Pleasing Words and Thoughts

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. – (Psalm 19:14, HCSB)

May my words and thoughts please You. Lord, You are my Rock – the One who rescues me. – (Psalm 19:14, ERV)

May the words that come out of my mouth and the musings of my heart meet with Your gracious approval, O Eternal, my Rock, O Eternal, my Redeemer. – (Psalm 19:14, VOICE)

Our words and thoughts are influenced by what we take in, and by those with whom we spend our time. The most important influencer that we ought to seek at the start of our day is God. He is faithful to meet us as we seek Him, and will rescue us from our own thoughts that wander. His Spirit shows us what is good, and when we set our minds and hearts on these things, the words of our mouth are a reflection of such. May we ever seek the Lord to direct the musings of our heart and the words to which we give a voice.

O Lord, help my words,

To clearly show You;

All spoken in love,

That show Your heart true.

Father, keep my thoughts,

On that which is good;

Grant wisdom and grace,

To do as I should.

Let love lead in all,

I think, do and say;

Show me what You’d do,

Please come light my way.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are faithful to lead and guide us in what is good, so that our thoughts and words may be a reflection of who You are and how You love. Forgive us for every word and thought that has not been led by Your love. Teach us to trust and depend on You to show us what is good and pleasing unto You. Show us how to love those around us well, so that Your heart is made known through all that we say and do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we turn to You to direct our thoughts to things of You and seek You to grant us Your words of love. Amen.

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

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

A Plan and a Purpose

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – (Luke 11:9, NIV) 

“So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you.” – (Luke 11:9, ERV) 

“So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you.” – (Luke 11:9, VOICE) 

On this day, the day that the last fifteen years of schooling have prepared my children for, this seems an appropriate reminder of what matters, as they prepare for the next leg of their journey. Luke reminds us where our priorities ought to lie in our pursuit of next steps, and how important perseverance truly is. Keep seeking, asking, searching and knocking, even when the road is rough and it seems as there is no way to keep moving forward. He is present and able to help, and He hears, sees, knows and honors every move we make in pursuit of His best for what lies ahead.  

For my own son, Lucas, whose name is derived from Luke, my reminder to you who has fought and overcome the challenges associated with dyslexia to become a bright and talented writer, a critical thinker, and a young man who is ready to pursue his dreams as you graduate with honors, it seems only fitting to remind you of the words that Jesus said. Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” – (Luke 18:27) You have been a living example of the power of God working to make impossibilities possible. Keep trusting, seeking, asking and knocking, for He has great things in store for you. 

Micah, my youngest son, (by one minute), you too, are biblically named. Despite obstacles, heartache, frustration and fears, you have risen up and become a man of integrity, who loves deeply, acts justly and is humble and kind. For you, always remember who you are, and stay true to the man you have been called to be. He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – (Micah 6:8) As you seek the Lord for each next step, He will indeed show you what is good and what He requires of you to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.  

On this special day, 

Please never forget; 

The hope that is found, 

Purposeful mindset. 

Ever keep seeking, 

Pursuing God’s best; 

Asking and knocking, 

He’ll show you the rest. 

A plan and purpose, 

The Lord has for you; 

A future that’s good, 

So, listen, pursue. 

Keep asking of Him, 

What He has for you; 

Then step out in faith, 

As your dreams come true. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You remind us to seek, ask, and keep knocking, as You have created each of us to faithfully persevere in pursuit of all that You have for us. Thank You that Your promises are good, and You are faithful forever. Forgive us for our frustrations and fears when things seem impossible. Teach us to remember that all things are possible in You. Show us how to encourage, trust, seek, pursue and lift up those around us in Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we celebrate the accomplishments of all of our graduates, and support and encourage each in the next chapter of their stories. Amen. 

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

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13

Love is Secure

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. – (Psalm 34:8, NIV)

Give the Lord a chance to show you how good He is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on Him! – (Psalm 34:8, ERV)

Taste of His goodness; see how wonderful the Eternal truly is. Anyone who puts trust in Him will be blessed and comforted. – (Psalm 34:8, VOICE)

 

Yesterday was an incredibly good day. So many of the things hoped for and trusted for, seemed to begin to fall into place. Though uncharacteristically quiet, the Zoom meeting with my Social Studies kiddos was the best attended one yet. I was so blessed to see faces and hear voices and laughter, of students who have been absent from my world for nearly six weeks. If that were not enough goodness for one day, I received a call at lunchtime from the gal I had been speaking with about yellow lab puppies. She let me know that there was only one remaining, and another family was asking, but she wanted me to have priority, as I had inquired first. We then and there had a Zoom meeting of our own, so that the boys and I could virtually meet our potential puppy. All three of us were smitten, and the decision was not at all difficult. With commitment made, I continued the remainder of my afternoon, Zooming with my art classes, answering emails, and receiving completed work that was submitted early. By the time my husband arrived home, I was ready to run out the door. I did give him time to relax and unwind for a few, followed by a masked trip to the pet store to prepare with our purchases for all things puppy. Puppy chow and treats, dog bed and bowl; potty pads and chew toys, collar and leash, puppy shampoo and brush, and a few other things that I cannot recall that I am certain we will “need” for our new fur baby. Our sweet addition will be picked up and brought home late this afternoon, following the conclusion of my workday. Though I know puppies are loads of work and care, it will be well worth it, and honestly, God prepared me long ago – I have twins! 😊

There was great joy in sharing our news with my mom as well. Though she has not had a dog in her household since we lived at home, she is the one, so many years ago, who first allowed my sweet greyhound to sleep on a bed (with her, no less) as she has a very tender spot for grand-dogs. It will be especially sweet to share photos and videos with mom as we endeavor in the wonderful new adventure.

All this to say that as we depend on God, and persevere in that to which we are called, He sees, He hears, and He loves in ways that are so very good. May we all seek Him and give God room to move as only He does.

 

Choose trust in the Lord,

Seek, taste and you’ll see;

Our God is for us,

His love meets our needs.

So much more than that,

He blesses each heart;

That keeps trusting Him,

As strength He imparts.

Keep looking to God,

You’ll find that He’s good;

His timing’s perfect,

And love is secured.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings that come to fruition after they have been long hoped for and pursued. Thank You for those that are still hopes and dreams, as Your timing is perfect, even when we do not understand. Forgive us for our impatience, as we only see a glimpse of what is, whereas You see the end before things begin. Teach us to trust You and to embrace Your goodness and Your grace in every season; for You are so good. Show us how to love those around us in ways that bless, encourage, and uplift the hearts of all with Your goodness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose take notice of all the countless ways that You are good. Amen.

 

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

 

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23:6

The Delight of Our Father

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. – (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV)

The Lord your God is with you. He is like a powerful soldier. He will save you. He will show you how much He loves you and how happy He is with you. He will laugh and be happy about you. – (Zephaniah 3:17, ERV)

Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, He’ll calm you with His love and delight you with His songs. – (Zephaniah 3:17, MSG)

 

There are days that I am overwhelmed by the weight of the world, and am acutely aware of my own shortcomings. The truth of God’s word reminds me of Who is actually in the fight. God is with us, for us, and He delights in us. When we choose to love and follow Him, He sings over us with His songs of love. What a beautiful picture this reminder provides, as our God is both Mighty Warrior and Loving Father who delights in His children. A regular reminder that I am provided is how much my husband delights in little kids. He cannot go anywhere without making little ones smile, giggle, or at least wave at him. His heart is so tender toward little children, that his heart grants me a glimpse of the truth of who God is and how He loves each one of us.

 

The Lord, He is near,

My Viking & his great-niece ❤

He’s mighty to save;

Strength in the battle,

His love makes us brave.

God delights in us,

Over us, He sings;

Comfort and great peace,

His presence does bring.

So, ever seek Him,

In everything;

The Lord in His love,

Our Eternal King.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our Mighty Warrior who saves, and our Loving Father who delights over us with singing. Forgive us for not recognizing Your ability to be both all-powerful and all-loving when we are in the midst of struggles. Teach us to trust You more, for You are greater than all that weighs us down. Show us how to love those around us in Your strength and grace, so that many may come to forever seek Your face. Be glorified O God, as we trust in Your strength and rest in Your love. Amen.

 

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

 

The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. – Psalm 147:11