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

Let Our Hearts Sing Thanks

Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him. – (Psalm 95:2, NLT)

May we come before the Lord and give Him thanks. Let us sing and praise Him with the gratitude that rises in our hearts when we consider who He is, and all that He has done. Even when our present day is not our banner day, there is always reason to praise.

Yesterday did not end up as I would have hoped nor imagined. I spent much of the day and night seeking medical attention for one of my tender-hearted teens. They had been away on retreat with their youth group for the weekend, and upon returning, Adventurous was struggling with his asthma. Knowing the previous patterns that this sort of incident had taken in the past, a trip to Urgent Care up front, would likely prevent a trip to the ER later. We went to an Urgent Care that was new to us, and were seen right away. The entire staff was helpful and kind, and we were in and out in a bit over an hour. There was reason for our hearts to give praise as we parted, for the x-rays showed that his lungs were clear, indicating no sign of pneumonia or the like. He did, however, have an ear infection. Upon returning home, Adventurous laid down and took a nap for several hours. As he slept, I would do periodic check-ins to listen to his breathing. Unfortunately, that was growing steadily worse. After having prepared dinner for he and his brother, and having no success in waking him to come and eat, I realized that what I had hoped to avoid was going to need to happen.

I roused the sleeping cherub, and we were off for the ER. Due to the nature of our visit, we were taken back fairly quickly, as breathing is rather important. On our way back to a room, all I could do is give God thanks, as we passed by several very sick kiddos. Though Adventurous was struggling, the process of restoration was fairly routine. There was some waiting, and my sweet boy did not respond to the medication as quickly as he usually does, but he did respond, and we avoided being admitted. Three and a half hours after arrival, we were on our way home.

Let our hearts sing psalms,

with all thanks and praise;

to our mighty God,

may our voices raise.

Despite our trials,

there’s reason to give;

thanks to the Father,

who loves and lets live.

We thank You, Lord God,

for love, life and breath;

for grace, forgiveness,

Your conquering death.

Let us not forget,

the wonder of You;

as we sing all praise,

and speak of Your truth.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can come to You with thanksgiving and sing psalms of praise to You. Thank You that You are our reason to give thanks and praise. Forgive us for not recognizing our reason to give thanks in all things is You, regardless of what goes on around us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we can see clearly with our heart, what our eyes cannot perceive. Lead us to love others with Your love and grace, so that they too may long to seek Your face. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we come before You with thanksgiving, and sing psalms of praise unto You. Amen.

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

They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. – Psalm 145:7

Enter With Thanksgiving

Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His Name. – (Psalm 100:4)

Before Christ came, people had to go to the temple to be in the presence of God. To truly present their thanks, praise and offerings, they had to physically go to the temple courts and partake in a rigorous routine. Today, we can enter His gates with thanksgiving and go into His courts with praise, any hour of any day. Christ dwells within our very own heart, if we choose only to invite Him in. When we give thanks to God and praise His Name, it is as if we are in the throne room itself, because of God with us, through the Holy Spirit. Because we are blessed as believers to have Christ with us at all times, we always have reason to give Him thanks and praise. May we choose to rise up and enter His gates with thanksgiving and go into His courts with praise, not for what is going on around us, but for who He is within us.

May each heart enter,

His gates full of thanks;

go into His courts,

to offer God praise.

For this is a space,

found within our heart;

as we recognize,

where the throne room starts.

We need not look far,

for the Lord is near;

our help and our hope,

each prayer He will hear.

All thanks be to God,

give praise to His Name;

for He is so good,

let our hearts proclaim.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can enter Your gates with thanksgiving and go into Your courts with praise directly, without having to travel far, nor participate in rigorous rituals to be made right before You. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, who made the way for us to be seen as clean before You. Thank You, Jesus, for bearing all of our sin and shame, so that we could be viewed as acceptable and worthy to worship before You. Forgive us for taking the magnitude of Your sacrifice for granted, or for not giving proper thanks and praise unto You. Teach us to have hearts that overflow with thanksgiving for who You are, as You alone are worthy of all thanks and praise. Lead us to love others in such a way, that they too, may find reason to offer thanks. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we enter Your gates with thanksgiving and go into Your courts with praise. Amen.

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

For the Lord your God will bless you, …and your joy will be complete. – Deuteronomy 16:15

Thankful for Love that Endures

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; His love to Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. – (Ezra 3:11)

The people during David’s time, had seen the destruction of the former glory of the temple that Solomon had built. Some, had never even known anything except the rubble of the ruins that remained. Finally, fifty years after the destruction, the foundation of a new temple of the Lord had been laid. I imagine there was such power in the recognition of the reality of the promise to rebuild, coming to pass before their very eyes. The people responded with praise and thanksgiving, as they identified His goodness and faithfulness for all time. God had been faithful in the destruction, and continued to remain faithful as they were in the space of rebuilding.

God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Lord is present with people in the midst of destruction, and remains present throughout the healing and rebuilding process. May our hearts, though at times are heavy from all of the destruction that we see, be encouraged to sing praise and thanks to God because He is good and His love and faithfulness to people remains for all time. Be our foundation, O God, no matter what we see.

Praise and thanksgiving,

Vandy Massey Watercolor

sing unto the Lord;

for He is so good,

all grace He affords.

When all seems but lost,

in Him we are found;

the Lord shall restore,

what was shaking ground.

With great shouts of praise,

give God the glory;

for He holds the pen,

to write our story.

Though storms enter in,

our course is assured;

when we trust in Christ,

we’ve strength to endure.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and Your love endures forever. Thank You for the foundation that You lay in the hearts of all who choose to trust in You. Forgive us for not giving proper praise and thanksgiving for who You are, despite what we witness around us. Father, we lift up all of those impacted by the tragedy in France, and ask that You would be their Comfort and their Healer, as they find themselves in a place of ruin, needing You to rebuild. Teach us to trust You more, so that we might extend thanks and praise unto You through all that we say and do. Lead us to love others so that they may come to know Your goodness and love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing of Your goodness and enduring love with praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

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

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

Proclaim with Praise to All People

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. – (Psalm 105:1, NLT)

For His unfailing love, let us give thanks. As benefactors of life and breath and our very being, we have reason to proclaim the greatness of our God. There is only One who willingly bore the weight of our sin and shame, so that we could have new life in Him. Our cleansing through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, is reason that we ought to go forth and freely share of the love that we have been given. May the whole world come to know what He has done, as we give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.

Give thanks to the Lord,

as we share His love;

proclaiming how great,

is our God above.

May the whole world know,

what the Lord has done;

to make way for us,

through His precious Son.

All that we’ve done wrong,

the Lord wipes away;

as He took our place,

in punishment’s stay.

Yet not even death,

could defeat our King;

He rose from the grave,

by power He brings.

The very same strength,

that brought Love to life;

dwells within our hearts,

as we let faith rise.

Dear Heavenly Father, we give all thanks to You and proclaim Your greatness. Help us to let the whole world know what You have done, for in You, we have life and breath and hope and a future. Forgive us for not giving thanks often enough, and for not speaking of just how great You are to all whom we encounter. Teach us to trust You more, so that our every word and deed would speak the truth of Your greatness before them. Lead us to love others with Your loving kindness. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give thanks to You and proclaim Your greatness and the wonder of all that You have done before all the world. Amen.

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

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. – Psalm 34:8

Thankfulness As A Sacrifice

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. – (Psalm 50:14, NLT)

Set out a sacrifice I can accept; your thankfulness. Be true to your word to the Most High. – (Psalm 50:14, Voice)

At first glance, I wondered how thankfulness would be considered a sacrifice before God, however, when I pondered the passage for a moment, I recognized that the reality in the midst of struggles and suffering is that we must sacrifice some of ourselves (our desire to complain, whine, or wallow) in order to have a thankful heart before the Lord. Additionally, when we present promises to God, He expects us to keep them. None of this is possible in our own strength, yet with Christ in us, we can make thankfulness our sacrifice to God, and be true to the words we commit unto the Lord. May we give up our desire to identify the things that go wrong, and instead sacrifice our self-focus for a God-focus, giving Him all of our thanks and praise. Let us be true to our word to the Lord Most High, as it is by Him and through Him that all moments are measured.

Let a thankful heart,

be our sacrifice;

before the Lord God,

as He paid the price.

For every sin,

has been washed away;

so that we can stand,

and walk in His way.

May we keep the vows,

promises to God;

let’s give our whole heart,

not just a facade.

No matter what comes,

be trial or grace;

may thanks fill our hearts,

and from our lips, praise.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You receive our thankfulness as a sacrifice before You, and that You are pleased when we are true to our word unto You. Forgive us for not making thankfulness our sacrifice before You, or for not keeping the promises that we have made to You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would have hearts that are filled to overflowing with gratitude for who You are and all that You have done, as well as an unwillingness to waiver from our word unto You. Show us how to love others from a position of thankfulness, so that they too may see Your goodness through our gratitude. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we make thankfulness our sacrifice before You, and keep our promises that we make to You. Amen.

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

Surely 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

Give Thanks As We Proclaim

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. – (1 Chronicles 16:8, NLT)

In my early twenties, I had the rare opportunity to be a part of Youth With A Mission, and saw firsthand, the carrying out of the great commission in action. We were able to go out to the ends of the earth and tell the world of what He has done. The teams that I was a part of traveled to Thailand, India, China, Bangladesh, Macau and Hong Kong (before it was turned back over to China). Trains, planes, boats, rickshaws, backpacks up mountains, and living among some of the world’s poorest, were part of our daily adventures. It was an exciting time, and as we gave thanks to the Lord and proclaimed His greatness, we could see, firsthand, how we were letting the world know what He had done.

After returning from such an adventurous lifestyle, it took quite a mind shift to recognize that I could still impact the world through giving thanks and proclaiming who God is. What I discovered as I began teaching in the city in which I was raised, is that the population had become very global. Though I was not going out into all of the world, all of the world was coming into my classroom on a daily basis. Seeds of kindness that I began to plant, were God’s to water and grow.

For years I have utilized writing as a personal outlet, rarely allowing anyone else to read what God had written on my heart. A few years ago, a dear friend who I did allow to read my writing from time to time, began to encourage me to consider sharing my writing with a larger circle. Though terrified, I ventured to spread the circle a bit wider. The few became a few more, and blogging was birthed in me. Today, the thrill of seeing the flag of another nation representing a person who has viewed what God is showing me, is overwhelming. God alone is worthy of all of our thanks and praise, for He is great and has done remarkable things! May we go forth this day and let the world know what He has done, as we live a life full of thanks.

All thanks be to God,

and let us proclaim;

of the Lord’s greatness,

oh most Holy Name.

May all of the earth,

come know what He’s done;

through His love and grace,

He gave us His Son.

Merciful Father,

makes the way for us;

embrace eternal,

through the Lord Jesus.

Lord, You are so good,

You take what we bring;

and accept us each,

as pure offerings.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are so great and mighty. Thank You that You allow us to be a part of the great commission, wherever we are. Thank You that we can share Your love with the ends of the earth, whether we travel or stay at home. Forgive us for thinking that we cannot make a difference, or for staying silent when we ought to be proclaiming the greatness of who You are. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would use our words and deeds to appropriately express our gratitude unto You in all things and at all times. Lead us to love others in a way that sows seeds of Your goodness and grace deep into their hearts. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You thanks and proclaim Your greatness wherever we may be. 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

Represent with Thanks

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. – (Colossians 3:17, NLT)

When we belong to Christ, our every word and deed are representing who we are in Him. If we present ourselves from a position of thanks and praise to Him who gives us life and breath and our very being, God is glorified as He ought to be. However, if our natural state is one that withholds gratitude and fails to give glory where glory is due, we are missing opportunities to show His goodness to those around us. Yes, we all struggle and fall short, and it is good for us to also be genuine with people, but we cannot stay stuck in our sorrows or struggles. As those around us see us rise and fight the good fight with a heart full of thanks for Him who gives us strength, they too may be moved to earnestly seek Him. May we choose to give thanks to God in all that we do and say, for He alone is worthy, and we are His representatives.

Let each word and deed,

be flavored with praise;

giving thanks to God,

for all of our days.

No matter what comes,

the Lord is still good;

faithful and present,

makes grace understood.

May we represent,

our Lord Jesus well;

through word and action,

let our choices tell.

Tell of His glory,

speak of the Lord’s grace;

share of His goodness,

’til all seek His face.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and faithful and kind. Thank You that all thanks and praise belong to You. Thank You that You allow us to be Your representatives to those around us, through our words and deeds, as we choose to give You thanks. Forgive us for not representing You well with our words or deeds, and help us to do and say the things that You would choose. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would listen to Your leading in every situation and circumstance, giving You thanks all the while. Lead us to love others well, so that they may see You through that which we do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to represent You well with thankful hearts, in all that we say and do. 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

Thankful for the Unshakeable

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. – (Hebrews 12:28, NIV)

So we should be thankful because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And because we are thankful, we should worship God in a way that will please Him. We should do this with respect and fear. – (Hebrews 12:28, ERV)

God with us, is the preview of His kingdom that is yet to come. Though we are fallible and feeble, Christ in us, is not. No matter what comes, He shall not be shaken. He knows our needs before we bring them before Him, and He holds our heart in the palm of His hand. For each of us who call Him King, He has prepared a future and a hope that we can hold. Our thankfulness unto God ought to be for who He is, and the hope that we have in Him – not for what we see in our immediate circumstance. When offered with reverence and awe for who He is, God receives our worship as pleasing before Him. May we rise up each day with thanks, ready to worship with respect and awe, as God is unshakable, and we are heirs to the glory of His kingdom that is yet to come.

God’s kingdom is ours,

for all who believe;

it can’t be shaken,

it’s ours to receive.

Therefore may we all,

give praise, thanks and awe;

with hearts of reverence,

before our great God.

His promises now,

and hope yet to come;

reasons to worship,

the Most Holy One.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Thank You that we have reason to be thankful, regardless of what goes on around us, because of You within us. Thank You that when we worship You with reverence and awe, You receive our offering as acceptable before You. Forgive us for not realizing the power that is present within us, and for not holding fast to the promise of what is yet to come. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would recognize how much greater are You who is in us, than anything that would come against us, and that no matter what comes in the here and now, we have the promised hope of eternity with You. Show us how to love others with eternity in mind. May many come to know You as their Savior and King. Be glorified O God, as we give thanks and worship You with reverence and awe, for Your kingdom that cannot be shaken. Amen.

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

I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power. – Daniel 2:23

Where Roots Grow, Thankfulness Shall Overflow

Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. – (Colossians 2:7, NLT)

(Be) rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – (Colossians 2:7, NIV)

Where we choose to be planted, roots will grow. When we invest our hearts and lives in Christ, He grows His truth deep within us, and we become firmly established. With each new bud of strength that grows, so too, does our gratitude. As we allow Christ to strengthen us further in our faith in Him, thankfulness begins to overflow from our whole being. We cannot help but burst forth blooms of thanks, when our roots run deep in His love. May we allow our hearts and minds to be rooted and built up in Christ, as He strengthens us in the truth; and may we allow thankfulness to freely flow from our hearts as we notice the grace that God continually gives.

Deep rooted in Christ,

is the place to grow;

firmly established,

where His truth we know.

Here we are strengthened,

by His love and grace;

may thanks overflow,

as we give God praise.

Let both heart and mind,

hold fast to the truth;

all thanks be to Him,

Who builds up, makes new.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we invest our hearts and minds in You and Your word, we are rooted and built up in You. Thank You that You strength us in faith and fill our hearts to overflowing with thankfulness. Forgive us for not investing all that we are into who You are calling us to become, or for not giving proper thanks where it is due. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will surrender all that we are unto You. Make us more of who You created us to become, and help our hearts to overflow with gratitude for who You are and all that You have done and continue to do. Lead us to love others so that they may see Your heart for them through how they are cared for through us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we are rooted and built up in You, strengthened in the faith as You have taught us, and allow our hearts to overflow with thankfulness. Amen.

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

You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence. – Acts 2:28