- Work brings profit,
but mere talk leads to poverty! - The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me? - I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me? - I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.
So why are you afraid of mere humans,
who wither like the grass and disappear? - So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?” - What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them? - For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
- Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
- The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born. - But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
- When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
- They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.
- Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
- “Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.
He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.Next verse!With image