As the rain and snow

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,  so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;  if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;  the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:1-9

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

Paul had just described the magnificent grace of God in reaching the Gentiles with the gospel, so overcome with awe and amazement that he broke out in spontaneous praise and benediction. Now how were all those blessed recipients to live? Because of God’s fore-planned pursuit of them, because He was worthy, because His riches were deep and His ways inscrutable, therefore he urged them to offer themselves wholly to Him and His kingdom service. To tap into those riches and align with His judgments and live out His glorious character among men. (Romans 11:33-36)

The Lord has high expectations for His people as stewards of His grace. He has not only saved us from a sure destruction, but unto a meaningful life of service to Him. The talents and resources and sanctified attributes He bestows are to reflect His grace as they fulfill His purposes. He calls us to lay down our lives in order to live with vibrancy and zeal, our every day an offering of worship back to the One who gave it. Does spiritual worship describe our daily outlook and effort? Matthew 25:14-30

It’s vital our minds be regularly renewed so they are strong against the pattern of this world. Social media and constant mantras become ear worms and brain eaters, requiring constant infiltration and cleansing of the fresh water of the word. Rejuvenated both spiritually and mentally, we can reasonably engage with our God-given gifts to build up the church and advance His kingdom. How seriously do we take His command? What are we doing to renew our thinking?

And how are we living out His therefore mandate, putting into practice the Spirit He’s planted in us and our gifts? When offered to Him in humility and sobriety, they do much to develop and energize HIs people, to His ends.

Lord, inspire my zeal to love You by serving others for Your sake and glory.

“The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day… 

“In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.  When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?..’  And Moses said, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat…  Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat,.. according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent…’ Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat… Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted…

“The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.” Exodus 16:4,13-16,18,21,35

“While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:10-12

From the start of their wilderness wandering, the Lord provided supernatural sustenance for His people. Day in, day out, He brought them just enough to satisfy and fuel their sojourn. Through daily manna He taught them daily dependence, holy expectation, and to be content with what He gave as sufficient.

God is constant and gracious to provide for His people in ways we see and cannot see. Because of His consistent faithfulness, we can become accustomed to His steadfast love and care and plenty. Lest we grow complacent, and neglect to seek or depend on Him, and feel we’re entitled to certain supply by our way and time and whim, He can switch His methods and means to remind us it is He, not ourselves, from whom all blessings flow.

Are we cruising on plenty, unaware that every good gift comes from God above? Have we slid into complaining about the bounty God gives? How adamant are we about wanting things our way, now? Have we become so used to ample that we think we have a right? Where has gratitude been eliminated and overtaken by grumbling? Would we trace His hand of creative provision today with humble thankfulness? (James 1:17)

“Praise to the Lord, over all things so wondrously reigning;
shelters thee under his wings, yea so gently sustaining!
Hast thou not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?” ~Joachim Neander (1680)

Lord, keep me ever grateful for Your good and bountiful gifts.

“David said to Abigail, ‘Blessed be the Lord who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and working salvation with my own hand!  For as surely as the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.’

“Abigail came to Nabal, and he was holding a feast in his house, like… a king. Nabal’s heart was merry, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And about ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

“When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing.'” 1 Samuel 25:32-34,36-39a

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'” Romans 12:19

David , though anointed king, had not yet taken the throne. When the rude and greedy Nabal refused his young men’s reasonable request, he prepared to attack to avenge their honor. Enter the foolish businessman’s discerning wife Abigail, who graciously offered sustenance and a plea not to be rash, but to trust that the Lord would establish His king. David wisely relented, grateful for the reminder of Who actually bore and would deal with the insult. His anger was assuaged, his hands were kept free from blood, and his determination to leave vengeance to God was solidified. (1 Samuel 25:1-31; 39b-42)

Insults fly and offenses roil in a dissension-poisoned culture. Ungrounded and prickly people rebuff being bullied and blame everything and everyone for their hurt and misery. Man can readily find cause to be angry at anything others say and do. Lashing out only makes us like the very fools we disdain; leaving vengeance to the Lord unveils His majesty in ways we’d have otherwise missed. Every time we halt an urge to sin strengthens holy resolve for the future. (1 Samuel 26:8-11,21,23; Proverbs 29:11)

Our just God knows how to take care of His own and their enemies. His ways are perfect, His judgments timely. We can confidently keep doing the next right thing and entrust our emotions and reactions to His outworking.

What grievances do we carry and coddle to our detriment? Who has wronged our upright behavior or loved one, our ego or entitlement? Meting out rage-fueled revenge serves only to dishonor true justice and exacerbate flagrant pride and emotion. God knows the legitimacy of our claims and the best antidotes and consequences.

What resentment, harsh words, or temper need we lay down, and trust the Lord’s resolution? Where can we be an Abigail, working respectfully to make peace and point to God’s will and character? Jesus bore the wrath against sin so we would not need to. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Lord, help me think and behave rightly in my treatment of others, trusting Your finished work, to the honor of Your perfect name and character.

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

“There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you,
    and glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God.” Psalm 95:1-3,6-7

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:1-4

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord!” Psalm 98:4-5

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!” Psalm 100:4

What makes the heart leap and breath catch upon seeing a wide orange fingernail sliver of a moon cup on the horizon at darkening twilight? It is the spirit God has planted in us that is alert to His declared glory in the skies. What causes fresh ideation and inspiration as we imagine and discover and invent? It is the image of God designed into our being at work and creating through our will and intellect. Praise Him!

God is trustworthy in the whirlwind, in the turmoil, in the unknown and foreboding as well as the blissful seasons. We can expect that His will will be done, His hand will prove mighty, His light will be seen, His judgments will be executed, His love will hold fast, because they embody who God is and how He works. Praise Him!

Will we praise him in the flood of sorrow and the flood of a home? In the drought of hope and the drought of a land? In the crash of bad news and the clash of war? In a radiant sunset of life and blazing sunset of day? God reigns on high! He rides the heavens to our aid, and sees that all His plans come to pass. Praise Him! (Deuteronomy 33:26; Isaiah 14:24)

What difference would there be in countenance, attitude, outlook, the atmosphere of our home and workplace, if we set out to praise God this day?

“All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing,
‘Alleluia! Alleluia!’
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him!
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship Him in humbleness;
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!” ~St. Francis os Assisi (1225)

Amen!

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

“Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.’  And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.'” Joshua 24:14-24

Joshua was an exemplary leader both tactically and spiritually, and always the two were intertwined. There was no decision or conquest he made or achieved apart from his relationship with his Commander. The Lord God had indeed been with him wherever he went, granting wisdom, strategy, skill, and tenacity, and brought great victory and conquest. So before he died, Joshua’s legacy would be to remind God’s people of His holiness and grace, and to challenge them to choose and commit. (Joshua 1:7-9)

Being confronted with who God is and tracing His hand through our lives is not an isolated occurrence in a vacuum. Encountering Christ forces an inflection point for life going forward. We have a decision: Who is He to me, and how will I respond with my will?

Who is my king? Any determination to follow the Lord must be made with the realization that we are unable to keep it apart from Christ’s grace. Are we zealous but not careful? Quick to sign on, but not to sign in to His word? What idols need we surrender so He is Lord alone? (Hebrews 4:16)

Faithful Lord, incline my heart to You always, my thoughts to Your mind, my inclinations to Your word, my ways to Your paths, so I serve You alone and for Your name’s sake and glory.

“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month ([in] the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

“As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness…

“Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads…

“And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.  And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.  Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

“Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” Ezekiel 1:1-5,22,26-28

The prophet priest had been exiled to Babylon years prior. Far from home, under strange authority, this man of God communed with Him like never before. The darkness of Ezekiel’s situation magnified the light of his Lord, the silence of familiarity heightened the sound of His voice, isolation from his homeland intensified the palpability of His presence. As harsh as his situation was, Ezekiel knew his God, and under His loving hand kept looking. The Almighty used his very hardship to open a way to see His majesty, and thereby proclaim a substantial hope.

We too may be in a seemingly endless strange place, be it an untenable relationship, demeaning work situation, or crippling disease, with little hope of meaningful change, much less a return to normalcy. But it is in such an exile we can watch for the Lord in a way we would not were things going well, were we comfy and safe. The Lord speaks into our longings, and appears in our darkness to remind us His throne is over all. In the fire and thunder He is gloriously present and actively reigns. Would we fall on our faces at the realization of His majesty and power?

Where are we bemoaning a circumstance, engrossed in all that’s sad and hard? Instead, how will we trace God’s hand, hear His words, and behold His glory in the midst?

Lord, in every situation, keep my eyes watching for You, and my soul humbled at Your glorious presence.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.” Psalm 27:1-6

David encountered many a foe during his years. His psalms record a lot of his communion with God through threats, battle, pursuit, and despair, and repeatedly they reflect his heart attitude and mindset: God was his first love and trust. His heartbeat was praise, His vision hope, no matter what he was facing. His one request that trumped all others, that was more important to him than physical safety, or a solution to his problem, or respite, was to dwell in the house of his Lord and seek Him and gaze on His beauty. His one thing, one primary desire and goal, was the Lord Himself. If he had Him, he had everything.

In the flesh, we feel urgencies for immediate solutions and relief, answers now. Pressure dictates our need for protocol, protection, ready provision. But when we seek and pine for a new job, an answer, a spouse, a promotion, or reassurance, we must know that each of these things is finite, temporary. We grasp it in our hands and it flies away, and changing circumstances bring new problems and attending needs.

To establish the Lord as our praise plants us in any situation on firm footing. It becomes our mindset with which to deal with anything that comes. Beginning the song of our day recounting His attributes, naming His names, does much to unite the heart in confidence around Him. Abiding with Him, gazing on His beauties in the varied areas of our lives, seeking Him in His word, all fortify our trust in His handiwork. (Psalm 86:11)

Seeking the Lord is an ongoing commitment. What distracts us from this one thing needful, our First Love? What other charms or busyness do we seek before Him? A need to stay connected through media, a drive to get ahead, attendance to our stuff? Have we made a higher priority of self-care, work, or recreation? What practical steps can we take to guard this one thing as primary and trust the Lord to enable and bless that effort? Desires that honor Him He takes joy in fulfilling. (Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:42; Revelation 2:4-5)

Lord, in the midst of pressures and turmoil may I seek, gaze on, and trust Thee, first and most.

“When Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,  for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him… [Jesus] was saying, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!… What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion, for we are many…’ So… the unclean spirits came out…

“And people came to see what it was that had happened.  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid…  As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’  And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” Mark 5:2-6,8-9,13a,14b-15,18-20

Ostracized, isolated, unclean and uncontrollably helpless, the demon- possessed man knew nothing but misery. The only people he encountered were antagonistic, and tried to chain him. Then he met Jesus. Jesus was not afraid of him, nor repelled by him. He had compassion on him and his wretched situation and immediately acted to help. With a word, this merciful God-man freed him from his torment, and gave him new life. Where he’d known only loss and cruelty and loneliness, now all was love. He wanted to stay with his Savior forever.

But Jesus said no. Linger not with Me but love on your neighbors and friends with the love I have poured out on you. You have been made whole to live robustly. You have new livelihood to enjoy and a story to tell. You have been given mercy to extend it, life to expend it, and joy to spread it. Sow the seeds of newfound beauty you have been given so My light blooms wide and far.

All the Lord does in our lives is for His purposes and praise. He saves us so we live for His kingdom and glory. He entrusts much to us so we will invest well for His sake in all our involvements. His love showered on us, poured into us, and shed abroad in our hearts has undeniable effects in the way we go about our hours. (Luke 12:48; Romans 5:5; Ephesians 2:10)

How has Christ’s love affected and inspired us? How are we expressing it in daily duties? How has His anointing of our personalities, desires, and talents enhanced and motivated the way we work, interact with others, and spend our resources? Love lived out for Him and others brings great blessing and joy.

Lord, help me live out with abandon all You have put into me, to Your praise.

“Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’  And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. The Lord said to Moses.., ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.'” Numbers 20:10-12

“Now [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,  who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:28-31

Moses, in all of his hard obedience, wilderness walking, and deep communion with God, had dishonored Him at the rock, and he would bear the consequences. It seems a harsh punishment for one who led Israel faithfully for so many years, but God would not be mocked. The honor of His holiness took precedence over His friend’s happiness. But Jesus also redeems, and Moses’ presence at Jesus’s transfiguration in the promised land, centuries after his death, is evidence of the lavish grace of God. (Exodus 33:11; Galatians 6:7)

Foolish in rebel thoughts and impertinent impulses, we too are destined to wander, exempt from God’s holy heaven. But because the Lord Jesus made a way to usher us into God’s presence forever, we too will make it, by grace through faith, to Him. Sins bring internal and external consequences, but if we are in Christ, not eternal. (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9)

We may be suffering from past sins, personally committed or done against us, over which God has worked conviction and forgiveness. We may carry deep regret or painful, even if fading, scars. Some agonies are hard to shrug off, even when we know the Lord’s cleansing and redeeming love. Turning from difficulties we wrestle with to the Lord Jesus who wrestles on our behalf ameliorates our perspective. God’s promised land is certain, and He appears in glory to meet us in every situation. Eternal separation from all sin’s fallout is our sure hope. (Psalm 32:1-2; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:1; Revelation 22:1-5,14)

Where are we making our dwelling? Are we wallowing with dread and without hope in a desert of regrets, missed opportunities, foolish actions we cannot retrieve or undo? Or will we go to our Savior on the heights, intent on His glorious presence and provision? Every strike of the rock by way of thoughtless gesture, grave immorality, or coddled sin habit, He has covered by His grace-blood, and we are free to draw nigh. If we believe His promise, what difference is it making today?

“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.” ~Robert Robinson (1758)

Amen, to Your honor and praise.

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

“There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow… [He] said to the women, ‘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… Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him…’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.” Matthew 27:45-46,50,55-56; 28:1-3,5-9

The women who had faithfully followed and actively ministered to Jesus during His public ministry did not stop caring at His death. They watched Him at the crucifixion as He lovingly tended to others until His last breath. As soon as possible after the Sabbath, they went to His tomb, and in the continuance of their caring, were blessed by His appearance. Had they given up in sorrow and moved on into a more ordinary life, they would have missed the joy of His glory and presence in the keeping on.

A natural desire to control our environment and tendency to impatience lead to limited caring about others. When my emotions get pulled, when it’s convenient for my schedule, or it serves my interest or benefit, I can care a lot. In fact, it feels good to care, and I like the strokes I get in return. But if caring requires me to relinquish control of my managed life, or my sympathetic feelings fade, or the situation drags on and intrudes on my sense of order or disrupts my comfort, my benevolence can wane. The measure of our care for others reveals much about our selfishness, pride, and greed.

The Lord’s example and call are to keep caring for the long haul. Love as He has loved us. Spend what He has entrusted to us for the sake of others. In God’s economy, love has no limits, nor compassion a hard stop. (Luke 23:39-43; John 13:1,34; 19:25-27)

Are we more prone to one-time kindnesses than to making long-term investments in ongoing needs? What personal agendas and comforts preclude our making ourselves available? Does desire for autonomy or fear of missing something else curtail genuine compassion? How willing are we to care as Jesus does? What will we do regularly to uphold, encourage, pray with, practically help, and attentively love others?

Faithful Lord, help me deeply and consistently care for those You put in my life, reflecting Your grace, love, and generosity.