Defense Against Discouragement

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. – (Psalm 95:2, NIV)

Come and worship Him with songs of thanks. Let us sing happy songs of praise to Him. – (Psalm 95:2, ERV)

Come face-to-face with God, and give thanks; with loud and joyful voices, praise Him in songs. – (Psalm 95:2, VOICE)

 

The best defense against discouragement and frustration, is praise and thanksgiving. Yesterday was a bit of a battle for me. Between fending off a doozy of a headache and a report of less-than-stellar student behavior during my absence on Monday, it was a struggle to operate from a space of gratitude and joy. Thankfully, I have incredible colleagues, and the blessing of positive and encouraging interactions with them throughout my day, made all of the difference in how my heart was held. I am certain that taking the opportunity to give mom a quick call during my planning period helped too. By the time I arrived at high school gymnastics practice to warm, friendly greetings by the girls and fellow coaches, joy and gratitude were back in their proper place, and practice flew by. Days such as these, I am so grateful for the people that He has placed in my life to remind me of what truly matters. May we ever come before the Lord with thanksgiving and praise Him with song; for He is good and His love endures forever.

As I mentioned, I was blessed to get a hold of Mom during my planning period in the morning yesterday. Speaking to her before her first out-patient speech appointment was good, as I know she was a bit nervous for the new, yet excited to continue to move forward on this journey of healing. Thankfully, I had the pleasure of checking back in with Mom last evening to hear how her first appointment had gone. Although it was the usual assessment to establish a starting point, she really liked the speech therapist, and was encouraged by the work he initiated and the hope that lies ahead. Additionally, now that she has been to an out-patient appointment, the other new upcoming therapy appointments are less daunting. For all of these things, we give thanks.

 

When discouragement,

Or frustration come;

Combat them with praise,

To the Holy One.

Despite what we see,

There’s always reason;

To give thanks to God,

In each new season.

For life and for breath,

For hope, strength and peace;

So many blessings,

By grace, He’s released.

Let us rise and praise,

Give thanks where it’s due;

All unto the Lord,

Whose love’s ever true.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You we have reason to give thanks and sing songs of praise unto You, in every season. Thank You that even in a time that feels heavy, You are present and ready to carry the weight. Thank You that as we lift our burdens unto You and give praise where praise is due, we are able to navigate the way true. Forgive us for losing sight of gratitude in the grip of the grind. Teach us to keep our eyes on You, so that our perspective is eternal rather than on the temporary. Show us how to love those around us in the midst of their heaviness, so that they too may find reason to give thanks. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise and thanks for all of our days, for You are always good. Amen.

 

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

 

The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart will glory in Him! – Psalm 64:10

Take Hold of Instruction

Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. – (Proverbs 4:13, NLT)

Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. – (Proverbs 4:13, AMP)

 

When God instructs us in the ways we are meant to go, we ought to cling tightly to what we have been told, and do our best to obey. His plans and ways lead to light and life, whereas on our own, we tend to run amuck. This can become a grey area for people, as there are the basics that we shall and shall not do as followers of Christ, yet there are other things that are fine for some, yet not a good idea for others. It is in these spaces that it is essential for us to seek the Lord and ask His will for us, individually. Whatever He tells us personally, is what we are meant to do. He does not always ask the same things of us as that of our friends and neighbors. We all have different strengths and challenges, and He knows our need far better than we do. This is the very reason we are meant to seek the Lord and His instruction. His way is best and when we take hold of it and walk it out, His will unfolds before us. May we each seek the Lord and His instruction, and take hold of whatever He asks and guard it for all of our days.

 

Go forth unto God,

And seek all His ways;

Hold His instruction,

For all of our days.

As we choose to seek,

He gladly will show;

What we’re meant to do,

And where we should go.

Guard well the Lord’s words,

For in them is light;

They show us the way,

To do what is right.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we seek You, You instruct us in the ways in which we are meant to go. Thank You that You remind us to guard well the words that You speak to us, as they are the key to life. Forgive us for neglecting to obey the things that You say, or for not asking when we are uncertain about what we ought to do. Teach us to trust You and Your direction in all things and at all times, as Your way is always the way that is right. Show us how to love well all those whom we encounter, so that they might turn to seek Your instruction as well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we actively seek and take hold of Your instruction, and guard it with all that we are as we forge forward to faithfully follow all that You ask of 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

Light in Loss

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. – (Lamentations 3:20-22, NLT)

 

Yesterday evening, in our neighboring city, a police officer’s life was senselessly taken. While the officer was responding to a domestic dispute call, he was shot and killed. My heart aches for the family of the slain officer, and for the families of all those who serve and protect our nation. Each time one of our officers in blue is shot, more fear finds way into the hearts of families who anxiously wait for their loved ones to return home at the conclusion of each shift. Grief cannot help but grip our hearts at the brokenness of humanity. When a hero falls, it is indeed a time to grieve. However, we must still dare to hope. Even in the darkness, light finds way to shine. The faithful love of the Lord does not end, and His mercies never cease. Though there were children holed up in the hiding place with the shooter, other officers were able to safely remove them from the scene. Despite the devastation of the situation, there were innocent lives that were spared that could have been lost. May we remember those who have been lost, yet continue to hold hope in the One who loves without limits and is merciful forever.

 

Let us not forget,

Those who serve us well;

With honor, protect,

As crime they dispel.

For far too often,

Lives of these are lost;

As they seek to serve,

The ultimate cost.

May we remember,

Those who serve in blue;

Let mercy and hope,

Surround and renew.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that even in times of grief, You are our hope. Thank You that Your faithful love never ends and Your mercies continue forever. Forgive us for losing sight of these truths in the throes of devastation and heartache. Teach us to trust in You more, so that we would cling to You regardless of what is happening around us. Show us how to love those around us, particularly officers and families of officers in light of recent events. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we hope in You in all things and at all times. Amen.

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

You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence. – Acts 2:28

 

Courage Comes with Presence

This morning, as I reflect on last evening’s outing with dear friends, I am in awe, as God unpacks the parallels between what I experienced, and the truth of His word.

 

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. – (Deuteronomy 31:6, NLT)

 

Yesterday evening, some sweet friends and I went to a delicious dinner at a favorite restaurant of ours, and then headed north into the city to go on a “haunted tour“. I am no fan of the whole haunted house scene; though I do not have a high startle reflex, what goes on internally, is not exactly my favorite. Fear does funny things when we cannot control our surroundings. Anyway, because I love my friends, and they promised to go in front of and behind me as we walked through (holding my hands), I agreed to participate. At first, fear tried to gain a grip, but I soon realized that I could just speak out reality, and it wasn’t such a fearful thing. When an actor would jump out in creepy costume, I looked at them, and then spoke out whatever came to mind. Sometimes it was a bit of sarcasm, such as “classy“, or “lovely” and other times it was merely a “well done, pal“, and we continued on. What I found was that as I utilized my words, the weight of the fear disappeared. In life, the very same holds true. When we speak out the reality of what we are afraid of (confident in the truth that we know), or begin to anticipate that all things do not always go according to plan, we are prepared for that which may try to derail us. Additionally, just as I had those who were ahead of me and behind me, knowing that they would never leave me alone and had my back, God does the very same thing as we navigate our days. No matter how we feel, He goes before us and will never abandon us. Though it may seem a bit odd to find truth in an adventure going through a haunted house with friends, God used the experience to show me in a very tangible way, how weighty His words truly are. May we all gain strength and courage as we walk out our days, knowing that the Lord our God, personally goes ahead of us, and will neither fail us nor abandon us.

 

Be strong, have courage,

Wherever you go;

God goes before us,

The Bible says so.

He will never leave,

And Love does not fail;

We need not panic,

For God shall prevail.

When God is for us,

There’s no room for fear;

Take courage by faith,

For He’s always near.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can be strong and courageous in You because You go before us and will not fail us nor abandon us. Thank You that You use ordinary experiences to teach us extraordinary truth. Forgive us for our fearfulness that is fueled by lack of trust. Teach us to trust You more, as You are worthy of all of our trust. Show us how to love those around us in a way that grants strength and courage, and demonstrates the faithfulness that is found in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we go forth in strength and courage, knowing that You will go before us and never leave us. Amen.

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

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. – Psalm 145:8

Fortitude for Fear

Fear in all its fury, can be a catalyst for change. When we take pause and really look at the source, Christ will lead us to a place of understanding whether it is a healthy fear that is from Him, placed in us to compel us to action, or if it is some sort of terror that is tormenting our hearts, straight from the pit of hell. In order to know the difference, we must be willing to be transparent about the fear that we are facing. There are times when it is an obvious nudge from our Heavenly Father, yet there are other times where we may need to actually unpack that which has us frozen or ready to take flight, with others who are faithfully following Christ.

 

O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord. – (Psalm 139:1-4)

 

We are known and loved so completely, that we need not remain frozen in fear. He sees, knows and hears all that we face, feel and endure. God even is aware of our response to all that comes our way, before we ever respond. To be known and loved so completely, leaves no room remaining for fear to have a foothold. May we rise up in faith, giving our every fear to our Heavenly Father, and allow Him to grant us the fortitude to face all that comes our way.

 

In fear’s ugly grip,

let us not remain;

for Christ is our strength,

and His freedom reigns.

O Lord, You have searched,

and know me so well;

You know every thought,

the words I will tell.

Thank You in that space,

of being well known;

You strengthen our hearts,

as Your grace is shown.

Let Your strength arise,

and give our heart wings;

so that we may soar,

and of Your truth sing.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have searched us and You know us, and yet You love. Thank You that in You, we need not fear. Thank You that despite the unknowns and awful that come at us, You are present and You are greater. Forgive us for freezing up in our fear, and teach us to trust You more. Help us to bring our every fear before You, and to speak out to others, when we are meant to share the burden that is too heavy for us to carry alone. Lead us to love others in such a way, that we too, will help others bear burdens that they are unable to withstand alone. Show us how to support, love and pray for one another as You would have us do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we face every fear in Your strength, confident of Your love and faithfulness. Amen.

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

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things.  Who, O God, is like You? – Psalm 71:19