soooo, memorizing scripture has NEVER been my strong point when it comes to the spiritual disciplines. yikes. i am thankful to my mom for diligently helping us with memory verses as wee ones, but once i grew up a bit and took ownership for my personal walk with the Lord, that area just kinda fell by the wayside in many respects. i know, i'm almost ashamed to say that but it's true and i suppose the first step toward growth/victory is acknowledging something, owning up to it (and/or repenting of it, if necessary) and seeking out accountability & the Spirit's HELP to grow. this morning during my time in the Word (as my very busy 10 1/2 month old chewed on paper and pulled books off the bookshelves!), i ran across this verse in Romans (15:4) which kinda hit me:
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For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. (emphasis added)
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Below is a story i shared awhile back on my fb wall (when i was consistently on fb) that really touched my heart. it's taken from the book, Forgotten God, by Francis Chan:
Esther Ahn Kim's biography is among the most powerful testimonies I have ever read. It was during WWII and the Japanese occupation of Korea that Esther's journey of faith really began. She refused to bow down at the shrines set up on every corner of her country and was eventually imprisoned for six years, from 1939-1945.
Knowing she was destined for prison for refusing to bow to idols, Esther spent time training herself both physically and spiritually. Each day she would find and eat food that was decaying, knowing that's what she would be served in prison. The discipline she demonstrated is humbling; how many of us would choose to eat rotten foods?
While preparing for prison, she memorized more than 100 chapters of the Bible and many hymns because she knew she would not be allowed to keep her Bible. She spent countless hours seeking God through fasting & prayer. These times when she read the Scriptures led to greater clarity, and she was able to surrender her fear of being tortured.
Reading her story left me wanting more. More intimacy with Christ. More love for people. More love of God in my life. And to be honest, more discipline. She was a well-disciplined believer, but there was nothing self-righteous about her. Her obedience to Christ only increased her ability to hear the voice of the Spirit. And consequently, filled her with overwhelming love for the people she came into contact with.
When she eventually was taken to prison, God used her in countless ways. One night, a Chinese woman convicted of killing her husband was brought in. She moaned incessantly and beat on the doors until the guards tied her hands behind her back. It was this woman that God called Esther to love and reach out to. Esther held the woman's feet to warm them, even though the woman was covered in her own excrement. Though food rations were small, Esther gave up her portions to this woman.
Over time, the Chinese woman began to respond, carrying on conversations and eventually accepting the Good News of the Gospel. The woman was later executed for her crime, but she went to her death alive in Christ.
This is one of many people God used Esther to minister to. Murderers and swindlers who were utter outcasts were changed before all who watched as the love of Christ, through Esther, healed their hearts and gave them hope.
Even the jailers and gov't officials noticed how Esther shone in that dark place. She could have just endured her suffering like a good Christian, and we would have applauded her for it. But she was not content to merely endure. She was ready everyday and every moment, asking God, 'who do you want me to love for you today?'
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so if i ever end up in a prison, having had my precious Bible taken from me like Esther (which very well could happen in these last days and is already happening in many parts of the world), I want to know the hope, the encouragement, and the endurance the Word of God - which is alive and active and sharper than any double-edged sword - offers to me. I want to be girded with it in order to renew my mind as Romans 12 talks about and I want to be ready to be able to speak a word in season to those around me who need to hear about Jesus again or for the very first time.
I am going to be taking up the Romans Challenge. Would you like to join me? It's memorizing only two little verses per week - in other words, very doable in my book! Please leave a comment, if you would like to partner with me and we can cheer one another on throughout the year! looking forward to hearing from you!
The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing.
Our weakness is made PERFECT by His strength!
Amen!!
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