Sharing Scars

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” – (John 4:39)

 

Regardless of her shameful past, the Samaritan woman had a powerful encounter with the living Christ as she had gone to draw water from the well. She was so moved by what she saw and heard, that she lost herself in the enormity of what was being offered to her, and went into town and told everyone she could find about what Jesus had spoken to her, despite the public potential for her to be further ostracized. Jesus moved, and she was forever changed. So too, were many within that town. If we are willing to respond to the invitation that Jesus extends to each of us, not only will we be changed, but so too, will all whom we encounter. May we readily receive all that our Redeemer has to give, and then share our story with those who are willing to hear.

 

Christ Jesus, our Lord,

what wonder is He;

Who looks past our sin,

to what we can be.

No matter our scars,

sin, guilt and our stains;

He washes us clean,

so just love remains.

It is by that love,

that we are compelled;

to share the great news,

how Christ loves so well.

May we rise and go,

without fear of past;

for what we can share,

will forever last.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that our testimony is irrefutable, as it is our story that You have redeemed and made beautiful. Thank You that You have always loved us, and that Your love does not change nor fade. Thank You that You deposit in us, that very same love for others. Forgive us for allowing fear to keep us from moving out where we are being called. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will go without concern for where we have been, but will look forward with anticipation to all that You will do. Lead us to love others with the same sort of zeal that You have for us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we share the story of how You have touched our hearts and lives. 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

Forget Not His Benefits

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – (Psalm 103:2-5, NIV)

 

My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind He is! He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses. He saves us from the grave, and He gives us love and compassion. He gives us plenty of good things. He makes us young again, like an eagle that grows new feathers. – (Psalm 103:2-5, ERV)

 

No matter what our present lot in life, we have reason to praise the Lord. If we have given our life to Him, we are forgiven and set free from eternal death and darkness, and have been welcomed into God’s own fold, as He calls us His own sons and daughters. As His children, we have a blessed inheritance of joy and faithfulness forever, as well as the assurance of where all of our eternity will be spent. He renews us when we are weary, He heals us when we are hurting, and He satisfies the deepest longings of our soul. God is so very good, and worthy of all of our praise. May we rise up and remember all of His benefits, giving Him thanks and praise for who He is both now and forevermore.

 

All praise to the Lord,

may we not forget;

how our God forgives,

all Love’s benefits.

He heals diseases,

rescues us from hell;

gives love and kindness,

in Him, it is well.

Restores the broken,

and Soother of pain;

fulfills our longings,

and cleanses our stains.

When we’ve grown weary,

He comes to renew;

with wings like eagles,

we’re equipped to do.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You forgive us, heal us, redeem us, and crown us with Your love and compassion. Thank You that You satisfy our desires with good things, and You renew us so that we can soar. All praise to You! Forgive us for not giving You proper praise and thanks, as no matter our situation or circumstance, we ALWAYS have reason to give You praise. Teach us to trust You more, so that our focus will be on You and Your benefits, rather than the challenges that surround us. Lead us to love others in such a way, that that too can come to know the benefits beheld in knowing You. May many come to trust in You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You with all that we are in all that we do. Amen.

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

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23

Grace and Redemption to Go

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. – (Romans 3:23-24)

 

The size of our sin does not determine our outcome. No matter where we have been, we can still come to Christ and be covered by the cleansing of the cross. The grace of God is far greater than the weight of our former ways. When we come to Christ and receive all that He has to offer by inviting Him to be Lord of our lives, He enters in and washes away the shame and stains of what we once were, so that we may become who He is calling us to be. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross redeems all who choose to believe. In Him, we are set free from all that formerly enslaved us to the ways of the world, so that we may walk in the freedom of His love and grace. May we remember the enormity of God’s grace and redemption that was granted to us when we first believed, so that we too, may offer more grace than we think we ought to, to all those around us.

 

Everyone has sinned,

broken, fallen short;

not done as we should,

unrighteous consort.

Yet Christ entered in,

by His grace He came;

to redeem sinners,

set free in His Name.

O Wonderful One,

we come seek Your face;

lead us in Your ways,

as we run our race.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that though all of us have sinned and fallen short of Your glory, that You justify us freely by Your grace and redeem us through Christ, when we choose to place our trust in You. Thank You for this overwhelming gift of love that is so much more than we can even begin to fathom. Forgive us for taking Your grace for granted, or for forgetting all that You have forgiven. Teach us to trust You more, so that we may be fully aware of both the magnitude of the grace and redemption that we have been granted, and Your power and strength that You offer now so that we may walk in the light of Your truth. Lead us to love others as You so graciously love each of us. May many come into a saving relationship with You, as they come to understand not only their need for a Savior, but the security that is found forever in You. Be glorified O God, as we operate fully aware of the grace and redemption that we have been granted, and move forward in Your power and strength to do all that You call 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

For Freedom, We’ve Been Set Free

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. – (Galatians 5:1)

 

Jesus came and bore the cross in our place so that we would no longer have to live under the weight of a long list of laws and regulations that were impossible to obey in their entirety. His sacrifice set us free from the chains that enslaved us to our sin, and has granted us new life – freedom to follow His ways of loving God and loving people. Because of Christ, we can now do what was impossible before – live unselfishly unto Him, rather than to indulge our every desire. Yes, we will still struggle with our own humanity, but we are no longer ruled nor enslaved by the sins that once bound us. May we stand firm in the freedom we have been afforded through the loving sacrifice of Christ.

 

Freed from the chains,

that once held us down;

cleansed from our stains,

by His thorny crown.

Our weighty yoke,

He’s taken away;

given instead,

His strength to obey.

Not a long list,

but two simple things;

love God and man,

is what He’s asking.

Eyes looking out,

to God and to man;

selfishness fades,

in freedom we stand.

No more we’re bound,

to sin’s slavery;

held in Christ’s hands,

beloved and free.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in Christ, we have been set free from the yoke of slavery of our sinfulness. Thank You that in You, we are able to stand firm, and fight the good fight, as You are our Champion and our Strength. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of You, and allowing sin and anything that would try to entangle us to have a foothold. Protect us from the snares that seek to enslave us, and grant us Your wisdom to know where to walk and how to stand firm in You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we remain firm in the freedom we have found in You. May many come to know the freedom that You offer, as we live and love as You call us to do. Be glorified, O God, as we stand firm in the freedom of our faith. Amen.

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

Shout aloud and sing for joy. – Isaiah 12:6

Receive Life

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. – (Revelation 22:14, NIV)

 

Great blessings belong to those who have washed their robes. They will have the right to eat the food from the tree of life. They can go through the gates into the city. – (Revelation 22:14, ERV)

 

Our “robes” are washed, when we receive what Christ freely offers. We are cleansed by the sacrifice He made for our sin, when He suffered and died in our place. If we embrace what He lovingly gives, and choose to follow Him all of our days, we will be granted entry into Christ’s eternal presence, and allowed to eat from that which people were previously not permitted. All that is good, right, lovely, holy and true, will be the eternal surroundings of those who have chosen to make Jesus the Lord of their lives. Imagine a day when God’s glory alone is what lights our surroundings so brilliantly, that there is no longer need for the sun, nor lamps, nor any other source of light. May we receive what Christ has to offer, and allow His healing hands to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness.

 

Our garments worn,

surrounding our heart;

showing what dwells,

in the deepest part.

We all have stains,

wrinkles and some scars;

yet Christ calls us,

to come as we are.

The miracle,

of His great mercy;

and grace for us,

cleanses and makes clean.

Where blemishes,

were once dominant;

His love is seen,

light so radiant.

Not by our works,

but by His great grace;

we must receive,

as we seek His face.

Imagine when,

our days here are done;

the welcoming,

by Father and Son.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek You, we find You, if we seek You with our whole heart. Thank You that You forgive us and cleanse us, washing us clean, as if we had never sinned. Forgive us for either taking Your grace for granted, or for somehow thinking that Your grace is not enough to cover what we have done. Teach us to have a proper perspective of who You are, and what You have done for us. May we love others well, as You so lavishly love us, and may many come to know the glorious gift of Your forgiveness and grace as a result. Be glorified O God, as we receive what You offer, and walk in the fullness of Your grace. Amen.

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

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

To Remain in His Love

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. – (John 15:9)

 

The love of the Father and of the Son, extend beyond human understanding. We may grasp but a glimmer of their love in how we love our spouses, children, families and friends, but it does not even begin to scratch the surface of the sort of sacrificial and all-encompassing love that God the Father, and Jesus, His only Son, have for us, their created. While we were yet sinners, they loved – loved to the point that a plan was put into place so that a way could be made for each of us to have the option of eternal life. If we choose to invite Christ to be the Lord of our lives, and remain in the love that He freely gives, both our present and future are secure in Him. Though troubles and trials will come, He will remain. His love will never leave us nor forsake us, and His promises are provided forever. What abundant and complete hope we hold when we remain in His love.

 

Faith, hope and love,

the truth that remains;

gifts of His grace,

to wash all our stains.

He asks us to stay,

remain in His love;

embrace the gift,

He grants from above.

May we hold fast,

to all that He gives;

let our hearts praise,

the reason we live.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You loved so much that You sent Your one and only Son to make the way for us to spend eternity with You. Jesus, thank You for loving us with Your very life, while we were yet Your enemies. Thank You that when we give our lives to You, You call us friends, and welcome us into Your family. Thank You that our hope is held for all time in the blessing of Your lavish love for us. Forgive us for not receiving that which You freely give, or for running from that which You ask us to do. Jesus, grant us the courage to remain in Your love, so that we may be bold before all men. May many come to know You as their Lord and Savior, and receive Your love for themselves. Be glorified as we remain in Your love today. Amen.

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

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, You who have done great things.

Who, O God, is like You? – Psalm 71:19