“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s Photo-A-Day word is dazzling. According to the dictionary, this means extremely bright, especially so as to blind the eyes temporarily. Similar words are extremely impressive, beautiful, or skillful. Have you ever looked into the sun a little too long and then tried to come inside? You start to see spots and are almost blinded for a few minutes. Notice this picture from Ray White. There is a surfer who appears to be staring into the sunrise. If you ask me that is a pretty dazzling place to watch the sunrise.

Over Jesus’ journey on earth, the Disciples had a dazzling view of His life. From His teachings, healings, transfiguration, last supper, death on the cross, and when the Son would rise from His grave. Can you envision the Disciple’s view of Jesus’s transfiguration? This took place just six days after Peter’s declaration of faith in Matthew 16:16 NIV: “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” How close is your view of Jesus? Are you on the mountain watching His transfiguration with the Disciples? Are you declaring your faith like Peter? Make today transfiguration Tuesday and be dazzled by Jesus’ light. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Thank You for desiring to have a close relationship with me. Forgive me for the times I have missed seeing and shining your glory. I declare my faith in You. I desire to be so close in relationship with you that I am dazzled by your light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭22‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s Photo-A-Day word is shone. This is past tense for shine. Notice the photo by Ray White. A view of the sun rising from a rearview mirror. Rearview mirrors are a great tool for safe driving. However there still can be a blind spot. We might have to turn our heads to the right or left to change lanes. We also have blind spots in our lives where we are trying to connect the dots in the past to understand or figure out what’s next. Good news, we can look to our right and our left with God in Isaiah 30:21 NIV: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

Looking back at our key verse, we are the Israelites. God has already shone His light on us. He has also given us a new identity in Christ Jesus by putting His name on us. In this season of lent, we are looking back on Jesus’ journey. We are also looking back on our journey. Yes, our past shapes our tomorrow but it doesn’t have to define it. Are you looking to the right and to the left? Are you receiving the grace and peace that only God can give? God has shone His light on our faces. Let’s walk in it and receive it. Let’s go to God in prayer.

Dear God, Thank you for Your light that has shone and continues to shine. Forgive me when I have not looked to You for Your perfect will. I receive Your grace and peace. I make the choice today to walk in it. I will go forward confidently in Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Water Walkers has accepted the Rethink Photo-a-Day challenge for Lent. Join Deborah and I in this short video “Let’s Talk Lent” to learn more.

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭34‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Join me for 👉 See You Saturday as we talk about how God inhabits our praises.

“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm‬ ‭22‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I encourage you to worship with “The Battle is Yours” by Red Rocks Worship.

I encourage you to pray through the Bible.

Dear God, I give thanks to you Lord, for your love endures forever (2 Chr 20:21). I sing to you Lord, I make a joyful noise to you, the rock of my salvation (Psalm 95:1). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

All this week I have encouraged you to use your senses for worship. Today as we talk about sight, I am actually going to ask the opposite of you. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV, we read: “For we live by faith, not by SIGHT.” So now as you sit with God, take a moment to close your eyes and take a trip down memory lane. Can you see how God has been right beside you? Can you see His faithfulness in your life? Our faith is to be lived out, not by what we see looking ahead but rather what we see through God’s past and current faithfulness.

Once you recall God’s faithfulness, you can have confidence that He is always before you. Always making a way for you. We read in Isaiah 43:19 NIV: “SEE, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

What is your favorite promise? Do you have a life verse? Do you need to be reminded to pray big? Use your time of worship today to meditate on God’s faithful promises. I will leave you with a few of my favorites.

My favorite promise comes from Philippians 4:13 NIV: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

What I consider my life verse comes from Philippians 1:6 NIV: “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.”

When I need to be reminded to pray big I read Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Now let’s pray using scripture!

Dear God, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your SIGHT Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬) In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” Luke 8‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There are several instances where Jesus’ touch is recorded in the Bible. One example is Jesus healing the blind man in Matthew 9:29 NIV: “Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you.’” Another example is Jesus healing the man with Leprosy in Mark 1:41 NIV: “Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’”

In our key verse, a woman courageously touched just the edge of Jesus’ cloak. This touch must have taken so much faith and humility as she had been deemed unclean. Her faith in Jesus was recorded in His response in Luke 8:48: “Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” How can we worship God with our touch? We can worship with both courageous bold faith and a humble spirit.

As you sit and worship with God I want you to imagine you are sitting at Jesus’ feet. With His cloak within reach courageously lift your arms up to God. Use your sense of touch to worship Him. There doesn’t always need to be healing, we can simply lift our arms up in humble praise. Now let’s pray.

Dear God, Thank you for your healing touch. Thank you for the unnamed woman to teach me about bold faith. I humbly lift my arms to you in praise and seek to worship you in all I do and say. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.