Andy's Inspiration Box

1 Kings 8:52-53 NIV "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord , brought our ancestors out of Egypt."

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” ― Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Isaiah 45:19 NKJV I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

"If life doesn't feel like an adventure, maybe you need to do something that stretches your faith. The life of a believer - your life - should be filled with excitement as you continually stand on your faith legs and claim God's resources." - Take My Heart, O God, Dec 30

Psalm 125:1-2 NKJV Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion,  Which  cannot be moved,  but  abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.

Romans 11:19-22 NKJV You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well  said.  Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in  His  goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

Revelation 22:1-5 New International Version (NIV) Eden Restored 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds." - Nicholas Sparks

"Cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey.” ― Jack Layton

Isaiah 26:3-4 New International Version (NIV) 3  You will keep in perfect peace      those whose minds are steadfast,      because they trust  in you. 4  Trust  in the  Lord  forever,      for the  Lord , the  Lord  himself, is the Rock  eternal.

Ephesians 1:3-14 New International Version (NIV) Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who has blessed us in the heavenly realms  with every spiritual blessing in Christ.   4  For he chose us  in him before the creation of the world  to be holy and blameless  in his sight. In love   5  he [ a ]  predestined  us for adoption to sonship [ b ]  through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure  and will—   6  to the praise of his glorious grace,  which he has freely given us in the One he loves.   7  In him we have redemption  through his blood,  the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches  of God’s grace   8  that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,   9  he [ c ]  made known to us the mystery  of his will according to his good pleasure, which he...

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens

Philippians 2:1-11 New King James Version (NKJV) Unity Through Humility 2  Therefore if  there is  any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  2  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love,  being  of one accord, of one mind.  3  Let  nothing  be done  through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  4  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. The Humbled and Exalted Christ 5  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  6  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  7  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant,  and  coming in the likeness of men.  8  And being found in appearance as a man, H...

Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 New International Version (NIV) 1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; 3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; 4 when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; 5 when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets.

Hebrews 10:5-14 GNT For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God: “You do not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for me.  You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar or with sacrifices to take away sins.  Then I said, ‘Here I am, to do your will, O God, just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.’” First he said, “You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins.” He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law.  Then he said, “Here I am, O God, to do your will.” So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place.  Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.  Every Jewish priest performs his services every d...

This is one of the miracles of love: It gives a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted. - C.S. Lewis

"This wonder we find in hope, that she is both a flatterer and a true friend. How many would die did not hope sustain them; how many have died by hoping too much!" - Owen Feltham

James 1:12 New International Version (NIV) 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

1 Chronicles 28:9-10 New International Version (NIV) 9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

“At present we are on the outside… the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the pleasures we see. But all the pages of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get “in”… We will put on glory… that greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch." - C.S. Lewis

Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

"He became the Son of Man that we  might become the sons of God" - Springs in the Valley (December 20)

Romans 2:17-19 New King James Version (NKJV) 17  Indeed [ a ] you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18  and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19  and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

"God is a zealous pruner, For he knows Who, falsely tender,  spares the knife  But spoils the rose."                                          - John Oxenham

“The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

2 Corinthians 9:6-13 Good News Translation (GNT) 6  Remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop; the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop. 7  You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. 8  And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. 9  As the scripture says, “He gives generously to the needy;      his kindness lasts forever.” 10  And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity. 11  He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us. 12  For this service you perform not only...

John 10:10 The Message (MSG) 6-10  Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

“Let's never stop asking questions. Questions give us a harbor to remember where we once lived mentally. They remind us of the possibilities that can be born out of thoughts and musings, and they link together pattern that define our lives.” ― Luci Swindoll

“And how could we endure to live and let time pass if we were always crying for one day or one year to come back--if we did not know that every day in a life fills the whole life with expectation and memory and that these are that day?” ― C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet

1 John 1:1-4 NKJV That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship  is  with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

1 Chronicles 28:20 GNT King David said to his son Solomon, “Be confident and determined. Start the work and don't let anything stop you. The LORD God, whom I serve, will be with you. He will not abandon you, but he will stay with you until you finish the work to be done on his Temple. Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.9

God of our life, through all the circling years, we trust in You; In all the past, through all our hopes and fears, Your hand we view. With each new day, when morning lifts the veil, we own Your mercies, Lord, which never fail. God of the coming years, thro’ paths unknown, we follow You; When we are strong, Lord, leave us not alone; our faith renew. Be now for us in life our daily bread, our heart’s true home when all our years have sped. ~Hugh T. Kerr 1916

"The life of the Spirit-filled heart is the winged-life . The unsurrendered life is the life of the cage. The best that the cage can give is a momentary thrill that soon gives place to a pitiful beating against the bars." - Springs in the Valley (December 14)

Psalm 36:5-9 New Living Translation (NLT) 5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, 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 Lord. 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.

We are looking for our own virtue, our own piety, our own goodness, and so live on and in our own poverty and weakness - today pleased and comforted with the seeming firmness and strength of our own pious tempers and fancying ourselves to be somewhat. Tomorrow, fallen into our own mire, we are dejected, but not humbled; we grieve, but it is only the grief of pride at the seeing our perfection not to be such as we had vainly imagined. And thus it will be, till the whole turn of our minds be so changed that we as fully see and know our inability to have any goodness of our own as to have a life of our own. William Law Galatians 5:1 Good News Translation (GNT) 5  Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.

"God is doing in each one of our lives something expressly different than He is doing in another's. He will give us the unique grace to bear our unique cross. - Joni Eareckson Tada

"You will have no test of faith that will not fit you to be a blessing if you are obedient to the Lord. I never had a trial but when I got out of the deep river I found some poor pilgrim on the bank that I was able to help by that very experience." - A. B. Simpson

Psalm 63:1-5 Good News Translation (GNT) Longing for God 63  O God, you are my God,      and I long for you. My whole being desires you;      like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land,      my soul is thirsty for you. 2  Let me see you in the sanctuary;      let me see how mighty and glorious you are. 3  Your constant love is better than life itself,      and so I will praise you. 4  I will give you thanks as long as I live;      I will raise my hands to you in prayer. 5  My soul will feast and be satisfied,      and I will sing glad songs of praise to you.

"Because of who he is, when Jesus touches anything, there is a blessing." - Rebecca Manley Pippert

2 Corinthians 5:7 Good News Translation (GNT) 7  For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight.  Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is not belief without evidence. It is belief on the very best on evidence - the Word of Him "that cannot lie" (Titus 1:2). Faith is so rational that it asks no other evidence than this all-sufficient evidence. To ask other than the Word of Him who cannot lie is not rationalism , but consummate irrationalism . - R.A. Torrey

Psalm 139:5 New Living Translation (NLT) You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

"I'm running to your arms, I'm running to your arms, The riches of Your love, Will always be enough. Nothing compares to Your embrace." - Forever Reign (Hillsong) Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.9

“You know those little moments when an unexpected act or a spoken word affects your heart with sweet, satiating intensity - a simple gesture that possesses deep, personal meaning beyond what anyone realizes? You know those tender moments? That's God pressing his lips on your forehead and whispering, 'I love you'.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

Luke 8:32-37 New International Version (NIV) 32  A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.   33  When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake  and was drowned. 34  When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35  and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet,  dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.   36  Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed  man had been cured.   37  Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,  because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. "How did Jesus react to t...

Jeremiah 29:11-13 New International Version (NIV) 11 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

"Andrew, I have only five barley loaves left and a couple of fish, but the Master shall have most of it. Here are three loaves, four - but one loaf I should like to keep. You know Andrew, it is a long way home, but the four loaves and the fishes I will give to Him." As Andrew explains that the Master would like to have all , a struggle goes on in the boy's heart. He looks repeatedly, first at the fifth loaf, then at the Master. "Andrew, take all", he exclaims joyously as the light breaks. "Take all five, and the fishes too." What is the fifth loaf that you have not yet surrendered? Let me plead with you to let Him have it ALL. - Pastor Dolman (Springs in the Valley, December 7)

He is love. He is hope. We are His.

Romans 5:15 Good News Translation (GNT) 15  But the two are not the same, because God's free gift is not like Adam's sin. It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man. But God's grace is much greater, and so is his free gift to so many people through the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 25:1-5 New Living Translation (NLT) A psalm of David. 1 O Lord, I give my life to you. 2 I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. 3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. 4 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Romans 15:13 Good News Translation (GNT) 13  May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other." -C S Lewis

Job 42 The Message (MSG) 42  1-6  Job answered God : “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.      Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water,      ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,      made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.      Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you;      now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!      I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

"The fruit of Silence is prayer. The fruit of Prayer is faith. The fruit of Faith is love. The fruit of Love is service. The fruit of Service is peace." - Mother Teresa

Jeremiah 33:14-16 New King James Version (NKJV) 14  ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord , ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: 15  ‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 16  In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

John 10:10 New King James Version (NKJV) ... I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Isaiah 40:4-5 New King James Version (NKJV) 4 Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; 5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Matthew 11:1-11 New International Version (NIV) Jesus and John the Baptist 11  After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,  he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. [ a ] 2  When John,  who was in prison,  heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples   3  to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,  or should we expect someone else?” 4  Jesus replied,  “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:   5  The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy [ b ]  are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” 7  As John’s  disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John:  “What did you go out into the wilderness  to see? A reed swayed by the wind?   8  If not, what did you go ou...

"If God has given the command, He will look after everything; your business is to get up and go!" - Oswald Chambers.

Acts 17:10-12 GNT As soon as night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the synagogue.  The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.  Many of them believed; and many Greek women of high social standing and many Greek men also believed. Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.9