...He sent a man

         ahead of them,

Joseph,

who was sold as a slave.

            Psalm 105. 17

(Even in what we

cannot understand,

even in really hard stuff,

God uses powerfully

          for generations.

Even in this lowly position,

God prepared Joseph

for what was to come.

God strategically and

divinely appoints us

in the most unlikely

and unexpected places

and ways

        for His glory

and the welfare of others

whom we may not know.

Even right where

        we are right now,

others are watching

to see if this God of ours

                  is real,

not by our successes

but how we respond

          when we are not.)

O LORD,

May we bless You today

in all that is before us,

right into Your glory

even in the struggles,

the difficulties,

and even the victories.

Help us to see prosperity

  as in following You and

not favorable circumstances.

Help us to realize that

faithfulness to You

carries far beyond

our lifetimes,

or achievements,

or what we can see.

Prepare us, O LORD,

not just for the future

   but for faithfulness

and fruitfulness

      in this work today.

And to know there are

   no ordinary days

          in Your glory.