Lean Not On Your Own

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. – (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what He wants, and He will help you go the right way. – (Proverbs 3:5-6, ERV)

Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely; never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish, and He will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead. – (Proverbs 3:5-6, VOICE)

 

Trusting God is far easier in some areas than in others. For me, it seems that when I have zero power to control the situation, I have no choice but to trust in Him. However, when I think that I can somehow maneuver and place myself in the best possible position to navigate a given situation, it does not necessarily go well. My ways are not His ways, and my plans are not God’s plans. No matter how well-intended my ideas are, God’s way is always better. Incredibly, God is gentle and kind, and He never forces His way in. He will wait, ever so patiently, for us to come to Him for His help. Currently, I find myself in a space where there seems to be no way, yet the direction appears a long-awaited answer to prayer. In this space, I have no choice but to trust and seek Him for answers and direction, every step of the way. Though I know not if what I see is what He is calling me to, I know His plans for me are good, and I will trust Him for all that lies ahead. May we ever place our trust in the Lord rather than our own understanding, for it is He who directs our steps and makes our way secure.

 

Choose trust in the Lord,

In all things, always;

He hears each request,

To show us the way.

Decide not to lean,

On what our eyes see;

But rather seek God,

For what’s yet to be.

The Lord makes a way,

Where we never could;

And His way is best,

God’s plans, always good.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can trust in You, rather than our own understanding. Thank You that when we acknowledge You and depend on You, You prepare the way and make our paths straight. Thank You that Your ways are higher than ours, and You already know the outcome of what we desire. Forgive us for attempting to maneuver on our own, rather than seeking and depending on You. Teach us how to trust and rely on You in all thing and at all times to navigate our days according to Your perfect plan. Show us how to love those around us well, so that they may be encouraged and strengthened to seek You in all things too. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You in all things. Amen.

 

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

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. – Psalm 28:7

Intentional Time to Grow

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. – (Psalm 119:105, NIV)

Your word I like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take. – (Psalm 119:105, ERV)

By Your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. – (Psalm 119:105, MSG)

 

Psalm 119, in its entirety, is all about the word of God and how it directs our steps. As we follow His word, we find protection and direction, so pausing and on verse 105 seemed appropriate. The more we invest time in prayer and the word of God, the more clearly we understand His heart for those around us. Our mode of operation begins to take on His heart rather than our own, and the lens through which we view the world, becomes shaped by that of our loving heavenly Father. Beyond our view, that which grows within us is transformative as well. The nourishment we taking in produces good fruit that will last. Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, are all the sort of fruit that the Spirit grants those who earnestly seek Him. May we be intentional to invest time in the word of God, so that we may have a clearly lit path on which to navigate all of our days.

 

The word of the Lord,

Photo by icon0.com on Pexels.com

Helps make our path plain;

As we seek His will,

Direction we’ll gain.

He shows us the ways,

That we’re meant to go;

Each time that we ask,

He’ll make sure we know.

By His love and grace,

In us, He will grow;

Traits that bless others,

His love clearly shown.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Thank You that as we seek You and invest intentional time in Your word and Your presence, You grow in us, more of that which reflects Your heart to the world. Forgive us for neglecting to nourish the soil of our hearts. Teach us to prioritize time with You, so that we are ever growing and more clearly reflecting Your heart to those around us. Show us how to love others in ways that make Your heart tangible. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to be intentional with our time and spend time growing in our understanding of who You are and how You love. Amen.

 

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

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

To Patiently Persevere

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. – (2 Thessalonians 3:5, NIV)

We pray that the Lord will cause you to feel God’s love and remember Christ’s patient endurance. – (2 Thessalonians 3:5, ERV)

Now may the Lord move your hearts into a greater understanding of God’s pure love for you and into Christ’s steadfast endurance. – (2 Thessalonians 3:5, TPT)

 

Our ability to endure and patiently persevere is comprehensively connected to our understanding of God’s love and His heart for us. When we know and feel that He is for us, we are exceedingly more willing to press on and keep moving forward to the seemingly impossible. I have known and witnessed this to be true in my own life, and I am witnessing a glorious unfolding of such in both my mom, and in each member of our family/community that is impacted by this road that mom is currently navigating. Though not perfect, as we are all a work in progress, I see and feel the love of God being poured out beyond measure, and each of us rising up and patiently enduring with the strength that Christ provides. We are able to do immeasurably more than we could ever hope or imagine when we place our trust in God.

As for the specific updates on mom: Saturday, I neglected to mention that the new in-home care company made its debut. One of the physical therapists, Kari, came to the house and did an assessment to get the ball rolling. She was knowledgeable, professional, kind, thorough, and receptive to hear mom’s needs. Right away, she agreed to schedule mom for physical therapy three days per week, just as she had been doing before, (despite only having twice per week listed on her initial paperwork) and she made a point to be certain to let us know when each type of therapist should be contacting us for their assessment. Additionally, she said that she would follow up with Bellevue Healthcare, the company whom we ordered mom’s wheelchair through more than a month ago, to find out the status of her order. (Her loaner chair is not ideal) Based on what we observed through Kari, we are confident that God is continuing to hold mom and her care in His hands. Sunday, we enjoyed the morning with Mark before he had to head home to be with our boys. The remainder of the day was rather leisurely for mom and myself, as it consisted of movie-watching and laundry. After dinner, we were able to have another great visit with mom’s brother and his wife before bed, to close out our day well. Today will include physical therapy and a speech evaluation with the new speech therapist. May we continue to receive the love of the Lord as He directs our steps, and allow Him to be our strength to persevere in all things.

 

May the Love of God,

Direct heart and mind;

Our Source and our Strength,

In Whom hope aligns.

As we learn to trust,

Likewise persevere;

In Christ we’re equipped,

To rise without fear.

Far greater is He,

The Lord above all;

Than trials we face,

He won’t let us fall.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You show us Your love and grant us the strength to persevere. Thank You that You do not ask us to do anything that You are not also willing to strengthen and empower us to do. Forgive us for somehow thinking that we have to do things on our own. Teach us to trust You more, for You are our strength and the love that holds us up when we are unsure of how we will keep moving forward. Show us how to love those around us in a way that walks alongside them through the struggles, supports and strengthens, and encourages and lifts up. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we receive Your love and trust You to be our strength and hope forever. Amen.

 

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

 

And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. – 2 Thessalonians 3:13