Inspired by . . . a slow rebirth

After the beautiful weather we've had these last couple of weeks, we are now back to much cooler temperatures and grey skies. Despite the laughing faces of the daffodils and the appearance of other spring flowers here in the southern states, parts of the north are still buried under several feet of snow. 

Time marches on, straight into April regardless of how much snow remains piled outside the windowpanes or the nip in the early morning air that causes the daffodils to bow their sunny heads.

As Jesus walked the dusty road to the reality of Good Friday, I wonder if He felt caught in the fabric of Time. Able, yet unwilling to stop His ascent to the cross, did the web of Time seek to pull and bind Him fast to things of this world?

We look forward to the end because we know that Sunday is coming. My friend so did He.

And yet, while He went willingly, even joyfully to the cross I can hardly believe that He welcomed the pain and suffering. 

This is the lesson of Lent. A time for us to identify and dwell with Him in the suffering. A time to tend and nurture the tiny sprouts of our faith. Faith that is never quite as strong as we believe it to be.

Some years the weather helps us along, giving us just small glimpses of the hope that is to come. For even creation groans against the constraining fabric of Time.

Each year we have this opportunity to join our Lord in the slow ascent to the cross. A time to pull back and match our stride to His. To soak up His presence, setting aside our own desires for a time so we can focus more fully on Him, without distraction.

Between the dormancy of winter and the blooms of spring, growth happens in the dark, shelter of the soil. So, too, God changes us from the inside out.

And He who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." (Rev 21:5)

If your faith is feeling a bit tattered and torn, pause a moment, fall into step with Him. Take this time, as we wait for the weather to catch up with the calendar, to delight in His presence.

Allow the light of His word to prepare your faith to bloom.

Shalom,

Inspired by . . . unveiled faces

Choice Hotels may deny it but some people just have a certain "glow" about them. Have you noticed?

Currently, my son and DIL are glowing in anticipation of their first child. Perhaps you've noticed a certain glow about a friend or loved one after they received a marriage proposal or some other life-changing news.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.  (Exo 34:29)

Talk about life-changing!

Moses glowed so brightly that the Israelites were afraid and made him cover his face with a veil.

And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again until he went in to speak with Him. (Exo 34:33-35)

The people were afraid of the Light, the Glory of God, because it revealed their sinfulness. We are still afraid today.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Joh 1:4-5)

He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. (Joh 1:11)

 But we no longer have anything to fear. Because of Jesus we can step into the Light and live in freedom.

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2Co 3:12-18)

Today is Transfiguration Sunday. Today we recall the time when the apostles' witnessed Jesus "glow" in the presence of His Father. When they heard the Lord say, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" (Luk 9:35)

Because of God's great love for us, He sent His Son to take upon Himself the ugliness of our sin and shame and to conquer it, once and for all.

Because of Jesus, the veil is lifted between us and God. We can live in His presence, we can walk in freedom.

As we enter this season of Lent, may we seek to "give up" those things which still try to separate us from our heavenly Father. As we remove each "thing" from our life, may we fill that void with more of Jesus until we are so filled with His Spirit that the light leaks out and makes us glow!

Shalom,

Inspired by . . .  Winter's Discipline

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears."

I read this on someone's IG account the other day.  My friend wasn't talking about spiritual things but it made me wonder . . .

How many of us, who are waiting for Christ to reveal Himself or His plan for our lives, are still waiting simply because we are not ready to receive all that He has for us?

We like to think we are ready. 

I like to think I am ready.

But the truth is that most of God's purposes for us are realized through trials and suffering. 

Because His power is made perfect in our weakness.

And how many of us really signed on for that?

Well, ahem, we all did. Okay, I did. Maybe now you're not so sure?

Full disclosure:

God's word doesn't read like a modern day sales pitch or TV commercial. It doesn't tell us we are worth it, we deserve it, and everything is going to be perfect when we sign on.

Because, reality check, we're not, we don't, and it isn't.

Truth be told, much of our aversion to suffering has been propagated by the black box that is continuously feeding us these subtle lies about how our lives would be so much better if . . . Which eerily echoes: "Did God really say . . ."

But I digress.

God's word is pretty clear on what we can expect and what we must do.

The world will hate us. (John 15:18-19)

We will be persecuted. (Joh 15:20)

We will have trouble. (John 16:33)

We must deny ourselves and, day after day, take up our cross, and follow Christ. (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)

Now before you start wondering why is it all worth it, let us remember two things:

One, suffering is not, in and of itself, good. It is the product of our fallen world. Two, this world is not our home. What we experience here is not our final reality.

God, in His infinite love for us, has determined to use suffering for good. But we have to be careful of our pride.

"To believe in suffering is pride: but to suffer, believing in God, is humility. For pride may tell us that we are strong enough to suffer, that suffering is good for us because we are good. Humility tells us that suffering is an evil which we must always expect to find in our lives because of the evil that is in ourselves. But faith also knows that the mercy of God is given to those who seek Him in suffering and that by His grace we can overcome evil with good. Suffering, then, becomes good by accident, by the good that it enables us to receive more abundantly from the mercy of God. It does not make us good by itself but enables us to make ourselves better than we are. Thus, what we consecrate to God in suffering is not our suffering but our selves." Thomas Merton

To truly follow Christ means to identify with Him in His suffering. His way ended in victory and light but we cannot forget how it began; in obscurity, a meager feeding trough. Or how He lived; the Son of man has no place to lay His head. (Luke 9:58)

Or how He died. 

The Passion that drove Him to the cross can only be realized in our own lives when we die to self. Completely.

It is only through this act of dying that we can live to bring forth fruit; by receiving the purpose and plan He has for our lives.

"Christ's love is so great, it must lift our minds above our little struggles - and any preoccupation with our own salvation - so that we can see the needs of others, and beyond that the greatness of God and His Creation." J. Heinrich Arnold

Here is where the discipline of winter may enter in. Forced to wait in the cold and dark, a bit uncomfortable, our sense of sight diminished. Perhaps now our spirit will be free to hear the One Who speaks quietly below the chaos of our lives.

Maybe the lack of sun and colorless days will bring on the hunger that is necessary for us to be thankful for any scrap of bread that may fall from His table. Perhaps, if we're made to wait long enough, we may finally come to the end of ourselves. To be willing to die to this life so that we may live for His.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

So I ask you, is the student ready?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
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Inspire Me Monday, #HeartEncouragement,
Thoughtful Thursdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
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Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments,
#DanceWithJesus; Imparting Grace

Inspired by . . . Winter's Chill

Nearly every place in the world that experiences winter experiences cold temperatures. Like them or not, the cold does have a purpose.

Cold is a nod to nature to begin a cycle of death that will ultimately lead to new life. [click to tweet]

For some things the death is literal, for others, it is only a period of dormancy. Leaves die and fall to the ground as the trees enter a new cycle of life. Bears and some species of butterflies go dormant, their life cycle suspended in an esoteric sleep.

Mostly, cold is hostile. Inhospitable. Severe.

Yet, the deep coldness of winter is when the harsh pruning of self-examination takes place. The irony is that often our self-examination, while good and necessary, often exposes just how self-absorbed we really are.

We become so fixated on discovering what God wants us to do for Him, or on what we're already doing for God, that we fail to realize we've got things turned around.

Perhaps what is really important is what He is doing in us. [click to tweet]

It's a subtle shift but an important one, I think.

This time of year instead of offering Him our food or our social media time let's offer up OURSELVES.

"Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening."

Perhaps He will direct us toward deep self-examination or to giving up a certain luxury or habit. 

But let's allow Him to lead the conversation. Let's allow Him to draw us into Himself. Into His suffering. Into His joy. Into . . .

. . . where ever it is He wishes to lead us.

Let's allow Him to reveal the beauty of His plan. Let's take the time, maybe forty days or so, to sit quietly while He toils in the deep, dormant soil of our souls. Those cold, wintry places.

Then, let us watch in wonder as He sweeps aside the soil and shines His light into the darkness, revealing the growth that has made all things new!

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Faith On Fire, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments, Heart Encouragement
#DanceWithJesus

Inspired by . . . the weight of grace

I'm still lingering in the upper room. Arrested by the weight of the love and grace that Jesus offers in these moments.

Love and grace that is fatally and tragically rejected.

Again, we have the benefit of viewing these passages from the other side of the events that were to take place. We know what Jesus knew and what the disciples did not.

Betrayed by a kiss.

From the moment Jesus fashioned him in the womb He knew His betrayer. Yet the fact that the disciples didn't suspect Judas suggests that Jesus showed him no less mercy, no less love and no less grace than any of the others.

This man walked with our Lord! Saw the depth of His compassion and mercy day after day. And yet was compelled to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave.

How could this happen? 

I have my own theory about how dipping into the money bag hardened Judas' heart to spiritual things over time. [John 12:6] Scripture has many warnings that we should heed in this regard. 

The ultimate tragedy is that Judas could have turned to Jesus in his remorse, but he did not. [Matt 27:3-5] (Maryleigh posted a wonderful piece here on the difference between Judas and Peter)

"Judas Iscariot symbolizes wasted opportunity, rejected grace, and unaccepted love. Fatal choices all." Bill Crowder, The Path of His Passion [click to tweet]

Grace, wrapped in a piece of lamb, bitter herbs, and a radish.

We see John 13:26 as the unmasking of the traitor. But Jesus meant it quite differently. In the tradition of the Passover meal, the first piece of dipped "sop" was given to the guest of honor! 

Grace freely offered.

Beyond the shouts of "Hosanna!" we hear the echoes of, "Crucify Him!"

It was not Judas Iscariot who sent Jesus to the cross.

It was each one of us. But the darkness of that truth cannot overwhelm us.

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on His right and one on His left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luk 23:33-34)

For we are forgiven. Washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. The unmerited favor of our Lord.

In the coming week, as we walk the final steps with Jesus to the cross, as we try to identify in the darkness and pain of His rejection, let us hold fast to the Light of His Grace. . .

. . . and grace will lead us home.

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
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Faith On Fire, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
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Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments, Heart Encouragement,
#DancewithJesus

Inspired by . . . bitter herbs

As we walk with Jesus toward the cross we find ourselves in a large upper room, reclining at the Passover table. The sharp smell of bitter herbs and human sweat mixes with the pungent odor of the oil lamps.

Water laps against the side of a wooden bowl as Our Lord kneels to wash the feet of one who will abandon Him. One who will deny Him. One who will betray Him.

Don't rush over these familiar verses. The message and warnings of the discourse here are muli-layered and of great value. (Matt 26:18-49)

Lean in when the Lord speaks, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." 

"Is it I, Lord?"

We have all denied Him in some way. Failed to speak. Failed to act.

Sit with that for a moment. Let it hurt your heart.

But do not despair.

For we have something the terrified and disillusioned disciples did not have in between the kiss of betrayal and the empty tomb. [click to tweet]

But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 

We have the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us. To comfort us when we fail. We have grace and forgiveness.

We have the cross and the resurrection.

We have Jesus, Himself.

Rest in these truths. Let them comfort you in times of failure. Let them embolden you to go forth and speak and act in His name.

May we always be willing to admit when we fail Him. To come to Him in humility and repentance and accept the bread of forgiveness He offers, which is His body, broken for us. [click to tweet]

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Faith On Fire, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments, Heart Encouragement,
#DancewithJesus, Pink Saturday

Inspired by . . . a curious harmony

A cold front came in last night. The clouds are low and plentiful today, casting long gray shadows through the cottage windows.

Time seems suspended. Still.

There is a curious harmony at work in these days. While there has been a physical shift in my world out of necessity, there has also been a spiritual one.

At first, I couldn't name it. This change. So foreign it was to my being.

The striving is gone.

I no longer feel the drive to be pro-active in my faith. Rather, my spirit is content to wait and simply respond to His promptings, His leading. 

It has been a subtle shift. My life hasn't stopped being crazy.

But I have stopped being crazy.

A simple pause, ever so slight, in the middle of whatever, to acknowledge His presense. Breath prayers. A nod to His majesty. I'm learning, slowly, to pray without ceasing.

I have so far to go. Yet I already feel like a new person inside an old skin. 

As we enter the second week of Lent I feel deeply embeded in the darkness. Not a scary evil darkness. No, evil cannot dwell with our Lord. There is nothing to fear from the darkness of the Lenten season. Christ has gone before us. We have nothing to fear by following.

I have not given up for Lent. Rather I have added. Added more of Him into my every day. In walking with Jesus in His last days, as He made His way to Jerusalem, teaching and healing along the way, we have the gift of hindsight. We know what He knew.

He was walking to the cross.

This juxtaposition - the light that surrounded Him as He taught and healed even as the darkness of death overshadowed Him - this, too, is our reality.

As the days get longer, the trees and flowers burst forth with new life, we walk with Jesus into darkness. 

We do this in a spiritual sense, but we also know the reality of physical death. At some point our earthly bodies stop growing and begin dying. For some, the pain of this reality comes sooner than others.

So even as we go about our lives, living loud and joyous, we are walking into darkness. 

I don't say this to be macabre. But rather to point you to HOPE. 

For if we never acknowledge the reality of death, we won't live our lives in the fullness of the hope we have in Christ. [click to tweet]

We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:4)

We can walk by faith, I believe, because we know how the story ends.

Just as the grave could not hold our Lord, neither will it hold us.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Co 15:51-57)

This is the hope we have that when our earthly life is done, we shall live eternally with Him. This is why we should take these seven weeks of the year to remember His death.

To remember His life. To meld it closely with our own. Because our lives are not always loud and joyous. Sometimes they are dark and silent.

And we need to know how to stand in the dark and silent times.

We can stand, even walk victorious through them . . . because of Him.

Shalom,

Sharing inspiration here:
Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments

Inspired by . . . Psalm 125

Are you noticing a theme, as we walk this path of ascent toward Jerusalem with our Lord? 

These psalms ascribe to Him the glory and praise He is most worthy of, but they also remind us of His intimate care and concern for us; His beloved children.

A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel! (Psa 125:1-5)

In this psalm we have three promises:

1. Those who trust in God, their hearts shall be firmly established by faith. Psalm 112:7

2.Those who trust in God, shall be safe, under His protection. v. 2 and Job 1:10 They shall be safe forevermore, for God's covenant with His people cannot be broken. Isa 54:10

3. God will not allow more than we can bear. Some debate this promise, but consider this, the troubles we endure here in this world cannot reach our souls. I can only speak from personal experiences, but mine have led me to concur with Matthew Henry's belief that, 

"God considers the frame of His people, and will proportion their trials to their strength by the care of His providence, as well as their strength to their trials by the power of His grace."

As we move into Passion Week, let us consider the steps of our Lord as He made His way to Calvary. At Calvary we see the full and final proof of God's great love for us. Proof that He truly does not give us more than we can bear, for we could never bear our sin before a Holy and Righteous God.

And so, Christ bore our sin for us, freeing us to live with Him, surrounded by His love and protection, forevermore.

Let us lift our voices in prayer and praise to Him Who is able to do exceedingly more than we could ever hope or imagine.

Shalom,

Sharing inspiration here:
Small Wonders, Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Thought Provoking Thursday, Grace & Truth, Weekend Whispers,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace

Inspired by . . .  Psalm 124

Who's your champion?

That one person who always cheers you on, lifts you up, and puts the silver lining in your cloudy day.

Psalm 124 reminds us that our true champion is God. The psalmist, David, reminds us to give credit where credit is due.

 A Song of Ascents. Of David. If it had not been the LORD Who was on our side— let Israel now say—if it had not been the LORD Who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. (Psa 124:1-8)

If you know anything about David's story, you know that he had people come against him most of his life. Being God's chosen one didn't equal easy times for David. At times, he was his own worst enemy. But God redeemed him from his sin, and out of the hands of those who sought to hurt him. Even his own children.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. (Psa 118:6-7)

We are God's chosen people, His royal priesthood. We can claim the same promise of scripture: God is on our side!

Enemies come in all shapes and sizes. I don't know what enemy you're facing today. Maybe it's the face in the mirror. Whoever, or whatever it is, God can help. He can redeem you, and your circumstances. We may yet lose our worldly possessions, but our soul, our courage, our hope, these are the things that God protects.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (Heb 13:5-6)

Let us pause and give adoration and praise to the One Who has preserved our life. The One Who has taken us out of darkness, and put our feet upon the rock. Where would we be without our God? The very thought should swell our hearts with gratitude for all He has done.

Do you, like David, have a psalm of thanksgiving to bring before the Lord? Sing to Him today. Bring a witness before man of His wonderful deeds, and the redeeming power of His glorious Son!

Blessings,

Looking for more? You can find Kimberlee's Lent offerings here.

Sharing inspiration here:
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Inspired by . . .Psalm 123: the Master's hands

Some of you may be familiar with the song The Old Violin, sung by Johnny Paycheck. The original is a poem by Myra Brooks Welch, and it's a favorite of mine. It's about an old violin, battered and scarred, that looks to be worth about a dollar or two to the eyes of the old auctioneer. That is until a man comes forward, picks up the violin and plays a song "as sweet as the angel sings." Suddenly the violin is worth thousands, all because of the touch of the master's hand. 

Image courtesy of tigger11th at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The same is true for us. We're battered and bruised, and often out of tune. But just a touch of God's nail-scarred hand makes us worthy and changes us from inside out.

In Psalm 123 our gaze is shifted from the city of peace, Jerusalem, to Peace Himself. Specifically to the Master's hand, from which we receive many things, most significantly, His mercy.

A Song of Ascents. To You I lift up my eyes, O You Who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. (Psa 123:1-4)

"...as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress," I've always been drawn to this verse. There is a sense of devotion and trust in these words that comforts me. Don't let the term servant get in the way of understanding here. We all look to others for various things, at various times in our lives. Parents, older siblings, teachers, employers, spouse, etc. 

We look to God for mercy, we wait, until He provides by . . .

His directing hand - Lord, what do you have for me to do?  Eph_2:10,  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

His supplying hand - We look to God to supply our daily bread, to supply grace sufficient for the day. 2Cor 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."

His assisting hand - We go about our work in the strength God provides. 1Peter 4:11, "as one who serves by the strength that God supplies"

His protecting hand - When we face opposition or persecution, as we most certainly will, we look to God to be our help. Psalm 9:9, "The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."

His correcting hand - We may not like this one much, but if you're a parent yourself you know how necessary, and how loving, a correcting hand truly is. Heb 12:6, "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." 

His rewarding hand - We all desire to hear Him say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.'' Matt 25:23

The psalmist cries out for mercy, and so do we. 

Do you want to know what the hand of God looks like? Look around, look at your life. Where is He directing you? Supplying a need? Giving you strength for the moment? Protecting you? Correcting you? 

Those who are humble receive His mercy in abundance. And will ultimately receive the greatest reward of all - eternity with Him.

Lift up your eyes -

and praise Him!

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
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