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
Kim in Mansfield, TX
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,nor things present, nor things to come,nor powers,Nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 8:38-39 NASB
Terri, Natchitoches, LA
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 NIV
Beth from Niamey, Niger
Judges 6:12b
“The Lord is with you mighty warrior!”
NIV
Sarah, Washington Court House, Ohio
John 15:5
I am the vine and you are the braches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit’apart from me, you can do nothing.
Julie Moore Huffman: Springdale, AR: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases: His mercies never come to an end: they are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
Bailey Owens
Batavia, Ohio
Deuteronomy 11:19-21
King James Version (KJV)
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
Sharon in Florien, La: Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart. Psalms 27:14 (NKJV)
Linda Francia from Mobile, AL
Be joyful 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
‎”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things on this earth.”
Cheryl Clevenger
Kokomo,Indiana
This is my commandment : Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
John 15:12 NLT
Elvira, Grande Prairie, Alberta
Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you
great and unsearchable things you do not know”.
Rachel: Harrisonburg, VA
Hebrews 10:23-24 (NKJ)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.
Maureen in Logan, UT
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:26 NIV
michelle
Woodstock, VT
Philipians 3:13b NASB
~forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
Susanna, California
He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing!
Psalm 107 20-22 NKJ
Angela from Wilmington, DE Ps. 56:13 For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling that I may walk before God in the light of life. NIV
Brandi from Culloden, WV
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NET)
For by grace are you saved through faith, it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that GOd prepared beforehand so we may do them.
TANYA K. FROM WEST MONROE, LA: 1 TIMOTHY 4:13 NLT
Until I get there, focus on reading the Scpriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
Whitney from Cape Girardeau, MO: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil. 4:6, NIV
Revelation 3:10
Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I’ll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and over the earth, every man, woman and child put to the test.
The Message
Linda from Lincoln NE. “Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her” Hosea 2:14 ESV
Yvonne
Fresno, CA
James 5:1 NIV 84 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.
Allison, Johnson City, TN; Teach us to number our our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Psalm 90:12
‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.’
Eph. 3:20 NIV
Christine in Tempe, AZ. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
John 15:8 ESV
Kelsey from Wichita “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:8-9 ESV)
Beth, Omaha, NE
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12 NIV
Holly, Tallahassee, FL
Proverbs 19:21 NIV
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Lisa Auten: Rogers, AR: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 NASB
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.” NIV
Sandy
Dodge City, KS
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 NIV
Ashley, Lees Summit, MO
Romans 12:12-13 (NIV)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality
Susan, Elk Grove Village, IL
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12, NIV
PSALM 146:3-5 NIV
“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”
Nikki, Covingon, GA
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee or forsake thee.” KJV
Debbie…Marion, IN
” You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” Psalm 139:2 NIV
Anne from Glen Allen, VA- Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5-6
Leslie, Central Asia
Psalm 90:2, ESV
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Rachel, Blairsville, GA: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6, NIV
Krystal from Fredericksburg, VA
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9 ESV
Cynda Oklahoma City, OK
“You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.”
Lamentations 3:58 NIV
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 NIV
Jennifer from Myrtle Beach, SC
“Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV
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 and perfect will. Romans 12:2
Ashley G., Orlando, FL
He has told you, O man,what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 NASB
Pamela Brockwell – Springfield, MO
“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 (NIV)
Rachel
Wellington Fl
1 Peter 5:6-7
So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. (Message)
Randee from Iowa. Psalms 145:17 NAS
The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds.