As the rain and snow

“Forever, O Lord, your word
    is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day,
    for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have given me life…

Your promise is well tried,
    and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
    yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is righteous forever,
    and your law is true.
Trouble and anguish have found me out,
    but your commandments are my delight…
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.” Psalm 119:89-93,140-143,147-148

Well tried: used many times before and known to be effective

The psalmist was convinced that the eternal God was faithful and His word was firmly fixed- in truth, immutability, and power to perform. All God’s creation, including His law, existed to serve Him and His purposes. Though he was himself small and despised and insignificant, God’s word was large and unshakable and evergreen, so therein he would hope and meditate and live.

Do we carry such a high and zealous hope in God’s word? Have we grounded our mindset and plans in it? When do we deeply study, hiding it in our hearts to keep us from sin and help us think rightly about relationships and current events? How knowledgable can we handle the word in stressful situations, trusting it for a ready response? Can we claim that it has indeed been well-tried in our days and over our years? What examples do we have of its enlightenment, help, protection, guidance, discernment, inspiration, power to transform? (Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 2:1-12; 1 Peter 3:15)

The better we know God’s word, the more we will cherish it as our lifeline and light. The more we trust it, claim it, and implement it, the better tried it is, proving faithful, unchanging, and solid through every situation. Others will notice our serene confidence and the wisdom the word gives as it anoints our language and tenderizes our love and care for them. The word well-tried will be the word oft-told. (Psalm 119:105)

What is our testimony about God’s word and its effect in our life? What could it be, and what will we do to make that so? How will we pass along our familiarity with and love for the word so those around us long to know its Author?

“How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

The soul that on Jesus has 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!” ~John Rippon (1787)

Lord, keep me steeped in and treasuring Your word daily, so I prove it over and over for Your glory.

“A certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… The sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill…’  Jesus said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer where he was… Then Jesus told [his disciples], ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him…” 

“Now… Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days… When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him,.. ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died…’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again… I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’

“When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died…’Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb… ‘Take away the stone… Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?… He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out.” John 11:1,3-6,14-15,17,20-23,25-27,32,38,40,43-45

The tangle of live oaks makes for a picturesque view of the colorless early sky, or at least its backdrop. The fixture of them draws attention to their intricacies and complications, obfuscating the great beyond. A chill breeze blows, but they do not budge, holding fast their weblike canopy that hangs overhead and by its nature and nearness, closes in.

And so it is with our web of conflicts and pain and troubles. Lord, if only You’d clear all these away, I could see. If only You had been here, I wouldn’t be suffering this disease. If only You had intervened, I wouldn’t have lost my job, my child wouldn’t have failed, or be lost in a far country. If only You’d changed him/her, my marriage would have survived. We recite our if onlys as though God were not nigh, and as though if He were, we would not suffer what is common to men.

But the Lord turns us upward and beyond in the midst of pain. Your brother will rise again. He’s more interested in changing and inspiring lives than smoothing life issues. He intends to glorify His Son as we come to switch out He will for our if onlys, and believe.

What regrets are we carrying? What circumstances do we chafe under and wish would change? What unfulfilled expectations are we holding against God, who could be and we think should be acting on our behalf? Jesus hears, cares deeply, and redirects our attention. Your brother will rise again. I will redeem all things. All will be well. Will we today look beyond our circumstances to the One who orders them for His glory? (Habakkuk 3:17-19; Hebrews 13:5)

Father, turn my doubt and wanting to bold, joyous expectation in You.

“Joshua said to the people of Israel, ‘How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north. And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me…’

“So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, ‘Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me…’ And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.” Joshua 18:3-6,8-10

Joshua inspired with keen strategy. Get prepared, then scope out what the Lord has given. Know it, describe it… and you will want to do what it takes to make it your own.

The Lord God has given to us in Christ all things. Our inheritance is guaranteed, and Christ in us is our hope of that glory. Yet we often fail to take advantage of the riches we own. We get complacent, settle in the lowlands, and pretend to be content when actually our hearts yearn for more. Whether we live in luxury or want, it is the soul that is unsatisfied when we neglect to make the effort to procure our spiritual treasure. (Romans 8:32; Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 1:27; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

The land of rich plenty with the Lord awaits the seeker and sojourner. He bids us come, discover its breadth and depth, its rivers and bounty. What keeps our wheels sluggish? Are we too enamored with and entangled in this world? When will we get up out of spiritual sloth and seize God’s grace, joy, strength of will, self-control, power to love and forgive, and boldness for the gospel? His pledge stands for the taking!

What keeps us procrastinating in strict obedience, or the putting off of habits dishonoring to the Lord, or the commitment to regular worship and meaningful fellowship? Are we dragging our feet in service to others, or self-sacrifice, or generosity with resources? What are we waiting for to take full possession of His promises?

“Come, we that love the Lord,
and let our joys be known;
join in a song with sweet accord,
and thus surround the throne.

Let those refuse to sing
who never knew our God;
but children of the heav’nly King
may speak their joys abroad. 

The hill of Zion yields
a thousand sacred sweets
before we reach the heav’nly fields,
or walk the golden streets. 

Then let our songs abound,
and every tear be dry;
we’re marching through Emmanuel’s ground
to fairer worlds on high.

We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.” ~Isaac Watts (1707), Robert Lowry (1867)

Father, keep me pursuing You and abiding in Your good land so I can share its bounty with those around me, to Your praise.

“In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules at all times…
Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

“I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
I love Your word.” Psalm 119:14-16,20,24,72,162,163

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1,14

Many things vie for our attention through the frenzy of day and quiet of night. By day competition, trinkets, soundbites, opinions, influencers can overwhelm with their charms. By night, we are pestered by grudges, sadness, plans, memories good and lonely and difficult. We may not profess affection for any of these, but they hold sway over our heart and soul. In contrast, God holds out one greatest delight, one treasure worth more than all riches, all preoccupations. One supreme jewel above all. By it we are enlightened, in it we are nurtured and satisfied, through it we are energized and fortified.

The Word, living and active, pure and eternal, captures the willing. Once we are exposed, if we bring an open and humble mind, we are smitten. The longer we gaze, the deeper the beauties, the more we are changed. Listless nodding becomes fiery longing. Partial attention becomes consuming passion. Where we could not make enough time for it, we can no longer get enough time in it. The will to fix our eyes, delight in the words, and remember the truths becomes the steady way by which we live. (Psalm 19:7-12; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

Is this true for me? Turning my soul to delight in the word of God brings life fresh significance, and through its lens we see the world and its offerings in a new light. We cannot know its richness until we make it a priority.

What are the things that captivate me, the experiences I most value? Is my chief end personal pleasure, fulfillment, security, comfort? Or am I consumed with longing for more of the word, more of Christ? How will I act on my passion today?

“Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.” ~Old Irish, translated by Mary Byrne (1927)

Lord, captivate me with Your word and person, that I might learn and love you more.

“And it shall be said,
‘Build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstruction from my people’s way.’
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.
For I will not contend forever,
    nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
    and the breath of life that I made.
Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry,
    I struck him; I hid my face and was angry…
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
    I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
    creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near, says the Lord,
    and I will heal him.'” Isaiah 57:14-19

Build up. The One who is high dwells in a high place. Look up! From the dregs here below, the connection seems out of reach. Yet, the unimaginably high and holy breaks out of His eternal dwelling to revive the lowly. His compassion moves His children to recognition of the gap and contrition over the cause. Healing, restoration, and peace He gives to the repentant.

How does the Infinite break into the finite? Through Jesus. He rides the heavens to our help and condescends to the lowly with unfathomable love and grace. He quickens conviction, lifts blinders from spiritual eyes, offloads the burden of our sin, and raises us to eternal glory. How can this be? It can because this is what our infinite God does. He lives to intercede for us, to crush fears, remove shame, redeem broken relationships, revive hope. (Deuteronomy 33:26)

Where are we stuck that we think He cannot reach? What wicked thoughts drag us down, worldly pleasures tie us down, or doubts and narrow thinking keep us down? Would we believe that the everlasting God has come to set us free indeed and draw forth the fruit of praise? (John 8:36; Hebrews 7:25)

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!” ~Charles Wesley (1738)

Infinite Father, keep me marveling at Your amazing love and ever singing Your praise.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good…
Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live…

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:1-3a,6-12

The invitation is clear, somewhat. Come, buy and eat! makes sense in a consumer society, yet without money or price brings with the call a conundrum. How can I purchase such satisfaction without normal means of exchange? God’s ways are different and higher. He deals on another plane altogether, and to be sated the way He promises I must adjust to His methods of transaction. Where man’s accustomed to spending monetary treasure to procure things that satisfy, the Lord elevates that concept to a higher dimension. Give up your thinking and ways, spend your time and invest your attention on Mine.

Making the transition from worldly to divine commerce takes will and effort. The Spirit at salvation introduces a new way of living: Christ living in us. When He’s supreme, we learn to deal and interact in a spiritual dimension rather than being limited to trivialities of earth. Where our bent was to satisfy temporal appetites, sanctification refines our desires toward eternal pursuits. The Lord and His word bring satisfaction and delight that are otherworldly and substantial. (Genesis 3:1-6; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:8)

What is my normal method of daily exchange? Make money-spend money, take here-give there? Trade compliments, insults, favors, or grudges? Am I wholly focused on pursuing and achieving my dreams, yet feel empty the end of each day?

What could change in my heart and mind if I spent differently, and reordered my attention and affection for things more lasting? How limited is my vision for soul appetites? How willing am I to exchange the currency of sarcasm and complaint for kindness and gratitude?

Lord, keep me coming to Thee for true satisfaction, living wholeheartedly as your child, for Your purposes and glory.

“I, the Lord, the first,
    and with the last; I am he.

And you shall rejoice in the Lord;
    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

When the poor and needy seek water,
    and there is none,
    and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
    and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
    and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
    the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
    the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
    may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:4,16-20

Thirst’s parch, bare heights, wilderness and dry land and desert. Over these the Lord watches, into these He comes, onto these He pours His grace. We are the poor and needy, He the first and last. We cry, He answers. Why? So He is seen and known and glorified. (Colossians 1:15-17)

We pant and squirm and faint. It is too hard, my shame too great, my prospects too barren, my hurt too deep, my hope too dim. But before all this, He was. He is holy and makes no mistakes. He does not forsake His own. He works on our behalf to break impossible ground, to slice into our emptiness and dearth and desperation His rivers of life. He mists our deep valleys, nurturing growth, awakening awe and communal praise. And at the end, He still reigns, and we know it.

Do we know the Lord well enough to trust He oversees and tends to our difficult places? When we narrow the perimeter of our self-forged life, we miss the broad blessings that come from shared grappling. When we stubbornly insist on doing things our way, pressing ahead alone, nursing our pain, or refusing the fellowship of the community of saints, we handicap ourselves from understanding God’s wide graces. His rivers and fresh pools flow continually with His love and are sufficient for all.

How have we come to know our Lord better by His meeting our poor and needy? Are we looking? Listening? Considering? Telling? How can and will we share the magnificence and joys of what God does?

“Day by day and with each passing moment, 
Strength I find to meet my trials here; 
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, 
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. 
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure 
Gives unto each day what he deems best–
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, 
Mingling toil with peace and rest. 

Ev’ry day the Lord himself is near me, 
With a special mercy for each hour; 
All my cares he gladly bears and cheers me, 
He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of his child and treasure 
Is a charge that on himself he laid:
‘As your days, your strength shall be in measure’– 
This the pledge to me he made.” ~Carolina Sandell (1865)

Lord, may I drink deeply and splash often in Your rivers, to the refreshment of others and Your magnified glory.

“Peter said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“’The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with… all that he had, and payment to be made.  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And out of pity for him, the master released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, “Pay what you owe.” So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” He refused and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and went and reported to their master… Then his master summoned him and said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.'” Matthew 18:21-34

The principal actors in this parable depict opposite poles of attitude borne of spiritual viewpoint. One grasps the character and possibility of mercy because he knows the true King and the worth only He imparted. He acts with mercy from a grace-bought heart. The other pleads on the basis of the king’s benevolence and authority, receives the mercy he requests, yet begrudges his servitude. Instead of acting in kind out of gratitude for being forgiven, he in self-imposed importance requires repayment for a much lesser debt.

There is a stark contrast between a king who knows he is merely a servant, and a servant who pretends to or thinks he should be king. When we understand we are merely stewards of God’s grace, we gratefully receive and extend pity. But when we are smug masters of our universe, we strut in pride that neither knows nor offers pity. Grace understood and welcomed humbly becomes grace lavished on others. Pride prevents both the receiving and extending of merciful pity. (Proverbs 25:6-7; 29:23)

Have we come fully under God’s benevolent pity and allowed it to permeate our heart? Or are we so self-consumed that we measure only in offense and desert and self-defined rights? Do I demand that justice be served to all who offend or betray me while I live freely under the blessed cover of the One who served justice in my stead? How can I better comprehend the extent of God’s forgiveness so I can extend it to others? When will I take the time and focus to name my offenses against God and thank Him for His pity? (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 1:9)

Lord, help me live out Spirit-inspired and empowered mercy so others know Your grace and salvation.

“The Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant,.. ‘Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'” Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua had observed the Lord’s intimate communion with his predecessor Moses, and experienced His faithfulness over and over. Now he was God’s man to take His nation into the promised land, and he would rely on God’s word and promises firsthand. How strategic, and kind, of the Lord to recount His promises as He commissioned the new leader. Strength and courage would indeed well up out of their certainty. (Exodus 33:11)

God’s commands are never capricious, meaningless, nor given in a vacuum. They are based on purpose, backed by his promises, bound by his character, and enabled by His Spirit. We need not shirk or fear obedience if we properly fear the Lord who issues the word and stands behind it. We can trust His reasons and results and do what He says with confidence in His direction and provision.

How do we treat our Lord’s promises? Do we put them in a treasure box to recite in special or needy times, but fail to live by them day to day? Have we separated our lip-service from the real-life service of obedience? How differently would we comprehend and engage in what God asks of us if we truly believed all He has promised?

Knowing and claiming God’s promises infuses our days with power, freeing us from fear of failure, ridicule, or inadequacy. We can prepare and go forth in obedience to His call with absolute certainty He will come through on His part. God’s word expressed is God’s word upheld.

Lord, help me trust and take You at Your word as I obey it, to Your praise and honor.

“As soon as… the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap, and… were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho… on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”

“And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood…

“About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel…

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.’ So Joshua commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan.’ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

“The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.” Joshua 3:15-17; 4:9-10,13-19

Joshua had been young when delivered from Egypt through the Red Sea, and now he’d moved from individual in the midst of the exodus to leader of the nation. The Lord had used his experience and observances as youth in the masses to bold spy representing Ephraim’s tribe to Moses’ assistant and understudy to prepare him to lead Israel himself. If God would part the Sea, surely He would the River. And if God would work this miracle doubly on his behalf, He surely would never forsake him going forward. Joshua became God’s man by living as God’s man. (Exodus 24:12-18; Numbers 13:1-8,21-30; 14:6-10; Joshua 1:1-6; 3:7-17; 5:13-15)

Obedience to God always brings blessing and a fresh experience of His faithfulness. Continual obedience proves Him- His word and character- over and over. In developing His children, He knows best what and how many lessons we need to best serve His kingdom purposes. Multiple lessons effect multiplied faith, strength to strength that builds deep communion, Christian character and courage. Every yes to the Lord builds muscle for the next step or journey. (Psalm 84:7)

What lessons has the Lord been teaching in the midst of work, stresses, and responsibilities? Are we implementing them with confidence as new calls to trust arise? Have we voiced gratitude for His repeated kindnesses and training?

Where and how has He specifically called us to obey? By taking a brave stand against immorality? Taking on a new service in the church or community? Taking up for the underdog, downcast, or disenfranchised? Going the extra mile even when no one notices? Overcoming evil with good? How has He proved Himself as sufficient? Will we go in that victory to seize the next opportunity to obey, to stand up and out for Him? He always finishes what He begins for our good and His glory. (Romans 12:9-21; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Philippians 1:6)

Lord, help me embrace and apply every lesson for Your honor and ends.