Ten Power Verses to Guide Your Year in 2024
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As we draw closer to the conclusion of 2023 and welcome in the New Year, people typically look for a life verse from the Bible that can guide their year. This can usually be in the place of a resolution, focusing instead on insightful Bible verses to engage with as we venture into the new year.
Consider focusing on one of these 10 verses in 2024, not only to enhance your journey as a Christian, but also to gain perspective on how God orchestrates the events of our lives to bring us all closer to Him.
1. Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Doing good in this world can sometimes feel like more of a punishment than a reward, especially if we see others seemingly being blessed even after causing trouble for others. However, what the apostle Paul is saying here is that, although it might be tempting to complain in weariness when doing good, God will grant us blessings we have longed for if we don’t lose heart and give up.
It may be easy to give up and choose the way that doesn’t wait on God, but by being faithful and waiting on Him, He will bring more blessings than you could ever imagine.
2. Proverbs 4:23
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
Our world encourages us to live with open hearts, embracing everything and everyone we cross paths with. Yet King Solomon advises us in this verse from Proverbs to be watchful with our spiritual hearts, knowing that our hearts direct us through situations in life. Going into 2024, we can make the choice to strengthen our spiritual journeys by living and loving like God, while protecting our hearts from the schemes of the devil and sins of the world.
3. Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
One of the most recognized verses from the book of Psalms, it is also one of the simplest verses to understand but hardest to implement. Instead of jumping into action for any situation we are in, we need to be still and know that God is who He is and will lead the way. He has determined the outcome to every situation long ago. By allowing Him to lead instead of leading ourselves, we avoid unnecessary pain and receive unexpected blessings as He is glorified and known by more people.
4. Genesis 50:20
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
When you read the story of Joseph and what he endured due to the actions of his brothers, you would think he would be justified in exacting revenge against them in their most vulnerable time. However, his words captured in Genesis 50:20 remind us that what harmful things others do and say toward us will eventually be used for good. We will prosper despite what others have tried to do to us, and God will use our experience to help others as well, as He did for Joseph during the famine.
5. Revelation 21:4
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Enduring the struggles of this fallen world can make it hard to see a positive end. But it is revealed to us in Revelation 21:4 that when we enter heaven, all the sorrows of this world will be gone. We won’t cry anymore or deal with pain or death any longer. Things that caused us discomfort and heartache before will be gone in an instant, replaced with overwhelming joy and peace living with God in heaven. This verse serves as a reminder that our pains today will be no more when we get to heaven.
6. Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Just as Joseph shared with us in Genesis about God using our trials for good, the same applies for Romans 8:28 when Paul shares that everything works together for good for those called according to God’s purpose and who are loved by Him. It may seem that some situations in our lives won’t have a good conclusion, but we have to have faith in our God and know He will work for our good according to His will.
7. Colossians 1:9
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
With this verse, instead of focusing on our own needs, we focus more on praying for the needs and spiritual guidance of others. This verse compels us to understand that in praying continuously for others, asking that God fill them with knowledge of Himself and His will, we will see others prosper under these prayers. And others will do the same for us, wanting God’s guidance and love to flow through us as well, which He will do.
8. Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”
The discussion of seasons is common in the Christian vernacular. It is an explanation for when we go through trials or periods of growth, expected and not. There is truth behind this mindset of experiencing seasons, as King Solomon (the likely author of Ecclesiastes) is stating here that there is a season for everything because God has a purpose for everything and everyone under heaven. So, know that whatever season you are experiencing in 2024, God has a purpose for it.
9. Matthew 25
The parable of the five prepared virgins and the five unprepared virgins awaiting the bridegroom.
This parable from Jesus encourages readers to stay vigilantly prepared for the arrival of Jesus in the Second Coming. The story includes five virgins who stay awake and ready for the approaching bridegroom, and five virgins who decided to sleep and remained unprepared, missing his arrival. What Jesus counsels us with through this chapter from Matthew is that we must stay vigilant in keeping our spiritual lives ready for Jesus’s arrival, living lives pleasing to God instead of thinking that we can do whatever we want and still please God.
10. Isaiah 43:19
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
To conclude the ten verses for 2024, we end with the reminder that God is always doing a new thing in our lives, making a way in the wilderness or the tough times. When we see this new thing, it is up to us to recognize it and accept what God is doing in our lives.
This verse from Isaiah encourages us to see that God is always doing new things for us, even in the most challenging times when we feel like God isn’t there. He is making a way where there isn’t a way.
Maybe this coming year is the time to change your spiritual focus in life, to embrace a new direction and see where God is leading you in 2024. Maybe you need to change your mindset from unhealthy to healthy, and that might be adopting a new verse to shape your steps around. Whatever changes you are hoping to make in 2024, may it be a life-changing experience that draws you closer to the Lord and His plan for your life!
Photo credit: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema
