Favorites. We all have them. But to really answer the question what's your favorite?, we need categorize a little bit. Because we have so many favorites!
We have favorite foods. In my case, there would be a list of favorite foods, since I think it might be impossible to narrow my choice to only one favorite! My list would, of course, include pancakes. And chocolate. And coconut cream pie. And watermelon. And strawberries. And a really good steak. See what I mean? There's no way I could come up with just one favorite food!
A favorite beverage is an easier choice. For me, that favorite is coffee. Your favorite might be tea. Or Diet Coke. Or some other beverage. But we all have a favorite.
We have favorite colors. Or favorite vacation spots. Or favorite sports teams. Favorite books and favorite movies. Favorite TV shows. Favorite restaurants. So many favorites.
Has anyone ever asked you to name your favorite Scripture verse? For me, that's a difficult question to answer, because I have so many favorites. And even if I try to put my favorites into categories, I still have a hard time!
I've asked that question of several people lately, and have found that I'm not the only one having trouble narrowing the list to just one favorite!
There are favorite verses I turn to when I'm having a bad day or some kind of crisis in my life. There are verses I turn to when I'm in need of encouragement, or verses I turn to when I want to offer encouragement to others. There are verses I often recall when I'm praying, and there are verses that come to mind when I'm praising. So many favorites!
If I had to point out one favorite chapter in the Bible, it might be Psalm 119. I love the Psalms, and I particularly love that Psalm! I have so many favorite verses in that favorite chapter.
"Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." (Psalm 119:18 NASB)
"Establish Your word to Your servant as that which produces reverence for You." (Psalm 119:38 NASB)
"Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations." (Psalm 119:89-90 NASB)
"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." (Psalm 119:97 NASB)
Do you see what I mean? I can't possible choose just one verse from that chapter, and that's just a sampling of my favorites!
One of my favorite verses, and the first thing I could remember following my stroke, is found in Isaiah. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee.” (Isaiah 26:30). That verse got me through the difficult months of stroke recovery.
But if I were forced to nail down just one favorite verse, or the most favorite of all my favorites, I probably would choose Hebrews 12:2, in the New American Standard translation. I choose that translation because of the way the first phrase is translated. Most translations say "looking to Jesus" or "looking unto Jesus". The NASB is even more specific.
"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 NASB, emphasis mine)
That's my favorite.
What's yours?
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