Author: astherainandsnow

“Remember these things, O Jacob,
    and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
    and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.

“Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
    shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
    O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
    and will be glorified in Israel.

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
    who formed you from the womb:
‘I am the Lord, who made all things,
    who alone stretched out the heavens,
    who spread out the earth by myself,
 who frustrates the signs of liars
    and makes fools of diviners,
who turns wise men back
    and makes their knowledge foolish,
who confirms the word of his servant
    and fulfills the counsel of his messengers.'” Isaiah 44:21-26a

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord,.. who forgives all your iniquity,..
who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good…
As far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:2-4,12

Recite and sing and bless the Lord! He remembers His children, and His word to perform it. He blots out our sins and remembers them no more. We are always on His mind and crowned with His love. His thoughts of us are too many to count, and they are always for our good. Let us sing! (Psalm 139:1-10,17-18; Isaiah 43:18-21,25)

Our old ways, the sins that sting with ugly pain and condemning taunts, the shame we’ve too long carried, in Christ are remembered no more. Jesus the Redeemer calls us to life, makes all things new, and brings to mind the wonderful promises He’s given. Let us forget as He does what should take no more room in our minds, and let us remember all He does! (Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:13-14)

With what do we fill our minds? Are we in the habit of playing broken records of self-condemnation or complaining? Are we prone to thinking the worst of others, of carrying low expectations of our loved ones? Do we imagine what-ifs and worry, or wrangle with wanting to control others’ decisions? What peace do we forfeit by not staying our minds on the Lord, what understanding by not meditating on His word? How would our outlook about life, work, relationships, present circumstances, and the future change if we set our minds on things above? What if we fixed our thoughts on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praise worthy? (Proverbs 2:1-5; Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 22:29; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2)

Praise Jesus He has carried the weight of what He bids us forget, and by His Spirit brings to remembrance all He wants us to remember. (1 Peter 2:24)

Lord, set my mind on You and all that You reveal as true. Fill my mind and mouth to sing Your praises and exalt Your glory.

“Astonish yourselves and be astonished;
    blind yourselves and be blind!
Be drunk, but not with wine;
    stagger, but not with strong drink!
For the Lord has poured out upon you
    a spirit of deep sleep,
and has closed your eyes (the prophets),
    and covered your heads (the seers).

“And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’  And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot read.’

“And the Lord said:
‘Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.’

“Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
    whose deeds are in the dark,
    and who say, ‘Who sees us? Who knows us?’
You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
    ‘He did not make me’;..
    ‘He has no understanding’?

“Is it not yet a very little while
    until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
    and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
In that day the deaf shall hear
    the words of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind shall see.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
    and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel…

“They will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,
and those who murmur will accept instruction.” Isaiah 29:9-19,23b-24

How inverted the thinking and subversive the ways of man left to himself! Exerting himself against the knowledge and ways of God he has no idea that God rules and will not be fooled. Upside down is distorted as normal. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Yet still God mercifully woos. He speaks His word to uncover, convict, soften, and save. He exposes devotion as deception, haughtiness as folly. The loving God offers fresh joy and understanding for the hardest and lost. Man’s I cans become I cannots. Are we not astonished at the wonders of His love?

Where have lies and cultural pressures turned upside down our moral thinking, attitudes, and behavior? What excuses and alibis do we attempt as defenses against pride, rebellion, foolish decisions, and repeated sin habits? What keeps us from meekly acknowledging our Maker, and asking Him to redirect our wandering tendencies to rightly, genuinely, wholly exalt His name?

“He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love.” ~Isaac Watts (1719)

Lord, may I never stray in spirit but remain in awe of You, influenced and directed in all things by Your wonder and truth.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.

He set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast…
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart…

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great…

May the glory of the Lord endure forever!..
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord…
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!” Psalm 104:1-15,24-25,31,33-34,35b

Every moment, every day, we are surrounded by and inundated with the marvelous deeds of God Almighty. The air we breathe, the varied colors that delight our souls, the sweetness of seeded fruit on our tongues, the liquid refreshment of water, the gravity that keeps us grounded, the sinews that hold our bodies together around a beating loving heart are all borne of His creative genius and upheld by His sustaining power. Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Colossians 1:15-17)

Within and alongside His beauties and graces are tasks and urgencies, trash and distractions. Only the senses trained in wonder and worship will notice His manifold works. Do we pause in our frenzied hours to delight in the intricacies of His creation and thoughtfully adore the Lord? Are we deliberately taking time to behold His majesty and praise His name, His mind and craft? How regularly do I verbally worship Him for who He is and what He’s done, separately from any connection to me? To whom do I speak and sing His greatness? His manifold works are worthy of manifold praise. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 105:1-5)

O Lord my God, you are very great! May I ever delight in Your works and offer You the glory You deserve, magnifying You in love, voice, and life.

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights…

“Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them….’

“And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:1a,5-9,16

The almighty God not only helps His children, He instills hope and purpose that put His help to use. He undertakes for His own for a reason, that we might serve Him. We’re chosen and delighted in as His beloved children, and given breath and light to share His truth wherever we’re planted. He takes us new places and to people we have not known, steers us aright, and determines the way for us to spread the hope of His name and salvation.

When the Lord meets us to bring us out of old places of stagnation and bad habits, or former places of doubt and distress, He walks us into new opportunities of service and spreading hope. He has ministered to us that we might minister to others as a conduit of His Spirit. When we gratefully take on identity as His servant, we expectantly proceed as He faithfully guides. (Isaiah 60:1; Matthew 5:14-16; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Where specifically are we going forth in the hope we’ve received? Into what relationships, tasks, service, ministries is divine purpose leading our steps? What new things is God directing us to seize and utilize? What injury suffered, illness borne, ability restored, resource endowed, is He urging us to carry forward and put to work for Him? What difference are we making at home, work, church, and community with the bounty God’s entrusted to us?

“Awake, my soul, and with the sun 
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and early rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew.
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will;
and with Thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say,
that all my pow’rs, with all their might,
in Thy sole glory may unite.” ~Thomas Ken (1695)

Father, You have given so much. Teach me good stewardship and bold living as I carry the help and hope You’ve so graciously bestowed to a needy world.

“But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen;..
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
    and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, ‘You are my servant,
    I have chosen you and not cast you off’;
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.

“Behold, all who are incensed against you
    shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
    shall be as nothing and shall perish…
For I, the Lord your God,
    hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not,
    I am the one who helps you.’

“Fear not, you worm Jacob,
    you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel…

“When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none,
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
    and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
    the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
    may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:8-11,13-14,17-20

Uneasy over an unknown future, poor and needy, weak and frightened, attacked, thirsty, overcome with no relief. God’s people languished, but God was their very present help. There was no dearth or ineptitude the Lord could not, would not, touch and relieve. He called, He held, He kept. He answered their need, never forsook, and ordered nature to provide. (Psalm 46:1; John 14:16-17)

And so He does for us. Every day. We face foreboding diagnoses, the insecurity of joblessness, relational challenges, temptations toward strange affections. Yet we have an ever-present Helper abiding in us and with us ready to assist, undertake, uplift, redirect, defend, and save. (Romans 8:31-34)

What dilemma or difficulty are we facing in weakness? Have we asked God for wisdom and strength? If under spiritual attack with doubt or worry, or physical pressure with health or want, would we run to Jesus and the promises in His name and be safe? (Proverbs 18:10)

“A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

“Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.” ~Martin Luther (1529)

Lord my Helper, in every rush and challenge keep me strong and trusting in Thee.

“Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

All day long they injure my cause;
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk…
You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?..
 I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.” Psalm 56:1-6,8-13

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me.
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

My soul is in the midst of lions..—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.” Psalm 57:1-4

Psychological attacks and physical ailments, flesh impulses and flesh persecution, crime and oppression. Pressure, strife, and suffering are heavy and persistent, menacing and formidable, unsettling and painful. But they are no match against God whose word is unshakable and who can always be trusted. Match for match, God’s goodness overwhelms evil, His strength swallows the sinister, His comfort soothes suffering, His defense is sure against every ill and power.

What cultural pressures or attacks on mind or body are causing fear? What nagging opposition to my zeal, my hope, my confidence, my joy, pursues my soul? What weariness and worry swamp me in a slough of depression? Considering and praising the greatness of God will refocus my perception, embolden my defenses, and help allay the enemy’s onslaught. How and in what situations will I practically put my trust in Him?

“If God is for us, who can be against us?.. Christ Jesus… is at the right hand of God,.. interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?.. 

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31,34-35,37-39

Lord, keep my faith steadfast. Help me praise and trust in You, whose love and faithfulness are greater than any enemy. (Psalm 57:7-10)

“I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’

“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.  Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,  and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain… 

“‘If anyone is to be taken captive,
    to captivity he goes…’

“Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints…”

“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.  And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists… singing a new song before the throne…

“’Fear God and give him glory,.. and worship him who made heaven and earth.’” Revelation 13:1-10; 14:1-3a,7

When transient man comes up against authority, it is a natural response to fear. In the flesh, we are drawn to power, and so fear it in a sense that we worship what it affords us: control, the making of our own life choices, even favor from the one who bestows it. Those who know not Christ are attracted to power with warped understanding, marveling with trembling because of distorted priorities and ultimate accountability to what they fear. Who can fight against it? In Christ, we learn a proper fear of the only true and benevolent Authority, not a lust for power but fear bridled with power that is actually imparted spiritually to us. Everything hinges on who we believe to reign.

Without a divine plumb line, our hankering for earthly power draws us to enticements of the world. “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” We choose false worship, settling for false promises over discernment and power-giving surrender to the Holy Spirit. We succumb to the wiles of the enemy, misguided crowd-think disguised as the majority’s flash and fancy. True wisdom comes only from fearing the Lord. (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; Matthew 4:8-10; Acts 1:8)

What and whom do I worship? What fear and greed need I surrender to bow before the Holy One and yield reverently to His authority?

Lord, teach me to fear You alone, and so live in the power that exalts Your grace and glory.

“Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: ‘Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.^’ Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and… his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to… a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”’

“But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, ‘Do not answer him.^’ Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah… the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

“As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.” Isaiah 36:13-37:1

Kings and kingdoms rise and fall, the King of kings has made them all. Assyria’s king was strutting his strength before godly Hezekiah, but God almighty ruled. Nothing he threatened, no provocation or cajoling, would jar Israel’s faith or alter the protection of the Almighty.

Discerning between voices of those who own or pretend authority takes a keen ear trained in truth. The enemy disguises himself as benevolent but persistently speaks to deceive and accuse, and only the Word will conquer his lies. Since the beginning, he’s tempted man to doubt God’s goodness, care, and provision, but the word of God, His promises and character, will stand forever. In our everyday, he speaks through media and situational experts to reorient and unsettle, often resulting in confusion over orthodoxy and whom we can trust. It’s vital we learn which voices to heed. (Genesis 3:1-5; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Peter 1:25; Revelation 12:9-12)

Where do we go when faced with opposition? To whom do we turn for direction and deliverance? How well do we know the scriptures so we recognize counterfeit messages? What are we doing to know them better?

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

Lord my King, keep my allegiance, hope, and trust in You alone.

“These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods… You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose… to put his name and make his habitation. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present… And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

“You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes… Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, but at the place that the Lord will choose… And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake.” Deuteronomy 12:1-8,13-14a,18b

Omniscient God knows the strongest proclivities of the human heart and the highest good of heaven, and through our days on earth works to fuse them together. From the start with His chosen nation, he spelled out His way and place of blessing, then allowed the exercise of human will to choose His best. He clarified dangers and prohibitions, and alternative choices that brought His richest good. Obedience would require both dispossessing and seeking, destroying and bringing, relinquishing self and rejoicing in Him. There are always give ups and take cares when we choose to follow Christ.

The longer we live this side of eternity, the more we self-determine. A decisive will becomes default, and in the complacency of ease we neglect to inquire about God’s plans. We settle into idol-filled spaces and coddle comforts without conviction. We extend little to no effort to seek Him because we’re so accustomed to doing things our way in our time, giving what we can afford and serving when convenient.

Yet God’s intent for His children is so much more significant and sanctifying. He desires we enjoy fruitfulness and expansion in the days we undertake, but that comes with continual doing right and tending to the holy things of life. It requires taking care, not relaxing our guard. (Deuteronomy 12:20,23-26,28)

Where have we settled into an easy groove away from fellowship? How have the culture’s enticements lured us from committed worship? Do we regularly make decisions based on preference, convenience, or self-indulgence rather than the Lord’s voice, wisdom, and methods? What can we identify as pitfalls, gruff rebellions, and secret high places where we store and stroke little gods, and how will we deal with them in order to redirect our efforts God’s way?

Lord, turn my ways and places to Yours, so Yours is all the praise.

“Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say,.. “Behold your God!”
Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?..

“To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing…

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.” Isaiah 40:9-14,25-26,28-29

The cry to God’s people is up, get you up a high mountain and lift your voice, call to all, Behold your God! Look at Him! Ponder Him! Gaze in awe at who He is, the Lord GOD, mighty sovereign self-existent Ruler! He is who He is and always has been, the God of gods, supreme and supernatural, wholly other and apart yet intimately involved with you. And keep watching! Behold what He does as He tends and provides, leads and holds and protects His own. Consider how He crafted the heavens and earth and measured the seas, how He balances gravity and weight and upholds spinning heavenly orbs. Think how He instilled in the heart of man a sense of justice, conscience, thought processes, delight, the intersection of senses. Look at Him, to Him! Behold, and marvel! (Colossians 1:15-17)

As we behold, we see more of God and less of self. We learn awe and to worship Him for who He is separate from us, whether we ever existed. He becomes more, we less. The more acquainted we are, the more we magnify His greatness and character, long for Him and to be like Him and to know Him better. (John 3:30)

How can my thoughts be lifted by getting high and away with Jesus? How might beholding my King and Shepherd affect how I manage responsibilities, family, friends? What do others behold of Christ in me?

Lord, quiet me daily to behold who You are and what You do, all of You in (and to) Your glory.