Author: astherainandsnow

“Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to… bring [any belonging to the Way] bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.'” Acts 9:1-5

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,.. he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another… Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer,.. ‘As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” Matthew 25:31-2,34-36,40-45

In a drastic moment, Paul’s arrogant vitriol toward Christians, his vicious treatment of those he saw as rebelling against rightful authority, was arrested by God’s intrusive, life-changing light. The blinders of self and falsehood were drastically removed, and he recognized that all he did was unto Jesus. The Savior taught His disciples the same– that any good or harm done unto others was actually unto Him. After all, human life is oriented and accountable to the One who made them His image-bearers. Such also are those treated with kindness and generosity, or dismissed with hatred and cruelty.

We may set about our day thinking we own the hours, and answer to ourselves for what we accomplish, but if it is true that ‘in him we live and move and have our being,’ then all we decide and enact, say and spend, is ultimately unto the One who made us. When we criticize, slander, ignore, despise, or hoard, we persecute our Lord and ravage the reputations of His creatures and His church. (Acts 17:28)

What difference will it make in how I spend my time, energy, and love if I offer and direct all to my Lord? (Romans 12:1)

Lord, may I wholeheartedly do everything as unto You, the One worthy of all honor, attention, and exaltation. (Colossians 3:23)

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the Lord… I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me… Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.” Jeremiah 35:13-15,17

“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Hebrews 9:27

Grace is God’s giving us what we do not deserve, and mercy is His not giving us what we do deserve. In His lavish grace, God offers mercy again and again to individuals far from Him, calling to come, warning to repent, informing that there will be an accounting. He speaks by means of His prophets, those who proclaim boldly His truth; through His word, which is living and active, able to enlighten and convict; and through nature, His creation that displays His eternal power and divinity. Yet, self and the world get in the way, captivating and commanding both attention and affection, and again and again He is rejected. But one day, there will be a reckoning; man before God is without excuse. (Romans 1:18-25; Hebrews 4:12-13)

Isn’t it the way of the devil to distract us from considering eternal things? In this life there is an incessant barrage of stuff, information, enticements to our senses and brains and efforts. Even in times where former frenzy may have given way to more leisure (or unwelcome empty hours), we focus on how to thrill ourselves, stay occupied, get educated, earn a living, meddle in others’ business, fill our hours now.

The enemy uses the urgent and immediate to numb us to eternity. He teases us into procrastinating in serious thought about our Maker, the hereafter, an end-of -life accounting. Why think about then when we can be happy, or busy, or productive, now? Why think about pleasing or obeying or hearing from God Almighty who rules from heaven when we can indulge self and be titillated by a plethora of messages and music and material here?

There comes a time when we recognize that things break, strength fails, bodies decay, and we face a reckoning. We will stand before the King of kings, and give account for our lives. Will we have crowns to offer Him because of His life lived through us, or ashes of wasted days to put in His nail-scarred hands? (Matthew 6:19-21; Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 4:2,10-11; 20:11-15)

Lord, may I live this day for Your appointed time, fixing my hope on You and taking hold of what is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:13-19)

“At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, ‘Why do you prophesy and say, “Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon?“‘ Jeremiah said, ‘The word of the Lord came to me…’ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: ‘Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.'” Jeremiah 32:2-3,6; 33:1-3

A siege by a foreign and feared unknown, and confinement by his own king within four walls, gave the prophet every reason to resist against being shut up. Would his needs be met? What was happening in his country? When would he be released? Many would chafe and rebel, yet Jeremiah made the most of his imprisonment, his forced quiet, shut-away space, to commune with his Lord. When we believe God is sovereign, any shut-up in isolation, whether by government edict or by choice, is an opportunity to focus on God in worship and to hear from Him.

Nothing compares with time prioritized and kept to be alone with the Lord. Shut away from busyness and distraction, sheltered from noise and screens and company, hunkered in with His word, we can commune on a deep, spiritual level impossible in the fray. It takes discipline and determination, and reaps innumerable rewards.

Being shut up with almighty God provides focus to surrender our wills, time to ask Him to guide our thinking and praying, to give understanding of political or academic theories, current events, and how to apply the bible in present issues. It affords us the concentration to sense the Spirit’s prompting of people with whom we should connect (and how to do it effectively), ministries He would have us support (and by how much), people for whom we should be praying (for courage, guidance, favor with employment, emotional stability, creativity, healing, flourishing of marriages, and fruitfulness in service). We need time in the secret place to beseech protection, purity, and power for our pastors and churches; wisdom, intuition, and grace for all leaders. The Lord answers how to vote, organize, serve, manage schedules, train children, strategize for work and spiritual battle. He guides what to eat, discard, pack, purchase. We have not because we ask not, and can choose every day to get alone and ask. (Judges 20:18,23,26-29; 1 Chronicles 22:6-19; Matthew 7:7-8; Acts 8:26-29; James 4:2)

Where do we need fresh insight, greater love for an unlovable, clarity in a dilemma? When was the last time we really communed with our Savior, and heard from Him? Would we deliberately shut-up with Him and not leave until He has finished with us? (Genesis 17:22; 18:33)

Lord, draw me near, through the abundance of Your love, to enter Your abode and bow in the hidden place. May I always, with all my heart, seek Your face and perfect will. (Psalm 5:7; 91:15; Jeremiah 29:12-13)

“For the LORD has ransomed Jacob
    and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
    and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
    and they shall languish no more.
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
    and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
    I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
    and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the LORD…
Keep your voice from weeping,
    and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
declares the LORD,
    and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
There is hope for your future,
declares the LORD,
    and your children shall come back to their own country.
I have heard Ephraim grieving,..
‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined;
bring me back that I may be restored,
    for you are the LORD my God.
After I had turned away, I relented…
I was ashamed, and I was confounded,
    because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
Is Ephraim my dear son?
    Is he my darling child?
I do remember him still.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
    I will surely have mercy on him,
declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 31:11-14,16-20

Is there any balm, any glorious deliverance, like redemption from the Lord? Realizing and embracing the true truth that we have been ransomed– our sins atoned for, our deserved penalty paid– and that Jesus has redeemed our souls and will redeem every aspect of our life, breaks open our faces with infectious smiles, our mouths in glad and grateful song, and spreads His radiance abroad on everything. We are His darling child!

Circumstances may press and suffocate, broken communication can confuse or disrupt relationships, physical limitations might impose discouragement. God knows the distance of our wandering, the measure of our languishing, the depth of our mourning, and yearns longingly to restore us. His knowledge of all that concerns us, and His attending promise of mercy and hope, bring light to a bleak outlook, and delightful melody to a grieving heart. What is too heavy for us our Savior carries, leaving us holding only love-kissed grace. (Matthew 11:28-30)

What causes us to plod in dusty dry spaces of bitter resentment and woe-is-me, when the Lord makes for us watered gardens and merriment? Why do we default to caustic criticism and whiny complaining, when Jesus offers contentment and gladness? What restricts a clear perspective, forcing near-sightedness fixed on discomfort and irritation over expectant hope for the long-term, glad anticipation for our Father’s promised reward, return, and redemption? Would we search our hearts and address these hindrances to enjoying the fullness of His deliverance? God uses shame over our sin, disappointment for missed opportunities, disgrace and regret over our straying, all to humble us unto repentance and freedom. (Philippians 4:4,6-7,11)

Merciful Lord, may I ever rejoice in our eternal dance, radiating the excellencies of Your bountiful redemption.

“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.’ ..And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some… rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking… And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel… They were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus… They cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him… cast him out of the city and stoned him… He called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… do not hold this sin against them.’” Acts 6:1-3,5-6,8-10,15; 7:(1-53),54-55,57-60

Hearing Stephen’s remarkable speech, outlining the concise history of God’s nation Israel up to the coming of their Messiah, and stoking deep anger in its direct accusation of the religious leaders, we might think him famous for his eloquence and passion. But our introduction to Stephen tells that he was selected, because of his reputation and character, to be a waiter, implementing the daily distribution of food. Stephen was wholeheartedly devoted to his Lord, so no matter his position or occupation, he would serve Him in the fullness of God’s Spirit. He knew Jesus, and was so deeply affected by His grace and salvation, all he did and proclaimed was exquisitely marked by his Savior’s blood. (Romans 12:11-18)

Do I have such a gratitude and constraint that whatever biting words are pelted, or convictions are criticized, my words and actions boldly bear His imprint of love and kindness? Am I yielded enough to Jesus that I gladly accept any menial place I am assigned, and serve rather than expect to be served, or do I take thought for what place of importance, notoriety, privilege I might finagle? Do I consider myself above others, more enlightened, or think soberly of myself, according to God’s lavish grace to me? Wherever the Lord plants me, however wide my spread of influence, how will I catch the eye of those around me with the hope and beauty of Christ Jesus? (Proverbs 25:6-7; Matthew 20:28; Romans 12:3; Philippians 2:3-8)

Lord, in all I have, in all I live, in all I do, may I bear the glorious marks of Christ. Dye every action and word with the beauty of your gospel blood, that others will see and desire and glorify You. (Galatians 6:17; Colossians 3:23)

“Joseph of Arimathea… asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, [he] wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid… 

“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb… And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe… And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them.” Mark 15:43,46-47; 16:1-8

A plethora of emotions had gripped these devoted followers of Jesus for days. Their eyes had stung watching the horrid crucifixion, and been enshrouded by the hours of daytime darkness. Their ears and hearts had been pierced by the cruel mocking, Jesus’s final cry, and the centurion’s exclamation of belief. With a surge of sorrow at the finality of His death, they longed to anoint His lifeless body with spices, to gently lavish their love on the one Who had been so tender to them. But this was not to be. (Mark 15:21-41; Luke 8:1-2)

What the angel announced penetrated the women’s trepidation, and should be our own everyday mantra: ‘Jesus is no longer dead. He’s not to be gently stroked on the cross, or pitied in the grave. He is risen, His work is finished, and He lives for me that I can live for Him!’ The power of the resurrection moves us from heaviness to astonishment, weeping to praising, regret to gratitude, sentimental affection to humbled, amazed love.

Have I allowed a mindset creep that Jesus was a victim, in need of my help and comfort? That I am the real savior– of myself, my children, my turbulent situations? Would I instead approach the empty cross and tomb and marvel at so tremendous a love, so bold a control of every breath, and such unimaginable a resurrection power that I would relinquish self-drive, and allow Jesus to comfort and embolden me? Would I confess any expectations I hold, and ways I behave, that suppose He exists to serve me, and instead ask how I can serve Him?

The finished work of Christ frees me from the burden of self-serving sin to live unfettered for my Risen King. What difference is it making in my outlook and activities? Applying this freedom to serve Him and others brings joyful trembling and astonishment at the privilege. (Galatians 5:13)

Savior, may the empty tomb fuel my astonishment that You would die and rise for me, and daily resurrect my love for You and others.

“Oh that my head were waters,
    and my eyes a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night
    for the slain of the daughter of my people!
Oh that I had in the desert
    a travelers’ lodging place,
that I might leave my people
    and go away from them!
For they are all adulterers,
    a company of treacherous men.
They bend their tongue like a bow;
    falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land;
for they proceed from evil to evil,
    and they do not know me, declares the Lord.

Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
    and put no trust in any brother,
for every brother is a deceiver,
    and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.
Everyone deceives his neighbor,
    and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
    they weary themselves committing iniquity.
Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
    they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
    it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor,
    but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.
Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
    a lair of jackals,
and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
    without inhabitant.”

“Who is the man so wise that he can understand this?.. Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? ‘Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it… Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’” Jeremiah 9:1-6,8-9,11-13,23-24

A cold heart, barren of compassion or concern, begets relationship deserts. A mindset bent on conniving and manipulation is void of life-giving truth and constructive purpose. A famine of spiritual drink and Christian fellowship leads to dry, fruitless living. Whoring after the world and its pet idols leaves a wilderness of soul that rejects the Lord who created it, the only One who can fill its shape with zest and meaning. Rejecting the knowledge of the Lord and His good ways leads to empty living, and grieves Him Who made us for so much more.

There are desolate times that come upon us unwittingly, where we have no ability to diffuse the trauma, or hurt, or loneliness. But there are other situations where we can make a change, or a difference. Not every wilderness needs remain barren, but can become a place of hope and flourishing when we repent of our contribution. Will I forsake the treachery in my idolater’s heart? Every trace of disdain for others? Any deceit in appearance or speech?

Lord, may I daily understand You better. Transform my wildernesses into pure, fruitful lands, for the sake of Your delight and glory.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare…

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:4-7,10-14

When we are sent to an exile beyond our control, be it a foreign land to live, a strange place of unemployment, isolation, diagnosis, or station in life, the Lord says, ‘Do not waste the places and hardships I assign.’ He has holy purpose for every aspect of our days, and in order to experience the welfare He intends, we are to seek our ‘city’s’ welfare. Pray in every situation, and for it. Make our home there, plant good seeds to bear fruit and benefit those around us, invest in relationships. Do not fritter away the time complaining, longing for former comforts and familiarities and ‘what always was,’ paralyzed in bitterness or worry, regret and what-ifs.

When we dig in, and make the best of where we are, God builds us, teaches us, reveals new aspects of Himself we can adore and trust, and prepares us for the next place in His plan. His promise is for our ultimate good, and we learn in exile that our good is His presence, our wealth His limitless spiritual riches, our freedom His perfect will, our guaranteed security His Spirit’s seal, our future the hope of glory. If these are surely ours, we have every motivation to make the most of present circumstances, to exercise our gifts, to share the glorious light of the gospel. (Ephesians 1:3-11; Colossians 1:27)

What am I intentionally, actively contributing to the lives of those in my ‘city’– be it a physical place or a hard circumstance? With what am I investing, and where, to make an eternal difference? Are there resources and talents at my disposal that I have hoarded for an unknown hour, when God is calling me to contribute now?

Lord, give me Your eyes and heart for wherever I am, and through me bear lasting fruit for Your glory and others’ good.

“Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.”‘” Jeremiah 27:4-7

“Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day,
    for all things are your servants.” Psalm 119:90-91

Prophet under God, envoys under kings, nations under Nebuchadnezzar… all serve the LORD of hosts. From soldier to animal, sun to storm to pandemic, passions to famines, all things are God’s servants. Like chess pieces on a board, created for His sovereign purposes and existing in His appointed time and place, all are moved and moving according to His will. (Acts 17:26-28)

When we consider all that goes on around us, in our communities and in the nations, do we fret and fear, or trust the One whose writing of history is served by these events? As we observe tumult in the heavens and seas and on earth, do we quake with anxiety, or humble ourselves in wonder at the Lord over all created things? When life-wasting disease or mental illness encroaches on a loved one, or violence rocks a city, or dreams die painful deaths, will we languish in despair, or look to the Master who is present in every storm, has the ability to calm us in the midst, and brings us securely to the other side? (Job 38:4-14,25-37; Psalm 8:1,3-5; Mark 4:37-39)

And what are we doing deliberately to serve God’s purposes in His church, in our areas of influence? When do we take regular time to search His word and listen for instruction? Where am I exhibiting His love? How am I employing hands of service, feet carrying good news, a voice of truth to convict, encourage, or console? What personal areas do I need to surrender as the Lord’s, not my own, here to serve His purposes and priorities over selfish desires? (Psalm 32:8; Romans 10:14-15; 1 Corinthians 14:3; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:11-15; 6:15)

“A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage
To do my Master’s will!

Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!”  ~Charles Wesley (1762)

Worthy God, may I ever keep Your charge, that Your will be done. I acknowledge that all I am, and have, exists to serve You, and to exalt Your glory and fame. May every choice, action, word, expression, and attitude declare that You alone are Master and Lord. (Matthew 6:9-10)

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
    and his upper rooms by injustice,
who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing
    and does not give him his wages,
who says, ‘I will build myself a great house
    with spacious upper rooms,’
who cuts out windows for it,
    paneling it with cedar
    and painting it with vermilion.
Do you think you are a king
    because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
    and do justice and righteousness?
    Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
    then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
    declares the Lord.
But you have eyes and heart
    only for your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
    and for practicing oppression and violence.” Jeremiah 22:13-17

“He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

Our flesh and our world tell us to build our lives around us, our careers to be applauded, our relationships to be fulfilling, our days around our preferred or necessary activities, our fortresses to insulate from harm and anything distasteful. The end of this life-orientation is ultimately meaningless; a spacious edifice for cedar and cinnabar will be empty of all but woe. But God presents a different way to build, where all can be well, now and forever. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3,8)

If I am driven to construct my own great house, in ministry or any work, I may fall to taking advantage of, mistreating, or devaluing others who get in my way. My project may become my idol, consuming time and energy on everything but walking humbly. But to build what God has prescribed and provided is to know Him and make Him known. We are stewards of His good and perfect plans, and build with the intangible bricks of righteousness and justice, honesty and compassion and humility. Our finished product is  God’s honor, not our own, and the blessed good of others.

Are we willing to forego the temporal to invest in people, love, and God’s word that will never pass away? Where, and with what means, are we building beauty that brings glory to its Creator, not to self? For what ends do we employ our ‘stuff’– personal recognition, or exaltation of the Giver of every gift? (James 1:17)

How can I invest most wisely to introduce people to Jesus, to spread and apply the Gospel? How am I enriching others’ lives in ways that will last, storing for them treasures in heaven and not on earth? With every guest hosted, every meal served, every gift purchased and given, every note written, am I spreading the fragrance of Christ, unveiling the glories of God, pointing individuals to their Redeemer? (2 Corinthians 2:15; Colossians 3:17)

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24:3-4

Lord, capture my eyes and heart only for You. Help me love and employ kindness in every effort. May I carefully and energetically build according to Your righteous plans, for the gain of Your glory in the earth.