Week 9 of 52!

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Colossians 3:23

This is a verse that I memorized when younger, but as time has waned, only had it “half-way” memorized. As I meditated on this verse, I began to realize that I have never fully embraced the meaning of this verse. I always thought of the “doing it heartily” part, but that is not the whole. As believers, our tasks should be done “as to the Lord.” That means that when I unload the dishwasher, I am not doing it for Mom; I am doing it for the Lord. When I rebel against helping my sister make her bed, my attitude isn’t against her but against the Lord. This puts a new perspective on my work. I should view every task as an opportunity to show my love and obedience to Christ (John 14:15).

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What is your verse this week?

Has it spoken to you in a new way?

This is our last verse for February – if you have time, please consider updating us with all of your February verses!

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Week 8 of 52!

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?

Jeremiah 32:27

Absolutely NOTHING is too hard for my God!! What more can I say?

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What verse have you memorized this week? Take a moment and share it with us!

Week 7 of 52!

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“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

The past two weeks, I have memorized the previous verses:

“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:” (Mathew 20:26-27)

We can argue our case of “why I can’t do that” or “why I shouldn’t be the servant” until we read “Even as the Son of Man came . . .” Jesus Christ – the One Who Created me – came to minister . . . to me! He willingly bowed so low that He left His glory to live in the filth of earth among the filth of men . . . for our sakes! If Jesus Christ did so much for me, who am I to say that I cannot do so much for Him and others? It is simply ridiculous for us to assume such a lofty position to refuse to serve.

A good parallel passage for Matthew 20:26-28 is Philippians 2:5-11: “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. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

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What verse are you working on memorizing this week?

Week 6 of 52!

And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant;

Matthew 20:27

This continues the thought from last week, but in itself is a good single verse to remember. In girls’ language: “Am I trying to be the popular girl, or the girl behind the scenes?” As I ponder this, I realize that it goes much deeper than the doing level. It penetrates to the motive. I might be a “servant-girl” on the outside but inwardly yearning to be that popular girl over there. Or, I might be that servant-girl with the motive to be noticed and exalted. May we strive to keep our motives – as well as our actions – obedient to this verse.

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What verse have you memorized this week?
If you have not reviewed all of your memory verses, why don’t you take a few minutes to go over them slowly?

Week 5 of 52!

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But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

Matthew 20:26

This goes totally contrary to our natural flesh and to the teachings of the world. We believe that to be great, we much “exert ourselves.” However, as children of God, we are commanded to be different. We are not to “exercise dominion over them {or} exercise authority over them” (Matthew 20:25). Like our example, Jesus Christ, we are to be servants, humbling down from our pride to serve others.

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What verse are you memorizing this week?

Please share your thoughts with us!

Week 4 of 52!

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The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Proverbs 12:15

All throughout our life, we will face situations that test which way we will take. Will we be like the fool and go our own way? Or will we seek and follow counsel?

As I pondered the last part of this verse, I began to think of those from whom we are to get counsel. Pastors, parents, and older men and women immediately came to my mind. But, the Lord brought another counselor to my mind: His Word. Psalm 119:24 says, “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.” How often do I seek God’s Word for counsel? And how often do I hearken to that counsel?

May it always be my goal to lean not on my understanding, but go to God for His wise counsel and guidance.

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What verse did you memorize this week?

Did the Lord bring another verse to your mind which parallels your memory verse?

 

This is the last verse for January! Congratulations for those of you who have faithfully memorized the first four verses in our challenge! If you have a moment, why don't you consider stopping by and updating us with your memory verses for January?

Verse 3 of 52

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 “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:1-3)

As I memorized these verses, the Lord showed me two key points for growth:

1) We must lay aside some things

          (malice – depravity, trouble; guile – a trick, wile; hypocrisies – acting under a feigned part, deceit; envies – ill-will, jealousy; evil-speakings – defamations)

2) We must desire God’s Word

With these two points applied, we can fruitfully grow in God’s Word.

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What verse(s) did you memorize this week?

What does it mean to you?

Verse 2 of 52!

“In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.”

Proverbs 14:23

We all like to dream big dreams and even talk about them with our friends and family. But this verse reminds us that talking does not get the job done; only work does. As we are in the commencement of a new year, may we strive to work and not talk!

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What is the memory verse that you have chosen this week? What does it mean to you?

Week 1 of 52

Here we are again! Starting back with "verse 1 of 52." Last year was an amazing year of memorization, and I pray that this little blog has encouraged a few girls and women to memorize more of God's precious Word - even if it is not exactly 52 verses each year.

As we start our second year of weekly memorization, I encourage you to comment with the verses you memorize throughout this year. Even if you are not "keeping up" with 52-verses in a year, we would love to see what other sisters-in-Christ are memorizing!

My first verse for 2013 is one that I felt good as a good reminder:

"For the LORD shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken."

Proverbs 3:26

When I accepted Christ as my Savior, I placed my total confidence in Him. To move that confidence to man, politics, guns, or other "safeties" is wrong. As I memorized my verse, I was reminded of Psalm 118:8-9, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes."

In 2013, may we fully rest in the confidence that we have in God Almighty!

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What verse are you clinging to for 2013?? Even if it is not your memory verse, we would still love to hear!

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52 Verses in 2013!!!

As 2013 draws near, I encourage you to consider memorizing more of God's Word. You may join our challenge of memorizing 52 verses in 2013, but more important than joining any challenge is simply memorizing God's Word!!! 

If you would like to "officially" join our challenge, visit Join the Challenge page.

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If you memorized 52 verses in 2012, we would love to hear from you!! Please leave us a comment . . . and if you have time, include one verse that was special to you in 2012! 

--52 of 52--

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

Colossians 2:8

What am I following? Do I "buy into" things of men - their reasoning and sayings? Or do I measure everything up to Christ?

One way that I can test the answer to these questions is by asking one more: "What am I spending most of my time in?" If I spend most of my time listening to the world, reading the world's material, watching the world's programs and videos, and talking with worldly friends, my thinking will automatically lean towards philosophies, vain deceit, men's traditions, and the world's rudiments. However, if I spend that time reading God's Word, listening to preachers who preach God's Word, fellowshipping with believers, and embracing things of God, my thinking will automatically lean towards things of Christ. Today I have a choice to make: which path will I choose?

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What is your final verse for 2012?? Please comment and share with us! Also comment and let us know if you were faithful to memorize 52 verses this year!!!

Blessings on year 2013! 

--51 of 52--

One more week left!!!! How many of you have continued this challenge all year? Has it blessed you? If you have a minute, can you share how?? And if you have two minutes, can you invite a friend to join this challenge for 2013?

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"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence if fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)

I am seeing something in young people today that greatly saddens me: the search for worldly pleasures and their desire for me to join them. According to this verse, I need not college to understand the "path of life," I need God. I need not relationships, clothes, or career to give me fullness of joy, I need God's presence. I need not parties, games, movies, and activities to give me pleasure, I need closeness to God. The world (ultimately satan) wants to make us believe that praying to God is boring, a life spent going to church dull, and reading/memorizing God's Word is a chore, but the more time we spend with our Heavenly Father, the more we see the truth of the hymn, "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, by Helen H. Lemmel)

As a new year dawns, may our desire be to grow closer to the Lord and separated from the world.

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What is your 51st verse and how does it speak to you?

--50 of 52--

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As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

How many times do I shun doing things for others because . . . they’re not my “favorite” person? Or, I don’t “feel” like it? Or, they don’t “deserve” it? Or {fill in excuse here}? God’s Word often does not give “ifs” with commands. God just commands. “When there’s an opportunity, do good.” But it does not just stop there, God emphasizes that we should make an extra effort to do good to those who are fellow-believers!!

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If you have a moment, share your verse with us!!

There are only a few more weeks! Do you still remember all of your verses? If you are getting a bit rusty on some of them, you might want to review them.

--49 of 52--

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If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:13)

This encourages me in prayer. The whole passage (which I did not memorize) goes:

“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:9-13)

We can rest assuredly that God hears our prayers and will answer in the best way according to His will.

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What is your verse this week? Have you been faithfully reviewing all other verses?