21 Quick Powerful Bible Reflections By Jana Gordon

"Don't merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves." James 1:22

Everyone has met a Christian that can quote the Bible chapter and verse but seems to be completely unable to put any of what they have memorized to work in their daily life. On the other hand, everyone has also met a Christian who has no idea what John 3:16 says but lives by the teachings of Jesus as perfectly as a flawed human being can. It is people like these that show what James 1:22 is talking about. It is not enough to simply listen to or read the Word. Knowing what it says it not enough. You must put what it says into practice, or the words on the page are meaningless.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

When things get difficult, it can be tempting to wonder if the whole world is spinning out of control. As things are not right in your life, you assume that everything is wrong everywhere. Of course, it may not even be that things are going wrong in your life. Events may be steering you toward greater things, but you feel like things are going wrong because you are not in control. When that happens, trust in God. He has created the heavens, the earth, the seas and the skies as well as you and everything in your life. If you feel like you are not in control, it is because you are not. God is in control.

"An anxious heart weighs man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Proverbs 12:25

The world is too often filled with cruelty and malice. When a person is not facing deliberate hurt, they are often surrounded by the sort of apathy and indifference that can be every bit as damaging. Not everyone, however, wants to live in a world that is at best uncaring about others suffering. Thankfully, anyone can make a difference. Showing kindness to others costs you nothing, but it can make all the difference in the world for someone else. Even something as small as a kind word or smile for a stranger can lift someone's spirits and give them the strength to carry on.

"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" Matthew 14:28-30

Everyone has had times where they feel like they are drowning. They are overwhelmed by too many problems or too many projects in their life. Too many people expect too much from them. When this happens, many people turn to unhealthy mechanisms for dealing with stress. Christians, however, would do well to turn to God. When you are feeling hopeless or overwhelmed, cry out to Him before you drown, and He will save you. He is always there for you, and He will guide you to safety if you are willing to listen to Him.

"Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Exodus 3:11

How many times have you considered trying something only to stop yourself and think that there is no way you could do it? Maybe you wanted to make a difference in your community or change jobs, but you convinced yourself that you could not actually succeed in changing things or in starting over. In those instances, your doubts may have drowned out God's voice. The Bible is filled with characters who were unsure if they could do what God called them to do. With God's help, they managed to succeed. The same is true in your own life. Don't doubt yourself. God believes in you and He is with you. That is all you need.

"Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6

Skeptics love to point out the things in the Bible that appear to be inconsistent or contradictory. They seem to think that if they can confuse Christians enough, then people will abandon Christianity en masse. What they do not realize is that Christians understand that there are some things that simply do not make sense to humans. Simple human minds and logic cannot unravel God's plans. Instead, all we can do is trust in God. All we can do is have faith. Much of what God does is beyond human comprehension. The Bible makes it clear, however, that God rewards those who do not understand, who know that they cannot understand but have faith regardless.

"Her many sins have been forgiven -- for she loved much." Luke 7:47

The Bible emphasizes over and over again that God loves us. He cares for us as a parent loves their children, this is why Scripture refers to Him as Father. God so loved us that He sent Christ to die for us and redeem us. However, the Bible does not just tell us that God loves us. It also calls on us to practice that same love. Christians are called to follow Jesus' example and to love and forgive those around us. The Bible even says specifically that love and forgiveness are not meant to be reserved for friends and family, but they are also to be extended to those who hate and would harm us. This is not easy to do, but no one ever said imitating Christ would be easy, only that it was right.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

How often do you open your Bible and read God's Word? If you are like most people, the answer is probably "not very often." Bibles, however, were not meant to simply sit on shelves and look pretty. They were meant to be read over and over again. If you want to see a serious change in your life, spend more time with Scripture. Take a few minutes each day to read part of the Bible and think seriously about what you have read. Consuming God's Word produces blessings, but anymore, far too few Christians read their Bibles on a daily basis much less meditate on what they read.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11

Everyone has probably had moments in their life where they wondered if they were worthy. Did they really deserve this job or this reward? When their job meant potentially uprooting their family to move across the country, were their dreams really worth the hardship it would cause their family? Many people have wondered how much they are worth at the end of the day. The Bible shows that people are worth far more than most of them realize. After all, Christ came to Earth in order to die and redeem mankind. If you ever wonder how much you are worth, remember that God Himself weighed what you are worth and felt that you were worth dying for.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you." Acts 1:8

People often feel like they are powerless to do anything to change the world around them or their circumstances. This, however, is not true. You have the power to change almost anything in your life. You can take control of your life and your circumstances in part by giving up control. When you trust in God's plan, you will find that your circumstances and difficulties no longer have the same type of power over you that they once had. In God, you have a powerful helper and ally. You merely have to open yourself to His presence to gain His guidance and assistance.

"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." 1 Timothy 6:10

Money certainly makes life easier, there is no doubt about that. It would be wonderful to never need to worry about having enough to pay the bills or to be able to eat fancy foods every night for dinner. That said, money in and of itself cannot bring happiness. Instead, chasing money for money's sake will do nothing but bring you pain. if you focus solely on money, you will neglect your family, friends, passions and church life. To make matters worse, you will never reach the point of having enough money to calm you. Avoid greed, and instead remind yourself that there are many forms of wealth and things that are far more valuable than money.

"In the image of God He created him; male and female. He created them." Genesis 1:27

How often do people look in the mirror and only see all the things that they feel are flaws? How often to people take to social media to talk about how their favorite pop star has gained weight, bemoan the stretch marks left behind by a pregnancy or to gripe about losing muscle mass over the holidays? People are obsessed with finding the little flaws in themselves and in others, but when they do this, they forget a fundamental truth. Everyone is beautiful, because everyone is made in the image of God. No matter how much of a bad hair day you feel you are having, know that you are God's reflection.