O Good and Gracious God,
this is the beginning of a new week,
and the whole world is before us this day.
As we gaze into the days ahead,
we see You going in front of us to pave the way,
going behind us to guard our backs,
and right beside us, bringing fellowship to the journey.
Though we may be fearful
and ill-equipped to handle all that we will face
– You are the Good Shepherd giving us guidance and strength.
Looking back, there have been some
uncomfortable times this past week,
some tough things that have reminded us
how small and frail and broken we are.
There have been times when we have ventured forth alone,
when we have stumbled and fallen,
disobeying You and sinning against You.
But when we lean on the everlasting arms
of the One who loves us so much,
we stand firm.
This week as I read through Your Word,
I was convicted and encouraged by the faith of Your disciples -
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
These three friends did not worship You because of the gifts You gave them,
but because of the God You were to them.
They were convinced that You could rescue them from the fiery furnace,
but even if You didn’t, it would not impact their love for You one bit.
They’d rather be delivered into Your presence through the fire,
than worship some other false god just to escape the fire.
Father, forgive us when our worship of You
vacillates based on our circumstances.
We so easily become cynical and hopeless,
quite capable of doubting Your love
when life gets complicated and painful.
We yearn to worship You before there’s a fire,
when we’re in the fire,
if we’re delivered from the fire,
or if You should choose to take us home through the fire.
Such a longing isn’t wishful thinking,
but a promised reality, because of Jesus -
Jesus, our faithful Savior, who endured the fiery trial of the cross for us.
No matter the temptation, trial, or trauma —
Jesus is with us and for us.
Life may not be pain free for us,
but it will never be Christ absent.
Lord, You have given us
His worthiness for our unworthiness,
His sinlessness for our transgressions,
His purity for our uncleanliness.
We ask You to exchange the duplicity of our hearts for His sincerity,
exchange our deception for His truth,
exchange our pride for His meekness,
our backsliding for His consistency,
our disinterest for His love,
our emptiness for His fullness,
our treachery for His faithfulness,
exchange our lawlessness for His obedience,
exchange our shame for His glory,
our waywardness for His devotion,
our impurity for His holiness,
our dead works for His righteousness,
our death for His life.
We look to You as the one who is all sufficient:
You are the strength by which we stand,
the rock upon which we stand firm,
the light by which we see.
May Your beauty, grace, and peace keep us centered,
And standing firm in every season of life.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, the solid rock upon which we stand, who taught us to pray by saying these words:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
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