Hey, all of you lovely things! It’s nearly Spring and we’re all the way to verse 6! You are doing fabulously, Sisters. We are still THOUSANDS strong on this Scripture memory team. Thousands of Swords drawn and in the hands of women who want to love and not hate, build up and not destroy, rejoice because our God is faithful and not throw ourselves in the nearest ditch because life is hard. And, boy, is it.
I think God has given me something that could be a tad fun to do this time around. Since we started off the week here on the blog talking about clothes, what do you say we end it that way? For those of you who want to come alongside this theme with me, I’m throwing out three different Scriptures about clothing ourselves. You are still welcome to do your own selections as always but, just in case some of you were still in decision-mode and this sounded fitting (pardon the pun), come along with me into the closet of Scripture and let’s come out some well-dressed women of God! I’m offering the first two selections to you in two different versions so you can choose which one resonates most.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV) — (As you can see, this one includes two Scriptures. You’d only need to choose one of these for Verse 6 but I thought just maybe somebody could use a fresh, strong exhortation to forgive as you’ve been forgiven. I don’t know about you but that verse is never wasted on me. If you’d like, you could do the first verse for #6 and the second verse for #7.)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
12Â Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13Â bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.
================
Now for the second set of verses on clothing ourselves. Sometimes we need to clothe ourselves in humility before we try clothing ourselves to no avail with compassion. Our pride is usually reason #1 that we don’t feel compassionate. At least it has been for me.
1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5 (The NET Bible)
In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
===================
And you’ve just GOT to love Luke 24:49 in view of our clothing theme this week! Here’s the third selection out of the closet of Scripture, straight from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Luke 24:49 NIV
 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
Luke 24:49 The NET Bible
And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Power from on high! Bless His most holy Name.
==============
So there you have it! Three gorgeous jackets to wear. Which one do you need to wrap around you most right now? Do you need to be clothed with compassion? Humility? Power?? He’s got you covered. But just like we do each morning, we’ve got to get dressed on purpose.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking about in view of our clothing theme. Remember all those jackets in my 5+ Year Club? Several of them I’d had for ten solid years and I’m still wearing them. When it comes to tangible clothing, that can be good stewardship. But sometimes we can do the same kind of thing spiritually and emotionally and it’s not pretty. We can keep wearing the same old jacket…
…of anger
…or of bitterness
…or of negativity
…or of chronic disappointment
…or of sensuality
…or of desperation
and we’re so used to wearing it that we throw it on automatically, without giving a thought to the fact that we really could have a whole new wardrobe. It might be time we changed the way we dressed. And this whole new incredibly expensive wardrobe of compassion, humility, and anointing has already been paid for. And it’s in your size and mine.
Yep. I’m in the mood for some new clothes.
Beth, Houston. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13 The NET Bible
OK, Sisters! Let’s have it! What are you memorizing this time around???
PS. LifeWay Women’s All Access Blog did the funniest thing. They dug into the Living Proof Live archives and pulled out pictures of every single one of those jackets in Monday’s post. Some of you might get a kick out of it. Here’s the link: The Proof Is In The Jacket.
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
Kim, Louisville, KY
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the LORD weighs the spirit.
Proverbs 16:2 ESV
Ashley, Fort Worth, Tx
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 NIV
Pam, Moss Bluff, LA
“There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country.” Jeremiah 31:17 (ESV)
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:12-14 ESV
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:27, ESV
Susan Oak Ridge
“A wandering Aremean was my ancestor;he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and and outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.”
Deuteronomy 26: 5b-10a
NRSV
Alissa, Spring, TX
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him
Lamentations 3:25 NIV
Gena from Rowlett, Tx
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever, he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Psalms 103:8-10 NIV
Dawn, Clinton PA
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:10-11 (ESV)
Lindsay, Sugar Land : No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5 NIV
Jo Anne Chicago
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19 NIV
Sharon from Van, TX
This poor man called and the LORD heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles.
Psalm 34:6 NIV
Mandee from Gilbert, AZ
Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10 (NIV84)
Amber B, Vicksburg, MI. since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord christ you are serving. Colossians 3:24 NIV
But the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.
Mark 16:6 NLT
Carolyn
Oceanside,Ca
Jane from Calgary, Alberta
ISAIAH 1:18 (NASB)
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.
Sharon Allen, Redmond, WA
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek after:That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4(ESV)
Sue~Hartland, MI
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart
of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one
another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone;
just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Colossian 3:12&13 NASB
Tera Ferguson
Gardendale, Alabama
John 3:22 KJV
After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
Kelly from Columbia, MO
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)
Jeanette Dahm, Tualatin, OR
Psalm 7:17 NIV
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Candace
Jefferson City, TN
Psalm 119:36, NIV
“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.”
Loveland, CO
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (NET)
Julie/Deer Park/Ephesians 3:18 NIV may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
Kaitlyn, Tampa, FL
Memorizing for the entire month of March:
“Therefore we do not lose heart, for though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18, NIV
(Wrote it first from memory but had to go back and change a few “for/therfores,” “buts/yets,” “struggles to troubles” etc. Making good progress! Thanks, Lord!)
Romans 8:36 NIV As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Tammy S, West Point NE
I love you, O Lord, my strength. Psalm 18:1 (NIV)
Celeste Hill
Laguna Niguel, CA
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7 ESV)
Psalm 119:38 “Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to serving You.” NKJV
Brie London, UK: My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish — ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:27-29, HCSB
Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Gail Dorn from San Antonio, TX says:
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
Romans 5:3,4. (NLT)
St. Louis
Phillipians 4:19 NIV “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Terry
Washington, IL
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. (Psalms 63:7, 8 NLT)
Alicia, Mesa,AZ
Those who live according to the flesh have the mind set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. Romans 8:5 NIV
Suzanne, Centreville, VA
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Ephesians 4:29 (HCSB)
Heather – Shokan, NY
Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. NKJV
Melissa, LaGrange, GA – Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior, who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Kim, Corning, NY: Luke 24:49 The NET Bible “And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Tami, DS, LA
Colossians 4:6 ESV
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Tessie from El Dorado Springs, MO
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 NIV
Jordan, Columbia, MO. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 NIV
Therefore as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12 NET Bible
Kelly Chesterfield, Missouri
James 1:22-25 (NIV)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says, is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -he will be blessed in what he does.
GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel: Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on me.” Isaiah 30:15 The Message
Gail, Phoenix
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24 ESV
Rachel, Austin TX
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37 NIV)
Sandy E., Kansas City, Missouri: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV
Sarah, West Monroe, La
“The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” Zephaniah 3:17 NET