15 Verses to Give You Peace & Strength

The best kind of peace comes from Jesus. Relaxation techniques definitely help, but nothing is as lasting or strong as peace that comes from your faith. These verses are perfect for renewing your faith and giving you strength. 

1. Psalm 29:11

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace."

2. Isaiah 26:3

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

3. John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

4. John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

5. Philippians 4:6-7

 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

6. Psalm 119:165

"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."

7. Isaiah 9:6

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

8. Isaiah 54:10

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

9. Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

10. Romans 15:13

"May the 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."

11. Colossians 3:15

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

12. Psalm 46:1

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

13. Isaiah 41:10

"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."

14. Psalm 27:1

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"

15. 2 Timothy 1:7

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

What verses give you comfort?

5 Minute DIY Gift: Paint Chip Bookmark

I love quick DIY gifts. It's special to be able to personalize a gift, and crafting is always enjoyable. When I'm running low on time or I want a cute addition to a gift, a 5 minute DIY is the perfect solution. That's where the paint chip bookmark comes in.  I can't resist picking up a few paint chips in gorgeous colors whenever I'm in a hardware store (which isn't very often if I can help it—I'd rather be in Target). So, I have a stash of paint chips, usually in calming blue and green hues. I also have some satin royal blue ribbon that has been begging to be used in a DIY for years. Through this craft, I finally found the perfect way to use it. I also added a verse to the bookmark for an extra touch. 

Here are the steps to making your own paint chip bookmark:

1. Pick up a paint chip in the color of your choice. You can use one with multiple colors or a single color. I chose a narrow, long bookmark since it will fit in small books as well as larger ones.
2. Find a coordinating ribbon and cut off a piece that is about the length of the paint chip. Additionally, you can cut a triangle out of the end (so that it has the same shape as a snake's tongue) to give it a little flair like the bookmark I made.
3. Use hot glue to secure the ribbon to the bookmark. Put the hot glue at the top of the back side of the paint chip and attach the ribbon.
4. Write a verse or quote on the front of the paint chip.

Now, you'll have a quick, thoughtful gift on hand to give to anyone who loves reading (or does a lot of studying). What type of quick DIY ideas do you enjoy doing?

Fear Not - A Post on Isaiah 41:13

Fear Not

A number of years ago, when our family was going through a particularly rough time, Olivia would encourage and comfort me with verses. She would email verses to me. She would write verses on cards. She would paint canvases with beautiful, comforting scripture. One treasure she gave me was a square of baked salt dough and on it she painted “For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’ Isaiah 41:13”

That gift has lifted my spirits many times over the years. The beautiful, warped and cracked salt dough. The precious, uneven edges. Isn’t that like us, followers of Christ? His word, his unfathomable spirit, in our broken vessels. A thing – no, a person, of inestimable worth in this jar of clay. When I look at this square made from material that probably only cost 10 cents, I see a treasure of immeasurable worth. The word of God. That is what our heavenly father sees when he looks at us. We may be broken vessels, but he sees the magnificent glory of his son. Praise God!

One of my 17 year-old sons was on my mind all day yesterday. He had gone on a short road trip with a friend, and I couldn’t shake my concern. I prayed throughout the entire day. I had to discipline myself to turn my chanting prayers of, “Lord, please protect him. Lord, please protect him,” into “Lord, thank you for protecting him.” Then last night, as Olivia and I walked down the dark driveway to leave Bible study, her cell phone rang. My phone was off, so when she said, “It’s dad,” my heart dropped to the cold, hard concrete. I could hear the serious tone in his voice when he said to her, “Let me talk to your mom.” Fearing the worst, I started shaking even before I said “hello.” My son had gotten into a car accident.
Praise God, my son was not hurt. Praise God. It could have been so much worse. I am weak with gratitude to my Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. He heard my prayers. He watched over my son.

When I decided to have children twenty years ago, I didn’t realize I would be giving birth to my own heart; that for the rest of my life, my heart would be walking around in these three precious lives in a scary, unpredictable world. I am continually teetering between my faith and trust in the Lord with my desire to protect my children from harm and the uncertainty of life.

This morning, with reawakened gratitude to the Lord for his love and protection, I once again walked by that salt dough plaque and read, “ For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’”
My thankful heart overflows.

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Verses about Angels, God's Protection, and Strength

Knowing that God is my protector and refuge gives me so much comfort. What's cool is that one of the ways He provides that protection is through His angels. Here are a couple of really awesome verses about the way angels help believers:

"God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray." Psalm 34:7, The Message

"Yes, because God's your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can't get close to you, harm can't get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling." Psalm 91: 9-12​, The Message

​Isn't that so cool that their job is to help us? I also like how the second verse says that God is our home. I'm doing Beth Moore's Children of the Day Bible study right now, and she writes that we are just living here on earth temporarily, and that believers are really citizens of heaven. To me, that explains why God is the only thing that can truly satisfy us. I wasn't made for this broken world! And neither were you. That reminds me of this verse:

"Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works." Psalm 73: 23-26, 28​ (emphasis added by me) 

I also like how, in this last verse, the speaker says that he has found refuge in God and will tell people about what God has done for him. It's easy for me to be timid about telling people about God's work in my life and His Gospel, but God will guide me and be my strength. When I'm focusing on Him, I don't care so much about the excuses that keep me from boldly telling others about Him.

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."
2 Timothy 1:7

Livi

What verses have spoken to you lately?

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