Author: astherainandsnow

“Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates,.. and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.

“‘”Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.  The Lord… put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land… 

“‘”I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you… I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.” Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.'” Joshua 24:1-8a,12-14a

The rosy round sun beckons through the open window, drawing me out from cozy to greet the brisk morning. Days are longer here in the north woods- it is still hours before others will rise. The fiery pink orb casts its long reflection on the lined liquid fabric of the lake, reminding me my lines have fallen in pleasant places. (Psalm 16:5-6)

Before his death, Joshua reminded the Israelites of God’s line of faithfulness through the generations to them. He traced His initial promise when calling Abraham to make him a great nation and give them a land, to His fulfillment where all the tribes gathered in the promised Canaan. Surely they had taken possession of their delightful inheritance, with hope for the eternal one God kept for His own. (Genesis 12:1-3; Hebrews 11:8-13)

How has God’s providential hand shaped and enriched our lives? Do I take moments in the early, and pause in my frenetic days long enough, to see, savor, and thank Him for His faithfulness through my setting out and settling in, my battles, victories, and fruitfulness?

Will I respond in kind to Almighty God’s faithfulness to me? No matter the spots and knots through the years, God’s good purpose prevails for His children, His life in us still beats. His eye is on us, His arms underneath, His hold secure. How faithful are we in return to fear and serve and follow Him? (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 139:5-10; Proverbs 19:21; John 10:28-29)

Faithful God of generations, may I faithfully be and influence for You a people for Your name, praise and glory. (Jeremiah 13:11)

“[Jesus spoke] another parable, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.  So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?”  But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”’” Matthew 13:24-30

At first glance, it seems a prudent request to uproot the weeds that have infiltrated the good crop. After all, they would steal some of the soil’s nourishment, and likely weaken the wheat meant to grow healthy for harvest. But the Master who sees the big picture has a broader understanding of what has happened and why. He knows that weeds come from the enemy, but he also knows how the presence of enemy opposition helps the strong grow stronger.

We might be tempted to remove from our lives people who do not share our beliefs and goals, near-sightedly thinking they will hinder our maturity and sanctification. We are to grow up in Christ, but not to separate ourselves from those unlike us. We are to grow together, living godly lives among them. We are not to become like them, but neither are we to excuse complacency or apathy against growing spiritually because of them. It is by living alongside them that we can grow into all the Lord intends us to be as we are chiseled and honed and forced to dig deep and remain true. He uses weeds to refine faith, shape character, and develop resolve to maturity. And when we are faithful to our identity, sometimes they grow to see in us who Christ is. (Ephesians 4:13-16)

We must remember, as both wheat and weeds spring from the same soil, all men are made in God’s image, and we as Christians are not superior to those who know not Jesus. We are different, and follow different gods. The Lord God is the final and perfect judge. He holds each one accountable and executes righteous judgment in the end. (Genesis 1:26-28; Romans 14:10,11; James 4:12)

Have we by choice isolated ourselves into a bubble of like people, and thus stunted our growth? Have we grown nit-picky, haughty, or catty? Do we value certain individuals more than others, and play preferences in our regular company and workplace? What weeds has the Lord allowed to grow alongside us, and are we thriving as His children, or making complaint and excuse? How are we influencing and making a difference through behavior, conversation, or specific acts of love and compassion?

Lord, keep it my aim to grow up in You in all my life places. Keep me faithful and vibrant and true to You, to the end.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,.. he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  He will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” Matthew 25:31-32,34-45

When faced with a comment or assessment we do not understand, it is natural to wonder and want an explanation. The humble and selfless really do not take notice of their deeds, and so can be uncomfortable with any kind of commendation. When faced with a judgment we do not want to hear, we can be differently uncomfortable, and defensive, and want to justify ourselves. We live at the fore, every offense is personal, and because we are so touchy, we try to excuse our deeds into acceptance. Jesus says what is real and true no matter how His statements are received. Our reaction reveals our genuine motivation.

If we are focused on nourishing, visiting, caring and tending, we’ll be so absorbed in extending the hands and heart of Jesus we’ll ask only, “When did we?” We’ll go about God’s will in the power and intent of the Spirit, not asking details or trying to earn credit. Our very self-forgetfulness, stemming from an innate passion to serve and glorify God, honors Him in the doing. (Acts 1:6-8)

But when our motives are impure, our generosity measured only by practicality or favoritism, and our good works limited to what garners applause, we displease our Lord. Our reward, if any, is merely temporal. (Matthew 6:2-4)

For whom do I go about my daily duties and service? Whose honor and repute do I seek to exalt?

Lord, may all I do be for the blessing of You and the benefit of others.

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever.” Psalm 146:5-6

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.” Psalm 147:11

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

There is something intrinsic in actual hoping that blesses the one who hopes. The soul fixed on Christ and His promises bounds in joyous anticipation for all that is and will be. And our hope blesses God the Father and the Lord Jesus, who cause and sustain that hope in us. Blessed be Him, blessed be us, for what Christ has won!

Imagine God taking pleasure in us because we delight in all He is, and all He assures will come. His hope penetrates every difficulty, every sadness, every unmet need, connecting present to future in inextricable assurance. He does immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, promising every spiritual blessing in our Savior now and forever. Whatever our lack, or longing, He is enough! (Ephesians 1:3,11-14; 3:20)

“Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
    Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
    We set our hope on you,
    for you do all these things.” Jeremiah 14:22

Who is vying for our heart’s devotion? Whose unfulfilled promises have left us disappointed? Whose advice has fallen flat, sour, or destructive? Hope in the Lord!

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

What impossibles confront us today? In relationships, work or financial or health situations? Would we turn our eyes from these to hope in the Lord?

“My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me,
And paid the price of all my sin
At Calvary.

And now for me he stands
Before the Father’s throne,
He shows His wounded hands,
And names me as His own.

For me He died,
For me He lives,
And everlasting
Life and light
He freely gives.” ~Norman Clayton (1945)

What can we do this day to extricate our hope from things, institutions, and people of this world, and secure it forever in the only One worthy of our trust? What meaningless allegiances distract us from Him and the divine pledge of His word? Would today be the day we choose to bless God by hoping anew, and sharing that hope with another?

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

May He fill us all that we abound. Amen.

“Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;
then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
    for my hope is in your rules.
I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,
and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.
I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
    and shall not be put to shame,
for I find my delight in your commandments,
    which I love.
I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119:41-48

This unique psalm is a cogent and masterful blend of prayer, proclamation, and resolve, and each is inextricably intertwined. The request is for a continuous outpouring of strong, unshakable love and all the effects of God’s sure, promised salvation. When God’s steadfast love comes to us by grace in Christ, it affects everything. Please, Lord…then…

When Christ’s love arrives, we are immersed in it, and His heart beat thrums ours. He regenerates us and our affections, and we enter eternal safety by His marvelous grace. He flows through our spirit veins, we pulse with His thoughts, His word our energy and sustenance. Our desires, our direction, our delights come under His spell and sway.

We learn to respond to opponents as He did, with unflappable steadiness and appropriate truth. Confidence in His love for us establishes our hope and commitment to follow Him forever. Our obedience keeps us in a wide place of blessing, discovery, and fulness. His love compels us to preach His gospel, and be bold about its power. Jesus’s love that wooed and saved us becomes in us an attraction to those who know Him not. (Isaiah 53:3-4,7; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21)

If the Lord has compassion on us with everlasting love, so should we have compassion on others. By grace He has forgiven us, so we should extend that grace and forgive those who trespass against us. His word that has come alive to us should readily be on our tongues to give to others. (Isaiah 54:8; Ephesians 4:32)

Have we staked Christ’s love permanently in and on our hearts? Have we fixed its transforming work into the way we speak and treat others? Do we wear it, adorn our service with it, show it off as our identifying characteristic? And how does it move us to relate to Christ Jesus and His word? What difference do the love and grace of Christ make in how I relate to those around me?

“Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.” ~Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Lord, please bring Your steadfast love to me so it can have its way in my heart and life. Help me cling to Your word and respond to and initiate with others on the ground of Your kind and lavish grace. Teach me to love You as I ought, and others as You do.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
   covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
    his ministers a flaming fire.

He set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
    to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they might not again cover the earth.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills;
 they give drink to every beast of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
    they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
    and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
    and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
    and bread to strengthen man’s heart…

He made the moon to mark the seasons;
    the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night,
    when all the beasts of the forest creep about…
Man goes out to his work
    and to his labor until the evening.

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom have you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:1-15,19-20,23-24

One of the myriad aspects of God’s creation is the exquisite and indescribable mystery of floating orbs that are fixed by orbits and gravity. From His lofty abode the Lord has designed and ordered earth, sky and sea to sustain life and make it flourish. His plans and craft are indeed beyond tracing out!

There are times life seems to float, suspended above reason, or spinning out of control, peace-less and chaotic. We have no clear direction, we can’t tell up from down, we’re drowning in confusion, or parched in spirit. Our days are a swirl and clash of urgent and emotion.

But in the midst, our Lord is nigh, the fixed axis of every revolution. He holds steady His reins, and His tools. Behind every gush and upheaval, His power controls. He is our firm foundation, He holds us inextricably secure. We, our failures, fears, families, fortunes, futures, are never out of His control.

What areas or incidences at present seem out of control, floating outside of reason or goodness? What if we looked at these situations in the realm of God’s sovereign creation and control, part of His grand purposeful order? How can my worship be enhanced by surrender to God’s fixed plan and graciousness?

Great Father, enlarge my vision and trust in all that transpires. May I sing to You as long as I live, sing praise to You while I have my being. May my meditation be pleasing to You, and my rejoicing exalt Your glory forever. (Psalm 104:31-34)

“Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.” “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.” Deuteronomy 10:14; 33:26

“O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, 
to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!” Psalm 68:32-35

“When he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?'” Matthew 8:23-27

The afternoon is rumbling. Grey and more grey it grows, darkening the inside, and my inside. As heavy clouds now grumble and growl, thunder shakes the afternoon like a sadness shakes my soul. There are some storms we cannot avoid. When rain blasts and blows, we cannot escape. We get drenched in sorrow. But we know the One who rules, and He can still the fiercest storm. He rides the ancient skies to our aid and comfort, and we would not know His balm and peace if not for the storm.

It is hard to keep the tremble of a storm at bay, and not be shaken by death, a sobering diagnosis, broken relationships, unmet needs. In the midst, our vision is impaired, our bodies buffeted, and we want only to retreat. But the majestic Lord is in the storm, the wind, the vessel to which we cling. He is present and able to help, and faithful never to abandon us. There is no storm more harsh that He is loving, none more violent than He is compassionate and kind.

When we sense the first rumble of unease in our soul or the culture or the world, would we transfer fear to Jesus? Would we actively trust the One who shines His sun no matter what, and ask for eyes of faith to see His long view, no matter how dark? What storms are we encountering that we can bring to God to apply His calm?

“O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe, 
that in thine ocean depths its flow 
may richer, fuller be…

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee. 
I trace the rainbow through the rain, 
and feel the promise is not vain, 
that morn shall tearless be.” ~George Matheson (1882)

Father, calm my rumbling soul in Your loving care. Please trace Your rainbow in the rain pelting those I love, and bring peace in the storm. Let us glimpse Your glory, that we may know and trust You in it all. (Exodus 33:13,18)

“I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness…

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations…

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:1-7,10-13,21

In a world of superlatives, of ‘the most ever’ and ‘best in my entire life,’ words that pack punch by sheer meaning can be diminished. But in biblical speak, where every inspired word counts and is powerful unadorned, great is great. And great describes our God who is beyond description. (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

The psalmist is so overcome with the greatness of God that he wants to praise Him greatly. He desires to reach and match and proclaim the infinite goodness and power of his Sovereign, and verbalizes in praise His limitless, matchless attributes. His blend of words and meditation flows forth in blessing the Almighty and extolling His majestic deeds and the splendor of His kingdom.

Are we so enthralled with our King? Are we so captivated by His glorious eternity and unshakable dominion that He fills our minds and moments and mouths with praise? When we set out to cogitate on His greatness and to bless His name forever and with all that is within, He fills us with a sense of wonder in worship, and is greatly honored in the outflow.

What are we doing to fill our sights with God who is great, and train our minds in heavenly meditation?

“The Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 95:3

How can we adjust our speech to greatly praise the Lord of lords?

“I know that the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.” Psalm 135:5

How eagerly and robustly do we plumb the depths of His unsearchable greatness?

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

‘For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?’
‘Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?‘

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

Lord, expand my mind to comprehend, my heart to delight in and love, and my voice to exalt Your greatness.

“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

‘We have a strong city;
    he sets up salvation
    as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
For he has humbled
    the inhabitants of the height,
    the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
    casts it to the dust.
The foot tramples it,
    the feet of the poor,
    the steps of the needy.’

The path of the righteous is level;
    you make level the way of the righteous.
In the path of your judgments,
    O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
    are the desire of our soul.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” Isaiah 26:1-9

The Lord has done much to make straight and steady our way. He has won our salvation and provided us boundaries for life within His good will and word. He woos us in love, inspires our minds, and instills holy desire. For us, the choice is daily obedience and faithfulness to enter the gates He opens wide to fellowship with soul and spirit.

Yet much in this world jostles and upturns our path. There are many ways we make lofty our cities, adding exhausting inclines toward wealth and learning and status, and dangerous detours to alien affections. We complicate our devotion, or get distracted in and from it by insidious, ubiquitous technology that vies jealously for our attention. We grow restless and impatient with waiting on God, and our minds stray to strange allegiances and so flee from peace. When will we return to enter His gates, cling to Him as our rock, and realign with His level?

“I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.” ~Henry Francis Lyte (1847)

Listen to the song, and sing along! We have a strong God-given city! Stay our mind on Jesus, and eagerly, willfully trust Him! Recall His name and remember His works, and delight to know more! Yearn, and seek, and when that is not our desire, ask that it may be! A spirit fixed in the heights with the Lord levels our path here on earth. He gives stability, clarity, and fortitude to keep on with Him, in His way.

“Fairest Lord Jesus, 
ruler of all nature, 
O thou of God and man the Son, 
Thee will I cherish, 
Thee will I honor, 
thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.” ~Anonymous, German (17th century)

Lord, worthy of being known, keep me earnestly seeking to know You better. Open wide Your gates and keep me walking by faith to enter and keep to the path You set before me. May I ever sing Your song in my land.

“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land…’

“As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.” Deuteronomy 15:7-11,14b-15

“Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

The Lord instituted a system whereby the Israelites would, every seven years, celebrate a release of debts. As with His Sabbaths, God wanted His people to be regularly reminded of what really mattered, and never to grow so entrenched in their personal endeavors that they forgot who He was, and from where they had come. Poor slaves, they had been freed, and that freedom should keep their hearts willing to freely give. (Deuteronomy 15:1-6)

There are good things we do under compulsion, but when guilt-driven or begrudging, they give no honor to God. A hard heart usually clenches the fist, though sometimes we hesitantly give anyway, our gift stained with resentment or criticism. The Lord cares about our actions, but more about the heart’s intent.

When undertaking our work, it is vital not to sequester ourselves from needs around us. Ambition and determination can drive great results and bring fulfillment and success, but they can also harden our hearts to those wanting for attention, care, or material goods. Beware growing calloused against those who do not work as hard, or do as much, and greedy and entitled with what we’ve amassed.

Our Lord frowns on selfish thinking and the guilt of grudge. After all, what do we deserve for all our rebellion against Him? Our merciful Lord welcomes us to be cleansed from miserly selfishness, which then frees us to open wide our hearts to others. Have we checked our hearts for hard places, and brought them to Jesus for transformation? Are we taking pause to really see those around us? To whom will we give freely today from Christ’s love to us? (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)

Lord, help me take care to keep a clean heart, so it is tender and open. May I lavishly give from the bounty You’ve bestowed, to the praise of Your glory and goodness.