Author: astherainandsnow

“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being…

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
   who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,..
    to all generations.
Praise the Lord!” Psalm 146:1-2,5-10

The psalmist’s soul wells up and spills over with praise as he ponders the works and ongoing work of his God. Not only had He created the heavens and earth, but He abides, constantly keeping faith, upholding and furthering His promises. As energetic help and hope, He at once executes justice, feeds, frees, illumines, lifts, and loves. He hovers and hems in, watching over to guide and protect, upholding to comfort and sustain. There is nothing the Lord neglects, yet He never wearies nor is confused. What a God! (Isaiah 40:28)

In the mire of conflict and demands, we need daily pause and refocus to take in God’s very present, sublime involvement. There is no urgency He does not see, no catastrophe He does not rule, no problem He cannot solve. He who created the rolling spheres is the Potentate of time and worthy of our trust. (Psalm 46:1)

O Christian, do we realize God’s power and the bounty He affords? Do we relish the security of His keeping, and the nourishment He provides? How freely are we living and serving, unfettered from shame, unweighted by regret? How do His love and lifting buoy our spirits and sustain our hours? Will we trust Him for justice and seek Him for insight? Will we delight in all He is and does and praise Him forever? (Romans 12:17-19; Hebrews 9:14)

How differently can I take on today and assess the future if I trust God’s abiding? For what divine activity will I depend on Him this day? For what will I sing His praise?

“Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my vict’ry wins…

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll,
even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul…

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
storms about me, night o’ertakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry…

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
more than all in Him I find;
He hath granted me forgiveness;
I am His, and He is mine!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving;
He is with me to the end.” ~J. Wilbur Chapman (1910)

Lord, cause me daily to marvel, praise, go forth, and rest in all You wondrously, faithfully do.

“Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,  will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory...

“When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

The Shekinah glory was a constant for Israel in the wilderness and the tent of meeting, yet it did not ever appear exactly the same one day to the next. Always present, ever changing. And once the Prince of glory came and died and was raised, He ushered in a new glory that can be ours in salvation. (Exodus 40:34-38; Isaiah 4:5-6)

As the earth spins and years come and pass, the nothing new under the sun of every day is never the same. Physically and practically life is dynamic, not static, and spiritually in the unseen realm the Lord is constantly changing us. Sometimes we resist that changing, preferring how I am and how things are, thank you. But the soul set on Christ will welcome and rejoice in God’s transforming work from the inside out, and will see His glory in it. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Where is the Lord’s Spirit prompting transformation, and what are we doing about it? Are we stuck in neutral, stagnant or complacent, or moving forward with the Lord? Is there any inward or outward evidence of our being changed from glory to glory? What would our co-workers and loved ones say?

What aspects of our character are becoming more pleasing, more reflective of Jesus? What changes in desire, refinements of behavior, or softening of hard edges and speech have taken place? What impulses and reactions and habitual practices need His work, and how willing are we to admit and submit to it? Where can we yield today to be made more like Jesus, and so portray and exude our Maker’s glory?

“Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n to earth come down,
fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
all Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love Thou art;
visit us with Thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Finish then, Thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see Thy great salvation
perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before Thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.” ~Charles Wesley (1747)

Lord, sweep me up in Your bundle of vibrant, dynamic life, changing me to be more like You every day so I reflect Your glory. (1 Samuel 25:29)

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.  [He] commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam.., and Achbor.., and Shaphan.., and Asaiah.., saying,  ‘Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written…’

“Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. [He] went up to the house of the Lord, and with him the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. The king stood and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and testimonies and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

“The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest… to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places..; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon and constellations… And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem,.. and burned it… and beat it to dust… And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes.., where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.” 2 Kings 22:11-13; 23:1-7

It was the Book of the Law that gripped and shook King Josiah. Not only was it good, but it was the word of the unchanging, covenant-keeping God. Its tenets struck deep, with conviction, and begged a mutual commitment. Josiah’s humble confession and public covenant compelled its keeping. (Hebrews 4:12)

The reason we remain stagnant spiritually and otherwise is that we never move off complacency. A wish or want might flit by, but until we’ve committed we’ll likely not make any significant changes. Intuition might nudge that something needs be done, but flesh says I’m fine as I am, and have always been.

A covenant with the immutable, gracious God sets us in the right direction and inspires growth and obedience. It carries us through challenging and changing seasons by securing heart devotion. We struggle with weaknesses of our flesh, but the tether to an unchanging God secures His standard and intercession. As we put away destructive practices, we gradually replace them with good. Every bit of keeping fosters more and stronger keeping. (2 Kings 23:21-25; Romans 8:31-34)

What niggling habits and strange gods do we tolerate? Have we discerned godless inclinations, and boldly removed the high places of ego and greed we fondle with selfish affection? When we covenant to obey, the Lord gives grace and wisdom and help. (2 Kings 23:10-16; Hebrews 4:16)

Father, in gratitude for Your steadfast love and grace, fix my commitment and obedience to You, and for Your glory.

“He holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.  For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,  a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.” Hebrews 7:24-8:2

The permanent and forever High Priest, Jesus, alone saves completely, to the uttermost, by His limitless perfection. He whose death interceded for ours continues to intercede on our behalf, pleading before His Father from His right hand. The all in all gave His all, His faultless blood, to make us spotless and holy.

Yet how easy it is for us to live half-heartedly in the comparatives. Go with gusto, then gripe and grouse. Give generously, but give in to greed. Devote time and effort, but withhold some pet places. Believe in God, but avoid surrender. What a stark contrast we are to our excellent, wholly sacrificial Savior!

If we really believe Christ’s priesthood is permanent, why do we hide in shame and live in constant defeat? If it is true Christ is always praying for us, why do we fret and fear? If He has once for all put our sin and its power away, why do we keep yielding to temptation? What difference can it make in our attitude toward sin and daily life if we took Jesus’s superlatives literally? Permanent forever. Highly exalted. Perfect sacrifice. Unceasing intercession. High. Holy. True.

How would it change our worship if we rejoiced in the always and everlastings of our infallible Savior instead of focusing on temporal troubles and needs? What magnificence, excellence, resplendence of the high King have we witnessed recently? What fresh praise will we offer to our all in all for His perfect blood and saving, keeping power?

“I hear the Savior say,
‘Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.’

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
‘Jesus died my soul to save,’
My lips shall still repeat.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.” ~Elvina M. Hall (1865)

Lord, let me never forget Your astounding supremacy and excellent, eternal, salvation, and so live exalting You, alone worthy of the highest honor and praise.

“‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
    and rend your hearts and not your garments.’
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.” Joel 2:12-13

“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
    for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
Take with you words
    and return to the Lord;
say to him,
    ‘Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
    and we will pay with bulls
    the vows of our lips.
Assyria shall not save us;
    we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, “Our God,”
    to the work of our hands.'” Hosea 14:1-3

The prophets’ renditions of God’s call are full of love, longing, mercy. Even now, though you don’t see the whole stain of your sin. Even now, though you feel justified for your actions, and think you were only giving what another deserved. Even now, though you were ignorant, unaware, of your offense against Me. Even now, though you think My grace is not big enough your shame. Even now, I want you to have the same sorrow I do over your sin, and receive my mercy. Return! I am here to receive and restore!

Even now, it’s not too late, for anyone who heeds this gracious call. Return to Me, my beloved. Come, let us reason together. I will uncover your subconscious but hideous motives, your wayward thinking, your abhorrent hidden attitudes, your every offense against My holiness. And I will deal with them by applying them to the cross. I will plunge them in Christ’s blood and make you clean. Return! (Psalm 139:23-24; Isaiah 1:18; 1 John 1:9)

Why is it so hard for us to admit our folly, rebellion, pride? Because by their very nature they resist honesty, exposure, and conviction. Our enemy the devil masquerades as an angel of light and does all he can to disguise or distort truth. He is a wily liar, and works to distance us from God. WOUld we ask the Lord to open our eyes, to see ourselves as He does? Where can we identify that we have strayed, and what steps can we take this day to return to the Lord, humbly, hopefully? (Joel 2:21-27; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8)

The blessings of returning are varied and good. Restored fellowship with and deeper knowledge of God (and often His people). Redeemed lost time. Spiritual fruit. Are these our desire? What is holding us back from rising from our procrastination, the pleasures of sin, or apathy, to return to the Lord with all our hearts? Restored communion with Him results in unfolding praise.

“Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

Fatherlike he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!” ~Henry Francis Lyle (1834)

Lord, help me resist the world, never Your loving call, and humbly move forward as Your redeemed child for the glory of Your name.

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem… And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.  He rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.  He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem will I put my name…’ He burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever’… They did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.” 2 Kings 21:1-7,9

The Lord had preserved a remnant in David’s line. The Lord had favored Judah, giving her land once occupied by pagan nations. The Lord had captured his father Hezekiah’s heart and abundantly blessed his reign. He witnessed his gratitude and learned of God’s faithfulness. But Manasseh made his own choices and turned his own way. He shrugged off the identity as God’s chosen, he spurned God’s favor, and he invited strange gods into his heart. (1 Kings 11:31-36; 2 Kings 18:1-7; Isaiah 38:16-20)

Before we shame Manessah for squandering his heritage and opportunities, we must take stock of our whats and whys. It can be that we slide ahead without willful obedience, assuming subconsciously another’s good reputation will cover us, or we’ll come around later. We may rebel against comparison, or shrug off another’s example out of stubborn independence, bent on exploring for ourselves. We might weakly surrender to wayward lusts. The tug of war in a Christian’s soul is real and sometimes intense. Every slip makes easier the next.

Jesus saves in an astounding application of grace, and sanctifies us through development of our will. He tests our allegiances, giving opportunity to grow by deliberate choices. He’s on our side, but gives leeway for our decisions. How do we handle our freedom? Where do we insist on doing things our way? (Genesis 22:12-14; Job 1:8-12; Romans 8:31-34; Ephesians 6:10-12)

The sad thing about poor choices is that often they affect others too. My prideful initiative, aggression, and indulgences never stand alone, but hurt others in their wake. My attitude or example can stain the image of the Christ I bear or lead others astray. (2 Kings 21:19-22)

For my part, will I first thank the Lord for His? Will I seek His word and will, then in obedience, His glory over my own? How consistently and persistently am I cooperating with the process of sanctification?

Father, make me holy. Help me stand firm in Your word and yield to You alone.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:1-12

The psalmist rouses his soul in praise, continually overwhelmed with the reality of God’s forgiveness. In what begins like a comprehensive list of benefits bestowed by his Lord, his soul cannot get over the fact that this great and holy God has forgiven all his sins. Indeed that gift opened the way for David to receive so much more- healing, redemption, love, mercy, vitality, goodness, guidance- but every blessing is wrapped in forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the first benefit and blessing in a Christian’s life that makes the way for every other. It is the key to a grateful heart, the door to vast spiritual riches, and gives redeemed sight that enables us to see with wonder the beauties of God. If we never forget the debt we incurred, and paid in full by our Savior, we will marvel forever! (Psalm 32:1-2)

Is my prayer time self-centered? Does my litany of thanksgiving begin with myself and charms directed my way, or by blessing the Giver of every good and perfect gift? Have the glitter and grind of life distracted me from daily remembering who I was before Christ saved me, and what He sacrificed for my sake? Would I humbly bow at the start of every day, every prayer, and praise the One whose death rent the veil that I might approach His holy sanctuary? Who covered me in His righteousness and welcomes me to His throne? (Mark 15:37-39; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Hebrews 10:19-22; James 1:17)

Lest I forget God’s gift of forgiveness, will I take time to search my heart and confess known sin, then thank Him for His cleansing grace? Acknowledging this starts the flow of gratitude for all attending gifts He bountifully gives. It also inspires us to pay it forward to others. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Since I have received steadfast love and grace, and am the beneficiary of God’s patience and long-suffering, how and to whom will I extend the same? An unforgiving heart is one that has not been softened and moved by the Lord’s mercy. When I realize the gravity of my sin, the weight of my debt, and the cost to my Savior to forgive me, I will be able, by act of will, with God’s help, to forgive. (Ephesians 4:32)

Lord, may I daily bless Your name for Your gracious forgiveness, and love others as You do me. (John 13:34-35)

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

“For to which of the angels did God ever say,

‘You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you’?” Hebrews 1:1-5

The letter writer begins, God has spoken to us by his Son, then in a few words opens heaven to reveal that incomparable divine One. He exquisitely describes the indescribable, efficiently expresses the limitless, and for finite minds cogently portrays the infinite. In three sentences he displays Jesus in His nature, office, glory, power, and victory as supremely excellent, worthy of our adoration.

Would that we began our daily ‘letters,’ our communication, intentions, and purposeful work, immersed in the radiance of the Son of God! Consider first that He speaks, that He came to earth to make a way for unbroken communion with us. His word is complete, without error, a true joy for the heart, revival to the soul, and light to our path. Are we listening? (Psalm 19:7-11; 119:89,105)

Ponder that as God’s Son, He is heir of all things, having created the world with God, setting His seal of delight and ownership on all that was made. If Jesus possesses everything, and fashioned it all with uniqueness and reason, why would I doubt His provision, or particular purpose for my life? How well do I trust this divine benefactor? What needs will I bring before Him today? (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-16)

Jesus radiates God’s glory and bears exactly His nature. If I am His child, how accurately do I resemble Him? What brooding or godless habits do I indulge, or dark entertainment do I expose myself to, that stifles His light? What grudges or snippy attitudes keep me from reflecting His graciousness, kindness, and love? How evident is His nature in mine? (John 1:4; Philippians 2:1-8)

Consider that Christ upholds the universe by the word of His power. He sustains all He has made with immeasurable strength, order, and perfection. What places in my life seem out of gravitational control or off-balance? Will I bring them under the supernatural authority of the Lord? (Colossians 1:17)

This Lord Jesus made purification for sins, and reigns as Victor at the right hand of the Majesty on high. If He has borne all of sin’s sting and punishment, why do I still carry shame? How can I still harbor resentment and desire for vengeance for wrongs done to me? Where do I need to apply this finished work of Christ? (Romans 12:16-21; Ephesians 4:32)

Jesus is most excellent in every way! He is superior to angels and experts and energy and positivity! Will I believe and trust and prefer and praise Him?

Lord, ground me in Your most excellent name and character so all I do reflects the radiance of Your glory.