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! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 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 fitting 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
Brandy, kingwood, TX
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)
Ginny Wilson, Ooltewah, TN
“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
Sheila J., Beckley, WV 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
Dina Garcia, Garden Grove, CA
2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV)”For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Brandi K
Cape Girardeau, MO
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”
Philippians 4:19 NIV
Laura Griffiths, Auburn, AL Ps. 42:1-2 ESV
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Joy Nelson, Muskogee OK
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)
Lacy, Harrisburg, OR. 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
Monica, Nampa I’d. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Phil 4:8 NLT
Karen, Colchester, VT
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
Mischia from North Carolina
I am memorizing my way through James, but this is too good to pass up.
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
Heather from Owasso, Ok
Colossians 4:6 NET
“let your speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone”
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:9 NIV
Elaine, New Orleans, LA
Chose for yourself today the one you will worship. Joshua 24:15 Holman Standard
Debbie, Calgary AB (Canada) (…just back from So. Cal.)
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.
2 Chron. 32:7 (NIV ’84)
Robin, Tracy CA
1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
DLynn; Argyle TX
Ezra 3:12 ESV
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,
Mindy, Rowley IA
James 4:11 NKJV
Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Kristie Nanes, Clearfield, UT
“For the mind set on the flesh is death
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:6 (NASB)
Sherilyn R, Warsaw, IN
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22 NIV
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
Michelle, Alberta, Canada
“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘know The Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares The Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
– Jeremiah 31:34
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5 NIV
Natalie, Houston
And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. Colossians 3:14 NET
Lisa, West Columbia, Texas
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:14 (NIV)
Chandler, Arizona
“O Lord, You are great, mighty, magnificent, glorious and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt Yourself as the ruler of all. 1Chronicles 29:11 (The NET)
STACY, CHAPIN SC
BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS WILL
GLORIFY YOU. PS63:3 NIV
Rebecca, Hallsville, TX (formerly of Kilgore)
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”
Acts 3:19 NKJV
Kim from Center, 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 (NET)
Melissa, Sulphur, LA
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)
Kathy Willis
Huntington, WV
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain”
ESV
Psalm 116:16 NIV Truly I am Your Servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; You have freed me from my chains.”
Stacey from Houston, TX
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)
Ronda, Tulsa OK: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Prov 12:15 ESV
Melissa, LaGrange, GA – James 1:19 NAS
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger
I Chronicles 29:11 NKJV
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.
Stephanie from Carmichael, CA
“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.”
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
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
Littlestown, PA
So that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth- Philippians 2:10, ESV
Romona, Rosewood Heights
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
Sheila from Moncton,NB
verses # 10 and 11
Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal 5:24 NIV
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Psalm 90:14 NLT
Pam Hamilton, OH
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12 (KJV)
Tawni, Oregon
I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus or Lord. Rom. 8:38-39 HCSB
Aimee, Houston, TX
Matthew 4:4
“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” NIV
Marcy T. Euless, TX.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Lesli Morrow-Mansfield, TX Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Psalm 145:2 ESV
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)
Dawn, Pottsville, AR
2 again!! Trying to keep up!!
5/15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:15, 16 ESV)
6/1
So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:17, 18 ESV)