Quiet Retreat

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word. – (Psalm 119:114, NIV) 

You’re my place of quiet retreat, and Your wrap-around presence becomes my shield as I wrap myself in Your word! – (Psalm 119:114, TPT) 

You are my hiding place and my shield of protection; I hope in Your word. – (Psalm 119:114, VOICE) 

I have been in the habit of seeking a quiet retreat with God every morning for several years now, however, in this seemingly long season of COVID, I find that there has been far more down time than I am a fan of having. That being said, it has forced me to either rest in the truth of His word, and appreciate the quiet retreat, or allow my heart and mind in a frenzy of what I could and should be doing. Thor, our yellow lab puppy, grants me glimpses of how God must see me. Sometimes, he is bouncing all over the place and struggles to settle down, even after food, play and his basic needs have been met. At times, he will settle himself down and rest in the safety of home. There are times though, where redirection and correction are needed to help him find a space of quiet retreat, where he will simply settle in and rest. I know that I am the same. In the early morning, it is easy for me to seek quiet retreat with God, and rest in His presence as I soak in His word. When the days grow long, and I desperately desire to go out and be active and busy, He will correct, redirect and help me to settle into His safety and trust Him to show me what to do next. God is good, and is our refuge and place of hope. May we ever seek Him to protect, direct and show us what is best. 

Our quiet retreat, 

Safety where there’s rest; 

The Lord is our hope, 

As He loves us best. 

Brings calm in the storm, 

The truth in His word; 

Grace in our chaos, 

Love that’s seen and heard. 

He offers us space, 

To rest in His grace; 

And trust in His truth, 

For all of our days. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our safety and shelter, and offer us truth and direction in Your word. Thank You that when we seek You, we find You. Forgive us for not seeking You in our own unrest. Teach us to turn to You for peace, direction and rest, as You lead us best. Show us how to love those around us well, so that Your loving kindness may be made known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and spend time in Your word to learn and rest in You. Amen. 

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

Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. – Psalm 25:5

To Keep Keeping On

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. – (Isaiah 40:29, NIV)

He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it. – (Isaiah 40:29, ERV)

He empowers the feeble and infuses the powerless with increasing strength. – (Isaiah 40:29, TPT)

 

This is the time of year that the weeks grow long and weekends seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. Weariness seeks to set in, as less daylight and cooler temperatures take a toll, with so many “need-to-dos” and seemingly fewer hours for completion. Incredibly, each time I reach the end of my own strength, God provides strength or rest or reprieve that refreshes and readies me to begin again. Yesterday, we were blessed with the opportunity to go to a hockey game with dear friends. Though the game did not go well for our team, time spent in their company was good for the soul. Today holds a quick, twenty-four-hour trip to mom’s so that we can check on things and prepare her home for freezing temperatures. We will have an added blessing of our best friends meeting up with us as well, as Leavenworth is a short, fifteen-minute drive away, and a place we will enjoy time together, while in town. God is good, and He knows what strengthens us when we are weary. May we ever seek the Lord to renew our strength and grant the power we need to accomplish all of the things to which we are called.

Mom had both physical and speech therapy yesterday. She is working hard and enjoying the therapists who come to the home and challenge her with new exercises to further propel her recovery. An additional blessing was that she slept soundly on Thursday night, which has not been the case in quite some time. For those who are faithfully praying for mom and her recovery, please add solid sleep with no wake-ups in the night, to the list. Solid sleep will aid in making mom stronger and my sister as well. Megan is juggling so many roles right now, that a good night’s sleep is always needed; hence, the more often they occur, the better she will feel and function. May His strength continue to be present when weariness creeps in.

 

When weary and worn,

The Lord grants us strength;

To keep moving on,

And traverse great lengths.

Power in weakness,

When all strength is gone;

Blessed refreshment,

To keep keeping on.

In goodness and mercy,

God lovingly gives;

All that is needed,

In His strength, to live.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You grant us strength when we are weary and power in our weakness. Thank You that when our strength ends, Yours begins. Forgive us for the times that we have allowed ourselves to wallow in our weariness, rather than turn to You to be our strength. Teach us to trust You more, as You sustain, strengthen and refresh us to do and be all that for which we are called. Show us how to love those around us in ways that strengthen, refresh and empower. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to be our strength so that we can love and serve as we are called to do. 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