The Bible: Here's Where To Turn In Time Of Need

"The Bible," said Abraham Lincoln, "is the best gift God has given to man."

Unfortunately, the gift often remains unopened and its truths unknown. To know the Bible as it deserves to be understood requires great effort, concentration and a careful reading of all its books.

However, there are sections of the Bible that speak to us in special times of need. Here are scripture verses that readers have found especially helpful. I hope that one or more will be useful to you and may be encouragement toward a wider reading of the scriptures.

Here's where to look in the Bible, when:

-- Facing a crisis: Psalm 46; Psalm 121.

-- Moral choices are to be made: Psalm 1.

-- Thankful: Psalm 92:1-5; Psalm 103:1-14; Psalm 150; Psalm 139.

-- Tempted to do wrong: Psalm 139; Psalm 140; Romans 7:7-25; Matthew 4:1-11; James 1:12-15.

-- Things look "blue:" Isaiah 40; Psalm 34.

-- Discouraged: Psalm 23; Psalm 37:1 and 5; Psalm 7; Psalm 55:22; Psalm 91; I Corinthians 10:13; II Corinthians 4:4-18; Hebrews 13:5; James 1:12; Isaiah 40.

-- Thrilled with life out of doors: Psalm 19.

-- Tempted to lose faith: Acts 17:22-31; I John 4:11-16; Hebrews 11.

-- Angry: Luke 6:27-38; I Corinthians 13.

-- Lonely: Psalm 27; Psalm 23.

-- Anxious: Psalm 107; Psalm 43; Psalm 46; Matthew 6:19-34; Philippians 4:8-13; Hebrews 4:16; II Timothy 1:7; I Peter 5:6.

-- Suffering in sickness: Psalm 91.

-- Things seem to be going from bad to worse: II Timothy 3; Philippians 4:8-13; Romans 8:28-39.

-- Friends seem to fail you: Mark 11:25; Luke 6:35-37; Romans 12:14-21; Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 18:21-22; Psalm 27.

-- Needing inner peace: Psalm 1:1-2; Psalm 37:4; Luke 6:22-23; John 14; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:12-17.

-- Longing for happiness: John 15:9-11; Colossians 3.

-- Desiring to find a right way in life: Micah 6:8; John l4:1-6; Philippians 4:8-9; Psalm 19; Psalm 105.

-- Heroism is demanded: Hebrews 11:1-12:3; Ephesians 6:10-18.

-- True liberty is desired: Galatians 5:1-26.

-- Sorely tempted: Psalm 73:2-26; Psalm 119:18; Luke 21:33-36; Romans 13:13-14; I Corinthians 7:1-9; Hebrews 4:14-16.

-- You feel the need of prayer: Psalm 25:3-7; Psalm 42; Psalm 51; Matthew 6:7-15.

-- In need of God's protection: Psalm 62; Psalm 139:1-12; Matthew 10:29-31; Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:31-39; Philippians 4:6-19.

-- Bearing heavy responsibilities: Joshua 1:1-9.

-- You have done something wrong: John 3:1-21; Isaiah 53; Psalm 51; Isaiah 55:7; I John 1:8-9.

-- Called upon to face death: John 11:25-26; Psalm 23; John 14:1-2; John 17; John 20; I Corinthians 15; II Corinthians 4 and 5; Revelation 7, 21, and 22.

-- God seems far away: Psalm 139.

-- Leaving for travel: Psalm 121.

-- Tempted to grow bitter or critical: I Corinthians 13.

-- Seeking rules for living: Romans 12; Matthew 5:1-12.

Some people jot down on the back page of their Bibles a list of the passages they seem most often to want to find. You may want to add to the following list but, for a quick reference, here is where you will find:

-- The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

-- The Shepherd Psalm: Psalm 23.

-- The Birth of Jesus: Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 2.

-- The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5, 6, and 7 and Luke 6:17-49.

-- The Beatitudes: Matthew 5:1-12.

-- The Great Commandment: Matthew 22:34-40.

-- The Lord's Prayer: Matthew 6 and Luke 11.