You Have My Word On That

 

But He said,

"Blessed rather are those

who hear the Word of God

     and keep it."

            Luke 11. 28

If we listen to the Scriptures,

respond to them, pursue God's Word, 

marinate in it, and engage with it,

    our lives cannot help but be

    changed.

What we do and what we say,

   how we love, and how we pray,

          are transformed..

And the world is renewed

      God's Word living in us.

These are not just words

   printed on a page

   or appearing on a screen,

but the very words of God.

Do we listen, read,

  and acknowledge them as that?

O LORD,

You have given us Your Word

   to show us Who You are,

how to live,

and how we are so loved.

Thank You for the scriptures

   that we can know You more,

day by day,

word by word.

Awaken us,

transform us even today,

   as we are embraced

   by Your living Word.

  

Why Many People Deny The Resurrection

 

He is not here,

   but has risen.

Remember how He told you,

while He was still in Galilee.

            Luke 24. 6

Jesus did not just live

and sacrificed His life for us,

   but He rose from the dead.

Jesus proved not just 

    who He said He was,

        but who He is.

And that is why so many people

    deny the Resurrection.

"If Jesus rose from the dead,

then you have to accept

         all He said."

             (Tim Keller)

Because the Gospel

         changes everything,

     even us.

Easter is not just a holiday, 

  but God's life-altering provision.

O LORD,

Thank You for Your sacrifice.

Thank You that because You came,

        died, and rose again,

    we can live forever with You.

May we live out Your truth

  the other 364 days of the year.

Even today,

   reveal Your love and joy through us.

The Allness of It

 

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.

And these words

   that I command you today

shall be on your heart.

          Deuteronomy 6. 4-6

Loving God, not in part,

  but with our all-ness.

That love is the focus,

the centerpiece,

and guiding force

      in our days.

This passage in Hebrew

  is called the Shema,

which means "Hear."

Pay attention to God

and affirm the LORD

in all we do, say and pray.

It is how we direct our lives

   by following and trusting Him

even in what we

             don't understand,

even in what is so hard.

And putting our heart,

  soul and might into it.

How does this affirmation

  change what I do

  with this situation

      and at this moment?

In how I do it,

and how I approach

  God's appointments

  and sacred encounters today,

even the really difficult ones.

How? We decide beforehand

    to love Him fully.

The more we engage

with our heart, soul and might,

the more we realize

  He is God. There is no other.

O LORD,

As we go forth into this day,

no matter what is ahead

   or we encounter,

may we love You

  every which way we can.

Strengthen our souls,

align our hearts with Yours,

and be mighty through us.

We fall more in love with You

   every passing day.

 

Every Square Inch

 

...and you shall bless

the LORD your God

for the good land

    He has given you.

        Deuteronomy 8. 10

May we cultivate and nurture,

sow and reap,

nourish and flourish

every square inch

   of this patch of ground

God has granted

and commissioned to us.

Over hill and dale,

rocky soil or deep rich dirt,

we are called to be faithful

even where it appears barren,

     or in the midst of drought,

to serve the LORD

in our work, our relationships,

      and our attitudes,

to cultivate beauty

   in unlikely places

and bring the name of Jesus

     wherever we are.

What does that look like today?

O LORD,

Whether we sow,

   or pull the weeds,

or harvest a bounty,

may we bless 

     Your holy name

in all that we encounter

and where You have

       placed us today.

Help us to reflect Your love

  to the hardest hearts,

reaching out to those

   who may not even like us

                 for Your glory.

And to stand

     as a witness

to what only You can do.

You bring the growth

    and the fruit

even in the 

   most unexpected soil.

You have given us

     this good land

and these people to serve.

Find us faithful, O LORD.

Are You Anxious Or Just Hungry?

 

...that He might make you know

that man does not live

               by bread alone,

but lives by every word 

that comes from 

    the mouth of the LORD.

          Deuteronomy 8. 3

When her children are

rummaging through the pantry

or standing in front of

  the open door of the fridge,

our daughter who is their mom

        often asks them,

"Are you hungry,

       or are you just bored?"

In this passage,

God points out our need

for the daily sustenance

         of Scripture.

"Are you anxious,

       or defeated,

or just hungry for God's Word?"

The Bible is not just

    words printed on a page,

but the very words of God,

     engraved on our hearts.

God does something in us

  when we meditate on His Word.

Are we overwhelmed

   because we are starving

   for His Word?

O LORD,

Help us to know,

to see,

to realize that we need You,

and we need Your Word.

Energize us through it.

Build Your strength in us

    layer upon layer,

    verse upon verse.

Empower us to go 

   into this day differently

because we had

     breakfast with You.

And may the Word we read

  rise up out of the ground

to change everything

                 about us today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Our Great Wilderness Adventure

 

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

It's been such a hard path,

  but the LORD is with us.

God works His blessing

  even through 

the difficult and arduous

to strengthen us

         and use us,

  past, present, future tense.

God's blessing is not limited

to what we see as success,

  but what is faithfully done.

God knows our great

    and many wildernesses,

because He is

guiding us through and

leaving a witness in our wake.

O LORD,

Sometimes we can see

      Your goodness,

sometimes not yet,

but it underlies everything.

Speak through 

  the hard things in our lives

for Your glory

and to bring us

  and others closer to You.

Your wilderness

     is full of wonders,

     just now blossoming.

We need You.

Be glorified in this place

  in all we do today.

              

Door Number One or Door Number Two

 

Judge not,

and you will not be judged.

Condemn not,

and you will not be condemned.

Forgive,

and you will be forgiven.

Give,

and it will be given to you.

Good measure, pressed down,

shaken together,

running over,

and will be put into your lap.

For with the measure you use,

it will be 

     measured back to you.

              Luke 6. 37-38

When I was young,

there was a game show

where the contestant 

  had to choose a door,

behind which was consequence

        or blessing.

Here, Jesus does not just ask,

   "Which door do you choose?"

  but He shows us the prize

      or the penalty behind them.

Are we choosing not to judge,

to bless instead of criticize,

to forgive without contingencies

       and to give generously?

It boils down to

  what kind of person do we

                         want to be.

Always evident in how we love 

      and respond to others.

Which door do we choose

 in this situation or relationship?

O LORD,

We are faced with choices

all day long

to honor You,

to bless You,

to make Yourself known,

to love others

and to leave a witness

  of Your loving-kindness.

Help us to be mindful of You

  and have the mind of Christ.

How we respond in everyday stuff

equips us for the extraordinary.

Thank You that Your mercy

     covers us all and changes us.

Guide our hearts today

    to choose You.

The Wilderness Between Point A and Point B

 

...and in the wilderness,

where you have seen

how the LORD your God

       carried you,

as a man carries his son,

all the way that you went

until you came

               to this place.

           Deuteronomy 1. 31

How quickly we forget

how God carried us through

   the rough places before.

May we remember, mark,

      underline the chronicle

  of God's faithfulness to us,

through those wilderness places

  we would never have chosen,

but full of His wonders.

God has not just brought us through,

but He has carried us

         with His steadfast love

         that never lets go,

as scripture says here,

          all the way

until we came 

      to this appointed place.

Sometimes the wilderness

   is between point A and point B.

We can approach and navigate

  the difficult and unknown

because He is still with us.

He is not about to 

          abandon us now.

Wilderness or not,

   You are doing a mighty work here.

 

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed 

  by the wilderness

          all around us.

Help us to know

that You never intended

       for us to go it alone.

Show us the wonders here.

Provide for us Your strength.

Reveal Yourself to us.

Carry us through

    not just to the other side,

but all along the journey,

      Your Presence prevails.

What Grows Here

 

...but one who sows righteousness

        gets a sure reward.

                   Proverbs 11. 18

Sowing is an intentional action, 

          a choice, a determined effort,

scattering seed upon the ground,

      not randomly but for growth,

to set something good in motion,

and to spread blessing

           in unexpected places.

Doing what is good and right

      and faithful

is what multiplies God's glory

even in ways 

  we may never see,

even in places

   beyond the horizon.

We can't define what will grow

   and take root

   and bear fruit,

but we can be faithful to God

      in every holy moment.

O LORD,

May we not place limits

on what we think You can do,

or take credit

  in the ways --and lives--

              that You bear fruit.

Your righteousness,

  always changes the landscape

     and the course of our lives.

And when we generously sow,

   no matter the place or space

                     or pace,

You make a thousand galaxies 

     explode into view

by the touch of Your hand.

It is our utter joy

     to bring Your goodness here.

Something Remarkable Coming Into View

 

And when He had finished speaking,

Jesus 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

We often question,

  "But God, there's nothing here.

                I already tried that."

But Simon took it to the next step,

   "But at Your Word...."

He trusted that Jesus knew

    what was deeper at stake.

Even now, something remarkable

   is about to emerge

of which we are largely unaware,

that which is just waiting

       below the surface.

When we respond to His voice,

we have no idea 

    what is in store

to both amaze and sustain us.

God brings His glory

   in all sizes of nets.

O LORD,

Help us to take the next step

     in trusting You

     in this impossible situation.

Nudge us to let down

and put out into the deep,

even when it doesn't 

      make sense to us.

We don't want to miss

  Your purposes in it

nor Your revealing the supernatural.

May our nets break

    honoring You today.

Even In The Middle Of Nowhere

 

And they set out from Marah

    and came to Elim;

at Elim there were 

twelve springs of water

  and seventy palm trees,

and they camped there.

           Numbers 33. 9

And all along 

   our hard journeys,

God provides

     in the middle of nowhere,

a rest area on the highway,

a moment of refreshment,

a word of encouragement,

a kindness, a bit of shade,

    or a sip of cold water.

God gives us a glimpse

    of His Presence

when we feel totally alone

        on this long road trip.

He does not show up.

      He is right here with us.

We are not wandering after all.

He is drawing us

         closer to Him.

O LORD,

Thank You 

   for keeping us going,

strengthening us

when we need it most,

when we need You most.

Open our eyes

      to Your wonders

      all around us.

Encourage us

  in knowing You are here,

You are there ahead,

You have been with us

          all along.

Even in this,

even in the shadowlands,

Your steadfast love

   and purposes prevail.

Help us to know it doesn't require

           a palm tree

   to know that.

Take The High Road

 

Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer.

From the end of the earth

  I call to You

  when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock

     that is higher than I,

for You have been my refuge,

a strong tower against 

                       the enemy.

                Psalm 61. 1-3

From the ends of the earth

        and the end of our rope,

   God listens

   when we call out to Him.

When we are desperate

and walking in the

    valley of deep darkness,

               God responds.

He guides us

  to take the high road

              in this situation.

Follow Me,

take refuge in Me,

   and go forth strengthened.

We see differently

               from the high road,

not just the circumstances,

nor a new view,

                 but Him.

O LORD,

May we not wait

    until the slippery slope,

    imminent defeat,

end of our rope,

    or helicopter airlift rescue,

before we call out to You.

Walk with us on this mountain.

Help us to choose

   the high road

     and perhaps more difficult path,

not just to bring honor to You,

  but to be with You 

in the journey and the outcome.

Lift our eyes from the gravel

   to the amazing views.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Stuck In Our Heads

 

But I will sing of Your strength.

I will sing aloud

of Your steadfast love

       in the morning.

For You have been to me

a fortress and a refuge

  in the day of my distress.

            Psalm 59. 16

Have you ever passed 

a moving car and the driver

is singing out loud

         with all his heart?

Be that driver.

Because when we sing aloud

   about God's strength

  and verbalize His Presence

       at the beginning of the day,

it is a song that never ends

    throughout the hours.

The tunes stick in our heads

      and permeate our day.

We are changed by it,

because we are aware

      of His abiding with us.

We go forth strengthened.

Healing has been triggered

  by music engraved in our souls.

God hums the melodies with us

    as we navigate our day.

And pushes back the darkness.

O LORD,

Whether facing triumph or sorrow,

journeying through pain or joy,

may we still be singing with You

           when the evening comes.

Something is different

      among Your people, O Lord,

a strength that is not our own

and Your Presence abides

      in so many dimensions.

You have a strong hold on us.

You give us the songs

   to sing out loud

in all that we do and say and pray.

How can we sing of You

       in these circumstances?

Every which way we can.

Others are listening

not to our voices,

            but to Your glory.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Between A Rock and A Hard Place

 

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

Sometimes God

stops us dead in our tracks,

right between 

    a rock and a hard place.

Turn neither to the right

  nor to the left.

            Turn to Me.

God shows us His way.

And sometimes 

        --rather many times--

we will not understand.

But we don't have to.

   We have only to be faithful --

to walk, to turn, 

    to stay right where we are--

for His protection,

     provision and Presence.

Limitation is neither a stop sign

   nor a U-turn,

but a form of guidance.

Don't go there.

  Go this other way through.

O LORD,

Help us to know that

there are no small obediences.

Every action and response

  layers upon the next.

Make us so aware 

    of Your guidance today

in Your divine appointments

      and sacred encounters,

nothing random at all,

            only eternal.

And whether we feel

  confident on our journey,

or feel like we have

         nowhere to turn,

may we turn to You.

No place better

  than to be with You.

Campsites, Rest Areas, and of course, the Snacks

 

And the people of Israel

set out and camped

in Oboth.

And they set out from Oboth

and camped at Lye-abarim...

From there they set out

             and camped...

From there they set out

            and camped....

          Numbers 21. 10-13

And so on,

                and so on.

Aren't we there yet, O LORD?

It may feel like we are wandering

      in the wilderness,

but every step, every turn,

   every place we set up camp,

        God's purposes prevail.

God whispers,

There's something I want you

           to see here,

    something to know,

    someone to love for Me.

Where in the world 

             is God taking us?

It doesn't matter as long as

  we are traveling with Him

  into His purposes.

God provides the campsites,

the rest areas,

   and the snacks along the way.

Trusting God brings 

    His strength to us

and opens our eyes

    to His wonders.

O LORD,

We ask You to guide us.

You say, 

           Follow Me.

And don't miss the views.

You have brought us 

            to this place,

   familiar or strange,

that we may trust You more.

Walk with us

           all the way through.

Patience For What We Do Not Yet See

 

And the people became impatient

              on the way.

             Numbers 21. 4

In the Hebrew, impatient

literally means 

      "reap too early."

When we do not trust God

  for His goodness

                  and timing,

we are digging up

  what God has planted

       before it bears fruit.

And then we wonder why

  there is no life there.

We are the ones who miss out,

not just in the outcome,

  but the growing season.

With impatience comes

taking things into

             our own hands

as if we know better than God.

And what we reap is

weariness, anxiety, fear, stress,

a bounty crop of 

    what we don't want,

and missing out

          on His goodness.

O LORD,

Help us to trust You

  not just for Your goodness,

but Your wonders

  growing beneath the surface,

deep roots and abundant fruit,

     that we don't yet see.

Not only holding out for it,

  but cultivating the very ground

  You have entrusted us.

In the ordinary and extraordinary,

  You are creating

         the great and holy.

Help us to trust You in this day 

  when we don't yet see

what You are nurturing

       in us

       and through us.

Both Sides Of The Coin

 

When I am afraid,

I put my trust in You.

In God,

   whose word I praise,

            in God I trust.

I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

...This I know that

            God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise.

In the LORD,

    whose word I praise.

In God I trust. 

         I shall not be afraid.

          Psalm 56. 3-4, 9-10

God hears us.

     And God is acting.

We can go forth

bold, confident and secure,

  not in our own abilities,

but trusting God

        to bring us through.

Fear calls out, "Over here, this way!"

   and then turns off the flashlight.

But with God, we can walk

  with Him through the brokenness

          and every such difficulty,

in what we cannot do on our own

      or even think we can.

Hope is not wishing for,

but knowing that God is with us.

We can trust in Him.

He does not just show up.

          He shows us

   both sides of the coin:

In God I trust.

   I shall not be afraid.

O LORD,

Help us to realize the connection

between trusting You

  and not having to be paralyzed by fear.

We don't have to live that way.

You are not just a 911 emergency call.

Empower us to know

  we can trust You,

  even when we are not afraid.

So we already know to trust You

    when fear stares us in the face.

Help us to live differently

  in this fearful broken world.

Even in every moment today,

          for Your glory here.

But We Do

 

Then Moses and Aaron went

from the presence of the assembly

to the entrance 

of the tent of meeting

       and fell on their faces.

And the glory of the LORD

  appeared to them.

               Numbers 20. 6

It is on our knees before the LORD

in prayer, submission and worship

  that we see God differently

and another way through

            the difficulty.

God's glory covers the situation

   and changes our hearts.

Seek His Presence.

         He is already here.

O LORD,

No matter where we are

or where You have placed us,

amidst blue skies or storms,

when we worship You,

   something always happens.

Circumstances may

               or may not change,

     but we do.

You bring Your glory here

in the most unlikely ways

   and unexpected situations.

Find us faithful, O LORD.

Find us on our knees.

Your glory reverberates

  even when we are not aware.

Holds Us Up And Holds Us Together

 

Behold, 

      God is my helper.

The LORD is the

        upholder of my life.

         Psalm 54. 4

Nowhere does God say

we must pull ourselves up

     by our bootstraps.

That is a prescription for despair,

  desperation, and gloom.

Instead we can abide

       in the promises of God.

God does not just give us hope.

He does not just send help.

    God gives us Himself.

He is my helper

   and the upholder of my life.

Recite. Repeat. Remember.

    And live that way.

God holds us up.

God holds us together.

He helps us, aids, girds,

surrounds, defends,

and gives us the victory.

He gives a story

             for His glory.

God is right here with us.

Lean on Me.

I've got you.

Stay with Me.

O LORD,

Do not just remind us

   of Your Presence.

But grant to us the courage

   to live differently,

even in the really hard stuff.

Help us to turn to You

  and walk with You

             all the way through.

You help.

You uphold.

     Even in what we face today.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

What Does That Look Like

 

...from each its best part

is to be dedicated.

...When you have offered

from the best of it,

           then the rest...

           Numbers 18. 29-30

When we dedicate to the LORD

  our best work and efforts,

   God multiplies the rest.

Are we worshiping Him

     with our leftovers?

When we reorder our loves,

    God reorders our lives.

God is not just in first place,

      but infiltrating all,

not even prominent,

         but preeminent.

What does that look like?

Whatever is offered to God

   and done for His glory,

even the leftovers

         bless the world,

twelve baskets overflowing.

O LORD,

Help us to live in such a way

   that You are honored

         by our every effort,

glorified in every choice,

selfless and loving

  and faithful in whatever

  You have given us to do.

You gifted us with this day.

We offer You our best

     and all the rest.

Guide us through, Almighty One.

 

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com