I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing. The Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,
but righteousness delivers from death. He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory. A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.