Author: astherainandsnow

“You know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. Though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. We never came with words of flattery, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people,.. though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

“For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13

His experience of suffering, shameful treatment, and conflict could have aroused retaliation, deception, asserting of rights, or boasting. All would have been justified had he been earthly-bound and self-protective. But Paul had one desire: to proclaim the gospel and see Jesus change lives, and so his every ounce of energy, intent, and emotion was spent to that end.

God’s word is powerful, living, and unchanging in every situation. Only the Lord makes it take root and grow. But life offers many conditions into which we spread the gospel, and we would be prudent to apply the right combination of motivation and grace when we do so. The first hint of falseness, trickery, greed, self-exaltation, or hypocritical mismatch for our message will repel otherwise earnest seekers. (Psalm 119:89; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7; Hebrews 4:12)

God fashioned an attractive combination in Paul of boldness for Christ’s sake, parental affection, and gentle forthrightness. He was a hard worker, above reproach in character, unselfish, and he allowed the power of the Spirit free flow. The proof of his effectiveness in ministry is the Thessalonians themselves, who received God’s truth, welcomed its work in their lives, and passed it on. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-8)

Are there persnickety attitudes, annoying idiosyncrasies, or selfish habits that limit our willingness or fruitfulness in God’s work? How worthy of God’s honor is our walk? How warm is our heart, and appealing our manner? Do we prefer and pamper ourselves more than those the Lord has placed in our lives? Do we look to take advantage of every perk, or of unsuspecting people, rather than set ourselves aside for the gospel’s sake?

Lord, work Your word in me so it can work through me. May every aspect of my life preach Your gospel.

“It was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:14-20

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

There’s a beautiful flow of exchanges in God’s economy, but it is not balanced. We can never out-give God. When we supply for others’ needs, we receive an irrepressible return. Our gifts are actually a pleasing offering to bountiful God, and somehow, supernaturally, we are credited with great gain that not only supplies our needs, but brings Him glory.

Why is it so hard to let go, and give? We want to hold on, we think we need, we want to be safe, when all the while the riches in glory in Christ Jesus await those who let go, who share trouble, enter into partnership in ministry, help needs once and again. It is no risky investment to give sacrificially to God’s work.

What keeps us from participating in the giving and receiving of God’s people? Do we prefer the lone life, where we can order every detail with self-sufficiency? Do we allow too much time to pass when opportunity arises, and by procrastination miss out on contributing? Do we spend our time figuring what who else should share the load, rather than asking God how much He would have us give? Are we busying ourselves with less important occupations that we arrogantly deem more important, and so neglect our duty? Do we donate meagerly to check off a box, not thoughtfully as the Spirit prompts? Are we persnickety about what and how we want to give, instead of seeking how the Lord would stretch us to serve?

On the receiving end, what keeps us from expressing need, and receiving from others what God has put in their hearts to give? Do pride and shame prevent our admitting where we fall short, need help, or are even desperate? How might we be forsaking others in the Body of Christ from fulfilling their duty to give, to come alongside, to share in the hardship, because of our self-will and stubbornness?

Paul gave and gave to the end of glorifying his Christ, and was willing to receive God’s provision to supply what he needed along the way. Would we trust God enough to give up our management and control of how we think it should happen, and offer ourselves to give and receive any way God deems right, for His glory alone? (Philippians 3:7)

Lord, guide me in both generous giving and grateful receiving, to the building up of Your Body, and the magnification of glory to You.

“I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not,
    I am the one who helps you…’

And you shall rejoice in the Lord;
    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none,
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
    and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
    the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
    may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:13,16-20

Only God could design a plant to hang onto a tree by tubular roots and put out brachted shoots with oval pods that at the perfect moment, burst open in exquisite bloom. Snowy white amidst lush greens captures the eye, and the orchid’s deep violet eyes look back and intrigue. What manner of beauty is this, tucked in a small green orb? What love so inspired this display, this feast for sight and wonder? What masterful creativity imagined such a process in such a plant, one among the numberless? Only God, Master Gardener.

This One who causes roots to extend and hold on, who tucks irrepressible life into benign nuggets of green, who fashioned the senses to be captivated and tell the soul to praise, He can do anything. This remarkable and personal God, who brings fountains to drought and lush to wildernesses, can do absolutely anything. He can bring clarity into confusion, healing to broken hearts, hope to the downtrodden, and revival to the exhausted. He can unify the divided, retrieve the stray, soften the rebellious, transform the mindset, save the lost.

How does marveling at this glorious and creative God shape our expectations in our challenges? How does His power change our attitudes in our difficulties? How does His personal involvement in details readjust our outlook for the future? Knowing Him elevates our intellect and reasoning, and should make a difference in every crevice of our thinking and every corner of our heart. It should refine our emotions, stamp our decisions, and shape our affections.

What attitudes or efforts lie limp in me today? Where is my will weak, my desire turned inward and selfish? Where do I need a supernatural riot of vitality and color? Would I humbly seek these from the Master of my soul, and surrender to His movement in and through me?

Lord, I bow before Your indescribable perfection. Please awaken what sleeps in my spirit and revive what flags in my flesh. By Your resurrection power, bring glorious, vibrant bloom of, and for, Your glory.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

“It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Galatians 2:19-20; 6:12-15

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:13-15

In the first century, crucifixion meant a public, prolonged, agonizing death that served justice for an individual criminal. When he breathed his last, intent was accomplished. But at Calvary, our Savior bore the guilty verdict of every believer, and put to death far more than a single man’s due penalty. What was accomplished there was so vast and life-changing that it captivated Paul’s whole identity and desire.

Before the cross, Paul was a slave to the law, steeped in legalism but spiritually dead. When Jesus saved him, drastically transforming his belief system and life direction, Paul became Christ’s bond-servant. He was no longer dead in sin but wholly alive to Christ, to know and love Him and serve His will on earth. His days had new purpose as Christ lived through him, pulsing through his veins with holy cause and Spirit fire. His intellect and drive were now tools for his new Master to use to advance His gospel and glory. (Acts 9:1-18; Romans 1:1)

When we apply the cross, much in us is also transformed. Because Jesus put these tendencies to death, where we condemned the failings of others, we humbly repent for our own transgressions against God. Where our hearts were cold to the needs and unpretty ways of those around us, Jesus warms them with compassion. Where we were tenaciously self-driven, we live open-handed, seeking and yielded to our Lord’s will.

Where once we craved the world, lusting after its charms and approval, we find satisfaction in Jesus. Where we feared death, we are bound in hope of eternal life here and hereafter. Where we fretted for safety from persecution, we are at peace, serving and sharing Christ’s love with every breath. (Matthew 6:24)

How fully are we living, and clearly exhibiting, the crucified life? This is impossible apart from the grace and power of the cross. (Matthew 19:25-26)

Lord, less of me and more of You. May I daily exhibit the imprint of Your unquenchable love at Calvary. (John 3:30)

“‘A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.’ So some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What is this that he says to us, “A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”; and, “because I am going to the Father”?’  So they were saying, ‘What does he mean by “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.’ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, “A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me”? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you… I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.’” John 16:16-22,33

“Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5

One of the hardest things about Easter season is the waiting, the anticipation of the agony. This side of the cross we know what the disciples had yet to experience- the horror of their Teacher’s betrayal, scourging, mocking, and crucifixion. We know how the story ends, but they did not, or at least could not understand the “little whiles” of which Jesus spoke. How would they weep and lament, and then rejoice? And why?

How kind of our Lord Jesus to prepare these men He loved so much, as much as He could with their limited view, just as He does us. We cannot foresee the whole future, or know the details of upcoming trouble and suffering, but we have been told that we will have tribulation, and in it, to take heart. The disciples did not comprehend “I have overcome the world,“ but we do! We know that Jesus rose from the grave, and that He vanquished sin and death, and one day will vanquish the enemy of our souls forever. Christ’s peace that passes all human understanding is ours for the choosing, able to guard our hearts and minds. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Philippians 4:6-7; Revelation 20:7-10)

Remember, for every little while we are enduring, we are passing through to another while. In the Lord’s economy of time, He uses every moment to bring about his redemption and ultimate glory. We see now in a mirror dimly, but the longer we look, and the longer we live, we are closer to that day when we will see Him face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

My loving Lord, help me choose peace in each little while You bring and I endure. When I cannot understand, help me to trust, and look forward to the ultimate joy of seeing You face to face. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:1-5

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

How unlike us men was Jesus. He knew He was the Son of God, that the time had come to bear the weight of the sin of the world and die, and He willingly set aside His rights, His status and glory, to humble Himself and wash feet. This perfect God-man chose to die an excruciating, sinner’s death on a sinner’s cross. He who knew no sin loved His own to the end… (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Knowing what we know about such humility, such a love, how do we worship, how do we love? How can we do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves? How can we look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others? Only by having the mind and heart of Christ, which is accomplished only by the cross. (Philippians 2:3-4)

“O teach me what it meaneth,
That cross uplifted high,
With One, the Man of Sorrows,
Condemned to bleed and die!
O teach me what it cost Thee
To make a sinner whole;
And teach me, Savior, teach me
The value of a soul!

O teach me what it meaneth,
Thy love beyond compare,
The love that reacheth deeper
Than depths of self-despair!
Yes, teach me, till there gloweth
In this cold heart of mine
Some feeble, pale reflection
Of that pure love of Thine.

O teach me what it meaneth,
For I am full of sin,
And grace alone can reach me,
And love alone can win.
O teach me, for I need Thee,
I have no hope beside—
The chief of all the sinners
For whom the Savior died!

O infinite Redeemer!
I bring no other plea;
Because Thou dost invite me
I cast myself on Thee.
Because Thou dost accept me
I love and I adore;
Because Thy love constraineth,
I’ll praise Thee evermore!” ~ Lucy A. Bennett (1850-1927)

My Savior, may I know much of You in all I do, how I worship, and the way I love.

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word… I have given them the words that you gave me, and… they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours… Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them… But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:6,8-9,11-17

“Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:34

“Maundy: a ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday; alms distributed in connection with the maundy ceremony; from the Old French mande, in turn from the Latin mandātum, which means ‘mandate or command.’”

The night before the crucifixion, Jesus gathered with His disciples for the Passover meal, washed their feet, dismissed His betrayer, issued a new commandment to love one another, promised the Holy Spirit, then bathed them all in His magnificent high priestly prayer. What He prayed for them prior to the cross this Maundy night He continues to pray for us today, revealing His heart toward His children and His mandate for our living in the world. (John 13-16)

Keep them in Your name, which you have given me. The name of Jesus is a stronghold where we are kept and guarded from the onslaught of the world and devil and their lies and temptation. (Proverbs 18:10; Matthew 4:4)

That they may be one, even as we are one. Jesus’s people are by calling unified in purpose, in the image they bear to the world, connected by a common grace and love that comes only from God.

That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Jesus came to give abundant life, and His Spirit in us abounds in joy. (John 10:10; Galatians 5:22)

Not that you take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil one. As long as we live, we deal with the devil’s tactics and minions in this world. But Jesus prays for us in this world not to be of the world, but set apart in spirit and mind, fully armed for the battle, light in darkness. (2 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 6:12-13; Philippians 2:15)

Sanctify them in truth. God’s word is inerrant and true. It convicts, fortifies, and teaches us all righteousness. (Psalm 18:30; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

What vision, what comfort, what resolve, these prayers inspire. How will we fulfill our part in their answer?

Thanks be to You, Lord, for Your ministry of prayer. For every one, so be it!

“Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach… He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer…'”

“And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.

“He coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another.  He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise… of the second set. He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.” Exodus 35:30-35; 36:8-13

All the best ingredients, adorned with the image of God, filled with His breath. Fearfully and wonderfully made above all creatures, a little lower than angels. Such are the makings of man, the Creator’s crown jewel, a living temple on earth that He indwells. It was he God chose and gifted to fashion His portable tabernacle with nature’s most exquisite materials. The Supreme Craftsman at His best endows His people to do and give their best in His kingdom work. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; Psalm 8:3-8; 139:13-16; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19)

Just as the tabernacle was crafted to represent the presence of God among His people along their journey, so the LORD has designed us to carry and reflect His presence along our way. Whether it be in our conversation or demeanor, an embrace or our work, our behind-the scenes planning or our very public service, in the measure we exemplify Christ Jesus and His beauty, those we know and interact with can be touched by His Spirit.

How clearly am I reflecting His image of holiness, love, grace, and truth? How carefully am I employing my Maker’s design for relationships, discipline, accountability, personal responsibility, godly order? How generously am I extending mercy and compassion to the broken? How heartily am I fulfilling what He has created me to do? How robustly do I serve His will and the needs of others? How well can others sense His spirit of peace in my reactions to trials and current events, in my countenance? (Ephesians 2:10)

Father, cause every aspect of my life to reflect the beauty, wisdom, and excellencies of my Master Craftsman. Mark me, as I mark all I touch, with Your indelible grace and splendor.

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus… We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:1-7,10

For most, we live life, determine next steps, go our own way, unaware of our distance from God. If we are His, at a point in time, He steps in to save us, and we step into the story He’s been writing for us all along. What was lifeless rises with vitality. Our direction changes and affections are transformed. Natural passions become spiritual, and temporal sight takes on an eternal perspective.

Once made alive with Christ, we are captured by heavenly purpose. Our old self fades as we increasingly know God, and find ourselves in His glorious, pulsing flow of eternal life in the present. Captivated by this new and benevolent Master, we proceed with holy passion and focus previously unknown. Stepping into the story our Lord is writing means taking up His identity, and exemplifying and implementing His gracious workmanship. It means investing our energy and efforts, with holy enthusiasm, into the work He has marked out for us. (Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24)

When our Lord has saved us, our story takes on a whole new dimension. Our spirits awaken to new and beautiful meaning, and our sanctified impulse is to hold out our hands and say, “Here am I” to every good work He has planned. We delight in His plot, we engage with His characters, we are captivated by His storyline that holds tension and resolve and meaning every day we live. What an inspiration, what a comfort, to be part of God’s story! (1 Samuel 3:4; Isaiah 6:8)

What fleeting charms of this world, what flesh passions, have a stronghold on us? Have we allowed habitual sin attitudes and practices to callous our hearts and blind our eyes? Where are we avoiding, or resisting, by inaction or alternate action, Jesus’s beckoning of grace? Ultimately His love call is irresistible… do we hear it? It is also irrevocable, so the sooner we step out of our old inclinations into step with Him, the more quickly we can be about His good work for us. (Romans 11:29)

Perfect Father, thank You for Your grace. May I keep Your pace through every page of the story You are writing of my life in Christ. Teach me Your ways, and help me do Your works, that I may know and reflect Your glory. (Exodus 33:13-18)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption… as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  as a plan for the fullness of time…

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we… might be to the praise of his glory. In him you… were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” Ephesians 1:3-14

In the beginning, God created form from chaos, and light from void, but man was different. It is an attention-grabbing, life-altering realization that from before the foundation of the world, we were known and loved, and to eternity future we will live out a heavenly inheritance now kept for us. For those who live for only this life, there is nothing more startling, more consequential, than to grasp this eternal purpose. To hum along with limited hope, and to think physical death ends it all, robs us of the richness of living that God always intended. Our present is not meaningless, but in Christ throbs with spiritual riches that infuse all we are, and see, and do. Every day is an integral part of our ongoing sanctification that will culminate one day in glory. (Genesis 1:1-4; Romans 8:29-30; 1 Corinthians 15:19)

In times when our lives are shaped by posted snippets, both selected and received, and identities are defined by our prescription or others’ opinions, would we pause to consider who really started our story? What a blast of invigorating hope and purpose, to know that from eternity past Christ knew us by name, and we own every spiritual blessing in Him! If I trust my life’s Author, I will seek Him, His word, His ways. If He has determined my chief end, and given talents and resources to fulfill it, how does this deepen my worship and spiritual resolve? How does it elevate my daily and long-term goals?

If the start of our story- of days, of faith, of unique commingling with and contribution to society- began in the mind and heart of Almighty God, what zeal for work and service does that inspire? If the Lord has written our names in His book and numbered our days, can we help but wonder at His love, grace, and will? If He’s made us to live for Him and not ourselves, are we not bolstered with holy drive to discover and fulfill His purposes? (Malachi 3:16; Psalm 139:13-16; Luke 10:20; Hebrews 12:1-2)

Author of my story, grant me wisdom to grasp, and enlighten the eyes of my heart to know, the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of Your resurrection power. (Ephesians 1:17-20)