Bring the full tithe
     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
a blessing
until there is no more need.

                Malachi 3. 10

(Watch what the LORD does
with a heart
surrendered to Him.
Not putting Him
          to the test,
but putting us to the test
   of taking His word as truth.
Not a financial issue
   but a heart condition,
not just about us,
but God blessing the world.
“You can’t trust Me too much.”
         —Andrew Murray
             Absolute Surrender
             1895)

Great is the LORD

beyond the border of Israel.

                Malachi 1. 5

(The LORD has no limitations,

no one beyond His grace

           and redemption.

God grants you ministry

outside the camp

    to point others to Him.

Even today,

even in this,

God has placed you strategically

      for His kingdom,

      for His name's sake.)

Let them praise

    the name of the LORD,

for His name alone is exalted.

His majesty

    is above earth and heaven.

                  Psalm 148. 13

(Did it even occur to me

to praise the LORD

           in this?

To claim His name over this,

to know that He reigns

       and not circumstances?

In praising the LORD

 -- putting my awe and reverence

and worship into words

and actions and attitudes --

everything I face today

    does not just look different.

                     It is different.

I know Him in

        yet another dimension.

Praising the LORD

changes us in tangible ways.

Bringing Him glory

        changes the world.)

...so that the feeblest among them

on that day

    shall be like David...

                 Zechariah 12. 8

(God uses the most unlikely people

                  for His purposes,

those who know

       in Whom is their strength,

who seek His glory

              and not their own.)

Ask rain from the LORD

    in the season of spring rain,

from the LORD

       who makes the storm clouds,

and He will give them

              showers of rain,

to everyone

    the vegetation in the field.

                  Zechariah 10. 1

(Did it even occur to me

     to ask God about that?

To ask from Him

    His way in this,

    His provision,

    that which only He can do?

The LORD provides rain

   in unexpected ways

and in the most unlikely places.

God brings forth fruit in its time.

Our prayers and His provision

   impact more than we can count,

   even those we do not yet know

and those who do not yet know Him.

Ask rain from the LORD.)

One generation shall commend

         Your works to another

and shall declare

         Your mighty acts.

                  Psalm 145. 4

(Do my children

and my grandchildren,

even those with whom

    I interact every day,

know the chronicle

  of His faithfulness

             in my life?

Do they know the details

    of His story in me?

One generation

               to the next,

point others to Jesus.)

Merry Christmas!

For unto us a Child is born,

    for unto us

             a Son is given.

            Isaiah 9. 6

(written 800 years

   before the birth of Christ)

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 did not send His Son

into the world to condemn the world,

but in order that

   the world might be saved

                        through Him.

                    John 3. 16-17

(God's gift of grace

and love

and forgiveness

and salvation

    to the world.

Jesus Christ has come.

A weary world rejoices.)

And in the same region

there were shepherds out in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord

                appeared to them,

and the glory of the Lord

               shone around them,

and they were filled with fear.

And the angel said to them,

"Fear not,

for behold, I bring you

      good news of great joy

that will be for all the people.

For unto you is born this day

                in the city of David

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you:

you will find a baby

      wrapped in swaddling cloths

and lying in a manger."

                  Luke 2. 8-12

(And the world

         has never been the same.

For unto you,

           Jesus has come.

The Christmas story

is not just another story,

  but that which is real

and changes everything.

             Even us.)

Not by might,

not by power,

    but by My Spirit,

says the LORD of hosts.

Who are you,

         O great mountain?

Before Zerubbabel

   you shall become a plain.

And he shall bring forward

the top stone

amid shouts of

      "Grace, grace to it!"

                 Zechariah 4. 6-7

("I can't do this"

is exactly where God wants me to be.

         Because He can do even more.

Not on my strength,

                   or performance,

           or hindered by imperfection,

     but "by My Spirit."

How do I approach

            these impossible people

        and this volatile place?

How do I live out

my faithfulness to God?

      "Bring grace,

       bring grace to it.")

Here is a call

   for the endurance

and the faith of the saints.

            Revelation 13. 10

(You have been

        strategically placed.

You were made for this.

This impossible situation

       you are in its midst,

be faithful to God in all things.

Stand firm,

wear the full armor,

and bring the name of Jesus.

That is exactly

           why you are there.

Not for your entertainment or ease,

    but to bear witness

                      and be faithful.

Who stands forth

when it comes down to the hard stuff?

Those who have been redeemed.)

...the wilderness,

where she has a place

         prepared by God,

in which she is

    to be nourished...

             Revelation 12. 6

(The wilderness is

often a place where we ask,

"What in the world am I

               doing here?

     Did I make a wrong turn?"

         into a place of loneliness,

              into a place of isolation,

        where I don't want to be.

But in Scripture and in God's eyes,

the wilderness is

              a place of wonder and awe,

      and never a barren spot,

but a trail of tremendous growth

             and God's revealing.

The circumstances

    nor the landscape may not change,

but God transforms me in it.

Do not fear the wilderness,

              but embrace God in it.

You are not alone.  Never alone.

   Never without profound purpose.

God Himself

     walks with you in the woods.)

Be strong,

all you people of the land,

          declares the LORD.

Work,

       for I am with you,

       declares the LORD of hosts.

...My Spirit remains in your midst.

               Fear not.

                Haggai 2. 4

(In modern English

           or ancient Hebrew,

"fear not"

     means amazingly "fear not."

How many more times

            does God have to say it?

What scary situation

                or impossible people

has God placed before me

            in my work or on my path?

What if there was nothing to fear?

How would I approach this

                 with different vision

       and a huge helping of grace?

Spend my limited time and energy

                     on work,

    not wasted on worry.)

The LORD your God

    is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

He will rejoice over you

            with gladness;

He will quiet you

             by His love;

He will exult over you

             with loud singing.

             Zephaniah 3. 17

(The LORD your God

       is in your midst.

Even now,

even here,

even when I can't see

           through the fog,

God is fulfilling His purposes

                   for me.

That is all I need to know.

"Seek Me in this,

     seek Me through this.")

Though the fig tree should 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 take joy

       in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord,

             is my strength;

He makes my feet like the deer's;

He makes me tread

             on my high places.

               Habakkuk 3. 17-19

(My favorite words in the Bible:

              Yet God.

No. Matter. What.

Even when it looks like

     this is not going to end well,

even when I am overwhelmed,

even on the scariest precipices,

             nothing to hold onto,

         my feet can't touch bottom,

yet God.

    I stake my life

                 on His steadfast love.)

And now

I will break his yoke from off you

and will burst your bonds apart.

                   Nahum 1. 13

(When we seek Him

           and walk with Him,

the LORD releases us

   from whatever we fear,

even right in the midst

               of where we are,

from whatever binds us,

   both real and imagined,

that we would bring Him glory

    in impossible places

              if not for Him.

I can't do this by myself.

"Exactly. Walk with Me.")

With what shall I come

    before the LORD,

and bow myself

    before God on high?

...He has told you, O man,

what is good;

and what does the LORD

              require of you

but to do justice

and love kindness,

and to walk humbly

         with your God?

             Micah 6. 6-8

(Bottom line:

    Love God

    and love others well.

Every which way you can.

Even in this.)

...and they shall beat

their swords into plowshares,

and their spears

       into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up

             sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war

                         anymore,

but they shall sit

   every man under his vine

   and under his fig tree,

and no one shall

               make them afraid.

                  Micah 4. 3-4

(God's way in volatile situations

   or impossible relationships

is always

peace, reconciliation, grace,

     forgiveness and love.

Be the first

to lay down weapons,

    cast away ammunition,

and to turn what destroys

      into what builds and plants.

Be the first to forgive

           and to ask forgiveness,

the first to extend your hand,

and the first to make that call

       to break the awful silence.

"Love them to Me.")

          

         

And the people of Nineveh

                  believed God.

                   Jonah 3. 5

(That is the greatest miracle

      in this story of a whale.

Faithfulness always

             produces fruitfulness

in unexpected dimensions

      and many layers

and beyond the boundaries

                 of time.

God has

strategically positioned you

         to point others to Him.)

After this I looked,

and behold,

a door standing open

            in heaven!

          Revelation 4. 1

(What kind of door

       am I looking for?

The door which brings me

into a more intimate

       relationship with Christ

is always open,

unlocked,

and the porch light on.)

        

Behold,

I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears My voice

      and opens the door,

I will come in to him

             and eat with him,

and he with Me.

              Revelation 3. 20

(Not a matter of looking

           for open doors,

but opening our hearts

                  to Him.)

Seek good,

    and not evil,

that you may live;

and so the LORD,

              the God of hosts,

will be with you.

                Amos 5. 14

(Whose way do I seek?

    My way, or His in this?

Seek good.

Good does not just 

        arrive on the doorstep,

and rarely the easiest,

quickest,

most scenic route,

           but He is with you,

through treacherous places.

He will not just reveal

               His passage through,

but His Presence all around you,

      right in the midst of the mess.

For His glory.)

Be faithful unto death,

and I will give you

     the crown of life.

           Revelation 2. 10

(And I am afraid,

uncomfortable,

reluctant,

to be faithful to God

in this awkward

   or inconvenient situation?

Faithfulness to God

     and intimacy with Him

grows ever deeper

in my everyday choices

to bring the name of Jesus

     even right where I am.)

"Yet, even now,"

    declares the LORD,

"return to Me 

          with all your heart..."

               Joel 2. 12

(There is one certainty in life:

       we all mess up.

But our relationship with God

is not based on perfection,

nor success,

nor achievement,

nor performance,

but on His unending love and grace.

His door is always open,

the light is always on,

a place right next to Him

      waiting at the table.

He lives here,

      He dwells with us.

It is not God who comes back,

                but us to Him.

Yet, even now,

        His grace never falls short.)

   

Sow for yourselves righteousness;

         reap steadfast love;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is the time

         to seek the LORD,

that He may come

and rain righteousness

                     upon you.

               Hosea 10. 12

(What am I planting in this?

God always in time

         and a bizillion ways

bears fruitfulness

    through faithfulness to Him,

beyond our vision

and even beyond the boundaries

         of our lives on earth.

Faithfulness is not bound by time.

On the Other Side,

we will stand amazed

         at what God has done.)

Let us know;

let us press on

        to know the LORD;

His going out

    is sure as the dawn;

He will come to us

             as the showers,

the spring rains

       that water the earth.

                 Hosea 6. 3

(Not just knowing about Him,

      but knowing Him.

It doesn't just happen,

   like a package suddenly

                 on the doorstep,

but a deepening relationship.

Press on, seek, pursue daily,

         to know Him more.)

...not as though I were writing you

a new commandment,

but the one we have had

               from the beginning --

that we love one another.

                   2 John 4. 5

(Every which way we can.

The most meaningful ways

       are the most unexpected,

not in stuff,

but a different tune,

           and a new heart.

Not I,

      but Christ in me.)

And there

    I will give her her vineyards,

and make the Valley of Achor,

                           a door of hope.

                         Hosea 2. 15

(Achor means trouble.

And so God transforms

    our Valley of Trouble,

that impossible barren place,

and reveals His way

  not just through it,

                    but in it.

We look for exits

             and new opportunities,

but even in the toughest places,

    God always keeps

    an open door of hope.

"Trust Me, even in this.")

But go your way till the end.

And you shall rest

and shall stand

   in your allotted place

at the end of the days.

                Daniel 12. 13

(God does not call us

    to be successful

    or famous

    or perfect,

just to be faithful to Him

               in all things

for His glory.)

...but the people

    who know their God

shall stand firm

and take action.

                 Daniel 11. 32

(Ready,

willing and able,

because of daily choices

to follow God

           and stand strong,

despite the prevailing winds.

The equipping does not arrive

on the doorstep out of the blue,

but takes place

          on every ordinary day

by praying,

reading His Word,

and following faithfully,

               even in this.

There is no small stuff

when it comes to

        responding to God.)

But you have been

     anointed by the Holy One...

                   1 John 2. 20

(Anointed and appointed.

And that should change

the way we look

       and how we respond.)

...because you are strong,

and the Word of God

                abides in you,

and you have

       overcome the evil one.

                 1 John 2. 14

(Our confidence and strength

     are ours by the Presence of God

     and the power of His Word

                       in our lives.

Don't be distracted.

We live in enemy territory,

but the adversary has

              power over you.

You belong to Jesus.)

But the saints of the Most High

shall receive the kingdom

and possess the kingdom

forever,

forever,

and ever.

                       Daniel 7. 18

(What I am facing,

whatever I am going through

is preparing

the way of the LORD

     in the lives of others

and revealing

   that His kingdom is now

and not just yet to come.

The saints of the Most High

run on a different operating system,

       and are marked radically

       by the reality of His Presence.)

When Daniel knew

that the document had been signed,

he went to his house where he had

windows in his upper chamber

     open toward Jerusalem.

He got down on his knees

three times a day

and prayed

and gave thanks before his God,

as he had done previously.

                     Daniel 6. 10

(Deeply engraved

     patterns of faithfulness,

the source of his strength,

the daily equipping

   of Daniel's trust in the Almighty.

Praying and

spending time in God's Word

     always bears profound fruit,

more than we can know

for this day

and for the time to come.)

I have heard of you

that the Spirit of God

            is in you,

and that light

and understanding

and excellent wisdom

    are found in you.

             Daniel 5. 14

("There is something different

                about you."

A relationship with God

does not just

change the trajectory of your life,

     but He changes you,

                   for His glory.

When we follow Him fully,

we point others to the Almighty,

    sometimes even when 

    we are even unaware of it.)

          

...but you are able,

for the Spirit of the Holy God

            is in you.

            Daniel 4. 18

(Not "you can do it!"

but "what God does

         through you."

God Himself empowers you

to fulfill your mission,

because He is with you,

and the power of the Almighty

        surrounds you.

Be faithful to Him in this.)

If this be so,

our God whom we serve

is able

      to deliver us

from the fiery furnace,

and He will deliver us

out of your hand, O king.

But if not,

be it known to you,

                O king,

that we will not serve

your gods or worship

    the golden image

    that you have set up.

              Daniel 3. 17-18

(No matter the situation,

no matter the outcome,

    faithful to God in this,

that in everything

        God may be glorified.)

...always be prepared

to make a defense to anyone

who asks you

for a reason for the hope

      that is in you;

yet do it with gentleness

              and respect.

             1 Peter 3. 15

(Others are always watching you

not to see if you are perfect,

but to see if this God of yours

                         is real.

Always be prepared to point

             others to Jesus.

The most profound moments

    are those which are unexpected.)

...but they shall bear

fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows

from the sanctuary.

Their fruit will be for food,

and their leaves for healing.

                 Ezekiel 47. 12

(That which flows from

          God Himself,

that which bears fruit,

sustains,

and brings about healing.)

...that you may proclaim 

the excellences of Him

who called you

out of darkness 

into His marvelous light.

            1 Peter 2. 9

(Called not to a job,

but called to Christ.)

O give thanks to the LORD,

       for He is good;

for His steadfast love

        endures forever.

                Psalm 113. 1

(Thanksgiving is a 

           daily practice,

not an event,

nor a meal,

nor an emotion,

     but a response.

Not even

        "I am thankful"

but "I am thankful 

             to God.")

...to make a separation 

between the holy

and the common.

            Ezekiel 42. 20

(Learn to distinguish 

between what draws 

      you closer to God

and what pulls at you. 

Not all things

          are helpful.

Everyone struggles

     with something.

Know when 

      to walk away

and follow Him.)

But He 

   gives more grace.

           James 4. 6

(How to handle

   any situation.)

...look with your eyes,

and hear with your ears,

and set your heart

upon all that I shall show you,

for you were brought here

in order

  that I might show it to you.

                 Ezekiel 40. 4

(Be very aware

of God's Presence

and profound purposes

            right where you are.

Even here

     in this impossible place

     or difficult situation,

His divine purposes

             are deeply embedded.

God is revealing Himself

 to you

         ...and to others.

This very well may not

         be just about you.

Probably isn't.

God never works

    in singular dimensions.)

...let every person

    be quick to hear,

slow to speak,

slow to anger;

for the anger of man

does not produce

the righteousness of God.

             James 1. 19

(Boy, do we have that backwards.

Live in such a way

that the grace of God

                is seen in you.

Even in

      this impossible situation.

May others see

    something different in you.

And that would be Jesus.)

 

I will seek the lost,

and I will bring back the strayed,

and I will bind up the injured,

and I will strengthen the weak...

                Ezekiel 34. 16

(God has placed them

            in your life

for a reason.

Bring the love of Jesus

    to those who surround you.)

Strive for peace with

               everyone...

             Hebrews 12. 14

(No exclusions.

Strive means

  to make every effort

  and to fight vigorously

                    for it.

Peace doesn't just happen.

"Show me Your way

in this,

          O LORD,

             for Your glory.")

...let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us,

      looking to Jesus...

              Hebrews 12. 1-2

(No matter the course

set before me today,

running faithfully,

bringing glory to His name.

Even in this,

      eyes on Him.

Run with Jesus.)

By faith

the people crossed the Red Sea

as on dry land...

                Hebrews 11. 29

("Show me Your way,

             O LORD,

through this impossible,

       difficult situation."

Do we even stop

         to ask His way in this?)

And Abraham went out,

not knowing where

          he was going.

           Hebrews 11. 8

(That is what

           faith looks like:

following God,

even in what we cannot

              fully understand,

even in the really hard stuff,

even in what

    may make no sense at all,

                    to us.

God is going someplace

                     with this.

       Walk with Him.

Even in this mess,

even in this failure,

even in bleak wilderness,

                 God is.)

And let us consider 

how to stir up    

          one another 

to love and good works,

not neglecting 

       to meet together,

as is the habit of some,

but encouraging 

            one another,

and all the more

as you see the Day

          drawing near.

      Hebrews 10. 23-25

(Living without community

with other believers 

       is not an option, 

 not a matter of

     "I don't fit,"

     but how you do,

not connected 

    to the Church

but being the Church,

a vital part of the family.

Stir up,

love well,

and encourage 

 everyone around you.)

With God

we shall do valiantly;

it is He

who will tread down

            our foes.

               Psalm 108. 6

(With God.

Not "you can do it,"

nor "believe in yourself,"

       but with God.

This is way too big,

too hard,

too overwhelming 

              for me!

"Exactly. 

 But not for Me.

 Follow Me through it."

He turns a desert

     into pools of water,

a parched land

     into springs of water.

               Psalm 107. 35

(Now watch what God does

 with your impossible situation.

"Trust Me in this.")

If a man is righteous

and does what is just

            and right...

            Ezekiel 18. 5

(As a direct result,

God changes

the trajectory of your life.

And what you choose

   impacts everyone

around you

and who comes after you.

God did not promise

that life with Him will be easy

    but "I am with you.")

He rebuked the Red Sea,

and it became dry,

and He led them

through the deep

      as though a desert.

So He saved them

from the hand of the foe

and redeemed them

   from the power of the enemy.

              Psalm 106. 9-10

(A foe or enemy

is anything you fear,

     both real and imagined.

Don't allow the past

to define or enslave you.

Forgiven, released, redeemed.

God meets us

    in our deepest need.

He may not deliver us from

an impossible situation,

          but leads us through.)

            

...and you shall know

that I have not done

without cause

all that I have done in it,

     declares the LORD.

 

              Ezekiel 14. 23

(Even though 

I do not understand,

God always bears

profound purposes

     in many dimensions 

     and delicate layers

of which I am not aware

   nor cannot comprehend.

Nothing is ever random 

but by His intricate design.

Even the really hard stuff 

does not lay

beyond His redeeming.)

In the morning

the word of the LORD

came to me:

"Son of man,

has not the house of Israel,

the rebellious house,

said to you:

     "What are you doing?"

               Ezekiel 12. 8-9

(Live in such faithfulness to God

that others can't help but ask

               "why?"

What makes you different?

And that would be Jesus.

People are always watching you

  to see if God is real.)

The Spirit lifted me up

    and brought me to....

                Ezekiel 11. 1

(Sometimes not where

               I intended.

What am I doing here?

Even in what

    I can't understand,

God's profound purposes

           are seamlessly woven,

no matter the circumstances,

no matter how things appear.

Not to find a place for God

              to fit into my plans,

but to let the LORD

     lay His day before me.)

And behold,

the glory of the God of Israel

            was there...

            Ezekiel 8. 4

(Sometimes

   in the most unexpected places,

always

    in following Him.)

And He said to me,

"Arise,

go out into the valley,

and there

    I will speak with you."

           Ezekiel 3. 22

(Seek the LORD,

listen,

respond,

follow

     even where it makes no sense,

and "wait for Me there."

Even here.

Even in this.

There appear to be

no trails in the wilderness,

         at least paths that we

         cannot yet see.

God knows the way.)

And you shall speak

       My words to them,

whether they hear

            or refuse to hear,

for they are

       a rebellious house.

              Ezekiel 2. 7

(God does not call me

  to be successful.

God calls me

          to be faithful,

wherever I am,

even here,

even in this,

even among those around me.

I will be very surprised

by who is watching,

who is listening,

even more at who responds.)

At present,

we do not yet see

everything in subjection

                   to Him.

But we see Him...

           Hebrews 2. 9

(I cannot understand everything,

but I can trust Him,

love Him,

respond to Him,

even in what I don't comprehend.

"Follow Me in this.")

But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD

                never ceases,

His mercies never come

                to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

                 Lamentations 3. 21-23

(No matter what.

Worry tries to control

           the what if's of the unknown.

Hope stakes it life on what is known:

                  God Almighty.

His faithfulness comes

with the sunrise every morning.

His steadfast love covers it all

               and never ceases.

You are not alone,

     God whispers in the darkness

and sings in the breaking of the day.)

I will walk with integrity of heart

          within my house;

I will not set before my eyes

anything that is worthless.

                Psalm 101. 2-3

(Intentionally turning away

from anything that distracts

     or gets a death grip on you

engraves patterns of faithfulness.

It is not a matter of setting up

                         fire walls,

but not opening the door

          in the first place.)

And let our people learn

to devote themselves

           to good works,

so as to help cases

      of urgent need,

and not be unfruitful.

               Titus 3. 14

(Excuse me,

but your gospel is showing.

Faithfulness to Christ

enlarges our vision

             past ourselves.

Fruitfulness in Christ

 is the planting of His Word

 and living out

   the long ripening of His Spirit.

Faithfulness

         always impacts others.)

It is He who made the earth

                by His power,

who established the world

                by His wisdom,

and by His understanding

   stretched out the heavens...

The LORD of hosts

                 is His name.

                    Jeremiah 51. 15, 19

(No wonder I feel like

 I am not in control,

                   because He is.

His evidence and His Presence

    are seamlessly woven

into all that is both visible

                    and invisible.

Just because I cannot comprehend

doesn't mean He is not there.)

   

Their Redeemer is strong;

the LORD of hosts is His name.

                   Jeremiah 50. 34

(Trusting the LORD is

part of His redeeming.

By trusting God

with what you do not know

--even in what you do know--

               He changes you,

even if the circumstances don't.

And that may be His purpose in it:

             to know Him more.

The LORD is stronger yet.

"Trust Me in this,

      trust Me through this.")

           

Preach the Word;

be ready in season

         and out of season.

              2 Timothy 4. 2

(In obvious places of need

and in

      totally unexpected situations,

and even among those

           we would least suspect.

Every word,

every deed,

nothing random in any circumstance,

but a divinely appointed opportunity

                 for the gospel.

Be ready.  Seek it out.

Even here.

Even now.

Bring the name of Jesus there.)

And do you seek

     great things for yourself?

Seek them not ...

             Jeremiah 45. 5

(Only for His glory.

Even in this.

For who or what 

    I do something,

    always changes me

    ... and the outcome.)

Let the favor of the Lord our God

             be upon us,

and establish

  the work of our hands upon us;

yes,

   establish the work of our hands.

                    Psalm 90. 17

(A daily prayer before I begin my day,

before I begin the work

      He has set before me.

Whatever the task,

           may He be glorified.

Even in this.

No work done for His glory

       is ever menial,

nothing stands outside His bounds.

Not "Take God to work" day,

   but walk with Him into it.)

          

...for God gave us a spirit

        not of fear

but of power

and love

and self-control.

             2 Timothy 1. 7

(A radically different response

brings about

a radically different outcome.)

...washed the feet

        of the saints...

         1 Timothy 5. 10

(In whatever way

   that honor appears.)

So also good works

      are conspicuous,

and even those that are not

cannot remain hidden.

                1 Timothy 5. 25

(Good works,

kindness,

compassion,

unexpected grace

         reverberate.

God always bears fruit

and alters the landscape.)

Train yourself for godliness,

for while bodily training

    is of some value,

godliness is of value

               in every way,

as it holds promise

        for the present life

and also for the life to come.

              1 Timothy 4. 7-8

(Quite literally Cross-fit.

As my friend Chris Davis

always says,

"The proof of desire

  is in the pursuit.)

Ah, Lord GOD!

It is You who have

   made the earth

   by Your great power

and by Your outstretched arm!

Nothing

      is too hard for You!

                 Jeremiah 32. 17

(The word "nothing"

in the original Hebrew means

          "absolutely nothing."

Still does.

This particular dilemma or problem

is not beyond His power

                   or redeeming.)

Keep your voice from weeping,

and your eyes from tears,

              declares the LORD,

and they shall come back

from the land of the enemy.

There is hope for your future,

                declares the LORD...

              Jeremiah 31. 16-17

(God is using you

in deep and mighty ways

     His sacred purposes.

Hope is in the LORD,

not in prevailing circumstances.

Press on.

All eyes on Him

   as the LORD

   navigates us through.)

For I know the plans

   I have for you,

          declares the LORD,

plans for welfare

                 and not for evil,

to give you a future

                 and a hope.

Then you will call upon Me

and come and pray to Me,

      and I will hear you.

You will seek Me

and find Me

when you seek Me

     with all your heart.

 

               Jeremiah 29. 11-13

(Seek God in this,

       not just an answer.

Faithfulness to God

  always produces fruitfulness

                    beyond measure,

in His perfect timing

and in His unexpected

    and incredible ways.)

...do not hold back a word.

It may be they will listen,

and every one turn

        his evil way....

            Jeremiah 26. 2-3

(You never know,

never even suspect,

who is watching,

who is listening,

who will respond to God,

God has placed you there

     to bring His love, grace

     and His name.)

In the latter days

you will understand it

         completely.

            Jeremiah 23. 20

(God redeems

         even the hard stuff.

Just because 

        I don't understand 

doesn't mean 

His profound purposes

          aren't deeply woven.

Nothing random,

        just deeper than

        my myopic vision.

Someday we shall all say,

"Oh, so that's why....")

...that they may know

       that You alone,

whose name is the LORD,

are the Most High

    over all the earth.

                  Psalm 83. 18

(Bottom line

    in every endeavor

that He is known.

Above all things,

          intimacy with Him,

no deeper thing to seek

         or pray for others.)

If I say,

"I will not mention Him,

or speak any more

               in His name,"

there is in my heart

as it were a burning fire

shut up in my bones,

and I am weary

      with holding it in,

and I cannot.

              Jeremiah 20. 9

(God has placed you there

to bring the name of Jesus.)

Blessed is the man

    who trusts in the LORD,

    whose trust is the LORD.

He is like a tree

           planted by water,

that sends out its roots

                 by the stream,

and does not fear

         when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious

            in the year of drought,

for it does not cease

                    to bear fruit.

                 Jeremiah 17. 7-8

(Trusting God

       changes everything

even in this.)