Everybody has their favorite bible verse or maybe it’s a story. For me, I wrote my entire thesis for a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) on Luke 10:38-41 and how a non-Marian passage exuded a Marioloogy and theology about the Assumption.
There are two places that I’ve recently seen bible verses. Since I’m a curious person, I jot them down or snap a picture so I can look them up in a bible, or more probable, google it, and see what the verse says. The verses that I’ve seen have been in two different ways: tattoos and license plates. This short article is not to argue for or against Christians getting tattoos, it is simply an acknowledgement that they have and that those tattoos communicate a message to someone who sees it.
What are the bible verses?
John 3:36
This is a verse that I saw on a plate driving around town in a former assignment. I snapped the photo of it on December 12, 2019. The verse says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.” It would be interesting to know what the intention of the person was, whether it was to emphasize the promise of eternal life, or as a statement about eternal consequences.
Psalm 31
I saw this verse tattooed on the hand of Jud, a character in the Fox show 911 Lonestar. It seems like an appropriate verse for a firefighter who faces adverse circumstances. When I looked up the verse, the line that stood out to me was “incline your ear to me, make haste to rescue me.” In any moment doing the work as a firefighter, one cries out to God for help and rescue. Another verse asks the Lord to lead and guide, another fitting prayer.
Psalm 62:1-2
Recently at a Fourth of July party, I saw this verse tattooed on someone’s forearm. The verse says, “My soul rests in God alone, from whom comes my salvation. God alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall never fail.” The person who looks up these verses will be encouraged to find their rest in God and to make Him the foundation of their life. It’s a Psalm about salvation and succeeding with God.
Mark 11:22
This was a verse on a license plate that I saw just this past week. Jesus tells the people “Have faith in God.” When someone looks up this verse, it will challenge them to consider faith if they do not possess it or if deepen their faith. In a time when there is lots of doubt, we need to hear Jesus say to us, have faith.
Have you encountered bible verses from someone else and then looked them up? For me those have been moments of grace of praying with the scripture and to see how they speak to me because they have spoken to someone else. For believers, it’s a simple way to share the Word of God and the message of faith and salvation in Christ.
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