Bible Verses

About a month after Michael was killed I wrote out this list of verses that I had planned to send in an email to my dad. I found the list today in my Bible and I thought I would list some of the verses that have helped to comfort me since his death -

I Peter 3:17 "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

I Peter 5:7-10 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."

Romans 5:3 "...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."

John 16:20 "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." - - Even if life is difficult now, one day we will rejoice. Keep your eye on the future and God's promises!

Phil 1:6 "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - - I used to tell my brother that I knew God would carry what He started in him to completion but I never expected how God was going to do that in him.

Phil 4:6,7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I Cor 12:26 "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." - - There are so many people who have suffered with me and my family in the months since my brother has died. Even though we are forced to go on about life as if nothing so BIG has happened, we are still hurting and trying to figure out how to keep on keeping on and how to make "sense" of it all. I am so thankful that there are people around me to suffer with me and hurt with me. I am also hurting with my father and mother when they are hurting on the days when they are hurting more than I am.

2 Cor 1:9,10 "Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us" - - During times of suffering, we turn to God and realize our own powerlessness. God is our source of power, and we receive his help by keeping in touch with him. With an attitude of dependence, problems drive us to God. We need to learn to rely on God daily and not just during the worst times of our lives.

Psalm 4:1 "Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer."

Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Psalm 6 "O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail me because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace." - - If we will be honest with God, he will help us turn our attention from ourselves and to him and his mercy.

Psalm 13 - "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me." - - This song by David expresses that he will continue to trust God no matter how long he had to wait for God's justice to be realized. This Psalm reminds me to be patient in God's unfailing love during times of suffering.