And you shall tell your son

              on that day,

"It is because of what

the LORD did for me

when I came 

        out of Egypt."

            Exodus 13.8

(Make sure your children

   --and those all around you --

know your stories

of God's faithfulness.

These things 

did not "just happen.")

     

...and we do not know

with what 

    we must serve the LORD

until we arrive there.

             Exodus 10.26

(Live in expectation.

Worship with a ready heart.

Follow Him fully

      into His purposes.

He will reveal Himself

      step by step,

even through

what we do not yet understand.)

...and come,

       follow Me.

           Matthew 19.21

(What does that look like

              today

in my words,

in my actions,

in my attitude,

in the quickness 

        of my response?

Follow Him into His day,

   His agenda,

   His purposes,

every which way

           He leads.)

Even though

     I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil,

          for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff,

   they comfort me.

                Psalm 23. 6

(Even though,

      even through,

the LORD is my shepherd.

I am not alone in this.)

"Now therefore go,

and I will be with your mouth

and teach you

what you shall speak."

But Moses said,

"Oh my LORD,

send, I pray,

    some other person."

             Exodus 4. 12-13

(God chooses the unlikely

      to do the extraordinary,

that which is impossible

             except by Him.

It is not about me,

     but His glory.)

"Come,
I will send you to Pharoah
that you may bring forth My people,
the sons of Israel,
        out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God,
"Who am I
that I should go to Pharoah,
and bring the sons of Israel
        out of Egypt?"
He said,
"But I will be with you..."

                Exodus 3. 10-12

(How much have I missed
        or dismissed
because I didn't join Him
                    in it?
God never means for us
      to go it alone.)
       

Then Jesus told His disciples,

"If any man would come after Me,

let him deny himself

and take up his cross

        and follow Me.

For whoever would save his life

        will lose it,

and whoever loses his life

   for My sake

          will find it.

            Matthew 16. 24-25

(Deny oneself,

       follow Me.

He will direct your paths

  for His sake.

     Wherever, whatever,

                however.)

And the disciples said to Him,

"Where are we

to get bread enough

to feed so great a crowd?"

And Jesus said to them,

"How many loaves

                   have you?"

             Matthew 15. 33-34

(Impossible is not 

in God's vocabulary 

      nor a valid excuse.

There is always something

God can do through me.)

But she came
and knelt before Him,
saying,
"Lord,
        help me."

             Matthew 15.25

("Lord, help me!"
is the beginning of
          incredible change.)

And now

do not be distressed,

or angry with yourselves,

because you sold me here;

for God

   sent me before you

to preserve life...

So it was not you 

who sent me here,

           but God.

          Genesis 45. 5, 8

(Vertical response to adversity.

"But God" changes everything

about what I experience.

God redeems.)

And He did not do

    many mighty works there

because of their unbelief.

               Matthew 13.58

(Unbelief does not limit God

            in any way;

it limits us.

We are the ones who miss out.)

The kingdom of heaven is like

      a grain of mustard seed

which a man took

        and sowed in his field;

it is the smallest of all seeds,

but when it has grown

it is the greatest of shrubs

        and becomes a tree,

so that

   the birds of the air come

and make nests in its branches.

                Matthew 13. 31-32

(Even the smallest kindness,

the smallest act of grace,

the smallest obedience

radically impacts the world

     and changes the landscape.

Plant big trees today.)

Joseph answered Pharoah,

"It is not in me,

           but God..."

             Genesis 41.16

(Joseph acknowledged God

        in the every days

   and in impossible situations,

before kings

     and in the deepest adversity.

Why?

   Because Joseph knew

        God is at work.)

Do not withhold good
from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power
                     to do it.

                 Proverbs 3.27

(I cannot do everything,
but God reveals
                    what I can do.
He provides the resources
               and the vision.
I just need a willing heart.)

               

And God said to him,

   "I am God Almighty..."

            Genesis 34.11

(That should do it,

no matter what I face.

Sometimes all He has to do

is remind me 

          Who He is.

Did I think He didn't know

    what He is doing?)

Come to Me,
   all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you,
        and learn from Me;
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find
                  rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy,
   and My burden is light.

                 Matthew 10. 28-30

(God never meant for you
to do life alone without Him.
He touches the very core of your being,
He meets you right in your deepest need.)

He who finds his life

          will lose it,

and he who loses his life

             for My sake

will find it.

             Matthew 10.39

(Be found in Him)

...and you will be dragged

before governors and kings

       for My sake

to bear testimony before them

and the Gentiles.

             Matthew 10.18

(Be aware of 

anyone and everyone

     on your path today.

Be an arrow.

In whatever we do,

whatever we say,

how we love others

    point them to God.

Bear His name

        in everything.)

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep
and said,
"Surely the LORD
          is in this place,
and I did not know it."

              Genesis 28.16

(Follow Him fully.
Even when
you don't understand,
He is with you,
working deeper
than you can realize.)

Fear not,
     for I am with you
and will bless you
and multiply your descendants...

                     Genesis 26.24

(Obedience to God
     or rebellion against Him
reverberates throughout generations.
What kind of legacy
    do I want to leave?
What choices do I make today?)

Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD 

       and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh

   and refreshment to your bones.

                       Proverbs 3. 7-8

(Have a teachable heart

    and run hard after Jesus.)

The LORD,

     before whom I walk,

will send His angel with you

and prosper your way.

                 Genesis 24.40

(Every day 

is a story of His faithfulness.)

Those who cling

     to worthless idols

forfeit the grace

     that could be theirs.

              Job 2.8

(Disobedience to God

   always means missing out)

Therefore I tell you,

do not be anxious

      about your life.

...But seek first

His kingdom

   and His righteousness,

and all these things

shall be yours as well.

             Matthew 6.. 25, 33

(What does that look like 

         for me today?

From what is anxiety

    distracting me?)

Is anything 

too hard 

   for the LORD?

    

           Genesis 18.14

(Nothing I face

is too big for Him.

The Almighty God

steps in

and does the impossible.

He is faithful.

He will redeem.)

The LORD said to Abram,

after Lot had separated from him,

"Lift up your eyes,

and look

     from the place where you are,

northward

and southward

and eastward 

and westward.

                       Genesis 13.14

(From the place

        where you are,

God is working

  with profound purpose.)

...and called on the

     name of the LORD.

             Genesis 12.8

(How incredibly much

we miss

    because we do not.

The LORD radically

impacts the outcome

and massively changes

    the course of my day.

First response,

      not last resort.)

And you,
be fruitful and multiply,
bring forth abundantly
           on the earth,
and multiply in it.

               Genesis 9.7

(Faithfulness to God
always has a multiplying impact,
no matter what
God gives us to do.
He is the catalyst in you.)

But You, O LORD,

are a shield about me,

     my glory,

and the lifter of my head.

I cry aloud

           to the LORD,

and He answers me

from His holy hill.

            Psalm 3. 3-4

(The LORD protects

   in ways we never realize,

He delivers 

   in ways we never expect,

sometimes

           not from a situation 

but through it.)

...but his delight

is in the law of the LORD,

and on His law 

he meditates

      day and night.

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water,

that yields its fruit

       in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all he does,

            he prospers.

             Psalm 1. 2-3

(Where am I going

to plant myself this year?

Plant myself in His Word.

The LORD will

       fulfill my life.)

...the wise man also may hear

       and increase in learning,

and the man of understanding

       acquire skill...

                  Proverbs 1.5

(At the core of the wise

    is always a teachable heart,

       always growing,

       always listening.)

Joyous New Year!