It shall be as a mark

on your hand

or frontlets

    between your eyes,

for by a strong hand

the LORD has brought us

         out of Egypt.

         Exodus 13. 16

(Our lives forgiven,

redeemed,

and transformed

should look very different

          in this world

in how we respond,

in how we love others,

by the mercy

      we have experienced,

because the LORD

      has released us

      from our sin.

How do I approach

this impossible situation,

this difficult relationship,

even this "ordinary" day

        differently

because I am a believer?)

O LORD,

May Your grace

   be obvious to us.

May Your grace

   be visibly evident

   in our lives

to point others to You.

May we live

    in such a way

that would not make sense

          if not for You.

Grant to us

    Your deeper vision

in all that surrounds us

                      today

to see not circumstances

  but opportunity

  to love others to You.

   

...for we must take of them

    to serve the LORD our God,

and we do not know with what

we must serve the LORD

     until we arrive there.

                Exodus 10. 26

(That is what faithfulness is:

    not knowing

         what God is up to,

  but willing to follow Him

                  into it anyway.

We cannot know with what,

where,

among whom,

or what God Almighty will do.

There are many such surprises

           along His paths.

Sometimes those things

               are revealed.

Sometimes those things

      are yet to be revealed.

But someday we shall all say,

   "So that's why

   it happened that way."

His extraordinary

      even in the ordinary.)

O LORD,

We cannot know,

but we can know You.

We cannot see,

but we can trust You.

We can seek You

   and be faithful.

You do know what you are doing,

              indeed after all.

Why are we surprised at that?

You have equipped us

     through experience,

     hardships and joy.

We have no idea

   with what to serve You

--in unexpected ways

    and unlikely places--

until we arrive there.

And even then,

             only a glimpse.

We have seen too much

   to question You in this.

Even in this.

For Your glory.

But for this purpose

I have raised you up,

to show you My power,

so that My name

may be proclaimed

      in all the earth.

             Exodus 9. 16

(Even today.

Even in this.

God has positioned

     each one of us

              strategically

for His profound purposes.

Nothing

    is a random occurrence,

    but all divine appointments

                  for His glory.

Bring the name of Jesus there.

Let His power in our lives

           be revealed.)

O LORD,

Help us to seek You,

help us to see You,

Your extraordinary hand

        even in what we consider

        as ordinary.

Nothing is insignificant

      in Your measure of things.

Please make us aware

           of Your Presence

and make us sensitive

  to Your divine encounters

  all around us today,

to declare to others

          in word and deed

          and even attitude,

not just that You exist,

but You are LORD.

How can we in some way today

    point others to You,

bring You glory,

and bless Your name?

         

But the LORD said to Moses,

"Now you shall see

     what I will do..."

          Exodus 6.1

(Sometimes we see it,

sometimes we don't get to,

sometimes we live in mystery,

sometimes just a glimpse,

and sometimes "Wow!"

but always

     God is working

       His profound purposes

and His grander narrative,

  far beyond

  what we are able to understand.

"Trust Me in this."

The pieces don't just fall into place,

           or happen to fit together,

but God seamlessly designs.

Even in this,

God has us strategically placed.)

O LORD,

Help us not just

   to be aware of Your Presence,

but aware of

           our need for You.

Help us to realize faithfulness

        leads to fruitfulness,

even when we don't get it,

even when we may not

    ever see the fruit.

Use us, O LORD,

for Your Kingdom,

for Your grace in this,

for Your glory

     most of all.

But Moses said to the LORD,

"Oh, my Lord,

I am not eloquent,

either in the past,

or since you have spoken

           to Your servant,

but I am slow of speech

           and of tongue."

Then the LORD said to him...

"Now therefore go,

and I will be with your mouth

and teach you

          what you shall speak."

               Exodus 4. 10-12

(God always chooses

       the most unlikely

that they will depend

    on the power of God,

not their own abilities.

It is for His glory,

              not ours.

God is not looking 

   for the successful,

but for the faithful ones.

Never doubt

    that God can use you

because He already is.)

O LORD,

Guide us into Your ways

and Your purposes,

for Your kingdom,

and for Your glory,

   even in what is before us.

Work through us

    wonders we cannot even grasp.

Help us to not just take a step,

     but to trust You a step,

and then another.

Every opportunity,

    to bring Your name there.

But Moses said to God,

"Who am I

that I should go to Pharoah

and bring the children of Israel

         out of Egypt?"

He said,

    "But I will be with you..."

                   Exodus 3. 11-12

(Our strength,

our power,

our ability does not hang on

         "who am I"

 to do such an impossible thing,

        but "who God is."

It is not in us,

          but God

that His Almighty power alone

     will be revealed

     with no other explanation.

Fear not.  I am with you.

That's all we need to know.)

 

O LORD,

What part of "fear not"

       don't we understand?

You go before us

and fulfill Your purposes

in the most unlikely places

and with

the most unexpected people.

And that would be us.

You are working far deeper

    than we can ever know.

This place we are standing

    is holy ground.

Even here.

Even in this divine appointment.

Even before our own

            personal Pharoah,

no matter what that is.

You are with us.

Please help us

     to grasp that reality.

As for you,

you meant evil against me,

but God

     meant it for good,

to bring it about

that many people

      should be kept alive,

as they are today.

               Genesis 50. 20

(We are strategically positioned

              by God

for His purposes and His glory.

What God redeems

    is never just about us.

God redeems the impossible

   for His extraordinary goodness.

This is what

        forgiveness looks like

and what faithfulness does.

Not just fulfillment

        but filled with God's glory.)

O LORD,

You know,

You see,

You have seamlessly woven

    Your glory into

        this impossible situation.

Hold us fast.

Help us to see

                  only You,

not fearful or distracted by circumstances,

    but responsive to them,

bringing Your strength to the moment

   even in what we don't understand,

    not overwhelmed

                 by only what we see,

but in awe of

       the reality of Your Presence..

Let Your steadfast love

  be revealed and evident

  for the flourishing of many people.

 

"Where are we to

get enough bread

in such a desolate place

to feed

    so great a crowd?"

And Jesus said to them,

"How many loaves

           do you have?"

           Matthew 15. 34

(No matter the circumstances,

    God does not just add.

            God multiplies.

Whatever we see,

it is not such

       a desolate place

or desperate situation after all.

Just watch what

         God does with it.

What am I bringing to the table

     that He makes

     more than enough?)

O LORD,

We live with such myopic eyes.

We have not seen

     the scope of Your goodness

nor even a glimpse

  of Your grander narrative,

              even in this.

Use us, O LORD,

   use what we have,

   who You have made us,

   where You have brought us,

more than enough

               for Your glory.

We would be astonished,

          if we only knew.

Indeed.

Even in this.

But she came

and knelt before Him,

saying,

     "Lord, help me."

           Matthew 15. 25

(The simplest prayer,

our most profound reaction

           to our need:

    coming before God.

First response,

not last resort.

Worry just distracts,

distorts, and

     multiplies the problem.)

O LORD,

We come before You.

Please help us.

We cry out to You.

We listen.

We watch

    Your steadfast love,

     Your divine appointments,

     Your shield

            snapped into place,

the infiltration of Your Spirit,

Your supernatural intervention,

     which is how You work.

There is so much we do not see

          in Your grand narrative.

Help us to drag our concerns

           to the altar

and listen to You.

You do not just show us

         the way through,

but fear not.

     You are with us.

...for God sent me

before you

to preserve life.

...and to keep alive for you

          many survivors.

So it was not you

  who sent me here,

but God.

           Genesis 45. 5, 7

(We are each one

a main character

in God's much bigger story.

Our relationship with God,

our pursuit of Him,

our following

      and obeying,

impact far more people

   than we can ever imagine.

God redeems His purposes,

  even when

         we don't understand.

Why are we here?

   To be faithful to Him.)

Redeem, O LORD!

Fulfill all Your purposes.

Help us to be faithful

   as Joseph in a foreign land,

even in those things

  so profound

  we would be astonished. 

You, O God,

           are in this,

    and we didn't see it.

Fear only distracts,

and worry blocks out the light.

You live, O LORD.

And that changes everything.

And He did not do

many mighty works there,

because of their unbelief.

                Matthew 13. 58

(Unbelief touches

       every part of who we are,

the actuality of missing out,

the reality of rejecting Him

and living as if

         God does not matter.

God's mighty works

    surround us all the time,

we live on the ground

         of unrecognized grace,

intricately a vital thread

    of God's greater narrative,

and we just don't

         acknowledge Him.

God is not just working in us

         and through us.

He is not just bringing us through.

    He is bringing His glory here.

We don't just miss the blessing.

                We miss Him.

Even here.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

Help us not miss the wonders

    of knowing You.

Help us to not let busyness,

        pride and accomplishments

    get in the way of seeing You,

    of seeking You,

    of knowing You more.

You are revealing Yourself,

Your steadfast love,

Your grace

       that goes unrecognized,

our utter dependence on You

   in the big stuff

   and in the tiniest details.

Help us not just to see You,

   but acknowledge You out loud,

not just watch what You can do,

   but respond to You.

"Follow Me deeper."

  

  

God has made me forget

     all my hardship and...

God has made me fruitful

  in the land of my affliction.

              Genesis 41. 51-52

(Nothing random at all.

Nothing hopeless after all.

God redeems the hard stuff

      for His divine purposes.

Nothing but nothing

    is insignificant or futile

              in God's kingdom.

Plant a forest,

      one tiny grace at a time.

All bears fruit,

even in what we do not see,

even in what will outlive us.

And sometimes,

     we see His faithfulness

in all His glory

     front and center.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

Help us to trust You,

to keep our eyes on You,

to know that You bring about

   goodness and grace

   and Your deepest purposes,

that which would astonish us,

           if we were able

   to see it from the other side.

O LORD, You redeem

           all the hardship,

           all the affliction

for Your divine purposes

            in our lives and others'.

For Your Name.

For Your Glory.

For Your Kingdom.

You never work in

            singular outcomes,

but only the eternal.

Nothing random at all.

...because the LORD

       was with him.

And whatever he did,

the LORD made it succeed.

                Genesis 39. 23

(Faithful

     wherever God placed him,

even in prison,

even in injustice,

even in mystery.

Joseph did not waste energy

wondering "Why, O LORD?"

but sought the LORD

  in what was right before him.

Not focusing on the next,

   but seeking God in the now.)

O LORD,

Please help us to be

           faithful to You,

even when we don't get it,

even when it is hard,

even when the lights go out.

Keep our eyes on You,

aware,

sensitive to Your leading,

steadfast,

"to walk in a manner

        worthy of You,

fully pleasing to You,

bearing fruit

    in every good work,

and increasing

    in knowledge of You."

            (Colossians 1. 10)

Even now.

Even in this.

I bless the LORD

   who gives me counsel;

in the night also

   my heart instructs me.

I have set  the LORD

   always before me;

because He is at my right hand,

   I shall not be shaken.

                   Psalm 16. 7-8

(Setting the LORD before me

always changes my path,

my direction,

my heart

          in this particular day,

the trajectory of my life

    in transformative ways.

Focusing on the LORD

   does not restrict,

   but enlarges my vision

      in immeasurable ways.

"I never saw that before.")

O LORD,

May we not seek

     Your blessing today,

     but to bless You

in whatever we do

and say

and think today.

Please guide our hearts

  into Your wonders

and help us respond

         to Your leading.

There are

    no insignificant days,

nothing too small

            or unimportant

   in Your eyes

that You cannot use

       for Your glory.

Do not be afraid of sudden panic

  or of the storm of the wicked,

                when it comes,

for the LORD

  will be your confidence

and will keep your foot

          from being caught.

                   Proverbs 3. 25-26

(Being prepared for the big stuff

by trusting God

and living faithfully before Him

      in the "little" stuff.

Nothing but nothing is insignificant.

If we seek Him and follow Him

when we think it doesn't matter,

we will know how to navigate

when it is a matter of life and death.

The key here is not "if" but "when,"

not as a threat but the reality

that everyday is an opportunity

               to trust Him deeper.

Even 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

          September 11

O LORD,

As the day stretches before us,

we cannot know,

we cannot see,

what is on Your path for us today.

But we can know,

we can be well-assured,

that You already know

        and walk with us.

No matter what.

Please help us

    keep our eyes on You

and not let panic or fear

distract or

   dictate how we respond,

but to follow You.

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 11. 28-30

(God never intended for us

      to do life alone

               without Him.

He never promised

            life would be easy,

but "Fear not.

              I am with you."

"Trust Me

    and walk with Me

             through this."

Learn in the little details

      and little steps

how to make

      trusting God

      our default.

First response,

         not last resort.)

O LORD,

We struggle with so much,

and then realize

        that You are here.

Coming to You,

walking with You,

   does not just impact our direction,

or solve a big dilemma,

or fix the overwhelming problem,

or unload the heaviness,

but You

         transform our hearts.

There is a different way in this.

Coming to You,

walking with You,

   changes the trajectory of our lives,

every moment sacred.

And whoever gives

one of these little ones

   even a cup of cold water

because he is a disciple,

truly, I say to you,

he will by no means

    lose his reward.

                Matthew 10. 42

(Everything we do

      in the name of Jesus,

aware of the needs around us,

physically,

spiritually,

relationally,

realizing some needs

are more obvious than others.

How do I respond?

What kind of cup of cold water

         can I give today?)

O LORD,

Help me to be sensitive

   to the needs of others

and to Your leading today.

Help me to know how

      to respond.

For Your glory in this day.

In Your Name.

For Your Kingdom.

For Your sake.

But the God of my father

has been with me.

              Genesis 31. 5

(Recognizing

and acknowledging the hand,

the appointments,

the Presence of God,

regardless of circumstances.

Look to the chronicle

        of God's faithfulness

through thick and thin,

narrow squeaks,

cliffhangers,

and sheer blessedness.

All that reveals

     "Fear not.  I am with you."

That is not about to change.)

O LORD,

Wherever You have placed us

today,

in the midst of storm,

or in green pastures,

    You are with us,

each one on our paths

that You have appointed

for Your profound purposes,

  the visible

  and what is not yet seen.

Keep our eyes on You

that we would be

   responsive to circumstances,

   not enslaved by them.

Your glory in this, O LORD,

                  above all.

"Behold,

I am with you

and will keep you

wherever you go..."

Then Jacob awoke

from his sleep and said,

"Surely the LORD

       is in this place,

and I did not know it!"

           Genesis 28. 15-16

(God is with us

      right where we are.

Do we only grasp that

      through the rearview mirror?

God is with us,

right here,

right now.

His Presence changes everything

    about what we see

    and how we respond.

How does knowing the LORD

is with us and will keep us

change how we perceive

    and approach this situation,

how we come before Him,

      and what we do?)

O LORD,

You are in this place.

Help us to realize

           Your Presence.

Help us to not just

     look for You,

but to know You more.

Guide us

        into this day,

        into this new week,

and see this place differently

because You are here.

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

(Faithfulness to God

always produced fruitfulness

  in dimensions

  we sometimes will never see,

         and always beyond our lives,

wherever God places us,

in whatever He gives us to do,

among whomever in unlikely places,

even in the most unexpected ways.

To bring Him glory

    in the tight spots

  and the "whatever am I doing here?"

                         kind of places.

We see only a barren landscape.

  God knows the forest it will bear.)

O LORD,

Rehoboth!

You have not just made

       room for us.

You have brought us here

   for Your profound purposes.

Help us, O LORD,

to be faithful in the every days,

even when we are

           too myopic

    to see Your hand

or to grasp Your vision

                in this place,

                in this work,

     for Your glory in it.

Bring Your fruitfulness to it.

"Save us, Lord;

    we are perishing."

And He said to them,

"Why are you afraid,

    O you of little faith?"

Then He rose and rebuked

    the winds and the sea,

and there was great calm.

And the men marveled,

saying,

"What sort of man is this,

that even the winds and sea

                      obey Him?"

                 Matthew 8. 25-27

(Anxiety,

panic,

worry,

stress

are covered over and over

                 in Scripture.

What part of

   "Fear not. I am with you."

don't we understand?

Our youngest daughter

once woke fearful

       in the darkness of the night.

I reached over and patted her.

"Oh, if I had known you were here,"

she said,

     "I wouldn't have been afraid.")

  

O LORD,

You are with us,

despite the storms all around.

This is not the end of my world,

  but just one of the exciting parts

              of Your narrative

              and my story.

Please help me

              to trust You through it.

Help me

   to take You at Your Word,

  "Fear not.  I am with you."

Even in this.

Help us to dwell on being blessed,

    not on being stressed.

   

The LORD,

before Whom I have walked,

will send His angel with you

and prosper your way.

             Genesis 24. 40

(Before Whom I have walked,

remembering

how God is with us.

This is just another episode

in our chronicle

       of God's faithfulness,

steadfast love,

protection,

provision in unexpected ways,

and His Presence

                all the time.

"Remember 

and trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

On the scary heights,

the deepest miry bog,

the rocky trail,

the foggy road,

    You are with us.

We are not alone.

It is not just that

     You go before us,

but we need to

           walk with You.

Even through this.

You make Yourself known

every day,

all around us,

       for Your glory.

Everyone then who hears

these words of Mine

            and does them

will be like a wise man

who built his house on the rock.

And the rain fell,

and the floods came,

and the winds blew

and beat on that house,

    but it did not fall,

because it had been

          founded on the rock.

                Matthew 7. 24-25

(Not if the storms come,

         but when.

God never promised no wind

or clouds

or rain,

but strength in Him

built in layers on the everydays,

not dependent on circumstances,

but the reality of His Presence,

   El Olam,

   the God of everlastingness.

He has brought us thus far.

He is still Emmanuel,

                   God-with-us.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

You are faithful.

You are loving.

You are the everlasting God.

Please help us

when we don't know the outcome,

     that we know You

     and trust You even more.

There are no small obediences.

Help us to take You at Your Word,

    "Fear not.  I am with You."

Even in this.

Therefore I tell you,

do not be anxious

      about your life...

But seek first

the kingdom of God

    and His righteousness,

and all these things

  will be added to you.

            Matthew 6. 25-33

(Antidote to anxiety:

     seeking God,

not just an answer.

Have I even considered

bringing this matter,

this heavy burden,

this debilitating situation,

this deep ache,

even this "little thing,"

       before the LORD?

Seeking Him,

trusting Him,

and leaving it on the altar?

What part of

       do not be anxious

do we not understand?)

O LORD,

Whether the sharp cliffs

      on every side,

or the miry bog

  that threatens to

           swallow me alive,

You call to me,

    not even "bring it here,"

but "let Me help you with that."

Help me

   to seek You in this.

And the LORD

   appeared to him

by the oaks of Mamre,

as he sat at

   the door of his tent

   in the heat of the day.

He lifted up his eyes

and looked

         and behold....

            Genesis 18. 1-2

(Watching for the LORD

in our comings and goings,

on the most ordinary of days,

in unlikely places

      and unexpected ways,

living faithfully before Him

in the now,

not just waiting for the next.

Seeking Him

right where we are today.

There are no ordinary days,

    only sacred ones.

Behold, look!

   God is revealing Himself.)

O LORD,

We miss out on seeing You,

because we are

busy and preoccupied

and not abiding in You.

Please help us

to be faithful to You,

not just to seek Your blessing,

but seek to bless others

    and seek to bless You

             and bring You glory.

On what only appears

   as an ordinary day,

Your extraordinary purposes

      unfold before us.

The best way to stay watchful

    is to be walking with You.

"Wow,

I never saw that before."

...but whoever listens to Me

will dwell secure

    and will be at ease,

without dread of disaster.

                Proverbs 1. 33

(The journey,

the process,

the outcome,

will never be the same

  when we listen,

        respond,

        and follow Him.

Did it occur to me

   to ask God about this?

Did it occur to me

           to listen to Him?

At ease

does not mean the easiest

     and most comfortable,

but peaceful and purposeful,

no matter the dire circumstances,

knowing the LORD

  is not just in this,

                 but with me.)

O LORD,

We seek You,

not just an open door,

or a new pathway,

or the easiest way through,

or a favorable answer

       of our own surmising.

We seek You.

We come before You

not to tell You what to do,

   but to listen and respond.

And to know Your Presence.

Lead me, O LORD,

   in Your righteousness

because of my enemies;

make Your way

       straight before me.

             Psalm 5. 8

(Seeking God's way in this

is going to look

            very different.

How do I approach this

           impossible situation

and difficult relationship

and big self-made mess

                  differently

because I am a believer?

"Enemies" or foes in the Psalms

refer to the things we fear,

        both real and imagined.)

O LORD,

Help us as Your people

     to follow You

in unexpected ways

and in unlikely places.

Grant us, O LORD,

Your words,

Your next steps,

even the courage

         to follow You,

on the level ground

  and in the steep places

for Your glory alone.

But God...

      Genesis 8. 1

(Always the turning point

          in the narrative

    and in our own stories.

It is not that God

suddenly enters the equation,

but we realize He is already here,

                      all ready,

   not just in time

   but reality of the situation.

His Presence changes

        everything,

how we see circumstances,

whether we react

             or respond,

how we see God,

see others,

see ourselves.)

O LORD,

We need help.

We need You.

You are here.

Help us to see You

   in this difficulty,

   in this hard place,

and to follow You.

Not just to believe,

or think,

or imagine,

but know You

     change everything.

You do not just drop in,

or drop by,

but You abide with us

   in Shekinah Glory.

Enoch walked with God.

         Genesis 5. 22, 24

(All anyone needs to know

          about who I am.

Not about resolutions,

    but how am I walking

    with God into this new year?

If it is going to be different,

   something has to change.

Not that God is prominent,

   but preeminent.

Not more information,

   but transformation

in what I do and say and think.

Not just different choices,

   but different daily liturgies

----walking with Him.)

O LORD,

May we walk with You,

not just on different trails

   but differently

         on the same paths,

wherever You have

    strategically placed us today.

At that time

people began to call upon

   the name of the LORD.

                  Genesis 4. 26

(Everyone worships something.

And the things we worship

            change us,

our daily liturgies,

our habits,

even in ways we are not aware.

When we seek God,

listen,

respond,

and worship God Almighty,

nothing can remain the same,

           including us.

"The proof of desire

        is in the pursuit."

             -- Chris Davis)

O LORD,

You are God Almighty.

Help us as we come before You

        in every quiet moment,

no matter what

          is swirling around us,

knowing Your strength,

Your love,

Your grace.

Help us to worship You

in the difficulties,

in everyday encounters,

in the victories

       and even in the miry bog,

to bring You glory

           even in this.

Please help us

to prepare Your way

     in the lives of those around us,

that they may see You.

In the beginning,

God created

the heavens 

        and the earth.

The earth was 

without form and void,

and darkness was over

  the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God

was hovering over

the face of the deep.

           Genesis 1. 1-2

(In the beginning 

   of this new year

   that God has created,

it appears to us

without form

and void and dark.

But the Spirit of God

         hovers over

the face of our new year.

God says, 

“Just wait and see

     what I have in store,

the wonders of My universe 

    and to know you more.

Be not afraid of 

    what you cannot yet see.

I am not just in it.

     I am with you.

    Always.”)

Happy New Year!

O LORD,

The new year appears 

     a bit overwhelming 

and full of what is yet

    unknown and mysterious. 

But as we look to You,

    these new days are

 full of wonder

          and Your glory

in unexpected ways,

in unlikely places,

that which

      astonishes us all.

There are no ordinary days,

    only extraordinary ones,

  no insignificant moments,

       only sacred ones.

May we know Your strength 

and wisdom and Presence

   and seek You

   to know You more.