I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are beginning a strong new year! I wanted to share something with you and offer up a challenge. Last January I began a scripture memory challenge that was issued by Beth Moore on the Living Proof Ministries blog (you can check out her post if you'd like). I've loved God for as long as I can remember, but agreed with Beth, I wanted a Jesus year! I want to learn and NEVER grow stagnant and comfortable with where I am in relation to Christ. I want to love Jesus more tomorrow than I do today. So I accepted the challenge and the accountability that was suggested. On the 1st and 15th of each month in 2009 we were to leave a comment on her post sharing the verse we chose, along with our name and where we were from. I do not know whether she will issue the challenge this year, but I believe God wanted me to see the immense blessing in treasuring His Words in my heart. I can't tell you how many dozens of times my verses would pop into my mind while I was doing something, strengthening me to keep going, or reminding me to keep my mouth shut, or to wait on the LORD, or to remember His greatness and mercy. I thought 24 verses was a small enough number to try to tackle for my first year of scripture memory. God gave me the mental power to put those verses to memory and I am ready to take on another year! God wants His Word to be in our hearts--you may already practice scripture memory--AWESOME! You may have learned powerful scriptures like John 3:16 over the course of your spiritual journey--AWESOME! You may have never memorized a word of scripture in your life--now's the perfect time to start! And to add to your arsenal of weapons to use against the enemy when he tries to knock you down.
I am going to continue memorizing scripture this year because of how powerful it has been in my life in the past year...I'm wondering if you would be game, too? Single verses, sections or chapters broken down into bits. I know if I had not felt accountable to someone, I could have too easily dropped off. If you would like to journey with me this year, I encourage you to leave a comment here sharing your scripture verse with translation and your name. I'll update on the 1st and 15th with my verse and you can choose to memorize mine with me, pick one of your own, or see what others have chosen and pick one of theirs. I can't wait to see where God takes us in 2010!
For January 1st, I'm beginning the year with Psalm 27:4 from the NIV
"One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
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 seek Him in His temple."
May you be blessed in this journey!
5 comments:
Hi Audrey - I'm with you Siesta! I sure hope Beth continues with 1/15th but even if not, we can have accountability here :)
I have several already this year, I'm working through John - linking the major signs and "I AM" statements with complimentary John passages and external passages, it's been a fantastic way to get a whole book overview (SLOWLY!) in my heart!
I look forward to meeting you in Houston at the Siesta celebration!
Accountability is the key to keep on keeping on. So I welcome this opportunity to be more consistent and faithful in memorizing scripture. I'm not aware of the word "memorize" in the Bible,but I do know we are to meditate on His law day and night. How else can we do this if it is not in our minds?
I have already been working on Psalm 25:4-5 in the NIV so will choose that to begin the year: "Show me your ways, O Lord,teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long."
I'm excited to take up the challenge to memorize Scripture this year! Here's mine:
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
I, too, am excited to take up this challenge and have also thrown out the same challenge to my small group at church! They are joining me and I hope to keep them spurred along all year! Our first scripture is a long one, I Cor 13:1 - 8, here it is from NIV: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
With this weapon in my tool box, how can I go wrong!
Here is my 2nd verse of the year to commit to memory. I first identified with it when I had the opportunity to choose a Bible passage to read in my public High School's weekly opening assembly. (That certainly dates me. It was Psalm 34:1-5 in the KJV, but I am choosing to learn it in the NIV, which was not even in print then.)
"I will extol the Lord at all times. His praise will always be on my lips. My soul boasts in the Lord. Let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant. Their faces are never covered with shame." Carol Hensley,(previously Anonymous)
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