Author: astherainandsnow

“You are a people holy to the Lord your God.

“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year… 

“At the end of every three years you shall bring out the tithe of your produce and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite,.. the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”

“The Lord will bless you in the land that [He] is giving you for an inheritance to possess— if only you will strictly obey [his] voice, being careful to do all this commandment. For the Lord your God will bless you, as he promised.., and you shall rule over many nations…

“If one of your brothers should become poor,.. you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against [him], but you shall open your hand and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing,.. and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and the poor, in your land…’

“As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.” Deuteronomy 14:21b,22,28-29; 15:4-11,14b-15

The Lord’s commands to His people through Moses were predicated on their love relationship with Him, and depended on their remembering from where they had come. They were not free except that He had delivered them, they owned nothing He’d not given them, and they would not enter the promised land except that He drive out its occupants before them. Truly, all they were and had was because of Him. Neither His commands nor His people should ever be begrudged. (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Immersed in day-to-day, we ignore our ties to the past and the Lord. Intent on personal business, we forget the greater purpose for our being here and the gifts we’ve received along the way. As determination sets in, we begrudge sharing success and credit, thinking ourselves rightful to hoard or flaunt what we’ve deserved.

The Lord upends this humanist thinking. The Giver of every good gift expects us to share from our bounty, support His servants, and help the poor. He calls us to broader living. (James 1:17)

How are we obeying these commands? Do we spend ourselves as mere stewards of abundance and freedom, or hold tight His gifts for selfish indulgence? How can we honor and prioritize Him by supporting His ministers?

Lord, soften my heart and open my hands with generosity of love and gratitude.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor..;
    to comfort all who mourn;..
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations…

“For I the Lord… will faithfully give them their recompense,
    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
    and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
    that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
    to sprout up before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:1-4,7-11

Isaiah’s description of God’s anointing points first to its Source, the Spirit of the Lord Himself. He it is who calls and equips for His work through His people in His world. His motive is mercy to the poor, broken, bound, and blind, and His message is favor, comfort, freedom, and healing. This good news has power to redeem, fulfilling itself and its purpose that the Lord be glorified. All His works reflect His grace, might, and majesty so His beauty is displayed.

By love and grace and salvation’s covering, we carry His anointing. From Eden’s command to be fruitful and multiply to present life under the sun, we have a charge to keep. Carry and deliver good news! Speak the Word that imparts life and fruit! Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and we have the responsibility and privilege of glorifying Him by sharing that news and unleashing its transformative power. (Genesis 1:27-28; Isaiah 52:7-9; 55:10-11; Luke 19:10; Romans 10:14-15; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Do we see the spiritually needy? Are we compassionate for their lost estate? Are we more prone to criticize, castigate, and condemn than we are to long for their deliverance and participate in allaying their ignorance?

Only a grateful awareness of the Lord’s immeasurable grace to us will convict of cold-heartedness and inform and motivate bold telling. We must recognize and cherish Christ’s mercy and imparted righteousness to desire others be so adorned. Personal deliverance from sin and self is fuel for desiring the same in others.

How are we utilizing God’s anointing? To whom will we announce and explain the gospel this week? How is our witness showcasing His glory?

Lord, may I proclaim Your good news with bold gladness so You are exalted through its power.

“‘For your Maker is your husband,
    the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
    the God of the whole earth he is called…
With everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’
    says the Lord, your Redeemer…

“For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
    behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
    and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of agate,
    your gates of carbuncles,
    and all your wall of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
    and great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
    you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
    and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
If anyone stirs up strife,
    it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
    shall fall because of you.
Behold, I have created the smith
    who blows the fire of coals
    and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
    no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 54:5,8b,10-17

“God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-3

The contrast Isaiah makes between the fidelity of man and God is stark. Trouble and storms pepper all of life, but the God of the whole earth establishes His beloved ones securely and forever. He is our sanctuary. Fickle man falters and rattled nations sway, while compassionate God holds His own in peace. The Lord of hosts, Husband and Redeemer, cannot be moved. (Psalm 77:13-20)

Everywhere we turn we see instability and evidence of shaking, brokenness, and trouble. At every turn of emotion or event, every personal threat or breaking newscast, God is present, and presently helpful. It is often the storm and fear that awaken our want for refuge, and the Lord beckons us through toss and tumble to come.

Who, or what fear, unsteadies our core? When anxiety riddles, remember the Lover of our souls! No disruption, physical or psychological, can alter His love. What poisons do we allow to penetrate our peace? He conquers all strife and rules every swell and storm. When we shake, His promises stand.

“’A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
O Jesus, best belov’d! I live with Thee;
My heart has found its everlasting home,
Its sure abiding place where’er I roam.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
My heart is still’d beneath love’s canopy;
I always am ‘at home’ on land or sea;
All joyfully I pitch my tent with Thee.” ~Emily Crawford (1864-1927)

Father, quell doubts and fear, establish me firmly in Your presence, magnify Your power.

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
    do not utterly forsake me!

How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you…
In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word…

Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law…
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
    and I will meditate on your wondrous works…
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
    let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments
    when you enlarge my heart!

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
    and I will keep it to the end…
I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever…
I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes…

If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have given me life.” Psalm 119:1-11,14-16,18,27,30-33,44,48,92-93

The psalmist creatively describes the delights of God’s Word and his determination to know, revere, and abide by its principles. What was his song and light he described to others, that they too might experience blessedness. The Word cherished was life expressed.

Willingness to know and apply the Scriptures guards from falling to sin, prepares for rejection, emboldens testimony, and heightens praise. God’s word reminds of His love, satisfies longings, and fortifies faith. The will bent on the Lord and His ways is steadfast, upright, and calm. These truths are free for the taking, a balm to weary souls. (Psalm 119:42,46,61,101,104,165)

What affliction lingers? What temptation taunts? What regret, shame, or despair weighs heavy? What confusion hovers dark? Turn to the Word! Delight in the promises! Cling to the truths! Take hold of the hope and joy! Claim the unshakable love! (Psalm 119:66-72,74-77,97-99,130,133)

How will we know better, and implement willingness to abide by, God’s word? Begin by familiarizing ourselves with its facets and beauties, its scope and power. Meditate and memorize, be still in awe, and praise His grace and fullness. What practical steps will we take to well-try His promises and delight in His commands? How will we imbed God’s word into the fabric of our thinking, hours, and days? Only then are souls filled, and still. (Psalm 119:140,143,147-148,160,161b-162,163b,172,175)

“Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
    for they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, to the end.” Psalm 119:111-112

Amen.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

“He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’

“And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.^’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:1-8

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26

Perfection. Lush surroundings, exquisite atmosphere, delectable food, an ongoing feast for every sense. Adam and Eve enjoyed intimate fellowship with their Creator in the Eden He’d personally prepared and pronounced ‘very good.’ While Eve had been warned about the knowledge of evil she would inherit by eating from the only forbidden tree, and the serpent himself acknowledged it, she allowed herself to be smitten by the ‘good’ of its fruit. (Genesis 1:26-31; 3:13)

Focus on the good. Think positively. The world entices with an incessant barrage of ‘goodness’ that’s foreign to God’s best. Danger lurks when the appealing and delicious and enjoyable blind us to what we must avoid. Sin’s sweetness is fleeting, leaving bitter taste and often irreversible consequences and rot. The attractive, crafty devil was condemned to a forever curse. (Genesis 3:14-15)

Because of the enemy’s marketing of all things ungodly, the casual mind might miss the pitfalls in the myriad of good choices offered. Untested in faith and untrained in the truth of the Word, we can fall for counterfeit promises and fall before counterfeit gods. The eye clouded with worldly glitz or fame’s glitter cannot see clearly behind the veneer of shallow success. There is no better way than the Lord’s.

Where are we falling for the devil’s allures? How keenly do we recognize the temptation of ‘good’, and how willing are we to say no to its fleeting pleasures? Where will we choose God’s best today?

Lord, help me never settle for less than Your best and glory.

“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. And you shall do the same with his donkey or his garment, or any lost thing which [your brother] loses and you find; you may not ignore it. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.” Deuteronomy 22:1-4

The explanation of this law supposes brotherhood, attentiveness, and compassion. God’s people are to have special care for others made in His image, alert to what’s happening around them and exercising large hearts. The bother and potential expense of tending to a lost item or animal, and effort spent seeking its owner, are more important than getting on with personal responsibilities. The Lord cares about how His children care.

Going about daily life, we concern ourselves with many things. In doing so, we choose what to notice and get involved in, and dictate what to ignore or neglect. Ofttimes the press of urgent blinds us, or stress hardens us, to needs in our midst. Personal busyness precludes our ability to see people and things not in our priority path. God’s way is never to hurry or disregard, but to be cognizant and willing to help.

The prodigal’s father never stopped longing for his lost son and his return home. Through our foolish wandering, the Lord Jesus never stopped pursuing us in love. He cared all along to return us to our rightful home. He is a God concerned, and redemptive, and still goes out of His way to reconcile and restore. How about us? (Psalm 103:11-14; Isaiah 54:7-8; 55:6-7)

What areas of lost devotion or discipline are we neglecting? Whom are we ignoring who needs hope, reassurance, or restoration? Is our habit to close our eyes to what’s inconvenient, to turn our backs on the unattractive, or situations that yield us no return? With what cloak or donkey is God convicting us today of selfish priorities and callous hearts, and what will we do about it? How can I be forthright in bringing about relational and spiritual restoration among the lost, the bitter, the broken? (Galatians 6:1)

“Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.” ~Robert Robinson (1758)

Father, attune my eyes and desire with grace to others, and keep me ready, willing, and generous to make restoration as I can for others’ good and Your sake.

“I know your works, your toil and patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place… Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear.” Revelation 2:2-7

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:9-10

“Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

The church at Ephesus had a good attitude, and keen discernment between good and evil. They were patient, persevering steadfastly for Christ’s sake. They detested evil. Yet, their love had settled into a noun, a muted emotion, and had lost its vital display of practical, meaningful action. They’d abandoned its works, rendering themselves devoid of visible proof of any flicker of inward devotion.

How easily we misappropriate zeal and affection! In the bustle and busy of life we can mentally check off profession of love to God and man as a badge or duty, yet leave no time or heart room for proving deeds. Tangled in achievement and personal preferences, love becomes a meaningless byword. We fall from tending the lamp of sacrifice and implementing characteristics of Christ’s love to consumption in selfish pursuit, and God is not pleased.

He invites us to return. He calls us to remember our first love and fan back into flame that divine romance. He urges repentance, and renewed commitment to specific action that evidences our benevolent, grace-bought union. How promptly do we heed His call?

What does an honest assessment of our schedule, how we spend hours and resources and words, reveal about priorities of our loves? What do daily interactions with others and how we go about practical responsibilities tell of our affection for Christ and conformity to His character? (Romans 12:13; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Whom do we profess to love, but leave those words unadorned by action? How willing are we to lay down our lives, dreams, petty wants, relished privacy, for the benefit and blessing of another? What specific deed that we do for others expresses genuine love? Can another say, having encountered us, I feel loved by Jesus? (John 15:13)

“Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart, 
wean it from sin, through all its pulses move. 
Cleanse my desires, my heart and strength and mind, 
and make me love you as I ought to love. 

Teach me to love you as your angels love, 
one holy passion filling all my frame: 
the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove; 
my heart an altar, and your love the flame.” ~George Croly (1854)

Lord, teach me practical, bountiful ways to express your Christlike love to all I encounter, for Your pleasure and glory.

“Know, therefore,.. you are a stubborn people.  Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness… You have been rebellious against the Lord. At Horeb… the Lord was so angry with you that he was ready to destroy you…  [He] said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly.., for your people… have acted corruptly… They have made themselves a metal image…

“‘Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven…’ I looked, and you had… made yourselves a golden calf… So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them… and broke them before your eyes. Then I lay prostrate before the Lord… I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed… I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the Lord bore against you… But the Lord listened to me…

“So I lay prostrate before the Lord for these forty days and forty nights…  And I prayed, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt… Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or sin, lest the land from which you brought us say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.” For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’” Deuteronomy 9:4-8,12,14,16-19,25-29

One of Moses’ most significant ministries among the people of God was his ongoing intercession for them. From reluctance to maturity as God’s leader of the nation, he grew through ongoing communion with his Sovereign. Over years and trials he deepened his understanding of how God worked and the facets of His character. He learned to love His honor and His people, however fickle and rebellious they were. (Exodus 4:10-13)

Prayer does that. Humbling ourselves before the Almighty, the Holy One, puts us in our place as His instrument. It reminds us of our smallness before His greatness, our fallibility and weakness before His perfection and might. Coming by His mercy reminds us to be merciful, and acknowledging His undeserved favor awakens graciousness in us toward others. (Job 1:5; Psalm 8:3-6; Matthew 6:12; Luke 18:13; Hebrews 4:15-16)

How vibrant is our ministry of pleading for others? Does our own secure salvation cause us to be smug and uncaring toward the lost, or regularly spur us to grief over rebel spirits and ignorance, compassion, desire for God’s holy intervention? How well do we try to understand their resistance or reluctance? Would we ask God for a heart like His for their souls?

Whom has the Lord placed alongside us in workplace or neighborhood for whom there may be no other to plead? What evidence do we display, visibly or in the private place, that we care deeply and personally for their eternal state, and are concerned that God’s honor be known? The Lord hears the powerful, effectual prayers of His people. When and for whom will I prostrate myself and plead today? (Psalm 34:17; 138:3; Jeremiah 33:3; James 5:16)

Loving Father, compel me to passionate, merciful pleading for the lost, seeking You and Your highest and best for their sake and Your glory.

“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!

The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the Lord our God,
    seated on high,
who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?” Psalm 113:1-6

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up… Above him stood the seraphim… one called to another:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!'” Isaiah 6:1-3

God on high looks far down on heavens and earth, a reality impossible to grasp. Seeing the Lord high and lifted up compels awe-filled, humble praise. Whatever heights man fathoms and describes, He is higher, residing and ruling above what is seen and known. Imagine the edges of conscious comprehension, and He is beyond. To acknowledge God on high is to trust in His overarching reign and keeping.

‘On’ supposes the bearing of volume and heft. The Creator of the measureless expanse of heaven and earth has also imparted their capacity to uphold His awesome majesty. The One infinitely weighty in grandeur, glory, and power, and sustains His universe, is Himself upheld by His heavens. We must marvel! (Colossians 1:16-17)

Along our way and rhythms of each day, the uneven path takes concentration and surroundings distract at every turn. Glances left and right, nagging from behind and choices ahead contribute to easily forgetting to look up and take note of our heavenly Companion. Does our busy tending to present details keep us from considering Who resides above them all?

On what do we regularly focus? Is our gaze dictated by the urgent we’ve determined, or the onslaught of outside allure and influence? When nations and people rage, or fears assail or sorrows choke, or demands press in and temptations attract, do we consider the One on high? He is far superior in goodness, satisfaction, and protection than anything on earth. His righteousness is perfect, His thoughts lofty, His might supreme. He scatters beauty abroad for us to enjoy, yet He on high is the most resplendent of all.

How high is my Lord to me, how preeminent His throne in my life? Have I limited my view, and therefore my understanding and worship, of Him by finite human measures? What needs to change in mindset and practice so I regularly consider and behold the infinite One high and lifted up? When do I turn my face from what’s before me to gaze up at Him who sees and rules the affairs of my life and the wide world? In doing so I’m rightly positioned to trust and praise.

“O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.” Helen Lemmel (1922)

Lord, turn my eyes upward to gaze at, exalt, and praise You always.

“Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
    ‘The Lord will surely separate me from his people’;
and let not the eunuch say,
    ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’
For thus says the Lord:
‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me
    and hold fast my covenant,
I will give in my house and within my walls
    a monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off.

“’And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
    and holds fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
    for all peoples.’
The Lord God,
    who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
‘I will gather yet others to him
    besides those already gathered.’”

“He who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
    and shall inherit my holy mountain.

“It shall be said,
‘Build up, build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstruction from my people’s way.’
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.'” Isaiah 56:3-8; 57:13b-15

Isaiah propounds a high view of God in every vignette depicted. He also brings to light the folly and distance of man apart from Him. Repeatedly he draws the two together with messages of the Sovereign’s love and mercy extending invitation to all who would hear, and come. His is a house with wide walls that gathers outcasts and welcomes spiritual foreigners to become His children. Far or near, high or low, every contrite worshiper can take refuge there.

In provincial living within my small space surrounded by my people motivated by my passions tending to my responsibilities, it’s natural not to entertain thought of a broader world. We move about in measured margin, and often miss the majesty of God’s true family. Limited thinking and experience limits understanding of the scope of His heavenly abode.

The infinite Lord’s expansive love and far-reaching highways don’t figure in a narrow focus and nationalistic mindset. He is Lord of the world, with ways beyond our comprehension. His plans for the salvation of His people everywhere are spacious, and cannot be thwarted. (Job 42:2; Psalm 36:5-6; Isaiah 55:8-9)

How grateful are we to be counted among the contrite and lowly God revives with grace? Will we pray to hone His divine, eternal perspective on the world? What part do we play in bringing all people to the Lord’s house? Whom are we regularly inviting, gathering together, telling of His wonders and ways? (Deuteronomy 31:12-13; 32:2-3)

Lord, give me eyes to see and delight in Your wide world, and a heart to welcome many to Your large love and mercy.