Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lordyour God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 13:3 ESV you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Joshua 22:5 ESV Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
1 Samuel 12:20 ESV And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
1 Samuel 12:24 ESV Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
1 Kings 8:61 ESV Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
1 Chronicles 28:9 ESV “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
Psalm 86:11 ESV Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
Psalm 119:10 ESV With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
Psalm 119:34 ESV Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 119:58 ESV I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
Psalm 138:1 ESV I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
Jeremiah 29:13 ESV You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Joel 2:12 ESV “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
Matthew 22:37 ESV (also Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27) And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 22:19 NIV But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Psalm 27:1 NKJV The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 28:7-8 NIV The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. 8 The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Psalm 29:11 CSB The Lord gives his people strength; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 37:39 NKJV But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 118:14 NIV The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Psalm 119:28 NIV My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
Psalm 138:3 NKJV In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
Proverbs 18:10 NASB The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.
Isaiah 12:2 NIV Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 33:2 NIV Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you .Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
Isaiah 40:29 NIV He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:31 NIV but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 41:10 NASB ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Habakkuk 3:19 NIV The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.
Mark 12:30 NIV Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Ephesians 3:16 NIV I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Ephesians 6:10 NIV Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Genesis 1:2 CSB Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:21 CSB So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Job 38:8-11 CSB Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and total darkness its blanket, when I determined its boundaries and put its bars and doors in place, when I declared, “You may come this far, but no farther; your proud waves stop here”?
Psalm 8:3-9 CSB When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands you put everything under his feet: all the sheep and oxen, as well as the animals in the wild, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
Psalm 89:9 CSB You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, you still them.
Psalm 93:4 NASB More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The Lord on high is mighty.
Psalm 104:24-26 CSB How countless are your works, Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. There the ships move about, and Leviathan, which you formed to play there.
Psalm 107:28-30 CSB Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed. They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet. Then he guided them to the harbor they longed for.
Psalm 139:9-10 NASB If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
Psalm 146:5-6 CSB Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever,
Isaiah 43:2-3 CSB When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Cush and Seba in your place.
Jeremiah 31:35 CSB “This is what the Lord says: The one who gives the sun for light by day, the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar— the Lord of Armies is his name:
Amos 9:6 NASB The One who builds Hisupper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The Lord is His name.
Micah 7:19 CSB He will again have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Habakkuk 2:14 NASB For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.
Matthew 8:27 CSB The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!”
Revelation 15:2 CSB I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image,and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God.
My son is a builder-of-Legos. They are the first item on any birthday or Christmas wishlist and they are his favorite presents to open and play with as soon as the celebration time is done. In just six years, he’s amassed quite a collection of super-hero, Star Wars, and dinosaur Legos.
But.
(And this is what can drive me crazy).
He does not keep his Legos together, perfectly constructed, high on a shelf, all the pieces still in the right places. (How could we possibly have enough shelving to do that?)
No, as soon as the Legos are built, they are played with relentlessly. Pieces come off. Those pieces then become new creations with pieces from other sets, a mishmash of Lego bricks.
There are some of us (me) who like things to always look like the instruction manual, as if there is a “Right” way to build with these Legos. When a piece comes loose, we pull out the picture and put it back exactly where it is supposed to go.
My son is not that person. He swaps dinosaur legs and superhero bodies, and he combines kits relentlessly. He is silly at times and innovative at other times.
Sometimes I envision having so much free time that we can spend days sorting the Legos back into sets and then following those instruction manuals once again to put them all together the right way once more. This sounds like the ultimate project for me. Get everything “right” and all will be right with the world.
That hasn’t happened yet.
It would take extensive time and great effort, of course, because I truly think building is far, far easier than re-building. Building starts with such a clean space. The pieces are clearly sorted and separated. Building does not begin with confusion.
But re-building starts with brokenness and mess and rubble and has to restore what’s broken and re-make or even re-design what is lost.
In the book of Nehemiah, God’s people rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by their enemies and had lain in ashes and mounds of rubble for years.
During the rebuild, they were taunted, mocked, and threatened by new enemies, and yet they kept working. Some guarded while others built. Some built with one hand holding a weapon and the other hand laying bricks. They refused to be sidetracked, delayed, or stopped.
The rubble, however, almost defeated them. Nehemiah 4:10 says:
In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails,
since there is so much rubble.
We will never be able
to rebuild the wall.
” (Nehemiah 4:10 CSB).
That’s what almost broke them.
Kelly Minter writes in her study on Nehemiah:
It was that exhausting rubble that just about took them down. What rubble in your life is presently the most discouraging and exhausting? (p. 56).
This year, it’s easy to be defeated by brokenness. Ministries, jobs, finances, churches, school plans, friendships and connections with others… all may be in need of rebuilding, and such rebuilding is exhausting and hard.
We can’t just jump in with a brand new vision, a clean slate and build. No, we need to re-build. There are hurts tangled up in this. There is sadness over what is lost. There is stuff we have to let go of and get rid of. There is letting go of the known. There is anger and frustration. There is uncertainty. There is a feeling of helplessness and powerlessness because we have no control.
There is a tremendous desire to just get things back to the way they were before, the way they are “supposed” to be—and then set those constructions high up on a shelf so they can never be changed again.
That is not our reality. So we need God to equip us for the rebuilding, to strengthen us to face enemies and strengthen us to clear out the seemingly never-ending rubble and start raising the walls again.
Nehemiah said to the discouraged, worn-out, battle-weary people of Judah:
“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (Nehemiah 4:14 CSB).
Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.
This is not too much for Him. That is the reminder I need. It may take time, it may take creativity, it may mean hard work and standing against the Enemy.
The truth remains, though: Our God isn’t just able to build; He is able to rebuild. He has done it before and He can do it again.
1 Chronicles 16:34 CSB Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Ezra 3:11 CSB They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For he is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid.
Psalm 25:8 CSB The Lord is good and upright; therefore he shows sinners the way.
Psalm 27:13 NASB I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
Psalm 31:19-20 CSB How great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear you and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in you. 20 You hide them in the protection of your presence; you conceal them in a shelter from human schemes, from quarrelsome tongues.
Psalm 34:8 CSB Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 100:5 NASB For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 107:1 CSB Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 119:68 CSB You are good, and you do what is good; teach me your statutes.
Psalm 145:5-7 NASB On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. 6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. 7 They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:9 CSB The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made.
Nahum 1:7 CSB The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him.
Romans 2:4 CSB
Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience,not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
2 Peter 1:3 CSB
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Exodus 14:13
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again (ESV)
Deuteronomy 31:
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened,and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Nehemiah 4:14
After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 34:4
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 91:4-6
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
Psalm 112:7
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
Isaiah 35:4Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13
“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isaiah 44:8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.”
Isaiah 51:12
“I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
of the son of man who is made like grass,
Jeremiah 1:8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”
Zephaniah 3:17
For the LORD your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.[a]
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 10:31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Mark 5:36
But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” (ESV)
Luke 1:74-75
We have been rescued from our enemies
so we can serve God without fear,
in holiness and righteousness
for as long as we live.
Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
John 6:19-20
They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, 20 but he called out to them,“Don’t be afraid. I am here!”
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Acts 18:9
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,
Romans 8:38
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Joshua 1:9 ESV Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
2 Chronicles 15:7 ESV
But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
Psalm 27:14 ESV Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalm 31:24 ESV Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
Psalm 34:18 ESV The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 42:11 ESV Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 55:22 ESV Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved
Psalm 94:14 ESV For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
Isaiah 40:31 ESV but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 41:10 ESV fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Matthew 11:28 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
John 16:33 ESV
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Romans 12:12 ESV
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 15:4 ESV
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV 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;
Galatians 6:9 ESV
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Colossians 3:23-25 ESV Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it dayandnight.
Psalm 34:1
[ Psalm 34 ] [ The Lord Delivers the Righteous ] [ Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed. ]
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 71:14
But I will hope continually and will praise you more and more.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Job 19:25 NIV I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
Psalm 107:2 NIV Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
Psalm 111:9 NIV He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name.
Psalm 130:7 NIV Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 44:22 NIV I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Isaiah 52:3 NIV For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
Lamentations 3:57-58 NIV You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.
Mark 10:45 ESV
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 1:68 NIV Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
Luke 21:28 NIV
When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Romans 3:23-25 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
Romans 8:23 NIV
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
Galatians 3:13 ESV Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
Galatians 4:4-5 NIV But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Ephesians 1:7 ESV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
Ephesians 1:14 NIV
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 4:30 NIV
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Colossians 1:13-14 NIV For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1 Timothy 2:6 ESV
who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Titus 2:14 ESV
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Hebrews 9:12 NIV He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
Hebrews 9:15 NIV For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Revelation 1:5-6 NIV and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 5:9 NIV And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Genesis 2:8 NASB
The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.
Genesis 2:15 CSB The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
Deuteronomy 16:!5 You are to hold a seven-day festival for the Lord your God in the place he chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will have abundant joy.
Numbers 24:5-6 NASB How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! 6 “Like [g]valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the Lord, Like cedars beside the waters.
Psalm 92:12-14 NASB The righteous man will [j]flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still [k]yield fruit in old age; They shall be [l]full of sap and very green,
Psalm 104:14 CSB He causes grass to grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, producing food from the earth,
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 CSB There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot;
I am a wildflower of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
Man
2 Like a lily among thorns, so is my darling among the young women.
Song of Solomon 4:13-15 NASB “Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants, 14 Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices. 15 “You are a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams flowing from Lebanon.”
Song of Solomon 6:2 NASB My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of balsam, To pasture his flock in the gardens And gather lilies.
Isaiah 4:2 CSB
On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
Isaiah 5:7 NASB For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
Isaiah 35:1-2 CSB The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.[a] 2 It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 51:3 NASB Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
Isaiah 58:11 NASB “And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Isaiah 61:11 NASB For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.
Isaiah 65:18-19, 21 NASB
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to [n]mind. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness.
…They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”
Jeremiah 29:4-5 NASB “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,5 ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.
Jeremiah 31:11-12 NASB For the Lord has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. 12 “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord— Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.
Ezekiel 36:35 NASB
They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’
Hosea 14:5 NASB I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
Amos 4:9 NASB I struck you with blight and mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees, yet you did not return to me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
Amos 9:14 NASB “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit.
Matthew 6:28 CSB
And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread.
John 18:1 NASB When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples
Luke 12:27 CSB Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomonin all his splendor was adorned like one of these.
Luke 13:18-19 CSB He said, therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like,and what can I compare it to?19 It’s like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”
John 15:1-8 CSB “I amthe true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes,and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.3 You are already cleanbecause of the word I have spoken to you.4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.5 I am the vine;you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit,because you can do nothing without me.6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown asidelike a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,and they are burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.8 My Father is glorifiedby this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a]my disciples.
John 19:41 NASB
Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 CSB I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
Galatians 6:7-9 CSB Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
All flesh is like grass, and all its glorylike a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.[a]
And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.
