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Mathew 14:23-33 "But Jesus immediately said to them : Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid. " Mathew 14:27. One night, Peter and the other disciples were sailing across the Sea of Galilee when a strong storm arose. All of a sudden, Jesus showed up walking on water! This took the disciples by surprise. He reassured them - "Take courage ! It is I. Don't be afraid. " Peter impulsively asked Jesus if he could join Him, and stepped out of the boat, and walked towards Jesus. But he soon lost focus, became aware of the dangerous and humanly impossible circumstances he was in, and started sinking. He cried out, "Lord, save me! ", and Jesus rescued him. Like Peter, we can learn that Jesus is with us, even in the storms of life.

Isaiah 41:8-13 "I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10. God promised, over and over, that He's with us, that He'll give us strength, and that He'll accomplish His purposes in our lives. That's the message He spoke to the Israelites through Isaiah, "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. " According to Isaiah, the foundation for hope is God's character. Knowing God's goodness allows us to release our grip on fear so we can cling to the Father, and His promise that He will provide what we need each day - strength, help, and God's comforting, empowering, and upholding presence.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 "We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts." 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Whose approval do we seek? For Paul, there was but one answer. He wrote, "We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. " What does it mean to seek God's approval? At the very least, it involves two things, turning from the desire for the approval of others and allowing His Spirit to make us more like Christ, the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. As we yield to His perfect purposes in us and through us, we can anticipate a day when we will experience the smile of His approval, the approval of the One who matters most.

Living Sacrifice. "I urge you... in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. " Romans 12-2 Paul's letter to the church at Rome urged Christians to be "a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12-2). He hoped they would extend Christ 's sacrificial love to each other. And he asked them not to think of themselves more highly than they should. When they fell into disagreements and division, he called them to lay down their pride, because "in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others ". He yearned that they would show each other sacrificial love.

(God) comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any troubles with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4 Lord, help me to keep trusting in You in the midst of trouble, knowing that I can tap Your unlimited comfort and share it with others.

Galatians 6:7-10 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up". Doing good is difficult, especially when we don't see or know what the "harvest " will be. Not all rewards are immediate or visible.

Psalm 39:1-7 But now, Lord what do I look for? My hope is in you. " Psalm 39-7 David 's broken spirit caused him to reflect : "Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days, let me know how fleeting my life is". Amid his renewed focus, David didn't despair. He had nowhere else to turn. "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you ". David would survive this personal battle and go on to serve God. Father, our hope is in You. We are in the best place we can imagine when we go to God in prayer.

1 Peter 2:1-10 "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation... that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. " 1 Peter 2:9 This is not an image of the privileged few, but the ransomed many from "every tribe and language and people and nation " (Revelation 5-9). Today we are scattered across the globe, where many feel isolated and suffer for their allegiance to Jesus. But through the lens of God's word we see the wide shot of our brothers and sisters in faith standing together to honour the One who redeemed us and made us His own. We join together in praise to the One who brought us out of the darkness and into the light.

Job 12:13-25 "To God belong wisdom and power, counsel and understanding are his. " Job 12:13 We won't always understand why we are going through trials. This was certainly the case for Job, who faced horrendous and unexplainable suffering and loss. Yet despite his many questions, in Job 12 he declares that God is mighty : "what he tears down cannot be rebuilt " and "to him belong strength and insight ". "He makes nations great, and destroys them". "Throughout this extensive list, Job doesn't mention God's motives or why He allows pain and suffering. Job doesn't have the answers. But still despite everything, he confidently says, "to God belong wisdom and power, counsel and understanding are his. " We may not understand why God allows certain struggles in our lives, but we can put our trust in Him. The Lord loves us and has us in His hands.

Acts 16: 25-34 At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. Acts 16:26 After being thrown into prison, Paul and Silas reacted by "praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose ". After seeing this awesome demonstration of power, the jailer believed in the God of Paul and Silas, and his whole family was baptized along with him. Through the avenue of praise, both physical and spiritual chains were broken that night. We may not always experience a visibly dramatic rescue like Paul and Silas. But we know that God responds to the praises of His people. When He moves, chains fall apart.

Psalm 59:1,14-17 I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love, for you are my fortress. Psalm 59:16 David sang when Saul sent night-time assassins to kill him. His use of music wasn't a signal, rather, it was his song of gratitude to God his refuge. David rejoiced, "I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love, for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. " Such singing insn't "whistling in the dark " during danger. Instead, David 's singing conveyed his trust in almighty God. "You, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. " David 's praise offer an invitation to bless God today with our singing, making melody to Him despite the worries of life. His loving presence will respond, strengthening our hearts.

Jonah 4 "Whatever you do, whether in word or dead, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God. " Colossians 3:17 Sometimes God answers our prayers not by giving us what we want but by challenging us to change. When Jonah was angry because God spared the wicked city of Nineveh from destruction, God caused a plant to shade him from the sun. Then He made it wither. When Jonah complained, God answered, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant ? Jonah focused only on himself. But God challenged him to think about others and have compassion. God sometimes uses our prayers in unexpected ways to help us learn and grow. It's a change we can welcome with open hearts because He wants to transform us with His love.

Ezekiel 2:4-3:3 So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. Ezekiel 3:3 God commanded Ezekiel to swallow a bitter pill - a scroll containing words of lament and woe. He was "to fill (his) stomach with it" and share the words with the people of Israel, whom God considered "obstinate and stubborn ". One would expect a scroll filled with correction to taste like a bitter pill. Yet Ezekiel describes it being "as sweet as honey " in his mouth. Ezekiel seems to have acquired a taste for God's correction. Instead of viewing His rebuke as something to avoid, Ezekiel recognized that what is good for the soul is "sweet ". God instructs and corrects us with loving kindness, helping us live in a way that honours and pleases Him. Some truths are bitter pills to swallow while others taste sweet. If we remember how much God loves us, His truth will taste more like honey. His words are given to us for our good, providing wisdom and strength ...

2 Corinthians 2:17-3:6 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, and read by everyone. 2 Corinthians 3:2 Paul didn't require a letter of recommendation when he spoke to the church in Corinth - they knew him. In his second letter to that church, Paul wrote that he preached the gospel out of sincerity, not for personal gain. But then he wondered if his readers would think that in defending his motives in preaching, he was trying to write a letter of recommendation for himself. He didn't need a letter, he said, because the people in the church of Corinth were themselves like letters of recommendation. The visible work of Christ in their lives was like a letter "written not ink but with the Spirit of the living God. " Their lives testified to the true gospel Paul had preached to them - their lives were letters of reference that could be "known and read by everyone ". As we follow Jesus, this becomes true of us too - our lives tell the story of the ...

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 You help us by your prayers. 2 Corinthians 1:11 Our heavenly Father is delighted when His children ask Him with a common request. It's like a family gathering where they're united in purpose, sharing a common burden. Paul acknowledges how God helped him through the prayers of others during a time of severe suffering : "He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers ". God has chosen to use our prayers - especially our prayers together - to accomplish His work in the world. The verse continues : "Then many will give thanks... answer to the prayers of many ". Let's pray together so we can rejoice together in God's goodness. Our loving Father is waiting for us to come to Him so He can work through us in ways that reach far beyond anything we could ever imagine.

John 4:4-14 Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. John 7:37 Jesus referred to "living water " in John to a continual source of refreshment. Tired and thirsty, Jesus had asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. This request led to a conversation in which Jesus offered the woman "living water "- water that would become a source of life and hope, "a spring of water welling up to eternal life ". We discover what this living water is later in John, when Jesus said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink ", declaring that whoever believed in Him would have "rivers of living water from within them. " John explains, "By this he meant Spirit ". Through the Spirit, believers are united to Christ and have access to the boundless power, hope, and joy found in God. Like living water, the Spirit lives inside believers, refreshing and renewing us.

1 Samuel 16:1-7 People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 When Samuel saw the tall, handsome Eliab, he thought, "surely the Lord 's anointed stands here before the Lord ". However, God's strategy to select a king was much different than Samuel's. In fact, God said no to each of Jesse's sons, except the youngest one. Selecting David as king was definitely not a strategic move from God's part, or so it seemed at first. What would a young shepherd have to offer his community, let alone his country? It's comforting to know that the Lord knows our hearts and has His plans for us.

Psalm 39:1-13 My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7. In Psalm 39, David talks about his own suffering and says, "Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days, let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth, the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. " Life is short. Even if we live to see a century, our earthly life is but a drop in all of time. We can trust that our lives do have meaning. Though our bodies waste away, as believers we have confidence that "inwardly we are being renewed day by day ", and we will enjoy eternal life, one day, with Him. We know this because God "has given us the Spirit ... guaranteeing what is to come "!

Colossians 3:12-17 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Colossians 3:15 In these verses, Paul was writing to a church he'd never visited but had heard about from his friend Epaphras. He was concerned that as they encountered false teaching, they were losing the peace of Christ. But instead of admonishing them, Paul encouraged them to trust Jesus, who would give them assurance and hope. We all will encounter times when we can choose to embrace or refuse the rule of Christ's peace in our hearts. As we turn to Him, asking Jesus to dwell in us, He will gently release us from the anxiety and cares that weigh us down. As we seek His peace, we trust that He will meet us with His love.

Romans 8:31-39 If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 In his letter to the believers in Rome, Paul expressed complete confidence in the reality of God's love regardless of circumstances. He asked with boldness, "If God is for us, who can be against us? " If God gave His own Son, Jesus, to save us, then He will provide everything we need to finish this life well. Paul listed seven unbearable situations that he himself faced : trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and the sword. He didn't say that Christ's love would stop bad things from happening. But Paul said that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. " Through the uncertainty of this world, God can be trusted completely, knowing that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

1 Chronicles 29:6-16 "The earth is the Lord's , and everything in it." Psalm 24-1 When King David received offering from the people of Israel for building the temple in Jerusalem, he prayed, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. " "...all of it belongs to you ". In Deuteronomy 8:18 - even "the ability to produce wealth " and earn a living come from Him. Understanding that all we have is borrowed, encourages us to loosen our grip on the stuff of this world and live with open hands and hearts - sharing freely because we are thankful for the kindness we receive daily. Our God is a generous giver, so loving that He even gave up His Son "for us all " . Because, we have been given so much, may we give Him our heartfelt thanks for blessings small and large.

Genesis 39:6-12, 20-23 While Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him. Genesis 39:20-21 In the account from Genesis 37 , Joseph had no idea what would happen to him after he was mercilessly sold by his brothers to the merchants who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar. He found himself in a culture surrounded by people who believed in many gods. To make things worse, he was falsely accused, leading to his being sent to the prison. Yet God did not abandon him. Not only was He with Joseph, but He "gave him success in everything he did " and even "showed him kindness and granted him favor " with those in authority. Imagine the fear Joseph must have felt. But he remained faithful and kept his integrity. God was with Joseph in his difficult journeys, as Joseph walked in faith, trusting He sees, and He knows

Isaiah 49:8-16 I will not forget you ! Isaiah 49:15 There are certain things that can never be forgotten. But God's love for His children is far more deeply imprinted than any of our fading memories. This is what the Israelites needed to hear when they felt abandoned by Him. His response through Isaiah was unequivocal, "I will not forget you! " God's promise to care for His people was more certain than a mother's love for her child. To assure them of His unchanging love , He gave them a picture of His commitment, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands ". It's a beautiful image of God's constant awareness of His children. Still today, we can easily feel overlooked and forgotten. How comforting to think that we're "etched " on God's hands, and always remembered, cared for, and loved by our Father.