As the rain and snow

“O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.

You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. ” Psalm 44:1-8

“The Lord said to Abram.., ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever… Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.'” Genesis 13:14-15,17

Remembering God’s past help urged His people to press on His upward way. The psalmist’s recounting translated to present pushing down of foes, victories over fear and doubt. The King’s arm, the light of His face, were still near and working and cause for boast.

The Lord still has land for us to take: victory over ingrained sin, revamping harmful habits to healthy, helpful ones, new horizons for ministry, fruitful utility of the gifts and resources entrusted to us. Have we taken stock of the breadth of all He would do in our lives if He had full sway? Would we lift our eyes to behold the possibilities of healing, transformation, renewed strength, wider spiritual influence, then trust Him? (Isaiah 40:28-31; Jeremiah 29:11)

How will we go about winning His promised places of uplifting relationships, soul peace, bounty in work and service? What needs to change in our mindset? What discontent or complaint need be renounced so we readily recall His past faithfulnesses with thanksgiving? Will we trust our own smart efforts and worldly methods to succeed, or will we look to God’s? (Psalm 20:7; Zechariah 4:6; Romans 12:1-2)

“I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Tho’ some may dwell where these abound,
My pray’r, my aim is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till Heav’n I’ve found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground.

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s table land;
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” ~Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1898)

Lord, help me take the land of Your good will by daily surrender and steady obedience.

“You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told…

But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’
As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!” Psalm 40:5,16-17

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it...

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.” Psalm 139:1-6,17-18

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… 

“If God is for us, who can be against us?.. Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died.., was raised… is at the right hand of God… interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?.. 

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 7:28-29,31,33-35,37-39

Multiplied deeds and thoughts toward all who love their salvation! Divinely-numbered individuals are intricately known, loved, and personally cared for. In all the vast world, each one is God’s treasure, the apple of His eye. His capacity is limitless, His love boundless! Multiple thoughts toward His people hold numberless thoughts about all that concerns them, every one achieving good. His thoughts are active, intricate, personal, capacious. Each works constantly defending, promoting, interceding, conforming, supporting, protecting. (Deuteronomy 32:10; Isaiah 43:4)

This incomparable One who takes thought for millions does so for me! In what areas am I especially poor and needy? He comes as help. What impulses need untangling and purifying? He knows my errant inclinations, my poisoned tongue, and delivers. Where am I insecure, afraid, uncertain? He hems me in all around, and assures me of His steadfast love. He constantly upholds me in perfect prayer against every strange power, defending me as my advocate and counselor, ordering all things for my ultimate good.

What worries invade my thoughts? What shame weighs heavy on my soul? Would I bow before God’s grace-filled thoughts toward me, and rejoice?

Lord, may I count all Your thoughts and works precious, and be glad to declare Your infinite glories.

“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32

“Even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:4

“Wisdom is with the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.” Job 12:12

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
    they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the Lord is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 92:12-15

“Gray hair is a crown of glory;
    it is gained in a righteous life.”

“The splendor of old men is their gray hair.” Proverbs 16:31; 20:29

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

Wrinkles of milk and grey give texture to an otherwise smooth sky, adding distinguishing beauty and depth. Smooth and clear is… smooth and clear, but the shadowed wrinkles enrich the palette of blue, capture the senses, suggest a story, leave an impression. Only the Creator’s fingers could scratch and streak in such exquisite design. Indeed, it takes years and age to appreciate God’s signature in the distinct beauty of His long-faithful hand.

And so works the Lord in the wrinkles of our lives. Each bump and streak and smudge tells a story of love known, pain suffered, ecstasy enjoyed. Whether etched in our faces or grooved into circumstances, the textures and contours of our every day are designed and applied lovingly by the Almighty, intending to display His glory in the countenance or responses that reflect it.

In some places and cultures, it is anathema to appear to be aging, as though this natural process can be arrested, and as though there is no benefit or blessing in having endured much and proven God faithful. The Scriptures teach an honoring of old age, and a proper desire for the wisdom, understanding, and steady fruitfulness it affords. Societies are enriched by the investment in and of the aged, by their experiences and lessons that add perspective and hope.

What if I cared less about the wrinkles on my body and focused more on tracing how the Lord has carried, led, protected, and kept me over the years? What permanent impressions has God made in my way of dealing with people and hard situations? What smile lines do I carry that reflect joyful gratitude and love?

What am I doing today that will contribute to long life and the wrinkles it brings? How can I make the most of my days and years, adding to wisdom, passing along peace and lessons learned, and celebrating God’s deep faithfulness experienced over long seasons? (Proverbs 3:1-2)

Lord God, help me welcome life’s wrinkles as Your gifts etched with love and indelible reminders of Your steadfast faithfulness.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’” Matthew 13:24-28

“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Mark 4:18-20

“I went past the field of a sluggard,
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
thorns had come up everywhere,
    the ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone wall was in ruins.
I applied my heart to what I observed
    and learned a lesson from what I saw:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34

“Land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.” Hebrews 6:7-8

Jesus dealt with practical experiences and images to teach life lessons. Even in the loveliest and most prolific gardens there were weeds that poked ugly heads, whose roots entangled and sometimes smothered what was good. Tend to rich soil and all that grows, and saturate yourselves with living water. Beware, He warned, of these foreign pests, and be vigilant to keep sowing good seed, and bear good fruit.

The world casts so many weeds our way! Ugly thoughts here, risky dalliances there, pesky distractions everywhere. It seems the weeds of strange affection, jealousy, fear, gossip, and unholy desire are scattered ubiquitously, and grow so much faster and prove more untenable than do wholesome, fruitful passions. What are we to do? How do we stay pure in a culture infested with weed seeds?

We need take stock in the condition of our soil, and stay soft and receptive to the teachings of God’s word. We need steadily drink in His rain. By deliberate act of the will, we can confess our allowance and entertainment of known sin, and rid of it to make room for steady obedience. The more we pack our garden of time and energy with good deeds and fruit-bearing, the less space there will be for weeds to grow.

What are we doing to help truths take hold? Where do we need particular repentance and accountability? With whom can we press on in love and good deeds, yielding useful crop? (Psalm 119:9-16; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 1:21-22)

Lord, please soak me with Your living word to extricate every weed and nourish only what bears fruit and loveliness for Thee.

“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’  But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’  So Moses cried to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’  And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.  And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?'” Exodus 17:1-7

“In distress you called, and I delivered you;
    I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:7-10

Exodus tells us the quarreling Israelites tested the Lord at Meribah, while Psalms says it was God testing them. The people, full of themselves and their rights, snipped whether God was even with them, while the Lord begged them to stop snarling and listen, and look, to Him. If they would but open their mouths, not in whining and complaint but in sure anticipation, He would fill it! Vantage point and perspective determine how and who we see.

Why is it so hard to think vertically and look long? Why is our default to blame God above when our horizontal becomes uncomfortable? When we live circular lives with me at center, we fail to recognize the Lord ahead, and get agitated at the adjustment of changing our ways. It’s easier to complain and blame than to humble ourselves and admit Almighty God knows more than we do. He wants us to open our self- imposed boundaries to His supernatural unlimited.

Where has God faithfully led and provided for me in the past? Do I trust Him enough to expect Him to work again, or do I get cantankerous when things are difficult, and suspect His motives, or doubt His care? Rather than get testy with Him, how might I pass His tests of faith?

Lord, please replace my wrangling and irritation with solid trust that honors You.

“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
    who draw sin as with cart ropes,
who say: ‘Let him… speed his work
    that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,
    and let it come, that we may know it!’
Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
    and shrewd in their own sight!
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
    and deprive the innocent of his right!” Isaiah 5:18-23

“Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.The Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.’ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.”

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” John 10:23-31; 12:26

From the beginning, God’s word was clear. The serpent twisted His command to stroke Eve’s emotions and titillate her senses. By confusing her thinking, he upended what had been paradise, and has been turning truth upside down in the mind of man ever since. Jesus spoke plainly that He was the way, truth, and life, but some people refused to hear. Throughout time, man has been wont to prefer self-interest to God’s message. Throughout the Scriptures, the word is clear for those who will listen, and the Lord denounces those who refuse. (Genesis 3:1-6; John 14:6; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)

It is not reason that illuminates our faith, it is faith in God that illuminates our reason. We ask wrong questions, more interested in proving our desired conclusions than learning what God has to say. We go about trying to prove our premises with tools of the flesh when the Word is saying, Come to Me. We cannot serve both ourselves and God. Approaching Him by faith with open heart and mind dissolves natural consternation with the light of truth. (Matthew 6:24)

In what situations am I most prone to manipulate? How willing am I to listen to and actually entertain another’s opinion? How often we start discussions with ready answers, or arguments with preconceptions about our ‘opponents’ and pre-set solutions. We goad others to get what we want. Do we do the same with Jesus? Where do I- my preferences, push, stubbornness, pride- need to get out of the way so the Lord can have His?

Lord, help me set aside flesh and stand upright in Spirit to be a good listener and to embrace Your unadulterated truth.

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,

“’I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise…’

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery… Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him.” Hebrews 2:10-12,14-15,17-3:2a

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus Son of God, by mysterious, supernatural design, appointment, and submission, put on flesh to become Jesus Son of Man. In every way He was like us here on earth, born of woman, raised in a family, given to work and hunger and loves and weariness. Yet, He was without sin. The perfect propitiation, complete ransom, exquisite example, flawless High Priest, righteous friend of sinners. In adopting us He made us His brothers, imperfect siblings washed clean and accepted. (Hebrews 4:15)

Do I feel alone, disconnected? Jesus was a man of sorrows, betrayed by friends. Am I struggling with lack of purpose and satisfaction? When Jesus gnawed with hunger, He found contentment doing His Father’s will. Do I need a confidante and counselor? Jesus is the perfect both! (Psalm 22:1-2,6-8,14-18,22,24; Isaiah 9:6; 53:3-7; Matthew 4:1-4; John 4:34; 14:16-17; 15:15)

How can I be more like Him, this benevolent Brother of mine? What temptations nip and scratch until I’ve relented? What caprice pushes me to spend what I don’t have? What resentment boils to overflow so I spew thoughtless anger, words or violence I cannot retract? What changes will I ask the Spirit to make to display our divine brotherhood?

“Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love art Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.” ~Henry Van Dyke (1907)

Lord Jesus, may I daily imitate Your grace, practice Your wisdom and love, and honor Your name.

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:2-9

For those in a fledgling church, adjusting to life in the Holy Spirit and the challenges of prevailing philosophies, it would seem unnatural to think about the far future. Immediate pressures both spiritual and practical could easily consume the day’s allotment of energy and focus. But Paul is masterful is broadening the Corinthians’ vision, in lifting their sights from the mundane and difficult to the glorious family of Christ in every place, from present stresses to future culmination of perfect fellowship. They would be sustained to the end.

In the drudge of day to day, it is easy to lose sight of anything beyond. We have deadlines to meet, tasks to complete, health issues that drain, relationships that snip and gnaw at our peace. We face conundrums that seem unsolvable, challenges that seem interminable, and the last thing that seems possible is calm resolution. In current difficulties and fray, there is nothing like an assurance of unbreakable fellowship with Christ and the encouragement of knowing we will be sustained to the end. If indeed God called us, and is sanctifying and enriching and providing for us in all our tedium and trials, He will continue faithful until the day He returns. What a promise! (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)

We are this day both saved and being saved. The strain of present stretching is worth it in light of the hope-filled declaration of Christ’s completed work. Knowing the Lord will not rest in accomplishing His will in us should fuel our persistence and determination to press on. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Do we feel feeble, wondering where to start? Are we nursing regrets or weighed down by conflicts? What urgent malaise or misdirected passions can we commit to the certainty of God’s glorious future?

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.” ~R. Keith (1787)

Father, in light of Your faithfulness to Your character and word, help me be strong, steady, and steadfast, to Your glory.

“There we saw the Nephilim.., and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Numbers 13:33

“O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1,3-9

“The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds…

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love…
Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:13-15,18,20-21

“It is [God] who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.” Isaiah 40:22

Compared to intimidating giants, the Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers. And compared to the Creator God, the prophet describes human inhabitants of earth as grasshoppers. Indeed, in comparing to the mightier and higher, man is small and insignificant. Yet…. God has made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honor. What glory bestowed, what glory held in trust!

Consider that the One who set moon and stars in place, and upholds them by His power, has set His affection on us. Consider that He made all creatures in vast array and measureless variety, and it was good, yet crowned His creation with man after His image, and it was very good. Consider that this God, who cares for all His creatures and tends to their particular needs, is personally mindful of us and supplies all our needs according to His infinite riches in Christ Jesus. His glory that is above the heavens is also our crown! (Genesis 1:26-28,31; Job 39:1-30; Psalm 104:24-30; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 5:7)

Our daily choice is to see ourselves as God sees, or another way. Stewed in the quagmire of earthly thought and pressures and comparisons, we might moan in self-deprecation or loathing, shame, weakness. But when we really grasp His imagination and mastery in creating us, His work for us to do and position in the world for us to take, we cannot help but be humbled, honored, grateful, and inspired. (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 14:2; 1 Peter 2:9)

How will we seize our identity as Christ’s treasured possession, and show forth His marvelous light? Are we serving in churches and communities as a royal priesthood? With whom are we sharing His excellencies?

Lord, help me live out Your name and calling, at home and in community, for Your glory.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.  But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them.  Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.  And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

“Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” Exodus 34:29-35

“Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Psalm 34:5

Moses regularly met with God at the tent of meeting. The Lord would descend in a cloud and speak with him face to face, friend to friend. Moses conversed with honesty and passion, desperate for His favor and presence. He longed to see His glory- to tap an intimacy deeper than any human can manufacture or describe. Their relationship grew deeper through this ongoing communion and Moses’ obedience, and unbeknownst to him, he would part their time together reflecting the shine of God’s splendor. Earnest time in God’s presence always makes a difference in our countenance. (Exodus 33:7-23; 34:4-9,27-28)

God has established a new way for us to meet with Him since the rending of the veil at Christ’s crucifixion, more accessible than for the Old Testament saints. He invites us at any time into an ever-growing friendship. He is always available and accessible, His throne ours to approach and beseech, His love and confidence ours for the trusting. (Matthew 27:50-51; John 15:15; Hebrews 4:16; 6:19-20; 10:19-22)

Does our relationship with Him take preeminence in days easy to fill with other things? What priority do we give focused one-on-one time in His word and prayer to get to know Him, take in His promises, confess our sins, share our quandaries and needs, listen? What practical changes can we make- in time scheduled, handling of devices and media, making a quiet private place- to enhance our communion with the Almighty? (Matthew 6:6)

When we read or hear direct instruction, do we move promptly forward, trusting His abiding presence and enabling? In what areas are we slow to obey? What selfishness, fear, or hardness of heart keeps us from the urgency of obedience? When we make time for and delight in our relationship with the Lord, we are increasingly filled with His thoughts and inclinations. His purity and love radiate from surrendered soul to manifest expression.

Lord, may I so absorb Your countenance and grace in my time with you that from the inside out I reflect Your excellencies and from morning til night spread your glory.