1 Chronicles 28:20 (NLT)
20 Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NLT)
20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

Psalm 1:1
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

John 16:31-33 (NLT)
31 Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

I am always amazed at the consistency of the Bible, how words spoken thousands of years apart point to each other and constitute a single story of God, us, and the world.

Fear not, God will guide you, he will not fail or forsake you. His promises have been fulfilled. Don’t stand with the mockers because He has overcome the world. Amazing.

The story is one of love, joy, peace adoration, grace, mercy, first and foremost, but also one of judgement, justice and consequences (both good and bad). Choose your path wisely is a constant drumbeat we’re held accountable to.

We are called to stand firm for Christ. We are called to be the light and overcome the darkness of the world, to stand apart from the mockers and haters. What does that look like in your life.