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.