No Greater Honor

...to serve Me...

          Exodus 28. 4

In all that we do today,

in all that we face today,

how we approach

     and navigate the hard stuff,

     the impossible schedule

                        or people,

this is the bottom line:

       to serve Me.

Serving the LORD 

   is the thread throughout,

   the focus, purpose and

         the whole enchilada

 in whatever we do today.

Even in this difficult situation,

      even in this mess,

      even in our work,

to serve the Almighty.

There is

         no greater honor.

O LORD,

Thank You for what You have

   placed before us today

not to get done

   but how to serve You

                 in it

                 and through it.

There is no divide

  between the secular 

                 and the sacred.

You grant us opportunities

   every day

      to creatively serve You

in every divine appointment

  and every sacred encounter,

even in those we do not

      recognize as such.

It is such a blessing

  to get to serve You in it.

 

The Secrets of Slow Cooking

 

...a pleasing aroma

      before the LORD.

         Exodus 29. 25

When the slow cooker

           is simmering,

and I enter the kitchen,

I am greeted by an aroma

  that can be created only

by the blending together of 

many ingredients and flavors.

That is what is produced 

by trusting God, 

responding to Him,

serving Him,

and loving others.

Every act of love, grace,

   faithfulness and worship,

blending together

            and slow cooking

into what is delightful to Him,

       the fragant aroma of Christ. 

O LORD,

May our lives today

be a pleasing aroma to You,

offering new flavors of loving You.

Help us to see 

   each individual ingredient 

              and experience

      --the sweet and savory--

in this day coming together 

     to bring glory to You.

What we love,

how we love,

       and who we love.

And that would be You.

Guiding Us In The Rest

 

And the disciples did

as Jesus had directed them...

          Matthew 26. 19

Even when it doesn't 

                 make sense,

or is terribly awkward,

or doesn't seem to matter,

or if we have a better idea

  for how it should be done,

         ...or done at all,

when we take heed

   to the voice of Jesus,

even His nudges 

  to the right or to the left,

God blesses not just

        our willingness,

but taking those actual steps

   of trusting Him.

God guides us in the rest.

And blesses far beyond

   what can be counted.

O LORD,

We seek Your direction

in the spaces and places

     before us right now.

Help us to listen to You.

And respond to Your leading.

Grant to us Your courage

   to take the first steps.

And then Your strength

       to trust you into it.

Help us to

    follow Your directions

          as we go forth

   into Your designs for us.

Write His Name All Over

 

In every place

where I cause My name

    to be remembered,

I will come to you

           and bless you.

          Exodus 20. 24

Worshiping wherever we are

changes us and even those

around us are altered

          by His Presence there.

Bring the name of Jesus

   in every place.

Someone is watching.

Someone is listening.

Someone's life is about

             to be changed.

His name is so powerful

   we cannot remain the same

...nor the place where God

has strategically positioned us. 

May we not be afraid

to speak of Me, write about Me,

     or serve Me there.

O LORD,

Write Your holy name 

    on this day 

    and in this place

and all over these circumstances.

You come to us and bless us

            by Your Presence.

May we come to You

  and bless You

through our worship and work

   and witness to others,

even those we would

    least expect

    to respond to You.

May Your name 

not just be remembered here,

but proclaimed.

While U Wait

Wait for the LORD.

Be strong 

and let your heart take courage.

Wait for the LORD.

                Psalm 27. 14

And while we wait,

pray like crazy,

be faithful to the work before us,

and trust in the 

         slow work of God.

God is on the move.

Be ready.

The issue is not

     just while we wait,

             but how we wait.

Wait in Hebrew is anything but

      a passive verb,

but means to look eagerly for,

to expect the LORD

  and fix our hope on Him,

and to bind and tie together

           a strong rope.

Waiting builds His strength

    and endurance in us.

What am I waiting for?

                   The LORD.

But perhaps He is the one

waiting for us to listen

         and seek Him.

O LORD,

Grant to us the wisdom

and strength to wait

when everything in us

wants to rush to the finish line.

Help us to trust You in this,

for Your perfect timing,

for Your purposes,

and for us to come and 

          abide with You.

The situation may not be complete.

And we may not be ready yet.

Help us to look eagerly

   not for a solution,

or end of a chapter,

          but for You.

 

Hope In Indelible Ink

 

Then the LORD said to Moses,

"Write this as a memorial

        in a book....."

                       Exodus 17. 14

Do not hesitate to write down

   what we are going through.

This experience of hardship

     or joy or difficulty

               is not for us alone.

But to share with others

to know that He is the LORD,

to trust God in unexpected

      and unusual places,

to see His glory

   even in impossible situations.

And to give others for generations

                hope

     in indelible ink.

Do not be afraid. I am with you.

                      Even in this.

O LORD,

You have given each of us

a chronicle of Your faithfulness

--episodes in the wilderness,

experiences in the familiar,

harrowing adventures,

a level path where there

           should not be one,

and a through-line

   of You abiding with us.

May we be faithful in sharing

      Your goodness

       and grace

 and the hope

 on which we can stake our lives.

Even so that

   we too would not forget.

     

        

Cannot Pray Too Much

 Whenever Moses held up his hand,

           Israel prevailed,

and whenever he lowered his hand,

           Amalek prevailed.

But Moses' hands grew weary,

so they took a stone

and put it under him,

and he sat on it,

while Aaron and Hur

          held up his hands,

one on one side,

and the other 

     on the other side.

           Exodus 17. 11-12

Never cease praying,

because even when we  

cannot discern how God is

working and infiltrating

  and moving mountains,

God calls us to be faithful.

As written in Les Miserables,

One can no more pray too much

  than one can love too much.

What if someday we will

   be held accountable

if we pray

            ...or if we don't?

O LORD,

Bringing our burdens to You

does not mean

            ceasing to pray,

but enlarging the scope

  to pray differently about them.

And to trust You more,

     not for a particular answer,

but awareness of Your Presence. 

Enlarge our hearts

   and our vision in how to pray.

Let not our hands grow weary

   in lifting up our concerns

                       to You,

even in what opportunities,

  struggles or situations,

       we face today.

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When We Can't Touch Bottom

 

When Pharoah let the people go,

God did not lead them

by way of the land

     of the Philistines,

although that was near...

But God led the people

around by the way

of the wilderness

        toward the Red Sea.

            Exodus 13. 17-18

O God, are You sure

   this is the right way to go?

Sometimes God leads us

in ways that make

   absolutely no sense to us.

Listen to Me.

Seek Me through this.

God has deeper purposes

  than what appears on the surface,

             even in adversity.

His glory covers the journey

  and the ongoing outcome.

This exodus experience 

        thousands of years ago

   still gives us hope

   on which to stake our lives.

Not wilderness at all,

         but God's wonders here.

And exactly 

      where we need to be.

O LORD,

Forgive us for second-guessing

   Your guidance,

and for trying to tell You,

     Master of the Universe,

what is best for us.

You guide us into unexpected

   and unlikely places

so that we learn that

   You are God and we are not.

Walk with us in the unfamiliar,

  on dry ground,

  and even through the sea

when we can't touch bottom.

We find Your strength

   and Your glory there.

And bring us over

               to the other shore.

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Uncomfortable, Inconvenient, and Ridiculous

 

Then the people of Israel went

         and did so,

as the LORD commanded 

               Moses and Aaron,

        so they did.

             Exodus 12. 28

What makes the vital difference

    in the trajectory of our lives

is following God's lead,

responding to His call,

listening to His voice,

even if we don't understand

nor agree,

   or see the point in it.

Not just raising our hand,

willing and able,

       but actually doing it.

Learning to obey God

may mean 

     -- as in this case --

the difference between

           life and death.

Trusting God into it,

even when uncomfortable,

     or inconvenient,

     or seemingly ridiculous,

changes the course 

               of our lives

and everyone after us.

O LORD,

Help us to realize 

the impact of 

  choosing to follow You.

Make us aware of You

and provide us the courage

  to trust You

even when we can't see

      the outcome,

    nor the next step after this.

We see the scary unknown.

You see opportunities

  to bring Your name there.

Find us faithful, dear Father.

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Equipped, Shoes Double-knotted, and Ready to Roll

 

...and we do not know

with what we must 

           serve the LORD

until we arrive there.

          Exodus 10. 26

We have no idea how

God has prepared,

   provided and equipped us

for where we are today

and for whatever is unknown

   coming down the pike.

Why are we going through

  this struggle or hard stuff?

That we may be strengthened

         and compassionate,

ready to go wherever God

  has strategically positioned us,

not as spectators

         but as first responders.

Even in this situation today.

"Oh, so that's why that happened."

"Ahhh, that is what this is about,"

all those odd things

  we don't understand at the time.

And sometimes still remain

               beyond our reach.

But not His.

O LORD,

Prepare our hands

  and soften our hearts

that we would be aware of You,

especially where You

   have placed us 

for Your goodness and glory.

May nothing

    --fear or lack of understanding--

stand in the way

of our faithfulness to You.

You have formed 

    something new in us,

forged by experience

and by the Holy Spirit

  surging in our souls.

Go Forth Into This Day

Let My people go,

that they may serve Me.

       Exodus 8. 1

From what has God 

  released us 

or unleashed in our 

        circumstances

that we may serve Him?

On the surface, 

it may not appear as 

     an opportunity,

but a hardship of some kind,

but God provides a path

    through the storm

and portals of ministry

to love others

  every which way we can.

Serving God

  arrives in unusual ways,

  in unexpected places,

and among the unlikely.

When we seize an opening,

something always unfolds

     in the spiritual realm,

sometimes in ways 

       we may not realize.

Let My people go?

 Have at it.

 Go forth into this day.

O LORD,

You have released us today

   to serve You.

Help us to be watchful

for every opportunity,

even those that are 

     not so obvious.

Bring Your glory

   to this place

and to our service

that others may see

Your steadfast love through us.

And aware that a thousand galaxies

  explode into view,

even beyond our scope.

 

Unfolding Every Detail

 

But the LORD said to :Moses,

"Now you shall see

      what I will do....

           Exodus 6. 1

No matter our circumstances

or difficulties or struggles,

  God tells us the same thing.

"Trust Me.

         Now watch this!"

Everything is in place

and moving forward,

far before we see the results

    or God's redeeming in this.

Refrain from claiming,

"This is what God is doing,"

because His work is

  way beyond our comprehension.

But some day, looking back,

we may be able to discern pathways

        that extend into eternity.

O LORD, 

We live in expectation 

  of what You are doing.

Help us to accept

     and run with it.

Prepare, provide 

    and redeem this time

for Your Kingdom

             and Your glory.

There is no randomness here.

You unfold every detail 

   for Your purposes.

Find us faithful, Almighty One,

even when we don't understand.

Help us to trust Your ways

      and follow Your leading.

Strength In What We Don't See Coming

 

For You equipped me

with strength for the battle...

         Psalm 18. 39

We cannot fathom 

the situations God uses

to prepare and strengthen us,

    for both what we see

    and what we don't see coming.

Or through experiences that seem

   random at the time.

Or accepting the "needless" things 

   God puts in our lives

   to equip us for storms that are

          not even on our radar.

His strength is like none other,

  and certainly not of ourselves.

O LORD,

Battles arrive in 

     all kinds of packages

     and flavors.

And just about always

            overwhelming.

But we can count on You.

You live among us

and weave Your strength

   into the fabric of our souls.

You are with us

and have prepared us for this

in unexpected ways and

faithfulness in the everydays.

If Not For God

 

But Moses said to God,

"Who am I

that I should go to Pharaoh

and bring the children of Israel

           out of Egypt?"

He said,

"But I will be with you...."

            Exodus 3. 11-12

Remember not who am I,

but who God is,

      the great I AM.

But I will be with you.

     No exclusions.

God never sends us off

   without that assurance.

And that changes

                everything.

When frightened in the night,

one of our little girls once said,

"Oh, I wouldn't have been afraid,

       if I knew you were here."

Trust Me in this, God whispers.

Holy ground is where

                        God is.

And that is right here.

What am I doing now

that would be impossible

     to even consider,

if not for God?

O LORD,

How differently we would

   see this situation of ours,

if we considered 

     Your Presence here.

It is not who we are,

   but who You are.

Guide us.

Cover us.

Bring us through

 what seems impossible.

You are with us.

And You are faithful.

We won't even be able

   to count Your wonders.

But What We Do With It

 

But Jesus said,

"They need not go away.

You give them 

    something to eat."

They said to Him, 

"We have only 

        five loaves here

        and two fish."

And He said,

   "Bring them to Me."

          Matthew 14. 16-18

It's not a matter of what we have

  or what we don't have,

  but what we do with it.

Bring it to Jesus,

whether praise or pain,

provision or project,

   problem or panic.

Lay it before Him.

Not to give God a chance at it,

  but to open the door

for the Holy Spirit to infiltrate

        and enlarge it.

And open our hearts

  to His Presence.

O LORD,

May we be willing 

to come before You

not as a last resort,

but our first response.

When we are faced

   with the impossible,

or even with the familiar,

abide in us

that we would not just see

needs around us,

but the people with struggles, 

both visible and invisible.

May we not just be

    willing to help,

but bake the bread

    and watch You multiply

      the loaves and lives.

Spread Your love thick,

and use us to do so.

Opening All Kinds of Portals

 

And now do not be distressed

or angry with yourselves

because you sold me here,

for God sent me before you

            to preserve life...

So it was not you

who sent me here,

                 but God.

          Genesis 45. 5, 8

We may be swallowed up

by regrets,

but God redeems

even our messing up.

He uncovers His ultimate glory

and prevailing purposes 

      despite us,

in things and ways

   we cannot fathom.

Joseph forgave his brothers

      some really hard stuff.

Forgiveness 

  always opens all kinds of portals

   for God's goodness 

   and an incredible story of redemption.

We cannot make this stuff up,

                      but God.

O LORD,

I am so sorry

   for what I have done

   and what I have left undone.

I am swallowed by regrets

     but bring them before You.

Help me to not be hampered

           by so many what if's

but to go forth forgiven

  and empowered

      to follow You

      into what is now.

I cannot rewind,

  but You redeem

          the brokenness.

Find us faithful.

Surprise us by Your new creation

  coming even out of ashes,

pushing back the darkness

and helping us once again 

   to witness Your Presence here.

It is not in us, but You, O God.

     

          

Fear Of Missing Out

 

What is this that

God has done to us?

           Genesis 42. 28

It's curious that 

when hardship arrives,

people cast blame on God,

but in the midst of blessing,

  claim it either as luck

  or one's own doing.

The truth is that

we cannot fully know

God's purposes in a situation,

nor yet see His redeeming,

    nor His bigger picture in this.

God is good.

On that truth, 

   we can stake our lives

   and trust Him in it.

Our real anxiety should be

the fear of missing out

        on His wonders.

Even in this struggle.

Love you bunches.

Praying for you

                   to not miss out on His mighty works.

O LORD,

Instead of asking 

what in the world

     are You thinking,

may we contemplate

 what You are bringing

 to this difficult situation.

And let You be God

        and not us.

May we see Your glory

    in Your mighty works,

even those we do not

         yet understand.

Help us to not miss out

  on the other side

             of trusting You.

Start By Dialing 911

 

I call upon the LORD,

who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved 

              from my enemies...

In my distress,

I called upon the LORD,

to my God

     I cried for help.

From His temple

  He heard my voice,

and my cry to Him

         reached His ears.

              Psalm 18. 3,6

In our circumstances,

does it even occur to us

     to call upon the Lord God

   and cry HELP?

God does not just listen.

       God responds.

He will either airlift us 

   out of enemy territory

or carry us through,

    all the while holding our hand,

while we walk with Him.

 His wonders unfold

         along the way all around us.

And it all starts

         with that 911 call to Him.

He's got us.

 

O LORD,

Our foes are anything we fear,

both real and imagined.

Strengthen us 

to not bow before them,

  but bow before You.

In our distress,

   You are our first responder,

                   not last resort.

You hear our cries for help.

And remind us:

   Do not fear.  I am with you.

You are God.

         And we are not.

Hear us.

Hold us.

Help us.

Even in this situation today.

What Is God Bringing Out Of This?

 

God has made me 

  forget all my hardship.....

For God has made me

  fruitful

in the land of my affliction.

           Genesis 41. 51-52

Just because life may be hard

does not mean 

     God has abandoned us,

nor that we are not

  right in the center of His will.

God bears tremendous fruit

             in barren places.

    He always has.

We have only to trust Him,

  be faithful there,

  and get back to work.

God's Presence

             hovers over us.

In due time,

God reveals His purposes

                   in all this.

And the hardships fade

   in light of His glory.

What will God bring out of this?

His redeeming, 

              every time.

O LORD,

Help us to see past our fears

and our tears 

   and this wave of hardships

to what You are doing

  in us and everyone around us.

We can never know

   the full extent of 

   what You are bringing about.

You do not 

    have a singular reason for it,

but You weave eternal purposes

            in it.

Strengthen us!

Make us fruitful

  in this land of our affliction.

Because this situation,

even this,

            is holy ground.

Most Of Which We Are Unaware

 

A sower went out to sow....

Other seeds fell on good soil  

      and produced grain,

some a hundredfold,

some sixty,

some thirty.

             Matthew 13. 3, 8

We have no idea  

how God uses us for His Kingdom,

in the lives of others,

and for His glory in this time and place.

We have only to be faithful,

sowing His gospel and His Word

in our work, our words,

   and even our attitude.

God raises up His fruit

  in the most unlikely places

  and souls

     far beyond our lifetimes.

Pray for soil #4.

O LORD,

We pray for good soil

   already prepared

   and ready to accept You,

even those we least suspect.

Work into these hearts

  the miracle-gro of Your Spirit.

Use us mightily in what appears

      as ordinary situations,

knowing that there is

     no randomness here.

Guide us as we

       go out to sow.

May Your steadfast love

  take root and bear amazing fruit,

most of which we are unaware.

Help us to follow You

   into our conversations today

and allow ourselves to sow

              and be led by You.

 

Be That Kind Of Stubborn

My steps have held fast

    to Your paths.

My feet have not slipped.

           Psalm 17. 5

We have all witnessed

the persistent,

uncompromising, 

headstrong will

     of a three year old.

Be that kind of stubborn.

Kicking and screaming

    to abide with God.

Digging in our heels

  to hold tight to 

     God's way in this,

no matter the enticements,

  distractions or bribes.

Keep hiking with

              the Almighty,

loving others into the Kingdom,

serving God in unlikely places,

   responding in the long haul,

not just on barren land,

    but realizing this is sacred ground.

That's what faithfulness does.

Stay on the trail. Stick with Jesus.

   Trust Me where.

O LORD,

Help us to realize that

  being the best kind of strong-willed

is to insist on Your will,

              not ours.

Guide our steps

   and empower us to

   stay with You,

even when the terrain

  urges us off the path.

Give us the boldness

  to follow You into 

       Your purposes today,

wherever You lead.

And encourage others

   to be stubborn in You too.

 

 

In Case of Storms

 

Do not be afraid of sudden terror

  or of the storm of the wicked,

                  when it comes,

for the LORD 

      will be your confidence

and will keep your foot

from being caught.

             Proverbs 3. 25-26

Not if but when,

   be prepared for the storms.

Panic will grab us by the neck

  and push us off the cliff.

But Jesus takes us by the hand

  and guides us through.

Let not fear distract us

   or rob us from sleep.

Trust Me in this.

O LORD,

In trusting You,

we approach and navigate

these storms in our lives

       differently,

because we know

             You are with us.

Let not fear prevail,

   but Your Presence with us.

Wherever, in whatever, 

     whenever, 

You bring us through.

        You always will.

Lead us into 

      Your way in this,

and protect us from despair.

 

The Stickiness of Witness

 

...to bear witness before them

                and the Gentiles.

When they deliver you over,

do not be anxious

   how you are to speak

or what you are to say,

for what you are to say

  will be given to you in that hour.

For it is not you who speak,

but the Spirit of the Father

   speaking through you.

            Matthew 10. 18-20

This verse does not say

   do not be prepared,

but do not be anxious.

God places us

in the most unusual situations

  strategically for His glory.

Be not afraid to speak of Him

  in our speech, work, 

  conversations or writing.

God uses us in ways

   we cannot ever imagine.

The words He gives us

   are a sticky witness,

to draw others to Him.

Be prepared

        to bear witness

Why am I here?

   Bring the name of Jesus.

O LORD,

We have no idea what words

   will be remembered.

We cannot conceive

   how they bear fruit

           and multiply.

All we need to do

   is pay attention

        and be faithful.

Even in this unlikely place

   or awkward situation,

You change lives forever

  with the seeds we plant.

Help us to make space

   for Your Spirit to enter 

in every sacred encounter

that we too often ignore.

 

Not Have To But Get To

 

And whoever gives

one of these little ones

even a cup of cold water

because he is a disciple,

truly, I say to you,

he will by no means

       lose his reward.

         Matthew 10. 42

Because we follow Jesus,

  we can see and respond

               differently,

not because we have to,

      but we get to,

not out of obligation,

      but sheer joy of serving.

Even an unexpected cup of water

   --literal or metaphorical--

 can change the course of a life.

No act of mercy

     is ever insignificant.

Even if no one notices,

                God sees.

God redeems.

God multiplies.

O LORD,

Open our eyes,

not just to see opportunities

             to serve You,

but to respond with grace

    and mercy and joy.

We can go forth differently

into this day

         or into this fray,

because Your love abides in us.

Help us to see this hard situation

     as an opportunity.

Guide us how to love others

   in their moments of need,

even in the most unlikely ways.

Align our hearts with Yours.

          

The Original Just Do It

 

Now then,

whatever God has said to you,

            do.

            Genesis 31. 16 

Whether we understand

   the significance or not,

whether inconvenient,

  uncomfortable

or even what stretches us,

the actual doing

        is not the main point,

but responding to God

and being faithful to Him.

He brings His fruit to it.

O LORD,

I can't do this. It is beyond me.

And You say, Good.

           Because I can.

Grant to us Your courage,

strength and vision

    to see this not as

    a bothersome task,

but a divine assignment

  with eternal implications.

And to just do it.

   You will probably surprise us.

Help us to not question You

  but to follow You into this.

Find us faithful in the doing.

And in our trusting You.

          Even in this.

          Even today.

God Is Saying Yes

 

...and Jesus said to them,

"Do you believe that I am

      able to do this?"

They said to Him,

             "Yes, Lord."

Then He touched their eyes,

saying, "According to your faith

       be it done to you."

 And their eyes were opened.

                  Matthew 9. 28-30

Do we believe God is able?

Do we even come to Him with

  our needs and desperations?

Do we acknowledge and trust Him

      in what He brings about

                   and how?

Even if the outcome or answer

  is not what we are seeking,

God is saying yes to something more

          and something deeper,

perhaps even beyond our lifetimes.

    Or right at this moment.

O LORD,

Not our way in this,

            but Yours.

Use this situation, this condition,

   these difficulties

to draw us closer to You.

Encourage us to know

  that You are at work,

not limited by our

             puny thoughts.

And that You are able

to do far more abundantly

    than we can ever imagine.

May Your Presence cover us

    and guide us

even in this difficulty today.

Open the eyes of our hearts

   not just to what is possible,

but to Your extraordinary ways

      in this very day.

More Than We Can Imagine or Pray For

 

 Then Jacob awoke 

 from his sleep and said, 

"Surely the LORD

    is in this place,

and I did not know it."

        Genesis 28. 16

We have no idea.

In the most unlikely,

unexpected, 

surprising places and situations,

    God is already here.

Past, present, future tense.

When we trust the LORD,

seek Him even in the midst

  of difficulties and strangeness,

follow Him one step

  and then another,

God reveals Himself to us.

Even in what we are 

   going through right now,

when it feels like we cannot breathe,

even when we cannot yet

    see His fingerprints,

God is already profoundly working.

God does what we cannot,

far more than we can imagine

    even know to pray for.

The LORD who is there 

       --who is right here-- whispers,

"I am with you. Do not be afraid."

O LORD,

Remind us daily,

even moment by moment,

that You are in this place

  and deep situations,

in so many ways

              we are unaware.

Assure us of Your Presence.

Help us to be faithful

  to what You have called us

in the familiar, strange,

awkward, and difficult.

Do Your mighty work, O God,

   even in ways and places,

    we don't realize.

Even in our hearts.

Just Not The Same

 

They said,

"We see plainly that the LORD

 has been with you." 

                Genesis 26. 28

What does that look like today?

Not necessarily success,

but how we handle 

ongoing adversities, 

cavernous potholes,

big disappointments,

 small irritations,

    even impossible people

                      differently

because we are Christ-followers.

People are always watching us

not to see if our lives are perfect,

but how we respond

when life doesn't appear that way.

They want to know

    if God is real

and He is here,

and if His steadfast love

    really makes a difference

in our lives.

O LORD,

Radiate from within us

  that others may come to

  know You.

Help us to make choices today

in divine appointments

  and sacred encounters,

even in the oddest places,

that reveal how Your love

has transformed our hearts.

Empower us

     to live differently 

     in these circumstances

   as a witness

   and for Your glory.

And know that 

   we are not alone.

You walk with us here.

        

Remember I'm In The Boat With You

 

And He said to them,

"Why are you afraid,

    O you of little faith?"

               Matthew 8. 26

Pretty much, Jesus asks me

that question almost daily.

Why are you afraid?

         Don't you trust Me?

Note the connection

  between fear and little faith.

Fear dissolves

  and no longer has a grip,

when we are trusting God.

Remember I'm in the boat with you,

             He points out.

Fear says, "We don't know 

  what to do.

  We are overwhelmed.

Faith knows that God knows

   exactly what He is doing.

Imagine that!

God overcomes

   what overwhelms us.

Faith does not preselect

     a favorable answer,

but seeks God Himself.

O LORD,

Why are we so afraid

   in this situation

   and the next?

You respond,

       Abide in Me.

We are not alone after all.

But You are along,

  guiding us

  and banishing fear.

           Be gone!

 

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A Series of Echoes

 

And in your offspring

all the nations of the earth

shall be blessed,

because Abraham 

  obeyed My voice

  and kept My charge......

        Genesis 26. 4-5

And in our own

     circles of influence

in which we dwell,

obeying the LORD,

responding to Him,

and being faithful in

whatever He has placed

before us 

   --no matter how big

                  or small --

   always reverberates.

Faithfulness resounds, 

   resonates,

   and echoes over and over.

for generations

    in unexpected ways. 

It is not just what we do,

but what God is forming

   in us and through us,

far beyond what we can

  imagine or pray for.

Lives in this generation

and a thousand years hence

          hang in the balance.

O LORD,

Abraham had no idea

how his faithfulness

      still reverberates.

Neither do we.

Dear Father, guide us

  into Your way

  and into this day

to stay faithful 

             even in this.

May You be blessed,

even as we seek

   to bless those around us.

Help us to listen to You

and go forth differently

  into the known

  and the yet unknown.

Because it is

      not unknown to You.

Go Forth and Go With

 

The LORD,

before Whom I have walked,

will send His angel with you

        and prosper your way.

                Genesis 24. 40

The actual structure

of the verse in Hebrew says,

"who I have walked before."

Abraham had walked 

  many miles with God,

not the first time of responding

to God to go along,

to go through, to follow,

to pursue, to go one's way,

to go on, 

not just to go forth,

  but to go forward in anything.

Abraham knew

to follow the LORD

even when he didn't understand,

   which was a lot of times.

To prosper may not initially appear

         as a grand success,

but beyond surviving

  to thriving in the unexpected,

to flourish and fulfill

      in the most unlikely ways.

God goes before us.

God goes with us.

We each have a chronicle

       of His faithfulness,

not yet finished.

O LORD,

Help us to trust You in this.

May we be assured 

   that You are with us,

guiding us 

      in the way we should go

  in the familiar

      and the dark unknown.

Not just to go forth,

   but to go with.

I can't do this.

    And you respond,

      But I am with you.

Empower us

     to follow You into it.   

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Never Gonna Let Us Go

 

The LORD is a stronghold

          for the oppressed,

a stronghold 

       in times of trouble.

And those who know Your name

     put their trust in You,

for You, O LORD,

have not forsaken those

     who seek You.

            Psalm 9. 9-10

Stronghold is both a noun

       and a verb.

The LORD is a stronghold,

   a refuge and a fortress,

in order to protect, nurture,

          and strengthen.

But God also

    has a strong hold on us.

Never gonna let us go.

We seek God

  and then realize that 

  He is the one pursuing us

                    all along.

He covers us 

    in times of trouble

which we rarely see coming.

May we live in His stronghold

and experience His strong hold

       in our everydays

so that we are already dwelling there

   when difficulties arise.

His strong hold transmits

      His strength to us.

O LORD,

Hold us tight.

Bind us to You.

Surround us with

     shouts of deliverance.

Sing over us

     Your steadfast love.

Help us to know

   and feel and recognize

             Your Presence.

You are a stronghold.

You are our stronghold,

    even in this situation today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Trust What I Am Doing Here

 

Then God opened her eyes,

and she saw a well of water.

               Genesis 21. 19

Seek God.

Pay attention.

And get ready for the unexpected

    in the ordinary 

              and the extraordinary.

We overlook the most incredible

  moments of God's provision

  and goodness

because we have not looked to Him,

nor waited

and watched with softened hearts.

Don't miss this, God whispers to us.

Trust what I am doing here.

O LORD,

Please help us 

to see our struggles,

   difficult situations,

or even this unknown place

        differently

because we have asked You

                to guide us.

And You reply,

       Follow Me into this.

Empower us 

    to recognize Your hand

and not dismiss 

   the well of water You reveal.

Align our eyes and our hearts

     with Yours 

in whatever we face today.

Prepare us to say Wow!

  I never saw that before.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

What We Miss When We Don't

 

Therefore, I tell you,

do not be anxious

        about your life,

what you will eat 

or what you will drink,

nor about your body,

   what you will put on.

          Matthew 6. 25

These are the very words of Jesus.

What is He trying to 

           get across to us?

Do not be anxious

  is repeated six times

          in nine verses.

What part of that truth

    do we not understand?

There is a reason for it.

Being anxious 

     jams all the phone lines,

blinds us to God's provision,

     protection and Presence,

locks the doors

   and cuts off the power.

But most of all,

    being anxious keeps us

    from trusting God Almighty.

And oh, what we miss

          when we don't.

Anxiety promises the world

  and drops us over a cliff.

Seek Me instead.

Have we even thought of

      trusting Him about it?

God provides a way through

      -- all the way through.

O LORD,

You are in control.

Help us to know we aren't,

 nor do you intend us to be.

You watch over us.

You care for us.

You provide a way through

  that we cannot see

             on our own.

May we not be dominated

     by impending doom,

  but by Your Presence.

Walk with us.

Go before us.

Guide our steps.

The unknown

   is not unknown to You.

We don't know what to do,

    but we know 

    we can trust You.

 

Not Often Enough

 

....and I will sing praise

      to the name of the

      LORD Most High.

             Psalm 7. 17

When do we sing praises

           to our God?

     Not often enough.

Because when we praise God,

  we see our circumstances

  and even our struggles

    with a new heart,

              fresh eyes,

       and a strength that

                is not our own.

God's goodness

  extends way out there

  in the most unexpected places.

Sing His name

               over this situation.

Recognize His signature

     over what we face.

Praise Him 

    not for what He does.

But for who He is.

And go forth into the day

differently as a result.

O LORD,

We don't praise You

           as we should.

And then we wonder

  why we struggle.

We praise You not just for

   Your goodness

         or blessings upon us,

     but because You are God.

Praise does not change You,

   but strengthens us

not by circumstances, 

        but by acknowledging You.

Not just praising You for good stuff,

but praising You in 

           what is so hard.

We can go forth differently

because praising You

                   changes us. 

May we write Your name

     all over this day.

Knowing Redemption Is In This Somehow

 

Is anything too hard

       for the LORD?

At the appointed time....

         Genesis 18. 14

We stand right in the midst

   of God's divine appointments,

although we rarely see,

  realize or recognize them as such.

This struggle? This ongoing problem?

          This tangled mess?

But we are called to be faithful

  even when we don't see the endgame,

or understand this chaos,

or what appears as mundane

              random or unfruitful.

We have no idea what God

       will bring from it.

Nothing is too hard for Him.

     And thereby we can

     go forth differently into it.

And know that there is redemption

          in this somehow. 

O LORD,

Your Holy Word is full of stories

  with the most unexpected journeys.

Help us to trust You 

    in our own walk with You.

Nothing is beyond Your power

     or the fulfilling of Your purposes,

        even if we can't see it yet.

Grant us the strength

     to stake our lives

     on Your appointed times.

You redeem all things

         in one way or a million.

Help Is Not On The Way

O LORD, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me.

Many are saying of my soul,

  there is no salvation for him

  in God.

But You, O LORD,

are a shield about me,

my glory,

      and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the LORD,

and He answered me

        from His holy hill.

           Psalm 3. 1-4

Our foes and enemies

     are whatever we fear,

both real and imagined,

in onslaught or an ambush.

They jolt us awake

     in the middle of the night, 

they pursue us relentlessly,

and they mock us when we

                trust God.

But You, O LORD...

are words of strength

   in whatever we struggle

and wherever You place us.

We are not to whimper 

         or run for cover,

but cry aloud to the LORD.

Help is not on the way.

God is already here.

We just didn't realize it yet.

O LORD,

We are all tripped up by fears,

   worries, anxieties

  and all of their ruthless clan,

when all along You are with us.

We need not submit 

          to their fearful demands,

but call out loud to You.

You are our shield, our glory

  and the lifter of our head.

Make Your Presence

      tangible to us today.

Redeem the impossible. 

What God Is Forming In Me Through This

And the waters 

   continued to abate

until the tenth month.

In the tenth month

  on the first day of the month,

the tops of the mountains

           were seen.

          Genesis 8. 5

Come on, come on, come on,

       Noah whispered every morning.

And then he saw

      the tops of mountains emerging

      from the waters

            as far as he could see.

Sometimes we wait.

And then, sometimes a little bit longer.

It is just not ready yet.

Indeed, we may not be ready yet.

And even then,

when it appears complete

     or seems right on time,

we may need 

   to wait some more.

"There is only one thing

harder than waiting,

and that is not waiting on God."

             -- Crawford Loritts 

God is bringing about

   that which is far bigger

   than our puny ideas.

He engraves His glory on it.

O LORD,

Waiting is never a waste of time,

but creates valuable moments

of trusting You,

not for a particular answer,

but what You are

    forming in us through this.

Help us to realize

that You are not restricted

   by circumstances or time.

You redeem every moment.

And we can trust You.

Waiting on You

     and trusting in You,

is never passive,

but a time of miracle grow.

 

Never Walk Alone

 

Enoch walked with God....

            Genesis 5. 22 24

Enoch's relationship with God

  and his moment by moment

  walk with Him

impacted everything about him:

what he loved,

what he pursued,

how he treated others,

where he went

   and where he didn't go,

what he thought,

what he said,

   and how he prayed.

These practices changed

  the course of his life

  and generations after him

             in profound ways.

Enoch was Noah's great grandfather.

And Noah needed

      that kind of strength.

O LORD,

Please help us to walk with You,

realizing our choices and witness

           point others to You,

those we know

     and those who come after us.

Make us faithful in the everydays

   and for the children 

    of the furthest generation.

It is not our footsteps

  that pave the way,

             but Yours.

  

.