Unfailing Love

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. – (Psalm 33:22, NIV)

Lord, we worship you, so show your great love for us. – (Psalm 33:22, ERV)

O Eternal, drench us with Your endless love, even now as we wait for You. – (Psalm 33:22, VOICE)

This weekend has been an opportunity to feel this well. My hope and my praise are in God, as He has blessed me with tangible evidence of His endless and unfailing love. Nearly fifty years of friendship and family, our sister retreat has been an incredible blessing of laughter and love. To know and be known is one of the ways that God gives us glimpses of Him through those around us. Connection in the comfort of a slowed pace with no agenda have provided a retreat and refreshment that each of us needed most. Sharing meals together with easy-flowing conversation, with comfort in silence and in chatter, my heart is full as we prepare to part ways a little later this morning. God’s goodness and love have been tangibly evident, from the sweet little space that we have stayed in, nestled neatly in the woods with the sounds of a creek flowing nearby, the rain rhythmically falling on the roof, and through the opportunity to gather and share life together with lifelong loved ones. May we ever worship the Lord, who is our hope, for all blessings flow from His heart of love.

O Lord, unto You,

May our praises flow;

As You are with us,

Wherever we go.

Your presence made known,

Through tangible love;

Each blessing poured out,

From You, up above.

Ever we thank You,

For love that You give;

Hope through each heartache,

Joy and strength we live.

For times to gather,

And truly feel known;

The blessings outpoured,

As Your love is shown.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are so good. Thank You that as we hope in You, You show us Your overwhelming and unending love. Thank You for the blessing of loved ones near and far, as You place people in our lives with purpose. Thank You for the gift of family and lifelong friendships, for each are evidence of Your goodness and love. Forgive us for neglecting the relationships that You have established. Help us to prioritize time with You and time together. Show us how to love one another well, in the same way that You love us all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as Your heart is made evident through goodness, hope and love. Amen.

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

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. – Psalm 143:8

Focus on Forever

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV)

So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever. – (2 Corinthians 4:18, ERV)

Because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal. – (2 Corinthians 4:18, TPT)

 

At times, even with the very best intentions, our focus gets lost on what we see directly in front of us, rather than trusting in what we know to be true, that we cannot yet see. Yesterday, though my morning began well, and my eyes were fixed on God as I began my day, it became a slippery slope as I found myself caught in the monotony of staying home, with all my guys caught up in their own things. Two were out in the shop working on a vehicle, and the other two were downstairs enjoying an online game with old friends. Discouragingly, that left me to far too much solitude, and I was about to lose it. After two weeks of staying home, with the exception of morning running and a rare trip to the store for needed groceries, I was ready to jump in my vehicle and just drive away. I didn’t care where, just somewhere; anywhere. Desperately, I needed a change of scenery, and really, I think my heart needed to be outdoors, where I am far more aware of the unseen. Thankfully, my best friend called, and we wandered to the water. We found a path that had few people, so social distancing was not difficult, and just walked. Breathing in the salty air, with a slight breeze and a gentle drizzle of rain sporadically falling, the weight of feeling stuck fell away, and I was free to move and breathe and be. For some of the walk we spoke and caught up with one another, yet, there was a sweet comfort in silence as well. Time, space, and being outdoors, granted fresh perspective, that there is so much more than right now. God is good, and He places eternity in our hearts. It is up to us to seek Him so that we might know Him, ever growing in our understanding that He has prepared a place for us that is beyond what our minds could begin to conceive. May we turn to the Lord in our struggles with what we are seeing now, and trust Him in faith; for what is unseen is an incredible forever that we cannot even begin to fathom.

 

It is not about,

Just what our eyes see;

But also unseen,

All eternity.

Our circumstances,

In the here and now;

Are temporary,

And will end somehow.

But the things unseen,

God and all His good;

Do not know an end,

Through all times, withstood.

So, choose trust in God,

And what is unseen;

For trials right now,

Will no longer be.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and loving and eternal. Thank You that the struggles and trials that we face in the here and now are temporary. Thank You that the things we see are temporary, and even the best of them are but a glimpse compared to the good that we cannot see yet. Forgive us for losing perspective. Teach us to hold fast to eternity in our hearts, especially when what we see right now is overwhelming. Show us how to love and encourage those around us, so that they may find hope in despair and peace in times of turmoil. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to fix our hearts and minds on that which we cannot see that lasts forever. Amen.

 

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

 

But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. – 2 Peter 3:13