1st (2nd!) Scripture Memory

I just felt the need to include a few pictures. These are old--both boys are just shy of 3 years old and Isaiah has two pictures since I remembered how darn cute he was sucking on his thumb. That all seems like so long ago!

This little guy will be 6 in just a few weeks!

Ezekiel sure is a cutie!

So, this morning I realized that yesterday was the first and today is the second and I completely forgot to post my new memory verse. We got caught up cheering on many of our friends (and a whole lot more strangers) as they ran a 5K and marathon yesterday. It was so exciting to have the opportunity to encourage them like that! But back to this morning, I flipped through my index cards of verses I love and want to memorize and had one all picked out, then I went to church. As I'm sitting listening to the sermon, I feel God pointing out a verse I've read and heard many times, but never committed to memory. With National Day of Prayer just four days away I knew it was very appropriate. So I looked 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 up at www.biblegateway.com to see how it is translated in other translations. This is what I found:

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (Amplified Bible)

¹³If I shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,

¹⁴If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NIV)

¹³ "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Now this is wonderful and odd for me, but I've decided to memorize one verse in each version. I love how God answers with "When I..." He promises that difficult times are coming, there's not really a way around them, but He does give us a way to get through them. We are to turn to Him, "crave" Him, "require" to see His face. He promises that He will NEVER leave or forsake us. I think sometimes we need to reach the end of ourselves before we reach out for Him, though.

National Day of Prayer is this Thursday, May 6, and I encourage you to be in prayer for our country and our families--not only on this day, but every day.

So, here's what I will be memorizing for this time:

2 Chronicles 7:13 (NIV)

¹³ "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

2 Chronicles 7:14 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁴If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.