Inscribed on Human Hearts

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. – (2 Corinthians 3:3, NIV)

You show that you are a letter from Christ that He sent through us. This letter is not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. It is not written on stone tablets but on human hearts. – (2 Corinthians 3:3, ERV)

You are the living letter of the Anointed One, the Liberating King, nurtured by us and inscribed, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God – a letter too passionate to be chiseled on stone tablets, but emblazoned upon the human heart. – (2 Corinthians 3:3, VOICE)

 

Though this verse is but a portion of Paul’s second letter to the church of Corinth, it applies to all who faithfully pursue the Lord and seek to do His will. Those who invest in the spiritual growth of others, help nurture the truth that Christ engraves upon the hearts of all who follow Him. It is by God’s Spirit that our hearts become more like His. I love the imagery that this presents. We, as followers of Christ, carry the Spirit of God in our heart, and help others discover the same. Our hearts emblazoned with the love, light and truth of the living God… May we ever passionately pursue Christ, as He is the way, the truth and the light, who deposits His heart in ours, so that we may love as He loves.

 

A letter of love,

Inscribed not with ink;

But by God’s Spirit,

Most holy love link.

His Spirit within,

Makes the truth be known;

So as we love well,

His heart shall be shown.

In all that we do,

And all that we say;

May our hearts make known,

God’s goodness and grace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we pursue You, You inscribe truth, love and light within us, so that we may point others to all that You are. Thank You for the people whom You have placed in our lives to show us what it is to have a heart that has been inscribed by You. Forgive us for the times that we have not pursued Your heart or have failed to represent all that You have deposited within us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would further seek Your inscription upon our lives, and go forth investing in others around us, so that they too, may know Your nearness. Show us how to love like You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we allow You to write upon the tablet of our heart. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3

 

In Him, We’re Free

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – (2 Corinthians 3:17)

 

We are no more bound to the Old Testament law, that required sacrifices and ceremonies to be considered worthy to approach the throne of God. Rather, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have been set free, and by His Spirit dwelling in us, may now boldly approach His throne of grace without fear. The very same freedom that we have in Christ for worship, communication and fellowship with our Heavenly Father, is ours to operate in throughout every area of our lives. God does not intend for us to be bound, caught in the pain or panic of perpetually needing to perform. Instead, He is calling us to walk confidently in who He has created us to be, operating in the gifts that He has placed within us. When we walk in His freedom, there is joy in the journey and hope for what lies ahead. May we each embrace the glorious gift of grace that He has given, and walk forward in the freedom provided through Christ’s perfect sacrifice.

 

The Spirit of Christ,

given unto us;

our dear Savior’s gift,

set free through Jesus.

Freedom from the law,

and our bond to sin;

deemed righteous, set free,

in the end, we win.

Now gone are the chains,

of “you’re not enough”;

we’re covered and called,

the Lord’s righteousness.

Go forth and be bold,

in Christ we are free;

to walk in His light,

and help blind eyes see.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are Spirit and You are freedom. Thank You that Your Spirit dwells in us, granting us freedom in You. Thank You that You set us free from the burden of our sin and failure, and set our feet on Your path of righteousness; not because of anything that we are able to do in our own strength, but because You dwell within us. Forgive us for not embracing the freedom that You have already granted us in You, and help us to trust You more so that we may embrace You grace and walk boldly into the freedom that You supply. Lead us to love others unhindered, just as You love us without limits as well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we walk in freedom by Your Spirit within us. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19

There is Freedom

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – (2 Corinthians 3:17) God, in His unfailing love for us, provides freedom from sin and condemnation. As we choose to trust Christ for our salvation, He takes away the burden of needing to try to please Him, and removes our guilt and shame for our failure to do just that. To trust in Christ, is to know His love, acceptance, forgiveness, and the freedom to live for Him. His Spirit in us, shows us how to live in the fullness of our freedom in Christ.

 

This can be a challenging concept to grasp, especially when the world around us has a certain set of performance expectations. The charge to perform and be “enough” seems to surround us from every angle. When all of the externals are screaming “do more” and “be more“, we have to listen to the still small voice, as He whispers, “You are enough.” He has created each one of us with the capacity to do what He is asking in His strength, and the ability to hear His voice of truth. We must slow down and truly listen, or the freedom we have in Christ, becomes a facade.

 

The Lord is Spirit,

the Spirit of truth;

our place of freedom,

He shows what to do.

He frees us from sin,

condemnation’s shame;

He forgives failure,

wipes away all blame.

To trust in the Lord,

is to know His love;

acceptance always,

from our God above.

His Spirit in us,

grants us strength enough;

His capacity,

to endure the tough.

When the world wants more,

Christ is satisfied;

in Him, we’re enough,

that is why He died.

It did not end there,

for He rose again;

so we too, might rise,

find freedom in Him.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are Spirit and You are truth. Thank You that Your Spirit is present in all who believe, and grants freedom from all that would attempt to keep our heart away from You. Thank You that You paid the price, once and for all, for our guilt and failures, and made the way for us to have life and freedom forever in You. Forgive us for allowing the demands of the world to overwhelm us, or for becoming so busy that we do not slow down in stillness to truly listen to You. Teach us how to manage our moments and make our moments count. May we love You and love others as You love us, and may many come to know the freedom found through a lasting relationship with You. Let our lives lived in Your freedom, be an ongoing act of worship unto You. Be glorified in all that we say and do, Lord. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. – 2 Corinthians 1:3

 

 

Reflecting God’s Glory

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 – NIV)

“We’re free of it!  All of us!  Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face.  And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become more like Him.” – (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 – The Message)

Where the Spirit rests,

image by Bronlynn

true freedom is found;

no longer a veil,

the wall’s been torn down.

The more that we seek,

the more we shall find.

True transformation –

of heart, soul, and mind.

Reflecting glory,

grows brighter each day,

give Him our whole heart,

as we live, love and pray.

Let our lives burn bright,

showing God’s glory.

May His heart be heard,

as we share our story.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that true freedom is found in You.  Thank You that as we walk with You and our relationship deepens, we more clearly reflect who You are to those around us.  Forgive us for discounting Your ability to use us as You see fit, even when we cannot see ourselves from Your perspective.  Help us to remember that You are the author of our story, so we are indeed meant to use it for Your glory.  Lead us to live and love as bright beams of light for You.  May many come to find true freedom through the forgiveness You freely offer to all who ask.  All honor and glory to You.  Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present