As the rain and snow

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
    protect me from those who rise up against me;
deliver me from those who work evil,
    and save me from bloodthirsty men.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
    fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
    for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
    You, Lord God of hosts, are God…

But you, O Lord, laugh at them;
    you hold all the nations in derision.
O my Strength, I will watch for you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies…
    O Lord, our shield!
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
    let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
    consume them in wrath;
    consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules…
    to the ends of the earth. 

Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
They wander about for food
    and growl if they do not get their fill.

But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.”* Psalm 59:1-5a,8-17

*A miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

In a jealous rage, King Saul ordered that his son-in-law be killed, and the noble, heroic David responded by pouring out his anguish to the Lord. God was his confidante, defender, and friend. God alone was his strength, shield, and fortress. When enemies plotted and preyed in hatred, God upheld in steadfast love. David’s cry was earnest, it was heard, it brought solace. And it can be ours. (1 Samuel 19:1,4-5,9-11)

We may not be confronted by physical armies, but in this life we face many foes. People who would trip up our path of faithfulness, sobriety, righteousness. Pests of anxiety, rights to be bitter, hearts cold to love and forgive. Varmints of crude talk, enticing gossip, sultry affections. Hoards of fear, doubt, shame. These lie in wait for weak moments and seasons of fatigue and frenzy. They rise up to attack when we think we are stable. They are persistent to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8)

Yet, we have a faithful God who meets us. He meets us, face to face, fully invested. He hears, He comes. He guards, He strengthens. And He is worthy of trust and praise.

What is my default when encountering strife? Where do I go when under siege from failure, worry, or pain? Do I strike out or call out? Retaliate or rest? Watch in panic, or watch for God in soul peace? How will I redirect angst and moaning to begin voicing my miktam in confidence to my loving Lord? Where will I trust Him to meet me today?

Lord, keep me dependent on You as my strength and fortress against every foe, that I might ever sing You the praises You deserve.

“The Lord spoke to me again: ‘Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,  therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.’

“Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered;
    give ear, all you far countries;
strap on your armor and be shattered;
    strap on your armor and be shattered.
Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
    speak a word, but it will not stand,
    for God is with us.

“For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people.” Isaiah 8:5-11

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water… Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” John 4:10,13-14

“Jesus cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”’” John 7:37-38

“[Jesus] said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.’ So he went and washed and came back seeing.” John 9:7

Water offered, water refused. Deaf to God’s repeated warnings, Israel persistently raged against His word in stubborn rebellion, and He had had enough. If they shunned His gentle mercy, they would meet His jealous wrath.

We, too, turn our backs on God’s gentle flow and by default choose the raucous torrent. Yes, life brings billows of sorrow and the rush of riptide waves, even when we are safe in Christ. Yet rather than turn to His grace for help and refreshing, we too often are unwilling to relinquish our toiling, anger, fretting, and angst, inviting torrents of consequential judgment or correction. We eschew mercy for want of self-sufficiency, and pure devotion for self-love and aggrandizement.

Maybe this is unwitting, but God can give eyes to see and a heart to desire. Are we willing to be made willing to repent? Would we really have God remove our blinders? Can we recognize when we rage against God that often He is giving exactly what we have asked in prideful independence, that we are reaping the whirlwind of the rebel winds we’ve sown? (Hosea 8:7)

The invitations of our Lord are gracious, extended in patience and love. Are we listening? Would we come, be healed, held, and satisfied?

Lord, may I ever yield to Your irresistible affection and abide in Shiloah, daily refreshed to take Your living water to those around me.

“Balak said to Balaam, ‘Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me?..’ Balaam said to Balak, ‘Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak…’

“Balak said to Balaam, ‘What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.’ And he answered and said, ‘Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?..’

“And the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, ‘Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.’ And he came to him,.. and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“‘Rise, Balak, and hear..:
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Behold, I received a command to bless:
he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it…’

“‘Did I not tell you, “All that the Lord says, that I must do”?’

“And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his discourse and said,

“’The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    who sees the vision of the Almighty…’

“And Balaam said to Balak, ‘Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me,  “If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak”‘?” Numbers 22:37-38; 23:11-12,16-20,26; 24:2-4,12-13

Though worldly enticement dangled before Balaam’s divided heart, God’s power overruled and His word went forth. What is true and irrefutable may be twisted or manipulated, but it cannot be undone or squelched. God’s man was shamed and humiliated. All He says He will do.

In what situations am I timid to introduce myself as one of God’s children or to speak His truth into spiritual darkness? Where have I squelched a message that God has clearly given out of fear or insecurity? God’s word is viable, powerful, and unstoppable. Will I take the opportunities He gives to boldly proclaim it? (Isaiah 55:10-11; Jeremiah 5:14; 20:9; 23:29; Hebrews 4:12)

What would it sound like, and look like, if God’s word were uncontained in me? How and where could it spill over in love-filled truth-telling, gracious correcting, or admonition that upbuilds? What might it add of grace, loftiness, and beauty to conversations and relationships? How can God’s word through me console, elevate, enlighten, encourage the many with whom I come in contact? (1 Corinthians 14:3; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:9)

Lord my Redeemer, may the words of my mouth be pleasing in Your sight and proclaim Your excellencies all the day. (Psalm 19:14)

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,  equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men... You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

In the beginning, God made Adam to work the garden in Eden that He had pronounced very good. Work was meaningful and a pleasure, as was every aspect of the Lord’s perfect creation, including the woman formed to help him. God intended for His man to work according to His pleasure, yet in love-given free will, Adam chose his own temporal pleasure, inviting upon himself and mankind the curse of difficult, thorny toil. Still work was ordained, yet now would require sweat and trouble. (Genesis 1:31; 2:5-8,15,18,21-23; Genesis 3:17-19; 2 Thessalonians 3:10)

And so we toil as fellow laborers in our places here below. Until we reach glory, we shall be about the mysterious and wonderful work of Christ commingled with Him, alongside Him, inspired and empowered by Him. He does not leave us alone, but has prepared our work in advance and works His strength in us as we put hand to task. How well do we cooperate in His operation? (1 Corinthians 3:9; Philippians 4:13)

Whose agenda do I daily serve? Do I work alone, or willingly engage others who could use the encouragement, training, or help? What can I shift in mindset or habit to ensure I am investing in the works God has saved and prepared me to do?

“Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In living echoes of your tone.
As you have sought, so let me seek
Your erring children, lost and lone.

Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wand’ring and the wav’ring feet.
Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Your hungry ones with manna sweet.

Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious truths which you impart.
And wing my words that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord,
Until my very hearts o’erflows
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Your love to tell, your praise to show.

Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as you will, and when, and where
Until your blessed face I see,
Your rest, your joy, your glory share.” ~Frances Havergal (1872)

Infuse me with your strength, O Lord
Make keen my mind and brave my heart
To recognize and serve the needs
Your people suffer and impart.

All for Your ends and glory, Amen.

“The people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin… And Miriam died there and was buried there.

“Now there was no water for the congregation. They assembled themselves together against Moses and Aaron [and] quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Would that we had perished… before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly into this wilderness, that we should die here..?’ Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the staff, and assemble the congregation,.. and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.’

“And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank…  And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them…’

“[Edom] said, ‘You shall not pass through.’ And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force…

“And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron.., ‘Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land… And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.” Numbers 20:1,2-4,6-8a,11-12,20,23-24,28

Blow after blow, sorrow upon sorrow. And following these, the Canaanites attacked and took some captives, the Lord sent fiery serpents to quell more complaining, and the Amorites refused them passage and advanced against them. How much could Moses handle? Was there no end to the heartache and grief of loss, the disappointment at being banished from the promised land, the opposition within and without? Yet somewhere along the wilderness way, in the midst and weight of ruin, the Lord provided water, and a song. (Numbers 21:1,5-6,16-17,21-23; 1 Peter 5:10)

When we think we can bear no more, and there could not even be more pain to bear, God’s abiding presence brings supernatural refreshment. “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!” What circumstances weigh heavy at present? Is there overwhelming sorrow, choking waves of disbelief, pain, or loss? No accounting of troubles can exceed the strength nor escape the love of our Lord. Our shoulders may be bending, our eyes too dim to hope, but nothing will change the steadfast love and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Would we look for His provision, and taste it, and be rejuvenated by it? His balm is exquisitely designed just for us, and should give rise to singing. (Psalm 103:8,11; Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 8:31-39)

Maybe the way is personally clear and calm now, but not for a loved one. How can we tenderly introduce a melody of hope and light to them in their darkness? How can we come alongside and help share the weight of their burdens, emotionally, practically, and spiritually by earnest intercession? Where can we point out the beauty the Redeemer is crafting in their brokenness and ashes? (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Lord, awaken Your song in the midst of heartache and in me so Your love is magnified.

“The Lord said to Aaron, ‘With you bring your brothers… that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons are before the tent of the testimony.  They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent… They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent…  And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar…  And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting… I give your priesthood as a gift.”

“‘All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the Lord I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your offspring with you…” 

“‘Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the Lord; from each its best part is to be dedicated.'” Numbers 18:1a,2-3a,4-5a,6-7a,19,29

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein” Psalm 24:1

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

All things are from God, created by and for Him. He owns everything. Therefore everything we enjoy is a given by Him, indelibly imprinted with His glory and purposes. In His mastery He appoints and arranges gifts of people, Spirit, and resource with divine design that we are equipped to carry out His call, by use or by donation. (Psalm 50:10; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 4:7,11-13; Colossians 1:16)

As with any gift, what God assigns is His doing, not anything we earn or necessarily choose, and proceeds from His generosity and bounty. In His economy nothing is intended for waste, but only fruitfulness and eternal good. Spiritual gifts are given to build up His church, people to guard, undergird, and further His work, resources to provide for needs.

Have I gratefully accepted God’s good gifts to me, even those I would not choose, the talents and people He has conveyed? Can I see troubles, sorrows, challenges as sanctifying gifts from His loving hands rather than a curse, and not waste them? Do I squander the time and treasure He’s entrusted, or employ them according to His will? How would my view of life circumstances change if I received every aspect- health, position, responsibilities, opportunities- as gifts from my loving Master?

To whom am I a gift, perhaps even an answer to prayer, and how well am I fulfilling my purpose as a helpmate, support, teacher, friend? Am I committed to being all God intends me to be for others? His church? Where and how am I exercising my specific gifts to spread His light, sustain ministries, and upbuild others?

Lord, may I never cease to thank You for the gifts You bestow, including a great salvation and the abiding presence of Your Spirit. Help me utilize every one entrusted to me for the blessing of Your people and the praise of Your glory.

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses,.. we do not know what has become of him.’ So Aaron said to them, ‘Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, sons, and daughters, and bring them to me…’  And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it [and] made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.’ And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” Exodus 32:1-2,4-6

“Be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left,  that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them,  but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day.  For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations… Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God… Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 23:6-9,11; 24:14-15

The trouble and trip up with getting to know Christ is that we’ve allowed other loves into our souls. We cannot serve both God and gods. We cannot crowd the Lord into a mix of self-erected deities or flurry of heart passions, or stray after strange lovers. We cannot follow half-way. We must cultivate a single eye for God if we are to know Him deeply in significant life-transforming ways. (Matthew 6:24; 1 John 2:15-17)

Any intimacy outside God’s holy parameters, any secret shrines erected or false gods worshiped, interfere with pure worship of God Almighty. When we serve selfish ambition or lusts of eye and flesh, we pollute our loyalties as the King’s subjects. He sees the secret heart and all that’s harbored there, and honors sincere prayers of confession and fielty. (Matthew 6:5-6; 1 John 1:9)

What would return us to fidelity to Christ? What foreign gods need casting away, what strange soul ties need breaking forever? Only a pure, unfettered devotion in a guarded heart has room for His love to grow and flourish. (Proverbs 4:23)

Lord, break any errant soul ties that I might love and be faithful to You alone.

“Now Korah… rose up before Moses, with a number of… well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?’ When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, and said.., ‘In the morning the Lord will show who is his, and who is holy… The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him… You have gone too far, sons of Levi!.. Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you… to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them..? Would you seek the priesthood also?  It is against the Lord that you have gathered together…’

“And Moses said to Korah, ‘Be present… before the Lord tomorrow… Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord…’

“As soon as he had finished speaking, the ground under them split apart.  The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.  So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.” Numbers 16:1-5,7,9,11,16,28,31-33

“The Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
    a great king over all the earth.”

“Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish…
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me.” Psalm 47:2; 49:12,15

Korah deserved the judgment meted out against him. Dire and horrible as it was, God clearly would not stand for this rebellion among His spiritual leaders. By both destruction and the plague’s cessation, He gave vivid visual lessons of His fury and His atoning mercy to invite reverence and faith in His people. The remnant of the condemned would not forget they had been spared, and would live to sing of His salvation. (Numbers 16:36-50)

Like Korah, we fuss and fidget with the places God assigns us. We envy and compare with others and complain about circumstances. Consumed with self-assigned rights and feelings, we fail to see our chafing is against God, who loves us enough not to stand for immature faith. He condescends to save and inspire that we might live above circumstances in joyous victory. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

Have we considered our rebel hearts? In what areas do we insist on our own way: my pleasures, my drive, my timing? Where does resentment rebel against grace? Vengeance against forgiveness? Rash temper against gentleness? Impatience against rest? Are we willing to expose these tendencies to God’s consuming fire, and live free of them under His atonement? (Deuteronomy 4:24)

What can we do to never forget our Savior’s grace? Would we implement a regular time of praise? Participate in regular fellowship? Set aside times for thanksgiving, and proclaiming His salvation to the next generation? Whom will we tell today of His love and mercy?

My Savior, may I never forget Your worth and grace, and ever sing to benefit others and exalt Your glory.

“For you have rejected your people,
    the house of Jacob,
because they are full of things from the east
    and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines,
    and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
Their land is filled with silver and gold,
    and there is no end to their treasures;
their land is filled with horses,
    and there is no end to their chariots.
Their land is filled with idols;
    they bow down to the work of their hands,
    to what their own fingers have made.
So man is humbled,
    and each one is brought low—
    do not forgive them!
Enter into the rock
    and hide in the dust
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty.
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

For the Lord of hosts has a day
    against all that is proud and lofty,
    against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
against all the cedars of Lebanon,
    lofty and lifted up;
    and against all the oaks of Bashan;
against all the lofty mountains,
    and against all the uplifted hills;
against every high tower,
    and against every fortified wall;
against all the ships of Tarshish,
    and against all the beautiful craft.
And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
    and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day…
And people shall enter the caves of the rocks
    and the holes of the ground,
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to terrify the earth.

In that day mankind will cast away
    their idols of silver and gold,
which they made for themselves to worship,
    to the moles and to the bats,
to enter the caverns of the rocks
    and the clefts of the cliffs,
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to terrify the earth.
Stop regarding man
    in whose nostrils is breath,
    for of what account is he?” Isaiah 2:6-22

Man who regards only man comes to little account in the economy of God’s majestic judgment. Man piles high his accolades and treasures, heaps up defenses and strategies, builds high his towers and grows lofty his trees, but His royal Highness will bring all that low. We ascend the mount of the Lord only to know Him, but must be humble of heart lest He cast us down. His righteous judgment against all that is set up against Him destines the guilty to crouching beneath His terrible splendor. (Isaiah 2:3)

The way we think, worship, and build determines our end before the High One. When all is perceived, pursued, and accomplished for ourselves, every effort will be cast down. But when for Christ, where we don’t touch His glory but surrender to His holiness, we remain in His light. We have the privilege of serving Him here below and carrying the light of His word to our communities and world. (Isaiah 2:5; 5:15-16; 6:1-8; 42:5,8; Colossians 3:23)

Who takes highest position in my life? What do I worship?

Lord, keep me humbled before You, in every thought and action exalting You alone as God, raising only eyes, hands, and voice to lift up Your praise.

“I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.  For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ‘The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.’  So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

“Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen. I weighed out to them the silver and gold and the vessels… that the king… had offered… 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. I said to them, ‘You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers.  Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests…’

“Then we departed… to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days.  On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui.” Ezra 8:21-29a,31-33a

Hands surrendered and lifted high in prayer, hands of battle and strategy, hands at work carrying and guarding valuables, hands offering treasure to God. No hands compare to the almighty, good hands of God. Our hands grasp and manipulate, His hands provide, guide and sustain. Our hands defend, His hands deliver. Our hands do good things, His hands are strong and good, establish our work, and are on us for good, always. (Psalm 18:34; 89:13; 90:17; 144:1; 1 Peter 5:6-7)

If God’s hands are strongest, why do we continually want to take matters into our own hands? We fret to control because we are impatient and prideful. We may not claim we know better and are better than God, yet often by our impertinent actions we declare so. If we would pause and realize what our actions really say about our trust in the Lord, we might come to repentance and change our ways.

What would we like to see change in our attitude toward any work before us? What if we began by humbling ourselves and seeking God’s direction, protection, and favor? How might this example make a difference for children, work colleagues, fellow laborers in ministry, our own faith? Weak faith is the result of unused muscles. When will we begin to do our work as those holy to the Lord, His way and for His renown and praise? (Revelation 4:11)

Lord, in every endeavor, may I open and use my hands trusting Yours, and so magnify Christ.