Friday, August 14, 2015

Four on Friday | Life-Giving Verses



It's Friday! Hallelujah! Can I get an "Amen?!"

Well, I'm joining in on the "Five on Friday" hype but with a little twist. Today it's Four on Friday because I like even numbers and it's my blog, so I say so. How's that for sure, logical reasoning?

My Four on Friday is living-giving verses. I just want to take a quick moment to share some verses that have been on my mind and getting me through the week. They've encouraged me, challenged me, and driven me to my knees in prayer. I hope they might do the same for you.

1. "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my hearts delight." 
- Jeremiah 15:16
Jeremiah makes this statement in the midst of the darkest prophecies. The Lord has been speaking destruction over Judah and as his prophet, Jeremiah must share this terrible fate with his people. And yet, despite the famine, death, and threatening exile, Jeremiah takes joy in the words of the Lord. He loved EVERY word God spoke, with no exception. He took the good with the bad, trusting the Lord for deliverance.
I was so challenged by these words of Jeremiah's. Do I hunger for God's Words? Do I crave them like food and devour them? Do I take joy and find delight in them? Shesh. Probs not. I'm sure working on it though; how about you?

2. "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, 
for you have been with me from the beginning." 
- John 15:26-27
This was a double whammy - both an encouragement and a challenge. Jesus is promising the disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to take up residence in His followers after He is gone. The disciples have been charged to testify concerning Christ - to tell the world of all He has done (the challenge), yet they we don't do it alone. The Holy Spirit also, and even more, so testifies about Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and changes hearts (Jn 16:8), not us. That is the encouragement. We don't bear witness to Christ alone. All we need to do is tell the world about Him; the Holy Spirit will do all the heavy lifting. Doesn't that take off some of the pressure? It should! 

3. "For you are all children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober." 
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6
This one is still challenging me from camp a few weeks ago. God continues to "awaken" me to the areas of my life where I have been spiritually asleep. And I hope and pray that He won't stop waking me up. I need it all day, every day. Anyone with me? 

4. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. 
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world." 
- John 16:33
This is one of my all-time favorite verses. These are some of Jesus' last words to His disciples before He is taken and crucified. He doesn't sugarcoat their future. He doesn't promise that everything will be easy and that they will live long, happy lives. In fact, He tells them that they will face persecution because of Him. Yet, He promises that they will have peace because He has already overcome it all. Praise Jesus for that!

I am so very thankful for those words! All of them. 
How has God's Word been challenging or encouraging you this week?