Spirit Lead Me

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. – (Psalm 143:10, NIV)

Show me what You want me to do. You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me over level ground. – (Psalm 143:10, ERV)

I just want to obey all You ask of me. So, teach me, Lord, for You are my God. Your gracious Spirit is all I need, so lead me on good paths that are pleasing to You, my one and only God! – (Psalm 143:10, TPT)

 

God is good and He is faithful to hear our prayers and lead us in the direction He has intended for us to go. The challenge is that we only learn when we are willing to be taught. If we seek Him for direction, the Lord is faithful to lead. May we ever pursue the path that is pleasing to God, as His Spirit will lead us to the places that we are meant to go.

 

Please show me Your will,

In all that I do;

Let Your Spirit lead,

All steps unto You.

Teach me all Your ways,

My God and my King;

To level ground lead,

So my walk’s pleasing.

Help my heart choose seek,

Your will and Your way;

Let each step I take,

Be goodness conveyed.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can seek You to gain wisdom and understanding, so that we can come to know the paths we are meant to take each day. Thank You that You are always ready and willing to lead, if we are willing to follow. Forgive us for not seeking You, or for neglecting what we know we ought to do. Teach us to trust You more. Help us to seek You and follow Your leading in all things and at all times. Show us how to love those around us in a way that demonstrates Your faithfulness and kindness well. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You for wisdom and direction, and then faithfully follow Your leading. Amen.

 

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

 

Lord, show me Your right way of living, and make it easy for me to follow. People are looking for my weaknesses, so show me how You want me to live. – Psalm 5:8

Lavish Love Gives Glorious Grace

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. – (1 Peter 4:8, NLT)

Most important of all, love each other deeply, because love makes you willing to forgive many sins. – (1 Peter 4:8, ERV)

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. – (1 Peter 4:8, MSG)

 

When we choose to love others, we see their strengths far more clearly than their weaknesses. Just as we are so lavishly loved by the Lord, we are able to pour into others as we are willing to receive that which is freely given by God. Though we may get hurt, irritated or frustrated with choices that our loved ones make, we are far more easily empowered to forgive, as we commit to the choice to love. Not one of us is without fault, yet God loves each of us as if we were the only one to love. He knows our thoughts before we think them, our words before we speak them, and still He loves us in spite of ourselves. As we choose to love others deeply, we are able to love likewise. May we seek to love others as we are loved by the Lord, for love like His makes up for practically anything.

 

With intention choose,

-Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

Deeply love others;

For love looks past faults,

Dear sisters, brothers.

It’s grace to forgive,

When others do wrong;

Love like we’re given,

Strength to choose love on.

Because we’re loved well,

We can do the same;

Prefer each other,

For by love, we gain.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that we can love because You first loved us. Thank You that Your love is so deep, it covers our faults and failures. Thank You that as we choose to love deeply, we too are able and willing to forgive as we are forgiven. Forgive us for not choosing love when things get difficult. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would love others as we are loved by You. Show us how to love others as if our lives depended on it, for by such love others with come to know the greatness of Your grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to love each other deeply with the same love that You pour out upon us. 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

Seek and Surround

During times of great stress, temptation rears its ugly head. Our busyness beckons us to take shortcuts or to skip that which matters most, in order to get things done. Despite a willing spirit, we have weaknesses that require the strength of our Savior to successfully stand in the ways in which we are called. That may seem all well and good, but how are we to do this practically? Jesus gave specific directions to the disciples whom He had called to join Him in the garden at Gethsemane. Jesus said to them: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” – (Mark 14:38)

 

The example that Jesus gave to us in Gethsemane, is one that is still applicable today. For us to successfully resist temptation, we need to: (1) pray to God, (2) seek the support of friends and loved ones, and (3) focus on the purpose God has given us. – (paraphrased from NIV footnotes) Our go to first and foremost, must be to call on the Lord. He is our help and our hope in all things and at all times. Thankfully, God created us to be in community and does not expect us to tackle trials alone. Surrounding ourselves with those whom we can trust and rely on, is something that even Jesus did. Often we need the tangible and audible to be present in order to help us to clearly focus on the very purpose that God has placed before us. Both prayer and people He places in our lives, can point us back to our purpose and keep us on the path that He has planned for us. May we seek Him and surround ourselves with those who do likewise, so that when stress and struggles come, we may not be steered off course.

 

Temptations shall come,

in times of great stress;

for we are weakest,

in the midst of mess.

We need our Savior,

our strength to stand strong;

to resist tempting,

in truth, carry on.

To stand strong in Christ,

first we’re meant to pray;

and seek the support,

of friends on the way.

Our focus must be,

on God and His plan;

so we aren’t deterred,

and by faith, we’ll stand.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that though we are vulnerable to temptation, especially in times of stress and busyness, we can overcome in You. Thank You that when we pray to You and seek the support that You provide, we are able to stand firm and focus on the purpose that You have planned for us. Forgive us for allowing the stresses of life to steer us off course or to turn our eyes away from You. Teach us to trust You more, so that our immediate response in times of turmoil will be to pray and seek support that will fix our eyes back on You and the purposes that You have placed before us. Lead us to love others as You so lavishly love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, Lord. Be exalted O God, as we do as Jesus did to resist temptations and pursue the purposes that You have planned for each of us. Amen.

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

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

Resolve in His Strength

The devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” – (Luke 4:3)

 

“Often we are tempted not through our weaknesses, but through our strengths. The devil tempted Jesus where He was strong. Jesus had power over stones, the kingdoms of the world, and even angels, and Satan wanted Him to use that power without regard to His mission. When we give in to the devil and wrongly use our strengths, we become proud and self-reliant. Trusting in our own powers, we feel little need of God. To avoid this trap, we must realize that all our strengths are God’s gift to us, and we must dedicate those strengths to His service.” – (NIV footnotes for Luke 4:3)

 

For me, this is a timely reminder. Even when we desire to do good things, if we attempt to overbook ourselves, rather than rely on His leading, we end up overextending ourselves and going in our own strength, rather than in His. Though I seem to require less sleep than most, exhaustion will catch me if I do not listen to His leading, and learn to say no when He says, “Not now.” The desires to do good and gifts to utilize that He grants us are wonderful, however, it is critical that we listen to His leading so that we do not become self-reliant nor proud. Christ extends His grace and grows in us His wisdom, so each time that we encounter opportunities, we better learn to listen to Him for clear direction. May we go forth in His strength, so that we overcome every temptation that is placed before us, and learn to clearly listen to His leading.

 

Temptations shall come,

where they don’t belong;

they hit where we’re weak,

and too, where we’re strong.

Often the greatest,

temptations of all;

are where we are strong,

pride will bring a fall.

Let us remember,

our true Source of strength;

and trust in His might,

that covers great lengths.

Every good gift,

that we have to give;

was given to us,

so others might live.

May we honor Christ,

go forth and obey;

listen well and serve,

for all of our days.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son into the world to show us how to live. Thank You Jesus, that You died in our place and defeated death, and sent Your Spirit to live in us, so that we would be strengthened and equipped to stand firm and walk in Your truth. Forgive us for our self-reliance and foolish pride, and help us to listen to Your leading as to what we should and should not do, even when the options before us are all good things. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will stand firm, no matter what comes our way. Help us to love others as You so completely care for us, and may many come to know You as their Savior and King as a result. Be glorified, O God, as we overcome temptations in Your strength today. Amen.

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

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19

Sufficient Grace

When trials come, it is easy to default to the “O Lord get me out of this mess,” sort of posture. It is an automatic response to want difficulty to go away. However, God does not see the struggles the same way that we do. Rather than a chance of us being pulled under, He sees struggles as an opportunity for His strength to be shown. Paul, who had some sort of ongoing affliction, asked the Lord to take it away. Three times He asked God to take it away, and alas, God did not. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – (2 Corinthians 12:9)

 

Though Paul’s initial request was for the Lord to take the affliction, the very struggle that hindered him away; when the Lord answered him, Paul’s perspective shifted. What he had viewed as a hindrance, he began to see as an opportunity to show the Lord’s strength. Once he recognized that it was only by God’s grace that he could do anything that the Lord was asking, he was empowered to embrace his weaknesses as opportunities for Christ’s strength to shine.

 

The challenge is how are we to do this practically? I have seen brilliant examples, as faithful warriors press on and pursue all that God has for them, despite the obstacles that life throws their way. Their resolve is deep-rooted in a firmly established relationship with the Father. Each of them fix their eyes and hearts securely on Him, and trust in His unwavering faithfulness. We are called to press in and persevere, regardless of what comes our way. As our roots run deep, His strength becomes more evident, even when we are weak.

 

We’re all in a boat,

somewhere off the shore;

some simply adrift,

while others want more.

Some paddle, pursue,

a course set afar;

and some are content,

to float where they are.

Both will endure waves,

and boats will be rocked;

one self-sufficient,

and one faith unlocked.

Both will come to know,

their own sense of need;

one calls on the Lord,

allowing Him lead.

For in our weakness,

His strength clearly shows;

may we boast in Christ,

as we daily grow.

May His power rest,

so powerfully;

that all who draw near,

will see Christ in me.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your grace is all that we need to get through our greatest challenges. Thank You that Your power is made perfect in our weakness. Thank You that You utilize every challenge as an opportunity to grow us in Your grace, and make Your presence and power known. Forgive us for somehow thinking that You are not enough to carry us when we are unable to stand. Give us wisdom to know when to ask for You to remove something and when to have Your strength come and carry us. Teach us to trust You completely, so that we are completely aware of Your will in all things and at all times. May we love as You love us, and may many come to know the power and presence that is available through the gift of Your grace. Be glorified as we go forth today, and be the strength of our lives. Amen.

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

Because of the tender mercy of our God, …the rising sun will come to us from heaven. – Luke 1:78

Embracing Our Thorns

image by Alphonse Karr

If I look at a thorn,

with the mere eyes of man,

I will tend to panic,

beg removal again.

But if I can slow down,

and allow myself weak,

then my true Source of strength,

is the One whom I’ll seek.

Of my mighty Savior,

in weakness, I need more,

of His strength and power,

all that I’m searching for.

So, I pray I delight,

in the trials that come,

knowing that He’s alone,

the victorious One.

His grace is sufficient,

He is all that we need;

to conquer our trials,

we come on bended knees.

(Responding to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. Thank You for the thorns that keep us humble and dependant on You.  Forgive us for trying to stand in our own strength, and help us to remember that Your strength is far greater than ours.  May we embrace our trials and difficulties as opportunities to learn how to draw closer still, to You, our Strength and our Comforter.  May others see the greatness of Your grace that is granted in our lives, and may that be what draws them unto You.  May Your power be made perfect in our weaknesses, so that Your glory may be seen more clearly.  Amen.

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