Receive the Word Implanted

Two days post-election 2012, I have had a lot of thoughts about things I want desperately to say. But God has challenged me instead to say something that actually matters...so here goes.

I just finished the Beth Moore study of James today...and I'm a little sad. I'm always sad to end a study because it's a time of intense learning and growth and when that is gone...I miss it. But I think this time is a slightly different, and here's why.

In the beginning of the study (entitled James: Mercy Triumphs), for the first time Moore offers you five levels of participation. #1: Attend the video sessions and take notes; #2: Do the daily homework each week as it's assigned; #3: Hand write all five chapters in James at the back of the workbook in small segments as you are going through the study; #4: Read her daughter Melissa's essays which are scholarly, sometimes historical in setting and provide a deeper, richer background to James and his writings; and #5: Memorize all five chapters of James over a five month time period.

I admit I was intrigued by this approach and was pretty sure I could easily complete the first four. I was confident in my faith and Holy Spirit's leading, that I could do these although some weeks it might mean doubling up on the homework for a day. Problem was, I do not have confidence in my memory skills. I mean...really? I can't even remember what I had for dinner last night. How do I memorize five books of the Bible? I even gave up the pursuit of doing anything onstage in drama a decade and a half ago because I just didn't think I could memorize the lines.

I'm sure you can see exactly where this is heading!

Yep...about three weeks ago, I felt the Holy Spirit giving me the "nudge" to just try it and see how far I could get. Can I just say that I have been blessed far beyond anything I could ever have asked or imagined?! Moore talks about in one of the video sessions that when she began not only digging deeply into the Word of God, but also memorizing it...that was a turning point in God tearing down long held strongholds in her life. Here's hoping!

In the meantime, what I have found...and shared with the ladies in our small group today...is that His Word is becoming "bone close". I also, long, for the half hour or so when I get away to my closet (it's quite roomy actually!) and recite James over and over again. My goal was to be done with chapter 1 by the end of October, chapter 2 by November, etc. So actually, I get to spend four more months in the words of James. That's why this end of a study is just a little different.

I didn't quite reach my goal. It took until November 5th to complete the first chapter and I'm at about verse 10 of chapter two. But I've promised myself not to get hung up on "the goal". No, what's important here is that His Word is becoming alive and active and living in me. Instead of a check mark on my "to-do list",  each day for the last three weeks, I have been moved to tears as His loving Spirit speaks a different nuance or a different thought over what I'm memorizing. As I said to the ladies in our group this morning, "I'm wondering why I didn't do this years ago."

So now, I put the challenge out to you...not as a challenge that you can make yourself feel somehow superior about, but rather a challenge in the sense that even if you don't think you can do it...I am proof that you can. Ask His Spirit to lead you to a verse, a chapter, a book (some of them are very small) and with His guidance, ask Him to help you memorize it. I promise you will not regret a moment of the effort...even if you do get some of the buts, ands, fors, therefores, yous and ours messed up like I do!

How can I make that promise? Because James 1:21 says, "Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls."

Amen!