Last week I wrote this post about the Scripture Memory Event that I attended in Houston.
Several of you asked if I would share the rest of the points that Beth made in her discussion of Psalm 119, so who am I to hold back?
Please realize this is a quick summation of what she said because I really don't want to write the longest post in the history of the Allaccess blog, although I probably already hold that distinction because I love the wordy.
Psalm 119 has 176 verses that are an alphabetical acrostic. Basically, it's life from A to Z; sadness, joy, tears and laughter.
Here are the eight parts of the sentence that describe its message:
1. I'm a resident alien...
v. 19 "I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me" - We're filled with a longing for something we can't find on earth.
2. ...seeking direction
v. 105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - God really does have a direction for us. When it's time to move, He will show us the time and the direction. It's up to us to obey.
3. ...in deep want of wonder
v. 18 "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." - We have a soul craving for wonder. Have we lost our sense of wonder regarding God?
4. ...in peril and need
v. 25 "I am laid low in the dust"
v. 28 "my soul is weary"
There are 70 different prayer requests in Psalm 119. If it's in God's word, then we can ask it for ourselves.
5. ...we are troubled by humanity
v. 81-88 "When will you punish my persecutors?" - We want to see God act, but Ezekiel 33:10 says, "the Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked."
6. ...especially my own
v. 133 "let no sin rule over me." - Biblical blamelessness is not perfection. It is to be free of willful sin.
7. ...knowing that to follow is the only free road
v. 30-32 "you have set my heart free" - Prayer should relieve burdens. If we still feel weighted down, then we're trying to play God.
8. ...for a stray sheep longing to be found.
v. 176 "I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands."
Christ came looking for me. Christ came looking for you.
I don't know about you, but that last part makes me want to put my head down and bawl my eyes out.
I know I've probably mentioned this before, but I grew up in a very traditional church. We didn't shout "amen," we didn't clap, and you can bet your bottom dollar that we didn't have any drums. We sang the Doxology, we recited The Lord's Prayer, and we sang hymns. Lots and lots of hymns.
When I was younger, of course, I didn't really appreciate the depth and richness of hymns. But now that I'm older - well, the hymns just do me in. Every single time. I might be able to get through the first verse without tears filling my eyes, but it's doubtful. Usually I just have to hear the first few chords and I'm a goner.
"How Deep The Father's Love For Us" isn't a hymn that I sang growing up, mainly because it wasn't written until 1995. But the lyrics - OH, THE LYRICS - they're something else. So good. And to hear sweet Kelly Minter singing them? Extra special.
"I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom."
I read some great posts from the LifeWay Women folks on the interweb this week, and I thought this fine, rainy Saturday morning was an excellent opportunity to share some of the webby goodness.
- Vicki Courtney shares the process of preparing a message, and it humbled me and made me laugh all at the same time. If you've ever done any teaching or speaking, you'll appreciate her post so much.
- LifeWay's Chris Adams has started a great new blog series called "Life Lessons for Leaders." Good, challenging stuff.
Thank you so much for all your entries for the "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed" DVD giveaway. I wish we could send one to every single one of you, but I promise we'll have more great giveaways coming up.
At the beginning of 2009, Beth Moore began a scripture memory challenge on her blog. The goal was to memorize two scriptures a month for the entire year. There were thousands of women who participated and, two weeks ago, about 500 of us met in Houston, Texas for a special event to celebrate.
Beth spoke on Psalm 119 which is the longest chapter in the Bible. She compared it to our spiral of index cards with all our memory verses and said that as you read it you get a slice of life. There are highs and lows and semi-highs and then lows again. It's a picture of what day to day life looks like and I know that, personally, my spiral book of verses represented the same thing. Some of the verses I chose were verses of praise, some were to help me when I felt afraid, and some were just times that I felt down and discouraged.
Beth said that the theme of Psalm 119 is the revelation of the will of God and God's wills to reveal himself to man. In fact, throughout Psalm 119, there are eight different words used for God and how he reveals himself. (Testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, word, sayings, law)
She broke the Psalm down into a sentence made up of eight separate parts that define our existence, but the part that spoke to me the most were the first two phrases which were:
1. I'm a resident alien...
We are filled with a longing for something we can't find on this earth.
2. ... seeking direction
God always has a direction for us and he wants to reveal it to us. Verse 105 of Psalm 119 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path."
He will always show us the next stop. The problem is that we would prefer a huge spotlight that shows us the next twenty or fifty steps instead of just one little step.
Or maybe that's just me.
I can get so wrapped up in what I want to happen or what I think might happen or what I fear might happen that I often forget that when I seek Him, he will be faithful to show me when it's time to take the NEXT step. Not the next twenty, just the next one.
Beth made the comment that we try to prophesy over the future with no grace. When we take God out of the equation and just think of the future, we aren't allowing for the grace of God that will carry us and sustain us no matter what He calls us to in the future.
It helped remind me that all I need to know is what He's calling me to RIGHT NOW. And when it's time to move, he'll let me know.
In fact, he has given me a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris