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!
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
John 10:10
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
KJV
Judy from Lake Charles, LA-Colossians 3:17 (NIV) “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Marilyn Horton
Fort Smith, AR
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
~ Lamentations 3:23, NLT
Beth, OKC
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16, NIV
Heather, Warner Robins, GA: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” James 4:17 NIV
Jennifer, Oklahoma City, OK
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalms 139:23-24 NIV
Rachel-Memphis, TN
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV
Hope, Mayfield Ky
Judges 5:21b (NIV) March on, my soul; be strong!
Nancy-Yonges Island, SC
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus.” Acts 3:19-20 NIV
Lisa in KC
Gal. 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.” NIV
Marita ~ Maricopa, AZ-
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
Kathy @ Wilmington NC Proverbs 3:3 NIV
“Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Margot – Round Rock, TX
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
Lisa – Seattle
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
Lauren – Plano, TX
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17 NIV
Faran – Judsonia, AR
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
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 41:10, 13 (NIV)
“But the king replied to Araunuh, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.'”
2 Samuel 24:24 (NIV)
Casi
Woodway, Texas
Norrell- Prattville, AL
Song of Solomon 2:4
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
ESV
Teketa, Newport: The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deut. 29:29 NIV
Norma, Apex, NC: March on, my soul; be strong! Judges 5:21b NIV
Carol Florence, MA
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.
Zeph 3:17 NIV
Shannon,Flagstaff Deuteronomy 33:12 “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.” NIV
Kelly, Cheraw, SC: Judges 5:21b (NIV) March on, my soul; be strong!
Needed that!!!! 🙂 Hooray for March!
Emily, Monroe, LA
“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3 ESV
Heather McDaniel, Jesup Ga. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6. NLT
Cheryl, Redlands, CA: Psalms 90:12
“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.” (New Living Bible: Tyndale)
Melissa, Thompsons Station, TN. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness,a light has dawned . . . You have shattered their burdensome yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor. Is. 9:2, 4 HCSB
**I will be late posting my next verse because I’ll be on a mission trip in East Asia! I’ll post it when I return, probably around the 18th or 19th. But I’ll start working on it before that!**
Debbie, Calgary, AB.
He is the Rock, His works are perfect and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.
Deuteronomy 32:4
Whidbey Island,
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.
Tami
Platte, South Dakota
“She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” NKJV
Carla from Lock Haven, PA – “and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,” 2 Peter 1:6 NASB
Elvira GP, AB, Canada
Jeremiah 31:25 NIV
” I will refresh the weary
and satisfy the faint.”
Pat from Bigfork, MT says:
“Look, He is coming in the clouds,
And every eye will see Him,
Even those who pierced Him.
And all the peoples of the earth shall mourn because of Him.
So shall it be. Amen!”
NIV
Deborah, Philadelphia, PA
Romans 8:18-21, ESV
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing 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 will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Patty, Granite Bay, CA Psalm 32:8 NIV “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”
Laura, San Antonio
But he said to me – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”.
II Cor 12:9 NIV
Sheryl, Jacksonville 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.”
Linda
Steinbach, Manitoba
2 Samuel 15:22 “Go ahead, march on.”
Joelle, Abilene
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
~Proverbs 31:26-27 (NIV)
“When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.”
Proverbs 31:26-27 (NLT)
Mary Anne, Gilbert, LA; “The wise in heart are called discerning and pleasant words promote instruction.” Proverbs 16:21 NIV
Diana, Surrey BC
“Rend your heart, and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.”
Joel 2:13 NIV
Tammie, Cleveland, MS
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
…we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
Stacey, Fredericksburg VA
Judges 5:21b
March on, my soul; be strong! Judges 5:21b NIV
Kem,Memphis
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:5&6 (NIV)
Dana, Ozark, MO
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers. Rev. 17:14 NIV
Siloam Springs, Ar
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control. Against such things there is no law.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ”
1Peter5:7 NIV
Colima
Klamath Falls, OR
Mary~Columbia, PA
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,NIT
from Port Angeles, Washington
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 (NASB)
Beth from Platte, SD: I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. Psalm 119: 32 NIV