The whole rugged journey of life is finding the depth of faith that makes this verse true for you. By the time you get it, there is not another thing in the world you need.

Matthew 21:22

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 21:22 (ESV)

Want peace and sanity in your life on earth? Follow this red letter instruction. Eternal life is another matter, you can’t earn that, that is faith and grace.

Matthew 19:16-19

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”

He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,

Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 19:16-19 (ESV)

Here’s the choice: Lead your own small, pitiful, narrow life or give it to God and live bountifully. God gave him everything he needed along the way and Moses gave God his fear, reluctance and anxiety. Together they changed the world.

Exodus 4:13

But he (Moses) said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Bible Gateway link: Exodus 4:13 (ESV)

Are you mad at God? So many people are. They can’t understand why He allows so many terrible things to happen. I certainly can’t explain that, but I do know He saved me. My faith and gratitude keep me going.

Genesis 50:20

(Joseph to his brothers:)

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

I’ve stopped thinking of it as a bunch of different parts and stories. The Holy Bible is one big tied-together message of salvation. Who sits at the right hand of the Father? Jesus. Who does He say will inherit the earth? The meek, the gentle, the sure footed.

Psalm 18:35-36

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.

You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 18:35-36 (ESV)

What’s up with the third day? The Holy Bible’s Old Testament is filthy with third days. It's all leading to the New Testament good news: On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The promise fulfilled, death overcome, our sins forgiven.

Genesis 42:18

On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 42:18 (ESV)

A red letter parable with an answer to why evil is allowed to prosper. God is merciful. Even when we are weak and immature he protects us against the ultimate consequence of evil in our midst.

Matthew 13:27-30

And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’

He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’

But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 13:27-30 (ESV)

When he wouldn’t have sex with her she cried rape and he was thrown in prison without due process. It just doesn’t seem fair. (By the way Joseph later managed to save a whole population from starving anyway.)

 Genesis 39:6b-10

...Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

But he refused and said to his master's wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge.

He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 39 6-10 (ESV)

If you read nothing else, read the story of Jacob in the Bible. He was conniving even before he was born, a trickster, a liar, a cheater and a mama’s boy. He also was loving, dutiful and obedient. In sum, Jacob was human, like you and me. God blessed him and blesses us too.

Genesis 35:11

The story of Jacob: Genesis 24:19-34, Genesis 27-33, Genesis 35.

God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you.

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 35:11 (NRSVCE)

The world is filled with fools! I am one of them. This is why God sent his son to save us. Seek after Him, be forgiven. It worked for me and it is open to all.

Psalm 14:1-3

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 14:1-3 (ESV)

This is red letter harsh! But I so want to be worthy. I know for a fact humans will wound you to the core whether you are related to them or not. God heals, restores, loves without bound. He never lets you down.

Matthew 10:37-38

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 10:37-38 (ESV)

It’s all about me. This is the best thing about reading the Bible and believing the inspiration I get is God communicating with me. God may be talking to Jacob here but he is also talking to me.

Genesis 28:15

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 28:15 (ESV)

This is a question for the ages. We will never understand God’s timing, we just have to have faith anyway. Why? Because He’s God and we are not.

Psalm 10:1

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 10:1 (ESV)

I always had demons. They don’t come around much anymore. I think it is because there’s no room for them now that His word is written on my heart.

Matthew 8:16

That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 8:16 (ESV)

We go about our lives sinning here and there, but nothing really bad. We think -I’ll do better some day.- Unfortunately it puts us in a place where when God calls, we don’t answer “Here I am.”

Genesis 22:11

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 22:11 (ESV)

I always assumed I wasn’t qualified to enter the narrow gate. Self destruction was my game. Then I let Him in and he just kept working on my heart. Now that narrow gate beckons with possibility.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

My best prayer is many, many words. However, it’s just the same two words over and over and over again. Thank you!

Matthew 6:7-8

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 6:7-8 (ESV)

I’m a liar. I lie to myself all the time, but I try not to and I try to check my motives. Sometimes I even succeed in being pure of heart and the promise is true, I’ve seen God. He is all around us.

Matthew 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

He is 600 years old, has survived the worst disaster ever, saved the world and his family is chosen to repopulate the earth. What does he do? He goes out and gets drunk. As they say in AA ‘there but for the grace of God go I.”

Genesis 9:20-21

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.

He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 9:20-21 (ESV))

Some people; worldly, sophisticated people, scoff at dependence on God. For me though, depending on God is infinitely more important than what people think.

Psalm 3:1-4

O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;

many are saying of my soul, 
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, 
my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord, 
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 3:1-4 (ESV)

A case for doing the right thing for the right reason in the first place:

Genesis 4:6-7

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 4:6-7 (NRSVCE)

So here we go! Thank you God for creating me in your image. Thank you for giving me your word to guide my life. (Readers, if you would like to join me in my journey through the Holy Bible this year, there’s a link below and to the right of my blog page that will give you the daily verses.)

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Bible Gateway link: Genesis 1:27 (ESV)