No Surprises

 He is not here,

    for He has risen,

as He said.

Come see the place

   where He lay.

               Matthew 28. 6

(The women were surprised

when they arrived at the tomb.

Jesus who died

           was not there.

The angel told them

             He has risen.

He died for our sins.

But then He conquered death.

    We are all covered

        by what He did.

              Even as He said.

No earning salvation

     but accepting His sacrifice.

Once for all.

Jesus never intended for us

          to believe in a religion.

But in Him.

We worship and serve

                    a living Savior.

May we go forth into our days,

   knowing He goes with us.

                     He is alive.

And because of the resurrection,

  nothing will ever be the same.

If we follow Him,

        we will live forever.

No surprises.

He is risen.  He is risen indeed.)

 

Have a Joyous Easter!

O LORD,

Thank You for Your sacrifice

    on the cross

                for our sin.

Help us to live

           forgiven, released and redeemed.

Empower us with Your strength

  to love others as You have loved us.

And to practice forgiveness, renewal

          and grace

as we should.

   You are our living Savior. 

 

            

No Part-time Employment

 

And you shall rejoice

   before the LORD your God

in all that you undertake.

          Deuteronomy 12. 18

(All in ancient Hebrew means

       exactly that: 

                            all.

No exceptions. No exclusions.

        Not even part-time.

May we find new ways to approach,

     navigate and serve the LORD

     with our work,

                  even in this situation.

We are all in full-time ministry.

When we rejoice,

   not just in the stuff we like,

   or enjoy, or good at,

it nurtures the rock-hard soil

        beneath our feet

   into sacred ground.

Rejoicing in the LORD does that.

Deeper than

     having a good attitude,

but bringing 

        an unexpected brightness

   to a dark or foggy environment.

How can we be glad, flourish,

    and undertake our work

    with a different countenance,

    expression,

       and a new heart?)

O LORD,

Please show us how to

   honor You in our work,

to lean on You

        when it's really hard

  and bring Your majesty there.

No work is a waste of time,

   but an opportunity to serve You.

And to love others

      right into Your arms.

Enlarge Your vision in us

   to see that nothing is mundane,

but every detail

            --and our heartset--

bring You glory

    even in really unexpected places.

To do that, we need Your courage, vision

    and Your incredible

              creative touch.

We can't do it alone.

Help us to surprise others

            by Your joy in us.

And amaze us as well.

      

When Steam Comes Out of Our Ears

 

And I prayed for Aaron

also at the same time.

           Deuteronomy 9. 20

(Moses was mad.

He was furious,

  horrified by what Aaron

  had done in his absence.

Everything was at stake.

But Moses' first response

  was not to condemn,

  or take revenge against him,

  disown him, walk away,

  or seek his suffering

       --what he deserved--

but to pray for Aaron's good,

    well-being and forgiveness.

Why is it so hard

        to pray for those

        who have done us wrong?

Or to cover offences with grace

              and not turn away?

Because forgiveness

       profoundly changes history,

  the course of the entire world,

and seeks to preserve relationships

           above any misdeed,

           intentional or not.

May we keep the relationship first

       by praying for them.)

O LORD,

You know that

   we need forgiveness.

That is why You sent

        Jesus for us.

As You have forgiven us

    once for all,

grant us the strength,

   compassion and grace

           to forgive others.

   Even in this situation.

Please help us

   not to just be mindful

   of the relationship

but to use forgiveness

           to nurture it.

Even when we're hurt,

empower us to

   live faithfully,

   love well,

and practice grace in this.

You are over

             everything.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Courage is Trusting Him Anyway

You shall not be in dread of them,

for the LORD your God

        is in your midst,

a great and awesome God.

             Deuteronomy 7. 21

(There will always be something

        to be afraid of.

But there is always God

        to trust in.

What we choose 

dictates how we go forth,

  how we view possibilities,

  how we approach and

    navigate difficulties differently.

How many countless times in Scripture

    God reminds us over and over?

"Do not be afraid.

            I am with you."

When we trust Him,

  the journey is not the same,

  nor the outcome.

God answers with His strength,

   courage and blessings we cannot

              yet conceive.

He is the LORD our God.)

O LORD,

We come to You with our joys.

We come to You

  with our overwhelming fears.

Please make us aware

            of Your Presence with us

and that You walk with us

   in impossible situations,

   unexpected places,

   and among unlikely people.

Help us to trust You in this.

Even in this.

Everyday is a

    story of Your faithfulness.

Even when we cannot yet

      see how You unfold

      Your grand narrative.

Be glorified in us, we pray.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

First Person Possessive

 

Hear, O Israel:

The LORD our God,

the LORD is One.

You shall love the LORD your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your might.

           Deuteronomy 6. 4

(This verse comprises

what the Jewish people

       call Shema,

  even to this day.

It serves as a centerpiece

of morning and evening prayers,

   a twice-daily recitation.

Also as their last words

  before going to sleep at night.

This prayer is not to remind God

    of who He is,

but that we may know

                and never forget

  that He is God alone.

He is not a god among others,

             but our LORD,

      first person possessive.

And that changes everything

         about us.)

 

O LORD,

May you not be important,

nor prominent,

but preeminent in our lives

      and in what we love.

Please help us today

to love you with all our heart,

   mind, soul, and might

   in all things we encounter.

You are God.

You are our God.

Empower us to be mindful

   and live that way

          in all we do and say.

Be, Almighty One,

   the centerpiece in our

           being and doing,

the passion of our hearts.

Unexpected Places and Unlikely People

 

...even among the rebellious,

that the LORD God

            may dwell there.

              Psalm 68. 18

(Even here,

even in this tough situation,

even among the resistant,

our calling is to bring

   the love, grace

         and name of Jesus there,

to be faithful in this desert

    and unexpected places,

and a witness to others,

whether they seem to ignore

          us or not.

Others are watching and listening

  whether or not we are aware.

Someone's life is on the line.

Someone is about to be changed.)

O LORD,

Help us to be the faithful ones,

    even among the rebellious,

even where there is pushback.

Empower us to love them

                     anyway.

You have strategically placed us

       for Your glory

and for the welfare of many.

Whether we see fruit

   or just a continuing desert,

You are at work,

       changing the landscape

  and drawing others to You.

Grant to us

   the courage to love them

   right to You.

Our Really Long Road Trip

 

For the LORD your God

has blessed you

in all the work of your hands.

He knows your going through

   this great wilderness.

These forty years

   the LORD your God

   has been with you.

You have lacked nothing.

               Deuteronomy 2. 7

(Stay tuned. 

        We have seen nothing yet.

God does not just know what

   we are going through.

He is preparing, equipping,

  and nurturing His strength in us,

blessing our work,

and weaving His significance

  in what only appears as mundane.

He is with us

         through thick and thin,

    in what we recognize as profound,

    in our every days,

and in what we don't yet understand.

Trust Me in this.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your goodness to us,

even in what we don't recognize yet.

You are walking with us,

   strengthening us every step.

For as long as we can remember,

     You have provided

     just what we need,

even in ways we can't understand.

We see a wilderness here.

    You see the wonders.

You are doing such a mighty work

    in us, through us, all around us,

that we don't even have a clue,

the evidence of Your Presence

  that reverberates for generations.

Even Among Fire-breathing Dragons

See, the LORD your God

has set the land before you.

Go up,

take possession,

as the LORD, the God of your fathers,

            has told you.

Do not fear

        or be dismayed.

                  Deuteronomy 1. 21

(God, You want me to go where,

       stay in place, or do what?

How does God reply?

  Do not fear or be dismayed.

Because trusting God

  will always take us

by a different route.

Fear and dismay promise everything

      but lead us right over a cliff,

   deflate all our tires,

   and abandon us on the side of the road.

Trusting God means a different journey,

    different trajectory,

    and a way different outcome.

There still may be

    opposition or adversaries

    or fire-breathing dragons there,

but we navigate in new ways

      because we trust Him.

God gives us His courage,

     His strength, His shield,

     and His presence along the way.

As one of our girls once told me,

"I wouldn't have been afraid

             if I knew you were here."

He guides us through

        for His glory, even in this.

What has He set before us today

    to follow Him into?

Even right where we are.)

O LORD,

You redeem the hard places

  to bring us into

        a closer relationship with You.

You guide us to new understandings

             of Your steadfast love.

Help us to see this barren land,

   this uncultivated rock hard ground,

as an opportunity

        to bring the name of Jesus here.

When we trust You,

    fear and dismay have

    no power over us.

May Your Presence bear fruit

     in our lives

     and for all those who follow.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Twice a Day Without Fail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You make the going out of the morning

and the evening

             to shout for joy.

                     Psalm 65. 8

(Twice a day

     God reminds us of His Presence

     and sovereignty,

            just in case we forget.

He establishes the bookends

         of our days:

"I am with you

            going into the day.

 Still with you

            as the light fades."

He appointed that joy

so precisely from

          the beginning of time,

that we can know His revealing

   to the very minute,

   like clockwork,

           Imagine that.

Even when we miss it,

   or oblivious to the lightshow,

or when it is covered by clouds,

God reveals Himself

     unmistakably with beauty,

woven inextricably in our day.

Our awe is a call to worship.

Our response is

     walk with Him into it.)

O LORD,

You remind us continually

   that You are here with us.

May we follow You

   right into this day,

knowing that You are God.

You see us.

You hear us.

You always respond.

The sunrise and sunset

   are visible reminders

of Your immense grace

          over us.

May we worship You

  in all that we do today,

reflecting Your joy,

   even in hard places.

May the sunrise

   remind us to follow You.

May the sunset assure us

   that You are unfolding

   wonders beyond words.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

The Fish That Didn't Get Away

 

And when He had finished speaking,

    He said to Simon,

"Put out into the deep

               and let down your nets

               for a catch."

And Simon answered,

"Master, we toiled all night

             and took nothing!

But at Your word,

   I will let down the nets.

And when they had done this,

they enclosed a large number of fish,

        and their nets were breaking.

                     Luke 5. 4-6

(A significant difference is manifested

   between what we do on our own

   and what we do guided by God

           and fueled by His strength.

God brings His profound increase

   to our obedience to Him,

far deeper in the water

              than we can see,

   even beyond our imagination.

In what am I willing to respond

        to God's leading today

    even before we see

               a plausible outcome?

But at His word --

  means not that we give God

            a second chance to act,

but God gives us

   another opportunity to trust Him.

The astonishing part is

 not a record number of fish,

not a matter of so-called "success,"

       but trusting Him.

God has a lot bigger fish

           in this situation we're in.

And He starts with our hearts.)

O LORD,

Please help us

   to be willing to follow You

   into this day,

whether resulting in a net full of fish

            or none at all.

You are over everything.

We can trust You

  even in what we cannot see.

Please strengthen us

  to faithfully row with You,

        put out into the deep,

and cast our nets daily

   in so many dimensions.

Guide us into Your day for us.

Guide us to You.

The Lion Under My Bed

 

...my mouth will praise You

            with joyful lips,

when I remember You

             upon my bed,

and meditate on You

   in the watches of the night,

for You have been my help,

and in the shadow of Your wings

       I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to You;

Your right hand upholds me.

                  Psalm 63. 5-8

(The psalms are not just

             a sweet little book of poetry,

    but real life cries in the night.

This psalm of David was written

         and sung outloud

when he was overwhelmed

    by deep trouble

    and hiding in the wilderness.

But because David walked with God

         in green pastures,

he knew how to cling to Him

    in the miry bogs

             and enemy territory.

When we awake and cannot sleep,

         what is our default?

Worry, anxiety and stress?

Or retaliating with praise, prayer

   and meditating on the Almighty?

He has been our help.

He is still our help.

The lion we fear under our bed

     will not consume us.

Because the lion under our bed

   is the Lion of Judah we trust,

   who protects us forevermore.)

O LORD,

Help us to respond to fear

   with a chronicle of

            Your faithfulness,

with Your promises,

         and Your Presence.

You sing mightily over us,

    "Be not afraid.

     I am with you."

Please empower us,

  even in the shadows of the night,

to take You at Your Word.

You are our strength

   in whom we can trust.

Just Another Opportunity in Disguise

 

....you shall have a

       holy convocation.

You should not do

       ordinary work.

              Numbers 29. 1

(Worship is not just important

           to God.

  It is vital to us.

This phrase is repeated 7 times

    in just over a chapter.

Worship requires

         doing something different,

     out of the ordinary,

     a time set apart

and recognized as

            coming before God.

To do no ordinary work

    requires preparing to worship.

          It doesn't just happen.

Worship is not just

     something else we have to do,

        but we get to do.

               Worship changes us.

We cannot help but be changed

    when we meet with God.

Worship is anything but ordinary

  and infiltrates everything we do.)

O LORD,

Everyone worships something.

May we worship You alone.

You are our God,

    our strength, our solid ground.

May our time with You

  not just in the morning,

  but throughout the day,

         draw us closer to You.

Help us to see this day,

   every element in it,

   every task,

   even every speed bump,

as an opportunity

     to become more like You

and bring glory to You.

The Art of Planting an Orchard

 

Bear fruits

in keeping with repentance.

                Luke 3. 8

(Being repentant

   and accepting God's forgiveness

frees us up to live

         and love differently.

Bearing fruit is not just

       something that happens.

It means to do, make ready,

        and produce--

   all action verbs,

   all intentional actions.

What can we do in this barren land

       or mine field?

Love others right to Jesus,

   just as we have been loved.

A repentant person can see others

   with a new heart and mind,

   because Jesus has changed us.

Can others see

           that difference in us?

Not just that we are "nice" people,

     but forgiven and act that way?

Instead of selfishness,

    we are able to be kind

--which gets all over everyone.

We can't change others

                or circumstances,

but we can radically change

         how we respond.

What fruit can we bring here?)

O LORD,

We come before You,

   knowing we have done wrong.

Thank You that Your forgiveness

   already covers us.

Help us to live differently

      into this day before us,

not just getting through,

    slogging through the mud,

but planting an orchard,

  one act of grace at a time.

We may never witness

   the fruit You bear,

but we are assured that Your Word

     never returns void

and You are using us

            for Your glory.

Don't Leave Home Without Him

 

With God

   we shall do valiantly.

It is He who will

    tread down our foes.

               Psalm 60. 12

(Don't leave home without Him.

God grants us the help

    and resources we need

for whatever we face

             and whatever we fear,

      both real and imagined.

But even more than that,

           He is with us.

We are not alone in this.

Valiantly in ancient Hebrew

   means strength, valor,

and substance as with an army.

Not a false shout of

              "you've got this!"

but the strongest words of all,

                  God is with us.

     No matter what unfolds.

What are we facing

   that robs us of sleep?

What are we avoiding?

What are we encountering

   that we need to seek Him,

His help, His strength,

   His direction, His way through?

Have I even considered

         asking Him?)

O LORD,

We need You every hour.

You never intended for us

              to go it alone.

Help us to go forth today,

   not driven by fear

   but walking with You.

You provide the strength.

You show us ways

   we never even saw before.

Please empower us

     to see this situation

     with a different heart

and to walk with You

      for Your glory in it.

Help us to trust You

          yet again.

    And even more.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Not A Glitch After All

 

And she gave birth

    to her firstborn son

and wrapped him

   in swaddling cloths

and laid him in a manger,

because there was

   no place for them

              in the inn.

           Luke 2. 7

(But without a place to stay,

even then,

  there were plans for them

  outside the inn,

exactly what

     God was bringing about.

Mary and Joseph trusted God,

     even in what looked like

                     a glitch,

even far beyond understanding.

What in the world

           was God up to?

    His eternal design.

God reveals Himself

in the most unexpected places

   and unlikely ways.

Being faithful

  does not just mean trusting God,

but that God can trust us.

God does not just meet us

         in those hard places.

He has prepared us for them

    with His strength.)

O LORD,

You love us

  over anything we fear,

     both real and imagined.

You love us

  in everything we face.

You show us

       a way through.

Even in what

  we cannot comprehend,

  You bring it to completion.

And You never ever

        leave our side.

We can trust You in this.

              Even in this.

Donkeys That Talk

 

Then the angel of the LORD

   went ahead and

   stood in a narrow place,

where there was no way

to turn either to the right

             or to the left.

            Numbers 22.26

(We need to make that commitment

        before we enter the fray

to trust the LORD

        and follow His guidance into

        what we expect and what we don't.

Sometimes God goes to extremes

      to guide, provide and 

      protect us even from ourselves.

And at times, He sends donkeys.

Not just change our course,

     but our hearts and see 

 how our everyday choices

               impact generations.

We go on our merry way unaware

    of walking along an abyss.)

O LORD,

Please stop us in our tracks

     when we wander.

Keep us on Your path for us,

   even when we don't understand,

   even today

      when it doesn't seem to matter.

There are no insignificant obediences.

Please go before us, behind us,

           and walk with us.

Redeem our steps.

Thank You for protecting us

         all along our lives,

even in ways we never saw

      what was at stake.

May we be faithful to You

   in all that we do and say today.

For Your glory.

For Your Kingdom.

In Your holy name.

Changing Our Defaults

 

So Moses

    prayed for the people.

            Numbers 21. 7

(Praying is an act of grace.

Even though they had brought

    trouble upon themselves,

even though they were

    rebellious and grumpy,

even though they gave Moses

    a really hard time

    over and over again,

        Moses prayed for them.

What if praying was our default?

We would witness how praying

    gets all over everything, 

not just how much

              they would change,

but how much our own hearts

   and attitudes and actions

              would change,

   right in the act of praying.

Same trigger,

but different response,

          and different outcome.

What if we prayed about this

                      instead?)

O LORD,

Please help us to not be

      the ones who grumble,

      criticize,

      or try to change others,

   but to learn to pray instead.

We all struggle with something

             or someone,

but You have placed us here

    to bring Your name,

    Your grace and love.

Engrave in our hearts

        the need to pray.

May we come to You

         right away,

trusting You

   as You guide us through. 

And help us to realize

   that praying invites us into

  all the incomprehensible things

  You are already doing.

The Multiplying Effect

 

And the whole multitude

             of the people

were praying outside...

                 Luke 1. 10

(With so much prayer

                 lifted up,

something is bound to unfold

                and take hold.

        God brings it about.

When we are in

    a posture of prayer,

              we are aware.

God enlarges our hearts

   to see in the dark.

God hears our prayers.

God listens.  God responds.

Praying empowers us

          to respond to Him.)

O LORD,

Help us to come to You

    with our concerns and joys,

    our troubles and fears,

that we would know You more

and realize You are God,

       and we are not.

Remind us to surround

      this situation

               with prayer.

And help us to see

    Your steadfast love,

   no matter the circumstances.

When we trust in You,

and pray before You,

    Your strength pours over us.

How To Run Fast

 

So Aaron took it

as Moses said

     and ran into

the midst of the assembly.

            Numbers 16. 47

(How should we respond

in situations of discord

and the gaping need for

   reconciliation and forgiveness?

           Run into it.

No time to spare.

We can never know

      how God uses forgiveness

to bring us and others

into right relationship with Him.

          But He does.

Forgiveness stops

        the plague from spreading.

Forgiveness stops

        the bleeding out,

                 including our own.

And reverberates for generations,

   far more than we realize.)

O LORD,

Fill us with Your steadfast love,

that we would know

   how to respond with grace,

to cover with forgiveness,

to free from injury,

    and to turn from calamity.

Align our hearts with Yours

  that we would dwell

  in Your grace that heals

and Your strength beyond our own.

Empower us to run toward You

   and bring someone with us.

Lean on Me

Behold,

God is my helper;

the LORD is the upholder

                 of my life.

             Psalm 54. 4

(When do we realize that?

The reality lies two verses before this,

"O God, hear my prayer; 

   give ear to the words

                of my mouth."

When we pray,

when we turn to Him,

   our hearts and vision

   are readjusted.

       God changes us inside.

             He reveals Himself.

We are reminded through prayer

      that He is here.

He walks with us

           through the miry bog,

He pulls us out of the potholes,

He helps us, He upholds us.

The Hebrew word for uphold

   means that He sustains us:

to lean, lay, rest, support,

                 and lean upon.

Lean on Me.

How can we do that today

   in this very situation?

Lean upon, take hold,

bear up, establish, stand fast,

            and stay with Him.)

O LORD,

At the start of this day,

at the head of this week,

please remind me

  that we are not in this alone.

Please help us

          to lean on You

and watch how You sustain

  through many dangers,

  toils and snares.

Your grace has brought us

     not just safe thus far,

but strengthened

     and held fast by You.

You are my helper.

Empower us to not forget that.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

 

The Unseen Ministry of Bystanders

 

And as Peter was below

      in the courtyard,

one of the servant girls

      of the high priest came,

and seeing Peter warming himself,

   she looked at him and said,

"You also were with the

             Nazarene, Jesus."

But he denied it...

                   Mark 14. 66-68

(Here God points out

  His incredible ministry of bystanders.

Others are constantly watching us

    to see if God makes a difference

                          in our lives

    and to see if God is real.

I have always wondered

  if that servant girl said that 

not as condemnation,

but because she desired

                        to know Jesus too.

Bystanders in our lives

       are never randomly placed.

What is observed or overheard,

   a word, a response, a grace,

open the gates of heaven

      in someone's heart.

We are witnesses

    even when we are most unaware.)

O LORD,

Please help us to be sensitive

    to our surroundings

    and to those within earshot

that You would point them to Yourself.

Help us to respond differently

    and live out the gospel

even in unexpected, unusual

    and incredible places.

We never know what will stick.

We never know who is

        desperately seeing You.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Help us to see others

   --those we know or not--

as You see them:

                   beloved by You.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

The Ultimate Road Map

 

Yet not what I will,

     but what You will.

           Mark 14. 36

(What if we prayed like that?

         Not me but You.

The outcome may or may not

         be visibly different,

                     but we are.

Not I want this,

       I want that,

       but I want You, O God.

Praying always changes us

          from the inside out,

   His strength building in layers,

   His Presence revealed,

   His steadfast love

           not just emerging,

           but already in place,

     unfolding before our very eyes.

God is always up to something

         powerful and eternal,

    and He uses us to do it.

God never promised

              life would be easy,

       but "I am with you."

Do we let fear drive our actions

      or prayer drive our hearts?)

O LORD,

We seek You.

We need You.

Fill us with Your Spirit

   that we may follow You

   even in this situation

          right on our doorstep.

Above all we realize,

   we can't do this at all without You.

May we see and respond

   with the filter of prayer:

   Not me but You.

Help us to approach and navigate,

    respond differently,

 not run on our own energy,

    but walk with You.

Direct our hearts,

    redirect our affections,

    restore our appetites

         to know You more.

Drive us not just to what to do

    but right to You.

Not what I will

      but what You will.

And we will stand astonished

   by the work of Your hands

   and the evidence of Your heart.

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Not What We Cannot, But What We Can

 

She has done 

             what she could...

             Mark 14. 8

(That is all that God asks of us,

faithful in what is before us,

faithful to Him

            in all that we do

     and in how we do it,

     our actions and attitudes.

We cannot do everything.

  May that not stop us

              from what we can.

We can do something today,

       even with this.

Our effort may seem meager to us,

            but being faithful to God

   is always profound in His Kingdom.

Even a kind unexpected word

      can alter the trajectory of a life.

If we only knew

           how God uses us

even on the most ordinary days

                   or circumstances,

   we would never be reluctant

   to follow Him into it,

even in what appears

           foolish to this world.

Nothing but nothing

   is wasted in God's Kingdom.)

O LORD,

Please remind us that

     You multiply,

     You magnify,

     You enlarge

            far beyond our vision

            or understanding.

Guide us into what we can do

    and how to do it in Your name.

Empower us to worship You

          in all that we do today

   and not classify what is

     significant and what is not.

Help us to be faithful

   with what You have given.

You have provided

      opportunities all around us.

Through Your mighty power,

   faithfulness bears fruit

   for generations hence,

those yet unborn

  that they would know You.

Camping Instructions

 

At the command of the LORD

the people of Israel set out,

and at the command of the LORD,

           they camped.

                      Numbers 9. 18, 23

(To go or to stay

   are both sides of faithfulness.

Sometimes it is time to move on,

  and sometimes to dig gardens.

Both are states of

      perpetual readiness,

shoes tied on,

      walking with Him,

alert to His leading,

aware of His Presence,

watchful, listening

            and responding.

God fulfills His purposes for us,

even far beyond

   what we can ever imagine.

Even here in this campsite.

Even on a trail with potholes.

That which may appear insignificant

      becomes the most profound.

And it is never all about us.

What resounds in all eternity

           is our coming before Him,

willing to set down stakes,

            willing to follow.)

O LORD,

May we come before you

           every morning,

not to receive marching orders,

but to spend the day

         walking with You.

We are so hard of hearing.

      Help us to listen.

We are so slow to act.

      Help us to respond.

And through it all,

     to be faithful to You

in what You have

   strategically placed before us

               on this day.

Grant to us Your courage

    to follow You

    into Your wonders,

even in what we

         don't yet understand.

Even in what is faithful.

Radiant Shield

 

The LORD bless you

           and keep you.

The LORD make His face

    to shine upon you

    and be gracious to you.

The LORD lift up

    His countenance upon you

and give you peace.

               Numbers 6. 24-26

(This passage is often used

    as a benediction.

But what if we repeated it

as we walk into a situation,

as we approach difficulty,

      or as a prayer over

those around us,

       those we love

and those we have

          a hard time loving.

God changes our hearts

    when we pray .

May we dwell in His Presence.

May we cover others

          with His grace.

God brings His blessing.

He sings over all of us

             His strength.)

O LORD,

These are words from Your Word

that touch the very core

                 of our being.

We seek Your blessing,

         Your peace and strength.

We seek to bless Your holy name.

Please help us to

bring Your name and grace

        wherever we go,

        into whatever we do,

and among whomever we are.

Even now.

Even in the messy stuff.

Shine over us, we pray.

What is the One Thing

 

...asked Him,

"Which commandment

     is the most important of all?"

Jesus answered,

"The most important is,

"Hear, O Israel:

     The Lord our God,

      the Lord is one.

And you shall love

           the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

   You shall love your neighbor

                 as yourself.

There is no other commandment

        greater than these."

                     Mark 12. 28-31

(What is the one thing

           I need to do today?

What is the one thing

       in this situation, difficulty,

       or relationship?

Love God every which way we can.

And love others

  because we are loved by Him.

That infiltrates all we do, say,

    and how we respond today.

Our world would be

    so radically different.)

O LORD,

What is the one thing today?

That we love You, honor You,

    serve You,

    respond with a new heart.

Reveal to us how we can

     love others in Your name,

to take the high road,

to serve others

   as if we are serving You.

            Because we are.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Guide our thoughts.

Empower us

   to practice grace in this.

We love You even more.

May we be known as Yours.

Occasional Thunder Storms

 

When the tempest passes,

the wicked is no more,

but the righteous is

           established forever.

            Proverbs 10. 25

(Live in such a way,

not by ignoring impending storms,

   but preparing for them.

Our practices and patterns

              and habits

  --prayer, scripture,

    witness and with-ness--

    strengthen us for today

    and equip us

               for the unexpected.

You didn't promise

              blue sky weather,

   but that You are with us.

Hope allows us to look forward

   to when the tempest passes,

    because this hardship and difficulty

               will not last forever.

And while we walk with Him through this,

God reveals yet another dimension

                 to our relationship,

    built with solid blocks of trust.

And we will know the steadfast love 

     of the Almighty

                          even more.

Even in the rain.)

O LORD,

The forecast may look bleak,

but we know that You are with us.

Help us to see our way

    through a dismal forecast.

Empower us to speak Your words

     right into the wind, rain,

                   and despair,

       "Peace, be still."

You are still in control.

Reveal Your steps through

       the rough weather of life

  in a way that binds us to You

 

     

Even in Earthquakes and Tsunamis

 

God is our refuge and strength,

   a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear

though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved 

            into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble

           at its swelling.

                     Psalm 46. 1-3

(Some things never change:

   realization that

   life is often overwhelming

           but God is our only hope.

It is not in the absence of trouble

    that we know His Presence,

but right in the midst

    of despair and devastation.

It is in situations we can't handle

   that we call out to Him.

And He does not just show up.

God is already right here with us.

He alone is our refuge and strength.

We need not even attempt

           to do life alone.

He is our security,

    not favorable circumstances.

In Him,

         we can be still

   and know that He is God (46.10).

Fear only tries to distract us

       from that grand reality.)

O LORD,

Even when our lives shake,

 and the ground beneath our feet

                     gives out,

    we are secure in You.

Help us to learn to trust You

        in the ordinary days

        and familiar ways

  that we would know

     how to respond in the crisis.

You do not just beef up our courage,

  but You strengthen us 

                 with Your strength.

Empower us to know

   You have a strong hold on us.

Even now, even in this,

   we witness Your Presence,

not as a feeling,

    but an assurance

             beyond all odds.

Because odds

    have no power over You.

Help us

       to walk with You today.

The Way Life was Meant to be

 

If you walk in My statutes

and observe My commandments

and do them,

                     then.......

             Leviticus 26. 3

(Because these are not

     arbitrary guidelines,

but how we know God,

live abundantly,

     and love beyond ourselves.

In doing them, in walking with Him,

    life will be very different,

    despite the circumstances.

God fills us with His strength,

    hope, peace and grace.

It is not that life will be easy,

       but we do not walk alone.

We make different choices.

We treat others

            with a fresh heart.

We think about

        more than ourselves.

We are aware of God's Presence

       all around us.

We walk with Him,

    even in the hard stuff.)

O LORD,

Please help us not just to

    know Your ways and Your Word,

but to respond to You

       by putting them into action.

Grant us the wisdom to know

   that life with You

   is so very different.

Help us to not be distracted

   by the empty promises

   the world cannot fulfill.

But may we be witnesses

   of Your love and grace

that a hurting and broken world

  would know

  we need not live alone.

You are with us.

You are God Almighty.

We All Need Someone to Lean On

 

...for not by their own sword

     did they win the land,

nor did their own arm

                    save them,

but Your right hand

            and Your arm,

and the light of Your face,

for You delighted in them.

                Psalm 44. 3

(No, we do not face

         this scary day alone.

Not by our own might

   or power or ingenuity

do we make it through

   this hard thing,

   ongoing impossible situation,

       or really dark valley.

But with His Presence.

     Don't leave home without it.

In this broken world,

   there will always be trouble,

but there is always God

    with us when we come to Him.

We can always run to Jesus.

We can always run with Jesus.

On what do we trust?

       If we are waiting for

       circumstances to change,

       we will never be secure.

But God saves us

      from all that we fear.

We see differently.

We walk through it differently.

         We are not alone.

"Right here with you,"

          says the Almighty.

    "Lean on Me.")

O LORD,

We may think that

    we can carry on our own,

but we all need

        Someone to lean on.

Knowing Your Presence

   makes all the difference

in how we approach trouble,

how we navigate the storms,

how we endure

   and come through this.

Thank You

     not for just being here,

but promising Your strength

and wisdom

       and steadfast love.

Please guide our eyes

      and hearts

  to Your path through 

      the brambles or the bog.

Help us to not miss

   Your magnificence

              along the way.

Your trails are never only

     about the outcome,

but knowing You more

     as we walk with You.

 

 

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Near and Far

When you come into

the land that I give you...

            Leviticus 25. 2

(God strategically appoints us

to serve Him

in the familiar and unchartered,

   the ordinary and extraordinary,

   what seems to matter

       and what appears to not,

to bring His peace, grace

          and His name here.

We are witnesses of Him

  and conduits of His goodness,

even in unexpected places

    and among unlikely people.

When I was a little girl,

  words over the exit sign read,

"You are now entering

               your mission field."

Nothing random in His guidance,

   but being aware of His presence

            and sacred encounters,

wherever we find ourselves today.)

O LORD,

Guide our thoughts, our hearts

        and our feet

that we may willingly go

             or willingly stay,

    in the center of Your will.

Help us not just to remember

    to ask for Your leading,

 but ask for Your courage

    in actually following You

into what we see

    and what we don't yet

                  comprehend.

We bind ourselves to You

   in whatever You unfold

as we walk with You.

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