tool name

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Favorite Bible passages sustain us

The Christian traditions from which I hail rely on the principle of sola scriptura.

A foundational doctrine of the Reformation, sola scriptura claims the Bible is the final authority in spiritual matters; any other creeds and sacraments are subordinate to it.

Which is a fancy way of saying my forebears, mentors, parents, Sunday school teachers and pastors all have been really, really big on the Good Book.

Like everything else, this is a double-edged sword, a blessing and a curse.

I don't think ours is the only legitimate way of understanding God's intentions for every human being. And sometimes I envy other groups their additional reliance on, say, the wisdom of the Talmud or the transforming power of the Eucharist.

Yet I'm grateful for having had Bible passages pounded into my head since I was old enough to wobble around my playpen. I find the Scriptures a powerful source of comfort and illumination.

For that reason, I asked several fellow churchgoers to share with me their favorite promises from the Bible, passages that have sustained them in their individual journeys. I found their answers by turns touching, instructive and inspiring.

Below are verses my friends offered, as well as my own favorites. On two of them I've included brief annotations. Mainly, though, they're self-explanatory.

It seems most of the entries have to do with our fears of poverty or failure or abandonment. Maybe that tells us something about where our minds are a lot of the time.

One further thing: I realize certain readers of this column grow restive whenever I start quoting from the Holy Writ, but none of the following entries should, I trust, provide anything but encouragement to all of us, whatever our brand of faith.

■ "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7, New Living Translation.)

■ "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7, King James Version.) A friend said this verse helped her overcome the hell of debilitating panic attacks.

■ "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread." (Psalms 37:25, New American Standard.)

■ "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, New American Standard.)

■ "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38, New American Standard.)

■ "The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time." (Psalms 34:19, New Living Translation.)

■ "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:8-9, New Living Translation.)

■ "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. ... Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:5, 7; New American Standard.)

■ "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things. ... Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." (Matthew 6:30-33, New Living Translation.)

■ "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8, New American Standard.) I like this one because, read in the context of the larger book of Ephesians, it says a couple of terrific things. First, it tells us that the only thing God requires of us is faith — not moral perfection — but simply that we believe in his love and forgiving mercy. Second, it says that we, being the knotheads we are, often can't even muster up faith — so God bestows in on us as a gift, as the ultimate sign of his boundless compassion.

■ "And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20, King James Version.)