Isaiah 66:12-13

For this is what the Lord says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."

Isaiah 65:23-24

They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 64:4

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

Isaiah 63:9

In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in the land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

"For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed."

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righeousness and praise spring up before all nations.

Ezekiel 37:23

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Luke 1:77-79

To give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

Luke 1:45

Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.

Isaiah 57:16-19

"I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me - the breath of man that I have created. I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace to those far and near," says the Lord, "and I will heal them."

Isaiah 56:1-2

This is what the Lord says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."

Psalm 91:9-16

If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Ezekiel 28:24

No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

Isaiah 54:4-5, 14-17

"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your Husband - the Lord Almighty is His name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth."

"In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be be far removed; it will not come near you. If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me," declares the Lord.

Colossians 1:22-23

But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved in the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Isaiah 53:11

After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

Philippians 4:12

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Philippians 3:12

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Isaiah 51:3, 12-15, 22-23

The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor? The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeons, nor will they lack bread. For I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar - the Lord Almighty is His name."

This is what the Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends His people:
"See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, 'Fall prostrate that we may walk over you.' And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked over."

Isaiah 50:2, 7-10

When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dried up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Where is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up. Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

vin⋅di⋅cate 
–verb (used with object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing.
1.
to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like: to vindicate someone's honor.
2.
to afford justification for; justify: Subsequent events vindicated his policy.
3.
to uphold or justify by argument or evidence: to vindicate a claim.
4.
to assert, maintain, or defend (a right, cause, etc.) against opposition.
5.
to claim for oneself or another.
6.
Roman and Civil Law. to regain possession, under claim of title of property through legal procedure, or to assert one's right to possession.
7.
to get revenge for; avenge.

jus⋅ti⋅fy

Theology: to declare innocent or guiltless; absolve; acquit.

Ezekiel 20:44

"You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord."

Isaiah 49:23

Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.

Psalm 112

Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righeousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Isaiah 48:8-11

You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.

Matthew 18:12-14

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on he hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Hebrews 8:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Isaiah 43:1-5a

But now, this is what the Lord says - He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

Isaiah 42:6-7

"I, the Lord, have called you in righeousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in the darkness."

Isaiah 41:8-14

"But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and not rejected you. 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.

All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.' Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Ephesians 1:5-8, 13-14, 2:8

In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

And you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

Isaiah 40:1-2

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Psalm 147:7-11

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.

Lamentations 3:22, 25-26

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Psalm 145:8-9, 19

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.

Jeremiah 51:24. 36-39

"Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion," declares the Lord.

Therefore, this is what the Lord says,
"See, I will defend your cause and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives. Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter - then sleep forever and not awake," declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 50:33-34

This is what the Lord Almighty says:
"The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is His name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that He may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon."

Psalm 143:1-2

O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in Your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before You.

Psalm 141:3-4

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.

Jeremiah 46:27-28

"Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you," declares the Lord. "Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished."

Jeremiah 36:3

Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.

Jeremiah 33:6

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."

Jeremiah 32:41

I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my soul.

Jeremiah 31:37

This is what the Lord says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:20

"Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 30:11

'I am with you and will save you,' declares the Lord. Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

James 4:17

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Psalm 84:1-2

How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Jeremiah 23:3-4

"I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the Lord.

Psalm 99

The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise Your great and awesome name - He is holy.

The King is mighty, He loves justice - You have established equity; in Jacob You have done what is just and right. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among His priests, Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called on the Lord and He answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His statutes and the decrees He gave them.

O Lord our God, You answered them; You were to Israel a forgiving God, though You punished their misdeeds. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 131

My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Psalm 129:4

But the Lord is righteous; He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves.

Psalm 126:3-6

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

Titus 1:15-16

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Psalm 125

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore. The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 124

If the Lord had not been on our side - let Israel say - if the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Jeremiah 10:23-25

I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me, Lord, but only with justice - not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.

Jeremiah 7:22-23

For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.

2 Timothy 2:4-6

No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone wants to compete as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

Psalm 121

I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Jeremiah 3:12-13

Go proclaim this message toward the north:
"'Return faithless Israel,' declares the Lord, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the Lord, 'I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt - you have rebelled against the Lord your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me, '" declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 2:35

You say, "I am innocent; He is not angry with me." But I will pass judgment on you because you say, "I have not sinned."

Jeremiah 1:19

"They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord.

Psalm 119:176

I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Isaiah 38:15-20

But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living - they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord.

Psalm 119:121-128

I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me. My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. It is time for you to act, O Lord; your law is being broken. Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

Psalm 140:12-13

I know that You, God, are on the side of victims, that You care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank You, that good people are secure in Your presence.

Isaiah 35:4

Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you."

Isaiah 34:16-17a

Look in the scroll of the Lord and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is His mouth that has given the order, and His Spirit will gather them together. He allots their portions; His hand distributes them by measure.

Isaiah 33:15-17

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil - this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty and view a land that stretches afar.

Isaiah 30:15

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

Psalm 91:10-11

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwellling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Isaiah 28:16

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed."

Isaiah 25:4-5

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

Psalm 116:7

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 115:9-13

O house of Israel, trust in the Lord - He is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord - He is their help and sheild. You who fear Him, trust in the Lord - He is their help and shield. The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron, He will bless those who fear the Lord - small and great alike.

Isaiah 16:4b-5

The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land.

In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it - one from the house of David - one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of the righteous.

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord.

Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 112:1, 7-8

Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands.

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Isaiah 7:11-13

The Lord spoke to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:

"Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread."

Exodus 14:14

The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.

Psalm 107:17-22

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.

Be Still

"The Bible says to 'Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).' Notice, you need to get still. You need to be at peace with where you are right now. Things may not be perfect. You may have some areas in which you need to improve. But as long as you are living with worry and stress, you are tying the hands of Almighty God. If you could get to a place of peace, God could fight your battles for you. He can turn your negative situations around and use them for good."
From: Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day by Joel Osteen

Psalm 103:2

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits - who forgives your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Romans 4:18

[Abraham], contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him, 'Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

Luke 15:11-24

Psalm 99:8

O Lord our God, You answered them; You were to Israel a forgiving God, though You punished their misdeeds.

Psalm 96:4-5

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Psalm 145:15-16

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalm 13

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me.

Isaiah 25

God, You are my God. I celebrate You. I praise You. You've done Your share of miracle-wonders, well-thought-out plans, solid and sure. Here You've reduced the city to rubble, the strong city to a pile of stones. The enemy Big City is a non-city, never to be a city again. Superpowers will see it and honor You, brutal oppressors bow in worshipful reverence. They'll see that You take care of the poor, that You take care of poor people in trouble, provide a warm, dry place in bad weather, provide a cool place when it's hot. Brutal oppressors are like a winter blizzard and vicious foreigners like high noon in the desert. But You, shelter from the storm and shade from the sun, shut the mouths of the big-mouthed bullies.

But here on this mountain, God-of-the-Angel-Armies will throw a feast for all the people of the world. A feast of the finest foods, a feast with vintage wines, a feast of seven courses, a feast lavish with gourmet desserts. And here on this mountain, God will banish the pall of doom hanging over all peoples, the shadow of doom darkening all nations. Yes, He'll banish death forever. And God will wipe the tears from every face. He'll remove every sign of disgrace from His people, wherever they are. Yes! God says so!

Also at that time, people will say, "Look at what's happened! This is our God! We waited for Him and He showed up and saved us! This God, the One we waited for! Let's celebrate, sing the joys of His salvation. God's hand rests on this mountain!"

As for the Moabites, they'll be treated like refuse, waste shoveled into a cesspool. Thrash away as they will, like swimmers trying to stay afloat, they'll sink in the sewage. Their pride will pull them under. Their famous fortifications will crumble to nothing, those mighty walls reduced to dust.

Psalm 93

The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the Lord on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns Your house for endless days, O Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree.

Joel 2:19

Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto His people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen.

Psalm 89:1-2, 33-34

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Jeremiah 30:16-17

Everyone who hurt you will be hurt; your enemies will end up as slaves. Your plunderers will be plundered; your looters will become loot. As for you, I'll come with healing, curing the incurable, because they all gave up on you and dismissed you as hopeless - that good-for-nothing Zion.

Psalms 144:9-11

O God, let me sing a new song to You, let me play it on a twelve-string guitar - a song to the God who saved the king, the God who rescued David, His servant.

Rescue me from the enemy sword, release me from the grip of those barbarians who lie through their teeth, who shake your hand then knife you in the back.

Psalms 136:23-26

God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need
His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits!

Mark 4:35-40

Late that day He said to them, "Let's go to the other side." They took Him in the boat as He was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused Him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"

Awake now, He told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"

Luke 11:9-13

"Here's what I'm saying:

Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.

"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing - you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 107:20

He sent His word , and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 10:35-37

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Isaiah 43:2

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Daniel 3:8-18, 21-27

Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the Jews. They said to King Nebuhadnezzar, "Long live the king! You gave strict orders, O king, that when the big band started playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue, and whoever did not go to their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace. Well, there are some Jews here - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - whom you have placed in high positions in the province of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don't respect your gods and they won't worship the gold statue you set up.
Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. When the men were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don't respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up? I'm giving you a second chance - but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don't worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if He doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up. "
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, "Didn't we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?"
"That's right, O king," they said.
"But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!"
Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.
All the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hand't so much as touched the three men - not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!

Psalm 62:1,5b

God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as He says. Everything I need comes from Him, so why not? Everything I hope for comes from Him, so why not?

John 15:7

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 14:13

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Lamentations 3:19-33, 55-66

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, fo His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.

Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief." You came near when I called You, and You said, "Do not fear."

O Lord, You took up my case; You redeemed my life. You have seen, O Lord, the wrong done to me. Uphold my cause! You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me.

O Lord, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me - what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs.

Pay them back what they deserve, O Lord, for what their hands have done. Put a veil over their hearts, and may Your curse be on them! Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord.

Isaiah 32:16-20

Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

Romans 13:10

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Peter 1:6-7

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory and the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:6-8

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Isaiah 58:11

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Psalm 23:3

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

I John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Isaiah 49:13b

For the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted.

Isaiah 59:12,15

Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God, our sins stand up and accuse us. Our wrongdoings stare us down; we know in detail what we've done.

God looked and saw evil looming on the horizon - so much evil and no sign of Justice. He couldn't believe what He saw: not a soul around to correct this awful situation. So He did it Himself, took on the work of Salvation, fueled by His own Righteousness.

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Psalms 103:6-18

God makes everything come out right; He puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how He went about His work, opened up His plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, He's rich in love. He doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is His love for those who fear Him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, He has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear Him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we're made of mud. Men and women don't live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blosssom, but a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God's love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear Him, making everything right for them and their children as they follow His Covenant ways and remember to do whatever He said.

Psalms 49:13-20

This is what happens to those who live for the moment, who only look out for themselves: death herds them like sheep straight to hell, they disappear down the gullet of the grave; they waste away to nothing - nothing left but a marker in a cemetery. But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death, He reaches down and grabs me.

So don't be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and fortune. They can't take it with them; fame and fortune all get left behind. Just when they think they've arrived and folks praise them because they've made good, they enter the family burial plot where they'll never see sunshine again.

We aren't immortal. We don't last long. Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

John 14:1-14

"Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."
Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"
Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!"
Phillip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content."
"You've been with me all this time, Phillip, and you still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.
"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see - these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who He is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do."

Isaiah 44:3

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.

Psalm 107:9

For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

What Are You Afraid of - or Who?

"I, I'm the One comforting you. What are you afraid of - or who? Some man or woman who'll soon be dead? Some poor wretch destined for the dust? You've forgotten me, God, who made you, who unfurled the skies, who founded the earth. And here you are, quaking like an aspen before the tantrums of a tyrant who thinks he can kick down the world. But what will come of the tantrums? The victims will be released before you know it. They're not going to die. They're not even going to go hungry. For I am God, your very own God, who stirs up the sea and whips up the waves, named God-of-the-Angel-Armies. I teach you how to talk, word by word, and personally watch over you, even while I'm unfurling the skies, setting earth on solid foundations, and greeting Zion: 'Welcome, my people!'"

So wake up! Rub the sleep from your eyes! Up on your feet, Jerusalem! You've drunk the cup God handed you, the strong drink of His anger. You drank it down to the last drop, staggered and collapsed, dead-drunk. And nobody to help you home, no one among your friends or children to take you by the hand and put you in bed. You've been hit with a double dose of trouble - does anyone care? Assault and battery, hunger and death - will anyone comfort? Your sons and daughters have passed out, strewn in the streets like stunned rabbits, sleeping off the strong drink of Gods anger, the rage of your God.

Therefore listen, please, you with your splitting headaches, you who are nursing the hangovers that didn't come from drinking wine. Your Master, your God, has something to say, your God has taken up His people's case: "Look, I've taken back the drink that sent you reeling. No more drinking from that jug of my anger! I've passed it over to your abusers to drink, those who ordered you, 'Down on the ground so we can walk all over you!' And you had to do it. Flat on the ground, you were the dirt under their feet."

Isaiah 51: 12-23

Psalm 51

Generous in love - God, give grace! Huge in mercy - wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in Your laundry. I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down.

You're the One I've violated, and You've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before You; whatever You decide about me is fair. I've been out of step with You for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What You're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels Your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to Your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with Your praise.

Going through the motions doesn't please You, a flawless performance is nothing to You. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice.

Make Zion the place You delight in, repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls. Then You'll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, including all the bulls they can heave onto Your altar!

Psalm 55:22

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righeous to be moved.

Psalm 103:1-5

O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless His holy name! O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing!

He forgives your sins - every one.
He heals your diseases - every one.
He redeems you from hell - saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy - a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness - beauty eternal.
He renews your youth - you're always young in His presence.

Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

Jeremiah 30:16-17

"Everyone who hurt you will be hurt, your enemies will end up as slaves. Your plunderers will be plundered; your looters will become loot. As for you, I'll come with healing, curing the incurable, because they all gave up on you and dismissed you as hopeless - that good-for-nothing Zion."

Psalms 91:10-11

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Jeremiah 30:5 - 31:6

God's Message:

"Cries of panic are being heard. The peace has been shattered. Ask around! Look around! Can men bear babies? So why do I see all these he-men holding their bellies like women in labor, faces contorted, pale as death? The blackest of days, no day like it ever! A time of deep trouble for Jacob - but he'll come out of it alive.

"'And then I'll enter the darkness. I'll break the yoke from their necks, cut them loose from the harness. No more slave labor to foreigners! They'll serve their God and the David-King I'll establish for them.

'So fear no more, Jacob, dear servant. Don't despair, Israel. Look up! I'll save you out of faraway places, I'll bring your children back from exile. Jacob will come back and find life good, safe and secure. I'll be with you. I'll save you. I'll finish off the godless nations among which I've scattered you, but I won't finish you off. I'll punish you, but fairly. I won't send you off with just a slap on the wrist.'

"This is God's Message:

"'You're a burned-out case, as good as dead. Everyone has given up on you. You're hopeless. All your fair-weather friends have skipped town without giving you a second thought. But I delivered the knockout blow, a punishment you will never forget, because of the enormity of your guilt, the endless list of your sins. So why all this self-pity, licking your wounds? You deserve all this and more. Because of the enormity of your guilt, the endless list of your sins, I've done all this to you.

"'Everyone who hurt you will be hurt; your enemies will end up as slaves. Your plunderers will be plundered; your looters will become loot. As for you I'll come with healing, curing the incurable, because they all gave up on you and dismissed you as hopeless - that good-for-nothing Zion.'

"Again God's Message:

""I'll turn things around for Jacob. I'll compassionately come in and rebuild homes. The town will be rebuilt on its old foundations; the mansions will be splendid again. Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors. Things will get better and better. Depression days are over. They'll thrive, they'll flourish. The days of contempt will be over. They'll look forward to having children again, to being a community in which I take pride. I'll punish anyone who hurts them, and their prince will come from their own ranks. One of their own people shall be their leader. Their ruler will come from their own ranks. I'll grant him free and easy acess to me. Would anyone dare to do that on his own, to enter My presence uninvited?' God's Decree.

"'And that's it: You'll be My very own people, I'll be your very own God.'"

Look out! God's hurricane is let loose, His hurricane blast, spinning the heads of the wicked like dust devils! God's raging anger won't let up until He's made a clean sweep completing the job he began. When the job's been done you'll see it's been well done.

"And when that happens" - God's Decree - "it will be plain as the sun at high noon: I'll be the God of every man, woman, and child in Israel and they shall be my very own people."

This is the way God put it:

"They found grace out in the desert, these people who survived the killing. Israel, out looking for a place to rest, met God out looking for them!" God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! And so now I'll start over with you and build you up again, dear virgin Israel. You'll resume your singing, grabbing tambourines and joining the dance. You'll go back to your old work of planting vineyards on the Samaritan hillsides, and sit back and enjoy the fruit - oh, how you'll enjoy those harvests! The time's coming when watchmen will call out from the hilltops of Ephraim: 'On your feet! Let's go to Zion, go to meet our God!'"

Psalms 91

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow, Say this: "God, You're my refuge. I trust in You and I'm safe!" That's right - He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you're perfectly safe; His arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing - not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because High God's your refuge, the High God your very own home, evil can't get close to you, harm can't get through the door. He ordered His angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!"

1 Samuel 2:22-36

By this time Eli was very old. He kept getting reports on how his sons were ripping off the people and sleeping with the women who helped out at the sanctuary. Eli took them to task: "What's going on here? Why are you doing these things? I hear story after story of your corrupt and evil carrying on. Oh, my sons, this is not right! These are terrible reports I'm getting, stories spreading right and left among God's people! If you sin against another person, there's help - God's help. But if you sin against God, who is around to help?"

But they were far gone in disobedience and refused to listen to a thing their father said. So God, who was fed up with them, decreed their death. But the boy Samuel was very much alive, growing up, blessed by God and popular with the people.

A holy man came to Eli and said: "This is God's message: I revealed Myself openly to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests to preside at the altar, to burn incense, to wear the priestly robes in my presence. I put your ancestral family in charge of all the sacrificial offerings of Israel. So why do you now treat as mere loot these very sacrificial offerings that I commanded for My worship? Why do you treat your sons better than Me, turning them loose to get fat on these offerings, and ignoring me? Therefore - this is God's word, the God of Israel speaking - I once said that you and your ancestral family would be my priests indefinitely, but now - God's word, remember! - there is no way this can continue.

I honor those who honor me, those who scorn me I demean.

Be well warned: It won't be long before I wipe out both your family and your future family. No one in your family will make it to old age! You'll see good things that I'm doing in Israel, but you'll see it and weep, for no one in your family will live to enjoy it. I will leave one person to serve at my altar, but it will be a hard life, with many tears. Everyone else in your family will die before their time. What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be the proof: Both will die the same day. Then I'll establish for Myself a true priest. He'll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I'll make his position secure and he'll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one. Survivors from your family will come to him begging for handouts, saying, 'Please give me some priest work, just enough to put some food on the table.'"

Because Eli's sons sinned against God and Eli did nothing about it, God took his sons. Not only is it wrong to sin against God, but it is wrong not to do something about it if someone you know is sinning against God.

Psalms 23

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. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when You walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

Hebrews 8:12

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Psalm 9:10

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Isaiah 62:4-5

No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. For as a young man marries his virgin bride, so your builder marries you, and as a bridgroom is happy in his bride, so your God is happy with you.

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Psalms 100

On your feet now - applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into His presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn't make Him. We're His people, His well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: "Thank You!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank Him. Worship Him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Micah 7:18-20

Where is the god who can compae with you - wiping the slate clean of guilt, turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of Your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is Your specialty. That's what You love most. And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean. You'll stay true to Your word to Father Jacob and continue the compassion You showed Grandfather Abraham - everything You promised our ancestors from a long time ago.

Micah 7:7-10

But me, I'm not giving up. I'm sticking around to see what God will do. I'm waiting for God to make things right. I'm counting on God to listen to me. Don't, enemy, crow over me. I'm down, but I'm not out. I'm sitting in the dark right now, but God is my light. I can take God's punishing rage. I deserve it - I sinned. But it's not forever. He's on my side and is going to get me out of this. He'll turn the lights on and show me His ways. I'll see the whole picture and how right He is. And my enemy will see it, too, and be discredited - yes, disgraced! This enemy who kept taunting, "So where is this God of yours?" I'm going to see it with these, my own eyes - my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter.

Micah 6:8

But He's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously.

Take Your Stand in Faith

When Ahaz was King of Judah, the neighboring kings of Israel and Aram conspired to overthrow him. Ahaz was terrified. God sent Isaiah the prophet to tell him this:

"It won't happen. Nothing will come of it because the capital of Aram is Damascus and the king of Damascus is a mere man, Rezin. As for Ephraim (Israel), in sixty-five years it will be rubble, nothing left of it. The capital of Ephraim is Samaria, and the king of Samaria is the mere son of Remaliah. If you don't take your stand in faith, you won't have a leg to stand on."
Isaiah 7:7-9

God told Ahaz that nothing would come of this threat, but Ahaz still had to have faith that it would come to pass exactly like God said it would (and it did). That is what is meant by taking your stand in faith. When God makes a promise in the Bible, these promises still apply to us today. If we have faith, these promises will come to pass for us as well.

Psalms 84:10-12

One day spent in Your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn't scrimp with His traveling companions. It's smooth sailing all the way with God of the Angel Armies.

Persistent Faith

Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!' He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice - otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'" Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for His chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, He will. He will not drag His feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"
Luke 18:1-8

Job 38:2-11

"Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about? Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers. Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, while the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night. Then I made a playpen for it, a strong playpen so it couldn't run loose, and said, 'Stay here, this is your place. Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.'"

God to Job when Job was complaining because he had lost all his possessions, most of his family and friends, and became very sick. God reminded him that He was in charge of the universe, and we really can't stand up to Him because we don't know His purpose for our lives. We are His creation, not the other way around. But because Job was honest about how he felt about God and asked for forgiveness, God turned things around for him. Job 42:12-17 says:

God blessed Job's later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 donkeys. He also had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He named the first one Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance. Job lived on another 140 years, living to see his children and grandchildren - 4 generations of them! Then he died - an old man, a full life.

Psalms 63

God - You're my God! I can't get enough of You! I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts.

So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in Your strength and glory. In Your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless You every time I take a breath; my arms wave like banners of praise to You.

I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises! If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection. Because You've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play. I hold on to You for dear life, and You hold me steady as a post.

Those who are out to get me are marked for doom, marked for death, bound for hell. They'll die violent deaths; jackals will tear them limb from limb. But the king is glad in God; his true friends spread the joy, while small-minded gossips are gagged for good.

Isaiah 54:7-10

"I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I'm bringing you back. In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you - but only for a moment. It's with lasting love that I'm tenderly caring for you.

This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth. I'm promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, my love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart." The God who has compassion on you says so.

Psalms 94

God, put an end to evil; avenging God, show Your colors! Judge of the earth, take your stand; throw the book at the arrogant.

God, the wicked get away with murder - how long will You let this go on? They brag and boast and crow about their crimes! They walk all over Your people, God, exploit and abuse Your precious people. They take out anyone who gets in ther way; if they can't use them, they kill them. They think, "God isn't looking, Jacob's God is out to lunch."

Well, think again, you idiots, fools - how long before you get smart? Do you think Ear-Maker doesn't hear, Eye-Shaper doesn't see? Do you think the trainer of nations doesn't correct, the teacher of Adam doesn't know? God knows, all right - knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness.

How blessed the man You train, God, the woman You instruct in Your Word, providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked. God will never walk away from His people, never desert His precious people. Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right.

Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers? If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it. The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling," Your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, You calmed me down and cheered me up.

Can Misrule have anything in common with You? Can Troublemaker pretend to be on Your side? They ganged up on good people, plotted behind the backs of the innocent. But God became my hideout, God was my high mountain retreat, then boomeranged their evil back on them: for their evil ways He wiped them out, our God cleaned them out for good.

Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Psalms 62:1-2

"God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as He says. Everything I need comes from Him, so why not? He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I'm set for life."

Isaiah 7:9

"If you don't take your stand in faith, you won't have a leg to stand on."

Psalms 91:14-16

"If you'll hold onto me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!"

Psalms 128

"All you who fear God, how blessed you are! how happily you walk on His smooth straight road! You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness! Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes, your household lush as a vineyard, the children around your table as fresh and promising as young olive shoots. Stand in awe of God's Yes. Oh, how He blesses the one who fears God!

Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem every day of your life. And enjoy your grandchildren. Peace to Israel!"

Psalms 127

"If God doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn't guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don't you know He enjoys giving rest to those He loves?

Don't you see that children are God's best gift? the fruit of the womb His generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you, you'll sweep them right off your doorstep."

Psalms 86:11-17

"Train me, God, to walk straight; then I'll follow Your true path. Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear. From the bottom of my heart I thank You, Dear Lord; I've never kept secret what You're up to. You've always been great toward me - what love! You snatched me from the brink of disaster! God, these bullies have reared their heads! A gang of thugs is after me - and they don't care a thing about You. But You, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit. So look me in the eye and show kindness, give your servant the strength to go on, save your dear, dear child! Make a show of how much You love me so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed, as you, God, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet."

Come Back to God

"God's Message came to me as follows:

'If a man's wife walks out on him and marries another man, can he take her back as if nothing had happened? Wouldn't that raise a huge stink in the land? And isn't that what you've done - "whored" your way with god after god? And now you want to come back as if nothing had happened.' God's Decree.

'Look around at the hills. Where have you not had sex? You've camped out like hunters stalking deer. You've solicited many lover-gods, like a streetwalking whore chasing after other gods. And so the rain has stopped. No more rain from the skies! But it doesn't even faze you. Brazen as whores, you carry on as if you've done nothing wrong. Then you have the nerve to call out, "My Father! You took care of me when I was a child. Why not now? Are You going to keep up your anger nonstop?" That's your line. Meanwhile you keep sinning nonstop.'"
Jeremiah 3:1-5

"Turn back fickle Israel. I'm not just hanging back to punish you. I'm committed in love to you. My anger doesn't seethe nonstop. Just admit your guilt. Admit your God-defiance. Admit to your promiscuous life with casual partners, pulling strangers into the sex-and-religion groves while turning a deaf ear to me." God's Decree. "Come back wandering children!" God's Decree. "I, yes, I, am your true husband. I'll pick you out one by one - this one from the city, these two from the country - and bring you to Zion. I'll give you good shepherd-rulers who rule my way, who rule you with intelligence and wisdom."
Jeremiah 3:12-15

"If you want to come back, O Israel, you must really come back to me. You must get rid of your stinking sin paraphernalia and not wander away from me anymore. Then you can say words like, 'As God lives...' and have them mean something true and just and right. And the godless nations will get caught up in the blessing and find something in Israel to write home about."
Jeremiah 4:1-2

Isaiah 8:11-15

"God spoke strongly to me, grabbed me with both hands and warned me not to go along with this people. He said:

'Don't be like this people, always afraid somebody is plotting against them. Don't fear what they fear. Don't take on their worries. If you're going to worry, worry about The Holy. Fear God-of-the Angel-Armies. The Holy can either be a Hiding Place or a Boulder blocking your way, The Rock standing in the willful way of both houses of Israel, a barbed-wire Fence preventing trespass to the citizens of Jerusalem. Many of them are going to run into that Rock and get their bones broken, get tangled up in that barbed wire and not get free of it.'"

Psalms 65:2-4

"We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, our sins too much for us - but You get rid of them once and for all. Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in Your place! We expect our fill of good things in Your house, Your heavenly manse."

Lamentations 3:19-36

"I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all - oh, how well I remember - the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. If He works severely, He also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way:

Stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, tampering with evidence - the Master does not approve of such things."

Psalm 55:16-19, 22-23

"I call to God; God will help me. At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh deep sighs - He hears, He rescues. My life is well and whole, secure in the middle of danger even while thousands are lined up against me. God hears it all, and from His judge's bench puts them in their place. But, set in their ways, they won't change; they pay Him no mind."

"Pile your troubles on God's shoulders - He'll carry your load, He'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin. But you, God, will throw the others into a muddy bog, cut the lifespan of assassins in half. And I trust in You. "

My favorite chapters in Psalms are the ones David wrote while he was hiding from Saul, who was trying to kill him in order to keep the throne. Saul had disobeyed God, so God made David king instead. Saul didn't like this and was trying to kill David. To make things worse, Saul's son, Jonathan, was David's best friend, and ended up turning on him. In the midst of all this, David had enough faith to say "my life is well and whole, secure in the middle of danger." And God kept His promise to David. As verse 23 says, Saul and Jonathan died, while David lived a long, prosperous life. His reign was the height of the Kingdom of Israel. That is not a coincidence.

If God did this for David, He will also do it for us. David was just a human being like the rest of us. He sinned just like the rest of us. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband. The only thing special about him was his faith, and he was rewarded for it.

Psalms 72

"Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince. May he judge your people rightly, be honorable to your meek and lowly. Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the hills with the contours of right living. Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants. Outlast the sun, outlive the moon - age after age after age. Be rainfall on cut grass, earth-refreshing rain showers. Let righteousness burst into blossom and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing. Rule from sea to sea, from the River to the Rim.

Foes will fall on their knees before God, His enemies lick the dust. Kings remote and legendary will pay homage, kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth. All kings will fall down and worship, and godless nations sign up to serve Him, because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need, the destitute who have run out of luck. He opens a place in His heart for the down-and-out, He restores the wretched of the earth. He frees them from tyranny and torture - when they bleed, He bleeds; when they die, He dies.

And live! Oh, let Him live! Deck Him out in Sheba gold. Offer prayers unceasing to Him, bless Him from morning to night. Fields of golden grain in the land, cresting the mountains in wild exuberance, cornucopias of praise, praises springing from the city like grass from the earth. May He never be forgotten, His fame shine on like sunshine. May all godless people enter His circle of blessing and bless the One who blessed them.

Blessed God, Israel's God, the one and only wonder-working God! Blessed always His blazing glory! All earth brims with His glory. Yes and Yes and Yes."

Psalms 119:33-40

"God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me - my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. Affirm your promises to me - promises made to all who fear you. Deflect the harsh words of my critics - but what you say is always so good. See how hungry I am for your counsel; preserve my life through your righteous ways."

Obeying God's commands is hard to do, especially when it seems like the rest of the world is disobeying them. I admit that there have been times when I've disobeyed God, such as by having premarital sex. I felt like I was missing out on something because everyone else looked so happy. It turned out that I was not missing out on anything but heartache and guilt. This might sound kind of dumb, but I thought having sex with a guy would make him love me. Of course, that didn't happen because he was just using me. Anyway, I think these verses, and really all of Psalm 119, are a good reminder to us that God's way is the best way. And that it's ok to ask for help and guidance in following it.

Psalm 92:10-14

"But you've made me strong as a charging bison, you've honored me with a festive parade. The sight of my critics going down is still fresh, the rout of my malicious detractors. My ears are filled with the sounds of promise: 'Good people will prosper like palm trees, grow tall like Lebanon cedars; transplanted to God's courtyard, they'll grow tall in the presence of God, lithe and green, virile still in old age.'"

Sometimes it seems like evil people are the happiest people in the world and are prospering more than good people. But God will keep His promise. The good people will win in the end. Things won't be unfair forever. The wicked people will fall apart, while the good ones will prosper like palm trees, which can bend under the pressure of storms and spring right back into place. God doesn't promise to make things easy and give us everything we want, but He does promise to make us strong enough to handle anything that comes our way. And sometimes things are easy and we do get what we want.

Isaiah 25:16

"But the Master, God, has something to say to this. 'Watch closely. I'm laying a foundation in Zion, a solid granite foundation, squared and true. And this is the meaning of the stone: A TRUSTING LIFE WON'T TOPPLE.'"

When hard times inevitably come, the person who trusts in God will make it through. The person who doesn't trust in God will fall apart. God takes care of those who trust in Him. This doesn't mean that our lives will be easy, but it means that we will make it through the hard times.

Psalm 50:13-15

"Do you think I feast on venison? or drink draughts of goats' blood? Spread for me a banquet of praise, serve High God a feast of kept promises, and call for help when you're in trouble - I'll help you, and you'll honor me."

Psalm 51:16 says, "Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you."

God is pleased when we truly believe that He exists and that He will help us. He doesn't want us to simply obey the rules. Although this is important, even non-Christians can do that. God also knows that we are sinners, which is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins. He knows we can't give Him a perfect performance even if we do want to. What God really wants is our hearts. He wants praise, kept promises, and prayers. He also wants us to obey Him because we believe in Him, not just to keep up appearances.

Psalm 121

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep.

God's your Guardian, right at your side to protect you-shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.

God guards you from every evil, He guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, He guards you now, He guards you always."

Sometimes I think God has forgotten about me. Then I read this chapter and I am reminded that God is always guarding me and He never sleeps on the job. I also think about Job and Joseph who both had reason to think God had forgotten about them, but they kept on believing. Job lost all of his children and his belongings and became very sick for several years. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, where he was wrongly accused of trying to sleep with his master's wife and imprisoned. Because of their faith during hard times, Job became the wealthiest man in the world and had more children, and Joseph became Pharaoh's 2nd in command.

1John 1:8-2:1

"If we claim we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins - make a clean breast of them - He won't let us down; He'll be true to Himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God - make a liar out of Him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus."

Being a Christian doesn't make you perfect - it makes you forgiven. It doesn't mean you never sin again for the rest of your life. And it doesn't mean that if you do sin again that you've lost your salvation. What it means is that you are free to follow God's commandments to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and body and to love your neighbor as yourself because all your sins are forgiven. You don't have to worry about being perfect. Not that sinning is ok, but learning to overcome sin takes time and can only be done with Jesus's help. People who are not saved are in essence either saying that they are not sinners or that they can save themselves, both of which are lies.

3John 1:8

"In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the truth." This was written to encourage people in Bible times to open their homes to preachers who were traveling to spread the Gospel. Not everyone has the gift of preaching, but everyone can be hospitable. By finding ways to help those who spread the Gospel, we are also helping spread the truth.

I am a very shy person and I sometimes worry that I would be too afraid to tell other people about Jesus. While this verse doesn't let me off the hook, it does show me that God made me the way I am for a reason. There is nothing wrong with me. I am gifted to help people rather than preach to them. This doesn't mean that if I am in a one-on-one or small group setting with someone that I don't have to tell them about Jesus, though.

Beware of Progressive Thinking

Darwin's theory of evolution, atheism, scientology, feminism: all of these things are linked to progressive thinkers. These people think that they can figure out the world on their own apart from God (and some think that they are God). The Bible warns in many different places about antichrists who thwart Christian theology, or create their own theology, to lead people astray. They make their theology appealing by calling it scientific or by telling people it's ok to give in to certain immoral desires. Gnostics in the Bible days did this by saying that because Jesus died for our sins, it was ok to sin. Progressive thinkers come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all liars. 2John1:9a says, "Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God." This is another simple test for false teachers. If they don't follow Christ's teaching word-for-word, they're not from God.

How Not to Worry

I am definitely a worry wart. I worry that something bad will happen to me or someone I love. I worry that I will run out of money or that I will never get married. I worry that I will make bad grades, and I worry about all the other little stuff that happens every day. The good news is that these worries are completely unfounded.

Matthew 6:32-34 says, "For the pagans run after these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

God knows what we need and would rather we focused on seeking Him than on our worries. He takes care of all our needs. We have no reason to worry. How do you keep from worrying? Take Matthew 6:32-34 for its word, and trust God by faith that if you seek Him first, He will take care of all your needs.

Telling the Real From the Fake

How do you tell if a person is genuinely a Christian or not? This is important to know, especially if this person is a preacher or is teaching you about God. The Bible gives 4 simple tests for telling real Christians from fake ones:

1John 3:10 says, "Here's how you tell the difference between God's children and the devil's children: The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister. A simple test."

1John 4:6 says, "Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception."

1John 5:3 says, "The proof that we love God comes when we keep His commandments and they are not at all troublesome."

The last test is the most important one. 1John 2:21 says, "No one who denies the Son has any part with the Father, but affirming the Son is an embrace of the Father as well."

Self-Criticism

Since we strive to be perfect, but never quite make it, self-criticism comes easily to us. Sometimes we believe the lie that this is ok. Since we sinned, we should feel guilty and beat ourselves up. We don't want God to think we're soft on sin. However, this is not a good habit to get into. Self-criticism leads to low self-esteem, which can lead to depression if it becomes a habit. 1John 3:18-20 says, "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves." Decide to trust God and follow His commands, and He will take away your negative thoughts about yourself.

Abortion and Sexual Freedom

Abortion is one of the biggest issues in our time. Although it's been around for a long time, it has only recently become legal. The legalization of abortion came about during the feminist movement in the 1960s. People at this time were rebelling against traditions in all areas of life. Some of the movement's changes were good, but not all of them were. Women at this time were mainly advocating sexual freedom, which they saw as their right. They wanted to be able to have sex outside of marriage without having to face the consequences. Birth control was also legalized at this time, but of course it does not always work.

Many of the movements during this period were trying to take away the consequences of immoral actions. What people didn't realize, and still don't realize, is that "sexual freedom" is not really freedom at all. Anyone can give in to their desires; there is nothing noble or liberating about that. In fact, when you give in to your desires you became a slave to them. You become addicted to that high. John 8:34-36 says, "Jesus replied, 'I tell youYou the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."Romans 6:6 says, "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

Not to mention the fact that sexual immorality, or sex outside of marriage, is a sin. 1Corinthians 6:13b-19 says, "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also. Do you not know your bodies are members of Christ Himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh.' But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Genesis 2:22-24 says, "Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.' For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

Also, in spite of people's efforts to take away the consequences of sexual freedom, such as condoms to prevent STDs, abortion for unwanted pregnancies, and divorce to aid adultery, there are still consequences to this lifestyle. "[God] does not let people get away with sloppy living," as 1Peter 1:17 says. Some of these consequences are inability to have stable relationships or commit to relationships, which causes loneliness, and bad self-esteem. Whether people will admit it or not, not being able to control their desires decreases their sense of self-worth. Also, several studies have shown that Christian couples who obey God are the most sexually satisfied couples.

Abortion is also wrong because it is not Biblical. Proverbs 17:6b says, " Children's children are a crown to the aged." Psalm 128:3-4 says, "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord." Children are a blessing from God.

Some people say that a baby is not a living being until it is actually born. If it wasn't a living being, you would not have to do anything to it to keep it from growing and developing, or being born. It cannot live without its mother for the first 9 months, but that does not mean it isn't alive. Even after it is born, it can't live without someone taking care of it until it is an adolescent. The only difference is that it breathes on its own. Parasites and carnivores depend on other beings for their existence. Does that mean they're not living beings?

Even if it was true that they weren't living beings until they were born, babies are still valuable because of what they will become. For example, a seed is not a living thing, but people pay money for it because it will become food. It is valuable for what it will become. Or think of this from the perspective of a cattle rancher. If human babies are not living things until they are born, then this applies to animals also. But cattle ranchers go to great lengths to take care of the mother. Cattle can't have babies without human help, so the rancher will watch the mother, even if they have to stay up all night, and make sure that the baby is born safely and lives. The baby calf inside the mother will become a steer, bull, or heifer that will be very valuable to the rancher. The baby calf inside the mother is valuable for what it will become.

The same thing applies for human babies. Regardless of whether or not the mother wanted to get pregnant, she knew that it was a possibility. If she aborts the baby, she is saying that it is only a nonliving thing and has no value, but this is not true. Who knows what the baby could become? And even if it's not a child prodigy or doesn't change the world, God has a reason and a purpose for everyone's lives. Not to mention the fact that the baby is a part of the mother because it has her DNA in it. By saying the baby is not valuable, the mother is saying that she is not valuable either.