Author: astherainandsnow

“God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” Philippians 2:9

“I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
    in the presence of the godly.”

“O God, save me by your name,
    and vindicate me by your might…
 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.” Psalm 52:9; 54:1,6

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
    the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10

Call on His name, look to His name, wait for His name, run to His name, hide in His name. Ah, that name above all names, in ancient Hebrew (YHWH) too holy to speak, is the sure and wholly other name we can count on and believe! God’s name is the embodiment of His being, His perfect character, the sum of His infinite and holy attributes. It is the name that saves and keeps and protects. It is in significance and identity and deed above every other, and it is at hand to God’s own. (John 17:11)

How well do we know God personally by His many names in scripture? Do we humbly marvel that He has revealed them and made available their power? Would we meditate on His names to Israel, marking them as we read and reciting them in prayer? Would we claim the ‘I ams’ of Jesus, and His many names described by His apostles, in song and application? Would we esteem His names daily in worship and work? Recalling and practicing their use for specific needs and praises will foster our familiarity with the One who draws us near. How are we welcoming and enabling God’s name to remain at hand? (Genesis 16:13; 22:14; John 6:35; 8:12; 10:11,14; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 19:16)

When we know Christ, having trusted His name and its power to cancel sin and seal us forever, how deliberately and steadfastly do we walk in it? Living and measuring our lives by and walking in rhythm with His name requires intentional commitment. Filled with the Spirit, by God’s strength, we get in step with Him, and our decisions and actions reflect His graces, wisdom, vision, and character. Is this our desire and determination? What hinders us, and what will we do about it? (Micah 4:5b; Zechariah 10:12; Galatians 5:16,22-23)

“O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread thro’ all the earth abroad
the honors of your name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease,
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life and health and peace.

He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above,
the Church in earth and heaven.” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

Lord, may I treasure and exalt Your name above all others in thought, praise, and deed.

“‘Write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel…’ Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel…

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop as the rain,
my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and like showers upon the herb.
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
ascribe greatness to our God!

“The Rock, his work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he…
Is not he your father, who created you,
    who made you and established you?
Remember the days of old;
    consider the years of many generations…

“He found him in a desert land,
and in the howling waste of the wilderness;
he encircled him, he cared for him,
he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
that flutters over its young,
spreading out its wings, catching them,
bearing them on its pinions,
the Lord alone guided him…
He made him ride on the high places of the land,
and he ate the produce of the field,
and he suckled him with honey out of the rock,
and oil out of the flinty rock.
Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,..
with the very finest of the wheat—
and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.

“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked;
    you grew fat, stout, and sleek;
then he forsook God who made him
    and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods…
They sacrificed to demons that were no gods…
You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you,
    and you forgot the God who gave you birth...

“If they were wise, they would understand this;
they would discern their latter end!” Deuteronomy 31:19,30; 32:1-4,6b-7a,10-18,29

The Lord instructed Moses for Israel and us, to remember Who He was and always would be. This song would be oft repeated through generations, a testimony to the intimate loving grace and care of God for His beloved children and their idolatrous, hard hearts. It’s vital to spiritual wellbeing to recognize the contrast.

The air around us is filled with songs and jingles, some relished and repeated, some stuck as ear worms. How keen is our filter? What tweets and tunes hum in our heads? Whose voice, what social mantras have become our mental and verbal playlist? Do we intone we tirades or triumphs? If we regularly mimic others’ rants, syncopated sound bites, or off-color humor, how will we retune our hearts to a song of God-honoring testimony?

How redolent of Christ is my tongue? How will I begin to replace mad and melancholy with melodies, criticism with choruses of praise? What will I today recount of God’s manifold deeds with gratitude?

“We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” ~ C. S. Lewis

“Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.” ~Frances Ridley Havergal (1874)

Amen!

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

“I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you… A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:15,34

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:5-7

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

“As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'” 1 Peter 1:15-16

Serve. Love. Welcome. Be kind. Forgive. As I have you. The scriptures present a high charge to God’s people: to walk as Jesus did while on earth. To be holy as He is holy. Walking in His steps, full of His Spirit and attitude and patience and zeal and joy, is not an easy calling for the flesh. Yet as the Lord commands, so He enables our obedience. Life this side of heaven is a process of His finishing what He began in us the moment of salvation. (2 Corinthians 1:21; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 2:6)

Ours is a determination to cooperate. To be as Christ is and do what He does we must watch and listen and follow in His steps, His direction, His pace, in His strength. Are we attuned? Are we intent?

How well are we attending to Jesus to familiarize ourselves with His pattern of thinking, His motivations, His manner of dealing with people and situations? When is our regular time to drink in His word and soak in its beautiful truths? What are we daily learning and putting into practice?

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

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

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

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

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

Lord, equip me with everything good for walking as You did, and work in and out of me all that pleases and reflects and glorifies You. (Hebrews 13:21)

“Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!..

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:1-2,7

“And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” 2 Samuel 7:20-22

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15

David knew his God. He communed with Him personally and often, pouring out fears and needs as well as gratitude and praise, all expressed in dependence on His name and attributes and highness. He’d known the blessings of living according to His prescribed ways, and the conviction of rebellion. So when he was overcome at his foolish fall with Bathsheba, he fled to the feet of his merciful, loving Lord. Only there he would find the cleansing he needed. He would forever be humbled by God’s grace. Living and pleading according to God’s Spirit and will yields freedom and fruit. (2 Samuel 11:1-27; 12:7-13)

In order to pray and live according to God’s character and will, we must know Him, His promises, and His design for man. He is gracious and merciful, abounding in love and faithfulness. It is not good that man be alone. God is a God of order, not chaos. The Lord provides a way of escape in every temptation. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and He gives wisdom generously to all who ask. The scriptures are full of descriptions of His attributes and declarations of His promises and plans. When we stake our living and our asking on these truths, much is accomplished. (Genesis 2:18; Psalm 32:8; 103:1-8; Proverbs 9:10; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 14:33; James 1:5)

Do I set about my days mapped out by my schedule? How stubborn am I regarding my desire and will? What am I doing to align my dreams and decisions with the Lord’s as revealed in His word? How well do I know the way God works, and what He promises HIs children? How confidently do I pray, in His name and according to His Spirit, for provision of a specific guidance or suitable spouse? For a clear way forward, or out of an errant inclination? For strength to stand, and a disposition to bow? Our Father delights to help us do all according to Him. (John 14:13-14)

Lord, may I think, desire, and live according to Your grace, truth, and Spirit so You are magnified.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called… until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,..—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:6-12,14-19

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Paul, having known the taste of earthly advantage, found focus and treasure transformed along with his salvation. All he’d considered gain was now loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Only Jesus, and remaining in the flow of His will and word, gave contentment and caused his heart to swell in praise. (Philippians 3:7-8)

As creatures here below, it is easy to get caught up in procuring, maintaining, and parading the gains of this world. We need, we deserve, we go after, we get. But gains quickly wane, the goal is reset, and new wants beckon. It is a fruitless exercise to keep adding to temporal gain.

The riches we own in Christ are without trouble and beyond measure. They were procured by Christ’s blood, infinitely costly yet free. They afford present satisfaction, lead to eternal life, and can be shared. How are we taking hold, and spreading our treasure? What do our daily efforts tell about which gain we pursue? (Matthew 6:21; Ephesians 1:3)

“My worth is not in what I own,
Not in the strength of flesh and bone,
But in the costly wounds of love
At the cross.

My worth is not in skill or name,
In win or lose, in pride or shame,
But in the blood of Christ that flowed
At the cross.

As summer flowers we fade and die,
Fame, youth and beauty hurry by,
But life eternal calls to us
At the cross.

I will not boast in wealth or might,
Or human wisdom’s fleeting light,
But I will boast in knowing Christ
At the cross.

I rejoice in my Redeemer
Greatest Treasure,
Wellspring of my soul
I will trust in Him, no other.
My soul is satisfied in Him alone.” ~Keith and Kristyn Getty, Graham Kendrick (2014)

Lord, fix my treasure in heaven and my heart’s desire on You, my wellspring.

“He brought me to the entrance of the court, and… there was a hole in the wall. He said to me, ‘Son of man, dig in the wall.’ So I dug and there was an entrance. And he said, ‘Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.’ So I went in and saw. There, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel… Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. Then he said to me, ‘Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land…” You will see still greater abominations that they commit…’

“At the entrance of the temple… were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun… ‘Have you seen this? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger?’” Ezekiel 8:7-13,16-17

Ezekiel’s position as a prophet exposed him to the grit of reality present and future. As the Lord would give him strong messages for Israel, He first exposed him to the horrors and depravity of their practices. No secret was unseen before the omniscient Almighty, and His holiness required that He hold them to account. If it was difficult for Ezekiel to pronounce God’s wrathful judgment, he certainly knew it was justified. (Ezekiel 7:27; Galatians 6:7)

While we might cringe at the audacity of the Israelites in their vile abominations and blatant idolatry, our hearts and minds are not far unlike theirs. We, too, are prone to the prurient and salacious, drawn to titillating gossip and idols of notoriety and stuff and success. Creeping things and loathsome beasts can take their form in any earthly beauty, vacuous cultural addictions, or virtual temptations that capture our affection.

That they would carry these atrocities into the temple seems especially repulsive, yet we saunter into worship with pompous attitudes, infected grudges, and gross unconfessed sin we’ve justified, blamed, or tucked away as secret. The Lord sees, knows, and wants to undo and exchange and reform and redeem. His judgments are sure but redemptive, just as the cross was cruel and ugly yet made the way for us to be clean. Horrid sin requires horrid accounting, but our gracious Lord took that upon Himself so we could be set free. Alleluia! (Psalm 51:6; John 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

What ungodly thoughts meandering in our minds need God’s light? Have they made their way to callous language or unkindness? What sinful habits have so rotted our consciences that we accept them as the norm? Where do we compare our lax morality with the laxer of others, and foolishly deem ourselves superior and acceptable? Are we convicted by a Spirit-given gift of shame intended to lead us to repentance? What will we do about it? (Romans 2:1-11)

Lord, infuse my secret places with your light and bring me out to live fully in Your holy light, for Your honor and glory. (1 John 1:7-9)

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, 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.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,  so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;  if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;  the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:1-9

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

Paul had just described the magnificent grace of God in reaching the Gentiles with the gospel, so overcome with awe and amazement that he broke out in spontaneous praise and benediction. Now how were all those blessed recipients to live? Because of God’s fore-planned pursuit of them, because He was worthy, because His riches were deep and His ways inscrutable, therefore he urged them to offer themselves wholly to Him and His kingdom service. To tap into those riches and align with His judgments and live out His glorious character among men. (Romans 11:33-36)

The Lord has high expectations for His people as stewards of His grace. He has not only saved us from a sure destruction, but unto a meaningful life of service to Him. The talents and resources and sanctified attributes He bestows are to reflect His grace as they fulfill His purposes. He calls us to lay down our lives in order to live with vibrancy and zeal, our every day an offering of worship back to the One who gave it. Does spiritual worship describe our daily outlook and effort? Matthew 25:14-30

It’s vital our minds be regularly renewed so they are strong against the pattern of this world. Social media and constant mantras become ear worms and brain eaters, requiring constant infiltration and cleansing of the fresh water of the word. Rejuvenated both spiritually and mentally, we can reasonably engage with our God-given gifts to build up the church and advance His kingdom. How seriously do we take His command? What are we doing to renew our thinking?

And how are we living out His therefore mandate, putting into practice the Spirit He’s planted in us and our gifts? When offered to Him in humility and sobriety, they do much to develop and energize HIs people, to His ends.

Lord, inspire my zeal to love You by serving others for Your sake and glory.

“The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day… 

“In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.  When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?..’  And Moses said, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat…  Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat,.. according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent…’ Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat… Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted…

“The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.” Exodus 16:4,13-16,18,21,35

“While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:10-12

From the start of their wilderness wandering, the Lord provided supernatural sustenance for His people. Day in, day out, He brought them just enough to satisfy and fuel their sojourn. Through daily manna He taught them daily dependence, holy expectation, and to be content with what He gave as sufficient.

God is constant and gracious to provide for His people in ways we see and cannot see. Because of His consistent faithfulness, we can become accustomed to His steadfast love and care and plenty. Lest we grow complacent, and neglect to seek or depend on Him, and feel we’re entitled to certain supply by our way and time and whim, He can switch His methods and means to remind us it is He, not ourselves, from whom all blessings flow.

Are we cruising on plenty, unaware that every good gift comes from God above? Have we slid into complaining about the bounty God gives? How adamant are we about wanting things our way, now? Have we become so used to ample that we think we have a right? Where has gratitude been eliminated and overtaken by grumbling? Would we trace His hand of creative provision today with humble thankfulness? (James 1:17)

“Praise to the Lord, over all things so wondrously reigning;
shelters thee under his wings, yea so gently sustaining!
Hast thou not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?” ~Joachim Neander (1680)

Lord, keep me ever grateful for Your good and bountiful gifts.

“David said to Abigail, ‘Blessed be the Lord who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and working salvation with my own hand!  For as surely as the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.’

“Abigail came to Nabal, and he was holding a feast in his house, like… a king. Nabal’s heart was merry, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And about ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

“When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing.'” 1 Samuel 25:32-34,36-39a

“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.'” Romans 12:19

David , though anointed king, had not yet taken the throne. When the rude and greedy Nabal refused his young men’s reasonable request, he prepared to attack to avenge their honor. Enter the foolish businessman’s discerning wife Abigail, who graciously offered sustenance and a plea not to be rash, but to trust that the Lord would establish His king. David wisely relented, grateful for the reminder of Who actually bore and would deal with the insult. His anger was assuaged, his hands were kept free from blood, and his determination to leave vengeance to God was solidified. (1 Samuel 25:1-31; 39b-42)

Insults fly and offenses roil in a dissension-poisoned culture. Ungrounded and prickly people rebuff being bullied and blame everything and everyone for their hurt and misery. Man can readily find cause to be angry at anything others say and do. Lashing out only makes us like the very fools we disdain; leaving vengeance to the Lord unveils His majesty in ways we’d have otherwise missed. Every time we halt an urge to sin strengthens holy resolve for the future. (1 Samuel 26:8-11,21,23; Proverbs 29:11)

Our just God knows how to take care of His own and their enemies. His ways are perfect, His judgments timely. We can confidently keep doing the next right thing and entrust our emotions and reactions to His outworking.

What grievances do we carry and coddle to our detriment? Who has wronged our upright behavior or loved one, our ego or entitlement? Meting out rage-fueled revenge serves only to dishonor true justice and exacerbate flagrant pride and emotion. God knows the legitimacy of our claims and the best antidotes and consequences.

What resentment, harsh words, or temper need we lay down, and trust the Lord’s resolution? Where can we be an Abigail, working respectfully to make peace and point to God’s will and character? Jesus bore the wrath against sin so we would not need to. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Lord, help me think and behave rightly in my treatment of others, trusting Your finished work, to the honor of Your perfect name and character.

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

“There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you,
    and glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God.” Psalm 95:1-3,6-7

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    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;
    he is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:1-4

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord!” Psalm 98:4-5

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!” Psalm 100:4

What makes the heart leap and breath catch upon seeing a wide orange fingernail sliver of a moon cup on the horizon at darkening twilight? It is the spirit God has planted in us that is alert to His declared glory in the skies. What causes fresh ideation and inspiration as we imagine and discover and invent? It is the image of God designed into our being at work and creating through our will and intellect. Praise Him!

God is trustworthy in the whirlwind, in the turmoil, in the unknown and foreboding as well as the blissful seasons. We can expect that His will will be done, His hand will prove mighty, His light will be seen, His judgments will be executed, His love will hold fast, because they embody who God is and how He works. Praise Him!

Will we praise him in the flood of sorrow and the flood of a home? In the drought of hope and the drought of a land? In the crash of bad news and the clash of war? In a radiant sunset of life and blazing sunset of day? God reigns on high! He rides the heavens to our aid, and sees that all His plans come to pass. Praise Him! (Deuteronomy 33:26; Isaiah 14:24)

What difference would there be in countenance, attitude, outlook, the atmosphere of our home and workplace, if we set out to praise God this day?

“All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing,
‘Alleluia! Alleluia!’
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him!
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship Him in humbleness;
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!” ~St. Francis os Assisi (1225)

Amen!