“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Prov. 28:13 ESV)

Everybody stumbles

“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. (James 3:2 ESV)

Deal with it! Don’t deny or cover it up

When you’ve made a mistake, you can handle it by denying it and covering it up, or by recognizing it for what it is and taking appropriate steps to correct the situation as best you can. It may involve the need to repent from sins, make restitution, and to seek forgiveness from others you have harmed and from God. There is in example in the Bible of King David who committed adultery and then, to cover it up, had the woman’s husband murdered. In psalm 51 David prayed: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2 NLT).

Humble yourself

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

You will obtain mercy

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Prov. 28:13 ESV)

“Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” (Psalm 37:24 ESV)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5:28-29 NIV)

The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen

Here is a remarkable story about a woman who reached out in desperation and touched Jesus’s clothes, fully expecting to be healed by doing so, and by that courageous act of faith, she instantly received her healing. Jesus acknowledged this by saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” Elsewhere in scripture we read the definition of faith, “Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1). The woman in this passage is a great example of this kind of faith put into action. This is why she got results.

A woman in the crowd with a longtime problem

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. (Mark 5:24-26 NIV)

“She thought, “if I Just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

“When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5:27-29 NIV)

“Who touched my clothes?”

“At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.” (Mark 5:30-32 NIV)

“Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

“Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:33-34 NIV)

 “Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” (Jer. 23:29 NASB)

The Word of God is God-breathed

”All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NIV)

The Word of God is alive, active and sharp

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

The Word of God put into practice is wise

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24 NIV)

The Word of God is a light for your feet

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:109 NIV)

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130 NIV)

The Word of God is the path to purity

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9 NIV)

The Word of God endures forever

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isa. 40:8 NIV)

“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.” (Psalm 16:1 NIV)

God’s angels will protect you

“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” (Psalm 81:11 NLT)

God is an ever-present help in the time of trouble

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

God goes with you, so don’t be afraid

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6 NIV)

Weapons formed against you will fail

“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” (Isa. 54:17 NIV)

Therefore…

“So we say with confidence,  “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb. 13:6 NIV)

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matt. 6:25-34 ESV)

God has given you everything

“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” (Gen. 9:3 ESV)

God has given you a future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

God supplies your  every need

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19 ESV)

God gives all sufficiency in all things

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 ESV)

Therefore, ask Him

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11 ESV)

“For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them.” (Isa. 61:8 NASB)

Those who keep justice are blessed

“How blessed are those who keep justice, Who practice righteousness at all times!” (Psalm 106:3 NASB)

You shall do no injustice

“You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.” (Lev. 19:15 NASB)

God brings about justice for His elect

“Now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7 NASB)

Therefore…

“Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.” (Isa. 1:17 NASB)

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exo. 14:14 ESV)

You will not need to fight this battle

“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chron. 20:17 ESV)

God will fight for you

“For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’” (Deut. 20:4 ESV)

“You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’” (Deut. 3:22 ESV)

“The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,” (Deut. 1:3 ESV)

If God is for you, who can be against you?

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:13 ESV)

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13 NIV)

God delights to show mercy

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” (Micah 7:18 NIV)

We approach God’s throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace in the time of need

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 NIV)

Because of His great mercy we are alive in Christ

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Eph. 2:4-5 NIV)

Therefore…

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom. 12:1 NIV)

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

Blessed is the faithful and wise manager

“And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.” (Luke 12:42-45 ESV)

Be faithful even in unrighteous wealth

“If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (Luke 16:11 ESV)

Be above reproach as God’s steward

“For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” (Titus 1:7 ESV)

Above all be trustworthy

“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” (1 Cor. 4:2 ESV)