Scriptures to Meditate on During these Times
In the face of a pending global recession, here are some Scriptures for us to reflect upon as a community. As you read them, ask God to illumine your mind to understand the depth of them and to warm your heart to the realities that they proclaim. Ask God to make them real to you and to strengthen your heart by them. May these passages inspire courageous faith and steadfast hope in you.
Isaiah 6:1-8
“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2) Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3) And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4) And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5) And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6) Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7) And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
Psalm 95:1-7
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2) Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3) For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4) In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5) The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6) Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! 7) For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”
Matthew 6:25 - 34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26) Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27) And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28) And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29) yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34) “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
1Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19
“6) Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7) for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8) But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs... 17) As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18) They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19) thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Proverbs 15:16-17
“Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. 17) Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
Psalm 73:23-28
“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24) You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25) Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27) For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28) But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”
Hebrews 13:5-6
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6) So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””
Romans 8:28-39
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, 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. 31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32) He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33) Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34) Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36) As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
All Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version