Fill Us Again

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. – (Psalm 63:1, HCSB)

God, You are my God. I am searching so hard to find You. Body and soul, I thirst for You in this dry and weary land without water. – (Psalm 63:1, ERV)

O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence. – (Psalm 63:1, VOICE)

I so appreciate David’s heart throughout the Psalms. He was by no means a perfect person, but His heart after God was true. Though my daily devotions take me throughout the entire Bible, I cannot help but be drawn back in by the Psalms. What I have learned over the last many years of beginning each day with time with God and in His word, is that it is as necessary as the air I breathe. In the same way that I wake and am ready for coffee and food, so too, my soul is needing nourishment from God. Each time I seek the Lord, He is faithful to show me more of Himself. This verse is my heart, as I am tired and weary, and it at times, feels as if there is no relief in sight, yet He provides me with reminders of His presence, and brings the weekends as a time to rest and recharge. May we ever seek the Lord, in whom we can trust, for He is our nourishment and refreshment, even in the dry and weary places.

O God, I seek You,

My hope and all grace;

The One who strengthens,

Throughout all my days.

My heart ever seeks,

For in You I find;

Strength for my body,

And peace for my mind.

Faithful to meet me,

Each time that I seek;

You love me to life,

Give strength when I’m weak.

Ever I’ll praise You,

For in You alone;

I find all goodness,

As Your heart’s made known.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our water in the desert and the presence our entire being longs for. Thank You that as we seek You, You meet us and fill us again. Forgive us for wandering in our weariness instead of seeking You. Teach us to trust You to be our strength and hope, even when it seems that there is no way to sustain in the environment we find ourselves in. Show us how to love those around us in ways that build up, encourage, and strengthen in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to meet us and fill us again, each time we come to You. Amen.

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

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. – Psalm 126:3

Quenched By Faithful Love

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. – (Psalm 63:1, NIV)

God, You are my God. I am searching so hard to find You. Body and soul, I thirst for You in this dry and weary land without water. – (Psalm 63:1, ERV)

O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence. – (Psalm 63:1, VOICE)

Thankfully, in the Pacific Northwest, the land is rarely dry and parched without water. However, all of us have seasons where we find ourselves thirsty for more. The only One who can truly satisfy is God. He brings strength and rest in our weariness, peace in our chaos, and love where it seems to be lacking. His timing is perfect, and He knows our needs best. Normally, today would be the beginning of the home stretch of a long week, yet tomorrow, just in time, is a day that will provide much needed rest. It is far easier to find the strength and resolve to rise and prepare for the day when it is the final work day of the week. I know that the feeling is similar among educators everywhere, as this has been a long and exhausting start to the school year. It is amazing to have kids back in classrooms, yet I am experiencing and can see it on the faces of my colleagues, weighty weariness. As I continue to seek the Lord to fill and renew me, it is my prayer that the extra day of rest will bring refreshment and new resolve for staff and students alike. May we choose to trust in the Lord, who is our strength and supply, even in the dry and weary spaces.

When weariness comes,

And reserves run dry;

The Lord is faithful,

In love, He’ll reply.

Each time we ask Him,

With grace, He comes near;

Grants strength in weakness,

And quiets our fear.

His strength is plenty,

His grace provides rest;

His love overwhelms,

And His care is best.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can come to You when we are weary and parched, and You are faithful to meet us where we are and provide what we need. Thank You that You love us best, and care for us through every trial and triumph. Forgive us for not seeking You in our lack. Teach us to trust You more, as You are our Provider. Show us how to love those around us in ways that bring strength in weariness and grace and goodness where it is lacking. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to satisfy our lack and bring peace in our weariness. Amen.

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

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 1:3

Seek to Find Rest in Him

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. – (Psalm 62:5)

Rest is a rare commodity during the school year. It seems as though each day is thoroughly scheduled, leaving little time for rest. I rise early, to be intentional to protect my precious time with God, and I attempt to go to bed at a reasonable time each night, so as to not push myself to the point of exhaustion too soon. Typically, there are wonderful windows of rest that appear, unannounced, and I try to enjoy each one as it comes. The only challenge with this constant motion, is that if I get sick, it becomes a bit of a push to keep pressing forward. Everything in me wants to stop and sleep, but life dictates that I continue to do that which I am called to do.

God is remarkable at providing the rest that we need, just when we need it the most. This past week, I have been fighting some sort of cold or sinus yuck. I have not given in to the temptation to simply stop everything and sleep, and here it is Friday and I have a scheduled in-service day with no workshop to attend, and a women’s retreat that begins this evening. My body and soul will both be refueled, as my hope is firmly held in Him. Though it is likely to be a busy weekend, there are long gaps between sessions, where I could actually nap if necessary. (Anyone who knows me well, is likely laughing out loud at that thought!) I know that the sort of rest that I will find in Him in a space of actively seeking, will be far greater and more beneficial, than anything that a mere nap could ever provide. May we place our hope in God alone, as He is where we find rest when we grow weary.

To enter His rest,

our souls need to seek;

our great God alone,

space of calm retreat.

For He is our hope,

what the weary need;

He comes where we are,

and in love, He’ll lead.

Lead us to stillness,

where we will find rest;

and show us again,

how You love us best.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can find rest in You alone. Thank You that our hope comes from You. Thank You that when we seek You, we find You. Thank You that You lovingly lead us to places of rest when we are weighed down by weariness. Forgive us for attempting to press on and press through, rather than seeking You for the rest that our soul so desperately needs. Teach us how to trust You more, so that we will seek You and listen to Your leading, to find the places of rest that You are providing. Show us how to love others in such a way, that they too, might come to know the hope that is found in the amazing gift of grace that You give. May many choose to live for You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to find rest, and place all our hope in You. Amen.

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

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things.  Who, O God, is like you? – Psalm 71:19