Confidence to Praise

My heart is confident in You, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing Your praises! – (Psalm 57:7, NLT)

God, I am ready, heart and soul, to sing songs of praise. – (Psalm 57:7, ERV)

O God, my heart is quiet and confident. No wonder I can sing Your praises! – (Psalm 57:7, TLB)

 

Because I know the character and faithfulness of God, I am confident in who He is and able to praise Him in all things and at all times. Even when my heart is heavy, weary or worn, I have reason to sing praise, for my hope is not held in the here and now, but rather rests in what is yet to come. May we ever remain confident in the truth of who God is, and how He is for us, even when that which surrounds us is not.

 

Let my confidence,

Forever be found;

In You, O my God,

Where all grace abounds.

My heart can’t contain,

Your glorious ways;

All I know to do,

Is offer You praise.

For my heart must sing,

Of all that You are;

My light, life and hope,

O Great Morning Star.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can be confident in You, no matter what is going on in or around us. Thank You that we always have reason to sing songs of praise unto You. Thank You that we can hold fast to the truth and trust You to be God. Forgive us for attempting to fill that role ourselves, or for neglecting to seek You in our storms. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would rest assured in confidence in who You are and how You love. Help us to love others in such a way, that they too would see Your character through how we conduct our lives. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we confidently sing Your praises in all things and at all times. Amen.

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

Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; …my hope is in You all day long. – Psalm 25:4-5

Trust With Every Step

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, NIV)

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what He wants, and He will help you go the right way. – (Proverbs 3:5, ERV)

 

This morning as I woke, these were the first thoughts that came to mind. Typically, my mind races with my “To Do List” for the day as I rise, rather than God’s word, so I knew that the Lord was waking me with a reminder of what I am meant to do, and how He will be my help. Today, I am called to trust Him with all that I am, and not merely rely on my own understanding. I must choose to submit to the Lord and His ways, and as I do, He will show me which way I am meant to go. Though I imagine this was intended to provide peace to my heart and mind regarding my appointment with the specialist this afternoon, it applies to all things in my life. As I wake my children and seek to best prepare them for state testing so that they are alert and confident as they go; when I arrive at school and proctor the same tests with my students; and even on my drive into the city for my appointment – in all these things, His path is far greater than my own, and I will choose to trust Him. May we place all of our trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, but in all of our ways let us submit unto Him, and He shall make plain our paths.

 

Let’s trust in the Lord,

With all that we are;

Submit to His will,

Our bright Morning Star.

For He’s always good,

He makes the path plain;

If we seek His way,

And allow Him reign.

Let not what we see,

Nor what our ears hear;

Determine the truth,

Or leave us in fear.

No matter what comes,

Far greater is God;

He’ll lead and guide us,

Show which path to trod.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we trust in You with all that we are and submit to You, leaning not on our own understanding, You show us every step that we are meant to take so that our path is made plain. Forgive us for depending on our own understanding, rather than trusting You completely. Teach us to trust You more, as You alone are the One who sees and knows the way we should go to have the very best possible outcome. Show us how to love others well, so that we are living examples of faith in action. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, as they recognize the faithfulness that is found in You alone. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You completely, and depend on You with every step that we take. Amen.

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

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. – 2 Corinthians 3:5

My Strength and Shield

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him. – (Psalm 28:7, NIV)

The Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me. When I learn to rest and truly trust Him, He sends His help. This is why my heart is singing! I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises up as song. – (Psalm 28:7, VOICE)

 

When we slow down and give way to trust – that space where we truly rest in Him – this is the place where we recognize His grace, and how He has strengthened and protected us through the storms. As we recognize who He is and all that He has done, gratitude rises up, and joy goes forth from our hearts in song. Sometimes our song is spoken, sometimes it is through service, and still other times it is with voices raised, we join the heavenly choir in singing out about the greatness and faithfulness of our glorious God. May our hearts leap for joy as we recognize that the Lord is indeed our source of strength and our shield, and choose to let songs of gratitude rise up and go forth from our entire being.

 

My strength and my shield,

I’ll trust in You, Lord;

for You are my help,

Your grace is outpoured.

My heart leaps for joy,

for all that You are;

I sing songs of praise,

O bright Morning Star.

So much gratitude,

that I can’t contain;

the hope that I have,

in knowing Your Name.

Teach me to choose rest,

and trust in Your grace;

it‘s where I am safe,

Your tender embrace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are my strength and my shield. Thank You that I can trust in You to be my help. Thank You that it is in that space of where I settle in and rest in You, and truly trust, that You help me and comfort me with Your love. Thank You that my heart knows great joy and cannot help but sing praise for who You are and all that You do. Forgive me for not slowing down to give You the reigns when things seem crazy. Teach me to trust You more, so that in all things and at all times, I will give all to You – as everything is better in Your hands. Show me how to love others so that they may see a heart of gratitude unto You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as You are my strength and shield, and I trust You to be my help, and ever sing songs of praise to You. Amen.

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

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us. – Psalm 67:1

Learning to Love as We Are Loved

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” – (Matthew 22:37-40, MSG)

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – (Matthew 22:37-40, NLT)

 

We are called to love God and love people with our whole being. If we invest our hearts and lives into loving well, then we are being obedient to that which God has commanded. Every directive that God gives us to walk upon the path that He has placed before us, is rooted and established in love. Every step is intentionally tied to loving God or loving people. The amazing thing is, if we are loving God, we cannot help but love people as well. The more we invest our hearts in Him, the more we begin to see people through His lens of love. Compassion rises within us, and we are drawn to do good. May we each invest all that we are into the pursuit of knowing and loving God, so that we can go forth and love people as we have been called to love.

 

May we choose to love,

with all that we are;

through passion and prayer,

seek the Morning Star.

For He is our God,

all love comes from Him;

the more we invest,

the more love comes in.

As our hearts are filled,

we are armed to go;

to love others well,

so God’s truth may show.

May we each be light,

obey God’s commands;

love Him and people,

so peace and truth stand. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and loving, and that through Your great love, You charge us to do likewise. Thank You that You command us to love You and others with all that we are, but You don’t expect us to do this on our own. Thank You that You empower and equip our hearts to love like You love each of us. Forgive us for not loving well, or for neglecting to invest our hearts in time with You or the things that You call us to do. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would invest all of our passion, prayer and intellect into loving You and opening our hearts to hear how You would have us love those around us. Show us how to love others as You so perfectly love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we learn how to love You and love others with all that we are. Amen.

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

God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. – Genesis 21:6

His Kindness in Little Things

My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise His Holy Name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind He is! – (Psalm 103:1-2, ERV)

 

God knows what we need, and in His kindness, gives unto us. For whatever reason, I just did not sleep well last night. Normally, when I wake, I get up and get moving. This morning, I opted to lay there for an extra moment or two. Those moments ended up being hours, and my total sleep resulted in a full eight hours. Because I will be driving over a snow-covered mountain pass this afternoon, being rested is certainly a helpful blessing. At first I was a bit dumbstruck about getting out of bed so late, but then realized how kind God had been to me to grant my body the rest it really needed, in order to be alert for my drive. My head, my heart and my now rested body, can give Him praise as I go love toddlers in the nursery at church and then travel over the pass with my family. Let every part of us praise the Lord, for He is kind and cares about even the smallest things.

 

Let my soul give praise,

mind, heart and my soul;

lift praise to the Lord,

His Name, let’s extol.

Help me not forget,

His kindness and love;

all grace that He gives,

our great God above.

Sing out to the One,

with all that we are;

Who remains with us,

the bright Morning Star.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are holy and kind and loving. Thank You that all praise and honor belong to You. Thank You that You see and care about even the little things in our lives, because You love. Forgive us for forgetting how personal and near You are. Teach us to trust all to You, and show us how to place everything in Your hands. Lead us to love others as You so lavishly and practically love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You with all that we are, and never forget Your kindness to us. Amen.

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

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. – Job 8:21

Pray and Praise Always

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. – (James 5:13)

 

No matter our circumstances, our response should be to run to the Lord. If trouble, seek His help. If joy, give Him thanks and praise. In all things and at all times, God is near and He is still good. He is available and present to help and hear our every offering of gratitude. Every circumstance offers us the opportunity to grow in His grace, if we choose to rely on Him. Through perseverance, we gain insight to the Lord’s power and might, despite our own lack. When we sing songs of praise, we gain a glimpse of the glory that is yet to come, when we will one day join in the chorus of heavenly hosts that worship together before the very throne of God. May we turn to trust in He who deserves all of our trust and praise, in all things and at all times.

 

When troubles do come,

Artwork by Sylvia Carlton

let us turn and pray;

for the Lord will help,

He’s promised to stay.

When great joy abounds,

let’s sing songs of praise;

to the Lord above,

let our voices raise.

No matter what comes,

let’s run to the Lord;

for He is our help,

all grace He affords.

May we offer up,

everything we are;

to honor and serve,

our great Morning Star.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can come to You in times of trouble and times of joy. Thank You that You are available and ready to hear our prayers and praise, no matter what our circumstance. Thank You that You are merciful and full of compassion. Forgive us for not seeking You in times of trouble, or not offering You praise when we are full of joy. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will come before You in all things and at all times, offering You the first of whatever is going on in our lives. Lead us to love others well, so that they may see You in us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, Lord. Be exalted O God, as we pray and praise You throughout all of our days. Amen.

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

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. – Ephesians 2:4-5

The More We Know

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. – (2 Peter 1:2)

 

Though it may sound a bit cliche, it really does hold true, the more we know God, the more we know His peace and understand His grace. As we devote our time and attention to seeking better understand our Savior, His heart, His character, and His deep love for us are revealed from Genesis to Revelation. The more I grasp the greatness of God, the sooner I am aware of His peace, that surpasses all understanding, is present, even in the midst of serious storms. His grace grabs hold of the places where sin and shame attempt to haunt my heart, and remind me that the price has already been paid. I am forgiven. I am free. I am loved, and I am His. May we all grow in the knowledge of Christ, and more deeply understand the greatness of His grace and peace that are already ours in Him.

 

When we seek to know,

our Lord Jesus Christ;

we grow in knowledge,

of His sacrifice.

We understand grace,

and receive His peace;

abundance is ours,

through true heart release.

Let’s trust in the Lord,

with all that we are;

He is always good,

the bright Morning Star.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek to know You more, we find You, and grow in our understanding of Your grace and Your peace. Thank You that You are faithful to meet us as we pursue You, and whisper Your truth to our hearts. Thank You that You open our understanding, and give us Your peace. Forgive us for not seeking You in the storms, yet desperately desiring peace. Teach us to trust You more so that our immediate response is to seek You, be it in times of calm or in the throes of a storm. Lead us to be bearers of Your grace and peace to all those who are around us, and may many come to know the greatest gift ever given during this season of celebrating Your arrival. Be glorified Lord God, as we seek to know You more, and love people well. 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

Position of Privilege

Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” – (Luke 11:23-24)

 

Jesus was speaking to the seventy-two, whom He had sent out ahead of Himself to prepare the way in every town that He was intending to go. All of the individuals living in that time and in that place, had the unique privilege and opportunity to be eyewitnesses of Christ. So many people of that day and age took Jesus for granted. They did not really listen nor obey, despite His divinity displayed before their very eyes. We too are in positions of privilege. Though we are not eyewitnesses to Jesus in the flesh, we have access to more than two millennium of church history, countless translations of the Bible, collections of churches and a plethora of pastors in every city, as well as the vast resource available through technology at our fingertips. Additionally, when we come to Christ today, His Spirit dwells in us and speaks to us – leading and guiding us in the ways we are to go. With such great privilege and power that we have been given, so too, do we have a great responsibility. May we choose to carefully follow Christ, and represent Him well to all whom we encounter.

 

Blessed are my eyes,

for what they have seen;

the touch of God’s hand,

as He washes clean.

He takes the sinful,

the broken and scarred;

and loves us to life,

our great Morning Star.

His glory witnessed,

His power, divine;

the prophets and kings,

longed to grasp what’s mine.

With His sweet presence,

we have so much more;

let’s follow with care,

Christ whom we adore.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we are so blessed to live in this day and age where we have endless access to You. We can read about You, listen to teaching and preaching about You, worship You, and come before You in prayer. Thank You that You place Your Spirit in us when we give our lives to You; and You speak to us, teaching, correcting, leading and loving us as we go about our days. Forgive us for taking our position of privilege for granted, or for neglecting Your accessibility that is all around us. Teach us to utilize our resources to grow more deeply in love with You daily, and help us to share our passion for You with all whom we encounter. Lead us to love others as You so lavishly love us. May many come to know You as their Savior and King. Be glorified as we are careful to carry out all that 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

A New Name

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). – (John 1:40-42)

 

There are several remarkable occurrences in this short passage of scripture. First, Andrew, after only hearing what John the Baptist had said, and then meeting Jesus, he immediately believed and felt compelled to act on his belief. He wanted to not only follow Christ, but he wanted to be sure to share the good news with his brother as well. Second, Simon trusted his brother enough to listen to what he had to say, and chose to follow him to where Jesus was staying. When Simon met Jesus face-to-face, Jesus saw Simon not only for who he was, but for who he would become. The name Peter, in Greek, means “a rock“.

 

When we encounter Jesus, He sees us the same way. Christ knows who we are today, but He also knows what we will become. Each one of us has a new name from the moment we are saved. He calls us confident, joyful, overcoming ones, faithful, friends of God, and ones who seek His face. He counts us as His children, and we are adopted into His holy family forever.

 

No matter our name,

or state when we come;

Lord Jesus, He hears,

and all are welcome.

He loves us right now,

wherever we are;

and knows what’s ahead,

our bright Morning Star.

He takes what’s been crushed,

and grants us His strength;

joy for our sorrow,

He’ll go to great lengths.

He calls us His friends,

despite what we’ve done;

He forgives, makes new,

the battles, He’s won.

Let go of the things,

that will hold us back;

surrender it all,

and nothing we’ll lack.

For in Him, all things,

we have all we need;

an eternal hope,

from our past, we’re freed.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You love and accept us as we are, yet You see where we are going and all that we can become. Thank You that You give us a new name in You. Thank You that You bring beauty from our ashes, and hope from our despair. Thank You that You utilize the things that we once thought were the most ugly or broken, to help others for Your glory. Forgive us for allowing the old names to have a voice, and help us to silence the lies and allow Your voice to be heard. May our hearts hold fast to what You call us – confident, overcoming ones – Your children. Let us live and love as such, and may many be led unto You as a result. Be glorified as we walk boldly in the new names that You call us. Amen.

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

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. – James 5:11

To watch a lovely visual to an old favorite, I Will Change Your Name, click the highlighted song title in green.