Reveal Your Loving Ways

The earth is filled with Your love, Lord; teach me Your decrees. – (Psalm 119:64, NIV) 

Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by Your counsel.  – (Psalm 119:64, MSG) 

Give me more revelation of Your ways, for I see Your love and tender care everywhere. – (Psalm 119:64, TPT) 

This morning, I had the joy of getting out to get some exercise before the sun was up. Driving to meet up with my running buddy, I was in awe of the enormous full moon and planets that were in plain view. Everywhere I look, there is evidence of God’s love and care. Because of the very same love that made the moon and hung the stars in the sky, I long to live according to His good and perfect will. The more I recognize His love, the greater my desire is to live likewise. In order to do so, I must invest time and energy into learning and growing in His love. The more I observe His love in action, the more compelled I am to do the same. May we ever seek the Lord and His ways, so that we may love one another as He first loved us. 

The whole earth is filled, 

With God’s fingerprints; 

Throughout creation, 

His love, He imprints. 

Lord, help me to see, 

To learn and to grow; 

To love as You love, 

So Your heart is shown. 

Help me seek counsel, 

For in You, I find; 

How I’m meant to love, 

And how to be kind. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that the whole earth is filled with Your love, if only we open our eyes to see it. Thank You that You lovingly and willingly teach us to live and love according to Your will as we seek You. Forgive us for the times that we have been blind to Your good, or have chosen to wander on our own. Teach us to trust You and follow Your leading to live and love well. Show us how to love those around us as You do. Grant us Your eyes to see and Your heart to love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we become acutely aware of Your love all around us, and learn to walk in Your ways. Amen. 

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

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. – Psalm 119:18

Love Can Be Found

Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by Your counsel. – (Psalm 119:64, MSG)

Lord, Your faithful love fills the earth. Teach me Your laws. – (Psalm 119:64, ERV)

The earth is filled with Your love, Lord; teach me Your decrees. – (Psalm 119:64, NIV)

 

Everywhere the human eye can see, there is evidence of the Eternal’s love for us. The intentional, exquisite design of each individual we encounter, the beauty of nature, the intricacy of the countless systems set in place by His hands – I stand in awe when I give even a moment to think about the complexity of messages it requires to send information from my mind to my fingers to movement on the keyboard, yet the words that are typed on the screen occur so often with little thought or thanks for He who designed my body to function in this way. Just as it required training to learn to type without having to think about where each key is located, we need to be intentional to train our hearts and minds in the word of God, so that we don’t agonize to know what is right in His sight. May we take time to notice the love of the Lord that surrounds us, and be intentional to allow His word to train us in the ways we are meant to go.

 

The love of the Lord, 

Fills the earth, surrounds;

Wherever we look,

His love can be found.

May we ever seek,

To walk in His ways;

Do right by the Lord,

For all of our days.

Lord, train up our hearts,

To walk in Your will;

Do what pleases You,

Your counsel, instill.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love is evident everywhere! Thank You that the earth is filled with Your love. Thank You that when we ask, You are faithful to answer and train us to live according to Your will. Forgive us for not seeking You and Your will as we walk out our days, and teach us to trust You for all of our days. Show us how to live according to Your counsel so that we love others in the way that You intended them to be loved. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we recognize Your love all around us, and listen to Your leading in all that we do. Amen.

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

He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. – Proverbs 11:25

Remove the Barriers of Unbelief

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. – (Ezekiel 11:19-20, NIV)

 

Just as God promised these things to the faithful who were in exile, His words and promises remain true for us today. If we seek the Lord and follow His ways, He will remove the things within us that are barriers to believing and becoming all that He has for us. He calls us His own, and we are reminded and reassured that God is for us and making us new in Him. May we trust in the Lord with all of our heart and follow His ways in truth. Let every heart allow God to give us an undivided heart and a new spirit that is a reflection of His love.

 

For this hard old heart,

Must choose seek the Lord;

In faithful pursuit,

His grace He affords.

He takes our hardness,

Replaces within;

Tender, full of love,

As new life begins.

We are His people,

And He is our God;

Hearts undivided,

As we choose respond.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we trust You and choose to faithfully follow You, You give us an undivided heart and a new spirit within. Thank You that You remove the barriers in our hearts that keep us from fully following after You. Thank You that You call us Your people, and we in turn can call You our God. Forgive us for not carefully following Your leading, or for failing to trust in You. Remove the obstacles within us that keep us from fully trusting You. Show us how to love others with an undivided heart through Your Spirit within us, so they may seek to know You for themselves. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You so that we may follow Your every leading as Your people, and honor You, our great and loving God. Amen.

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

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

Praise for the Path Made Plain

May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees. – (Psalm 119:171, NIV)

Praise will pour from my lips because You help me learn what You require. – (Psalm 119:171, Voice)

In order to live the life that God has for us, we need to know and understand what He is asking of us. By His Spirit within us, God reveals the truth of His word. His guidance leads us to the fullness of all that He has for us. Thanks and praise should be ever present, as He shows us His ongoing mercy and grace. May the overflow of our hearts be heard in our words, as we give the Lord all of our praise, and may we be ever mindful of all that He offers as He continues to reveal more and more of who He is and what He desires for us and through us through the truth of His word.

Let every word,

that parts from these lips;

be seasoned with praise,

as You have equipped.

For by Your great grace,

You teach me Your ways;

show me what’s required,

for all of my days.

Lord, let my whole life,

be spent in pursuit;

of learning Your truth,

giving praise to You.

And Lord as I go,

may others too see;

Your goodness and grace,

established in me.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word and for the gift of Your Holy Spirit within us. Thank You that You reveal to us, the truth of what is required. Thank You that all honor, glory and praise belong to You. Forgive us for not seeking You or praising You as we ought to do, and teach us to do so in all things and at all times. Lead our hearts to look to You to guide and direct us as we go. Show us how to love others so that they too, may come to know the truth of who You are, and what You require. May many choose to live for You. Be glorified O God, as we pursue more of You, and give You all of our praise. Amen.

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

Father, I thank You that You have heard me. – John 11:41

Teach in Love

The earth is filled with Your love, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. – (Psalm 119:64)

As I prayerfully prepare to greet my new students for the first time today, this verse seems quite fitting. If I learn His decrees and follow His ways, I can be a part of perpetuating His great love that goes out into all the earth. My charge is to begin with one child at a time. Each student that walks through the door of my classroom needs to know that they are safe, valued, cared for, loved, and that an adult on campus believes in their potential. It is no small task to be a champion for children. We must love those who resist it the most, and encourage the elusive and errant, to help them find their way to the road that leads to their greatest success. This is the most rewarding and challenging job on the planet, and even after eighteen first days of new students, I still feel nervous for this one. I am continually challenged to stretch, grow, and discover new and better practices to accommodate the needs of my students. All it takes is one student responding to that which is extended, to know that it is all worth it. Each of us has a call to follow His decrees and recognize and pour out His love to all the earth. Though it seems to be a monumental task, it is really us beginning with one. Who is one person that we can love as Christ loves us? Our neighbor? Our employer? Our coworkers? In Christ, we have the capacity to do as He did, as we are meant to be His hands and heart to the world. May we go forth this day, following His decrees, and love well, all whom we encounter.

Please teach me O Lord,

Cautious & Adventurous last year on the 1st day of school… 🙂

so I too, teach well;

let me love like You,

as in You, I dwell.

Help my eyes to see,

Your love everywhere;

and lead me to love,

the lost in despair.

May my words bring life,

help all kids to know;

that their life matters,

may I help them grow.

Let safety be known,

as they enter in;

and peace overwhelm,

despite where they’ve been.

May love and laughter,

fill my classroom walls;

as we learn and grow,

discovering calls.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of teaching young people. Thank You that parents send us their very best, and we get to love and care for their kids as if they were our own. Thank You that You teach us and grow us in Your ways and Your love, so that we can love others as You call us. Forgive us for fearing failure, as that is a space where You teach us and grow us all the more. Teach us to trust You more, so that we can be transparent with kids, creating a safe space where we learn from failure and build on success. Above all, lead us to love well, so that students leave at the end of the day, in a better place than when they arrived. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we learn Your decrees and love as You love us. Amen.

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

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; …write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3

Softening Stone

As we come to God,

He will give to us;

heart undivided,

unity in trust.

He will take hard hearts,

made of solid stone;

replace them with flesh,

to receive truth known.

We will then follow,

all He has decreed;

careful to obey,

His laws we shall heed.

God’s people we’ll be,

as we give Him throne;

and He’ll be our God,

making His ways known.

Lord, please take the stone,

away from our heart;

show us how to trust,

with whole self, not part.

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” – (Ezekiel 11:19-20)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You accept us when our hearts are hard, yet love us so much that You do not allow us to stay that way. Thank You that You woo us unto Yourself, and You soften the soil of our hearts to plant truth, so that we may flourish and grow in You. Father, forgive us for withholding hardened places in our hearts, and help us to allow You to touch those spaces so that they too, may be ready to receive all that You offer. Teach us to faithfully follow You, and use our obedience to lead those who are looking, to the foot of Your throne. May we love others well, so that You are made known. Amen.

Anne update: Anne is very grateful to be back home, and God is so faithful as He is orchestrating all that Anne needs. Please join me in giving God all glory and thanks for the wonderful ways that He is moving in hearts and making way for Anne. May we continue to contend for the miraculous, despite the doctor’s diagnosis. Thank You God that You are ALWAYS good!

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