Far More than Satisfied

Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. – (Psalm 90:14, NIV)

Fill us with Your love every morning. Let us be happy and enjoy our lives. – (Psalm 90:14, ERV)

With every sun’s rising, surprise us with Your love, satisfy us with Your kindness. Then we will celebrate every day we are alive. – (Psalm 90:14, VOICE)

 

Being an early riser and one who loves the outdoors, the setting I am in serves me well. Mom’s home is secured on a hill, overlooking the river, surrounded by foothills, with orchards below. The sunrise each morning glows on the hills across from us, and daily, I am reminded of new hope and a fresh start that come with the unfailing love of the Lord. With every sun’s rising, I am surprised with God’s handiwork; as no two sunrises are the same. He varies the cloud formations and color patterns, mixing His palette and providing my eyes and heart with fresh delight daily. In the same way that each new sunrise brings delight, so too does each new day on this journey with mom in her recovery and rehabilitation. The kindness of God grants of reason to celebrate each new day of life that we are given. There is joy in the journey, and new gains each step that we take. Yesterday, mom learned some new exercises in occupational therapy that she can do on her own (which she is thrilled about) and during her speech therapy session, she could do things yesterday that she was unable to do two days earlier! My heart is satisfied with His kindness, even in the moments when I struggle. He reminds me that I am not alone, and that He has us in His hands. Mom is a living miracle, and I have the privilege of watching her miraculous awakening each day.  Additionally, we laugh often, as there are some seriously silly statements that occur when exhaustion hits, and words become difficult to recall. Because I know mom so well, I typically know what she is trying to say, and we just giggle together about the “substitute” word and continue moving forward.

May we recognize Your love with every new rising of the sun, and be satisfied with Your kindness. Help us to celebrate with joy, every day that we are alive.

 

May the break of dawn,

The first light of morn;

Remind us of grace,

Hope when we’re forlorn.

With each brand-new day,

The rise of the sun;

Shows God’s faithfulness,

Before we’ve begun.

His kindness endures,

As we make our way;

Sweet satisfaction,

When covered by grace.

There’s no greater joy,

Love held in His hands;

Our lives a great gift,

To walk out His plan.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You bless us and renew us each morning with Your unfailing love, and that You are our reason to be glad for all of our days. Forgive us for allowing circumstances to steal our joy or hide our hope, as both hope and joy are found in You alone. Teach us to turn to You in all things and at all times, so that we never miss a sunrise or a miraculous moment that You intend for us to see, that is meant to remind us of Your incredible, infallible love. Show us how to love those around us in a way that celebrates the gift of each new day, and marvels at each minute miracle that You place before us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing for joy at the wonders of Your love, and marvel at the miraculous ways in which You move. Amen.

 

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

 

In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:3

Peace and Justice Made Plain

Let there be peace and justice throughout the land, known on every mountain and hill. – (Psalm 72:3, ERV)

 

Though these words were part of a prayer for King Solomon, they still remain true as the hope for each generation that has followed. When we seek the Lord and His will for our lives, our homes, our neighborhoods and our nation, His peace and justice become made plain. The more who seek Him, the more His ways and His will are made evident everywhere we go. May we ever pursue our Provider, as His peace and justice are made clear through all who cling to Christ.

 

May the peace of God,

And His justice too;

Be made evident,

Through hearts that pursue.

As we seek the Lord,

May His heart be known;

From mountains to seas,

Let His ways be shown.

For none can compare,

To the Lord, our God;

Brings peace to chaos,

Justice where it’s not.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You bring Your peace and justice throughout the land, and make Yourself known on every mountain and hill. Thank You that even when we cannot see the evidence of Your hand at work, You are moving on our behalf. Forgive us for our lack of faith when chaos and injustice seem to reign. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You and cling to You by faith, knowing that You are doing far more than we know, even when we are unaware of how You are working in our midst. Help us to hold fast to the peace that You provide, as it is our reminder that You will do what You promise. Show us how to love those around us in a way that offers peace and presence in places of pain. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in Your peace and justice, for You are always good. Amen.

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

Father, I thank You that You have heard me. – John 11:41

To Be Light and Life

You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. – (Matthew 5:14-16, NLT)

 

When we are in Christ, we are called to be light and life. If the light of Christ lives in us, it cannot be hidden. Rather, it is meant to shine forth in every area of our lives, so that all may see and know that it is Christ in us that brings any good forth from us. The challenging part is that we are flawed and sinful beings. We fall short, EVERY SINGLE TIME. So often we do the very things we don’t want to do, or don’t do what we know we ought to do. In our own accord, nothing we do will ever measure up. However, Christ in us, can accomplish far more than we could ever hope or imagine, when we are firmly rooted and established in Him. He takes our broken bits and somehow turns them into something beautiful that can reflect His goodness in our own story, and can be used again and again, for His glory. May we receive and embrace the grace that God gives when we trust in Him, and go forth to shine His light for all to see through how we choose to follow Him.

 

The light of the world,

We are called to be;

So our deeds through Christ,

Are what people see.

May it be made clear,

That all good that’s shown;

Is because of Christ,

And His love made known.

Do not choose to hide,

The glory of grace;

But go forth and love,

So all seek His face.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are light and life and hope for all who seek You. Thank You that Your light lives in us when we choose to trust in You. Forgive us for hiding who You are in us, or for not following the leading that You call us into. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would walk in obedience and allow Your light to shine brightly, wherever we may go. Show us how to love others in such a way, that our good deeds direct hearts to You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to live as Your light in all that we say and do. 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

This is Amazing Grace

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

for He founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to an idol

or swear by what is false.

He will receive blessing from the Lord

and vindication from God his Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek Him,

who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord is strong and mighty,

the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;

lift them up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is He, this King of glory?

The Lord Almighty –

He is the King of glory.”

– (Psalm 24)

Some days, the process of selecting just one verse or a small passage of scripture, seems to come easily.  However, today, my heart seemed to hold onto the entire Psalm.  As I read and reread this passage, wondering what I was meant to take away for today, a song that we sing in church, kept going through my mind.  After a few minutes of a rather frustrating search on Youtube, I remembered enough of the lyrics to come up with the actual title and a link.  (This is Amazing Grace, by Phil Wickham)  The following are the lyrics to This Is Amazing Grace:

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness

Whose love is mighty and so much stronger

The King of Glory, the King above all kings

Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder

Who leaves us breathless in awe and wonder

The King of Glory, the King above all kings

This is amazing grace

This is unfailing love

That You would take my place

That You would bear my cross

You would lay down Your life

That I would be set free

Jesus, I sing for

All that You’ve done for me

Who brings our chaos back into order

Who makes the orphan a son and daughter

The King of Glory, the King above all kings

Who rules the nations with truth and justice

Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance

The King of Glory, the King above all kings

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

Worthy is the King who conquered the grave

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

Worthy is the King who conquered the grave

Amazing grace,

unfailing love;

He took our place,

the Lord above.

No greater gift,

we’ll ever know;

our praise to lift,

each heart aglow.

Let on this day,

declared for love;

our life point way,

to God above.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love for us is unfailing, and Your grace – amazing.  Thank You that You created such beauty in the world around us, and provided the way for all who come to You, to dwell with You forever.  Forgive us for not giving proper praise where all praise unto You, is due.  Help us to recognize the magnitude of Your glory, so that we might live accordingly.  Teach us to trust You completely, and to love as we are loved by You.  May we reach out and care for the lost and the lonely, as You so tenderly care for us.  May many come to know You as their Savior and King, as we walk in obedience unto You.  Let all that we say and do, bring glory and honor unto You.  Amen.

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

Listen… be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. – Proverbs 23:19