Author: astherainandsnow

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

“Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.’  And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.'” Joshua 24:14-24

Joshua was an exemplary leader both tactically and spiritually, and always the two were intertwined. There was no decision or conquest he made or achieved apart from his relationship with his Commander. The Lord God had indeed been with him wherever he went, granting wisdom, strategy, skill, and tenacity, and brought great victory and conquest. So before he died, Joshua’s legacy would be to remind God’s people of His holiness and grace, and to challenge them to choose and commit. (Joshua 1:7-9)

Being confronted with who God is and tracing His hand through our lives is not an isolated occurrence in a vacuum. Encountering Christ forces an inflection point for life going forward. We have a decision: Who is He to me, and how will I respond with my will?

Who is my king? Any determination to follow the Lord must be made with the realization that we are unable to keep it apart from Christ’s grace. Are we zealous but not careful? Quick to sign on, but not to sign in to His word? What idols need we surrender so He is Lord alone? (Hebrews 4:16)

Faithful Lord, incline my heart to You always, my thoughts to Your mind, my inclinations to Your word, my ways to Your paths, so I serve You alone and for Your name’s sake and glory.

“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month ([in] the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

“As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness…

“Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads…

“And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.  And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.  Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

“Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” Ezekiel 1:1-5,22,26-28

The prophet priest had been exiled to Babylon years prior. Far from home, under strange authority, this man of God communed with Him like never before. The darkness of Ezekiel’s situation magnified the light of his Lord, the silence of familiarity heightened the sound of His voice, isolation from his homeland intensified the palpability of His presence. As harsh as his situation was, Ezekiel knew his God, and under His loving hand kept looking. The Almighty used his very hardship to open a way to see His majesty, and thereby proclaim a substantial hope.

We too may be in a seemingly endless strange place, be it an untenable relationship, demeaning work situation, or crippling disease, with little hope of meaningful change, much less a return to normalcy. But it is in such an exile we can watch for the Lord in a way we would not were things going well, were we comfy and safe. The Lord speaks into our longings, and appears in our darkness to remind us His throne is over all. In the fire and thunder He is gloriously present and actively reigns. Would we fall on our faces at the realization of His majesty and power?

Where are we bemoaning a circumstance, engrossed in all that’s sad and hard? Instead, how will we trace God’s hand, hear His words, and behold His glory in the midst?

Lord, in every situation, keep my eyes watching for You, and my soul humbled at Your glorious presence.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.” Psalm 27:1-6

David encountered many a foe during his years. His psalms record a lot of his communion with God through threats, battle, pursuit, and despair, and repeatedly they reflect his heart attitude and mindset: God was his first love and trust. His heartbeat was praise, His vision hope, no matter what he was facing. His one request that trumped all others, that was more important to him than physical safety, or a solution to his problem, or respite, was to dwell in the house of his Lord and seek Him and gaze on His beauty. His one thing, one primary desire and goal, was the Lord Himself. If he had Him, he had everything.

In the flesh, we feel urgencies for immediate solutions and relief, answers now. Pressure dictates our need for protocol, protection, ready provision. But when we seek and pine for a new job, an answer, a spouse, a promotion, or reassurance, we must know that each of these things is finite, temporary. We grasp it in our hands and it flies away, and changing circumstances bring new problems and attending needs.

To establish the Lord as our praise plants us in any situation on firm footing. It becomes our mindset with which to deal with anything that comes. Beginning the song of our day recounting His attributes, naming His names, does much to unite the heart in confidence around Him. Abiding with Him, gazing on His beauties in the varied areas of our lives, seeking Him in His word, all fortify our trust in His handiwork. (Psalm 86:11)

Seeking the Lord is an ongoing commitment. What distracts us from this one thing needful, our First Love? What other charms or busyness do we seek before Him? A need to stay connected through media, a drive to get ahead, attendance to our stuff? Have we made a higher priority of self-care, work, or recreation? What practical steps can we take to guard this one thing as primary and trust the Lord to enable and bless that effort? Desires that honor Him He takes joy in fulfilling. (Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:42; Revelation 2:4-5)

Lord, in the midst of pressures and turmoil may I seek, gaze on, and trust Thee, first and most.

“When Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,  for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him… [Jesus] was saying, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!… What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion, for we are many…’ So… the unclean spirits came out…

“And people came to see what it was that had happened.  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid…  As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’  And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” Mark 5:2-6,8-9,13a,14b-15,18-20

Ostracized, isolated, unclean and uncontrollably helpless, the demon- possessed man knew nothing but misery. The only people he encountered were antagonistic, and tried to chain him. Then he met Jesus. Jesus was not afraid of him, nor repelled by him. He had compassion on him and his wretched situation and immediately acted to help. With a word, this merciful God-man freed him from his torment, and gave him new life. Where he’d known only loss and cruelty and loneliness, now all was love. He wanted to stay with his Savior forever.

But Jesus said no. Linger not with Me but love on your neighbors and friends with the love I have poured out on you. You have been made whole to live robustly. You have new livelihood to enjoy and a story to tell. You have been given mercy to extend it, life to expend it, and joy to spread it. Sow the seeds of newfound beauty you have been given so My light blooms wide and far.

All the Lord does in our lives is for His purposes and praise. He saves us so we live for His kingdom and glory. He entrusts much to us so we will invest well for His sake in all our involvements. His love showered on us, poured into us, and shed abroad in our hearts has undeniable effects in the way we go about our hours. (Luke 12:48; Romans 5:5; Ephesians 2:10)

How has Christ’s love affected and inspired us? How are we expressing it in daily duties? How has His anointing of our personalities, desires, and talents enhanced and motivated the way we work, interact with others, and spend our resources? Love lived out for Him and others brings great blessing and joy.

Lord, help me live out with abandon all You have put into me, to Your praise.

“Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’  And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. The Lord said to Moses.., ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.'” Numbers 20:10-12

“Now [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,  who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:28-31

Moses, in all of his hard obedience, wilderness walking, and deep communion with God, had dishonored Him at the rock, and he would bear the consequences. It seems a harsh punishment for one who led Israel faithfully for so many years, but God would not be mocked. The honor of His holiness took precedence over His friend’s happiness. But Jesus also redeems, and Moses’ presence at Jesus’s transfiguration in the promised land, centuries after his death, is evidence of the lavish grace of God. (Exodus 33:11; Galatians 6:7)

Foolish in rebel thoughts and impertinent impulses, we too are destined to wander, exempt from God’s holy heaven. But because the Lord Jesus made a way to usher us into God’s presence forever, we too will make it, by grace through faith, to Him. Sins bring internal and external consequences, but if we are in Christ, not eternal. (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9)

We may be suffering from past sins, personally committed or done against us, over which God has worked conviction and forgiveness. We may carry deep regret or painful, even if fading, scars. Some agonies are hard to shrug off, even when we know the Lord’s cleansing and redeeming love. Turning from difficulties we wrestle with to the Lord Jesus who wrestles on our behalf ameliorates our perspective. God’s promised land is certain, and He appears in glory to meet us in every situation. Eternal separation from all sin’s fallout is our sure hope. (Psalm 32:1-2; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:1; Revelation 22:1-5,14)

Where are we making our dwelling? Are we wallowing with dread and without hope in a desert of regrets, missed opportunities, foolish actions we cannot retrieve or undo? Or will we go to our Savior on the heights, intent on His glorious presence and provision? Every strike of the rock by way of thoughtless gesture, grave immorality, or coddled sin habit, He has covered by His grace-blood, and we are free to draw nigh. If we believe His promise, what difference is it making today?

“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.” ~Robert Robinson (1758)

Amen, to Your honor and praise.

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

“There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow… [He] said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said… Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him…’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.” Matthew 27:45-46,50,55-56; 28:1-3,5-9

The women who had faithfully followed and actively ministered to Jesus during His public ministry did not stop caring at His death. They watched Him at the crucifixion as He lovingly tended to others until His last breath. As soon as possible after the Sabbath, they went to His tomb, and in the continuance of their caring, were blessed by His appearance. Had they given up in sorrow and moved on into a more ordinary life, they would have missed the joy of His glory and presence in the keeping on.

A natural desire to control our environment and tendency to impatience lead to limited caring about others. When my emotions get pulled, when it’s convenient for my schedule, or it serves my interest or benefit, I can care a lot. In fact, it feels good to care, and I like the strokes I get in return. But if caring requires me to relinquish control of my managed life, or my sympathetic feelings fade, or the situation drags on and intrudes on my sense of order or disrupts my comfort, my benevolence can wane. The measure of our care for others reveals much about our selfishness, pride, and greed.

The Lord’s example and call are to keep caring for the long haul. Love as He has loved us. Spend what He has entrusted to us for the sake of others. In God’s economy, love has no limits, nor compassion a hard stop. (Luke 23:39-43; John 13:1,34; 19:25-27)

Are we more prone to one-time kindnesses than to making long-term investments in ongoing needs? What personal agendas and comforts preclude our making ourselves available? Does desire for autonomy or fear of missing something else curtail genuine compassion? How willing are we to care as Jesus does? What will we do regularly to uphold, encourage, pray with, practically help, and attentively love others?

Faithful Lord, help me deeply and consistently care for those You put in my life, reflecting Your grace, love, and generosity.

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more…
But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming…
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away…

Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever…

Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off…

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.” Psalm 37:1-13,17-20,27-29,34,39-40

David’s words- vivid, convicting, convincing, imploring- come from personal experience. He knows himself and his God, and in weakness takes great strength from God’s promises and trustworthiness. He has obviously struggled with the envy, feisty desire for revenge, and fretting he denounces. His honest, urgent message is as much for himself as for those who would read it: Fret not! Forsake wrath! Trust God!

It is healthy to urge ourselves and others in faith and uprightness. Preaching truth redirects emotions and fortifies the soul, and singing lifts the heart to focus on the Lord.

Where am I jealous of others, stewing in comparisons or wrestling with judgments? What advantages do I covet? Where am I taken up with looking to my sides with angst rather than up in gratitude? Of what promises does my flagging heart need reminding, and how will I take action? When am I repeating truth and encouragement to myself and others, and what difference is it making?

Lord, turn any fretting to committed trust and delight in You.

“I am the man who has seen affliction
    under the rod of his wrath;
he has driven and brought me
    into darkness without any light;
surely against me he turns his hand
    again and again the whole day long.

He has made my flesh and skin waste away;
    he has broken my bones;
he has besieged and enveloped me
    with bitterness and tribulation…

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
    ‘therefore I will hope in him.’

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord…

For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not afflict from his heart
    or grieve the children of men…
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that good and bad come?
Why should a living man complain…
   about the punishment of his sins?

Let us test and examine our ways,
    and return to the Lord!
Let us lift up our hearts and hands
    to God in heaven:
‘We have transgressed and rebelled,
    and you have not forgiven…’

I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit;
you heard my plea…
You came near when I called on you;
    you said, ‘Do not fear!’

You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
    you have redeemed my life.” Lamentations 3:1-5,19-26,31-33,38-42,55-58

From the midst of his agony, the prophet understood both the wrath and mercy of God. Everything happened as a result of His sovereign initiative, for His redemptive purposes and glory. The sufferer was indeed afflicted, but divine cause could rightly receive no blame. It was Israel’s rebellion that invited the strange work of punishment from the Holy One. Languishing, he was shown love; in cruel pain, compassion. The words of these soul wanderings woven with the balm of hope are at the ready for all who would read and listen. (Isaiah 28:21-22)

Blessing upon blessing we receive in gladness, accustomed to ease and goodness. We come to think we deserve each favor and have a right to every enjoyment. In comfort and prosperity we forget from whose mouth and hand they come, betraying their benevolent source. Self-worth inflates, hearts calcify. Grace denied is God defied is idolatry tried. God will not be mocked. (Galatians 6:7-8)

With warped thinking, we blame God for our discipline, blind to personal culpability. Even owning mistakes, we fault others. But the Lord holds individuals accountable for everything done in the flesh. His harsh judgment convicts, turns us to His mercy, and effects ultimate redemption. (Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 12:5-7)

Am I so broken and bowed that I see not my sin? Where am I blaming God for judgment rather than owning up to my guilt? Where have I received balm in the midst of His refining?

Father, help me take honest blame for the discipline I deserve, and ever sing with hope.

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:7-15

The Lord God had trained Paul to think rightly about ministry. Owning a natural inclination to pride, and aware of his religious and educational advantages, a grace-bought Paul knew that all came from Christ and returned all praise to Christ in light of His cross. He had much he could have boasted, but was driven by and focused on one thing alone: Jesus. Jesus proclaimed, Jesus crucified, Jesus glorified, known, and magnified. His every effort, once redeemed, was an accounting rooted in and built on the cause and power of his Savior. Any toil Paul invested was for His sake and the sake of those who would be eternally affected. (Acts 22:3; Romans 9:4-5; Philippians 3:4-8)

God cares about our work from the inside out. He frees us to employ our time and talent for His kingdom, and fiercely cares about our why and how. Since He is the One who assigns grace and gifts and makes effective and fruitful what we invest, our reward is based on how we handle what we’ve been entrusted. Thoughtful contributing and building with our best honors Him who is worthy.

Jealousy, strife, any kind of competition or comparison have no place in doing God’s work. Concern for notice or credit is an indication of sour motives, which the loving Lord can correct. Effort expended on the cheap or out of greed the Lord disdains, but can redeemed. His reward is a most gracious byproduct of work done for Him, tested and true.

How aligned are my mission motives with God’s for the world? What would the testing of my work for Him reveal?

“All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs,
all my thoughts and words and doings,
all my days and all my hours.

Let my hands perform his bidding,
let my feet run in his ways;
let my eyes see Jesus only,
let my lips speak forth his praise.

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
so enchained my spirit’s vision,
looking at the Crucified.” ~Mary D. James (1810-1883)

Lord, purify my motives in all things to see You exalted and make You known.

“Jacob said, ‘O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, “Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,” I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.  Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children.  But you said, “I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude…”‘

“The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.  He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.  And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.  When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.  Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’  And he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’  Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’  Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him.  So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.’ The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.” Genesis 32:9-12,22-31

Jacob, from birth, was a wild filly in need of spiritual breaking, and God steadfastly did His work. About to return to his land with the children who would become Israel’s twelve tribes, Jacob had a crisis of fear. Casting himself on God in confession and dependence, he encountered the Sovereign in a pivotal wrestling of soul. God would have His way with His chosen, who would come out with a lifelong reminder hip limp.

Every whack and rub of familial dissension, callous deception, unjust cheating, and facing fears were used of God to humble and shape His man. Still today, there is pain in being broken, but from there issues the Spirit’s power to transform and sanctify. Do we prevail in wrestling until we know who God is there, and taste His blessing? What uncertainties, insecurities, and angst will we leave with God today?

Our Savior Jesus wrestled with His Father, and was broken for us on Calvary. By weakness and death He ushered in strength and life for us, His beloved children. Have we grasped the extent of His sacrifice? Will we cling until we know His benediction? What causes refusal to submit to His loving intrusion to work in soul and Spirit? (Luke 22:41-44)

Lord, help me wrestle rightly and learn fully so I live powerfully, for Your sake and glory.