When We Can't Touch Bottom

 

When Pharoah let the people go,

God did not lead them

by way of the land

     of the Philistines,

although that was near...

But God led the people

around by the way

of the wilderness

        toward the Red Sea.

            Exodus 13. 17-18

O God, are You sure

   this is the right way to go?

Sometimes God leads us

in ways that make

   absolutely no sense to us.

Listen to Me.

Seek Me through this.

God has deeper purposes

  than what appears on the surface,

             even in adversity.

His glory covers the journey

  and the ongoing outcome.

This exodus experience 

        thousands of years ago

   still gives us hope

   on which to stake our lives.

Not wilderness at all,

         but God's wonders here.

And exactly 

      where we need to be.

O LORD,

Forgive us for second-guessing

   Your guidance,

and for trying to tell You,

     Master of the Universe,

what is best for us.

You guide us into unexpected

   and unlikely places

so that we learn that

   You are God and we are not.

Walk with us in the unfamiliar,

  on dry ground,

  and even through the sea

when we can't touch bottom.

We find Your strength

   and Your glory there.

And bring us over

               to the other shore.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Uncomfortable, Inconvenient, and Ridiculous

 

Then the people of Israel went

         and did so,

as the LORD commanded 

               Moses and Aaron,

        so they did.

             Exodus 12. 28

What makes the vital difference

    in the trajectory of our lives

is following God's lead,

responding to His call,

listening to His voice,

even if we don't understand

nor agree,

   or see the point in it.

Not just raising our hand,

willing and able,

       but actually doing it.

Learning to obey God

may mean 

     -- as in this case --

the difference between

           life and death.

Trusting God into it,

even when uncomfortable,

     or inconvenient,

     or seemingly ridiculous,

changes the course 

               of our lives

and everyone after us.

O LORD,

Help us to realize 

the impact of 

  choosing to follow You.

Make us aware of You

and provide us the courage

  to trust You

even when we can't see

      the outcome,

    nor the next step after this.

We see the scary unknown.

You see opportunities

  to bring Your name there.

Find us faithful, dear Father.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Equipped, Shoes Double-knotted, and Ready to Roll

 

...and we do not know

with what we must 

           serve the LORD

until we arrive there.

          Exodus 10. 26

We have no idea how

God has prepared,

   provided and equipped us

for where we are today

and for whatever is unknown

   coming down the pike.

Why are we going through

  this struggle or hard stuff?

That we may be strengthened

         and compassionate,

ready to go wherever God

  has strategically positioned us,

not as spectators

         but as first responders.

Even in this situation today.

"Oh, so that's why that happened."

"Ahhh, that is what this is about,"

all those odd things

  we don't understand at the time.

And sometimes still remain

               beyond our reach.

But not His.

O LORD,

Prepare our hands

  and soften our hearts

that we would be aware of You,

especially where You

   have placed us 

for Your goodness and glory.

May nothing

    --fear or lack of understanding--

stand in the way

of our faithfulness to You.

You have formed 

    something new in us,

forged by experience

and by the Holy Spirit

  surging in our souls.

Go Forth Into This Day

Let My people go,

that they may serve Me.

       Exodus 8. 1

From what has God 

  released us 

or unleashed in our 

        circumstances

that we may serve Him?

On the surface, 

it may not appear as 

     an opportunity,

but a hardship of some kind,

but God provides a path

    through the storm

and portals of ministry

to love others

  every which way we can.

Serving God

  arrives in unusual ways,

  in unexpected places,

and among the unlikely.

When we seize an opening,

something always unfolds

     in the spiritual realm,

sometimes in ways 

       we may not realize.

Let My people go?

 Have at it.

 Go forth into this day.

O LORD,

You have released us today

   to serve You.

Help us to be watchful

for every opportunity,

even those that are 

     not so obvious.

Bring Your glory

   to this place

and to our service

that others may see

Your steadfast love through us.

And aware that a thousand galaxies

  explode into view,

even beyond our scope.

 

Unfolding Every Detail

 

But the LORD said to :Moses,

"Now you shall see

      what I will do....

           Exodus 6. 1

No matter our circumstances

or difficulties or struggles,

  God tells us the same thing.

"Trust Me.

         Now watch this!"

Everything is in place

and moving forward,

far before we see the results

    or God's redeeming in this.

Refrain from claiming,

"This is what God is doing,"

because His work is

  way beyond our comprehension.

But some day, looking back,

we may be able to discern pathways

        that extend into eternity.

O LORD, 

We live in expectation 

  of what You are doing.

Help us to accept

     and run with it.

Prepare, provide 

    and redeem this time

for Your Kingdom

             and Your glory.

There is no randomness here.

You unfold every detail 

   for Your purposes.

Find us faithful, Almighty One,

even when we don't understand.

Help us to trust Your ways

      and follow Your leading.

Strength In What We Don't See Coming

 

For You equipped me

with strength for the battle...

         Psalm 18. 39

We cannot fathom 

the situations God uses

to prepare and strengthen us,

    for both what we see

    and what we don't see coming.

Or through experiences that seem

   random at the time.

Or accepting the "needless" things 

   God puts in our lives

   to equip us for storms that are

          not even on our radar.

His strength is like none other,

  and certainly not of ourselves.

O LORD,

Battles arrive in 

     all kinds of packages

     and flavors.

And just about always

            overwhelming.

But we can count on You.

You live among us

and weave Your strength

   into the fabric of our souls.

You are with us

and have prepared us for this

in unexpected ways and

faithfulness in the everydays.

If Not For God

 

But Moses said to God,

"Who am I

that I should go to Pharaoh

and bring the children of Israel

           out of Egypt?"

He said,

"But I will be with you...."

            Exodus 3. 11-12

Remember not who am I,

but who God is,

      the great I AM.

But I will be with you.

     No exclusions.

God never sends us off

   without that assurance.

And that changes

                everything.

When frightened in the night,

one of our little girls once said,

"Oh, I wouldn't have been afraid,

       if I knew you were here."

Trust Me in this, God whispers.

Holy ground is where

                        God is.

And that is right here.

What am I doing now

that would be impossible

     to even consider,

if not for God?

O LORD,

How differently we would

   see this situation of ours,

if we considered 

     Your Presence here.

It is not who we are,

   but who You are.

Guide us.

Cover us.

Bring us through

 what seems impossible.

You are with us.

And You are faithful.

We won't even be able

   to count Your wonders.