Romans 5.1 NLT 'Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.' Everyone will agree that it is desirable to find inner peace. Go along to any...
Romans 4.20 NLT 'Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.' Paul is absolutely clear that faith is all important for those who want to be put right with God an...
Romans 3:29-30 'After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.' The apostle...
Romans 1:20 'For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly seehis invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.'...
Romans 1:17 'This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.' I once heard about a group of rowdy young people who had too much time on their hands and decided that it would be...
Romans 1:16 'I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile.' We are told that the apostle Paul had a particularly unimpressive appearance. A...
Romans 1.9 NLT 'God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.' Prayer is a blessing in every way. It is the way in w...
Romans 1.7 NLT 'I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.' Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is sometimes described as the Gospel according to Paul. It’s not a bad description because ...
Psalm 88.1-3 NLT 'O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near.' This is possibly the saddest of all the psalms. The ...
Psalm 86.11 NLT 'Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!' I wonder what your school teachers were like. I suspect that we all had a wide range experiences. I reflect on my own teachers. Some of them were strict, o...
Psalm 86.8 NLT 'No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do!' There have always been lots of gods on offer. A god is anything that calls for our commitment and devotion and in every age there has been a colourful variety of opti...
Psalm 86.5 NLT 'O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.' I am sorry to remind you of this but, sooner or later, everything breaks down. Whether you are thinking of your health, ca...
Psalm 86.1 NLT 'Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.' Finding peace and purpose in our lives is something that we all want, and the first step to achieving it is recognising that we need God’s help. David, t...
Psalm 85.8 NLT 'I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people.' Listening is crucial to every part of life. But that doesn’t mean that it is a simple process. It requires a huge amount of though...
Psalm 84.10 NLT 'A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.' I wonder if you’ve ever experienced home sickness...
