Do you have a life verse?
August 18, 2008 | My Jottings
My life verse is Job 23:12.
I have not departed from the commands of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread. (NIV)
A life verse is a verse or passage from the Bible that is very significant for you. Some people choose a life verse because it was that scripture that cut through the darkness and revealed to them their need for Christ. Some choose a particular verse for the hope and encouragement it speaks into their specific circumstances. Another may feel a certain passage truly sums up what God has done in her life. And then there are people who choose a life verse because that’s what they hope to see become a reality in their lives, through God’s love and power. This is why Job 23:12 is a verse I’ve memorized and have clung to for years now. It isn’t a full reality in my life yet. But I want to someday be able to look back at my life and point to Jesus and say with confidence, “Through His mercy and constant care and enabling patience, I have not turned away from His ways; He has caused me to truly love the brilliance and wonder of His Word more than even the food I crave every day.”
Some days my life verse is a concrete reality for me. When I sit in my chair in the mornings and ask God to speak into my dry and needy life as I open His Word, the ways in which He often does that are so personal and amazing that I cry and marvel all at once.
Other days I sadly feel that I have treasured my daily bread more than the words of His mouth. So I would say that God is beckoning me to allow this verse to become a scripture that accurately sums up my life. Does it now? No. But will it someday? I sincerely pray that it will.
Do you have a special verse or passage in the Bible that is significant to you? If you are a Christian and don’t have a “life verse”, I encourage you to ask God to give you one. Ask Him to show you in the way that only He can, what scripture He wants to bring to completion in your life. Then perhaps you could memorize that verse, post it in various places in your house, to help you keep it in the forefront of your mind, and begin to rehearse it over and over. Whatever we most rehearse in our minds is what we will end up believing, and what we believe is what we live. I want my rehearsals, my beliefs and my living to be a little different these days.
One of the hardest things about walking with Jesus in our culture is turning down the volume of the world enough to hear His whispers. When I’m up and running in the morning, getting medications and lunches and laundry going for our foster care gals, it seems so hectic that even before an hour has passed I feel weary. But if I will carefully tune my ear to Him, I can sometimes hear Him whisper. I live for those times.
If you read this post, will you share what your life verse is with me? You don’t have to post it as a comment if you don’t want to, but it might be encouraging to someone else if you do. E-mail if you prefer. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if He whispered something personal to you from His Word, something that was on His heart about you and the days He has numbered for you?
Learning to listen,
I just love JustJulie! Thank you for inviting me to share in your thoughts.
My life verse is
Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
I, too, am often distracted and my deepest desire is for a heart that belongs to Him alone…undivided!
You Bless me, my friend…keep up the writing.
There have been several verses that I have clung to throughout the years, mostly because they’ve reassured me at times I’ve felt particularly vulnerable. But the words that I love the most are the ones that end Psalm 23….”Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I love the confidence of that statement. “Surely” – there’s not the shadow of a doubt.
My Life Verse…this scripture has helped preserve my sanity in an insane world…
Ephesians 6:12
“Finally”…In the previous chapters, I see that Paul has touched on the people that may be a part of our life…the Gentiles, the Body of Christ, husbands and wives, parents and children, etc….and with the word “finally” in verse 10, he skillfully builds a bridge to this scripture.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”.
This scripture has made it possible for me to take my eyes off of individuals and realize where my battleground actually is. Oh how the enemy wants me to be unaware of the spiritual realm and his evil participation and wiles. When I lose sight of my true opponent, I stand naked and powerless because there is no “warfare armor” to put on for a battle against man. I have tried to beat the metal into shape for the helmet of “justification” and the shield of “they started it” and the sword of “they hurt me”, but it has been futile…
I am still learning, but my eyes are open and His Word is Life…
It might sound a little strange, but my life verse is Acts 13:36 — ‘When David had served God’s purposes in his own generation, he fell asleep.’
What a fantastic choice for a life verse, Kevin. Oh, that we all could say we had served God’s purposes in our own generation. Not sure I’m there yet…..but I hope to be. Thank you for visiting and commenting!
Hope you still see this years later 🙂 trying to get my SS class to look at this topic – my life verse is John 10:10 – the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and have it to the fullest!
I am passionate about everything I do, and I know that this is God’s will for me!
So nice of you to leaves comment Lamarr! God bless you as you teach your class — I’m sure your passion impacts those lives for The Lord!