Listen, Recognize, and Respond

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” – (John 10:27, NIV)

“My sheep recognize My voice. I know them, and they follow Me.” – (John 10:27, MSG)

“My sheep respond as they hear My voice; I know them intimately, and they follow Me.” – (John 10:27, VOICE)

I appreciate the slight variations in phrasing in each of these three translations. To follow after God means that we listen, recognize, and respond to the voice of Jesus. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows what is best for us. The only way for us to do and be what we have been created for is if we can identify the voice of God, the still small voice that whispers to our hearts, truly listen to what He is saying, and then respond with action. May we ever seek the Lord in prayer, spend time in His word, and give Him time and space where we simply listen.

In order to hear,

Photo by Harrison Haines on Pexels.com

We must choose to seek;

To listen and learn,

Know what the Lord speaks.

He is the shepherd,

Who know us by name;

He cares and protects,

And forgives our shame.

He raises us up,

And in love He leads;

Directs with purpose,

And meets all our needs.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You speak to us and instruct us in how we ought to live. Forgive us for the times that we have not listened intently or have avoided action in areas You have called us to act. Teach us how to trust You more so that we would seek You and recognize Your voice to truly listen and then act on what You say. Lead us to love as You love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we invest time in seeking to know You more so that recognize Your voice as we hear You speak and act upon all that You ask. Amen.

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

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me. – Revelation 3:20

From Dawn to Dusk

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. – (Psalm 113:3, NIV)

May the Lord’s name be praised from where the sun rises to where it goes down. – (Psalm 113:3, ERV)

From the sunrise brilliance to sunset beauty, lift up His praise from dawn to dusk! – (Psalm 113:3, TPT)

 

When I see a gorgeous sunrise or sunset, I cannot help but be reminded of the One who is painting such perfection in the sky. Yesterday, in the early morning hours as we made our way to my Viking’s brother’s house, we viewed the beginning color shift of the early shades of sunrise. Watching my love and my brother-in-love enjoy time together filled my heart, as I know how wonderful it is for both of them to have time with one another. Additionally, I was blessed to have time with Bibi, the love of Donnie’s life, to get to know her better, and to begin planning ideas for a time that we can all get together again. The visiting, exchanging of stories and reminiscing continued until after sunset, and once everyone had gone home from their house-warming barbecue, the four of us were quietly seated in the living room, just soaking in the blessing of a fantastic day. This morning, as I woke and began the coffee, a gorgeous orange glow began to fill the kitchen. I glanced to my left out of the porch windows, and was blown away by the brilliance of the rising sun. God is so very good to us, and I love how He grants us reminders of His goodness all throughout the day. May we ever praise Him, from dawn to dusk.

Yesterday, I primarily put my phone away to be present and engaged in the here and now. However, I did take a moment to send mom a text to let her know that I was thinking of her and loved her, and that I was missing her. When I checked my phone a bit later, I found a return message from Mom, and enjoyed sending more back to her. My sister has been working with her on utilizing the voice to text feature, so I am hopeful that the process is growing easier. It is a strange space of separation to be so far away from Mom, especially for so long. I am looking forward to talking to her later today, and hopefully catching up with my sister too, as that is also long overdue. Prayers for Mom, Megan and the entire family are very welcome, as they all continue to navigate the juggling act of work, school, sports schedules, coordinating medical appointments, dealing with insurance, and loving each other well. Thank you so much, to those who have been faithfully praying and loving Mom and the entire family throughout this season; you are appreciated more than any of us can ever express.

 

With each brand-new day,

This morning’s sunrise in Reno. ❤

Comes a fresh sunrise;

Faithful evidence,

Where hope’s realized.

All throughout the day,

And ‘til the sun sets;

God shows us His grace,

Through nature’s palettes.

The reasons to praise,

Are endless, indeed;

How great the Lord loves,

Faithful, He meets needs.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are faithful from the rising to the setting of the sun. Thank You that we have reason to praise You all day long. Thank You for the abundant blessings that You place in our lives, if we only stop and look around. Forgive us for the times that we fix our eyes on what is wrong, rather than on that which is right. Teach us to trust You with the trials and to praise You for Your faithfulness in all things. Show us how to love and encourage all those around us, so that they may be lifted up. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You throughout the day for who You are and all that You do. Amen.

 

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

 

That’s why I will speak of Your righteousness and sing praises to You all day long. – Psalm 35:28

Demonstrated through Deeds

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. – (1 John 3:18, NLT)

My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do. – (1 John 3:18, ERV)

Beloved children, our love can’t be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds. – (1 John 3:18, TPT)

 

Love is a verb. To truly make the love of God tangible, we must love with more than words. Acts of love done without expectation of anything in return, reveal the remarkable heart of our Redeemer. We have a Secret Pal system in place where I work. Prior to the onset of random acts of kindness, all who opt to participate complete a simple survey that includes information about the person we plan to bless throughout the school year. There is much joy in finding out more about the person we have chosen, so that we may demonstrate love through kind acts that remind the person that they are known and that they matter. Additionally, when we demonstrate our love for those around us – our family, friends, colleagues, and the like – we are exhibiting glimpses of God’s love made tangible. Each act of love shows the recipient that they are known and valued. Whenever we prefer one another in love, we model the truth of the love of the Lord, and give rise to the goodness of God. May we never limit our love to mere words, but rather demonstrate the lavish love of the Lord through loving deeds.

 

The love of the Lord,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Is ours to display;

Through more than mere words,

Love’s a verb each day.

Called to take action,

To show with our deeds;

Each done with a love,

That meets others’ needs.

So, let us rise up,

in love, take action;

Choose to move in love,

Holy transaction.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace. Thank You that You have shown us in countless ways, how love takes action. Thank You that all can come to know You and be the recipients of Your love. Forgive us for not acting in love at times when we have the opportunity. Teach us to trust You more, so that we gain greater insight as to how we may put love into practice. Show us how to make love tangible for those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and seek to love those around us with more than mere words. Amen.

 

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

 

May Your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You. – Psalm 33:22

Nothing Without Love

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. – (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, NIV)

I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. – (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, ERV)

If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever. – (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, CEB)

 

All that we say and all that we do is meaningless if each are not motivated by love. More than any words or any deeds or any acts of faith, God desires that we choose love. Above all else, there must be love. Jesus went on to tell us that all of the commandments and all of the laws can be fulfilled if we love God and love people. May we ever pursue a path that presents a palpable passion to love God and love people, as we are loved by Him.

 

Wonderful, wise words,

Mean nothing at all;

If not said in love,

Such words with just fall.

Great acts of giving,

Or faith that moves all;

If not done in love,

They’ll be our downfall.

Our call from the Lord,

To love Him and all;

Lest our words and deeds,

Must reflect our call.

So, let us go forth,

In word and in deed;

Choose love over all,

For such love meets needs.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us, above all else, to love. Thank You that You give good gifts and equip Your people to love in a variety of ways. Forgive us for every word spoken and every deed done, that were not motivated by love. Teach us how to align our every word and action with the love that comes from You. Show us how to love those around us as we are loved by You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we are intentional to love You and love those around us, above all else. Amen.

 

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

 

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”… And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37 & 39

Where Greatness is Found

They began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. – (Luke 22:24, NLT)

Later, the apostles began to argue about which one of them was the most important. – (Luke 22:24, ERV)

The disciples bickered over which one of them would be considered the greatest in the kingdom. – (Luke 22:24, TPT)

 

Even after spending nearly every day with Jesus for the previous three years, the disciples still argued and postured for position. What this shows me is that even those who walk closely with the Lord, are subject to the frailty of the human condition. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, and we all desperately need a Savior to lead a life of love, according to His good and perfect will. A bit further in the same chapter, Jesus let the disciples know that to be great, is to serve rather than to be served. He reminded them to follow the example that He had set before them all along. As always, the main message can be simplified to loving God and loving people. If we do both of these things, we will not worry about being greater, because we will prefer one another in love. Love lifts up, it does not tear down nor posture for position. May we ever seek the Lord and His ways, so that we can love Him and others for all of our days.

 

Let’s fix not our eyes, 

On how to be great;

But instead choose serve,

Lift up, elevate.

Choose prefer others,

Let love lead the way;

For this is God’s plan,

To share well His grace.

Never be worried,

About being great;

For God looks at you,

And He celebrates.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You love us not because of what we do, but because we are Your created. Thank You that You meet us where we are, and love us anyway. Forgive us for our foolishness that argues or seeks position rather than Your affirmation. Teach us to trust You more, so that the only approval that concerns us is Yours. Show us how to love those around us in a way that prefers others first and meets needs wherever they may be. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to love You and love people as You call us to do. Amen.

 

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

 

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy. – Hebrews 4:16