More Than Useful, He Is Beautiful

I am hungry. Hungry for God's Word. For many years I have read it and it has moved me and I have remembered bits and pieces, but never have I made it a priority to memorize it, to bury it deep in my heart and ingrain it deep in my mind so that it transforms the way I think and the way I feel and the way I live. I thought I was doing that when I studied the Word, but I was just scraping the surface before I started letting it really seep into me. Last year I discovered how regenerative and empowering it is to memorize Scripture. This happened kind of accidentally as I started writing meaningful verses on a chalkboard that I have framed in my living room. As I glanced at it throughout the days and weeks I would meditate on the words and it was amazing how transformative just that simple act was. And now I'm addicted, I can't get enough. Not just because of how it changes me, but because of how beautiful I discover God and His plan are the more I meditate on His words revealing to me who He is and what He stands for.

When thinking about my goals for this year, my main focus has been Hebrews 12:1-2 and fixing my eyes on Jesus so that I can run the race set before me with endurance. A major part of fixing my eyes on Jesus for me has become memorizing and meditating on the Word. I was thrilled when Ann Voskamp announced "The Jesus Project" for 2014 on her blog, A Holy Experience. She has created printables for meaningful verses from the gospel of John and encourages memorizing one a week. I immediately downloaded the first set of printables and printed them on cardstock and keep the one I am currently working on leaning on a large candle I keep on my kitchen counter, where I can see it easily from anywhere in my kitchen, which gives me the opportunity to read it numerous times throughout the day. Please let me share with you the first few verses and how they have affected me?

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John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

John 1:6

The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen His glory, 

glory as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Beautiful words that renew my soul. Truth is so beautiful and so powerful. Though the precepts are not new to me, they are renewing me in a way I never would have predicted as I meditate on them. Most of all I cannot get over how beautiful the truth is and how profound and how mind-blowing it is that God is so unbelievably good and loving that He made this the truth, when He could have made anything the truth, He made hope and love and grace the truth.

Some days I have to grasp and claw to hang on to that truth, to not let the darkness stamp it out. But here is a beautiful little breath of fresh air among the grasping and clawing and working so hard to train my mind and heart to fight against the lies of this world... that beautiful little breath of fresh air is John 1:6, "the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." As long as I have Jesus, the darkness will not be able to overcome the bright flame of truth, of hope, of love in my heart. Fresh air. Beautiful fresh air.

And oh, sweet Jesus! Glorious Jesus, "glory as the only Son of the Father," omniscient and omnipotent Jesus, Creator and Sustainer of life. Full of grace... of unfailing love. Despite all the glory, this is who He is- grace and truth. My heart is bursting! Glorious and gracious Jesus. Could anything be more beautiful???

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It's not too late to join me and discover God's beauty by memorizing and meditating on His Word...

"Is Jesus merely useful to you-- or is He ultimately beautiful to you? When Jesus is merely useful to me, I want Him to move my world. When Jesus is ultimately beautiful to me, it's my heart that is moved-- and this is how He begins to change the world." ~Ann Voskamp