your rod and your staff—they comfort me. Psalm 23:4b Spend time with this week’s memory verse today. The Shepherd’s rod and staff were used for protection and correction of his sheep. Can you think of a time when you have felt God’s correction in your life? How could such discipline be a comfort to you?…

5  and you have forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons and daughters:  My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline  or give up when you are corrected by him,  6 because the Lord disciplines whomever he loves,  and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts. 7   Bear hardship for…

6  You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials.  7  This is necessary so that your faith may be found genuine. (Your faith is more valuable than gold, which will be destroyed even though it is itself tested by fire.) Your genuine…

34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.  35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  36 As it…

James 1:2   My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,  3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance;  4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.  James 1:2-4 While it may be…

5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.  6 For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the…

1But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm…