Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of a

All the people began sobbing when they heard the commands of the law. Then Ezra, the priest, and I as governor, and the Levites who were assisting me, said to them, "Don't cry on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God - and it is a time to celebrate with a hearty meal, and to send presents to those in need, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. You must not be dejected and sad! And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, "That's

Read 1 Samuel 17: 24-37 - David volunteers to fight Goliath "The Lord who saved me from the claws and teeth of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!" Saul finally consented, "All right, go ahead," he said, "and may the Lord be with you!" ! Samuel 17:37 (TLB) When David saw Goliath, he felt called to fight for the honor of God and God's people. But King Saul doubted him, and David watched as all of the other Israelites ran away in fear. These things could ha

And the Lord replied to Satan, "You may do anything you like with his wealth, but don't harm him physically." So Satan went away; and sure enough, not long afterwards when Job's sons and daughter were dining at the oldest brother's house, tragedy struck. A messenger rushed to Job's home with this news: "your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals and killed all the farmhands except me. I am the only one left

Never envy the Wicked! Soon they fade away like grass and disappear. trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety. Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it and he will. Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noo

So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until sun set. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with t

Read Psalm 61:1-8 - Assurance of God's Protection But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:3 (NRSV) Mark A. Carter is from Oregon. Mark and his wife were both suffering from extended illnesses that had exhausted them physically and financially, with seemingly no end in sight. Struggling constantly to make ends meet, they grew angry and frustrated. But they still read daily the biblical stories of faith, particularly the sto

"If you love me, obey me, and i will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you. No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm - I will come to you. In just a little while I will be gone from the wor

There were at this time a Hebrew fellow and girl of the tribe of Levi who married and had a family, and a baby son was born to them. When the baby's mother saw that he was an unusual beautiful baby, she hid him at home for three months. Then, when she could no longer hide him, she made a little boat from papyrus reeds, waterproofed it with tar, put the baby in it, and laid it among the reeds along the river's edge. The baby's sister watched from a distance to see what would h

For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near? For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. You can safely meet a lion or step on poisonous snakes, yes, even trample them beneath your feet! For the Lord says, "Because he loves me I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts i