As the rain and snow

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.” Matthew 1:1-6

“Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

God’s Spirit saw fit to list many names early in Jesus’s genealogy in Matthew. Sprinkled into the lineage of renowned Jewish men are those of a few Gentile women, included by His sovereign goodness. Just as Jesus Himself was a poor man of sorrows, His human forebears were of little earthly consequence, save for God Almighty. (Isaiah 53:2-12; John 1:46)

Although the Old Testament does not account Salmon’s marriage to Rahab, it’s assumed she was the harlot in Jericho who, and at the risk of her life, boldly hid Israelite spies because she feared and believed in their God. Perhaps Boaz their son learned from their marriage about redeeming love and grace, and directly from his mother about the genuine faith of outsiders. What Boaz learned he implemented, as kinsman-redeemer taking the Moabite Ruth as his wife. She, of an accursed and pagan race, had embraced Naomi’s faith, and with Boaz bore the grandfather of King David. (Joshua 2:1-21; Ruth 1:1-18; 4:10-17; Hebrews 11:31)

How wondrous the grace of God! What is not in the world important, God makes vital. Ordinary people He makes extraordinary, for timely place or role, and knows and names each one. We tussle and vie for notice and recognition, foolishly thinking we deserve God’s favor for what we have done. (Esther 4:14)

Yet God, in His providence, weaves His plans through history to raise up the lowly and exalt His divine glory. Can we, as His children, learn to think this way? Can we humbly, like Mary, bear the Christ for His renown alone? What kind of stewards are we of His naming and knowing? And whom can we acknowledge for the way they’ve borne Christ to us, or carry Him into the world? (Luke 1:52)

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.” ~John Newton (1779)

Father, help me live out the identity You give by Your grace, to Your glory.

“The Lord spoke: ‘Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over its banks…’

“Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
    speak a word, but it will not stand,
    for God is with us.

“For the Lord spoke with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: ‘Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary…’

“And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?  To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” Isaiah 8:5-7,10-14,19-20

The Lord issued a strong message for those who refused His loving Lordship. Rather than fearing God’s ordered consequences, purporting conspiracies, and spreading wickedness, however threatening they might be, God’s people were called to a higher fear. As the One in ultimate charge, all enemy hordes, quaking nations, and blistering threats come through the Lord’s supreme authority. Nothing can snatch or shake those He holds and keeps. (Isaiah 9:6-7; 26:3; Zechariah 2:8; John 10:28-29)

Refusing God’s gentle waters of peace, we wind up mental and physical energy on supposing and hypotheticals, and bear the consequences of misdirected emotions. We fret at things over which we have no control, or a future we cannot determine, like uncertain finances, national and world issues. We convolute His wider plans because we fixate on minutae. We turn from His truth to seek solace in false sooth-sayers. If we soaked in the flow of God’s word and gratitude for what He’s done, our faith would so swell to crowd out fear. How prudently do we tend our focus and steer our fear? (Isaiah 10:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:2-4)

With all that shudders and threatens in the nations and our lives, what if we garnered our senses and attention toward the holy God? What if we bowed before His righteousness, word, judgment, and reprisal for disobedience? How might we not only know Him better, but humbled, be in a better frame of mind? How can we better ground ourselves on His sure foundation and stability for our times? What freedom and delight our days would know if we feared Him alone! (Isaiah 33:6; Matthew 6:26-34; 1 Peter 5:7)

What presently agitates? Lurking doom, inadequacy, failure, shame, world terrors? Do we fear man and circumstances that churl and choke, or God, and wait for Him in hope? Imagine the peace we could spread, the hope we could instill, the ways we could magnify God before others if He was our only fear. (Exodus 20:20; Isaiah 8:17; Psalm 46:1-4; 121:1-4)

Lord, teach me to fear You alone, and to trust Your wisdom, ways, goodness, and ends. (Isaiah 12:2)

“Let me sing for my beloved
    my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
    on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
    and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes.

And now, O… men,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard,
    that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
    why did it yield wild grapes?

And now I will tell you
    what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
    and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
    and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste;
    it shall not be pruned or hoed,
    and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
    that they rain no rain upon it.

“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
    are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
    but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
    but behold, an outcry!

“Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
    that they may run after strong drink,
who tarry late into the evening
    as wine inflames them!
They have lyre and harp,
    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord,
    or see the work of his hands.

“Therefore my people go into exile
    for lack of knowledge;
their honored men go hungry,
    and their multitude is parched with thirst.” Isaiah 5:1-7,11-13

Fertile slope, cleared of stones, planted with choice vines, protected, vat ready. Untended, ignored, misused, wasted, wild and tasteless. The described handling of God’s vineyard highlights the stark contrast between God and man, generous bounty and careless waste, love and selfishness. What God prepares and intends for His children is easily abused by people who regard only themselves.

We have much abundance in our lives that goes unrecognized, unappreciated, unused. The gift of space and opportunity, hours and days before us to choose how to invest and make fruitful. Health and senses to enjoy the topography and textures and rigors, the beauty and color and music of the world around us. Hands to tend soil of relationships, to manage tasks, to love on others. Minds to process thought, make smart decisions, solve problems. Consciences to confirm what is good and convict of the bad. People who enrich character, capacity, experience, and the human heart. The capacity to worship that swells and nourishes the soul.

The Lord has made ready for us our places to seek His wisdom and produce God-honoring crop. Home, workplace, community, church: many and varied are His vineyards. He’s provided empty vats, awaiting good wine. How seriously do we take our responsibility to turn good yield? (Isaiah 33:6; Mark 4:14-20; Luke 6:38)

How are we maintaining spiritual fertility? What foreign stones have accumulated that prevent healthy roots, relationships, and flourishing? How well do we tend to justice, righteousness, kindness? Where do we need pruning to make the most of God’s provision?

Lord, make my life a pleasant planting of Your grace and bounty, to Your glory.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people despise me and not believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have done among them? I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.’

“But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Then the Egyptians will hear of it,.. and will tell the inhabitants of this land. They’ve heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people… You are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them… Now if you kill this people.., then the nations… will say, “It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land…” Now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised… Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love…’

“The Lord said, ‘I’ve pardoned, according to your word. But… none who’ve seen my glory and signs… and yet put me to the test… and not obeyed my voice, shall see the land… None who despised me shall see it. But Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land… Now,.. set out for the wilderness.’

“‘How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me?.. Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness,.. not one shall come into the land except Caleb and Joshua. But your little ones, who you said would become a prey,.. shall know the land you have rejected… Your children shall be in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness.'” Numbers 14:11-17,19-25,27-31,33

It was true. The inhabitants of Canaan were formidable, yet God had determined that the Israelites would settle there. Rejecting God’s plan through their lack of faith, all the spies and the adult Israelites alive at the time of crossing the Red Sea would die before entering the land- a harsh consequence for those who saw the enemy as larger than God. They foolishly allowed the enemy’s perceived threat to supersede God’s promises, and would miss out on their fulfillment. Moses had better vision, and prayed the Lord would continue with his people so His reputation would be upheld, and His honor magnified.

As we daily deal with the enemy of our souls, we can choose to arm ourselves with the better vision of who God is and what He is doing. Rather than hanging our heads in dread or fear, we can set our sights on His worth and glory. Instead of despising God’s invisible assurances by grumbling and worry, we can fix our hope in His promises and ultimate good purposes, and be strong and courageous to stand at every struggle with the enemy. Will we? (Ephesians 6:10-13)

Do we regularly recount the works and deeds of the Lord, particularly those that personally affect us or are in direct answer to prayer? How else will we fill our sights with His greatness, beauty, and might? Do we see how this magnification of the Lord and His goodness fuels our faith, and eternal far-sightedness clears our vista to hope? The next time we are prone to a spirit of doubt and woe, will we choose instead to prove the Lord’s greatness and give Him pleasure?

Lord, help me daily remember You are the greatest of all, and Your promises and power can always be trusted.

“The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel…

“Moses sent them… and said, “Go up into the hill country, and see… whether the people are strong or weak,.. few or many, and whether the land… is good or bad,.. and whether the land is rich or poor… Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land…’

“So they went up… into the Negeb and came to Hebron… The descendants of Anak were there… And they… cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and carried it on a pole between two of them; they also some pomegranates and figs… 

“At the end of forty days they returned.., [and said], ‘The land… flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit…’

“Caleb… said, ‘Let’s go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.’ The men who had gone with him said, ‘We’re not able to go up against the people, for they’re stronger than we are.’ So they brought… a bad report.., saying, ‘The land… devours its inhabitants, and all the people are of great height… We seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers…’

“All the congregation… wept that night [and] grumbled against Moses.., ‘Would that we had died in Egypt! Or… this wilderness!.. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?'” Numbers 13:1-2a,17-23,25,27,30-14:3

For Eve, the enemy was too attractive. Where Saul’s army had cowered before Goliath, David viewed God’s honor and power as greater than any giant. Jehoshaphat turned from the cruel horde of Canaanites to trust the Lord. Here, on the edge of the promised land, the untested, frightened spies saw Canaan’s occupants as simply too big, and anticipated certain humiliation and defeat, where Caleb and Joshua alone saw and wanted to seize God’s greater promise. (Genesis 3:1-6; 1 Samuel 17:1-11,24,32-51; Numbers 14:6-11; 2 Chronicles 20:12-17)

We face many enemies every day, internal and external. Attacks on our faith, our marital fidelity, our determination for good and honesty at work. The press of depression, discouragement, and doubt can be relentless. But with every onslaught, every swipe to head or heart, we decide where to set our vision. It is true that the One in us, the ever-conquering Savior, is greater than this one who is in the world! It is true that He is on our side, and nothing can separate us from His tenacious love or snatch us from His hand! Will we cower in fear before the enemy, or gladly, confidently say, let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome? (John 10:10,28-29; Romans 8:31-39; 1 John 4:4)

Yes, the enemy is big. He is wiley and ferocious and plots only for evil and destruction. But God is greater, bigger, more mighty, and marvelous! Where will we focus? Will we fixate on every giant, doubt, fetish, and temptation rather than putting our eyes on Him? Where has our vision blurred with over-concern with the devil and too little a concern for the Lord? When will we allow the mighty Lord to clear and fill it with a holy, victorious view of Him? (1 Peter 5:8)

Father, give me a sober view of the enemy and an honest, hopeful vision of You, the Greatest One.

“The people of Israel came into the wilderness of Zin… And Miriam died there…

“Now there was no water for the congregation. They assembled themselves together against Moses. The people quarreled, ‘Would that we had perished..! Why have you made us come up out of Egypt?..’ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Take the staff,.. and tell the rock to yield its water…

“Then Moses… said to them, ‘Hear, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’ And Moses struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly… And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’ 

“Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: ‘Please let us pass through your land.’ But Edom said, ‘You shall not pass through…’ and came out against them with a large army and a strong force… so Israel turned away.

“And they… came to Mount Hor. The Lord said.., ‘Let Aaron be gathered to his people… Strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die.’ Moses did as the Lord commanded… And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. And… all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.” Numbers 20:1-3,6-8,10-12,14,17-18,20,22-23,26-29

The wilderness. Death of his sister, incessant quarreling and accusation from the nation he led, an agonizingly harsh consequence for justified anger, unjust refusal of passage, and death of his brother and spokesperson. Long weeping. Blow upon blow brought Moses to the end of himself. A man of weakness whom God was making strong, he was molded through much pain, setback, aggravation, and harsh discipline. God intended that every prop or sign of human success would be replaced by an exquisite friendship and unshakable faith. He would become the man who endured as seeing him who is invisible, who knew that he knew that God was for him and could absolutely be trusted. (Psalm 56:8-11; Hebrews 11:27; 12:5-11)

We have all been familiar with harsh seasons of life, wildernesses of soul. Whether having made it through, presently enduring, or being prepared for a future drought or storm, we all meet with times where there seems no end to trouble. Pocked with loss and grief, discord and unfairness, accusations, weariness, and consequences that seem too harsh for the crime, we can reach a point of desperation. It is there that the Lord can be to us most near, and real. When all human props are removed, friends are absent, hope is dim, the Lord is large and strong. (Psalm 27:10; 30:5; Jeremiah 31:20; 1 Peter 5:10)

Are there present disappointments or losses that sting deep, even devastate? In what self-made props have we been trusting to give support, identity, or purpose? How might these reveal inordinate confidence or misdirected dependence? Will we ask God for faith to see seasons of drought as times for determination to look to His promises and take hold of His unseen? How has He proved Himself our sole Support? How would we like Him to reorder and establish our faith anew?

Lord, fulfill Your purposes for me as I take refuge in You alone and make melody to Your praise. (Psalm 57:1-3,7)

“You have rejected your people,
    the house of Jacob,
because… their land is filled with idols;
    they bow down to the work of their hands,
    to what their own fingers have made.
So man is humbled,
    and each one is brought low—..
Enter into the rock
    and hide in the dust
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty.
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

“For the Lord of hosts has a day
    against all that is proud and lofty,
    against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;..
The haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
    and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
The idols shall utterly pass away.
And people shall enter the caves of the rocks
    and the holes of the ground,
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to terrify the earth.

“In that day mankind will cast away
    their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
which they made for themselves to worship,..
to enter the caverns of the rocks
    and the clefts of the cliffs,
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to terrify the earth.
Stop regarding man
    in whose nostrils is breath,
    for of what account is he?” Isaiah 2:6,8-12,17-22

The day of the Lord will be a day of revealing and reckoning, God come down to man, man before God for accounting. And the Lord will put man in his rightful place. Anyone who has thought himself something when he is nothing, who has exalted himself above the worthy Sovereign, will be laid low. The very majesty of the Lord will fill the heavens, while prideful man will cower. The ones who now lift high themselves will be reduced by the truly lofty One. Only the humble will, by God’s grace, be exalted. (Matthew 23:12)

How confused disordered people get about the status and stature of things! Without God in His rightful position, we put many ambitions, things, people, and dreams on pedestals. We make little gods out of careers, children, and experiences, and center ourselves in the lowlands of existence by failing to consider above and beyond to the eternal. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

In what areas do I possess too lofty a view of myself? Who takes the highest place in my thoughts and determinations? Are there people with whom I act superior, and secretly want to put them in their place? Do I think because of a certain stature or position or privilege, I should be esteemed? When will I take time to get on my knees before the One who is high and lifted up, and acknowledge my humble position before Him? How could a right view of myself, and genuine worship of the supreme God, enhance and benefit my relationships with my fellow man? (Romans 12:3)

Father, consume me with the lofty beauty and power that define You, and may I never share your glory with another or any thing. (Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 42:8)

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  As it is written,

“’He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever.’

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

“[He] is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20

The Scriptures, in communicating the nature of God Almighty, speak loudly to His limitlessness, His capacity that is beyond bounds our feeble human minds can comprehend. In this vast earth, there is no need beyond God’s supply, no desperation beyond His ability. No grief beyond His balm, no impossibility beyond His possible. No fear beyond His safety, no confusion beyond His clarity, no chaos beyond His order. There is no rebellion beyond His love, no sin beyond His redemption and forgiveness, no shame beyond His restoration. (1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 94:9-10; 139:1-4,7-12; Isaiah 49:15-16)

Compared to God’s infinite, we are bound by finite flesh with limited capacity to grasp His wide edges. We self-impose boundaries on what we think He wants to hear, be involved in, and do for our sake. Yet, Jesus displayed His limitless love by dying for us, and lives to give all things and meet every need. There are no boundaries in what we can bring to Jesus, no limits on His boundless wonderful and might to meet and overcome. With our Lord, we will never be censored, ostracized, held at bay. We have no longing He does not understand, no hurt He has not known, no cry- articulated or not- He does not hear. (Matthew 11:28-29; Romans 8:31-32)

So why do we live on the fringes of His capacity and care? What human drive keeps us from tapping the divine? What concerns, meaningful work, relationships can we entrust to Him anew, and access His limitless power and grace?

“O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!” ~Robert Grant (1833)

Father, draw me up from faithless barricades into Your boundless possibilities.

“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.  And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.  And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.  Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’  And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.  And the Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.’  So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.  Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9

When men gathered and plotted as us and we, they separated from intimacy with their God to become they. What started as a spark of innate ambition ignited into fiery independence from the God who had made them. They planned their methods and plotted to be famous, united against the explicit instruction from the Lord to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” The Lord will not stand for rebellion, and starting by confusing their speech, confounded their grand plans. (Genesis 1:28)

Pursuing our own plans and depending on our own understanding apart from God never works out well. Any time we dream and manipulate and manage apart from God, we labor in vain and bear the consequences. Yet, when we commit our work to the Lord, following His commands and employing His wisdom, we can be sure our work is not in vain. Which will it be? (Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 16:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:58)

Are there areas in our lives we know God’s clear instructions, yet choose to ignore them in pursuit of preferred entertainment, career ambitions, flesh passions? How often do we make decisions peppered with and driven by “I” instead of conferring with “Him”? Where do I need to turn from self determination to ensure my desires and dreams accommodate the Lord? Will I seek, then obey, His direction?

“Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
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 that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.” ~Robert Robinson (1758)

Lord, may my planning and building align with Your word and honor Your Name.

“A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man was standing there, urging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us…’ Immediately we sought to go.., concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

“So.., we made voyage… to Philippi, a leading city of Macedonia… ¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the gate to the riverside, where… we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One was Lydia,.. a seller of purple goods… The Lord opened her heart to pay attention… She was baptized, and her household as well…

“As we were going.., we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and… fortune-telling. She followed us, crying, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’  This she kept doing for many days. Paul… said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.

“But… her owners… seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers… [T]hey threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely… He put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,  and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw.., he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ And the jailer… fell down before Paul and Silas… and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house.” Acts 16:9-19,23-32

Paul and Timothy, redirected from Asia and Bithynia to Macedonia, probably anticipated a spiritual harvest among Roman leaders in this leading city. But God had other plans. A seller of purple goods, a slave girl fortune teller, a jailer. None particularly glamorous in the world’s eyes, but everything in His. By the leading and moving of the Holy Spirit, one by one, the Lord opened minds and hearts to His life-giving salvation. Walking step by step in obedience, surrendered and expectant, these men used every opportunity to spread the light of truth. (Acts 15:40-16:8)

When the Spirit takes control of man’s desire and intentions, the gospel breaks forth. Outside the gate. On their way. In prison. Often it is to us in the unlikeliest or least expected places and situations where the Lord goes ahead to prepare souls for faith and eternal life. We see dry fallow ground, He sees faith. Whether these places are of our choosing or not, the Lord calls us to be ready and willing.

Would we pace our steps with His, avoiding or approaching as He directs, focusing one by one on those He’s identified and prepared for salvation? What time are we taking to discern, change course, initiate conversations that lead to life? Whom has God put in front of us, and how will we respond?

Lord give me passion, spiritual eyes, and words that make a difference for those You’re drawing to Yourself.