What’s your favourite verse?

Perhaps you haven’t thought about it, but we nearly all have verses from the bible that have helped us at some point or other, perhaps cheering us up during a difficult time, perhaps verses that have explained something about Jesus to us.

At camp we learn verses, we call them “memory verses” and we are really glad when everyone learns the verses, because for us it’s not just a competition, but it is giving a gift that will come back to you and help you in your lives.

The first verse I ever learned was Isaiah 1:18:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

This verse has always encouraged me to remember that the Lord wants to forgive my mistakes and it shows His love to me.

Recently I read an article written by a website that allows people to read the bible and share verses online, because of what they do they can see which verse is shared the most. Up until this year it was always John 3:16, here is that verse:

It’s an amazing verse and it has been often called “The gospel in a nutshell”, that’s because it so clearly tells us all of Gods plan. It starts with God, this great and mighty person, the creator of the universe, somebody who many might consider distant and far off, and yet then it says he “so loved the world”, that means every single person on this planet is loved by God, it doesn’t matter what colour their skin is, it doesn’t matter their gender, it doesn’t matter how rich or poor they are, and has nothing to do with how popular they are, consider this, God loves YOU, yeah he knows you, your thoughts, your desires, your fears, and he loves you!

What’s more, because of His love he decided to act, it caused him to give, the greatest gift that has ever been given this world, “His only begotten Son”, it’s talking about the Lord Jesus, it’s talking about when he came into this world as a little baby in the manger in Bethlehem, that was all because of love.

This verse doesn’t tell us why, but the bible explains to us a problem that it calls sin, and it explains that each and every one of us is a sinner, that doesn’t mean we are all awful murderers, or that we have done something we should be in prison for, No, it simply means we have not met God’s perfect standard.

But God didn’t just want to leave us in this state, he saw the problem and he came up with the solution, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Our verse doesn’t outline some complicated religion or give us a set of rules to better ourselves. No, it simply says believe in Him! Believe in Him and all the consequences of our Sin as far as God is concerned are taken away all together, and He promises us Eternal Life. Believe that when he died, he took your punishment. How amazing is that? What an incredible love! If you haven’t taken the step to believe in Him, why not do so today, pray to Him, confess your sin and accept his forgiveness, if you have believed on him, remind yourself again just how blessed we are to be Loved by Him.

Some have expressed the verse like this.

GOD  - the greatest Lover

SO LOVED - the greatest degree

THE WORLD - the greatest number

THAT HE GAVE - the greatest act

HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON - the greatest Gift

THAT WHOSOEVER - the greatest invitation

BELIEVETH - the greatest simplicity

IN HIM - the greatest Person

SHOULD NOT PERISH - the greatest deliverance

BUT - the greatest difference

HAVE - the greatest certainty

EVERLASTING LIFE - the greatest possession

Now that is certainly a verse worth learning and treasuring.

Much love to you all

Chris