The Wilderness Between Point A and Point B

 

...and in the wilderness,

where you have seen

how the LORD your God

       carried you,

as a man carries his son,

all the way that you went

until you came

               to this place.

           Deuteronomy 1. 31

How quickly we forget

how God carried us through

   the rough places before.

May we remember, mark,

      underline the chronicle

  of God's faithfulness to us,

through those wilderness places

  we would never have chosen,

but full of His wonders.

God has not just brought us through,

but He has carried us

         with His steadfast love

         that never lets go,

as scripture says here,

          all the way

until we came 

      to this appointed place.

Sometimes the wilderness

   is between point A and point B.

We can approach and navigate

  the difficult and unknown

because He is still with us.

He is not about to 

          abandon us now.

Wilderness or not,

   You are doing a mighty work here.

 

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed 

  by the wilderness

          all around us.

Help us to know

that You never intended

       for us to go it alone.

Show us the wonders here.

Provide for us Your strength.

Reveal Yourself to us.

Carry us through

    not just to the other side,

but all along the journey,

      Your Presence prevails.

What Grows Here

 

...but one who sows righteousness

        gets a sure reward.

                   Proverbs 11. 18

Sowing is an intentional action, 

          a choice, a determined effort,

scattering seed upon the ground,

      not randomly but for growth,

to set something good in motion,

and to spread blessing

           in unexpected places.

Doing what is good and right

      and faithful

is what multiplies God's glory

even in ways 

  we may never see,

even in places

   beyond the horizon.

We can't define what will grow

   and take root

   and bear fruit,

but we can be faithful to God

      in every holy moment.

O LORD,

May we not place limits

on what we think You can do,

or take credit

  in the ways --and lives--

              that You bear fruit.

Your righteousness,

  always changes the landscape

     and the course of our lives.

And when we generously sow,

   no matter the place or space

                     or pace,

You make a thousand galaxies 

     explode into view

by the touch of Your hand.

It is our utter joy

     to bring Your goodness here.

Something Remarkable Coming Into View

 

And when He had finished speaking,

Jesus said to Simon,

"Put out into the deep

and let down your nets

               for a catch."

And Simon answered,

"Master we toiled all night

    and took nothing!

But at Your word,

     I will let down the nets."

And when they had done this,

they enclosed 

   a large number of fish,

and their nets were breaking.

                Luke 5. 4-6

We often question,

  "But God, there's nothing here.

                I already tried that."

But Simon took it to the next step,

   "But at Your Word...."

He trusted that Jesus knew

    what was deeper at stake.

Even now, something remarkable

   is about to emerge

of which we are largely unaware,

that which is just waiting

       below the surface.

When we respond to His voice,

we have no idea 

    what is in store

to both amaze and sustain us.

God brings His glory

   in all sizes of nets.

O LORD,

Help us to take the next step

     in trusting You

     in this impossible situation.

Nudge us to let down

and put out into the deep,

even when it doesn't 

      make sense to us.

We don't want to miss

  Your purposes in it

nor Your revealing the supernatural.

May our nets break

    honoring You today.

Even In The Middle Of Nowhere

 

And they set out from Marah

    and came to Elim;

at Elim there were 

twelve springs of water

  and seventy palm trees,

and they camped there.

           Numbers 33. 9

And all along 

   our hard journeys,

God provides

     in the middle of nowhere,

a rest area on the highway,

a moment of refreshment,

a word of encouragement,

a kindness, a bit of shade,

    or a sip of cold water.

God gives us a glimpse

    of His Presence

when we feel totally alone

        on this long road trip.

He does not show up.

      He is right here with us.

We are not wandering after all.

He is drawing us

         closer to Him.

O LORD,

Thank You 

   for keeping us going,

strengthening us

when we need it most,

when we need You most.

Open our eyes

      to Your wonders

      all around us.

Encourage us

  in knowing You are here,

You are there ahead,

You have been with us

          all along.

Even in this,

even in the shadowlands,

Your steadfast love

   and purposes prevail.

Help us to know it doesn't require

           a palm tree

   to know that.

Take The High Road

 

Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer.

From the end of the earth

  I call to You

  when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock

     that is higher than I,

for You have been my refuge,

a strong tower against 

                       the enemy.

                Psalm 61. 1-3

From the ends of the earth

        and the end of our rope,

   God listens

   when we call out to Him.

When we are desperate

and walking in the

    valley of deep darkness,

               God responds.

He guides us

  to take the high road

              in this situation.

Follow Me,

take refuge in Me,

   and go forth strengthened.

We see differently

               from the high road,

not just the circumstances,

nor a new view,

                 but Him.

O LORD,

May we not wait

    until the slippery slope,

    imminent defeat,

end of our rope,

    or helicopter airlift rescue,

before we call out to You.

Walk with us on this mountain.

Help us to choose

   the high road

     and perhaps more difficult path,

not just to bring honor to You,

  but to be with You 

in the journey and the outcome.

Lift our eyes from the gravel

   to the amazing views.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Stuck In Our Heads

 

But I will sing of Your strength.

I will sing aloud

of Your steadfast love

       in the morning.

For You have been to me

a fortress and a refuge

  in the day of my distress.

            Psalm 59. 16

Have you ever passed 

a moving car and the driver

is singing out loud

         with all his heart?

Be that driver.

Because when we sing aloud

   about God's strength

  and verbalize His Presence

       at the beginning of the day,

it is a song that never ends

    throughout the hours.

The tunes stick in our heads

      and permeate our day.

We are changed by it,

because we are aware

      of His abiding with us.

We go forth strengthened.

Healing has been triggered

  by music engraved in our souls.

God hums the melodies with us

    as we navigate our day.

And pushes back the darkness.

O LORD,

Whether facing triumph or sorrow,

journeying through pain or joy,

may we still be singing with You

           when the evening comes.

Something is different

      among Your people, O Lord,

a strength that is not our own

and Your Presence abides

      in so many dimensions.

You have a strong hold on us.

You give us the songs

   to sing out loud

in all that we do and say and pray.

How can we sing of You

       in these circumstances?

Every which way we can.

Others are listening

not to our voices,

            but to Your glory.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Between A Rock and A Hard Place

 

Then the angel of the LORD

went ahead

and stood in a narrow place,

where there was 

      no way to turn

either to the right

           or to the left.

           Numbers 22. 26

Sometimes God

stops us dead in our tracks,

right between 

    a rock and a hard place.

Turn neither to the right

  nor to the left.

            Turn to Me.

God shows us His way.

And sometimes 

        --rather many times--

we will not understand.

But we don't have to.

   We have only to be faithful --

to walk, to turn, 

    to stay right where we are--

for His protection,

     provision and Presence.

Limitation is neither a stop sign

   nor a U-turn,

but a form of guidance.

Don't go there.

  Go this other way through.

O LORD,

Help us to know that

there are no small obediences.

Every action and response

  layers upon the next.

Make us so aware 

    of Your guidance today

in Your divine appointments

      and sacred encounters,

nothing random at all,

            only eternal.

And whether we feel

  confident on our journey,

or feel like we have

         nowhere to turn,

may we turn to You.

No place better

  than to be with You.

Campsites, Rest Areas, and of course, the Snacks

 

And the people of Israel

set out and camped

in Oboth.

And they set out from Oboth

and camped at Lye-abarim...

From there they set out

             and camped...

From there they set out

            and camped....

          Numbers 21. 10-13

And so on,

                and so on.

Aren't we there yet, O LORD?

It may feel like we are wandering

      in the wilderness,

but every step, every turn,

   every place we set up camp,

        God's purposes prevail.

God whispers,

There's something I want you

           to see here,

    something to know,

    someone to love for Me.

Where in the world 

             is God taking us?

It doesn't matter as long as

  we are traveling with Him

  into His purposes.

God provides the campsites,

the rest areas,

   and the snacks along the way.

Trusting God brings 

    His strength to us

and opens our eyes

    to His wonders.

O LORD,

We ask You to guide us.

You say, 

           Follow Me.

And don't miss the views.

You have brought us 

            to this place,

   familiar or strange,

that we may trust You more.

Walk with us

           all the way through.

Patience For What We Do Not Yet See

 

And the people became impatient

              on the way.

             Numbers 21. 4

In the Hebrew, impatient

literally means 

      "reap too early."

When we do not trust God

  for His goodness

                  and timing,

we are digging up

  what God has planted

       before it bears fruit.

And then we wonder why

  there is no life there.

We are the ones who miss out,

not just in the outcome,

  but the growing season.

With impatience comes

taking things into

             our own hands

as if we know better than God.

And what we reap is

weariness, anxiety, fear, stress,

a bounty crop of 

    what we don't want,

and missing out

          on His goodness.

O LORD,

Help us to trust You

  not just for Your goodness,

but Your wonders

  growing beneath the surface,

deep roots and abundant fruit,

     that we don't yet see.

Not only holding out for it,

  but cultivating the very ground

  You have entrusted us.

In the ordinary and extraordinary,

  You are creating

         the great and holy.

Help us to trust You in this day 

  when we don't yet see

what You are nurturing

       in us

       and through us.

Both Sides Of The Coin

 

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?

...This I know that

            God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise.

In the LORD,

    whose word I praise.

In God I trust. 

         I shall not be afraid.

          Psalm 56. 3-4, 9-10

God hears us.

     And God is acting.

We can go forth

bold, confident and secure,

  not in our own abilities,

but trusting God

        to bring us through.

Fear calls out, "Over here, this way!"

   and then turns off the flashlight.

But with God, we can walk

  with Him through the brokenness

          and every such difficulty,

in what we cannot do on our own

      or even think we can.

Hope is not wishing for,

but knowing that God is with us.

We can trust in Him.

He does not just show up.

          He shows us

   both sides of the coin:

In God I trust.

   I shall not be afraid.

O LORD,

Help us to realize the connection

between trusting You

  and not having to be paralyzed by fear.

We don't have to live that way.

You are not just a 911 emergency call.

Empower us to know

  we can trust You,

  even when we are not afraid.

So we already know to trust You

    when fear stares us in the face.

Help us to live differently

  in this fearful broken world.

Even in every moment today,

          for Your glory here.

But We Do

 

Then Moses and Aaron went

from the presence of the assembly

to the entrance 

of the tent of meeting

       and fell on their faces.

And the glory of the LORD

  appeared to them.

               Numbers 20. 6

It is on our knees before the LORD

in prayer, submission and worship

  that we see God differently

and another way through

            the difficulty.

God's glory covers the situation

   and changes our hearts.

Seek His Presence.

         He is already here.

O LORD,

No matter where we are

or where You have placed us,

amidst blue skies or storms,

when we worship You,

   something always happens.

Circumstances may

               or may not change,

     but we do.

You bring Your glory here

in the most unlikely ways

   and unexpected situations.

Find us faithful, O LORD.

Find us on our knees.

Your glory reverberates

  even when we are not aware.

Holds Us Up And Holds Us Together

 

Behold, 

      God is my helper.

The LORD is the

        upholder of my life.

         Psalm 54. 4

Nowhere does God say

we must pull ourselves up

     by our bootstraps.

That is a prescription for despair,

  desperation, and gloom.

Instead we can abide

       in the promises of God.

God does not just give us hope.

He does not just send help.

    God gives us Himself.

He is my helper

   and the upholder of my life.

Recite. Repeat. Remember.

    And live that way.

God holds us up.

God holds us together.

He helps us, aids, girds,

surrounds, defends,

and gives us the victory.

He gives a story

             for His glory.

God is right here with us.

Lean on Me.

I've got you.

Stay with Me.

O LORD,

Do not just remind us

   of Your Presence.

But grant to us the courage

   to live differently,

even in the really hard stuff.

Help us to turn to You

  and walk with You

             all the way through.

You help.

You uphold.

     Even in what we face today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

What Does That Look Like

 

...from each its best part

is to be dedicated.

...When you have offered

from the best of it,

           then the rest...

           Numbers 18. 29-30

When we dedicate to the LORD

  our best work and efforts,

   God multiplies the rest.

Are we worshiping Him

     with our leftovers?

When we reorder our loves,

    God reorders our lives.

God is not just in first place,

      but infiltrating all,

not even prominent,

         but preeminent.

What does that look like?

Whatever is offered to God

   and done for His glory,

even the leftovers

         bless the world,

twelve baskets overflowing.

O LORD,

Help us to live in such a way

   that You are honored

         by our every effort,

glorified in every choice,

selfless and loving

  and faithful in whatever

  You have given us to do.

You gifted us with this day.

We offer You our best

     and all the rest.

Guide us through, Almighty One.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Because That Is What He Does

 

But if the LORD

  creates something new....

         Numbers 16. 20

We can trust God

    to do exactly that,

even in the familiar and strange,

deep in monumental difficulties,

infiltrating our ordinary days,

and visible in unexpected events.

Change, transformation,

and the extraordinary 

do not just suddenly appear.

God creates.

God unfolds.

God brings about the new.

Trust Me in this.

God makes something possible

  we never would have expected.

His glory is always like that.

His steadfast love

             prepares our hearts.

O LORD,

Open our eyes

     and enlarge our hearts

to see, experience and

  accept what You are doing.

It is not IF You are

     creating something new.

You are doing that

               all the time

   and all around us.

Help us not just to 

     recognize Your hand,

but to acknowledge You

  in all we do today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Objects In The Rearview Mirror

 

Would it not be better

for us to go back to Egypt?

          Numbers 14. 3

Not trusting God 

distorts what was,

what is,

     and what is ahead.

We can go forth differently,

   secure and confident

when we follow HIm 

into His ways for us.

Even in the hard stuff,

   His steadfast love prevails.

Even when we don't understand,

  God whispers,

           Trust Me in this.

The LORD is with us.

We need not fear.

We need not waste time, energy

            and resources

  looking elsewhere.

Objects in the rearview mirror

are never as they appear.

Look to Me.

O LORD,

Forgive us for second-guessing

Your plans and directions

      and purposes.

Grant to us the courage

    to follow You,

every step, every turn,

           every day,

right into Your goodness

  and steadfast love.

Both the Foolish and the Beautiful

 

She has done 

a beautiful thing

                to Me.

       Mark 14. 8

Following God,

trusting in Him,

obeying, and serving Him

seem like the most

   foolish things

in the eyes of the world.

They comment

         what a waste of one's

  time, talent, treasure,

                  and life.

And yet, 

nothing is more honoring 

            to God Himself.

And no greater witness

  to those around us.

O LORD,

Grant to us the opportunities

   to be really foolish in our faith,

consecrating our lives

and all we do

   for Your Kingdom and glory.

May we create today

  what is beautiful to You

in whatever we do,

wherever we are,

among whomever,

  and how we do it

--out of our deep love for You.

In The Battles We Face

And when you go to war in your land

against the adversary 

            who oppresses you,

then you shall sound an alarm

         with the trumpets,

that you may be remembered

    before the LORD your God,

and you shall be saved

                   from your enemies.

                Numbers 10. 9

The adversary always promises

   shiny trophies and high scores.

But all along, aiming to take us down.

The resounding alarm is not

  to get God's attention,

                     but ours,

not to remind Him,

  but for us to remember:

God is not just with us,

but it is He who brings the victory,

most often in unexpected ways.

We all struggle with something,

  no matter how perfect

  someone's life appears.

In the battles we all face,

may we know that

  the adversary is not our friend.

Sound the alarm.

Only God saves us

  from our foes and fears,

    both real and imagined.

O LORD,

Make us aware of You

  and attentive to Your Presence.

May we hear the trumpets

  while we walk

  in the mine fields

     and enemy territory.

Help us to not just 

       remember You,

but respond to You.

Take us to another place

   even where we are,

not despite circumstances,

     but in their midst.

You do not just show up.

        You show us.

Bring Your victory

    in amazing ways.

 

Walking Us Through

 

At the command of the LORD

the people of Israel set out,

and at the command of the LORD

          they camped.

             Numbers 9. 18

We may not understand

where the LORD is directing us,

or why He has us 

           in this particular situation,

to go right now to another location,

or to stay right where we are.

But we can be attentive,

responsive and faithful

                   to Him.

When we are in His Word

   and seeking Him in prayer,

God does not just guide us.

    He walks us through.

O LORD,

Help us to trust You

wherever You lead us,

whether You desire us

    to stay and hold down the fort,

or to pull up stakes

  and follow You into

  what is unknown to us.

Above all,

we know that You are with us.

Grant to us the courage

   to pack it up

or to send down roots.

Guide us every step

   into this day.

May we be willing to walk with You

    into Your wonders.

Pour over us Your strength

   for the journey.

As If We Live In Another Kingdom

 

...to bear witness

           before them.

           Mark 13. 9

There are no random situations,

no places where God is not,

   nor that He cannot use

            for His glory there.

And when we find ourselves

in difficult circumstances,

awkward, exhausting, hurtful,

strange or alarming,

and we don't know what to do,

  above all,

  bear witness there.

Bring the name of Jesus

      every which way we can:

in actions, attitudes, words

and how we respond

   in unexpected ways,

as if we live in another kingdom

                which we do.

Nothing accidental in these details,

   but incredibly eternal.

O LORD,

You intricately engineer

      our circumstances,

even the confusing ones,

  as opportunities for Your glory.

Help us to be aware of Your presence,

to be mindful of Your walking with us,

   and be intentional in honoring You

and loving others,

        even the impossible ones.

We have no control 

                over the situation,

but we can bear witness to You

       no matter what.

And that's what matters,

                 even today,

           even in this.

On The Holy Ground Wherever We Are

 

...everyone who could come

to do the service of ministry

and the service of bearing burdens

in the tent of meeting...

           Numbers 4. 47

God never intended for us

     to just go to church,

but to be the church,

inside and outside its walls.

Everyone is assigned a ministry,

           sometimes daily,

  all that is done in serving God,

no one thing

   more sacred than another.

We are all anointed and appointed

         to serve and to worship,

on the holy ground,

               wherever we are,

It gives a whole new meaning

     to the term worship service.

O LORD,

Please make us aware of

  all the opportunities to serve You.

Help us to know that each act

     done in Your name

  is just another way of worshiping You.

Use all we do

           to bring glory to Your name.

And that is not a burden at all,

    but pure joy in loving You..

Moving That Mountain

 

Truly, I say to you,

whoever says to this mountain,

"Be taken up

   and thrown into the sea,"

and does not doubt

                   in his heart

but believes that what he says

       will come to pass,

it will be done for him.

Therefore I tell you, 

whatever you ask in prayer,

believe that you are receiving it,

          and it will be yours.

                 Mark 12. 23-24

In Hebrew literature and scripture,

moving a mountain

  was a metaphor for doing

  what was obviously impossible.

No little molehills,

   nor sand dunes,

but the big stuff in our lives

     that we all encounter.

Impossible for us is

  always right down God's alley

  and in realms of His power.

But the mountain we want to disappear

   may be exactly what God is using

   for His eternal purposes.

Sometimes God moves that

      overwhelming burden,

sometimes He removes it.

But He also may show us

   a way through, around it, 

how to dig a tunnel with a spoon,

   or scale the heights with Him.

God supplies our every need

  to handle those mountains,

     even carrying it with us.

Confidence in God's power

  always works hand in hand

  with submission to His will.

God may have planted it here

    for deeper purposes

    than we can fathom.

What is God forming in me

      through this?

What does this mountain

               make possible?

O LORD,

When we are faced with the impossible,

   You reveal Yourself

    in incredible ways.

Help us to trust You 

  with what we cannot comprehend

  and know that You are good.

Fulfill Your purposes

  even in the mysterious

 and the majestic.

Help us to ask in prayer.

Help us to trust You in prayer.

Surprise us by Your power,

   even in this.

Never Just A Wilderness

 

The LORD spoke to Moses

in the wilderness of Sinai....

            Numbers 1.1

What in the world

           am I doing here

in this unfamiliar, unknown 

and uncomfortable place?

God speaks to us too

in the most unexpected places

     and unlikely situations,

even in those barren

  wildernesses of our lives.

Why here?  

Why in this forsaken place?

Perhaps because 

we could not -- or would not--

   listen or respond to Him

   any other way.

God does not just say

         Look to Me,

but Look Me in the eye.

Sometimes it takes a wilderness

  where we have no one but Him

         for us to listen.

"But there's nothing here, O God!"

            I am.

It's never just a wilderness. 

O LORD,

Thank You for leading us

   even into the desert

   or the deserted places

that we may listen to You.

Thank You for speaking to us

       right there,

revealing not just Your majesty

     and wonders in this place,

        but revealing Yourself.

Help us to be still

     and know that You are God.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Not Running Ahead

And they were on the road,

going up to Jerusalem,

and Jesus was walking

          ahead of them.

                   Mark 10. 32

Whatever path we are on,

  may we follow God on it,

even if we do not quite know

  where this road is leading.

Because He knows.

God has prepared us for it.

Just don't get ahead of Him.

Jesus may be directing us

   to places or situations

   or people we do not know,

or to pay attention to those

       right where we are.

We do not just pass through.

God has many divine appointments

  and sacred encounters

                    along the way.

He may be protecting us

 in some way that doesn't

       seem to make sense.

God does not just show up

          but shows us.

We are not alone on this road.

He guides us, feeds us,

and gives us His strength

             for the journey,

all the way through.

Are we there yet?

         Just follow Me.

O LORD,

We may feel like 

  we are just wandering,

but You know

 exactly what You are doing

and where You are taking us.

Grant to us Your wisdom

and stir up in us

   the willingness to follow You.

Help us to fulfill Your purposes

      wherever You guide us.

And to not miss Your beauty

           along the way.

Take our hand

           and guide us.

Help us to not run ahead of You.

 

Not Just A Nice Person

 

Consecrate yourselves, therefore,

and be holy,

for I am the LORD your God.

Keep My statutes

           and do them;

I am the LORD

   who sanctifies you.

        Leviticus 20. 7-8

God says in no uncertain terms,

          Be Mine.

That people will not only see us

    as different or just nice,

           but that we are Yours.

Because the LORD is our God,

we have the freedom to live differently

             in this broken world.

May we set our minds,

set our hearts,

set ourselves apart to love God,

  love others,

and take another path through.

The sacred is instituted, 

not just in listening to what

  God says in His Word,

not just agreeing with Him,

                  but by doing,

putting God's love into action

in our work and relationships

      and daily choices.

O LORD,

May we be known as Yours.

May we be marked by

     Your anointing

  and Your appointing.

Help us and guide us

  in setting ourselves apart

in whatever we do today

in Your name,

for Your Kingdom,

  and for Your glory.

Others are not just watching us,

but desperately want to know 

      You are real

and that You transform lives.

That's Why

....for I am the LORD your God.

          Leviticus 19. 3

The LORD spelled out directions

in how to treat, love,

and relate to other people

--family, friends, neighbors,

poor and rich, strangers,

         and even our foes.

Because from the 

   very beginning of time,

He knew we needed

           a little help there.

    And we all still do.

It's not just friendly advice.

Jesus calls love your neighbor

  the second great commandment.

Why should we take heed?

   Because God says so

and He knows what happens

             when we do,

      and when we don't. 

I am the LORD your God

  is repeated eight times

  in the first eighteen verses

          of just this chapter.

I am the LORD.

           That's why.

O LORD,

You are not just the LORD,

  but You are our God.

And our relationship with You

  infiltrates not just

           how we behave,

        but how we love,

   and how we relate to others.

May others see Your love in us.

And may we realize that 

   You love others through us

    and make Yourself known.

You have strategically placed us

   right here today for that purpose.

Find us faithful, dear Jesus.

 

Not About To Abandon Us Now

 

"And do you not remember?

When I broke the fives loaves

   for the five thousand,

how many baskets 

  full of broken pieces

            did you take up?"

They said to Him,

            "Twelve."

           Mark 8. 18-19

Do we recall all those times

   when God did not just show up,

   but He beat us here,

       the table already set?

   Over and over again.

Even among His disciples,

Jesus had to point out 

they took up 

   twelve baskets of leftovers,

   ironically one for each of them.

God's faithfulness is so immense

  we can't even count that high.

God gives each of us

     a chronicle of His faithfulness

                        in indelible ink.

He is not about 

      to abandon us now.

Do not fear.  I am with you.

Even in the hard stuff.

O LORD,

You have taken care of us

        in the past.

You are caring for us now.

You carry us into what is next.

Help us to know

    You've also got us

         in this particular situation,

not with just barely enough,

  but twelve baskets full.

Finding Something More In The Midst Of It

 

Blessed is the one

   who considers the poor!

            Psalm 41. 1

The needy, the weak,

    the helpless, the lean,

appear in many dimensions,

even among those 

  we would never suspect.

The poor are not restricted 

to physical and financial lack,

but perhaps even more,

  to find oneself relationally weak.

That is where, when and how

  we can do something

        to strengthen another.

Not just to pay attention 

    to those around us,

    but attend to them

             (same root word).

Call and response.

O LORD,

Open our eyes and our hearts

   not just to need,

but how we can follow You into it.

Reveal our way through

   that we may solve, resolve,

   and encourage others

           out of the miry bog

           or pothole of despair.

You multiply kindness across the board

to aid the helpless and hopeless

   in their day of trouble.

And we find Your blessing there.

   

Hey, It's Me!

 

But immediately,

He spoke to them and said,

"Take heart.  It is I.

  Do not be afraid."

And He got into 

        the boat with them,

and the wind ceased.

            Mark 6. 50-51

For the 40 days of Lent this year,

I am giving up fear and anxiety.

And while it seems at first

   to invite even more worries,

God is leading me through,

  how to respond differently

  when they rush through the door

and take up every chair in my heart.

When we take Jesus at His word,

    "Hey, I'm right here.

     Do not be afraid,"

the wind ceases

  and He brings His peace to it.

O LORD,

We are caught in storms

  and struggles

  and what in the world

            is going on?

And You assure us,

   it is You working 

    something mighty here

of which we are unaware.

Help us to trust You in it

   and not be afraid of it.

Because fear distracts us,

and we miss out

     on Your wonders here.

Bake Extra Loaves

But He answered them,

"You give them something

              to eat."

..."How many loaves

                do you have?

Go and see."

       Mark 6. 37-38

We cry out,

"Oh God, do something!"

And He replies to us,

"I have.

 That's why I put you there."

The ancient saints

   are all depicted

   with something in their hands,

what marked their lives,

their way of ministering

   to those around them

and to whom God positioned

                on their paths.

God uses us to bless others

    and change the world.

What has God called me to

        in this day?

May we be aware of the loaves

   God has placed in our hands.

May we ask God's blessing

   on what we have, what we do,

and how we can love others,

  even in desperate situations.

And God multiplies exponentially.

How many loaves do we have?

In God's hands,

          more than enough.

O LORD,

Reveal Yourself to us, today,

in opportunities to bless others,

to feed them in their hungers,

to come alongside

    even in the everydays,

to bring Your blessing

  in barren places of the soul.

Help us to bake extra loaves,

    come prepared

and share generously

          Your love and grace,

no matter where 

    You guide us today.

We ask Your blessing.

But we also ask

     that we may bless You.

 

Don't Go There

 

....unclean to you.

        Leviticus 11. 4

Not the words we want to hear.

Yet perhaps the ones

    we need to hear,

despite all our excuses:

     No one will know.

     Everyone is doing it.

     It won't hurt me,

         nor anyone else.

And our adversary's favorite

          "It won't matter."

But yet, unclean to you

    or detestable to you 

is repeated 42 times 

  in the 47 verses of chapter 11.

Not all things are helpful,

  some will trip us up,

  some will enslave.

Be aware of ambushes.

When God tells us,

           "Don't go there,"

     stop in the name of love.

Our lives depend on it.

And so does our witness.

Trusting God builds strength

to resist the shiny distractions

  and avoid crater-size potholes.

O LORD,

We are so blind to the 

   consequences of downright sin.

We call our rebelliousness 

   a lot of things,

like mistakes, misunderstandings,

   accidents, or I-didn't-mean-to's.

What is unclean to us

   -- the next wrong thing--

impacts not just us,

but generations after us

and our witness among others.

LORD, grant to us Your strength

   to walk with You

through this day,

       our eyes on You.

That which is good and gracious

 and honorable in Your sight

      reverberates forever.

Right Here In The Boat With Us

 

And they woke Him

and said to Him,

"Teacher, do you not care

  that we are perishing?"

And He awoke and

rebuked the wind

and said to the sea,

"Peace!  Be still!"

And the wind ceased,

and there was great calm.

He said to them,

"Why are you so afraid?

Have you still no faith?"

        Mark 4. 38-40

The disciples asked Jesus

the most ridiculous question:

    "Don't you even care?"

And Jesus replied

      also with a question,

"Why are you so afraid?"

He's right here in the boat with us.

Faith is not a chosen list of beliefs,

but conviction 

and confidence in the Almighty.

He asks us, "Did you think

I would not take care of you?

      Trust Me in this."

O LORD,

You do not promise us

   that life will not be hard.

You did not say

   that we will be in control,

            but You are.

You are with us,

even in all manner of storms.

Help us to sleep like You.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

The Grand Imprinting Of Our Souls

 

And Moses and Aaron went

      into the tent of meeting,

and when they came out

  they blessed the people,

and the glory of the LORD

appeared to all the people.

         Leviticus 9. 23

Worshipping God matters

          in all forms

whether in our work,

  our service,

  how we treat others,

or even in going to church. 

When we worship the LORD,

we cannot help 

    but be changed by Him,

even in the very act of 

            worshipping.

Worship is a coming before,

a submitting to,

a trusting in,

and communing with 

          the Almighty God.

He refreshes

  and aligns our hearts with His,

and thereby blesses all those

   around us and through us.

His glory infiltrates the day.

O LORD,

At the start of the day

and all the way through,

when we worship You,

we are not just mindful of You,

  but You implant in us

  the mind of Christ.

Whatever we worship changes us.

       May we worship You.

We see circumstances

    with a new heart.

We treat others with

   Your love and grace.

Worship is manifest

  in our comings and goings.

We see opportunities

       to serve You

in whatever we do today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Wow, What Is That?

 

And Moses said,

"This is the thing that the LORD

   commanded you to do,

that the glory of the LORD

   may appear to you."

            Leviticus 9. 6

What are we doing that

    opens that door?

When we obey God, 

follow and respond to Him,

even in what may not

            appear to matter,

something profound

     and deeply significant

  is released and put into motion.

In trusting God into

  whatever He has put before us,

God strengthen us,

covers us,

and shifts the tectonic plates

           of the universe

in ways we personally

             may never witness

   --but sometimes we do.

Wow, what is that? 

God brings His glory. 

Watch for it.

O LORD,

Enlarge, we pray, our hearts

   and our vision

that we may follow You

and trust You with our path

   and with what we do,

knowing that You work

   in eternal dimensions.

It is not a matter of You

     bringing Your glory, Almighty One,

  but revealing it is already here.

We just don't see it yet.

Allow Your glory to change us.

Deepen Your fruit

  far beyond our lifetimes.

You show us a different way

to approach the hard,

to navigate the rough places,

and to trust You through it.

Even what is before us,

even what is on our hearts today.

Messing Up Yet Again

 

If anyone of the common people

sins unintentionally

in doing any one of the things

that by the LORD's commandments

    ought not to be done,

and realizes his guilt

      ...he shall be forgiven.

           Leviticus 4. 27-28, 31

Even the mistakes we all make,

    no exclusions,

    no excuses,

    nor failures, accidents,

         or didn't mean to's,

God has already made provision

            for us to be forgiven.

The entire book of Leviticus

  reveals our need for Jesus.

  We are not perfect,

    which is hard to admit.

The word unintentionally

   is mentioned six times

   in chapters 4 and 5.

And he shall be forgiven

           eight times.

When we come before the LORD,

  forgiveness is already 

                 snapped into place

  --we just don't realize it yet,

Whether deliberate rebellions

   or really dumb mistakes,

we are covered by His sacrifice.

That is the gospel,

   which changes everything.

And we can go forth differently.

O LORD,

Please forgive us.

   We have really messed up.

Thank You for loving us

           that much.

May we in turn

  love others like that

  by forgiving them.

Grant us Your strength

  to drag our shortcomings

  to the altar

and find You already there.

Help us to leave our sin there

and know that we are forgiven.

It is not that we do not

               bear it alone,

but that we no longer carry it.

Redeem the impossible,

                   dear Jesus.

What Am I Going To Wear Today

 

From the blue and purple

and scarlet yarns

they made finely woven

  garments for ministering

in the Holy Place.

            Exodus 39.1

One of our first decisions

of the day is

what are we going to wear?

We take into account

the weather, our work,

 even who we see.

But how we minister to others

is determined by what

   we choose to wear --

compassion, kindness,

humility, meekness, patience

...and above all these,

                put on love.

     Colossians 3. 12, 14

We wear these things

into the day's activities,

even in what we don't

      consider ministry.

Because with them,

we cannot help but

worship, serve God

and minister to others.

And by them,

   we are known as His.

O LORD,

Make us aware of the

finely woven garments

with which You have filled

   our wardrobes

to minister before You.

Help us to pay attention

to what You have

   called us to today.

Prepare our hearts

for ministry

in every shape and size

and even in ways

  we don't recognize.

This is Your holy place

   and the sacred ground

where You have intended us.

God Can Use This?

 

He made the basin of bronze

and its stand of bronze,

from the mirrors 

     of the ministering women

who ministered in the entrance

of the tent of meeting.

              Exodus 38.8

We often wonder 

  how we can serve God

  right where we are

and with what little 

              we have to offer.

God asks,

  What is in your hands?

  How about this?

Not just what we have,

     nor what we hold,

     but what we do with it.

No offering to the LORD,

--no matter what-- 

is insignificant in serving

and worshiping God.

And when we do,

     God changes us through it.

God has

  strategically positioned us

  in this place, time,

        and among these people

   for His profound purposes.

God invites us to participate

in the unfolding of His glory.

O LORD,

Sometimes it feels like 

we have nothing of substance

    that could possibly

               bring You glory.

But You multiply

        whatever we do,

and what You have given us,

  our time, talent, or mirrors,

                   willingly offered.

Even in what others

   don't see or recognize

                     as ministry,

        You build Your Kingdom

with faithfulness to You

               in unlikely places.

 

Use Our Words

 

I will bless the LORD

      at all times.

His praise shall continually

     be in my mouth.

                   Psalm 34. 1

What comes into our minds

when we think about God

is the most important

      thing about us...

                A. W. Tozer

What we verbalize 

              about the LORD

changes how we think,

how we approach our work,

how we treat others,

and how we see 

and navigate our situation.

It is not a matter of

  bringing God into this,

but seeing Him already here.

Do we praise Him

      or point to ourselves?

One is honoring to Him.

The other is arrogance.

O LORD,

We seek to bless You

     in this very day,

     in these circumstances,

whether in joy or hardship,

and in all that we do

             and say.

Please change not just

    our attitudes,

but transform our hearts.

Be blessed through us,

                    we pray.

Reveal to us opportunities

to speak of You

  and honor You before others

in words, deeds and service.

What Are We Training For

 

Be ready by the morning....

            Exodus 34. 2

Our responsiveness

             to the LORD

is dependent 

  on our daily rhythms

of being attentive to Him

--time in His Word,

continual prayer,

with-ness among

     other believers,

engagement in what

  God lays before us,

and awareness of ministry

          in all things.

We are changed by God

  in all these practices.

The night before a marathon,

I can set out all my clothes.

But my readiness that morning

relies on if I have been

training, listening, watching,

   and putting in the miles.

Even when it doesn't 

           seem to matter,

    it always does.

Shoes tied on, ready to roll.

O LORD,

May we be attentive 

         to Your daily call

to serve You

with all our hearts, souls,

    strength and minds.

Help us to be aware

 of what You are forming in us,

even if we don't know

what You are training us for.

Empower us 

   to be ready this morning

for all that You have designed,

every divine appointment

  and every sacred encounter.

Go forth with us

           into this day.

But Those Who Live It Out

 

Is it not in Your going with us,

so that we are distinct,

I and Your people,

from every other people

on the face of the earth?

             Exodus 33. 16

Does anyone see

any difference in us?

Or do we recognize

  how His Presence

changes where we go,

what we do,

      and how we do it?

The biggest question is not

whether God comes with us,

    but do we follow Him?

Our witness is the earth-shaking

and life-changing difference

     that God forms in us.

Are we known as His?

O LORD,

Your Presence among us

is what distinguishes us

        as Your people,

not just the people of Your Word,

   but those who live it out.

Be evident among us

    in tangible ways.

Grant to us Your strength,

courage, grace and love

in the most impossible situations

and in our everyday 

                 comings and goings,

that others would be 

            drawn to You.

May we not just be 

         mindful of You,

but bear the mind of Christ.

Even in these circumstances,

         be glorified among us.

Cover Up or Cover Us

 

I acknowledge my sin to You,

and I did not cover my iniquity.

I said, "I will confess

my transgressions to the LORD,"

and You forgave

  the iniquity of my sin.

             Psalm 32. 5

No matter what we do,

we cannot cover up our sin.

Only God can cover us,

which is why He invented

          forgiveness.

Not a matter of saying to Him,

  "Oh, sorry,"

or to regret that we were 

      caught in a snare,

but "I was wrong.

       Please forgive me."

His forgiveness 

             is already there,

    ready for the asking,

    ready for the receiving.

That is why Jesus came.

And nothing can 

             remain the same.

O LORD,

We acknowledge the ways

   we have sinned against You

   and each other,

not just our shortcomings,

  but our many rebellions,

   belligerent attitudes,

   and unkindnesses.

Cover us, dear Father,

and keep us from the sin

   of trying to cover up.

Empower us to

      go forth differently today

because we know

      we have been forgiven

      by You.

You paid the price for us.

We are eternally grateful.

The Wiring Of God

 

...and I have filled him

with the Spirit of God,

with ability and intelligence,

with knowledge

     and all craftsmanship,

to devise artistic designs,

to work in gold, silver and bronze,

in cutting stones for setting,

      to work in every craft.

            Exodus 31. 3-4

God has wired us

      in many different ways

to serve Him

         and bring Him glory,

not just in natural talent,

    or working hard at something,

but with the moving of

  the Holy Spirit in us to do,

to be, to serve,

               and be faithful.

And over time, 

learning not just to get better at it,

but relying on the Holy Spirit

     to work through us.

There is no giftedness

          greater than another.

O LORD,

We are grateful for how You

  have imprinted us 

  with giftedness and talents

  and the desire to serve You

         through them.

Help us to realize

we are not limited to 

       one singular gift,

but that each opportunity

  enlarges our hearts

       to serve You

in far more ways

  than we can imagine.

Grant to us willingness

  to serve You

             even in the gaps

and even in what

   we have no natural talent,

but the supernatural.

Provide for us the courage

     to try something new,

          something deeper,

to bring You glory. 

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.