Author: astherainandsnow

“And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.  And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’  And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’  And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’  And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’” Mark 14:32-42

Jesus had just dismissed His betrayer, Judas. Jesus knew the time had come for Him to die, that His earthly ministry and life would now culminate at the cross, and His distress weighed heavy. He needed prayer, and the support of His closest friends. He also knew Peter had a habit of succumbing to sleep and its influence over clear thinking, sin-resistance, and self-control. He warned him of Satan’s desire to bring him down, yet still the hypnotic temptation of somnolence tapped, and tapped, and won. (Luke 9:28-35; 22:31-32)

When facing any type of Gethsemane, how often we would choose somnolence! We prefer the escape of sleep to facing anticipated conflict, pain, or surrender. We would drink the cup of sedation to avoid that of suffering. But our Lord knows this is the very place the devil gets a foothold, with every intention of weakening the will, and along with it our resolve for fortitude and uprightness. When worn down, we give in to the path of least resistance, blind to consequences we will later regret.

Our Suffering Savior understands weariness, and warns us not to yield to it. Remain and watch! Watch and pray! Beware the tickle and tease of the enemy who knows your vulnerabilities! Keep open the eyes, alert to his wiles.

When are we most prone to heavy eyes? What situations render us weak to resist Satan’s taunts, and how can we guard against them? Where have we grown idle in our defenses of spiritual disciplines, preferring to slumber than wrestle in prayer? How can we expect God’s wisdom, guidance, or particular strength when we take not the time to implore Him, or to know His mind when we neglect His word?

Lord, keep me spiritually awake for all You have before me, and always alert to You, my soul’s delight.

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’

“God spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.”’” Exodus 6:1-8

René Descartes, 17th century French philosopher, is known for his adage, “Je pense, donc je suis,” “I think, therefore I am.” For us, we could also say, I believe, therefore I behave, declaring our actions a direct outworking of what we believe about life and what is important (assuming some measure of self-control). But in divine philosophy, God is, therefore He does. Because He is good, and eternal, and the unchanging, Almighty, all-sufficient LORD, everything He does is an outflow and accomplishing of holy intent and purpose. We can trust what He does because we know who He is. (Job 23:13-14)

This gives such confidence in day-to-day living. When we know that God’s purposes are redemptive, and for our development and sanctification, we see challenges and trials in holy light. When we face a vast unknown or what if, but wade out on His promises, we begin to see His light jewels glimmer in the unfolding. What looks dim and ominous with limited human vision we learn to embrace through the lens of God’s providential and ultimate good. And we find His glory prints there.

What are we doing to know this I AM God? The better we know Him through His word, the more clearly we recognize His voice. The richer our communion and fellowship with others, the better we recognize His trustworthy hand. When we know Him as Covenant Keeper, the One able to make all grace abound, and to keep what we have committed to Him, we can have great confidence that He will do what He says, for our sake. He is Jehovah Shalom, therefore we have peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Job 23:12; John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:12).

Lord, give me the discipline to match Your attributes with Your promises, and then live in the joy and refreshment of their light. Establish and nurture my faith, that it flourishes for Your glory.

“In these days [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon,.. and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot.

“And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you…'” Luke 6:12-20a

“And he went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he came to them.” “When it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place.” Mark 6:46-48; Luke 4:42

Jesus’s public ministry was packed full, morning to night, with seemingly little room for sleep or solitude. But Jesus made getting alone with His Father a priority, stealing away for time in sequestered prayer throughout His ongoing work. He knew the importance of climbing high and drawing close to gain vision and insight, to renew stamina. From short seasons with His Father flowed wise choices, holy compulsion, a divine pace, power in ministry, and blessing to others.

Getting out to and up a mountain takes effort. It takes planning, scheduling, sometimes training in order to prepare the right muscles. Going to heights of the Lord takes being willing to traverse rugged terrain and face clouds of conviction that may ensue. Is time at the mount with our Lord a top and daily priority? What time have I set aside, and what commitment and faith muscles need be exercised into strength of habit? Does my functional fitness include my spirit, so I can tackle duties, service, and relationships with the mind and heart of Christ?

Where do I need particular help, grace, or guidance? What decisions or efforts need the Lord’s wisdom? Am I depleted, weary, needing renewal of soul or restoration of body? What effort at work or difficulty at home needs God’s divine favor or solution? Go out to the mountain! Meet with God there! He who went before us is there to meet us, eager to commune and restore, to teach and invigorate. (Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2)

“Savior, lead me up the mountain,
  Where the Lord alone is seen,
Where we hear the voice from heaven,
  Where the air is pure and clean.

Lead me higher up the mountain,
  Give me fellowship with Thee;
Higher up where light increases,
    Where the strain of efforts cease.” ~Philip Paul Bliss (1838-1876)

Lord, help me take daily gleanings of love and light and wisdom from Your heights back to the lowlands.

“I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'” Matthew 26:26-28

The institution and sharing of the Lord’s supper, not fully understood at its inception, takes on fuller meaning the other side of the cross. The Savior who offered His broken body for our sake was alive, resurrected, and triumphantly seated at God’s right hand. The manifold remembrances serve to build up both believer and the church.

‘Remember that I was born of a virgin, fulfilling prophecy and in humble estate. Remember that I was heralded from birth by heavenly beings, announced as Savior, and worshiped. Remember that I was raised as a man, experiencing every temptation as you, yet resisted.’ Are we regularly worshiping, and resisting temptation by His way of escape? (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 2:4-20,25-32; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:4)

‘Remember that I met with you, walking, teaching, and healing among you to point to my grace and power that you might believe and have life. That you might follow in my steps and serve one another, and love them as I loved you.’ With whom are we sharing His love and life-giving gospel? (Mark 10:45; John 13:34; 20:30-31)

‘Remember that the culmination of my earthly ministry was Calvary. That I took upon myself the sin of the world and its penalty, so you could be declared righteous. That I was forsaken so you could be forgiven, condemned to set you free. I gave up my life so you could enjoy life forever.’ Are we free indeed? (John 3:16; 8:36; Romans 6:6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

‘Remember that I live today as risen Lamb, King of kings, ever your Light, Advocate, and Intercessor. My Spirit lives in you to counsel, comfort, teach, and sanctify. I will never leave or forsake you.’ He is trustworthy! (Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Luke 22:31-32; John 14:16-17,26; 16:7-11,13; Romans 8:31-34; 1 Timothy 6:14-16; Revelation 19:16; 21:22-23)

At the Lord’s supper and always, do we solemnly remember Him? The sacred head wounded, the sorrow and love flowing mingled down? His triumphant resurrection offers victory today over idleness, idolatry, worry, and every sin habit. If we determined to remember, then applied those realities in our day to day, how would we love, serve, speak, and work differently?

Lord, may my every breath be inhaled and exhaled in remembrance of You, with gratefulness and grace, and my life cause others to remember You too.

“Then the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey… Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘But I will be with you… I AM WHO I AM… Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’

“‘I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land… flowing with milk and honey… But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.  So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty…’

“Then Moses answered, ‘But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, “The Lord did not appear to you.” ..Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’ But he said, ‘Oh, my Lord, please send someone else…’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.'” Exodus 3:7-8,10-12a,14,17a,19-21; 4:1,10-13,21

Moses’ ineloquence and slow speech became a stutter of ‘but,’ repeatedly uttering all he could not do. The I AM countered every protest with supernatural ability and promise. For every doubt and denial came a matching pledge of adequacy and provision, yet still the nervous shepherd resisted God’s call to leadership.

Lest we criticize Moses, we, too, have received grace upon grace at every call of God. We, too, have His very great and precious promises pertaining to life and godliness. We know He is able to make all grace abound to us, and provide for every need. And yet our flesh that fears, and is lazy, and self-conscious, also makes excuses and says, ‘I can’t.’ (John 1:16; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:19; 2 Peter 1:3-4)

Obedience that honors God must relinquish my “I can’t”s and take hold of His “I will”s. It is a matter of faith in who He is and what He has said. Where has my resolve grown feeble, and my whine of ineptitude disabled my confidence in God’s ability?

Father, help me trust Your “I will”s with all my heart and in every action, and so magnify Your greatness and glory.

“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart…

“Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers’ houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward,.. 300,000 choice men, fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver. But a man of God came to him and said, ‘O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.’ And Amaziah said to the man of God, ‘But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?’ The man of God answered, ‘The Lord is able to give you much more than this.’ Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger. But Amaziah took courage and led out his people and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 men of Seir… But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil.” 2 Chronicles 25:2,5-11,13

Amaziah prepared meticulously, but got swept up in bolstering his strength with men over God. Readying his offenses against the enemy, he neglected to seek the Lord’s counsel, and over-planned. Although he then trimmed back at God’s command and triumphed in battle, he suffered the consequences of his foolishness.

How kind of God to intervene! How gracious His redirection! Amaziah had been charging forward in self-prescribed efforts, but by God’s grace was willing to change course at His command. The Lord was more interested in his heart than his success, that he be strong and courageous while trusting His power. He wanted this good but half-hearted king to believe wholeheartedly in His ability. He worked through both his military acumen and overkill to teach king Amaziah who really reigned.

The Lord calls us to make wise plans, to fortify life and faith. But we are to seek and adhere to His wisdom in doing so. Bold courage is an asset, but building strategy and security according to men apart from God’s leading is never prudent. When we are adamant about driving ourselves in our way, we miss out on the much more that God could give and do for us, and His resultant glory. (Proverbs 16:3,9; 21:30; Ephesians 3:20-21)

What manifestation of God’s power has been overshadowed by over-controlling my environment and defenses? What areas of my life have I failed to surrender absolutely to God’s control? How well do my actions prove my trust in Him with my family, my business, my future?

Father, help me seize every assignment You give with both zeal and spiritual wisdom, according to Your best plans. Take the lead, so You take all the glory.

“He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
    and he has set darkness upon my paths.
He has stripped from me my glory
    and taken the crown from my head.
He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone,
    and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.
He has kindled his wrath against me
    and counts me as his adversary.
His troops come on together;
    they have cast up their siege ramp against me
    and encamp around my tent.

“He has put my brothers far from me,
    and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.
My relatives have failed me,
    my close friends have forgotten me…
My breath is strange to my wife,
    and I am a stench to the children of my own mother.
Even young children despise me;
    when I rise they talk against me.
All my intimate friends abhor me,
    and those whom I loved have turned against me.
My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,
    and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth…

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God,
 whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!” Job 19:8-14,17-20,25-27

It’s hard to imagine greater grief and agony than Job’s loss of all his children, livelihood, health, and relationships. Even his wife and closest friends distanced themselves from his prosperous, handsome life gone bereft and ugly. But Job never lost sight of, nor his connection with, his Maker. (Job 1:13-22; 2:7-10)

In turmoil of soul and pain of flesh, Job wrestled with his God. He poured out complaint and begged for the mercy of death, but did not turn his back. To whom else would he go? While he did not understand, he believed. He knew not the reasons for all God had wrought, but he trusted His right to do it. His isolation from all that had been glorious taught the invisible knowing of hidden treasure. The miseries of present life caused hunger for eternal hope. (Job 3:3-4,20-26; 6:8-10; 7:16-19; 9:4-15)

He knew his Redeemer. He knew He lived and reigned with perfect control. He knew he would see Him face to face, healed and whole. He knew, in the thick of the war, that God would stand victorious over suffering and triumphant in purpose. That was enough. His sure hope fed and sustained him in the worst of condemnation and pain. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 19:1-2,6; 21:3-4,22-23)

Oh, that our hearts, when failing, would find such strength in Him! Where are we cracked, broken, alone? Fly to Jesus! What sorrow, bitterness, or pain weighs too heavy to bear? Cling to Jesus! He is the great and perfect Redeemer who lives and ever intercedes on our behalf! Bow before Jesus! He stands ready to save, comfort, and deliver, to redeem every hurt and swallow every pang in victory! He is here, and that day will soon be too! Take heart, take hope! All that He’s broken He will mend in glorious life and joy. (Psalm 73:25-26; Romans 8:31-34)

Lord, in every brokenness may I trust You to repair, in every anguish to console, and every darkness to be glorified in inexhaustible light.

“The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“’I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’

“…Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe…We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:18-21,23-25,27-31

“We are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

How can the same message be so disparate toward and among its hearers? God’s truth does not change, yet man is fickle and stained with a rebel heart. God’s word is trustworthy, but unregenerate man is easily deceived and his affections stray, luring him away from spiritual realities. What is the remedy? The breach between God’s infinite wisdom and man’s finite (and foolish) understanding is impossibly wide, measured only by Christ’s outstretched arms on Calvary. The distance between His high thoughts and our low ones is reconciled only by Jesus. (Isaiah 55:8-9; Jeremiah 17:9)

When we consider the cross, there is a vast chasm between believers and unbelievers. The religious then who wanted a political savior, and today who want a spiritual Santa Claus, are dumbfounded at the ‘failure’ in His crucifixion. But the truly wise see that only in the humbling, condemnation, and death for our sake, has Jesus become to us Redeemer and Friend. (Philippians 2:5-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 8:9)

Who can penetrate our natural foolishness with spiritual wisdom? Who can reverse the bleed of disbelief? Who can halt and heal destruction? Who can tame the wildest bent? Who can transform misappropriated affections? Who can blot out sin? Jesus! Jesus alone! And He does so supernaturally so man cannot boast. Man cannot take credit for a change of heart, awakening to faith, or inner regeneration. Where am I inflating my supposed wisdom and faltering in sanctification? When will I humble myself, yield to God’s righteous standards, and seek wisdom from above?

Father, teach me all the cross means, not only for my soul, but for the way I think and view all of life and others. Soak my mindset in Your wisdom, and Your power into my helpless flesh.

“The angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth… He will turn many… to the Lord, and go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah…’

“Zechariah said, ‘How shall I know this? I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.’ The angel answered,.. ‘I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to… bring you this good news. You will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time…’

“The time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son… ‘He shall be called John.’ [Her neighbors and relatives] said, ‘None of your relatives is called by this name.’ They made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John…’  Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God…

“‘Blessed be the Lord God,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us…
    that we… might serve him without fear,
    in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.'” Luke 1:13-14,16,18-20,57,60b-64,68-69,74-75

Zechariah was going about his duty when the angel appeared, and in an instant, an ordinary day turned into an extraordinary rest of his life. This aged priest and his barren wife would have the joy of bearing and raising a son great before the LORD? His disbelief at such a pledge rendered him nine months dumb. Nine long months of watching their God-given child change his wife’s body. Nine months of pondering the God who would do this, and the wonder of why. Nine months of voiceless communion, worship, and intimacy with the Lord like none other. (Luke 1:8-12,15)

Then, upon John’s birth and naming according to divine decree, Zechariah’s tongue loosed, and out flowed praise.

Small, yet powerful. Tongues that praise also- and quickly- utter dubiety, sarcasm, nonsense, criticism, and cursing. At times, God would have them struck inert. What a difference it would make if we more often held our tongues and pondered God over the moment: Lord of nations, King of kings, Father of the fatherless, Bread of life. Contemplating Him and His promises would silence worry, placate fear, immobilize unbelief, and soothe sorrow. (Psalm 68:5; Jeremiah 10:7; John 6:35,48; 1 Timothy 6:15-16; James 3:2-10)

And what if, when loosed, our tongues spoke only praise for all God has done, encouragement from His word, and gospel truth? When we take silence to think on the depths of God, His Spirit imparts His mind to inform and shape our message. (Mark 7:35-36; 1 Corinthians 2:2-4,9-13,16; 14:3)

Why might God want to silence, or let loose, our tongues today?

“O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread thro’ all the earth abroad
the honors of your name.” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

Amen.

“When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed…

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it… Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

‘This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man…’

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:5-8,15,18-23,1-3

Every part of His masterful creation was carried out in divine order and precision, and God pronounced it very good. Then, with vast heavens and earth in place and complete, with man and woman fashioned in His image, entrusted with meaningful and fruitful work, He rested, satisfied, and blessed that day. (Genesis 1:31)

God has appointed us 24 hours a day, and the stewardship of them. When we take command in disorder, we end up bereft of rest and blessing. When we take time to seek the Lord each day and worship at his feet, to offer ourselves a living sacrifice to His service, He leads us to test and approve His will by intentional action and obedience. He supplies discernment to understand His course as well as the wherewithal to finish the work. The blessed result is an inner rest and refreshment that comes with the completion. (Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:23; 2 Timothy 4:7)

What work has God inspired that never gets done? How do we manage holy intentions? Where need we follow through in worship, making a visit, writing a note, or study? How thoroughly do we finish the work He’s planned for us?

Father, help me wholeheartedly complete each work You assign, for Your good name’s sake.