Week 46 of 52

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

God’s Word was written . . . for you and me! God’s Word is written to teach us, to comfort us, and to give us hope!!! Are we taking this blessing for granted or are we, like the Bereans, studying to see what God’s Word says and changing our lives accordingly?

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Have you memorized one of the verses that God wrote . . . for you?

Week 45 of 52

“For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” Romans 15:3

Again, I parallel Philippians 2: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (verses 5-8)

Week 44 of 52

“Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” (Romans 15:2)

Also see Philippians 2:4, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

God means what He says! It cannot get much clearer than that!

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Are you still memorizing God’s Word?

Week 43 of 52

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Romans 15:1)

This verse has two applications – spiritual and physical. We like to think of the spiritual application – if I am sturdy spiritually, then it is my duty to help those who are babes in Christ (Galatians 6). However, a more practical application that stares us in the face daily is the physical: those who are physically strong are to help those who are physically weak. In the age in which we live, more and more people are living with progressive health concerns (dietetic, mental, emotional, etc.). If God has blessed us with good health, how are we using it? Are we pleasing ourselves by pursuing our dreams? Or are we available to help those who are weak and cannot help themselves? Is there someone that you know who would appreciate it if you spent some time helping them – bearing their infirmities?

Week 42 of 52

“But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” (1 Peter 3:14-16)

A while back, I had memorized 1 Peter 3:15-16 but when I memorized verse 14, it made so much more sense! There is a contrast that is described: we are not to be afraid or troubled but instead, sanctify (purify, concentrate) our hearts and be ready to answer for our hope! What if we took our moments when fear arose in our hearts to commit God’s Word to memory? What if we spent our worried times reading and meditating on the Bible? I think that those times would become scarcer as we learn to bring our fears at the foot of Christ.

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How has your memory verse spoken to you this week?

Week 41 of 52

“And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” 1 Peter 3:13

There is blessed peace in knowing that we are doing right. Which contrast describes us better? “The wicked flee when no man purueth” or “the righteous are bold as a lion?” (Proverbs 28:1) The Lord promises that “When a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7)

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Have you taken the time to memorize one of God’s verses this week?

Week 40 of 52

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

We like to claim the first part of this verse – God is watching us and is listening for our prayers. But the sober reality is that the face of the Lord is also against the evil-doers. Do we remember that God’s eyes are upon us – whether we are living uprightly or not? Do we remember that God sees everything we say, think, and do? May we live our lives in fear of God!

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What verse have you committed to memory this week?

Week 39 of 52

“Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.” 1 Peter 3:11

There are a few words in this verse that we do not use daily.

Eschew . . . deviate, shun, decline

Ensue . . . pursue

According to this verse, then, we are to deviate, shun, and decline evil and instead, do good, and seek/pursue good. Does that describe my life and my desire?

Week 38 of 52

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:” 1 Peter 3:10

I memorized this verse when I was just eleven or twelve – but going through 1 Peter 3, I have had to re-memorize it. There is not much to comment on this verse, because it is clear. James 3:2 reminds us, “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

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Have you memorized a verse recently? If not, why don’t you try memorizing 1 Peter 3:10?

 

Week 37 of 52

“Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9)

This verse brings several others to my mind.

“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” (Proverbs 25:21-22)

 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:43-44)

 “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.” (Luke 6:28-29)

 “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” (Romans 12:14)

There are a few things that are not mentioned in this Biblical principle:

     ~To take into account our feelings (“The Bible says this, but I feel like . . .”)

     ~To do it only if we think the other person deserves it

     ~That we will be blessed for seeking revenge or “getting even”

God’s grace is sufficient to help us to forgive those who have wronged us.

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What Biblical truth have you learned this week? Do you have a verse to share?

Week 36 of 52

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:” 1 Peter 3:8

In context, this verse comes immediately after the husband and wife but is applicable for all believers. Are we the individual who is keeping our family or church from being in unity? Have we lapsed in compassion towards others? Have we failed to love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)? Have we failed to sympathetic and thoughtful?

Week 35 of 52

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7

Finally! The last few weeks, my memory verses have been all about women and their commands. It finally gets to the husbands. However, instead of expounding on the husband’s role, I will still point to the women. Why? Because we are responsible for our actions and our attitudes – not our husband’s (or, our future husband’s). If we build the expectation that our future husband will always honor us, always care for us, and always dwell wisely with us, we are preparing for a fall. Just as we will not always be submissive (see 1 Peter 3:1, 5), our husbands will not always be the kind, caring, loving husband that he ought to be. Even if he is a very godly man. So how can we apply this verse? No, we cannot preach it to our husbands or quote it to him daily. Instead, we can pray for him – even now, if we are unmarried (“Lord, prepare my husband to have the knowledge of how he is to lead me.”).

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Has a special verse come to your mind today? How has it spoken to you?

Week 34 of 52

 “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” (1 Peter 3:5-6)

The area of submission is “old-fashioned.” This verse even says it: “in the old time the holy women of old [were] . . . in subjection unto their own husbands.” That is, if you would like to take this verse out of context. This verse is not saying that submission is out of date – instead, it is saying that the godly women, those to look up to, those whom God approved, lived in submission/subjection to their husbands. Subjection means “subordinate, to obey” (Strong’s concordance). It is putting ourselves under our husbands. Though as single girls we cannot apply this today, we can prepare by applying it to our parents (specifically our dads) – obey them; put ourselves under them. Even if we are over eighteen.

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What is your memory verse this week?

Are you keeping up with reviewing your other verses from 2012 and 2013? If not, take a break from new memory and for a whole week, dedicate your time to massive review. To “hide God’s Word in our hearts,” we must be faithful to retain it and keep it hidden in our hearts.

Weeks 31-33 of 52

Week 31 of 52

The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. (Proverbs 16:21)

The two qualities in this verse that stuck out to me are 1) Wise hearts and 2) Sweet lips. The two go hand-in-hand, for one who is truly wise will only use words that are sweet.

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What verse have you memorized this week? Is it helping you in a specific area?

Week 32 of 52

“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.” (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Sometimes, we see Scriptures like this and we wonder, “How can this apply to me? I’m not married!” True, we are not, but this verse has challenged me in several areas. But first . . . this verse does not say that it is okay for a Christian girl to marry an unbeliever (“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3 – “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14). When the church was just beginning, there were many women who were saved and their husbands remained pagans. It is this situation that I believe Peter (and ultimately God) is talking about. A wife who accepts Christ after marriage and still has an unbelieving husband, is not to leave him (1 Corinthians 7:13, “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.”), but to live her life in such a manner that, if he refuses to read God’s Word for himself, he will see clearly lived out in his wife. Would that not be an awesome testimony?

But how can we apply this to single girls? The principle is still clear: we should live our lives so that any unbeliever around us can clearly see God’s Word lived out through our lives. How are we living our lives? By simply observing our behavior, can others see that we are Christians?

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What is a verse that has spoken to you this week (even if you didn’t memorize it)?

Week 33 of 52

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” 1 Peter 3:4-5

This verse evokes several questions:

     ~How much time do you spend in front of the mirror?

     ~How much effort do you put in your dress and hair?

     ~Compared to that, how much time and effort do you put in your “inner-man?” Reading God’s Word, memorizing it, and living it?

Most girls go through stages of becoming “classy”. But what would our world – what would our church – look like if instead of spending hours on the outward body (which will fade and one day pass away) the Christian girl would spend hours on honing her inward body (which will last for eternity!)? Stop for one minute – a full sixty seconds – and search your heart. Are you merely painting the outside or are you beautifying the inside? Remember, there might be men that think a beautiful face/body are valuable, but GOD values that which is not corruptible: a meek and quiet spirit.

Now, stop and take your one minute to evaluate and pray.