Seeing in the Dark

 

For God who said,

"Let light shine

        out of darkness..."

      2 Corinthians 4. 6

(May we go differently into

           this day,

even in the midst of chaos,

    and land mines,

    dead ends,

    fearful places,

    and difficult people.

Instead of barreling through

      or struggling with it,

may we bring

   the love and light of Jesus

into this impossible situation.

God empowers us

        to see in the dark.

God is redeeming

      what is before us,

  and He uses us to do it.

God sees darkness

  as an opportunity

         for transformation.

And that is never

  just about circumstances.

What can we do?

Use "This little light of mine"

that Jesus has put

           in our hearts.)

O LORD,

Please grant to us

   Your light in this hard place.

May we see

    not just a new way through,

but a new way to be.

Let Your Presence

     alter the course of our day.

Let us not be overcome

         by the darkness,

but be overwhelmed

    by Your redeeming light.

More and More and More

 

...to God

   my exceeding joy...

       Psalm 43. 4

(Whom or what we desire

    more than anything,

radically shifts

    the paths we choose,

    the stuff we admire,

    the very trajectory

            of our lives.

As James K. A. Smith says,

   "You are what you love."

When God is our

            exceeding joy,

it changes us:

     our attitudes,

     outlook,

    the songs we hum,

    and everything we do.

How we see God

alters how we view

             circumstances,

             others,

             and even ourselves.)

O LORD,

Align our hearts with Yours,

that we may see this world

  with different eyes,

          a fresh joy,

  and knowing that

           You are good.

We can stake our lives

                on that.

And even in the hard stuff,

   You are already redeeming.

Bring us through this day

    with the joy of knowing You,

more and more and more.

We Don't Have to Prove Anything

 

Why are you cast down,

          O my soul,

and why are you

  in turmoil within me?

Hope in God;

for I shall again praise Him,

  my salvation and my God.

             Psalm 42. 5, 11

(There is no greater turmoil

than not knowing who we are,

why we are here,

or trying to prove our worth.

But we don't have to prove ourselves

   to God or anyone else.

Because we are beloved

  by the Almighty God.

       And we are His.

Our hope is built

            on nothing less.

Our identity or value

is not in our jobs,

   position, power or achievement,

            or lack thereof.

Those things don't define us.

God has in mind things

       so much bigger.

Our work is not who we are,

but where God has

  strategically positioned us

         for His purposes,

     kingdom and glory.

Whether we seemingly succeed

     or fall desperately short,

our most profound witness

   may be how we respond

   to first place or last.

We're still running with Him.

And He delights in us.

      No matter what.

 Because we matter to Him.)

O LORD,

Please help us to know

   that we are secure in You.

We don't have to

         prove our worth to You.

You showed us that

                on the Cross.

We are fully loved.

Our identity is in You,

    not in what we do.

Our work is not

        who we are,

but how You use us

   to love others

   right to You.

Me Do It

 

But that was to make us

rely not on ourselves

            but God,

who raises the dead.

        2 Corinthians 1. 9

(Sometimes it takes

what is overwhelming for us

to more accurately see

   not who we are,

   but who God is.

But self-reliance

    is the original sin.

"I don't need anybody else,

 I don't need God.

Indeed,

     I can be my own god."

As every two-year-old demands,

        "Me do it."

We can always do something,

but when we rely

      only on ourselves,

the route and journey

          are always different

and impacts radically

    what could have been.

God whispers,

     Trust Me in this.

     Follow Me over here.

Not a matter of our skill

        but of whom we trust,

realizing He is God,

    and we don't have to be.)

O LORD,

Show us how to rely on You,

entering this day and dilemma,

approaching and navigating it

            a new way,

because after all is said and done,

       we need You.

It May Not be Labeled As Such

 

...for a wide door

    for effective work

has opened to me,

and there are many

            adversaries.

        1 Corinthians 16. 9

(What we may see as a

speed bump, irritation,

    or even a failure,

may be the most profound

  opportunity to be a witness

  or to be faithful.

 A new door for service and grace

  may not be labeled

  or obvious as such.

Be attentive and mindful

  in ministering to others

        and the saints.

Are we even aware when

God is opening doors and hearts

   for His glory

  and unfolding His purposes

in dark corners, hardship,

  or ordinary interactions?

Others carry with them

    our actions and words

    for a long time.

The biggest adversaries

may be our own excuses,

intentions,

or inattentiveness.)

O LORD,

Wide doors are opening

      all around us,

ones we never expected.

Please grant us the courage

to seize the moments,

walk across the thresholds

    and embrace them.

Give us the strength,

not just to endure

but to be fruitful in it,

       whatever it is.

Clear Evidence

 

To each is given

the manifestation of the Spirit

       for the common good.

           1 Corinthians 12. 7

(God grants to each of us

  the clear evidence of Himself.

It is not just that we are unable

           to do something,

           but He can.

God reveals Himself

   in a million different ways

 by how we respond to need,

   how we treat others

              with grace,

   how we give and forgive,

how He changes the world

          through us.

Do your best to do your part

            and even more.

The common good

  is the wellbeing of all people,

  even those we don't like

      or who are not like us..

Not just being nice or kind,

   but gracious,

especially in difficult situations.

We are to bear, bring together,

   carry and contribute

through the prompting

           of His Spirit.)

O LORD,

Please manifest Your Spirit

      in us and through us

that we may bring about

  great good

   in impossible circumstances

and even in the ordinary.

May we live out

  the evidence of what it means

to abide in You.

      

Right Place at the Right Time

 

And who knows,

whether you have not

come to the kingdom

for such a time as this?

         Esther 4. 14

(For such a time as this:

split-second timing,

exact positioning,

right place

    at the right time,

even when it doesn't

    look or feel like it.

What am I doing here?

Why am I in this situation?

Who knows?  God does.

God doesn't just know,

but has intricately woven

His divine appointments

    and sacred encounters

into both everyday stuff

    and the extraordinary.

Nothing random at all,

but we are strategically positioned

             for all eternity.

What is God calling us

    to do and to be today

 in these circumstances?

To be His.)

O LORD,

We often come to places

and situations

where we don't quite

   know why

   or what to do.

Please give us the courage

  and strength to trust You,

        even in this.

We pray to You,

not for things to change,

but for the great honor

   of being used by You

for Your kingdom

            and Your glory,

in the monumental

  and even in what we see

  as ordinary.

Help us to realize

even in this very moment

that You have

  anointed and appointed us.

Please align our hearts

        with Yours.

Moment by Moment

 

...to praise and  give thanks

      ...watch by watch.

         Nehemiah 12. 24

(Praise and thankfulness

          to God

is not a once-and-done.

Or designated specifically for

     special occasions, or

times of recognizable goodness.

But watch by watch,

day by day,

moment by moment

    intricately linked.

Praise and worship

   do not change God,

   but alter our hearts

           toward Him.

It is a continual time

  of giving reverence,

celebrating His Presence,

opening the shutters

   and letting God's light shine,

and worshiping verbally

   and visibly,

         one after another.

Our praise and thanks

   are that significant.

If we only realized that,

we would never lack a moment

      of gratefulness to Him.

It changes us.

It changes the world

   in monumental ways.)

O LORD,

We are not just grateful,

   but we are grateful to You.

Fill our hearts with the need

   to let praise and thanks

   overflow into our worship

and ordinary conversations.

Enlarge our vocabulary

   in honoring You.

  

What We Talk About

 

I will thank You

  in the great congregation;

in the mighty thong

  I will praise You.

              Psalm 35.18

(God ha given each of us

  a chronicle of

  His great faithfulness

and stories of His glory

       all around us.

Do our daily conversations

         reflect that?

Do others recognize

anything different in us

by what we talk about?)

O LORD,

May our conversations

not just relay information,

but be honoring to You

in what we talk about.

Infuse our vocabulary

  with Your grace,

love and strength.

A Sacred Awareness

 

Do this in remembrance

             of Me.

         1 Corinthians 11. 25

(This verse applies on

a deeper level than

  instructions for Communion.

Have we even considered

    approaching, pursuing,

    entering,  or navigating

   this course of action,

   difficulty, or relationship

        in the name of Jesus?

Do we go differently into this

   --whatever it may be--

because we are believers?

Seen not as adversity,

  but an opportunity

              as a witness.

Not as a road block,

   but a starting block, 

   knowing God has placed us

        strategically here.

A remembrance

     is a sacred awareness

of what we have seen,

       known and experienced

that causes us

         to live in His name.)

O LORD,

Help us to recognize

          Your Presence

  in the strange, hard

  and even ordinary

        incidents of life.

Grant to us the awareness  

   to actively respond

to inconveniences, needs,

  and souls around us

in remembrance of You.

The Song That Will Never End

 

And the joy of Jerusalem

was heard far away.

            Nehemiah 12. 43

(Worshiping God

does not just change us,

but infiltrates the culture

      all around us,

not just audibly

but visibly in what we do,

how we respond,

what we say,

what we hum,

and even how we look.

The time we spend

  with the Almighty

is reflected in our countenance

   and resounds in

   the patterns and practices 

                          of our lives.

And that kind of joy

  is not just about our attitude,

  but realizing His abiding.

It is the song that never ends.)

O LORD,

Please fill us with the joy

  of worshiping You.

Let that joy overflow

into all that we do.

And may we come back

       for free refills.

May the sound of worship

  be heard far away

  and never end.

Believe in yourself doesn't cut it

Say to my soul,

"I am your salvation."

         Psalm 35. 3

(On whom or what

         do we rely?

   "Believe in yourself"

   doesn't cut it

   and never will.

It is not that we need

   to remind God,

but repeatedly remind ourselves

      of who God is.

And it is not us.

Salvation in this verse

encompasses the full depth

     of relationship with God.

He is with us, yes indeed,

  but He also helps,

strengthens,

changes out our hearts,

delivers us from our fears,

seeks our well-being and

  well-doing, even in

  the hardest situations,

and brings His victory

   in a thousand different

              dimensions.

His glory is

  so much bigger

than what we see

             as winning.)

O LORD,

You do far beyond

  what we can ask,

  or think, or imagine,

and indeed,

  far beyond what we

  could ever do.

May Your salvation

  cover this situation

and shine within us

that we would know

  You are God.

You are our help.

You are our strength.

You carry us through

   every moment.

 

By Any and Every Means

 The LORD redeems

 the life of His servants....

               Psalm 34. 22

 

(Yes, what we do

         matters to God.

He does not just notice,

    but God redeems.

In unexpected ways,

  He reveals the full value

  of every faithful endeavor.

By any and every means,

God releases, sets free,

  and fulfills His purposes

  for His saints,

far beyond our lifetimes.

There are no ordinary tasks,

    just extraordinary ones.

And God uses them all.

Does what we do matter?

    Absolutely for all eternity.

We would be amazed to see

   what God does with it.

God redeems.)

 

O LORD,

Help us to serve You

  in whatever we do today.

Empower us to know

that You don't just redeem

   our every action,

but You are constantly

    redeeming our lives.

Past tense, present tense,

       and eternally.

What Does This Make Possible?

 

I sought the LORD,

and He answered me

and delivered me

    from all my fears.

 

          Psalm 34. 4

 

(When we seek the LORD,

He provides another way

    through the scary stuff,

  the miry bogs,

  disappointments,

  and stuff we don’t understand.

God always answers

  in one way or a thousand,

cutting through our fears,

    both real and imagined.

Fear always changes

  what we do

  and how we do it.

Seeking God changes things too.

God may not alter circumstances,

      but transforms how we see them

      and how we respond

   and gives us His strength.

This hard matter

may not be a dilemma at all,

      but God’s deliverance

      in unexpected ways.

 What does this make possible?

     God is unfolding something new.

     And we learn to trust Him more.

We cry, “O God, I can’t do this.”

And He whispers to us,

    “Good.  Because I can.”

What would we do differently

   if there is nothing to be

   afraid of

              in this situation?)

 

O LORD,

Please help us to know

   to seek You first,

and to know that

      You are in this too,

      right here with us.

Use this situation

to align our hearts with Yours.

Help us to realize

   that You are making possible

something we never even imagine.

May we be faithful

    in putting aside our fears

to walk with You instead.

Impossible Situations and Improbable Solutions

 And You divided
the sea before them,
so that they went
through the midst
of the sea
on dry land…..

      Nehemiah 9.11

(We all have Red Seas,
the dilemmas of
impossible situations 
and improbable 
          solutions.
But no matter the situation,
whatever the trouble, 
despite the dead end,
flooded with difficulty, or
absolutely overwhelmed,
God provides 
         (present tense)
a different and unexpected 
             way for us.
God breaks through 
the middle of 
anything we face.
Are we willing to 
hold it up to Him
and walk with Him
      on dry ground?)

O LORD,
You are the God
of breaking through.
Please guide us 
and help us 
to touch bottom,
to swim when necessary,
to walk right in the midst,
even when we cannot yet
see a path to your glory.
How can we get
to the other side of this?
Only with You.
Show us how to walk 
                   with You
on sacred ground.
Even in this.

God Doesn't Just Recycle

Will they revive the stones 

out of the heaps of rubbish,

and burned ones at that?
             

                 Nehemiah 4.2

(God does not just reuse,
recycle, repair, rebuild,
patch with duct tape,
restore what is broken 
and impossible,
but He redeems,
revives the unexpected,
and breathes His life
into it.
Not just back,
but better, stronger,
and different.
What does this
make possible?
God causes 
whatever we face
to flourish 
in unexpected ways.)

Resistance Training

For they all wanted
     to frighten us, 
thinking, “Their hands
will drop from the work, 
and it will not be done.”
But now, O God,
    strengthen my hands. 

Nehemiah 6.9

(Excuses always arise
to not do the work 
God has appointed us,
but always a thousand 
reasons to be faithful.
There is always resistance,
but even more,
His strength to do it.
How do we handle 
the hard stuff?
Do we panic 
or do we interject prayer
into our day,
our conversations,
our complications,
our circumstances?
A friend used to tell me,
Stop, drop and pray.
Right on the spot.
Why are we surprised 
we can’t do this work 
without Him?)

O LORD,
Strengthen our hands
in fulfilling this work
before us,
for Your glory
and in Your name.
Train our heart muscles 
to be faithful to You
and trust You
not just in the outcome,
but every detail 
along the way.
Let even resistance 
serve to strengthen us,
and by Your hand on us
accomplish what appears
impossible.

Redirecting the Journey

...for the good hand

            of his God

was upon him.

For Ezra had set his heart

to study the Law or the LORD,

      and to do it

and to teach

His statutes and rules in Israel.

             Ezra 7. 9-10

(Ezra was just a scribe,

but everything changed

when he set his heart

      on the LORD.

He did not just copy down

    the scriptures.

He directed his life by them.

He aligned his heart 

   and thoughts on the LORD

in whatever and wherever

        God led him,

by studying God's Word,

teaching others,

worshiping Him

      through his work,

and being faithful.

Faithfulness in any form

   changes how we see,

how we respond,

and is evident 

     in a million outcomes

  beyond our lifetimes.)

O LORD,

We pray for Your good hand

   upon us this day.

Reveal to us

  how we can honor You

and respond to You

in all we do and say,

   manifested even in

         our attitudes.

Help us to trust You

and see Your good hand

even in what is hard,

uncomfortable,

inconvenient,

but also in unexpected wonders

   we have not yet recognized.

Thank You for Your Presence.

 

We Are What We Love

 

And this was their reply to us:

  "We are the servants

of the God of heaven and earth..."

             Ezra 5. 11

(Live in such a way

that others are compelled

        to ask why.

Do others see

       any difference in us

by how we respond,

how we treat them

  or even those against us,

what we pursue,

what we read, watch,

on what we spend

   our time, talent, treasure,

and for what we strive?

"We are what we love"

       -- James K. A. Smith)

O LORD,

We are Yours.

May we be known as Yours,

  not just by what we do,

  but who we are,

even when we think

     that no one is looking.

Help us to navigate this day

   in a way that brings

   Your glory to this.

Align our hearts to Yours

  that we may see

  another way through.

Help us to go far beyond

  just being seen

  as "nice people,"

but instead

gracious and faithful to You.

Empower us

     to serve You today

in both the ordinary

            and extraordinary.

There is no difference.

We Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

 

What no eye has seen,

nor ear heard,

nor the heart imagined,

what God has prepared

  for those who love Him.

           1 Corinthians 2.9

            Isaiah 64. 4

(We ain't seen nothing yet.

We cannot imagine

   nor comprehend the depths

and the wonders of

     His steadfast love,

     goodness and mercy,

even far beyond our lifetimes.

We can trust Him,

        forwards and backwards,

present, past and future tense.

Even the stuff we don't understand,

           God redeems.

We can go forth differently

into this day

knowing this promise.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your Word

and Your promises that are

   woven throughout scripture.

We do not navigate

   through this life alone.

You do not just walk with us,

  but You prepare our path

                 before us.

You do not just show up.

     You are already here.

Help us to trust You

   even in what we face today.

All the Way in, All the Way through

 

You have said,

    "Seek My face."

My heart says to You,

"Your face, LORD,

       do I seek."

       Psalm 27. 8

(How do we go

    into this day,

this impossible situation,

what is overwhelming,

a rocky path

       or none at all?

God tells us exactly how.

Turn towards Me.

To seek, to strive after,

to search out by every means

    in worship and prayer,

to live in His Presence,

to realize

   His eyes are already on us.

God says literally,

    Look Me in the eye.

He does not just show up.

He has already gone

                 before us.

He is already with us.)

O LORD,

Your face, LORD,

      do we seek.

Guide us not just

      into this day

      or Your way through,

but abide in Your Presence.

Help us to trust You

     forward and backward.

May we walk differently

  because we seek Your face.

May we be aware

       of Your Presence.

Even in the Scary Stuff

 

Though an army

  encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise

                against me,

yet I will be confident.

          Psalm 27. 3

(Yet,

even in these hard

   and scary situations,

   we are not alone.

We can trust Him

in the midst of the volatile

            and overwhelming,

      even in this.

God is not just with us

      in the blue skies,

but all the way through

  the storms and struggles.

Trusting God is layered

     in the everydays,

in our patterns,

in our first responses,

equipped, trained

   and practiced

when it does not seem to matter.

So that we know Him,

        and know to trust Him,

when it is a split-second

   matter of life and death.

Trust Me in this.

             Even in this.) 

O LORD,

Please walk us through

   these hard places

with Your strength.

Surround us

   in the overwhelming

that we would bring You glory

  in impossible circumstances.

You have strategically

       positioned us

  for Your purposes.

Help us to see this situation

         with Your heart,

to grasp Your vision

and to be Your hands and feet.

Cast out our fear

  and fill us with trust

that we would walk differently

      with You in this.

And With A Happy Heart

 

And the men

  did the work faithfully.

      2 Chronicles 34.12

(Whatever task God has

    placed in our hands,

    whatever within reach,

    before us on this path,

or odd job God has called us 

                  to pursue,

may we work faithfully,

willingly,

and as my son-in-law says,

     "with a happy heart."

I used to tell our girls,

  "It doesn't count

   if you complain about it."

It is not just about accomplishment,

     or effort,

            but our hearts in it.   

We can never know

   how incredibly God will use

 our work,

            our attitude,

     or our faithfulness

              for generations.

There are no menial tasks,

           ordinary days,

    nor insignificant work.

We live in the profound

  and amidst the remarkable.)

O LORD,

How can I serve You faithfully

          in this situation?

How can I be faithful to You

                    in this day?

Thank You for the opportunity

    not just to do stuff in Your name

but to be a faithful witness

          right down to the details.

May our work be

               as worship to You.

No matter the task,

  please bring Your glory to it.

         

Super Glue All Over

 

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or dismayed

before the king of Assyria

and all the horde

   that is with him,

for there are more with us

        than with him.

With him is an arm of flesh,

but with us

    is the LORD our God,

to help us

    and to fight our battles.

          2 Chronicles 32. 7-8

(It is not a matter that we struggle,

    --because we all 

            struggle with something--

         but how we respond to it.

The key part of this verse is

           but with us,

With us is the Almighty 

with Whom we can walk 

differently in what we face.

It is not a matter of

  holding on with both hands,

but letting Him hold tight to us.

In His strength and courage,

   we can see a way through.

The Hebrew word for strength

      emphasizes adhesion

--to tie fast, bind strongly,

           hold and stick fast.

Super glue can withstand

   extreme conditions

because it seeps into material

         and below the surface.

God is stronger still,

       not just a quick fix.

God does not just help us,

        but is with us.

He is our strength.)

O LORD,

You call us to approach our

    struggles and storms

with fresh hearts

       strengthened by You.

Help us to realize

       You are with us in this.

And You are in this.

Use this overwhelming situation

    to draw us closer to You.

Our courage and strength

       are only in You.

You have

  an unbreakable grip on us.

Help us to bind ourselves 

            to You

and face this struggle

            with You.

 

Road Trip

 

Make me to know Your ways,

                 O LORD.

Teach me Your paths.

                Psalm 25. 4

(Even in this thicket

            or miry bog,

following His leading

  on undiscovered trails,

that which are not so obvious,

even bushwhacking

               when necessary.

Not just a path or road through,

  but the manner and matter

  of walking with Him

          on this journey.

A path is engraved

   by frequent use

   and faithful following.

God always takes us

              somewhere,

and that would be

    a deeper relationship with Him.

A path is a course of life,

a mode of action,

     and a way of worship.

And our comings and goings

  will be very different

                 as a result.

And pave the way

          for many others.)

O LORD,

Guide us into this day.

Help us to be willing

   to follow You

in the familiar

         the unfamiliar,

         and the inconvenient,

   but always

   in what brings You glory,

even if it doesn't feel like it.

Teach us Your way

   into it

   and all the way through.

Something Always Happens

 

And Hezekiah and

   all the people rejoiced

because God had

   prepared for the people,

for the thing came

         about suddenly.

          2 Corinthians 29. 36

(God goes before us

     to prepare our way.

He provides, He multiplies,

        He redeems,

    even the hard stuff.

And when we worship,

  something always happens.

We can go forth differently

       into the day.

God shakes things up.

Circumstances may change

                  or not,

   but we approach and

   navigate with a fresh heart.

God enlarges our vision.

God moves powerfully.

God makes visible

         the invisible.

Worship helps us see

    His amazing hand.

And we rejoice.)

O LORD,

Help us to follow You

           into this day.

Help us to worship You

     all the way through.

Make us sensitive

     to Your Presence

to see and respond

                to You,

not just what to do

    but who to be.

You bring about things

  suddenly and powerfully.

May we not miss a thing,

   nor be surprised.

Synchronize our thoughts

   and words and actions

                  with Yours.

Help us to direct this day,

    this dilemma,

    our fear and our hope

                         to You.

Strengthen us

      in our worship.