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
Dee Dee Fernandina Beach, Florida “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” Romans 6:12 ESV
Peggyann, Crestview, Florida ~ Psalm 106~1
Hallelujah! Thank you Lord! How good you are!
Your love for us continues on forever. The Living Bible
Karen, Raymond: “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.” Isa. 41:13 NIV
Ashley, Austin,TX
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (NIV)
Julie
Boyertown, PA
“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10 NKJV
Shirlea from Lynn Haven, FL
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith….” Hebrews 12:2a NIV
Charlotte from Memphis
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with your always, to the end o the age.
Matt. 28:16-20
Jill P, Ames, IA
“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.” Psalm 65:11-12 (NLT)
RaeLeen – Greenwood, You crown the year with your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance. Psalm 65:11- NIV
Janet, Ronkonkoma, NY
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Isaiah 58:9b-10 NIV
Jessica from Washington, IN
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15,NIV
Vicki Knott, Greenwood, SC
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses , so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
Kathy
Fresno, CA
Therefore, as God’s chosen daughter, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Col. 3:2 NIV
(replaced people w/ daughter to make it more personal)
Aubrey from Casper, WY
Deuteronomy 32:10 ESV
“He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wildereness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”
Isaiah 26:3 The Message
People with their minds set on You, You keep them completely whole, steady on their feet because they keep at it no don’t quit.
Vicki, Paducah, KY
You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasure at your
right hand. Ps. 16:11
Andrea, New Palestine IN
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation – Psalm 13:5 (NIV)
Aly, Bozeman
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
Tatia, Carlisle, PA
“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” James 3:1 (NIV 1984)
Deborah from Calgary Alberta – “But those who trust in The Lord will renew their strength. They will soar with wings like eagles;they will run and now grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ” Isaiah 40:31
NIV
Donna, Oxford, Mississippi
“Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land and everlasting joy will be theirs.”
Isaiah 61:7 (NIV)
Jennifer, Eugene, OR
“to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” –Ephesians 3:19, NKJV
Lisa from Kokomo,IN
O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress . Isaiah 33:2 NIV
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6 NASB
Michelle from Carthage, TX
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6, ESV
Stephanie G, Springfield, OH
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (ESV)
Angie, Columbus, OH, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14 ESV
Anita, Lubbock, Tx
Jude 1:2 NIV
Mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance!
Hayley, Seymour,TX
“And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.” James 3:3
Psalm 30:5 NASB
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime: Weeping may last for the night but JOY comes in the morning.
Jana, Tampa. “But let all those who take refuge in the you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.” Psalm 5:11 NIV
Lea from Granger, IN. “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust n The Lord. Ps 40:3 (ESV)
Ginger, Tulsa, OK
Matthew 6:33-34 NLT
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s troubles is worry enough for today.
Dawn, Holbrook, NY
Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News of Christ. Philippians 1:27 NLT
“Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez(oh the pain!) saying,”A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection-don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Luke 6:31
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
New International Version (NIV)
Susan from Inman, SC…
And then God answered: “Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
It’s on its way. It will come right on time.
(WOO-HOO)
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Amy, Midlothian VA
“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is construction. 1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV
Cheryl, Pooler. All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13 ESV
Robin from Bradenton, Fl. Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Christain Kotoucek from Norman, OK
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12 NIV)
Jennifer in Canfield, OH. Last time Col. 3:12,
now adding verses 13-14 from NIV
“Bear with each other, and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:13-14
Marcia B., Salem, IN
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 NIV
Brandie, Kearney NE:
“God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” Ps 46:5, NIV
(while this verse is about the city of God, it is also true in principle of me as a believer in Christ and I need this encouragement for some tasks at hand)
Tami, Decatur,Tx.
“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”
Isaiah 54:13 (ESV)
Janice – Topeka, Kansas
Col. 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.
Rachel in Katy, TX
He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
Proverbs 13:3 NIV
Jean Grant, Carlisle PA
Psalm 1:3 (NIV84)
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:5 KJV
Robyn from Ballwin, MO
The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4 NIV