A Year of Eating Words

“When your words came I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name Lord God Almighty.”  Jeremiah 15:16

Last year my daughter Rebecca and I joined thousands of other women across the country and committed to memory two Bible verses each month.  We all chose our own verses, those words most meaningful to us individually.  I noticed a few things as the weeks rolled by. First, my verses in January were considerably longer than they were in November!  But more importantly, these words changed me.  What began as rote memorization changed the way I view myself in the world and then changed the way I act and react in that world.  Here are a few of the verses I memorized:

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”  Ephesians 3:17-18.  Not surprisingly, this verse is from January 15, the first verse of 2011.  It’s longer and has problematic grammar, making it difficult to commit to memory.  Let’s just say I have issues with the Apostle Paul’s word usage.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.” 1 Timothy 1:7.  This one is great for repeating at night when sleep evades me and worries creep in, and can be followed up with this one, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.” Psalm 143:8

So 2011 was a year of walking in the Word, a path I invite you to walk yourself.  Be bold! Be brave! Jesus walks with you.

“The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid.” Psalm 27:1