Year of the Bible

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19, NIV).

Many people live from paycheck to paycheck. In fact, many are one paycheck away from being homeless. I’ve been there before.

I had three small children living in Texas. There was no food, no job, no money and no husband. I had one cup of rice and one cup of beans, and, like the widow in the Bible, I was going to make that meal and then try to figure it out from there. She had made up her mind to die; I wasn’t quite there yet, but I was very discouraged.

I was living in a town where I had no friends, church or family. My baby daughter needed milk, but I didn’t have any way to get it. I felt hopeless.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105, KJV).

In the movie The Sound of Music, Maria sings “My Favorite Things” to the von Trapp children to comfort them during a thunderstorm. She tells them that whenever she’s scared or upset, she simply sings about things that bring her comfort and joy. I figure if she can sing about “raindrops on roses,” then I should be able to use Scripture to do the same thing.

Set to this song’s tune, this is “My Favorite Things: The Christian Version.”

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

No weapon that’s formed against me shall harm.

Be anxious for nothing, and in all things pray.

Trust in the Lord that He’ll make a way.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ... Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:1–2, 4, NKJV).

These words have brought me so much comfort over the years. When I was a junior at Southwestern Adventist University (Texas), I felt lost and not ready to face my senior year. God had not answered my prayers and desire to travel the world.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3, NLT).

I love this text, mostly because it is a simple proclamation of the gospel. But also because it sets the record straight in regard to the lies the serpent told in the Garden of Eden. Many people are still being convinced that God’s Word is not reliable, that God uses obedience to keep good things from his people and that we do not already have everything we need to reflect the image of God.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jer. 29:11, NIV).

Throughout my life, this verse has always reminded me that God is in control. There are times when I wonder why things happen the way they do or if something in my life is the right thing for me. However, each time these doubts fill my mind, I remember that God puts everything in my life for a purpose.