Author: astherainandsnow

“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:17-25

In this madding world, there are many buts, dichotomies that set right against wrong and ignite tension with every decision and action. We beloved apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ face realities and facts we need to be aware of, live rightly and righteously among, guard against, and work to overcome. For every warning and command we have a Helper, One who is able, and the One who, for this, is worthy of praise. (John 14:16-17)

The Lord experienced every temptation yet was without sin. He guides us in His power, gives wisdom and self-control, and so keeps us from falling. We keep on in the most holy faith by staying in the word, walking in fellowship, and pressing on to grow in biblical thinking and character. (Isaiah 28:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:1-16; Hebrews 10:24)

We are stretched, but we are fortified by God’s Spirit. We are ridiculed, but our identity is secure in Christ. We are tested, but we own resurrection power. We are ashamed or embittered, but Jesus carried all our sins to death and created us anew. We are despised by the world, but we are loved with an everlasting love. We wrestle in a dark culture, but we are its light. As God’s beloved children, we can persevere to live on the right and victorious side of every but because of and by His abounding grace. Are we reckoning this as true? (Isaiah 43:1; 53:5-6; Jeremiah 31:3; Matthew 5:11-12,14; 10:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 3:20)

How do we react to scoffers- with disdain, fear, or strong defense? How do we respond to people and principles devoid of the Spirit? What are we doing by way of spiritual disciplines to keep ourselves in the most holy faith? What evidence is there that we care for the weak while rejecting their sin? It is the Lord who equips and enables for these hard things. How robustly are we availing ourselves of His grace, insight, and strength so our motivations, intentions, and actions exalt His glory and power?

Lord, keep me alert to evil, and wholly in the holy faith. May my daily dealings in the world be a living doxology to Thee.

“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.” Psalm 78:1-8

As the children of God, we are called to give ear to the righteous teaching and testimony of God’s glorious deeds, might, and wonders. Why? In order to know Him, share Him, set hope in Him, obey Him, guard against stubborn rebellion, and remain steadfast and faithful. Nothing substitutes as the fuel and enabling of all these. And when we have taken in, we are are also to teach and tell. The repeated refrain of God’s testimony is vital for the spiritual health of all who are in Christ because our finicky flesh, in spite of all these, still sins and does not believe. (Psalm 78:32)

The Lord in His mercy applies the grace of the testimony to redeem us. What wonder! The word passed down takes root to develop the faith of another generation, and another, to the magnification of His glory. Truths remind us He is God and we are not, and fortify our hope in troubling times. (Psalm 42:5-6; Lamentations 3:21-24)

In what ways are we experiencing the power of the word at work in us as it convicts, molds, and supplies? Is our character being transformed from glory to glory, rude impatience giving way to patience, a cold heart glowing warm with divine love? What explicitly is God redeeming through His testimony in our lives? (Psalm 78:38-42; John 16:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

As it takes ahold of us, how are we passing it on? When do we deliberately teach God’s truths and recite His deeds to our children, our colleagues, our friends? What role models are we emulating, and becoming?

“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.” ~Robert Robinson (1758)

As a debtor to Your grace, Lord, may I be fully devoted to Your testimony, expressing in every word and way its power and glory.

“O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
    plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
    the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners’ palace is a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
    cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
    a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
    a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
   like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
    as heat by the shade of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless is put down.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
   He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
    ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’
For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.” Isaiah 25:1-10a

The determination to praise sets the heart aright. Trudging in the mire of distresses without and within we can tend toward complaint, but exalting God turns the mind toward all that is sure and hopeful. Praising Him for the His wonderful deeds is a glad way to bide our time as we wait His promises’ fulfillment.

God’s plans formed of old are indeed faithful and sure. They come to pass in divinely-prescribed time, distances upon distances, certain and wonderful. We see His hand at present, both acting for us and withholding action in mercy. We marvel at past deeds that have brought us thus far, and look with praise to all He will continue to unfold.

When we are impatient at the wait for God’s glorious fulfillment, what do we learn of His grace and eternal perspective? In tears, longing, and hunger, would we ask for faith to trust His comfort and prepared feast? How and where will we spread the good news of God’s promises for future resolution, the redeeming of every sorrow, and the joy of our salvation? Any and all present suffering is making way for a heavenly, joyous glory that will grace our longing with a splendid Amen. (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

“Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.” ~John Newton (1779)

Lord, keep me eagerly, expectantly waiting for You and sharing the delights of all You are and will do according to Your promises.

“These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord… They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down. On their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

“So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth.  And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.  And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth,.. and they camped before Migdol.  And they set out from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. And they set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.  And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin…  And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.  And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai…  And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

“And Aaron went up Mount Hor at the command of the Lord and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month…

“And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho… And the Lord spoke to Moses… saying,.. ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants… [and] take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you.'” Numbers 33:1-11,14-15,37-38,48,50-52

God commanded Moses to document Israel’s sojourn through the wilderness, a detailed accounting of starts and stops, highs and lows, meanderings and memorable moments, all laced with the keeping eye of their Lord. He wanted them always to remember His call and care. He knew times would arise when these were questioned, and wanted them to keep answers ready.

“We recount your wondrous deeds.” Psalm 75:1

How am I keeping track of God’s faithfulness? Where do I record, to whom do I recount His wondrous deeds? In every documentation, every telling, there is an indelible imprint on the memory that can be recalled in moments of need or doubt. The more God is seen to have worked, the more He will be trusted in the future and His fame known and praised.

“O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
    plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” Isaiah 25:1

Lord, keep your name and remembrance the desire of my soul. May I ever make known Your might among the peoples, to Your praise and glory. (Psalm 77:11-12, 14; Isaiah 26:8)

“We give thanks to you, O God;
    we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.

‘At the set time that I appoint
    I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
    it is I who keep steady its pillars. 
I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
    and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.”’

For not from the east or from the west
    and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
but it is God who executes judgment,
    putting down one and lifting up another.
For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
    with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
    and all the wicked of the earth
    shall drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
    but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.” Psalm 75:1-10

“In Judah God is known;
    his name is great in Israel.
His abode has been established… in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
    the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. 

Glorious are you, more majestic
    than the mountains full of prey…
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both rider and horse lay stunned.

But you, you are to be feared!
    Who can stand before you
    when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
    the earth feared and was still,
when God arose to establish judgment,
    to save all the humble of the earth.” Psalm 76:1-4,6-9

Our world is fuzzy with muddled morality and vapid living. It can be harsh with incessant caustic chatter and violence. The angst of making our way through a fallen culture unscathed and unscathing is unsettling at best. Amidst this uncertainty and certain troubles there shines the majestic beauty and rightness of God’s justice.

“The Lord sits enthroned forever;
    he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
    he judges the peoples with uprightness.” Psalm 9:7-8

God’s judgment is flawless, measured, excellent. It is never capricious, out of control, or unfair. It is perfectly timed and always appropriate. Often this splendid facet of God’s character is neglected, even disdained, because we shun the concept of being judged. In the flesh, we despise accountability and want only to be left to ourselves, except when offended or infringed upon by others. But in our depths, we cry out for everything to be made right, and find our hope in the Lord alone.

When circumstances totter, where do we look for stability? When pain, poverty, and injustice seem to outgrow compassion and supply, where do we turn? If we say we trust the Lord, how convincingly do we prove it by expressed gratitude, withheld revenge, expectant faith? Do we nitpick and chafe at God’s justice, or look for God’s majesty as He upholds His holiness and promises? Do we criticize or question His methods or patience in waiting, or increasingly trust that all His ways are good and redemptive and His throne is unshakeable? (Matthew 7:1-2; Romans 12:17-19; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 6:10)

Lord, let me see and trust the majesty of Your judgment, and by confidence and emulation, express its beauty in my world.

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

“To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.” 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭15‬

Peter extended grace and peace to the varied church by his reminder of all they’d been granted in Christ. In light of present suffering and opportunities to expand, in the midst of corrupting influences and opposition, their inheritance was precious and very great. This should fill them with deep soul calm and vibrant vitality. He himself knew the Holy Spirit’s constant influence, and with every breath would stir up reminders of true truths in God’s children. The large grant of the divine power and nature should be effecting great righteousness and godliness in their sojourn. (John 14:26; 21:18-19)

Does consistent exposure to God’s word and fellowship bear forth deepening spiritual disciplines and graces? Are we regularly relying on the indwelling Spirit and increasing in Christ-like qualities in thought-life, work, home, relationships? How often do we diss our inheritance, doubt the promises, and squander the riches we own? Where are we failing to reckon truth into our temptations and weaknesses? Is over-commitment, laziness, or apathy causing us to drift from wholehearted zeal?

What can we implement to nurture bountiful growth in all God has generously given?

Good Father, may I honor You by making the most of time and gifts to be more like You and magnify Your greatness.

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his loins…
They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:1-5,9

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” Jeremiah 23:5-6

What a promise! To this rebel land doomed to judgment by a wicked nation, Isaiah brought a hope-filled message: there would come a righteous Judge who would make all things right. When all seemed impossible to know and understand, there would be One full of the knowledge of the Lord. (Isaiah 10:5-12)

And the powerful breath of His lips that would execute judgment could also breathe into them life, living hope, wisdom, grace, and joy. The hope for their future had a present reality. Their sense of depression and despair could become delight if placed in the promised Spirit. (Genesis 2:7; Isaiah 11:12-16)

Do I get caught in a daily tangle of who deserves what, and can you believes, and never take sober stock of my own deserts? Do I wrangle over seeming injustice and bad timing in the gnarl of current circumstances and never take a high view of matters? What if I cast these cares on the Lord? What if in it all I endeavored to be more like Jesus and introduced light into the destitution that shrouds daily news? What if into every consternation and roil of turmoil I brought a spirit of wisdom, understanding, and righteous discernment? (1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 55:22; John 13:15; James 3:17)

The Spirit of God in us can bring forth fruitfulness the world cannot comprehend or procure, and His heavenly fruit makes a difference in conversations and in our communities. We may be rejected or misunderstood, but we can honor the Lord and offer hope not found elsewhere. Where and when will we begin? (Matthew 10:22; Galatians 5:22-23)

Lord, as my strength, song, and salvation, bring forth from me a bounty of grace and truth, light and wisdom and joy, to a needy world. (Isaiah 12:2-5)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,  who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls…

“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you  who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:3-9,18-21

Because work was finished and perfectly done, God’s children are born into an imperishable inheritance and guarded forever. Fear of failure or the future have no place in the minds of those in Christ. We are kept, His promises are kept. We cannot be moved! Though the earth shake and we are tested, He is our very present help, stay, and security. By the power that raised Jesus from the dead, we are guarded. (Psalm 37:28; 46:1-3; 121:7-8; Ephesians 6:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8)

What are we doing to remind ourselves of our standing? We cannot recite often enough what Christ has accomplished, so we know that we know the riches He’s deposited for now and the future. The truth is a present buttress against doubt and fear and the taunts of the unbelieving world. It is our mode and substance of faith through hard times. The sureness of all Christ has done and won for us gives security, unshakable hope, and protection that have their bearing on how we conduct ourselves. (Ephesians 1:16-21; Hebrews 11:1)

How does certain love by Christ compel us to love lavishly, unafraid of rejection? What freshness and purity does it bring to our speech and compassion? What heightened generosity and wider hospitality does it inspire? What boldness to proclaim the gospel does firm standing in salvation fuel? What confidence in selfless service, knowing that our labor is never in vain? Christ who has saved us and goes before us is the Christ in whose glory we can daily rejoice. (1 Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Peter 1:22-23; 2:1)

My Lord, guarded by Your power may I fully trust Thee as I lavishly serve, love, and give to others, that You might be known and exalted.

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’?  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you…

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:1-10,13-15

So many emotions come in to play every day, enriching life but also wreaking havoc with mental fortitude and disciplines. They are given to add color to love, and zeal, but they need harnessing and tenacious superintendance. God made and has given passion, attraction, anger and jealousy for righteous purposes, but when we let them assume control they preempt the best of us, sully relationships, and cause us to sin.

Any emotion can be steered for good or destruction. Warring passions and affection for the world should signal danger, but zest for living and selfless love and can beautifully enrich our days. Yielding to the Lord at day’s beginning does much for smooth bridling of passions and tongues through the hours. The moment we sense a flare of greed, rise of sultry attraction, or boiling selfish reaction to circumstance, let the Spirit check halt and redirect us toward godly sorrow, a rending of heart, and drawing near to God. Surely He harnesses and purifies desire as we submit to His loving, merciful control.

How aware of and sensitive are we to our motives and impulses? How will we utilize emotion for ruthless putting away of sin and tenacious pursuit of righteousness? Would we deliberately trust God’s grace to channel our affections toward Him, His holiness and righteousness? What self-drive and wayward emotion need we surrender to humble ourselves and trust His lead?

Lord, take control of and cleanse my deepest passions, that my every emotion be employed for others’ good and Your glory.

“You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.”

“If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,’
even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.” Psalm 65:8b; 139:9-12

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:5

Darkness diffuses almost imperceptibly as the golden orb approaches. Shadowed trees give way to shaded outlines in the predawn mist. What was all dark is now revealed as layers with dimension. Then the rays… piercing through like arrows of glory, defining edges, revealing the Maker’s creative handiwork. Day after day He speaks through His turning of hours, Hope in Me, trust My glory. (Psalm 19:1-3)

Always the rays come, sure as the seasons and every promise of God. Morning by morning they pierce the shadows of layered darkness, confusion, and uncertainty. At the right time, at the end of waiting, they outline what is certain and true, what stands rooted and strong. (Genesis 1:16-19; Isaiah 31:33-36; 33:25-26)

In long darkness of soul, seemingly endless unanswered questions, unfulfilled yearnings, pain so deep breath can’t be caught, the rays come. No shadow is too thick, no distance too great, no grief too vast that His light cannot pierce and penetrate. In God’s eternal economy it is endless day, even when life is turned upside down and we cannot see light.

Where have we misplaced hope? In what fleeting individuals, plans, dreams, pedigrees do we trust? Will we resist and wrestle with the darkness, or trust God to work His glory in and through it as we look for His appearing? (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 12:9)

“Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!” ~Thomas O. Chisolm (1923)

Lord, in every darkness, help me hope in You and trust the rays of Your glory.