Joy, Patience, and Prayer

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – (Romans 12:12, NIV)

Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time. – (Romans 12:12, ERV)

Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer. – (Romans 12:12, VOICE)

This is a timely reminder, as it is exactly what we need right now. Yesterday, I woke with fresh hope for our mom, as she had a great day on Monday. The day was a mixed bag, but after school there was much joy and anticipation for me as a coach. As we arrived and warmed up, all was well, and joy and hope were abundant. About ten minutes before the game, my sister called me with an update. Mom was having a rough day, as pain management was a challenge, and thus she was not wanting to participate in the physical therapy they had for her. Shortly after the news, I received a text from my pastor asking how she was doing. I replied and said a quick prayer for mom and went about the business of coaching. On my drive home, my sister called again to let me know that the day had totally turned around for the better! She participated in the afternoon physical therapy session, her pain was better managed, and steps were being taken to set up the transfer back to her own community in the skilled nursing center there. The plan is to move her on Thursday, so my Viking and I will be there to help and assure her as she moves closer to her own community and family. Gratitude floods my heart as I prepare to head mom’s way after practice today. Having wellness leave, I can take a few days to go and be with mom, my sister and her family, and we will even get to be present for my nephew’s senior night game in lacrosse. I continue to rejoice in God’s goodness and care for mom and hold fast to hope as she navigates healing and recovery. Prayer is present each time I think of her, and I am so grateful for the many who are also lifting mom up in prayer. May we ever seek the Lord with thanksgiving, trusting in His goodness and grace, for He is faithful to meet us in trials and triumphs, and ever hears us as we come before Him in prayer.

Rejoice in the Lord,

Not for that which comes;

But for who He is,

And all He has done.

The Lord is faithful,

He hears our heart’s cry;

He fills us with hope,

Good we can’t deny.

No matter what comes,

We’ve reason to hope;

God’s love’s forever,

Each promise He spoke.

So, trust in the Lord,

Give thanks for His grace;

Choose seek Him always,

He is why we pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for always having reason to rejoice in You. Thank You that You are our hope in good times and bad, and that Your love carries us when we are weary. Forgive us for our frustrations with the challenges that life brings. Teach us to navigate all things with joy and thanksgiving for who You are and the hope that we forever have in You. Show us how to pray continually. Lead us to love those around us well, so that they too may know the help and hope that You provide. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we rejoice in Your goodness, stand firm in our hope in You, and pray continually because You are our help and peace forever. Amen.

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

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

Preserving His Promises

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.’” So, he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. – (Genesis 12:7, NIV) 

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” Abram built an altar to honor the Lord who appeared to him there. – (Genesis 12:7, ERV) 

God appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your children.” Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him. – (Genesis 12:7, MSG) 

 

What stood out to me is that Abram heard God, trusted Him, and built an altar to commemorate a promise spoken. How often do we hear a promise from God, and then carry on with our existence, just as before? Abram did not wait for the promise to be fulfilled to create a memorial, but rather, by faith, built an altar because God had spoken a promise. There is a lesson to learn from Abram’s faithfulness. He took God at His word, and moved forward accordingly. We too, ought to take time to signify the promises God speaks to our hearts, and place them where we can look back and remember what He has spoken to encourage our hearts to press on. Additionally, it is a reminder of His faithfulness, for we are able to look back, see what has been spoken, and celebrate with thanksgiving, the fruition of promises fulfilled. Though I am a writer, I am not sure that I am intentional enough to commemorate the promises spoken for me, so that I have something tangible to look at and remind me to press on, even when what has been promised seems out of reach. In hindsight, I can speak of the Lord’s faithfulness for days, yet I seldom have something to look back upon to identify the promise that has now been fulfilled. All of us have promises from God. He speaks to our hearts and His word is for all who trust in Him. God has a plan to prosper us and not harm us, to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) He promises to: never leave us nor forsake us… (Deuteronomy 31:8) The list goes on as we dig into His word and discover His heart for us. May we seek our Savior with all of our heart, and mark out the promises He places in our hearts. As we do, we will have reminders of what is true and will be able to look back in awe, at the faithful way that He has worked things out in our lives. 

 

Promises spoken,

Will surely come true; 

For God is for us, 

And makes all things new. 

What God speaks to us, 

He’s faithful to do; 

His word’s forever, 

He will see it through. 

Perhaps we should mark, 

What He says He’ll do; 

Reminders to trust, 

The Lord for breakthrough. 

As His word is kept, 

And we see the truth; 

Our trust ever grows, 

Fulfillment in view. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises spoken and Your faithfulness to fulfill. Thank You that despite what we see, You are ever moving on our behalf and are always true to Your word. Forgive us for our fearfulness and doubt, despite the promises You have made. Teach us to trust You more and to find way to commemorate that which You have spoken, so that we may look back and be encouraged to press on and then give You praise for Your faithfulness as Your word is fulfilled. Show us how to love those around us when they grow weary in the waiting. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we record the promises that You have spoken and look to Your words to encourage and strengthen us as we press on in faith to their fulfillment. All praise to You for Your eternal faithfulness. Amen.

 

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

 

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. – Joshua 21:45

He Fulfills in Faithfulness

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of Your hands. – (Psalm 138:8, NIV)

Lord, I know You will do what You have promised. Lord, Your faithful love will last forever. You are the One who made us, so don’t leave us! – (Psalm 138:8, ERV)

David understood the purposes and promises of God in a person’s life. Additionally, he knew what it was to wait and grow in understanding of God’s faithfulness and love in the time between the promise spoken and the fulfillment. Even David, who had seen the faithfulness of God, continued to call and Him and ask God to remain with him in all that he was called to do. It is no different for us today. God has created us each with purpose, and speaks promises over our lives. He is faithful to be present, and He prepares our hearts and minds as we continue to move forward toward the fulfillment. We too, can cry out, asking the Lord to make Himself known, and to continue to work in us and through us as we walk in His way. May we trust in His unfailing love and the permanence of His promises, as we continue to walk forward in the purpose to which we are called.

The Lord will fulfill,

His purpose for me;

His love will endure,

for eternity.

He won’t abandon,

the work of His hands;

He’ll do what He’s said,

to fulfill His plans.

May we call on Him,

and let trust remain;

in Him who’s faithful,

to make our path plain.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You will fulfill Your purpose for me and that Your love endures forever. Thank You that You never abandon the work of Your hands. Forgive us for feeling like we have been abandoned when things don’t seem to go the way we think that they ought to, and help us to trust You more, so that we would place all things in Your hands, regardless of how they appear. Lead us to love others in such a way, that they too may come to know Your mercy and grace. May many choose to walk in Your way. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You, even when we cannot see what You are doing. Amen.

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

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad. – 1 Chronicles 16:31