Author: astherainandsnow

“Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and annihilate all Jews… in one day of the… month of Adar…

“When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate…

“When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, [she] was deeply distressed… Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city.., and Mordecai told him all that had happened, and… that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. Hathach went and told Esther… Esther [said],.. ‘If any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter… But I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.’

“Mordecai [replied] to Esther, ‘Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ Then Esther [replied] to Mordecai, ‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf for three days… I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.’” Esther 3:13; 4:1-2,4a,5-11,13-16

Imagine being Hathach, servant to Queen Esther, suddenly drawn into a flurry of political tension and emotional drama, with much at stake. As the go-between for the intriguing exchange between Mordecai and his niece, heavy with realization of the horrific possibilities, he had to be struck with the passion, calm faith, and eternal view of his charge and her uncle. As middle man, he conveyed urgency, challenge, and boldness while watching the story of God’s amazing deliverance unfold.

For us, whose sin has earned us certain death, God has supplied our Middle Man in Jesus. In infinite love, He served as courier of our sin to the cross, carrying its angst and fear and shame, and returned to us a great deliverance. We can trust Him with every secret, knowing His redeeming work is perfect and complete. (Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Where has our obedience allowed glimpses of God’s providence and grace? What threat, fear, guilt, or impossibility, can we entrust to Him today?

Lord, let me never forget Your redeeming love, and so love in lavish measure.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God… We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Romans 5:1-10

We might think peace comes only with the door closed on mayhem, the screen dark, the earphones snug, the house quiet, and the battle ceased. But that peace is as the world gives, and Jesus offers different, and better. There’s much more between therefore and peace. (John 14:27)

The peace He makes available was achieved when a perfect body was pierced, a thick veil was torn, a war over sin and death was won, and sinners were justified. These were no simple turn-offs of worldly ruckus, or dismissals of unpleasantness, but rather the Chosen One bleeding and dying for wrath-deserving enemies to make them friends. We sinners were weak, ungodly, and death-bound, and our precious Savior gave Himself to be our way, and therefore open to us a life of peace we would never otherwise know. Such costly reconciliation, accessed by faith in and through grace, enables us to stand in hope.

This side of peace made and entered, we endure present pain differently and purposefully. When the peace of God that transcends human understanding rules our hearts and guards our minds, we can rejoice in trials and persevere as our Lord Christ did. We grow in the fruit of suffering as His love pours into and out of our agonies, and that fruit is sweet. Having been reconciled, we reconcile with others, and make every effort to live peacefully with them. (Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 3:12-15; Hebrews 12:1-2; James 1:2-4)

Are we prone to restlessness, agitation, or worry? Do we wrestle with feeling insufficient, or undeserving? Would we choose instead to behold the uncontainable love of Christ on the cross, and worship this selfless Redeemer? He is the amazing One! He the Reconciler! He Jehovah Shalom! (Philippians 2:5-11)

“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure…
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.” ~Stuart Townend (2006)

Father, keep me resting in Your peace, and rejoicing in Your great salvation all the day .

“Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, ‘Make everyone go out from me.’ So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.  And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

“So Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come near to me, please… I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.  And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, “Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry…”‘

“Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?^‘ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 45:1-9; 50:19-21

Jacob had trouble staying out of the hub of his life, occasionally acknowledging the Lord as supreme, but mostly living with selfish inclination. My desire, my family, my goods, my way. Conversely, his son Joseph learned early on that life was all about his God. Ridiculed, betrayed, nearly killed, and sold as a slave by his brothers, then falsely accused and imprisoned by his Egyptian boss, he remained steady in obedience and faith. He sought, served, and honored his Lord with godly resolve because he trusted His plan and goodness. (Genesis 37:5-28; 39:1-23; 40:5-8)

One way the devil gets into the unsmooth parts of life is by churning them up into discontent, grumbling, and blaming. He instills an ‘all about me’ mentality that warps our worldview off-center from how God intends us to live. When we readjust our orientation toward the Lord, and begin each day acknowledging it as His to design and unfold, we can with serenity enjoy a new and hopeful outlook. Life is indeed all about Him, promising fulfillment of His glorious eternal purposes and divine sufficiency along the way.

And when it’s all of God, it is through and through, in every circumstance and at all times. Am I behaving as though I believe in His sovereignty over present trials, detours, and challenges? Where do I need a reordering of motives, or realignment of life compass, so I view and seize life as about Him, not me?

Lord on high, incline my heart and orient my living to center on, trust, and exalt You alone.

“God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.’ So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves… Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone…’

“And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), is in the land of Canaan,.. and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother…

“God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him… And God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.’ Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.” Genesis 35:1-3,6-7,9,11-15

Jacob’s life had been a struggle from before he was born, but the God who gave and ordered it never flustered. His hand was on this deceiver to move, train, and sanctify, and to fulfill His Jesus-promises. He would strive with him over years and miles and family upheavals to mark his path with significant moments. Bethel, house of God, was one such indelible place. (Genesis 25:19-26; 28:12-19)

We do well to return regularly to pivotal places along our life journey and apply their lessons. Remember when God stripped us down to shed self-drive, and surrender anew to His will. Trace how the Lord has met us in and through trouble, and be fortified for work and trial. Remember His faithfulness and innumerable fulfilled promises, and give thanks in every present circumstance. Recall His powers displayed, and pray for more. (1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:18,24)

The Lord knew that Jacob was prone to wander and fear, manipulate and wrestle. He steered and schooled him away from those practices to the place of communion and assurance. Get up. Go up. Dwell at Bethel. Elevate your sights. Shake off guilty fears. Put away idols. Trust Me. Worship.

Have we settled into myopic living in the lowlands of whining, fretting, blaming, self-pity, or a frenzied overwhelm? What if we thoughtfully recounted God’s faithfulness and applied past lessons learned to our present? How can we bring the next generation to Bethel to build their faith? The accounts preserved for us reveal God’s character, ways, and love for His own, and we are also in the flow of His story. How will we commemorate His greatness?

Father, mark my days with important moments of surrender, consecration, and worship. In life’s activity, help me keep Bethel in my heart and dwell with You there, then carry its blessings to others.

“Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’

“So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.” Genesis 28:10-19a

Hard-headed Jacob, en route to find a wife as his father had prescribed, is met by the Lord. He was arrested by His pursuing and attentive love, His angels descending and ascending the ladder to heaven, showing the way to God. His powerful Name, specifying the promises He would surely fulfill. His abiding presence that would forever secure and keep, guide and comfort. And Jacob recognized Him as his covenant LORD, anointing the place of meeting awesome. Awesome as this grace, this measureless bounty, this benediction.

When we have petrified to hardness of heart or head, we need the Lord’s intervention. We may be headed out in what we think is obedience, but are limited by stubbornly-held personal dictates, agendas, or preferred methods. We may have settled into rigidity in a relationship, where we are unwilling to budge, or actually listen and understand another view, or learn to express love in an unfamiliar but needed way. Maybe we have barred shut our availability to people or situations difficult to deal with, and God wants to open the door so His light can break through. He intends to make our rocky places gateways to heaven as we hope and trust and grow in Him.

What might we need to put to rest, in order to be awakened to a fresh relationship where He calls the shots? What hard ground of resistance will we bring to meet Christ’s tender love and grace? In what attitudes or decisions will we welcome His transforming, enlightening Word?

Father, may my every resolve be guided and tenderized by awe of You. Grant heavenly vision, hope, and strength for every step here on earth.

“As he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: “Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.”’  And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’  And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’  Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

“And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’  And the disciples were amazed at his words… exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’” Mark 10:17-24,26-27

This man was as rich in earnestness as he was in wealth, eagerly running to Jesus, kneeling, hungering for assurance. Oh, he had carefully obeyed since he was young, but he knew something was missing, and that Jesus could solve his gnawing question. What else must he do? Jesus, in typical fashion, answers with a question that crosses and upends this seeker’s strategy- Good is not about doing, and only God is good. Where he concluded there was one thing more he must do, Jesus said you must undo– untether from this world’s processes and possessions.

What? Astonishing, and impossible! Exchange earthly wealth for heavenly? Those eyes of love and this hard demand pierced him to unease.

How is this great exchange ever transacted? Only with the Lord, only with supernatural intervention and supremacy. Only with, not do. The Lord bestows eternal riches- otherworldly spiritual blessings without measure- on all who lay aside self-effort to call on, depend on, surrender to, Him. All things are possible with God. (Romans 10:12-13; Ephesians 1:3)

It is only with God that worldly glitter fades, and inordinate affections change. Only with God will preferences of entertainment, choice of language, and emotional impulses be transformed. Only He can unclench the fist, sweep clear the vision, and ignite holy fire. Would we be so bold as to venture away from Do to With? Would we set our hearts and feet after who God is and longs to be for us? All things are possible with God.

What efforts am I expending for Christ that have been out of line with Him? Is there anything to which I cling that replaces pure devotion? To experience the richness of present eternal, abundant life, we cannot serve other gods, so a deliberate naming and putting away is necessary. Then our do is captured by Jesus’s is, and bound up with Him as we learn daily abiding. All things are possible with God. (Exodus 20:3; Matthew 6:24)

Lord, turn my disheartening at Your hard truths to heartened understanding, and faith, and courage. Swallow my impossibles with Your possibles, that Your name and fame be known.

“He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ…’ 

“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’

“Calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…’

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them… And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ For he did not know what to say… And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’  And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.” Mark 8:29,31-34; 9:2,4-8

Peter had so much going for him, and Jesus persisted to get it all going for Him. Peter had great natural strengths in the flesh that, combined with his immense passion sometimes made for awkward mismatch. Day by day, situation by situation, the Lord matured him from being controlled by his impulses to coming under the authority of His Spirit. Denying himself would encompass his spontaneity, his conclusions, his dynamic ministry. The zeal was there, and over time Jesus bridled it to follow His lead. He would learn true hope, the testing of faith, the conforming of passions to holiness. (Romans 8:5-6; 1 Peter 1:3a,6-7,13-15)

Our big steps forward in faith’s maturing are not without setbacks. Certainly Peter participated in both. But our gracious Lord forgives and restores, and we are the better and stronger for it. Every experience of His grace, His loving correction and repair, is an opportunity to know Him better and trust Him more, furthering our stride.

Are we tempered enough to be self-aware, and recognize where we jump ahead, react without restraint, or speak without a heavenly filter? If we are not naturally so thoughtful, would we ask for the Lord to make our minds keen to sin impulses, and the Spirit to control us? Those whom He chooses to know and speak for Him He will faithfully nurture, correct, and refine. How committed are we to the ongoing, sometimes strenuous discipline of what Eugene Peterson called a long obedience in the same direction? What needs to be denied of self this day and set aside forever, so we want and see Jesus only, and can, without hindrance, follow Him?

Lord Jesus, wean me from every vestige of self, that in my heart and actions I regard and manifest You as holy. (1 Peter 3:15)

“When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord,  they approached Zerubbabel… and said, ‘Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.’ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, ‘You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.’

“Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to buildand bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose…

“They wrote an accusation…’Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up… have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations… If this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired… This city is… hurtful to kings and provinces, and sedition was stirred up in it from of old…

“But the eye of their God was on… the Jews… ‘Be it known to the king that… this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands…’  ¹¹ And this was their reply: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house.’ Ezra 4:1-6,12-13,15b; 5:5,8,11a

Wise Ezra knew his call and trusted his God. When the enemy came along to disrupt his work by injecting uncertainty and fear, he kept his wits. But not so all the people of Judah, who were deterred by the emotional upheaval of false accusations and threats. Ezra, unshaken by the opposition, worked to uncover the truth about their plan and persevered in God’s assigned work. (Ezra 5:6-6:14; 7:6,10)

Fear foments in fertile soil of the mind. It is a crafty tool of Satan, who operates deliberately against the mindset and plans of the Lord to distract us from His glorious intent for our days and seasons. Our spiritual adversaries meddle and pester to worm their way in through suggestion, falsehood, and the pledge of like-mindedness and caring about our good.

When we resist, additional tactics are implemented: disruption of priorities, discouragement from progress, and accusation against motives. But when we are certain of God’s clear calling, we can shake off enemy wiles and confidently proceed. Pressing ahead in what we know to be true guards against the alluring persuasion of falsehood and mixed allegiances.

In what areas have we yielded to fear, failing to trust God’s sovereignty over His plans? What messages or threats jar our security in what is true? What present urgencies have veered us off course of the long, eternal view?

Do I need a fresh re-tethering to God’s word and purpose? The enemy would have us grovel in the lowlands of fear, but the Lord calls us to a higher, consistent life of faith and service. How I feel, react, and order my decisions proves where my trust, vision, and purpose are.

Lord, lift every thought and impulse above fear to bless and trust You (Ezra 7:27-28)

“The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things… And he said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’ And when they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish…’ And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.  And they all ate and were satisfied… 

“Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side… After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came,.. he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And… he came to them.” Mark 6:30-34,38,41-42,46-48

Jesus the Son of Man was fully in tune with the needs of men. Every need. He grieved the callous beheading of His cousin John, identifying with the anguished sorrow of death and injustice. He recognized fatigue, urging his disciples to rest, be still, and take some leisure from the frenzy of ministry. He knew hunger, and multiplied meager to satisfy the famished. He had compassion on those weighted with purposelessness, doubt, and fear, and tended to each appropriately, watching, praying, coming. (Matthew 4:2; 14:10-14; Mark 11:12; John 4:6; 11:33-35)

Why do we waste time and energy in fuss and fret? What convoluted thinking motors a life of worry and angst? It is in our dearth that we learn to depend on and exalt the only One who meets it. It is in times of need that we necessarily recognize our helplessness and fruitlessness apart from Christ. Our weakness exalts His strength and power, our lack His sufficiency, our very asking His graciousness and kindness to answer. (Matthew 7:7-8; John 15:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:6-7)

What is it we need today? Are we tired, desperate to restructure our schedules with some margin for rejuvenating rest? Are we hungry for fellowship, or a sense of purpose, or contentment? Has vision grown stale, or zeal depleted? Are we sorrowing the loss of a loved one, or health, or hope? What doubt, fear, or unknown way forward grips us when we lie awake at night? Is there a situation that needs particular wisdom and discernment? None of these is a surprise to our Lord! He who gave His life for us gives every bounty besides! (Genesis 22:14; Matthew 6:8; Romans 8:31-32; Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 4:19; )

Gracious, all-sufficient Lord, may I trust and delight in Your ability to make all grace and every good thing abound to me, so I might faithfully abound in every good work for You. (2 Corinthians 9:8-11)

“I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll.., sealed with seven seals. And… a mighty angel proclaim[ed] with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll… And one of the elders said, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’

“And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain… He went and took the scroll from… him who was seated on the throne. And… the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song,

‘Worthy are you to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation…’

“Then… I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,  saying with a loud voice, 

‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’

“And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 

‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’

“And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” Revelation 5:1-9,11-14

The curtains of heaven separate to reveal Almighty God on His throne, holding a scroll that no one is able to open. No man or woman, no angelic being or creature. None is worthy, all are fallen short of God’s glory. John grieves at this unison of the sin stain. (Psalm 14:1-3; Isaiah 64:6-7; Romans 3:23)

But wait, weep no more! The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave is worthy to take the scroll! Enter Jesus, the royal Lamb, slain to take away the sin of the world and remove every tear, approaching the throne. Every living creature falls with music and offerings and prayer, and the singing swells to a heavenly chorus of praise. Living creatures and elders, angels and saints, myriads and myriads from earth, sky, and sea, peoples, nations, and languages, all unworthy, lift melodious, resounding praise to the Worthy One. (John 1:29,36; Revelation 21:4)

Sin divides us, driving wedges of angst, accusation, malice, and derision. Yet in a mysterious way, despite all our self-righteous pride, it actually unites us under God’s deserved curse. Once we realize that, we can join with all creation to worship the Savior of the world.

What humbling will it take for me to see myself and others rightly, then to exalt Jesus as Supreme?

Search me, oh God. Purify my heart, my eyes, my tongue to sing Your highest praise. (Psalm 139:23-24)