Daily Journal: 19 October

Favourite Bible Verses

When you love the bible – the love story, the wisdom, the instruction, the history, the prophesies, the knowledge of God and the future – it leaves an indelible mark on you.

What is surprising is how many of us walk away from it’s truth and beauty, trying to find a more convenient truth and beauty. We can find something more convenient, but we can't find a more convenient truth. It’s always our measure stick, whether we agree with it or not. Love it or despise it, want it or not, it’s always our measure stick.

When we love the bible, we can’t really say we have ‘favourite’ bible verses, because we love it all. But there are bible verses that become so special to us because of the meaning they’ve marked our lives with. In that sense, we can say we find favourites for those times.

These verses strengthen our backbone and remind us not to throw away what we know to be true when it becomes inexplicably hard; when we nearly lose our way, when we nearly lose our hope, when we feel like giving up and nearly lose ourselves. We cannot.

Hebrews 10:35 (CBS)

So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

There will always be people who walk out on you, who choose not to believe in you and almost desire to despise you or disapprove of you. But there will often be those rare one or two people who walk in when the rest of your world has walked out and put their hands under your elbows and lift you. There’s nothing like having those people remain. They don't turn from walking through trouble with you. They are with you; suffering as you suffer, sharing confidences, and then finally rejoicing as you rejoice.

2 Corinthians 1:7 (AMP)

And our hope for you [our confident expectation of good for you] is firmly grounded [assured and unshaken], since we know that just as you share as partners in our sufferings, so also you share as partners in our comfort.

When you haven’t had that, you see the beauty and importance of it in deep and altering ways. Yet, when there is no one around, and you only have the Lord to run to, that's a blessing in disguise.

Psalm 27:14 (NASB)

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

We suffer and go without comfort from other people for a time when we are being shaken. But when what has been shaken is removed, and we are left with all that is unshakable we see what is important. It’s not created things; it’s not the comforts in life we console ourselves with; it’s spiritual justice, spiritual righteousness, spiritual grace, spiritual rest and peace.

Hebrews 12:27 (GNT)

The words "once more" plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.

Read Hebrews 12 for context of this amazing verse.

Being shaken to the core and then able to see you’re still standing after it all, is truly powerful. It’s the power of the One who brought you through that makes you truly in awe. You may have stumbled, but He picked you up and caused you to remain through the storms, the trampling, and the diminishing. It's by His Word that you have remained. It's by His Word that the trouble that once controlled your world has been destroyed.

Psalm 46:9 (LSB)

He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts up the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.

1 Corinthians 14:33 (NET)

for God is not characterized by disorder but by peace.

Romans 16:20 (CSB)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

What bible verses do you hold on to, and treasure?

Thank you, Father, that your love for us found a way to save us. Thank you Jesus, that your Word lights our way, and holds us through the power of grace. Thank you that your Spirit has sealed us and will bring us through to the day of Christ Jesus.