May We Be Unoffendable

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. – (Colossians 3:12, NLT)

God has chosen you and made you His holy people. He loves you. So, your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. – (Colossians 3:12, ERV)

You are always dearly loved by God! So, robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. – (Colossians 3:12, TPT)

 

Because we are loved by God, we ought to go and love likewise. In order to love as He loves us, we must show mercy to others, extend kindness to all, be gentle and humble, and be unoffendable in our patience with others. Each of these are clear, and are relatively simple to do, until they are not. Our mercy, compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience often come to a crashing halt if we are offended by another. Rather than recognize that we are all humans that fall short and fail, it becomes personal and bitterness attempts to creep in. When this occurs, I have to stop and think about how offensive I must be to God at times, and yet, He still loves me the same. It is because of His mercy and kindness, patience and gentleness with me, that I eventually recognize the ridiculousness in my own sensitivity to offense. There are times that safety and security dictate that we distance ourselves from one who offends, however, if we cling to the offense rather than He who grants us grace, the wrong will lead to our ruin. May we ever seek our Savior who has called us His own and lavishes us in His love, so that we may go forth and extend mercy as we seek to understand, be compassionate, show kindness to all, be gentle and humble, and be patient with others, not allowing offenses to limit how we choose to love.

 

We have been chosen,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Beloved of God;

To go forth in love,

As by faith, we trod.

Be clothed in mercy,

Extend kindness too;

Humble and gentle,

As He is with you.

Let not offenses,

Take patience away;

But rather seek Him,

To love and give grace.

May we see clearly,

How well He loves us;

So we do likewise,

By His grace choose love.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You chose us and You love us without limits. Thank You that You are not offended by our faults and failures, but rather You love us to life again. Thank You that You call and equip us to do the same for those around us. Forgive us for allowing offenses to limit our love. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would walk in forgiveness and grace, ever extending mercy, compassion and patience as we humbly seek to understand others with kindness. Show us how to love like this so that many will recognize You heart within us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for the mercy and grace that You give to us in love and lead us to rely on You to go forth and do likewise. 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

Rediscovering Dreams

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. – (Psalm 62:5, NLT)

Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along His path. – (Psalm 37:34a, NLT)

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. – (Psalm 33:20, NLT)

 

For the past few months, there is a part of me that has been stirring and not able to settle at rest. Though I would pray, and look for answers, I could not figure out what I was meant to do next. A little over a week ago, I had an exchange with someone that at first, felt offensive. Perhaps it was, but really, it matters not, as God used it to propel my heart in a direction that I would never have explored, if not for that brief conversation. What was discovered as a result of the consequential agitation, was a dream that had all but died. Possibility presented itself before me, and I am now pursuing something that I never thought obtainable. Whether it comes to fruition or not, the excitement of imagining and hoping is enough to remind me that God has more than what I see. He is reminding me that He has wired me with gifts and talents, dreams and desires, that He longs to honor just as much as I hold hope to use them for His glory. May we rise up and remember that God has handcrafted each of us with gifts and talents, plans and purpose, and what we see now is not all that there is. Let us hold fast to the hope we have in Him, and be willing to take steps of faith forward as He leads.

 

Be not discouraged,

By all that you see;

Often there’s movement,

Waiting within reach.

For what seems unkind,

Horrible, unfair;

Could be the movement,

That leads us from there.

Remember to hope,

Not in what is seen;

But rather in God,

Who as we trust, leads.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our hope who leads us where we are meant to go. Thank You that despite what we see, You have so much more for each of us. Thank You that You take the seemingly horrible things and use them to propel us in the direction that You intend for us to move. Thank You that You have good things for Your children. Forgive us for our lack of hope and for allowing our dreams to die or lie dormant. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You and pursue the path You place before us to utilize the very things that You have created within us to share with those around us. Show us how to love well, everyone whom we encounter. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we place our hope in You and travel along the path You place before us. Amen.

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

The joy of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10

Search Us and Know Us

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of life everlasting. – (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)

God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the path that has always been right. – (Psalm 139:23-24, ERV)

 

Though God already knows our hearts and minds, He is gentle and kind, and will not force His way into our lives. We must invite Him to enter in and be the Lord of all. To truly allow Him to be in charge, we need to grant Him access to all – our thoughts, our desires, our words, our deeds, our direction and our needs. As we do, He comes alongside us, and shows us what is not in alignment with Him, and directs us on His perfect path of peace. God’s ways lead to life everlasting, whereas our ways lead only to worry, heartache and our ultimate demise. May we seek the Lord and grant Him access to search us and know us, so that we may be directed along the path to life everlasting in Him.

 

Please search me, O God,

know my heart and mind;

test me and show me,

anything unkind.

Please point out the things,

offensive to You;

and show me the way,

that I’m meant to choose.

Lead me on Your path,

that‘s righteous and true;

to life eternal,

in heaven with You.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we invite You into our hearts and lives, You search us and know us, and show us the way in which we are meant to go. Thank You that You lovingly and gently correct and redirect our course, so that we may stay on the path that leads to life everlasting in You. Forgive us for not granting You access to all, as we allow fear and foolishness to get in the way. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will trust You in all things and at all times, knowing that You always have the very best for us in mind. Show us how to love those around us in a way that points hearts to You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we invite You to search us and know us, test us and grow us, so that we may be led forever by You. Amen.

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

Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me. – Psalm 69:16

Inspect My Inmost Being

image by A-GC Wallpaper

Search me, O God,

for You know my heart.

Test me and show,

where I need new start.

My fearful thoughts,

remove them from me.

Point out each place,

offensive to Thee.

Lead me, Jesus,

Everlasting Way.

My heart, Your home,

I need You to stay.

Know me, Father,

for in You I’m known.

You lead and guide;

make Your thoughts my own.

Show me, Spirit,

the very best way,

to follow You,

and do what You say.

My hope is held,

in eternity.

On my last day,

Your glory I’ll see.

(Responding to Psalm 139:23-24)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You know all there is to know about us, and You choose to love us anyway.  Thank You that because of Your great love, You made the way for us to be in relationship with You, through the atoning sacrifice of Your Son, for our sins.  Forgive us for not allowing You access to all of ourselves, and help us to be willing to make David’s prayer our own:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Help us to readily receive correction and direction so that we might become a clearer reflection of You.  May many come to know You as we mirror Your great love.  Amen.

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