Hope is Rising

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. – (Psalm 31:24, NIV)

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon. – (Psalm 31:24, MSG)

Be strong, and live courageously, all of you who set your hope in the Eternal! – (Psalm 31:24, VOICE)

As I was doing my lesson planning yesterday, I did more research on the work of Amanda Gorman, the poet laureate who spoke at the Inauguration. Both when she shared her poem then, and while I discovered a recent poem of hers, “The Miracle of Morning”, I was in awe of her ability to tackle current events and convey hope through poetry. My sixth graders have been studying the poem, “If”, by Rudyard Kipling, and the opportunity to spend some time studying the works of a modern-day poet seemed a perfect pairing. For me, as I listen to and read Miss Gorman’s words, I cannot help but think her message is one of choosing to be brave and strong, and to not give up. The words call upon hope to rise within us, much like God’s word, for He is where our hope is held, and our Source of courage, strength and resolve. May we seek the Lord to find the strength and courage to see His love that is all around us, and the resolve to love as we are loved by Him.

Take heart, dear ones,

For hope is rising;

Light found in darkness,

There’s no disguising.

The chaos that is,

Will not always be;

For hope is rising,

As love is released.

A choice to honor,

Sisters and brothers;

To stand hand-in-hand,

Supporting each other.

Stand up, dear young ones,

Please take it from me;

The future is yours,

Rise up and shine, so all may see.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and You are our Source of courage, strength and resolve. Thank You that as we seek and learn to depend on You, hope rises within us. Forgive us for not being light and life in the midst of darkness. Teach us to seek You to ignite Your fire within us. Show us how to love those around us in ways that spread Your light that chases away the darkness. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You to raise us up as light-bearers and love givers. Amen.

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

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. – Psalm 71:5

Take Heart

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. – (Psalm 31:24, NIV)

Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting for the Lord’s help. – (Psalm 31:24, ERV)

Be strong and live courageously, all of you who set your hope in the Eternal! – (Psalm 31:24, VOICE)

 

Whenever I am in a space of struggle, difficulty or challenge, there is something about the Psalms that offers comfort. David, the author of many of them, penned perfectly, both the struggle in difficulties and the encouragement to overcome. It leads me to wonder if Paul, who wrote many of the letters that became the New Testament from a prison cell, found comfort too, in the songs and sonnets and scores of words recorded in the Psalms. For many of us, the staying in place feels a bit torturous, as it is in no way natural nor normal. However, when I consider the time spent by Paul under house arrest and in Roman prison, I need to count my blessings and take heart. In strength and courage, Paul encouraged entire congregations of new believers, despite his circumstances. We are no different. Whatever we are tasked to do in this season, may we be strong and take heart, and place our hope in He who is our help. God is good, and He is faithful to answer when we call on Him to be our help and our hope.

 

Be strong in the Lord,

Take courage, be brave;

The Lord will be near,

When asked to come stay.

As we place our hope,

In the Lord above;

He grants what we need,

To go forth in love.

Fear not in trials,

For God’s ever near;

He’s present to help,

Each request, He hears.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can find strength and courage in You as we seek You to be our help and our hope. Thank You that You are ever-present. Forgive us for our fears and frustrations with our circumstances. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may learn and grow through every trial. Show us how to love those around us best, so that we may encourage and strengthen one another in spaces where resolve is running low. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we find strength and courage as we look to You to be our help and hope forever. Amen.

 

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

 

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Be Strong and Take Heart

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. – (Psalm 31:24, NIV)

Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting on the Lord’s help. – (Psalm 31:24, ERV)

So cheer up! Take courage all you who love Him. Wait for Him to break through for you, all who trust in Him! – (Psalm 31:24, TPT)

 

God’s timing is always perfect, even though we often desire a different timeline. Yesterday was an amazing day for hope, as Mom took a giant leap of faith, that took tremendous courage and strength, as she continues to persevere and wait for full healing and restoration to come. In the morning, prior to my guys arrival, Mom determined that she wanted to give the new cane we had purchased on Friday (per the physical therapist’s request), a try. Not only did she “try”, but she opted to utilize the cane as her only assisting tool for walking for the entire day! She did multiple laps around the house, was in and out of various rooms, and later we ventured into Corvallis to a favorite shop and then to dinner together. Mom navigated beautifully, and did not relent, as she joyfully joined us all for family game night when we returned home. She is a bit sore this morning, as muscles were utilized differently than they have been, yet she continues to be determined, and insisted on using the cane from the moment she woke up. Post-stroke, progress is slow by human standards, yet God knows what we need and we are placing our hope and trust in Him. He is good, and He continues to grant us beautiful reminders of His faithfulness and grace, and show us how He is working in and through Mom to strengthen and heal her. May we choose to be strong and take heart in He who is our hope forever.

 

Be strong in the Lord,

For He makes us brave;

Grants us what we need,

To float through the waves.

The Lord is our hope,

He hears each heart cry;

He moves far beyond,

What’s seen with our eyes.

God strengthens each heart,

And builds up resolve;

Helps us keep moving,

As grace is installed.

Choose trust in the Lord,

Take courage, be strong;

He’s ever moving,

Our Hope and our Song.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can be strong and courageous in You, as You are our hope. Thank You that You move on our behalf, even when we cannot see what You are doing. Forgive us for our impatience and lack of faith that grows weary when things do not move according to our desired timeline. Teach us to trust You more, as Your timing is perfect and You have good in store for those who love You. Show us how to love those around us in ways that encourage strength, courage and hope in all things. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we hope in You in all things. Amen.

 

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

 

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. – Hebrews 6:19

 

 

Strength and Courage are Fueled by Hope

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! – (Psalm 31:24, NLT)

Be strong and brave, all you who are waiting for the Lord’s help. – (Psalm 31:24, ERV)

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon. – (Psalm 31:24, MSG)

 

To hope in the Lord is to wait in expectation – trusting that God will do what He says He will do. If we trust Him to be faithful, we find courage and strength as we wait. Though so often we cannot even begin to see how a promise might be fulfilled, we have the blessed assurance that God is in charge and we are not. He is faithful to complete what He begins, so we need not fear in the face of what we cannot see. May we be of good courage and take heart, for the Lord, our God, is our help and our hope. Let those who hope in the Lord find strength and courage in Him.

 

Wherever we go, 

Whatever we do;

May we offer praise,

Directly to You.

For all of our strength,

Both inside and out;

Come from You, dear Lord,

Remover of doubt.

Help us to be strong,

And courageous too;

As we choose to wait,

And hope in just You.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can be strong and of good courage because we have hope in You. Thank You that You are faithful to help us as we seek You. Forgive us for our lack of faith, that gives way to fear and doubt. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would wait in hopeful expectation as we pursue the things of You. Show us how to love others in such a way, that they too, may come to know the hope that is found in You alone. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we are brave and strong as we wait in hope for Your word to be fulfilled in our lives. 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

Take Heart and Hope in Him

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. – (Psalm 31:24)

 

Though these are great words of encouragement, I wanted to dig a bit deeper to find out more specifically what was being spoken. To be strong, is to allow the Lord to be my strength and to rely on Him as my Source who sustains me. The next few words, take heart, seem to translate to courage and bravery. After reading several translations of the Bible, I found that particular portion of the passage was written as: be courageous, be brave, and be of good courage, in addition to the NIVs translation that says to take heart. All you who hope in the Lord, would include all believers everywhere. If we have given our lives to Him, this word applies to us. We are meant to rely on Him to be our strength as we are brave; hoping, ever trusting in the Lord, who He is, and what He says He will do. May we be of good courage and strength as we place our hope in the Lord.

 

O Lord be my strength,

as I trust in You;

help me to be brave,

and live a life true.

May my hope be found,

alone in You, Lord;

You lead, I’ll follow,

Christ, whom I adore.

Wherever I go,

let Your strength shine through;

as others too see,

that hope’s found in You.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are loving and kind, and that You give strength and courage to all who hope in You. Forgive us for not placing all of our trust in You, or for seeking to solve strife in our own strength. Teach us to trust You more, so that we seek Your strength and wisdom, and learn to find courage in You. Lead us to love others well, just as You so completely love each of us. May many come into a saving relationship with You, Lord. Be glorified O God, as we rise up in Your strength and courage and place all of our hope in 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

Scars as Signs of Strength

As I continue in my book study, Undaunted, by Christine Caine, I so appreciate the reminders of who God is, and how He utilizes all of our life experiences for His glory. “He took what I thought was broken and unworthy – my heart – and made it into something beautiful by giving it to others who are flattened by life and circumstance. This is God’s nature.” – (Christine Caine, Undaunted) Our places of pain, of peril, or perhaps deep sorrow or regret, when we are willing to give it all to Him, “God can heal every hurt and can turn your scars into signs of strength for His glory.” – (Christine Caine, Undaunted)

 

Our survival through the trials, and our strength that God provides on the other side, can become the hope that others need to see to call upon Him who saves. For when there is hope, strength is found. In Christ, we are able to: Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. – (Psalm 31:24) May we rise up and recognize where Christ has turned our scars into signs of strength for His glory, and look for opportunities to encourage those who are struggling in similar broken spaces that we have overcome.

 

Discarded, broken,

http://www.wisdomenough.com

feeling so alone;

yet always our heart,

was held and was known.

When truth was found out,

forever we changed;

beauty for ashes,

as Christ called our name.

The ugliest scars,

He can use for good;

to rescue the lost,

and misunderstood.

What we see as weak,

is really a space;

for God to enter,

and move in His grace.

Allow Christ to reign,

even in the aches;

scars will become strength,

He makes no mistakes.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are able to utilize every trial and struggle that we go through for Your glory, if we are willing to place them in Your hands. Thank You that You give us beauty for our ashes, and hope where we once were in despair. Thank You that in You, there is lasting joy, even in the mourning. Forgive us for keeping our scars covered and hidden, and help us to allow You to use them to show others the strength and beauty that can come, even after the hard and horrible. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will be willing to do whatever You ask of us. Lead us to love others without reservations, just as You love us with total abandon. May many come into a saving relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we allow You to use our scars as signs of strength for Your glory. Amen.

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

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things.  Who, O God, is like You? – Psalm 71:19

Hope in an Empty Tomb

On a morning much like this, as darkness gave way to the promised light of the dawn of a new day, the mourning Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, made their way toward the tomb. Imagine their initial thoughts as they found the colossal stone rolled away. Who had disturbed their Savior’s final resting space? Why would someone do such a thing? Then, to be greeted by an angel that looked like lightning, with clothes shining as white as snow… First, fear, followed by pure elation at the joy in knowing that Jesus had risen from the grave. Not even death could hold Him!

 

Today, we remember our Savior’s sacrifice and His mighty power that could not be defeated, even by death on a cross. That very same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is alive and available for all who believe. If we come to HIm and place our trust in the King of Kings, we too, can overcome eternal death, and will have hope for today and life everlasting.

 

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” – (Psalm 31:24)

 

When all was still,

light began to dawn;

the earth did shake,

at the morning’s song.

The stone was rolled,

the guards froze in fear;

angels appeared,

and faithful drew near.

Though He foretold,

that He’d third day rise;

they were amazed,

at this Hope alive.

Not even death,

could defeat the Lord;

He’d overcome,

showed how true His word.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son into the world to offer the way for us to be saved. Jesus, thank You for suffering for our sake, and conquering what we never could, so that we can have life in You. Forgive us for taking lightly the magnitude of Your sacrifice, and help us to reflect and recognize just how great Your love is for each of us, individually. May we receive what You are offering, and extend Your love and grace to all those around us. Let our words and deeds speak volumes of Who You are, and show many the way to a relationship with You. May those who are looking come to find You today. Be exalted in everything, Lord Jesus! He is risen, indeed. Amen.

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

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things.  Who, O God, is like You? – Psalm 71:19