Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
but through knowledge the righteous escape. The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We love because He first loved us. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago. One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?” The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time. The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger. But test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Next verse!With image