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.

 

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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.

 

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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.