Author: astherainandsnow

“Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;..
    I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch...

I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple…
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness..;
    make your way straight before me.” Psalm 5:2-3,7-8

“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:8

“O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!..

My eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord.” Psalm 142:1-2,8

“Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!..
I stretch out my hands to you…
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!” Psalm 143:1-2,6,8,10

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

Good morning, Lord
I’m now awaking
A whole new day
Is mine for taking

Keep my heart
Clutched to Your breast
To sense Your pulse
To hear Your breath

I praise You first
As First and Last
The great I AM
The Son most blessed

You’re holy, sovereign
Lifted high
Your love is boundless,
Mercies nigh

You’re generous, gracious,
Infinitely wise
You know our needs
And hear our cries

Today will bring
Its winds and bite
Spirit help me
See things right

To own Your vision
And know Your mind
Keep light before
Put doubts behind

Reveal the steps
You’d have me take
The foes to fight
Sins to forsake

Distractions pull
And fears alight
Temptations flirt
And dim my sight

Infuse my will
Make vision clear
Inspire boldness,
Keep me near

I choose to join
Life’s rub and mess
So You can teach
Me righteousness

To bear Your fruit
All through the day
In worship, service,
Work, and play

To be like You
Is my desire
To think Your thoughts
To wield Your fire

For things eternal,
Good, and true
To selfless give,
Your grace imbue

I want my days
To tell Your story
And all I do
To bring You glory

So take my moments
And each hour
Guide me, fill them
With Your power

May words and actions
Reflect Your name
Help me to bless,
Instruct, redeem

So others see You
In my face,
And grasp Your truth
And want Your grace

And feel Your love
And know their value
And turn from emptiness
To know You

For You are mighty
Kind, and great
Faithful, steady
Never late

Your steadfast love
Is without measure
Eternal life
The greatest treasure

Thank You my Lord
For hearing me
For giving Jesus
To set me free

With trust and hope
My hands I raise
For You are worthy
Of highest praise

Amen (PEB)

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
    carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:3-4

“I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” Exodus 19:4

“You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:5-10

“Fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“Christ Jesus… is at the right hand of God, [and] indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:34

God’s carrying of His children was as lasting as He- from the beginning and forever. From before conception they were borne in His thoughts and design, then into this world and through days and years, constantly in His prayers and keeping, secure with Him forever. The constancy gives confidence and security and is cause for unending thanksgiving.

In a culture of independence and self-sufficiency, we might want to shrug off the idea of being carried. After all, we like to craft our plans and order life as we please. We insist on carrying our own load, and feel a bit smug about doing so. We prefer to dictate, manage, control, and manipulate, though when results are unsatisfactory we are quick to cast blame elsewhere.

The Lord invites us into a new way of knowing Him and His manner with us. He reminds us that His keeping all our days until now He pledges to continue as we entrust ourselves to His strong arms. His way protects and provides, yielding assurance, security, and confidence. Will we resist His hold and leading, or be glad to be borne in His care and keeping?

What comfort does knowing we’re borne on the Almighty’s wings give for each night, and what freedom and joy for each new morning? What broader vision for life and ministry can we gain being carried on high by the eternal God? What new confidence and boldness can we derive from being upheld incessantly in prayer? How can we more intimately enjoy this Savior, and minister in His name, power, and wisdom? Whom can we tell about His abiding care and keeping? How will we encourage the faint of heart, the new believer, the timid, that the God who is from everlasting holds them in His everlasting arms? (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Lord, may I ever welcome and trust and praise You that You carry and save, forever.

“While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples… And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.” Matthew 9:18-19,23-26

“Nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

The mourners and press of onlookers mocked with near-sighted skepticism and unbelief. The synagogue ruler Jairus begged with spark-fire faith, seeing beyond near death to possible life for his daughter. And Jesus accepted the invitation to enter the commotion of weeping and wailing, wishing and watching, to raise more than just the little girl. For the doubters, unbelief turned to amazed disbelief. For the father, faith in a healing hand became clear sight of the Messiah’s heart and power. (Mark 5:21-24,35-42)

Jesus, who sees and enacts possibilities, enables and energizes faith in His children to participate. We might be overloaded and overwhelmed, seeing no way through heavy responsibilities and hard decisions. We might be depressed, choked in grief or loneliness, or paralyzed from moving forward from anger, failure, shame, or despair. We might laugh at the very thought of Jesus making a change we deem impossible. Would we step back from stubborn disbelief and let Him in? Would we trust His almighty power to defend and deliver, and His desire for what is best for us? (Matthew 9:27-30; Mark 2:2-12; Romans 8:31-39)

What keeps us from trusting God for the impossible? Why do we languish in faith and hesitate to ask great things from our great King, and expect Him to act? When we see no way, or a hard way, would we trust His way?

In what current situations have we given up on God? What individuals or fractured or strained relationships have we dismissed as impossible to redeem or repair? What dreams do we see never being fulfilled? If we changed our focus from worldly practicalities to heavenly possibilities, how might we ask the Lord to intervene? Consider what He could do- to change us, our thinking, or our situation. Are our prayers as bold or broad as His capabilities? As we pray, how might He use us, or elevate our expectancy, or deepen our faith? What might He teach us about how and why He works as He does?

Lord, help me see beyond my mess to Your possibilities, looking to You in joyful hope and lavishing You with praise. (Romans 12:12)

“Forever, O Lord, your word
    is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day,
    for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have given me life…

Your promise is well tried,
    and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
    yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is righteous forever,
    and your law is true.
Trouble and anguish have found me out,
    but your commandments are my delight…
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.” Psalm 119:89-93,140-143,147-148

Well tried: used many times before and known to be effective

The psalmist was convinced that the eternal God was faithful and His word was firmly fixed- in truth, immutability, and power to perform. All God’s creation, including His law, existed to serve Him and His purposes. Though he was himself small and despised and insignificant, God’s word was large and unshakable and evergreen, so therein he would hope and meditate and live.

Do we carry such a high and zealous hope in God’s word? Have we grounded our mindset and plans in it? When do we deeply study, hiding it in our hearts to keep us from sin and help us think rightly about relationships and current events? How knowledgable can we handle the word in stressful situations, trusting it for a ready response? Can we claim that it has indeed been well-tried in our days and over our years? What examples do we have of its enlightenment, help, protection, guidance, discernment, inspiration, power to transform? (Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 2:1-12; 1 Peter 3:15)

The better we know God’s word, the more we will cherish it as our lifeline and light. The more we trust it, claim it, and implement it, the better tried it is, proving faithful, unchanging, and solid through every situation. Others will notice our serene confidence and the wisdom the word gives as it anoints our language and tenderizes our love and care for them. The word well-tried will be the word oft-told. (Psalm 119:105)

What is our testimony about God’s word and its effect in our life? What could it be, and what will we do to make that so? How will we pass along our familiarity with and love for the word so those around us long to know its Author?

“How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!” ~John Rippon (1787)

Lord, keep me steeped in and treasuring Your word daily, so I prove it over and over for Your glory.

“A certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… The sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill…’  Jesus said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer where he was… Then Jesus told [his disciples], ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him…” 

“Now… Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days… When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him,.. ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died…’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again… I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’

“When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died…’Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb… ‘Take away the stone… Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?… He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out.” John 11:1,3-6,14-15,17,20-23,25-27,32,38,40,43-45

The tangle of live oaks makes for a picturesque view of the colorless early sky, or at least its backdrop. The fixture of them draws attention to their intricacies and complications, obfuscating the great beyond. A chill breeze blows, but they do not budge, holding fast their weblike canopy that hangs overhead and by its nature and nearness, closes in.

And so it is with our web of conflicts and pain and troubles. Lord, if only You’d clear all these away, I could see. If only You had been here, I wouldn’t be suffering this disease. If only You had intervened, I wouldn’t have lost my job, my child wouldn’t have failed, or be lost in a far country. If only You’d changed him/her, my marriage would have survived. We recite our if onlys as though God were not nigh, and as though if He were, we would not suffer what is common to men.

But the Lord turns us upward and beyond in the midst of pain. Your brother will rise again. He’s more interested in changing and inspiring lives than smoothing life issues. He intends to glorify His Son as we come to switch out He will for our if onlys, and believe.

What regrets are we carrying? What circumstances do we chafe under and wish would change? What unfulfilled expectations are we holding against God, who could be and we think should be acting on our behalf? Jesus hears, cares deeply, and redirects our attention. Your brother will rise again. I will redeem all things. All will be well. Will we today look beyond our circumstances to the One who orders them for His glory? (Habakkuk 3:17-19; Hebrews 13:5)

Father, turn my doubt and wanting to bold, joyous expectation in You.

“Joshua said to the people of Israel, ‘How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north. And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me…’

“So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, ‘Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me…’ And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.” Joshua 18:3-6,8-10

Joshua inspired with keen strategy. Get prepared, then scope out what the Lord has given. Know it, describe it… and you will want to do what it takes to make it your own.

The Lord God has given to us in Christ all things. Our inheritance is guaranteed, and Christ in us is our hope of that glory. Yet we often fail to take advantage of the riches we own. We get complacent, settle in the lowlands, and pretend to be content when actually our hearts yearn for more. Whether we live in luxury or want, it is the soul that is unsatisfied when we neglect to make the effort to procure our spiritual treasure. (Romans 8:32; Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 1:27; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

The land of rich plenty with the Lord awaits the seeker and sojourner. He bids us come, discover its breadth and depth, its rivers and bounty. What keeps our wheels sluggish? Are we too enamored with and entangled in this world? When will we get up out of spiritual sloth and seize God’s grace, joy, strength of will, self-control, power to love and forgive, and boldness for the gospel? His pledge stands for the taking!

What keeps us procrastinating in strict obedience, or the putting off of habits dishonoring to the Lord, or the commitment to regular worship and meaningful fellowship? Are we dragging our feet in service to others, or self-sacrifice, or generosity with resources? What are we waiting for to take full possession of His promises?

“Come, we that love the Lord,
and let our joys be known;
join in a song with sweet accord,
and thus surround the throne.

Let those refuse to sing
who never knew our God;
but children of the heav’nly King
may speak their joys abroad. 

The hill of Zion yields
a thousand sacred sweets
before we reach the heav’nly fields,
or walk the golden streets. 

Then let our songs abound,
and every tear be dry;
we’re marching through Emmanuel’s ground
to fairer worlds on high.

We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.” ~Isaac Watts (1707), Robert Lowry (1867)

Father, keep me pursuing You and abiding in Your good land so I can share its bounty with those around me, to Your praise.

“In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules at all times…
Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

“I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
I love Your word.” Psalm 119:14-16,20,24,72,162,163

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1,14

Many things vie for our attention through the frenzy of day and quiet of night. By day competition, trinkets, soundbites, opinions, influencers can overwhelm with their charms. By night, we are pestered by grudges, sadness, plans, memories good and lonely and difficult. We may not profess affection for any of these, but they hold sway over our heart and soul. In contrast, God holds out one greatest delight, one treasure worth more than all riches, all preoccupations. One supreme jewel above all. By it we are enlightened, in it we are nurtured and satisfied, through it we are energized and fortified.

The Word, living and active, pure and eternal, captures the willing. Once we are exposed, if we bring an open and humble mind, we are smitten. The longer we gaze, the deeper the beauties, the more we are changed. Listless nodding becomes fiery longing. Partial attention becomes consuming passion. Where we could not make enough time for it, we can no longer get enough time in it. The will to fix our eyes, delight in the words, and remember the truths becomes the steady way by which we live. (Psalm 19:7-12; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

Is this true for me? Turning my soul to delight in the word of God brings life fresh significance, and through its lens we see the world and its offerings in a new light. We cannot know its richness until we make it a priority.

What are the things that captivate me, the experiences I most value? Is my chief end personal pleasure, fulfillment, security, comfort? Or am I consumed with longing for more of the word, more of Christ? How will I act on my passion today?

“Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.” ~Old Irish, translated by Mary Byrne (1927)

Lord, captivate me with Your word and person, that I might learn and love you more.

“And it shall be said,
‘Build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstruction from my people’s way.’
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.
For I will not contend forever,
    nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
    and the breath of life that I made.
Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry,
    I struck him; I hid my face and was angry…
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
    I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
    creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the Lord,
    and I will heal him.'” Isaiah 57:14-19

Build up. The One who is high dwells in a high place. Look up! From the dregs here below, the connection seems out of reach. Yet, the unimaginably high and holy breaks out of His eternal dwelling to revive the lowly. His compassion moves His children to recognition of the gap and contrition over the cause. Healing, restoration, and peace He gives to the repentant.

How does the Infinite break into the finite? Through Jesus. He rides the heavens to our help and condescends to the lowly with unfathomable love and grace. He quickens conviction, lifts blinders from spiritual eyes, offloads the burden of our sin, and raises us to eternal glory. How can this be? It can because this is what our infinite God does. He lives to intercede for us, to crush fears, remove shame, redeem broken relationships, revive hope. (Deuteronomy 33:26)

Where are we stuck that we think He cannot reach? What wicked thoughts drag us down, worldly pleasures tie us down, or doubts and narrow thinking keep us down? Would we believe that the everlasting God has come to set us free indeed and draw forth the fruit of praise? (John 8:36; Hebrews 7:25)

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

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.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

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

Infinite Father, keep me marveling at Your amazing love and ever singing Your praise.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good…
Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live…

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:1-3a,6-12

The invitation is clear, somewhat. Come, buy and eat! makes sense in a consumer society, yet without money or price brings with the call a conundrum. How can I purchase such satisfaction without normal means of exchange? God’s ways are different and higher. He deals on another plane altogether, and to be sated the way He promises I must adjust to His methods of transaction. Where man’s accustomed to spending monetary treasure to procure things that satisfy, the Lord elevates that concept to a higher dimension. Give up your thinking and ways, spend your time and invest your attention on Mine.

Making the transition from worldly to divine commerce takes will and effort. The Spirit at salvation introduces a new way of living: Christ living in us. When He’s supreme, we learn to deal and interact in a spiritual dimension rather than being limited to trivialities of earth. Where our bent was to satisfy temporal appetites, sanctification refines our desires toward eternal pursuits. The Lord and His word bring satisfaction and delight that are otherworldly and substantial. (Genesis 3:1-6; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:8)

What is my normal method of daily exchange? Make money-spend money, take here-give there? Trade compliments, insults, favors, or grudges? Am I wholly focused on pursuing and achieving my dreams, yet feel empty the end of each day?

What could change in my heart and mind if I spent differently, and reordered my attention and affection for things more lasting? How limited is my vision for soul appetites? How willing am I to exchange the currency of sarcasm and complaint for kindness and gratitude?

Lord, keep me coming to Thee for true satisfaction, living wholeheartedly as your child, for Your purposes and glory.

“I, the Lord, the first,
    and with the last; I am he.

And you shall rejoice in the Lord;
    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none,
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
    and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
    the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
    may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:4,16-20

Thirst’s parch, bare heights, wilderness and dry land and desert. Over these the Lord watches, into these He comes, onto these He pours His grace. We are the poor and needy, He the first and last. We cry, He answers. Why? So He is seen and known and glorified. (Colossians 1:15-17)

We pant and squirm and faint. It is too hard, my shame too great, my prospects too barren, my hurt too deep, my hope too dim. But before all this, He was. He is holy and makes no mistakes. He does not forsake His own. He works on our behalf to break impossible ground, to slice into our emptiness and dearth and desperation His rivers of life. He mists our deep valleys, nurturing growth, awakening awe and communal praise. And at the end, He still reigns, and we know it.

Do we know the Lord well enough to trust He oversees and tends to our difficult places? When we narrow the perimeter of our self-forged life, we miss the broad blessings that come from shared grappling. When we stubbornly insist on doing things our way, pressing ahead alone, nursing our pain, or refusing the fellowship of the community of saints, we handicap ourselves from understanding God’s wide graces. His rivers and fresh pools flow continually with His love and are sufficient for all.

How have we come to know our Lord better by His meeting our poor and needy? Are we looking? Listening? Considering? Telling? How can and will we share the magnificence and joys of what God does?

“Day by day and with each passing moment, 
Strength I find to meet my trials here; 
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, 
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. 
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure 
Gives unto each day what he deems best–
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, 
Mingling toil with peace and rest. 

Ev’ry day the Lord himself is near me, 
With a special mercy for each hour; 
All my cares he gladly bears and cheers me, 
He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of his child and treasure 
Is a charge that on himself he laid:
‘As your days, your strength shall be in measure’– 
This the pledge to me he made.” ~Carolina Sandell (1865)

Lord, may I drink deeply and splash often in Your rivers, to the refreshment of others and Your magnified glory.