To Please Our Provider

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, HCSB)

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)

Yesterday was a sort of Sabbath for me. I thought about excusing myself to sit down and write, but realized that time with my mom was to be my focus, as our visit was less than twenty-four hours. She is an early riser like me, or rather I am, like her, and time together is something that I never take for granted, as I know each opportunity we have to be together is a gift. The gratitude that fills my heart each time is a reminder of how good God is, and how much I want my words and thoughts to please Him. In order for our words and thoughts to be pleasing unto the Lord, we must know God and depend on Him to lead us. The more that we know God, the deeper our understanding is of what is pleasing unto Him. May we ever seek the Lord and trust in Him, for He is faithful to lead us in love as we fix our eyes and hearts on Him.

O Lord, please lead us,

In thought, word and deed;

Let all be pleasing,

As Your ways we heed.

Please show us Your heart,

In each circumstance;

Through Your eyes of love,

Let grace lead our stance.

Your heart’s for people,

With arms open wide;

Help us with Your grace,

To trust You to guide.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our Rock and Redeemer, and that You are loving and kind. Thank You for the countless reasons that we have to praise You. Forgive us for the times that our words or actions have not been pleasing unto You. Teach us to trust and rely on You to lead us to love as You intended. Show us how to care for those around us in ways that radiate Your loving kindness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to lead us and seek You to guide what we say and what we fix our minds upon. Amen.

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

Summon Your power, God; show us Your strength, our God, as You have done before. – Psalm 68:28

Take Time to Delight

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. – (Psalm 34:8, NIV)

Give the Lord a chance to show you how good He is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on Him! – (Psalm 34:8, ERV)

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see – how good God is. Blessed are you who run to Him. – (Psalm 34:8, MSG)

Even in difficulty, there is an opportunity to taste and see how good God really is. Yesterday, despite my gnarly case of seasickness throughout our day of fishing, the smile on my Viking’s face as he caught fish and lived in the moment, made it all worthwhile. It is far too easy to get caught up in the to do lists and what lies ahead, but when we slow down and simply revel in the right now that the Lord is providing, there is joy and goodness and grace. Additionally, the blessing of a bountiful catch by both of us will put fresh fish on the table throughout the coming months. Each time we prepare it, we will remember God’s goodness and provision. May we ever look to the Lord to truly see, for He shows us, again and again, how good He really is.

Take time to delight,

In all that is good;

For the Lord provides,

His love understood.

The goodness we taste,

The beauty we see;

By His loving hands,

For you and for me.

Each time we slow down,

And run to His good;

We find true blessings,

How God’s love withstood.

Even in trials,

He shows us beauty;

Goodness and His grace,

His love tangibly.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can taste and see how good You truly are. Thank You that Your goodness and grace are not limited to good times, but rather You show us Your love in all things if only we look and listen. Thank You for the beauty that surrounds us, and for showing Your creativity as we witnessed whales and porpoises and a giant sunfish during our day at sea. Forgive us for the times that we fail to look to You when things get difficult. Teach us to always look to You in all things and at all times, for You are always faithful to meet us when we call on You. Show us how to love those around us in ways that make Your love tangible. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we taste and see how very good You are. Amen.

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

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. – Psalm 37:4

Discover What He’s Done

Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. – (Isaiah 12:5, NIV)

Sing songs of praise about the Lord, because He has done great things. Spread this news about God throughout the whole world. Let all people know these things. – (Isaiah 12:5, ERV)

Sing praise to the Eternal! Everyone, everywhere should know that God acts in amazing ways. – (Isaiah 12:5, VOICE)

The evidence of God’s hand is all around us. It takes little looking to discover all of the great things that He has done. From the way that the waves know how far upon the shore to come, to the smiles and laughter of loved ones, all have been formed by His loving hands. There are times that it is easy to get caught up in the chaos that comes and neglect to be aware of all of the glorious things that God has done around and in us. When we pause and sing songs of praise, we are reminded of just how good God truly is. The more we recognize and celebrate His goodness, the better His heart is made known to those around us. May we ever sing praise to the Lord, for He is good and has done great things.

Let’s sing to the Lord,

For all He has done;

The work of His hands,

The battles we’ve won.

All that’s created,

Each blessing of grace;

Beauty surrounds us,

Throughout all our days.

Give thanks to the Lord,

Choose rise, sing His praise;

All thanks to the King,

Who’s faithful always.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and faithful and worthy of all of our praise. Thank You for the incredible works of Your hands that provide and bless us all. Forgive us for not giving proper credit to You, for every good and perfect gift has come from You. Teach us to sing Your praise throughout all our days. Show us how to love those around us well so that they too, may see the goodness of Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing songs of praise to You and share Your goodness with those around us. Amen.

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

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him! – Psalm 147:1