Author: astherainandsnow

“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.’

“Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.’ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.’

“Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.” Matthew 26:3-16

Sandwiched between behind-the-scenes plotting and brazen betrayal is a beautiful, arresting picture, at the home of a leper, of an unnamed woman anointing Jesus (and even that was met with haughty criticism). Could there be a more stark contrast? Robed, crowned, self-important chief priests and elders planning stealth and murder, mirrored by one of Jesus’s own who rebelled against His call to serve humbly and be last, all wafted the stench of hatred and greed. Punctuating their wickedness was the lovely fragrance of expensive perfume, lavished by one whose name was not even important– all was love and giving and honor to her Savior.

In this day of caustic commentary, brazen dismissal of those who disagree with us, and greed of every sort– for things, for attention, for getting ahead, for approval– we can miss the loveliness of what occurs in the lowliest of places. We can get caught up in the complaining, the posturing, the rudeness to others, the want for what I want, and forget to stop and smell the perfume of those who are living not for any of these temporal and empty pursuits, but for Jesus. We can fail to be affected by their example, touched by their kindness, softened by their grace.

Where am I dismissing Jesus, and in prioritizing my plans, actually displacing His supremacy? In what daily habits do I esteem myself and my agenda more than Him? Are there those I avoid in order to ‘stay safe,’ or comfortable, and so miss out on honoring my Lord among them? What alabaster flasks of mercy and love am I hording?

Father, teach me to look deeply into the beauties You tuck into Your word. Help me make a difference in the midst of ugliness by pouring out Your fragrant, life-giving love. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)

“As soon as… the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away,.. and those flowing down toward the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests… stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan… until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

“When the nation had finished passing over,.. Joshua said [as God commanded], ‘Take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you… a memorial forever.’

“And when… the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before… And Joshua set up [those twelve stones]. And he said to the people of Israel, ‘When your children ask in times to come, “What do these stones mean?” then you shall let your children know, “Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.” For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over,.. so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 3:15-4:1,5-7,18,20-24

The LORD had held back the flooding rushing waters of the Jordan so His people could pass over into the land they’d anticipated for a whole generation, the place of promise. And God wanted His miraculous act remembered, so He instructed that one from each tribe shoulder a large stone of remembrance. This was not to be an, “I heard someone say the harvest waters stopped,” but “God did this for me, for us!”

Certainly we are to share recountings of God’s faithful acts of forefathers and others we know, but it’s important we have our own stories, specific personal encounters with our living Lord, that stand as markers of places walked, lessons learned, and triumphs gained in our own lives.

Do I quote others’ messages or lessons from scripture more than I can speak my own? Do I prefer another’s bounty of insights into God’s word, from footnotes or sermons, more than I value digging for and discovering hidden treasure myself? Am I relying on what the Lord has taught someone else, or asking the Holy Spirit to give me discernment to understand His wisdom? Am I trying to build a faith-life with someone else’s stones, or collecting my own experiences and fulfilled promises? (Proverbs 2:1-11)

Where has God shown Himself mighty for me? Through what tempest or impossible relationship or circumstance has He made for me a miraculous way? What encounters and situations have taught me to fear Him and love Him more deeply? How am I strengthened, reinforced, or enlightened by His voice or help to me? Would I recount these, sing praises, and tell?

Lord, may my life be a living memorial of Your might and mercies, that others will know You are great and worthy of praise.

“This command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.'” Jeremiah 7:23-28

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Matthew 6:24; 12:30

As spectators, we can criticize and condemn the Israelites for being stubborn, for eschewing the God who graciously led and provided and did mighty works for them, for turning their rebellious backs on Him to craft their own worthless idols, for ignoring His commands. But before we feel too pompous, we must look to see how these accounts reveal our own similar tendencies, and where we do the same. We slide backward when we are not going forward with our Lord; there is no middle ground on devotion, commitment, or surrender.

We either obey, or we don’t. We can walk in only one direction at once. No matter how much we pride ourselves in multi-tasking, we can pay attention to only one conversation, one voice, at a time. We either yield to discipline or not, and can serve only one lord. God promises it will be well with us if He is our choice, and offers guidance with our every step, but it is up to us whether we stiffen our necks, or yield to His reins, whether our ears listen and heed, or ignore.

What will it be for me today? I begin with a one-way, one-lane road, and cannot make a U-turn. Whose voice will I follow? Whom will I serve? Do I believe that if I am not for God, I am against Him– in the way I speak, what I say, how I spend my time? Am I entertaining worldly affections that are hardening my heart toward God? (John 10:27)

Oh Father, incline my ears to listen to You, my heart to love You, and my feet to take Your road ever forward. Please prompt me away from thinking I can sit in the middle or on the side when it comes to Your truth, that I can flirt with foreign charms and put off devotion to You. You alone are worthy of my all.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, [when] I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn…”’

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.  Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace [where] there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matthew 13:24-30;37-43

In this life we will always have opposition. While certain with hope for ultimate freedom from it, we’re called to thrive in the world where we are hated, opposed, and taunted by the evil one without giving in, being taken over, or being corrupted. This is our school of sanctification. It might be easier if we could just coexist among our own kind (when that kind is at its best) and avoid any prickles or rub, but we can know in the midst, the Lord guards His own with His word, joy, and prayer. (John 17:12-18)

Once sin entered the world, tares have been sown among good wheat, and no man can escape their chafe and pain. We must be aware of the enemy’s motives and alert to his wiles. He is vicious, conniving, and spry, constantly working against all that is good to bring division and despair. In our day, we can readily recognize his intent to steal, kill, and destroy contentment, fellowship, cooperation, reputations, and peace. (Genesis 3:15-19; 1 Peter 5:8)

But we must also remember the equal truth, that Jesus came to bring life abundant, here and now. He gives grace to live alongside the enemy, without being shaken, in the field of public discourse, when confronted with opposition, diversity of conviction, and cruel oppression. Greater is Jesus than the prince of this world, and He is on our side. What encouragement and fortitude do these truths impart? (John 10:10; Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 4:4; 1 John 4:4)

Lord, make me holy by, and among, the weeds You allow in my life. May I shine and grow where You have sown me.

“Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?’ And Joshua said to them, ‘If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.’ The people of Joseph said, ‘The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.’ Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, ‘You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.’” Joshua 17:14-18

There are times we can go so far as to understand both what we need and what God has promised, but get hung up on making the connection between the two. As Joshua allotted the promised land to the tribes, Joseph’s people realized they needed more space. They voiced their request, but with a bit of whine. They thought the taking too difficult– the topography was challenging, the country was full of trees, the plains full of forbidding chariots of iron. Enter Joshua, the bold leader of possibilities who seemed daily to live out his command to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

The land shall be yours– take it! The forest shall be yours– clear it! The people are strong– drive them out! When God promises something, He will see through your possession of it, but it takes you setting aside your whine and redefining your attitude to one of courageous faith. His intention is not just to give us good things, but to train us in the trusting and the taking.

Where do we whine about circumstances, tripping on the obstacles and discomfort, rather than gripping God’s supply and pressing on? Where are we bemoaning inadequacies and weakness instead of seizing God’s ‘enough,’ ‘strength made perfect,’ and ‘exceedingly more’? How do we limit the effectiveness and reach of our ministry, because we deem the scope too narrow and the challenges too difficult? (2 Corinthians 9:8; 12:9; Ephesians 3:12,20)

Father, help me do my part in clearing the way for Your promises to have theirs. May I possess to the farthest borders of my mind and spirit all You intend for me. Take full possession of me as I take full possession of You, that You be glorified and Your will be done in my life.

“Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh said to him, ‘You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, “Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.” And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.’ 

“Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.” Joshua 14:8-14

Caleb was an exemplary Israelite whose body’s vigor was matched by his faith’s fortitude. Half his life ago, upon embarking on their quest for Canaan, Caleb and Joshua had been the only spies with the courage to go take the good land. But because of the others’ lack of faith, God led them on a generation-long journey through the wilderness during which all the others died. Now the time had come to take possession, and Caleb puts his unwavering faith into action: ‘Now give me my land.’ He had held the promise and never let go; what was vowed to him was as good as accomplished over the decades of wandering. (Numbers 13)

All that God promises us, in the present and for the future, is certain because His word is fixed, He is trustworthy, and He has sealed us with His Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance. Though it may be foggy or distant, a long time in coming, it is still sure. Our spiritual riches now are a foretaste of our divine, eternal riches in glory, and owning them, we are well-supplied to live with great vitality, expectancy, and joy, knowing the best is yet to come. (Psalm 119:89; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 4:17; Ephesians 1:13; Philippians 4:19)

How familiar are we with the rich promises of God? How fully do we follow, how firmly do we believe His word? What sloth, what fear, what distraction, dampens our motivation to live boldly with zealous hope?

Father, help me thrive as Your royal child, possessor by faith of all You promise, to Your praise and honor.

“Run to and fro through the streets,
    look and take note!
Search her squares to see
    if you can find a man,
one who does justice
    and seeks truth,
that I may pardon her.
Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
    they swear falsely.
O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
You have struck them down,
    but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
    but they refused to take correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
    they have refused to repent.

“How can I pardon you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and have sworn by those who are no gods.
When I fed them to the full,
    they committed adultery...
They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.

“[They] have been utterly treacherous to me,
declares the Lord.
They have spoken falsely of the Lord
    and have said, ‘He will do nothing;
no disaster will come upon us,
    nor shall we see sword or famine.’

“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
    who have eyes, but see not,
    who have ears, but hear not.
Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
    Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea,
    a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
    though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
    they have turned aside and gone away.
 They do not say in their hearts,
    ‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives the rain in its season...’

“They have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil...
Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord,
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

“An appalling and horrible thing
    has happened in the land.” Jeremiah 5:1-3,7-8,11-12,21-24,28-30

It is a sad thing to harden your face. What was once soft to conviction and malleable to correction becomes rigid, unyielding, unrepentant. Eyes that see and ears that hear become blind and deaf. Truth is tainted by falsehood, humility is swallowed by pride, compassion and justice are conquered by self-interest and -promotion. Reason becomes foolishness, worship becomes treachery, discipline turns to reckless indulgence, and accountability to God morphs to fear of man. And God will not be mocked. (Galatians 6:7; 1 Peter 1:16)

He who puts limits on the sea also limits our rebellious living. We either yield to His softening waves of mercy and Spirit-conviction and repent, or we suffer the consequences. The beautiful reality this side of the cross is that the justice of His righteous wrath has been borne for us by Jesus at Calvary, and God’s call in grace today is, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a Savior! (1 John 1:9)

Where have I stiffened my face, in bitterness against another, in rebellion to God’s standards, in flaunting His gifts as my own desert, and seen the poison spread?

Lord, break my heart with what breaks Yours. Identify and remove any inward treachery. May all my life be repentance, and glory to You. (Martin Luther)

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:1-8

Nations are in turmoil, communities and homes splintered, adversarial sparks fly as convoluted arguments smolder. Oh, Lord, split the heavens where You dwell and enter our fire! Reveal Yourself in the dissension and contortion and pain, may Your name heal and restore, or remake!

But Lord, I must remember! You have! You our Savior are incomparable. None has worked like You, no one acts as You do on behalf of Your own. We are the ones who err, we the ones lacking righteousness, we the ones who have forgotten Your majesty and authority. We have distorted Your image in our own minds and before a confused and dying world. We have clung to worthless idols for significance and help, and refused to call upon You.

When will we turn from blaming wrong decisions, twisted motives, bad characters, awful circumstances, insidious schemes, and look at our own smugness, and idolatry of self and what we treasure, and fall before the incomparable God? Would we yield as clay in His hands, to be reworked, rid of the crud pebbles of sin and bubbles of hot air, and made into vessels for His use and fame?

“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4

How can we, once cleansed and remade, carry anew fresh love and light into conversations and arguments, living water to our parched communities? How will we show forth the glories of our incomparable Lord?

My most gracious Lord, I wait for [You], my soul waits, and in [Your] word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning. Come down and take me over, that I may make Your name and presence known. (Psalm 130:5-6)

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them,‘When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.’” So he left them and departed.

“When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, ‘We brought no bread.’ But Jesus, aware of this, said, ‘O you of little faith, why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand,.. or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things.., and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” Matthew 16:1-12,21-24

The human mind is fascinating and complex, yet limited. It shapes not only what we see, but what we seek, and why. The Pharisees had limited spiritual perception and desire, the disciples limited spiritual curiosity and maturity. Both stopped short of grasping the whole of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

We observe, understand, desire, and decide within our personal framework, which is formed by upbringing, experience, personal proclivities, and trained perspective. We may grasp natural signs, and miss spiritual ones. We can shun temporary physical suffering, and neglect the awaiting glory that will outshine it. We see with the eyes, not as God sees the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7; Romans 8:18; Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus pinpoints the problem: ‘You are setting your mind on the things of man.’ Muddling through the slough of the material with a man-centered outlook, we miss the heavenly ‘sign of Jonah.’ God’s word repeatedly tells His story, spelling out the realities of suffering, redemption, divine provision for destitution, yet unless we learn to reorient our thinking, we will fail again and again to grasp His message.

What wants, prejudices, and preconceptions have I collected that blur God’s signs to me? Where am I dictating my demands, seeking my own ends, and missing the truth?

Lord, may I daily seek You first, and trust Your clear, unchanging word to guide me.

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
    and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop as the rain,
    my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
    and like showers upon the herb.
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    ascribe greatness to our God!

“The Rock, his work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he.”

 ^“For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:1-4,47

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life… The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable.” “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life.” “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” Proverbs 10:11,32; 12:18-19; 13:14; 15:1-2

Dew comes without fanfare when all is dark and asleep. It tiptoes in, invisible and unexpected, bringing vital nourishment. It coats with delicate drops, then seeps down to revive thirsty vegetation, give strength to structure, and vivid hue to foliage.

When our words are like dew, they come at appropriate, even unexpected, times to refresh the spirit, restore life, raise the head, persuade with wisdom, gently turn away anger, and add vibrancy and color to the darkest of moods or circumstances. They offer truth to confused, parched souls, encouragement to instill bravery in the timid, and hope to those who languish in uncertainty and insecurity. They bring loving correction to the erring, hope to the forlorn, balm to the weary, and consolation to the brokenhearted. Are we sprinkling our words in these ways? (Proverbs 15:1; 25:11-13,15; Romans 12:14-15; 1 Corinthians 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:14)

How vigilantly do we guard our words? When we misspeak and cause hurt, or even unintentionally stoke anger, are we quick to confess our wrong and ask for forgiveness? Do we take care to think through our messages and choose what we will say, and when, and how? Would others say our words are depleting or life-giving, like a drought or fresh dew?

Lord, fill my mouth by Your Spirit with Your words, that I might savor their nourishment and beauty. Use then my words to express life-giving power in all I say. May they exalt You, and therefore bring You, like dew, to bless those to whom I speak. Refresh others through what I say so they taste, and welcome, and delight in You. (Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 59:21)