As the rain and snow

“Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’ And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.^’ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

“Then the word of the Lord came to him, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’” 1 Kings 17:1-9

“In the cover of your presence you hide them..;
you store them in your shelter.” Psalm 31:20

“Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

Elijah was committed to his Lord in both the obedience of ministry and of personal trust. He gave out as God commanded, even hard truth, and he followed His word to find supply. He maintained an attitude of staying hidden in God for comfort, strength, and sustenance. As weary as this long obedience made him, he continually returned to his Lord to be readied for the next boldness required, and God met him without fail. (1 Kings 18:20-40)

When the Lord saves us, we are at once found in Him, and hidden in Him. We are His and He is ours. He seals us with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our family identity and eternal inheritance. We are thus forever hidden by the living water with which He washes and fills us. (Song of Solomon 2:16a; John 7:37-39; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14)

There is much benefit in staying hidden with Christ in God. The ongoing exchanged life of sanctification means we remain in Him, putting our old self to death and hiding ourselves in Him so His life is lived through us. As we abide in Him and He in us, we bear much spiritual fruit. (John 15:4-5; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-10)

If hiding describes us, where are we hiding? Do we conceal weaknesses by boasting and puffery? Are we hiding secret sins behind a deceptive front of neat proficiency, or shame? Are we covering up insecurities, hurt, or folly by maintaining an impenetrable wall, holding others at bay, refusing to let those who love and care for us into our need and mess?

What if we left that hiding and entered into the all-encompassing light of the Lord and His love, and drank deeply of His healing, soul-slaking water? He who bids us come hide in Him is the One who meets us there and supplies for every need. Would we cast off ours and take His cover? (Ephesians 5:8-13; 1 Peter 2:9)

Father, keep me hidden with You, sealed securely and concealed by Your grace and glory.

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness…’

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
a God greatly to be feared… and awesome above all?
O Lord God of hosts,
    who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
    with your faithfulness all around you?
You rule the raging of the sea;
    when its waves rise, you still them…
The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
    the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
The north and the south, you have created them;
    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
You have a mighty arm;
    strong is your hand, high your right hand.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.”

“The Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” Psalm 89:1-2,5-9,11-15; 96:5b-6

The expanse of sky is an eternal blue, smudged and tufted with scattered and gathered clouds, beckoning the wondering soul. Low heavy mounds drop grey rain in angled sheets, high wisps feather like angels above. Endless is the changing splendor, moment by moment the awe. As a home reflects the personality of its owner, so this sanctuary of sky reflects the Creator’s glory.

God’s love is seen in the skies as we gaze and wonder who we are and why He’d care for small us, considering His great, majestic power that traced this intricate handiwork of fluffed clouds, sparkling stars, and shining lights. Yet, He has crowned us with glory and honor. God’s faithfulness is indeed on display in the heavens, turning and sustaining His rhythm of day and night, season upon season. God’s magnitude and authority is exhibited in this canopy of creation, ordering storms and tides, north and south, gravity that holds the atmosphere together. (Genesis 8:22; Psalm 8:3-5; Colossians 1:16-17)

How naturally, how often, do we join nature in praising this One who abides with us and rules over all, whom we adore?

“God, all nature sings Thy glory, and Thy works proclaim Thy might;
Ordered vastness in the heavens, ordered course of day and night;
Beauty in the changing seasons, beauty in the storming sea;
All the changing moods of nature praise the changeless Trinity.

“Clearer still we see Thy hand in man whom Thou hast made for Thee;
Ruler of creation’s glory, image of Thy majesty.
Music, art, the fruitful garden, all the labor of his days,
Are the calling of his Maker to the harvest feast of praise.

“God of glory, power, mercy, all creation praises Thee;
We, Thy creatures, would adore Thee now and through eternity.
Saved to magnify Thy goodness, grant us strength to do Thy will;
With our acts as with our voices Thy commandments to fulfill.” ~David Clowney (1960)

Lord, keep me praising You day upon day, night after night, making known Your great faithfulness to generations. (Psalm 72:5)

“They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.  I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore.  My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:23-28

Following His promise to bring life and breath to dry bones, what an amazing added promise the Lord tucks into his message through Ezekiel. They would not be left to their own to figure out life and place and destiny. His people Israel would be revived, restored to wholehearted devotion, and return to their homeland. And that forever land would be the sanctuary of God, His dwelling place, His presence to abide in their midst forever. They were His, and He their God. (Solomon 2:16; Ezekiel 37:1-14)

This truth that God is with us as an ever-present sanctuary is powerful to heighten in us a state of constant wonder and thanksgiving. It gives comfort and hope. It bolsters strength and security. It deepens our sense of identity and belonging, and instills courage to stand, serve, and speak. It calms with peace when all around is in flux. It sustains and infuses perseverance. (Exodus 33:14; Psalm 16:8; Matthew 28:18-20)

If we are indeed indwelt with God’s Spirit, what difference is His supernatural presence making in our day-to-day? How often do we behold His greatness, grace, and splendor in focused worship? How accustomed are we to avail ourselves of His supply for every need?

“’A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
O Jesus, best belov’d! I live with Thee;
My heart has found its everlasting home,
Its sure abiding place where’er I roam.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
My heart is still’d beneath love’s canopy;
The ‘Holiest of All’ is open’d wide,
And I may enter and be satisfied.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
No fabled shrine, but deep reality!
Thou saidst it should be so when at Thy call
I rose and follow’d gladly, leaving all.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
All joyfully I pitch my tent with Thee;
Or ready still to journey at Thy word—
‘In Thee’ I ‘live and move,’ most blessèd Lord.

‘A little Sanctuary’ art Thou to me!
I always am ‘at home’ on land or sea;
Alone, yet never lonely now, I prove
The ‘Hundredfold,’ Lord Jesus, in Thy love.” ~Emily Crawford (1938)

Holy God, keep me ever aware of Your abiding, glorious presence, and vigilant to guard and expend my life as Your hallowed sanctuary.

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,  remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,  because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,  so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.  For they themselves report… how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-8,9b

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

The gospel had taken root, and Paul urged that the new believers in Thessaloniki continue to grow and flourish. His own example and prayers had much to do with the early faith of his beloved church plant, and he knew that was indicative of the Spirit at work. What he’d modeled for them in proclamation and practice they were implementing, to the spread of the gospel and God’s grace in the region. Keep on, he urged. As you bear the fruit of righteousness it will continue to spread forth and afar. (1 Thessalonians 2:4-12)

Seed-scattering, watering, and harvesting would in God’s time and way bring more growth. The point in being an example was to make sure that example pointed everyone to Jesus. This is true today in every gospel effort for us. Our message, investments, and toil are to exemplify the truths and character of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:12-13,17; 3:5-7)

We must first allow the word to take root in conviction and power. Our ensuing labor in Christ’s love and hope will cause the joy of our faith to swell and spread with contagion. What we begin to practice as a new natural sounds forth as a holy, irresistible cry to the watching world. Genuine faith that reflects Christ compels others to turn from empty living to serve the living true God.

What kind of example are we to those younger in Christ than we are? Do we concern ourselves more with personal progress, proficiency, or legacy than with nurturing and raising up others to love and follow Jesus? How do our choices and activities in work, ministry, and home life reflect the purposes and priorities of God? Whom do we regularly and patiently take under our wing in prayer and care?

Lord, may my work be of faith, my labor of love, and my hope be steadfast, all a beacon that draws others to You. Turn any reticence or complacency to zealous faith in action that exemplifies Your grace and glory.

“Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’  Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’  And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.’  And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.” 1 Kings 19:1-8

“Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.”’

“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” Matthew 4:10-11

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

Exhausted, depleted, and overwhelmed, faithful Elijah despairs of his life, wondering if it is even worth living under Jezebel’s threat. Memory of the recent fantastic fire from heaven and the supernatural strength to run to Jezreel in a God-given downpour has disappeared under this dark royal intimidation. But at exactly when he needed it most, gracious God appeared by way of an angel to nourish and rejuvenate him. God always cares for His own. (1 Kings 18:36-46)

Ministering spirits sent from God are one of His sweetest gifts. Our Maker knows all about us, every pang of heartache, fear of the enemy, wave of desperation. And He meets us where we are to give grace, mercy, protection, or sustenance in time of need. His angels are not bound by space and time, and always do His bidding. (Psalm 139:1-3,5,7-12; Hebrews 4:16)

When and where has an angel of God brought specific supply by way of caution, direction, encouragement, or deliverance? Particular ministry through rest, relief, or restoration? Are we too caught up in self-sufficiency to look for and recognize God’s intervention? Are we quick to thank Him for these marvelous expressions of love? (Exodus 23:20; Psalm 34:7; 91:9-12; Matthew 1:20; 2:13)

How might I help another to see and seek God’s angelic handiwork? To whom will I testify to His divine concern and ministry? How can His sufficiency for me bring glory to His name and character? (Psalm 105:1-5)

Father, thank you for the manifold ways Your angels care for me. Make me alert to Your heavenly involvement in my earthly living, and always grateful, giving You the thanks and honor You deserve.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:3-11

Once God changed Paul’s heart, He took over all of him. He did and desired nothing half-way. He was all in for Jesus. His remembrances, prayers, and joy were bound up in His cause, His people. And he yearned for the church to be all in for Him too. With every heartbeat, every day, He sought all of God’s intent to be fulfilled in and through them.

Does this describe our daily passion for the ways and workings of God? Do we even have such? Where does our mind turn first thing in the morning, and what does it take to pursue it? If we do not have eyes and a heart for the things of God, would we ask Him to permeate our thoughts with His greatness, faithful care, and lofty purposes? To deepen our love for others and desire to see them grow in maturity, righteousness, and knowledge? When He begins this work in us, He will bring it to completion and enlist us in that work for others. There is no greater joy than to see Him glorified in the sanctification of His people.

Applying biblical examples and praying God’s word for ourselves and others taps richly into His grace. Would we offer Him our total affection? Would we seek Him and His best with all our being? Where will we begin to pray, testify, and minister differently to see Him glorified?

“All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs,
all my thoughts and words and doings,
all my days and all my hours.

Let my hands perform his bidding,
let my feet run in his ways;
let my eyes see Jesus only,
let my lips speak forth his praise.

Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,
cling to gilded toys of dust,
boast of wealth and fame and pleasure;
only Jesus will I trust.

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
so enchained my spirit’s vision,
looking at the Crucified.” ~Mary D. James (1810-1883)

Worthy Lord, claim all of me for all of You. Help me pray unceasingly and serve unreservedly for Your sake, renown, and glory.

“Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.’

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice!” Psalm 96:6-13; 97:1a

“The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.” Romans 8:19-24

Lacy green umbrellas spread a carpet of lush between towering pines, cozying fresh shade underneath and exquisitely majestic from above. Observing the magnificence of pristine and extraordinary aspects of the nature makes it hard to imagine its futility and bondage to corruption with the rest of creation. And yet, it will be more beautiful. The eternal splendor of the Lord God will be manifest at His glorious return, and all that now groans will one day sing.

While indwelt with the Spirit who is our guarantee of future glory, full expression of all God has made us to be is kept at bay as we await full redemption. We see the earth constrained and people restrained. We languish under violence and threats to life and well-being. We groan under the weight of immoral and wicked influences on ourselves and those we love. We must daily remind ourselves that God reigns! (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14)

When disillusioned at relational dissension and fractures, ascribe to the Lord His unified worth! When stricken with worry or longing for justice, exult in the Lord and tremble at His holiness! Where am I refusing to sing because of tumultuous circumstances or current despair, when I could practice praise with hope of promised relief? When and how will I voice His praises here as a foretaste of eternity? How is my life echoing all creation’s cry, Come, Lord Jesus!? (Revelation 22:20)

Lord on high, tune my heart and voice to sing Your praise, joining with all creation in proclaiming You as our only hope, glory, joy, and crown.

“’For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you..; you will be my people, and I will be your God.'”

“The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.  He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.  He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’

“Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!.. I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’” Ezekiel 36:24-27a,28b; 37:1-6

How broad the reach of the promises of God! His message through Ezekiel swathed a scattered and spiritually-drought-stricken Israel with the life-giving water of far-reaching hope. He would make new their home, their hearts, and their habits by breathing in them His life and renewing affections and attitudes.

God is the Source and Renewer of life. His pledge to return His people to their land applied to restored relationships and fruitfulness. His work might be gradual but will surely be real. Step by step they would be cleansed from inside out, and would learn new breathing: exhale fear, inhale trust, exhale worry, inhale peace, exhale despair, inhale hope. (Ezekiel 37:7-10,12-14,23)

What prompts waning desire for vibrant fellowship, zeal for serving others? Have I turned inward in focus and provincialism? Has concern for others turned to protection of comforts and selfish rights? Maybe separation from loved ones by distance or sad circumstance has cause us to feel bereft, or a turn in health or a catastrophic event that shrouds the future has caused us to withdraw. Where do I need the life-giving breath of God’s Spirit to rejuvenate and restore?

No matter how dry my spiritual energy or quenched love’s flame, the Sovereign Lord can make all things new. He invites my arid heart, my languishing vitality, my barren expectations, my colorless dreams to His life-giving word, that I might believe that He is the Lord. Will I come? What dry bones will I bring? (Revelation 21:5)

Father, impulse by impulse, desire by desire, make me holy and wholly Yours, that all I think, say, and do reflects Your life-giving power and glory.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.” Philippians 2:1-8a

Paul supports his admonition with a list of preliminaries, each of which would have stirred the hearts of these Philippians. Of course they’d known the sweetness of love’s comfort, spiritual oneness, and mutual affection and sympathy. All these prompted good feelings of acceptance, security, blessedness, even willingness to give. Yet from there Paul turns from feeling to thinking- these are to stimulate right and holy thinking and doing. Don’t live in the flux or soothing ease of emotion, but act according to righteous thought, what is true about Christ and should be about you.

Christ Jesus had a holy mind. He was no victim of caprice or circumstance, or the whims of jealous religious leaders or a cruel government. By act of His will, He deliberately humbled Himself for us, to win for us the truest comfort and fellowship we can know. With purity of decision, He considered the eternal life of HIs children of greater value than His life on earth. With clear mind He yielded Himself, walked to the cross, exhibited compassion, forgave sinners, and gave up His spirit unto death on our behalf. (Mark 15:22-24; Luke 23:32-34,39-43; John 19:25-30)

It is only with the mind of Christ that we are able to humble ourselves, set aside flesh bent toward selfishness, and put others before us. These are not natural for human nature. Graciously, the Lord works into us by the power of His Spirit what he wants to work out of us. (Philippians 2:12–13)

With what do we fill and exercise our minds? Input proceeds to output. How might, and will, we begin to develop thinking on all that is true about Jesus, and then putting His ways into practice? (1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:8)

Are we earnestly desirous to love the Lord with all our minds, and then prefer others in that love? If not, would we ask Him to work this passion and commitment in us? What evidences do we display of genuine selflessness in day to day deference, generosity, stepping out of the limelight? How might the Lord be calling us to act by will in areas and situations that don’t feel good, but are right? If none, what will we do about it? (Luke 10:27)

Loving Lord, work into me Your mind, and out of me Your gracious, generous humility towards those I meet, that they might meet You. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You return man to dust
    and say, ‘Return, O children of man!’
For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers…

For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away…

So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom…
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:1-6,9-12,14-17

Before ever He’d created earth, God was. Then He broke through time and space to fashion man within it, and we chose temporal pleasure over eternal satisfaction, bringing down rightful wrath. Since Eden, in the mire of time’s limitations and troubles, we yearn for purpose. Here is where the merciful Sovereign displays and imparts holy power to His own, granting wisdom and favor for the days of our lifespan here below. (Genesis 1:26-29; 2:16-18; 3:1-24; Psalm 93:2)

And so we go about our generations within the setting of seasons. Each man is assigned a number of days known only to the Lord and spanning toil both troublesome and meaningful. We make the most of this life when we abide in Him, trust His establishing of present work in His kingdom plan, and living with the certain hope of dwelling with Him forever. (Deuteronomy 33:27a; Job 12:10; 14:5; Psalm 91:1-2,9,14-16; John 15:5; Revelation 21:3)

Do we have such a perspective, viewing each day through a lens of eternity? We are limited here by time and order, but God considers less how much we do as what is done with and for Him. How can this motivation change the choices we make? How will we implement every gift and task to honor Him and further His ways? (2 Peter 3:8)

“Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.” ~C. T. Studd (1860-1931)

Good Father, may I number and order my days in godly wisdom, declaring Your love and faithfulness morning and night, honoring You every hour, and bearing fruit through the years. (Psalm 92:1-2,12-15)