Statements of Praise

 

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind. – (Psalm 107:8, NIV)

Thank the Lord for His faithful love and for the amazing things He does for people. – (Psalm 107:8, ERV)

So lift your hands and thank God for His marvelous kindness and for all His miracles of mercy for those He loves. – (Psalm 107:8, TPT)

 

Any time that there is repetition in scripture, I recognize the need to take notice. In this particular Psalm, the same sentence is repeated four times by David, as he tells of a long list of God’s faithfulness to those who belonged to Him. I imagine many of us, particularly in this season, could create our own list of ways that God has shown His unfailing love and mercy, and follow each remembrance with a statement of praise. For me, in spite of much heaviness that has found our household this year, there has been in equal measure, God’s faithful provision, joy, peace, comfort, and abundant blessing. Perhaps it is why I so often find myself settling in the Psalms, as David understood the highest heights and the deepest depths, yet sought the Lord and praised Him through it all. He was human and fell short, yet searched for God, and was receptive to the Lord’s correcting and redirecting as he continued to move forward and give thanks. May we ever give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His miracles of mercy that He pours out upon those whom He calls His own.

 

When life knocks us down,

Takes wind from our sails;

The Lord’s love and grace,

Comes near, never fails.

In seasons of loss,

Struggle and heartache;

The Lord’s love remains,

And miracles take.

Where blessings abound,

And grace is made known;

Again, it’s God’s love,

And His power shown.

Rise up and give thanks,

For love that won’t end;

For wonderful deeds,

That move God’s love in.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unfailing love and for the wonderful things that You do for those who follow You. Thank You that You hear our prayers and move mightily on our behalf. Thank You that Your power is made perfect in our weakness. Forgive us for allowing discouragement or sorrow to cause us to question Your love or care for us. Teach us to trust You through every high and low, as You remain present through all things at all times. Show us how to love those around us well, so that we may make Your unfailing love and marvelous kindness tangible in spaces where it is difficult to access. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise for Your unfailing love and Your miraculous deeds, done on our behalf. Amen.

 

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

 

Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name. – 1 Chronicles 29:13

Confidently Heard

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. – (1 John 5:14, NIV)

We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. – (1 John 5:14, ERV)

We live in bold confidence that God hears our voices when we ask for things that fit His plan. – (1 John 5:14, VOICE)

 

First and foremost, we can come to God confidently, as He hears our hearts whenever we seek Him. Just as a loving parent listens to their children when they come, so too, does our Heavenly Father, each time we bring our heart before Him. That being said, He is not a fairy godparent nor a genie that grants wishes; rather, God is loving and all-powerful, and has plans and purpose for each of our lives. When the things we bring before Him align with His will, He hears and responds accordingly. Likewise, when we are seeking something that is not in our best interest, He closes doors and places that check in our spirit that tells our heart that whatever it is, is not in our best interest. God’s ways are not our ways, nor His timing aligned with our own. Often, we seek and ask, and wait in wonder for what seems like forever, only to discover that God has been moving on our behalf all along, as there were things in us that needed preparing before the actual request could be fulfilled. God is good and faithful and worthy of our trust. May we ever live in bold confidence that He hears us when we ask of Him, things that align with His good and perfect plan.

As for Mom, she began more of her out-patient therapies this week. She was encouraged and determined when we spoke, and hopeful, as she recognized the new opportunities for growth to reestablish pathways that were lost. I love that one of the things that she said was that she wished she could go to therapies every day. Mom knows that the hard work is what is required of her, and she is ready to do exactly that. It will be a joy and a blessing to see the strides that she has made between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we all gather together again.

 

With bold confidence,

May we all choose come;

Before the Father,

The Most Holy One.

For as we seek Him,

He’s faithful to hear;

Honoring requests,

When His plan is clear.

The Lord, He knows best,

Despite what we see;

He knows the outcome,

And what is to be.

So, trust in the Lord,

Place all in His hands;

Seek follow His heart,

To walk out His plans.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can come before You boldly and bring our requests to You. Thank You that You listen and hear our hearts. Thank You that You move on our behalf in the way that is best for us, redirecting our hearts to the path You have placed before us when we don’t know the way. Forgive us for our doubts when we do not see the evidence of You moving. Teach us to trust You more, as Your timing is not ours, nor are Your ways our own. Thank You that You do exceedingly more than we could hope or imagine when we place things in Your mighty hands. Show us how to love those around us in ways that come alongside to strengthen and encourage those who need it most. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and trust You, knowing that You hear us and move on our behalf when we ask things that follow the plan that You designed for us. Amen.

 

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

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. – Psalm 28:7a

The Force of Faithful Fathers

Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies. – (Proverbs 20:15, NLT)

Much gold and many pearls exist, but wise speech is the most precious jewel. – (Proverbs 20:15, CEB)

You may have an abundance of wealth, piles of gold and jewels, but there is something of far greater worth: speaking revelation words of knowledge. – (Proverbs 20:15, TPT)

 

When I think of fathers, be it those on earth or our Heavenly Father, thoughts of wise words come to mind. Fathers are great sources of advice, and good fathers direct the path of their children as they grow. In the places where a human father is absent, falls short, or simply has no answer, God, who is the ultimate Father, always does. No matter where we are or what is going on, we may seek Him for answers in prayer and in His word. Last evening, I had the joy of watching the wisdom of a good father’s words come to fruition. My bonus son-to-be graduated from high school. He is a wonderful young man who has not been the biggest fan of school. His father, who loves him fiercely, with all of his giant, Viking being, passed on many wise words, often, that ultimately led to his son’s successful completion of public education. It is such a sweet space to watch the pride a father has in his son, as it grants a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father views us as His children. Though it often takes His coaxing, pulling, lifting, loving, redirecting, and many wise words conveyed to us, He is proud of us too, as we reach the various milestones set before us. May we ever seek the best Father of all and celebrate and give thanks for the good fathers that God has granted all around us to show us His heart.

 

Great wisdom in words,

Are precious in worth;

Far greater than gold,

The way, they unearth.

Just as the wise words,

That good dads choose bring;

Show us where to go,

And how to do things.

May we choose give thanks,

Seek words that are wise;

All praise for fathers,

Who see through love’s eyes.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of good fathers. Thank You that You are the ultimate good Father to us. Thank You that You grant us wise words to live by that lead us on the path You have placed before us. Forgive us for not valuing the wisdom found in the words that You intended for our hearts to hear. Teach us to have ears to listen and hearts to understand. Show us how to love others well, so that we would speak wise words that You place in our mouths. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in the wisdom of Your Holy Word and learn to value it above things that come and go. Amen.

 

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

 

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. – Psalm 145:8

Fathering Well

Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master. – (Ephesians 6:4, MSG)

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. – (Ephesians 6:4, NLT)

 

I know that this is a tough topic for so many. Fathers are placed in our lives to fill such a significant role, yet without the grace and help of God, there is little chance of them measuring up to the expectation presented in the title alone. That being said, some of the best fathers that I know, did not have the most stellar examples in their own lives. God’s grace covered them as they grew, and He provided men of integrity to walk beside them and show them what it is to love well as a dad. There is no one who always gets it right, except our Heavenly Father, but the men who seek to lead their kids by the hand and show them by example, correcting and redirecting with love, are setting the standard for our future generations of fathers. May we celebrate the fathers we know, and encourage them as they help their kids grow.

 

Thank You, dear Father,

Despite what we’ve had;

You shall always be,

Our Heavenly Dad.

Thanks too for the men,

Who take by the hand;

Each child to love,

And shows them Your plan.

Not by being harsh,

Instead, they choose lead;

Lovingly guiding,

Direct to succeed.

Instruct with wisdom,

Discipline with grace;

Do all things in love,

So they seek Your face.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our ultimate Father. Thank You for the fathers that You have placed in our lives to teach us, grow us, and bless us. Forgive us for not recognizing and encouraging the fathers that are all around us, seeking to do things according to Your will. Teach us to have Your eyes to see and Your heart to bless and encourage our brothers who are seeking after You. Show us how to love well, all the people whom You place in our path. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You for being the best Father of all, and praise You for the gift of fantastic fathers that You place in our lives and the lives of our children. 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

Desire to Learn

To learn, you must want to be taught. – (Proverbs 12:1a, TLB)

To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. – (Proverbs 12:1, NLT)

 

Learning is a lifelong process. It requires discipline, determination and desire. For one to truly learn, it is not merely a pouring in of wisdom and knowledge, but it involves correcting and redirecting as well. If we truly long to learn and grow, we must embrace both – the pouring into, but also the discipline that involves correction, so that we may come to know the truth of God’s will in our lives. There is an internal battle between our will and desires, and that which comes from Christ. We do not intrinsically know all that He has for us, so it requires us to pursue with passion, to learn from the Lord. May we seek to learn that which the Lord has for us, embracing the discipline required and the correction given, so that we might more clearly reflect the radiance of our Redeemer.

 

In silence, we wait,

To hear from the Lord;

In spaces of need,

All grace He affords.

He grants us wisdom,

Shows us what to do;

Corrects, redirects,

Again makes us new.

As we come to learn,

And grow in His grace;

The truth shall take root,

Lead to His embrace.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are willing to teach all who choose to seek You. Thank You that You do not just give us information and leave us to process it all, but rather You correct and redirect us, as You lovingly lead us wherever You are calling us to go. Forgive us for resenting redirection or cowering from correction. Please give us hearts that not only long to learn, but that embrace discipline and correction too. Thank You that such things are further evidence of the depth of your love and desire to draw us closer to You. Show us how to love others with our lives, so that they may come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we readily receive Your correction and redirection, so that we may come closer still, unto You. 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