Choosing The High Road

 

It may be that the LORD

will look on the wrong

           done to me,

and that the LORD

  will repay me with good

for this cursing today.

          2 Samuel 16. 12

(We have the strength,

courage, and grace

to respond differently

to hurtful situations

when we trust God through it.

Anger only digs

     the barbs deeper.

What if we see instead

 this difficulty, pain, wound 

or even irritation as building

      Christlikeness in us?

We are not impervious to hurt,

but are able to respond differently.

God redeems for eternity

the most unusual, unlikely

and unexpected for our good

          and for His glory.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

Your interventions

      draw us closer to You.

Grant to us a shield of grace

to bring Your peace

           and Your name here.

Empower us

   to respond differently

by choosing the high road

    for Your honor

and the well-being of many,

   extending an olive branch

   for Your goodness sake.

Waste Some Time With God

 

If Your Word had not

    been my delight,

I would have perished

     in my affliction.

         Psalm 119. 92

(God's Word is not just

     our daily bread

     to get us through the day.

But it is our life preserver

  to keep our heads

        above the waves

when we cannot

          touch bottom.

And we have all been there

  at one time or a million

when we are treading

  in tumultuous storms

   or overwhelming floods.

His voice whispers to us

    through all those verses

we have read with our eyes

 and engraved on our hearts.

God's Word strengthens us

         ahead of time

in ways we never see coming,

to train, equip, and infiltrate

     in both now and next.

Waste some time with God

           in His Word daily.

It matters. It matters a lot.

It may very well

          save our lives.)

O LORD,

Lift us up through Your Word

  in this storm we are facing.

Draw us close to You

and keep our heads

      above the waves.

May the power

         of Your Presence

surround us

in impossible situations.

And to know

    that You are here.

You have given us

       Your Word on that.

Multiply the time

    we spend with You.

God Does Not Just Show Up

 

Peace I leave with you.

My peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives

     do I give to you.

Let not your hearts

        be troubled,

neither let them be afraid.

             John 14. 27

(Peace from God does not

mean an absence of conflict,

but the promise of His Presence

       right in the thick of things.

That kind of peace

does not depend on 

shifting circumstances,

but learning to trust God.

God does not just show up.

He shows us a new way through.)

O LORD,

We live in a broken world

   with pain and suffering.

We need Your peace

   to sustain us

   in this really hard stuff.

Sing over us

   Your steadfast love.

Cover us with Your mercy

  in unexpected ways.

May we be strengthened

     by Your abiding.

Your aroma lingers.

Your Presence evident.

Divine Appointments and Sacred Encounters

 

And he went into

the house of the LORD

and worshiped.

        2 Samuel 12. 20

(Avodah is the Hebrew word

that simultaneously means

work, worship and service.

Worship does not just

  change us at the

  beginning of the day

              or at the end,

but seamlessly woven

   in how we face the day,

   in how we approach

                 our work,

   in how we respond

         to God in it.

It is not just what we do,

but what God is doing

        in us.)

O LORD,

Grant to us new hearts

   to go forth differently

   into this day,

into these divine appointments,

into our encounters,

    work, and relationships.

Because it is all sacred.

As we work today,

help us to be faithful to You

   in all we do and say.

May we worship You

  even in our attitudes

and how we respond.

There are no interruptions,

  but opportunities

  to leave Your name there.

Bringing It To, Bringing Us Through

 

Then King David went in

and sat before the LORD...

       2 Samuel 7. 18

(The secret of David's strength

   is no secret at all.

Coming before the LORD

  was not just a practice,

  but a pattern

that engraved his life.

What do we miss

   or struggle with

because we don't sit a spell

     with the LORD about it?

Perhaps we don't hear

                  from God

because we don't give Him

     a chance to speak.

Not just to think about a problem

  or figure out a solution,

but abiding with God in it,

       about it,

       and through it.

God does not show up.

God shows us.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

that the most important part

      of this day

is time savoring

            Your Presence.

Empower us to sit with You,

      listen,

be changed by You,

      and go forth.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Grant to us

     a new strength

to honor You

in whatever we do today.

Help! I've Fallen and Can't Get Up

 

I was pushed hard,

so that I was falling,

but the LORD

       helped me.

        Psalm 118. 13

(We live in a broken world.

God does not promise

    that we will not fall,

  but that He is with us.

He reaches out His hand

     to lift us back up

     on our feet.

This hard situation

was not meant

      to tear us down

          or define us,

but to realize His strength,

our own fragility,

and form something

    Christlike in us.

God never meant for us

    to do this life without Him.)

O LORD,

Thank You that when

     we trip and fall

     and fail

     and get hurt,

You are there

         to build us up.

Help us to keep our eyes

           on You,

not derailed by distractions,

    success, failures,

      potholes or sheer cliffs,

  but seeking You in this.

You help us up.

You help us through

  to a different place

  in You.

Inconvenient, Awkward and Filled with His Power

 

He laid aside

   His outer garments,

and taking a towel,

tied it around His waist.

Then He poured water

    into a basin

and began to wash

the disciples' feet and

wipe them with the towel

that was wrapped

            around Him.

           John 13. 4-5

(Seeking and grasping

 every opportunity to serve

God by serving others,

every effort and endeavor

   significant for His glory.

Even that which is

   inconvenient, uncomfortable

   and not what

       we might choose.

What lingers is

   the aroma of Christ

 and a strong witness

  of healing

   in this broken world.

Selflessness always

            does that.

What do we need

  to lay aside to do this?

Most often,

           our pride.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just

bring along

  a towel and basin

but an attentive heart

  that goes along

  with them.

Use us for Your glory,

not thinking less of ourselves,

but thinking less

        about ourselves

and more about You.

Even THIS Situation

 

 

After this

David inquired of the LORD,

"Shall I go up into

    any of the cities of Judah?"

And the LORD said to him,

          "Go up."

David said,

"To which shall I go up?"

And He said,

           "To Hebron."

           2 Samuel 2. 1

(There is nothing too small

    or monumental to pray about.

Have I considered

    asking the LORD about

    this situation before me?

How to approach, think about,

   navigate and respond?

Praying is not putting something

          into God's hands.

It is realizing it is

      already in His hands,

and how we need to

     follow Him into it.

God aligns our hearts.

He does not hand out a map

       but guides us through.

God releases our myopic thoughts

    and enlarges our vision

to see past the improbable

    possible, obvious or hidden,

perhaps to what

    He has already placed there.)

O LORD,

We don't know what to do,

nor even what to think,

but we can come before You

      even in this situation.

We get into panic

  when we need to

            get into prayer.

Way too often what trips us up

   is not talking to You

         or listening.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Enlarge our vision.

And reveal Your glory.

Grant us the courage

    to follow You

and You alone.

Right in the Middle of the Story

 

But when Jesus heard it

He said,

"This illness does not

        lead to death.

It is for the glory of God,

so that

the Son of God

may be glorified through it."

              John 11. 4

(Substitute the word illness

with that difficult situation

      we are facing now,

that hard relationship,

those potholes that

   threaten to swallow us,

that failure,

   or utter disappointment.

God is already redeeming

      for His glory.

It is not the end of the story.

What if it is not meant to

tear us down,

but form Christlikeness

     in yet another layer?

God uses this hard thing,

even if we never see

   how His glory breaks in

or our story in it unfolds.)

O LORD,

Help us to trust You in this

and know that

Your steadfast love

      holds us tight.

and has

    no expiration date.

Grant us Your strength

    not just to endure,

but to be a witness

    in unexpected places.

Be A Rebel

 

...but my hand shall not 

          be against you.

          1 Samuel 24. 12

(Forgiveness does not just

radically change

    the intentions of our hearts,

but it releases us

     to what is new

   and incomprehensible.

Forgiveness seeks

       the wellbeing of others

       instead of revenge,

healing instead of hurt,

kindness instead of criticism,

grace instead of resentment.

Can't do it!  True.

Forgiveness is impossible,

if not for

         Christ in us.)

O LORD,

We come before you

with wounds

bleeding out for a long time.

But You provide

   not just band-aids,

   but the healing balm

that You paid for

         with Your life.

Help us to see

that forgiveness is

   rebellion

   against the brokenness

        of this world.

Renewing.

Redeeming.

Bringing Your light

  to our dark places.

Not by our efforts,

  but by Your grace.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Because God Is In It

 

And David had success

in all his undertakings,

for the LORD

     was with him.

       1 Samuel 18. 14

(Not just that the LORD

       was with him,

but David was

       with the LORD.

Undertakings are not limited

   to our work or pursuits,

but integrated in our direction,

habits, manner of life,

ways, and the

     trajectory of our lives.

All of which are changed radically

  when we listen and

  respond to God.

God's Presence changes

not necessarily

      our circumstances,

but the journey through.

It is not a matter

    of winning or losing.

That is not the point,

   but God completing His work,

quite often unexpectedly

   and in multiple dimensions.

The word success in Hebrew 

means prospering 

        because God is in it.

And we in Him.

What is God forming in us

    through this?

Drawing us closer still.)

O LORD,

Help us to follow You

    into this day

with all of Your wonders.

Strengthen us

   that we would walk with You

and not be distracted

     by shiny empty objects.

May all of our undertakings

    and endeavors today

be blessed by You

  for Your glory

and the wellbeing of others.

Help us to go forth

   with Your name inscribed

   all over it.

Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

 

And David said,

"The LORD

who delivered me

from the paw of the lion

and from the paw of the bear

will deliver me from 

the hand of this Philistine."

              1 Samuel 17. 37

(This was not David's

         first rodeo.

God did not just bring him

   through the impossible,

but strengthened him

      through the experience.

It was not that David

    was stronger than he thought,

but realized God is mightier 

than he could ever imagine.

The lion and bear were

   only training exercises

in learning to rely on God.

He ain't seen nothin' yet.

      Nor have we.)

O LORD,

May we not just remember,

but engrave on our hearts,

  thoughts and attitudes,

what You have already

   brought us through.

You are still with us.

We are mindful

         of Your strength

   and Presence

in our struggles

    and our joys.

You give us yet a new story

  of Your faithfulness.

No matter what unfolds,

may You above all

   be glorified in it.

The Fine Art of Paying Attention

Praise the LORD!

I will give thanks to the LORD

with my whole heart,

in the company of the

  upright in the congregation.

             Psalm 111.1

(Not a single meek voice,

but a resounding chorus

      of praise to God,

both heard

   and seen in our lives.

In those days,

each member participated

in giving thanks and praise,

and telling their stories

of who God is

    and what He has done.

Praise is not ignoring

   our struggles

or pretending we have

                    no needs,

but paying attention

   to what God is doing

   in our midst,

acknowledging Him,

       and knowing that

  the practice of praising God

        changes us.)

O LORD,

We are not just grateful,

but we are

      grateful to You.

May we contemplate

      Your goodness to us

and also make You known.

We give You thanks

     for our lives and days,

not merely believing in You,

     but knowing You are good,

even in what

       we don't understand.

Maybe especially in what

        we don't understand.

Let our praise to You

  change us all the way through.

 

God Presses Reset On The Impossible

 

...and I will show you

   what you shall do.

           1 Samuel 16. 3

(Going into the day,

 going into the fray,

     first thing, pray.

God does not just

             show up.

He shows us.

Tie on our shoes,

   pack a lunch,

   and follow Me.

This way.

           Let's go.

We cannot do everything.

But God shows us

           that one thing,

   and then the next.

God pushes reset

           on the impossible.

How to handle this dilemma?

    With His heart in it.

The biggest question

    is whether we respond.)

O LORD,

You have already gone

          before us.

We are the ones

   who need to show up.

We have only to be faithful

   in following You into it.

What is unknown to us

    is not unknown to You.

May we be filled with

     the strength and wisdom

     that comes from trusting You.

But Always By Him

 

It may be that the LORD

will work for us,

for nothing can

   hinder the LORD

from saving by many

        or by few.

          1 Samuel 14. 6

(Praying always prevails

        over the odds.

What if we pray?

      What if we don't?

When we seek Him

   --and not just

     a plastic-wrapped answer--

God brings us through

an unseen way,

   a hidden passage,

through the familiar

    or the impossible.

God empowers us to see

this situation differently

      even in unlikely places.

By many or by few,

   but always by Him.)

O LORD,

Forgive us for not

       coming sooner

before our fears and burdens

  super-sized into 

        what is overwhelming.

You overcome

       what overwhelms us.

You may or may not swoop down

         to deliver us from,

but You deliver us through

           by Your strength

    and for Your purposes.

This struggle may not be

           about ourselves,

but for the salvation of others.

Nothing can hinder

            Your ways in this.

Help us to trust You in it

   for well-being

  and for Your glory.

By Divine Appointment

 

Has not the LORD

anointed you to be _____?

         1 Samuel 10. 1

(God has designated

each of us for a

       mission impossible.

And He just about always

   chooses the most

   unlikely people to do it.

Because for us

    trusting God is not an option.

We have all been divinely

   anointed and appointed

to do the work

     He has set before us

and to be a witness there.

God prepares and equips us

  through time and experience

         for His service and glory,

being equipped even when

  we don't know what

  we are training for.

Even in the ordinary,

we are made ready,

   formed, and guided.

God causes us to grow

   in a particular direction

 through a connected

    series of wonders.)

O LORD,

Help us to be faithful

not just in the doing,

   but in being faithful.

Grant us Your strength

  in these appointments

and sacred encounters

   to fulfill Your purposes

and grow ever closer

                     to You.

We are always and forever

   specially appointed

   by You.

How To Train Your Dragon

 

Rule in the midst of your foes.

             Psalm 110. 2

(We all have fire-breathing dragons,

fearful mythical creatures

        both real and imagined,

fierce and overbearing people

  or situations in our lives

that threaten to take us down.

But we need not shudder

                 before them.

How do we train these dragons?

What do we do with them?

Live differently among them.

Love radically.

Take them by surprise.

Be a witness there.

Give grace the space

         to enter in.)

O LORD,

Help us not to cower in fear,

   but stand with Your courage

             and a fresh heart.

Turn on Your light

   to melt away the shadows.

Empower us to faithfully stand

    even in our scary places.

Because You are with us.

                          Always.

We walk among dragons

      to bring Your name here.

And that changes everything,

     both them and us.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

God's Higher Mathematics

 

With God

we shall do valiantly.

It is He who will

   tread down our foes.

           Psalm 108. 13

(This was not

    David's first rodeo,

nor his first desperation.

He knew he could not

       go it alone

in whatever the fear,

both real and imagined.

With God

    completely changes

    the equation.

Valiantly in the Hebrew

   does not mean

   an instant effortless win,

but acting with strength

     as with an army.

We are not alone.

And with God

      in any capacity,

surprising things happen.)

O LORD,

We rely on You,

          Almighty One.

Not in our control.

Not in our skill set.

But with all our strength

   coming from You,

all our strength

    abiding in You.

O God,

we ask You to enter in

           this situation.

And You reply,

      "Already here."

Help us to be aware of You.

The variables may remain

                 the same,

but You change the equation.

It is not about an answer

        or solution

        or victory in our eyes,

but all about Your glory.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

A Much Larger 24 Hours

 

And Samuel prayed

     to the LORD.

       1 Samuel 8. 6

(Enough said.

That sentence alone

tells us everything

         about Samuel.

Praying is not all

     we need to do,

but how the LORD

guides us in what to do.

First things first,

and that would be

         to pray.

Have I even considered

what the LORD has to say

     about this situation?

He shows us His way through.

He reveals His heart in this.

Not just what to do,

    but how to be His in it.

God orchestrates our days

   --even the so-called

             ordinary ones--

     for His glory.

When we pray,

   we become aware

   and responsive to Him,

instead of just reacting

      to circumstances.

And our praying

   leaves a witness there.)

O LORD,

As we walk into this day,

  may we choose

  to walk with You in it.

Soften our hearts

    and change our minds

Talk us into what to do

  and how to honor You

  in the ordinary

            or unexpected.

You reveal Yourself

         every day to us.

Open our eyes

   and enlarge our prayers

that we would see

  not only Your wonders

but how we can serve You.

Unexpected Courage In Unlikely Places

 

The Phinehas stood up

       and intervened,

and the plague was stayed.

              Psalm 106. 30

(Phinehas knew it was

 time to pray, to intercede,

to do something

     about the turmoil

     or the brokenness,

to bring peace as best

     as he was able.

Prayer is not

   an optional activity,

nor an excuse not to act,

but the most vital element

       in our response.

Prayer makes us aware,

not just to a solution,

but to the Presence

           of the Almighty.

The most profound thing

   we can do is pray.

When Phinehas prayed,

God gave him

    the courage to stand.)

O LORD,

You are our strength

           and shield.

You grant us

     the courage to stand,

no matter the situation

         in front of us.

You grant us

      the wisdom 

not just to know

   what to do

but even how to

       pray about it.

Be Thou our vision.

But One Thing We Can Know

 

But He said to them,

"It is I.

 Do not be afraid."

         John 6. 20

(We are not in this alone.

Nor is it something random,

      or a wrong turn,

      or a dead end.

How would we approach this

    differently if we knew

    God is in this?

God does not work in

     mysterious ways,

but in steadfast love

          and goodness,

even when we don't understand.

But one thing we can know:

   Trust Me in this.)

O LORD,

We tread in the familiar

    and the unknown.

Help us to not just know

    You are with us,

but that You are bringing

    Your glory

    and deep purposes

to what we only see

    as circumstances.

We do not know

       what to do,

but we can turn our eyes

        upon You.

This may be the ride of our lives

  or what looks like

  any ordinary day,

but You are still with us.

And that makes

     all the difference.

Not Lost In Translation

 

For those who honor Me,

I will honor.

            1 Samuel 2. 30

(This is not a conditional

if/then statement,

       but a lingering promise.

When we honor God,

   something always happens.

As we go into this day,

whether in achievement or defeat,

whether blue skies or storms,

may we carry His name here,

invite the weighty imprint

    of His Presence,

pursue His honor

and not our own arrogance.

Selfless acts and

    God-honoring choices

speak a foreign language

       in our society,

but His glory

     is not lost in translation.)

O LORD,

May we honor You

in whatever we do today.

Please reveal to us

  what that looks like

         in real time.

Refresh our hearts

   that we would join You

in the outworkings

  and redeeming

         of our circumstances.

Help us to know how to respond

   with Your steadfast love.

And write Your holy Name

   all over this situation.

  

Can't Touch Bottom and Way Over My Head

 

He rebuked the Red Sea,

and it became dry,

and He led them

through the deep

as through a desert.

       Psalm 106. 9

(Never deny His glory.

Never explain Him away.

No, we couldn't have

   done this at all

   without Him.

If it were not difficult

       or impossible,

would we even turn to God

  or acknowledge His hand?

What is my Red Sea

   right now in front of me?

God brings us through

   to His great goodness,

even in what we can't

       quite see yet.

Something out of our view,

     but not out of His sight.

And it just may be

what someone else needs

        to witness.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something,

    deep and stormy,

and we don't just forget how to swim.

  We forget to follow You into it.

We ask You today,

not to remove the hard stuff,

    but strengthen us in it.

Reveal Yourself to us

   in what we experience.

Saturate Your glory

   all the way through.

Help us to be faithful

  to take a step into the deep.

You made a way through

     the Red Sea.

You guide us through our own.

Rocky Road Is Not Just An Ice Cream Flavor

 

He will guard the feet

of His faithful ones....

          1 Samuel 2. 9

(God does not promise that

there are not potholes,

nor that life will not be hard,

but He covers, sustains

and strengthens us

        with His Presence.

Even on this rocky road

      we walk today.

The journey will

   never be the same.

The faithful ones go forth

        differently into the day,

because they know they are

seen, heard,

      and deeply loved.

It is not that we will

    never trip up,

but in His hands,

       God redeems

in the most incredible ways.

And when we fall,

       He catches us

   and sets us back

   on our feet again.)

O LORD,

This is a scary and broken world.

Please cover us with Your shield.

Direct our feet

            and our hearts

   to what bears fruit

   and brings glory to You.

We know that others

       are watching us

to see the goodness You bring,

the strength You

        generously give,

and the secret joy

   that changes everything

   about us,

even where we go

and how we walk there.

Let Your footsteps

      be a guide to us

and a witness to the world.

     

What It Comes Down To

 

The man believed the word

that Jesus spoke to him

and went on his way.

              John 4. 50

(We can be assured

that in this broken world,

we will encounter

   what is a mystery to us,

   difficult, painful,

          and confusing.

But God is not

     surprised by it.

He is right by our side.

"Trust Me in this"

   changes how we walk,

respond and carry on.

In the hard stuff,

my grandmother used to say,

"And sometimes you just

    have to trust the LORD,"

no meaningless Hallmark phrase,

but the reality of His Presence

     spelled out in her life

            over and over again.

We never know the journey.

We never know

        the end of this,

because God's ways

      are seamlessly woven.

Having done all,

        to stand and trust.

Trust is taking hold,

binding ourselves to,

   and being led.)

O LORD,

You are trustworthy,

       faithful,

     and steadfastly loving.

Help us to walk

  into this day before us

with pockets bulging

     with Your grace

     and courage.

Even when it is beyond us,

   help us to trust You

and allow ourselves

             to be led.

May we bring Your name here

   and leave a witness

   in permanent marker.

Put It On, First Thing

 

Seek the LORD and His strength.

Seek His Presence

                   continually.

                Psalm 105. 4

(How differently we would approach

              this day,

              this difficulty,

              this road,

how differently we would navigate

       what is before us,

how differently we would journey

           through it,

     if we trusted God in this.

              Different experience.

              Different outcome.

Seek Me.

See Me.

Seek My strength

      and put it on,

                 first thing.

Count on My Presence,

     even in this.)

O LORD,

We are so often in the midst

           of a mess.

We realize so often that

   we are way over our heads.

Remind us who You are.

Remind us You are with us.

Remind us

     we are not alone in this.

We need not go it on our own.

     Indeed, we don't have to.

It is Your strength,

         not ours,

    that pulls us through.

You may or may not change

        these circumstances.

But You change our hearts in it.

And bring about Your glory.

Bringing About the Impossible

 

When You send forth Your Spirit,

they are created,

and You renew

       the face of the ground.

               

             Psalm 104. 30

(The Holy Spirit hovers over

what appears only to us

    as barren, rock-hard

    and impossible.

His Spirit infiltrates,

bringing about something

      new and unexpected

to sprout, to come forth

                  and flourish.

God has positioned us

to sow, nurture,

      and faithfully tend

this patch of ground

    and multiply here.

God brings about His fruit.

More than we can know.)

O LORD,

Renew the face of this ground.

May Your Holy Spirit

       hover and cover

this little patch of earth,

whatever it may be,

however difficult and arid,

   wherever we are today.

Change the shape

       of the landscape

       as only You can do.

May we bless others

through all we do and say,

    in how we respond,

    by how we love them,

---those we know

  and those we don't know yet.

May Your Presence

in this unlikely spot

            be compelling

   and evident.

             

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

All The Way To The Top

 

Jesus said to the servants,

"Fill the jars with water."

And they filled them up

         to the brim.

          John 2. 7

(We have no clue

    what God does

when we respond to Him,

when we fully follow,

even when it might not

    make sense at the time.

We have only to

       be faithful.

God completes it.

And He brings His glory

            to it,

often in ways we do not

       recognize.

Fill the jars He gives us.

    All the way to the top.)

O LORD,

We need not know

what You have

          up Your sleeve,

for us to respond fully.

Help us to not just

   be aware of need,

but serve You

   with a generous heart.

May You be honored

      in this day

in whatever You place

      before us.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

And Then The New Begins To Grow

 

 But the hair on his head

    began to grow again

after it had been shaved.

            Judges 16. 22

(Samson was not perfect

      by any means,

        nor are any of us.

Yet we are not defined

    by our failures or sin,

            but forgiven.

God redeems

    when we come to Him.

That is how God's grace

        enters in,

not by what we deserve,

but how He transforms us.

And then

  the new begins to grow.)

O LORD,

Help us to not dwell

   on what has been,

how we have wounded

and how we

    have been wounded.

We are not just sorry,

   but realize Your forgiveness.

You have already begun

      to redeem.

Let our lives

   begin to grow again.

Help us to be faithful to You.

           Starting now,

Even in what is before us

              today,

You show us another way

                  through.

And give us Your strength

    to be faithful to You in it.

Way Beyond Our Own Reach

 

...and offered it on the rock

      to the LORD,

to the One

   who works wonders...

            Judges 13. 19

(Wonders in the ancient Hebrew

means that which is hard,

hidden, too high, and

way beyond our own reach.

And that is what the Almighty

    specializes in.

The Holy Spirit hovers over

whatever we encounter,

whatever we offer to Him,

whatever we have to give,

and He does something

   we could not do

   on our own.

God reveals Himself

in the familiar and ordinary,

the unexpected, extraordinary

        and even strange to us,

no degree of separation,

but with His name and glory

   written all over it.

Wonders abide even in what

    we don't understand

or could ever hope for.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your wonders

past, present and future,

   all woven together.

Thank You for working

   what is way beyond us.

We offer what we do to You,

   knowing You complete it.

You bring the fruit to it.

You cover it with Your glory.

You work wonderfully--

      full of wonder.

Help us to trust You in it.

This Little Light of His

 

...but came to bear witness

        about the light.

            John 1. 8

(What in the world

      am I doing here?

No wrong turn after all.

But our daily commission

    is to bear witness to God

in whatever we do,

whatever we say,

among whomever,

wherever we are,

how we respond,

and any which way we can

      to point others to God.

What does that look like

          right here,

          right now?)

O LORD,

Help us to approach this day,

    this difficult assignment,

    this awkward situation,

    this messy relationship,

with Your supernatural strength          

   to bear witness to You

        and to bring You glory

in unexpected places

   and creative ways.

May Your light in us

  draw others to You.

It is not in us,

   but Your love

   and grace shining forth.