We’re off and running, Sweet Things! And 11,000 strong!!! Oh, how I pray that God will grant us the divine favor and indwelling power to keep it up month after month and finish 2013 in the multiple thousands. What joy He and we would have! For now, we take it step by step, one verse at a time. Don’t get caught up wondering how in the world you’re going to memorize 24 verses when you’re having a hard time memorizing the first one. That will sink your Scripture memory boat for sure.
I make you this promise based on my experience and the experience of many others: the more you memorize, the more you’ll get the hang of it. I was going to say that the more you memorize, the easier it gets but it’s not easy and that’s part of what makes it such a victory to celebrate with Jesus. I do believe I can tell you with confidence, however, that your tenth verse will very likely be easier to memorize than your first one. By that time, you’ve quit letting your nay-whining old nature tell you that you can’t do it and you shouldn’t have even tried. A big part of the battle in the first month is simply telling that self-destructive echo in our heads to shut its mouth. It’s replacing “I knew I couldn’t do it” with “Oh, yes I can. I can do all things through Christ.”
Persevere! Let’s not be quitters! God would rather us make it to the end of the year still stumbling over some words than throwing our hands up and quitting at the first imperfect recitation. Even if we don’t get our verses down perfectly, the pursuit itself is the very art of meditation. Nothing about it is a waste of time. Just think of how it helps to break the mental loop of rehearsed offenses. We’re going to be fixated on something. That’s how our minds often work. But we get to choose what.
So, right now say verse 1 out loud the very best you can.
Tremendous job. Now, let’s add our second one to it.
I totally love my verse this time around! It came up in my Scripture reading during my quiet time early Sunday morning. Here it goes:
Beth, Houston. All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13 ESV
Isn’t that fabulous? I’m choosing this verse specifically so that I can turn it into intercessory prayer. Mind you, I’m not “claiming” it like I’d be apt to do with a promise more clearly obvious under the New Covenant. I’m reluctant to claim the fulfillment of a promise made straight to Israel for myself or people in my world unless I know that we have a coinciding New Covenant promise.Ā I’d have to see consistency to pray it as one fervently counting on it. Isaiah 54:13 carries obvious elements that are very consistent with the promises of Christ to us. He promised that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and He blatantly gave us His peace but where I’m asking God to do an Isaiah 54:13 work in my family is the emphasis on ALL my children. I want every single one of them to be students of Christ Jesus, to love His Word and His ways with a passion beyond the natural realm, and for His peace to be great upon them and contagious. If you’ll look in the Scripture’s context in Isaiah 54, especially in verses 11-17, you’ll see that V.13 is within the promises God made specifically to Israel and scheduled for fulfillment in a time yet to come. So, no, I’m not claiming it, so to speak, BUT, I am indeed asking for it. That’s fair game.
God is not obligated to say yes to promises like those in Isaiah 54 this side of His Kingdom’s full revelation but, as I persevere in prayer and faith, He will indeed hear me and I believe be pleased that I had the boldness to pray it. He is not blessed by our small, vision-bare petitions anyway. I’ve thought for a long time that God would rather hear His children voice outrageously large prayers of faith even if He has to say no on occasion than hear our pale, timid, tepid requests for things He’s already given us anyway. For instance, if we belong to Him in Christ, He is indeed going to “bless us” and “keep us.” So, I’m adding Isaiah 54:13 to my spiral and planning to reword it often into a request. I’m going to take the risk that He may indeed perform generational miracles with a family tree sprouted from the soil of disease and brokenness. Make us oaks of righteousness, Lord,Ā for the display of Your splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)
This I know for sure: we often have not because we ask not. (James 4:2)
I love something else about Isaiah 54:13. I love that the word translated peace in English is the word “shalom” in Hebrew. The Hebrew word blows the doors off of our usual concept of peace. When I ask God for great peace to be upon my children, I have no interest in a trance-like state of passionless nirvana. I want God’s brand of peace: lively, vivacious. Here’s what the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament has to say about it:
“The general meaning behind the root Å”-l-m is of completion and fulfillmentāof entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.”
It means to be intact, healthy, sound. It means wellness of soul. It conveys the idea of God prospering His child. He describes His peace like a river: moving and running. His peace is no pond. I read the verse first out of The NET Bible that sits open on my desk at home. Isaiah 54:13 is worded this way on its pages: “All your children will be followers of the LORD, and your children will enjoy great prosperity.” Right that moment I jotted the verse down in my journal and, under it, asked the Lord (with enough zeal to imprint it on the next page) to prosper my children and their children and their children and their children in the way that really matters: grant them lives that bear much fruit – I said MUCH FRUIT –Ā for THIS is to our Father’s great glory. May they blatantly show themselves to be Christ’s disciples. (That’s John 15:8 and, if you haven’t memorized it yet, it is a must! Prioritize it early on in your year if God causes it to leap off the page with you.)Ā With all my heart, I want God to use this lineage He is redeeming to prosper His Kingdom.
So I am really fired up about my verse for our next two weeks and hope to still be saying it and praying it for the next generations of this family line when I’m about to see Jesus. If you don’t already have a verse selected, you are welcome to share it and make it your own with Jesus. Choose any verse that He’s using to speak to you right now. Remember, that’s what will make it stick to your ribs. It needs to mean something to you!
Hit it, Girls! Remember! Only your names, cities, verses, references, and translations! You are stellar, Sisters. I love you so much.
Edited to add: Information on how to download your Android or iPhone application!
I know many of you have been asking if we are going to have an app this year for your smart phones, and we have both good news and bad news. The good news is YES, we ARE! We have created an app for both Android and iPhones. The bad news is, the Android app is ready for you, but if you would be so patient with us, we’ll have the iPhone app ready for you in about five or six days. Does that sound good?
So, excuse me while I get technical for just a minute!
For those of you that still have the old application on your phone (and this goes for both Android and iPhone users), you would most likely have received a notification about the availability of this new one, but if not, and you are currently using an android, simply click here to download the app. (This link is for Android users only.) Android users, if you’re having issues with this link (and it’s currently working fine on this end), you can search “Living Proof Ministries ā Scripture Memory Team ā 2013” in your phone under applications. (I have very little knowledge about Android phones, so forgive me if my wording is wrong.)
When the iPhone app is ready, I’ll update this post for those of you who would like to download it with all the instructions you’ll need. However, I do know upfront you’ll be able to find the app in the iTunes store via your phone or computer.
Once you have the application, it is very user friendly. You’ll be notified the 1st and 15th of every month with the new blog post that will land in your application (you will only be notified if you have turned on notifications for this specific app), you can share the post, and then you can also store your memory work in there. It will also act like your spiral. You may want to use both your spiral and the app to have on hand in case you lose one or the other!
I hope that helps! Doesn’t this make it so much more fun?
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
Amanda–Starkville, MS
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” — 2 Corinthians 5:18 ESV
1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
Laurel from ZEELAND Michigan. Proverbs 3:5_6 NIV Tust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all ways acknowledge Him and he will lead your paths straight
Elizabeth from Lakeland, Florida: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Prov. 27:1 ESV
Bevra from Midland, Psalm 70:4 “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” NIV
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13. NIV
Kristi from Paducah – Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. PS 51:11 NIV
Carly, Norwalk, Ohio
Words kill, words give life,
They’re either poison or fruit–you choose.
Proverbs 18:21 The Message
Kathy from Troy, Philipians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Sharon. Franklin, TN. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10. NIV
Kimberly, Tampa I Corinthians 2:9 NIV
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.
Jennifer from Sealy, TX
“Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Ella, New Zealand
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9 (NET)
Meredith, Gidley CA, “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
Gina;Houston,TX
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.” Hebrews 2:3 NKJ
casey, texarkana, tx, wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. psalms 27:14 NLT
Candice Lombard, Cape Town, South Africa – “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all those whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” Isaiah 26 v 3-4 (NIV)
Amie, Centreville
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children
Ephesians 5:1
NIV
Sabine from Surrey, United Kingdom “But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lords victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go our against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” 2 Chronicles 20:17 NLT (New Living Translation)
Amanda from Huntsville,AL, Proverbs 31:25 “She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” NLT
Jamie, Holly Springs
Isaiah 41:10 International Standard Version
Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you; don’t be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I’m truly helping you. I’m surely upholding you with my victorious right hand.”
Candis, South Bend IN, For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praise with UNDERSTANDING. Psalm 47:7 KJV
Laura, Midland, TX. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”Romans 12:2 ESV
Dianne, Magnolia TX, “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:32 NIV
Dianne, Magnolia TX, “He who sacrifices than offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23 NIV
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily anger. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evils but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Lisa, Cartersville, GA
Psalm 121:1-2 (HCSB)
(1)I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? (2) My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Carol. Poplar Bluff
He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Daniel 2:21 NIV
Psalm 103:2-5 NIV
Praise the Lord , my soul,
and forget not all his benefitsā who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Lacie – Americus, KS – neither height nor depth nor anything will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 NIV
Melissa F., Blairsville, GA
Jeremiah 29:11-14a, NIV
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.
debbie jo, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, NIV
Phyllis, Charlotte, NC
DEUTERONOMY 33:27 (NIV)
The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, āDestroy him!ā
Megan from Grove City, Pennsylvania
“Praise the Lord, my soul;all my inmost being, praise his holy name.Praise the Lord, my soul,and forget not all his benefitsā who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagleās.” – Psalm 103:1-5
Luke 1:37 “nothing is impossible for God!”
Celeste, Westminster,Maryland. To rescue us from the hand of our enemies and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. Luke 1:74-74 NIV
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Ps. 139:2 NIV
Lise, Cumming, GA – This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; James 1:19, New American Standard Version
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace
Those whose minds are steadfast,
Because they trust in you.
I’m catching up. Memory Verse 1: Hebrews 12:11. Memory Verse 2: 2 Corinthians 12:10.
Molly from Tyler, Texas James 1:4-5 NIV “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 given to him.”
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12 NIV – Cynthia Gerdes, Lees Summit, MO
April, Upper St. Clair, PA
Like a city whose walls are broken is a person who lacks self control. Proverbs 25:28 NIV
Jennifer from Richmond, VA
Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23,24 (NAS)
Gretchen from Metairie, LA
May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
2 Peter 1:2 NLT
Suzi. Osprey, Florida ” All your children shall be taught by The Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13. ESV
The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you. Mark 4:24
Rhonda from Foley, AL, “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” Psalm 119:36. NIV
Heather – Edmond, OK
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing. (NKJV)
O Lord , You are my God;
I will exalt You and praise Your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
You have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago. (Isaiah 25:1 NIV84)
Emilie
North Carolina
Rebecca New Orleans, LA “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20