THERE'S A WELCOME HERE
ISAIAH 40:1 (CEV)
Our God has said:
"Encourage my people!
Give them comfort."
LUKE 9:11 (ABP)
Jesus welcomed the crowd that was following him. He told them about God’s kingdom and healed those who were sick.
SUMMARY SENTENCE
It's good to know that God welcomes people like us and even has an encouraging word.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for your warm welcome and encouraging words. Forgive us for thinking of you as stern and aloof. Give me an encouraging word to say about what you're up to -- and the wisdom to know when and how to speak it. Because you're in charge of my life I'm going to encourage those around me in the name of Jesus. 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)
