Be Our Strength

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. – (Psalm 18:32, NIV)

God is the One who gives me strength. He clears the path I need to take. – (Psalm 18:32, ERV)

He fills me with strength and protects me wherever I go. – (Psalm 18:32, TLB)

 

There are days that I wonder how I am to navigate my way, as I feel depleted before I begin, leaving me uncertain about much of what lies before me. However, what I discover each day, much like today, is that as I turn to the Lord and rely on Him, He sustains me and strengthens me, and by the end of the day, I am able to look back and see His faithfulness that carried me throughout the duration of my day, as He was as near as each breath breathed. May we ever seek the Lord who fills us with strength and clears our path, as He is faithful to meet us each time we draw near.

 

When we are weary,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

And our strength is gone;

The Lord shall supply,

Help us carry on.

He prepares the path,

We are meant to take;

Protects as He leads,

As we seek His face.

The Lord is faithful,

In love, freely gives;

All that is needed,

To trust, follow Him.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the One who gives us strength and clears the path we need to take. Thank You that You are faithful to answer as we ask. Forgive us for attempting to power through in our own strength, rather than trust and rely on You. Teach us to trust You more, as You are the ultimate Source of strength and You show us the ways we are meant to go. Help us to love those around us in a way that strengthens and points people to the path You have prepared for them too. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You for strength and direction, and listen to Your leading. Amen.

 

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

 

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. – Psalm 34:8.

 

 

Reminders Anew

They will hand Him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at Him and beat Him with whips, and then they will kill Him on a cross. But on the third day after His death, He will be raised to life again. – (Matthew 20:19, ERV)

 

As Easter approaches, we are reminded anew of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He willingly bore the agony of the cross on our behalf, so that we could be raised to new life in Him. This season is a reminder of the awakening that occurred as life was breathed into His body in the tomb. Though there are dark days, when the sun returns and the flowers bloom, we see the hope of the longer, sweeter days of summer on the horizon. In the same way, on the third day, after much darkness and despair, those closest to Jesus went to visit His body, only to discover that He was alive again! Our hope is held in the One who defeated death so that we could find life in Him forever. May we always remember that the darkness is but for a season, and His light dwells within us, holding the hope of all that is yet to come.

 

When darkness and death,

Seem to dominate;

Remember to seek,

Him who can relate.

For Jesus, He knows,

The weight of our pain;

As we seek His help,

He makes His grace plain.

We’re granted His hope,

His love and His peace;

Life everlasting,

Grace that will not cease.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You willingly endured the scorn and shame of the cross, and overcame the grave to give us new life in You. Thank You that even when darkness and death seem to surround us, there is always light and life in You. Forgive us for making You too small, as You are the Overcoming King. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would rely on You in all things and at all times. Show us how to love others in such a way, that we offer hope, light and life where they fear there is none. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we recognize and celebrate the power held in Your presence as You alone bring hope and new life. Amen.

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

Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; …my hope is in You all day long. – Psalm 25:4-5

Maintenance in the Midst of Our Messiness

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. – (Psalm 51:10, NLT)

God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. – (Psalm 51:10, ERV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. – (Psalm 51:10, VOICE)

 

My heart feels a bit messy. It is not anything in particular, but rather a collection of things that simply build up and begin to get the best of me. I rarely get sick, and am currently attempting to fend off some sort of sinus infection, and know that my resistance is down. The little things that I typically brush off, are wearing, and I know that much of my present heart state, is the overflow of my physical well-being. This, this is where I must run to Him again, and pray this prayer, as the crud that is building needs to be cleansed as only Christ can do. As He washes away the things that wear me down, a renewed sense of His strength returns and I am better equipped to navigate my days. May we each seek the Lord and His cleansing to wash away that which wears us down, and trust in His strength to renew us once again.

 

Oh Lord, here I stand,

Seeking only You;

For I am in need,

Of what You can do.

I need a clean heart,

A spirit made new;

Your strength breathed in me,

Help me lean on You.

Restore unto me,

Your strength and Your song;

So that I am clean,

Resilient and strong.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that You cleanse us and restore a strong spirit within us when we seek You. Thank You that this is not something that we need to figure out how to do on our own, but rather it is as we come to You, that we find the new. Forgive us for allowing life to wear us down without taking the time to rest in You. Show us how to seek You and trust You for all that we need from moment to moment, rather than just when we begin to reach our breaking point. Help us to love those around us well, so that we can extend the love and grace that gives Your strength to all those in need. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we come to You for cleansing, strength and restoration, often, as You never turn us away. Amen.

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

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. – Psalm 145:8

Home Among Us

I will make My home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. -(Ezekiel 37:27, NLT)

Though this promise was given to Ezekiel for the people of Israel, it remains true and valid for those who follow Him today. When we invite Christ to be The Lord of our lives, He comes and dwells among us. We are His, bought at a price that not one of us could afford. May we embrace this amazing grace and go forth in love, as we have been loved.

 

Where dry bones once lay, 

New life has been breathed;

There’s purpose and hope, 

For all who believe. 

When we make the choice,

To serve God alone;

The Lord comes and dwells,

Makes our heart His home. 

He is our great God,

And we are called His;

No more a dry land,

We’ve a call to live. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek You, You make Your home among us.  Thank You that You are our God and we are Your people. Thank You that You breathe life where none could be found, and You call us each to more. Forgive us for getting comfortable in places that are dark and lacking life. Teach us to trust and rely on You to know how to be light and life, and to know when to walk away. Show us how to love as You so lavishly love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we embrace Your presence among us. Amen.
May God Almighty grant you mercy. – Genesis 43:14

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

Rest As Required

They went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint His body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law. – (Luke 23:56, NLT)

 

The women who had faithfully followed Jesus and watched in sorrow as He breathed His last breath on the cross, were without many options as to what they might actually be able to do in response to such a seeming tragedy. The only role they knew was to faithfully prepare that which would grant their Savior a proper burial. I imagine they worked feverishly and with painstaking care, to finish the preparations in hope of going to the tomb right away, prior to their required rest. Sabbath sunrise arrived just after their work was done, and the ladies were left in a holding pattern of not yet.

How often do we too, in our seeming inability to do anything to help a situation, resort to that which we know, only to get to a place where we hit a wall, and find that we are stuck in a space of waiting or not yet? Often, it is much like it was for the women. Sunday is yet to come. That which is ahead, is exceedingly more than we could hope or imagine, even if it is something that has been promised before. Christ had told those who were faithful followers of His that He would rise, yet something about His foretelling did not ever really register with any of them. Often our places of pause or required rest, are strategically spaced just prior to a promise fulfilled or movement of a miracle. May we seek the Lord in our spaces of Sabbath, and simply rest in the assurance that He is good and His faithfulness never ends.

 

In that restless space,

when we hit the wall;

we can’t move forward,

on Him, let us call.

Ever so often,

that‘s the very place;

where He intended,

that we seek His face.

It’s in the seeking,

that we come to find;

His help and His hope,

He’s patient and kind.

Often the forced pause,

that space where we rest;

a season to find,

what‘s coming is best.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are present and moving, even when it seems that we have hit a wall or come to a place of helplessness where we can do nothing more. Thank You that this is the very space where You bring us to rest in You. Thank You that You showed us that things were still and silent, and the world had to wait for the promise to be fulfilled, just as You had said it would be. Thank You for the difference that the next day brought. Forgive us for resisting rest when it seems to be required, or for not making time to sit quietly before You to fix our eyes on You and all that You have done. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You in all things and at all times, regardless of how things appear. Show us how to love others in such a way, that they too may look to You in the quiet stillness where rest is found. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You on our Sabbaths, and trust You in our spaces of waiting. 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

In God We Can Trust

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. – (Deuteronomy 7:9, NLT)

Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps His covenant of loyal love with those who love Him and observe His commandments for a thousand generations. – (Deuteronomy 7:9, MSG)

 

God is faithful to keep His promises and will continue to generously give His unfailing love to those who choose to love and obey Him. When we recognize God for who He is, we cannot help but long to please Him. The very same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all that is within them, hand-crafted each of us, and longs to live in relationship with us. To be loved personally by He who is so much greater than our minds can even conceive, is completely overwhelming. How can we help but love and honor the very hands that held the heart that beats within us, before we breathed our first breath? May we recognize God and who He is, and choose to love and obey all that He commands.

 

The hands that stretched out,

to place all the stars;

are the hands of love,

that come where we are.

The Lord reaches out,

He’s faithful and true;

to all who choose trust,

in Him, be made new.

As we choose obey,

and love by our will;

His promises kept,

our hearts His love fills.

No matter what comes,

in God we can trust;

our hope is secure,

for His ways are just.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we recognize You as our God, and love and obey what You ask, You are faithful to Your promises and lavish us with Your unfailing love. Thank You that You do not expect perfection, but rather hearts that are earnestly seeking You and Your best for our lives. Thank You that You are always ready and willing to meet us in each moment, wherever we are. Forgive us for our disobedience or hesitation when You call us into something that seems further or more difficult than we have ever gone or done before. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would remember that if You call us into something, You are ready to equip us to do what You are asking and go wherever You are leading. Show us how to love others as You so lavishly love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love and obey all that You ask of us, for You are God indeed, on whom we can depend. Amen.

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

Shout aloud and sing for joy. – Isaiah 12:6

The Breath of God

And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – (John 20:22)

 

All life and truth is God-breathed. At creation’s beginning, there was no life until God breathed into people, the very breath of life. Here in John, is a foretaste of the breath of Jesus and the power presented when He breathed on mankind. The context of this verse is when the disciples were in the upper room and Jesus appeared before them after He had risen. At this point, His breath was an impartation of His power to do God’s will on earth. Breathing is our reminder of just how near our Savior is to each of us. With each breath, He is present, and His power is available to all who have invited Him to be Lord of their lives. May we go forth this day, breathing deeply, knowing His nearness and operating in the power He has already presented.

 

Our very first breath,

was His gift of life;

hand-crafted, unique,

and bought with great price.

We’re given a choice,

to receive His breath;

the Spirit-filled one,

that saves us from death.

With His sweet Spirit,

too, comes His power;

to rise and obey,

our great Strong Tower.

Allow Him to breathe,

His life into you;

the power and grace,

to live a life true.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You give us life and breath and our very being. Thank You that when we choose to follow You, You grant us the presence of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that Your Spirit dwells in us, and is available with each breath that we take. Forgive us for forgetting that the very same power that raised You from the grave, is alive and dwelling within us who believe. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may rise up and move in faith as You are asking. Lead us and guide us in Your love. May we love others in such a way, that they clearly come to see who You are. Let the lost be found in You. Be glorified as we go forth today, with every breath we take. Amen.

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

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. – Psalm 145:7