Great peace have those

    who love Your law;

nothing 

   can make them stumble.

             Psalm 119.165

(Move freely in the midst

of turmoil

   with peace and grace.

God's Word makes

      a visible difference

  and changes me.)

Practice hospitality

     ungrudgingly

to one another.

          1 Peter 4.9

(Striving to be

    not the perfect hostess,

but a gracious one.

What am I serving up today?

What am I bringing to the table?)

...a tender heart

      and a humble mind.

           1 Peter 3.8

(What am I bringing to the table?

Approach situations

        and relationships

with gentleness,

compassion

and grace.)

...the sanctuary of the LORD

       in the midst of it.

           Ezekiel 48.10

(An intentional effort

     in all I do today,

my words,

my attitudes,

my choices.

His Presence

    changes everything.)

...that you may declare

the wonderful deeds of Him

who called you out of darkness

  into His marvelous light.

Once you were no people

  but now you are God's people;

once you had not received mercy

  but now

      you have received mercy.

                 1 Peter 2. 9-10

(May that difference be evident

in everything about you.

It's who you are,

      forgiven and redeemed.

Nothing can ever be the same.

Live that way.)

...I am their inheritance

   ...I am their possession.

           Ezekiel 44.28

(Live like an heir,

evident in my focus,

my vision,

in every kindness,

  the mark of His Presence.)

...the garments

in which they minister...

          Ezekiel 42.14

(An intentional mindset,

a transforming vision,

wherever we go today,

whatever we do.

God changes me.

"A long obedience

in the same direction."

    -- Eugene Peterson)

Its vestibule faced

    the outer court,

and it had palm trees

    on its jambs,

one on either side,

and its stairway

    had eight steps.

         Ezekiel 40.37

(Even the smallest details,

    the smallest kindnesses,

are profound in God's eyes.

What am I thinking that

       "doesn't matter?"

It all does,

redeemed in a thousand ways.)

Son of man,

    look with your eyes,

and hear with your ears,

and set your mind

   upon all that I shall show you,

for you were brought here

in order that 

   I might show it to you.

               Ezekiel 40.4

(Watch and listen

expectantly for God.

Don't miss what He is doing

           in your midst.

Don't miss why He has

   divinely placed you here.)

And He said to me,

"Son of man,

     can these bones live?"

And I answered,

     "O Lord GOD, you know."

Again He said to me,

"Prophesy to these bones,

and say to them,

   O dry bones, 

   hear the word of the LORD.

Thus says the Lord GOD

to these bones:

   Behold, I will cause breath

   to enter you,

       and you shall live.

           Ezekiel 37. 3-5

(Does it make a difference

if I read God's Word every day?

You will never be the same.

God's Word changes you completely,

    a visible redeeming.)

And they will say,
"This land that was desolate
has become like
        the garden of Eden,
and the waste and desolate
            and ruined cities
are now inhabited and fortified."
Then the nations
  that are left round about you
shall know that I, the LORD,
have rebuilt the ruined places,
and replanted that which was desolate;
I, the LORD, have spoken,
       and I will do it.

                  Ezekiel 36. 35-36

(A new heart,
     a visible difference,
that which changes you,
that which impacts
  everyone around you.
God At Work.)

I will make with them

   a covenant of peace

and banish wild beasts

           from the land,

so that

they may dwells securely

   in the wilderness

and sleep in the woods.

           Ezekiel 34.25

(Live in the reality 

     of His Presence.)

Therefore lift your drooping hands

   and strengthen your weak knees,

and make straight paths

                 for your feet,

so that

  what is lame 

      may not be put out of joint

but rather be healed.

         Hebrews 12. 12-13

(Be encouraged.

God is strengthening,

healing,

and using you mightily.

All of which 

    increase in increments.)

Therefore,

since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside

every weight and sin

     which clings so closely,

and let us run with perseverance

     the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus...

                 Hebrews 12.1-2

(The course that is set

    before me today,

surrounded by those who are watching

    to see if God is real)

Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.

               Proverbs 27.17

(Seek out friendships
which strengthen you)

Rule in the midst of your foes!

                   Psalm 110.2

(Bring grace to the table,

no matter the turmoil.)

With my mouth

I will give great thanks

    to the LORD;

I will praise Him

  in the midst of the throng.

          Psalm 109.30

(Live out His grace

          and love,

in word and deed,

every which way you can)

With God 

  we shall do valiantly;

it is He 

  who will tread down

                   our foes.

           Psalm 108.13

(Trust Him with the outcome.

Our foes are anything we fear,

both real

       and imagined.)

He turns a desert

     into pools of water,

a parched land

     into springs of water.

                Psalm 107. 35

(With God, we can see

    everything differently,

everything with great purpose.

Even this.

The change happens when we stop

       asking "why,"

and start asking God "what.")

...that we may give thanks

        to Your holy name

and glory in Your praise.

              Psalm 106.47

(Giving thanks

      and giving Him glory

changes everything

about me

and about my day.)

From the bed

where it was planted,

He transplanted it

to good soil

   by abundant waters,

that it might

bring forth branches,

and bear fruit,

and become a noble vine.

        Ezekiel 17. 7-8

(Wherever He leads,

wherever we are,

God brings forth fruit

and plants big trees.

We have only

to follow Him into it.)

Yet He saved them

      for His name's sake,

that He might make known

      His mighty power.

He rebuked the Red Sea,

and it became dry,

and He led them 

       through the deep

       as through a desert.

So He saved them 

   from the hand of the foe,

and delivered them

   from the power 

          of the enemy.

                Psalm 106. 8-10

(See where you are

        differently,

not a place to flee

but faithfully follow Him

into His deeper purposes.

God will redeem

even what I don't understand.)

     

He opened the rock,

and water gushed forth;

it flowed through the desert

             like a river.

                 Psalm 105.41

(When we fully seek Him,

He guides and provides

through the most

       impossible situations.

Even in what appears

   to be wilderness,

God redeems

   His deep purposes.)

...yet

     I have been a sanctuary

     to them.

                  Ezekiel 11.16

(Seek His Presence

    right in the midst

of your impossible situation.

No matter what is going on,

the LORD is your strength,

       your refuge,

       your shield,

             and your song.

You are never alone.)

Seek the LORD and His strength,

seek His presence 

                   continually.

                      Psalm 105.4

(Seeking Him

 becomes my intentional default

               in all things,

          on all days

          both great and small,

that which will change

     the course of my life)

Let us then with confidence

  draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy

and find grace to help

             in time of need.

             Hebrews 4.16

(That time of need

may not be my own,

but drawing near

to impart grace

    in desperate situations

    and the desperate hearts

    of those all around us.)

And you shall speak

     My words to them,

whether they hear

           or refuse to hear,

for they are a rebellious house.

                    Ezekiel 2.7

(We are called to be faithful

and leave the results in God's hands.

Even when it appears

      no one is listening,

    you never know who is.)