Author: astherainandsnow

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, 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.” 1 John 3:1-3

“To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:12-14,16

What kind of love has the Father given? Sacrificial love, in the sending of His only Son to earth to dwell among men and pour out His grace. Lavish love, that covered and forgave sins and saves His people unto eternal life. Adopting love, that takes what is not His and names it His own by right and pledge ofownership. Hopeful love, that redeems, and promises and ensures eternal security. Keeping love, that daily renews and sustains. Empowering love that inspires His people to holiness, purity, generosity, and mercy. All this kind can be seen in Christ Jesus, and is poured out in the hearts of those who come to Him by faith. (Romans 5:1-8)

What kind of love do I regularly exhibit? Selfish love, according to my convenience and parameters? Prejudicial love, according to my favorites? Stingy love, holding back plenty for my self care, my wants, my protection? Or sacrificial, unconditional, generous love that knows no bounds, as the Lord Jesus has shown me in limitless measure?

How willing am I to lay down my life- my preferences, time, resources- for others? What am I giving to meet practical, emotional, spiritual needs? It might be easy to click through a donation online, but what am I investing of energy, effort, prayer, personal involvement?

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

In light of God’s love for me expressed in Christ, and the fact that this love now resides in me also, shall I not love others in the same manner and measure? We might feel cold, unable, or depleted, but contemplating the relentless, passionate love of our Lord for us can stir the heart in supernatural ways. Loving as He loved us is possible in His name and power, and shows the world we are His. How and where will I spread God’s love today? (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:19)

“O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.” ~George Matheson (1882)

Father, help me love You and others with Your kind of love, so You are magnified.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness  for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ And Jesus answered him,.. ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,  and said, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ And Jesus answered him,..

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
    and him only shall you serve.’

“And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for…

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to guard you,’

“and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered him,.. ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’¹³ And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee… And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all…

“He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.'” Luke 4:1-15,17-19

Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness where he was peppered with temptation by the devil who sought to undo Him. But by the Spirit He resisted to the end, claiming the Word of God His defense. When the enemy left, He began His public ministry, teaching and healing in the Spirit’s power. (Hebrews 4:15)

When we are in Christ, we are indwelt securely by the Holy Spirit who is at once our sword and shield against the enemy. And He who gives power to resist also infuses the power, wisdom, and grace to serve. By Him we say no and yes, acting on each decision with resolve, zeal, and strength. (1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 6:16-17; Hebrews 4:16)

How has the Spirit of God warned us of spiritual dangers? What temptations regularly poke and pester, and how can we stand firm by His strength? Are we well-armed with promises, with fellow believers who support us with prayer and encouragement? In what situations are we especially needy, and what will we do about it?

Where has the Spirit given powerful ministry? Do we resist serving out of fear, weakness, inadequacy? How can we begin to employ His power to obey each call and seize every opportunity to make Him known? How will we tap into His flow in our homes, work places, for specific ministry?

Lord, make potent my every don’t and do, that I speak and serve to please and honor You.

“The Lord God of hosts,
he who touches the earth and it melts,
    and all who dwell in it mourn,
and all of it rises like the Nile,
    and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;
who builds his upper chambers in the heavens
    and founds his vault upon the earth;
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—
the Lord is his name.” Amos 9:5-6

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

“’Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!^‘

“And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’” Isaiah 6:1-7

The hand of the invisible God moves in such mighty and majestic ways that the effects of His touch make Him known. The prophets whose spirits had been moved by His hand uttered revelations, warnings, and promises that further expressed His plans for His people. As examples of those inspired by Him, their words are potent in portraying and pronouncing so we cannot help but be affected.

The power of a touch from God is limitless in its outcomes. Creating, melting, feeding, cleansing, healing, God’s touch is life-making, life-sustaining, and life-changing. His fingers translate what His mind imagines into being. His hands formed the ocean and holds it at its borders, set stars in place and upholds them in sustaining power, and tends to those He loves. (Genesis 2:7; 32:24-30; Job 38:8-11; Psalm 104:27-28; Proverbs 8:27-29; Mark 5:41-42; 8:22-25)

Where do I need a touch from the Lord? For whom has my heart grown hard, calloused to change? How might God’s melting warm the prospect of forgiveness, promote healing, renew love? What errant thoughts, sharp words, uncontrolled impulses and reactions, need the touch of purification? What mindset, anxiety, or habit needs the touch that heals, that removes disease and destruction and soothes afresh? What upheavals need settling, what cares and sorrows pine for soothing from God’s gracious, loving hand? (Amos 9:15; Revelation 21:4)

To receive the Lord’s touch we must come, and that in faith. He is able and ready, hands outstretched to receive and dispense. What self-determination or pride keeps us from approaching this gracious, bountiful Lord? For what specifically will we seek Him today? (Luke 8:43-48; Hebrews 4:16)

Father, sanctify and sustain me by Your mighty touch, so my life touches others in Your name.

“But God was displeased, and he struck Israel. David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. Now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly…’ Then David said to Gad [the seer], ‘I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great…’

“So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell…[then] the Lord relented from the calamity. He said to the angel.., ‘It is enough; now stay your hand…’ David saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and his drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders… fell upon their faces… 

“David said to Ornan, ‘Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—at its full price—that the plague may be averted.’ Ornan said, ‘Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. I give the oxen… the threshing sledges… and the wheat..; I give it all.’ But King David said, ‘No, I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’ So David paid Ornan… and built there an altar to the Lord and presented offerings… and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven… Then the Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

“When David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor, he sacrificed there…

“Then David said, ‘Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering.'” 1 Chronicles 21:7-8,13-16,22-24,26-28; 22:1

After inching into pride by ordering a census of his Israelite subjects, David is stricken with conviction and begs to take the punishment so they can be spared suffering. When instructed to build an altar, David encounters Ornan who honors the king by offering freely the threshing floor and necessities for sacrifice. David insists on paying, knowing that averting punishment, true sacrifice, is costly, and he is all in.

Every expression of honor is marked by genuine humility that acknowledges another’s worth. It is costly because it requires our descending the throne of our lives and unclutching personal resources, even life, for the sake of the other. It might also be costly in reputation, material losses, pain. Do we delight to show honor to the Lord and His people because they’re worthy, or do we shrink from it out of fear, selfishness, or prejudice?

The greatest expression of honor, measured in infinite love, is Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for His people. Considering Him and the gift of salvation His gift affords, how will we honor Him in return? What biblical examples can we emulate to humble ourselves and sacrifice for Christ and His people? What costly love, forgiveness, blessing, or grace will we offer?

“When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.” ~Isaac Watts (1707)

Lord, make me willing to give my all for You and Your sake.

“It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
    and many nations shall come, and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
    the word of the Lord…
He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall decide disputes for nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation..;
but they shall sit every man under his vine and fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid,
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
For all the peoples walk
    each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
    forever and ever.” Micah 4:1-5

The prophet’s call is to gather together- personal energies and senses, and people of God in fellowship, and go to the mountain of theLord who is high and lifted up. Go up, out of the whirl of busyness, away from the noise and pull of madding crowds. Once up, learn the Lord’s ways through worship and mutual edification, then come down and spread the light of that word in every circle of influence. (Isaiah 6:1)

Life with the Lord is never static, but a constant up and down, light and shadow, filling and emptying, bowing and rising, listening and telling, stillness and movement. He beckons us come, then go out to relay the word and live its promises. Be stewards, invest, grow and help grow, and share His bounty. Take time alone with Him, and be involved loving, working justice, spreading peace. Actively walk in His name and for His sake, urging others to climb the mount of faith also. (Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 28:19; Mark 5:18-19; Luke 14:23; John 4:28-30)

When do we exert the effort to set aside noise and pressing demands and go up to the Lord? How are we learning and practicing His ways of wisdom? Where are we intentionally applying His word? How does His teaching correspond to everyday disputes, relationships, work challenges, matters of the heart?

What lesser gods are vying for our attention, our affections? What worldly demands seem to pull with greater sway than God’s invitation, and how will we resist? In what situations have we prioritized the Lord of lords by shaking off temptation to succumb to other allures and climb the mount? How has the nourishment and inspiration gained furthered our desire to do it again, and again?

“I’d love to live on a mountain top
Fellowshipping with the Lord
I’d love to stand on a mountain top
‘Cause I love to feel my spirit
Soar….

But I’ve got to come down
From the mountain top
To the people in the valley below, or
They’ll never know
That they can go
To the mountain of the Lord.” ~Amy Grant (1977)

Lord, set my movements with Yours, balancing time with You and taking You to the dark world, to Your ends and glory.

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!’” Revelation 12:7-12

With the world’s hustle and bustle and the swirl of holiday activity, it is easy to neglect what has been promised and what’s going on today in the heavenlies. Satan the accuser does not let up, and would deceive us from realizing the potent truths and significance of Christ’s coming. There will be a day when all Jesus came to accomplish will be revealed in glorious full, and knowing these already-assured realities should have us, therefore, rejoicing now.

Jesus was born as the promised One; therefore, rejoice! He lived on earth as man, becoming like us so we could become like Him; therefore, rejoice! He carried the weight of all our sin on the cross, and vanquished it and all its cruel fallout forever; therefore, rejoice! He rules at the right hand of God the Father, ever interceding for us; therefore, rejoice! He has conquered the power of the enemy, and will one day remove his presence forever; therefore, rejoice! And He is coming again to take us to be with Him for all eternity; therefore, rejoice!

As we celebrate His first coming, how do these assurances fortify daily living? How can His righteous authority comfort in present injustices, His sure salvation give balm in unrest and guard against doubt? What heavenly promises will we take hold of today, therefore rejoice?

“O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

“O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.

O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.

O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death’s abode.

O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.” ~J.M. Neale (1851)

Father, may I hold Your promises in sure hope and expectancy, rejoicing in present and future realities, to Your glory.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them… Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all… Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:14,16-17,19-21

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal… 

“Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For… your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:19-20,31-33

The Holy Spirit inspired practical admonitions for the New Testament writers. Knowing well the heart of men, He identified what comes naturally, then issued clear instructions for the contrary. The Lord clearly doesn’t want His children to settle for inborn status quo, but to strive for the contrary holy He’s making them to be. (1 Peter 1:13-16)

When left to ourselves, we gravitate to selfish living- decisions, attitudes, impulses. Doing what comes naturally is usually an affront to God. Consistent exposure to God’s word saturates mind and heart with the opposite: His will for His children. The better we know the Bible, the more intimately we know Him, the more familiar we are with His statutes and promises, and the more acutely aware we are of where and how we wander astray. Aligning desire and impulses with His takes discernment and Spirit-fueled discipline. His word is powerful to pierce and expose, but will have its way only as we yield to its parameters. Christ died in the flesh so we could die to its passions. (2 Kings 22:8-11; 23:1-3; Nehemiah 8:8-9; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 4:1-2)

How often are we availing ourselves of God’s pure word and washing? Is this a rote exercise or a thoughtful practice? When we come eager and willing to be changed, it will have potent sway.

What natural but godless motivations or behavior is the Lord pointing out today? Are we discerning enough to recognize them, and courageous enough to confess and renounce? If repentance involves turning around, what will we instead deliberately put on as a correct ‘contrary’ that reflects God’s character, that honors Him and others? How are we practically applying what the scriptures teach? In what situations do we need to?

Lord, give me resolve and courage to name what displeases You and to joyfully do the contrary, by Your grace and for Your glory.

“King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?  And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God!  And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant.  For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.  There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you…  And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things..?  And you made your people… to be your people forever, and you became their God. ²³ And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken… be established… and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts… is Israel’s God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you… Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.'” 1 Chronicles 17:16-27

“When I look at 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?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.” Psalm 8:3-5

David was the youngest of eight sons, and grew up feeling small: the least of the family, the lone shepherd in wide pastures keeping sheep from big animals, the speck under the stars, the boy against the giant. His early years awakened his awe at the infinite greatness of God, and it never failed to humble him in wonder and gratitude. Because of his security under God’s wide grace and promises, he found confidence in their ongoing communion. (1 Samuel 16:10-13; 17:4-7,12-14,33-37)

In the grand scheme of the universe, we are all small, dots in a crowd, dashes on a timeline who serve a mighty, large God. If we begin to puff with pomp, careless in comfort or materially successful, it is good to contemplate Him to remind ourselves of our place. God knows us. He is God and we are not. All we have and are comes from Him; we are merely stewards of time and resources and spiritual gifts to be employed in His service. (Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:15-17)

How can we more effectively humble ourselves and magnify the Lord? What rights, what push, what demands or self-glory in us need to decrease so He can increase? When and how are we familiarizing ourselves with His great gifts and promises, and growing in humble, dependent confidence of faith? Every claim on His greatness exalts His glory. (John 3:30)

Lord, in attitude and action, may I ever lift high Your greatness.

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Luke 2:8-20

Rugged shepherds and a heavenly angel. Thick darkness and the glory of the Lord shining. Night’s silence and joyful proclamation. Fear against promise. The unexpected and the eternal plan. The Savior as a baby. Christ the Lord swaddled in a manger. Hushed wonder and a multitude of angels praising. Stunned fright to ‘Let us go and see.’ The contrasts that holy night were stark and intentional. Such is Jesus the perfect Savior breaking into the hopeless estate of man, His complete otherness entering man’s squalor to redeem.

Most of our days we wander the fields. Intentions are horizontal, pastures marked out, sights limited. We settle for life in the low lands in the company of amblers. And Christ Jesus breaks in to interject joy-filled hope, to stun us with His beauty, to lift our gaze. He bridges the gap in our existences to make real the pretend, to offer purpose and fulfillment. Are we looking, listening? How do we respond? (2 Corinthians 5:21)

How does Jesus stand in contrast to our way of thinking and planning? How non-negotiable and set are our schedules? Do we make time to leave our grind to consider Him, to wonder and harken and praise, to explore possibilities with the Holy One? How might we lessen the gap between selfish temporary efforts and eternal pursuit? What are we doing to cooperate with the Spirit’s sanctifying presence by working out His glorious salvation? (Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 3:1-4)

“Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.” ~Isaac Watts (1719)

Lord, align my life with Yours in glorious contrast to the world.

“On that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord…

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!..
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles and judgments!..

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
    Tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his place.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth…
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
    and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

“Blessed be the Lord,..
    from everlasting to everlasting!

“Then all the people said, ‘Amen!’ and praised the Lord.” 1 Chronicles 16:7-10,12,23-34,36

On that day, the tent had been pitched, the people gathered, the priests and Levites consecrated. On that day, musicians and singers were assembled, charged with much rejoicing, and sacrifices were offered. On that day, the day of homecoming, the day of glad mercy for a second chance at transporting the ark of God’s presence to the tent according to God’s command- the right way- on that day, David the king saw fit to appoint thanksgiving. All was from God, and all gratitude and praise was to Him. (1 Chronicles 15:3,11-16,25-28; 16:1-2)

Ah, the mercies of the Lord are indeed many and vast. His disciplines for wrongdoing do not disqualify us, but awaken fresh gratitude for grace, and open the way to broader understanding of His love. When we grasp His welcome, and approach as He prescribes, we want to prepare, we want consecration, we want to offer ourselves and more, we want to sing and make merry because He is worthy of it all.

How do we consecrate and prepare ourselves to gather with the Lord? Have we deliberately appointed thanksgiving a regular part each day’s worship? For what miracles, judgments, strength, and marvelous works have we praised Him today? What deeds and attributes of the good and glorious God are we making known, and where?

“God our Maker doth provide 
for our wants to be supplied; 
Lord of harvest, grant that we 
wholesome grain and pure may be.
All the world is God’s own field, 
fruit unto His praise we yield. 
come to God’s own temple, come; 
 Come, ye thankful people, home.” ~Henry Alford (1844)

Lord, keep me ever singing, always thanksgiving.