The majority of people on earth believe there is a God
A PATIENT ONCE ASKED, “WHAT WOULD BE GAINED IF I SAID ‘YES’ TO GOD?
Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC
The man was pondering Christ’s words, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him.”
Within the past two years, I have been memorizing many of my favorite passages of Biblical Scripture. Now, after having memorized a significant number of passages, I clearly see the gains I have experienced from taking Scripture more seriously than ever.
For sure, the results of responding to Christ’s knock on the door of my heart at age eight, answering, “Come in, Lord Jesus,” has brought a life more surely filled with meaning and purpose.
In the writing below, am extending a number of Scripture passages that amazingly lift my soul during times of uncertainty, pain of various sorts . . . and particularly when the world seems “hard to take.” Reading these will no doubt show the vastness of what can come for a person who takes the message of the Bible seriously. Without a doubt doing so creates a new identity which Scripture calls “born again.”
Specific gains promised within each verse are capitalized and centered above each passage, making these clearly apparent.
LIFE BECOMES BLESSED
Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
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DWELLING IN SAFETY;
SHELTERED ALL DAY LONG;
Deuteronomy 33:12
. . . “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”
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ABILITY TO LET GO FEAR AND NOT BE DISMAYED
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, nor be dismayed.
For, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
***
FREEDOM FROM WANT, RIGHT LIVING, RESTORATION OF ONE’S SOUL
NO FEAR OF DEATH
CONTINUAL COMPANIONSHIP WITH THE LORD
GUIDANCE, PROVISION. COMFORT
ANNOINTING, JOY
GOODNESS AND MERCY
A KEEN KNOWING THAT LIFE AFTER DEATH IS AHEAD
Psalm 23: 1-6
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
***
A STALWART, DETERMINED HEART
STRENGTH,
ACCEPTANCE
Psalm 19:14,
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
***
DELIVERANCE FROM LIFE’S AFFLICTIONS AS THESE COME AND GO
Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
***
A TRIUMPHANT WALK WITH GOD
Isaiah 50:7 (NewLiving Bible translation)
7 Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do His will, and I know that I will triumph.
***
REACHING OUR HEART’S DESIRES
TRUST
REST
Psalm 37: 4-7
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
***
KNOWING THE EVERLASTING ARMS OF GOD ARE THERE
TO CATCH ME EACH TIME I FALL
TRUST
Psalm 91:1-2
He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
***
TAUGHT OF THE LORD
Psalm 119:10-12, Psalm 119:16, Psalm 119:32
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
***
DELIGHT
STRENGTH IN MEMORY
Psalm 119:32, Verse 16
I will delight myself in your statues; I will not forget Your Word.
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ABILITY TO KEEP GOD’S COMMANDMENTS
AN EXPANDED HEART
Psalm 119:32
I will run the course of Your commandments, for you have enlarged my heart.
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A PLACE TO HIDE
SHIELDED FROM HARM
HOPE
Psalm 119:114
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
***
SAFETY
Proverbs. 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
***
FORGIVENESS FOR BEHAVIOR WE REGRET
Isaiah 1:18-19
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land . . .”
[T IF YOU REFUSE AND REBEL . . . WELL,
LET’S JUST SAY THINGS AREN’T GOING TO GO SO WELL . . .]
***
PERFECT PEACE
Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
***
BELONGINGNESS NEEDS ARE MET
Isaiah 43: 1
“Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine . . .
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FORTITUDE
ABILITY TO BE A SURVIVOR
Isaiah 43, verse 2-3a
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . .
***
KNOWING OUR SOULS ARE PRECIOUS
RECONIZING THAT WE ARE HONORED AND LOVED
Isaiah 43, verse 4a, 5
. . . since you were precious in my sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you . . .Fear, not for I am with you.
***
FOUND BY GOD
TAUGHT HOW TO PRAY
BROUGHT BACK FROM THE BURDEN SIN BRINGS
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity….”
***
HEALING FROM LIFE’S WOUNDS
HAVING A HEALTHY SOUL
Jeremiah 30:17
I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord…
***
REST FROM HEAVINESS
ABILITY TO LET GO THE BURDENS OF LIFE
Matthew 11:28-29
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
***
TRUTH ABOUT WHO THE LORD IS
AND HIS PLAN BECOMES CLEAR
WE GAIN THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD
John 1: 1-5, 10-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His [a]own, and His [b]own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [c]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
***
INHERITANCE: HEIRS AS GOD’S CHILDREN
COMING TO KNOW FATHER GOD
Galatians 4, 6-7
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
***
ETERNAL LIFE:
DEATH CANNOT HOLD GOD’S CHILDREN IN THE GRAVE
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
***
NO FEAR OF DEATH
PROMISE OF HEAVEN
John 14:1-6
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
***
NO CONDEMNATION: SINS OF THE PAST ARE COVERED BY THE
FORGIVNESS OF CHRIST
BECOMING ABLE TO WALK IN TRUTH WITH A PURE SPIRIT
Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
***
SUFFERING UNDERSTOOD
”GLORY” SHALL BE REVEALED
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
***
EVEN MY MISTAKES WILL BE TURNED TO GOOD
AS MY “WALK” IS COMMITTED TO GOD
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose.
***
POWER
A STRONG MIND—FILLED WITH GOD’S TRUTH THAT DISSPELLS FEARS
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
***
PATIENCE
LACKING NOTHING, COMPLETE
WISDOM FROM GOD
FAITH
KNOWING GOD HEARS MY PRAYERS
PROFITING FROM TRIALS
James 1:2-7
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
***
UNDERSTANDING AS GOD’S PLAN UNFOLDS
SEE GOD AS TRUSTWORTHY AND LONGSUFFERING
ABLITY TO TRUST THAT GOD HOLDS THE FUTURE
UNDERSTANDING AS GOD’S PLAN UNFOLDS
SEE GOD AS TRUSTWORTHY AND LONGSUFFERING
ABLITY TO TRUST THAT GOD HOLDS THE FUTURE
Revelations 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
[1] C.S. Lewis calls the incarnation of God the Son the “central miracle” of Christianity. He is right. The redemption, restoration, re-creation, and reconciliation of sinners—and all of creation besides—depends entirely on the supreme fact that God, without ever ceasing to be fully who he is, became fully who we are in and as Christ Jesus. Why did God do this? Why is it, in other words, that the “Word became flesh”? The principal reason underlying all the other magnificent reasons that God the Son united himself to our humanity is this: that by the Holy Spirit we may be united to Christ and so enjoy his fellowship with the Father forever. This is eternal life (John 17:3). Taken as a quote from: https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-union-with-christ/
[1] All but one passage is from The New King James Version extended below are both or clarity of the Bible. Yet, Isaiah 50:7, is from the New Living Bible translation.
Prepared by Chaplain Joy Lepage Smith, MA, BCC
PLEASE NOTE; There are many helps on the above website,. These are free for using and coping for sharing. My hope is that people can live more abundantly through the truth Scripture extends . . . as life becomes rich when peace and joy rule instead of alarm, dread and fear.
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