Jesus is the Healer

A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. – (Mark 1:40-42, NIV)

A man who had leprosy came to Jesus. The man bowed on his knees and begged Him, “You have the power to heal me if You want.” These last words made Jesus angry. But He touched him and said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. – (Mark 1:40-42, ERV)

A leper walked right up to Jesus, dropped to his knees, and begged Him for help. Leper: “If You want to, You can make me clean.” Jesus was powerfully moved. He reached out and actually touched the leper. Jesus: “I do want to. Be clean.” And at that very moment, the disease left him; the leper was cleansed and made whole once again. – (Mark 1:40-42, VOICE)

This is a fascinating exchange between a man with leprosy and Jesus. The leper knows that Jesus is the Healer but is uncertain if it is for him. Perhaps the way that society viewed lepers was a factor in how he went about asking Jesus to heal him. Shunned and banished from families and communities, those with leprosy were considered unclean and not allowed to be within touch distance of anyone. I imagine that the man, knowing he was unclean and risking exposing others, was uncertain as to whether Jesus would want to heal him. Society had not valued him. Would Jesus? I love that Jesus was powerfully moved, told the leper that He did want to heal him, and then reached out and touched him. Not only did His words validate the leper’s value, but Jesus was not afraid to touch the “untouchable”. As He did, the man was made whole again. I imagine that the wholeness the leper experienced was much more than physical. Yes, his skin was healed from the disease, but through the physical touch, I can only venture to imagine that his heart was healed as well. So often when Jesus healed people, He would tell them that their sins were forgiven. Jesus was doing so much more than physically healing people; He was healing hearts and minds so that their worth would be made known. The same Jesus that healed many during His three years of ministry, placed the power of His Holy Spirit in those who believed. The early church continued to experience powerful healings as believers prayed in Jesus’ name. Throughout the generations from then to now, Jesus has continued to miraculously heal people. May we ever trust in Jesus, our Healer, and go to Him to lead us in spaces that need His powerful touch. Sometimes, He heals miraculously, and often, He utilizes humans to help bring freedom from what ails us. Other times, the physical healing does not happen until heaven. I know from personal experience, that at times, Jesus may bring doctors in to do the physical work, but He works in our hearts through the process. In all things, God is good, and we can trust Him to be our Healer.

Jesus, our Healer,

Always He is good;

His love reaches out,

Makes grace understood.

His healing is more,

Than our eyes can see;

He touches our hearts,

In Him, we are free.

Free from the burden,

Of sickness and pain;

No longer hopeless,

Held up in His Name.

His healing will come,

Eventually;

Be it here on earth,

Or when heaven’s seen.

His timing’s perfect,

Despite how we feel;

His grace sufficient,

And heaven is real.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Your Son to be the Healer. Thank You that after He returned to His rightful seat in heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to continue to move among us and bring healing and wholeness. Forgive us for questioning Your love and desire to heal, for love is for good in all things. Help us to seek You to be our Healer and to lead us in the direction we are meant to go, both personally and as we walk alongside others in need of Your touch. Please heal the hearts, minds and bodies of those in need. Show us how to walk by faith and not by sight, as we lift up and love those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You as they recognize the healing that is found as they hope in You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to be our Healer, listen to Your leading as we go, and believe that You will bring healing – be it on earth or in heaven. Amen.

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

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. – Psalm 103:2-3

Devoted to One Another

Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. – (Romans 12:10, HCSB)

Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself. – (Romans 12:10, ERV)

Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor others by putting them first. – (Romans 12:10, VOICE)

True devotion looks different to everyone, but to me, it is shown in recognizing the needs and desires of one another and being willing to share in their joy, even if it is not your own. Some of you were around to read about my Viking and my fishing adventure in Westport. Sadly, despite catching our limit in fish, I was extremely seasick and had to dig deep to rally. Yesterday, for his birthday, I purchased a three-hour deep sea fishing adventure for the two of us. Prior to arriving in Hawaii, I had spoken with a seasoned fisherman for advice as to how to prevent a repeat experience the next time. I followed ALL of his advice, and am thrilled to report that I felt great out on the water! It is awesome how God helps us and answers prayers through practical help and divine intervention. Because I was willing to try again, I was blessed with a far better experience. I went into the trip with the attitude that I would be okay either way, as it was only going to be three hours of my life. Mark was blessed and overjoyed to be out on the water, and thankful that I was able to enjoy the experience as well. He honors me with all of my wild wants to wander and explore, so how could I not at least try? May we ever find practical ways to show devotion to one another in love, and give room to put others first, in the same way that Jesus did for us all.

To be devoted,

In brotherly love;

We look past ourselves,

To God up above.

Love is in choosing,

To put others first;

To love with actions,

Is how love’s dispersed.

Just as Lord Jesus,

Chose to give us all;

May we be willing,

Help others stand tall.

Even in challenge,

The Lord sees our hearts;

He grants us the strength,

To do what’s our part.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You set the standard of what it means to live sacrificially and to love completely. Thank You that as You call us to do the same, You supply what we need to be a blessing to those around us. Forgive us for fearing what could be lost, rather than that which can be gained. Show us how to be devoted to one another in love in ways that make Your heart tangible to those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust You to lead us and rely on You to supply all that we need to be devoted to You and to one another. Amen.

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

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. – John 15:12

To Look for Ways to Love

Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. – (Romans 12:10, HCSB)

Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself. – (Romans 12:10, ERV)

Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor others by putting them first. – (Romans 12:10, VOICE)

If we live and love like brothers and sisters, we look out for one another, take care of each other, and extend help where it is needed. Honoring and prioritizing others is to take our eyes off the mirror and look out the window. We must look to actually see how to love, honor and treat others with respect in a way that is a blessing. Something that I have learned is that if I look for ways to bless, honor and show love to those around me, I end up feeling blessed just knowing that a simple gesture encouraged or lifted another up. Yesterday was a rough Monday. Kids were off, and the pollen was pulsating through my sinus cavity. Thankfully, a long, hilly, sunny dog walk after a less than stellar school day set my heart back in the right space to look outward rather than within. This morning, God has granted fresh resolve, and has again given me the reminder to look for ways to love. It looks different for everyone, yet acts of kindness are always good for morale. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us to love as He intended, and may we be willing to follow His heart with our every word and deed.

Choose love each other,

Like true family;

With care and kindness,

Protect and seek see.

Look for the spaces,

Depleted or down;

Encourage, extend,

Let kindness be found.

For we are all called,

Sisters and brothers;

To choose to love well,

Care for each other.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to love and honor each other like family. Thank You that Jesus showed us what that can look like as He loved, served, helped and gave hope to those who were lacking. Forgive us for the times that we withdraw and cannot see past our own circumstances. Teach us to look up and out, so that we may find ways to bless, encourage and build others up, as we honor each other in love. Lead us to see and act upon spaces that we can bless and encourage those around us. Show us how to love those we encounter throughout our day in ways that make Your heart known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to show us how to love those around us as family, and to honor each as You do. Amen.

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

This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12

Quick to Listen

My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, and slow to speak, and slow to anger. – (James 1:19, HCSB)

My dear brothers and sisters, always be more willing to listen than to speak. Keep control of your anger. – (James 1:19, ERV)

Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don’t get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters. – (James 1:19, VOICE)

Imagine the conflicts that would be avoided if only we all followed these directions. When we are quick to listen, we hear the heart, hope and experience of the one before us, and it provides an opportunity to understand where another is coming from. Additionally, if we pause, listen and process before we respond, we are far more likely to speak out of love and not become frustrated or angry. Our charge is to be patient and not allow anger to fly out of control. God is faithful to provide the strength and self-control necessary to listen first and respond well. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us to listen intently and be slow to speak, so that anger is kept in check and our words and deeds are led by His love.

Help us to listen,

So we truly hear;

The heart of others,

All those who are near.

Show us to slow down,

To be slow to speak;

So ev’ry response,

Is kind and in peace.

Lord, help our anger,

Be under control;

So love is what leads,

And grace is our goal.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You listen to us with love every time we speak. Thank You that You respond to us in love and do not easily anger. Forgive us for the times that we have not slowed down enough to truly hear those around us, or have listened only to respond, rather than to truly hear. Please check our hearts when anger rises so that we would slow down and place all in Your hands to lead us. Show us how to listen in love well so that those around us may see Your heart for them. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us to listen well and do all things in love and with self-control. Amen.

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

I call on You, God, because You will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say. – Psalm 17:6

Love is the Message

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. – (1 John 3:11, NIV)

This is the teaching you have heard from the beginning: We must love each other. – (1 John 3:11, ERV)

The central truth – the one you have heard since the beginning of your faith – is that we must love one another. – (1 John 3:11, VOICE)

To love is the foundation of our faith, for without love, there would be no hope for all that God has in store for both now and eternity. It is God’s perfect love that demonstrates to us what love is and how to give it away. When those around us do things that frustrate or irritate us, love chooses to assume positive intent, rather than allow anger to begin. To love one another is to do unto others what we would want done to us. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us in His perfect love, so that we might love one another well.

Love is the message,

Photo by Ravi Kant on Pexels.com

For it’s always been;

A call to choose love,

As each day begins.

No matter what comes,

The call is the same;

Love one another,

To honor God’s Name.

Let loving kindness,

Be what leads the way;

Give as God gives us,

Love that’s new each day.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your message is clear, and that You only ask of us that which You do and are willing to equip us to do as well. Thank You that not only do You show us love, but You are love. Forgive us for responding to anyone without love. Teach us how to love those around us best, as You know what each heart needs. Lead us in Your love throughout each new day, and may Your love be what others recognize in us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us in Your love as You call and command us to do. Amen.

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

Nothing is more precious that Your loving kindness. All people can find protection close to You. – Psalm 36:7

Assured By Love

Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. – (Luke 1:30, HCSB)

Then the angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. – (Luke 1:30, ERV)

But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift.” – (Luke 1:30, TPT)

As I continue to ponder the role that Mary played in Christmas, I imagine that she must have been quite startled by the appearance of an angel, and felt fear in the presence of God’s own messenger standing before her. I love that her immediate need was met, as he assured her that she had nothing to fear, for God was pleased with her and she had found His favor. In the present day, we have little understanding of the fear of appearing before a king. Back then, if a person appeared before a king without being summoned, they could be killed if the king was not pleased with them. How much more would they have had a similar fear in being in the presence of the King of the Universe’s messenger? The loving kindness of God was made known through Gabriel as He reassured Mary. To hear that God is delighted with you and has a wonderful gift for you, would likely bring peace in the panicked places. Incredibly, when we seek the Lord and pursue a life of love through Him, He is pleased with us as well. He has good gifts to give us if only we are ready and willing to receive them. Peace, joy, love and hope are the gifts that we celebrate as we anticipate the celebration of Christ’s arrival. May we ever look to the Lord to be our peace, for He is our hope and grants us joy through His love as we seek Him.

Imagine the sight,

Before Mary stood;

God’s angelic host,

With news that was good.

To be called favored,

One whom God called blessed;

Quite overwhelming,

Assured in distress.

Little did she know,

The news he would bear;

Lives changed forever,

God would soon be there.

He’d come in the flesh,

Miraculous plan,

A new baby born;

Where hope soon began.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You see us where we are and meet us in our need. Thank You that You see our heart and show us Your great love and grace that provide hope, peace and joy. Forgive us for not turning to You in both our joy and our times of need, for You hear every prayer and are ever near. Teach us to trust You like Mary, for though she did not know what was ahead, she knew and trusted You. Show us how to be willing to listen and give our best yes to You. Lead us to love one another as You love us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we set aside fears and trust big in You and all that You have for us. Amen.

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

This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit. – 1 John 4:13

Listen in Love

`My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. – (James 1:19, NIV)

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. – (James 1:19, MSG)

My dearest brothers and sisters, take this to heart: Be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry. – (James 1:19, TPT)

Can you imagine if we all actually followed this charge? Misunderstandings would be quickly cleared up, and kindness would reign. When we choose to truly listen to understand rather than to respond, and take our time to respond carefully in love, anger dissipates. A heart that is quick to willingly listen in love has the opportunity to slow down and think before speaking.  As we do this, anger does not flair up but rather only rises in spaces that are calling for our attention to change or remove. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us to listen intentionally and to respond slowly with His wisdom.

Brothers and sisters,

Let’s all do our part;

To listen in love,

And speak from the heart.

Be slow to anger,

Choose listen, be wise;

Allow the Lord’s love,

Let kindness arise.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to listen first and be slow to speak. I imagine that is part of the reason that we have two ears and only one mouth. Thank You that You grant us the patience, wisdom and love to listen first and speak next after truly hearing one another. Forgive us for the times that we have given rise to anger and have spoken without listening.

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

God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth. – Psalm 54:2

Goodness and Grace

Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. – (John 1:16, NIV)

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

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. – (John 1:16, NLT)

Because God is good, we benefit from the fullness of His grace. Every life, every breath, and every blessing is because of the goodness of God. He knows what we need far better than we do, and His abundance is poured out upon us. For me, when weekends come, I want to go and do and see, as I do not want to “waste” my time off. That being said, God knows what we need. This long weekend, what normally would have been a go, go, go adventure, has instead been one of relaxing, visiting, and resting. This morning, as I woke up close to my normal weekday time, I realized that I felt rested for the first time in quite a while. Had we adventured and been on the go as much as we normally might have, I would be returning home exhausted, rather than going back rested and ready for our second week of school. God’s goodness is all around us, and holds us up if we are willing to let Him in. This morning, I am so thankful for His gracious blessings that have allowed us time with family and rest. May we ever praise Him who provides what we need the most, and thank Him for His goodness and grace.

Because God is good,

We receive His grace;

Blessings and goodness,

Throughout all our days.

He grants us His peace,

As we are in need;

Provides us true rest,

From weariness, freed.

May we ever seek,

For in Him we find;

Love that’s enduring,

Faithful, and so kind.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are fullness, goodness, light and love, and that You bless us with Your grace, peace and rest as we ever seek You. Thank You that You provide what we need, not just what we think we want. Forgive us for not recognizing Your goodness and grace for us all. Teach us to trust and rely on You as You show us Your abundant love. Show us how to love those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You and praise You for the fullness of Your goodness and grace for us all. Amen.

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

Surely Your 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

True Wisdom

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. – (James 3:17, ERV)

But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. – (James 3:17, TPT)

Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. – (James 3:17, VOICE)

I know many people who are full of knowledge, yet finding truly wise people is a rare gift. Wisdom from God is exactly that, a filling that comes through trust and dependence on Him. To be pure, we need to understand what is good and what must go, and be willing to go through the refining process. Filled with peace is a process that is the result of ongoing trust in God in every circumstance. Gentleness includes being considerate and merciful, just as Jesus is to us. One who possesses wisdom is teachable and easy to please, ever ready to help and do good for others without prejudice or hypocrisy. Though it is good to pursue knowledge and continue learning, the ongoing pursuit of God brings wisdom that leads us to love others as He intended. May we ever seek the Lord and be willing to allow Him to refine us, so that we may walk out our days in wisdom that knows how to love well.

Lord, grant us wisdom,

So we too may learn;

Mercy and goodness,

To love and discern.

Father, teach our hearts,

To stay true and pure;

Peaceful and gentle,

As grace is assured.

Choose never withhold,

Mercy, love and grace;

Give as we’re given,

To all whom we face.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that true wisdom comes from You. Thank You that wisdom is granted to those who seek You and pursue a life lived in the light of Your love. Forgive us for our lack of wisdom as we navigate our days. Teach us to be wise in You, so that we might love as You intended. Show us how to be pure, peace-loving, considerate, gentle, easy to please, ready to help, and ever fair and honest. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we pursue a life lived in Your wisdom that leads us to love well. Amen.

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

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

Agony and Wonder

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split. – (Matthew 27:50-51, NIV)

Again Jesus cried out loudly and then died. When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks were broken. – (Matthew 27:50-51, ERV)

Jesus passionately cried out, took His last breath, and gave up His spirit. At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth shook violently, rocks were violently split apart. – (Matthew 27:50-51, TPT)

Good Friday was a day full of agony and wonder. Jesus endured tremendous suffering in the temple courts, before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and the soldiers, and went on carrying His cross to the horror on the hill. There Jesus was hung upon a cross between two criminals, mocked and rejected, yet all the while chose to remain in place for a purpose. Not only did He bear the weight of all our sin, but He cried out for God to forgive all who caused Him to endure the agony upon the cross. When He had accomplished all that was intended, He cried out to God and gave up His Spirit. Darkness had overcome the land, the veil in the Temple was torn in two, there was an earthquake, and rocks were split apart. The tearing of the veil was incredibly significant, as the split opened the curtain to the Holiest of Holies, thus removing the barrier between God and people. Christ’s death on the cross removed the sin and shame that had been cause of the need for the barrier from the beginning. Because He bore our sin and shame, our own behavior that created the divide between us and God, had been removed. In the same way that the rocks were shaken and split, our hearts ought to be stirred to split away from that which keeps us from closeness with Christ. May we be intentional to look to all that Christ endured upon the cross, and give Him praise with awe and wonder at the depth of love that would compel Him to bear all of our sin and make the way for a right relationship with God.

Willing to suffer,

He bore all our sin;

To open the way,

Let new life begin.

It was through His pain,

And all He endured;

That we’ve been made clean,

Granted hope secure.

The goodness that day,

Was promised in three;

A soon empty tomb,

Power to set free.

Let’s look to the cross,

Thank the Lord with praise;

Receive forgiveness,

True hope for all days.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the incredible love that sacrificed and endured for our sake. Jesus, thank You for suffering in our place to make the way for relationships to be restored with You. Forgive us for every portion of pain that our thoughts, words and deeds heaped upon You on the cross. Teach us to live in the freedom of forgiveness and grace that grows our hearts to love like You. Show us how to love all those around us in ways that make Your heart visible to all. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You and praise You for all that You have done, still do, and will continue to do, to make the path clear as we seek to serve and honor You. Amen.

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

(Let us) fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2