Author: astherainandsnow

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed… it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:3-10

“Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

When Paul heard of the Colossians’ faith, he immediately turned to God with thanksgiving and expectancy. His heart was grateful for the encouragement of knowing that what he’d taught had taken hold and lit a fire of zealous obedience and service in the church. When they’d heard the gospel, they believed and were compelled to act, and so he beseeched the Lord that this vibrant faith would grow more and more, expressing itself in increasing knowledge, faithfulness, and spiritual fruitfulness.

Faith in Christ Jesus gives us new life lenses and motivations. Understanding God’s grace compels generous forgiveness for wrongs done to us. Knowing we’re adopted as His children engenders deep security, and love for our spiritual brothers and sisters. Gripped by His call to follow and serve inspires wholehearted devotion, excellence in work, and zealous ministry. Grasping His eternal plans opens the future with hope and excitement, honing broad and long perspective in pressing present circumstances. In all these ways we should be growing as we put expanding knowledge of His word into practice. (Matthew 4:19; Romans 8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:23)

How has the glorious gospel made its way into our impulses, daily outlook, and industry? Is our faith manifest so others can see it, are encouraged by it, and thank God for its expression? Are we increasing in patience, compassion, fortitude, kindness, self-control? (Galatians 5:22-23)

What are we doing to gain more knowledge of God’s truths and insight into His manner among men? What then do we do with that knowledge to affect the way we make decisions, speak, and treat others? Are we measurably more prayerful, more honorable, more gracious?

“Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of your holy word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfil in us
All Your purposes, for Your glory.” ~Stuart Townend (2006)

Amen.

“Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials, because an excellent spirit was in him. The king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  Then the officials sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error was found in him. Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any complaint against Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God…’

“‘All the officials… are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king,.. sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law..,which cannot be revoked.’ Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.” Daniel 6:3-5,7-11

“Be not silent, O God of my praise!
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
    speaking against me with lying tongues.
They encircle me with words of hate,
    and attack me without cause.
They accuse me,
    but I give myself to prayer…
He stands at the right hand of the needy one,
    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.” Psalm 109:1-4,31

Attack from hateful enemies causes many reactions: immediate defense, retaliation, thirst for vengeance, paralyzing fear. For the child of God, whose identity and heart are bound up with Christ, the antidote is simpler and far more effective: prayer.

Prayer takes our eyes off hateful threats and fixes them on Almighty God who reigns above. Thanksgiving lifts anxious concerns for the unknown and reminds us what is known and true. Focused communion with God encompasses us in His strong arms and nestles us beneath His protective wings. Earnest petition transfers our heaviest cares to the Lord’s able shoulders. O fretting soul, where is our upper chamber? (Psalm 91:4; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:6)

Understand the threat. To the house. Windows open to God’s holy presence. Kneel. Three times a day. Give thanks. Customary habit. How rich is a life hid with Christ in God! (Colossians 3:3)

What pressures do we face? What fears loom due to threats from within and without? How are we handling them? Do we default to hand-wringing, or hands opened and lifted in praise? Do we take a posture of combative defense, or humbly bow in desperate dependence? Do we spew vitriol and venom, or recite thanksgiving for all God is doing and how He’ll be glorified? How ingrained is a habit of prayer? Would we ask the Lord to deepen it by turning thought immediately and often to Him? A practice of continual prayer guards our path and reflects the glory of God’s grace in our lives.

Lord, in every battle and encumbrance, pull my mind and desire to You. Keep me thankful and trustful so You are seen and praised. (Daniel 6:25-27)

“Then Daniel… told [his companions] to seek mercy from God concerning this mystery, so that [they] might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision… Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven..:

“‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king’s matter…’

^“The king declared to Daniel,.. ‘Are you able to make known to me the dream and its interpretation?^’ Daniel answered, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show the king.., but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known what will be.’” Daniel 2:17-23,26-28a

The King had made an impossible demand, and all his magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers were doomed to death because they could not meet it. But Daniel the wise met Nebuchadnezzar the fool with the possibility of God to turn the destiny of all. While the king’s seers relied on signs and the occult, Daniel knew his only hope for understanding the king’s mystery was his Lord, and to Him he prayed. (Daniel 2:1-16)

It’s easy to panic when faced with the impossible, dark looming situations beyond our control. A harrowing diagnosis, the threat of job loss, a broken marriage, or war. Without the Lord and with unbridled emotion and exasperation, we’re destined for misery. But prudence and discretion lead us to the Sovereign over every calamity. Seeking His mercy, wisdom, and light opens the way for His answers. Often He reveals His will to inquiring, believing minds as we pray.

What circumstances have tightly knotted me in turmoil? What threats press anxiety into every pore and furrows into my countenance? Do I fret and accuse and lock myself in stress, or with prudence, trust, and hopeful praise approach my Lord?

There are dangers in the world. But there is a God in heaven. There are mysteries we’re unable to discern, accusations we cannot defend, regrets we cannot shake. But there is a God in heaven. There are sorrows and pain and unmet longings that seem unbearable. But there is a God in heaven. Do I know and believe Him?

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

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.” ~ Dallán Forgaill, old Irish

Great and all-wise Father in heaven, help me turn to You in every earthly angst, trusting Your wisdom and power for every impossible to Your thanks and praise. (Daniel 2:46-47)

“Be not silent, O God of my praise!
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
    speaking against me with lying tongues.
They encircle me with words of hate,
    and attack me without cause.
In return for my love they accuse me,
    but I give myself to prayer.
So they reward me evil for good,
    and hatred for my love…

Help me, O Lord my God!
    Save me according to your steadfast love!
Let them know that this is your hand;
    you, O Lord, have done it!..

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.” Psalm 109:1-5,26-27,30-31

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.  But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’”Acts 7:54-56,59

“If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:31-34

David’s pleas were agonizing, heart-felt, honest, and intimate. He knew his God, and knew He heard every word of complaint and need. He also knew that his Lord stood ready to respond, confirm, defend, and answer. His Advocate and Intercessor was on his side in every way.

Life on earth is bustling with activity that grabs our attention. A ding here, urgency there, message here, distraction there… we live in a hectic horizontal often with no thought of our vertical connection to the Almighty. Yet, our Savior stands near, always close at our right hand to lead, help, confide in, comfort. What a friend is He!

How would we handle situations differently, what would improve in our attitude and industry, if we acknowledged the Lord Jesus always at our right hand? What courage or confidence would fuel our facing down the enemy? What spiritual insights would compel our choices? What peace, security, deepest pleasure and joy would hold our hearts still when all around is in sad upheaval? (Psalm 16:8-11; 108:12-13)

As we rise each day and set out to whatever is before us, would we make sure we walk beside our truest Companion, holding His hand in trust? Even while eyes must tend to tasks before us, will we remember to look around at His handiwork and up in worship? This loving Savior beside us is for us. He stands ready to bring truth to recollection, guide with discernment, soften hard and sweeten bitter hearts. What hope, what zeal, what strength does this afford us today? (Ezekiel 36:26; John 14:26; 16:13)

Lord, as You faithfully stand beside me, may I keep so close to You I hear Your breath and walk Your stride.

“‘This is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High,.. that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will… Your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules…’

“King Nebuchadnezzar… said, ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?..’ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar…

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
    and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
    and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand.’

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Daniel 4:24-26,30,33-35,37

In the world’s eyes and his own, King Nebuchadnezzar was quite the man. His kingdom was broad and powerful and in human eyes, glorious. But God had His eye on him for eternal good, and would not allow him to continue his earthly reign without acknowledging that the He, Most High, ruled over all. Man in his pomp will not remain. (Psalm 49:12)

Through a series of visions and strange fulfillments, the Lord humbled this most famous of kings, and in the sum of his life he knew that he knew that Heaven rules. All that would have turned to dust was now for him an eternal treasure trove. His crown was indeed the Lord’s. (Daniel 4:4-23; Psalm 111:10; Matthew 6:19-21; Revelation 4:10-11)

On earth we take positions and are entrusted with various authority. In the home, workplace, and community we are personal regents over whatever kingdom we’ve been assigned. And that’s the point: the Lord is the ultimate Sovereign. What we think we’ve earned or have a natural right to own or direct or control comes from or is appointed by God.

He is the One who raises up and brings low, He assigns place and gifting and determines the measure of each life. Therein, He lovingly gives freedom to handle assignments according to our inspiration and ability. Are we doing all as unto Him? (Daniel 1:21; Acts 17:26; James 1:17)

Where have we taken credit for worldly success? What accomplishments or accolades do we flaunt as ours? Where do we selfishly, greedily, pridefully, or rudely misuse authority granted to us? When will we humble ourselves before God’s mighty hand and acknowledge Him as Lord of all? Only in believing and behaving as though He is Sovereign will we flourish with true hope and joy. (1 Peter 5:6)

Sovereign God, may my desires, words, and actions exalt You as the Most High, always.

“Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator…

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:5,7-10,12-17

‘Ah, God’s chosen! Chosen to pass from death to life, chosen to be a new creation, there are certain adornments that distinguish us from those who know not God. By attitude, action, and activity, we are to stand out from the world as holy and beloved, shining lights, permeating goodness and love’s color into the prevailing darkness. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 2:15; Colossians 2:13-14)

But are we? How distinguished are we from those around us? By job position, skill, dress, neighborhood, or education, we may have many similarities. We live in the world and are meant to work alongside the lost while remaining pure and emanating grace. The Lord intends us to make connections, serve neighbors and colleagues, and be bold against wickedness. He also entrusts us with the gospel, and expects us to stand out and apart in its defense, testifying with word and deed to His grace. (Matthew 5:14-16; 16:24-26; John 17:15-18)

As God’s chosen we are fueled by different passions and speak a loftier language. Where the world is easily ignited by cursory, catty speech, or complaining or gossip, we can elevate conversation toward ideas and standards that bear on human flourishing and the culture. Where the world chops and chats with snippets and grudges and rude memes, we can implement language that honors the living Word who made our mouths. When the world promotes factions and dissension, and spews hatred at every turn, we must speak truth in love, and as we are able, maintain unity in the gospel of peace. (Exodus 4:11; John 1:1; Ephesians 4:1-3,15,29; Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:8)

Where and in what situations is it especially hard to behave as God’s chosen? Would we bring these specific challenges to the Lord, and trust Him to change and fill us? How can we bear His imprint in a fresh way today? (Ephesians 5:18)

Lord, may I live as Your chosen and so magnify Your image in this world.

“Both we and our fathers have sinned;
    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
    did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
    but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
    that he might make known his mighty power.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,
    and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
So he saved them from the hand of the foe
    and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
And the waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them was left.
Then they believed his words;
    they sang his praise.

But they soon forgot his works;
    they did not wait for his counsel.
But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
    and put God to the test in the desert…

They made a calf in Horeb
    and worshiped a metal image.
They exchanged the glory of God
    for the image of an ox that eats grass.
They forgot God, their Savior,
    who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.” Psalm 106:6-14,19-22

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

When Israel forgot her God, disaster ensued. Maintaining a mindset of remembrance of God’s good gifts and grace filled them with praise and guarded their actions in obedience. They adored and wanted to follow this One who cared for and delivered them. But they let down that guard, opening their minds to strange affection and wandering toward foreign gods. Entertainment of self and coddling wayward impulses took captive and quenched thoughts filled with the Lord, and led to their repeated downfall.

And so happens this incessant pull with the most well-intended of men. Our biblical call to vigilance is vehement and constant because the enemy is relentless. We cannot be too guarded against his alluring and deceptive wiles. This deceiver targets our minds because he knows that’s where choices take root. We must keep fixing our minds and locking our hearts on Christ above! (Proverbs 4:23-27; John 8:44; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 11:3,14; Colossians 3:1-2; 1 Peter 5:8)

What ingrained habits have we relished that deter our thoughts from Christ? Are we more addicted to news, exercise, or some form of entertainment than we are to time with His word? What safeguards have we in place to guard our minds (and eyes), and how well do we mind those guards? Is there a friend with whom we can talk, confess, and uphold accountability to pressing on toward the Lord?

When we are weary of the pull, or have yielded to temptation, we find great mercy and forgiveness in the Lord. We can approach Him in confidence rather than shame, and claim His gracious cleansing and help. With renewed minds, will we then freely praise Him? (Psalm 107:8-15; Romans 12:2; Hebrews 4:15-16)

Father, keep me from straying, and keep me vigilant in guarding my life for Thee, to Your honor and glory.

“Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’ And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.^’ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

“Then the word of the Lord came to him, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’” 1 Kings 17:1-9

“In the cover of your presence you hide them..;
you store them in your shelter.” Psalm 31:20

“Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

Elijah was committed to his Lord in both the obedience of ministry and of personal trust. He gave out as God commanded, even hard truth, and he followed His word to find supply. He maintained an attitude of staying hidden in God for comfort, strength, and sustenance. As weary as this long obedience made him, he continually returned to his Lord to be readied for the next boldness required, and God met him without fail. (1 Kings 18:20-40)

When the Lord saves us, we are at once found in Him, and hidden in Him. We are His and He is ours. He seals us with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our family identity and eternal inheritance. We are thus forever hidden by the living water with which He washes and fills us. (Song of Solomon 2:16a; John 7:37-39; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14)

There is much benefit in staying hidden with Christ in God. The ongoing exchanged life of sanctification means we remain in Him, putting our old self to death and hiding ourselves in Him so His life is lived through us. As we abide in Him and He in us, we bear much spiritual fruit. (John 15:4-5; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-10)

If hiding describes us, where are we hiding? Do we conceal weaknesses by boasting and puffery? Are we hiding secret sins behind a deceptive front of neat proficiency, or shame? Are we covering up insecurities, hurt, or folly by maintaining an impenetrable wall, holding others at bay, refusing to let those who love and care for us into our need and mess?

What if we left that hiding and entered into the all-encompassing light of the Lord and His love, and drank deeply of His healing, soul-slaking water? He who bids us come hide in Him is the One who meets us there and supplies for every need. Would we cast off ours and take His cover? (Ephesians 5:8-13; 1 Peter 2:9)

Father, keep me hidden with You, sealed securely and concealed by Your grace and glory.

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness…’

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
a God greatly to be feared… and awesome above all?
O Lord God of hosts,
    who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
    with your faithfulness all around you?
You rule the raging of the sea;
    when its waves rise, you still them…
The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
    the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
The north and the south, you have created them;
    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
You have a mighty arm;
    strong is your hand, high your right hand.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.”

“The Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” Psalm 89:1-2,5-9,11-15; 96:5b-6

The expanse of sky is an eternal blue, smudged and tufted with scattered and gathered clouds, beckoning the wondering soul. Low heavy mounds drop grey rain in angled sheets, high wisps feather like angels above. Endless is the changing splendor, moment by moment the awe. As a home reflects the personality of its owner, so this sanctuary of sky reflects the Creator’s glory.

God’s love is seen in the skies as we gaze and wonder who we are and why He’d care for small us, considering His great, majestic power that traced this intricate handiwork of fluffed clouds, sparkling stars, and shining lights. Yet, He has crowned us with glory and honor. God’s faithfulness is indeed on display in the heavens, turning and sustaining His rhythm of day and night, season upon season. God’s magnitude and authority is exhibited in this canopy of creation, ordering storms and tides, north and south, gravity that holds the atmosphere together. (Genesis 8:22; Psalm 8:3-5; Colossians 1:16-17)

How naturally, how often, do we join nature in praising this One who abides with us and rules over all, whom we adore?

“God, all nature sings Thy glory, and Thy works proclaim Thy might;
Ordered vastness in the heavens, ordered course of day and night;
Beauty in the changing seasons, beauty in the storming sea;
All the changing moods of nature praise the changeless Trinity.

“Clearer still we see Thy hand in man whom Thou hast made for Thee;
Ruler of creation’s glory, image of Thy majesty.
Music, art, the fruitful garden, all the labor of his days,
Are the calling of his Maker to the harvest feast of praise.

“God of glory, power, mercy, all creation praises Thee;
We, Thy creatures, would adore Thee now and through eternity.
Saved to magnify Thy goodness, grant us strength to do Thy will;
With our acts as with our voices Thy commandments to fulfill.” ~David Clowney (1960)

Lord, keep me praising You day upon day, night after night, making known Your great faithfulness to generations. (Psalm 72:5)

“They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.  I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore.  My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:23-28

Following His promise to bring life and breath to dry bones, what an amazing added promise the Lord tucks into his message through Ezekiel. They would not be left to their own to figure out life and place and destiny. His people Israel would be revived, restored to wholehearted devotion, and return to their homeland. And that forever land would be the sanctuary of God, His dwelling place, His presence to abide in their midst forever. They were His, and He their God. (Solomon 2:16; Ezekiel 37:1-14)

This truth that God is with us as an ever-present sanctuary is powerful to heighten in us a state of constant wonder and thanksgiving. It gives comfort and hope. It bolsters strength and security. It deepens our sense of identity and belonging, and instills courage to stand, serve, and speak. It calms with peace when all around is in flux. It sustains and infuses perseverance. (Exodus 33:14; Psalm 16:8; Matthew 28:18-20)

If we are indeed indwelt with God’s Spirit, what difference is His supernatural presence making in our day-to-day? How often do we behold His greatness, grace, and splendor in focused worship? How accustomed are we to avail ourselves of His supply for every need?

“’A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
O Jesus, best belov’d! I live with Thee;
My heart has found its everlasting home,
Its sure abiding place where’er I roam.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
My heart is still’d beneath love’s canopy;
The ‘Holiest of All’ is open’d wide,
And I may enter and be satisfied.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
No fabled shrine, but deep reality!
Thou saidst it should be so when at Thy call
I rose and follow’d gladly, leaving all.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
All joyfully I pitch my tent with Thee;
Or ready still to journey at Thy word—
‘In Thee’ I ‘live and move,’ most blessèd Lord.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
I always am ‘at home’ on land or sea;
Alone, yet never lonely now, I prove
The ‘Hundredfold,’ Lord Jesus, in Thy love.” ~Emily Crawford (1938)

Holy God, keep me ever aware of Your abiding, glorious presence, and vigilant to guard and expend my life as Your hallowed sanctuary.