Author: astherainandsnow

“Thus says the Lord of hosts,.. 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;.. 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 God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to [their] dreams… 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.” Jeremiah 29:4-8,10-13

Israel was exiled to Babylon because of her rebellion and idolatry, but it was never God’s intent to abandon or ruin her there. As with all the fulfilling of His word, this time was for her ultimate good and for God to display His power through Israel’s eventual return. In the mean time, she was not to languish in lament, to bemoan the unfairness against her and give up all productivity and expectation among a people she despised. Her longing to return to Israel was to fuel her days with hope and fortitude, and she was to make the most of this season of exile to grow strong, learn of God, and bless the place where He had planted her, albeit temporary. She was to learn to discern and desire His truth from the error of dreams and wishful thinking. She was to seek Him with all her heart, and seek His welfare among her captors.

When we get stuck in our own determinations and devices, any turn of events that forces us into an unknown area, an unwanted situation, can freeze us in resentment or discomfort. In our unwillingness to accept a new hard place as God’s assignment, we can easily ignore His lessons, let our faith atrophy, and cease to bear fruit. But God calls us to higher and better. Keep on! Keep building, growing, be a blessing to your new city, your new circle of acquaintances. Pray for their good, sow seeds of truth, shine light, make a difference.

Is there loneliness due to a move, a sadness in a diagnosis mixed with fear for the future, a grievous exile in a relationship as sin’s consequence, an assignment that seems unjust or is just plain miserable? How will I plant, multiply, pray, and make an eternal difference where I am? Will I choose to complain at my circumstances, or to hope in and work toward God’s good plans?

Lord, may I sing Your song and build with joyful expectation in every new land You appoint, for the sake of Your kingdom and glory. (Psalm 137:1-6)

“After this, Paul stayed [in Corinth] many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila… And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, ‘I will return to you if God wills,’ and he set sail from Ephesus. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.” Acts 18:18-23

Paul’s life as a Christian was an ongoing ministry of ‘road work,’ marked by moving from city to city, synagogue to synagogue to crowd to new church, all the while building up people in God’s word. He boldly taught, eagerly followed the Spirit’s lead, steadfastly worked to earn his keep, never shrank from conflict. His life was not his own. He was so bent on the next right thing, right place, God’s next assignment, that even if he took thought for his whereabouts and his weariness of travel, his arduous lifestyle took a back seat to the proclamation of the gospel. (Acts 16:6-10; 18:1-4; Galatians 2:20)

“[I am] constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:22-24

Getting on the road may ignite an appetite for self-driven adventure, or living out of a suitcase may not be a lifestyle of choice, but for the apostle Paul, we see this mode of living as a surrendered obedience to his Lord. His purposes were high, his baggage light, his passion for truth and people warm. Whatever his former pride in notoriety, status, or accomplishment, as one who had been drastically saved from destruction, his life goals had been re-oriented. He was on God’s mission, expending every waking hour and ounce of energy to fulfill his God-given purpose, for his Redeemer God’s glory. What a model! What an inspiration! (Acts 9:1-9,15,26-30)

If we’re driven to go, are we fueled by our own plan for a distinct experience, or a restlessness in my present station? Or when the Lord calls us to go, do we complain and resist another bed, another adjustment? What needs to change for us to turn in our rights and preferences and say, Lord, whatever Your course, keep me on it?

Father, wherever You call me to be or go, whatever assignment You give, may I follow and serve wholeheartedly, with zeal and thankfulness. May Your holy word guide and inspire my every action, and flow from my mouth to give life to others. (Romans 12:11; Colossians 3:17)

“For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?.. If they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.” “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” “At Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord… The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles… They continued to preach the gospel… ‘We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.’ When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith.” Jeremiah 23:18,22; Mark 9:7; Acts 14:1-4,7,15,21-22

The tongue is a marvelous gift, and when employed by the Lord, can have great positive influence in and for His kingdom. But God has placed some parameters that our tongues be used for good, not evil, for as powerful as they are, they can effect destruction as readily as spiritual growth and transformation. (James 3:1-8)

The apostles taught the gospel with remarkable impact, proclaiming truth in such a way that its light broke through resistance, shattered preconceptions, turned upside down false gods. The word itself is powerful to cut deep, expose souls and sin, and when spoken clearly will have its God-ordained result. Our responsibility is to know it, and deliver it boldly. (Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12)

Jeremiah, in denouncing false prophets, gives the secret for true prophets that we can apply today. A sponge can’t be casually tossed in a full sink, quickly grabbed out, and be wet enough to do much good. It must be plunged deep, have time to soak, to absorb water, in order to be of use. It takes deliberation, time, focus, to stand in God’s council to see and listen to His word, to pay attention and meditate on its meaning.

Would I speak for my Lord? My desire, my boldness, my best intentions, must all be immersed in His word. I must wait on His word and be faithful to proclaim; it is the Lord alone Who takes care of response and result. Some will receive, some will resist, some will flatly reject. God is the One Who tends the heart soil and brings about growth and change.  (Matthew 13:1-23; 1 Corinthians 3:6)

Lord God, fill me with truth, and season my tongue with grace, that with Your voice I may speak all the words You command, holding nothing back. Have Your way and be glorified with all results. (Jeremiah 26:2,14; Colossians 4:6)

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand… Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’” Jeremiah 18:1-6,11

We were made from dust, the ‘clay’ of the earth, and in Eden, perfectly. But since the fall, we are all marred. Thanks be to the merciful Potter that He handles and reworks us! He kneads our hearts to remove the pieces of foreign grit, reshaping us, fashioning us for His use and glory. As in divine authority He spins His world on its axis, He ever spins His wheel of our lives in sovereign order and smooth precision, applying pressure from circumstances, experiences, dilemmas, sorrows, contrition, to develop and form certain areas that make up His plans for us, His vessel. Whether made for noble or, in the world’s eyes, ignoble use, we are all jars of clay with the high calling to carry His light. (Romans 9:21; 2 Corinthians 4:6-7; 2 Timothy 2:21)

Do I feel broken beyond repair? Make haste to the Potter! Do I get discouraged with repeated sin? Run to the Potter! Do I loathe what I have allowed myself to tolerate– the bitterness I have fertilized with my sense of desert, the sloth I have entertained one time too many, the ugly words I let fly that have wrought destruction on reputations and relationships, the decisions I made that have left scars? The Potter’s door is open wide and God awaits with mercy, welcoming my marred soul at His beautiful wheel, into His loving, gracious hands.

“What love could remember no wrongs we have done?                                                 Omniscient, all-knowing, He drowns out their sum;                                                              Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore;                                                                                 Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.” ~ Matt Boswell and Matt Papa (2016)

Even recognizing these areas and ruing them is a mercy from God. His exposing the error of our ways, the depravity of our souls, leads us to repentance. How wondrous is his pursuing love, how kind his conviction of sin! He desires to remake me that I may bear His image and assignments well. When my marred meets His mercy, mercy wins, fashioning me for the occasions He appoints. (Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10)

Almighty Potter, apply your strong hands to me, that I may be reworked and molded to Your design for this day, and every day. May I yield to Your fresh mercies each morning, and as Your vessel, be filled to bear Your praise and light to all I meet. (Lamentations 3:22-23; Ephesians 5:18)

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” Acts 16:25-34

This Philippian jailer may not have been high on society’s totem pole, but he was immeasurably valuable to Jesus. He took his job seriously, so seriously that when an earthquake released the bonds and doors on his prisoners, he readied to take his life rather than be implicated and held accountable for their escape. Paul arrested his suicide attempt by calling out, and the jailer approached this unusual man and his friend Silas, humbled and trembling.

How could these criminals care more for him and his family than for their own release? God interrupted his fear and awakened his faith, transforming, in moments, his whole life orientation. Who else could reveal true freedom through joyful songs and prayers of the shackled, could change the guard’s fear of man into fear of God, could soften hands that locked ankle stocks into those that washed wounds and served the hungry, could transfer the title of a government official to ‘chosen child of God’? Jesus sets captives, and those who lord it over captives, free! And believing in His gift of salvation brings freedom to follow Him with joy.

In what reactions, habits, mindset, am I stuck, thinking I was made this way, I’ll always be here, I can never change? What stubbornness, rights, resentment, secrets, do I guard under lock and key, afraid to release? What message of truth from others, however unwelcome or startling, might God be using to rattle open my life in a new way to Him? How willing am I for the Lord to open my heart to those I would have kept at bay, to shake off the restraints of life-long attitudes, prejudices, bitterness, fears, to transform my thinking, to stoke my faith’s fire?

Lord, may I eagerly, and willingly, and daily, respond to Your truth that sets free with passionate faith, and lavish love to others. (John 8:31-32)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” “What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul?” “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.” “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; Jeremiah 24:7; Proverbs 3:5; Mark 12:30

God deals with all; He does not command partial. Just as He is all God, all for us, He expects that we who follow Him would be wholly His, all in, loving, fearing, serving, and trusting Him with all our hearts. When we stray, He invites us to return with all our hearts, leaving no closed doors, no dusty corners, no hold-backs. Consider the rich young ruler, thinking he had done all, yet unwilling to give all:

“A man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him,.. ^‘You know the commandments: “Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.”‘ And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’ And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Mark 10:17-22

How is my definition of all different from God’s? Where am opening myself for God to use, but then dictating how, choosing those whom I want to serve, befriend, help? Do I pray myself all in, but gravitate toward personal preferences and easier places? Do I avoid the difficult, the crusty and squeaky, and thus prohibit the Lord from teaching full dependence, whole surrender, complete abandon to His love flowing through me? Where am I offering all, but holding back some? He Who made the heart died for all the heart, that it can be whole for Him.

“Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.”  ~Frances Havergal (1874)

God, You know my heart, You understand my every plan and thought. Search me, purify me, give me an undivided heart to fear You, to wholly love, serve, and trust You. And through all of me, please show Your great heart to others. (1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 86:11; 139:23; Acts 15:8)

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting… And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem… devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God…’

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,  praising God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2:1-2,4-11,42,44-47

The pocked surface of the Gulf tickled my fancy this morning. In the vast pale blue green, there were dimples of dark, large round dish shapes moving slowly across the surface. Sparkling like strewn jewels, flashing bits of white – was it an errant crest of a tiny wave? No, a school of tiny silver fish, darting and sweeping in unison, ruffling the flat and catching the early mornings rays in twinkly glitter. Such is the artistry of hundreds of fish all swarming through the water together.

And such is the beauty of fellowship in the Holy Spirit. As a multitude, we can marvel at our different languages speaking a common praise and message of love, the Body moving in unified devotion to proclaim and stand up for truth, to serve, meet needs. When we go it alone, our influence is limited, but traveling together in the stream of God‘s people, in mutual support and endeavor, we break through surfaces of resistance, we spread out and attract attention to the Light we reflect.

Antoine de St. Exupery wrote in his 1943 children’s classic, The Little Prince, “Love consists not in gazing at each other, but in looking outward in the same direction.” In order to tickle a dark world with the gospel’s light and love, we must haste away from ourselves, put aside petty differences, and swim en masse with a God-ward focus. Fellowship’s delights are sweeter, and our testimony clearer, when we minister, love, work, and grow together.

Lord, do what You need to in me so I contribute to the winsome fellowship of Your Spirit. Love through me so others know I am Yours, and want to be Yours too. (John 13:35)

“My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me… For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded; I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?” “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Jeremiah 8:18,21-22; Psalm 30:5

Upon recently rejoicing, in emotion and joy without description or limits, at the birth of a tiny little life, I have had an exquisite taste of God’s bounty and grace. After immeasurable loss, years of grieving, longing, clinging, and waiting, this gift has been given. Hallelujah. And this cherished gift is received with grateful, careful hands, and the acute awareness of generosity, of the wide mercies of God, of boundless love and sweet healing and a hint of comprehension of His marvelous and mysterious ways. Indeed, I savor and am astounded at the Almighty’s handiwork, I marvel at the unsearchable depth of His riches. His balm is like no other. (Acts 13:41; Romans 11:33)

There are no guarantees that in this life we will receive back what we have lost, that we will be healed of the wasting disease, or that all relationships will be reconciled. There is no assurance that on this earth people will dwell together in peace, that perfect justice will be served, that we will live long and happily ever after. But what we know to be true is far greater, broader, deeper, and lasting. The balm God provides and applies is not the aromatic ointment drawn from resin from a flowering plant east of the Jordan River, but the invisible, eternal fragrance drawn from the root of Jesse, the righteous Branch, blood spilled out for us by Jesus on the cross. Our hope, our soul balm, is in Him alone. (Isaiah 11:1-6,9-10; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Romans 5:1-5; 2 Corinthians 2:14)

“There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole,
There is a balm in Gilead, to cure the sin-sick soul.”  ~Spiritual (1868)

Is not every suffering in this life a result of our sin-sick souls? It is man’s fall that our Savior came to redeem. We long for Eden; our sin and all its effects– our broken dreams, broken communication, broken affections, broken priorities, broken bodies and minds– cry out to be covered in His balm. Through the risen and glorified Jesus, God promises to make all things right in the end. “He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” In this we have certain hope! (Revelation 21:3-4)

Isn’t our God gracious to give sweet glimpses, the most delicious tastes, of our future glory, in the living, breathing body of a precious new life? (Romans 8:18-21)

Lord of life, thank You for Your gift of new life that pulses with our eternal hope. In You we live and move and have our being, in the present and for all eternity. (Acts 17:28)

“The word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. [They went] through the whole island as far as Paphos.” Acts 12:24-13:6

Watching the early apostles go here and there, preaching, gathering their diverse teams, discussing, strategizing, packing and traveling, taking up new companions and dropping off others, we observe the multiplication of the churches and get caught up in the buzz of holy activity and numbers and busy-ness. We might miss the supernatural if we don’t pause, if we ignore the apostles’ ‘secret sauce.’ They regularly were still before their God. They worshiped, fasted, prayed, always basing their next steps on God’s leading. They listened for instruction, sensed the movement of the Spirit, were always willing to speak when He gave opportunity, to go when He said go, and stay or wait when He said no. (Acts 16:6-10)

We busily go about our duties and activities, some in God’s flow and under His explicit direction, some in and under our own. The Lord does His work in our days, wonder upon wonder, but we often fail to see it, because in the flesh, we get frenetic with responsibilities, going and doing, fixing and fussing, planning and meeting, preparing and packing and getting on the road again. Unless we make time with Him a priority, our first thing, we may be breathing heavy with no air, toiling with no fruit, missing out on what He has for us and what He is already doing. When we base every day and choice on Him, we can face the details, the distance, the light or the darkest storm, with confidence, peace, and purpose. Busy begets frenzy, based begets fruitfulness. (Isaiah 29:14; Habakkuk 1:5; John 15:5; Acts 13:41)

Where have we lost grounding and focus? It’s not always in or because of the big things.  Great movements of God can be undermined by small areas of distraction, flesh temptations, casual gossip, missed warnings or opportunities. We must beware the little foxes, and be vigilant in moments, not just days. (Song of Solomon 2:15)

Lord, keep my mind set on the things of God, not of man, on things above, not things of the earth. In all You call and lead me to do, may I ever be before You. Base my schedule in Your calendar, my efforts in Your power, my every motivation and desire in Your Spirit and truth. (Mark 8:33; Ephesians 5:15-17; Colossians 3:1-2)

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.’ And Gideon said to him, ‘Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, “Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?” But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.’” Judges 6:12-13

How often, in our finite reasoning, we make wrong assumptions of God! Because Israel was suffering under the oppression of Midian, Gideon questioned God– His goodness, His power. If God had delivered them from Egypt, would He not keep them free? Didn’t God’s presence mean freedom from trouble? Wasn’t God’s blessing defined by smooth happiness and rosy living? If God was almighty as His reputation claimed, and Israel belonged to Him, how could they be overpowered by this cruel nation? If God had promised a land of milk and honey, why was their produce being devoured, their land laid waste? But what Gideon failed to acknowledge was that Israel had fallen in love with Midian’s gods. (Judges 6:1-10)

We readily believe God is a dispenser of blessing and bounty. We want Him to exact justice on evil people. We assume that if He is really on our side, we and those we love will be healthy, comfortable, without adversaries or obstacles. We select the attributes we prefer Him display- generosity, mercy, lovingkindness- but do not always like His holiness and righteousness. We count on Him to keep His promises, but are not so committed ourselves to keep (and excuse not keeping) His benevolent demands. We want Him to be trustworthy while we excuse our own slips. We are idol-makers. We live and move in the horizontal, reducing God to god and dictating what and how this god should behave. We attempt to manipulate Him to our image, and get thrown off when He rises up as the pure and powerful One He is.

By calling us to be set apart as His people, the Lord is inviting to us His eternal and high perspective. He is holy, and shares His glory with no-one. It is a good thing that He disciplines us, because His intent is our holiness and peace. If we would lay down our arms, our excuses, our finger-wagging, our rights, if we would be honest about the bent of our own hearts, our rebel affections, our contrived justifications, we would fly to the mighty arms of our merciful Savior and welcome His perfect work on our behalf. We would see things as He does, and we could make sense of His ways, at least as much as we can trust His character and goodness. (Isaiah 42:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 12:5-11)

Holy God, so captivate my heart’s desires that I worship You alone. Show me my idols, and cleanse me from thinking my thoughts are Yours. Grant me Your perspective on things here below, that I marvel in You above.