Give Thanks to the Lord

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. – (Psalm 118:29, HCSB)

Praise the Lord because He is good. His faithful love will last forever. – (Psalm 118:29, ERV)

You’re my God, and I thank You. O my God, I lift high Your praise. Thank God – He’s so good. His love never quits! – (Psalm 118:29, MSG)

After more than ten hours of travel to safely arrive at our destination, we were exhausted and a bit punchy. I cannot help but give thanks to God for His goodness and protection as we traveled, and for His provision as we arrived. An added bonus is that we were upgraded to a convertible for our rental car, hence the Viking’s huge smile. Every time I see the beauty God has made, I am blessed by His protection and provision, I have to give Him thanks. May we all recognize the goodness and love of the Lord and give Him thanks each new day.

All thanks to the Lord,

For love that is true;

Goodness and kindness,

Each day that is new.

His love never quits,

So nor should our praise;

Thank You, Lord Jesus,

For each brand new day.

Your blessings poured out,

Your goodness shown true;

Help my heart to hold,

Thanks for all You do.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love, goodness, kindness and provision are eternal. Thank You that You hold us in Your hands and bless us, Your children, with a perfect Father’s love. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to give You praise for how You love us so well. Teach us to recognize that every good and perfect gift comes from You. Show us how to love everyone we encounter so that they might gain glimpses of Your goodness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You thanks and praise for who You are and how You love us forever. Amen.

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

Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. – 1 Chronicles 29:13

Clearly Seen

For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. – (Romans 1:20, HCSB)

There are things about God that people cannot see – His eternal power and all that makes Him God. But since the beginning of the world, those things have been easy for people to understand. They are made clear in what God has made. So people have no excuse for the evil they do. – (Romans 1:20, ERV)

From the beginning, creation in its magnificence elightens us to His nature. Creation itself makes His undying power and divine identity clear, even though they are invisible; and it voids the excuses and the ignorant claims of these people. – (Romans 1:20, VOICE)

The more of the world I have the opportunity to see, the more that this verse makes perfect sense. To see the beauty, creativity and diversity of the earth and all that is in it, testifies clearly that there is a power far higher than us. Each day is a new sunrise, and each evening a new sunset. Everything in between is full of color and life and light, and the bookend times are a new painting at dawn and dusk. On our most recent adventure, God’s evidence was everywhere. I loved waking each morning to hurry to the balcony to see just what colors would appear in the sunrise. Each day was different. The various colors of the ocean and the incredible diversity of life that live in it also testify to a loving and creative God. This morning, as I look ahead to the day, I recognize all God’s hands have made, and the beauty of people and places that I will encounter. May we have eyes to see the beauty all around us, and the wisdom to give thanks where all praise is due.

O God, we praise You,

For all You have made;

The sun, moon and stars,

That light up our way.

Mountains and valleys,

Oceans to small streams;

All of creation,

And all the unseen.

How could we question,

Your goodness and grace?

For all creation,

Make plain You’re the way.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that everywhere we look there is evidence of Your goodness and power. Thank You that the more we see, the more we recognize who You are and how great Your love. Forgive us for not taking the time to recognize and praise You for all that Your hands have made. Teach us to take it all in and to be overwhelmed with awe and gratitude. Show us how to care well for all of Your creation, and how to love those whom You place on our path. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God as we stand in awe, with hearts full of praise for all You are and all that You have made. Amen. 

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

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. – Psalm 19:1

The Heavens Make It Known

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. – (Psalm 19:1, NIV)

The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies announce what His hands have made. – (Psalm 19:1, ERV)

God’s splendor is a tale that is told, written in the stars. Space itself speaks His story through the marvel of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing His skill in creation’s craftsmanship. – (Psalm 19:1, TPT)

Each morning, as I walk our dogs, I witness the beauty of all that God has made. The skies transform before my eyes, and the colors unfold like the opening of a fresh box of crayons. At night, as the day comes to a close, the moon and stars shine bright through the darkness, blinking of the brilliance of the hands that hung them each in the sky. Even when the blue is hidden by clouds, the weight of them waters the earth and restores green to the grass and trees. All it takes is but a moment of looking up to be reminded of the greatness of God and the glory of His majesty. May we ever take in all of His creation and recognize that the same God who created such beauty was intentional to create all those whom we encounter.

All heaven declares,

The glory of God;

The work of His hands,

Leaves my heart in awe.

Each star in the sky,

On purpose was placed;

To remind us all,

Of God’s endless grace.

With hearts full of praise,

May we choose look up;

Give thanks to the Lord,

As He fills our cup.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness, power and creativity. Thank You that all we need to do is look up to become aware of the wonders of Your power and goodness. Forgive us for neglecting to take time to take in all of the wonder at what Your hands have made. Teach us to be intentional to appreciate and stand in awe of all that You have created. Show us how to recognize the beauty of Your creation, and to help others value themselves, as we all are among Your created. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we recognize Your glory as we observe the world around us.  Amen.

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

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. – Psalm 36:5

Trust at All Times

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. – (Romans 8:37, NLT)

But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown His love for us. – (Romans 8:37, ERV)

Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and His demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything! – (Romans 8:37, TPT)

 

When trials and challenges come our way, we need not fear, for He has given us victory in all things through Christ who loves us. Yesterday, as I walked through the process of oral surgery, this held true for me in a wonderful way. I am not necessarily fearful, but rather one who dreads anything dental, as they can never keep my mouth numb throughout an entire procedure. With conscious sedation, though there were points in the process that I could feel a bit, I was comfortable enough that it was not a problem, and the entire process was over fairly quickly. Additionally, my loving husband took the day off to take me to my appointment, wait there for me during the process, and be with me to bring me home and care for me. God provided all that I needed and more. Though my challenge was fairly trivial compared to some that people endure, it demonstrates how much He cares, even in the small things. May we ever seek the Lord in every trial and challenge we face, for victory comes through Him who loves us more than we can comprehend.

 

The Lord’s ever near,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Our help and our hope;

He grants victory,

With our fears, He’ll cope.

He provides His help,

And a hand to hold;

Takes our hand and heart,

To help us be bold.

By His loving grace,

In strength we shall rise;

Able to go forth,

Without compromise.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You meet us wherever we are, no matter what lies before us, and You are willing to be our hope, help and strength. Thank You that we never have to face anything alone. Forgive us for our fearfulness in the face of the unknown. Teach us to trust You more, as You alone already know every outcome and are greater than anything that lies before us. Show us how to walk beside others in love as they face the seemingly impossible that lies before them. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, as they recognize the love and strength that comes from You alone. Be glorified O God, as we learn to trust You in all things at all times. Amen.

 

 

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

 

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  – 1 Corinthians 13:7