2 Timothy 1:7- I memorized the verse, "For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of love, and of power and of sound mind". NIV translates it, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.". I don't know greek, and i don't know exactly what Paul meant when he was writing to Timothy, but i do know what God has said to Bonnie through this verse. I get afraid alot. Satan uses fear to get at me, there has been several times, when i would say i was basically "paralyzed with fear". And this verse is what was the tip of the sword to get rid of it. I repeat this verse over in my mind, even saying it aloud, and I believe God uses it to get rid of the demons trying to get me down. But, even if it means timidity, that can say something to me, too. I hate to speak in front of people. And, yet, i know if God calls me to say something, i should not be timid about it. God gives me the words to say and the way to do so. He takes away my timidity, and replaces it with self-confidence... or God-confidence.
Philippians 4:8- "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." Again, when i get afraid, or worried... or when just plain bad things are running through my mind, i like to think on this verse. There was awhile when Bethany would take f o r e v e r to fall asleep, and she wanted me in her room while she did. i would sit, and think, and think, and think... and one day i realized i shouldn't be thinking all the bad thoughts i was thinking. so instead i wrote this on a piece of paper and sat and read the verse over and over in the very little light of her room. Every night i would repeat the verse over and over in my mind, so that i was thinking of lovely thoughts. true thoughts.
Psalm 37:4- "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."-This verse is tricky, and i could so easily say this is the Bible saying i can get whatever i want. But what it is really saying is, if you love God, He will give you the things TO want. Not, i want a car, but God will lead you to what you should desire. as in, i desire wisdom, patience, holiness. Or, maybe He will lead me to where He wants me to go, like maybe he wants me to have a career in something, so he can use me there.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (he will direct your paths)" The key in this verse, to me, is the Lean not on your own understanding part. God can do some pretty miraculous things when we get out of the way. Things may not make a bit of man sense, but God is God and knows what he is doing. If we trust in him, He will take us where we need to go. (And sometimes that path is not in a rose garden, it could be the dark and scary forest like where Snow White ran into- but at the end, she realized she was right where she was supposed to be, and had friends to take care of her) And, man, that is hard when we truly have nothing we can do but trust.
Matthew 22:37-40-"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Jesus explains the reason why this verse is so important right in the verse itself- everything hangs on those two commandments. If we were not so complicated beings, God could just say, "love me, love each other" and it would be a perfect world. This verse goes right with Deuteronomy 6:4- the Shema- the verse that the Israelites were told to teach to their children, to talk about them all the time, to make up funny hand signs so their 2 year old can memorize the verse. (That's when i started working on the verse with Bethany). My dad always said something like," it's simple, just love God and do what you want." Because if you truly love God, you're not going to do something to make him sad, you're going to be searching for His will, not sinning.
Psalm 139: 14- God gave me this verse when i was 14 or 15. i don't remember how old i was, but i totally remember when. I was feeling down. i felt like a worthless junk. i felt like every 14 or 15 year old teenage girl feels. left out, ugly, alone... well, anyways, i was sitting in the back of my parent's van on one of our endless trips down to Nashville, and writing in my journal, and something told me to look in the Bible. And God led me to this verse. "I praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well". God didn't make a mistake when he made me, he was full of wonder when he made me. God of the Universe was amazed when he made me. still blows my mind.
Jeremiah 1:6-8- God-confidence
Jeremiah 29:11-God is going to take care of me
John 2:1-11 Jesus did a miracle for his mother because he loved her. and he loved the wedding couple.
I John 3:1- I AM A PRINCESS!!!! (and so is Bethany, and Brandon and Ben are princes!) :)
Ok, so that's just a few of the most meaningful passages to me. What are your favorite God's words?
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25."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26.Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27.Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? 28."And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30.If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31.So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32.For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33.But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
ReplyDeleteMT 6:25-34
Bonnie, I just discovered your blog. I started reading the most recent and I am working my way back. I loved your testimony (as I noted there) and want to suggest you work the Psalm 139 passage into it. You say some powerful things here that I think would add to your ready answer! Remember we are all blessed to be a blessing. You have blessed me today!
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