The Grass Is Greener

 

...He makes the grass grow

        on the hills.

                 Psalm 147. 8

(His power, provision and Presence

   are evident even in what

we take for granted

  and rarely notice.

We are surrounded literally

by intricate details

   and ordinary elements of life

that sustain us

      in unrecognized

      and essential ways

    on the most ordinary days.

We barely acknowledge

  the extraordinary as from Him,

let alone the familiar.)

O LORD,

Open the eyes of our hearts

  to the wonders around us,

even in what we see as lowly

    and unremarkable

    as a blade of grass.

Help us take notice

how Your loving kindness

   and steadfast love are

so incredibly designed

        in Your creation,

strategically fulfilling Your purposes

      and bringing You glory.

Everything matters to You.

            Even us.

It's Pouring

Ask rain from the LORD...

          Zechariah 10. 1

 

(Did I even consider asking

           the LORD

about this situation,

about my need,

about what to do?

Did it even occur to me

       to come to Him?

God shows us how to walk with Him

   even in a drought.

God knows what we need,

   and that would be Him.

Ask for rain, pray to God Almighty,

  and carry a big umbrella.)

O LORD,

You have given us each

   a patch of ground

   on which to be faithful to You.

Nourish us,

nurture us,

help us to grow.

Grant to us the courage

   to ask You

        for what we need.

And the wisdom

   to know it is from You.

We are parched

    because we do not ask.

  

 

No Small Days

Do not despise

   the day of small things,

for the LORD rejoices

to see the work begin...

        Zechariah 4. 10

(There are no small

    or insignificant endeavors,

not any ordinary days.

Let not these moments

    go to waste.

Because God brings

  the extraordinary to it

  and through it.

We have only to be faithful.

We can't do everything,

    but we can do something.

Days of small things

  bear great and eternal significance,

far more than we can imagine,

step by step by step.

What is this one thing

            I can do today?

Be faithful to Him.

Tiny seeds plant

  a forest of sequoias.)

O LORD,

Help us to not ignore

   these ordinary days.

And help us to realize

  that You are glorified

in every good endeavor.

It is in our work

     that we worship You.

May we hear You rejoice

  in all we do today.

  

 

Strength in Our Struggles

 

Not by might,

not by power,

but by My Spirit,

   says the LORD of hosts.

Who are you,

        O great mountain?

Before Zerubbabel

   you shall become a plain.

And He shall bring forward

 the top stone amid shouts of

     "Grace, grace to it!"

            Zechariah 4. 6-7

(When do we come to realize

  it is not within our might

     or power or control,

but through the Spirit

  that will change this situation?

This enormous mountain

          of difficulty,

too steep to scale,

impossible even to comprehend,

requires no ordinary strength

   but the supernatural power of God.

God never intended for us

      to carry this alone.

And over it all,

God always calls out,

   for His grace to cover us.

May His Spirit infiltrate,

   change the landscape,

and strengthen our hearts.

We are overwhelmed.

Sometimes God pointblank

   removes the mountain.

Sometimes He amazingly

   shows us how

      to follow Him through it.

"I am with you.

     Over here. This way!"

When we trust Him,

God provides a way

    where there seems

    to be no way.)

O LORD,

This mountain, this difficulty,

this hard situation

           or relationship

is way beyond what we can

      handle on our own.

Reveal not just Your way

            through this,

but reveal Yourself to us.

We need You.

Please help us

   to be faithful in following You

and know that

      we do not walk alone.

Because I Needed To

 

Here is a call

for the endurance and faith

of the saints.

           Revelation 13. 10

(In training for a marathon,

I often came to the point

asking why I had to do

   a particular hard training run.

Because I needed to.

The strength I required

  could come no other way.

Endurance is built in tiny layers,

over time with intentional endeavors,

another mile in the cold or rain

     or beating sun.

We cannot realize in this moment

how what we are experiencing

will get us through

    the far distant future,

or perhaps even this afternoon.

The situations we are going through

   are neither random or meaningless,

but part of God's training program

   to strengthen us,

to make us firm and faithful,

       walking with Him.

We will all need these unexpected

     and hidden strengths after all

   in the course of our lives.)

O LORD,

You know exactly what we need,

not just for the now

           but for the next,

not just for our own well-being,

   but in strengthening others.

Help us to accept and seize

  the opportunities

  You have placed in our hands

and on our paths

  that we may endure hardship

      with a different heart

to become faithful and strong

                 in You.

Fastening Our Seat Belts and Double-Tying Our Shoes

 

And I lifted my eyes

      and saw,

and behold.....

       Zechariah 2. 1

(Through prayer

 --the lifting of our eyes

from the miry bog

    of our circumstances--

God changes not just

   what we see

but how to navigate and respond

      and follow Him into it.

Prayer is paying attention

    to what God is doing.

Prayer softens our hearts

      and changes our minds

and helps us to realize

         God is God,

    and we are not.

When we lift our eyes to Him,

it is not a matter of

seeing this situation differently,

    but how to respond differently.

What can God do with this?

Prayer is fastening our seatbelts.

   and double-tying our shoes.

God is not just at work

     in this situation.

He is already hard at work

                   in us.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just

    lift up our eyes to You.

Not just to see differently

          in this situation,

    but to behold You.

You don't just show up.

We are the ones

          late to realizing

that You are with us.

May prayer be our

             first response,

   not our last resort.

Let our prayers for others

   not just soften their hearts

   and change their minds,

but let praying change us,

        right to the core.

Not Just A Federal Holiday

 

For unto you

is born this day

  in the city of David,

a Savior,

  who is Christ the Lord.

         Luke 2. 11

For unto us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

and the government

  shall be upon His shoulder,

and His name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

          Prince of Peace.

          Isaiah 9. 6

(Jesus was announced

      to the shepherds

   two thousand years ago

      in a field covered in darkness.

But He was also announced

   800 years prior

   by the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus is proclaimed to us

        by Scripture,

        by His Spirit,

and by lives transformed by Him

       all around us.

Christmas is not just a holiday,

   but a time of radical change.)

O LORD,

Thank You,

   not just that You came,

but You are still Immanuel,

           God with us.

Thank You that through Jesus

   we can know You.

   We are forgiven.

   We are changed.

Nothing can ever

           be the same.

Abide in us.

Even On The Night Shift

 

And in the same region,

there were shepherds

        out in the field,

keeping watch

  over their flock by night.

          Luke 2. 8

(Shepherds in those days

   were the lowest of the low

   on the social ladder.

And these guys

    even had the night shift.

It was dark.  It was cold.

And how in the world

   did their work matter?

God has granted to each of us

     a patch of ground

     in which to be faithful,

  or a flock of sheep or souls

          to care for.

God strategically placed

      these shepherds

                 --and us--

to witness the wonders

     of His Presence

in unexpected and unlikely ways.

And make Him known

      to all the world.

It is dark.  It is cold.

The light show

             is not just coming.

Jesus is here.)

O LORD,

This is Christmas Eve,

when we celebrate

  what is coming,

  and what is here.

You gave us not just a story

  about a cute little baby,

but of the Savior of the world.

You are real.

May our lives and hearts,

our actions

      and conversations

be radically changed

              by You.

Help us to make You known

  no matter where

  You have placed us today.

Fearless in the Wilderness

 

...and the woman fled

        into the wilderness,

where she has a place

  prepared by God

in which she is to be nourished

        for 1260 days.

             Revelation 12. 6

(The wilderness is

    not a barren landscape,

nor scary habitat

        of wild beasts,

devoid of good,

but a place of wonders,

a refuge in which

       to be strengthened,

not a place to fear

    but to be filled.

Never stop exploring

    the dimensions of

    God's steadfast love.

God brings His goodness,

provision, protection,

and Presence

   in impossible situations.

As Henri Nouwen wrote,

"Just trust Me

and let Me be your God.")

O LORD,

When we wonder where we are,

   and what we are doing here,

help us to see deep in the woods

and be awed by the horizon,

   even in unfamiliar places.

Help us not to fear

  but grasp who You are,

to take Your hand

and find You are already

      holding ours.

Strengthen us

        with Your might

in this place

that we may go forth

   changed by Your love

and amazed by You.

You are our God.

Help us to live that way.

   

Strength Training

 

Be strong,

all you people of the land,

      declares the LORD,

Work,

     for I am with you,

declares the LORD of hosts.

...My Spirit

       remains in your midst.

   Fear not.

            Haggai 2. 4-5

(Go into this appointed task,

this work that God has

       placed before us,

knowing that He is with us

             in our midst,

even in what may not

                  make sense

or seems without

    any significance at all.

Be strong in ancient Hebrew

means to take courage

and to be strengthened

             through it,

to fasten oneself upon,

to become stronger,

take hold of it,

restore, rebuild, repair.

We are changed

        by the doing.

Serving the LORD in our work,

whatever it is,

by doing the work faithfully

(and as my son-in-law says,

           with a happy heart),

profoundly shifts

the tectonic plates

             of this broken world.

Becoming stronger

  is always an unexpected side order

          of faithfulness.)

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed

  and sometimes underwhelmed

by the work

    that needs to be done.

Help us to be faithful to You

  and strengthened by You,

knowing that

all work is used by You,

    every good endeavor,

  in ways we cannot yet

  comprehend.

And You are right here

                 with us.

Help us today

    to get to work

and glorify You in it.

God Does Not Just Wait. God Runs.

 

The LORD is good,

a stronghold

  in the day of trouble.

He knows those

  who take refuge in Him.

          Nahum 1. 7

(Even in trouble,

those impossible passages

   that seem so dark,

where there appears

     to be no exit

     or obvious solution,

the LORD is a stronghold

 from whence to go forth.

Furthermore,

 He has a strong hold on us.

     Action verb,

           present tense.

The door of His refuge

    is always open.

His porchlight is on.

Coffee brewing.

He does not just

        wait for us,

     or watch for us,

but God runs to us.

If we never experienced

  the difficult or broken,

or what is way beyond

        our own strength,

would we turn to Him?

Would we trust in Him?

Would we ever know

  His steadfast love?

The LORD is good,

          even in this.)

O LORD,

Help us not just to feel

  but to know

  Your strong hold on us.

Guide us into Your refuge

where we may be

  nourished and strengthened

to go forth,

walking not alone,

          but with You.

No matter where we are,

no matter the situation,

  empower us

  to dwell in Your stronghold.

Because It Matters, Because We Matter

 

The LORD will fulfill

  His purpose for me.

Your steadfast love,

          O LORD,

  endures forever.

      Psalm 137.8

(Even in this hard place,

the fog,

the mundane,

the "what am I doing here?"

   God is working in us

               and through us.

His redeeming is

   seamlessly woven,

the stitches invisible

    and incredibly strong.

This confusing situation,

this difficult work

   we are struggling with,

matters far more

        than we can know.

God completes

    and fulfills it.

Faithfulness

    just keeps doing

   what God has put before us.

Even if no one ever notices,

even reads it, hears it,

tastes it, uses it, sees it,

   or remembers it,

God's kingdom has been

     changed by it.

And so have we.

God knows exactly

  what we have been up to.

And He pours

  His goodness all over it.)

O LORD,

What has been made possible

   by our faithfulness

   in this never-ending task,

   this thankless job,

   this struggle,

even by a work well done?

You know, Almighty One.

You see it in light of eternity.

Help us this very day

  to do all things with

             excellence,

  as much as we are able.

Because You rejoice in it.

And that is always enough.

Dance In Impossible Places

 

Though the fig tree

     should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the

             olive fail,

and fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off

          from the fold,

and there be no herd

        in the stalls,

yet

    I will rejoice in the LORD.

I will take joy in the

   God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord,

       is my strength.

He makes my feet

          like the deer's.

He makes me treat

   on my high places.

          Habakkuk 3. 17-19

(Trust Me even in this,

   the barren and failing,

   the scary cliffs,

and when we cannot breathe.

God is already redeeming.

The Hebrew word tread

   literally means

       to dance upon.

God is sovereign

  and His steadfast love

is far beyond our comprehension.

We cannot just see

  the depth and breadth,

not just of what He has done,

          or is doing,

but Who He is,

     the Almighty.)

O LORD,

Please strengthen us

when our faith is small,

when the slope is steep,

when the cliffs loom,

when it is

       the darkest night.

Help us to

     trust You in this.

You have given us

   the word yet.

May we know and trust

  something astonishing 

         is about to happen.

And as the angels say,

      "Do not fear."

We bind ourselves to You.

Holy Is Not An Adjective

 

...and day and night

they never ceased to say,

"Holy, Holy, Holy,

is the Lord God Almighty,

who was,

and is,

   and is to come."

       Revelation 4. 8

(God doesn't need our praises

          to be God.

but in worshiping Him,

           God changes us.

We realize, comprehend,

      and acknowledge

    the Lord God Almighty,

past, present and future tense.

Holy is not an adjective,

describing what God is like,

   but a noun about who He is.

               God is holy.

Worship changes our hearts,

     our vocabulary,

     our way of living,

     how we work,

     how we treat others,

     and how we see God.

What if day and night

  we never cease

           to repeat out loud,

   not just these words,

   but the reality of them

      in a continual loop.

And what if others 

              overhear us?)

O LORD,

Great power is released

   when we praise You.

You alter our very being,

   softening our hearts,

   changing our minds,

       even our attitudes.

You are holy, O God.

And Your grace covers us.

May we repeat these words

     throughout the day

  and when we awake at night,

that we may know

       and stand in awe.

You are the Almighty One.

There is no other.

Please help others to hear

   and see through us

   that You are real

and You are holy.

Going Way Past The Ceiling

 

...golden bowls of incense,

which are the

    prayers of the saints.

         Revelation 5. 8

(When you think that your prayers

     don't go past the ceiling,

remember this verse.

Our prayers are so precious         

             to God,

He treasures each word.

He keeps out prayers

     in sacred beautiful bowls

     before Himself.

God continues to respond,

often in unexpected, unnoticed,

       and timeless ways.

His response gets

         all over everything,

and He never answers

     in singular outcomes.

Our prayers are all

         somehow connected.

Through prayer,

God may or may not

      change the situation at hand,

but He always changes us

            in the praying.

Incense was an act of worship

    --as are our prayers--

coming before His Presence.

And the aroma of prayer

              lingers far into

      our deepest nights.)

O LORD,

Help us to never discount

  Your power manifested

  in our prayers.

Thank You that

    we can come before You

with our joys and sorrows,

with the good news

   and what we cannot understand.

Help us to not just seek

          Your hand,

but Your Presence

             face to face.

May we too treasure

    our times in being with You,

not checking off "answered prayers,"

but abiding with You.

Because That Is Why I Put You There

 

But let justice roll down

           like waters,

and righteousness

 like an every-flowing stream.

            Amos 5. 24

(We cry out,

"O Lord, do something about

    this injustice and brokenness!"

And God replies,

  "That's why I put you there."

Changing the culture

  wherever God places us,

free-flowing, widely extended,

an unexpected cascade

    of love and grace

            in a weary land.

Justice is about

     treating others fairly,

protecting the weak,

standing faithfully

     in keeping our word,

respecting and

   seeking the welfare

   of those around us.

Righteousness is plain ol'

   doing what is right

   in the eyes of God,

living selflessly

      in how we relate to others

...whether we like them

   or they like us

                 is not the issue.

But love in tangible waves.)

O LORD,

Make us aware this day

of what is just and right

and the faithful thing to do.

Grant to us the courage

    to stand in the gaps

and bring Your glory here.

May we bring honor to You

  and blessing to others,

a stream of Your living water.

May other see

   something different in us.

And that would be You.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Shooing Those Locusts Away

 

I will restore to you

the years that

the swarming locust has eaten.

...You shall know that

    I am the LORD your God

and there is no one else.

           Joel 2. 25, 27

(We can dwell in despair

    and devastation,

or consider what

    this makes possible.

Bottom line:  God redeems.

God works through

  and weaves His redeeming

  even in the really hard stuff.

There is not just hope

  but incredible wonders

  that are emerging,

even in ways we cannot

     yet see or imagine.

How can His goodness

           come from this?

Trust Me in that too.)

O LORD,

You do not just bring us through

        the impossible stuff.

You strengthen us

   for Your next appointment.

You are already restoring.

Help us to follow You

  into the next needful step

and be faithful to You

even in the disorder

and brokenness

and shattered pieces.

Because You do not

        leave us there.

You are doing a work

    in this time and place

      --and in our hearts--

we wouldn't believe,

                 if told.

The locusts in our lives

     do not prevail.

But You do.

And in that truth,

we can stake our lives.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

God Is Not Silent

 

This is what

the Lord GOD showed me.....

     Amos 7. 1, 4, 7, 8.1

(God never stops

      revealing Himself

through His Word,

in prayer,

in worship and work,

through His Creation,

in our faithfulness,

in responding to Him,

through both the ordinary

         and extraordinary,

natural and supernatural,

familiar and mysterious,

in what we can grasp,

and in what is far beyond

     our comprehension.

God is not silent.

He is intimately and

  intricately engaged

  and involved in our lives.

Are we listening?

God's Word is the gateway

  to everything else.)

O LORD,

May we seek You

in all that we do and say

   and see and think today.

Open our eyes and hearts

   to Your leading

          and revealing.

Help us to not just

    look for Your hand,

    but seek Your Face.

Empower us to show up

   and be aware

   of Your Presence here.

Even in this.

I Am Just A _________

 

The words of Amos,

who was among

  the shepherds of Tekoa...

            Amos 1. 1

(A shepherd in that time

     was not known for fame

            or social status,

     but for faithfulness.

Shepherds appear

       throughout scripture,

because God always uses

   the unlikely in mighty ways.

Shepherds were at the bottom

         of the social order,

and yet,

God used them in profound

    and strategic ways.

Everyone matters

            in God's kingdom.

God grants to each of us

  divine appointments,

a patch of ground,

  a tribe of people,

a flock of sheep,

  and work in which to be faithful

and worship Him through it.

God does not intend for us

  to see ourselves as

  "I am just a ________."

He has strategically positioned,

trained and prepared us

    for His glory

even in the unexpected.

Amos had no idea that

the words he was writing down

would be treasured and read

    2760 years in the future.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful

in whatever You place before us

             in this day

and wherever we are,

no matter the task,

      or bleating flock of sheep.

Soften our hearts

    and change our minds

about the task to be done.

Grant us the courage

   to follow You today

even in what is not

          in our wheelhouse.

All glory to You alone.

What God Makes Possible

 

Do not fear

what you are

     about to suffer.

...Be faithful unto death,

and I will give you

      the crown of life.

      Revelation 2. 10

(Not just "hang in there,"

but be faithful to God in it,

knowing He is working

powerfully in us

       and through us.

Just because something

 is hard and really difficult

          or painful,

does not mean that

  God is not in it,

nor that we made a wrong turn.

The profound is

largely beyond our vision.

But God does not leave us

          in our struggles,

but walks us through

     to the other side.

Trust Me in this.)

O LORD,

Please help us to endure

    these hard experiences.

Draw us closer to You.

Grant to us Your strength

and courage and patience

not just for ourselves,

but to share generously

   with those around us.

Empower us to see this

   with different eyes

   and a renewed heart

in order to comprehend

what this adversity

         makes possible.

Help us to go differently

     into this day,

because we walk with You.

Fear just ties our

     shoelaces together

and worry shuts out

   all available light.

How To Carry That Backpack

 

But the LORD is

a refuge to His people,

a stronghold

   to the people of Israel.

               Joel 3. 16

(When we hiked in the

wild mountains of Italy,

we found places of nourishing

   called refugios,

huts and roughsawn lodges

        where to rest

    before we carried on.

A refuge in scripture

is also a place

     of strengthening

  from which to go forth.

But God does not just

           nurture us

   and send us on our way.

He goes with us and carries

   what is too heavy for us.

Let Me have that.

Direct it to Me.

This is how to carry 

   that backpack of cares.

Anxiety is just trying

          to go it alone.)

O LORD,

You do not just give us a trail.

You give us Your Presence.

Walk with us

  on this rocky path,

     steep and scary.

Hold our hand.

Provide for us today

a refuge of some kind,

the assurance of

            Your Presence,

not just snacks for the journey,

but strength for today

 and bright hope for tomorrow.

Little Patch of Ground

 

Sow for yourselves righteousness,

     reap steadfast love,

break up your fallow ground,

     for it is time

           to seek the LORD,

that He may come and

  rain righteousness

  upon you.

           Hosea 11. 12

(Righteousness means

what is good and right,

just, kind, merciful,

and for the welfare of others.

Scatter those seeds,

plant them,

sow them wherever we are

and on whatever

    patch of ground

God has given us

          to be faithful.

We reap in accordance

   with our kindness.

Fallow ground

   is not a wasteland,

but what has yet

         to be tilled

and yet to produce fruit.

Cultivate those impossible

    and barren places.

Seek God in this place

and watch

     the seedlings sprout.)

O LORD,

Help us to see

    our little patch of ground

with Your eyes,

not as what is unfruitful

but what is yet to be.

Empower us to be faithful

   in all that we do today,

even in what

   is not yet flourishing.

It is never just dirt.

A Little Bit More... Or A Lot

Let us know,

let us press on

   to know the LORD.

His going out is

   sure as the dawn.

He will come to us

   as the spring rains

that water the earth.

          Hosea 6. 3

(No casual glance

      at Scripture

or seeing if going to church

    fits in our schedule.

To know means

to perceive, be aware of,

consider, acknowledge,

recognize, experience personally,

become acquainted with,

by name and face to face,

not just to believe

     but to know.

Press on is an action verb

to pursue, to run after,

aim eagerly to secure,

to follow with

   a desire of one's heart,

an intentional effort,

a daily seeking to know Him

  and realize He is God.)

O LORD,

Keep us from complacency

and fill us with desire

   to know You more.

Open our hearts and eyes

  to pursue and press on

in every circumstance

to know You a little bit more

     .....or a lot.

A Forest of Sequoias

 

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home

      with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

              Psalm 126. 6

(Even in the hard stuff,

sorrow, suffering,

difficulties, rocky soil,

drought,

   or a really barren place

--what am I doing here?--

bear the seed for sowing.

Not just take it with us

in case of opportunity,

but sowing the seed,

planting, nurturing,

preparing the soil

                and soul.

God is doing something

   unbelievable with it.

We plant a seed.

And God produces a

       forest of sequoias

that far outlive us.)

O LORD,

You have provided each of us

     seed for sowing

wherever we are,

in whatever situation we are in,

among whomever.

Help us to be aware of it.

Show us not just where

        to plant,

    but how to sow.

And know

   that You bring the growth.

Don't Miss the View

 

As the mountains

   surround Jerusalem,

so the LORD surrounds

              His people,

from this time forth

and forevermore.

           Psalm 125.2

(From every side and 

    every present moment,

roundabout and doubled,

wherever we are or look,

in whatever valley or bog

      or dark place,

God surrounds us

            with His love.

We delight on the easy paths,

but it is on the hardest ascents,

the rocky trails, the perilous,

that we realize His Presence

                 even more.

We are surrounded,

  and can go forth differently

into this day,

  wrapped in His strength

  and trusting fully in His love.

Look up. Don't miss the view.

Don't miss Him.)

O LORD,

You go with us into this day.

          And forevermore.

You do not just show up

   or meet us there.

You are with us continually.

Help us to walk with You

   up the mountains

and through the valleys,

knowing Your goodness

   surrounds us,

even in the hard places

  we don't understand yet.

You give us strength for today

and bright hope for tomorrow.

Great is Your faithfulness.

Help Wanted

 

Our help is in

   the name of the LORD,

who made heaven

           and earth.

        Psalm 124. 8

(It doesn't get

  any better than that.

I once repeated this verse

           over and over again

  in the really hard miles

  of a very cold marathon.

God didn't take away

                the pain

   or make the miles shorter,

but He led me through it

to a new place in my heart.

Speaking His truth out loud

  liberated my heart

to see things differently,

trust Him in it,

and pray through it,

not seeking an exit door

   nor a self-defined answer,

but seeking Him.)

O LORD,

In our time of need

at the sound of our cry,

You do not show up.

You are already here.

Help us to realize that.

You are Creator

      of the universe.

And while this situation,

    overwhelming to us,

it is not too hard for You.

Open our eyes

        and our hearts

to Your Presence

   in our time of need.

Steep and Scary Places

 

To You

I lift up my eyes,

O You who are

enthroned in the heavens.

          Psalm 123. 1

(This verse is again

one of the

    psalms of ascent

that the pilgrims sang

as they walked through

the steep and scary

        and weary places.

They sang to remind themselves

  to lift up their eyes

  from the rocky trail

and look to God.

It is never a matter of

  ignoring the situation

or trying to get out of

  hard circumstances,

but responding by

         looking to God

   Who can help us.

We are not in this alone,

but far too often,

   we live that way.

But God gives us

not necessarily an exit door

        nor an easier route,

but His strength and wisdom

     and a new heart

     to walk through it.)

O LORD,

This hard trail seems

  to go on forever.

Help us to turn to You

  for Your strength

  and energy

  and even joy in this.

Empower us to know

that there is something

   far deeper going on.

Form in us, O God,

  Your strength,

not just to carry on,

but to bless You in this

and bless others

       along the way.

You are our help.

You are our God.

You walk with us.

 May we walk with You.

Seen Too Much

 

...but the people  

     who know their God

shall stand firm

      and take action.

          Daniel 11. 32

(We can approach

     and navigate circumstances

     differently

  because we are believers.

Indeed, that should be expected.

In the really hard stuff,

the confusing,

the disappointing,

or even unforeseen victories,

we have seen too much

   to question God in this.

We can trust Him

and respond to His leading.

Do we trust Him

     one more step?

When we come to God,

   seeking Him,

 not just for an answer

   nor for a set of instructions,

God reveals Himself

   in unexpected ways.

We are not stuck.

God gives us His strength

         to stand firm

    and do something,

because He is

          right here with us.

Just as He has been before.)

O LORD,

We have seen Your hand

in so many ways in our lives.

Looking backward,

   Your Presence is revealed.

And looking into the now

     --this very day,

     this overwhelming storm--

  we can stand firm,

tie ourselves to Your mast,

and know that

   You are holding us tight.

We have seen too much

  to question You in this.

And again, we will strive.

     We will survive.

 And in Your steadfast love,

        we will thrive.

 

 

Can't Afford Not To

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does

        my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

                Psalm 121. 1-2

(May we lift up our eyes

    from these overpowering

    circumstances.

And watch for Him. 

He is not about

   to abandon us now.

May we answer the question:

On who or what

  are we looking for help?

On God

  we can stake our very lives.

He is already at work.

God never intended for us

   to do life without Him.

God does not just "show up."

He is already here,

       waiting on us.

It is not a matter of

  what difference does it

  make if we walk with Him

            through this.

We can't afford not to.)

O LORD,

We come before You,

asking for Your help.

We admit

    that we need You.

Guide us in Your way

    through this dilemma.

Help us to look to You

  not just for answers,

but to abide with You

   and know You more.

Speak to us today,

        Almighty One.

Grant to us the strength

      to respond.

Our help

    comes from You.

May our trust in You

 be a witness to others

    that You are God. 

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That Takes Our Breath Away

 

In my distress

I called to the LORD,

and He answered me.

          Psalm 120. 1

(These are the first words

  of the songs of ascent

      (Psalms 120-134),

the lyrics through the ages

  repeated over and over

for the hard uphills in life,

physically, emotionally,

spiritually, and relationally.

Distress is nothing modern,

   nor calling out to God.

We need God.

Sometimes it takes

  circumstances

         beyond our control

  for us to realize that.

He is our strength,

      our comfort,

      our encouragement

   on this long ascent.

God answers

      in unexpected ways

and in His perfect timing,

which is never restricted

     to this present moment

but across generations

         and all eternity.)

O LORD,

We call out to You.

Our strength is waning.

This mountain is too much.

But You cover us

   with Your Presence,

even in this hard situation.

You take our hand.

   We are not alone in this.

Your Word gives us hope.

And someday a view

  that takes our breath away.

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Lose Count

 

Seven times a day

     I praise You.....

     Psalm 119. 164

(What do we do 

     seven times a day?

Complain? Criticize?

Cast judgement on others?

Justify our actions?

Or praise ourselves?

Seven was considered

   a number of completion

   in the ancient world.

How differently would we

      see God

  or view our circumstances

if we praised God

          seven times a day?

Circumstances

          --or that other person--

 may or may not change,

    but we do.

Lose count.

How much praise is enough?

Just a little bit more.)

O LORD,

May we lose track

   of our praising,

not just for

   favorable circumstances,

but praising You.

You are doing far more

    than we can grasp.

You are far greater

   than we can imagine.

Please guide us

  through praising You

to a new way of seeing,

to a different passage,

to fresh eyes

    and a transformed heart.

Praising You

  gets all over everything.