Great Things

 

God thunders wondrously

           with His voice;

He does great things

   that we cannot comprehend.

                Job 37. 5

(Even if we cannot yet see,

       nor understand His ways

                or His hand in this,

          God is real.

We may not understand

                His purposes,

but His redeeming is embedded

 fully all around us,

       in the seen and the unseen.

We have only to trust Him

          not the circumstances,

follow Him step by step,

    and be faithful to Him

    in what is before us today.)

O LORD,

You are God.

            And we are not.

And we are grateful for that reality.

You hold our lives in Your hands.

You hold our hands.

You are doing great things,

     even in mystery,

     even in what looks like shadows,

     even when we are most unaware.

Help us to trust You even more.

You give us glimpses of Your power

          and designs.

Empower us to not miss Your wonders,

     even in familiar places.

Whose spotlight?

 

For what we proclaim

    is not ourselves,

but Jesus Christ as Lord...

       2 Corinthians 4. 5

(What is my intention

    in this situation?

Do I want to be the hero

   and claim God's glory?

Or acknowledge

    what only God can do?

God does not need

            our victories

  to point others to Him.

Just to be faithful.)

O LORD,

We pray today

   that You are revealed

even in unexpected places

    and unlikely ways

that we have the honor

   of being a witness to You.

May Your redeeming

   radiate through the cracks.

Empower us

     to bring Your name here.

Even in this situation today.

Even in ways

           we are not aware.

Make our speech gracious

   and Your work in us fruitful.

I can't do this!

 

Not that we are sufficient

          in ourselves

to claim anything

      as coming from us,

but our sufficiency is from God,

who has made us competent

to be ministers of the new covenant...

              2 Corinthians 3. 5-6

(God fully uses those

     who know it is not in

     their skill set

            or natural ability.

Our strength,

             our competence

   is not in us,

                    but God.

God does not just

        make it enough

                 but way more.

We are faithful in doing

   what He has placed before us,

  but God brings it together

             and completes it.

God brings His glory to it.)

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed

   by what is required of us.

We can't do it on our own.

And You reply to us,

"Good, because I can."

Help us to not get

             ahead of You,

or paralyzed by "what if's,"

but to work hard

    and rely on You

to bring Your redeeming

  to whatever faces us.

And always that we would 

     know You more

     in the midst of this.

We have only

     to be faithful

and walk with You.

What is that aroma?

 

...and through us

spreads the fragrance

  of the knowledge of Him

              everywhere.

For we are the

    aroma of Christ

to God among those

who are being saved and

among those who are perishing...

 

              2 Corinthians 2. 14-15

(Wherever we are,

among whomever

   --believers or not--

the aroma of Christ in us

   permeates, flavors,

   lingers, and

          draws others to Him.

It is not of us,

but Christ who lives in us,

     His compelling sweetness.

What is different about us?

    That would be Jesus.)

O LORD,

No matter where we are today,

in the midst of difficult situations

    or impossible relationships,

may Your aroma

    prevail and infiltrate

every crack and crevice,

every broken heart,

melting away all resistance to You,

and filling those around us

    with Your overpowering grace.

May we be very aware

    of our witness to You

among those we find ourselves,

   for such a time as this,

                  even today,

                  even in this.

Help us to smell like You.

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Anointed and Appointed

 

For He will complete

what He appoints for me,

and many such things

    are in His mind.

             Job 23. 14

(Do we view our work

     or our circumstances

           as divine appointments

     and sacred encounters?

We can never fully know

   how God is using us

   for His Kingdom

             and His glory.

We have only to be faithful

   and to trust Him,

even when we don't understand.

What can God do with this?

   "Now watch this."

We are both anointed

             and appointed

     in unexpected ways

    and unlikely places.

Therein lies not just our work,

         but our witness.)

O LORD,

Help us to live in such a way

    that Your grace is revealed.

May we not just share

         Your story with others,

   but to live it out before them.

Grant us the courage

             and wisdom

  to respond to others

and point them to You.

You complete

              our efforts

  and bring them to fruition.

We delight in You, O LORD.

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...may those who love Your salvation

say continually,

     "Great is the LORD!"

              Psalm 40. 16

(Do these words appear

   in our working vocabulary

        and daily conversations?

How differently we would respond

to our lives and circumstances

if we said continually

            through the day and our mess,

     "Great is the LORD!"

Not as a warm and fuzzy reaction,

  but the very core of our being,

realizing our utter need for Him,

and acknowledging

        His strength available to us.

"Great is the LORD!" is not

     an impervious, unfeeling reaction,

but a response that empowers us

   to see circumstances

          --and God Himself--

   with a new heart and eyes.)

O LORD,

You are great.

You are far greater than our struggles.

Help us to turn to You,

    not just in our thoughts,

    but verbally out loud,

to remind us of Your Presence

         and Your power.

Help us to not just say

       these words

but live these words out loud

    like we mean them.

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Daily conversations

 

I have not hidden

   Your deliverance within my heart,

I have spoken of Your faithfulness

              and Your salvation,

I have not concealed

     Your steadfast love

     and Your faithfulness

         from the great congregation.

                  Psalm 40. 10

(God has given to each of us

    a story to point others to Him,

opportunities every day

   even in unlikely places

and always among those

   who do not yet know Him.

Leave a witness in words.

You can never know

     how God uses them.

But He always does.)

O LORD,

You have revealed Yourself to us

    through Your Word,

    Your grace and love,

    and the witness of others.

Help us to be faithful

    in telling others

    the story You have given us

that they would not just

            see us as nice people,

   but as Yours.

We talk about so many things

    in our daily conversations,

what we have learned,

what we have done,

    the glitches and the joys.

Grant to us the courage

            and passion

   to speak as naturally of You.

And know that You

     bear the fruit through it

in ways and in generations

            we will never realize.

Our Work Matters

 

Therefore, my beloved,

be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding

        in the work of the Lord,

knowing that in the Lord

     your labor is not in vain.

             1 Corinthians 15. 58

(Rejoice,

be energized by God's work

      in us and through us.

The world may claim our efforts

        as insignificant,

but our work in the Lord's eyes

      profoundly matters.

God does not waste the

       lives of His faithful ones.

God sees our work differently

  because He sees us differently.

What if we considered this task

   as His anointing and His appointing?

Today's assignment

is neither a single passage

          nor a solitary page,

    but a body of work.)

O LORD,

May all that we do today

    bring glory to You.

May we abound in Your Word,

   may we abound in Your work

        in us and through us.

Help us to be faithful to You

   in whatever we accomplish,

   or attempt,

   or approach,

 with a heart aligned with Yours.

It is not just our work that matters,

    but we matter to You,

more than we can imagine.

 

And though your beginning

                was small,

your latter days

     will be very great.

               Job 8. 7

(Yes,

  what we do matters.

It matters a lot to God

    and His kingdom.

We have no idea

    what God is doing with this,

but it is not insignificant.

    We have only to be faithful.

Faithfulness always bears fruit

   that we will never see,

        far beyond our lifetimes.

We strive for His glory,

                   not ours,

     even in this task.

No act of obedience

                 lies fallow.

God says,

   "Now watch what I do

             with this.")

O LORD,

Help us to respond to You

  in what is before us today,

knowing that You work wonders

     deeply into what we

     only see as ordinary.

Bring Your glory to it.

Help us to know

       that You are in this.

You are all in all.

 

He who withholds kindness

      from a friend

forsakes the fear

            of the Almighty.

            Job 6. 14

(God has placed many people

       on our paths,

   right in front of us

to love them and

            show them grace,

those who are lovable

   and those who are

                 impossible.

We can always be kind.

How can we approach

       this relationship,

       this need,

       this person

                  differently

    because we love Jesus?)

O LORD,

Fill us with Your Spirit,

Your love,

Your grace and strength,

Your vision,

  that we may love those

  You have placed

         alongside us.

Make us not just aware of them,

   but responsive to them.

Help us to bring

       the love of Jesus

  into this situation.

Show us how

     to be kind

   in unexpected ways

and mean it.

 

...but the righteous gives

     and does not hold back.

                Proverbs 21. 26

(Giving in the Bible always means

    far beyond money or

                 possessions.

God never intended for us

   to just throw money at need.

The generous and faithful

  do not possess stuff

                but a different heart

    and eyes that do not just see need

but how to respond to

             any kind of lack.

What are we practicing?

God does not just

             change our hearts,

but empowers us

            to see in the dark.

Those who love others

    are never without opportunity.)

O LORD,

You don't want our stuff.

You want our hearts.

You have far greater purposes

      in these situations

  than just patching the obvious need.

Help us to be Your hands and feet

    and seek to encourage

and love,

           lift up others,

and bring Your name here

  with unexpected grace.

You anoint and appoint us

     to bear witness

     in unlikely places.

Even in whatever is

            before us this day.

 

Trust

    in the LORD and do good,

dwell in the land

    and feed on faithfulness.

Delight

     yourself in the LORD,

   and He will give you

   the desires of your heart.

Commit

     your way to the LORD,

trust in Him,

     and He will act.

He will bring forth

        your righteousness

        as the light,

and your justice

   as the noonday.

          Psalm 37. 3-6

(God is not just

      working through us.

God is working in us.

We think we are

            working for God.

And God is working for us.

And changing not just us,

    but everyone around us.

As we trust Him,

   He is aligning our hearts

                with His.

And opens the doors

   that we would see

           a thousand galaxies

   exploding into view.)

O LORD,

We have no idea Your power,

    Your purposes,

    the extent of Your love

               and grace.

Grant us the courage

   to trust You

             even in this situation,

even in these relationships,

even when we don't understand.

You are working mightily

    in what only You can do.

You redeem, O LORD.

And we are astonished by You.

.

And who knows

whether you have not come

to the kingdom

    for such a time as this?

            Esther 4. 14

(Times of bearing witness

       are never random.

Who knows?  God does.

God holds us in His hands.

Every one of us is

    divinely appointed

    and strategically positioned

        in time and place

for God's amazing purposes,

for His Kingdom,

            and in His name.

This situation

          is not a surprise to Him.

The pieces do not fall together,

     but are sacredly designed.

There are never any

     small obediences.)

O LORD,

We stand in scary places,

or unexpected circumstances,

or places of hard choices.

But You are not just with us,

     You have gone before us.

Help us to be sensitive

       and responsive

   to Your leading.

Grant to us the courage

    to follow You into it,

the endurance

            to stand in the gaps,

and the joy

      to bring Your name here.

 

 

Do this in remembrance of Me.

           1 Corinthians 11.24

(Even in this hard thing today,

God grants us His strength.

Whatever we do,

even the struggles,

    even in favor,

even a sacrifice of our pride,

   even what we don't understand,

we can worship Jesus in this.

Live in such a way

   that others see Jesus in us

and feel compelled to ask.

We can approach 

     and navigate differently,

even the ordinary,

even the impossible,

because we walk with Him.)

O LORD,

Help us to respond differently

   to what is before us today

that would bring You honor

   and point others to You.

Write Your name

          all over our day.

In whatever we do today,

      we worship You.

  

  

 

...yet our God turned

the curse

        into a blessing.

          Nehemiah 13. 2

(This hardship is not

      the end of the story.

God turns these painful

    and difficult things

          right side up,

    what was meant to defeat

    into what is redeemed.

When we trust Him into it,

   God strengthens us.

We are not impervious to pain,

         but responsive to it.

God brings good

    into impossible places

                 for His glory.)

O LORD,

There is so much we

            cannot understand,

so much so far

         beyond our control,

but we can trust You.

Strengthen our hearts

  that we may respond in ways

  to honor You

and love others into Your kingdom.

Help us to treat others

          with Your grace.

 

So,

whether you eat or drink,

   or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.

         1 Corinthians 10. 31

(That verse orders our days.

The key word is whatever.

In all things

   --no exclusions--

       hard or easy

      or even "not that!"

nothing is insignificant

              for His glory.

It all matters,

    the big stuff

    and what only appears mundane.

When we do that thing,

          whatever it is,

His glory does not make it easy,

but His glory bears fruit through it

        for generations.

It is only a tiny seed in our eyes,

    an act of faithfulness, 

      a small sacrifice perhaps.

But God plants sequoias.)

O LORD,

We come before You

   with an ordinary day

   or an impossible one,

and You bring Your glory.

Write Your name all over

   whatever we do today.

Order our day.

Guide our thoughts to You,

   in what we do

   and what we pursue.

Appoint our steps.

Help us to see differently

   what is before us

and the sacredness of our work.

 

No temptation has overtaken you

that is not common to man.

God is faithful,

and He will not let you be tempted

    beyond your ability,

but with the temptation

    He will also provide

          the way of escape

that you may be able

          to endure it.

               1 Corinthians 10. 13

(This verse reveals the solid link

    between faithfulness and endurance.

Our daily choices strengthen us.

Sin always says, "It won't matter."

Faithfulness to God always

     resounds for generations.

There is always an option

                other than to sin.

Know when to run for your life.

Don't place yourself

       in vulnerable positions.

And as they say on airplanes,

    "Be aware of your nearest exit doors."

Whatever way we choose

   --to sin or to be faithful--

others are following us.)

O LORD,

You are faithful.

Grant us the courage and discernment

           to be the same.

You are with us.

   We need not do this life without You.

                  We cannot.

Help us to not just make wise choices

          or not make mistakes,

but to follow You

   and have the strength to do that.

The opposite of temptation

   is the opportunity

   to bear witness to others

           the name of Jesus.

May we be aware

   that others are watching us,

not to see if we are perfect,

   but to see if You are real.

 

Forty years

You sustained them in the wilderness,

and they lacked nothing.

Their clothes did not wear out

and their feet did not swell.

               Nehemiah 9. 21

(We all have a

    chronicle of God's faithfulness.

God did not promise that

              life would be easy,

   but "Do not fear. I am with you."

The wilderness does not mean

  we made a mistake or a wrong turn,

  not His absence,

                but His deeper Presence.

Walk with Me there.)

O LORD,

We don't even have to look back

   to know You are with us.

We have no need to fear

     what is now or what is next,

   because You are still with us.

You have sustained us

     through unlikely places.

You will bring us through

    whatever we face today.

Help us to bring Your name there.

And may we witness and experience

       Your wonders,

even here,

even in this.

 

For they all wanted

      to frighten us, saying,

"Their hands will drop

               from the work,

   and it will not be done."

But now, O God,

         strengthen my hands.

                Nehemiah 6. 9

(God promises us,

   "Do not fear.  I am with you."

How differently would we

      approach and navigate

             what is before us,

    our circumstances, joys

              and difficulties,

    our work and relationships,

and our opportunities to serve God,

   if we engraved that promise

                   on our hearts?

What if we responded 

            the same as Nehemiah?

        "O God,

         strengthen my hands.")

O LORD,

We all struggle with something.

Help us to see fear as only

      our utter need for You.

Reveal to us glimpses of Your hand

        upon our difficulties

       and even on our ordinaries.

Strengthen our hands,

            our souls, our hearts

   as we follow You into this day.

May we bring Your name into it

    and finish the work before us.

Cover all we do

              with Your glory.    

 

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So we built the wall.

And all the wall was

    joined together

   to half its height,

for the people

         had a mind to work.

         Nehemiah 4.6

(The walls had lain waste

              for 140 years.

Nehemiah led the people

    to rebuild it in 52 days.

What has God placed before us

   to restore, rebuild and redeem?

What could we do

   if we had the mind to work?

Are we just waiting

           for someone else

    to take the lead?)

O LORD,

We live in a broken world

   with fallen walls

   and hurting people.

We can't do everything,

   but we can do something.

Show us this day

        how to respond,

how to fill the gaps,

    and how to bring You glory

in unexpected places.

 

Now I was cupbearer to the king.

               Nehemiah 1. 11

(God has strategically placed

each one of us

to bring His name there

and bring Him glory.

There are no insignificant places

          or positions in His economy,

  only divinely appointed ones,

nothing below us,

nothing above us.

"I am with you.

      Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

Help us to not belittle

   where you have appointed us,

or shy away from what

    we need Your courage,

but to magnify Your name

   in every assignment,

   every situation,

   even every difficulty.

Make us aware

     of opportunities

to bless You

               and others,

even where we

       find ourselves today.

 

But I trust

            in You, O LORD.

I say, "You are my God."

My times

        are in Your hand.

Rescue me from the

   hand of my enemies

   and from my persecutors.

            Psalm 31. 14-15

(Even in this situation,

       even in this very day,

we make a choice

   of whether to trust God in it.

Our times are in His hand.

His Presence

             is all over it,

   even in ways we do not yet see.

We have only to be faithful

           and to trust Him in it.

Trusting Him brings us 

     through our difficulties,

    and tackles our fears

           both real and imagined

for His glory in what only appears

               as impossible.

This situation does not then defeat us

      but deepens our relationship

                        with Him.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something.

But we can walk with You

         through it,

knowing that You are our God.

We belong to You.

Grant us the courage and grace

    to face whatever

    is on our paths today.

Help us to look beyond the obvious

    to see You in it.

Bring Your glory

        even into this very day.

 

The hand of our God

              was on us,

and He delivered us

   from the hand of the enemy

and from ambushes

             by the way.

             Ezra 8. 31

(God's hand is on us

when we are faithful

       in following Him

 --in both what we can see

   and in what is invisible to us.

God delivers us from our foes

     -- whatever we fear--

      both real and imagined.

When we do what is good and right,

we can expect some kind

    of backlash or opposition.

God takes care of that too.)

O LORD,

Help us to go forth with Your courage

    into the familiar

              or the scary wilderness,

knowing that You go before us

     and You are with us

                     all the way.

You set our feet in a broad place,

     no matter the circumstances,

to bring Your name there

               and if anything,

    be a witness to others

         and assurance to us,

    that You are God.

 

You have turned for me

   my mourning into dancing,

You have loosed my sackcloth

   and clothed me 

            with gladness...

                 Psalm 30.11

(God does not just say,

     "You will get through this."

But God promises,

   "I am doing something new

                     in you."

It is not that we are impervious

      to pain or hardship,

but we are responsive to it

  with a strength that is

                not our own.

And as it says in the next verse,

  we are able to "...sing Your praise

          and not be silent."

His joy within is not dependent

     on favorable circumstances

but breaks forth

          in unexpected places

so that we know it is

                   from Him.)

O LORD,

Help us to approach both

   blue skies and storms

         differently

   because we know You.

May others witness the

      love of Christ in us.

Empower us with courage

   to trust You in this,

to bring Your holy name to it,

and sow Your grace

   even on hard ground.

May we not dread circumstances

   but show us how to dance with You.

Our heartset is not just about us,

   but points others to You.

 

...for the LORD

     had made them joyful

and had turned the heart

  of the king of Assyria to them,

so that

    he aided them in the work

    of the house of God,

          the God of Israel.

                     Ezra 6. 22

(When we face the ordinary

                 or the extraordinary,

     the probable or impossible,

God provides

     in unexpected ways and

   from the most unlikely sources,

those we know,

those who are strangers,

those who even

       we see as against us.

When we pray,

   God reveals Himself

and we witness His wonders.

Watch for Him!)

O LORD,

In all that is beyond our skill set,

in all that is far past

            our comprehension

            or our courage,

    Your Presence changes everything.

Help us to trust You

       and pray in expectation,

       and watch as You

             bring about Your glory.

Whether explainable or unexplainable,

  the wonders in our lives

              do not just happen.

And in what appears impossible,

   Your power is revealed.

Where You guide,

           You provide.

Help us to follow You

  into what is not able to occur

               without You.

 

But, as it is written,

"What no eye has seen,

nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared

     for those who love Him."

             1 Corinthians 2. 9

(We have no clue

       the wonders of His hand.

Not just what God has

             prepared for us,

   but what He has

             prepared us for.

This passage repeats the promise

   made 800 years prior

   by the prophet Isaiah:

"From of old no one has heard

or perceived by ear,

no eye has seen a God besides You,

who acts for those who wait for Him."

                      Isaiah 64. 4)

O LORD,

You are great and mighty

and work far beyond our understanding.

Guide us in Your ways

      and align our hearts with Yours.

Equip us as a witness to others

                  for Your glory.

Because we love You,

 we hear, see, perceive

   and respond differently

in unlikely places

          and in unexpected ways.

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...and my speech and my message

were not in plausible words of wisdom,

but in demonstration of the Spirit

                   and of power,

that your faith might not rest

   in the wisdom of men

but in the power of God.

              2 Corinthians 2. 4-5

(Trusting what we say and teach

      and write and proclaim

would point others not to us

          but to God.

We need not stand in the way

   or take credit for what

   God is doing through us.   

It has nothing to do

     with being talented at speaking,

           only to be faithful

    for His purposes and glory

    in whatever is before us.

God gives us the words.

God makes them stick.)

O LORD,

Guide our steps and thoughts

    and even our conversations

that we would bring Your Word

            right into what we say.

Equip us that we would be ready

    to be a witness to You

and speak of You

    in words others can understand.

Use us for Your kingdom

   even in ways we will never know.

You have strategically placed us

    right here in this moment of time

    for Your glory.

Grant us the courage

            to boldly speak.

We can never know how

       You have appointed us.

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...to preach the gospel,

and not with words

         of eloquent wisdom,

lest the cross of Christ

  be emptied of its power.

            1 Corinthians 1. 17

(The gospel is heard most often

not in carefully crafted speeches,

but in our own words

    and experiences and language,

in our everydays and every ways.

God grants to us opportunities

            all around us

to reveal the gospel

   in what we say to others

and how we respond to them.

God intends for us

 to preach the gospel,

    in all we do

    and always use our words.)

O LORD,

Every place and situation

    that You lead us today,

help us to not just

    bring up the gospel,

but live it out before others

          and speak of You.

May Your Presence be evident

    and linger in our conversations.

May others see You.

 

My foot stands

     on level ground....

           Psalm 26. 12

(No matter the circumstances,

    blue sky

    or storms in the forecast,

wherever God has guided us,

we can be assured

      of His Presence,

even here,

even in this,

            for His glory.

God does not say,

         "Don't look down."

But He calls us to

   "Trust Me in this.

           And enjoy the view."

How would we approach this

    difficult path

    or scary place differently

if we trusted Him in this?

What if

     there was nothing

     to be scared of?)

O LORD,

Hold us close

     as we trust You

  in these situations

  and hard places.

Help us to witness

          Your strength

when we are weary.

Grant to us the courage

   to not miss out

   on the views

        of Your glory in this.

And even so,

          to worship You

   with all our hearts.

You are with us.

Empower us

      by Your vision 

        and purposes in this.

 

...for I take refuge in You.

             Psalm 25. 20

(Along the pathways

through the mountains in Italy,

there are places for weary hikers

to come and be refreshed,

to stay the night in a shelter,

to fellowship with others,

to be fed and nurtured

   and gain strength for the journey.

These small little outposts

  are not insignificant to those

  who are strengthened by them.

They are called refugios.

When we take refuge in the LORD,

   it is not a place to hide

   but to be strengthened.

He is our strength

                   and courage.

Do we walk with Him?

He restores our souls

    in more ways than one.)

O LORD,

Thank You for the refugios

  that You place on our paths,

the outposts

    and rest areas

to nurture us on our way,

to encourage our hearts,

to reassure us

    that we are not alone.

You guide and You provide.

Help us to walk in such a way

   that we help others

by letting them see

   that You are our strength.

Use us, O LORD, to guide others

             to You.

 

Make me

   to know Your ways, O LORD;

teach me Your paths.

               Psalm 25. 4

(What are we seeking?

    What are we practicing?

Are we willing to follow

    His ways and His paths,

         even in this situation?

Not to incorporate the LORD

         into our agenda,

    but join Him in His designs.

Not to just see it differently,

      but to walk it differently.

Not necessarily a new trail,

   but absolutely

         with a new heart.)

O LORD,

Reveal Your ways to us.

Empower us

   not just to follow You,

   but to walk with You.

May we be faithful to You

   wherever You lead us today

and be a witness

   to all who are around us.

No random encounters

   but divine appointments.

Help us to practice faithfulness

     over and over again,

even in unexpected places.