Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Proverbs 10:29 The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under the trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

May you learn from your trials the lessons God has prepared for you and gain from your tribulation the wisdom which the Lord graciously provides, for you can trust His care and rely on His gracious appointments as you look forward with joyful expectation to the fulfilling of God's will and purpose concerning you. 1 Samuel 20

May you know that persecution will come, even from those closest who do not walk in the way of the Lord, but there is a Friend that remains closer than a brother. 1 Samuel 20, Proverbs 18:24

May you allow the methods of mercy to override the tasks of tradition, placing greater value on the needs of the person than on the requirements of the ritual. 1 Samuel 21

May your heart recommend you to God, Who sees the intent and the purpose behind your action, for merely coming into His presence, as Doeg did at the tabernacle, does not cleanse one of evil intent. 1 Samuel 21

May you walk simply and honestly before God, depending on Him for your daily needs and eventual rewards, avoiding the complexity and trouble that is endemic in the world. 1 Samuel 21

   My child, be not content with what this world has to offer you, but allow My holy discontent to fill your heart. Allow My Spirit to unsettle your thoughts and bring a longing into your life for those things that you have not known before.
   Seek for Me as you would seek for a precious, priceless rarity of which you have heard rumors, but have never seen. Trust Me to guide you and equip you and prepare you for what you have never known but have a deep, driving, abiding desire for.
   Others will not understand, for they are content with what they see and hear and touch; they do not recognize the still, small voice of My Spirit speaking of life, rich and more abundant than they have ever known, lived in My presence, but not founded on the things of the earth. They cannot see beyond the distractions of the enemy which confuse their thoughts with the commotion of current events and dulls their judgment with the entertainment of fictional paper dolls, weighting their feet and their hearts with the burdens of material things.
   There is no pleasure in My heart to see people die in their sins, as they sleep their way toward the precipice; My desire is for them to wake and know the truth of their destiny so they can receive My promise of life and My assurance of love.
   Imitate Me, My dear one, and walk, even as I walked, in faithful stewardship of what I have entrusted to you, just as I was faithful before My Father in all that He entrusted to Me. Be content in the loving discipline and faithful reproving that I bring you with the assurance that I am never impatient or short-tempered, nor will I ever cast you off. Rather, I will walk with you all the way and, through My mighty power at work within you, will accomplish infinitely more than you might ask or think. I will never neglect, nor ever cease to love, those whose hearts are turned to Me.
   Seek Me in your discontent and allow My Spirit to search out the deep things of God in your heart and reveal the hidden things of God in your life.

May you remember that in your spiritual blindness, you did not see Christ, but Christ saw you; your faith to believe was a grace and your restored vision was a mercy, that God might receive the greater glory. John 9

May you not be surprised when the work of God causes offense to those who claim to follow Him but do not know Him in their hearts, for in His redemptive mercy, He will show His strength and reveal their weakness, demonstrating His truth and wisdom as He exposes their lies and ignorance. John 9

May you be oft-accused of tradition-breaking as you obey the Lord and do the work of God, crossing barriers men set up against His mercy and ignoring boundaries intended to contain and proscribe His love. John 9

May you praise the name of the Lord both now and evermore, from where the sun rises to the place where it sets, for He is exalted over all the nations, and His glory higher than the heavens, yet He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash pile, seating them with the princes of the people, and settles the childless in her home as a happy mother of children. Psalm 113

May you tremble with the earth at the presence of the Lord Who turned the hard rock into springs of water, for even the sea looked and fled and the Jordan turned back as the mountains skipped like rams and the hills like lambs when God brought His chosen out of captivity and His elect became His sanctuary. Psalm 114

May you receive a glad and cheerful heart and a calm, secure mind from the Lord, making life a continual feast, whereas all the days of the miserable and despondent are difficult and troubled, wretched in every sense. Proverbs 15:15

May you willingly receive the wisdom and accept the understanding that the fear of the Lord with a few worldly possessions is better than great wealth with all the trouble and inner turmoil that drives away contentment. Proverbs 15:16