Author: astherainandsnow

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.

I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.”

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.” Psalm 37:23-25a; 40:2

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

God designed time to be gradual and continuous, and life to be lived step by step. His children do not turn immediately from young to old, immature to mature, weak to strong, ignorant to full of knowledge. They do not proceed through years in a straight line or on a smooth path. The Lord marks out our ways with potholes, inclines, setbacks, and detours because He knows who He wants us to be. He nourishes us and trains us along the way, walking hand in hand with His own as we keep in step with His Spirit. His promises of constant companionship and help spur us on in the rhythms of devotion and faith.

But it’s hard when we slip. It’s painful when we trip. It’s difficult when we have to climb and the slope is steep and the scrabble loose and we’re weary. But those are the moments we press hard into God’s side and cling to His hand. Those are times we feel His breath and hear His voice.

In what situations do we feel desperate? Where are we breathing hard with fury, confusion, or fatigue? Would we sidle up to our Savior, grasp His hand, and keep walking forward one trusting step at a time? He never fails to walk beside. (Psalm 23:1-4)

“Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
‘As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,’
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.” ~Lina Sandell ((1865)

So be it, Lord, Amen.

“David said, ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’  Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?’ And he said, ‘I am your servant.’ And the king said, ‘Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?’ Ziba said, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.’ The king said, ‘Where is he?’ And Ziba said, ‘He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.’  Then King David sent and brought him from… Lo-debar.  And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’ And he answered, ‘Behold, I am your servant.’  And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.’  And he paid homage and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’

“So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table.” 2 Samuel 9:1-8,13

After Saul’s death, David had been installed on the throne over all Israel, and decision after decision, battle after battle, God established him as a righteous, successful king. He was loved and respected at home and feared from abroad. He could have settled into a cushy, cocky reign, but his love for Saul’s son Jonathan, and for the Lord who had blessed their friendship, compelled him to seek out his remaining family. No fame would overwhelm this man after God’s heart, at least yet. (1 Samuel 18:1; 19:1-3; 20:16-17; 2 Samuel 5:1-5,10-12; 7:18-29; 8:6,14)

Whether or not we hold high office or an important position in the world’s eyes, we’re always held dear in God’s eyes. And in caring for us, He deems that we look out for the interests of others as more important than ourselves. Just as Jesus came in measureless love not to be served but to serve, He enables us to love unselfishly and value friendships significantly. We love because He first loved us, and the better we know Him the more it becomes our nature to love others well and look for opportunities to express it. (2 Samuel 10:1-2; John 13:34; Romans 12:9-13; Philippians 2:3-5; 1 John 3:18; 4:19)

How would our friends assess us? Do we faithfully pray and practically care for them, investing time and attention to check in, listen, and follow up? Do we make effort to be concerned for what concerns them? If not, would we ask the Lord to diminish preoccupation with self and expand our interest outward?

How readily do we look for needs to meet and ways to support and encourage friends God has given, and then act generously? Whom can I bless this day with a call, note, help, provision, or focused prayer?

Father, help me love and cherish friends the lavish way You love and cherish me, to Your honor and for Your sake.

“David said to the men who stood by him,.. ‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’ 

“And David said to Saul, ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,  I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.  Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.’  And David said, ‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you!’” 1 Samuel 17:26b,32-37

The tales about Goliath did not unsettle young David. The giant’s height, formidable armor, and huge javelin did nothing to deter or squelch the larger faith of this shepherd boy. He stood with the Lord’s army. His understanding of God had been honed in wonder at His majesty in creation and in experience facing and fighting fierce enemies. He would not flee in fear, but eagerly approach the foe with expectant trust in his Lord’s deliverance and salvation. (Psalm 8:1-6; 1 Samuel 17:38-50)

We face giants in health and people and predicaments that hold power and sway. They threaten our livelihood, ridicule backgrounds and weaknesses, taunt faith, and poke with doubt and insecurities. We can decide whether to believe their destructive mantras and let them undo us, or face up to them with the confidence of tested, robust faith.

The more we know God, of His strong presence and enabling and a renewed mind, the heartier will be our defense against any foe. We own truth to smother the enemy’s lies, and the Spirit to combat flesh. We have wisdom to discern the way to go, and the will to take His way out. (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 10:13; Ephesians 6:10-18)

Through what lenses do I see the giants I face? Pressures from work and the culture, from long-held lies and calloused hearts and physical debilitations, are large indeed. But do doubt and insufficiency distort my perception of their actual power compared to God’s? How grounded and tested is my faith that the Lord’s on my side? Will I draw confidence from Him to boldly face these practical and spiritual battles? What experiences has He orchestrated to train me in warfare, so I can readily implement what I’ve learned instead of fretting with fear? (Romans 8:31-34; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 1 Timothy 6:12)

Lord, cause me to remember that You are greater than and victor over any foe, and You are worthy of all trust and praise. (1 John 4:4)

“He was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’

“Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” John 20:24-28

What was a grey maroon scrape is now an open wound, blood red on the horizon. Like so many days, widespread and pleasant beauty marked by suffering. The color is what catches attention, catches breath. And catches the heart up into the Savior.

Beautiful Savior He came, ministering welcome to the outcast, friendship to the hated, restoration to the broken. He spent and spilled out love as He walked miles, taught truth, fed thousands, calmed storms. Marvelous were His words and works, only to be punctuated by the ugliness of death. Nails driven through the very hands that broke bread and soothed fever and healed the blind and leprous. Nails through the feet that walked to Lazarus’s grave, among the crowds, onto the boat, across the water, toward the cross. Despised, stricken, His majesty and beauty marred, He died for us. (Isaiah 53:2-4)

When days and lives begin in fresh opportunity and get cut short or turn dark, when dreams and plans are scarred, we can know these are not meant to mar contentment and hope, but to remind of us of ultimate joy. Wounds have meaning, and redemptive power. Scars are symbols of resurrection and healing that Jesus won for us. Would we know, touch, and accept them, and believe like Thomas that our God is Lord over even these?

What do scars bring to mind this day? How grateful are we for Christ’s glory laid by, glory manifested in His love and life raised? What will we sacrifice in response?

“When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

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.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?

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 (1709)

Lord, make me grateful for scars You bore and grant, that I might love and live for Your sake.

“This is the covenant that I will make with Israel after those days, declares the Lord: ‘I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’

“Thus says the Lord,
who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the Lord of hosts is his name:
‘If this fixed order departs
from before me, declares the Lord,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before me forever.’” Jeremiah 31:33-36

Dawn is barely teasing, but its fixed order will surely bring it round. An impatient rouged pink cloud pokes and streaks its way across the deep blue to announce that the sun is on its way. Even the moon smiles, a high small magnet pulling her upward before it disappears, camouflaged in her light. Watch, behold, contemplate the magnificent rhythm, perfection of gravity and orbits and balance, the excellent and beyond-beautiful handiwork of Creator God.

In creation, God fashioned the intricacies of the world for His crowning glory, man, whom He then made in His image. When all was prepared, He brought forth man to rule over it and be fruitful. His order was exquisitely planned and precisely executed in time and design. And He continues to rule heavens, earth, and the human heart. (Genesis 1:1-18)

We know people with high capacity and exemplary giftedness, and may ourselves be able to multitask well or accomplish much in a given span of time. But the infinite capacity of Almighty God is incomparable. It stretches the imagination beyond measure to comprehend a Creator who knows each star by name and upholds them by His power even as He knows every pang of every heart, hears each spoken and unspoken word of our prayers, and works good in every circumstance and sanctification simultaneously for His own. He is indeed beyond understanding and explanation. And in His vast greatness, He is knowable. (Psalm 147:4-5; Isaiah 40:26; Romans 8:28-30; Colossians 1:16-17)

That the Lord chose us to know Him, that by His perfect will and grace He planted in us His living Spirit, and that He keeps us in love and covenant promise, should undo us. When we gaze at His skies, our smallness magnifies His infinite glory. We can both bow and surrender, hush and sing. This omnipotent Sovereign is mine and I am His! (Psalm 8:1-9)

These things are true, yet often do not make their way into our insecurities, conditional comparisons, and fretting. We say we believe He loves and preserves us, yet rue being left out, overlooked, coming up short. When will we draw strength, purpose, and confidence from His pledge of light and order for our days? How will we honor His infinite capacity today?

Father, keep me in honest, right relationship with Your infinite greatness- humble, yielded, thankful.

“While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul… Ish-bosheth [Saul’s son] said to Abner, ‘Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?’ Then Abner was very angry… ‘God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and Judah.’

“Abner sent to David, saying, ‘To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you… I will arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires…’

“Then Joab went to the king and said, ‘What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you… You know that [he] came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.’

“Joab… sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back… But David did not know about it. When Abner returned, Joab took him aside… and struck him in the stomach, so that he died… When David heard of it, he said, ‘I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner’… So Joab and Abishai killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.” 2 Samuel 3:6-10a,12,21,24-28,30

Abner was driven by inner integrity, a reasonableness and loyalty based on God’s promise. He’d been faithful to Saul, and now vowed to support God’s next anointed regent. His transfer of commitment from one king’s family to the next was understood and welcomed by David, who shared his sense of fidelity before God. In contrast, Joab was driven by competition, anger, jealousy. As General, he appeared to zealously support David, but brooding with suspicion and violence, he acted to protect his own pride. His fiery motivations expressed themselves in impulsive vengeance contrary to David’s way of ruling. (2 Samuel 2:12-28; 3:31-39)

What we foster on the inside manifests itself on our outside. Internal process becomes external action. To behave uprightly we cannot hoard or stoke embers of sin within. Acknowledging flesh tendencies as well as God’s redeeming power gives both wisdom and hope. God demands purity in the innermost place to free us to encourage others and please Him. (Luke 6:45)

Where is hidden sin causing misery? Could depression, restlessness, or stress be exacerbated by long-held angst over circumstances, or coddled resentment? Will we bring these habits to the light of Christ’s forgiveness? (Psalm 32:1-5,10-11)

What outward expressions are fueled by inner selfishness, bitterness, or anger? Where are we given to impulse over self-control, and what will we do about it? What tone of voice needs changing, rants assuaging, impatience softening? In loved ones, would we pray for inner purity before outward conformity? God’s grace applied transforms the worst of us, enabling tendencies and expressions to reflect Christ in us, our hope of glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 1:9)

Lord, keep clean my innermost so I reflect You with my outermost and exalt You to the uttermost. (Psalm 51:2-4,6-10)

“After this David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?’ And the Lord said, “Go up… [t]o Hebron.^’ So David went up there, and his two wives also… And David brought up his men.., everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

“When they told David, ‘It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,’ David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, ‘May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.’” 2 Samuel 2:1-7

Samuel had prophesied that David would be king, but David was content and intent on serving king Saul until God’s appointed time. His lament over the the deaths of Saul and Jonathan displayed genuine grief, and then he humbly sought the Lord for next steps. Continual communion with the Lord and reliance on His word kept David in tune with His will. From this heavenly vantage point he handled the particulars of his reign, winning the favor of men by seeking God’s. The Holy Spirit directed and infused his dealing with all parties and situations. (1 Samuel 15:17-19,26; 16:1-3,11-13; 2 Samuel 1:11-27)

The human heart is fickle, often wavering between loyalties, interests, and intentions. We have high aspirations, desire to be right with God and humble, yet are easily swayed by the enticements of power and notoriety. We care about others until we have to put them first. We champion rights until they infringe on ours. We can’t help but want to seize and exert control, and in doing so can squelch all grace and kindness that would adorn relationships. (1 Kings 12:1-15; Philippians 2:3-4)

Daily surrender to the Lord fits us into our place in His plans. It aligns us with His ways and tempo, directs our thinking and doing. It enables us to have His mind and be strong in what is right but contrary to current culture. It supplies graciousness, selflessness, and generosity in our impulses toward others. It steps us in godly motivation and eternal perspective. And because of these, it blesses those around us.

In what area of influence has the Lord set us? How uprightly are we handling our responsibilities? Do we exercise assigned authority with thankfulness, grace, appreciation, and dependence on God’s leading? How surrendered are we? It’s important to remember where we came from and that every stewardship is from and for the true King. He will not fail to give wisdom and inspiration for required decisions and divine diplomacy. He will establish us when we seek, trust, and obey Him. (Proverbs 3:3-6; Romans 3:23; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; James 1:17)

My King, keep me aware of and dependent on You in every facet of life, that I may exercise Your graciousness and wisdom for the blessing of others.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 1:9; 4:8

One aspect of the perfection of God is that He infinitely is every one of His attributes, and does according to who He is. He can do nothing apart from the very nature that imagines, designs, plans, fuels, and performs. He who creates is Creator, who lives in us is life, who justifies is just and justice, who loves is love. He is Wisdom embodied and imparted, the Way who guides, the Bread who feeds and sustains. He is Light who reveals, burns, and illumines, the God of all comfort who comforts, the Truth who enlightens. (John 6:35,48; 8:12; 14:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 1 John 4:8)

And this God is ours! He owns us, adores us, and invites our pleas. He is near and intimately involved in all our ways, concerned with all that concerns us. Do we avail ourselves of His grace and bounty? (Psalm 139:3; Jeremiah 33:3; Zephaniah 3:17)

What attribute of God are we lacking this day? Wisdom, grace, physical or mental might? Creativity from the Creator in a work situation or a complex problem? Hope or faith from its Author? From what doubt or anxiety do we need deliverance from the Deliverer, from what nagging sins victory from the Victor? Where are we wanting for the discipline or directing of the Father? (Psalm 103:13; Jeremiah 32:17-21,27,38-41; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 12:2,7-11; James 1:5)

The One in whom is the fullness of all things can fill us with His Spirit. The Savior in whom are all things graciously endows us with the same. Jehovah Shalom, God of Peace, guards our hearts and minds with salvation. (Ephesians 5:18; 6:13,17; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 2:9; Romans 8:32; Hebrews 1:2-3 )

How are we endeavoring to know Christ? As we come to understand His attributes in their fullness, which ones will we claim? Which ones will we praise?

“O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

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

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!” ~Robert Grant (1833)

Lord on High, lift my sights, trust, and praise to all You are and do, unto Your great glory.

“And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews…’ And those who passed by derided him… So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him… And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

“Now from the sixth hour  there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?..’ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.  The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,  and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!'” Matthew 27:35-37,39,41,44-46,50-54

The morning had likely been ordinary for the soldiers enlisted to crucify the criminals that fair day. But there was something different about this one. His look, His demeanor. His peaceful countenance. His calm was such a contrast to the vitriolic, cruel crowd. Watching Him changed them forever.

Watching over Jesus changes us too. We cannot help but see His serene and absolutely powerful authority. His perfect yieldedness to His Father’s will. His determination to finish what He’d left the glory of heaven to do for us. His wordless suffering as He suffocated, bearing the full weight of our sins. And His love! What wondrous love!

Do I squirm from keeping watch over Jesus, lingering at the cross, the bleeding nail wounds and excruciating vileness of my sin and its fallout? Am I angry that He did not resist, nor stop loving and administering grace? Do I pridefully look on only at a distance, unwilling to face the horror He endured for me? (Matthew 27:55; Luke 23:32-34)

Do I chafe at watching with Jesus, eager to get on with my day, or task, impatient to wait for His direction, or filling? Would I take time to watch how He would enter and execute my day, then go forth in His countenance and strength?

“O teach me what it meaneth,
That cross uplifted high,
With One, the Man of Sorrows,
Condemned to bleed and die!
O teach me what it cost Thee
To make a sinner whole;
And teach me, Savior, teach me
The value of a soul!

O infinite Redeemer!
I bring no other plea;
Because Thou dost invite me
I cast myself on Thee.
Because Thou dost accept me
I love and I adore;
Because Thy love constraineth,
I’ll praise Thee evermore!” ~ Lucy Bennett (1850-1927)

My Lord Jesus, may I watch over You throughout my days, that they be filled with awe and praise.

“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Psalm 1:1-4

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh… If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:1,16,25

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:7-10

A man’s blessedness has everything to do with his position in regard to God’s word. The blessing of God comes to the one who walks, stands, and sits with Him, yet is withheld when he does not. A pattern of good living, a bold confidence, and a firm foundation grounded and soaked in the living Word ensure His gracious benediction. Those decisions put into motion a lifestyle that pleases Him, bears much fruit, and stands apart from the world’s ways. The choice and call to delight in the Lord and not be deceived are clear.

The carrying out of that call is a long journey in the same direction. Step by step, intention by intention, day by day, when God’s children immerse themselves in His law they will grow roots and flourish with spiritual fruit wherever God leads. The workplace, the home, neighborhood, relationships, and ministries, everywhere he walks will bear the footprint of the Almighty. It will permeate with the fragrance of His presence, the touch of His wisdom and grace. (2 Corinthians 2:15)

The warning for us is to check our positions and keep them in balance. Are we frenzied in busy activity that has escaped the quiet conferring of His insight, the setting of His compass? Would we walk instead at His tempo, in His direction? Have we grown complacent to stand with and parrot complainers? Are we spiritually slouching, weary of doing good, unconcerned about His world, and closed to fresh instruction from His Word? Do we meditate on what is lofty, or worldly? Do we instead fixate? When are we silent and undistracted, jealously and intentionally taking time to worship and listen to God’s voice? Life established in Christ is indeed blessed.

Lord, keep me faithful in my sitting, standing, and walking, that I might bear fruit for the benefit of those around me and to Your glory.