“Those who worship false gods
turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”
Jonah 2:8-9
(Baltic Sea)
…and I worship the LORD,
the God of heaven,
who made the sea and the land.
Jonah 1:9
(Stockholm, Sweden)
But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction
to get away from the Lord.
He went down to the port of Joppa,
where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish.
He bought a ticket and went on board,
hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
Jonah 1:3
(Stockholm, Sweden)
The Lord says,
“I will give you back what you lost
to the swarming locusts,
the hopping locusts,
the stripping locusts,
and the cutting locusts.
Joel 2:25
(Noctilucent clouds somewhere over the Atlantic)
Let those who are wise understand these things.
Let those with discernment listen carefully.
The paths of the Lord are true and right,
and righteous people live by walking in them.
But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.
Hosea 14:9
‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’
Hosea 10:12
I said to myself,
“I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me.”
But as I stood there in silence—
not even speaking of good things—
the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best,
each of us is but a breath.”
Psalm 39:1-4
Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
Psalm 37:14
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble,
they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
Your unfailing love,
O Lord,
is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike,
O Lord.
Psalm 36:5-6
