Recognize Handcuffs

 

I will walk with integrity of heart

        within my house.

I will not set before my eyes

  anything

        that is worthless.

              Psalm 101. 2-3

Worthless and good for nothing

   are strict taskmasters.

They don't just sit in a corner,

   but command our time

   and drain our hearts.

Anything

    literally means anything.

Because those little anythings

      can enslave us.

At the first nudge,

set it down, turn it off,

don't pick it up,

or even let it in the back door.

Make a choice.

Recognize handcuffs.

O LORD,

Keep us faithful to You

  in whatever we pursue

and how we spend our time,

even when

         no one else is looking.

Protect our feet and eyes

   and hearts from

   being enslaved

   by what traps and distracts.

Turn our eyes towards

   what brings You glory

and give us the wisdom

      to know the difference.

 

Cheer On The Saints

 

....because the hearts 

              of the saints

have been refreshed

   through you.

         Philemon 1. 7

There have been 

   way too many times

I have not wanted

to get involved

or attend a meeting.

And God reminds me

 of His divine appointments there.

Go, 

encourage, bless, refresh.

There is someone 

  who desperately needs that.

How different this world could be

if we entered every situation

with a heart and mindset

  to bless others there.

Not what we can get from it,

      but what to give.

Encouragement

   can change the course

   of someone's day

                      or life.

When we refresh the saints

  to not grow weary,

God increases 

    our strength through it too.

God whispers to us,

   Approach this differently.

How can we refresh others

    in this situation today?

O LORD,

We are grateful 

  that You multiply

one encouragement

   into a million.

Open the windows

   and let Your grace

flow through our relationships.

Grant to us Your wisdom

    and compassion

        --and courage--

to refresh someone today

        in a tangible way.

Empower us

   to cheer on the saints.

 

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Game Changer

Serve the LORD

    with gladness.

     Psalm 100. 2

And that is a game changer

   in how we do our work,

   in how we see need

   and in how to respond.

How can we approach 

    this hard task,

    this gaping pothole,

    this volatile situation,

even irritating people

             differently

by serving God through this?

And even more,

           with a happy heart?

To see these circumstances

     as opportunities

to serve, work, celebrate

   and worship God with joy.

Not have to,

             but get to.

Not only for what lands

           on our doorstep

   or what we stumble over,

but seeking and seizing ways

   to bring His name here.

And many such things

        will come before us.

O LORD,

Please lay before us 

   Your day for us,

knowing there are no interruptions,

but only opportunities to serve You.

Help us to see them that way,

      ordained by You,

even stuff that doesn't appear

            to matter,

     which always does.

Empower us to respond

  with joyful hearts

strengthened by You,

not just for a particular outcome,

but all along the journey.

It is not just a mundane task,

  but serving You, Almighty One.

And walking with You 

                    through it.

Embed the gladness here.

 

Calamities, Shortcomings, and Something New

Their Redeemer is strong.

The LORD of hosts

     is His name.

          Jeremiah 50. 34

God is not just stronger

   than our circumstances,

our impossible struggles,

    and the mess we are in.

He does not just 

  redeem our situations

  in incredible and unexpected ways.

But God redeems us.

He is God Almighty,

  faithful, loving, full of grace.

He delivers and frees us

from our calamities

        and shortcomings

  and gives us His strength

  to carry on.

And God forms something new 

   in us or our surroundings

for His glory, 

             even in this.

O LORD,

When we are overwhelmed,

You redeem

    far beyond our imaginings.

You are stronger still.

Sing over us Your holy name.

Bring about Your purposes

  even in what 

  we cannot understand.

Redeem us

   and draw us to Yourself.

You rescue, restore,

     and deliver us.

And take us by the hand

  because we are Yours.

 

 

Don't Go Hungry

 

All Scripture is breathed out

           by God

and profitable for teaching,

for reproof,

for correction, 

and for training in righteousness

that the man (or woman) of God

may be competent,

equipped for every good work.

             2 Timothy 3. 16-17

Equipped and prepared

   means ready for 

          every good work,

even the hard stuff

  God places before us.

Not that we predict

         every contingency,

  but we have God's Word

  to guide us through

and to give us His strength

        and the hope we need.

May we not go into the day

  hungry for God's Word.

A million things unfold

      in the course of a day,

even more are ordained.

God's Word empowers us

 to see the portals

               of His Kingdom.

In our goings, efforts,

      and faithfulness,

God guides our way

                   through.

O LORD,

 Let Your word prevail

       in our hearts.

Help us not just to read,

   but to marinate in it.

And to know that

   Your Word changes us

and how we respond

      to You

      and to this day.

Equip us, Almighty One,

     for every good work.

 

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Bring Me Into This

 

But the Word of God

   is not bound.

      2 Timothy 2. 9

Never underestimate

    the power of God's Word.

It enlarges every soul.

It multiplies.

It changes everyone

    who hears or reads

    every syllable.

Be not afraid

          to speak His Word,

even in the most unexpected

     places and situations.

His Word does not return empty,

         but resounds

long after the conversation ceases.

Because God's Word 

    is sticky, unforgettable, 

   and gets all over everything.

Bring Me into this.

God is in the business

      of changing lives,

including our own.

O LORD,

Help us to be prepared

       and aware of

Your divine appointments

and sacred encounters.

Grant to us fruitful words

       and Your Word

for hungry souls 

       all around us.

Help us to seize

      every opportunity

to point others to You.

We can never realize

  how Your Word takes root

and plants a forest of sequoias.

Find us faithful, O God,

even in our conversations today.

 

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Go Differently Into The Day

 

...for God gave us

a spirit not of fear

but of power and love

      and self-control.

       2 Timothy 1. 7

When we trust God, 

when we walk with Him,

    listen and respond,

we can go forth differently

   into this day

          or this difficult situation.

God enlarges our spirit,

our vision,

and provides a strength

    that is not our own.

Trusting in God

always brings about

a different journey

            and outcome.

Have we considered

   trusting Him about this?

O LORD,

Fear encompasses us

   and makes us cower.

Fill us with trust in You.

Banish the fear that

  keeps us from seeing You.

Guide our steps.

Order our days.

Strengthen our hearts

that we can go forth

          with You.

Do not just hold our hands,

   but embrace our souls.

Help us to see this situation

  as just another opportunity

to know You 

     and trust You more.

 

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Just A Little Bit More

 

Now there is great gain

in godliness

     with contentment...

      1 Timothy 6. 6

Discontent is a driving force

   in our society.

One of the richest men in his time,

J. D.. Rockefeller was asked,

"How much is enough?"

He replied, 

           "Just a little bit more."

Never satisfied. Always enslaved.

But God turns this broken world

        right side up.

The greatest gain is not in stuff,

but in godliness, selflessness

        and faithfulness.

The contented person 

  is not distracted by the 

  urgency and tyranny of more stuff,

but seeks to be rich in godliness,

(verse 18)  "to do good, 

be rich in good works,

be generous and ready to share."

And there is never an end to that.

O LORD,

Guide us in Your ways today,

not distracted by 

       what we don't have,

but delighting in 

what You have given us,

to live abundantly

and not handicapped by greed.

Help us to go forth today

  with generous hearts.

May we know You.

May we be known as Yours.

May we make You known.

    Even by how we live.

 

Because It Has His Name On It

 

...but the LORD hid them.

         Jeremiah 36. 26

We don't often think 

    of responding to God,

    to obeying His Word,

    to following His ways

          as a shield.

But there is a protection

  when we submit to God

from all the things

            we cannot see,

    the ambushes,

    the trainwrecks,

    the bottomless potholes.

It is not that nothing will go wrong,

but we can take a new path through.

When we follow Him,

   God protects us from what

   is too strong for us alone.

Even faced with a skirmish,

  God hides us in plain sight.

Why would God bring us

   to this strange place?

Perhaps to cover us here.

A refuge is where

   we are strengthened

                 to go forth.

O LORD,

May we know that

Your Presence surrounds us

             even in trouble.

Your strength empowers us

    to bring You glory

    in these hard places.

Faithfulness to You

   takes us on a different path,

even alongside an abyss.

Protect us this day

    wherever You lead us,

and help us know our shield

   has Your name on it. 

Starting Now

 

Give thanks to the 

       LORD of hosts,

for the LORD is good,

for His steadfast love

      endures forever.

       Jeremiah 33. 11

Just in case we forget,

this truth is repeated

   44 times in Scripture.

Often used as a 

      call and response,

it is not just a refrain

  but a reality on which

  we can stake our lives.

How differently would we

  go into our days

if we repeated this verse

     over and over again?

Starting now.

O LORD,

We are so often confused

by what we are going through.

Remind us through Your Word

of Your goodness

      and Your steadfast love,

even in the hard stuff.

Bring these words to mind

 as we go into this very day.

Engrave this promise

     in our hearts

that we may be directed

not only by Your call,

  but how we respond. 

They Don't See It Coming

 

If your enemy is hungry,

  give him bread to eat,

and if he is thirsty,

  give him water to drink,

for you will heap

burning coals on his head,

and the LORD 

     will reward you.

      Proverbs 25. 21-22

How can we navigate

this awkward or difficult

   or volatile situation?

Differently,

because we are believers.

We can change our triggers

   from revenge to redeeming.

We can learn and practice

    another unexpected way

    when we are wronged.

The gospel has

      transformed our hearts.

This is what that looks like

          livestreamed.

O LORD,

Empower us to see 

   our situations

   and others differently.

Grant to us the courage

  to bring Your love here.

Help us to not just

   serve fresh bread

   and refreshing drinks,

but to serve You.

Enlarge our responses

   and build our compassion

  in ways that honor You,

especially when

     others don't expect it.

They don't see it coming.

But may they see You.

Impossible Is His Specialty

 

 I prayed to the LORD, saying,

"Ah, Lord GOD!

It is You who have made

  the heavens and the earth

by Your great power

and by Your outstretched arm.

Nothing is too hard for You."

           Jeremiah 36. 17

And when necessary,

  God parts the Red Sea before us,

provides manna,

and demolishes the impenetrable 

         walls of Jericho

--in whatever way those things

     appear in our own lives.

God also guides us

   through this wilderness of ours,

that we may know

        who He truly is.

Impossible is His specialty

   --in His own amazing ways,

      in His perfect timing,

and all for His glory.

O LORD,

We have come yet again

upon what looks like

   a dead end or brick wall

   or what do I do now?!?

Please help these obstacles

   turn our eyes to You.

Empower us to 

     follow You into this day.

Please redeem what 

    we see as hardship

into faith in You.

Grace In The Wilderness

 

Thus says the LORD:

The people who 

     survived the sword

found grace in the wilderness...

I have loved you

   with an everlasting love,

therefore I have continued

    My faithfulness to you. 

             Jeremiah 31. 2-3

In the most unusual

  circumstances and places,

we discover God's grace there.

Even in the midst of 

a hard, barren landscape

    with strange sights

    and scary noises

    and possible beasts,

we experience His love,

        faithfulness, and 

His light in the darkness.

We are not alone here.

God turns our wilderness

   into a place of wonder

                and enlarging

where we can know Him more.

O LORD,

In these hard, strange places,

help us to come to You.

Uncover Your wonders here

and reveal Your grace

         in this wilderness.

Empower us too

to be sensitive to others

who need a little grace today

  and to know how to respond

with tangible grace and

encouragement along the way.

Faithful In Strange Places

 

But seek the welfare

      of the city

where I have sent you

            into exile,

and pray to the LORD

     on its behalf,

for in its welfare

you will find 

         your welfare.

        Jeremiah 29. 7

Even in this strange place,

God sends us here

  for His good purposes,

separated from what we know

and sometimes feeling captive

   by our circumstances. 

Instead of grumbling,

what if we approached and

  navigated it differently?

Seek the peace,

wholeness, health and

  relationships

where God has placed us

--even in the most unlikely

    situations today.

We can begrudge our conditions

    or pray in those circumstances

for God's Presence and purposes.

Not just for a better attitude,

     but to find us faithful.

O LORD,

Seeking Your designs, 

  and not our own comfort,

may land us in a barren spot

  which is right in the center

  of Your will for us.

Grant us the courage to go there

    with great resolve,

not to make the best of it,

but to bring Your name there.

Help us to seek the wellbeing

    of those around us,

be it strangers or

    those all too familiar,

those who know You

    or don't know you yet,

even among the rebellious

 that You may dwell there.

Even In How We Pray

 

But we ought always

to give thanks to God

             for you,

beloved by the Lord....

      2 Thessalonians 2. 13

Thanking God for someone

doesn't just change our attitude

toward them,

     but allows our hearts

            to pray for them.

 That encompasses those 

we don't have a 

   natural affinity,

even the irritable 

            or rebellious,

or who might not like us.

God has placed them

in our lives,

      on our paths,

and in our hearts

  for eternal reasons.

Instead of avoiding them

         or being critical,

  what if we let God

    change our triggers

by intentionally thanking Him?

God loves them.

Praying for them allows us

         to love them too,

maybe right into His Kingdom. 

O LORD,

We confess that we have had

    a lack of compassion

    and a boat load of complaining

about so many people around us.

Align our hearts with Yours

and empower us to

         approach them differently

         with Your grace and love.

And not grow weary,

   even in how we pray.

Enlarging Our Vocabularies

 

...but him who has My word

speak My word faithfully.

          Jeremiah 23. 28

God's Word fits all occasions.

In all we do and say,

in how we respond

      wherever we are,

we leave a witness

   to His Word there.

Even when we don't know

   what to say,

God gives us the words

          and His Word

  to minister to others

in unexpected ways,

surprising places,

and among unlikely people.

Bring the name of Jesus 

      into our conversations.

There are no random encounters,

   only divine appointments. 

O LORD,

Make us sensitive 

       to our surroundings.

May we not be afraid

   to speak of You

or to write of You

   in words and stories.

Infiltrate our conversations today

  and enlarge our vocabularies

that Your Word would linger

    in hearts long afterwards..

Advanced Placement Economics

Give justice to the weak

  and the fatherless,

maintain the right 

  of the afflicted

  and the destitute.

Rescue the weak 

             and the needy.

Deliver them from the hand

   of the wicked.

              Psalm 82. 3-4

God has placed each of us

    strategically in the lives

of those around us

       to care for them.

The weak, fatherless,

  afflicted and destitute

are not always so obvious.

Need is not restricted

            to economics,

  but embraces the soul.

Some of the most

          unlikely people

  are the most needful of all.

Even the rich, beautiful,

          and powerful

   carry heavy burdens 

   no one can see.

Be mindful of opportunities

      to love others,

care for their hidden aches,

and lead them to Jesus

    who loves them even more. 

O LORD,

Enlarge not just our vision

   for the wellbeing of others,

but our hearts

  that we may care for them.

Help us to see them

             differently,

no matter who they are,

or what they wear,

or how they act,

or how they have treated us.

Spread Your grace

                lavishly

  over these relationships.

Help us to respond to need

   in every encounter.

You redeem and resurrect

    lives through Your love.

May we be faithful

  in bringing grace

  and the gospel with us.

Even today.

Even in this situation.

 

Going Differently Into The Darkness

Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks

  in all circumstances,

for this is the will of God

in Christ for you. 

1 Thessalonians 5. 16-18

In everything,

everywhere,

these things are always

   the will of God.

Leave a witness there.

Live with a new imprint.

Just because it's hard

 does not mean

 we are not in God's will.

We may not feel thankful

   for all circumstances,

but we can be thankful

           in them,

knowing God is weaving

       His gospel and glory.

Go differently

           into the darkness.

How to handle it?

Rejoice, pray and

   give thanks.

That is the through line.

O LORD,

Help us to not just see

our situations differently,

but to experience You

  with a new heart in this.

Our lives bear witness

   to Your transforming

   love in us.

May we approach

            and navigate

difficulties differently

    in Your will

and with Your strength.

 

Thriving Out Of Sheer Rock

Blessed is the person

who trusts in the LORD,

whose trust is the LORD.

He is like a tree

planted by water,

that sends out its roots

        by the stream,

and does not fear 

  when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious

  in the year of drought,

for it does not cease

         to bear fruit.

        Jeremiah 17. 7-8

Not just surviving

            but thriving,

no matter the circumstances,

the drought,

that tiny dribble of water,

growing even

         out of sheer rock.

God places us

   in the most unlikely places,

   for His glory

and roots us firmly there. 

Trust Me in this.

Do not fear,

do not be anxious,

and do not cease

           to bear fruit.

O LORD,

Empower us to grow

and stand tall

and honor You

   even out of sheer rock.

You have strategically

      placed us here

in barren places,

valleys,

or on the mountaintop,

   for Your divine purposes

and for Your glory.

We need not waste

   our energy on fear,

worry and anxiety.

Even where we 

   find ourselves today,

You are nourishing us.

Our trust is

      firmly in You.

You hold us tight.

 

Changing Our Appetites

 

Your words were found,

and I ate them,

and Your words became to me

a joy and a delight of my heart,

for I  am called by Your name,

    O LORD, God of hosts.

              Jeremiah 15. 16

When God's Word becomes

   a joy and a delight to us,

   we pursue different things.

God changes our appetite.

We desire something deeper.

We want more of Him.

And nothing can remain

       the same.

O LORD,

You grant us the opportunity

        of Your Word every day.

And it is a a movable feast

that nourishes our very souls.

And influences everyone

       all around us.

Change our appetites,

                 O LORD,

by Your Word

        for Your will, 

        for Your ways,

        for Your glory.

Not Working For God

Whatever you do,

work heartily as for the Lord

and not for men...

You are serving the Lord Christ.

            Colossians 3. 23-24

Whatever encompasses 

all the 5 W's and an H--

who, what where, when, why

            and how,

no matter if it is

ever recognized 

         nor acknowledged.

But we can serve Christ

even in what we

         don't see as ministry.

Serving Jesus

        is not working for God,

but God working in us.

And that changes everything.

No restrictions,

no matter what,

    or what happens.

O LORD,

Find us faithful

   in serving You

in all things,

      great and small.

And to realize

  You are glorified

  in the very details.

Infiltrate Your joy

    into our hearts

    and into our work.

We love You in it.

 

All Wrapped Up

 

There is none like You, 

           O LORD.

You are great,

and Your name is

       great in might.

      Jeremiah 10. 6

When we sing God's name

    all over our situations

    and desperations,

do not fear

   takes us on a different path.

And prayer keeps us on it.

God is great. God is good.

   comprise not a mealtime blessing,

but an absolute promise 

   we can stake our lives on,

even in the really hard stuff.

O LORD,

There is none like You.

Remind us daily

  that we can lean on You.

You hold us tight.

And in Your strength

   we can face tomorrow.

Help us to not pray in fear,

        but in Your might.

We do not know the outcome,

          but we don't have to.

 You've wrapped Your name 

                           all over it.

Shining into the Brokenness

 

Thus says the LORD:

Let not the wise man

   boast in his wisdom.

Let not the mighty man

   boast in his might.

Let not the rich man

   boast in his riches.

But let him who boasts

       boast in this:

that he understands 

            and knows Me,

that I am the LORD

who practices steadfast love,

justice and righteousness

                 in the earth.

For in these things, I delight,

     declares the LORD.

           Jeremiah 9. 23-24

Boasting in the ancient Hebrew

   means pretty much the same

--that in which one glories, 

         praises, and celebrates.

   What shines in our lives? 

On whom is the spotlight centered? 

      On God or ourselves?

In any worldview,

   boasting in oneself is

            sheer arrogance.

Giving God the glory

   changes us on the inside

and alters the trajectory

     of our work, our loves,

     and our lives.

O LORD,

May the desire of our hearts

   be to delight in knowing You.

Shine through us

  into this broken world,

bringing Your healing, grace

          and glory here.

May we know, understand

          and love You

   a little bit more each day.

Reveal Yourself

     in and through us.

But Where Are The Wonders?

 

You are the God

      who works wonders.

You have made known

  Your might among the peoples.

            Psalm 77. 14

Victories, wonders

   and all things marvelous

  don't just happen

      like a magic trick.

God does not work that way.

God does not

     bring them about,

  but reveals Himself

already in our situation.

  No matter how troubled

  or difficult,

    He is here among us. 

Talk to Me,

      walk with Me through this,

not only to the other side

   but all along the way.

But where are the wonders?

We are just in 

     the middle of the chapter.

God brings about the extraordinary,

His redeeming in the impossible,

His light filtered in our despair,

that which is unexpected,

    supernatural and spectacular.

He works, unfolds, prepares,

   makes ready, appoints,

                and completes.

Now watch this! He whispers to us.

    That we may know Him.

O LORD,

We come to You in our struggles.

We do not pray to 

     the god of favorable outcomes

      or glimmering idols of success,

                 but pray to You.

Grant to us Your strength.

Help us to see You here,

looking for sacred 

     in whatever we face today.

We cannot yet see wonders,

    but we can know 

            You hold us tight

in the darkness and storm.

And then someday, somehow,

   You bring the sense to it.

And right before us,

when we least expect it,

            the sun rises

   and the shadows evaporate.

And Your glory is there

All Over Everything

 

...that in everything

He might be pre-eminent.

                Colossians 1. 18

What does Jesus have to do

      with what we're facing?

Not just a part of,

nor an important piece,

nor a prominent position,

      but pre-eminent.

Not even scooting things over

to make Him first place in our lives,

    but Jesus over everything.

Even in this. All in all.  No exclusions.

And that determines not if,

          but how we approach,

   respond and navigate

every encounter or situation

                  differently.

O LORD,

Grant us Your courage

   to go forth,

knowing that You are over all.

Nudge us to realize that

   everything means everything.

We do not walk alone.

We do not have to figure it out.

     Just walk with You all over.

You are not just a priority

   but saturate our very lives.

Endure Or Be Secure

 

For I have learned

  in whatever state I am

  to be content.

I know how to be brought low,

and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance,

I have learned the secret

   of facing plenty and hunger,

   abundance and need.

I can do all things 

through Him 

       who strengthens me.

              Philippians 4. 11-13

In whatever situation

   or circumstances,

what matters is not

     our state of affairs,

     but our state of mind.

When we turn to Jesus,

  we learn not to despair,

  nor to tough it out,

but trust Him 

    for His strength in this.

To be content means neither passive

   nor complacent,

not just to endure,

           but to be secure 

and walk with Him through.

O LORD,

Help us to know that 

  Your well-being for us

is not dependent on

    clear skies

    and a paved road,

but Your Presence with us.

No matter where You lead,

   no matter if we understand,

learning that we can be content

and secure in You

 is always 

       one of the reasons why

       You have brought us

            to this place.

Be glorified, O LORD,

      today even in this.

 

Recite, Repeat, and Run With Jesus

...to walk in a manner

        worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to Him,

bearing fruit in every good work,

and increasing in the

          knowledge of God.

               Colossians 1. 10

This is how we make it through.

This is how God gets us through.

Head, heart, hands, feet,

            and soul.

In everything we do and say,

  may we focus on You,

and work out over and over

  our faithfulness in real time.

Recite, repeat,

     and run with Jesus.

I have prayed this verse 

  for our family

  nearly every day for a long time.

O LORD,

Help us to manifest 

     Your words

and witness to others

        with our very lives.

Grant us Your strength

   and courage and grit

to follow You like that, 

fully pleasing to You

  and bearing fruit

  we may never even see. 

 

The Most Unqualified Of All

But the LORD said to me,

"Do not say

   'I am only a youth,'

for to all to whom I send you,

   you shall go,

and whatever I command you,

   you shall speak.

Do not be afraid of them,

       for I am with you

to deliver you,"

             declares the LORD.

         Jeremiah 1. 7-8

None of us is

     "only a ________."

Because God does not

    see us that way.

But we are God-appointed

 in these positions

 and places for His glory.

Yes, even in this really hard thing.

"I can't do this!" we cry out.

And He responds,

        "Good, because I can."

We have only to be faithful,

not having to be the best,

     but doing our best,

and knowing that

         we don't go alone.

All through the Bible,

God powerfully assigns  

  the most unqualified people

  in extraordinary ways,

that we would know

    it is not in us, but Him.

O LORD,

You have gifted each of us

   in amazing ways,

most of which we are unaware.

Find us faithful, Almighty One,

  in whatever You place

  before us to do and to be.

Help us to know that 

   we are not "only a ____,"

but we are Yours.

We need not be afraid.

Your goodness exceeds

      our imagination

and gets all over everything.

 

 

No Better Place To Be

 

...and be found in Him...

         Philippians 3. 9

This is the bottom line

in whatever we are going through,

wherever we find ourselves,

however we walk,

whatever we pursue,

and what God is forming

      in us through this.

That we would be

      --that we are--

              found in Him

is not an achievement

                 or outcome,

but an ongoing path

      in unexpected ways.

O LORD,

Above all things in this day,

   may we be found in You.

In spite of this difficult situation,

   may we be found in You.

As we make decisions

    what to do, what to say,

    how to respond,

may we be found in You.

May we realize.

May others see.

Help us as we choose

    to be found in You.

No better place to be,

        but in You. 

Of Course, It's Too Heavy

 

But when I thought

   how to understand this,

it seemed to me

        a wearisome task,

until I went into

  the sanctuary of God....

              Psalm 73. 16-17

God's sanctuary is 

    wherever and whenever

                we seek Him.

God never intended

   for us to go it alone

           through this.

We're going to be weary

    until we come to Him.

"Of course, it's too heavy."

When we seek God,

He does not just

      guide us through,

God guides us to Himself.

In what is so heavy

   and wearisome,

God says, "Come to Me.

I will help you.

             Even in this."

O LORD,

Help us to stand 

on the sacred ground

      of Your Presence.

The truth is that

         we really just need You.

May we seek You continually

   wherever You guide us today.

Grant to us not just the rest

    that we need,

but Your strength 

   in the most unexpected ways.

Help us to know that

   You are right here with us.

And we can lean on You.

Aware of Our Surroundings

I want you to know,

brothers and sisters,

that what has 

     happened to me

has really served

 to advance the gospel...

        Philippians 1. 12

Do we view the hard stuff

and difficult seasons

       of our life that way?

God is using us

  in impossible places,

 even among the rebellious, 

to bring the love, grace

and the name of Jesus 

  to this situation

  and in our relationships.

May we remember    

       the gospel here,

always aware

  of our surroundings,

and reaching out to those 

      all around us.

Even here

someone desperately needs 

        to know Him,

maybe even those

   who we would least suspect. 

O LORD,

You cannot change our hearts

without also changing our vision.

Please make us to know

that what we are experiencing

     didn't "just so happen,"

but You have designed this time

is an opportunity

  to love others to You.

Guide us into this day

and fill us with Your grace.

Help us to see this situation

    with gospel eyes.

Empower us with Your courage

   and love to bring You 

into our conversations

     and fueling what we do.