...and a good man will be filled

with the fruit of his ways.

                     Proverbs 14. 14

(What do we choose

     to plant and to nurture

in the soil that has been

                given us?

What do we seek to leave

  not just in this day,

  nor in these circumstances,

       but even beyond our lifetimes?

The sowing of a forest starts

        with a handful of seeds

     --never insignificant--

and produce an endless grove of fruit

for the perennial blessing and wellbeing

   of those who come behind us.

It is not our accomplishments

             or our stuff that matters

but a transformed heart

and the fruit God has borne

through us

            that will last forever.

Not our goodness

                  but His.)

O LORD,

Help us to listen to Your voice,

to respond to Your nudges,

to walk with you

   through barren fields

and see something different,

      lasting,

      and a changed landscape.

May Your faithfulness to us

   and our faithfulness to You

bear abundant fruitfulness

          not just what remains

   but cannot be contained,

even that which we

        cannot yet see

        or realize.

We stand in amazement

   of Your hand in our lives

and grateful to You

  even in what we cannot understand.

 

For the LORD is good;

His steadfast love

          endures forever,

and His faithfulness

       to all generations.

             Psalm 100.5

(The LORD is good

        -- noun, not adjective,

Who He is,

        not just what He does.

We can stake our lives

                  on that,

in spite of circumstances.

The LORD is good,

not just when things are favorable,

the skies are blue,

or His answers align with our wants,

but the LORD is good

    in what He is weaving into our souls,

the grand narrative we cannot

                         yet see.)

O LORD,

You are good.

Help us to depend on You,

no matter what is swirling

              all around us.

And stake our lives on You.

You will not just

        bring us through our struggles,

but embed Your goodness

        all the way through.

Align our hearts

                 with Yours.

Help us to not be distracted

   by what the world claims

                      as good,

   but knowing You

       are not just higher than that,

             but You are the Most High.

Help us to worship You

       and walk with You

in whatever we face today.

 

And the people of Israel

did not remember

  the LORD their God,

who had delivered them

from all their enemies

     on every side...

             Judges 8. 34

(We all suffer from

   short term memory loss

when it comes to

        God's faithfulness.

He has brought us through

      in the past.

He is bringing us through

      even now.

Our enemies are anything we fear,

           both real and imagined.

Those times we recognize

and all the millions of times

we were totally unaware

of His protection and provision,

those times we

       explained God out of the equation,

and even when we did not understand

   what in the world God was doing

                 ....or doing now.

All are woven in our narrative

and our chronicle of His faithfulness.

God is not about to abandon us now.

God is not just there.  Past tense.

God is here. Very present Presence.

Remembering does not

            just affect the past.

Remembering very much

            impacts the present.)

O LORD,

You are here.

It is not that You will deliver us,

but You are already delivering us.

We just cannot yet see

          from where we are standing.

And sometimes we will not understand

              until the other side of life.

But we can know Your Presence.

Help us to trust You in this.

Even this.

Another level of knowing

               and trusting You.

 

...and put trumpets

into the hands of all of them

and empty jars with torches

              inside the jars.

              Judges 7. 16

(God uses the most unexpected means

            and unlikely people

    to bring about the victory.

By what degree of impossibility

does it take for us

       to give God the glory

recognize

    and acknowledge His hand in this?

That which only God can do.

No other explanation.

We have only to listen, respond,

         and be faithful.

A trumpet, an empty jar,

       and a willing heart

       are all it takes.)

O LORD,

Help us to trust You in this

when we are so overwhelmed,

to know that You go before us,

run with us,

and bring about a victory

   that we could never imagine.

You reign.

Even in this.

Help us to follow You

   in whatever we struggle.

 

And Gideon said to Him,

"Please Lord,

how can I save Israel?

Behold, my clan is

  the weakest in Manasseh,

and I am the least

  in my father's house."

And the Lord said to him,

   "But I will be with you."

               Judges 6. 15-16

(What gives us courage

       is Who goes with us.

God does not say,

    "You've got this."

            But He does.

He does not say,

     "Believe in yourself."

          But "Believe in Me."

He is our strength.

He is our courage.

And He changes our journey

   and our trajectory

in ways we cannot see

       from where we stand.

Don't even try to face it

            without Him.)

O LORD,

We are weak.

We are least.

And we know

     that we need You.

Go before us.

Go with us.

And grant us the courage

   to follow You,

no matter what we face.

And we all

     struggle with something.

Help us to stake our hearts

on Your promise,

      "But I will be with you."

 

Does not the LORD

    go out before you?

             Judges 4. 14

(Not in our strength,

             but His.

Not in our abilities,

             but His.

In trust and not fear,

   watching and willing.

Not alone,

             but with Him.

The key to faithfulness

is never knowing

   all the turns in the road

   or the final destination,

but walking steadily with Him,

          step by step,

Running with Him

   even in the daily stuff

   that doesn't appear to matter

God builds strength and trust,

    for when it does.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize

     that You go before us.

And walk with us.

And that Your shield

   empowers us to be

             responsive to You,

not reactive to circumstances.

Help us to trust You

          into this day.

 

It is good

to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praises to Your name,

             O Most High.

                 Psalm 92.1

(Changes our day,

our attitude,

our vision,

our trajectory in everything

    and anything we face,

how we see God,

how we see others,

how we see ourselves,

and how we see

           circumstances.

What if

    we thanked God

    and sang praises

instead of grumbling

         and complaining?

What if

   we choose to approach

   this difficulty

         with a new heart?

What is the sound track

           that I choose today?)

     

O LORD,

We acknowledge You,

we praise You

not just for

   the wonderful things You do,

but because You are God.

Align our hearts

                with Yours.

Open our eyes

   to Your hand

and Your steadfast love

Your strength within,

Your vision

    in all that we face.

Help us to sing

   a new song

             into this day.

 

And he will show you

       a large upper room,

                furnished;

prepare it there.

                Luke 22. 12

(Exactly why God leads us

       to do something

may not be evident nor obvious,

    far different than we expect,

   and way beyond our vision.

We would be utterly amazed

             at God's design,

even in what we see as mundane.

Even in as simple as

       cleaning the spare room.

What can God do with this?

We have only to be

          willing and faithful,

   not to figure it out,

   but to enter in.

What is God nudging me to do

         or how to handle this?)

O LORD,

Help us to not underestimate

   how You are working in us

   and through us,

even in the commonplace,

   the ordinary and familiar.

Help us to know that

     You are working powerfully

even in what we cannot see.

Be fruitful in all we do today,

   Your Name inscribed

   and embedded all over it.

 

This will be your opportunity

        to bear witness.

                Luke 21. 13

(Seeing our comings and goings

      with different eyes

      and a different heart,

in the ordinary and extraordinary,

in difficulty and favor,

among strangers

    or those woven in our lives.

We can see these situations

                      differently,

because we have practiced

    all along the way,

even when it seemed insignificant

       or didn't seem to matter,

       or nobody noticed at all.

Bearing witness is

not a script or event,

    but a life transformed by Christ,

   manifested in word, deed

                         and attitude.

Even among other believers,

   we bear witness.

       This is how to respond.)

O LORD,

We are so unaware

    of our surroundings

and of Your Presence

     in whatever we face today.

You go before us,

      You go with us,

  You even have our back.

We don't have to

   drum up our own courage

                   and strength,

but go forth with You.

Even when it seems we mess up,

                    because we do,

         You redeem,

                    because You do.

People don't want to see

             if we are perfect,

but that You are real.

Help us to seize opportunities

          to trust You in this,

   to know You more

   and make You known.

You make it possible

   for us to bear witness,

even when we

        never realize it.

 

Therefore we said,

"Let us now build an altar,

not for burnt offering,

nor for sacrifice,

but to be a witness..."

              Joshua 22. 26-27

(Let not what we do

        or accomplish

stand in the way

    of His witness

             in this place

   and in this situation.

Some things that we do

   are meant as a witness

not just to point others to God,

   but to remind us

   that He is in our midst.

And leave a strong legacy

   built with faithfulness

             stone by stone,

     obedience by obedience

for generations to come.

Everything we do

   directly impacts them.

How we worship God

   and follow Him

   marks their path.

May this day

         and what we choose to do

  stand as a witness and altar

  in this time and place.)

O LORD,

Help us to build altars

all over this landscape

to remind us

     of Your Presence

     and Your faithfulness.

And that You will

     be exalted in this situation,

no matter the

           degree of difficulty.

One of those altars is always

    trusting You in this.

 

Only be very careful...

to love the LORD your God,

and walk in all His ways

and to keep His commandments

and to cling to Him

and to serve Him

     with all your heart

     and with all your soul.

                  Joshua 22.5

(Not a to do list,

     but a to be heart-set.

Not just directions for our day,

but that which infiltrates

           everything we do

           and who we are.

How do I approach this day?

To be very careful.

    Far beyond a good attitude,

    but a heart and mind

            intentionally seeking Him.

Others will identify us

         by our love

      and the grace spilling

                out of our pockets,

      and what we talk about.

May we be known

          as His faithful ones.)

O LORD,

Help us to seek You in this day,

to love you every which way we can,

to cling to You

   when everything is pulling us

   in a thousand directions,

and to serve You

   with all faithfulness,

   even in what seems small.

Because nothing is insignificant.

Help us to make known

           Your faithfulness today

           to everyone around us.

Guide our steps and our words.

Help us above all things we do

            to be faithful to You.

Grant to us as we go into this day

      Your strength, courage,

       wisdom and grace.

 

And when He had

    said these things,

He went on ahead....

            Luke 19. 28

(Even when we don't realize it,

   the Lord always

   goes on ahead of us.

We may be surprised

        by what we encounter,

we never know what to expect,

but God always prepares our path

and prepares our hearts

                   in some way

     to be ready to walk with Him

            through it.

Faithfulness to God in the now

   is provision for the next.

Faithfulness in the "little" stuff

     covers a lot of ground.

We grasp how to

     recognize His Presence.

We learn how to

     see in the dark.

We can seize His strength

   because we know how.

He goes on ahead

    but He also runs with us.

"Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

We know that You go on ahead.

Help us to trust You

      about what is now

      and what is next.

This day may be way beyond our skill set,

     but You enlarge our hearts

     and help us to see differently.

The path may be easy,

   or the trail may be really rocky,

  or there may not be

            a trail at all,

but You go before us

                  and with us

     right into Your wonders.

Align our hearts with Yours,

   and draw us closer to You,

Your fingerprints all over this day,

Your strength embedded in it,

Your Word changing us

              at the very core.

 

...for though it is a forest,

you shall clear it

and possess it

     to its farthest borders.

For you shall drive out

             the Canaanites,

though they have chariots of iron

and though they are strong.

                     Joshua 17. 18

(It is not in us,

             but God.

What has He set before us

                       today

        to be faithful to Him?

There are no insignificant details

            or words or responses

            or attitudes.

Faithfulness to God

does not distinguish

     between the small and profound,

          and difficult.

God establishes His fruitfulness

     far beyond our lifetimes.

What we plant, what we clear out,

   may not be about us afterall,

   but the nextdoor neighbors

   or the next generations.

Through the struggle and sweat,

through the impossible brambles,

God reveals His strength

   that we would know Him more.)

O LORD,

It is not in our abilities,

            but in Your hands.

We may not have the strength

           or courage

    but You abide in us.

Help us to be faithful

      down to the details today.

Help us to follow You.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Fill our pockets with grace

      for the incorrigible.

Seep Your courage into us

       for the daunting.

Help us to follow You fully

     into what only appears

     as small ....or impossible.

We worship You

   in whatever we do today.

This day is just

the opportunity to be faithful

           in all things

           before You.

 

He is not here,

         but has risen.

Remember how

    He told you....

              Luke 24. 6

(The boulder was rolled away

    from the entrance of the tomb.

Jesus did not need it to be moved

     for Him to get out,

but that we would know

            He had risen indeed.

Jesus rose and conquered death.

          Just as He said.

He changes the course of our lives,

         forgiven, released

                        and redeemed.

What does that look like

                in my life today?

We are going to live forever.

That is what Easter is about.

That is why Jesus came.)

O LORD,

May Your resurrection power

     be seen in our lives.

Use us for Your glory.

Thank You

        for all You have done.

Thank You

        for saving us.

Thank You

        for who You are.

May our lives reflect

   Your love, light and grace,

forgiven, released

               and redeemed.

 

And He told them a parable

to the effect that they ought

always to pray

      and not lose heart.

                 Luke 18. 1

(There are some things we can do,

and so much that we can't,

              but we can pray.

If we only had a glimpse

    of the power of prayer,

we would not be so reluctant.

Have I even considered

              praying about this?

God answers

   in unexpected ways

   and in countless outcomes,

some we might see,

but always

       far beyond our lifetimes.

God is not limited

   by a singular accomplishment,

       or a prescribed answer,

       or our schedule for Him.

What are we praying for?

Who are we praying to?)

O LORD,

We pray above all things

that You would align

          --and realign--

our hearts with Yours.

You alone

make a way where

        there seems to be no way.

You alone

grant us the strength

        to follow You.

We ask that You interrupt,

infiltrate,

intervene,

intercede,

infect our hearts

that we would follow You

                 fully.

Reveal not just what we should pray,

     but how we should pray,

Your words over ours,

Your will over ours.

Stretch Your strength,

    courage and wisdom

               over us.

 

And they cast lots to

        divide His garments.

And the people stood by,

watching,

but the rulers scoffed at Him,

saying,

"He saved others;

       let Him save Himself,

if He is the Christ of God,

           His Chosen One!"

           Luke 23. 34-35

(Jesus had the power

            to get down from the cross.

But then,

      He would not be our savior.

He came to sacrifice Himself

           to save us

           from our sin

that we can be in relationship

               with God.

If He is the Christ of God,

         meaning the Messiah,

as they scoffed,

that is why He did come:

not to get down from the cross

          bur to die for us.

Today we acknowledge

               Good Friday,

   Jesus gave us life for ours.

Without Good Friday,

    there is no Easter.)

O LORD,

We are so grateful to You

that we can know You

and that You came

           to earth

           to save us.

Help us to not forget

     Your sacrifice.

 

...but did not ask

   counsel from the LORD.

             Joshua 9. 14

(At the beginning of each day,

at the start of every page,

always our first response,

before the first plan,

the first movement,

the first step,

even before

   we put on our shoes,

seeking God's counsel.

      What, O LORD,

      do I do with this?

How to approach this day,

         this difficulty,

         this steep trail,

     this all too familiar path,

     this storm?

How can I respond?

What is Your way in this?

God shifts our attention,

           our hearts,

           even what we see

               and how we see it.

I never considered that before.

Indeed I never even saw it that way.

Not just how it impacts me,

    but everyone around me,

    and those yet to come.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just seek You,

or ask You,

listen to You,

      but to respond

and follow You into it.

May we bring into this day,

not just Your wisdom

              and strength,

but pockets overflowing

                    with grace.

Bottom line

   is not getting marching orders,

or street by street directions,

       but knowing You more.

Order my day.

Guide my steps.

Direct my thoughts.

Align my heart with Yours.

Confirm Your Word in me.

 

One who is faithful

      in a very little

is also faithful in much,

and one who is dishonest

      in a very little

is also dishonest in much.

               Luke 16. 10

(What am I practicing?

What am I justifying?

Like scales on a piano,

practicing over and over,

   I learn what to do

   and how to respond

because I have

      learned how to do it.

I am making choices

            day by day

how to approach

     what is before me

    and how to live faithfully.

Practice faithfulness,

even when we don't

   consider it faithfulness,

even when it doesn't

   seem to matter,

because faithfulness

   is built in layers

and in the tiniest details.

And brings honor to God.)

O LORD,

Reveal to each one of us

how to be faithful to You

   in whatever we do today

   and how we do it

as a love offering to You.

How can we serve You

     in this particular situation

and even in this

           difficult relationship?

Show us Your way in this.

Grant us the courage

      to follow You into it.

Help us above all to be

        faithful to You.

 

You shall march around the city,

all the men of war

going around the city once.

Thus you shall do for six days...

On the seventh day

you shall march around the city

                    seven times,

and the priests shall

             blow their trumpets...

then all the people shall shout

                  with a great shout,

and the wall of the city

      will fall down.

                 Joshua 6. 3-5

(Have I prayed around this city,

this impossibility,

this difficult situation,

encompassing it with prayer

               or anxiety?

Listening to God,

praying and immersing in Scripture,

seeking Him, responding,

trusting Him even in the "little stuff,"

and being faithful in the ordinary,

   when it doesn't appear to matter,

is reflected in how we respond

                       in the crisis,

   when everything is at stake.

Trust Me in this.  Even this.

"If we do not do the running

   steadily in the little ways,

we shall do nothing

                in the crisis."

          --Oswald Chambers)

O LORD,

Break through our thoughts,

and preconceived notions,

and carefully crafted agendas,

and place on the radar of our hearts

          Your ways in this

        and the courage to follow You.

Align, O LORD, our hearts

                  with Yours.

Help us

  even in the first step

  of trusting You.

 

For the LORD your God

dried up the waters of the Jordan

for you until you passed over,

as the LORD your God

    did to the Red Sea,

which He dried up for us

    until we passed over,

so that

   all the people of the earth

   may know

that the hand of the LORD is mighty,

that you may fear

      the LORD your God forever.

                  Joshua 4. 23-24

(What is my Jordan River

         too deep to wade

     or my Red Sea

        too deep to swim?

What do I need to

   trust God about today?

What one step can I take?

   And then, the next.

God is providing

     His way through this,

through what we see

      as impossible

      and what paralyzes us

              into inaction

          and excuses.

Even when we cannot

   yet see the next step,

       we can take this one.

Even when we cannot

   yet see the path,

               or a map,

               or the outcome,

    we can trust Him.

And through it,

   even in the hard stuff,

He promises,

     "I am in your midst."

God is not just waiting

    somewhere on the other shore.

He walks with us.)

O LORD,

Help us to trust You.

Break through our reluctance

      and pathetic excuses

  that we may follow You.

Show us Your steps

      one at a time,

and when we need to run.

Help us to not miss out

       on Your wonders.

And to realize that

    as we follow You,

there are others watching

to know that Your hand is mighty.

 

Be 

     strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened,

  and do not be dismayed,

for the LORD your God

           is with you,

wherever you go.

            Joshua 1. 9

(How differently would we live,

what we do,

what we choose,

how we approach difficulty,

how we navigate

     the calm and the turbulent,

if we trusted God in this?

God never promised

          life would be easy,

quite the opposite,

but promises He is with us.

And that looks very different

    in the journey

    and in a billion outcomes,

    most of which we will never see.

Worry just

     lets out the air in the tires.

Fear washes out the road.

But trust is always

      an adventure with Him.)

O LORD,

Others are always watching us

to see not if we are perfect

     or successful,

but if we are faithful

      and loving

      and selfless.

They want to know

    what forgiven looks like.

May we not just act that way,

but live, love, even breathe

      differently because we know You.

We want to know You more.

What is truly significant

    in how we live and what we choose

    is the glory of Your name.

Align our hearts

             with Yours.

 

He chose David his servant

and took him

           from the sheepfolds,

from following the nursing ewes

He brought him

to shepherd Jacob His people...

                     Psalm 78.70-71

(There are no insignificant

           places of ministry,

no little obediences,

and no small responses.

God trains us

by His design

     in unexpected ways

     and in unlikely places.

Every experience

     builds on another

to bring us to this moment,

to this strategic place,

and for His incredible purposes.

God enlarges our ministry

   in ways we cannot measure

                     or recognize.)

O LORD,

You bring before us this day

     divine appointments,

     sacred encounters,

   and work that is never insignificant.

We cannot yet see

   how You will use it

                   for Your glory

   and the building of Your Kingdom.

Our sheepfolds

           are places of honoring You

        and deep growth.

You know what You are doing.

Help us to follow You

            into Your wonders.

 

Take to heart all the words

by which I am

         warning you today,

that you may command them

             to your children,

that they may be careful

to do all the words of this law.

For it is no empty word for you,

          but your very life...

           Deuteronomy 32. 46-47

(May we embrace God's Word

          as our lifeline,

take it to heart,

         and live out His truth

                        and grace.

Scripture is not just words on a page,

     but the very Word of God

  that cannot help but change

    the trajectory of our lives

and those for generations

                     to come.)

O LORD,

May we not just revere Your Word

       but worship You

       by keeping it,

by intentionally proclaiming it

             in word and deed.

Show us this day

    what we can do

to live out Your Word,

to implant it,

        and to nurture it.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Guide our steps.

Confirm Your Word in us.

   

 

Be strong

        and courageous.

Do not fear

or be in dread of them,

for it is the LORD your God

    who goes with you.

He will not leave you

                or forsake you.

            Deuteronomy 31. 6

(As one of our young daughters

    said in the middle of the night,

"If I knew you were there,

     I would not have been afraid."

When we trust God in this,

we approach the difficulty,

navigate the turbulent waters,

and handle it differently.

God does not just show us

   a new way through,

                  He is with us.

If we we were aware and

    responsive to His Presence,

we would live so differently,

see differently,

love and serve with a new heart,

see in the dark,

and walk through the sea

         or on the waves.

Worry just sinks the ship.)

O LORD,

Help us to not just

     wiggle out a space for You

     in this day,

but go forth with You.

Help us to rely on Your strength

   and carry Your courage

and know You go with us.

Even through the ordinary,

even through the impossible,

    we can trust You in this.

Help us to be faithful to You,

strong and courageous,

kind and gracious to others,

even if the fruit comes

         far beyond our lifetimes.

You always work

       in multiple outcomes.

Relying on Your strength

   realigns our hearts

   and points others to You.

When we cry out,

     "I can't do this,"

You reply,

    "Good, because I can."

 

I have led you

    forty years in the wilderness.

Your clothes have not

          worn out on you,

and your sandals have not

   worn off your feet.

                Deuteronomy 29. 5

(Where God guides, He provides.

He has given each one of us

  a chronicle of His faithfulness.

It is not that the way is easy,

He may lead us in strange places,

        but He is with us

                    all the way.

We come out on the other side

                of the wilderness

     closer to Him and equipped,

that we would not just believe,

           but know

     that He is the LORD our God.)

O LORD,

You care for us

even more than we can know.

Help us to trust You

             even in this,

that we will know how

   to trust You more

   in the next adventure.

You specialize in the unexpected,

open up Your wonders

              in the wilderness,

and reveal Your way

       through the impossible.

May we acknowledge

            Your Presence with us

    today in all we do and say

that we would know You more

      and make You known.

Your way was through the sea,

Your path through

               the great waters,

yet

    Your footprints were unseen.

                     Psalm 77.19

(And even when I am unaware,

   God's fingerprints are

                    all over this,

His footprints are still leading me,

            even in this,

            even through this.

God works in such unexpected ways

      and unlikely situations

that He cannot be explained away.

His way was through the impossible,

                past tense.

His footprints are still marking our way,

                present tense.

We often cannot yet see

         until it appears

         in the rearview mirror.

The edge of the sea

              is not the end of the story.

His grand narrative for our lives

           is not yet finished.

We think we are going to drown,

   and our feet don't even get wet.)

O LORD,

You have said,

         "Trust Me in this."

Help us to trust You more.

May Your feet go before us,

may Your voice lead our way,

may we be faithful to You,

   even when we don't understand,

may we realize our need for You

  and Your Presence with us.

Bless, O LORD,

            many people through this.

Even in what we

        only consider as ordinary.

Because it is never just ordinary.

 

Give us each day

    our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive

               everyone

who is indebted to us.

             Luke 11. 3-4

(What is the connection

between our daily bread

    and forgiveness?

What we need

     and what we really need?

Is there anything

      tripping us up?

God holds nothing back.

Neither should we.)

O LORD,

Change our appetites

   for what we desire,

that we would seek You.

Change our affections

    for what we love,

that we would

        worship You.

Grant to us a different heart

that we would

          ask differently,

          pray differently,

     see others differently,

     see ourselves differently,

     follow You differently,

new choices,

new response,

a different way of walking,

a transformed trajectory

   even in hostile territory.

May we be quick to forgive

            and mean it.

May we be quick to

            ask forgiveness

and be known by Your love.

 

 

We give thanks to You, O God;

we give thanks

    for Your name is near.

We recount

        Your wondrous deeds.

                   Psalm 75. 1

(Count and recount

     God's hand upon us,

not just for what He does,

or how He loves us,

but for Who He is.

Gratefulness

     in words and deeds

changes our hearts,

our vision,

how we see God,

how we see others,

how we see ourselves.

Not just being thankful,

     but giving thanks,

acknowledges God

and points to His glory.

Even in the hard stuff.)

O LORD,

Thank You

      for Who You are.

Thank You

      for loving us.

Thank You

     for dwelling in us.

May gratefulness to You

    mark our character

and change

         the course of our day.

  

 

...the land that

     the LORD your God

is giving you to possess...

             Deuteronomy 21.1

(Even in what we do not

       consider as ministry,

God has placed us there,

not "for a reason,"

            but to be faithful,

to bring His name,

plant His Word,

and walk with Him.

Whatever is done

   in the name of the LORD

   is never fruitless,

no matter the outcome,

no matter the trail.

Faithfulness plants

          a forest,

beyond what we can see,

far beyond our lifetimes.)

O LORD,

May we be faithful to You

    above all things

in what You place before us.

Grant us the courage

   to take Your hand

and trust You in this,

       step by step.

 

Hear, O Israel, today

  you are drawing near

for battle against your enemies.

Let not your heart faint.

Do not fear or panic

   or be in dread of them,

for the LORD your God is

    He who goes with you

to fight for you

             against your enemies,

to give you the victory.

                Deuteronomy 20. 3-4

(I love that in the

     face of the overwhelming,

God does not say,

     to get out there by yourself,

     or get a grip,

     or don't be a baby.

But He promises,

  "Do not fear.

   I am with you."

Sometimes that realization

       is the victory.

Sometimes that reality

   is the most powerful witness.

Our foes are anything we fear,

       both real and imagined.

Every one of us

            struggles with something.

God does not just give us

    the strength and courage

to walk with Him through it.

   He gives us His hand.)

O LORD,

We may not understand

   what we are going through,

   how it fits,

   or why,

but we can trust You in it.

Help us to hold Your hand

        and don't let go.

Thank You

    not just for going with us

but for going before us.

You redeem all the pieces

     and all the trails.

You draw us closer to You

  and transform us

       one degree at a time.