As the rain and snow

“Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.  For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Idle: to run at low power and often disconnected usually so that power is not used for useful work; to spend time in idleness; to move idly; not working, not active, or doing nothing; unoccupied; inactive; not useful.

Idleness is an insidious contagion that may begin innocently but grow to take on monstrous proportion. It is a detriment to spiritual energy, a barricade to spiritual growth, and a drain on the church. Idleness can be infectious personally and in community. It breeds wrong thinking: I want, I deserve, it’s their fault, woe is me. And it breeds lazy doing: rude imposition, unhealthy dependence on the service and effort of others, and poor example to those we influence, often to the dereliction of more needed duty. Giving idle time to chastise, complain, and gossip breeds criticism of others, dissension between parties, and dishonor to God’s glorious intentions. (Proverbs 6:10-11; Ecclesiastes 10:18; Ephesians 4:29; 5:4)

The opposite of an idle person is one who is steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of Christ. He engages people and life for fruitfulness, contributes to the church and society, and builds God’s kingdom. She is full of the Spirit’s fruit and an active blessing to those around her. Peaceful, orderly, and quiet is not idle; rather it is a life measured in emotion, productive in industry, generous in heart, and fixed in Christ. It may listen and wait, but is eager and ready to act, doing the will of God from the heart and to benefit His kingdom. (1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:17,23-24; 1 Timothy 2:2)

Where have we given in to the idolatry of self-serving to the neglect of serving our Lord and others, and how has it spread to infect motive, will, and impulse? In what areas are we indulging idleness? Time spent without intention? Entertainment that leads astray? The tongue? How will we replace those tendencies with purposeful plans, fruitful industry, and mouths that speak uplifting truth and blessing?

Lord, teach me to number my days aright and employ every moment to the encouragement of others and promotion of Your will and glory. (Psalm 90:12)

“The man declares,..
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.
Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
    Surely you know!

Every word of God proves true;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:1-5

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?..
Who determined its measurements…
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
    and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,
when I made clouds its garment
    and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
    and set bars and doors,
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
    and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

“Have you commanded the morning..,
    and caused the dawn to know its place?..
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
    or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?..

“Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
    and a way for the thunderbolt,
to bring rain on a land where no man is,
    on the desert in which there is no man,
to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
    and to make the ground sprout with grass?..
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
    that a flood of waters may cover you?
Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
    and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts
    or given understanding to the mind?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
    Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens?” Job 38:4-12,16-18,25-27,33-37

The question is a remarkable proposition. In its very nature of seeking a reply it admits an inquisitiveness, a not knowing, a certain humility and willingness to listen and learn. Arrogance bristles at hard questions. In the independence of autonomy that claims expertise and struts superior ability, the challenge of an unknown can be unsettling. The Scriptures post many questions that, when read, asked, or answered honestly, put us in our place before the omniscient God.

Taking time to ponder God’s questions of us does much to make us small. Small is a good place to be to contemplate and understand His greatness and enrich praise, and to magnify His wisdom and power that train us in dependence and gratitude. Once He’s larger in our eyes, we can bring our questions to Him with confidence and expectancy.

When do we recite the musings of the Lord, and how do they change our attitude in worship and view of circumstances? What questions that we have for Him can be swallowed up in His majesty to bring hope and peace? (Isaiah 40:18-31; Job 39:1-42:6)

Lord, keep questioning me toward honest confession and belief, and embolden me by Your Spirit to live Your answers to Your glory.

“Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.  And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

“And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke.., saying, ‘If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, “My father made me swear, saying, ‘I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.’ Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.”’  And Pharaoh answered, ‘Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.’  So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt.” Genesis 50:1-7

“Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.  But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them.'” Exodus 1:6-10

Joseph had been favored in Pharoah’s household for a long time, serving as his trusted prime minister through years of famine. But pharaohs come and go, as do their heroes. The fact that Joseph was not known by the new king may be surprising, but any escape of conversation or neglect in telling or simple passage of years that brought it about was under the sovereign control of God. He raises up and brings low, gives and takes away, and always has His eye on His own and His plan for good. What seems neglected or forgotten to us is neither by the Lord in His eternal economy. His favor sets in motion His promises, every one of which will be fulfilled. (Genesis 39:1-6,21-23; 50:20; Job 1:21; Psalm 75:7; Proverbs 15:3; Daniel 2:21)

Through the passage of years we’ll likely age into insignificance or out of remembrance. But the blessed assurance for those who are in Christ is that we are always remembered and guarded in God’s favor. Social aplomb and worldly successes come and go, but when we are saved by Jesus we are safe in Jesus and beloved forever. (Psalm 139:7-16)

What is our present and passionate motive? In this world many vie to make a name for themselves and a difference for others, to leave a lasting legacy. God graciously bestows His favor so we can spread it to others. Is my desire more to be remembered, or to finish the work God has for me? Every deed done temporally as unto Him is translated into lasting glory for Him. (John 4:34; 17:4)

Father, help me never take Your gracious favor for granted. May I be so identified with You that whether I’m known or forgotten, Yours is the remembrance and honor.

“What your eyes have seen
    do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
    when your neighbor puts you to shame?
Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
    and do not reveal another’s secret,
lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
    and your ill repute have no end.

A word fitly spoken
    is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
    is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
    is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
    he refreshes the soul of his masters…

With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
    and a soft tongue will break a bone…
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
    is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow…
It is not good to eat much honey,
    nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
A man without self-control
    is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

“Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, ‘I am only joking!’
For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body…
A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.”

“Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Proverbs 25:7c-13,15,18,27-28; 26:17-22,28; 29:20

In order for words to be fitly spoken, there is much that must not be allowed to fit. The culture gives many opportunities to mush around rotten fruit. If people do not instigate, retaliate, and foment divisiveness, our circumstances do. Emotions drive impulses which end up destroying reputations and putting us to shame. Impatience and pride dominate, stoking argument, lying, and sarcasm which corrode civility. Everything deleterious is exacerbated by unrestrained tongues and a frenzied media.

But as the Lord’s children, we are called to be different, very much in that gnarling world but not of it. Against the backdrop of rancor and boasting, prudence and humility stand out as refreshing and winsome. Will we take every chance given to calm vitriol, infuse reason, build up, and show forth Christ’s grace and love? (John 17:15-17; Ephesians 4:25-32)

Where am I poking into another’s business that I have no place being? Where do I need, by God’s Spirit, to exercise self-control? What triggers my insistence on informing, reacting, and pushing my opinion, and what might happen if I held my tongue? Where will I be willing to pray instead of speaking, and watch for how the Lord will bring conviction, decision, or resolution so He might be the One trusted and praised? In what situations can my words of truth be most fittingly and persuasively spoken? (Galatians 5:22-23)

Lord, fill my heart and soften my tongue so I can be a wise reprover and faithful messenger. May my words refresh others’ souls and exalt Your name.

“Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: ‘Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.  And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

“’But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.  For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.'” 1 Chronicles 29:10-16

Much of David’s life was a blessing to the Lord, and that before his people. What he spoke, he believed. What he praised about God, he owned in his soul. How he knew God determined how he lived. He, a man after God’s heart whom the Lord had chosen to be king over Israel forever and to bear the seed of Jesus, acknowledged that the Lord, not he, was owner of all greatness and power and glory and victory and majesty. (1 Chronicles 28:4-5; Acts 13:22)

When we truly worship, and recount all that belongs to God Almighty, we see clearly who we are before Him. If His is the greatness, I am nothing on my own. His is the power: I am weak, and in that weakness His strength is perfected. His is the glory that lifts me up, that I hide behind, and necessarily exalt, for I am nothing without Him, and apart from Him I can do nothing. Since His is the victory, I dare not go forth alone into the fray. He is the One who vanquishes the foes of sin and death. His is the majesty: I am not my own king, nor that over any people or circumstances. All things material and invisible belong to Him and are His to confer and employ, for His glorious and lasting purposes. (Psalm 3:3; John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 15:55-58; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 12:9-10)

In light of all that is His, I am merely a stranger, sojourner, a steward, a servant in my time and place on earth. Do I behave as though this is true? Does the way I go about work, raising children, and handling responsibilities and resources reflect a temper of humility, submission, gratitude, and surrender to God’s authority and ownership? What needs to change so He is acknowledged and His plans honored? (Psalm 39:12)

Lord, remind me daily that You are king and I am not. May I so inhabit Your kingdom and You inhabit mine that all I do, give, and say is to Your praise and glory.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance.” Ephesians 6:10-18

Firstly, Paul started with grace, extending this gift from the Lord, and reminding the Ephesians that by grace they were saved. He prayed for their wisdom and power and urged them to walk in love and wisdom in a manner worthy of their call, putting off the old and exercising their gifts in their new self. His letter was rife with love, deliberate instruction, and specific encouragement, but he knew that any list would be impossible to heed in the flesh without Christ. So he closed with his finally, that they be strong in the Lord and His might. (Ephesians 1:2,16-20; 2:5-9; 3:14-16; 4:1,11-13,17,22-24; 5:2,15-17)

It’s easy to compartmentalize our obediences. Certain things for Jesus, other duties at home and work. Certain obligations require spiritual fortitude, others personal smarts and gumption. But Paul reminds us that every call is a call of Christ, and requires the strength to stand in spiritual armor. No matter the obligation, the enemy seeks to lure or push us off course and destroy focus, witness, determination, and allegiance. He muddies our affections and deceives our sensibilities. (John 8:44; 10:10)

Do we set out on our days fresh and eager, yet unprotected for the fray? What can we do to make it a routine practice to prepare ourselves spiritually as well as physically and mentally, knowing that God knows all we will encounter? Armed in Him, we need not fear.

“We rest on thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
strong in thy strength, safe in thy keeping tender,
we rest on thee, and in thy name we go.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
and needing more each day thy grace to know:
yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
‘We rest on thee, and in thy name we go.’

We rest on thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, thine shall be the praise;
when passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
victors, we rest with thee, through endless days.” ~Edith G. Cherry (1895)

Lord, help me live in Your strength and for Your glory.

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.  He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

‘If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.  He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.’” Leviticus 5:14-19

Sin is sin, an affront against God whether it is realized, obvious, or not. Being unaware does not negate the fact that it requires an accounting and restitution before the holy God. So in mercy, from the beginning, the Lord implemented a way of atonement, a blood sacrifice whose covering would restore communion between sinner and Savior, penalty paid in full. Every unblemished lamb in the Old Testament was a preview of the sinless Christ who would give His lifeblood once for all for the sin of man at Calvary. (Genesis 3:21)

One of the glorious gifts for God’s children this side of the cross is the indwelling Spirit who convinces us of our erring attitudes and ways. Once we are aware and convicted, and acknowledge our guilt, He introduces us to grace. And once we meet grace, we are forgiven and the joyful romance begins.

Do we truly know the Lord Jesus as our sin-bearer, the One who has made atonement for all our sin? If so, what undealt-with guilt do we carry, thus hindering spiritual progress and fruitfulness? If we take time to ask the Lord to unveil our eyes so we recognize personal sin, pet practices we’ve justified or excused too long, He will answer. Our life matters to Him so much that life was required in its place to pay our debt and win our salvation, and Jesus’s perfect, efficient, and effective blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 1:9)

Wallowing in guilt when the Lord Jesus has cleansed us from it means we do not fully understand the grace of God. Grace is freely offered and applied. There is no more sacrifice needed, no punishment by God nor penance or restitution to God required. If tempted to hold on to regret because of painful consequences, bring it to the cross, and take God at His word that It is finished. (John 19:30)

“My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” ~Horatio Gates Spafford (1873)

Lord, may I praise you forever for Your grace.

“The serpent… said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”’ And the woman said, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden,.. lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and… was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked… and they hid.” Genesis 3:1-8

“Then Jesus went with them to Gethsemane, and… began to be sorrowful and troubled.  He said, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will…’  For the second time, he prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ Again.., he prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.” Matthew 36:36-39,42-44

What differed was the response to the fruit. The tree in the middle of Eden’s garden was lush, beautiful, and delicious, but forbidden. Nothing in the fruit was inherently sinister or infectious. God in His love gave Adam and Eve free agency to live and love as no mere puppets, and they rejected His word, falling to sensual pull enticed by the serpent’s deceptive ideology. The cup Jesus was offered was anything but lovely and enticing, rather, bitter and repulsive. God in love sent Him to take it, and in love back, for His Father and the world, He willingly submitted to its virulence. Obedience and the call of redemption won out over physical, emotional, and spiritual temptation, effecting God’s prophetic word even if it meant excruciating* agony. (Isaiah 53:4-7; John 3:16)

Adam and Eve’s fall burdened us with inherited sin, but Christ’s ascension relieved us of its weight. Living by faith instead of the flesh, we daily choose what to do with the fruit offered us: our freedom to indulge self or honor God? How much our flesh wants our will, not God’s! We grow impatient waiting for our dreams to be fulfilled and desires met, so we choose what looks and feels good for now. Jesus took the long and high view, seeing beyond temporal suffering to eternal glory and what it would effect for His children.

How can we grow into not my will but Thine? Would we ask to be willing to be made willing, and unclench our hands to hold His scarred ones? As we make one choice for Him at a time, He will work in us what pleases Him and is for our good. (Philippians 2:13)

Lord, give me such intimacy with Thee that my will becomes Yours, and is embraced and lived for Your glory.

*‘ex-cruciate’ means ‘out of the cross’

“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.’ This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

‘They divided my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.’

“So the soldiers did these things,  but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’  Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:23-27

Two groups stood at the cross, with very different responses. The soldiers were all about blood and get: get the necessary work done (even if justice was cruelly crowd-driven), then get something out of it for me. The women were all about love.

Each morning I can fix my mindset: will I look out for me, or look at Jesus? And throughout the day I’m confronted with choices: what can I gain, or how will I serve? And when we do look to Jesus, we look either for what we can get from Him, or deeply take in what He’s done for me and what it means.

Am I a greedy soldier or generous adorer? Do I pray a list of all I expect the Lord to give me to fulfill my plans and desires, or do I humbly contemplate what He’s already done and endeavor to use it for His sake? He’s freed us from the penalty of sin, yet we mire in its magnetism and shame, make excuses for falling, and pridefully compare ourselves to ‘inferior sinners.’ He’s given us peace and sure hope, yet we fret and squabble and strive in discontent, and ask for deliverance from difficulties. He’s entrusted to us heaven’s riches, yet we worry over stuff and security and demand more. (Colossians 1:13)

How would my days be different, how could I be loving more selflessly, serving with more abandon, giving more generously, investing my time more wisely, if I stood still more often at the foot of the cross?

“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 teach me what it meaneth,
That sacred crimson tide,
The blood and water flowing
From Thine own wounded side.
Teach me that if none other
Had sinned, but I alone,
Yet still Thy blood, Lord Jesus,
Thine only, must atone.

O teach me what it meaneth,
Thy love beyond compare,
The love that reacheth deeper
Than depths of self-despair!
Yes, teach me, till there gloweth
In this cold heart of mine
Some feeble, pale reflection
Of that pure love of Thine.” ~Lucy A. Bennett (1850-1927)

Amen.

“Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance.  And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.  Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, ‘This man also was with him.’  But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’  And a little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not.’  And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, ‘Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.’  But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:54-62)

Peter was named ‘Rock,’ yet he was no stone. Man of impulse and passion, his heart was moved by the love and mercy of Christ. Jesus had foretold his impending temptation, and prayed that he would not fall. Peter believed that Jesus was Messiah and knew Him so intimately that through all his impetuosity, he earnestly wanted to please Him. Given both warning and freedom, he denied his Christ, yet within moments, the piercing, loving, liquid look from Jesus pierced his tender heart. Imagine the tears that flowed as he witnessed the crucifixion and realized his very capriciousness and denial and all their fallout were being borne by his loving Rabbi. (Matthew 16:15-18; Mark 3:16; 9:5; Luke 22:31-34)

What is our response to the sight of Jesus? Are we too focused on ourselves that we nary give Him a glance? Have we settled into apathy toward the gospel message, and sloth toward its power? What makes us skirt the deep issues of our sins to stay superficial in busyness and faith?

What can we rearrange in order to gaze at our Savior daily- no distractions- and learn what He says through His eyes. Behold, there is love, mercy, compassion, knowledge of who we are and who we will be, perfect understanding. Would His eyes bring out the best!

“Am I a stone, and not a sheep,
     That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss,
     And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved
     Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter, weeping bitterly;
     Not so the thief was moved.

Not so the Sun and Moon
     Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon —
     I, only I.

Yet give not o’er,
     But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
     And smite a rock.” ~Christina Rossetti, “Good Friday” (1830–1894)

Lord, smite me with Your loving, merciful conviction, that I never forget Your cross. Move me and have Your way with me for Your ends and praise.