Recently, I wrote three blog articles in which I presented some of my favorite Bible verses, along with the reasons they are so special to me. I called them “A few of my favorite things” after the song from the musical, The Sound of Music. I refrained from singing that refrain (is that an oxymoron, “to refrain from a refrain”?), but did share quite a few of those meaningful verses. I also invited you, the readers, to respond and tell me some of your favorite verses, because with all the wonderful words of Scripture that there are, I could hardly have exhausted or even dented the list of the verses that have affected your lives: words that have given you hope, comfort, encouragement, and faith.
A number of you have responded and shared your favorite verses; it is with gratitude to you, appreciation for your choices, and praise to the divine Author of those verses that I now present:
“These Are a Few of Your Favorite Things”:
- Revelation 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 eat with him, and he with me.” (From Carol E.) This is a great passage in which the risen and glorified Jesus proclaims his desire to be with us; he knocks at the door and anyone who hears and opens will receive him. And the promise is for true fellowship and fulfillment with Christ, symbolized by supping together.
- Matthew 6:33 (KJV) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (From Dave K.) Here Jesus speaks of the things that take up so much of our attention – and worry – things that we need in life: food, drink, and clothing. Jesus says in verses 31 and 32 not to worry, because our heavenly Father knows we need them. Instead, Jesus says we are to seek first God’s kingdom, and he will take care of all those other needs. Our greatest need is God himself; he and his will must be our priority.
- Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (From John K.) These encouraging words come from Paul after he described the unhealthy and destructive results of living according to the sinful flesh – such as idolatry and jealousy. Now he turns to the benefits of living according to the Holy Spirit who resides within the believer. He calls these holier outcomes, “fruit of the Spirit.” Note that the term, fruit, is singular; these attributes are all part of the singular fruit of living according to God’s Spirit: love, joy, peace, etc. all work together in the life of the faithful believer who seeks God’s will. You will note that Paul sets these against the Law because they are not a new Law which Christians must fulfill; they are blessings given to us by God through his Spirit to better our lives and to show his nature toward others. It is the Spirit’s fruit in us, rather than our fruit for God.
- Luke 18:8-14 “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (From John M.) The reader who submitted this said that this passage helps to keep him humble and appreciative of God’s grace. Certainly this was Christ’s intention in teaching this parable, for he told it to those who were proud of their own righteousness while despising those they viewed as inferior to them. This parable emphasizes both God’s desire for our humility before him, and the grace which he gives to those who repent and don’t trust in their own righteousness. (See also Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5)
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (From John M. and John D.) One reader wrote that these verses help him to be thankful and accepting of God’s will. Paul wrote this conclusion at the end of his epistle which instructed the Thessalonians about the coming return of Christ and the resurrection of the saints. In light of those blessed events, what are we to do? Worry? Count the days? Sell everything and live on a mountain top waiting for the end? No, we are to live in the joy and thankfulness which is our privilege as redeemed members of the Body of Christ: to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances.
- Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (From John D.) This is a powerful verse that gives confidence to us believers to face whatever challenges, struggles, or difficulties that may come our way. Our strength to endure these crises, good or bad, comes not from some personal ability that we may or may not have within ourselves, nor from our material resources, nor from any network of human supporters, but from Christ himself. Our confidence is in him, rather than in ourselves. Christ is a greater reality than what we see or feel or hear. By his grace, he gives us power and confidence to face good or bad. As Paul said in the verse just before this declaration, he had endured every situation: “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. His secret? To do everything through Christ who gave him the strength. The same Christ gives us the strength to meet our challenges: not necessarily to always “win” and achieve all of our own selfish goals, but to cope with situations and succeed in doing God’s will.
- John 3:16 (KJV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (From Todd D.) This reader learned his favorite verse in third grade and remembers it “easily to this day.” Certainly this verse is many people’s favorite, not just because it is repeated so often publicly, but primarily because it contains the essence of the Gospel in just one verse. It is known as the Gospel in miniature, the one verse to know to remember or teach about salvation. It includes God, his love and grace; our need of salvation to prevent our perishing; the gift of God’s Son to save us; the call for us to believe (faith, not works); and the destiny of believers, which is eternal life. Hard to say all that more clearly or succinctly than this verse!
- Psalm 119:114 (KJV) “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” (From Diane B.) This favorite verse speaks to God’s protective care of those who belong to him; no matter what comes our way, we can trust in him to protect and deliver us. He can hide us from dangers we don’t even know exist, and he can ward off attacks by the enemy as a shield guards against blows. Ultimately, nothing can snatch us out of God’s hand or separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). What is also special about this verse is the writer’s dependency on the Word of God for his hope. We don’t trust in our own abilities or goodness, nor in the weapons or maneuvers of man; we trust in God alone according to his gracious words of promise. By the way, there is a great song, “You Are My Hiding Place,” by an artist named Selah. You can listen to it online.
- James 4:8 (NIV) “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (From Doug D.) This is another promise verse of Scripture, which reveals God’s desire for us to love him and seek him. It invites us to approach him with confidence, knowing that as we draw closer, he will make himself more known and present to us. But how do we come closer to God? The answer is two-fold: first, through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have access to the Father through forgiveness of our sins and adoption as God’s children; and second, through what is stated in the second half of James 4:8, which reads, “Wash you hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” This calls on us to repent, that is turn away from the sins we do (wash our hands) and change our thoughts and attitudes to be consistent with God’s will and commandments (purify our hearts and minds). As we put off the thoughts and actions of the flesh, our sinful nature and the world around us, we will come closer to God and his will for our lives.
That’s about it for now. Until next time: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Galatians 5 and Philippians 2:5-11
Thank you, Pastor. Another great read!