Can't Carry It Alone

 

Behold, God is my helper.

The LORD is the

        upholder of my life.

 

         Psalm 54 .4

(The cashier at the grocery

chuckled when he saw me

   overloaded with packages.

Next time, he reminded me,

        take a cart.

God tells us the same thing

      over and over again.

We need not try to carry it all,

navigate the confusion,

and walk this day alone.

Direct it to Me.

How differently we would approach

     what is before us

if we did not just recite,

but said out loud each morning:

                   God is my helper.

    The LORD is the upholder of my life.

              Even today.

              Even in this mess.

And engrave that truth

   on every part of our days.

He has a strong hold on us.

Don't leave home

              without Him.)

O LORD,

Our arms are overloaded with cares

    and heavy burdens

    and urgent stuff to do.

We are anxious,

because we insist on

          carrying it ourselves.

Help us to not just 

        direct these things to You,

but let You direct these things.

We are not alone in this.

             Ever.

Very Large Stones, Not A Problem

And looking up

they saw that the stone

    had been rolled back

---it was very large.

             Mark 16. 4

(Jesus did not need the stone

to be rolled back

               to get out.

The stone needed to be moved,

so that we would know

   that He was no longer there.

He is who He said He is.

What is the big rock

     impending our view?

The verse says,

           look up.

Define the problem.

Respond with the gospel.

God opens a pathway

    and open doors

in unexpected places

        and impossible ways.

Very large stones,

             not a problem.)

O LORD,

Thank You that the tomb was empty.

Thank You for what that cost You.

Thank You that nothing but nothing

       can keep us from You.

Help us to see every part of life

    through the lens of the gospel,

not that every part fits,

but every part was designed that way.

May we trust You

  even when rocks block our way.

 

Never Unnoticed

 

Joseph of Arimathea,

a respected member

          of the Council,

who was also himself looking

   for the kingdom of God,

took courage

and went to Pilate and asked

    for the body of Jesus.

               Mark 15. 43

(Take courage to be a witness

     with unexpected choices

                in unlikely places.

The opportunities surround us,

but do we seek to step into

  these divine appointments

in His strength,

with His courage,

        and in His name?

The world cannot help

      but be impacted.

No witness for Jesus

       goes unnoticed.

It always changes lives,

     even our own.)

O LORD,

We are Yours.

   You paid for us.

May we know You.

May we be known as Yours.

May we make You known.

Let Your unforgettable Presence

       guide us into this day.

You have given each of us

   a story of Your faithfulness.

May we not keep it to ourselves.

Grant to us the courage

    to speak up in Your name

    and live out our love for You,

even in the most unlikely

            circumstances.

May Your Spirit

   change our choices

and get all over everything.

Short Term Memory Loss

 

Would it not be better

for us to go back

          to Egypt?

        Numbers 14. 3

(Beware of 

    short term memory loss

and ignoring our own personal

  chronicle of God's faithfulness.

Lack of trusting God

  distorts what we remember,

what we are experiencing,

and how we face

            what is ahead.

God empowers us to see

    with a fresh heart,

to go forth into the day

  and even into the fray.

Not with an attitude of

  "doesn't make a difference"

but with a mindset of

         with a difference.

And that would be

   from God Himself.)

O LORD,

We all struggle with something.

We all face difficulties.

Please help us to be mindful

   of what you are forming

   in us on this hard road

and what You are

      making possible.

May we place before us

     Your unforgettable Presence.

 

No Tree Can Grow There

 

But I am like

    a green olive tree

in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love

                 of God

forever and ever.

 

          Psalm 52. 8

(No matter the barren landscape,

the ongoing drought,

the dismal forecast,

the rocky soil,

we always walk differently

  when we trust God in this.

Taking root downward

    and bearing fruit upward,

still standing tall,

even as

    the most unlikely tree.

God sings His steadfast love

          and goodness over us,

even in what

     we don't understand,

not just surviving

   but thriving

with His strength, hope,

and a witness to others.)

O LORD,

It is not in us,

           but You.

Please grant us

            the courage

not just to act differently,

but respond to You

  in impossible situations.

May Your abiding in us

   be evident,

 life-giving

and beautiful as a shade tree

  in a barren place.

Help us to

     trust You so much,

it shows like that.

The Power of the Seen And Overheard

 

But be on your guard.

For they will deliver you   

    over to councils,

and you will be

   beaten in synagogues,

and you will stand

before governors and kings

         for My sake,

to bear witness before them.

 

           Mark 13. 9

(Jesus spoke these words

   not to make us afraid,

but to make us aware,

to pay attention

      to every opportunity

      to bear witness.

Witness comes in

    unlikely packages,

  casual conversations,

and unexpected moments.

We may not realize

  that others are watching,

   listening, or overhearing,

whether we react or respond,

how we treat difficult people

    or unfavorable outcomes,

    even displayed in our attitudes.

Our testimony is not

     a scripted answer,

but tangible evidence

      of a changed heart.)

O LORD,

Help us to be bold

       with the gospel

in our ordinary places

       and scary spaces,

among the familiar and strange,

even with those

     who stand against us.

May others who watch us

  see not just a difference in us,

        but that You are real.

Create in them

   a homesickness for You.

More Than "Have A Nice Day"

 

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

(Not just a casual greeting

    "Have a nice day,"

but a lot deeper blessing

           than that.

It is writing the LORD's name

over circumstances,

yet unforeseen moments,

His Presence over the delights

   and even the hard stuff.

Unlike a generic smiley face,

this blessing acknowledges

     His Presence with us,

and expresses to others,

you are loved,

you are seen,

   and God is very real.)

O LORD,

Enlarge our vocabulary

    and our hearts

to cover others

   with blessings.

May we not just fill 

    the space with words,

but fulfill this holy moment

      with blessing,

  no matter the situation,

among those we know

and those we don't know yet,

   to see the best in

and desire God's best for.