Scriptural Wallpaper and A Confession

TIM CHALLIES currently has this wonderful image from Romans 13 at his site designed to help readers memorize Scripture passages.

Reading the Bible faithfully, diligently, daily is the most important step for renewing our minds from darkness to light. Scripture memorization is an advanced way to deepen this renewing of our minds. Remember, after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and then went out into the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted by Satan, He rebuffed the devil by quoting Scripture. When we are pulled off course and go through trails and tribulations, one of the most amazing and effective things we can do is to follow Christ's lead and quote memorized Scripture over and over again out loud and in our heads.

Such memorized verses repeated during these trails breaks down negative mental thought forms that need to come down in our heads. And it replaces those thought forms with the very Words of God. It is truly rebulding our lives on solid ground.

I want to be much more diligent in memorizing Bible verses and often carry little cards with me when I hike or travel which helps me immeasurably in all sorts of ways. I need to do that today after a really tough day, yesterday.



Now for the confession.

I have to say it is very rare, and rarer still in recent years that I get hooked and really lose it. By the Grace of God I just don't get as hooked as I used to across the board. But yesterday, I absolutely lost it, got furious and stayed furious for hours.

It's been about two years since I really lost my temper like this and I don't like myself when I do. But yesterday I let myself get pushed too far by a meddler and reacted in an outspoken and perhaps unladylike way. ( I also gorged myself on almost an entire quiche, drank strong coffee, and downed dark chocolate with sea salt....)

And you wanna know the worst part? So far I'm not sorry. My little mind says this person had it coming.

Anyway, I stormed around here at my home away from home here in DC and then had a long conversation with several people and worked my way through it without doing too much damage and ended up getting a decent night's sleep. Today I awakened mostly refreshed but feel like I laid down some kind of boundary, albeit imperfectly, with this creepish behavior both in myself and in the meddler.

Today, I plan to go to church, travel and spend a good deal of time in Scripture memorization to help stabilize myself and my life back in God's Light. Most of all, I'm a sinner in need of a Savior. Am a sinner who needs to work this out with a lot of sober reflection and Scripture memorization will be a large part of it. I think Psalm 51 below is a place I will start today:

Psalm 51 (written by David after taking Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah killed in battle.)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

UPDATE: When God tests us and we don't pass.