Author: astherainandsnow

“You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told…

As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
For evils have encompassed me;..
my iniquities have overtaken me;..
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’
As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer, O my God!” Psalm 40:5,11-12,16-17

“The Lord has remembered us.” Psalm 115:12a

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it...

For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb…
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.” Psalm 139:1-6,13,16-18

Knowing that someone is thinking of you with caring affection is a gift that bolsters confidence and caresses the heart, a surprise that smiles, affirms value, and squeezes with love. So to know that God thinks of us, and His thoughts are ever toward and always around us, is a unique, powerful reality for those who believe in Him. We never escape His perfect, infinite, compassionate mind.

Being made aware of the Lord’s thoughts necessarily draws ours to Him. When multiplied toward us catches hold, we stand amazed at the intricate and manifold ways the incomparable God understands, directs, protects, and is acquainted with us. We learn to marvel at His patience, tenderness, and nearness. We are buoyed in Spirit by the vastness of His knowledge and the breadth of His gentle, strong love.

Are we frustrated at the lack of others’ initiative, or their apathy or inattention? God is thinking about us. Are we wrestling with what to do next, too much to do, or how to do it all? The Lord is thinking about and in control of everything. Are we fearful for a diagnosis, a wayward loved one, the aging process, or personal finances? Our God knows us inside and out, and orders even the unseen and future in His thoughts. Do we struggle with loneliness, our identity, or lack of purpose? God holds us in His mind as His beloveds, and is never surprised or confused by our struggles. His thoughts for us are always good, and for our good. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Lord, may Your thoughts be precious to me always, and my thoughts be full of glorious You.

“God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present* help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
‘Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!’
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46

*Or, well proved

This psalm begins and ends with the Lord very present and ‘well proved,’ and in the middle is a whole lot of trouble. Since He is the Beginning and the End, He is also the midst of our here and now, always on the throne of the nations of the earth, always our fortress and help, no matter what turmoil roils around us or around the globe. (Revelation 22:13)

When the earth, skies, and sea tremble from disasters natural and manmade; when our family life, workplace, health, and relationships war and shake; when governments and factions roar, and stability totters, the Lord of nations says be still and know that He is exalted in and through it all. It takes turning from the thundering tumult and looking at Jesus to know the peace of our Potentate and the calm of His habitation with us. (Matthew 14:22-33)

Would we ask for eyes to see Him and recognize His works in every distress? Would we then sing of our great King whose throne cannot be shaken, and who reigns forever?

“Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save;
his glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of peace;
whose power a scepter sways,
from pole to pole that wars may cease,
and all be prayer and praise;
His reign shall know no end
and round His pierced feet,
fair flowers of paradise extend
their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.” ~Matthew Bridges (1851)

God of the nations, still me to know you, and fill me to sing Your praise in every trouble. (Psalm 47:6-8)

“Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.” Psalm 33:8-11

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice.” Proverbs 12:15

“Listen to advice and accept instruction,
    that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:20-21 

When we fear others and evil forces in the world, we tend to stand in awe of ourselves as superior and able to figure it out or overcome. We need no higher counsel because ours is the better opinion and right worldview. But when we fear the Lord as He calls us to do, (and of which He alone is worthy) our whole perspective shifts. We are humbled and bowed in awe of Him who made heaven and earth. We begin to see the world as He does, unseen forces as cruel and strong, and we know we are no match for the formidable and wily prince of darkness. We cannot on our own discern the Spirit’s mind and confidently make right decisions. We need God Almighty’s help. (Psalm 121:2; 124:8; John 8:44; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 6:12)

All through history, man has elevated self to a throne of pride. Our Sovereign knows better when we calculate our plans, and though He allows us to choose our path, He holds contempt for our godless plotting. Man conferring with the counsel of man comes to ruin, never considering that will be his end. (Genesis 11:1-8; Psalm 2:2-4; Acts 4:26)

In the daily hum of life, whose counsel do we seek? In decisions with raising families, caring for the needy, dealing in our workplaces, managing hardship, whose counsel do we trust? The media, popular experts, thinkers, authors, and influencers will each offer a view, but are they aligned with Scripture? We may tend to follow our own gut instincts, yet they are imperfect and subject to the whims of emotion. The One who spoke the world into being speaks into our every situation and conundrum today, and His counsel deserves our ear. If we truly desire to know and follow God’s will, we must seek Him first.

“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art–
thou my best thought, by day or by night;
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father; tI thy true son,
thou in me dwelling and I with thee one.“ Old Irish, translated by Mary E. Byrne (1880-1931)

Father, help me fear You above all, and seek Your counsel before all other. May I know and appropriate the plans of Your heart, for the unfolding of Your will and praise of Your glory.

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment…

 “For 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…  but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God… And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:2-10,18,24,30

Paul knows that there is something distinctive about the Corinthian church. The testimony about Christ, whom he had preached, had had its way among this body of saints, and that testimony was confirmed by the way they lived.

When we allow the power of the gospel to infiltrate our minds, our motivations, our sinews, we live distinctly too. We will be known as those called by God, and will bear a mantle of grace and peace in a hostile world. Our speech and knowledge will be enriched, and our gifts exercised will be marked with His imprint.

How am I confirming the testimony of Jesus? How are my countenance, words, reactions, counsel, attitudes, and encouragement to others standing out from the world? How is my behavior, decision-making, choice of entertainment and expenditure, giving credit and honor to Jesus Christ and Him crucified?

“Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In living echoes of your tone.
As you have sought, so let me seek
Your erring children, lost and lone.

Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wand’ring and the wav’ring feet.
Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Your hungry ones with manna sweet.

Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious truths which you impart.
And wing my words that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord,
Until my very hearts o’erflows
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Your love to tell, your praise to show.

Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as you will, and when, and where
Until your blessed face I see,
Your rest, your joy, your glory share.” ~Frances R. Havergal (1872)

Lord, may my testimony show forth Your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, to the glory of Your power and great name.

“Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.” Ezekiel 6:8-10

“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:3-4

One of the advantages of the prophets’ messages of warning is the inclusion of reason behind what Almighty God was doing. He was not capricious or arbitrary in His dealings with His children, and never left them unattended by His overriding purposes. As vehement as His abhorrence to their sin, and as extreme His punishment, He always had a higher and good end in view.

It seems natural to fret over gripping cruelty and seemingly meaningless destruction in our world. We might feel things are out of control. Do we find ourselves asking ‘Why, Lord?’ more often than, ‘What are You revealing?’? Not in vain does our Lord do anything. He is always purposeful, measured, and in control. We more readily accept this truth when things go smoothly and well, but what about suffering and harsh consequences of sin?

If we step back to see the agonies of this world as a result of sin, and accept that God’s wrath is now being poured out on unbelief and idolatry, and all creation is groaning with hope for ultimate redemption, we can begin to see the not in vain of God’s hand. We can learn the intricacies of His righteousness, holiness, and goodness. We can get in step with our conformation to His image. We can seize each day with hope, and take up our tasks with vigor, believing that nothing we do for Him is for naught, and the best is yet to come. (Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 1:18-20; 8:19-23,28-30; 1 Corinthians 15:58)

Are we caught in a vortex of complaining, or in emotional turmoil over senseless clamor and horror? What if we removed ourselves and took time to think, to humble ourselves and adjust our vision, and tried to see with an eternal perspective? If we take God at His word, and believe He does not allow or impose anything in vain, what are we discovering of His ways? How are we applying His promises and aligning with His greater purposes?

Lord, knowing Your deeds are never in vain, may I daily embrace Your wisdom and plan. Guide me to meaningful, hopeful living among family, neighbors, and colleagues, so they trust and revere You also.

“One of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, ‘David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them… Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.’

“Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs… As she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them…

“When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey… and bowed to the ground.  She fell at his feet and said, ‘On me alone, my lord, be the guilt… Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow… Nabal is his name, and folly is with him… The Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand… Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. If men rise up to pursue you.., the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God…  And when the Lord has… appointed you prince over Israel, [you] shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for working salvation [your]self…’

“And David said to Abigail, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.’” 1 Samuel 25:14-15,17a, 18,20,23-26,28-34

Abigail was a wise woman with a keen sense of timing about when to wait and when to hurry. Driven by a noble righteousness and faith in God’s purposes, she interposed to save David from shame. In the end, she even hastened to accept his marriage proposal. (1 Samuel 25:41-42)

In many situations, haste indeed makes waste. When we act impulsively, or react with unrestrained emotion, we often make waste of effort, intention, and people. But a sense of urgency prompted and led by the Holy Spirit is powerful. Wasting no time and opportunity in vital circumstances brings good to all involved.

What blessings have I missed by dragging my feet? What causes me to procrastinate when I know the right thing to do? Would I haste toward all that is good- reconciliation, getting needed help, interceding for others, putting away harmful habits and temptations? Who can I hasten to help today?

Lord, grant me discernment, a sense of holy urgency, and courage to act at Your pleasure in all situations.

“I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name
For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning…

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Psalm 30:1-5,11-12

Ah, the pit! The quagmire of foes physical, vocal, and mental. The valley of the shadow of illness, pain, loss, and death. Anger, weeping, and sorrow that shrouds everything. All of these we encounter, and suffer, and all are known to God. He who rides the ancient skies looks down on us below in love and compassion. With holy precision, His mercy extends like a magnet and draws us up, up to His heart, up to His throne, up to relief and peace and hope. (Deuteronomy 33:26; Psalm 23:4; 68:33; 103:6-14)

We cry for help, deliverance, and restoration, and the LORD hears and responds to our prayers. While present troubles may not disappear, in the midst He indeed turns our mourning to dancing as we set our hope in Christ. He extends victory and healing in this present darkness, and cloaks us with assurance of our eternal future. He comforts, His very presence our soul strength to endure. (Ephesians 6:12)

And this is not just for ourselves. No good from God ever is. When the Lord graciously turns our mourning, how can we do the same for others in His name? How will we pass along the comfort we have received for just that purpose? (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3

How will we take the Spirit’s ministry to us and spread it abroad? When God truly turns us, we are healed from self-absorption and cannot help but reach out to the faint, weak, and broken-hearted with His gospel of freedom and gladness. Where will we go, with whom will we share this day what Jesus has done for us?

Father, may I ever extol You for Your healing, favor, and strength. And may I never hoard Your mercies and kindness, but generously share them to the magnification of Your grace and love.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.” Psalm 23:6

“I wash my hands in innocence
    and go around your altar, O Lord,
proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
    and telling all your wondrous deeds.

O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells…

My foot stands on level ground;
    in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.” Psalm 26:6-8,12

“One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple…

I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord…

You have said, ‘Seek my face.’
My heart says to you,
    ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.'” Psalm 27:4,6b,8

God Almighty sits enthroned above heavens and earth, and also makes His dwelling among men. Who can comprehend this ubiquitous Sovereign, this personal and loving Lord of lords? Our grasp of His abode- beyond and within us- is limited, yet the Lord, through our ongoing journey with Him, increases our desire, love, and delight for His habitation. The more time we spend at His altar, the more we adore Him. (Psalm 103:19; John 1:14; 14:16-17)

“A little Sanctuary art Thou to me!
O Jesus, best belov’d! I live with Thee;
My heart has found its everlasting home,
Its sure abiding place where’er I roam.

A little Sanctuary art Thou to me!
My heart is still’d beneath love’s canopy;
The ‘Holiest of All’ is open’d wide,
And I may enter and be satisfied.”

As He dwells with us in the hallowed place, we also dwell with Him. We carry that intimacy into opportunities to rejoice among His people in a physical sanctuary, where the saints gather for worship, sacraments, teaching, and fellowship. When we open the doors to the house of the Lord, the place His glory dwells, we partake of a divine gift the Creator has given His children. Made in His image, we have spiritual fellowship with other believers, our spirits uniquely testifying and communing with one another. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 90:1; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 4:4-6)

Availing ourselves of both private and corporate fellowship pleases God, renews our souls, and increases our delight in Him as we recognize Him in others and witness His glorious work. We magnify His glory as we encourage one another in truth and Christian love, sing His praises, and tell His marvelous deeds. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

“A little Sanctuary art Thou to me!
No fabled shrine, but deep reality!
Thou saidst it should be so when at Thy call
I rose and follow’d gladly, leaving all.

A little Sanctuary art Thou to me!
All joyfully I pitch my tent with Thee;
Or ready still to journey at Thy word—
‘In Thee’ I ‘live and move,’ most blessèd Lord.” ~Emily Crawford (1890)

Are we cherishing God’s holy habitation and the assembly of the saints? What new beauties have we beheld, and how are they changing us?

Lord, keep me seeking Your face, in church and among Your people, and singing for joy.

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. 

I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin…

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:1-5,11

“For your arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand has come down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester
    because of my foolishness,
I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
    all the day I go about mourning.
For my sides are filled with burning,
    and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and crushed;
    I groan because of the tumult of my heart…

My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me…

For I am ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
I confess my iniquity;
    I am sorry for my sin…

Make haste to help me,
    O Lord, my salvation!” Psalm 38:2-8,10,17-18,22

“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” Romans 11:22

David’s honest confessions are a penetrating instructor for our souls. When we allow his words to resonate with our experience, we recognize how personally and intricately God works to keep us in communion with Himself and to sanctify us into His likeness. We are rough stones with no soundness, in need of a Savior who can convict and cleanse, refine and polish.

Nobody invites or enjoys misery, and in the flesh, we try to avoid it in any way possible. But preoccupation with (and complaint about) our misery can blind us to its redemptive purposes in God’s wise economy and love. Blessed may not feel the heavy hand, but blessed is its work and outcome when we receive it from our sovereign Savior.

Are we suffering God’s indignation and crushing under the weight of His pressure? Would we ask where is our sin, what we can learn, and yield to His mercy in confession? How willing are we for Him to rifle through our hours and minds to extricate sin habits, foolishness, and self-centered attitudes? What is my confession, and how earnestly have I followed the Lord’s ordained pain through to its blessed end?

Lord, make me miserable in sin, and joyful in confession. Restore light to my eyes so I see You in Your splendor and shine Your love and grace on others.

“Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” John 12:3-6

“Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him…

“Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.” Matthew 26:14-16; 27:3-5

Judas has spent years with Jesus. He had witnessed His demeanor when challenged, His steady and guileless love, His patient and kind instruction, His miracles that transformed the most ruined of people. But his heart was for another god- wealth- and he sold his soul to betray the Lord of lords.

He acknowledged his sin, but could not get over it. He had agonizing remorse, but no authentic repentance. He tried to make recompense with the priests and elders, but never came clean before his Lord and Savior. He threw the silver rather than clinging to the cross.

When and how do we value Christ’s treasure more than Christ Himself? What earthly treasures take more of our time, attention, and effort than our heavenly ones? Have we succumbed unconsciously to the habit of seeking favor more than forgiveness? Where have we made light of Christ’s sacrifice for us, trying in vain simply to make restitution, and disregarding the immeasurable cost Jesus paid for us? (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:20-21; Acts 3:2-7)

Are there decisions we’ve made, and deeply regret? What is the proper response when recognizing our sin against Jesus? Where do we throw it down? How can its burden be relieved? By genuine confession and repentance. And when once we repent, we desire, and are free, to cast our wealth in with the bounty of Christ, to be used for His purposes and people. (Acts 3:14-15,19-20; 4:32-37)

“Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.” ~Old Irish, ca 700, translated by Mary E. Burnes (1880-1931)

Good Father, may I throw off every wayward affection and idol, and fully cast my lot with You, for Your will and glory and great name’s sake.