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

Sing in Strength

Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might. – (Psalm 21:13, HCSB)

Lord, we lift You up with our songs of praise. We sing and play songs about Your power! – (Psalm 21:13, ERV)

Show Your strength, God, so no one can miss it. We are out singing the good news! – (Psalm 21:13, MSG)

The strength of the Lord is all-encompassing; body, heart, mind and spirit. He provides the strength we need where it is needed, and it is yet another reason that we ought to sing and praise His Name. As we ask, God is faithful to provide. Most of this past year, I feel like that has been my constant prayer – Lord, please give me the strength that is needed to navigate this day. Each day, as I drove home from work, I could not help but sing from a grateful heart, for His strength had been provided anew, and His power, evident to me. Even on the days that were less than stellar, God’s strength was refreshed and renewed. Each morning, it was in the seeking that my heart was recharged and made ready for the new day. May we ever seek the Lord and ask Him to show us His strength where we need it, and let our hearts sing praise for His faithfulness that knows no end.

O Lord, we cry out,

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

To You once again;

To meet us with strength,

And make our paths plain.

May we ever sing,

Of the strength You give;

Grace for each new day,

Goodness as we live.

With arms wide open,

Let us choose give praise;

For strength provided,

Throughout all our days.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You show us Your strength again and again, and that Your faithfulness never ends. Thank You that You are our reason to sing praise. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to give You credit for supplying all that we needed and more. Teach us to acknowledge and honor You for who You are and all that You do. Show us how to love those around us well, so that they too, may recognize the strength that You provide. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing praise and give You thanks for the strength that You alone provide. Amen.

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

But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. – Psalm 59:16

Strength, Endurance, Patience and Joy

May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy. – (Colossians 1:11, HCSB)

God will strengthen you with His own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy. – (Colossians 1:11, ERV)

Strengthen them with Your infinite power, according to Your glorious might, so that they will have everything they need to hold on and endure hardship patiently and joyfully. – (Colossians 1:11, VOICE)

Strength, endurance, patience and joy are exactly what I need to navigate my days. God knows what we need and is faithful to provide as we seek Him. In all things, He is good, so our reason for joy to remain, even when things are difficult, is firmly established. May we ever seek our Savior to lead us and guide us, as He strengthens us with His power, and provides the patience and endurance we need to navigate our days with joy.

O Lord, be our strength,

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

In all that we do;

Patient endurance,

To see each day through.

Be our Source of joy,

For hope is in You;

Lead us in Your love,

Make each day brand new.

Grant us Your resolve,

To keep keeping on;

With love unending,

In You, we are strong.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You strengthen us and lead us in Your love. Thank You that patience and endurance come from You, and true joy is found in the hope we hold in You. Forgive us for the times that we have not turned to You. Teach us to trust You in all things and at all times, for You are always faithful. Lead us to love like You, so that we might encourage those around us and share joy in all things. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and thank You for Your faithfulness to meet us where we are and provide what we need. Amen.

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

But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. – Psalm 59:16

Sing of His Strength

But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. – (Psalm 59:16, HCSB)

But I will sing about Your strength. I will rejoice in Your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come. – (Psalm 59:16, ERV)

But me? I will sing of Your strength. I will awake with the sun to sing of Your loving mercy because in my most troubled hour, You defended me. You were my shelter. – (Psalm 59:16, VOICE)

This verse is a well-timed reminder, as I had a late night and very little sleep. Though I am exhausted, I know God will provide the strength that I need, for His faithful love greeted me with a new day. He is my place of rest and my refuge at all times and through every circumstance. My heart sings knowing that God will go before me and remain with me throughout each day. May we ever seek the Lord to be our strength and our song, and run to Him to be our refuge throughout all our days.

O Lord, I will sing,

Of strength You provide;

Ever You meet us,

With arms open wide.

Arms to embrace us,

Provide strength we need;

To navigate all,

The grace to succeed.

Hope to persevere,

When life becomes tough;

Goodness and kindness,

Your love is enough.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You are our reason to sing as we rise each new day. Thank You are our shelter and safety in times of trouble. Forgive us for trying to power through without You. Teach us to trust and rely on You, for You provide all that we need to press on. Lead us to love those around us in practical ways that demonstrate the hope and help that is found in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing praise to You, and give You glory for who You are and how You love. Amen.

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

The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. – Psalm 118:14

Strength and Song

But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love, for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. – (Psalm 59:16, NIV)

But I will sing about Your strength. I will rejoice in Your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come. – (Psalm 59:16, ERV)

But as for me, Your strength shall be my song of joy. At each and every sunrise, my lyrics of Your love will fill the air! For You have been my glory-fortress, a stronghold in my day of distress. – (Psalm 59:16, TPT)

I am so grateful that all is new every morning. No matter what took place yesterday, last week, last month or last year, we have a fresh start each new day. Sometimes, it takes a simple change of scenery to remind us of all the good that God has provided. God knows our hearts, and blesses us with the things that remind us of His care and concern for us, individually. For me, I am very much a quality time person that craves time outdoors near water. On Saturday afternoon, my Viking and I went for a drive. We ended up in Gig Harbor, driving in sunshine and salt air, with the wind whipping through our vehicle. There is something about seeing the water, green trees, blue skies and Mount Rainier in the background that reminds me of the goodness of God. Yesterday, between church, a scooter ride, dog walking and visiting with our besties, my heart feels renewed and recharged. It is this goodness that God gives that inspires the new each morning and grants songs of praise to rise from my heart. He knows our worries, heartaches, and hopes, and provides safe space to navigate. May we ever seek the Lord, anew every morning, for He is our strength, song and space of safety.

Each morning I rise,

Photo by Lukas Rodriguez on Pexels.com

And find new again;

Your strength and Your song,

Fresh grace to begin.

You know well my heart,

How to bless, lift up;

With goodness in love,

You choose fill my cup.

For from a full heart,

I’m equipped to pour;

Your goodness and love,

To those who need more.

Lord, help me to walk,

In strength and resolve;

So I might love well,

As I have been called.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your strength and song are our sources of joy. Thank You that You bless and renew our hearts as we seek You. Forgive us for allowing the weight of the world to steal the joy that You have deeply rooted within us. Teach us to trust in You and lean into You, no matter what comes our way. Show us how to rejoice in the goodness of Your loving kindness, and to give generously the love that You have overwhelmingly given to us to share with all those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You and depend on You to be our strength and song as each new day begins. Amen.

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

I love You, Lord, my strength. – Psalm 18:1

Discover What He’s Done

Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. – (Isaiah 12:5, NIV)

Sing songs of praise about the Lord, because He has done great things. Spread this news about God throughout the whole world. Let all people know these things. – (Isaiah 12:5, ERV)

Sing praise to the Eternal! Everyone, everywhere should know that God acts in amazing ways. – (Isaiah 12:5, VOICE)

The evidence of God’s hand is all around us. It takes little looking to discover all of the great things that He has done. From the way that the waves know how far upon the shore to come, to the smiles and laughter of loved ones, all have been formed by His loving hands. There are times that it is easy to get caught up in the chaos that comes and neglect to be aware of all of the glorious things that God has done around and in us. When we pause and sing songs of praise, we are reminded of just how good God truly is. The more we recognize and celebrate His goodness, the better His heart is made known to those around us. May we ever sing praise to the Lord, for He is good and has done great things.

Let’s sing to the Lord,

For all He has done;

The work of His hands,

The battles we’ve won.

All that’s created,

Each blessing of grace;

Beauty surrounds us,

Throughout all our days.

Give thanks to the Lord,

Choose rise, sing His praise;

All thanks to the King,

Who’s faithful always.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and faithful and worthy of all of our praise. Thank You for the incredible works of Your hands that provide and bless us all. Forgive us for not giving proper credit to You, for every good and perfect gift has come from You. Teach us to sing Your praise throughout all our days. Show us how to love those around us well so that they too, may see the goodness of Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we sing songs of praise to You and share Your goodness with those around us. Amen.

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

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him! – Psalm 147:1

Sing in the Strength He Supplies

But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. – (Psalm 59:16, NIV)

But I will sing about Your strength. I will rejoice in Your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come. – (Psalm 59:16, ERV)

But me? I will sing of Your strength. I will awake with the sun to sing of Your loving mercy because in my most troubled hour, You defended me. You were my shelter. – (Psalm 59:16, VOICE)

There are days when this resonates a little more clearly than others. Each morning as I rise before the sun, I am intentional to seek and spend time with our Savior. Small things can distract my attention, and I have to choose to focus on Him and time in His word. As I do, He is faithful to show me His loving kindness anew, and there is not a day that I seek Him that I do not find Him. I cannot even begin to count the numerous times that He has been my place of safety and my defender when troubles have come. In all things, He remains faithful to be present and pour out His goodness and love. It does not mean that all is easy and without obstacles, rather in those obstacles I have a guide to lead me through. For this, and so many other things, I have reason to hold songs of praise in my heart, celebrating His strength when I had none, and His presence when I felt alone. May we ever remember who is our source of strength and mercy and goodness, as we call on Christ to be our place of safety in every storm.

O Lord each new day,

May I rise and sing;

Of goodness and strength,

The hope that You bring.

Teach me to see You,

With each rising sun;

Give thanks unto You,

Our strong Holy One.

Thank You for safety,

That is held in You;

For Your sweet presence,

That carries us through.

Help songs to rise up,

Flood my mind and heart;

With praise unto You,

Gratitude impart.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our reason to sing, as You are our source of strength and our space of safety. Forgive us for not giving praise where praise is due, and for forgetting how powerful Your presence is to strengthen and uphold us. Teach us to trust in You through every season. Show us how to love those around us in ways that supply strength and hope and resolve. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we find shelter in the safety of Your love and sing praise to You for each new day we are granted. Amen.

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

Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. – 1 Chronicles 16:9

Sing, Praise and Encourage

Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – (Ephesians 5:19-20, NIV)

Encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – (Ephesians 5:19-20, ERV)

And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord Jehovah. Keep speaking to each other with words of Scripture, singing the Psalms with praises and spontaneous songs given by the Spirit! Always give thanks to Father God for every person He brings into your life in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – (Ephesians 5:19-20, TPT)

As we encourage one another and give praise to God, we are reminded of our reasons to praise Him. When I pause and take time to observe everything and everyone that God has brought into my life, I cannot help but praise and thank Him. There is something so powerful about worship and praise. We may come before HIm hoping to show Him our gratitude and appreciation, and discover that as we do, we are the ones who are encouraged and built up. God invites us to enter into His presence. As we do, we cannot help but be changed. While our hearts grow lighter and peace floods in, God fills us with His love to extend to those around us. May we ever lift joyful praise to the Lord and allow our hearts to overflow to all those around us.

Let hearts overflow,

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

With sweet songs of praise;

To honor the Lord,

Throughout all our days.

Sing and make music,

For all that is good;

Encourage others,

Be kind as we should.

May our hearts reflect,

Our thanks to the Lord;

As our lives give praise,

To Him we adore.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for who You are and how You love. Thank You that you call us to love like You. Forgive us for the times that we neglect to praise You or encourage those around us. Teach us to recognize the enormous blessing we have in life with You, no matter what goes on around us. Show us how to love all those with whom we interact, so that they may see You through us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God as we give You praise in all things. Amen.

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

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting it is to praise Him! – Psalm 147:1

To Use What We’ve Been Given

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. – (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV) 

You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. God paid a very high price to make you His. So, honor God with your body. – (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ERV) 

Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who comes from God and dwells inside of you? You do not own yourself. You have been purchased at a great price, so use your body to bring glory to God! – (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, VOICE) 

When we give our lives to God, He comes and dwells in us and makes our heart His home. He is not pushy, rather He waits for the invitation to clean house and make our heart more like His. To honor God with our bodies is a charge that looks different for everyone. For some, honoring God with the body is to sing, play music, or create. For others it is to get out and move. Each of us have been gifted with different strengths, talents and desires, and as we pursue them with a heart after Him, we are honoring the Lord with our entire being. Tending to His temple is to care best for the body that we have been given. I don’t know about you, but this whole COVID situation has made the normal rhythm of fueling the temple healthfully, far more difficult. My saving grace has been my desire to get outside and move. Thor, our sweet puppy, helps with that as well. Everything we do has the capacity to honor God, if we are seeking Him and following His will in what we do. May we be purposeful in our pursuit of God and His best for us, so that we may honor God by caring well for our temple. 

Lord, help me to care, 

For this body well; 

With all that I do, 

May Your goodness tell. 

Help me to choose well, 

With what’s allowed in; 

So that You’re honored, 

And I’m kept from sin. 

Let moderation, 

And wisdom guide me; 

Please keep me moving, 

With thanks, faithfully. 

Let also these hands, 

Bring glory to You; 

Writing, creating, 

Please keep my heart true. 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we receive the gift that You have freely given of Yourself, we become the temple for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that as we seek You, You teach us to tend the temple and utilize our bodies to give You glory through how we make use of what You have given us. Forgive us for becoming lazy, or gluttonous, or allowing garbage in, rather than seeking to honor You in all. Show us how to best tend to the temple that You have given, and show us how to honor You in all that we do. Lead us to love those around us in practical and tangible ways. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to show us how to best care for and utilize all that You intended for that which we have been given. Amen. 

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

In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears. – 2 Samuel 22:7

Among Us

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. – (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT)

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

The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband. – (Zephaniah 3:17, VOICE)

 

I love the Voice translation of this passage, as the word choice speaks so clearly to my heart. As an individual who understands the deep need for every person to have someone willing to fight for them, and the joy of a new husband, God’s promises are an encouragement that stand the test of time. His presence is our comfort, and His love brings peace and joy and calms our fears. Our mighty Savior, who is like a powerful soldier, is our Protector, ever present with us. The idea that He delights over us with joyful songs, is reminiscent of when my babies were young, and how I would delight in them and sing to them and there would be peace among us as we rested. My human experience is but a glimpse in comparison to the depth of love that God has for us. The joy and delight we discover in those whom He blesses us with in our lives are but a preview of all that He has in store for us in heaven. May we fix our eyes and hearts on the Lord who is among us, present to save and rejoice over us.

 

The Lord is with us,

He’s mighty to save;

In love, celebrates,

His grace is displayed.

Each fear shall be calmed,

As in Him, we rest;

For His help and love,

Fill our needs the best.

Imagine the sound,

As the Lord does sing;

With joy over us,

All peace He does bring.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are so good. Thank You that You are our Champion, who is willing to fight for us. Thank You that You rejoice over us with singing and calm our fears. Thank You that You are always present. Forgive us for the times that we have allowed our circumstances to interrupt the peace that You offer. Teach us to lean into You at all times, so that we may know Your peace, no matter what comes our way. Show us how to love those around us with Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for the incredible blessings You bestow upon us with Your love. Amen.

 

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

 

Yes, my soul, finds rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – Psalm 62:5