Let Your Light Shine

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people. – (Ephesians 1:18, NIV)

I pray that God will open your minds to see His truth. Then you will know the hope that He has chosen us to have. You will know the blessings God has promised His holy people are rich and glorious. – (Ephesians 1:18, ERV)

Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. – (Ephesians 1:18, VOICE)

For all of us who know and trust God, I imagine that we can name people in our lives who were lights of hope and living examples of God’s love that helped open our eyes, minds and hearts to the truth of who God is and how He loves. Their light showed us the hope we have in Him, and the beauty that is found in embracing all that He has for us. As believers, our charge is to do the same. This is not something that we can try to make happen, but rather His light shines through us the more we seek the Lord to lead us, change us, renew and strengthen us, so that we may walk in His ways and do His will. His heart is made plain as we worship and honor His Name. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us and guide us so that we may shine light on who God is and how He loves us all.

Lord, as we seek You,

shine Your light through us;

so those around us,

encounter Jesus.

May Your heart be known,

as we choose to love;

Your grace and goodness,

Our power is found,

as we choose to pray;

our God grants us strength,

and opens a way.

A way for His light,

to shine all around;

for goodness and grace,

to clearly be found.

So let us choose seek,

ever trust in Him;

to lead and guide us,

as He shines within.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that there is power as we pray, for You shine Your light both in and through us as we trust in You. Thank You for those who came before us and were faithful to follow after You and light the way for us to know You. Forgive us for the times that we have not given You room to make Your heart known to those around us. Teach us to seek, listen, trust, and do as You ask. Lead us in Your love so that Your light may shine to those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and love one another. Amen.

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

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. – Psalm 34:17

God is… (Day 7 – My Hiding Place)

You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. – (Psalm 32:7, NIV)

You are a hiding place for me. You protect me from my troubles. You surround me and protect me, so I sing about the way You saved me. – (Psalm 32:7, ERV)

God’s my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck. – (Psalm 32:7, MSG)

You are my hiding place. You will keep me out of trouble and envelop me with songs that remind me I am free. – (Psalm 32:7, VOICE)

As I continue to unpack who God is to me, today I am thinking back to how God has been my hiding place. He truly has surrounded me and protected me, and surrounded me with songs that remind me that I am free in Him. God has protected me every day of my life so far, as I am still here to tell about it. Only He knows the countless times that He has hidden me in the shadow of His wings and kept me safe from all that could have been. I cannot even count the near misses when driving in my car, for that split second pause to look before proceeding, only to see a car blast through the intersection when my light had turned green; the times I have traveled far from home and have encountered what could have been catastrophic circumstances, yet the only story I have is how He kept me safe. Additionally, I think about Him as my hiding place when I need a space alone with Him. He provides time and spaces where I can simply be in His presence and am acutely aware of His nearness. I love the Message’s comparison of God to an island hideaway, for He is our place of rest, refreshment, warmth, and in Whom we notice the overwhelming beauty all around us. May we ever seek the Lord to be our hiding place, for He is the One who keeps us out of trouble and envelops us with songs that remind us of who He is and how He loves.

You’re my hiding place,

a space safe and warm;

where love surrounds me,

and keeps me from harm.

In You, Lord, I know,

a space of retreat;

You envelop me,

each time that I seek.

You sing over me,

songs of strength and love;

You protect my life,

as each day’s begun.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are my hiding place, for in You, I find rest, retreat, and safety. Thank You that You sing over me songs that remind me of Your goodness and love. Forgive me for the times that I allow life to overwhelm me rather than seeking You and all that You provide to show me You are near. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times, for You are greater than anything that comes against us. Show me how to love those around me in ways that make Your goodness known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, where they too, know the hiding place that is found in Your overwhelming love. Be glorified O God, as we seek space in Your presence, our hiding place wherever we are. Amen.

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

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. – Psalm 17:8

God is… (Day 2 – My Maker)

This morning, the second God is statement that I am focusing on is that God is my Maker. As the Maker of me individually, it feels far more close and personal. Scripture praises God as our Maker, but the verse that my heart drifts toward when I think about Him as my Maker is the following:

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV)

You formed the way I think and feel. You put me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because You made me in such a wonderful way. I know how amazing that was! – (Psalm 139:13-14, ERV)

For You shaped me, inside and out. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb long before I took my first breath. I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest detail with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul. – (Psalm 139:13-14, VOICE)

It is an interesting practice to pause and thank God as my Maker. Seldom do I thank Him for the way that He made me. He has given me a kind and hopeful heart that knows with confidence that He holds me in His hands. He formed my body to be strong, and strengthens me to do the things to which I have been called. Even as my body ages and has new challenges that have never been there before, He provides reason for me to thank Him. Yesterday morning, as I was doing my devotions and eating breakfast, I took a bite of my breakfast sandwich and felt something awry with one of my upper molars. When my tongue felt the area where something felt off, I knew my tooth had cracked. Instead of being in despair, I called and left a message at my dentist’s office and sent a text to my administrators and office manager, communicating what had happened and that if the dentist could get me in, I would need to go. God orchestrated every last detail, and a friend covered my first period class, as the dentist was able to get me in and fix the exposure that the broken crown was causing. Even more than that, there was an appointment available (quite miraculously) for tomorrow morning. Though a broken crown that needs repair is unpleasant, the fact that all things came together for the good of a speedy recovery remind me that God cares and pays attention to even the minute details of our lives and who we are. He birthed in me an awareness of what He has made and how things ought to be and when they are off. I am grateful that I will soon be past this, and that He is always with me. May we ever praise the Lord as our Maker, for He knit us together, and designed everything about us, inside and out. All that He has created, He has called very good.

The Lord, our Maker,

was intentional;

heart, mind and body,

He created all.

The way that I think,

and process new things;

the way I press on,

through all that life brings.

With praise for the good,

and thanks that He’s near;

He’s proven faithful,

throughout all my years.

No matter what comes,

with purpose I’m made;

all of my being,

His art is displayed.

Each of us unique,

body, heart and ways;

created just so,

His love on display.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our Maker. Thank You that You knit each of us together in our mother’s womb. Thank You that You planned and carried out every detail about us, inside and out. Forgive us for the times that we dislike parts of ourselves, be it heart, mind or body. Teach us to place all in Your hands and trust You to lead us in the ways that are best. Show us how to love more like You and to give You thanks for the gifts found in those all around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You that we were fearfully and wonderfully made. Amen.

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

This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, Who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, Who stretches out the heavens, Who spreads out the earth by Myself. – Isaiah 44:24

God is… (Day 1 – My Author)

Yesterday morning at church, my pastor began a series called, “God is ________.” The premise behind the title is that we each have our own story of who God is to us, and how we know He is who He says He is. Toward the close of his sermon, Pastor Omar was listing some of the names of God. As he unpacked a few of them, the bridge of the song, “Worthy of Your Name” came to mind. In this bridge, the song states fourteen different things that God is. Personally, I can relate to and think of examples of times where I have known God as each of these. My thought for the next two weeks is to share one each day with scripture that aligns with my own experiences. The following are the portion of the lyrics that I will be focusing on:

You’re my Author, my Maker, my Ransom

My Savior, my Refuge, my Hiding Place

You’re my Helper, my Healer, my Blessed Redeemer

My Answer, my Saving Grace

You’re my Hope in the shadows

My Strength in the battle

My Anchor for all my days

You stand by my side

And You stood in my place

Jesus no other name

Jesus no other name

Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. – (Hebrews 12:2, KJV)

God as our Author is not only the One who created and has written what our story could be, but He penned out the way to eternal life through His Son, Jesus. He has hand crafted and specifically designed each of us with a plan and a purpose. This is a huge title to unpack, as the Author already knows how the story will unfold and ultimately, end, and as I look back on the chapter thus far, I can clearly see His hand and His handiwork in and through all things. His love, kindness, care, hope and strength have been abundantly supplied throughout all of my days. From the most difficult days to the most glorious, He has been present in all. It is because of His great love, that Jesus made the way for us to know life through Him. His sacrifice made way for our ultimate victory. May we ever seek the Lord, who is the Author of our life, faith, and story, for He is the One to whom we can always turn, and our hope forevermore.

God is the Author,

of everything;

the story writer,

as all hope He brings.

With purpose He planned,

for each one of us;

our life, our journey,

our hope in Jesus.

Despite our purpose,

He’s given free will;

for we have a choice,

accept or rebel.

Each day that we live,

we choose yet again;

honor our Maker,

our Savior and Friend.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the Author of all that exists. You created each of us with a plan and a purpose and You made a way for us to be in relationship with You. Forgive us for the times that we have rejected Your plans and purposes. Teach us to trust You and to always give You our best “yes”. Lead us in Your love to love those around us well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You for being the Author of our lives, for Your story is perfectly planned. Amen.

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

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. – Deuteronomy 13:4

Ever Within

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. – (Psalm 46:5, NIV)

God is in that city, so it will never be destroyed. He is there to help even before sunrise. – (Psalm 46:5, ERV)

The True God never sleeps and always resides in the city of joy; He makes it unstoppable, unshakable. When it awakes at dawn, the True God has already been at work. – (Psalm 46:5, VOICE)

Though this verse is speaking of a location, God is faithful to do the same for each of us, individually. When uncertainty swirls around us, God is steady within us and is faithful to be our help and our hope. As we rise, be it before dawn or after, He is already working on our behalf. He knows what we need and loves us beyond what we could hope or imagine. I am so thankful that God is faithful, for uncertainty seems to be a perpetual theme in this particular season of life. From navigating the challenges that aging parents face, to continually being in a space of not knowing what my job will entail in the coming year, along with being present as adult children navigate their own journey through education and employment, I could not stay standing without God being my strength from the moment I rise to when I close my eyes at the day’s end. May we ever trust in the True God who never sleeps and always dwells within us. He is faithful to meet us in each moment, and provides what we need to navigate each new thing.

The Lord is present,

as each new day dawns;

always He’s with us,

to rise and press on.

He grants us the strength,

that each day we need;

in Him, we won’t fall,

as we trust, He leads.

Whatever may come,

the Lord is still good;

our help and our hope,

He’s love understood.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You dwell within us and keep us from falling. Thank You that You are already at work as we rise each new day. Thank You that You have good things in store for those who love You. Forgive us for our fears and doubts as we navigate seasons that seem overwhelming. Teach us to lean on You to be our help and our hope. Show us how to love those around us well, so that all might come to understand the power of Your goodness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your unending presence, and thank You for the ways that You help, strengthen, and equip us for all that lies before us. Amen.

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

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

Always Love

It (love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. – (1 Corinthians 13:7, NIV)

Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. – (1 Corinthians 13:7, ERV)

Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. – (1 Corinthians 13:7, TPT)

 

God is love. This perfect sort of love comes from Him alone. We are flawed and frail and fallen; He is good, gracious and merciful. When we seek the Lord first, He deposits these things within us, and grants us the capacity to protect, trust, hope, and persevere in love. In our broken humanity, we will never be flawless in our delivery. However, God is. When we choose to love God and love people as we are called and designed to do, we become better equipped to protect, trust, hope and persevere, as His love leads us in every area of our life that we grant Him access. The more we give God room, the more we become aware of the hope, security, and overcoming, lasting love that is found in Christ. May we ever seek the Lord with our whole heart, so that we too, may love in a way that creates a safe place of shelter, that never stops believing the best for others, never takes failure as defeat, and never gives up.

 

Our space of shelter,

When weary and worn;

He grants strength to move,

In Christ, hope’s reborn.

The One we can trust,

Protection in love;

He never gives up,

Our Help from above.

Even through the times,

When we can’t shake fear;

His presence surrounds,

To rise, persevere.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, we begin to understand the power of love. Thank You that Your love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Thank You that the more we walk with You, the better we are able to love as You love us. Forgive us for the times that we have been lacking in our love. Continue to teach us how to love like You. Show us practical and tangible ways to love those around us well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we always trust and hope in You, as You protect us and provide for us, all that we need through Your overwhelming and unending love. Amen.

 

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

 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. – John 13:34

Be Glad, Lovely Sky

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. – (Isaiah 49:13, NIV)

Heavens and earth, be happy! Mountains, shout with joy! The Lord comforts His people. He is good to His poor people. – (Isaiah 49:13, ERV)

Oh joy! Be glad – sky! Take joy – earth! Burst into song – mountains! For the Eternal, moved to compassion, has comforted and consoled His people. – (Isaiah 49:13, VOICE)

 

Though we may not feel it in the midst of our struggles, God is moving with compassion and supplying His comfort. Perhaps that is the “why” to rejoice, for when we do, it further comforts us, despite our circumstances. Additionally, even if we do not choose to rejoice and be glad, “…the very rocks would start to shout!” (Luke 19:40, VOICE) The truth of who God is will be made known, with or without us. We are in a unique position to demonstrate joy, despite our circumstances; rejoice in the truth that we know, and hold fast to the hope of all that is yet to come. It does not mean that we will be “Miss Susie Sunshine” all the time, but what it does mean is that there is an underlying joy and hope, deep-rooted within us, that shines forth somehow, even on the most difficult of days. May we set our sights on He who is good to His people and has compassion and comfort for those in need. Let us take joy in the truth that we know and be glad in ways that spread goodness to those around us.

 

Be glad, lovely sky,

Take joy, all the earth;

For God sees us each,

With infinite worth.

In His holy love,

Comfort He does bring;

Full of compassion,

Our reason to sing.

So, sing out with praise,

All the earth rejoice;

Lift praise to the Lord,

One heart and one voice.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that all of heaven and earth has reason to rejoice and be glad, as You bring comfort and compassion to the afflicted and those in need. Thank You that You hear every prayer and see every need. Forgive us for our lack of praise in spaces of struggle. Show us how to rejoice and hold hope in tangible ways that spread joy to those around us. Help us to love all those whom we have contact with in ways that encourage and strengthen them with joy and hope. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You with grateful hearts, full of hope, as You are our Comforter, full of compassion in every season of our lives. Amen.

 

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

 

“I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” – Luke 19:40