Beth Moore is starting up her Scripture Memory team again this year and I am going to try to keep up. It’s a neat thing because you get to choose your own verse to memorize. The one I chose for Week 1 has been such an inspiration to me these past two weeks.
Here’s the one I memorized. It is from Exodus when Moses was having a rough time leading the Israelites and he was asking God for help. Here is part of what the Lord told him during this very trying time (courtesy Biblegateway.com)
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (NIV 84)
I can’t tell you how many times over the last two weeks this verse has really calmed me down. Worry is something I constantly struggle with, especially when it comes to my kiddos. If there is an unknown in a situation, I will find a way to obsess about it and worry about it. These last two weeks, whenever something came up like that, I was able to lean on the truth in this verse and pray it right back to the Lord. My prayers went something like this,”Okay, Lord, I love it that Your Presence will be going with me in this situation and that even in the middle of it, You will give me rest.”
And you know what? Every time that I prayed this Scripture, I had this calm about me that is highly unusual at this season of my life. He would give me rest in that situation.
What’s even neater is that over the course of the two weeks, I physically got more rest than usual. It was Christmas break from school and the kiddos would get up quietly and my amazing husband would get up before me to make sure they had all been fed and let me sleep in. It was so wonderful!!!! I don’t have to tell you moms who have had young children what a wonderful answer that was to this prayer. It took me a few days to catch on that I was praying for rest in specific situations and the Lord was letting it run over into the rest of my life, too, with physical rest.
Try it. You can use this verse, or another one, to focus on throughout the week. If you will apply it to the actual real-life situations you have going on and pray it back to the Lord, I guarantee that you will see something happening in your life. He is all about relationship, and He loves to hang out with you. A really neat way to do that is to focus on His Word and let Him show Himself through it.
Leave me a comment if you get a chance. It would be great to hear from you!
Great job with the scripture memorization! Thanks for your encouragement on my site, Polly. Keep up the good work!
By: Kari Patterson (@karipatterson) on January 15, 2013
at 6:15 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Kari! I love your writing style on your blog!
By: pollyw on January 15, 2013
at 9:51 pm
Wonderful message and encouragement! Thanks, Polly!!
By: Dave Muller on January 15, 2013
at 7:44 pm
Thank you, Dave!
By: pollyw on January 15, 2013
at 9:50 pm
Polly, what a terrific & encouraging msg and as you know, at this point in our lives, John Mark & I can use the encouragement. Thank you, Polly!
By: Lois Spurgeon on January 15, 2013
at 10:41 pm
Thank you for the nice words, Lois. We are praying for you two through all of this!
By: pollyw on January 16, 2013
at 7:17 am
Love this, Polly! I am doing the SSMT, too, with a group of ladies from church. We are planning to meet 2-3 times this year just to check in and offer encouragement. Would you like to join us? We are getting together on 2/1. Let me know and I’ll add you to my reminder list!
P.S.–I blog about my verses, too! Check it out if you’d like!
By: MrsHLBjr (Jennifer) on January 21, 2013
at 11:22 am
Thanks, Jennifer! Yes, add me to your reminder list! I’ll have to click over to your site and read about your verse.
By: pollyw on January 21, 2013
at 5:01 pm