Always with Joy

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! – (Philippians 4:4, NLT)

Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! – (Philippians 4:4, CEB)

 

When we are walking with the Lord, there is always a reason to be glad. Our joy is not dependent on our current circumstances, but rather on our hope for what is yet to come. In Christ, we know that no matter what comes our way in the here and now, our future glory will be exceedingly more than we can begin to hope or imagine. Joy comes through the blessed assurance that we are known, cared for and loved. The Lord is our Protector, Redeemer, Father and Friend, and loved us when we were most unlovable. Let every heart rise in recognition of our reason to rejoice, for our Redeemer is faithful, always!

 

May our joy be full,

And our hearts rejoice;

Let songs fill the air,

In praise, lift our voice.

For gladness is ours,

Because God is good;

He’s faithful always,

All hope understood.

Be glad and rejoice,

For this is the day;

A gift we’re given,

To live, love and pray.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You give us reason to rejoice, and You fill our hearts with joy. Thank You that we can be glad in You, no matter what is going on in or around us. Thank You that joy is not dependent on our circumstances, but rather on our future glory in Your presence. Forgive us for confusing comfort with joy. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You and follow You and Your will in all things and at all times. Show us how to share Your joy with those around us by loving others as we are loved by You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we go forth in your joy, ever glad for the good that You have granted unto us all. Amen.

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

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. – Job 8:21

With Forever in Mind

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” – (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT)

But this is precisely what is written: God has prepared things for those who love Him that no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or that haven’t crossed the mind of any human being. – (1 Corinthians 2:9, CEB)

 

There is such hope for those who place their trust in Christ. Not only do we have His presence through His Holy Spirit now, but we have the promise of eternity in a space of such majesty, that our minds and hearts cannot even conceive all that our future glory holds. To be in God’s very presence, unashamed and unafraid – welcomed with open arms… Imagine the peace and rest in that glorious space of God’s tangible grace. We get but a glimpse on earth, of all that is yet to come. When we imagine the people and places that we love the most, they are but a foretaste of all that is yet to come. God is so much more. May we embrace the grace that our God freely gives, and love Him and others as we are loved.

 

In each of our hearts,

God places a piece;

a longing to know,

love that does not cease.

Eternity’s set,

somewhere deep within;

that creates longing,

to be called Christ’s kin.

The glorious truth,

is that when we come;

and trust in the Lord,

we‘re daughters and sons.

What once was a hole,

is filled with His grace;

hope in forever,

where we’ll see His face.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that there is a glorious future that we cannot even begin to conceive for those who love You. Thank You that You receive us as we seek You, and You give us Your Spirit to follow after You. Forgive us for not upholding an eternal perspective when struggles come in the here and now. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would see all things through Your lens, remembering that this is not our home, but rather our space for a season to love You and love those around us with all that we are. Show us how to love as we are loved by You. Be glorified O God, as we operate with an eternal perspective. Amen.

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

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. – James 5:11

 

 

A Place of Radical Grace

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. – (Romans 5:2, NLT)

Jesus leads us into a place of radical grace where we are able to celebrate the hope of experiencing God’s glory. – (Romans 5:2, The Voice)

 

Faith is so much more than a feeling. It is a confident trust in God and His word, as we hold fast to the hope we have found in Jesus, who has rescued us from our sin and shame, and restored us to a right relationship with Him. We have not earned His mercy and grace, yet it is our faith that frees our hearts to hold fast with confidence, the glory that is yet to come. Joy is ours today, because we have hope for all of eternity. May we each recognize the radical grace that we have been given, and celebrate the hope that we hold in God’s glory that is yet to come.

 

Jesus leads us here,

to radical grace;

where He forgives all,

with welcome embrace.

More than the right now,

is hope yet to come;

our future glory,

spent with God and Son.

Consider the joy,

that‘s ours to behold;

this confident hope,

our strength to be bold.

Though we don’t deserve,

all that the Lord gives;

He loves anyway,

in mercy, forgives.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the undeserved place of privilege that You bring us to when we place our trust in You by faith. Thank You that as we do, we can confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing Your glory for all eternity. Thank You for Your amazing mercy and grace. Forgive us for thinking that we somehow need to earn Your favor, or that Your grace is somehow not enough for us. Help us to embrace the grace that You have freely given, and confidently look forward with joy, to all that lies ahead. Teach us to trust You more, so that our confidence would not be in what we see, but rather in what we know to be the truth. Show us how to love others with radical grace, so that they too may come to know who You are and how You love. Be glorified O God, as we stand with confidence and joy, as we look forward to Your glory that lies before us. Amen.

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

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us. – Psalm 67:1

Pleasing Meditation

May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord. – (Psalm 104:34)

 

The focus of our meditation is on whatever captures our continued extended thought, reflection, contemplation or introspection. If we choose to meditate, to fix our hearts and minds on the things of Christ, not only is our choice pleasing to the Lord, but we find reason to rejoice. It is impossible to truly set our sights on who Christ is, and all that He has done, and not feel a sense of gratitude rise up within us. Even in the most dismal of circumstances, in Christ, there is reason to rejoice. We rejoice not for our present circumstance, but rather for our eternal hope; for the forever that is yet to come. All that is in the here and now, is but the blink of an eye when compared to eternity with Christ. May we meditate on Christ and the things of Him, so that our focus is pleasing before Christ, as rejoicing rises up within us.

 

Let that which captures,

my heart and my mind;

be focused on Christ,

Who’s loving and kind.

He’s our place of hope,

but hope is a choice;

to lay hold of truth,

and learn to rejoice.

Rejoice in the Lord,

for all that He is;

not what we’re facing,

but how we shall live.

Not just for today,

but all tomorrows;

our future glory,

wipes away sorrows.

It won’t remove pain,

or trials that come;

but still we rejoice,

through hope in the Son.

For on that great day,

when we breathe our last;

we’ll enter glory,

forget all that’s passed.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we fix our eyes, hearts and minds on the things of You, we find reason to rejoice. Thank You that rejoicing is not circumstantial, but rather is always appropriate because of who You are, and what You have done for us. Thank You that our hope in You is far greater than anything that we face in the here and now. Forgive us for allowing our hearts and minds to fix on anything that distracts from the truth of the hope that we hold forever in You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will rejoice in every season – be it in sorrow or celebration – knowing that You are our God and that we have You with us now, and will dwell in Your house forever. Lead us to love others in such a way, that they too come to know the hope that is found in You. May many come into a space where their meditation is pleasing unto You, as they too, rejoice in You alone. Be glorified O God, as we fix our hearts and minds on that which is pleasing to You, and in turn, rejoice in the truth of who You are. Amen.

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

I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power. – Daniel 2:23

Let the Righteous Rejoice

Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise Him! – (Psalm 64:10)

 

In Christ, because of His perfect sacrifice for us on the cross, we are considered righteous, or upright before Him. As we are among the Lord’s righteous, we are able to take refuge in Him, as He is our safety and strong tower. For these things alone, we ought to give Him our praise.

 

To rejoice in the Lord is a choice, despite our circumstances. It is an intentional recognition of the joy that is ours, as we are certain of our present hope of the future glory that is held in the hearts of all who believe.

 

Taking refuge in Him, is running to our Redeemer when anguish, uncertainty, panic or ruin are present before us, and we simply trust in Him. He holds us in the palm of His hands, and is more than able to do exceedingly more than we could ever hope or imagine.

 

May we go forth this day recognizing that if we are in Christ, we are considered cleansed and upright before Him, therefore, let us give Him all of our thanks and praise!

 

 

Rejoice in the Lord,

take refuge in Him;

He’ll not let us fall,

on His side, we win.

To Him we’re upright,

covered and called clean;

no more scarred sinners,

we have been redeemed.

No matter what comes,

for all of our days;

let us give Him thanks,

and all of our praise.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us righteous and upright when we give our lives to You. Thank You that we may run and take refuge in You, always. Forgive us for not giving You proper praise, as You alone deserve all that we have to offer. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may invest all that we are into all that You have for us to become. Lead us to love others as You so intentionally and lavishly love each of us. May many come into a saving relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we rejoice and take refuge in You, giving You all of our thanks and praise. Amen.

 

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

He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. – Proverbs 11:25

Credible Counsel

At times, if we can simply hold fast to the promise of the Lord’s presence and the hope of our future forever with Him, whatever we are facing presently, becomes a bit less overwhelming. Asaph, the writer of the seventy-third Psalm, recognized and declared the truth and his confidence in God’s presence and guidance.

 

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. – (Psalm 73:23-24)

 

Whether we feel His presence or not, the Lord is with us. He hears our every cry, and He holds us in His hands. Our hope is secure in the safety of our Savior. We need only remember to turn to Him and listen, as He is present and prepared to guide us with wisdom and insight as to which we we are meant to go. May we ever look to the Lord and listen, trusting in His counsel now and the glory that is yet to come.

 

The Lord’s always near,

He’s holding our hand;

guiding with wisdom,

to fulfill His plan.

He’s hope for us now,

and promise to come;

our future glory,

the battle’s been won.

For it matters not,

the trials we face;

for God is with us,

both now and always.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always with us, holding us up by Your hand. Thank You that You guide us with Your counsel, and that You provide us the hope of the promise of entering the glory of Your presence forever. Forgive us for our fears and failure to recognize Your power and presence within us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may rise up in Your strength and face whatever comes our way with the courage that comes from You alone. Lead us to love others with the sort of love and care that points people directly to You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we go where You guide us. Amen.

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

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; …write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3