For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV
Shopping in a luxury boutique intimidated me, especially on my budget. I usually looked for discounts not designer labels. I worried about feeling unsophisticated in a shop that sold merchandise I couldn’t afford. However, curiosity led me to an upscale boutique I’d wanted to visit for a long time. My plan was simple: find ideas for a gift for my mother from the designer store then purchase a comparable gift that better suited my wallet. I hovered over glass cases containing watches and jewelry. Displays of blouses, dresses, jackets, and suits lined the walls of the airy shop. However, at the back of the store, two racks of discounted women’s clothing caught my eye. I selected a skirt by a designer whom I admired. It would make the perfect addition to my mother’s wardrobe, and I received a seventy-five percent discount on the purchase. A discount is good but free is better.
Discounted or Free?
As much as I love receiving a discount when I shop, getting the desired item for free is better, isn’t it? Imagine the excitement of a contestant who wins a trip on a game show. Or a person winning a door prize. There is delight when we win even a small prize because it is free.
God, the Designer, doesn’t offer discounts. He loves in abundance. His grace and mercy are free. But I wondered, am I living a discounted life rather than benefiting from the abundance my Designer intended for me?
Inspirational Quote or Eternal Wisdom
I enjoy reading and collecting motivational quotes. I often find a quotation to say just what I need to hear. Pithy words of inspiration appear in social media posts to be commented on, liked, and shared. Some challenge us to act, while others cause us to reflect on life, relationships, our view of success, or the environment. However, these quotes and quips pale in comparison to the omniscient wisdom of our Designer, Friend, and Redeemer. They are discounts compared to the gift God offers us.
What is a gift? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a gift as something given to another person without the expectation of compensation or payment. It’s free.
Inspirational quotes offer temporary comfort, but God’s Word deeply satisfies. It is eternal, and we can depend on it. God sent His son, Jesus, to a world where its inhabitants lived burdened by a debt they could not pay in the ultimate demonstration of love. Throughout the Bible, God offers us promises to give us hope. He showers us with evidence of His mercy toward us. God holds nothing back. Here are three of my favorite assurances from God:
1. John 3:16 – God sent His only Son to be born, live a humble life, and die in sacrificial love for us.
2. Acts 16:30-31 – God’s gift is simple to obtain. Ask and you will receive.
3. Ephesians 2:8-9 – Salvation is a gift we receive through faith, not works.
Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem us. Salvation cost Jesus everything, but He offers it to us for free. They are the words by which we live.
A Book of Wisdom for Life
Sometime after that shopping trip, I felt the disturbance of discouragement. A few inspirational quotations popped into my head,. Although, I jotted them down in my journal, my heart remained heavy. I needed more. Often, I have wondered what it must have been like to sit in Jesus’ presence and listen to His words of instruction, teaching, and encouragement. When I opened the Bible, the words of my Designer comforted me.
In Matthew, I found chapter five where Jesus taught through the passage we call The Beatitudes, given during the Sermon on the Mount.
Ecclesiastes records the wisdom of Solomon in chapter three. There is a time for everything.
Through the Psalms, God spoke to me in chapter twenty-three. He restored my soul.
I still collect memorable quotes in my journal, but God’s word is my source for eternal inspiration.
Let’s share.
Do you collect promises or favorite verses that remind you how valuable you are to God? I have mentioned a few of mine in this post. I’d love to read yours in the comments.
Thank you for this. I love the promises in God’s Word. We have to accept a gift. If we believe we have the free gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life with God. Jesus paid the price.
Absolutely. Isn’t it wonderful to be the recipient of God’s marvelous promises knowing that he never fails?
The verse that sinks deeply into my soul every time I read it is, “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.” Isaiah 40:31
There are many others but this one has encouraged me at times when things get overwhelming in my life.
Thank you for sharing your story.
This is a wonderful verse! The promise is so deep. God wants to wipe away any doubt about our future. I love verses like this where God paints a vivid picture of His sustaining love for us. Thanks for sharing!
This is a wonderful verse! I love these promises where God paints a vivid picture of His sustaining love for us. Thanks for sharing!
That is a wonderful verse. It feels like God is painting a picture of His love and care for us, giving us a promise of a victorious future. Thank you for sharing it.
Luke 10:42 “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
When the busyiness of life gets me carried away and troubled like Martha, I keep this verse to remind me only ONE thing is needful, and I need to be like Mary and CHOSE to sit at my Master’s feet.
Amen! This is a wonderful verse for those of us who are task oriented, isn’t it? May I always choose that one thing that is needful. Thanks for sharing!
You know…I know God is love and is eternal, and that He loves His creation, and that He loves me in all my sins and foibles. That is why He was executed in our place and took the punishment for our sins on our behalf.
But then God goes on to say that those who accept His sacrifice on our behalf will live with Him forever in Heaven.
I have to question…’But wont He get sick of us? Forever is a loooong time!’
But as God knows all things, including what I am thinking (Oh Ohhh!), He prompted me to think of our pet dogs, cats and horses etc.
We love them and include them in our lives, but they have short life spans (unless you have a pet parrot or elephant). Don’t we wish that they could live with us for the term of our natural lives?
Yesss!
Thank You God. You know my thoughts and my doubts and You always have an answer for me.
Thank you for sharing. Isn’t it a precious thing to know that God will never tire of us? And yes, as a dog lover (I have one wonderful senior pup!), I feel our time with them is too short. But God has offered us this gift of eternity to be with Him. What a loving God!
I loved this devotional, Sherma. Thank you. I have a journal that I keep purely for quotes from the Bible that have stirred my soul. I’m able to keep it with me if ever my Bible is too large to pack. Some passages I have written are: Ezra 10:4 – Rise up, take courage and do it. Hebrews11:1 Now Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. And Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell in 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.
I have so many others. Scripture is a true blessing. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your wonderful list of verses, Sally. I think I will add Ezra 10:4 to my arsenal!