Author: astherainandsnow

“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.

“Peter said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“’The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with… all that he had, and payment to be made.  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And out of pity for him, the master released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, “Pay what you owe.” So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” He refused and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and went and reported to their master… Then his master summoned him and said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.'” Matthew 18:21-34

The principal actors in this parable depict opposite poles of attitude borne of spiritual viewpoint. One grasps the character and possibility of mercy because he knows the true King and the worth only He imparted. He acts with mercy from a grace-bought heart. The other pleads on the basis of the king’s benevolence and authority, receives the mercy he requests, yet begrudges his servitude. Instead of acting in kind out of gratitude for being forgiven, he in self-imposed importance requires repayment for a much lesser debt.

There is a stark contrast between a king who knows he is merely a servant, and a servant who pretends to or thinks he should be king. When we understand we are merely stewards of God’s grace, we gratefully receive and extend pity. But when we are smug masters of our universe, we strut in pride that neither knows nor offers pity. Grace understood and welcomed humbly becomes grace lavished on others. Pride prevents both the receiving and extending of merciful pity. (Proverbs 25:6-7; 29:23)

Have we come fully under God’s benevolent pity and allowed it to permeate our heart? Or are we so self-consumed that we measure only in offense and desert and self-defined rights? Do I demand that justice be served to all who offend or betray me while I live freely under the blessed cover of the One who served justice in my stead? How can I better comprehend the extent of God’s forgiveness so I can extend it to others? When will I take the time and focus to name my offenses against God and thank Him for His pity? (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 1:9)

Lord, help me live out Spirit-inspired and empowered mercy so others know Your grace and salvation.

“The Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant,.. ‘Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'” Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua had observed the Lord’s intimate communion with his predecessor Moses, and experienced His faithfulness over and over. Now he was God’s man to take His nation into the promised land, and he would rely on God’s word and promises firsthand. How strategic, and kind, of the Lord to recount His promises as He commissioned the new leader. Strength and courage would indeed well up out of their certainty. (Exodus 33:11)

God’s commands are never capricious, meaningless, nor given in a vacuum. They are based on purpose, backed by his promises, bound by his character, and enabled by His Spirit. We need not shirk or fear obedience if we properly fear the Lord who issues the word and stands behind it. We can trust His reasons and results and do what He says with confidence in His direction and provision.

How do we treat our Lord’s promises? Do we put them in a treasure box to recite in special or needy times, but fail to live by them day to day? Have we separated our lip-service from the real-life service of obedience? How differently would we comprehend and engage in what God asks of us if we truly believed all He has promised?

Knowing and claiming God’s promises infuses our days with power, freeing us from fear of failure, ridicule, or inadequacy. We can prepare and go forth in obedience to His call with absolute certainty He will come through on His part. God’s word expressed is God’s word upheld.

Lord, help me trust and take You at Your word as I obey it, to Your praise and honor.

“As soon as… the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap, and… were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho… on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”

“And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood…

“About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel…

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.’ So Joshua commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan.’ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

“The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.” Joshua 3:15-17; 4:9-10,13-19

Joshua had been young when delivered from Egypt through the Red Sea, and now he’d moved from individual in the midst of the exodus to leader of the nation. The Lord had used his experience and observances as youth in the masses to bold spy representing Ephraim’s tribe to Moses’ assistant and understudy to prepare him to lead Israel himself. If God would part the Sea, surely He would the River. And if God would work this miracle doubly on his behalf, He surely would never forsake him going forward. Joshua became God’s man by living as God’s man. (Exodus 24:12-18; Numbers 13:1-8,21-30; 14:6-10; Joshua 1:1-6; 3:7-17; 5:13-15)

Obedience to God always brings blessing and a fresh experience of His faithfulness. Continual obedience proves Him- His word and character- over and over. In developing His children, He knows best what and how many lessons we need to best serve His kingdom purposes. Multiple lessons effect multiplied faith, strength to strength that builds deep communion, Christian character and courage. Every yes to the Lord builds muscle for the next step or journey. (Psalm 84:7)

What lessons has the Lord been teaching in the midst of work, stresses, and responsibilities? Are we implementing them with confidence as new calls to trust arise? Have we voiced gratitude for His repeated kindnesses and training?

Where and how has He specifically called us to obey? By taking a brave stand against immorality? Taking on a new service in the church or community? Taking up for the underdog, downcast, or disenfranchised? Going the extra mile even when no one notices? Overcoming evil with good? How has He proved Himself as sufficient? Will we go in that victory to seize the next opportunity to obey, to stand up and out for Him? He always finishes what He begins for our good and His glory. (Romans 12:9-21; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Philippians 1:6)

Lord, help me embrace and apply every lesson for Your honor and ends.

“‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
    Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
    and oppress your workers.
You fast only to quarrel and fight
    and hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
    will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
    and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

“Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of wickedness,..
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him?..
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke..,
    the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
    and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
    and satisfy your desire in scorched places
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters do not fail.
And… you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to dwell in.

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
    from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
    and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
    or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the Lord,
    and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth.” Isaiah 58:3-14

The exchange between man and God uncovers the sting man’s determination won’t remove. When he boasts of humility and what he doesn’t do, the Lord upends his pride. True delight in Him comes only by doing as He prescribes.

Human nature makes us think we please God by orchestrating our own parameters, deciding what we’ll forego, and feigning meekness, yet we persist in selfish business. We fashion our fasts to fit God into our busy and pretend a nod of honor. But life that revolves around us is anything but honoring to Him. Pursuing our own plans and pleasure hinders true sacrifice and disparages the God who would receive it.

The Lord takes pleasure when we fast from self to serve others. Living that glorifies Him isn’t about our manufactured don’ts, but substantive dos. How intentional are we about sharing the gospel and practicing its generosity and graciousness? How can we serve the oppressed and free the captive through prayer, encouragement, and meeting practical needs?

Lord, make sweet my every action and service to honor You alone.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-10

This letter begins blessing the Lord, the God of mercies and all comfort. Grace and peace from Him. Blessed be He. All eyes on His supremacy and greatness as God and tender firmness as Father. Then Paul turns to the Corinthians’ suffering, only after it’s covered in the Lord and seen through the lens of His love.

That is how all suffering can be viewed. When seen in God’s economy, the harsher the affliction, the greater the comfort. The deeper the depravity, the greater the rescue. The worse the despair, the greater the deliverance. The farther the separation, the greater the salvation. God orders our afflictions to magnify His greatness and grace, not only to us, but to be spread abroad to others and result in praise. Broken glass crushed fine gets scattered by walking through it.

How do we view present afflictions? Do we compare troubles to former difficulty and pain and say we can take no more? Do we weigh with the world’s scales of rightful comfort and ease? Or do we see them borne on Christ’s shoulders, and meted out perfectly to us so we could experience His divine comfort? How will we share His imparted strength for today and hope for tomorrow?

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. 
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!..

My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
    Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples.” Psalm 57:1-3,7-9

Lord, help me see afflictions through Your eyes, and gratefully share in Christ’s sufferings so I may also share in, and share abroad, His comforts.

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. As in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,  and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming… Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” Matthew 24:30-31,36-42,44-47

God, in His wisdom, tells us what we must know in order to know and walk intimately with Him. Coincidentally, there are many things He doesn’t reveal, or at least inform us of ahead of time. We live in the tension between the now and not yet, the known and yet-to-be-revealed. While our knowledge is incomplete, our mandate is anything but tenuous: Watch, be ready, be faithful. (Matthew 25:13,21; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12)

We do know that Jesus is surely coming again, and every person will be held to account. It is appointed unto each of us once to die, and then face judgment. As long as we’re here, God expects us to exercise the specific gifts He’s assigned and apportioned for the upbuilding of the church. (Matthew 25:31-35; Romans 12:3-8; Hebrews 9:27)

We also know the Lord supplies for every need in Christ, everything necessary to say no to sin and sloth and yes to Him and fruitfulness. We know He instructs us in the way to go, and guides us with His Spirit and word. We know that only when we abide in Jesus can we bear much fruit. (Psalm 32:8; 119:105; John 15:5; Philippians 4:19; Titus 2:11-12)

How are we balancing watching with action? How are we implementing what we know about our meantime until Christ’s return? Where are we investing what’s been entrusted to us- time, energy, experience, wisdom of years, talent- for God’s kingdom? Whom do we live and care for and serve for Jesus’s sake? (Matthew 25:16-17,35-40)

Lord, help me trust You with the unknown as I faithfully apply what I know for Your sake and glory.

“But he knows the way that I take;
    when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
My foot has held fast to his steps;
    I have kept his way and not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
    I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
He is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?
    What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me,
    and many such things are in his mind.” Job 23:10-14

“He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not split open under them…
The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astounded at his rebuke.
By his power he stilled the sea…
By his wind the heavens were made fair…
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?” Job 26:8,11-14

The predawn sky blazes as a smelting furnace, coal hot fire in roiling clouds, indescribably awe-inspiring, hushing the soul. How like our majestic God to punctuate the storm with such beauty. The color is only a reflection in the west of the emblazoned rising sun in the east, its richness reminding that He is present in every darkness to mark it with glory. Only God’s design, His intricate disorder of the atmosphere and the refraction of light in the clouds that ignites the fiery hue, could pronounce this benediction on the storm.

And so He paints His beauty in the worst we suffer. Deep waves engulf the soul with sorrow or regret, and He brings calm. The darkness of confusion, or shame, or despondence, stymies and threatens to choke, and our Lord Jesus penetrates the thickness with light. When hope is pallid and zeal anemic, our Almighty colors our vision with vitality and boldness. Do we see Him? Can we trace His hand of grace, of tender love, of steady faithfulness? Can we glimpse the shades of mercy here and benevolent correction there? Are we so fraught with troubles that we cannot look beyond to the One who designs them to show off His glory?

In what present storm is God displaying beauty? Have His promises glimmered, or friends sparked kindness’s colors? Where is hope gleaming, or His palpable comfort sustaining?

“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
shelters you under his wings, yea so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen how your desires ere have been
met by his gracious ordaining?

Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.” ~Joachim Neander (1680)

Lord, in every storm, give me eyes to behold Your beauty and lips that declare Your praise.

“When… you return to the Lord your God and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you… And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live… For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you… when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

“For this commandment is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land… But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,.. you shall surely perish… Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days.” Deuteronomy 30:1-3,6,9-20

There were high stakes for how Israel would handle God’s word going forth without Moses. The God whose power was in that word issued clear commands for their present and future good, explicitly describing the choices before them and their attending consequences. Not only had He first conveyed His law to His beloved servant, but He would issue warnings and blessings regarding that law through him too. (Exodus 24:12; Deuteronomy 33:1-5,29)

The call to keep God’s word near is a relevant and applicable reminder. So many things vie for our close proximity and urgent attention. The word calls us to account, instructs and informs decisions, and prompts praise and thanksgiving. Wholehearted love and obedience come by regular reading and meditation, memorization and recitation.

What are we doing to keep the word close and know it well? When the world’s sultry music tempts the heart, or life’s minor notes condemn us to a dirge, would we sing melodies of His promises? When experts and thought leaders dictate fabricated ‘truth’ and poke us with fear, cynicism, or stress, would we don the word to guard and guide our thinking? It is no empty word, but substantial hope and help! How will we pass it on? (Deuteronomy 31:10-13,19-22; 32:1-4,44-47)

Father, keep your word close as my chief delight and highest aim, so You are glorified as my life, the length and end of my days.

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

“’Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'” Luke 12:22-34

Jesus has a remarkable way of challenging the thinking of His hearers. Naturally inclined to fuss about what they might eat or wear, His disciples were asked to consider the ravens that flew, and the flowers that grew, and the God who oversaw and cared for them both. He taught them to look beyond their near-sightedness, rise above their fretting and scurrying, and seek His kingdom and how to contribute to it. Reoriented outlook makes for revamped priorities and deeper understanding of eternal treasure.

What occupies our mental and physical focus? Do we spend an inordinate amount of time looking in the pantry or closet, at our work or belongings, and never consider the One who provided them? Do we watch abroad and worry at the nations, getting caught in causes and crowds without pausing to gaze at lilies and marvel that their Designer and Sustainer is ours also? Anything that captivates our emotions and attention makes it hard to get to the fields where lilies neither toil or spin. Whatever we value most occupies the throne of our heart. If we would seek God’s invisible and heavenly kingdom first, He will tend to our earthly cares. (Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 4:11)

What are my daily priorities, my life dreams? How aligned are these with the Lord’s imprint on my life by way of gifts, place, and call? How do I let momentary urgencies distract me from His wider kingdom purposes? How can I today seek first His kingdom?

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

Father, keep my treasure, hope, and satisfaction with You first and always.