Bless the LORD,
                all His works,
  in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul.

                          Psalm 103.22

(Bless the LORD by blessing others
    in all places,
  even in this.)

But this I call to mind,

     and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,

                 His mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning,

    great is Your faithfulness .

                             Lamentations 3. 21-23

(No matter what. 

             Forever.)

And the Lord's servant
        must not be quarrelsome
    but kindly to every one,
an apt teacher,
forbearing,
correcting his opponents
                      with gentleness.

                            2 Timothy 2. 24

(In this world,
     even gentleness sets you apart)

Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!

                                   Psalm 100.2

(What a difference this would make
                 as we enter our day.
Work through my day with gladness?
Approach that difficulty with singing?
We can't help but "sing out loud"
       in all we do and say.)

Show yourself in all respects
          a model of good deeds,
and in your teaching
show integrity, gravity
 and sound speech that cannot be censured,
so that an opponent may be put to shame,
having nothing evil to say of us.

                               Titus 2. 7-8

(Live above reproach
       in all you say and do.)

Be rich in good deeds,
           liberal and generous...

                      1 Timothy 6.8

(Good deeds are not the basis of salvation,
       but the natural outcome of it.
We are able to love others
       because He first loved us.)

...that the LORD your God
     may show us the way we should go,
and the thing that we should do.

                        Jeremiah 42.3

(follow Him into it,
   sensitive to His ways
             and His purposes)

But fear not, O Jacob my servant,

nor be dismayed, O Israel,

for lo,

   I will save you from afar...

Fear not, O Jacob my servant,

says the LORD,

       for I am with you.

                  Jeremiah 46. 27-28

(no matter the circumstances,

      you are not in this alone,
  no matter what)

So also good deeds are conspicuous,
and even when they are not,
they cannot remain hidden.

                     1 Timothy 5.25

(In our day,
so unexpected,
so unusual,
so countercultural.
Shine as a light in the darkness,
       even when no one notices,
maybe especially
    when no one notices.)

If your enemy is hungry,
give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty,
give him water to drink,
for you will heap coals of fire on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.

                            Proverbs 25. 21-22

(God's way is love.
He uses love in incredible ways
          to bring through any difficult situation
              great good and His glory.
Only good overcomes evil.)

Ah Lord GOD!
It is You who have made
                 the heaven and the earth
by Your great power
      and by Your outstretched arm!
Nothing is too hard for You...

                          Jeremiah 32.17

(Nothing!)

For I know the plans I have for you,
                     says the LORD,
plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon Me
and come and pray to Me,
                   and I will hear you.
You will seek Me and find Me;
when you seek Me with all your heart,
                    I will be found by you...

                             Jeremiah 29. 11-13

(Things don't just happen.
God provides.)

Thus says the LORD:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
let not the mighty man glory in his might,
let not the rich man glory in his riches,
but let him who glories glory in this,
that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the LORD
     who practice steadfast love,
                      justice,
      and righteousness in the earth,
for in these things I delight,
                  says the LORD."

                      Jeremiah 9. 23-24

(what really counts)

He made streams
         come out of a rock...

                  Psalm 78.16

(God provides
       in the most impossible situations)

Thus says the LORD:
     "Stand by the roads and look,
      and ask for the ancient paths,
                   where the good way is,
      and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls."

                        Jeremiah 6.16

(Show me, LORD, how to navigate this)

Open your mouth wide,
       and I will fill it.

                     Psalm 81.10

(live in expectation
        of what God can do)

Brethren,
do not be weary in well-doing.

                2 Thessalonians 3.13

(But joyful in all you do.
God is working mightily
    His great purposes
                   through you.)

...but let him who has My word
         speak My word faithfully.

                      Jeremiah 23.28

(In how we live,
  in how we love,
  in all that we do.
And when necessary,
              use words.)

A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold
          in a setting of silver.

                    Proverbs 25.11

(Make your words
      as beautiful gifts)

See that none of you
               repays evil for evil,
but always seek
to do good to one another
                          and to all.

               1 Thessalonians 5.15

(How do I handle this situation?
Seek to do good.
God will show you a way.)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
            whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
       for it does not cease to bear fruit.

                                   Jeremiah 17. 7-8

(Being blessed is not dependent
           on outward circumstances,
      but on His dwelling within)

We set our hope on You,

for You do all these things.

                          Jeremiah 14.22

(Hope in God

is not wishful thinking

    but that on which

               you can stake your life)

...that they might be for Me

a people,

     a name,

         a praise,

             and a glory...

                        Jeremiah 13.11

(God's greater purpose,

        God's deeper plans,

His faithful Presence,

wherever He has placed you,

even here,

even in this)

Whatever your task,
               work heartily,
as serving the Lord and not men,
knowing that from the Lord
you will receive the inheritance
as your reward;
you are serving the Lord Christ.

                        Colossians 3. 23-24

(You are on special assignment
             even in this)

And whatever you do,
          in word or deed,
do everything
           in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
           to God the Father through Him.

                      Colossians 3.17

(Whatever means whatever,
     everything means everything,
even that.
Maybe especially that.)

Your way was through the sea,

Your path through the great waters,

    yet Your footprints were unseen.

                               Psalm 77.19

(He guides even through

         the most impossible situations.

Keep your eyes on Him.)

...that in everything

          He might be pre-eminent.

                       Colossians 1.18

(Not just part of my life,

or even prominent,

          but surpassing all)

He is before all things,

and in Him 

     all things hold together.

                    Colossians 1.17

(Things do not just work out,

     Christ weaves His purposes

     through it all.)

Have no anxiety about anything,
but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God
        which passes all understanding,
will keep your hearts and your minds
                             in Christ Jesus.

                        Philippians 4. 6-7

(What part of "no anxiety" do we
               not understand?
"I've got you," says the LORD.)

...be found in Him.

                Philippians 3.9

(In all things, in all places,
     in every situation,
even in this.)

Yea, O LORD, You are our Father;
        we are the clay,
             and You are our potter;
we are all the work of Your hand.

                            Isaiah 64.8

(God transforms us
    into a vessel of great beauty
                      and purpose.)