17 Bible Verses About Battling Depression

Depression is extremely tough and one of the hardest things I have had to battle. Hands down, I would not have been able to do it without God. He just made things easier to handle. I prayed. A LOT. I wanted to share some bible verses that can be of some comfort if like me, God is a big part of you fighting this illness.

Zechariah 9:12 "Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you." All this pain we are enduring currently, and this internal turmoil, will be worth it. We just need to keep our hope, because God will make things better for us.

Micah 5:5 "And this One shall be peace." We will have peace, even if it seems so far away now, peace is reachable. God is peace and will give peace to us.

Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit." God is with us when we are broken hearted and weak. He hasn't forgotten us. He loves us and sent his only son to die for us. He will not forget you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." God cares about you, so when you feel overwhelmed just give it all to Him. He wants you to and He will listen to your cries. He will help save you.

Psalm 31: 22 "For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You." Again, like it is said many times in the bible: he hears you when you are desperate and need Him. He's with you, you aren't ever alone.

Psalm 37:23-24 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand." God is with you when you are trying your best to do the right things and be a good person. He's proud of you for your efforts, and even if you make a mistake he's not going to throw you away. God is with you and is proud of you, so keep trying.

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Again, God says that with Him you will have peace. Don't get down about having hard times, but try to be positive and be happy while knowing that it is worth it. The world is a place where you will have hard times, but know God and know that He is with you every step of the way.

Nehemiah 8:10 "Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Stay strong! I know that when you are depressed, you may not feel like eating or like you need to make sure that you are eating. It's important that you take care of your body that God has given to you.

Hosea 6:1 "Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up." God knows what is best for us, and He will make things right for us.

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." I love this verse. God doesn't want us to be afraid. He doesn't want us to be fearful of tomorrow. We shouldn't hate ourselves either. If God who made us and loves us, why shouldn't we love ourselves?

Philippians 4:13, 19 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.... And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." God strengthens us. With Him we can do anything. And God will take care of us too. When it says 'all your need', it includes our mental wellbeing. God will find a way for us to be better, whether that be with doctors or by training ourselves.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." When we are going through trials, God will be with us. When we feel like we are overwhelmed, He won't give us more than we can handle. When we feel like we are drowning in our negativity and horrible thoughts racking in our brains, He will find a way. God will protect us through the troubles of life. He has always been there and always will be.

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." God will be there when we need safety from the storms in our mind and outside. He gives us strength and helps us through all our troubles.

Psalm 119:50 "This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life." God is here to be your comfort. You are His, and He wants to protect us. Like I've said, the Bible is a comfort, just like God is a comfort. Pray to Him and tell Him all that is on your heart and in your mind. He is there for us when we feel like no one else is. He is with you now and forever and before you even took your first breathe or your heart began to beat inside your tiny chest in your mother's womb.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I love this church hymn that is based off this Bible verse. God is saying he will give us rest, and like said many times before He will protect us and be our refuge.

Psalm 23:4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." God can most certainly be of great comfort. If our Almighty God is with you, what do you have to fear?

Psalm 40:1-3 "I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God;Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord." God saves us and shows us life. Just trust in God and that He will work things out for you and find a way. God will help you get out of the bad place you are in now, just have faith in Him.

Hate Sin & Love Sinners

     A problem I have seen first hand in my generation is some people who call themselves Christian telling people that aren't following God that they are going to hell. James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain. They may indeed be in a lost state, but are those words loving? No! And love is supposed to be the center of Christianity. This goes for any sin: adultery, drug abuse, drunkenness, fornication, homosexuality, gossip, murder, and lying. God sees all sin as equal. As humans, we like to categorize or scale things; we see a difference between gossip and murder, when God may not.

     My Christian brothers and sisters, please think about your words and how it affects someone before you say them! Does saying, "You are going to hell for this" glorify God and bring others to church? No! Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. -- 1 Thessalonians 2:12 - That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. Remember that it is not our place to say "you're going to hell" or "you're not going to hell". We are not all knowing, we are not the judge, and we sure are NOT God. James 4:12 - There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? We are not perfect, therefore, have no right to tell someone that they are going to hell. When we say something like that - it IS hateful. Even if you mean well - there is no possible positive way that can be taken. Now it isn't wrong to say and judge that sin is wrong and bad, but we shouldn't pick out a person that we know struggles with that sin and judge them by saying they are going to hell. All of us are capable of repenting and once again being accepted by God just as we are all capable of giving in to temptation and losing our salvation. The only way we can bring others to Christ is with LOVE. If I had made a mistake and had someone come up to me and tell me I'm going to hell - I would NOT want to go to whatever church they went to, and it would make me so upset to have someone tell me that basically I'll burn in hell for eternity for a mistake I made. We do not know the hearts of people. Maybe they are trying to fix their life, maybe not, maybe they don't know what to do - but that doesn't mean it is okay to say they are going to hell. 1 Corinthians 2:11 - For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.

     Some people these days confuse hating sin and hating the sinner. There is a BIG difference. We should make an effort to see everyone as equals. We should know that we are all in the same fight, maybe fighting different sins, but still fighting in the same world. We also need to know that good people make mistakes sometimes, and we should try to continue loving everyone like Jesus did. Jesus died for sinners. He died for people he had never really met. John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. We should all strive for such compassion and love, even though we can't meet the depth of love that Jesus has for us. John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. We should strive for a love that we see everyone as worthy enough to be brought to God because EVERYONE is worthy enough to try. Jesus/God proved this when Jesus died on the cross for us.  2 Thessalonians 1:11 - Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power...

     When we may say something like "you are going to hell" we are sinning! Proverbs 10:19 - In the multitude of words there wants not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise. -- James 3:10 - Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. We should make sure our words are something God will be proud of. Even staying quiet and not saying anything makes God proud, in situations like these. Lastly is one more verse that we should remember before we speak. 1 Corinthians 16:14 - Let all your things be done with charity. By loving others and saying only loving words, we are showing our soul to God.

Love, Emily.

How To Be Happy + Bible Verses

   I've definitely had problems with being happy. Ever since around the age of eleven or twelve, I had depression. I won't go into details, because I want that to be another post for another day. I didn't realize until a year and a half ago that happiness was something you had to kind of learn with depression. I hated when people said, "It's your choice if you're happy." Because to me, a young girl with raging depression and suicidal thoughts, it wasn't my choice. I couldn't feel happiness. It was like a brick wall between me and real, true happiness. After years of unsuccessfully fighting this mental illness, I knew it was time to get help. Again, I won't say much of the details, but I had medical help that finally helped break that brick wall down. But that's all it did; break the wall down. I still had to find my way through the rubble to find how to feel. I want to share some of the things I've done to help myself be happy, truly happy. I'll also be sharing some bible verses that can be of some comfort or inspiration.

     2 Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong."

    1: Know that your pain and sadness is not only worth it, but is temporary. This pain and sadness will not last forever, and you will be okay again. Don't lose hope!

    1 Peter 4:13 "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

    2: Exercise, meditate, or do yoga. I got a yoga mat, and did that and meditating for a small amount of time. My mother bought a used treadmill for me and my sister from one of her teacher friends - and man, have I LOVED that. Also, go outside and just walk. Enjoy God's beautiful work and the fresh air.
   
    Proverbs 16:20 "He that handles a matter wisely shall find good: and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

    3: Have a gratitude journal or a happy jar. Whenever you are feeling sad you can go and look back at those things. This is so great and I still do this.

    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

    4: Remember that the little things count. You got to pet a puppy or kitten today? That's great. Today it was the perfect weather? That's awesome. You wore fuzzy socks today? That's good!

    Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knows right well."
  
    5: Do something nice for others. When you hold open a door for an elderly woman, help your mother carry in the groceries, etc. can help you feel good too for doing something nice. You can also write letters to people in your church that are sick or visit elderly people at home that can't go to church.

    Psalm 16:11 "Thou will show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

    6: Pamper yourself for once! You shouldn't just work, work, work. Take some time for yourself and have a bubble bath. Give yourself a pedicure. Watch your favorite movie and eat your favorite snack.

    Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

    7: Don't stress about things you can't change. God doesn't want us to stress. You are going to have to change your mind set. Try hard to NOT stress. Give it to God. Things will work out. Think of it as a kink in a water hose, or a splinter in your finger. It'll work itself out, it may take time or a little push but it will be okay.

    Proverbs 14:13 "Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness."

    8: Spend time with family and friends. I've been there... Sometimes all you want to do is lie in bed alone. But spending time with people that love you fulfills the soul. Even if you are just in the same room as your family and you aren't conversing with one another, that is enough.

    Isaiah 12:3 "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."

    9: Live every day as if it is your last. The worldly version has to do with sleeping around, dancing inappropriately, and doing some things that God wouldn't approve of. What I mean by this one, is that live every day fearlessly and with love.

    1 Peter 4:12-13 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

    10: Learn to love yourself. God made you. GOD MADE YOU. He loves you the way you are. He wants you to take care of yourself. Love yourself because God loves you. This step is hard to learn - and I'm still learning. But I'm so happy I started that journey in itself.

    Romans 5:2 "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

    11: Lastly, daily bible devotionals and lessons. This has made me such a more happier person. I feel refreshed and closer to God after I have done my lesson/study.

Love, Emily.

Miracles V. God's Providence

Today I'll be studying miracles and God's providence. The first thing to note is what miracles are and what God's providence is. Miracles are like people coming back from the dead or God literally speaking to someone. An example of God's providence is a child that has no more cancer even though all the doctors said there was no way or someone living through a car wreck that should have killed them. The word 'providence' means foresight or making provision beforehand. For example, God made something happen through natural means, or gave it the ability to happen. Maybe in the car wreck, the car hit the tree just right so that the man didn't die. Maybe the child with cancer had something happen in her body that caused the cancer cells to die. Now, we can't just throw those explanations out. There are some things that science cannot explain even things that are within the laws of nature. For example, if a man and woman had the same life-threatening injury, the woman would have the better chances of survival. Things happen in the human body that we just don't understand.

Just because something is hard to believe or understand does not make it a miracle. Miracles are things that only God can do. Things that are beyond the laws of nature. It isn't a miracle that a woman showed up at the right moment after the man hit the tree, and was able to pull him out of the car before it lit on fire. That is God's providence; a chain reaction of events that led the woman to be there at the right time. In this day and age, the word 'miracle' is thrown around way too easily. I looked up examples of modern day miracles and it boggles my mind that these people think that God's providence is actually a miracle. No! People are mixing them up!

There are people out there that claim to be 'healers' and that would be considered a miracle - if miracles still happened today (and they don't). I read something about a man that expected to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair, and that no surgeries had fixed him. He met a 'healer' and was supposedly healed. Psychology! Think about this: why do placebo groups exist? To see if peoples' conditions get better even though they aren't really taking the medicine. They think they are, so they believe, and they get better like the doctors said the medicine would make them, too. It's the same with this so called 'healer'. Maybe the man in the wheelchair believed so strongly that he'd be okay and would walk again - so he did. Something happened in the mind and body to make it possible. That is not a miracle.

Another thing that is called a miracle but is God's providence, is the safe landing of the plane on the Hudson with the pilot, Sully. He was able to safely land the plane and people called this a miracle. Can you believe that? No! This man had the experience of planes and tried his best to save these people's lives and he did. But just because its amazing that something like this happened doesn't make it a miracle. Remember: Miracles happen only from the hand of God Himself and are beyond the laws of nature. One last example of a 'miracle' is the 33 Chilean miners. Yes just like the one before, it was amazing thing that happened and that they all lived but that does not make it a miracle. God's providence made it possible for them to all figure out together how to survive, and then to be rescued. Dramatic or unexplainable events are often given the label of miracles, but this just isn't true.

God has said he will answer our prayers, and just because He does, doesn't make it a miracle. It is Him fulfilling His promise. Matthew 7:7  “Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Mark 11:24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 9:29 "And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." God already knows what will happen, and what is best. It happens because He lets it be so.

God's providence can be noted in one verse that I have found: 2 Peter 1:3 “Seeing that His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that called us by His own glory and virtue.” It is GOD who gives us life and allows us to keep living. It is GOD who gives us good things and allows the setting up of the chain of events that change our lives. Another verse about God's providence and will is Hebrews 2: 3-4 “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.” Again, note how God has said 'His own will'.

Now, to explain why modern miracles do not exist... Look at 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues." Now look at the next chapter verse eight mostly (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) "Charity never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." God has said that there will be no more of these miracles as mentioned in the previous chapter. Yet, God's will and God's providence still exist.

Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." I think God here is saying that He makes a way for people to do His will. Like the example I said in the beginning, God made it to where the woman would be there to pull the man out of the car before it was lit on fire. Maybe that man had something God needed him to fulfill, like giving the gospel to someone that may bring more good to the world. It is all because of God and HIS WILL. God's providence is something different than miracles. Proverbs 3: 5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Remember that just because we do not understand what or why something or how something happened, just know God knows and it was God's will. Acknowledge that God directs the paths and is all-knowing.

Love, Emily.

5 Favorite Bible Verses

     1: Psalm 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" I just have always loved this. I first noticed this verse in eighth grade or in high school. I had always felt out of place when I wasn't at church or at one amazing and uplifting Christian camp (that this summer I'll probably talk about more). To me this verse meant so much because I know how great and how free my soul felt when around so many other people that loved God and tried their best to follow His word.

     2: Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee wherever you go." This verse is so comforting to me to know that God is with me everywhere and all the time. I have to try my best to be what God wants me to be: strong, courageous, and fearless are three of those things. God doesn't want me to be worried because He will be with me. With God there is nothing to fear. With God I have strength. With God I can be courageous.

     3: Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." This is a good reminder that we have things in heaven waiting for us after we follow our path with God. All the things we must go through in this life; persecution, struggles, and trials are all worth it.


4: James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." The blessings that we have, all that we have in our lives, are from God. All the little happy things is our life are from God. He blesses us constantly and loves us so much.

5: Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you." When we are going through trying times, God will be with us. When we are feeling like we are drowning with all the stressful things in life, He is there to help lift us out. When we feel overwhelmed with anything, He is there to protect us.


Love, Emily.

About Me

About Me:

Hey, there! I'm Emily Sullivan. I'm an awkward college freshman that is aspiring to major in Elementary Education and Special Education. I love kids and feel like one of my talents God has given me is patience and love for children. I love long walks on the beach - just kidding. I love a variety of music genres (mostly metal), fashion and makeup, digital art, and most of all God. I currently live in a tiny town in Mississippi. Feel free to contact me for any reason through Facebook (Emily Sullivan) or Instagram (@ema.gems).

Love, Emily.

Coping With Stress & Anxiety According To The Bible

     There are many reasons people experience stress: jobs, finances, relationships, and more. Sometimes it's easy to be at a loss of what to do to cope with that stress; and when at a loss, look to the Bible. Let's see what the Bible has to say about stress...

    John 16:33 says, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." God has given us His Word to look to, to help bring us peace and lift the weight off our shoulders. We live in a sinful world and will have to go through trials and trying times, but God says that it will be okay. James 1:2-4 says, "(2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." God says to count our temptations and trying times as joy. When we are going through hard times, we are strengthening our patience.

Luke 12:25-26 says, "(25)And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (26) If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?" This verse is saying that worrying isn't going to make anything better. There is actually research that says stress can take years OFF of your life by constantly worrying. Don't stress the little things. John 14: 27 says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." God gives us peace. He doesn't want us to worry ourselves to death. He doesn't want us to be afraid of living. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." God brings us mercy and remembers us when we are going through hard times. He is there with us to help us when we need Him. Matthew 6:34 says, "Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." God doesn't want us to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow is tomorrow. We should just take one day at a time and simply do what we can now. God will be with us and find a way to take care of us. Romans 5:3-5 says, "(3)And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Again the Bible is saying that tribulation makes us strengthen our patience. Our faith in God grows and we become closer to him when we are going through trying times. Jonah 2:2 says, "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heard my voice." God hears us when we are crying out for His help. When we are troubled, He is there with us. When we feel like we are alone in our struggling, we aren't alone. God hears us and God ALWAYS has a plan for us. He has not forgotten about us. He has not forgotten you. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "(11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (12) Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (13) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." God knows how hard we are trying and knows all the thoughts we have. He knows what is planned for us in the end, and what the outcome of the struggle will be. Just look to Him, pray to Him, and He will listen. God wants us to look to Him and when we look for Him and His answers, we will find Him.

     2 Corinthians 12:10 says, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." We may be weak at certain moments when we are going through harder times, but God will make us strong through those times. Psalm 57:1 says, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy winds will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over and past." Whenever we are in trouble, we can take shelter with Him always. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." God doesn't want us to worry or be afraid, because He is with us and strengthens us. God is there to help us and we can always lean on Him. Isaiah 40:31 says, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." This is one of my grandfather's favorite verses. God is saying in this verse that with Him we will be stronger, things will become better. When we have grown so weary that we feel like we can't go on any longer, he makes us stronger so that we can continue our fight in this world and spread His Word. 2 Timothy 4:17 says, "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." God is with us and strengthens us again, like mentioned in so many of these verses. God will use us and use our troubles in some way to better us or for His works. Our troubles and our stories can be used to help others. Maybe our troubles and our stresses can be used in helping bring people to Christ. This all comes down to God. We are His and He will keep us safe. He knows all that He has planned for us. Just put your trust in God because He knows all. With Him we can have strength.

     Isaiah 43:18-19 says, "(18) Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. (19) Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." God doesn't want us to worry about the past. We can't change the past so there is no reason to worry about those things. God is saying that He has a plan for you even through all of the struggles. Part of 2 Kings 20:5 says, "Thus says the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee." God hears all that we pray to Him and sees when we are going through trying times. Psalm 34:18-19 says, "(18)The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit. (19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all." God saves the broken hearted, and even when the struggles are hard, He is there to help you get out of them all. Psalm 40:1 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." When we are going through hard times, our patience can get worn out, and sometimes we can get impatient for God to give us a sign, so to say. But we just have to put our faith in Him. He will find a way and He hears us. Romans 8:18 says, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." All this pain and stress you may be experiencing now, will be worth it. Whether it be in a week, a month, a year, ten years, or in heaven one day. It will be worth it. God promises us that it is worth it. God is always here for us. He never leaves our side. Matthew 28:20, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Love, Emily.

The Christian Woman & The Outward Appearance

      In the world today, girls are unfortunately growing up seeing immodesty as the norm. As we grow up in a world filled with immodesty, it can be a temptation to want to wear those 'pretty' clothes you see a model wearing on the runway or on the magazine cover. It may be the norm, and more 'acceptable' in society's view, to wear super skin tight and revealing clothing, but what does God say about this? I will be talking about outward appearances and modesty in the general sense today. I'm young (19) and new to writing things like this; so I may be jumping around, but hang in there!

1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "(3) Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; (4) But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." I feel like this verse is saying that your clothes, money, and accessories are not you. Your inside beauty is what makes you beautiful. Your heart is more than gold to God. God cares about our hearts, and as a Christian we should treat others the way Jesus would. We shouldn't care about the outward appearances of others but the inward and love them. We are beautiful to God without money with which to adorn our bodies. That sounded a bit odd, huh, but what I mean is we shouldn't worry about having money to 'fit in'. Let's not fit into the world and others but to God and Christianity.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, ".... For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." This is another verse in the Bible that says that God looks at our heart. We don't have to be rich to be His. We don't have to have the nicest, fanciest clothes (and like I said before, those things do not matter). God cares about who we really are. We are not the clothes on our body but the soul within our body.

By saying these things, I don't mean to say that God doesn't care what we wear. He most certainly DOES care about what we wear. What we wear should bring honor to God AND ourselves. Our bodies have been given to us by God and we should wear clothes that God approves. One thing I hear all the time is 'flaunt it if you got it'. How about let's not! We shouldn't 'flaunt it if we got it'. In 1 Thessalonians 2:5 it says, "In fact, you know that we never used flattering speech or put on any false front with greedy motives; God is witness!"

1 Timothy 2:9-10 says, "(9) In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; (10) But (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works." We shouldn't be crazy about buying all the latest or best clothes that are expensive. We should dress ourselves in clothes that do not bring lustful attention to us. We wouldn't want to lead someone astray, would we? We should be more worried about doing good works for God than the new clothes that are being sold at the mall. I think that in this verse it's saying that by wearing modest apparel we are professing godliness.

Now back to what I just said about leading others astray... I've heard many women, even in the church, claim that it is the man's fault if he is tempted or has impure thoughts due to the clothes a woman wears. To me this is just illogical. If what we are wearing causes someone to be led astray, we should change this! Throw that outfit into the trash. It is our fault if we are a stumbling block by wearing skirts too high or shirts too low cut or clothing that is too tight. Most men wouldn't have had those thoughts if the clothing we wore weren't so revealing. Romans 13:14 says "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Now we can't put all the blame of impure thoughts on the man, when we have been the one that led him to have those thoughts. Lust exists and we should wear clothes of which God would approve.

The men are supposed to guard themselves from impure thoughts. In Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." The men should try to distract themselves from these impure thoughts. The same goes with a woman if she has impure thoughts. God is saying that we should try to think of good and godly things to keep our minds from straying. Proverbs 7 talks about a woman "with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart". She talks to this man trying to persuade him to go with her. It says "He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks...". At the end of Proverbs 7 it says "Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." As women, we should wear clothes that are godly and act godly, and not tempt a man in any way with what we wear or the way we act.

A good example of immodesty and what it can do is the story of David. In 2 Samuel 11:2 it says, "And it came to pass in the evening, that David arose from his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon." Now in this story there are two faults. The woman was naked for anyone's view! She didn't think of what her actions would cause but they caught David's eye. She was in the wrong for putting herself in a situation to be lusted upon. But David was in the wrong too for continuing to look at her (and later act upon his impure thoughts).

In closing, I'll share two more verses. Proverbs 31:25 says, "Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." Colossians 3:12 says, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Remember that we should show dignity by our clothing, and respect the gift of our body that God has given us.

Love, Emily.