15 Sep 24 in Twenty-Ten: Scripture Memory Verse #17 & 18

It’s a big day in Big D!  We are kicking off Women at the Well (W@W) Bible study tonight here in Dallas and I’m about as excited as a kid at Christmas!  Many of you know that I took a break from teaching in the Winter/Spring semester of this year.  Though I certainly needed it physically (after treatment and surgeries that came with my breast cancer adventure), our Sovereign God had more than just a physical rest in mind. Countless times over the past 18 months He spoke to me His Word, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10).   In fact, those were the very first He used to launch me into that adventure in May of ’09.  Literally, as my husband and I waited for the breast surgeon to meet with us, Stephen Curtis Chapman was singing those same words on the iPod shuffle that was playing in the office that morning.  Nobody else was in the room… just John and me, and God.  Isn’t He good?  Isn’t He just so sweet to have orchestrated that… to shuffle that iPod so that those words would be singing to me?
 
I bet you’ve had some experiences like that with Him, too.  Times when He is just so personal that we are speechless… stunned out of coincidence and into gut-wrenching belief that HE IS… and that HE LOVES. 
 
There’s something about the “forced stillness” God permits us at times; it’s never the “just prop it up” kind of rest we are imaging it.  The forced stillness He permitted me did more for my heart than it did for my body… and it was much needed. 
 
So… yes, it’s a big day!  I’m so very, very glad to have the physical strength to teach the gospel I love so much.  A lot has changed in the last year and all for the good, and I do mean that sincerely.   I was just telling the Lord this morning that I am so very, very thankful to not be the same girl I was 18 months ago; wouldn’t trade a thing to be where I am this moment.  I cried to Him as I expressed my fears about stepping back into the teaching gift again and feeling weak in that gifting, weak with my words (side effects of anesthesia can make one a bit foggy at times… either that or menopause, and I have been blessed with both).  He quickly spoke something to my heart that stunned me; “Punky, I have made you weaker so that I can be stronger in you.” 
 
Yes!  Do it, Lord!  Be so very strong in my weakness… show off BIG in my weak words and bring glory to Your Awesome Self!  You must be bigger and I must get smaller and smaller and smaller.  “He must become greater, I must become less” (John 3:30).  I can do nothing apart from You, Lord… nothing (John 15:5); but I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who gives me strength! (Philippians 4:13) 
 
As we kick off the Bible study year tonight, these are all good reminders to me of what spiritual gifting is all about:  Him.  I’m just guessing that these might be good reminders for more than just me today.  Don’t know about you, but I’m spiritually thumbtacking these to my forehead! 
 
So, here are my two memory verses #17 & #18… and I’d love to hear yours:
 
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10).
 
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9
 
Pressing on in His incredible love ~
xo – P