Year of the Bible

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13, NKJV).

When I got the news that I was moving to Ohio, I was so mad at God. It was so unfair that I had to move again. I felt like I was just getting used to living in Tennessee, but now I had to pack everything up. It was so hard for me to let go of all the friends I had met.

Moving to Ohio was hard at first, but then things got easier. I started to realize that God sent me here for a purpose. If I had only trusted Him from the start, then things would’ve been a lot easier.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5–6, NIV).

This verse reminds me to trust in the Lord, regardless of whatever is going on in my life or the world. It points out that, although I may not understand things and/or people at times, if I acknowledge Him and continue to believe that He knows what’s best for me, everything will turn out fine.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1, NKJV).

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you’” (Gen. 41:39, NIV).

I like Genesis 41:39 because it shows God’s power and what He can do, especially in this abbreviated version on the story of Joseph:

Joseph lived with his father, Jacob, and 11 brothers in Canaan. Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colors, and God gave Joseph two dreams. One day, Jacob asked Joseph to take food to his brothers who were taking care of the sheep. When Joseph arrived, his brothers, except for Reuben—the oldest, and who wasn’t present—sold Joseph into slavery. Later, Joseph’s slave master took him to Egypt and sold him again.

“And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ... Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions” (Matt. 19:16, 21–22, KJV).

Letting go of his possessions and reaching his hand to grasp what Jesus offered was too high a cost for the rich young ruler to pay for the free gift of eternal life. And while Jesus didn’t tell the young man to go, He didn’t beg him to stay either.