This morning I was greatly encouraged by this timely video. Here are the verses that remind us to keep our shield of FAITH up as the Holy Spirit who has poured the LOVE of God in our hearts and keeps refilling us so we can love him and others as an active manifestation and expression of our faith in action.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you [a]like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as [b]others do, but let us be alert and [c]sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be [d]sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore [e]encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-11 (NASB)
Another verse about the hope related to the love that God has for us comes to mind:
See [a]how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. I John 3:1-3.
The HOPE of the resurrection of our bodies is a strong component of that faith: Peter expresses this hope in these terms:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various [a]trials, 7 so that the [b]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which [c]is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
I Peter 1:3-7
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