Whole

Colossians 2:9-10 — For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

Love

given

sacrifice

chosen

grace

unleashed

suffering

endured -

- hope

renewed

eternity

reconciled

intimacy

restored

goodness

reignited

I am

whole

because of the cross.

Amen.

Lovely

Job 33:4 — The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Your mercy

is my

breath

Your grace

is my

bread

I can do

nothing

apart from

You -

how lovely.

Amen.

Correction

Jeremiah 30:11, 17 — “I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished… But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord.

O Lord,

how I cherish Your grace,

how I adore Your justice.

Is Your correction

not more beautiful than silver?

Is Your instruction

not more valuable than gold?

I have seen the blessing

of Your stern discipline;

I know the joy that comes

through Your firm judgment.

Though I adore Your tenderness

it is Your correction that spares me.

Though I rejoice in Your compassion

it is Your justice that guards my course.

The path of righteousness is narrow

because I have a habit to wander.

Teach me, Father,

to love Your justice

like I rely on Your grace.

Teach me, Lord,

to delightfully follow Your commands

like I delightfully accept Your mercy.

Amen.

To

Matthew 11:25 — At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”

To the

faithful

You prove yourself

faithful.

To the

righteous

You give

all things.

To the

loved

You provide

deep rest.

To the

pure

You show yourself

clearly.

To the

hopeful

You anoint

with total confidence.

Amen.

Faith

Hebrews 13:15 — Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

How often

is my

worship

contingent on my

control?

How often

is my

joy

dependent on my

circumstance?

How often

is my

hope

reliant on my

self-sufficiency?

I cannot

have faith

worth anything

until

I have completely

given up

the illusion

that my life

is my own.

Amen.

Nothing Wasted

Philippians 1:6 — …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

O Lord,

open my eyes

to what is real —

the heavenly realms

and opposing forces,

the eternal story

and present purpose,

the undeserved grace

and ensuing ministry,

the past tribulations

and future glories,

the sovereign power

and human authority,

the loving order

and humble response,

the fleeting distractions

and permanent pleasures,

the unshakeable hopes

and decaying self-centeredness —

and I

will be

set free.

Amen.

Enmeshed

Psalm 16:11 — In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The greatest pleasure

I will

ever know

is when

the flesh in me

unites with

the divine in You

and the two

become enmeshed

to the point

of indistinction.

Amen.

Very Bottom

2 Corinthians 3:16-17 — But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

If there

at the very bottom -

a heap of bones,

abandoned and accused,

crushed and neglected -

You drew near,

You surrounded,

You rescued me

what fear

what unknown

what threat

should prevent me

from walking in

freedom?

Amen.

All Things New

Revelation 21:5 — And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Death

de-

fanged,

Life

re-

newed,

Earth

re-

stored,

Heaven

re-

opened,

Body

re-

awakened,

Soul

re-

united —

all things

will soon be

made new.

Amen.

No More

John 15:18-19 — “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

I want my world

to shrink,

I want to know

less.

I want my peace

to expand,

I want to rest

more.

I want my consumption

to decrease,

I want to envy

no more.

I want my generosity

to increase,

I want to give

always.

Though the world

wants my conformity,

I want to be

of the world

no more.

Amen.

Still Free

Romans 5:3-5 — Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Burdens weigh

hurts cut

wounds reopen

thorns pierce

chains hold

darkness blinds -

but still

I am free.

I may grieve

for a night,

I may weep

for a moment,

I may suffer

for a lifetime -

but still

I am free.

The blood prevails,

the grave is empty -

forever

I am free.

Amen.

Fear | Worship

Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 — … I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

In sunshine

and storms,

in wide

and narrow,

in joy

and sorrow,

in freedom

and bondage,

in plenty

and drought,

in health

and sickness,

in peace

and turmoil,

in wonder

and confusion,

in fullness

and emptiness,

in life

and death

I will fear

the Lord

and worship Him

no matter.

Amen.

Like God

Ecclesiastes 1:18 — For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

What will I

accomplish

in my attempts

to know what You know?

What do I think

is waiting for me

if I became like You, Lord?

How could I ever

hold the weight

of the world?

Yet

I live

and question You

as if my only way

to peace

is if I did.

Amen.

Done

Isaiah 55:11 — So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

What You

have spoken

is as good

as done —

— I will walk

in faith

and see it

accomplished.

Amen.

Resurrect

Ezekiel 37:3 — “Can these bones live?”

Resurrect

the dead things

in me,

the broken parts

of me,

the buried hopes

within me,

the burning desires

given me

by You

for You

to be made known

through me.

Amen.

Help and Heal

Isaiah 48:10 — See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

What is bounty

if it cannot be cherished?

What is freedom

if it cannot be lived?

What is wisdom

if it is never shared?

What is love

if it is never given?

What is life

without difficulty?

What is purpose

without suffering?

Meaningless —

it is all meaningless.

O Lord,

help me and heal me,

test me and hold me.

Exhausted but

refined;

desperate but

faithful,

let my darkest moments

glorify Your name.

Amen.

Pleasure

Psalm 147:11 — The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

I was created

for Your pleasure —

meaning pleasure

only exists

in Your presence —

meaning pleasure

is accessible

throughout this life —

meaning pleasure

does not equal

sinful self-indulgence —

meaning pleasure

is a meaningful part

of a godly life —

meaning You, Lord,

are pleased by me

when I am pleased

by and with

You.

Amen.

Foolish

Colossians 3:12-14 — Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Keep me

from carrying on

with envy

and jealousy,

with fear

and the illusion -

so foolish -

of control.

They are

poison

to the mind

and rot

within my bones -

there is no good

in any of its offerings.

Instead

help me put on love

and grace,

wisdom

and mercy -

above all

love,

time

and time

again.

Amen.

Already

Colossians 2:13-15 — When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Is the sick body

already healed?

Is the corrupt soul

already saved?

Is the lost sheep

already redeemed?

Is the shameful mind

already renewed?

Is the blind eye

already opened?

Is the old self

already reborn?

Has the Messiah

already come

born my verdict

and ascended to the

right hand of the Father?

Amen.

Darkness | Light

Romans 1:25 — They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.

This world is

angry

corrupt

self-indulgent

prideful

and ever unyielding

in its appetite

for turning light

into darkness.

Yet

when I take my eyes

off the Lord -

just for a moment -

it appears

normal

reasonable

natural

comfortable

and ever enticing

in its allure

for turning evil

into every day.

Amen.