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 – 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.) 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
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:25 NIV
2 Corinthians 10:5
NIV
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.
Carol Huff
Katy, Texas
Isaiah 54:13
NIV
“All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.”
Susan ~ Kearney, NE ~ Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
The Lord your God is with you,
the mighty warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you
in love he will no longer rebuke you
but will rejoice over you with singing.
PS I did learn this during week 2 time frame…just didn’t get it posted…
Angelina
Summerville, SC
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yoursves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”
Colossians 3:12 NIV
Jenny, Cairo, GA – Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past or since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, ” Who gave human being their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Whom gives them their sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? NOW GO; I WILL HELP YOU SPEAK AND TEACH YOU WHAT TO SAY.” Exodus 4:10-12 NIV
Psalms 34:17 “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles” NIV
Karen from Knox, In
Psalm 63:2 NIV
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Susan Cutrer
Corinth, TS
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)
Andrie Baker Norcross, GA Revelation 4:11 NLT
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
Kim from Georgetown, TX
Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works within us. Ephesians 3:20 NKJV
Robyn from Kitchener, ON
“Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Daniel 12:3 NLT
Jill from Murfreesboro, TN
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous fall.
Psalm 55:22 NIV
Lauren Johnson
Denver, CO
James 1:6 ESV
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
Kristina
Ellenton, FL
James 1:22 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Virginia from Elgin, Tx. “He alone is my rock and my salvation; my fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken”. Psalm 62:2, ESV.
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8 NIV
Melanie – San Antonio, TX
Psalms 121:1-2 (HCSB)
“I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”
Sara Brownlee, Pottsville, Arkansas
All your children shall be taught by The Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13 ESV
Rose from Kansas City. In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. Ps.118:5-7 NIV
Caroline, Atlanta, GA
And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. NIV
Gray, TN
“…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8 NIV
Theresa Dellinger
Murfreesboro, TN
I am the Vine; You are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 ESV
Jodi Alley – Humble, TX
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NJKV
Julia from Pensacola Florida, All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.
Isaiah 54:13 NIV
Kelly Morris
Grand Prairie, TX
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
John 1:1 NKJV
Houston
NKJV
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13
I loved Beth’s verse, it gave me encouragement as a mom!
Fort Myers, Florida
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another
GALATIANS 5: 13 NKJV
Fort Myers, Florida
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says,”I know Him”, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
I JOHN 2: 3-4
Carol Wiglesworth, Olathe KS
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 NIV84
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.”
Isaiah 26:3 NLV
Sybil Albritton Springfield Mo.Then all your children will be taught by the Lord , their prosperity will be great, (Isaiah 54:13 HCSB)
Matt. 6:14 NIV
Kristen
Syracuse, NY
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7 ESV
Stephanie
Martinez, Ga
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. Psalm 59:16 NLT
Amy, Lexington KY
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NIV)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
Katelyn, Tulsa, OK
“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 ESV
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Leanne, Georgetown TN, NIV
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
Amy – The Woodlands, TX
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing perfect will”
Romans 12:2
NIV
Carrie, Greenville
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23
Carrie, Greenville SC
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 NIV
Anchorage, Ak.
Phillippians 1:6 (NLT)
And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again
For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37 NIV
Kelly Blevins
Clarksville, TN
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Romans 5:1 (NIV)
Amy Hewitt, Tampa
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23, NIV
Heather, Harrogate, TN
Psalms 121:1-2
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from The Lord, which made Heaven and Earth.
KJV
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NIV
Sandi; Colorado Springs, Colorado
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.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
If anyone considers himself religous and does not keep a tight reign on his tongue,
He deceives himself and his religion is worthless. James 1:26
For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mothers womb.
Psalm 139:13 NIV