2013 Siesta Scripture Memory Team: Verse 23!

My Border Collie, Queen Esther, is just about as handy as a GPS if she’s been to the destination at least once. The closer we get to where we’re going, the more hyper she becomes. The backseat of my car may as well be a treadmill. In fact, if I’m on the phone, I usually have to hang up because the person on the other line becomes too distracted to talk.

What is that?

My dog. Sorry. She’s a little over excited.

Is she hurt?

No. She’s happy.

What does she want?

Out!

She jumps from window to window and commences – not to bark exactly – but to yelp. I constantly insist to Keith that I have the gift of interpretation for the tongue Queen Esther speaks and, when we’re coming up on our destination, I am absolutely sure of what she’s saying: Let me out of this car so I can run the rest of the way!

Right about now, you’re the Queen – the real kind and not the canine variety – and it’s the perfect time to start your happiest yelping. You can see from the view out of your window that we are almost to our destination and, after a whole lot of hard work, I hope everything in you is hyping up and hollering, Let me out so I can run the rest of the way!

Good grief, you’ve been fantastic. I cannot recall ever having a higher percentage finish out the year. I’d have to check past years to confirm that but I don’t remember ever having a more active group from start to finish. I wish you were sitting right here with me in my chilly den in front of this fire and we could talk face to face instead of line to line.

Our heater is out and it is just about as cold in Houston as it gets most winters. We’ve already had the repairman out for hours but he’s been unable to fix it and advised us to call our builder. He thinks it’s a malfunction in the unit. You have to write an email request to the builder for a repair and we haven’t heard back from them yet so it could be a frosty few days. I just worked out on my elliptical with a jacket on if that tells you anything. I don’t mind so much though, as long as it’s fixed pretty soon. It’s gorgeous outside and I love sitting by a fire anyway. The part I don’t like is that Jackson and Annabeth’s room at my house is like ice and they really can’t even play in it right now when they come over. No worries, though. I expect it to be repaired surely by the first few days of this week.

If you were here, I’d also serve you up some cinnamon rolls in about an hour. I made homemade rolls for our Thanksgiving feast and I almost always roll out cinnamon rolls with the leftover dough several days later. They’re rising right now under some lights in the only warm end of my house.

Some of you are observant enough to ask me if I pulled two of them off the one pan and ate them raw because of those 2 circles of flour. No, I didn’t – though I was tempted – but I did peel them off and put them on the second cookie sheet because the 3 rolls that wouldn’t fit on the first pan looked so lonely over there. My cold house is going to smell like heaven in a little while. Sometimes I make a thick butter icing but, really, I prefer a thinner glaze made of powdered sugar, vanilla and a tiny bit of half and half. Too much icing takes away from the homemade flavor of the rolls in my opinion.

The inevitable question I get at a time like this is, “Do you always eat like that?”

Lord have mercy, no. But, Girlfriend, it’s a holiday.

I could make you hot tea or coffee to go with yours, depending upon your preference, and we’d chat a while and then we’d trade our 23rd verses.

My selection came up in my devotional this morning and catapulted me into prayer. I’m actually memorizing the 2nd chapter of Colossians right now but sometimes the section I’m working on next is too awkward out of context to post as an SSMT verse. For instance, if Colossians 2:21 were next, imagine this as my SSMT selection: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” See? Awkward. So, if I’m in the middle of a long portion, I usually go off road for SSMT and select a verse that is more user friendly so that women who are drawing a blank on their choices can go with me on mine if they wish. Here goes:

 

Beth, Houston. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 ESV

The second half of it drew me into intercession. It does not say that the reason the Son of God appeared was to deny the works of the devil. It does not say that the Son of God appeared to downplay the works of the devil. It does not say that the Son of God appeared to decrease the works of the devil. It says He appeared to DESTROY the works of the devil.

So I started pinpointing some areas around my life and the lives of my family members and loved ones where the enemy is rearing up his ugly head. And with great joy and a sense of victory in my chest, I thanked Jesus for coming to destroy his works and asked Him to demonstrate that destruction right before our eyes in those areas. We know that “the ancient serpent, who is the devil” will not be completely bound until the Kingdom of the living Christ comes in its fullness and His throne is established right here on earth. At that time, the prayer we’ve prayed more than any other will finally be fulfilled: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

But, until then, we are meant to experience stunning victories where we see living, breathing evidences that the enemy has been overcome. We’re meant to give the devil a taste of what he will experience in the Kingdom when he is bound for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2)

Let’s not let him off the hook. Let’s remind our enemy every single day that he is not only defeated. His works are destroyed in Jesus’ great Name.

You, my dear sister, are a great privilege to serve. Walk strong with your God, young lady. Ask for a fiery faith to believe Him and for eyes to see His works manifested right here on this ailing planet. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) 

Let’s toast to that.

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  1. 1301
    Mary F from Houston says:

    Romans 8:24-25 (NASB)

    24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that has been seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
    25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perserverance we wait eagerly for it.

  2. 1302
    Carolyn says:

    Carolyn, Rocksprings, TX

    for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Timothy 1:7 (NRSV)

  3. 1303
    Carol Wilson says:

    Carol Wilson
    Choctaw, OK

    Luke 10: 27 – He answered: “‘Love The Lord your God with all your heart & with with all your soul & with all your strength & with all your mind’ & ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” NIV

  4. 1304
    Deb Weaver says:

    Deb, Pelzer, SC

    Hebrews 12: 1 (NIV) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

  5. 1305
    Faye Tronsgard says:

    Faye from Calgary Canada

    So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Galatians 5:1 NLT)

  6. 1306
    Marilyn says:

    Marilyn from Missouri:
    Oh,taste and see that the Lord is good;
    Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
    Psalm 34:8 NKJV

  7. 1307
    Shirley says:

    For the Lord is the Spirit and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

    2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIT)

  8. 1308
    Rena says:

    Rena, Tulsa. “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30 ESV

  9. 1309
    Peggy says:

    Peggy from Homer, IL
    Luke 2:14 NIV
    Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.

  10. 1310
    Lisa Ray says:

    Lisa, Simsboro, LA
    “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalms 139:23 NIV

  11. 1311
    betty stephens says:

    Betty, Austin, Texas Psalm 100:1 NIV
    Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

  12. 1312
    Allison Little says:

    Allison L. Tulsa, OK
    In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
    Matthew 5:16 NIV

  13. 1313
    Carol Hulin says:

    Carol, Belleville, ON
    “….and NO ONE tired to stop him [Paul].” emphasis mine… Acts 28:31b NLT

  14. 1314
    Joan A says:

    Joan from Dousman,wi

    For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
    And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
    Isaiah 9:6.

  15. 1315
    Michelle says:

    Michelle, Alberta, Canada
    “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
    – Matt 9:14 NIV

  16. 1316
    Gwen Eungard says:

    Better late than never! 🙂

    1 Peter 5:8 (NIV-1984)

    Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

    Brad and Gwen Eungard
    Adam, Eleanor, Amelia, and Owen
    Stuttgart, Germany

  17. 1317
    Lisa S. says:

    Lisa S.
    Kinston,NC
    Psalm 119:32 NIV
    I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.

  18. 1318
    Lauren says:

    Lauren, Charlotte, NC: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18 (ESV)

  19. 1319
    Penny Burke says:

    Penny, Cincinnati. “Catch the foxes[e] for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

  20. 1320
    Nadine Fry says:

    Nadine Fry, Morton, UK

    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
    He leads me beside quiet waters.

    Psalm 23:2 NASB

  21. 1321
    Stephanie Moffatt says:

    Stephanie, Hamburg Ar. Not looking to your own interest but each of you to the interest of the others. Philippians 2:4 NIV

  22. 1322
    Inez Barnes says:

    Inez Barnes
    Hamburg, AR

    1 Peter 3:4
    Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to God.

  23. 1323
    Angie says:

    Angie, Chillicothe, MO “Greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world.” I John 4:4, NIV

  24. 1324
    Heidi says:

    Heidi, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Isaiah 9:6 NIV

    For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

  25. 1325
    Amy says:

    Amy
    Flint, TX
    On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict of the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Hews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those that hated them.
    Esther 9:1 (NIV)

  26. 1326
    Kim says:

    Kim, Pearland, TX

    For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

    2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

  27. 1327
    Sarah K says:

    Sarah, Lincoln, NE

    James 1:26 (NLT) “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.”

  28. 1328
    Christine Krueger says:

    Christine, SLC

    1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
    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.

  29. 1329
    Julie in Rancho Cucamonga says:

    “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
    (Luke 2:14 ESV)

  30. 1330
    Sharon says:

    Sharon, Barrington
    “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19

  31. 1331
    Sue Laemmrich says:

    Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
    John 6:28-29 NIV

  32. 1332

    Shellie P.
    Spokane, WA

    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

    P.S. And if my heater weren’t working my pipes would freeze. I know a few people that’s happened to in the last week or so, cause it’s below freezing here. Brrrrrr! It’s warmer today than it has been in a few days, but still below freezing.

  33. 1333
    Coral Noble says:

    Coral, Jacksonville, Florida

    1 Thessalonians 3:12 The Message
    And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you.

  34. 1334
    Heather Hoch says:

    Heather H. Pflugerville, TX

    Rev. 22:5 (NIV)
    There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the LORD God will give them light.

  35. 1335
    Laura says:

    Laura, Townsend, MA

    Rejoice 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

  36. 1336
    Carolyn says:

    Carolyn, Terrace BC Canada
    I Thessalonians 5:8 NIV
    But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled,
    putting on faith and love as a breastplate,
    and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

  37. 1337
    Nancy says:

    Nancy from Evansville, IN

    With righteousness he will judge the needy,
    With justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
    He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Isaiah 11:4 NIV

  38. 1338
    Fran McCurry Plott says:

    Fran, Opelika, AL

    John 3:16 (KJV)
    16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  39. 1339
    Kim Cliatt says:

    Kim Cliatt, Loganville, GA
    “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, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
    Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

  40. 1340
    Pam Houston says:

    Pam Houston, Buena Park, CA
    “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts;” Psalms 139:23 NASB

    (I apologize for the lateness of this, we were on a Caribbean Cruise from the day after TDay and just got home yesterday!)

  41. 1341
    patty pierce says:

    Patty Pierce
    Searcy AR
    Psalm 16:2 NIV

    I say to the Lord , “you are my Lord apart from you I have no good thing “

  42. 1342
    Teresa Maldonado says:

    Teresa, Austin, TX
    Romans 6:10 NLT

    When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.

  43. 1343
    Carol Taylor says:

    Carol, The Woodlands, TX

    Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in… James 2:2 NIV

  44. 1344
    Amy says:

    “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” ~ Hebrews 10:36, NLT

  45. 1345
    Karen says:

    Karen from Unionville, PA

    James 1:19b-20 (NIV)

    Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

  46. 1346
    Heather Smith says:

    Visalia, CA

    Habakkuk 3:2 NIV

    Lord I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

  47. 1347
    Angela says:

    Angela, Warsaw

    Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

  48. 1348
    Vicki Aldridge says:

    Vicki-Lake Jackson, TX.
    Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 ESV

  49. 1349
    Allison Crook says:

    Allison Crook
    Albuquerque, NM

    “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who know my way.”
    Psalm 142:3 (NIV)

  50. 1350
    Cheryl Primeaux says:

    Cheryl Primeaux, Pensacola, FL

    Psalm 42:8 NIV

    By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

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