Andy's Inspiration Box

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 7  But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.   8  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;   9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;   10  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 12:9 New Living Translation (NLT) 9  Each time he said,  “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

"I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in Him." - Francois Rabelais

Hebrews 12:12-13 New Living Translation (NLT) 12  So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.   13  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

1 Corinthians 2:9 New Living Translation (NLT) 9    ...No eye has seen, no ear has heard,      and no mind has imagined what God has prepared      for those who love him.

Lamentations 3:22-26 New King James Version (NKJV) 22  Through  the  Lord ’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23  They are  new every morning; Great  is  Your faithfulness. 24  “The  Lord   is  my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25  The  Lord   is  good to those who wait for Him, To the soul  who  seeks Him. 26  It is  good that  one  should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the  Lord .

Psalm 34:17 English Standard Version (ESV) 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

"Worrying prayer defeats its own answer; rejoicing prayer gets through." - Springs in the Valley, April 27

Isaiah 41:10 New Life Version (NLV) 10  Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.

Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 The Message (MSG) Make the Most of What God Gives 18-20  After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the  now.  It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.

"Whether now or then, in the perplexing present or uncertain future, He will not leave us as orphans. He will gather us to His Father and fold us in the loving embrace of His Father's family." - Selwyn Hughes

Psalm 46:10 New King James Version (NKJV) 10  Be still, and know that I  am  God...

Isaiah 46:3-4 The Message (MSG) 3-4  “Listen to me, family of Jacob,      everyone that’s left of the family of Israel. I’ve been carrying you on my back      from the day you were born, And I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old.      I’ll be there, bearing you when you’re old and gray. I’ve done it and will keep on doing it,      carrying you on my back, saving you.

"Let the light of My presence shine on this pursuit so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart. Seek Me, first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece." - Sarah Young, Jesus Calling. 

"To try to be worthy of healing, to vainly attempt to summons up greater faith, to make demands as if Jesus exists to smooth our way through life—these are futile and mistaken. When Jesus chooses to heal, he does so not to reward us for our faith or our dedication. His response to us is always out of grace. A gift rather than a reward." - David Reay

Proverbs 19:21 New Living Translation (NLT) 21  You can make many plans,      but the  Lord ’s purpose will prevail.

"If we would attempt great things for God, and achieve something before we die, we must pray at every moment and in every place." - Springs in the Valley (April 19)

Romans 10:10-11 New Living Translation (NLT) 10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.   11  As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Job 11:13-19 English Standard Version (ESV) 13 “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. 14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. 15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. 16 You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. 17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. 18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. 19 You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor.

"The resurrection completes the inauguration of God's kingdom. . . . It is the decisive event demonstrating that God's kingdom really has been launched on earth as it is in heaven." - N.T. Wright

"Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness  and despair to strength and beauty and happiness."  -  Floyd W. Tomkins

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope   we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

E'er since by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die. - William Cowper

2 Timothy 1:7 New Living Translation (NLT) 7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

1 Peter 2:24 English Standard Version (ESV) 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

"Whenever we celebrate Holy Communion we focus, with the Holy Spirit's help, on Jesus as the one who died for us and rose again to be our ever-present Lord...In the taking, breaking, sharing, eating, and drinking, the living Christ is remembered for who He is and what He has done. This simple meal is a reminder that He who died is now gloriously alive and ever present." - Selwyn Hughes

Psalm 112:4-7 New Living Translation (NLT) 4  Light shines in the darkness for the godly.      They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. 5  Good comes to those who lend money generously      and conduct their business fairly. 6  Such people will not be overcome by evil.      Those who are righteous will be long remembered. 7  They do not fear bad news;      they confidently trust the Lord  to care for them.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 New King James Version (NKJV) A Hymn of Faith 17  Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18  Yet I will rejoice in the   Lord , I will joy in the God of my salvation.   "Habakkuk learned that life cannot be a solo affair: it is a duet. If life were a solo, it would mean a tragic breakdown when the high notes must be reached, or the low ones melodiously sounded. A duet means harmony - human life link on to a Divine purpose and power." - J. Stuart Holden

"At the end of the day, we all want to be “held up” and held together by the Head, “growing with a growth that is from God”…not to be the one to be holding our own worlds together with our own driveness, calling man-made effort true success or maturity. We want to be free. And freedom is not being bound by the fickle esteem of a fan club, but knowing that the little we give our hearts to is “…as unto the Lord, and not for men, knowing that from the Lord we will receive an inheritance as our reward. We are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Col.3: 23-24)" - Havilah Angle http://www.handfulofquietness.com

"The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter." - Paulo Coelho

Ecclesiastes 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT) 6  And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness      than two handfuls with hard work      and chasing the wind.”

“And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father, Until it be according unto mine? But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine. I pray Thee hush the hurrying, eager longing, I pray Thee soothe the pangs of keen desire— See in my quiet places, wishes thronging— Forbid them, Lord, purge, though it be with fire.” - Amy Carmichael

Hebrews 6:19 New Living Translation (NLT) 19  This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

James 2:14-17 English Standard Version (ESV) 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Colossians 3:23 New Century Version (NCV) 23  In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.

Jesus said to all of them, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me will have true life.  Luke 9:23-24   NCV

Deuteronomy 5:33 English Standard Version (ESV) 33  You shall walk in all the way that the  Lord  your God has commanded you, that you may live, and  that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

Matthew 20:17-19 English Standard Version (ESV) 17  And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,   18  “See,   we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will   condemn him to death   19  and deliver him over to the Gentiles   to be mocked and flogged and   crucified, and he will be raised on   the third day.” "No doubt the crowds were pressing in from all sides as they walked the dusty streets on the way to Jerusalem. Jesus was with His most devoted followers, His disciples. But He was also teaching and healing people along the way. It would have been noisy among all those people, so Jesus took the Twelve aside because he had something important to tell them." - Caran Jantzen

Philippians 3:13-14 New Century Version (NCV) 13  Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead,  14  I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

"The apostle urges that the utmost room should be made for the Spirit; that a man should possess the Divine gift in its utmost measure. He seems to suggest that there are degrees of possession; there are measurements we make, limitations we impose, and in his eager way he urges that we make the utmost room for the Spirit's fullness. Do not go in for small measures; do not restrict your allowance. The gift of the Spirit is not on a rationing basis. Do not confine yourself to mean and petty degrees of the Spirit, "Be filled with the Spirit." There is no surfeit here, nor need there be any restriction." - The Life of a Christian - John MacBeth

" Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing.... Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."  - Ann Voskamp

    Colossians 2:6-7 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) 6-7 Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in him—in simple faith. Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it, and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness.

Exodus 33:17 New King James Version (NKJV) 17  So the  Lord  said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."

Psalm 39:4-6 New Living Translation (NLT) 4  “ Lord , remind me how brief my time on earth will be.      Remind me that my days are numbered—      how fleeting my life is. 5  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.      My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;      at best, each of us is but a breath.”   Interlude 6  We are merely moving shadows,      and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth,      not knowing who will spend it.

Psalm 116:17 New King James Version (NKJV) 17  I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the  Lord .

Isaiah 35 Good News Translation (GNT) The Road of Holiness 35  The desert will rejoice,      and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. 2  The desert will sing and shout for joy;      it will be as beautiful as the Lebanon Mountains      and as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the   Lord 's splendor,      see his greatness and power. 3  Give strength to hands that are tired      and to knees that tremble with weakness. 4  Tell everyone who is discouraged,      “Be strong and don't be afraid!      God is coming to your rescue,      coming to punish your enemies.” 5  The blind will be able to see,      and the deaf will hear. 6  The lame will leap and dance,      and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. St...

Deuteronomy 8:3 New English Translation (NET) 3  So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the  Lord ’s mouth. "Hungry I come to You,  for I know You satisfy." - Kathryn Scott

"Walk in the Light... by practicing the discipline of thanksgiving."  - Sarah Young

Romans 8:26-30 English Standard Version (ESV) 26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, butthe Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  27  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because [ a ]  the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [ b ]  for those who are called according to his purpose.  29  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

2 Corinthians 4:7 New International Version (NIV) ... we have this treasure in jars of clay  to show that this all-surpassing power is from God  and not from us.

“Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service. Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment. The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time … We are all God’s children so it is important to share His gifts. Do not worry about why problems exist in the world – just respond to people’s needs … We feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be less without that drop.“ - Mother Teresa

Romans 12:6-8 English Standard Version (ESV) 6  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if   prophecy,   in proportion to our faith;   7  if   service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8  the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity;   the one who leads, [ a ]   with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with   cheerfulness.

2 Chronicles 16:9 New King James Version (NKJV) 9  For the eyes of the  Lord  run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of  those  whose heart  is  loyal to Him...

Matthew 6:33 The Message (MSG) 33 ...Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Ephesians 5:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  2  And walk in love...

"Leave it all quietly with Him: failures, fears, foes, future!" - Springs in the Valley (April 2)

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 New International Version (NIV) 16  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly  we are being renewed  day by day.   17  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.   18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,  since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.