Trust in His Love

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. – (Psalm 28:7, HCSB)

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trusted Him with all my heart. He helped me, so I am happy. I sing songs of praise to Him. – (Psalm 28:7, ERV)

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 as a song. – (Psalm 28:7, VOICE)

Yesterday, upon our return home, we discovered our eldest broke his tibia and fibula, and was in Seattle, about to go into surgery. This was not on our radar as we arrived home, but the details quickly unfolded when the vehicle was home and he was not. What does this verse have to do with all that? After the initial fear, frustration and beyond, God came close and reminded us of the good, even in this awful situation. For example, the circumstances surrounding his injuries could have been much worse or potentially even taken his life. Additionally, he has a place to stay to recover and rehabilitate his injured leg, and will have time to take care of his schooling that has long been set aside. We are grateful that God spared his life and that his brother was with him to get him to the hospital quickly. The Lord’s help was and continues to be present, even in the midst of unexpected challenges. May we ever seek Him to lead us and strengthen us to do what we need to do. All praise and thanks to God, for His love and mercy do not end.

The Lord is my strength,

And I trust in Him;

My shield and my help,

As love enters in.

My help and my hope,

God is ever near;

Our reason to sing,

He silences fear.

As we know His help,

Reminders to sing;

Grace overflowing,

All good His love brings.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are ever-present to help, and that You care about all things. Thank You that You strengthen and provide for us where we need it most. Forgive us for the times that we allow our vision to be clouded by the struggles before us rather than focus on Your help and strength that are present and available to us. Teach us to trust You in every circumstance and to seek You to lead and guide us. Flood our hearts with praise unto You. Show us how to love those around us in ways that point to You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for Your ongoing provision of help, strength and love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Amen.

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

The Lord will send His faithful love by day; His song will be with me in the night – a prayer to the God of my life. – Psalm 42:8

Where Trust is Complete

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. – (Psalm 28:7, HCSB)

The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trusted Him with all my heart. He helped me, so I am happy. I sing songs of praise to Him. – (Psalm 28:7, ERV)

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 as a song. – (Psalm 28:7, VOICE)

God is good and He is faithful to be our strength and shield as we trust in Him. Knowing His protection and provision, we cannot help but praise Him with gratitude for His goodness. I love that our natural inclination is to have a song in our heart when we are grateful. We were created with the capacity to praise, and it seems to flow freely when we recognize God’s goodness and love as He protects and strengthens us. May we ever seek the Lord, for He is our Source of strength and the One who guards our hearts.

O God, be our strength,

For You are so good;

The shield that guards us,

True hope understood.

Lead us to Your rest,

Where trust is complete;

Show Your faithfulness,

In You we retreat.

Let praise rise in us,

As thanks we declare;

All blessings in You,

The Lord God who cares.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love strengthens and protects us as we walk out our days. Thank You that Your all-encompassing love is our reason to praise. Forgive us for the times that our trust falters because of what we can and cannot see. Teach us to trust and rely on You in all things and at all times. Show us how to love those around us well and how to praise You with all that we are. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as they recognize and come to know Your goodness. Be glorified O God, as we sing praise with thankful hearts unto You. Amen.

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

But I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. – Psalm 13:5

My Strength and Shield

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. – (Psalm 28:7, HCSB)

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trusted Him with all my heart. He helped me, so I am happy. I sing songs of praise to Him. – (Psalm 28:7, ERV)

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 as songs. – (Psalm 28:7, VOICE)

Some days, it takes everything in me to simply utter, “God, please help.” Incredibly, even in the difficult, He makes His heart and His help known. At the end of the day my heart can rejoice and praise Him, as He has been with me through another day. Each morning as I rise and look to Him, I am reminded anew of His goodness and my reasons to give thanks. May we ever fix our eyes on God and look to Him to be our strength and protections. He is faithful, and provides help to navigate each new day.

O Lord, fix my eyes,

Securely on You;

For You are my strength,

And where hope’s made new.

God, You are my shield,

Safety through the storms;

My reason to praise,

As Your love transforms.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You go before us, walk beside us, and remain present, no matter where life leads. Thank You that You see and know every challenge and heartache, and You faithfully provide peace and reason to praise. Forgive us for our struggle with trust when we are in the throes of life’s storms. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times, for You supply all that we need. Show us how to love, support and encourage those around us well, so that Your love is tangible in places it is hard to see. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be our strength and shield, and praise You for Your unending faithfulness and love. Amen.

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

But I trust in You, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” – Psalm 31:14

Rising Up

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. – (Psalm 28:7, HCSB)

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trusted Him with all my heart. He helped me, so I am happy. I sing songs of praise to Him. – (Psalm 28:7, ERV)

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 as song. – (Psalm 28:7, VOICE)

This morning, I am trusting God anew to do these things. I am so thankful that everyday is new. With Christ, each day we can find new strength and new joy; for yesterday is gone and today is full of new possibilities and hope for better. I know that God works in mysterious ways and that we go through trials to develop perseverance and character, yet He does not leave us to our own devices to navigate the struggle. He walks beside us and grants us the strength that we need so that we may find joy and gratitude even when our circumstances feel impossible. May we depend on God to be our strength and shield and rejoice in song for His faithfulness and love.

Sometimes, a song comes to mind and that is what fills my heart and mind. This morning, it is this one. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You bring songs to mind to strengthen and encourage us. Thank You for making all things new. Forgive us for our fears, frustrations and doubts, for in the natural, things can seem impossible. Teach us to ever rely on You to be our strength and our song. Show us how to love and encourage those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to be our strength and shield and praise You with the songs that rise up in our heart. Amen.

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

Rise up! Help us! Redeem us because of Your faithful love. – Psalm 44:26

Fully Trusting Him

The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. – (Psalm 28:7, NLT)

 

God is so good. He gives strength, protection and joy as our hearts are in need, and something within us cannot help but rise up and respond in gratitude. I would love to say that I trust Him with all of my heart. There are days that I do. Sometimes, fear or doubt find a doorway, and keep me from fully trusting Him. In those spaces, it is where I need His help all the more. When He brings such spaces to my attention, I have the opportunity to turn to trust once again. Each time I place the fear or doubt in His hands, He carries it for me. Where fear formerly reigned, new measures of faith are gained. May we trust the Lord anew this day, as He is our strength and our shield – ever present to help. Let the joy in our hearts flow freely as we sing songs of praise for who God is and all that He does.

 

My strength and my shield,

Let trust fill my heart;

For You are my help,

Where all joy does start.

May what leaves my lips,

Be songs of sweet praise;

With all gratitude,

For all of my days.

Let the joy within,

Flow by His great grace;

As trust rises up,

In the Lord’s embrace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your strength and protection. Thank You that You alone are worthy of all of our trust. Thank You that You help us and fill us with Your joy. Forgive us for not trusting completely or not giving proper praise where praise is due. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would give You our whole heart all of the time. Show us how to let our very lives sing songs of thanksgiving before You. Help us to love others in such a way, that they too, might come to know the safety and strength that You provide. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be our strength and protection and to fill us with Your joy. 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

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

Thanks for Strength to Trust

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. – (Psalm 28:7, NLT)

This has been a week in which I have seen how the Lord has done exactly this; He has been my strength and shield, and He has helped me and filled my heart with joy. It has taken all that I am in some tough moments, to truly trust Him with all of my heart. That being said, there have been many occasions of bursting out into songs of thanksgiving as I have found myself acutely aware of His faithfulness and love just for me. As much as we despise times of trial and troubles, each one provides opportunity for us to see how God is our strength and shield, as we place our trust in Him. In that space where we become aware of His help and His heart for us, we cannot help but find joy and respond with thanks and praise to He alone, who is worthy. May we choose to trust with our whole heart, as the Lord is our strength and shield. He is our help and will fill our hearts with joy. Let every heart burst into song as we give thanks and praise where it is due.

The Lord is my strength,

my protective shield;

in Him I will trust,

His joy we shall yield.

May we raise in song,

all our thanks and praise;

because God is good,

O Ancient of Days.

He will be our help,

in our time of need;

and our Source of joy,

as we let Him lead.

All thanks be to God,

our great Mighty King;

our hope for all time,

and reason to sing.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our strength and shield. Thank You that we can trust You with our whole heart, and You will help us and fill us with Your joy. Thank You that songs of thanksgiving rise within us, when we choose to give pause and take in all that You are doing in and around us. Forgive us for not giving You our trust, and for forgetting just how mighty You are. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would depend on You in all things and at all times, as You are our strength and shield, our hope and our joy. Help us to love others with thankful hearts, so that they too may come to know the grace that You freely give to all who seek You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You with our whole heart and sing songs of thanksgiving unto You. 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

Cherished in Beauty and Strength

Cherished by Amy Tyler

Three things I desire,

from the Lord I must seek;

from anywhere else,

the outcome is bleak.

To be a beauty,

from the inside out;

drawing others near,

with heart that’s devout.

Peace, patience and love,

kindness, goodness too;

self-control and joy;

the spiritual fruit.

Next, to be cherished,

to be held so dear;

only our Savior,

forever is near.

For He holds our heart,

and knows us so well;

the hairs on our head,

the dreams we don’t tell…

Strength is another,

that must come from Him;

for when it’s our own,

it will soon grow dim.

Yet His strength endures,

the mightiest storms;

He will empower,

show us His true form.

(Scriptures referenced include: Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 139:13-16, Psalm 28:8)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for wonderful reminders of what matters.  Thank You that You cherish each of us as Your children, and have created us with the capacity to bear the sort of beauty that draws others unto You – that which comes form the inside and produces fruit that lasts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  May we be people who embrace spiritual beauty, rather than that which is fleeting.  Thank You for Your Spirit, who grants us the strength to bear good fruit and to endure every challenge that comes our way.  Forgive us for making comparisons and for our doubts, and please equip us with Your strength that sustains forever.  May we bear fruit that leads those who are looking, into Your loving arms, so they too may come to know the treasure they are to You.  Amen.

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