far, the summit doth appear;

But Thou art near, my God, Thou art near.

And Thou wilt give me with my daily food,

Powers of endurance, courage, fortitude.

Thy way is perfect; only let that way

Be clear before me from day to day.

Thou art my Portion, saith my soul to Thee,

O what a Portion is my God to me.” ~Amy Carmichael

Lord on High, help me prize Your way as the only way. Make me fit for every step by trusting and exalting You as my good and perfect Portion.

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations…

“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath [to the Lord] of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work…

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day… is the Lord’s Passover.  On the fifteenth day… is the Feast of Unleavened Bread… On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. You shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days…”

“When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest… On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb… as a burnt offering to the Lord. And the grain offering with it shall be… a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering… And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh… until you have brought the offering of your God...

“On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation… a Sabbath of solemn rest.” Leviticus 24:2-3,5-8,10b,12-14,27a,32a

The Lord established feasts and regular practices that would keep Him front and center in Israel’s new land. His daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms would plant in their minds and actions a needful reverence and reminding that it was He who had saved, He who dispensed, and He who deserved praise. Any other focus would be fruitless.

By practicing these rituals, His people acknowledged that they were merely stewards of what the Lord had given. Their families, work, belongings, and common duties were all consecrated to their heavenly Sovereign. His greatness was woven through their industry, His generosity through their offerings, His perfection in the careful regularity of rituals, His grace in their Sabbath rest. They could not plow without prayer, reap without thanks, eat without acknowledging God’s supply. Their rest on the Day of Atonement was a loud proclamation that God’s work, not theirs, won their righteousness and freedom.

We’ve come a long way from burning sacrifices, yet our motivations and living are still to offer pleasing aroma to our Maker. The world would have us do everything but, tempting us with selfish ease and pomp, alien affections, pushing to get ahead, and procuring what we deserve. But God’s way is not ours, and His is higher and better. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

How many efforts and objects do we prioritize before the Lord instead of consecrating to Him? We idolize our children, hinging life plans and resources on them as supreme. We indulge -aholic mentality, attaching work, food, drink, exercise, ‘self-care,’ or entertainment to holy detriment. While responsibilities are vital, our worship, marriages, and ministries wobble lopsided when we operate around the wrong hub and fail to consecrate all to Jesus.

Is the Lord receiving only our leftover attention, adoration, and resources? What need we do to reorient our beginnings to establish Him as first and foremost?

Good Father, infuse my thinking and direct my doing with delight in who You are and all You’ve done. Make every moment a holy convocation, my days centered around You alone to be an offering and blessing to Your glory. (Leviticus 23:40-43)

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace…

“He has made everything beautiful in its time…

“The wise heart will know the proper time… For there is a time and a way for everything… [Man] does not know what is to be.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-7,11; 8:5b-7

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16

Each season we encounter, and into which our Lord leads, is ‘such a one as this’ for His divine, eternal intention. Yielding to His voice and inspiration, we learn never to waste, but always seize, the moments to glean, change, speak, do, and invest as He deems prudent and necessary. Sovereign God designs each for our sanctification and His kingdom purposes and glory. (Esther 4:14)

But there are many we would not choose, times we want never to encounter. We prefer tidy lives free of suffering, conflict, and heartache, and full of ease, serenity, and success. But the Lord who has made all things well deigns our days and times and places so we might know Him, and grow fully in the personality and plan He has ordained. We do not live onto ourselves, and must not manipulate to try to. (Proverbs 16:4; Acts 17:26-27; Romans 14:7; 2 Corinthians 5:15)

When death comes- of a loved one, or love’s fire, or a dream- process it without hurry, yet with faith toward new birth. When the time comes to prune or let go, remember the wonder and hardiness of new growth, the freedom of simplicity, the exquisite beauty of individuals coming into their own. The purposes of each counter-season is dependent on its opposite: neither to be rushed, each to be savored and allowed its way.

Are there times I resist, or shirk, in order to avoid unpleasantness or pain? What seasons do I covet of another, or try to manufacture, when the Lord clearly has me elsewhere? What if I accepted wholeheartedly the where and when of God’s plan, and made the most of it for heaven’s sake? Might I grow more gracious, compassionate, forgiving? Might I learn to weep with those who weep, to depend on God’s strength in weakness, to pray more broadly and fervently, and to trust Him with outcomes? (Romans 12:15; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Lord, in every season, may I seek, and thank, and bless, and honor You with all my heart. (Psalm 34:1; Hosea 10:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)