Return to Me,

   and I will return to you,

       says the LORD of hosts.

                  Malachi 3. 7

(God always has the light on.

There is always a way back.

Seek Him,

and He will reveal Himself to you

in all things,

in all ways,

even in what appears 

   the most ordinary of days).

And He who sat 

upon the throne said,

"Behold,

I make all things new."

                  Revelation 21. 5

(You are never stuck.

Walk with Jesus

       through this.

What is the path

     of His glory in this?

God may not pluck you

out of your hard place,

but He assuredly 

     makes all things new,

               heart included).

... for the fine linen

is the righteous deeds 

                 of the saints.

                 Revelation 19. 8

(And that would mean

       each and every one of us.

Nothing that is good and right,

kind and gracious, 

loving and selfless,

              is ever insignificant,

but seamlessly woven into eternity

                   for His glory).

He determines the number

               of the stars,

He gives to all of them

                    their names.

                  Psalm 147. 4

(Stand outside in the majesty

     of a starry starry night

      and gaze upward in total awe.

And realize 

        God created each one,

              He knows them by name,

and He loves you even more).

      

I will praise the LORD

        as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God

                while I have being.

                  Psalm 146. 2

(Praise is not just a reaction

           to what we deem favorable,

but a deep abiding response to God

       in all that is before us.

Praise is not thinking good thoughts,

       but acknowledging Him by name 

                                           out loud.

Praising God changes you).

...for like jewels of a crown,

they shall shine on His land.

                       Zechariah 9. 16

(Live as differently as that

      bringing grace and hope,

reflecting His glory

  where there is only despair).

              

           

And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us,
     full of grace and truth;
we have beheld His glory,
glory as of the only Son
from the Father.

                       John 1. 14

For God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son,
that whoever
     believes in Him
should not perish
but have eternal life.
For God sent His Son
            into the world,
not to condemn the world,
but that the world
    might be saved through Him.

                        John 3. 16-17

(Open that gift of grace first.
This is not just another worldview.
    You are greatly loved).

Merry Christmas, my friend!

And the angel said to them,

"Be not afraid;

for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy

   which will come

                  to all the people;

for to you

  is born this day in the city of David

  a Savior,

           who is Christ the Lord."

                         Luke 2. 10-11

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government 

           shall be upon His shoulder,

and His name shall be called

"Wonderful Counselor,

         Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

       Prince of Peace."

                         Isaiah 9. 6

(This promise about the Messiah

         was written 800 years before Christ)

(And He shall reign for ever and ever.

Please make sure that your little ones know

that the Christmas story is not just a "story,"

       but about Jesus who came

       to change the world

and still does,

              one life at a time,

              precious in His sight).

   

          

And this shall come to pass,

if 

   you shall diligently obey

   the voice of the LORD.

                        Zechariah 6. 15

(The big IF.

And oh, how I miss out

because I hesitated

               to respond to Him,

or was too busy to listen.

That which is most profound

often appears inconsequential.

Responding to God 

               always matters 

--even in ways I will not see--

and impacts other people

           I may not even know).

Not by might,

nor by power,

but by My Spirit,

      says the LORD of hosts.

               Zechariah 4. 6

(The only thing 

       impossible about this

is that I am trying

            to do this on my own.

This is how to do this,

not on my abilities,

nor pride,

nor blood, sweat and tears,

     but by His Spirit.

Amid shouts of

     "Grace, grace to it!"

                      Zechariah 4. 7.

Grace is always God's signature).

Then I said,

     "What are these, my lord?"

The angel who talked with me

said to me,

"I will show you

            what they are."

                    Zechariah 1. 9

(What in the world is this?

This inconvenience,

these rocks,

this sharp bend in 

         my road,

        in what I think should be.

What has God placed in my life?

When I am walking with God,

               nothing is random,

      no matter how it may appear.

All has profound purpose.

All can be redeemed

              for greater good.

God never works 

               in singular outcomes.

Even in this.

"I just don't recognize it yet."

      That's what trusting God means).

"I am with you,"

            says the LORD.

                   Haggai 1. 13

(And what difference

does His Presence make in this day?

Even here.

Even now.

Flourishing in the

    most unlikely places).

Do not fear, O Zion;

let not your hands grow weak.

The LORD, your God,

           is in your midst,

a warrior who gives victory.

He will rejoice over you

                   with gladness,

He will renew you with His love,

He will exult over you

  with loud singing

  as on a day of festival.

                 Zephaniah 3. 16-17

(Fear

    is just weakness entering the soul.

Trust

    is the strong reality

    that the LORD is in your midst.

Exulting

    is the LORD leaping for joy over you,

    precious in His sight.

Do not forsake the work of His hands.

The LORD is fulfilling His purposes 

       for you, in you, through you

in incredible extraordinary ways

              you wouldn't believe, if told.

Courage

   is not the absence of fear,

but grasping with both hands,

             the reality of His Presence).

Though the fig tree do not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail,

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold,

     and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet

     I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation;

He makes my feet like hinds' feet,

He makes me tread

              upon my high places.

                    Habakkuk 3. 17-19

(The Hebrew word for "tread"

does not mean "slog through"

            but "dance."

Dance in your impossible situation,

       even in the scary places.

Bring the glory of the LORD there.

     No matter the circumstances,

               God's purposes prevail,

and His Presence embraces you.

"Trust Me!"

          Even in this.

Come deeper.)

The LORD is good,

a stronghold in the day of trouble;

He knows those

     who take refuge in Him.

                  Nahum 1. 7

(God's got this.

 God's got you.

Circumstances can never break

              His hold on you.

 His Presence prevails.

        No matter what).

As in the days

   when you came

   out of the land of Egypt,

I will show them

              marvelous things.

                         Micah 7. 15

(No matter how impossible it appears,

no darkness too deep,

no situation insurmountable.

Where there seems to be no way,

      God says,

                   "Now. Watch. This.")

There you shall be rescued,

there the LORD will redeem you

   from the hand of your enemies.

                          Micah 4. 10

(Foes come in packages

     both real and imagined.

God works 

  in the unlikeliest ways,

  in the most unlikely places,

  among the most unlikeliest people.

God's redemption 

           never falls too short.

What only appears as a really wrong turn,

      He designed all along,

      to redeem

              for His sake

the lives of countless people

Even where you are.

Even where is yet to come).

...yet

      You brought up my life

                     from the Pit,

        O LORD my God.

When my soul fainted within me,   

              I remembered the LORD;

and my prayer came to You.

                          Jonah 2. 6-7

(God never gives up on you,

       no pit too deep.

His love, grace, and redemption 

                  are far deeper still.

One of God's favorite words

                   is yet).

The fear of man lays a snare,

but he who

      trusts in the LORD is safe.

                   Proverbs 29. 25

(Don't let fear block out the light

and trip you up.

"Trust Me in this,

               even in this."

Trusting in the LORD

      gives you night vision).

    

Then Amos answered Amaziah,

"I am no prophet,

     nor a prophet's son,

but I am a herdsman,

and a dresser of sycamore trees,

and the LORD took me

    from following the flock,

and the LORD said to me,

"Go, prophecy to My people Israel."

                           Amos 7. 14-15

(God chooses and uses

those who only appear most unlikely

        for His profound purposes,

those whose only qualification

is being willing 

             and faithful to Him,

even right where they are,

even in invisible places.

Never say,

     "I am only a _________."

God has strategically placed you

     to be faithful and fruitful

     for His glory).

But let justice roll down

               like waters,

and righteousness

    like an ever flowing stream.

                      Amos 5. 24

(Seek out what is good and right

     even in this tough situation

   and among impossible people.

Justice and righteousness

   don't just happen

          and are rarely comfortable,

          nor convenient.

Bring peace in your hands

   and grace stuffed in your pockets.

God will unleash flourishing

          even in barren places).

Repent then.

             Revelation 2. 16

(When I realize I am on the wrong path,

I am never stuck.

That is why God invented forgiveness.

Turn around now.

Time for a new heart in this.)

I will restore to you

the years which 

the swarming locust 

               has eaten...

               Joel 2. 25

(Watch how God transforms 

the really hard stuff of life

into tremendous good)

Sow for yourselves righteousness,

reap the fruit of steadfast love;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is time to seek the LORD,

that He may come

and rain salvation upon you.

                         Hosea 10. 12

(What am I sowing?

What am I reaping?

May the LORD give me vision

for the untouched ground

                  beneath my feet

-- be it difficult situations

         or rock hard relationships--

and bring His grace to it).

He that goes forth weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home

            with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

                      Psalm 126. 6

(Faithfulness to God

           even in the hard stuff,

fruitfulness from God

            even in unexpected places.

Am I sowing right where I am?

Or looking for an exit door?

God never said life would be easy,

but promises that "I am with you."

God has a way of redeeming 

        what only looks like despair

                         on the outside).

There is no faithfulness 

        or kindness,

and no knowledge of God

                   in the land;

there is swearing, lying, killing,

stealing, and committing adultery;

they break all bounds

and murder follows murder.

                   Hosea 4. 1-2

(Sounds like today's headlines!

As it was in the eighth century BC,

the root of the problem is faithlessness,

      a lack of love,

      and ignorance of God

            among His people.

Your assignment is

to bring faithfulness,

kindness,

and the love of Jesus

wherever God places you today,

the gospel in real time).

...and make the Valley of Achor

          a door of hope.

                 Hosea 2. 15

(Achor literally means "trouble."

Even there,

even then,

God turns right side up

what only appears to be impossible.

Out of the darkest despair,

God redeems and restores,

     beyond what we can imagine.

The world sees hope

         as wishful thinking.

In the Bible,

    hope is that on which

    you can stake your life).

...but the people 

who know their God

  shall stand firm

  and take action.

            Daniel 11. 32

(That which is good

and gracious 

and kind.

Knowing God 

does not just change

what you do

     but who you are).

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

                           Psalm 121. 2

(Am I seeking the answer,

    or seeking the LORD in this?

"I'm here to help.  Trust Me.")

O man greatly loved,

fear not,

peace be with you;

be strong and  

       of good courage.

                   Daniel  10 . 9

(The LORD says the same to you).

In my distress 

  I called to the LORD,

and He answered me.

                  Psalm 120. 1

(First response,

   not last resort).