Here are the verses that were shared with my family in the month of February:
Proverbs 20:11 (NET) "even a young person is known by his/her actions whether his/her activity is pure and whether it is right."
Proverbs 28:20+25 (NET) "a faithful person will have an abundance of blessings...the one who trusts in the LORD will prosper."
Philippians 2:3-5 (NET) "Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ had."
Philippians 4:6-7 (NET) "Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Hebrews 3:13 (NET) We need to "exhort one another each day...that none of you may become hardened by sin's deception."
James 1:22+25 (NET) "But be sure you love out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves...(the) one who lives it out - he will be blessed in what he does."
When we go through trials, we do have the Lord to help us through them, Jonah realized this when he was in the great fish. Jonah 2:8-9 (NET) says, "Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs... Salvation belongs to the LORD."
3 John verse 4 (NET) states, "I have no greater joy that this; to hear that my children are living according to the truth." This is the desire that mom and I have for all of you in life!!!
In Jude verse 3, Jude is encouraging us to be vigilant in our faith. He writes, "I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith." (NET)
How about a few familiar verses that Paul wrote to Timothy. Because Timothy was a younger person, he challenged him in 1 Timothy 4:12 (NET) "Let no man look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity." 2 Timothy 2:15 (NET) "Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately."
Kids - As Paul was providing guidance to the folks at Thessalonika, we are also "exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory" (1 Thessalonians 2:12 NET) and that you "hold fast to what is good (and) stay away from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NET).
Colossians 3:23 (NET) "Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people."
Ephesians 4:29+32 (NET) "You must let no unwholesome word come our of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need...be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you." Let's make sure that our words are building each other up!
Galatians 6:10 (NET) "So, then whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith." We should always be alert to the needs of fellow Christians - and help them when we can.
Psalm 11:7 (NET) - "Certainly the LORD is just; he rewards godly deeds; the upright will experience his favor."
Before Nehemiah asked permission of the king to begin his project to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, he prayed, "Please, O Lord, listen attentively to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me in the presence of this man." (Nehemiah 1:11 NET) Let's always pray that the Lord would grant us success today!
After the wall project was completed, the people of Israel rededicated themselves - beginning with daily Bible reading, Nehemiah 8:18 (NET) "Ezra read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last." Verse 3 states, "he read it from dawn till noon before the men and women and those children who could understand. All the people were eager to hear the book of the law." Are we eager to spend a few minutes every day in God's Word?
As Ezra was trying to rebuild Jerusalem, many of the people in the land had sinned - and they were reaping the consequences. Ezra 9:13 (NET) "Everything that has happened to us had come about because of our wicked actions and our guilt." Let's make sure that we always do what is right to make sure we don't receive negative consequences!
