A Not-So-Secret Garden

 

And the LORD will guide you

       continually

and satisfy your desire

    in scorched places

and make your bones strong,

and you shall be

        like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters do not fail.

            Isaiah 58. 11

That kind of life 

       doesn't just happen.

But when we seek the LORD,

  we see life differently,

  even in the hard stuff.

God does not just show us 

    the way through.

  He reveals Himself to us.

When we run with God,

worship Him 

   in word, deed and work,

love selflessly,

uphold His Word 

   as precious and vital,

pray our way through,

life cannot help

      but radically change.

Abiding in His strength,

we do not just survive,

  but thrive in 

  impossible places.

And God impacts

  everyone around us,

even those we

      do not yet know.

He makes us

  a blessing in the midst

  of all the earth.

O LORD,

Help us to know that

even in scorched places,

even in these circumstances,

You are bringing about

  Your great goodness here.

You help us

      to live differently.

Fill our pockets with Your grace.

You draw us to Yourself.

And along the way,

   bring others also to You.

His Way is the High Way

 

For My thoughts

     are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways

               My ways,

   declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are 

    higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher

than your ways

and My thoughts 

          than your thoughts.

            Isaiah 55. 8-9

What in the world

          was God thinking?

We may not ever understand

  but we can trust Him.

His ways are stretched

   across all eternity,

      and far beyond our

              limited skill set.

God is God,

           and we are not.

God aligns our hearts with His. 

O LORD,

When we cannot understand,

we can know that You do.

You complete a mighty work

   more than we can know

and far more than we

can even know what to pray for.

Help us to trust You

   and stake our hope in You,

in Your will and in all Your ways.

Show us a different way in this

   for Your glory

and for Your goodness sake.

     Even today.

     Even in the hard stuff.

You know.

You hear.

You are forming something new.

God Has Our Back

 

For you will not

   go out in haste,

and you shall not

   go in flight,

for the LORD will go

          before you,

and the God of Israel

  will be your rear guard.

          Isaiah 52. 12

God goes before us.

He has our back.

He walks with us,

  even through this.

We can see 

these hard places differently,

walk differently

   with the LORD through them,

be different there,

   and let God redeem.

O LORD,

Surround us on all sides

  with Your Presence.

Keep us and

guide us into Your wonders.

Help us to realize

    You are here,

before, behind,

        and abiding in us. 

Divine Appointments, Sacred Encounters, and Holy Conversations

 

The Lord GOD has given me

the tongue of those

      who are taught,

that I may know how

  to sustain with a word

him who is weary.

           Isaiah 50. 4

We may not be 

the most eloquent speakers,

but that is not God's intention.

He just calls us

to be aware of those all around us

who need not just encouragement

   but the hope that 

   only He can give.

May we be not afraid to speak of Jesus,

among those who believe

  or who do not yet know Him.

God has placed them

  strategically on our path

to aid, uphold, assist,

   and love them to Him.

May we be responsive

  to His divine appointments,

  sacred encounters,

 and holy conversations.

There is nothing random

 in this time or situation,

      just deep redeeming.

O LORD,

Please help us to be aware

  of those around us,

knowing that weariness

   or heavy hearts

are most often carefully disguised.

Grant to us 

   words that can sustain others

   in their hard places

and impossible situations.

Give to us the heart and vocabulary

        --even a tiny morsel--

that will empower someone

    to make it through this day.

You work in ways we cannot see.

Even in those 

                right in front of us.

 

Savage Beasts and Other Such Fears

 

Rebuke the beasts

that dwell among the reeds.

           Psalm 68. 30

Our vivid imaginations

can sometimes get us into trouble.

We imagine all kinds

   of fearful things

   and wild savage beasts

just lurking in the shadows

   and preparing an ambush.

But God's Presence

   changes how we can walk.

Rebuke those fears,

  "You are not wanted here."

We don't have to invite

  fear and anxiety into our day.

Nor make those wild beasts

               our pets.

Jesus dwells with us.

We can walk with Him

               differently

  in our scary situations.

Anxiety and all their cousins

  may shout, bark and scream

but they cannot hurt us,

       nor will they ever help.

God grants us the courage

  to have a new heart in this

and keep our eyes on Him.

O LORD,

The shadows are deep.

We think we hear

            savage beasts

   surrounding us,

but You are with us.

We need not be afraid.

Grant us the wisdom

             and strength

to walk differently into this day.

And to not be distracted

   from Your wonders in it.

Dwell in us, O LORD,

  so that there is no room

  for despair.

 

Living Unstuck

 

Remember not the former things,

nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing.

Now it springs forth,

     do you not perceive it?

I will make a way

            in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

                 Isaiah 43. 18-19

God never intended for us

     to dwell in the past,

but to dwell in Him

  and let Him redeem it.

God is doing something new,

  even when we don't realize it.

When we pray and seek Him,

God does not just reveal 

a new way to go

   or a new way to be,

        but God reveals Himself.

We cannot but be changed

   by Him.

We are not defined 

          by past or present.

We are defined as His.

May we live like that

 --to dwell differently

   even in the same circumstances.

We are seen.  We are heard.

We are loved.

         And we are changed.

Are we willing to live like that?

O LORD,

Please help us out of this deep hole

    that we call our past.

And how to approach and navigate 

    what we face now.

Because we can live unstuck,

    loved and forgiven by You.

Empower us to see Your way,

   Your will, Your Presence

       in the wilderness

and Your provision

  even in this dry barren place.

Revive us, O LORD,

   to live distinctly today

                  as Yours,

and allow Your Spirit

     to soften our hearts

     and change our minds.

When We Say No Way

 

Fear not,

    for I am with you.

Be not dismayed,

    for I am your God.

I will strengthen you.

I will help you.

I will uphold you

with My righteous right hand. 

          Isaiah 41. 10

God never tires of reminding us.

Fear not.

       Why? Because I am with you.

Be not dismayed.

       Why? Because I am your God.

We are not alone in this situation,

an endeavor to start or finish,

endurance test, unexpected turn,

totally unqualified opportunity,

unfamiliar place, awkward situation,

    or really scary trail.

God strengthens us, helps us,

     and holds us tight.

I've got you.

O LORD,

We may not understand

   the hard parts right now.

But You are making us aware

   of Your Presence.

When we trust You into it,

       You renew our strength

        and cast aside our despair,

for whatever is on our plate,

       or path, or when we fall

We say no way!

   And You whisper, way.

You bring us through.

Again.

 

Or Even Know To Ask

 

He turned the sea

        into dry land.

They passed through the river

             on foot.

          Psalm 66. 6

The Red Sea was never meant

   as a singular event,

but resounds through the centuries

     for anyone in a hard place.

God brought forth 

  what Moses could not have

             even known to ask.

Why are we so surprised

   when God does it again?

God did it.

God does it.

God will do it again

   in our own impossibilities.

One more time

            or a million

   is never beyond His power.

Are we trusting Him

     as we wade into this?

When we pray,

it is not just that

  something always happens,

but God whispers,

        "Now watch this."

There is something 

  much deeper than the sea

              going on here.

 

O LORD,

We all have Red Seas

  that we think

          block our way.

But You, Almighty One,

  make Yourself known,

turning the critical

              into miracle,

that which is beyond

     our own doing

     or even our prayers.

It is not that You come to us,

  but we come before You.

Show us the way through today

   or bring a boat

   to take us there.

Amidst the Racket

 

And your ears shall hear

    a word behind you, saying,

"This is the way,

      walk in it,"

when you turn to the right

or when you turn to the left.

           Isaiah 30. 21

How do we know 

   when it's God's voice

and not our own insistence?

Listen for Him.

Listen to Him, discern,

  and walk away from anything

  or anyone who seeks to 

draw us away from Him.

Prayer increases

           voice recognition.

When we are aware of His whisper,

   God's voice is never demanding,

nor coldly instructing,

but gently guiding, nudging,

  and aligning not only our 

       thoughts and decisions,

                  but our hearts.

Are we willing to respond

  and follow Him into what

  we cannot yet know?

And realize there are 

     no individual outcomes

         nor single track trails. 

It is not a matter of choosing the right direction,

        but being drawn to Him.

The rest is just details.

O LORD,

Help us to listen carefully

   and faithfully

to the sound of Your voice alone.

Align not just our hearts to You

    but our ears to recognize 

      Your still small voice,

even amidst the racket all around us.

Show us not just 

     the way we should go,

but reveal Yourself to us,

on the smallest of days

  and the wildly unexpected

       turns on Your path for us.

Even today help us to hear You,

    "Over here!"

Things That Go Bump In The Night

 

....when I remember You 

        upon my bed,

and meditate on You

in the watches of the night

for You have been

            my help...

        Psalm 63. 6-7

When we awaken,

when we cannot sleep,

it may not be

  what goes bump in the night,

or worries lined up 

  like toddlers at our bedside,

but God whispering to us,

"I've been trying 

     to get your attention."

Not to worry,

        but to pray.

And to remember

  God has been our help.

Still is.

And always will be.

O LORD,

Thank You that You come

in the quietness of the night

to embrace us

       by Your Presence.

And to help us pray our way through.

You strengthen us

   even in the wee small hours

         for our day ahead.

You are with us.

Prayer reminds us of that reality.

Writing His Name All Over It

 

And now,

               go,

write it before them

on a tablet

and inscribe it in a book,

that it may be

for the time to come

    as a witness forever.

              Isaiah 30. 8

God has given each of us

an ongoing chronicle 

        of His faithfulness,

His wonders 

     in unexpected places,

surprises around the bend,

ordinary days that are

     precious and fruitful,

and all around us

    His divine appointments,

    sacred encounters,

    and holy conversations.

We always think we will

              never forget.

But these experiences

       are not for us alone.

May we write them down

   not just as a remembrance

but as a witness

   for those on our path

and for generations to come.

O LORD,

Provide us the courage

   and the words

to let Your Presence be known.

May Your story be

          engraved in ours.

Empower us to write down 

      Your acts of goodness

      and faithfulness

      and grace

to share with others

   and never forget ourselves.

Help us to inscribe Your name

   at the top of our day.

Bringing Us Through

 

O LORD, You are my God.

I will exalt You.

I will praise Your name,

for You have done

       wonderful things,

plans formed of old,

   faithful and sure.

            Isaiah 25. 1

Not just in the past

    --have done--

nor just in the present

    --are doing--

but also the future

    --already unfolding.

May we bring to mind

  His chronicle of faithfulness

and see the now and the next

       differently,

   even in this very day.

Even through the hard stuff,

God has His mighty hand on us.

As we follow Him into it,

  God surprises us along the way

   with His steadfast love.

Wonderful and faithful,

beyond our imagination,

beyond our myopic vision,

"There is endless

           unseen good."

   --musician Matthew Clark

O LORD,

Please help us to realize

that in difficulty,

     You are still here.

You are bringing us through.

You surround us

    with Your steadfast love.

Help us to turn our hearts

         from despair

   to Your goodness.

Keep our eyes on You.

Empower us to follow You,

  even when we can only

  see the next little step.

And fill our words

 with praise and honor for You.

On You,

   we can stake our lives.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

And The Victories Too

 

With God

we shall do valiantly.

It is He 

who will tread down our foes.

             Psalm 60. 12

The whole point here is

        with God.

Anxiety pours in

  when we try to do life

         without Him.

Let Me guide you.

Let Me reveal Myself to you.

God works His strength,

   grace and wisdom in us

   and through us.

The courage is not just for us,

  but overflows into others

and points the way to Him.

May others recognize His hand,

   His power and Presence.

We can approach and navigate

  differently the hard stuff with Him

       and the victories too.

O LORD,

Help us to know that

        You don't just go with us,

   but You are with us.

No matter the circumstances,

   fulfill Your designs

   and fill us with Your strength.

Thank You for treading down

   those things we fear,

   both real and imagined.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

To Despair Or To Prayer

 

When they cry to the LORD

    because of oppressors,

He will send them 

   a savior and a defender

and make Himself known.

...and He will listen

      to their pleas for mercy

and heal them.

                   Isaiah 19. 20-22

The adverb when

means at what time

and in what circumstances.

When do we cry to the LORD?

What does it take to bring

   us to that point 

   of crying out to Him?

Desperation leads us

    to despair or to prayer.

God's mercy is always

  available for the asking.

God does not force Himself

           upon us,

but runs to us

and makes Himself known

   on so many levels.,

so much deeper than

   mere "answers."

"...though in the meantime 

you do not understand

           what God is doing.

God has bigger issues at stake

than the particular things you ask."

          -- Oswald Chambers

O LORD,

Thank you for the assurance

that when we call out to You,

    You hear,

    You listen, You respond,

    You defend,

    You make Yourself known,

    You heal our souls.

And that changes everything.

Keep us from hesitating

   from coming to You.

Even today. Even in this.

    

Oh, Oops, I Forgot

 

For you have forgotten

  the God of your salvation

and have not remembered

     the Rock of your refuge....

              Isaiah 17. 10

And then we wonder 

   why things seem so very wrong.

In the Hebrew, forgotten

  does not mean

     Oh, oops, I forgot,

but ceasing to care, to leave,

to cause to forget because

  we are unmindful, distracted

    and just not listening to Him. 

It is not just a matter of 

       acknowledging Him,

  but placing ourselves before Him.

If we do not worship God,

   lesser gods take His rightful place,

and many such things  

      clamor to do that,

vying for our attention

and falsely promising us 

what only God Almighty can do.

O LORD,

You have given each of us

a chronicle of Your faithfulness.

Help us not just to forget

         what You have done,

but who You are, the Almighty God.

Guide us back to You.

Draw us to You.

And help us to be intentional

   about keeping You

   as Lord of our lives.

Because life is never the same

         without You.

In one way and another today,

  help us to keep our eyes,

our thoughts, our attention,

               on You.

And empower us to see

     the difference You make

in how we respond

  to circumstances

            and to each other.

A Song That Never Ends

 

Behold, God is my salvation.

I will trust,

   and will not be afraid,

for the LORD GOD

  is my strength

  and my song,

and He has become my salvation.

           Isaiah 12. 2

So much of scripture addresses

     the problem of fear,

which is the root of despair,

worry, anxiety, stress,

  and the overall cloud of dread.

How are we viewing

    this situation right in front of us?

Notice the connection in the Bible

      between trusting God

      and not being afraid.

I am with you. Do not be afraid.

How many times does God

     have to underline that truth

     in our lives?

The adversary taunts us with

   "but what if ....?"

Trusting God means "what is,"

      being secure in Him,

no matter the circumstances.

And we can go forth differently

    because He does not just

    guide us or hold our hand.

        He holds us

        all the way through.

God never promised 

  life would be easy

  in this fallen broken world,

but that He is right here with us.

We cannot do this life

         without Him.

And when we try,

   well, dread and fear

   walk right through the door

           and hold us captive.

May we bind ourselves to Him

      in the ordinary

that we may know Him

    in the extraordinary.

Our strength is not our own.

The LORD is our song

   -- what are we singing?

   The song that never ends.

O LORD,

Everyday we struggle with something.

May that struggle be

    striving to know You more,

even in this unexpected new thing,

even in familiar troubles,

drawing ever closer to You.

Teach us a new song

   of Your Presence with us,

   Your way through,

and put it on repeat.

Help us to hear it

    over and over again.

God Is Still God

 

When I am afraid,

I put my trust in You.

In God,

whose word I praise,

   in God I trust.

I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

         Psalm 56.4, 10-11

In God I trust,

is not just written on our coins,

   but on our hearts.

To rely on,

be confident in, 

stand securely 

   and sure in Him.

No matter what is

  swirling around us,

God shows us who to be,

what to do,

how to respond,

not just how to get through this,

   but Trust Me in this.

And that always leads us

        to a different place.

God knows what He is doing,

   even if we cannot,

   even in this.

When we set our hope

and confidence in the Almighty,

   there is no room for fear.

At the end of the day,

       God is still God.

God hears our cries.

He is already acting on it.

O LORD,

In You we trust.

Show us how that looks today,

in whatever we encounter,

in whatever concern

   is weighing us down,

in whatever fear

   is paralyzing us.

Cover us, dear Father.

Help us to trust in You,

  help us to trust You,

and know how to respond differently

  because in God I trust.

Help us to know trust is not a passive verb

   but an intentional action.

Not Just OK With This

 

For the sake of Christ, then,

I am content with weaknesses,

insults, hardships,

persecutions, and calamities. 

For when I am weak,

then I am strong.

        2 Corinthians 12. 10

If we did not struggle,

if everything was in

      our control

   and smooth sailing,

would we even turn to God

  and realize our dependence

  on Him?

Would we even consider

      praying about this?

Or walking with Him through it?

Are we seeking

            to glorify Him

    or just ourselves?

Being content

    is not being complacent,

but actively walking with God,

knowing He is doing a mighty work.

Not being ok with circumstances

  but seeing them as an opportunity

           to honor God,

yes, even in this,

to grow closer to Him,

     by responding differently.

O LORD,

When the struggles 

         and troubles come 

  knocking at our door,

help us to see hardships

with new eyes 

      and a heart strengthened

      by You.

We are ready and willing

    to serve You,

even in this hard place.

Grant to us Your strength

    to fulfill Your purposes

and Your wisdom

             to know how.

As for us,

  we know it is not to defeat us,

but for You to bring

    Your victory to it

         in countless souls.

Our shoes are double-knotted,

not just ok with this,

  but faithful and ready for the run.

We turn to You to show us

     Your way through.

Antidote for Anxiety

Behold,

God is my helper,

the Lord is the upholder

         of my life.

         Psalm 54.4

If we repeated this truth

  throughout our day,

how would we approach,

navigate and respond

              differently?

May we live it outloud.

Even in what we face

      right now,

this verse is the antidote

      for anxiety.

The word behold recognizes both 

what is,

   and what is about to come forth,

acknowledging that

           God is on the move.

God is the upholder of our lives

  and the sustainer of our souls.

He equips, surrounds, 

        defends and aids us.

He reminds us to Lean on Me.

We need not pull ourselves up

    by our bootstraps after all. 

O LORD,

Strengthen us

     in the struggles that we face.

Turn our eyes to You.

May we realize our need for You

     and accept Your help.

Soften our hearts

  that we may let You hold us

          and uphold us,

not just in our times of need,

   but in abundance and joy.

We didn't get here

              on our own.

 

Hey, Look At This!

 

But I am afraid that

as the serpent deceived Eve

      by his cunning,

your thoughts will be led astray

from a sincere and pure

    devotion to Christ.

         2 Corinthians 11. 3

Choosing to follow Jesus

    into a situation

is nearly always surrounded

by a crowd of loud distractions

and hidden landmines disguised

   to look a million times better.

Accidents on the road

          don't just happen,

not dependent on our driving skills,

  but plain ol' not paying attention.

Be wary of distractions

or being led away from the truth

    or fellowship where we belong

    and need to abide.

The adversary always shouts,

    "Look at this!"

And if that doesn't work,

   he whispers, "It doesn't matter."

      But it always does.

To avoid what undermines,

may we seek what builds us up

                   in Christ. 

O LORD,

We have been distracted

  from fully following You.

We are faithful,

   but not faithful to You.

Help us to keep our eyes

             on You.

Please guide us into this day.

And grant us the courage

   to say no to what interrupts

our pursuing You

and what grows us in You.

Help us to not just pay attention

          to You

but to actively seek You.

Keep us from wandering.

No Matter How That Looks Today

 

In the morning sow your seed,

and at evening 

   withhold not your hand,

for you do not know

which will prosper,

        this or that,

or whether both alike

   will be good.

         Ecclesiastes 11. 6

When we go forth into this day,

when we are faithful to God

  in whatever He places

  on our hearts or in our hands,

we cannot foresee

      how God will use it.

We have but to be faithful

        to God and

    serve Him through it.

There is nothing random or mundane,

only that which is eternal.

May we respond to what

  He has for us to do

                and to be

  and get to it.

We can ask God 

        not just for the ability

  but for the courage

  to be faithful.

We cannot foresee

              what bears fruit.

   But He does.

No honest or faithful work

        is ever wasted,

nor kindness or grace.

O LORD,

Remind us that when we are faithful,

nothing can ever remain the same,

even if we don't see

   the difference at once.

Because faithfulness to You

  infiltrates not only circumstances,

       but changes our hearts,

our actions, words,

  responses and attitudes.

Help us to know

   that You bring the fruit

in the fullness of time.

And that every faithful act,

  this or that, 

       or both alike,

seemingly small

       or beyond our vision,

is always profound

            in Your Kingdom.

 

Getting Our Fingernails Dirty

The point is this:

whoever sows sparingly

  will also reap sparingly,

and whoever sows bountifully

  will also reap bountifully.

          2 Corinthians 9. 6

The point is this:

that God's Kingdom

and economy operate

  with radically different

         fundamental laws.

The world says 

    get and take.

God calls for us

   to give and give.

Generosity breeds

       generosity.

What are we sowing?

What are we pouring into?

Our own basket

      has a hole in it.

Dig, plant, water, pull weeds,

  and nurture while we wait 

  to see what God brings to it

      and from it.

Trust in the slow work of God,

be faithful in well-doing,

and be surprised at what

  emerges from all good work

done in His name.

Patience doesn't let go.

     It lets grow. 

O LORD,

Help us to realize

that all good things

         come from You.

Grant to us the vision

  to be generous

with kindness, goodness

              and grace.

Multiply what we sow,

enlarge our hearts,

build our desire

  to get our fingernails dirty

to give bountifully,

   one word, one deed,

             at a time,

planting fruit trees 

   that bear for generations.

 

What Matters

 

For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter

          under heaven.

          Ecclesiastes 3. 1

We cannot do everything today,

but we can do something.

God does not differentiate

     between small and big,

because nothing in His sight

         is ever insignificant.

What has God placed before us

   at the beginning of this day?

Above all, to seek Him,

worship Him through our work,

listen to His voice

   through prayer and His Word,

and serve Him.

What is the one thing?

Never an off-season or wrong time

      to be faithful

   and bless the Almighty.

How does that look in this day

   and in this work ahead of us?

To plant, to heal, to build up,

to be kind and gracious,

          and pray a lot.

Do we insist on our agenda 

                   or His?

God does not hand us

  a list of impersonal instructions.

God whispers, "Follow Me."

Not to check off a to-do list,

       but to be.

Not even just mindful of Him,

     but responding to Him.

O LORD,

Every matter before us today

          matters a lot

   in Your Kingdom.

Guide our thoughts and steps

         and attitudes

as we seek You today

   in all that is on our plate.

Order our day.

Order our way.

Order our loves.

And align our hearts

    in faithfully walking with You.

You set our course.

You bring forth incredible fruit

  in so many unexpected ways.

Out of Control

 

For the love of Christ

    controls us....

          2 Corinthians 5. 14

What is driving us

     in this volatile situation?

Motivating us 

     in drudgery?

Keeping us going

   on the hard rocky road

      or the well-beaten path?

The love of Christ in us

   covers all circumstances,

not one size fits all,

  but custom designed.

If the love of Jesus

         controls us,

even in this particular situation,

      everything changes.

New game. New playing field.

          New coach.

How differently we 

   are able to respond,

in what we see and pursue,

  and what new direction we take,

  even in the same old difficulties.

All things are suddenly approached

         with a heart

    continually refreshed by Him.

What if we let Jesus

   take the controls?

We no longer look

         only to outcomes,

but see how His love

   changes everything.

O LORD,

We ask that You take control

      of this situation,

all while realizing we never were.

You are already here,

   waiting for us to be willing

to follow You into this

  and not blaze our own trail.

Turn our overwhelming

   into Your overflowing through us.

And to realize our out of control

        is already in Yours.

Open our eyes

   not to difficulties

   but to see them as opportunities

to love others right to You.

Guide us in unexpected ways

  and extraordinary love

and grant us the courage

     to be faithful to You today.

 

Not Falling Apart After All

 

I know that You

       can do all things,

and that no purpose of Yours

    can be thwarted.

             Job 42. 2

The most powerful hook in this verse

       is the phrase can do.

In the Hebrew, it means

     not just making something,

but prevailing in it,

overcoming, enduring, having power,

being able, have strength over,

        and be the victor.

This is not the social iteration of 

                 believe in yourself,

 nor even wishing for an particular outcome,

     but knowing 

     and realizing God is in it.

And that is what it's all about.

No purpose of God's

             can be thwarted,

cut off, made inaccessible,

shortened, or diminished.

Because His redeeming 

       stands on all things,

what is understandable,

           even what is so hard.

Trust Me in this.

O LORD,

We can come before You

  with our confusions

and struggles

     and mysteries,

knowing that You are the Almighty,

and none of this

           is a surprise to You.

Things are not falling apart,

   but Your purposes coming together

in unexpected ways

          and unlikely situations.

Help us to follow You through

in whatever we encounter today,

walking with You

              and not alone.

Because We All Struggle With Something

 

For this light momentary

       affliction

is preparing for us

an eternal weight of glory

  beyond all comparison,

as we look not to the things

       that are seen,

but to the things

       that are unseen.

           2 Corinthians 4. 17-18

What we are facing may be

  hard, difficult and confusing.

But that does not mean

   that God is not in it,

forming something new in us.

I was struggling with an exercise

       in a fitness class,

when I realized that I had not

even reached the hard part yet.

But I knew it was not unending,

nor random, nor defeating,

but designed to strengthen me,

not just for what I can see

      right in front of me,

but for what is yet unseen,

both the hard and the joyous.

O LORD,

Remind us that we are

      not alone in this hardship.

And through these difficulties,

   You are forming something new

for our well-being, 

for Your goodness sake,

and to energize us

   for what we do not even know.

Your weight of glory in this situation

    far exceeds anything we endure.

We cannot see it,

              but You do.

Build our muscles of faithfulness,

     dear Father.

Help us to see

    this struggle is not an exercise in futility,

         but strength training.

 

All The Things That Overwhelm Us

 

Not that we are sufficient

            in ourselves

to claim anything

   as coming from us,

but our sufficiency is from God

who made us competent....

             2 Corinthians 3. 5-6

"I can't do this on my own."

Those are often

    the hardest words to admit.

But they are the most vital

  in getting the task done.

The significant difference

  is realizing --and admitting--

our daily need for Christ,

not seeing ourselves

             as the heroes,

     but His working through us,

depending on God

to not only provide enough

     but to complete it.

He does not just show up.

      He shows us the way.

God helps us

    to color outside the lines,

beyond the mere necessary,

   to enlarge His grace.

Whose glory do we seek in this?

God walks us 

        through the impossible.

He empowers us to do

  what we cannot do without Him. 

O LORD,

Please take our insufficiency

    into Your hands

and infuse Your power and

    strength and goodness

    into us and this situation.

We need You.

You provide not just enough

    but more than enough,

because You know

    what is needful and lasting.

Help us to be faithful

 and seize opportunities

    to proclaim,

"This was not in me,

              but God."

     

A Million Moving Parts

 

Does not He see my ways

   and number all my steps?

                 Job 31. 4

Absolutely.

Every thought and action,

every trail we choose,

whether we react or respond,

our unfolding joys and sorrows,

in service or selfishness

 ---God does not just see

       but reaches for us,

covers us with steadfast love,

and calls to us

        Come to Me in this.

He sets forth His way

  one steppingstone at a time.

In one prayer and then another,

      God reveals Himself.

Every moving part

        is not just in His hand,

but all things hold together.

O LORD,

You see us.

You hear us.

You love us

  more than we can know.

You do not only

     number our steps,

but You hold our hands

in climbing and descending.

When everything seems

      to be spinning,

focus our eyes on You.

Help us to trust

       Your sovereignty

over this one huge thing

                   today,

or a million moving parts.

 

Why Is This So Hard?

 

But that was to make us

rely not on ourselves

but on God

who raises the dead.

           2 Corinthians 1. 9

Why is this situation so hard?

Running into brick walls,

over cliffs,

swallowed up by potholes,

delays, reschedules,

nothing according to plan

    --at least our plans. 

Why is it so difficult?

Not that God is trying

   to give us a hard time,

but God does not want us

to think or claim that

  we did this on our own

or we are doing it alone.

We need Him

   far more than we realize.

If things were not hard,

would we even recognize

our desperate need for Him?

God never intended us

   to do it alone

or live without Him.

O LORD,

Help!  We need You.

We cry to You.

And You respond.

You specialize in impossible

     situations.

And we have one right now.

You don't just show up.

You show us the way through.

May we seek You

  and give You all the credit

  and the glory due Your name,

even in what we cannot yet see.

We are leaning

     on Your everlasting arms.