Why Friday Was Good

Above His head they placed the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. – (Matthew 27:37, NIV)

They put a sign above His head with the charge against Him written on it: “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” – (Matthew 27:37, ERV)

They placed a sign over His head: “THIS IS JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS.” – (Matthew 27:37, VOICE)

Though done in mockery, what the soldiers posted was in fact true. The One they had crucified would be seated on the throne in heaven to reign forever. Not only as King of the Jews, but as the Savior of all. Good Friday is not good because of His suffering, but rather it is good because through His suffering, the penalty that we all deserve for our sin was placed upon Him. Jesus willingly suffered for our sake so that we might know life eternal in Him. The good is that death could not defeat Him, and the third day was coming. Darkness and silence that overwhelmed Friday, would be flooded with the glorious light of Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday. What seemed to be the end was but a pause prior to the ultimate revelation of the power of God. When we find ourselves feeling alone or overwhelmed in the dark, we have the hope that not only is Sunday coming, but light and life and love are available and active for us through Christ. He is our Help and our Healer, our Savior, and our Source. May we ever hold fast to the good that came to us through the willing sacrifice of Jesus on that Friday so long ago.

The light of the world,

Seemingly snuffed out;

Little did they know,

What it was about.

For the love of God,

That gave us His Son;

Willingly chose die,

For many, through One.

The weight of the world,

In love, He chose bear;

It was love alone,

That kept Him up there.

The mocking and harm,

Inflicted on Him;

He took for our sake,

So we too might live.

For when we choose Christ,

We’re cleansed from our sin;

Made new, forgiven,

Declared whole in Him.

No matter the dark,

The burdens we bear;

His love will free us,

As our trust’s declared.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your One and Only Son to save us. Thank You Jesus, that You willingly took our sin and shame upon Yourself so that we might know life in You forever. Forgive us for the times that we have taken for granted, the magnitude of Your sacrifice and the love that goes beyond comprehension that kept You in a space of suffering for us all. Teach us to embrace the grace and mercy we are given as we trust in You, and show us how to turn and extend the same to all those around us. Because we are forgiven and free, we can do the same for others. Show us how to love as You love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for the sacrifice that goes beyond what our minds can grasp and the love that grants life to all who receive it. Amen.

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

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

Jesus is the Healer

A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. – (Mark 1:40-42, NIV)

A man who had leprosy came to Jesus. The man bowed on his knees and begged Him, “You have the power to heal me if You want.” These last words made Jesus angry. But He touched him and said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. – (Mark 1:40-42, ERV)

A leper walked right up to Jesus, dropped to his knees, and begged Him for help. Leper: “If You want to, You can make me clean.” Jesus was powerfully moved. He reached out and actually touched the leper. Jesus: “I do want to. Be clean.” And at that very moment, the disease left him; the leper was cleansed and made whole once again. – (Mark 1:40-42, VOICE)

This is a fascinating exchange between a man with leprosy and Jesus. The leper knows that Jesus is the Healer but is uncertain if it is for him. Perhaps the way that society viewed lepers was a factor in how he went about asking Jesus to heal him. Shunned and banished from families and communities, those with leprosy were considered unclean and not allowed to be within touch distance of anyone. I imagine that the man, knowing he was unclean and risking exposing others, was uncertain as to whether Jesus would want to heal him. Society had not valued him. Would Jesus? I love that Jesus was powerfully moved, told the leper that He did want to heal him, and then reached out and touched him. Not only did His words validate the leper’s value, but Jesus was not afraid to touch the “untouchable”. As He did, the man was made whole again. I imagine that the wholeness the leper experienced was much more than physical. Yes, his skin was healed from the disease, but through the physical touch, I can only venture to imagine that his heart was healed as well. So often when Jesus healed people, He would tell them that their sins were forgiven. Jesus was doing so much more than physically healing people; He was healing hearts and minds so that their worth would be made known. The same Jesus that healed many during His three years of ministry, placed the power of His Holy Spirit in those who believed. The early church continued to experience powerful healings as believers prayed in Jesus’ name. Throughout the generations from then to now, Jesus has continued to miraculously heal people. May we ever trust in Jesus, our Healer, and go to Him to lead us in spaces that need His powerful touch. Sometimes, He heals miraculously, and often, He utilizes humans to help bring freedom from what ails us. Other times, the physical healing does not happen until heaven. I know from personal experience, that at times, Jesus may bring doctors in to do the physical work, but He works in our hearts through the process. In all things, God is good, and we can trust Him to be our Healer.

Jesus, our Healer,

Always He is good;

His love reaches out,

Makes grace understood.

His healing is more,

Than our eyes can see;

He touches our hearts,

In Him, we are free.

Free from the burden,

Of sickness and pain;

No longer hopeless,

Held up in His Name.

His healing will come,

Eventually;

Be it here on earth,

Or when heaven’s seen.

His timing’s perfect,

Despite how we feel;

His grace sufficient,

And heaven is real.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son to be the Healer. Thank You that after He returned to His rightful seat in heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to continue to move among us and bring healing and wholeness. Forgive us for questioning Your love and desire to heal, for love is for good in all things. Help us to seek You to be our Healer and to lead us in the direction we are meant to go, both personally and as we walk alongside others in need of Your touch. Please heal the hearts, minds and bodies of those in need. Show us how to walk by faith and not by sight, as we lift up and love those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as they recognize the healing that is found as they hope in You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be our Healer, listen to Your leading as we go, and believe that You will bring healing – be it on earth or in heaven. Amen.

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

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. – Psalm 103:2-3

Pursue Peace

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord. – (Hebrews 12:14, HCSB)

Try to live in peace with everyone. And try to keep your lives free from sin. Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord. – (Hebrews 12:14, ERV)

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, since no one will see God without it. – (Hebrews 12:14, VOICE)

There are times that this seems like a monumental task, yet it is what we are called to do. If we are pursuing peace, we are choosing to love over being right. To pursue holiness, we must pursue He who is holy. It is Christ in us that makes us holy, not anything that we say or do on our own. Our eternal hope is held in the Lord and as we choose Him again and again, we can rest assured that He holds us in His hands. God strengthens and equips us to pursue peace with those around us and to seek His righteousness to keep us on the path that He has prepared for us. May we ever seek the Lord for love, strength and direction as we pursue peace and aspire to live according to His good and perfect will, so that we may rest assured in the promise of heaven forever. 

O Lord show us how,

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

To pursue Your peace;

A love that settles,

Puts others at ease.

Lead us and guide us,

Away from all sin;

Show us Your nearness,

Give strength from within.

For only in You,

Is there holiness;

We’re covered and cleansed,

By Your righteousness.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to pursue peace and to live right through the power of Your great love. Forgive us for every time we fall short. Teach us to ever seek You to be our strength that propels us forward in peace and righteousness. Lead us to love like You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, Lord. Be glorified O God, as we pursue peace with everyone and walk in the wonder of Your great love knowing that our hope is in eternity with You. Amen.

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

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. – Psalm 119:105

Seeking in Spaces of Need

A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. – (Matthew 8:2-3, NIV)

Then a man sick with leprosy came to Him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, “Lord, You have the power to heal me if You want.” Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. – (Matthew 8:2-3, ERV)

Suddenly, a leper walked up to Jesus and threw himself down before Him in worship and said, “Lord, You have the power to heal me… if You really want to.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the leper and said, “Of course I want to heal you – be healed!” And instantly, all signs of leprosy disappeared! – (Matthew 8:2-3, TPT)

This story of the man who was healed is an excellent reminder of what we ought to do in our own spaces of need. The man who had leprosy, first came before Christ. Clearly he believed that Jesus was able to heal, as he spoke aloud and postured himself before the Lord, and stated what it was that he needed. Incredibly, Jesus did not merely speak the words, “Be healed,” but He touched the untouchable and affirmed that it was His desire to heal the one who was hurting. What this shows us is that the Lord is available and willing to meet us in our space of need, but we must come to Him and recognize who He is and ask in faith. I know there are many who come to Christ and ask to be healed yet do not see healing on this side of heaven. I wish I understood why some are healed and some are not, but I do know that Jesus hears and promises to be present in the space between our ask and our arrival. Our hope must be in who He is, and the promises that He has for us all. Whether on earth or in heaven, we have the hope that all that ails us, all that breaks hurting hearts, will one day pass away. May we hold onto the hope that is in the hands of He who is holy, and rest assured that so much more awaits us beyond today.

In spaces of need,

Come before the Lord;

He’s more than enough,

All grace He affords.

More than the body,

Christ heals our hearts;

Willingly touches,

As love He imparts.

Lord, help us to come,

Before You in trust;

For You’re always good,

Faithful, kind and just.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can always come before You, no matter what state we are in. Thank You that You are always willing to meet us and touch us, ever loving and full of grace. Forgive us for our doubts and fears, as we forget that our ultimate help and healing will come in heaven with You. Teach us to trust in You in such a way that we seek You in all things and at all times. Show us how to love those around us the way that You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we turn to You in trust, knowing that You are loving and good. Amen.

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

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

Clean the Inside of the Cup

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean.” – (Matthew 23:25-26, NIV)

“It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash clean the outside of your cups and dishes. But inside they are full of what you got by cheating others and pleasing yourselves. Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean and good. Then the outside of the cup will also be clean.” – (Matthew 23:25-26, ERV)

“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.” – (Matthew 23:25-26, MSG)

 

On the Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus began His day, departing Bethany with the disciples. As they were leaving, they passed by the fig tree He had cursed, only to discover it had completely withered. That point of passage began a day filled with teaching, as Jesus started with a lesson on faith. He further taught several parables and answered important questions as people gathered in the temple to hear. The Pharisees, up to their usual attempt at trapping Jesus in some sort of misstep for which they could arrest Him, began a barrage of questions as well. After Jesus brilliantly answered, and completely silenced the scholars with His wisdom, He began a list of woes to them for the practices that they were participating in. One that stood out to me as particularly poignant, and one to ponder personally, is that which is found in the above listed verses from Matthew 23. What does it mean to clean the outside of the cup, but neglect cleaning the inside? To me, it seems He was using the image as an illustration of the heart versus how things appear. We must attend to the motives, desires and purposes within us to be considered clean. For if we seek the Lord and allow Him room to purify our hearts and cleanse us from within, the outside reflects the beauty on the inside. It does not work in reverse. I imagine we have all met or known someone who at first, appeared quite appealing. However, once the heart was made known, the ugly insides tainted the perspective on the outside. Jesus cares about the condition of our heart. Yes, wash your hands, for at least twenty seconds please, but really, it is what flows out of us that impacts those around us, not the package that holds our hearts. My take away today is to seek the Lord and ask Him to show me what filth within me still needs cleansing. We all have spots that get missed, or manage to lie hidden out of plain sight. Jesus is gentle and kind when we choose to seek Him with the hope of being cleansed to more clearly reflect His heart to the world. Lord, cleanse us from the inside out, so that Your love may be made abundantly clear, and no good thing withheld from those in need.

 

Lord, come and show us, Clean the Inside of the Cup

Where we need be cleansed;

Point out the places,

Help us make amends.

Places we’re selfish,

Greedy or unkind;

Over-indulgent,

Show us what You find.

By Your loving grace,

Show us how to change;

Be cleansed from within,

So Your love may reign.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son to show us the way to be cleansed from the inside out. Thank You that not only did You clean the temple, but You are willing to clean the hollows of our heart. Forgive us for the times that we have worried more about “appearances” than being cleansed on the inside. Teach us to fix our eyes and heart on You and what You ask of us. Show us how to love selflessly, without greed, gluttony or reservation. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to show us the ways to wash ourselves within, so that we may shine bright, reflecting Your love to all whom we encounter. Amen.

 

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

 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. – Psalm 51:1-2

 

 

Ongoing Grace

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. – (Hebrews 1:3, NIV)

The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and He holds everything together by His powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then He sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. – (Hebrews 1:3, ERV)

This is the One who – imprinted with God’s image, shimmering with His glory – sustains all that exists through the power of His word. He was seated at the right hand of God once He Himself had made the offering that purified us from all our sins. – (Hebrews 1:3, VOICE)

 

As we approach Easter, it is important to remember who Jesus is and all that He does for us. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory, the only one who has ever been a perfect copy of God’s nature. Though we all have been created in God’s image, Jesus is the only one to have ever been without sin. Because He was without sin, He made Himself the perfect offering that purified us from all of our sin. After Jesus had come to do all that He was called to do, He returned to His rightful throne in heaven, seated at the right hand of God. The Holy One, seated beside the Majesty of heaven, is not just sitting there to reign, as He continually moves on our behalf, so that we may be seen as righteous before God. It is not by anything that we do, but rather by what Jesus did for all. Our portion is to believe and receive, so that we may walk in His way and do His will. May we ever remember the weight of the sacrifice and the depth of His love, that led our Lord to bear our every burden of sin, that provides the path for us to join Him for all of eternity in heaven.

 

The true radiance, Ongoing Grace

Of the Lord on high;

Rested on Jesus,

As He chose to die.

Death for all our sin,

So we’d be made clean;

Cleansed and forgiven,

Showing what grace means.

The love didn’t stop there,

As ongoing grace;

Is granted by Him,

Seated in His place.

At Lord God’s right hand,

Love is ever shown;

He covers our sin,

And makes mercy known.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to make the way for us to be in relationship with You – cleansed and set free from sin, so that we are seen as worthy. Jesus, thank You for Your eternal sacrifice that bore the weight of all of the world’s sin for all time, and returning to Your rightful throne to continually demonstrate Your mercy and grace and love to us all. Forgive us for not recognizing the magnitude of Your sacrifice. Teach us to stand in awe of the incredible way that You loved all of us so much, that You bore the brunt of all our sin to provide forgiveness for each of us. Show us how to love those around us in a way that demonstrates Your goodness, mercy and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we remember in awe, the incredible gift given through the sacrifice of Jesus. Amen.

 

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

 

Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. – John 1:16

The Value of Virtue

“It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” – (Mark 7:15-16, NLT)

“Your souls aren’t harmed by what you eat, but by what you think and say!” – (Mark 7:15-16, TLB)

“What truly contaminates a person is not what he puts into his body, but what comes out. That’s what makes a person defiled.” – (Mark 7:15-16, TPT)

 

Our bodies are a temple and should be treated accordingly. Though we ought to be wise with what and how much we consume, it is not what makes the temple unclean, but rather the things that come from our heart. Our charge to love God and love people requires an investment in our relationship with Him. When we are intentional to seek time with the Lord and study His word, our hearts are cleansed and what we think and say more clearly reflects what He intends for us. In other words, the temple is made beautiful by the expressions of the heart, not by the appearance of the structure. May we ever seek our Savior to cleanse and empower us, so that we may go forth in love, according to His good and perfect plan.

 

The things from the heart, img_2019-03-02_05-51-164357877272792768654.jpg

Each word that’s spoken;

Has power to heal,

Or make things broken.

It is up to us,

To seek and choose well;

And trust in the Lord,

As in Him we dwell.

For He will grant strength,

Remove what’s unclean;

Plant in us, His light,

So His love is seen.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that what we consume is not what makes us unclean, but rather the state of our heart and what we think and say. Forgive us for allowing our hearts to stray from You, so that our thoughts or words no longer reflect Your goodness and grace. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times to grant us Your grace to speak light and life and love. Show us how to love those around us in the same way that You so lavishly and unconditionally love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, as Your heart is made visible by our love. Be glorified O God, as we seek and trust in You to help us fix our thoughts on the things of You so that our words and deeds shine Your light wherever we go. Amen.

 

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

 

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. – Colossians 3:14

 

Right by Grace

But we know that no one is made right with God by following the law. It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, because we wanted to be made right with God. And we are right with Him because we trusted in Christ – not because we followed the law. I can say this because no one can be made right with God by following the law. – (Galatians 2:16, ERV)

 

I am so grateful for God’s grace. Imagine having to abide by a set of rules and regulations to somehow earn our salvation. If that were so, the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf would have been for naught. Sadly, there are those who still believe that they have to do enough, or be enough, to somehow earn God’s favor to gain access to eternity. Instead, Jesus came so that we could come to know and trust Him and be in right relationship with Him, personally, and through our faith move forward to that which we are called. As we know Him, we long to serve Him. It is not a prerequisite, but rather a response to the remarkable redemption that He has granted to all who choose receive what He freely gives. May we go forth in the grace that God grants us, and allow His love to transform us into people who live and love as He has shown us through His Son.

 

Salvation is found,not-defined-by-a-day

Through relationship;

As we receive grace,

We’re cleansed and equipped.

For we cannot earn,

Eternity’s crown;

By following laws,

Ultimate breakdown.

We must trust in Christ,

For He is the One;

Who makes us righteous,

As daughters and sons.

Let us place our faith,

Where all faith is due;

In Jesus our Lord,

Our hope ever true.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we are not made right before You by following a set of rules and regulations. Thank You that it is through relationship with You, our Redeemer, that we are considered righteous before You – not by anything that we do or do not do, but rather through what You did for us on the cross. Forgive us for thinking that we have to do enough or be enough to somehow be qualified to come to You or serve You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would always come as we are and allow You to pick us up, dust us off, and lead us where we are meant to go. Show us how to love those around us well, so that they too, may come to know the amazing grace that You give to all who call on Your Name in faith. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we place our faith in You and trust You to make us right before You. Amen.

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

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23

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,Clean Inside Out

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

We Are One

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ. – (Galatians 3:26-28, NLT) 

 

God looks at us through the lens of His Son. Not one of us is more or less worthy than another, but rather we are equally covered and called clean by what Christ has done for us on the cross. Our part is to trust in Him, believe that His grace is enough, and move forward as one body in the freedom that we’ve been given so that we may go forth and love as we are loved. May we each embrace our status as children of God, and walk out our days as one body, determined to love God and love people as God so lavishly loves each of us.

 

We are the children, not-defined-by-a-day

Of God our great King;

United with Christ,

Such love the Lord brings.

Through our own choosing,

To receive the gift;

Our faithful pursuit,

Grants us a soul lift.

For through this union,

We have been made new;

Cleansed and called righteous,

One body in You.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can be called Your children when we choose to place our trust in Jesus and what He did on our behalf. Thank You that through baptism, we are united with Christ, and covered and called clean before You. Thank You that You see Christ in us, rather than the guilt and shame that we carry. Forgive us for not receiving all that You are offering, or for somehow holding onto that which You have already forgiven. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would receive all that You offer, and see others through Your eyes. Show us how to love as You love, so that we may move as one body, with one purpose, as You have called us to love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we go forth and love as we are loved. Amen.

 

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

 

May God Almighty grant you mercy. – Genesis 43:14