Psalm 25:1-2 NLT 'O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.' Like all idioms, the phrase “to give one’s life to” carries a meaning far deeper than the phrase initially...
Ruth 1:16 NLT But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” I have ditched God occasionally, drawn by some distrac...
Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT 'Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.' I quote this verse far too often, to myself, but also to family and friends. Quoting...
Luke 9:23-24 NLT Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sak...
John 6:26-27 NLT Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life...
Matthew 4:18-20 NLT One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers – Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew…Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left...
Psalm 134:1-2 NLT 'Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord. Lift your hands toward the sanctuary, and praise the Lord.' Once I’ve entered my day, time appears to rush by. Pursuing my rhythm...
Psalm 131:2 NLT 'Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.' In a noisy world, one of the greatest challenges we face is finding space for...
Psalm 130:5-6 NLT 'I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn...' What is your first thought, when you wak...
Ephesians 4:21-23 NLT 'Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thought...
Ephesians 4:16 NLT 'He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.' The wonderful truth is that we are not born to...
Ephesians 4:15 NLT 'Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.' Speaking the truth can prove daunting. It’s often easier to modify what we say to save ourselves a...
Ephesians 4:14 NLT 'Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.' In the Orato...
Revelation 3:20 NLT 'Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.' One day last winter I became distracted by a background sound, which while not loud, was...
Psalm 37:3-5 NLT 'Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.' I don’t t...
