“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not my will, but Yours be done.”
– Matthew 22:42 (NIV)
…Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
– Matthew 6:10 (NIV)
Our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes.
– Psalm 115:3 (NIV)
Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood— may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
– Psalm 34:17-20 (NIV)
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
– 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 (MSG)
Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.
– 1 Peter 5:7 (VOICE)
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
I think it’s interesting that so many who are confronted with extremely difficult circumstances – cancer, loss of a spouse or child, a natural disaster, imprisonment in a railcar – seem to find wonder in the simplest things. And those of us in seasons of comfort and ease seem to have such a hard time seeing the beauty around us.
– Matt Heard
When we experience beauty, we feel called. The Beautiful stirs passion and urgency in us and calls us forth from aloneness into the warmth and wonder of an eternal embrace. It unites us again with the neglected and forgotten grandeur of life.
– Elaine Scarry
From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. – Psalm 50:2 (NLT)
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. – Psalm 19:1,2 (NIV)
Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. – Luke 12:27 (NLT)
… I fight to nourish my mind and heart with beauty. Yes, it’s a fight, because the world is fallen. But it’s still a world that has its Creator’s fingerprints all over it, so I open the eyes of my heart and behold His beauty. And the greatest reward of the journey is growing closer to the Author of all the beauty….My intense hope for you – and me – is that we’ll start uttering, ‘That’s beautiful,’ more often and more deeply than we ever have before. And that we, as men and women created in the image of the Creator Himself, will experience the freedom of using our unique and creative abilities, whether we call ourselves artists or not, to generate more beauty on the canvas of our relationships, our careers, our stories, and our culture.
– Matt Heard
Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers, will protect you under His great wings; His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.
– Psalm 91:4 (VOICE)
You, O Eternal, are the One who lays all good things in the laps of the right-hearted. Your blessings surround them like a shield.
– Psalm 5:12 (VOICE)
The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.
– Psalm 28:7 (AMP)
I passed by you again and saw you were old enough to love and to be loved, so I offered Myself to you in marriage. I wrapped my garment over you to cover your nakedness. Then I gave you My divine promise to always be your Beloved, and I entered the sacred covenant of marriage with you. I wed you, and you became Mine.
– Ezekiel 16:8 (VOICE)
Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.
You have the fountain of life that quenches our thirst. Your light has opened our eyes and awakened our souls.
– Psalm 36:9 (VOICE)
How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. You’re a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light.
– Psalm 36:7-9 (MSG)
Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.’”
– Psalm 7:38 (NLT)
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now He offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
– John 6:32-35 (NLT)
“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I am dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I—could I—would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl …
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to—do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion …
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.
— C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
– John 10:11 (NIV)
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.
– John 10:10-13 (MSG)
I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
– John 10:14 (NLT)
And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears, you will receive the [conqueror’s] unfading crown of glory.
– 1 Peter 5:4 (AMP)
For there was a time when you were like sheep that wandered from the fold, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your lives.
– 1 Peter 2:25 (VOICE)
Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, His heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” He said to His disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
– Matthew 9:35-37 (MSG)
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
O my soul, come, praise the Eternal with all that is in me—body, emotions, mind, and will—every part of who I am— praise His holy name.
– Psalm 103:1 (VOICE)
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
– Psalm 103:1 (NKJV)
Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
– Psalm 146:1,2 (NLT)
I was privileged to hear Joni Eareckson Tada speak Saturday night at the Desiring God Conference. Most of you know Joni, a quadriplegic, was paralyzed 38 years ago in a diving accident. She gave a great and convicting message but as the time of worship began, I saw something that was more impressive than anything I heard. I saw Joni dance.
Joni handles her wheelchair as deftly as any Nascar driver on a racetrack. No sooner had the music begun than Joni began to “dance”. As much as a quadriplegic can dance, she danced. Joni has just enough movement and strength in her hands and shoulders to grip the controls on her chair and maneuver herself without the aid of others. Suddenly the chair began to move with the music. She thrust forward, then backward, then forward, then backward. Smoothly, and yet with obvious passion, she turned to the right, then the left, then the right again.
Suddenly, the forward and backward and side to side movements gave way to spinning. Well, as much as a paralyzed person can spin. Joni began to turn her chair in circles, first clockwise, then back again. If she ceased her movements, if was only so that she could lift her contorted hands as high as her paralysis would allow. It wasn’t very high, but who’s measuring!
I had to ask myself why I often stand like a vertical cadaver. I have the glorious gift and privilege of being able to celebrate God and honor Him with my body. I can kneel, lift my hands to heaven, fall prostrate, clap, and yes, move to the right and left and dance.
I went home thinking about Joni and thinking about her God. What kind of God is this who can inspire such freedom and joy in one who, from a human point of view, would appear to have very reason to hate Him? What kind of God is this who has the qualities and characteristics and attributes and beauty and glory that He can be found worthy of the praise and gratitude and “dancing” of a woman who’s spent the last 38 years in a wheelchair? Wow! Now that’s some God!
– Dr. Sam Storms
I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!…
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
– Matthew 6:14,15 (NLT)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
– 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
But You, O Lord our God, still show us compassion and forgiveness even though we have openly rebelled against You.
– Daniel 9:9 (VOICE)
You see, God takes all our crimes—our seemingly inexhaustible sins—and removes them. As far as east is from the west, He removes them from us.
Susie Stewart 