Not Have To, But I Get To

 

Its thickness

   was a handbreadth,

and its brim was made

like the brim of a cup,

like the flower of a lily.

          1 Kings 7. 26

(Not just doing the work

         before us,

but going that extra mile,

adding something more to it

-- the "I didn't have to,"

    but "I get to" details.

Pursuing that little bit more

   to bring order out of chaos,

   and beauty to the practical.

Not just doing a job,

     but bringing glory to God,

   in which there is

                no ordinary work.

Not just getting it done,

  but putting our heart in it.

Not just filling a crack,

  but transforming the broken.)

O LORD,

You place opportunities before us

       every day to bring You glory.

Help us to see

        not just tasks to complete,

    but as a way to worship You.

Empower us to bring beauty

          and Your strength to it

   to encourage others

   and point them to You.

Even if no one seems to notice

    our extra efforts,

You redeem in some way

        or a million.

Oh, The Places We'll Go

 

And the patriarchs,

     jealous of Joseph,

sold him into Egypt,

but God was with him

and rescued him out of

        all his afflictions

and gave him favor

and wisdom before Pharoah...

              Acts 7. 9-10

(Oh, the places we'll go,

so far beyond our understanding,

   but so deep in God's designs.

We are continually in training

   for ministry and for God's glory.

God redeems,

   even what we think is

                  irredeemable.

We can trust Him

    forward and backward.

God is bringing about

  something not just new

              but eternal.

He is with us, even in this.)

O LORD,

We trust You in the present tense,

    past tense and future.

That You are with us

  is not just our hope,

         but our strength.

Nothing random in this,

    but only eternal.

Please help us to be faithful

  even when we cannot

                   yet see

how You are using this

                for Your glory.

No Matter the Task

 

Therefore, brothers,

pick out from among you

seven men of good repute,

full of the Spirit and wisdom,

whom we will appoint

                to this duty.

               Acts 6. 3

(Anointed and appointed

      to serve tables,

because all acts of ministry

  are not divided between

           great and small.

Qualified not by skill,

    but by our hearts.

When we are serving others

    --no matter the dimension--

    we are not just serving God,

    but we are worshiping Him.

It is not for us to designate

  what is significant or not.

We should not recognize

         any difference at all.

What has God placed before us

to be faithful and worship Him

   in what we do today

      and how we do it?)

O LORD,

We pray that You will reveal

  not just what to do today,

but that You reveal Yourself

     in how we serve You.

Please bless, multiply, enlarge,

   our work and worship.

Bear fruit through

    our faithfulness to You.

Even in this task today,

    Your glory upon it.

See Something, Say Something

 

...for we cannot but speak

of what we have seen and heard.

                 Acts 4. 20

(God has not just given us

   stories of His faithfulness,

but has anointed and appointed

   us to speak and share,

not just what happened,

but what has happened in us.

We talk about so many things,

   "I can't wait to tell you about..."

but do we speak of Him

          as freely?

We are appointed

             for this very moment

   to be a witness

with those who know Him

    and those who don't yet.

When we see something,

   we need to say something,

and that would be about Him.)

O LORD,

May our relationship with You

be so evident

    in what we do and say.

May we share our faith

   naturally in every opportunity,

 even when we don't realize it,

 even when we do.

Enlarge our vision,

       our vocabulary,

    and our hearts

that we may point others to You.

Help us this day

  to seize every moment

to tell the chronicle

   of Your great faithfulness,

Your Presence,

Your love and grace.

Someone, maybe very unlikely,

    can't wait to hear.

The Stickiness of Words

 

Gracious words are

        like honeycomb,

sweetness to the soul

and health to the body.

           Proverbs 16. 24

(Gracious words do not just

   suddenly appear

   in our vocabulary,

but thrive in the work of our hearts.

Like a honeycomb,

  nectar is gathered and prepared,

intentional in producing

   what is sweet and healing.

Gracious words

  are not a pretense to "be nice,"

  but intentional in well-being.

Even one gracious word

        in unlikely circumstances,

   surprises everyone

   with an unexpected gift.

And prepares our hearts

    to be ready for the next hard situation.

Gracious words are

        appropriate for all occasions,

  neither earned or deserved,

but always what heals and strengthens.

Practice grace in this.

A friend told a story about a young man

   who had really messed up.

He dreaded his mom's wrath.

And when she responded unexpectedly

           with gracious words,

   it changed not just his behavior,

                  but his heart.

Gracious words are in it

          for the long game.)

O LORD,

As You have extended 

      so much grace to us,

empower us with the words

  to cover this situation with 

               Your grace.

Help us to be sensitive

and aware of opportunities

to practice grace in this.

Change our hearts

   and our intentions

to bring Your sweetness

  with buckets full of gracious words.

For This Appointed Moment

And when Peter saw it

he addressed the people...

              Acts 3. 12

(May we be aware and

       seize every opportunity

to share our faith,

speak of the gospel,

   and point others to Jesus.

We can never know

          who is listening.

We can never realize

          who will respond.

When we are faithful in sharing,

    God is fruitful

    in the lives of those around us.

We have been strategically

    appointed in time and place

to bring the name of Jesus

       right here in this moment.

God brings His glory

    even in unlikely situations.)

O LORD,

We pray not just for the words

       or for the courage to speak,

but for awareness

             of the opportunity

 to love other people

       right to You.

May Your presence and grace

     fill our hearts

that we may be faithful

  in all we do and say today

in loving others right to You.

 

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

 

And the LORD brought about

a great victory that day......

                 2 Samuel 23. 10

(God does not just show up

            in our hard places,

     impossible situations, and

     overwhelming circumstances.

He is already here,

              ready and waiting,

   for us to trust Him,

   turn to Him, pray with Him,

   serve, follow Him,

and worship Him even in this.

We have just to be faithful,

           listen and respond.

His victories are more powerful

             than we are aware.

And in what appears as defeat,

            even in that God redeems.

Whether the thrill of victory,

              or the agony of defeat,

    God enlarges His reach,

    and God multiplies His glory.)

O LORD,

Help us to realize that

   You don't need our successes

    for You to be glorified.

We can trust that You

        are already bringing

        Your victory to this

   in ways we cannot yet see.

Help us to be faithful

    in following You.

And to know that

   Your outcomes are never singular.