Author: astherainandsnow

“Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

The surface of the water was hatched and wrinkled, like tossed fabric. Above loomed the sky, but underneath was… calm. The creatures down under went about their morning like any other, unaware of the wind’s erratic temper, unfazed by turbulence because it didn’t affect their movement, their play, their eating.

Above and all around us whips and chops a vicious battle, invisible and therefore ofttimes unrecognized. We hear about spiritual warfare, and may sense its disarming intensity, but misunderstand its ongoing reality. We are entrenched in the physical world, and so ignore what we cannot see. Like fish, we swarm, we hunt, we move and giggle with those just like us in our insulated calm, and we can be blissfully unaware of the very real conflict that rages. The father of lies, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, is out to divide God’s church, unsettle our souls, and disrupt our peace, all while deceiving us about his motives. (Matthew 10:28; John 10:10)

But the Lord Jesus, who is greater and stronger than this murderer in the world, knows all, never lets us out of His sight, and with His angels is the vigilant and ultimate Victor in battle against the devil and his demons. He provides us with insight and armor; we need not fear. We can trust our Shield and Defender in every aspect of the war. (Psalm 28:7; John 8:44; 1 John 4:4; Romans 8:31-34; Revelation 12:7-9)

Would we step away from our huddled ‘school’ and habitual activities to watch and pray for spiritual sensitivity and discernment? While we may not see the angelic sword fight, are we tuned in to the slashing at our senses of malice, bitterness, and bigotry, the whispers of temptation to gossip, complain, and worry? Can we perceive the forces behind the world’s tumult? Will we look to Jesus’s light to expose what is true, pay attention to what is really going on in the heavenlies, and fit ourselves with God’s armor and wisdom to be able to withstand it? (Mark 14:38; Ephesians 6:10-18)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?.. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35,37-39

Lord of lords, You reign over all in heaven and earth. Though spiritual war rages- staining culture, breaking relationships, shaking our souls- You are victorious. Keep me steadfast in faith, secure in Your strength, stalwart in battle, and shining Your grace. (Revelation 19:11-16,19-21)

“Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. And Solomon sent word to Hiram, ‘You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him… But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord…’ Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.’

^“As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, ‘Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.’ And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, ‘I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber…’ At the king’s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.” 1 Kings 5:1-8,17-18

There is nothing like working together, to build something bigger than ourselves, to unite people. Ruling separate kingdoms, leaders in their own right, Solomon and Hiram continued the warm relationship the king of Tyre had enjoyed with Solomon’s father, David. The new king graciously received Hiram’s congratulatory entourage, and Hiram enthusiastically agreed that their servants would collaborate to build a house for the name of the Lord. (2 Samuel 5:11)

When our greatest interest is defending our turf, or promoting our own swagger and importance, we build barriers, put off others, and destroy opportunities to work with them for a greater good. So much of our thinking and information-gathering focuses on ourselves- what we deserve, how we present. If instead we spent that time and effort searching out the needs of others, and how we might contribute to God’s kingdom in our churches and communities, we might reorder our living for something bigger than ourselves. Setting aside our stubbornness, contributing to what will outlast us, and investing to bring glory to God by making an eternal difference in people’s lives, honors Him and begets great joy.

We were all strangers and without hope before we knew Christ. Jesus came to remove dividing walls and hostility, not only between us and Him, but among His people. His blood bought our peace, so we could grow and build together on a common foundation to construct a beautiful, holy temple, His Body, that exalts His name. What difference would it make to the world’s impression of the church if we set aside negotiable differences and worked together, in love, mutual respect, and common purpose? (John 13:35; Ephesians 2:12-22)

Lord, may I decrease and You increase. Help me do my part of dwelling and building together in unity with others. May I consistently extend the grace and love You have lavished on me to them, for the exaltation of Your name. (Psalm 133:1; John 3:30)

“Two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, ‘Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone..; only we two were in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.’ But the other woman said, ‘No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours…’

“Then the king said, ‘The one says, “This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead”; and the other says, “No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.” Bring me a sword… Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.’ Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, ‘Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.’ But the other said, ‘He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.’ Then the king said, ‘Give the living child to the first woman..; she is his mother.’” 1 Kings 3:16-23,25-27

The young king presented a startling visual aid to his God-given wisdom that established him as the Lord’s anointed. In what is a most disturbing occasion, he gives an edict that cuts to the core of motive, revealing the ugliest selfishness and malice against the loveliest unselfishness and love. While we might chafe at the very proposition, exposure to our King and His word does the same for us, ‘piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,.. discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart… [laying us] naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.’ (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Every season, every day, begins with decisions about how we will spend ourselves- time, gifts, resources. While some necessities are imposed on us, and interruptions may jar our plans, we still determine how we order our hours and respond to external forces. In doing so, we reveal whom we live for: our Lord (and others), or ourselves. We can’t serve both as king. (Matthew 6:24)

What do my daily choices reveal about who is first in my heart? Do my actions give evidence that I sincerely love and honor God first, and put others before myself, preferring them and their welfare to my own? Do I give sacrificially, or only my leftovers after taking care of self? Whose comfort and joy is primary, and whose secondary? (Matthew 22:36-39; Mark 12:42-44; Romans 12:9-11; Revelation 2:4-5)

Lord Jesus, You gave Your all for me. From the depths of my heart, may I live wholly for You, loving You first and best, then others for Your sake. Purify my deepest motives to be ever only all for Thee. (John 15:13)

“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies,.. that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word… Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel,.. whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war… Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother… You are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do.” 1 Kings 2:2-7,9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. ¹⁰ Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it… Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:9-10,20 It is a great gift we give those for whom we are responsible when we teach the ways of God and His word, then free them to put His truths into practice. David had spoken, written, and taught. He had modeled trusting and following his God, and the power of repentance and joy of forgiveness when he did not. When it was time to turn over the kingdom, he did not manipulate or control how his successor Solomon would reign, but entrusted him to the Lord and the wisdom already sown into his heart. And this wise son, so trained, began by asking more wisdom from God. (1 Kings 3:3-9)

How devoted are we to learning and applying biblical wisdom, that we might know, fear, and honor God? (Proverbs 2:1-12) And for those we love, rather than making all the decisions, stepping in to do things more efficiently, or hovering to ensure no mistakes are made, would we focus on training in righteousness? What would happen if we spent our time and energy on instilling scripture, teaching godly principles and character, and letting them make their own decisions? Would we ask questions and be silent while they come up with answers, discover solutions? There may be some painful failures, but not without accompanying lessons learned. Lord, so fill me with Your purposes and thoughts that I am wholehearted toward You in my devotion and doing. Daily teach me wisdom, and guide me to pass it on as I live it out among others. (1 Chronicles 29:18-19; Psalm 90:12)

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed…

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?..

“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you.” Galatians 1:6-8; 4:8-9; 5:7-8

When once we know the truth of the gospel and it has set our souls free, it is intriguing how subtly we get persuaded and detracted from it by strange voices. Our world is full of alien tongues that disguise and deceive with destructive affections, luring us away from our first love. We hear words so loud that when they lop off large segments of truth, we’re convinced it is adequate. There is a constant murmur of group-speak that omits true intentions and sways emotions with ease. We slide into thinking that since enough people are comfortable with a ‘new’ gospel according to man, it must be acceptable for us, too. (John 8:32 ; Revelation 2:4-5 ) 

Understanding our Lord and His truth requires daily discernment and wisdom, a searching out of His word in every matter, and filtering out what is not His light from the many shapes and sizes of all the world has to say. It takes a willingness to listen astutely for the Spirit’s voice, and zealous obedience as He clarifies and guides. When we put the Scriptures into practice, we develop a healthy fear of God and ready ourselves for deeper obedience to him. Close acquaintance with His truth sharpens our ability to detect foreign voices and deviant messages. (Proverbs 2:1-5; John 7:17; 10:27; 16:13; James 1:5) 

Where do we go for our morning mindset? How carefully do we sift through the barrage of voices available to us, to know what aligns with the holy Word and what would lure us astray? What proportion of our time is spent directly in God’s Word, where we learn and recalibrate our plumb line, and so equip ourselves to process and assess the banter of our culture? (Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 50:4)

And when we speak, are we steadfast in putting a guard over our lips, and proclaiming only what is pure, true, and edifying? Are our words filled with the salt and light of the gospel that points others to Christ? Is our voice one that reflects the glory of our God and lifts high His name in praise? (Psalm 141:3; Matthew 5:13-16)

“Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.” ~Frances Ridley Havergal (1874)

Father, help me discern foreign voices and eschew their allure to alien affections and errant belief. Ever incline my ear to You, that I hear and digest Your words of life, and live by them, for Your holy sake. (Isaiah 55:3)

“For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears…

“He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy,
    from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me…

For you are my lamp, O Lord,
    and my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
 This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

“For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?
This God is my strong refuge
    and has made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation…
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.” 2 Samuel 22:2-7,17-20,29-37

David knew walls. Walls of confusion, fear, anxiety over unknowns. Walls of broken relationships, poor communication, misunderstanding, and of failing to see things eye to eye. Walls of opposition, confrontation, pursuing enemies. Walls of isolation, loneliness, depression, no way of escape, hopelessness. Walls of difficulties, impossibilities, incurables, with no realistic way to revive or redeem. (1 Samuel 25:1-35; 2 Samuel 6:16-22)

David also knew his God. He was his rock, deliverer, and rescuer. His Lord was his savior from violence, death, and disaster. Whatever David’s distress, calamity, or impossible place, his Lord was the One who made able his feet to leap over walls and stand secure, rest unshaken, trust with immovable faith in His promises.

We encounter many of the same walls today, physical and mental foes that try to thwart our progress in faith, disrupt optimism, impede good communication, or block off hopeful expectancy. All around us walls of hatred, ridicule, and contorted views being parlayed as truth put barriers between what is perceived and what is real. Will we call on the Lord for rescue and light to be wise? Will we yield to His training, and take hold of His word and perfect way? There is none like Him!

With His help we can tear down walls of hostility, speak truth that transforms, and love others until their hearts melt at seeing Jesus. We can replace man-made walls with the solid rock of Christ as central in our life motivation and conversation. What difference will we commit to make?

Lord, equip me for daily battles with the one who seeks to steal, kill and destroy. In Your name and power may I leap over the world’s walls, and share Your abundance of freedom and joy with those who know You not. (John 10:10)

“The king said to the Cushite, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?’ And the Cushite answered, ‘May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.’ And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!..’ The king covered his face, and… cried with a loud voice, ‘O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!’” 1 Samuel 18:32-33; 19:4

“He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:3-7

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.” John 11:33-35

So often our grief is for a loved one lost, whom we will never in this life see again. We can’t grasp the reality of that shock through the choke of sorrow, the barrenness and breathlessness of the void. Yet it can also be for what was, that ended in disappointment, unfulfillment, or anguished pain; what never was, but maybe could have been; what is impossible to retrieve and do over. These leave a similar deep pang of longing, a weight of regret and sorrow.

Our hope in any grief, penetrating as they are, is that Jesus reaches into the depth with supernatural grace and healing. He has borne our grief, as the Son of man on earth, and Son of God on the cross. And He daily bears us up. He understands and shares our sorrow, as well as has actually carried it and put its eternal sting to death on Calvary. Marvelous mystery! (Psalm 68:19; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

What griefs do we carry, over lost opportunity, words said, relationships broken over squabbles or misunderstandings that shadow over time? Do we continue to coddle wounds, feed our hurts in self-pity, nurse grudges, or don a martyr suit for all we have suffered to evoke sympathy from others? Would we instead plunge into the deep love of Jesus that has borne our sorrows, and even now redeems our griefs, and grow our acquaintance with His benevolence and comfort? (Joel 2:25)

“O the deep, deep love of Jesus!
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,
rolling as a mighty ocean
in its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me,
is the current of thy love;
leading onward, leading homeward,
to thy glorious rest above.”  ~S. Trevor Francis (1834-1925)

Loving Lord, thank You for bearing the sin of Your children, and all its attending grief. Fill me days with thanks and praise for Your wondrous ministry to me.

“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. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” John 17:15-19

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God… For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; 7:1; 10:3-5

There are many prepositions involved in God’s positioning of His people. He places us in the world to be a blessing and shine His light to the world, to live for the sake of the world, yet not to become part of the world in our thinking, affections, actions, or gods. The secret of our understanding our position and purpose is to live apart from the world, be continually transformed by renewing our minds, fixed above, on Him and His true principles, our wills reliant upon His leading and strength. (Matthew 5:14-16; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:1-2)

And all this maneuvering is by His grace! It is He who quickens us unto regeneration and life, who redirects our loves and bolsters our efforts with courage. We face relentless opposition by the enemy and his unseen but vile and vicious forces in the heavenly realms, yet our weapons are superior and our Defense greater! (Ephesians 6:10-18)

“We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender;
  We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender.
  We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.  

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
  And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing;
  We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.” ~Edith Gilling Cherry (1872-1897)

How will we go into the world each day and make a difference?

Lord, as Your child, may I walk distinctly in the light, with You my light, spreading light for Your sake and honor. (1 John 1:7) 

“All the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?..’

They sent word to the king, ‘Return, both you and your servants.’ So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan... Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said, ‘Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?’ All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, ‘Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter?.. Has he given us any gift?’ And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, ‘We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?’ But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.” 2 Samuel 19:9-10,14-15,41-43

“The Lord hates… haughty eyes,.. a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Romans 16:17

It all started when one of his sons raped a half-sister, one of his daughters, and he did nothing. That inaction may have stemmed from having child favorites and multiple wives, or from his own guilt from sexual sin, and he was disinclined to reprimand another. Dissension fomented among siblings, heat grew in silence, and misunderstanding flamed disloyalties; David was banished and his disruptive son killed. The poison of family disunity spread into the kingdom, with strife manifesting in disagreement and argument among its leaders and people. (2 Samuel 11:2-17; 15:1-31; Psalm 51:3-5)

Sin’s rope takes us captive and keeps us knotted, twisting tendencies into a tangle of discord in our souls, and in relationships. The issues that enflamed Israel are issues that stoke ire and conflict today: disagreements, prejudice, greed, unfairness, and who is our rightful leader.

What are we, as Christians, to do? How can we infuse calm and love into the fray, kindness into the vitriol? What will we do to help untangle the messes that mean words, hasty conclusions, and guilt’s paralysis cause? What rights might we yield to assuage the frenzy of fierce?

First, we must check our own motives and actions. Guarding against insincerity and sin ourselves, we must proclaim salvation, untangle truth, and restore in the Lord what has been broken. God uses willing emissaries as His agents of reconciliation. (Matthew 7:3-5; 2 Corinthians 5:14-20; Galatians 6:1)

Lord, embolden me as Your ambassador not to sin, or sow discord, but only love. May I contribute to the peace only You can give in this world. (John 14:27)

“Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan… When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, ‘The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness…’

“Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. And the king said to Barzillai, ‘Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.’ But Barzillai said to the king, ‘How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?  I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king… Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king…’ Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.” 2 Samuel 17:22,27-29; 19:31-37,39

Barzillai the Gittite aged over his many years, lost his sense of hearing and taste, but he never retired. He never stopped delighting in serving his king. He who had received much gave much. Grateful for all he had been enabled to do and have, even in old age he abounded in loyalty and steadfast love toward his sovereign, supplying particular blessing in a particularly challenging time. (Deuteronomy 8:18; 1 Kings 2:7; Isaiah 42:1,6-7; Luke 12:48)

Do we see our wealth of ability, resources, energy, the same way? Is our vision limited by a self-motivated ‘bucket list’ of what we want to spend on, or inspired by the vastness of our Lord and what He might have for us to give? Will we take time and attention to pray for sensitivity to needs around us, for ways to serve, provide, and be a blessing to others, therefore spreading abroad the love and light of Christ? How are we supporting, encouraging, helping to meet the needs of God’s children?

Whether food, sweet fellowship, practical help, or kind affection, to the end of our days, God delights in our offerings that provide for His own.

Lord, may I redeem the time You have given me here. Give me sensitivity to seen and unseen needs of others. Compel me to spend and be spent for the sake of Your name and people, to serve as You have served me. (Mark 10:45; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Ephesians 5:15-16)