Give 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)

So far, it has been a strange winter break. My love and I spent Christmas morning driving south to my sister and brother-in-law’s home to enjoy time together with their family and my mom. My kids were unable to go, as they were recovering from a virus and did not want to share it with mom. Yesterday, we spent a few hours helping organize and set up mom’s new place near my sister. Change can be overwhelming yet being close to family in a space that is equipped to help and support mom well, is a positive change, as she was alone far too often. It is a tremendous blessing that mom was able to get in, as there is a long wait list to move into her new place. I mention these things because though not typical, I can see and celebrate God’s blessings through it all. For my kids, they had down time to rest and relax, and for us, we were able to visit and help, even with a quick turn-around. This morning, my love is back to work, and I am back to running practice for my gymnasts. I still have another week off from teaching, but coaching continues throughout. There is joy in this as well. Another praise is that my surgeries went well, and I am on the mend. The specialist was confident that she removed all the cancerous cells, and the reconstructive surgery of the site is healing nicely. For all these things and more, I am truly grateful to God and cannot help but give Him thanks and praise. May we ever bless the Lord and give Him thanks, for every good and perfect gift comes from Him.

All praise be to God,

I lift up His Name;

For all that is good,

His grace to proclaim.

Through all things that come,

On this road we take;

God will be faithful,

For a way He’ll make.

Faithful through valleys,

And on mountain tops;

He will never leave,

Our struggles He swaps.

He exchanges dark,

With glorious light;

Grants peace with presence,

In Him we delight.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we have so much to be grateful for in You. Forgive us for the times that we forget our blessings and focus on what we cannot control. Teach us to trust You more, as You are faithful to respond each time we call on Your Name. Show us how to praise You in all things, especially through how we choose to love like You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for the countless blessings that You bring into our lives and for the love that You show. Amen.

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

Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses. – 1 Kings 8:56

The Strength That We Need

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love is eternal. – (Psalm 136:1, HCSB)

Praise the Lord because He is good. His faithful love will last forever. – (Psalm 136:1, ERV)

Let everyone thank God, for He is good, and He is easy to please! His tender love for us continues on forever! – (Psalm 136:1, TPT)

God is always good and that is why we ought to give Him thanks and praise. All He wants of us is for us to love Him and love people. In exchange, we have the promise of His faithful love forever. Faithful love stays near, provides, supplies, encourages, builds up and grants peace. For all these things and more, we have reason to give God our gratitude. Today, though it is a Monday after a long weekend, I have reason to give thanks because He goes before me, remains with me, and will lead me through whatever the day holds. This will be a busy week and I need His strength, peace and love to lead me well, and His hope to continue to press on. May we ever give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and His never-ending faithful love.

The goodness of God,

All the Monday feels…

Our reason to praise;

Let us give Him thanks,

Throughout all our days.

His help and His hope,

Are always nearby;

The strength that we need,

He’ll always provide.

Praise to the Father,

And praise to the Son;

Praise to the Spirit,

Blessed three in One.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we have countless reasons to praise You. Thank You for love, life and hope that are provided in Your presence. Forgive us for our fears and lack of fortitude when all feels like too much. Teach us to lean into You and allow You to lead us through. Show us how to love those around us in ways that encourage, lift up and strengthen others to persevere. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise throughout all our days for Your goodness that never ends. Amen.

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

But You, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. – Psalm 22:19

Goodness and Grace

Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. – (John 1:16, NIV)

Yes, the Word was full of grace and truth, and from Him we all received one blessing after another. – (John 1:16, ERV)

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. – (John 1:16, NLT)

Because God is good, we benefit from the fullness of His grace. Every life, every breath, and every blessing is because of the goodness of God. He knows what we need far better than we do, and His abundance is poured out upon us. For me, when weekends come, I want to go and do and see, as I do not want to “waste” my time off. That being said, God knows what we need. This long weekend, what normally would have been a go, go, go adventure, has instead been one of relaxing, visiting, and resting. This morning, as I woke up close to my normal weekday time, I realized that I felt rested for the first time in quite a while. Had we adventured and been on the go as much as we normally might have, I would be returning home exhausted, rather than going back rested and ready for our second week of school. God’s goodness is all around us, and holds us up if we are willing to let Him in. This morning, I am so thankful for His gracious blessings that have allowed us time with family and rest. May we ever praise Him who provides what we need the most, and thank Him for His goodness and grace.

Because God is good,

We receive His grace;

Blessings and goodness,

Throughout all our days.

He grants us His peace,

As we are in need;

Provides us true rest,

From weariness, freed.

May we ever seek,

For in Him we find;

Love that’s enduring,

Faithful, and so kind.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are fullness, goodness, light and love, and that You bless us with Your grace, peace and rest as we ever seek You. Thank You that You provide what we need, not just what we think we want. Forgive us for not recognizing Your goodness and grace for us all. Teach us to trust and rely on You as You show us Your abundant love. Show us how to love those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You and praise You for the fullness of Your goodness and grace for us all. Amen.

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

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23:6

Hope That Will Not Fail

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. – (Psalm 62:5, NLT)

I must calm down and turn to God; He is my only hope. – (Psalm 62:5, ERV)

I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the One I love, waiting as long as it takes for Him to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and He will not fail me. – (Psalm 62:5, TPT)

 

Coming before God in the quiet stillness of each morning, with the intention to hear His heart, is part of my daily practice. However, to truly wait quietly before Him in absolute stillness for as long as it takes, is not something I am accustomed to nor good at doing. In some things, I am extraordinarily patient, and can wait for a very long time. Yet, when my mobility and activity level are compromised, I still struggle to wait for healing to come quickly enough for my liking. He is good and faithful and has never failed me. I know I can trust in Him to walk beside me in the waiting, and to be my hope and my help. As I look back upon His faithfulness to hold me in His hands thus far, I cannot help but look forward with hope, knowing that He will continue to be present as He mends my body and utilizes this struggle for good somehow. May we ever wait quietly before God in silent stillness, as long as it takes, knowing that He is faithful and will not fail us.

 

Let all that I am, 

Calm down and choose turn;

My eyes to the Lord,

As it’s how hope’s learned.

In quiet stillness,

As I hope in Him;

He is my rescue,

Grants peace from within.

No matter the storm,

Nor trial we face;

God will be faithful,

In goodness and grace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we slow down and wait in silent stillness before You, we recognize Your rescue and hope rises within us. Forgive us for our lack of patience and faith, as we want instant results. Teach us to trust Your timing and Your purposes for that which we walk through, as You utilize all things for good in Your time. Show us how to love those around us in a way that offers hope and peace and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You in the waiting and hold hope in You forever. 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