And Hezekiah 

  and all the people rejoiced

because of what

  God had done for the people,

for the thing

          came about suddenly.

             2 Chronicles 29. 36

(When we follow God into it

    by His unfolding a new trail,

    or a new heart in the same

              difficult place,

God always blesses

    in unexpected packages

           and unlikely passages.

God is already at work in this

        for His glory.

Sometimes His redeeming

         is on slow cook,

sometimes in a startling 

               knock on the door.

In all ways,

in all dimensions,

             God redeems.

Even when we cannot yet see).

He set himself

          to seek God...

...and as long as 

        he sought the LORD,

God made him prosper.

              2 Chronicles 26. 5

(Do I miss that connection?

To grasp, to thrive, to grow,

        to become strong.

It changed the course of his day

   and the course of his life

and impacted everyone around him

            for tremendous good).

And Amaziah said to the man of God,

"But what shall we do

about the hundred talents

which I have given

         to the army of Israel?"

The man of God answered,

"The LORD is able

to give you

     much more than this."

            2 Chronicles 25. 9

(It is not giving up anything,

but on what we are missing out,

the grand opening up

     of God's incredible design in this.

Trust God in what He is doing,

far more profound than I can see.

I don't have to know

      where God is taking this.

I just need to be

    faithful to Him in it).

...the large and small shields...

                 2 Chronicles 23. 9

(Even that which we do not recognize 

      that protects us like a shield:

Scripture, praying, fellowship, service,

loving God, loving others, testimony,

praise, worship, faithfulness,

fruit of the Spirit, mindset, heart set,

even my attitude and

         forgiveness towards others.

Shields are not just meant

to hide behind,

but a strength to go forth,

    even in harrowing places).

For we are powerless 

against this great multitude 

that is coming against us.

We don't know what to do,

    but our eyes are on You.

                2 Chronicles 20. 12

(The antidote to panic:

In the every days,

     and in the crisis,

   --which are sometimes the same!--

O LORD,

show me Your way in this,

   my eyes are on You).

Now I know

that the LORD

    will help His anointed;

He will answer him

  from His holy heaven

with mighty victories 

   by His right hand.

                Psalm 20. 6

(Now watch what God

   will do with this.

The LORD's triumphs

  come in unexpected packages

     and unlikely passages).

And Asa cried 

to the LORD his God,

"O LORD,

there is none like You to help 

   between the mighty

                   and the weak.

Help us, O LORD our God,

   for we rely on You,

and in Your name

we have come against

           this multitude.

O LORD, You are our God;

let not man

          prevail against You."

           2 Chronicles 14. 11

(Name your multitude.

Seek God in it,

      into it,

      through it,

           for His glory,

     and He will reveal Himself.

God redeems every situation.

Even this.

Go into whatever is before you

             in His Name.

Asa's prayer.

God's triumph).

...for this thing

          is from Me.

            2 Chronicles 11. 4

(That changes everything.

There is nothing random at all,

         but deep in His purposes.

The unlikely,

the unexpected,

even the most bizarre turns

                 in the road,

even in this,

     The LORD lives.

You can stake your life 

              on that reality.

Being faithful,

      in what I understand,

even more in what I can't.

The more I know,

the more I realize

    I need to trust Him in it).

If you will be kind to this people

              and please them,

and speak good words to them,

they will be your servants for ever.

                    2 Chronicles 10. 7

(Kindness always leads to

     an entirely different outcome.

If we only knew how radically

         good words endure

                  for generations,

we would consider nothing else.

There is always another way through,

    and that would be grace).

O LORD, God of Israel,

there is no God like You,

in heaven or on earth,

keeping covenant

and showing steadfast love

to Your servants

who walk before You

      with all their heart...

             2 Chronicles 6. 14

(When I walk before the LORD,

    nothing can remain the same.

Even if circumstances don't alter,

         God redeems everything 

and changes me instead).

...that My name might be there...

                    2 Chronicles 6. 5

(What am I doing here?

What is all this about?

That His name would dwell there,

          even here,

          even in this impossible place.

His profound purposes

   are deeper than I can know).

...we too might walk

        in newness of life.

                Romans 6. 4

(What does that look like today?

Not the same ol' thing,

the same patterns of thought

the same path,

but how can I walk differently 

                in this?

My circumstances may not change,

     but God changes me in them.

A new heart,

a new mindset,

a new story

        for His glory.

God unfolds His extraordinary 

   in what only appears 

                   as ordinary).

Be strong and

  of good courage,

and do it.

Fear not,

be not dismayed,

for the LORD God,

  even my God is with you.

He will not fail you 

       or forsake you,

until all the work

for the service 

of the house of the LORD 

            is finished.

         1 Chronicles 28. 20

(What has God placed

before me today?)

...the presence of God

      in whom he believed,

who gives life to the dead

and calls into existence 

the things that do not exist.

                    Romans 4. 17

(God is not just in control

        of this situation.

The reality is that

               He is sovereign 

 even in what does not yet exist.

What is impossible to us

     is completely visible to God.

There is so much more to this

         than we can see,

         than we can know).

How long must I

  bear pain in my soul,

and have sorrow in my heart

            all the data?

How long shall my enemy

   be exalted over me?

...But I have trusted 

         in Your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice 

          in Your salvation .

I will sing to the LORD,

because He has dealt

    bountifully with me.

                      Psalm 13. 2, 5-6

(Even in the struggle,

   God draws me closer to Him.

Even in the things

     I cannot understand,

                God is good.

Even in what appears 

     as silence or injustice,

     God whispers,

            "Follow Me deeper."

The return to peace

   is only in the Presence of God).

            

Be strong 

   and of good courage.

Fear not;

   be not dismayed.

         1 Chronicles 22. 13

("Walk with Me."

Love God,

love people,

and be not afraid).

...and called upon the LORD,

    and He answered him...

                  1 Chronicles 21. 26

(Calling upon the LORD 

draws me to

   an entirely different outcome.

Following the LORD into it,

    as first response not last resort,

changes my course

and radically influences 

       everyone around me

       and everyone who comes after.

It always comes without regrets.

"Did you ask Me

               about this?")

And the LORD

gave victory to David

    wherever he went.

              1 Chronicles 18. 6

(When we follow the LORD

    into the day

          into His ways in it,

victory comes in many sizes

   and in unexpected packages.

There are no small victories,

     nothing God cannot redeem.

Even in this).

Ever since 

       the creation of the world,

     His invisible nature, namely,

His eternal power and deity,

have been clearly perceived

in the things 

          that have been made.

                    Romans 1. 20

(Where do you think

     the awe and the wonder

                    come from?

Creation is only one of the ways

    God reveals Himself to us).

...and David said,

"God has broken through

my enemies by my hand

     like a bursting flood."

Therefore the name of the place

    is called Baal-perazim.

                1 Chronicles 14. 11

(Which literally means in Hebrew,

the "Lord of breaking through."

He still is

the Lord of breaking through 

    whatever overwhelms me,

  even in this impossible situation.

The most important first step

appears in verse 10:

"And David inquired of God..."

First response, 

             not last resort.)

For your God

          helps you.

         1 Chronicles 12. 18

(A daily reminder 

that I can respond differently,

even in this,

because God helps me.

Practicing His presence

      in the every days,

learning how to

      "Trust Me in this."

"If we do not do the running 

steadily in the little ways,

we shall do nothing

           in the crisis."

   -- Oswald Chambers

    My Utmost for His Highest)

...for upon them

lay the duty of watching...

             1 Chronicles 9. 27

(Don't miss God in this.

Watching,

waiting,

listening,

expecting,

responding 

   are never passive.

Live  and pray

on the edge

        of your seat).

We sailed slowly

for a number of days,

and arrived 

     with difficulty...

             Acts 27. 7

(God's hand and shield,

         even in that,

not the prevailing winds,

    but His purposes.

God does not just have

      "a reason for it,"

but you in it,

by His design

     and for His glory).

   

...when the LORD sent

Judah and Jerusalem 

                 into exile 

by the hand

         of Nebuchadnezzar.

              1 Chronicles 6. 15

(Not where I choose to be,

even then,

even there,

        God is at work.

There really is 

   no place of exile.

We are each

strategically positioned 

    for His purposes,

even when,

maybe especially when,

     we cannot understand.

"Seek Me in this.")

O LORD,

in the morning 

You hear my voice;

in the morning 

I prepare a sacrifice to You,

        and watch.

                Psalm 5. 3

(Not "lay my day before Him,"

but pray, listen and watch

as God lays out His day for me,

His way in this,

His say in this,

His slender scarlet thread

   through impossible places.

If I am only praying for an answer,

    I am missing out on Him.

"In the morning"

    captures the day).

A man's gift

makes room for him

and brings him

   before great men.

           Proverbs 18. 16

(We can never comprehend 

   nor determine 

   nor limit

how God is using us,

and for what or whom

   He has equipped us.

Just what He has placed

  in front of me today

       to follow Him into.

For His Kingdom.

For His glory.

And sometimes 

  that will surprise you.

"God makes room

for His gifts

     to be used."

   -- Chuck Swindoll

Deliverance 

belongs to the LORD.

             Psalm 3. 8

(Worry has 

never opened a door,

   nor parted a sea.

Follow God through this.

What is Your way in this,

              O LORD Almighty?

God will probably 

            surprise you).

The following night

the Lord stood by him

and said,

"Take courage,

for as you have 

    testified about Me

    in Jerusalem,

so you must bear witness 

also in Rome.

                 Acts 23. 11

(God has strategically 

            placed you

   to bring His name there,

more perfectly and precisely

      than you can know.

Hearts around you

        are already prepared.

Jesus is standing 

   right there with you.

Say something.)

...for you will be

a witness for Him

to all men

of what you have seen

        and heard.

   

               Acts 22. 15

(God's redeeming is translated

  into what others see and hear,

by the stories

     God has given you,

by the changed life

              they see.

Every opportunity,

     bring His grace 

     to impossible places).

After greeting them,

he related 

      one by one

the things that

  God had done....

            Acts 21.19

(What stories of redeeming 

    has God woven into your life?

These tales were not designed 

  to be kept to yourself.

Speak boldly

and point others to Him).

But if you say to me,

   "We rely 

    on the LORD our God"....

                 2 Kings 18. 22

(That is when

    things really begin to change.

And it starts in my heart.

God specializes 

    in impossible situations.

Rely on Him

           through this).