A Memory Verse

When I was a child attending Sunday School and Vacation Bible Schools, often I was given the assignment of memorizing and reciting verses. I was even on a team that competed against other church youth groups that involved memorizing specific Bible passages in order to answer trivia like questions. I didn’t take any of it seriously unless it involved winning a prize. Memorizing scripture just wasn’t an interest of mine back then.

As an adult I’ve participated in Bible studies that encouraged scripture memorization also. This time I worked harder at reading and re-reading verse sets in order to have them permanently written down in my mental Rolodex. But to this day there are only a few verses I can repeat from memory. Most verses I cite end up being a paraphrased version and I rarely remember the book/chapter I found them in. Thank God, literally, for Google. I rely on it greatly when I’m blogging or just have a fragment of a verse in my mind and want to know all of it and it’s reference in the Bible.

But what about verses that trigger certain memories? Have you experienced this before? Perhaps when you’re struggling and don’t know what to do, the Lord sends you Proverbs 3:5-6 reminding you to trust in Him, not leaning on your own understanding, acknowledge Him and knowing He will make your path straight. Perhaps when the battle seems impossible or too brutal to keep fighting God sends you Exodus 14:14 reminding you that He is fighting for you so stay calm and be still. Maybe you struggle with body image and the Lord sends you Psalms 139:14 to remind you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Maybe He even delivers verses through a specific friend and whenever you see that verse it reminds you of that special person.

What do you do with those kinds of “memory” verses? If they’re reminding you of who you are in Christ-you praise Him. If they’re reminding you of God’s abilities-you stand on His truth, get out of His way and trust He is fighting for you. If they remind you of a specific person, you pray for them.

Two years ago, I received Isaiah 43:2 from a friend as part of a goodbye message. Today, that verse showed up in my Bible app once again. It prompted me to reread the conversation that took place between us. In it, we both promised to continuously pray for each other. If I’m being honest, I haven’t been faithful in keeping that promise. So today, I am praying and restoring that promise. God is a man of His word and made me to be a woman who keeps her word also. Today, I pray that when this friend goes through deep waters they remember that God is with them. When they travel through rivers of difficulty, I pray they are at peace knowing God will not let them drown. When they walk through fires of oppression I pray they know God will not let them be burned up nor will they be consumed by the flames. Lastly I pray they are saturated in God’s truth, wisdom and grace knowing who they are in Him, trusting in Him with all their heart, leaning on His understand, not their own, and being still knowing He is fighting for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen! Who is God reminding you to pray for today?💜