Sing of His Goodness

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. – (Psalm 13:6, NIV)

Then I will sing to the Lord because He was so good to me. – (Psalm 13:6, ERV)

I will sing to the Eternal, for He is always generous with me. – (Psalm 13:6, VOICE)

There is nothing quite like being near the ocean to raise up awe and wonder at the goodness of God. His hands crafted the beauty and power, and at a word He tells the waves how far they may come ashore. We are blessed with blue skies in Lincoln City, Oregon, and comfortable temperatures in the sixties. A weekend away with my love after nearly a week apart is such a wonderful blessing and a memorable way to begin my next trip around the sun. God is so good to me. This does not mean that my journey is trouble-free or easy, but it does mean that I am acutely aware of His goodness and His presence, and I can look back and see just how incredibly He has strengthened me and led me through every trial and triumph. My heart is filled with praise throughout my days, as His love is tangible to me. May we ever sing praise to He who is worthy of it all; for He is so good to us all.

Look out in wonder,

the beauty brings awe;

His fingerprints clear,

His work without flaw.

From blue skies above,

to powerful sea;

Purposefully made,

for you and for me.

Array of colors,

wherever we go;

beauty to behold,

make His power known.

Ever I’ll give thanks,

for He is so good;

help, hope, love and life,

by grace understood.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace that is poured out upon us throughout all our days. Thank You for the beauty that surrounds us and the hope that dwells within us. Forgive us for not praising You enough for all that You are and how incredibly You love. Teach us to sing of the glory of Your goodness and to ever give You praise. Show us how to love those around us in such a way that Your heart is made clear to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing praise to You throughout all of our days, for You are worthy of all of our thanks and praise. Amen.

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

Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. – 1 Chronicles 16:9

Praise For His Goodness

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. – (Psalm 13:6, NIV)

Then I will sing to the Lord because He was so good to me. – (Psalm 13:6, ERV)

I will sing to the Eternal, for He is always generous with me. – (Psalm 13:6, VOICE)

Since school let out a few weeks ago, I have had a fairly unscheduled series of days. At first, I was a bit envious of all those off on fabulous vacations and little escapes away, however, as I began simply enjoying each day as it has come, I discovered that this has been a much needed season of learning how to rest. For me, the “rest” has included time to do the things that I seldom do. I have spent time drawing, baking, trying new recipes, reconnecting with a dear friend, long dog walks, and a bit of cleaning and purging. Each day has begun intentionally with my morning devotions flanked by our dogs, and our fur babies are loving all of the extra time we have together. As I glance over the calendar for the rest of this month and into next, I know God’s provision of rest was intentional to prepare me for all that lies ahead, and to have time to reset after such a busy school year. The busy that is coming is a blessing, and I am excited to embrace each day as it comes and give thanks for His care and love for me. May we ever give praise to the Lord for His goodness and kindness, for He is worthy of all our praise forever.

The Lord is so good,

in all of His ways;

our help and our hope,

the Ancient of Days.

He sees what we need,

and provides a way;

the strength, help, and hope,

to rest, work, and play.

To care well for those,

He’s placed in our lives;

He supplies plenty,

to help others thrive.

Lead us, Lord Jesus,

with Your tender care;

as we listen and praise You,

both here and out there.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being so very good to us. Thank You that You provide rest when we need it most, and You lead us in Your love as we are at home and when we are on the go. Forgive us for not praising You enough, for You are always good. Teach us to recognize and appreciate the countless ways that You love and provide for us. Show us how to love those around us well, so that they too, may recognize the abundance of Your goodness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You and thank You for being so very good to us. Amen.

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

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. – Psalm 33:29

In All Things Praise

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – (Colossians 3:17, NIV)

Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. – (Colossians 3:17, ERV)

Surely, no matter what you are doing (speaking, writing or working), do it all in the name of Jesus our Master, sending thanks through Him to God our Father. – (Colossians 3:17, VOICE)

This verse, paired with what I know and love about the Psalms, remind me that it is okay to struggle with and lament what is going on, yet we must ultimately fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. David was a man after God’s own heart, and he questioned, lamented and cried out to God, yet ever kept perspective on who God is and gave Him the thanks that belongs to God alone. Right now, I am still reeling a bit from the prognosis I received from the specialist on Wednesday. I am still grateful that the carcinoma was discovered sooner than later, yet I am very much dreading the process of the prescribed procedure. It is not the pain I fear, but rather my body’s reaction to the process. God is good, and He will supply all that I need, however, my humanity is not looking forward to any of it, and the specialist’s insistence that I be fast-tracked to have the surgery sooner than later, adds a bit of angst as well. This is the space that I can pause and remember God’s incredible faithfulness in my life thus far, and His kindness to provide a long weekend to process and prepare my heart before heading back into the work week. Additionally, there is just enough activity sprinkled in, that I will not have too much time to dwell on what lies ahead. There is time to rest, to spend time with my loved ones, to cuddle my dogs extra often, to coach my gymnasts as they are working on building routines, and to celebrate the retirement of one of our dearest friends. I am missing my mom and sister terribly this holiday weekend, but know that I can joyfully anticipate time together at Christmas. May we ever fix our eyes on Jesus, our Help and our Hope in all things, and give Him all of our praise for His faithfulness throughout all of our days.

O Lord, in all things,

Will You help me praise;

Your great faithfulness,

Throughout all my days.

Each day You are good,

Even when life’s not;

You share our burdens,

Each time that You’re sought.

Thank You for kindness,

For goodness and grace;

For hope and Your help,

On difficult days.

Thank You, Lord Jesus,

That You’re good always;

And Your faithfulness,

Is reason to praise.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good, faithful, loving and kind, and the Provider of all that we need each day. Thank You that no matter what lies ahead, we have You to walk beside us and to carry us when we can walk no further. Forgive us for our fears of the unknown, for You are known in all, even when what lies ahead is not. Teach us to trust You more each day, and lead us to live out each day trusting in Your unfailing love that never leaves us. Show us how to love, encourage and support those around us in ways that make Your love tangible and Your goodness evident. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to praise You throughout all of our days. Amen.

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

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. – Psalm 13:6

Always Good

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. – (Psalm 13:6, NIV)

Then I will sing to the Lord because He was so good to me. – (Psalm 13:6, ERV)

I will sing to the Eternal, for He is always generous with me. – (Psalm 13:6, VOICE)

There is something about reaching a Friday after a busy week that floods my heart with gratitude. Right now, days are long, especially when my sleep is disrupted, yet somehow, God always grants me the strength I need to navigate whatever comes my way. In this season of new, I am so grateful for God’s goodness. I am ever aware of Him holding me up by His loving hands. From the early onset of daylight in the mornings so that I can get outside and walk the dogs before work, to the ability to share dinner together as a whole family, these are but an example of how I am acutely aware of God’s goodness. May we ever recognize the goodness of God in our lives that surround us, and sing Him praise for His great love.

I sing to the Lord,

For He is so good;

His love is outpoured,

Kindness understood.

In busy seasons,

He shows us His grace;

Grants strength when weary,

Throughout all our days.

When things seem slow down,

The Lord provides rest;

His love is lavish,

For He knows us best.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your loving kindness that meets us where we are and provides what we need. Thank You that You are present and bless us with Your peace and strength to navigate each new day. Thank You for the songs in our hearts that remind us to give You the glory. Forgive us for neglecting to recognize Your goodness when things seem overwhelmingly busy. Teach us to pause and breathe in Your grace, for You meet our needs throughout all our days. Show us how to love those around us as You call us to love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing praise unto You, for You are so good. Amen.

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

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You. – Psalm 86:5