The Word Among Us

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – (John 1:14, NIV)

The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw His divine greatness – the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth. – (John 1:14, ERV)

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish. – (John 1:14, MSG)

Jesus came close so that we would know who God is and what He is like. I love The Message translation of this verse as it shows how tangible and present Jesus became so that we would know Him. Incredibly, even though we do not live in the same time as when Jesus was on earth in the flesh, we see tangible evidence of who He is and how He loves through those around us and through all that His hands have made. The Word comes alive in our hearts as we seek Him, and He shows us more and more of who He is. Grace and truth surround us as His love overwhelms us. May we ever seek the One who is the Word and made His dwelling among us.

The Word of the Lord,

The truth is alive;

Actively teaching,

Instructions to thrive.

It is by His grace,

That His heart is shown;

In goodness and love,

He makes Himself known.

Father, please help us,

To ever seek You;

Our Help and our Hope,

All things that are true.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your one and only Son to show us who You are and how You love. Thank You that Your grace is plentiful, and Your love is unending. Forgive us for the times that we somehow make You small. Thank You that You are greater than all that we face and that Your grace is sufficient to meet our every need. Teach us to trust You more. Lead us in Your love so that we may make Your heart tangibly known to those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank and praise You for making Yourself clearly known. Amen.

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

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1

Peaceful Praise

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – (Philippians 4:6, NIV)

Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. – (Philippians 4:6, ERV)

Don’t be anxious about things, instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. – (Philippians 4:6, VOICE)

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day, as mom was transported from the hospital to a skilled nursing center in her own retirement community. Though there was some nervousness on her part, the kindness of God was made evident through the people who were part of the process. From her nursing staff to the transport driver, and every person who interacted with us at her recovery place, it is very clear that God hears our prayers and is faithful to meet our needs. We are so grateful that there was space available for mom in her own community, as it is located minutes from where my sister and brother-in-law work and live. The mission of the skilled nursing place is to treat everyone with kindness and dignity, and clearly, they are committed to do so. It will be a process to heal and rebuild strength, but God is faithful to supply what is needed each day and has shown Himself faithful over and over again. May we ever seek the Lord in prayer to ask for what we need and give Him thanks for who He is and how He continually shows us His faithful love.

Lord, we are thankful,

For all You have done;

In love, You provide,

All grace through Your Son.

You meet us each day,

With love that is new;

You grant us the strength,

For what we’re to do.

You provide Your peace,

That settles our hearts;

And comfort chaos,

Show us where to start. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You settle our hearts and bring us the peace and strength we need to navigate all things. Thank You that You hear our prayers and supply all of our needs. Forgive us for our anxiousness as we encounter new challenges. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times. Lead us to love those around us as You do, so that Your loving faithfulness is made evident to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and praise You for the peace, grace, and faithful love that You provide each day we draw breath. Amen.

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

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

Safe and Stable Space

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. – (Psalm 94:18, NIV)

I know I was ready to fall, but, Lord, Your faithful love supported me. – (Psalm 94:18, ERV)

I cried out, “I am slipping!” but Your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. – (Psalm 94:18, NLT)

I don’t know about you, but in the craziness of all that is going on in the world right now, I feel as if my foot will “slip” daily. Thankfully, God’s nearness and support does not change with our circumstances. He remains present to help, no matter what is going on around us or in us. His love is far more powerful than anything that transpires around us. God loves us far more than we can grasp or imagine, and is faithful forever. There is much comfort in this. Knowing that God is with me, no matter what is going on, grants me the strength and resolve to keep moving forward. May we ever turn to the Lord and His unfailing love, for He will support us and see us through all that comes our way.

When I’m not steady,

Unstable the ground;

I look to the Lord,

Where love and help’s found.

He knows each challenge,

That stands in our way;

Equips us with strength,

To get through each day.

He’s more than enough,

To meet all our needs;

He’ll walk beside us,

Help us to succeed.

All thanks be to God,

Our strength, hope and love;

The safe, stable space,

In the Lord above.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your unfailing love holds us up and keeps us afloat when the world feels like it will pull us under. Thank You that You are greater than every obstacle that comes our way. Forgive us for our fearfulness when we cannot fathom the solution to things that stand before us. Teach us to lean into You all the more, for You are where strength, wisdom, love and resolve are found. Show us how to love and support those around us well, so that they too, will know the power of Your great love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You and Your unfailing love in all things and at all times. Amen.

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

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6