Author: astherainandsnow

“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing. He even followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram.” 2 Chronicles 22:2-5

“Jeroboam… said to Rehoboam,  ‘Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.’  He said to them, ‘Go away for three days, then come again to me.’ So the people went away.

“Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, ‘How do you advise me to answer?’  And they said, ‘If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.’  But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him.  He said to them, ‘What do you advise that we answer this people..?’  The young men said, ‘Thus shall you… say to them, “My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”’

“So Jeroboam came to Rehoboam the third day…  And the king answered harshly.” 1 Kings 12:3-13

“The thoughts of the righteous are just;
    the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.” Proverbs 12:5

Jehoram his father had set a terrible example, and it seemed king Ahaziah might consider his options, discern, and give wise response. Sadly, he refused his chance to set things right. Like king Rehoboam shunning his wise father Solomon’s counselors, he fell to the sway of bad advice. Behavior is determined by the counsel we value: biblical truth or worldly lies. (2 Chronicles 21:11-15)

Every day we make choices that have an impact on both our doing or our undoing. We might start well, but get pulled aside by enticements to power or prestige, or distracted off course by the niggling voice of pride. It is human tendency to blame others and circumstances when our nicely laid plans are undone, but we have a say. It behooves us to consider carefully how we walk, and determine to align our decisions with God’s word. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Are we stewing in regret over poor choices and the painful consequences they’ve caused? Whom or what are we blaming for situations and messes for which we are at least partly responsible? Do right and repent, and ask God to redeem the relationships, situations, and failures for good.

Lord, reveal and forgive my culpability in undoing, and correct my doing unto Your will and glory.

“And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.  But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

“And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul… Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices…  So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” Acts 19:8-11,18,20

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ… may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know… what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead.” Ephesians 1:16-20

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…, The word of the truth, the gospel,.. has come to you, as indeed in the whole world 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…

“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 1:3,5-6,9-10

The word of God increasing and prevailing mightily in the early church was palpable. Minds were changed, bodies were healed, sins were renounced, lives were transformed. The gospel spread its seeds of truth and power, effecting growth in numbers and fruitfulness. Prayer begat spiritual bounty begat more praise and prayer as God built His Body.

And so the mighty Word of God increases and prevails in us today as we receive it in faith and allow it to have its way over thought and emotion. It instructs, enlightens, directs. It guards, inspires, fortifies. It refreshes the spirit when we drink of it deeply, and bears fruit in our character as we implement its design. When are we availing ourselves of its sanctifying truth and goodness? What specific changes in attitude or habit is it causing? (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

It also increases and prevails as we put it into practice at home, work, and community, sowing its light among those we encounter. A word of warning, wisdom, or benediction from God’s word has potent effect. Are we praying as such? Where are we spreading its life-giving power and beauty? Into what situation, place, or individual is God asking us to boldly preach the gospel? (Isaiah 55:10-11; Luke 8:4-8,11-15; Acts 20:32; 2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Lord, may your Word daily increase and prevail in me, that I might propel its increase and glory in this dark world.

“Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!”

“Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his commandments!” Psalm 111:1-10; 112:1

The works of the Lord are manifold and great, manifested in brilliant splendor and majesty. They are to be delighted in as the loving result of His creativity and purpose, and studied to uncover God’s holy character, wisdom, and power. They are righteous, inspired by His mercy and grace. They are redemptive, accomplishing divine good and glory. They exhibit His sovereign authority, faithfulness, and justice, and are to be constantly remembered and praised.

In this world here below, we go about busy days, and only when we pause do we set to study- but then, many insignificant things. We know what is trending on social media and the news someone has determined we must be privy to, and fear. We can recite details to criticize about those whose lifestyle or vote is different from ours, and are experts ready to pontificate about everything that interests us. It is prudent to be knowledgable about the goings on in all God’s world, but we can be teased and distracted from knowing the God behind it all. Beware lest we begin to worship the expertise over the Expert, the created rather than the Creator. It takes earnest spiritual discipline to keep the Lord our primary focus and filter, but when we do, His works magnify His glories more than we ever imagined. (Romans 1:25)

What if I began everything– my morning, my quiet moments, my tasks, my exercise, my conversations- by praising the Lord? If I give thanks to Him in private and public, how would it affect what I next hear and see and do? Noting and delighting in particular attributes heightens my awareness when I see them expressed, and more praise issues forth.

When I have a curiosity, will I resist the urge to do a search, and instead take the time to wonder, ruminate on, and study the wondrous works of God? Filling my mind with the infinite goodness of Him will fill my days with praise, to the blessing of those around me and the glory of God.

Lord, keep me attentive to all facets of Your works, and ever responding in the humble thanksgiving and praise You are worthy to receive.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:7-12

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

Jesus commends persistent asking, with the unsaid understanding that the process of continual, pleading prayer brings benefits in itself. It weans us from self-dependence, from selfish motive and pride, and shapes our desires to conform to His will. So much of His teaching is about how we are to think, want, and behave. Continual prayer changes us.

Christ’s teachings also reveal a lot about Him. Jesus compares how a parent gives gifts to the way He does. A good parent knows his children, and gives balancing need and ability. He gives according to wisdom and proper economy. He does not reward greed or selfishness, he does not lavish on the ungrateful, he does not give more than a child can rightly handle. The discerning parent is always appropriate, always doing according to long-term good, always keeping eternity in mind. So if a parent’s how sometimes requires temporary withholding or a permanent answer of ‘no,’ the Lord does all the better.

How generous are we with the Lord when we desire His gifts? How willingly do we give ourselves- our focus, our longings, our dependence, out time and attention- in regular prayer? The more we go to God, and consider Him before personal wants or plans, the more readily He develops the desires of our hearts. Over time lingering in prayer with Him, they grow to align with His. God’s giving in answer is often a a gift of deeper knowledge of Him and conformity to His character. He grants patience in waiting, a diminishing of greed in want, greater compassion for a critical spirit. His giving is a combination of response to our stated requests and His good plans for us, as He knows what our real needs are. (Matthew 6:8; Romans 12:1-2)

Do we trust God’s answers when we seek His help and favor? How devoted are we to seek Him more than we seek answers and things? How carefully do we model our own giving after His wise, generous benevolence toward us?

Lord, Giver of every good and perfect gift, teach me to pray rightly and to give according to the ways You give to me. (James 1:17)

“In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah [Uzziah] the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign.  He was sixteen years old, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.  And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.  Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.  And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, governing the people of the land…  And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place…

“In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.  He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem…  And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done.” 2 Kings 15:1-7,32-34

The biblical summary of Uzziah’s famous reign was stellar: over half a century, five decades, right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless. Uzziah was by grace endowed with a will bent to following his God. He sought both Him and wise counsel as he fortified Judah with prosperity and peace. Nevertheless Uzziah was not careful to remove the high places that tempted the people to worship false gods. He was wholehearted except this one thing. That precarious inaction was one for which Uzziah would answer. The seemingly small slit opening the heart to idolatry became his own undoing as he fell to pride. (2 Chronicles 26:5-21)

The Lord seeks a whole heart, an undivided heart, and dangerous is the mindset that flirts with nonethelesses. The human condition that prizes effort and weighs good deeds is wont to excuse small omissions, deem small sins unnecessary to remove, or unable to cause much trouble. But sin is sin is sin, and the stain that is our inheritance dooms us to destruction apart from Christ. (Mark 10:17-22; James 2:10; 1 John 1:8)

Are there detrimental habits we’ve grown so accustomed to that we see no need to change? Have we become complacent coddling ‘small’ sins, deeming them benign, or comparatively less destructive or offensive than another’s? Where have we allowed nonethelesses to infringe upon purity of relationships, work, or worship, and what will we do about them?

“O for a heart to praise my God,
a heart from sin set free;
a heart that’s sprinkled with the blood
so freely shed for me:

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
my great Redeemer’s throne;
where only Christ is heard to speak,
where Jesus reigns alone:

A humble, lowly, contrite heart,
believing, true, and clean,
which neither life nor death can part
from him that dwells within:

A heart in every thought renewed,
and full of love divine;
perfect and right and pure and good —
a copy, Lord, of thine.” ~Charles Wesley (1742)

Lord, expose every nonetheless I entertain, remove it, and give me an undivided heart to serve, please, and worship You. (Psalm 86:11)

“The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely… He put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,  and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’  And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’  And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” Acts 16:22-34

Paul and Silas knew God and fearlessly proclaimed His name. Providentially placed beaten and bloodied, in stocks, in a Philippian prison, they rejoiced in Him. Guards and prisoners heard their prayers, and words and melodies sung to God, and He stirred their hearts with holy fear. When miraculously released by an earthquake, rather than escape, these missionaries remained to finish the work their Lord intended, offering true freedom to those in spiritual chains.

The Sovereign God ordains many inconveniences and hindrances along our paths. We can get tripped by them and stew in frustration or anger, or we can choose to rejoice in Him and look for opportunities to spread His salvation message. We never know who is watching or listening, but we do know that His words never return void and that His praise illumines His glory. (Psalm 66:1-3; 145:1-13; Isaiah 43:10-12,21; 55:10-11)

Where are we presently confined or constrained? Do we chafe under circumstances that chain us to difficult bosses or a failing body? Are we rebelling against limited freedom to live life the way we want? Will we choose to rejoice there and shine Christ’s light?

When relieved of a hardship, or a term of suffering is over, do we immediately flee to comfort and ease? Or do I consider people met and lessons learned there, and how I might weave the gospel into that experience? To complete what God has planned takes an attitude of joyful hope, compassion for others, and expectancy in Him. It requires watchfulness, willingness, and selflessness, a greater interest in what God is doing over what I want to do. How need I adjust my mindset? (Romans 12:12; Philippians 2:3-4)

Lord, in gratitude for my freedom in Christ, may I boldly praise Your excellencies and proclaim salvation for all who are near.

“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way,.. he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.  And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do…’ Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

“Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;  and taking food, he was strengthened.

“For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ And all who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?'” Acts 9:1-6,8-9,17-21

Running bent on darkness, arrested by light. Threatening Christians, proclaiming Jesus. Enemy slave, intimate Savior. Helplessly blind, able to see. Weakened, made strong. Spiritual havoc, divine reconciliation. Paul’s story was flush with opposites in body, spirit, and experience. He was a full-on enemy of Christ whose ways were fully transformed by his relentless Rescuer, a hard rock made living flesh, and he would never be the same. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Christ the Godly died for the ungodly, the Mighty One for the weak and helpless, the Reconciler for enemies. We were dead and He died to give life, we walked the course of this world and He opened the way to heaven. Children of wrath are renamed His own. What wondrous love has Christ to reverse opponents, redeem rebels, and render opposites! (Romans 5:6,8,10; Ephesians 2:1-5)

What areas in our lives need turning around? Are there habits of the tongue or reactions of the heart that elevate man and denigrate God? Where do I complain rather than give thanks? Where do I need an about-face in impulse desires, or a change of tone in default responses? Where need I put off self and put on the Lord? Would I come to Him for transformation, choose to see with His eyes, and begin to practice His ways instead of mine? (Colossians 3:1-3,5-10,12-23)

Lord, may I ever marvel at how opposite You are from me, that You saved me. May I live fully for You opposite from, but effective in, the world.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 14:26-27; 16:13

“‘And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.  And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;  he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.”  As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”  If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?’ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.'” Acts 11:12-18

The Jews in Jerusalem were astonished to hear about the Gentiles receiving God’s word, and criticized Peter for this unorthodox mission. Against the heat of their angst, he explained that it was the Spirit who, after his vision in Joppa, directed him to follow his visitors to Caesarea, had spoken to the Gentiles there and then fallen on them so they would be saved. Yes, as the Holy Spirit spoke and directed, He reminded them of what Jesus had taught… it was all coming clear! Just like the resurrection! The Spirit was for all who believed, all to whom God had granted repentance leading to eternal life, and He was bringing Christ’s promises to pass! (John 2:20-22; Act 11:1-11)

When the Spirit indwells us, we carry a peace that passes all understanding into every conundrum and every critical attack. The more Scripture we have tucked into our minds and hearts, the more He brings to remembrance His promises and commands. People will fail to understand what He teaches and how He guides us, and we might too, but as we trust and obey He gives ongoing confirmation that we are in His paths. (Psalm 32:8; Psalm 119:11; John 16:33; Galatians 5:22-23)

How is the abiding Holy Spirit ministering daily to us? Are we aware of His ministry to our minds, how He gives wisdom and discernment by reminding us of God’s truth? Do we go about our work confidently counting on His promises? How practiced are we in calling out to Him first when we meet trouble or shock? How full is our spiritual storage so we can draw on His words and power, and what will we do to replenish the storehouse?

Lord, keep me diligent to study and know Your word, then keen to the inspiration and help of Your Spirit to follow. May every remembrance elicit a right response, to Your glory.

“The angel of the Lord appeared to [GIdeon] and said, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor…’  And the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?’ And he said, ‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you…’ ‘Please do not depart until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.’

“So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes… The meat he put in a basket, and the broth in a pot,.. and presented them.  The angel of God said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.’ And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.  Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.’ Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace…

“That same night the Lord said to him, ‘Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp…’ 

“As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, ‘Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.’” Judges 6:12,14-16a,18-24a; 7:9-11a,15

Gideon was surprised from God’s first call that he would be used to help Israel. Humble, obscure, who was he to take up such a role? His heart for God was revealed and trust in Him grew every step. He was a man who acknowledged he was not god, and worshiped the One he knew to be true. From command to promise to timely affirmation, he worshiped.

But as soon as he let pride smother his reverence for God, and failed to worship, he was snared. What a cogent invitation and warning for us. (Judges 8:22-27)

Where is the Lord asking us to step up and out for Him? Do we pause to praise Him as He meets us along the way, acknowledging and exalting Him for specific revelations and provisions? How is regular worship regularly realigning our allegiance and dependence? What blessings have resulted when we decreased and He increased? (John 3:30)

Are there situations and seasons where we start out timid, yet grow through increasing trust in God’s sufficiency, only to fall by beginning to trust ourselves instead? To what temptations to self-applause or stubborn independence do we too easily succumb? How will we guard against them?

Lord, at every stone on the path You lay before me, may I step, pause, and worship you.

“I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.  And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

“Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord… Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’

“But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

“‘Therefore thus says the Lord:
Ask among the nations,
    Who has heard the like of this?
The virgin Israel
    has done a very horrible thing.
Does the snow of Lebanon leave
    the crags of Sirion?
Do the mountain waters run dry,
    the cold flowing streams?
But my people have forgotten me;
    they make offerings to false gods;
they made them stumble in their ways,
    in the ancient roads,
and to walk into side roads,
    not the highway,
making their land a horror,
    a thing to be hissed at forever.
Everyone who passes by it is horrified
    and shakes his head.
Like the east wind I will scatter them
    before the enemy.
I will show them my back, not my face,
    in the day of their calamity.’

“Then they said, ‘Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.’” Jeremiah 18:3-6a,11b-18

Israel, inextricably tied to their God by love and promise, had turned her back. Though chosen, called, and named by Him, she had determined and stubbornly set out on her own ways, cloyingly toying with false gods, rejecting her true Lover’s worth and His plans for her blessing. So true to His word, He would turn His back on her.

There are varied seasons where it seems God has turned His back on us. We struggle to make sense of His silence during extended periods of heartbreak or prolonged physical pain or financial setback, wondering where He has gone. But God has good purposes in hard times, and we can trust He is working redemptively through them for our good and His glory. The legitimate turned back, serious and horrifying holy rejection, comes when we have first rejected Him. (Romans 8:28; Galatians 6:7)

Where am I spurning God’s good laws? With what strange idols of self-acceptance, peace-at-all-cost, or deception do I unfaithfully flirt? How are my actions, attitudes, and affections turning their back on the only true Lover of my soul?

Our Lord is never capricious in punishment, nor does He delight in judgment. He knows we are marred clay, spoiled beyond repair save for His grace, and graciously beckons His own in mercy and compassion. If we have turned away, will we today repent and turn back to Him? (Psalm 5:4; 103:6-14; Isaiah 28:21-22; Romans 3:23)

Father, keep me face to face with You in faithful love.