Then once more

you shall see the distinction

between the righteous

           and the wicked,

between one who serves God

and one who does not

                    serve Him.

              Malachi 3. 18

(Not a matter of affiliation

     but affection.

We are what we love.

As believers

    and followers of Christ,

our lives should be marked

and distinguished

by what we choose,

what motivates

    and energizes us,

what we love,

what we talk about,

how we respond,

what we seek and pursue,

how we love others,

how we choose to spend time,

how (and with what) we share,

how we live selflessly

              and faithfully,

and Whose name we bear.

One who has been forgiven

and extends forgiveness

cannot help but live differently.

Not marked by what

             we have done,

but what God

    has done in us.)

O LORD,

Enlarge our hearts

that we would see differently

and respond as one

     who has been loved by You.

May we serve You

   even in that which

   doesn't look like service

        but sheer love.

Help us to faithfully sow

and plant and nurture

that You would bring fruit

   beyond our lifetimes,

just as others

   we may not even know

provided fruit in our lives.

May we be marked

    and known as Yours.

May we know and find

        Your grace

to help in time of need.

             (Hebrews 4. 16)

Help us to live differently

        into this day

and into the new year

   that You have given to us.

 

She dresses herself

      with strength

and makes her arms strong.

            Proverbs 31. 17

(There is intention here.

Strength does not

              "just happen".

Not for appearance sake

       nor personal gain,

but trained and equipped

   to help others and

   to be faithful to God

The strengthening

    arrives incrementally,

in strange packaging,

odd situations,

and exercises we

    don't think we need at all

    or want to endure.

           But do anyway.

   And trust Him in it.

Far too many times,

we miss out

because we are not ready,

nor have adjusted our hearts

                 or vision.

No training, daily exercise,

   or good endeavors are fruitless.

We may not see the results

    but someone is impacted,

maybe even

    far beyond our lifetimes.)

O LORD,

May we realize

    not how strong we are,

but realize Your strength

     poured over us,

far beyond our vision,

far beyond what we can do.

Help us to pursue

      not just strength

             but You

in this day and this season,

in the impossible

    and in what appears ordinary.

We are Your beloved.

Help us to think,

behave, and act that way,

bear Your strength

  into the shadowlands

and bring Your name there.

 

Open your mouth

         for the mute,

for the rights of all

   who are destitute.

Open your mouth,

judge righteously,

defend the rights

  of the poor and needy.

           Proverbs 31. 8-9

(What is my purpose?

As a follower of Christ,

we are to be marked as

        fully engaging in

        acts of restoration.

To restore this world

every which way we are able.

No act of kindness

       is insignificant.

No act of grace ignored.

And all efforts

     --no matter what--

are not separated

      as great or small

but for restoration of this world

            and for His glory.

The "poor and needy"

    are all around us

and not limited

    by mere economics.

Poor and needy are,

designated not by

material wealth or net worth,

but by those who are

burdened by despair,

loneliness,

lack of deep relationships

    with others and God,

a striving after wind,

and sitting in sheer darkness.

As a friend once said to me,

 "God calls us to love others."

No matter who they are.

There is no us and them.

Everyone struggles with something.

And we have no idea.

But we can love.)

O LORD,

Make us aware

       of what we can do,

how to love others,

what is in our reach,

who is on our path,

and when we need

   to go off-road

to fulfill Your Word

   and Your glory.

We know that

    we can't do everything,

but as we seek You in this,

    we can do something.

Guide us into this day

and into Your divine appointments

for the restoration of Your Kingdom,

    step by step,

    brick by brick,

    love by love.

 

The inhabitants of Jerusalem

have strength

through the LORD of hosts,

              their God.

          Zechariah 12. 5

(Our strength is

    not in circumstances,

nor in personal ability,

but in Whom we worship.

The strength of God

transcends

      any circumstance.

We do not just "get through"

        the hard parts

or survive the perils

        of even the favorable,

but become stronger in Him

for His glory in this

and to strengthen

    and nurture others

and point them to the Almighty.

How are we recognized?

  Are we known as His?

Those who hope.

who stake their lives

    on His steadfast love,

always take a different path,

because they have a

     heart transformed

     by the Savior.)

O LORD,

May we be known

               as Yours,

by how we navigate

the hard parts

and potholes,

the abyss that threatens,

even how we approach

 and give our hearts to You

in the midst of abundance.

May we be known as Yours

    by how we hope

    in Your steadfast love.

You created the universe,

You created us,

You nurture, sustain, redeem

   and love us

far more than we can know.

Help us to live that way.

You never promised

          life would be easy

          in this broken world,

but "Fear not.

       I am with you always."

 

I will make them

   strong in the LORD,

and they shall

   walk in His name,

declares the LORD.

        Zechariah 10. 12

(Not in our own strength,

nor disabled by

       our own weakness

       or wounds

       or past,

but strengthened by Him

        supernaturally.

Abiding in His strength,

we walk differently,

see the situation differently,

approach God

          with new vision,

others with a new heart,

and even ourselves,

    as forgiven, beloved,

    seen, heard,

    and fully embraced.

We cannot help but live

    and choose

    and respond distinctively

        as followers of Christ.

How are we marked?)

O LORD,

Because You are present,

because You love us,

because You gave Yourself

            for us,

because You redeem our lives,

    everything changes course.

Our circumstances

    may or may not be altered,

but we are able now

          to respond

           in a million new ways,

because we are different now.

Our help is in You,

our hope is in You,

hope not in wishful thinking,

but the reality of You, O God,

   on Whom we can

                  stake our lives.

Help us to walk in Your Name

   and for Your glory

   in this day.

 

...for like the

     jewels of a crown

they shall shine

         on His land.

        Zechariah 9. 16

(Those who follow Him

grant light and beauty,

even in dark places.

Those who seek Him

actually see situations

                differently

and navigate new paths.

What am I bringing

    into this situation?

With what

     am I marked?

His glory

   or seeking my own?)

O LORD,

We dwell on Your goodness

     and Your glory.

May we walk with You

through the joy

   and the trouble.

May we seek

       to bless You

in whatever we do

and how we love

and respond to You

           even today.

 

And the streets of the city

shall be full of

       boys and girls

       playing in the streets.

         Zechariah 8. 5

(A picture of restoration

         and joy,

the way God intended life

                  all along.)

O LORD,

You have proclaimed

       joy to the world

by sending Your Son

to save us from the darkness.

Please keep our hearts strong

        and without fear

that we may bless You

            by blessing others

and bringing the gospel

   wherever we go

and in whatever situation we are.

May we be sowers of peace

   and nurturers of all souls

   You place on our paths.

Help us to live so full of grace,

adorned with peace,

and joy in every pocket

that others see and seek

  the difference You make

  in our lives.

Glory to the newborn King.

Immanuel --

     You are with us.

 

I remember the days of old,

I meditate on all

   that You have done,

I ponder the work

             of Your hands.

I stretch out my hands

                   to You;

my soul thirsts for You

       like a parched land.

            Psalm 143. 5-6

(Not just fond memories

              of the past,

but the steadfast chronicle

      of God's faithfulness,

in the past,

the now,

       and the next.

On that we build

         on the foundations,

not just what God has done

         but Who He is.

On Him

   we can stake our lives.

We have all been

  in troubled, fearful,

  difficult places before.

We know exactly what to do:

   "Trust Me in this."

God has equipped

     and strengthened us

     by what we have

         already been through.

He equips and strengthens us

        for what is to come.

We have seen only a glimpse

   of His love and faithfulness.)

O LORD,

On this Christmas Eve,

may we not just

    bask in memories

    of Christmases past,

but stand as a witness

           to others.

May we celebrate differently

  because we know You.

May we live differently

  because we know You.

Thank You, Jesus,

    for coming to save us.

O God, You always work

in great,

amazing,

and supernatural ways

of which for the most part,

     we are unaware.

Thank You.

For You alone are holy.

 

Not by might,

nor 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

(We have not tried everything  

until we have come

           before the LORD

with this impossible mountain

       right before us.

We have not considered

  what God can do.

And that should always

      be our first response,

      not last resort.

No matter the

     overwhelming obstacles,

God's Spirit

        changes the landscape

by changing our hearts

 -- how we see it

     and how we see Him.

No matter the difficulty,

        no way around it,

bring grace

and even more grace to it.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something.

But nothing is too great

                    or small

in Your eyes

that You cannot bring

     Your glory to it.

Pour Your Spirit over it.

And help us to

   follow You into

   whatever lies before us.

Even this.

Even now.

Even in what appears ordinary,

You work in

      extraordinary ways.

 www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

And I lifted my eyes

            and saw,

and behold...

         Zechariah 2. 1

(Are we waiting on God

   or is He

        waiting on us?

When we lift our eyes

  from the situation,

when we seek the LORD,

   and not just

       an immediate answer,

       or quick solution,

       or our list for Him

                     to do,

God brings something new

even into what appears

   unchanged circumstances.

And that would be

            our hearts.

Have I considered

  what God is revealing?

Am I really watching?

Am I lifting my eyes to Him?

Not time to let despair

                paralyze us,

but to follow Him,

endure,

and go forth.

It is for this we have

been trained for,

         equipped,

  and strengthened.

And not just for ourselves.

God does not just show up.

         He is walking with us.

Even through this miry bog.

Even in mystery.

Even where we

        have not been before.)

O LORD,

May we seek You

   no matter the circumstances.

May we seek

   not just Your blessings,

   but to bless You.

May we seek

   the welfare of those

   all around us.

Help us to tie our shoes,

take up our pack,

and hurry to walk with You.

Your protection and shield

         surround us,

Your Presence and strength

         within.

Help us to see and respond

              differently

because our eyes

              are on You.

             

 

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

(How do we respond

      to troubling,

confusing,

incomprehensible

      circumstances?

Have we considered

  asking the LORD

  about this?

Or just struggle for answers

         on our own?

When we seek Him,

and not just an answer,

           God will show us.

Some things

    we will understand.

Some things

    we will not.

Even others

  will be shown,

  unfolded,

  revealed by the LORD,

unveiled in unexpected

      and unlikely ways.

What is the answer?

What is the way through?

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

We are walking

    in wilderness places,

every one struggling

         with something.

Help us to know

  that the unknown

     is not unknown to You.

May we realize that

   even suffering is not

         unknown to You.

You provide a refuge

to which we can flee,

not in despair,

but in which

     to be strengthened.

You reveal

   not just reasons

            and answers

but reveal Yourself.

We see barren,

     lifeless territory

that stretches to the horizon.

Or foreboding deep dark woods

       with lurking beasts,

  both real and imagined.

But You, O God. are not limited

   by circumstances.

You change how we

            view the landscape,

            respond,

     and walk in its midst.

You change our hearts.

And most often that is how

   You show us.

 

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. 4-5

(Not that

     "God will show up."

But it is we who are

     late to the party.

God is already here

       in our midst.

Trusting God changes

     our steps and trajectory,

what we see,

whether we react

            or respond,

what we do,

who we are,

    and Whose we are.

How would we navigate this

    if we knew He is here?

What would we do

                 differently?

It is not a matter of success

or perceived failure,

       but faithfulness.

God brings the perennial fruit

  that lasts far beyond

                  our lifetimes.)

O LORD,

We waste a lot of energy

    and worry

and deplete our work

because we have not

                 trusted You.

You are with us.

You call us to get to work,

do the next nearest thing,

and stand faithfully

          at our post.

And when we look up,

even in the midst

             of our labors,

even in the miry bog,

even on the mountaintop,

   we sense Your Presence.

You are still with us.

You have been with us

                      all along.

May we not be surprised

     but know You.

 www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

The LORD 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

(An incredible

     perceivable difference

 permeates our hearts,

thoughts, actions, plans,

seeing people,

circumstances,

ourselves and even God

by knowing

     He is in our midst.

We are not alone in this.

"Do not be afraid.

        I am with You."

That reality

     changes everything.

The word exult

is not often used.

But it means

  singing His triumph over us.)

O LORD,

Help us to be so very aware

      of Your Presence

in our midst,

right in the middle of trouble,

chasing out despair

    by trusting You.

Help us to hear

  Your song of triumph

  in our lives

and to know Your steadfast love,

   in spite of the circumstances.

You have strategically placed us

           for Your glory in this.

Right here.

Right now.

You are working still,

far beyond our comprehension,

far beyond our imagination,

far beyond our lifetimes.

May we realize and grasp

  that You are among us.

May we realize and grasp

       that You are.

 

His were

    the everlasting ways.

             Habakkuk 3. 6

(Do we seek temporary solutions,

quick relief,

shortcuts and bandaids?

Or God's eternal ways

                  in this?

Do we desire the fast

and furious interstate route

that gets us through

as swiftly as possible?

Or choose His high road

off-track, slow, steep

and rocky,

   not necessarily the hardest

   but that which follows Him?

The view is not just at the top

   but all along the way.

We are changed by what

   we daily choose.

We know something more

     because we trust Him.

And because we trust Him,

we can live differently.)

O LORD,

You empower us to

   choose the unexpected

                  for Your glory,

even in hard circumstances,

even in the every days of life.

Help us to heed Your Word

       and respond to Your voice

and be willing to trust You

even in what we don't understand.

So many ways we can go

           with this situation.

Help us to follow You

    into Your glory,

    not ours.

You are good and do good.

And because we believe in You,

    we can choose differently.

We can stake our lives

on Your goodness and love,

no matter the circumstances.

-- www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

Give thanks to

   the Lord of lords,

for His steadfast love

        endures forever;

to Him who alone

    does great wonders,

for His steadfast love

         endures forever.

         Psalm 136. 3-4

(For His steadfast love

         endures forever

--our refrain,

  our response,

repeated 26 times

in 26 verses of this chapter.

How differently we could

   approach this day

and respond to this difficulty,

if we engraved and

         verbalized that truth

in our minds, words, actions,

        in our hearts

        and eyesight.

He alone does great wonders

--in us, through us,

                 all around us--

most of which we are oblivious.

Every moment holy.

         Even now. Even in this.)

O LORD,

We are often paralyzed

by the difficulties before us,

          but You are with us.

And no matter the impossibility,

  You alone do great wonders.

Help us not to miss You

                         in this.

Every day Your strength,

every moment filled

          and fulfilled

by Your steadfast, immovable,

not-going-away,

all-encompassing love

    that endures forever.

           No matter what.

You are the LORD who loves us.

You are the Almighty God

   who breaks through

   with Your glory.

May we not even think

   that we are

   doing this ourselves.

 

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 to love kindness,

and to walk

   humbly with your God?

             Micah 6. 6, 8

(Bottom line:

God does not want

                 our stuff

or our successes

or achievements

or money.

God seeks our hearts.

It is love for God

        and for others

that distinguishes us,

a higher road,

a deeper heart,

a higher measure.

Even others expect believers

   to live and respond

                   differently.

Is what I do and

how I approach circumstances

        marked by love,

justice, kindness

           and selflessness?

When I walk with God,

   I walk differently

--same situation, same potholes--

but a fresh strength

      and a new path through

because of a

  radically different heart.

It is far more than

    having a better attitude,

but worship in all things.

Kindness, mercy,

and faithfulness

are the outcroppings of worship.

When we deeply love,

we don't even consider it

            a sacrifice.

Not a "have to," or "get to,"

    but I'd love to.)

O LORD,

We come before You today

that we would not set out

         our agenda for You

         to somehow squish into

         a tiny crack.

But that You, O God,

would lay before us

    Your day for us.

Help us to not just be aware,

but responsive to Your Presence,

seeking You,

following You,

walking with You

   through even the miriest bog.

May we reset our hearts

and pack our pockets

full of grace and mercy,

kindness

   and faithfulness to You,

that You would be

  glorified in all we do.

May we set and reset

our hearts

   to follow You in this.

May Your goodness

   seep through

into those around us.

Autocorrected to believers

Conversation opened. 1 read message.

 

Do not My words

do good to him

who walks uprightly?

            Micah 2. 7

(It is not that everything

will always be easy

and have a smiley face on it,

but everything will always

        turn out for good,

even what we don't understand

     how that can be.

Trusting God

is the sincerest form of worship.

The trajectory of our lives

  --even through this affliction--

will be completely different

     if we walk with Him.

God is redeeming

                even this.

Even in suffering,

I am strengthened

when I choose to walk with Him

          through it.)

O LORD,

You say,

"There is no need

    to go it alone

    through this.

I am with You.

Be not afraid.

Just take My hand."

Help us to know

that we are changed

   by how we walk

   and who we walk with.

Our circumstances

            may not change,

but You can change

     our hearts and vision

            by Your strength.

You are good, O LORD.

And You do good.

       Even in this.

What if there is

      nothing to be afraid of?

What if

     we trusted You instead,

right into Your Presence

         and Your goodness?

In the most unexpected of all,

            You redeem.

And You are with us.

 

...for I know it is

because of me

that this great tempest

has come upon you.

             Jonah 1. 12

(Sin always says

"It doesn't matter."

"No one will notice."

But our sin

     -- our rebellion--

always costs someone,

not just ourselves.

In the same way,

our obedience

  --our walking with God--

always impacts others,

again not just ourselves.

What do I choose

   to do in this situation?

Rebellion against God

    never ends well.

Responding to God

    changes the world.

We are vehicles

          of His compassion

in this broken world

that God loves so much.

Because of each one of us,

               He died.

Because of Him,

               we live.)

O LORD,

We thank You

that You are already

      redeeming this day.

Help us to be aware

and respond to Your call

          into this day,

cultivating this

      little patch of dirt

where You have placed us.

Help us to see it

       as the holy ground

       that it is.

Help us too to

    nurture the tribe,

the rag tag group,

    this flock of lonely people

    You have placed

          all around us

and put on our hearts.

It is not that

You will make this day count.

Every day already does.

Every act of compassion.

Every prayer golden.

Every response

           to Your voice

   and to Your Word.

Fill us with Your Spirit

that we may see

   and respond differently.

 

Remember, O LORD,

in David's favor,

all the hardships

          he endured.

         Psalm 132. 1

(God has no problem

         remembering.

It is we who need

   a nudge to remember,

recall,

proclaim,

respond,

and acknowledge

  His faithfulness through

         thick and thin,

the chronicle of His faithfulness

  which is written in our lives.

Hardship is never

  a wasteland of suffering,

but the deep revealing

  of His Presence.

God redeems.

   Even this, even now,

   He is already redeeming.

Hardship is not failure

nor needless,

but a time when we realize

      our need for God.

And when others see

  not a thin facade

           of religiosity,

but God's deep inner strength

and His mark on our lives,

  no matter what we face.

What is our default?

Despair?

  Or trusting Him in it?

David endured

  because he sought God.)

O LORD,

We can trust You,

           Almighty One,

because You are working

a mightier work in us

  than this mystery,

  momentary affliction,

  discomfort,

  or even pain.

Grant to us Your strength

that we would not just

       squeak through,

   or barely survive,

but know even more

    You are God.

And we need You.

Replace our fear

  with trusting You.

You see us.

You hear us.

You come to us

     in our pain.

Help us to approach

         this hardship,

whatever it may be,

no matter how big

              or small,

or how long it lasts,

            differently,

because we trust You

     in it and through it.

You build in us

strength upon strength

        that is all Yours.

 

I do not occupy myself

with things too great

and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed

      and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child

     with its mother,

like a weaned child

   is my soul within me.

             Psalm 131. 1-2

(Even as adults,

there are times when we

just want to cry out

in the darkness, "Mommy!"

One of our girls once said

upon waking from a bad dream,

"If I only knew you were here,

I would not have been afraid."

We are with You, O LORD.

We need not

        understand everything

   or anything

other than You love and

        care for us

and You are with us in this.

We need not be afraid,

no matter what is

     swirling around,

both real and imagined.)

O LORD,

We use up all available energy

  by worrying,

instead of being energized

       by trusting You.

Help us to hear Your voice,

sense Your Presence,

feel Your embrace,

take Your hand

rest in You,

           and respond.

We need You.

Help us to abide in You.

May we not be oblivious

      to circumstances,

but responsive to You.

"In quietness and in trust

  shall be our strength."

             (Isaiah 30. 15)

 

But let justice roll down

        like waters,

and righteousness

  like an ever-flowing stream.

               Amos 5. 24

(Not just a dribble or two,

but a nurturing source,

using our abilities

             and resources

to do what is good and right,

protecting the weak,

seeking the welfare

             of others,

being faithful

    even in drought.

Not limited to doing

       but released by being.

What is my heart in this?

Being not just aware of need,

  but mindful of restoring

  and doing something about it

for the welfare of others

           and God's glory.

What do we seek,

what do we choose,

what do we love?

Justice is making things

           right again.

Righteousness is

    motivated by love.)

O LORD,

May our lives

be marked by

Your strength and grace

flowing into

           this broken world.

Help us always

    to be identified as Yours

by life-giving waters

in deeds and words

   and acts of restoration.

May Your love

     literally flow through us,

even in unexpected ways

and in unlikely places.

  

 

Do not fear

what you are about

                 to suffer.

         Revelation 2. 10

(Not in a defeatist mindset

     of impending doom,

but not being surprised,

or distracted,

or defeated by

        this broken world.

Because He knows suffering,

    God enters into ours.

"Be not afraid.

I am with you.

Trust Me in this."

Because of Christ,

we are stronger than we know.

And we cannot grasp how

         in unexpected ways,

God provides His power

even in impossible places

    and divine appointments.

"I can't do this," we cry.

And God replies,

   "Good.  Because I can."

God always replies.

God always responds.

God is not about

            to abandon us.

Nothing random at all.

See this affliction

                 differently.)

O LORD,

No matter what we are facing,

no matter how temporary

           or bleak,

this is not the

            end of the story,

but perhaps,

    only the redeeming part.

You bring the endurance

              for our souls.

And You bring

      Your victory to it

in ways we cannot yet see,

sometimes in ways

   we will never comprehend

   until the Other Side of life.

We bear witness.

 

You shall eat in plenty

and be satisfied,

and praise the name

  of the LORD your God,

who has dealt

  wondrously with you.

You shall know that

I am in the midst of Israel,

and that I am

    the LORD your God

and there is none else.

             Joel 2. 26-27

(Not the "prosperity gospel,"

but quite the opposite:

the Good News

in suffering and affliction

     and the hard stuff.

God guides and provides

even in times of trouble

and unending drought.

We are satisfied in Him,

   not just in

   favorable circumstances.

Jesus is enough

when all else vanishes.

God is still God.

He is still with us.

He enters in.

What does it take

   to realize that?

A willing heart.)

O LORD,

May we not be distracted

by circumstances,

   favorable or not.

Help us to walk with You

and seek You,

  not just answers,

not just a bandaid

 to cover our gaping wounds,

not just a snack

 to stave off our hunger,

not just stuff we want

  but what we need.

And that would be You.

We can live differently

  because You are with us,

not handicapped

    by circumstances,

unfeeling or callous,

but responsive to You.

 

Sow for yourselves

        righteousness,

reap steadfast love,

break up your fallow ground,

for it is time

      to seek the LORD,

that He may come and

rain righteousness upon you.

              Hosea 10. 12

(What am I sowing,

cultivating,

and nurturing

  in the holy ground

  all around me?

The little square foot

     patch of dirt

     beneath my feet

where God has

     placed me today?

Dirt is never

           just dirt.

Righteousness --

the being, doing, listening,

following, seeking,

pursuing not my way

   but God's in this--

always reaps

        steadfast love.

Not just in baskets full,

   but forests

   of fruit-bearing trees,

as far as the eye can see,

deeper than we can know,

impacting lives

          beyond our own.

If a single righteous act

of love, grace and mercy

    can do all that.

how much more is God doing

   throughout our lives?)

O LORD,

We cannot fathom

what the day may bring.

We have but to be faithful

  in what You place

  in our hands and before us.

We plant the seeds.

You produce the results.

And You never work

    in singular outcomes,

       only eternal ones.

From You comes

   the fruit of our lives.

May Your mercy

   triumph over

   anything we face today.

May what we sow

   change the landscape

   for Your glory.

You are in our midst,

       Almighty One.

There are no ordinary days

     in Your sight.

 

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,

as the spring rains

   that water the earth.

         Hosea 6. 3

(No matter what

we are going through,

what surrounds us,

the overwhelming before us,

whatever this hard thing is,

seek,

pursue,

press on to know the LORD,

to trust Him more,

follow, and be faithful.

God is already providing.

God will surprise us

  by His goodness

in many such dimensions.

Be aware of Him

        all along the way.

Listen, watch, pursue.)

O LORD,

Help us not to be distracted

or derailed by the shadows,

the cloudy skies,

the undecipherable road,

the overwhelming,

    nor the ordinary.

This hard thing

   is not the end of the story.

Just an opportunity

  to press on to know You more.

We can trust You,

              even in this.

We can be faithful

   even in what we do today.

You always -- in some eternal way--

     bring fruit from faithfulness.

Not one effort done in love

   is insignificant in Your kingdom.

Help us to marinate in Your Word

      and live it out today.

We need You

    more than we realize.

 

Grace, mercy and peace

   will be with us,

from God the Father

and from Jesus Christ

      the Father's Son,

in truth and love.

           2 John 1. 3

(How am I to navigate

   this volatile situation?

How do I even approach

   this daily grind?

Depends on what

   I bring into it.

What is in my heart?

Grace, mercy and peace

   will be with us.

Not just for us,

but through us to others.

What am I bringing today

in whatever I do,

wherever I am,

and among whomever

       I encounter?

All are divine appointments

   and opportunities

   to practice grace in this.

What should I do today?

Love others

  with every tool given to me:

    grace, mercy and peace.)

O LORD,

May we not just put on

   Your grace, mercy and peace

not like an outer garment,

not just practice it,

but be overtaken

   by Your provision

that we cannot help

  but extend it to others.

Even in the midst of

   trouble, hardship

   and despair,

may we know You more

and make You known.

May we, as Your people,

  be not just seen as nice,

but gracious, merciful

  and bearers of Your peace,

even in brokenness

       and dark places.

Even in situations we

           don't understand,

may Your Presence in us

   be seamlessly woven.

    

 

And there I will give her

       her vineyards

and make the Valley of Achor

       a door of hope.

             Hosea 2. 15

(Achor literally means

          trouble.

So in that hard dark valley

    of trouble and dismay,

God makes a door of hope.

In the most unexpected ways

   and unlikely circumstances,

God guides and provides

            a door of hope.

It is not that "God shows up,"

  but we recognize

            He is already here

            and already working,

right here with us

    and way ahead of us.

God brings us through

  to a different dimension

                   of Himself.)

O LORD,

This hard situation,

these dark circumstances,

this overwhelming place

have not taken You

            by surprise.

But in these moments

  we realize our help

            is in You alone.

How we respond to crisis

   reveals our hearts

and on Whom we find strength.

O LORD, provide a threshold

    through this despair

to draw many right to You.

Your hope is that on which

we are not just strengthened

    but we can stake our lives.

Someday

we will be utterly surprised

    by what You are doing

    through this.

 

I heard,

but I did not understand.

Then I said,

"O my lord,

what shall be the outcome

      of these things?"

He said,

   "Go your way, Daniel..."

             Daniel 12. 8

(Keep on,

       keeping on,

in the midst of the not yet,

even when we cannot see

    or understand the outcome.

Plenty more to do right now

   than worry about it.

Stay faithful in the now,

   deep in the everydays

   and in shadows

     of what is unknown to us,

                 but not to Him.

We may never comprehend

      the significance of the small things

    or confronted by the immense,

but we can be faithful

  in what He places before us.

Fulfill your ministry [2 Tim 4.5]

no matter what

     that looks like today.)

O LORD,

Help us to go our way today

as You lay out

      Your day before us.

Help us to be aware of You,

sensitive to Your guidance,

responsive to Your voice,

   and faithful to You,

         above all things.

Help us to live out

    Your will, not ours,

     Your way, not ours,

     Your strength beyond ours.

May we be ready to serve You

    --shoes tied on--

   even in the minute details

  which always hold

  the import of the great..

May we, like Daniel, "go our way"

          into this day,

even in the mess

to bring the name of Jesus there

and realize Your glory,

        unfolding in unexpected ways.

 

By this it is evident

who are the children of God,

and who are the

      children of the devil,

whoever does not

      practice righteousness

      is not of God,

nor is the one who

      does not love his brother.

                   1 John 3. 10

(In this volatile,

politically divisive culture,

what is obvious,,

      even to the secular world,

that a Christ-follower

      responds differently

      and loves deeply.

We are held to a higher bar.

Practicing righteousness

  means in biblical terms,

the state or character of a person

    who is as one ought to be,

acting and loving others in a way

   consistent with one's

           relationship with God,

marked by practicing integrity,

virtue, purity of life, rightness,

correctness of thinking,

           feeling and acting,

in a way pleasing to God.

It comes not from trying to

        earn God's approval,

but because we know

     we are loved by Him.)

O LORD,

We do not wear a badge

that marks us as believers,

but we bear Your love

   into this broken world.

Help us to both see

            and respond with love

   right in the midst of

   where we are.

Even in this mess.

Even when it would be

      easier to walk away.

May the love of Christ

    linger in our attitudes

and be manifest in our actions.

Let it be evident

   that we belong to You

by how we live, respond,

         and love,

even in impossible situations.

 

...while I was

     speaking in prayer...

He made me understand,

speaking with me and saying,

"O Daniel,

I have now come out

to give you insight

            and understanding."

           Daniel 9. 21-22

(When we pray,

God reveals something new

                  to us.

We will not understand all things,

     but we can understand

                   some things,

         step by step.

         prayer by prayer.

God changes us

     through coming to Him.

We approach what is before us

       with a different heart.

We think differently.

We respond differently.

We accept differently.

We even see God differently.

We are greatly loved by God.

Did it even occur to me

     to pray about this?

Trusting Him

  is the sincerest form

                of worship.)

O LORD,

We come before You

not to give you a list

     of requests and wants

     and perceived needs,

but to listen to You

    with hands and hearts

                       open,

not for what You will give us

    but for Who You are.

Hear our prayers, O LORD.

May we listen to You.

May we even just sit

          in Your Presence.

Help us to live differently

because we have prayed today.

 

When I, Daniel,

   had seen the vision,

I sought to understand it.

               Daniel 8. 15

(When we cry out,

   "God, I just don't get it."

God embraces us

     and nods His head.

He is God,

       and we are not.

Some things we

        will never understand.

Some things we

         will grasp,

but even in those,

there are eternal dimensions

we will never comprehend.

But we can know

  that God is good

and trust Him even in this.

We don't have to understand

to know God is in it.

And He is right here with us.)

O LORD,

When we worship You,

we don't have to

     understand everything.

We can trust You.

And we can go forth

with a new strength,

not encumbered by distress

     or not understanding,

but empowered by You

     abiding in us.

When we call out to You,

You always answer

in some unexpected ways

that even exceed

    what we see as

    our immediate need.

Thank You, O LORD,

that You replace despair

      with a deep trust in You

and that not understanding

     is not the end of the story,

but perhaps,

only the exciting part.