Author: astherainandsnow

“What man, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one, does not leave the ninety-nine… and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?.. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?..

“A man had two sons. The younger said, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them… The younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living…

“But when he came to himself,.. he arose and came to his father… [who] saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The father said,.. ‘Let us celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found…’” Luke 15:4,8,11-13,17a,20-24

The story of the prodigal son often focuses on the change of heart and return of the wayward man, yet Jesus who tells the parable precedes it with two others about lost objects that highlight the individual who does the finding. The One orchestrating the search, pursuing, the Rescuer, is the One to be trusted and praised. By very definition of the word, none is found who has not been sought. Being found is never of man’s own doing.

Man’s volition is a gift exercised under God’s sovereignty. The mystery of divine pursuit and free will exercised is reconciled within the majesty of grace. Sheep wander, coins roll, and man left to himself makes a waste of life. Our inherited penchant to sin is irreversibly ingrained. But God. The Lord Almighty focuses the heavenly eye, sets affection, woos the heart, awakens conviction. He who created senses brings man to his own. Any response of faith is His gracious gift too, all praise to Him. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We might boast of good choices and robust faith, but we cannot brag about being found. No positioning or effort of ours attracts the Lord to us and wins His heart. It is despite our enemy nature, against our rebellion, that He moves toward us. Love is His majestic essence, redeeming pursuit His merciful initiative, salvation His wondrous gift. Shall we not bow? (Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:1-7)

Do we think too highly of ourselves and too little of the Lord Jesus? How do we speak and behave as though we are equals, each contributing our part to achieve salvation? Would we take time to meditate on I was dead and am alive, was lost and am found, and worship? How will I live out, with word and deed, my identity as Christ’s beloved, rejoiced-over, saved child, as an example to others? (Romans 12:3; 1 Peter 1:18-21)

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!” ~Charles Wesley (1738)

Good Father, keep me grateful always that You found me, and humble before Your amazing love and grace.

“Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain… We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.” 2 Corinthians 6:1,3-12

In the rough and tumble of ministry and life, Paul and his cohorts kept on for the gospel. The good news of salvation in Christ drove them, fueled them, motivated them, sustained them. Whatever they faced or endured shaped their character, sharpened their focus, fed their resolve, and fortified their faith. In everything, as servants of Christ, their affection was wrapped in Him and His, to His kingdom ends. For this all-encompassing passion for Christ they were commended, and by it their hearts were open to the needy world.

Are we so sold out for Jesus? Consider the difficulties of our everyday: pressure from work, strain in laborious relationships, the challenge of unanswered questions, stress over unsolved problems. We are constantly inundated by the prepositions of with and without, by and under, over and through. We have every reason in the flesh to give up, or at least put on hold, any efforts for the kingdom when our own kingdom is under strain or in jeopardy. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

We cannot escape, but we can endure facing a new conundrum or affliction with certainty and hope. We can, persisting in the Spirit, commendably behave and honor the God who triumphs through us. Rather than freeze, retreat, cower, fear, or despair, will can press on. (2 Corinthians 2:14; 6:16)

What tests currently pepper my duties and plans, and how am I responding? How diligently am I seeking His good will when facing a new conundrum or affliction? Will I proceed with zeal and confidence, and persevere in His power and grace?

How can I align my affections with the Lord’s? When have I bowed and relented under pressure? Where am I neglecting proper action, failing to uphold His charge? We will one day see God and give account, and must adjust our will and ways if we are to be commended. How can we work together with Him so that specific attitudes and actions would please the Lord this day? (2 Corinthians 5:10; 7:1)

“So shall no part of day or night
from sacredness be free,
but all my life, in ev’ry step,
be fellowship with thee.” ~Horatius Bonar (1866)

Father, keep me hopeful, faithful, and joy-filled through every circumstance, to Your glory.

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,  if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.  For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,  for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-9

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:22-27

Paul understood the emotional and physical grumble and crank of life. Constant opposition, pelting criticism, the strain on the body of fatigue, endless travel, punishment. Indeed, he knew the groaning of body and soul. But he also knew, and pressed on because of, the abiding presence and intercession and hope of the Holy Spirit. He walked by faith, content in every circumstance because of what he believed. The guarantee of an eternal blessed inheritance was ample to fortify his daily resolve, giving strength, perspective, and perseverance for immediate challenges. (2 Corinthians 11:23-29; Ephesians 1:1-14; Philippians 4:11; Hebrews 11:1)

Everyone who follows and serves Christ bears daily burdens of responsibility and trouble. We necessarily suffer, but have hope to carry and sustain us. What defines our days? What do our attitudes and expressions indicate about state of soul? Are we known to frown, complain, and sigh? To repeatedly recite difficulties, pulling others into a downward depressing vortex of negativity? Or do we tether our very real groaning to heavenly hope, yearning and persevering because of the glory that awaits? What does the Spirit’s intercession and guarantee for us do to secure and uplift our faith? (Matthew 11:28-30; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Timothy 3:12)

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is sure and abiding. His seal on our hearts is a pledge of everlasting joy. What difference is He making in present circumstances?

O Lord, may any groan be heavenward, my hope and praise in and for You and Your glory.

“There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…

“The body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part… If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing?.. God arranged the members in the body as he chose… There are many parts, yet one body.

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor… God has so composed the body… that there be no division.., but that the members may have the same care for one another.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7,14-15,17-18,20-25

Paul’s words to this floundering church were aimed at turning them from distracting, corrupting influences and unifying their varied ideas and efforts in a united cause. If they knew Jesus as Lord, they were an integral part of the Body for common good. It was not theirs to belittle their own contribution nor demean another’s. Each was vital to the healthy functioning of the church body and they were responsible for exercising their God-arranged, Spirit-apportioned gifts with mutual care, in His power.

Much is publicized and promoted today about finding our sweet spot and doing what we love. Indeed, in both secular and church life we’ve been endowed by God with certain gifts for service and activity that benefit all. That is the key: are we driven by the common good, or only our own pursuits or success? When we act in a selfish vacuum, our efforts do nothing to upbuild the church and open the door to arrogant superiority or self-deprecation, and fickle provincialism. Lacking a broader vision and consumed with ego and performance, we both push forward and retreat at emotional whim and fancy with no concern for kingdom purpose.

But God has created us for Himself and each other. He intends we exercise our gifts by His Spirit, in love, for the ministry and proclamation of Christ in His Body and world. He appoints and anoints, placing us in time and place to know Him and make Him known. Are we indispensable to His Body? Yes! Is our role honorable in His eyes? Yes! (Esther 4:14; Isaiah 43:7; Acts 17:24-28; 1 Corinthians 13:1-2)

How well do I know, accept, and utilize my God-given gifts for the church? How well do I accept and encourage others’ gifts? Do I perform out of duty, or in a spirit of love? Do my attitudes and interactions indicate dignity and honor, or disparaging and haughtiness? What can I practically change in order to manifest the Spirit with effectiveness and grace, and so build unity that glorifies God? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

Lord, mold me into a flourishing Body member who serves, upbuilds, and unifies Your church with Christ-like love and honor.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” 1 John 1:1-4

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men… 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.” John 1:1-4,14

John the apostle had a keen eternal perspective and an intimate friendship with Jesus. He had known and walked and served with Him. His gospel begins before the beginning of time, and his grasp of Christ’s eternal nature, likely the outflow of his bent to quiet contemplation and observation, is profound. In words, he brings this infinite Savior to life as present flesh and blood whom we can hear, see, and touch. All who would read his accounts he introduced to the wondrous God-man, full and fluent with grace and truth.

When we are in Christ, we carry within the seeds of eternal life to sow in the here and now. Our touch of the infinite and filling with the forever Spirit make us agents of eternity through our moments, days, and interactions. Are we aware of the difference we can make? Are we ready to give reason for our unshakable hope and joy? (Psalm 16:11; Nehemiah 8:10b; 1 Peter 3:15)

The deeper and richer our relationship with Christ, the greater measure of Him we will know by intimate experience to pass along to others. To whom can we manifest His wonder and beauties by extending love, kindness, forgiveness, grace? In what dark places are we shining His light of truth? How can and will we interject consideration of eternal life into immediate stresses and pressing conundrums?

“Eternal God, whose power upholds
Both flower and flaming star,
To whom there is no here nor there,
No time, no near nor far,
No alien race, no foreign shore,
No child unsought, unknown:
O send us forth, Thy prophets true,
To make all lands Thine own!

O God of righteousness and grace,
Seen in the Christ, Thy Son,
Whose life and death reveal Thy face,
By whom Thy will was done:
Inspire Thy heralds of good news
To live Thy life divine,
Till Christ has formed in all mankind
And every land is Thine!” ~Henry Tweedy (1929)

Lord, may my God-touched hands hold You fast, move at the impulse of Your love, and ever offer the hope of eternal life.

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you.” Job 42:5

“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’ They went out of the town and were coming to him.

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’  So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'” John 4:28-30,39-42

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved…  For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” Romans 10:9-10,13-15

Scripture as a whole promotes personal responsibility and invites people not only to proclaim testimony of the Lord, but to listen, look, learn, and respond. When we have known the Savior we cannot help but tell, and experiences relayed beg engagement by the observer and reader. Come and hear! Come and see! When we are exposed to Him we will be changed. Interacting with truth ourselves always, always has effect. (John 1:38-39)

Information today is peddled in droves and drones. Wherever we turn the eye or ear we can take in what someone else has curated for our necessary enlightenment, instruction, or pleasure. There is no scarcity of expertise or opinion to be had and espoused. Our challenge is to discern what we take in, then respond accordingly. Merely accepting what another has presented skirts our responsibility to investigate and interact with God personally. The Lord is most clearly revealed when we seek Him ourselves.

What effort do we make to listen to and understand who Jesus is, to meet with Him and divine His word alone? Are we more apt to taste a snippet or devotional soundbite from someone else, or dig in and study for ourselves? How willingly do we receive and respond to what we learn? Can we honestly say we know Jesus Christ for ourselves? (Matthew 16:13-16)

If so, what are we doing to tell about Him so others see, and know, and believe for themselves? How eagerly and readily do we invite those among whom we work and live to meet Him? What about our lifestyle, perspectives, manner of handling hardship and interruptions, would make them want to?

Lord, help me know, love, and trust You for myself, and be faithful to speak boldly and winsomely so others will too.

“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!  Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.  Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

There is no separation of self in Christ. He who made and saves our souls has also made our bodies in His image, that in the flesh we might also be saved, sanctified, and bring Him glory. His Spirit dwells within the sacred, pulsing temple. Maybe because of our sin inheritance, maybe because of the difference between tangible flesh and intangible mind, we can mentally separate ourselves into compartments. We deem part more worldly and part more worship-worthy. We assign the flesh to be ruled by nerve impulses, the spirit by conscience. But God created, desires, and is worthy of all of us. In and by His Spirit we can yield to His triumphant rule over the whole self.

“I appeal to you therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

The offering of our body works in tandem with the surrender of mind and will. One can neither serve nor worship Christ without the other. Outstretched arms indicate an outstretched heart, open and desiring to be fully His and to do His full will. Whenever we resist welcoming Him in, or yielding up our inclinations and impulses to His sway, simply behold Christ upon the cross. His perfect body became a temple broken on our behalf so we might be whole forever. Can we spread wide our arms and open our hands in offering? Will we identify completely with death of self? (John 4:24)

What contemptible practices or selfish indulgences keep our bodies unprepared as Christ’s abode? What need we offer up for removal or cleansing? How can we practically, reverently glorify God with our bodies?

Good Father, stimulate in me love for You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, that I daily prepare and present my body as a living, holy sacrifice for Your filling, using, and glory.

“As God lives,.. as long as my breath is in me,
    and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
my lips will not speak falsehood,
    and my tongue will not utter deceit.
Far be it from me to say that you are right;
    till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;
    my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.” Job 27:2-6

“My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity…
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.

So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words…

So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.” Proverbs 2:1-7,9-16,20

While his days are peppered with pain and captious pith from mistaken friends, Job maintains a holy resolve. His every practice may not perfectly align, but his passion is all for God and bound up in His constancy and supremacy. He meets and combats every onslaught with more and more tenacious faith and testimony of God’s sovereign goodness.

It is up to us to set determination. The distractions in our days are many. Along the way of duty and doing we face detours, judgments, and difficulties that pull at focus and effort and will. The enemy never ceases attempting to disrupt and destroy. Fixing and filling our mind with Christ, fueling ourselves with His word, helped by His righteousness pulsing through our veins, we set the course for intent and behavior. This initial resoluteness and constant aligning keeps motion dynamic and God-ward. (John 10:10)

Where am I lacking discipline and direction? Are there indulgences of flesh or thought that foment dissension, dark thinking, resentment, or shame? How stabile is my self-control in habits of speech or temper? Where need I reset commitment, and how will I regularly fortify it?

As God lives, what fuels my passions and sets the course for my days? What’s my long view for character, conduct, and purpose? How deliberately do I make decisions and direct energies to affect not only today but the future, both private life and wider relationships? Do I think through these things, and move ahead carefully without caprice? Holding fast to God’s wisdom shields against sin. (Psalm 17:3; 39:1; 119:11)

Lord, incline my heart and will toward You and so secure holy resolve all my days.

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!..

My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
    Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!” Psalm 57:5,7-11

Birdsong fills the cool air with happy staccato, chirps and trills punctuated by an occasional caw, morning praises all. The sun still lies hidden but casts its fire upward, igniting scattered clouds, shouting glory at the dawn. Awake! Awake all creation to exalt the Creator! Awake, sing, shine!

The start of each day is a fresh palette for rejoicing. Only God knows what the hours will hold, what we know is that He is faithful and loves steadfastly. Lift the mind to thoughts above where Christ is seated and calm and troubles cannot molest! Raise heart to the heavens where the sovereign Savior dwells! Tune the voice for higher praise! (Colossians 3:1-2)

Oh, how easy as earth dwellers to hum the dirge and sigh away our moments. To brood on undersides and wallow in shadows of resentment, regret, self-pity, despair. Has the drone become complaint, the heart’s hope banal, the life lens discontent? Awake, my soul! Look up and hope! Your God reigns in goodness and power! He resides in the heavens and rules the nations!

From what need I awake and sing?

“Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy dai­ly stage of du­ty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joy­ful rise,
To pay thy morn­ing sac­ri­fice.

Thy pre­cious time mis­spent, re­deem,
Each pre­sent day thy last es­teem,
Improve thy ta­lent with due care;
For the great day thy­self pre­pare.

By in­flu­ence of the Light di­vine
Let thy own light to oth­ers shine.
Reflect all Heav­en’s pro­pi­tious ways
In ar­dent love, and cheer­ful praise.

In con­ver­sa­tion be sin­cere;
Keep con­sci­ence as the noon­tide clear;
Think how all see­ing God thy ways
And all thy sec­ret thoughts sur­veys.

Wake, lift up thy­self, my heart,
And with the an­gels bear thy part,
Who all night long un­wea­ried sing
High praise to the eter­nal King.

Heav’n is, dear Lord, wher­e’er Thou art,
O nev­er then from me de­part;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one mo­ment void of Thee.

Lord, I my vows to Thee re­new;
Disperse my sins as morn­ing dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thy­self my spir­it fill.

Direct, con­trol, sug­gest, this day,
All I de­sign, or do, or say,
That all my pow­ers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glo­ry may unite.

I would not wake nor rise again
And Heav’n it­self I would dis­dain,
Wert Thou not there to be en­joyed,
And I in hymns to be em­ployed.

Praise God, from whom all bless­ings flow;
Praise Him, all crea­tures here be­low;
Praise Him above, ye heav’n­ly host;
Praise Fa­ther, Son, and Ho­ly Ghost.” ~Thomas Ken (1695)

Lord, may I daily greet You in Your dawn with rejoicing, thanksgiving, determination, and praise.

“As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

 “Jesus stopped and ordered the man be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Lord, I want to see,’ he replied.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.” Luke 18:35-43 (Mark 10:46-52)

The blind man had other sharp senses. When he heard the passing crowd, he knew something was abuzz, and discovered it was Jesus. This was the miracle worker he’d heard about. This was the compassionate teacher, the one who did not shy away from invalids and sinners. Bartemaeus was desperate for mercy. With all his resolve, from his seat at the roadside, he cried out. He cried out to Jesus, son of David, the identity he understood. He cried out to Jesus, whose stories of undeserved mercy were now famous. This Jesus was his only hope.

Dulled by sin, we are graciously given the sense that something is wrong. Without Christ, we are beggars all, spiritually blind and helpless at true life’s roadside. Unable to know Him on our own, we know what we want, and that we desperately need. When we sense His approach and bringing us near, we can cry expectantly for mercy, which opens the way for more specific asking. Only His presence, His word, His healing touch, deliver us from our hopeless state, and free us to follow and worship and serve.

In any infirmity of circumstance or soul, have I given in to complacency in weakness, or depression due to the seemingly impossible? Have I resigned myself to hopeless begging from everything and anyone that cannot heal? Perhaps I exhaust myself exerting mustered-up efforts at making it, or depend on my self-crafted way out or betterment?

Would I instead listen for Jesus, and try to perceive His attention? Would I look beyond the palpable and present to Him who is good and does all things well? Recognizing my own helplessness and need for mercy is key to true and full healing. How willing am I to communicate my impotence and need for what He alone can do and give? (Psalm 119:68)

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.” ~Charles Wesley (1738)

From what has God specifically delivered or healed me, and how am I praising Him for the mercy applied?

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.” ~John Newton (1779)

Lord, meet my every desperation with Your sufficiency and power, to your praise.