Another Great Question: Words To Live By

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“When you’re in the trenches, what scriptures have carried you through?”

What a wonderful question!  But it would take a lifetime to answer—both my lifetime and yours!  For one thing, God’s Word provides “everything we need for life and godliness” (I Peter 1:3), whether we’re deep in the trenches or singing in the sun.  The Bible is packed, from beginning to end, with words to live by.  And the Holy Spirit individualizes it to each of us.  He knows precisely what words we need at any given time, and He brings them to mind when we need them.  And, as Moses reminds us, “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.” (Deuteronomy 32:47)

With that caveat, here’s a (somewhat random) list of some of the Scriptures I live in:

  • Psalms:  All of them, at one time or another.  But some I call my “walking Psalms,” Psalms I memorized as a child but have re-memorized as an adult, Psalms I sometimes go over on walks or in the middle of the night: Psalms 1, 23, 100, 121, 46, 139, 103, 91, 34.  Food for the soul!
  • A Pattern for Godly Parenting: Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ephesians 6:1-4
  • Parenting Prayers for Wisdom:  James 1:2-5; II Chronicles 20:12; Judges 13:8
  • Encouragement: Philippians—all of it, but especially 1:6 and chapters 3-4
  • Worth and Value as a Woman:  Isaiah 43:1-7; Zephaniah 3:17
  • Hope for the Future (and when I’m missing my mom): John 14:1-6; Revelation 21:1-5; I Corinthians 15 (all of it—but especially vv. 51-58); I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Believe me, this is only a start—the smallest beginning.  As I said, it’s a lifetime question.  Stay tuned...  And in the meantime, maybe some of you would share some of the scriptures you live in.  I’d love to hear from you!

Two final thoughts (final for now):

  1. A Daily Tip: Most days, I read Daily Light, along with my other readings for the day.   Here’s why: The compiled verses on a given topic often remind me of passages I’ve not visited in a while.  When a verse jumps out at me, I look it up in context.  It often leads me to wonderful places in God’s Word where I’ve not been recently.
  2. When you’re really hitting the bottom: Remember God’s lifeline promise that the Holy Spirit prays for us in “groans that words cannot express” when we cannot pray for ourselves (See Romans 8:26-27). Thank you Jesus!