Today’s post is the first in a year-long monthly series: 11 Bible Verses to Grow Your Faith.
In each post I will introduce one name of God and one Bible verse that will grow your view of God, and in turn grow your faith.
Ready to get started?
Life is hard, isn’t it?
Although most days I can be a bit of a Pollyanna, the reality is this life isn’t easy. The list of “hard things” is vast, and varies in degree of difficulty.
Here are a few off the top of my head: the sudden loss of a loved one, staying married, financial strain, parenting, a life-altering diagnosis, loving our neighbor/boss/mother-in-law/self, overcoming addiction, giving or receiving discipline, eating vegetables, watching others suffer, holding my tongue, divorce, coping with change, forgiving others, sticking to that diet, living with chronic pain/illness, saying I’m sorry, rejection, cancer, waiting, receiving criticism …
and the list could go on and on.
At times life can seem unbearable. Our problems feel too weighty. Our obstacles, insurmountable. In times like these, I need to know that there’s someone out there that is bigger than my current hard. I need to know that there’s someone I can depend on.
THE NAME
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
The Hebrew word used for God in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim. Only four words into the Bible and we find the first recorded name of God. The word el, meaning “mighty, strong”, when written in the plural tense, Elohim, is used in reference to our eternal, One True God.
Right from the start, God wants us to know that He is the Creator of all.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible. Hebrews 11:3
Before time began – before the sun and moon and earth and sea – there was only inky blackness – a soup of nothingness – bottomless emptiness. And God.
But then He spoke, and all creation stood its ground.
God formed the earth, and set it in motion. He flung stars, piled mountains and told the waters, “You can go this far, and no more.” And all of this out of nothing.
Elohim took nothing and made everything. Now that’s power.
“To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:25-26
THE VERSE
We forget, don’t we?
When troubles loom – when life presses in – when our hard feels too hard. We forget how big God is. We forget that He is ALL power. He is ALL might.
We forget that He holds the whole world and our little lives in His hands.
And we forget how perfectly He loves us. We forget that He knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) – that He’s counted the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30) – that He catches every single one of our tears in a bottle (Psalm 58:8 NLT). Or maybe we never knew these truths to begin with.
That’s why I chose this for our first memory verse:
When life gets hard, we need to remind ourselves of this truth: Nothing is too hard for God.
Nothing.
The Creator is able to hold and sustain and keep that which He created. No problem is bigger than He is. No circumstance is out of His reach. No enemy is stronger.
We can trust our God. He’s the Creator of the whole world and everything in it. Nothing is too hard for Him.
THE CHALLENGE
#1: Memorize this verse.
I made this printable note card and cell phone screen image to help us keep this verse in front of us. Download the cards and put them somewhere you’ll see often (like your bathroom mirror, on your computer, in your car).
Click here to download the printable note cards and click here to save the cell phone screen image.
#2: Remind yourself of truth.
Each and every time you face something hard (whether it’s a small hard, like me having to make myself eat broccoli or a big, bad hard, like fighting cancer) speak this truth to yourself. Turn this verse into a prayer.
“Father, you created the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. ________ is not too hard for you. I need you. I trust you. You are enough for me.”
Believe that every time you remind yourself of the big-ness of our God – every time you re-frame your circumstances through the lens of Truth, your faith will grow.
It’s God’s word guaranteed.
Those who know your name will trust you, for you Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10
Last of all, this song fits in perfectly with our verse and name this month. Click here to listen to King of the World by Natalie Grant
Keep pressing in, friends.
Leslie says
Carrie, I just love this! Thank you for the cards and phone screen image. That will make memorizing easier! I’m looking forward to the next verse!
admin says
hi Leslie! I’m so glad those are going to be helpful for you. I look at my phone screen all the time. 🙂 Have a great weekend!!
Cheri says
Thank you so much! This has blessed me so much! 💜
admin says
I’m so glad, Cheri. I hope you’ll follow along each month for the new name/memory verse. xoxo