Nothing Too Little, Never Too Big

 

They called to the LORD,

and He answered them.

             Psalm 99.6

(Did it even occur to me

to ask the LORD

       about this dilemma,

decision, distress, direction,

harrowing situation,  

     or opportunity?

Nothing too little,

        never too big.

To listen to

           what He says?

Or respond to

     how He directs?

Is praying our first response

     or last resort?

God never intended

   for us to go it alone.

Walk with Me through this.)

O LORD,

Remind us of Your Presence,

that You are already here.

It is not that we are

          waiting on You,

but You are

      waiting on us,

even to ask You about this.

You do not just lift our burdens

      or help us carry them,

but You empower us

    to see them differently.

What we encounter

  is not always as it appears.

Grant us Your vision to approach,

   Your grace to navigate,

Your strength to fulfill,

even what we don't understand.

Soften our hearts

      and change our minds.

Be glorified in this.

Morning, Evening, and Every Moment Inbetween

 

The heavens proclaim

       His righteousness,

and all the peoples see

       His glory.

            Psalm 97. 6

(Every sunrise

     and every sunset,

whether we see them or not,

the blueness of the skies

   that does not have a word

   deep enough to describe,

even in the clouds swirling,

the beauty does not just reveal

       His existence,

but a witness of His Presence.

We are left speechless.

Beauty beholds the Creator

      and cannot be hidden,

    ignored or denied.

The awe we feel

       is a call to worship.)

O LORD,

We are so moved by the beauty

  You seamlessly weave

   into this world.

You give us a sunrise and

      sunset every day,

Your artwork radiating

        across the heavens.

You are mindful of us.

May we, O LORD,

     be mindful of You.

Victory With Empty Jars

 

And Gideon divided the 300 men

into three companies

and put trumpets

into the hands of all of them

and empty jars

with torches inside the jars.

             Judges 7. 16

(God arms us with the improbable

           to take on the impossible.

In whatever situation we face,

God whispers,

     "Trust Me in this."

Following Him may not make sense

               at all to us,

but when we are faithful,

      God redeems

and brings about His glory,

sometimes in unexpected ways

            and with the unlikely.

Someday we will understand,

   "So that's why

           You did it that way........"

His victory is not just

            over our foes and fears,

but that we may know

         that He is the LORD.)

O LORD,

You narrowed down Gideon's army

until it was impossible for them

            to win,

so they would know Your glory

         cannot be denied.

Shine Your light over our

            circumstances.

We come before You

  with weak hands 

                and empty jars.

For we are powerless

against this great horde

that is coming against us.

We do not know what to do,

but our eyes are on You.

            2 Chronicles 20. 12

His Way in Impossible Places

And he said to Him,

"Please, Lord,

how can I save Israel?

Behold, my clan is

the weakest in Manasseh,

and I am the least

  in my father's house."

And the LORD said to him,

"But I will be with you."

        Judges 6. 15-16

(God provides a way

where there is no way.

Don't calculate without

the intervention

    and Presence of God.

Of course, we can't do it

      without Him.

That is why God chooses

  the unlikeliest ones

that His strength is revealed

   and His glory evident.

We have only to be faithful.

But I will be with you

       changes everything.)

O LORD,

Surround us by Your Presence.

Infiltrate Your Spirit

         within us.

Build Your courage in us.

Help us to believe You

      at Your Word,

trust You through

  to the other side of this,

and even beyond.

 

But Then.....

 

If the LORD

  had not been my help,

my soul would soon have

  lived in the land of silence.

When I thought,

         "My foot slips,"

Your steadfast love,

  O LORD, held me up.

When the cares

  of my heart are many,

Your consolations

            cheer my soul.

          Psalm 94. 17-19

(Anxiety is not a

     modern plague.

Anxiety through the ages

  is trying to do this life

          without God.

The cares of my heart

  are the Hebrew words for

"When my anxious thoughts

     multiply within me."

And invite in all their cousins

    --fear, stress and despair.

When implies

        a common occurrence.

 But then....

  Do we push back the darkness?

  On what do we choose

       to dwell?

When life shakes us

and makes us totter and fear,

God's lovingkindness

supports, sustains,

strengthens and holds us up

   in unexpected ways.

Because He is our help,

       we live differently.)

O LORD,

When anxiety comes

    knocking at our door,

when fear sneaks

    through the cracks,

grant us Your courage

to shout,

"you are not welcome here."

Almighty One,

   You are our help.

   We know that.

   We have seen that.

Now is no different.

You grasp our hands

   in slippery places.

Help us to walk with You

   and bind ourselves to You.

On whatever treacherous cliff,

   You already hold us tight.

No Degree of Separation

 

Do this

in remembrance of Me.

           Luke 22. 19

(How do we approach

   whatever selfless opportunity

God places before us today?

As hard as it may seem,

even in what joy

           it may bring,

"Would you do this for Me?"

No degree of separation.

     It's all worship.

Even in this.)

O LORD,

Help us to see the needs

      around us

as opportunities

     to serve You

and allow Your glory

to pour over it.

Empower us to worship You

    in whatever we do.

Not just serving others

    or serving You,

but worshiping You.

No exclusions.

Not just an attitude change,

    but awareness

    of Your Presence.

Ready for Anything

 

Let the favor of the LORD our God

          be upon us,

and establish the work

   of our hands upon us;

yes,

  establish the work of our hands.

                Psalm 90. 17

(In the Hebrew, establish means

to set up, confirm and maintain.

God completes our work

    and gives it meaning.

His goodness causes it

             to endure,

perhaps beyond our vision

         or our lifetimes.

Every good endeavor matters

   more than we can know,

appointed and anointed

        by the Almighty

        for His Kingdom.

God pours His favor

  over our divine appointments

          and sacred encounters,

even work not recognized

                 or affirmed,

but prepared and ready for anything,

     any way God uses it.)

O LORD,

We lay our work before You

  even as we are doing it,

that You would be glorified

        by what we do

        and what You do with it.

We have but to be faithful

              to You.

And to know the joy

     of serving You

                   in all things.