Author: astherainandsnow

“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.

“Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For your name’s sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.” Psalm 25:6-15

Honestly dealing with our sin, and honestly praying, are vital in the Christian life. David had a rich communion with his God. He very specifically asked God not to remember his sins, but to remember His own character and steadfast love and mercy as He looked upon and dealt with His servant. He asked that God not remember his guilt, but him– his humility and contrition- for the sake of His goodness and great name. He knew God, His attributes, and His ways, and cherished their friendship.

We can slip into the doldrums of failure, or regret, or the harsh, sad fallout of sin, and think of nothing else. It is good to acknowledge these, and their specific sin-cause in genuine repentance, but they must not consume us. The psalms remind us then to remember the Lord instead. He rules, He forgives, He restores.

“The joy of our hearts has ceased;
    our dancing has been turned to mourning.
The crown has fallen from our head;
    woe to us, for we have sinned!
For this our heart has become sick,
    for these things our eyes have grown dim…
 But you, O Lord, reign forever;
    your throne endures to all generations.^..
Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
    Renew our days as of old—” Lamentations 5:15-17,19,21

When we keep repeating our past, or painful present, they become our reality. We get trapped. They render us frozen to move forward, and likely quite unpleasant to be around. But God is big enough to cover all the hurts and wish-I-could-do-overs, and to block them from our persistent view. When we recount His goodness and mercies and beauties, the shroud is lifted, and not only do we spring forward and upward in joy, but we show others the way of freedom. Focus pivots from self to the One who is worthy of it all.

Will our eyes be ever toward the Lord, and this song be our song? What woes have become a sad refrain, and how can we change our words and tune to joyful melody?

Lord help me sing always that You are good and upright, loving and faithful. May my sin be gone and these glories be mine- in You, and for Your world.

“But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
    ‘therefore I will hope in him.’

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord…

For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
 for he does not afflict from his heart
    or grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:21-26,31-33

There is no way to distinguish between cloud and clear. All is dark before dawn. No scent loiters. But then silence morphs to tickling drops, and gradually the sky pales to reveal the clots and grime that were there all the time. The air fills with that fresh smell of damp. Rain has arrived.

We watch and wait, sometimes in darkness, but only God knows. He knows the storms that brew, the breaking of clouds, pelting of sharp drops, and torrents that sweep, and the sweet relief of all over, it is finished. He knows, and guides, and faithfully is good and sufficient in and through all.

When we do not know how to solve, or where our thinking should go or land in process, we can call Him to mind. When we want to move ahead, or through, but no path is clear, we can wait on Him. When we feel cast off, or are grieved or afflicted, we can trust His compassion. Only He brings hope. Only He steadfastly loves and regularly issues fresh mercies. Only He never fails; only His salvation is sure.

When we cannot know the way, or resolution, or happy ending, we can know Him. In the anticipation and in the midst, He is knowable in His grace and glory. And isn’t this the sweeter, deeper, better knowledge? This is the knowing that is high and other-worldly. This is the knowing that is lasting and real. This is the knowing that stills our hearts and secures our souls.

In the dark before dawn- of circumstance, trouble, illness, or any day- what do we call to mind? Where do we anchor our hope? Where have we tethered our security that is not holding? Where do we ground our expectations that is unrealistic? Would we, with an act of will, set ourselves to waiting quietly for His salvation, relying on God alone as our portion and ultimate Finisher of our faith and all that concerns us? (Job 23:10; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 5:10)

“My faith has found a resting place,
not in device or creed;
I trust the ever-living One,
his wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul, I come to him,
he’ll never cast me out.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died,
and that he died for me.” ~Eliza E. Hewitt (1851-1920)

Lord of all, help me trust that You who began all will complete all, for Your glory and my good. (Philippians 1:6)

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

“And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, [Jesus] said in a parable,  ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold…’

“‘The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.  The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.’” Luke 8:4-8,11-15

Steady hard rain falls soundlessly from a heavy blue-grey sky, save for the different sounds it makes hitting surfaces: splats on tile, plops on the water’s surface, splashing thuds from the gutters onto pavers, drumming on the metal roof, wet tickly whooshes in the wriggling trees. Don’t we similarly receive the rain of God’s word?

God’s living word comes to us silent on paper, or a screen, or through the air with sound, but the surface on which it falls makes all the difference. Dry, resistant minds, stone rock hearts, and sin-thorny attitudes all fail to receive its life-giving power. Readied, open hearts and minds receive its nourishment unto growth, change, blossoming forth in new and beautiful life.

How often do I drink in the Word of life, light, and truth? How readily do I receive God’s words of instruction, conviction, correction? (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

How will we prepare each day to receive new revelation of character, fresh understanding of His ways, deeper knowledge of the scope of salvation? Would I deliberately offer myself a living sacrifice, yielded to His will and useful for His work? If I allow the Word to soak deep, it will reach all resistance, soften hard stubbornness, expose foreign affections that have infiltrated, and loosen and uproot bitterness. (Romans 12:1-2)

Lord, let Your word fall steadily and long on me, blow Your Spirit into and all around me, and soak deeply into my heart, mind, and soul. Awaken eager response to holiness and the praise of Your greatness.