Approaching the Day

Humble yourselves

         before the Lord,

and He will exalt you.

             James 4. 10

(Are we willing to follow God

   into this impossible situation,

   this difficulty,

     this day that He has made?

To seek Him

   and not a particular answer?

Perhaps "an answer"

   is not the point at all

   in what is before us,

but just walking with God

   through this,

   with Him,

         and on His path

  for His glory.)

O LORD,

We come before You

    with open hands

   and a humble heart.

Please help us to see

    our day differently,

    those around us

            with a new heart

    and a new attitude,

and to see You

       differently,

even in the unexpected,

even in difficulty,

even in what we cannot comprehend,

       You are here with us.

Be exalted, O God.

  

 

His Glory in Impossible Places

 

...look with your eyes,

and hear with your ears,

and set your heart upon all

   that I shall show you,

for you were brought here

   in order that I may

   show it to you.

             Ezekiel 40. 4

(There is nothing random

in God's timing

          or strategic positioning

   for His divine purposes,

   sacred encounters,

        and His glory.

May we not just be aware

            or observant,

   but responsive to Him.)

O LORD,

How much we miss out

     on Your magnificence

  because we are distracted,

             or not even looking.

Please help us to realize

   that You have placed

   each one of us

                 right here,

                 at this very moment,

                 and in this space

not just for a reason

       but Your eternal designs.

Give us the courage

    to follow You 

    and walk with You into it.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

What am I bringing to the table

 

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

                 James 2. 13

(No matter the situation

    or complicated relationship,

when tempted to criticize,

    judge someone,

           or tear them down,

be prepared and intentional

  to show love, mercy and

                   forgiveness.

And let God change us.

Not proving "I am right,"

     or "I am better than that,"

but "I am forgiven,

   and I need to live that way

              and love that way."

Not looking down on others

    but lifting them up instead.

What are we

      bringing to the table?)

O LORD,

Please fill our hearts

       with Your love

that we may live differently

    in this broken world

and bring You glory

          even in this.

Help us to see others

        with a new heart.

Please empower

      and equip us

   to respond with grace

in the familiar

       and the unexpected,

family, friends,

    and even strangers.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

Same Situation. Different Journey.

 

And I will give you a new heart,

and a new spirit

    I will put within you.

               Ezekiel 36. 26

(What if we went into this day,

     this difficult experience,

     this impossible task,

     with a new heart and His Spirit?

God is not just doing

   something new around us,

                         but within us.

Same situation,

maybe even the same visible outcome,

   but a new way of responding,

and a new strength

      by walking with Him through it.)

O LORD,

Thank You not just for

    bringing us through the tough stuff,  

    but for how You are

    drawing us closer to You.

Abide in us, O LORD,

not just altering our attitudes

                 and actions,

but granting to us 

              the gift of a new heart

              and Your Holy Spirit.

Walk with us through difficulty,

    helping us to not just see the other side,

but to realize Your Presence

                       right here,

                       right now.

You make all things new.

       Even our hearts.

www.nightlytea.blogspot.com

How To Entertain Unexpected Guests

 

Do not neglect

to show hospitality to strangers,

for thereby

some have entertained angels

                  unawares.

                    Hebrews 13. 2

(In the Greek, the word hospitality

      means to show love

     to those we don't even know

And entertaining means

  to receive and welcome a guest.

We invite others

           to the Father

    by how we love them.

It goes beyond being nice,

not even being mindful of others,

      but having the mind of Christ

in words, response, actions,

       and even in our attitudes.

Do we seek God's blessing,

     or how to bless Him today

     by blessing others?)

O LORD,

You have strategically placed us

     on this familiar path

     or undefined strange trail

to bring Your holy name,

      Your grace and love

to whomever we encounter today.

Help us to live differently

         and love differently

  in unlikely places

and among impossible people.

As we go into this day,

please help us to be watchful,

aware

        and responsive

to the visible and invisible needs

        all around us

   and how to love others to You.

Who is That in the Mirror?

 

As in water

      face reflects face,

so the heart of man

      reflects the man.

              Proverbs 27. 19

(I can always tell when

the grandchildren have been here,

little evidences revealed all over,

   books, toys 

         and laughter in the halls.

So can others see

        when Jesus is here.

What is showing,

  and what is revealed

        by how we live?

What are the evidences

   that Jesus abides in my heart?

Jesus gets all over.

Others can see

   not just that He has been here,

but that He lives here

    by the reflections He brings.)

O LORD,

May we reflect You, dear Jesus,

in all that we do and say,

how we respond to others,

    and how we respond to You.

No matter what

           impossible situation

           You have placed us today,

                please reveal Yourself,

not just that we would know

     and trust You more,

but You would reflect

      Your light and grace

      to those all around us.

Long Distance Running

 

Therefore since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside

    every weight and sin

    which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance

    the race that is set before us,

                  looking to Jesus....

                Hebrews 12. 1-2

(We are each surrounded by others,

   both believers and those not yet,

who are desperately watching us

   to see if this God of ours is real

   and how we live is transformed by Him.

Run with endurance

       on His strength,

knowing that He has unfolded

  this course before us

       for His deeper purposes

       and for His glory.

Are we looking for outcomes

             or to Jesus?)

He is running with us

             all the way,

             every step,

      every bend in the road.)

O LORD,

Please help us to realize

that this difficulty

    is not some random exercise,

    but strength training.

In You, with You, through You,

   there is always something deeper

   going on here.

As we run with You,

     please empower us

     by trusting You all the more,

not for the accolades of performance,

not for others to see us

           but to see You,

   as we live impossible lives

strengthened by Your strength in us.