Freedom Through His Love

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. – (Galatians 5:13, NIV)

My brothers and sisters, God chose you to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful selves. Instead, serve each other with love. – (Galatians 5:13, ERV)

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that’s how freedom grows. – (Galatians 5:13, MSG)

God created us with a free will. Our freedom is ours to determine how to use or lose. When we indulge in decisions that are not what God intended, we can become trapped in a pattern and are no longer free. However, when we use our freedom to serve one another in love, we find that our freedom grows, and consequently, our joy multiplies. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us and grow us as we pursue a life of loving Him and loving one another.

We’re called to freedom,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

So let us choose well;

In love, opt to serve,

As His goodness dwells.

He dwells in each heart,

That chooses to ask;

He leads us to serve,

To love with each task.

For it’s only love,

That shows the Lord’s grace;

It sets all things right,

Brings peace to each place.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have called and created us to live in freedom. Thank You that as we love and serve and honor You, we grow in our understanding of what it is to be free from all that has hindered us in the past. Forgive us for holding onto things we should not. Teach us to release that which does not extend love to You or to those around us. Show us true freedom in You. Lead us to love those around us by serving and honoring each other. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we freely choose to serve one another in love. Amen.

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

For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His Name when you served the saints – and you continue to serve them. – Hebrews 6:10

By Faith

By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible. – (Hebrews 11:3, HCSB)

Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by His command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. – (Hebrews 11:3, ERV)

Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen. – (Hebrews 11:3, TPT)

Currently, my love and I are in a connect group through church that is studying Hebrews. Last night as we met and discussed Hebrews 11, I was reminded again of the vastness of God. God, whom we cannot yet see, created all that we can see. His power, love, grace and goodness can be witnessed through all that is created that surrounds us. It is through the glimpses of God that we are given by people and creation around us, that we lay hold of faith in Him who we cannot see. The more that we learn to trust in the One whom we cannot see, the more tangible the invisible becomes. May we ever seek the Lord to grow our faith as we continue to pursue the path that He has placed us upon. Let His love be made evident through our trust and reliance in Him.

By faith we can see,

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The beauty and grace;

All that’s created,

Through God’s loving ways.

The sky, land and sea,

Show us God’s great love;

Purposeful design,

By Him up above.

The invisible,

Can somehow be seen;

Love made tangible,

Through things in between.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can see evidence of Your goodness and love everywhere we look. Thank You that these things, and so much more, cause faith to rise up in what cannot be seen. Forgive us for the times that we have forgotten how You can take even the smallest glimmer of faith and grow it into something great. Teach us to seek You and trust in You, for You grow our faith through our understanding and experiences of who You are and how You love. Show us how to love in such a way that though invisible, love may be made tangible to all whom we encounter. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and trust You to grow our faith, for it is by faith that mountains move and lives are changed. Amen.

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

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. – Hebrews 11:1

The Scent of Promise

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. – (2 Corinthians 2:15, NIV)

Our offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. – (2 Corinthians 2:15, ERV)

In a turbulent world where people are either dying or being rescued, we are the sweet smell of the Anointed to God our Father. – (2 Corinthians 2:15, VOICE)

I love that God created us with powerful senses, and that with them, we have memories that can be recalled quickly with a whiff of a familiar smell. For example, I cannot inhale the scent of fresh fruit or baking pies without thinking fondly of my grandparents. For me, there are certain scents that immediately turn my heart to Him, as they draw me into a space of sensing His nearness. As a runner and a lover of being outdoors, every spring, (and sometimes again in the summer) I anticipate the sweet scent of English Laurels in bloom all around our area. It is a smell that immediately brings praise to my heart, for there is something about it that causes me to associate the scent with the aroma of Christ. Incredibly, it is our charge to carry His sweet scent of life wherever we go. To some, it will be received and appreciated, whereas by others, it will be shunned and rejected. Our charge is to keep choosing to love and extend kindness, for that is the sweet smell of our loving Father. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us well, so that we might be the sweet scent of Christ that offers light and life and hope in spaces where they are absent.

The sweet scent of Christ,

Is hope, love and peace;

It’s promised goodness,

That will never cease.

On our darkest days,

Still He’s ever near;

The scent of promise,

That drives away fear.

Lord, help us receive,

So that we may give;

Your sweet, pleasing scent,

Hope each day we live.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of our senses and how You use them to help us be more aware of You. Thank You that scents can be associated with good things, and that we too, can offer the pleasing scent of Your Son to the world. Forgive us for the times that our words and actions were not a sweet scent. Teach us to bring goodness and kindness to all that we say and do, so that Your sweet scent may ring true. Show us how to love those around us best, so that they may see Your heart through our words and actions. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for the sweet scent of Christ that is all around us, and seek You to help us to operate from the overflow of Your abundant goodness and grace. Amen.

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

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – Romans 15:7