The big Book may look complex and maybe a bit scary on the outside, but inside is the greatest love story in the world. Not only that, it is filled with words of encouragement and truth. For anything you can possibly go through in life, there is an answer, and there is hope right in that book. Certainly not every problem you have is going to be there written in clear words, but there are words meant to be applied to every area of your life, no matter what it is. If you really look and seek with an open heart, you will find God’s answer to your situation.
There are a few in particular that I apply to my life all the time and ones that I hope you can, too. They give me hope, and they sort of press the reset button in my mind when it becomes a mess. They are meant to do just that because they are the words of Truth. In this world, our heads will get filled, and I mean filled with lies. When our thoughts take over our minds, when our whole world feels wrong, when we have absolutely nothing left to cling to, God reminds us of His love for us; and He even left a manual just for us so that we’d never forget it!
“You were bought, not with something that ruins like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb.”
- 1 Peter 1:18-19
I want to clarify what it is that this verse is saying, and how truly powerful it is. First of all, the first three words say it all; you were bought. Someone paid a very great price for you, someone paid the biggest price one can pay for all of us, by dying the death we deserved to die. We weren’t bought with something that will perish or go away, or with something that could ever be taken away. We are saved by the blood of Christ, we need to realize how powerful that is!
The struggle is to set our minds to see ourselves as God sees us. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I let this world beat me up. I let it all the way in my head and sometimes I let it make me feel worthless. When this happens, it’s very hard for us to imagine that even in all of our mistakes and our trespasses, that someone still loves us that much. He saw us at our very best and our very worst and still chose to create us; we were bought with a price.
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
- John 16:33
I find an enormous amount of peace in this verse. Jesus is literally being straight up with us here. He tells us that this life is going to be hard, really hard. We will face tribulation. But He also says that He wants us to find peace in Him, for He has already paved the way for us. He has overcome every difficulty we’ll face. He has taken away our consequence for every bad thing we’ve done and ever will do. So even during the worst of times, He tells us we must take courage. How couldn’t we when we know someone has already covered the ultimate cost for us?
“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
- John 16:33
We are always worrying -- worrying about what we’ll say, what we didn’t say, what we did or didn’t do, what we are to do, what the next paycheck is, will it ever end? But God tells us that He will meet all, not some, but all of our needs. He doesn’t say how or when and that isn’t for us to decide. God is the master of time and He knows what we need and when we need it. Just because things are not turning out how you planned doesn’t mean they’re wrong, it just means that you need to put your trust in Him. Place your cares and worries into God’s hands because he cares for you; He will supply all of your needs. Has He not kept you alive up to today?
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord�s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge� that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
- Ephesians 3:17-19
The problem with us is that we confuse God’s love with the love of people. Our standards of love are only measured in those of humans, which increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. That isn’t so with God’s love; He loves us for exactly who we are. I know I sometimes feel God is just sitting up there shaking His head at me, turning His head away when I do wrong. I feel as if He doesn’t love me anymore, because why would He after I’ve betrayed Him? Because God’s love is steadfast and unmovable.
His love is for all who believe in Him, His love is for everybody, not just for the most beautiful or the smartest or the most successful. Humans care more about what they get rather than what they give to love, not so with God’s love. He is always waiting with open arms to those who are willing to turn to Him with repentance and love. We could fail Him every day, but He will always be there with His arms reached out ready to pull us right back in. Human love couldn’t touch that if it tried!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6
This one is what I like to call my “life verse.” I can apply it to any area of my life; I meditate on it, it gives me hope. It’s important to remember that our understanding is only in the smidget of the moment, but God sees our whole life span. His understanding is limitless and ours is only a tiny fragment. Therefore, we can not depend on our own understanding because we just simply don’t get it all! In everything you do, just look to Him.
Don’t make decisions based on your knowledge, ask Him for His. Don’t act on your own instincts, instead, pause and ask God to take over. We weren’t meant to live this life by ourselves, God knows how hard it is and He encourages us to take refuge in Him. How comforting is that? God is literally a shield we can carry with us wherever we go. We don’t just get Him at the very end when our time on earth is over; He is willing to be with us through it all. Knowing this and truly believing this makes anything that we could go through in this crazy life lose its sting.
