To Live and Love With Wisdom

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. – (James 3:17, HCSB)

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV)

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT)

In order to be the person that God has called and created me to be, I need His wisdom. I desire to be pure, peaceful, gentle and easy to please, and I long to do good for others without favoritism or hypocrisy. This does not naturally flow from humans on our own, but rather these traits grow in us when we seek the Lord and His wisdom. May we ever invest our hearts, minds and lives into knowing and growing in the Lord, so that we may live a life of love that bears good fruit.

The wisdom of God,

Bears beautiful fruit;

Pure, peaceful, loving,

Good soil grows deep roots.

Roots that are planted,

Secure in God’s love;

Seek to love others,

Like the Lord above.

Gentle with mercy,

Looking to do good;

Loving all others,

As God’s children should.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You teach us to seek You for wisdom, as Your wisdom teaches us to love as You do. Thank You that You are gentle, peace-loving and full of mercy, and that Your love extends to all who seek You no matter where we have come from or what we have done. Forgive us for the times that we have not sought Your wisdom to lead us in love. Teach us to turn to You, for You alone know how to live and love best. Show us how to love wisely so that all those around us might come to know the power of Your loving kindness and the peace that is found in Your presence. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You for the wisdom to live and love in the ways You have called and created us to live. Amen.

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

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. – Ephesians 1:17

Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak

My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. – (James 1:19, HCSB)

My dear brothers and sisters, always be more willing to listen than to speak. Keep control of your anger. – (James 1:19, ERV)

Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don’t get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters. – (James 1:19, VOICE)

Again, we stand at a crossroads. A friend posted something that truly made me cringe at the brutal honesty of it: the only significant change that we have made since Sandy Hook is that we now have active shooter drills. This hit hard. I cannot begin to pretend to know the answer, but I do know that we must be more willing to listen to potential solutions that do not include: run, hide, fight, kid, and good luck. As an educator, I have seen a significant increase in the depth of kids’ struggles. Health, safety and belonging are at an all-time low. There are many talking heads that get angered at the mere suggestion of changes that might actually help. We must start listening far more than we speak, and set anger aside so that we can come together, hear each other, and seek to bring change that makes a difference. O God help us, for we all need to listen with intention.

Dear Jesus, please come,

Show us what to do;

Protect our children,

May purpose be true.

Lead us and guide us,

To bring needed change;

Make schools a safe place,

Of peaceful exchange.

Help fears dissipate,

Let answers be found;

To protect each child,

Keep hearts and minds sound.

Lead us in Your love,

To listen and learn;

Please safeguard our schools,

As to You, we turn.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You instruct us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Jesus, we need Your help to do these things to bring true change that lasts. Forgive us for allowing politics and sides of the aisle to distract us from how to find solutions that keep our kids safe. Show us how to hear one another, and to be slow to speak with purpose, keeping anger in check so that hearts can be heard. Lead us to love well, as students and staff alike will be shaken at the news. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, for in You we come to know peace, safety, comfort and care. Be glorified O God, as we seek Your wisdom to listen and pursue true change to keep our babies safe. Amen.

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

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – James 3:17

To Live and Love With Wisdom

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. – (James 3:17, HCSB)

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV)

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT)

In order to be the person that God has called and created me to be, I need His wisdom. I desire to be pure, peaceful, gentle and easy to please, and I long to do good for others without favoritism or hypocrisy. This does not naturally flow from humans on our own, but rather these traits grow in us when we seek the Lord and His wisdom. May we ever invest our hearts, minds and lives into knowing and growing in the Lord, so that we may live a life of love that bears good fruit.

The wisdom of God,

Bears beautiful fruit;

Pure, peaceful, loving,

Good soil grows deep roots.

Roots that are planted,

Secure in God’s love;

Seek to love others,

Like the Lord above.

Gentle with mercy,

Looking to do good;

Loving all others,

As God’s children should.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You teach us to seek You for wisdom, as Your wisdom teaches us to love as You do. Thank You that You are gentle, peace-loving and full of mercy, and that Your love extends to all who seek You no matter where we have come from or what we have done. Forgive us for the times that we have not sought Your wisdom to lead us in love. Teach us to turn to You, for You alone know how to live and love best. Show us how to love wisely so that all those around us might come to know the power of Your loving kindness and the peace that is found in Your presence. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You for the wisdom to live and love in the ways You have called and created us to live. Amen.

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

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. – Ephesians 1:17

True Wisdom

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV)

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT)

Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. – (James 3:17, VOICE)

I know many people who are full of knowledge, yet finding truly wise people is a rare gift. Wisdom from God is exactly that, a filling that comes through trust and dependence on Him. To be pure, we need to understand what is good and what must go, and be willing to go through the refining process. Filled with peace is a process that is the result of ongoing trust in God in every circumstance. Gentleness includes being considerate and merciful, just as Jesus is to us. One who possesses wisdom is teachable and easy to please, ever ready to help and do good for others without prejudice or hypocrisy. Though it is good to pursue knowledge and continue learning, the ongoing pursuit of God brings wisdom that leads us to love others as He intended. May we ever seek the Lord and be willing to allow Him to refine us, so that we may walk out our days in wisdom that knows how to love well.

Lord, grant us wisdom,

So we too may learn;

Mercy and goodness,

To love and discern.

Father, teach our hearts,

To stay true and pure;

Peaceful and gentle,

As grace is assured.

Choose never withhold,

Mercy, love and grace;

Give as we’re given,

To all whom we face.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that true wisdom comes from You. Thank You that wisdom is granted to those who seek You and pursue a life lived in the light of Your love. Forgive us for our lack of wisdom as we navigate our days. Teach us to be wise in You, so that we might love as You intended. Show us how to be pure, peace-loving, considerate, gentle, easy to please, ready to help, and ever fair and honest. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we pursue a life lived in Your wisdom that leads us to love well. Amen.

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

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

Attributes of Wisdom

But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. – (James 3:17, NLT) 

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV) 

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT) 

The attributes of godly wisdom are such that the hearer is willing to listen because the one who is actively utilizing the wisdom from God is pure, peaceful, loving, gentle and willing to hear others. One who is acting with God’s wisdom is merciful, ready to help people without favoritism and with true sincerity. This is a space where there is always room to grow. Obtaining godly wisdom is a life-long process. We do better when we know better, and knowing better only comes through earnestly seeking God’s heart in all things. Wisdom is needed to navigate each day, if we desire to live the life that we have been created to live. Each of us are designed with purpose, yet purpose is only discovered as we seek wisdom from our Creator. He will show us how to love and serve best, and will grant us the strength and stamina to continue to pursue wisdom and live in such a way that His heart is clearly made known. May we ever seek the Lord to grow in His wisdom, for it is pure, peaceful, loving, teachable, fair, giving and honest. 

May we seek wisdom, 

From the Lord above; 

Pure, peaceful and kind, 

That demonstrates love. 

Let us be willing, 

To seek the Lord’s way; 

So justice and grace, 

Are made known each day. 

God in His goodness, 

Gives as we ask Him; 

So that we may love, 

With grace and wisdom. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the source of true wisdom. Thank You that You show us how to grow in Your wisdom as we pursue You. Forgive us for the times that we have not sought You to lead us. Teach us to ever pursue You for Your wisdom. Show us how to love those around us as You intended, by Your wisdom. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we pursue Your wisdom so that we know how to do Your will. Amen. 

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

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. – Psalm 37:30

Wisdom from Above

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. – (James 3:17, NLT)

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV)

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT)

 

If ever there was a season where Godly wisdom was needed, we are living in it right now. Yes, it is always needed, but it seems particularly important these days, as so many decisions that impact both the lives and the livelihood of our nation, are seemingly held in the hands of relatively few, that do not appear to be led by Godly wisdom. So, what can we do? Our charge is to seek the Lord so that we may walk in His wisdom. In every decision, we must seek to do what is pure, what is peace loving, what is gentle, that which is willing to yield to others, be full of mercy, sincere, and not show favoritism in our love. God loves the saints and the sinners equally. He showed mercy to those who sought Him, no matter where they had come from or what they had done. We need His wisdom to love purely, without prejudice (prejudgment) towards all with whom we interact. It takes little to observe Godly wisdom in action. Who are the ones who are kind to the essential workers, greeting them with care and thanking them for all that they do? There are so many unknown variables that are causing fear, it takes little effort to do the small things to lessen the burden for others – whether it is by wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, being extra aware of proximity to others, reaching out and checking in on those who live along – there are countless ways that we can exercise Godly wisdom, as we seek to learn and grow in His love and grace. We cannot control what is going on, but we can control how we respond to it. May we ever pursue Godly wisdom, so that we may love purely, be filled with peace, be considerate and teachable, full of love, and do away with prejudice and hypocrisy in any form. Let love lead us in all that we say and do, so that our very lives give glory to You.

 

Wisdom from heaven,

What I seek to find;

It’s pure, peace-loving,

Considerate, kind.

Gentle and willing,

With a helping hand;

Fending off judgment,

Love’s beautiful plan.

Full of God’s mercy,

Overflowing grace;

Blessings to pour out,

Accepting embrace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your wisdom all-knowing, perfect and full of mercy and grace. Thank You that You love us all the same; for we are each Your created. Forgive us for the times that we have not acted or responded with love, grace, mercy, kindness, peace, or have lacked consideration or willingness to listen and learn. Forgive our prejudices and hypocrisy in any form. Teach us to seek You for Your wisdom, so that we may live and love according to Your perfect plan. Show us how to love those around us best. Lead us with Your wisdom, so that love is evident in all that we say and do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to walk in Your wisdom, all of the days of our lives. Amen.

 

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

 

To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His. – Job 12:13

Good and Faithful

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. – (Psalm 136:1, NIV)

Praise the Lord because He is good. His faithful love will last forever. – (Psalm 136:1, ERV)

Let everyone thank God, for He is good, and He is easy to please! His tender love for us continues forever! – (Psalm 136:1, TPT)

 

Yesterday was a fantastic day, full of reminders of the Lord’s goodness and love. Together with my husband and our eldest boy, we spent the day exploring Vancouver in the very best way. We began at the aquarium, which has much to see outdoors, enjoyed lunch outside at the aquarium, and then determined we ought to explore Stanley Park. At first, we drove through much of the park to discover the lay of the land. As we were driving, we spotted a sign that said “Pitch and Putt”. It piqued each of our interests, and we found parking and the source of the sign. The next three hours were spent in the sunshine, playing eighteen holes of golf with only a pitching wedge and a putter at a par three course. We followed a family of five from England that had kids about the ages of our own sons, and enjoyed friendly banter back and forth whenever there was a wait between holes. The trio that followed us were wonderful as well, as they were local college students that had great suggestions for dining and outing activities during our stay. For me, I was overjoyed because we were outside, in the sun, smiling, laughing, and enjoying each other in beautiful surroundings. Once we finished, we headed back to our Airbnb house to get changed to go out for a delightful dinner. It is a joy to driving into an unfamiliar city, and take everything in. Joe Fortes did not disappoint, as we had excellent service, delicious food, and kind and lovely exchanges with those seated around us at the oyster bar. And yes, each of us tried an oyster for the first time. Surprisingly, we all agreed that they were pretty good. Following our fabulous feast, we determined that a wander around town would be wise. We walked several city blocks, taking in the sights and sounds, and incredible variety that can be found in such a small square area. Leaving the city center to return to our accommodations, we caught the tail-end of a gorgeous sunset as the colors faded upon the water. It was the perfect end to a fantastic day, and McKale (our eldest) certainly felt well-celebrated as we all closed the day. Just as his dad and I delighted in finding activities and places that would bring him joy, so too does our Father in Heaven for us. May we give our good God thanks, for His love endures forever.

 

The Lord God above,

Is loving and kind;

Forever faithful,

He has us in mind.

It is only right,

To give Him our praise;

For His faithfulness,

We can trust always.

To truly know good,

We must know the Lord;

For He is the Source,

Where love is outpoured.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and that Your love and faithfulness last forever. Forgive us for the times that we do not give You the praise for the good in our days, as every good and perfect gift come from You. Teach us to recognize Your blessing in our days, and to be quick to give You our gratitude. Show us how to love those around us well, so that they too, may come to understand the faithfulness that is forever found in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise for Your goodness and faithful love that last forever. Amen.

 

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

 

I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! – Deuteronomy 32:3

Finding Refreshment

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – (Matthew 11:29, NIV) 

Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. – (Matthew 11:29, ERV) 

Simply join your life with Mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, and easy to please. You will find refreshment in Me. – (Matthew 11:29, TPT) 

 

Jesus longs for all to draw near to Him. He is gentle and humble, willing to teach us the way in which we are meant to live. Rest and refreshment are found as we seek our Savior. The yoke that Christ offers is light and unhindered, whereas on our own, the weight of the world rests heavily and wears us out. May we answer the call of Christ who is drawing us near, and allow His heart to lead us and His love to be our strength. 

 

The way of the Lord,

Is loving and right; 

He grants us His grace, 

Calls us His delight. 

Drawn unto Himself, 

His heart is to give; 

Rest to the weary, 

And grace to forgive 

So, let us draw near, 

With hearts full of praise; 

Lay our burdens down, 

And walk in His ways. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace. Thank You that as we learn from You and seek time with You, our lives begin to reflect Your heart to those around us. Forgive us for the times that we neglect to seek You as we go. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would learn from You and share Your heart with the world. Show us how to love those around us according to Your good and perfect will. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to learn from You and share Your love with all those whom we encounter. Amen.

 

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

 

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. – Proverbs 11:25

 

Wisdom from Heaven

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. – (James 3:17, NLT)

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV)

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. Then it is peace-loving and courteous. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It is whole-hearted and straightforward and sincere. – (James 3:17, TLB)

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT)

 

The pursuit of Godly wisdom is a lovely and lofty goal. The wisdom that comes from Him is pure, peaceful, gentle, full of mercy, considerate, teachable, easy to please, whole-hearted, straightforward, sincere, ready to help and do good for others, fair, honest, and does not show favoritism as it is filled with love. This is the target that my heart is forever aiming for, yet there are times that my words or deeds miss the mark. Sometimes I default to sarcasm as a coping mechanism, and my response, though not intended to harm, is not necessarily helping anyone either. Additionally, there are times when we get in such a hurry that making the time for a straightforward discussion or a pause to help someone where we know there is a clear need, seems too much to stack atop our already overscheduled day. May we ever seek the wisdom that comes from God, so that we operate in a way that is pure and full of quiet gentleness. Let us be peace-loving and courteous, allowing discussion; be merciful and extend good, as we choose to invest our whole hearts into all that we do, sincerely pursuing to walk in the wisdom of His way.

 

The wisdom of God, 

What I long to seek;

It’s full of mercy,

And lifts when we’re weak.

Ever peace-loving,

And easy to please;

Straight-forward, sincere,

He hears and He sees.

Ready to give help,

Wisdom chooses good;

Without favorites,

Grace is understood.

Make me teachable,

Considerate, kind;

Fair, loving, honest,

With others in mind.

Let my heart be pure,

With wisdom above;

Quiet gentleness,

That blesses with love.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Godly wisdom is about demonstrating Your goodness in a tangible way. Forgive us for the times that we have wandered far from wisdom to attempt to walk on our own. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would rely on the wisdom of Your ways to extend the things which You call us to do. Show us how to love others well so that we are pure, peace-loving, gentle, kind, merciful, sincere, fair, honest, teachable, considerate, full of mercy, ready to do good, full of love and without favorites. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we continue to seek to grow in Your wisdom and walk it out all of our days. Amen.

 

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

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy. – Hebrews 4:16