Beauty in Belonging

Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. – (Psalm 100:3, NIV)

Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to Him. We are His people, the sheep He takes care of. – (Psalm 100:3, ERV)

And realize what this really means – we have the privilege of worshiping the Lord our God. For He is our Creator and we belong to Him. We are the people of His pleasure. – (Psalm 100:3, TPT)

 

There is an incredible bond between sheep and their shepherd. They know the voice of the one who protects, gathers and feeds them. And a shepherd will face fierce predators to protect his/her sheep. It makes sense that a comparison would be made that is similar, between God and His people. He knows us each by name, individually, and protects us, gathers us in, and fuels us with His love, strength and truth. The Lord will not allow us to wander too far from others, as He will keep calling us unto Himself until we hear and respond. May we take time to recognize and respond to the voice of He who calls us unto Himself, and give thanks for the beauty in belonging to Him.

 

The Lord’s my shepherd,

In Him, things are good;

Trusted protection,

Through love understood.

No matter what comes,

In Him I’ll abide;

Greater than all foe,

For He’s on our side.

Nothing against us,

Will win, overcome;

His love, much larger,

’til each day is done.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are God. Thank You that You love us, protect and provide for us, just as a shepherd does for his/her sheep. Thank You that as we know You, we learn to hear Your voice, as You lead us the ways we are meant to go. Forgive us for the times that we have ignored or chosen not to listen to Your leading. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would listen to Your every word, trusting that all that You say is for good. Show us how to love, provide for and protect those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as they witness the evidence of Your hand in our lives. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for who You are and how You lovingly lead, protect and provide for us. Amen.

 

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

 

For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. – Psalm 95:7

 

 

Immeasurably More

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. – (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)

With God’s power working in us, He can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. – (Ephesians 3:20, ERV)

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for His miraculous power constantly energizes you. – (Ephesians 3:20, TPT)

 

The house that my fiancé and I have purchased to make our home had everything that we had hoped for and imagined, except decent closet space in a master bedroom. I had a few “hope fors“, and a walk-in master closet was one of them. It became quite clear that this particular home was the one meant for us, and I let go of the notion of such a closet and was thrilled with the space that met the needs of all five of us. One day, just prior to our receiving of the keys, we walked around the property to show some dear friends our home to be. We shared with them who would be in which space and recognized how extraordinarily blessed we were. As we walked around, our friend had a suggestion that we had not considered. He proposed the idea of us turning the downstairs living space into our master suite and building a walk-in closet. This idea excited both of us, and my Viking, being a man of action, set a plan in place to get it done. A coworker and friend of his used to build houses, so he chatted with him about what it would take. Shortly after the keys were given, his buddy and his brother came out one Saturday morning to frame the closet. Merely days later, my fiancé set to work to get the sheet rock up so that the job would be completed. We looked at different options for the wall finish and came up with something that we both love. This past weekend, he set to work, and as of last evening, we have a beautifully finished walk-in closet. The thing about this is not so much that I was given what I had hoped for, but God did immeasurably more than I would have asked or imagined, just to bless me. He placed a love so deep in the heart of my Viking for me and gifted him with the skill set and contacts in whom he knows to meet a seemingly trivial hope that was held in my heart. Every time I go over to the new house, my heart soars at the blessings that God has granted me. This house is to be our home, and God outdid our greatest requests, dreams and what we could have imagined for a space for our newly merging family to grow together. May we ever give God the glory for the way that He sees and knows our hearts and does far more in us and through us than we would have ever thought possible.

 

More than we could hope, 

Ask or imagine;

God in His power,

By His grace, moves in.

He blesses our hearts,

Amazes our minds;

As He works in us,

His power, we find.

The dreams of our hearts,

Our loving God knows;

In goodness He gives,

And blessings bestows.

For great is our God,

And greater His love;

That He has for us,

The Lord, high above.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the ways in which You do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine; in us, through us, and for us. Thank You for the incredible blessings that You bestow upon us that show us that You care deeply for us in all things. Forgive us for not giving dreams a voice before You, as You love to bless Your children. Teach us to tell You our every hope and dream and give You the reigns to determine the path each is meant to take. Show us how to hear Your voice, so that we may bless those around us with Your lavish love in ways that make Your heart known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You our hopes and dreams, and praise You for hearing and blessing us with Your loving kindness. Amen.

 

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

 

And the Lord said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you.” – Exodus 33:19