Wise Words Heal

There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing. – (Proverbs 12:18, HCSB)

Speak without thinking and your words can cut like a knife. Be wise, and your words can heal. – (Proverbs 12:18, ERV)

Thoughtless words cut deeply like a thrusting sword, but the speech of the wise is a healing balm. – (Proverbs 12:18, VOICE)

Our words have the power to hurt or heal. It is up to us to slow down and seek the Lord to lead us. Wisdom is granted to the seeking, and God provides all that we need to speak in love. I imagine we all have been the recipients of both harsh and healing words. Both leave a lasting impression, yet only words of wisdom spoken in love have the power to propel us to go and do likewise for those around us. Harsh words beget harsh words, yet kind and healing words encourage us to extend the same to others. May we ever seek the Lord to remove rash words from our lips and to fill us with His wisdom and loving kindness so that we would bring healing to those around us with what we say.

May we ever speak,

With wisdom and grace;

Let each word help heal,

Throughout all our days.

If words are unkind,

Intended for harm;

May they fall silent,

Lord, help us discern.

Show us in wisdom,

Lead us with Your grace;

Teach us to love well,

Throughout each new day.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that it is Your intention that we use our words well to bring help and healing to those around us. Forgive us for the times that we have been harsh or rash without love. Teach us to listen for Your leading so that Your words of wisdom extend healing to all. Show us how to respond and interact with everyone we meet, for we desire that every word extended is spoken in love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us to speak loving words with Your wisdom and keep harsh words far from us. Amen.

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

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

In Freedom Choose Love

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. – (Galatians 5:13, NIV)

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love. – (Galatians 5:13, MSG)

Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love. – (Galatians 5:13, VOICE)

God has given each of us a free will. His intention has always been for us to be free to choose. The love of God draws us unto Him, yet we always have a choice as to whether to accept or reject it. When we follow our own path with little care or concern for others, we are gratifying the flesh and not choosing love. However, when we seek the Lord to lead us in His love, we are opting to walk in His way and using our freedom to love as Jesus loved. Incredibly, as we select a life that follows after Him, we become free from the weight of being stuck in our own selfishness, and discover the joy that awaits as we choose to walk the path that He prepares for us. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us, as we freely choose to love and serve one another as we are called to do.

Brothers and sisters,

We all have been called;

In freedom to choose,

To love one and all.

For as we choose love,

Selfishness will fade;

True freedom and joy,

Are found in His ways.

So, let us look up,

Select the Lord’s best;

Love one another,

As grace is expressed.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have created us each with a free will. Thank You that with our freedom, we can choose to follow after You and select a life of loving as You first loved us. Forgive us for the times that we have chosen to stay stuck in our sinful patterns instead of choosing to follow after You. Teach us to freely choose to love and serve one another, for in doing so, we come to know the joy that is found in opting to utilize our freedom for good. Show us how to love and serve those around us in ways that make Your heart evident to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to love and serve with the freedom that we are granted in You. Amen.

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

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. – Ephesians 4:2

Encourage and Promote Peace

So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. – (Romans 14:19, HCSB)

So let’s try as hard as we can to do what will bring peace. Let’s do whatever will help each other grow stronger in faith. – (Romans 14:19, ERV)

Join us, and pursue a life that creates peace and builds up our brothers and sisters. – (Romans 14:19, VOICE)

This is such a powerful reminder, as we are meant to encourage and build one another up, no matter how we are feeling. It is not about how we feel, but rather about what we are called to do and who we are created to be. To live out this life with purpose, we must be bearers of peace and people who encourage those around us. Yes, there is a time for correction and redirection, but love must be the center of all we do. If someone who has my trust and has clearly established that they are for me and not against me, I am receptive to what they say if I have said or done something that was not aligned with love. It requires courage and intention to live in relationships like this, but our investments in one another are always worthwhile. May we ever pursue the Lord to lead us in living a life that creates peace and builds up our brothers and sisters.

May we seek pursue,

A life that gives peace;

Build each other up,

As love does increase.

For we have been made,

To love each other;

Encourage, lift up,

Sisters and brothers.

So, let us choose love,

In all that we do;

Be bearers of peace,

Encourage in truth.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to bring peace and encourage each other. Thank You for the people whom You have placed in our lives that do exactly that. Forgive us for the times that we have not brought peace or have not been an encouragement where it was needed. Teach us to rely on You to lead us well. Show us how to bring peace to places where it is absent, and to encourage hearts that need lifting up. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we listen to Your leading so that we can be bearers of peace and encouragement wherever we go. Amen.

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

Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. – Psalm 34:14

Called to Hope

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people. – (Ephesians 1:18, NIV)

I pray that God will open your minds to see His truth. Then you will know the hope that He has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised His holy people are rich and glorious. – (Ephesians 1:18, ERV)

Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. – (Ephesians 1:18, VOICE)

The reality is that we all could use more hope. When things are good, there is great joy in knowing that what is yet to come is even better. When in the midst of sorrow or trials or strife, hope is what propels us forward to persevere. As we invest time with intention to seek to know the Lord better, we grow in our understanding of all that He has for us, both in the here and now, and forever. His blessings are present, even in the midst of pain. It is up to us to truly see all that is around us, for He shows us again and again how vast His love is and how faithful He is to His promises. May we ever seek the Lord, for it is in the seeking that we find and discover the blessings and hope that are held in His hands.

Lord, open our eyes,

So that all may see;

The light of Your truth,

Hope’s reality.

For in Your strong hands,

We shall be upheld;

Grace for each new day,

As You love so well.

Help every heart,

So truth may be seen;

For that’s how hope grows,

In this time between.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You love us and provide blessings and hope both now and forever. Forgive us for losing sight of Your goodness and grace on our toughest days. Teach us to ever look to You to show us who You are and how You love so that hope will be securely held in our hearts. Lead us to love each other like You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, so that they too may know hope, help, peace and love in the way that only You provide. Be glorified O God, as we look to the light of Your truth and purposefully pursue the path that You have set before us. Amen.

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

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… – Hebrews 6:19a

Spoken to Be

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth. – (Psalm 33:6, NIV)

The Lord spoke the command, and the world was made. The breath from His mouth created everything in the heavens. – (Psalm 33:6, ERV)

The unfathomable cosmos came into being at the word of the Eternal’s imagination, a solitary voice in endless darkness. The breath of His mouth whispered the sea of stars into existence. – (Psalm 33:6, VOICE)

The very same God who spoke creation into being, intentionally made us all. There is a plan and a purpose for each of us, and if God created all that is both seen and unseen, how vast and powerful are His plans for us? Though what we are called to do with our lives may seem insignificant, if our lives show His love to people, we are granting glimpses of God and walking out our purpose. Each time I spend time outdoors, I am reminded of the power, goodness and intention of God. Creation displays God’s majesty. New blooms opening, the sun glistening on the water, the sun setting and painting the colors of the sky – so much goodness has been created to remind us of the work of God’s hands. May we ever take time to look around us and recognize the loving intention breathed into every living thing around us, and give praise to the One who made it all.

All that our eyes see,

Photo by Lukas Rodriguez on Pexels.com

And so far beyond;

The work of God’s hands,

Call hearts to respond.

Respond with all thanks,

Love and lift up praise;

Such purposeful good,

For all of our days.

May we choose to love,

As the Lord loves us;

All thanks to the One,

Who knows and loves best.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the beauty in all that You have purposefully created. Thank You that we cannot even begin to fathom all that Your hands have lovingly made. Thank You that You created all of us with the same intentionality. Forgive us for not recognizing the beauty all around us, and that which is in every living creature. Teach us to love and care well for all that You have made. Show us how to love those around us in ways that make Your powerful, unending love evident. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You and praise You for the incredible work of Your hands – both around us and in us. Amen.

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

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Goodness and Unending Love

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. – (Psalm 136:1, NIV)

Praise the Lord because He is good. His faithful love will last forever. – (Psalm 136:1, ERV)

Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits. – (Psalm 136:1, MSG)

Life is full of distractions if we allow them. It takes intention to give God thanks and recognize Him for all that He has done. Thankfully, His love never quits on us, even when we are distracted or allow our gaze to wander. Lovingly, He woos us back to fix our eyes on Him, and realign our focus on praising our Provider for who He is and how He loves. May we ever give thanks to God for His goodness, and for His love that lasts forever.

Give thanks to the Lord,

For He’s always good;

Let our hearts choose praise,

As love’s understood.

His love’s forever,

It never runs out;

Not circumstantial,

Goes beyond devout.

May we choose praise Him,

Our forever love;

He never fails us,

The Lord God above.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and loving forever. Thank You that no matter where we are or what is going on, You are present to love and see us through. Thank You that You alone are worthy of all of our thanks and praise. Forgive us for the times that we neglect to recognize Your goodness or forget to give You proper praise. Teach us to turn to You with hearts full of thanks, for Your goodness and love never end. Show us how to love those around us with the same sort of love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your goodness and unending love. Amen.

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

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. – Psalm 36:5

Strength and Secure Path

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. – (Psalm 18:32, NIV)

God is the one who gives me strength. He clears the path I need to take. – (Psalm 18:32, ERV)

The true God who encircled me with strength and made my pathway straight. – (Psalm 18:32, VOICE)

God has created each of us with purpose and intention. I never cease to be amazed at what the human body can do. He grants us strength to move and guides and protects us as we go. As I find myself a week away from a major milestone birthday, I cannot help but stand in awe of the strength and safety that God has granted me. I love to be outdoors and moving, and He has empowered me with a strong healthy body that is able to run, hike, walk, bike and tackle whatever other physical challenge that is set before me. Each moment I am moving outdoors I am acutely aware of God and His goodness. May we ever recognize the strength and protection that are provided by God and give Him thanks for all that He does.

The God of all grace,

Grants us strength within;

Makes straight our pathways,

As we let Him in.

Equipped with mercy,

Empowered by grace;

All that is needed,

To run well our race.

Keep pressing forward,

And trusting in Him;

In Him we are strong,

To rise and begin.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You give us strength and protection as we move forward in You. Thank You that You have created such beauty all around us to enjoy. Forgive us for taking even one moment of our ability to get out and enjoy it for granted. Teach us to praise and appreciate You in all things. Show us how to love those around us best, as we do the things You created us to do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we move in the strength that You provide and trust in You goodness to guide us safely. Amen.

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

The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. – Exodus 15:2

Making Our Days Matter

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – (Psalm 90:12, NIV)

Teach us how short our lives are so that we can become wise. – (Psalm 90:12, ERV)

Help us to remember that our days are numbered, and help us to interpret our lives correctly. Set Your wisdom deeply in our hearts so that we may accept Your correction. – (Psalm 90:12, TPT)

A common thread among us is that I think we are all far more aware that our days are numbered. There is nothing quite like a pandemic to remind us that none of us are immune to the reaches of the affects, as I know few folks who do not at least know someone impacted by COVID19. We have the opportunity to respond to the realization that none of us are guaranteed a long life on earth, so how we spend our days matters. In order to use the time we are given well, we need God’s wisdom. He is faithful to grow us and show us more and more of His love and grace, as we choose to follow after Him. The Lord is faithful to direct and correct, if we are willing to pursue Him and respond to His promptings. I desire to live each day with intention, and am acutely aware of my need for God’s intervention to do so. May we ever recognize that we are not promised tomorrow, so that we might live each day with wisdom and grace, according to God’s good and perfect plan.

O Lord, I thank You,

For each day thus far;

As Your love and grace,

Meet us where we are.

Grant us Your wisdom,

Help us to live well;

Let each brand new day,

Be love’s show and tell.

May each day we rise,

Be seen as a gift;

Each moment a chance,

For spirits to lift.

Lord, show me Your heart,

In each circumstance;

Make me wise with love,

To live out Your plans.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have good plans for each of us. Thank You that You meet us as we seek You, and You grant us wisdom to navigate our days well. Forgive us for the times that we take our days for granted. Teach us how to live with intention, each new day that we draw breath. Show us how to live and love with wisdom and grace, so that all might seek Your welcome embrace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for each new day, and seek You to live it out with wisdom, love and grace. Amen.

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

How many are Your works, Lord! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. – Psalm 104:24

Confidently Seek in Love

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. – (1 John 5:14, NIV)

We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. – (1 John 5:14, ERV)

Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before Him, for if we present any request agreeable to His will, He will hear us. – (1 John 5:14, TPT)

 

At first read, this can be a bit intimidating. Who am I to truly know God’s will? The more I read and ponder and pray, the more I recognize that if whatever I am asking God is aligned with loving Him and loving people, then my prayers will be heard. His will not always revealed to us, yet we do know that what He commands of us, desires of us, and has created us for – loving Him and loving those around us. It seems that the bottom line as we approach God for anything, is what is the condition of our heart? What I mean by that is what is our intention for what we are asking. Is it for the good our heart toward Him? Will it help or better the life of another? What I have learned is that God is gracious and kind and full of love, and He hears our heart cry as we come before Him with honesty and truth. He leads and guides in the ways we are meant to go, and blesses us with His peace. May we ever confidently seek the Lord in prayer, trusting that He hears and cares about what we ask as we pursue His best for every circumstance.

 

We can be certain,

https://relevantmagazine.com/god/true-worship-more-singing-church/

The Lord hears our prayer;

Each time that we seek,

He listens with care.

With a heart for good,

Full of love and peace;

God shows us the way,

As grace is released.

So, choose seek the Lord,

Pray confidently;

With a heart of love,

God hears faithfully.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and showing us what is good. Thank You that if our heart is for loving You and loving people, You hear our prayers with a heart of love. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to seek You or have sought You out of selfishness. Teach us to trust and follow You in all things. Show us how to love those around us in the same way that You love us so well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You with a heart of love, ever pursuing Your will. Amen.

 

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

 

For You have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. – Psalm 71:5

 

 

Our Oasis

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – (Matthew 11:28, NIV)

“Come to Me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” – (Matthew 11:28, ERV)

“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to Me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis.” – (Matthew 11:28, TPT)

 

And there is a resounding “yes”, followed by a heavy sigh and a bit of coughing. Weary indeed… The heavy burdens I continually attempt to lay down, yet somehow, I seem to find new weights that have managed to be slung on my shoulders. Each morning, I rise with intention, to seek the Lord and give all to Him. He promises to give rest and refreshment, and an oasis sounds blissful about now. This is where trust must enter in.  At times, the provision is the supplication of what we need for the day to make it through. There are other times, when we find ourselves smack dab in the center of an oasis, after what has felt like an eternity in the desert. God knows what we need and when we need it most. He provides and sustains, refreshes and grants rest. Today, I am trusting Him for what I need to navigate this day, and looking forward to some much-needed rest, that is yet to come. May we ever seek the Lord when we are weary and heavy burdened, for He will walk beside us and grant us rest.

 

Jesus tells us, “Come”,

Bring burdens to Me;

Lay heaviness down,

Set all at His feet.

For He is our Source,

Strength, hope, life and light;

Who grants us the rest,

To stay in the fight.

His hands can hold us,

When our strength is gone;

He’s our oasis,

His love makes us strong.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Thank You that You call us to bring our burdens to You; for You are willing and able to carry the load that we were never meant to bear. Thank You that You provide rest and refreshment when we are weary and worn. Forgive us for growing weary in our resolve to keep seeking Your help when all is heavy. Teach us how to lay down the burdens that we are not even aware we are shouldering. Show us how to come alongside those around us, to love, encourage and lift up, so that they may know Your refreshment. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we come to You and lay our burdens before You, seeking You for real rest. Amen.

 

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

 

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – Psalm 62:5