There are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 in the New Testament for a grand total of 31,102.
Some people (myself included) have at some point in time come across a verse that speaks to us deeply, so deeply that we have hung on to it and call it our “life verse,” that verse that when our human compass goes awry or our human frailties take over, we can come back to it and be grounded and refreshed.
Mine is Psalm 46:10––“Be still and know that I am God.”
For me, this verse covers all my inadequacies. I want to fix things--now ("Be still,” God tells me.). I want to be the master of my fate. (“know that I am God,” says God). And I often forget the power of the Almighty (I am God, He reminds me.)
One of my relatives has chosen the first part of Psalm 31:15––“My times are in your hands,” a wonderful reminder that when you don’t understand what’s going on, God does.
Another chose Romans:3-5–– “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Though we want life to always be easy, it isn’t, but good does come out of our suffering. In fact ultimate good (salvation) came only because of suffering.
However, life verses are not a must. All 31,102 verses have something to tell us. And God will use one or two (yes, even those that just list names) to speak to us at any given moment.
I remember speaking with a friend of mine who was having some difficulty adjusting to a sudden imposed retirement because of a health issue. She hadn’t wanted it, and it definitely hadn’t been planned, and she had no idea what she was going to do with herself. She said she was talking to her cousin, a Catholic deacon, who shared this verse with her:
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." ISAIAH 43:18-19.
The right verse at the right time.
So many of us turn to self-help books to find answers to our questions, and many of them provide valuable insights. But according to Magnolia Media Network, “How-tos or self-help [books] usually have 40-50,000 words.”
The Bible has 783,137.
The bottom line is this. Within those 31,102 verses made up of 783,137 words are the answers to EVERY concern or question we might have. All we have to do is start reading.
If you have a life verse or a verse that was special at a particular time, please share.
Some people (myself included) have at some point in time come across a verse that speaks to us deeply, so deeply that we have hung on to it and call it our “life verse,” that verse that when our human compass goes awry or our human frailties take over, we can come back to it and be grounded and refreshed.
Mine is Psalm 46:10––“Be still and know that I am God.”
For me, this verse covers all my inadequacies. I want to fix things--now ("Be still,” God tells me.). I want to be the master of my fate. (“know that I am God,” says God). And I often forget the power of the Almighty (I am God, He reminds me.)
One of my relatives has chosen the first part of Psalm 31:15––“My times are in your hands,” a wonderful reminder that when you don’t understand what’s going on, God does.
Another chose Romans:3-5–– “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Though we want life to always be easy, it isn’t, but good does come out of our suffering. In fact ultimate good (salvation) came only because of suffering.
However, life verses are not a must. All 31,102 verses have something to tell us. And God will use one or two (yes, even those that just list names) to speak to us at any given moment.
I remember speaking with a friend of mine who was having some difficulty adjusting to a sudden imposed retirement because of a health issue. She hadn’t wanted it, and it definitely hadn’t been planned, and she had no idea what she was going to do with herself. She said she was talking to her cousin, a Catholic deacon, who shared this verse with her:
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." ISAIAH 43:18-19.
The right verse at the right time.
So many of us turn to self-help books to find answers to our questions, and many of them provide valuable insights. But according to Magnolia Media Network, “How-tos or self-help [books] usually have 40-50,000 words.”
The Bible has 783,137.
The bottom line is this. Within those 31,102 verses made up of 783,137 words are the answers to EVERY concern or question we might have. All we have to do is start reading.
If you have a life verse or a verse that was special at a particular time, please share.
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