As the rain and snow

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord… You shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days.

“When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord… a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma…

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord…

“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work…

“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation… And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God…

“On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.

“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord.” Leviticus 23:4-6,8,10-11,13,15-16,24-25,27-28,34-37

The predawn sky was a feast for the eyes, a thick palette of greys giving way to fiery pink orange. Early wind blew smoky tufts along as it wafted an intoxicating scent of gardenias, pungent and regal white. All senses are captivated by beauty, and delicious, and fragrant, and cool breeze, but the repast of sight and soul set out by God are intended for far more than our own pleasure. (Psalm 19:1)

The system of feasts instituted by God- unleavened bread, firstfruits, weeks, trumpets, atonement, booths- points to Him, not us, and the end of each is remembrance, gratitude, and surrender. Each culminates in His delight and honor. God pronounced these feasts vital and significant in the rhythm of Israel’s life, and appointed their celebrations to be continued in order to solemnly remember His name and provision through the years. Each had a cost, a preparation, a careful deliberation, as each composed a pleasing aroma to the Lord of all.

How do we view our calendar of opportunities and bountiful possessions? Is life centered around my regular- even thoughtless- pleasure in food, friendship, and favor, with little attention to their Giver? Have my senses grown accustomed to overload, without appreciation, taking no time to refrain from toil, to rest, remember God, and rejoice? What heavenly delights I would enjoy if I feasted instead on my Lord! (Isaiah 58:13-14; James 1:17)

Lord, keep me relishing the splendor of Your holiness, and offering a continual sacrifice of praise for the bounty You give, and are. (1 Chronicles 16:28-29)

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD… So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God… You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Leviticus 18:2-5,30; 19:2

The nation of Israel was birthed in a foreign land, when Abraham was called out of Ur in his native Mesopotamia to a land I will show you. After an initial pause in Haran, Israel’s patriarch trekked forward in faith toward Canaan. This initial planting was a picture of God’s plan for them: to cut ties with the world they knew and be bound to Him, belong to Him, follow His ways, and bear holy fruit. Theirs was to be a vertical identity and allegiance in every horizontal movement they made. (Genesis 11:31-12:7)

We, too, live in an unholy criss-cross world. God calls us, from above, to come out from the world and be separate from its unholy ways of thinking and behaving. Practically, we are to remain in the world, but not be of it. We daily encounter pressures and movement, we enter and exit places and conversations, decisions and challenges, all on a horizontal plain. We are attracted and opposed, pushed and pulled, and it takes resolve to keep our compass heading in the right direction. It behooves us to stay connected vertically and keep attuned to our heavenly Lord’s voice. He is LORD, and He calls us to be holy. (John 17:14-16; 2 Corinthians 6:17)

Where are we headed today on the horizontal? Left or right, east or west, work responsibilities, familial and friendship duties, service for country or community? In every place, people and statutes and customs strange to our Lord, and foreign to His uprightness, will do what they do and say what they say, and their magnet may be strong. We must be vigilant to acknowledge who is actually LORD, and to walk with Him. Walking in His Spirit secures us against gratification of the flesh, and keeps us in step with Him. Remember, He is LORD, and He calls us to be holy. (Galatians 5:16-25)

“May the mind of Christ, my Savior, 
Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow’r controlling 
All I do and say.

May I run the race before me, 
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus 
As I onward go.” ~Kate Barclay Wilkinson (1859-1923)

Father, You are holy. May You be enthroned on my praises and in all my doing as LORD of me. Help me live with a vertical mindset and heart affection in every horizontal push and pull, so You are glorified as supreme. (Psalm 22:3)

“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses…

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:3-12,17-19

Cravings come in many shapes, sizes, and proclivities. Paul had known well the fleshly satisfaction of impeccable credentials, a good argument, winning for his cause, and the heft of throwing around his authoritative weight. But God interrupted his life bent, and every craving that was stoked by conceit, competition, or a hunger to be recognized was transformed. His energy and passion did not wane, but were supernaturally redirected. All that was once driven by self was now enveloped in an insatiable craving for his God, and for proclaiming and living out His gospel. (Acts 8:3; Philippians 3:3-8; 1 Timothy 1:12-14)

Using falsehood to support our position, fomenting controversies, friction, and dissension, and indulging empty, harmful desires are signs of disordered affections. It’s vital we recognize our unhealthy cravings and name their root: pride, shame, self-will, the pleasurable embrace of false teaching. The God who convicts is able to correct us from the inside out, to curb fleshly appetites by reordering our physical, social, and spiritual propensities.

Fleeing such cravings that distance us from God brings us into a wide place where faith can grow and contentment can flourish. Eschewing jealousy and argument to pursue righteousness and godliness reorients our joys, and we learn to take delight in our heavenly hope and our unseen Savior.

Where have we wandered away from our first love of Jesus? Would we deliberately avoid those places, in conversation or recreation, that stoke anger, friction, or untoward cravings, and pursue a more constructive, eternally meaningful path? (Revelation 2:4-5)

Lord, help me let loose of everything that corrupts, and run steadfastly after You. Correct my cravings toward godliness, eternal treasure, contentment in You, and all that is truly life.

“Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
    she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
    from the highest places in the town,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
    To him who lacks sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
    and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
    and walk in the way of insight…’

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life…

The woman Folly is loud;
    she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
‘Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’
But he does not know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” Proverbs 9:1-6,10-11,13-18

Because the devil parades as an angel of light, it takes God-given discernment to recognize his wiles and distinguish his voice. Folly mimics Wisdom in strategy and language, and each has her superficial allure to the simple and needy. Only the trained heart and careful ear hear the subtle differences in their motives and promises. (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

It is Folly who targets the simple, preying on their vulnerability in attempt to seize on their lack of foresight. She promises a sweetness in her shade, her undercover seduction, knowing that sin tempts with its temporal pleasures, and disguises, or hides altogether, its biting consequences. Every ‘hit’ with temporary physical satisfaction awakens desire for the next, and more, so the stolen and secret become an entangling, destructive habit. Those without the Holy Spirit are easily tricked by Folly. (1 Corinthians 2:14; Hebrews 11:25)

Wisdom also recognizes those who are short-sighted and lacking sense. She, however, sets an inviting table with uprightness, order, precision, and delectability. She appeals to the simple to leave their limited vision and foolish ways behind to come to her feast. By her nature, she doesn’t settle for mediocrity and a life of simmering in the stew in sin. She elevates desire, delivers insight, calls the simple out from complacency to grow and develop as God’s children.

So what about us? Do we settle for stolen advantages and secret ways that get us nowhere good? Or do we want to think biblically, to understand God’s truth and recognize spiritual error? This presents a life-long determination as well as a daily mindset, and our will sets our direction and commitment. If we would yield to the Holy Spirit and resolve to examine God’s word, He will hone our ability to distinguish folly from wisdom as we go along our way. (Deuteronomy 4:6; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 5:13-14)

Gracious and worthy Father, spur me on to maturity in my will and thinking. Teach me to discern Your best, and grant me courage to choose it always over the foolishness of the world.

“O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
You have given him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips. 
For you meet him with rich blessings;
    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
    length of days forever and ever.
His glory is great through your salvation;
    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
For you make him most blessed forever;
    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord,
    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.” Psalm 21:1-7

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.” Psalm 23:6

There is much David could have reasonably asked from the Lord. Anointed as a boy, then hatefully pursued for years by the one he would replace, David might have understandably requested vengeance, special favors, or fame. But those years of waiting to become Israel’s king brought about deeper and higher desires that transcended most human thinking. David learned that satisfaction, joy, and strength for whatever was required lay in his relationship with his Sovereign.

David’s heart desire was to know the Lord, and to live fully in salvation’s riches all his days. He asked for life, and was given splendor and majesty and a quality of life beyond this world. He sought godliness, knowing it held value and hope for this life and the next. He was secure in his position because he had the joy of God’s companionship, and was richly blessed with His steadfast love, goodness, and mercy spanning into the future He held. (1 Timothy 4:7-10)

As we begin our days, what is our heart’s desire? Are we quickly drawn to the here and now? Do we pause a moment to run through a duty list, practical needs for ourselves and those we love, to ask for enough of us to get through? Are we limiting our requests because of earth-bound vision and 24-hour plans? What would happen if we asked the Lord to expand our vision to a longer view? What would change in the understanding of our purpose, the quality of our hours, the vibrancy of our hope, if we developed an eternal perspective? How might we work and minister differently if we savored longer, broader, richer life in every day entrusted to us?

“My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
    and peace they will add to you…

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.” Proverbs 3:1-2,13-18

Lord, help me seek You and Your face all my days, counting You my highest joy and strength forever. And may I spend those days for Jesus’s sake and glory. (Psalm 24:5-6; 73:25-26)

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” 1 Timothy 2:1-8

“May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!.. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call.” Psalm 20:5,9

First of all. Above and before making plans, getting going, and other efforts, prayer must be our priority. And it is all- encompassing, including both requests and thanksgiving. It is not a one-way list of wants or begs, but spans from gratitude to groaning.

Pray for all. All people, all leaders. Not just loved ones or liked ones or voted-for ones, but all whom the Lord has placed for His purposes, in order that they be touched by the divine hand of prayer. Pray that God will use them to benefit society, and realize this may come about in ways we would not expect or even desire. Praying for this and trusting the Lord to answer His way increases our dependence on Him and our faith in Him as ultimate King. (Matthew 5:44-45; Romans 13:1-7)

Pray for all people to be saved, even those we deem beyond redemption and not deserving. Are we? Jesus came to seek and save the lost, to heal the sick sinner, and His grace is wide-reaching. If we have a superior attitude, pray for Him to convict us of that pride and save us from that snobbery. He died for it too. (Mark 2:17; Luke 19:10; Romans 5:8)

Pray His ransom for all is taught clearly and powerfully, and is understood and received as life-changing truth. Pray that the message of Jesus as sole mediator between God and man, that His perfect life served to pay our deserved penalty, go out and penetrate our families, communities, cities, and nations.

And pray in all places. Wherever we live, work, serve, and recreate. Where we travel in body, and in our minds. Pray for imaginations, dreams, conundrums, the present and future. There is no limit to what or where we are to call out to the Lord and seek His work and trust Him to perform it. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Lord, the proper time is now. Keep my hands lifted high, and my heart and mind set on Thee, focused in prayer that spans people and places and every concern. May all of me trust all of Thee, to the end that You are known and praised.

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.  To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Paul never forgot who he had been or what he had done, and how the immeasurable grace of God in Christ Jesus had swallowed both. As he writes to his spiritual son Timothy, having matured over many years as an apostle through faithful serving and powerful teaching, he still considers himself the foremost of sinners, and thus magnifies the splendor of his Savior’s patience and mercy. The more he says of his former life without Christ, the more he is overwhelmed with the Lord’s bountiful grace to him, and the more praise wells up within. He spills over with the benediction of glory to his King eternal. (Philippians 3:4-8)

Paul was a remarkable orator, a gifted church-builder, and much-loved. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, with every credential a traditional Jew could want or boast. He easily could have let his human greatness go to his head and infiltrate his perspective on ministry and relationships. But Paul was in love with Jesus. He never got over the extent to which Jesus stooped to save him, and he wanted to honor Him with his life. (Acts 20:35-38; 2 Corinthians 11:17-31)

As we go about our work, how often do we remind ourselves who the Lord is and what He has done for us? A regular and deliberate appointment early each day will set our minds on Him. Time on our knees in humble meditation helps us recall our sinful nature- our bent to selfishness, impatience, ugly thoughts- and proceeds to confession. Time of thanksgiving and praise lifts our sights upward to the Giver of every gift, and fills our hearts with gratitude.

Maybe we recite a familiar chorus or hymn, a verse or passage. “Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul, thank you, Lord, for making me whole, thank You, Lord, for giving to me my great salvation so rich and free.” Would we tuck in these Godward thoughts early and often to permeate our thinking and doing through our hours? (1 Thessalonians 5:18; James 1:17)

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

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.” ~Isaac Watts (1707)

Lord, let me never get over Your redeeming grace and love.

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,  nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions…

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.” 1 Timothy 1:2-7,18-19

“For the love of Christ compels us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Paul is infused with love for his son in the faith, Timothy, and for their Savior, Jesus. His heart, conscience, and faith are inextricably connected to the vibrant truth and power of Jesus, who is love Himself. This love that won him is his compulsion and aim. It charges his drive to spread good news, amidst a range of false teaching, societal myths, and vain discussions, that is laced with energy through its words and message. (1 John 4:8)

Charge: Electrify; to fill or furnish fully; to impose a task or responsibility on; to command, instruct, or exhort with authority.

Without love as our charge, we are spiritually limp, lifeless. Our vision is limited, our focus self-ward, our passions earthly. But once plugged into and charged by the vitality of Jesus, by the truth He embodies and speaks from His word, our whole life takes on fresh meaning and vivacity. We are compelled to proclaim clearly the gospel in contrast to falsehoods all around, even as we are led to charge others to do the same.

Has holy desire and urgency for proclaiming God’s truth grown lethargic? What doctrines and speculations issuing from the world have we allowed to creep into our minds, distracting our affections, numbing us to the Word, and distorting our understanding? In an emotion-incited culture, have we begun to fear humans more than the Lord, and thus squelched desire for and limited intake and development of wisdom from above? If there is anything that preempts our passion to share Jesus’s love and make Him known, our loves are disordered. (Proverbs 9:10; James 3:17)

“A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill;
Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage
To do my Master’s will!

Help me to watch and pray,
And still on Thee rely,
Oh, let me not my trust betray,
But press to realms on high.” ~Charles Wesley (1762)

Father, keep my heart pure, my conscience clear, and my faith sincere. Compel me by Christ’s love to charge others effectively regarding Your gospel, to the end that You be received, known, and loved.

“They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

“He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes…

“Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod… And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Exodus 39:6-14,18b,21

There was no part of the adornment of Israel’s priests that had not significance. He was called and anointed to serve all people of Israel, without favoritism, a priest for every tribe, and his dress represented each one with deliberate care and beauty. His shoulder pieces held twelve stones of remembrance, and attached to those pieces was an intricate breastpiece bearing jewels assigned to each tribe over his heart. What a loving picture of our Great High Priest!

Jesus, who upholds the government of the world on His shoulders, also personally holds each one of His children close to His heart. Just as the shoulder joint is a remarkable combination of strength and flexibility with a wide range of motion, His arm is mighty, able to save and to bear all our burdens. As our great High Priest, He has carried the weight of our sins and their penalty to the cross, sustains all who are saved in everlasting life, and reigns ready with mercy and grace to help in our times of need. (Psalm 55:22; Isaiah 9:6; 59:1; Zephaniah 3:17; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:24-27)

What rocks our security today? World events, health crises, personal fears? What heavy load are we trying to carry alone? Are there circumstances that have left us reeling in loneliness, sorrow from betrayal, a feeling of failure or worthlessness? Consider the shoulders of our Great High Priest. Drawing near to His throne of grace, and welcoming His ministry of atonement and redemption, will readjust our thinking. He remembers and upholds and intercedes for us by name. This Lord, who is faithful to His promises, offers confidence, full assurance of faith, and unwavering hope through His priesthood. (John 10:3; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 10:19-23)

Eternal God and Great High Priest, impart to me faith and stability to live on Your strong shoulders, upheld by Your everlasting arms, showing forth Your excellencies. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

“Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.  All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.” Exodus 35:20-29

Moses had given the people of Israel, whoever is of a generous heart, God’s commands to contribute toward the tabernacle. This was the mobile dwelling of their LORD who traveled with them, their place of worship and sacrifice. Each was encouraged to contribute to its beauty and service, and the Spirit blew mightily through his words among them to bring forth all that was required. (Exodus 35:4-19)

When the Holy Spirit moves a spirit to be made willing, resistance dissolves and God can have His way. When the Spirit stirs a heart, things happen. Beautiful things happen. Fingers loosen, fists open, arms unlock, bitter roots get pulled and discarded. Mindsets are transformed, interests are elevated, language is exalted. Sacrifices flow, grace issue forth in glad, bountiful measure. All, everyone. Contributions, all sorts of objects, offerings. Signets, skills, stones, spices. A will stirred by God’s wind offers freely anything and everything for God’s holy purposes and glory.

Where do we need the Spirit’s stirring, or strong blow? Are there areas in our lives we hold too closely out of insecurity, or shame, or greed? Are we afraid to yield our guarded secrets and ingrained sins to His transforming affect? What holds us back from the freedom and joy He longs for us to know?

“Spirit of the living God…
We want to know You more and more
We’re hanging on every word

‘Cause when You speak, and when You move
When You do what only You can do
It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
When You come in the room
When You do what only You can do
It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek” ~ Vertical Worship (2015)

Spirit of God, stir me, purify what I see and seek, and fill me to overflow to build up and bless Your church.