Ready Set Go

Let’s just imagine for a moment that you are at a starting line in a race.   You hear READY – SET – GO!  You take off running as fast as you can but, in your mind, you are thinking, “I just have to get through the next few minutes then I’m free to do what I want!”  Does that phrase sound familiar?  But we all know that people who are successful in track and field are not just wanting to just get through the race, they want to win it.  People that are successful, have a determination to work on their body, mind and spirit in order to be the best that they can be.  They know how to overcome.

Many of us can do-good for a short sprint but then fall back into our bad habits?  I say it’s time to make new habits; habits that are beneficial.

I talked about health and weight loss in the last post, this post I want to talk about something that will have a great impact on our entire life,  memorizing scripture.  I know, I know, it sounds daunting but stick with me, please.

I have to admit I can memorize some verses but putting the chapter and verse together has always been hard for me. This year I decided to only do one verse a week. It didn’t seem like much until I realized that it would mean that I would memorize 52 scriptures in a year, and that is a lot!

Psalm 119:11 says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  If we keep from sinning against God then we are not sinning against our fellow travelers in life either, and that is a wonderful thing. Putting the word of God in our mind is a very positive practice that will transform many things about us.  This new good-habit can give us strength, hope, and the very ability to be loving and kind in a world that is not.  When we have memorized His word, we can easily pull up scriptures when we need them. The far-reaching effects will be life changing. We may never know how those words of scripture will change us and those we pray with or talk to.  Also, can you only imagine how powerful praying scripture from memory will become?

So please join me in starting this new-good-habit!  Let’s start with a good one. 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) ²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 The secret to being successful at this is to ask the Holy Spirit to help us memorize and understand the Holy scriptures.  For me, once I pray, I write my new verse on an index card that has a ring binder.  Every day for a week, I read and study the verse for a few minutes when I go to bed and again when I wake up. By doing so, I have hidden His word in my heart.  On Monday, I start memorizing another one.

I am sure if you really thought about it, you could even come up with 52 or so good reasons to start this new habit.  If you do, I’d love to read them. Right now, I can think of 52 good reasons to begin to memorize scripture; 52 people that I love. 

Are you with me?

Prayer: Lord, bad habits are so hard to break and often good habits are hard to begin.  Lord, I ask you to bind up and come against any spirit of stubbornness over me.  Give me the determination to finish well. Lord put the love of your scripture in my heart.  Holy Spirit please help me understand and memorize these Bible verses and bring them to my mind when they are needed.  Lord help them change my attitude, my demeanor and the way I love and serve others for you.   In Jesus’ name, amen.

Hebrews 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

 Ready-Set-Go!

God Bless, 

Sally