The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
As some understand slowness.
Instead,
He is patient with you,
Not wanting anyone to perish,
But everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3.
9 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
But to save the world through him.
John 3.
16-17 In the beginning was the Word,
And the Word was with God,
And the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made.
Without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life,
And that life was the light of all mankind.
The light shines in the darkness,
And the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1.
1-5 Don't you see how wonderfully kind,
Tolerant,
And patient God is with you?
Does this mean nothing to you?
Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Romans 2.
4 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.
There is no regret for that kind of sorrow.
But worldly sorrow,
Which lacks repentance,
Results in spiritual death.
2 Corinthians 7.
10 You did not choose me,
But I chose you and appointed you,
So that you might go and bear fruit,
Fruit that will last,
And so that whatever you ask in my name,
The Father will give you.
John 15.
16 Therefore,
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Because through Christ Jesus,
The law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,
God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.
And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us,
Who do not live according to the flesh,
But according to the Spirit.
Romans 8.
1-4 In the same way,
The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for,
But the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,
Because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
Who have been called according to his purpose.
For those God foreknew,
He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
That he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined,
He also called.
Those he called,
He also justified.
Those he justified,
He also glorified.
What then shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us,
Who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son,
But gave him up for us all,
How will he not also,
Along with him,
Graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies.
Who then is the one who condemns?
No one.
Christ Jesus who died,
More than that,
Who was raised to life,
Is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written,
For your sake we face death all day long.
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
No,
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons,
Neither the present nor the future,
Nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth,
Nor anything else in all creation,
Will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8 26-39 When I think of all this,
I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
The creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand,
As all God's people should,
How wide,
How long,
How high and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ,
Though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God who is able,
Through his mighty power at work within us,
To accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations,
Forever and ever.
Amen.
Ephesians 3 14-21 Truly my soul finds rest in God.
My salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation.
He is my fortress.
I will never be shaken.
Psalm 61 1-2 From the ends of the earth I call to you.
I call as my heart grows faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
A strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever and to take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 62 2-4 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways my ways,
Declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
So is my word that goes out from my mouth.
It will not return to me empty,
But will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace to the mountains and hills.
We'll burst into song before you and the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55 8-12 For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
But of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1-7 Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God.
Believe also in me.
1 Timothy 1-14 Because of God's tender mercy,
The morning light from heaven is about to break upon us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide us to the path of peace.
Luke 1 78-79 You intended to harm me,
But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done,
The saving of many lives.
Genesis 50-20 I took you from the ends of the earth.
From its farthest corners I called you.
I said,
You are my servant.
I have chosen you,
And I have not rejected you.
So do not fear,
For I am with you.
Do not be dismayed,
For I am your God.
I will strengthen you and will help you.
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41-9-10 Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.
Isaiah 49-23 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy.
No shadow of shame will darken their faces.
Psalm 34-5 He has saved us and called us to a holy life,
Not because of anything we have done,
But because of his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.
2 Timothy 1-9 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
In whom we have redemption,
The forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1-13 But you are a chosen people,
A royal priesthood,
A holy nation,
God's special possession,
That you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light,
But to all who believed him and accepted him and gave the right to become children of God.
They are reborn,
Not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan,
But a birth that comes from God.
John 1 12-13 God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
So that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15
