As one who enjoys studying the Bible, I have come across several verses that have special meaning to me over the years. This list is presented to stimulate you, the reader, to think about which verses from God’s word would make your own “Top Ten” list:
#10 — 1 Samuel 16:7 — “…The Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I believe that life’s great challenge is to learn to see everything from God’s perspective. When we begin to do so, fame, beauty, wealth, and success pale in comparison to what God deems important.
#9 — Nehemiah 13:31 — “Remember me, O my God, for good.” Nehemiah was a man of prayer, and this may have been his greatest prayer of all. What better epitaph for any Christian’s tombstone than this verse?
#8 — Romans 8:18 — “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Whatever we suffer in this life is ultimately temporary and fleeting. What a joy to contemplate the greatness of the glory that will one day be revealed in us!
#7 — Proverbs 18:22 — “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” I wish every husband in the world would memorize this verse. It would surely revolutionize the way we think about, speak to, and treat our wives on a daily basis.
#6 — Psalm 127:1 — “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…” This verse applies to any number of situations, but it is usually quoted in relation to the Christian home. In a day when our homes are under constant attack, wouldn’t it be wonderful if more of us could emphasize true family values?
#5 — Romans 11:33 — “Oh, the depth and the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Most among us do not spend enough time pondering the greatness of God. When we do, we (like Paul) are left in awe of Him.
#4 — John 3:30 — “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John the Baptizer had it right: magnify Christ and everything else will find its proper place. This life is not about gaining glory for yourself. It is about exalting Jesus as our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord.
#3 — 2 Corinthians 8:9 — “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” The King of Kings left His heavenly throne to come to this sin-sick world and die. Why did He do it? So that you and I could become rich — joint heirs with Him!
#2 — Psalm 37:4 — “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” What a marvelous adventure and challenge it is to pursue God as the Source of all our joy and desire. This verse challenges us to never settle for the fleeting pleasures and delights of this world, but rather to pursue the supreme joy that is to be found in God Himself.
#1 — Philippians 1:21 — “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Not only does Christianity teach us to live well, it teaches us how to die well. A life bound up in Christ is a life that can look toward death as true gain: “To depart and be with Christ is far better” (v.23). —JB