Rest Replenished in Hope

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

God, the One and only – I’ll wait as long as He says. Everything I hope for comes from Him, so why not? – (Psalm 62:5, MSG)

My soul quietly waits for the True God alone because I hope in only Him. – (Psalm 62:5, VOICE)

As an educator during a pandemic, this has been the truth I have come to know even more than ever before. It is in Christ that I find rest and hope, even on the days that our circumstances felt hopeless. Yesterday was our final day of live and Zoom instruction, and today is an asynchronous day that provides time to tie up loose ends, and work to complete final grading. Tomorrow, we report for one final day to aid in the collection of materials being returned, and to close up our classrooms for the summer. Friday will be the final day of gymnastics, utilized for returning all of our equipment to storage until next year’s season begins. I am beyond grateful for the summer season that provides rest. Though there is a variety of training and such scheduled throughout the time off, there is still time to truly take pause, recognize the goodness of God, and really rest. The beautiful thing about the rest that God provides, is that He does not need vacation nor weekends to make it so. We simply must quiet our soul before Him, for He is our hope and our Provider of rest. God is faithful, and He does what He says He will do. May we quiet our souls before Him and wait on the rest that comes from Him, the One in whom we hold our hope.

My soul does find rest,

In the Lord alone;

As my heart seeks Him,

His love is made known.

The space where hope’s held,

When we seek the Lord;

Is flooded with love,

As goodness is shown.

Trust in His goodness,

Hold hope in His grace;

He’s true to His word,

When we seek His face.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your loving kindness and faithfulness that provide us hope and rest as we seek You. Thank You for moments and seasons of rest. Forgive us for lumbering on in exhaustion, rather than slowing down to see Your true provision of rest. Teach us to turn to You in trust, and wait quietly before You, resting in Your presence. Show us how to come alongside those around us in ways that offer relief and evidence of Your overwhelming love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we wait on You and praise You for Your blessed provision of real rest. Amen.

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

In You, Lord my God, I put my trust. – Psalm 25:1

Faithful Healer

Lord my God, I called to You for help, and You healed me. – (Psalm 30:2, NIV)

Lord my God, I prayed to You, and You healed me. – (Psalm 30:2, ERV)

O Lord, my healing God, I cried out for a miracle and You healed me! – (Psalm 30:2, TPT)

God is a faithful healer, yet His timing is not our own. We are a society that is accustomed to fast food, fast service, and rapid response. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and we know not why some prayers are answered quickly, and others, by our own expectations, take too long. Even within my own household, answers vary. The entire family has been ill, and for most of us, it has been fairly short-lived. Yes, that in and of itself is an answered prayer, yet one of my kids is still dealing with symptoms that seem to linger. By now, he should be fever free and feeling fantastic, yet he is not. Fever and a cough seem to be holding on, and his sleep is a struggle too. Because we see that my son is still symptomatic does not mean that God is not healing him. For whatever reason, the healing is taking longer as sickness lingers. There has been enough relief for schoolwork to be completed and to hang out and be loved by the pups, we are not just waiting for all symptoms to pass and for full healing to happen. May we ever seek the Lord and call on Him to bring the healing that we need most, for He is faithful to meet us in our every need.

I called on the Lord,

And He heard my cry;

His answers will come,

God’s love won’t deny.

When answers seem slow,

We need to choose trust;

Faithfulness is sure,

He’s loving and just.

Keep calling on Him,

For His love is kind;

He heals by His grace,

As we seek, we’ll find.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You hear our cries and bring healing through Your hands. Thank You that even when we don’t see what we are hoping for in our timing, You are moving beyond what we can see. Forgive us for our frustrations with delays in what we hope to see. Teach us how to trust and to continue to contend for Your full and complete healing whenever it is needed. Show us how to love and pray for those around us in faith. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and trust You to bring healing through Your hands. Amen.

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

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. – Proverbs 16:24

Trust in the Simple and Strange

Simon (Peter) answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” – (Luke 5:5, NIV)

Simon (Peter) answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish and caught nothing. But You say I should put the nets in the water, so I will.” – (Luke 5:5, ERV)

“Master,” Peter replied, “we’ve just come back from fishing all night and didn’t catch a thing. But if You insist, we’ll go out again and let down our nets because of Your word.” – (Luke 5:5, TPT)

There is so much loaded in this one particular verse. Jesus went to career fishermen who had just had a fruitless night of fishing, and told them to let down their nets. I imagine in their minds, they thought that it was a pointless task, yet they were intrigued enough to try, after having just listened to Jesus teach to those along the shore from their boat. What happened next was a pivotal teaching point, as the nets of those fishermen filled to overflowing. In fact, it says that the nets were so full that the boats began to take on water. Jesus used the men’s own area of expertise to illustrate what it would be like to join Him and become “fishers of men”. This miraculous catch reached the hearts of the fishermen, and further showed them that they could trust Jesus at His word. Those fishermen became the first of those Jesus called to be His disciples. 

This reminds me that though the things that Jesus calls us to might seem useless or ridiculous, we must trust Him, as He can turn the ordinary into extraordinary when we are willing to do as He asks. May we ever seek to hear the heart of heaven as we go about our days, for we never know the impact our obedience might have.

No matter the ask, 

That comes from the Lord;

Our obedience,

Will not be ignored.

God takes willing hearts,

Blesses from above;

Makes light and hope known,

And pours out His love.

Lord, help us to see,

Be willing to hear;

To answer Your call,

Show You’re always near.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You love us and call us to partner with You to make Your love known. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to do that which we felt called to do, or for the times that we hesitated or questioned something that seemed small or bizarre. Teach us to trust You and to hear Your voice clearly. Grant us Your strength to move forward in love. Show us how to love those around us best, be it through small or great things. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to step out in faithful obedience to all that You call us to do. Amen.

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

In You, Lord my God, I put my trust. – Psalm 25:1

Strength in the Waiting

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. – (Psalm 27:14, NIV) 

Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help. – (Psalm 27:14, ERV)

Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting – for He will never disappoint you! – (Psalm 27:14, TPT)

As usual, a verse from my daily reading stands out in the timeliness of the message presented. While there have been so many jokes and memes about the neverending year that is 2020, I find I can relate to the sentiment of this being a very long season. We just passed the seven-month mark of the closure of traditional schooling and society functioning as we had always known before. While I understand the necessity to protect our most fragile population, I also see, first hand, the detrimental effect that isolation is having on our young people. Untimely deaths have impacted numerous communities, including our own, and the rate of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed. Lack of contact and community for our teens and young adults is taking a horrendous toll. For me, I have had to be intentional to get outside and exercise, find ways to connect with my own family and community, and seek strength anew every morning. Getting out of the house, even if it is only for a drive, walk or run, makes a world of difference for my heart and mind. I can only imagine the angst and frustration this causes young people, as few have the option or luxury of simply getting in the car and going just to find a change of scenery. Add to that the lack of interaction with their peers, and it is no wonder we are seeing such struggle. I know I have taken a bit of a detour as I am attempting to process the application of this verse. Perhaps it is a reminder to lift up those around us, and to encourage strength and hope in the waiting, and dependence on He who is our help and hope. May we seek the Lord each new day, and extend the strength and hope that He grants us in the waiting, to all those around us.

O Lord, I’m seeking,

Your hope and Your strength;

Comfort to pass on,

Your grace through great lengths.

Lead us in goodness,

May we each take heart;

Trusting Your kindness,

As strength You impart.

Help us be patient,

In You, as we wait;

Remind us again,

That You’re never late.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are with us in the waiting, and that You are our hope and our strength.  Thank You that we can be brave and take heart in You. Forgive us for our fears and doubts, as the waiting seems so long. Teach us to trust You more, as You do great things in us as we wait and trust in You. Show us how to love and encourage those around us, especially those who are feeling stuck or isolated. Grant them hope and strength in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You in the waiting and reach out to love well, all those around us. Amen.

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

Lord, I wait for You; You will answer, Lord my God. – Psalm 38:15

Countless Expressions of Love

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders You have done, the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare. – (Psalm 40:5, NIV)

Lord my God, You have done many amazing things! You have made great plans for us – too many to list. I could talk on and on about them, because there are too many to count. – (Psalm 40:5, ERV)

O Lord, our God, no one can compare with You. Such wonderful works and miracles are all found with You! And You think of us all the time with Your countless expressions of love – far exceeding our expectations! – (Psalm 40:5, TPT)

 

Whenever I pause to reflect on the wonders God has done, I stand in awe of the love and faithfulness He has shown me. As a visual learner, I have a tremendous appreciation for tangible reminders of God’s faithfulness – be it in writing, some sort of visual or the imagining of the altars of stone that were made so long ago to commemorate God faithfully seeing His people through a variety of challenges. Saturday, I had a tangible visual placed in my daily sight line, as a reminder of all that He has done. “The dragonfly has been a symbol of happiness, new beginnings and change for many centuries. The dragonfly means hope, change and love.” (- Why the Dragonfly) For me, in my life, this is the epitome of what God has done in my life. Knowing the symbolism behind the dragonfly, I have been gently reminded of His faithfulness to me at some incredibly pivotal times over the last few years. It seemed everywhere I went, I would see beautifully colorful dragonflies; overseas, out of state, and locally. After life took a turn that I had never imagined, God walked me through and brought me to a place of change, happiness and new beginnings. Where hope had been dashed, it was renewed. Where love had been lost, it has been gifted to me in ways I never thought possible. God works wonderful miracles in ways we would never think possible. His blessings far exceed what we would hope for when we trust in Him. May we ever seek the Lord and give thanks for the wonders He has done, for none can compare to the Lord.

 

God’s great faithfulness,

To none can compare;

Wherever we are,

God will meet us there.

In the deepest depths,

Or on mountain top;

His love, unfailing,

Grace that will not stop.

Beyond all His love,

His blessings abound;

Our Grantor of hope,

Where new life is found.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace and Your unending faithfulness throughout all our days. Thank You that no matter what comes, You are faithful to be with and see us through in ways far greater than we could have thought possible. Forgive us for losing sight of who You are and how You love, when we are in the heat of our own battles. Teach us to trust You more and continue to show us tangible reminders of Your goodness and faithfulness throughout all our days. Show us how to love those around us, according to Your good and perfect will. May we be a blessing that is an extension of Your hands and heart to those in need of Your touch. May many come into a lasting relationship with You.  Be glorified O God, as we give praise for who You are and how You love, and remember the new that You bring us into. Amen.

 

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

 

Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. – Psalm 25:5