Yes, Lord, You see everything. Nothing is hidden from You. You are more than a mere witness, You announce judgment, defend me against my enemies, and pay the price of my conviction. You are ever Watchful and Your eyes examine my heart. There are those who believe You don’t concern Yourself with our trivial matters, and there are those who see how You care for a bird. May Your watchful eyes rain down Your glorious favor on Your children. May Your loving tears nourish and grow more awareness of Your presence in our lives. May we see and be confident of Your ability to accomplish what You set out to do over, around and within us. Psalm 38:8
You are the Way in which I should go. Each day presents a path. When I come to a crossroads and it is decision time, I look to Your Holy Spirit to make clear which I should choose. I know my self determines much in its stubborn pride, in its sin, in the lessons I have learned from my past, and being able to sleep at night in peace. My wife helps me to understand with eyes not my own. I know her, she is Your daughter, a better woman for me I cannot find. I can trust what she sees, even though I know it is jaded, imperfect as my own. Friends and family take their part, though one I choose and the other was chosen for me. The years I’ve spent with them make clear their reasons. The community I’m in also aids in the choice. Like friends, if chosen wisely, the community looks to Your Word to guide. Though interpretation wades through mires of ignorance and corporate selfishness, greed, and pride, I can see the value they bring. My path may not be the straightest thing, John, but I know as we look for His footprints, the following makes us better. Isaiah 55:8-9
There are times when Your activity in my life has been playful and almost Whimsical. When my family went for a walk and we asked You to join us. You let it snow maybe an inch or so, so we threw it at each other and made small snowmen. Then by the time we made it back to the car the snow was gone. Or that time I was raking leaves and I asked You for help. You sent a mini-tornado across my yard. No, it didn’t really help, but it made me laugh big time. Or when I asked You to write ‘Love’ in the sky and You sent me the only heart-shaped cloud I’ve ever seen. When my daughter said she wanted to see a rainbow the next day, and though it was way out of season, the next day You gave her a double right over her school’s entrance. Repeatedly and over so many times, You’ve acted and answered in very odd and whimsical ways. Though it makes me cry, I can hear You laugh. My tears are of gratefulness. Romans 12:9-21
You are like the Wind to me, my Lord. You pass by me in breezes that comfort, and raging tempests that destroy. I endeavor to learn Your ways, both gentle and fierce. The gentle is a whisper that opens doors within that guide me to a deeper understanding of Your favor. The fierce is a gale that blows me away and lifts me from this place. I have built a tower, a place to dwell. From it, I can see the landscape, enough to know I am safe. If I were to remain, I would be satisfied. You remind me my safety is not in such things. Your wind would blow my tower down. How else do we learn our dwelling is not here? How else do we leave our place of comfort where slumber steals away what we’d receive from You in our wakefulness? “Blow Wind blow, come blow over me.” Isaiah 11:15
Your wonders none can fathom. Though by now I feel I may be repeating myself, it matters not. You are Wonderful. I could repeat that forever and it wouldn’t begin to tell of Your greatness. I am caught in awe of You, oh eternal One. We concern ourselves with the small things we can do. We see how our ‘little’ influences the environment around it. We want to matter, but how can we? We are talking dust. Do we grab at the flowing river of life to try to contain its motion keeping a moment for ourselves? Foolishness! Yet You intervene. You gave the river its speed, its direction. You ordered it to flow and it will continue until You say it should stop. Oh, wondrous One, I praise You and am grateful for Your attention. Romans 11:33-35
You are the only One who we worship. There are no other gods like You. Sure there are things that affect us and change our station. Money can make all the difference for a family, for a person. Worshiping money, striving for it, sacrificing for it, compromises a person’s character. Greed and jealousy are its offspring. Money doesn’t care if I am a good person, but You do. You love me. Worshiping You changes me. Worshiping You straightens my crooked ways. Worshiping money is like worshiping the sun and moon. They are all Yours. They belong to You and are tools to be used for Your purposes. All things here remain on this side of the grave. Their effect is for the living but Yours is beyond the grave. You are the Worshipful One who sought us out and sacrificed for us. Tools do not do that for anyone. Psalm 73:25-26