From the time I realized that there was a God and He cared for me, I have found certain passages seem to be leading my decisions about the course of my life. Following is what I would consider the most important scriptures in shaping my life’s course.
John 3:16 ” For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This verse is probably the most important verse a child can come to know. It not only says “I love you”, it also illustrates proof. Here is the life of my son given in your stead. You matter. You are worth it. Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. As a teenager, I found myself listening to the challenging messages of the church but not experiencing the power to accomplish or overcome the everyday temptations and doubts that most teens experience. I always felt that there was more to life than what I was finding. The “Jesus Movement” brought to me and other young people the “complete gospel”. I learned that God is not contained in a box; that the power of the Apostles is just as real today as in the first century. I also learned that the infilling of the Holy Spirit is not just a phrase used for baptism or confirmation but is a real Pentecostal power to all who believe and are willing to follow God’s direction and discipline for life. Exodus 21: 1-6 “Now these are the judgments that thou shalt set before them. If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master has given him a wife and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever. ” When I met and married my husband, neither of us was living the fullness of life we knew God had for us. As we grew together in our marriage, we also grew in our spiritual lives. One of the promises I made to my husband was that I would follow him anywhere but I would not be left behind. When we felt God’s calling to follow Him in discipleship and ministry, this passage about Bond Slave/Love Slave became our spiritual bulwark. The entrance fee into ministry is suffering and we certainly had our share. However, God bought us with a price and the rewards were overwhelming in the blessings we received in our marriage, in our children, and in our lives. 1st Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” This passage was brought to our attention by a dear friend who had traveled from Auckland, New Zealand to minister in our city. He had come to our home for dinner and after the meal it was his custom at home to read a passage to his children. This simple verse was to us as a word from God. We were going through a rough time and this passage encouraged us that we were on the right path that God had led us to. Psalms 51: 10-13 This passage was first introduced to my consciousness paraphrased as a song. It is the cry of King David to God “asking for a heart that is pure and pleasing ; worthy of God’s grace and mercy. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a right spirit within me.” How often I have asked God for mercy and forgiveness. “Cast me not away from thy presence and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me.” Do not take the power of God’s love that has sustained me and been my life blood. The restoration request of the subsequent verses and the renewed promise and rededication of David to teach others is a constant reminder of God’s longsuffering and covenant with me and all who take his word to heart.
These passages have brought comfort and sustenance to my spirit and my soul for almost six decades. Perhaps they will bring God’s blessings to others as well.
Works cited were taken from the King James Version Bible.
Psalms 51:10-13 was paraphrased from a song based on New American Standard Bible