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
Tammy from Fairhope, Al
Ephesians 4:32. (NIV) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (KJV)
Anyone who meets a testing challenge head on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
James 1:12
Tammy
Cincinnati, Ohio
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 KJV
Danaye, Indiana
Kaydi from Arlington, TX
Jeremiah 33:3 NET
“Call on me in prayer and I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.”
Liz in Ruston, Louisiana
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
Atlanta, GA
2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV
But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power
is from God and not from us.
Sandy, Deming, NM
For the Scripture says “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
Romans 10:11 NKJV
Charlotte, Houston “Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5 (ESV)
“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders.” Psalm 9:1 NASB
Julie, Sugar Land, TX
2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Angela, Warsaw
I will give you thanks for you answered me; you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:21 (NIV)
Shelley, Florida
“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)
Lindsay: Hollywood, FL (moved from Warrior, AL)
“For our heart is glad in him,because we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:21 (ESV)
Ephesians 2:14-15 “For he himself is our peace, who has mad the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the tow, thus making peace.”
Penny, Cincinnati. “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Matthew 4:10, NLT
Esther Joy, Mountain Home, AR
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26NIV
Karey, Justin, Texas
“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. ”
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NLT
Kathi Vodenicker, Jacksonville, Fl “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”Psalm 19:13 NIV
Psalms 18:30-32
As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
for who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and keep my way secure.
NIV.
Rachel, Fort Smith, AR
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)
Janie from Warner Robins, GA
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
Karen, Hewitt
Psalm 33:4, NIV……”For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does”.
Teresa, Akron-
“Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24 KJV
Elizabeth, Gainesville, GA
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20, NIV
“For as he thinketh in his heart so is he.” Proverbs 23:7, KJV
“For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45, NIV
“He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” II Chronicles 12:14, NIV
Cindy, living in Cochem, Germany: Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (NIV)
Holli
Bryan, Texas
1 John 4:9
“And God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.”
Debra – Dahlgren, IL
For the word of the LORD is right and true;
He is faithful in all He does.
Psalm 33:4 NIV
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 NLT
1Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand , that He may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11 NKJV
Lacie| Seattle
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. -Proverbs 25 NIV
Freeland, MI For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
Audrey from Cimarron: “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24 (NIV)
Merredith, Champaign So the last will be first, and the first last. Matthew 20:16 ESV
Lori, RIchmond, VA
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27a
Debbie, Folly Beach SC: Psalm 90:2 NIV Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Lorraine, Marysville, Washington
For this God is our God for ever and ever;
He will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 48:14 NIV
Diana—San Patricio, TX. “Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:2 (NIV)
Heather—Corpus Christi, TX. “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…” Philippians 3:8 (NKJV)
Jacci, Denver, CO
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Spring, TX
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,
Ephesians 3:17 (NET)
Jennifer
Lancaster Pa
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
James 5:8 NIV
(I was deeply blessed by session 7 of the James study,
Thank you!!)
Newport News, VA
“Your word is my source of hope.” Psalm 119:114 NLT
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act….”
Psalm 37:7a (NIV)
Debra, Many, La
“Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.” James 5:13 (HCSB)
Michele, Liverpool, NY
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.
σοί, κύριε, ἡ μεγαλωσύνη καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ τὸ καύχημα καὶ ἡ νίκη καὶ ἡ ἰσχύς
1 Chronles 29:11, NET
Dorian from Grimes, IA
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in
a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
Philippians 1:27a NIV
Evangeline, Loveland, CO
I am behind….
May 15th-
The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7 NKJV
June 1st
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 9:5 NIV
“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'” Job 28:28 (ESV) – Martha, Van Buren, Arkansas