Purposeful Grace

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine on us – so that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. – (Psalm 67:1-2, NIV)

God, show mercy to us and bless us. Please accept us! Let everyone on earth learn about You. Let every nation see how You save people. – (Psalm 67:1-2, ERV)

May God pour His grace and blessings into us and turn His face to shine His light on us. So all those on earth will learn to follow Your way and see Your saving power come to redeem all nations. – (Psalm 67:1-2, VOICE)

 

David, the author of this Psalm, was specific to ask for God’s grace, blessing, and favor. However, his requests did not end there. There was purpose in his petition – David’s prayer was that God’s ways would be known throughout the earth, His salvation spread to all people. His heart was that of a missionary, as David had hope that all might come to see and know the saving power of God. He recognized that as people could see God’s grace, blessing, and favor upon those who already knew and followed God, that they too, would desire the difference. His prayer had purpose. David did not pray for the goodness of God to be evident in him for his pleasure, but rather so that God’s ways might be made known throughout the earth; that people everywhere would come to know His salvation. The heart of David is a model for all who believe. May we seek the Lord and His mercy, grace and blessings, so that His favor upon us may make His heart known to all those around us and beyond.

 

O Lord, may Your grace,

Be poured upon us;

So people may see,

The light of Jesus.

Each blessing received,

Make Your glory known;

Through favor to us,

Your love light be shown.

Let all come to know,

Power of Your grace;

So all would seek You,

For all of our days.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that David modeled both what to pray and why. Thank You that Your grace, blessings, and favor have a far greater purpose that extends well beyond the recipient. Forgive us for not recognizing the reason for Your favor. Teach us to see every act of mercy, grace and blessing as an opportunity to show others what it is to know and embrace Your goodness and grace. Lead us to love those around us in a way that extends Your heart and hands. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we ask for and embrace all the good Your pour out upon us, recognizing the opportunity to be Your light and love to the world. Amen.

 

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

 

Yes, the Word was full of grace and truth, and from Him we all received one blessing after another. – John 1:16

Refreshing Reign

Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. – (Joel 2:23, NIV)

So be happy, people of Zion. Be joyful in the Lord your God. He is good and will give you rain. He will send the early rains and the late rains as before. – (Joel 2:23, ERV)

People of Zion, shout with joy and happiness in the Eternal, your God; the drought is over; He has sent the early autumn rain as a sign of His faithfulness. He has poured down heavy rain, autumn and spring, as before. – (Joel 2:23, VOICE)

 

This verse is a great reminder of not only the faithfulness of God, but of the heart we ought to have for His goodness. Autumn rains represent a refreshing for dry and weary land. God is faithful to do the same for us and in us, as He brings refreshment when we are weary and abundance where we are lacking. I am especially encouraged by this today, as yesterday was an extraordinarily long day, and discover I am feeling a bit weary as my fingers falter in finding keys as I type. He is faithful, and I know He will provide the refreshment needed to navigate today. May we ever rejoice in the Lord and His faithfulness, for He sends us refreshing rain in due season.

 

When weary and dry, 

Refreshment shall come;

Our God is faithful,

As shown by His Son.

Let us give Him praise,

Choose ever rejoice;

For He sends His rain,

As we lift our voice.

All thanks be to God,

Who is ever near;

Brings His refreshing,

Makes His goodness clear.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace that sends refreshing rain down upon us to lift us up when we are weary and worn. Forgive us for forgetting where our strength truly lies. Teach us to trust and rejoice in You; always. Show us how to love those around us in a way that extends refreshment and strength in dry and weary spaces. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we recognize the remarkable faithfulness found as Your pour out Your refreshment upon us. Amen.

 

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

 

He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for His Name’s sake. – Psalm 23:3

Thinking of Thanks

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. – (Philippians 1:3, NLT)

I thank God every time I remember you. – (Philippians 1:3, ERV)

Whenever you cross my mind, I thank my God for you and for the gift of knowing you. – (Philippians 1:3, VOICE)

 

This has been a summer overflowing with connections to those dear to me. Near and far, friends and family have celebrated with me, as I have stepped into this beautiful new season of married life. Every message, conversation, card or phone call has brought a flood of memories of the blessing that each have been in my life. The overwhelming theme of this summer is gratitude, as I cannot help but stand in awe of the blessings He has poured out upon us, especially through the gift of people He has placed in our lives. My heart is full, and I am ever giving God thanks for the gift of knowing those whom He has brought into every avenue of my life. May we ever give praise to our Provider for the people whom He places on our path.

 

All thanks be to God, 

For the treasure found;

In knowing such love,

Where friendships abound.

For each is a gift,

From God up above;

Granted to us all,

By His lavish love.

Each time I recall,

The treasure of you;

I thank God again,

For His blessings true.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we are created for relationships. Thank You for the gift of people that You place in our lives. Thank You that You bring people from all walks of life into our world to show us more of Your heart. Forgive us for not giving You glory for all of the good You bring to us through the people You place on our path. Teach us to recognize the gift of those around us, daily, so that we would celebrate them and glorify You. Show us how to love in a way that demonstrates our gratitude for the gift that people are in our lives. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You gratitude for the gift of great people whom You have placed in our lives. Amen.

 

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

 

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. – Psalm 100:4

See How Good

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 and see how good the Lord is! The one who takes refuge in Him is truly happy! – (Psalm 34:8, CEB)

 

When I look back and reflect on all that has transpired over the past few years, I am in awe of the goodness of God. Though I have walked through some seasons of trial and heartache, He has been my refuge and my strength. All the while, the Lord provided and protected, and has now brought me into a space of unbelievable blessing. Even on the most difficult days, I have been fully aware of His goodness and grace. Today, I know happiness that my heart had only hoped for, and am ever aware of just how good God truly is. This evening, my Viking and I leave on our honeymoon for eight glorious days. Together, we will experience new things in a destination that neither of us have been. Each step of the way, leading to today, we have stood in awe at just how good the Lord has been to us. May we always run to our Redeemer, who is our refuge, and depend on Him in all things and at all times; for He is good and His love endures forever.

 

The Lord God is good, 

He’s faithful and true;

He answers our call,

To make all things new.

God is our refuge,

Our safe place to stay;

Our bringer of hope,

Who shows us the way.

Great are His blessings,

So full is His joy;

For those who trust Him,

His grace is employed.

All thanks be to God,

For all He has done;

For love and fresh starts,

As each day’s begun.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our refuge and the source of all blessings bestowed upon us. Thank You that You are faithful forever to be present with us in all things and at all times. Thank You that You are so good. Forgive us for our moments of doubt when trials feel that they might overwhelm us. Teach us to run to You, our refuge, in seasons of struggle and those filled with joy. Show us how to love those around us in a way that demonstrates the same sense of security and abundant blessing that You grant to us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we taste and see how wonderful You are. Amen.

 

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

 

Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, because His faithful love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

This New Day

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. – (Psalm 118:24, NLT)

 

Every single day we have reason to rejoice, simply because we have life in Him. Each day is a new opportunity to observe in awe, the mighty power of our Maker as He moves in and around us. Some days, we need not look far to find how His mighty hand has touched our hearts and lives with His great love; however, there are days in which we have to be intentional to slow down and quiet ourselves before Him, to really recognize the blessings that He has bestowed upon us and those around us. He moves whether we notice or not, which is why it is so important to be intentional in our time with Him. At times, our reason to rejoice comes in a gentle whisper, as we are reminded of who we are in Him. May we rise up and rejoice and be glad, for this is a new day that the Lord has made for us to live.

 

Today is a day,

Like none come before;

Crafted with purpose,

For you, God has more.

Because God is good,

Our hearts can rejoice;

Find joy each new day,

As we hear His voice.

No matter what comes,

He has good in store;

A plan and purpose,

In Christ, there is more.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You make each day new with a plan and a purpose. Thank You that there is always reason for us to rejoice, even on our darkest days. Forgive us for the times that we become stuck, and cannot see past our sorrow and struggles. Help us to see clearly the light of hope that is always present in You. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would rejoice and be glad each new day that we draw breath. Show us how to love those around us in such a way, that we extend hope and joy to the spaces of darkness and sorrow. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we rejoice and are filled with gladness for this new day that You have made. Amen.

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

They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. – Psalm 145:7