Author: astherainandsnow

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.  But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’  But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,  but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'” Luke 10:38-42

Their beloved friend was coming and preparation made. He traveled and taught and tended to many, and time with him was limited. When Jesus arrived, the sisters turned on their personalities, one on foot, the other sitting. One was distracted, the other in tune. While each served in her way, the Christ commended one as better. All serving was appreciated, though what was necessary would not be defined by anxious and troubled toil, but by listening to His voice.

If we are prone to action, we can make a vital contribution to the Body. Doers are necessary. But the Lord who’s being served cares about motivation and execution. When action becomes frenzy, and minds are a tizzy of details and stress that negate greater purpose, He is not served. When fretting overshadows love, the expression of gracious hospitality is muddied. The true gift of serving is motivated in love and focuses on the ones to whom we minister, not our tasks. (Romans 12:6-8; Galatians 5:13)

We serve the Lord and His people best when we sit at Jesus’s feet. He has deep wisdom to impart, much grace to convey. It is this time that teaches us His kind ways in interaction, His generosity and power. Moments taken here direct our plans, lend creativity for God-honoring preparation, keep us calm, and develop life-giving faith we can share with those we welcome. (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 11:1-29)

When we hear of a need, do we jump into action or pause before the Lord? In readying for service, do we take as much time listening to the Lord to purify our mindset and inform our plans as we do tending to minutiae? How do we handle distractions that prevent us from sitting with Him? Where do we need to pause from busyness and turn off the noise? How has our serving been helped, energized, and inspired by taking time at His feet?

“Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! 
that calls me from a world of care, 
and bids me at my Father’s throne 
make all my wants and wishes known. 
In seasons of distress and grief, 
my soul has often found relief, 
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare 
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer! 

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! 
thy wings shall my petition bear 
to him whose truth and faithfulness 
engage the waiting soul to bless. 
And since he bids me seek his face, 
believe his word, and trust his grace, 
I’ll cast on him my every care, 
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!” ~W. W. Walford (1845)

Lord, help me remember that serving You with excellence is serving Your interests and glory.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.  But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them.  Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.  And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

“Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” Exodus 34:29-35

“Now about eight days after these sayings he 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.” Luke 9:28-29

Approaching the Holy One requires initiative, and communing with Him initiates change. While Moses was enthralled with worship of the Lord, the Lord was affecting him from the inside out. Glory exalted became glory emanated. Jesus’s intent was prayer, and God His Father’s parallel work was to radiate His glory through His Son.

When we go to pray, motive and content determine the outcome. The power of prayer issues not from the worthiness of our desires or skill of our words, but from the power of God. We mustn’t go thinking we can change God, but seeking the Lord Jesus and open to His change of us.

Recognizing the significance of the altar comes first. We meet Him only by way of the unblemished Lamb’s sacrifice for us. Cleansed, covered in His righteousness, we can expectantly come to the place of meeting. Beholding His face, lifting high His greatness, seizing His promises backed by righteous character makes a difference in our wanting and thinking. Self-promotion and tenacious driving are transformed when we meet with the Holy One and offer ourselves as living sacrifices on the altar. The worshiping, dependent, and thankful are those with whom the Father is well pleased. (Luke 8:33-35; Romans 12:1-3)

If constantly frustrated at a sense of distance or unanswered requests, could it be we haven’t honestly met the Lord at His prescribed altar, heaven’s mercy seat? Do we approach Christ on His behalf, or our own sin-stained load of rights and demands? Do we bring empty bags to be filled, or do we empty ourselves before God for Him to fill?

How dedicated are we to seasons of prayer? How has prayer over time changed us? How will we contemplate the altar anew in order to be altered by the Lord? (2 Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 4:12)

Father, keep me humble and dependent at Your altar, captivated with and changed by Your glory.

“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,  that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—  even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—  so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul identifies himself as an apostle called by God in order to clarify his standing and authority. Then he enjoins the church he planted in Corinth as those also called. They with him, by grace, called upon the Lord in faith to be named and connected as God’s saints. In an attempt to further deepen communion and unify their vision he expresses his gratitude for them and encourages their spiritual growth within the fellowship. Theirs was a secure and fertile place by God’s grace and within His family as they relied upon His faithfulness. (Acts 18:1-11)

Our Lord implements many prepositions in His dealings with us. He rules over our salvation, setting His love on us, drawing us toward Himself. When we come to Him, by His mercy, and trust in and rest on His work on our behalf, He plants gifts in us by His Spirit. Alive in Him, we begin the exciting adventure of living unto Him, for His purposes and glory. We actively wait for His appearing, sustained by His strength and righteousness.

In the mundane and urgent and cacophony of daily living, we can forget our heavenly connections. We can drift away from God’s calling, fixate askance at distractions from sanctification, shake off our gifts and God-given purpose to forge our own way. While we are free to opt for any of these, we will drift from the enrichment and spiritual fruitfulness that comes within the body of the saints together.

Do we understand and take seriously our calling as those set apart in Christ?How would the weary, lost world distinguish us from those without hope? In what ways is the testimony of Christ apparent and thriving in our ready knowledge, speech, and conduct?

How committed are we to regular fellowship of the saints? What is our contribution as we participate? How do we specifically exercise our gifts to intentionally and actively foster and confirm Christ’s imprint in others? What are we doing to sustain hope and remain pure as the Body awaits Christ’s return?

Lord, keep me intwined in and staid upon all Your graces and purpose for the good and expansion of Your church. From you and to you be all glory. (Romans 11:36)

“On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.  When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.  Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, ‘Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.’  But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.’  For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’  And they did so, and had them all sit down.  And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.” Luke 9:10-17

The apostles had just recounted all they had done with their vested authority, proclaiming the kingdom of God and healing diseases. But as the day wore on, possibility had lost ground to desolate, miraculous power to dearth. Energy for the supernatural got sleepy in their minds and the monochromatic practical loomed large: the crowds were hungry and there was no food and it was time to leave. How could these zealous disciples change their tune from excitement over miracles to the problem of impossibility so quickly? Jesus’s words challenged their thinking and engaged them in higher work once again. He had them participate so they knew there was no end, no waning, of His power. (Luke 9:1-6)

As our days wear away, how does our outlook change? Do vision, zeal, hope, or expectation wane? Do early possibilities with faith slip to probable failures and fear? Does exhaustion drown enthusiasm or accomplishment swallow adrenaline?

After a successful campaign or meaningful God-given victory, do we fall away from vital dependence on our Lord? Have we experienced the high of an infusion of divine energy and wisdom for a particular cause, then after its conclusion feared we could not perform? Have we known with personal intimacy God’s outpouring of love and care, yet later fallen to self-pity?

The Lord’s strength is limitless, His goodness never failing, His faithfulness eternal. His mercies are fresh for every morning, and evening. As days wear away, we need not. A consistent life of vibrant faith maintains vigor and trust through every hour. What triggers lapses in expectancy from God, and how will we retrain our mindset to remain anticipative of His bountiful, amazing grace? (Psalm 36:5; Lamentations 3:22-23)

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.” ~Thomas O. Chisholm (1923)

Father, teach me the steadiness You exemplify. Keep me consistent in vigor and holy expectancy, that You be magnified in every moment.

“There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;  and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body…  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?  But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were a single member, where would the body be?  There are many parts, yet one body…

“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,  that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.  And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7,11-15,17-20, 24b-28

God is a master planner and builder. He knows what is needed for every family, church, task, and season. His plans for us are good and His ways are good. When we acknowledge our and others’ gifting, accept the measure and assignment appointed to each, and trust His arrangement in the body, we can contribute within His framework toward exciting, lasting work. (Psalm 119:68; Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 4:11-16)

Why doesn’t he get it? Why does she act that way? Why don’t they think like I do? The questions we ask in conflict or misunderstand betray a shallow grasp of the Church as a whole. The Creator of the individual is also the Composer of the Body. He crafts with exquisite expertise and wisdom, building His church so it can function with health and fruitfulness.

Do I get frustrated at another’s ignorance or inability to see my way? Am I prone to impatience and criticism with those on my team and lose sight of the One whom we serve? Where am I provincial in my thinking, my loving, allowing favoritism or preference to determine my interest in and care of others in the Body? How honest am I in admitting weaknesses so I can grow, and how can I encourage the needed strengths of others? If we all focus on common goals and submit to God’s ordering, we can together accomplish much. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Lord, help me employ Your grace-apportioned gifts gratefully, humbly, and zealously toward Your ends and glory. (Romans 12:3)

“Then Job answered [Bildad]:

“He stretches out the north over the void
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not split open under them.
He covers the face of the full moon…
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?”

“God understands the way to [wisdom],
    and he knows its place.”

“Then Job answered the Lord and said:

‘Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
    I lay my hand on my mouth.
I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
    twice, but I will proceed no further…

‘I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
“Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?”
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
“Hear, and I will speak;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.”
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
    and repent in dust and ashes.’” Job 26:1,7-9,14; 28:23; 40:3-5; 42:1-6

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim…  And one called to another:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!..’

“I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips..; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'” Isaiah 6:1-3,5

Many prayers in scripture are examples of rich communion with God. The give and take reveals much about both parties. In the secret place, it is the silences, the watching, beholding, listening, that truly transforms. Job’s humble, righteous approach unveils facets of his Lord he could not have known other than through long contemplation and honest vulnerability. What he knew, he held, but what he learned in listening broadened wide his understanding and enriched his spirit. When the Almighty spoke, he listened, and was changed. Isaiah was likewise smitten in spirit and compelled to surrender at his overwhelming vision of God’s glory and the power of His voice. (Job 38-39; 41:11; Isaiah 6:6-8)

In prayer, we often approach God with words. While we might express some praise and thanksgiving, we’re mostly concerned with telling, explaining, and asking. As in many conversations of give and take, there is an appropriate time to be quiet and yield the floor. Consider prayer as God’s turn to talk.

What does God having His turn look and sound like? It takes being quiet, and still, and concentrating. Take in His beauty, His majesty, His invisible but evident power. Exhale preconceptions and pining to take in His Spirit’s cleansing, energizing, and inspiration. Take His promises as our own, in faith at their inestimable worth.

When will we take time to listen? Would we exercise self-control in quieting our list to listen and take in the splendor of His words and work? What will we yield and do to practice genuine, life-changing communion with the Almighty?

Father, help me keep my unholy lips closed, and my eyes and ears open to You above all.

“Today also my complaint is bitter;
    my hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
    that I might come even to his seat!
I would lay my case before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know what he would answer me
    and understand what he would say to me.
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
    No; he would pay attention to me…
    and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,
    and backward, but I do not perceive him;
on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
    he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
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 have 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.
But 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.
Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
    when I consider, I am in dread of him.
God has made my heart faint;
    the Almighty has terrified me;
yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
    nor because thick darkness covers my face.” Job 23:2-6,7b-17

Job has suffered with unspeakable circumstances and pain, even now under his friend’s accusations of broad, callous evil. His bitter complaint echoes his inner misery, yet is wholly turned Godward because he knows his God. Though he cannot understand his present trials, nor feel any comfort, nor the hope of relief, He trusts the Almighty knows his agonies and is achieving redemptive purposes by them. To whom else would he go? He claims God’s omniscience, immutability, sovereignty, and goodness, and is sustained. (Job 12:13; 13:15; 16:19-20; 19:25; 22:1, 5-11; Psalm 73:23-26)

In much of our lives we will not know all the reasons behind hardship. Calamities happen, people sting, health declines, and relationships change. Caught under the heavy hand of the difficulties, we cry out, but often don’t even know what to ask for or what relief would look like. But when we know Christ, we can know His nearness, His abiding presence as a palpable comfort in distress. Flesh and heart and dreams may fail, but He is our hope and strength. The gift He gives in these times is the knowledge of Him, not the whys and hows.

Where are we presently weighed down, beaten up, or drained out? Have we come to the end, where no prescription or manipulation works, and all we can do is trust the all-knowing One? This is exactly His design, His invitation to trust who He is more than what He will do. Admitting our helplessness against His faithfulness and power will transform our perspective.

“Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!” ~Robert Grant (1833)

Invisible Lord, help me trust implicitly that You are near and in control.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets…

“I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great…  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:22-23,27-36

Jesus sets up reality for His new disciples: Life will not be easy. In fact, as they stand for Him, they’ll be persecuted, excluded, reviled, spurned. But this hatred pointed toward them will instigate His supernatural work and blessing, and offer many opportunities for them to pray and love and extend mercy that they wouldn’t otherwise experience. These will be significant in their growth and testimony.

No one wants to expect certain conflict. Wouldn’t we all prefer congenial and easy? But not only is the Christian walk a rough one fraught with dissension and difficulty, it’s the way of promised blessing exactly because of that. In having enemies we learn to pray for them, as targets of hatred we learn to love as Christ loves. Kindness and generosity shine and are magnified against vitriol and greed. Good trumps evil. (Romans 12:14-21; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 3:9,13-17; 4:12-13)

While it may be counterintuitive to welcome opposition, what if, when faced with antagonism or threats, we sought the Lord and how we might serve and love the instigators as His hands and heart? What would change in our attitudes, and possibly situations, if we devoted ourselves to praying for them, and practically blessing them? If done with pure motive, out of obedience and love for Christ, even if we immediately suffer, we would know His favor and deep benediction in an intimate, lasting way.

Are we willing to try? Are we willing to bring these painful issues to our loving God and ask Him to use them for eternal good? To work in and out of us what is pleasing to Him? To develop in us Christ-like character and naturally holy responses? To help us persevere in the pressure and be transformed, to His glory? (Hebrews 13:21)

Lord, may I willingly welcome the sufferings You endured on my behalf, and glorify You in how I handle them for the benefit of others.

“And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.  It was the third hour…  And the inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’  And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.  And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,  save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself.  Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

“And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour… And Jesus uttered a loud cry [and] said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit and breathed his last.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!'” Mark 15:24-33,37-39; John 19:30

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17

“[After he had risen] he said to them,.. ‘Whoever believes… will be saved.'” Mark 16:16

Soldiers and crowds derided the condemned Jesus, flapping around their cruel mocking, coarsely claiming He couldn’t save. What their sin-stained, hate-filled eyes failed to see was that in deliberately not saving Himself from death He was saving them unto life. His willing crucifixion made the way for the salvation of all who would believe; He yielded His spirit to convey the Holy Spirit. He was the One in true control, with a purpose far higher than they dared know. He understood what true saving meant, and required. (John 16:7; Romans 10:9-13; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

Unless the Spirit gives sight, we are destined to limited spiritual vision, even blindness. Our emotions get caught up in crowd stir and run amok. Our understanding is shaped by the world mantras around us, what media insists is important, what preferences our senses stoke and desire. Unless we’re immersed in biblical truth as our filter for all that is and transpires, we will never see as God sees nor know as He knows. Do we grasp what being saved means?

What is true is that because Jesus willingly endured the cross, all who call on His name, on the crucified, buried, resurrected, glorified Jesus, will be saved. Saved from eternal separation from Him, saved from slavery to sin and the entanglement of a worldly mindset. Saved from present anxiety and a hopeless future. We must recognize we cannot save ourselves and trust His work on our behalf. Have we, and are we living the difference?

If we still condemn, are shamed by Christ’s death, or are striving ourselves, we must check our pride. Only when we by faith receive His grace are we saved forever. (Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)

Lord, develop in me the mind of Christ to discern, to discard what is for naught and grasp Your view of all things important.

“On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,  and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.  Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’  And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:1-11

Jesus was always intentional, and on one occasion had a very specific lesson to impress upon a very specific person. He taught the pressing crowds from Simon Peter’s boat, then zeroed in on the disciple himself. A proficient teacher with masterful ways, He used truth, illustration, and real life application to bring Peter to a deeper knowledge of His Christ and understanding of his call. Sometimes we need broken nets to get us to unclench our fists from what we think we know to open wide our hands to receive the far more that God wants us to know.

At times we learn simply hearing the word of God. His spirit drives it home to genuine understanding. Other times we need to experience failure to recognize His grace, or weakness to see His power. We might need to surrender self effort to allow His work to be done. Always, the Lord will dethrone us, and give us opportunity to enthrone him, if we are earnest in our learning.

If we would be taught, are we willing to listen? When are we taking time to soak in God’s word directly, not just others’ commentaries or opinions? How willing are we to acknowledge needs and inabilities, and trust God for how He will use them for good? How quick are we to obey His commands, even if we deem them futile or impossible? When God meets us, and does His astonishing work, do we take credit ourselves or fall on our knees in gratitude? What is God calling us to leave behind in order to follow Him with greater zeal and abandon?

Father, help me come to You with no preconceived ideas, willing to let You break my nets to teach me new truths about You, to Your glory and praise.