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138 Bible verses about joy in adversity
My Christian friends, remember to be happy, even when many kinds of trouble happen to you. Troubles can help you.God wants us to do what is right. But when someone is angry, they do not do those right things.So stop doing disgusting things. Stay away from the wicked things that are all around you. God has put his message deep inside you, and it can save you. So be humble and accept it as a true message.But be careful to do what God says in his message. Do not only listen to it. Do not make that mistake!You must obey God's message. Do not be like a man who quickly looks at his face in a mirror.That man looks at himself, but then he goes away. He immediately forgets what he is really like.So do not just listen to God's message and then forget it. It is a completely good message that makes people free. Look at it carefully and keep it in your mind. Do what it tells you to do. God will bless anyone who lives in that way.Maybe some of you think that you are serving God well. But if you also say bad things about people, you do not serve God well at all. You are doing something bad even when you think you are doing good things.If you want to serve God in a completely good way, do things like this: Help children who have no parents and women who are widows. Help them in their troubles. If you serve God our Father like that, he will be pleased with you. Do not let the bad people in this world make you bad too.God wants to see if you really trust him. Your faith in God will become stronger as a result of these troubles.
We are happy even when we suffer. That is because we know that this helps us to become patient and strong.And when we remain strong, we show that we trust God. When we trust God like that, it causes us to hope for God's help.And when we hope like that, we will not become disappointed. This is because we know that God loves us very much. God has given his Holy Spirit to be with us. The Holy Spirit causes us to know God's love very well.
All this causes you to be very happy, even when you have troubles. For a short time now, different kinds of troubles may make you sad.The purpose of these troubles is to show whether you really trust God. When you believe in Jesus, that is more valuable even than gold. People put gold into a hot fire to see if it is really good. And even gold will come to an end one day. But if you continue to trust God in your troubles, he will be very happy. On the day when Jesus Christ returns and appears to everyone, God will praise you. He will say that you have done well. That will be great!
His anger continues only for a moment, but he is kind to us for our whole life. We may be sad all through the night, but in the morning, we will be happy again.
We know that God helps those people who love him. He uses everything that happens to them to bring something good. He does this for the people that he has chosen to serve him.
Always be happy.Pray at all times.Whatever may happen to you, continue to thank God. God wants you to do that, because you belong to Christ Jesus.
When people went to plant seeds in their fields, they were crying. But they will be happy when they bring in the harvest!People were weeping when they took their bags of seeds to plant. But when they carry their crops back home, they will shout because they are so happy!
In that way, the people in Zion who are sad will become strong again. They will not put ashes on their heads any more. Instead, they will wear beautiful hats. Instead of weeping, they will have olive oil to show their joy. They will not feel upset, but they will sing happy songs to praise God. People will call them ‘Strong trees that show God's righteousness’. They will be like trees that the Lord himself has planted to show how great he is.
So we have learned about many people who trusted God. They are like a very big crowd all around us to show us what is right. We must be like people who run in a race. We must throw away everything that stops us from running well. The sins that we do make us fall down very easily. We must not let those sins rule us. We must continue to be strong as we run the race that God has prepared for us.Our human fathers punished us for a few years. They did this in a way that they thought was good. But God punishes us in a way that will really help us. As a result, we can become completely good, like he is.Punishment never makes us happy at the time when we receive it. No, the pain makes us sad. But later we know that the punishment has taught us good things. It helps us to live in a right way that gives us peace in our minds.So be strong as you serve God! If your hands feel weak, lift them up! If your knees are not strong, stand up straight!Walk straight in front of you, step by step! Your example will help other Christians to serve God well. People who cannot walk well will not fall down. Instead, their legs will become strong again. Do everything that you can to live in peace with all people. Be faithful to the Lord. Nobody will see the Lord unless they are holy.Remember that God is very kind. Nobody should refuse to let God help them. Make sure that nobody among you causes trouble so that people turn against God. A person who is angry against God is like poison. He spoils many other people's lives so that God does not accept them.Make sure that nobody among you has sex in a wrong way. Be careful that nobody is careless about God's rules, like Esau was long ago. He gave away everything that he would have received as his father's firstborn son. He gave it all away so that he could get only one meal.As you know, after that, he still wanted to receive those good things from his father. He wanted his father to bless him. But his father refused to do that. Esau cried very much when he asked his father to bless him. But Esau could not change what he had done. You have come near to God. But you have not come to a place that you can touch, like Mount Sinai. That mountain burned with fire. But where the people stood, it was completely dark. They could not see at all. There was also a very strong wind and a storm.There was the loud sound of a trumpet. There was a powerful voice that spoke to them. When the people heard that voice, they were very afraid. So they asked that the voice would not speak to them any more.As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
Happy are the people who do what is right but other people hurt them because of it. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that.Yes, happy are you when people insult you because you believe in me. Or they may hurt you. Or they may say things about you that are not true.God is preparing many good things for you in heaven. So you should be very happy when people do these bad things to any of you. People did these same bad things to God's prophets who lived long ago.’
But as for me, I will always wait for you to help me. I will continue to praise you more and more.
God rules from heaven with great power. We pray that he will make you strong with every kind of strength. Then, when troubles come, you can still be patient and strong.
If you are happy in life, you will be healthy. But if you are sad and upset, your body will be weak.
When you go through deep water, I will be with you. When you go across dangerous rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, it will not burn you. The flames will not destroy you.
The most important thing is that you continue to live in a good way. Live in the way that the good news about Christ teaches. I want to know that you agree together about the good news. And that you work together to show others that the good news is true. Whether I come to visit you or not, I want to know that you all help one another like that.I also want to know that you are not afraid of the people who speak against you. If you are brave, that will be a sign from God. It will show your enemies that they will lose and you will win. God will punish them, but he will save you.
I ask myself again, ‘Why am I so sad and upset?’ I must wait patiently for God to help me. Then I will praise my God once again, because he is the one who saves me.
That is why we are not afraid to continue our work. Yes, our bodies are getting older and weaker. But our spirits are becoming stronger every day!We have these little troubles that continue for a short time. But as a result, we will receive the great things that God has prepared for us. Those great things are much more important than our little troubles. And God's great things will continue for ever!So we do not look at the things that we can see in this world. Instead, we look at the things that people cannot see. The things that we can see are only here for a short time. But the things that we cannot see will continue for ever.
Come to me all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked for a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find a place to rest.Do what I teach you to do. Listen to my message and learn from me what is true. I am very kind and I do not make myself important. I will help you. Then you will have peace in your mind.They said to him, ‘John wants to know this: Are you the special person that God has promised to send to us? If not, should we look for someone else?’I will not tell you to do things that are too difficult. I will not tell you to carry anything that is too heavy for you.’
But God's Spirit causes us to live in a different way. We love other people. We are happy and we have peace in our minds. We are patient, kind and good. People can trust us to do what is right.We respect other people and we control ourselves properly. God's Spirit helps us to live in that way. There is no law that says these things are wrong.
Be happy, because you can trust God to do what he says. Be patient when you suffer. Always continue to pray.
When someone is happy, their face smiles. But when someone is sad, their spirit hurts.
But when I am afraid, I will trust in you.By God's help, I will praise his word. By God's help, I will trust in him. I will not be afraid. People can do nothing to hurt me!
Now, please use your faithful love to comfort me. That is what you promised to do for me, your servant.
My friends, I know that people are causing you to have bad trouble. It is like a fire that is burning you. Do not be surprised about that. These things are happening to you, to show whether you really trust God. Do not think that something strange is happening to you.Instead, be happy when you have trouble. Remember that Christ also received much trouble and pain. If you suffer like he did, then you will be happy when he returns. At that time, everyone will see how great Christ really is. Then you will be very happy with a great joy.
I was patient while I waited for the Lord to help me. He turned towards me, and he heard me when I called to him.I have not hidden the good news about your justice. I have told everyone that they can trust you, and that you have the power to save. I tell the great meeting of your people about your faithful love.You, Lord, will continue to be kind to me. Please continue to keep me safe, because of your faithful love.There are many dangerous troubles all around me. They are too many to count! My sins are too strong for me. They are more than all the hairs on my head! So I am weak and I cannot see clearly.Lord, please save me! Lord, come quickly to help me!Chase away the people who want to kill me! Cause them to become ashamed and confused. Chase away the people who want to hurt me, so that they run away in shame.When people laugh at me, make them sorry for what they have done.Lord, may those who come to you be very happy, because you have saved them. They should never stop saying, ‘Praise the Lord!’But I am poor and weak, my Lord. Please continue to think about me. You are the one who helps me and who saves me. My God, come quickly to help me!He lifted me out of the deep hole of danger. He picked me up out of the mud. He put my feet on a rock. Then I could walk and not slip.He gave me a new song to sing. It was a song to praise our God. Many people will see what God has done to help me. Then they will respect and obey him. Yes, they will trust in the Lord.
But people who wait for the Lord to help them will receive new strength. They will rise up high, as if they have the wings of eagles. They will run and they will not become tired. They will walk and they will not become weak.
Is anyone among you in trouble? Then they should pray to God about it. Or, is anyone feeling happy? They should praise God with songs.
I will thank you, Lord, with all that I am. I will tell people about all the great things that you have done.Everyone who knows you, Lord, trusts in you. You never turn away from anyone who comes to you for help.Sing to the Lord to praise him! He rules as king in Zion. Tell the nations about the great things that he has done.God punishes murderers. He takes care of people who are suffering. When they call to him, he does not refuse to help them.Please be kind to me, Lord. See how my enemies cause me to suffer! You are the one who can save me from death.Then I will praise you for everyone to hear! I will tell the people of Zion that you have saved me, and I will be very happy!People of other nations dug a deep hole to catch me. Now they have fallen into it themselves! The trap that they hid to catch me has caught their own feet!The Lord has shown us who he is. We know that he brings justice. The evil things that wicked people do catch them in their own traps.Wicked people will go away into the deep hole of death. This will happen to all the nations that turn away from God.But as for those who are poor and weak, God will never forget them. People who suffer should continue to hope.Lord, stand up! Do not let people turn against you! Bring the nations to stand in front of you. Judge them!I will be very happy because of who you are. I will sing to praise your name, Most High God.
In the way that you live, do not want lots of money. Be happy with the things that you have. Be happy, because God has said this: ‘I will never leave you; I will always be there with you.’Because of that, we can bravely say this: ‘The Lord is the one who helps me, so I will not be afraid. I will not be afraid of anything that people can do to me.’
But we thank God! Because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we win against death and its power.
God is the one who causes us to hope for good things. I pray that God will bless you very much. I pray that he will cause you to be happy and to have peace in your minds. He will do this because you believe in him. As a result, God's Holy Spirit will make you strong with his power, so that you hope even more certainly.
So do not worry about what might happen tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own problems. It is enough for you to be thinking each day about the problems of that day.’
What good people hope to receive causes them to be happy. But wicked people never receive what they hope for.
You are the safe place where I can hide. You keep me safe like a soldier's shield. I know that I can trust your word.
Now I ask myself, ‘Why am I so sad and upset?’ I must wait patiently for God to help me. Then I will praise my God once again, because he is the one who saves me.
Because God loves us, none of these troubles can ever beat us. He makes us win against them.
We must not become tired as we do things that are good. We must not become so weak that we stop. Then we will receive a good harvest at the proper time.
When I say this, it is not because I need anything. I have learned to be happy, whatever things may happen to me.I know how to be happy when I need things. I also know how to be happy when I have more than enough. I have learned this secret. I can be happy when I have enough food to eat, and also when I am hungry. I can be happy when I have plenty of things, and also when I have nothing.
Remember what happened to you in those early days. When you first understood the message about Christ, you had many troubles. But you continued to be strong.Sometimes people insulted you. They caused you to suffer very much. Sometimes you chose to help other Christians who suffered like that. Their troubles became your troubles.You were kind to Christians who were in prison. When people took away your own things, you still chose to be happy. You knew that you had something better that would belong to you for ever.
I am with you, so do not be afraid. I am your God, so do not be upset. I will make you strong and I will help you. My powerful right hand will keep you safe.”
We seem to be sad, but really we are always happy. We seem to be poor, but we make many people rich. We seem to have nothing, but really we have everything.
I know that you are the Holy God. You sit on your throne as king, and Israel's people praise you.
Yes, I want to know Christ better and better. I want to know the power which God showed when Christ rose from death. I want to suffer in the way that Christ did. I want to obey God like he did in his death.
Lord, please bless us as you did before. It will be like streams of water that return to the desert.
So we see that God has accepted us as right because we trust him. As a result, we have peace with God, because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.While we were still God's enemies, God's Son died on our behalf. As a result, we became God's friends. So, now that we are God's friends, his Son will certainly save us. Christ will save us because he is alive again.But that is not everything! We are very happy now because of what God has done for us. Our Lord Jesus Christ has made this possible. It is because of him that we have now become God's friends.It was because of one man, Adam, that sin came into the world. Death was the result of Adam's sin. Because of that, death came to all people, because everyone failed to obey God.Before God gave his Law to Moses, people did wrong things. Sin was already there in the world. But at that time, God did not say that people were guilty, because there was no law for them to obey.But death still ruled all people, from the time when Adam lived until the time when Moses lived. Everyone died, even those who did not fail in the same way that Adam failed. Adam shows us something about God's Messiah who would come at a future time.But they are not the same. Adam was the man who did not obey what God said to him. Jesus Christ is the man who brought God's free gift to people. Adam was just one person but many people died because of his sin. But God has shown in a greater way that he is very kind to people. Very many people have received God's gift because of one man, Jesus Christ. So Christ has been very kind to many people!Also, God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. Adam chose not to obey God once and punishment came as a result. But the result of God's gift is greater. People have done many wrong things, not only one wrong thing. But God accepts them as right with him. That shows how kind God is!One man, Adam, did not obey God, and death began to rule everyone as a result. But what the one man, Jesus Christ, did is much greater! Because of him, people can become right with God. They receive that great gift from God because he is very good and very kind. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, those people will rule like kings in their lives.So God's punishment came to all people because of that one wrong thing that Adam did. But the one thing that Christ did makes people free. God accepts all people because of that one good thing that Christ did. Those people receive true life from God.One man did not obey God and, as a result, many people became guilty because of their sins. But, because one man did obey God, many people will become right with God. Because we trust him, we know that God has blessed us in a way that we do not deserve. That makes us strong in our lives. We also are sure that we will share God's glory in heaven. So we are very happy.
We thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because he is so good to us. As our Father, he is very kind to us. He is our God who comforts us in every way.Whenever we have trouble, he comforts us. Because of that, we ourselves can comfort other people. When they have any kind of trouble, we can comfort them, in the same way that God has comforted us.
I thank you for the wonderful way that you have made me. Everything that you do is wonderful! I know all this is true.
Lord, you keep those people safe who continue to trust in you. You give them peace in their minds, because they believe in you.
When I call to you for help, my enemies will turn back. I know that God is with me. He will fight for me.
Yes, you will have trouble like this for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He is completely kind and he will always help you. Because you belong to Christ, God has chosen you to live with him in heaven for ever. You will join him in that beautiful place. Then God will make you well again. He will make you strong in your spirits. You will be able to stand strongly.
You will lead me along the path of life. Because you are with me, I am very happy. I know that I will be with you for ever, and that makes me very happy!
So God's Law puts us under a curse, because we have not completely obeyed it. But Christ took that curse away from us, because God punished him instead of us. The Bible says, ‘If someone's body is hanging on a tree, it shows that God has cursed him.’Christ died on the cross so that God would bless the Gentiles, as he promised to Abraham. And if we believe in Christ, we can receive God's Spirit that he promised.
During this time now, we suffer. But one day God will show us all the great things he has prepared for us. That will make the trouble that we have now seem very small.
The Lord will always be your guide. He will give you plenty to eat, even when the ground is dry. He will make your bodies strong. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring of water that never becomes dry.
Lord, my God, you have done many great things. You have done so many things for us that we cannot count them! There is nobody else like you! I want to talk about the things that you have done, but there are too many things to speak about!
God has given us the gift to speak his message. But we ourselves are very weak. It is like we are keeping his valuable gift in clay pots. So it is clear that the great power of God's message comes from God himself. It does not come from us.We receive trouble all the time, but that does not stop us. We do not always know what to do, but we are not afraid to continue.We have many enemies, but we always have friends. People hurt us, but they never destroy us.
When he calls to me for help, I will answer him. When he has trouble, I will be with him. I will rescue him, and people will respect him.
So we should come near to God and we should not be afraid. God is our King. We can ask him to help us when we need help. We know that he will forgive us and he will be kind to us in whatever way we need.
I know that God has begun to do good things in you. And I am sure that he will continue to work in you. Then, on the day when Jesus Christ returns, his work in you will be finished.
Israelites, descendants of Jacob, the Lord created you, and he made you who you are. Now he says this to you: ‘Do not be afraid, I have rescued you so that you belong to me. I have called you by your name, so now you are mine.
We belong to God's kingdom. The things that we eat and drink are not really important. These things are important: We should do what is right. We should have peace in our minds. We should be truly happy. God's Holy Spirit helps us to live like this.
Because we have become God's children, we can live in a good way. We can refuse to live like people who belong to this world. We are able to win against the wrong ways of this world because we trust Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! When someone respects and obeys the Lord, God has blessed that person! He is happy to obey the Lord's commands.When wicked people see this, they will be angry. They will show their teeth in anger, but then they will disappear. Whatever wicked people want, they will never get it.His children will become powerful in the land. God will bless their descendants who serve him.
I am very happy, because of what the Lord, my God, has done. I have so much joy! He has given salvation to me, like clothes that I can wear all the time. I have his righteousness as my coat! He makes me handsome, like a bridegroom who wears a priest's hat. He makes me beautiful, like a bride who wears her jewels.
I may walk through a valley that is as dark as death, but I will not be afraid of any danger. This is because you are with me, Lord. Your stick and your shepherd's pole protect me from danger.
You have never seen Jesus, but still you love him. You do not see him now, but you believe in him. As a result, you are very happy. There are no words to describe how happy you are.
But God's Spirit causes us to live in a different way. We love other people. We are happy and we have peace in our minds. We are patient, kind and good. People can trust us to do what is right.
So we should always praise God, because of what Jesus has done for us. We should say clearly that we trust Jesus. That is like our sacrifice which we offer to God all the time.
So, because of all the things that God does for us, we can certainly say this: if God is working on our behalf, nobody can do anything against us.God did not even keep his own Son safe. Instead, he gave his Son to die on behalf of all of us. So we know that he will also give us everything else that we need.
When there is danger all around me, you help me to be strong. When my enemy is angry, you fight against him. You save me with your strong right hand.
But the Lord is a strong place for me. Yes, my God is a rock where I can hide and be safe.
Every day is difficult, if you have trouble in your mind. But if you are happy, every day is like a feast.
Listen! God is the one who saves me! I will continue to trust him. I will not be afraid because the Lord himself makes me strong. He keeps me safe. He rescues us from our enemies.’
God always does what he has promised to do. He has chosen you to be friends with his Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Lord.
Take your problems to the Lord. He will take care of you. He will never let his own people fall.
Be strong, because God has given us his Spirit. And his Spirit does not cause us to be afraid. Instead, his Spirit causes us to be powerful to serve God. He helps us to love God and other people. And he helps us to control ourselves properly.
Now you have helped me to stop crying, so that I dance instead! I do not need to wear sackcloth, because I am no longer sad. Instead, you have made me very happy. So I am truly happy and I will sing to praise you. I cannot stay quiet! Lord, my God, I will continue to thank you for ever.
My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry with them and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’
Lord, I always try to do what is right. I continue to trust you all the time. So please show that I am not guilty of wrong things.Those wicked people are always ready to do evil things. They use bribes to get what they want.But I always try to do what is right. Please save me and be kind to me!Now I stand in a safe place. I will praise the Lord when his people meet together to worship him.Test me, Lord, and see how I have lived. Look into my mind and see my thoughts.
My Christian friends, God has chosen you to serve him as free people. But you are still weak and human. So you are not free to do anything that you might want to do. Instead, you must serve one another, because you love each other.
Come to me all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked for a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find a place to rest.
I ask myself, ‘Why am I so sad and upset?’ I must wait patiently for God to help me. Then I will praise my God once again, because he is the one who saves me.
The things that test you are the same things that test other people too. You can always trust God to help you. When you want to do something wrong, God will make you strong in your spirit. When something bad tests you, God will not let it be too strong for you. He will show you a way to escape, so that you do not do anything wrong.
As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
Sin will no longer have authority over you. The Law which God gave to Moses does not control your life. God's grace now controls your life.
You have blessed those people who come to you to make them strong. They love to travel to your temple in Zion.
My Lord God in heaven has plenty of good and valuable things. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will give to you everything that you need.
My little children, you belong to God. You have won against those people with a false message. You have been able to do that because God's Holy Spirit is in you. He is more powerful than the spirit that belongs to this world.
But Lord, you are like a shield for me. You are the one who gives me honour. You lift my head up high.
Christ says ‘Yes’ to all of God's promises, so that they become true. So when we pray, we say ‘Yes, amen!’ because we know that Christ has done it. And when we do that, we are saying that God is great.
Remember, the Lord takes care of people who respect him. Those people trust him for his faithful love.
I have fallen into the dust on the ground. I am almost dead. Give me life again, as you have promised to do.
If people are hungry, share your own food with them. Help those people who are in pain. Then your help to them will be like a light that shines in a dark place. You will no longer live in darkness, but you will have light as bright as the sun at noon.The Lord will always be your guide. He will give you plenty to eat, even when the ground is dry. He will make your bodies strong. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring of water that never becomes dry.
When people went to plant seeds in their fields, they were crying. But they will be happy when they bring in the harvest!
Whatever may happen to you, continue to thank God. God wants you to do that, because you belong to Christ Jesus.
But we are not like those people who are afraid and who turn back. If we were, God would destroy us. But we are people who continue to trust God. And so, our lives are safe with God.
We are happy even when we suffer. That is because we know that this helps us to become patient and strong.
He makes tired people strong again. When people have become weak, he gives them more strength.Somebody's voice is shouting, ‘Prepare a way in the wilderness for the Lord. Make a straight road in the desert for our God.Even young people become tired and weak. Even strong young men may slip and fall down.But people who wait for the Lord to help them will receive new strength. They will rise up high, as if they have the wings of eagles. They will run and they will not become tired. They will walk and they will not become weak.
The Lord is here to help me, so I will not be afraid. Nobody can do anything to hurt me!The Lord is with me as my helper. As for those people who hate me, they will fall down as I watch them.
If you have any kind of trouble in your mind, give it to God. God has promised to take care of you.
I will wait for the Lord to help me. I trust him completely. So I wait for him to do what he has promised.
We belong to Christ. As a result, we no longer obey our weak human nature. We do not do the bad things that our thoughts want us to do. It is as if we have killed those thoughts on the cross.
The most important thing is that you continue to live in a good way. Live in the way that the good news about Christ teaches. I want to know that you agree together about the good news. And that you work together to show others that the good news is true. Whether I come to visit you or not, I want to know that you all help one another like that.
When anyone belongs to Christ, they become a new person. Their old way of life has gone. Their new life has begun!
I was patient while I waited for the Lord to help me. He turned towards me, and he heard me when I called to him.I have not hidden the good news about your justice. I have told everyone that they can trust you, and that you have the power to save. I tell the great meeting of your people about your faithful love.You, Lord, will continue to be kind to me. Please continue to keep me safe, because of your faithful love.There are many dangerous troubles all around me. They are too many to count! My sins are too strong for me. They are more than all the hairs on my head! So I am weak and I cannot see clearly.Lord, please save me! Lord, come quickly to help me!Chase away the people who want to kill me! Cause them to become ashamed and confused. Chase away the people who want to hurt me, so that they run away in shame.When people laugh at me, make them sorry for what they have done.Lord, may those who come to you be very happy, because you have saved them. They should never stop saying, ‘Praise the Lord!’But I am poor and weak, my Lord. Please continue to think about me. You are the one who helps me and who saves me. My God, come quickly to help me!He lifted me out of the deep hole of danger. He picked me up out of the mud. He put my feet on a rock. Then I could walk and not slip.
My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do. I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are still in front.I am like a runner who wants to reach the end of the race. I run straight towards that place, so that I can win God's gift. Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God has called me to live with him in heaven. That is God's gift to me at the end of my life.
When God does that for a nation, the people are truly happy! If people know that the Lord is their God, they are truly happy!
Trust in the Lord completely. Do not think that you understand things well enough for yourself.Whatever you are doing, remember that the Lord is with you. Then he will show you the right way to go.
Do not let evil things win against you! Instead, do good things. Then you will win against the evil things that people do.