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Psalm 103 "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits ". Psalm 103:2. Psalm 103 reminds us that "The Lord is compassionate and gracious.... He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. " In our walk of faith, we come to Jesus humbled by our unworthiness. There is no sense of entitlement as we receive His grace, and are overwhelmed by His love. They remind us of "all His benefits".

2 Samuel 22:26-30 "You, Lord, are my lamp, the Lord turns my darkness into light." 2 Samuel 22:29. In this, David mentioned about "darkness" which includes defeat, weakness, and stress. Many of us live with same anxiety, which invites stress and worry. However, when we face "darkness" , we can find peace because we know God is with us.

Psalm 46 "The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress. " Psalm 46:7. It is tempting to rationalize that the presence of trouble means the absence of God. But the truth of scripture counters such view. "The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress, " He is present when our circumstances are unbearable, and we find comfort in Him.

Isaiah 53:1-6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.... " Isaiah 53:6. We stray in several ways, doing what displeases the Lord, hurting others by our conduct, and not spending time with God and in His Word, as we're too "busy " with ourselves. We behave like sheep in the field. But we've the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for us. He carries our sorrows and sins as our shepherd. He calls us to the safe pasture, so that we follow Him closely.

Matthew 27:46 "Jesus cried out in a loud voice,... 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ' ?" As Jesus suffered and died under the burden of our sins, He was suddenly alone, forsaken, isolated, cut off from His relationship with the Father. Yet His suffering in isolation secured for us the promise of the Father, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. " Hebrews 13:5

Luke 23:32-46 "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life.... No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. " John 10:17-18. Even in his final hours, Jesus showed His love for us. He showed it to the mocking soldiers who nailed Him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. " He gave hope to a criminal, crucified with Him, "...today you will be with me in paradise. " Looking at John, He told His mother, "...here is your son ". And, He told to John, "Here is your mother. " Jesus' last act of obedience and love was to trust the Father, "Into your hands I commit my spirit. "

John 1:5, 16:1-11, 33 "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. " John 16:33. Jesus warned His disciples about the trouble they would face. They would be rejected by people, who "...will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. " But Jesus offered words of comfort. We can turn to Him for guidance and comfort.

1 Samuel 17:41-50 "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Almighty,... " 1 Samuel 17:45. When Goliath challenged Israel to engage in battle, no one was willing to fight. King Saul said, "...all the Israelites were... terrified. " However, David said, "This day the Lord will deliver you (Goliath) into my hands,... " David believed in God, and with a single stone he proved his faith. We're tempted to believe that our troubles direct our future, but if we have faith, God dominates, and directs our future.