As the rain and snow

“We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—  for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.” 1 Thessalonians 3:2-12

Paul’s letters always reveal his heart, not only for the people he addresses but for the possibilities his great God can bring about in their lives. I am intrigued here that in referencing the Thessalonians’ afflictions, he never prays for those afflictions, but only for their faith and spiritual growth in and through them. The afflictions are a given; Paul’s yearnings are for them, that their faith be firm and growing. His comfort and encouragement in his own suffering is in learning of their steadfast faith, his joy and love overflows in prayers of thanksgiving and petition for their increasing love and holiness. Not once does he pray that suffering cease, that things get easier or more comfortable, that they be delivered from whatever it is they are enduring. His concern is the lasting, deeper work of the heart, which he knows is accomplished in the furnace of affliction.

This gives great instruction for us in heightening our view of God and His ways, and our consequent deeper concern and prayers for ourselves and others. Is our first impulse to pray for deliverance from some pain or illness or difficult situation? For success and favor, for earthly acceptance, accomplishment, and reward? For a change of hard circumstances? If so, have we taken time to consider instead what God might be doing, what facets of His magnificent character He might be revealing through His sufficiency, guidance, lovingkindness, and power in weakness and suffering? Have we pondered what lessons He is sowing deep into the inner life through failure or delay or trial? Perhaps He is actually answering earlier prayers— for patience, for enabling, for faith, for reconciliation— by means that are beyond our imagining or desire, but are perfect and supernaturally ordered. Whatever His ways, we know they are good and trustworthy. (Psalm 119:68;145:17)

“Praise to the Lord Who o’er all things so wonderfully reigneth! Who, as on wings of an eagle uplifteth, sustaineth. Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been granted in what He ordaineth?” ~Joachim Neander (1650-1680)

Oh God, heighten my view of You and the significant, divine work You are about, always. Deepen my perspective, my concern for others, and my prayers, to look to and depend on You for the eternal, not the superficial. Increase my faith, establish my heart in holiness and likeness of You, and make these my deeper desires for others.

“Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, ‘See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.’ And he answered, ‘Go.’ Then one of them said, ‘Be pleased to go with your servants.’ And he answered, ‘I will go.’ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.  But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, ‘Alas, my master! It was borrowed.’ Then the man of God said, ‘Where did it fall?’ When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he said, ‘Take it up.’ So he reached out his hand and took it.” 2 Kings 6:1-7

What an interesting little story God records for us here. Elisha is still rather new in his succession of the great Elijah, and God graciously continues to confirm him in the eyes of the people through small miracles.  God Almighty also shows us here that He cares about what we care about, and trains us to care with His heart. The man whose axe head came loose and fell into the water was now hindered in his work; additionally, he was more troubled not that he’d lost his tool, but that it belonged to another. God responds to both practical need and compassionate thinking. He wants us to think rightly and unselfishly, to care about others, not just our own agendas, and it’s as though He says here, “Yes! Your impulse is spot on! This matters because it belonged to someone else, and you should be caring about that.” One more thought: God can do anything! He Who raised Jesus from the dead can lift a heavy iron axe head from the depths of water, and can do what to us is impossible. (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 19:26)

All these acts our Lord works for us today. When He calls us to a new place or position, as we obey and walk ahead in faith, He kindly assures us we are in the center of His will. He trains us through sanctification to think as He thinks, to treat others as we should, and implants in us the will to act on new impulses. So often we have not because we ask not, and He is ready and willing and able to restore the broken, revive the dead, energize the listless, inspire the uncreative. He bids us to trust Him as Master and look to Him for our every need. What a God we serve! (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:13;4:19; James 4:2)

Lord, may I never despise the day of small things, but instead marvel that You care about all that concerns us, and act so we see and exhibit Your power and glory. Sharpen my eyes to look for You, and my heart to trust You and thank You for every kindness. (Zechariah 4:10)

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” “Be filled with the Spirit.” “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Psalm 119:130; Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16

The sun is still below the horizon, but lighting the clear sky behind and above the fair city sliced through by a dimpled river crisscrossed by varied and pretty bridges. What I notice is how the tops of the buildings shine, reflecting the early light, almost as though they are soaking in its glorious, life-giving rays….and the light seeps in and warms and alters everything inside, top to bottom, as it streams in through the glass.

Isn’t this how God’s light comes to us? First to our minds, transforming, filling, oozing through to our senses, impulses, movements, and souls, affecting everything from the top down. Giving understanding. Calming fear. Enlightening confusion. Transforming love. Awakening forgiveness. Energizing motivation. Empowering the will. Inspiring hands and directing feet.

Lord, I turn my face up to Thee. Shine on me and soak into me; dwell in me richly. From the top down, each day, fill me with Your truth and Spirit and take control.

“So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them…  And [Elisha] said, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I will make this dry streambed full of pools.” For thus says the Lord, “You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.” This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand’… When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the border. And when they rose early in the morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.  And they said, ‘This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!'” 2 Kings 3:9,16-18,21-23;

“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.” Psalm 114:7-8

What the Israelites saw from God as an immediate provision for their thirst, God used for even more. Through His prophet Elisha, He promised this miracle to slake their thirst, ‘and oh, by the way, I have another purpose in mind–I’ll use that very water to help you militarily.’ The water that appeared without rain was ordained by God to trick the Moabites into thinking their enemy had slaughtered each other, and to bring them into an ambush, ensuring victory to His people in battle. A few quenching draughts became the means of quelling a rebellious king and his army.

What we seek, God supplies in ways beyond our imagining; what we see dimly and with limited sight, the Almighty God ordains and providentially uses to achieve and teach so much more. His ways are higher and better than ours, His paths beyond tracing out. The magnification of His ways and purposes amplifies His glory. (Ephesians 3:20; Isaiah 55:9; Romans 11:33)

Father, You are the God of vast, eternal, and many purposes. Give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You; enlighten the eyes of my heart to seek deep things of You. And when I know not how to ask, or I seek shallow gifts, may You be greatly glorified in Your better and wider and deeper answers. (Ephesians 1:17-18)

” He [will] come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:10-12

“My heart is steadfast, O God!
    I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 108:1-4

Time away from the norm— as a dear friend said, ‘a change of pace, place, and face’— is always good for the soul. And God’s word is alive wherever we are, never-changing but always speaking and altering us afresh. This morning, ready to move on to our final and 18th ‘residence’ over the last month (with the 19th being an airplane), 2 Thessalonians inspires me with new resolve. (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

Like our Savior, Paul was constantly on the road, about his Master’s business. He was driven by motivation and calling far higher than we humans usually consider. His chief goal and highest delight was to see God “marveled at,” known and made known by others. He was compelled to spend his life for Christ, to bring the power of the gospel to God’s people, to love increasingly, to be a conduit for God’s glory. What lofty aims! What fuel for living! Joy abounded in this one sold out to His Savior, as it always does when we are in the flow of God’s good and redemptive purposes. (John 4:34; 17:4)

My resolve? Marvel at my great Savior. Rejoice and be thankful in all things. Love and laugh more, listen better, let go of small things, look up. Less of me, more of Christ.

Father, each day may my food be to do Your will, for the glory of Your beautiful name.

“I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34:25-27,28,31

The Shepherd Who seeks and saves is He Who settles and satisfies. When in Him we live and move and have our being, the places we live and work and go are affected. He showers us with blessing so we can be a blessing- light unto light, rest unto peace, healing unto reconciliation and unity, strength unto encouragement, satisfaction unto nourishment for others. He gives in season- incrementally- for the need, always appropriate and enough, and we bear fruit for seasons and situations where He places us. (Acts 17:28)

Good Shepherd, You have given so much. May I, out of overflow of thankfulness, be a shower of blessing to all I encounter, that they may know You are the Lord God.

“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, declares the Lord God. 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.” Ezekiel 34:11-16

What comfort there is in the truth that God seeks His sheep to rescue them, to gather them to Himself! His land is one of freedom and satisfaction. He Who loves and cares enough to bring them in then fully supplies nourishment for every need, physical and spiritual: grazing for the hungry; rest from self-effort, long-held resentments, discontent; healing from injury of broken relationships, sins’ consequences, deep sorrow; and strength for the weak and weary.

As I watch sheep, they eat, and eat, slowly ambling across the grass without direction, often unaware of other sheep, sometimes wedged in at the fence corner trying for those fat green blades under the wire, but very skittish at strangers. The good shepherd sees all, and always leads his flock in at night.

How like the sheep we can be, going about our merry way, satisfying self without taking notice of others, surprised at interruptions. Where have I wandered off? And for whom do I long, and pray, to return? The Good Shepherd searches and pursues, and with strong, outstretched arms, gathers His own. He can be trusted.

“I was lost in utter darkness til You came and rescued me;

I was bound by all my sin when your love came and set me free.

Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God,

He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

O, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be;

Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee!

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;

He’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”

~ Robert Robinson (1758)/ Ron Kean (2006)

Great Shepherd, gather me to You. And please go after and rescue, in Your perfect way, those beloved sheep who are lost in utter darkness.

“All my springs are in you.” Psalm 87:7

Our room today, with full glass wall, looks out on a great grey rock face lined with dozens of white waterfalls, rushing out of the mountain falling with beauty beyond description. The vertical stone seems softened in spots where trees cling like moss, damp clouds hover along, and the falls keep rushing, down, down, tiered liquid and foam in exultant spray. Oh God, my immovable, unchanging Rock of Ages, You pour forth springs of living water, Your bountiful Spirit, with lavish abandon for all who thirst!

What is it I lack today? All my springs are in Him! Where do I need wisdom, hope, desire, stamina, a song? All my springs are in Him! In what area am I confounded, or distressed, or disappointed, or spent? All my springs are in Him! And the water Jesus gives never stops flowing, but wells up in me to eternal life. (John 4:14)

My God, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Keep me partaking of You consistently that I may keep on in Your will, and may overflow to others. (Psalm 61:2)

“Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, ‘How do you advise me to answer this people?’ And they said to him, ‘If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.’ But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, [who] said, ‘Say to them, “My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. Whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”’” 1 Kings 12:7-8,10-11

If Rehoboam had read How to Win Friends and Influence People, he forgot everything it said, or at least pompously chose to abandon its advice when he came into power. The young sovereign didn’t warm to the idea of serving his minions, so he sought advice that was more palatable to his liking, that would affirm his preference to lead with swagger and fear. The new king’s attitude toward Israel assured their rebellion, and instigated civil discord that would never resolve.

Compare to Jesus, Who said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The way to win hearts is to prefer others, to put them first, to elevate them and make them know they are valuable and their work is worthwhile. I think Jesus as CEO would take time to go to the IT pool and thank everyone for their contribution to the company’s success, would duck into the kitchen to thank the staff and ask how He could help make their job more efficient. I imagine He would share the bounty of profit with all employees, no matter what their title or role, that He would greet each one as they came to work, be concerned for their welfare and needs, and be a good listener. He would leave every room nicer than He found it, and pick up litter, and look to promote those who also do. Though there are no guarantees, servants are more likely to beget servants and loyalty than those who rule with an iron fist. And a unified, others-first atmosphere in any organization, on any committee, in any workplace or small group, is more appealing and conducive to productivity than a harsh, autocratic one. (Romans 12:10,16; Philippians 2:3-4; Matthew 20:28)

O You Who have won my heart by giving Your very life, sow into me a true servant attitude as I go about my days. Cause me to think how I can be like Jesus in laying aside my preferences and serving others, and to be deliberate in doing so. Use my hands and feet, mouth and ears, to win their hearts for You.

“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. ‘Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my name.’” Ezekiel 43:1-5,7

“Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!” Psalm 96:6;95:6

There is something special to me about facing the east in the mornings. Settling in to worship, to pore over God’s word, to listen and learn and express my thanks, I relish watching the eastern sky for the first hints of dawn, the first tinges of light, the slightest changes of hue announcing the day’s ‘glory,’ the sun. While we have no earthly temple today, the biblical descriptions of God’s glory filling the temple remind us of His powerful, perspective-altering, worship-inspiring presence with us when we meet with Him. His voice through Scripture washes and satisfies us, the light of His countenance and guidance adjusts our perspective on all things earthly, His Spirit elevates ours while bringing us low. When we bow in response with a humbled, undivided heart, defilement flees- the holy and profane cannot coexist. (Psalm 86:11)

Father, captivate me, all of me, when I come; and keep me coming to behold You in all Your splendor and glory. Throughout my days, turn my head again and again to the east to remember the glory You infuse in each hour. May my living reflect Your presence in my midst.