Act with love and justice, and always depend on him.

Hosea 12:6 NLT

There are a few verses in the Bible that get right to the essence of what it is to know and follow God. This is one of them.

We need verses like this, because there are a lot of competing ideas about God. Is there one God or many? Is God a he or a she, or neither or both? Is there even a God at all?

Even within Christianity, there are so many different churches and denominations. Sometimes it can seem like the truth of the matter gets obscured in a swirl of disagreement and debate. The arguments can make things more complicated, and we end up with more questions than we began with. We just want to know what’s true, what’s real – but it can feel like trying to catch smoke.

When we feel like that, it’s helpful to hold onto those verses that get above the noise and confusion. Strip away the unanswerable questions and controversies, and here’s the heart of a life with God: love, justice, and trust.

Here’s a point of clarity, a beacon. You can build a life on verses like these.