Love the Lord, all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. —Psalm 31:23-24.
Love the Lord! Be strong because of your hope in the Lord. Admit where your strength lies. Acknowledge your source of grace. Give praise to God for his abundant mercy and power lavished upon you through his Holy Spirit. The Lord preserves his people. He honors faithfulness even if it is mocked in this world. The Lord will bless his people and deal justly with those who mock and abuse them. But we can be “strong and take heart” because we “hope in the Lord!”