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.

 

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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.

 

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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.