Verse for the Year

“. . . His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness.” “For this God is our God forever and ever.”

Hi, this is Cynthia Dowling, and when I say the words “New Year's” what is the next word you think of? Well, it might be the word “resolutions.” Oh no, not a discussion about resolutions. No, for sure, it is not a discussion about resolutions. I think we can all say, “been there, done that.” And kudos to those to you who actually fulfill your New Year's resolutions—you are amazing! But one thing we can all resolve on is getting to know our God better in this new year. I think it's been over ten years now since the thought about having a “verse for the year,” first hit my brain. What would God like me to think about in the upcoming year, as the overarching theme of my new year? What work do I need God to do in my life this year that would make me a more godly person, wife, mother, and friend? Is there a verse that has stood out to me this year that could carry me into the new year with a better God-focused mind set?

One truth that has gripped me over the years is that God’s Word “will not return void.” That phrase means that the work of the Word of God in anyone’s life is never a net zero; it will always bring dividends, not only in this life but also in the life to come. Following that phrase “will not return void,” God then promises that His Word will accomplish what He pleases, and it will prosper in the thing where He sends it. What a wonderful blessing to have God’s good work being accomplished in your life and having your soul prosper because He sent His Word especially to you. This work is so important, you may want to memorize your verse. Memorizing God's Word always pays off. God has promised it, and He will do it.

Maybe right now some of you have a verse in mind, and you're thinking, “Yes, that would make a great theme for my year next year.” It may be a verse you already know, it may be one you're familiar with, or it could be completely new to you. I've tried all three types, and all three have been a blessing. Whether you’ve thought of one or not, pray and ask the Lord for downtime to think about your new year and the verse the Lord would like to use in your life.

Let me suggest that after you find your verse that you look at the context of that verse. Read that verse in its biblical setting: whether it's in a Psalm, or in a paragraph, or in a chapter. What is that jewel of a verse saying in its setting? For example, last year I chose 1 Peter 4:7-8. The reason I chose those verses really was because of their setting. In them, God tells us that the end of all things is at hand twice. OK, so it feels like the end of all things to me, what do I do? God gives Peter these words, “be sober, and watch unto prayer, and above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” Isn't that amazing! When everything is falling apart around you, watch, be sober, pray, and love others. That was a revelation to me. But it was exciting because that truth shifted my focus from fear to faith. I am to be prayerfully alert, and watch what God is doing without fear, and I am to love others. Love them not just from afar but love them fervently. Wow! How God wants me to work all that out certainly involves prayer and knowing what God is saying in this passage. So, I memorized the whole chapter to make sure I understood God's setting for this truth.

Yikes, you might say! A whole chapter? How would I have time for that? Well, you have a year if you want just for the verse, if need be! The wonderful thing is that there is no rush; you can take your time and give lots of thought to the words that you are memorizing. A great thing to do is to read that verse every day until it's yours. I’ve found that the best time for me to look at that verse is right before I read my Bible in the morning. My Bible is open, and I turn to the memory verse first, read it, and every day I learn it a little bit better. After you've got the verse memorized, quote that verse every day--out loud works best, if you can. If you have time, follow the same pattern to memorize the whole chapter, the larger passage, the full Psalm, or whatever other scripture you're using to give fuller meaning to your verse; or just read that verse in its setting as often as you can. We all learn differently, and if you prefer to listen to your verse on an audio version, do it. Some of you may want to write the verse out each day. Whatever works for you is best!

What's so amazing about God's Word is just the first phrase will start making a difference in your life. This phrase will come back to you when you need to make a decision, when you're discouraged, when you're excited, and at many other times. It can even help direct you in how to do God's will or what His will is. There is power in God's Word.

The main thing is consistency. Working on your verse and passage every day will give you continuity in flow of meaning, in repetition, and in other good ways. Then you'll establish a habit of working on scripture memory every day. One thing that can be helpful is to leave Sunday open to move forward in putting what you have done during the week, together. Maybe you have been able to memorize a whole verse or a couple of verses or more; then on Sunday, you can solidify that verse or unit of verses and really get them clean and crisp. Also, on Sunday, you may have more time to ponder those verses and get in some good meditation in understanding the passage as a whole.

Really, the key to scripture memorization is work a little every day, stay consistent, and review. I always like to put my verse and passage on my phone, so that when I have any downtime like waiting for an appointment or whatever . . . I just pull out my phone and review the verse that I'm working on for that day, and it works great! So your phone can be your best friend in helping you learn your verse. You can also use a notecard in your purse or pocket, if you prefer. You want memorizing to be convenient, desirable, and easy. So, keep it simple! Don’t try to memorize so fast that you dread working on scripture memory. Think “slow and steady wins the race.” Again, just keep it simple. Then watch to see how God fulfills His promise!

This year the Lord has impressed me to memorize Isaiah 40, especially verses 28-31. I’m excited because most of the first 11 verses are familiar, since I have listened to them in Handel’s “Messiah” many times. Much of the middle of Isaiah 40 is like a miniature passage of Job 38-41 where God asks Job rhetorical questions that take Job’s mind off the “whys” and refocuses him on the “Who.” And then the end of the chapter finishes with the beautiful promise of renewed strength to those who wait on the Lord. Listen to this:

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

This is the powerful, wise, and kind God I want to know better in the coming year; and I know that as you seek the Lord, He will give you a great verse to prosper your soul this year, too! Let’s be on the lookout for the good work God is doing through His Word! Can’t wait for January 1st to get started!

Until next time, praying for us to have strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Great is His faithfulness!