Clean

Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them. – (Mark 7:15, NIV)

There is nothing people can put in their mouth that will make them wrong. People are made wrong by what comes from inside them. – (Mark 7:15, ERV)

There is nothing outside someone that can corrupt him. Only the things that come out of a person can corrupt him. – (Mark 7:15, VOICE)

We are not made unclean or unholy by what we eat or drink, but rather by the actions that are motivated by our heart. Our words, attitudes, and actions determine whether we are following God’s own heart or not. If love is not the motivation behind what we say and do, then we are defiling ourselves and being sinful. In this, we all fall short. However, with God, we can seek Him to lead and guide us according to His good and perfect will. As we do, we begin to more closely resemble our Heavenly Father with our words, thoughts and deeds. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us so that what comes out of us gives honor to God.

It’s not what we eat,

Or choose to consume;

But rather, the heart,

Where sin tries to loom.

The source of our sin,

Comes straight from the heart;

Willful wrongdoing,

The defiling part.

As we seek the Lord,

He shows us the way;

To love as He loves,

Throughout each new day.

It is up to us,

To listen and learn;

For God’s ever near,

But we must choose turn.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we do not live under stringent regulations about what we can and cannot eat, or how we do everyday tasks in a space of fearing being made unclean. Thank You that our cleanliness before You has everything to do with the condition of our heart. Forgive us for the things we say, think, and do that do not bring honor to You. Teach us to keep short accounts before You, and to ever seek You to lead us in all that we do. Show us Your way to love those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to wash us in Your word and immerse us in Your overwhelming love so that we might go forth and love likewise. Amen.

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

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. – Psalm 51:10

Pleasing Wherever We Go

Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. – (2 Corinthians 5:9, HCSB)

Our only goal is to always please the Lord, whether we are living here in this body or there with Him. – (2 Corinthians 5:9, ERV)

Ultimately it does not matter whether we are here or gone; our purpose stays fixed, and that is to please Him. – (2 Corinthians 5:9, VOICE)

In this passage, Paul’s letter is for instruction in life and beyond, yet it is also fitting to follow wherever we are. Do we love people near and far; when home or away? It is our charge to be light and life and love to all people everywhere. We are blessed to be traveling with our besties who do an incredible job of loving people well. Wherever we go, they are remembered for their love and kindness to all. To be pleasing to God, we ought to seek to do just that at all times and in all circumstances. May we ever follow after the Lord and the example He set through His Son, and go forth and love people well so that all that we do might be pleasing to Him.

May we ever seek,

To honor God well;

Choose love each other,

So what we do tells.

Tells of His goodness,

Exemplifies grace;

Makes the Lord’s love known,

As we love His way.

Full of acceptance,

Extension of kind;

Blessings we outpour,

With others in mind.

Show us, Lord Jesus,

To love as You do;

Help us to honor,

With hearts that are true.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to honor You wherever we go. Thank You that when we choose to love and extend kindness, we are representing Your heart to those around us. Forgive us for the times that we have not, and show us how to love in every situation and circumstance. Lead us in Your love as we go about our day, and show us opportunities to bless those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God as we seek to live and love as You intended. Amen.

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

But whoever loves God is known by God. – 1 Corinthians 8:3

Pleasing to You

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. – (Psalm 19:14, HCBS)

May my words and thoughts please You. Lord, You are my Rock, the one who rescues me. – (Psalm 19:14, ERV)

May the words that come out of my mouth and the musings of my heart meet with Your gracious approval, O Eternal, my Rock, O Eternal, my Redeemer. – (Psalm 19:14, VOICE)

This is an ongoing prayer, for above all else, I long for my words, thoughts and deeds to be pleasing to God. It is a lifelong process to pursue to live a life that pleases the Lord. Despite our best intentions, our own ugliness and sinfulness stand in our way. To think, act and speak in a way that is pleasing to God requires dependence on Him to lead and guide us in all things. Our most challenging places to focus on what pleases Him seem to come in the areas of our lives that we have not fully submitted to His hands. It is in our spaces of full surrender that we discover our words and our thoughts align with His, as He strengthens and supplies us with that which is good and pleasing to Him. May we ever seek the Lord in full surrender, allowing Him room to lead and guide us in word, thought and deed so that we may honor God in all things. 

O Lord let my life,

Photo by Lukas Rodriguez on Pexels.com

Be pleasing to You;

With every thought,

All I say and do.

Show me Your goodness,

Fill me with Your grace;

Lead me to love well,

Throughout all my days.

Help me Lord Jesus,

To rely on You;

Each word that I speak,

And in all I do.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are love and You are grace. Thank You that as we seek and depend on You, You show us what is good and pleasing unto You. Forgive us for our spaces of self-reliance, for it is in those spaces that we choose poorly. Teach us to completely surrender all to You, for it is in that space of surrender that we discover Your heart and help for all that lies before us. Show us how to love those around us completely, so that they may discover the light and life that You alone are offering. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we are intentional to seek You in all things to lead and guide us to love like You. Amen.

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

Now may the God of peace… equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen. – Hebrews 13:21

Doing Right Silences Foolishness

For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. – (1 Peter 2:15-16, RSV)

For it is God’s will for you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right. As God’s loving servants, you should live in complete freedom, but never use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. – (1 Peter 2:15-16, TPT)

You see, it is God’s will that by doing what is right and good you should hush the gabbing ignorance of the foolish. Live as those who are free and not as those who use their freedom as a pretext for evil, but live as God’s servants. – (1 Peter 2:15-16, VOICE)

The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” holds true, and is affirmed in this passage. When we live right and pursue a life of following God’s will, foolishness is silenced, and love wins. As followers of Christ, we are called to freely choose to live and love like Christ. Jesus modeled what it is to love deeply, and His ongoing example is what silenced the scoffers and nay-sayers of the times. He did not repay evil for evil, but rather extended mercy and grace and made love and light visible for all who were near. We have the freedom to choose how to live. It is up to us to choose well. Our charge is to live in the light, which eliminates darkness and illuminates love. May we ever seek to serve and honor God with our every word and deed, and may foolish ignorance be silenced as love and grace are granted to all.

By doing what’s right,

And walking in grace;

Ugly ignorance,

By love is replaced.

Though we all are free,

May we wisely choose;

To serve only God,

Let Him shape our views.

It’s only through love,

And choosing to serve;

That others see Christ,

Goodness is preserved.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that living and loving freely in Your goodness and grace is what demonstrates the good that comes from seeking Your face. Forgive us for using our freedom of choice to misrepresent or be destructive with voice. Teach us to follow after You and Your heart for others in everything we do. Show us how to love those around us with all that we do as we seek after You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to do what is right and love with our every word and deed. Amen.

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

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:18

Wisdom in Exposure

Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So we should make ourselves pure – free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live. – (2 Corinthians 7:1, ERV) 

With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God. – (2 Corinthians 7:1, MSG) 

Beloved ones, with promises like these, and because of our deepest respect and worship of God, we must remove everything from our lives that contaminates body and spirit, and continue to complete the development of holiness within us. – (2 Corinthians 7:1, TPT) 

If we love and respect God, and the temple within where He dwells, our objective ought to include removing the things from our lives that lead us away from Him and His will.  We must care for the temple, both outside and in. This means that the things that we expose ourselves to and consume, either edify and align with God, or they do not. With all that is going on in our country and our world, it is especially important to keep the main things, the main things. When we choose to use wisdom as to what we take in, we are better able to fix our eyes and hearts on where our hope is held. Though I stumble and fall short, my hope is in Christ, and I desire to honor Him through every decision I make, and how I care for the heart, mind, body and soul that He has given me. May we ever fix our eyes and hearts on Christ and His ways, so that we may rid ourselves of everything that contaminates body and spirit, and seek Him to develop His holiness within us. 

Let us choose part ways, 

With things that distract; 

Both mind and body, 

Temptations, attacks. 

Instead, let us fix, 

Our hearts upon Him; 

So Christ is honored, 

By what we take in. 

Though all’s permitted, 

Not all things are good; 

Seek God to guide us, 

To do as we should. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we seek You, You lead us in how to best care for our body, heart, soul and mind. Thank You that You provide wisdom and guidance as we trust and rely on You. Forgive us for the times that we have allowed garbage in, or have gotten caught up in what is around us, rather than abiding by You who are within us. Teach us to listen to Your leading. Help us to make a clean break from that which distracts or defiles us. Show us how to love those around us well, so that Your loving kindness is what is evident to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to honor You by how we tend to the temple that we have been given. Amen. 

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

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

To Use What We’ve Been Given

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. – (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV) 

You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. God paid a very high price to make you His. So, honor God with your body. – (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ERV) 

Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who comes from God and dwells inside of you? You do not own yourself. You have been purchased at a great price, so use your body to bring glory to God! – (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, VOICE) 

When we give our lives to God, He comes and dwells in us and makes our heart His home. He is not pushy, rather He waits for the invitation to clean house and make our heart more like His. To honor God with our bodies is a charge that looks different for everyone. For some, honoring God with the body is to sing, play music, or create. For others it is to get out and move. Each of us have been gifted with different strengths, talents and desires, and as we pursue them with a heart after Him, we are honoring the Lord with our entire being. Tending to His temple is to care best for the body that we have been given. I don’t know about you, but this whole COVID situation has made the normal rhythm of fueling the temple healthfully, far more difficult. My saving grace has been my desire to get outside and move. Thor, our sweet puppy, helps with that as well. Everything we do has the capacity to honor God, if we are seeking Him and following His will in what we do. May we be purposeful in our pursuit of God and His best for us, so that we may honor God by caring well for our temple. 

Lord, help me to care, 

For this body well; 

With all that I do, 

May Your goodness tell. 

Help me to choose well, 

With what’s allowed in; 

So that You’re honored, 

And I’m kept from sin. 

Let moderation, 

And wisdom guide me; 

Please keep me moving, 

With thanks, faithfully. 

Let also these hands, 

Bring glory to You; 

Writing, creating, 

Please keep my heart true. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we receive the gift that You have freely given of Yourself, we become the temple for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that as we seek You, You teach us to tend the temple and utilize our bodies to give You glory through how we make use of what You have given us. Forgive us for becoming lazy, or gluttonous, or allowing garbage in, rather than seeking to honor You in all. Show us how to best tend to the temple that You have given, and show us how to honor You in all that we do. Lead us to love those around us in practical and tangible ways. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to show us how to best care for and utilize all that You intended for that which we have been given. Amen. 

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

In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears. – 2 Samuel 22:7

Gifts in All

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. – (1 Corinthians 12:7, NIV)

Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person. The Spirit gives this to each one to help others. – (1 Corinthian 12:7, ERV)

Each believer has received a gift that manifests the Spirit’s power and presence. That gift is given for the good of the whole community. – (1 Corinthians 12:7, VOICE)

 

Currently, my pastor is in the middle of a series called, Naturally Supernatural. In this, he is unpacking the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some of the most important points that he has made have had to do with the purpose of these gifts. First, the kingdom of God is accessed through the Spirit of God. Without Him, we cannot grow in our understanding. The gifts of the Spirit are given by grace to serve the body of Christ. They are intended to build others up, and must be used to demonstrate a heart of love. When wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, discernment, miracles, prophecy, languages of men and angels, and the interpretation of such, are utilized as God intended, the movement of God’s power in love, clears the way and brings breakthrough so that His words may be heard and received by hearts moved by the power of God’s amazing love made tangible. Another important point that was made, is that these gifts are distributed by God in His grace, not somehow earned nor manifested in some sort of hierarchy. Each gift is for the purpose of encouraging and building up the body, and not for the elevation of the recipient. Whatever we receive is intended to be utilized to serve and honor God, thus is nothing from us nor in our own wisdom or strength. May we be open to the Lord and the gifts He has for us, and ready to love others well, as we share what we have been given.

 

God births in us all,

Gifts of His power;

To build others up,

In love, empower.

To nourish the growth,

Of faith, hope and love;

As God moves through us,

Power from above.

Wisdom and knowledge,

Faith, healing and more;

Miracles of God,

Grow faith all the more.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts that You give to us to access, understand, serve and love more. Thank You that none are earned, but rather You freely give. Forgive us for neglecting to utilize what You give. Teach us to trust You more so that we would step out in faith and serve You by loving others well with all that You have placed in us. Show us how to love those around us, specifically and individually, so that they may understand Your goodness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and love others with all that You have placed within us. Amen.

 

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

 

We all have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. – Romans 12:6a

Justice and Mercy Mean More

This is what the Lord Almighty said: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” – (Zechariah 7:9, NIV)

This is what the Lord All-Powerful said: “You must do what is right and fair. You must be kind and show mercy to each other.” – (Zechariah 7:9, ERV)

Well, the message hasn’t changed. God-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now: “Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other.” – (Zechariah 7:9, MSG)

 

The context of this verse takes us back to the time of King Darius, as Zechariah received a word from the Lord regarding the traditional season of mourning and fasting. God spoke to Zechariah about the heart behind what the people were doing, and let him know that He would far prefer the people extend true mercy and justice, rather than partaking in religious rituals for themselves. Things are no different today, as God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is after our hearts, desiring that we extend His love, mercy, compassion and justice to others in the same way that He so generously and unreservedly loves each of us. Yes, there are seasons for mourning and fasting, but it must be with a heart intent on seeking Him, rather than simply jumping through some sort of religious hoop. May we seek the Lord and His love, so that we may treat one another justly, love our neighbors, and be compassionate with one another in the same way that He is with us.

 

For we are all called,

In kindness, choose love;

Show mercy and grace,

As God does for us.

Treat others justly,

Be compassionate;

Love one another,

To kindness, commit.

What matters the most,

In all that we do;

Is our heart to love,

Honor God in truth.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call and command us to love one another. Thank You that throughout Your word You unpack what it means to love. Thank You that mercy, compassion and justice are all part of loving as You love. Forgive us for the times that we have lacked love in any of these areas. Teach us how to extend mercy, be compassionate, and to treat one another justly in all things and at all times. Show us how to love as You love, for You extend all these things and more, though we do not deserve them. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to love like You – extending mercy, choosing compassion, and treating one another justly, regardless of what we receive. Amen.

 

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

 

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8

Praise in the Process

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)

Let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. – (Colossians 3:17, MSG)

 

Our purpose is to honor God in all that we say and do, and praise Him in the process. Everything we are, all that we have, and our capacity to do all things, is courtesy of Christ and all that He gave on our behalf. Because of God’s great love for us, it is only fitting and right that every word, thought and deed of ours is with the intent to honor the Lord. Without Him, there would be no life, no love, and no hope. In Christ, we have all these things and so much more. May we ever seek to honor the Lord in all that we do and say, giving thanks to God every step of each new day.

Today, I am extraordinarily grateful for a short work week, as I can hardly stand the wait to go and see my mom and sister and family for Thanksgiving. The short week is quite full, so I anticipate the days moving rather quickly, with Thursday being upon us before we know it. Our family has a list of favorites together, and mom reminded me last evening of the preparations being made, and how ready my sister and brother-in-love’s household are for our arrival. May we honor the Lord in the wait, and give Him thanks as we navigate our time between now and when we gather.

 

May all of my life,

Each word, thought and deed;

Give honor to God,

And follow His lead.

May each step I take,

Remind me to praise;

To thank God above,

For life all my days.

All that I can do,

In this life given;

May the Lord’s light shine,

Through each decision.

With thanks I choose rise,

And begin this day;

Place all in His hands,

Seek walk in His way.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek You, we find You, and You remain God with us. Thank You that You will lead us and guide us in our every word, thought and deed as we seek Your will. Forgive us for the times that we have not, and have spoken or acted in ways that are not pleasing to You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would rely on You to lead and guide us to walk in Your light. Show us how to love those around us in ways that demonstrate Your goodness and grace through our words and actions. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for who You are, and give thanks for Your goodness and grace that leads us and guides us in the ways we are meant to go. Amen.

 

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

 

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23:6

Speak Truth from the Heart

As part of being called to love, we must speak life to those around us. To speak life is to speak the truth from the heart, and to love and honor God in the process. When we neglect to speak encouraging words, and instead speak death or demise, we tear down rather than build up those whom Christ has created in His very own image.

Only those who live pure lives, do what is right and speak the truth from their hearts. Such people don’t say bad things about others. They don’t do things to hurt their neighbors. They don’t tell shameful things about those close to them. – (Psalm 15:2-3, ERV)

Let us choose to speak,

encouraging words;

so all who are near,

may embrace what’s heard.

Invest in the Lord,

so we may live pure;

do right and speak truth,

offer truth to hear.

Speak not of the bad,

that dwells in others;

do nothing to harm,

sisters or brothers.

Speak not of the shame,

their actions impart;

for the Lord forgives,

and grants a new start.

Rather choose build up,

and point to the Lord;

His love is enough,

it’s freely outpoured.

Our words have power, and can have an impact for far longer than we know. For the child who hears nothing but negativity at home, and then hears encouraging words at school from a teacher or a staff member, their life course could be forever altered, simply because someone took the time to speak the truth in love into their life. Sadly, the opposite holds true as well. If our words are spoken carelessly and without love, the damage can be far deeper and longer lasting than we could ever imagine. In Christ, we have the power to choose to invest our lives in Him, so that we might live lives that are pure, and do what is right; speaking the truth from our hearts. As we do, people are encouraged and changed, and we cannot help but no longer stay the same either.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, we have the power to speak truth in love, and encourage and build up those who are around us.  Thank You that You equip and empower us to do so, when we invest our hearts and lives in You.  Forgive us for the missed opportunities that we have had, because we were too wrapped up in our own “stuff” to see the need around us.  Teach us to trust You more, so that we would have an outward focus, fixing our eyes on You, and those whom You place on our path to love as You love us.  Lead us to love like You.  May many come into a lasting relationship with You.  Be glorified O God, as we speak Your truth from the hearts that You have made new within 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