Hey, Everybody! I am jotting this post several days in advance because I’ll be at a Living Proof Live in Atlanta, Georgia the day this goes up. In fact, if you read this before 11:15 CST (12:15 Atlanta time) on Saturday, we’d be incredibly blessed if you’d pray for our remaining time to be so flooded with the presence of God that we can hardly bear the glory.
I’m so proud of you for making it this far in our Scripture memory process! Sisters, you have worked hard. Let yourself feel the holy nod of God. He has tremendous joy in seeing His children esteem His Word highly enough to store it like treasures in the vault of their hearts. We’ve arrived at a milestone of sorts in this journey. June is tremendously significant for our team because this is the month we come to the halfway marker. Once we get into July and August we have less memorization in front of us than we have behind us. That’s a big deal.
This time around I’m choosing a verse that I’ll be challenging the attendees to memorize at the Atlanta Living Proof Live. I’m not sure a verse could be more fitting for the pure act of praise. I love Scriptures that not only speak about God but speak straight to God. Get a load of this one:
Beth, Houston. O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth!Ā You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. 1 Chronicles 29:11Ā The NET Bible
Any of us who memorize a fair amount of Scripture have certain go-to approaches that have helped us along. If you’ve got a method that is working, by all means, go with it! But, if you’re interested in memorizing the same verse and would like some suggestions about how to tackle it, I’ll share what works for me. Keep in mind that the methods of Blonder Than She Pays To Be could be madness to someone else so take this or leave it depending on your learning style.
With any verse, I start looking almost immediately for how I can reason out the word order. The first thing I’m going to notice in 1 Chronicles 29:11 is that there are 6 rapid-fire descriptions of God in the first sentence. In this verse, I’d reason that it’s fittingĀ for the word “great” to be first among the descriptions because many of us are accustomed to using the terminology that God (or the Lord, in this case) is great. It’s an easy, accessible word. The next three descriptions all begin with “M”: mighty, majestic, magnificent. As I prepare for Atlanta, I’ll be saying those three words over and over in that order so that they’ll get ingrained in my thinking. They have an amplifying rhythm to them, too, because the first one (mighty) is two syllables, the second one (majestic) is three syllables, and the third one (magnificent) is four syllables. Does that help at all with the word order and how they roll off your tongue? Say them until you feel the syllables build and you might latch onto them pretty quickly.
After the beginning “G” (great) and the 3 “M’s”, we have another “G.” This time it stands for “glorious.” That’s a word I love to say so I’m hoping I can remember it pretty easily. G-M-M-M-G. Are you beginning to catch on? (I think I just heard somebody yell “NO!” Was that you?? I tried to warn you that I can make things harder than they have to be. Laughing. You might need to be the one telling your sisters here how to tackle a wordy verse. Just give me an “E” for effort here and maybe an “A” for affection. I do so seriously love you.)
The last of the 6 descriptions is “sovereign.” To me, that’s always the final word on anything that has to do with God. If I’m confused or I can’t fit in my brain why this happened or why God approached a particular thing a particular way, I finally come to a measure of peace by stating this biblical truth: He is sovereign over all things. In the exact words of 1 Chronicles 29:11, “over all the sky and earth.” I love visual language and that, Sister, is plenty visual. Span the galaxies in the universe with your imagination then put your scope on our planet and zero in. (I know I’m really pushing it right now with some of you but the way I’d keep it straight that “sky” comes before “earth” is that it starts with an “S” like “sovereign” right before it. If I’m getting on your last nerve, never mind.)
Then put the finishing touches on the verse with this: You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all!
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not expecting that we’d have it down pat in the brief amount of time it’s taken us to walk through those few paragraphs but what about 15 days? That’s how long we’d have to get those words steeped into our souls. Could we get them down over the course of two weeks? Yes, ma’am, I do believe we can! And, if not word-for-word, just think how much we’ve meditated on descriptions of our God! That is time NEVER wasted. Let’s ask God to give us the supernatural unction to accomplish this memorization and remind Him how much glory He could receive from our being able to extol His preeminence like that over and over while we’re…
praying…
driving…
walking through our neighborhoods…
on our treadmills…
rocking our babies…
getting chemotherapy…
getting physical therapy…
sitting with an elderly loved one…
healing from a heartbreak…
or so happy that we need some way to tell Him how marvelous we think He is before we burst.
Of course, most of you have your own Scripture selections and I have just put you through the wringer for nothing! So, whether you’re sharing 1 Chronicles 29:11 or bringing your own verse to the table, let’s see them! I’m blessed almost out of my bleached blond mind to get to do this with you, Sister. You are a tremendous joy to me.
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
Sheila – Guyton, GA
“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:8 (HSCB)
Kathy
Madison, CT
**Please pray that my ‘Siesta memory spiral’ turns up…how can it have gone missing?…so distraught!!
Romans 1:19-20 NIV
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Mitzi from Midland, TX
The sacrifice that honors me is a thankful heart.
Psalms 50:23
Megan, Houston
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. (Ezekiel 36:26 NLT)
Ok – I posted my verse from last time by mistake – here is the one for this 2 weeks…2 Timonthy 4:17 NIV But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. Joy – Georgetown, TX
Mia from Burlington, VT (Sorry I am late this time!)
“O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
and You healed me.”
Psalm 30:2
Jaime Turner from Nederland, Texas
“you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you. because he trusts in you.” ~Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
Terri, Ferris, TX, As for me, I said, O Lord, be gracious to me. Heal my soul for I have sinned against You.
Psalm 41:4 NASB
Margie, San Angelo, Texas
Exodus 20:10 KJV
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Late to the game because I was away from a computer yesterday.
Traci in MN
John 15:12-13
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Mathew 6:21 (& Luke 12:34) NIV
Cindy, Nashville, TN “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5>16 KJV
2 Timothy 4:5 (AMP): “As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry.”
Emily from Birmingham, AL … “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 ESV
Diane, Wedgefield,SC – Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50, NIV 1984
Tiffany, Summerville,SC ” This is to my Father’s gory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8 NIV
Ps 103:4 KJV
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
Pam~ Moss Bluff, LA
“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
Canyon
Virginia
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Ps 103:7&8
Mary Ann, Woodbury, MN
But you, beloved, building yourself up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude 1:20-21 ESV
Allison L., Tulsa, OK
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful…
Hebrews 10:23 NASB
Dawn, West Monroe, LA
O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious & sovereign over all the sky & earth! You have dominion & exalt Yourself as the ruler of all.
1 Chronicles 29:11 The Net Bible
Kathryn, Oceanside CA, “O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all” 1 Chronicles 29:11 NET
Delanie from Spring Hill, TN
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.”
Diane, Harker Heights, TX: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Erin, Detroit.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)
Emily in Anchorage, AK
Psalm 103:1-3 NIV
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits–who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…”
Cary Forney, TX
O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 The NET Bible
Logan Forney,TX
O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 The NET Bible
Jen, Houston
Jen, Houston
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)
Lea from Granger, IN: 1Chronicles 29:11; Yours, Oh Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory, and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom Oh Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (ESV).
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quite waters.
Psalm 23:1-2. NIV
Ronnie, Ostrander, Ohio
Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (ESV)
Cindy, living in Cochem, Germany: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 (NIV)
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all of your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful song.
Phil. 4:6- “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything, tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers”.
Martha, Clearwater,FL
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
James 2:12 NIV
Heather
McDonough, GA
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. (Psalm 25:1 NIV)
Pat C
South Burlington,VT
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve,mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:8b – 10 NIV
Kristi
Austin, 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 Godās will isāhis good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 NIV
Cheryl
Austin, TX
The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:6 NIV
Kim, Poplar Bluff, MO. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15 (ESV)
Ashley from Allen, TX
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)
“8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,ā says the Lord.āAnd my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Abbie, Omaha, NE
Psalm 71: 15 (ESV) “My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.”
Andrea, Pottstown
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No don’t worship me. For I am a servant of God, just like you and other brothers and sisters who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.
Revelation 19:10 NLT
Patrice in Albuquerque
“O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. ”
1 Chronicles 29:11 The NET Bible
Romans 10:10 (NIV)
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
The Eungard Family
Schweinfurt, Germany
Okay, in some sweet country and a land far away, I think it is still 6/1/2013, right?? Here’s hoping.
Ms. Molly Machemehl from Stafford, Texas
Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” NKJV
Dayna, Bedford, VA
O Lord, You are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 The NET Bible