FK's FTotW - Fav Passage of Scripture or Inspired Writings

[fantasia]

In honor of Easter this weekend I thought it'd be fun to share our favorite writings that we live by on a daily basis. Since NarniaWeb has a lot of Christians on it, I think most of these favorite passages will be from the Bible (we'll see if I'm right), but everyone is MORE than welcome to share their favorite inspired texts, poems, songs, etc. And of COURSE you're allowed to have more than one favorite. I don't know about all of you, but my favorite Bible verses tend to change on a nearly a yearly basis depending on what I'm going through in life.

So I'll come back to my favorite Bible verse later on in this thread cause it's too big and long (well, it's a whole book ) so I have to figure out how to pare it down to share as well as what to say about it. So to start off instead, I'm going to share a line from my FAVORITE fictional book of all time... The Lord of the Rings.

'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo.
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'

[FencerforJesus]

Two of my favorite Scriptures are posted in my siggy. Ephesians 6:10-18 and Psalms 144:1. And being a fencer, it's understandable why.

[Liberty Hoffman]

my favorite verse is
Isaiah 51:16
"I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand. I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my people'."

[Queen Susan]

Psalm 20 and Psalm 30 are both some of my favorites, Psalm 30:5 especially.

5 For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

[hyaline12]

Psalm 8 is my favourite, and my favourite part of it is verses 3 & 4:

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

I also like Ecclesiastes 1:2:

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

[stargazer]

Another fun thread idea, fantasia!

But picking only one might be tough. And other favorite quotes come from Les Mis - inspired, perhaps not, but certainly inspiring.

Astronomical passages always get my attention, and a long-time favorite, Psalm 8, sometimes comes to mind when I'm out under a star-filled sky and begin to ponder my own 'smallness' in the scheme of things:

O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
...
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty! (1, 2-5)

edit: and I composed this post before reading the one from hyaline12 just above.

[Pattertwigs Pal]

Great topic F_K! I love that quote by Tolkien.
Here are a couple (imagine couple has a line through it. I don't know how to get it to strike out) few of my favorite Bible passages:
Philippians 4:13 KJ

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Ephesians 2:8-10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

And a couple short Lewis quotes.

You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve ... and that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor in earth.

"'Don't you mind,' said Puddleglum. 'There are no accidents. Our guide is Aslan.'"

--The Silver Chair
I may post more quotes / verses later.

[fantasia]

(imagine couple has a line through it. I don't know how to get it to strike out)

It's [ s ] [ / s ] only no spaces.
Tada

[johobbit]

This is great, fantasia! My only trouble is .... where to begin ... and end!

Pattertwigs Pal, I especially love that Puddleglum ♥ quote.

I composed a rather lengthy post with favourite Scripture (linked passages), but I will save that for later in this thread, as it may be a bit overwhelming.

So, for now, and because these relate to truths in the Bible so well, I'll begin by quoting a few favourite Tolkien passages and one related Lewis quote.

In The Silmarillion, there is a section from the first chapter, "Ainulindalë", which is one of my favourites in this epic tome, for it clearly echos the wonderful truth of God's sovereignty in our lives in working all things together for good. In response to Ilúvatar's theme, the Ainur responded by making "in harmony together a Great Music". But Melkor began weaving some of his own dischordant thoughts into the beauty. Ilúvatar let it go on only so long, then responded thus:

"Mighty are the Ainur, mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilúvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined."

And in "Of the Voyage of Eärendil", after the Mariner had set foot on the immortal shores of Valinor, the first living man to do so, he could not return to Middle-earth, so

[the Valar] took Vingilot [Eärendil's ship], and hallowed it, and bore it away through Valinor to the uttermost rim of the world; and there it passed through the Door of Night and was lifted up even into the oceans of heaven.

Now fair and marvellous was that vessel made, and it was filled with a wavering flame, pure and bright; and Eärendil the Mariner sat at the helm, glistening with dust of elvengems, and the Silmaril was bound upon his brow. For he journeyed in that ship, even into the starless voids, but most often was he seen at morning or at evening, glimmering in sunrise or sunset, as he came back to Valinor from voyages beyond the confines of the world. ...

Now when first Vingilot was set to sail in the seas of heaven, it rose unloked for, glittering and bright; and the people of Middle-earth beheld it from afar and wondered, and they took it for a sign, and called it Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope."

Whenever I see Venus in our heavens—a side note: in the northern climes this planet is now shining very brightly lower in the west shortly after sunset—I am always reminded of this passage (and the one below), as well as that beloved Psalm 8, mentioned by both hyaline12 and stargazer above.

Relating to stars, here is probably my all-time favourite passage in The Lord of the Rings from "The Land of Shadow". (Well, okay, it may be tied with that wonderful part fantasia quoted above. )
Frodo has just fallen asleep, exhausted and worn, as night fell ...

Sam struggled with his own weariness, and he took Frodo's hand; and there he sat silent till deep night fell. Then at last, to keep himself awake, he crawled from the hiding-place and looked out. The land seemed full of creaking and cracking and sly noises, but there was no sound of voice or of foot. Far above the Ephel Dúath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for awhile. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he loked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach. His song in the Tower had been defiance rather than hope; for then he was thinking of himself. Now, for a moment, his own fate, and even his master's, ceased to trouble him. He crawled back into the brambles and laid himself by Frodo's side, and putting away all fear he cast himself into a deep, untroubled sleep.

And Lewis, near the end of Prince Caspian, after the huge feast and when most were at last sleeping, there was one who wasn't:

But all night Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.

Ahhhhh ... *very contented sigh*
What is it about favourite quotes that is so satisfying and peaceful?

[Lady Galadriel]

Oh, so many quotes, so much to write! But first...

(imagine couple has a line through it. I don't know how to get it to strike out)

It's [ s ] [ / s ] only no spaces.
Tada

I have wondered how to do that!

Okay, on to the subject. A lot of my favorites are already stated, so I will put some others. As for johobbit's from the chapter "The Land of Shadow," one of my top favorites happens to be the referenced song, from the previous chapter of The Return of the King.

"In western lands beneath the Sun
The flowers may rise in Spring,
The trees may bud, the waters run,
The merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night
And swaying beeches bear
The Elven-stars as jewels white
Amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell."

Next, from Chapter 13 of The Last Battle (you may not want to read if you haven't read the book!):

The sweet air grew suddenly sweeter. A brightness flashed behind them. All turned. Tirian turned last because he was afraid. There stood his heart's desire, huge and real, the golden Lion, Aslan himself, and already the others were kneeling in a circle around his forepaws and burying their hands and faces in his mane as he stooped his great head to touch them with his tongue. Then he fixed his eyes upon Tirian, and Tirian came near, trembling, and flung himself at the Lion's feet, and the Lion kissed him and said, "Well done, last of the Kings of Narnia who stood firm at the darkest hour."

This post was too short! I may very well be back with more later.

[Lucy P.]

Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come follow me, and
I will give you rest.
^ That hymn refrain always comforts me. And if I'm feeling worthless, the following quote can pick me up:

“You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions,
nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.”~St. Therese of Lisieux

^It vocalizes the lesson our Lord taught us when he spoke of the widow's mite.

fantasia_kitty, that LOTR quote has to be one of my all time favorites. Johobbit, I'd forgotten about the simple beauty of that line about Aslan and the moon. Thanks for bringing it to my mind again.

[Meltintalle]

One of my favourite passages of scripture is from the book of James. (Chapters three or five, and four... and two are great as well. ) It's a verse that I've found applicable to any situation, good or bad.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.

I also like the verse Paul quotes in Romans 10:8.

Deuteronomy 30:14
No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

[Glenstorm the Great]

I love 1 Timothy 4:12

one song I love is I Celebrate the Day by Relient K (suprise suprise! )

"And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life."

[daughter of the King]

Off the top of my head two stick out:

"You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
And I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be."

chorus, You Raise Me Up by Selah

It's a good reminder when I'm feeling down.

And the quote in my sig is one of my favorite quotes ever!

I'm sure I'll be back later.

[Liberty Hoffman]

"Mighty are the Ainur, mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilúvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined."

awesome quotes jo! I was feeling sad when I read them and now I feel glad again! thanks!

[Glenstorm the Great]

I love this hymn- Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed?

"Alas! and did my Savior bleed and did my sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? My God why would you shed your blood so pure and undefiled, to make a sinful one like me your chosen precious child? Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree! But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe; Here Lord, I give myself away ‘Tis all that I can do."

*happy sigh* I love it