Hear, O Israel, today

  you are drawing near

for battle against your enemies.

Let not your heart faint.

Do not fear or panic

   or be in dread of them,

for the LORD your God is

    He who goes with you

to fight for you

             against your enemies,

to give you the victory.

                Deuteronomy 20. 3-4

(I love that in the

     face of the overwhelming,

God does not say,

     to get out there by yourself,

     or get a grip,

     or don't be a baby.

But He promises,

  "Do not fear.

   I am with you."

Sometimes that realization

       is the victory.

Sometimes that reality

   is the most powerful witness.

Our foes are anything we fear,

       both real and imagined.

Every one of us

            struggles with something.

God does not just give us

    the strength and courage

to walk with Him through it.

   He gives us His hand.)

O LORD,

We may not understand

   what we are going through,

   how it fits,

   or why,

but we can trust You in it.

Help us to hold Your hand

        and don't let go.

Thank You

    not just for going with us

but for going before us.

You redeem all the pieces

     and all the trails.

You draw us closer to You

  and transform us

       one degree at a time.