Hey, You Scripture Memory Buffs!
You girls are ON IT! I’ve been so proud of you all along but in the last month I have seen a significant resurge in commitment. Way to go! That’s exactly what it takes. I have heard testimony after testimony from Siestas about how God has been using your memory work. He’s sure used it in my life. I keep my spiral right by the gear shift in my car and try to say my verses over and over when I’m driving…if I’m not talking to one of my girls on my cell. One thing you do in Houston, Texas is DRIVE so it’s the perfect place for me to keep my spiral. The kitchen would be a waste for me. Then again, next to the coffee pot could work.
Scripture memory is the difference between day and night, isn’t it? The only person who could possibly think it couldn’t make all that much difference is somebody not doing it. The harvest is HUGE. Btw, did you see the short testimony/comment on the previous post from Siesta “Texatheart” who said she’d lost 52 pounds in the last seven months? She believes a significant part of the success God is giving her is Scripture memory. WOW! You never know how God will use His Word! One thing for sure: it never, ever, ever returns void.
Can you believe we are nearly to our halfway point? By the end of this month, we will have stockpiled 12 verses in our brains out of our 2009 commitment to 24! Here’s the cool part: really and truly, how many of us would have memorized 10 verses in the last five months without one another? We would have wanted to, but how many of us would really have done it if we didn’t have each other holding us accountable? That’s the Body of Christ at its best. We cheer each other on to the finish line.
I’ve chosen a portion of Psalm 112 NIV for this segment. Since I can’t decide between verses 1, 4, 7, and 8, I’m just going to bite the bullet and try to memorize the first eight verses over the next month. It’s my birthday month (I love birthdays) and sometimes it’s fun to do something special and particularly memorable to end one year and start another. I’m about to break my own loose rule about Siestas not committing to more than we can reasonably handle but, since God has given me a passion for the whole portion, I’m going to believe Him to give me the unction to memorize it. There’s an even better reason to post the whole segment: You’ll find so many rich verses in it that some of you who haven’t chosen a Scripture yet might grab one that resonates and go with it. Take particular notice of verse 7.
Like most women (and especially mothers, perhaps), I’ve always dealt with fears of varying intensity over something happening to – or with – one of my loved ones. I don’t deal with it all the time or even give way to it much of the time but there are nights when I can’t even go to sleep for imagining what could happen to someone I love. Most of that kind of thinking is our own natural human tendency but some of it is how the enemy preys on naturally selfish people who have finally come to love a handful of others more than themselves. When a wave of totally unfounded fear hits me, if I do not immediately check it, pray, or meditate on several of my memory verses, my heart will even begin race and butterflies will swarm in my stomach. All over something I made up!! I think part of it is being in the information loop of so much bad news with a full-time women’s ministry. For many of you, it may be reading one sad blog after another until catastrophe or loss seems to become the everyday norm instead of the extraordinary. The information age has placed our imaginations on steroids.
No matter what sets a woman up to live in fear, it is NOT the will of God for us to give way to vain imaginations and waste our valuable mental energies dreading all sorts of things that may – but probably won’t ever – happen. And, if they do, we’ll have the grace to handle them at the time but we don’t get the grace in advance to cover our fear and dread. We’re just out there on our own, wrestling made-up angels. It’s exhausting. SO, if you resonate with that, consider Psalm 112:7, Girlfriend.
OK, so here goes mine. Remember, I’m taking the whole month to memorize it.
Psalms 112:1-8 (NIV)
1 Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.
2 His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. (Note: from a New Testament or Covenant point of view, I think of wealth and riches in spiritual terms like 1 Cor. 1:4-9 describes.)
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
Now, let’s hear yours! Name, city, verse and translation!
Thank you so much for taking this journey with me.
For the whole month of June (posted late because I was out of the country and really missing my siestas!)
"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
1 Peter 3:1-4 NIV
Deanna, Key Largo, FL
Hosea 14:9 NIV
Who is wise? He will realize thes4e things. Who is discerning? He will understand them, the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them
KJV Psa 139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me
Celie
Gonzales,LA.
In him we live and move and have our being
Acts 17:28
Carrie Jones
Ontario, Canada
When I am afraid I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
Psalm 56:3 NIV
Missie
Bluffton, SC
Psalm 116:5
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful.
Becky
Leesburg, FL
Psalm 118:9 NIV
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
Missy
Houston
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy." Psalm 107:2
King James Version
Deena Jefferson
Springboro, OH
John 14:21
NLT
"Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.â€
Daimy Penn
Naples, FL
Sorry if this is a repeat, but I am having trouble with blogging, this being my very first experience with blogs! But I could never find our sign up blog from two weeks ago and so I'm assuming I did something wrong and it was not posted properly.
so here goes again! We are five ladies from Mineral/Pawnee, Texas. Ruth, Andrea, Frances, Candy, and Mamie. Our first week together (June 24)we met at my daughter's house, Andrea, who lives right next door. Our three year old, Hannah, followed me over and wanted to stay. I calmly explained to her that she could not stay at sister's house today because the ladies were having a Bible Study. So I sent her back home. A few minutes later, the back door opened and there stood Hannah again. She proudly help up a copy of "The Boxcar Children" and announced, "I have my Bible now!" We had a great time together (without Hannah, though). Love you all!
Nikki
Santa Rosa, CA
NIV
Phil. 4:5
Let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord is near.
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)
Kaci Rodriguez
(used to be Amarillo, Texas–but now Dumas, Texas. Reason I've missed the last few…moved.)
Christina Modesto, CA
Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Proverbs 21:22
NIV
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
Lorraine
Wilson's Mills, NC
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:3
NIV
Susan in OKC
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31 NIV
Debbie Nix
Dalzell, SC
Becky
Brentwood TN
Ps 63:1 NIV
Oh God , you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Third try on this post, for some reason it's not posting on my computer. humm
Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. Lamentations 3:24 (NIV)
Megan- Knoxville, TN
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will no longer have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under GRACE.
Romans 6:13-14 ESV
Stacy Fountain
Dothan, AL
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
psalm 141:3
kaci from norman
For your husband is your maker, whose name is the Lord of Hosts.And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth.Is. 54:5
Psalm 119:32, 35 NIV
I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.
Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
Rose in Dallas
Ephesians 4:2
" Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Psalm 16:11-NIV
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
Kristin
Kennesaw, GA
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)
Kenzie Stanfield
Katy, TX
Sabrina in Georgia
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3 NKJV
Psalm 103:2 (NIV)
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits –
Sharon
San Antonio, TX
Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be nighty in the land the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Verna,
Berea, KY
"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever."
Psalm 112:1-3 NIV
Staci — Kalamazoo, MI
Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find your every day human concerns will be met.
Matt. 6:33 (MSG)
Sarah =)
Waxahachie, TX
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.
Candice
Evanston, IL
Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his commandments: For this is the whole duty of man.
Darlene
Logansport, IN
For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
John 16:27 (KJV)
Fran Dockins
Corryton, TN
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
James 2:1-4 NIV
Rhonda Anderson, IN
Psalm 19:27 (NIV)
Let me understand the teachings of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.
Jenn of Manhattan KS
(behind on posting due to summer travel)
Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almight, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Becky, Houston, TX
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:5
NIV
Erika Chapman
Florence, SC
Nicole
Winnipeg, MB
NIV
Matt 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Psalms 31:11
Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends– those who see me on the street flee from me.
Eleanor
Memphis, TN
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outsretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."
Jeremiah 32:17 NIV
Jody, Colfax, NC
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
Exodus 20:4
Ina
Lancaster, PA
As a prisoner of the LORD, therefore, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:1-2
Psalms 112:1-8 (NIV)
Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
Angie
Anna, TX
Psalms 112:1-8 (NIV)
Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
Mandy
Waco, TX
1 Samuel 1:7 NIV
This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her til she wept and would not eat.
Nicole Hudson
Sugar Land, TX
"Oh LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely."
Psalm 139:1-4 (NIV)
Pam Carrigan, Greensboro, NC
Proverbs 28:13
The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
Trudi Tedrick
Lynchburg, OH
Pat in Bigfork, MT said:
Psalm 23:1-4
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for He is with me, His rod and staff they comfort me…..
Philippians 1:11 NASB
having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Becky
Indianapolis, IN