Filled

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, NIV)

I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in Him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, ERV)

I pray that God, the Source of all hope, will infuse your lives with an abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit. – (Romans 15:13, VOICE)

Hope, joy and peace through Christ are the very things that strengthen us to persevere when things are difficult. Joy is deep-rooted within us and is not dependent on our circumstances. The joy is found in knowing God and trusting that His plans are good. His peace, true peace, is an anchor through our storms and a green pasture to lie in beside still waters when we need rest. All around us are reminders of God’s goodness and grace. This morning, despite being woken up twice in the night by a restless dog, I am surrounded and snuggled by him and his sister, as I am enjoying the sweet silence of the morning and watching the morning sky change colors as I sip on hot coffee. God knows all of the little things that bless our hearts and reminds us of His love and tender mercy anew every morning, if only we look around as we seek Him. May we ever seek the Lord to open our eyes to His goodness all around us and recognize the hope we have in Him that infuses our lives with joy and peace.

Each day as we rise,

May we find anew;

The joy that we have,

In knowing the truth.

Hope overflowing,

For all that’s ahead;

Joy in the journey,

Peace as we are led.

His goodness abounds,

In all things, always;

No matter the road,

Beside us He stays.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our hope, joy, and peace in all things, always. Thank You that Your nearness is not dependent on our circumstances. Forgive us for our lack of faith when the road before us is rough. Teach us to trust You to lead us every step of our journey. Show us how to love those around us in ways that share the hope, joy, and peace found in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for who You are and how You love us all. Amen.

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

The whole earth is filled with awe at Your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, You call forth songs of joy. – Psalm 65:8

May We Recognize His Goodness

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. – (Psalm 34:8, NIV) 

Give the Lord a chance to show you how good He is. Great blessings belong to the Lord. – (Psalm 34:8, ERV) 

Taste of His goodness; see how wonderful the Eternal truly is. Anyone who puts trust in Him will be blessed and comforted. – (Psalm 34:8, VOICE) 

The Lord is faithful to meet us as we seek Him. His goodness does not always manifest in the way we expect, but always, He is good. The more we trust, the more we find His comfort and presence that bless our hearts. This weekend is a strange one, as it has traditionally been a time to gather with family and enjoy time together. Today, we will share a meal and some of our favorite games with our dearest friends, while remaining very close to home. I will miss time with my mom, sister and extended family, but I know that there will still be blessings in the goodness of His presence as we trust in Him. May we all taste and see how good God is, for He is our space of comfort and safety in every season. 

The Lord, He is good, 

May all taste and see; 

Blessing and comfort, 

For you and for me. 

As we choose to trust, 

He makes His love clear; 

His goodness made plain, 

As we seek draw near. 

Let love lead the way, 

In all that we do; 

Give glory to God, 

As He makes things new. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we need only pause to recognize how very good You are. No matter our situation or circumstances, thank You that You are present to help, protect and comfort. Forgive us for getting caught up in our own circumstances rather than trusting You. Teach us to rely on You, for You are our comfort and safety in every season. Show us how to love those around us well, so that all may taste and see how very good You are. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we make time to recognize how very good You are. Amen. 

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

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23:6

Blessings and Strength to the Seeking

Great blessings belong to those who depend on You for strength! Their heart’s desire is to make the trip to Your Temple. – (Psalm 84:5, ERV)

Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. – (Psalm 84:5, TLB)

Blessed are those who make You their strength, for they treasure every step of the journey. – (Psalm 84:5, VOICE)

 

This is a great reminder that our blessings of peace, joy and contentment come when we seek the Lord for strength. When the desire of our heart is to spend time in His presence, we begin to treasure each day and find joy in the journey. That does not mean that each day is easy, or that we somehow suddenly skate through life; but it does determine our true Source of strength and hope and joy, which makes all of the difference as we navigate each new day. May we depend on the Lord for strength each day, and treasure the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father as He blesses us with His presence and His peace as we persevere through all things.

 

May we ever learn,

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Of blessings we’ll find;

As we seek Your strength,

With soul, heart and mind.

Your great faithfulness,

Will always be found;

By those who choose seek,

Your grace is profound.

All that we shall need,

To keep keeping on;

Your blessings and strength,

Our hope and our song.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our strength as we seek You. Thank You that You bless our hearts and lives with Your presence and Your peace as we pursue time with You. Thank You that we no longer have to make a pilgrimage to a holy place to find You, for You are wherever we are when we call on Your Name. Forgive us for not seeking Your strength in our struggles. Teach us to trust You to provide all that we need to navigate each new day. Show us how to love those around us well, so that we may be Your hands, heart and voice to those in need of strength and encouragement. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to be our strength and praise You for Your faithfulness forever. Amen.

 

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

 

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. – 1 Chronicles 16:11