Hey, my dear Siestas!
Knowing I had to pop out of bed this morning to post for SSMT, I actually dreamed about you guys last night! We were at the celebration on a break between sessions and it was wonderful, beautiful chaos in the halls and teeming joy in the hearts. Now, that’s the kind of dream I want to have. I so hope you are well and that God’s Word is alive on your tongue and thriving in your everyday experience. Remember, He sends forth His Word to accomplish something. It’s meant to have effect and I pray you’re feeling the vivid power of it. I can’t think of the last time my memory verses came to me with more pure conviction. I can feel the friction they’re causing internally and the jagged edges they’re sanding externally.
Our minds are already four Scriptures stronger than they were when we broke open 2011 and that, my darling sisters, is a great accomplishment all by itself! I noticed we dropped back well over a thousand on the last SSMT entry and that’s completely normal. There’s no condemnation here. The natural tendency will be to have less and less participants as we have more and more verses to memorize. But I want to encourage you to stick it out if you possibly can because we’re not restricted to normal. The Apostle Paul claimed in 1 Corinthians 3:3 under the inspiration of God that we are more than “mere men.” In 2 Corinthians 4:7, he said we are jars of clay encasing the unspeakable treasure of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that, through this treasure we “show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” A long way from normal. I always thought normal was overrated anyway.
I stared at the calendar yesterday almost with disbelief as February peeled off the page and I turned to March. As I glared at the word “March”, I thought to myself, “Not a bad theme for the month.” March, as a matter of fact, is a very Biblical word. The thought caused me to smile and then to look up every single occurrence of the word in Scripture and, there in those verses, the Lord spoke a fresh word to me. Maybe you could use it, too. Here are a handful of “march” Scriptures with a few thoughts that spun around in my bleached blond head:
Joshua 6:4 –
“Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.”
Perhaps it won’t surprise you that the word “march” makes regular appearances in this book of the Bible so, if you’re in the wilderness longing to cross that river of fear and enter a land of fruitfulness, you might venture a fresh look at it. Here’s what hit me about Joshua 6:4 –
Marching tends takes a heap longer than we expect and a different form than we might rationalize. Think how odd all that marching-around-in-circles must have been to some of those Israelites. On top of that, consider that God never instructed another group of people to take exactly that same approach again in the pages of Scripture. He told Abraham to do one thing. Moses, another. Joshua, another. David, still another. All were in keeping with His will and His character but the variance in prescribed acts of obedience reminds us that God is resistant to our relentless pursuit of formulas. God knows, if we could rationalize it, we’d institutionalize it. We’d have 2500 satellite locations of the “First Church of Seven Circles.”
In case I’m losing you, or the whole idea of marching through March is too much for you, I’ll speed up.
In 2 Samuel 15:22, David told one of his mighty men: “Go ahead, march on.”
Point? If God is saying go ahead, then GO.AHEAD.
I like that. Nice and simple. If go, then go.
Maybe what you need most of all this March is for God to march right through your wilderness and rain down showers upon it from the seas in His hands. Think of praying this segment today over the 30 days ahead.
Psalm 68:7-11
7 When You, God, went out before your people,
when You marched through the wilderness,
8 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 You gave abundant showers, O God;
You refreshed Your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
and from Your bounty, God, You provided for the poor.
11 The Lord announces the word,
and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng.
(I love the part about refreshing the weary inheritance. Is that you, perchance?? It’s certainly been me at times over the last year. And how about V.11? Does that sound a little like Siestaville?? It blessed me to think maybe so.)
How about one more?
Isaiah 42:13 – The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior He will stir up His zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies.
And so, with all this March madness in mind for this month, could anybody use a really brief verse this go-round to help you catch up? Then I have just the March verse for you:
Judges 5:21b (NIV) March on, my soul; be strong!
Let’s hear it, Siestas! First name, city, verse, translation!
Beth, Houston. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11 The NET Bible
Amen to that. March on, Sisters! Your God is for you!
I love you guys.
PS. For all you Houston-area girls, Kari Jobe is our guest worship-leader tonight at Bible study. Come help me welcome her. We only have two more Tuesday nights in this series and you don’t need any background whatsoever to receive from our subject matter tonight. We’d especially love to have you if you’ve never been before. Let someone on my sweet staff know you’re there for the first time. They’ll make sure you feel welcome. See you at 6:30!
MARCH ON!!! Love it!
Chrystal, Lexington, KY
Col 3:1 NIV
Since then you have been raised with Christ set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Charlotte, Philadelphia, MS
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.
James 1:25 NKJV
Kim, Orlando
“For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12 (NIV)
God arms me with strength,and makes my way perfect. he makes my feet like deer’s feet,and sets me on my high places. Psalm 18:32-33
2 Corinthians 4:18
“So fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Lord, help me to fulfill what You are calling me to do…it is very unseen to me right now…seems impossible.
I’m scare, Lord! The weight of the responsibility buckles me to my knees.
Gina; Houston
Hannah, College Station, Texas
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NIV)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Cathy, Lebanon
“Do not fear anything except the LORD Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear him, you need fear nothing else.” Isaiah 8:13 NLT
Ashleigh, San Antonio, NLT
1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
Megan from San Diego
Romans 5:5 “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” NIV
Caitlin, Montreal, Quebec: “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 NIV
Lisa McGriff, Dothan, Alabama
For I am the Lord, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13
NIV
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:21
The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. Deuteronomy 10:17
New American Standard
Wendy, Mechanicsville, VA
Mary H.: Ardmore, AL
Colossians 4: 5 (NIV)
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 (NRSV)
Carol, Hartley, Iowa
Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. NIV
2nd Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Anastasia, Saegertown, PA
Lauren – Lexington, KY
“For everyone who asks receives, everyone who seeks, finds and everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:8 NASB
Sally, Eagan, MN I’m behind so I want to post my previous three verses to catch myself up. I’ve been memorizing, but not posting. Enjoy!
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. NKJV
John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. NLT
Romans 5:3-4 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope. ESV
Jeanni, Westland, 2 Samuel 22:3 “The God of my Rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.” KJV
Becky, Whitehall, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins, may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 19:12-14
Andrea, Louisville.
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
John 4:34 NIV
Sharon, Griffin, Georgia
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB
Leigh, Grayson,GA
But I will trust in Your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to The Lord because He is good to me. Ps 13:5-6 NLT
Melissa, Glasgow, KY.- “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” Ps. 90:17, KJV
Leslie-Warner Robins, GA
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”
Proverbs 31:25
NIV version-
Those who know your name will trust in you,for you, Lord, have never forsaken those
who seek you. Psalm 9:10
Judi Topeka, Ks
2 Tim. 4:18
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen NKJ
Tinley Park, IL
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” Psalm 63:3-4 (NIV)
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:14 NIV
Marilyn, Amarillo
But I trust in you, o LORD. I say you are my God,my times are in your hands. Psalm 31:14-15a.
Jennifer, Dallas TX
May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors.
1 Kings 8:58 NIV
“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.” James 1: 22-24 NKJV
Peggy, Tucson, Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Prov 30:5 NIV
Shelley: Friendswood, TX: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NIV
Lisa Edinburg,TX
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Psalm 51: 10 – 11 NIV
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Mary
Houston
Joy, Peachtree City. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2nd Corinthians 3:17 The NAS Bible
Dora, Tennessee
March on, my soul; be strong! Judges 5:21b (niv)
Yvonne in Wisner, LA says:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If
anyone loves the world, love of the FATHER is not in
them. 1 John 2:15 NIV
Casey
Murray, KY
James 1:3-4 The Message
So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely, let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not defiecient in any way.
Beth, Stillwater. “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Romans 12:16 NIV
Bridget ~ Bloomington, Illinois NIV
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12
Vanessa, Florence, SC:
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:18 (NIV)
“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” Exodus 33:15 ESV
Paula, Brownwood, Tx
Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:9
Janet, Georgia. “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.” –1 Timothy 1:5(NLT)
Pat, Melvin, “Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail and my spirit grow weak, But God remains the strength of my heart. He is mine forever!Ps 73:25-26 NLT
Gizmo, Spring Branch, TX
“I say to myself,’The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:24-26 (NIV)
Shelly, Wausa, NE
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be give to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all the does.
James 1:2-7 NIV