Author: astherainandsnow

“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.

“Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.

He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
They asked, and he brought quail,
and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.

So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
And he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!” Psalm 105:37-45

“He made water flow for them from the rock;
    he split the rock and the water gushed out.” Isaiah 48:21b

God’s deliverance is a sparkling theme that flows through scripture into the advent of Jesus, and culminates in the promise of His return. The Lord opened Abraham’s heart to faith in His call. Generations later He opened Egypt’s doors for Israel to depart, and with great plunder. He opened the rock for Moses to give water to assuage their thirst in the desert. Every opening was a picture of His rent side on the cross, making a way for His people to believe, come out of sin’s captivity, and enter eternal life and satisfaction. (Genesis 12:1-4; Exodus 14:21-29; 17:6; John 4:13-14; Revelation 22:12)

The opening of our Rock Jesus is the way of deliverance yet today. He covers, protects, and provides, always our light, always remembering His promises and watching over us in love. Our Savior was struck, crucified, and speared to let flow water and blood, and His rent side still offers deliverance from the sin that presently entangles us with all its attending maladies- fear, anxiety, bitterness, pride, greed. (1 Samuel 2:2; John 19:33-34)

He with the riven side beckons us to open ourselves to Him for cleansing and transformation. In what particular areas are we rock hard? Are our heels dug in, always insisting we are right, or rightly excused? Have we lost the warmth of unselfish love toward family members, or do we refuse to love enemies? Where have we calloused to Scripture’s commands, or allowed sin to take root, creep, and poison? (Matthew 5:43-44; Hebrews 10:22; 12:15)

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
let me hide myself in thee; 
let the water and the blood, 
from thy wounded side which flowed, 
be of sin the double cure; 
save from wrath and make me pure.

Nothing in my hand I bring, 
simply to the cross I cling; 
naked, come to thee for dress; 
helpless, look to thee for grace; 
foul, I to the fountain fly; 
wash me, Savior, or I die.” ~Augustus Toplady (1776)

Lord, crack the rock in me that resists Your touch and rebels against Your ways. Apply Your living water and cause it to flow anew in and through me, so I sing and praise You forever.

“O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.” Psalm 65:2-13

“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” John 4:13-14

The problem with ‘getting no satisfaction’ is that we look for it in all the wrong places. We get agitated when people connections do not get us ahead as we’d hoped, when a raise isn’t enough to quench our thirst for the next better thing, when the dream home or job turns into a nightmare of maintenance or pressure. We think a life partner, a shiny new item, or a unique experience will finally put to bed our longing, and hunger hibernates temporarily, but never for long.

Jesus told the woman that she was looking for the wrong kind of water. Hers was a soul thirst, yet trapped in horizontal living, she failed to recognize it as such. True satisfaction is found only in Jesus, and swells as we exalt and rejoice in Him. He is our soul’s abiding glory, joy, and crown. He is our hope and sure foundation and unchanging companion. He alone gives deep soul rest, and quenches our deepest longing to be understood, and cherished, and loved.(Matthew 11:28-30)

When we try lesser things to placate our passions, we will be disappointed. Will we set aside empty affections, meaningless activity, wasted calories and minutes we thoughtlessly expend, and come as flesh to God’s holy temple? Would we draw close to know Him, to wonder at His vast and mighty deeds? Would we drink long enough in His presence that we are sated and ready for each day, to offer others His wellspring of life?

Lord, satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love, that I may rejoice and be glad all my days. (Psalm 90:14)

“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.'” Exodus 3:1-5

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?’ And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:13-15

A place of new calling. A life transition. A fresh beginning. Anointing for leadership. The point of embarking on new territory, taking a new assignment, preparing to conquer. Each is a pivotal moment and place with God, holy ground where He meets with us to undo any dependence on ourselves, any tie to self-interest, and any prejudice about what’s ahead.

Our God calls us to consecration. He knows and meets us as we are- unmasked, honest, free from device, pretense, and manipulation. He delights in confessed sin that He forgives, and broken and contrite hearts that He restores. (Exodus 19:10-11; Psalm 32:5; 51:1-10,17)

The Lord uses those who come unadorned, unfettered to old ways, ingrained habits, and stubborn mindsets. He disdains rebels who shrug Him off, who think themselves holy, too important for Him. He invites our “Here I am” in acknowledgement of His holiness and surrender to His sovereign authority. (Isaiah 65:2,5)

When we approach empty-handed, barefooted, clean and willing, He can fill us with His Spirit, our hands with divine bounty, our mouths with life-giving truth. He will direct our steps in the way we should go, bless our gifts and effort, and empower our will and courage to proceed. (Psalm 32:8; 81:10; Proverbs 3:5-7)

Are there crossroads in my life where I insist on my own way? Where am I unwilling to change, or redirect my endeavors when He calls me to do so? To what patterns and securities am I clinging, and where might He intend to reorient or retrain me?

Lord, may I remove my sandals of self-sufficiency to worship daily at Your footstool, rejoice in all You are, and get in step with Your program, all to the praise of Your glory. (Psalm 132:7-9)

“If some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 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. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.” Romans 11:17-24

‘Remember who you were, and from where you came,’ Paul reminds the Gentiles, lest they forget their inclusion in Christ is all of Him, and grow pompous. Their ingrafting, their spiritual nourishment, and their identity in the Vine leave no room for pride, and room only for reverent fear and gratitude.

Once we are in Christ, it’s not healthy to dwell on our past, or detail former sins in a way that makes much of or exaggerates them. As new creatures, we are to live fully immersed in the new life Jesus grants. But any time we inch toward smug self-righteousness, or any inkling of desert of God’s favor, we must remember we were wild shoots, grafted into Christ by grace alone, through God-given faith alone. We own no superiority over those who do not believe, and are His through no personal effort. Remembering our wildness, our foreignness, our not-belonging, always magnifies God’s incredible grace and glory in salvation. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:8-9)

Though we were formerly wild rebels and enemies, the Spirit has regenerated our souls and ingrafted us to Christ the Vine. He infuses living sap into our veins and calls us presently to bear fruit, much and lasting fruit. As we abide in Him, our fruit adorns the Vine and His renown. It feeds hungry souls looking for significance and hope in this dark world. It displays the wonders of His mercies toward His children. It furthers and spreads wide His love and kindness. (John 15:4-8,16; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:1-6)

When and how did I last recount God’s sternness and kindness and overwhelming grace to me? Do I make daily choices according to my former wild nature, or dependent on God’s cultivation of my new nature? Where am I bearing spiritual fruit to bring attention to His power and love?

Father, ever tame and purify my heart. Let me never forget, and always marvel at, Your awesome grace to me. May I cling to You, my Vine, and bear the bountiful fruit of grace toward others so You receive the glory forever. (Romans 11:36)

“Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

“Then Samuel said, ‘Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.’ So they gathered and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, ‘We have sinned against the Lord…’ Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when [they] heard of it, they were afraid… And the people of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines…’ And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us.'” 1 Samuel 7:3-8,9b-12

“God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth… You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17

Over and over through their history, Israel made poor choices and got into trouble, and the LORD of Israel helped them. His nature is holy, compassionate, and merciful. He always hovered, and again and again came to their aid when they repented. Samuel thoughtfully, intentionally set up a stone to memorialize the Lord’s great deliverance, to remind His people that it was not their strength or smarts that routed the enemy, but He alone. (Deuteronomy 33:26-29; Psalm 20:7; 103:4,8)

We must remember that our resolve will weaken, our strength will fail, our wits left to themselves are foolishness, our might is naught compared with Almighty God’s. Our first stone of help is acknowledging our addiction to idolatry and desperation before Jesus. He hears our cries and delights to answer. Throughout our days we remain needy, and erect other stones along the way of repentance, worship, dependence, the pledge of obedience, thankfulness, and victory. (2 Chronicles 20:12; Proverbs 16:1,9; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 3:18-20)

Where in my life are significant signposts to the gracious work of God’s Spirit- His capture of my heart, conviction of sin, repair of broken relationships, gifts of insight or appropriate words? What stones mark significant pivoting? In what temptation has He given freedom, depression- hope, confusion- clarity, or self-will- surrender? Where am I recording, who am I telling, how am I recalling, my Ebenezers?

Father, may I faithfully remember and gratefully mark Your daily and very present help to me, that Your mercies be known and Your name praised. (Matthew 5:16)