God: Grace of

Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.

So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”

…suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”

Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”

Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”

“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”

And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.

Moses alone shall approach the LORD, but the others must not come near. And the people may not go up with him.”

Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.

Then Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You have been telling me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have found favor in My sight.’

So the LORD said to Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”

…and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”

And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you.

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.

You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

So they shall put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not seek omens as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

For what nation is great enough to have a god as near to them as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him?

Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

Concerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the LORD; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”

No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.

He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.”

So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

…when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness, …

Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah

For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor.

For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.

He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

…to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation.

The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.

O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.

The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.

By this I know that You delight in me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.

For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.

The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”

Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain God chose for His dwelling, where the LORD will surely dwell forever.

You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.

“All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”

For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.

For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted.

But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed.

When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul.

You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor—the appointed time has come.

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

The LORD is mindful of us; He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron;

He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.

May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home:

“This is My resting place forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired this home.

The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.

Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.

…for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.

The wise will inherit honor, but fools are held up to shame.

For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.

Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.

What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.

He who searches out good finds favor, but evil will come to him who seeks it.

The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.

Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.

When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.

On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,

The light of the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted.

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty and behold a land that stretches afar.

For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west.

The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.

In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Although I struck you in anger, yet in favor I will show you mercy.

Then I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, declares the LORD.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.

And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”

The perimeter of the city will be 18,000 cubits, and from that day on the name of the city will be: THE LORD IS THERE.”

I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger has turned away from them.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame.

Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.

The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy, never again to be overrun by foreigners.

But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.” For the LORD dwells in Zion.

“Only you have I known from all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.

The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, delivered the message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD.

For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”

This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”

On that day the LORD their God will save them as the flock of His people; for like jewels in a crown they will sparkle over His land.

The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— …

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.

…but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.

No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, …

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow, to the glory of God.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

…to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

…and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.

For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.

…through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:

In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.

…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,

…who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.