As the rain and snow

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’ So he… pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.’ Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud [came] between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them into the midst of the sea. And in the morning watch the Lord threw the Egyptian forces into a panic... And [they]said, ‘Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.’

“Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. As the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw [them] into the midst of the sea… not one of them remained. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord.” Exodus 14:5-6,9-10,13-14,17-25,27-31

The Israel millions began their exodus from Egypt bold, brave, defiant, but the vast Sea before and angry army behind paralyzed them with fear. Moses, observing their pivot, revives them. ‘Fear not, stand firm, be silent, see God!’

Do we panic, and manipulate to avoid the places of adversity, testing, impossibility? Do we eschew roadblocks, and forge elsewhere in our own strategies because God’s don’t make sense? Does our courage dissolve into fear when circumstances get tough? Do we lose sight of God when we see the Sea? At the edge of His directed hard place, will we stand still, silence our fretting, and expect Him to make a spectacular way of salvation? An easy, smooth route has nothing on a divided sea.

Father, keep me in step with You, wherever You lead. Train my eyes to see Your salvation in every impossible Sea, and advance in faith in the way You provide. And beholding Your magnificent power, may I exalt Your glory.

“At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, ‘Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!’

“The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, ‘We shall all be dead.’ So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. They had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

“At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.” Exodus 12:29-36,41-42

At the stroke of midnight (does anything good happen after midnight?) the angel of death struck the Egyptians, just as the Lord had announced through His servant Moses. Finally, with this tenth plague, Pharaoh was convinced to release the Israelites. And what a night it was.

Buzzing parents, groggy children and animals, fearful yet in wonder at the supernatural death for Egypt and protection for Israel because of the blood…. the blood, the smell of lambs’ blood over their doors permeated the warm night air with the wailing, the spoor of death lingered as they plundered, pushed, packed together, made haste to leave everything they’d ever known, memorializing in their minds the provision through the slaughter of the innocent.

We face such nights, not so much necessarily fleeing our homes, but death vigils over loved ones, extended longing for spiritual awakening, sleepless seasons of physical pain.

And our Lord watches. He is present, keeping guard over His own, active to deliver, to provide, to direct next steps into the unknown, to open His way out and onward.

When I’ve been forsaken, betrayed, afflicted with suffering, do I trust the loving watch of Jesus? In the misery of conviction, will I yield to God’s merciful, chastening hand? When anxious storms engulf and choke, will I look to the One who watches in peace, and rules? (Job 30:16-17; Psalm 32:4; Matthew 8:23-27; John 6:16-21)

When God calls “it’s time,” and leads me on, will I set aside fear, take up His provision, and make haste to obey and follow?

Father, every night of the soul is one of Your watching. You alone are worthy of absolute trust.

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him… Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:8-14

A vibrant and flourishing life in Christ is an oxymoron of divine realities. Contentment in Christ, a gift of His indwelling Spirit, presupposes it is never enough. Satisfaction in Christ, another gift of His Spirit, awakens hunger for more. The better we know Him, and the more content and satisfied we are in His sufficiency, through a peculiar spiritual dichotomy, the more we long… for more.

We live as Christians in this world in an enigmatic tension. We cannot have both deep satisfaction in Christ and contentment in our status quo. To know Him to the point we find our all in Him, we continually want more. When once we taste and see He is good, our appetite for Him arouses and we desire to partake again and again. He who satisfies our hunger for significance, our longing for purpose and meaning, is the One who daily feeds us on His bread of life. He who slakes our spiritual thirst is our infinite well of living water. (Psalm 34:8; John 4:14; 6:32-35)

He who saves and declares us righteous is the One who continually sanctifies us, making us increasingly Christ-like as we work out our salvation. He who has lifted us out of the pit is He who leads us ever upward, He who freed us from sin and shame the One who teaches us to say no to them. He who has made us a new creation is He who renews us day by day, honing godly character and refining our personality until the moment we see Him face to face and are like Him. (Psalm 103:3-5; Romans 7:6,22-25; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 5:17; Philippians 2:12-13; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 3:2)

The Lord who grants us soul rest is the One who keeps our minds in perfect peace as we trust Him, and offers rest when we yoke to Him. The One who has given us the mind of Christ is the same who renews our minds and grants us wisdom generously when we ask. We who are rooted and grounded in Christ’s love can live all our days exploring its infinite measure. (Psalm 62:1-2; Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 11:28-29; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 3:14-19; James 1:5)

So in this mysterious paradox, where do we stand? Are we content, and satisfied? Good! Are we also yearning to go deeper, and higher? Good!

“Prayer is the heartfelt expression of holy dissatisfaction.” ~John Piper

Lord, keep me content, and wanting more; satisfied, and hungering for You.

“Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no’ at the same time? As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:17-20

“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true.” Psalm 18:30

“Every word of God proves true.” Proverbs 30:5

While Paul altered his plans to visit the Corinthians, he did not waver in his love for them or concern for their spiritual growth. Circumstances, not his gospel message and impetus, had changed. To keep them from questioning his motive or commitment to them, he points them back to Jesus, the unchanging, faithful Savior.

And this Savior is a God of His word. He Himself fulfilled dozens of Old Testament promises in His coming, and fulfills every promise He makes to us. He is the embodiment of truth, of unchanging Yes and Amen. So be it, Agreed, This is true. Our Lord is able, benevolent, creative, divine, enough, faithful, and good. He is holy, immutable, just, kind, loving, merciful, and near. Jesus is omnipotent, present, quick to forgive, our Redeemer and Savior. He is trustworthy, unshakable, victorious, wise, and exalted. He yields His glory to none, and is zealous for His own. This is my Jesus, and all of His attributes are Yes and infinite forever. (Matthew 5:17-18; John 14:6)

What difference does this make in my daily perspective, my pondering, my plans? Do I fidget in foibles, or follow in faith? Will I scuttle out of meandering in ‘maybes’ to live with conviction in ‘Yes’?

All of God’s promises and provisions are given in Jesus. Do we grasp and rejoice in His every ‘Yes’ to us in Christ? Can and do we say a hearty ‘Yes’ to Him because of Christ? Where am I delaying, putting off, or turning down His call because I fear saying ‘Yes’ to Him? Are there places I stumble in my inadequacies rather than trek forward in His sufficiencies? Do I focus on my weakness instead of His strength? What would change in my life trajectory if I stood and with gusto consented a vigorous ‘Yes!’ to my King? (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

“‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord!’

Lord, may my life be proof of my ‘Amen’ to Your ‘Yes’ in Jesus. May I daily take You at Your word, and live it out in such a way that others say ‘Yes’ to You too.

“Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” Luke 9:28-35

“When he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?’  And he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’” Mark 14:37-38; Luke 22:45-46 

The disciples, especially Peter, had a sleeping problem. Repeatedly, Jesus alerts them from sleep, and warns them to watch and beware, yet we see Peter, time and again, awake from drowsiness to petulant violence, blurting words, and careless denials. (John 18:10,15-27)

While sleep is certainly vital to life and health, spiritual slumber is a dangerous habit. The vivid scenes of Jesus getting alone to pray, of going out early in the morning to commune with His heavenly Father, should inspire us to make a practice of rising from sleep to deliberately rejoice, realign, renew, and rest our souls in Him. (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16)

An older, wiser friend told me early in my marriage, “Do not speak to anyone in the morning until you have spoken to God, do not read anything until you have read His word.” We have biblical examples of how we slip into sloppiness when this advice is ignored. We can rise physically refreshed and mentally sharp, but it bodes us well to take time to commune with Jesus and focus on the unchanging truths of God’s word before embarking on our day. Worship of the Lord illuminates our minds, the Holy Spirit convicts and corrects, God’s word lights our path and sets us free to speak, understand, serve, and stand firm in His power. (Joshua 9:14-15,22; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14; Psalm 119:105; John 8:32; 14:6; 16:8)

Where have I given in to just ‘a little slumber and folding of [my] hands’? Where have I allowed complacency to creep in to my discernment of the news, scheduling of time, spending of resources? Have I grown slack, weary, and depleted? To stay sharp, I must shake off sleep and invite my Lord to fill and engage all my faculties, every moment of every day. (Proverbs 6:10-11; Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 5:18)

Lord, guard me from slipping into spiritual sloth. Arouse me from the soporific hum of the world to full alertness and zeal for You. (Romans 12:11)

 

“Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.” Exodus 12:3-6,8-10

Remembrances are sprinkled throughout the Scriptures. It is important to God that we recall and commemorate important events, because He is the Author of them all. He has implanted in us the ability to bring experiences and lessons to mind, to apply understanding and feel with emotion, to develop perspective and be thankful, so that, at these times again and again, we honor Him and His good gifts to us.

For Israel, they were never to forget the oppression in Egypt and their glorious deliverance from slavery there. For us who were also slaves, we must never forget our deliverance afforded by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Every time we feel temptation’s pang of a former destructive habit or an alien affection, we can rejoice in Jesus’s finished work and the victory of His cross. Every time we turn the calendar on a sad anniversary of death or loss, we can remember and thank the One who won victory over death, and sorrow, and pain. (Romans 6:17-18; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Revelation 21:4)

Every birth, and spiritual re-birth, is cause for remembering our gracious Giver of breath and life. Every birthday, we can rejoice in the One who numbered our days before we were born and has remained faithful another year. Every wedding anniversary, we can trace and celebrate another year of God’s help and care and abiding. Each day of reconciliation, we can celebrate our Redeemer who reconciled us to Himself, and teaches us to forgive as we have been forgiven. (Job 14:5; Psalm 139:16; Matthew 6:25,31-33; John 4:14; Ephesians 4:32)

Do I take time to remember and rejoice? Am I deliberate to tell the next generation the faithful deeds of the Lord, to teach them to look for His magnificent works through history and on their behalf? (Psalm 78:1-7)

Lord, You have done many and marvelous things for me, and I am filled with joy. Adorn me with gladness and thanksgiving. Keep me remembering and celebrating Your merciful deliverance and great salvation. May I ever tell of Your wondrous deeds, to the praise of Your power and glory. (Psalm 126:3)

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit… All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… 

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose… God has so composed the body,.. that there may be no division in the body, that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it… Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts… so that the church may be built up.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-9,11-13,18,24-27;14:1,5b

Every part of the Godhead is involved in the granting and enabling of our spiritual gifts. God the Father empowers, the Lord Jesus assigns according to His grace, and the Holy Spirit inspires their excellence and use. When we identify and accept our gifts, then use them for the good of the body, we honor the Godhead. His it is to appoint and design. He is the master architect of His body, the church.

And every part of the Trinity is extolled when we exercise our spiritual gifts. Every time I, in and with God’s love, put to use the graces endowed by His Son, I sweeten the fellowship of His Spirit among the saints. O Lord, receive blessing from Your giving! (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Where do I chafe against my gifts, or compare with others in envy? Do I criticize because someone else is not pulling his weight or does not match my same zeal in a certain area or effort? What am I doing to help build up the gifts of other people, to encourage their outworking and refining? Am I prone to jump into service that is extraneous for me, but could be the very thing God is calling another to do?

I am dispensable, in that I am not so important that I need to do everything. Yet I am also indispensable, in that God has specific assignments for only me. Am I seeking His wisdom daily to know where and how He would have me contribute in His body, and when I should say no?

Lord, help me be faithful where you have called me to serve with my gifts, and may I encourage others to strengthen and exercise their gifts for Your glory also. Employ Your people to build up Your church to be a beacon in this dark world, and rise to the praise of Your glory.

“My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5

What Job describes, Solomon echoes. To behold and extract the beauty beneath the surface, the earth must be opened and miners risk to descend and explore. True treasure must be searched for with diligence, care, and sweat. To plumb the depths of our Lord God we must risk in faith and expend energy and time, matching desire with effort, want with zeal. We will never know the wisdom of God if we do not open shafts in our hearts, inquire with our minds, and regularly go deep into His word and search out His character and ways.

Will I set aside fear of conviction and take the plunge? Will I stop my ear to the world’s banter and enticements and listen for truth from heaven? Will I surrender my hard heart and allow my loving God to break it for the things that break His, and remake it? Will I carve out time to explore and adore my Lord in the dark and quiet of each day?

Father, establish my heart, and orient my life, to seek and mine Your treasure. Strip me of cares of this world, that I value You above all else. (Luke 12:29-31)

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.’ 

“Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth… flashing continually in the midst of the very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast, every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field… But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart.” Exodus 9:12-18,20a,23-25,..34-35

The God of kings and servants is the God of weather and life. He who sends ruinous hail and quiet snow also gives breath to creatures and hope to man. The Lord makes the human heart– some are soft, some are hard. All the while, and through all of God’s doings, his plans will be accomplished. His ultimate purpose is to display His power that He might be known and His holy name exalted.

We may try to put fences around our lives to keep them untouched by the cruelty, the wasting viruses, the hurtful bullying of the world. We may try to order and control every aspect of our calendar and intentions and safety, but what God desires, He does, and He will complete all that He appoints for each one of us. (Job 23:13-14)

Do we scheme against His orchestration for our own interests and ends, or enter ourselves into the flow of His grand and good plans? Do we cut ourselves off in fortresses of self–protection, or make ourselves available for his kingdom work, to serve and speak for Him, that His name and attributes be known, embraced, and trusted?

When world events are testy and difficult, God opens opportunities to be His hands and feet, to spread His infectious love, to emulate His character, to tell of His grace and the power of the cross. We are His agents to help others consider the eternal, the God who reigns above the hail of violence and disunity, the plagues of indifference, resentment, and self-righteousness.

Lord, who has called me by name, mold me as your servant. May I wholeheartedly live out Your purposes for the spreading of Your name and the praise of Your glory. (Isaiah 49:1-3)

“He stretches out the north over the void
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not split open under them.
He covers the face of the full moon
    and spreads over it his cloud.
He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters
    at the boundary between light and darkness.
The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astounded at his rebuke.
By his power he stilled the sea;
    by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
By his wind the heavens were made fair;
    his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?” Job 26:7-14

When days are long and trials oppressive, pain chronic and the future bleak, we need look up to be humbled by the greatness, vastness, perfection, and might of our God. He it is who reigns on high above the heavens He upholds, strewn with stars He knows by name. (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 40:26; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3)

When relationships strain, communication sours, love grows tepid, we can cast ourselves on the Lover of our souls and draw from His infinite fount of love, compassion, understanding. We can learn to forgive as we have been forgiven, to love others as ourselves and live unselfishly as Jesus. (Psalm 103:8-13; Mark 12:31; Ephesians 4:32; Philippians 2:1-8)

When skills dull and strength of mind diminishes, next steps are unknown, our purpose unclear, we can draw from God’s divine storehouse of wisdom and grace, trust His counsel and guidance, and believe He unfolds His good plans for us. We can rest content in His sovereign order of our circumstances and enabling for our assignments. (Psalm 32:8; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:11-13)

Indeed, Almighty God’s paths are beyond tracing out, His presence uncontainable! We know but the outskirts of His infinite ways, respond to whispers of His measureless wisdom and love, yet even these are enough to change us, to redirect our thinking, to fuel our motivation, to energize our efforts, to make effective and eternally fruitful our service. Imagine the transformation of heart and soul as we grow in our understanding, as we penetrate His edges and hear and heed His ever-more-audible voice! What makes us reluctant to draw nearer, go deeper, listen more intently? What causes us to settle on the fringes of knowing God as He can be known?  (1 Kings 8:27; Romans 11:33)

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36

Oh Lord, cause me to hunger to know You ever better and more! Keep me worshiping You alone. Teach me Your ways, and grant me strength to live them out. Draw me high and deep, feed me till I want no more, and mold me till I am like Thee.