Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)

Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus. – (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ERV)

Celebrate always, pray constantly, and give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. (This is God’s will for all of you in Jesus the Anointed.) – (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, VOICE)

This morning, at 2:45, as I heard my dog making retching sounds, joy was not exactly what came to mind; sadly, neither was prayer nor thankfulness. As I jumped out of bed and threw on some extra layers to take him outside, I groggily checked to be sure he was okay. He took care of business outside, and returned to his crate to rest. Again, rest did not come. Whining began and would not relent. Finally, after a good fifteen minutes of trying, I gave in and brought my giant pup upstairs. Again, he went outside and then returned ravenous. After he ate, he settled in a bit as I attempted to doze on the couch. When the time was nearing my scheduled wake up, I took Thor back downstairs and returned upstairs to begin my day. My celebration was that I have a roof over my head and that there is coffee in our house to brew. I am thankful that it is Friday, and that I do not need to rise as early tomorrow. God is kind, and shortly after I returned to resume my regular morning routine, my love came upstairs too. In the calm stillness of the morning, I am so grateful to God for another human that can rise early, and find joy and contentment in the silence. Early mornings are something to be celebrated, even when they come far sooner than anticipated. Before long, I will witness the early morning light, as the sun makes its appearance on the horizon. God is faithful to meet us, even in the wee hours of the early morning. He hears our heart’s cry, despite the momentary frustrations when our schedules are disrupted. Today, my heart will rejoice, for I have countless reasons to give God thanks, as I have His light, and life, and hope. May we ever celebrate the goodness of God, giving Him thanks as we are intentional to spend time seeking Him.

May our hearts give praise,

In Christ we rejoice;

Let’s prayerfully seek,

Give thanks with our voice.

No matter what comes,

We’ve reason for joy;

The Lord’s always good,

To thank is a choice.

Today I will choose,

To celebrate Christ;

For goodness and grace,

And loving advice.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the countless reasons You grant us to have joy in You. Thank You that You hear our prayers and You supply what we need to navigate each new day. Thank You that You remain present, no matter what comes our way or how our day begins. Forgive us for our frustrations and delay in seeking You when things are thrown off course. Teach us to lean into You and listen to Your heart. Show us how to love those around us in all things, and grant us patience when it is lacking. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we rejoice in You and pray to You, ever giving You thanks for who You are and how You love. Amen.

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

I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your Name, O Most High. – Psalm 9:2

Soar in Strength

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – (Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired. – (Isaiah 40:31, ERV)

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. – (Isaiah 40:31, MSG)

 

With school ending and the wedding drawing nearer each day, I find myself a different sort of busy. I do not rise quite as early, but am still greeted by early morning light, and I find that I am often lying down to sleep after the day has gone dark. The pace of my days is not nearly as hectic, yet they are equally full, as there is much to do in preparation for all that lies ahead. Between moving classroom and homes, as well as less than a month until the wedding, much needs to be done. If I pause and think about it, I am weary before I begin; however, if I rise and set to whatever needs to be done each day, I find that the Lord renews my strength and I am not weary until the day comes to a close. Incredibly, I have found this to be so even in my long-awaited return to running after sustaining a fibular fracture in football. I feared that I might struggle to run even a short distance, yet my best running buddy and I set out and ran nearly four miles on a hot day, on my first day back to it. There was zero pain and I felt as strong as if I had never stopped running.  May we ever hope in God who gives us fresh strength for each new day so that we may run without growing weary and walk without lagging behind.

 

When we hope in God, 

Our strength is renewed;

We find wings to soar,

As His path’s pursued.

Each time that we run,

We will not grow tired;

For God is our strength,

All that is desired.

In Him, we can walk,

And not lag behind;

For He shall provide,

Help and hope aligned.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we hope in You, You renew our strength and help us to soar. Thank You that we can run and not grow weary and walk and not grow faint, as we move in the direction to which You are calling us to go. Forgive us for not seeking You in our spaces of weariness or where we feel depleted. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times, as You are the wings on which we shall soar. Show us how to love those around us in a way that strengthens, helps and renews others in their spaces of weariness. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we hope in You forever, soaring in the strength that You alone provide. Amen.

 

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

 

God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. – Genesis 21:6