bible

Favourite Bible Verses From Compassion Children

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From Compassion:

7 Children Share Their Favorite Bible Verses Right Now

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When my daughter was growing up, the thing I wanted and prayed for most was that she would love the Lord and have a solid foundation in the truth. That’s a priority for Compassion-assisted kids, too. It warms my heart to see that these kids from Asia, Africa and Latin America have got that solid foundation based on God’s Word.

See (and hear) for yourself what some of their favorite Bible verses are — and how those words are encouraging them right now!A girl prays, standing outside

Ashly, 8, is from Guatemala. She draws strength from Psalm 23:1.

“‘God is my shepherd; I shall not want,’ is my favorite Bible verse,” says Ashly. “God will be with us during the hard times, he will give us peace and he will protect us because we are his children.”

A boy holds a poster with a Bible verse written on it in Spanish.

David from Colombia, 8, made a poster of his favorite verse, Psalm 91:1, which says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” What does that mean to him?

“This means that if we look for God, he will always protect us. I ask my Father God to protect all the families and sponsors of my child development center and around the world. May he keep them safe from this new virus. Amen.”

Faith like David’s surely warms the heart of God!A girl holds a poster with a Bible verse written on it in Spanish.

Here’s Nataly, 11, bravely showing the world her favorite Bible verse in front of her home in Colombia. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, she quotes Psalm 143:1, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications.” Her message to all of us:

“We can see here that King David had the need for his prayers to be heard. David was feeling alone, sad and worried. Many people have felt alone, sad and worried, but we have a God who listens to us. He listens to our prayers and pleas. Like the psalmist, I have also felt alone and sad, but I have prayed to the Lord and I have seen his power in my life. I motivate you to trust God and not to be afraid. Amen. God bless you!”

Two girls hug each other

Kerren (on right), hugs her best friend, Jesika. This 11-year-old girl from Indonesia knows herself and has a sense of humor.

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“Proverbs 6:6 is my favorite verse: ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!’ I like that it tells me not to be lazy and to be more diligent. Sometimes when my mom asks me to go get something that’s far away, I can be lazy,” she explains.

Can’t we all?!Young man wearing a gray shirt and is standing in front of an orange stucco wall.

Eighteen-year-old Amon learned one of his favorite verses this past January at his student center in Uganda. “The verse that encourages me is John 16:33: ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,’” he says. He’s nailed the application as well:

“If Jesus won the world and Jesus is in me, I will also be able to overcome the world,” he says confidently.

A girl in a pink hat holds a Bible.

Mishel, a 12-year-old girl in Bolivia, was just 7 when she received her first Bible through her Compassion center. Scripture became her source of comfort in a very difficult time.

“Reading my Bible really encouraged me after my dad left my family. It helped me to deal with that painful moment and made me feel peaceful,” she explains. “My favorite verse is Philippians 3:14: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’”

Here’s a final treat. See if this doesn’t make your day! Marcos, a teenager in the Dominican Republic, proudly recites his favorite verse, James 1:27, in English. Yes, Marcus, you nailed it. Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

That sentiment, that Bible verse, shows what Compassion is all about!

Reflection on Romans 3:21-31

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Scripture

For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

Observation

We cannot keep the requirement of the law, but God has shown us the way to be made right apart from the law. We are made right through faith in Christ.

Everyone has sinned and falls short of God’s standard. Because Jesus has paid the price for our sins, God declares that we are righteous.

We cannot boast that we are acceptable to God because of anything we do. This is by faith not by our deeds. That does not mean that we can ignore the law because it is only when we have faith that we can truly fulfil the law.

Application

Everyone has sinned. This is the fundamental truth about human nature. We can justify ourselves and excuse our behaviour until the cows come home, but the truth remains that we are all sinners.

Because we are sinners, we fall short of God’s glory. We were created to reflect the nature of God. We are meant to be loving and holy, perfectly righteous in every way. Sin has taken the shine off that image which God planted in each one of us.

But the brilliantly good news from God is that He can fix that. Firstly, in Christ He sets aside our guilt. The power of sin to separate us form God is overcome by faith in Christ.

Then, when we have been reunited with God, the Holy Spirit sets about restoring in us the magnificence, the glory that we were created for. This is a life long process that equips us and trains us to be children of God.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for all you have done for me in Christ. Thank you for forgiving me and than you for changing me to be more like you. Amen

Ephesians 2:19

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 2:19. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 2:19

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people [saints] and members of God’s household.”

Because of Christ we are no longer foreigners and aliens.

Before we came to Christ, we were outside of the people of God. We had no access to God’s throne. We had no fellowship with God, because because we were not Jews.

Now we are no longer foreigners and aliens. We no longer stand outside of God’s family. We once were seen as outsiders or foreigners. We were the ones with the bad customs and bad habits- commonly called sin. We lived lives that were marked by sin, controlled by our old sinful nature, and were opposite in so many ways to those of the saints, the people dedicated to God.

Because of Christ’s death on the cross, we who were far off are now in the family of God.

We are now citizens in God’s Kingdom . A citizen is a person who has full membership, all the common rights and responsibilities of a nation. If you are a migrant to Australia, you can be removed at any time by the government. You have no rights to vote, limited access to Social Security and health cover.

But once you are a citizen, nobody can force you to leave. You belong! As citizens of God’s holy nation, we who were once non-citizens, aliens with no rights, are taken in and given all the rights of God’s people.

Nothing now can separate us from God and his people (Romans 8:25-39). We belong!

We are fellow-citizens. We are not just nameless people in an impersonal society. We belong to each other- to all the other citizens. Nobody is higher or lower. No one lives remote from the others. We are in this together, building God’s Kingdom, God’s household in a common enterprise directed by God.

The word translate as “God’s people” is really the word for saints. In Grteek the word is hagios the holy ones. Holy does not necessarily mean to be righteous or heavenly minded. To be holy is to be set apart for God’s purposes.

God’s people, then, are those who have responded to God’s call to repentance, but now, having been cleansed by the blood of Christ, are seet apart for God. We no longer live for ourselves, but for God who makes us holy.

So we have joined the citizenry of the holy people, we are saints. We need to see our daily lives as holy times, always on God’s mission. This applies at work, at home, at sport, wherever we are. We are people who are called for God’s purpose, and every minute belongs to him.

We are not just citizens of a kingdom but members of God’s household . We are no longer homeless street dwellers with no place to call home. We have been adopted into God’s household, God’s family.

In the society of the Roman Empire, a household consisted of every member of the extended family, including slaves and servants. They were considered to belong together, and were in fact the units of society. Each household was ruled over by a patriarch whose job was to lead the family and to protect it.

A person’s standing in the culture was determined by the household they belonged to. If a household was shamed, every member bore the shame. Likewise, if the household was honoured, the standing of every member rose .

Now we are in God’s household. He is our patriarch- our leader and our protector. He is the one with the highest standing of any patriarch. This is the family into which we has been included!

All of this is by the death of Christ on the cross. It is more than being saved from our sins. We are people of honour and standing, citizens and members of the most honoured household of all.

Key points in this verse:

  • we were once foreigners and aliens
  • the cross of Christ has brought us into God’s Kingdom
  • we cannot be separated from God because we are citizens
  • we are saints, dedicated to God’s purposes
  • we are members of God’s household, directed and protected by him

Reflection on Romans 3:9-20

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Scripture

No one is righteous – not even one.

Observation

Just because the Jews have the Law does not mean they are any better than others. All people are under the power of sin.

Paul quotes several Psalms to illustrate the point that God judges that no one is righteous. All have turned away from God and revel in foul talk, lies, murder and destruction.

The law is to keep people from excuses and to show their guilt. The law cannot make us right with God; it simply shows us how sinful we are.

Application

Our culture keeps telling us that people are basically good. We have removed sin from our vocabulary and talk instead about bad choices. We like to believe that babies are blank slates with no intrinsic tendency to sin.

Characters are flawed. Nobody is perfect. Bad people do good things and good people do bad things. Thus we like to muddy the waters about God’s standards for our lives.

God’s judgement is very different from man’s judgement. There is no one who is righteous. Not even one.

We are all marked with sin. Unless that sin is atoned for then we continue to carry it.

On the reality TV shows about the police, it is interesting to see how many people drive without a licence, often in unregistered vehicles and sometimes with outstanding arrest warrants from previous crimes. The police don’t care about your spotless driving record if you drive without a licence. You are breaking the law, and are by definition a law breaker.

This is how it is with God. We have all sinned. We all fall short of His standards. We are all law breakers.

The Good News is that when we come to Christ, our past history is removed from the record. God, in His great love for us, no longer holds our offences against us.

Prayer

Praise to you, Most High God. Your love for me has overcome my sin against you. Thank you for forgiving me and not holding my sin against me. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 3:1-8

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Scripture

But someone might argue, “How can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?”

Observation

“What is the value of being a Jew?” Paul asks. He says it is of great value because the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.

The fact that some Jews were unfaithful to God does not mean that He is unfaithful. Even if every man is a liar, God is true.

Some people have argued that being a sinner is a good thing because it helps people see God’s goodness. It can’t be fair to punish these sinners for showing God’s holiness.

Some people have even claimed that Paul has said the more we sin the better it is. Paul calls such statements slander and says those who say such things will be condemned.

Application

It amazes me sometimes how far we go to justify our sin. Somehow we find ways of admitting that our actions are wrong, but God is OK with that. How dare God punish us for sinning?

In our increasingly godless culture, people base their morality on feelings and on the idea that any behaviour is acceptable if nobody gets hurt or they are serving a higher purpose.

No matter how we try to justify ourselves, sin is sin. It is God, not ourselves, who sets the standards.

God is never glorified by sin, no matter how much we might try to rationalise it.

What does glorify God more than anything else is somebody who devotes their whole life to loving God and living by His standards. That might seem boring in a culture that has turned God’s value system on its head. But it is the only way for the follower of Jesus to live authentically.

Prayer

Forgive me Lord for the times I try to justify my sinful actions and attitudes. Help me to turn away from sin and to walk in the ways you set for me. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 2:21-30

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Scripture

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God not from people.

Observation

You cannot be a teacher of God’s law and break it yourself. To tell people they must not steal, commit adultery or worship idols, but then do these things yourself is hypocrisy.

Some of the Jewish leaders were so proud of owning God’s law, but they failed to obey it. By doing this, they caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of the Lord.

Circumcision is only of value to those who obey God’s law. An uncircumcised Gentile who obeys God is better off than a Jew who disobeys the law.

To be a true Jew is more than parentage and ceremonies. It is about seeking God’s will.

Application

What Paul says here about Jews is also true of christians. It is not about adherence to a lifestyle, following religious rituals or being brought up in a christian family. To be a christian means that we are allowing God’s Spirit to change our heart.

Before I was saved, I didn’t care what God thought about me. I didn’t even care if God existed.

That night when God confronted me, and I said “Yes” to Jesus, my attitude started to change. Now I knew that God was real, and that He loves me. Suddenly I found that I wanted to please Him and to obey Him.

This is a life long process. I didn’t wake up one morning finding that I was perfect in every way. I still struggle with sin and the old nature. But the point is that I struggle. I am not content to let sin reign over me.

The heart that pleases God is one that is open to being changed by Him.

Prayer

Today, Lord, I seek you and your righteousness. Thank you that you are continuing to change me as I surrender to you. Amen.

Ephesians 2:17-18

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 2:17-18. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 2:17-18

And he [Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Jesus came and preached peace to those who were far off (i.e. Gentiles) and to those who were near (i.e. Jews)

The word for preached is derived from the word for Gospel or the good news – euangelion. This is the word from which we get words like evangelism and evangelical.

Jesus came and he preached a message of peace. It was not any message of peace; it was the good news.

This message is that God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The message of peace was firstly a message about peace with God.

Because Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, we are now able to come into God’s presence and enjoy relationship with him. The enmity that results in sin and rebellion against God has been dealt with.

Sin sets us against other people at a personal, community, and even international levels. We cannot have peace with others if we do not have peace with God first.

Paul views this as being exemplified as the division between Jew and non-Jew. The Jews had access to the Father through obedience to the Law. So now peace is possible because both parties can have peace with God in Christ.

It cannot be said often enough that the Jews are no longer separate from the Gentiles. They do not have a different path to Heaven. Paul says over and over that the Law was abolished in Christ and that there is no difference anymore between Jew and Gentile.

The destruction of the temple, never to be re-built, in 70 AD demonstrates that God has done away with the old covenant forever.

Through Christ (particularly His death on the cross) Jew and Gentile have access in the one Spirit to the Father.

The cross and the blood of Jesus wash away every sin. “God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God loves the people of this world and brings us all the opportunity to repent and receive salvation in Christ – Jews and Gentiles, people from every tongue and tribe and nation.

Through Jesus we have access to the Father. When we know that our sins are forgiven, and there is no penalty to be paid, and no punishment to be feared, then we can boldly approach the Father.

The Father is “Abba”. He is not a distant almighty fearful deity to be approached with much abasement and the strict following of protocols. No, to those who are redeemed he is Dad.

Because of Jesus we can know God , an intimate experiential knowledge of our Creator. We can talk to him about the concerns that we have, the desires of our heart, and the needs of others. We can also listen to his voice , reassuring us of his love and grace, that he is handling the issues on our heart.

This access to the Father comes through the Holy Spirit. When we first came to faith, the Holy Spirit entered into us. The Spirit leads us and directs us, equips us and enables us to do impossible things for Christ.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, give us the miraculous powers of Christ, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5 give us the character of Christ. As we grow in maturity into the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we become true representatives of Christ in the world .

In this sentence we again have a strong statement about the Trinity. The word Trinity is never used in scripture, but it is always present. Through Christ we have access to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Our God is three persons in one God, a community of eternal love – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Key points in this verse:

  • Jesus brings the good news of peace.
  • Peace is firstly peace with God.
  • Jews as well as non Jews need the gospel and the salvation of Christ.
  • The blood of Jesus washes away every sin.
  • Through Christ we have access to the Father.
  • God the Father is not a stern disciplinarian but a loving Father.
  • The Holy Spirit seeks to make us more like Jesus

Reflection on Romans 2:12-20

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Scripture

And this is the message I proclaim – that the day is coming when God, through Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life.

Observation

The Gentiles will be destroyed for their sins even though they didn’t have God’s written law. The Jews also will be judged because they had the Law but failed to obey it.

Obedience to the Law makes us right, not just knowing it. Even Gentiles instinctively know what is right because they have a conscience.

God is going to judge everybody through Jesus Christ.

Application

Salvation from the judgement is not just about the Law.

The Jews had God’s written law but many failed to obey it. They will be judged by the Law they disobeyed.

Gentiles will likewise be judged by their actions because their conscience told them what was right.

But Christ will judge everybody by their secret life. It is our actions at home or alone that show our hearts. Since God has access to our secret thoughts, He will be able to judge by our heart attitudes.

God is not impressed by people who live respectable or successful lives, and who go home and abuse their spouse or children.

Jesus said that murder has its roots in anger and that adultery starts with a lustful heart. It is these attitudes that will be judged, not just the outward actions.

This is not abut occasional bad thoughts, but a mind set that glories in sin.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you see into my heart and so I have no secrets before you. Please forgive me for my sinful thoughts and convict me of attitudes that I need to change. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 2:1-11

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Scripture

But there will be glory and honour and peace from God for all who do good- for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles.

Observation

You may think that you can judge the “sinners”, but if you are self-righteous you will simply be storing up judgement for yourself. If you judge people for their sins, you must realise how patient and tolerant God is with you for not judging your sins.

There will be a time when God’s judgement is revealed. He will pour out His wrath on those who do wrong, but He will pour out His glory, honour and peace upon those who do what is right.

Application

God is not interested in our blood lines, but He is interested in our attitude towards Him.

The topic of God’s judgement is very unpopular these days. In fact, we do not like the idea that anyone, let alone God, should judge us.

The truth is that there is a day of judgement coming. Those who have chosen the way of life will be raised to eternal life. Those who have chosen the way of sin will be condemned to hell.

People say they don’t like to believe in such things. They are on the same level as those who do not believe in the corona virus or that it somehow doesn’t apply to them. They then spread the infection across Melbourne and into other parts of Australia.

The virus is real, and it brings its judgement on all who ignore it. Sin is also real and it brings its own judgement, but with eternal consequences.

On the other hand, those who put their trust in Jesus and live for Him, will have their sins forgiven and will enjoy glory, honour and peace from God.

Prayer

Lord, I confess my sins to you today. Thank you for your promise that when we confess our sins to you, you forgive us and make us clean. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 1:18-32

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Scripture

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

Observation

Even people who don’t know about God should see from the creation that God is real and powerful. There is no excuse for not knowing God in some way.

Because people refuse to worship the God who is there, their minds become dark and confused. They start to worship idols.

Because they worship created things rather than the creator, God has abandoned them to their shameful desires. Homosexuality is a case in point, but it applies to every form of wickedness.

Application

Wickedness abounds in this world because people refuse to acknowledge God. God lets them have their way, and so they continue to bring judgement on themselves.

Paul mentions homosexuality, but also a lot of other sins. Sexual sins get a pass in our culture, including among some christians. The reality is that God is our creator and has the right to set the boundaries for the life style which people should follow, including how we act on our sexual desires.

If I say that I will let my sexual desires overrule what God says, then I am making an idol of my body and that of the person I lust after.

We cannot allow our sexual desires to rule our lives at the expense of our relationship with God. This applies equally to other sinful desires such as gluttony, anger and greed.

To be a follower of Jesus means that I must be holy- set apart for God. This means a constant process of allowing the Holy Spirit to cleanse every unclean thought and every unholy action from my life.

Prayer

Lord I acknowledge that you are the one who sets the standards by which I should live. You are the one who determines how I should live. Help me to worship you alone, and not to make idols of the things I want. Amen.