Faith Brings Hope into Reality

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. – (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)

Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. – (Hebrews 11:1, ERV)

Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. – (Hebrews 11:1, TPT)

Faith brings our hope into reality, as it grants us the strength to keep moving forward in the direction to which we have been called. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that things will turn out for the best. (dictionary.com) Faith grants us the assurance and confidence to trust in what we cannot yet see. The two are seemingly intertwined as we need faith to hold hope, and hope to remind us that we have reason to have faith. With Christ, hope and faith are fueled by His love. Though we do not see Him, His evidence is all around us. The more we know, the deeper our faith grows, and the more we find hope is present. May we ever seek the Lord to know Him more, for it is in the knowing that we find faith and recognize the hope we forever have in Him.

Our faith is what makes,

Things hoped for in reach;

Proof of what’s not seen,

Good yet to be reached.

It grants us the strength,

To trust and believe;

To keep pressing on,

Fulfillment achieved.

So, let us pursue,

Him from whom hope grows;

Trust in the unseen,

Faith that the Lord knows.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we find faith and hope in You. Thank You that You are present to hear our prayers and grant us the faith that You hear and the hope that You are moving on our behalf. Forgive us for the times that our faith or hope waver, for You never change and are faithful forever. Teach us to trust You more, and increase our faith as we place our hope in Your hands. Show us how to love those around us in ways that encourage faith and hope. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we continue to pursue a deeper relationship with You. Amen.

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

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. – Psalm 36:5

Speaking the Truth in Love

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. – (Ephesians 4:15, NIV)

No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head. – (Ephesians 4:15, ERV)

But instead we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into Him, the anointed Head of His body, the church. – (Ephesians 4:15, TPT)  

 

This is such a critical element to growing together as a body. It is not merely speaking the truth, but speaking the truth in love. There is a dramatic difference. Truth in love seeks to help, heal, correct, and make better, every situation and circumstance with ultimate good as the goal. The intent should never be to harm, but rather be to help grow in likeness to Christ. Additionally, we must be careful with our own walk, before we become concerned with the decisions of those around us. Of course, we can care, but in order to be a loving bearer of truth, we must be living out the truth we speak, daily. To speak truth anywhere, there first must be trust. Trust only comes through invested time in relationship. If we are to grow and become mature as a body of believers, we have to be willing to break down barriers, get to know and trust one another, so that we are able to grow together. As we do, speaking the truth in love becomes a “normal” practice, in the same way it does between dear friends, healthy spouses, and various other relationships that are built on trust. May we seek the Lord to grow and mature us in our trusting relationships with Him and those around us, so that we may always speak the truth in love, in the same way that He speaks to us.

 

May truth be spoken,

Ever wrapped in love;

With intent to grow,

Heart like God above.

For when there is trust,

There’s a heart to hear;

What will lead to good,

As love removes fear.

To grow together,

In trust and God’s good;

Let love lead in truth,

To do as we should.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son to show us what it is to speak the truth in love. Jesus came and taught, loved, corrected, redirected, and showed us what it is to walk in Your way and grow together as a body. Forgive us for the times that we have spoken without love or without truth; the absence of either is not the way You intended for us to grow. Teach us to trust and rely on You to show us how to build and establish relationships that are full of trust, so that there is safety to always speak the truth in love. Show us how to love those around us in word and deed. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and love people, ever seeking to speak the truth in love for Your glory. Amen.

 

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

 

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8

Grow the Good

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – (2 Peter 1:5-8, NIV)

Because you have these blessings, do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God; to your devotion add kindness towards your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to this kindness add love. If all these things in you are growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – (2 Peter 1:5-8, ERV)

 

We should never stop striving to grow in the good to which we are called. Every avenue of growth in God grants room to grow further in the next. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love all multiply as we dig deeper in our faith and pursue our Heavenly Father and all that He has for us. As we grow, His goodness shows, and others gain from that which is being developed deeper within our hearts. May we ever seek the Lord to grow us in our faith, so that He may increase within us, allowing that which flows from us to be a reflection of Him to the world.

 

Please grow our faith Lord,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

So we may reflect;

All good that’s from You,

Love, honor, respect.

As our faith does grow,

So too, does the good;

Knowledge and wisdom,

Restraint understood.

With perseverance,

We start to reflect;

The heart of Jesus,

Who loves and accepts.

Affection given,

And also returned;

Increases our love,

With practice, we learn.

So, keep on growing,

In faith and in love;

This is effective,

As God’s placed above.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we seek to grow in You, You increase all that is good within us. Thank You that as our faith grows, so too does our goodness, knowledge, self-control, capacity to persevere, our likeness to Your nature, our affection for others, and our ability to love as we are loved by You. Forgive us for not seeking You to grow in us all the good that You have for us. Teach us to trust You more so that we would rely on You to grow us more like You. Show us how to navigate our days, growing more into who You are calling us to become. Help us to love others in the same way that You love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek Your heart so that we may be effective in giving the good that You so lavishly give to each of us.

 

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

 

You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence. – Acts 2:28

Lifelong Learner

Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insight. – (Proverbs 18:15, MSG)

Clever people go after knowledge to obtain it, and wise people attune their ears to hear it. – (Proverbs 18:15, VOICE)

An understanding mind gains knowledge; the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. – (Proverbs 18:15, CEB)

 

Wisdom is something gained by those who actively seek to know and understand. No one ever “arrives“, rather it is a lifelong process in the pursuit of learning, as there is always more to know and understand. God honors the asking, and continues to reveal more and more of who He is and how He loves as we are willing to draw near and pursue more of Him. Though I know nearly nothing, I understand far more now, than when I first began. The wisest women I have ever known, spent a lifetime learning and growing with God. My grandmother was ever listening for fresh insight, and did not discount what anyone had to say. She would listen through her filter of faith, and have wise and insightful things to reply. People were a priority, and she had a passion for travel, as I believe it created even more opportunity for her to discover deeper understanding of who God is, and all that He has made. As I continue to prepare for my departure for Belize on Saturday evening, my heart holds fast to this truth – to gain wisdom, I must be listening for fresh insight, ever attuning my ears to hear what the Lord has for me to learn. May we each go forth with a heart to grow in understanding and insight, so that we may walk in His wisdom and the light of His truth.

 

Wise are the learned, 

For they seek to grow;

Ever they listen,

For what they’re to know.

God’s ever faithful,

To reveal His heart;

He grants new insight,

Wisdom He imparts.

Seekers of knowledge,

Are those who shall gain;

True understanding,

As His path’s made plain.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that wisdom comes from seeking understanding from You. Thank You that as we continue to learn and grow, ever listening for new insight, You increase what we can comprehend. Forgive us for not seeking fresh insight, or not listening for Your voice when we most need to hear You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would always be looking to listen and learn, so that we live a growth-minded lifestyle. Show us how to love those around us in a way that helps them feel heard and understood. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we are ever pursuing new knowledge and insight, with open ears and hearts to all that You have for us to learn. 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

 

Strength and Courage Stand

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – (Joshua 1:9, AMP)

This is My command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

 

My heart leapt within me a little as I read that this was the verse of the day this morning. This particular verse has been especially significant in my life for the last few years as I have navigated a new season. Daily, I am reminded of the words of this verse, yet until this morning, I have not unpacked a few of the words within these two translations. As a self-professed “word nerd”, language fascinates me, and I do what I can to find further significance and meaning from written text. When I heard “dismayed“, I always thought distressed, but when I actually looked up the word, I was surprised to discover that dismayed means: to break down the courage of completely. Additionally, discouraged in my mind, dis – without or not, and courage, and one can figure what I assumed the word meant. “Discouraged” according to dictionary.com, is: to deprive of courage, hope or confidence. Both of these words go much deeper than I had anticipated. God does not want us to allow anything to break down nor deprive us of the courage that He has created within us. He commands us to be courageous – not in our own strength, but in His. We can take courage because He has promised to be with us wherever we go. That alone is reason to be courageous. Greater is He who is in us, than anything that might come against us. May we each rise up in strength and courage as we are commanded, and keep terror and dismay far from us. Take heart dear ones, for the Lord our God is with us!

 

For the Lord commands,

Take courage, be strong;

Because He’s with us,

All of our life long.

Let nothing find way,

To come and break down;

The courage God gives,

For in Him, strength’s found.

Do not be afraid,

For He’ll never leave;

All hope comes from Him,

By faith, we receive.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You command us to be strong and courageous. Thank You that You unpack it for us by explaining that we are not to allow anything to terrify us or break down our courage or take away our hope. Thank You that this is not something that we do on our own, but we can be strong and courageous because You are with us wherever we go, so there is no reason for fear. Forgive us for our fearfulness, as we forget how great You are and how small our obstacles are in comparison. Teach us to trust You more, as we struggle with discouragement when giants stand before us. Show us Your heart for those around us, so that we can love as You love us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we stand in Your strength and courage, knowing that You are with us wherever we go. Amen.

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

Because of the tender mercy of our God, …the rising sun will come to us from heaven. – Luke 1:78

Speak Truth from the Heart

As part of being called to love, we must speak life to those around us. To speak life is to speak the truth from the heart, and to love and honor God in the process. When we neglect to speak encouraging words, and instead speak death or demise, we tear down rather than build up those whom Christ has created in His very own image.

Only those who live pure lives, do what is right and speak the truth from their hearts. Such people don’t say bad things about others. They don’t do things to hurt their neighbors. They don’t tell shameful things about those close to them. – (Psalm 15:2-3, ERV)

Let us choose to speak,

encouraging words;

so all who are near,

may embrace what’s heard.

Invest in the Lord,

so we may live pure;

do right and speak truth,

offer truth to hear.

Speak not of the bad,

that dwells in others;

do nothing to harm,

sisters or brothers.

Speak not of the shame,

their actions impart;

for the Lord forgives,

and grants a new start.

Rather choose build up,

and point to the Lord;

His love is enough,

it’s freely outpoured.

Our words have power, and can have an impact for far longer than we know. For the child who hears nothing but negativity at home, and then hears encouraging words at school from a teacher or a staff member, their life course could be forever altered, simply because someone took the time to speak the truth in love into their life. Sadly, the opposite holds true as well. If our words are spoken carelessly and without love, the damage can be far deeper and longer lasting than we could ever imagine. In Christ, we have the power to choose to invest our lives in Him, so that we might live lives that are pure, and do what is right; speaking the truth from our hearts. As we do, people are encouraged and changed, and we cannot help but no longer stay the same either.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, we have the power to speak truth in love, and encourage and build up those who are around us.  Thank You that You equip and empower us to do so, when we invest our hearts and lives in You.  Forgive us for the missed opportunities that we have had, because we were too wrapped up in our own “stuff” to see the need around us.  Teach us to trust You more, so that we would have an outward focus, fixing our eyes on You, and those whom You place on our path to love as You love us.  Lead us to love like You.  May many come into a lasting relationship with You.  Be glorified O God, as we speak Your truth from the hearts that You have made new within us.  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