Author: astherainandsnow

“When they came to Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments…[and] sat down and kept watch over him there… Those who passed by derided him… The chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him…

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?..’ And Jesus cried out again… and yielded up his spirit.

“The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised… When the centurion and those with him… saw what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!'”

“Toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb… The angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said… And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’” Matthew 27:35,37,39,41,45-46,51-52,54; 28:1,5-6,9

Dreaded doom turned to darkness, drear grown desperate as the hours stretched. What horror. Hope had been swallowed up in confusion, shock, now sorrow. What was it He had said? The Passover Lamb would take away the sin of the world? The agonies of the last day were too heavy, too hard to untangle. But the song…. (John 1:29)

“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?” ~Isaac Watts (1707)

The man of sorrows, foretold, crucified, and now raised! The Word made flesh, every word come to pass. The music of life returns.

“Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood,
sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, vile and helpless we;
spotless Lamb of God was he,
full atonement, can it be?
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Lifted up was he to die;
‘It is finished’ was his cry;
now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!” ~Phillip Bliss (1865)

What impulse, habit, burden can we affix to the cross to see it crushed, finished, so we can rise anew? Pardoned! Cleaned! Ruin made whole! (Isaiah 53:3-7; John 1:14)

Lo! Jesus meets us. Risen from the tomb, 
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom.
Let our doubting spirits find a voice to sing:
Christ who died is living; death has lost its sting.

Thine was the suff’ring, mine the endless life.
Sin holds no dominion; love wins over strife.
What then shall I shall I offer? Songs that never cease!
Thou hast won the vict’ry, glorious Prince of Peace!

Thine be the glory, Risen, conquering Son!
Endless is the victr’y, Thou o’er death hath won!” ~Edmond Budry (1904)

O sacred head, be now My Head, and lead forward in newness of life!

“Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.

For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others…
Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.

This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts.
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd…
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.” Psalm 49:7-10,12-14

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

“There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Nobility is measured in various ways by the sin-stained heart of man, but none can touch the magnitude of Christ’s perfection. The concept of sacrifice is limited by the scope of our imagination. The deepest human love is expressed in giving life for life, yet even here that simply extends the numbered days of the one saved until death. While each is infinitely valuable in God’s eyes, none can truly, fully ransom the life of another because the cost cannot be borne. No natural man who bears his own such burden can pay for the foolishness, greed, and arrogance of another. Only the righteous One can fully incur and crucify the countless sin of man’s depravity and the impossible burden of penalty deserved. (John 15:13; Romans 5:7-10; 1 John 3:16)

Man’s temptation is to attempt to earn salvation, pay what we can in duty, donation, or lip-service to secure a way to a god made in our image. Naively unaware of how deep our sin stain goes, we make shallow sacrifices without concept of true cost. Calloused hearts disregard Jesus on the cross.

When will we awaken to our pomposity? What will we give, how will we honor this worthy unblemished Lamb who fully paid our ransom? (Matthew 27:27-30; John 19:5-6)

“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.” Stuart Townend (1995)

Loving Savior, in gratitude for Your costly ransom paid, take my life and spend me as You will, for Your renown and glory.

“When Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

“And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

“And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us… saying,

“’I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’

^“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

“Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:5-7,10-15,17-23

The work of a priest was ongoing, messy. Look for blemishes, choose animal. Slay. Blood. And go again, do again, day in and out, morning and evening sacrifices. Theirs was a privileged yet grueling appointment to keep the law. But when Jesus came, His perfect body became the final sacrifice, His perfect blood our complete and final atonement. How beautiful the unblemished, broken body of Christ!

Depictions of the crucifixion are many and varied, yet their portrayal impacts our grasp of Christ’s gift at Calvary. How do I process the horror? Do I mock the surrender, afraid to acknowledge my own disobedience? Do I condemn as failure what is actually my own? Am I ambivalent to the sacrifice, callous to its brash conviction? Or am I ashamed of the brutal injustice, knowing it was mine to incur against my bleak, heinous sin? (Matthew 27:22-30,51-54)

Will I this day cherish the Crucified, the exquisite God-man in perfect yet broken flesh, spilling compassion, grace, and truth in blood drops for me? How will I receive and rejoice in the beautiful body of my forever High Priest? (John 1:14)

“How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross
How beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sin and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful is the body of Christ.” ~Twila Paris (1990)

My Lord, may I never forget Your sacrifice, Your infinite love and grace, always giving thanks and willing to extend in kind to others in Your name, and for Your sake and honor.

“It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him…

“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them… 

“And on the first day of Unleavened Bread,.. they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.., one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!’

“And they went to a place called Gethsemane…  And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’ And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’… ‘It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’

“And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders… And they laid hands on him and seized him… And they led Jesus to the high priest. All the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together… seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death.” Mark 14:1,10,12,16-18,20-21,32-36,41,-43,46,53,55

Two worlds juxtaposed: the serenity of Jesus knowing all that would come, and the plotting, conniving, and vitriolic churning of men who would destroy Him. Jesus moved with peace and assuredness as He faced the trials, deception, suffering, and crucifixion, looking with joy to the resurrection. But man was restless, antagonistic, scheming, angry, afraid for what would come and to lose control. The distinction was the understanding of and confidence in God’s sovereignty and goodness. It makes all the difference. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

In our lives, constant disruptions and teasers to fear and doom can keep us anything but serene. The more we fixate on what-ifs and to-dos, the less we think on Who He is, and remain unsettled. These problems will not stop, but we can change in the way we perceive and handle them. All is not lost when circumstances go awry when we know the One who is sovereign over today and holds tomorrow.

What fretting, manipulating, or betrayal peppers our minds with worry and angst? Is there unsettled dissension, or unwarranted fear that eats away at our peace? Where have circumstances so turned that it seems there is no good way out?

Look up at the joy ahead! The Lord is writing the story and crafts a beautiful end! Take heart! Rest untroubled! Through every wicked turn, ugly intention, breaking storm, and choking grief, there is the Sovereign, ruling over all, to glorious ends. (Luke 8:22-25)

Lord, keep me at peace, serene and strong, as I work out and trust in Your sovereign will.

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
    and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

“‘Bear fruits in keeping with repentance…’

“The crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’ Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said, ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do.’  Soldiers asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be content with your wages.'” Luke 3:1-6,8a,10-14

What stark contrast begins this narrative, juxtaposing uniformed men and be-robed priests strutting authority in nation, cities, and religion against one lone prophet in camel’s hair calling out in the wilderness. The Lord of contrasts, of world and wilderness, of individuals known and unnamed, of those in power and those who roam, issues one message for all: Repent, be forgiven, behold and bear out the salvation of the Lord. While worldly leaders conversed about matters of state, God’s messenger addressed the state of man. The word that came to him from heaven issued from him with eternal results. (Matthew 3:4)

Vast is the love of God for His creatures! Loud is His voice, wide is His mercy! He appoints some to positions of power, leaders in government, education, ministries, businesses, homes. Others He tucks into different important roles in remote and bleak places. Some He plants permanently, others He moves at will. This Lord of nature and nations is always working toward His redemptive ends. What word have we received? How faithfully do we fulfill His appointments? (Acts 17:26-27)

Are we presently strained in a world bloated with crassness, inundated with posturing, pressured with responsibilities? Are we in a wilderness barren of believers, optimism, or hope? What assignment have we received for those very places? How are we making His good news known, through word and action? What difference will we ask Him to make in and through us?

“All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my sight
High above my life
I will trust in you alone.

Where you go, I’ll go
Where you stay, I’ll stay
When you move, I’ll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I’ll love
How you serve I’ll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you.” ~Chris Tomlin (2010)

Lord, give appropriate words and inimitable light for each person in my path, so You are known and praised.

“Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him…
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
    and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
    and weighed the mountains in scales
    and the hills in a balance?
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
    or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult,
    and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
    and taught him knowledge,
    and showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
    and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
    behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust…

“To whom then will you liken God,
    or what likeness compare with him?..
Do you not know? Do you not hear?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
    and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
who brings princes to nothing,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness…

 “To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is missing…

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…
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 40:10a,12-15,18,21-23,25-26,28-29,31

Questions elicit response, often putting the one asked in proper place and position. The prophet, with every rhetorical inquiry, enlarges God and diminishes the reader. The more the Lord God is magnified, the deeper and more humble the wonder at His immeasurable greatness and power, and the keener the grasp of the limits of man. The welcoming grace in this one-way conversation is the invitation to the speechless and weak to lift the eyes, behold Him with awe, and trust Him for strength and sustenance. This lofty One is nigh, with endless capacity to help.

God Almighty is infinite, measureless in power, yet also precise, exact, and perfectly controlled. Such a supernatural dichotomy raises hands high in wonder and praise, and open to heaven’s throne in every need. Are circumstances chaotic, unsteady? His arm rules with just balance. Do I struggle with priorities and boundaries? He traces the circle of earth and edges of the sea. Do I feel alone, insignificant? He knows, names, and upholds each star. Am I weary or confused? He renews and sustains with strength, and leads us forward. When will we believe and take these truths as our own?

Lord God, hush me from prideful striving to consider, behold, trust, and praise Your majesty and power.

“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.

“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.” Romans 1:18-26a

“We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:13-14

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

“God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-14

The opportunities for delusion have multiplied since Eden. The wily enemy of truth and mankind disguises and lies, deceiving his minions to embrace falsehood and false gods, to his delight and their undoing. Any entertaining, any giving in, any relinquishment of will, opens the way for full delusion and the inability to discern what is true. Even when we observe or suffer consequences, even when we are taught his craft, we can never give up vigilance against his wiles. (Genesis 3:1-6; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8)

Many a man is confident of belief. I know my standards, I embrace truth, I will not be moved. Yet, our world packages lies and temptations in nice packages, mantras promising freedom and self-fulfillment, pledges of health or enlightenment or peace. We make gods of political passions, self-care regimens, careers, and family. Without even recognizing the slow-rising tide, we are inundated with warm feelings and new thinking that erode faith and sweep away sound doctrine.

Are we entertaining false teaching through what we listen to, read, or espouse? What signs of being deluded do we ignore out of convenience, spiritual laziness, or peer pressure? How will we train ourselves in truth and right thinking, and guard against delusion? God offers cleansing and redirecting when we honestly repent. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Lord, help me think rightly and worship You alone.

“I urged you… charge [them] not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions… I received mercy for this reason, that in me, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever….

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy,.. wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.”

“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you… O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.” 1 Timothy 1:3-7,16-19a; 4:14a; 6:20-21

The gift of faith, breaking in on wayward rebels, is serious business, and so is the stewardship of that faith. Paul knew well the allure of education, pontificating about knowledge, and misdirected passion leading in the wrong direction. Yet once saved, his will redeemed, his care and employment of God’s indescribable gifts became his charge and end. Faith from the Lord would be used for Him and His purposes. (Acts 22:3-8; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:12-15)

This charge can present constant tension for the child of God. News and new discoveries, a plethora of interpretations and opinions, multiple choices of belief and behavior are constantly before us, vying for attention and allegiance. Faith is questioned, criticized, tested. Rather than it serving as fuel and substance we begin to sequester faith to certain days and projects. Danger pounces the moment we doubt its efficacy by God’s hand to save and transform and encompass all of life, and relegate it to a specific siloed role. (1 Timothy 4:1-3,6-11)

Are we constantly contending to prove ourselves, achieve a personal agenda, attach ourselves to worldly thought, or is our passion to know and accomplish the tasks the Lord’s entrusted to us? Stewardship of faith is revealed in how we manage resources, close relationships, work assigned, ministry duties, and the eternal results they bear. How seriously do we take these? What self-serving motives, disordered interest, or prideful control is God’s Spirit convicting us to relinquish? How can we more honorably, directedly, passionately exercise the Lord’s gift of faith, and encourage others in the same? (Titus 1:13-14; 3:1-9)

“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, teach me honorable, fruitful stewardship of Your gracious gift of faith, to Your ends and glory.

 “Go to the ant, O sluggard;
    consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
    officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
    and gathers her food in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
    When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.”

“Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.”

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
    while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”

“The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
    he will seek at harvest and have nothing.”

“I passed by the field of a sluggard,
    by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
    the ground was covered with nettles,
    and its stone wall was broken down.
Then I saw and considered it;
    I looked and received instruction.
A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.”

“The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road!
    There is a lion in the streets!’
As a door turns on its hinges,
    so does a sluggard on his bed.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven men who can answer sensibly.” Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:26; 13:4; 20:4; 24:30-34; 26:13-16

The only thing the sluggard accomplishes in the book of Proverbs is to appear in a variety of colorful descriptions and analogies that draw negative, and humorous, attention. Indolent, adrift, craving, grating, he is one to understand, then avoid. The Lord peppers through much wide wisdom the consistent warning to avoid laziness. It creeps and seeps and destroys ambition, vision, desire. It is the opposite, and destroyer, of vigilance and holy passion.

The sluggard’s warning is repeated because God knows the inclinations of the human heart. He targets the folly of settling into ease, relishing personal rights without responsibility, the ever-present allure of pride, sloth, and greed. Aiming to sanctify, He pokes warnings at our resolve and determination. With every illustration, He reminds us to get up, exchange ambivalence for spiritual clothes, and act like mature men. (Jeremiah 17:9; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Peter 5:8)

In what areas do I tend toward a sluggard? In what responsibilities do I procrastinate? What inspirations and divine promptings do I neglect, or cast aside? When will I put this sin to bed once for all, and rise up to obey?

“Rise up, O saints of God!
Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of kings.” ~William Pierson Merrill (1911)

“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, may I leave sloth behind and wholeheartedly follow and serve Thee.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or worthy of praise—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

“The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-10

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2

The mind is a momentous gift from God, one of the unique aspects of humans being made in His image. By it He reveals Himself to man, and by the whole of it we can love Him- to our ultimate good and fulfillment and His glory. What we take in to our minds dictates how we will understand God’s world, and Him as its source, sovereign, and end. We choose daily either to delight in Him and His word, or to deter His influence in preference for the false, transient, and unlovely things of earth. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 1; Mark 12:30)

Each choice determines mindset, motive, and motion. Taking time in thoughtful prayer to review the objects of our meditations will serve us well as we set out every day. With all the allures for our attention, on what, exactly, do we set our minds? Would we be deliberate to fix them on whatever is…

True: Does my opinion or choice line up with scripture? Am I willing to consider different sides and discern by the light of God’s word and earnest investigation? Do I embrace internet snippets or jaded opinion without knowing their source? How can I better balance what I take in?

Noble: Does this attention nourish my soul? Would others see this activity as noble?

Right: Am I spending inordinate time on wrong, unrighteous, conniving, dark thinking? Would I choose instead to be biblically enlightened, wise, grateful? (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

Pure: Am I habitually reading or listening to prurient things, engaging in caustic or crude talk, disregarding their affront to the Holy One, and my soul? Am I serious about repentance?

Lovely: Why fill my mind with what’s ugly, despicable, spiked with horror? Lofty thought does not dwell in the lowlands. When will I take time for beautiful music, sights, conversations?

Admirable: Do I waste concern on greed or salacious living, gossip that titillates impulses and imagination? Googling personalities that are anything but admirable? Whom do I admire, and how am I investing to learn from and emulate them?

Excellent: Learning from jobs well done raises standards for every effort. Do I tolerate mediocrity or am I committed to excellence?

Worthy of praise: If my chief end is to glorify God, am I behaving in a way that is worthy of praise? That points others to praise Him?

Father, fill my mind with Thee, to Your magnified praise.