Upheld

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. – (2 Timothy 1:7, HCSB)

The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control. – (2 Timothy 1:7, ERV)

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit. – (2 Timothy 1:7, VOICE)

The Spirit of God that dwells within us when we invite God to be Lord of our lives is one of power, love and self-control. With God in us, we need not fear, for He empowers us with strength, love and self-discipline. Right now, there are many situations and circumstances surrounding us that can cause fear, yet God within us is greater. When fear creeps in and anxiety rises, it is God who is able to steady our hearts and soothe our spaces of unrest. May we ever turn to the Lord in trust to be our strength, love and peace of mind, for in Him, we have all that we need to persevere.

For God’s within us,

We need not choose fear;

He helps, upholds us,

Remains ever near.

Lord, help us rise up,

And hold fast to You;

Our anchor of hope,

That’s steady and true.

When fear finds a way,

To make waves, roll in;

Bring peace and Your strength,

Help and hope within.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that in You, we need not fear, for You provide the help that we need to overcome whatever lies before us. Forgive us for our fears and doubts. Teach us to trust in You, for You are our Source of power, love and self-discipline. Lead us to love those around us as You do, and keep fear far from us. Show us Your power and love in every space we find ourselves in. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to give You our fears and receive Your strength, hope and love that bring peace in its place. Amen.

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

God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life. – Psalm 54:4

Strength for the Weary

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

Don’t worry – I am with you. Don’t be afraid – I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory. – (Isaiah 41:10, ERV)

So don’t be afraid. I am here, with you; don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, help you. I am here with My right hand to make right and to hold you up. – (Isaiah 41:10, VOICE)

For whatever reason, I have not slept well for the last few nights. Last night, I woke from a disturbing dream and felt very unsettled. Typically when that occurs, I try to clear my mind and go back to sleep. This time, all I could do was pray. Pray for protection, for peace, and for a covering over my family and friends. I know that God is always with me, and that I need not be afraid or anxious. It is He who strengthens and upholds us, and is faithful to be found each time we choose to seek Him. Yesterday, despite exhaustion, I was granted the strength and energy to accomplish all that was needed. Today, I will trust Him for the same. May we ever seek our Savior to help, strengthen and support us, for in Him, we have no reason to fear.

Choose not to worry,

And be not afraid;

The Lord is present,

He will make a way.

Faithful forever,

God grants what we need;

He knows and He sees,

Gives strength to succeed.

Hope for the weary,

Strength when ours is gone;

Peace in His presence,

So we may press on.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You grant us strength when we are weary and burdened. Thank You that we need not fear. Thank You that You see and know our needs. Thank You that as we seek You, You meet us and lead us in Your strength. Forgive us for staying stuck, even in the moment, as You are always available for us to seek You. Teach us to turn to You in trust, for You are faithful to be with us and to meet our needs. Show us how to love those around us in ways that offer strength, help and support where it is needed. Show us how to love well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we set fears at Your feet and rely on You to be present to help in all things. Amen.

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

Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His dwelling place. – 1 Chronicles 16:27

Steady Me

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. – (Psalm 37:23-24, NIV)

The Lord shows us how we should live, and He is pleased when He sees people living that way. If they stumble, they will not fall, because the Lord reaches out to steady them. – (Psalm 37:23-24, ERV)

If you are right with God, He strengthens you for the journey; the Eternal will be pleased with your life. And even though you trip up, you will not fall on your face because He holds you by the hand. – (Psalm 37:23-24, VOICE)

 

As we seek the heart of God and pursue the path that pleases Him, He takes us by the hand and leads us in the ways we are meant to go. Even when we slip up and make mistakes, He upholds us and steadies us so that we will not fall. God is full of grace, and He is faithful to lead us as we look to Him in all things and at all times. May we ever pursue the heart of God, in whom we delight, trusting Him to direct our steps and uphold us with His holy hand.

 

When we choose the Lord,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

And trust in His ways;

By grace, He will lead,

Hold us up, always.

Though we may stumble,

He won’t let us fall;

As we take His hand,

Seek answer His call.

The Lord, He is pleased,

When we look to Him;

To lead and guide us,

As each day begins.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You lead us and guide us, and uphold us by Your mighty hand. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of You and the direction that You call us to. Teach us to trust You more, so that no matter what comes our way, we rest secure, knowing that You have hold of our hand and will not let go. Show us how to love those around us in a way that strengthens, encourages and uplifts those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and trust You for all of our days. Amen.

 

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

 

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. – Psalm 18:32

 

 

An Excellent Exchange

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. – (Psalm 55:22)

 

When we give our cares and concerns to Christ, He upholds us and supplies what we need as we need it. As we choose to give our heart to Him, we are considered right before Him, righteous in His eyes; and He will not let us fall. The Lord’s ability to sustain us, is not dependent on our concept of what Christ can or cannot do. We need only to run to Him, relying on who He is; our job is to trust that He is God and we are not. This space of trust, where we have exchanged our cares for His sustenance, is where we see the mighty movement of our Maker on our behalf. May we cast our every care upon the Lord, trusting that He will sustain us and keep us from falling, as He considers us righteous because we rely on Him.

 

Let us cast our cares,

upon Christ the Lord;

for He shall sustain,

all strength He affords.

He’ll not let us fall,

for all who have come;

are seen as righteous,

made right by the Son.

No matter what comes,

give it all to God;

His love is greater,

than paths we must trod.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can cast our cares on You, and You sustain us. Thank You that You consider us righteous, and that You will not let us fall. Thank You that no matter what comes against us, You are for us, and You are far greater. Forgive us for not relying on You in all things, and teach us to trust You in such a way, that we would run to You regardless of what lies before us. Help us to hear Your still small voice that calls us to cast our cares upon You. Lead us to love others in such a way, that they too, will come to know just how faithful You are. May many enter into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we cast our cares upon You and trust You to sustain us and keep us from falling. Amen.

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

When times are good, be happy. – Ecclesiastes 7:14

Upheld By His Hand

Change is inevitable. At times, change is a choice that we embrace and make with enthusiasm, yet there are other times that change must occur in response to our present circumstances. During the latter, we seldom are responding with enthusiasm, and often it is instead a space of fear or dread. There is sorrow in such seeking, and a desperate need to know that the Lord is present in the catalyst of change that we feel called to make. Our difficult decisions for change that Christ calls us to, He also strengthens and upholds us as we move forward in faith.

 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – (Isaiah 41:10)

 

Despite how things appear in the here and now, when Christ calls us to change, it is for our ultimate good. Though there may be a season of mourning, His joy does come again. We need not fear, for His presence is promised. We need not dismay, for we know Who is with us. He will strengthen, help and uphold us with His hand, not our own. It is not up to us to power through, rather we are meant to move in obedience; dependent on Him, each step of the way. May we release every fear to He who is our strength and our help, and trust Him to uphold us in His righteous right hand.

 

Lord help me embrace,

what You call me to;

though changes are hard,

I have help in You.

Even when sorrow,

accompanies change;

help me to trust You,

and call on Your Name.

Lord, help me not fear,

keep me from dismay;

be my strength and hope,

as I choose obey.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we need not fear, because You are with us. Thank You that we need not be dismayed, for You are our God. Thank You that You strengthen and help us; and that You hold us up in Your righteous right hand. Forgive us for our fearfulness, in spite of Your faithfulness. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will be certain of all that You have promised and walk in obedience accordingly. Lead us to love others fearlessly and relentlessly, even if they are afraid to receive the love that You are providing. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, Lord. Be glorified O God, as we surrender our fears and our fretting, and choose to embrace the strength and help that you provide as You hold us up in Your righteous right hand. Amen.

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

The joy of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10

Standing Strong in Struggles

Today, as I again read the first two chapters of Job, I am reminded anew that though God does not cause the trials in our lives, He does allow them. Often they have nothing to do with sin, but rather are a test of sorts, meant to deepen our dependence on Him. In the case of Job, God saw his faith, and allowed Satan access to him, with the condition that Job was not to be killed. Even after losing everything and all of his children, in the midst of being chided by his wife to curse God, Job’s faithfulness remained.

 

He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. – (Job 2:10)

 

When trials and struggles come our way, do we remain upright and confident in Christ? Are we able to keep from sinning in what we say? It is one thing to quickly cry out to Christ when calamity comes our way, yet it is entirely another, to continue to trust for a long season of suffering or despair. As we choose Him in the midst of our heartache and struggles, He is faithful to be present. Just as Job’s friends initially sat beside him in silence (as he actually needed), God is present, and will remain. Christ whispers the words that our hearts need to hear, and holds us up when we cannot take even one more step forward. He is faithful forever; we need simply place all of our trust in Him, no matter how things appear. May we fix our eyes on Christ and allow Him access to our whole heart, so that we become rooted and established in He who will help us weather every storm.

 

God is always good,

even though life’s not;

His hope will remain,

our eternal lot.

When the trials come,

His presence is clear;

if we’ve invested,

we’ll know He is near.

No matter the ache,

how great or how small;

He sees and He knows,

upholds us through all.

For the Lord is good,

His love shall remain;

both now and always,

let Christ come and reign.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that even in the midst of struggles and suffering, You remain present – helping, holding, loving and granting Your hope. Thank You that no matter what comes, our hope is held in You. Thank You that what awaits in eternity is well worth the temporary trials that we endure on earth. Forgive us for our lack of endurance and faith when struggles seem unending, and teach us how to persevere in Your promises and Your presence. Teach us to trust You more, for You are always good. Lead us to love and be faithful to You, no matter what comes, just as You so clearly demonstrated through the life of Your Son, Jesus. Jesus, draw many unto Yourself, so that those who are lost, may be found forever in You. Be exalted, O God, as we stand strong in You, even in the struggles. 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

He Upholds

The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. – (Psalm 145:14)

 

Though at times, our burdens seem to be more than we can bear, the Lord is faithful to uphold us. As we submit all things unto Him, He is faithful to meet us where we are, and will grant us the strength necessary to carry on. Christ keeps us on our feet when we fear the path is unsure, and remains with us, every step of the way. When we stumble, He is standing beside us, ready to take our hand, lift us up, dust us off, and lead us on in the direction we are meant to go. May we seek Him with our whole hearts, and allow the Lord to direct our steps.

 

When we fall down,

Christ comes along side;

His loving arms,

extended out wide.

He reaches out,

to lift us back up;

remains present,

again fills our cup.

Submitted hearts,

are held by our King;

He hears our cries,

and each offering.

The greatest weight,

is one we can bear;

as Christ meets us,

and provides His care.

So seek Christ first,

submit all to Him;

the gracious One,

shines light where it’s dim.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You uphold us when our burdens seem more than we can bear, and that You lift us up and help carry us, as we submit all unto You. Thank You that You are our help and our hope, and that we need not fear nor flee the difficult, but rather we can depend on You in the spaces that You have called us. Forgive us for our desire to run or give up when the going gets too tough, and help us to lean all the more into You. Teach us to trust You completely in all things and at all times, as You are faithful always. May we love without reservation, and walk freely in the light of Your love. Let many come to know You as we do. Be glorified, O God, as we seek and rely on You in all things and at all times. 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