What Proverbs Says about Poverty

16:8
Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.

19:1
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

16:26
A worker's appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on.

13:18
Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored

19:15
Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger.

13:25
The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the stomach of the wicked is in need.

21:17
He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

14:20
The poor is hated even by his neighbor, but those who love the rich are many.

19:4
Wealth adds many friends, but a poor man is separated from his friend.

19:7
All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

22:7
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave.

18:23
The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly.

13:23
Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but it is swept away by injustice.

22:16
He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

28:3
A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

14:31
He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

21:13
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered.

22:22-23
Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate;
For the LORD will plead their case and take the life of those who rob them.

28:27
He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses

19:17
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed

29:7
The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern.

24:10-12
Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, oh hold them back. If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

15:15-17
All the days of the anawim are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred.

30:7-9
Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die:
Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

22:2
The rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all.

What the Bible says about Waiting for our Hope

Wait on the Lord for your hope

Trust in the LORD and do good; 

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 

Delight yourself in the LORD; 

And He will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the LORD, 

Trust also in Him, and He will do it. 

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light 

And your judgment as the noonday. 

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; 

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, 

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; 

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

For evildoers will be cut off, 

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. 

Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; 

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

But the humble will inherit the land 

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

 Psalm 37:3-11

The unjust will be given their due

I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat.

They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind.

Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them.

Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot.

They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high….

 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence;

 For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning.

 If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.

 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight

 Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.

 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.

 Psalm 73:3-8, 13-18

Pray for justice

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

 Luke 18:1-8

We groan for God's salvation

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

 Romans 8:16-25

O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them. As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD. We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born. Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

 Isaiah 26:16-19

All enemies will be subject to Christ

As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

 I Corinthians 15:22-28

Be patient

Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

James 5:7-8

What the Bible Says about the Salvation of Yahweh

YHWH provides for His creation

Yahweh sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Yahweh is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.

 Psalm 145:14-19

YHWH blesses those who follow Him

Yahweh said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

 Genesis 12:1-3

YHWH delivers those who cry to Him

Yahweh said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey”

 Exodus 3:7-8

YHWH blesses with prosperity the obedient

Now it shall be, if you diligently obey Yahweh your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey Yahweh your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. Yahweh shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. Yahweh will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. Yahweh will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of Yahweh, and they will be afraid of you. Yahweh will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.

 Deuteronomy 28:1-11

YHWH sent His Son when we were His enemies

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

 Romans 5:8-10

YHWH gives His Spirit to strengthen us

If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 Romans 8:13-28

God's Kingdom will be full of the righteous

The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

 Matthew 13:41-43

YHWH will create a new heavens and earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”

Revelation 21:1-7

What the Bible says about Economic Comfort

Woe to the Rich
Woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 
Luke 6:23-24

Personal wealth is a judgement against us

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! …You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.  
James 5:1-3,5

The wealthy without compassion will suffer

Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 
Luke 16:19-25

Those who grab collect for those who give

He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.

He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. 
Proverbs 28:8, 27

Giving to the poor grants grace

O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity. 
Daniel 4:27

Giving to the poor gives us a place in God's kingdom

I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 
Luke 16:9-13

The wealthy Abraham was radically hospitable

When Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have said." So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes." Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate. 
Genesis 18:2-8

The wealthy Job was radically hospitable

If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me, What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb? If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her), If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering, If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate, Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow. For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing. 
Job 31:13-23

Let us not seek wealth

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
 I Timothy 6:6-11

Sell your possessions and give to the poor

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
Luke 12:32-34

What the Bible says about Seeking God

I seek God who does what cannot be done

As for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God; 

Who does great and unsearchable things, 

Wonders without number. 

He gives rain on the earth and sends water on the fields, 

So that He sets on high those who are lowly, 

And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

Job 5:8-11

God is faithful to the seeker

Those who know Your name will put their trust in You, 

For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 9:10

The diligent seeker receives what he needs

And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you."  Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

Mark 10:46-52

I will seek the Lord

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."

Psalm 27:7-8

I desire the Lord

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Always seek God's strength

Glory in His holy name; 

Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. 

Seek the LORD and His strength; 

Seek His face continually. 

Remember His wonders which He has done, 

His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth.

Psalm 105:3-5

The one who seeks God will find

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

Jesus seeks what is lost

There was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Luke 19:2-10

God is the one who finds

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:44

God seeks us

For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

Ezekiel 34:11

Those who seek God will find Him

I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me. 

Proverbs 8:17

What the Bible says About the Humble Raised

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 23:12 

God raises the poor above the wealthy

The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them. He keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness.  For not by might shall a man prevail.

1Samuel 2:7-9 

The hungry receive what is good from God

He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich empty-handed.

Luke 1:52-53 

The earth belongs to the humble

But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.  Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.  For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous.

Psalm 37:11, 16-17 

God gives the earth to the meek

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

The greatest are those who are low like a child

Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:4 

God's blessing is for the poor, the hungry, the mourning

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

Luke 6:20-23 

The greatest is the slave

But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:43-45

The humble before God is the righteous

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:10-14

Those who suffer receive God's inheritance

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:16-17

The one who chooses the lowest place is raised

When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 14:8-11

God exalts the humble

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

James 4:10

What the Bible Says About Understanding the Bible

God helps us understand His Law

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.
Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.
Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.
Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness.

Psalm 119:33-40 

The Law is dead to those in Christ

The married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

 Romans 7:2-6 

Love is the greatest command

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He  had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:`Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this:`You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.

Mark 12:28-34

We understand the Bible through compassion

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

Matthew 12:1-7 

The Bible is about Jesus

And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

John 5:37-42

We understand the Bible by acting it out

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

 James 1:19-27 

Scripture is given by God to equip us for good acts

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2Timothy 3:14-17