Author: astherainandsnow

^“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come,.. O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, “The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,” and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, “I will build you a house.” Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:18-29

Through Nathan, God answered King David’s desire to build Him a house by reminding him His promises of a great name, a place, rest, a ‘house’ of offspring, a kingdom, a forever throne, His steadfast love. Could David want any more? Overwhelmed at his covenant LORD’s extravagant “all this greatness,” David went before Him in gratitude, with humble acknowledgement of His bounty and promises. Before this benevolent Almighty, who was he? (2 Samuel 7:1-16)

In days of watch me, listen to me, follow me, it is a healthy pursuit to look at our Lord. There is nothing like beholding His purity, providence, kindness, and rich mercies to put us in our places. God alone is our supreme Benefactor; apart from Him we have and are and produce nothing. (John 15:5)

When are we taking time to dwell on the Lord Himself? To speak specific thanksgiving over the many ways He has enriched our lives, directed our thinking, made our way, provided for our needs? Contemplating His greatness will reduce us to a sober and rightful position before Him, a place of glad receiving, and confidence in His word to us. (Romans 12:3)

Lord, keep me sitting before You in wonder, thanksgiving, and praise. May what I am be identified by who You are, that Your great name is known and exalted however You direct my life.

“Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan…

For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God’s house we walked in the throng…

An outgoing Christian couple who does not honor a contract, cheats a business partner, or constantly complains about their neighbors. A church leader who harshly manages his family. A wife who berates her husband. A deacon who is unfaithful to his marriage vows. A woman who spreads gossip about a sister in Christ. A church friend who forgets to call. These all disappoint, because they tarnish what we assume true Christians should look like, be like.

There is only One who is absolutely trustworthy, and will never disappoint. When we look for other people to be Jesus, they will never measure up, but when we seek Him directly, we will find Him the purest of friends. Dependence on people is guaranteed at some point to fail, because we are sinners all. But hope in the Unfailing One will never disappoint. Take hold!

The wonder is not only that our Lord is ever faithful and true, for that is His immutable character, but that He is true to us who are not. The perfect Friend came to pursue enemies, to give His life a ransom in the place of us who were rebels destined for death, so we could live with Him forever. Compared to Christ, we all fall short, but we are sanctified to be good friends by learning of Him and living in Him- selflessly serving, lavishly loving, refreshing and building up one another. (Matthew 20:28; John 3:16; 15:13-16; Romans 3:23; 5:6-10; 1 Corinthians 16:14-18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:4-5; Revelation 3:14)

What swerves us away from putting our trust in Him? Because we live in the flesh, we are prone to act in it, limiting our vision to what we can touch and see and forgetting that there is only one Savior. But faith calls us higher. When our security is fixed where it is meant to be, in Christ our best true Friend, we can see others more realistically, correct unfair expectations accordingly, and grow together in our steadfastness in Christ.

“Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! lover of my soul;
friends may fail me, foes assail me,
he, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
he is with me to the end.”  ~J. Wilbur Chapman (1910)

My Lord, tether me to You as first love. Teach me the unwavering faithfulness You extend to me, so in friendship with me, others recognize and come to know You.

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Isn’t it so like God to orchestrate things in ways that are convoluted to natural human tendency? Everything about Him is superior to our limited vision, ability, and power. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His ways are far higher, His paths are beyond our tracing out. In order to keep setting us straight and remind us Who is really in charge, He sovereignly designs our circumstances and calls us to missions where we cannot help but know He is all in all. (Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33-36)

Acknowledging our limitations, weaknesses, and that our hearts are prone to wander is key to understanding the magnificence of our salvation. That Jesus would choose us, and willingly give His life for us, is the ultimate epiphany in humbling us before the Almighty. He is the Source, not only of our very lives, but of the awakening of our spiritual senses to His great mercy and immeasurable love toward us. (John 15:16)

Knowing this, how are we to live? A pompous swagger in self-confidence gives a false impression of our Servant-King. Being certain of God’s gift of faith and our calling to salvation instead infuses us with gratitude, and bubbles forth in humble submission to His ways and zealous outworking of the good He intends us to do. We conduct ourselves with the self-giving of Jesus so attention is drawn to Him, the One worthy of praise. (Matthew 5:16; 20:28; Ephesians 2:8-10)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 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… it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:3-8,13

Where do we hold misplaced or inaccurate confidence in ourselves? Are we prone to compare our ideas, talents, and actions to a low common denominator rather than to God’s grace, and therefore foolishly think of ourselves more highly than we ought? What difference would it make, in our own attitude and in others’ attraction to Christ in us, if we boasted only in Him and His cross? (Romans 12:3; Galatians 6:14)

Lord Jesus, thank You for bearing my shame to bring about my righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. May I so walk that Your life, Your wisdom, and the power of Your Cross are lifted high and praised.

“Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?

“Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, I am against you, declares the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations… And you shall know that I am the Lord God. Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace… because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life.” Ezekiel 13:3-10,22

“The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who prophesies builds up the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:3-4

It can be a subtle slide to write and follow a gospel according to me. The prophets of Israel were condemned by the Lord for making their own truth and attaching His name and inspiration to it. He would have none of that, condemning both them and their warped messages.

Today, with an onslaught of diluted standards and man-handled, self-guided convictions, we find feelings have led the way to defining ‘right’ and ‘acceptable.’ ‘If what I’m now feeling isn’t according to God’s moral law, then change the law.’ The spirit of this age has replaced the Spirit of God for determining our right and wrong, the stands we take and the messages we speak. There is nothing new to this game. (1 Corinthians 2:12; Ephesians 2:1-3)

Where are we attempting to placate ourselves, and others, by sweeping biblical truth under the rug to avoid conviction, to justify our actions, to win (meaningless) favor? Do we really think that by proclaiming “peace” over a decision or situation we can bring it about? Are we convinced our wishful thinking can persuade God to diminish His holy standard for us, to assuage our guilt or coddle our affections? Where have we become so accustomed to falsehood that we’ve adjusted our living to its corrupt light?

In what areas is my thinking getting sucked into the spirit of the world? Where does it need rectifying, maturing, re-aligning with the Lord’s? What opinions and habits need to be transformed by a renewed mind? (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 14:20)

The only true peace we will enjoy is when we are whole-hearted about our Lord, wholly yielded to His word, and filled with and guided by His Spirit of peace that is not the world’s. (John 14:27) 

Triune God, renew me through and through by Your Holy Spirit. Cause me, with pure affection and full allegiance, to follow You alone. Grant me keen discernment for these days, and the boldness to act and speak for Your sake.

“To one who orders his way rightly
    I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23

“So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:4

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” Colossians 4:5

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15

The grumble and vibration of thunder were my first waking realization, and upon opening my eyes, lightning lit the dark like a flare before dawn. A steady, noisy rain pock-marks the water’s surface in constant, quivering dimples. How should I change my morning plans? What will this day now hold? First, I must worship, and in the sanctuary, consult my King. The Potentate of time knows this disruption; in fact, He ordains all in the heavens and on earth to perform His bidding. If I take time with Him first, listening to His word and entrusting Him with my moments and hours, He will lead my mind by His Spirit, give understanding, and direct the way I should go. (Psalm 32:8; 50:1; Proverbs 3:5-6)

Often our agendas are altered by events great or small– a turn of nature, a human cancellation, a change of ability due to unforeseen circumstances. Do we bristle with impatience, frustration, or anger at the ruin of our plans, or look to take advantage of opportunities that had not before been considered? Does irritation render us wasteful complainers, or will we choose thankfulness and trust the Lord to redirect the stewardship of our hours?

To whom might I reach out, by call, note, or visit? What could I do with open time that has needed doing and been neglected? Where am I needed or could I be a blessing indoors instead of out and about? What new facets of my God do I see in His superintendence of every detail, including the sanctification of my character?

My Lord, please set Your order to my every day. May my agenda be Yours, for the interior and exterior of my life, that I accomplish Your will. May I take full advantage of every interruption and opportunity You place before me, for the upbuilding of others and the furthering of Your kingdom purposes and glory. (John 17:4)

“My feet had almost stumbled,
    my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death;
    their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
    they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
    violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out through fatness;
    their hearts overflow with follies…

Behold, these are the wicked;
    always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain have I kept my heart clean
    and washed my hands in innocence.
For all the day long I have been stricken
    and rebuked every morning…

But when I thought how to understand this,
    it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
    then I discerned their end…

I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:2-7,12-14,16-17,23-26

“Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone. I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land… And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes… And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:16-20

The Psalmist is torn inside with angst and envy, mental turmoil over the unfairness of the wicked getting by with pride and violence, and prospering… until he goes into the sanctuary. There he contemplates his God, and God’s perfect character, and his soul rests in God’s presence, His counsel, His order of all things, His enough. The one who was slipping found his hope, his mind, His heart, his sustenance, restored.

The prophet tells those scattered in exile, as punishment for their rebellion, that even in lands distant from home, the Lord has been their sanctuary. Their place with Him would bring reunion and revival as He would redeem their spirit.

Sanctuary: a place of refuge or safety; a holy place; the inmost recess or holiest part of a temple or church. When we find ourselves in the far lands of envy, bitterness, or disappointment, our affections scattered among strange gods foreign to our intended first love, we can lose our center and grow spiritually cold. But when we delight in the sanctuary that is our God, He transforms our spirits, chiseling at wayward habits, bringing our senses and emotions under divine control, reorienting our loves. (Revelation 2:4)

What caverns of my life need to pulse anew, and with fresh passion for Him?

Lord, keep me coming to You, my sanctuary. May my worship there beat life into my spirit, even as it honors Thee.

“I saw vanity under the sun: one person [whose] eyes are never satisfied with riches… This also is vanity and an unhappy business.” Ecclesiastes 4:7-8

“They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them.” Ezekiel 7:19-20

“Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs… As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10,17-19

The trouble with earthly riches is that they’re just that: earthly. They are temporary, and distract from the heavenly and eternal. They were not created to be worshiped, but appreciated, and misusing them, or elevating them to idol or redemptive status through disordered affection, leaves us wanting, unfulfilled, and under God’s judgment. (Romans 1:18,21-23)

What draws us to slip into the trap of tinsel, to value shiny and material things more than we should? If we feel a sense of worth in what we own, we must remember God owns all, and what we have is merely on loan from Him. If we wield our treasure as a life-bargaining tool, to win us favor, popularity, or reputation, we must remind ourselves that being made in God’s image, not one of our own making, is our imprint of value. (Genesis 1:26; 1 Corinthians 4:7; James 1:17)

Where do things of this world get us? To maintaining, to fussing, to comparing, to envy, to ‘never enough.’ We cannot be satisfied, because God made us to be satisfied in Him, not things, not accolades, accomplishments, or acumen. We were made for eternity, to seek what is above. Let us turn from the allure of the present age and its trinkets to put our trust, and love, and identity, in what is of God. Let us choose contentment in Him, and all He provides for us so we can live full lives unto Him. (Psalm 16:11; Ecclesiastes 3:11;  Matthew 6:19-20; Colossians 3:1-2; 2 Peter 1:3-8)

Father, teach me to value You above all else. Develop in me Your qualities so my life bears fruit for Your glory, and the eternal blessing of others.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

“Even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:4

“You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Matthew 5:14,16; Galatians 6:9

In the course of a day, lovely blooms wilt, fresh grass withers, fresh bananas grow spots, but if God can radiate out of the eastern sky at sunset, He can blaze the joy and freshness and expectancy of morning in our every hour, even as evening draws nigh. When the hustle and stresses of the day come to a close, when focus and energy wane, when light grows dim and songs come to their finale, when age takes its toll, we can still shine. Christ in us, our hope of glory, never diminishes in His radiance or sustaining power. He is near and unchanging; the bright morning star never ceases to shine. (Isaiah 40:8; Colossians 1:27; Revelation 22:16)

How easy it is, when we are tired, to make mistakes, to say things we wish we could retrieve, to make hasty decisions (that have lasting impact) with impatience and without keen thought. We can grow sloppy in our love, huffy in our attitude, irritable in our speech, and selfish in our bent. We make excuses that it is late, we are tired, we are depleted, yet every waking moment, yielded and lived unto the Lord, can glorify Him and build up His kingdom.

Are there late-in-the-day triggers where I know I need to exercise extra caution? Does my fatigue remind me to adjust my filter and fasten the guard on my tongue? Would I be careful simply not to speak, rather than to blurt without thought, not to make big commitments that could become missteps, or cannot be kept? Would we surrender our crabby to His grace, our all-about-me to His selfless love? (Psalm 141:3-4; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5;  Matthew 5:37)

Would we renew and fortify ourselves with God’s living, sustaining word? Will we sing refrains of His fresh mercies and solid promises? Can we intentionally see and seize in every moment an opportunity? (Psalm 119:11; Isaiah 50:4;  Lamentations 3:22-23; Ephesians 5:15-18)

Lord on high, You who rule the beginning and the end, the morning and the evening, lift Your countenance upon me and rule all my moments.  When shadows fall, blaze forth Your glorious light, and when I am weak, Your strength, that no matter the time or my age, You are exalted.

“David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, ‘This is David’s spoil.’

“Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.’ But David said, ‘You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.’” 1 Samuel 30:17-24 

The red caught my eye, a single bright vermillion bloom on the grey pavement. It was uniquely exquisite in its symmetry, shape, and yellow-painted edges, a star with wings, yet fragile in its delicacy. Then I looked up, and was enraptured by the magnificent grandeur of the canopy from which it had fallen. A regal umbrella of blooms, that royal poinciana tree consisted of hundreds of these extraordinary, single blossoms, each one adding bright wonder, all needed for the grand display.

In a world where there is so much talent and talk, we might wonder where is our place. What if I did not show up? If one blossom were missing from that large tree, would it really matter? Yet, each is needed for the whole to have its full effect. 

When David set out to take over the marauding Amalekites and retrieve those and what they’d captured, each of his men made a contribution and a difference. Whether guarding their baggage, fighting the enemy, or hauling back the plunder, every man was necessary, valued individually and contributing to the victorious mission.

Some of us are called to influence a small circle– our neighborhood, team, or a group at church. Some are called to be active in a company, a community, or a city; still others to have a broader reach across a nation, or world-wide. Each one is significant, and together are part of God’s grand, unstoppable scheme.

What part do, or will, I play? Only God knows the specific flavor and color and action He has designed for me. He will direct when I seek Him, offer myself for His bidding, and report for service. (Psalm 32:8; Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Lord, help me do my part willingly and faithfully to further Your glorious kingdom purposes.

“The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops… [Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, ‘Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.’ And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him… And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God… Now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart…'” 1 Samuel 13:5,8-10,13-14 “Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him… And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem… When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.’” 1 Samuel 28:3-7 Saul had some makings of a good king, but he never yielded fully to his Sovereign, and thus never grew into greatness. He was impatient in his faith and sloppy in his obedience. When God didn’t ‘deliver’ as he expected or desired, according to his timetable, he took matters into his own hands and bowed to the lesser god of self. He would never know what God could have done for and through him. Impatience insinuates regret.

When Saul failed to wait on the Lord the first time, he was given another chance. Sadly, he proved by his impertinence and self-driven leadership a weak confidence in the Lord who instructed him, and ended up regretting the shame his half-hearted obedience imposed. He never seemed to grasp what it meant and looked like to be wholehearted and submitted. (1 Samuel 15:17-30) Are there tasks or positions God has assigned where I think I have better ideas, better methods? Where am I prone to impatience for His process, for the fulfilling of His promises? Instead of taking control, would I practice turning over the reins to the Potentate of Time, the Sovereign who does all things well with no divine delay? What is He teaching me in the waiting? Deeper dependence? Better vision? Greater patience? (Mark 7:37; 2 Peter 3:8-9) What proclivities have we lamely accepted, excusing them as ‘just the way I am,’ and neglected to bring before Almighty God to hone? Imagine the beauty He could make from our weaknesses, the depth He could add to our character, the reflection of Himself He could polish if we would only surrender. Would we name these before Him today and yield to His chisel? Father, when I am tempted to be impatient at what I think vital, teach me to trust You to show up as You ordain and know best. Guard me from regret in the way I live; rather, may all my faculties be sold out to and for Thee.