Scripture

Good evening!! I hope everybody's weekends were great! Not only have I been super busy, but I have also been at a loss of what to post about this past week. But I finally decided to share with you what I've learned recently about the importance of scripture.

I've always read my bible and memorized verses I liked, but more out of routine than out of a desire to. Recently I've realized how powerful the bible really is. It's not just a book on "what a Christian should do if.." Or "how to act like a Christian" or a bunch of stories that don't really apply to the present time. It's God-breathed and it is still to be applied to every aspect of our lives today.

God-breathed...what does the even mean? Sure it was humans who physically wrote the bible, but God himself put the words into them when they wrote it. The bible is made up entirely of God's own words. One of the most beautiful things about the bible to me is that it is something that I can hold in my hand today that was created by God.

While I know that God is real and have faith in Him without having to see, hear, or touch Him, I love tangible proof of God. I love the embrace of a loved one and the sound of thunder and the smell of rain, but I REALLY love being able to read the words of the Creator of all that in a book. Unlike the bible stories where God would actually physically speak to people, He often uses the bible to speak to us. I tend to get frustrated when people talk about how they're always "hearing" things from God. I have a hard time "hearing" what God wants to tell me when I'm spending time with Him. I have "heard" from Him before in prayer, but I've learned that instead of stressing over trying to listen to God, all I need to do is pop open my bible. Almost very time I read it God speaks to me through certain verses that go exactly with my current situation.

Although the bible is much more powerful and beautiful than a rule book or a how-to guide, it is loaded with verses about how Christians are to deal with certain situations, how to act, how not to act, and loads of crazy stories that can teach us so much about life. Just from reading a page, one can gain so much knowledge. I am by no means a book person, but I'm so in love and intrigued with the beauty of the bible, not just because I'm a Christian and it's my duty to love the bible, but because it truly is amazing how much reading just one verse in it can affect me.

I'm sure you've all seen the "emergency numbers" thing on some social network with all the verses and when to read them. But I thought I'd share some of my favorite verses that give me encouragement in certain situations:

•Stress
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

•Heartache/Loss
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort 2 Corinthians 1:3

•Hardship
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:18

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9

•Worry
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

•Vanity
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

•Guilt
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Those are just some of the few wonderful verses that can change one's day and one's life. The bible is an amazing thing that I take for granted way to often. My challenge for myself this week is to dive into His word more often and apply it to every part of my life. I hope that you will do the same. Have a blessed week!:)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12