Give Him Praise

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His Holy Name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits. – (Psalm 103:1-2, NIV)

My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise His Holy Name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind He is! – (Psalm 103:1-2, ERV)

O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless His Holy Name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing! – (Psalm 103:1-2, MSG)

When we think about the kindness of God and all of His blessings, it is impossible not to give Him praise! For light and life, love and hope, peace and joy, and every good thing in our lives, to God be the thanks and praise. It is wonderful how God can bring blessing in and through all things. For example, yesterday, we got hit with a winter storm that dumped more than a half a foot of snow. For me, I love the blanket of beauty that snow provides in the Pacific Northwest. My husband was pleased to have the opportunity for overtime, our youngest was happy to have chauffeur service to and from work, the eldest twin was glad to have a lunch date with me, the oldest boys were thrilled to take out their four-wheel drive vehicles, and the pups love to play in the snow. One winter happening that many might not consider a blessing, was a wonderful way to enjoy the last day of a long and blessed weekend. In all things, God can bring blessings. As we praise Him for who He is, we become better equipped to recognize all that He does. May we each pause and give God praise for who He is everyday. 

My soul, bless the Lord,

For He’s always good;

Love never ending,

Makes hope understood.

Help in times of need,

Our peace in the storms;

Calm in the chaos,

His love keeps us warm.

Warm on the inside,

Where fear makes us cold;

Goodness delivered,

As love is outpoured.

Take time to ponder,

The blessings from Him;

And give Him glory,

For all He brings in.

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for the incredible blessings of loving kindness that You pour out upon us. Forgive us for not always recognizing the good that You provide. Teach us to see Your hand in all things, for You are love, light, goodness, hope, help and peace. Lead us to lean into Your love so that we too, may love like You. Show us how to be an extension of Your kindness and grace to all people throughout each day. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your loving provision and seek to love like You. Amen.

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

The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. – Exodus 15:2

Praise for Provision

The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. – (Exodus 15:2, NIV)

The Lord is my strength. He saves me, and I sing songs of praise to Him. He is my God, and I praise Him. He is the God of my ancestors, and I honor Him. – (Exodus 15:2, ERV)

The Eternal is my strength and my song, and He has come to save me; He is my God, and I will praise Him. He is the God of my father, and I will exalt Him. – (Exodus 15:2, VOICE)

When we know the Lord as our Savior, we become acutely aware of His strength and worthiness of all of our praise. He provides as we abide in Him, no matter what our situation or circumstances. This morning, I am reminded anew of my reasons to praise Him. Though we do not have air-conditioning in the midst of a heatwave, we have a basement that stays comfortably cool. Additionally, our current weather is not a common occurrence. In some parts of the world, this is typical, and air-conditioning is not an option. There is reason to be grateful for a normally temperate climate, and for spaces of reprieve to escape the heat. May we ever sing praise to God, for He is our strength and defense, our refuge and our salvation.

My strength and my song,

Evidence of the crazy temperatures…

Belong to the Lord;

It’s His salvation,

Through love He affords.

His mercy and grace,

Forgive and set free;

Raise head, hands and heart,

To rise up and be.

He provides the strength,

Gives place to belong;

Protects, empowers,

His love makes us strong.

Strong in conviction,

Equipped well to love;

Let’s sing unto Him,

The Lord up above.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our strength and our salvation, and the reason we can sing songs of praise. Forgive us for our lack of gratitude when things are out of sorts. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times, for You are always good. Show us how to love those around us in ways that make Your heart known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing songs of praise to You, our strength and our defense that saves. Amen.

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

Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. – 1 Chronicles 16:9

Renewed Resolve

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) 

We are in the midst of a long and heavy season. Staying home, not spending time with those we love outside of our immediate family, seeking to learn and grow, and trying to determine what is and is not safe and wise, all of these things and more, are exhausting. Thankfully, as we navigate each day as it arrives, we have a Savior who will renew our strength and resolve, and empower us to keep moving forward in faith. Our hope is not in any particular people, but rather it is in Christ alone. He is the One who leads us, loves us and shapes us to more clearly reflect His heart to the world. May we ever place our hope in the Lord, for He is willing and able to renew our strength and grant us all that we need to keep moving in the direction to which we are called. 

Choose wait on the Lord, 

For He is our strength; 

Ever making new, 

His path we’re to take. 

God’s power and grace, 

Are granted to us; 

As we seek the face, 

of the Lord Jesus. 

So, spread wide our wings, 

And take to the air; 

His grace is enough, 

to love anywhere. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You renew and strengthen us for all that You are calling us into, so that we may keep moving forward. Thank You for Your love and grace that fill where we are lacking. Forgive us for not turning to You for strength in our weariness. Teach us to hope in You. Show us how to love others as You so completely love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we place our hope in You. Amen. 

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

The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. – Exodus 15:2

Strength and a Sure Path

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. – (2 Samuel 22:33, NIV)

God is my strong fortress. He clears the path I need to take. – (2 Samuel 22:33, ERV)

God is my strong fortress; He has made me safe. – (2 Samuel 22:33, TLB)

 

Returning home after a long leave away, launched me into a season of scheduled busy that keeps me moving from early morning until the time I lie down to sleep each night. Though I would not trade it, on days such as this, I have to pause and reflect, and recognize that I only reached Friday by God’s grace and strength, with His guidance. He has protected my boys as they have begun the venture of driving solo, and granted each of us strength to return to the routine of the school year. Currently, this also includes crazy, busy weekends for all of us. God is good, and He knows our needs and is generous and kind to meet them. He makes a way for us to navigate securely, and shows us what to prioritize to maintain peace. May we ever seek our Savior to be our strength and fortress, and to show us the way that He is leading us to go.

As for mom, I imagine she is seeking the Lord to be her strength and security too, as she adapts to the new schedule in Oregon at my sister’s. With my nephews back at school, and sister and brother-in-love back to work, she has a “Visiting Angel” spending time with her during the day in their absence, and is continuing to adjust to discovering a new routine with new care-givers during the day. Mom is resilient and kind, and I know will continue to work tirelessly toward recovering with her eyes on the prize; ever pursuing her total independence again.

 

The Lord is our strength,

Keeps the way secure;

Grants hope for today,

Help so we endure.

In all our trials,

And each victory;

God will be present,

Love’s delivery.

All thanks be to God,

For His faithfulness;

As we are transformed,

By His graciousness.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our strength and that You make our path secure. Thank You that You provide and guide, even when we feel weary or wonder how the way will even be possible. Forgive us for the times that we allow the obstacles or heaviness to cloud our faith, rather than look to You. Teach us to trust You, for You are far greater than anything that lies before us or comes our way. Show us how to love those around us in a way that extends strength and hope and direction. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your guidance, strength and love that lead us well. Amen.

 

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

 

The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. – Exodus 15:2