Where Peace Can Be Found

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. – (Isaiah 26:3, NIV)

God, You give true peace to people who depend on You, to those who trust in You. – (Isaiah 26:3, ERV)

You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You, for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You. – (Isaiah 26:3, VOICE)

This morning, Thor, our Lab, woke me up at 2:00 am. I brought him upstairs to take him to go outside, but when I took him back downstairs, he would not stop whining until I gave up and brought him back upstairs at 3:00 am to be up. After he was fed, he climbed on my lap and has shown no sign of any desire to do anything else. Where am I going with this? For Thor, his place of peace was found on my lap with a full belly; for us, we can find the ultimate perfect peace when we trust in Jesus and depend on Him. God settles our hearts and minds in His presence, and provides the peace that comes from Him alone. Knowing He holds us in the hollow of His hands is much like the completely content countenance that Thor displays in that space of simply resting in the security of loving arms (or a blanket-covered lap). God has us, and He will provide the places of peace where we need it, and will show us again and again the goodness of His love and the peace that He supplies. He is not inconvenienced by our need, nor does He refuse us time in His presence. The more we seek Him, the more aware we become of His presence and the perfect peace that He alone provides. May we ever dedicate our hearts and minds to You, and recognize with thanksgiving, the goodness of Your presence, peace and love.

A warm and safe space,

To rest and sink in;

Where peace can be found,

No matter what’s been.

The hand that holds us,

When chaos ensues;

The calm that comes close,

No matter our view.

Each time we choose trust,

God makes His heart known;

Wraps us in His peace,

As goodness is shown.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You provide Your perfect peace when we place our trust in You. Your peace is not dependent on our circumstances, but rather it is present despite what surrounds us as we trust You to be near. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of You when storms come our way. Teach us to seek You to be our anchor through each storm and our warm, peaceful space of safety no matter what comes. Show us how to trust You more. Lead us in Your love to present Your peace and goodness to those around us in all things and at all times. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we place our trust in You and rest in Your perfect peace. Amen.

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

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27

Built Up in Peace

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. – (Romans 14:19, NIV)

So, let’s strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up. – (Romans 14:19, CEB)

So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another. – (Romans 14:19, TPT)

 

As myself and many of my colleagues have returned to school to begin to prepare for the upcoming school year, I love that the climate among my coworkers is such as this. Each time I have run into a colleague, we have taken the time to catch up and listen to one another, as well as delight in each other’s summer adventures. Always, I walk away feeling encouraged and built up, knowing that I am in a place where we support one another both as professionals and as people. While I was painting walls and allowing the lyrics to which I was listening to sink in, it was my prayer that my classroom would be a place of peace where students would build each other up. Perhaps if they witness the continual positive and peaceful exchanges between colleagues, they too, will be encouraged to do likewise. It certainly is my goal to create a place of peace and encouragement within my classroom, and my hope that it goes far beyond my four walls. May we seek the Lord daily, who is the Prince of Peace, to fill us up and equip us to bring encouragement and peace to all of the places that He has planned.

 

Let us choose seek peace, 

One to another;

May kindness take lead,

Sisters and brothers.

May we choose build up,

With encouragement;

Pick words that bring life,

Sweet hope’s fulfillment.

For as we bring peace,

It reaches beyond;

Those our choices touch,

From there they respond.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to bring peace and encouragement to the places we gather. Thank You that these are not things that we must somehow muster the feelings to pass on, but rather they are a way birthed within us as we seek You for help. Forgive us for trying to do this on our own, or for ignoring the very notion of peace in places that seem so unsettled. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You and depend on You to bring peace to the places we land, and provide encouraging words to share with those around us. Show us how to love others with Your perfect peace and encouragement. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to be our peace and encouragement so that we may share Your peace and offer encouragement wherever we go. Amen.

 

 

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

 

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.  – Isaiah 26:3

 

 

Love and Patience that Endure

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. – (2 Thessalonians 3:5, NLT)

May the Lord bring you into an even deeper understanding of the love of God and of the patience that comes from Christ. – (2 Thessalonians 3:5, TLB)

May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance. – (2 Thessalonians 3:5, MSG)

 

The love of God and the patient endurance of Christ are two things for which I am eternally grateful. When I am at my least loveable, God still demonstrates His love for me in tangible ways. I am shown patience that is willing to endure, despite the difficulties. In twenty-seven days, I will have the privilege and blessing of marrying the man whom God brought me, who shows me again and again and again, how fully I am loved, no matter how I come. He has patience and kindness toward me that seems to know no end. The more I pursue the Lord, the greater my understanding of His love and patience for us all. May we ever seek Him and grow in our grasp of God’s great love and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

 

May the Lord’s great love,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Surround and sink in;

True understanding,

So peace may begin.

Let His patience too,

Come and overwhelm;

As goodness is grasped,

In God’s loving realm.

By grace let us seek,

So we come to know;

Love and endurance,

As in Christ we grow.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace and for the love and patient endurance that You demonstrate to us in tangible ways. Thank You for the people that You place in our lives to show us Your loving kindness and the depth of Your care for us all. Forgive us for not seeking You to understand more fully the depth of Your love and the patience and endurance that come from Christ. Show us how to love those around us with Your love and patient endurance. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we pursue the path that leads us to knowing You more and more. Amen.

 

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

 

You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence. – Acts 2:28

My Source of Hope

You are my refuge and my shield; Your word is my source of hope. – (Psalm 119:114, NLT)

Hide me and protect me. I trust what You say. – (Psalm 119:114, ERV)

You are my hiding place and my shield of protection; I hope in Your word. – (Psalm 119:114, VOICE)

 

There are days where we need, more than ever, a space where we can sink into His arms and trust, as the world around us doesn’t seem to make sense. Between fighting the “crud” and the looming uncertainty that is now surrounding my profession, I need to remember where my hope comes from. Despite how I feel or what I see, God has me in the palm of His hand. He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He is far greater than the things that go on in the world. Today, I will choose to trust His protection and provision, as He is my help and my hope. Already, He has made a way for my day to be shortened with a two-hour delay, so rather than having to power through an entire day of not feeling well, it will be a short day, which is far more doable than daunting. As for the coming days, I need to turn in trust for each new day as it comes, and do that which I can do, remembering that my most important priority is and will always remain, to love well, as I am loved by Him. May we trust in the Lord to be our refuge and shield, and allow His word to be our source of hope when hope seems elusive.

 

My refuge and shield,

My hope’s in Your word;

No matter what’s seen,

Or news that is heard.

God, You are greater,

Than chaos and greed;

Your heart’s always kind,

And You know our need.

Lord, be our refuge,

Our hope and our source;

Lead us and guide us,

Keep our hearts on course.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our refuge and shield of protection. Thank You that Your word is our source of hope. Thank You that no matter what we see or hear, You are greater, and You hold us in Your hands. Forgive us for our fearfulness when things veer off course. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You for wisdom and grace, to know what we are meant to do while things are awry. Show us how to live and love according to Your will, so that many will come to know Your heart and the hope that is held in You. Be glorified O God, as we trust what You say, and place our hope in You. Amen.

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

Surely 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

Given to Show Goodness

He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that He is good. – (Psalm 23:3, ERV)

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His Name. – (Psalm 23:3, NLT)

True to Your word, You let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. – (Psalm 23:3, MSG)

 

No matter how many times I have read a particular passage, God has a remarkable way of revealing new truth as I choose to invest time in His word. This morning, though I have read Psalm 23 more times than I can calculate, I don’t think that I ever really thought about the depth of why He restores and leads us where we are meant to go. Though it is written, sometimes it takes reading several different versions of the text to have something really sink in. Today, that is what took place for me. God is good all the time – regardless of circumstances, situations, health, hurt or heartache – He is GOOD. Not only does He renew, restore and guide us out of His love, but He makes His goodness known to us as He does that which is tangible. God gives us the strength and guidance we need to demonstrate His goodness, often at just the point that we are ready to give up. His love, His light, and His life, restore us and grant us the grace we need to keep pressing forward in the direction we have been called. May we recognize the honor due unto the Lord, as He restores our strength when it is lacking, and leads us on the right paths that He has placed before us. May we ever bring honor to His Name.

 

The God of all grace,

Gives strength and renews;

He leads us in love,

Helps carry us through.

His giving of strength,

And guidance to go;

Lead us on right paths,

And His goodness shows.

He’s true to His word,

Grants us life and breath;

May we honor Him,

From now unto death.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You restore our strength and lead us on right paths. Thank You that as You do these things, You demonstrate for us that You are good. Thank You for the reassurance, as we so often need reminders of who You are and how much You love. Forgive us for not following Your guidance or not bringing honor to Your Name. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would not only listen, but would obey, every word we hear Your still small voice say. Show us how to follow Your paths set before us in Your strength, so that our words and deeds will demonstrate Your goodness to those around us. Help us to love others with Your generous and unfailing love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to renew our strength when we are weary, and listen to Your leading to stay on the paths that You have prepared for us so that we may bring honor to Your Name. Amen.

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

Father, I thank You that You have heard me. – John 11:41