Show Us What is Right

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. – (Hebrews 4:15, HCSB)

Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on the earth, He was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but He never sinned. – (Hebrews 4:15, ERV)

For Jesus is not some high priest who has no sympathy for our weaknesses and flaws. He has already been tested in every way that we are tested; but He emerged victorious, without failing God. – (Hebrews 4:15, VOICE)

The encouragement in this is that Jesus, who was tested and challenged in every way, knows how to successfully navigate the trials and temptations that we face because He has faced them without sin. He calls us unto Himself, and He moves on our behalf. The Lord will strengthen us to withstand temptation and will make a way out when it is more than we can endure. Jesus knows our needs far better than we do, and when we seek Him, He shows us the way in which we are meant to go and the things that we must avoid. Though not one of us is without sin, we can go to the One who is. At the cross, Jesus already paid the price for our transgressions, and endured the weight upon Himself. In doing so, He set us free from the sins that so easily entangle us and made the way for us to be in right standing before the Father. Our seeking is needed daily, hourly, and at times, moment to moment so that we do what is right. May we ever seek the Lord, in every circumstance, and rely on Him to lead us out of the places and things that are not beneficial, and into the places and spaces that sharpen our focus on His goodness and love.

Lead us, Lord Jesus,

To walk in Your way;

Keep us from falling,

Or going astray.

Show us what is right,

The things that are good;

Keep us far from sin,

Just as You withstood.

Grant us an option,

A way to get out;

So that our choices,

Will make Your heart proud.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus, who lived without sin despite being tempted in every way. Thank You Jesus, that You who were tempted and without sin, took on the burden of all of our sin so that we might come to know You and be found right before the Father. Forgive us for every time that we walk out our own will instead of Yours. Teach us to seek You and trust You to lead us in the ways that are good and right and loving. Show us how to steer away from sin and to walk in Your love as we choose to love those around us as You created us to love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in Your unfailing love and seek You to steer clear of the sin that so easily entangles us, so that we might walk in Your way and do Your will. Amen.

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

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1

Lead Me to Water

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; He leads me along the right path for His name’s sake. – (Psalm 23:1-3, HCSB)

The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that He is good. – (Psalm 23:1-3, ERV)

God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, You find me quiet pools to drink from. True to Your word, You let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. – (Psalm 23:1-3, MSG)

God is so good. He leads us to quiet spaces to rest and be refreshed. He renews our strength and leads us in the ways that we are meant to go. The challenge is to actually seek Him and allow Him to lead us. It is easy to get caught up in the endless cycle of busyness, and neglect to seek God to lead us in the day-to-day. When we pursue the Lord to lead us, we gain wisdom and strength to do the things that we are meant to do, and understand what we need to let go of, step away from, or wait for the right timing to do. He is good, and He knows what we need far better than we do. May we ever trust the Lord and His leading to move forward in His wisdom and strength, for with Him, we find rest and refreshment and all that we need in His goodness and love.

Lord, I will seek You,

With each brand new day;

To lead and guide me,

To walk in Your way.

Lead me to water,

To rest, be refreshed;

Empowered in love,

To do what is best.

Thank You, Lord Jesus,

For Your faithfulness;

To strengthen and lead,

Remind us we’re blessed.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always good. Thank You that You lead us to spaces to rest and find refreshment in You. Forgive us for getting caught up in the cycle of busy, rather than seeking You for wisdom to know what we should and should not take on throughout each day. Lead us in Your wisdom and grace. Teach us to love well, all those whom we encounter throughout our day so that they too, might know the refreshment found in Your lavish love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to grant us wisdom and rest to be refreshed and ready to do all that You have for us. Amen.

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

For You are my rock and my fortress; You lead and guide me because of Your Name. – Psalm 31:3

Prayer and Pursuit

Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your Name. – (Psalm 86:11, NIV)

Lord, teach me Your ways, and I will live and obey Your truths. Help me make worshiping Your Name the most important thing in my life. – (Psalm 86:11, ERV)

Teach me more about You, how You work and how You move, so that I can walk onward in Your truth until everything within me brings honor to Your Name. – (Psalm 86:11, TPT)

This is an ongoing prayer and pursuit. The more I learn, the more I recognize how much more I need the Lord and His faithful love to grow in me an undivided heart. In our fast-paced world, it is far too easy to become distracted by all that surrounds us. It requires intentional time set apart to fix our eyes on Him, and to invest in reading and understanding His word. As we do, we become more aware of the Lord’s hand in everything. May we ever set our eyes and hearts on the Lord as we seek Him, so that we might learn to have undivided hearts and bring honor to His Name in all that we say and do.

O Lord, please teach me,

Photo by icon0.com on Pexels.com

To walk in Your way;

Heart undivided,

So I seek and pray.

Show me more and more,

The way I’m to live;

To honor Your Name,

Through love that I give.

May all that I am,

And all that I do;

Seek You to guide me,

So I might love true.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are faithful to meet us as we seek You. Thank You that You show us the way that we are meant to live and love, so that we may glorify You. Forgive us for our lack of seeking. Teach us to have an undivided heart, free from all that competes for our attention. Show us how to fix our eyes and hearts on You, so that we may honor You and love well. Lead us to love those around us the way that You intended. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we pursue a life focused on You and seek to love others well. Amen.

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

Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. – 1 Chronicles 16:10

Speaking the Truth in Love

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. – (Ephesians 4:15, NIV)

No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head. – (Ephesians 4:15, ERV)

But instead we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into Him, the anointed Head of His body, the church. – (Ephesians 4:15, TPT)  

 

This is such a critical element to growing together as a body. It is not merely speaking the truth, but speaking the truth in love. There is a dramatic difference. Truth in love seeks to help, heal, correct, and make better, every situation and circumstance with ultimate good as the goal. The intent should never be to harm, but rather be to help grow in likeness to Christ. Additionally, we must be careful with our own walk, before we become concerned with the decisions of those around us. Of course, we can care, but in order to be a loving bearer of truth, we must be living out the truth we speak, daily. To speak truth anywhere, there first must be trust. Trust only comes through invested time in relationship. If we are to grow and become mature as a body of believers, we have to be willing to break down barriers, get to know and trust one another, so that we are able to grow together. As we do, speaking the truth in love becomes a “normal” practice, in the same way it does between dear friends, healthy spouses, and various other relationships that are built on trust. May we seek the Lord to grow and mature us in our trusting relationships with Him and those around us, so that we may always speak the truth in love, in the same way that He speaks to us.

 

May truth be spoken,

Ever wrapped in love;

With intent to grow,

Heart like God above.

For when there is trust,

There’s a heart to hear;

What will lead to good,

As love removes fear.

To grow together,

In trust and God’s good;

Let love lead in truth,

To do as we should.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son to show us what it is to speak the truth in love. Jesus came and taught, loved, corrected, redirected, and showed us what it is to walk in Your way and grow together as a body. Forgive us for the times that we have spoken without love or without truth; the absence of either is not the way You intended for us to grow. Teach us to trust and rely on You to show us how to build and establish relationships that are full of trust, so that there is safety to always speak the truth in love. Show us how to love those around us in word and deed. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and love people, ever seeking to speak the truth in love for Your glory. Amen.

 

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

 

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8

All for All

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – (Romans 3:23, NIV)

All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. – (Romans 3:23, ERV)

For we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. – (Romans 3:23, TPT)

 

This passage is a reminder that we ALL are in need of God’s mercy and grace. From the greatest saint to the most horrendous criminal – ALL have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. We all need the Savior. Without Him, we would never be acceptable in the eyes of God, and would be doomed for all eternity. However, Jesus came and took our place so that we could be seen as righteous before God. Because of His sacrifice, all who believe and receive the incredible gift He offers, are welcomed into His glory. It does not mean that we have a free pass to live a life ruled by sin, but rather as we follow the Lord and seek to do His will, we can find forgiveness and grace when we mess up. Just as a parent loves their child and corrects and redirects them, so too does God with us when we commit our lives to Him. May we ever seek the Lord and His goodness and grace, trusting His leading and welcome embrace.

 

All people fall short,

Have succumbed to sin;

Chose go our own way,

Not letting God in.

Because we all sin,

We all are in need;

Of the grace of God,

To go where He leads.

So, rise up in faith,

Believe and receive;

The Lord’s gift of grace,

He knows what we need.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing grace that meets all who come to You seeking. Forgive us, for we are all sinners in need of Your grace. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You in all things and at all times, trusting You to lead, guide and equip us to walk in Your way and do Your will. Show us how to love those around us, extending Your goodness and grace to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we come to You in faith, trusting You to forgive us and lead us in the ways we are meant to go. Amen.

 

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

 

But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is declared good and right and whole before God. – Acts 13:39, MSG

Empowered to Love

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. – (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV)

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

For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them. – (2 Timothy 1:7, TLB)

 

This morning, though earlier than my summer schedule, I woke feeling rested and refreshed. Normally, the night before the first day of school is a bit restless, and I struggle to sleep through the night. Perhaps sweet sleep came as a result of long hours invested in preparing my classroom over the last several weeks, with the final push to finish yesterday. Though I do not yet have chairs (hopefully stools) in my classroom, I walked away from school yesterday afternoon, feeling ready to pour into the lives of the kids who come into my class, just as I had poured into preparing the room. Additionally, I feel supported more than I ever have before. Not only do I still have an incredible community – through colleagues, friends, family and church, but I have a husband who is willing to jump in and do the difficult work and provide whatever support I may need. God loves me well, and makes His love tangible through my community. As I am loved, so I am empowered to do the same. May this be a year where each of us are empowered to love and enjoy those whom we are given to teach, fearlessly.

 

We’ve not been given,

My classroom and favorite painting partner. ❤

A spirit of fear;

For God, in His strength,

Loves as He stays near.

He provides power,

Strength, wisdom and love;

Discipline, passion,

All grace from above.

Lead us in power,

Fearless to love well;

May joy be present,

As doubts He’ll dispel.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You equip us for all that You call us to do. Thank You that You empower us with strength, love and self-discipline to walk in Your way. Forgive us for our fearfulness and doubts, as You are our Source and our Supply. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would love fearlessly and listen carefully as You lead. Show us how to love those who seem less loveable, as we know You are especially fond of the hard and the hurting. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love and enjoy each one whom You bring into our care. Amen.

 

 

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

Never tire of loyalty and kindness. Hold these virtues tightly. Write them deep within your heart. – Proverbs 3:3