Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and thereby put Me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. Malachi 3.10 (The LORD will utterly, entirely, completely change your life)

And He
who sat upon the throne said,
"Behold,
    I make all things new."

             Revelation 21. 5

(New year,
       new heart,
           new vision,
His indwelling
   changes me
   from the inside out.)

Open your mouth for the dumb,

for the rights of all

   who are left desolate.

Open your mouth,

judge righteously,

maintain the rights

    of the poor and needy.

           Proverbs 31. 8-9

(One of the most distinctive marks

of the early Christians was their

radical love and care for the vulnerable.

Who has God placed on my heart today?)

Praise the LORD!

For it is good

  to sing praises to our God,

for He is gracious,

and a song of praise

                   is fitting.

(Praising God

         changes me)

 

...and pressing anger

       produces strife.

               Proverbs 30.33

(Anger is a byproduct 

         of selfishness.

It is not just

   the other guy's problem.

Seek not just when

              to stand back,

but how to defuse,

how to bring 

            grace to it.)

...for we have heard

    that God is with you.

            Zechariah 8. 23

(the evidence 

     of the indwelling Spirit,

the impact on everyone around you)

For unto us

   a child is born,

to us a son is given...

             Isaiah 9.6

(And that changes everything)

Joy to the World

    The Lord has come...

Merry Christmas, my friend!

Thus says the LORD of hosts,

Render true judgments,

show kindness and mercy

    each to his brother,

do not oppress the widow,

the fatherless,

the sojourner,

or the poor,

and let none of you

devise evil against his brother

            in his heart.

             Zechariah 7. 9-10

(God calls us to be radical

     in loving one another,

a different mindset,

a transformed heart.

God changes us

     by His grace.)

Not by might,

     nor by power,

          but by My Spirit,

says the LORD of hosts.

            Zechariah 4.6

(God meets you 

      in your deepest need.

He delivers from our fears

    and releases 

       from what enslaves us.

Follow Him through

   your impossible situation.)

For lo,

I will come

      and dwell in your midst,

says the LORD.

            Zechariah 2.10

(His abiding changes everything.

This is not a difficult situation,

    but an opportunity

              to practice grace.

Bring a new heart to it.)

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

Return to Me,

         says the LORD of hosts,

and I will return to you,

says the LORD of hosts.

               Zechariah 1.3

(God always has the porch light on.

The front door is always unlocked.

He runs to meet you

                 with great delight.)

Then Haggai,

the messenger of the LORD,

spoke to the people

with the LORD's message,

    "I am with you,

        says the LORD."

                  Haggai 1.13

(If I fully grasped that reality,

     how should I then live?

The most fruitful place on earth

     is the center of His will.

No matter what.)

On the day I called,

       You answered me,

my strength of soul

   You did increase.

                   Psalm 138. 3

(The most miraculous 

is not that God plucks us out

of our situation,

     but how He redeems it.)

But as for me,

I will look to the LORD,

I will wait

  for the God of my salvation;

my God will hear me.

                    Micah 7.7

(Wait. Be still. Listen.

God will reveal Himself to you

      in this situation,

even that which makes no sense

                              YET.)

Do not My words do good

   to him who walks uprightly?

                      Micah 2.7

(Every time I read God's Word,

it changes me

and impacts everyone around me.

God changes my heart

     and transforms the landscape.)

Then Jonah prayed

     to the LORD his God

from the belly of the fish, saying,

"I called to the LORD,

              out of my distress,

and He answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

      and You heard my voice."

                     Jonah 2. 1-2

(Then Jonah prayed...

   and his story radically changes.)

...cast their crowns 

     before the throne,

singing,

"Worthy are You,

         our Lord and God,

to receive 

glory and honor and power,

for You created all things,

and by Your will

they existed and were created."

                Revelation 4. 10-11

(How can I give Him glory today?

What form will that take?

Singing His song,

           not mine.)

I do not occupy myself

with things

too great 

and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed 

     and quieted my soul,

like a child quieted

     at its mother's breast,

like a child quieted

                  is my soul.

              Psalm 131. 1-2

(Let God embrace me in this.

I am not in control,

but choose to dwell

  in the arms of the Almighty.)

But let justice

   roll down like waters,

and righteousness

   like an ever flowing stream.

                Amos 5.24

(Justice and righteousness 

        are not social causes,

but a personal call

  for doing what is 

  good and right 

       and full of grace.)

Do you see a man

   hasty in his words?

There is more hope 

    for a fool

        than for him.

              Proverbs 29.20

(Slow to speak,

    quick to listen.

Choose carefully.

Words are 

     not returnable.)

I will restore to you

the years

that the swarming locust

        has eaten...

                  Joel 2.25

(God will redeem your past,

God will redeem your life.)

...the Holy One
      in your midst...

                  Hosea 11.9

(That reality
   changes everything.)

No greater joy

  can I have than this,

to hear that my children

       follow the truth.

          3 John 1. 4

(God does not call us

     to be successful,

but to be faithful.)

As the mountains

  are round about Jerusalem 

so the LORD

  is round about His people,

from this time forth

      and forevermore.

            Psalm 125.2

(Everything is different

because you know Him.

Even here.

Even in this situation.

The safest place on earth

  is the center of His will .)

Our help is 

  in the name of the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

                  Psalm 124.8

(Not just in the time of crisis.

Nothing is too big for Him,

no detail too small.) 

To You I lift up my eyes,

O You who are enthroned

         in the heavens!

                  Psalm 123.1

(Not time to panic,

     but time to listen.

What do I need to do?

How can I handle this?

Wait, be still, listen.

First response,

    not last resort.)

...but the people 

      who know their God

shall stand firm

           and take action.

               Daniel 11.32

(Going forth 

      on His strength alone.

He will reveal 

       what you are to do.

Eyes open,

hearts responsive,

    sneakers tied.)

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From whence does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

      who made heaven and earth.

                    Psalm 121. 1-2

(It doesn't get 

       any better than that!

Keep my eyes on Him,

no matter what 

     is swirling around me.)

In my distress

     I cry to the LORD,

that He may answer me.

             Psalm 120.1

(Pray expectantly.

Not "will He answer?"

     but how?)