2011 Scripture Memory #2

Well, I realize that I am a day late in posting my second memory verse, but I was "unplugged" for most of the weekend while at a scrapbooking retreat. Something exciting is that one of my friends who is committing to memorize scripture this year, and who was also with me on the retreat, quoted two verses for me that she had been memorizing. I am so proud of her and also inspired to do a better job of memorizing my verses this year. I will confess that I did not quote my first memory verse to her in its entirety.

But, since this is an ongoing project for the year, I will continue to work on getting 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 to stick in my brain (and in my heart), and I will work on adding my next verse as well.

For verse #2, I have chosen James 1:22 in a modern translation (in an attempt to get it to stick in my brain better):

"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." James 1:22, New Living Translation

My thinking behind choosing this verse began with things that I have been learning in Bible studies about living in moderation related to food, and then I was reminded of this verse in a sermon preached by one of the pastors at our church, Jason Miller, based on the parable about building your house on the rock from Luke 6. Basically, I can have lots of head knowledge about lots of things, including the Bible, but unless I actually DO what the Bible tells me to do, including to BELIEVE it, the knowledge will be about as good for me as having a house on the sand when the stormy waves hit the shore. I have to be more than just a hearer of the word, because I need to build my life on its firm foundation, JESUS CHRIST (the ROCK).

And in the areas of discipline that I need in my life, including eating moderately, getting adequate exercise and rest, and memorizing scripture so that I have tools to be healthy physically and spiritually, if I am just an encyclopedia of knowledge about various subjects, but don't actually DO what I know to do, then I am just fooling myself (and acting like a fool).

I've been excited to have some friends tell me that they have joined me in this challenge to memorize scripture this year, so if you'd like to know more about what we're doing, you can read this post, which will also link you to Beth Moore's post about this whole thing.