Life-Changing Bible Verses - Part 1 - Molded by Grace

The Bible is the Word of God, and it is life to our soul and strength to our bones (Proverbs 17:22). The scriptures are given to us by God to encourage, strengthen and mature us in our relationship with Him.

Every word is given to us by the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). God did not create us and abandon us on this earth. He gave us His Word and His Spirit as our comforter and guide (John 16:13).

He also provided us with His Word to help to direct us on His paths of righteousness - a place of safety and security to all who walk in them. We depend on His Word, ingesting it daily to nourish our body, soul and spirit.

Some verses actually take us by surprise when we read them. They are so profound, that they touch a place deep within us and mold us by their truth and wisdom.

For instance, God loved humanity so much that He gave us His only Son to die in our place, and to pay the debt that we owed due to our sins. If we choose to believe in Him, we will not perish in Hell, but enjoy everlasting life now and for eternity (John 3:16-17).

Yet, if we choose not to believe, we condemn our self to an eternity in the fires of Hell (John 3:18). God never condemns anyone to Hell, we do that to our self by our unbelief.

God intends that no one should perish, but that we should all enjoy the benefits of His Kingdom as co-heirs with Christ (2 Peter 3:9). It is simply a matter of humbling our self before the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:5-14), and accepting Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.

This fact leads to another life-altering verse: Christ is our life (Colossians 3:3). We are not placed on earth to build our own kingdom and to leave a financial legacy for our children; although if this fits into God's plan for us, it is a wholesome goal.

Instead, we allow Christ's life to consume us as we burn brightly for His Kingdom (Matthew 5:14-16). As we seek first His Kingdom and righteousness with our thoughts, words and deeds, He in turn supplies all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).

Prayer:

Father God, this thought leads us to another amazing verse. It is often hard to trust You as we traverse the switchbacks of life. Yet, You had mercy on us and did not plan for us to perfect our self. You give us both the desire and the ability to walk in Your ways (Philippians 2:12-13).

You require that we walk in faith (Romans 14:22-23); yet, You are even willing to help us when we waver in faith and have a hard time keeping our faith focused on You (Mark 9:24). The road to hell is paved with Satan's lies, so help us to walk in Your everlasting Truth.

Thought for the Day:

As we seek the Lord with our whole heart, and stop depending on our human reasoning to make it through life, He will reveal His will to us and direct each step we traverse. - Proverbs 3:5-6

God is in Control - Supernatural Provision and Help

Over the years of my walk with the Lord, I learned to stand tall in courage and strength that come from Christ in me. He never, ever leaves or forsakes me for any reason (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He alone is our refuge and He gives us strength and continual help in any trouble that comes our way (Psalm 46:1). There is no reason to be afraid of what life or people will do to us, because God is our helper (Psalm 118:6-7).

If we allow our self to fear what the devil, the world or evil people will do to us, it becomes a physical, emotional and mental liability. When we trust in the Lord and walk in His Spirit, He gives us peace and safety, even in trials (Proverbs 29:25).

Jesus proved these promises time and again with His disciples. He even has power over nature (Mark 4:39-40). He is a victorious warrior in our midst. He exults and rejoices over us with joy and His quiet, steadfast love (Zephaniah 3:17).

When we dwell in the shelter of the Almighty, we rest in the shadow of the Most High God. He is our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we place our trust.

He shelters us with the feathers of His wings and shields us with His faithfulness. We do not fear any darkness or pestilence or plague; because although thousands may fall all around us, His angels guard us on every side (Psalm 91:1-16).

Prayer:

Father God, since we love You and acknowledge Your authority in our life, You rescue and protect us. When we call upon You, You answers us. You are with us in trouble, and You honor and deliver us. We are assured that no matter what life throws at us, You are in the middle of the turmoil and struggle right along with us.

You strengthen us and give us courage, You help us and lift us in Your hands above the storms of life. You live within us by Your Spirit and You are greater than Satan and his evil doers in this world. We cast all of our cares on You, because we know without a doubt that You care for us.

Thought for the Day:
As we keep our faith and trust in Him, God strengthens us in the very core of our soul. and He lifts our spirit when trials attempt to drag us down in fear and discouragement and life tends to overwhelm us with circumstances beyond our control. 

The Joy of the Lord

Is it really possible to be happy all of the time? It is my experience that the answer is "No." However, it is possible to rejoice in the Lord always and to maintain a positive attitude (Philippians 4:4,8).

The key words here are "in the Lord." God makes everything right, no matter how jaded or off kilter they are. Through the lens of eternity, with a spiritual mind and in the presence of God, we see everything differently.

We enjoy a Heavenly focus and can truly rejoice regardless of our negative circumstances. Even when all odds are against us and there is nothing positive to rejoice over, we know that everything will work out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11).

When we feel anxiety rise up in our soul, we can immediately take it to the Lord in prayer, giving thanks for what He has already provided and knowing that His blessings are just around the corner (Philippians 4:5-6).

God's peace guides us through the troubled waters and rocky mountain paths, making our ways straight (Philippians 4:7; Psalm 27:11). Even when the circumstances make no human sense, God floods us with His peace.

We struggle with feelings for which we are responsible. We worry for our well-being and that of our children and family. The truth, however, is that God will take responsibility to provide us with all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

He gives us wisdom on what to do each moment of the day and he guides us through uncharted waters and tumultuous seas to the safe harbor of His love.

Prayer:

Father God, our light and temporary affliction on this earth cannot be compared to the glory, which You already prepared for us in Your glorious Kingdom (2 Corinthians 4:17). We stop attempting to keep our self safe, and we trust our self, our loved ones and our church family to Your safe-keeping.

We know without a doubt that You care about us, so we put our worries in Your capable hands. You equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We rejoice in our risen Savior and sit with Him at Your right hand even now (Hebrews 10:12).

Thought for the Day:

We trust in God's plan for our future and bathe all of our requests to Him with gratitude and joy.