First sentence: Snow was falling thick and fast across my windshield on a cold February night many winters ago.
31 Verses To Write On Your Heart is a devotional book for women; I'd almost say for women and men but she does tend to address her readers as women.
Each "devotion" or each "chapter" tackles a specific verse word by word. The goal isn't just devotional reading or even meditation. It is memorization as well. Each chapter concludes with a tip to aid you in memorizing Scripture. Each chapter also includes a brief prayer.
Here's one of my favorite prayers:
When I read Your Word, when I study Your Word, when I memorize Your Word, when I live Your Word, Your love and faithfulness will beat in my heart so loudly others may hear and see Your truth and be set free. Oh, let it be so, Lord!also
When I read Your Word, fill my mind with wonder. When I see Your creation, fill my heart with awe.When You pour out Your mercy on me, fill my soul with gratitude and, yes, a healthy fear of Your power and might.
She begins the book by sharing her experiences with readers--how she came to read the Bible. She shares how passionate she was to read the Bible for the first time. She continues, "With each passing month I feared that my enthusiasm for the Bible might wear thin. That once I’d read every page, the stories and lessons wouldn’t be as exciting the second time, let alone the tenth time. Now I know the truth. Whenever I read a familiar verse, God reveals a richer, deeper meaning."
I can echo her sentiments. Though our background stories do differ, our passion for the Word of God make us kindred spirits.
The thirty one verses examined in this one: Proverbs 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Proverbs 29:25; Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 9:10; Philippians 4:13; Proverbs 4:23; 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 31:30; Psalm 46:10; Zephaniah 3:17; Proverbs 22:6; Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:6; Proverbs 15:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 31:25; Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 27:17; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 1:6; Joshua 1:9; Proverbs 30:5; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 43:1; Proverbs 15:23; John 14:2; Lamentations 3:22; Proverbs 3:5.
Quotes:
- If you’ve been reading the Bible for a few seasons, is there one verse you cherish above all others? A powerful statement that nourishes and sustains you year in and year out? Words you’ve posted on your fridge, stitched on fabric, written on greeting cards, included in your e-mail signature?
- God-fearing is a phrase we don’t often hear anymore. Sounds a bit dated. Old school. We’d rather focus on loving God and being loved by Him. His love is a glorious truth, but it’s not the first thing we need to learn.
- Unless we point people to Scripture, we’re giving them little more than our opinion.
- Open the Bible to any page, and your eyes will land on truth. Every time.
- From God’s point of view, love and faithfulness are inseparable. One can’t exist without the other. Because God loves us, He remains ever faithful. Because God is faith itself, His love is never ending.
- What will this day look like if you remain in awe of the Lord, never forgetting who He is or what He can do?
- As long as we’re here, this world is where we’re meant to be. Although we are surrounded by constant temptations and pulled this way and that by our selfish desires, we are called and equipped by God to choose wisely.
- No question, God loves you. I’m asking, do you love Him? Do you believe what He has for you is for your good? That’s the real test of faith, isn’t it? To say, “Yes, God, whatever You have for me in this life I will receive as a gift of love from Your hands.”
- Whenever the truth of God’s love is yanked from our grasp by a culture that focuses on negativity and majors in cynicism, it’s time to dive into His Word and be refreshed.
- When common sense is no longer common, we need God’s wisdom more than ever.
- It’s His Father’s house, and it’s our Father’s house. It’s home. Not our temporary earthly home, but our permanent heavenly home. The Greek word moné simply means “abode.” Nothing fancy, just a place to live. Then came the Latin word mansio, which referred to a traveler’s resting place. As centuries passed, the English word mansion took on a grander meaning, leading to a materialistic view of heaven that Jesus never intended. Our future lies with our Master, not our mansion. What matters is that He lives there and so will we.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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