Years ago when my faith was young and I was a new Christian, I started posting scripture verses around my home and office. It was a way for me to not only memorize the word of God but to surround myself with it. During challenging times the verses brought me comfort and strength. They served as a visual reminder that God’s word could purposefully be used in times of need. And in times of joy, I was able to say these words as a praise back to God.

My husband gave me my first Bible when I got baptized at age 31, and it was the New King James Version. I fell in love with the poetry of the old language, and I still prefer to recite some verses in that version. Two that I consistently have posted in my space are:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

When my husband and I bought the house we live in now, we decided we wanted to surround our family with verses and positive sayings. As I sit here writing this post, I can count 14 signs that are either Bible verses or positive sayings, just on our first floor. When I’m out shopping or down a rabbit trail on the Internet, I have to literally stop myself from buying any more signs.

But unfortunately I’ve noticed recently that the words have become part of the decoration and no longer have the same impact they used to. I find that I’m so used to them being a part of my home that I neglect to read, let alone meditate on them. My desire had been that these verses would impact my family and our guests, not just be pretty wall hangings.

This led me to realize that I had let the discipline of memorizing scriptures lapse. So I decided to recommit myself to learning new verses that will give me strength and help when I need it or praise God for His faithfulness. I also want to share what I’m discovering and learning with our teen boys, who are navigating what faith means to them.

Just the other day, my son and I were talking about thoughts, how powerful they are and how we need to take the negative ones captive. We turned to scripture and I was able to point him to one of my favorite verses, Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We both wrote the verse down and posted it -- his in his room and mine in the kitchen. It was such a great experience to share a new bit of scripture with him, and it has reignited my desire to memorize verses.

What is your go-to verse? Have you discovered or rediscovered any favorites lately? I’d love for you to share them in the comments section below.

WILLOWDALE WOMEN’S SUMMIT

March 30, 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

What does it look like for a woman to be a disciple who makes disciples in 2019?Join us for a day of worship, teaching and discussion, as we explore Jesus’ heart on the topic and leave with practical tools for fostering meaningful disciple relationships. This event is designed for women to “go deeper” in connection with God and each other. Our goal is that women will be encouraged, a bit more equipped, and empowered to truly live as disciples of Jesus in their everyday lives. Click here for details and to register.