As the rain and snow

“God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.’ So Jacob said to his household.., ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone…’

“And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel),.. he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother... God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.  God said, ‘Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name…’ God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.’  Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him.  And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.” Genesis 35:1-3,6-7,9-15

Jacob returned from Paddan-aram older and wiser, a different man from the despised cheat who had fled Canaan at his mother’s insistence twenty-plus years earlier. He who’d deceived had been repeatedly deceived himself, and humbled. He’d wrestled with God, who had strived with him. He’d learned to recognize the folly of foreign gods, and directed his family to put them away. The Lord wanted his reentry to the promised land to be marked with a new direction, a new identity, a new name, a higher purpose. (Genesis 25:26; 32:22-32)

Man is identified by names that often describe a desired characteristic or prophetic role. When we come to know the Lord, we gain identity as His child, and He writes His name on our hearts. Though we continue to wrestle in the flesh, we are by faith His own. (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Do we bear His name with grace, kindness, and honesty? What attitudes and behaviors detract from Him? What identities need I be finished with, once for all, so He is recognized and honored?

“O for a heart to praise my God,
a heart from sin set free;
a heart that’s sprinkled with the blood
so freely shed for me:

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
my great Redeemer’s throne;
where only Christ is heard to speak,
where Jesus reigns alone:

A humble, lowly, contrite heart,
believing, true, and clean,
which neither life nor death can part
from him that dwells within:

A heart in every thought renewed,
and full of love divine;
perfect and right and pure and good —
a copy, Lord, of thine.

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,
come quickly from above;
write thy new name upon my heart,
thy new best name of Love.” ~Charles Wesley (1742)

Amen!

“‘God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:5-6

“Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.”

“There are those who are clean in their own eyes
    but are not washed of their filth.
There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
    how high their eyelids lift!” Proverbs 3:7; 16:2; 30:12-13

“Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
    I will not endure.” Psalm 101:5b

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

God sees everything with precision, so He infuses the Bible with admonition to be careful, little eyes, what you see. From the beginning, the poison the first eyes first entertained seeped in to spread its rancor into the human will. The Lord looks down in love, knowing fully that in ways of vision and inclination, our eyes are diseased and in need of His keeping. He despises lust, greed, and arrogance, and our eyes give them away every time.

Messages that come by way of audio and visual enticement prey on emotion. Marketers know how to appeal to senses, discontent, and desired lifestyles. Fast-changing images portray pleasure and desert without disclosing the cost, the insidiousness of unsatiated desires, the incessant gnawing of always wanting more. With an exquisite world to behold and enjoy, unless we train our eyes not to stray from what is true and God-honoring, we will fall. (Ecclesiastes 2:14; Matthew 6:22-23)

The wanton eye of comparison, criticism, and malice provokes pride, cruelty, and jealousy within. It is concerned with others’ specks but ignorant of its own planks. Eyes jaded by superiority, prejudice, or thoughtless judgment blind us to the value of all people and rob us of the richness of a variety of relationships and opportunities. Only eyes cleansed of foreign matter like avarice and arrogance will see clearly and be used for constructive good. (Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 18:10-14)

What is causing eye disease for me? What do I entertain, by scrolling, watching, or lengthy gazing, that leads me to want what is not mine to have, to agitate with restlessness, to despise or diminish another? When will I yield my instruments of sight to God for His noble, fruitful use? (2 Samuel 11:1-4; Proverbs 23:31-33; Romans 6:13)

Oh Lord God, purify my eyes to as You see, that I see You clearly, everything else through You.

“When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted… And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations.'” Leviticus 23:10-14

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’” Deuteronomy 26:1-3

As the Lord established Israel in their land, He determined to establish rhythms of remembering and thanksgiving. All provision, tangible and intangible, as well as any spiritual fruit from personal effort, is from Jehovah Jireh. A repeated practice of celebrating firstfruits looked forward to the ultimate provision of Jesus Christ, the sacrificial firstfruit from the Father to atone for sin, bringing eternal, spiritual satisfaction. (Genesis 22:8; 1 Corinthians 3:5-7; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; Romans 8:23; James 1:17)

When we exert strain, effort, and resources to complete duties and accomplish plans, it is natural to take credit. This wouldn’t have happened without me. We think we earn the right because we do not understand that we have nothing He has not given, from resources and talent to opportunity. Any smugness on our part, even an ounce of credit or boasting, strokes greedily at the Lord’s glory, which He forbids. (Isaiah 42:8; 48:11; John 3:27; 1 Corinthians 4:7)

Are there smidges of pride in our achievements and material goods? Have we in any way slipped into thinking this is mine, it’s my due, I’m master of my universe? Wave the sheaf! Do not forget! It’s all from Him and unto Him! (Deuteronomy 8:10-18; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:15-19)

How can we honor the Heavenly Father with our first fruits today? What portion of time will we offer Him for worship and thanksgiving? Will He have the first part of our plans, energy, affection? What attention and priority will we give to build His kingdom, and build up His people? Before whom will we wave the sheaves of His honor, truth, and praise? (Deuteronomy 6:10-12; Psalm 67:6; Proverbs 3:9)

Lord, may I always offer You my first and best, proclaiming Your glory.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears…
He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on the wings of the wind…

He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me…
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?” Psalm 18:1-6,9-10,16-19,30-31

“God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling…
 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    God is our fortress.” Psalm 46:1-3,11

David knew a bounteous share of distress over the seasons of his life, and concurrently knew more and more of his God. From early bold confidence, he grew into a man after God’s heart. The greater the onslaught of trouble, the deeper the waves of regret, fear, and grief, the closer he pressed to the Lord. With every deluge he took refuge in his Rock, Fortress, and Shield. (1 Samuel 17:40-50; Acts 13:22)

Do we? Unless we are trained to think on the goodness of God and practiced in continual communion with Him, we will not reflexively cry out to Him when the flood of trouble comes. The sudden terror, the dreaded call or diagnosis, the shocking loss will consume, and pound at our foundation, unsettling balance, unnerving emotions. Hope gets smothered, confidence wanes, and we find ourselves bereft and shaken.

But God is worthy to be praised! He hears our cries! Who is a rock, except our God? The Lord of hosts is with us! He is on our side! He is surprised by nothing, rather, actively working all things for our good and sanctification! (Romans 8:28-34)

So where will we hide? How can we develop a steady mindset fixed on Christ, so when the storms blow in we are stable, not stumbling or drowned? What promises will we commit to memory and hide in our hearts, so we can stand firmly on the Rock that is Christ? How have past and recent difficulties proven God’s character and nearness? We cannot avoid storms, but we can face them with assuredness and hope by looking God-ward and taking refuge in Him. (Psalm 119:11,89; Isaiah 43:1-4; 2 Corinthians 1:20)

Father, in every deluge, hide me in Your shelter, and be glorified.

“I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me… By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you…

“Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops… Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 1:12,14; 2:1-6,15

Soldiers, athletes, farmers, workers all. In God’s kingdom, each owns a trust assigned by God, varied talents, roles, and responsibilities that train for godliness, stand as illustration, and when rightly handled, bring divine approval. The heavenly deposit given is to be guarded in faithfulness and put to use with purpose and for fruitfulness that pleases the Giver. Soldiers do not compete as athletes who do not work and wait as farmers, but each is exemplary. Paul was so convinced of his Lord’s call that his sole desire was to fulfill it. He poured zeal and focus to compete in and finish the race marked out for him. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Ephesians 3:8-12; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Daily pressures can mount in seemingly insurmountable measure. Always the new urgency, always the distractions, and always the want for ease that lure us off course. When we ask, the Spirit will give us order in priorities and show us His way. What am I spending time and energy on that another might another be able to do as well? Am I investing in what only I am particularly gifted and called to do? What lessons is the Lord teaching? (Psalm 32:8; Proverbs 3:5-6; 16:9)

Sometimes we’re mired in a grueling battle, wounded at unjust treatment, a misunderstanding, a loved one’s pain, shame over things done or regret over things undone. God calls us to press forward, eyes on Him who trains in skill and triumph. Stay armed in His strength and persevere under His command. Where are we tempted to shrug off God’s authority or help, or give up fighting for what’s right? (Psalm 18:34-39; Ephesians 6:10-18)

Sometimes the contest or race seems too arduous. We flag in energy, the finish line too far. We want to cut corners, even give up. But God designs every cobble and curve for His purposes. His strength is perfected in our weakness. Will we confess our doubts and keep pressing on for the victor’s crown? (2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 3:14)

Sometimes life’s routine seems too long in the waiting. We have done what’s required but see no results. We’ve planted, prayed, persisted, with little growth or progress. Is impatience or discouragement eating away at otherwise developing spiritual fruit? What might Christ be doing on a deeper or larger scale?

Lord, may I know You well, guard Your trust, and work faithfully, hopefully, to Your ends and glory.

“As for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus,.. to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:11-19

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3

God knows the power of a carrot, the enticement of something wanted to spur on motivation and effort. Throughout Scripture He gives glimpses of His majesty, splendor, and the future glory that awaits His children to keep us groaning, substantially hoping, and pressing on. Our present charge to keep is ignited by the joyous expectancy of presenting His Majesty crowns when inapproachable light welcomes us home into its splendor. His Spirit within inspires anticipation of all that is truly life and the joy of beholding our Savior’s face. (Exodus 3:1-6; 33:18-23; Psalm 17:15; Romans 8:19-23; 2 Corinthians 11:2-4,7-10)

In the drudgery of day to day, we might feel malaise at routine or waning enthusiasm, or fatigued by relentless pressures or sad circumstances. If we need a shot of spiritual adrenaline, consider what lies ahead beyond the challenging rhythms of earthly life. When we take moments to savor the promises of heaven, meditate on the eternity the Lord has won and is preparing for us, and imagine gazing at our Savior’s love-filled eyes, melancholy is replaced by motivation. Sure hope awakens zeal to be ready. (John 14:1-3; Revelation 4:2-11)

A glimpse at heaven’s eternal riches loosens our hold on those of this world. Contemplation of no barriers, divisions, vitriol, or hurt softens present prejudices, grudges and angst. What hope motivates me to pursue holiness, reconciliation, fruitfulness? How will a fresh view of Christ- serving, crucified, victorious, glorified- spur fervor to express gratitude, resolve differences, proclaim truth, give away, love more, press on? (Matthew 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 3:11; Revelation 21:4

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

Lord, keep me longing to see You and living faithfully as though it could be any moment.

“When they came to Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments…[and] sat down and kept watch over him there… Those who passed by derided him… The chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him…

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?..’ And Jesus cried out again… and yielded up his spirit.

“The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised… When the centurion and those with him… saw what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!'”

“Toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb… The angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said… And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’” Matthew 27:35,37,39,41,45-46,51-52,54; 28:1,5-6,9

Dreaded doom turned to darkness, drear grown desperate as the hours stretched. What horror. Hope had been swallowed up in confusion, shock, now sorrow. What was it He had said? The Passover Lamb would take away the sin of the world? The agonies of the last day were too heavy, too hard to untangle. But the song…. (John 1:29)

“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?” ~Isaac Watts (1707)

The man of sorrows, foretold, crucified, and now raised! The Word made flesh, every word come to pass. The music of life returns.

“Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood,
sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, vile and helpless we;
spotless Lamb of God was he,
full atonement, can it be?
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Lifted up was he to die;
‘It is finished’ was his cry;
now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!” ~Phillip Bliss (1865)

What impulse, habit, burden can we affix to the cross to see it crushed, finished, so we can rise anew? Pardoned! Cleaned! Ruin made whole! (Isaiah 53:3-7; John 1:14)

Lo! Jesus meets us. Risen from the tomb, 
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom.
Let our doubting spirits find a voice to sing:
Christ who died is living; death has lost its sting.

Thine was the suff’ring, mine the endless life.
Sin holds no dominion; love wins over strife.
What then shall I shall I offer? Songs that never cease!
Thou hast won the vict’ry, glorious Prince of Peace!

Thine be the glory, Risen, conquering Son!
Endless is the victr’y, Thou o’er death hath won!” ~Edmond Budry (1904)

O sacred head, be now My Head, and lead forward in newness of life!

“Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.

For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others…
Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.

This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts.
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd…
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.” Psalm 49:7-10,12-14

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

“There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Nobility is measured in various ways by the sin-stained heart of man, but none can touch the magnitude of Christ’s perfection. The concept of sacrifice is limited by the scope of our imagination. The deepest human love is expressed in giving life for life, yet even here that simply extends the numbered days of the one saved until death. While each is infinitely valuable in God’s eyes, none can truly, fully ransom the life of another because the cost cannot be borne. No natural man who bears his own such burden can pay for the foolishness, greed, and arrogance of another. Only the righteous One can fully incur and crucify the countless sin of man’s depravity and the impossible burden of penalty deserved. (John 15:13; Romans 5:7-10; 1 John 3:16)

Man’s temptation is to attempt to earn salvation, pay what we can in duty, donation, or lip-service to secure a way to a god made in our image. Naively unaware of how deep our sin stain goes, we make shallow sacrifices without concept of true cost. Calloused hearts disregard Jesus on the cross.

When will we awaken to our pomposity? What will we give, how will we honor this worthy unblemished Lamb who fully paid our ransom? (Matthew 27:27-30; John 19:5-6)

“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.” Stuart Townend (1995)

Loving Savior, in gratitude for Your costly ransom paid, take my life and spend me as You will, for Your renown and glory.

“When Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

“And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

“And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us… saying,

“’I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’

^“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

“Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:5-7,10-15,17-23

The work of a priest was ongoing, messy. Look for blemishes, choose animal. Slay. Blood. And go again, do again, day in and out, morning and evening sacrifices. Theirs was a privileged yet grueling appointment to keep the law. But when Jesus came, His perfect body became the final sacrifice, His perfect blood our complete and final atonement. How beautiful the unblemished, broken body of Christ!

Depictions of the crucifixion are many and varied, yet their portrayal impacts our grasp of Christ’s gift at Calvary. How do I process the horror? Do I mock the surrender, afraid to acknowledge my own disobedience? Do I condemn as failure what is actually my own? Am I ambivalent to the sacrifice, callous to its brash conviction? Or am I ashamed of the brutal injustice, knowing it was mine to incur against my bleak, heinous sin? (Matthew 27:22-30,51-54)

Will I this day cherish the Crucified, the exquisite God-man in perfect yet broken flesh, spilling compassion, grace, and truth in blood drops for me? How will I receive and rejoice in the beautiful body of my forever High Priest? (John 1:14)

“How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross
How beautiful is the body of Christ.

How beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sin and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful is the body of Christ.” ~Twila Paris (1990)

My Lord, may I never forget Your sacrifice, Your infinite love and grace, always giving thanks and willing to extend in kind to others in Your name, and for Your sake and honor.

“It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him…

“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them… 

“And on the first day of Unleavened Bread,.. they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.., one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!’

“And they went to a place called Gethsemane…  And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’ And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’… ‘It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’

“And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders… And they laid hands on him and seized him… And they led Jesus to the high priest. All the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together… seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death.” Mark 14:1,10,12,16-18,20-21,32-36,41,-43,46,53,55

Two worlds juxtaposed: the serenity of Jesus knowing all that would come, and the plotting, conniving, and vitriolic churning of men who would destroy Him. Jesus moved with peace and assuredness as He faced the trials, deception, suffering, and crucifixion, looking with joy to the resurrection. But man was restless, antagonistic, scheming, angry, afraid for what would come and to lose control. The distinction was the understanding of and confidence in God’s sovereignty and goodness. It makes all the difference. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

In our lives, constant disruptions and teasers to fear and doom can keep us anything but serene. The more we fixate on what-ifs and to-dos, the less we think on Who He is, and remain unsettled. These problems will not stop, but we can change in the way we perceive and handle them. All is not lost when circumstances go awry when we know the One who is sovereign over today and holds tomorrow.

What fretting, manipulating, or betrayal peppers our minds with worry and angst? Is there unsettled dissension, or unwarranted fear that eats away at our peace? Where have circumstances so turned that it seems there is no good way out?

Look up at the joy ahead! The Lord is writing the story and crafts a beautiful end! Take heart! Rest untroubled! Through every wicked turn, ugly intention, breaking storm, and choking grief, there is the Sovereign, ruling over all, to glorious ends. (Luke 8:22-25)

Lord, keep me at peace, serene and strong, as I work out and trust in Your sovereign will.