Scripture Memorization #8

Beloved Bride of Christ,

     The month of June is half gone.  The days seem to be peeling off the calendar as I am sure you can attest.  Quickly approaching June 22 is the first day of summer but the temperatures seem to say otherwise.  The temperature and humidity certainly causes us to wonder…. how much hotter will it be this summer?

     You are all amazing women of God.  As you continue in your pursuit to meditate/memorize segments of Scripture that the Father has impressed in your heart, you are being intentional in replacing lies with truth.  As those truths settle in the marrow of your being, you walk as “confident women” because you know who you are and Whose you are. 

      Weddings…. brides, grooms, wedding gowns, veils, accessories, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flowers, wedding cake, toasts, marriage covenant before a holy Father.  These are some beautiful things that transpire in the month of June.  The dream of every young girl and woman is to be a bride.  That dream may be slightly different for every woman with the exception that in that dream she is wearing a wedding gown.  That gown is designed and selected for her taste and in wearing that gown the bride is stunning, exquisite, absolutely gorgeous.  Her face glows, her eyes sparkle with excitement and anticipation and there is a perpetual smile of delight on her face.  Her wedding day is the culmination of the woman’s dream as she is not only a bride but she will be with the love of her life forever.

     Isaiah as well as Paul illustrates similar comparison of the wedding symbolism in Holy Writ.  The Church, the Body of Christ, is the bride and the Groom is the Servant/Messiah, Christ.  We can rejoice and delight in the LORD for what Christ has accomplished for us through laying down His life, shedding His blood for the atonement of sin.  God clothes us, His Beloved, with garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness.  And we, His bride, are adorned with jewels.  What a picture of beauty!

     “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.  For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”  Isaiah 61:10

     Let us rejoice for what God has done!  He has provided the gift of salvation through Christ, our Bridegroom!  We, His Beloved, are valued, cherished, esteemed, extravagantly and lavishly loved by the Bridegroom.

     Now it is your turn, beautiful, amazing women of God! 

     Just do it!  Post your verse/verses, reference, translation and name.  And….remember to review your previous verses to keep them fresh and alive!

I love you!

Olda

Scripture Memorization #7

Precious Sisters in Christ!

      April showers brought May flowers and the flowers are gorgeous.  Colors from the myriad of flowers are bursting forth all around us and the fragrance is so delightful.

    Song of Solomon 2: 11-12 (NIV) “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. “

     We have stepped through May.  Now with anticipation and expectation of a fun-filled, joyous, activity packed summer, we purposely march into June with our Scripture verse/verses on our cards and replacing lies with truths. 

    We are now 6 scripture memorization/meditating stronger than we started and we are certainly the better for it.  One of my previous memorization verses stated that His Word will accomplish that which the Father purposes and shall succeed in the thing for which He sent it.  (Isaiah 55:11) That is enough to excite us!

      The Study of Isaiah has created a new excitement and love for the Father that is exhilarating.  Isaiah writes with prose and poetry which lends itself to the beauty of the book.  The Father is seen as Sovereign LORD and without a doubt I was gripped by His greatness, His majesty, His splendor.   It has been thrilling to see how the New Testament fulfilled the prophecies in Isaiah. 

     The segment of Scripture that the Father is leading me to meditate and memorize is a beautiful picture of what the Father has promised to do for us through Christ.  Christ is the good news.

     “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”  Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)

     Christ was anointed to preach “good news”, provide “beauty” instead of ashes, “joy” instead of mourning and “praise” instead of despair.  Then the beautiful results follow:  God’s people will be called “oaks of righteousness”.  The oak is strong and mighty thus a strong tree.  The LORD has done the planting.  The Messiah’s work was not only to deliver us from penalty of sin but to transform us. He does the transformation.  When Father’s glory exudes through us as we exhibit His nature and character, others are drawn to Him.  Imagine!  We are the Father’s splendor!

   .  In Luke 4 when Jesus returned to Nazareth and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, He read Isaiah 61:1 – 2a.  Then he rolled up the scroll and said "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 

      Precious sisters, now it is your turn!  Just do it!

    Post your name, verse/verses, reference and translation and your comments.

I love you!

Olda