As the rain and snow

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him)…

 “And this is the testimony of John…He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.’ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!.. For this purpose I came.., that he might be revealed to Israel.’ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” John 1:1-2,4-9,14-15,19,23,29-31,35-37

The life and person of Jesus captivated John’s attention, his very being, and his life-work. John was a herald in his time, harkening unto the Lord Jesus and proclaiming who He was and what He had come to do. He was called by God as a witness, a voice, a ‘herald angel’ who would point anyone and everyone to the Lamb of God who brought freedom from sin and the peace of reconciliation.

“Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!’
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th’angelic hosts proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King'” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

Am I so besotted with Jesus that He is in the beginning of my day? Has His saving grace compelled me to be caught up with herald angels glorifying Him? And where is He sending me? To whom in the wilderness of my neighborhood, workplace, or commercial interactions has He given me a voice? How clearly am I exemplifying and proclaiming His unique divinity, His grace and truth, His indescribable peace? (John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7)

How are we singing glory to our newborn King in facial expressions and tone of voice? Are there ways and situations where we can pause, point a finger upward, and say ‘Hark! Hail the prince of peace!’ What evidence are we displaying that He is reigning as our Prince of Peace? (Isaiah 9:6)

Lord, catch me up with the angels to proclaim, in all I feel and project and say, that You are established as my Prince of Peace. Draw others to follow.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little… Why? declares the Lord. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” Haggai 1:4-9

The thick sky this morning closed in like so many cares. The darkness seemed nearer than usual, and heavy. But as I watched, and very slowly the light tiptoed in, there was the pink, a hint of rosy cheer. Concerns cloud our minds, we can bend under their burden, and conclude there is no hope. But if we watch long enough, we begin to see the light of God’s providence shining, smudging color into our dreary circumstances. Bring on the pink, O Lord! And eyes to see it!

When we get all twisted in importances and tangled in the tyranny of the urgent, God graciously exposes our messed up priorities. And sometimes it hurts. He teaches that our flesh endeavors will never satisfy, and having plenty in this world does not necessarily translate to a plenteous soul. Hours filled with activity are not necessarily hours spent with meaning. Work done with vigor is not necessarily work with significance. Things and events and productivity we thrive on will never hold the value of rejoicing in the Lord and living by His Spirit.

If we would put Him first, he puts the rosy and substance into every endeavor. If we would put Him first, He would order our affections and set our plans and priorities aright. If we put Him first, we realize that on earth we can be depleted, our efforts fruitless, our labor unsuccessful, and all is still well with our souls because our treasure is in heaven; we can still rejoice. Our salvation is not shaken, our future not dulled, our God not diminished. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Would I begin my day by taking up the word of God rather than my tools of trade? Would I take time to worship him and listen to His voice before I consult the news and my agenda? Would I take joy in my Savior?

Father, train me to consider my ways and exalt You as supreme in them all. In every difficulty, every cloud of care, give me eyes to see Your hand and glory, and the will to rejoice.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world… To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1,4,9,12-14

“This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:19-21

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12

Existing from the beginning, Jesus pulsed with divine life at God’s side in creation, when God spoke light into being and breathed life into man. At Christmas, Jesus came to embody the light of life on earth. He laid aside His heavenly glory in a segment of time to become the bridge by which we can approach holy God. Christ, through His death, resurrection, and ascension, is the only true Reconciler between God and man. When we receive His light and life by faith, we are tethered to Him forever. (Genesis 1:3; 2:7; Proverbs 8:27-31; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Colossians 1:16; 1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Shall we join the angels and give glory to the King who gave His glory for us? We can do it with song, we can do it with speech. We can do it by offering ourselves and preferring others. We can do it by giving willingly of our time, resources, privacy, and wants. (Romans 12:1,10-11,13)

“Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!’
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th’angelic hosts proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

“Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th’incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.”

“Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.” ~Charles Wesley (1739)

To the One who gives light to our darkness and life when we languish, how will we give glory anew that He deserves?

Incarnate Deity, fill me with Your Spirit. Prince of Peace, rule my heart. Sun of Righteousness, shine in and through me with Your heavenly light of life, so others can see and know You too as their glorious Reconciler and Savior.

“The LORD God said to the serpent,.. ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.’” Genesis 3:14-15

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“‘I will establish your offspring forever,
    and build your throne for all generations.” Psalm 89:4

“The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

“The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel” Matthew 1:23

Immanuel, God with us. Israel long looked forward to their long-expected Savior; God Himself was in their midst from the beginning as Author of the promise. His presence and promised presence were the hope of Israel through David’s royal line through the ages, and abide as the hope of every believer today. (2 Samuel 7:16)

“O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.”

On earth we are in lonely exile, removed from, yet surely destined for, our heavenly home. Jesus has come to earth and the cross to ransom His people and guarantee in our salvation that we will be with Him forever. For now we wait, we yearn, we live and work and serve, as resident aliens looking ahead to His return and our eternal dwelling place. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

“O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Thy people by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.”

In the here and now of the human condition, gloomy clouds of painful toil, dissension, worry, poverty, illness, and death hang heavy. They blur our hope and shrink our vision. But Immanuel is with us presently, mighty to save. The Good Shepherd, walking beside to comfort and guide. The strong Savior, giving rest and help. Immanuel has come to us! (Psalm 23:1-4; Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:14-15)

“O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.” ~John Mason Neale (1851)

Immanuel is our constant companion, the advocate on our side. He is head of the church, building us up together to be His holy bride. For the nations, He reigns supreme over every leader, dictator, and king as King of kings, working righteously to accomplish His good eternal purposes. We can be unshaken in His presence now and to come. (Romans 8:31-34; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Revelation 19:16)

What difference would it make to remember our divine paraclete in our moments and days? Will we invite hopeful cheer to fill our hearts and direct our minds? How will Immanuel cause us to plan and do differently? Speak differently? Spend differently? Love differently?

Rejoice! Immanuel has come and is in us, with us, for us!

Immanuel You are here. Immanuel, You are coming again. Dayspring on high, mingle my present hope and my longing in one joyful song to Your glory.

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!…
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary...

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy…

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!..

The heavens proclaim his righteousness...

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
 before the Lord…

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” Psalm 96:1,6,11-12; 97:1,6; 98:7-9; 100:1

Jeweled stars, heralded by a brighter arc of moon, dot the black backdrop of space with storytelling shapes, lauding their Maker with heavenly song. Shapeless light slowly lifts, dispels the night, invisibly imperceptibly raising dawn over spinning earth. Music of spheres and sky. Water shivers in the cold morning as trees chatter their teeth in the breeze. Singing praise. A scatter of birds floats in scoops and waves speckling palest blue, their staccato chirps punctuating the still early. More singing. Deep purple blossoms, and red, are sprinkled in lushest, wispy, varied-shaped green leaves. Harmony. Grey breakers sworl and foam at water’s edge on grainy sand strewn with heaven-shaped and -painted shells. Rivers rush pushing against edges, smoothing rocks as they sing over them with joyful current. More music.

Will we join the song?

A symphony of praise from heaven and earth swells and resounds for the Worthy One, Maker of morning, Designer of all, Architect of creation, Author and Perfector of faith, Overseer of souls.

“Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before You,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!”

Are we singing? Do the glory and love of God not soften bitter pebbles and melt stubborn stances in our hearts? Do His indescribable beauty and limitless grace not move us to wonder and praise?

“All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!”

Does the beauty of His earth and creatures not swell our senses and pluck our soul-strings? How can we not join in their heavenly chorus?

“Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.” ~Henry Van Dyke (1907)

As mortals all, image-bearers, highest of creation, would we be swept up by our Savior’s coming into loudest songs of highest praise?

“Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing.” ~Isaac Watts (1719)

Lord, fill my heart and loosen my tongue to join the glad song of heaven and nature, rejoicing in You!

“Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.

“And she said to the king, ‘The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard…’

“Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon…And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land.” 2 Chronicles 9:1-6, 9,12

The bright pagan Queen took considerable effort to journey from Arabia to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon. Hearing about his retinue would not suffice- this willful regent must discover him for herself. Laden with pomp and costly gifts, she arrived and opened her arms to lavish the king, but she received far more taking in his wisdom and kingdom splendor. She was overwhelmed to the point of breathlessness.

Every time we approach our Lord, we are in for a supernatural treat- a glimpse of His loveliness, a taste of His grace, a filling of His insight and power- if we come with prepared room. A heart prepared to adore, and to receive His divine infusion of love. A heart emptied of self, decreased of me, that He may increase there. A heart cleansed of guilt, prepared for restoration and building anew. We open wide the door, He enters and makes an unforgettable difference in our motivation and our doing. (John 3:30)

How do we prepare for the Lord in our days, our minds, our hearts? What need we rid of to make room for Him? When we come to our King, the magnificent Savior, and bring sins to redeem and weakness for restoration, we receive back more than we could ask or imagine. When we offer our best interest and attention, we will be left breathless, overcome with His graciousness and glory, and respond with emotion and love. (Psalm 51:10; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 3:20; James 4:8)

“Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing.” ~Isaac Watts (1719)

Lord, I prepare and open my heart to Thee. Enter, fill, and shine through in abounding joy.

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:1-5,9

“But the fruit of the Spirit is… joy.“ Galatians 5:22

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! The long-expected Savior came as promised, our Prophet, Priest, and King. He came to live and die and be resurrected and glorified for our salvation. He has come as Victor over sin, death, fear, and despair. He is here, Emmanuel, in us, with us, for us. Joy! Jesus On You! Joy of joys! Jesus Over Your Scares and Sorrows!

Jesus came to bring light and life and salvation to a weary world. He broke into darkness, broke chains of enslavement to sin and condemnation, then broke open the grave to rise victorious over all. Our greatest gifts came by way of the greatest, indescribable Gift, Jesus, joy to the world. What He has done once for all to secure eternity with Him He does personally for us in our present darkness. (2 Corinthians 9:15; Hebrews 9:24-28)

Let us receive our King, into our everyday and everything: our thinking and dreaming, our longing and loving, our talking and working and serving and giving. He has come and comes to our times of communion with Him to nourish, minister, guide. He comes in answer to our repentance to forgive, cleanse, restore. He comes into our minds to renew and teach and steer in His will. He comes into our wills to shape and purify, our work to energize and make fruitful. He comes into relationships to redeem, edify, unify, solidify. (Zephaniah 3:9,17,19-20; John 16:8,13-14; Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5)

Are we choosing joy in every aspect and circumstance? When dreams fall flat, will we rejoice in His ongoing sovereignty? When pain persists, will we rejoice in the great Healer and Giver of peace? When exhaustion depletes, will we rejoice in the One whose Spirit is our power? He is nigh and actively present, and fills us to overflow when we decide to take our joy in Him. (Zechariah 4:6; John 14:27; Philippians 4:4-7)

“Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing.” ~Isaac Watts (1719)

O Lord, You are and have brought the greatest joy to the world! Fill my countenance and mouth with songs of joy that exalt Your glorious name!

“Solomon… knelt and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, ‘O Lord, there is no God like you, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart… Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God… Listen when [we] pray… and when you hear, forgive…

“’If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you, then hear and forgive the sin of your people… When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear and forgive.., and grant rain upon your land…

“’If they sin against you… and are carried away captive to a land far or near,.. and turn their heart, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul… then hear.., and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place…’

“Then the Lord said to [Solomon]: ‘I have heard your prayer… When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.'” 2 Chronicles 6:13-14,18-19,21-21,24-27,36-40; 7:12-14

Solomon recognized and valued the blessing of the LORD. He knew this transcendent, holy God had in grace set His affection and favor on Israel, and chosen him to lead. Before the people, he reverently bowed and sought God’s continued help, knowing there would be times of failure. Would the Lord please, if Israel turned back from sin, forgive and restore?

His God was both upright and merciful, just and compassionate. He knew from his father that God did not harbor anger forever or despise a broken and contrite heart, so he appealed to Him on both the basis of His grace and the condition of His people’s sincere repentance. The Holy One heard, and gave His promise. The Heavenly King’s word in response to this earthly king’s plea could be trusted. (Psalm 51:1-4,17; 103:8-14)

We can always appeal to our Lord’s immutable character and love, and stand fast and confident on His word. Yet His condition to us is that we be willing to have Him search us to reveal and extricate the unholy in our core impulses. This beautiful interdependence brings about bold prayer and clear answers that exalt the Lord. (Psalm 51:7; 139:23-24)

How committed are we to exercising this utter, urgent dependence on God in prayer? Do we realize that the health and revival of our nations depend on our genuine contrition and unequivocal trust?

Lord God, clean my heart and renew my spirit to cling to You in prayer. Revive me, and revive our land. All good depends on You, and is for Your ultimate glory. (Psalm 51:10; 85:6)

“Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

“And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up.  And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim.

“And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,’ the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” 2 Chronicles 5:1-2,5-7,11-14

All the planning, all the careful labor, years of toil and sweat and anticipation, and the day had finally arrived. Moving Day. The ark of God brought into the Most Holy Place set off sacrifice, praise, music, and joy like no other.

Every day we live and move, we have a choice whether to carry the ark of God’s splendor into our hours. Before us is time and space for spiritual devotion, required work, needed service, people to love. When we apply ourselves in holy vigor, and complete our tasks of mind and hand as unto the Lord, we receive the indescribable blessing of His pleasure and favor. Songs of soul break forth, joy and delight abound, and His glory shines for all to see. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Would we invite Him into our days? Would we employ His insight in our thinking and planning, His care and strength in our industry, His Spirit’s fruit in our ministry to others? How much more efficient, effective, and lasting would be our endeavors if filled with the cloud of the Lord?

Lord on high, envelop me with Your palpable presence. Unify my heart to exalt You in word and deed. Keep me singing of Your enduring love all the day, and so glorify Your name in the temple of my body and life. (Psalm 86:11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up  and said to him, ‘Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.’ He answered them, ‘I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?’ And they discussed it with one another, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” he will say, “Why did you not believe him?” But if we say, “From man,” all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.’ So they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” Luke 20:1-8

By their very question, the religious leaders betrayed their shallow thinking and preference for argument and nitpicking instead of truth. They were, after all, leaders, and they could call the shots. Jesus, knowing they wanted to have nothing to do with His rightful authority, returned a question to expose their heathen mindset, and they tripped. Their mental figuring got tangled in fear, word-plays, others’ perception, and what-ifs, and they could not answer. They had sought a trap for Jesus, not truth that would set them free. (Luke 20:19-26; John 8:32)

There can be teaching and preaching we would rather not accept- it may be hard to understand, it may require a response we are unwilling to give. In our tendency to push back or avoid, we skirt the real issue and focus on trying to undermine its validity. This reaction reveals both a hard heart and a closed mind. Rather than being willing to explore truth as it is presented, we dance around the issue, major on minor things, and decline to be transformed.

Time and again, the religious leaders were so focused on undermining and disclaiming Jesus that they completely missed the rich wisdom and life-changing words He offered. When we get singularly focused and argumentative, what intention drives us? They cared more about appearance and approval than doing the right thing. When have we been more concerned with what others will think if we do as God instructs, than with loving Him in obedience and exalting His reputation? Do we fear the reprisal of man more than God Himself?

When the Lord speaks through His anointed teachers, how intent are we on listening to learn and apply? How often do we go to the Lord with questions when we have already prepared the answers we want to hear? Do we genuinely seek Him, His will and ways, or do we simply lay out our plans and expect His approval? Do we dare question His motives when things don’t go our way?

Good Father, expose any ulterior motive and heart deception, and purify my communion with You. Keep keen my desire to know You who are true, and all Your right answers. (1 John 5:20)