As the rain and snow

“He entered Jericho and was passing through.  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  He was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner…’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’” Luke 19:1-7,9-10

“He left Judea and departed again for Galilee.  And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink…’  Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water…’

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.'” John 4:3-7,10,34

Journeying with Jesus, we never sense hurry or aimless wandering, but a measured serenity full of purpose. He was, in the three years of public ministry to which we are privy, intent on His Father’s will, tucking into each day all and only what His God ordained. Some days were packed with individual and crowd interactions layered with a plethora of emotion and reaction, many days passed in details we hardly know. Always He made time to pray, and always He was driven by His Father’s next right thing to do, unfettered and unhindered by any opposition. (Luke 5:16; 6:12-13)

Are we so focused? A too-detailed plan can get upended by interruption, and loose availability by wasteful indulgences or meaningless pleasures. How do we set our course? Where lie our compulsions? Do we begin well after commending our days to the Lord in prayer, then get yanked off course by criticism or disheartening obstacles, or lured away by glitzy distractions or whimsy? Would we yield to God every must and have to for His use and purpose? (2 Timothy 4:7)

When we turn both motive and motor over to God, He will tune our compulsions to His holy specifications. We learn to trust His divine direction and the fuel of His Spirit as we go about our days. Moments and hours offered to Him become significant and fruitful in the tasks, services, and interactions He supplies.

Lord, may I daily start by offering myself a living sacrifice, and end knowing I have done Your will, to Your pleasure and glory. (John 17:4; Romans 12:1-2)

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

“I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.  And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“’Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.’

“After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened.” Revelation 15:1-5

Vision after vision, the Lord revealed to John what was to come. The contrast and combat between the beasts and the blesseds was certain and ferocious, and his glimpse of heaven revealed the triumph to come. The tangle of the world would be undone, the fierce tenor resolved. The beauty of sight and sound met his senses with a glorious glimpse that all would be well. (Revelation 13:11-18; 14:8-12)

It takes looking, wondering, acceding my preconceptions, and worshipping to grasp what heaven will be like. In the mire of here and now, when injustice, vitriol, and hopelessness spread like fog to hide heaven’s delights, the Scriptures beckon us to rise above it and behold. These signs in heaven serve to instill confident, substantial hope that fortifies our faith and renews joy day to day.

Do we actually believe that God’s wrath now being outpoured will one day be complete? Can we hear through the dissonance of this madding world the joyous strains of Moses’ songs? Are we complacently settling for mundane, banal, and ugly when our spirits can soar and sing within the Lord’s promises? (Exodus 15:1-18; Deuteronomy 31:30-32:43; Romans 1:18)

If we’re weighed down with earthly cares, would we ask God to lift our eyes to His heavenly hope? If we’re unsettled and fretting, would we grip His assurances? When we brood that all is dark, would we ingest His light? What difference is heavenly hope making in my outlook and plans? (Psalm 27:1; 119:105)

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

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

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught a 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 tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” ~John Oatman, Jr. (1856-1922)

Lord, may heaven’s sure hope compel my living and infuse my praise.

“After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’  At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.  And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.  Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,  and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

“And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures… and day and night they never cease to say,

‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!‘

“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,  the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.’”

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,  and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’” Revelation 4:1-6,8-11; 7:9-12

John’s visions in the Spirit were both otherworldly and all-enthralling. Every sense was taken up with the splendor: every word was music, every sight captivating, all was beautiful. To be before God and behold God evoked an innate cry of Amen.

Amen: so be it; a solemn asseveration of belief; truly, verily; to approve warmly; to concur heartily or emphatically; to ratify.

If ever we struggle in our prayer time, pour over these passages and say Amen. To fill the mind and heart with the exquisite beauties of Christ Jesus moves us- to our knees, to hush, to wonder, to exhilarated praise. Worship refocuses our sights and priorities. It loosens the pull of the world and its gloss by turning us to the glories of heaven. It shines light on our sins so we can repent. It dissolves errant soul ties as it warms our affections toward the Lord.

In what areas are we dry or directionless? Where has love waned? Where has compassion calloused? How will I revive my worship today? (Revelation 2:4)

Lord, lift my soul to praise You as worthy. Amen.

“When they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots…

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ And some of the bystanders said, ‘This man is calling Elijah.’  And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.  But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split… When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’

“There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him…

“When it was evening, there came… Joseph, a disciple of Jesus.  He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus…  And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud  and laid it in his own new tomb.” Matthew 27:35,45-51,54-55,57-60a

In the hours crackling around the crucifixion of Jesus, many were swept into the variable crowd. They witnessed His brusque treatment by soldiers, His silence before mockers, and some even took part in deriding this man doomed to die. Simply curious, or instigating conflagration, each was part of a pivotal moment in history that defined their heart. (Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 26:59-63; 27:27-37,39-41)

While in the flesh, we deal daily with a madding world. Constantly challenged and sometimes crushed by a myriad of voices and persuasions and options, we’re called to take a stand. Opinions and reactions to Jesus abound, with many ignorant altogether. Confronted with Him and the truth of His crucifixion, we are forced to respond. Whether silent or horrified or awed, passionate or inquisitive without commitment, we display by word and action who we say He is. (Matthew 16:13-16; Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20)

What is my involvement with the Lord Jesus? Do I stand by at a spiritual distance and allow others to make assessments, feed me information, shape my thinking? Do I skirt intimacy with Him, resisting vulnerability and believing I’m safer sequestered in the shadows of self-rule? Do I shrink with fear of being publicly identified with Him, choosing to blend or join in with those who taunt, accuse, reject, or ignore Him? Or am I bold to stand by His word? Would I offer Him a sponge to revive when all others revile? Do I step up and out to defend His name? How I treat Him indicates my state of reverence and belief. (Matthew 26:58)

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.” ~George Duffield (1858)

Lord, help me stand by You always in glad faith and bold witness, to the praise of Your glory.

“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. At the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” Luke 14:16-24

“You prepare a table before me.” Psalm 23:5

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” Isaiah 25:6

The free and scrumptious bounty offered by the banquet host should have been enticing, but the pull of lesser things detracted from the greater satisfaction. Both possessions and people took priority over rich fare they’d not yet tasted. They didn’t want to make any effort toward what was theirs by faith, choosing what was theirs by urgency, preference, or self-procurement. Those who partook were those who knew their need and humbly, gratefully, and empty-handedly came to receive.

Oh, what goodness the child of God can refuse! We’ve been given every spiritual blessing in Christ, and enter each day as owners with the opportunity to become users. Our Lord prepares a regular table for us to feast on His all things, yet ignorance and busyness and pressures tend us toward our default ‘already know.’ And that is often struggles, spiritual hunger, weaknesses which we by rote confront in our own strength with our own remedies to endless frustration. Each pang could be met and fed and helped at His feast. Whether refusal stems from neglect, laziness, or willful rejection, the banquet, by grace, remains ours for the taking. (Romans 8:32; Ephesians 1:3)

What will it take for us to pull away from our occupations and possessions to be refreshed in the Lord? Though flesh challenges and relational responsibilities do not let up, He invites us to let go for seasons in order to gain fresh perspective and be renewed by God’s word, encouraged through fellowship, and fortified by His promises and gifts.

What specifically occupies mind, heart, and hands at present? How might the attending conundrums be transformed by feasting in time and attention with the Lord? What anxiety should dissolve in His peace, fear be swallowed by faith, confusion be redirected with His wisdom?

Lord, keep me coming, and partaking, and satisfied in You alone.

“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'” Mark 4:35-40

Jesus ordered the training of his disciples to reveal both Himself and them. He walked with them step-by-step through many life situations, and as He divulged through Word and deed aspects of His own character, their responses unfolded the truth about their own hearts. By grace, He moved them from fear to faith, from the human to the divine.

In each of us God has planted a certain innate fear. He fashioned sensitivity to danger and evil as protection, and consciences quickened by the Holy Spirit to detect temptation. Through the ongoing process of sanctification, He molds and redeems our impulses.

When we face each day in our own sufficiency and strength, we tend toward worry and fear because we cannot control our circumstances. When we choose to rest in the sovereignty of God, trusting His grace and order of all things, a transformed fear leads to reverent worship of Him is who is on the throne.

Do I worry and tremble at waves that engulf me, or do I fall and tremble in honor before the One who controls the waves? Do anxieties keep me up at night, or cause me to bow down on my knees before the One who speaks peace? Is my fear of man and what-ifs greater than my trust in God? Which kind of fear rules my emotions and influences my attention? (Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 51:12; Hebrews 13:6; 1 Peter 3:14–15)

“Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.” ~Catharina Schlegel (1697-1797)

Fearing this God puts to peaceful rest all else that in the flesh we would otherwise fear.

Lord Jesus, in every circumstance may I fear You aright and honor You with the trust and praise you deserve.

“David commanded the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy… So David and the elders and commanders went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord… with rejoicing…. All Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music.” 1 Chronicles 15:16,25,28

“When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites… with cymbals, to praise the Lord… They sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

‘For he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.’

“And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping.” Ezra 3:10-13

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came… to show him sympathy and comfort him.  And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. They raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.  And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” Job 2:11-15

The quiet early comes with fresh breeze under a canopy of exquisite beauty. Soft, feathered, hatched herringbone, swept, each intricacy designed and upheld by the invisible Potentate of Time. Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime. The matchless King hovers and hems in His own, dispensing, infusing, and upholding moments, seasons, His majesty on display in every texture fashioned for particular and ultimate purpose.

Days and years roll with varied textures. Moments of exhilaration, events of boundless joy, long days of steady and serene, seasons of anticipation, winters of difficulty and discouragement. The Lord teaches varied facets of His love for us through His presence in every one: the worthiness of His praise, the pathos of loss and renewal, the balm of shared grief. Our Savior, with infinite love and mercy, celebrated at a wedding and wept at a burial and shared every emotion in between. He knows the way we take, and refines us and our understanding of Him along that way. (Job 23:10; Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; John 2:2-3,7-10; 11:33-36)

Are we learning from the seasons through which He takes us? How readily do we praise Him for His favors, delights, and successes? Do we rebuff His advances when pain or sorrow is too great, or rest between His strong shoulders and learn the rhythms of His heart? How compassionately do we come alongside others in their deep seasons to share what we know of Jesus? (Deuteronomy 33:12; Romans 12:15; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Lord, help me welcome and learn of You in every season, and share Your love through time with others.

“He sent to Ephesus and called the elders… [and] said to them:

“‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying… of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ… But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, I know that none of you among whom I have proclaimed the kingdom will see my face again… I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention… I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock… Therefore be alert… And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up… In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus.., “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’

“And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.” Acts 20:17-21,24-25,27-29,31a,32,35-38

The Ephesian elders had been taught, guided, and enriched by Paul, and his farewell address to them evoked strong emotion. He had set a solid example of selfless, careful, powerful ministry, and expected them to carry forth with the same zeal in his absence. They’d soon be compelled to choose how to proceed.

We who know Christ have benefited from the teaching and modeling of others. We admire, we watch, we might envy, but we don’t see ourselves in their role. We can unwittingly grow dependent on another’s faith, insights, prayers, or leadership, and fear taking bold initiative ourselves.

But the Lord calls us to our own place and purpose, and to develop faith muscles that depend on Him alone. He removes past props to teach us to value Christ above all. He arranges circumstances to reorient us from former comforts to look ahead to the new and different He’s prepared. In mercy He warns us of impending challenges, and pledges His presence and Word.

How thoughtfully do we learn from past experiences and examples? Are there relationships and supports from former seasons we’re unwilling to release? Does the threat of certain opposition quash new vitality for God’s next assignment, or inspire deeper trust? Whom or what props has He removed to compel us forward?

Lord, help me gratefully and zealously apply past lessons by forging ahead in surrendered and passionate ministry that proclaims your gospel and magnifies Your sufficiency.

“From morning till evening he expounded to them… trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law and the Prophets. Some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved… Paul [stated]: ‘The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

“‘Go to this people, and say,
‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.’
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’” Acts 28:23b-27

“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in what has been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,..

“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions… And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done… Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:18-22,26a,28,32

The steamroll of a hard heart is furious and unrelenting. The pride of flesh callouses all too quickly when man is bent on self and refuses the grace of God. All beauty of eternal power and divine nature gets mired in the ugliness of dull and stubborn. Tainted eyes and stopped ears refuse the truth and therefore Christ, to great and sometimes eternal detriment.

We might castigate those who stubbornly refuse Christ, yet fail to understand the insidiousness of spiritual blindness. Have we forgotten or belittled God’s grace to us when we were enemies? Do we earnestly pray that God would remove blinders and soften hearts? We may criticize their failure to believe, but neglect searching ourselves for hard places growing in our own attitudes, will, and obedience. (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Matthew 7:3-5; Romans 5:8-10; 1 Corinthians 2:14)

Do we pridefully assume a poor choice here or slip-up there can just be brushed away with no consequence? Small refusals plus small dismissals can become large resistance. Even if we know Christ, we are prone to wander. Where has our love, passion, or obedience grown hard? (Revelation 3:15-16)

How will we prevent our high view of God from diminishing, our minds from stoking a stubborn spirit, and our hearts from growing cold? Stoking flames of righteous priorities with regular spiritual disciplines and consistent fellowship that kneads the soul with compassion and shared wisdom are effective safeguards of the heart.

Lord, dissolve any stubbornness and keep my heart soft toward You, that I would grow more and more like You in thought, word, and deed.

“As your name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.” Psalm 48:10

“From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!” Psalm 113:3

“He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11

“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'” Revelation 7:11-12

Name: A word or words by which an entity is designated and distinguished from others; an illustrious record.

In beginning was the Word who was God. The same name that created was exalted after resurrection to the name above all. The eternally eminent name is to be eternally praised. As angels in heaven forever cry holy, holy, holy to this supreme One whose name is in itself exalted, God’s people are to raise and extend the reach of His immeasurable, unending praise. Jesus deserves to be magnified. (Isaiah 6:3; John 1:1-3; Revelation 5:11-14)

While managing our day to day, what thought do we take to esteem the Sovereign? Is it even on our minds that if we own the name of Christ as Christians, our attitudes and language should convey the sweetness, loveliness, and supremacy of that name? How about our interactions with others? Do they bear the fragrance of His grace, patience, wisdom, and love? Are we more prone to take His name in vain than to magnify its power and superiority? When taunted or rejected, do we find ourselves ashamed of, or taking delight in speaking and boasting His name? (2 Corinthians 2:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Peter 4:16)

How might we rework our thinking and practices to revere Christ’s name above our own, in the loftiness and splendor it deserves? How can we awaken recognition of Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world? The good Shepherd, who lays His life down for His sheep? The Author and Finisher of faith that wanes, the Comforter of our broken souls? Are we deliberately living and choosing and conversing in such a way that others see Jesus, and desire to praise His high and holy name? (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Hebrews 12:2)

“O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.” ~Robert Grant (1833)

Lord Jesus, may I treasure, savor, magnify, and rejoice in Your name forever, to the unending praise of Your highness, worth, and glory.