“Oh, to have “the word of Christ” always dwelling inside of us;—in the memory, never
forgotten; in the heart, always loved; in the understanding, really grasped; with all
the powers and passions of the mind fully submitted to its control.” Charles H. Spurgeon

The Word became flesh to dwell among us. And the beauty of His dwelling is this…His dwelling isn’t limited to being among; the dwelling of the Word longs to be in–in our hearts, in our minds, in the deepest depths of our beings. The One who brings us out from our Egypts, our captivities, our pits, and our prisons, desires that we open wide and allow Him to fill us richly full with the Bread of Life. He invites us to feast on this manna. To ingest it deep. To implant, embrace, and enact His Words so they become the whole of who we are.

I recited it every summer in Vacation Bible School…

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.

From early on I heard of the importance of hiding God’s Word in my heart, but I didn’t grasp the weight of this importance until my life crumbled and Jesus, the Word who had became flesh to dwell among us, shook me to the core fighting to dwell in me.

I was starved for sustenance. My heart, my mind, my dark places growled loud for Life Bread. I began actively eating, feasting, ingesting and digesting His Word. It was the Word that brought healing, wholeness, and fullness to my famished being.

I gathered around the table with the Bread of Life as my main course and began implanting the Word deep within. I chewed long and at times swallowed hard the healing Words. I repeated often His Words. I wrote them in rainbows of colors, taped them to bathroom mirrors, highlighted them in my Bible, and carried them with me on post-its or napkins or grocery receipts. There were even times the palms of my hands became the canvas upon which I wrote.

Embracing those life-transforming Words became my blanket of warmth as I clung hard and long to each of them. I clinched them tightly and made extra sure they were implanted deep.

And then I prayed, almost begged, that He would, through the power of the Holy Spirit, enable me to enact life change in the every day. “Help me Lord, to live Your Word. May this nourishment fill me full and spill over into every area of my life.”

Implant the Word. Embrace the Word. Enact the Word.

Does it make a difference? Oh, dear one, feasting on the Bread of Life, ingesting and digesting, holding tightly to Life Words, and living out His message encourages, transforms, and heals. Having the living and active Word of God deep within has awakened my soul and given me energy to press onward.

I shared with you a few why’s, some how’s, and even a few what’s a while back with “Diving Deeper into Scripture Memorization.” Today I’d like to share with you a practical little pretty that will help you to implant, embrace, and enact the Word.

Trust the LORD, a Memorization of Psalm 91

For years I’ve used spiral bound index cards to write out the Words I was implanting, but this year I was inspired by Ann Voskamp to do things a tad bit differently. The concept is still the same, the process more intentional. Twelve weeks to memorize Psalm 91. One to two verses each week, checking off days as I go. And being held accountable by a friend who will listen as I recite those Words I’ve implanted, embraced, and enacted.

If you are interested, simply do the following to implant Psalm 91 deep within your heart. (Other Scripture Memorization Booklets with pre-made verse selections coming soon. Also, blank template Scripture Memorization Booklets will be available so that you can fill in the passages you desire to memorize.)

1. Download and print out cards and cover by clicking here. Purchase spiral bound 3 x 5 index cards or 3.5 x 5.5 moleskine ruled journals. (We’ve found both at our local Target and Wal-mart.)

2. Cut out cards and glue them inside your booklet. Cut out and glue cover on the front.

And there you have it! A Scripture Memorization Booklet all your own. Both the spiral bound index cards and the moleskine journals work beautifully as Word holders.

I pray life-transformation as you implant, embrace, and enact God’s precious Word deep within your heart.

“I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.” Chuck Swindoll

Click here to download Trust the LORD, a Memorization of Psalm 91

It was undeserved love for the sinner that freely flowed from the perfect Lamb of God as He was beaten beyond recognition.

It was unconditional love that empowered Christ to place one foot in front of the other as He walked the path to Calvary’s hill.

It was and is God’s love that continues to give even when it gets nothing in return.

And because we belong to the family of God our love is to be a reflection of His perfect, amazing love…

freely given,

unconditional,

and

never-ending.

Walk in love!

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Join me today at the Internet Cafe for more inspiring graphic devotions.

Your heart will be blessed and filled to the brim with the richness of God’s powerful Word!!

*edited from archives

It was my fourth semester of Old Testament. I sat in the second row, forth desk inside a room covered from floor to ceiling with painted maps of the nations of Israel, Abraham’s journeys, the Exodus, and many other pertinent Old Testament happenings. But that week the maps didn’t distract me. My thoughts, eyes, and heart were completely focused on the professor as he stood behind the lectern, tears streaming down his face, and taught through the book of Hosea. I was deeply moved as we took this journey, but wouldn’t completely grasp its true meaning until years later when my own husband would suffer long for my affection and love for him.

I’m serving at the Marriage Counter today on Internet Cafe Devotions. I’d love for you to join me there.

Coffee.

Just the thought of it makes me smile.

Mmmm…coffee.

Every morning my favorite mug sits ready for me to brew of fresh cup of coffee into her; I think the warmth and richness of it makes her smile too!

After Jesus and my man, I’d have to say that this delicious beverage is my next best friend.

Coffee, oh how I heart thee!

But here’s the deal…I do NOT like, love, nor remotely consider sipping on a cup of “blah!” coffee.

By “blah!” coffee, I mean bitter, flavorless, icky coffee; it makes me gag.

“Blah!” coffee has got me to thinkin’ about something. My life; my sometimes “blah!” life.

I know God loves me with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT) and I know Jesus came to “give me a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT), but sometimes I don’t feel so loved or rich or satisfied. Sometimes I just feel “blah!”.

To read the rest of today’s devotion, I’d love for you to join me over at Internet Cafe Devotions where I’m servin’ up a bit of Jesus on this rainy Friday.

My 4 year old bounces into my bedroom as I make the bed, “Mom, can I have a cheese stick?” she asks.

“Hmmm…not right now. You can have one later for your snack.”

“But, I want a cheese stick now!” she says whining.

“You can have one later as your snack. You’re not getting one now.”

“But…”

Sitting down on my bed, I motion for her to come to me. Picking her up and nestling her tiny frame into my lap I respond, “I said not right now. And that’s the answer. Don’t ask me again.”

“But I really want a cheese stick now.”

“I know that you do, and I’m going to let you have one when it’s snack time. Until then, you don’t need to whine. You don’t need to ask me again. You just need to wait patiently until it’s snack time. Yes ma’am?”

“Yes ma’am.”

And then I tickle her and she belly laughs. And I kiss her all over her face and join her in thunderous laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He drives home that message through a 4 year old and a cheese stick. That message of hoping, trusting, and waiting {silently} on Him for all things.

“God, I want                                                             .”

“You may have it later, but not now.”

“But God, I really want                                                   .”

“Not right now. It’s not time for you to have that.”

“But God!!!!”

He picks me up and nestles my adult frame into His over-sized Papa lap and says, “I know that you want it, and I’m going to let you have it when the time is right. Until then, you don’t need to whine. You don’t need to ask Me again. You just need to wait patiently and silently until the appointed time has come.”

“Yes Lord.”

And I sit with Him a while secure. Hoping. Trusting. Knowing His timing is perfect. And He smiles. And my heart is at peace.

“Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame…Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD…The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock…My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken”

Isaiah 49:23; Jeremiah 17:7; Isaiah 26:3-4; Psalm 62:5,6, nas

I finally just had to stop.

My list was growing by leaps and bounds. Every time I turned around, made a trip to Barnes & Noble, LifeWay or Family Christian, scrolled through Twitter, or read through my friends Facebook statuses I found myself oohing and ahhing and “liking” quotes from the books they were reading. I was adding a new title to my list daily…sometimes hourly. It was getting a little out of hand! What can I say…I LOVE books! (Shhh…don’t tell anyone, but I may very well be addicted to them! *smile*)

My book basket is filling up. My cup of highlighters and pens are close by. And, I’m ready to learn, grow, and be challenged as I crack open the pages of the books on my list.

I hope that you, too, fill up your own book basket. Learn new things this year. Stretch and grow. Be challenged to think beyond your limits. Here’s to a great year of reading!!

You can find out what I’m reading this year by clicking here.

God calls us out of darkness into His glorious light to live abundantly, not settle. He calls us to a life of holiness, not mediocrity. He calls us to Himself so that we can experience firsthand a beautiful relationship with Him. God calls us to dive deeper, to reach further, to press harder into intimacy with Him. He’s written for us a love letter, a guide; a user’s manual that clearly lays out this abundant living, this life of holiness, this magnificent union of holy God to His human creation.

His Word. Living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword. Revives the dead. Heals the wounded. Binds the broken-hearted. Restores the lost. Redeems the sinners. Transforms the wayward. Grants hope to the hopeless. God’s Word breathes life. Rains grace. Gifts mercy. Penned by His chosen, His love on paper is given so that you and I might study, might learn, might experience, might connect to the heart of our great God.

God’s Word. It’s abundant and it’s rich but there’s something that saddens me…breaks my heart—the poorness in our world of this life changing Word. Bible poverty. There are 340 million people in the world who don’t have God’s living and active Word in their own language. Let me say it this way, out of the nearly 7,000 languages that make up the world’s voice fewer than 500 have a WHOLE Bible in their language. I’m NOT okay with that! NONE of us should be okay with that!

Friends, it’s our job, our responsibility, our privilege to give God’s Word!

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20, the Message

My family and I are humbled to be a part of OneVerse, a program of The Seed Company that enables us to support local Bible translators as they make God’s message available in the language of their people. Over the next months I will be sharing more about my involvement as a OneVerse blogger and our support of the Vidunda Language Project.

What is OneVerse?

OneVerse knows that by giving people God’s Word, it will impact their lives in many ways ranging from the initial benefit of freedom from spiritual bondage and religious rituals, to natural benefits including the elimination of poverty and the provision of clean drinking water. The presence of God’s Holy Spirit and preeminence of His Word in a nation serve as deterrents to violence, sex trafficking and exploitation of child soldiers—not to mention the lives changed, destinies redirected and the eternal impact for those who embrace the Word of God in the language they can understand.

A sponsorship gift provides the resources required for national translators to translate one verse of Scripture into their own language. Through OneVerse, you join a team of prayer and financial partners to make this possible.

You can learn more about OneVerse here.

Who are the Vidunda?

The 56,000 Vidunda people live in Tanzania, East Africa. More than 60 percent affiliate with Christianity. However, most still fear witchcraft and engage in many kinds of animistic rituals along with their non-believing neighbors. Many Christians still hang amulets on their children to protect them from evil spirits and curses. Because they’ve been hearing Scripture in a language foreign to them, most Vidunda people have little idea what it actually teaches.

The Scriptures in their mother tongue will offer believers tools for deliverance from the bondage of fear. It will also support personal spiritual growth and provide a solid foundation from which to reach out to others.

Our goal this year is to raise $75,000 to begin the funding of the Vidunda Language Project. If we meet this goal, we will be well on our way of completely sponsoring the project in 2013 and 2014.

Will you help us? Will you help them? The Vidunda People need God’s Word in their native language! You can give $26 or more monthly (as we’ve chosen to do), you can give a one time gift, or you can gift-a-verse to someone.

 ”There’s nothing more radical, nothing more revolutionary, nothing more subversive against injustice and oppression than the Bible.” ~ Bishop Desmond Tutu

Numbers 13. It’s made up of thirty-three verses of God’s story penned to paper. I encourage you to read it, but for the sake of time, let me sum it up for you.

Twelve men. Chosen to go into a land promised to be their own possession. The men, scholars believe, were between 30-40 years of age.

“Go up into the land,” they were told, “and see what it’s like.”

The twelve were to determine…

• Are the people strong or are they weak?
• Are they many or are they few?
• Is the land good or is it bad?
• Are the cities like camps or strongholds?
• Is the land rich or poor; fertile or barren?
• Are there forests or not?

“Oh, and by the way…bring back some fruit from the land because it’s HARVEST TIME.”

In order to get a good feel for the land and learn the people of the land, the men had to be among the people; they had to live in their land. Forty days they found themselves walking that land and harvesting for themselves some of it’s fruits—pomegranates, figs, and large clusters of grapes.

The spies reported…

“The land is good. It has an abundance of food. See…look at this cluster of grapes. Two of us had to carry it. But the people? They’re strong; we can’t fight against them. They’re like giants and we’re like tiny grasshoppers. And their cities? They’re strong too, and large! We can’t conquer their land. It will swallow us whole. We just can’t do it!”

**************

The Lord ignited a flame in my heart a few weeks ago regarding this story of Scripture. The flame began to flicker as I sat watching an interview with Lady Gaga.

I respect Lady Gaga. No, I don’t care for nor do I endorse every lyric she sings or the way she chooses to live her life and her choice of clothing is a little outrageous for my taste, but I respect her nonetheless.

• I respect her willingness to live outside the box.
• I respect her love and acceptance for all peoples despite their race, gender, sexual preference, marital status, socioeconomic status, age, physical appearance—you get the point here, right? She accepts EVERYONE!
• I respect her boldness and courage to be exactly who she is refusing to allow anyone to define or redefine her.
• I respect her authentic style.
• I respect her for her “if-you-don’t-like-what-I’m-doing-then-bump-it” attitude.
• I respect her transparency and honesty.
• I respect the fact that she is a giant in her day; a giant among many in her realm of influence giving a voice to those who would otherwise never be heard.

As Numbers 13 and Lady Gaga have welded together in my mind, I’ve discovered a few things about the way I desire to live my life.

At 34 years of age, within the age range, you’ll remember of Caleb, Joshua, and the other spies, God is calling me to be a giant in my day. I’m tired of being a grasshopper. Shrinking back and standing down because of fear. As a daughter of God I’ve not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

I no longer want to live on the outside of the world when God is saying to me, “Go up this way into this land that I’ve placed before you.” I want to live in the world, with it’s people, while having my eyes set on my heavenly home.

I’ve survived off the land long enough. Yes, I know there are very strong people living in the land; people who could chew me up and spit me out and others who could devour me whole (I’ve met a few of them face-to-face!). But I also know there are many who are weak, who can’t fight for themselves. Many who are bound by strongholds of epic proportions. They are grasshoppers who need giants to fight for them, to stand for them, to lead the way. Giants who will accept them if they’re African-American or Hispanic, Muslim or Protestant, Heterosexual or Homosexual, a millionaire or one who lives off food-stamps, an adulterer, a murderer, a rapist, an alcoholic, a drug addict, a thief, a liar, an All-American girl or a good ‘ole boy—I want to be their giant. Their voice. Their avenue to hope, to Light, to redemption.

I stand here at a precipice of what I believe to be a monumental life-changing year and from my vantage point I see many whose hearts are ready to be harvested for the Kingdom. Many who still need a little TLC instead of judgment and condemnation from a people who claim to love Jesus.

He (Jesus) said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37, NLT

God is calling me to more. To more of Him and much, much less of me. To more of His kingdom work and less of what I choose to do . To more power-filled, freedom walking and less staying quiet and shrinking back.

Is He calling you too?

Calling you to live life bold? To live life power-filled? To live life Spirit-energized and God directed? Is God calling you to be a Jesus-changed GIANT in your day?

Today I say boldly and with God’s power backing me, I’m no longer a grasshopper in my day. Like Lady Gaga, I will be a GIANT in my generation. I will live boldly, speak boldly, teach boldly, write boldly, love boldly, serve boldly, and give boldly.

I will NOT be the same; I AM NOT the same! GIANT transformation does that to people; it completely transforms one’s life from the inside out!

Authentic living is what I’m all about. No more living inside the box of mainstream Christianity. No more following the legalistic rules of the church that bind and trap Jesus followers from pursuing Jesus. NO MORE!

I am a GIANT for Jesus.

photo credits: http://www.novafm.com.au/article_lady-gaga-s-costumes-to-be-designed-by-giorgio-armani_104754