There’s a Facebook chain going around where someone posts a status update of their favourite Bible verses and then nominates five people to post a status containing theirs. It’s nice seeing so many scripture passages filling up my news feed. It’s a welcome change to the constant feed of selfies and vents about public transport and other such first world problems.

Being nominated caught me by surprise; there are a lot of verses in the Bible that I’ve fallen in love with. Some I’ve pondered deeply, others I’ve struggled to accept, and many have guided, comforted and inspired me through different chapters in my life. Choosing a favourite – even if it’s really just one to share on Facebook – is hard. Thankfully, I got nominated twice, so now I’m going to cheat and share two.

God listens, God loves & God leads

The following is a passage that’s always kept me centred. It’s probably as close to a “life verse” as I can get; it’s spoken truth to me throughout my adult life and remains relevant no matter the struggle or accomplishment I’m experiencing. It keeps me grounded in the fact that when I’m in a sea of doubt, there’s someone out there who’s got my back and knows what he’s doing. The passage is taken from a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to his people, who were in exile:

It’s the passage that always gives me hope, and reminds me to take my prayers to God, and not to rely on my own strength. Verse 13 also reminds me of the words of St Augustine:

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

So often I forget where my peace lies, and I find myself relying on my own strength (which is actually quite weak) and my own knowledge (which is actually quite flawed and foolish). But when I seek God with my heart – even if just for a few minutes in a day – I find so much strength, happiness, love and joy to fuel my weary soul.

God can take the little that you give Him and turn it into a miracle

The second passage I want to share is from the Gospel of John. The miracle of Jesus feeding 5000 people appears in all 4 Gospels, but only John mentions the source of the food that feeds the crowds:

The disciples were skeptical of the offering, but Jesus took the boy’s lunch, gave thanks for it, shared it among the crowd of hungry and tired men, women and children, and still had a plenty left over. That Jesus could perform this miracle with the small and simple lunch from this nameless boy reminds me just how much God can do with the little that we offer to him daily. No matter how irrelevant or flawed we think we are, our self doubts pale when we consider what God can do with even the smallest of offerings. Perhaps it’s not the size of gift we offer, but the willingness to give it that counts.

Your turn!

What are your favourite Bible verses? Are there passages and stories that keep you grounded or inspired? I’d love to know what they are. These types of conversations – the ones where people share positive, uplifting, enlightening stories about themselves and invite others to share their own – are the moments where I love what social media can achieve.