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!
Annmarie, Livermore. “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 42:11 NIV
Rachel – Spokane, WA
Point out the road I must travel; I’m all ears and eyes before you. Teach me how to live to please you, because you’re my God. ~ Psalm 143:8&10 The Message
Becky, Fort Collins, CO
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him.”
Deuteronomy 33:12
Kristy, Mauriceville, TX
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Eph. 4:32 (NKJV)
Natalie, Olympia WA
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV
Jackie
Los Angeles, CA
“I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.” Jeremiah 33:6
(NIV)
Lisa, Olympia WA
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”
Isaiah 26:3-4
Colleen, Mae Sot, Thailand
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62: 5-6 NIV
Janel, Valrico FL
“Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2, NIV ’84
Janice, Bakersfield CA
1 Peter 1:14-15
So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. NLT
Kathleen, Ashland. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 NIV
Christine, Longview – For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16&17 (NIV)
Sharon, Pasadena,Texas, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6. New King James Version
I love the fresh take on Marching.. My birthday is this month and I am just beginning to read this Blog. I love Beth and have been inspired by her for a few years now. So is my comment supposed to be something like this:
Heather, Orange.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, for those who have been trained by it, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace.
Hebrews 12:11 International Standard Version
Leslie from Maui
David told one of his mighty men: “Go ahead, march on.”
2 Samuel 15:22,
Olympia, WA
“However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'” 1 corinthians 2:9
Pittsburgh PA
“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 8:28 NASB
Kristen, Vancouver, BC:
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”
-Isaiah 58:6-11, NLT
Since it’s so long, this will be my memorization for the entire month of March. =D
Sammie, Flagstaff “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3: 16-19 NASB
Heather, Vancouver, WA
Give up your lust for money, and throw your precious gold into the river. Then the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!
Job 22:24-25 NLT
Crystal, whitefish,MT
Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Mollie, Tokyo; For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28 NIV
Jennifer
Fresno, CA
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” nlt
Taylor, Sarajevo Bosnia
Col 1:17-18, NIV: He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy.
LeAnne, Malawi: Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created. Rev 4:11 ESV
Janelle, North Africa
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NIV) “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”
Myra, Lisbon, Portugal
Isaiah 30:21 NIV
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it”
Theresa, Neon. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He will strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, KJV.
RaeLeen,
Greenwood,
” Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only that which is helpful for building others up that it may benefit those who listen”.
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
Kim in Springfield – Psalm 71:5 – KJV
For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.
NIV
Psalm 91:2
I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.
Miriam, Nottingham England
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
Isaiah 28:16-17 (NIV)
Janet
West Linn, OR
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.
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
Christal Hawkins- Pikeville, Kentucky
James 1:5 (New Living Translation)
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
Laurie, Spokane
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; Philippians 2:3 NASB
Rebecca, Wasola MO
As obediant children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy,so be holy in all you do; fo it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
I Peter 1: 14-16 NIV
Tammy, Clayton NC Judges 5:21b (NIV) March on, my soul; be strong! (6 words that speak Volumes to me right now – thank you)
Katy Lin
Heidelberg, Germany
Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:7-11 (NLT)
Dee Filler, Muncie IN
Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 NIV
Linda Richmond,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” 1Peter 2:9 (NIV)
Sara (Charlo, MT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
Philippians 4:6 NLT
Christina, Egenhausen: March on, my soul; be strong!
Judges 5:21b(NIV)
Marci, Amsterdam
Hosea 6:3
We’re ready to study God, eager for God-knowledge. As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival. He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground. (The Message)
Lisa, Cumming – Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6
Kathy, Akron, Ohio
The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread. For I am the LORD you God, Who churns up the sea so that its waves roar–the LORD Almighty is His name.
Isaiah 51:14&15 (NIV) Found these verses while studying
Breaking Free.
Jodi DFW – 9 months pregnant 🙂
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phillipians 4:8-9 NIV
Julia Hamilton, Beaufort NC
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
Heather Louisville,Ky
” There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:18 (NIV)
Lisa V., Washington, NJ “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be tranformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV
Arielle, Cincinnati,
2 Corinthians 3:4-5
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. NIV