Rest in His Care

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. – (Psalm 116:7, NIV)

My soul, relax! The Lord is caring for you. – (Psalm 116:7, ERV)

I said to myself, “Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings.” – (Psalm 116:7, MSG)

This needs to be an ongoing reminder every single time the challenges of life come our way. There will always be trials and struggles, yet in the midst of them, God is near and His goodness never ends. For the last week, our home has been without water. Our water main to the house burst and we had to have the water main shut off until it could be replaced. Yes, it was inconvenient and the cost of the repair was not in our budget, yet even so, God has been good and has provided what we have needed. Yesterday, the repairs were made and I don’t think I have ever appreciated a shower in my own bathroom and the ability to do laundry and dishes more. Additionally, I was reminded that our week-long inconvenience was many people in the world’s reality. It is a luxury and a blessing to have access to clean running water that comes into our homes. No matter what comes our way, God is with us, and there are always blessings to count. May we take time to relax and rest in Him, and remember the blessings and care the Christ has for us all.

No matter what comes,

The Lord’s always near;

Present to help us,

And overcome fear.

The Lord, He provides,

He meets all our needs;

Our love and comfort,

Despite what we see.

Lord, settle our souls,

Help us rest in You;

Notice each blessing,

As You lead us through.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can find rest in You, no matter what comes our way. Thank You that You are present to help and that You provide what we need. Forgive us for our frustration when things go awry, and teach us to relax and trust in You to lead us through. Show us how to love, support and encourage others well in all things, so that Your blessings may be evident to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we rest and relax in You, knowing that Your presence and love will lead us through. Amen.

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

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – Psalm 62:5

Trust in His Present Help

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – (Isaiah 41:10, NIV) 

Don’t worry – I am with you. Don’t be afraid – I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory. – (Isaiah 41:10, ERV) 

Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with My strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand. – (Isaiah 41:10, TPT) 

God is faithful to His promise to be present to help, in both small and great things. Yesterday, we took our Lab puppy, Thor, on a couple of hikes. The first took us along Lake Easton, down to the state park campgrounds, and then on a bit further to the river below the dam. Thor loved the water, and happily waded and drank his fill of the fresh, cool water. Later in the afternoon, after witnessing his love and seeming fearlessness, we took him on a hike around the lake, and first found a small cove with a few feet of beach-like terrain. Each step he became a bit more daring about going further out. At last, we decided to see if he would swim. Though there was a bit of fear in each of us, for it was a first and required trust, Thor galloped out past where he could touch to retrieve a stick, and swam as he was born to do. Our hearts were strengthened as we watched the faithfulness of God in how He created our sweet pup, and we then took him further on the trail to the boat launch area. Once there, we began to throw the same stick out a bit further each time he retrieved it, our hearts growing in trust a bit more each time. When we determined Thor had done enough, we began our trek back to our campground. Thor was emboldened, and was actually protesting as we were leaving; jumping and attempting to nip at us to encourage us to turn back around. He settled back down when he was able to take part of the leash in his mouth, allowing him to think he was leading us back. Though I know this is a small thing, it is still an example of having to trust. The more we trust in the small things, the more we are prepared to trust when trials and difficulties come our way. May we ever look to the Lord and trust in Him, for He is faithful to strengthen us and hold us up with His mighty hands. 

Do not be afraid, 

For God’s always near; 

To comfort, strengthen, 

And wash away fear. 

The Lord’s mighty hands, 

In love, hold us up; 

Protect, empower, 

He fills empty cups. 

In spaces of fear, 

He often will show; 

Beautiful new things, 

To help our hearts grow. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are faithful to meet us wherever we are; be it in small things or tremendous trials. Thank You that You strengthen us and uphold us with Your mighty, loving hands. Forgive us for the spaces where fear overwhelms us. Teach us to trust You more, as You are ever present to help, and faithful to love us through all things. Show us how to love, encourage and strengthen those around us in the same way that You do as You lovingly walk alongside us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be present to help and strengthen us in all things as You uphold us with Your loving hands. Amen. 

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

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1

Chaos Becomes Calm

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. – (Isaiah 26:3, NIV)

God, You give true peace to people who depend on You, to those who trust in You. – (Isaiah 26:3, ERV)

You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You, for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You. – (Isaiah 26:3, VOICE)

 

The perfect peace that comes from God as we depend and trust in Him, is a supernatural calm that supersedes the chaos that surrounds us. In a space where it makes no logical sense to know peace because of turmoil, yet somehow, deep within, we hold fast to the hope that we know, His peace becomes present. It does not mean that difficulties disappear, yet it is the way to know peace even when trials and troubles come our way, for God is faithful forever to all who trust in Him. May we ever choose to dedicate our hearts and minds to He who brings peace in His presence.

 

In Your perfect peace,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

O God, You shall keep;

All who place their trust,

And earnestly seek.

Dependence on You,

Leads to perfect peace;

Chaos becomes calm,

As our hearts release.

Sometimes You silence,

The storms that surround;

But more often still,

It’s internal sounds.

You speak loving truth,

Our hearts need to hear;

Make Your presence known,

For You’re ever near.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we trust and depend on You, You are our peace, no matter what comes our way. Forgive us for our fearfulness and lack of faith when storms begin to stir. Teach us to trust You more when the battles rage – both inside and out. Show us how to love those around us in a way that offers peace in places that are tumultuous and bring calm into chaos. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, the Prince of Peace. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You to be our peace forever. Amen.

 

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

 

The Lord will turn His face toward you and give you peace. – Numbers 6:26