As the rain and snow

“Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?’ And Joshua said to them, ‘If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.’ The people of Joseph said, ‘The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.’ Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, ‘You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.’” Joshua 17:14-18

There are times we can go so far as to understand both what we need and what God has promised, but get hung up on making the connection between the two. As Joshua allotted the promised land to the tribes, Joseph’s people realized they needed more space. They voiced their request, but with a bit of whine. They thought the taking too difficult– the topography was challenging, the country was full of trees, the plains full of forbidding chariots of iron. Enter Joshua, the bold leader of possibilities who seemed daily to live out his command to “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)

The land shall be yours– take it! The forest shall be yours– clear it! The people are strong– drive them out! When God promises something, He will see through your possession of it, but it takes you setting aside your whine and redefining your attitude to one of courageous faith. His intention is not just to give us good things, but to train us in the trusting and the taking.

Where do we whine about circumstances, tripping on the obstacles and discomfort, rather than gripping God’s supply and pressing on? Where are we bemoaning inadequacies and weakness instead of seizing God’s ‘enough,’ ‘strength made perfect,’ and ‘exceedingly more’? How do we limit the effectiveness and reach of our ministry, because we deem the scope too narrow and the challenges too difficult? (2 Corinthians 9:8; 12:9; Ephesians 3:12,20)

Father, help me do my part in clearing the way for Your promises to have theirs. May I possess to the farthest borders of my mind and spirit all You intend for me. Take full possession of me as I take full possession of You, that You be glorified and Your will be done in my life.

“Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh said to him, ‘You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, “Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.” And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.’ 

“Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.” Joshua 14:8-14

Caleb was an exemplary Israelite whose body’s vigor was matched by his faith’s fortitude. Half his life ago, upon embarking on their quest for Canaan, Caleb and Joshua had been the only spies with the courage to go take the good land. But because of the others’ lack of faith, God led them on a generation-long journey through the wilderness during which all the others died. Now the time had come to take possession, and Caleb puts his unwavering faith into action: ‘Now give me my land.’ He had held the promise and never let go; what was vowed to him was as good as accomplished over the decades of wandering. (Numbers 13)

All that God promises us, in the present and for the future, is certain because His word is fixed, He is trustworthy, and He has sealed us with His Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance. Though it may be foggy or distant, a long time in coming, it is still sure. Our spiritual riches now are a foretaste of our divine, eternal riches in glory, and owning them, we are well-supplied to live with great vitality, expectancy, and joy, knowing the best is yet to come. (Psalm 119:89; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 4:17; Ephesians 1:13; Philippians 4:19)

How familiar are we with the rich promises of God? How fully do we follow, how firmly do we believe His word? What sloth, what fear, what distraction, dampens our motivation to live boldly with zealous hope?

Father, help me thrive as Your royal child, possessor by faith of all You promise, to Your praise and honor.

 

“Run to and fro through the streets,
    look and take note!
Search her squares to see
    if you can find a man,
one who does justice
    and seeks truth,
that I may pardon her.
Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
    they swear falsely.
O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
You have struck them down,
    but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
    but they refused to take correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
    they have refused to repent.

“How can I pardon you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and have sworn by those who are no gods.
When I fed them to the full,
    they committed adultery...
They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.

“[They] have been utterly treacherous to me,
declares the Lord.
They have spoken falsely of the Lord
    and have said, ‘He will do nothing;
no disaster will come upon us,
    nor shall we see sword or famine.’

“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
    who have eyes, but see not,
    who have ears, but hear not.
Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
    Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea,
    a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
    though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
    they have turned aside and gone away.
 They do not say in their hearts,
    ‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives the rain in its season...’

“They have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil...
Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord,
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

“An appalling and horrible thing
    has happened in the land.” Jeremiah 5:1-3,7-8,11-12,21-24,28-30

It is a sad thing to harden your face. What was once soft to conviction and malleable to correction becomes rigid, unyielding, unrepentant. Eyes that see and ears that hear become blind and deaf. Truth is tainted by falsehood, humility is swallowed by pride, compassion and justice are conquered by self-interest and -promotion. Reason becomes foolishness, worship becomes treachery, discipline turns to reckless indulgence, and accountability to God morphs to fear of man. And God will not be mocked. (Galatians 6:7; 1 Peter 1:16)

He who puts limits on the sea also limits our rebellious living. We either yield to His softening waves of mercy and Spirit-conviction and repent, or we suffer the consequences. The beautiful reality this side of the cross is that the justice of His righteous wrath has been borne for us by Jesus at Calvary, and God’s call in grace today is, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a Savior! (1 John 1:9)

Where have I stiffened my face, in bitterness against another, in rebellion to God’s standards, in flaunting His gifts as my own desert, and seen the poison spread?

Lord, break my heart with what breaks Yours. Identify and remove any inward treachery. May all my life be repentance, and glory to You. (Martin Luther)

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:1-8

Nations are in turmoil, communities and homes splintered, adversarial sparks fly as convoluted arguments smolder. Oh, Lord, split the heavens where You dwell and enter our fire! Reveal Yourself in the dissension and contortion and pain, may Your name heal and restore, or remake!

But Lord, I must remember! You have! You our Savior are incomparable. None has worked like You, no one acts as You do on behalf of Your own. We are the ones who err, we the ones lacking righteousness, we the ones who have forgotten Your majesty and authority. We have distorted Your image in our own minds and before a confused and dying world. We have clung to worthless idols for significance and help, and refused to call upon You.

When will we turn from blaming wrong decisions, twisted motives, bad characters, awful circumstances, insidious schemes, and look at our own smugness, and idolatry of self and what we treasure, and fall before the incomparable God? Would we yield as clay in His hands, to be reworked, rid of the crud pebbles of sin and bubbles of hot air, and made into vessels for His use and fame?

“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4

How can we, once cleansed and remade, carry anew fresh love and light into conversations and arguments, living water to our parched communities? How will we show forth the glories of our incomparable Lord?

My most gracious Lord, I wait for [You], my soul waits, and in [Your] word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning. Come down and take me over, that I may make Your name and presence known. (Psalm 130:5-6)

 

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them,‘When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.’” So he left them and departed.

“When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, ‘We brought no bread.’ But Jesus, aware of this, said, ‘O you of little faith, why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand,.. or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things.., and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” Matthew 16:1-12,21-24

The human mind is fascinating and complex, yet limited. It shapes not only what we see, but what we seek, and why. The Pharisees had limited spiritual perception and desire, the disciples limited spiritual curiosity and maturity. Both stopped short of grasping the whole of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

We observe, understand, desire, and decide within our personal framework, which is formed by upbringing, experience, personal proclivities, and trained perspective. We may grasp natural signs, and miss spiritual ones. We can shun temporary physical suffering, and neglect the awaiting glory that will outshine it. We see with the eyes, not as God sees the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7; Romans 8:18; Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus pinpoints the problem: ‘You are setting your mind on the things of man.’ Muddling through the slough of the material with a man-centered outlook, we miss the heavenly ‘sign of Jonah.’ God’s word repeatedly tells His story, spelling out the realities of suffering, redemption, divine provision for destitution, yet unless we learn to reorient our thinking, we will fail again and again to grasp His message.

What wants, prejudices, and preconceptions have I collected that blur God’s signs to me? Where am I dictating my demands, seeking my own ends, and missing the truth?

Lord, may I daily seek You first, and trust Your clear, unchanging word to guide me.

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
    and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop as the rain,
    my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
    and like showers upon the herb.
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    ascribe greatness to our God!

“The Rock, his work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he.”

 ^“For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:1-4,47

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life… The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable.” “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life.” “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” Proverbs 10:11,32; 12:18-19; 13:14; 15:1-2

Dew comes without fanfare when all is dark and asleep. It tiptoes in, invisible and unexpected, bringing vital nourishment. It coats with delicate drops, then seeps down to revive thirsty vegetation, give strength to structure, and vivid hue to foliage.

When our words are like dew, they come at appropriate, even unexpected, times to refresh the spirit, restore life, raise the head, persuade with wisdom, gently turn away anger, and add vibrancy and color to the darkest of moods or circumstances. They offer truth to confused, parched souls, encouragement to instill bravery in the timid, and hope to those who languish in uncertainty and insecurity. They bring loving correction to the erring, hope to the forlorn, balm to the weary, and consolation to the brokenhearted. Are we sprinkling our words in these ways? (Proverbs 15:1; 25:11-13,15; Romans 12:14-15; 1 Corinthians 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:14)

How vigilantly do we guard our words? When we misspeak and cause hurt, or even unintentionally stoke anger, are we quick to confess our wrong and ask for forgiveness? Do we take care to think through our messages and choose what we will say, and when, and how? Would others say our words are depleting or life-giving, like a drought or fresh dew?

Lord, fill my mouth by Your Spirit with Your words, that I might savor their nourishment and beauty. Use then my words to express life-giving power in all I say. May they exalt You, and therefore bring You, like dew, to bless those to whom I speak. Refresh others through what I say so they taste, and welcome, and delight in You. (Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 59:21)

“When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, ‘We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.’ But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, ‘Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?’ They said to Joshua, ‘We are your servants.’ And Joshua said to them, ‘Who are you? And where do you come from?’ They said to him, ‘From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did… So… Come now, make a covenant with us. Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.’ So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. At the end of three days.., they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.” Joshua 9:3-9,11-16

Deception wears a variety of costumes, but they all come from the devil’s closet. In this case, words and looks played the biggest part, and accompanying manipulated emotions swayed the gullible audience. The more convincing the false script and props, the less reason to consult with the Director. The enemy knows how to touch our weak places, and does it with wily craft, always with the intent to veer us astray.

What do external deceptions look like, and how do they influence our thinking and actions? Narratives convince by carefully chosen examples and statistics, but may lack context, or complete or complementary facts. It is vital we thoughtfully consider all angles and consult with the Lord before making decisions. Enticing appeals allure our senses by promising fulfillment, fancy, and freedom. We must take care to hone the long view, and be prudent to eschew the temporal for the lasting. (Hebrews 11:25)

We can also deceive ourselves by yielding to self-appointed desires or looking for affirmation only of what we want to be true, while refusing truth that corrects, hurts, or requires transformation. Giving in to any deceit can leave Gibeonite consequences for a lifetime, but Jesus stands ready to help and redeem. (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 16:1-4; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12,16)

Lord, keep me stable in Your word, and steady on Your straight path. Help me defeat the enemy’s deceit with all its enticements by treasuring Your wisdom above all.

“Your hands have made and fashioned me;
    give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
    because I have hoped in your word.
I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Let your steadfast love comfort me
    according to your promise to your servant.
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
    for your law is my delight…
Let those who fear you turn to me,
    that they may know your testimonies…

My soul longs for your salvation;
    I hope in your word.
My eyes long for your promise;
    I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?..’

If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have given me life.” Psalm 119:73-77,79,81-82,92-93

“We… have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone… on our behalf.” Hebrews 6:18-20

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

When other believers observe not an easy life, but an afflicted life that has hoped in the Lord’s steadfast love, and been held peaceful in His comfort, they have cause to rejoice. It is not how happy we are in our circumstances, but how strong is our faith when life is difficult that determines the influence our witness can have on their perception of Him. When we are weary of isolation, strapped for financial means, brokenhearted over rebellious children, grieved over a broken world, into these dark places the truth of God’s promises shines. As we cling to this sure hope, the light seeps out and softens the furrowed brow, relaxes wrangling hands, and our smile on God’s sufficiency becomes contagious. ‘If they can hope, I can hope.’

How does the psalmist kindle his hope? He continually turns his thoughts to true truths: God designed and made him. God is faithful and loves steadfastly while He deals with him and measures his afflictions. God is merciful and gives comfort through His word. God’s word gives wisdom and life, therefore he chooses to delight and hope in Him. He finds in his Savior an anchor for his soul, and therefore cannot be moved by his life circumstances.

In whom, or what, am I putting my hope today? What difference does the anchor of God’s word make in my afflictions? There is great peace and joy in believing that who God is and what He has said is true. If we desire to be calm and steady in every affliction, we must long first for God in His word, and there fix our security with undeviating determination. Those around us who suffer will notice the Lord’s countenance of peace upon us, and be drawn to its benediction. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Lord, no matter what comes, keep me hoping in Your word, that others take notice of You, and rejoice.

 

 

 

 

“Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison… Though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised to give her whatever she might ask... She said, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.’ And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he… sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter… And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. Crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick… Jesus said, ‘Give them something to eat…’

“He made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side… And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray… The boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves. And he came to them, walking on the sea.” Matthew 14:3-14,16,22-25

In the middle of grief, it is the sense of bereavement that chokes the heart. No more, never again, never will be. A deafening silence, a suffocating void, a palpable absence. Sometimes shock punctuates it with additional horror and cruelty. Jesus’s godly cousin had been unconscionably murdered, yet He found little space to process it and quiet His soul. Overcome or not, needs pressed, and He continued to give. His loss fueled others’ gain.

To know sadness in loss is to have known fullness, holy longing, deep love. To be deprived of something or someone treasured is to empathize with the grief of others, to understand in a small way the gift the Father gave in His beloved son. And to know these passions brings us into fellowship with our Savior who was well acquainted with grief, who suffered giving His life for us. (Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 3:17; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 1:5-6)

The Lord tenderly, graciously manipulates the tool of grief in our lives to rework any coldness or self-protectiveness into warm compassion, to shape our hearts to relate and respond generously to those around us. He is a marvelous God who transforms opposites to exemplify His glorious redemption of the soul.

What loss in our lives might God intend to turn to another’s gain? What can we learn from those in different and hard circumstances, and how can we relate and minister with true empathy?

Blessed be You, my Man of Sorrows, Father of mercies, God of all comfort. Have Your way with every grief to make me more like Thee.

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?’ And the commander of the Lord‘s army said to Joshua, ‘Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:13-15

Oh, we are so prone to thinking our way is best! Superior, smart, enlightened. This scene, early in Joshua’s tenure as Israel’s commander in conquering the promised land, turns our whole way of thinking upside down and inside out. The Israelites have crossed the Jordan, been circumcised in their special identification as God’s own in this foreign place, celebrated the Passover, begun to eat the fruit of the land instead of their daily heaven-dropped manna, and are eager to begin their conquest against the cowering Canaanites. It is a natural curiosity for Joshua to wonder who this armed man was, but God intends to set right his whole perspective. This would not be an “us versus them” occupation, but was all to be God’s operation. (Joshua 5:1-12)

Maybe spurred by natural protections, and perhaps by an inflated view of our own expertise or outlook, it is easy to see life as a battle for my rights, a venue to accomplish my plans, or a venture for my way.  I am master of the universe, and everything and everyone serves at my command, for my purposes, to help me achieve my ends. ‘Lord, please bless them.’

While we do not see a particular pride in Joshua, and he had served years alongside the humble Moses, we observe that the Lord wanted him to be sure from the beginning that this settling in the land would be His doing, not Joshua’s. And He was to be regarded, from day one, as holy- something Joshua’s predecessor had failed to do. ‘Remember, Joshua, where I have you now, and where I will lead you, are holy ground.’ (Exodus 3:4-5; Numbers 20:12; Proverbs 16:9)

How do I view my agenda, my place, my opportunities? Do I, by my very determinations and actions, seize ownership of my days and resources, to treat and employ as I choose, and ask simply for God’s blessing and favor on my efforts? Or do I hold open my hands and calendar and say, ‘Lord, You have given this day and these talents. My home, work, and ministries are holy ground. I rejoice in You and what You have provided and will reveal. Enlist me as Your soldier, lead me in such a way that Your kingdom purposes are advanced, and that all see You exalted’? (Psalm 118:24)

Lord, keep me prostrate on Your holy ground of every day. Help me hear what You say to Your servant, and arise to walk in Your paths. (Psalm 32:8)