In Plain Sight

 

...in their sight.

      Ezekiel 12. 3-7

When God wants to get

   our attention in His Word,

   He repeats Himself.

This particular phrase 

           in their sight

appears seven times

    in just four verses. 

When we respond

  to God's voice and His Word

and are faithful to Him,

  as Ezekiel was

           even in the unusual,

God leaves a witness

       in that place

       through us.

Does anyone see

  anything different in us

in how we live,

for what we live,

how we respond

      and treat others

because we are believers?

May we be not afraid,

   not even hesitate,

to speak His name

and follow Him 

        in plain sight.

Others are watching

  to see if God is real.

O LORD,

Thank You for covering us

    with forgiveness

for all of the times 

  we remain silent

  or ignore opportunities

to speak of You

     and live before You.

Reveal ways to us today

   --nudge us if necessary--

not to bring You into the picture,

but to reveal

     that You are already here.

Leave a witness, Almighty One,

   even in the most ordinary moments,

that are never so ordinary.

Faithful When It Doesn't Make Sense

 

...God had sent a man 

           ahead of them,

Joseph,

   who was sold as a slave.

           Psalm 105. 17

As a favored son,

slavery came out of the blue, 

       totally unexpectedly,

and definitely not on Joseph's roster

        of dream jobs.

But unbeknownst to him,

       Joseph was standing 

   deep in the midst of God's purposes,

  strategic timing, divine appointments,

and right on the path of being equipped

      to serve God faithfully.

Slavery was just the training ground.

  and God turned Joseph's life

rightside up 

   to impact the known world

               for God's glory.

What is unknown to us

   is not unknown to Him.

Joseph could not yet see

how God was unfolding his story.

And now more than 3700 years later,

we are still reading about,

   touched and influenced by

the story of his faithfulness to God,

God brings forth His purposes

     in unexpected ways

and for the wellbeing 

of those all around us

   and even yet unborn.

God sends all of us

   to prepare His way

in more ways 

     than we can imagine.

O LORD,

We basically have no idea

       what we are doing

or what You are forming in us

    through this situation.

But we can be faithful to You

   in all that we do,

            both great and small.

And let You 

    unfold the wonders here.

Sometimes we catch a glimpse

          of Your glory.

But in the meantime, dear Lord,

       find us faithful.

And Find His Glory There

 

Seek the LORD

     and His strength.

Seek His Presence

     continually.

         Psalm 105. 4

What are we seeking

   in this situation before us?

A quick answer, success,

     or even relief?

But what if it is to remember 

    that God is with us?

Faith comes from what we practice

    on a daily basis, 

our habits we pursue,

what exactly we are seeking,

and how we respond

   to God in our circumstances.

Why is it so hard to admit

       we need the Lord?

By seeking Him,

grasping His strength,

     might and power,

God unfolds something new.

We have the courage

         to go with Him in this.

And we find His glory there.

O LORD,

May we seek You in this day

  and through all 

   the sacred encounters that 

   You have divinely appointed.

Help us to not be distracted

   by our own ideas

   or weaknesses,

but to be faithful to You.

            Even in this.

Empower us to listen to You,

to watch for You,

to pay attention,

   and to respond to You.

 

And Then The Remarkable Emerges

 

...and You renew 

the face of the ground.

         Psalm 104. 30

No matter what

         we are facing,

no matter what

   mess we've created,

God still has the power

    to resurrect and renew.

And in the process,

He does not just

  bring us back to square one,

  the broken pieces patched

         and glued together

    with a couple parts left over.

But God renews.

Even in our own barren landscapes

    when all seems to be lost

            or dead or dying,

    God resurrects life,

    when we allow Him in.

Bring it to Me.

And then whether storm

   or drought or flood,

take root and bear fruit.

God empowers us

to not give up

but grow into something new.

O LORD,

All around us seems

   to be dying or dead,

the trees losing their leaves

and the plants wilted.

The ground has become

         a barren place,

     dried up and hard.

So have our hearts.

But as we trust in You,

   bring life to us.

Send down our roots,

strengthen our weakness,

  and nourish us

     with miracle-grow.

Help us to turn to You,

knowing that You renew

   the barren landscapes.

You resurrect 

    what is deemed impossible.

You restore our souls.

When our delight is in You,

we don't just see

   the hard ground differently,

   but new life breaks through

                   radically new.

Soften our hearts

          with Your Spirit.

Keep us trusting you

         all the way through

   to the remarkable.

Translating His Glory

 

He made the moon

   to mark the seasons.

The sun knows

   its time for setting.

         Psalm 104. 19

Seasons change.

The sun rises and sets.

And as precise and

  dependable as they are,

they don't just happen.

But the glory of the sun,

the brilliance of

  leaves changing color

are evidence of

 God's intricate design,

       every day and season,

not nature calling to us, 

       but the Creator.

"In order that we finite beings

may apprehend the Emperor,

He translates His glory

   into multiple forms

--into stars, woods, waters,

beasts, and the bodies of men."

          -- C. S. Lewis

O LORD,

You have surrounded us

with beauty 

and the complexity of

     every living thing.

We stand in awe of You.

You love us that much

as to make this world

  a magnificent place

to know You more

       in every detail.

 

No Need To Dwell There

 

But this I call to mind,

and therefore

           I have hope:

The steadfast love

    of the LORD 

         never ceases.

His mercies never come

             to an end.

They are new every morning.

Great is Your faithfulness.

         Lamentations 3. 21-23

And You say to us,

          Remember Me.

Steadfast love,

endless mercy,

great faithfulness,

     and abiding hope.

We are surrounded by

   struggles and hard stuff

   and grief.

But God never intended 

   for us to dwell there.

Overriding it all

   is the Lord's presence.

We can trust Him through it.

These verses are firmly planted

  exactly in the middle of 

  the book of Lamentations.

A lament need not be

 just expressing sorrow,

but triggering a form of prayer,

acknowledging our need

               for Him.

O LORD,

We need You. Oh, we need You,

   in countless ways everyday.

Remind us that we 

   need not go it alone.

We can trust You

      all the way through.

Provide for us Your strength.

Hold us tight.

       Tie us to Your mast.

And may we be singing

    not a dirge,

but the song of Your faithfulness

       on endless repeat.

Training As First Responders

 

And let our people

learn to devote themselves

to good works,

so as to help cases

        of urgent need,

and not be unfruitful.

          Titus 3. 14

Selfless living

      and selfless giving 

  do not come naturally.

We learn by use and practice,

to pay attention, to engage,

to serve, be in the habit of,

ready to, and accustomed to

  seeing others as well as

  both visible and invisible needs. 

And responding differently.

               by finding joy 

    even in the hard work of grace.

Even if our work 

              is never acknowledged

              or recognized,

circumstances have changed.

     And maybe our own hearts in this.

Our practice of good works

       runs deep 

and forms something new in us.

We train to be first responders.

O LORD,

May our actions

help us to know You more.

May You help us to learn

to devote ourselves

not to a cause,

   or solution to the crisis,

           but to You.

May we be

          known as Yours

and bear the 

   love of Jesus in our lives.