As the rain and snow

“Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.” “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Galatians 2:1; Proverbs 13:20; 27:17 Barnabus, Titus

In this simple description of Paul’s early years of public ministry, we are drawn to the importance of companions. Paul had undergone a remarkable spiritual transformation-  when God brought Paul to his knees, He sent Ananias to confront him. From the beginning, He provided Barnabus, the “encourager,” to be his friend, initially to introduce and defend him, and then, after Paul’s time alone of being steeped in the Lord, to travel with him and share in his influential  work as a strong comrade and confidante. They did not always agree, but God worked much good from their opposing opinions, not only to spread the gospel further as they at one time parted ways, but by giving us an example of how to agree to disagree fruitfully. Here in Galatians, it is Paul who refutes Peter over an inaccurate conduct. Titus, a Greek who learned much about faith in Jesus from Paul, offered this Jewish intellect a non-Jewish perspective, and so, even as his ‘understudy’ in faith, deepened Paul’s understanding of how to reach the Gentiles with the gospel. (Acts 4:36; 9:1-22,26-27; 15:36-41; Galatians 1:15-22; Titus 1:4-5)

We need encouragers, and we need to encourage and disciple. We need different viewpoints. Lives are made rich through interactions and friendships with those older and younger, more seasoned and wise and those who need edification and support. We learn from, and our ministry is enhanced by, those God places around us, maybe for a short season, sometimes through love history. Our interactions should uplift, encourage, and console, we must speak and receive the truth in love, and so build up one another. (Acts 9:10-17; 1 Corinthians 14:3; Galatians 2:11-14; Ephesians 4:15)

Would I take an assessment of my companions? Do I prefer to surround myself with those who always agree with me, whose inclination is to go along with my plans and attitudes (including negative), those whom I can lead and somewhat control and who do nothing to build me up in the faith? Am I content to align myself with those who pull me down spiritually, who allow me to relish the world’s satisfactions with the excuse that I am morally superior and just want to relate to others? Do I seek only those from whom I can learn, and I am always the sponge, the taker, even sometimes to mooch, claiming myself inadequate, or not having the time or energy to ever do any good for others? Do I only want to pontificate about my opinions, that are always right? Or am I, in God’s grace, open to a variety of friendships, to learning from others and generously giving back?

Lord, may I unselfishly and lovingly befriend and interact with all sorts of people, be eager and willing to both learn and teach, to take and to give. Please so weave my life with others’ that Your Body radiates love and power to the onlooking world.

 

“King Solomon was king over all Israel, and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor… And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore.” 1 Kings 4:1-6,29

Solomon had an immense charge over a burgeoning nation, and in his God-given wisdom, knew he could not do everything. It takes a good measure of spiritual wisdom, laced with humility, to recognize we are not capable of doing all that is needed for a large task, and even more practical wisdom to be able to place around us those who can complement our abilities, exercise proficiency in areas where we lack, and come alongside to give needed counsel and refinement. It was Solomon himself who wrote, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety; Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed; By wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory; Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6; 27:17)

When the Lord calls us to be a leader, He invites us to trust Him to provide for those in our ‘cabinet.’ We must be willing to think of ourselves not too highly, but accurately and soberly, then seek holy insight for those with differing gifts that can be forged together to make for a formidable team. If we are honest, we will admit need for friendship in the workplace, a confidante or two who can listen and speak truth to us when we lose our spiritual grounding, when we make mistakes, to discuss strategy and hurts and personal challenges. When we listen, plan, and manage well, we also recognize the need for vision-casting, training, keeping the team in line with unified mission. Solomon was known for the happiness of those who served beside him, because they spent time with him, they gleaned understanding and expertise as he shared with them wisdom and care, and they thrived in their ‘sweet spots.’ (Romans 12:3-8)

What assignments has the Lord given me? Do I shrink from taking a responsibility because it is too hard, without looking to see how He would have me tackle the job and who He might bring alongside to help? Do I dive in with gusto and burn out because I am trying to do everything, or to control my co-laborers through micro-management? When I take on what is not mine to do, I deny others from learning and growing in their gifts, and I rob God of His glory by taking all the credit.

Father, teach me humility and discernment in all You call me to do. May I ever be malleable and wise, leading with confidence, yet fully dependent on Your supply, so You receive the glory.

“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I shall give you.’ And Solomon said,.. ‘O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.'” 1 Kings 3:5-13

Solomon was worshiping when the Lord appeared, and his reverence shaped his response to His offer. Humbling myself before the Lord influences the genuine desire of my heart, and gives opportunity to state specific requests. What do I really want? Wherever we live, whatever our station in life, there are things material and psychological, physical and emotional, practical and impossible, that we want. God’s presence refines them.

If my ‘wants’ are noble, how well do they match my willingness, with undivided heart and unreserved vigor, to make them happen? I might want peaceful relationships, but be unwilling to admit my contribution to the strife, to lay down my rights, and to forgive, in order to begin peace-making. I may pray for well-behaved children, but fail to set clear standards of behavior and respect, and to be consistent in my discipline. I may ask to be healthy, but balk at saying no to junk and yes to an active lifestyle. I might want to know God better, but do nothing to order my days to give Him time and attention, to guard my heart so I can offer adoration and affection. Do I ask God to grow in faith, yet withhold giving sacrificially out of fear, or serving out of insecurity? Do I pretend to want to trust Him with my children, health, or job, but manipulate circumstances, barge in with solutions, or constantly fret and worry?

We serve a mighty, abundant King of kings, Who possesses everything and is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine, including purifying our wants. His desires for us are deep and eternal, and He invites and enables us to go up on the heights to ‘ask what He should give,’ to seek what is divine, significant, and lasting. (Psalm 50:10; 73:16-17; 86:11; Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 3:20)

Father, may I ever delight myself in You, that You define, and shape, and keep pure, the wants of my heart. (Psalm 37:4)

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.  I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak. I will rescue my flock. I will make with them a covenant of peace… so that they may dwell securely… and none shall make them afraid… And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they are my people. You are my sheep, and I am your God.” Ezekiel 34:11-16,22,25,28,30-31

If He will, then He has full capacity to undertake for the how and when. If He promises, then He has to power and will to fulfill His pledge. If He vows, He is able and ready and committed. If He will, then I can trust Him, and rest in His word.  If He will, then I need not.

Ezekiel has just prophesied against false, greedy, self-serving shepherds, and now he turns to comfort the hungry, weak, sick, injured, strayed, lost, and scattered whom they had stranded. His repeated “I will”s drive home and magnify the lavish kindness and powerful love that back every word from almighty God’s mouth. Sovereign God so orders our lives, and all He does in response to our circumstances, to show forth His glorious character in the way He tenaciously pursues and provides for us, that we will know Him. He will not leave us abandoned and wanting any longer than is necessary to teach us Who He is, and that we are His. Ofttimes misery, desolation, and exile are tasted in order for us to recognize the goodness and grace-initiated rescue of the one true God.

“[The shepherd] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out… He goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” John 10:3,14

What iniquities hold me in slavery? What bitter or sour attitudes, what agony or lack, cloud my ability to love and serve well? Jesus knows my everything, and has pledged to lead me out to freedom and abundance. Will I choose to know Him by following Him as my Shepherd? (John 10:10)

Good Shepherd, teach me to trust Your promises and follow Your voice, and so know You.

 

 

“As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth.” Ezekiel 33:30-33; 2 Timothy 4:3-4

A headline yesterday read: Both Sides Seem to Have Their Own Truth. Those to whom Ezekiel prophesied were titillated by what he said, gathering together in a spirit of camaraderie to listen, yet his words, given directly by God, fell on stiffened necks that upheld closed ears. They paid no heed to what was really being said. Their minds were pre-programmed by greed, so they heard only what they wanted to hear to suit their lust for gain. They had already created their own ‘truth.’ Self- absorption and determination have a way of coloring all we see and hear, at times closing off any counter-thought altogether.

Over six centuries after Ezekiel, Governor Felix and his wife Drusilla repeatedly sent for the apostle Paul, who was in custody, conversing often in hope of a bribe, but squirming at the first hint of conviction, ultimately paying no heed to his clear testimony about Jesus. Felix’s successor Festus invited King Agrippa with his wife Bernice to hear Paul, and they came with great pomp but listened half-heartedly, wanting to be entertained but unwilling to open themselves to full belief. Paul warned against these ‘itching ears’ with an admonition to stay true to the word at all times, in all company. (Acts 24:24-26; 25:22-26:28)

As the modern headline illustrates, the desire and tendency to determine our own ‘truth’ is still prevalent today. If God’s truth does not fit my agenda, if it stifles my passion, or discomfits my coveted view, then I need not pay attention. It is merely ‘another’ truth, one I can dismiss because my own self-crafted version suits me better. This dangerous habit undermines the foundation of God’s sovereign authority and distorts our understanding of His right to establish truth in Jesus. (John 14:6)

What attitude needs confessing, what selfish propensity needs be set aside, in order to hear with a pure heart and align my thinking and doing with God’s inerrant Word?

Father, incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Teach me to listen well, to discern truth, and to delight in and heed all You say. (Psalm 119:33-36)

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart.” “You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?” Exodus 15:11; 1 Kings 8:23; Psalm 71:19

“I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7

It is our bent to compare, to line up experiences with others we have had before, to liken new places and events to others we have known, and measure ourselves against other people in appearance and performance. But when we gaze at Almighty God, all attempts at comparison fall away. There is no one or power or feeling or god that can even begin to compare with the eternal King of kings. Beholding Him fixes our focus above ties to our surroundings and elevates our consciousness beyond the temporal. His alone is the greatness and power and glory and majesty and victory. (1 Chronicles 29:10-13)

Nothing on earth can supply lasting satisfaction of the heart, the instant of being given the right thing to say, the invisible and palpable comfort of knowing you are being carried in the deepest of grief. Who or what else can providentially orchestrate the overhearing of a conversation that leads to new friendship or meeting of a need, can bind hearts together in Christian love, can amaze with hope that calms the agonized soul? Is there any other power that is perfectly holy, infinitely loving, completely sufficient?

In the chaos of activity and emotion, the pressure of responsibilities, the spinning and limits of time, where do we look for order, help, resolution? When we feel frenzied of heart, confused at direction, fearful in the darkness of a diagnosis or suddenly-altered future, or weighed down with care, would we turn to the incomparable, omniscient One Who upholds, sustains, calms, and leads with light? When weak, incapable, wounded, spent, to whom or what do we go? Only God is strong, omnipotent, Jehovah Rapha the Healer, Lord Sabbath of rest. There is none like Him. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Isaiah 41:10; John 14:27)

Mighty, indescribable God, Whose name is above every name, captivate my thoughts and my every affection. Guard me from even subconsciously trusting anything or anyone as a better solution, shepherd, solace, or satisfaction. Wrench me away from comparisons against others to worship the incomparable You with all that I am. (Philippians 2:9)

“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.” “He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God.” “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.” 2 Samuel 23:2; Psalm 78:5-7;  Isaiah 50:4

Before the Scriptures were written and complete, God’s word was passed on orally. The God Who made our mouths intended that they be used for His testimony, that His story and truth might be understood, that He might be known and praised, that all peoples might have hope and life through His living word. As His Spirit inhabited His word all along, it does so today when He teaches us, then when He speaks by us as we open our mouths to tell His law and works. His is the power, ours the willing tongues.

What deters us from proclaiming His deeds? What discourages us from delivering His word that sustains the weary? What prevents our readiness and willingness to be His mouthpiece? If morning by morning we must listen in order to be taught and filled, what keeps us from prioritizing that time and attention to Him?

“But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’” Exodus 4:10-12

Even mighty Moses felt inadequate, faltering at God’s command to go and speak. Yet, he kept communing with Him, and learned over the years that his God was enough, that He Who called was He Who was faithful to enable and perform. Would we so trust and obey our all-sufficient God? (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

“Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.”  ~Keith Getty and Stuart Townend  (2005)

Father, speak to me and loosen my tongue to pass on Your life-giving word. Guard my tongue from excess or empty talk, direct my words to be Yours. Speak by me to give hope, comfort, and sustenance to all I meet.

 

“Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.” Psalm 74:12,15-17

We just passed through the summer equinox, “the instant of time when the plane of Earth’s equator passes through the center of the sun,” when fall begins and day and night are the same length. I am humbled with the realization that in the bright times in our lives, and the dark times, our God the King reigns in absolute perfection, ordering both day and night. The Designer, Architect, and Engineer of the spinning earth and all the universe brings balance to every life, filling them with a variety of experiences to teach us about His sovereignty and care. He is Lord of all that is light, uplifting, and hopeful, as well as all that is thick dark, untenable, and sorrowful. He rules over feast and famine, flowing streams and drought, glad satisfaction and gnawing longing.

What difference does this make for us? We are told by the world that if God is love, He wants only health and happiness for us, yet Scriptures’ truth is to the contrary: “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” The Creator of the universe has ordained both day and night because we need them. We need them in order to function well, to be exposed to life-giving sunlight and for rest at night. We need them in order to know God, to be sanctified to be like Jesus. We need them to learn compassion, to keep us from becoming proud, and to teach us full dependence on Christ’s sufficiency- both on our behalf and in His suffering and death on the cross. (2 Corinthians 4:17; 12:7-10; Ephesians 4:32; 2 Timothy 3:12)

So when our path is smooth and pleasant, we will be thankful. And when it is dim and rough, we can be thankful also. God orders one as well as the other to form the whole of our character and lives, ever present on our journey, gracing our joys and redeeming our hardships. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” We need not fear, we are never alone. “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Peter 5:10; Revelation 2:10;  Psalm 30:5)

King of all, this is Your day, and Yours will be the night. May I rejoice and be glad in them, even as I rejoice in You. (Psalm 118:24)

 

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40

So much in our lives pushes us to work and do for credit, for self-advantage. We are taught, advised, and constantly media-reminded to get and enjoy what we deserve, to put ourselves first and forward, to build our resume, to get involved because it makes us feel good, to see and be seen with the important, the influencers, those who can give some benefit back. There is something beautifully refreshing about ‘those on the king’s right’ who do not even realize they have served Him in their generosity to ‘the least of these.’ Their passion was captivated by the poor, needy, and disenfranchised, their motive simply to do the right thing, their caring and giving a natural outflow of loving hearts that knew mercy well enough to spill it out for others. This is service that pleases God. There is no thought for self, for what it costs, for who would notice. The selfless acts toward those who cannot repay find favor with Him because they mirror His for us.

Jesus paid a debt for us we owed, and can never repay. He calls us to do likewise, in His name. When we grasp the immensity and completeness of His gift to us, we not only want to give in return, but His life in us makes it natural. We welcome Him to take our life reins, and He takes possession of and transforms our deepest instincts. (Matthew 20:28; Galatians 2:20; 1 Timothy 2:6)

“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.

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)

Bountiful King, remind me regularly that You, not I, inhabit my life’s throne. As I go about my day may I forget all but You, and so live that my hands extend Your love, my lips speak Your life-giving truth, my life pulses with your compassion and grace.

 

 

“We want you to know about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,  for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means,.. and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— …they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us… But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich… You started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-5,7-12

Paul weaves truth principles into his cogent call for action, giving them punch and possibility. He is quick to commend the Corinthian church for their exercise of faith, speech, knowledge, and earnestness, but will not let them settle for doing only what comes naturally. Bolstered by the example of Jesus, and the church in Macedonia, he says ‘excel also in this.’ Would they be willing to step out in new possibilities? To give when they might prefer to keep, to entrust their little to God Who of that can make much? (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2; Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38; John 6:1-14)

You mean I do not do enough, Lord? Haven’t all my efforts, my service, my reaching out, my donations, been adequate? Instead of looking at our pile of goodness, and cozying into the fluffed pillows of personal ease, we are reminded in this passage to break out of what is comfortable and regular and ‘enough,’ and make a new routine of going beyond. The Macedonians, and Jesus, delighted in giving, in great affliction, for others’ sakes. Would we so open ourselves to a new, ample measure of grace, an intentional fulfilling of every God-given intention? Our challenge is to go farther and give more than what our flesh would limit, to excel in acting on the Lord’s inspired promptings, no matter how hard, no matter our dearth. What will it take to step out in unbridled willingness to be used, and to trust? Is there a new skill He would have us learn, a greater amount He would have us give? Is He calling us to a different pathway, ministry, or role, that stretches us?

Lord, beyond my means is always within Yours. Trusting Your supply, may I excel in every act of grace You have called me to give and do, for Your sake and glory. (Philippians 4:19)