And their reply to us:

We are the servants

of the God of heaven and earth...

           Ezra 5. 11

(Not as much by what we do

       as Whose we are.

We serve God

     every which way we can.

And God brings

              His glory through us,

    not accomplishment or success,

           but our relationship with Him.

Our faithfulness to God

           is our little part.

God's fruitfulness is beyond measure

     and way past our comprehension.)

O LORD,

We are Yours.

Help us to not just act that way,

but serve You

     because we love You so much

     and You love us even more.

May we be a strong witness today

       in how we work,

       how we worship You,

       and how we respond

            with unexpected grace.

May we be known as Yours.

 

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

        Isaiah 64. 4

(Now watch what God

        does with this.

Sometimes it takes hardship

for us to realize His strength,

in whom we trust,

      and who He is.

We cannot grasp the

      depths of His love,

            even in difficulty.

He holds us fast.)

O LORD,

We cry to You in our hardships.

We sing to You our praise

               and thankfulness.

You sing over us

    Your love and strength.

You are guiding us.

We have only to trust You

  and follow You into Your glory,

even in that we can't see

                or hear

                or even imagine.

But we can know You

    and trust You more.

Even in this,

    You sing Your triumph.

 

I believe that I shall look upon

        the goodness of the LORD

    in the land of the living!

Wait for the LORD;

be strong,

and let your heart take courage;

            wait for the LORD.

               Psalm 27. 13-14

(Trusting God totally changes

how we see God

and how we approach circumstances.

Waiting on Him

     is never a Laz-E-Boy recliner,

but a place of equipping, seeking,

            and following Him,

   taking one step and then another.

God's way of provision

                and deliverance

always requires some measure

          of trusting Him

              and a willing heart.)

O LORD,

You are good.

And we can trust You,

even when the way is hard,

even when we cannot see

                  the outcome

      of what we are doing.

Your goodness still

          surrounds us,

Your strength and wisdom

     embrace us.

Help us to take up Your courage.

 

The LORD is my light

          and my salvation;

   whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the

          stronghold of my life;

   of whom shall I be afraid?

                Psalm 27. 1

(Years ago, one of our young daughters

woke up in the night.  I was at her side.

She said to me, "If I knew you were here,

         I would not have been afraid."

How differently would we

       navigate these waters,

       hike through the wilderness,

       face what is difficult

                 or unknown to us?

What if there was nothing

         to be afraid of?

What if I took God at His word,

         "Trust Me in this?"

in the crises

and even on the most common of days,

   which are never really ordinary.

God grants us His strength.

Fear just deflates all our tires.)

O LORD,

You are with us.

Help us to know that

    and trust You

in the details of our days,

even in the hard stuff

   when we have no idea

   what to do.

You have a stronghold

               on our lives.

May we never forget that.

 

...all who did work

   in every kind of service...

            2 Chronicles 34. 13

(In all we do,

how we work,

what we pursue,

there is no secular/sacred divide.

In Hebrew, the word avodah

      means simultaneously

      work, worship and service.

All we do is sacred to God.

We are all appointed to serve God

    in whatever He places before us.

There is no act of work or service

         where His glory does not dwell.

Nothing below our dignity,

      nothing above our pay grade.

How can we approach our work

                     differently

    as a means of worship

             and service to the King?)

O LORD,

Help us to see our work

    with different eyes

    and a willing heart

that You would bring

       Your glory to it,

even in what we do not see

               or ever realize.

May we follow You

        in faithfulness,

knowing You do not add,

    but multiply

    Your fruitfulness in it

and through it

in the lives of all those around us.

 

...and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,

"Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or dismayed

before the king of Assyria

and all the horde that is with him.

With him is an arm of flesh,

but with us is

      the LORD our God,

to help us

         and to fight our battles."

              2 Chronicles 32. 6-8

(We can approach this situation,

       this overwhelming difficulty,

       this horde,

                 differently

because we are not alone.

When we seek Him,

    not just an answer

             or solution

             or exit door,

He strengthens us

    to see Him

    and see circumstances

            with a new heart.

When we walk with Him,

   an expected battle

   may not become a confrontation

              but a conversation.

God provides unexpected paths,

   extraordinary courage,

and grace to cover it all.

O LORD,

We are overwhelmed by

   what we see

   and experience.

Help us to walk with You

     right through it,

our hearts filled

with Your grace and love

        and encouragement.

We cannot yet see

        the full path

  nor the outcome,

but we can trust You in this.

Even in this.

      

 

O my God,

in You I trust.

            Psalm 25. 2

(My grandmother,

who lived through many harrowing times,

used to tell me as a little girl,

"Sometimes you just have to

             trust God about it."

Our understanding can only

              go so far.

But His faithfulness

          carries it all.

"Do not be afraid.

          I am with you.

          Trust Me in this.")

O LORD,

You are the God of endurance

           and encouragement,

    of strength and steadfast love.

Guide us into this week

     that we would know You more

     and trust You in

     whatever You place on our path.

Walking with You

          is always a different journey,

   even in the familiar,

   even in the crisis.