Author: astherainandsnow

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness…

“I will lead them beside streams of water
    on a level path where they will not stumble…

“Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
    and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
For the Lord will deliver Jacob
    and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
    the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
    and they will sorrow no more.
Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
    I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
    and my people will be filled with my bounty,”
declares the Lord.

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:3b,9b-14,25

The message of returning, rebuilding, and restoration for Israel was meant to give sure hope in facing impending exile. When they were not presently in the place of promise, they could live in the splendor of the certainty of it. As dark as their days may be, God’s word was as good as complete, and His redeemed had every reason to take joy in all that would surely come to pass.

“We rejoice in hope of the glory of God… and hope does not disappoint.” Romans 5:2,5

For the Christian, there is always substantial hope. Circumstances come and go, crush and release, press and resolve, but our future is set in stone. The very thought of abundance where we currently lack, water when we thirst in emotional drought, fruitfulness when we feel empty and dry, should ignite gladness. Hope that looks up and forward radiates holy light as it’s fixed on the One who fulfills His word. Languishing, mourning, and sorrow are vanquished in the certain promises of God!

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

Is Christ’s hope within so palpable in daily experience so that it oozes into every situation and through all we do and say? Meditating on and memorizing the Lord’s promises builds a storehouse of assurance that holds fast in darkness, doubt, and frailty. The greater our confidence in who the Lord is and all He will do, the brighter our radiance that burns with His light, the higher our expectation for glorious resolution. What are we doing to strengthen it?

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful.” Proverbs 15:13

What identifying attributes of our Savior do facial expression and body language express? How do those we encounter describe our countenance? Are we fretful, anxious, furrowed with consternation? Are we snipped and grouchy, complaining, ungrateful? Do we exude arrogance, aloofness, or apathy? Are we rigid, self-consumed? Since we were made in the image of God and are redeemed, how can we instead radiate warmth, contentment, and gladness? Might His Spirit soften hard features with joy for our salvation, gratitude for our ransom and the love that confers for others? (Numbers 6:25-26)

“Those who look to him are radiant.” Psalm 34:5

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit so I radiate delight, awe, and thankfulness for Your grace and lavish love.

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine…’ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.’ So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.’” John 2:1-3,6-10

The wedding celebration week well underway, festivities over the first couple of days had depleted the hosts’ wine supply. Jesus’ mother, alert to their embarrassing plight, notified Jesus, who quietly worked His first recorded miracle to their happy relief. The unnamed wedding guests were the beneficiaries of this superb wine, and the master of the feast was gratified. The servants witnessed the audacious wonder in amazement. Mary was merely the human conduit, and Jesus the heavenly One. (Ephesians 3:20)

It is a beautiful thing to see that Jesus supplies beyond what we can imagine to bless us, but it is even more marvelous that He would take our ordinary and make it extraordinary to be a blessing for others. We are merely empty stone water jars with free access to the Lord’s ample filling. When we yield ourselves to be used by Him, what He then makes in us to flow through us can be poured out as His ‘best’ for any with whom we come in contact. (John 7:38; 2 Corinthians 4:7)

Consider that every aspect of Jesus’s miracle was for the benefit of others. His work drew attention to the master, and brought delight to the unaware guests. When we go about our work, whose good do we consider? Are we more concerned with what we can get than what we give? How much do we care about who gets the credit for a job well done? The Lord can uncover any untoward motives and transform them by His grace.

What needs do we observe around us that others may not know? Are we eager to help, and patient for God’s timing and work to be done in and through us? Could He be waiting for us to get rid of specific contaminations that have sullied us as vessels through whom He intends to pour His love and grace?

Are we feeling depleted, empty, stone cold, too ordinary for usefulness? Doesn’t God have the right to use us as He wants? Will we make ourselves available? When Jesus gets ahold and takes charge, the unexpected and marvelous happens. (Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:3-6; Romans 9:21; 12:1-2)

Father, I am at Your disposal to cleanse, fill, and pour out for others’ good and Your glory.

“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?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.” Psalm 8:3-5

“Sing praises to the Lord!
    Tell among the peoples his deeds!
For he… is mindful of them;
    he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.” Psalm 9:11-12

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You… are acquainted with all my ways…
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret…
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written…
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:1-3,15-17

God is mindful of his children. The Creator of the universe spins galaxies and orbits and rules nations and kingdoms and clouds and currents, yet He is intimately acquainted with individuals. His thoughts are true, and abound with love, compassion, and grace. They’re all-encompassing, pure, steady, and omniscient. He actively thinks on us for good and redemption, and His glory. When we are mindful of these truths, we must marvel. (Colossians 1:16–17; Hebrews 1: 2–3)

Peppered by the culture’s scatter of unlimited offerings and distractions, it presents a challenge to consider the works of the Lord’s hands. If, by a determined act of will, we silence the voices and gather our thoughts to listen and understand the exquisite dignity and love God has bestowed on man, we will be humbled by His abiding thought for us. The more we marvel at His attention, the more we will want to turn our attention to Him. We steer our minds for good or ill, God’s glory or selfish interest.

When we dwell on insecurities and misery, we can’t be mindful of glorious gospel truths. Untethered or misdirected, our thoughts can easily revert to what strokes the flesh nature. Gurus might suggest emptying our minds, or focusing on feelings, passions, impulsive urges. The scriptures call us to set our minds on Christ above, on whatever is true, noble, and right. (Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:1-2)

How can we turn from self-indulgence to being mindful of the Lord? Humbled by the knowledge that we’re in His mind, we can reorient focus. How could our attitude toward work and God’s world change if we filtered everything through the mind of Christ? Oh, that we were as mindful of the Lord God as He is of us! If we sought Him, unceasingly watched Him, and passionately sought to know Him, we would see the world and our days with eternal perspective and grow to think and speak and love as He does. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.” ~Dallan Forgaill (530-598)

Lord, through my moments and hours, keep me mindful of You, and expressing that to Your glory.

“This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
    who gives breath to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
‘I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.'” Isaiah 42:5-7

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God… separated the light from the darkness… 

“And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.’  So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it… God called the vault ‘sky…’ 

“And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ‘seas…’

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over… all the creatures…”

“So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:1-4,6-7,9-10,26-27

The majestic, uncontainable God created all things great and small, and designed His grand world to support and supply for every minutiae of His people and kingdom plan. From the vastness of day and night to the cry of a sinner’s plight, He is over all and knows all and nothing can thwart His good will. He who called the world into being also calls individuals to saving faith and holy purpose. (Job 42:2; Isaiah 46:10; Romans 8:28)

In our vast and frenzied world, we can feel insignificant, without direction, without purpose. People with big jobs, many resources, and loud voices seem to squelch the small, the reticent, the uncertain. Large mountains of fear and doubt loom and cast a shadow over what we thought were possibilities of places to belong. But the Lord God who made them all has plans for each, and will lead His people as we listen and act. He works to coordinate and complement, so the macro and micro synch together to fulfill His divine intentions.

Where exactly do I belong? A specific place of service may be mine to explore, but it’s clear God’s arranged my life for me to shine light for the blind, radiate Christ’s hope and affirm meaning to those who lack. As God’s image-bearer, declared righteous by Christ, I’m to set free the bound and build up the broken. Large scale or small, this is our call, and can be answered anywhere the Lord places us. As I step out in willing obedience, the Lord will open doors He’s prepared for me. (Acts 17:26-27; Ephesians 2:10)

Where will I purposefully reflect light today? Who at home or work or my community needs encouragement, hope, freedom, a larger, higher view of God? How will I honor Him in great or small ways this day?

Lord, help me fulfill Your call, magnifying Your image, to Your glory.

“Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?  Now when you hear the sound of the horn.., if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?’

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’

“Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with [them], and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual  and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie [them] up and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace…

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’

“They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’

“He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’

“Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’

“So [they] came… They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has… rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God… No other god can save in this way.’” Daniel 3:14-21,24-29

Fully clad in flammable garb, bound with ropes and holy resolve, three courageous men were thrown into the judgment fire. They’d refused to disclaim their God and worship another, so according to the king’s edict, they should die. God, whose eye was on them in love, delivered. Their faith in Him gave proof to His power, mercy, and majestic salvation.

The enemy and the world constantly elicit our worship, demanding we bow before a variety of images and causes we may not even recognize as idols. Though we might refuse, the age-old taunt plants doubt, ‘Is it really true?’ The test to succumb in fear or stand firm in faith necessitates a choice of who to believe.

What makes us cave to fearing man over God? To what threats or fears does weak faith succumb? Only He is worthy of our allegiance, only He can save us from sin and weakness. Will we magnify and stand in Him?

Lord, cause me to worship and trust You alone.

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” James 2:1-6,8

James is practical, and sometimes sharp, his inspired words piercing to divide the motives of the heart. His immediate lesson is not to make assessment and grant favor superficially by appearance and wealth. These distinctions are based on visual evidence, and likely motivated by desire to be free from bother, or possibly, to gain benefit from those chosen to associate with. But God teaches more deeply that thinking this way is errant, not in failing to show compassion to the poor, or feeling sorry for them, but in thinking any differently of them at all. It does not flow from a Christ-heart to think a rich man more worthy or a needy man of less value. James is pointing out the horrible convolution of thinking too highly of ourselves, of ever feeling superior to anyone–that I am better, deserve better, belong with the bold and beautiful (as if they are ‘better’ in any way). Assessments are slanted and wrong when any standards are based on exterior measures. (Genesis 1:26-27; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 12:3)

Every day we are confronted with people. We naturally take mental measurements and fashion our approach, interactions, and conclusions based on how we perceive them. It’s important to filter our minds from prejudice and ask for God’s perspective and heart so we esteem each person as an image-bearer of God.

Am I prone to demeaning another my heart because of appearance or presentation? Do I ever, even subconsciously, deem myself more deserving than someone because of financial or educational resources, business acumen, physique, background, family advantages, political persuasion? Have I diminished another in public by casual criticism, pity, or put-downs? Do I extend sympathy and charity because it makes me feel good, or fills a real need? If we find ourselves the least bit smug, if any attitude or action smacks of pomp or superiority, thank God for the conviction and confess it.

What if we asked to see with the Lord’s eyes and respond to all people as He would? What if we took time to get to know people by name, and confer respect and value from God’s bounty? How will we genuinely honor those we encounter today?

Lord, uncover and transform any inane partiality or hidden prejudice, uproot it for the sake of Your honor, and transform it to Christ-like love.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

“If I go to the east, he is not there;
    if I go to the west, I do not find him.
When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
    when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
But he knows the way that I take;
    when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:8-10

“Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36

From the start man was given a curious mind, fashioned to gather information through instruction and experience and to learn and grow. It is natural to want to understand the whys and hows in the conundrums and questions and challenges of life. But man was also created to worship, to wonder at the Lord and hold a high view of His attributes, power, and incomprehensible ways. As God teaches deeper truths about Himself in order to increase our awe and worship of Him, there is information and resolution He withholds. There are some secrets that belong exclusively to Him, and it should be enough for us that He knows.

There are some truths it is vital that we know. Our salvation depends on our knowledge of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection and the power they impart unto eternal life, yet we will never fully grasp the cost of His sacrifice. To manage everyday life, relationships, and responsibilities, we need a measure of particular knowledge, but we will never fathom the vastness of God’s creative purposes. To endure suffering in this world we must know that we are held in Christ’s love and enabling, yet will never comprehend their full measure. Living the Christian life victoriously requires both knowledge of certain things, and knowledge that God knows the rest, and in that we can marvel, and rest. (Isaiah 40:13; Romans 1:16-17; 8:31-39; 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 1:12)

What unanswered questions do we get hung up on to the point of angst or doubt? What assurances do we demand for our future, when the Lord wants us to trust Him who holds it? What problems and disappointments and frustrations will we lay before God this day, and trust Him to resolve with goodness and love? Our Heavenly Father will always give and reveal all we need to live confidently and trust Him robustly. He is absolutely trustworthy, and that should keep our souls well.

“O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!” ~Robert Grant (1833)

Lord, let it be enough that You know, You love, You reign, and You will be forever glorified.

“Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,  strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.  Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.  After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.  On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” Acts 14:19-27

Since his drastic salvation experience, Paul was on mission for his Lord. He took seriously God’s call and preached powerfully His gospel. Everywhere he went, commended himself by grace, he commended all who would listen to the life-changing grace and truth of Jesus. Once he connected new believers to fellowship, he committed them to the Lord and moved on. The Spirit of the Lord steadily and mightily built His church through earnest disciples dedicated to His mysterious, methodical work. (Acts 20:27-32)

God’s people are created and appointed to differing ministries within His body. We are all recipients of His grace by His hand through at least one, likely many, of His servants. Paul’s example inspires devotion, passion, meaningful fellowship, and the importance of committing whatever work we do to the Lord to effect. Our responsibility is faithful execution, His is salvation and sanctification.

When personal ambition sneaks beyond preaching and exalting Christ, our efforts will not flourish. When our wants or goals stray from His will, we can get frustrated and discouraged. If we take rejection personally, or demand certain parameters to a ministry, or seek credit and affirmation instead of commending Christ alone, we will yield no lasting fruit. Work committed to God’s grace and executed His way promotes spiritual health and fosters growth. How willing am I to do my part?

What has the Lord made clear I am to do within His church and world? Do I view ministry as an independent, or mine to accomplish within God’s wider plan? Am I prone to set out with my agenda, or seek and follow the Lord’s lead on where He’s preparing faith or wants me to participate? Am I more concerned with achieving my desired results than trusting the Lord to complete His? How ready am I to do my part with energy and zeal, then commend the fruit to God and move on to His next assignment? Effective ministry for the Lord initiates plans, develops and maintains connectivity with His people, and overflows in His due praise. (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)

Lord, I commend my work to Your grace and purposes, to build Your church and bless Your name.

“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

From the exiles’ point of view, life was stopped, at least paused, in this strange land. How could it thrive in the unfamiliar, under ruthless rule, without hope? From God’s viewpoint, this was only a 70-year blip in the life of His nation, and He had lessons to teach. What they saw as wilderness He intended for wholeness. What they saw as waste He planned for welfare. They were not to while away these meanwhile years unproductively, but to work and pray and make the most of exile anticipating their future.

In a success-driven or nationalist culture, setbacks and detours can be upsetting and destructive. When we are goal-oriented and boast rights to my dreams, my way, on my time schedule, we can miss the lessons and blessings of the journey. God works in the hard places and disruptions to cull away idols, train character, and redirect priorities. He can change perspectives of fruitfulness and success and His broad kingdom by interrupting our misconceptions and ease.

What setbacks or exiles are we experiencing, what longing is unfulfilled? How do we handle unwanted or unexpected meanwhile years of singleness before marriage, a difficult work environment, temporary housing, economic stress, a medical setback or condition? Do we complain, languish, waste the season? Do we nurture resentment and pause productivity? Or do we make the most of the opportunity to grow in faith, to learn from that environment or multiply influence for Christ in that place?

What habits and motivations is the Lord addressing by unwanted circumstances? What occasions is He giving to hone compassion, respect, industry, reoriented loves? What commands can we take seriously to redirect today’s efforts in challenging situations? What promises will energize our exile? How we manage our ‘whiles’ determines our readiness for the hope-filled plans God’s preparing. (Galatians 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 3:13)

Father, help me this day to obey and honor You with zeal in light of that day.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10

“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10