Andy's Inspiration Box

Psalm 105:1-15 New International Version (NIV)   1  Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;    make known among the nations what he has done. 2  Sing to him, sing praise to him;    tell of all his wonderful acts. 3  Glory in his holy name;    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 4  Look to the LORD and his strength;    seek his face always.   5  Remember the wonders he has done,    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 6  you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. 7  He is the LORD our God;    his judgments are in all the earth.   8  He remembers his covenant forever,    the promise he made, for a thousand generations, 9  the covenant he made with Abraham,    the oath he swore to Isaac. 10  He confirmed...

James 1:21-27 New King James Version (NKJV)     Doers—Not Hearers Only 21  Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  24  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  25  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues  in it,  and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26  If anyone among you [ a ]  thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion  is  useless.  27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans ...

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 The Message (MSG)   16-18 So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving   25  At that time Jesus prayed this prayer:  “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.   26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!   27   “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”   28  Then Jesus said,  “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.   29   Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   30   For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” *Photograph copyright A.G. Harriott 2010

Hebrews 12:1-3 New Century Version (NCV) 1 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. 2 Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God's throne. 3 Think about Jesus' example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.

1 Chronicles 17:16-27 New Living Translation (NLT)   16  Then King David went in and sat before the L ord  and prayed,  “Who am I, O L ord  God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?  17  And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, [ a ]  O L ord  God!   18  “What more can I say to you about the way you have honoured me? You know what your servant is really like.  19  For the sake of your servant, O L ord , and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.   20  “O L ord , there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!  21  What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you rede...

1 Timothy 4:8-10 New Living Translation (NLT) 8  “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”  9  This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.  10  This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, [ a ]  for our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people and particularly of all believers.                       *Photograph Copyright 2010 Rosie Harriott

Philippians 2:6-8 New Living Translation (NLT)   6 Though he was God, [ a ]       he did not think of equality with God       as something to cling to.   7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges [ b ] ;       he took the humble position of a slave [ c ]       and was born as a human being.    When he appeared in human form, [ d ]      8 he humbled himself in obedience to God       and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Proverbs 2:6-9 New Living Translation (NLT)   6  For the L ord  grants wisdom!       From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.   7  He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.       He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.   8  He guards the paths of the just       and protects those who are faithful to him.   9  Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,       and you will find the right way to go.

Matthew 5:3-10 New King James Version (NKJV) 3  “ Blessed  are  the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.         4  Blessed  are  those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.         5  Blessed  are  the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.         6  Blessed  are  those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.         7  Blessed  are  the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.         8  Blessed  are  the pure in heart, For they shall see God.         9  Blessed  are  the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.         10  Blessed  are  those who are persecu...

Isaiah 54:10-17 New Century Version (NCV)   10  The mountains may disappear,        and the hills may come to an end,     but my love will never disappear;        my promise of peace will not come to an end,"        says the  Lord  who shows mercy to you.   11  "You poor city. Storms have hurt you,        and you have not been comforted.     But I will rebuild you with turquoise stones,        and I will build your foundations with sapphires.                                                                        12  I will use rubies to build your walls       ...

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Isaiah 40 Comfort for God’s People Isaiah 40 New International Version (NIV)   1  Comfort, comfort my people,    says your God. 2  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,    and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed,    that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand    double for all her sins.   3  A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare    the way for the LORD [ a ] ; make straight in the desert    a highway for our God. [ b ] 4  Every valley shall be raised up,    every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level,    the rugged places a plain. 5  And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,    and all people will see it together.             For the mouth of the LO...

Romans 5:1-5 New Century Version (NCV) 1  Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have [ a ]  peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ,  2  who through our faith [ b ]  has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory.  3  We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. 4  And patience produces character, and character produces hope. 5  And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

*  Joshua 21:43-45  (NKJV)   The Promise Fulfilled 43  So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.  44 The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.  45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. *Photograph copyright 2011 Rosie Harriott

* Romans 5    (NLT) Faith Brings Joy   1  Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  2  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.   3  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  4  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  5  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.   6  When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  7  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright per...

Psalm 36:5-9 New Living Translation (NLT)   5 Your unfailing love, O L ord , is as vast as the heavens;       your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.   6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,       your justice like the ocean depths.    You care for people and animals alike, O L ord .      7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!    All humanity finds shelter       in the shadow of your wings.   8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,       letting them drink from your river of delights.   9 For you are the fountain of life,       the light by which we see.

"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." - Norman Vincent Peale

Philippians 2:3-4 New Century Version (NCV) 3 When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. 4 Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.

Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV) * 7  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.   8  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.                 9  “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?   10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?   11  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! *photograph copyright 2010 A.G. Harriott

"If you put first things first then everything comes out right. If you put first things second then nothing comes out right." - C.S. Lewis

* Photograph copyright 2010 Rosie Harriott 1 Corinthians 13  (NIV) 1 Corinthians 13   1  If I speak in the tongues [ a ]  of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  2  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  3  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, [ b ]  but do not have love, I gain nothing.   4  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  5  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  6  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  7  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  8  ...

1 John 4:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT) 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.    God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.   18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

John 8:31-36 New King James Version (NKJV)     The Truth Shall Make You Free 31  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How  can  You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34  Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  35  And a slave does not abide in the house forever,  but  a son abides forever.  36  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Psalm 28:6-7 The Message (MSG) 6-7 Blessed be God —       he heard me praying.    He proved he's on my side;       I've thrown my lot in with him.    Now I'm jumping for joy,       and shouting and singing my thanks to him.

John 14:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT) 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[a] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[b]18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)    "Be still and know that I am God"

Hebrews 12:14-29 New King James Version (NKJV) 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. The Glorious Company    18 For you have not come to the mountain that [ a ] may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness [ b ] and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mount...

1 Peter 3:17-22 New Century Version (NCV) 17 It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong if that is what God wants. 18 Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit. 19 And in the spirit he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah. God was waiting patiently for them while Noah was building the boat. Only a few people—eight in all—were saved by water. 21 And that water is like baptism that now saves you—not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. 22 Now Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God's right side ruling over angels, authorities, and powers.

1 Corinthians 10:13 Good News Translation (GNT) 13   Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation (NLT)   6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Matthew 28:19-20 New King James Version (NKJV) 19  Go therefore [ a ]  and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all ...