Let Him In

As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. – (Revelation 3:19-20, HCSB)

I correct and punish the people I love. So show that nothing is more important to you than living right. Change your hearts and lives. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you. And you will eat with Me. – (Revelation 3:19-20, ERV)

All those I dearly love I unmask and train. So repent and be eager to pursue what is right. Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come into you and feast with you, and you will feast with Me. – (Revelation 3:19-20, TPT)

Real love is honest, and always has our best in mind. Because God is love, He corrects us so that we can live our very best life with Him. The God of all wants to be in an ongoing relationship with us. Having dinner together represents so many good things; for it is a source of meeting a basic need as well as providing a place to come together and share with one another all that has transpired throughout the day. God wants that sort of space with each of us. He calls us unto Himself so that we can hear His voice and be with one another throughout all of our days. It is up to us to invite Him into our hearts and lives. When we do, everything changes. Love brings forth beauty from ashes and hope from despair. We become the person whom God intended all along when we listen to His voice and understand His heart for us all. May we ever be quick to repent and ready to listen to His leading in all that is right. For His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts, higher than ours. Our best life is lived when we truly let Him in.

To let the Lord in,

Photo by Harrison Haines on Pexels.com

Means opening doors;

To all that we are,

In Him, there is more.

Forgiveness and grace,

Correction in love;

Ever He’ll lead us,

By His way above.

So, choose to seek Him,

Allow the Lord in;

Life everlasting,

In Christ shall begin.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we let You in, You correct, direct, and lovingly lead us to become who You created us to be. Thank You that You do not leave us where we are, but rather You enter in and show us so much more. Forgive us for attempting to navigate on our own. Teach us to trust in You more, and to listen and follow all that You have for us. Show us how to love those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified as we let You in and choose to listen to You in all things. Amen.

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

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:8

Hold On to the Faith You Have

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. – (Revelation 3:11, NLT)

I am coming soon. Hold on to the faith you have, so that no one can take away your crown. – (Revelation 3:11, ERV)

 

Our hope is found in Christ alone. What we have is the security in knowing that no matter what happens in the here and now, our ultimate destination is assured if we have given our heart to Him. There are days that faith is the only thing that we have to hold, as what is seen seems to dictate anything other than hope. However, when we know the Lord and have seen the work of His hand in our lives, we can trust His word to be true and hold fast to the faith that we have come to know. May we trust in the One who has given us life and breath, as He will be the One to ultimately lead us home.

 

The God of all grace, 

Has promised to us;

A future secure,

Through our Lord Jesus.

The part that’s required,

Is we must hold fast;

To the faith we know,

For His word shall last.

If to Christ we’re true,

Hold tight to what’s found;

Our future’s secure,

As is kingdom crown.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, our future is secure. Thank You that we have faith for today and hope for tomorrow. Thank You that we are called sons and daughters when we choose to follow You. Thank You that no one can take away our faith. Forgive us for being fickle or wavering in our walk with You. Teach us to trust You in all things, so that we hold fast to all that we have in You. Show us how to love others with the same grace and fervor by which You love us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we hold on to what we have in You forever. Amen.

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

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. – 2 Corinthians 3:5

Listen and Open the Door

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” – (Revelation 3:20, NLT)

 

God is not only our Father and our Savior, but He desires the nearness and intimacy of a familial friend. When we say yes to Jesus, we are welcoming His nearness and His presence in all areas of our lives. The imagery of dining together as friends is such a sweet and welcoming invitation, how can one help but invite Him in? It is yet another reminder that the Creator of the entire universe and all that is in it, is also very present and personal. He longs to spend time with us, and is ever waiting for our invitation. Incredibly, all it requires is for us to open the door and give Him access. The Lord is gentle and kind, and He enters in love and extends mercy and grace. It is His kindness that leads us to change for the better. May we listen for the Lord and His voice, and keep the door of our hearts ever open to Him.

 

The Lord is waiting,

He is ever near;

Let’s listen for Him,

As His voice we’ll hear.

If we choose invite,

And open the door;

Christ comes and He loves,

In Him, we have more.

Once He’s invited,

The Lord, He will stay;

To love and to lead,

Help us walk His way.

No more the waiting,

Choose hope, let Him in;

Our God and Savior,

And forever Friend.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You wait for us and call out to us, so that we have opportunity to hear Your invitation to know You and welcome You in as Lord of our lives. Thank You that You are not only God our Father and our Savior, but You are our Friend who is ever near. Forgive us for slamming the door shut when You are knocking, or neglecting to listen when You are the very One we need to hear. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would be listening and keep the door of our heart ever open to You. Show us how to love those around us with Your kindness and grace, so that they may come to find a forever friend in You. Be glorified O God, as we listen for Your voice and draw ever near to 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

Disciplined in Love

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. – (Revelation 3:19)

Just as a loving parent corrects and redirects a misguided child, so does our Heavenly Father do for us. It is because of His great love for us, that He does not allow us to stay stagnant in our sinfulness, nor remain rooted in wrong patterns. Christ came to cleanse us from our unrighteousness, and created the way for us to be called clean. Our charge is to come before Him and repent – to admit our wrong doing and turn away from that which pulled us away from the path which He has placed before us. Any time that we feel that nudge of the Holy Spirit, the check from His still small voice, we must listen and act with fidelity so that we do not become steeped in the snare of sin. May we trust our loving Lord, who is our Heavenly Father, as He loves us and only rebukes and disciplines us because He loves us and wants us to walk out the very best that He has for us. His plans are exceedingly greater than we could ever hope for or imagine.

Because we are loved,

let us hear His voice;

for He will correct,

when we make poor choice.

He’ll show us the way,

to walk where He calls;

to escape the space,

of sin’s prison walls.

We must choose repent,

confess, turn away;

admit wrong doing,

return to His way.

Trust in our Father,

His love never ends;

His plans are righteous,

as He forgives sins.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that though we may not enjoy being rebuked nor disciplined, You do so in love and for our benefit. Thank You that You love us so much that You do not sit idly by and allow us to stay stuck in our sinfulness. Thank You that You call us out of darkness into Your glorious light. Forgive us for our resistance to correction. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would be earnest to repent as soon as we become aware of what You are asking us to do. Help us to embrace with grace, every correction that You bring, as we know that all discipline from You brings us closer to that whom You are calling us to become. Help us to love others with generosity and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we embrace Your correction in love, and repent right away so that we may move forward into that which You are calling us to do. 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

We Who Overcome

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. – (Revelation 3:21, NIV)

 

I will let everyone who wins the victory sit with Me on My throne. It was the same with Me. I won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne. – (Revelation 3:21, ERV)

 

To overcome does not mean to be without struggle, but rather it is to press in and persist in spite of the struggle until the battle is finally won. Often, overcoming is a long and arduous battle. Our struggles require an ongoing repeated reliance on our Redeemer. He is our strength to stand strong against temptation and opposition, and He is our Rock whom we can run to, when we require retreat. Victory, is determined in our obedience, not in our strength to stand on our own. We are able to be overcomers and join our Savior on His Heavenly throne, as we choose to allow Him to lead us into our battles, and rely on Him to be our Commander and King.  Each step, each breath, that we choose to allow Him to lead, we find His strength to meet our need.   May our hearts hold fast to Him alone, who leads us to salvation’s throne.

 

Battles will come,

of that we’re assured;

yet strength is found,

through Christ we’re secured.

Victory waits,

for all those who trust;

in the Lord God,

Who’s more than enough.

And on that day,

when we’ve overcome;

our battles fought,

and we see the Son –

“Come close, My child,

you’ve trusted alone;

come sit by Me,

on salvation’s throne.”

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we are overcomers in You. Thank You that in Your strength, we are able to do that which You call us to, and hold fast to the promise of being with You forever in Heaven. Thank You that our hope is not just for the future, but it is for right now as well, as You grant us Your Spirit to dwell in us so that we can be more than conquerors in Your Name. Forgive us for our fear and failures, and help us to recognize how it is You who pick us back up, dust us off, and place us on our feet again. Teach us to persevere, even when the battle before us seems impossible; for nothing is impossible for You. May we live and love as You call us to, and may many lives be led into a relationship where they too, become overcomers in You. Be glorified, O God, as we overcome all that opposes us in Your strength. Amen.

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

Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise. – James 5:13