Hard Times and Encouragement

 ²The godly person has perished from the land,
         And there is no upright person among men
         All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;
         Each of them hunts the other with a net.
    ³Concerning evil, both hands do it well
         The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
         And a great man speaks the desire of his soul;
         So they weave it together.
    ⁴The best of them is like a briar,
         The most upright like a thorn hedge
         The day when you post your watchmen,
         Your punishment will come
         Then their confusion will occur.
    ⁵Do not trust in a neighbor;
         Do not have confidence in a friend.
         From her who lies in your bosom
         Guard your lips.
    ⁶For son treats father contemptuously,
         Daughter rises up against her mother,
         Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
         A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
    ⁷But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD;
         I will wait for the God of my salvation
         My God will hear me.
    ⁸Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy
         Though I fall I will rise;
         Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.
Micah 7:2-8
 
 
 ²⁸"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
 ²⁹"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
 ³⁰"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
 ³¹"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
 ³²"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
 ³³"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
 ³⁴"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
 ³⁵"For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
 ³⁶and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
 ³⁷"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
 ³⁸"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
 ³⁹"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."
Matthew 10:28-39