Author: astherainandsnow

“I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not,
    I am the one who helps you.’

“Fear not..!
I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

“When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none,
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
    and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
    the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
    may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:13-14,17-20

Words of comfort bathe Israel in hope. In all their trouble, God their helper is nigh, holding their right hand, standing near to reassure, to redeem. His promises are given to dissolve their fear, wash away the crustiness of angst and despair, and reawaken slumbering vitality. Where they thirsted for purpose and fruitfulness, He would slake with answers and meaning. Where they were lacking, He would satisfy. He would exchange barrenness with fertile growth, their wilderness of soul with joy and gladness. Their very drought and want made way for them to see the Creator exercise His power, that only His hand could refresh, deliver, create, satisfy.

God meets us in hard places. Do we have eyes willing to see the movement of His almighty, generous hand? A piece of shocking news arrives, a sobering medical result is received, an impossible hurt is ground deeper, a sorrow lingers, a fire or flood destroys. Can we trace His love in every bereavement? When we do, the only response is to bow and acknowledge the hand of the Lord has done this.

What are we seeking, fearing, wanting? Would we believe and look for God’s hand to redeem parched places, water arid hearts, revive spirits, and support us in the waiting? How do His sure promises help and give hope?

God alone grants endurance to triumph and smooths balm in grief. He measures each gift- and they are gifts- to display His compassion and care. In laughter, in tears, He breaks through so that we see and know, and may consider and understand, that it has been His hand all along the way. We can always trust His good and redemptive purposes, His perfect sanctifying. (Psalm 30:5; James 1:2-4)

“Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth;
shelters thee under his wings, and so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who will prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends thee.” ~Joachim Neander (1680)

Loving Lord, teach me to look for Your hand, trusting You to work in such a way I know You have done it.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  As it is written,

‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor…’

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.  For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.  By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,  while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.  Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this: the bounty that flows from bountiful living is immeasurable and inexpressible. All abundance flows from the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and is entrusted to us for a season to be sown and spread abroad for others’ good and His glory. As Paul encourages cheerful, joy-filled giving, he points to the One who gave all for us and is able to provide abundantly more than we can ever give ourselves. (Ephesians 3:20-21; James 1:17)

How well do we know our abundance in Christ? If we meditated on the list, and savored each gift, we would know we’re amply supplied to abound to others. Do we fear scarcity? Where are we greedy or tight-fisted? Where can we, with grace and goods, in faith and generous joy, turn meager into bountiful? Begin, and watch sufficiency and thanksgiving multiply! (Ephesians 1:3-14; Philippians 4:19)

“Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In living echoes of your tone;
As you have sought, so let me seek
Your erring children, lost and lone.

Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wand’ring and the wav’ring feet;
Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Your hung’ring ones with manna sweet.

Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things that you impart,
And wing my words, that I may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

Oh, grant my spirit to renew,
That I may speak with soothing pow’r
A word in season, as from you,
To weary ones in needful hour.

Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart o’erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Your love to tell, your praise to show.

Oh, use me, Lord, use even me
Just as you will, and when, and where,
Until your blessèd face I see,
Your rest, your joy, your glory share.” ~Frances Ridley Havergal (1872)

Lord, fill me to overflow to abound in every good work, to Your delight and praise.

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

“So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’  And all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.” Matthew 27:16-26

So much was uttered about the blood: who to release, who to condemn and crucify? Goaded by the religious leaders, the crowds cried for blood. Pilate, aware of the Jews’ jealousy, his wife’s unease, and the crowd’s fomenting belligerence, washed his hands and foolishly declared himself innocent of that blood. By his command Jesus was crucified, and no gubernatorial proclamation could expunge his culpability. The blood-thirsty crowds invited Christ’s blood on them, not realizing that they bore its stain and indeed none could be clean and forgiven apart from His blood. They were blind to the significance of what was transpiring. (Leviticus 17:11; John 12:19)

Political unrest, greed for power, contentious factions, and personal affronts can get the blood boiling. When we give ourselves over to frenzy and emotion, we forget the very gift of life that courses through our veins and the purpose for which God made it flow. I am not innocent of Jesus’s blood. His death is on me because His blood was spilled for me. Would I plunge under it for true life, eternal life?

In what ways am I flippant about Christ’s suffering and sacrifice, casual about the cost to Him on my behalf? How, in my attitudes, entertainment, and remarks, do I make light of His blood? When will I pause to consider the cross and apply its balm? (Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 27:27-31)

“There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow’r,
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.” ~William Cowper (1772)

Lord, keep me under Your precious blood, grateful and glad forever.

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’

“The chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas, and plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.’

“Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,  a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. When the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste?  This could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.’ But Jesus… said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.’

“Then… Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him…

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it,.. for this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins…’ 

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.'” Matthew 26:1-16,26-28,39

Calm acceptance. Cantankerous conniving. Pernicious positioning. Lavish love. Greedy gain. Somber instruction. Anguished resignation. When Jesus announced His pending death the people betrayed their colors. Hurry it on, we must rid of Him. How can I thank You for Your gift to me? What can I get? For Jesus, it was all about preparation, meeting them in their crux of response, finishing His work on earth, and leaving all they would need in His absence. (John 4:34; 17:4)

The life and ministry and words of Jesus compel us to react. How we process and respond to His death- foretold and played out and conquered- reveals our hearts toward His love displayed. We can elude its horror and meaning, try to manage and compartmentalize its conviction, rebuff its invitation to understand its costly grace, or bow in grateful worship. Have we set aside His death as a thing of the past, or would we draw near to learn anew its meaning and application for us?

Are we so comfy in our habits that we squirm when faced with the horrors of Christ’s crucifixion? Do we avoid the confrontation of the cross to take it up and follow? How can we behold its glories anew? What can we give of ourselves in gratitude for His priceless gift? How can we imitate His sacrifice? (Matthew 16:24-25)

Lord, may I embrace and ever be thankful for Your death that has given me life.

“My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies...

Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city…

I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.”

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.” Psalm 59:10,17; 144:1-2

From the biting bitter, bark, and snarl of battle, it seems at first out of place that David names the Lord alongside as his steadfast love. Love his artillery? His defense? His strategy? His ammunition? There is a sense that David feels so deeply loved, and is so bound in loving back his Lord, that this steadfast love is both stability and modus operandi. It defines and defends him in every distress.

As it did for David, God’s steadfast love meets us in our days of trouble and supplies sustaining power for every earthly challenge. While love may seem inconsistent with war, it actually is what sustains and fuels hope for victory in the midst. It encamps round about us and lifts our heads to love Him back. It is our helmet, by which we plan and proceed. It dictates civil battle, keeping watch over heart motivation and impulse. It uplifts and fortifies when we are weary, and shields us in temptation. It love keeps fear at bay. (Psalm 3:3)

The Lord’s steadfast love holds our hearts stable and strong when pressures and sorrows encroach and all around is crumbling. His love is the best place to position ourselves, the highest place to go, the deepest place to rest. Do we consider how much, and how, He loves? In every fight with our flesh, every pull to immorality, every tease to resentment, every won’t to hate, every allure of empty things, His love prevails. He is nigh, guarding, training, keeping. (Psalm 86:15)

The next time a bullet of criticism chafes, or condemnation pounds, or regret erodes, will we cling to His steadfast love? When a battle of the will or with temptation strangles and pulls, will we remember to find refuge in his steadfast love? When others attack, accosting with doubt or shame or caustic treatment, can we hold high God’s steadfast love, and meet the enemy with arms and words that convey it?

“Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
The Lord of Love his name,
His steadfast love our fame;
and he must win the battle.” ~Martin Luther (1529) (and PEB)

Lord, help me hide in, hold onto, and lift high Your steadfast love in every battle to mark and bring glory to the victory You secure.

“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me.., ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision…  To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying.” (Acts 26:9-19,22)

Paul’s defense to King Agrippa detailed his spiritual transformation. The bold persecutor for death became brave purveyor of life, the strict Pharisee became preacher of grace, the guilty was declared innocent. All Saul was, when arrested by God, changed, for Him and His kingdom purposes. The Creator recreated His child to exemplify new creation. (Acts 20:18-21,24,26-27; 22:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Man is prone to making excuses for sin, blaming everything we cannot change. My sloth, temper, worry, lying are just the way I am and can’t be helped. But when we renounce it, God saves us, replacing the heart of stone with flesh, beginning the process of sanctification, and calling us to accountability. What we were no longer has a hold on who He’s called us now to be. His Spirit reworks impulses, affections, and ways of thinking, yet as spiritual cowards we coddle what we’ve always known. (Ezekiel 36:26)

What am I blaming for ugly attitudes and behavior? Where am I lazy, frozen in past sinful habit and mindset? What truths about salvation will I claim this day in order to say no to what was, and yes to Christ? (Romans 6:1-7,11-14; Philippians 3:12-15)

“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)

Lord, help me live out vibrantly, faithfully and effectively my changed life, to Your glory.

“God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground… I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God…

“‘Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’

“Then Moses said, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’  God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am… Say this to the people of Israel: “I am has sent me to you… The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.'” Exodus 3:4-6,10-15

Moses, drawn to the unusual and supernatural and hushed into reverent fear, cannot grasp the magnitude of the One who speaks. Alerted to holy ground, hearing the Almighty’s call, his doubts and very human concerns betray the gap bridged only by the patient and persistent Spirit who gives understanding. (Exodus 3:1-4; 1 Corinthians 2:14)

To define words, man looks for consensus of meaning, agreement in understanding, context, usage. But God stands apart, completely other, wholly self-existent, self-sufficient, and self-defined. His attributes and limitless power confound narrow intuition and compromised human consent. Man processes with limited intellect and responds in the flesh. The I AM is beyond our apprehension of His ubiquitous, omnipotent, eternal presence. Yet He came and comes, making Himself known in Jesus, the imprint of His glorious nature here on earth. We are left only to worship. (Hebrews 1:2-3)

Where have I limited God, made Him my chum, a superior ‘me,’ mentally reducing His divine magnificence? How do I casually diminish, by attitude or words, His lofty highness? With what reactions and behavior do I rebuff His holy authority? When will I bow in humble fear, contemplate, and praise this I AM?

“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.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!” ~Robert Grant (1833)

Lord, may I exalt, trust, and yield to Your Highness anew.

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” Matthew 24:36-46

God’s measure of days is on a transcendent timetable, in an otherworldly realm unknown by men. Occupied, unaware, heads down, they rise eat work sleep in circadian rhythm, while the Lord on High unfolds His predetermined history according to His perfect providence. In the meshing in between in life here below, God calls His people to continual faithfulness.

Stay awake. Be ready. Be faithful and wise. Keep serving. Stay filled. Keep watch. Work, invest, and multiply. The Lord addresses man going about what man does, yet only some will be prepared. Attentiveness to duty must include attentiveness to Him, which marks our living and doing with heavenly hope. We are stewards of His talents, resources, and time, called to do all for Him and His glory. With day and hour of His return unknown, we plow ahead, keep grinding and building for the One who is known. (Matthew 25:4,13-17,20-22,40,45; Colossians 3:23-24)

Where has the Lord called us to build in preparation for His return? How are we investing to make room for the salvation of others, or to feed them practically and spiritually? Are we to teach? Connect with and engage the curious? Practice hospitality? Care for the needy? (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

“A charge to keep I have, 
a God to glorify, 
a never-dying soul to save, 
and fit it for the sky. 

To serve the present age, 
my calling to fulfill, 
O may it all my pow’rs engage 
to do my Master’s will! 

Arm me with watchful care 
as in Thy sight to live, 
and now Thy servant, Lord, prepare 
a strict account to give!

Help me to watch and pray,
and still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust betray,
but press to realms on high.” ~Charles Wesley (1762)

Lord, help me day by day to heed Your call, with Your focus, in Your strength, for Your glory.

“The cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry,.. and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody…

“When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled.  So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, ‘Why are your faces downcast today?’” Genesis 40:1-4,6-7

“Their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
    defying his glorious presence.

For the look on their faces bears witness against them;..
    they do not hide it.” Isaiah 3:8-9

“In the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes.., I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.’” Nehemiah 2:1-2

“A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
    but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed…

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes the bones.” Proverbs 15:13,30

“As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19

Clouds pock the calm ocean with their morning reflections, spilling the light of lofty grandeur below. Unreachable contours become places to touch and dip as they condescend to the here and now of the shore. Their message, be it fleeting beauty or turbulent storm, is offered to the wayfarer, the wonderer, the watching.

And so our lives and faces reflect the light of grace or gloom, revealing the state of our souls. We can radiate hope or hunger, peace or pain. God gives man expression to communicate, and we have a bearing on the message we portray. When we see the influence of both behavior and countenance, are we not compelled to be filled with God’s Spirit to convey the best and most glorious of His abiding presence?

What kind of shadows do we spread, and what do they reflect of our Lord? How often does unhealthy interest in or brooding hurt over a situation disrupt peace and stain our interactions with ugliness or angst? Simmering resentment and anger will give off steam or spill over, dampening or burning those near us and clouding their view of grace. Do we berate and complain and leave rude shadows of discontent, discomfort, or sadness wherever we go?

There is another kind of shadow we can leave when we’re absorbed in Christ. We can hover over the needy and infuse the atmosphere with hope. We can pray for the hurting and sprinkle contagious jewels of love and care. We can create or point out beauty in the Word or world. With what mark, what reflection of God’s compassion, splendor, and kindness, can we bless another today? How will we, by word or action, lift the countenance of those the Lord has put in our path?

Lord, fill my life with your light, that I would leave cloud shadows that gleam goodness, hope, and love every day of my life.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are… Beloved, we are God’s children, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure…

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

“We should love one another…  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers… 

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth…

“This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God… God is love…

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit… We love because he first loved us…  Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 3:1-3,9-11,14,16-18,23; 4:7,11,13,19,21b

John, one whom Jesus loved, knew what it was to be transformed by love. This powerful force issuing from the Savior made him a child of God and planted in him a reality not before known. The proof of the Almighty’s affection on him was his reoriented life that served and obeyed Christ. (Mark 1:19-20; John 13:23; 19:25-27)

When we are loved and saved by God we are marked by that love forever. His abiding presence evokes new loves in us that issue forth in love for others that is not natural, but sacrificial. His love on us also instigates struggle against and hatred from world who rejects Christ’s love. Where the Lord is, the enemy resists or fights- there is no happy cohabitation. But there is no such thing as facile or static love in God’s economy. By faith, this tension prompts us to press on in obedience to His commands because He is the One we aim to please. What strength of love do we show? (1 John 2:15-17; 3:13; 1 John 5:2–4; 2 John 6)

What evidence do our interactions, work, and service give to the power of Christ’s love in us? How has His love softened our compassion, fortified resolve, sweetened the atmosphere of home and workplace? How might our attitudes, words, and actions among those we know better identify Him, and what will we do about it? What kind of love would we have the Lord newly develop in us, starting today?

Lord, may my life and loves be vibrant proof of Your gracious love for me, to Your glory and praise.