JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Faith-Building Verse is Matthew 1:23.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means, “God with us.)

God’s love is seen in the birth of Jesus. Recognizing that God is for us and with us will make a huge difference in how we approach life.

We can live with courage, just like Joshua, who heard these words from the LORD before entering the Promised Land, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

We can also live with godly contentment. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

And we can live with confidence in God’s love for us. I John 4:16 says that we know and rely on the love God has for us.

This Faith-Building Verse inspires us to approach life with the awareness that God loves us in the Year of Relationship.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com