The disciples went

and did as Jesus

     directed them.

      Matthew 21. 6

(Every action,

every word,

every attitude,

every response

        is ministry.

The disciples went

            and did

without having to know why.

Sometimes the reason

and the need and the outcome

              are obvious,

but God's purposes prevail

whether we understand or not.

There are no small obediences.)

O LORD,

Direct our paths this day

   and into this new week,

align our hearts

   with Your purposes.

Prepare our way

   that we would glorify You

in whatever we do.

Help us to be faithful to You

    into all Your ways,

    into all the whatevers,

    into Your precise timing,

    into Your divine appointments.

No task is too insignificant,

     no opportunity random,

to serve You

    and love others

    right into Your kingdom.

 

...we do not know with what

we must serve the LORD

until we arrive there.

               Exodus 10. 26

(We may not realize

for what we are training,

but God

knows exactly what He is doing.

The spiritual disciplines

of praying,

absorbing His Word,

practicing grace,

fortifying the one anothers,

seeking the welfare,

choosing to serve,

knowing His voice,

defaulting to the selfless,

being faithful in the ordinary

    are never wasted efforts.

We will be amazed in what

   and how God uses us

   for His Kingdom,

in His precise timing

and His divine positioning,

ready with our shoes tied on.

"Oh, so that is what

      God was doing.

   This is what it is for."

Willing to train,

able to jump,

     at a moment's notice,

already strengthened.)

O LORD,

We rejoice that

You are our personal trainer,

guiding us in Your ways,

ordering our days,

directing our thoughts,

aligning our hearts

            with Yours.

We have no idea

how we must serve You

until those moments

            suddenly arrive,

some of which

    we don't see coming,

some of which we are

            totally unaware.

Equip us, O Almighty One,

prepare us,

strengthen our hearts,

sharpen our vision

that we will know

           how to serve You

    even here,

    even today.

 

But many who are first

    will be last,

and the last first.

          Matthew 19. 30

(My dad used to say

we are really going to

    be surprised one day.

Our hearts are revealed by

those who seek forgiveness,

who practice grace,

who live in integrity,

who seek what is good

   and right and loving and kind.

Not earning His love and favor

  but by yearning in our love for Him.

Do we seek first place in line,

the best seats,

the closest parking place,

the biggest piece of pie,

or consider it the opportunity

   to love and serve God

                  and others?

Whose name is written

             on this day?

 For His name's sake

          or my own?

You first.)

O LORD,

Help us to not get caught up

   in behaviors

   that others will see,

but to pay attention

      to following You.

Change our hearts

   that You will be known.

Help us to approach

     what is before us this day

                   differently

     because we love You.

May You be seen

even in what we don't realize.

Help us to be a witness

   that others may know

that this life is not all there is

and that they are

             loved by You.

 

"Why did you ever send me?"

...But the LORD said to Moses,

"Now you shall see

        what I will do..."

        Exodus 5.22, 6.1

(This is not the end of our story,

   but just the

          most exciting part.

Moses had no idea

   the mighty things

   God was doing

          through him,

that of which we still tell about

     thousands of years later.

We may never see the outcome

    of our obedience,

nor the lasting effects

   of our faithfulness to God,

but God is bearing fruit

       and dividing seas

far beyond what we can know.

Even today.

Even through this.

There are no small obediences.)

O LORD,

We work, we follow You,

and You bring the victory

          through it.

Help us to respond to You

in all that we do

and know that it all matters.

You send divine appointments

        we do not recognize.

You send us into the unlikely

   and the unexpected

to bring Your name there.

Even in the valley of deep darkness,

      You are with us.

Help us to be faithful

  even in what is

  far beyond our skill set

and way beyond our comprehension.

"Why did you ever send me?"

         For Your glory.

And that is more than enough.

 

The LORD said to him,

"What is that

          in your hand?"

         Exodus 4.2

(How in the world

am I going to do

this impossible task?

God has already provided

what we need to serve Him,

sometimes through

  past experiences

  that didn't seem to matter

  or pieces that didn't fit.

What we need the most

     is a willing heart

to follow

     and respond to Him.

What is in my hand?

What is in my heart?

Trust Me in this.)

O LORD,

Help us to see our situation

               differently

by seeing You differently.

You are the God who guides.

You are the God who provides.

Help us to not get ahead of You.

We cannot perceive Your purposes,

nor can know Your outcomes

   which always come in multitudes.

But we can be faithful

  in the one thing You have

        placed before us today.

We cannot do everything,

     but we can do something.

And that would be

     walking with You in it.

Prepare our hearts

   that we would perceive

   deeper than the obvious.

And step into the need.

 

But Joseph said to them...

"As for you,

you meant evil against me,

but God

    meant it for good,

to bring it about

that many people

   should be kept alive,

as they are today."

         Genesis 50. 20

(When we are faithful to God

         and trust Him,

even in what we cannot see,

             God redeems

in ways far beyond

     what we can imagine,

far beyond our lifetimes.

Whatever we are going through,

   God brings about His goodness

in unexpected ways,

in unlikely places,

for His glory.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

You never promised

    it would be easy,

but that You are with us

and we have

           nothing to fear,

only to stand in awe

                   of You.

You build strength in us

through every step

   of faithfulness to You.

Help us to

      keep our eyes on You,

not overwhelmed by circumstances,

but respond to them

         with Your steadfast love.

Joseph did not just endure,

but thrived in every situation

   because he trusted You.

Help us to do the same.

You bring Your goodness to it.

We would not be reluctant

if we knew 

how You are using

   what is before us today.

 

And the disciples said to Him,

"Where are we

to get enough bread

   in such a desolate place

to feed so great a crowd?"

And Jesus said to them,

"How many loaves

             do you have?"

           Matthew 15. 33-34

(We see what we don't have.

We limit ourselves

      by what we lack.

But Jesus sees the reality

of what wonders can be done

   with what we do have.

We see only the variables.

God sees the equation,

all part of His fundamental law

        of multiplication.)

O LORD,

On our own,

we can see no further

   than our hand

   in front of our face.

But You

   enlarge and deepen our vision

to trust You in

   what is visible

   and invisible to our eyes.

You are not limited

     by our belief or unbelief.

We have only to be faithful

and bring our cares

and fears and worries

and loaves before You.

Help us to trust You

  as we step into the needs.

Help us to recognize

  and acknowledge Your hand

      and Your provision.

We are not in this alone.

You never intended that.

 

The heavens declare

    the glory of God,

and the sky above

    proclaims His handiwork.

                Psalm 19. 1

(The awe we feel

is a call to worship the Creator.

Even those who

    do not acknowledge God

are compelled to recognize

   the wonder that stirs their souls.

His handiwork is far too intricate

   and impossible to just happen.

God did not just create.

    He created beauty,

  and our ability to

          recognize beauty:

the mountains, the sea,

    the plains, the great forests,

all creatures great and small.

The LORD God made them all

      and knows them by name.

           Even us.

His fingerprints in nature,

His hand over us.)

O LORD,

Even in ways we

         would never expect

and perhaps never see,

You are faithful.

We have only to look outside

    to know Your greatness.

Help us to be a witness to You

    in words both great and small,

    in kindnesses

            that are never small,

    in our love for You

     spilling over

     into our love for others.

May we worship You

           into this day,

not just by what

        stirs our souls,

but seeing how You are

     enlarging our hearts.

Be magnified and multiplied,

                 Almighty One,

even right where we are

  or wherever You take us today.

May we trust You.

 

I have taught you

   the way of wisdom.

I have led you in the

   paths of uprightness.

When you walk,

your steps will not be hampered,

and if you run,

   you will not stumble.

               Proverbs 4. 11-12

(What am I training for?

         To follow Him.

God equips us with strength

in our daily willingness

to seek Him,

listen and respond

    in our everyday steps.

The stuff we don't think matters,

         always does.

There are no small obediences.

Every step of faithfulness

    builds for the next.

We don't realize the strength

         and wisdom

He is working into our hearts,

recognizing His Presence

  on which we stake our lives.)

O LORD,

Help us even on this very day

    to be faithful to You

    in all that we do.

Equip us with Your strength

   that we may bless You

   and those around us.

If we walk with You

       and run with You,

You strengthen our hearts

to step into the need

and provide the courage

         and compassion

         to be used by You.

You work in the

     most unlikely places

     and unexpected ways.

And in details

  we never comprehend.

 

He made my feet

like the feet of a deer

and set me secure

        on the heights...

You gave a wide place

for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

            Psalm 18. 33, 36

(When we seek the LORD

   and not just an answer

   or a solution,

God opens up

a different path even through

   impossible circumstances

   or even the ordinary.

Where there seems

      to be no way,

trust Him and He will

    provide the next step.

        And then another.

Do not fear

   or we will miss it.

There are

   no small obediences.

How is God calling me

    to follow Him today?)

O LORD,

At times, we are paralyzed

by what lies before us

and overwhelmed by

    what we need to do.

Help us to first seek You

and follow You

   into the known

   and what is unknown to us.

Reveal to us Your first step

and provide the courage

    to take the next

and not get ahead of You.

We don't want to miss out

    on Your wonders.

 

For God

has made me forget

     all my hardship...

For God

has made me fruitful

in the land of my affliction.

            Genesis 41. 51-52

(It is not that God will redeem.

    God is already redeeming

    even the hard stuff.

"Trust Me in this."

And do all our work

        with excellence.

No detail is too small

   that God overlooks

   or cannot use powerfully.

Even when we cannot see

          the faintest results

because God never works

       in singular outcomes.

Joseph worked as a slave

          and in jail.

But he viewed

   hardship of all kinds

as opportunities

          to serve God.

How we view God

  changes how we see,

approach and navigate

           circumstances.)

O LORD,

We cannot foresee

what is ahead of us today.

But we can trust You

   as we walk with You,

even in trouble,

even in the really hard stuff.

Grant to us today

   Your strength and joy

   seamlessly woven.

Help us to keep our eyes on You

     to respond to circumstances

     and not to be afraid

                  of hard work.

May we serve You with gladness,

       even in this.

 

The LORD was with Joseph,

and he became

    a successful man...

the LORD was with him,

and the LORD caused

     all that he did

to succeed in his hands.

               Genesis 39. 2-3

(The key word here

 is not Joseph

      but the LORD.

Joseph was

      faithful to God

      and His glory

in all that he did,

in all God laid before him,

no matter

       the circumstances,

       dire or favorable.

God brings the fruit

             from it.

Succeed in the Hebrew

  means to prosper

              and to flourish.

Our faithfulness blesses God

    and everyone around us.

Grumbling and complaining

   only manage to dig potholes.)

O LORD,

Show us the ways

     to be faithful to You,

even today,

even in the mess around us.

Please bring

      Your roots and Your fruit

in unlikely ways

and in impossible places

and among unexpected people.

We can never know

how You produce the growth

            or in whom.

We seek You,

   not outcomes within

          our range of vision,

but You.

For Your glory alone.

 

You make known to me

       the path of life;

in Your Presence

  there is fullness of joy;

at Your right hand are

   pleasures forevermore.

               Psalm 16. 11

(Am I following God

  on His path through

  this day or this dilemma?

In His Presence,

we are not defeated

       by circumstances,

but we are empowered

   to respond to them.

His path, His Presence,

              His provision.

It is not a matter of

     squeezing God

     into the back seat,

nor setting Him in first place,

      but all in all,

      always before us.

Walking with Him

   changes the journey

               and the outcome.

And changes us.)

O LORD,

We come before You

    not to lay out our plans

                 before You,

but for You

   to lay out Your plans

                  before us.

Guide us, Almighty One,

     on Your paths today,

into places we don't expect,

into situations

 where we can bring Your name,

into the known and unknown

              for Your glory.

Help us to respond

with Your love and grace and wisdom

            and kindness.

 

Do not be

  afraid of sudden terror

or of the storm of the wicked

           when it comes,

for the LORD will be

      your confidence

and will keep your feet

   from being caught.

               Proverbs 3. 25-26

(How we practice trusting God

      in the everydays

strengthens us for when

            --not if--

    the storms come.

With Whom am I walking?

On Whom do I call?

Not panic

    but knowing His Presence.

"If we do not do

      the running steadily

      in the little ways,

 we shall do nothing

             in the crisis."

      -- Oswald Chambers,

          My Utmost for His Highest)

O LORD,

May we not be

    taken by surprise

in this broken world,

but go forth aware

       and responsive

   to Your Presence with us.

Help us to walk with You

  as we all struggle with something.

Help us to be filled

      not by panic

      but by Your Spirit

that we are able to help others

     in time of desperate need.

Strengthen our hearts

        even on this ordinary day

that we would bring You glory

        even in the hard stuff.

Help us to trust You in this,

  no matter what is

              on our paths today.

 

Come to Me,

all who labor

   and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you,

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle

   and lowly in heart,

and you will find

       rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy,

and My burden is light.

            Matthew 11. 28-30

(Not "take on yet another thing,"

nor "run faster,"

nor "just try harder,"

nor "have more "faith,"

        but Come to Me.

Taking His yoke means

walking with Him through

not just another

          one-up difficulty,

not just through the extraordinary,

      but through the ordinary.

Because in the everydays,

   God transforms our hearts

   and builds His strength in us.

His yoke changes

     our operating system,

     our vision,

     our response,

     and our journey,

even if circumstances

                never change.)

 

O LORD,

We thank You

that Your yoke

      gives us rest

even in the midst

   of toil and trouble.

Strengthen us

   as we walk with You.

Help us to lay down

   our burdens before You,

   our baggage,

   our worries and fears

as we take up Your yoke.

Help us to know

   that trusting You

   dissolves anxiety

and empowers us

        to walk with You.

We are not alone

                 after all.

We do not just

     need an ambulance,

     a tow truck,

     a band-aid,

     or an exit sign

       to get out of this mess.

We need You.

  

 

And whoever gives

one of these little ones

even a cup of cold water

because he is a disciple,

truly, I say to you,

he will by no means

    lose his reward.

             Matthew 10. 42

(Because we are believers

and follow Him,

the love of Jesus

    changes our hearts

    and compels us

       to respond to need.

It is not "I have to"

   but "I get to,"

running into the need

    instead of away from it.

That kind of heart

   is what distinguishes us

   as disciples.

And even outsiders

   expect us to live selflessly

   because we love Jesus,

responding to need

       in many different packages

--physical, spiritual, relational.

What is the cup of cold water

   I need to offer today?

Is my water bottle filled

          and ready to give?

Do I realize

    it is my witness today?)

O LORD,

Prepare our hearts this day

   to give and serve

   and love others

in every glimmer of need.

May we be a witness

   by sensing need

     both visible and hidden,

and by how we respond with

  water bottles ready to give

without even

          a moment's notice.

May love, kindness and grace

    be our default

    and our first response.

Others are watching,

not to see if we fail

     or are perfect,

but if we really love You

   by loving others.

May we bring You honor

    even with this little cup

which is never

      little in Your Kingdom.

 

But the God of my father

    has been with me.

              Genesis 31. 5

(These two words

    make all the difference

    into the trajectory of life:

             But God...

Recognize the

  chronicle of His faithfulness

and His Presence

  even in mystery and suffering.

Underlying all experience,

               God is with me.

               I am not alone.

This is not the end of the story

   but that which God redeems.

It is not just in the extraordinary

  that God miraculously intervenes,

but even in what we consider

              the ordinary,

     even when we miss His hand.

Because supernaturally

    is how God always works.)

O LORD,

We miss out

because we do not recognize

      Your hand,

      Your designs,

      Your intervention,

      and Your Presence

             in all things.

You are with us.

May Your abiding in us

   change our hearts

that we are not paralyzed by dread

      but delight in

   storming the castle with You.

Help us to fulfill the obvious,

to be sensitive

     to the invisible,

and have shoes tied on

   to respond immediately

     to Your voice,

not just willing

    but heart and hands ready,

eyes on You,

to step into the needs

        all around us

                        today.

 

"Behold, I am with you

and will keep you

    wherever you go..."

Then Jacob awoke

           from his sleep

and said,

"Surely the LORD

      is in this place,

and I did not know it."

          Genesis 28. 15-16

(In the dark and scary places,

even in the most unexpected

   details and developments,

on the rocky paths

      and strange rabbit trails,

we realize

     the Presence of God.

We are distracted and

      overwhelmed by

circumstances, discomfort,

inconvenience,

and sometimes,

      hard stones as pillows.

But He is here,

          right with us.

What in the world

   am I doing here?

Did I take a wrong turn?

Did God make a mistake?

But in those shadows,

God reveals Himself:

  "I am with you.

   Even in this place.

   Now watch this...")

O LORD,

Help us to not just be

       aware of You,

but in awe of You

  and what You are doing,

far beyond our eyesight,

far beyond our lifetimes.

Your Presence is with us,

    a reality not just a feeling.

May we not just be

           mindful of You

but have the mind of Christ

as we walk into

          Your day for us.

Help us see things differently.

   because we know You.

 

Fear not,

   for I am with you...

       Genesis 26. 24

(Trusting God

    and walking with Him

does not change

           the circumstances

but changes our hearts,

how we view

     what is before us,

how we approach

      and navigate,

how we respond

      to God's voice,

what we do

    and how we do it.

Fear blocks out the light.

Trusting God

     into the known and unknown

always changes the journey

              and the outcome.

What if

    there was nothing to fear?

How would I approach this

                differently

if I knew God is with me?)

O LORD,

So often we fear

         instead of trusting You.

May our first response

   be to run to You

   and walk with You

            through it.

Please help us not just to endure

    but to be a blessing to others

    and to bless Your name.

Guide us into this day

             differently

because You are with us

and we need not fear.

 

And He said to them,

"Why are you afraid,

    O you of little faith?"

Then He rose and rebuked

    the winds and the sea,

and there was great calm.

And the men marveled,

saying, "What sort of man is this,

  that even winds and sea

                      obey Him?"

                Matthew 8. 26-27

(Everyone struggles with something.

What are we missing out on

            because we fear?

God calls us to follow Him,

know Him,

abide in Him,

   even in the storms of life.

God does not promise

  a gentle breeze

            and a glassy sea,

but a great adventure

        into His glory.

We fear the known.

We fear the unknown.

But God owns both.

"Watch this," He says.

Trusting Him

    changes the journey.)

O LORD,

Everyone of us

is in some kind of small boat

     with a storm forecasted

     or bearing down on us.

Show us how to navigate

  this storm-tossed sea

  or volatile passage

  or fear that threatens us.

Help us to ride with You

   through what we see

   and what we

          cannot yet see.

Your peace is contagious.

Help us to trust

  not just what You are doing,

           but who You are.

Help us to not miss

    Your wow in this.

 

Trust

      in the LORD

with all your heart,

and do not lean

  on your own understanding.

In all your ways

            acknowledge Him,

and He will make straight

                  your paths.

             Proverbs 3. 5-6

(How differently would

      our lives look

if we committed ourselves

   to trusting God

      every morning,

      every hard circumstance,

      every surprise,

      every shadow?

When we trust Him,

God takes us on a different journey

          and to a different outcome,

even through circumstances

                 we don't understand.

God's way may not be paved

      or easy,

but He promises,

           "Fear not, I am with you."

How do I need to trust Him

                       today?

     Even in this.)

O LORD,

This new day,

this new week,

even in the beginning

            of another year,

may we trust You

     with all of our hearts,

all eyes on You,

shoes tied on,

ready to follow You

   into Your day for us.

It is not that we need to

   lay our day before You

   to squish You into it,

but be willing and ready

      as You lay Your day

               before us.

Help us to acknowledge You

        in all we do,

to bless You,

to magnify Your holy name.

 

...and in your offspring

shall all the nations of the earth

               be blessed,

because you have

     obeyed My voice.

           Genesis 22. 18

(We have no idea of the

    generational ramifications

    of obeying God.

No act of responding to God

           is insignificant,

no act too small

   that God does not use.

The Scriptures

            show us that.

Learn to trust God.)

O LORD,

May we not just

        listen for Your voice,

    nor listen to You,

but respond

       by trusting You.

You have not forgotten us.

You have a strong hold

           over us,

even in this difficulty,

even in this mystery.

You are working so powerfully

     we cannot even see it

                     yet.

But You are here.

You are with us.

Help us to triumph over

         our fears

by trusting You.

 

But seek first

the kingdom of God

  and His righteousness,

and all these things

  will be added to you.

            Matthew 6. 33

(God's antidote to anxiety

      is "Trust Me in this."

Just one step of obedience

produces the strength

            for the now and next.

And then

       God reveals another step

       in His unlikely ways

    and unexpected packages.

"Do you trust Me

       to take another step?"

Even when we cannot

    yet see the outcome

    or the path?

Where to go

    and what to do

hinges on trusting Him,

even when it doesn't

           seem to matter.

Because it always does.)

O LORD,

Our lives are so dependent

                   on You,

    more than we know.

Help us to

      not seek answers

                   and outcomes,

but to seek You first,

   not as a last resort.

Even what we see as

     small steps of trust

   have eternal reverberations.

There are no small obediences

          in Your eyes,

only faithfulness.

 

So she called

   the name of the LORD

   who spoke to her,

"You are a God

            who sees me."

          Genesis 16. 13

(We don't have to earn

       God's attention

   or wave a thousand flags

       for Him to notice us.

When we turn to Him,

   He is already here.

God does not just

               notice us

    or watch from afar,

but He sees us,

knows us,

where we are, who we are,

what we are going through,

with what we are struggling,

and loves us deeply through it,

               no matter what.

God loves me.

God sees me.

Do I seek Him?)

O LORD,

One of the adversary's

biggest lies is that

we are not seen by You.

But we are loved so deeply

     You came for us.

May we not just call You

   the God who sees us,

but the Almighty

        who loves us.

May we be faithful to You,

not just believing

           but knowing

You are with us.

We come before You

in this situation, this season,

these difficult circumstances.

Please change our hearts in this,

                for Your glory.

       For Your glory alone.

Help us to walk with You.

 

And there

Abram called upon

the name of the LORD.

          Genesis 13. 4

(Worship is the point

when everything changes --

how we see where we are,

how we view, approach and

   navigate circumstances,

how we see God,

how we treat and love others,

and how we see ourselves.

Worship does not

          change our situation

          or merely our perspective.

Worship changes our hearts.

Am I calling upon the LORD

                        in this

or seeking my own desires?)

O LORD,

May we call upon Your name

here and there and everywhere.

May we bring Your name with us

and write it all over this day

and engraved on

             everything we do.

May we worship You

    by being faithful

even in this volatile situation

or barren landscape.

When we call upon You,

You don't just show up,

but we realize

     You are already here

      with us.

 

...to the land that

   I will show you.

         Genesis 12. 1

(Obedience to God

is not triggered by

   knowing the outcomes,

but by trusting God.

Take one step of

     responding to God,

even if that is only

    how far we can see,

and God will reveal the next

   in His own way

   and in His own time.

We don't have to

       know the reason

       for there to be one.

We don't have to

       know the reason

       in order to obey Him.

Obedience may mean

    going to a new land.

But it often means

   cultivating the ground

   right where

      we already are standing.)

O LORD,

Take us where

    we can know You more,

even if that means

    staying in this place,

fulfilling Your purposes

    in all we do today.

You have placed us here

   for Your eternal ways.

You lead us

     to a new heart

that seeks to honor You

and bring You glory,

no matter where we are,

not for our own favor,

but for the good

          of many people.

Sin always hurts others.

But obedience to You

   always blesses the world.

More than we can know.

 

...and put your trust

      in the LORD.

          Psalm 4. 5

(Did it even occur to me

     to trust God in this?

Or is worry and fear

           my default?

Prayer is our first response,

      not last resort.

Prayer is the first step

      of trusting Him

in whatever we face,

both known and unknown.

God knows a lot more

         than we do.

He brings the supernatural

     to the situation,

because that is the way

    God always works.

"Trust Me in this."

And then take the first step.)

O LORD,

You do not just show up.

You are already here,

   working Your hand

   in these impossible situations.

Help us to not just believe

    but know that we are

                   not alone.

Help us to trust You

even when we don't understand.

Even when all we can do

        is trust You.

Trusting doesn't mean

   we have to

        know the outcome.

Just to know You.

May our lives be

    marked as Yours.

 

Enoch walked with God....

          Genesis 5. 22

(And that means being faithful,

making difficult choices,

and choosing to follow God.

What are we known by?

What distinguishes us?

A different trajectory,

a heart willing

     to walk with God in this,

an unexpected response

        to circumstances,

a lasting impact

   on the generations after us,

far more than we know.

Enoch was Noah's

       great grandfather.)

O LORD,

Help us to know You more.

Help us to be known

                as Yours.

Help us to bring Your name here.

Soli Deo Gloria.

For Your glory alone.

Use us today for Your name's sake,

    for Your glory,

    and for Your Kingdom,

no detail of faithfulness

                too small.

May our walk with You

   point others to You

as we worship and serve You

    through all we do today.

    

 

The voice of one

   crying in the wilderness:

Prepare the way of the Lord;

  make His paths straight.

               Matthew 3. 3

               Isaiah 40. 3

(What in the world am I

  doing in this strange place?

What is my appointed work

      in this remote situation?

What is my purpose

      in this ordinary day?

To prepare the way of the Lord,

to bring His name there,

to love and dig and plant,

to straighten out the path,

to prepare the way of the Lord

       in other people's lives,

even when it feels

 like the wind-swept wilderness.

God does some of

     His greatest work

     in what appears like wilderness.

God sees something

            profound there.)

O LORD,

May we be not just sensitive

        to Your leading,

but responsive to Your nudges

with our shoes tied on,

    ready to follow You.

You do not just

       change our perspective,

but transform our hearts

to see and hear differently,

to love others and

      bring Your name

   where it has not been known.

There are no small kindnesses,

     nor insignificant acts of grace.

Why are we here

       in this time and place?

For Your glory.

For Your Kingdom.

In Your name.

You are enough.

 

The LORD God took the man

and put him in

    the garden of Eden

to work it and keep it.

           Genesis 2. 15

(May we be faithful,

          fruitful and multiply

the little patch of dirt

        and the rag-tag flock

God has entrusted in our care.

It may not appear

         as the garden of Eden,

but only what appears as barren.

Yet, what if we worked

and cultivated and cared for it

    as what God has given?

What are we doing in this new year

to nurture and cultivate,

to sow and plant and care for

what God has entrusted us

     to work and keep?

It doesn't just happen.

We have only to be faithful.

God brings the fruit

and the growth

and transforms the landscape

from barrenness into His glory.)

O LORD,

We come before You

    in this new year,

    in this fresh new day,

not with empty hands,

but with willing hearts

to be faithful and fruitful

and embrace Your work

          in us.

What needs to change

is not our circumstances

             but our hearts.

Be our vision in this new year

that we would bring You glory

and delight in You

    in all You lay before us.

And to realize that

Your fruitfulness in us

    is not limited by what we see,

but transcends

                our lifetimes,

far more than we can know.