...at the place 

          which the LORD will choose,

to make His name dwell there.

                   Deuteronomy 16. 2

(Wherever I am today.

Even here.

Even in this.

Nothing is insignificant).

...for you are a people 

holy to the LORD your God.

                  Deuteronomy 14.21

(Seeing and living differently 

       because you know Him).

But you shall seek the place

which the LORD your God will choose

out of all your tribes

to put His name 

   and make His habitation there;

thither shall you go...

and you shall rejoice,

you and your households,

    in all that you undertake.

                      Deuteronomy 12. 5, 7

(God always blesses faithfulness,

where you are

        and where He leads.

God redeems the impossible 

     with the unexplainable.

Bring the love of Jesus there.

The wilderness is not a wasteland,

    but just that which has not yet

    been planted).

But you shall seek the place

which the LORD your God will choose

out of all your tribes

to put His name 

   and make His habitation there;

thither shall you go...

and you shall rejoice,

you and your households,

    in all that you undertake.

                      Deuteronomy 12. 5, 7

(God always blesses faithfulness,

where you are

        and where He leads.

God redeems the impossible 

     with the unexplainable.

Bring the love of Jesus there.

The wilderness is not a wasteland,

    but just that which has not yet

    been planted).

"Who can stand

    before the sons of Anak?"

Know therefore this day

that He who goes over before you

as a devouring fire

is the LORD your God...

                     Deuteronomy 9. 2-3

(We all have giants in our lives

         of whom we fear.

God does not just show up.

     He goes before us.

We are not alone).

    

      

You shall not be in dread of them,

for the LORD your God

    is in the midst of you,

            a great and awesome God.

The LORD your God

will clear away 

these nations before you

               little by little;

you may not make 

       an end of them at once,

lest the wild beasts 

   grow too numerous for you.

                     Deuteronomy 7. 21-22

(Whatever I fear,

His incredible timing,

His perfect provision,

His shield

   even in what I don't understand.

Just watch to see

what only God Almighty can do.

Nothing is impossible,

   just unexplainable 

               if not for God).

Rebuke the beasts 

   that dwell among the reeds.

                   Psalm 68. 30

(Anything you fear,

      both real and imagined.

No matter how big the shadows,

       no matter how loud they growl,

the LORD is your shield.

     They cannot touch you).

...even among the rebellious,

that the LORD God

             may dwell there.

                   Psalm 68. 18

(What am I doing in this hard place?

Faithful to God.

Even here.

Bring the name of Jesus there).

For the LORD your God

has blessed you

in all the work of your hands;

He knows your going through

        this great wilderness;

these forty years the LORD your God

        has been with you;

you have lacked nothing.

                 Deuteronomy 2. 7

(Not a wilderness at all

but a deeper dimension of knowing Him.

God is faithful.

He is not about to leave you

     stranded now.

The only thing we have lacked

        is trusting Him).

...we went through fire
         and through water,
yet
  You have brought us forth
      to a spacious place.

                 Psalm 66. 12

("Yet" is one of my favorite words
       in God's Word.
God is working profoundly
    even in what we do not see.
No matter how He leads,
    yet there is something more).

...cities of refuge...

              Numbers 35. 6

(God is revealed to others

     by the unexpected 

     places of grace in our midst).

...He said to Simon,

"Put out into the deep

and let down your nets for a catch."

And Simon answered,

"Master, we toiled all night 

        and caught nothing!

But at Your word

    I will let down the nets."

And when they had done this,

they enclosed a great shoal of fish,

and as their nets were breaking,

they beckoned to their partners

in the other boat to help them.

And they came and filled both boats,

    so that they began to sink.

                      Luke 5. 4-7

(We have no idea the impact

of a single step of obedience.

Obedience changes our course,

deepens our relationship with God,

and radically transforms

          everyone around us,

even in what appears insignificant.

God specializes in 

               impossible situations.

Let down your nets).

...I think of You

upon my bed,

and meditate on You

in the watches of the night,

for You have been my help

and in the shadow of Your wings

        I sing for joy. 

                 Psalm 63. 6-7

(God is not about to

   abandon me now

   on the side of the road.

I waste a lot of time and sleep,

fearful of what I don't know 

                                  yet.

Worrying blocks out the light.

Trusting God

     navigates me through).

...so he called its name

                   Rehoboth,

saying, 

"For now the LORD 

         has made room for us,

and we shall be fruitful 

                   in the land."

                    Genesis 26. 22

(God is at work,

     even in the narrow squeaks,

     even in what only appears

                   as wilderness,

        His fruitfulness.

God specializes in the unexpected.

Impossible to us

                is His glory).

    

Bear fruits that befit repentance.

                 Luke 3. 8

(How differently do I approach

this situation,

this difficulty,

this relationship,

this favor,

because I am a believer?

A forgiven soul

        takes a different route.)

And coming up at that very hour...

                         Luke 2. 38

(And that is what 

responding to the LORD looks like,

not if we only knew,

       but if we only trusted Him.

God's timing is always perfect,

            more perfect than we think,

His purposes far more profound 

     than we can grasp.

Imagine that).

And in that region 

there were shepherds 

   keeping watch 

over their flock by night.

                  Luke 2. 8

(The faithful 

are strategically positioned 

as the most unlikely candidates 

     in unexpected places

to be witnesses of His glory

and bring 

       the name of Jesus there.

Even you.

Even in this.)

And they were saying to one another,

"Who will roll away

the stone for us

     from the door of the tomb?"

And looking up,

they saw that 

      the stone was rolled back

--it was very large.

                     Mark 16. 4

(But not too big for God.

What is your big rock?

Respond to the LORD's leading.

It is not that a door will suddenly open

     or a barrier moved.

      Not that God needs to show up,

      but us.

             He is already there.

Where God guides,

God provides the impossible).

...for He who is mighty

     has done great things for me,

and holy is His name.

                      Luke 1. 49

(And that is only what

       we can see.

God fulfills His purposes,

           God redeems,

beyond what we can comprehend.

He who is mighty,

          even in this).

...to make ready for the Lord

         a people prepared.

                    Luke 1. 17

(Every relationship 

     is a divine appointment 

to point others to Him.

God is using you strategically,

     His love and grace in you,

even here,

even in this.

Encounters are never random,

         only profoundly eternal

   and intricately designed by Him).

...and behold 

the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi

had sprouted

       and put forth buds,

and produced blossoms,

and it bore ripe almonds.

                   Numbers 17. 8

(God's anointing,

God's appointing,

and the astonishing fruit He brings with it.

That's what obedience looks like.

You've seen nothing yet

    in what only God can do.)

Behold,

God is my helper;

the LORD is

   the upholder of my life.

                   Psalm 54. 4

(Ingrained in the every days,

    evident in the crisis.

"Fear not, I am with you.")

If the LORD delights in us,

   He will bring us into this land

   and give it to us,

a land flowing with milk and honey.

Only, do not rebel against the LORD,

and do not fear

        the people of the land,

for they are bread for us;

their protection is removed from them,

    and the LORD is with us;

do not fear them.

                     Numbers 14. 8-9

(There is alway a lot more at stake

than what appears on the surface.

"Trust Me in this. Trust Me with this."

Faithfulness always bears

       not just a different outcome,

       but a deeper relationship with Him.)

Now the man Moses was very meek,

more than all men

who were on the face of the earth.

                        Numbers 12. 3

(God always chooses and uses 

                         the unlikely,

those who could never do this thing

        on their own strength

                           but on His.

You want me to do what?

"But I am with you."

Obedience to God

 never unfolds in a vacuum.

Even in what appears insignificant,

           God reverberates 

           in the lives of others,

in His strength

  and for His glory.)

...and the tabernacle was set up

       before their arrival.

                       Numbers 10. 21

(It's not that God shows up,

   but we are suddenly aware

          He is already here.)

...that it may be theirs

to do the service of the LORD.

                       Numbers 8. 11

(That this strange occurrence,

this unexpected situation,

this difficulty 

    or annoying relationship 

may be exactly ours

     to serve the LORD 

     and bring Him glory

in the most unlikely places.)

Even this

    is service to the LORD.)

The LORD bless you and keep you:

The LORD make His face

             to shine upon you:

The LORD lift up 

        His countenance upon you,

and give you peace.

                         Numbers 6. 24-26

(Even in this unlikely situation,

     even in this impossible place,

the reality of God's presence.

I love how these three distinct phrases

are not separated by semi-colons

               but connected by colons,

not attached truth,

      but blessing layered upon layer.

His blessing is always deeper

              than we can comprehend,

but sometimes appears

             as hope in tangible pieces.)

Walk about Zion,

go round about her,

number her towers,

consider well her ramparts,

go through her citadels,

that you may tell the next generation 

              that this is God,

our God for ever and ever.

He will be our guide for ever.

                         Psalm 48. 12-14

(Know every dimension you can about God,

live it out and pass it on,

that the children yet unborn

      should set their hope in God.

This is not just something I believe,

               but stake my life on.

My relationship with God directly impacts

    the children to the furthest generation.)

...they shall encamp

facing the tent of meeting 

on every side.

                   Numbers 2. 2

(Everyone encamps.

The significant difference

       is around what.

When God is at my core,

  He transforms the trajectory of my life

and points others to Him.

When I desire God,

everything does not just fall into place.

       Everything fits together.)

If any one says to you,

"Why are you doing this?"

say, "The Lord has need of it..."

                    Mark 11. 3

(Live in such a way

that others are compelled

              to ask why,

in such a way 

that would not make sense

        if not for God.

The tiniest details

are never insignificant to Him.)

And Jesus said to him, 

“What do you want Me

             to do for you?”

                      Mark 10. 51

(He asks the same of us,

        one by one,

   in intimate conversation.

And how do I answer?

Do I even ask?)

....before the LORD continually.

                      Leviticus 24. 3

(Not my stuff,

not my accomplishments,

nor my failures,

                 but my heart.)