I’m going through a difficult struggle right now. My focus has been to fight the fight of faith daily. To that end, I made a half-page “cheatsheet” of verses that remind just who this God is that I am waiting on. He can be trusted (Word doc, pdf). I have printed it out a few times and keep it in handy places.
This has been a hard (can I say horrible?) summer for friends as well.
Our friend Martha’s sister was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She has four children and is five months pregnant. Her mother died from the same disease.
Dear friends Craig and Colleen had a 5-month ultrasound a few days ago and learned that their baby is severely deformed and likely will not survive long after birth.
Julie, who was on an IBEX summer program with me a couple of years ago, has been prevented from going to the missions field by a debiliating but undiagnosed disease. She is younger than me, but sometimes she cannot even get out of bed. Her faith in hard times is very strong, as evidenced by her new blog, A Time to Laugh.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Without verses like this, I would despair.
Thank God for his Word. How futile life would be without it!
Thanks for the terrific list of verses, Todd! I just searched for some verses that say life will be nothing but pleasure guaranteed for everyone–an easy ride with 100% happiness & joy. Alas! All I came up with were strange sayings about “gold tried in fire” (Zec 13:9, 1Pet 1:7), whatever that means…
Isaiah 43:2 helps me: “When you pass though the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” then part a of verse 3: “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”