As the rain and snow

“When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,  so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.” Ezra 3:10-13

Exiles had returned to Jerusalem under the proclamation of pagan King Cyrus, and went about rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed by the invading Babylonian army decades before. When the foundation was in place, loud praises rang out…along with weeping. Many remembered what was, and perhaps were wistful in recalling the former glory of the temple, the times of great and godly kings leading God’s people in prosperity and holy practices. They wept over what was, maybe longing to go back, to return, to relive the good old days. But God was starting something new. His love did endure forever, and as it had carried and blessed them in the past, it would in the present.

Where am I trying to hang on to what was, with tears that cloud the glory of the new work of God? How much time and energy do I spend mourning children’s ‘innocence,’ a newlywed ‘tingle,’ work that was simple and a supervisor who shared my values, the way things were in the good old days? Do I fritter away the present by dwelling on the past? “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.” What am I missing in what God is doing presently? Where am I resisting change that God has in wisdom ordered? What prejudices or habits do I need to set aside, what thinking needs a ‘reset,’ in order for me to recognize and embrace His marvelous new foundation for today? “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Haggai 2:9; Isaiah 43:19)

God Who makes all things new, renew my vision for Your ‘today.’ Help me to discern the good from what was, and learn from it, and to be fully present as You unfold what is now, delighting in Your peace and refreshment, marveling in Your enduring love and joy that know no bounds. (Revelation 21:5)

 

“As he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus… Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt… But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 1:20-25; 2:13-14,19-23

“And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.” Isaiah 33:6

Joseph is a remarkable and enviable example of discernment and obedience to God’s voice and leading. He lived before the ministry of our Jesus, and of the Holy Spirit, but his ear was attuned to God, and when He spoke, Joseph responded immediately. His submission to his Sovereign, rather than leaning on his own understanding, kept him in the paths that fulfilled the holy prophesies and protected the life of our Savior. He also was aware of current events; he understood the times, and had a proper fear of the authorities in place and all their power wielded. He acted with wisdom. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Am I circumspect when God asks of me something uncomfortable, new, different, or do I willingly obey, trusting He is working out His larger plans for and through me? What makes me hesitate to trust my Lord, knowing His path is good? Are self-will, my own preferences, fear of failure, loneliness, discomfort, or the unknown precluding me from saying “yes” to all God calls me to do?

Lord, grant me the ears to hear Your voice, the mind to understand the times, and the will to obey You no matter what. Make me wise for such a time as this.

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’  And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”‘ And he said to them, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within, “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything”? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?'” Luke 11:1-12

“Feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8-9

I could sit in this passage on the Lord’s Prayer for hours, but several lessons come to me today. I love how, when the disciples entreat Jesus to teach them and He does, He models how He will answer when they pray–directly and according to their specific request. He immediately focuses them upward  to behold their good heavenly Father and to proclaim His holiness and sovereignty. Prayer is not so much a ‘trade’ we perfect or accomplish as a practice of acknowledging that God is God and we are not. We cannot look to mighty God and ask for His will to be done without humbling ourselves and surrendering to Him. It is in this posture we see Him and our needs rightly.

He then instructs them to request enough bread for the day, just as He fed the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years–an exercise that requires daily dependence, daily discipline, daily communion, daily feeding. He knows the human frame, He knows how we establish healthy habits, He knows all our needs, and He supplies sufficiently as we look to Him for sustenance. He trains us as His children to persist in specific prayer so we trust Him implicitly, love and thank Him as the giver of all gifts, and are satisfied in Him alone. (Exodus 16:35; Deuteronomy 8:3) 

My Father, Who is in heaven, turn my chin upward and bend my knees in joyful worship and grateful dependence day by day. Bring Your kingdom and fulfill Your will in and through me as I feed on Your ‘enough.’ And may my life proclaim that Yours is the kingdom and power and glory forever, amen.

“Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain… Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country,  and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness… There shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord… Love truth and peace. Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” Zechariah 8:3,7-8,12-13,16,19-23

Zechariah paints a beautiful picture of God’s restoration of His people in Zion, filling it with the rich colors of promises for gathering from far places, peace, fruitfulness, loving relationships all fulfilled. As He showers blessing on them, they shall be a blessing to others. Once His people are reestablished in His city, those from other cities will be drawn, attracted to the liveliness of God’s presence in their midst.

Can my life be characterized as a faithful city, a holy mountain? What does my salvation, my identification with God, produce? Has God in my midst brought forth fruit of faithfulness, righteousness, peace, the fresh dew of truth spoken and gracious attitudes toward others? Whom does my life attract to the great Redeemer?

Loving Savior, You have blessed me to be a blessing to others. May my life be an accurate and captivating portrait of You. Catch me up in the flow of all You are that my life bear rich fruit and, like a magnet, draw others to You.

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb… She turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ and worshiped him. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me; but go to my brothers.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.’ On the evening of that day, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord… Now Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” John 20:11,14,16-20,24-28; Matthew 28:9

The crucifixion was a startling crisis for Jesus’ disciples; though He had foretold His coming death (and that He would be raised on the third day) many times, they did not understand. His death left them in a state of sorrow, fear, and disbelief; but His resurrection changed everything. One by one, they saw Him again, and His risen presence brought comfort and joy, peace and gladness, and confident belief. Beholding Him changed them!

When I am overcome with a harsh reality I do not understand, with sorrow at a premature death, broken relationships, destructive addictions or behavior, I can look to Jesus. When I am anxious about the unknown, the impending disaster, the hypothetical what-if, I can look to Jesus. When I doubt any good can result, any resolution can occur, any happy ending can be written, I can look to Jesus. Seeing His scars, borne by Him risen and victorious, is all I need to be at rest and glad; He is victor, and He reigns.

Risen Lord, turn my face to see You above and instead of all that concerns me here below. Make me ready always and quick to tell others I have seen You, that they may see You too, and be glad.

“I the Lord do not change.” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” “You are the same, and your years will have no end.”  “From everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8;1:12; Psalm 90:2

“They say we’re some-timers: sometimes we remember, sometimes we don’t.” I had a silly incident recently where I went to do something that I quickly discovered I’d already done, and neither the colleague I went to for help, nor I, remembered we’d already checked this off the list. We laughed, and she said, “We’re all some-timers.” How grateful I am my God is an “All-timer”!! He is never confused, late, forgetful, negligent, disorganized, or leaves things undone.

My “sometiming” can be brought about by distraction and not being present, can occur when I try to do and be too much at once. I have long appreciated martyred missionary Jim Elliot’s wisdom: “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” Being harried and scattered can indicate a frenzied heart, a noisy soul, a self-directed schedule. When I take time to wait on God’s instructions, and am deliberate to be in the moment with my Lord and Guide, I am more prone to stay in His flow with sharp mind and senses.

“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in endless praise.                                            Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.                                                        Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.                                                     Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.”  ~Frances Havergal (1874)

Lord Jesus, I desire to live to the hilt with You, all the time! Bring your order and present attentiveness into every facet of my days. Make me more and more like You: steady, consistent, efficient in thought, clear in communication, unwavering in love, compassion, purposefulness. May my moments and days always be spent for Your kingdom purposes and glory.

“Then the king [Josiah] sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.  And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.” 2 Chronicles 34:29-33

It is hard to read this passage without the “alls” jumping out and awakening holy desire for a comprehensive overhaul. “When he was yet a boy, [Josiah] began to seek God,” and he reigned over Judah with the highest standards and care. When the law of God was found in the temple, he responded to its words with humility and contrition for his nation’s erring ways, and led them in earnest recommitment to God and His commands. I imagine the difference this revival made in the country– in worship, in attitude toward work and fellow citizens, in behavior and service to others, generosity, mutual respect, moral and physical health. Neighbor to neighbor, home by home, as all the people applied this word, cooperation and harmony and fruitfulness and joy increased.

What alls is Jesus asking of me today? When I give all my attention to all I read from His word, all my affection to Him my Lord, all my heart and soul to His will, and ask Him to remove all my ugly thoughts and ways and tendencies, much is transformed. Laying aside selfishness, outlook is rosier, vision broader. Conversation becomes more pleasant and meaningful, work and serving are energized, tone of voice is gentler, expressions are softer, compassion is deeper, love for others is purified and multiplied, and giving is more lavish. All is elevated to loftier living.

“All for Jesus! All for Jesus! All my being’s ransomed pow’rs;
All my thoughts and words and doings, All my days and all my hours.                                    Let my hands perform His bidding; Let my feet run in His ways;
Let mine eyes see Jesus only; Let my lips speak forth His praise.”                                         ~Mary Dagworthy James (1810-1883)

Oh Lord, may all my hours be spent for You, Your good purposes, Your glory. May all my heart beat for You and all my soul be sealed for You all my days, that all I encounter see You and want to know You.

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.’ And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.” 2 Chronicles 33:1-4,6

Manasseh was one of the worst. Born during the latter (weak) years of his famous father Hezekiah, much of his long reign was spent undoing the good established before him, and once he got started, his wicked and idolatrous practices spread like infectious gangrene throughout the land. But God, Who loves sinners, pursued. When words had no effect, He used captivity, and it was there in his distress that Manasseh saw the light, entreated the Lord, and humbled himself. “Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” The Lord returned him to Jerusalem, where his new spirit was evident in his removal of idols and restoration of proper worship. “He commanded Judah to serve the LORD.” Can it really be? Yes, God can indeed change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh! (2 Chronicles 33:13,16; Ezekiel 36:26)

Where am I dealing with an impossible? A besetting sin habit I can’t ‘shake,’ choices of a loved one I see going nowhere good, an addiction, a financial disaster, loathing of someone I am to honor and respect, a looming health issue that has grown tentacles of smothering fear, a breaking marriage or strained familial relationship? Those of us who know Jesus were all headed in the opposite direction from God when He broke in; those of us who have been changed in any manner know His power. He Who transformed abominable Manasseh can do anything He pleases, and His plans will not be thwarted. Though we, or loved ones, may combat and chafe and run the other way, when God pursues the rebel He will win in the end. He pierces light into darkness, He makes beauty in the harshest places, He softens the resistance of our flint wills. Take heart! It is never too late for a mighty work of God! (Ephesians 2:1-6)

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray—I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.                Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”                       ~Charles Wesley (1738)

God on high, I put my hope in You today, offering up all my impossibles to Your throne of grace and might. Have Your way with me and with those I love, to Your ends and for Your glory. (Jeremiah 32:17; Luke 1:37)

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” James 2:1-6,8

This passage is sharp, dividing the motives of the heart, and goes deep if we allow it. On the surface, we read that we should not favor the pretty and wealthy ones, those who appear to have their lives together and therefore cause us minimal distress, and may, in fact, benefit us. But what I see God teaching more deeply is that when we think this way, we err, not in failing to show compassion to the poor, or feeling sorry for him, but in thinking any differently of him at all. James is pointing out the horror of thinking too highly of ourselves, of ever feeling superior to anyone–that I am better, I deserve better, I should be first, treated preferentially, or with the bold and beautiful (as if they are ‘better’ in any way)–my standards are all wrong when I base any decisions on superficial measures. (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 12:3)

Do I really think I am more valuable than anyone because of any privilege, financial or educational resources, business acumen, physique, background, family advantages, dress, opinions? Of course I deny this, but where has this insidious attitude crept in to my behavior, my speech, my expectations, my treatment of others? Where have niggling thoughts given birth to rolled eyes of the heart, to unspoken dismissal or invisible mistreatment of those I encounter? God created man and woman free from all these trappings man tends to value, and declared His crowning achievement “very good.” Jesus communed with the elite Pharisees as well as the publicans and “sinners.” (Genesis 1:26-31; Luke 15:1-3)

Lord, dig deep to uncover any hidden partiality or wrongly-justified prejudice in me. Expose the absurdity, the wrongness, of preferential treatment. Uproot my sin, cut off its spread. May I see and love and honor and extend grace to all Your image-bearers as generously as You do.

“Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, he planned with his officers and his mighty men… He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 31:20-32:1-3,5-8

So far, Hezekiah had done everything right, and here came trouble, in the person of the godless and greedy king of Assyria. Was God out of control? No! He was very much superintending all that transpired and would use it to strengthen His people and glorify Himself. Would Hezekiah get angry at God because he deserved better?  No! His faith was grounded in the One He worshiped, and this challenge prompted immediate preparation and confident trust in the LORD Who was really on the throne and had brought him thus far. With readiness plans accomplished, Hezekiah called his people to trust that God was on their side, with them in this new opposition. When Sennacherib taunted them and tried to diminished their God in comparison to manmade gods, Hezekiah gave him no credence but cried to heaven, and “the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side.” (32:22)

Conflict and attack and trials are part of life, and one hid with his God can face them unshaken. The One Who was and is will always be– mighty and on our side. No matter what comes, we are secure. Confronted with loss, pain, taunts to our identity in Christ and our faith, abandonment, betrayal, the challenges of aging or illness, we can look from those to God and be unwavering.

Lord my Shield, in You my heart trusts and I am helped. You Who know every enemy and secure me as Yours, fix my hope and confidence in You at all times here in the world where You have sent me. And as You strengthen me, may I encourage others to trust You, and rejoice. (Psalm 18:2; 28:7; John 10:28-29;17:15,18)