Author: astherainandsnow

“Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb said to him, ‘You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses… sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, “Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.”  The Lord has kept me alive, just as he said,.. I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day…’

“Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance… because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.” Joshua 14:6-14

From his first arrival on the Bible scene, Caleb stands out as a man of vigorous faith and action. He and Joshua alone, of all the spies sent into Canaan, saw the land of promise as just that, secured by God’s good word and power, and urged Israel to take it. His life was surrendered to his Lord’s will and ways, and he seized opportunities wholeheartedly. His belief in what God had promised must have fueled him through the frustration of forty years of wandering as a consequence of his nation’s lack of faith. He consistently chose to run for the prize over tripping on trouble. (Numbers 13:1-3,6,16-33; Philippians 3:14)

Maybe we’ve had to wait longer than hoped for God to fulfill His promises. Maybe we’ve had to slog through the fallout of others’ sin and grown resentful or felt like giving up. Keeping our sights on our heavenly Captain and sticking to His course keeps us centered and focused on God’s call and purposes that are woven through every warp and woof.

What will it take to keep my eyes fixed on God’s promises and provision when the going gets tough? What threats and difficulties do I allow to block my spiritual progress and debilitate my faith in God’s strength over my own? Where have I given in to the passage of years and grown lazy in stewardship, yielding to indulgences and self-pampering because ‘I’ve done my time,’ rather than maintaining appropriate, healthy readiness for what the Lord has next?

While certainly we cannot control every aspect of our physical health, we can do much to feed and maintain our spiritual health. God calls us to specific work and we are accountable as stewards of the grace and gifts He’s entrusted to us. (Romans 12:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Lord, may I rise every day eager to get up and go up to take advantage of every opportunity You give, serving You with wholehearted vigor and joy, to Your honor and praise. (Numbers 13:30; Colossians 3:23)

“Judah mourns,
    and her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
    and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
Her nobles send their servants for water;
    they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
    they return with their vessels empty;
they are ashamed and confounded
    and cover their heads.
Because of the ground that is dismayed,
    since there is no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
    they cover their heads.
Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
    because there is no grass.
The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
    they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
    because there is no vegetation.

“’Though our iniquities testify against us,
    act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
for our backslidings are many;
    we have sinned against you.
O you hope of Israel,
    its savior in time of trouble…
Why should you be like a man confused,
    like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
    and we are called by your name;
    do not leave us.’

“Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
‘They have loved to wander thus;
    they have not restrained their feet.'” Jeremiah 14:1-8a,9-10a

Sin begets distance begets arid, fruitless living. While droughts in the East were not uncommon, they were difficult, and depict vividly and knowingly the state of a dry spirit bereft of Christ. Anyone too familiar with iniquity and distant from heavenly communion languishes, thirsty in soul for meaning and hope. Only the Lord can act for saving, can in mercy restrain the wanderer and dole out living water that sates the deepest need. (John 7: 37-38)

We may find ourselves in a drought of inspiration or direction, or love for someone with whom God has connected us. We are confounded at the empty well of desire, and feel ashamed of our ineptness and backsliding. The hope of Israel enters the midst of these troubled times, and intervenes redemptively for the sake of His name and purpose.

What habits of neglect and filling my time with insignificant activity have I allowed to wedge distance between my Lord and me? What sins have I tolerated or nursed, and what unrighteous attitudes have I fed, that impair my intimacy with Jesus?

What part have I played in a relational distance that God calls me to remedy? His command that I love, serve, and forgive, are not dependent on the behavior or response of the other. My accountability is to my Commander. What will it take to repent once for all of my cold heart, my stubborn lack of forgiveness, my deep-seated bitterness, and begins an act of my will, to love as Christ loved me? When will I yield flesh-passions to His remaking? I can do much to narrow the distance by doing my part, and leave the rest to the Lord of oneness and intimacy.

Lord, in any distance nagging or grown, draw me back to You. In any self-imposed separation from one You’ve called me to love, rejoin my heart and effort. I look to You to bring times of refreshing and fruitfulness where with me they are impossible. (Jeremiah 14:20-22; Matthew 19:26; Acts 3:19-20)

“When they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar of imposing size… And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly… gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

“[They] sent… Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten chiefs,.. and said to them,..‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar in rebellion against the Lord?..’ 

“Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh [answered].., ‘The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord… may the Lord himself take vengeance. No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, “What have you to do with the Lord? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.” So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. Therefore we said, “Let us now build an altar… to be a witness between us and you.” Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away… by building an altar.., other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!..”

“Phinehas said.., ‘Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith…’ The people… called the altar Witness, ‘For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.’” Joshua 22:10,12-14a,16,21-26a,28b-29,31,34

Before crossing west over the Jordan into the promised land, two and a half of Israel’s tribes had chosen to settle in the east. After helping their fellow tribes conquer Canaan, they returned home and erected an altar, to which Israel aggressively reacted. Their earnest response reveals humility and noble intention to keep God at the fore. (Joshua 1:12-15; 22:1-6)

When challenged or accused of illicit motives or wrongdoing, are we immediately defensive, or willing to be examined and exposed for any wicked way in us? Is there any breach of smugness, superiority, or sloth? Of rebellion, greed, or self importance? A small breach unchecked will grow wider with every indulgence, every flirt with boasting, each skirt of the edges of depraved talk and company, and soon be a crevasse. (Psalm 139:23-24; Jeremiah 12:3a)

If we are living in or entertaining sin, God in love will not spare the needed repair. Sometimes He sends brothers in Christ to confront us, or prompts us to be such an agent for another. Is it our habit to cover up, hide, and live lies in attempt to deceive others? Or do we shirk our Christian responsibility rather than challenge someone at God’s command? We should weigh every decision against the will of God instead of personal drive and desire, knowing it is before Him that we are accountable. (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

Lord, convict me of any breach of faith in my inward being. Keep me grounded in honesty and truth, that my every decision be made with pure intent and a desire to glorify You alone. (Psalm 51:6)

“Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?’ And Joshua said to them, ‘If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.’ The people of Joseph said, ‘The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.’ Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, ‘You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.'” Joshua 17:14-18

The tribe of Joseph had received a double inheritance from favoring father Jacob, yet upon seeking out their allotment, feared taking hold. The Canaanites entrenched there were formidable and frightening, and Ephraim and Manasseh failed to see beyond their forest of fear. But Joshua used the very ominous difficulty to urge them to conquer in God’s strength, thus developing them as His people of faith and spiritual confidence. The Lord is most magnified when He is trusted to have His glorious way. (Genesis 48:1-5,9-16,21-22)

We encounter life obstacles that loom and threaten: relational quandaries, financial pressures, societal unrest, health issues. It may be our natural bent to avoid the conflict or resist the hardships, making every yet and but excuse. Or, we may be prone to taking on the fray, jumping in to conquer in our own strength with but I can do it! Either response omits God’s you shall in the great power He alone gives. The challenges are the very vehicles God intends for our growth if we would but tackle them His way, with His perspective!

In what situations do we get befuddled by, and trip over, buts and yets, when the Lord says though? Which infeasibles might we see as His opportunities? When God makes a promise, He has power, and gives power when necessary, to fulfill it. We miss out on seeing His magnificence and might displayed when we cower behind our yets.

How would our daily outlook improve if we said, ‘Though this conundrum is tricky, my Lord gives wisdom’? ‘Though this habit has a detrimental stronghold, greater is He in me than my enemy in the world’? ‘Though I know not the way to go, my Lord will light my path and lead’? Instead of being hindered by the buts of impossibility, would we choose to grip God’s great possibilities and so allow His majesty to shine? (Psalm 32:8; 119:105; Philippians 4:13; James 1:5)

Father, may I not put off possessing any of the land-the generous spiritual blessings- You promise. Help me take hold of all You intend with robust, expectant faith in Your word and ability, and so magnify Your name. (Joshua 18:3; Ephesians 1:3-12)

“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples…’ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Mark 16:1-8

“Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves… and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself;.. and he went home marveling at what had happened.” Luke 24:12; John 20:6-7

What did it sound like when Jesus rose from the grave? Did He evaporate from His grave clothes, fold the face cloth, and pass silently through the stone, then tell His angel to roll it to open the evidence of His departure? Were the guards in such a divinely inflicted slumber that they missed His exit? Was the earthquake before or after Jesus rose and left, and why was the shaking recorded by only one gospel writer? (Matthew 27:62-28:4)

When the first activity hummed in dawn’s early light, we are left in wonder at what He left behind: an open tomb that had been sealed, an empty tomb that had been occupied. And a resurrected Lord and Savior. Let us ponder the silent stone.

What do we miss of the effect of the Lord’s resurrection by all of our frenzied stupor and worldly listening? All resurrection is from Him, and He works in the quiet, to draw attention not to His methods but to the truths they impart. He was not one to want fanfare for coming out of the grave, but to impress on our soul that He offers resurrection power in all areas of our lives by His grace. He restores broken, impossible marriages, heals the wounded, and fulfills deepest longings. He gives wisdom in the inward parts, and exposes hidden faults. He comforts and supplies by the whisper of His presence. (1 Kings 19:11-13; Psalm 51:6,10; 139:23-24)

Would we still and quiet our souls at the silence His resurrection left, and that intends to be absorbed? What might the open tomb mean for us today in the mental, relational, and progress blockades we face? Where can we invite Him to enter and crack open our hope, our willingness to change, our ability to extend grace? What might He be longing to transform that we in pride have held back from His handling?

Lord, resurrect and enliven my faith with lessons from Your rolled away stone, that I might live in Your power and lift high Your glory. (Ephesians 1:19-21)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

“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.” Philippians 2:3-4

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! ” 1 John 3:1

One gift of a long drive is beholding the broad and varied beauty over many miles. Clouds mingle and meander, changing form and shedding shadows with changing light. Soft hills rise and flatten. Suddenly splashed flecks of color fill the median and shoulder of an otherwise plain road, offering splendor and delight to the senses, catching both the eye and breath.

Our schedules and days cover many miles, and as Christians we own God’s splendid seed of grace and truth. We can hum along, self-focused, and hoard it, or keep hold and save it. Or, we can with joyful effort strew it out and along to scatter His light and loveliness. It takes intention, yet we only need sow- all else and any growth and blessing is up to Him. (John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 3:6)

So what drives us as we drive ahead in our rhythms and endeavors? Is our goal to produce, achieve, and finish? Or do we prepare our souls early and seek where the Lord would have us go, what speed He would have us travel, whom He would have us touch or encourage or thank, and where He might want us to serve?

Just as our heart can skip with delight in a glorious colorful spread we know is not haphazard, may we so take care to plant those hints of God’s glory for others. What will I say or do to make a difference today, and cause someone to see and extol Jesus?

“Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.

Tell the sweet story of Christ and his love,
Tell of his pow’r to forgive;
Others will trust him if only you prove
True, ev’ry moment you live.

Give as ’twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true.

Refrain:
Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
Make me a blessing to someone today.” ~Ira B. Wilson (1909)

Lord, keep me faithful to scatter Your beautiful excellencies wherever I go, for the sake of Your renown.

“’If you, Israel, will return,
    then return to me,’
declares the Lord.
‘If you put your detestable idols out of my sight
    and no longer go astray,
and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
    you swear, “As surely as the Lord lives,”
then the nations will invoke blessings by him
    and in him they will boast.’

“This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“’Break up your unplowed ground
    and do not sow among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
    circumcise your hearts,
    you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire
    because of the evil you have done—
    burn with no one to quench it…

“Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved.
    How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?'” Jeremiah 4:1-4,14

Only God determines what a real return is. Man who is sin-stained through and through will not, and cannot, manufacture genuine repentance without heavenly grace applied. Our hearts want to hold onto just a bit of the former life, dance just another few steps with worldly tease, linger just a while longer in impure thoughts. We justify mostly returning by excusing flesh passions as natural, unavoidable.

But God’s return demands a complete turn: a naming and absolute removal of sin’s filth, a cutting off of extraneous and calloused habits, a thorough cleansing of heart and mind and every ensuing behavior. He tolerates no residue of the old, and requires that He be the sole recipient of our attention and affection. A clean heart has no room for entertaining foreign gods.

What keeps us from true repentance? What higher value do we place on a divided heart, a straddled fence of devotion? With which idols do we continue to flirt and skirt close to their fire? Where have we been deceived into believing the lies that life lived for me is more satisfying than life surrendered to Jesus and lived for others’ sake? What behaviors and choices have we abdicated to stubborn rebellion? Honesty about our sin leads to honest confession and renewed devotion. Would we heed our Savior’s call to return? (Jeremiah 5:23)

“Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

“For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment…
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…
Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me…
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:1-4,6-7,9-10,12

Oh Father, create in me a clean heart, that I might seize the life You intend with freedom and gusto, to the praise of Your grace.

“To whom will he teach knowledge,
    and to whom will he explain the message?..
And the word of the Lord will be to them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
    line upon line, line upon line,
    here a little, there a little.” Isaiah 28:9a,13a

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” 2 Peter 1:3-8,10

A morning storm rumbles and grumbles, scattering spray, slamming rain pellets on the metal roof, pocking the water already at high tide. Wind shakes branches as a wriggling backdrop to the streaky downpour. How can more rain be absorbed? What happens when the clouds keep adding water to water?

In the Christian life, we can have enough for now, yet always add. We can be filled with the Spirit, and supplement that filling so it affects all we think, say, and do. Our days here below, this side of glory, are never to be static, but given so we will keep adding to what God pours into us as He fits us for heaven. Just as unused muscles atrophy, and used ones develop and strengthen, so we keep on being filled in order to overflow in lush, significant, fruitful living. (John 15:16)

How vibrant is our sanctification? How robust our exercise of every gift given, every quality bestowed? What are we practically doing to add to our faith, and virtue, and knowledge, and how steadfastly do we keep on? When are we taking time and deliberation to set aside other intoxicants that allure us to be filled with the Holy Spirit? (Luke 17:6; Ephesians 5:18)

What choices do I daily make that either push me backwards or propel me forward in my sanctification? How do I measure on learning and loving and praising God more and more? On being increasingly grace-filled, kind, compassionate, and forgiving? How obviously are the fruits of the Spirit growing, and what difference are they making in my thought life, my work, my relationships with others? (Psalm 145:1-2; 146:1-2; Jeremiah 7:23-24; Galatians 5:22-23)

Lord God, while I have breath, may You increase and I decrease. Please keep adding to all that is of You in me, so others recognize I have been with You, and my life fruit brings You glory. (John 3:30; Acts 4:13)

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
    let Israel now say—
if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
    when people rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
    the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.

Blessed be the Lord,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth!
We have escaped like a bird
    from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped!

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:1-8

“Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26

“If God is for us, who can be against us?.. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?..

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31,35,37-39

This sin-stained world has, since Eden, tainted every thought, every effort, every interaction. Our inheritance from Adam fixes us among enemies of body and mind, those who oppose God and inclinations that oppose holiness. Our flesh battles with desires that both want and abhor coincidentally, leaving us in a stew of wretched. If not the Lord, then who? Who can deliver us from the body of death, and the pursuing enemy? Who can help in the battle against evil forces, guard us from despair and depraved affections, keep us safe in Christ’s love? (Romans 5:12; 7:24-25)

If not the Lord, then who? Who would defend a sinner like me before God on High? (Romans 8:31-34)

If not the Lord, then who? Who would be my shepherd, my help and shield? (Psalm 23:1-3; 28:7; John 10:11-15)

If not the Lord, then who? Who would satisfy my deepest longing to be known, my spiritual thirst and soul hunger? (Jeremiah 31:3; John 4:14; 6:27,32-33,47,51; 7:37-38)

If not the Lord, then who? Who could expose and relieve my hidden sins? Who could redeem my wasted time, my failures, my shame? (Psalm 51:1-12; 139:23-24; Joel 2:25)

If not the Lord, then who? If not for His great love we would be consumed, forsaken, without hope. (Isaiah 62:3-5,12; Lamentations 3:19-23)

But we have the Lord! He is on our side! The blessed One has freed and saved us! He lives to intercede for us! He helps and guides and ever abides! Why do we faint? What causes fear? Where are we insecure, or uncertain? God is our sustenance and portion, the strength of our heart! The LORD, He is God, and is for us! (1 Kings 18:39)

Lord, cause me to find my help in You, the only one worthy of my trust and praise. (1 Chronicles 17:20; Isaiah 45:5)

“John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

“Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

“’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Revelation 1:4b-8

When John extends grace and peace to the seven churches in Asia, he makes much of their Giver and Source. These gifts pale in comparison to the infinite God, Spirit, and Jesus Christ from whom they proceed. John wants these believers to know the One who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the eternal Creator and Sustainer of life, the supreme Ruler of kings and nations, the perfect, benevolent Sovereign. He would tell much about His provisions, visions, and lessons, but it was He who was the protagonist, the lead actor, the solo star in effecting the grace and peace He bestowed. He always had been, was, and always would be supreme Lord. (Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3; James 1:17)

When we hanker for goods or affection, and look for stability or peace or my-way resolution, it is natural to go after and be taken by the objects and favors and answers themselves. We want what we want in my time and this place and now. But we must never seek gifts apart from the Giver, nor dictate their how and when, nor think successes are self-achieved. We have nothing that has not come from God’s hand that upholds the universe and has provided from eternity past to future everything needed by man. (John 3:27; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 1:16-17)

How willing are we to push aside the stuff we seek to behold Him, enthroned? What needs to be cast away so we can bow before this self-existent One, the firstborn and risen faithful witness? The One who loved us so much He died to free us from all our sins, and their consequences and fallout, forever? In seeking Him, with thanksgiving, trust, and praise, we find the grace and peace we desire. It is in Him, His abiding, strong presence that indwells and surrounds and hems us in. (Psalm 139:5; Philippians 4:6-7; John 14:27)

He always has been and is the Ruler of all rulers, King of every king on earth through the ages. He is the only and true source of grace and peace. Behold Him in wonder! (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15; Revelation 19:16)

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

Lord, may I always seek You above Your gifts, to Your praise.