As the rain and snow

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable.” “ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” John 16:33; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

This morning, someone told me of a decision made that I had so hoped would go the other way, and I found my feathers ruffled. I thought I had given the situation over to my Lord, entrusted Him to have His way as this person deliberated, but realized in my reaction that I had not fully yielded. It seems the relentless tendency of our flesh to take up the reins for what is not ours to guide. In my mind I know not only am I commanded against this, but God promises better plans than I, and He completes His work without my help. Still, my weak will gives sway to my emotions, my selfish wants, impatience, and determination for the plans I think are best. (And I have such good reasons!) (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:6)

God alone does the best and perfect work according to His good and beneficial pleasure, and He calls me to higher ground by giving me these challenges of the heart. I realize the ruffling is my own doing, when I choose to walk into the turbulence of unmet expectations or hopes, mess in actions and decisions that arouse anxiety but aren’t mine to tend. When I instead face into the wind of His Spirit, He soothes and smooths the feathers of my heart. Looking to Him with my fears and deepest desires, I allow Him to calm me and enable me to capture His vision for what will be. My restless heart anchors its hope in Him, and comes to rest. Will I turn my back on what ruffles to face my Lord with holy resolve, and trust him? It is not wrong to have the right desire, to hope and pray for maturity in character and spirit, for wisdom that supplants emotion, but it is wrong to be anxious and upset when God doesn’t do things the way I want.

Lord, help me to trust You implicitly and completely, with all my cares, and every righteous hope and desire. At every doubt that nibbles at my confidence in You, may I turn to you to refocus. Let me not get stirred up by concern for what may never be, and instead choose to trust you for Who you will always be. Smooth my ruffled feathers of anxiety, restlessness, and impatience, to rest peacefully in You.

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans,  feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19

Reading this numbered list of what the Lord most despises emphasizes our actions that most tarnish his glory and hurt others. Pride, lying, murder, wicked violence all make sense; we would probably write the same. But He ranks up there with these universally repulsive crimes that of sowing discord among brothers. Ouch. Some sins are easier to dismiss because they are committed “by others,” but this one is wily, insidious, and sadly, prevalent in our homes and churches like a contagious disease.

How do we sow discord? “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.” “A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord.” “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” Discord begins in our hearts, where insecurity and selfish passions of pride, jealousy, anger, and malice agitate our emotions into words we should restrain. Our sense of superiority, or need to be esteemed, or bitterness over past hurts, or disdain of others, or cattiness at their choices or lifestyles or beliefs, are poisons that taint our attitude and will, rendering us vulnerable to an ugly heart and loose tongue. The less restrained we become, the greater our hardness against others, the more negative our perspective, the more caustic our talk that seeps out in criticisms, mentions of what might be true, suggestions of injustice, judging of motives. Eventually, our habit of internal conflict swells into waves of discord among family members, neighbors, even friends. (James 4:1,11; Proverbs 6:12-14; 16:28) 

How do we break free of this ensnaring and destructive habit? Paul taught the Ephesians what we can begin to practice by the Spirit’s power. “Put off your old self, which is corrupt through deceitful desires, and… be renewed in the spirit of your minds. Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Put away falsehood, speak the truth with [your] neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; and give no opportunity to the devil. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, but instead let there be thanksgiving. It is shameful even to speak of the things that [others] do in secret. Be filled with the Spirit.” It is a high and doable calling to work to reverse and heal discord and replace it with blessing. Our efforts benefit the Body and honor our Lord. (Ephesians 4:22-27,31-32; 5:4,12,18)

Father, let me never weary of doing good, even against the tide of discord in this world. May all I do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14; Galatians 6:9)

 

 

 

“And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you… You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place… Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood… And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside. And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.” Exodus 25:18,20-22; 26:34; 37:1-2,7-9

God gave explicit instructions to Moses for His tabernacle, and Moses conveyed them to the skilled craftsmen who would do the work. Bezalel, privileged to be called by name, filled with the Spirit of God, ability and intelligence, knowledge and craftsmanship, and appointed for this task, set to work. (Exodus 31:1-7)

The ark with its cherubim was the place where God would meet with man, within the Holy of Holies, and its design illustrated the meaning of this most hallowed relationship. It would be made beautiful and of pure gold, would hold the tablets containing the law, and would be visited once a year by the high priest, where he would bring the blood of sacrifice and meet with God to atone for the people. The blood that would ‘cover the law’ represented our Savior’s blood that was shed for us, opening the way for us to know and be united with God through His mediation. The cherubim who ‘guarded’ this mercy seat were where I want always to be– facing toward God’s presence, sustained by His grace. (Hebrews 9:3-7,11-15)

“Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
my beauty are, my glorious dress;
‘midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head.

Lord, I believe thy precious blood,                                                                                            Which, at the mercy seat of God,                                                                                            Forever doth for sinners plead,                                                                                                         For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

Jesus, be endless praise to thee,
whose boundless mercy hath for me,
for me a full atonement made,
an everlasting ransom paid.”  ~ Count Nicholaus Zinzendorf (1739)

Oh Lord, may I stay connected to You, never forgetting what You have done for me, ever gazing in gratitude at You, at the place where Your mercy and love meet man and Your life fulfills the law. May I live victoriously above the shame and punishment I deserve, sustained by Your gracious gift of salvation, my life a pure picture of Your righteousness that overshadows and overcomes the world. As I go about my days, may I walk in love as You loved me, and gave Yourself a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God for me. (Ephesians 5:2)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.” John 15:1-2,5,8,11,16

I love planting and watching those plants grow, from bright or fragrant flowering bushes to scented, flavorful herbs to showy orchids in the house or in my trees. It is always hard to trim off a branch that is errant but still green, to divide robust root tubers, to remove any part of a healthy plant, but it is necessary for a fuller, more fruitful plant, and always worth the pain of the cut, the ‘loss.’ I have found that pruning and patience (and a great climate) have produced magnificent, profuse blooms in my phalaenopsis, and I marvel at the spiritual truths they teach.

Jesus, in one of His last messages to His beloved disciples, explains the importance of abiding in Him and allowing the Vinedresser, His all-wise Father, to prune them in order that they bear fruit that will last and show themselves to be His, that they bring glory to Him and be filled with His joy. The priority must be abiding in Him and His word, continually soaking in the beauty and truth of Who He is, what He has done, and all He teaches. But abiding also involves a willingness to submit to the Master’s blade, His cutting off of tendencies, plans, activities that deter us from the greatest fruitfulness. It may be that I am busy with good things that He intends for another to do, or I get a notion for how I want to spend my time or resources that He knows will have no lasting effect. Do I bring my plans to Him? Does my daily abiding include an openness to hearing Him speak, even messages I don’t want to hear? It is easier to submit to the cutting off of what we know is unhealthy and saps our strength and resolve, than to say yes, Lord, You can take this good thing that I enjoy in order to make me more spiritually fruitful. When I yield to my Master’s skillful pruning, I may be giving up a comfort, a pleasurable diversion, a precise and ordered schedule I have made, in order to grow and blossom in a new skill, endeavor, ministry, or direction that He has planned.

Lord, keep me abiding, submissive to Your masterful pruning, showing forth Your Name and glory in the fruit I bear. Thank You for the gracious reward of joy and intimacy with You.

“‘Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord‘s contribution... Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded…‘ And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord‘s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord‘s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.” Exodus 35:5,10,21-29

This passage portrays a rich bounty of treasure, not only of varied, colorful jewelry, precious stones, threads, fabric, skins, and fragrance that would be used for God’s tabernacle, but of generous hearts. Can’t you sense the spillover of joy from the individuals contributing to this beautiful mobile tent for the LORD? Surely it was He Who stirred and moved and made willing their hearts. He was the One Who had delivered them from slavery, Who daily fed them, Who was Lord over water in the Sea, bitter water, and water from a rock. The gratitude and love awakened in their hearts pulsed to their minds, hands, fingers, feet to present their best, their costliest for their Sovereign. They gave what they had, some offerings of great monetary value, some of personal resources, some of time and talent. Motivated by glad obedience, their eyes looked beyond themselves, their hands opened wide to release their treasure for the Lord’s purpose and glory.

What moves my heart? Am I even aware of needs in the Body? And when they are known, how willing am I to give? Do I hoard my time, protect my schedule, cut off information that might require a response, and thus miss the joy of being a part of something larger than I? In what recesses of my heart is the Spirit moving to melt my resistance or control over security, to release with happy abandon the talents He has entrusted to me?

Lord on high, have full sway with me to bring all I am and have to You, for Your use and adornment.

” Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:1-5

Jesus knew a lot at this point–that God had given Him authority over all things; that He would soon take on the sin of the world, all its pain, grief, and agonizing separation from God on the cross before returning to Him; that Judas would betray and Peter deny Him. With this weight of knowledge, He made the most of His remaining hours on earth to love His own, and love abundantly. He humbly knelt at the disciples’ feet, carefully pouring water, rubbing and soothing their dusty mode of transportation into clean comfort, and as He washed, He taught. He prepared them for what was to come, He told them they needed to stay clean, He instructed them to follow His example by serving others and pointing them to the Savior Who cleansed the heart and soul, He urged them to deeper faith, He lifted their thoughts above the world to the divine by foretelling the Holy Spirit and explaining the trinity. He illustrated the love He wanted them to portray to the world once He was gone.

I am in the season of remembering my father’s last weeks… has it really been ten years?… and recall how well he loved to the end. It was never about him, always others. What he knew inside to be true drove him only to focus on those around him, to love with the twinkle in his eye, and pain-filled affection, and the “how are you and your family?” to all who called. He bore the message of Jesus as a sinner clothed in righteousness, unselfishly extending the grace he’d received, and gratitude and kindness to everyone he saw.

We do not know what a day will bring forth, the tempest or the calm. Man knows not his time. But we can live and love each day “to the end,” making the most of every opportunity to set ourselves aside, kneel in humility before others, and serve, teach, prefer, forgive, encourage with truth, kindly and practically love them well. This is how we follow in Jesus’s steps and so invite others to know Him. When I lie down at night, can I say, “Lord, all You asked me to do I have done?” (Ecclesiastes 9:12)

My Servant-Savior, thank You for Your example. May all I do be done with You in mind and with all my heart. May I be steadfast and immovable in covering all offenses and lavishing Your grace, loving others to the end as You have loved me. (Proverbs 10:12; John 13:15; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 3:17; 1 John 3:18)

“ On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” John 7:37-38; Isaiah 12:3

Wouldn’t you love to have heard Jesus cry out this invitation? His hearty beckon to the deepest part of my weary and dry? Can you imagine turning toward the clear voice and seeing His wide arms and eager face and loving bright eyes open toward you? His call and His promise is for us, every day, every day that is ‘great’ with depletion, with dearth of inspiration or energy, with weight of responsibility but lacking wisdom and clarity, with tuneless song.

The other day I awakened to a hovering, glooming sense of heaviness, my spirit a dry match unable to catch the flint. I was thirsty, but listless. I got up, voiced honor to my worthy King, offered my parched soul and heart to Him, asked Him to speak and give me understanding, and opened His living word. Jesus’s cry came– to me– and my ears heard His voice. Within minutes, with damp eyes, I was drinking long, slow draughts from the water issuing from His altar, taking in and rejuvenated by the living, supernatural, blessed energy of truth and life. He awakened my mind, inspiring devotion and deep love, flooding me with gratitude for His divine, unseen, but palpable ministry. Oh, He is a great and lavish God!

“Then he brought me to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple… south of the altar… Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes… And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:1,9,12

Why do we not come when Jesus calls and avail ourselves of His living water? Why do we turn to other fixes, to activities and philosophies and spiritual rituals? Why do we turn to chemicals, to mantras, to social media,.. or just turn over? What a faithful, generous Savior have we, present and ready with bountiful drink that never runs dry. What He gives invigorates, freshens, purifies, nourishes, issues fruit, satisfies, heals.

“Are you thirsty, are you empty? Come and drink these living waters.                                   Time unbroken, peace unspoken, rest beside these living waters.                                                                        Christ is calling, find refreshing at the cross of living waters.                                                  Love, forgiveness, vast and boundless; Christ, He is our living waters.”                                          ~ Keith and Kristyn Getty

Lord Jesus, I hear Your call; I come and drink. Keep me ever returning for more, looking to You to quench my dry like only You can. You alone satisfy, and I thank You.

“Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you… Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord… Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:13-17

After 12 chapters of specific laws for Israel regarding their worship, treatment of others, festivals, instructions for the tabernacle and all its furnishings, the consecration of the priests, the Lord places an exclamation point, “Above all.” Every ear, having taken in these careful and intricate directions, now hears the climax, “Keep the Sabbath.” What? You give me all these things to do and want me to rest? But how will I be able to get everything accomplished? How will I fit this all in?

Isn’t this our bent? We think we’re so necessary, indispensable, that we wouldn’t dare stop the treadmill of busy, of orchestrating our children’s lives, of toiling endless hours into the night and doing good in the church and our community at every opportunity. We add work to work, we pack our schedules because it’s all important, and the earth might stop spinning if I don’t do my part. And often our labor is void of joy and peace. But all-wise God has instituted a Sabbath for us, modeling it when He completed his creation. He knows that while we were made to work, we were also made to rest— each is vital and interdependent on the other. (Genesis 2:2-3,8,15,19)

What does a Sabbath do? It reminds us Who we are working for. It reminds us what we are living for. It reminds us that we labor in vain unless the Lord is building our house. It provides us time to reset our affections, our allegiances, our goals, our perspective of the big picture. It removes our hands long enough to remember Who is really in control. It gives us time to gaze in delight and gratitude at our Savior in all His splendor, to linger in worship and to meditate on high truths that matter for eternity. This earth and life are fleeting, but His word and His glory will last forever. The Sabbath sets aside for us hours to enjoy and be renewed by fellowship, and rest, to nourish and rejuvenate our souls and bodies, to be refilled with His Spirit. The Sabbath teaches us that it is God Almighty Who is doing the real and highest and lasting work of sanctifying us. (Leviticus 20:8; Psalm 127:1; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 10:24-25; Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 2:13)

Father, You know what is best for your children, and You have punctuated Your law with the importance of Your Sabbath rest. Please help me every week to lay down my lists, my schedule, my tools, to rest in You. Renew me in Your truth and character to make efficient and eternally effective my thinking and doing, for Your glory.

”The Lord said to Moses, ‘When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them… Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary.., half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord‘s offering. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord‘s offering to make atonement for your lives. You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.’” Exodus 30:11-16

In our day of exacerbated inequalities, of tensions and volatility between people of different background, ethnicity, privilege, it is a beautiful thing to be reminded that before Almighty God, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Instructions for the tabernacle, for sacrifice and worship, make clear that each life counts, and each is equally valued and needful of atonement by its Maker. While taxes to the government may vary depending on income, the census tax to be offered for atonement was equal for all.

Do we hold this same view, and behave as such? Do we truly see others, young and old, humble and pompous, poverty-bound and famous, handicapped and healthy, well-dressed and sloppy, meek and brash, as of inestimable worth? Where have I turned up my nose to avoid someone not like me on a plane or in conversation, turned my back on someone with a deformity or annoying tic who is trapped in body or mind out of his control, or stepped ahead of someone because I’m in a hurry, ie, my agenda is more important? Where have I failed to love my neighbor as myself? Whom do I eschew because ‘we have nothing in common’? (Psalm 139:13-18; Isaiah 43:4; Luke 10:27)

I know that the times I have obeyed the Spirit’s impulse to sit on a flight next to those with obvious different lifestyle choices, or taken time to converse with another from a background foreign to mine, God has clearly been present. I’ll never forget the smile of a bathroom attendant in an airport when I spoke to her personally as she looked down, avoiding eyes, I’m sure feeling (and being treated as) invisible. I persisted until she looked up, our eyes met, and I thanked her for keeping everything nice. Her face came alive, she and her work had been noticed and appreciated, she was a real person of worth even in this crowded buzz of anonymity. God uses truth and light and personal interest to convey His love; we all have the privilege of being His conduit.

Lord, expose to me even the small places where I show preference or deem myself superior to or more deserving than another. Check me acting out any putting down of another, any demeaning of a fellow image-bearer in impulse or word, and purify me. Replace wrong thinking with truth, default selfishness with Spirit-controlled responses. May I believe, and value, and love, as You do.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Isaiah 61:10; Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27

Every day we choose what to wear, thinking through where we will be going and what we will be doing, selecting appropriate attire. The scriptures remind us that when we are in Christ, we are spiritually dressed with Him– counted as His children, robed in His righteousness. It is vital to remember this at the start of each day, that as we consider our clothing, we are first to put on Christ, to be assured of His claim on us, to be fitted with Him in mind and body, that He be the One to identify, protect, and adorn us.

When once our thinking is right, when the truth is our guardian and the lens through which we discern and plan, when our salvation in Jesus is fixed as our identity, we can set about choosing what gets layered on top. Clean, secure, focused, what will the day require? Only God knows, but Paul instructs in clothing relevant to any task or schedule.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:12-14

Every ‘article’ mentioned here is grounded in knowledge of the Savior, a call to consider Who He is, what He has done for us, and what He can produce in us. He is the source of kindness, peace, and love; His Spirit begets gentleness and patience. The only arming against the flesh is to recognize we battle against the flesh and must be fitted with what is heavenly, spiritual, counter-cultural. What glorious dress He provides! (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 6:11-17)

Heavenly Father, Thank You for clothing me with Your great salvation. May I daily be adorned with praise to You and clothing that reflects Your loveliness, grace, compassion, and love. Place on my head the graceful garland and beautiful crown of Your wisdom. Since You know what the hours will hold, guide me in putting off ugly attitudes, fear, grumbling, faint-heartedness, malice, and pride to be able to be perfectly fitted with Your character and splendor, Your strength and fortitude. May my dress identify me as Your bride, to Your glory. (Isaiah 61:3; Proverbs 4:7-9; Revelation 21:2)