Psalm 121 (NIV 2011)
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Romans 8:22-30, 35-39 (NIV 2011)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as
in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not
only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption
to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this
hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all.
Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope
for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do
not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself
intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who
searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of
God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to
be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he
predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified;
those he justified, he also glorified… 35 Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.