Hope so!

Never underestimate the power of hope. It can change everything! (And sustain you while things begin to change—first in ways you cannot see, then in ways you can!) Hang in there this week, no matter what you’re facing…

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:11 (NLT)

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 (NKJ) …the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11 (NLT)

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. Romans 15:13 (NLT)

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Soak it In

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me,O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

These are just a few verses taken out of Psalm 139. Read through the entire chapter and soak in that God knows you completely and loves you overwhelmingly!

Have a great weekend!

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My Soda Can

Do you ever find God hard to understand? To really understand all that He is (all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at once, holy, just, Truth, Creator…) and how much He loves us (no matter what)? He is so amazing, so beyond what we can comprehend.

I love the following quote from Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love: “Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?”

He says something else I thought was interesting: “Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunted, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can. God is so much bigger, so far beyond our time-encased, air/food/sleep-dependent lives.”

So even though we can’t fully wrap our minds around all God is, reading Bible verses helps us to know Him better. His words to us paint a picture of His character, His eternal perspective, and even His plan for our lives. (Isn’t it incredible is that God actually makes plans for us?)

May the verses below (in 2 translations) give you a little more insight into how much our amazing, awesome God genuinely loves you! 

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT)

“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!” Psalm 91:14-16 (MES)

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What We Need Most

Had a long or rough week? Sometimes what we need most is to drop to our knees and pour it all out!

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:5-8 (NLT)

We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered. 1 John 5:14-15 (CEV)

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Monday Blues?

In case you’re fighting the Monday blues, overwhelmed by all that lies ahead, here are some great verses to  jump-start your week…

Hope they encourage you!

Young lions may go hungry or even starve, but if you trust the LORD, you will never miss out on anything good.

Come, my children, listen as I teach you to respect the LORD.

Do you want to live and enjoy a long life?

Then don’t say cruel things and don’t tell lies.

Do good instead of evil and try to live at peace.

If you obey the LORD, he will watch over you and answer your prayers.

But God despises evil people, and he will wipe them all from the earth, till they are forgotten.

When his people pray for help, he listens and rescues them from their troubles.

The LORD is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.

The LORD’s people may suffer a lot, but he will always bring them safely through.

Psalm 34:11-19 (CEV)

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No Shadow

Are you fighting any fears or feelings of shame right now? Let the following verses encourage you today!

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Psalm 86:5 (NKJ)

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Psalm 34:4-7 (NLT)

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Safe & Sound

I love this version of this well-known verse…

Who are you clinging to today?

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. John 3:16-17 (AMP)

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Worries into Prayers

Stressed and it’s only the first week of December?

Let these verses help! (They’re so good, we even gave them to you twice! ; )

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7

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Don’t Quit

Here’s one of our favorite verses. Stay strong as you stay the course in God’s plan for you!

People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on GOD and keep at it because in the LORD GOD you have a sure thing. Isaiah 26:3-4 (MSG)

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Everything about Me

Today we simply want to share some favorite verses with you. What are some of your favorite verses? Feel free to comment here and share with us. : ) Have a great weekend!

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! Psalm 139:1-6 (NLT)

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