Stand firm
The Lord has stopped your punishment;
he has removed all your enemies.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is with you;
there is no reason now to be afraid. ~ Zephaniah 3:15 (GNT)
Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Stay on task because God is with you.
PRAYER:
Lord, I'm thankful that you are with me. I'm not exactly where I want to be but I know that you are here with me anyway. My mind and sense of being tend to drift. I lose focus, grow weak, and get involved in things that have nothing to do with my faith. I'm not afraid of anyone right now -- apart from myself and my own weaknesses. Help me to stand firm with Jesus. I'm going to stay on task. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
