Meet my friend, Jenna. She recently graduated from the University of Arizona. She is a talented artist, the lovely fiancé of Curtis, a trusted friend to many, and a devoted follower of Jesus. Jenna and Curtis will be offering their gifts and time to invest in college students through Second Mile starting. They love Jesus and long to see university students know Him. It will be awesome to watch God grow and use their leadership in our church.
When Angel announced that she would like others to share their experiences with memorizing scripture, I knew I needed to share what God has been doing and continues to do with His word in my life. While He has refined my character in other ways, He has been focusing on my insecurities since Moxie Memorizers started. I am going to start from the beginning, and hopefully not be too long winded, but I think the detail is important because He has brought me out of some dark places, and scripture has been key to my healing as well as my fight to believe the truth.
Due to unstable family situations and just old junk, I was pretty messy coming to college. I struggled with body image issues, perfectionist issues, and not-knowing-my-own-worth issues. In my journey of healing, I distinctly remember telling Him, “This is what I believe about myself. Can You prove me wrong?” Faithfully, He did. He told me that I am precious and honored in His sight, loved and not traded for anything or anyone else (Isaiah 43:1-4). He also told me that He bestows glory on me (Psalm 3:3), is a wall of fire around me (Zechariah 2:5), and that I can trust and steady myself in Him (Psalm 112:7-8). In struggling to choose to believe those truths, He commanded that I don’t throw away my confidence- it’s the key to endurance and has a reward (Hebrews 10:35-39).
While I can list off verses that God has told me, it only shows the beauty of God answering me. I think the gift of memorizing scripture is that He allows us to cling to Him and to fight to believe Him, no matter where we are. We can repeat verses to ourselves over and over, scribble them on papers, let them change us, and give it to others when they need truth too.
Since we’re fans of questions: Have you sat in front of God, asking Him to answer you? If He has, do you cling to what He said or throw it away? What rewards are you missing out on by not believing what He said? Have you considered how blessed you are to have the truth, when many people don’t have that opportunity?
Great questions, Jenna! I've asked God a fair amount of direct questions in my life. Some He saw fit to answer quickly, some I'm still waiting for His reply but trust His timing in all things. He has a beautiful way of pointing us to Jesus, making Him the center of our lives and not ourselves. I'm thankful that His kindness has led me to repentance and truth time and time again.
Jenna, thank you for sharing! Let's all pray for Jenna. Pray for her coming marriage, pray she will continue to know and believe that she is a valued daughter of God, pray that God will refine, sharpen, and use her for His glory.
Post your verses, friends. I'm looking forward to the encouragement I find in reading the verses you are memorizing and praying for each of you as you stay the course. I'm continuing on with Jeremiah 17:7-8.
11 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for your honest and encouraging post Jenna! How cool to see God using his word to embed his love and truth in your life:) I feel like I have hit this discouraging wall with memorizing scripture this last month but feel challenged an encouraged by your post! Just what I needed:) so this post for me is going to be recommitting myself to scripture memorization, being intentional, and reviewing my current verses:)
Thanks for the encouragement! I will be working on 1 Thes. 5:23-24
Loved your post Jenna! I will be memorizing Luke 11:13
Loved this post, particularly Jenna's voice speaking and handling God's word with boldness. How encouraging, not only what she said, but how she said it. Well Ive been out of the memorizing loop since April I think! But the kids and I have a goal to memorize five verses this summer so here's the first one we are on.
Proverbs 12:26
Godly people are careful about the friends they choose, but the way of sinners leads them down the wrong path. (early readers version nirv)
Have a great week!!
thanks everyone :) I am still memorizing 2 Corinthians 6:8-9.
8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;
Oh, Jenna. :) Thank you for your lovely vulnerability, encouragement, and thought-provoking questions.
This time around I'm memorizing Luke 9:23-24...
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Jenna, I so appreciate your post! You are such a wonderful woman of God whom I feel blessed to know. :)
As far as memorizing, I confess that I have not memorized anything new this two weeks. It is time to jump back on the bandwagon for next time!
Jenna--Thank you so much for the words you shared with us this month. It is incredible to hear of just how much God has used Scripture in your life to change your heart and mindset. You are a dear!!
Memorizing this go around...I have the 11 verse memorized, but verses 12 and 13 are the ones I'm really focusing on.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Thank you for sharing your heart and being vulnerable with ...the world:) I honored to have a small peak into you the stirring of your soul Jenna...
Psalms 90:14 (NAS)
"O satisfy us in the morning with Your loving kindness. That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
Yay thanks for sharing Jenna! It's amazing how far we can go in such a short time-- it makes the future look amazing, right??
I'm still going to be working on my verse from last time.
I can't BELIEVE I haven't posted yet! But, again, better late than never ;).
Jenna, thank you so much for sharing what you did. I just love glimpses into your heart and hearing of how God is using His word to transform you... it's beautiful! I have so loved watching your life over the last three years and am SO excited to see what's in store. Thank you for the challenging questions too. I will continue to ponder those.
For the next week I am going to continue reviewing the verses I have and not add a new one. Will be back on the 15th with a new one, hopefully!
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