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. 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, 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 š-l-m is of completion and fulfillment—of 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 –Â 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.)Â 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 – Scripture Memory Team – 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
Julie, Whitewater MO
“All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace.” Isaiah 54:13 NIV
Rachel from Bradley, IL
His secret purpose framed from the very beginning is to bring us to our full glory.
1 Cor. 2:7 NEB
Jody B. Huntsville, AL. “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 NIV
Ps 37:25
I was young, and now I am old, but I have never seen good people left helpless or their children begging for food.
Robbi, Glen Allen, VA
This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 NIV
Kathy W. from Valrico, Florida….I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 NIV
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
~Romans 15:13 NIV
“You are good and do good;
Teach me your statutes.”
Psalm 119:68 (NKJ)
Sarah, Greenwood, AR
“Come follow me”, Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19 NIV
Katye from Barksdale Air Force Base, LA
“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”
Psalm 119:165, NIV
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Cor 12:9 NKJV
Donna, Willard, MO
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21, NIV
Sarah, Alpharetta, Georgia
“We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps.” Psalm 16:9 NLT
James 1:3. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Penny,Norcross
And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 NIV
Adara,Norcross “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NIV
Waylene, Loma Linda;
Remind me each morning of your constant love. for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go. Ps 143:8 Good News Translation
Holly Belt- Spring Hill, TN
Isaiah 61: 3-4
.. and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of morning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Jennifer, Rockwall, Texas
In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows fo the evil one. Ephesians 6:16 NIV
Anna, tx
“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body”
Proverbs 16:24 ESV
Sheri, Federal Way, WA
We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple: Your name, God, evokes a train of Hallelujahs wherever it is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with your unfailing love.
Psalm 48:9 MSG
Marie – Saskatoon, SK Canada
Romans 3:3 “What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?” NIV
You lead me in the path of life; I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight. -Psalms 16:11 NET
Jennifer, Marion
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 3:17
NASB
Jennifer, Marion
Set a guard O Lord over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3 NASB
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
NIV 1984
oops! Ephesians 1:3-10
Kristin, Belmont, NC. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV
Terra from Owasso, Oklahoma:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV
“The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.” Exodus 14:14
Tracy-Santa Cruz, CA
“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).” Jeremiah 33:3 (Amplified Bible)
And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom 12:2 KJV
Dothan, AL
” Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Phillippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Mildred from Montserrat. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 NIV
Tiffany-Lancaster, PA
“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you”
Psalm 25:4,5 NLT
Kristen Ahrens from Tigard, Oregon; Proverbs 31:11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
Jeantelle, Lafayette LA
We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.
Prov 19:21
The Message
Tanya from Lorton, Virginia “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:6 NIV
Jenn from Arlington, TX
“Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
Terri from Mount Holly, NC He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:3-4 (NASB)
Heidi – Columbia, MO
My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death. Philippians 3:10 NET
Tricia, from Conroe, TX
“You’re familiar with the old written law ‘love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-centered selves. He gives His best – the sun to warm and the rain to nourish – to everyone, regardless the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the loveable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run of the mill sinner does that.” Matthew 5:43-47, The Message
Kelei.Liggett.Iowa Park, Texas.
Luke 12:42
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but yours be done. NIV
Amber from Roanoke.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1 ESV
Jeanne from Lake Worth, FL
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love him. James 2:5 NIV1984
Donna, Belton SC. Phil 1:9-10 NLT I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
Amberley – Pasco, WA
“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.”
~ Psalm 65:11 NLT
ashley
huntsville al
Romans 12:19 ESV
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Elizabeth from Fayetteville, AR
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Philippians 1:20, NIV
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13
So! Encourage each other. Build each other up! Just as you are already doing!
1 Thes. 5:11 NIV