Author: astherainandsnow

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:3-11

Once God changed Paul’s heart, He took over all of him. He did and desired nothing half-way. He was all in for Jesus. His remembrances, prayers, and joy were bound up in His cause, His people. And he yearned for the church to be all in for Him too. With every heartbeat, every day, He sought all of God’s intent to be fulfilled in and through them.

Does this describe our daily passion for the ways and workings of God? Do we even have such? Where does our mind turn first thing in the morning, and what does it take to pursue it? If we do not have eyes and a heart for the things of God, would we ask Him to permeate our thoughts with His greatness, faithful care, and lofty purposes? To deepen our love for others and desire to see them grow in maturity, righteousness, and knowledge? When He begins this work in us, He will bring it to completion and enlist us in that work for others. There is no greater joy than to see Him glorified in the sanctification of His people.

Applying biblical examples and praying God’s word for ourselves and others taps richly into His grace. Would we offer Him our total affection? Would we seek Him and His best with all our being? Where will we begin to pray, testify, and minister differently to see Him glorified?

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

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

Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,
cling to gilded toys of dust,
boast of wealth and fame and pleasure;
only Jesus will I trust.

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

Worthy Lord, claim all of me for all of You. Help me pray unceasingly and serve unreservedly for Your sake, renown, and glory.

“Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.’

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice!” Psalm 96:6-13; 97:1a

“The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.” Romans 8:19-24

Lacy green umbrellas spread a carpet of lush between towering pines, cozying fresh shade underneath and exquisitely majestic from above. Observing the magnificence of pristine and extraordinary aspects of the nature makes it hard to imagine its futility and bondage to corruption with the rest of creation. And yet, it will be more beautiful. The eternal splendor of the Lord God will be manifest at His glorious return, and all that now groans will one day sing.

While indwelt with the Spirit who is our guarantee of future glory, full expression of all God has made us to be is kept at bay as we await full redemption. We see the earth constrained and people restrained. We languish under violence and threats to life and well-being. We groan under the weight of immoral and wicked influences on ourselves and those we love. We must daily remind ourselves that God reigns! (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14)

When disillusioned at relational dissension and fractures, ascribe to the Lord His unified worth! When stricken with worry or longing for justice, exult in the Lord and tremble at His holiness! Where am I refusing to sing because of tumultuous circumstances or current despair, when I could practice praise with hope of promised relief? When and how will I voice His praises here as a foretaste of eternity? How is my life echoing all creation’s cry, Come, Lord Jesus!? (Revelation 22:20)

Lord on high, tune my heart and voice to sing Your praise, joining with all creation in proclaiming You as our only hope, glory, joy, and crown.

“’For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you..; you will be my people, and I will be your God.'”

“The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.  He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.  He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’

“Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!.. I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’” Ezekiel 36:24-27a,28b; 37:1-6

How broad the reach of the promises of God! His message through Ezekiel swathed a scattered and spiritually-drought-stricken Israel with the life-giving water of far-reaching hope. He would make new their home, their hearts, and their habits by breathing in them His life and renewing affections and attitudes.

God is the Source and Renewer of life. His pledge to return His people to their land applied to restored relationships and fruitfulness. His work might be gradual but will surely be real. Step by step they would be cleansed from inside out, and would learn new breathing: exhale fear, inhale trust, exhale worry, inhale peace, exhale despair, inhale hope. (Ezekiel 37:7-10,12-14,23)

What prompts waning desire for vibrant fellowship, zeal for serving others? Have I turned inward in focus and provincialism? Has concern for others turned to protection of comforts and selfish rights? Maybe separation from loved ones by distance or sad circumstance has cause us to feel bereft, or a turn in health or a catastrophic event that shrouds the future has caused us to withdraw. Where do I need the life-giving breath of God’s Spirit to rejuvenate and restore?

No matter how dry my spiritual energy or quenched love’s flame, the Sovereign Lord can make all things new. He invites my arid heart, my languishing vitality, my barren expectations, my colorless dreams to His life-giving word, that I might believe that He is the Lord. Will I come? What dry bones will I bring? (Revelation 21:5)

Father, impulse by impulse, desire by desire, make me holy and wholly Yours, that all I think, say, and do reflects Your life-giving power and glory.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.” Philippians 2:1-8a

Paul supports his admonition with a list of preliminaries, each of which would have stirred the hearts of these Philippians. Of course they’d known the sweetness of love’s comfort, spiritual oneness, and mutual affection and sympathy. All these prompted good feelings of acceptance, security, blessedness, even willingness to give. Yet from there Paul turns from feeling to thinking- these are to stimulate right and holy thinking and doing. Don’t live in the flux or soothing ease of emotion, but act according to righteous thought, what is true about Christ and should be about you.

Christ Jesus had a holy mind. He was no victim of caprice or circumstance, or the whims of jealous religious leaders or a cruel government. By act of His will, He deliberately humbled Himself for us, to win for us the truest comfort and fellowship we can know. With purity of decision, He considered the eternal life of HIs children of greater value than His life on earth. With clear mind He yielded Himself, walked to the cross, exhibited compassion, forgave sinners, and gave up His spirit unto death on our behalf. (Mark 15:22-24; Luke 23:32-34,39-43; John 19:25-30)

It is only with the mind of Christ that we are able to humble ourselves, set aside flesh bent toward selfishness, and put others before us. These are not natural for human nature. Graciously, the Lord works into us by the power of His Spirit what he wants to work out of us. (Philippians 2:12–13)

With what do we fill and exercise our minds? Input proceeds to output. How might, and will, we begin to develop thinking on all that is true about Jesus, and then putting His ways into practice? (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:8)

Are we earnestly desirous to love the Lord with all our minds, and then prefer others in that love? If not, would we ask Him to work this passion and commitment in us? What evidences do we display of genuine selflessness in day to day deference, generosity, stepping out of the limelight? How might the Lord be calling us to act by will in areas and situations that don’t feel good, but are right? If none, what will we do about it? (Luke 10:27)

Loving Lord, work into me Your mind, and out of me Your gracious, generous humility towards those I meet, that they might meet You. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You return man to dust
    and say, ‘Return, O children of man!’
For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers…

For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away…

So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom…
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:1-6,9-12,14-17

Before ever He’d created earth, God was. Then He broke through time and space to fashion man within it, and we chose temporal pleasure over eternal satisfaction, bringing down rightful wrath. Since Eden, in the mire of time’s limitations and troubles, we yearn for purpose. Here is where the merciful Sovereign displays and imparts holy power to His own, granting wisdom and favor for the days of our lifespan here below. (Genesis 1:26-29; 2:16-18; 3:1-24; Psalm 93:2)

And so we go about our generations within the setting of seasons. Each man is assigned a number of days known only to the Lord and spanning toil both troublesome and meaningful. We make the most of this life when we abide in Him, trust His establishing of present work in His kingdom plan, and living with the certain hope of dwelling with Him forever. (Deuteronomy 33:27a; Job 12:10; 14:5; Psalm 91:1-2,9,14-16; John 15:5; Revelation 21:3)

Do we have such a perspective, viewing each day through a lens of eternity? We are limited here by time and order, but God considers less how much we do as what is done with and for Him. How can this motivation change the choices we make? How will we implement every gift and task to honor Him and further His ways? (2 Peter 3:8)

“Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.” ~C. T. Studd (1860-1931)

Good Father, may I number and order my days in godly wisdom, declaring Your love and faithfulness morning and night, honoring You every hour, and bearing fruit through the years. (Psalm 92:1-2,12-15)

“I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—  that I may know him…

“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:4-10a,13b-14

When Paul was Saul, he had much to be proud of: heritage, pedigree, education, reputation, zealous religiosity. But once Jesus arrested his prideful ambition and changed his name, his heart and life orientation were transformed. In a new spiritual economy, where all was measured by eternal worth, what he’d assigned earthly value no longer charmed. (Acts 9:1-8,17-22)

It’s healthy to take regular checkups on what we hold dear. Passion for the Lord Jesus that was ignited in young faith can wane as earthly concerns and trinkets press in. The desperate trust we early practiced so earnestly can fade into self-confidence as needs and life situations change. Fire in the soul for testifying to God’s grace and goodness can cool to a flicker when brighter urgencies and busyness take priority. What we invest our attention, time, and resources in indicates where our treasure lies. What are we counting as real gain in our lives? (Matthew 6:20-21)

Is it our habit to appeal to the Lord on the basis of our accomplishments rather than His mercy at Calvary? Do we concern ourselves with erecting milestones, making memories, or establishing a legacy more than we value knowing Christ? Do we invest more in temporal things than eternal riches? Earthly gain holds no water to the surpassing worth of our Savior and knowing Him. What steps do we, or can we take to do so?

A grateful attitude and surrender to the Lord’s will propel us forward in cherishing Him above all else. When we look at the tangible and intangible ornaments of life in light of the cross, we see that they run through flesh fingers as elusive gain compared with the magnificent, glorious substance of Jesus.

“Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ, my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them through his blood.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.” ~Isaac Watts (1707)

Lord, daily may I love and value You, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown, above all.

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

“‘I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

“‘I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” Ezekiel 34:2-6,10-16

The Lord had harsh words for false shepherds, but gentle promises for His sheep. His hand of justice would destroy the wicked but rescue, protect, and feed His own. Where selfish shepherds took advantage of Israel’s sheep, He would give them every advantage of strength, healing and rest. He holds accountable those whom He’s trusted to be accountable for others, and offers with open hands all we need to serve them faithfully.

At home and in community, we have people to watch over with care. We will account for how we handle God-given responsibility.

Whom has the Lord entrusted to my shepherding? What position do my hands take toward them? Do I push away or pull toward and prod along? Am I tight fisted with time and resources, grasping preferences and control, or do I willingly open them in submission to Christ, and extend His enabled gentleness, generosity, and love? How effectively do I bind wounds, tend to concerns, and supply nourishment for body and soul? (Psalm 23:1-3; 1 Peter 5:2-3)

Good Shepherd, help me lead, care, and love as You do for me, and so honor You in shepherding Your people.

“Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out and built Penuel. Jeroboam said in his heart, ‘Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me...’ So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. He said to the people, ‘You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’  He set one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.  Then this thing became a sin...  He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not Levites.  And Jeroboam… offered sacrifices on the altar… to the calves that he made.” 1 Kings 12:25-32

“Put to death… greed, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5

Jeroboam had been promised the kingdom of Israel, all tribes but Judah, and God’s ongoing presence and favor if he would follow His ways. He had been warned against the folly of pursuing other gods. But an inkling of pride set in, sparked by the greed of control and fear of losing it, and this smallest slip away from God’s word began a descent from which he did not recover. One bit of questioning God’s ability to follow through here, one little self-directed tweak to ensure Israel’s fidelity there, now two golden calves to make worship outside Jerusalem accessible, and his weak foothold of faith crumbled. The small slide of wrong thinking and wayward ruling steepened toward full-blown idolatry and wickedness. His leading God’s people astray became a contagion and a new flawed standard by which every subsequent reign was measured. (1 Kings 11:31-38; 14:16; 15:34-16:3,18-19,25-26)

In our managing of daily responsibilities, we may be unaware of niggling doubts that set in and lead us astray. Good intentions easily warp into detrimental decisions. We profess to believe God’s sufficiency, but get torqued up making sure we have everything we need. We accept His assignments with big faith, yet let little doubts undermine our confidence to carry them out. We teach trust in all things, yet fail to apply it in small things. We claim God’s grace and Him as Lord, yet erect idols of works, proficiencies, and accolades to promote and protect ourselves in the world. Thus, we prepare our own slippery slopes without even recognizing their slow angle downward away from His highness.

Do we take time to assess the wholeness of our belief? Are we undivided in faith? If not, with whom and what do we share loyalty and trust? How well does our profession match our practice? Where do allegiances need redirecting, affections need retraining?

Where have we manufactured strange gods borne of doubt, fear, insecurity, even shame? Or of lust, selfish desert, arrogance, or gluttony? Identifying them is the first step to putting them away forever. Has a possession or position become more to us than God intends? Have we made idols of beauty, ease, security, control? Of children, a job, a banner of patriotism, or independence?

Father, establish me on the sure footing of all You are and promise, wholly committed to the praise of Your greatness and worth.

“Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the reproach of the nations… 

“You, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel… And I will not let you hear anymore the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord God.

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.  You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine…  Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:6,8-12,15,24-30,36

God’s pledge to a scattered, battered Israel is balm to His people today. Even in the midst of world strife and uncertainty, the Lord is jealous for His own and on our side. Present disaster and upheaval are only precursors to true restoration, and suffering waste and want are stimuli to knowing God as Lord and ultimately his heavenly whole. His promise of one-day fruitfulness is real, and therefore engenders substantial hope. (Romans 8:31-34; Revelation 21:1-7)

How do these truths fortify ongoing perseverance when nations and communities war? How do they lighten daily burdens of angst, health, and toil? The Lord’s promise of spiritual revival should make a significant difference in daily motivation. His sure present and future blessing should yield its own fruit of joy, peace, and grace on the journey.

How are we spreading this hope? With whom do we generously share the fruit of delight in the Lord and hope in His sure promises?

Father, may I daily bear the fruit of hope, joy, and praise that upbuilds others and glorifies You.

“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. And Solomon sent word to Hiram, ‘You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.^” Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will pay you such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.’

“As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, ‘Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.’ And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, ‘I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber… And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household…’ And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty…

“King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre… He was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came… and did all his work.” 1 Kings 5:1-8,9c,12; 7:13-14

Solomon was not the first but the promised son of King David, the one to bear the seed of Christ. In merciful favor and answer to his prayer, God inspired him to interact with wisdom and grace. His father’s good friend became his good friend through an appreciation of talent, resources, and authority. Their relationship would manifest mutual respect and generous kindness that resulted in building a magnificent temple to God’s glory. (2 Samuel 7:11-13,16; 1 Kings 1:30; 6:7,11-14; 8:10-11)

Treating others well in the name of honoring God and His people always brings Him glory. Civil communication, uplifting benediction, and graciousness demonstrate Christ- likeness the world needs. Carrying on generational friendships bestows homage to loved ones across years and blesses all involved. (Exodus 20:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

How willing are we to extend welcome and value to friends of loved ones? To invest in and embrace another generation of individuals distinct from us? Are we taking time to know them, to appreciate their experience and talents, or are we jaded with self-interest, prejudice, or skepticism? Do we take enough interest to offer commitment that benefits them? With whom will we engage to foster the richness of generational love? (1 Kings 12:6-13; Proverbs 11:25)

Lord, help me value and foster fruitful friendships with others from varied connections, blessing them as fellow image- bearers worthy of honor.