Author: astherainandsnow

“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah… to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, saying, “Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you forever. Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm. Yet you have not listened to me, declares the Lord. Therefore, because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will… make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.”‘” Jeremiah 25:1-9

“And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die!'” Jeremiah 26:8

God calls us to be faithful, not successful. We answer to Him, not to the world or our peers. When we consider that Jeremiah, day in and year out, plodded on with God’s message through the mists of unbelief, the tangle of leaders’ criticism, and the cold of Israel’s rejection, we cannot but be humbled at his long, steady obedience to the One who had called him. (Jeremiah 1:4-10; Philippians 2:12-13)

Obedience to the Lord is no guarantee that we will be looked upon favorably in the here and now, that we will accumulate accolades among those with whom we live, or that the message we are told to proclaim will be well-received. But it is the path to His blessing, His ultimate, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What Friedrich Nietzsche called “a long obedience in the same direction” requires, for the Christian, a deep trust in the God who calls us to obey His instructions and see His word through to His directed end, no matter what comes. We can find solace and help by pouring our complaint to Him, and can continue on in His power, because of His presence with us. (Joshua 1:9; Jeremiah 1:8,12; 8:18-19; 12:1; 20:1-3; Matthew 25:23)

Obedience to the Lord is a proof of our love for Jesus. The longer we walk in His steps, doing as He has commanded, the better we know Him, by experience and intimate communion. The better we know Him, the more we love Him. Obedience is a glorious, long journey. (John 14:16; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 6)

Lord, may I never weary in doing the good Your word assigns to me. As You are faithful, so may I continue in long, unbroken, loving faithfulness to You. (2 Chronicles 15:7; Galatians 6:9)

“Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, ‘What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?’ And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, ‘Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably.’  Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said to him, ‘Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites… The Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess… I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” Judges 11:12-15,21-24,27

When the Ammonite king challenged Jephthah, the assigned leader of Israel, he came armed with a horizontal perspective: ‘You took my land, and I want it back.’ His strategy was determined by how he humanly saw what had transpired, where all is tied up in possessions and turf. But Jephthah saw from a different, vertical vantage point, where all was orchestrated by God’s invisible hand, tied up in kingdom purposes. The king cared only for his realm during his reign, whereas Jephthah had God’s covenant promise of the land in mind and in his sights. His motive and efforts were for something much grander and lasting.

So much of what we do and how we react in a day is driven by our horizontal view of things, and the control we think we can exercise. The gravity of our flesh keeps our sights pulled earthward, and we operate in the lowest common denominator of my rights, my entitlements, my walls, my world. We jaunt around Ammonite kings, adjusting our crowns to what we want and what we think we deserve. We buttress ourselves from being affected or helped by a broader vision, a wider understanding of God’s vertical purposes in our sanctification and His kingdom work.

But the Lord calls us to be Jephthahs, to see all as His doing, to credit Him with our possessed gifts and any successes, and to eagerly seize and employ all He supplies. With those who have limited sight we are to share eternal, spiritual vision, to expose the folly of lesser gods like Chemosh and point them to trust the true Judge of all the earth. Are we so bold, and purposeful, and willing?

Lord, keep me believing and rejoicing that all is Your doing. In every challenge, with every opponent, my lot and my hope are with You.

“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.’ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ And he said, ‘Why? What evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’

“So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’ And all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.” Matthew 27:15-26

Religious leaders persuaded crowds, who with lusty shouts and hollow reasoning persuaded Pilate. Their voices drowned out Pilate’s wife, and the importance of her sole verbal warning. Fear of a riot and disdain for confrontation choked his own conviction of what was just. Pilate was a sad leader who, at the coercion of a crowd of emotion and voices, elevated one notorious prisoner at the expense of an innocent. He made an irreversible choice in the pressure of a moment to avoid what he deemed a worse end, and even washed his hands to pretend he didn’t know better.

In our everyday priorities, to whom do we listen, and with what results? It’s important to be aware of different viewpoints, to hear and understand how other people think, and the motivation for their behavior. But what are we allowing to persuade us, to determine our decisions and what we do? How aware are we of the power of the media, or a celebrity, or a ‘thought-leader’ of any school, or the editorial staff of any publication, to sway public opinion and shape our own beliefs? Since when does a tweet, or an academically-credentialled speech, weigh more than the truth? Whose word molds our convictions– the crowd’s, or the Lord’s?

Am I more persuaded by the passion and tempo of argument, or its facts? When others steer astray from truth and calm, what will I do to maintain peace and reason, to elevate the vocabulary and conversation? How well am I expressing value for individuals, while being willing to turn away from the crowd when it stands against my God?

Father, keep me steady in the midst of vocal turmoil, and grant spiritual discernment for the present time. Persuade my mind and heart by Your glorious truth.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

“Do you not know? Do you not hear?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth..;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
    and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
who brings princes to nothing,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is missing.

He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.” Isaiah 40:21-23,26,29

In days and broadcasts poisoned with vitriolic combat, a natural inclination is to look at stuff owned, opportunities enjoyed, freedoms exercised, and wonder why there is so much hatred and discontent. No matter where we live, if social policy or pressure is to squelch a high view of God, or inhibit discussion and contemplation of Him, we have lost our footing and spiritual elegance, and are deigned to wallow in the lowest common denominator of horizontal human passion. It is an upward battle to contend for lofty thought and speech when dodging an incessant barrage of mud balls and have no holy foothold.

So where is the vein of heavenly blue that bids us ascend, that lifts our eyes above the grey slush of acrimony? It exists. We must fight for the Lord, for His ways, His word, His manner and perspective of life. We must press on in our daily habits to know Him, to seek His wisdom and insight, to be filled with His Spirit. We must be diligent to exhibit His countenance, to make Him known in our interactions, to bring into our private, virtual, and public discourse fresh and biblical ideas, to punctuate the hateful darkness with holy light. (Hosea 6:3; Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 3:10; Matthew 5:14-16)

What will we do to cultivate healthy, life-giving friendships that help lift our chins when gravity pulls our sights downward? Whom will we encourage, and ascend beside? Our help, our helpers, and our courage and strength for the call, come from the Lord.

“I saw the LORD, high and lifted up… ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!..’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me,.. and said: ‘Behold,.. your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” Isaiah 6:1,5-8

Almighty God, keep me considering Your ways that I might know You better, and Your glory that I will rightfully worship. Grant me holy boldness to proclaim abroad the excellencies of Your Name and works that You be esteemed and exalted. (Exodus 33:13,18)

What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?..
I brought you into a plentiful land
    to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, you defiled my land
    and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
    Those who handle the law did not know me;
the shepherds transgressed against me;
    the prophets prophesied by Baal
    and went after things that do not profit.

My people have changed their glory
    for that which does not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
    be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
 for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
    the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
    broken cisterns that can hold no water…

We push, push with do, do. We plan and finagle and edge our way forward on tracks we construct, in perpetual motion fueled by our pursuit of what it is we think we want, or need. And we find we are going nowhere, never arriving. We reshape God’s good provisions into false gods, and let our affections run rampant in lusty pursuit, spending our souls, never satisfied. We blur God’s glory, and distort that of man made in His image, redefining what is good into passions and trinkets with illusive sparkle. All the while we hew cracked cisterns and try to fill them with tainted water, forsaking life-giving water intended for a whole (and new) vessel. (John 4:10,13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Why do we keep at it? The Lord instructs, and we shake off His help to flee our own way. Leaders called to teach conform to the world, choose their own platforms, and lead many astray. Fresh mercies and costly freedoms are shunned so egos can rule, pride can drive, self can be king. (Romans 12:2)

But God cannot be mocked; our sin will be found out. Jesus came to atone for our guilt and remove our shame. The Master Potter renews our minds and transforms our brokenness into noble vessels that carry His Spirit and light. Will we yield to His divine remaking, His holy filling? (Numbers 32:23; Jeremiah 18:6; Galatians 6:7; 2 Timothy 2:21)

Lord, I am Yours. Please shape me as Your cistern to pour out Your life. May others sip and see that You are good. (Psalm 34:8; Isaiah 64:8)

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:14-18

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3-4

[The LORD] determines the number of the stars;
    he gives to all of them their names.” Psalm 147:4

“All things were created through [Jesus] and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17

Oblong panes across the way flicker with strange light, changing every few seconds, now off, nothing to watch in the dark pre-dawn. On again, TV blinks another try. But I, I am outside under the soft wind chimes, mesmerized by other stars, the real stars of fame. The longer I gaze, the more I see– a scattered few, now dozens, twinkling bright and majestic against indigo at this early hour, from horizon to deepest space, diamonds strewn on black velvet. Each has a name, a place. Each is sustained by supernatural power. A brilliant planet is also suspended, mysteriously and incomprehensibly spinning, as am I, in its orbit around our unseen sun. What can rival this celestial display?

There are some sources in this world here below that supply news, enlightenment, or entertainment, and they can be selectively chosen. But there is the rich resource of God’s creation that elevates the mind and feeds the soul, heavenly lights that order seasons, determine times, and instruct, displaying God’s order, sovereign control, exquisite beauty, and inestimable love for mankind.

As the golden orb that rules the day ascends, paling the sky to periwinkle, the stars fade and seem to disappear, like so much of the Lord’s grandeur as we approach our day and focus on the many things we now see to do. Once exposed to this famous array and its Creator, and have been given dominion over it and crowned with glory and honor as royal priests ourselves, how are we then to enter our days, and behave? How will we display His brilliance in the way we love and serve, speak and work? (Psalm 8:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9)

It is God who determines name and fame. It is He who sustains us and our purpose in the place He assigns. He fills us with holy light and love so we shine like stars in this dark world. Am I looking and learning? (Matthew 5:14-16; Romans 5:5; Philippians 2:15)

Lord, draw me to Your heavenly quiet and still, where I behold and relish your incomparable mastery. Then shine through me.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Luke 13:34

“He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…

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 53:3-6

“And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” Luke 23:33

Before the cross, before Jesus’s hands and feet and side were pierced for our sin, His heart was pierced over our sin. This God-man who came to earth to save people from their sin, and all its attending sorrows and brokenness, suffered much of soul, observing the corrupted world He had helped create perfect. Over the course of His short public ministry, He witnessed fractured relationships, disease, hopelessness, paralysis, bigotry, fruitlessness. He endured suspicion, unbelief, denial, betrayal, derision, flogging, and reviling at the hands of those made in His image, and His heart was rent at sin’s fallout. (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 1:21; Mark 5:40; Luke 22:3-6,54-62; 1 Peter 2:23)

It was this compassionate, broken-hearted Jesus who died for you and me, who loved us to the end and laid down His life to give us back ours. (John 13:1; 15:13; 1 John 3:16)

“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?”  ~Isaac Watts (1707)

How do we live in response to this love poured out for us? Do the things that break His heart in the world break ours? When we observe prejudicial favoritism or ostracism, do we go along, remain silent, or reach out and connect with the lonely, willing to suffer inconvenience or criticism in order to touch the “unclean”? What are we doing to help repair severed relationships and tarnished reputations, or do we just add to the ruin with gossip or haughty condemnation? How willing are we to speak up for Jesus, or defend one of His own? (Mark 1:40-41; 2:16; John 4:4-9)

Does unbelief and all its evil tentacles pierce our hearts with grief? Do we agonize in prayer for those who reject Jesus? Can we say with Paul, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers”? (Romans 9:1-3)

Lord, please pierce my heart unto repentance with sorrow for my sin that took You to calvary’s tree. Fill it with Your abounding love so I can love others to the extent You do. May I daily lay down my life in Christ-like abandon, to show forth Your glories and limitless worth. (Mark 12:30-32)

“Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord… So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.” Judges 3:1-7

“God equipped me with strength...
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,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed…
For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.” Psalm 18:32-37,39

There are obstacles, enemies, and sticky situations stipulated by our Good Teacher to train us for war in this world. We can ignore them, and dull our senses to their danger. We can meddle with and in them, and pollute ourselves to the point we weaken resolve against harm. Or we can equip ourselves to wage war, to learn their tactics and implement the Lord’s power and skill to overcome and vanquish all that opposes His holy ways. (Luke 18:18)

Our coddling culture teaches softness and sloth, reliance on safety over warfare. It takes a warrior mind to understand the viciousness of our opposition, and a warrior’s passion to stay vigilant against it. It is vital we recognize the lords in our midst, the foreign affections that vie for ours, the wiles of those who would turn us to the lesser gods of earth, and attempt to mollify us with empty living. Once we have identified our Philistines, we must fix them in our sights, clad ourselves in armor, take up shield and sword, and battle with divine strategy. (John 10:10; Ephesians 6:11-17; 1 Peter 5:8)

Is there insight, tactical equipment, or courage we lack? Ask, prepare, and act! Our Lord who trains and tests us supplies the skill and strength we need, and moves before and through us to subdue and consume.

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.” 144:1-2

Amen!

“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast… And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.’

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?..’ And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'” Mark 2:15-19,22-24,27

It can be frustrating to ask a question, and not get a clear answer, or be asked another question, or be redirected to a new angle of thinking. But Jesus would not entertain cursory pettiness, and would not dignify a picky inquiry by giving a straight answer. Every minute of His earthly ministry was strategic. This omniscient Savior knew what His onlookers really needed, and masterfully responded to their superficial questions with words that penetrated their superficial thinking and made them dig deeper. His word always does that. (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

The pharisaical scribes and crowds were intrigued with Jesus, but did not know or understand Him. They concerned themselves with their ritualistic traditions and catching people in behavior that didn’t conform to their colloquial standards, so any aberration from their expectations brought desire for a pat explanation without heart inquiry. They focused on splinters and ignored planks, picked at gnats and were blind to camels. (Matthew 7:1-5; 23:23-24)

Where do we slip into the same surface treatment of Jesus’s work and teachings? Are we content with a ‘smooth follow’ and lip service, but fail to dig deep and get to know our Lord in profound ways that shake us from the inside out and upend our thinking? Are we satisfied with doing what appears correct to the masses, but unwilling to repent of long-held resentment, judgmental attitudes, internal hatred and rebellion, fear of true sacrifice? Do we even take the time to acknowledge we are sinners, in need of the Spirit’s new wine, subservient to another Master and Sovereign?

O Lord, open my eyes to broader vision, my heart to deeper desire, my mind to greater understanding of You and Your ways. Extract petty concerns and replace them with deep passion to be holy, and to exalt Your holy truth.

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men…’

They went into Capernaum, and he entered the synagogue and was teaching… as one who had authority, and not as the scribes…

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons…  And he healed many with various diseases, and cast out many demons.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:9-17,21-22,32,34-35

At the start of Jesus’s public ministry, God ordained that He be baptized, an outward identification with Him and visible anointing by the Holy Spirit. This carpenter’s son, announced by his cousin John, was set apart as God’s beloved Son with verbal affirmation. Immediately afterward was a short season of intense temptation, over which this Spirit-filled Sovereign triumphed. Tested and true, He then clarified His motivation and mission: ‘repent and believe the gospel, and set out to do God’s work.’ He filled His days in ministry, and began them with prayer. (Mark 1:4-8)

When the Lord calls us to follow and serve Him, He does not abandon us to flounder on our way. He adopts us as His own, anoints us with His Spirit, appoints us to a work, and entrusts to us all we need to do His bidding. We are fueled by daily time with Him. (Ephesians 1:14; 2:10; Philippians 4:19; 2 Peter 1:3)

Then we begin to walk and serve. Call others alongside, those who will be transformed by gospel truth and be co-laborers. Begin to proclaim truth and let the power of God’s living and active word have its way with your audience. Faithfully demonstrate the gospel’s triumph over sin and its fallout. Do heartily what God gives you to do. And pray. Never fail to get alone, to realign yourself with your heavenly Master, to worship, to depend, to take on His mind and trust His direction and provision. Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5; Colossians 3:23; Hebrews 4:12)

What prevents us from fruitful ministry? Reluctance due to divided allegiances, fear of discomfort, inadequacy, the expenditure of our time, means, and energy? What need we relinquish so we won’t hold back from following Jesus when He calls?

Lord, may all I do for Thee be marked by fruit that lasts, and Your endless glory. (John 15:16)