Author: astherainandsnow

“O Lord, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! 
    Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
    man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    My hope is in you…
For I am a sojourner with you,
    a guest, like all my fathers.” Psalm 39:4-7,12b

“By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

David was acutely aware of his flesh, its folly and weaknesses as well as its limitations and certain end. His prayer life recorded in the Psalms echoes his constant dependence on the Lord for perspective all the days of his earthly sojourn. The breaths that composed his breadth of lifespan were numbered, and he wanted them to count. (Psalm 39:1-3,8)

We must see our time on earth in the context of eternity in heaven: we are guest travelers here bound for a promised forever there. All we’ve been entrusted with for now- health and wealth and opportunities- is limited, guaranteed depleted at God’s appointed time. Each person, allotted a number of days by the Creator, is accountable to Him for his investment and expenditure. (Psalm 139:16; Proverbs 23:4-5)

Do we take seriously the reality of limits and limited commodities? How do we adjust dreams and plans in light of God’s accounting? What lessons has the Lord taught from times of drought, and success? What are we investing, by seeking God in His word, Christian community, and service, to gain a heart of wisdom? How will we spend that heart for Jesus’s sake?

Life is fleeting. Will we flaunt it, or fully invest in the One who entrusted it to us? We can spend ourselves doing what will not last, or offer ourselves for God’s forever kingdom and glory. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.*

“Time! what an empty vapour ’tis!
And days how swift they are!
I welcome hours that quickly pass,
See heaven from afar.

O mighty God! these fleeting days
Thy lasting favours share;
May I be faithful to thy grace,
Through every rolling year.

‘Tis sovereign mercy finds us food,
Clothes us with strength and love;
Every rich gift is ours to use
To serve Your plans above.” ~Isaac Watts (1806); PEB

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” ~C. T. Studd

Lord, every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ keep me pliable in Your hands, persuaded by Your word, and invigorated for Your work. Help me expend myself to further Your gospel, build Your kingdom, and praise Your glory. (Hebrews 3:13-15)

*Jim Elliot (1949)

“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.

He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber…
The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.” Psalm 121:1-3,8

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you.” Psalm 3:3; 55:22

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God..,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

Weighted. Anxious. Heavy laden with cares, to-dos, unknowns, what-ifs. There are days and seasons that press in and upon seemingly holding us under, unable to get a breath. Fatigued, distracted, overwhelmed. No space for a gaze at reordering, a gulp of energy, a moment of respite. Pressure is relentless, shadows loom.

In a situations where ‘our’ time may not be our own, we must remember it is the Lord’s. We may feel spent, but God abounds with life. We may be in turmoil, but with a breath God speaks Peace, be still. We may be bowed with pressure, but He carries us on His shoulders. There is no care that doesn’t concern Him, no weight too heavy for His strong arm. (Deuteronomy 33:12; Isaiah 59:1; Mark 4:39; Romans 11:36; Philippians 4:19)

Every moment we have a choice: to fretting or step in faith. Will we rely on our own wherewithal, or the Lord and His word? Will we skirt the real issues He’s addressing in our spiritual journey, buzz ahead in busyness ignoring deeper lessons He would teach? How can we honor the Lord in every responsibility and demand by trusting His sufficiency? Which promises will we take for our own today?

Father, keep my sights and heart lifted above my cares to see You high and lifted up, and worship. (Isaiah 6:1-5)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace… 

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:1-6,10-11

The reality of sin is that it is condemnable, and God not only in love wants to lift that condemnation from His people, but in righteousness and holiness is solely able to bear it and do so. Indeed, He is merciful, faithful, and just. Condemnation deserved by fallible man is condemnation dealt with by the perfect Lamb. In Christ, the only debt we carry is to live out the freedom and love His Spirit imparts. (John 1:29; Romans 8:12-16; 13:8; 1 John 1:9)

The problem with Christians is we live our days condemning ourselves, hauling around a weight we are not intended, and no longer qualified, to carry. We’ve been granted full freedom yet remain enslaved. We chafe and wrestle with the flesh, unable to shake its heaviness and squirming under the weight of its taunting guilt. We have trouble applying what it true, that the Lord Jesus has carried our fetid burden and put it to death and triumphed over its consumption. We claim we cannot forgive ourselves, contorting and refusing the truth of Christ’s finished work. (Romans 6:17-18,22; Galatians 5:1)

What pride, or shame, or self-loathing, or outright avoidance of Jesus’s death and grace causes us to keep on in condemnation? Do we think we must contribute, do more good, clean ourselves in order to be redeemed? If so, we will never escape the condemnation the devil would deceive us into making our home. It takes genuine belief in Christ’s condemnation of all sin’s penalty and power on Calvary to be able to life in the freedom He won for us. Will we turn from self to Him?

What burden of condemnation need I leave at the cross? What faith will I reckon? How will I love and serve anew in the freedom Christ affords?

“No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.” ~Charles Wesley (1738)

Lord, with unending gratitude for the burden You bore for me, may I love freely to Your praise and glory.

“Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them,  and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.  And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses,.. talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’  For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’ And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

“As they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.” Mark 9:2-10

When Peter saw the transfiguration of Jesus, he could not be still. Always the impetuous, not knowing what to say, he blurted out anyway what he intended to do because he had to do something. However James and John reacted to the marvelous sight of Jesus in gleaming white, it seems silent and thoughtful, but Peter needed some loud instruction. This is my beloved son; listen to him. Look at him only. And keep quiet, hold this experience inside for a while. Peter needed a reordering of his natural bent so the Lord could use him as He planned.

Human nature pushes us to question, to respond, to act. We are wired with impulses that electrify in response to input. Our Creator shapes and refines who we are and how we behave over the course of time, and teaches us from biblical examples the prudence or folly of choices.

What distractions and busyness need we relinquish? In what areas will we hush, gaze at Jesus only, and ponder? How do we regularly listen to Him?

“Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save;
his glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
rich wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified;
no angels in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends their burning eye
at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of peace;
whose power a scepter sways,
from pole to pole that wars may cease,
and all be prayer and praise;
his reign shall know no end
and round his pierced feet,
fair flowers of paradise extend
their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.” ~Matthew Bridges (1851)

Lord, so captivate me with You that my only response is praise.

“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 53:6

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36-38

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… He goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice…

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” John 10:3-4,11,14

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:24-25

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
   He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.” Psalm 23

Lord, attune my ears and heart to listen and follow closely and so always identify with my Shepherd.

“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” “ For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” “He will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and… you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.” Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 26:19

“You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation… You shall be consecrated to me.” Exodus 19:6; 22:31

“You only have I known
    of all the families of the earth.” Amos 3:2

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

The call is distinguished, the identity drastic, the enabling divine. When God called Abraham to become the father of His people Israel, He had in His mind a people set apart for Himself. As Moses approached the burning bush to receive God’s call to lead Israel, the Lord identified holy ground. His meeting with men is always wrapped in the sacred and marked with His holy anointing. God’s children have been named and marked as holy, and are to take on and express that identity by reflecting and proclaiming His excellencies in every area of life. (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 3:1-6)

Imperfect man holy? What is impossible with man, when originated, orchestrated, and commanded by the Almighty, is wholly possible, and exquisite. The feat is accomplished by the very Holy One who calls for it as His Spirit works in and through us His children. (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17; Zechariah 4:6; Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13)

Christians are identified, chosen, and called into a covenant relationship. We are saved by the blood of Christ which, by remission of sin, pronounces us holy and righteous. We’re then sealed by the Covenant Keeper, who installs His Spirit to guarantee His outcome, our holiness and escort to life eternal. Along with His He shalls we cooperate with our you shalls to bring about His purpose and fulfill His design. (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:13-14)

How seriously do I take God’s command to be holy? What habits and pleasures have I withheld from His sanctifying touch? Where will I surrender anew today?

“Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.” ~William Longstaff (1882)

Faithful LORD, who from the beginning has called, complete in me all You’ve begun, to the glory of Your name and magnification of Your excellencies. (Isaiah 41:4,8-10,13; Philippians 1:6)

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29

Jesus teaches often about the kingdom of God, referring to His unseen but very real realm of activity on earth. His is a supernatural domain that divinely supersedes yet coincides with our earthly one in ways we cannot fully know or understand. He suggests that man both scatters and sows the seed of His word, and He makes that seed sprout, take root, and grow. Man is responsible for the practical and willful, He for the spiritual, mysterious, and hidden that makes flourishing possible. (Mark 4:3-9,14-20; 1 Corinthians 3:6)

When we are startled by an unexpected turn of events, or jolted to a new harsh and alarming reality, we might wonder at God’s purpose, or whether He’s involved at all. What we know and see makes little sense. Yet, like comprehending that a seed germinates and takes root in dark soil below the surface, we can trust His design, plan, reasons, love, timing, and ordering of all things well. There are many things we do not and cannot know, but we can know that the King of the universe does, and works everything for good and eternal purposes. (Psalm 119:68; Mark 7:37; Romans 8:28)

What current circumstance has us wondering what God is doing, how He can possibly be working, how He can redeem? Is there unsettledness at work, conflict in a relationship, insecurity about an uncertain future? Have the hypothetical questions begun to pepper our minds, and tension or fear or doubt settled in?

Would we trust and welcome God at the helm to stir up the soil of our hearts and habits, fertilize our character, do what’ it takes’s needed to conform us to His image? Meditating on His unchanging nature will help us trust the Who when questions persist. Praise be to God for His conviction of sin, purposeful sanctification, and unseen but palpable guidance, inspiration, and comfort! (John 16:8; Romans 8:29; 2 Timothy 1:12)

“I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

But, I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.” ~Daniel Whittle (1883)

Lord, help me in every situation where I know not how, what, where, or why, to know You and make You known.

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

And amen.

“And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.  And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.  And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,  ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.  And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.” Mark 1:21-28

The words and works of the carpenter from Nazareth confounded the learned religious leaders and the curious crowds. What they could not understand they observed, and recognized as other-worldly. What He said and did emanated from His divine, flawless character and effused with indescribable authority, unnerving their minds and moving their souls. He could speak an effectual call. He could heal bodies. His presence evoked reaction. He was at once engaging and repulsive, compassionate and stern. His authority was too all-encompassing to be ignored or denied. (Mark 1:16-20,30-31,40-42; 2:14)

Authority: power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior; the moral or legal right or ability to control.

In this world, man toys with authority with push and pull. It is often self-defined and easily abused. It is seized or conferred or manufactured. It is manipulated for ill or exercised for good or resisted in stubborn pride. It can be misdirected by greed or managed in compassion and benevolence. We innately want it, imperfectly wield it, and chafe against the idea of submitting to it.

So different is the authority of our Lord and His word. God always exercises authority without caprice and in perfection. He is just, all-knowing, and redemptive. His word is perfect and abiding, inerrant, pure, and powerful to change lives. When we yield ourselves to live under His authority, we are protected and directed, yet too often we want to make our own rules and play at being our own ruler. (Psalm 18:30; 19:7-9; 119:89; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

What causes me to resist God’s authority? Am I convinced I know best? Do I just like my sin? Do I deem His pattern for living obsolete? Am I flippant with His word, choosing to esteem and obey only the parts that soothe my soul or align with my lifestyle, and dismiss the others I don’t like?

Would I take thoughtful time to discern my motives in decision-making, review daily habits and interactions, and assess how often I command the throne and attempt to control? If I claim Jesus as Lord, am I willingly submitting to His authority in speech, entertainment, indulgence, every area of public and private life? What needs be confessed or changed in order to come under the righteous authority of our God?

Lord, may all I say and represent reflect You and the gracious, immutable authority of Your word.

“Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you!” 1 Kings 8:27

“You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3

“O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens…

When I consider 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 8:1,3-4

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4

“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

“Lift up your hands to the holy place
    and bless the Lord!” Psalm 134:2

Creation shouts the glory of God, heavenly lights and skies draw sights upward beyond the world to imagine eternity beyond. There is something about the dwelling place of God that begs us to consider eternity and that there is much more to life than we can see and know here below. There is something about the highness of God that lifts heart, mind, soul, and hands as an expression of will. Beholding the heavens magnifies our smallness and God’s immeasurable greatness.

There is much that hums and buzzes and grinds in the course of days bumped and shoved by necessity, distraction, and interruption. We tangle ourselves in various affairs of people and places and problems, ofttimes never stopping to look up. To pause the controls, come up for air, and gulp in the view above is a healthy and meaningful exercise. The heaviness of life and cares are but wisps to the great I AM, the confusion and miscommunication that unsettle us are strokes in the Artist’s hands to illustrate His beauty and perfection. The depth of our angst and sorrow and disappointment gets swallowed in the vast eternity of space, upheld by the Almighty. (Colossians 1:16-17)

Where are we crushed by cares, bent by circumstances? What conundrums consume our mental energy and steal our near-sighted focus? Are we too often hunched over devices and absorbed in the world into which they suck us? Straighten the neck, tilt it back, and look up! Behold the works of the Creator’s fingers! Hear the declaration of His glories! Take in the expanse of His wide and deep love, His vast mercies, His unlimited knowledge! Exalt Him! He is more than enough and beyond our imagining! (Ephesians 3:14-21)

What is the Lord on high bidding us set aside or leave behind in order to look up? What disagreements, resentments, regrets, and past hurts keep being revisited, dunking us down? When will we let them go and raise empty, open hands? How different life looks when we lift up our eyes, how lovely the world when we sing His praise!

Lord, give me the magical blend of bowing my will and lifting my eyes and hands, in surrendered dependence and exalted, infinite praise.

“Wisdom is with the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.” Job 12:12

“I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.”

“The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away…

So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom…
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil..”

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
    they are ever full of sap and green.” Psalm 37:25; 90:10,12,14-15; 92:12-14

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.”

“Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 13:20; 22:6

“Listen to me,..
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
    carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:3-4

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

God ordains years for each life, and through them enriches days with growing wisdom, experiences of His faithfulness, and meaningful industry. Time instructs, refines, fortifies. From the dawn to dusk of each day, and life, we can rejoice and be thankful and flourish. (Psalm 139:16)

Different perspectives by culture or mindset see aging as either resisted or revered. Some eschew wrinkles on skin and breakdown in ability and mobility, while others boast wisdom spots, smile lines, and more opportunities to be still, listen better, and pray. The impetus behind resistance or acceptance is our view of God and His order of things.

While it is difficult to ache physically, give up long-loved activities, and lose certain familiarities, in the course of life God intends joy as we age. As years and seasons pass, He will continue to present opportunities for us to grow, serve, and honor Him, even though they look and feel different from what we’ve always known. Taking care to remain agile and productive is good stewardship, while denying age and relentlessly combating what naturally occurs with unnatural means can skew focus. How can we make life more about Him and less about us? What has the Lord prescribed for now, and how are seizing the moments and new life stages? (Psalm 1:1-3; John 3:30)

Will we accept the changes and new occasions that come with age with open-hearted expectancy of new people, understanding, activities? How willingly and well do we embrace new seasons the Lord ordains? What have we learned about Him and ourselves in the transitions?

Lord, may I run every day of life’s race with wisdom, zeal, and joy in Your way, on Your time, accomplishing Your purposes, for Your glory. (Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 4:7)